#do you love the color of the bill banishment post | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 4 years

Text

HPHM Patronus Headcanons

We all have one, and we all have ideas for what the characters would have. Let me know what you guys think too! Rakepick isn’t listed because we already know her Patronus, and I’m probably going to talk about OCs in a different post, or else I’ll add them later once I’ve finally made up my mind.

Rowan Khanna - Aardvark

I’m not the only one who sees it, right? Our wonderful Rowan is quirky and inventive and if they were a wild animal, they’d employ such brilliance and like the aardvark, devise a unique way to catch their food. On a more somber note, Aardvarks are nocturnal and they aren’t pack animals - making them a good symbol for a kid who preferred to stay inside and read rather than help with the farm, a kid who really didn’t have that many friends beyond the people they knew by association to MC. Still, aardvarks are weirdly adorable and if you tell me you wouldn’t pet one, you would be a liar.

Ben Copper - Field Mouse

A small creature that is able and hide very easily, definitely suits a character who was, for such a long time, very timid. A character who knew how to cover his tracks - whether or not he was using such abilities for shady reasons. Mice normally symbolize innocence and modesty, but they’ve also been seen as unlucky before. In more traditional times they were seen as symbols of dark magic, or even the underworld - since they could often carry disease, were hard to capture, and usually came from the ground. Mice do have that dark side, and so does Ben - we’ve seen it in Year Six, and he’s definitely still hiding something. That was never really resolved.

Penny Haywood - Mourning Dove

This one is pretty easy. Doves have always been seen as a fundamental symbol of innocence. A messenger that comes to banish worried or troubled thoughts, and usher in goodness in their wake. Penny is nothing if not a force for good. Characters like Merula have even lamp-shaded how irritating it is. However, the Mourning Dove in particular is known for it’s melancholy call, invoking the symbolism of losing a loved one. Between Scarlett and Beatrice, Penny has demonstrated that however helpful she is to her friends, she doesn’t know how to deal with her own serious problems. She’s a hopeful, caring person...but there’s a distinct sadness blended in as well. When someone innocent is hurt, the pain is that much worse for them.

Beatrice Haywood - Chameleon

Beatrice seems to be a person that absorbs a lot from the people she looks up to or associates with. Not just in personality, but in physical appearance too. In Year Five, by her own admission, she was a “Mini Penny” and in Year Six, she takes after Ismelda quite a bit. Chameleons are of course, known for their ability to blend in with their surroundings. It’s their claim to fame. What’s more, the Labord’s Chameleon hatches after the parents have already died, meaning they have to make it without any support from the grownups. Not that Beatrice doesn’t have support, but...the teachers/staff have failed to protect her in the past, and she’s well aware of that.

Merula Snyde - Cat

Oh, she is such a cat. Few characters come close to being as cat-like as Merula. From her haughty and arrogant nature tying in to how people often see felines, to her actually being very lonely and desperate for love. If you’ve never had a cat, then believe me, they want your attention - it’s just that most of the time they refuse to admit it. Merula is the same way. Because of her upbringing, she seems to gravitate toward being a predator animal, or at least wanting to be one. But also the kind of predator that would play with it’s food and make a game out of it. Think of it this way - given Merula’s background, she wouldn’t know what a laser pointer is. And with her stand-offish personality, she would totally try to investigate it like a little cat.

Bill Weasley - Koala

The Koala Totem is said to symbolize a gentle nature, and give a calming effect on people. Bill isn’t just the oldest brother to all the Weasleys - he looks out for everyone in the Cursed Vault gang. In general, Koalas are social and easy-going animals who have been known to represent kindness and family. They’re also known for being inactive - which I wouldn’t say that Bill is, but despite his Big-Bro energy, he never really tries to stop MC and their friends when they’re getting into mischief. He didn’t stop Harry from trying to make a deal with Griphook either. He just kinda lets people do their own thing most of the time, or comes along if he’s invited.

Charlie Weasley - Dragon

What can I say? I couldn’t resist. Sure, it may be unlikely that he would actually have a Dragon for a Patronus, but we do know that such a form is possible. Just very rare. Well you know what? This wonderful cinnamon roll has earned it. Doesn’t mean he would summon a full-grown dragon on his first attempt though.There’s a head-canon I’ve seen that I really like, which says that Animagus/Patronus forms can sometimes start as babies, and “grow” the better at them you get. Alternatively, his Patronus could literally just be a baby dragon. As for the breed, I’ll leave that open to interpretation, but I’m gonna say Norwegian Ridgeback.

Skye Parkin - Hyena

Frequently scavengers, and often seen as cowardly - Hyenas are still vicious and are typically able to claim the kill. Sometimes even driving off larger predators and stealing their hard earned prey. Which is exactly the kind of dishonorable thing Skye would do. She seems to believe strongly in her “pack” or her team, and depend on them to have her back even when she’s getting into nonsense. Traditionally, the Hyena is also seen as secular, with it’s constant laugh being an act of defiance. Skye is a cheerful person most of the time...but she has shown that she has little regard for rules or authority figures that are not her Dad.

Murphy Mcnully - Bottle-nose Dolphin

Dolphins are interesting. They have a reputation for being very sweet and excitable, but they can often be...shall we say, rude or invasive. I love Murphy to bits, but he doesn’t always know how to read a room, and he’s entirely open about his bias toward MC’s team - even more-so than Lee Jordan. That being said, Dolphins are social, playful, and intelligent creatures. With unusual abilities like echolocation, they certainly match Murphy in his quirky brilliance. They’re caring, helpful creatures that will actually aid other animals in need, including humans. Even though Murphy isn’t actually a player on MC’s Quidditch team, he might as well be.

Orion Amari - Elephant

Orion is such a wonderful character. He might be an oddball, but he’s truly wise beyond his years. Elephants not only represent wisdom, but have been known to symbolize loyalty, sensitivity, peace, stability...all the great qualities that Orion embodies. They’re known for taking care of the herd, just as Orion looks after his team. They might be a little quirky, with their large ears and trunks that most other animals don’t have...but Orion is quirky as well. Some say that with their trunks down, Elephants are accumulating positive energy to push through their trials, which takes me back to the scene where Orion gives MC Quidditch robes. I cry every time.

Erika Rath - Lion

To be clear, a male lion. I know that a lioness can be interpreted differently, and we already have a character with that Patronus. No, Erika is a pack leader. Even if she’s not the Captain of her team, they seem to depend very heavily on her. She’s also ferocious. I mean, tell me with a straight face that you could take her in a fight, or that you’d ever want to. A full grown male lion lives by the code that ass-kicking equals authority, even if they don’t want to. Furthermore, the Lion and the Hyena tend to be natural enemies. Sure, a lion could take a hyena in a one-on-one fight...but what if the Hyena had it’s pack for backup? We’ve all seen Lion King...and we’ve seen how Skye has targeted Erika.

Barnaby Lee - Brown Bear

Barnaby is a man of brawn, not brain, and that’s totally fine because is also a man of heart. He’s already pretty much a bear in human form. Ranging from sweet and dopey in modern media, like Winnie the Pooh, to being seen as warriors and symbols of courage in mythology- the Brown Bear captures all of the very best parts of our favorite Slytherin cinnamon roll. He’s a gentle giant, but as we see in Year Three, he’ll jump into action to protect those he cares about the same way coming near a mama bear’s cubs will act as her berserk button. I would say the Bear really symbolizes his character arc in Year Three.

Andre Egwu - Satin Bowerbird

This is still my favorite head-canon about Andre and you can pry it from my cold dead hands. The bowerbird, aside from being a bird and thus connecting to Quidditch - is a creature named for the “Bower” that the males build. A structure that can be made of anything from sticks to flowers to random human garbage, that they create specifically to show off to potential mates. It’s not a nest, and they don’t use it as one. It’s exclusively for mating. The Bowerbird has a sense of fashion, and it understands how to score a date. Tell me this isn’t Andre’s favorite animal. I mean it could also be the Peacock, but that’s just too obvious.

Tulip Karasu - Jackal

I can’t believe I didn’t see it before, but this animal is perfect for the rebellious Ravenclaw. Let’s start with the fact that in the bible, Jackals represent isolation, loneliness, and abandonment. It’s okay Tulip, I’m sure she’ll forgive you one day. Then there’s the fact that they howl to establish territory, not unlike the way Tulip guards her findings with little padlocks. They’re usually seen as opportunistic, to the point where calling someone a jackal tends to them being collaborator with a sneaky or mischievous agenda. In folktales, they’re depicted as intelligent and cunning pranksters - which is just checkmate, if you ask me. Even the Jackal’s coloring kinda suits her.

Ismelda Murk - Anaconda

Like the Snake, and the Hogwarts House that carries it as an emblem, Ismelda is a misunderstood person - but that doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous. Much like how there are stories of Anacondas eating people, that have never been verified...Ismelda talks a big game, but has never actually used the Dark Arts. A snake sheds it’s skin, just as Ismelda seems to have shed any connection to her sister, or even the rest of her family. In particular, the Anaconda is actually beloved by cultures in South America, and it was once common to sacrifice one in the name of a happy marriage...of course, that’s a pretty raw deal for the Anaconda, and I can’t help but see Ismelda as a sacrifice for the sake of her sister.

Liz Tuttle - Tortoise

As fun as it might have been to just choose a lizard and be done with it, I think a Tortoise represents Liz far better. In so many ways, it’s the ultimate symbol of patience, endurance, and persistence. If Ismelda meets all the criteria of the Slytherin stereotype - Liz is the opposite. She’s one of the most resilient characters, having to work against people thinking she’s odd, people not trusting her because she’s in Slytherin, and people generally being at odds with her belief that all creatures deserve protection. It’s not only the Hufflepuffs that care for magical critters, and Liz proves that. The Tortoise represents her decency, and her steadfast attitude. What’s more, Tortoises tend to have very long lifespans. And if Liz can face off against chimeras and come out of it unscathed...she’s gonna live a long, long life.

Talbott Winger - Golden Eagle

I doubt I need to explain this one. In the past, Animagi have been show to transform into the same animal as their Patronus. It hasn’t been confirmed that this is a rule or anything, but it applied to James and McGonagall. Besides, an eagle just suits Talbott. He’s a dreamer, a drifter, and he’s got his head in the clouds. But he also knows how to fight - having been forced to leave the nest far too early. Birds of prey generally represent victory, courage, and overcoming adversity. Which Talbott does - he’s learning to let his walls down. Taking the first steps toward accepting the losses that he’s suffered, and moving on.

Chiara Lobosca - Labrador

Supposedly cats, dogs, and birds are the most common animals to have as a Patronus. Which makes sense, but if anyone out there was truly a dog, it would be Chiara. Between her self-sacrificing loyalty to Remus, to her protective instincts in shielding MC from Greyback, she is the physical embodiment of the “we don’t deserve dogs” sentiment. As sweet as she is, she’s also quiet, so I figured a large dog was more appropriate, especially a Lab. What’s more, she’s interested in Healing, and that reminds me of service dogs. Or even just dogs that can sense when their human is sick, and gives them therapeutic cuddles.

Jae Kim - Raccoon

An inventive, practical animal - the Raccoon is known for having paws with defined fingers that allow them to do most things with their “hands” and that’s actually where the word “raccoon” comes from. I feel like the Racoon’s elusive ways and their nature as scavengers pretty closely reflects Jae and his business. Raccoons are frequently associated with adaptability and illusion. Their ringed tails and masked faces being seen as signs of thievery. But you know what? These animals are far more friendly then media would have you assume. I know from personal experience. So I think a character like Jae who is shady and skirts the law, but is ultimately a good guy, would fit the raccoon well.

Badeea Ali - Owl

Despite the magical community’s affinity for them, Owls are said to be highly rare as Patronuses, according to Pottermore. Most people don’t have them, but I think she would. I don’t think it would suit anyone better than the elusive, creative Badeea. They tend to represent wisdom, good judgment, and knowledge. It’s sharp vision representing insight and observational skills. Only a truly clever witch could be a spell inventor at this age. What’s more, Owls are an integral part of the Wizarding lifestyle. They’re constantly helpful. MC would not have survived the nightmare that was the Peeves Chapters in Year Five if not for their most mystical friend.

Diego Caplan - Grebe

If you know anything about Grebes as birds, then you might not be too surprised. Then again, I hadn’t even heard of them until recently, but when I did I thought “Diego.” They’re waterfowls that are related to flamingos. But the Grebes have an entire ceremony dedicated to mating, which involves intricate dancing. They compete with each other for a female’s attention. I’m not saying Diego is jealous of Cedric cause he has a thing for Penny - all I’m saying is that Diego is jealous of Cedric because he has a thing for Penny. Beyond that, Grebes symbolize fearlessness and perseverance in Native American culture, supposedly bringing a calm, peaceful presence.

And that’s it! I did it, I actually did it! I didn’t think I’d make it this far. And if you did as well, thanks for checking it out. I’d love to know what you think!

66 notes · View notes

sacredcynic · 4 years

Text

Losing Friends

For my mom it was the pots and pans. When she would get extremely frustrated with us boys she would throw the pots into the cabinet, they would band loudly and she would say very sternly, “go to your rooms!” My friend’s dad would look up and ask his wife, “where is the belt?” That was our clue to run away – fast. Every parent has been there – the moment when you have had enough, and the only recourse is to just snap. We forget the names of the kids and just start snapping off punishments from the top of our head. Well, I am there this week. For the past few months the E-Merge has been quiet. The quiet has not been the result of not having anything to say, but because there is no oxygen left in the room. What is the good of saying anything when no one is listening?

Like the exasperated parent, I have finally had enough and it is time to send people to their metaphorical rooms. I also realize that this is probably the day I lose all of my friends, but some things need to be said. I also realize that there is no room to move forward until we start to listen to others, and learn to see ourselves in clearer way.

You conspiracy people – go to your room, and read a book when you get there. Let me get this straight – our president is there to save us from a giant conspiracy where the government will execute an intricate plan to insert a micro-chip in everyone to track our every movement. This is planned by Bill Gates and a virus that no one knew about 10 months ago is the catalyst for this plan, and Trump is the head of the government that the president will save us from. Did I get that right? My head hurts. Go to your room – you are grounded from social media for a year.

Now to the governors and many other local leaders – go to your room. I am tired of hearing you talk all of the time. I am really tired of the whole, “we are all in this together” schtick. Let me get this straight, you banned people from earning a living while you kept collecting checks, visited you vacation homes and then kept telling people we are all in this together. That is a lot of hubris there. You are grounded until the next election. The voters have a chance to ground you permanently, but they won’t – sigh.

Professional sports players – go to your room. Let me get this straight – you decide not to play and we will be so distraught from you not playing that we will bend to your opinion. Is that correct? Here is the problem – I really haven’t noticed you aren’t playing. I might have but the road I take home from work was shut down by a protest so I missed dinner, and missed the time you were supposed to play anyway. This might come as a surprise but many of us work hard just to pay the bills, and find it hard to listen to millionaires lecture. Go to your rooms. Your punishment is to get your wish and not play anymore. I look forward to seeing you in the cubicle, or on the assembly line.

Let me talk to some of my white friends. I know you are there, I can smell the sunscreen from here. Go to your room. There are things worth talking about and we need to lean into the conversation. Some of our friends of color experience things that we do not understand, and we need to be aware of it. There are things we do when we get pulled over in a nice car because it is a good idea to do them. Some of our friends have to do it because it is a necessity. Some of us get upset when we get in the slow check-out lane at Mariano’s. We would be furious at the treatment some of our friends have regularly faced. We assume that there is a diversity of thought among our white friends while we watch a culture that often assumes people of color march in lock step. There are barriers some have to cross that we do not have to. We must humbly step across those barriers. We must take the first step - always. Your punishment – you are banished to the slow check-out lane for the next year.

To some who are protesting vehemently – go to your room and read some historical biographies. You have a point but unless we discuss responsibility at the same time this will get nowhere. Perhaps holding up someone who steals the weapon of an officer and points it at him is not worth lionizing. Neither is someone with arrest warrants for sexual assault who chooses to fight police officers. Certainly, we can agree that there are issues that are worthy of discussion, like the militarization of the police. Can we not also discuss the absolute necessity of self-control, character and treating police with respect? Self-government is an impossibility if we insist on not controlling ourselves. Your punishment is to spend six months reading the speeches of Martin Luther King.

Now it is time for the church – go to your room. Some of you are posting right wing memes and telling everyone that if one is a Christian then they must agree with your meme. In recent months the left wing folks have been even worse. A Christian would only have this opinion. Stop it. Unfortunately, it has not stopped there. We have carried this discussion to mask-wearing. If you don’t require everyone to wear a mask, then you are selfish, not enlightened like me. Others see churches that require a mask and see the same selfishness at work, making a decision based solely on a sense of personal safety. Your punishment is you have to listen to a sermon every day for the next six months – and you thought the old 2-week revival was bad. While you are listening you must write nice things about people who look at things differently than you.

Here is another group, I see you rich white kids with the bricks and the Molotov cocktails. Go to your room, which is probably still in your parent’s very nice house, except you don’t like your parents so you choose to take it out on the small business owner. Your parents built a home and a life, but somehow you hate them so you want to burn everything down. What is your point? That small business owner you destroyed – let me tell you about that family. They were in business in Kenosha in the late 1980s. You are too young to remember and have never troubled yourself to learn history, but that was when Kenosha was boarded up. The auto plants had left and half the businesses were gone. It was bleak. Except that guy you burned down stayed, even though it was tough. When things started to come back that business was a catalyst for others. It probably also sponsored a few little league teams and donated things to the church. The existence of that business has changed the life of hundreds of people. For those keeping score that is hundreds more than you. Your punishment is to be grounded to your room and having to listen to your parents read the stories of your grandparents to you, so you can learn about their hard work.

Finally, last but not least – everyone who participates in “cancel culture.” Go to your room and give your cell phone to me. You spend your time telling people who can talk and who can’t talk. In order to speak someone has to be the right color, or belong to the correct group. We are very tired of you. If we are going to belong to the same culture, we all have a right to speak in that culture. Plus, you seem awfully insistent on dividing everyone into their own tribe. We have been this way before and it is a disaster. Your punishment is to be transported back in time to the Balkans in the 1990s. You need a front row seat on what happens when we relegate everyone into membership of a group. Your punishment is you must watch German chefs cook Mexican food for a group of Italians. That scene is something to truly celebrate.

Now everyone has been punished and sent to their room. While we deserve the punishments we have received, it might be good to give each group a way out. You can come out of your room when you are ready to meet in the living room without an agenda. There is no way forward when we start with our agendas, and refuse to listen to others. Someone needs to start and it should be the church. This is our chance to show what an alternative community looks like. This is not a community where we all agree, but where we all love each other anyway. Someone needs to lead – it should be us. Politics does not offer a solution. Violence has never offered a solution. People leading by example might. I’ll see you in the living room.

2 notes · View notes

turning-dreams-into-chaos · 5 years

Text

Rain, Rain, Go Away (Part 2)

*Not My Gif*

Part 1

Paring: Barry Allen X Reader

Word Count: 1304

Post Date: 5-13-19

A/N: Here is the second part to Rain, Rain, Go Away! I know this is hella short, but I promise if you guys want a third part (and probably the last) then its going to be more Barry Allen X Reader than these last two parts have been. If you guys want another part to Banished and this, then LET ME KNOW! Send me in requests, also be sure to like, reblog, and comment on this! I live on all your feedback! Thanks for reading! Love you all!

- Ria

~Master List~

~Open Requests~

This was supposed to be it. One robbery and you’d be sitting in the hospital with your sister, bills completely paid. But Kenna’s condition worsened, she wasn’t going to make it and you knew that, you knew that no matter what you were going to do she was going to die. You didn’t need the money, not anymore, but it helped you. It gave you a purpose, even if it was a villains’ game, it took your mind off her. You should be with her, taking in what could’ve possibly been your last moments at seeing your sister breathe. But you’re not, instead you’re at another bank, making it rain. You kind of liked that name. It was dumb that a simple word could hold so much meaning, but it was you. You were Rain. And he was the flash, who just so happened to show up once again to stop you. Or at least try. He’s been running back and forth for the last few minutes, talking into his coms. You couldn’t hear what he was saying but you could hear the frantic tone his voice is coming out as.

“Guys! What do I do? Every time I get close to her she just tries to drown me!” Barry screamed into his coms as he rushed all the people out of bank. As he does so he notices something, you aren’t hurting them, in fact you seemed to be doing the exact opposite, flooding everywhere but where the people were. You didn’t hurt them, just scared them.

“Rain!” He shouted gaining your attention, “You don’t need to do this, do you? It’s just for the money? You don’t want to do this! Look, my friends and I, my team, we can help you. Just stop this storm and let us!” You glare at him, eyes wide as you take in his words. You could stop this. They can help Kenna. But would they? Probably not. You looked around the bank, The Flash had cleared everyone out, leaving only you and the speedster. You were conflicted, could you trust them? Put Kenna’s life in their hands. You couldn’t do it. You turned to face the man, hands out conjuring storm clouds in the bank around the two of you. You could feel it in you, the pain of seeing Kenna on that bed, of losing your parents, coming home to an empty house day after day, you just couldn’t take it. Your once (e/c) eyes turned an icy blue lightning now blasting through the clouds. Barry watched, eyes wide as the storm manifested around you, your eyes piercing through.

“You’re lying. You can’t help me. You can’t save her. And you can’t stop me Flash, it doesn’t matter what you’ll do, I will make it rain.” You say, voice booming over the storm. You were mad, everything you’ve ever felt coming out in one big wave. You watch as the Flash stands up, arm in front of his face covering it from the rain. As he takes a step towards you, you pelt him with rain, once again. Humming along to Rain, Rain, Go Away, your hands start shaking, barely able to control the power coursing through you. Your breathing became faster as your head turns to the ceiling, letting the rain melt down your face. Barry watches as the rain slows down, your jacket becoming drenched as your hair falls from your face.

“Who’s she, Rain? Who are you trying to save?” He whispered enough so you could hear him but hopefully not go all psycho on him again. The lightning stopped, the thunder creating a slight noise in the background. You pull your head back, locking eyes with the man, hands lowering as his did. Your eyes had returned to your normal color as you think of her, your sister, tears threatening to spill but you hold them back.

“No one. Anymore…” you whisper as you finally break eye contact with him, looking at the destruction of the bank around you. Your mouth had dropped opened, the wreck of the building filling your sights before you notice the people huddled together in another room, broken glass between you all. You fell to your knees, eyes locked on your hands before you. You did this. You almost lost your sister and now you’ve lost yourself. Barry watches your actions, your face hidden behind your mask, but he can see the pain you hold. He carefully walks over to you, placing a hand on your back as you don’t look up. Only when he crouches down beside you do you notice his presence, finally locking eyes.

“I-I’m sorry…” Your voice trails, throat harsh from yelling over the storm. You were lost, you were broken, and all you wanted to do was to go home. But you couldn’t, you didn’t know what home was anymore. You once loved the feeling becoming Rain gave you, but now it doesn’t feel like anything. Nothing. You hated looking weak, but in this moment, you just didn’t care. You thought back to all the restless nights you and Kenna had spent on the roof or in front of the window with coffee for you and hot chocolate for her as you watch the rain stream down, or all the times Kenna and you had danced in the rain, listening to the music you put on. The once beautiful weather now tainted with the knowledge that those moments could never happen again, she was gone. Your hands found their way to your face, tracing over the wet jewels on your mask, before slowly removing it from your face.

“You want to help me? Make the pain go away. Please Flash. Save me.” You whisper as push your hair out of your face, meeting the Flash’s shocked gaze at your actions before he quickly nods his head. Standing up he pulls you off the ground, being sure not to cause you to react in a way he didn’t want you to, but after you refused to move once you were up he realized you were no longer a threat, you just needed help. He quickly flashed all the hostages, who seemed to calm down once you had, outside before flashing you to Star Labs. He brought you to the cortex, against his friends wishes, and placed you on a chair, your eyes barely looking up from the ground.

“Woah, Flash, you’re just gonna bring her in here? Like 20 minutes ago she was trying to kill you!” Cisco exclaims, crossing his arms and coming around from the computer to join Barry, who hasn’t stopped looking at you with an expression if you tried to explain you probably couldn’t. You lifted your eyes at his comment, glancing around the room as you noticed the two men and a beautiful, brunette haired woman who offered you a kind smile, which you reluctantly returned.

“So, what’s your real name, Rain?” The flash asks, giving a small chuckle at calling you that name after he’s seen your face, which for some reason he still hasn’t managed to look away from.

“My name’s Y/N. It’s Y/N Y/L/N.” you respond, a slight blush coming across your face at his stares. ‘They can help you’ you thought. You just got to let them. You weren’t sure why but something about them makes you want to trust them, to trust him. It might be because you lost everyone and were lonely, or it might be because you thought they actually seemed trust worthy. Your thoughts were interrupted when you saw the speedster slowly, how dramatic of him, remove his mask. Your breath hitches as you officially look at the man behind the mask, and boy did you think he was attractive.

“I’m Barry. Barry Allen. Welcome to the team.”

Part 3? LET ME KNOW! Also feedback is always welcomed!

#barry allen x reader #barry x reader #barry allen imagine #barry allen #the flash #team flash #team flash x reader #Cisco Ramon #caitlin snow #star labs #rain rain go away #barry allen fic #barry imagine

94 notes · View notes

kateyes224 · 6 years

Text

In My Silence

Author: KatEyes224

Rating: R

Timeline: Post-This, but before Plus One

A/N: This story wouldn’t have seen the light of day were it not for a couple of very important people. Namely @mldrgrl, who didn’t ever let me give up on it, and @sunflowerseedsandscience and @mangokiwitropicalswirl who offer their unwavering support even when I don’t deserve it.

She loses him somewhere in the kitchen department, letting him disappear from her line of sight while she lingers, waylaid by a particularly handsome backsplash. Which they absolutely do not need, she reasons after three solid minutes of arguing with herself before finally moving on. But she’d been wanting to update the kitchen since they’d first bought the house; bullet-riddled drywall, she figures, is as good an excuse as any. And their ridiculously expensive homeowners’ policy is apparently finally going to pay off, so they may as well take advantage.

By the time Scully wanders over to the dining area to check out the table they’d picked out together online, she knows Mulder has probably given up on trying to find her. He stubbornly refuses to backtrack at IKEA, claiming it only gets him more turned around. And despite his alleged accrual of Indian Guides merit badges, the proof of which Scully has yet to see, he scoffs at conventional wilderness survival skills like staying put and waiting for help to come to him whenever he gets lost. They’d agreed in the car ahead of time to meet up at the cafe on the second floor if they got separated, so Scully starts heading that direction.

She immediately suspects ulterior motives. Mulder has once again managed to plan this outing to take place around lunchtime, and Scully assumes that his timing is calculated so that he can satiate his unaccountable love of Swedish meatballs.

Meandering through a maze of living room and bedroom furniture, Scully consciously quells the urge to quicken her pace when she finds herself walking past bunk beds and brightly colored children’s rooms, college corner desks and bins of extra-long twin bed sheets.

William would be looking at colleges this year, wouldn’t he? Studying for his SATs. Maybe courting college scouts for water polo or basketball or baseball. Or maybe he’d been an academic, in math league or on the debate team or winner of the science fair. Or maybe he’d been a thespian, or maybe he’d been a loner, or, or, or...

Next to a wall of framed mirrors, Scully closes her eyes against row upon row of her own fractured reflections and breathes deeply through her nose, trying to banish the onslaught of potential iterations of her son as quickly as they apparate. Fifteen years later and he is still every dark-haired, long-limbed boy she sees out of the corner of her eye until she dares to look twice.

William has never stopped being a residual image that appears, Turin-like, in every negative space in her meticulously constructed world. But Scully has learned to allow herself to feel the ebb and flow of both her guilt and her gratitude in these moments. Cognitive dissonance, if nothing else, at least drowns out all the other voices in her head; the ones that whisper about what she did to Mulder when she left him to wrestle with their ghosts all alone in their drafty old house, instead of what she did to William when she gave him away to a future without her, perilous and uncertain.

She cannot, however, stop herself from intentionally averting her gaze when she passes by the children’s play area just outside the IKEA cafe, where a very pregnant mother is loudly compromising with her young son for just five more minutes, and then it’s time to go. Scully squeezes her eyes shut as the woman cradles her swollen belly with one hand and digs the other into the small of her back.

Some reminders still hurt more than others.

She spots Mulder near the front of the line queued to order and is just to about to call out to him when another voice beats her to the punch.

“Mulder? Fox Mulder?”

Mulder turns to the source of the voice, a woman standing several people behind him in line, and Scully sees him quirk a smile of recognition that reaches all the way to his eyes.

She freezes, watching the interaction unfold from a distance with an almost clinically detached interest. Mulder’s social circle, she knows, has dwindled over the years to just a handful of people, mostly acquaintances. As she racks her brain to place this woman, Scully realizes with a pang of regret that she has comprised the bulk of that handful for the last decade or more. And, until recently, she had been doing her level best to leave Mulder behind.

She notices the woman’s blonde hair first, a lustrous mane that falls in golden waves around slender, tanned shoulders. Not a hint of gray, Scully discerns, biting her lip so hard it nearly bleeds.

Mulder lets the few people between them go in front of him until he and the mystery woman are standing next to one another in line. He crosses his arms as they begin to converse, and Scully flushes hotly as she takes note of a typical Mulder maneuver when he dips his head and leans into her space so that he can hear her better. At one point, the woman turns into him to allow the person behind her to go ahead, and Scully catches a glimpse of her profile. A deep dimple appears in the woman’s cheek as she laughs at something Mulder says.

The two must reach a mutual decision to just order their food together because they finally approach the same register but pay separately. They then head over to a nearby table where a bored-looking blond boy of about six or seven in a baseball uniform is sitting.

Making her way closer, Scully takes in the woman’s tall, fit figure and makeup-free face. She has a wide, easy smile, which she unabashedly flashes up at Mulder as they continue talking.

As Scully nears, she begins to hear snippets of conversation.

“-eb’s little brother is already outgrowing the toddler bed, so we’re here looking at bunk beds. The boys are really excited about the idea of bunk beds, aren’t you, Caleb?”

Caleb smiles tightly and nods, obliging his mother, and throws his small fist into his baseball glove a few more times.

Mulder bends down, muscular arms resting lightly on his bent knees, looking up into the boy’s eyes. Someplace deep within Scully’s chest starts to ache, the twinge old and familiar. Mulder has always been wonderful with children, has always given due deference to their personhood no matter their age.

It was one of those things about him that Scully had always thought would have made him a wonderful father.

“What position do you play, Caleb?” she hears Mulder ask.

Caleb’s little boy voice is swallowed by the cacophony of knives and forks clinking against plastic plates and soda machines spitting ice into cups, and Scully finds herself leaning forward slightly as she continues towards their table, straining to hear.

“-na learn how to pitch.”

Mulder nods and glances up at the boy’s mother before meeting Caleb’s eyes again.

“You know, I pitched a couple of years. I used to be good at curveballs and changeups. But you’re gonna have to practice a lot if you want to be a pitcher. You think you can do that?”

Caleb nods down at Mulder, solemn.

The woman tugs gently at the bill of her son’s baseball cap. “I can’t keep him away from the baseball diamond. And if he’s not there he wants to be at the batting cages.”

Mulder’s smile widens. “I was the same way when I was his age.”

Scully sees the woman’s eyes sweep over her partner’s frame appreciatively. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Caleb stares at Mulder now with naked admiration. “Who’s your favorite pitcher? Mine’s Zach Britton.”

Mulder chuckles. “Britton’s pretty good. I’m a Yankees fan, myself. So I’m liking Severino these days.”

The boy wrinkles his nose. “Ewwww, the Yankees? Traitor.”

Mulder and the woman both laugh.

“Well, maybe one day…” his mother cocks her head, biting her lip as she glances between her son and Mulder, “Mulder here can show you how to throw a curveball, Caleb.”

Mulder chuffs as he rises, crossing his arms even more tightly across his broad chest as a blush creeping over his features. “I’d probably end up in the hospital if I tried to throw a curveball these days, Annie.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Annie says, reaching a tentative hand out and wrapping it around Mulder’s right bicep. “You look like you’re in pretty good shape to me.”

Scully, done observing, quickens her pace and plasters a smile on. “Mulder,” she says, still several feet away. “Here you are.”

Mulder startles, jerking his arm from Annie’s grasp. “Scully, hey. This is, uh, you remember, right? Annie. Anne. Anne Woodward. She was, uh, she was…”

A look of dawning comprehension flits its way over Annie’s face as she gauges Mulder’s stammering reaction with Scully’s sudden appearance. Annie glances down at Mulder’s left ring finger, then Scully’s, before she brings her eyes back up to Scully’s.

Subtle, Scully thinks. “No, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” she says instead, smiling wider but barely unable to unclench her teeth. The woman is even more stunning up close. Glowing jade-green eyes and full lips. Gorgeous body.

Jesus.

Scully holds her hand out. “I’m Dana-”

Annie reaches out to shake it firmly. “Agent Scully. I know. You probably don’t recognize me, but I was at Agent Mulder’s house last weekend. I’m an investigative technician with the Bureau. I was part of the team mobilized to collect evidence after the Purlieu incident last week.” She drops Scully’s hand. “Crazy stuff.”

Combing through her memory of the multitudinous faces and comings and goings of all the investigators that had torn their house apart for almost 48 hours, Scully thinks she might remember a blonde ponytail poking out of an FBI cap, gathering evidence. Scully had been in and out of their house herself during those few days, giving multiple statements to multiple agencies, appearing before a review panel.

“Right. Thanks for your help on that,” Scully says. “Agent Mulder’s house,” she emphasizes, “is quite literally a disaster, as you know, so I told him I’d help him pick out some replacement furniture. And I owe him a table.”

Mulder’s brow furrows. He starts to interject, but Scully shoots him a pointed glance. His mouth slams shut, but the confused crease in his forehead deepens.

Just then, Annie’s order number is called, then Mulder’s. Scully makes a show of looking at her watch, clearing her throat.

“Mulder, I’ll just go get the stuff from the warehouse and meet you at the car, okay? You can drop me off at my place on your way home.”

Scully turns and walks away before he has a chance to respond. She throws one last glance over her shoulder and swallows past the lump that rises in her throat as Annie beams up at Mulder. Scully nearly bumps right into the pregnant mother still arguing with her obstinate son as she stumbles towards the elevators.

xxx

As she waits for Mulder in the car, the silence humid and thick, Scully’s memory calls to mind an instance when she was quite young, perhaps ten or twelve years old, when her mother had driven her daughters to the coast after picking them up from school one afternoon. Maggie had stared out the windshield at the crashing surf until Melissa had finally asked what they were doing there. Maggie had blinked, glanced in the rearview mirror, and confessed to her daughters that she was jealous. She was jealous of the sea for the sway it held over her husband.

As a girl, Scully had been stunned, and had said as much. She was surprised at her mother’s confessing such a thing, for wasn’t envy one of the seven deadly sins?

“Oh, Dana,” her mother had explained with a sad smile, as she’d turned her gaze away from her daughter and back to the green-blue curve of the horizon, “jealousy and envy are not the same thing. Envy is when you covet something of someone else’s that doesn’t belong to you. Jealousy is longing for what’s already yours.”

It’s taken years, but in the cabin of Mulder’s pickup, waiting for him to amble outof the store, Scully finally thinks she understands the distinction.

Apart from herself, Scully knows, Mulder has led such a loveless existence. But hasn’t she also done her best, even unwittingly, to ensure that his histrionic cycle of love and loss just keeps going, ad infinitum? Maybe Mulder has come to believe that a life with Scully is what he has earned, part of his unending doomed lot in life. To be loved by a woman who was not supposed to be able to bear him any children. To be loved by a woman who was destined to give him an impossible son only to give him away.

Scully is startled out of her reverie when Mulder opens the driver’s side door and slams it behind himself. He lets the silence stretch in the cab before speaking.

“What the fuck was that, Scully?”

“You tell me,” she answers, hating how petulant she sounds.

“Scully…” Mulder’s voice is low, dangerous. He twists the keys in the ignition with a jerk of his wrist and pulls out of the parking space. “Come on. You know me better than that.”

Scully doesn't respond. Does she know better? She and Mulder hadn’t really talked about where things were headed between them after the terrorist attack at the Ziggurat in Texas. She’d started staying over at the house with him more and more since her latest hospital stay, after her bout of unexplainable seizures. Remembering the surprisingly new heft of Mulder above her, the way he used their bed frame to leverage the angle of his thrusts, his head between her legs that very morning, she certainly knew where Mulder had been hoping things were heading.

But Scully had always doubted whether Mulder’s known what’s in his own best interests, especially when it came to her.

For her part, she hates herself for needing him as much as she does. He is her fatal flaw, her Achilles heel, the forbidden fruit that has been her undoing. You’d think she’d have learned her lesson by now, but here she is, twenty-five years later, still waging war with herself over him, holding him at arm’s length with one hand while drawing him closer with the other.

Mulder has pulled onto the highway before he starts talking again. There’s a plaintiveness in his voice that Scully can’t remember hearing in years, not since they first started working together. It burns, hearing him trying to convince her of something she knows shouldn’t be plausible, but probably is.

“Annie and I got to talking when she was at the house. She saw my bat and glove in the corner and asked if I was coaching Little League or something.”

Annie.

Annie is tangible. Attainable. And obviously more than willing. She could probably still give Mulder another child, a little sister for her two boys.

Scully refuses to respond, allows the silence to unspool, become uncomfortable. Mulder struggles to fill the void, like he always does.

“I just, I told her I liked baseball, and we got to talking about Caleb, and how-”

“Mulder, I think this was a mistake.”

Mulder quiets. He stares at her profile. “Okay, fine. We’ll go to Pottery Barn.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Scully looks out the windshield. She can feel the phantom pressure of Mulder’s jaw clenching and unclenching.

“I think,” she begins, glancing at him and pressing on when Mulder closes his eyes, “I think we may be rushing back into this for the wrong reasons.”

“No, Scully.”

“No?” she asks, turning fully in her seat to look at him, incredulous. “No? When have we not been the worst possible option for one another?”

“Scully, where is this coming from?!” Mulder practically shouts at her. “Are you PMSing or something?”

“I’m perimenopausal, Mulder,” she retorts, “and maybe it’s time you started thinking about why we’re even together in the first place. And why we keep continuing to be together when it brings us nothing but heartache.”

Mulder lets another half a mile pass before he speaks again, and the gravel in his voice scrapes her heart raw.

“Are you really that unhappy with me?” he asks quietly, taking the turnoff towards her place.

“Are you really that happy when we’re together?” Scully asks. “Or are you just less miserable because you’re not all alone by yourself?”

“That doesn’t even make sense, Scully!” Mulder yells, slapping a hand against the steering wheel.

“Could you just stop being stubborn for a moment, Mulder,” Scully implores. “Just divorce yourself completely from the idea of you and me and think about it. Could you be happy with someone like Annie? Raising a family, having little boys to play catch with, someone to teach how to throw a curveball? A wife who actually stands a chance of getting pregnant again?”

Her heart feels like it’s withering in her chest, atrophied after so long without him and weary from trying so hard to hold on to what it was about him that made him so irreplaceable. But this is where she’s always failed where he has succeeded: Mulder has a knack for loving the memory of someone unconditionally, in spite of the many ways they’ve let him down.

He pulls up to the sterile, ridiculously overpriced townhouse that she’s insisted on maintaining since she moved out. It’s in a gentrified part of D.C., an industrial park that’s been modernized, and she knows Mulder hates it, even though he’s never said a thing about it. He slams on the brakes so hard that she winces when they screech. Mulder throws the car in park and stares out the windshield, refusing to look at her.

“I know the difference between losing people and watching them leave, Scully.”

Scully stares at his profile. The strong line of his jaw has softened over the years, but it’s no less dear to her now than it was decades ago, shadowed by 5 o’clock stubble and the sherbet-colored light filtering in from the streetlamps half a block away.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mulder,” she whispers, and she’s out of the passenger seat, slamming the door of the truck and turning the lock of her own place in less than thirty seconds without sparing a second glance behind her.

He’s been watching her leave for years, she figures, as the automated front door beeps shut behind her. She leans into it, inviting the small measure of pain when she lets her skull thud against the hard wood. The sound of his truck idling lingers until he finally puts the car in reverse and crunches back down the driveway, giving her the space he knows she needs.

One more night won’t kill them.

#my writing #in my silence #post-this #pre-plus one #because what the fuck actually happened between the two of them #for the two of them to have

291 notes · View notes

thewordcollector2 · 6 years

Text

And Then There Was Rain: 35+ Uplifting Reminders for Those Rainy Days

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم… In the name of Allah (God), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Assalaamu 'alaikum السّلام عليكم… Peace be with you

Hi, Readers :). There are those times in life when we experience dismal days. These are the days when you feel like the world is coming to an end, and everything just seems to be going downhill. During these moments you feel gutted (down or depressed), and as if a dark cloud is following you everywhere. But fear not! Your days will not always be sunless and cheerless, as sadness never lasts forever. There is hope in the rain, and you just need to hold on, InshaaAllah إن شاء الله (God willing)! :)

Persian / Farsi Idiom: Havaa-toh daaram هواتو دارم / I have your back.

Literal Translation: I have your air / weather.

Today, I wish to bring back some hope, optimism and confidence in YOU. This post is mostly centered around rainy days* (figurative and literal). It is especially for the downhearted, but anyone is welcome to read. Please try some of my reinvigorating treatment. Don't worry, it's totally safe and poison-free. And, guess what? It won't cost you a dime. Happy swallowing! :)

*rainy day

(n.) A time of need or trouble. (The Free Dictionary)

☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔

Important Notice:

Readers, I apologise for the unclickable URLs and hyperlinks in this post. My blog seems to have a glitch right now, so please be patient with me. Thank you for your understanding, and again I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

For the while, you guys can copy and paste URLs (web addresses) from the "Sources, Credits and Further Reading" section to the address bar (location bar or URL bar) of your web browser, and then hit / press "Enter" to visit them.

☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔____☔

25+ Inspirationally Refreshful Quotes for Rainy Days

"Don't confuse your path with your destination. Just because it's stormy now doesn't mean that you aren't headed for sunshine."

Only a select few are able to see the true beauty that lies behind what just might seem like a rainy day or a grey sky. ~Jessica M. Laar

Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder. ~Rumi

Fall seven times, stand up eight. ~Japanese proverb*

*Japanese Idiom - Wiktionary

七転び八起き (hiragana ななころびやおき, rōmaji nana korobi ya oki)

Meaning:

the ups and downs of life (lit. seven falls, eight get-ups)

Note:

"This proverb implies that you have a lot of ups and downs throughout your life, but you will be fine at the end. It encourages you to tackle your problems again and again until you overcome it, even when you cannot see the light. This is often used when you want to encourage somebody facing difficult problems." (Japanese Words of Wisdom)

Let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy day. ~Perry Como

If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that. ~Anonymous

Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated. ~Lou Holtz

"Thank Allah* for what you have. Trust Allah for what you need."

*"Allah الله is the Arabic word for God in Abrahamic religions. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from al-ilāh, which means 'the god', and is related to El and Elah, the Hebrew and Aramaic words for God.

The word Allah has been used by Arabic people of different religions since pre-Islamic times. More specifically, it has been used as a term for God by Muslims [both Arab and non-Arab] and Arab Christians." (Wikipedia)

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. ~Abraham Lincoln

Everyone wants happiness; no one wants pain. But you can't have a rainbow without a little rain. ~Zion Lee

Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. ~Maya Angelou

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. ~Maya Angelou

HasbunAllaahu wa ni'mal Wakeel حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ.

"Allāh is sufficient for us and He is the Best Guardian."

(Qur'ān, Sūrat Āl 'Imrān)

Whatever you do may seem insignificant to you, but it is most important that you do it. ~Mohandas Gandhi

When you feel like giving up and quitting, remember why you started in the first place. ~Unknown

Without rain nothing grows, learn to embrace the storms of your life. ~Expanded Consciousness

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. ~Dolly Parton

Learn Something New: Island Talk

Caribbean Idiom: Guava Season

Guava

Meaning:

"The term 'guava season' is used to describe a period of difficulty, of economic woe and hardship, when there is nothing to eat but wild fruit like guava… when it used to be wild."

(Guava Superfruit | The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper)

When it rains look for rainbows, when it's dark look for stars. ~Oscar Wilde

Predicting rain doesn't count. Building arks does. ~Warren Buffett

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. ~Roger Miller

A true friend is like an umbrella that opens her heart to protect you on those rainy days. ~Debasish Mridha

"Good friends will come out, even on rainy days, if we need shelter."

"Sometimes life just calls for an umbrella."

No matter how much it rains, there is a place in you that never stops shining. ~Princess Sassy Pants & Co.

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. ~Zig Ziglar

"Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear."

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way."

Ya Allah يا الله (O God), please enlighten the darkness of my heart. Aameen آمين

A gentle word, like summer rain, may soothe some heart and banish pain. What joy or sadness often springs, from just the simple little things! ~Willa Hoey

"In our lives there is bound to come some pain, surely as there are storms and falling rain; just believe that the One who holds the storms will bring the sun."

"And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him (in repentance): He will send you the skies pouring abundant rain, and add strength to your strength: so turn ye not back in sin!"

The Qur'aan 11:52

When someone is mean, don't listen. When someone is rude, walk away. When someone tries to put you down, stand firm. Don't let someone's bad behaviour destroy your inner peace. ~Author Unknown

Don't let insignificant / trivial / little things break (destroy) your happiness.

Arabic Transliteration 1: Laa taj'al al-ashyaa'a at-taafihata tudammiru sa'aadataka لَا تَجْعَل الْأَشْيَاءَ التَّافِهَةَ تُدَمِّر سَعَادَتَكَ.

Arabic Transliteration 2: Laa tada' al-ashyaa' at-taafihah tudammir sa'aadatak لاتدع الأشياء التافهة تدمر سعادتك.

Have patience with all things but first with yourself. Never confuse your mistakes with your value as a human being. You are a perfectly valuable, creative, worthwhile person simply because you exist. And no amount of triumphs or tribulations can ever change that. Unconditional self-acceptance is the core of a peaceful mind. ~Francis de Sales*

*Saint Francis of Sales, also called Francis de Sales, French Saint François de Sales

"Let the rain wash away all the pain from yesterday."

Be strong because things will get better. It might be stormy now but it can't rain forever. ~Hailee

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to run in the rain."

After a storm comes a calm. ~Matthew Henry

Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come. ~Robert H. Schuller

If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm. ~Frank Lane

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them—every day begin the task anew. ~Francis de Sales

"For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease."

(Al Qur'aan, 94: 5-6)

An Inspiring Pick-Me-Up Poem for People Who Feel Like Giving Up

Don't Quit by John Greenleaf Whittier

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging (walking) seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns

As every one of us sometimes learns

And many a failure comes about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow—

You may succeed with another blow.

There is no success without hardship. - Sophocles

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell just how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

This poem is in the public domain.

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” ― Oscar Wilde

Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book. ~Bill Watterson

12 Lovely Little Words for Rain Addicts

rain

(n.) water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere (Merriam-Webster)

rain cloud / raincloud

(n.) a cloud (as a nimbus) bringing rain (Merriam-Webster)

cloudburst

(n.) a sudden, very heavy rain (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)

pluvial

adj.

1. Of or relating to rain; rainy.

2. Marked or formed by abundant rainfall: pluvial periods; a pluvial lake.

An extended period of abundant rainfall, especially such a period of the Pleistocene Epoch. (American Heritage Dictionary)

Pluviophile - Wiktionary

English

Etymology

From Latin pluvia +‎ -phile.

Noun

pluviophile (plural pluviophiles)

1. (biology) Any organism that thrives in conditions of heavy rainfall

2. One who loves rain, a rain-lover

Pluviophile: (n.) a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.

ombrophile (ombrophil)

(n.) a plant which survives well or flourishes in rainy conditions (Collins English Dictionary)

ombrophilous (ombrophilic)

(adj.) of a plant: capable of withstanding or thriving in the presence of much rain (Merriam-Webster)

bibliophile

(n.) a person who loves or collects books (Cambridge English Dictionary)

mizzle

(n.) light rain; drizzle. (Oxford Dictionaries)

pitter-patter

(n.) the sound of a rapid succession of light beats or taps, as of rain, footsteps, etc. (Dictionary.com)

petrichor

[pe-trahy-kawr, ‐ker]

(n.) a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground. (Dictionary.com)

rainstorm

(n.) A storm with heavy rain. (Oxford Dictionaries)

Did you know?

The word “pitter-patter” is an example of an onomatopoeia. The following is the definition of “onomatopoeia”: “Onomatopoeia is when a word’s pronunciation imitates its sound. When you say an onomatopoeic word, the utterance itself is reminiscent of the sound to which the word refers.”

(101 Onomatopoeia Examples | Ereading Worksheets)

Fikar mat karo, sab theek ho jayega فکر مت کرو، سب ٹھیک ہو جائے گا = "Don't worry, everything will be okay / fine" in Urdu

"Rain" in 23 Languages

Afrikaans: reën

Arabic: maṭar مَطَر

Estonian: vihm

Finnish: sade

French: pluie

Greek: vrochí βροχή

Hausa: ruwa, ruwan sama

Hawaiian: ka ua (pronounced 'kah-oo-ah')

Hindi-Urdu: baarish बारिश بارش

Italian: pioggia

Japanese: ame 雨あめ

Latin: pluvia

Malay: hujan (the 'h' is silent)

Mandarin: yǔ 雨

Persian / Farsi: bârân باران‎‎

Portuguese: chuva

Spanish: lluvia

Swahili: mvua

Tagalog / Filipino: ulan

Thai: fǒn ฝน

Turkish: rahmet

Welsh: glaw

Yoruba: ojo

How to Say "Enjoy the rain" in Arabic, Indonesian, Malaysian and Spanish

Arabic: Istamti' bil-maTar اِسْتَمْتِعْ بِالْمَطَرِ

Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia): Selamat menikmati hujan

Malaysian (bahasa Malaysia): Selamat berhujan / Selamat berhujan-hujan / Selamat berhujan-hujanan*

*rough translations

Spanish: Disfruta de la lluvia

It's Raining Wisdom: 7 Fantabulous International Proverbs

Prepare the umbrella before it rains / Sediakan payung sebelum hujan. ~Malay Proverb

Meanings:

- "Prevention is better than cure." (steemKR)

- "Always be cautious when you can sense danger." (steemKR)

- "Thatch your roof before the rain begins." (Peribahasa Melayu dan Inggeris)

- "Dig the well before you are thirsty." ( Peribahasa Melayu dan Inggeris)

The sign (i.e. precursor) of rain is clouds / Dalili ya mvua ni mawingu. ~Swahili proverb

Meaning:

"Pay attention to indications for something which is going to happen." (www.kiswahili.net)

How beautiful it is to see the rain and not get wet / How nice to see the rain and not get wet / Qué bonito es ver la lluvia y no mojarse. ~Spanish Proverb

Meanings:

- "Don't criticize others for the way they do something unless you've done it yourself." (BuzzFeed)

- "Criticism is easy, art is difficult." (Culture Trip)

All clouds bring not rain. ~English Saying

Meaning:

"We can rephrase this: 'Not every cloud brings rain.' And that's true. Sometimes there are many clouds in the sky, but it doesn't rain. Don't judge things by appearances." (EnglishClub)

Kay koule twompe soley soley men li pa twompe lapil / Kay koule twompe soley men li pa twompe lapli / Kay koule tronpe soley men li pa tronpe lapli / A leaky house can fool the sun, but it can't fool the rain / A leaking roof may fool sunny weather, but cannot fool the rain. ~Haitian proverb

Meaning:

"When things are going well, it is easy for us to appear solid, intact, grounded, strong, etc., but it is during and after a crisis, loss, failure, or other misfortune that we discover the power of our resilience i.e. our courage, fortitude and stamina." (Quozio)

There is no bad weather, there are only bad clothes / There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes / Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder. ~Swedish proverb

Meaning:

"Any weather is tolerable as long as you have the right clothing." (Wikiquote)

Rain wets a leopard's skin, but it does not wash out the spots / Rain beats a leopard's skin but does not wash off the spots. ~Ashanti Proverb from Ghana

Meaning:

"In life each person will encounter hardship, which in this proverb is represented by rain. The supposition that rain cannot wash out a leopard's spots alludes to the fact that hardship is temporary and can only strengthen a person in the end. Eventually the rain will stop falling, and all things can be overcome." (DePauw University)

Miscellaneous Section: 3 Special Islamic Prayers

Du'aa* of Prophet Musa, aka Moses (AS)

رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

Rabbi innee limaa anzalta ilayya min khairin faqeer.

Translation:

"O my Lord, truly I am in need of whatever good You bestow on me."

(Surat al-Qasas, 28:24)

*prayer, supplication, etc. = du'aa دُعَاء (Arabic)

Du'aa (Supplication) for Distress, Sadness and Anxiety

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحُزْنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ, وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ, وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika minal-hammi wal-ḥuzni wal-'ajzi wal-kasali wal-bukhli wal-jubni wa ḍala'id-daini wa ghalabatir-rijaal.

"O Allah [God], I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men."

or...

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika minal-hammi wal-ḥazani wal-'ajzi wal-kasali wal-jubni wal-bukhli wa ḍala'id-daini wa ghalabatir-rijaal.

"O Allah [God]! I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by [other] men."

Du'aa (prayer) for when it rains

اللَّهُمَّ صَيِّبًا نَافِعًا

Allaahumma ṣayyiban naafi'an.

"O Allah [God], may it be a beneficial rain cloud."

Was this entry interesting? If so, you may also want to read "23 Courage Quotes to Spark Your Inner Spunk", InshaaAllah إن شاء الله. Here ya go:

http://thewordcollector2.tumblr.com/post/168641993628/23-courage-quotes-to-spark-your-inner-spunk

Sources, Credits and Further Reading:

https://visionpdf.com/guide-to-persian-phrases-learn-persian-with-chai-and-convers.html

https://golbou.com/2014/09/09/13-things-persians-say-that-dont-make-sense-in-translation/

https://pixabay.com/

https://svgsilh.com/8bc34a/

https://www.pexels.com/

https://www.maxpixel.net/

https://pixlr.com/

https://www.freeonlinephotoeditor.com/

https://quotescover.com/

https://spark.adobe.com/home/

https://www.fotor.com/

https://www.postermywall.com/

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/rainy+day

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rainy_day

http://quoteshunter.com/rainy-day-quotes/

http://www.amyreesanderson.com/blog/just-because-its-stormy-now-doesnt-mean-you-arent-headed-for-sunshine/#.Wz-g9cInZVc

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/428038-raise-your-words-not-voice-it-is-rain-that-grows

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201201/40-quotes-help-you-get-through-the-day

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%83%E8%BB%A2%E3%81%B3%E5%85%AB%E8%B5%B7%E3%81%8D#Japanese

This post includes text from the Wiktionary entry, “七転び八起き - Wiktionary”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC By-SA 3.0.

The License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

About CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

https://wisdomjapan.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/falling_down_getting_up/

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/you-have-the-power-make-someone-happy.html

https://sms4islam.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/thank-allah-for-what-you-have/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah

This post includes text from the Wikipedia article, "Allah - Wikipedia", available under the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC By-SA 3.0.

The License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

About CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/everydayinspiration/2014/06/10-inspirational-quotes-to-lift-you-up-when-life-is-hard.html

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/maya_angelou_578763

https://dailyduaa.com/2015/06/16/allah-is-sufficient-for-us/

https://livelifehappy.com/life-quotes/without-rain-nothing-grows-learn-to-embrace/

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dolly_parton_126882

http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2016-06-19/guava-superfruit

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8192295-when-it-rains-look-for-rainbows-when-it-s-dark-look

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/warren_buffett_701497

http://www.doublequotes.net/quotes/roger-miller-quotes-some-people-walk-in-the-rain-others-just-get-wet

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7366105-a-true-friend-is-like-an-umbrella-that-opens-her

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/zig_ziglar_125675

http://www.quotes.thinkexist.com/quotation/life_is_like_a_rainbow-you_need_both_the_sun_and/341219.html

http://www.quotes.thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/rain/

http://www.geocities.ws/yapikachu/q/4b.html

http://www.alquranenglish.com/quran-surah-hud-52-qs-11-52-in-arabic-and-english-translation

https://www.facebook.com/InspirePositiveSoulSensations/posts/don%27t-let-someone%27s-bad-behaviour/1325631677548002/

https://www.facebook.com/MadinahArabicTuition/photos/a.10151510339920659.1073741827.286005100658/10156236001130659/?type=3&theater

https://deskgram.org/p/1405753660075528097_2352741257

http://www.wordreference.com/aren/%D8%AA%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%90%D9%87

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%B1#Arabic

http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/trivial?s=t

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/842634-have-patience-with-all-things-but-first-with-yourself-never

http://whisper.sh/whisper/05185b0e678eaa3115941ef48d977f65978fca/Let-the-rain-wash-awayAll-the-pain-from-yesterday

http://www.wisdomquotesandstories.com/be-strong-now-because-things-will-get-better/

https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/storm

https://www.passiton.com/inspirational-quotes/3300-have-patience-with-all-things-but-chiefly-have

https://www.facebook.com/TheDeenShowTV/posts/10151485143556104

https://quran.com/94

http://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=1820

http://amante-de-idiomas.tumblr.com/post/131700163570/arabic-english-translation-lan-astaslima-abadan

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/880713-rainy-days-should-be-spent-at-home-with-a-cup

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rain

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rain%20cloud

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/cloudburst

https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=pluvial

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pluviophile

This post includes text from the Wiktionary entry, “pluviophile - Wiktionary”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC By-SA 3.0.

The License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

About CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pluviophile

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/ombrophile

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ombrophilous

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bibliophile

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mizzle

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/pitter-patter

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/petrichor

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/rainstorm

http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-onomatopoeia-for-kids.html

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/figurative-language/poetic-devices/onomatopoeia-examples/

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101219125603AAkUquh

https://translate.google.tt/?hl=en&tab=wT#ur/en/%D9%81%DA%A9%D8%B1%20%D9%85%D8%AA%20%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%8C%20%D8%B3%D8%A8%20%D9%B9%DA%BE%DB%8C%DA%A9%20%DB%81%D9%88%20%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A6%DB%92%20%DA%AF%D8%A7

http://amante-de-idiomas.tumblr.com/post/153831423205/dont-worry-fikar-mat-karo-%D9%81%DA%A9%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%88-urdu

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Rain-In-Different-Languages/#.ya12cdqsb

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rain#Translations

This post includes text from the Wiktionary entry, “rain - Wiktionary”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC By-SA 3.0.

The License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

About CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

https://www.freearabicdictionary.com/dictionary/search/%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%B1

http://hausadictionary.com/rain#Noun

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/archive/index.php/t-114712.html

http://ka-ua.com/about/

https://www.rekhta.org/urdudictionary/?lang=1&keyword=barish

http://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/50-words-to-describe-rain-in-japanese/

http://tureng.com/en/turkish-english/rain

https://translate.google.tt/?hl=en&tab=wT#en/yo/rain

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B9#Arabic

https://www.freearabicdictionary.com/dictionary/search/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B9

https://www.freearabicdictionary.com/dictionary/search/%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%B1

https://translate.google.tt/?hl=en&tab=wT#ar/en/%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B9%20%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%B1

https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-say-Enjoy-the-rain-in-Arabic-Can-it-be-translated-as-Istamti-bil-maTar-%D8%A7%D9%90%D8%B3%D9%92%D8%AA%D9%8E%D9%85%D9%92%D8%AA%D9%90%D8%B9%D9%92

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/have_fun

https://id.oxforddictionaries.com/translate/indonesian-english/selamat

https://id.oxforddictionaries.com/translate/indonesian-english/menikmati

https://id.oxforddictionaries.com/translate/indonesian-english/hujan

http://masteringbahasa.com/indonesian-daily-words

https://translate.google.tt/?hl=en&tab=wT#id/en/Selamat%20menikmati%20hujan

https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-say-Happy-rainy-day-in-Malay-Can-it-be-translated-as-Selamat-hari-hujan

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disfrutar#Spanish

https://cooljugator.com/es/disfrutar

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/disfrutar%20de

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-spanish/enjoy

https://www.lawlessspanish.com/grammar/verbs/verbs-with-de/

http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=rain

https://translate.google.tt/?hl=en&tab=wT#es/en/Disfruta%20la%20lluvia

https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-say-Enjoy-the-rain-in-Spanish-Can-it-be-translated-as-Disfruta-la-lluvia

https://steemkr.com/teammalaysia/@asyrafahamed/malay-proverb-in-english-part-1

https://peribahasa-melayu-inggeris.blogspot.com/2014/06/sediakan-payung-sebelum-hujan.html

http://www.kiswahili.net/3-reference-works/proverbs-and-riddles/proverbs-content.html

https://www.buzzfeed.com/jameschapman/spanish-proverbs-translated-literally-into-english?utm_term=.imWdvXWv4#.ue16W2zW4

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/11-proverbs-in-spanish-that-make-no-sense-in-english/

https://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Sayings/Quizzes/Looks/All_clouds_bring_not_rain_511.php

http://www.haitianproverbs.com/

http://www.gwenstrauss.com/fooling_the_sun_110228.htm

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Haitian_proverbs

This post includes text from the Wikiquote page, "Talk:Haitian proverbs - Wikiquote", available under the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC By-SA 3.0.

The License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

About CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

http://quozio.com/quote/47547bcc#!t=1006

https://blogs.transparent.com/swedish/swedish-proverbs-2/

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Swedish_proverbs

This post includes text from the Wikiquote page, "Swedish proverbs - Wikiquote", available under the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC By-SA 3.0.

The License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

About CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

http://academic.depauw.edu/mkfinney_web/teaching/Com227/culturalPortfolios/GHANA/Values%20and%20Proverbs.html

https://books.google.tt/books?id=NeePAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA352&lpg=PA352&dq=Rain+beats+a+leopard%27s+skin,+but+it+does+not+wash+off+the+spots.&source=bl&ots=gSVeWfi8zn&sig=2WU3Qdjm_G6BohCYRvAywavQ02A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjDlbeW07fcAhUN2VMKHQGyAz8Q6AEIgQEwCg#v=onepage&q=Rain%20beats%20a%20leopard's%20skin%2C%20but%20it%20does%20not%20wash%20off%20the%20spots.&f=false

https://www.freearabicdictionary.com/dictionary/search/%D8%AF%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A1

https://blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com/dua-musa-alayhisalam/

http://seekershub.org/ans-blog/2012/09/26/supplication-for-a-spouse/

https://muslimmatters.org/2010/02/10/the-supplication-series-distress-sadness-and-anxiety-2/

http://thebeautyofislam.tumblr.com/post/15660867741

https://sunnah.com/bukhari/80/66

http://duas.com/dua/312/dua-when-it-is-raining

https://slideplayer.es/slide/4621550/

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/the%20sun

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/the%20clouds

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/the%20flowers

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/atardecer#Spanish

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/paseo#Spanish

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/por%20el%20campo

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/porque

http://www.spanishdict.com/translation

https://translate.google.tt/?hl=en&tab=wT#es/en/Disfruta%20de%20la%20lluvia%2C%20del%20sol%2C%20de%20las%20nubes%2C%20de%20las%20flores%2C%20de%20los%20atardeceres%20y%20de%20los%20paseos%20por%20el%20campo%2C%20porque%20todo%20est%C3%A1%20ah%C3%AD%20para%20ti

https://www.quora.com/What-does-this-Spanish-sentence-mean-in-English-Disfruta-de-la-lluvia-del-sol-de-las-nubes-de-las-flores-de-los-atardeceres-y-de-los-paseos-por-el-campo-porque-todo-est%C3%A1-ah%C3%AD-para-ti-Also-is-it

Dios te bendiga hoy, mañana y siempre - God bless you today, tomorrow and forever (Spanish)

May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire. ~Irish Blessing

Okay readers, that's it for today. I hope that my remedy worked well. No need to worry, the treatment only has favourable side effects :). Do enjoy the rest of your summer days, InshaaAllah إن شاء الله. Keep well, Wassalaam 'alaikum والسّلام عليكم (and peace be with you)! :) :-h

Thank you for stopping by,

Sam سام.

"Enjoy the rain, the sun, the clouds, the flowers, the sunsets and the walks in the countryside, because it's all there for you / Disfruta de la lluvia, del sol, de las nubes, de las flores, de los atardeceres y de los paseos por el campo, porque todo está ahí para ti." (Spanish)

3 notes · View notes

paraclete0407 · 3 years

Text

Morning Notes

I remember benefiting for years from the articles on DesiringGod.org and John Piper’s YouTube content but I walked away in 2014 after his response to the MV Sewol sinking was to post, ‘It Is Well with My Soul,’ as though to say, ‘Hey Christians even have songs for drowned kids.’ He wrote a beautiful and intense poem called ‘The Children’ that talks about abortion, war, abusive parents, but I just went, ‘This is “Football Christianity” and racist.’ In retrospect there are all kinds of flaws in all kinds of Christians and all kinds of gestures and jokes that they use in their communications to relate to their audience. John MacArthur made this joke about Fresca that made me wonder whether Fresca has some sacred ‘angel-chemical.’

I feel really alienated and more Millennial than ever lately. Stupidly in retrospect I decided that the proper response to the MV Sewol posting was to walk away from DesiringGod and even now I’ve come to have a hair-trigger rebellious rage-reaction to John Piper postings even while believing ‘Coronavirus and Christ’ 100%.

‘You said it’s good to eat dinner with your mom and dad but you also wrote that BIll Cosby’s a great guy just b/c he worked long hours and said “personal responsibility.”

I realize now that the first ‘Christian novel’ I ever tried to write was ‘Flowers on Water’ which was about the Sewol, edubusiness, Korea, America, teenage girls and college-aged young women, our relationships to the past generation, and the ways in which people my age tried to shelter or weather when we seemed to lack either economic franchise or the ‘voice’ through which the communicate to other groups the essence of Millennial identity.

I don’t want to talk about Millennial identity b/c I’m literally hoping to find out my ‘everlasting name’ in the next few days but there was something about us; we might have been disappointments to our parents yet thus far the coming post-constitutional-democracy military dictatorship hasn’t smashed our skulls en masse against the rocks - ‘happy we’ - even while Xi Jinping suddenly switched from talking about how PRC doesn’t want to take over the world (which I believe they can and which Mao their c/Creator said again and again he desired to), to talking about ‘heads bashed bloody.’

I don’t like weaving like this but when I was at Rutgers in 2004 I wrote a love-letter of sorts to a Shanghainese girl who years later I frankly saw on FB doing all these bed-pics then I went to the library, remembered the color of the light in the windows of the houses in her Central Jersey hometown near the vast Chernobyl-sarcophagus-looking Rutgers basketball stadium and I went to H-Mart in Illinois wondering, ‘Where’s Tiffany __ today? I bet she’s Xi Jinping’s government-issued mistress.’

Today Christianity worldwide I observed was torn between apologetics and prophecy and Timothy Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian NYC wrote ‘Hope in Times of Fear’ and is a fantastic reader of Foucault, numerous other authors, and one of the most intellectually responsible Christians who does’t say stuff like, ‘Christians aren’t obligated to be interested in justice in this world b/c the Atonement already satisfied justice’ which is un-biblical. Time was my favorite Keller sermon was about love (romantic love, ‘erotic violence honor-cult affection night and lady mentality’), and my favorite book of his was ‘Counterfeit Gods’ about the Second Commandment proscribing idolatry, and which throughout the years has made me wonder in my own life what’s an idol and what is a tool or coping-mechanism but if I’m being honest something happened around 2014-2015 that made me feel as if I had learned enough about the basics of Christianity and didn’t need to follow any father-figures or teachers anymore. Felt I could learn more from ‘considering the beauty of the lilies’ in the form of a camcorder girl-group travel-show called ‘f(x) Koala’ my favorite reality-show. They walked down the Champs Elysee and in those days Sulli / Choi Jinri reminded me of something or someone from my past but I didn’t realize then the beauty on their love and friendship was arguably not only synthetic and temporary but destined to be violently revoked by someone who decided that they suddenly wanted something else.

I remember reading Allan Bloom’s ‘Love and Friendship’ which was his swan-song in the hospital after the more famous ‘Closing of the American Mind,’ both of which are indictments of culture as well as theories of education via literary criticism and close-reading of one’s students. Bloom said that an occupational hazard of teachers is hanging out with kids all the time and it is not that this ‘infantilizes’ them - though parents also get infantilized by their kids - but the more severe criticism is that the teacher develops ‘mental Grecianness’ or thinks of themselves as God or else of their students as God. Or, they think there is no God and everything is just a ‘classic garden’ in which kids grow up and, to call out myself as well, the teacher maintains his or her nobility and religious simplicity of character vis-a-vis life whilst believing in the soul besides and beyond heart, mind, body, but not connecting their conception of the soul to a Creator or a will or plan or design or desire on the part of this Creator for that soul and its existence in Time in this world.

Anyway I have never planned my novels out as much as I like to think and I got lost in the Millennial ‘authoritative paragraph’ fetish-trap where for a moment I stopped being the problem-child and became older than my parents as regards and eagle-eyed ‘critical appreciation’ of reality and certainty of convictions. My writer friend Miles Klee used to say years ago, of American ochlocracy I guess and our corybantic national non-conversation or fake conversation, ‘Where’s the school principal to lay down the law?’

I for years wanted to be this principal and think now about a girl I went to high school with whose essay I criticized really aggressively but who went on to Harvard GSE and became Ass’t Principal at like 27. I for years was interested in University of Oregon, Vanderbilt, and later came to feel that the best schools for PhiEd are probably a) Korean b) Christian. I admire Sunkyunkwan(sp?) University for being like 900 years old and Bethlehem College and Seminary in Twin Cities. Today the best teacher training institutes I think are almost certainly in East Asia somewhere as these people made a generations long mathematically emplaced-in-history ultra-sacrificial starve-for-nuclear-weapons commitment to protecting their children. I’m not sure how to describe it in my pure style but it is like the scene in ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ where Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi is growling about how he is going to maim and traumatize US Marines and break their moms’ hearts for as long as possible b/c he knows at the bottom of his soul’ (as Tolstoy would say), that those American moms probably believed the Japanese kids were ‘n----- boys’ and ‘life unworthy of life.’ I was also interested in how one of the best novels of the moment James Salter’s ‘All That Is’ took the destruction of the ‘Superbattleship’ Yamato to be more meaningful than the A-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanse sailors covered in oil, singing in the sea, till the munitions-magazine in the battleship with ‘shells the size of coffins’ explodes and, although it’s traditional high explosives of some sort and not nuclear warheads, it sends a ‘biblical pillar’ of fire something like a mile in to the sky and the flash of the combustion is visible from Kyushu.

I have no idea what Teachers College, Harvard et al. train their educators to be like except apparently psycholinguistics turned out to be important but I still want to write them off as training kids to be mentally hypercapitalist Chinese these days; and an atheistic philosophy-only with the love skimmed off version of corporatist football Christians.

I’m not against Protestantism at all but still remember reading in National Review of a book called ‘Evangelical Catholicism’ which used the phrase, ‘failure of Protestantism as a global force.’ Not to be glib and Philip Roth-y and I hate that I’m not writing in my pure style right now but, did Protestants cause Covid? I think they were burying non-white kids’ bodies in the school yard, beating orphan juvenile delinquents to death. I for years reflected on a Mormon practice of banishing teen boys at 14-15 (their brain would not be developed adequately to unction as a high-powered fully adjusted adult till about 27), to hoard the teen girls for the older men, which is something that could turn many hearts and minds from Christianity straight to Foucault.

Anyway the ‘crux’ or Joycean ‘epiphany’ moment of ‘Flowers on Water’ was where the protagonist let his live-in-girlfriend (Millennial) go out with her friend for the night and was drowsing over Wikipedia and Google books reading about education and happens upon a poem called ‘Flowers’ from a Christian California Teacher’s Almanac from 1881, in which the teacher was talking about life and death and it amounts in a verse form to the best commencement-address imaginable, because it is saying to these young people, ‘Heaven and Earth, life and death, “fragrance from life to life,” rather than talking about their CV’s or social activism or anything like try windsurfing or public service (Biden) or don’t do everything you can just b/c you can (Merkel).

The protagonist thinks, ‘God is sovereign in all things.’ Saves the poem as ‘Flowers 1881′ on his PC which later breaks Hong Sang Soo style; and also thinks a bit about the fact that this almanac discusses teaching-problems w/r/t assessment that appears to be identical to those 135 years later in America. (I see now, however, that many of these American Indian or Mexican students who might’ve been reading naive and sentimental poems, Alcott, Stowe, Psalms, stories about virtuous Old Testament women with their teachers in 1881 today would be mentally human-trafficked by movies, Marxism, and MS-13).

But I still didn’t know how to end the novel at all. The protagonist wanted to go to Lake Baikal with his girlfriend and Arkangelsk (Archangel City in Irkutsk Russian Federation). I was obsessed with Krystal Jung in those days due to her singular ‘Persian’ eyes, bump-nose, et cetera. I sort of abandoned ‘Flowers on Water’ b/c in autumn ‘14 they made ‘Naegeon neomu sarangseuroun keunyeo’ which has translated in various ways and when I was watching this I stopped thinking about sovereignty and started thinking about ownership itself. ‘Somebody’s Daughter’ and ‘She Is Mine.’

I remember thinking, ‘The musical direction for My Lovely Girl Episode One would be “maestoso morendo.”’ Everyone is traumatized; the jokes are unfunny; Krystal and Rain lost sleep, gained weight, as if their accustomed process of living had failed.

However, the best moment in MLG to me is the final episode in which the male protagonist has given up writing ‘candy-pop’ to compose a dreamy music-vision of something like seeing someone’s face in the sky. Sena realizes Soeun (two of the most beautiful names imaginable) is probably alive on the other side of death in this world. IDK if I ought to add this but I kept getting mad at American-Koreans with their kneejerk opposition to adoption and want to cite a ‘banned’ book Elizabeth Kim’s ‘10,000 Sorrows’ about racial honor-killing and orphan-hate but I gave that up since I believed that making humane orphanages with loving faculty / parents would be a better solution to the consumer model of adoption. However, I have never had the opportunity to study the psychology of orphans and only know that women tend to burn out quickly in care-roles at such places.

The thing about the Sewol Ferry and apologetics in the Covid era is that all this unfair stuff happened and the dead are bound away and Christianity makes people feel really good with its incredibly beautiful heritage and super-massive stockpile of wisdom and lessons - kind of ‘common grace’ - but to say Christianity is interested in better happier kids, a fairer system, a more beautiful existence for humans in this world isn’t really Jesus Christ but Barack Obama, who in retrospect was clearly defending the entitlements of the already extremely powerful whilst p-zzing America’s E. Asia policy. But I don’t really know if I am right or wrong about these things politically; I just felt as if Obama was only ever saying good things about anyone while leaving hundreds of millions of children behind worldwide and worshipping China and failing to understand Korea’s concept of the teacher which is why Race to the Top didn’t satisfy either.

I’ve sometimes felt - ‘if I were God’ - that I would induce people through ‘whisper in the heart’ to vote against HRC in 2016 because of a) abortion and ACB and b) Obama thinking that making a lie of the Syria ‘red line’ policy was sth he had any moral right to do. I actually know a bit about clandestine American ops in Syria but last I checked they didn’t launch an AGM at Assad’s bedroom and I actually think that’s a mistake b/c he has directly ordered mass-murder, child-rape, much else and it’s a clear case of ‘first degree murder conviction in absentia para-judicial execution or capital punishment’ it’s not even war; it’s arbitration. So many Democrats think war is just sad but lawful ‘beareth not the sword in vain’ capital punishment is diabolically evil. It also feeds in to my ‘nuke Babylon Milwaukee’ theory of present history where everyone is lying about everything and have decided that America’s letter-of-the-law institutions were so bad that it’s better to go back to gangsterism.

Then I’m taken to ask for being darkhearted...

The only reason not to is the whole world today’s the Roman Empire and there is some terrible ‘legitimate mandate’ by which Christians and Christian rulers have to respect other rulers no matter what. Constantine spread ‘the ancient faith’ throughout the world; OTOH Nero killed a lot of poor people with mass-arson and it struck me just now many of those people probably a) loved Nero for going to outer space while he killed them using assets their labor had generated and b) didn’t die from burning but from deoxygenation. But the whole crux of Christianity is the Resurrection and Eternity and I am mad at myself because I can’t even concentrate on my ‘little stories.’ I promised ‘sis’ I’d quit K-pop but then everything else fell apart and I wish I could go back to listening to IZ*ONE’s ‘Open Your Eyes’

0 notes

cksmart-world · 4 years

Text

The completely unnecessary news analysis

by Christopher Smart

January 21, 2020

NEW BILLBOARDS: GREATEST SEX ON EARTH

& IMPEACHMENT: TRUMP THE LION KING

The Utah Travel Council had a remarkable brainstorm. Redo the billboards splashed all around L.A. that advertise “The Greatest Snow On Earth” to read “The Greatest Sex On Earth.” Market research reveals that Californians like sex even more than skiing. And since Utah is already known for its skiing but not for its sex — well it's a no-brainer. Sources tell the staff here at Smart Bomb, however, that not everyone is quite sold on the proposed marketing campaign. Last week, Gov. Gary Herbert blew a gasket when he found out that the Utah Department of Health was distributing flavored condoms emblazoned with the lettering, “Greatest Sex On Earth.” The director of the HIV Awareness Program said it was intended to be “fun” and “sex positive.” But the red-faced governor didn't want to be seen by his brothers and sisters at church spending tax dollars that could undercut the Stork Theory. So, what to do with 100,000 fun condoms in Lifesaver flavors? Send them to L.A., of course, and distribute the colorful rubbers in goodie bags at Travel Council Conventions, along with Salt Water Taffy, Beehive Honey, LDS Temple shot glasses and other swag representative of our fun-loving state. No sense wasting all those condoms — and they could only improve our image beyond the Zion Curtain. “Greatest Sex On Skis” — think about it.

VANITY PLATES & FREE SPEECH

A big ruckus erupted over personalized license plates here in the Beehive State. OMG. A plate reading DEPORTM infuriated several motorists who complained to the DMV that it was horrible and racist. Curiously, it remains unclear what is or is not out of bounds when it comes to vanity plates. For decades, motorists have personalized their vehicles with plates such as, IM1RU2, POWDER and TBAGGR. But there also are reports of more controversial plates, such as SEXKTN, BLOWME and BIGCOX. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that other, more recognizable Utahns have license plates that reflect their personas. Here are some that came in on the Smart Bomb anonymous tip line: Ben McAdams: QIRBOY; Erin Mendenhall: IMSWEET; Jackie Biskupski: SHUTUP; Mike Lee: GENYUS; Chris Stewart: ITSAKU; Rob Bishop: UJERKS; Jason Chaffets: BENGZI; and Greg Hughes: IMELVS. So, the staff here at Smart Bomb got to wondering about vanity plates that others might brandish on their limousines: Mitch McConnell: HELLNO; Nancy Pelosi: IMPECH; Mike Pompeo: KISMINE, Donald Trump: CHOSN1; and Mike Pence: PRZHIM. To report a questionable license plate in your neighborhood, call the Governor's Hot Line at 801-538-1000 and ask for Gary.

IMPEACHMENT & TRUMP THE LION KING

Buckle up — here we go with an historic event: the Impeachment Trial of Donald J. Trump. Historic beshmoric — everyone in the White House insists this is a big hoax based on a “perfect phone call” to the president of Ukraine. Just ask Kellyanne Conway, the Curila Deville of the West Wing: There was no extortion or bribery — and if there was, so what? Last week all 100 U.S. senators took an oath to be impartial jurors and uphold justice during the Constitutionally-mandated trial. Pay no attention to fake video clips where Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham say they were working with Trump's team to make the charade appear as a Broadway musical, like Lion King. And just ignore that outdated reasoning by Republicans during the impeachment of Bill Clinton that, “character matters; the rule of law matters.” That's so passé. Republican senators don't need no stinkin' witnesses and documents 'cause they already see the light. These great patriots will acquit the president for fear of being pantsed by Midnight Mitch and banished back home and staked out naked on ant hills by MAGA people. No wonder their pantyhose are riding up. Once exonerated, Trump will emerge as Napoleon after Corsica, rising from the ashes, like a righteous phoenix to complete his mission of dismantling our outmoded form of governance. (Cue the Rocky movie theme music.)

SUPER BOWL OF COMMERCIALS

It's just about here. One of the biggest celebrations of the year, where the best talents face off in the most watched competition of the year — Super Bowl Commercials. The show will be interspersed with football, as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers. More than 110 million Americans will tune in to watch the annual showcase that makes America what it is. Between the award-winning commercials, viewers will sip beverages, dip guacamole and gossip about their friends and maybe catch an instant replay or two of little people running around on the gridiron. Viewers will get a bathroom break when a 60-second ad (cost: $10 million) for Donald Trump and another 60 seconds for Mike Bloomberg (anti-Trump) air. But making up for that will be lots and lots of great 30-second spots (only $5 million each) for Pepsi, Bud Lite, Doritos and other consumer stuff that makes this all possible. We could see Betty White eating a Snickers bar, a dog wearing sneakers and a fire-breathing dragon. The snappy productions will be judged and ranked by Monday morning quarterbacks on every TV channel, complete with highlights and replays. It's possible that somewhere on a sports page or radio show, folks will be going on about football, which is OK, if you like sports. Hey, how about that half-time show.

Post Script — Has anyone seen Paris Hilton lately? Nobody cares? Seems like just yesterday we couldn't pour milk on our Cheerios without first knowing what the entitled, little miss (We did not say, bitch.) was up to. And what about her “frenemy” Lindsay Lohan? No? This month it's all Harry and Meghan. EEE GADS, they've left the palace. OMG, they've gone to Canada. Lordy, their child doesn't have a title! WTF. Fortunately, Wilson and the band have insight into this whole, strange phenomenon — and it didn't even require the aid of illicit substances. Here it is: Harry and Meghan have nothing to do with Trump. Holey moley, that's it! Harry and Meghan can't destroy the EPA. They don't fire up anti-semitism and white nationalist violence. They don't tell our allies to sit on it, while kissing up to Putin. None of that. How refreshing. Instead of driving yourself batshit with news of the “Stable Genius,” you can relax and keep track of such things as how in the world Harry and Meghan will survive now that they're off the Royal payroll; what they will do with all that free time; and what in the world Harry will take for a last name? That's right, now that he is no longer the duke of Sussex, he has no surname. See how fun this is? It sure beats tracking all of Trump's lies (over 16,000 in the past three years) — that can be exhausting.

OK, Wilson, since you and the band are so tuned in, take us out with a little something to sooth our frazzled psyches: To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) / There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) / And a time to every purpose, under Heaven / A time to gain, a time to lose / A time to rend, a time to sew / A time for love, a time for hate / A time for peace, I swear it's not too late...

0 notes

bigyack-com · 4 years

Text

Your Favorite Internet Astrologer Wrote a Book

The first time I met up with the astrologer Chani Nicholas in Los Angeles, in December, it was for a lunch interview. We sipped our drinks and chewed truffle French fries; I asked questions and she answered them. The conversation flowed easily. We laughed a lot. It was a good interview, by all accounts, but it went slightly sideways in a way I had never experienced.After I had turned off my recorder and paid the bill and packed my things and arranged for my exit, she turned the tables on me. “I looked at your chart again,” she said. “Do you want to talk about it?”Ms. Nicholas, like my mother, my crush and the D.M.V., knows the exact date, time and place of my birth. We had met twice before: at the brunch of a mutual friend, where I gave her this information, raw from a breakup and looking for any kind of salve, and then, briefly, at a coffee shop to talk about it. So when I received a copy of her new book, “You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance,” she had tabbed all the portions that related to my birth chart: sun in Scorpio (I am passionate), moon in Taurus (I am deeply emotional), rising sign, or ascendant, in Scorpio (I am passionate about all my emotions).Thus began the part of the interview that was about me, which I loved. In March of this year, she told me, I will begin my Saturn return, an astrological period in a person’s life that initially occurs between the ages of 27 and 29, when Saturn returns to the planetary position it occupied when you were born, as measured in part through astrological charts. Image

Saturn returns have a reputation for being chaotic and messy, but they are, more accurately, a time of immense change, however disruptive. Still, every time I drop a glass or miss a bus, I think: this is it, the stars and planets have begun to test me.My return is concentrated in the fourth house of my chart, Ms. Nicholas said, which is related to parents, home and foundations, and should last until this fall.Inasmuch as astrology is a chicken-and-egg scenario — will I experience changes in my relationship with my parents and in my home because of Saturn or because I’m 28 and my lease is almost up, who is to say? — Ms. Nicholas’s words still covered me in a sheen of being known. And being known, or at least, being treated as knowable and worth knowing, is the most comforting thing in the universe.

Astrology Is Everywhere

I’ve heard two main criticisms of astrology: that it’s fake and that it’s narcissistic. Many things are both, but astrology seems to bear the brunt of all this ire. A friend of mine always says that “astrology is fake until it’s real” — that is, until it confirms a presupposition or dovetails with a future outcome. (Yes, she’s a Gemini.) But I never gave it much thought until I came out as queer a few years ago, and found that my new dating scene was populated with people asking not just “What’s your sign?” but for my whole astrological chart. Over time, I have found it to be a useful organizing system toward self-definition and a fun way to deploy memes.The rise of astrology, especially among the internet generation, has been widely chronicled (it travels because we love archetypes, it’s easier to understand because we love apps, it’s popular because we are all miserable). But Ms. Nicholas, 44, and other socially conscious astrologers, manage to sidestep the individualized self-obsession of it, which can easily venture into amateur self-analysis and endless confirmation bias. She approaches it more as a system of encouragement toward living a life in accordance with one’s skill sets and values.To that end, her book isn’t prescriptive. It doesn’t arbitrate exact personality traits based on astrological signs. Instead, it consists of a series of prompts meant to help readers interrogate notions about themselves and make practical decisions for their futures, albeit with the help of some guidelines based on patterns and myths associated with various sun, moon and rising signs.It’s a self-help manual mixed with a more practical, self-determining career guide — a kind of “What Color Is Your Parachute?” for those seeking their place or purpose in the 21st century.And it looks like a New Age workbook: The title is rendered on the cover in 1970s-influenced typography, with glittering letters that look like a rainbow refracted through light. The book is divided into three groovy sections that offer advice on determining your life’s purpose, which is ruled by your sun sign; your emotional and physical needs, which correspond with your moon; and your motivation and drive, steered by your ascendant planet. “Astrology is a relentless reminder that we are the way we are on purpose,” Ms. Nicholas writes.Each section includes affirmations and reflection questions based on each sign: “Do people tell you that you intimidated them when you first met?” “Are you constantly looking for the ulterior motive of a person or situation?”Ms. Nicholas sees her work as part of a historical continuum. “We’ve made myths out of the sky forever,” she said, citing ancient drawings of the Pleiades constellation, and the many religious traditions that coincide with or happen around new and full moons. She makes her living doing astrology readings and workshops, priced from $28 to $44, and through online courses and her newsletter. Her bigger mission is to tie an understanding of astrology today with social consciousness: how we are interrelated and what we owe each other, how our lives are in conjunction with the universe. Ms. Nicholas often integrates current events into her readings and newsletter, which reaches more than 200,000 people.Or she spurs her hundreds of thousands of followers into passionate action or agreement on social media. In September: “It’s Friday the 13th. It’s a full Moon. Polish your cauldron. Wands at the ready. Sacrifice an ex. Hex the patriarchy. Burn capitalism to the ground. HARNESS THE POWER OF NATURE TO BANISH ALL SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW CORPORATE GREED TO MAKE A PROFIT FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH.”

Mystical Beginnings

Ms. Nicholas was born in Nelson, British Columbia, into an upbringing that she describes as a cross between “a Neil Simon play and ‘The Trailer Park Boys.’” Many of her neighbors were Americans who, opposed to the Vietnam War, had crossed the border and settled into the small, isolated enclave.She describes her hometown as hedonistic. “Rules and regulations did not apply,” she said. “Everyone was allowed to create their own identity.” Unlike others in her town, Ms. Nicholas did not see this as ideal, enduring a childhood she said was filled with violence and drugs and disruption. (She writes in the book that she knew what cocaine tasted like by the time she was 5.)But the chaos also ushered in her first brush with mysticism: One day, a strange woman looked up her birth chart and told Ms. Nicholas that she was very judgmental. “I had no idea what that word actually meant,” Ms. Nicholas writes in her book, “but I immediately resonated with what it implied. She was distinguishing me from my surroundings. She saw that I possessed the kind of discernment that others around me lacked. I had judgment and, with it, I would find a way out of this mess.”After her father remarried, Ms. Nicholas began spending time in Toronto, where her new step-grandmother, a reiki master, lived. Ms. Nicholas ended up apprenticing with her in the practice, which is a healing technique based on energy movement. She traveled after high school, before landing back in Toronto and attending a women’s and children’s counselor advocate program, or “lesbian finishing school,” as she put it. She worked at an L.G.B.T.Q. hotline doing community work, and acted on the side.Her first time in Los Angeles was the day she moved there, in 2005, with $1,200 and an ability to drive on the highway. (“I knew one route to the beach: Laurel Canyon to Sunset for Santa Monica, then take Santa Monica all the way over,” she said. “It took me like an hour and a half.”)She tried out an acting career, landing a few auditions, but quit before she could get bitter. She started yoga teacher training and met her future wife, Sonya Priyam Passi, who is the founder and chief executive of FreeFrom, a nonprofit that supports those who have experienced domestic violence. In between all this, Ms. Nicholas started writing horoscopes.“My way of learning has always been astrologically,” she said. “It’s the only way that I really know how to write, or it was the only way that I could figure out how to express myself because, at that time, I’d only been exposed to people who like astrology who were kind of West Side L.A. woo-woo types, and not at all interested in understanding their privilege.”She wanted her approach to be different. “I’ve always been really sensitive to what isn’t right, and why, and who’s at fault, and feeling a need to figure that out,” she said.After starting to write horoscopes for friends and family, sent via email, Ms. Nicholas started posting them on her Blogspot, then on a website of her own. She began offering workshops on astrological happenings — “The Year Ahead for Your Sign,” “Your Money: Understanding the Power of Your Assets, Resources and Talents” — and Spotify playlists tailored to each sun sign, each costing $10 to $50. (The collaboration with Spotify has also included a number of events, including one last February in which Ms. Nicholas give Lizzo a reading onstage.) Ms. Nicholas said, at this point, more than a million people regularly visit her website. Her idea for the book came through her interest in teaching. Ms. Nicholas didn’t want to tell people how to deal with a Taurus roommate or an Aries ex. She wanted to offer tangible skills to guide people toward their best life.Despite the popularity of her earnest and sometimes impassioned approach in combining current events and news analysis with star movements, Ms. Nicholas briefly considered giving up astrology after the 2016 election, convinced there were better ways she could be spending her time. But she realized that she was, indeed, just following her calling, and that she was exactly where she needed to be. “This is my tool set, and if it offends you, then I hope you find the things that do feel affirming to you,” she said.

The Known and the Unknowable

The final time Ms. Nicholas and I met in Los Angeles, we went for a walk on the beach, where we took in a delicious sunset and Ms. Nicholas explained to me how transcendent and sublime it is to have a wife, and how she knows I want one too, because of my Taurus moon. She was clear that she doesn’t see herself as a psychic or a fortune teller, and wasn’t telling me what to do (although she’s right about the wife thing): Any predictive sense she has about the future is based on a pre-existing structures and patterns — sort of like a Farmer’s Almanac but mystical.She noted that Christine Blasey Ford’s September 2018 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee occurred during a Venus retrograde. “Because Venus represents women and the feminine, whenever it goes retrograde, we can usually expect something to come up into public consciousness about gender,” Ms. Nicholas said. It is the same with the Mars retrograde, which she said spurs conflict, and occurred during the 2016 election; it will happen again in September, she said. She integrated that analysis into her newsletter.“To write about it is not to be able to solve, and not be able to make it right, but it’s to say, this is happening, this is alive in both our collective experience and most likely most of our personal experiences,” she told me.“My work — every horoscope, all of it — is just me talking to myself,” she said. “I guess I need to always know that I’m not in it alone.” Read the full article

0 notes

itsworn · 6 years

Text

John Lyons’ hand-built Buick is Loud, Fast and…Whimsical

John Lyons has courage, and he has respect for what has gone before. Call him traditional. That he makes a livelihood by joining his fabrication skills and artistic talent may have a lot to do with a philosophy that urges him to build something from scratch rather than use much of anything that was ready-made or store bought. To him, that’s underlying theme of hot rodding, the roots from which it grew. And as some of you well know he’s in a distinct minority. He lists his occupation as fabricator/artist.

Look at what he likes; not any of those Brand-X critters that draw people like sleep walkers, but instead a load as unlikely as a Buick. His Riviera, shaped like a torpedo, seemed an excellent platform to go against convention and show the neighbors just how well he could car craft. At 47, he’s not starry-eyed and anxious. He’s owned the thing for 26 years, straight from Aunt Rosalie after her husband’s passing. This was a dream deal: the Riviera had been stored clean and dry for fifteen years before John got it.

A few of the things that make this car a stand-alone hero is that its Flint motor thrives and that its transmission is bound to a clutch. The back axle isn’t a 9-inch, a 12-bolt or even a 60 Dana whopper, nah; John wanted something as weird as the rest of his project: a Winters Performance quick-change (originally developed for down and dirty racing and circle track tantrums) would fit the puzzle nicely.

Throughout the journey, John wanted to surprise folks and be surprised himself. He had no blueprint for doing this except the one he made up in his head. He built the engine, the fuel injection, oiling system, the headers and exhaust tract. He built the crossmember for the transmission. He amended the suspension with adjustable weight jacks. He built the control arms. He converted the drive shaft to a one-piece design and modified the floor and frame to accommodate. He piled it with carbon fiber panels (a big reason why John was able to eliminate 1,000 pounds of curb weight, which is now approximately 3,400 pounds), and then he had to build the wings and foils critical to its visual menace. He did the clean-up bodywork. He painted the thing. Then he reclined, had a long, cool draught and looked lovingly at his progress, knowing full well that he’d never be finished with it.

John has never had the car officially timed at doing anything. It’s much more important that he can drive it sparingly on weekends, racking maybe 1,500 miles in a year. They’ve seen the car in the Syracuse Nationals Designer’s Dozen three times. They’ve seen the Riviera as an award winner at GoodGuys. John figures he’s got four years in this stage. He paid Aunt Rosalie $2,500 for it, but when we asked how much he’d invested so far, he crinkled. “Will my wife see this?”

Tech Notes

Who: John Lyons What: 1968 Buick Riviera Where: Tillson, New York

Engine John eschewed modern notions and kept the motor “original.” He plucked the factory iron, got a 1973 455, and cleaned it up with a minimal 0.038-inch overbore to yield a displacement of 464 cubic inches. (As an aside, the thin-wall 455 weighs 150 pounds less than a comparably dressed Chevrolet 454.) The forged crankshaft, H-beam connecting rods, and JE flat-top pistons contribute to produce a snappy-throttle 13.0:1 compression ratio. He sent the block and rotating assembly to Turco’s Machine Shop in Rosendale, New York. The cats up there internally balanced the parts and executed a slew of oiling modifications, including drilling the oil galleys and feeding oil from the front and the rear of the block, as well as preparation for the custom delivery system John built. It features a dry sump pan and a Dailey Engineering pump. For a majority of the hard parts, he turned to Buick-builder mainstay T/A Performance. John completed the short-block with a Stage II solid roller camshaft (he wouldn’t tell us the specs) and installed it with a double-row Tru-Roller chain. Meanwhile, the T/A cylinder heads were CNC-ported by Heads Up Machine in High Falls, New York. John equipped them with stainless steel valves, 1.6:1 roller rocker arms, T/A retainers and valvesprings and crafted a girdle for the crankshaft. While he could have adapted a forced-air system of some sort, that would have been too easy. No, he’d rather build a one-off electronic fuel injection for it instead. He based it on a T/A SP1 intake manifold, FiTech 1,200 HP throttle body and a Bosch wide-band oxygen sensor. He sourced fuel from an Aeromotive Eliminator in-tank sender and AN -10 feed and return lines and pinned the fuel regulator at 58psi. A FiTech controller commands the EFI system. Spark jumps from MSD Pro Billet distributor and a Blaster coil. The Big Brain is an MSD CDI Digital ignition box equipped with a rev limiter. John handled waste management with long-tube headers. He built equal-length 2¼-inch primaries and merged them with 3½-inch collectors, exhaust cut-outs, and a 3½-inch system interrupted by rowdy Flowmaster 40 “silencers”. Though not known for especially fierce summers, upstate New York does swelter in August. John countered the environment with a T/A water pump, an aluminum core, and dual electronically-controlled Derale fans. He attached Poston rocker covers and a K&N element. He made all the brackets to support the accessory drive and stuck a 160-amp, 1-wire alternator in there, too. He put the bullet on the Landesman Performance dynamometer in Kingston, New York, where it shredded his expectations and rang out a chilling normally-aspirated 788hp at 6,800 rpm and 728 lb-ft of twist at 5,200 rpm. These values were enabled by straight Sunoco 110 octane. Ahhoogah!

Transmission/Drivetrain The last stick-shift Buick we can remember was schoolmate Bill Peery’s ’56 Special that would lay 100 feet of scorched cords if you just thought about it. A normal, sensible person would likely gravitate to a self-shifting transmission, too, but abnormal John couldn’t abide it. Unless he hadda a pedal for his left foot he wouldn’t be able to sleep right, so he got a Tremec TKO-600 five-speed, made a custom crossmember to hold it up and converted the center-bearing driveshaft to an aluminum one-piece construction. He swapped in a T/A aluminum flywheel and covered it with a McLeod dual disc clutch assembly abetted by a McLeod hydraulic clutch release. The drive axle is a revelation: a Winters Performance quick-change sports a 3.64:1 ratio, a limited-slip differential and full-floating axle ends.

Chassis / Suspension Before the chassis rehab began, John set the engine rearward nearly a foot. Displacing mass would enhance weight distribution for a much more neutral handling attitude. This was not possible unless John put a up new firewall. A good start to be sure, but he marched on with ideas of his own. He built the suspension from Grand National stock car spindle pins, hand-made aluminum control arms, Jeg’s double-adjustable coilovers with 1,000 lb-in springs, an Addco 1¼-inch anti-sway bar, and a big bag of Heim joints. To accommodate the Flaming River power steering rack, John modified the big crossmember. Currently, alignment settings are -2-deg. camber, 9-deg. caster and -1/16- to +1/16-inch toe. The back half of the big Bu’ is held up by Jeg’s adjustable coilovers with a 450 lb-in springs. An Addco 1-inch diameter bar attends. John didn’t quit the job until he’d posted a pinion-mounted Panhard bar. These particular changes have pulled the Buick five inches closer to Mother Earth.

Body Since the car had been stored high and dry for centuries, beyond an odd door ding or two, its body was pristine. John assumed responsibility. He shaved the door handles, brushed the trim, and built a carbon fiber hood, deck lid and front bumper along with those craaazy splitters/struts and rear spoiler. Well, somebody had to paint it. John looked around, flicked his eyes left and right and said there’s only me here now. He liked the Kirker Automotive Finishes Carbon Fiber Gray and applied it as base/clear that he color sanded and buffed out. This just in: the irrepressible John sent images, “I’m currently working on carbon fenders and quarter panels to fit my new 19×13.5 wheels and 355/30 tires.” You gotta love this guy.

Interior Yeah, it’s not pretty but it’s a little dirty and a lot functional. Seats don’t match? Who needs two expensive Sparco buckets when the original leather-covered passenger chair will do? The mood is subdued; color is banished for the reluctant sheen of metal. John built an aluminum gauge panel and underscored it with a lower car-wide stripe. He arranged custom Arctic White Auto Meter gauges. He slicked out the console, made a notch for the Tremec shifter. He didn’t include air conditioning or a sound system (“couldn’t hear it anyway”). He’s captured by Sparco 5-point harness; he centers on the NRG carbon fiber steering wheel and does that lovely dance on pedals that he built from stainless steel.

Brakes / Wheels / Tires Big ol’ nasty beast Buick needs big ol’ nasty beast wheels. John found LB 288 hoops at L&B Forged. They’re three-piece giants that spread 20×11 (6.5-inch backspacing, front; 6.0-inch backspacing, rear) and carry Bridgestone 295/30 RE 71R treads. Energy burners are modest: John applied drilled Wilwood 12-3/8-inch rotors and Grand National Stock Car six-piston calipers to the front and followed them up with Wilwood four-piston, 12-inch discs. They are attended by a Wilwood master cylinder and proportioning valve.

The post John Lyons’ hand-built Buick is Loud, Fast and…Whimsical appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/john-lyons-hand-built-buick-loud-fast-andwhimsical/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes