#most congregations have their own unique version

[gay-jewish-bucky]

its not tho, b'nei mitzvah is the plural form lol

[dailyadventureprompts]

At one point you came up with an idea for more “setting neutral” Quori; could you do the same with Daelkyr? I’ve sorta latched onto the idea of using them as a Yuuzhan Vong type threat in Spelljammer but I can’t figure out how to justify them outside Eberron/what they would BE like outside Eberron

Footnotes on Foes Daelkyr/Zern

To give some background for those who might not have delved into a particular d&d setting book, The long and short on the Daelkyr is that they're CR 20 biomancer aberrations that created everything from mindflayers to beholders to gibbering mouthers. They made monsters and had an interest in conquering the world, but they were defeated in the ancient past, cut down till there were about six of them, and then imprisoned in that setting's version of the underdark where they scheme and create until the party hits level 15 and they can start doing end game villain shit.

I never quite liked the Daelkyr as I felt creating a "one size fits all" origin for aberrations robbed them of a lot of their uniqueness. Aberrations were supposed to be weird, I didn't need a simple explanation as to why.

What DID resonate with me was the arsenal of symbiotic items the Daelkyr made, everything from tongue-whips to scarabs that would let you shoot crystallized acid daggers. I frequently ended up using these critters with the Zern, another species of fleshwarpers from the 3.5 days that liked to experiment on creatures and had radically morphable biology ( Exactly the same as the Daelkyr, just cr 6 instead of 20). Throw that together with a few other "endlessly seeking biological perfection" alien type villains and I think I've got something rather usable....

So here's my Rebrand Pitch: The Zern were a species that grew to prominence in wildspace tens of millenia ago, invading worlds to exploit and experiment with their genetic resources while building up their own imperium. Daelkyr how the Zern refered to their leaders, supposed pinnacles of evolution that would lead swarms of living ships to terrorize and subjugate new systems. The Problem with the Zern is that they didn't play well with others: They saw most other organic lifeforms as inherently beneath them and saw other Zern has rivals and stepping stones on their ascent biological perfection/ the status of Daelkyr.

This vicious individualism was the weakness upon which the Zern empire shattered, as once the (insert whatever cosmic forces are relevant to your game) fought through to corner an enemy commander, the other Zern would proclaim their defeat as "natural selection" revelling in their own superiority as weakness was purged from their kind. This was even worse when one of the Daelkyr was defeated, as their control over their swarms of fleshwarped cannon fodder and the spawning worlds that produced them was proprietary, a cultural fear of their work being stolen or utilized by "lessers" of their own kind turning the death of individual into a mortal blow for the empire.

The Zern lost, and they lost bad, using engineered plagues and planet destroying bioweapons to scorch the earth as they were forced into ever more desperate situations and eventually into retreat. Already few in number, they were scattered to the far corners of the cosmos when their homeworld was destroyed, and after the last of the Daelkyrs were either destroyed or (in the case of those who'd made themselves immortal or indestructable) imprisoned, they had few oppertunities to rise again.

Today the Zern linger on in the shadows, plying their services as biomancers and doctors to the warlords of backwater worlds, or those disreputable places that astral outlaws congregate, all in hopes of hiding from their ancient enemies. Most of the multiverse has moved on and forgotten the Zern, but with lifespan extension and generations that stretch for thousands of years, the indignity of their defeat is still fresh in these remnants minds, as is the desire to proclaim themselves Daelkyr once again, or free their old overlords from captivity.

Art

[traveling-and-wandering]

An Exploration of Tattoo Culture in the Gilded River

-By Professor Matakare of Anthropology, documented in Traveling and Wandering - A Study of Peoples and Cultures Across the Globe

Coming from a culture that does not partake in tattoos, it was fascinating to examine the rich tattoo culture of the Gilded River. There are rules, artisans, and histories behind every permanent mark on a person’s skin. Equal parts fascinating and wonderful, learning along side my dear Masha as he discovered this aspect of his own culture, embracing it with his full heart.

The first tattoo that many receive is on the upper back. It’s also often the largest individual design a person is likely to receive. It is the family tattoo, a family crest if that makes it easier to understand. It’s unique to each family, varying in complexity depending on how old or important the family is. A child who reaches the age of 16 receives the tattoo, the same one on their father’s back. If there is need for a new family design, for whatever reason, the temples are consulted. They either opt to adopt an extinct family’s design, or work to form an entirely new one.

The next is one on their arms. When a newly entered adult begins a trade, they start as an apprentice. When the apprenticeship is complete, they receive their first skill tattoo, starting on the upper half of their dominant arm, leaving room to add more as they grow in skill or change trade.

As they grow older, with some luck the young man or woman might gain a mark on their lower back. This is a marriage tattoo, often a modified version of their partner’s family design. When Masha and I got married, since I was a foreigner without a family crest in this culture, he consulted a temple worker to create a design to put on his back, in my honor. I also partook to add a mark to my own back, much to the surprise of anyone who happens to spot me in a bathhouse back home.

As people grow and age, they gain experiences and triumphs under their belt. Special, noteworthy achievements are memorialized on the chest for all to see. There are many designs, too many to list here, but the most common one I’ve seen is the mark of parenthood. I can’t imagine it is easy rearing children in the desert, so I understand their celebration. When their oldest children reach their coming of age, both parents receive their mark. Others I’ve seen denote brave warriors who fought with valor in battle, or inspirational leaders who navigated a crisis. Masha actually received a rather rare mark on his chest, one of the Globe Trotter. I suppose him following me on this adventure really paid off in that regard. He also tracked down a community of his people when we returned home, and added his own mark of parenthood when our girls came of age. The tattoo artisan we spoke with also decided to make a mark for me. He’s seen the scars on my chest, and decided they were their own mark of valor when I explained what they were. He decorated them “In honor of your discover of self.” I am not ashamed to admit I cried.

I think I might’ve gotten sidetracked, so I will add a few final thoughts here. There are two other noteworthy locations for tattoos, the head and stomach, and the legs. The head and stomach are grouped together, as sacred places on the body, containing the mind and spirit respectively. Only holy men are to tattoo these regions, with the Sun King having nearly his whole face covered from what I could see and gather. Finally, the legs are for personalized designs. Aesthetic markings, memorials, celebrations, those are meant for the thighs.

As I had said before, there is a rich culture of designs and histories here, more so than this short passage could give justice. I encourage anyone curious to seek out a community of the Gilded Rivers, there’s often neighborhoods where they congregate, and ask about it yourself. Consider yourself honored if they choose to share in this tradition with you.

-------------------------

Author's note:

Hi! I'm back, at least for now. I have the ADHD brain so I will have bursts of activity and periods of rest for this blog. I got inspired again recently, so here's a new post for Worldbuilding Wednesday!

I have a comic to answer an ask that'll start cooking after October, since I'm doing a Halloween drawing challenge.

[ohmotherwhereartthou-if]

Lore Post #1 The Tapestry Of Fate

So, every now and then I think I will make a lore post to dump some developed lore from my notes to better enrich the world and the way it works in OMWAT.

These will not have a schedule and I will post them whenever I feel the need to. Feel free to ask questions if you have them.

Now, on to the literal most complicated piece of lore in this story.

------------------------------

The Tapestry Of Fate

An excerpt in the "Collective Thoughts and Findings of the 12th Annual Congregation of Romandi's College of Historians, Theologists and Philosophers", one of the more obnoxious titled scripts found in the Romandi's grand capital library, mostly ignored by all due to its egregiously large name; written in 48 BCE; states:

"That while many vehemently debate this topic, it is still mainly collectively seen by most as a dodgy crackpot's explanation of how the world functions. Mainly due to how it centers around explanations for how that same world exists simultaneously alongside multiple other ones like it.

A tapestry of fate is a concept that suggests that the course of a person's life is determined by a complex web of interconnected threads or patterns, woven together to create a unique destiny.

The tapestry of fate can be seen as a multi-dimensional fabric that connects all possible versions of a person's life across uncountable different universes.

To give a better example here is a scenario, each thread represents a different choice or decision that a person can make, leading to a different outcome in their life. The threads intersect and diverge, forming a complex network of possibilities and probabilities.

When a person makes a choice, they follow one thread, but the other threads continue to exist, representing the other possible outcomes.

To hypothetically change the reality of their existing world, a person must learn to navigate the tapestry of fate. They must be able to recognize the different threads and understand how their choices can lead them to different versions of their life in different realities.

They may also need to learn to manipulate the threads, pulling on them to alter their destiny and move create changes.

If a person were to try to move through tapestry of fate, that person would encounter different versions of themselves, as well as alternate versions of the people and places they know.

Each parallel world will be unique, with its own set of circumstances and possibilities. It is only being able to navigate though this tapestry of fate, that a person could hypothetically explore these different worlds and perhaps even find a version of their life that feels more fulfilling or satisfying."

[necromantiaonline]

The Collapse (6E499 - 7E050~)

The world history of The Corpse can most generally be divided between two categories: the world before The Collapse, and the world after it.  This can be attributed to many things: the apocalyptic scale of the event; the political, economic, and social consequences that came from it; the intense shift in status quo that resulted from the devastation of approximately 1/3rd of the world. To say that The Collapse was significant would be an understatement, to say the least. 

Despite this, the exact causes of The Collapse remain a mystery, even to this day. We know how it happened, and we know how the conditions of its most affected areas (see: The Great Expanse) contributed to the destruction, but going any farther than that is pure speculation. All evidence of its causes would have been wiped out with everything else it obliterated in its wake.

But back to the basics. What was The Collapse?

The Collapse was the mass collective implosion of all raw ether crystals within an approximate 2,000 km radius of The Heart. To make a long story short, every crystal within that vicinity simultaneously underwent a version of nuclear fission, resulting in a chain-reaction of magically-charged explosions all throughout The Great Expanse. 

Raw ether crystals develop naturally, usually deep underground in the extensive caverns that tend to form around Veins. Some raw crystals, however, grew in abundance some miles all around the perimeter of The Heart, as the constant flow of raw liquidized ether provided the perfect conditions for crystallization. Had this been the extent of the crystal’s reach, then the damage of The Collapse- while still devastating in its own right- would have been relegated to the explosive natural disasters common of the region.

What made The Collapse so uniquely disastrous was the ongoing practice of Crystal Harvesting.

From the early 300s of the 6th Era onwards, the Bhanta Kingdoms dominated much of Central Bondawi engaged in an ‘arms race’. 

Once a part of the greater Bhanta Empire, the Bhanta Kingdoms were the result of years of political instability and succession crises. What all these disparate kingdoms had in common was their desire to form and be the head of a re-unified Bhanta Empire, one that hearkened back to its golden age at the beginning of the 6th Era. Invasion, conquest, and ideological warfare followed suit. 

As violent and unsustainable as this arrangement was, for a time this caused a huge surge in technological and magical innovation. The relentless war effort exerted by these powers meant that they constantly had to keep an ‘edge’ over one another, lest they fall and be assimilated one by one by more powerful kingdoms (as eventually became the case nearing the end of the era.) 

One such innovation was the harvesting and utilization of raw ether crystals in everyday life. Simple in use and design, these crystals would be harvested directly from The Heart via slave labor (usually prisoners of war conscripted into service), cut, and be used as power sources of the many Wonders Bhanta’s wizards created. Because of how thorough The Collapse was in the destruction of these Wonders most of their designs, mechanics, and even purposes remain a mystery, only appearing in second and third hand accounts of merchants and other travelers from the surrounding regions. 

Crystal products were widespread across all Bhanta Kingdoms, and most concentrated in urban areas where most people had congregated to not only enjoy the increased quality of life granted by this new technology but to also enjoy the constant conflict of the countryside waged by their rulers. 

Additionally, while the Bhanta Kingdoms enjoyed most crystal products, they did engage in a ludicrous crystal trade with other nations of The Expanse found wanting their crystal-powered weapons, thus expanding the range of these crystals even farther.

When The Collapse hit, when all ether crystals in its vicinity underwent [nuclear] fission, the explosion’s epicenter was at the most densely populated points of The Expanse’s civilizations. The Bhanta Kingdoms were immediately decimated as once-great cities were reduced to smoldering, burning piles of rubble and stone, and farther still once-great nations quickly entered states of national disasters as storehouses and even armies themselves suffered massive damage. 

As modern readers we may be tempted to compare the scope of the destruction and devastation that took place to the many scorched earth campaigns enacted by the Dread Lord during the Nightmare Wars. But in contrast to the Nightmare Wars, where the destruction of entire cities and cultures were prolonged and were, for the most part, able to survive the ordeal, The Collapse wiped entire peoples off the map. Languages languished as its native speakers expired overnight, and the secrets to Crystal Technology, which is said to have included rudimentary but implemented designs of firearms, power generators, and even motowagons are likely now lost forever. 

To finish, a quote from a Nahe merchant who witnessed the direct aftermath mere days into The Collapse, after landing port in what is now modern-day Uroji City, 

“Where once a shining city stood lay a cesspit of desolation. It looked as if angry War himself set foot and razed it to the ground. I saw fires of strange colors dance across piles of what used to be homes and stores. I saw churches and wizardry towers reduced to rubble. I saw pockets so utterly destroyed that there was nothing left save for black, scarred earth. The miasma of death stenched the air. Those that were not buried under the destruction were dragged out onto the street, where their broken, bloodied bodies fed the vultured hordes above. When I saw the shambling survivors, looking so much like corpses themselves, I truly felt like the world was ending before my eyes.”

[mastertrader]

Mastering MetaTrader 5 Programming: Member Area and Video Courses.

Because of its robust features and adaptability, MetaTrader is a well-known financial trading platform that traders from all over the world choose. The ability to write indicators, scripts, and automated trading strategies (Expert Advisors) is one of the main features that sets MetaTrader apart from the competition. Member areas and video courses are great resources for anybody who want to learn MetaTrader programming in-depth. This post will discuss the value of MetaTrader programming, the advantages of being a member area, and the ways that taking video courses may improve your education.

Introduction to MetaTrader Programming

MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are the two versions that MetaTrader offers. The programming languages used by each platform are MQL4 for MT4 and MQL5 for MT5. These languages, which resemble C++, are used to develop unique trading tools that have the potential to greatly improve a trader's approach and productivity.

Why Learn MetaTrader Programming?

Customization: Make the platform your own to meet your unique trading requirements.

Automation: To automate trading techniques, create Expert Advisors (EAs).

Efficiency: To save time and minimize errors, write scripts to automate repeated processes.

Competitive advantage: Make use of unique indications to obtain information not provided by traditional tools.

Benefits of MetaTrader Programming Member Areas

Communities where developers and traders congregate to exchange information, resources, and support are known as member areas devoted to MetaTrader programming. The following are the main advantages of joining these member areas:

1. Obtaining Exclusive Materials

Exclusive resources including expert advisors, scripts, custom indicators, and thorough instructions are frequently available in member areas. For novice programmers, these materials can greatly reduce the learning curve, and for seasoned programmers, they offer cutting-edge capabilities.

2. Neighborhood Assistance

Although learning to program might be difficult, being a part of a community gives you access to knowledgeable developers and traders who can help and guide you. You can receive comments on your projects, share your progress, and ask questions.

3. Continual Updates

Programming and trading are dynamic fields that are always changing. By keeping you informed about the most recent advancements, member areas guarantee that your knowledge and resources are up to date.

4. Opportunities for Networking

Joining a member area enables you to network with people who share your interests, which may result in joint ventures, mentoring possibilities, or even employment offers.

5. Getting Knowledge from Practical Examples

Member sections frequently feature real-world examples of expert advisors (EAs) and custom indicators, offering helpful insights into the creation and application of these tools in real-time trading situations.

Enhancing Your Skills with MetaTrader Programming Video Courses

One of the best ways to learn MetaTrader programming is through video classes. They provide an organized and interesting learning environment that may be more efficient than merely reading books or articles. You can improve your MetaTrader programming skills by doing the following video courses:

1. Learning through Visual and Practical means

Understanding and remembering information is facilitated by the visual representations of coding and trading ideas offered by video courses. You may better understand complex concepts by seeing an expert code in real time.

2. Comprehensive Guidance

The majority of video courses are meant to gradually develop you from beginner to advanced skill levels. By using this methodical technique, you can be confident that you lay a solid foundation before tackling more difficult subjects.

3. Real-Time Resolution of Issues

In video classes, instructors frequently address frequent problems and blunders that students may run into and offer prompt fixes. You can save a ton of time and frustration by taking a hands-on approach.

4. Availability of Course Materials

Downloadable resources including project files, cheat sheets, and code samples are typically included with video courses. These are great materials to use as a guide and for practice.

5. Adaptability and Practicality

You have the freedom to view video courses whenever it's convenient for you. Video classes provide you the freedom to meet your schedule, regardless of when you choose to learn—in the morning, at night, or on the weekends.

Key Components of MetaTrader Programming Video Courses

When choosing a MetaTrader programming video course, look for the following key components to ensure you get the most out of your learning experience:

1. Entire Course

Every important subject should be covered in a decent video course, such as:

Overview of MQL4 and MQL5

fundamental ideas in programming and syntax

Making personalized indicators

Creating Knowledgeable Consultants

Optimization and backtesting

Handling errors and debugging

2. Useful Illustrations

You will learn how to use the knowledge you have gained more effectively in courses that incorporate real-world projects and practical examples. Seek out classes that take you step-by-step through the creation of real trading tools.

3. Engaging Activities

Coding challenges and interactive exercises can help you practice and reinforce what you've learned. These components are usually found in more interesting and productive courses.

4. Support for Instructors

Having access to instructor help can significantly impact your educational path. Seek out classes where the instructor is willing to discuss issues and offer advice.

5. Community Availability

Access to private communities or forums where you can communicate with other students and discuss your progress is provided by certain video courses. This can improve your educational experience and offer more assistance.

You can visit this meta trader programming:

Conclusion

Gaining proficiency in MetaTrader programming can greatly improve your trading abilities by enabling you to design unique tools that are suited to your particular requirements. Subscribing to member areas grants entry to invaluable materials, assistance, and social interactions; video classes give an organized and captivating learning experience.

Gaining proficiency in MetaTrader programming through video courses and member areas can give you a competitive advantage in the financial markets. These materials can assist you in reaching your objectives and improving your trading abilities, regardless of your level of expertise. Beginner or seasoned trader.

Being ahead of the curve is essential in the fast-paced world of trading. Programming for MetaTrader gives you the resources and understanding to not only stay up to but to excel. Embrace the power of customization, automation, and innovation with MetaTrader programming, and unlock new possibilities in your trading journey.

Now join this course: Meta trader 5 programming

DISCLAIMER

There are an affiliate link of a best metatrader 5 programming in this article which may make some profit for me.

[poppet-siphonophore]

Ok so like I kinda agree but the way I see it is this:

Organized religions primarily serve to give groups of people a shared communal identity through shared beliefs about the world. This shared communal identity can, like any other that people can have (race, gender, nationality, sex, etc), be used to leverage the fear of the other that most humans have to justify violence of any kind on a different party that isn't a part of their in-group. Religion is just one of the tools, not the problem itself, which I think is mostly rooted in the dominance of capitalism and western imperial power across the globe which begets the violently oppressive and genocidal regimes (within both the western core and colonized nations) that exist today.

All this to say, yea you're completely right that no religion is inherently progressive; I'd disagree with the components of reddit-style Atheism that paint beliefs in more than what is objectively provable as *inhently bad*. Such behaviors are value neutral, and they often serve to give people peace of mind about uncertain things (death, fate or its lack, consciousness) as well as help people find meaning and their place in the world.

Now, I know for a fact that I'm delusional, and so I am very much not qualified to say what is and isn't real. The way I see it, everyone pretty much lives in their own version of reality anyway, one that's unique to them. This is because everyone, by virtue of having difference experiences, will have a different perspective on the events that happen; everyone will have a different narrative of their life. Most peoples' realities overlap, and, of course, people will tend to congregate with those who share their beliefs about reality. Some folks will have beliefs that deviate wildly from norms, and thus live in very different worlds. Whether this is expressed in a plain clear delusion, any manner of religious beliefs, a confident belief in the lack of knowledge of something, all of these worldviews are just that: different views of the world.

So long as a societal structure can be formed that prioritizes autonomy and self-determination with regards to personal identity, worldview, and belief, alongside supporting the whole community equally and not enforcing scarcity and need (which I firmly believe it can), then religions (and other components of identity such as those mentioned above) wouldn't be used as a weapon in the way that they are currently.

Please don't take this post as an attack on you though !! I could very well be wrong in how I think people and society can work, I just saw your post and am rather stoned. I just got inspired to write a whole big thing about it because I used to be a pretty standard reddit Atheist (middle school and most of high school), but since meeting some of the people I know now I just disagree slightly now. There's plenty of good in religion as a concept, and it's not impossible to decouple it from the ways its used to do bad things.

But yea like I said; I'm delusional and know it so my opinion on what's what is of no authority x3

It's an unfortunate fact that le epic reddit atheism is in fact like, objectively correct

[sailorfailures]

I fell in love with these postcards from the Girl’s Night Out popup cafe the moment I saw them! I knew I had to get my hands on them, and the lovely @blaze-rocket was able to help that happen.

I cannot get over how perfect these postcards are. To me, this is what Sailor Moon is; a testament to the little moments from the series that made us fall in love with the characters, especially how their personal preferences were reflected in their fashion choices. In a world of merch where it’s easy to just slap a random crescent moon on something pink and say “look, it’s Usagi,” the designer responsible for these graphics went the extra mile to take imagery from the show itself that needles its way deep into our nostalgia-cortexes.

How many references do you recognise? Quiz yourself against this comprehensive (image-heavy) list! 👇

The inners’ postcards all reference the eye-catching sign for Game Center Crown, the iconic arcade where Motoki Furuhata worked and the gang would all congregate to play games and share information.

Starting in R they switched to hanging out at Fruits Parlor Crown, a cafe attached to the arcade staffed by Motoki’s sister Unazuki, which the Inners’ postcards all also reference. They would often get brightly-coloured drinks there, but the drinks pictured on these postcards seem to specifically line up with the real drinks available at the Girls Night Out popup cafe.

Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto’s postcards all reference “Café Étrangère,” which was the name of the cafe they were seen dining at in the Sailor Moon S movie. Even the logo is replicated faithfully from a scene only a few seconds long.

All the girls’ clothes are hanging on coat hangers shaped like Luna/Artemis/Diana.

Ami / Sailor Mercury’s references:

Ami’s casual outfit is an unusual choice since she only wore it a handful of times over the entire series, and half the times she wore it, it was given a different colour scheme with a green jacket instead of the yellow version pictured here.

Her “mini data computer” is her most iconic tool/weapon/accessory, revealed in episode 009, directly after her introduction.

The pink package is how Usagi and the other girls wrapped up her transformation stick and communicator watch as Ami’s going-away present in episode 062.

The ice cream may be a reference to the same episode, as she shared a cone with Chibi-Usa before she left, and returned to the store to protect her friends from the Droid Nihpasu.

The flash cards are a method Ami commonly used to help her study, and are particularly similar to the ones shown in the SuperS short “Ami’s First Love”.

Rei / Sailor Mars’s References:

Rei wore her casual outfit fairly frequently, starting and most notably in the beginning of the Sailor Moon R movie.

The small red o-mamori charm is from Hikawa Shrine, seen frequently but introduced in episode 010.

The paper ofuda ward was used frequently by Rei to fight evil, even before she could transform, but most notably in the attack sequence for “Akuryou, Taisan” (“Foul Spirit, Begone”).

To my knowledge the purple bag isn’t a specific reference, but Rei did throw a similar purse at a Cardian as a makeshift weapon in episode 048 before she got her Guardian memories back.

The gift-wrapped shopping boxes are the exact same ones as carried by Rei in the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars opening sequence before she trips and falls, right down to the patterns on the paper...

... which in itself may be a reference/callback to Rei’s tendency to make Yuuichirou carry her shopping (maybe so she doesn’t trip).

The phoenix-shaped pendant is a reference to episode 183; it’s made of glazed ceramic, crafted by Rei’s cousin Kengo Ibuki, given to her as a child after she convinced him not to smash it even though he his pottery a “failure”.

Makoto / Sailor Jupiter’s References:

Makoto didn’t start wearing her casual outfit until around S, but she wore it frequently after that, especially as she became more confident wearing “feminine” clothing. They even remembered her iconic gold wrist watch worn over her sleeve!

Her uniquely decorated bento bag debuted in episode 026, her introductory episode, along with the rounded green cutlery. The pouch has been featured a few more times since and its design is a mainstay in almost every Sailor Moon canon.

The teal hairtie and the rose-shaped earrings are two of Makoto’s iconic accessories, some of the only non-magical fashion accessories in the entire series to stay the same whether the character is transformed or not (the other being Minako’s infamous red bow). Her earrings also served a dual purpose as makeshift projectile weapons in episode 025.

The blue book is 月夜の天馬 (Tsukiyo no Tenma, “The Moonlit Pegasus”), a novel which was written by Tomoko Takase and introduced in epsode 134. Makoto knew Tomoko from her old middle school, before she transferred, and was the first one to read her first draft after retrieving it from bullies. She encouraged Tomoko to try and get it published. Makoto meets with her again and helps her overcome her writer’s block to finish her sequel, 天馬幻想 (Tenma Gensou, “Pegasus Fantasy”).

Minako / Sailor Venus’s References:

This is one of Minako’s most-worn casual outfits, especially if you consider the additional outfits based off it. Despite its prevalence, she didn’t start wearing it until the beginning of S.

Minako’s red hair ribbon is her most iconic accessory, but did you know why she started wearing it? The Codename: Sailor V prequel manga explains that she started wearing the ribbon instead of her usual red hairtie on the suggestion of her “first crush” Higashi. But when he turns out to be an enemy in disguise, she decides she looks good with a ribbon anyway, and keeps wearing it for her own benefit.

The red mask is a reference to Minako’s role as Sailor V before joining the team as Sailor Venus. Sailor V was known as a mysterious vigilante superhero and a fictional video game character as early as episode 001, but in episode 033 Minako revealed herself to the rest of the Sailor Team, dramatically removing her mask one final time.

Minako was known to be a skilled volleyball player, especially in the manga, and it was especially relevant in episode 100 where she had to delicately return the serve of an energy sphere containing the Pure Heart of her old volleyball crush, Asai.

The sign with Minako’s name can be seen hanging off the front of her bedroom door in episode 192.

[Manga scan courtesy of Miss Dream.]

Usagi / Sailor Moon’s References:

Usagi wore this outfit in the Sailor Moon R movie, making it a memorable choice. Although the movie aired roughly midway through R, Usagi didn’t start to wear this outfit casually again until the S season.

Usagi is shown eating a lot of food, especially sweets, but she seems to have a particular fondness for crepes, snacking on them in several different episodes.

In episode 143 we can see that Usagi is very technologically trendy - for the times. She’s carrying that blue-and-pink pager which she and Mamoru use to contact each other by way of goroawase, that is, deciphering messages based on the different pronunciations of numbers, a precursor to modern texting. Mamoru pages her the numbers 84 51, which could be read as hachi yon go ichi; reading only the first syllables, and substituting go for the related sound ko, Usagi would interpret the message as hayo koi, which sounds a bit like “come quick” - she’s late for their date. Oops!

By the way, pagers were often called “pocket bells” (pokeberu) in Japan, and became so rapidly popular they even found their way into the lyrics of Rashiku Ikimasho, the ending song for the SuperS season; 「泣きたい時には ポケベルならしてよんで、戦士の休息」 [Nakitai toki ni wa POKEBELL narashite yonde, senshi no kyuusoku] “If you feel like crying, send a page thru the Pocket Bell, take a break from [being a] Guardian”

Chibi-Usa / Sailor Chibi Moon’s References:

Chibi-Usa doesn’t technically have a school uniform, but her casual clothes are often styled after sailor suits as a reflection of both her idolisation of the figure of “Sailor Moon” and of her desire to be seen as older and more mature than she appears. She changes “uniforms” every season, and this pinafore outfit is the version she wears in SuperS. She wore the other outfit in the SuperS premiere episode.

The handgun is from episode 060, Chibi-Usa’s introduction to the series and arguably one of the most iconic absurdist scenes in all of Sailor Moon. The gun itself is actually a toy, probably a transformation of the Luna-P sphere, which Chibi-Usa uses to try and threaten Usagi into giving her the Legendary Silver Crystal. When she “shoots” Usagi, the bullet is revealed to be nothing but a suction-cup flower, also pictured. (By the way, if you were wondering, Chibi-Usa’s fake gun is based on a real Colt M1911A1.) She transforms the Luna-P into a toy gun to shoot Sailor Moon again in the Sailor Moon R movie, this time as a way to motivate Usagi to fight.

The Luna-P sphere was a mysterious gadget Chibi-Usa kept with her for the duration of R and parts of S. It’s unknown where it came from, but it could be assumed to have been created from advanced 30th century technology. It was a combination toy and tool which could transform itself into a variety of objects, formulas, and even weapons, though none were shown to be particularly powerful. It could also be used to communicate with Sailor Pluto at the Time-Space Door. When Chibi-Usa was manipulated into becoming Wicked Lady in episode 085, the Luna-P sphere also transformed into an “evil” and much more dangerous version.

The Space-Time Key was a special tool given to her by Sailor Pluto that allowed her to travel between the past and the future, though it was difficult for her to wield effectively.

The sunhat was given to Chibi-Usa by Ikuko, so she treasured it greatly. In episode 112 it got blown away and was retrieved by Hotaru Tomoe, which allowed her to meet Chibi-Usa and marked the beginning of their close friendship.

The blue-and-red package was a gift containing two manga books (”Drop Drop” vol. 1 & 2 by Ukon Katakuri) which Chibi-Usa intended to give to her new friend Hotaru in episode 113.

In episode 127, Chibi-Usa returned home to the future, and the girls all made her some going-away gifts. Ami made her a floppy disk (lol) to help her study, Rei made her a casette tape (double lol) of her music, Makoto packed her a lunch, and Minako made her a photo album of their time together. Usagi hand-sewed Chibi-Usa the rabbit-shaped backpack using a real outfit she used to love when she was a child.

Michiru / Sailor Neptune’s References:

This is a somewhat unusual choice for Michiru’s casual outfit, as she only wore it for two episodes, and that’s only because they made up a two-part story. But perhaps because the episodes were so pivotal - with Haruka and Michiru almost learning Usagi’s true identity - the outfit itself became more memorable.

Not only do they include Michiru’s violin, but they included the lemon she bounced off the instrument as she played to show off her skills in episode 093.

The teacup, teaspoon and saucer are the same set Michiru was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Michiru and Haruka both reference episode 095, where they had to enter a “true love” contest as part of their investigation. The contestants were asked to find their partner’s hand in an anonymous lineup, and Haruka was able to identify Michiru’s hand immediately.

Michiru used Haruka as a model for an illustration in her green sketchbook in episode 106.

Michiru’s Talisman is the Deep Aqua Mirror, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Submarine Reflection. She could also use it to receive prophetic visions. Visually, it was based on real-life art nouveau hand mirrors, and symbolically represented the mirror from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Haruka / Sailor Uranus’s References:

Conversely, Haruka wore this outfit a lot. Maybe more than she should’ve.

The teacup and saucer is the same set Haruka was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Haruka’s postcard also references the lovers contest in episode 095 (see above).

The purple scarf is from episode 096; Haruka was wearing it as a necktie when she almost ran into Makoto on her motorcycle. Haruka used the scarf to bandage Makoto’s road rash, which she returned later, though now smitten.

Not only is Haruka’s motorcycle included, they also referenced (one of) her car(s), the 1968 Toyota 2000GT.

Haruka’s Talisman is the Space Sword, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Space Sword Blaster. Symbolically it represented the sword from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Setsuna / Sailor Pluto’s References:

Setsuna didn’t have a school uniform, since she wasn’t a student, so she got to double-up on her casual outfits. Her mauve outfit is her most recognisable, wearing it so often it may as well have been her uniform. In fact, she was rarely seen wearing anything else until Sailor Stars, where she started experimenting with other outfits, including the Time Lord-esque suit on the right.

The potted plant is a Tellun, the energy-draining plant created by Tellu in episode 121. Setsuna was investigating it when it attempted to attack her, but she was protected by her Talisman, the Garnet Orb (also pictured, representing the jewel in the Three Sacred Treasures). She then went on to destroy the remaining Tellun plants and defeat Tellu with the help of Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Moon, and Tuxedo Mask.

The teacup and saucer are the same set Setsuna is seen drinking from at Cafe Etranger in the Sailor Moon S movie.

In episode 182, the girls are discussing the mysterious arrival of Chibi Chibi while eating ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Setsuna appears out of nowhere to confirm their suspicions... carrying that popsicle of her own.

Hotaru / Sailor Saturn’s References:

Hotaru tended to wear the same thing, mostly all-black, but she did occasionally adventure into rich colours like this bottle green two-piece outfit and iconic raspberry beret.

The sunhat belonged to Chibi-Usa; it symbolises the beginning of their friendship, when Hotaru caught it after it blew away in episode 112.

Chibi-Usa gave Hotaru the rabbit backpack in episode 116, using it to pass a note inviting her on a picnic.

Hotaru collects lamps, and the two referenced here are seen in her bedroom, which she keeps dimly lit to manage her pain.

The window might seem random, but it was random in the series, too - it’s one of the curtained window which looks out from Hotaru’s bedroom, and when a Daimon experiment goes terribly wrong in episode 118 and transforms her house into a Bamboozled-like inter-dimensional maze, one window overlooks a vast ocean while the other overlooks a strange jungle.

Hotaru’s weapon as Sailor Saturn is the Silence Glaive. It’s said that she possesses enough power to destroy the world with a single drop of her scythe.

That’s it! You made it! How many references did YOU know? 🌙

[aion-rsa]

Midnight Mass: It’s Time to Talk About That Monstrous Twist

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This article contains huge spoilers for Midnight Mass. So help me God if you read this without watching the series first…

The version of Midnight Mass that Netflix advertised still would have made for a compelling horror series. 

An isolated, insular island community? Great. A young, charismatic preacher suddenly coming to town to shake things up? Perfect. That preacher proving capable of performing minor miracles? Love it, no notes! 

Of course, as viewers who have watched at least four episodes of the seven-episode series now know, Midnight Mass has one extra supernatural twist in mind that elevates an already interesting story to true mind-blowing status. Critics were understandably asked to keep this aspect of the show a secret before it premiered. So please indulge me as I finally slay these embargo demons and get it off my chest.

Vampires. Vampires! V-A-M-P-I-R-E-S. VAMPIRES! VAMPIRES VAMPIRES VAMPIRES! Literally like Dracula. And Nosferatu. Anne Rice’s Lestat. Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot. Vampires. VAMPIRES, BRO, VAMPIRES.

For creator Mike Flanagan, a filmmaker influenced by all manner of classic horror, bringing the fanged bloodsuckers to life was a long time coming.

“My favorite vampire movie is (Werner) Herzog’s Nosferatu,” Flanagan told Den of Geek and other outlets prior to the premiere of Midnight Mass. “That film is the vampire story as high art. I also adore From Dusk Till Dawn. I read Dracula young enough for it to really burrow in for me. And I read ‘Salem’s Lot early enough to color an enormous amount of work that I’ll do for the rest of my life.”

Midnight Mass’s depiction of the mythological undead beast and how it can neatly fit into Christian dogma is one of the most satisfying horror twists in years. Now that the truth is out, let’s discuss Midnight Mass and how it conflates vampires and biblical angels. 

Mistaking a Vampire for an Angel

The interesting thing about Midnight Mass is that it clearly takes place in a universe where the average person has no knowledge of what a vampire is. Even Sarah Gunning (Annabeth Gish), arguably the most well-read person on Crockett Island, has to do some research into “porphyria cutanea tarda” (a.k.a. the real life “vampire disease”). This is similar to The Walking Dead’s approach to zombies, in which the “z” word and George A. Romero’s name are never spoken. This strategy in Midnight Mass allows for a truly fascinating case of mistaken identity.

While viewers immediately know that the creature Monsignor John Pruitt (Hamish Linklater) encounters is a vampire, he believes it to be an angel. Given how studied Pruitt is in the Bible and Cathloic theology, it’s entirely understandable why he would think a tall, muscular, bald-headed beast with fangs and leathery wings is an angel. As it turns out, the angels of the Old Testament can be truly terrifying. 

Not all angels are soft-featured human-like creatures with fluffy white bird wings. Some, like Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones are designed to intimidate God’s enemies. In the New Testament’s Book of Luke, an angel visits Zechariah and immediately asks him to “be not afraid” because the angel can see the poor guy absolutely shaking in his boots upon his arrival. Angels being terrifying is even something of an Internet meme, with users contrasting the phrase “be not afraid” with images of truly monstrous beasts. 

Not only does Pruitt’s vampire have the vague appearance of an angel, it also apparently holds the secrets to eternal life as promised in the Bible. By merely drinking some of the “angel’s” blood, a good Christian can live forever just like God says. Does that blood-drinking sacrament sound familiar? It did to Mike Flanagan.

“In Bible school I used to say ‘if the wine turns into Jesus’s blood literally and we’re drinking it so that we can live forever … that seems like a short leap to vampiric myth.’”

Of course, drinking the angel’s fluids in the case of Midnight Mass also leads to some unwanted side effects like a thirst for blood and extreme sensitivity to sunlight. Thankfully, good ol’ Bev Keane always has a Bible quote ready to go for that. When read through the proper perspective, the Holy Bible may as well be the original vampire story. 

The Rules of Vampirism

“The thing that I love about the vampire as a cinematic tool is how malleable it is,” Flanagan says. “We all agree that there is no canon. There are no rules. In fact, part of the joy is seeing what rules people cherry pick as they approach a vampire story.”

All depictions of vampires are indeed quite different. Vampires can range from the classic Stoker-ian monster to Twilight’s nigh-invulnerable sparkle bois. Midnight Mass’s version of the vampire leans towards the classic, albeit with some tweaks. In terms of appearance, The Angel (as we will be calling Midnight Mass’s O.G. vampire for simplicity’s sake) has a more bestial look like Nosferatu rather than an aristocratic one like Count Dracula or Anne Rice’s creations. 

“We winked at (Nosferatu the Vampyr actor) Klaus Kinski a few times when we designed our guy,” Flanagan says.

Though the Angel resembles Nosferatu in appearance, its vulnerabilities owe more to Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles. Religious iconography does not appear to hurt the Angel nor its thralls. Traditional human weapons like bullets or blades also do no harm (at least not mortally). These vampires are, however, tremendously susceptible to both fire and sunlight. Exposure to the latter for even a few seconds is enough to kill the Angel and his many acolytes. 

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Like in Rice’s works as well, the path to creating a new vampire is quite simple. Step 1: Drink its blood. Step 2: Die. In Dracula and ‘Salem’s Lot, the method of vampire creation is merely being bit by one, zombie-style. Rice and Flanagan’s approach is quite a bit more intentional and interesting. It also opens the door for perhaps Midnight Mass’s most ingenious storytelling quirk: communion. John Pruitt is able to get nearly the entirety of Crockett Island to become a vampire by spiking the communion wine with his buddy’s blood. Then, all that remains is for them to poison themselves to death, Jonestown-style. 

The mass “resurrection” scene in which the congregation awakes as their new vampire selves also provides some insight to just how hard it is to contain the vampire’s overwhelming hunger. Riley Flynn was able to resist it when he turned because John Pruitt babysat him like a psychedelic mushroom guide. The plan for the rest of the congregation was to have their babysitters as well but that didn’t quite work out. Still, Riley’s dad Ed makes it clear to his wife Annie, that even if it’s hard to resist the call for blood, it’s not impossible. 

“When I saw them at the church, I thought it was something they really couldn’t help. Like something impossible not to do. But it isn’t, Annie,” he says.

Maybe if more vampires were like Ed Flynn, a whole island full of vampires wouldn’t be too bad of a thing in the first place. 

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How to Defeat a Vampire

While every vampire story presents its own unique take on the creature, the answer on how to defeat a vampire is usually the same: by doing it together.

“We poor humans only have so much that we can give,” Flanagan says. “We’re ill-equipped as individuals to make any kind of meaningful stand. The only way evil in the world can be brought down is through collective effort. That’s something Stoker understands inherently. It’s clearly something King understands.”

Alongside the aforementioned Bram Stoker and Stephen King, Flanagan presents a small team of humans at story’s end who will do what it takes to defeat evil, even if it means dying in the process. Erin Greene (Kate Siegel), Dr. Sarah Gunning, Sheriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli), Annie Flynn (Kristin Lehman), Warren Flynn (Igby Rigney), and Leeza Scarborough (Annarah Cymone) are the six residents of Crockett Island brave enough to try to take down the Angel. All but two (Warren and Leeza) die. They do succeed in eliminating the immediate threat on Crockett Island but it’s possible the Angel made it away to suck blood another day, damaged wings and all.

What’s interesting about Midnight Mass’s “final crew” is that six appears to be the magic number when it comes to taking down a vampire. Stoker’s Dracula has six heroes: Jonathan Harker, Mina Harker nèe Murray, Arthur Holmwood (Lord Godalming), John Seward, Quincey Morris, and Abraham Van Helsing (of which, only poor American cowboy Quincey Morris dies). King’s ‘Salem’s Lot also has six: Ben Mears, Matt Burke, Susan Norton, Mark Petrie, Jimmy Cody, and Father Callahan (of which, decidedly more than one of them die). This strange bit of arithmancy is something we asked Flanagan about.

“The number was certainly not intentional,” he says. “Once it was clear that Riley was not going to be carrying the torch to the end it really was about asking ‘who are the characters who seem in the very beginning to be at a disadvantage and how do we empower them in the end?’ This was gonna be played out by Sarah Gunning, Sheriff Hassan, and everyone else who would get to just give a little piece.”

Considering that Erin and company were outnumbered about 117 to six, it was a pretty good showing for Crockett Island’s last humans standing.

All seven episodes of Midnight Mass are available to stream on Netflix now.

The post Midnight Mass: It’s Time to Talk About That Monstrous Twist appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[meirmakesstuff]

Hello! My group of Wayfarers has now built themselves a building which serves as a general meeting place, as a prayer space, and a last resort retreat in case of monster attacks. Which, if wikipedia didn't lie to me, is not unlike a Synagogue. So I was wondering if men would wear a kipah/other hat inside even if they're just gathering to eat. There're also strangers regularly entering the same space to eat. Would that make a difference?

Oh, spectacular. I love this question because it has so many different layers to it. Once again you’ve asked a deceptively simple question that’s going to take me several paragraphs of background to address, and I’m going to expand it to include Jewish head covering practices other than men wearing kippot while we’re at it, as well as touching on the nature of Jewish sacred spaces. 

First of all, congratulations on naming your Jewish-coded culture! Wayfarers is a fascinating name and opens interesting implications about your world. I remain incredibly curious about the story you’re telling.

Second of all, my usual 2J3O (Two Jews, three opinions) disclaimer applies, especially this time, because I’m going to be talking about a lot of different Jewish practices with regard to head coverings, and while I’ve spent some time in a wide variety of different Jewish spaces and movements, I’m not deeply immersed in all of them, so for Jewish readers, if I make an incorrect generalization about practices in your movement I’d love to read your corrections. I’d also like to point anyone reading this toward Kermab’s previous ask for context on this conversation. 

As it happens, two years ago I conducted a series of interviews across denominations about head covering practices and feelings for a book I used in my fourth through sixth grade classroom. While I don’t have legal permissions to share those interviews for any purpose other than classroom teaching, I’ll be referencing them as we go along here. 

The first and most basic question is who covers their heads, and when. Your ask shows some basic and reasonable assumptions: men cover their heads in the synagogue. That’s not untrue, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

You might remember from the other ask that rabbinic Judaism, which most of us practice today, didn’t develop until the sacrificial system was becoming unfeasible and eventually impossible to maintain. At that point, it seems that a cultural convention was for men and women to cover their heads at all times, with the similar explanation of modesty. Modesty seems to take on a different connotation when we’re discussing men or women--avoiding self-aggrandizement for men, sexual rectitude for women--but in essence covering one’s head was universal. I haven’t made a particular study of the shifts in this custom over time, but I can note that many examples of historic Jewish women’s costume from different regions includes one or another type of head covering--as did the non-Jewish women’s fashions of many of those places. At some point it became accepted that only married women needed to cover their hair, that since a woman’s hair was to be understood as a symbol of her sexuality, an unmarried woman’s visible hair was a way of communicating her availability. Men’s headwear meanwhile shifted as well, as did other religious wear such as tzitzit and tefillin. Tefillin settled into a tradition of being only worn during weekday morning prayer. Tzitzit developed into two garments: a tallit katan worn under a boy’s or man’s clothing at all times, and a tallit gadol worn over the clothing only during the morning prayer service. In communities where it was becoming uncommon for non-Jewish men to cover their heads, especially in places where the Christian convention was to remove one’s hat upon entering their houses of worship, it became expected in a synagogue that men might need to be told that the convention was to cover their heads, and kippot began to be provided to them there. 

However, the convention isn’t actually to cover one’s head out of respect for the building. As you learned in your research, a synagogue building isn’t a locus of holiness but a location where holy activities take place. The expectation that developed was that men should cover their heads when engaging in religious activities. What are religious activities? Prayer, certainly, but also any activity that includes prayer, such as lifecycle occasions, home rituals, and eating. 

There’s a memorable scene in George Eliot’s famously well-researched novel Daniel Deronda in which Daniel sits down to a Shabbat meal with a Jewish family. Eliot describes the family and their guests pausing before they ate, the men putting on their hats, and a benediction Eliot and her character do not understand taking place before the meal is eaten. From my perspective as a modern American, it was notable to me that they didn’t put on kippot but resumed the hats any Victorian man would take off upon entering their home, which these men had apparently also taken off, but put back on for the brachot before eating (Eliot doesn’t specify, as far as I can remember, whether they kept them on through the meal). 

Daniel Deronda makes passing reference to the split that was already underway at the time in European Jewry, the development of the Reform movement. Early Reform practice developed out of a desire to be as little distinguished from the surrounding Christian culture as possible without actually worshipping a tripartite deity. Changes included, among others, abandoning all unique cultural garments, including tefillin, tzitzit, and any indoor covering of heads. At the time Eliot was writing, “Reformed” and “Rabbinic”--now Reform and Orthodox--were the only two distinct movements of European Judaism, though Hasidic groups, under the heading of Rabbinic Judaism but each having developed unique traditions, were many. My knowledge of what non-European Jews were doing, sartorially, at the time is very slight and I would welcome knowledgeable input. 

The development of the Conservative movement is generally credited to the 1880s, when a disagreement within the Reform movement about how far to assimilate and which traditions to abandon culminated in the famed “Trefa Banquet” at which those who wanted to conserve practices such as keeping kosher are said to have walked out due to the flagrantly non-kosher menu. The symbolic incident speaks to the differences in practice between the movements: Reform Judaism in the 19th and early 20th centuries might have been indistinguishable from Christianity in all but theology, while Conservative Judaism would have been indistinguishable from Orthodox Judaism in all but a few liturgical and practical leniencies. Today, Conservative Judaism is dwindling due to a lack of clear leadership or identity, while the Reform movement rediscovers practices they had once abandoned, and certain Orthodox communities make motions of various kinds toward the center as well; nothing is simple in the story of Jewish life, and nothing is ever finished developing.

Here’s where the gender thing complicates, because in the mid to late 20th century Jewish practice began to egalitarianize in Reform and Conservative Judaism. I won’t go into the step-by-step development of women’s prayer attire and the path to women’s ordination and full inclusion from a historical perspective, but my own experiences are pretty illustrative about the development of practices from the 1990s until today:

I grew up in an Orthodox congregation, a university Hillel, a Conservative congregation, and a Conservative parochial school. The Conservative congregation was the only one of these that owned its own building; the school rented the top floor of the JCC and both the Hillel and the Orthodox congregation met on Saturdays and holidays in all-purpose rooms on the university campus, and when those were unavailable in whatever spaces they could secure. In all of these communities, boys were required to be wearing kippot at all times; in the Orthodox congregation men sometimes wore hats, while in the school there was a clear distinction between hats, which were impolite to wear indoors as a function of 20th century American culture, and kippot, which boys were required to be wearing at all times on school property; a boy who forgot to bring his own kipa had to walk to the office, deposit 25 cents in the tzedakah box, and take a plasticky black kipa to wear for the rest of the day. In the conservative synagogue, men were required to wear kipot, and women who were taking an active role in the service of any kind were required to cover their heads as well, with a kipa, a hat, or a provided lace doily. Women in the pews were permitted to make that choice themselves. 

As a girl*, I was and remain uncomfortable with that dichotomy, in a way that is separate from the fact that I turned out not to be a girl after all. An Orthodox adult offered the paltry reasoning that women were simply closer to God than men, and that being thus not required to take part equally they were therefore barred from doing so, which at eleven already read to me as Victorian essentialist nonsense.  As an adult I know women for whom that reasoning or a softened version of it is spiritually meaningful but I have also known many, so many women for whom that logic was a source of frustration and hurt. 2J3O. 

I began wearing a kipa at the age of eleven, at first only as a form of protest against the principal’s daily “We will begin; all boys put on your kippot,” and later because wearing it became meaningful to me in ways I still struggle to put into words. I began to wear my kippot at all times that a boy was expected to do so: at all times on and around the JCC where the school was, on school field trips, at the synagogue (we had by that time tapered off participation as a family in the Orthodox congregation and were splitting our attendance between the Hillel and the Conservative synagogue: I later learned that this was because my mother was concerned that my brother would adopt the sexist attitudes she had overheard from men in the campus Orthodox group; all I knew at the time was that the communities I was in were struggling with how much and in what contexts to adopt egalitarian practice. 

I was not the only girl* who formed our small brigade of kipa-wearing heritors of our mothers’ feminist battles, but we were not many. At school, the principal still opened the prayer service with a reminder that all boys were required to put on their kipa--and as we moved up into middle school, tallit and tefillin--and every day I stood up with the crowd of grumbling boys and wrapped myself in the tallit I had sewed and tied with my mother’s assistance and the tefillin my parents had bought me at my request. Once or twice I forgot my bag at home and went without, and the principal said nothing, though boys would have copped a lunch detention. Once I lost my kipa somehow on the bus to school and marched myself to the office to put my quarter in the tzedaka box and take my shameful plasticky kipa; the office manager watched me and said nothing. Boys struggling to put on their tefillin began to ask me for help rather than other boys or the principal; I was the only one in my grade clearly doing this by choice; I got an early taste of what it is like to teach and began to learn to lead without judgement or blame. 

My bat* mitzvah celebration took place on a Sunday rather than a Saturday. I wore my tefillin with a fluffy floral, crinolined Easter dress and a kipa my mother decorated with fabric flowers. I spoke in my sermon about feminism, about equality, about arguments for a gender essentialist practice that I had heard and rejected already as I took the traditional first steps into Jewish adulthood. Besides me, men and women participated equally in the service: the Hillel rabbi shopped around among the Jewish professors in my parents’ social circle and created a breakdown that satisfied us all. A few of my father’s cousins declined their invitations, but no one I was actually acquainted with. 

I went to public high school and for the first time was spending my every day in a context where boys’ heads--and therefore mine--were uncovered and Jewish topics rarely came up in conversation. I made close friends, I dated Jewish boys my friends recommended, that I should have instead made friends with, and I wondered who I was. The summer before Sophomore year I came back from a week at Jewish teen camp and did not take my kipa off. I have worn it every day since then, for more than twenty years. 

My mother, who had been my model and cheerleader in exploring my Jewish, feminist development was initially uncomfortable. I remember a morning when her discomfort escaped in the form of snark: “[Meir] thinks she’s* going to a religious occasion.” I snarked back, adopting a theatrically pious tone for my “Life is a religious occasion,” but snark aside that’s actually the way I experience it. Wearing the kipa every day, whether I’m teaching Hebrew or taking out the trash, is a way of expressing that my religious life is not compartmentalized in certain actions and locations: I am the same Jewish, trans, complicated me, wherever I am and whatever I do. 

In graduate school I worked in a Reconstructionist synagogue, and I do again now, and the practice in the school I taught in then was to require all students to wear kippot at all times in the synagogue: that’s been the case when I’ve taught in Reform congregations as well. When I taught in a Conservative congregation I was permitted to encourage but not to require girls to wear kipot, but I was asked to require the boys to do so. Since that wasn’t a community where I felt I could be transparent about my trans identity, I wasn’t able to bring my personal experiences to use there, and that’s what set me on the road to creating my book of interviews with as many different kinds of Jews as I could gather. 

My interviews with other Jews about their head covering choices revealed a wide diversity of feelings. I had a cis male Conservative rabbi/professor tell me he only covers his head when he is specifically teaching on religious subjects (he also teaches history, I believe), and that when he was a child in an Orthodox parochial school his rabbi advised the boys to wear baseball caps to cover their heads on the subway so that if they misbehaved it wouldn’t reflect badly on the Jewish community. I had the son of the same rabbi tell me he wore his kipa at all times as a matter of habit, but his fiancee had asked him to pocket it or wear a hat if they were going to a restaurant on Shabbat, because that was contrary to the practice of both of their youth (traditional Shabbat practice forbids using money and cooking or instructing someone to cook for you). I had a cis male Reform rabbi tell me that he wore a kipa at all times because, although he didn’t keep kosher and didn’t refrain from going out to restaurants on Shabbat, he wanted to make the point that those too were legitimate practices of legitimate Jews. I had a cis male Conservative rabbi tell me that he preferred to wear a bandana rather than a kipa unless the occasion was too formal to allow it. I had a Lubavicher woman talk to me about the deep and the practical meanings she found in different methods of covering her hair and why she had shifted those practices throughout her lifetime; I had a non-Hasidic ultra-Orthodox woman say almost identical things, and I had a third Orthodox woman tell me she had worn hats that covered most of her hair when her children were young so that they would be able to fit in, but now that they were adults she wore the smallest hats she could find without actually being a kipa, to the mild agitation of her community. I had a hospital chaplain, not a rabbi, tell me that he used his kipa with a team logo on it to connect with patients, but that he rarely wore it outside of work situations. I had a gender-fluid person talk to me about different ways she has covered her head, or her hair, at various times in her shifting personal identity, to fit in with various different communities. I had so many women clergy and lay people tell me about harassment they had experienced from ultra-Orthodox men and non-Jews for wearing a kipa in public that I couldn’t use all of them. Some of the women talked about having given up covering their heads except in the synagogue or Jewish holiday meals. Some talked about wearing hats to look more like Orthodox women, or wearing beaded kippot that could pass as hair accessories. Some talked about defiantly wearing their kippot despite the aggression of Orthodox men demanding that they conform to Orthodox proscribed gender performance or non-Jews demanding that they engage in discussions of Israel politics while grocery shopping, or using public transportation. I had a Black Lubavicher woman tell me that when she wore a tichel (headwrap) she was frequently mistaken for Muslim, but that when she wore a shaitel (wig) she was frequently mistaken for Christian. In particular my students were moved by that tension: for so many of the interviewees in the book, the benefit and the drawback of their head covering choices was being identifiable as Jews, and here was someone covering in extremely mainstream ways and going unrecognized even within her own community. 

Every single person I interviewed who was in any way a parent, teacher, or community leader talked about the hope that, whatever their practice was, it would inspire children who look to them to do the same. 

Among interviewees who wore a kipa as part of their practice but not all the time, there was a general agreement along the lines of “I wear it when I engage in prayer, learn or teach Jewish subjects, or eat with a Jewish group.” The practice isn’t tied to the location but the activity. However, there are some locations that are so strongly associated with those activities that one might be expected to cover one’s head there regardless of the specific activity. 

Looking specifically at the Wayfarers’ gathering-house (a literal translation both of the English term “Synagogue” and the Hebrew “Beit Knesset”), I would certainly say yes that they would cover their heads in one way or another when sitting down to eat; you can make a call about whether they would do so to engage in community politics or conduct diplomacy, and I would imagine there might be other priorities on their mind in the event of a monster attack. I will say that the border between religious practice and cultural practice, when it comes to Judaism, is not really meaningful, so if the community comes together for, say, a wedding or a holiday party, modern Jews who wear kipot would almost universally put on a kipa for such an occasion. It’s your call as to whether the gender divide is a meaningful factor in your imaginary culture; I will say that from Rashi’s daughters wearing tefillin to Rabbi Regina Jonas tending to her community in Nazi Germany to the ordinations or admissions into rabbinical school in the past few years of openly nonbinary clergy or prospective clergy in the Reform and Conservative movements, it has never been truly black and white. The choices you make in that regard will tell a story about who the Wayfarers are and how they fit into the larger history of your world. 

*A note on gender: like Jews, trans people have a wide diversity of opinions and attitudes, including toward their childhood selves. What is comfortable for me is not necessarily comfortable for other trans people. Referring to myself as having been a girl is honest with regard to the way I experienced things then; referring to me as a woman now would be an aggressive act of rudeness. Referring to someone as their assigned gender when speaking about their childhood is not and should not be the norm unless the person has specified that it’s their preference: I only do it in certain contexts and do not prefer that others talk about me as having been a girl. I chose to do it in this context because I was discussing choices I made at a time when I would have described myself as a girl. Today my pronouns are exclusively He/Him and it is not my practice to reveal my previous name. 

[nullset2]

Mother 3 - An In-depth Critique and Review

Ah, Mother 3, how I love you so!

The game which with which I forwent all possible aspirations to healthily integate into normal High School society: imagine walking into a party, people are drinking and being cool, and you ask them if they have ever played a very underground, very deep RPG only released in Japan called "Mother".

Yeah! I know! It's like you're asking to be bullied, and I realized it too late.

But anyway!

Mother 3 is one of the most important games you could ever play --alas, if only it wasn't near impossible to obtain it.

Yet, perhaps this adds to its allure and to the power of its narrative --a narrative which, by the way, I'm convinced is the very actual reason why it will never release formally in the United States.

As time has passed, I've actually become more and more impressed about how relevant the game is to the socioeconomic reality that we are in nowadays. I'm impressed that Shigesato Itoi had all of this in his mind's eye as early as 1996, and that the story was already written down in 1999!

Right now it's been 14 years since it's release on the GBA, but I think that the game is a timeless classic and warrants a playthrough now more than ever. Wanna know why?

Wanna find out?

Part 1. "A Japanese Copywriter's Americana"

The year is 1989 and a Japanese Copywriter --somebody who writes "Catch Copies", which are a sort of a long-form slogan that is very common in Japanese pop culture to advertise)-- by the name of Shigesato Itoi became a fan of the Dragon Quest series of RPGs, which are massively popular in Japan, even to this day. He also loved video games: he's asthmatic, so he recalls only being able to sleep sitting up as a child, and having to occupy his lonely time through asthma attacks playing video games, since he had to sit up and had nothing else to do at night.

His love of RPGs would linger in his mind until 1989 when he had an opportunity to meet with Hiroshi Yamauchi and Shigeru Miyamoto and was offered the opportunity to develop a video game with Nintendo. Harkening back to the endless hours he poured into Dragon Quest, his concept eventually took form by deriving from it. He called the story "MOTHER", as a reference to John Lennon's "Mother", since he is a very hardcore fan of The Beatles. The games have tons of obvious influence by old American films and comics, like ET and Peanuts, which he also loved very much.

For MOTHER, he wanted to explicitly go against the grain, by designing an RPG without "Swords and Magic", which stereotypically most RPGs follow, even from things as minor as to design a protagonist who was weak and vulnerable, asthmatic and without a Father Figure, yet, still heroic through much toil --which reflects Ninten from the original MOTHER for the famicom.

Miyamoto, in his usual taskmaster persona, arranged a team to work with Itoi for the creation of the RPG, by bringing in people from HAL laboratory and APE Inc, and thus MOTHER was born to great Japanese Acclaim. A game which took many risks in its genre, such as eschewing the idea of a separate overworld from navigation in the towns, the subject matter, the movement system and many other things which made it quite Unique. It was so popular that soon after the first project was released, MOTHER 2 started development, involving people from what's currently known as Game Freak and HAL Labs.

MOTHER 2 is a very unique game because it was the very first time that the series attempted to make an incursion in the Americas. Releasing in a big flamboyant flashy box, with a strategy guide and a bunch of goodies included, MOTHER 2 released as Earthbound in the states, a bigger and better version of the vision of the first game. Better graphics, Beatles references, sampled audio, pop culture cornucopia, it's all here and then some!

Famous for its role in technically driving the game, Satoru Iwata, ex-CEO and software developer for Nintendo,7 of Wii acclaim, helped the game meet its 1996 release date. It is known that the original version of the game ran into deep technical issues which the original dev team was not able to overcome. Once Satoru Iwata got involved, the game was reworked to a viable version and released to much critical acclaim. In his own words, he proposed to rewrite the tech that powered the main game. It was a matter of either continuing with the current code and be done in two years, or redoing everything and being done in six months under his vision, he said.

No matter its strong promotion from Nintendo, the marketing got botched, and the game paled compared to the flashy and bombastic magical RPGs of its era, like Final Fantasy VI, Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger of all things. So, Earthbound faced a very bad destiny in the states, by releasing to low acclaim, bad review scores and terrible sales numbers --even though it eventually reached Cult Classic status, due to its pure hearted nature, its hallucinogenic themes and characters, and its fantastic spirit over all.

And this game is worthy of discussion by itself a whole bunch because of the ripple effects it had in video game culture in the Western world. Enter starmen dot net. To this date, the epicenter of discussion for everything related to the MOTHER series. There you had me as early as 2002, browsing a half-rendered version of starmen dot net in a dingy computer in some dingy internet cafe in some shitty neighborhood in Mexico, trying to be a part of the discussion and the hype.

To this date, I consider starmen dot net as the non-plus-ultra case for how passionate Internet fan cultures can become.

Flat out, no other fandom has ever came close to the level of dedication, attention to detail and passion to tribute the original creation around which its fans congregate. A massive amount of fan paraphernalia has come out of starmen dot net --yes, even Undertale, 2015 indie darling RPG thing, originally got started on the Starmen dot net forums. People married and even started large, commercially viable enterprises, such as Fangamer.net, the firm which publishes Undertale, from starmen dot net.

...and then... silence...

After Earthbound's 1995 release, we enter a ten year hiatus for the series.

Even though both MOTHER games were incredibly popular in Japan, HAL Laboratory and APE Inc. weren't able to successfully make a jump onto the third dimension for the series come the Nintendo 64 era. They had a demo come the infamous Spaceworld 96, where a bunch of pre-release games for the then called "Ultra 64", which was the codename for the Nintendo 64, were showcased. And lo and behold, we have a sequel to Mother coming out, called Mother 3, the ROM for which has never been found by the way.

I'd love to get a look at the materials in that ROM.

The scarce footage we have available from it exhibits some of the elements we ended up seeing in the final released version of the game, like some of the original music like the Mozart ghost theme, and the DCMC section, albeit in a more primitive low poly way. It is known that both studios weren't very proficient at 3d Game development yet, which was still nascent. This together with other factors, such as the fact that at some point development was moved onto the unreleased-in-America, unpopular 64DD addon, undisclosed factors dropped the game into development hell, which ultimately led to its cancellation in the year 2000.

Plenty of mystery surrounded the now defunct project, to the dismay of a bunch of passionate fans in Starmen.net and elsewhere online. However, it turned out that the valiant effort of the fans, who made a huge amount of effort to campaign for the revival of the series, even mailing fanmail, fanart and other materials to the Itoi Shinbun offices in Japan (a titanical task in the world of the early 2000s).

Fast forward to 2003, and the Game Boy Advance, the little portable console that could, was in its Apex. Due to Satoru Iwata's campaining, it was announced that development on MOTHER 3 would be restarted, this time in 2D, for the gameboy advance. Much anticipation in Starmen.net followed this announcement, since it finally validated its efforts...

Come 2006, once the console was well into its end-of-life, with small nudges to play the game on a Gameboy player if possible, perhaps to try to follow suit with its predecessors, the sequel finally released to much acclaim. But what did Shigesato Itoi have in store for everyone all along? What kind of beast had just been unleashed onto the World?

Part 2. "Of Monkeys and Men"

Mother 3 follows the story of a young boy, Lucas, in a multi-chapter structure, which is novel for the series but not unheard of in the RPG genre. Besides this, the RPG plays very similar to your usual JRPG fare, and basically uses the Ultimately polished version of the MOTHER series' mechanics, groovy backgrounds and all.

The first three chapters of the game follow the perspective of different characters residing in Tazmilly Village as the plot of the game unfolds. The plot is centered around the residents of a peaceful town in an Island in an unspecified location, Nowhere Islands, which in my opinion is an allegory both of Japan and America, moreover with the fact that the game of the logo very clearly has a rising sun covered in metal, in a logo that's an amalgam of two different things which don't match, a subtle reference to the game's undertones to come.

From these residents we come to know the daily lives of a particular family: Flint, a farmer; Hinawa, his wife (a name in reference to Sunflowers, Himawari, her favorite flower), and their twin children, Lucas and Claus.

The game begins in the midst of their idyllic life in the mountains visiting Lucas' grandfather Alec, and playing around with meek dinosaurs which inhabit Nowhere Islands. See, in the world of Mother 3, no violence truly exists, and people have come to live peacefully with each other and nature. There's no such thing as the concept of money, Instead relying on an economy that's mostly based around bartering and hospitality.

However, everyone's lives veer into turmoil once strange alien beings invade, the Pigmask army, an army of big, fat and slovenly creatures dressed in pig-like attire, who seem to have a vast amount of technology and resources at their disposal yet aim for Nowhere Islands for colonization.

The Pigmasks have an as-of-yet unnamed leader, who is demanding them to make everything in the World "bigger, cooler, stronger and faster", and thus they seize Nowhere Islands by force of bombings and a forest fire to use its flora and fauna. And thus, while escaping from the forest fires returning from Alec's home, Hinawa tragically gets killed by a Drago which has been modified to be aggressive against its nature through robotics implanted in it by the Pigmask army.

There's an unused cutscene in the game's ROM data where Hinawa, instead, dies by bomb explosion...

...yeah, I'm just... gonna let you process that one by yourself ;)

The Drago left a fang in the middle of her heart, which is recovered by one of the Tazmillians and provided back to Flint along with a fragment of her crimson dress. Besmirched and angry, Claus, the festier one of the twin children, sets out to try to hunt the drago and achieve revenge, but he goes missing... Flint embarks in search of Claus and to kill the drago, and thus the first chapter of the game concludes, with the implication that Claus has gone missing...

With Lucas' family torn to shreds and The Pigmasks invading Tazmilly, it seems that we're in a situation ripe for disaster.

Chapter 2 follows Duster's adventure, which runs in parallel (as every other chapter will) to other chapters' stories. Duster is the last heir in a bloodline of Cat Burglars whose abilities are not in use anymore given that Tazmilly has no more commerce or crime. However it turns out that the Pigmask invasion puts his skills back in demand to infiltrate Oshoe Castle and retrieve an artifact which the Pigmasks are after and which Duster's family is the guardian of. The nature of the artifact in Oshoe Castle is as of yet unknown, however it is implied that it is important to the fabric of Tazmilly village.

At Castle Oshoe, Duster meets a mysterious princess, Kuma-tora (which translates literally to "beartiger", in allusion to the dichotomy of her existence, since she is very... masculine in attitude and refers to herself with, yes, male pronouns, perhaps anticipating identity politics by 14 years at least), who is also after the artifact in the Castle, the Hummingbird egg. The chapter ends with the Hummingbird Egg going missing, and a mysterious peddler of goods arriving into town, while Kumatora and Duster's father realize he has gone missing...

Chapter 3 follows the adventure of a little Monkey, Salsa, which gets flown into Nowhere Islands to perform a job. This is a novelty in a town where the concept of a job doesn't exist as of yet, however, the peddler of goods is going to need a lot of hands if he wants to fullfill his vision. The peddler, Fassad (which is a tongue in cheek way to say "facade", right?) promises to all residents in Nowhere Island eternal happiness if they buy his newest product, the "Happy Box", a television-like contraption which glows with a warm light and which people are attracted to and engrossed by. For this, he introduces the concept of money and swindles people his way, convincing them that this is the way to go and promising them excitement and benefit if they listen to him.

Salsa delivers Happy boxes throughout the whole chapter, and gets shocked, even in the middle of the night, if something goes wrong with his job or tries to escape due to a shock collar implanted by Fassad. However, he runs into Kumatora and Wess, Duster's father, and they ploy together to free up Salsa and mess up Fassad's forceful takeover of Oshoe Castle, when Lucas shows up with several dragos in tow and fights against the Tank invasion of Oshoe Castle.

(A foreign animal being introduced into a new society with the express intent of exploiting it to propel forward a commercial enterprise by toil... geez, I dunno, where have I heard that one?)

From Chapter 4 Onwards the game adopts a more conventional JRPG scheme, through a timeskip which happens literally two years in the future. In this future version of Tazmilly, money (Dragon Points) and ATMs are now existent, similar to other Mother games. The game follows Lucas' adventure through a now-modernized and industrialized technologically advanced Tazmilly, trying to retrieve the "seven needles" from the island, which are soon enough shown to be a source of great power that the pigmask army is also after and to which Lucas must try to get to first due to a calling by mysterious beings which inhabit Nowhere Islands, the Magypsies. With a lot of emotional moments, such as Lucas having visions of his Mother in the middle of a field of Sunflowers, we follow the adventures of the party as they infiltrate the pigmask ranks and gather information about its nature and intentions.

It is then discovered that the pigmasks are commanded by a Masked leader, who dominates the power of thunder through a tower which was built in the middle of the town and which strikes anybody down with thunder if they overstep the Law and Order that the pigmasks have implemented. The party fights this masked leader in bouts while exploring the world and reuniting with a now missing Kumatora and Duster, who are found to have settled as employees in a Nightclub called "Club Titiboo".

Eventually, through his travels, Lucas gains an artifact from Mr. Saturn, the inhabitants of a special region in Nowhere called Saturn Valley and which has been passed down through all three Mother games, called the "Franklin Badge". When equipped, this item allows the bearer to become immune to lighting attacks and reflecting them back.

The party soon discovers that the world is inhabited by an special elder race, existant from before the creation of Tazmilly village and who know more about everything going on with the invasion, called the "Magypsies", a race of transexual, magical creatures who help Lucas discover the fact that he has Psychic abilities, also known as "PSI" within the MOTHER canon. He uses these to proceed further in his adventure to pull the seven Golden Needles, the first of which Fassad was attempting to get to, in the Courtyard of Oshoe Castle.

Lucas moves into a city called "New Pork City" in the conclusion of the game, which is a town built by the pigmasks completely in the honor of Porky, full of all sorts of Pigmask paraphernalia and amusement. It is found that the seventh and final needle is inside humongous tower in the middle of the city, the Porky tower.

Moreover, it is also revealed that the Pigmask army is led by Porky, known as "Pokey" in the American localization of Mother 2, Earthbound. Pokey is shown to have developed into a tyrant as an adult, with unlimited lust for blood and power, who used Doctor Andonuts' Phase Distorter after the events of Earthbound to mess around with the unlimited realities and dimensions it gave him access too, as a petulant child does with a video game. Once he got kicked out of every other possible reality due to the chaos he created, he found the Nowhere islands and decided to mess with it.

The climax of the game comes around Chapter 7, when the now fully-developed party runs into Leder, one of the original Tazmillian villagers, a lanky and really tall person who never spoke, not a single word, in the game until now. Leder is revealed to be the only person who knows what is the true nature of it all: tazmilly village is the remanider of civilization once the world of Mother 2 collapsed by cataclysm. A flood wiped away everything and the very last remainder of people who survived fled to nowhere islands in a big white ship and settled there, willingly forfeiting all technological advances and knowledge of the world into the Hummingbird egg, the artifact that Duster's family protected in Oshoe, a device which wiped everyone's memories, with the intent of undoing civilization and living back in a peaceful village-like state again.

It is revealed that when all seven needles are pulled, a supernatural power on which the island is built will be awakened. This supernatural power is revealed to be a Dragon by Leder, who had to be subdued by the ancestors of the Magypsies so people could live in Nowhere islands as their last resort. Whoever pulls out the needles which keep it in slumber will pass the intentions and nature of their heart onto the dragon. Thus, Lucas must be the one who pulls out the last needle instead of Porky or the masked man, in hopes that a second cataclysm like the first doesn't happen again.

After making their way through all the pigmask defenses, Lucas and Co. face off with Porky, who is now a bedridden, pathetic man. Doctor Andonuts from Mother 2, appears here, and is revealed to have developed a solution to contain Porky, the Absolutely Safe Capsule, which is a capsule which once it's sealed, it can never be opened again, trapping whoever is inside forever in a parallel universe where only them exist. The party is successful in locking Porky in the absolutely safe capsule, so, porky is not hurt by the end of mother 3, instead, he just has been locked away forever in a place far away from everyone else --perhaps, providing the ultimate form of comfort that a personality like his would seek after.

At the end of the game, Lucas and Co. face against the masked man, who is revealed to have been Claus all along, who, brainwashed with Pigmask ideologies, is hellbent on drawing out the final needle to awaken the dragon. Lucas and Claus face off in an emotive fight, where they suddenly remember each other and how friendly they used to be with each other... and moreover, their Mother. Claus strikes Lucas with thunder in a final murderous attempt before snapping out of the Pigmask brainwashing. But since he had the Franklin badge on, the attack is reflected and mortally strikes Claus, who, in his final moments, finally remembers Lucas...

The ending of the game is open ended, without showing much of what happened once the seventh dragon needle was released, so the ending of the game is subject to interpretation. However, it is heavily implied that, since Lucas was the one who released the needle, the dragon, once awakened, did not destroy Nowhere islands and instead led to a regeneration of existence.

Part 3. "A Musical-Adventure"

One of the pre-release materials for the game called it a "Musical" adventure, and I think this is completely warranted: the musical beautifulness of Hip Tanaka, famed Nintendo composer and long-time MOTHER music autheur, is joined by the expertise of Shogo Sakai, who gave the soundtrack a more mature, sample-based vibe, compared to the early two more "chiptuney" soundtracks in the series. The songs are all-time favorites of mine, and I still the soundtrack every so often given all of its mystique, its eclectiness and curiosness.

But the musical aspect to the game doesn't stop here: as an addition to the mother series, the battle system has now been changed to become rhythm-game based instead of simply turn based. If the player attacks an enemy during a battle, it is possible to strike additional damage as long as the player continues to press the attack button in rhythm to the background music in upwards of 16 hits. A full combo is incredibly effective and plays a nice fanfare if executed correctly.

As an enthusiast of rhythm games, this premise captivated me from the get-go and it works wonders, functioning as a breath of fresh air to the way overplayed mechanic of turn-based combat, which has existed since the 80s. It also provides a certain nice feeling to combat, given how every character has their personal musical instrument, with lucas being a guitar, Kumatora being an electric guitar, Duster being a bass, and Boney, Lucas' pet, being... barks.

Besides this the mechanics from Mother 2 are translated almost completely: every character has a rolling HP and PP counter, which rolls down over time as an airport display instead of immediately as in other RPGs. This may seem minor, but it adds an amazing element of strategy to the game, since it is possible to recover an ally from mortal damage if a healing PSI is executed against the clock before the counter hits 0.

Besides this you got almost completely conventional standard JRPG fare, with the character being able to move in eight directions in the overworld, with the addition of a run button, preemptive attacks and overpowered kills. Once you start facing enemies in the overworld, the first one to attack can be decided depending on the angle that the enemy was approached with: sneak up on an enemy from behind and a green swirl will display, which means that you get to attack first; if an enemy sneaks behind you, you'll see a red swirl and they will attack first instead. Otherwise, a gray swirl will display, which follows conventional order according to your stats.

Part 4. "WE WANT MOTHER 3, REGGIE!"

...Mother 3 will never be released in America.

This may be too dramatic of an opinion to have but I see no other alternative. For the most of fourteen years, Nintendo of America's head honcho Reggie Fils-Aime was requested to release and distribute the game in the americas, and for twenty years the request fell on deaf ears, citing commercial inviability, potential copyright infringment and many other reasons.

But I think the main reason that the game will never be localized is because Mother 3 was a passion project, pushed for by people with personal involvement in the series and very special sensitivities about it. Shigesato Itoi and Iwata were personal friends. The game appeals to japanese tastes and touches on issues and subjects that the American population is very politically sensitive to.

For example, in chapter 6 Lucas and the party experience a bad trip because they eat hallucinogenic mushrooms in a swamp. This leads to Lucas having visions of his family in a very bad light, with implications of violence and abuse, to try to get at the players' deepest sensitivities. Even the name of the real player is used here.

I think that it's impossible that nintendo will release a game which openly involves Hallucinogenics no matter its innocent exterior. This is the kind of subject in media that Japanese audiences usually handle better than American audiences.

Besides this, the game has very clear allusions to accelerated capitalism, anti-capitalism, colonization, slavery, transexuality and the changes and chaos they have brought onto the world, which is a tough subject to tackle in the Americas, which is still part of an ongoing, vicious culture war.

Particularly, I adore how the game even tries to convey its points through the Sound Test, of all places. Mother 3 has a collection of music pieces, which are available on demand within the game itself. Of those, there's a music piece which is a remix of Pollyanna, the Mother 1 theme, which is present throughout the series, in an nod to the previous games in the series. The hallway where this plays is full with mother references and it expects the player to sit down and watch passively all the references in order.

But this is meta, amazingly enough. The hallway is located in the final section of the game, before facing Porky, who is presented as the effigy of vicious capitalism in the game. As if he left them in his palace just as collectibles, things to be purchased or acquired.

The name of the song which plays during this sequence? "His Majesty's Memories". Subtle.

Nintendo is a company which tries to keep its image clean and sterile, so it can be used broadly for a variety of projects, usually with family friendly intent behind --and even more so in the US.

However, Nintendo has a history of risky bets with Mature content, which has become even more glaring lately: you got Eternal Darkness, Astral Chain, Bayonetta, No More Heroes, the disappointing Metroid Other M... this together with the fact that most of their target audience is of age now, could, at least remotely, mean that, perhaps, Mother 3 releasing in some manner in the future, localized in English, could happen: however, this is not happening at least the way I see it.

Once the game was released, there were several different campaigns online to try to gather Nintendo's attention: a 10k signature strong petition was completed among several other things, and if this hasn't lead to results... I don't know what will.

Part 5. "No Crying Until the End"

Mother 3 is a beautiful, engrossing and captivating game which is hidden away under a cutesy exterior. Its complex themes and characters are evoking of deep human truths which call out to us and ask us to reflect on things and the way we're living. Of strong pedigree in its series and with a superb musical production behind it and a mastermind of writing, MOTHER 3 excels at what it sets out to do.

When the game released, the game had a "Catch Copy" written for it by itoi himself, which called the game "Strange, Funny and Heartrending", and I think this is a beautiful way to bring everything full circle. Itoi wrote on the Advertisement that if you wanted to cry because of Mother 3, you should save it until the end. And those three words are a fantastic way to close off this review: if you want a game that will provide you with bizarre and laugh out loud moments one second and tear-jerkers the next, Mother 3 is the game for you.

And the game is just so poignant... to this date not only do I think it's one of the most expressive and well done pixel-art based game, I still find myself impresse at how much I can connect with the characters through small, cutesy sprites and pastel color pallettes, lack of Unreal engine and RTX graphics card be damned. Themes of grief, missing a loved one who's gone, the feeling of loss of identity due to accelerating social and economical change, how tyrannical political figures establish themselves and change communities, sexual and identity politics and how the modern world was to have shaky and voraginous sexual identities become commonplace... it's all there, and masterfully, tastefully expressed, without that icky feeling of "agenda"ism that you can get sometimes from Hollywood productions when they try to hamfist tropes and "messages" down people's throats. You know that feeling? I hate it when it happens in movies or shows I'm watching just to have a good time, and then I get some succint propaganda.

But MOTHER 3 is a kind beast, trying to reach to your heart and directly speak to the mind of the player. It tries to show us what it thinks of modernity and to make us seriously ponder what the frick is up with all of this shit, and thinking it has kept me for the last 14 years, and I anticipate another 20 ahead of me. And you can join me in reflecting about this...

Or maybe you can just go back to your happy box. Whichever way you choose.

[cruger2984]

Wind Boys! and its Saints Part 2

"The protagonist who returns to their hometown of Kanazawa as a new teacher at Ishikawa Prefectural Weibuki High School. A historic public high school that is 126 years old.

Considered a top-class preparatory school in the prefecture with both literary and military arts. The brass band club of Weibuki High School used to be strong and a regular at national competitions.

But that was long ago, and it’s now virtually abandoned. However, with the new storm of first-year students that have entered school. The protagonists is caught up in the great uproar of the revival of the brass band club..."

Here’s the second batch of the boys from Ishikawa Prefectural Weibuki High School and their corresponding saints! 

June 26 - Ikuzo Suzushiro

St. Vigilius of Trent: 5th century saint who is known as the first bishop of Trent, and is should not be confused with the pope of the same name. According to tradition, he was a Roman patrician, the son of Maxentia and a man whose name is sometimes given as Theodosius. He was educated at Athens and seems to have been a friend of St. John Chrysostom. According to a later tradition, Vigilius, who had been accompanied by his brothers Claudian and Magorian as well as a priest named Julian, was killed in the present-day parish of Rendena, in the Rendena Valley, where he had been preaching against the locals there, who worshipped the god Saturn. Vigilius said Mass and overturned a statue of the god into the Sarca River. As punishment, he was stoned to death near Lake Garda at the area called Punta San Vigilio. He is associated with the legend of St. Romedius, who is often depicted alongside or astride a bear.

September 17 - Yasuhito Irei

St. Robert Bellarmine: 17th century Italian Jesuit confessor and Cardinal from Italy and one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation. Robert was a professor of theology and later rector of the Roman College, and in 1602 became Archbishop of Capua. He supported the reform decrees of the Council of Trent. He is also widely remembered for his role in the Giordano Bruno affair, the Galileo affair, and the trial of Friar Fulgenzio Manfredi. Canonized and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1930, his remains, in a cardinal's red robes, are displayed behind glass under a side altar in the Church of Saint Ignatius, the chapel of the Roman College, next to the body of his student, Aloysius Gonzaga, as he himself had wished. He is the patron saint of canonists, canon lawyers and catechists.

December 13 - Junta Minoike

St. Lucy of Syracuse: 4th century virgin and martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution and is the patron saint of the blind. Absent in the early narratives and traditions, at least until the fifteenth century, is the story of Lucia tortured by eye-gouging. 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. This is one of the reasons that Lucy is the patron saint of those with eye illnesses. When her body was prepared for burial in the family mausoleum it was discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored. The Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, is named after her.

September 6 - Ryotaro Itsuki

St. Gondulphus of Metz: 9th century Frankish bishop who is the known as the bishop of Metz in France. As bishop, Gondulphus succeeded Angilram, him who caused Paul the Deacon to write the Liber de episcopis Mettensibus, and who died probably in 791.

July 11 - Izuru Taira

St. Benedict: 5th century abbot, mystic, exorcist, religious and founder of the Order of Saint Benedict (the Benedictine order). He founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, Lazio, before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. The Order of Saint Benedict is of later origin and, moreover, not an 'order' as commonly understood but merely a confederation of autonomous congregations. His main achievement, his 'Rule of Saint Benedict', contains a set of rules for his monks to follow. Heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian, it shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master, but it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness, which persuaded most Christian religious communities founded throughout the Middle Ages to adopt it. As a result, his Rule became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. He is believed to have died of a fever at Monte Cassino not long after his twin sister, Scholastica, and was buried in the same place as his sister. He was named patron protector of Europe by Pope Paul VI in 1964, and in 1980, Pope St. John Paul II declared him co-patron of Europe, together with Cyril and Methodius.

July 26 - Daisuke Maruyama

Sts. Joachim and Anne: They are known as the parents of the Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus Christ. The story of Joachim, his wife Anne (or Anna), and the miraculous birth of their child Mary, the mother of Jesus, is told for the first time in the 2nd century apocryphal infancy-gospel the Gospel of James (Protoevangelium of James). Joachim is a rich and pious man, who regularly gave to the poor. However, at the temple, Joachim's sacrifice was rejected, as the couple's childlessness was interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure. Joachim consequently withdrew to the desert, where he fasted and did penance for 40 days. Angels then appeared to both Joachim and Anne to promise them a child. Joachim later returned to Jerusalem and embraced Anne at the city gate, located in the Walls of Jerusalem. An ancient belief held that a child born of an elderly mother who had given up hope of having offspring was destined for great things.

March 27 - Kojiro Maruyama

St. Rupert of Salzburg: 8th century Austrian bishop who is the first Bishop of Salzburg and abbot of St. Peter’s in Salzburg, and was the contemporary of King Childebert III. By the end of the 7th century, the Agilolfing duke Theodo of Bavaria requested that he come to his residence at Regensburg (Ratisbon) to help spread the Christian faith among the Bavarian tribes. In Christian art, he depicted with a barrel of salt in his hand, thus he is the patron saint of salt miners.

January 10 - Aoto Mochizuki

St. William of Donjeon (Guillaume de Donjeon): French prelate of the Cistercian order who served as the Archbishop of Bourges from 1200 AD until his passing. He was also known for his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and for his conversion of sinners, and oversaw the construction of the new archdiocesan cathedral that his predecessor had authorized and in which he himself would be buried. It had been claimed that he performed eighteen miracles in life and a further eighteen in death.

August 28 - Yahiko Nanri

St. Augustine of Hippo: 5th century theologian, philosopher, and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings influenced the development of Western philosophy and Western Christianity, and he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church in the Patristic Period. His many important works include The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions. Born in Tagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria), his mother, Saint Monica was a devout Christian; his father Patricius was a pagan who converted to Christianity on his deathbed. At the age of 31, having heard of Ponticianus's and his friends' first reading of the life of Anthony of the Desert, Augustine converted to Christianity. As Augustine later told it, his conversion was prompted by hearing a child's voice say 'take up and read' ('tolle, lege'). Resorting to the Sortes Sanctorum, he opened a book of St. Paul's writings at random and read Romans 13. Ambrose baptized Augustine and his son Adeodatus, in Milan on Easter Vigil in the year 387. Augustine was ordained a priest in Hippo Regius in Algeria and become a famous preacher, and was noted for combating the Manichaean religion, to which he had formerly adhered. He is the patron saint of brewers and theologians, and his major shrine can be found in San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia, Italy.

May 23 - Mashu Izumitani

St. Julia of Corsica: 5th century virgin and martyr, and is included in most summary lives of the saints. The details of those lives vary, but a few basic accounts emerge, portraying biographical data and events that are not reconcilable. Various theories accounting for the differences have been proposed. The quintessential icon of Saint Julia derives from the testimony of Victor Vitensis, contemporaneous Bishop of Africa. Julia was a Carthaginian girl who, after being captured from her city, came into the service of a man named Eusebius. In iconography, she is depicted with a martyr's palm and a crucifix, the symbol of her crucifixion. She and Saint Devota are the patron saints of Corsica in the Catholic Church.

September 30 - Mikio Kannoto

St. Jerome: 5th century hermit, priest, confessor, theologian, and historian. Born at Stridon, a village near Emona on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia, he is best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin (the translation that became known as the Vulgate) and his commentaries on the Gospels and his list of writings is extensive. A protégé of Pope Damasus I, Jerome was known for his teachings on Christian moral life, especially to those living in cosmopolitan centers such as Rome. In many cases, he focused his attention on the lives of women and identified how a woman devoted to Jesus should live her life. Declared a Doctor of the Church, his major shrine can be found in Basilica of Saint Mary Major. In art, he is often represented as one of the four Latin doctors of the Church along with Augustine of Hippo, Ambrose, and St. Gregory the Great.

October 24 - Kuri Tobaya

St. Anthony Mary Claret: 19th century Spanish archbishop and missionary, who founded the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commonly called the Claretians on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1849, and gave approval by Pope Pius IX in 1865. In addition to the Claretians, which in the early 21st century had over 450 houses and 3100 members, with missions in five continents, Claret founded or drew up the rules of several communities of religious sisters. His zealous life and the wonders he wrought, both before and after his death, testified to his sanctity. His major shrine can be found in Barcelona, and is the patron saint of the Catholic press, textile merchants and savings, in which Anthony taught the poor the importance of savings. Anthony is the confessor of Queen Isabella II of Spain.

November 25 - Akane Yoneya

St. Catherine of Alexandria: 4th century virgin who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a princess and a noted scholar who became a Christian around the age of 14, converted hundreds of people to Christianity and was martyred around the age of 18. More than 1,100 years after Catherine's martyrdom, Joan of Arc identified her as one of the saints who appeared to and counselled her. Catherine is traditionally revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, in which she against sudden death and diseases of the tongue. She is the patron of philosophers, theologians, maidens and female students.

[revlyncox]

Stone Soup 2020

This reflection was written for the Washington Ethical Society by Lyn Cox, November 22, 2020.

In the story of Stone Soup, we learn we are more powerful and resilient together than we are alone, and that however small we think our gifts are, they are a beautiful and necessary ingredient in the larger whole. Liz James makes a good point that we often miss opportunities because we haven’t noticed the beauty of our own gifts. It is also true that sometimes we hold back out of a feeling of scarcity, or because we’re not sure what else will be asked of us once we open up. We can tell by how many different versions of this folk tale are in existence that the legend of Stone Soup is rich with meaning. Just like a soup with many ingredients, a tale with many tellers has subtle notes and surprising flavors that we can keep discovering year after year. Today, I’d like to talk about appreciation and abundance.

Felix Adler knew that recognizing human worth is part of the project of moral uplift. He said, "May the humanity that is within every human being be held precious. The vice that underlies all vices is that we are held cheap by others, and far worse, that in our innermost soul we think cheaply of ourselves."

Adler exhorts us to appreciate each other and ourselves.

The Washington Ethical Society Community Relations Pact includes a commitment to “express gratitude readily and accept appreciation graciously.” You already know that appreciating one another and the staff is an act that lifts everyone up, and helps us to bring out the best in each other by reinforcing what is joyful, beautiful, and supportive of our shared mission. In a community as large as WES, especially when we’re mainly a virtual community, it can be hard to figure out how to participate, how to be part of the interactions and responses that help shape this poetry in motion. Positive feedback is an extremely effective way to do that. Appreciation increases energy and resilience. You know that. You voted on it.

What might be less obvious is the part about accepting appreciation graciously. When someone offers positive feedback, or even a simple greeting, take a moment and allow yourself to be known. We can’t always see each other face to face, even when we’re on video it’s tricky to figure out eye contact. An email, a chat message, an emoji, these small acts of kindness are worth noticing and celebrating. And when messages go out to the whole community, it may not feel personal, but the appreciation expressed for your dedication, your care, your simply being -- those sentiments are sincere. Thank you for being part of WES. Yes, I mean you.

Even less obvious is appreciating yourself. Please know that you are a precious creature of worth. Even before we get into what different people bring to this community or the world, you don’t have to earn your designation as a human being. I think it is easier to be part of something larger than ourselves when we start with the knowledge that we reach out from a place of inherent worth.

We’ve just been through Transgender Day of Remembrance, and I am reminded all over again that there are beloveds who don’t know that they are valued, who are shown by state-sanctioned violence and discrimination that they don’t matter, and the results are deadly. We have to do better at protecting our most marginalized beloveds, particularly Trans women of color, and we have to do better at building a world where every person knows that they are beautiful, valued, and loved. Here, we do our best to create a community where every person can be their whole selves, with all of who they are in terms of culture, race, gender, family shape, language, and ability.

People do not have to “contribute” to have inherent worth, and it’s still lovely to notice when people do offer gifts to the community. It is not mutually exclusive to appreciate people for simply being and to appreciate the time, talent, creativity, and resources that someone has intentionally made available to benefit others. In some retellings of Stone Soup, people bring things to the table that are unusual, things their neighbors would not have thought to add to soup. Maybe it’s some tart fruit that ends up adding tantalizing acidity to the soup, or something briny like capers that gives a surprise spark of salt, or some chickpeas to add body to the broth. Sometimes, but not often, Stone Soup retellings take place in a community where different families have different food traditions, and the resulting fusion creates a soup that is an entirely new culinary snapshot of that community in that place and time. Each person’s presence makes a difference.

Appreciation of others requires a certain amount of humility, recognizing that none of us can do and be all of the things that our communities need at the same time. We are each of us always learning, there are things we have not experienced and do not know. Humility does not necessarily mean self-deprecation. We can know that we are people of worth, and that the things we are in the process of learning are valuable talents to offer, while still admiring and appreciating others. You being your whole self, making mistakes so that you can keep learning to draw out your best talents, combines with your neighbor being their whole selves and being allowed to learn and grow in their talents, until we have a learning and growing community where works-in-progress are appreciated and encouraged.

Felix Adler spoke about how ethics is a cooperative endeavor, that we need each other in our uniqueness. He said, "People may be said to resemble not the bricks of which a house is built, but the pieces of a picture puzzle, each differing in shape, but matching the rest, and thus bringing out the picture."

Let’s go on appreciating the unique shapes of our neighbors, and the bit of the puzzle that we each bring, remembering that this puzzle is a living thing with constantly shifting pictures and shapes. Let’s find ways to affirm the shapes and pictures and flavors that are present in each fleeting moment.

Another value that Stone Soup reminds us of is abundance. In a scarcity mentality, we anticipate dividing up the resources that are apparently before us, with the expectation that it will not be enough. In an abundance mentality, we imagine what could be, and open our minds to the possibility that there may be resources we have not yet noticed. In an abundance framework, we use our time and our resources creatively, we find new applications for items and knowledge available among us, we remember what we are here to do.

Something I wonder about the village in the Stone Soup story is about their purpose for being a village. Why are their homes gathered together? Is it for convenience? Safety in numbers? Is it because political forces have pushed them together? Have they gathered to share a resource like fresh water or good soil? Are they in that area as stewards, caring for a sacred place? It is possible that part of the reason the villagers have stopped valuing their gifts and channeling them together is because they don’t know what their shared purpose might be.

The Stone Soup experience suggests that, whatever brought them together originally, the villagers might find new purpose as a result of this shift in perspective. Having a “why” can unleash energy, creativity, and unity. As the soup begins to cook, the villagers find a temporary purpose in curiosity. This is enough of a goal to help them to see their individual carrots and solitary noodles with new eyes. It is enough of a purpose to inspire action.

Abundance, coupled with purpose, helps us to overcome feelings of helplessness or despair. The people of the village didn’t seem happy at the beginning, or very active. Maybe hunger had made it more difficult to think, or maybe fear of scarcity was driving them apart. Coming together for a common goal reminds us that, even when we are individually limited, collectively we have power.

As we retell Stone Soup in these socially distant times, it is natural to long for the days when we can again safely gather in person. In a moment, we’ll see a video montage that includes photos of past celebrations. It’s OK to be happy about the memories and also sad that we can’t celebrate the same way today. But let’s also appreciate the gifts we have now, and those we have discovered as we have been forced to come up with new solutions. WES is more accessible than ever to those who live at a distance, or who have trouble with mobility. There are people who have never before been able to be part of a vibrant, humanistic congregation, and who now are just as much a part of the Platform experience as someone who lives in Shepherd Park. Let’s not lose our renewed purpose of inclusivity as we re-imagine a post-COVID future.

Given the challenges of planning a virtual Stone Soup, I wonder if one of the reasons the villagers fell into scarcity is because the world changed around them, and they weren’t sure how to adapt. They would have needed a new source of motivation when they couldn’t keep doing things the way they had always been done. They would have needed a new way to apply the talents they had developed under an old paradigm. They would have needed a way to encourage each other to try new things for this new world, to learn and grow imperfectly, with appreciation and acceptance.

Our experience of the last eight months tells us that none of that is easy. I know many of us are tired. Some of us have had economic and health challenges that need not have affected us as deeply in a society with a stronger safety net. Learning how to navigate a new world, even a temporary world when we don’t know how long it will last, is exhausting.

Yet here you are, seeking ways to practice abundance. You sent pictures of food and stones. You sent recipes, over 30 last I heard, which will be emailed to members in a PDF recipe book later today. Some of our Middle School families offered their talent for the story. Maybe there are days when you can’t focus on creating something, but you can begin with appreciating someone; that makes room for abundance, too. This community, collectively, has resources and skills and curiosity and creativity that can carry you into the future. There is abundance here, ready to be coupled with purpose.

The Washington Ethical Society is a precious and valuable community, comprised of beloved people. You are worthy just as you are. If you have gifts you want to share, skills you want to develop, a heart for caring, WES and the world will be made better by your generosity of spirit. We make room by appreciating each other as well as honoring our own gifts. We make way for the future with abundance and purpose. May it be so.

[aleksya]

COME WITH ME, LET'S MAKE SOME TRAVEL TRIP IN NETHERLANDS,DE HOGE VELUWE NATIONAL PARK!!!

De Hoge Veluwe National Park is my dream place ever! I love the vibes and also the environment. Here are some interesting things you must know in my place.

image of Pinterest

Hoge Veluwe National Park (Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe), one of the most popular attractions in the Netherlands, lies just eight kilometers north of Arnhem. Occupying an area of 13,750 acres, this huge park is the largest continuous nature reserve in the country and is notable for its diversity of scenery, which includes everything from dense forests to high sand dunes. It's also unique in being a privately owned national park, one of only two such parks in the Netherlands (and the only one that is fully enclosed).

Hoge Veluwe National Park is famous for its tremendous diversity of landscape, a mix of thick forest, heath, and even sand dunes. Perhaps the best preserved - and certainly the most interesting geologically of the country's national parks - Hoge Veluwe consists of a large area of sandy soil formed during the Ice Age. This fascinating scenery is interrupted in the south and east by moraines standing between 80 and 100 meters high.

-Hoge Veluwe Highlights-

·Hoge Veluwe's Birds and Beasts

From well-placed observation points in the center and northwest sections of Hoge Veluwe, visitors can watch animals including red deer, roe deer, and wild pigs, as well as moufflon, a species of wild sheep originating from Sardinia and Corsica. In winter, a variety of birds congregate in the park, including marigold finches, titmice, chaffinches, woodpeckers, jays, magpies, and thrushes. If you're here for the wildlife, the best times to do some animal spotting are early morning and late evening, so plan your visit accordingly. Be sure to pick up a park map upon arrival for details regarding locations of wildlife observation posts and refuge areas, some of which are accessible by car. These are available from the entrances, visitor center, tea house, or park shop.

·Hiking and Biking

As with so much of the Netherlands, Hoge Veluwe National Park is predominantly flat, making touring by bike one of the best ways to enjoy its magnificent scenery. And as the Netherlands is one of the most bike-friendly nations on the planet, it seems only natural that more than 1,700 of the country's famous White Bikes have been made available for use throughout the park (they're free with admission); simply turn up, ride as far as you like, and drop it off at one of the distribution points or park entrances when you're done. Specially designed children's bikes are also available, as are versions with front or rear child seats.

·Home Sweet Home: St. Hubertus

Built as the main residence for Hoge Veluwe's wealthy owners, Anton and Helene Kröller-Müller, Jachthuis Sint Hubertus was designed by one of the Netherland's leading architects, Hendrik Berlage, and was completed in 1923. Named after St. Hubertus, an accomplished huntsman, this magnificent mansion contains numerous references and symbols relating to the legend of the great saint, most noticeably its antler shape (the masonry also incorporates a cross).

·The Kröller-Müller Museum and Sculpture Garden

Built to house the private collection of the Hoge Veluwe's art collector owners, the Kröller-Müller Museum (Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller) is home to numerous fine examples of 19th- and 20th-century European art. Built in 1938, the building was designed to bring art and nature together, a concept continued in the impressive glass extension added in 1977.

Highlights of the collection include some 4,000 drawings, 275 sculptures, and several hundred paintings. Work from the late 19th and early 20th centuries predominates, including 280 paintings and drawings by Vincent Van Gogh from his time in The Hague and Paris. Other treasures include Art Nouveau works by Odilon Redon, James Ensor, and Jan Toorop; Impressionism and Expressionism paintings by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Auguste Renoir; and Cubism, including examples from Pablo Picasso and Fernand Léger.

·Going Underground: The Museonder

Europe's first underground museum, the Museonder opened near the Kröller-Müller Museum in 1993. Visitors are taken on a unique journey through a series of subterranean pathways providing displays and information related to the area's natural history and geology, as well as once-native wildlife, including the skeletons of mammoths, rhinos, and giant stags. Some exhibits focus on organisms that live underground, including burrowing animals and insects, and the root systems of trees.

-AND HERE ARE SOME TIPS AND TOURS: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT TO HOGE VELUWE NATIONAL PARK-

Visiting from Amsterdam: If you're based in Amsterdam while enjoying a stay in the Netherlands, consider joining an organized tour to get the most out of your Hoge Veluwe experience. A great option is the small group, half-day tour to the Kröller-Müller Museum and Hoge Veluwe National Park. Highlights of this guided tour include transportation to and from the park and museum (a journey of approximately 75 minutes, Wi-Fi included), with plenty of time to explore the galleries containing works by such greats as Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh. Afterwards, you're free to explore the park by bike (there are plenty of well-marked trails to explore).

Dining: A number of on-site dining opportunities are available in the park, including De Koperen Kop, offering a variety of self-service meals (lunch and dinner), along with a pleasant terrace and a playground for the kids. Lunches and snacks are available from Monsieur Jacques Café-Restaurant in the Kröller-Müller Museum, while light refreshments are offered at Tea House Jachthuis Sint Hubertus.

Camping: On-site camping is available for tents or caravans, with wash and shower facilities provided for a small additional fee (optional electric hookups are also available).

Address

Koningsweg 17, Schaarsbergen

Official site: www.hogeveluwe.nl/en/14

And yeah! if you also planning to visit in Netherlands,Hoge Veluwe National Park don't be hesitate, it's worth it! what are you wanting for?

xoxo

special thanks for the reference:

planetware.com

[pastiche-comic]

Food and Cuisine

By Conrad Tippett and Keith W. Horowitz

The Indisclosednean palate is a tale of providence and  pragmatism. In the three decades since the island was first settled, the country developed its own unique flavours based on what had been available. Thus, Indisclosednean cuisine reflects both the country’s resources and the patchwork of cultures that live in it. Local versions of international and regional favourites tend to be subtly different.

A Matter of Supply

Even though much of the crops grown in the country are cash crops, agribusinesses still sell to the local markets. Indisclosednia’s rich farms, ranches, and seas still provide the average Indisclosednean resident with at least 60 percent of their daily meals. 

Why can’t we provide a much higher number? The reason for this is simple, but not in the way you think it is. The main island is small, but also really fertile. Even amateur gardeners can create a bumper crop for their own use in some places. This fertility, however, means nothing if the plants can’t grow in this climate.

There is only a narrow band of land available for agriculture in the highlands. Only a few types of temperate vegetables are grown commercially. While other locally grown temperate vegetables can sometimes be found, these were certainly grown by hobby farmers in their home gardens. These are sold in weekend farmer’s markets. Other temperate crops (apples, wheat, strawberries) aren’t worth growing and are almost always imported, especially since some people’s family recipes have no room for improvising.

There isn’t enough land for massive ranches, either. Even if we do eat all of the meat we raise, that’s still not enough to meet demand. Thus, meat imports.

The Pattern of Meals

Down here, we follow a meal plan comprising at most five meals a day. These are divided into three major meals plus snacks in mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Meals are often three-course affairs with a savory starter, a main dish, and a fruit, pastry, or confection as dessert. 

Morning meals follow the typical ones for several cultures. Eggs are a common staple. In-between meals are lighter affairs and focus on either sandwiches, snack cakes, or fruit. Meat, vegetables, and fish are common choices for lunch and dinner. 

A Matter of Ingredients

Cereal derivatives are a common staple. Rice is a common side dish, as are cornmeal and wheat products. Rice and corn are domestically grown; ergo, many variations replace wheat products with rice or corn. 

Chicken is the most widespread form of animal protein, followed by seafood, lamb, and goat. Although commonly farmed, beef and pork are more readily available in some communities more than others. Christian- and East Asian-majority communities are noted by the commonness of pork, while Hindu-majority communities are distinguished by the absence of beef.

Fruits are a common feature in every Indisclosednean meal. Besides being eaten as is, fruit is also included in many meals as an ingredient. Many meat dishes are marinated in fruit juices. Fruit-and-vegetable sauces are common accoutrements to dishes. In general, fresh fruit is meant for a local market, while canned and candied fruits are meant for export and for the minority of locals too lazy to glaze it themselves.

Beverages

Tea, coffee, and chocolate were the first beverages to be grown commercially in the country. Kola nuts are also grown and are part of the supply chain for soft drinks. It is no surprise, then, that caffeination is a recurring theme in Indisclosednean mid-afternoon meals. Adolescents and young adults alike congregate in cafes and consume large amounts of pearl milk teas and coffee frappes. 

Outside of mornings and the monsoon, people prefer all their drinks cold. This is a product of the tropics and a common habit embraced by everyone except the communities that came from Great Britain and East Asia. 

Cross-Cultural Influences

The desire for cultural rapport has influenced Indisclosednean food culture. The dumpling parties held by non-Christians to accommodate their dietary preferences are one example. What often began as a party idea promoted by vegetarian stores and kosher-halal delis has become a national phenomenon that has attracted members of many faiths.

The parties are especially popular with the vegetarian and vegan communities as it’s an excellent place to test the appeal of new vegetable dishes. Vegan versions of many dishes are commonly served at these parties as food everyone can enjoy. In fact, among the first dishes that gave the party its name are the assortment of vegetable dumplings (momo, gyoza, dimsum, etc.). Vegetarian dumpling recipes are often made specifically for these occasions.

Get Your Drink On

Most wines, spirits, and beers are either imported from elsewhere or rely on foreign imports for production (no barley and not enough grapes, basically). A few exceptions include fruit wines, corn beer, coconut liquors, and rum. Alcoholic beverages are served in most restaurants, resorts, and clubs. Fruity cocktails are popular among tourists and locals alike. The “patriot blends” were based on the cocktail mixes exclusive to the Serenity’s bars. 

The legal drinking age is 18 years. Please drink responsibly and do not drive while intoxicated.

[bigskydreaming]

Basically, the Changelings ‘verse is an original project of mine that me and a friend occasionally have a lot of fun headcanoning various Teen Wolf characters into just to play around with the setting. (And now, I guess, some DC ones as well, lol). Riffing off of various things like The 4400 but with a specifically fantasy and YA bent - and I do mean bent, since like, lol, I don’t write straight characters, don’t be weird.

Basic high concept is starting about twelve years ago, various kids all in their early to late teens started vanishing from their beds. Then, about five years later, they all started reappearing right where they’d disappeared from (even if their families had since moved). Only they came back...changed. Hence, Changelings. I know. I’m like...The Most Clever. Its ridick.

Anyway, while still very much being the same people they’d been all along, whether or not friends or family agreed due to their apparent changes, there’s always at least something different or otherworldly about them now, with some sort of mystical ability unique to them to go along with it. None of them know where they were, who or what took them or why, why they’re different now or what their specific changes or abilities are based on, but it seems to be an ongoing phenomenon, once it began. Kids still vanish, reappear an indeterminate amount of time later, Changed.

There are different names in different countries and cultures, since its a global phenomenon, but in the US they’re usually called either Changelings or sometimes the Fey, while non-Changed people are commonly called ‘mainstream’ in the vernacular that crops up. Communities of various sizes spring up all around the world, as it varies widely but there’s always plenty of reason for Changelings to seek each other out and form their own communities and found families. In the US, most of them eventually congregate in the largest Changeling community, in San Francisco - called Bordertown or Faetown, unofficially.

For example, one of the most infamous Changelings, and one of the earliest, is simply called the Ferryman and he’s kind of an enigma even in Faetown. He never goes anywhere without his hoodie drawn over his face, but the depths within it are permanently shrouded in shadow that is more mystical than physical...no matter the time or the place, no one can ever make out his features beneath his hood. He’s vital to Faetown however, as his ability is what allows many Changelings to even make it there in the first place. 

The rumor goes, if you’re a Changeling and you need to get to Faetown, just lay down to sleep at night with two pennies placed on your eyelids, and it’ll summon him via his magic. It brings him to where you are, letting him pass through walls and unlock doors to get to you, and after waking you up he’ll bring you to the nearest body of water even if its just as small as a swimming pool, and that’s where his boat is. Just a simple rowboat but that’s all that’s needed because the other part of his magic is once he has a passenger, a deep otherworldly fog springs up around it and once his boat passes through it, Ferryman, boat and passenger all emerge near the docks of Faetown.

There’s a thriving underwater community around the docks since a number of Changelings are adapted to live underwater or amphibiously....avian or winged or otherwise flying adapted Changelings most commonly nest out of the Aerie, a cluster of skyscrapers whose upper floors are all without windows now and interconnected by small bridges cobbled together.

Some Changelings, despite their (assumed to be) supernatural origins, seem as much science as magic - for instance, Alicia is a young black girl who is perpetually surrounded by flickering ‘shades’ or ghosts of herself...who are actually all versions of her existing simultaneously in alternate universes...all the various Alicias can cycle between each other at will, abandoning their physical form to become a shade while an alternate Alicia manifests physically in this universe, with her own unique skills, experiences and knowledge. Or Kid Midas, who seems made of solid living gold and transmutes elements with a touch, while there’s more obviously supernatural Changelings like Ross, an Asian teenager with stag horns whose magic lets him summon a kind of Wild Hunt. 

There’s a Changeling whose change turned him into a literal dragon, so big he spends most of his time just lounging in the abandoned warehouse the community repurposed to accommodate him, with it being a gathering place for other Changelings to congregate and share stories, in part to keep him entertained (since he’s one of the principle defenders of Faetown, after all). His twin sister, who appears totally mainstream except when she has her sunglasses off revealing draconic eyes just like his, is psychically linked to him so they can see through each other’s eyes any time they want.

So its a lot of fun to play around with even unofficially, unlinked to the actual stories I write in it. For instance, one of the TW characters is basically Isaac from the show, who here ended up looking mostly like he does in canon....except on his back there’s a living, magic tattoo of a black tree with red leaves like drops of blood. His magic lets him heal people...but by absorbing their pain, sickness or injury into himself....which causes the tree to grow, branch out, flower with more leaves and blossoms.....and thing is, he has to get rid of the pain/illness/injury he absorbed or suffer from it himself. Either by inflicting it wholly on someone else, which is a potent weapon that made him a much sought out commodity by those who wanted to exploit him before he reached Faetown....or within the community, they’ve figured out ways to let him dole out just a tiny bit to a bunch of different people, not enough to harm anyone else, but enough to get rid of it and shrink his tattoo back down to its usual size.

Then there’s Tracy, an Asian-American girl who has black raven wings and whose feathers act as scrying portals. She tucks one beneath someone’s pillow without them knowing, and it lets her see into their dreams - and even kill someone in their dreams. Harley’s a black girl with pastel colored wings and cotton candy-esque hair, whose magic has her perpetually surrounded by a swarm of what she terms her ‘atomic pixies’...little sprites that can combine at her will to form anything she imagines. Malia is a gender fluid shapeshifter who goes by Mal when in male forms and Lia in female forms....they wear gloves normally, because with a touch they can take on the shape of anyone they make skin to skin contact with, but just with their features slightly reversed...normally not enough to be immediately obvious as anything but there being something slightly different.

But anyway, yeah. So that’s what the Changeling ‘verse is. *Shrugs*