#pillar 84

[onedaytripin]

One Day Kota To Bundi Trip By Private Cab

If you are looking for a short and sweet getaway from Kota, then Bundi is the perfect destination for you and One Day Kota To Bundi Trip By Private Cab best way. Bundi is a charming town in Rajasthan that boasts of a rich history, culture and natural beauty. Bundi is famous for its palaces, forts, lakes, step wells and paintings that reflect the glory of the Rajput era. Bundi is also known as the…

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I love weird, unusual, what-was-the-architect-thinking houses, and this 1966 stone house in Sublette, KS not only has 3bds, 3ba, 2,736 sq ft, but it can be yours for $499k.

Two-story entrance hall with stone pillars, stone floor, ledges, wood paneling, plank ceilings, and carpeted stairs. The keyword here is "texture."

In true mid-century modern fashion, there's a conversation pit around a fireplace. However, all of the walls are stone, the windows are round, and the fireplace is unconventional in design.

The rest of the living room. I'm not understanding why there are doors and then one pillar away there's a large opening, that they've blocked with a table. The primary bedroom is also open, but has large sliding doors.

The living room and rounded bedroom have carpeted flooring.

The main bath has a long entrance lined with closets.

At the end of the closet hall there's a sunken tub with original tile. Look at the little tile mural in the wall, too.

Then here, there's a family room with a corner fireplace. Note the niches in the walls.

In the middle, there's a large area with a dramatic focal point. There's an opening and a fountain, so I would imagine that you can sit in there. Large light above- not sure if it's a skylight or a light fixture.

This view reminds me of a furniture showroom.

So, the kitchen is nice. It looks like it's open to a patio.

The cabinetry is lovely and there's plenty storage.

Going up the stairs, I like the railing.

The 2nd bedroom is up here and it's also got a wide opening. Both bedrooms seem to have very large sliding doors that close for privacy.

This must be used as a guest room b/c it has a luggage rack. Love that desk.

But check out the little guest house.

It has a large fireplace, bed, and room for a sitting area.

The bath is small, but it has a large closet.

Large private walled patio with a pergola is at the back of the house.

.84 acres lot

https://www.zillow.com/homes/615-S-Inman-St-Sublette,-KS-67877_rb/91171842_zpid/

[spirk-trek]

The Voice Fanzine | Vivienne Rivers, 1982-84

Since it may be difficult to read these, I did my best to transcribe them all into bullet points below the cut :)

"S'Tireth Collected XXVIII"

"I don't care if Gayle Freyer does say it's possible!"

"Nobody asked me if Spock eats meat...! -J.T.K."

"Jimbo, I'm pissed with pilgrimages..."

"Sodom today, Gomorrah... THE WORLD!"

"Smile... me?"

"Jim, I think we're getting stuck in a rut."

"I'm a sucker for k/s"

"Spock is unsurpassed in post coital metaphysics. -J.T.K."

"Spock is was a sensitive Vulcan virgin!"

"Have fun with your fetish!"

"Spock looks great in leather. -J.T.K."

"Have fun with your agonizer."

"Sodom today, Gomorrah the world!"

".... Towering pillar of green flame"

"The search for Spock"

"The masters at Gol are repressed homosexuals. -Spock-"

"I'll be blowed if Jim [is] going to read anymore of this k/s"

"Zines of the week: Crust by BEN DOVER, Trouble with Camels BESS T. ALITEE, The Testicles of Spock by JENNY TALIA"

"Spock does it with Jim-"

"Windsurfers do it standing up - Security men do it with a phaser in one hand"

[tossawary]

Details (quote plus thoughts) on Shen Qingqiu killing the Skinner Demon and his reaction afterwards, including his conversation with Luo Binghe about using his disciple as bait, and his promise that Luo Binghe will never suffer any misfortune. Long post. Warning for a brief description of graphic violence, specifically the Skinner Demon's body afterwards.

"The corner of Shen Qingqiu's mouth twitched, and he gathered all of his spiritual power into his right hand, lashing out with a palm strike and smacking Die-er in the chest. The demon flew back like a kite with a snapped string.

This was the first time that Shen Qingqiu had killed someone. But he didn't hold back, not even a little. First, because this was a book; second, because this was a demon who'd killed countless people; and third, because if he didn't, he'd be the one who got killed.

Shen Qingqiu gazed down at the horrible state of "Die-er": four limbs twisted and broken, bleeding from the seven facial apertures. He turned away, bombarding his own brain with a barrage of his three reasons until they blocked out the screen of his mind.

Striving to remain calm, he slowly stood and straightened, settled his hear and breathing, fixed his posture, and turned to Luo Binghe.

"This is your first time seeing someone 'eliminate demons and uphold justice,'" he said. "Were you scared?"

Luo Binghe's still-childish face was slightly pale.

"If you wish to 'uphold,' you must 'eliminate,'" said Shen Qingqiu, composed.

Luo Binghe gritted his teeth. His voice quavered. "Shizun, if this disciple may be so bold as to ask, just now..."

When the second half of the sentence didn't arrive, Shen Qingqiu spoke, "You want to ask, if that ceiling beam hadn't suddenly come crashing down, what was this master's plan?"

Shen Qingqiu had no choice but to suffer in silence, he yearned to tell Luo Binghe: Don't worry, even if the ceiling beam hadn't collapsed, perhaps the wall would have. Even if the wall hadn't, perhaps the pillar would have. Long story short, you definitely wouldn't have died, the boss definitely would have, and that's all there is to it.

But he couldn't speak these words, so he could only adopt an unpredictable air and evade the question by changing the subject. "If you're asking this, are you blaming this master?"

Luo Binghe shook his head. "No," he said, his expression sincere. "If this disciple could give up his life for Shizun, it would be an honor."

Shen Qingqiu was shaken. This kid really was too much of a white lotus!

"Then this master will promise you in kind," he said after thinking for a moment and settling on properly ambiguous words. "Even if an accident befalls this master, no misfortune will come to you."

This was an absolute truth. Even if Shen Qingqiu died one hundred times - ah, on hundred times - Luo Binghe, the protagonist with impervious plot armor, would go on living in perfect health.

"On this matter, I speak nothing but the truth." His voice resounded as he said this, his expression confident and collected, without the slightest hint of falsehood.

When Luo Binghe heard these words, it was as if his life force had been ignited. The sunflower that had begun to wilt revived, full of renewed vigor.

Holding Xiu Ya in both hands, Luo Binghe lifted the blade until it was even with his brows and presented it to Shen Qingqiu. "Shixun, your sword!" "

Volume 1, Chapter 2, pages 83-84.

This is a weird moment, emotionally, because it's both Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe's first time dealing with violent death (and demons). Shen Yuan didn't even go to look at the skinned body! (And neither did Luo Binghe!) Ming Fan did that part of the investigation! I doubt Shen Yuan in his past life was ever in a position where he saw a dead body at all, much less a mangled one or a skinned one. (I have personally seen donated human bodies (muscle + bone) used for the study of anatomy, and it is... an experience. It's not pleasant.)

They are both very young here. In fact, Luo Binghe is almost certainly both more acquainted with violence (being regularly beaten up as he trains with Cang Qiong, his shitty childhood beforehand) and with death (his adoptive mother's death, probably witnessing some other horrible stuff while he was on the streets) than Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan may have seen gore in media before, but this is very real. This is where his entire transmigration experience suddenly becomes a lot more real than it was before this mission.

Shen Yuan is a laid-back person who strives to go with the flow, and he's not afraid to deal out violence and to kill in defense, especially when the Skinner Demon is a serial killer. He goes on to face even greater violence throughout the novel and at least kills plenty of monsters at the Immortal Alliance Conference.

And yet it reads to me as though... he's seeking comfort here? He seems shaken-up. But he can't express it because that's OOC. And he presumably doesn't want to put the weight of his upset on Binghe even when he's allowed to share his emotions, when the OOC lock breaks shortly after this exchange. I think that he does want to comfort Binghe here, to apologize for using him as bait, to thank him for saving him, but also... I think he unconsciously wants someone to comfort him here, to talk it through with someone, to make himself feel better by looking after someone else.

Binghe, however, is not at a point where he's willing to be especially emotionally vulnerable with Shen Qingqiu. It's too early. "Shizun, I'm scared, please comfort me," probably would have gotten him beaten about a week ago. He's far more focused on the fact that Shen Qingqiu used him as bait, that's what scared him most, that his teacher might honestly want him dead. It's also a threat that's still present, so that's what he asks after.

And Shen Yuan can't really explain himself! (The System would't let him if he tried, probably!) So he dodges the question! In a way that makes him look pretty good, still, I think, kind of implying that he did do something. (Because otherwise it's way too much of a coincidence!) And when Binghe isn't interested in talking out the Skinner Demon's death, in talking out their mutual first encounter with violent death and killing, Shen Yuan just kind of... buries this incident immediately. He goes to the Ling Xi Caves shortly after this. He doesn't talk to anyone about it. Which is how he ends up dealing with... a lot of his negative feelings later on.

I think Binghe is lying when he says it would be an honor to die for Shen Qingqiu here, honestly. Maybe later on, when his relationship with Shen Qingqiu is even closer, he would mean it sincerely, but right now? It's too early, in my opinion. I think Binghe would genuinely start to mean this after Shen Qingqiu gets poisoned by Without a Cure for his sake, but not before. Maybe he wants to mean it now? He wants Shen Qingqiu to be worth dying for because otherwise... what is all this fucking suffering for?

Whenever I reread SVSSS, I'm struck by how... quiet... Luo Binghe is at the beginning. When Shen Qingqiu accidentally ends up spying on the first interaction we see between Luo Binghe and Ning Yingying, which becomes the scene of Ming Fan stealing the false jade pendant, Binghe is... quiet, thoughtful, determined, solemn, angry, resentful of Ming Fan, possibly also resentful of Ning Yingying. I don't think his self-confidence is high, but... I don't know, I don't think he's as much a "white lotus" here as he presents himself to be to Shen Yuan and his fellow disciples. His life has sucked. He's aware that the world is kind of shit, even he hopes his future will improve.

When Binghe is dealing with Meng Mo, he's savvy, stubborn, unimpressed, demanding, aware of his high ground and unwilling to cede it. Even after the time skip to right before the Immortal Alliance Conference, when Binghe and Shen Qingqiu's affection for each other is at its highest, Binghe isn't particularly... puppy-like at seventeen. He's eager to see Shen Qingqiu again, eager for his approval, but he's also relatively confident, almost suave with statements that could be read as flirtation, running parts of Qing Jing Peak on Shen Qingqiu's behalf.

(Part of the reason that Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe fail to immediately reconcile after Binghe returns from the Abyss is that Binghe has genuine anger over Shen Qingqiu's betrayal and isn't willing to just throw himself at Shen Qingqiu's feet to potentially immediately be stabbed again, and I don't think Binghe's ability to feel anger started with the Endless Abyss.)

I do think Binghe at the beginning of his time with Cang Qiong Mountain Sect wondered if / assumed that Shen Jiu's treatment of him was happening because he was genuinely doing something wrong. And I do think that after Shen Yuan shows up and starts saving him and treating him well, Binghe became intensely attached and went on to rationalize Shen Jiu's behavior as necessary correction of some wrongdoing + trying to make him stronger. But I think some small part of Binghe at this point in time must at least suspect that Shen Qingqiu is just as asshole. Binghe is too clever not to have considered the possibility, even if Shen Jiu repeatedly broke his heart disappointing him.

Anyway, Shen Yuan promising that no misfortune will come to Binghe? Even if some accident befalls his master? WILD thing to say at all. ABSURD thing to explicitly promise the protagonist.

It's possible that Shen Yuan still assumes that this point that he'll be able to prevent Luo Binghe from going into the Endless Abyss once the OOC lock breaks. I don't think Shen Yuan knows yet that the System is going to force him to push Binghe in or lose 10-20k B-Points and probably die. Shen Yuan still hopes that he'll be able to "cling to those thighs" and avert everything! It's so early on that the System probably hasn't made those threats yet!

It's also wild because... it seems like Shen Yuan is completely forgetting about emotional harm? He later tries (and kind of fails) to rationalize to himself that going into the Endless Abyss will just make Binghe stronger, so it's fine and good for Luo Binghe actually, not a misfortune, but he must know on some level that Binghe being in "perfect health" physically does not mean that Binghe will escape without mental and emotional scarring.

At the moment, I think that Shen Yuan desperately wants to comfort Binghe, without knowing how to do it without showing physical affection or friendliness, so he makes this RIDICULOUS promise. Partly because he still believes he'll be able to change things and he wants to promise to look after Binghe forever.

[johnlyngfr]

The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula

The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula is a complex star-forming region situated nearby in our galaxy. It is on our own spiral arm, at a distance of only 2,700 light years. This tubular shape, at the centre, is reminiscent of the “Pillars of Creation” but appears coiled like the trunk of an elephant.

Researcher have identified hundreds of young stars forming in this curious coiled structure. Look closely, and you can see gaps in the gas and dust clouds. These are caused by the outward-thrusting stellar winds generated by these young stars.

I photographed the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula from my garden in Strasbourg France on three warm nights in August 2024. This is an ensemble of 84 photos, where each was a 5 minute exposure (7 hours of astrophotography).

More information about the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula:

[roboticprince100]

My Complete List of 150 Affirmations

1. All my negative thoughts, fears, doubts and worries have vanished.

2. All my questions are perfectly answered.

3. Being mindful and living in the present moment are my favourite habits.

4. Every person in the world is safe, secure and protected.

5. Every person lives to a minimum of 100 years in good health, love and prosperity.

6. Everyday is the best day of my life.

7. Everyone has enough money to afford a good lifestyle.

8. Everyone is blessed.

9. Everyone is happy.

10. Everyone is perfectly healthy.

11. Everything is absolutely possible.

12. Everything is easy, everything is effortless.

13. Exercise makes me physically strong, clearing my mind from doubts and fears.

14. Fear and worry are a joke.

15. Focus is my true power.

16. Giving your 100% in everything you do is what I am known for.

17. Happiness, love, respect and care are the pillars of the world.

18. Humanity is thriving.

19. I AM

20. I always finish what I start.

21. I always get exactly what I want.

22. I always have pure, clean and peaceful thoughts.

23. I always look at what is possible.

24. I always manifest instantly.

25. I always react with patience.

26. I always show up.

27. I always make the best investment decisions.

28. I always make the right decision.

29. I always win.

30. I am a beacon of positive attitude and discipline.

31. I am abundance.

32. I am always consistent with my habits and decisions.

33. I am always happy and cheerful.

34. I am always peaceful, calm and relaxed.

35. I am always safe, always protected, always blessed.

36. I am an idol and inspiration for everyone.

37. I am at peace with myself.

38. I am blessed.

39. I am constantly growing.

40. I am devoid of distractions.

41. I am enough.

42. I am extremely grateful for everything in my life.

43. I am filled with confidence, energy and love.

44. I am greatly admired by my family, friends, relatives and colleagues.

45. I am highly disciplined and organised.

46. I am highly efficient and productive.

47. I am highly respected and treated like a Prince wherever I go.

48. I am in full control of my mind.

49. I am insanely wealthy.

50. I am invincible.

51. I am living the best life.

52. I am loved by everyone.

53. I am mentally and emotionally the strongest.

54. I am naturally likable.

55. I am perfect.

56. I am perfection personified, always young, healthy and wealthy.

57. I am perfectly healthy.

58. I am proud of myself.

59. I am resilient.

60. I am so grateful for my incredible life.

61. I am so grateful to God for giving me such a lovely life partner.

62. I am so thankful to God.

63. I am strong, confident and powerful.

64. I am the God of Manifestation.

65. I am the definition of success.

66. I am the greatest.

67. I am unbeatable.

68. I am unstoppable.

69. I am very comfortable to change.

70. I am very, very lucky.

71. I am wealth.

72. I can buy anything and everything endlessly.

73. I can employ Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark and Richie Rich together.

74. I can manifest anything and everything.

75. I can unmake anything and everything.

76. I control everyone and everything.

77. I decide.

78. I define what is true in my reality.

79. I deserve only the best.

80. I do my best and leave the rest.

81. I eat the best food.

82. I forgive everyone because they are my reflection.

83. I forgive myself.

84. I fully trust my capabilities.

85. I have an amazing family.

86. I have an amazing life.

87. I have an impressive physique.

88. I have defeated all my bad habits completely.

89. I have defeated fear completely.

90. I have everything.

91. I have strong, bright white and perfect teeth.

92. I have the best habits.

93. I have the best hair a man can ever have.

94. I have the best health, houses, cars and life partner.

95. I have the best partner.

96. I have the most beautiful eyes a man can ever have.

97. I have the most understanding and loving partner.

98. I have the purest mind.

99. I have the strongest mind.

100. I have thick, dense, dark black, shiny hair.

101. I have unlimited money.

102. I keep visiting new countries and new cities meeting new people.

103. I live in bliss.

104. I live my life with faith and confidence.

105. I look amazing.

106. I love everyone and everything.

107. I love my life to the fullest.

108. I love to exercise.

109. I love to fast and maintain optimal health.

110. I love to meditate.

111. I love to read.

112. I love to remain focused and mindful.

113. I love to work hard and discipline myself to achieve my goals.

114. I love travelling internationally a lot and making new friends all over the world.

115. I practise mindfulness everyday.

116. I remember everything perfectly.

117. I spread love everywhere.

118. I take utmost care of my body.

119. I talk less and always respond calmly.

120. It's an insult to my intellect if I have to worry.

121. Meditation relaxes my mind and soul to such an extent that I reach pure consciousness.

122. My bank account is loaded with money.

123. My confidence is my faith.

124. My each and every problem is automatically resolved.

125. My eyes are blue, and I have a perfect sharp vision of 20/10.

126. My fears are fake and my doubts are dumb.

127. My focus determines my desires.

128. My life is filled with adventure, surprise and love.

129. My past was amazing, my present is perfect and my future is mind-blowing.

130. My presence is magical.

131. My reactions are always under control.

132. My reality is in my control.

133. My skin is flawless.

134. My skin is immaculate and my body is forever youthful.

135. My smile melts the hardest hearts.

136. My subconscious mind always gives me more than what I desire.

137. Poverty and diseases are completely eradicated.

138. Reading and exercising make me the happiest.

139. Reality is what I create.

140. Thank you Father!

141. Thank you so much God.

142. The Law is always working in my favour.

143. The world is a perfect utopia.

144. There is a lot of mutual respect amongst each other in the world.

145. Today is just amazing.

146. What is the point of anger and hatred if I am everyone and everything?

147. Whatever I repeat confidently, becomes my reality.

148. Whatever I spend, I get the double of it instantly.

149. World peace is perfectly established.

150. Zillion is the number of my positive thoughts, my money, my blessings and my life.

[gremlins-hotel]

Uniforms of the Cold War There were many pieces and variations of the uniforms for the emergent post-World War II powers. While they remained mostly styled after yesterday's uniforms, several changes came about to bring us the outerwear that most recognizes today. These renderings are not perfect, but they can hopefully provide a suitable image of the era.

[ sources ]

Capt Alfred F. Jones // U.S. Air Force After the Air Force was codified as an official military branch in 1947, we find Alfred sporting the 1949-1964 Air Force blue (shade 84*) Field/Service uniform. This version, rather than the McPeak Dress Jacket, is based upon the Eisenhower or 'Ike' Field Jacket (M1943 accompaniment) made famous by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Air Force did allow for the tan jacket typical of the time to also be worn - and for fellow Hetalians you will recognize the tan or olive drab Ike jacket as the typical choice for Alfred's Cold War dress - however, in 1949, the release of the Air Force Blue drove a push for a new wave of uniforms. Its accompanying garments should be as follows; shade blue 120 cotton poplin (pictured)/shade 126 cotton oxford undershirt; shade 84 service necktie**. The uniform can be worn with either the Service Dress Cap or the flight cap (pictured above), both required to be shade 84. As an officer, Alfred's flight cap bears a silver cord braid. Last but not least, the required dress shoes shall be black and socks shall be black. *The trousers should be the same shade as the jacket, but they were made darker for artistic reasons. **The necktie - while listed as shade 84 - often ended up darker than the jacket, likely due to material.

- - - - -

Kapitan Ivan Braginsky // Red Army (Artillery)* The uniforms of the immediate post-war Soviet Union, like the United States, closely followed those of the Great Patriotic War. Ivan wears a very short-lived uniform, perhaps misleadingly known as the 'Zhukov' officer dress, despite the fact that then-Minister of Defense Georgy Zhukov was a strong pillar against the naval-styled uniform. This style was produced from 1955-1957; from the death of Stalin until the end of Zhukov's tenure as Minister of Defense. It features the M55 Dress jacket in a stormy, steely blue-gray (listed officially as gray). This jacket may have been worn as a parade, dress, semi-dress, or even service jacket (sources vary) - pictured above is the 'Parade Walking-Out' version of the jacket. Paired with the M55 are the dark blue officer breeches of the time. These would have been upheld by suspenders and paired with no foot or leg wraps. Upon Ivan's uniform is featured red piping and black velvet hat banding denoting his service in the Armored and/or Artillery forces, in contrast to the raspberry of infantry. Ivan is far too large to fit inside a tank, so Artillery became his assignment. The Zhukov-style uniform is easily recognized by the gold cockade and leaves upon the visor of the officer's cap. Hidden by Ivan's scarf are notched lapels and black velvet panels. He wears a ceremonial belt worn in conjunction with the Parade Dress. *I apologize for this section being less detailed. Finding decent sources on Soviet-era uniforms in my region that aren't on apologist forums can be difficult as I do not have access to a more formal library or archive.

[ sources ]

[dialittlesandbox]

Heya LMK Fandom!

I finally got my hands on all 5 Seasons of LMK and while watching S1, I started to wonder which characters/artifacts are from Journey to the West. Down the rabbit hole I go, starting a list that's all about that. For now I used a chapter summary as well as an Episodeguide, cause I haven't read the book yet and Overly Sarcastics Productions (YT channel) to start off and now a PDF of the translated version by Anthony C. Yu. (One of two full translations of Journey to the West) And while I go on and on, I think to myself, maybe somebody else would like to see that list as well, so I decided to post it here. Down below you find my sources and said list starting with the Pilot. I shall add more as I go on.

Scources: Episodelist on fandom.com Chapter Summaries of Journey to the West Overly Sarcastic Production Journey to the West PDFs of the Journey to the West 2012 Revised Edition by Anthony C. Yu

The following Template will be seen: Season, Episode: Name character/artifact - Chapter in Journey to the West Description in Journey to the West

Pilot: Monkie Kid: A Hero is Born Monkie Kings Staff - Chapter 3 Description: After defeating "The Monsterous King of Harvoc" that'S been stealing monkies from Flower Fruit Mountain. Afterwards, the Monkey King decides that they'll need an army to defend themselves and he himself a weapon. So he visits the Dragon Palace in the Eastern Ocean and ask to "borrow" a weapon from that Dragon King. After much searching, Sun Wukong settles for a " heavy (17550 lbs or 7960,546 kg) magic size-changing iron pillar"

Red Son - Chapter 40-42 Description: The Son of the Bull Demon King that's terrorising a mountain and the spirit population living there after spending years on training up his fire abilities. Now he can call upon the "true Fire of Samadhi" and was originally send there by DBK to guard the mountain. Monkey King fights him (after Red Son kidnaps Tripitaka), but with that fire on the demons side they call upon Guynyin to help out. Only then are they able to defeat Red Son and he is taken under Guynyin's care as a servant.

Princess Iron Fan's Fan - Chapter 59-61 Description: After arriving at a mountain that is on constant fire (Fault of Monkey as one of the coals that were used to cook out the immortality pills off him got shot down and lit said fire when he escaped the coltr, the the pilgrims learn from the locals that they'll need the magical palm-leaf fan from Princess Iron Fan to extinguish said fire. The fan can produce such powerfull winds, that any who stand in it's way will be blown over 84 miles (135,1849 km).

Princess Iron Fan/ Rakishasi - Chapter 59-61 Description: Wife of the Demon Bull King, the Princess was currently suffering under the absence of her husband and that her son is now a servant under Guynyin and she can't visit him. Those frustation she takes out on Monkey but can't defeat him but also refuses to give out her fan at first. At the end, she does give it up willingly, reflecting and coming to the conclusion that she wants a better life for herself. Monkey sees that she has "already worked her way up to a real human body*" and contiunes to better herself after.

Demon Bull King - Chapter 59-61 Description: Leaving his wife, Princess Iron Fan, to guard Princess Jade Countenance - daughter of a tenthousend year old fox spirit, who was very rich and died. The princess offered all that money as a dowry to the Demon Bull King and he accepted. After causing sooo much trouble the entire celestial army comes to help out, Bull Demon King surrounders and is transported off.

[pastorelpa]

Embrace the Light

The Summer Solstice

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of light, both physical and spiritual. As I celebrate the Summer Solstice, remind me of Your enduring presence and Your call for me to be a light in this world. Help me to grow in spiritual maturity, bearing the fruits of the Spirit, and reflecting Your love and truth to all I encounter.

Today, I reflect on the Summer Solstice, the day when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, marking the longest day and the shortest night of the year. This natural phenomenon has captivated humanity since ancient times, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness and the fullness of life. We can draw profound spiritual lessons from the Summer Solstice. As we consider the significance of this day, let us turn our hearts and minds to the Scriptures, seeking wisdom and inspiration.

Our journey begins with the understanding that God is the Creator of all things, including the sun, which governs the seasons and the rhythms of our lives. In Genesis 1:14-18, we read: "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.". This passage not only describes the physical creation of the sun, moon, and stars but also carries a deep spiritual significance. It speaks of order, purpose, and the inherent goodness of God’s creation. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. God’s act of creation brought order out of chaos. The introduction of light was a pivotal moment in this process, it gave light and therefore rhythm to earth.

The sun, created by God, is a powerful symbol of His light and His presence in our lives. Just as the sun illuminates the earth, God’s light illuminates our hearts and minds. Jesus Christ proclaimed Himself as the Light of the World, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12). This declaration by Jesus is both a promise and a call to action. It speaks to the very heart of our faith and our walk with Him. He is making a powerful and exclusive claim. Light is a symbol of purity, truth, and the divine presence of God. By saying He is the light, Jesus identifies Himself as the source of all truth and the revelation of God’s glory. Jesus spoke these words during the Feast of Tabernacles, a time when large lamps were lit in the temple courts, symbolizing the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites in the wilderness. By declaring Himself as the light, Jesus was asserting that He is the ultimate guide and source of divine illumination. Jesus, as the light, shines in the darkness of this world, offering hope, guidance, and the revelation of God's truth.

On the Summer Solstice, the sun's light prevails for the longest duration of the year. This extended period of daylight can remind us of the enduring and ever present light of God in our lives, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11). The sun is the source of light, warmth, and life. Without it, life on earth would not exist. God is being likened to the sun, which highlights an important aspect of God's nature. The sun is the source of life and light. Just as the sun is essential for physical life, God is essential for spiritual life. He is the source of all creation and the sustainer of all things.

God's light, much like the sun on the Summer Solstice, shines continuously, offering us grace, protection, and every good thing. As believers, we are called to walk in this light, embracing the life and love that flow from it. As we bask in the abundant sunlight of the Summer Solstice, let us also remember our calling to reflect God's light in the world. Jesus taught us, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16). Our lives should be beacons of God's love and truth, shining brightly in a world often overshadowed by darkness. The Summer Solstice, with its emphasis on light, encourages us to evaluate how well we are fulfilling this mission.

The natural world operates in seasons, each with its purpose and beauty. Likewise, our spiritual lives experience seasons, times of growth, times of harvest, times of rest, and times of preparation. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Just as the natural world operates in cycles and seasons, so too does our spiritual and emotional life. The changing seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter, each have their unique beauty and purpose. Similarly, the seasons of our lives are varied, each bringing its own challenges and blessings. Our lives are marked by various events and transitions, each serving a distinct role in our personal growth and spiritual development. There are times of beginnings and times of endings. We experience moments of celebration and seasons of mourning. There are periods of work and times of rest. Each of these times has a purpose. Each of these times are valuable.

The Summer Solstice marks a time of fullness and maturity. It is a season when nature thrives, and life is abundant. Spiritually, it can represent a time of spiritual maturity and fruitfulness in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit, "peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.". This offers us a beautiful portrait of the qualities that should be evident in the life of every believer. These virtues, known as the fruit of the Spirit, are not products of our own efforts but are cultivated by the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. As we reflect on the Summer Solstice, let us assess the fruits of our spiritual journey. Are we experiencing and exhibiting the fullness of the Spirit's work in our lives? Are we sharing this abundance with others?

The Summer Solstice is more than just a day of astronomical significance, it is a profound reminder of God's eternal light, of His unwavering presence and our calling to reflect His glory. As we enjoy the longest day of the year, let us also strive to walk in the light of the Lord, to reflect His love and to bear the fruits of the Spirit in this season of our lives.

May the light of the Lord shine brightly in your hearts today and always, have a wonderful blessed Summer Solstice.

Amen

With love, Pastor Elpa

[risalei-nur]

The Words - The Tenth  Word - Part 63

SECOND POINT: Among innumerable proofs of the reality of the Resurrection, we set out, in a compressed and succinct form, the support offered by the other pillars of belief. All miracles affirming Muhammad as Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, all proofs of his Prophethood, and all evidence of his truthfulness bear witness to and establish the Resurrection’s reality and truth. For after the Unity of God Almighty, all the claims that exalted person set forth during his life focused on the Resurrection. Indeed, the miracles and proofs attesting to all Prophets, and urging humanity to attest to them, bear witness to the same truth. Similarly, the requirement for Muslims to believe in God’s Books, which makes completely clear the testimony to His Messengers, bears witness to this truth. It is as follows: All their miracles, proofs, and truths establishing the Qur’an’s truth likewise establish and prove the Resurrection’s reality and truth. About one-third of the Qur’an deals with the Hereafter, most of its short suras begin with power- ful verses evoking it, and it proclaims this truth explicitly or implicitly in hundreds of verses, thereby proving it. For example:

When the sun is folded up. (81:1)

O humankind, keep from disobedience to your Lord in piety; the violent convulsion of the Last Hour is an awesome thing. . (22:1)

When the earth quakes with a violent quaking destined for it. (99:1) When the heaven is cleft open. (82:1) When the heaven is split asunder. (84:1) What are they asking each other about? (78:1)

Has the account of the overwhelming event come to you? (88:1)

[wulfhalls]

lmfao no fr. remember the 7 pixel daemyra pic? how it gave us life for MONTHS? it’s been 84 years and I still think about it.

godddddddd how could I ever forget. a staple of the fandom. a pillar of the community

like genuinely us for three months straight on the daily like it was paying our actual bills

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

Summary of Tesilid’s regression rounds, with sources

Contains major, MAJOR, MAJOR spoilers for webtoon-onlys.

I recommended you read this only after the Mermaid Dungeon arc (chapter 156) or at least after Ailette talks to the Pope (webnovel chapter 140).

---

[Source chapter in square brackets]

Feel free to let me know if there's any mistakes or missing info! (Last updated: 7 Aug 2024) (In the process of updating with official TL's quotes)

Tesilid turned 20 shortly before the Holy Sword Dungeon [69].

Tesilid wakes up in the Sculptor’s Atelier with the Order of the Pillar of Light Knights of Worship each time, in the spring of his 20th year [205].

The time between each loop is “less than taking a night's sleep” [136].

Rounds 1-7: Died because of the Knights of Worship [84]

3x because of the commander Gadville’s stupid plans

1x because of vice commander Lecto making things difficult because of his inferiority complex

3x because of mistakes, betrayal and coerced sacrifices

Not clear if all of these deaths occurred in the Sculptor’s Atelier dungeon

//

Bandit Village / Harpy Queen Dungeon

Round 8:

Requested to be transferred to a different unit [84]

Gave in to the hostage threat and was killed by the bandits [84]

Readers called him "Tez the Tryhard" because of this lol [84]

Round 9: Trained to get strong & wiped out the bandits, but was lured by the village chief (bandit leader) into a trap and killed [84].

Attempted suicide for the first time [88]

Even in the present round, Tesilid still holds a grudge about this [88]

Round 10:

Killed the village chief. Summoned back to the Vatican, disciplined and demoted Disciplinary action taken against him on the grounds of fighting the bandits while ignoring the hostages [84]

Had his life saved by Leonard Rodeline (Ailette's dad) and his advanced healing potions [5]

//

Round ?? but before 16: Goes to Republic of Magic as a diplomatic envoy, gets captured by the princess (Audillet Marcellion) and subjected to vivisection (being cut up for experimental purposes while alive) [84]

Possibly the same round: Discovered a blood relative in the Magic Republic, but things went sour soon after. [84].

Round 14: Raises his aura and divine power; devotes his life to training. Discovers that his natural lifespan was longer than average [152]

Round 16: Killed by his little brother Prince Rigarez [84].

3rd Prince Ligares Rigarez holds a grudge against the Vatican because he believes they kidnapped his blood brother the 2nd Prince Reminick (Tesilid), so he killed Tesilid as the wielder of the Holy Sword [160]. Tesilid dies with a stab wound from his brother & in the wilderness while it was raining heavily [84].

Before his death, Tesilid had acted as an official escort for Princess Celesteed. This "earned him the scorn of both princes, forcing him through unimaginable hardship" [193].

Before Round 17: Visited the Mermaid Dungeon and found the gondola with the anti-capsizing buff [147]

Round 17: Killed by Reed in the Sculptor’s Atelier. Was physically dragged to Reed by the other knights of the Order of the Pillar of Light. Was unable to resist because of the shock [93].

Narration in OG novel calls this the first time where he felt disillusioned by his life because of how he just kept dying [84]

MAJOR SPOILERS

Current Tesilid describes his first Loop 17 differently: "he spent his lifetime wasting away, too emotionally exhausted from dealing with the fate of having to return despite the world's hostility" [156]

[SPOILERS FOR 215] 117 and 100 both spent their first Loop 17 searching the entire continent for Ailette after leaving the religious order

major spoilers end

Round 18: First time challenging for the right to open the Bible Catechism of Truth [120]

Asked “Why do I return?”; receives the answer “To save the world”.

Round 19: Asks the Bible of Truth, “How do I save the world?”. Until Round 89, all subsequent questions to the Catechism of Truth (to Ailette's knowledge) were about clearing dungeons [120] (Tesilid's question in Round 94 deviates from the OG!Novel)

//

Round 25: Queen Laviosa of the Vinchester Kingdom frames Tesilid so that she can personally flog him [193]

//

Round 40:

Becomes an aura master [191]

First loop where he meets Muriel Phylise [207]

//

Round 85: First time saving the world

Defeats all 3 demon kings, seals the Chaos and Evil. No more dungeons and demons can appear on the continent [136]

Cardinal-class divine power, aura master who has double-digit aura blades. [136]

Dies soon after the battle but is satisfied. [136]

The Church has a habit of killing him in various ways as soon as the world is saved. This includes being:

burned alive

hanged

pushed off a cliff

surrounded by knights who stab him

given poison that put him to sleep, then being given a grand state funeral and buried alive [137]

Round 86: Second time saving the world [136] and first round where he gets together with Muriel [154, 207].

Did not get life-threatening injuries in the final battle [136]

“Handed over his vitality for the Saint who had been in a tragic accident” [136].

OG!Tesilid fell in love with Muriel in this round [154] / first got together with her in this round [207]

Ailette calls this round the end of Tesilid’s puritanical life [154] and the point at which she would no longer be able to tease him for his lack of romantic experience [164].

Muriel was cursed by a demon [207]

" 'You entered the saintess' bedroom to share your life force with her because she was dying, then...you, uh, you stayed the night.' The original story mentioned that when morning came, the birds sang outside the window. Considering the genre, that left only one possible interpretation of what could have happened." [208]

Round 87: Third time saving the world.

Died in place of the Saint who was falsely accused because of some conflict [136] within the Vatican, for which Tesilid took the blame [207]

Tesilid was overprotective of Muriel in this round which meant she was safe from physical harm [207]

Round 88: Fourth time saving the world, now with minimal damage to allies. Visited the Saint seeking a quick way to die [136]

Saint frames Tesilid of being a cult leader. As he was about to be burnt at the stake, she smiled kindly at him and said, “This world needs you to die. I’m sorry, and thank you for your sacrifice, Sir Tesilid.” [136] 

(Note that Ailette refers to Rounds 86-88 as the ones where Tesilid is "betrayed by a woman that he loved with all his heart. Three consecutive times. [...] He probably would've died for her many more times had he not realized the truth” [84]. But in Tesilid’s POV [136] as recounted above, he seems more ambivalent about the Saintess.)

Round 89: Asks the Bible of Truth, “How do I stop regressing?; is told, “You just need to save the world”. Destroys the Library, hacks Demon King Inferinos to pieces, and commits suicide [120; 136]

Round 90-92: Asks the Bible of Truth, “How do I stop regressing?”; is told, “You just need to save the world” [136] 

Round 93: Saves the world, then asks the Bible of Truth, “How do I stop regressing?” as the dungeons started collapsing; is again told, “You just need to save the world”. Dies when the dungeon collapses. [136] 

Round 94: Goes to the Bible of Truth again out of habit. Asks, “Where is Ailette Rodeline?” [136]

Saves the world just to have something to do, and because he was good at it. 5th time saving the world. [136]

Does not go to the Bible of Truth again until Round 99 [137]

Reed places Round 94 as the last timeline where he would have been willing to take Ailette’s hand [138]

Rounds 94-98: Saves the world just to have something to do, and because he was good at it [137]

Round 98: 10th time saving the world [137]

Took less than 5 years because he only thought about efficiency and did not spare a thought for human life.

Round 99: Walked into the final battleground with “Chaos and Evil” himself and talked to it.

Is called the “Clock Hand of the Strict Order and Goodwill”

Told to ask the Bible of Truth, “What is the truth?” [Ailette POV in Library arc, 120] or “Why does the world continue to get destroyed?” [Tesilid POV, 137].

Prayed until he died [137].

Round 100: Reed

Offers himself to “Chaos and Evil” and loses his holy power. Holy sword becomes corrupted. Is banished to the dimensional rift where time stops. Rips through the dimensional rift after less than a hundred years, compared to the estimated few hundred years. [137] 

Finds a point in time before the loop starts and sees Ailette’s Descent of Divinity (current Reed only). Visits the Vatican which was full of people celebrating the lunar genesis (start of the new month, specifically February [77]). Burns everyone (including himself) to death. Gives sincere prayers for the regression to end. Week of regression starts as the world rewinds and Reed kills Tesilid again [79; 138]

“I can’t save the world or myself, so what am I supposed to do?” / “My salvation means death, so what about the salvation of this world?" / "What if annihilation is the only way to save this world?” / “That was it. That was the answer. I will disappear if the world I belong to disappears as well.” / “You have no idea how happy I was to discover this. I’ve always hated this world.” / "To think I could destroy the world I struggled so many times to save... It feels so... thrilling." [138]

Subdued by 6 humans [156] who became legendary heroes [138] including Cardinal Cartelyena [139]

Tesilid calls this round the "timeline that I felt I was the most human" [139] (fan TL of 139 & 156 calls it the last time he lived like a human)

It's implied that in the 2nd Loop 17, the Knights of the Temple wouldn't have shown up at the near Greenwall where Tesilette reunited with the other two because they wouldn't have been tracking down the Saint [91]

Effects of drinking water from the Fountain of Life:

Early stage: insomnia, nightmares, hallucinations, confusion, mental weakness [153]

Middle stage: Lack of emotions, loss of memory, loss of three major powers [153]

End stage: Soul disintegration (still treatable), then soul extinction [153]

“You can still live as long as you breathe, even if you're not holding yourself together. Also, memory loss could be useful in the long run because your most difficult moments will feel like they never happened." [154]

Childhood:

First Prince Hardale was the one responsible for Reminick and Rigarez' kidnapping [196: "(Rigarez) will come to his sense once I remind him who's responsible for the loss of his brother."; 199]

Tesilid never found out about his familial ties to the Vinchester royal family during his loops [205].

[islam-defined]

Good Deeds

There are more than 40 verses in Quran where Allah tags believers with good deeds like:

“Those who believe & do good works, We do not waste the reward of those who have done good [18:30]

"As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them there are gardens to dwell, as an honorable hospitality for what they used to do. [32:19]

"But those who believe and do good deeds, will have a never-ending reward" [84:25] and so on there are more.

"Indeed, Allah will admit those who believe and do good into Gardens, under which rivers flow. Surely Allah does what He wills"[22:14].

“O you who believe, be aware of Allah & seek a way to Him, & strive in His cause; that you may succeed [5:35]

This shows how much good works and righteousness is important for a belief of a believer. That’s why Prophet (Peace be upon him) said that Islam is built upon pillars. Truly, the pillars without righteousness and good deeds is like a home of termites (evil deeds) that crumbles into dust one day because the pillar was in fact a dark hollow inside. This is the ethics of Islam .

[cecilyacat]

BBC Big Read List

Many years ago, I first started tallying the books from the BBC Big Read list, seeing how my reading and interests correllate. I don't take it as the "one truth" on which books are worth reading or "good", I just find it interesting which ones I agree with. Let's go!

Out of the BBC's "The Big Read" list from 2005, which ones did you read, plan to read or started to read, but didn't finish? The ones I read are fat, the ones I still want to read are in italics, the ones I started but didn't finish are crossed out and all the other ones I have either never heard of before or never wanted to read them.

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien 2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen 3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman 4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams 5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling 6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee 7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne 8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell 9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis 10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë 11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller 12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë (and I thought it was horrible. But I wanted to finish it!) 13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks 14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier 15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger 16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame 17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens 18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott 19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres 20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy 21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell 22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling 23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling 24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling 25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien 26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy 27. Middlemarch, George Eliot 28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving 29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck 30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll 31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson 32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez 33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett 34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens 35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl 36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson 37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute 38. Persuasion, Jane Austen 39. Dune, Frank Herbert 40. Emma, Jane Austen 41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery 42. Watership Down, Richard Adams 43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald 44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas 45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh 46. Animal Farm, George Orwell 47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens 48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy 49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian 50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher

51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett (and I love it) 52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck (didn't finish it in school but want to try again) 53. The Stand, Stephen King 54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy 55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth 56. The BFG, Roald Dahl 57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome 58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell 59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer 60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky 61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman 62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden 63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens 64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough 65. Mort, Terry Pratchett 66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton 67. The Magus, John Fowles 68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman 69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett 70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding 71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind 72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell 73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett 74. Matilda, Roald Dahl 75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding 76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt 77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins 78. Ulysses, James Joyce 79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens 80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson 81. The Twits, Roald Dahl 82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith 83. Holes, Louis Sachar 84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake 85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy 86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson 87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley 88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons 89. Magician, Raymond E Feist 90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac 91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo 92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel 93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett 94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho 95. Katherine, Anya Seton 96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer 97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez 98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson 99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot 100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome 102.Small Gods, Terry Pratchett 103. The Beach, Alex Garland 104. Dracula, Bram Stoker 105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz 106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens 107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz 108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks 109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth 110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson 111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy 112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend 113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat 114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo 115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy 116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson 117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson 118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde 119. Shogun, James Clavell 120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham 121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson 122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray 123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy 124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski 125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver 126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett 127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison 128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle 129. Possession, A. S. Byatt 130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov 131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood 132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl 133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck 134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl 135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett 136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker 137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett 138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan 139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson 140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson 141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque 142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson 143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby 144. It, Stephen King 145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl 146. The Green Mile, Stephen King 147. Papillon, Henri Charriere 148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett 149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian 150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett 152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett 153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett 154. Atonement, Ian McEwan 155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson 156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier 157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey 158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad 159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling 160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon 161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville 162. River God, Wilbur Smith 163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon 164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx 165. The World According To Garp, John Irving 166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore 167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson 168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye 169. The Witches, Roald Dahl 170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White 171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (I've read excepts for uni) 172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams 173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway 174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco 175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder 176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson 177. Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl 178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov 179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach 180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery 181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson 182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens 183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay 184. Silas Marner, George Eliot 185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis 186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Grossmith 187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh (I stopped after the toilet-scene. Too disgusting) 188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine 189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri 190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. LawrenceLife of Lawrence 191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera 192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons 193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett 194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells 195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans 196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry 197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett 198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White 199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle 200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews

Read: 57 Want to read: 60

Some of the books to read I know very little about except the title and that they're classics, some others I know a lot about (and I even have "Men at Arms" on my TBR pile for when the mood strikes me next). I like reading classics once in a while, but especially older ones I can't read too often, I need to be in the right mood for that style of writing.

The last time I updated this was in 2015 and I had read 44 and wanted to read 72 - so 15 books in 9 years xD Like I said, it's not a challenge or a goal to read all of them, just a convenient way of keeping track of which classics I want to read eventually.

[trivialbob]

While driving to the library* this afternoon I saw a Chevy Celebrity station wagon, moving under its own power. These were made from 1982 - 1990. I’m shocked that one is still on the road in my state.

They were not the best cars. Around here you can still see sometimes, at least in the summertime, autos built in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. Who hasn’t turned his head at the sight of a ‘57 Chevy, a ‘66 Impala, or a 1970 Camaro? But an ‘84 Celebrity? Clearly that name is a misnomer. No one ever rear-ended another car while drooling over a 1985 Chevy instead of watching traffic. ‘80s GM vehicles are the nadir of desirable cars. Some are more rare than ‘57 Chevys.

A design feature I do like of cars like this Celebrity era are the narrow B-, C-, and (on wagons) D-pillars. Hondas of the era had wonderfully thin roof pillars. Today’s cars have much larger blind spots around thick roof pillars.

Station wagons are some of my favorite cars. I’d love to have an Audi or Mercedes wagon. BMW stopped selling 3- and 5-series wagons in the US some time ago. Boo!

*When I got to the library I saw a librarian wearing an N95 mask and rubber gloves. If you don’t know which employee I’m referring to, I understand. Because several of the librarians there wear gloves. One sports a plastic face shield over her N95.

I had to ask a question. When I see someone wearing a mask I reasonably try to keep my distance, out of respect. And who knows, maybe that mask is to protect me from their diseases.

As I approached the six-foot, once-federally-recommended, safety perimeter, the librarian chirped then leaped back at least three feet. I stopped abruptly, giving her an extra foot of security, then loudly asked my question. Uh oh, I was in a library when I shouted.

Doesn’t matter. She hated me either way.

[kitchen-light]

Detail of the Rice Chest

by Monica Youn

In the 2015 Korean film The Throne, the rice chest sits in the center of the vast, symmetrical courtyard of Changgyeonggung Palace.

The film is called The Throne in English; in Korean it is called Sado.

A Korean-speaking audience would be presumed to know in advance who Prince Sado was.

An English-speaking audience is presumed not to have this knowledge.

Although this is a historical film, for a Korean-speaking audience the well-known story functions as mythology, at the level of symbol.

For an English-speaking audience the unknown story functions as narrative, at the level of plot.

There is an “I” in this poem.

I know who Prince Sado is, I can read the Hangul word Sado. But I do not speak Korean.

I am a member of the English-speaking audience.

I know about Prince Sado from The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong(1804). But I know about The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong from Margaret Drabble’s The Red Queen (2004).

Margaret Drabble’s The Red Queen is about Lady Hyegyeong. But Lady Hyegyeong was never a queen, nor is she associated with the color red. The name is misleading.

The name of the film The Throne is also misleading. The film does not focus on the throne; it focuses on the rice chest.

Like a magnifying glass, the stone courtyard focuses the gaze on the rice chest. The gaze increases in intensity and heat.

July temperatures in Seoul average 84 degrees Fahrenheit, with average humidity of 78 percent.

I have been to Seoul in July, I have worn hanbok on a summer day, but only once.

I have never seen a rice chest.

The rice chest is a functional object and stands in contrast to the highly decorative architecture of the palace courtyard. Its plainness renders it inscrutable, impenetrable.

According to the website Hanji Happenings: “The solid rice chest was generally made of pine but never decorated as a reminder of the importance of its presence in the home.” I learn from that statement that in Korean culture to be decorative is not to be important, and, conversely, that to be plain, inscrutable, is to be important. I do not know whether this is true.

According to the book Things Korean, the rice chest “always looks chock-full. There are always those four pillars at its corners which seem to be holding up a massive roof, as if this were some imposing religious edifice.”

Because of its oversize lid, the rice chest appears top-heavy, charged with kinetic potential. With four small feet it seems to be crouching on its haunches, to be hunkering down.

“Hunker down” is a Scottish term that refers to squatting on the balls of one’s feet, low to the ground but in readiness. It implies an apprehensive stasis, tense with the potential for sudden movement, poised to flee or to attack.

I have hunkered down, but only once.

Midway through the film, the rice chest is bound with thick rope, with a knotted webbing of four or five thicknesses of coarse, fibrous rope. The quantity of rope exceeds the function of the rope to such an extent that the rope binding seems decorative, symbolic.

I have been bound with rope, but only once.

There is something almost comic about such an excess of rope to bind a single imprisoned and dying man, the way there is something almost comic about a circle of guns pointed at a single unarmed man. I say almost comic rather than actually comic because, although these images provoke the same pent-up tension as suppressed laughter, I do not know who would find either of these images funny.

After it is bound, the lid of the rice chest is heaped with grass.

For a Korean-speaking audience, the grass-covered rice chest would resemble a traditional grassy burial mound, would evoke ancestral tombs, or even the prehistoric dolmens, which feature massive rocks perched on four small feet.

I have seen the grassy burial mounds of my ancestors, but only once.

For me, the rope-clad, grass-covered rice chest resembles a barbarian idol.

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word “barbarian” originally comes from the Greek meaning any non-Greek and carries a derogatory connotation for those who speak a language different from one’s own.

When I say “barbarian,” it means I find the rice chest foreign, inscrutable, although it is Korean—Koreans speak a language different from my own.

In the film, the walls of the rice chest are made of thick planks, with chinks between them that admit slim shafts of light, drips of water.

But the walls of Korean rice chests are made of solid panels of wood. Planks with chinks between them would admit pests, especially insects, into the rice chest. Such a design would not be functional.

Partway through the film, we see a multilegged insect enter the rice chest through a chink between the boards. “We” here refers to both English-speaking and Korean-speaking audiences.

The single insect is followed by a horde of identical multilegged insects wriggling through the chinks in the walls. We understand the insects to be a hallucination of the dying Prince Sado. Their function is symbolic, the danger of allowing chinks in the walls.

In the film, through the chinks in the walls, Prince Sado is able to see and to speak to his dog and to his ten-year-old son, the Grand Heir.

But in fact these incidents never took place. They are not hallucinations but fabrications of the filmmakers just as the multilegged insects, the chinks in the walls of the rice chest are fabrications of the filmmakers.

The chinks allow the gaze to penetrate what would otherwise be impenetrable, to penetrate the inscrutable, barbaric figure of the rice chest, to reach the human inside.

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is familiar to both Korean- and English-speaking audiences, Tom Snout, a “rude mechanical,” plays the part of a wall that features “a crannied hole or chink.”

The joke is that a human being portrays an inhuman object, since only an inhuman object would feature such a chink. I do not know who would find this joke funny.

When asked to “Show me thy chink,” Tom Snout holds up two fingers.

I have seen boys hold up two fingers. Calling me a chink, they would place their two fingers at the corners of their eyes, stretching their eyes into narrow slits through which it must have been difficult to see. They found this joke funny.

I have seen men hold up two fingers. They would use their tongues to penetrate the chink between their fingers, rendering the gesture obscene. The tongue thrust between the fingers reads as sexual, whereas an outthrust tongue without the fingers would be merely rude. Neither gesture is intended to be funny.

Both the boys and the men would use their two fingers to symbolize my body, a body that, without a chink, might seem impenetrable.

The primary meaning of the English word “chink” is a split or crack, a narrow fissure or valley. It derives from the same root as germ, as in “germinate.” “The connection being in the notion of bursting open,” as the Online Etymology Dictionary explains.

Chink also has a racially derogatory meaning, referring to a Chinese person, or, by extension, to any East Asian person, since an English-speaking person using a racially derogatory term would not be expected to differentiate among East Asian peoples.

I have asked boys to differentiate among East Asian peoples. Upon being called a chink, I would say, “You’re so stupid! I’m not a chink, I’m a gook!”

The Korean-American comedian Margaret Cho later used a similar statement as a punch line to a joke. I find this joke funny, and some members of a Korean-speaking audience might find this joke funny. I do not know whether other members of an English-speaking audience would find this joke funny.

The term gook was used by English-speaking soldiers to refer to Korean people during the Korean War. It was later used by English-speaking soldiers to refer to Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War, since English-speaking soldiers do not differentiate among East Asian people.

The term gook may derive from the Korean word for “American”—miguk. Hearing Korean people say this word, English-speaking soldiers thought the Korean people were calling themselves gooks (“me gook”) and followed suit.

The word miguk in Korean means “beautiful country.” Miguk is a transliteration of the Chinese characters meiguo, which also mean “beautiful country.”

I know how to pronounce miguk but not meiguo.

There are several accounts of why meiguo came to mean “American.” Some claim it’s simple phonetic approximation; others claim that meiguo was selected out of several possible phonetic approximations by nineteenth-century American missionaries and then made official in the 1901 Boxer Protocol after China’s defeat by eight foreign powers. I do not know which account is true.

All commentators seem to agree that neither Korean people nor Chinese people literally believe that America is a beautiful country.

But both Korean people and Chinese people must call America beautiful in order to speak its name.

Neither Korean people nor Chinese people refer to themselves as gooks or chinks.

Neither Korean people nor Chinese people refer to themselves as Korean or Chinese.

Korea is an English word, which seems to derive from a mispronunciation of the name of the Goryeo Dynasty by Silk Road traders that was first recorded by Marco Polo.

China is an English word, which seems to derive from a mispronunciation of the name of the Qin Dynasty by Silk Road traders that was first recorded by Marco Polo.

I have said Marco Polo’s name many times in a game that requires you to say his name many times. I do not know the origin of the game. Because of the r and the l, “Marco Polo” would be a difficult name for Korean speakers to say, but I am not a Korean speaker.

I have called myself a gook many times.

I have called myself a chink only once, when a white high school friend used the term in conversation, then stopped, realizing her gaffe. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I know what you mean. [X] is such an FOB.” “What’s an FOB?” she asked. “Fresh off the boat,” I said. “I may be a chink, but at least I’m not an FOB.” We laughed together, to relieve the tension, although I do not think either of us found my joke funny.

I used the term “FOB” to show that I considered [X] to be foreign, a barbarian. I called myself a chink to make myself seem more American.

Fresh Off the Boat was my white husband’s favorite television show during the time we were married. When we watched it, I hoped that laughing at the pushy Chinese immigrant mother on the show would lessen his dislike of my pushy Korean immigrant mother.

I hoped that allowing my white husband to treat my parents as endearingly foreign, fresh off the boat, like the endearingly foreign TV family of Fresh Off the Boat, would make me seem more American.

None of the actors in Fresh Off the Boat are fresh off the boat. Nearly all of them were born in America. By pretending to be foreign, they make English-speaking audiences feel more American.

My parents are not fresh off the boat. They have been in America for over fifty years. They speak both Korean and English.

A television is a box that allows us to put people inside it.

The television is sometimes called an “idiot box,” from the Latin for “private person,” from the Greek idios, meaning “one’s own.” But those inside the box have no privacy.

We put the inscrutable into a box so they may be scrutinized.

I made [X] inscrutable. I put [X] into the box.

I made my parents inscrutable. I put my parents into the box.

I decorated the box so it seemed foreign, barbaric. I made the box inscrutable so it seemed like a distant ancestor. I buried it so it seemed like a grave.

I made a chink in the box that the gaze could penetrate.

I stayed outside the box. I treated what was inside the box as a joke.

I was the English-speaking audience.

I watched Fresh Off the Boat on the idiot box.

I watched The Throne on the idiot box.

In The Throne a parent puts his son in the rice chest.

After the son’s death, the rice chest is forced open.

After the son’s death, his mouth is forced open. Three spoonfuls of rice are forced into his mouth, rice that might have kept him from starving to death in the rice chest.

After the son’s death, a name is forced into his mouth.

The name is Sado, a name which has meaning for Korean-speaking audiences.

I have said Sado’s name many times.

The son never called himself Sado.

There was never a chink in the rice chest.

No one could see into the rice chest.

There is a “you” in this poem.

You are a member of the English-speaking audience.

I let you see into the box, into what is private, into what is foreign, into what is inscrutable, into what has been buried.

I am the chink in the box.

from "From From", Carcanet Books, 2023