#miraculous denmark

[blueiscoool]

Massive Find of 500 Bronze Age Relics Acquired by Scottish Museum

The National Museums Scotland has snapped up the 2020 find known as the Peebles Hoard.

When metal detectorist Mariusz Stępień’s detector pinged in the Scottish Borders in 2020, he could never have guessed he was about to uncover one of the most extraordinary archaeological finds in Scottish history. Now, three years later, this remarkable collection of Bronze Age artifacts—dubbed the Peebles Hoard—has found its permanent home at National Museums Scotland, where it continues to astonish experts with its secrets.

The Peebles Hoard contains over 500 bronze and organic artifacts dating back to 1000–800 B.C.E. The collection includes several items never before found in western Europe, promising to transform current understanding of Bronze Age Scotland, after lying undisturbed for three millennia.

Among the hoard’s most significant finds are two rattle pendants—the first ever discovered in Scotland. These intricate objects, typically found in Denmark, northern Germany, and northern Poland, consist of interlinked bronze rings and pendant plates that would rattle when attached to horses or wooden vehicles. Their discovery demonstrates Scotland’s participation in a broader North Sea trading network during the Bronze Age.

The treasure trove’s preservation is nothing short of miraculous. A sword still snug in its wooden scabbard, delicate bronze buttons still threaded on their original cords, and intricate decorative straps that look almost ready to use, though their exact purpose remains a mystery.

An extraordinary hoard called for extraordinary excavation measures, requiring the use of an innovative retrieval process. The entire hoard was removed from the ground as a single block and underwent CT scanning at the University of Southampton’s µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre. This revealed some of the earliest evidence of lost-wax casting in Scotland, a sophisticated bronze-working technique rarely documented in Bronze Age Britain.

“The Peebles Hoard is exceptional,” said Matthew Knight, senior curator of Prehistory at National Museums Scotland, in a statement. “It’s an utterly unique discovery that rewrites our understanding of both Bronze Age communities in Scotland and our prehistoric international connections.”

The scanning itself proved to be no simple feat, according to Ian Sinclair from Southampton’s µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre. “CT scanning the hoard was certainly a big challenge due to the scale,” he admitted, but his team relished bringing their engineering expertise to such a remarkable historical find.

Now, National Museums Scotland faces its next challenge: raising funds to preserve these priceless artifacts for future generations. With delicate organic materials threatening to deteriorate, conservators are racing against time to unlock all the secrets this extraordinary collection has yet to reveal about the ancient world’s international trade, craftsmanship, and style.

By Adnan Qiblawi.

[scotianostra]

On October 22nd King James VI set sail for Norway to collect his bride Anne of Denmark.

The Autumn storms of 1589 were responsible for treacherous sailing conditions, but unfortunately for the women of England and Scotland, they prompted a far more dangerous consequence – a renewed fear of witchcraft.

That September, the new queen of Scotland – set sail to travel to her new kingdom. She had just married James VI via proxy, and was expected to quickly arrive in Scotland to meet her new husband.

But she did not arrive. Anne’s journey was a disaster – the fierce storms damaged her ship and she was forced to anchor in Norway for repairs. A second attempt to set sail was made, but her ship once again sprung a leak and returned to Norway. With winter setting in, the bad weather was expected to continue. The decision was made to postpone the journey until spring, and so Anne remained in Norway.

If history has taught us anything Scottish Kings were a randy lot, you only have to look at the disastrous journey Alexander III took to reach his Queen, ending up dead at the foot of a Fife cliff.

James was unhappy when he heard the news about the delay and unwilling to wait that long to see his bride. He made the decision to go to Norway himself to fetch his queen. Well we all know James survived the hazardous journey, once over there the celebrations of their wedding lasted months and it is said that during this time it ignited his obsession with witchcraft.

In Denmark, witches were blamed for the storms that damaged Anne’s ship and stopped her from travelling. A trial was held in Copenhagen in 1590, resulting in the executions of the accused women. This wasn’t unusual in Denmark – there had been a number of witch trials in the country during the sixteenth century.

In Scotland, witchcraft was against the law – although it mostly went unpunished before 1590. But when James arrived back in Scotland with Anne and heard the news of Denmark’s witch trials, he began his own witch hunt. Witches were accused of trying to kill the king and queen, by calling up the strong storms that James and Anne had encountered returning to Scotland.

One of the accused witches was a wise woman named Agnes Sampson. Under torture, she confessed to things that were so ‘miraculous and strange’ that even James found them difficult to believe. Allegedly, Agnes whispered to the king, telling him the words that he and Anne had spoken to each other in private on the first night of their wedding, removing any doubts James had. He said he ‘believed all the devils in hell could not have discovered the same’. Agnes was executed. There were around seventy people accused of witchcraft during this trial – it is not known exactly how many of them were killed along with Agnes.

In 1597, James released Daemonologie, a treatise about witchcraft – although his own fervour for witch hunting seemed to have waned, the fear of witches among the population had taken hold. Large scale witch trials took place in Scotland well into the seventeenth century, and an estimated 3,000 people – who were mostly women – were accused.

Under the union of the Scottish and English crowns in 1603, James’ work spread south, into his new kingdom.

Daemonologie laid out information such as how to identify a witch and how to punish them. One way to seek out a witch was in their use of charms and herbs: ‘By curing the Worme, by stemming of blood, by healing of Horse-crookes, by turning of the riddle, or doing of such like innumerable things by wordes, without applying anie thing, meete to the part offended, as Mediciners doe’. Women known as healers and midwives often came under suspicion because of their skills. Another way to identify a witch was to find the mark of the devil hidden somewhere on their bodies – James referenced Agnes Sampson’s trial directly, describing how they shaved her head in an attempt to find her mark, eventually finding it on ‘her privities’.

James explained that it was mostly women who were witches as they were ‘frailer than man is’ and so were more easily entrapped in the ‘snares of the Devil’. He used the bible to support his arguments as witchcraft was ‘plainely prohibited’, referencing Exodus 22.18: ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’ – the only acceptable punishment for a convicted witch was death.

These guidelines were used in trials until 1727 when Janet Horne became the last woman in Britain tried and executed as a witch.

The book series, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, uses the name Geillis Duncan for a character who is eventually involved in a witch trial, although the books are set after the last execution.

[a-random-person-on-the-interent]

Lists of my Au's

Fic/fic idea's that will become Au's (Please ask me about them)

Immortal Leo Valdez - Hera turned him immortal when she put him in the fire place (tag: Hera adopts a traumatized child)

Crossover fic with hetalia and PJO, Leo Valdez as Mexico - the fates send Leo to another world and in this world Leo is the personification of Mexico (tag: I was leo valdez now I'm mexico) Note: This AU has been discontinued! Mexico's first world meeting is being moved to Gods Demigods and Nations oh my!

I'm Leo Valdez and you? (Finished 1/1)

Crossover fic with KOTLC and PJO where Leo Valdez is Jensi (tag: Leo valdez and the elves) Leo Valdez and the Elves (WIP)

To sleep and fire the world must fall - Leo X Clovis fic, where Clovis joins the 7 (making it the 8) (tag: To sleep and fire the world must fall)

Second time round - Leo, Conner, Clovis, Meg and Apollo/Lester are the only surviving people after the war with Tartarus and are sent back in time by the fates (tag: Second time round) Second time round (WIP)

Starlight - A au where Leo is the son of Nyx and Hepheastus and is the personifcation of starlight but was raised as a mortal (tag: Go supernova, starlight) Starlight (WIP)

The Lab - an Au where some nations get kidnapped and turned into monsters it's one of the two main Au's I'm working on (Tag: Some nations got kidnapped and now they're monsters)

The Lab (WIP 16/115 chapters published)

Echos of the past - where Echo joins the crew of the Argos 2 (tag: echoes of the past)

Made of clay - Hepheastus kids are made from clay and they have magma instead of blood, and Pandora is their older sister, watch as chaos ensues (tag: Made of clay)

Son of Tartarus - Leo is the son of Tartarus and joins camp half blood during The Titans Curse (tag: Son of Tartarus) Son of Tartarus (WIP)

I made friends with Death - The Fates think their little brother needs more friends so they send him to another universe where he's Makoto neagi, only he still a god, I guess the fates couldn't take that part away without big consequences (Tag: I Made Friends With Death)

Miraculous Thanatos - After getting into an argument with Nyx Thanatos is sent to the world of Lady Bug and Cat Noir where Thanatos get's the Raven Miraculous, I can't give him the butterfly which is what he's most commonly associated with, because HawkMoth has it, DESPITE THE FACT THAT MOTHS AND BUTTERFLYS ARENT THE SAME THING (Also fun fact, Hawk moths or Humming bird moths are the fastest type of moth and bug to exist) (tag: Miraculous Thanatos)

______ as an SCP - A huge crossover series I'm planning on making with many different characters, (Fandoms so far: Hetalia, PJO universe, MLB, MHA, KNY, Danganronpa, KOTLC, and FNAF) as SCPs (tag: ______ as an SCP) ____ as an SCP (WIP)

Hephaestus and Aphrodite pay child support - basically Hephaestus and Aphrodite actually parent their kids and are full time parents to the kids whose parent's died. They do it together so the kids are raised like siblings (Yes I know Hephaestus remarried but in this AU they got divorced because Hera and Zeus forced Hepheastus and Aphordite back into a marrige) how will this change the plot, idk (tag: Hephaestus and Aphrodite pay child support) Child Support written by Olympus' most toxic couple (Rivalled by Zues and hera) (WIP)

Gods, Demigods and Nations, oh my - This is the second main AU I'm working on, it's a hetalia Crossover AU but you don't need to know anything about Hetalia for the first arcs of the AU (Tag: Gods, Demigods and Nations, oh my) The Boy who held up the sky - Denmark centric fic exploring his mortal life before he became a nation The Boy who Held up the sky (WIP 1/15)

Leo in the Titan war - Leo joins camp half blood during The Titans Curse, this is part of the Gods, Demigods and Nations, Oh my series, but no knowledge of Hetalia is required (Tag: Leo in the Titan war)

Leo In The Titan's Curse (WIP 7/?) Mexico's first world meeting - Takes place after Leo becomes a nation was originally in another AU and it's his first world meeting Mexico's first world meeting ( Finished 1/1)

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

2, fluff

Here you go, friend! 🤗 You might get annoyed but it ends cute!

*REPOSTING BECAUSE TUMBLR IS STUPID AND FLAGGED THIS AS SEXSUAL CONTENT*

You can check out the picture prompts and blurbs written for it here:)

“It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye!” You warned loudly and slightly out of breath as Harry tried to get to you. He’d been chasing you around the arena for about 10 minutes now. You were on one side of the little table in his dressing room and he on the other side with a big smile on his face.

“Just let me get you back.” he shrugged with a grin.

“No, you take it too far! And the only reason I pranked you was because you pranked me first!” you reminded him as he took yet another step around the furniture with a cupcake in his hand.

“Y/N, just…let it happen.” he said and you shook your head. The last thing you wanted was to have to spend the rest of the day feeling all sticky with frosting residue on your face and in your hair and irritated at him underneath it all.

“You’re the absolute worst friend that I’ve ever had the pleasure of making. You’re a menace! And a monster! And a man-child!” you laughed and then shrieked as he just side stepped with his long legs and you narrowly managed to escape him and were now around the couch, with your heart pounding hard and fast at your miraculous escape.

“Keep going, that’s only gonna make it worse. I’m going to get you, you know I am.” he smiled. He was so competitive and he needed to be the one to end this little prank war that he started to begin with.

“I did nothing compared to what you did to me! That’s the only reason I got you back!” you pointed at him sternly.

“How was I supposed to know that you’re so crazy about your makeup that you’d go and replace it without a second thought!”

“You said my luggage wasn’t on the jet, you butthead!” you shouted at him and he rolled his eyes.

“Of course it was! You handed it over to Greg yourself!”

“Well, I panicked and you hid it so how was I supposed to know!? I was in distress!”

“Over makeup?”

“Not just makeup! I had my clothes and laptop in there!”

“But you rushed off to replace the makeup. You need to sort out your priorities.” he grinned and you groaned.

“Whatever! Just leave me alone or I’m never visiting you on tour again!” you threatened.

“Just let me even things out!”

“Things are even! You pranked me and I pranked you back and that’s it! It’s over!”

“I disagree.” he smirked.

“Just throw it then!”

“No! I don’t want to make a mess for the custodians to have to scrub icing and mushy cake out of the carpet.”

“Oh, but you’re fine with putting me through that after getting it all over my hair and face?” you challenged and he smiled. “If you even get a smudge of icing anywhere on me I won’t be talking to you until tomorrow.”

“I’d like to see you try to give me the silent treatment.”

“I really will! You’re being annoying! It’s too early for this, Harry.” you said as seriously as possible, so that he knew that you really did not want to have to spend your afternoon picking cake crumbs out of your hair.

“Fine, fine, fine.” he mumbled and put the cupcake down and you sighed in relief.

“Thank you. Just…behave, Harry.” you said and spared him a glance back as you headed towards his dressing room door and right before you made it into the hallway he grabbed around your waist and held you to his body as he smashed the cupcake over your head and really rubbed it in there. You gasped as he laughed in amusement, “You fucking prick!” you groaned as he stepped away from you, licking his thumb clean of some icing.

“Revenge is tasting quite sweet.” he smirked with pride at his pun and you just groaned and headed off towards the bathroom.

He didn’t think you were serious about ignoring him, but you totally were. You felt that this was completely uncalled for and you were annoyed at him! He had hid your luggage and pretended like they forgot your luggage in Denmark! He waited to tell you until the following day after you had gone out and replaced some of your immediate need items. The only prank you pulled to get him back was to hide all of his socks behind his pillow at the hotel. But then Lamby assured him that he always packed extras for him and everything was just fine for him. Harry found his socks when he turned down his bed later that night. It was harmless, because you didn’t want to stress him out too much. Unlike him, who made you feel like you had lost your mind and left all of your possessions in another country!

And now this fucking gooped up mess on your head had pushed you too far. You didn’t want to cry about it, but your eyes were welling up as you stood over the sink, trying to get all of the icing and cake matted in there off. It was damn near impossible as the cake kept crumbing the more you touched it and it was awful! You were so frustrated that you just allowed yourself to cry. You told yourself that you weren’t being a wuss or dramatic, he had taken it too far even if he was doing it in the name of fun.

“Oh my god, are you alright? Are you hurt?” you heard and glanced back to see Elin walking into the bathroom with a frown on her face as she saw you sobbing softly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just Harry being a nuisance. I’m not hurt or anything, just so angry at him that I started to cry.” you sniffled and shook your head.

“Do you want me to say something to him?”

“No, it’s alright. I’ll get over it.” you assured with a tightlipped smile and she proceeded to just do her business before returning back to the soundcheck.

You didn’t want to dampen anyone’s spirits, but your mood was pretty shitty after Harry’s payback prank so you just hid out in a stall. Your head was in a state. You’d managed to get a good amount of the icing and cake out, but the hair at the top of your head was all stiff and sticky to the touch and you smelled really strongly of icing and it was giving you a headache. You went quiet when you heard the bathroom door creak open. Elin, Sarah, and Madi had all seen you in here previously so you didn’t want them to know you were still wallowing in here, it was embarrassing.

“Y/N?” You heard Harry call out for you and you felt your throat bob as a fresh wave of anger pulsed through your body just at the sound of his voice, “Are you in here?” he asked again and true to your word, you stayed quiet.

“The last person to see you an hour ago was Sarah and she said you were in here. No one else has seen you around the arena.” he said an you just rolled your eyes. Everything went quiet again except for a long exhale he let out and then seconds later your phone started ringing loudly in your hand and the sound made your heart pound with surprise. Seconds later you could see Harry’s feet in front of the stall you were in and he pulled the door open to find you glaring at him. “Hi.” he said softly and you continued glaring at him, “Look, I may have taken it too far.” he said and you just crossed your arms over your chest, “I’m really sorry.” he said as he looked at your swollen and slightly reddened eyes. He felt really, really awful now that he saw how messy things had actually been.

“Elin said I made you cry.” he said softly and you looked away from him, “Hey, look at me.” he came closer and grabbed your chin gently, “I’m really, really sorry. I should’ve just dropped it. I definitely took this way too far. Like you did nothing comparable to this! And I… made you spend money you didn’t have to, to replace things you didn’t need to and well now this…” he said and you felt some satisfaction knowing that he felt bad for his stupid pranks, “There’s a shower in my dressing room if you want to get that all off.” he said to you and you sighed and moved his hand off of you and squeezed out of the narrow opening of the stall and lifted your hand, wordlessly indicating that you wanted him to take you there.

He led the way and gave you his toiletries and the towel he had packed for the day of the show. He was going to help you get the water on but before he could even step inside you had shut the door in his face and he frowned.

Harry felt like a total idiot. He had actually started to like you in a more than friends way a while back and he had been so excited to have you join him for a few shows on the tour because he thought that maybe it’d be a good time to show you that there was compatibility and potential for maybe a little bit more between the two of you. He’d noticed that the kind of people you’d typically gravitate towards when you’d go out were more outgoing and funny and they tended to stand out a lot more than he did. He was on the timid side, he liked to hang back and observe instead of be the center of attention. He definitely could be like that, but that was more for stage presence than everyday life. Socializing admittedly drained him a bit. And he just figured if maybe he acted a little bit more like the people he’d seen you gravitate towards then you’d start to see him in a different light. Obviously, that had backfired catastrophically and he had ruined your day with his shenanigans.

He waited for you until you came out of the little bathroom that was attached to his dressing room. And as soon as your eyes met his he frowned again.

“I’m sorry.” he said again. You could see how he was literally oozing remorse and you felt bad continuing to make him feel like he wasn’t forgiven. It was just a cupcake…it was unnecessary and annoying, but it didn’t warrant this silent treatment. Now you were the one in the wrong and as hard as it was to swallow your pride, you needed to.

“It’s alright, Harry. It was a prank and I really overreacted. You didn’t mean any harm and-”

“If you had done that to me I would’ve been pissed, so it’s OK. I get it.” he said and you sighed.

“Well still, I feel bad for ignoring you and hiding out like that and making you feel so bad…” you said quietly as you literally felt your guilt for guilt-tripping him fade away.

“It’s OK.” he smiled softly and you smiled back at him and he was so relieved that you had even smiled at him.

“Also, what’s gotten into you with the pranks and the teasing and all that? Where’s my zen as fuck friend?” she asked with a smile and he bit his lip for a moment, talking himself down from his nerves because he just needed to be honest about his feelings.

“There’s a perfectly normal, yet…ridiculous explanation for that. Ummm… Y/N, I like you. Like…a lot.” he said nervously. You had no idea that he liked you…you were shocked to hear his confession, “I just know that whenever we go out with everyone you’re always like laughing and joking around with funny and loud people! And it’s stupid really, but I thought if I showed you that I could be a little more like that, that maybe you’d…like me too.” Harry got out. And he felt worse confessing this to you. Admitting to you that he felt inadequate and that he was doing all this extra stuff in hope that you’d feel the same.

Your gaze softened as you listened to him. And you couldn’t see it, but you knew that he had his hands crossed behind his back because he was picking at the sides of his fingers. You had that bad habit in common with him among with many other really great things. And it was sad that he felt that he needed to change to get your attention in that way.

You always thought Harry was cute and truly, it was inevitable to befriend him and not crush on him at some point! And well, your crush had started a while back and it persisted, but you just brushed it off as much as possible because you also felt like you weren’t his type. Well actually you had more or less functioning vision, you knew that you weren’t the type of girl he’d go for from what you’d seen in your years as friends. But you never thought to challenge that, you just accepted it and reminded yourself of the fact that there was no chance before you could even get sad about it.

“Oh H, you’re perfect as you are!” you assured him and he smiled softly, “And ummm, you don’t need to act differently for me to…like you back.” you said timidly, but his smile had gone even bigger.

“Are you serious right now? You’re not retaliating?” he asked as he stepped a bit closer to you.

“Of course not! I’d never play with your feelings like that.” you assured him sternly, “You mean a lot to me and well, I’ve seen the kind of people you usually like and I just…never thought I had a shot so I just…pushed my feelings down.” You explained.

“I think we need to get to know each other a little better.” he chuckled and you did too as he grabbed your hand in his hands. You’d held hands before but never because you liked each other and simply wanted to touch.

“I think you’re right.” you finally responded with a smile.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked and you felt your entire body heat at his question, but you nodded none the less. He quickly grabbed your face and kissed your lips in a deep kiss before pulling back. Your hearts were pounding and while you were struggling to breathe he was almost feeling nauseous from how wildly the butterflies were fluttering in his tummy. “I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time.” he said softly with a smile.

“H! Did you find Y- Oh!” Elin smiled as she saw you both in his dressing room, “Feeling better?” she asked you and you nodded.

“Yes, thank you. Much, much better.” you smiled at her and she nodded.

“Good. We’re all about to eat outside.” she said.

“We should go then, I’m hungry.” you said to Harry and he nodded and you both followed behind Elin.

While you were eating your friend ended up calling you to check in and you had stepped away to talk to her about everything that had happened. She was squealing in excitement for you as you saw Harry approaching, once again his hands were behind his back and you wondered what else he was nervous about telling you.

“Shut up! He’s walking over!” you warned quickly and your friend quickly shut her mouth.

“Who’s that?” Harry asked as soon as he was a bit closer.

“It’s Isabella.” you informed him as he approached.

“Hey Isabella!” he called and you chuckled.

“Hang on.” you said to him as you switched the camera to show Harry coming up to you.

“Hi Harry!” her voice was heard over the speaker, “What’s up?”

“Nothing, just wanted to see if maybe Y/N wanted a cupcake?” he said, bringing his hand out from behind his back as he held a cupcake in his hand. Isabella immediately started cackling, after all you had just informed her how the last couple hours of your day had gone. Harry was wearing this mischievous, shit-eating smile and the only thing you could do at this moment was shake your head in disapproval.

“I hate you.” you said as he chuckled and came closer.

“No you don’t. A little birdie’s told me otherwise.” he hummed happily as he stopped right in front of you and you just narrowed your eyes at him in feigned irritation, “Too soon?” he asked with a grin and you extended your hand out.

“I think you know what comes next.” you said to him and he chuckled, “I’ll call you back, Is.” you said and hung up before sliding your phone into your back pocket.

“Yeah, yeah….get it over with.” he said as he put the dessert in your hands and then closed his eyes in preparation for you to smash it again him. You grinned as you approached and just lightly smeared his cheek with the frosting and he opened one eye to look at you, “That’s it?” he asked you and you shrugged.

“I’m not mean like you.” you said softly and he smiled.

“Well…you know, now you have to clean it off.” he said smugly and you smirked.

“Is that so?”

“Yep, them’s the rules.” he shrugged smugly. You then furrowed your brows as you handed him the cupcake and then felt around your pockets as if searching for something, “I’d prefer you lick it off rather than wipe if off if that’s what your'e looking for in there.” he said to you smugly.

“Oh, I’m not looking for a napkin.” you replied as you dug into your front pocket and he looked confused.

“Then what are you looking for?” he asked perplexed.

“Oh! Here it is!” you said as you pulled your hand out and flipped him the bird. He immediately started to laugh, “You didn’t help me clean up so your rules can go fuck themselves.” you smiled in satisfaction.

“Alright, I deserved that.” he said and you hummed.

“That felt so good.”

“I’m glad. Is all the rage out of your system yet?” he asked you and you nodded once, “Good girl. C'mon.” he said as he walked past you to head back to the group, but you were yet again shocked by his words. As you turned to face him he was already looking back at you and shot you a wink before taking off again. He was gonna be a lot of trouble, but you wouldn’t have him any other way.

[peppermint-chocolate-cherries]

How Many Hetalians Have I Killed In My Fanfics?

If there's anything that makes it hard to promote my own writing, aside from the length of the fics and the topic matters, it's the heavy death tolls.

Absorbing the Deck (18 deaths) and The Nefarious Mathilda Jones (25 deaths) really went to town with it, while my other three fics have toned it down to 1-2 deaths per story. However, I still have that inkling to write another mass-death story at some point.

That's why I figured that a little disclaimer about the death toll to attach to my profile's Fanfiction Masterlist would be a good idea. I went back through my (currently five) fanfics to see how many characters I've killed off and who's managed to live to the end of every story. The tallies are below the cut!

Some of the characters reference notes at the bottom for explanations. These notes WILL contain story spoilers, so read with caution!

WHO I HAVE KILLED IN TWO (2) STORIES

Sweden

Norway

Finland

Austria

Hungary

Germany

France

Spain

Switzerland

China

Poland (Note 4)

England

Lithuania (Note 4)

WHO I HAVE KILLED IN ONE (1) STORY

America

Denmark

Romania (Note 1)

Turkey (Note 1)

Netherlands (Note 1)

Jeanne d'Arc

Egypt (Note 1)

Japan

Greece (Note 1)

South Italy

Russia (Note 2)

Belarus

Liechtenstein

Estonia

Ukraine (Note 3)

Czechia

Slovakia

Seychelles

Australia

Ancient Rome

Prussia

Sealand

Vietnam

WHO HAS MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVED ALL MY STORIES THEY'VE APPEARED IN TO DATE

Canada (Note 2)

Iceland

Portugal (Note 1)

South Korea (Note 1)

North Italy

Latvia

Monaco

New Zealand

Taiwan

Macau

Hong Kong

Cuba (Note 1)

Scotland

NOTES (SPOILERS AHEAD)

Note 1 - In Absorbing The Deck, these characters are mentioned as previous Deck Royals serving Hearts, Clubs or Diamonds. Their deaths are mentioned in passing for how and when the current set of Deck Royals came into power. As this is more background information than anything, these deaths do not count in the official death list.

Note 2 - Extreme major spoiler alert here for The Nefarious Mathilda Jones, their two deaths were 100% faked and therefore do not count. If you've read the story and still don't know how she survived that, the clues all come from the chapter before her sudden death. That previous death scene paints in excruciating detail what was for show versus what actually caused the death. Naturally, since she was still alive, they both escaped in time.

Note 3 - For The English Quixote, it is believed at the time of the story that she's been dead for 6 years. It's revealed later on that she's just magically comatose, and true love's kiss can wake her up again. Since she was not actually dead, this does not count on the death list.

Note 4 - Contrary to the past deaths not mattering in Absorbing the Deck, these two deaths many centuries prior to the main plot for Only Aces Remain do count. Tolys gets a whole chapter to tell his life story and narrate the events that led to both Feliks's death and his own execution for twelve (12) counts of regicide.

[oumaheroes]

ok ok I know you're probably busy and all and you just wrote something for an anon buuuuut im begging for some ireland and north bonding, i loved reading your england and north fic seeing england telling north no but north saying ireland would let him was hilarious tbh. need some irish bois being nice to eachother pls

All for you, Anon

------

Bog Bodies

On his haunches, North took a sip of water from his bottle with one hand and rummaged about his rucksack with the other. The findings were poor: some sandwiches at the bottom under his jacket, now partially squashed, a packet of crisps that had miraculously not popped after he’d sat on the bag forgetting that they were in there, and one lone chunk of Yellowman. Abysmal. He should have thought to pack more, he knew that this wasn’t going to be a short adventure. A Jammey Joey at least.

‘How long do you think they’ll be till they’re done?’ He asked his brother, glancing up at him and jerking his head towards the action they’d spent most of the day secretly watching. ‘Till they finish up here, like.’

Ireland shrugged lazily, ‘Until they’re done finding things, I expect. There’s a lot of peat to cover.’

‘Okay, how long till we’re done.’

‘Till it feels time to go.’

In comparison to North squatting on the floor like a grubby troll- he’d been standing for hours and he was tired- his older brother was leant against a wide, fat oak, his long arms crossed over his chest. He was looking at the happily buzzing archaeologists in the distance carefully, watching for their discoveries or any misbehaviour North couldn’t quite tell. The humans been there ever since the news of the headless corpse the day before, having swarmed the old bog as soon as they’d been alerted, and had been ferrying their equipment to and fro and generally making a big mess of the place ever since. Ireland and North had come to join them not long after, watching them map out the area and begin to excavate whilst the land owners waited on the sidelines.

North eyed Ireland’s own much fatter and well-stocked bag enviously, ‘They’ve already found the most important thing, though.’

Ireland snorted and grinned, ‘That’s subjective.’

‘Not really. Headless ancient corpse versus...?’

Ireland rolled his eyes but didn’t reply.

‘Could always be another in there, I suppose.’ North stood and shook out his feet.

‘Might well be. That sort of thing was common.’

‘They seem to be popping up all the time now.’

‘More in Denmark.’ Ireland ruffled his floppy hair off his forehead and recrossed his arms, ‘But different thing, obviously.’

A bog body was a bog body, as far as North could see. Tanned, leathery skin, well preserved nails and hair. Facial features which looked more lifelike than North would like if he were honest with himself, younger and closer to the modern day than could first be perceived considering the age of some of the finds. Many hundreds, sometimes thousands of years old. Where they came from and how they came to be in the bog in the first place was generally as unknown from one case to another, but the morbid curiosity about them was the same. Quick peeks into the past always held a draw.

This was different though, as Ireland had said. This was theirs. Or rather, the man they had found this time around chopped in half in the peat was Ireland’s.

More than even that, North realised. The discovery of this ancient person was more Patrick’s the person than anyone other than their close family would ever know. Someone he might once have known personally and things he might have owned, a culture he had once shared and understood and encompassed. His personal history as well as his people’s, depending on how old this particular find was.

‘You hoping they find something that you once dumped in there?’ North asked him, trying to sound nonchalant about the question.

Ireland let out a bark of laughter, ‘Not here. Might not look like much now but this place was special. Too special to piss about around.’

‘But you dumped stuff in other places, then.’

‘Not dumped.’ Ireland corrected, ‘I used to leave little wooden figures about here and there.’ He held up his hands about a foot apart, ‘Maybe this big. Added along to ceremonies people held or whenever I passed by alone.’

‘What for?’

‘What for is a question.’ Ireland frowned thoughtfully and glanced back out to the archaeologists. ‘Several reasons. Luck, offerings, promises. Can’t remember all of them. Copied what Mama used to do.’

Several branches of questions opened up at once. His brothers didn’t talk about their mother or childhood often- topics easily brushed off or for some reason hard to bring up in the first place- and North always felt uncomfortable poking at the former. Mama was a parent who was potentially his, but wasn’t, someone he felt that he should love and respect when she was as distant to him as a God was.

Sensing that this was an opportunity he shouldn’t waste, North carefully chose the avenue he felt would yield the most answers.

‘What were the idols of?’

‘People, Gods, us, animals.’ Ireland waved a hand, ‘I’ll make you one sometime. Been a while since I practiced. Or Alisdair can, his used to be half decent. Don’t ask Rhys though, his are shit.’

‘They might find one.’

‘Might do. Wood rots though.’

‘So does skin, and look what happened.’

A scurrying of men and women along their walkway and back to far afield cars made them both pause, something small and wrapped carried amongst them. The spiked edges of their talk floated back to their spot in the trees, high and excited. It was empty landscape, no human activity apart from the archaeology dig, but North could feel a thrum in the air, the last notes of what first called him and his brother to this place. Something he couldn’t name but which connected him to everything.

Stay, stay. Watch, and remember.

North wasn’t really too sure why he was here. This was his brother’s land after all, his brother’s ancient people and lost ways, not his, but still this was connected to him somehow. Or, it was better to say that it was something he was connected to, something that was apparently important for him to witness for his people’s benefit- the circle of time connecting him to his siblings’ past to fill him in on what he had missed.

There was so much of his brothers’ lives which came before him. North felt Croghan Hill at his back, heavy and looming in the summer sun. How many different peoples had that hill seen? How many of North’s own family, past his sibling’s mother and beyond? So many mortal lives caught in its shade, so many centuries before he’d even been thought of. What had any of this got to do with him, he who couldn’t understand the significance of what was being found.

‘This is for you too, you know.’ Ireland seemed to sense something of what North was thinking. He tilted his head to one side, his eyes still on the dig site and the treasures within, ‘All connects back to a point we’re both a part of.’

‘The bog bodies?’

‘Not just them, or any of what they find like this. What they represent.’ He turned to North, the usual jokey expression in his eyes replaced with something more serious, ‘It’s a culture that’s not here anymore but that is still a part of us, even if we can't see it. It matters the same to both of us.’

‘But it wasn’t mine is it.’ North dug his hands into his jean pockets, ‘I wasn’t alive to experience it. I don’t even know what any of that was for.’

Ireland looked at him, face unreadable, then looked away. ‘If you say so.’

North looked at him. ‘What?’

Ireland shrugged, ‘If you say so.’

‘What do you mean, if I say so?’

‘If you think this has nothing to do with you, then who am I to tell you any different.’

‘Wh- I don’t..’ North clicked his tongue, ‘What the fuck does that mean.’

‘What? You wanted me to tell you something different?’

‘No-‘

‘You want me to sit here and hold your hand and tell you there there babby, everything’ll be grand?’

‘No! Christ, fuck off, then.’

Ireland shrugged again, one armed and apathetic, and turned away. North felt his cheeks heat up.

‘It’s true, isn’t it? That out there’s for you, that’s your old people.’

‘Sure.’

‘Well then. Then, what’s it got to do with me?’

Ireland shook his head, his mouth downturned in disappointment or frustration. ‘Why are you asking me? You seem to have your own opinion.’

‘Why’d you have to be a cunt about it.’

Ireland snorted, ‘Being a cunt am I-‘

‘You are. You’re-‘

‘Rather that than a thick-headed child.’

‘-brushing me off, it was a valid fucking question.’

‘It wasn’t a question; you were simpering for something.’

North recoiled, ‘Simpering-!’

‘Aye, you were.’ Ireland’s cheeks were ruddy in the high way they did only when he got truly annoyed about something, ‘You wanted me to convince you that this does matter to you, give you a clean old line of evidence that you can take away and make yourself feel better with. I already did that enough and I ain’t arguing my point. You either take what I said and try to make sense of it, or you don’t. I’m not going to stand here and put up with you begging for validation.’

North clenched his jaw, his teeth aching with the pressure of not immediately shouting back.

‘People will take voiced doubt as truth.’ Ireland continued, stepping closer. He was still taller than North, still holding the upper ground, and North had for remind himself not to take the automatic instinct to step back, ‘Makes them question and think when they might not have done before. And you feeding into self-pity is pissing annoying. It’s pathetic; I don’t want to hear it.’

‘It was a question.’ North felt a shameful sting in his eyes. He pushed away the knowledge that his brother had hit on a truth he hadn’t him to voice, ‘I-‘

‘It wasn’t a question, don’t give me that. You wanted me to tell you why any of that-‘ a sharp wave of Ireland’s hand towards the humans on the bog, ‘-is for you.’

North swallowed, the core of it too cleanly said to deny, ‘Yes.’

Ireland shook his head, ‘Think for yourself, boy. Did you feel a need to come here?’

‘Yeah.’

‘If I hadn’t called you, if I hadn’t come, would you have anyway?’

North nodded. He would have, it wasn’t a feeling that could be ignored.

‘Then that’s your confirmation. That’s important for you and yours too, that’s it.’

‘But why.’

‘How the fuck should I know. I don’t have it all written down here in rules, now do I.’ Ireland moved back to his spot against the tree, standing there stiff, ‘You’re supposed to have a brain, you tell me.’

North shrugged helplessly, ‘Because my people are interested? Because it’s news. Because it’s an older culture of this island and people want to look for something recognisable that they’ve kept?’

Ireland’s expression didn’t change, ‘And what do you think is true?’

‘I dunno, all of them?’ North let out a breath, ‘A little bit of all of them for different people.’

As he said it, he felt that it was probably true. There wasn’t one good answer but the fact was that he was here to watch anyway. Ireland was right, that meant something, even if North didn’t know exactly what.

Ireland waited a while before speaking, as if he was waiting for North to say something more or question him again. When neither were forthcoming, he nodded and leant back more easily against the tree trunk, crossing his feet and the ankles to rest on his heels, ‘I’m not here because all in that there bog was a culture I was part of. I’m here to watch it dragged out of the dirt because it’s something that will mark the people today. Look for what’s the same and not what’s different, you’ll never get anywhere otherwise.’

The ancient hill and the shiny metal cars that now drove around it, small and modern under forgotten giants. The same could be said about them and the archaeologists: Ireland watching the return of something he’d lost, and North watching it unfold to learn what would become a part of him, as the humans picked it all from the peat. The old and new, two sides of the same coin used for any purpose humans chose.

North pressed his lips together, his throat feeling tight. ‘Yeah. I get it.’ He paused, ‘Thanks.’

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ireland shake his head with a small smile, ‘You called me a cunt.’

‘You are a cunt.’

‘Ouch.’ Ireland held a hand to his chest in mock injury, ‘That hurt my feelings.’

‘You don’t have any feelings.’

‘In that case, I won’t share what’s in my bag.’

North looked to it, then back to his brother. His stomach rumbled, ‘I was wrong.’

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re not a cunt.’

‘I know, I’m so lovely.’

‘What’s in the bag?’

Ireland toed it with his shoe and grinned, ‘Just cheese sandwiches.’

‘I take it back; you are a cunt.’

‘Your loss.’

--------

AN:

Bog Bodies are human remains found in old peat bogs. The make up of the soil- the lack of oxygen and the particular mineral make up- is wonderful for preserving organic material by tanning it to almost leather. The result is perfectly preserved people, down to the hair on their heads or the pores of their skin

This story is set in 2003 and the discovery of Old Croghan Man, noted in different sources to have been found in May or June near Croghan Hill which the man was named after. The hill is very old and part of ancient and surviving modern local mythology, but the area itself was also regarded as something very special, a portal from our world to another beyond

Bog bodies ended up where they did for a variety of reasons: murder, accident, or even sacrifice. The old Irish Kings, as is one theory suspected for Old Croghan Man, could be held responsible for bad weather, or a bad harvest, and sacrificed to appease the Gods in the bog

More sources, if you're interested:

Thanks for reading!

[insanepoll]

WELCOME TO THE INSANE CHARACTER TOURNAMENT

Here's where your favourite insane characters will battle to the death for the first spot! More below the "keep reading" line.

Pre-match rounds start April 12th at 1PM (EDT)! Each round will have 24h to vote. For propaganda, you can go ahead and submit it in the askbox or through normal submissions. If you want to post your own propaganda, be sure to tag me so I can reblog it! I hope to see y'all there!!!

Round 1-A matches:

Alex Kralie (Marble Hornets) VS The Antagonist (Hatred (2015))

Drusilla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) VS Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)

Tokishige Usami (Golden Kamuy) VS Enerjak (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Harry Du Bois (Disco Elysium) VS Evan (EverymanHYBRID)

Azula (ATLA) VS Knock Knock (Phantom Spirits (2002))

Eric Cartman (South Park) VS Wade Wilson / Deadpool (Marvel)

Orochimaru (Naruto) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH I

Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto Shippuden) VS Delirium (Sandman)

Castiel (Supernatural) VS Simon Keyes (Ace Attorney Investigations 2)

Opal Koboi (Artemis Fowl) VS Bibble (Barbie Fairytopia)

Hamlet (The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark) VS The Observer (TribeTwelve)

Misty Quigley (Yellowjackets) VS Lestat de Lioncourt (Interview with the Vampire)

Will Graham (NBC Hannibal) VS Shou Tucker (FMA)

Ophelia (The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark) VS Starscream (Transformers)

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH II

The Narrator (Fight Club) VS Gamzee Makara (Homestuck)

Round 1-B matches:

Dabi (My Hero Academia) VS Shinobu Sensui (Yu Yu Hakusho)

The entire cast of Blaseball (Blaseball) VS Trexel Geistman (Stellar Firma)

Seo Moon-jo (Strangers from Hell) VS Sammy Lawrence (Bendy and the Ink Machine)

Sebastian Morgenstern (The Shadowhunter Chronicles) VS GIR (Invader Zim)

Aerion Targaryen (A Song of Ice and Fire) VS Lucille Bluth (Arrested Development)

Dottore (Genshin Impact) VS Helena (Orphan Black)

GLaDOS (Portal (Game Series)) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH III

Dr. Franken Stein (Soul Eater) VS Tyrian Callows (RWBY)

Samarie (Fear and Hunger 2: Termina) VS Mahito (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Cersei Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire) VS Lee Dongsik (Beyond Evil)

Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader (Star Wars) VS Rebecca Bunch (Crazy Ex-girlfriend)

John Kramer (Saw) VS The Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland)

Light Yagami (Death Note) VS Komaeda Nagito (Danganronpa 2)

The Master (Doctor Who) VS Simon Laurent (Infinity Train)

Gollum (Lord of the Rings) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH IV

Roman Roy (Succession) VS Jack (The Shining)

Round 1-C matches:

Jinx (Arcane) VS Niki Sanders / Jessica Sanders (Heroes)

Micolash, Host of the Nightmare (Bloodborne) VS Professor Henry Hidgens (Hatchetfield)

Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein) VS Cicero (Skyrim)

Renfield (Dracula) VS Dr. Gregory House (House MD)

Tim Drake (DC) VS Ultra Violet (Lego Ninjago)

Donatello Hamato (ROTTMNT) VS Spamton G. Spamton (Deltarune)

The Ice King (Adventure Time) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH V

Villanelle (Killing Eve) VS Kira Yoshikage (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Max (Sam and Max) VS Loki (The Mechanisms)

Darcy (Amphibia) VS Cheryl Tunt (Archer)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb) VS Dr. Baxter Stockman (TMNT 2003)

Izzy (Total Drama) VS Alfred Drevis (Mad Father)

Michael Distortion (The Magnus Archives) VS Vegas Theerapanyakul (Kinnporsche)

Doomguy (Doom) VS Gabriel Agreste (Miraculous)

Ben Chang (Community) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH VI

Fëanor (The Silmarillion) VS Ryuki (AI: The Somnium Files)

Round 1-D matches:

Eliot Cardale / Eli Ever (Villains Duology) VS Knives Millions (Trigun)

Denji (Chainsaw Man) VS Bubby (Half Life: VR but the AI is Self Aware)

Tsukishima Hajime (Golden Kamuy) VS Alucard (Hellsing Ultimate)

Hannibal Lecter (NBC Hannibal) VS Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)

Johnny C. (Johnny The Homicidal Maniac) VS Leopold Fitz (Marvel)

Midori (Your Turn To Die) VS Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)

Pugsley Addams (The Addams Family) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH VII

Billy Lenz (Black Christmas (1974)) VS Grell Sutcliff (Black Butler)

Goro Akechi (Persona 5) VS Fintan Pyren (Keeper of the Lost Cities)

Galahad (The Mechanisms) VS Alexander Hilbert (Wolf 359)

Armand (Interview with the Vampire) VS Spinel (Steven Universe)

Jīn Guāngyáo (Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Untamed)) VS Himiko Toga (My Hero Academia)

Morgana Pendragon (BBC Merlin) VS Nikolai Gogol (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Harley Quinn (DC) VS Xue Yang (Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Untamed))

Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan) VS WINNER PRE-MATCH VIII

Chat Blanc (Miraculous) VS Volo (Pokemon Legends Arceus)

But first, we'll have the pre-match rounds that will determine if any of the following characters that almost didn't survive the cut will manage to secure a spot in the competition! They are as follows:

PRE-MATCH I: Caleb (Blood (1997)) VS Tuco Salamanca (Better Call Saul)

PRE-MATCH II: Pinkie Pie (My Little Pony) VS Amy Kirio (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun)

PRE-MATCH III: Magic Man (Adventure Time) VS Mindbender (GI Joe Renegades)

PRE-MATCH IV: Jevil (Deltarune) VS Midari Ikishima (Kakegurui)

PRE-MATCH V: Dennis Reynolds (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) VS Eddie Gluskin (Outlast)

PRE-MATCH VI: Vanilla Ice (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure) VS Roberto (Futurama)

PRE-MATCH VII: Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow (DC) VS Annie Wilkes (Misery)

PRE-MATCH VIII: Ben Linus (Lost) VS Kristoph Gavin (Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney)

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT LUCY OF SYRACUSE The Patron of the Blind and Throat Infections Feast Day: December 13

"Those whose hearts are pure are temples of the Holy Spirit."

Lucy, or Lucy of Syracuse was born of a noble family in Syracuse in the year 283 AD, and believe it or not, she is one of the best known virgin martyrs, along with Agatha of Sicily, Agnes of Rome, Cecilia of Rome and Catherine of Alexandria. Her father was of Roman origin, but died when Lucy was five years old, leaving her and her mother without a protective guardian. Her mother's name, Eutychia seems to indicate that she came from a Greek background. Lucy's name can branch from two words: 'lux' (Latin) meaning 'light,' and 'lucid' (English) which means 'clear,' 'vivid' and 'intelligible.'

At an early age, she secretly consecrated her virginity to the Lord, and she hoped to distribute her dowry to the poor. However, Eutychia, not knowing of Lucy's promise, and suffering from a bleeding disorder, feared for Lucy's future. Agatha had been martyred 52 years before during the Decian persecution. Her shrine at Catania, less than 50 miles from Syracuse, attracted a number of pilgrims; many miracles were reported to have happened through her intercession. Eutychia was persuaded to make a pilgrimage to Catania, in hopes of a cure. While there, Agatha came to Lucy in a dream and told her that because of her faith her mother would be cured and that Lucy would be the glory of Syracuse, as she was of Catania. With her mother cured, Lucy took the opportunity to persuade her mother to allow her to distribute a great part of her riches among the poor.

Eutychia suggested that the sums would make a good bequest, but Lucy countered these words: '…whatever you give away at death for the Lord's sake you give because you cannot take it with you. Give now to the true Savior, while you are healthy, whatever you intended to give away at your death.'

News that the patrimony and jewels were being distributed came to Lucy's betrothed, who denounced her to Paschasius, the Governor of Syracuse. Paschasius ordered her to burn a sacrifice to the emperor's image. When she refused, Paschasius sentenced her to be defiled in a brothel.

It was the year 304 AD, during the Diocletianic Persecution. Christian tradition states that when the guards came to take her away, they could not move her even when they hitched her to a team of oxen. Bundles of wood were then heaped about her and set on fire, but would not burn. And finally, Lucy met her death by the sword thrust into her throat.

According to later accounts, before she died she foretold the punishment of Paschasius and the speedy end of the persecution, adding that Diocletian would reign no more, and Maximian would meet his end. This so angered Paschasius that he ordered the guards to remove her eyes. Another version has Lucy taking her own eyes out in order to discourage a persistent suitor who admired them. When her body was prepared for burial in the family mausoleum it was discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored. This is the reason that Lucy of Syracuse is the patron saint of those with eye-related diseases.

Her major shrine can be found in San Geremia in Venice. Her traditional feast day, known in Europe as Saint Lucy's Day, is observed by Western Christians, and she was honored in the Middle Ages and remained a well-known saint in early modern England.

This is particularly seen in Scandinavian countries, with their long dark winters. There, a young girl dressed in a white dress and a red sash (as the symbol of martyrdom) carries palms and wears a crown or wreath of candles on her head. In Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and parts of Finland, girls dressed as Lucy carry St. Lucia buns in procession as songs are sung. It is said that to vividly celebrate St. Lucy's Day will help one live the long winter days with enough light.

Villagers from Barangay Sta. Lucia in Magarao, Camarines Sur, hold a novena to St. Lucy nine days before her feast. A procession of the saint's image is held every morning at the poblacion or village centre during the nine days leading up to St. Lucy's Day, attracting devotees from other parts of the Bicol Region. Hymns to the saint, known as the Gozos, as well as the Spanish version of the Ave Maria are chanted during the dawn procession, which is followed by a Mass.

[girlactionfigure]

Courageous Captain

Voyage of the Damned

Gustav Schroder was a German sea captain who sailed to Cuba in 1939 with 937 Jewish refugees and went to extraordinary lengths to save their lives after multiple countries — including the U.S. – refused to grant them asylum. 

Born in Hadersleben, Denmark (then part of the German Empire) in 1885, Gustav was always drawn to the ocean. He first went to sea at age 16, aboard a training ship, and then became an able seaman on one of the fastest ships in the world, part of the Hamburg America Line fleet. He served with distinction in the merchant marine for 24 years and was then appointed captain. 

Always eager to travel to new places, Gustav was excited when his first posting as Captain was to India, then a British colony. He arrived in Calcutta in 1913, but unfortunately the outbreak of World War in 1914 upended all his plans. As a German, Gustav was classified as an enemy alien and kept in an internment camp. With nothing to do, he began learning languages, and by the time the war ended in 1918 he was spoke seven. Gustav returned to Germany in 1919 and found it difficult to get a job in a defeated Germany where production of ships was greatly reduced. Finally in 1921, Gustav found employment once again with the Hamburg America Line, where he served on various ships for 15 years.

As anti-semitism rose in Germany during the 1930’s, Gustav became increasingly troubled. A man with respect for all peoples and curiosity about different cultures, Gustav was horrified by the vicious persecution targeting Jews. In 1938, the pogrom known as Kristallnacht occurred, when Jews were attacked and murdered in the streets by a rampaging horde consisting of soldiers and civilians. Many Jews died that day, and hundreds of business and synagogues burned to the ground. Gustav knew he had to do something, and he got his chance when he was appointed captain of the MS St. Louis, a diesel-powered passenger ship that sailed the trans-Atlantic route from Hamburg to Canada and New York. 

In 1939, Gustav set sail for Cuba on the St. Louis with a ship full of passengers. Unlike the usual carefree vacationers, the passengers on this voyage were 937 Jewish refugees seeking asylum. The Jews all had legal tourist visas to Cuba, so it was assumed there wouldn’t be an issue accepting the refugees when they arrived. During the voyage, Gustav insisted the passengers be treated with great respect, and provided with all of the comforts enjoyed by other cruising passengers. There were concerts, dances, swimming, and even religious services. A bust of Hitler was covered with a tablecloth. Those aboard the ship were deeply grateful for their miraculous rescue, and called the trip “a vacation cruise to freedom.”

However, when the ship arrived at Havana Harbor the captain and passengers of the St. Louis were in for a terrible surprise. The Cuban authorities had recently changed their immigration policy, and the Jews’ tourist visas were rejected. Only 28 passengers – American, Spanish or Cuban nationals – were considered to have “valid” documents, and they were allowed to disembark. The ship sat in the harbor for a week while American officials tried to persuade Cuba to accept all of the refugees, but to no avail. Cuba absolutely refused to take any more passengers.

Because the Americans had advocated for helping the stateless Jews, Gustav sailed from Cuba to the coast of Florida. He sought permission to enter the United States, but the U.S. government steadfastly refused to help. admit even one Jew. Even Cuba accepted 28, but President Franklin Roosevelt wouldn’t accept a single Jew. This remained his position throughout the next several years, as the Jews of Europe were systematically slaughtered. Roosevelt could have done so much, and chose to do nothing at all. (Shockingly, many Jews then and now consider him a hero.)

Gustav was appalled at the American government’s actions, and he made a bold plan to actually run the ship aground and allow the refugees to escape. However, Roosevelt’s Secretary of State Cordell Hull instructed the Coast Guard to shadow the St. Louis and make sure Gustav couldn’t carry out his plan. The “vacation cruise to freedom” became the “voyage of the damned.”

The next hope was Canada, but the Immigration Director insisted that his country, like their neighbor to the north, tightly shut their doors to admit no Jews. Gustav desperately negotiated with several governments while conditions on the ship became dire, without enough food and supplies for an extended voyage. He absolutely refused to return the ship to Germany until the refugees had found homes. 

Finally on June 17 1939, the St. Louis docked at the Port of Antwerp. Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands agreed to accept the Jewish refugees, evenly distributed to all four countries. Sadly, the following year Nazi Germany occupied Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Most of the Jews who had been returned to those countries were ultimately deported to concentration camps. Based on extensive research, historians estimate that 254 of the passengers who returned to Europe were killed in the Holocaust. Thankfully approximately 709 of the Jewish refugees who sailed on the St. Louis survived the war, and they all (and their thousands of descendants) owe their lives to Gustav Schroder.

After the St. Louis arrived back in Hamburg, Gustav was reassigned to a desk job and never went to sea again. Ironically, he was investigated as a possible war criminal during post-war de-Nazification proceedings, but many of the Jews he saved testified on his behalf and he was released. As Germany slowly came to a reckoning of the nation’s role in the genocide of European Jews, heroes began receiving official recognition. In 1957 Gustav was awarded the Order of Merit by the Federal German Republic “for services to the people and the land in the rescue of refugees.” Two years later, Gustav died in Hamburg at age 73. He was survived by his wife and children.

Posthumously, Gustav was honored as Righteous Among the Nations by Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem. A street in Hamburg is named after him. In 1976, a movie was made about the St. Louis. Voyage of the Damned starred Max von Sydow as Gustav, and featured an all-star cast including Faye Dunaway, Lee Grant, James Mason and Malcolm McDowell.

For his extraordinary actions of bravery that saved 709 lives, we honor Gustav Schroder as this week’s Thursday Hero. 

[beardedmrbean]

Today, Bulgarians celebrate Tryphon Zarezan in the old style - the holiday of winegrowers and wine, also known as Zarezanovden, Tryphon Chipia and Tryphon Zarezoi.

The day of the holy martyr Tryphon from ancient times is associated with the first pruning of the vineyards.

President Rumen Radev will be a guest of the Plovdiv village of Ustina on the holiday of vine growers and winemakers. He will take part in the traditional procession to the vineyards of the village and will participate in the ritual of consecration and pruning of the vines.

Rumen Radev will also award the winners of the "best homemade wine" contest.

February 14, also known as Valentine's Day, is celebrated all over the world today. The holiday is named after a martyr saint revered in the Catholic Church. Born not far from Rome, in the 2nd century BC. Since the 18th century, the tradition of sending sweets and cards decorated with flowers, ribbons and signs of love began.

Romantic tradition connects lovers with February 14. The celebration of Valentine's Day is also accepted in Bulgaria. According to what is referred to as a Catholic tradition, St. Valentine is the patron saint of the day, but since several centuries this day has been celebrated by people from all over the world with different religions and cultures.

Valentine's Day is widely celebrated in Western Europe, and the tradition of writing "Valentines", giving flowers and candy and singing serenades is firmly established in the minds of most people in this part of the world. This holiday is said to be auspicious for makers of cards, sweets and all kinds of heart-shaped gifts.

According to the tradition of the English court at the beginning of the 17th century, on Valentine's Day young men and women exchanged rings and candies. Any woman can go and ask the man she likes to be her husband. The important thing is that a man has no right to refuse a lady. But if his heart is already taken, he should give her a silk dress.

In Japan and Korea, the holiday dates back to 1930. In Japan, only men receive gifts on Valentine's Day. The holiday for women comes a month later, on March 14, and the day is called "White Day". Contrary to Japan, in Korea there is a tradition of "Black Day" where all single men get together and get drunk.

In passionate France, Valentine's Day means exchanging jewelry and other romantic gifts, and in Denmark, men give gifts of dried white flowers. On this day in England, girls gather before sunrise and look out the window. The first person they see becomes their husband. In Derbyshire, girls go round the church 12 times at midnight and repeat a magic spell. According to legend, after the ritual they meet true love.

In Jamaica, mass nude weddings are held on this day, and the beaches are visited by numerous newlyweds who have decided to plunge into eternal love. In Brazil, Valentine's Day is celebrated on June 12. On this day, Brazilian women perform magical rituals to attract bachelors. In Israel, the Day of Love is celebrated at the end of summer. The girl can only offer her hand to the boy of her choice.

The Germans associate love with madness and consider Saint Valentine the patron saint of the insane. On this day, psychiatric clinics are decorated with garlands and flowers. Poles believe in the miraculous power of love and therefore consider it their duty to go to church and pray for family happiness.

Valentine's Day is forbidden for Muslims in Saudi Arabia. People who touch the sin of this day are severely punished. It is strictly forbidden to sell red roses, plush toys and heart-shaped goodies in shops. The authorities believe that the "pernicious Western tradition" is confusing the minds of the young generation in Saudi Arabia, inciting them to sin.

In Bulgaria, the confluence of circumstances combines during the holiday Tryphon Zarezan, associated with wine, with Valentine's Day. The two occasions lead to a symbolic union on the Day of Wine and Love. Which are actually related both mythologically and traditionally.

[welcometomy20s]

December 4, 2022

World Cup 2022 Group Round Reflections

Group A - Qatar fitting gets 3 losses and flunks out of the competition. The Netherlands thankfully didn’t struggle as expected. Senegal improved enough to get that second place which leaves Ecuador out in the dust, they have to face England though…

Group B - England fly through relatively easily. Wales looked strong but had that rookie expectation failure that Iceland got in the last World Cup. Iran was super close, but the troubles at home failed them at the last minute as USA might be the only future host to make it to the Round of 16, where they will likely lose to The Netherlands.

Group C - While Saudi Arabia shocked the world with their fluke 2:0 win against Argentina, it really was a fluke as Argentina got right back up and flew through the rest while Saudi Arabia crashed and burned. Poland skid on by meaning they're likely going to be eaten up by France in Round of 16. Mexico managed to win over Saudi Arabia but wasn’t able to convert that into an advancement, which is a shame.

Group D - France flew through the game although they were gracious in letting Tunisia win for some reason, and the addition that Australia won against Denmark, who finally proved their potential and showed Denmark really was getting their weakness. Australia returns to the Round of 16 but they will have to face Argentina. Good luck.

Group E - Japan has an odd behavior where they are strong against strong teams but weak against weak teams… and well nothing proves this point then the oddest result of the whole game where they beat Germany and Spain but lost to Costa Rica. They finished first and now face Croatia which is the definition of a middle-of-the-road. Germany now faces a grime perspective of fading from the world competition, as Italy now has done before, remember Italy has not appeared for two World Cups now, as even Costa Rica had a tiny chance of beating them. Spain was blindsided by Japan but overall seems better positioned than most teams on this list.

Group F - Like their flags, Belgium faced a sideway Germany, starting as the favorites and ending up pretty much in the dust, as Morocco, of all people, came away as first. They now face Spain, which some expected but with the opposite route. Group E was obviously terrible, but let us remember that Belgium was third and Croatia was second in the last World Cup. Croatia managed to be okay, although its struggles are starting to show. Canada flunked out, but there is… promise? We’ll see in four years.

Group G - We continue with upset, as Brazil lets Cameroon eat a win while Switzerland carries after a bench clearing with Serbia, and they will face Portugal in Round of 16. Overall, Brazil showed their strengths, although there was Cameroon there, while Serbia did not perform as well as expected, and Switzerland… did?

Group H - There was a 9% chance and I thought that was too much, but as the saying goes, if Japan does it, Korea does too. And so Korea beats Portugal and miraculously gets onto the Round of 16 as Portugal already secured their first place spot. Our plucky Korean team has to face Brazil, however, so… good luck with that.

[underwxrldprincess]

🐈‍⬛ About me 🗡️

Coucou! My name is Bianca (she/they), and I'm 21 years old. I'm a part of the project Marauders for Jews, started by @rmoony12.

Other facts about me:

🥀 autistic

🥀 black swan Patronus

🥀 Cabin 13

🥀 cat person

🥀 French, Italian, and Korean

🥀 genderfluid

🥀 Horned serpent

🥀 INTJ

🥀 kins Nico di Angelo and Regulus Black

🥀 Ombrelune

🥀 Slytherin

Fandoms:

🪐 Disney

🪐 Harry Potter

🪐 Les Misérables

🪐 Marauders

🪐 Miraculous Ladybug

🪐 Percy Jackson/Riordanverse

I love:

🖤 advocating for the Hispanic/Latino and Jewish communities

🖤 astronomy

🖤 black cats

🖤 desserts/sweets

🖤 Félix Fathom

🖤 Greek mythology

🖤 history (especially British history)

🖤 jellycat bunnies

I hate:

🌑 ab*sive parents

🌑 bigotry

🌑 Colt Fathom

🌑 disrespecting my boundaries

🌑 inhumanity

🌑 loud noises

🌑 not taking "no" for an answer

🌑 oppressive people

My favourites:

☕️ actor: Timothée Chalamet

☕️ aesthetics: dark academia and goth

☕️ animals: cats, crows, peacocks, rabbits, and swans

☕️ book: Les Misérables

☕️ children's books: Sleepovers and The Worst Thing About My Sister

☕️ classical piece: Salut d'Amour

☕️ colours: black and silver

☕️ countries: Denmark, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Moldova, South Korea, and the United Kingdom

☕️ Disney animal: Marie

☕️ Disney man: Adam/the Beast

☕️ Disney girls/women: Alice and Elsa

☕️ drink: black tea

☕️ films: The Collini Case and The King's Speech

☕️ flower: lily of the valley

☕️ food: sushi

☕️ fruit: peach

☕️ gemstone: amethyst

☕️ Golden Trio era character: Luna Lovegood

☕️ Greek gods: Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Hades, and Hermes

☕️ Harry Potter next gen character: Scorpius Malfoy

☕️ historical figure: Winston Churchill

☕️ kwami: cat or peacock

☕️ Marauders era characters: Andromeda Black, Barty Crouch Jr., Dorcas Meadowes, James Potter, Narcissa Black, Regulus Black, and Sirius Black

☕️ Miraculous Ladybug characters: Adrien Agreste, Amélie Graham de Vanily, Émilie Agreste, Félix Fathom, Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine, and Nathalie Sancoeur

☕️ mlm ships: Jegulus and Solangelo

☕️ mythical creatures: elves, fairies, mermaids/sirens, and vampires

☕️ place: the Louvre

☕️ planets: Pluto and Uranus

☕️ Riordanverse characters: Bianca di Angelo, Jason Grace, Luke Castellan, Nico di Angelo, Piper McLean, Thalia Grace, and Zoë Nightshade

☕️ Sanrio characters: Chococat and Kuromi

☕️ season: winter

☕️ shows: Chloe's Closet and Miraculous Ladybug

☕️ straight ships: Adrinette, Feligami, and Tedromeda

☕️ superheroes: Argos and Loki

☕️ wlw ship: nobleflower

Q&A:

Q: What's in your bag?

A: Book, charger, compact mirror, hair ties, laptop, snack, star hairclips, and my wallet.

Q: What's your Enneagram?

A: Probably either a 1, 4 or 5. Most INTJs are 1 or 5, but I have high Fi for an INTJ (hence the 4). I thought I was a 1w9 for a while, but apparently I don't have a lot of 9 traits. I might be a 5w4.

Q: Describe your style.

A: The more I stand out, the better! I'm not a T-shirt and sweatpants girly (if anything I don't even own a T-shirt or sweatpants, I'm not even joking).

I usually wear small black tops in the summer and Regulus Black-style sweaters in the winter. I wear a lot of black. I like jeans as much as I like plaid skirts with fishnet tights. I usually wear either black boots or green Converse sneakers.

And accessories and jewelry! Bracelets, caps, earrings, chokers, fingerless gloves, rings, you name them! I feel naked without them. I do only wear silver, though, and never gold. I also wear black nail polish.

Q: What kind of weather do you like?

A: Sunny when I'm outdoors but cloudy/rainy when I'm indoors. Snow is always good. In general, I prefer the cold over the heat.

Q: Would you like to have any children in the future? Do you have a gender preference? If so, what would you like to name them?

A: Only if I meet the right person to raise them with. In the meantime, I'm in the process of healing from some of my parents' ab*se and neglect. Also if I do, I'll only adopt or foster because I don't want to get pregnant.

I don't have a specific gender preference: if anything I want a daughter AND a son. I'm dead-set on the names Amélie and Félix (I haven't thought of second or third names yet). But I'll support them if they end up identifying as transgender and/or choose to go by another name.

Q: What do you see yourself doing in the future?

A: Hopefully continue singing, writing and creating content on social media. I also want to start modeling.

More personally, I want to move out of home, heal my inner child, and be the person I was meant to be before the ab*se.

Q: What's on your wish list?

A: Black cat calico critters, clothes from Hot Topic, Duusu plush, goth jewelry, jellycat bunnies, more Riordanverse books, plane tickets, platinum blonde skunk streaks in my hair, Slytherin merch, and The Best Sleepover in the World book.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: I listen to music, read, sing, write, and obviously create content for social media. I would love to re-learn ballet, figure skating, and the piano though, I did them when I was a kid but would love to explore them again.

Q: If you could choose, which kwami would you want?

A: Probably either the butterfly or snake. It would be nice to give power to those who don't have the power, put oppressors under my control, and go back in time to reverse mistakes.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?

A: Mostly either Disney or musicals - I know the Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame soundtracks by heart. I also listen to classical, opera/operatic pop, and 70s pop.

Q: What do you look for in a significant other?

A: I'd prefer someone who's more different from me than similar: Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, with James Potter and/or Will Solace vibes.

I also think that having the same hobbies/interests is nice, but I wouldn't mind someone who is more sporty, as long as they also like some of the other things I like. After all, I would still want some alone time in a relationship.

I do, however, think that having the same values is very important for a lasting relationship, especially since I care a lot about human rights. For example, I could never date someone who's anti-Zionist - they have to be a Zionist or at least neutral.

Hypothetically, I think blondes are gorgeous, but I usually fall for brunettes. But I'm honestly not picky about looks - I care more about overall vibes, personality, and values.

Q: What's your sexuality?

A: I identify as aroace, with little romantic attraction to men and little sexual attraction to men and women. But I've never been in any kind of relationship, let alone been on a date or kissed anyone, so mostly I just think of myself as aroace.

Q: How do you take your tea?

A: English breakfast tea with one sugar packet.

Q: If you merged the ladybug and cat miraculouses, what would you wish for?

A: In the words of Argos: "a better world, a free world, where no one will be under anyone's control anymore, where no one will be excluded like I was."

Q: Who is a woman you admire?

A: Princess Alice of Battenberg. She was deaf but learned to speak several languages, and helped Jewish refugees escape during the Holocaust.

Boundaries:

♟️any antisemitism = immediate block

♟️As I mentioned previously, I am genderfluid, so I will update my labels/pronouns when necessary.

[laresearchette]

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA THUS SPOKE KISHIBE ROHAN (Season 4) NWSL: NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE V UTAH ROYALS

CRAVE TV DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE HOW THE WEST WAS FUN     NETFLIX CANADA ELLA ENCHANTED OUTLANDER (Season 7 Part 1)

IIHF MEN’S HOCKEY (TSN/TSN4) 6:00am: Denmark vs. Switzerland (TSN3) 6:00pm: Latvia vs. Sweden (TSN/TSN3) 10:00am: Canada vs. Finland (TSN) 2:00pm: Czechia vs. Great Britain (TSN3) 2:00pm: France vs. Slovakia

WNBA BASKETBALL (SN360) 1:00pm: Fever vs. Liberty

MLS SOCCER (TSN2) 1:30pm: Nashville vs. Atlanta (TSN3/TSN4) 10:30pm: Seattle vs. Vancouver

MLB BASEBALL (SN1) 2:30pm: Rays vs. Jays (SN Now) 7:00pm: Red Sox vs. Cardinals (TSN2) 7:00pm: Angels vs. Rangers (SN1) 9:00pm: Reds vs. Dodgers

NLL LACROSSE (TSN3/TSN4) 7:30pm: Game 2 - Firewolves vs. Bandits

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN/TSN5) 8:00pm: Game 6 - Thunder vs. Mavericks

NHL HOCKEY (CBC/SN) 8:00pm: Game 6  - Canucks vs. Oilers

EVERYTHING PUPPIES (W Network) 8:00pm: Looking to make it big with innovative dog toys and treats, an entrepreneur and inventor finds success with support from a handsome client.

FINDING A KILLER (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm: When a woman's adoptive mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she begins to question her family's potential involvement.

BILLY & MOLLY: AN OTTER LOVE STORY (Nat Geo Wild) 8:00pm:  A man forms an unlikely friendship with a wild otter while living in the remote Shetland Islands.

THE ATTRACTION TEST (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm:  An acclaimed college professor prepares to unveil her landmark study that sparks love between strangers, but the launch is threatened when she receives criticism for not taking The Dating Test herself.

SAW X (Crave) 9:00pm: Hoping for a miraculous cure, John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer uses deranged and ingenious traps to turn the tables on the con artists.

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (Starz Canada) 9:00pm:   With the annual Hunger Games approaching, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.

DAUGHTER OF THE BRIDE (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm:  A daughter tries to sabotage her mother's wedding while navigating her own love life and career.

STRANGE WAY OF LIFE (Crave) 11:00pm: After twenty-five years, Silva rides a horse across the desert to visit his friend Sheriff Jake; they celebrate the meeting, but the next morning Jake tells him that reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their friendship.

THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD (CTV) 12:35am:  A smoke jumper and a traumatized boy fight for their lives as two relentless assassins pursue them through a raging fire in the Montana wilderness.

[brookston]

Holidays 2.11

Holidays

American Hospital Day

Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (Iran)

Armed Forces Day (Liberia)

Assault on Copenhagen Day (Denmark)

Be Electrific Day

Burt Reynolds Day

Couch Grass Day (French Republic)

Day of Revenue Service (Azerbaijan)

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

Don’t Shoot Your Friend in the Face While Hunting Day

Evelio Javier Day (Philippines)

Flash Appreciation Day

Forest Animal Feeding Day (Poland)

Get Out Your Guitar Day

Ghost Day

Giorno della Conciliazione Day (Italy)

Grandmother Achievement Day

Gratified Being Single Day

Guðfriðr's Day (Aedeland)

Hug a Tall Person Day

International Day of Women and Girls in Science (UN)

Islamic Revolution Day (Iran)

Janet Jackson Appreciation Day

KISS Day (South Carolina)

Leslie Nielsen Day

Make A Friend Day (a.k.a. Make A New Friend Day)

Meaning of Life Day

Meringue Memorial Day

National Ava Day

National Emergency Number Day (Finland)

National Guitar Day (a.k.a. Get Out Your Guitar Day)

National Marc Day

National Inventor's Day

National Shut-In Visitation Day

National 211 Day

National Van Day

Nelson Mandela Day (South Africa)

112 Day (EU)

Promise Day

Pro Sports Wives Day

Satisfied Staying Single Day

Shaheed Day (Bangladesh)

Weiberfastnacht (Germany)

White T-Shirt Day (a.k.a. White Shirt Day)

Whitney Houston Appreciation Day

World Day of Medical Women

World Day of the Sick (Roman Catholic)

World Unani Day (India)

Youth Day (Cameroon)

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Latte Day

National Pork Rind Appreciation Day

National Roast Day

Peppermint Patty Day

2nd Sunday in February

Autism Sunday [2nd Sunday]

Daytona 500 Race Day [2nd Sunday]

International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger Syndrome [2nd Sunday]

International Flirting Week begins [Sunday before Valentine’s Day]

Man Day [Sunday before 14th]

Mother’s Day (Norway) [2nd Sunday]

National Preacher’s Kid Day [2nd Sunday]

Quinquagesima Sunday [Sunday before Ash Wednesday]

Race Relations Sunday (Methodist Church) [2nd Sunday]

Racial Justice Sunday (UK) [2nd Sunday]

Sour Sunday [1st Sunday of SF Beer Week]

Super Bowl Sunday [2nd Sunday] (a.k.a. ... 

Bud Bowl Day

National Bring Back Marching Bands Day

National Homegating Day

National Popcorn Day

National Pork Rind Day

NFL Day

Neo-Prohibitionist’s Complaining Day

Puppy Bowl Day

Rene Descartes Memorial Day

Suberb Owl Day

Super Bowl of Caring [ website ]

Super Chicken Wing Day

World Marriage Day [2nd Sunday]

Independence & Related Days

Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (Iran)

Foundation Day (Japan; 660 B.C.E.)

Honduras (Declared; 1922)

Independence Proclamation Day (Norway; 1814)

Vatican City (Lateran Treaty signed with Italy, 1929)

New Year’s Days

Hindi New Year (Hinduism) (a.k.a. ... 

Dangpa Losar (Bhutanese New Year; Bhutan) [2024: Year of the Male Wood Dragon]

Gyalpyo / Gyallo Loshar (Nepal)

Hari Raya Nyepi Tahun Brau Saka (Indonesia)

Losar (Sikkim, India)

Losar (Tibetan New Year)

New Year's Celebration, Day 2  [Lunar Calendar] (a.k.a. …

Chinese New Year Holiday, Day 2 (Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan)

Public Sector Holiday (East Timor)

Second Day of the lunar New Year (Hong Kong, Macau)

Tet Holiday (Vietnam)

Festivals Beginning February 11, 2024

Carnival of Aalst (Aalst, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Binche (Binche, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Maastricht (Maastricht, Netherlands) [thru 2.13]

Fastelavn (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Gasparilla Carnival (Tampa, Florida)

Panama Carnival (Panama City, Panama) [thru 2.14]

Paris Carnival (Paris, France)

Feast Days

Adolph (Christian; Saint)

Benedict of Aniame (Christian; Saint)

Blaise (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Bounce on the Bed Day (Pastafarian)

Cædmon, first recorded Christian poet in England, c. 680 CE (Anglicanism)

Carlo Carrà (Artology)

Feast of Our Lady’s Miraculous Apparitions (Christian)

Festival of Ptah (Ancient Egyptian God of Creativity; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Gobhnat (Celtic Book of Days)

Gobnait (Christian; Saint)

Gregory II, pope (Christian; Saint)

Hide Under the Bed Day (Pastafarian)

Jane Yolan (Writerism)

Lazarus of Milan (Christian; Saint)

Lucius (Christian; Martyr)

Our Lady of Lourdes (Christian; Saint)

Overindulgence Festival (Church of the SubGenius)

Paschal I, pope (Christian; Saint)

Pattern Day (Ireland)

Phidias (Positivist; Saint)

Pilgrimage Day (Lourdes, France)

Saturninus Dativus, and others (Christian; Martyrs)

Severinus (Christian; Saint)

Sol (Muppetism)

Tachychardia Week (Church of the SubGenius)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Theodora, Byzantine Empress (Anglo-Romish)

Tiresias’s Day (Pagan)

True Parents Day (Unification Church)

Ume Matsuri begins (Plum Blossom Festival; Atami, Japan)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [7 of 53]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [8 of 37]

Premieres

The Beach (Film; 2000)

Between the Buttons, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1967)

Black Spring, by Henry Miller (Novel; 1936)

Born This Way, by Lady Gaga (Song; 2011)

Bosko in Person (WB LT Cartoon; 1933)

The Bourne Supremacy, by Robert Ludlum (Novel; 1986)

Box-Office Bunny (WB LT Cartoon; 1991)

Bride & Prejudice (Film; 2005)

The Captains and the Kids (MGM Cartoon; 1939)

Cedar Rapids (Film; 2011)

Death on the Nile (Film; 2022)

Dirty Snow, by Georges Simenon (Novel; 1948)

Donald’s Happy Birthday (Disney Cartoon; 1949)

Elvis (TV movie; 1979)

Gnomeo & Juliet (Animated Film; 2011)

The Grocery Boy (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Happy Together, by The Turtles (Song; 1967)

Hitch (Film; 2005)

Hoppy Daze (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata (The Lombards at the first Crusade), by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1843)

Inviting Anna (Film; 2022)

Just Go with It (Film; 2011)

La Fille du Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment), by Getano Donizetti (Opera; 1840)

Linger Awhile and Mobile Day, recorded by Rex Stewart & His Orchestra (Song; 1940)

Lovesick Blues, by Hank Williams (Song; 1949)

The Magic Christian (Film; U.S. 1970)

Memories of the Future, by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky (Short Stories; 1989) [Written in 1920]

The Might Celt (Film; 2005)

The Moose and the Monster or Nothing But the Pest (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 255; 1964)

Mutiny on the Bunny (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Nurse to Meet Ya (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1955)

Our Cartoon President (Animated TV Series; 2018)

The Piano (Film; 1994)

Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (Animated Film; 2005)

The Quetong Missile Mystery (Animated TV Show;Jonny Quest #22; 1965)

Robin Hood Makes Good (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

R.U.R., by Karel Čapek (TV movie; 1938) [1st Science Fiction program]

Scrappy Birthday (Andy Panda Cartoon; 1949)

Self Control (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

Simon Says, Be My Valentine, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 17 & 18; 1967)

Smash and Grab (Pixar Animated Short; 2019)

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, by Anton Bruckner (Symphony; 1903)

Testing 1, 2, 3, or Tape a Number (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 256; 1964)

Thieves Like Us (Film; 1974)

The Tigger Movie (Animated Disney Film; 2000)

The Violins of Saint-Jacques, by Patrick Leigh Fermor (Novel; 1953)

Walking After Midnight, by Patsy Cline (Song; 1957)

Weasel Stop (WB LT Cartoon; 1956)

Today’s Name Days

Anselm (Austria)

Marija, Mirjana (Croatia)

Božena (Czech Republic)

Euphrosyne (Denmark)

Teri, Terje (Estonia)

Iisa, Isabella, Talvikki (Finland)

Lourdes (France)

Maria Lourdes, Theodora, Theodor (Germany)

Avgi, Theodora, Vlassis (Greece)

Bertold, Marietta (Hungary)

Dante, Durante, Eloisia, Lourdes (Italy)

Laima, Laimdota, Laimrota (Latvia)

Adolfas, Algirdas, Algirdė, Liucijus (Lithuania)

Ingve, Yngve (Norway)

Adolf, Adolfa, Adolfina, Alf, Bernadetta, Dezydery, Eufrozyna, Łazarz, Lucjan, Maria, Olgierd, Świętomira (Poland)

Teodora, Vlasie (Romania)

Dezider (Slovakia)

Lourdes, Pedro (Spain)

Inge, Yngve (Sweden)

Ulas (Ukraine)

Adolfo, Adolph, Adolpha, Alva, Alvarita, Alvaro, Lourdes (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 42 of 2024; 324 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 6 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 22 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 2 (Yi-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 2 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 1 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 12 Grey; Fryday [12 of 30]

Julian: 29 January 2024

Moon: 5%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 14 Homer (2nd Month) [Phidias)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 53 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 21 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Shaʿbān [شَعْبَان] (Islamic Calendar) [Month 8 of 12]

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.11

Holidays

American Hospital Day

Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (Iran)

Armed Forces Day (Liberia)

Assault on Copenhagen Day (Denmark)

Be Electrific Day

Burt Reynolds Day

Couch Grass Day (French Republic)

Day of Revenue Service (Azerbaijan)

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

Don’t Shoot Your Friend in the Face While Hunting Day

Evelio Javier Day (Philippines)

Flash Appreciation Day

Forest Animal Feeding Day (Poland)

Get Out Your Guitar Day

Ghost Day

Giorno della Conciliazione Day (Italy)

Grandmother Achievement Day

Gratified Being Single Day

Guðfriðr's Day (Aedeland)

Hug a Tall Person Day

International Day of Women and Girls in Science (UN)

Islamic Revolution Day (Iran)

Janet Jackson Appreciation Day

KISS Day (South Carolina)

Leslie Nielsen Day

Make A Friend Day (a.k.a. Make A New Friend Day)

Meaning of Life Day

Meringue Memorial Day

National Ava Day

National Emergency Number Day (Finland)

National Guitar Day (a.k.a. Get Out Your Guitar Day)

National Marc Day

National Inventor's Day

National Shut-In Visitation Day

National 211 Day

National Van Day

Nelson Mandela Day (South Africa)

112 Day (EU)

Promise Day

Pro Sports Wives Day

Satisfied Staying Single Day

Shaheed Day (Bangladesh)

Weiberfastnacht (Germany)

White T-Shirt Day (a.k.a. White Shirt Day)

Whitney Houston Appreciation Day

World Day of Medical Women

World Day of the Sick (Roman Catholic)

World Unani Day (India)

Youth Day (Cameroon)

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Latte Day

National Pork Rind Appreciation Day

National Roast Day

Peppermint Patty Day

2nd Sunday in February

Autism Sunday [2nd Sunday]

Daytona 500 Race Day [2nd Sunday]

International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger Syndrome [2nd Sunday]

International Flirting Week begins [Sunday before Valentine’s Day]

Man Day [Sunday before 14th]

Mother’s Day (Norway) [2nd Sunday]

National Preacher’s Kid Day [2nd Sunday]

Quinquagesima Sunday [Sunday before Ash Wednesday]

Race Relations Sunday (Methodist Church) [2nd Sunday]

Racial Justice Sunday (UK) [2nd Sunday]

Sour Sunday [1st Sunday of SF Beer Week]

Super Bowl Sunday [2nd Sunday] (a.k.a. ... 

Bud Bowl Day

National Bring Back Marching Bands Day

National Homegating Day

National Popcorn Day

National Pork Rind Day

NFL Day

Neo-Prohibitionist’s Complaining Day

Puppy Bowl Day

Rene Descartes Memorial Day

Suberb Owl Day

Super Bowl of Caring [ website ]

Super Chicken Wing Day

World Marriage Day [2nd Sunday]

Independence & Related Days

Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (Iran)

Foundation Day (Japan; 660 B.C.E.)

Honduras (Declared; 1922)

Independence Proclamation Day (Norway; 1814)

Vatican City (Lateran Treaty signed with Italy, 1929)

New Year’s Days

Hindi New Year (Hinduism) (a.k.a. ... 

Dangpa Losar (Bhutanese New Year; Bhutan) [2024: Year of the Male Wood Dragon]

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Hari Raya Nyepi Tahun Brau Saka (Indonesia)

Losar (Sikkim, India)

Losar (Tibetan New Year)

New Year's Celebration, Day 2  [Lunar Calendar] (a.k.a. …

Chinese New Year Holiday, Day 2 (Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan)

Public Sector Holiday (East Timor)

Second Day of the lunar New Year (Hong Kong, Macau)

Tet Holiday (Vietnam)

Festivals Beginning February 11, 2024

Carnival of Aalst (Aalst, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Binche (Binche, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Maastricht (Maastricht, Netherlands) [thru 2.13]

Fastelavn (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Gasparilla Carnival (Tampa, Florida)

Panama Carnival (Panama City, Panama) [thru 2.14]

Paris Carnival (Paris, France)

Feast Days

Adolph (Christian; Saint)

Benedict of Aniame (Christian; Saint)

Blaise (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Bounce on the Bed Day (Pastafarian)

Cædmon, first recorded Christian poet in England, c. 680 CE (Anglicanism)

Carlo Carrà (Artology)

Feast of Our Lady’s Miraculous Apparitions (Christian)

Festival of Ptah (Ancient Egyptian God of Creativity; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Gobhnat (Celtic Book of Days)

Gobnait (Christian; Saint)

Gregory II, pope (Christian; Saint)

Hide Under the Bed Day (Pastafarian)

Jane Yolan (Writerism)

Lazarus of Milan (Christian; Saint)

Lucius (Christian; Martyr)

Our Lady of Lourdes (Christian; Saint)

Overindulgence Festival (Church of the SubGenius)

Paschal I, pope (Christian; Saint)

Pattern Day (Ireland)

Phidias (Positivist; Saint)

Pilgrimage Day (Lourdes, France)

Saturninus Dativus, and others (Christian; Martyrs)

Severinus (Christian; Saint)

Sol (Muppetism)

Tachychardia Week (Church of the SubGenius)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Theodora, Byzantine Empress (Anglo-Romish)

Tiresias’s Day (Pagan)

True Parents Day (Unification Church)

Ume Matsuri begins (Plum Blossom Festival; Atami, Japan)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [7 of 53]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [8 of 37]

Premieres

The Beach (Film; 2000)

Between the Buttons, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1967)

Black Spring, by Henry Miller (Novel; 1936)

Born This Way, by Lady Gaga (Song; 2011)

Bosko in Person (WB LT Cartoon; 1933)

The Bourne Supremacy, by Robert Ludlum (Novel; 1986)

Box-Office Bunny (WB LT Cartoon; 1991)

Bride & Prejudice (Film; 2005)

The Captains and the Kids (MGM Cartoon; 1939)

Cedar Rapids (Film; 2011)

Death on the Nile (Film; 2022)

Dirty Snow, by Georges Simenon (Novel; 1948)

Donald’s Happy Birthday (Disney Cartoon; 1949)

Elvis (TV movie; 1979)

Gnomeo & Juliet (Animated Film; 2011)

The Grocery Boy (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Happy Together, by The Turtles (Song; 1967)

Hitch (Film; 2005)

Hoppy Daze (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata (The Lombards at the first Crusade), by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1843)

Inviting Anna (Film; 2022)

Just Go with It (Film; 2011)

La Fille du Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment), by Getano Donizetti (Opera; 1840)

Linger Awhile and Mobile Day, recorded by Rex Stewart & His Orchestra (Song; 1940)

Lovesick Blues, by Hank Williams (Song; 1949)

The Magic Christian (Film; U.S. 1970)

Memories of the Future, by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky (Short Stories; 1989) [Written in 1920]

The Might Celt (Film; 2005)

The Moose and the Monster or Nothing But the Pest (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 255; 1964)

Mutiny on the Bunny (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Nurse to Meet Ya (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1955)

Our Cartoon President (Animated TV Series; 2018)

The Piano (Film; 1994)

Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (Animated Film; 2005)

The Quetong Missile Mystery (Animated TV Show;Jonny Quest #22; 1965)

Robin Hood Makes Good (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

R.U.R., by Karel Čapek (TV movie; 1938) [1st Science Fiction program]

Scrappy Birthday (Andy Panda Cartoon; 1949)

Self Control (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

Simon Says, Be My Valentine, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 17 & 18; 1967)

Smash and Grab (Pixar Animated Short; 2019)

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, by Anton Bruckner (Symphony; 1903)

Testing 1, 2, 3, or Tape a Number (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 256; 1964)

Thieves Like Us (Film; 1974)

The Tigger Movie (Animated Disney Film; 2000)

The Violins of Saint-Jacques, by Patrick Leigh Fermor (Novel; 1953)

Walking After Midnight, by Patsy Cline (Song; 1957)

Weasel Stop (WB LT Cartoon; 1956)

Today’s Name Days

Anselm (Austria)

Marija, Mirjana (Croatia)

Božena (Czech Republic)

Euphrosyne (Denmark)

Teri, Terje (Estonia)

Iisa, Isabella, Talvikki (Finland)

Lourdes (France)

Maria Lourdes, Theodora, Theodor (Germany)

Avgi, Theodora, Vlassis (Greece)

Bertold, Marietta (Hungary)

Dante, Durante, Eloisia, Lourdes (Italy)

Laima, Laimdota, Laimrota (Latvia)

Adolfas, Algirdas, Algirdė, Liucijus (Lithuania)

Ingve, Yngve (Norway)

Adolf, Adolfa, Adolfina, Alf, Bernadetta, Dezydery, Eufrozyna, Łazarz, Lucjan, Maria, Olgierd, Świętomira (Poland)

Teodora, Vlasie (Romania)

Dezider (Slovakia)

Lourdes, Pedro (Spain)

Inge, Yngve (Sweden)

Ulas (Ukraine)

Adolfo, Adolph, Adolpha, Alva, Alvarita, Alvaro, Lourdes (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 42 of 2024; 324 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 6 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 22 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 2 (Yi-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 2 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 1 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 12 Grey; Fryday [12 of 30]

Julian: 29 January 2024

Moon: 5%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 14 Homer (2nd Month) [Phidias)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 53 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 21 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Shaʿbān [شَعْبَان] (Islamic Calendar) [Month 8 of 12]

[zannatykhatun]

In addition to the above-mentioned products that have been on the shelf for

As an old mature European market, Italy has little presence in the field of mobile Internet. This is partly related to the relatively conservative local entrepreneurial environment and the fact that global products have already occupied the local market. However, Bending Spoons is rarely active in the global market and has good results. This has a lot to do with the life and work background of its founders.

This is a story about three engineering students who teamed up to

start a business in a foreign country.

In 2007, Luca Ferrari was a graduate student in electrical engineering at the University of Padua.

As usual, Luca waited in line to ask  HE Tuber questions on the professor's meeting day. Francesco Patarnello, who was good at sociability, stood in front of Luca. After a while, the two started chatting enthusiastically and became friends.

In 2008, both Luca and Francesco were selected to be exchange students at the Technical University of Denmark...

The first Friday of November every year is J-Day in Denmark. In Danish, Juløl means "Christmas + Beer". J-Day is a drinking and carnival holiday created by the Danes to celebrate the coming of the Christmas season.

On J-Day in 2008, Matteo Danieli, an Italian guy who also went to Denmark to study, met another wave of Danish Polytechnic students when he went to the third bar. Miraculously, one of them was an Italian and he was from the University of Padua. alumnus, Francesco. When fellow villagers meet fellow villagers, they are very enthusiastic. (Francesco is probably a social cow and has connected 3 people)

Sharing accommodation and traveling together, three Italians founded their first company, Evertale, in Copenhagen, and launched Wink, an acquaintance social app for sharing photos among friends! , this app is only available in English and has received investment from Skype investors.

Wink! and Evertale eventually ended in closure, but Evertale's experience allowed the three founders to meet new talents and learn a lot of experience. It was almost a seamless transition. A few people couldn't wait to start over and founded Bending Spoons in Milan. The

focus also shifted from social networking to tools.

Although it is an Italian company, the Italian market is not big, which determines that Bending Spoons needs to develop overseas markets. Naturally, Bending Spoons’ employees are not limited to Italy, but come from many European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark. This has also made English a necessary working language, and also given Bending Spoons more attributes of an international Internet company.

Bending Spoons has been making toC products from the first day of its establishment, oriented to user needs, but Dagang Technology, which developed "Remini", is different. Compared with product operations, Dagong Technology is obviously stronger in technology.

3. Remini’s “Dad”: an overseas AI technology company

In the author’s opinion, selling “Remini” earlier is not a pity for Dagong Technology.

Because before Dagong Technology tried toC products, it had always had a stable toB business, including customized services such as algorithm customization and video restoration, as well as a SaaS platform. Remini or you and me back then, was more like the application of toB technology on toC products, and did not carry a heavy mission of generating revenue for enterprises.

Source: Dagong Technology official website

The success of "Remini" actually proves the possibility of AI image enhancement technology in the consumer market, helping Daxi Technology to know more clearly where its advantages lie. Therefore, it can also be seen that when image restoration technology can continue to bring income, Dagang Technology began to try a new direction based on AI algorithm capabilities - digital humans.

The author learned that Dayang Technology is trying to develop a digital human project because of the product "Hi3D" they showed at an event before.

In September 2022, Dayang Technology first launched a social app "Metata" based on the then-popular metaverse concept. According to the app description, generating avatar through face scanning, styling and chatting are the three main functions of "Metata" Function.

It is obvious that this App for C-end users is good at technology. First, it has caught up with a wave of "fake craze", and the other is avatar. As a representative of another world, we found that on a social platform with acquaintances, users It is hoped that the avatar will be more like the user himself, or his ideal self, and on a platform directed towards strangers, he hopes the avatar will be more imaginative. Judging from the introduction of the "Metata" App, it is more focused on socializing with strangers (the author can download the App, but cannot open it). The face scanning of Dagang is more technical, but the functions provided do not seem to be aligned with user needs. The App It has not been updated since its launch.

By January 2023, Dayang Technology launched "Hi3D" to make digital people. Although the App was launched on the App Store, judging from their display at the event, they returned to the toB direction where they are better at.

Although it is a toC product, “Hi3D” does not spend effort on attracting users or creating app usage scenarios for users or increasing activity. Instead, it focuses more on demonstrating the manufacturer’s technical capabilities:

1. Generate digital people quickly.

"Hi3D" captures the user's facial image through the front camera of the mobile phone and quickly generates a digital human image. The author created a new digital human 4 times, and the image generation time was basically 3-5 minutes.

However, except for the face, other body parts of the digital human in "Hi3D" are currently in the default state, and the height, shortness, fatness and thinness of the limbs cannot be adjusted.

2. It can restore the image of real people in a super real way (it can cure people's appearance anxiety for many years).

Unlike other toC products that generate digital people through scanning and try to make the characters have "good looks and good figure", the digital people generated by "Hi3D" focus on realism. The front camera of "Hi3D" completely uses Apple's original camera, so the captured face pictures are very clear. Small flaws such as uneven skin color, dark circles, and tear troughs will be magnified. By default, neck lines on the limbs and pores on the arms will be magnified. It's also very obvious.

The system currently provides 5 hairstyles, 6 sets of clothing, 7 expression states, 5 scenes, and 8 postures, movements and dance moves. Overall, the product should still be in a relatively preliminary stage, and there are not enough customization options. However, when the author switches hairstyles, expressions, and postures, and views the digital person from multiple angles, there are rarely any dead spots. Even the small details at the junction of trousers and ankles are handled very realistically.

3. Digital humans can interact.

Users can simply interact with the digital human by tapping on different parts of it, but the digital human’s replies are obviously robotic.

In addition to quickly creating digital people, "Hi3D" also has basic QR code adding friends and in-app chat functions. However, the overall design is relatively basic and lacks highlights. In the author's opinion, it is more like "Hi3D" is a big display The way to learn the technical capabilities of digital people in Gong Technology is made as much like an app as an added section.

At that event, Dagong Technology demonstrated an e-commerce scene in which digital people served as models to display clothing. Past news showed that 70% of the employees of Dagong Technology were in R&D positions. Both in terms of staffing and the digital human beings currently displayed by Dagong Technology Style, toC products will probably just be a convenient attempt at technology consumption scenarios.

The teams of Bending Spoons and Dagong Technology have different genes and are good at different things, which also leads to different development directions of the companies. As for "Remini", as the joint effort of the two companies, it can be considered very lucky to have met the right "parents" at the right time.

Author: Zhao Siyao; Editor: Yin Guanxiao; Produced by: White Whale Going to Sea Editorial Department

Source public account: Beluga Going Overseas (ID: baijingAPP), a pan-Internet outgoing overseas service platform.

This article is published with permission from Renren is a product manager cooperative media. Reprinting without permission is prohibited.

The title picture comes from Unsplash and is based on the CC0 license.

The opinions in this article represent only the author's own. The Renren Product Manager platform only provides information storage space services.