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helloenamul · 1 year

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$14K A Month In 90 Days, Ai Domain Flipping Hack!

Welcome, aspiring entrepreneurs, to the world of domain flipping! Have you ever dreamt of making a staggering $14K monthly in just 90 days? Well, buckle up because we’re about to embark on an exciting journey combining the art of domain flipping with cutting-edge AI. Get ready to revolutionize your income potential and discover the secrets of this exhilarating hack that could make your bank account do a happy dance!

Now, before we dive into the mesmerizing realm of AI domain flipping, let’s take a quick moment to understand the essence of this intriguing venture. In its simplest form, domain flipping is buying and selling domain names for profit. It’s like finding a hidden gem in the vast digital landscape and turning it into a sparkling diamond. But here’s the twist: we’re adding the power of AI to supercharge our domain-flipping journey and fast-track our success.

So, what’s the big deal about AI? Well, imagine having a digital assistant with an uncanny ability to analyze market trends, identify undervalued domain names, and predict the future demand for specific niches. It’s like having a genius partner who can navigate the vast ocean of domains and guide you toward the most lucrative opportunities. With AI, you can tap into a treasure trove of untapped potential and unlock profitability like never before.

Get ready to embrace the fusion of entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence as we reveal the groundbreaking AI domain-flipping hack that could potentially turn your financial dreams into reality. Are you ready to embark on this exhilarating journey? Let’s dive in and discover how to make those dollars rain with a touch of AI wizardry!

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>> What is Domain Flipping?

>> How Does AI Help in Domain Flipping?

>> Understanding Domain Flipping

>> Leveraging AI in Domain Flipping

>> The $14K A Month in 90 Days Hack

>> Tips for Success in Domain Flipping

>> Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them

>> Conclusion

What is Domain Flipping?

Here’s a breakdown of what domain flipping entails:

Treasure Hunting: Like a seasoned explorer, your domain-flipping journey begins with thorough market research. You’re on a mission to unearth undervalued domains that have the potential to shine brighter in the future.

Diamond in the Rough: Not all domains are created equal. Some possess inherent value due to relevance, brand-ability, or keyword-rich nature. These are the diamonds in the rough that savvy domain flippers seek to acquire.

Buying Low, Selling High: The key to successful domain flipping lies in acquiring domains at a low cost and selling them at a higher price. It’s all about recognizing the potential value and making strategic investments.

The Art of Branding: Like in real estate, how you present and market your domain is crucial in attracting potential buyers. Strategic branding and effective marketing techniques can significantly impact your selling success.

Ride the Wave: Domain flipping is about buying and selling, understanding market trends, and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. Staying ahead of the curve is essential in this dynamic landscape.

But what if we told you this domain-flipping adventure has a game-changing twist? Enter artificial intelligence (AI). AI has become a powerful tool that propels domain flipping to new heights. Here’s how AI helps in domain flipping:

Unleashing Data Insights: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data in record time. They can scour the internet, evaluate market trends, and precisely identify valuable domain names, allowing you to make informed decisions.

Spotting Undervalued Gems: AI-powered tools can identify undervalued domain names that might be flying under the radar. By leveraging advanced algorithms, AI can detect patterns, keywords, and potential niches that human eyes might miss, giving you a competitive advantage in the market.

Predicting Future Demand: With AI’s predictive capabilities, you can tap into valuable insights about emerging trends and future demand. By analyzing historical data and market indicators, AI algorithms can help you identify domains likely to increase in value, ensuring your investments align with future market trends.

Streamlining Efficiency: AI tools can automate various tasks in the domain-flipping process, saving you time and effort. From domain research and valuation to marketing and sales, AI can streamline and optimize your workflow, allowing you to focus on strategic decision-making and maximizing profitability.

Constant Adaptation: The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and search engine algorithms are constantly changing. AI equips you with the ability to adapt quickly to these changes. By staying updated on the latest SEO practices and trends, AI helps you maintain a competitive edge and ensures your domain portfolio remains relevant and valuable.

The fusion of domain flipping and AI is a match made in digital heaven. With AI by your side, you become a domain-flipping superhero with data-driven insights and the ability to navigate the vast virtual landscape precisely. You can uncover hidden treasures, capitalize on emerging trends, and make strategic moves that maximize profitability.

But wait, there’s more! AI doesn’t just help you identify valuable domain names; it also assists in optimizing them for maximum resale potential. With AI-powered SEO tools, you can uncover keywords, analyze search trends, and create compelling content strategies to attract potential buyers. AI can even help you generate catchy domain names and suggest branding strategies that resonate with your target audience.

Moreover, AI’s efficiency and accuracy can streamline the domain-flipping process from start to finish. It can assist in domain valuation, helping you determine the fair market value of a domain and negotiate deals like a seasoned pro. AI-powered marketing tools can optimize your listing and reach a broader audience, increasing your chances of selling parts quickly and at a higher price.

So, buckle up, my ambitious friend, because domain flipping has entered a new era with AI as your ally. The $14K a month in 90 days hack is no longer a distant dream but a tangible possibility. Embrace the power of AI, combine it with your entrepreneurial spirit, and let the profits roll in. It’s time to embark on an exhilarating journey that fuses innovation, strategy, and digital magic. Get ready to conquer the domain-flipping world, one AI-powered move at a time!

https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2F7VSW_0Fsy0w&display_name=YouTube&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7VSW_0Fsy0w&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F7VSW_0Fsy0w%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube$14K A Month In 90 Days — Ai Domain Flipping Hack!

Understanding Domain Flipping

Welcome back, domain-flipping enthusiasts! We must understand the core concepts before diving deeper into AI-powered domain flipping. Grab your thinking caps, and let’s explore the fascinating realm of domain converting together.

The Domain Flipping Game:

It’s like a digital treasure hunt: Domain flipping involves identifying and selling undervalued domain names for a profit.

A virtual real estate game: Just as prime locations are valuable in real estate, domain names with marketable keywords or strong branding potential hold significant value in the virtual space.

Key Factors Influencing Profitability:

Relevance and market demand: Domains related to popular industries, emerging trends, or niche markets with high demand are more likely to fetch higher prices.

Brandability: Memorable and catchy domain names have a higher perceived value and attract more potential buyers.

Search engine optimization (SEO): Domains with keywords relevant to popular search terms can rank higher in search engine results, making them more desirable to buyers.

Advantages of Domain Flipping:

Flexibility: Domain flipping can be pursued as a side hustle or a full-time business, allowing you to work on your terms.

Scalability: With the right strategies and market insights, you can scale your domain-flipping business and increase profitability over time.

Low startup costs: Unlike other business ventures, domain flipping requires a relatively low initial investment, making it accessible to aspiring entrepreneurs.

The Flipping Process:

Research: Thoroughly investigate market trends, keyword popularity, and industry niches to identify lucrative opportunities.

Acquisition: Purchase undervalued domains at a favorable price through domain registrars, auctions, or private sellers.

Value Addition: Optimize the domain by creating engaging content, improving its SEO, or enhancing its brand potential.

Marketing and Sales: Utilize effective marketing strategies to attract potential buyers, such as showcasing the domain’s value, leveraging social media, or reaching out to relevant industry contacts.

Profit: Close the deal by selling the domain at a higher price, maximizing your return on investment.

Remember, domain flipping requires strategic thinking, market research, and creativity. By staying ahead of the curve and adapting to industry trends, you can unlock the true potential of domain flipping and propel yourself toward financial success.

So, put on your entrepreneur’s hat and get ready to navigate the domain-flipping landscape like a pro. Our newfound understanding allows us to explore the game-changing world of AI-powered domain flipping. Brace yourself for the adventure ahead!

Leveraging AI in Domain Flipping

Welcome back, adventurous domain flippers! Now that we have a solid grasp of the domain-flipping landscape, it’s time to supercharge our journey with the incredible power of artificial intelligence (AI). Buckle up because we’re about to witness the magic AI brings to the world of domain flipping.

AI-Powered Market Analysis:

Unleashing Data Insights: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data from various sources, including market trends, keyword popularity, and historical sales data. This helps you make data-driven decisions and identify high-potential domain names.

Identifying Undervalued Gems: AI-powered tools can detect patterns and niche opportunities that human eyes might miss. AI can analyze market trends and search behaviors to uncover undervalued domains with significant growth potential.

Predictive Analytics and Future Demand:

Anticipating Trends: AI algorithms can predict emerging trends by analyzing historical data, social media buzz, and search patterns. This allows you to invest in domain names that align with future market demand, maximizing your chances of profitability.

Strategic Investments: With AI’s predictive capabilities, you can strategically invest in domain names likely to appreciate value. This minimizes the risk of investing in domains with limited growth potential.

Streamlined Domain Valuation:

Accurate Valuation: AI-powered tools can evaluate domain names based on various factors, including keyword relevance, search volume, and historical sales data. This helps you determine the fair market value of a domain, ensuring you make informed buying and selling decisions.

Comparative Analysis: AI can analyze similar domain sales and market trends to provide you with insights into pricing strategies and competitive positioning. This allows you to price your domains competitively and attract potential buyers.

Automated Workflow and Efficiency:

Time-Saving Automation: AI can automate repetitive tasks in the domain-flipping process, such as domain research, valuation, and listing optimization. This frees up your time, allowing you to focus on strategic decision-making and expanding your domain portfolio.

Enhanced Marketing Strategies: AI-powered tools can assist in creating compelling content, optimizing keywords, and identifying target audiences. This helps you craft effective marketing strategies that resonate with potential buyers, increasing your chances of successful domain sales.

SEO Optimization and Branding:

SEO Insights: AI can provide valuable SEO insights by analyzing search engine algorithms and keyword trends. This helps you optimize your domains for better search engine visibility, attracting organic traffic and potential buyers.

Branding Assistance: AI-powered tools can generate catchy domain names and suggest branding strategies based on market trends and target audience preferences. This helps you create unique and marketable domain assets.

By leveraging the power of AI, you become a domain-flipping maestro, armed with unparalleled market insights, efficiency, and the ability to make informed decisions. The fusion of human expertise and AI capabilities opens up a new realm of possibilities in the domain-flipping landscape.

So, strap on your AI-powered cape and get ready to conquer the domain-flipping world with confidence. The $14K a month in 90 days hack is within reach, and with AI as your sidekick, the sky’s the limit!

The $14K A Month in 90 Days Hack

Step 1: Set Clear Goals and Strategy:

Define Your Objectives: Determine your financial goals and the timeframe you want to achieve them. Having a clear target in mind will keep you focused and motivated.

Craft Your Strategy: Develop a roadmap outlining the specific steps you’ll take to reach your goals. Incorporate the power of AI into your strategy to leverage its benefits in market analysis, domain valuation, and marketing optimization.

Step 2: Supercharged Market Research:

Harness the Power of AI: Utilize AI-powered tools to conduct thorough market research. Analyze market trends, keyword popularity, and competitor analysis to identify high-potential domain names that align with your strategy.

Uncover Hidden Gems: Let AI scour the digital landscape to identify undervalued domains with significant growth potential. By leveraging AI’s data insights, you’ll uncover hidden treasures others might overlook.

Step 3: Strategic Domain Acquisition:

Buy Low, Sell High: Apply your AI-empowered market insights to acquire undervalued domains at favorable prices. Look for parts with strong branding potential, industry relevance, or niche appeal.

Be Selective: Remember, quality over quantity is key. Focus on acquiring domains that align with your strategy and have the potential to generate substantial returns.

Step 4: Value Optimization and Branding:

Maximize Domain Potential: Use AI-powered SEO tools to optimize your domain’s visibility and search engine rankings. Analyze keywords, create engaging content, and implement effective branding strategies to enhance the domain’s value.

Build a Memorable Brand: Leverage AI’s branding assistance to create catchy domain names and craft a brand identity that resonates with your target audience. Stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of potential buyers.

Step 5: Marketing Mastery:

Spread the Word: Utilize AI-powered marketing strategies to showcase your domains to a wider audience. Leverage social media, industry forums, and targeted advertising to reach potential buyers and generate buzz around your parts.

Network and Collaborate: Forge connections with industry experts, domain investors, and potential buyers. Collaborate on projects, attend domain-related events, and build relationships that can lead to profitable domain sales.

Step 6: Timely Sales and Profit Maximization:

Strike When the Iron is Hot: Monitor market trends and identify optimal selling opportunities. Utilize AI’s market analysis to determine the right time to sell your domains for maximum profitability.

Negotiation and Closing Deals: Apply your domain valuation skills and AI-powered comparative analysis to negotiate favorable deals. Seal the deal, secure your profit, and celebrate your success.

By following this step-by-step $14K a month in 90 days hack, infused with the power of AI, you’re on the path to domain-flipping triumph. Remember, perseverance, adaptability, and creativity are essential for success.

So, fasten your seatbelt and embark on this thrilling domain-flipping adventure. The $14K a month in 90 days hack awaits, ready to turn your dreams into a lucrative reality. Happy flipping!

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Tips for Success in Domain Flipping

Research, Research, and Research:

Dive Deep into Market Trends: Stay updated on industry trends, emerging markets, and popular keywords. Knowledge is power, and understanding the market landscape is crucial for identifying valuable domains.

Analyze Past Sales: Study historical domain sales data to identify patterns and price trends. This will give you valuable insights into domain valuation and help you make informed buying and selling decisions.

Embrace the Power of AI:

Leverage AI-Powered Tools: Embrace the magic of AI in your domain-flipping journey. Utilize AI-powered market analysis tools, SEO optimization platforms, and domain valuation algorithms to gain a competitive edge.

Automate Repetitive Tasks: Let AI handle repetitive tasks like market research and listing optimization. This will free up your time to focus on strategic decision-making and nurturing valuable domain assets.

Quality Over Quantity:

Focus on Valuable Domains: Instead of amassing a vast portfolio of mediocre domains, focus on acquiring high-quality parts with strong branding potential, industry relevance, and market demand.

Curate Your Portfolio: Think of your domain portfolio as a curated collection. Quality domains have higher resale value and attract serious buyers, increasing your chances of successful sales.

Build a Strong Network:

Connect with Industry Experts: Network with experienced domain flippers, attend industry events and join online communities to learn from the best. Building connections can open doors to partnership opportunities and valuable insights.

Collaborate and Collaborate: Consider collaborating with other domain flippers on joint projects or domain auctions. Sharing resources and expertise can lead to increased exposure and higher profits.

Optimize for Search Engines:

SEO is Key: Implement effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to improve your domains’ visibility and search rankings. Conduct keyword research, create valuable content, and optimize metadata to attract organic traffic and potential buyers.

Mobile-Friendly Domains: In today’s mobile-driven world, ensure your domains are mobile-friendly and responsive. Mobile optimization is essential for reaching a wider audience and maximizing your chances of successful sales.

Be a Skilled Negotiator:

Master the Art of Negotiation: Hone your negotiation skills to secure the best deals. Understand the value of your domains, conduct a comparative analysis, and be prepared to negotiate confidently with potential buyers.

Patience is a Virtue: Don’t rush into selling your domains. Sometimes, waiting for the right buyer or the perfect market timing can result in significantly higher profits.

Stay Ahead of the Curve:

Embrace Emerging Technologies: Stay informed about emerging technologies, industry trends, and new domain extensions. Being an early adopter can position you as a leader in innovative domain spaces.

Adapt and Evolve: The domain-flipping landscape is ever-evolving. Adapt to market changes, embrace new strategies, and continuously expand your knowledge to stay ahead of the competition.

With these tips, you can conquer the domain-flipping world with style and finesse. Remember, domain flipping is a blend of strategy, market knowledge, and a touch of entrepreneurial spirit. So, set your sights on the horizon and chart your course toward domain-flipping success. Anchors aweigh!

Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them

As you navigate the vast seas of domain flipping, it’s important to be prepared for the challenges that may arise along the way. Fear not, for you can steer your ship through stormy waters with a bit of wit and determination. Let’s explore potential challenges and discover how to overcome them with flair.

Domain Valuation Dilemmas:

The Challenge: Determining the true value of a domain can be tricky. Pricing too high may discourage potential buyers, while pricing too low could mean leaving money on the table.

The Solution: Embrace the power of AI-powered domain valuation tools. Leverage comparative analysis, market trends, and historical sales data to determine a fair and competitive price for your domains. Additionally, consult with industry experts and attend domain auctions to gain insights into current market valuations.

Fierce Competition:

The Challenge: The domain-flipping world is bustling with savvy investors, making competition fierce. It can be challenging to stand out and secure profitable deals.

The Solution: Differentiate yourself by offering unique domain assets. Focus on acquiring domains with strong branding potential, industry relevance, or niche appeal. Additionally, build a strong network of industry connections, collaborate on projects, and leverage partnerships to gain exposure and access to exclusive opportunities.

Legal Roadblocks:

The Challenge: Navigating the legal aspects of domain flipping, such as trademarks and intellectual property rights, can be daunting. Violating these rights can lead to legal disputes and potential financial setbacks.

The Solution:

Prioritize thorough research before acquiring domains.

Conduct trademark searches, understand copyright laws, and seek legal advice when necessary.

Adhere to ethical practices and ensure the fields you receive do not infringe upon existing trademarks or copyrights.

Market Volatility:

The Challenge: The domain market can be subject to fluctuations and unpredictable trends. Market conditions may change, affecting the demand and value of domains.

The Solution: Stay informed and adapt to market changes.

Continuously monitor industry trends, emerging markets, and technological advancements.

Diversify your domain portfolio to spread the risk and invest in domains with long-term growth potential.

You can navigate market volatility and seize opportunities by staying agile and adjusting your strategy.

Selling Delays:

The Challenge: Finding the right buyer for your domain may take time. It can be frustrating when your domains sit idle without attracting potential buyers.

The Solution: Employ effective marketing strategies to increase your domain’s visibility. Leverage AI-powered SEO optimization, create engaging content, and utilize social media platforms to reach a broader audience. Network with industry professionals, attend conferences and participate in domain auctions to increase exposure and generate interest in your domains.

Portfolio Management:

The Challenge: Managing a growing domain portfolio can become overwhelming, especially regarding renewals, tracking sales, and staying organized.

The Solution: Utilize domain management tools to streamline your workflow. These tools can help you track domain renewals, sales history, and important deadlines. Develop an organizational system that works for you, whether it’s through spreadsheets, dedicated software, or cloud-based storage. Efficient portfolio management will save you time and ensure you don’t miss any crucial opportunities.

You can steer your domain-flipping ship toward success by arming yourself with the knowledge to overcome these potential challenges. Remember, challenges are simply opportunities in disguise. Embrace them confidently, adapt your strategy when needed, and navigate the domain-flipping waters like a true captain. Smooth sailing awaits you!

Conclusion

We’ve sailed through the exhilarating seas of domain flipping, uncovering the secrets of success and navigating the challenges with finesse. Armed with wit, determination, and the power of AI, you’re now ready to embark on your domain-flipping adventure.

Remember, domain flipping is a dynamic and ever-evolving world. Stay on top of market trends, leverage the power of AI tools, and continually adapt your strategy to seize opportunities. Build a strong network, optimize your domains for search engines, and master the art of negotiation. With these skills in your arsenal, you can make waves in the domain-flipping industry.

So, set your sights high, dream big, and take action. Your $14K a month in 90 days awaits you. Start flipping those domains, and may your profits soar higher than the tallest mast!

It’s time to unleash your domain-flipping prowess. Set sail now and make your mark in the exciting world of domain flipping. Happy flipping, matey!

My Best Recommended & Proven Way to Make $100-$500 Per Day — Watch THIS FREE Video to START >>

Ready to conquer the domain-flipping seas? Dive deeper into the world of domain flipping with our comprehensive guide on unlocking domain flipping success. Click here to get your hands on the ultimate domain-flipping playbook!

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Originally published at Learn With Enamul Hoque on June 01, 2023.

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reylo-musings · 4 years

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Vessels of the Force

I know I’ve been quiet, but I do want to speak candidly.

I take great issue with the implications of our characters’ connection to the Force in The Rise of Skywalker. Am I a Ben Solo stan who is still salty that my boy faded into nothingness without a hint of respect for his character growth? Yeah, yeah I am. But more so than that, I am a person trying to navigate a world that seems to be trying to trip me up at every turn and I’m desperate to cultivate some kind of personal guide for that journey of mine. Star Wars, and the idea of the Force, up until this disaster of a film, were large parts of that guide. Now, it feels as hollow and cheap as a dollar store chocolate easter bunny.

Something that I saw as complex and rich in meaning, teeming with so many glimmering facets to explore and understand and containing the strength to hold up under whatever pressures the world would throw at it - a true diamond in the rough - turned out to be nothing more than a large sugar crystal. Sure it had a bit of sparkle and it was sweet for a bit, but under the heat and pressure of the world, it melted and burned to ash because it wasn’t strong enough on its own and no one was paying close enough attention to care for it.

But, to continue speaking candidly, I couldn't care less about this disaster of a film, and the poor light it is shining on my beautiful Force diamond. For me, it’s the literal embodiment of “Canon? What canon?” and I couldn’t be more pleased with that choice for myself.

If I were to pinpoint my exact issue with the film and its interpretation of the Force, it would be centered around the idea of living beings as mines of the Force and not vessels of the Force. Rey’s line “I just transferred a bit of life. Force Energy from me to him” is not the inherent issue. This concept of Force transference is good even, but the further implication that going “all in” and transferring your entire stock of Force Energy to something else necessitates that you just vanish from existence. #BenSoloDeservedBetter

As beings in the universe, we are not Force mines to be exploited and emptied. Our value does not diminish over time as parts of the Force are chipped away from us, either to be willingly given or forcibly taken. We are not an ore mine that will eventually unearth its last ounce of value and then just exist as an empty hole for the rest of eternity. We are living vessels of life, and that life is ever changing inside us. Some days we will feel that the world is demanding so much of that life and we will constantly give it out and feel we are getting nothing in return. Other days, we will feel so full of life that it seems we will burst from it, but the vessel will amazingly always accommodate more.

Our value is not tied to the quantity or quality of the vessel’s contents, rather our value is constant. No matter how much the energy inside us may feel depleted or heavy or sick, our worth will always be the same.

A large issue with the idea that our worth is tied to a finite amount of energy inside us is that all acts of selflessness, where energy is freely given, are actually acts of martyrdom. Rey transferring Force Energy from her to a wounded creature is no longer about providing an act of service to a life in need, it’s about choosing to chip away at her own life force in a way that, if done enough times, would actually be her demise. A system that is based on a unsustainable minable energy breeds selfishness and fear, where a user will hesitate to help others out of fear that their last value will be striped away and they will vanish.

The Force is not meant to be seen as a landfill of energy. As life passes from one being to the next, that energy is renewed, not left to rot and decay. The Force lesson from TLJ highlighted this in such a perfect way.

Luke Skywalker : What do you see? Rey : The island. Life. Death and decay, that feeds new life. Warmth. Cold. Peace. Violence. Luke Skywalker : And between it all? Rey : Balance and energy. A force. Luke Skywalker : And inside you? Rey : Inside me, that same force.

Sometimes, the Force is like trail mix. All of the parts of it were cultivated together to provide energy and to feed you, but there’s almost always a part that you don’t like as much as the rest. Maybe it's the raisins you don’t like. Maybe you’re just straight up allergic to peanuts (and probably shouldn’t eat the rest, cause like, peanut dust…but try to stick with my analogy here). Maybe the texture of cashews has always just weirded you out slightly. The reality is, if everyone on earth felt exactly the same about trail mix, there would never be a part of it you wouldn’t like. Manufacturers would see that everyone on earth hated raisins and would stop putting them in their trail mixes, but of course some people love raisins, and think they’re the best part of the whole mix.

Are they wrong for loving raisins? No.

Are you wrong for hating raisins? Also no.

Not everyone has to love and eat the trail mix the same way to gain energy from it. A trail mix is a trail “mix” because of its variety. It requires that there be separate and individual pieces brought together to work with one another towards a common goal (the goal of tastiness and hiking energy!). No part is more “right” or “wrong” or “special” than any other part. The Force is not one kind of energy. It contains varied facets that reflect different colors depending on the angle of the light you’re holding it up to. To you, the raisins could be your dark side; the slightly bitter and uncomfortable feeling that gets stuck in the back of your teeth. Or maybe the m&ms are your dark side; the indulgent feeling that has just the right coating of saltiness to be satisfying and motivate you to keep going in the 100 degree heat. Neither is “right” or “wrong”, you just use those energies in unique ways to yourself and your experience.

Say you’re out on the trail with your partner, and you’ve each got one snack box of trail mix. You hate raisins and they hate cashews. You could probably survive the hike just by picking through the contents of your own box and leaving all the things you don’t want at the bottom, and your partner could do the same. But now it’s getting late in the afternoon, and your box is empty of all the things you want and you’re running out of energy. So you offer your near empty snack box of unwanted raisins to your partner, and they give you their unwanted cashews. Now you each have more energy to complete the hike, and your snack boxes are empty and ready to be refilled with new yummy life-giving foods.

As soon as your snack boxes were emptied - the contents having been taken and used by those who desired them most - the box did not cease to be useful, but rather is ready to be filled once again. As vessels, cycling through and giving away the life inside us is not a sacrifice, rather a necessary progression to prepare for new life-giving energy.

There is a distinction to clarify on the idea of beings as vessels of the Force. The reality is that not everything is meant to be kept in a vessel. Vessels are intended for the binary cycle of cultivation and implementation of energies and substances. Vessels are not intended for storage and containment of other living things. A child with the best intentions, who finds a wounded bird in the woods and places it in a closed box for safekeeping, will always end up with a dead bird. A vessel is not intended to sustain a separate living being inside it, as that being requires its own interaction with various energies to survive. Vessels are also not meant as containment units. A fire cannot be saved in a vessel and used later. The fire will use up and exhaust all the energy inside the vessel, and then eventually it will exhaust itself as well. This is where the territory of “beings living inside other beings” doesn’t hold up.

“Kill me, and my spirit will pass into you”

No. Just. No.

Can energy be transferred? Sure. If you pour a glass of water into an already half-filled hydro flask, now you have a hydro flask that is filled with more water. But the individual molecules from the glass of water are no different from the ones that were already inside the bottle. They all mix together and are just “water”. Even if the water you poured in was nasty old moldy water, it’s still just a collection of molecules that contain energy. Nothing is binding all the “old” water molecules together in one part of the bottle. There isn’t anything that is binding just those pieces of water to the inside of the vessel permanently. If the user wants to be rid of that energy, it can be transferred back to the universe and renewed an infinite number of times. A being cannot be contained and continue to live within another living vessel, it just doesn’t work that way.

So how does this all relate to the guide I’m hoping to cultivate for my insane life? It’s about finding a better understanding of my Depression. It’s about welcoming good energy when I feel others sending it my way. It’s about recognizing that in moments I feel empty, my value is not lessened because my energy is depleted. It’s about knowing that even if I feel I only contain one last ounce of energy, if I give it to someone else who needs it more, it will not be my demise. It’s about knowing that energy can be found, transferred, and renewed inside me from every source in the universe. Conversely, that also means that every source has the ability to take away that energy from me, and teaches me to be mindful of the parts of my life that needlessly deplete that energy. It’s about understanding that if energy was given to a source that didn’t appreciate it, that transference was not a was not a waste of my time. All energy given away will be renewed in the universe and I will be ready to accept new energy into myself.

To me, yes, “The Force” is real. Some days the Force is God. Some days it is the heat from the sun and the wind in the trees and the song of the rainfall. And some days, it is just the breath in my lungs and the beat of my heart. What that energy is for you may be something completely different, but find that energy and let it propel you throughout this crazy journey we call life.

#I dont know what to tag this #Its just been on my mind for literally months since seeing TROS

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lavenderek · 4 years

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hi guys julie and i were talking about potential star wars stories that aren’t a part of this whole skywalker destiny shit all the canon movies can’t seem to let go of

and julie’s idea surrounded lesbians and a very heavy presence of Life Day because she hates me and wants me to be unhappy

my idea does not have life day in it because i have a soul. this was my idea that i pitched to her while i did my laundry and i dont think she was very impressed but i am impressed with myself.

so our main character is kristen stewart but purple. like her skin is a dusty sort of pastel lavender. but don’t let that fool you into thinking she is delicate - she is Indiana Jones But Backwards And In Space. her hair is like leonardo dicaprio’s in titanic, but wavy.

her name is Gax McKu and she is an archaeologist. she is the protag of a series. her whole thing is that she likes to discover and learn about ancient cultures and artifacts, but she fuckin hates museums. and if another archaeologist is sponsored by someone who instructs them to bring the artifact to a private collection or a museum, she tracks it down and steals it and puts it back where it is supposed to be. so it’s sometimes indiana jones and sometimes ocean’s 11, because she has to do a heist to get the thing back.

it’s just that other cultures and societies are lateral moves from gax’s own, neither superior nor inferior, and if somebody took some shit from her home planet she’d be peeved. besides, if we “discover” all the shit and take it away, there will eventually be nothing left for future scientists and historians to “discover.”

anyway, i digress.

this all takes place well before the prequels.

ACT I

we find our protagonist at a dig site, and she has unearthed something totally baller like the fossilized bones of a gigantic space condor or like a prehistoric buried treasure or something, and she’s just like crouching and dusting it carefully, looking very shrewd and sexy. she’s probably got like colleagues also dusting shit and one of them brings her a rock and they talk about the rock. idk.

this planet is like a mixture of how white people see africa, and australia. like some parts are a desert and some parts are a jungle kind of moment with lots of alien creatures.

the people whose home planet this is, is - you remember in return of the jedi when there is a keyboardist who looks like a big soft elephant puppet?

it’s those guys.

so they come up to gax at the dig site and interrupt her work, and she is very debonair about how she stands up and brushes her hands off to speak with them. they’re mad and they’re pointing at her and stuff. she understands their language and speaks to them in english like han does. she’s like “i don’t know what you’re talking about. we are here for this excavation only.”

they take her to one of their cities in a vehicle that’s like a wide flat oval thing with a single wheel underneath in the very center. roads are on faintly glowing tracks. this isn’t an extremely urban type of city, there is a lot of greenery and the buildings are etched adobe clay. they are well maintained. this is a people who take care of their community and have a lot of dignity.

she is brought to what we would assume is a beautiful chapel or church or something, with lots of colors painted in a very small geometric tessellation, but gax isn’t shocked or moved by this so we can assume she is familiar with these cities and culture.

inside there is a vast collection of like beautiful stoneware, like marble and opal and granite and shit. lovely. but the biggest pedestal is empty. they glare at her and say stuff to her. she’s very gruffly like, “why would i take your moonstone sphere? i already catalogued this, check with jan bourno.”

they insist and so she has to travel to another city, with a nervous friend who is john cho but he’s got a computer head like that computer head guy in cloud city.

don’t tell me who this guy is or correct me that it’s just a thing he wears like google glass, because i don’t care. it’s a computer head and im the boss.

john cho’s name is Flienn and he’s got a devastatingly handsome beard.

they go to the other city because she’s got to investigate who took the thing. then she finds who took the thing and it’s a white guy, obviously. she fights him. gax has this cool laser knife that uses the same tech as a light saber but it doesn’t buzz as loud or glow as bright, which means she wears it in a holster on her belt, because she’s impossibly hot. flienn is held back by henchmen. he’s very damsel in distress. but gax wins and gets the bad guy to tell her who hired him.

he was paid to get this thing because it is expensive and the rich guy collects rich stuff. he communicated through envoy and all he has is a name and a planet. the rich guy’s name is pelius bragnar. he’s scary. flienn checks on his computer head and tells gax that all records of bragnar have been wiped from any kind of system.

ACT II

they fly to pelius bragnar’s planet, and it’s a forest planet but it’s not like the endor moon, it’s just a very vertical, tree-based city with a lot of stone paths and structures based around the trees. this place is very urban, with a huge class gap. it is heavily policed and obviously corrupt. she meets an old colleague who is now a prosecutor. she is played by gabourey sidibe. her name is Graunda. she calls gax Sabine, and it turns out gax isn’t her birth name, which flienn did not know but gax makes it clear he’s not allowed to call her sabine.

graunda is like, “yeah i know pelius bragnar, i was trying to shut down his gang that operates a drug ring and has the police force in his pocket, and so to control me they kidnapped my little sister. i can tell you where their gang does most of its operations on this planet if you promise to save my sister.”

gax is like, “i don’t know what about my chosen profession indicated to you i was some kind of rescuer of sisters.”

“ok, i’ve known you for like fifteen years and it’s not like you don’t have a history of vigilantism,” says graunda, “but go off i guess.”

flienn is all, “the sphere probably isn’t being kept where they do their gang business, but this is all we have to go on.” flienn’s whole job in the narrative is to be stressed and point out the obvious in case the viewers are kathy and don’t get it. he mapquests the way there with his computer head and they have to devise a carefully designed plan to get in, this is the ocean’s 11 part.

gax is expecting graunda’s sister to be like some 19-year-old and is not expecting her to be the pinnacle of beauty and femininity. she’s in her mid 30s and has big hips and perfect dark skin and almond eyes with like orange eyeshadow. she looks like a monster high doll if monster high dolls were fat and shaped like real people. her hair’s in twists that she’s got all along the crown of her head like a tiara, and then the rest of her hair is in these two low buns on the back of her head and they’re really big and round. they are wrapped in a golden thread. like my point is she’s a total babe and there is a fuckload of sexual tension.

her name is Lamaa. not like llama, the accent is on the second syllable.

they find her like locked in some kind of interrogation room. flienn cracks the code to the door. lamaa’s obviously been roughed up a little bit, and is tired.

lamaa is super upset when gax tells her they can’t leave yet. gax is like, “sorry to add to what has probably been a shitty week for you, but what i came here for is a moonstone sphere.” maybe she goes over the history of the object a little bit. idk.

they spy on somebody who somehow reveals where pelius lives, and there is a gala there next week. they aren’t expecting the tech in this room to have spyware that detects flienn’s computer head the way your work computer knows when you’re trying to plug your phone into the usb port to charge. they have to escape. lamaa is super smart but only ok with weapons and doesn’t have a lot of upper body strength so there’s a lot of sexy peril.

they escape by the skin of their teeth and are now wanted by the corrupt police. they have to hide out in like the tree planet equivalent of a shitty motel and there is a hot love scene between gax and lamaa obviously, like, duh. it’s very steamy and people will be jerking off to it for eight hundred years.

flienn is bi. he doesn’t have a love interest in this installment, im just putting it out there.

ACT III

they go in disguise to the gala, which means they have to dress in formal wear, which is also extremely sexy. lamaa wears a silky backless gown and her hair is coiled in a rope braid beehive. gax wears a formal vest and her hair in a slight bouffant. flienn wears a traditional fancy costume that involves sheer fabric wrapped around him and covering part of his head. he is not religious and doesn’t usually dress this way, but he has to hide his computer head. also he’s wearing eyeliner because why don’t more dudes wear eyeliner? it’s not even because he’s bi. lots of dudes wear eyeliner where he is from.

they sneak around and find the sphere. i guess this is ocean’s 13, when matt damon has to seduce his way into the diamonds room. they get caught in there and are all held prisoner. gax and lamaa argue but it’s obviously just because lamaa is very scared of pelius, which makes flienn even more scared of pelius, which puts gax in a bad mood. she doesn’t really get scared until the physical danger begins.

the physical danger begins. pelius comes in, The pelius. he is a twi’lek. he does a lot of sinister taunting and gax is mad because she’s nervous.

lamaa escapes the ropes she is tied up with somehow and is able to get gax’s laser knife to her and they have to fight pelius’s henchmen, and they steal the sphere, and while she’s there anyway lamaa steals all his fancy gold and jewels and sticks them in her cleavage. they climb to the roof and use flienn’s drapes of fabric to zipline down some like fuckin ropes strung along all the treehouses and escape. pelius is like curse you gax mcku, i would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling adults!! and your little computer head too!!! he is left as a future antagonist.

lamaa is obviously a target now on the tree planet, so she goes back to the elephant puppet planet with gax. there’s another love scene but gax finds all the jewels and shit in lamaa’s bra. she’s like, “you can’t keep these.”

lamaa is like, “i figured, i just didn’t want him to have them. i don’t know where these go.”

so future stories will probably involve them trying to put those things back while also being chased by pelius and his drug lords.

they all return to the dig, and now lamaa is wearing archaeologist clothes like gax, and her hair is pulled to the back of her head with a fancy barrette. gax is once again interrupted, but this time it’s by the guy who stole the sphere in the first place. he’s like, “pelius is going to kill me for giving up who hired me, and it’s your fault.”

gax is like, “you’re an embarrassment to the science of archaeology. you’ve gone against the very tenets of our profession and i don’t care what happens to you.”

this obviously makes him feel shitty, but rather than internalizing it he just hates her guts. he leaves, and she goes back to the dig and doesn’t watch him go. but he glares with contempt over his shoulder, because he will also be an antagonist in future installments.

and that guy’s name?

SHEEV PALPATINE.

i’m just kidding, these are all new characters, his name is like george or something.

the end.

give me money.

#YES i named kstews character after the character she plays in the totinos sketch YES im a girl #space fights #thing by betp #gax mcku

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knightoptical-blog · 3 years

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In the Spotlight: Calcium Fluoride Optics

Here at Knight Optical, we’ve observed a peak in requirement for our custom-made Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) Optical Components. To coincide with this proliferation, we’re placing these in-demand optics under the spotlight. Here, we investigate the substrate’s construction, explore the key features that make it such a sought-after preference and probe deeper into its typical uses.

How is CaF2 Made?

Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) is a crystalline element that is grown by using, what’s known as, the Stockbarger technique, a temperature-operated process that is used to synthesise gemstones, such as crystals1. In the case of our Optics, either naturally-mined or chemically-prepared fluorite is employed to complete the growing process – which is, of course, contingent on the grade in question, which we’ll unearth further below.

The Different Grades of CaF2

Our range is available in three grades and dependent on their end applications, they’re suitable for an extensive array of uses.

These options include:

UV Grade: recognised for its optimal implementation for applications that operate within the ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelengths

IR Grade: also acknowledged as our ‘Standard Grade’ and renowned for its performance within the infrared (IR) region

Raman Grade: best known for its minimal fluorescence with only a singular Raman peak at 321cm.

What are CaF2 Optical Components Used For?

These Optics are exploited for an endless variety of applications, spanning from the visible and UV all the way through to the IR spectrums. For instance, a typical use for our UV-Grade components lies in the form of mirrors for excimer lasers, which are ordinarily found in the lithography industry. However, it’s not just CaF2 that’s popular here – Krypton Fluoride (KrF), Argon Fluoride (ArF) and Magnesium Fluoride (MgF2) mirrors are also commonly brought into play.

Moving right to the other end of the spectrum, our IR-Grade (or Standard-Grade) is often incorporated in thermal imaging devices. This grade of optic is utilised for detectors that require cryogenic cooling, which keeps the detector itself at a consistent, low temperature to reduce thermal noise.

CaF2 Optics: Papers in the News

Now we’ve uncovered a couple of typical uses for CaF2, let’s consider how it’s being applied in some recent research-based projects. These 2021 papers study the chemical compound’s innate characteristics and explain further how it’s applied to real-life applications.

CaF2 Lenses: Ultrafast Laser Microsurgery

Due to its multispectral transparency, CaF2 – alongside Zinc Sulphide (ZnS) – crystals have been brought into an experiment for ultrafast laser microsurgery applications. Here, researchers constructed a diamond-turning device to produce both these compounds into lenses with a surface roughness of 6 and 5nm, respectively, to: “Withstand the high power from ultra-short laser pulses and provide a tightly-focused beam with 1.23μm 1/ e2 spot radius for laser ablation”.2

You can learn more about this project by clicking spiedigitallibrary.org here.

Miniaturised CaF2 Optics: Ultrafast Laser Surgery Probe for Bone Ablation

Our following example again derives from the medical sector, where our leading substrate is rife within much equipment. In this exact biomedical project, investigators worked on an improved ultrafast laser surgery probe using miniaturised CaF2 optics to deliver higher laser peak powers to tissue surfaces3. Comparing the specimen to an alternative that uses ZnS, the results found that by using CaF2, the probe: “Exhibits negligible multiphoton absorption, enabling higher peak power pulse delivery while focusing over a larger ablation field of view (FOV)”.3

Click here to read the full details of this venture.

CaF2 Lenses: Scientific Payloads

While laser applications seem to be the protagonists in the medical field, there’s room for CaF2 Optics overhead, in space, too. In November 2021, researchers investigated the feasibility of reducing the adverse characteristics of using the material at the TOPTEC Centre in the spaceborne FLORIS spectrometer4, which measures vegetation fluorescence from above5. As the paper highlights, crystalline elements, such as CaF2, are regularly drawn on for high-performance space optical systems. It also goes on to mention that this medium is usually specified: “For the wide transmittance range of 350nm to 7μm, high refractive index homogeneity, and low optical dispersion value.”4 One known issue, however, is deformation, which, in this case, researchers conducted to reduce with a specific thermal treatment and some polishing steps.4

Learn more about this paper spiedigitallibrary.org here.

Knight Optical’s CaF2 Optical Component Portfolio

Above are several general and more comprehensive examples of CaF2 in action. At Knight Optical, we offer a variety of these optical components for a diverse range of uses, such as those mentioned above. What’s more, we can work alongside you to produce custom-made variations so, if you’re struggling with the material’s inherent properties on a specific project, we can help you create a bespoke design that slots seamlessly into your application’s discerning demands for optimum implementation.

Our portfolio of CaF2 optics comprises (but is not limited to):

Windows

Lenses

Prisms

Ground Blanks.

Discover more about what’s on offer from our portfolio and learn further about the substrate by clicking here. As well as custom-made designs, we also offer a choice of CaF2 optical components from stock, which are available for next-day dispatch.

Click here for our range of Calcium Fluoride lenses to view our range of Lenses, and here for our stock Calcium Fluoride Windows.

Why Choose Knight Optical for your Application?

Discerning customers rely on Knight Optical not only for the premium quality of our output and in-house state-of-the-art Metrology Laboratory and QA Department‘s capabilities but because – as well as a range of Stock Optics (available for next-day dispatch) – we also offer our optics as Custom-Made Components.

This year, we’re celebrating 30 years in business. With three decades’ experience under our belt and a whole host of long-standing world-renowned customers on our books, we are proud to have worked on some of the most ground-breaking innovations.

If you are looking for premium-quality, bespoke optical components, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the Technical Sales Team today.

FOOTNOTES

1https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-540-72816-0_2926

2https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/optical-engineering/volume-60/issue-7/075106/Development-of-a-miniature-objective-based-on-calcium-fluoride-and/10.1117/1.OE.60.7.075106.short?SSO=1

3https://www.osapublishing.org/boe/fulltext.cfm?uri=boe-12-8-4779&id=453207

4https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/optical-engineering/volume-60/issue-11/115101/Minimization-of-CaF2-spherical-surface-deformation-caused-by-annealing/10.1117/1.OE.60.11.115101.full#r1

5 https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/7/649

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newtonwildsmith · 4 years

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I suppose there were many things in my childhood that nourished my imagination and influenced the birth of this project, but my mind always presents a particular chapter of my life: My formative, later years at secondary school and Sixth Form.

In those less-than-halcyon days, I would often be found during breaktimes hiding in the school library with my two geeky friends, to escape the wind, rain, and cold, as well as the playground bullies. We would also use the library while evading our physical education lessons; our PE teacher had all but given up on us, and we had been promoted to the status of “sick, lame and lazy”, a deserved title bestowed on all pupils who had somehow contrived a valid excuse not to participate in team sports.

We were permitted to sit out physical education in a blissful haven, tucked into the corner of the library like a trio of convalescing old fogies. It was a silent santuary of books and sketching and quiet discussion of our ideas. The atmosphere around our table at the back of that tiny library was always charged with potent creativity, borne of a love for fantasy and science fiction; we each dreamed of writing epic sagas or gripping screenplays.

There was Mark, who hoped to one day create a sci-fi series that would rival shows like Babylon 5 and SeaQuest DSV in its scope and imagination.

There was Jamie, who adored all things Star Trek-related, as well as any debate that featured Area 51 and the X-Files.

And then there was mousey me, an underdeveloped, elfin, wide-eyed boy who still spent his free time building dens in the wild woods around his home, and whose imagination was fired by the faeries of Brian Froud, ancient mythology, prehistoric animals, and the heroes of Middle Earth.

Our fellowship was united by our fascination with these other worlds, times, creatures and peoples. We spent many long afternoons in that space, embracing our passion for world-building and story-telling. We continued to meet as a trio of writers who shared ideas and ambitions right up until we left Sixth Form.

By the time I left school, I had completely flunked my A Levels and had waved away any notion of trying to get into university. It seemed like such a scary thought back then, studying for a degree and moving into the real world. It involved growing up, and that was something that terrified me. Besides, my attention had been consumed by another thing entirely: The novel I had finished writing during those years of ‘failed’ education.

I’m convinced that the speed at which I produced the story was driven by my seven-years-younger brother, who had badgered me to finish each chapter because I had been reading the tale to him as it was being written. His impatience and eagerness to know what happened next was what had spurred me into action.

It was a fantasy epic, inspired by the scale of Tolkien’s works and the jovial drama in Brian Jacques’ stories of anthropomorphised animals, as well as the imagination found in Pratchett’s works and C.S. Lewis’ allegorical chronicles. I had wanted to create my own landscape, language, culture and history just like these literary greats, and at the expense of my A-level education I felt like I had succeeded.

I edited the finished manuscript, researched how to get my book into print, and posted reams of chapters and synopses to agents and publishers.

Oh the chimerical ambitions of our youth.

I received rejection after rejection, and as I finally ‘grew up’ into a still somewhat underdeveloped twenty-something, bound to the real world of work, a mortgage and a relationship, I gave up on the cherished story. It was boxed up and tucked away, stored in the attic of my parents’ house to gather dust for almost twenty years.

And when it was rediscovered, lifted from its plastic tomb to be peeled open and examined like a mummy being exhumed by nervous archaeologists, there came a realisation. The novel was finished, but with the hindsight of maturity I could see its flaws and follies. I could see how no one would have ever published it.

But the pure idea was still at its core. There was a diamond in that rough, and I was determined to dig it out and have it turned into a gem.

And so for the last three years, the writing has resumed, along with the creation of illustrations and maps and charts, not to mention an undertaking of the kind of research a PhD student would be proud of.

This second blossoming of productivity bursts into a very different era to that of my 90s youth. Social media, globalisation and the technology of self-publishing (not to mention a very recent pandemic) have changed the landscape of the literary world.

The revival of the work is also different because I too have changed. Rather than focusing on the end product, or on fame through its publication, I’m simply enjoying the process of crafting it. It has been a source of solace even in pre-pandemic times, a place I can escape to and explore when the ordinary world feels a bit too much to bear.

Perhaps none of these journal entries, nor the pictures I post online will ever get seen. Maybe my books will never be read. Or it’s possible that the finished works will be once again consigned to a box in a loft and only unearthed after my death.

Whatever happens to my creation, I feel privileged to have the means to finally share it – The hills of my imagination are alive with music, and it’s time to sing it out into the word.

#my writing #writers #biography #inspiration #writer #writers on tumblr #journal

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vesperlionheart · 7 years

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The Barn 11

It wasn’t morning when Sakura awoke next, but hours later when the sky was dark and burning with the promise of a not too far off sunrise. She could feel her magic spent and shallow, but the cuts were all but faded across her body.

She stood and looked herself over in the mirror, hesitant to touch the gauze bandage taped over her face and lip. She pulled back half the tape first and lifted the gauze. There was no cut, but a trail of piner skin still showed off even in the dim of the room what had once been there. She grinned like a bulldog, if only she bit as hard as one.

“It’s been years since I wanted to hurt someone,” she mused out loud, speaking to her own reflection like it had an opinion to offer back. “Just like it’s been years since I’ve touched my magic. What a coincidence.”

She channeled magic into her bones around her hand and let it glow green before hovering it over the pink scar. Bit by bit, she worked the skin back into a healthy color that bore no resemblance to the damage it once glared. Healing had become easier in her old age like they said it would. The older you grew the easier things were to control and manipulate, but the less vigor you had over magic. That was the trade off.

‘But a bone witch will hold her magic longer than the others. You won’t have to worry about controlling or manipulating magic when you’re your mother’s age. You’ll be able to outlast them all.’

She let the magic stay in her hand, softly burning in her bones with no real goal or purpose other than to exist and be felt. It was warm with life to the touch, and langnuid in its unformed state. If she closed her eyes she could almost smell it, but the exact nature of the scent escaped her. It was easier to notice other’s scents, but she could never pin down her own.

Sakura was starting to admit to herself that magic was like a bad habit or a warm bed, easy to climb inside of and harder to slip away from.

Why had she given up magic in the first place?

Sakura indulged and it felt like sinning when she channeled what was left of her magic through her body and built up the fibers of her muscles, the tissues and sinews, the knit of her skin and construct of her form to its prime with healing magic. Her bones burned and sang, seeping warm magic through her until it felt like she had run marathons daily for decades. It was a high that sent her brain reeling with glee.

She felt like she had to keep using her magic until it was spent. What else could she do?

She lifted her left hand to try something else and suddenly the magic rubbed raw there. She felt the rough texture like sandpaper under her magic and had to recoil. Her high came crashing down as the shock traveled up her arm and she stumbled backwards, hitting the edge of the bed with her hip and sliding down. She gripped her throbbing wrist and held it tight with her good hand, watching as her knuckles turned white and the skin turned red.

‘Remember what you did, remember what you lost!’

The message was clear as fate and it was enough to bring her back. Sakura screwed her eyes shut and braced with her toes curling into the carpet for purchase. She felt the deep places of her settle and thanked God she hadn’t gone too far and touched the black magic underneath it all.

They spoke of hitting your limit like crashing to the ground after flying, suddenly having nowhere to go. That was true for everyone else, but not for Sakura. She brought her grave digging shovel and she was ready to dig when she got to that point.when others got to the end of their magic they stopped or were stopped, but those conventions held her like wet paper and she knew there was something more than just her limits to explore. There was more to unearth in the moist soil of her magic, and She did so because she knew there was something worth finding there.

She looked up to the mirror and swallowed, searching for any of the telling signs, but her skin was unmarred and just as pale and plain as expected. There were no patches of black blotting like ink drops anywhere, and her eyes were wide and scared, but still hers. There was no voice either.

“Stupid,” Sakura said out loud to herself.

She felt like an idiot. It had only been for a minute, but for that small moment in time she had forgotten what she swore she would never forget. So many years ago she had paid for her greed with the dexterity of her left hand and the peace of mind that came with knowing your magic wasn’t sentient and malicious.

Back then Sakura just wanted to be the best witch she could be.

Now all she wanted to be was sane.

She dressed, threw out the old bandages, and left with a folded note on the bed for Kakuzu to find when he woke. The walk back to the barn was mundane and long, by the time she made it her feet were sore and the sun was well risen, but her head was a little neater. When she opened the door and saw the breakfast cooking she was able smile and joke.

Everything was back to being mostly fine.

“I hope you saved some for me.”

“Shopping?” Madara echoed, already frowning at the idea of it. “Please no, I don’t want to go out today.”

“You don’t have to. I can find stuff for you if you want to stay behind, but I think it would be good to do something a little more mundane and normal. It’s been a little too crazy for me lately and I need to get some of you caught up with the times more than others.”

“I thought you could just magic our clothes,” Gaara said with a wiggle of his fingers to help illustrate his words. “You don’t need to spend your money on us.”

Sakura grinned and held up a black matted credit card. “It’s not my money. The Uzumaki coven will be covering this bill. Kakuzu had one of their cards and I helped myself. I’m thinking of it as payback for their overzealous monitoring.”

“Is that the real reason you want to go out?” Gaara guessed.

“Oh please,” Konan interrupted. “There are reasons other than revenge to go out and spend someone else’s money.”

“Like?” Gaara asked.

“Shoes!” Sakura interjected quickly, because it was the first basic, normal thing that came into her head that had nothing to do with magic or demons or black marks that spread like a plague.

Konan looked backwards over her shoulder at Sakura before facing Gaara again and nodding. “Yeah, pretty things. Besides that, it would be good reconnaissance for us. If we want to blend in here we should study the people and the culture. Madara, you’re the only one with clearance to actually pick up a job here, you need to come with us.”

Madara glared. “I don’t want a job. It would leave the Barn unguarded.”

“What are we?” Konan exclaimed, looking offended.

“Inferior,” he replied without missing a beat.

“I’ll go with you if there are star drinks,” Gaara whispered to Sakura, watching Madara and Konan get into another argument.

“Sure, let me get my things and we can go.”

Sakura punched in her code for the day and reached for her purse left by the kitchen counter. It was there she noticed the vase of flowers. Pretty yellow and orange foxglove stalks were clustered together. Sakura reached for one, more red than orange, and pulled it free from the waters.

Behind her someone called her name and Sakura blinked, replacing the stalk in the vase and turning away. She didn’t bother asking who left the foxglove in her kitchen, she had seen the same flowers in Kakuzue’s home and remembered it was the Uzumaki's coven flower, appearing on their family crest along with the grinning fox leaping over a human skull that sat atop a pair of crossed arrows.

In addition to just being a favorite flower, they were also convenient conduits of magic for people who weren't bone witches.

Sakura jingled her keys. “I’m ready to leave. Anyone who wants to tag along can come, otherwise I’ll lock the door behind me and expect to be let back in when we come back.” She leveled her eyes on Madara. “Okay?”

Madara lowered his chin but stood up from where he had been leaning so he was taller than her again. His arms were still crossed, but he wasn’t turned away from her at least.

Sakura didn’t wait for his answer, but headed for the car and hoped he followed. Konan took the passenger’s front seat and Gaara slipped in the back. Sakura didn’t hear anything else but when she looked in the rearview mirror Madara was there, just as dour with his arms still crossed.

Sakura drove them somewhere a little out of the city, where the shops were older and less unkept. The trees arched over the roadways and shed leaves of gold and crimson all the way down. Sakura glanced off to the side and saw the rows of brick front homes converted into shop fronts and turned away in the opposite direction.

Not far from the foliage was a tucked away strip mall old enough to have affordable prices and new enough to still sell overpriced confectionary drinks. Sakura parked and looked back to see Madara was gone again, leaving her alone with Gaara and Konan.

“Well, he’s not getting star drinks,” Gaara huffed, less bothered by Madara’s disappearing act than Sakura.

Two hours later Sakura had spent three grand on clothes, shoes, and useless accessories, but felt the need to use her own money to pay for Gaara’s drink in the mall.

Konan sat down on the bench alongside Sakura, dropping the bags to settle beside them on the floor. She sounded tired but Sakura knew she wasn’t, since Konan had the most energy when it came to buying new things, a trait Sakura admired and found relatable.

“When I was younger, much younger, the family would have these champion games for fun, but really it was just the young kids showing off their magic. If you won you got something nice, some years it was a diamond tennis bracelet, a fine bottle of merlot, a champion thoroughbred for your stables, or a day trip to the mall with one of these little black cards.”

“What sort of games were they?” Konan asked, recognizing the note of nostalgia in Sakura’s voice.

“Games that ended with blood, mostly. There were puzzles sometimes, but Naruto was so stupid Kushina tried to shy away from those. When Mito was still alive she didn’t play favorites like that and kept the courses traditional. The Wheel, The Courage, The Star, The Hanged Man, all different games. Find your way through the maze, untangle the illusion from reality before the real threat gets to you, track the monster before it is free on the world to kill, dig down to the end of your magic and then go further.” Sakura shrugged in a way that was practiced. ”Games like those.”

“Did you ever win any games?”

“The Hermit, actually. It was a fancy masked party, a masquerade, and by the end of the night someone close to us would be dead if the hermit wasn’t discovered or unmasked. Who didn’t fit in this party, use your magic to find out.”

“How did you discover it?”

Sakura’s grin was wry. “He was the only one there less at ease than me. It wasn’t a good example and Kushina had a little fit because I never used my magic, but Mito said...it was more than just how much magic or what spells you knew, but the character of a person in a lion’s den, or something like that. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I was just glad I had beat Karin who was a sensor and the obvious favorite. She won the most.”

“It sounds like becoming a witch suited you. Why did you give it up? Finances would have been supplied by the family, I assume, so that’s not the reason,” Konan mused, looking over at Sakura with eyes too keen to swallow deception.

Sakura smiled, but her lips were dry and her throat was close to cotton.

“You know the last game I was a part of was The Wheel. There was this huge roulette table we had to find and spin. Depending on what it landed on we ended up fighting or facing a challenge. Naruto ended up fighting a low powered clone of himself, Karin was stuck unraveling an illusion, Tayuya was stuck in a room with walls closing in a little bit every few seconds, and I….I rolled the Black Knight.”

“What does that mean?”

“It was a construct made from magic, or it was supposed to be, but there was something more to it and it was unlike anything mechanical when I stripped it down there was just teeth and eyes and darkness that swallowed all my magic until it devoured me. It was an undying thing.”

Sakura closed her eyes to the memory.

She hit the ground, the end, the limits of her magic. She had spent it all and she was at rock bottom. That’s when she picked of her grave shovel and started to dig until her skin was the color of topsoil and her teeth were just as long as her nighmares.

“Kushina’s attempt to kill me went very differently. Remember, Menma?”

Sakura opened her eyes and saw the dark haired twin scowling down at her. Sakura’s smile was a lazy stretch of her lips as Konan tensed alongside her. Gaara put a hand on Sakura’s shoulder, making his presence known to her.

“Naruto won that fight fair and square. It was just an unlucky spin,” Menma grumbled in a voice like gravel.

“Sure it was,” Sakura cooed, eyes creased and playful. “And it all turned out okay in the end, didn’t it? What else are you doing in my neck of the woods, cousin?”

“We thought you were Karin. She’s the only one who spends this much.”

“You could just call her,” Sakura flippantly replied, knowing full well how Karin had defected from the family coven two days ago. She also knew she wasn’t supposed to know about how Karin had left the family in such an ugly way. It was embarrassing to admit, probably.

“Funny thing about women and cellphones, they don’t like to use them when they’re angry with you.”

“Karin’s angry with you? I thought she was fond of you boys.” Sakura teased. A part of her in the back of her brain was commending her for being so brave while another part was cursing her for being so stupid. Menma could tear her open if he wanted to.

But he wouldn’t.

“Women get angry without reason all the time, regardless of how fond they may be of a person or thing,” he huffed.

“That sounds like something someone who wasn’t able to get a girlfriend would say. I know mama bear was the sheltering type, but I didn’t think she was so bad. You know it’s illegal to date your cousins so what are you doing tracking down Karin on your own?”

Sakura saw his face fill with color. “It’s not like that, why you have to make everything a joke?”

“Why do you have to be so funny?”

“You have a problem with that mouth of yours.”

Sakura wants to respond on that snap instinct of hers that would have made a witty comeback about that not being what his mom said last night, or something in that vein of rhetoric, but she held herself back in time. Menma was touchy when it came to his mother and she felt that she might push him a little too much if she said something like that.

Naruto was mother’s favorite, not him.

Sakura leaned forward, resting the back of her fist under her chin. “You have a problem with my mouth? Cute. I haven’t heard that one before. You gonna say something original or do I have to listen to the same lines as your brother?”

She blew him a playful kiss that kept his face red.

“Shut up. I was just here because I thought you might be Karin. It’s not like the rest of the family cares that much about what happens to her next. At least I tried. At least I-”

His words cut off when Sakura thrust forward a single finger to touch his lips and stop him. Behind her Gaara was also tense. The area around them was silent, devoid of humans. Even the people inside the shops seemed gone or out of sight. Suddenly it was too quiet for a mall.

“Sakura,” Konan whispered, touching the younger girl in warning.

“No, I feel it too. Where did Madara run off to?”

“It’s not him,” Gaara said.

Sakura pulled back her finger and stood, facing the direction of the magic that had begun to trickle from. It was familiar and intentional and teasing all at once, making it hard for Sakura to breath.

“Karin?”

Menma exclaimed as the redhead rounded the corner and came into view, looking stunning as always in thin black stilettos and a long mink fur coat. There might have been a little shadow under her eyes, but her makeup was flawless and a perfect mask to the world of her true exhaustions.

Karin smiled and waved to the pair of them with just her fingers. “I heard you were looking for me, Menma. Sorry Sakura dearest, I didn’t mean for you to become a part of this. Before we have our girl talk let me take care of the pest, okay?”

It was an interesting idea, because on their own, Menma and Karin were almost evenly matched, with Karin showing more skill and talent in the end. If Sakura stepped back she didn’t doubt Karin would win. That wasn’t a bad things...but….

Sakura turned and looked behind them where two new figures stood, one she recognized, one she didn’t. Tayuya smiled and waved from beside the boy taller and paler than her. Sakura felt instantly unsettled by the sight of him.

“Who are your friends?” Sakura asked.

Menma looked behind him and cursed too, seeing the new faces for the first time. It looked more and more like a trap for him. He wouldn’t be able to beat Karin on his own easily, especially not if Karin had backup.

“Well, some of them are busy looking for that last friend of yours, tricky bastard, but the ones you see here are your cousin Tayuya and Kimimaro. Say hello and be polite, won’t you dolls?” Karin cooed with a wave of her hand. Her nails were painted a bright red to match her lips and hair. She looked better than she had last they saw each other.

“This is a public place, let’s be civil about it, alright?” Sakura cautioned, raising both her palms and grinning over at Tayuya and the other man. “Right?”

“You’re not as uninvolved as you would like to be,” Menma growled sidelong at Sakura. “You think they’ll leave you alone? They’ll try to take you like he did with your other cousins. Stupid girls.”

“Not very nice, Menma.”

Karin pointed a finger and Sakura heard the magic hit and latch onto his body. Menma choked as the blood inside him began to heat. His eyes bulged and he reached for his own magic to break the hold before his blood boiled.

He snarled and the marks on his face grew darker. Gaara reached for Sakura to tug her back and away, Konan rising to flank her as they turned together to run. In the way Tayuya and the other man stood, blocking their path.

“You’re outnumbered,” Sakura tried.

“Those two can’t use their magic freely unless they want to run out faster. You gonna force them into that?” Tayuya asked, grin mocking. She pulled out her flute and turned it over once before taping it to her lips. “Just come quietly with us while Karin deals with the brat. Our Patriarch has something he would like to talk to you about.”

“I can guess the rest,” said Sakura. “Is it one of those, join me or die sort of deals? Someone mentioned a coven rising up to take down our family. What he say to get you to join?”

“Nothing extraordinary. I was ready with just the thought of revenge. You ready to go?”

Konan reached in front of Sakura and her skin started to peel into paper. Sakura grabbed the older woman to stop her, knowing that Konan and the others only had a limited amount of magic before they ran out and were sent back into the screaming void she had first pulled them out of.

“Let me do this much. I can’t just watch,” Konan hissed, looking more pissed than Sakura thought she had ever seen the woman. “They threaten you right in front of me. I can’t allow that.”

“It’s just smack talk. It’s not your problem-”

“It is if it has to deal with you!” Konan interrupted. “I won’t sit back and watch this again. Don’t ask me to endure such a thing.”

“I as well,” said Gaara, hand back on her shoulder. “It’s not fair that you take care of us all the time without asking for anything in return. Plus, I don’t want to see you bleed again.”

“Fine, let’s beat her down a little before talks and cake, yeah?”

The other girl laughed before rising her flute and blowing. The man moved at the first note and Gaara rushed forward to combat the physical strike while Konan unfolded into a thousand papers, thickening to absorb the blast of sound.

But then, too fast to know how it happened, Menma was thrown through the air, landing on the other side of the mall clearing where they all could see the state of his body, bound in gold chains. Sakura turned and Karin was there. She smiled playfully and then just pointed to where Gaara was fighting, making no move to do anything further.

Sakura turned and felt her heart sink. Gaara was doing his best with the little breakdown of sand he had transmuted from cloth or chair or bench, but the man named Kimimaro was too fast with a sword as pale as bone and smelling just like one.

‘“You’re not the only bone witch out there, cous.”

Sakura started to fly through hand seals, forgetting that she didn’t need them anymore. “Abort mission now!”

“But Madara-”

“He’ll be fine on his own!”

Sakura pulled a bone from her wrist, still slick with fluids and threw it between Gaara and the other bone witch male, knowing it wouldn’t hit but hoping it would be intercepted. She was finished with her own seals, she just needed to get in contact with both Gaara and Konan again.

Kimimaro caught the bone and stopped, rising out of his stance to hold it in one hand and eye it critically.

Sakura used that moment to grab Koan, or what was left of her paper body, and then turn for Gaara. He was close, but she dragged Konan with her to touch him because that was important, they had to be connected otherwise it didn’t work.

She grabbed Gaara and felt bone between her ribs, ripping through her shirt from an outside source. It was pain, but she grit through it and pulsed magic into the seal that would take them all back to the place in the middle of her living room where a seal had been painted right after the incident at the festival.

She saw sticking out of her side, her same bone, thrown back at her. The boy was glaring at her and it was a glare that promised another encounter-one she wouldn’t be able to run away from.

#kimimaro #Sakura #the barn #barn #Menma #Gaara #Madara #Konan #fight fight fight #bone witch #the other bone witch shows up

69 notes · View notes

fictionadventurer · 7 years

Text

Father Brown Reread: The Flying Stars

“The most beautiful crime I ever committed,” Flambeau would say in his highly moral old age, “was also, by a singular coincidence, my last.

This flips the regular detective story in multiple ways. The focus is on the criminal, rather than the detective. We’re trying to find out why he repented, rather than how he got brought to justice.

In one sentence, we see Flambeau showing some shocking character development. Not only does he stop committing crimes--he becomes “highly moral.”

Once again, if we know what Flambeau was like in his old age, when are the Father Brown stories supposed to take place? Given that Chesterton later mentions some “old Victorian chandeliers”, and that he often discusses “modern” political and philosophical fads, I think he’s engaging in a bit of literary time travel, where the stories take place in the “present day” but give us glimpses of the characters’ futures. (Sayers sometimes does something similar in the Peter Wimsey stories).

This is a strong contender for my favorite Father Brown story. I’ve read it at least six times. (It’s been a Boxing Day tradition for a few years. I’m listening to Christmas music right now to get me in the spirit.) As such, I may have a lot to say. I’ll try to restrain myself.

It was committed at Christmas. As an artist I had always attempted to provide crimes suitable to the special season or landscapes in which I found myself, choosing this or that terrace or garden for a catastrophe, as if for a statuary group.

Flambeau, here’s a hint: most criminals don’t care about the aesthetics of their crimes. You’re not a thief. You’re an artist. Your trouble is that you create your works of art using other people and their possessions.

Did Flambeau ever really need the money? Or was he just carried away by the romantic idea of being a trickster and creating those types of tales in real life? Brown’s speech at the end suggests he used the latter to justify the former. (“I’m not a criminal. I’m an artist.”)

I really think my imitation of Dickens’ style was dextrous and literary. It seems almost a pity I repented the same evening.

So Old Flambeau has repented of his crimes in a moral sense, but he still appreciates them on artistic terms. He’s reformed, but he hasn’t lost that flair for the overdramatic, or that arrogant self-confidence.

I’m suddenly struck by the desire to see Flambeau meet Lord Peter Wimsey. They’d be two obnoxiously self-confident artistic snobs who’d end up getting drunk on the good wine and doing ridiculous acrobatics to break into someone’s house.

Flambeau would then proceed to tell the story from the inside; and even from the inside it was odd. Seen from the outside it was perfectly incomprehensible, and it is from the outside that the stranger must study it.

Why does the stranger have to study it from the outside? We heard the first part of the story from Flambeau. I want the rest of Flambeau’s version!

Not that I dislike this version, of course. It’s too much fun to wish for any change, and we do need to keep some aspect of the mystery intact.

Here she gave an exclamation of wonder, real or ritual, and looking up at the high garden wall above her, beheld it fantastically bestridden by a somewhat fantastic figure. “Oh, don’t jump, Mr. Crook,” she called out in some alarm; “it’s much too high.”

I believe my first suspicion was that this person was Flambeau--he would do just that sort of acrobatic nonsense. The suspicion’s quickly squashed, but it’s a nice little misdirect.

It took me a ridiculously long time to realize that Chesterton was trying to mislead us by naming one of the suspects “Crook”.

This is also a parallel to Father Brown’s conversation with Flambeau at the end of the story.

“I think I was meant to be a burglar,” he said placidly, “and I have no doubt I should have been if I hadn’t happened to be born in that nice house next door. I can’t see any harm in it, anyhow.”

Even if Mr. Crook’s not literally Flambeau, he’s certainly a symbolic parallel. This is the sort of philosophy that Flambeau uses to justify his crimes. Perhaps Flambeau was a bit like this before he became a thief--which makes it more meaningful that he reforms at the end of this story.

With him also was the more insignificant figure of the priest from the neighbouring Roman Church; for the colonel’s late wife had been a Catholic, and the children, as is common in such cases, had been trained to follow her. Everything seemed undistinguished about the priest, even down to his name, which was Brown; yet the colonel had always found something companionable about him, and frequently asked him to such family gatherings.

I can only imagine Flambeau’s dismay at discovering this priest showing up yet again. (I doubt that he knew about this family habit beforehand). After making such elaborate preparations for the heist, he couldn’t just abandon it on the fear that Brown would recognize him.

Did this make it more fun--a chance to finally pull one over on the priest? Or did it make it more awkward--the guy did convince him to repent last time, after all.

“I’ll put ‘em back now, my dear,” said Fischer, returning the case to the tails of his coat. “I had to be careful of ‘em coming down. They’re the three great African diamonds called ‘The Flying Stars,’ because they’ve been stolen so often. All the big criminals are on the track; but even the rough men about in the streets and hotels could hardly have kept their hands off them.

What made you think these would be a good present for your goddaughter? Just what every girl wants--three diamonds that’ll draw every big-name criminal to her house.

Also, why put them back in the tailcoat? I imagine the house has a safe, if he thought they could keep the present. Unless they plan to put them in a bank later?

... What do you call a man who wants to embrace the chimney-sweep?” “A saint,” said Father Brown. “I think,” said Sir Leopold, with a supercilious smile, “that Ruby means a Socialist.”[...] “A Socialist means a man who wants all the chimneys swept and all the chimney-sweeps paid for it.” “But who won’t allow you,” put in the priest in a low voice, “to own your own soot.”

I’ve always loved this bit. Father Brown shows that religion doesn’t necessarily line up with any political fashions.

The major philosophical tension in this story is the question of property--who has it, who deserves or doesn’t deserve it, how we should distribute it. Crook supports redistributing property and attacking policemen in theoretical terms. Flambeau takes the initiative to do so in practical terms.

"Why couldn’t we have a proper old English pantomime--clown, columbine, and so on.

As in “The Blue Cross”, Flambeau’s artistry is his downfall. He could have stolen the jewels by sleight-of-hand at any moment and been gone long before the policeman arrived. Instead, he decides that a much better plan is to throw together a pantomime.

But no matter how insane the plan is, I have to respect how well he pulls it off. He gets the whole household in on the plan in a matter of minutes, and no one thinks to question him about this “actor friend”.

I adore this whole section. The wild energy of their slap-dash little play is infectious, and very Christmassy.

The harlequin, already clad in silver paper out of cigar boxes, was, with difficulty, prevented from smashing the old Victorian lustre chandeliers, that he might cover himself with resplendent crystals. In fact he would have done so, had not Ruby unearthed some old pantomime paste jewels she had worn at a fancy dress party as the Queen of Diamonds.

I know Flambeau would have adored smashing that chandelier (and I love the image of him trying to do it) but he really lucked out that Ruby had some paste jewels. If he’d smashed those chandeliers, I doubt her father would have been in a mood to let the pantomime go on.

He was supposed to be the clown, but he was really almost everything else, the author (so far as there was an author), the prompter, the scene-painter, and, above all, the orchestra. At abrupt intervals in the outrageous performance he would hurl himself in full costume at the piano and bang out some popular music equally absurd and appropriate.

I’m surprised at how much Crook gets into this. He’s almost as enthusiastic as “Blount” is.

The fantastic @isfjmel-phleg has located recordings or sheet music of all the songs mentioned in this story. Definitely a post worth checking out.

The climax of this, as of all else, was the moment when the two front doors at the back of the scene flew open, showing the lovely moonlit garden, but showing more prominently the famous professional guest; the great Florian, dressed up as a policeman.

How did Flambeau explain the lack of policeman during the rehearsal? Everyone was okay with the explanation of “He’ll show up in the middle of the show”? For that matter, how did they open the doors just when he showed up? There’s no mention of him knocking.

“Wife!” replied the staring soldier, “she died this year two months. Her brother James arrived just a week too late to see her.”

Flambeau knew that Fischer had the diamonds two months in advance? And ingratiated himself to the family that long ago? Talk about elaborate planning. Was there really no other moment he could he could have retrieved the diamonds? I suppose the day of gift-giving would be when they were most vulnerable.

“Chloroform,” he said as he rose; “I only guessed it just now.”

Apparently Flambeau carries chloroform on him at all times. Nothing like being prepared, I suppose.

Father Brown’s detective style is the opposite of Sherlock Holmes’. It’s truly deductive reasoning--starting with the “big picture” and finding details to support it. So far, we haven’t really seen Father Brown collect clues. He’s just living life, quietly observing, until he gets a sudden flash of inspiration. Only then can he pick out the little details to support his theory and show how the crime was done.

There were hollows and bowers at the extreme end of that leafy garden, in which the laurels and other immortal shrubs showed against sapphire sky and silver moon, even in that midwinter, warm colours as of the south. The green gaiety of the waving laurels, the rich purple indigo of the night, the moon like a monstrous crystal, make an almost irresponsible romantic picture; and among the top branches of the garden trees a strange figure is climbing, who looks not so much romantic as impossible.

Here Chesterton shifts from past tense to present tense for a page. There’s no explanation. Sayers does these kinds of shifts sometimes, too. Were writing rules different back then, or is this a failure of editing?

The present tense does give it a bit of a “stage show” feel, paralleling the dramatics of a moment before.

“Well, Flambeau,” says the voice, “you really look like a Flying Star; but that always means a Falling Star at last.”

Does Father Brown practice these one-liners?

Flambeau’s disguise must have been pretty good if Father Brown didn’t recognize him until now. But once Brown understood the crime, it must have been easy to figure out the criminal’s identity. Who else would do something so overelaborately artistic?

You were going to steal the jewels quietly [...] You already had the clever notion of hiding the jewels in a blaze of false stage jewellry. Now you saw that if the dress were a harlequin’s the appearance of a policeman would be quite in keeping.

The stage jewellry can’t already have been a part of Flambeau’s plan, not if he planned to steal them quietly.

However, just before he got his letter, he was ready to applaud Ruby’s idea of a little show. Perhaps Brown meant that this gave him the idea to use a Christmas show to hide the jewels, and he got the idea for a pantomime a moment later when he heard about the policeman?

“I want you to give them back, Flambeau, and I want you to give up this life. There is still youth and honour and humour in you; don’t fancy they will last in that trade.”

Father Brown already got Flambeau to repent and return his stolen goods once before. This time he has to be more specific. It’s not good enough to just give back the goods. He has to give up this life entirely.

Flambeau may be the criminal, but there’s an innocence about him. Father Brown, for all his cloistered lifestyle, has a much grittier and more realistic view of the world. Yet another example of how these stories invert the typical detective story tropes.

“...I know the woods look very free behind you, Flambeau; I know that in a flash you could melt into them like a monkey. But some day you will be an old grey monkey, Flambeau. You will sit up in your free forest cold at heart and close to death, and the tree-tops will be very bare.” [...] “Your downward steps have begun. You used to boast of doing nothing mean, but you are doing something mean tonight. You are leaving suspicion on an honest boy with a good deal against him already; you are separating him from the woman he loves and who loves him. But you will do meaner things than that before you die.”

This page is one of the best monologues in fiction. This entire speech gives me chills, but the ending is especially powerful.

The restoration of the gems (accidentally picked up by Father Brown, of all people) ended the evening in uproarious triumph; and Sir Leopold, in his height of good humor, even told the priest that though he himself had broader views, he could respect those whose creed required them to be cloistered and ignorant of the world.

Chesterton loves highlighting this bit of irony. It’s also a nice bookend to “The Blue Cross” where this irony was the turning-point of the whole story.

After the chilling dramatics of the garden, it’s nice to end on this lively, cheery, Christmassy atmosphere.

I wonder how Flambeau first got back in touch with Father Brown. The next time we see him, he and Brown are already good friends. It must have been an awkward, dramatic, and epic moment when a fully repentant Flambeau reapproaches the man who convinced him to reform.

#father brown reread #father brown #the flying stars #g.k. chesterton #flambeau

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cmfenews · 4 years

Text

Global Synthetic Diamond Market Key Players And Growth Analysis With Forecast | 2026 | Element Six UK Ltd., Applied Diamond Inc, HEYARU GROUP., Sandvik AB, ILJIN DIAMOND CO. LTD

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Market Definition: Global Synthetic Diamond Market

Synthetic diamonds are those diamonds which are manufactured in the laboratories and have similar crystal structure, chemical composition and physical properties as natural diamonds. These are produced by the use of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or high pressure high temperature (HPHT) forms in the study unit. They are available in two types polished and rough. These synthetic diamonds are available in different shapes and sizes as per the need of the customer. They are widely used in different applications such as laser& X- Ray, sensor & scanning, quantum computing, water treatment and others.

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Global synthetic diamond market is set to witness a substantial CAGR of 7.21% in the forecast period of 2019- 2026. The report contains data of the base year 2018 and historic year 2017. Improvement in technologies to avoid impurities and rising application of synthetic diamond in electronics and semiconductor industry are the factor for the growth of this market.

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Rising disposable income will drive the growth of this market

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Affordable price of the synthetic diamond will also contribute as a factor driving the market growth

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Adverse assessment among consumers of synthetic jewellery is expected to act as a restraint for this market

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Complexity associated with the manufacturing process also restricts the market growth

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Global synthetic diamond market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of synthetic diamond market for Global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.

Key Market Competitors:

Few of the major competitors currently working in the global synthetic diamond market are Element Six UK Ltd., Applied Diamond Inc, HEYARU GROUP., Sandvik AB, ILJIN DIAMOND CO., LTD, Henan Huanghe Whirlwind Co., Ltd, Zhengzhou Sino-Crystal Diamond Co.,Ltd., Industrial Abrasives Ltd, Schlumberger Limited., Laxmi Impex, SWAROVSKI, Scio Diamond Technology Corporation, Eco Star Diamond, Soham Industrial Diamonds, Krystal Grown Diamonds, Inc, HeNan LiLiang Diamond Co., Ltd, Pgd, New Diamond Technology, D.NEA, FOREVER COMPANIES among others.

Key Developments in the Market:

In May 2018, De Beers announced the launch of their new company Lightbox Jewelry which is specially designed for the marketing of different brand of laboratory-grown diamond jewellery. They will be offering new deigns at less price and with high quality. This new company will be offering blue, pink and white- grown diamonds to the customers. With customers, Lightbox will be evident about what lab-grown diamonds are and will deliver simple pricing in line with the real manufacturing price

In September 2015, Schlumberger announced the acquisition of Novatek Inc. and Novatek IP, LLC. (Novatek) which will help the company to improve their drilling performance. This acquisition will help the company to increase their manufacturing, research and engineering abilities and will also allow them to implement new technologies in their business

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saleggdbsneakers-blog · 5 years

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Golden Goose Womens Trainers Sale The most Important To beneficial Internet discount

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ladyonly01-blog · 7 years

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How to identify [email protected]

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thoughtfuldreamlandwombat-blog · 7 years

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Diamonds.internet

Diamonds are one of the crucial sought-after items in Minecraft, due to their use in crafting the strongest instruments, weapons, and armor obtainable in the game. Pure fancy pink diamonds are in all probability essentially the most sought after diamonds that exist. They are extremely rare and priced accordingly. In contrast to pure diamonds, their synthetic counterparts are created in laboratory conditions. I Am the Band : There isn't any band. Marina is a solo artist. The "Diamonds" are her followers. All diamonds on this page had been chosen for their pure sparkle. Nitrogen could be current in diamonds in trace amounts as an impurity as a result of nitrogen atoms are able to replacing carbon atoms in the crystal lattice that provides diamonds their construction. The presence of nitrogen causes the diamonds to soak up blue mild, making the stones appear yellow. 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Marina And The Diamonds combines self-styled DIY artistry, retro and pop-tradition influences, black humour and easy spectral vocals to weave a deeply personal narrative that has given her an enormous and fiercely loyal fan base. Her debut album, The Household Jewels, was certified Gold and gained Marina a grand international following. Electra Coronary heart, her observe-up, was an prompt UK number 1, producing over 3 million single gross sales. Her latest album, FROOT went straight into the UK and US top 5 album chart and has sold in excess of 150,000 copies to date, with The Guardian naming her ‘just about the best pop star within the UK.' Mixed with stellar excursions, Marina has been heralded because the sound of feminism today. Hiya, first let me thank you for putting so much data concerning diamonds on vendor evaluation, I've been in search of per week now to discover a good diamond and am really struggling discovering one thing that fits my perfectionist wants. I was questioning when you might doubtlessly help me slim down my search and find one thing of their stock, I'm searching for one thing between9 - 1.2 carat, and was actually trying to stay in D,E range, however wanted to see if i may find something round 9-11k vary with out going under VS-1, please slap me if I'm being unrealistic, or if i should broaden my criteria. There's quiet a bit out there and I think I am somewhat overwhelmed with the quantity of diamonds I am seeing. Thank you prematurely, really look ahead to your recommendation. ~ Andrey S. Of course there shall be a marketplace for artificial diamonds however the actual demand for natural diamonds is forecasted to grow over the following 20 years (far out-pacing supply) as young people in emergining nations with "new cash" begin to earn more, get engaged and have greater purchasing energy (particularly referring to India and China). Yakubov concludes with little doubt that these diamonds are synthetics. World's largest online jeweler Blue Nile presents ‘Diamond Worth Match Assure' that multiplies the extent of confidence in your mind whereas purchasing diamonds with full peace of thoughts. Suppose should you discover a identical GIA graded diamond at a lower cost then Blue Nile will happily match the price as a result of they've full guarantee on the value and high quality of their diamonds.

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Enhanced diamonds, in contrast to top quality pure diamonds are natural diamonds that have had very particular treatments completed to them to enhance their traits, or their natural flaws”. One type of therapy is laser drilling, which is a process that removes minor inclusions in a diamond to produce a clarity enhanced diamond. This course of will sometimes create strains that resemble tiny trails, that are seen below facet-view magnification. The laser could dissipate the imperfection, or chemicals could also be injected into the ensuing tunnel to bleach away the colour. This is a extra everlasting course of than fracture filling. Nonetheless, it's highly debated whether or not this course of damages the integrity of the diamonds, thereby lowering the value of readability enhanced diamonds in the long run. Petra Diamonds Ltd.'s chief Johan Dieppenaar lately warned that it's still too early to inform if the industry had rebounded from the worst yr they had seen because the financial disaster. This is what crystals seem like earlier than they're faceted: notice their pure octahedral shape! Uncut diamonds are also found in cubic types. Manufactured diamonds, typically have laser inscriptions on them that distinguish each diamond. GIA licensed natural diamonds even have inscriptions on them. In that case, it is easy to inform them apart as a result of the producers let you know that it's lab-grown.

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junker-town · 7 years

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Appreciating Robert Covington, the miracle of the 76ers' Process

Philadelphia unearthed a key player amid the tanking who is flourishing alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

The Philadelphia 76ers, freed from the confines of their tank, are above .500 a month into the season. There are two (literally) huge reasons for this: obvious NBA All-Star Joel Embiid and obvious Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons. Embiid has been every bit as dominant as you’d expect based on the 31 games of magic we witnessed last season. Simmons has been a revelation as a 6’10 point guard with elite court vision and superb skills. This has the potential to be a modern Shaq and Penny. Those Magic teams were incredible while they lasted.

But there’s another huge story in Philadelphia fueling this rise from the self-created ashes: it is the miracle of Robert Covington.

31 points 9-12 FGM 5 threes (62.5 3P%) 6 rebounds 4 assists 4 steals Go-ahead three in crunch time@Holla_At_Rob33 is here to help us win. http://pic.twitter.com/cwVzQVYHKI

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 14, 2017

The Sixers reportedly reached a contract extension with Covington on Wednesday. The deal will boost Covington’s 2017-18 salary by $15 million using the team’s leftover cap space, and pay the wing $10-12 million in each of the next three seasons, reports The Athletic’s Derek Bodner. The most important upshot is that it keeps a valuable player in Philadelphia as the Sixers rise. The knock-on effect is that it preserves space for a maximum salary free agent in the 2018 free agency period.

There’s time to process that. What it’s important to appreciate now is that Covington never should have gotten this far given his path.

After a four-year career at Tennessee State with nary a tournament appearance (the C.I.T. doesn’t count, sorry), Covington went undrafted in 2013, the same summer that Sam Hinkie took over the Sixers. He ended up winning a roster spot (and a minimum contract) with the Houston Rockets, playing a grand total of 34 NBA minutes while spending most of the season in the D-League. He won D-League Rookie of the Year for his troubles. The Rockets waived him before the start of the next season to make roster space.

By this point, Hinkie had stripped the Sixers’ roster and his blueprint was laid bare: he would focus on acquiring assets with a priority on high-end draft picks and would cycle through as many prospects as viable to find diamonds in the rough. Winning was not important. In fact, winning was anathema to the focus on acquiring high-end draft picks. The worse the Sixers were, the better their own picks would be. This appeared to fuel Hinkie’s 2014 NBA Draft decisions to pick Embiid (who was injured and unlikely to play that season) and Dario Saric (who would not migrate to the NBA for at least one and likely two years).

In his search for an uncut gem, Hinkie picked up Covington a couple of weeks into the 2014-15 season on the ultra-cheap . Unlike with Houston, Covington received immediate and regular opportunities to play in the NBA. In fact, the 2014 D-League Rookie of the Year hasn’t played a second in that league since signing with the Sixers.

Success was not, however, instant. Covington shot below 40 percent from the field (albeit taking a ton of threes) and the Sixers were a miserable 18-64. The following season, with Embiid missing another campaign due to injury issues and Saric still in Europe, was even more miserable with a 10-72 record. Covington was solid for the Sixers, but being solid for a 10-win team betting on major dice rolls isn’t terribly confidence-inspiring. What’s more, Hinkie resigned toward the end of the season, having been usurped reportedly at the league’s behest. The Process was over.

The Sixers, now run by Bryan Colangelo, picked up the budget option on Covington’s contract. Embiid finally made his debut. Saric finally arrived. The 2016 No. 1 pick, Ben Simmons, missed the season due to injury. But the Sixers finally started to shed the weight of losing in moments, in glimpses. Covington no longer looked like a pleasant minutes-chewer on a dreadful team. He looked like a potential key shooter and defender on a team with at least one star.

At this point, entering 2017-18, the Sixers had Covington on the cheap for one more season. Other defense-first shooters like Andre Roberson were getting paid substantial but manageable deals on the market. More importantly, Embiid was fully healthy and Simmons was everything Philadelphia could have dreamed. And here we are. Now Covington is perhaps the third most important player on a playoff team.

Given how Nerlens Noel’s Sixers tenure and subsequent spell in Dallas have turned out, and given Jahlil Okafor’s low place in the league structure, it’s a miracle that Covington survived The Process in tact. All that losing wears hard, and Covington was at the center of it all. Noel would have been a No. 1 overall pick if not for an injury. Okafor went No. 3 overall. To some extent — an unknowable extent — the intentional low quality of the team around them hobbled their development as NBA players. Not having a decent point guard, having few (if any) scorers to relieve defensive pressure, lacking co-stars to feed off of — this all matters. This all hurts. No one is at their best in a bad, sucking environment. The Processing Sixers were a bad, sucking environment. There’s no way around it.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Covington developed within the darkness, though. He went from a fringe NBA player — a good D-League player, but not worthy of so much as a roster spot on a good team — to a cornerstone of a playoff team amid the intentional losing. That’s amazing! T.J. McConnell is the only other real success story from Hinkie’s quest for unpolished gems, but McConnell was there for less time (arriving in 2015) and has a much smaller impact today. Richaun Holmes remains from Hinkie’s trawling days as well, but sits now at the end of the bench.

Philadelphia has shed its tanking shroud to bask in the brilliance in Embiid and Simmons. Appreciate how incredible it is that Robert Covington is ascending the mount with them. It’s a miracle that Covington made it in the NBA, and, given what we’ve seen from the others it has chewed up, it’s a miracle that he came out of The Process a stronger man.

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