#its like 199 degrees

[learningfromlosing]

Forgot that Chappell Roan did not in fact coin the term hot to go and thought the pizza shop was just a stan

[ivystitches]

WHO CAN BLAME A GIRL CALL ME HOT NOT PRETTY

[sofiaruelle]

Baby, do you like this beat? I made it so you’ll dance with me~🎶

Redbubble

[darewolfcreates]

Teeth jars!

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: blue whale

It's the one-year anniversary of my Wet Beast Wednesday posts. My first post was on the smallest of all cetaceans, the vaquita. For the anniversary, I'm going to go to the other end of the spectrum and cover the largest of all cetaceans: the mighty blue whale. Join me as we explore the biggest of bois, the largest of lads, and the absolutest of units.

(Image: a blue whale at the surface of the ocean, seen from above. It is long, slender, and grey. The head is the widest point and takes up about a quarter of the body. The blowholes are positioned at the back of the head. Two flippers emerge from the body just behind the head. The tail fluke is very broad and pointed. End ID)

Blaenoptera musculus, the blue whale, is divided into four subspecies based on size and location. These are the northern blue whale (B. m. musculus), the north Indian ocean blue whale (B. m. indica), the antarctic blue whale (B. m. intermedia), and the pygmy blue whale (B. m. brevicauda). The northern and pygmy whales are further subdivided into population stocks based on what part of their range they live in. Blue whales are not only the largest cetaceans, they are the largest known animals to have ever existed. There are animals that can get longer, like the lion's mane jellyfish, but blue whales are the most massive animals. There are some extinct species that could potentially meet or exceed the blue whale in size, including some ichthyosaurs, whales, and sauropods, but all those species are known only from skeleton fragments so we can't get a fully accurate estimate of their size. Size varies depending on subspecies and population stock, but the longest group are the eastern north Pacific population, which can reach an average 24 m (79 ft). The antarctic subspecies is the heaviest, averaging 130 metric tons (290,000 lbs) for females. Females are larger than males. The pygmy subspecies is the smallest, though small is a relative term as they can still average 21.3 m (69.9 ft) and 99 metric tons (218,000 lbs). The longest scientifically measured individual was 30 m (98 ft), though there are unconfirmed reports of longer ones. The heaviest blue whale on record weighed 173 metric tons (381,400 lbs), though there are whales estimated to get up to 199 metric tons (438,720 lbs). Blue whales also have the largest hearts of any animal. One specimen measured in at 180 kg (400 lbs). The heart is about the size of a golf cart and 4 or 5 people could fit inside the chambers without having to squeeze. There's a commonly-quoted factoid that a person could swim through a blue whale's arteries without touching the sides. I wasn't able to find any exact measurements to confirm or refute this. I did find some sources saying that the blood vessels are highly elastic so its possible the factoids are talking about the arteries at their most stretched. Each heartbeat moves 220 liters of blood and the total blood volume is estimated at 5,300 liters. The heartbeat can be heard two miles away. I really just want to impress on you that these animals are fucking massive. A study on hydrodymanics suggested that a blue whale couldn't get longer than 33 meters (108 ft) before its metabolic and energy requirements would exceed the amount of food it could eat. Blue whales are verging on what is theoretically the maximum amount of big a whale can be.

(Image: an illustration comparing the size of a blue whale to other animals and showing their size. The whale is about as long as a line consisting of a polar bear, grizzly bear, human, asian elephant, giraffe, and great white shark. End ID. Source)

Blue whales are baleen whales, meaning that instead of teeth they have thick, keratinous plates called baleen attached to the upper jaw. When feeding, blue whales open their mouths and swim through clouds of krill. The mouth can open to 80 degrees and folds at the bottom let it expand to fit 220,000 liters of water at a time. The whale them closes its mouth and forces water out through the baleen. The baleen acts as a sieve, trapping krill in the mouth to be swallowed. Blue whales target patched of krill with the highest densities as their feeding style requires a minimum of 100 krill per cubic meter to offset the energy cost of feeding. Most mouthfuls provide 8,312 to 475,141 kilocalories of energy, more than enough to offset the cost of feeding. The current estimate for how much krill an adult needs in a day is 1,120 ± 359 kg (2,469 ± 791 lbs) and pregnant females need even more than that. Blue whales will dive in search of food, with the deepest confirmed depth being a pygmy blue whale that reached 506 m (1,660 ft). The deepest known dive from a non-pygmy blue whale was 315 m (1,033 ft). The longest recorded dive was 15.2 minutes and the estimated maximum dive duration is 31.2 minutes. During dives, a blue whale's heartbeat slows to 2 beats per minute, the slowest of any known animal. The elastic aorta seems to take over a lot of the heart's pumping job during this time. Blue whales are streamlined and similar in appearance to the relates sei whales and fin whales. Blue and fin whales are capable of hybridizing and producing fertile offspring. 3.5% of the blue whale genome comes from hybridization with fin whales. While blue whales can produce hybrid offspring with fin whales, the reverse is not true and the gene flow from fin to blue is unidirectional. It appears that all hybrids are the result of a fin father and a blue mother. Interestingly, blue whales do not appear to be capable of hybridizing with the more closely related sei whales. There are unconfirmed reports of blue whale and humpback whale hybrids. And because someone was going to bring it up if I didn't, the blue whale's penis is the largest of any animal at 3 m (9.8 ft) long and 30 cm (12 in) wide and they can release an estimated 17 liters of semen at a time. I know someone out there desperately wanted to know that and to that person I say you're whalecum.

(Image: a blue whale feeding at the surface of the ocean on its side, seen from above. The mouth is open with the troat and lower mouth inflated. It is swimming into a patch of krill, visible as yellowish coloration in the water. End id)

Blue whales can be found worldwide, though they typically prefer colder water and do not enter the Arctic ocean. They are usually solitary or travel in pairs, but can gather in groups up to 50 strong when food is abundant. Many are migratory, feeding in cold water during the summer and moving toward the equator in winter. They can follow complex migratory patterns that have to be memorized. There are multiple different strategies employed by different populations regarding who migrates when and some populations don't migrate at all. Their vocalizations are used for long-distance and short-range communication and scientists have classified multiple different types of sounds produced. Different populations of whales have different patterns of vocalizations which may be akin to languages or dialects. Blue whale sounds are some of the loudest and lowest frequency produced by any animal and most are too low-frequency to be audible to humans. Mating season happens in winter. Males use vocalizations to attract females, who they then court through special noises, blowing bubbles, inflating their mouths, chasing, and slapping the water with their flippers. Males compete with each other for the chance to mate. Once a female chooses a male, they will mate and then separate. Gestation takes 10 to 12 months. Newborn blue whales are the largest babies in the animal kingdom at 6-7 m (20-23 ft) and 2-3 metric tons (4409 to 6614 lbs). Mother produce between 110 and 320 kg (240 - 710 lbs) of milk daily. Claves are weaned between 6 and 8 months once they hit 16 m (53 ft) and have gained about 17,000 kg (37,500 lbs). Females typically mate every 2 to 3 years. Blue whale become sexually mature at 8-10 years old and can live over 90 years, with the oldest on record being 110 years old. Their age can be determined by earwax, which is laid down in rings like trees.

(Image: a mother blue whale (background) and calf (foreground). The baby is already very large and is a lighter grey than the mother. The baby is seen from the sied while the mother is rotates to show her underside. End ID)

All blue whale subspecies are classified as endangered by the IUCN, with the antarctic subspecies being critically endangered. Blue whales were heavily impacted during whaling, with their population dropping to the point of near-extinction. Since the end of whaling, populations have risen to an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 as of the end of 2023. This is still smaller than their pre-whaling population, but they have recovered quite a bit. The current largest threats to blue whales are climate change, collisions with ships, and human created noise. The effects of anthropogenic noise from shipping lanes on aquatic animals is still poorly understood, though it seems to greatly irritate and even harm whales, forcing them to change their migratory routes and avoid shipping lanes. Interestingly, as the population has increased scientists have noted changes in courtship behavior and vocalization tone. It is hypothesizes that the increasing population is resulting in greater competitive pressure between males for the right to mate.

(Image: a blue whale seen from the side. Its head is toward the camera. The lower jaw as larger and thicker than the upper jaw. The animal is streamlined. The eye is just behind the mouth and small. Further back is a paddle-shaped flipper. End ID)

[rookfeatherrambles]

hey so for the angle that cries ink ive been wondering how jon like got under the institute in the first place and how similar he is to the jon the know, the character from TMA. like before he was trapped was he our precious little guy who read statements and then immediately disagreed with him or is he more like an OC with a completely different backstory. i don’t know a whole lot about fics in general or how much youre willing to share about this one in particular but i would love to know some things about jons backstory if you could share? idk a whole lot about much of anything rn or if youve shared anything yet that I just haven’t seen so idk this is your sign to tell me as much as you want whenever you want to ig

long story short: would love to know some about jons backstory :)

considering I haven't written anything but chapter 1 so far... and I did yell about this on my blog before, I don't consider this a spoiler. Jon was put under the Institute by Jonah Magnus! You could say that the Institute was built because of Jon, but that's not quite true. However, the place Jon resides and has for like idk 150 years of his 200 that he's spent on this earth was made to be a home for BOTH of them. That, obviously didn't happen, and now its Jon's prison. As for if Jon is the same... yes and no. Yes, he was canon all the way up until the finale, spoilers for mag 198 and 199 and 200, but he went kinda crazy, if killing Jonah, becoming the pupil and then going through with his plan to burn out the fears is crazy. I think its real sensible! (that's a joke). Anyway, mag 200 didn't go according to plan. the panopticon didn't blow, and Jon set about his villian era. I have no idea how I'm gonna write it but he basically waged war, being marked by all fears, he could puppet them (thanks web) to a degree, and he pitted them against eachother to the death. The world burned. He BECAME the Extinction, do you get me? And he kept Martin by his side until, well. He was caught in the crossfire. The End doesn't barter its dead, even to God. Martin was gone, and Jon quickly destabilized and was deposed. I'm pretty sure he was draged kicking and screaming (and cursing) to hilltop house and the rift and thrown into it. Thus, the web's plan was ultimately fulfilled, it just took like a century. In the void between millions of realities, the fears (mainly the web) reshaped Jon. As punishment for him trying to escape the strings he'd been dancing on, he was remade in a mockery of the savior he had tried to be. Markless, beautiful and ethereal, connected to every fear, a harbinger, an angel. They took his voice too, his only weapon. Jon was brought to an almost identical world, but 200 years into the past, and given directly into the grasp of one Jonah Magnus who was just dipping toes into the supernatural. Jon's punishment, is to be immortal, and to be the reason every single person he cares about or so much as knows, falls to the fears. he is the reason they are here, after all. So yeah. That's Jon. He's been alive for 200 years, and all he wants to do is see Martin again, and apologize. Only, his Martin is dead, and this world's Martin has no knowledge of Jon's feelings or even his existence.

[dailyanarchistposts]

F.7 How does the history of “anarcho”-capitalism show that it is not anarchist?

Of course, “anarcho”-capitalism does have historic precedents and “anarcho”-capitalists spend considerable time trying to co-opt various individuals into their self-proclaimed tradition of “anti-statist” liberalism. That, in itself, should be enough to show that anarchism and “anarcho”-capitalism have little in common as anarchism developed in opposition to liberalism and its defence of capitalism. Unsurprisingly, these “anti-state” liberals tended to, at best, refuse to call themselves anarchists or, at worse, explicitly deny they were anarchists.

One “anarcho”-capitalist overview of their tradition is presented by David M. Hart. His perspective on anarchism is typical of the school, noting that in his essay anarchism or anarchist “are used in the sense of a political theory which advocates the maximum amount of individual liberty, a necessary condition of which is the elimination of governmental or other organised force.” [“Gustave de Molinari and the Anti-statist Liberal Tradition: Part I”, pp. 263–290, Journal of Libertarian Studies, vol. V, no. 3, p. 284] Yet anarchism has never been solely concerned with abolishing the state. Rather, anarchists have always raised economic and social demands and goals along with their opposition to the state. As such, anti-statism may be a necessary condition to be an anarchist, but not a sufficient one to count a specific individual or theory as anarchist.

Specifically, anarchists have turned their analysis onto private property noting that the hierarchical social relationships created by inequality of wealth (for example, wage labour) restricts individual freedom. This means that if we do seek “the maximum of individual liberty” then our analysis cannot be limited to just the state or government. Thus a libertarian critique of private property is an essential aspect of anarchism. Consequently, to limit anarchism as Hart does requires substantial rewriting of history, as can be seen from his account of William Godwin.

Hart tries to co-opt of William Godwin into the ranks of “anti-state” liberalism, arguing that he “defended individualism and the right to property.” [Op. Cit., p. 265] He, of course, quotes from Godwin to support his claim yet strangely truncates Godwin’s argument to exclude his conclusion that ”[w]hen the laws of morality shall be clearly understood, their excellence universally apprehended, and themselves seen to be coincident with each man’s private advantage, the idea of property in this sense will remain, but no man will have the least desire, for purposes of ostentation or luxury, to possess more than his neighbours.” In other words, personal property (possession) would still exist but not private property in the sense of capital or inequality of wealth. For Godwin, “it follows, upon the principles of equal and impartial justice, that the good things of the world are a common stock, upon which one man has a valid a title as another to draw for what he wants.” [An Enquiry into Political Justice, p. 199 and p. 703] Rather than being a liberal Godwin moved beyond that limited ideology to provide the first anarchist critique of private property and the authoritarian social relationships it created. His vision of a free society would, to use modern terminology, be voluntary (libertarian) communism.

This analysis is confirmed in book 8 of Godwin’s classic work, entitled “On Property.” Needless to say, Hart fails to mention this analysis, unsurprisingly as it was later reprinted as a socialist pamphlet. Godwin thought that the “subject of property is the key-stone that completes the fabric of political justice.” Like Proudhon, he subjected property as well as the state to an anarchist analysis. For Godwin, there were “three degrees” of property. The first is possession of things you need to live. The second is “the empire to which every man is entitled over the produce of his own industry.” The third is “that which occupies the most vigilant attention in the civilised states of Europe. It is a system, in whatever manner established, by which one man enters into the faculty of disposing of the produce of another man’s industry.” He notes that it is “clear therefore that the third species of property is in direct contradiction to the second.” [Op. Cit., p. 701 and p. 710–2] The similarities with Proudhon’s classic analysis of private property are obvious (and it should be stressed that the two founders of the anarchist tradition independently reached the same critique of private property).

Godwin, unlike classical liberals, saw the need to “point out the evils of accumulated property,” arguing that the “spirit of oppression, the spirit of servility, and the spirit of fraud … are the immediate growth of the established administration of property. They are alike hostile to intellectual and moral improvement.” Thus private property harms the personality and development those subjected to the authoritarian social relationships it produces, for “accumulation brings home a servile and truckling spirit” and such accumulated property “treads the powers of thought in the dust, extinguishes the sparks of genius, and reduces the great mass of mankind to be immersed in sordid cares.” This meant that the “feudal spirit still survives that reduced the great mass of mankind to the rank of slaves and cattle for the service of a few.” Like the socialist movement he inspired, Godwin argued that “it is to be considered that this injustice, the unequal distribution of property, the grasping and selfish spirit of individuals, is to be regarded as one of the original sources of government, and, as it rises in its excesses, is continually demanding and necessitating new injustice, new penalties and new slavery.” He stressed, “let it never be forgotten that accumulated property is usurpation” and considered the evils produced by monarchies, courts, priests, and criminal laws to be “imbecile and impotent compared to the evils that arise out of the established administration of property.” [Op. Cit., p. 732, p. 725, p. 730, p. 726, pp. 717–8, p. 718 and p. 725]

Unsurprisingly given this analysis, Godwin argued against the current system of property and in favour of “the justice of an equal distribution of the good things of life.” This would be based on ”[e]quality of conditions, or, in other words, an equal admission to the means of improvement and pleasure” as this “is a law rigorously enjoined upon mankind by the voice of justice.” [Op. Cit., p. 725 and p. 736] Thus his anarchist ideas were applied to private property, noting like subsequent anarchists that economic inequality resulted in the loss of liberty for the many and, consequently, an anarchist society would see a radical change in property and property rights. As Kropotkin noted, Godwin “stated in 1793 in a quite definite form the political and economic principle of Anarchism.” Little wonder he, like so many others, argued that Godwin was “the first theoriser of Socialism without government — that is to say, of Anarchism.” [Environment and Evolution, p. 62 and p. 26] For Kropotkin, anarchism was by definition not restricted to purely political issues but also attacked economic hierarchy, inequality and injustice. As Peter Marshall confirms, “Godwin’s economics, like his politics, are an extension of his ethics.” [Demanding the Impossible, p. 210]

Godwin’s theory of property is significant because it prefigured what was to become standard nineteenth century socialist thought on the matter. In Britain, his ideas influenced Robert Owen and, as a result, the early socialist movement in that country. His analysis of property, as noted, was identical to and predated Proudhon’s classic anarchist analysis. As such, to state, as Hart did, that Godwin simply “concluded that the state was an evil which had to be reduced in power if not eliminated completely” while not noting his analysis of property gives a radically false presentation of his ideas. [Op. Cit., p. 265] However, it does fit into his flawed assertion that anarchism is purely concerned with the state. Any evidence to the contrary is simply ignored.

[cxldtyrant]

I'm still working on a master list of Arcosian biology, but have temporarily halted it due to how time consuming my work has been. Nonetheless, I want to throw out a few ideas I've come up with that I plan to apply to Cooler (or any Arcosian NPC that I write, for that matter):

Arcosian blood is blue. This is canon to the manga coloring when Freeza was shown bleeding, but not to the anime where it is red. I love the idea of their blood being blue since it's also unique to other alien blood, which tends to be purple, and for the pun of Arcosians being "cold-blooded" (or the Cold Clan being "blue blood" royalty).

An Arcosian bite is venomous. They have glands that will secrete toxins from their fangs, injecting their prey with a venom that causes varying degrees of paralysis. It is non-fatal, but its effects can range between temporary loss of certain motor functions to full-body paralysis for several hours, and was used back in Ancient Arcos as a means for hunting and subduing their prey. Nowadays, modern Arcosians find biting other sapient beings to be very "barbaric" and embarrassing. Nonetheless, when a rattlesnake is cornered...

There are male, female, and intersex Arcosians. The differences between the three are incredibly subtle to the non-Arcosian eye, which is why most of the universe believes their species are a "one-gendered", asexual race, similar to the Namekians. Male Arcosians tend to have a broader upper-body, thicker tails, and their natural coloring is vibrant, while female Arcosians tend to have wider hips, slimmer tails, and softer, more neutral coloring. Intersex Arcosian can have an assortment of features from either sex. Their genitals are sheathed, and they do not have breasts or nipples.

Arcosians have night vision. With their home world of Arcos being perpetually dark due to their solar system's star being too far for a typical day-and-night cycle, Arcosians have naturally evolved to have nocturnal vision in order to acclimate to their surrounding environment.

The average natural lifespan of an Arcosian is 500 years. Arcosians age very slowly when compared to most other species, and their generally ageing cycle has longer development than, lets say an Earthling or a Saiyan. Generally, their development goes like this: - Egg: their parent will birth an egg which will take around 5 years to hatch - Infant: from the moment they hatch to age 19 - Toddler: from the age of 20 to 39 - Juvenile: from age 40 to 59 - Adolescent: from age 60 to 99 - Young Adult: from age 100 to 199 - Middle-Aged Adult: from age 200 to 299 - Older Adult: from age 300 to 399 - Elderly: from age 400 and above

[m4ggotm0ld]

its like a 199 degrees outside

[mythicalltea]

I think Chappell Roan was talking about Pheonix when she said its like 199 degrees… because like.

[sbk-zgvlt]

Hiii how you doing?

I'm like very interested to know if u have any headcanons about sebek family, like what are their personalities, appeareances, relationship to sebek, etc

I have a few of my own but Idk, i would love to hear about yours

The Zigvolt Family

Esme Zigvolt (Mother Zigvolt)

Get ready for a bunch of french names man

Black hair! I've seen that faes seem to have more "bland" hair, so I like to think that Sebek's hair color comes from his dad instead

Taller than her husband, that's for sure. Stands at a proud 212 cm (7'0 ft)

Stubborn and passionate about the things she loves. Or rather, the people she loves

Closer to Sebek than her husband, as always. Although, she's much more closer to her older son and daughter.

She wasn't really there everytime since she helps her husband handle the clinic. Most of the time Sebek is dropped off at his grandpa's due to this

Most drama comes from her side of the family, so sometimes she feels embarrassed that her husband has to put up with their bullshit

They met each other when her husband got lost in the woods 💀

Lidaeus C. Zigvolt (Father Zigvolt)

THANK YOU TO MY FRIEND FOR THE NAME YOURE A REAL ONE FR!!!!!

179 cm 💀 (5'9 ft)

GREEN HAIR, GREEN HAIR, GREEN HAIR, GREEN HAI

LOVES ESME!!!! LOVES HIS CHILDREN!!!! HE'S A FAMILY MAN

His children think he's a loser L. But he loves them all very much!!! (HE HAS A FAVORITE AND ITS SEBEK)

Scared of Esme's dad SHITLESS but after a lot of visits he likes to think theyre in cool terms now (They are not but only Grampa Zigvolt and literally everyone else in the family knows that)

Timid but also a huge nerd. Ask him about dental procedures and he would go on a full tangent

Has photobooks of his kids. Sebek has the most pictures and has more photobooks

Sylvie Zigvolt (Sister Zigvolt)

The eldest, the strongest, and the tallest at a proud 200 cm (6'6 ft). 21 years old

Has her hair tied into a high ponytail. It reaches just above her waist.

Was actually a troublemaker as a kid, and always gets into heated debates with her mother's side of the family when it comes to fae and human relationships

Now she travels around the world as a public speaker of some sorts. Sometimes the Zigvolts catch her on tv

Likes to send back souvenirs and trinkets to Sebek whenever she can, along with postcards

Is not impressed with Malleus and Lilia and does not like the fact that her youngest brother is being trained as Malleus' retainer

If you put her in a room with her grandfather it'll just be ENDLESS screaming matches

Her grandfather actually respects her to some degree though. Still thinks she's a brat

Soleil Zigvolt (Brother Zigvolt)

The middle child, 199 cm (6'5 ft), and also 21 years old

...surprise surprise, Sylvie and Soleil are twins. Both of them got their looks from their mother

Takes after his father in terms of personality though

If Sylvie constantly got into fights as a kid, Soleil was cunning and used underhanded tactics instead. You could call him a schemer

Both of them dont hide the fact that they like to dote on Sebek

Doesn't really care for his mother's side of the family, and thinks they're close-minded idiots

Has a bit of a sarcastic streak, but it's unintentional

He's content with staying behind and helping around in the clinic, but if he were to pick another occupation it would be becoming a teacher

ALSO not impressed with Malleus and Lilia, but thinks it's pretty cool that Sebek gets to train under them

The kind of guy who would always give up his pieces of candy to Sebek as a kid but also snitch on him whenever he snuck out

If you put him in a room with his grandpa it's just pure awkward silence. His number one intimidation tactic to scare the old geezer

[skully-bones]

it always sucks just getting one or two parts of a song stuck in ur head, i’ve been tortured w “h-o-t-t-o-g-o u can take me hot to go” and “its like 199 degrees” all weekend

[edith-is-a-cat]

i could be the one or your new addiction

its all in my head but i want non fiction

i dont want the world but ill take this city

who can blame a girl call me hot not pretty!

baby dont you like this beat

i made it so you'd dance with me

it like 199 degrees

when you're doing it with me doing it with me

H O T T O G O

snap and clap and touch your toes

raise your hands now body roll

dance it out and you're hot to go

H O T T O G O

H-O-T-T-O-G-O

YOU CAN TAKE ME HOT TO GO

I woke up alone staring at my ceiling

I try not to care but it hurts my feelings

you don't have to stare come here get with it

no ones touched me there in a damn hot minute

and baby do you like this beat

i made it so you'd sleep with me

its like 199 degrees

when you're doing it with me doing it with me

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 257

Sabr (Patience)

Sabr literally means enduring, bearing, and resisting pain; suffering and difficulty; and dealing calmly with problems. In more general terms it means patience, which is one of the most important actions of the heart mentioned in the Qur’an. Because of its importance, patience is regarded as half of one’s religious life (the other half is thankfulness).

The Qur’an orders patience in many verses, such as: Seek help in patience and prayer (2:45) and: Endure, vie with each other in endurance (3:199), and prohibits haste in verses like: Show not haste concerning them (the unbelievers) (46:35) and: When you meet in battle those who do not believe, turn not your backs to them (8:15). In many Qur’anic verses, God praises the patient, declares that He loves them, or mentions the ranks He has bestowed on them: The patient and steadfast, and the truthful and loyal (3:16); God loves the patient (3:145); and Surely God is with the patient (2:153).

The Qur’an mentions many other aspects of patience. For example: If you endure patiently, this is indeed better for those who are patient (16:126) advises patience as a preferable way in dealing with unbelievers while communicating God’s Message to them. We will certainly bestow on those who are patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do (16:96) consoles the patient with the best of rewards to be given in the Hereafter. If you have patience and guard yourselves against evil and disobedience, God will send to your aid five thousand angels having distinguishing marks, if they [your enemies] suddenly attack you (3:124) promises the believers Divine aid in return for patience.

How meaningful is the following saying of the master of humanity concerning patience and thankfulness:

How remarkable a believer’s affair is, for it is always to his advantage, and such a condition is only for a believer. If something good happens to him he thanks God, which is to his advantage; if something bad happens to him he endures it, which is also to his advantage.

The characteristics of patience can be grouped into five categories: enduring difficulties associated with being a true servant of God or steadfastness in performing regular acts of worship; resisting temptations of the carnal self and Satan to commit sins; enduring heavenly or earthly calamities, which includes resignation to Divine decrees; being steadfast in following the right path and not allowing worldly attractions to cause deviation; and showing no haste in realizing hopes or plans that require a certain length of time to achieve.

With respect to its degrees, patience can be divided into six categories: showing patience for the sake of God; showing patience and attributing it to God (being convinced that God enables one to show patience); enduring patiently whatever comes from God, knowing that He acts from His Wisdom; being resigned to whatever happens in the way of God; showing patience by not disclosing the mysteries of one’s achieved spiritual station and to preserve one’s nearness to God; and resolving to fulfill one’s mission of communicating God’s Message to people despite one’s deepest desire to die and meet with God.

There are other definitions of patience as well. For example, preserving one’s manners in the face of misfortune; being steadfast when confronted with events, and showing no sign of being deterred; never giving in to one’s carnal desires and the impulses of one’s temperament; accepting the commandments of the Qur’an and the Sunna as a sort of invitation to Paradise; and sacrificing all possessions, including one’s soul and beloved ones, for the sake of the True, Beloved One.

Those Qur’anic interpreters who were interested in the text’s secret or esoteric meanings have made the following commentaries on the verse: Endure, vie with each other in endurance, and continue your relation with God (3:199):

Be steadfast in performing your religious duties, endure whatever displeasing thing happens to you, and maintain your love of God and desire to meet with Him. Or, be steadfast in fulfilling all your responsibilities for the sake of God and to please Him, and endure the difficulty of always being aware of His constant supervision of you and feeling His omnipresence. Or, be steadfast in following the Straight Path without any deviation, even when Divine bounties pour out onto you. Resolve to endure all difficulties and hardships, and maintain your connection or adherence to God whatever happens to you.

Another approach to patience is to attribute to God Almighty whatever is in the universe and happens therein and, while giving thanks for what appears pleasing, being resigned to what appears displeasing. When a believer unburdens himself or herself to God while trying to overcome a misfortune or hardship, a responsibility that is very hard to fulfill, or sins that might be committed, this must not be considered a complaint against God. Rather, it is a believer’s way of asking Him for help and seeking refuge in Him. In no way can such an action be considered a complaint or a protest against God or Divine Destiny. In reality, and according to one’s intention, such an act may even be regarded as a supplication and an entreaty, as putting one’s trust in Him or as submitting to Him.

The cry of Prophet Job, upon him be peace, to God: Truly distress (disease, tribulation) has seized me. But You are the Most Compassionate of the Compassionate (21:83) and the groaning of Prophet Jacob, upon him be peace: I only complain of my anguish and my sorrow unto God (12:86) are supplications or entreaties for God’s pity and compassion. God Almighty praised Job, upon him be peace, for being an excellent servant distinguished with patience and supplications: We found him patient; how excellent a servant! Truly he was ever turning (to God) with supplications (38:44).

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Prophets and saints is their embodiment of patience in all of its manifold forms and degrees, and that without deviating from their utmost devotion to God, they do their best to communicate God’s Message to people and bear all misfortune and difficulty arising there from. The glory of humanity, upon him be peace and blessings, who is a mercy for the whole of creation, declared: Among mankind, those who are stricken with the most terrible of misfortunes are the Prophets, and then follow others according to their degree of faith.

Patience is an essential characteristic of those believers who are the most advanced in belief, spirituality, nearness to God, and who guide others to the truth. It is, moreover, the source of power for those advancing toward this final point. Since the most advanced people experience the most misfortune, they are perfect embodiments of patience, which is the price they pay for the rank bestowed on them. Others who have been destined to advance to that final point cross the distances traveled by others through different and frequent acts of worship, by enduring whatever happens to them. Of these, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, says:

If God Almighty has destined a servant of His to a rank or position which he cannot reach through his religious actions, He causes him to suffer from his own self and family, and equips him with patience to endure all his sufferings. He elevates him through patience to the rank to which he has destined him.

Thus the suffering to be endured, the difficulty in fulfilling one’s responsibilities, and the pressure of sin contain potential mercy, mercy that is attracted by one’s patience. One subjected to such affliction should not unburden himself or herself to anybody else. How beautifully Fuduli says:

You say you are a lover, then do not complain of the affliction of love;

By complaining, do not make others informed of your affliction.

Travelers on the path to God should know how to burn and boil with love or be consumed with affliction, but never complain to others of such love and affliction. Even if crushed by difficulty or responsibility as heavy as mountains, they should not complain to others.

Rumi summarizes such a degree of patience as follows:

In order to be sustenance for man, a source of strength for his knees, a “light” for his eyes, and a substance for the maintenance of his life, a grain of wheat must be buried in the bosom of the earth, germinate under it, and grow to emerge into the air. It must come into the air after a fierce struggle with the earth, and then be sown and threshed, and ground in a mill. After that, it must be kneaded, baked in an oven, and, finally, chewed by teeth, sent into the stomach, and digested.

To attain true humanity, each individual must be “sieved” or “distilled” many times to discover his or her true essence. Otherwise, the ability to develop one’s potential to its fullest, to be truly human, is not possible:

It is expected of God’s servant to suffer, And of an aloe wood to burn.

Patience is an essential and most important dimension of servanthood to God, and is crowned with resignation, the highest spiritual rank in the sight of God, to whatever God has destined.

[wisdomrays]

SABR (Patience): Part 1

Sabr literally means enduring, bearing, and resisting pain; suffering and difficulty; and dealing calmly with problems. In more general terms it means patience, which is one of the most important actions of the heart mentioned in the Qur'an. Because of its importance, patience is regarded as half of one's religious life (the other half is thankfulness).

The Qur'an orders patience in many verses, such as: Seek help in patience and prayer (2:45) and: Endure, vie with each other in endurance (3:199), and prohibits haste in verses like: Show not haste concerning them (the unbelievers) (46:35) and: When you meet in battle those who do not believe, turn not your backs to them (8:15). In many Qur'anic verses, God praises the patient, declares that He loves them, or mentions the ranks He has bestowed on them: The patient and steadfast, and the truthful and loyal (3:16); God loves the patient (3:145); and Surely God is with the patient (2:153).

The Qur'an mentions many other aspects of patience. For example: If you endure patiently, this is indeed better for those who are patient (16:126) advises patience as a preferable way in dealing with unbelievers while communicating God's Message to them. We will certainly bestow on those who are patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do (16:96) consoles the patient with the best of rewards to be given in the Hereafter. If you have patience and guard yourselves against evil and disobedience, God will send to your aid five thousand angels having distinguishing marks, if they [your enemies] suddenly attack you (3:124) promises the believers Divine aid in return for patience.

How meaningful is the following saying of the master of humanity concerning patience and thankfulness:

How remarkable a believer's affair is, for it is always to his advantage, and such a condition is only for a believer. If something good happens to him he thanks God, which is to his advantage; if something bad happens to him he endures it, which is also to his advantage.

The characteristics of patience can be grouped into five categories: enduring difficulties associated with being a true servant of God or steadfastness in performing regular acts of worship; resisting temptations of the carnal self and Satan to commit sins; enduring heavenly or earthly calamities, which includes resignation to Divine decrees; being steadfast in following the right path and not allowing worldly attractions to cause deviation; and showing no haste in realizing hopes or plans that require a certain length of time to achieve.

With respect to its degrees, patience can be divided into six categories: showing patience for the sake of God; showing patience and attributing it to God (being convinced that God enables one to show patience); enduring patiently whatever comes from God, knowing that He acts from His Wisdom; being resigned to whatever happens in the way of God; showing patience by not disclosing the mysteries of one's achieved spiritual station and to preserve one's nearness to God; and resolving to fulfill one's mission of communicating God's Message to people despite one's deepest desire to die and meet with God.

There are other definitions of patience as well. For example, preserving one's manners in the face of misfortune; being steadfast when confronted with events, and showing no sign of being deterred; never giving in to one's carnal desires and the impulses of one's temperament; accepting the commandments of the Qur'an and the Sunna as a sort of invitation to Paradise; and sacrificing all possessions, including one's soul and beloved ones, for the sake of the True, Beloved One.

Those Qur'anic interpreters who were interested in the text's secret or esoteric meanings have made the following commentaries on the verse: Endure, vie with each other in endurance, and continue your relation with God (3:199):

Be steadfast in performing your religious duties, endure whatever displeasing thing happens to you, and maintain your love of God and desire to meet with Him. Or, be steadfast in fulfilling all your responsibilities for the sake of God and to please Him, and endure the difficulty of always being aware of His constant supervision of you and feeling His omnipresence. Or, be steadfast in following the Straight Path without any deviation, even when Divine bounties pour out onto you. Resolve to endure all difficulties and hardships, and maintain your connection or adherence to God whatever happens to you.

Another approach to patience is to attribute to God Almighty whatever is in the universe and happens therein and, while giving thanks for what appears pleasing, being resigned to what appears displeasing. When a believer unburdens himself or herself to God while trying to overcome a misfortune or hardship, a responsibility that is very hard to fulfill, or sins that might be committed, this must not be considered a complaint against God. Rather, it is a believer's way of asking Him for help and seeking refuge in Him. In no way can such an action be considered a complaint or a protest against God or Divine Destiny. In reality, and according to one's intention, such an act may even be regarded as a supplication and an entreaty, as putting one's trust in Him or as submitting to Him.

The cry of Prophet Jacob, upon him be peace, to God: Truly distress (disease, tribulation) has seized me. But You are the Most Compassionate of the Compassionate (21:83) and the groaning of Prophet Jacob, upon him be peace: I only complain of my anguish and my sorrow unto God (12:86) are supplications or entreaties for God's pity and compassion. God Almighty praised Job, upon him be peace, for being an excellent servant distinguished with patience and supplications: We found him patient; how excellent a servant! Truly he was ever turning (to God) with supplications (38:44).

[musicforspaandearthquake]

Milieu and Ambiance

The great grandparent of the word "ambient" is the Greek [περιέχον, periéchon], a word which might loosely be translated as "to encompass, enclose, or contain," and which, according to Leo Spitzer, was "used to refer to the all-embracing air, space, sky, atmosphere, climate: the cosmic 'milieu' of man." (2).

According to Spitzer, much of ancient Greek thought was permeated with ideas about the relationship between climate and humankind. Hippocrates, for example, believed that "atmosphere or climate was active upon the human constitution"; Diogenes "related the act of thinking to the degree of dampness in the air which man breathed." (2-3). At the same time, the all-encompassing climate was also endowed "qualities bordering on the spiritual." Ancient philosophers like Sextus and Cicero gave the air powers of perception and reason, believing it to be capable of seeing and hearing us just as we might see and hear it. As Spitzer reminds us, "for the Greeks, even for Greek scientists, 'all things are full of God' and even the air is "tinged with religious connotations" (7). As such, the Greek conception of periechon, the all-surrounding air or climate, isn't "cold," empty, or abstract, but instead is "warm," "remains organic and close to the bodily" [sic]. (9-10), and "covers a wide range of life:

[x term] embraces climate, the air that feeds (spiritually) as well as physically: [x term 2]), the environment that conditions, ether, space, place--and the ocean embracing the earth; it appears even in logical grammatical phraseology to refer to a general term(in relation to a particular) as a protectingly embracing or encompassing thing. For a harmonious and poised man is apt, by nature, to see everywhere himself, and the things connected with himself, as being "embraced" and caressed: to feel that he is the center of a whole--the embryo in the egg, the tree within its bark, the earth wrapped round by ether" (11).

As outlined above, the Greek word [periéchon] is like a great, ancient stock of word material, which, contains many resonances at onc. through its decanting into many languages over the course of many centuries, become splintered into many different words and terms which nevertheless continue to contain echoes of one another, a large family of words which share traits and resemblances while having their own unique personalities. Some of these words, in the course of their usage, have grown apart from one another in meaning, only to suddenly come into contact with one another again as synonyms, and then once more grow in distinct directions. Two such words are the Latin root of the word "ambient" (ambiens) and medium. As Leo Spitzer writes at the conclusion of his etymological study of the words "milieu" and "ambiance":

"In following this development, ambiens has now and again been lost from view, but we have come upon another great word, medium. And we have seen that the two of them have come to have a strange and indissolvable relationship: indissolvable purely, yet never constant or restful. They have met from time to time... perhaps just to touch each other, and as if electrified by this contact, each starts anew in a direction of its own. (199)."