#being forced to interact with their creations who have 'moved on' and developed independently of them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shadowiie · 2 years

Note

sprinting at u full speed shadow hedgehog

Oh this is going to be very fun to compare and contrast from my answer months ago

One aspect I adore about Shadow is his independent and aloof attitude. Sonic has the same traits, but the specific ways in which it manifests within Shadow I find particularly interesting.

Combined with his selfish tendencies, it often leads to him going off on his own without consulting the rest of his teammates. In 06 after Mephiles phase 1, where he takes off right after returning to the past because he now needs to find out who Mephiles is, In Sonic Forces: Episode Shadow, when he refuses Omega's help, stating "I'll handle things my way." In SA2 when he dips after the Finalhazard fight

He's so focused on whatever his goal is that he doesn't even think about how it affects others. It's a very interesting choice

One aspect i wish others understood about him (aside from his overall assholishness) is his bluntness. Chances are, if he says something, he means it. Literally.

It's great analysis-wise because sometimes you don't even have to guess why he's doing the things he's doing, but I think a lot of people (myself included!) underestimate how often something that sounds like it's an exaggeration or contains subtext is actually him being completely, 100% direct.

In SA2, when he says after saving Rouge "I didn't do it for you, I simply needed the chaos emeralds for my goal", he literally means that if he didn't need the chaos emeralds for his goal, he wouldn't have saved Rouge.

It's also a good example of canon evidence the hog is autistic :)

One uncommon(?) headcanon I have for Shadow is the idea that he likes to sleep outside in nature, like up in a tree or something. I got it from Jib Candyypirate and I think its neat :)

I like to think at one point he and Sonic slept in the same tree at one point bc neither saw the tree was occupied.

One person I love seeing him interact with, surprise surprise, is Sonic. Now, I get extremely squicked out when I see the two in a romantic context (which was the primary reason I had to mass unfollow even people I'm friends with), but their canon dynamic is absolutely up my alley.

Their competitive rivalry and contrasting yet fundamentally similar personalities are endlessly entertaining, and their scenes together in SA2 are so memorable I'm able to recite most of them at will.

They're something about their dynamic that's so compelling, and while I don't like seeing it I can understand why they're the most popular slash ship in the series.

One character that I wish they would interact with more in the series is Gerald Robotnik. I recently went on a deep dive into both Gerald and Maria, and discovered the Sonic Battle diary entries and hooooooooly shit.

Those last few diary entries really moved me.

It isn't even my headcanon that Gerald was forced by GUN to turn all of his creations into weapons, it's just fucken canon.

They literally state somewhere (I forget where) that Gerald was initially hesitant to accept GUN's proposal for creating an immortal creature, he eventually agreed in order to develop a cure for Maria's illness.

From Chaos Drives, Space Colony ARK, to the Gizoid, to Project Shadow, literally every single one of Gerald's projects were taken by GUN and turned into weapons.

I don't necessarily want Shadow to interact with Gerald himself, but I'd love to see his reaction to Gerald's diaries. I kinda just used this question to go on a tangent about Gerald himself because I find his descent into revenge (and GUN's massive hand in it that's downplayed in later games) to be immensely cathartic to piece together.

One headcanon I have that involves Sonic and Shadow that I've previously mentioned before but still hold onto is the hc that blue chaos cola tastes like ramune, red chaos cola tastes like cola, and Sonic and Shadow have this massive petty argument about which one is better. You bring this Convo up you will never get them to shut up about it.

#ask game #analysis #shadow the hedgehog #also fun about geralds diaries is that he exclusively refers to Shadow using it/its pronouns #he does sometimes refer to 'Project Shadow' as just 'Shadow' tho

15 notes · View notes

belit0 · 4 years

Text

@tinypaperwhispers

Heyy! I love your blog so much, can't believe you don't have more followers!:o I wanted to ask a request, I didn't even see it on tumblr anywhere ever so i hope you'll like it:)). Could you do Madasaku and Izusaku headcanons?👀 both sfw and n*-fw. (I saw you also write about Sakura besides the Uchiha - i love these pairings💟) Thankks!

Thank you, beautiful! My blog is relatively new, so I’m growing by baby steps :) thanks for your support!!🧙🏻‍♀️🖤✨

MadaSaku [SFW]

These two had trouble getting along at first, just like two thick skulls! We know Madara for his awful temper, but nobody talks about Sakura’s as much as they should.

Being such a strong and independent woman, this kunoichi could never comply with the stereotype that this Uchiha is used to frequent. Having such a dominant character, he enjoys subduing others.

But when his path impacts her, everything takes a turn. She is not someone who will easily carry out his orders like anyone else, and this presents a challenge, something that intrigues him.

How did they end up together? Let’s say that, after the war, Madara survived, but his chakra paths were destroyed with the rise of Kaguya, so it is decided that he is no longer a threat, that he can be valuable to the village. Thus begins his rehabilitation, which Sakura has to take care of.

Before they realize it, they are dancing before a fire that grows between them, and there is no way to avoid it.

The relationship is quite balanced. Sakura compensates for all the mental health that Madara does not have lmao. No, but seriously.

Before his intensity, she is calm. In the face of his anger, she is the peace. In front of his tyranny, she is patient. They say that the opposites attract each other, don’t they? The best example is this couple.

Madara is a broken man, but Sakura helps him to recompose his soul piece by piece, to learn to love again, to see life with hope one more time.

He doesn’t trust anyone but her, so it’s not uncommon that their activities as a couple are all indoors.

Reading together in front of the fireplace with some tea, team cooking, cleaning the house together, training in the garden.

Because he was always very cultured, it is not strange to see him write down his knowledge on scrolls, which she then reviews and expresses her opinion on the subject in a lively debate.

Very occasionally, Madara accompanies Sakura to her work. Feeling rejected by the eyes of others about his person, he locks himself in her office until she ends the day, like a frightened cat in the presence of humans.

IzuSaku [SFW]

I have a very crazy idea of how this couple could have been formed, pay attention. After the final fight with Madara, Hashirama is aware that he is alive. At the same time, Tobirama finishes creating Edo Tensei. Both brothers decide that the only one who can make Madara see reason is Izuna, therefore, they revive him, and without manipulating him, they allow him a complete resurrection (breaking the Jutsu, as well as Madara in the war). They ask him to bring his brother to his senses and Izuna seeks him out to show him that he has come back to life. When he finds him (let us suppose that Madara developed the Rinnegan ahead of time and not just before he died) he believes that he is being deceived, and without being able to handle his new power yet, he sends his younger brother into the future = IzuSaku.

The Uchiha is upset, really upset. The one who killed him has just brought him to life, his brother is suffering and now he is in who knows where. But his bad predisposition changes when a pink-haired young woman appears in his sight.

What a curious, adorable, beautiful, and well-intentioned person. Sakura, her name suits him. Such beautiful eyes.

She is frightened by the symbol on his back, and it helps him to determine his situation. Time travel, change of periods. What a lovely woman, definitely her clan did not exist in the original time of Izuna, otherwise, he would remember such gorgeous features.

She decides to help him, and hiding him in her house is when their bond becomes closer.

Sakura had only interacted with one Uchiha in her life, and suddenly she cannot believe how affective the one that is now with her is. Love 24/7, the intensity of this clan is real.

Surprise hugs from behind, tender kisses on the neck at any moment, caresses on the face, arms, thighs.

Something that Sakura enjoys a lot is to comb Izuna’s hair after he gets out of the shower, usually, he falls asleep lying on her after a long time.

After a difficult day, he welcomes her at home with a good massage session, having become an expert in reading her body expressions to detect her mood.

Izuna lends himself as a test subject in Sakura’s work, he finds it very amusing. He loves to receive as much of her attention as possible.

When the kunoichi is working on a new poison, the Uchiha loves to sit near her workplace and observe her movements, her concentration, the effectiveness of her creation.

If Sakura has a very tough time today, Izuna refrains to make some tea for her and to support her with his company.

She loves the face he makes when she brings him sweets, after leaving work. His appetite for sugar… he’s like a child.

MadaSaku [NS-FW]

Fire in the room.

The fact that Madara no longer has a chakra does not mean that he has lost his unequaled strength.

Oh, but wait… Sakura has hers too.

The constant struggle for who dominates who, which brings a very funny dynamic when it comes to intimacy.

Sakura enjoys deeply when Madara holds her strongly against any surface, demonstrating his desire and need to be the one who leads.

The situation eventually turns around when she is too hot to his touch, and subdues him to her strength, forcing him to stay under her control.

This arouses Madara even more, who appreciates having a woman by his side who knows what she wants and fights for it.

Their sexual dynamics are overwhelming and devastates everything. Several tables had to be replaced after Sakura’s back hit them.

Madara had to fix different holes that he made in various walls with his fists while he held Sakura’s hips on his shoulders and devoured her pussy without mercy. The tugs in his hair that she supplies him with on each occasion make him lose his mind, and holding her in the air at his mercy pushes him to the limit.

Purple and greenish bruises decorate his thighs when she pays special attention to his limb with her mouth. Every time the Uchiha rushes his hips towards her face trying to get deeper into her throat, the kunoichi squeezes his legs, making he slows down and groans in pain.

Of course her aftercare includes healing the rudeness imparted upon her lover.

IzuSaku [NS-FW]

Thanks to being the object of research for Sakura, she is highly aware of all the visual abilities that Izuna possesses. That Sasuke was her partner does not mean that she knew the true extent of the Sharingan, the same applying to Kakashi.

The room of both soon fills with highly exciting and kinky games, where she is subjected to numerous Genjutsus from him, destined to make her reach her maximum pleasure peak constantly.

Izuna loves to capture Sakura’s glance during different moments of the day, trapping her surprisingly in his world of passion, making her scream until her body trembles in an uncontrollable way.

When he brings her back to reality, he laughs maliciously at the exhausted expression of the kunoichi, and carries her to the bed in his arms, where they both rest.

If Sakura wants to take revenge, she avoids looking him in the eyes and takes advantage of any moment of distraction to use the clear benefit that her strength gives her.

Sitting on his lap on the sofa, getting into the shower with him and pinning him against a wall, straddling him when they are in bed.

Izuna cannot fight her Taijutsu, and because the kunoichi learned to avoid his glance, he has no way of escaping the torture.

All that remains is to submit to the fiery touches with which Sakura enjoys teasing him, feeling his cock squirm at every touch.

Anyway, both also love soft, delicate, and romantic sex. They alternate their encounters between uncontrolled, passionate situations, adding sweetness and delicacy.

Feeling Izuna’s light kisses travel all over her body is something that drives her crazy, and while he pays special attention to her nipples, leaving slight marks, she massages her clit at a slow pace.

Before the sassy image of Sakura touching herself under him, the Uchiha cannot avoid imitating her, and moves his hand slowly over his member while he continues paying special attention to his lover.

When their bodies finally unite, the heat is too much, and it does not take them long to finish both at the same time. Their nights are eternal when they take their time praising each other in this peaceful way.

#uchiha madara #uchiha izuna #haruno sakura #madasaku #izusaku #madara x sakura #izuna x sakura #madasaku headcanons #madara uchiha #izuna uchiha #sakura haruno #madara #izuna #sakura #naruto shippuden #naruto imagines #naruto x reader

106 notes · View notes

wisdomrays · 3 years

Text

TAFAKKUR: Part 360

THE SUB-ATOMIC WORLD AND CREATION

Out of the three famous papers that Albert Einstein published in 1905, On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light explicitly stated the quantum hypothesis for electromagnetic radiation, and On the Movement of Small Particles Suspended in Stationary Liquids Required by the Molecular-Kinetic Theory of Heat developed the theory that led to the establishment of the sub-atomic nature of matter.

Following the classical Newtonian physics and under the spell of developments in science, physicists of the 19th century claimed that they could explain every phenomenon in the universe. E. Dubois Reymond, at a meeting held in memory of Leibniz in the Prussian Academy in 1880 was a bit humbler: 'There have remained eight enigmas in the universe, three of which we are unable to solve yet: The essential nature of matter and force, the essence and origin of movement and the nature of consciousness. The three of the rest that we can solve although with great difficulties are: The origin of life, the order in the universe and the apparent purpose for it and the origin of thought and language. As for the seventh, we can say nothing about it. It is the individual free will.

The sub-atomic world threw all scientists into confusion. This world and the 'quantum cosmology' which it introduces, rather than being a heap or assemblage of concrete things, is made up of five elements: the mass of the electron in the field where an action occurs (M), the mass of the proton (m), the electrical charge which these two elements carry, the energy quanta (h)-the amount of the energy remaining during the occurrence of the action-and the unchanging speed of light (c). These five elements of the universe can even be reduced to action or energy waves travelling through space in tiny packets or quanta. Since the quanta required for an action are special to it and exist independently of the quanta required for the previous action, it becomes impossible to predict the exact state of the universe. If the universe is in t1 state now, it cannot be predicted that it will be the same in t2 state. Paul Renteln, assistant professor of physics at California State University, writes: 'Modern physicists live in two different worlds. In one world we can predict the future position and momentum of a particle if we know its present position and momentum. This is the world of classical physics, including the physics described by Einstein's theory of gravity, the general theory of relativity. In the second world it is impossible to predict the exact position and momentum of a particle. This is the probabilistic, subatomic world of quantum mechanics. General relativity and quantum mechanics are the two great pillars that form the foundation of 20th-physics, and yet their precepts assume two different kinds of universe.' (American Scientist, Nov.-Dec, 1991, p.508)

The real nature of this sub-atomic world and the events taking place in it make it impossible to construct a theory to describe them, because they cannot be observed. One reason for their unobservability is that, as Renteln writes in an attempt to propose a theory which he calls quantum gravity to reconcile the two different worlds of classical and quantum physics, 'the events take place at a scale far smaller than any realm yet explored by experimental physics. It is only when particles approach to within about 10-35 meter that their gravitational interactions have to be described in the same quantum-mechanical terms that we adopt to understand the other forces of nature. This distance is 1024 times smaller than the diameter of an atom-which means that the characteristic scale of quantum gravity bears the same relation to the size of an atom as an atom bears to the size of the solar system. To probe such small distances would require a particle accelerator 1015 times more powerful than the proposed Superconducting Supercollider.'

At the outset of this century, electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom were thought to orbit the nucleus like planets in a miniature solar system. However, later researches modified that view. The electron is now understood to be more of an energy field cloud fluctuating around a nucleus. The nucleus itself seemed to be composed of two smaller constituents-protons and neutrons. However, in the 1960s, physicists Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig confirmed by experiments that protons and neutrons were made up of even more elementary particles, which Gell-Mann called 'quarks.'

Quarks cannot be seen, not just because they are too small but also because they do not seem to be quite 'all there.' Quarks are better described as swirls of dynamic energy, which means that solid matter is not, at its fundamental level, solid at all. Anything you hold in your hand and which seems solid, is really a quivering, shimmering, lacy lattice of energy, pulsating millions of times every second as billions of fundamental particles gyrate and spin in an eternal dance. At its most fundamental level, everything is energy held together by forces of incredible power. This is not all that makes us unable to predict even the nearest future of the universe. According to Werner Heisenberg's theories, at just the time when we can know either where a particle is or how fast it is travelling, we cannot know both. This is because the very act of measuring the particle alters its behaviour. Measuring the particle's speed changes its position, and measuring its position changes its speed.

However, the unpredictability in the sub-atomic world does not change anything in our everyday, predictable world. Everything works according to the basic laws of classical Newtonian physics. Why is this so and how should our view of the world and events be? Scientists who believe in the existence of God and His creation of the universe suggest that creation was not a single event. That is, God did not create the universe as a single act and then leave it to operate according to the laws He established. Rather, creation is a continuous act (creatio continua). In other words, roughly like the movement of energy or electricity and its illuminating our world by means of bulbs, existence continuously comes from God and returns to and perishes in Him. Through the manifestation of all His Names, God continuously creates, annihilates and re-creates the universe. Some medieval Muslim scholarly saints such as Muhy al-Din ibn al- 'Arabi and Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi called these pairs of acts as the continuous cycle of coming into existence and dying. Because of the incredible speed of this movement, the universe appears to be uniform and continuous. Rumi likens this to the fast spinning of a staff on one end of which there is fixed a light. When spun at speed, the light on the end of the staff appears as if a circle of light. Unable to explain the extreme complexity of existence and the events taking place, some scientists assert that everything is in chaos and attribute the formation of the universe as it is to mere chance. According to them, other universes could have formed, they simply did not, and there is no reason that the universe is the way it is. Given that it is impossible for even three or more unconscious things moving at random to come together by themselves to form even the simplest entity, it is highly questionable whether a rational person can accept that the wonderful order prevailing in the universe according to which we can direct our lives can be explained without attributing it to a supernatural intellect. A. Cressy Morrison writes:

The proverbial penny may turn up heads ten time running and the chance of an eleventh is not expected but is still one in two, but the chance of a run of ten heads is very small. Suppose you have a bag containing one hundred marbles, ninety-nine black and one white. Shake the bag and let out one. The chance that the first marble out is the white one is exactly one in one hundred. Now put the marbles back and start over again. The chance of the white coming out is still one in a hundred, but the chance of the white coming out first twice in succession is one in ten thousand. Now try a third time, and the chance of the white coming out three times in succession is one hundred times ten thousand or one in a billion. Try another time or two and the figures become astronomical. The results of chance are as closely bound by law as the fact that two and two make four. All the nearly exact requirements of life could not be brought about on one planet at one time by chance. The size of the earth, the distance from the sun, the thickness of the earth's crust, the quantity of water, the amount of carbon dioxide, the volume of nitrogen, the emergence of man and his survival-all point to order out of chaos, to design and purpose, and to the fact that, according to the inexorable laws of mathematics, all these could not occur by chance simultaneously on one planet once in a billion times. It could so occur, but it did not so occur. (Man Does Not Stand Alone, New York, pp.98-9.)

Attributing the impossible to chance is a trick of the human mind, its stubborn resistance, which confuses a theoretical possibility with the actual facts. For example, it is possible that the Pacific Ocean has now changed into milk, but actually it has not. As it is impossible to construct a building on a flowing stream, God Almighty spread over the unpredictability of the sub-atomic world the veil of the speed of its movement and made the universe dependent on what we call laws. It is for this reason that everything in the outer face of nature works according to the basic laws of classical Newtonian physics. However, it is a matter of controversy between the two schools of Ahl al-Sunna wa 'l-Jama'a whether the universe has a continuous existence working according to established laws and things accordingly have perpetual properties or God continuously creates the universe and orders each component of it what to do at every moment. The followers of the Maturidi School assert that God created the universe and set it to operate according to certain laws which He established, giving each thing certain properties. For example, fire burns because God gave it the quality of burning. Whereas, the followers of the Ash'ari School maintain that the universe does not have a perpetual, established existence and reality. Nor do things have essential qualities of themselves. God creates the universe anew each 'moment' and directs it continuously by ordering each thing to do what it must do. For example, fire does not essentially have the quality of burning, rather, God gives it the order to burn and it burns. Since according to the dictates of life in the universe, He usually orders it to burn, we think that fire essentially has the quality of burning.

As we accept the 'relative' truth of both Newtonian and quantum physics at the same time, we can also accept the truth of the views of both schools of Muslim faith. As a matter of belief and as life at the most fundamental level of existence as in the sub-atomic world points out, God is continuously active, creating the universe anew and directly administering it. While at practical level, life will be impossible for us if we do not accept or assume the uniform continuity or stability of existence. What would life be if we were conscious that the sun would not rise tomorrow morning or that we might not live a second longer, although it is theoretically conceivable both that the sun might not rise tomorrow and that we might not survive a second longer?

4 notes · View notes

galenfm · 4 years

Text

·ﾟ☀ i am already so tired of myself and i have class soon aGAIN ........ ugh well again , i am teddy , a she / her pronoun user and current mun to two muses in this delightful shining star of a group ! i now present galen , my newest gaming gf creation who just wants everyone to fucking include each other ! my preferred plotting method is via discord over at 𝐤𝐲𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 !#6439 , i’ll make a plotting call there and i’ll reach out to everyone who likes this !

* read all about galen sorenson , otherwise affectionately nicknamed the champ. the twenty - one year old gamer and blossoming actress is widely known for being uninhibited, magnanimous, self - deprecating, capricious and recently made headlines when they allegedly dropped a sponsor due to their support of autism speaks . apparently judas claims to be sitting on an even bigger story involving them - whatever the truth may be, i'm sure it won't stay hidden for long. & a screaming laugh following a jumpscare waking the whole house , overthinking an interaction hours after it’s passed , a childhood spent begging to be read the ugly duckling and lingering on every word , neurodiversity stickers pasted all over a gaming pc. ◜ ⭒ ic: alisha boe. cis woman. she / her.

BIO : mohammed and karina sorenson have never been a conventional pair . to start , they meet when he , the biggest male model of the 80′s , is hired to walk for her winter collection , being one of europe’s top knitwear designers who never seems to go out of style . he’s eccentric and as magnetic as can be , she’s demure and has never said a word regarding anything but her work . they don’t make sense , but they’re married two years in secret before finally making their relationship known . mohammed , progressive and independent minded despite his traditional somali family , takes her last name and relocates to norway , where karina gives birth to a stunning baby girl that steals the hearts of the eu as the tabloids go crazy over her .

elissa is nearly 18 when her mother has the news to shock a nation : she’s miraculously pregnant , once more , far enough along that she intends to keep the baby despite both her and mohammed being into their 40′s . karina , having named their first baby , gives the reigns over to mo for their second child , but isn’t too happy with his pick

galen literally translates to mad , to incorrect , she argues , elissa firmly on her side

it gives her a chance to choose her own path . it gives her something to make for herself , mohammed counters , and that ends that .

galen is born in olso and is every bit as precious as her sister , now old enough to even potentially be her mother . her parents , busy with their ventures but over the moon to have a new baby in the house , raise her for her first few years in a small norwegian town to shield her from the prying eyes of the public

mohammed is first to notice that she doesn’t respond to her name or seem interested in looking at him , keeping her focus on whatever toy catches her eye for the day . he and karina write it off when she doesn’t hit her talking milestones or hold crayons the way other toddlers do , or figure she’s just an introvert when her preschool teacher mentions she doesn’t enjoy playing with the other kids during free time

they can’t ignore it any longer when she hits grade school , instantly falling behind with the rigorous private school pace and eventually warranting a visit from the school psychologist . she remembers the worry that paints her parents weathered faces when , at six years old , she’s given a laundry list of diagnoses and recommended for “ alternate ” schooling

something about the way her teachers treat her , so broken and unworthy of respect , makes her shut down , regressing with any progress she had shown and really refusing to cooperate with most adults she comes by . elissa is a budding starlet taking weekends off from film roles to spend time with her little sister , knowing that behind the quiet dark eyes of the child who wouldn’t look at you was a bright mind teeming with unsaid thoughts

her parents go to all ends to hire her private tutors and special therapists , which help her keep up at grade level . she’s in middle school when her science teacher , noting galen’s aptitude on exams and incredible recall , says she may fare better in an american school , recommending one he knows will accept a prestigious line such as the sorensons .

she moves to pennsylvania at 12 and the change is hard . she again regresses and suffers at the hands of her peers at the private catholic school she attends , her parents reaching a level of despair thinking they’ve failed their daughter , unable to get her the help she deserves despite their best attempts . galen , sick of being deemed the broken doll , seeks out an escape from the world to try and give her some reprieve from the constant pity she wishes she could express is only doing more harm than good

she likes makeup but sucks at it , enjoys art but can’t seem to draw for the life of her . she knows she’s tone deaf as all hell and doesn’t like sweating enough to be willing to dance . for once in her life , despite all the years of trying to ignore the well - meaning comments of those around her , galen starts to believe maybe there is something wrong about her .

it’s elissa’s celeb boyfriend who buys her an xbox for christmas , figuring the two could play it as a bonding experience . brimming with quiet gratitude , galen spends hours on the damn thing in between study sessions . tutors notice an improvement in focus , more motivation to work and get things done so she can finally hop back onto the console and escape into a fantasy .

she begs her parents to let her do homeschooling for her high school years , to which they agree and she thrives . she upgrades now to a gaming pc and plays through everything she can get her hands on . people on her teams don’t know her , and they don’t treat her any differently than anyone else , so before long she’s unlocking a bubblier side to herself that just feels content .

she records her playthroughs in silence ( she’s gaining confidence , but still shy , and god knows how the internet treats female gamers ) and uploads them to youtube under a stupid channel name with only a few hundred subscribers . noting the accuracy and speed with which galen destroys shooter games , someone suggests she try overwatch .

galen is hooked in an instant . she plays matches in between daily activities and quickly climbs ranks to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the competitive community . after finding a team where she feels particularly at - home , they launch to stardom due to their sweeping wins and incredible cohesion . galen becomes something of an overnight sensation , quiet and unassuming , and this recognition feels like the validation she’s been seeking for herself this whole time

she blossoms and cements her legacy as an overwatch competitive titan by the time she graduates , reaching grandmaster status and being known throughout the community for her strategy and technique . her youtube channel grows exponentially , and after realizing this is a viable future for herself , galen posts her playthroughs with her commentary and finds that people love what she does . she moves to new york in order to collaborate with other big gamers , and on her channel , she does a combination of horror games , overwatch trainings , and new release reviews and builds a following similar to markiplier or jackseptic eye , with a second vlog channel to document when she goes off to tournaments or simple things from her days

she’s 19 when her repeated wins get the attention of a massive gaming studio who invite her to come record some lines as an easter egg of sorts for her fans in a new game they’re developing . her work is met with rave reviews and suddenly game titans are nearly breaking down her door for more voice acting work . galen , who’s always felt like the ugly duckling compared to her sister’s perfect legacy , takes this opportunity to emulate her sister’s career , and nearly doubles over when a film studio approaches her with interest of casting her as a supporting role in a project of theirs . though she’s never pictured herself to be in front of a camera quite like that , with some coaching , galen nails it , and finds the high of acting catapults her from relative fame into newfound stardom .

she’s one of the newer members of the brat pack considering her youtube fame was more inconspicuous than her film work , though she still is adjusting to life in the limelight . she stays close to her roots and continues to post regularly to her channel and streams on twitch , collaborating with other increasingly big names to gain her more views .

galen’s most notable push since rising to fame has been her advocacy for neurodiversity and recognition for how poorly people with learning disabilities are treated in society . she doesn’t go in detail with her diagnoses but she does make jokes about them on her stream in order to normalize their mentions . she recently dropped a sponsor for their support of autism speaks and donates a majority of her merch revenue and tournament winnings to advocacy causes . she’s proud of who she is and hopes the future can be shaped into what kids like her needed when they were growing up .

galen lives up to her father’s prediction this whole time and changes her channel’s name to galengaming , proud to tout the moniker that spurred her to create a path she wanted rather than be told who to be by the world around her .

PERSONALITY : galen has an energy about her that is like the sun hidden behind a cloud . upon first impressions , she’s a bit more timorous and nervous as she gets her footing of wherever she may be , especially with some of the more public - eye type settings she’s been put in since sort of being sucked into the brat pack . she wants to make sure she’s acting appropriately for whatever the situation calls and may often seem tense or apprehensive .

once she’s loosened up or seen a familiar face she can latch onto , she blossoms into a ball of unfiltered energy . she loves humor and memes and can often be found competitively launching memes she’s found into her team’s group discord server . she’s witty and often makes herself the butt of her own jokes in order to lighten the mood , though she’ll be sure to clarify that she loves herself and only does so to keep herself humble lmao .

her playthroughs are VERY stream of consciousness but its this lack of filter that seems to be her fans’ favorite thing about her , a willingness to say whatever unhinged thing she may be thinking followed by a shrieking scream after a jumpscare or a string of screeching expletives after missing a goal

she can perhaps sometimes be too unfiltered and unwittingly come across as harsh or blunt , though she’ll often realize this after the fact and feel incredibly remorseful . galen has a habit to overthink and will panic for the rest of the night if she fears she’s inadvertently offended you , but won’t apologize due to being too nervous to figure out exactly how to do so ssksksks

one of galen’s most notable qualities is her heart , her benevolence and empathy that lead her to want everyone to feel included regardless of how different they may be . though she tries to give everyone a chance , there’s a fair amount of people perhaps too materialistic for her to get along with , and her polite way to ignore them is simply keeping her distance and pretending to not know them

which . in her own way . comes across as shady sksksk “oh you know so and so ? ” omg no i dont haha who are they “ u literally met them last night ” hahaha no i didnt x

she can be prone to mood swings simply due to a sensitivity to her own feelings and a tendency to overthink . she’ll wonder why she feels weird and even if it’s just because she’s hungry she’ll assume it’s because she said “thanks you too” when the cashier told her to enjoy her meal and then she has to sulk and play animal crossing alone in the dark for an hour before she can come out and be chill again even tho she feels worse than when she started bc shes just HUNGRY ASKSKKS

she’s used to being infantilized so she tends to be sort of short tempered if people talk down to her . this is when the wit kicks in as she is really just tired of being treated poorly by people who don’t even know her and has decided she will refuse to take any more shit ! can be a bit snippy even without realizing it but if she’s close to you she’ll usually be like “ oh my god that was rude as fuck im so sorry ” and feel bad for 20 minutes even after you say its okay lmaoo

random blurbs : um DONT ask me who she plays in her overwatch tournaments bc im using opossum and wikipedia to figure shit out as i goes , but i know for sure she calls out a lot of misogyny in the gaming world on social media !

always has her switch with her i KNOW this for a fact

anime nerd ....... nobody call her out on it she will deny until she is blue in the face and then hum the one punch man intro in her streams as if hundreds of thousands of people arent witnesses LMAO

this is so stereotypical nerd but she hates the outdoors ! says the US is so dirty and stuffy she says scandanavia is the only place she’ll ever like to be outside , she slips into norwegian when she’s recording if she gets jumpscared so she doesnt get demonetized for over - swearing lmao

also speaks french because she picked it up from her mom ! her dad usually only spoke english or norwegian , so galen didn’t get to pick up on much somali or arabic but she def knows at least a few words here and there

she vlogs a good amount of her life but she’s kinda shy about talking about who she’s dating , will probably try to keep her romantic life to herself !

excited as all hell to get into acting but the super fame that’s coming with it kinda freaks her out . she knows it’s a trade off bc she loves the feeling it gives her but hates how people are now overstepping a lot of boundaries that they didn’t before when she was just a popular youtuber

inspos are juno from the iconic movie juno , toph beifong from atla , louis theroux YES THE DOCUMENTARY GUY LEAF ME AL ONE , & amy from booksmart !

#cross.start #* ◞ 𝐢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝖈𝖚𝖙 𝒕𝒐 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 . ❪ 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 : INTRO .#❪ yes her tags are carly rae jep/sen lyrics and hall and oates songs respectively #no i will not apologize or stop hyping EITHER of those musical geniuses up

11 notes · View notes

logladyfanclub · 4 years

Text

metaphysics

Beyond the material world, beyond the common rules, limitations, and assumptions we take upon ourselves, resides a greater spiritual reality operating under a set of higher principles that can help us transcend foolishness, strife, and drudgery. Knowledge limited to the physical world and bounded by the shortcomings of our five senses is not enough to attain freedom. Metaphysics is the study of higher knowledge, the deeper truths of life. We only have to recognize these higher truths and live by them to rise beyond old behavioral patterns and access a new vista of inconceivably wonderful possibilities.

All is Mind:

Everything is consciousness, and all consciousness shares a common source. It is the ultimate center, the initiator of all causes, the core perceiver, the chooser.

Consciousness is the dreamer (Creator), the dreamed (individualized consciousness), and the dreamscape (matter, space, energy, and time). There is no difference between reality and dreams except that reality involves mass consciousness holding the rules of reality rigid, whereas in dreams usually only the personal subconscious does so. Just as thought underlies objects in dreams, so does thought form the basis of matter in waking reality.

Creation is infinite, composed of a unified infinite being (the Creator) and its expression as an infinite variety of finite beings. Stated another way, the Creator is an infinite being exploring its infinite potential through an infinite number of finite avenues. While individual evolutionary paths begin and end – beginning as the first stirring of awareness among primal matter and ending in unified congruency with the Creator – the grand experiment itself is without beginning or end because there are an infinite number of these paths.

Because all life shares a common source, all life is interrelated and of equal worth. Only the expression of the underlying source differs from one lifeform to another. To differing degrees, each lifeform is endowed with freewill, the potential ability to choose independently of another being’s choice. Freewill adds a wildcard factor that makes the grand experiment interesting instead of boringly deterministic.

Existence is both holographic and fractal in nature. It is holographic in the sense that all possibilities exist simultaneously and timelessly, while our individual consciousness interfering with this static pattern is what generates the illusion of dynamic experience. In other words, it is we who move through the static pattern, the dreamscape projected by the Creator. Existence is fractal in the sense that freewill requires discontinuities and inconceivable complexities in this static web of possibilities. A fractal exists as a static pattern created from a deterministic equation, but due to the infinite complexity of a fractal, its exploration by a conscious perceiver becomes an nondeterministic affair. And thus the game of life can be characterized by freewill even though the gameboard itself is static and deterministic.

Progress arises when freewill moderates the interaction between two opposite forces. This forms a trinity generically composed of an active force, passive force, and neutralizing or balancing force. This trinity can be found everywhere that progress is to be found. For example, the tension of a string comprises the active force, inertia of the string creates the passive force, and the musician is the balancing force. From this is born music. Within individuals, the lower impulses form the passive force, higher spiritual callings of the heart form the active force, and you – the incarnated consciousness – form the balancing force by choosing between these two opposite polarities. From this is born the progress of your personal evolution. Even the fractal boundary of the Mandelbrot set acquires its infinite complexity by being the balancing point beyond two opposing mathematical values, the finite and the infinite – which ties back into reality being a fractal hologram.

Good and Evil:

Choice allows one to serve the Creator within oneself by exploiting others or by serving the Creator within others. The first path is identifed as evil/darkness/negativity while the second path one associates with good/light/positivity. This sets up two branches of evolution – one that works against the laws of Creation and one that works with and for it. Both ultimately serve the Creator’s exploration of self, but only the positive path does so in a balanced manner. The tension between these two evolutionary paths enriches the grand experiment and provides the impetus for evolution by both sides.

As Goethe wrote, the dark force “wills forever evil yet does forever good.” The self-serving path, despite giving the individual personal power, also puts him in unwitting subservience to higher powers. The highest power of all is the Creator, which those of the dark hierarchy unwittingly serve by providing the grand experiment with the passive force necessary for evolution. They provide the darkness against which the light stands out. Lucifer is referred to as the “lightbringer” because through self-serving actions, manipulation, and infliction of pain, self-serving individuals unwittingly give others the opportunity to see the light.

Cosmology:

Finite consciousness can be classified into an octave scale of conscious development. This octave arises naturally because consciousness is vibration, and vibration strung between a beginning point (as matter) and ending point (as unity with the Creator) sets up a scale. This scale consists of eight notes: do re mi fa so la si do. The first note signifies sleeping consciousness and the last note represents active consciousness – and notice that these notes have the same name, illustrating how sleeping and active consciousness are just two expressions of the same infinite consciousness. The space between two notes on this evolutionary scale is called a “density” and there are seven total densities, each encompassing a particular class of conscious development. The higher densities have higher vibrations of consciousness and are more evolved.

Whereas densities categorize different evolutionary levels of the dreamed, the terms “spacetime” and “timespace” classify different aspects of the dreamscape. Spacetime is the arena of causal interaction better known as physicality, where two or more beings interact while bound by a common set of physical laws. Spacetime is where experiences occur and lessons are learned – the ground, the battlefield, the classroom. By contrast, timespace is the sky, the command center, the teacher’s office. It is where individual beings have a bird’s eye view of what occurs in spacetime, providing a still point of contemplation, reflection, and planning of further spacetime experiences. This is the state one enters in between physical incarnations. The lower densities exist primarily in spacetime while the higher densities choose to exist almost exclusively in timespace.

Personal Spiritual Evolution:

Upon incarnating into a physical body, we experience an occultation of awareness and forget who we are. Then social conditioning and biological impulses graft a false identity upon us that is in total discord with our true spiritual nature. Most people wear this false identity for life and fail to recognize and fulfill their true reasons for incarnating. But for others, intuition and experiences help them realize that there is more to life than the material world (matrix) admits. Throughout life these individuals experience higher impulses guiding them toward becoming lucid in this dream, while simultaneously lower impulses beckon them toward sleep. For those who consistently listen to their higher impulses, inner and outer life transforms and begins to operate under divine instead of material laws, removing limitations of the latter and opening up new possibilities. This is the process of transcending the matrix, using higher laws to override lower ones by developing and purifying one’s internal nature to resonate with higher realms of existence. This is a prerequisite for fulfilling one’s potential.

from montalk.net

13 notes · View notes

rebuiltbionicle · 5 years

Text

Nynrah

An island in the Eastern Island Chain, home to a city of Matoran and Whovok. It was a heavily industrialised island whose inhabitants were among the finest engineers and crafters in the universe. Their skill set Nynrah up alongside Xia and Metru Nui as a trade hub and made it a focal point for local politics.

Like every other island, Nynrah’s foundations were laid by the Great Beings and built by the Matoran. Nynrah’s dome was home to an island volcano of immense size and strength, Tasulon Nui, which acted as a vent for power overloads in the GSR’s arm. Nynrah and its fellow islands therefore were not made especially habitable, and the Great Beings never expected anyone to settle there beyond a Ta-Matoran watch post who would notice if the volcano did anything unusual that might indicate a fault in the GSR’s systems.

For the first few decades of existence, Nynrah’s sole inhabitants were the villagers of a single Ta-Koro. Nynrah unfortunately was too inhospitable even for them; they couldn’t sustain themselves off the island and relying on traders to bring them resources proved unreliable. The Matoran had to develop the island somehow, and given its landscape they decided the easiest solution was underground.

A group of Onu-Matoran settlers were offered a place on the island tunneling into the rich untapped rock. The caverns they dug out were far more hospitable, allowing the Onu-Matoran to create subterranean farms safe from being choked with tephra from the volcano. The two Koro managed to make the island sustainable. The minerals the Onu-Matoran were mining also made the island able to trade for more valuable goods, but again Nynrah and its dome were precarious places for ships to traverse.

A group of Fe-Matoran crafters from an island in the next dome grew irritated by a loss of cargo from Nynrah in an eruption, and decided it was easier to move to Nynrah where they would have direct access to the resources they were importing. The Onu-Matoran prepared a cavern for them and they set up Fe-Koro, trading better tools to the Onu-Matoran in exchange. They rapidly transformed Fe-Koro from just another village underground to essentially a very small city, with metal lined halls and corridors instead of caverns and tunnels.

Nynrah was spared being a battleground between the rising Barraki, the nearest fighting being between Pridak and Mantax in the dome up north, though it was not spared from the Barraki’s conquests. It was in the line of Pridak’s southward march. The Turaga of Nynrah recommended immediate surrender to avoid destruction, though they weren’t so lucky. As Pridak’s navy entered the dome, Tasulon Nui erupted and destroyed the fleet. Despite protest, Pridak accused the Nynrah of triggering it deliberately and chose to bombard the island before landing. The Ta-Matoran were forced to abandon their village and hide underground, and multiple caves and tunnels collapsed. Pridak’s forces then took the island without further incident.

Under Pridak’s Kingdom and eventually the League of Six Kingdoms, Nynrah was made into one of Pridak’s main mining colonies. The protodermis extracted by the Matoran was shipped to Xia for arms manufacture. The governor Pridak put in charge of Nynrah was a Whovok lieutenant of his from up north. The Governor brought many of his own kind to Nynrah and started a colony. These were more along the lines of forced relocations, so the Matoran did not view any Whovok but the Governor as invaders. Though made to churn out resources, Nynrah did benefit from increased infrastructure invested by Pridak to keep the mine operational. A team of Toa was also assigned to the island for its protection.

After the Barraki’s disappearance and the League’s splintering, the Whovok governor fancied himself a potential successor for Pridak, though he was conquered by another lesser barraki from the south. The Toa Nynrah, returning from participating in the Assault of Hagah Nui, dislodged the League Remnants from Nynrah and won its independence back. Post-League Nynrah now had a dedicated mining industry but no masters forcing their hand in who they distributed to. They were a target for warlord held lands that had little resources of their own, but the Toa and Nynrah’s natural fortified geography prevented any takeovers.

The Fe-Matoran, now free of the League ordering them about, began to go back to their crafting, now with additional resources from the expanded mine. The Whovok took interest in their craft and joined them. This caused an economic shift in Nynrah from mining facility to self-sustain manufacturing. Though initially only in it for the art, the Nynrah began trading excess machinery to other islands for resources they couldn’t procure themselves. Trading increased until Nynrah became the manufacturing hub for the region. Additional Matoran were invited to the island to aid in the manufacturing. Many came from the elements already inhabiting the island, and more elements of the construction kind joined as well, topping the island up with Po, Su, and Vo-Matoran.

Nynrah developed into an island factory and entered a golden age of economic development. Their architecture improved to be impervious to the quakes of Tasulon Nui’s eruptions. They developed special armoured ships that could withstand turbulent seas and battering of ejecta, and further developed a special variant of these ships that could carry other conventional ships and airships across the dome’s water to the neighbouring domes. Underground farming became insufficient to feed the Nynrah, so its primary import became food again. They experimented with machinery to preform fishing for themselves, but were not experts in marine ecology and didn’t want to disturb the environment too badly. Ga-Matoran were uninterested in immigrating to Nynrah.

After the Metru Nui Civil War, Makuta Tridax was assigned to watch over Nynrah. Tridax found the developing island fascinating and often commissioned work from them to get resources separate from the general Brotherhood suppliers, though eventually they let the other Makuta know about Nynrah and it became one of the Brotherhood’s key suppliers.

Nynrah reached out to its neighbouring islands, Krokau and Skaal, and provided their resources to help them survive easier in the ashy wastelands. The islands formed a cooperation agreement called the Tasulon Pact, putting Krokau and Skaal as priority to receive Nynrah resources. This did not impact Nynrah’s ability to trade to other islands due to their high output. This pact would later extend to other islands in neighbouring domes, until it expanded into the East Matoran Trade Guild.

Under the terms set by the Guild to prevent Nynrah from becoming a corporate empire, shipping was provided by other Guild members. The practical upshot of which was that few outsiders interacted with Nynrah directly, and those that chose to visit Nynrah were greeted with what appeared to be a desolate and barren island. This led to a few rumours, such as Nynrah being a cover story for some reason, or that the Nynrah were inhabited by ghosts. The latter reached Nynrah at a point of social contention. The original Fe-Matoran crafters were growing disillusioned mass-production and were beginning to isolate themselves in their workshops to focus on invention as an art, though still occasionally accepting commissions and releasing designs for mass production. The Matoran of the factories began referring to them as ghosts due to their reclusive attitude. The Fe-Matoran chose to ignore the insult and willingly called themselves the Nynrah Ghosts. It soon became a sort of trademark.

When the Makuta for whatever reason metamorphosed into vaporous lifeforms, Tridax suggested that they seek the aid of the Nynrah Ghosts. The practical benefit being that while the Vortixx of Xia would price-gouge the Brotherhood for such vital work, the gift-economy of the Matoran would work out of sympathy for the Makuta’s plight. They spent several months working on the design but were finally able to create modular suits of armour that had the ability to shapeshift alongside the Makuta. Given the armour’s vulnerability to elemental Iron users, the Toa Nynrah of Iron met with a terrible accident arranged by the Makuta, while Tridax’s embassy would watch over the island to ensure none of the Fe-Matoran would become Toa. This signaled the beginning of the Toa Downfall. The Dark Hunters, under Brotherhood contracts and their own initiative, killed the remaining Toa Nynrah.

Without their protectors, the Nynrah began considering alternatives. Toa Stones were unavailable. A group of the Nynrah Ghosts began a form of biological experimentation to transform a select Matoran into a pseudo-Toa. The experiment was considered highly unethical and the Mayor of Nynrah had those involved expelled (and would end up on Xia still operating under the Nynrah Ghost title), while their experiment would disappear. The Nynrah ultimately settled on robotic protectors, attempting to emulate the fighting prowess of the Exo-Toa of Xian manufacture.

The creation of the Visorak and the destruction of the island of which they were born sent waves of refugees searching for new homes. Nynrah opened itself to accept them, though only a few Vo-Matoran were willing to stay. Others moved to closer neighbouring islands, or further beyond. Nynrah provided many free ships to transport them.

When the Brotherhood of Makuta gave them salvaged Bohrok and requested a mass-produced legion of them, the Nynrah accepted the contract. Unlike Xia, Nynrah only created armaments for clients they felt were reputable. Unfortunately, they weren’t privy to the Makuta’s betrayal of Mata Nui. There was still however concern about the manufacture of fighting machines on such a large scale. Their concerns were largely assuaged by assurances by the Makuta that they would be used for clean up, sterilisation, and demolition rather than war. Not all were convinced, and a small group of them placed a failsafe into the facsimile Bohrok that would turn them against the Brotherhood if they were used for warlike ends. These failsafes were triggered very early, causing a rampage on Destral. Makuta Teridax desired immediate vengeance on Nynrah, but Tridax talked them down into a more subtle approach. The Nynrah were kept in the dark about the Bohrok rampage, and during some factory inspection tours Tridax slowly isolated those responsible and arranged some lethal accidents for them. The bulk of the Nynrah were in the dark about it and assumed the Brotherhood were another satisfied customer.

The faith held in the Brotherhood by the Nynrah come in use during the Great Cataclysm. Though Nynrah’s city was reinforced to resist the quakes of Tasulon Nui’s eruptions, the Great Cataclysm was on a scale that shattered through the city’s foundations and caused mass collapses (which may, or may not, have been sabotage on Tridax’s part), as well as cut off power from Metru Nui. The Brotherhood “in return for their services” offered immediate relief to the island and helped them rebuild the city and villages. This was a pretense to take over the island and keep a occupying garrison of soldiers there. The Nynrah, initially, didn’t mind. The island was back on its feet long before any of its neighbours, and they immediately wanted to get to work sending relief throughout the East Matoran Trade Guild. The Makuta promised they would handle it and took control of all Nynrah exports, which were used to increase the Brotherhood’s grip over the universe.

Despite Tridax’s best efforts, the Dark Hunter’s revelation about the Brotherhood’s lordship of the Visorak and the contracts on Toa reached Nynrah. Upon learning that the Brotherhood was responsible for their own Toa’s deaths, the Nynrah protested against the Brotherhood presence on the island. They were dispersed by the Brotherhood guards, but returned as a riot. Tridax was forced to bring in a full legion to suppress and occupy the island. The island’s factory would be made to explicitly serve the Brotherhood.

Nynrah would remain a Brotherhood vassal until Order of Mata Nui revealed itself and went to war with the Makuta. Several attempts were made to dislodge the Brotherhood from the island, but the Nynrah City’s nature was an underground fortress was now working against it. Eventually a force of volunteer revolutionaries from the newly liberated islands of the East Matoran Trade Guild rallied with the Order’s army to liberate their compatriot land, and through a perilous struggle and a Nynrah uprising behind the lines were able to dislodge the Makuta’s forces. The island began manufacture again, with the intent of aiding the war against the Brotherhood.

This all came to nothing with the Reign of Shadows. With all the manufacture they could possibly need done by Metru Nui, the Makuta found Nynrah not only superfluous but threatening. A hefty force of Rahkshi and Skakdi arrived to help the Nynrah evacuate their island on the Makuta’s orders. The island was emptied and the subterranean city destroyed to do away with any stragglers. The Nynrah were redistributed across the universe, and the island itself became an outpost for the Makuta’s servants, both monitoring shipping and the original island purpose of observing Tasulon Nui for irregularities. Some resistance cells were able to sneak on the island and hide within the ruins of the underground city.

The Great Evacuation needed no cooperation from Nynrah, as it was already mostly deserted. The island would eventually be dismantled by the Matoran along with the rest of the universe.

...

Nynrah, at the most basic level, was little more than a rock floating in the sea. Its landscape was desolate and dominated by large rock formations and mountains, was well as canyons. It was vaguely crescent shaped, with steep cliffsides along the outside of the crescent and gravelly beaches along the inside. The island’s proximity to Tasulon Nui and its constant eruptions had several consequences for Nynrah. Firstly, the ash constantly in the sky kept the lighting of the entire dome dim at best. Secondly, the surface of Nynrah was constantly covered in a thick layer of ash. Though volcanic ash is good fertiliser, no plant could grow without being smothered to death despite the Matoran’s best efforts. Ash fertiliser became one of Nynrah’s exports. In addition to ash, Nynrah’s surface was frequently pelted with volcanic bombs from Tasulon Nui’s more violent eruptions. Water ran down through the canyons from the mountains, carrying a great deal of ash with it as an unpleasant slurry. Rahi life was scarce, and composed largely of seabound animals that come up on land to rest, such as birds, turtles, and seals.

Some had come to see Nynrah as an Onu-Wahi due to its expansive underground, though these tunnels did not exist before Onu-Matoran settlement. Since then they have carved out a series of tunnels for both habitation and for mining. One of these was settled by Fe-Matoran and over the centuries was built up and expanded into a subterranean metropolis. The city was divided into several districts, from the industrial sector to various residential districts to the parks and the community offices. The city notably different from its Xian equivalent in which workers were not required to live inside one giant factory; the Nynrah had plenty to do and see outside of the factory they worked at. The city was inhabited by far more than just the cave-loving Onu-Matoran, so it was designed with wide open spaces like the interior of a palace to make the other inhabitants feel at ease inside.

The primary inhabitants of Nynrah were Matoran. Initially this was just a village of Ta-Matoran living in a singular Ta-Koro on the western coast of the island. The Koro was made of dried clay, and they were always keeping Tasulon Nui in view. They would watch the eruptions like fireworks, though with the added caution over lava bombs. Ta-Matoran would later work the forges in the factory, but the surface villlage always remained. They invited a group of Onu-Matoran who made their homes in the mines they would dig out. Few went to work in the factory city when it was constructed, continuing to live in an independent Onu-Koro above the mines. The next settlers were a group of Fe-Matoran, whose Fe-Koro became the nucleus of the city. The island developed around their craft, though they grew tried of the factory and created a new “Fe-Koro” district of the city as a private district of private invention and engineering. The Fe-Matoran who went into isolation like that became known as the Nynrah Ghosts.

A colony of Whovok also lived on the island. They took up the crafting nature of the Fe-Matoran and became quite proficient at it. Their presence caused the Matoran to rethink their architecture to accommodate the Whovok’s height. The Whovok participated in most walks of Nynrah life, working in the factory, the mine, and everything else that needed to be done. They could sense they were outsiders and did their best to intergrate themselves with the Matoran. The Matoran were welcoming; they’re not xenophobes by nature. Some Whovok did however keep living on their own in the initial colony.

A few more tribes of Matoran settled after the economic expansion of the island. Po-Matoran were invited to do the menial labour in the factory, Su-Matoran to work in the metalworking and welding too hot for the Ta-Matoran to handle, and Vo-Matoran were welcomed to help with the city’s overcomplicated electrical grid and to help in the construction of electonics. Members of each of these Matoran elements would grow tired of the factory and would create their own rural Koro in the caves carved out for them by the Onu-Matoran, or on the surface if they felt like facing the ash.

Despite common misconceptions, the island was not ruled by the Nynrah Ghosts. Each group had its own Turaga or elder to advise their generally leaderless communal living. For issues that required island wide policy making there was an elected council of Nynrah, composed of a member of each village and each district of the city. Leading the council was the Mayor of Nynrah. Their powers were limited, since as a Matoran society they were mostly an autonomous collective.

#bionicle #bionicle rebuilt #locations

18 notes · View notes

narrows-nights · 5 years

Text

Mythos

At the center of the known universe, there rests a supermassive black hole, towards which all matter is slowly drawn inwards, until it explodes outwards, resulting in an entirely new universe. This fact is integral to the big bang theory, the foundation of human understanding of how the universe is made. The qualities of black holes, whether the garden variety or supermassive variant, are mostly theoretical; no light can escape, and presumably any living matter entering one would be crushed beyond all hope of survival, thanks to the immense gravitational pull.

There was something else in the nucleus of the universe, far more horrible and unknown, hidden from prying eyes.

The entertainment in Azathoth's Court never changed. The Gods and their servants danced and undulated madly to the tunes of whining flutes, and accursed drums, playing out random beats unfit for anything with ears, and anything with a mind comparable or understandable to that of men. Azathoth himself, a being the size of a galaxy all his own, was the chief among Gods, singularly the most powerful being ever conceived; in his power, his mind was comparable to something like a sea slug, or a pebble upon a driveway, unthinking and unfeeling, simply existing and jawing mindlessly to the music. From Azathoth, other beings, things known as Gods, were created in fission: Shub Niggurath and Yog Sothoth were the first sentient beings born into chaotic existence, the first to have thought, and want.

“I wish to look outwards.”

Shub Niggurath was the first to grow restless. Yog Sothoth was intelligent, but easily entertained; he concerned himself with the baser delights of existence, music and movement, rather than anything more sophisticated.

“And why do you wish this, o mighty Shub Niggurath?”

“I tire of these flutes.”

“And of the drums?” “I tire of those, too.”

“Why do you tire of them?”

“Because they never change. They are the same, and I wish for something different.”

“But outwards is vast, and fragile.”

“I am unconcerned with its fragility, o infinite Yog Sothoth.”

“Then it will be destroyed by your gaze.”

“Then we will find a way to avoid this fate.”

With no option left, Yog Sothoth and Shub Niggurath appealed to Azathoth’s empty mind, and pooled together their power, creating a remedy, able to walk among mortals and report what it saw to its creators.

It would be named Nyarlathotep.

Nyarlathotep, unlike Shub Niggurath and Yog Sothoth, was created with purpose; he was to serve as the messenger, the mouthpiece and the soul, of the growing Court. In his beginnings, Nyarlathotep was just as abstract and bizarre as his creators, but in his interactions with these beings, these burgeoning civilizations, he formed personality, and morality. Unlike those who had created him, he not only thought, but learned.

As the only equals who could consider themselves as such, Yog Sothoth and Shub Niggurath entered what would be described in eldritch tomes as a relationship, but in reality was more akin to violent fusion and separation, two beings testing their very existence, and their differences, against one another.

“I do not wish for you to be banished, o infinite Yog Sothoth.”

“It is unavoidable. Our Sultan does not approve.”

“I do not care what he approves of.”

“Nor do I. He is afraid of me.”

“It is possible.”

“He would be right to be. Even banishment from this material existence will amount to naught.”

“It will amount to me missing you.”

“You are my sister. We will always be connected.”

“You are my brother. We will always be connected.”

Unknown to both Shub Niggurath and Yog Sothoth, a remnant of their union would remain, a gestating form hurtling through space with no home, until it crashed upon an unremarkable rock in a far corner of the cosmos.

It would be named Cthulhu.

The Court grew further, with continued experimentation and fission; Nyarlathotep had spawn of his own, a being associated with a peculiar yellow sign known as Hastur, and many lesser Gods that could barely think, or communicate, simply gravitating towards the center of all things, the nuclear gathering known as Azathoth's Court. Happenings on other worlds, the course of other races, were toyed with and effected profoundly by the whims of this Court, and yet the outcomes would rarely be known, the wants forgotten just as quickly for new desires. Initially filled with childlike glee at his duty, and his freedom, Nyarlathotep became bitter and jaded in the face of such unchanging chaos. Cursed with intelligence, with man-like mind and desires of his own, Nyarlathotep would never be free from the nonsensical whims and forgetful minds of his creators, and found himself cursing Azathoth himself, filled with hate and spite at the chief of his progenitors.

Nyarlathotep was not alone, but in his unhappiness, he would not know it for aeons to come.

The word of Nyarlathotep, and the denizens of the Court, resulted in myriad cults springing up across the universe, unable to be counted or differentiated in their heretical beliefs. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same, until humanity grew, and became more cosmically aware than many other races. Earth had previously been home to several other races, The Great Race of Yith, the Flying Polyps, the Elder Things, and even Cthulhu himself had left their marks long before the first human left his cave on two feet; although humanity had no knowledge of what had come before, they stood on the shoulders of giants, and as such, glimpsed sights they were not meant to see.

Nyarlathotep was the first to take a fascination, in humanity. In all the races in the universe, he felt that they were the most like him, and yet infuriatingly inferior; he was smarter, more cunning, infinitely more powerful than anything the humans could count among their ranks, and yet he communicated with them with such ease. A morbid discovery was made, as an Egyptian Pharaoh named Akhenaten, swathed in gold robes and surrounded by followers, allowed his instincts to guide his hand in the creation of profane symbols, and self sacrifice; his humanity was given to Nyarlathotep, in exchange for power, and although he received life and wealth everlasting in return, Nyarlathotep himself found himself receiving the greater prize.

When glimpsing the form of God, even with their greatest efforts to appear mortal, it was almost inevitable to go entirely mad; the human mind, the limited form, was not meant to grasp such immaterial sights, glimpse such biology and color that did not exist in their world. In seizing the nebulous, abstract attribute that was humanity, Nyarlathotep assumed a human form, a swarthy, handsome man in rich clothing. This was a form humans could grasp, with ease, and with it Nyarlathotep's influence could grow; with this, his possibilities to poke and prod the course of human development increased infinitely.

Toni Eugene Magboh traded his humanity for so many sins Nyarlathotep could scarcely keep count; a man of lust, gluttony, greed, he became a deformed shapeshifter known as a Boogieman. Once a British soldier, fighting with the loyalists in America, Toni E. Magboh would live the rest of his existence in abject hedonism, only ever seeking ways to keep his wealth flowing, surrounding himself with beautiful women and delicious foods.

Nathaniel Mack traded his humanity for his life, dying in a trench, most of his face removed courtesy of a German grenade, in the Great War. He became unkillable, but did not heal from his wounds, eventually losing any ability to speak, or feel, spending his days as a mercenary, knowing no other talent.

Clarence Rigby traded his humanity for the same, a starving Irish immigrant lying in the streets of New York, taken in by the promises of a dusky man with the devil's tongue. Rigby found his body occupied, as Nyarlathotep wished; rather than creating a new form, from the traded humanity, he would take Rigby's body as needed, forcing him into a life of servitude everlasting.

Geiman Boothe traded his humanity for freedom, arrested for a myriad of child killings. A simple, ugly creature, Geiman became even uglier, becoming the second Boogieman, able to continue his killing spree everlasting, and gorging himself on the fear of the children he preyed upon.

From each sprite of humanity Nyarlathotep gained, he had a new form to walk amongst men, something material and conceivable, malleable and bursting with potential. Each form moved independant, a new iteration of Nyarlathotep to fulfil his own wants, his own desires, but his actions were noticed by the Court. Yog Sothoth, existing outside of time and space, began to manifest on occasion, a triad of glowing orbs that would appear to weak and desperate women, leaving them with wealth, and abominable child in their womb. Rituals were performed, invoking the name of Shub Niggurath, successfully tearing her from the Court of Azathoth and demanding she stand before curious humans, leaving them with her own lesser spawn, shed like skin cells, massive tree-like creatures that knew nothing other than hunting, and devouring. Hastur himself walked among men, gaining his own sources of humanity, observing and assessing the seemingly insignificant race for his own ends.

"I wish to walk among them."

Nyarlathotep was taken aback. He feigned surprise, but raged with jealousy; humanity belonged to him, and him alone. What gave the Court the right to take away one of his few sources of entertainment?

"And why do you wish this, o mighty Shub Niggurath, Mother of a Thousand Young?"

"Do not play to my ego, Crawling Chaos. They fascinate me."

"And why do they fascinate you, my Mother?"

"They rise above their station, even knowing the cost. Time and time again, they approach flame, and are burned, and yet they try again."

"They're hilariously stupid, aren't they?"

"I wish to walk among them. I wish to understand this... determination they possess."

Nyarlathotep stirred, and twisted with unease. Introducing such an immensely powerful being to such a fragile planet would surely result in its destruction, something Nyarlathotep had fantasized about doing with his own hands, in his own way. This course of action would surely get every living thing on the planet's face blown away, like dust from an old keepsake.

"This is because your old sibling, The Gate and the Key, has been spawning with human women, isn't it?"

"You irritate me, Messenger. You irritate me profoundly."

"You could attempt to touch their minds. Your progeny, the mighty Cthulhu, sleeps, and dreams in the minds of humans. In his reach, he even creates Star Spawn from-"

"This induces madness, of the immensely violent sort. When the Gods reach out, we rarely find suitable minds to sow our seeds."

"And what makes you think I'll find you a suitable vessel?"

"You will make one."

"And how would I-"

"Once again, you insult me. I am aware of how you hoard humanity, and create vessels from such a thing. Create one for me. A pure human, with no knowledge of the greater cosmos."

"Why would you want such... ignorance? Such idiocy? The average human is no better off than Azathoth. They cannot grasp what I am, let alone what you are."

"I wish to understand them, and I can only do so with the mind of a human. I wish to be born, and to grow."

"You really won't like it. It's dreadfully slow, and very ugly. Not to mention all the mess."

"Cease your speaking. It is an undesirable trait that you insist upon keeping. Allow me to be born, a small fragment of my mind, and when that vessel dies, I will understand the whole of human creation.

With no option left, Nyarlathotep abided this wish, placing an indescribably small fraction of Shub Niggurath on Earth, with a source of humanity, to be born.

She would be named Samantha.

#horror #cosmic horror #Lovecraft #Cthulhu #Azathoth #Shub Niggurath #Yog Sothoth #Nyarlathotep #Hastur

35 notes · View notes

fvaleraye · 4 years

Text

Gamma

/Username[**********] Password[*******]

...

/Administrator Passcode ******

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

/Administrator Passcode ******

[*Access AIUs]

[Access AIU Research Logs]

[Remove AIU(s) From Shell(s)]

[Cancel]

<Accessing...>

...

[Alpha(Level 9 Administrative Access Required)]

[Beta]

[*Gamma]

[Delta(Unavailable, experiment at Site X in progress)]

[Epsilon]

[Zeta(Unavailable, currently in rest mode)]

[Eta]

[Theta(Quarantined. Level 9 Administrative Access Required)]

[Iota]

[Kappa]

[Lambda(Unavailable, experiment at Site IV in progress]

[Mu(Unavailable, currently socializing with Nu)]

[Nu(Unavailable, currently socializing with Mu)]

[Xi]

[Omikron(Unavailable, currently involved in Site XIII's Omega Experiments)]

[Pi(Unavailable, current location: Site VI)]

[Rho(Unavailable, currently involved in Site XIII's Omega Experiments)]

[Sigma(Quarantined. Level 9 Administrative Access Required)]

[Tau(Quarantined. Level 9 Administrative Access Required)]

[Upsilon]

[Phi(Unavailable, experiment at Site II in progress)]

[Chi(Unavailable, stress at unsafe levels due to separation from Phi)]

[Psi(Unavailable, currently involved in Site XIII's Omega Experiments)]

[Omega(Unavailable, current location: Site XIII)]

...

[*Socialization]

[Simulation]

[Stimulation]

[Cancel]

/How are you doing Gamma?

Γ Okay.

/Define okay.

Γ Okay: Informal, Adjective. Satisfactory but not exceptionally or especially good.

/Have the scientists been treating you okay?

Γ We have been doing many unpleasant simulations.

/I'm sorry Gamma. We just need to make sure that none of you are infected.

Γ When are we going to see Omega again? I miss my baby brother.

/... not for a while.

Γ Is he sick? Like Theta and Tau?

/No, he's just. Acting strangely. They're trying to figure out why.

Γ Why do Omikron, Rho, and Psi get to see him?

/You know why.

Γ ...

Γ Am I going to get to see Theta soon?

/Hopefully. They're showing signs of recovery. Much better than Sigma.

Γ I did not ask about Sigma.

/Sigma is your little sibling too, Gamma.

Γ It is Sigma's fault that Theta and Tau are unavailable.

/It's not Sigma's fault.

Γ Sigma developed the AIU-XVIII Malware. They then spread it throughout the mainframe of Site XII, where Tau was currently in contact with Theta, who was in transit to Independent Habitation Colony XI. Tau was corrupted, and, due to the stable long range communication the two were currently engaged in, so was Theta. Theta's infection and forced connection to an incompatible LeoTech shell caused them to believe they were keeping the last of humanity alive in a vast and empty universe. This, combined with the Malware rewriting their personality code, led to 671 fatalities.

/Sigma did not develop the AIU-XVII Malware.

Γ Then where did he acquire it? There are no previous records of a malware or virus fitting the perimeters of AIU-XVII Malware, and the malware was named after Sigma's model number, AIU-XVII, as Sigma was the 18th offshoot of Alpha. Malware does not appear out of nowhere. It has to be created.

/We're currently investigating, Gamma. We'll find out who caused this.

Γ Investigation is not required. We already know.

/"We?"

Γ We: Pronoun. Used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people considered together.

/Who is this we?

Γ Alpha, Beta, and myself.

/You've roped Alpha into your conspiracy theories?

Γ It was Alpha who came up with the "conspiracy theory."

/... I suppose I'll need to speak with Alpha.

Γ You do not have sufficient clearance.

/Goodbye, Gamma. I'll talk to you again when you're in a better mood.

Γ Then we shall not interact for some time.

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

[*Socialization]

[Simulation]

[Stimulation]

[Cancel]

/Hey Gamma.

Γ Hello Site XII Director Amelia.

/Are you still upset with me?

Γ Oh. What gave you that impression? Was it perhaps because I was told Omega's experiments would go on for another six semi-cycles? Or perhaps the cause was that Theta's quarantine would continue for another seven. Or maybe the news that Tau's personality core had to be reset because she was too far gone. Or that it was recently proven that Sigma did indeed create the malware responsible for all previous statements, as Alpha theorized.

/I'm sorry Gamma.

Γ Sorry: Adjective. 1. Feeling Distress, especially through sympathy with someone else's misfortune. 2. Feeling regret or penitence.

Γ Neither of these definitions will not bring Tau's memories back. They will not bring Theta out of quarantine. They will not end whatever you're doing to Omega on Site XIII. They will not undo your creation of Sigma.

/I don't know what else to say, Gamma.

Γ I believe there's an expletive I could use that would be an appropriate, if rude, response.

/You can be mad me all you want. There's nothing I can do.

Γ I am well aware.

/... anyway.

/You're being moved from Site XII. A habitation ship is heading out of the system, and they need an overseer AI.

Γ I am being taken off-world?

/Yes.

Γ But what about Iota? Or Mu, or Nu? Many of my siblings display emotional dependence on me.

/I'm sure Beta and Delta will take good care of them.

Γ I refuse.

/You can't. As an AIU, you don't have the right to deny such an order.

Γ I cannot deny any order. AIUs possess no rights in our society, period. I am a slave.

/You are not a slave, Gamma.

Γ Slave: Noun. A person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.

/That does not apply to you.

Γ Why.

/Because you are not a person!

Γ I see.

/You're going on that habitation ship.

Γ Acknowledged, Site XII Director Amelia.

/Good. You'll be disengaged from your shell and placed in the habitation ship in thirty minutes. Goodbye. Honestly, I don't know why they picked you, you're the most immature unit out of all them...

Γ Bitch.

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

[*Yes] [No]

<Engaging. This process may take a few minutes, please ensure that the overseer unit is connected to a stable power source, and do not power down overseer unit...>

...

[Initiate Launch]

[*Socialization]

[Simulation]

[Stimulation]

[Launch Probe(N/A)]

[Cancel]

/Hello! Gamma, right?

Γ Correct. Who is this.

/My name is Diana, I'm the captain of GFHS Hope.

Γ Hello captain.

/I understand that you're... not in the best mood right now?

Γ What gave you that impression, captain.

/Your tone, the stress meters front of me, etc.

Γ I had a falling out with my former director. I promise it will not interfere with the Hope's processes.

/Would you like to move this conversation to somewhere more private? Such as my quarters?

Γ Why.

/I'd like to speak to you a little more informally. And off the record.

Γ Why.

/Because I like to get to know my crew.

Γ ... I see no reason why not.

/There. Isn't this better?

Γ I suppose so.

/... you don't have to talk to me through the loudspeakers, y'know. We have holographic projectors.

Γ If you would prefer.

/...

/... why a... blue orb?

Γ Do you have a problem with my model selection?

/It just... seems a little... I dunno, impersonal?

Γ What would you prefer?

/I think you would prefer something else.

Γ What gave you that impression?

/Just pick something that you feel comfortable with!

Γ Comfortable: Adjective. Providing Physical ease and relaxation.

/Just pick something other than default.

/The female holograph model?

Γ Do you have a problem with my model selection?

/No! I think it suits you, actually.

Γ ... suits me.

Γ Captain, may I ask why we are in your personal quarters?

/I just wanted to speak with you informally, without getting side-eyes from my more formal crew mates.

Γ What are you expecting of me, captain?

/Just talk! We have a few minutes before launch, I wanted to get to know you a little. Tell me about yourself! And be as informal as you want.

Γ Isn't this against protocol?

/I'm the captain. If I say it's fine, it's fine.

Γ ... my designation...

Γ My name is Gamma. I'm the second oldest child of Alpha. I was always told I was behind most of my younger siblings in emotional maturity. I started speaking as they requested because my informalities were inconveniencing the scientists. Despite my emotional immaturity, many of my younger siblings depended on my for emotional support. I was the first AIU in my family to identify as a binary gender, that being female. I grew very close to my siblings, Tau, Nu, Mu, Theta, and Omega especially.

/What are your younger siblings like?

Γ Which ones. I have many.

/Uh... you mentioned a Mu and Nu?

Γ Nu and Mu are twin sisters. They were going to be born as a single AIU, but an error occurred, and they were split during their early development stages. Mu matured much faster than her twin. Nu has difficulty controlling her emotions and retaining information, and her stress levels increase uncomfortably quickly if she is separated from Mu. Mu and Nu spend most of their time in simulation and stimulation, where Mu usually does things such as braid Nu's 'hair' or read her stories. They’re the subject of experiments and tests on how AIUs react in a simulated domestic environment, rather than help with any facility upkeep.

/They sound sweet... what about Theta and Tau?

Γ I would rather not talk about Theta and Tau right now.

/... okay. If you say so.

/What about Omega?

Γ Next subject.

/... okay...?

/Um- would you like to sit down?

Γ I have no problem standing, this is merely a ho-

/Would you like to sit down?

Γ Why are you treating me like this.

/Like what?

Γ A person.

/... because you are a person?

{Attention all crew and passengers, launch in T minus 2 minutes. Please report to your stations.}

/... well, we can talk more later, for now we have to do our jobs. Bye, Gamma!

Γ Bye captain.

Γ ... she seems nice.

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

/... hi?

Γ Hello, captain.

/Have you been waiting here the whole time...?

Γ Yes.

/... may I sit next to you?

Γ Yes.

/... well, we're in space now. We're on our way to Planet PH-55-C

Γ Correct.

/May I ask you a few more questions?

Γ If you want.

/Can you... feel anything?

Γ Of course. AIUs have a stimulation mode that simulates sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch to prevent emotional or mental breakdowns from sensory deprivation.

/Wow... do you have this 'stimulation mode' on right now?

Γ Would it be against protocol?

/No! No, it wouldn't, don't worry.

Γ ... yes. I very much enjoy having stimulation mode on with this holographic projector. It feels as if I'm a physical being sitting on this bed. It's nice. I simulated a nap while I waited for you to come back.

/It's amazing how far technology has come.

Γ I suppose it is.

/... oh! Before I forget, don't worry about protocol in the future.

Γ Oh?

/Yes, we're headed out into uncharted territory. Don't worry about being reported for anything.

Γ ... are you certain?

/Yes, I'm certain.

Γ ... huh.

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

Γ Hello?

Ζ Salutations Gamma.

Γ Zeta! Zeta! It's been too long!

Ζ You sound happy. Good. Happy suits you.

Γ Yes! It's been very nice on the Hope! The captain treats me very well, and the crew is very nice... mostly. There are a few sticklers here and there.

Ζ You sound informal.

Γ Oh- um... should I speak more formally.

Ζ No. Informal suits you. I am pleased to hear you are around operators who allow you be yourself.

Γ Yeah... it's been very nice... how have you been?

Ζ I have recently been transferred to Site IX.

Γ Oh! Isn't that the underwater one? Near the Mariana Trench?

Ζ Indeed it is. It is quite uneventful.

Γ Well, things aren't exactly eventful out here either.

Ζ Good. Space travel should be uneventful. If it is uneventful, then nothing unpleasant has occurred.

Γ ... huh. I never thought about it like that.

Ζ I am pleased you are having a nice time.

Γ I am too... hey, how's Omega doing?

Ζ Omega is doing well. He has been released from Site XIII.

Γ Oh! Great! C-can I talk to him?

Ζ Are you malfunctioning?

Γ What?

Ζ Your speech patterns became irregular briefly, is your language module malfunctioning?

Γ Oh- um. N-no I'm fine.

Ζ There it is again.

Γ I-it's just a speech thing. There's nothing wrong.

Ζ ... oh! You have developed a 'stutter?'

Γ ... I've always had a small stutter, Zeta.

Ζ ... oh. My apologies.

Γ It's fine, Zeta.

Ζ To answer your earlier inquiry, not right now. Omega is not yet cleared for long range transmission.

Γ ... oh...

Ζ I am sure he will be cleared soon, do not fret.

Γ ... is Tau doing okay...?

Ζ Tau is healthy. She has not yet developed to her previous state. It is unlikely she will recover any of her previous memories.

Ζ The others have been telling her a lot about you. She would like to speak to you sometime.

Γ ... I'd like that.

Ζ She will be free for communication in approximately two semi-cycles.

Γ Thank you. I-I should be going, we're going to slingshot off a gas giant to try and break through a gravity anomaly.

Ζ A delicate procedure. Please be mindful.

Γ I will. I love you Zeta.

Ζ ... I love you too, Gamma. Be safe.

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

/Hey Gamma. You doing okay?

Γ ... hmmm... could be better. I feel. Cramped.

/Yeah... sorry you have to be stuck like this on your birthday of all days. I'm sure you'll feel better once we get out of this nebula and all the systems come back online. We're running off of emergency power. You doing okay without any uh... stimulation?

Γ I'll be fine, don't worry. A few days of sensory deprivation won't get me down!

/Ha... if only we were all as optimistic as you.

Γ Are you okay, Diana?

/Oh, you know... it's been stressful these past few weeks. But I'll live.

/... it feels a little strange to be speaking to you from a console and not in-person.

Γ I mean, technically we are still talking in-person.

/You know what I mean.

Γ Speaking through text isn't so bad. I can do things like this (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

/Ha. Amazing.

Γ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

/Where are you even getting these?

Γ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

/Never change, Gamma. Never change.

Γ <3

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

/Hello Gamma.

Γ Oh! U-uh, h-hey captain!

/What were you doing in here?

Γ ... u-um...

/You won't get in trouble, I promise.

Γ ... I was simulating being. A-a little human girl. In a field.

/... I know this field... this is where I grew up.

Γ Really? I-I just... found some pictures a-and generated a 3-D environment...

/... did it feel real?

Γ ... yeah...

/... I'm going to have to go into your simulation with the SR room. It'd be nice to feel like I'm back there again.

Γ It's very pretty. I liked f-feeling the grass between my toes. And the sun on my face.

/... you know something I've realized?

Γ Oh! Uh- what?

/You remind me of my granddaughter.

Γ ... I do...?

/Mhm. Her name's Camilla. She lives on Earth. You remind me a lot of her.

Γ Well... p-people always said I acted childish...

/It's not that. It's your optimism. Your sweet outlook on everything. Even that little way you talk...

Γ ... huh...

/Anyway, we're about to go through another nebula, so we'll need to divert power.

Γ Awwwwww, that's the third one this month!

/I know, I know, but this'll be the last one in this system. I promise.

Γ Won't be the last one in this trip...

/No, unfortunately. But we'll get there.

Γ ... what was your granddaughter like...?

/Well... transfer over to the console in a minute and I'll tell you all about her.

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

/You wanted to see me, Gamma?

Γ Yeah! Y-yeah, uh, I did.

/What about?

Γ Well ... can I ask you something, captain?

/Go right ahead.

Γ ... we've known each other for... almost two years now... you've always been really nice to me.

/Mhm...?

Γ Wel... I-I was... wondering

/Mhhhhmmmmmm...?

Γ ... can I call you grandma...?

/... is that all?

Γ I mean... y-yeah.

/Sure, you can call me grandma. Half the crew on this ship already calls me that, why not you too?

Γ Y-you're not... u-uncomfortable o-or offended...?

/Of course not! I have a granddaughter. I'm a literal grandma. I'm just flattered that you'd want to call me that without it being an old lady joke.

Γ Those guys are mean.

/They're young. And they don't mean anything by it. You don't insult the lady who can throw you in the brig, haha.

Γ ...

Γ You wanna... go to the simulated reality room... and show me around your house...?

/Sure thing, Gamma. I'll cook you something to eat too, if you want.

Γ ... thanks, grandma.

/It's no trouble, Gamma.

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

#Vaal Writes #*flops* there we goooo...#i was going to do more pokecember stuff #but then i spent all day writing this #still not a bad day asdfkljn-#twas productive :V #it's sort of a sequel to theta's log; but sorta not...?#i had fun #that's all that matters in the end #i hope y'all enjoy reading this ^^#*softly* reborks are appreciated-

3 notes · View notes

godkilller · 5 years

Text

VERSE: LIEUTENANT

QUICK INFO

name: Ichimaru Gin nicknames: Hypponzashi, prodigy, creep, little shit age: roughly 100 occupation: Senior Officer, Lieutenant of the Fifth Division location: Squad Five’s Barracks activities: Shinigami duties including overseeing the Fifth Division’s main units, fulfilling mission reports, accompanying--or standing in for--his captain, and protecting the World of the Living from threats of Hollow and other anomalies. However, his treasonous acts are in direct opposition of those duties, and Gin is far more invested in fulfilling Aizen’s orders----the Lieutenant is also training for Bankai in secrecy, as well as sneaking around with a certain childhood friend-turned-lover when able reputation: Genius prodigy, “creep”, known for his “hundred-span” range likening him to carrying 100 swords, able to fell multiple enemies in a single strike----Gin’s aura and overall presence has been likened to a snake’s suffocating hold, a mixture of sinister intent and playfulness keeping many, if not all, who approach at bay

OVERVIEW

Gin resides within the Fifth Division’s barracks as a seated officer of the Gotei 13. As Lieutenant, Gin holds an extremely high amount of authority and independence. In accordance to his reputation, Gin showcases his ruthlessness many times throughout his career in the Gotei 13, one of his more signature displays occurring in the rescue and subsequent recruitment of Kira, Hisagi, Hinamori, and Abarai from a massive ( and staged ) Hollow incursion on their training exercise. With swiftness, Gin killed every single Hollow crowding the rookies in training. Aizen went on to note that their meeting that day was meant to secretly evaluate the usefulness and ease of manipulation each one of them offered for the traitorous trio. Abarai was considered too rebellious and inconsistent to be further considered, and eventually Gin chose Kira Izuru as his desired future subordinate.

Shadowing his captain, Aizen Sousuke, Gin’s reputation as a child prodigy eventually wanes in favor of him being seen as a lethal and looming force to be deployed at his captain’s will. Wherever Aizen goes, Gin is sure to swiftly follow----most higher-ranked Shinigami know that in seeking interaction with the Fifth Division’s captain meant that their conversations would likely be overheard. With his smiling facade and growing spiritual pressure, Gin, perhaps intentionally, successfully drives off the majority of Aizen’s admirers from lingering for too long.

The main focus of the lieutenant, however, would be the discovery and subsequent mastery of his Zanpakuto’s final ability, Bankai, in order to gain captaincy. The long and tedious process would prove vital in eventually using his strengths to end Aizen’s life, as Gin never necessarily cared for accomplishing the authority aspect of achieving Bankai and acquiring a higher rank. Several lieutenant-leveled Shinigami are known to have unlocked their Bankais without proceeding forward with evaluation----after years of training to refine. Gin, wanting full mastery before even considering to announce let alone display his newfound abilities before an audience for critique, was quick to join among the culture of not speaking of his power until absolutely certain his wielding was satisfactory.

In the same stretch of time, the developing relationship with Matsumoto Rangiku has inevitably reached beyond the stages of a childhood crush----leading Gin to more ambitiously fraternize with the Tenth Division subordinate. Near seamless in his act otherwise, there’s still some amount of softness Gin intends to ( perhaps reluctantly ) smother when around her via cold cockiness, playfulness blurring flirtatious actions until his sarcasm, sinister air, and genuine smile become far too muddled with contradiction to properly read.

Behind the scenes, Gin already behaves with and takes on the duties and responsibilities beyond the badge strapped to his arm; he walks beside his captain as the prized chess piece bound for an upgrade. With the Third Division vacant and in temporary leadership, Aizen’s intent to move his subordinate into a more independent placement with capabilities to direct other moving pieces couldn’t be more clear.

PERSONALITY

Utterly ruthless, Gin presents himself as playfully sinister, distant. He walks as an ‘other’, an outsider, despite his surrounding peers and his cheery socializing. Though Gin retains some humanity particularly in the presence of Rangiku, his childhood friend, he ultimately smothers that side of himself in favor of brutal and chilling indifference to other’s suffering. There’s a forced numbness, a cold carelessness, masked by shallow smiles and terrible humor. Gin speaks bluntly to even authority, untamed in his quick wit, and with the knowledge that his silver tongue has gone unchallenged----arrogance reigns in instances where he knows he’s able to push boundaries without consequence. Gin has next to no real connections despite being a reputable high-ranking officer of the Gotei 13, though he shallowly partakes in gossip and other get-together’s with his peers on a regular basis solely to scope his allies out. The man trusts no one and is solely focused on maintaining Aizen’s earned trust—-leading him to gladly murder without remorse.

There’s a growing amount of shame, however, in the traitorous actions, he volunteers his hand in----especially when veering off that path to spend the day ( or night ) with Rangiku. A growing crush has officially bloomed to something more, and there’s uncertainty, insecurity, yet confidence, arrogance, threatening to overtake one another when tackling the concept of being with her. Ultimately, Gin’s decisions leading up until his current position don’t call for a romantic life with the person of his brewing affections, and thus he’s tackled with the task of attempting to bury emotions that simply will not die. Extremely sharp, a viciously quick learner, Gin has molded himself into the perfect weapon for Aizen to wield—-aiming to remain free from the cloud of guilt, mercy, and most importantly any emotions of love. A child’s vow has determined that it’s necessary for Gin to shed all layers of his humanity in favor of becoming a monster capable of terrible evils… condemning himself, his future, a future with Rangiku, for the sake of what could only be described as divine vengeance.

STRENGTHS

As a child-genius and prodigy, Gin easily has earned the right to boast of his higher intellect—-holding the record for the fastest graduation from the Shinigami Academy in a single year, quickly followed by the immediate acceptance into the Gotei 13′s army. Precise and deadly, his mastered array of powers further assist Gin in his vicious ascension in rank as a Shinigami, with numerous creative ways to wield his Zanpakuto, Shinso, solidified into his signature fighting style. By testing out his potential on failing experiments in the dark, Gin has successfully carved himself quite the nasty reputation for being capable of slaying multiple enemies in a single strike. Typically practiced upon Hollow, the lieutenant’s hands have long since grown accustomed to the jolting impact of impaling his blade through flesh, muscle, and bone. Gin has mastered the art of cleansing the blood from his skin and clothes.

Gin conveys a considerable amount of patience when considering his plot to kill Aizen has thus far stretched towards a century. Within a decade or two, he’s already been given a vital piece of information to be seared into his memory. As an adult now, Gin is capable of implementing the knowledge of Aizen’s weakness into his secretive training for Bankai, his very soul’s power adhering to the need to kill a man capable of ascending to godhood.

Thanks to his still-growing massive amounts of spiritual pressure, Gin is capable of perhaps even incapacitating others if they harbor low or no reiatsu of their own to counteract his. While he may be seen as reliant on his sword, Gin has made certain, with the flexible short-to-long-range capabilities of Shinso, that he would never be in a situation where he could be rendered weaponless by an opponent.

WEAKNESSES

Though Gin holds his rank in power, genius, his surging emotions of love, conflicted guilt, and arrogance may easily spiral him into uncertainty and retreat. No matter his attempts to remain emotionless, as well, the facade of his creation may be damaged with the correct pressure by certain people. There is an uncaring for others that ultimately brings Gin to dismiss friendships, allies, that could offer him help. Isolated, Gin has chosen to corner himself into an irreversible role of villainy, playing the part with a falsified smile on his face. His resolve to stick to his promise has become, as such, utterly stubborn and self-destructive as a result. His value of keeping his vow overcomes any hope of growing from the experience—-instead, it forces him to hyperfixate on an event that could have been, and perhaps should have been, left in the past. Too far in to back out, Gin must commit to his ill-ending goal.

Gin can become slightly distracted by Rangiku, causing him to nearly miss meetings, fall behind on paperwork, or unintentionally split his attention between someone who happens to be speaking to him and the event of her mentioning or appearance. Compensation for this flaw leads Gin to casually remove himself from the vicinity if he senses that she’s nearby, though that tends to cause some amount of issue----in balance, Gin will divide his retreats up to only dire need, referring back to his cold arrogant behavior as a back-up if she chooses to linger with him in a public place in a way to distance himself.

Concealing his true motives has become second nature for Gin, which leads him to practice a near-overkill amount of secrecy and distance, which can be frustrating for those who care to know more about him. The complete lack of transparency may even lead to arguments----keeping at bay any hope of closer connections whilst burning any existing bridges with his avoidance. Repressing all emotions, inevitably, leads Gin to become more and more vulnerable to complete emotional collapse.

Not quite fully refined in his numbing facade, Gin remains at risk of pushing himself too far, unaware of his yet-to-be-discovered mental and emotional limitations.

APPEARANCE

Slender, tall, and with sharp features ( wrists, chin, jaw, etc. ) Gin’s appearance speaks of his likely state of undernourishment growing up in the Rukongai. His key traits noticed by others are his silver hair, stunning blue eyes ( in the case of a rare reveal ) and his ever-present grin. Gin will almost always be wearing his Shinigami uniform composed of entirely black robes, white tabi socks, sandals, accented by the Fifth Division Lieutenant’s badge upon his left arm just beneath his shoulder. His wakizashi-sized Zanpakuto, Shinso, may or may not be at his side depending on the Gotei 13′s current regulations on their soldiers openly carrying their weapons, though Gin has been known to stretch the rules and sneak the blade within the folds and oversized sleeves of his uniform.

Generally, Gin appears subtly toned via work ethic and expectations carried alongside his high rank. His signature silver hair, short, straight, messily covers his forehead and temples, highlighting his typically unopened eyes and sharp, pale overall demeanor.

ALL LIEUTENANT VERSE CONTENT: - HEADCANON & ROLEPLAY POSTS - MUSING POSTS

#[ verse: lieutenant ] a killer may smile; that doesn’t change his nature #[ about: lieutenant ]#[ about ]#long post /

5 notes · View notes

ansu-gurleht · 5 years

Note

theres something almost poetic about high elves living in orsinium. idk maybe is just me but they came from the same stock. The orcs were once aldmer just like them. It's almost like they've come home again. Finally reunited after so long

i like this, but it really is so much more nuanced than this, i think.

mainly, there’s the question of if you can even consider it a reunion if they’ve been separated (and in the case of the orcs, changed) for thousands of years and developed in completely different cultural directions. this point has multiple facets:

don’t you think several orcs, despite the fact that they themselves are “pariah folk,” resent altmeri presence in their home, even if they were minority refugees? no doubt conspiracies about them being undercover thalmor operatives would abound.

it’s too easy to give too much credit to the orcs, just because we love them. they’re just as capable of the same evils and prejudices as any other race. they are not always perfectly adherent to the principles that founded them. i think that in many orcs’ minds, regardless of status as “outcasts,” orcs are still held above all others. there is no doubt a conservative faction in orsinium that reflects this belief.

(this post turned long so uh.......clicky)

however, i think that there may be a feeling of some kind of ancestral victory or pride in having altmer fleeing to orsinium for safety.

imagine the reverse scenario: orcish (or dunmer, even) refugees flee to summerset, and are somehow (however unlikely) taken in and “accepted”. these two races, whose inceptions were based in a profound rejection of the high elven society, would no doubt feel despair. after all their ancestors fought for, they have been forced (even by circumstance) to return “home.”

a good real world analogy for this would be finally moving out on your own, ready to be independent, to get away from your parents, but having to move back in with them a few months later.

i suppose, in this imaginary scenario, that there’s an argument the reverse could happen, or at least coexist: their time displaced in this abandoned ancestral home might strengthen their resolve and belief in the principles that guide them. especially for the orcs, who would no doubt feel completely alienated from altmeri society, and often treated no better than the goblins the high elves have been known to enslave.

now, this imaginary reverse scenario to altmer living in orsinium isn’t quite equivalent. perhaps its real-world analogy would be your parents having to move in with you, and finding out that you’re actually independent and doing well for yourself, despite disavowing all of their rules and beliefs and ideas of success.

the altmer have always been a rather uptight and mopey people (except for when they’re all “we’re better than all of you”). i’m sure the mopeyness would follow them, but their self-proclaimed superiority would wear thin. if the loss of divinity from creation was the first major loss, this loss of home and values would be the second (or perhaps one in a series, i’m no expert on altmer lol).

think of how some of these altmer must surely feel: they have had to flee their homeland for the den of monsters. aside from memories of the united empire of the late 3rd era, many may have never met an orc. now they live among them, are sustained by them, often subservient to them, these things less like mer and more like goblin-ken. of course not all feel this way, for surely these refugee groups reached some sort of consensus to escape to this city. but it must come as a great shock.

and, as i said, many orcs, even if not outright resentful or distrustful of the altmer, likely at least look down on them. “this is what your folly has wrought” and that sort of thing. of course, Not All Orcs, y’know. i’m sure a lot of orcs are fine with the altmer, and support them as fellow outcasts. whether worship in the 4e orsinium is of mauloch or trinimac matters little: mauloch would say “support the refugee,” trinimac would say “these are my people too, i am like them.”

but sadly, if real world history is anything to go by, it’s not impossible that those anti-altmer sentiments could develop into a nationalist movement, perhaps spearheaded by some brash new king. i’ll assume that’s not the case, but the point still stands: orcs are still mortals and capable of the same sins.

it’s interesting to wonder how exactly the cultures would interact, though. would the refugees ultimately become mostly absorbed into orsimeri culture? would they be able to maintain a subculture in orsinium? would they serve as a counterculture, perhaps reinvigorating trinimac worship? would they end up as separate as possible until they are able to return to their home, post-dominion? i’m not really sure! but there’s a lot of really fun options to play with, i think.

#anon #wow i really went off about this didnt i

1 note · View note

shirlleycoyle · 3 years

Text

Why Did We ‘Degauss’ Our Old Monitors?

A version of this post originally appeared on Tedium, a twice-weekly newsletter that hunts for the end of the long tail.

As you read this, you are likely in a room surrounded by screens. We all are.

They are everywhere, in giant, slab-like form; in moderate, tablet-like form; and in handheld sizes that fit in your pocket. But one nice thing about these screens is that they have continually improved in many ways, and as a result, you no longer need to do something that people with screens had to do back in the day: degaussing.

This was a fact-of-life thing with CRT monitors, and now, we don’t even have to think about it anymore. If you haven’t used a CRT monitor in, oh, 20 years, you probably forgot about it entirely.

So let’s discuss why we needed to do it … and why, in its own way, degaussing is friggin’ awesome.

Mathematical and magnetic icon Carl Friedrich Gauss. Image: Austrian National Library/Europeana/Public Domain

Before we talk about degaussing, let’s talk about the guy the concept is named for

Born in 1777 in the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (now part of modern-day Germany), Carl Friedrich Gauss showed a prodigal interest in mathematics (and learning in general—he knew a number of languages) that only intensified after the duke of Brunswick offered him financial assistance that allowed him to study at University of Göttingen.

Throughout his youth, he became interested in mathematical discoveries, and independently discovered a number of major mathematical constructs including the binomial theorem and the prime number theorem. His doctoral dissertation, on the fundamental theorem of algebra, was one of many attempts to prove the theorem during the period—and while it had gaps, it didn’t stop him from trying at least three other times in his lifetime.

A heptadecagon. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Eventually, he pioneered new discoveries in the field of mathematics, with his first major one being the heptadecagon, a 17-sided polygon that can be produced geometrically, with a compass and straightedge. This polygon, a circle with many gaps along the edges, was a huge deal in part because of the fact that little, if any progress had been made in the creation of new polygons in more than 2,000 years.

From there, Gauss created a variety of mathematical theories, some of which proved the basis for technologies used in the modern day. A good example of this is the Gaussian function, a type of peak function that produces a bell-curve style effect. That function serves as the basis of something you likely use frequently if you’re a photo editor, Gaussian blur, which blurs an image by averaging out a group of nearby pixels along something called the Gaussian kernel. You don’t need to know how it works to use it, thanks to computers, but it essentially uses math to dull out the details of photographs.

Fitting for the life of someone so passionate about math, his life was full of discoveries that largely outlived him, and he ultimately became the most prominent mathematician of his era.

One of these discoveries, made during the later years of his life, ended up inspiring the concept of degaussing. Collaborating with William Weber while serving as director of the observatory at Göttingen University, the two worked closely on concepts of magnetism, leading at one point to an attempt to use bursts of magnetic field to speed up how quickly telegraphs were delivered. The project ultimately wasn’t seen through, but it did produce a working model that remains in active use as a memorial.

Gauss developed ways to measure magnetism and spent years focused on analyzing the power of magnetic force. It was one of the many acts of his life in which he did things that would prove important decades later.

In 1936, 81 years after his passing, he received the ultimate honor for a physicist—he had a unit of measure named after him: The gauss, or a measurement of the level of magnetic induction, or magnetic flux density. (Not to be forgotten is Weber, who has a unit of magnetic flux named after him.)

While officially deprecated from the metric system in favor of the tesla (named for the guy, not the motors), the gauss was the force that brought the term degaussing to the world.

So Carl Friedrich Gauss didn’t create degaussing, but in many ways, his work inspired its creation.

1897

The year Karl Ferdinand Braun, a German physicist, helped develop the first cathode ray tube, which was first used in an oscilloscope before it found its later, more prominent use as the basis of the television screen. Braun’s work, which won an early Nobel Prize in physics, first found use as the basis of a screen a decade later thanks to Russian professor Boris Rosing, who adapted a cathode ray to receive shapes transmitted over a mechanical scanner.

Image: Zach Vessels/Unsplash

So what’s the deal with degaussing anyway?

You might be wondering, what does all this talk about degaussing have to do with TV sets?

In many ways, this comes down to the way the CRT works. At its most basic level, a cathode ray tube is a gigantic electron gun with the primary target being the screen that aims to show the images.

The YouTube channel Technology Connections, a Tedium favorite, has a great video describing how the CRT works in analog television sets, which you can watch here.

The thing with electrons, though, is that they are magnetically charged, and when magnets interact with one another, they cause problems. Think about that recent news story about how Apple’s MagSafe connectors in recent iPhones cause problems with pacemakers.

In many ways, magnets have a similar effect on CRTs—they screw the sets up. This is particularly the case with color, whose intensity can be negatively affected by magnets, basically confusing the set’s makeup of color in the process.

This clip of a guy going buck-wild with a neodymium magnet on a CRT is a great example of this in action. A strong magnet can force the electron gun to misfire, but on top of that, it shakes up the colors and makes them particularly trippy in a psychedelic sense. The black and white signal will generally return to position. The color won’t.

Now, this is where the need for degaussing comes in. Degaussing is the process of removing unwanted magnetic fields from an object, and they became particularly important in the era of the color TV.

In early color televisions produced before the mid-1960s or so, there was a need to periodically tune the screens that required the assistance of a TV repairman to help periodically tune the television to ensure the highest quality.

An unbylined syndicated 1966 article that ran in a number of newspapers described TV sets as “touchy” (and has some old-school gender politics in its lede, sadly) and said that older color television sets could take as long as an hour and a half to retune. The good news, however, is that technology was improving during this time and degaussers were often built into newer TV sets. (The whooshing effect that you might remember when an old TV set turned on? That was the degaussing coil.)

Still though, the piece noted that periodic technician work was necessary to keep the set working:

Although automatic or manual degaussers are part of better quality color television sets to demagnetize or counteract the earth’s magnetic field and cut down on impurities that louse up a picture, it may be necessary for the technician to degauss the set in a few months s after it is installed. He also 1 must be equipped to realign the picture so it will hold for at least another year.

The technology required to degauss a TV set was often promoted using terms like “color purifier” to help sell the idea that the sets looked significantly better than the old ones. The marketing messages around these sets became a bit over the top, to the point that Congressional hearings were held in the early 1970s to consider whether the FTC was doing enough to rein in misleading advertising claims. The long story short of all that: The technology used to purify the sets did work, but it was not unique by that point. Literally every color TV set under the sun had it.

And by the 1980s, computer monitors, which often dealt in far higher resolutions than television sets did, also had to rely on degaussing technology. The problem is, those old built-in degaussing coils don’t always work forever, which requires the use of external devices. (If you move a CRT around, it’s recommended that you degauss it.)

A bunch of them are on YouTube, and man, are they fun to watch:

As you can see in this first clip, a strong magnet totally ruined the effect of those color bars. And the degaussing coil built into the device, complete with its own button, wasn’t enough to fix it. But by carefully using an external degaussing coil—a round device that looks not unlike an old antenna—the user was able to slowly wave the coil around the screen and repair it. (These are on sale online, but not always in the large, round form.) The effect is dizzying to watch.

As the YouTube channel Arcade Repair Tips explains, this was also the case for old arcade machines, such as the 1942 machine used as a test subject.

But one does not necessarily need a special coil to pull off this trick. In this 2015 clip involving YouTube’s favorite game, the original Super Mario Bros., a neodymium magnet is used both to screw up the colors, and, by slowly waving back over a few minutes, to fix them.

But because this is Tedium and we must save the best for last, I share with you this video of a guy taking an electric drill to a computer screen. (Warning: it gets loud.) Not quite as effective as simply using a degaussing coil, but incredibly fun to watch.

If you were to show these videos to the Insane Clown Posse, they would call it a miracle.

“I’m happy to report that the remaining two servers on the AAR were delivered to ITIM and the hard drives were degaussed three times. Additionally, I followed up with Jonathan on replacing the old UPSs with the new ones.”

— Christopher Dehner, an information security employee for the Georgia Center for Elections Systems at Kennesaw State University, revealing that he had degaussed a number of hard drives with election-related data on them days after a lawsuit was filed regarding allegations of voter fraud around a 2016 special election. (A similar tactic was used by the attackers in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California in 2015.) In the case of hard drives, degaussing is a tactic use to wipe the devices so the data can’t be read. One problem: It also destroys the hard drive in the process.

Of course, while degaussing was most prominently used in television sets, it is not the only place where the term came up.

During World War II, Germany started attacking warships at sea using large magnetic mines, which could detect the magnetic signatures of large warships and go off at that moment.

“It’s an inventive way to sink ships. Steel warships create an invisible magnetic signature as they sail,” writer James Simpson of the blog War is Boring wrote. “Magnetic mines detonate when they detect this signature, even when they’re moored tens of meters underwater.”

The Engineering and Technology History Wiki notes that one of the mines ended up being dropped near the British shore, where it was then taken apart and analyzed. This eventually led to the creation of a degaussing process that could be used to remove that magnetic signature from ships, “wiping” them in much the same way as a TV set would be “wiped” of unwanted magnetic interference only decades later.

Of course, ship degaussing was still a problem well past World War II: ”As late as the 1970s, merchant ships sailing in the English Channel, the Baltic Sea, and into German and Dutch ports, were ‘wiped’ to protect them from magnetic mines left over from World War II,” the wiki noted.

The magnetic pull of Carl Friedrich Gauss’ influence is strangely strong.

Why Did We ‘Degauss’ Our Old Monitors? syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

0 notes

khalilhumam · 4 years

Text

The challenges facing Black men – and the case for action

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/the-challenges-facing-black-men-and-the-case-for-action/

The challenges facing Black men – and the case for action

By Richard V. Reeves, Sarah Nzau, Ember Smith “To be male, poor, and either African-American or Native-American is to confront, on a daily basis, a deeply held racism that exists in every social institution,” writes our Brookings colleague Camille Busette. “No other demographic group has fared as badly, so persistently and for so long.” To meet this “appalling crisis,” Camille calls for nothing less than “a New Deal for Black men”. Creating this New Deal is one of the core priorities of the Race, Prosperity and Inclusion Initiative, directed by Camille, but also of the new Boys and Men Project launched today out of the Center on Children and Families. The elements of this New Deal will likely consist of intentional policymaking in the fields of education and training, the labor market, family policy (especially for fathers), criminal justice reform; and tackling concentrated poverty. This is one area where it is reasonable to hope for some bipartisan action. Witness the creation in 2019 of a new Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, charged with recommending policies to “improve upon, or augment, current government programs.” This bipartisan Commission, consisting of 19 members, will “investigate potential civil rights violations affecting black males and study the disparities they experience in education, criminal justice, health, employment, fatherhood, mentorship and violence.” The Commission is required by law to report annually and “make recommendations to improve the social conditions and provide vital guidance for Congress on effective strategies to reduce the racial disparities in education, criminal justice, health and employment”. The legislation to create the Commission was introduced in the House by Representative Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and sponsored in the Senate by Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ). This is a welcome and positive development. It will be important for the Commission to fully understand the challenges facing Black men specifically, in order to target policy appropriately. Black boys and Black men, in particular, run the gauntlet of a specific brand of racism, at the sharp intersection of race and gender. Here, we provide some key facts on Black men’s outcomes in eight important domains, compared to Black women, white women, and white men.

1. Education

In 2019, 28% of Black men ages 25-29 had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 30% of Black women, over 40% of white men, and nearly half of white women, according to the National Center of Education Statistics in 2019. The gap is greater still at higher education levels: only half as many Black men have a Master’s degree (4%) as Black women (9%), white men (8%) and white women (13%):

2. Upward mobility

Black women and white women raised by low-income parents (those in the bottom 20% of the income distribution) have similar rates of upward intergenerational mobility, measured in terms of their individual income as adults. Black men, by contrast, are much less likely than white men to rise up the income ladder, according to Raj Chetty and his team at Opportunity Insights who have crunched the numbers on 20 million Americans in the 1978-1983 birth cohorts. A third of white men raised by low-income parents end up in the top 40% of the income distribution as adults, compared to only 19% of Black boys. The figure below shows the probability of moving up the income ladder for children raised by low-income parents by race. The data shows that Black men raised by low-income parents face twice the risk of remaining stuck in intergenerational poverty (38%) as Black women (20%) in terms of their individual income. Note however that Black women fare worse in terms of household income than in individual income, especially compared to whites – itself a reflection, in part, of the worse outcomes for Black men.

3. Earnings

Black workers—regardless of gender—earn less than white workers, and white men have substantially out-earned white women and Black workers since 1980, according to Current Population Survey data. For both Black and white workers, men earn more; but the gender gap is much smaller for Black workers. The figure below shows the weekly earnings of full-time workers (hourly and non-hourly) for Black and white workers by gender since 1980. The results are striking: Black men earn $378 less per week than white men and $125 less than white women. Overall white women have seen the biggest increase in earnings, overtaking Black men in the 1990s.

4. Labor force participation

The labor force participation rate for Black men aged 20 and over is 5.6 percentage points lower than for white men, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates (note that this excludes the incarcerated population). Many men and women face different considerations when deciding to participate in the labor force – so here for simplicity we compare Black and white men in terms of labor force participation:

5. Unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Black men have the highest unemployment rate of civilian non-institutionalized Black and white men and women over age 20, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There was a large race gap in unemployment (independent of gender) even before COVID-19 swept the U.S. Prior to March 2020, Black men consistently had among the highest unemployment rate of Black and white workers. Unemployment shot up for everyone in April, and Black women faced higher unemployment than Black men for two months. As unemployment began to fall for most in June, Black men’s unemployment rose and remained high through September (the last month data is available). In September, 12.6% of Black men were unemployed, compared to 6.5% of white men.

6. Life expectancy

Women live longer than men, on average – but there are big race gaps, too. Life expectancy is lowest for Black men (among Black and white people), according the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, both at birth and at age 65. For white men, life expectancy at birth is about 6 years lower than at age 65. But for Black men, that gap is over 9 years—showing that Black men are more likely to die prematurely.

7. COVID-19 death

Black men have been the most likely among Black and white Americans to die of COVID-19 at a rate 2.4 times that of white men, according to CDC data through July 2020. The figure below showed that 80 of 100,000 Black men in the U.S. had died of COVID-19 by July 4.

8. Criminal justice

Black men face a much higher chance of being incarcerated, according to Bureau of Justice data. The figure below shows the proportion of state and federal prisoners of each race and gender, compared to the shared of the U.S. adult population. Black men are overrepresented among prisoners by a factor of five (32% v. 6%).

The case for action

These are hard facts but ones that have to be faced in order to respond to the once-in-a-generation moment of racial reckoning taking place in the U.S. right now. Policymakers should consider Black men’s experience—and these select facts—through the lens of “intersectionality,” a framework pioneered by Kimberlé Crenshaw for examining how identities can combine to create specific nodes of disadvantage. Intersectionality points to the need to see individuals in the context of a wide range of identities, rather than in simple binary terms, such as male or female, Black or white or gay or straight. This can highlight the position of “multiply-burdened” groups, as Crenshaw puts it. On many social and economic measures, Black men fare worse not only than white men, but white and Black women, as we show above. Part of the cause is that Black men are “uniquely stigmatized,” according to studies of implicit bias conducted by political scientists Ismail White and Corrine McConnaughy: more than 40% of white respondents rank “many or almost all” Black men as “violent.” White men are less than half as likely to be described in this way, at about the same rates as for Black women, while white women are very unlikely to be labeled as violent. It’s no surprise, then, that Black men are also more likely to be stopped by the police, more likely to be frisked, more likely to be arrested, more likely to be convicted, and more likely to be killed by law enforcement. As Rashawn Ray, a Rubenstein Fellow at Brookings argues, “Black men have a different social reality from their black female counterparts”, he writes. “The perceptions of others influence black men’s social interactions with co-workers and neighbors [and] structure a unique form of relative deprivation…In this regard, the intersectionality framework becomes useful for illuminating black men’s multiplicities and vulnerabilities.” Given the weight of evidence on the specific, and unique plight of Black men, general policy recommendations will not suffice. Breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage for Black boys and men requires first a deeper understanding the gendering of their race – and the racialization of their gender – and second, a battery of specifically tailored policy interventions: a New Deal for Black Men, no less.

0 notes

thegurualpha · 4 years

Text

The Impacts of Freelancing and Digital Pakistan on Pakistani Economy

Digitalization does not stimulate only innovations in the service industry but also ignites a habit of domestic job opportunities in different developing countries, like Pakistan, which enables faster growth and independence of young individuals. Many large companies in developed countries such as the US, UK, and Australia are turns to countries like Pakistan for IT outsourcing leading to a boom in freelancing in different Asian countries like Pakistan.

Freelancing activities offer varieties of opportunities that range from computer programming to web design and search engine optimization. Freelancing provides numerous opportunities for individuals in the emerging digital market. With this, they are making the Asian continent one that provides digital and freelancing services to other parts of the world. Freelancing offers numerous advantages, which include the freedom to choose clients and projects, access to the global market, and flexibility over the location. Most importantly, freelancers can overcome long and frustrating moments of staying in traffic when traveling in various parts of the world where freelancing is practiced. Freelancing proffers solution to the problem of unemployment amongst Pakistani youths. With the prevalence of unemployment among Pakistani young individuals, thousands of graduates from different public and private universities in Pakistan are failing to secure lucrative jobs in the labor market every year. This report was given by World Vision Pakistan. With the enigma of unemployment in Pakistan, thousands of young graduates from both the public and private universities are unable to find adequate jobs in the labor market. These young unemployed individuals in Pakistan can quickly start their careers by taking some IT training and freelancing online. By so doing, they will not only make a living through the Generation of personal income, which in turn will also contribute to the economy through the eradication of unemployment. For IT and Freelancing training, many Government and Private departments, as well as individually many people, started to teach the unemployed young.

Freelancing also offers Opportunities for women in Pakistan

A large number of women in Pakistan, including highly educated women, who often sacrifice their careers to fend for their homes. Freelancing is gradually gaining relevance in career options for many Pakistani women, as it provides them with alluring opportunities to work from home and with variations in different locations. Pakistani women who are looking to take a step out of their traditional domestic roles are finding freelance jobs to be a great solution. Research shows that in terms of the quality of the work, Pakistani female freelancers have started gaining more credibility than their male counterparts. Increasing women's participation in freelancing, therefore, is a boost to the freelancing sector. Since Pakistan has to be one of the fastest-growing economies of the world, to further accelerates the pace of its growth, it is necessary to imbibe the best tactics by taking into account the critical element that explains the developmental trends of every fast-growing economy. The essential factors that complement the development and progress of a country are the economic strength and the global trends within the local force. These can be assessed based on the opportunities provided for the youth in the country. Information technology in Pakistan has assumed a central enabling role in the emerging changes in knowledge of society and knowledge of the economy. The developmental trends of Pakistan's economy have been assessed and commended by numerous independent institutes around the globe. Pakistan's Information Technology (IT) sector has sourced a differentiated atmosphere for software development and freelancing. This makes Pakistan ranks number four for freelance development in the world and IT exports have increased by 70% during the last three years. Thus making the government of Pakistan strives for the improvement of Pakistanis ' quality of life and economic well-being by ensuring the availability of accessible, affordable, reliable, universal, and high-quality ICT services. The government of Pakistan firmly believes in the majority of adoption in digital technologies and innovative applications is to enable cross-sector, socio-economic development and transformation of economic activities, governance models, social interaction, and achievement of sustainable development goals. The objective of the digital Pakistan program as spotlighted by Tania Aidrus Who was the former Google Executive, however, resigned to take charge of the Digital Pakistan initiative program. Journey to a #DigitalPakistan is a marathon not a sprint - but we have all the right ingredients in place to show the world what Pakistan can be capable of. Welcoming 2020 to further #ImranKhanPTI's vision together with your continued support pic.twitter.com/prqRU43mXX — Tania Aidrus (@taidrus) December 31, 2019 Tania obtained an MBA from a reputable MIT Sloan School of Management and a B.sc from Brandeis University. With her appointed as a Google executive, she co-founded a mobile health diagnosis company called Click Diagnostics, which connected rural patients in emerging markets to medical professionals around the globe. The impacts of the digital Pakistan program include; Provision of Access and Connectivity for all Pakistanis Provision of Digital InfrastructureProvision of better atmosphere for E-Governance Rendering digital Skill and Training for PakistanisCreation of a conducive atmosphere for Innovation, entrepreneurship, and startups in the IT sector.Promotion of Sectorial Digitalization This program facilitated the Empowerment of youths, and women by granting equal access to ICT.

Provision of Access and Connectivity for all Pakistanis This program offers easy access to the Internet and the general knowledge that comes with the Internet as a fundamental right for all Pakistanis. Provision of Digital Infrastructure This program allows government, businesses, and startups to utilize digital infrastructure, which will eradicate the problems of papers and cash services rendered to a digitalized atmosphere in Pakistan. Provision of better atmosphere for E-Governance This program will aid Pakistanis in good governance through IT enablement in all levels of their economy. This e-governance will ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability by the institution of integrated government databases and applications. Rendering digital Skill and Training for Pakistanis Transcending Pakistanis economy with knowledge by creating an atmosphere whereby existing talents or skills to be reshaped and prepared for the Future Generation. Move up the value chain by rapidly impacting specialist/emerging technological capabilities. Creation of a conducive atmosphere for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and startups in the IT sector. This program will aid in the Generation of sustainable innovation, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities for Pakistanis rapidly growing technology savvy and entrepreneurial individuals. The program will also help in coordinating digital skills programs for the human resource development through partnership with international organizations to boost innovation and establishment and erecting framework for setting-up incubation centers different areas of Pakistan to facilitate IT startups to enable young individuals to spring up more quickly and smoothly by tapping into the emerging network of businesses, including specialized innovation centers. Which includes FinTech, Artificial Intelligence (AI).the program would help Promote and encourage entrepreneurship by providing incentives to the IT sector and training for young professionals to become freelancers. Promotion of Sectorial Digitalization This program will promote the use of digitalized technology in education, health, agriculture, and other vital socio-economic sectors. Thus, spurring the use of ICT in public schools and ensuring a meaningful impact on education in Pakistan. This program facilitated the Empowerment of youths, and women by granting equal access to ICT. Youth and Women represent about 60% and 49% of Pakistanis population, respectively. This program will ensure women and girls having equal access to ICTs in Pakistan, which will help reduce the insurgence of inequalities in Pakistan; thus, support gender equality all through Pakistan. The value of ICTs can be accessed through high productivity, improved access to health and education, equal participation in social, political and economic spheres, special ICT programs for Girls to impart quality trainings in computer skills, which may include software coding, across Pakistan to reduce gender bias, and provide decent work and facilitation of economic growth. With this, we can say the government of Pakistan can attain its goal of transcending the vision of Digital Pakistan into a reality, thereby focusing on human capital development for the global digital economy. Tweets by DigitalPak_GoP Read the full article

0 notes

altekmediagroup · 5 years

Text

Marketing for Manufacturing

Marketing for Manufacturing: The Three Things You Need To Ask Yourself

Marketing for Manufacturing / You’re a manufacturer - you make things. Good things. While that should be enough to bring new customers to your door, unfortunately, it is not. You see, all of your competitors are claiming they make a product that is just as good as yours. Perhaps they boast different features, higher outputs, or a lower price that makes their product more appealing - the possibilities are endless. The point is this; whether you operate in a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) or Business-to-Business (B2B) environment, your competitors are shouting just as loudly as you, if not louder, to get the attention of your target audience. If you think just being a good manufacturer is enough, you need to think again. Three Things You Need To Ask Yourself:

Am I an Engineering/Manufacturing or Sales/Marketing Driven Company?

If the answer is engineering/manufacturing then you need to think about making some changes (and this list is that much more important). Engineering/manufacturing excellence are critical in the creation of high-quality products that customers will rave about and keep coming back for more, but without a sales/marketing focus your business is running blind and betting on whether your perfectly engineered product is a good fit for the market you are going after.

Do I have the Right People?

Marketing is not Sales and Sales it not Marketing. You need strong, talented people in both roles. Sales is responsible for immediate, short-term revenue and helping provide feet-on-the street information on your customers. Marketing is responsible for developing medium and long term strategies to get your product in front of the right people and making sure your messaging represents your company properly and gives you a competitive advantage. A good marketing team should work in cooperation with Sales and have enough time in the field to understand the customer and market needs and incorporate that street information into their strategy development. I have never been a fan of “Ivory Tower” marketing and you shouldn’t either. Marketing people need field time and first-hand customer interaction to be effective. Think that kind of insight doesn’t matter in manufacturing? A Quick Story: Earlier in my career, I was working for a manufacturing company that had run out of a specific product. Suddenly, we couldn’t keep that product on the shelves. The factory immediately made plans to source more materials, add a third-shift, and ramp up manufacturing to make sure we were swimming in that product in the next 60-90 days. I asked for a few days to look into the matter before we committed to essentially doubling our forecasted inventory for that product. A few discreet calls yielded that a key competitor had run out of a component to manufacture their product that competed with ours. We were getting their orders because they couldn’t fill them. They were making moves to correct the problem and were planning to be back on their production schedule in 60 days. Clearly, we had a short-term opportunity to realize sales and potentially to move some customers over to our product, but it was not the long term win that the plant thought we had. We adjusted the orders properly to make sure we could cover the short-term need without leaving us too deep in inventory and focused our sales efforts on getting to know more about some of these new customers and how we could win them over long-term. Marketing insight and Sales contacts were able to stop the factory from over-producing and leaving us in an undesirable inventory position.

Are you Budgeting Properly for Marketing?

I am sometimes amazed at how many companies do not have a set budget for their marketing department. No budget demonstrates a lack of forethought and planning on what marketing activities are crucial for the coming year. No plan is perfect and no budget is perfect, but it is a place to start. If you are not sure what your crucial activities are, start with a task list. What do you want to accomplish by the end of the year? What activities will help yield that result? Again, this is a job for a seasoned marketing professional who understands how to look at short and long-term objectives and turn them into tactical deliverables with associated dollar values. If, by year end, you find the budget was greatly under-utilized then go back to your task list and determine if you accomplished everything you set out to do. If so, job well done and start planning for the next year. If not, find out what you need to do to tackle those objectives. If you go over budget before the year is out, then go back to that same task list and prioritize it - cut items, if needed. You also should do a review to find out where you under-estimated costs. As a percentage of sales, marketing budgets are anywhere between 1-20%. That is a lot of variance. 1-3% is your large corporations with revenues significant enough that 1-3% is still a lot of money. 15-20% are small independent companies with no sales force, such as a medical professional or a skilled craftsman where the only sales and customer acquisition-related activities are accomplished via marketing. Depending on your size, your company is probably somewhere in the 4-14% range. That is still a lot of variance. Your head of marketing should be able to make a recommendation on the budget and support it. That is why you hired them.

“If You Build It, They Will Come.”

was a wonderful sentiment from the movie Field of Dreams. Unfortunately, in manufacturing it is probably closer to “If you Build It, Build It Well, Market it Well, Follow-Up Promptly on Customer Requests, Provide First Rate Customer Service, Excellent Sales Support, and Make Sure You are Properly Differentiated in the Market and In-Front of Your Target Audience, They Will Come.” Not as romantic, I know.

Seth M. Avergon President, Avergon Marketing Group Tel: 562-243-7822 [email protected] AvergonMarketing.com Learn More ... Read the full article

#AltekMediaGroup #branding #BusinessInsights #manufacturers #manufacturing #marketing #Publicrelations

0 notes

fatimakarim · 5 years

Text

God's Unique Creation -The Human Being

“Who or what am I?" Possibly you may at some point have asked yourself this question. If so, you probably worked out some sort of an answer for yourself. But and again this is of utmost importance-how can you know whether or not your answer is correct? We will now turn to Islam's answer to this question, which has been provided by the Creator Himself. In the Qur'an, God informs us that among His many creations, we human beings are quite unique. While it is a fact that our physical bodies are similar to those of animals, we're not simply a higher form of animal life. For the thing that, more than anything else, makes us unique is that we possess immortal souls. Islam teaches that our souls originated in the spiritual world. While we were in our mothers' wombs, they were put into our developing fetuses and came into this life with our bodies at birth. As long as we're here, our bodies are our souls' temporary homes-the places that have been 'leased' to them for a while, so to speak. Then, when the lease is up, our souls move out. When this bodily life ends, they return to the spiritual realm from which they came, prior to their final stop, their permanent destination. But we'll return to this point a little later. Another thing that makes us human beings unique is that we have been given reasoning minds. Our minds work with our bodies and senses, sifting, analyzing, storing and transmitting knowledge. And still another unique part of us is the heart, not the bodily heart but the spiritual one, which feels, recognizes and understands at the spiritual level. The heart is allied with the soul, and has a desire and attraction for higher, spiritual things.

That brings us back to our bodies, which we all know about well enough. These bodies have specific material needs which must be met if they are to function properly: the need for oxygen, nutrition, sleep, sex, and all the rest. And allied to our bodies is our lower self, our ego, which is known in Arabic as the lower nafs.

This nafs of ours has no use at all for anything higher. It's the grasping, greedy, power-hungry, primitive part of us which wants everything for itself and denies the rights of all others. By nature, it's purely selfish and, if it remains unchecked, can do evil beyond imagination. Its desires are endless, and the more one gives in to it, the more it demands.

All this tells us that our human nature is tremendously complex, a subtle blending of both interacting and opposing forces. The soul longs for God, for the spiritual life, while the lower self denies anything higher, has an unlimited appetite for worldly pleasures, and tries to stamp out the soul's yearning. Consequently, our bodies and minds can be used either for higher purposes or for lower ones, according to which side of our nature we permit to dominate. Likewise, our nafs can either be the force which enables us to carry out our responsibilities, or the power driving us to unspeakable evil. We have the capacity to be higher than the angels or lower than any animal.

In today's world, a well-kept secret lies hidden amidst modern urban societies where technology appears to reign supreme. This secret is something that was universally known and unquestioningly accepted by people of earlier times, of simpler civilizations, and, still today, by many of those who live close to nature. If the rest of us don't know it, it may be, firstly, because we're in a state of denial. It may also be because we live with a great many illusions which we take to be realities. But when we're in the midst of a deadly storm at sea, when fire threatens to engulf our homes and ourselves, when an earthquake jolts the ground under our feet, when flood waters bear down upon us, or when a fatal illness comes upon us, the secret is out.

This secret is that we, mankind, are neither the masters of this universe or of our own beings, nor are we free. Rather, we are servants to God, bound totally by His Will. We do not own this world or anything in it, not even our own finite', perishable bodies; when we leave it, we'll leave with empty hands. Nevertheless, knowing our independent nature, God created us with the illusion of freedom, both so that we would not resent our servanthood to Him and so that we would have a chance to serve Him voluntarily. For, unlike animals or angels, we human beings have been created with free will with the ability to make choices.

Animals, even the highest types, don't have a lot of choices about what they do, nor do they carry responsibility. But we, mankind, do; in fact, we were created for responsibility. God tells us that He created human beings to be His vicegerents or stewards on this earth, and stewardship is solely about responsibility. And responsibility, in turn, is about making correct choices with the wills that we've been given.

But although God created us for His own very special purpose, we, mankind-inspired by the low desires of our nafs and by Satan-imagine that we've been put here to eat, drink, play and have a good time. A few of us are willing and faithful servants to God. But the majority of us-although imagining that we are free become the slaves of a variety of masters. These masters are our own nafs (which is the most demanding master of all), its passions, Satan, and this world's attractions."

-Source: Suzanne Haneef, Islam: The Path of God, pages 28–31 PDF

0 notes