Friday, June 10, 2016
Kai'us Creation Myth: Cosmology
This is Part 1 of a series that I'll be posting installments of once a week this month.
Hop over here for the introduction to all this.
Before we begin, I thought I'd give a brief explanation on Kai'us storytelling methods as these tales aren't going to be presented in way a Kai'us would be familiar with. Storytelling in Kai'us society is a call-and-response, group participation type deal. There's lots of back and forth that would be tiring to a non-Kai'us audience. A big thing I'm leaving out is the vocab lesson: "And the male being called the female being, 'Wife'. And the female being called the male being, 'Husband'. And they called the two new beings 'Children'; the male they called 'Son', the female they called 'Daughter'." And so on. Maybe someday I'll put together a version that's closer to the Kai'us style of storytelling, but this version will be easier for humans to read.
As with any Old Tales, a lot about the originating culture can be gleaned from how they believe their world was created, so though I'd love to fill in cultural backstory, I think I'll just let the story speak for itself.
* * *
The Kai'us Creation Myth: Part 1
Before there was anything, there existed nothing but The Void. From The Void emerged two beings; one male, one female. They could not see each other for all was still in darkness; nor could they communicate with one another as language had not yet come into being. Despite this, each knew of the other's presence and they were intrigued by the other being they co-existed with.
For a very long time the two existed like this and they became increasingly interested in knowing more about the other. Words filled the male's heart that he wished to express, but he had no way to arrange those words coherently. The female was filled with song, but she too could not bring it forth in any way that had meaning.
An idea came upon the male, and using his own powers he formed thousands of small stones, one for each word that lived within him. These he presented to the female as a gift. Intrigued by the gift, she touched the stones each in turn and the music that lived within her filled each stone with light. The lighting of the stones was her gift to him. These stones became the stars and the two arranged them in a way that was pleasing to them.
In the soft light of the stars the First Two could at last behold each other and they fell deeply in love. They joined together and the two became one. In this union they return for a brief moment to the blissful nothingness of The Void. The words of the male joined with the music of the female and language came into being from their joining.
When the joined pair separated, two new beings emerged from The Void with them; another male and another female. The First Two were thrilled with their new children and they taught them the language that had been created from their joining.
The four beings existed happily for a long time, but after a while the Husband and Wife wished again to experience the oneness of The Void and so they joined together again; and again another new male and another new female emerged with them. This time poetry came into being, which the Parents taught to their four children and the six beings were all happy together.
Once last time The First Two joined together and another son and another daughter came into being. Lastly came song which was also shared among all of them. Now they were eight and the Husband and Wife were content.
Through the First Two, six new beings had come into existence as well as language, poetry and song. Now they felt it was time for their children to express their own abilities and so they embarked on a great undertaking.
The Father formed a Great Disc of rock and soil. From this act he became known as the God of Creation. The Mother touched the Disc and it turned green, full of life and water. This made her the Goddess of Life.
However the light of the stars was not enough to sustain the new world. Seeing that the world needed both greater light and warmth, the Oldest Daughter formed a great ball of fire and held it over the world. In doing so she became the Goddess of Fire and the ball of fire became known as the Sun.
Holding the sun in one place over the world however posed several problems: the parts directly under the sun became too hot and scorched while the parts farther away cooled too much and withered. Plus it was very tiring for her to hold the sun up over the world.
He twin brother had great compassion for her plight and so he took a great deal of water from the world and placed it above it, resting it on the mountains at the edge of the world. This formed the Sky, making him the God of Water.
Now his sister could place the ball of fire in the sky and float the sun across it, thus providing light and warmth to the whole world evenly. When the sun reached the other side of the sky it was put out and the world could rest in the cool light of the stars until the Goddess of Fire lit it again the next day.
Now there was balance between Day and Night, but the God of Water had taken too much water from the world and it started to dry up. If he returned too much of it though, the sky would surely collapse and all the work of his sister and himself would be undone.
Instead the God of Water watched over the world and when he found a part that was too dry, he would poke small holes in the sky, bringing rain to just that place. In doing so he was able to keep just enough water in the world so that it could continue to grow and flourish.
Now the Goddess of Fire and the God of Water loved each other has purely and as deeply as two siblings can and the separation brought on by their duties caused their hearts to ache for each other. The Goddess of Fire had to carefully watch the progress of the sun across the sky lest it wander too far in one direction or another, or go too fast or too slow. And the God of Water had to be ever vigilant over the world below lest too little rain fall where it was needed. Even at night they could not be together for though the Goddess of Fire did not need to tend the sun, her brother was busy delivering dew to the world to bring just a little more water even when he could not bring rain.
Their parents took pity on their oldest children and gave to them each cloaks made of clouds. The Second Pair were ecstatic. Whenever the God of Water brought rain to a part of the world, the brother and sister could cover the sky with their cloaks of clouds. With the sun covered, the Goddess of Fire did not need to watch it as closely and she could spend some time with her beloved brother, no matter how brief that time may be.
The two could race their guwana (a type of beast of burden) across the sky. The sound of their running feet was what created the sound of thunder. When one sibling or the other reined in their beast, the impatient guwana would flick its tail, creating a streak of lightning.
And so the First Pair created the world and gave it life and the Second Pair created the means of sustaining it.
* * *
Come back next week for Part 2 to see what the Third and Fourth Pairs end up doing.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Introduction to the Kai'us Creation Myth
I first came up with the Kai'us' when I was about 10 years old. They've been part of my life ever since. When I show people pictures I drew as an adult or explain parts of Kai'us culture they ask in amazement, "You came up with all that when you were ten?!"
The simple answer is no.
Kai'us' have grown up with me. Though their general appearance and the main themes of their society haven't changed much in all that time, they have matured and become more "realistic" and well-rounded. Nearly all my interests and things I do have something to do with development if Kai'us culture. It's my semi-closet obsession.
There's a lot to their culture that lives solely in my head. Though I have endless drawings as well as notebooks upon notebooks of story chucks and numerous drafts of a first Kai'us novel (called "The Kai'us Planet"), as well as a website to try to document all this (no, I'm not sharing the link; the website is awful), it still only scratches the surface of what lives in the three or so pounds of grey matter chilling in my skull.
Because I'm dragging my feet on getting the novel finished, I thought I'd share some non-spoiler stuff here to get more Kai'us-related things out in the the world and hopefully inspire people to relentlessly badger me to keep working on the book. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting bits and pieces of the Kai'us creation myths.
Okay, so first and foremost: what the heck is a Kai'us anyway?
A Kai'us is a humanoid being with a horse-like head. Their eyes face forward though and their muzzle is significantly shorter than a horse's. Their teeth are those of an omnivore (more so than humans). They have four digits on each hand - three fingers and a thumb. Their feet are blunt with four, stubby toes; the two center toes are larger than the two outer ones. They have a long tail with a tuft of hair at the end the same color as their mane. Their skin is dark grey typically, but they're covered in short, white fur. Because they're fur-covered, Kai'us' don't wear clothing; though those who live in colder regions will wear a belted poncho for warmth. They do like to decorate themselves though with creative braids, bracelets, necklaces, arm cuffs, etc. Typically any body and mane decorations show social status and/or one's trade.
Kai'us reproductive organs are all internal (even for the guys), and there's very little sexual dimorphism between genders; though males have thicker tails with more blood vessels (to keep those internal testes cool). Females have slightly wider hips than males, though their waists aren't nearly as narrow as human females. Females' breasts do swell when they're nursing, but any other time they look fairly androgynous.
There's eight different Kai'us races with their own physical characteristics that set them apart. For instance, Spider Kai'us' have four arms; they're also the tallest race, topping out at about six feet when full-grown. Winged Kai'us' are the smallest, barely breaking 4 and a half feet. They have (you guesses it!) wings. Think more bat-like than bird-like.
The different races can (kind of) interbreed, but in general it's rare since they tend to stick to their own kind. The genetics involved are fairly simple, but that's the stuff of another post. One race though: the Ka-Kiu (also called the People of the Whole) are actually not a genetically unique race, but rather any race can become Ka-Kiu by receiving a special mark (it's more complicated than that, but again that's a whole other write-up). The Ka-Kiu encourage intermarrying between races who join them so there's far more hybridization among them than any other race. Children born to Ka-Kiu parents though are without a doubt Ka-Kiu even without the mark (they receive that as part of their coming of age ceremony); therefore Ka-Kiu are indeed their own race.
Kai'us' range all over their planet, though each race lives in a specific region. The planet itself is far more dry than Earth - there's only one ocean that takes up about 35% of the planet's surface. The ocean and the rivers feeding it, as well as a vast mountain range that spans from one pole to the other located on the other side of the world from the ocean, splits the planet into four main regions that I call "Territories". The Spider, Cave and Ka-Kiu all live in the North-West Territory. The Winged live in the rain forests of the South-West Territory. The Crystal Kai'us' live along the ocean's coast in the South-East Territory. The Snake and Deer live in the North-East Territory. Lastly the Mountain Kai'us' live in, well, the mountains.
Though the Kai'us' within a particular region will have contact and trade with each other, there's very little contact (or sometimes even knowledge of) the other races outside of their part of the world, save for the Mountain Kai'us' who trade with everyone (except the Ka-Kiu <- no one likes them).
On the whole Kai'us' are a peaceful people. They're highly adaptable and readily adjust to whatever environment they settle in. If an area is lacking in necessary resources they'll either move somewhere more plentiful or trade for what they need.
Across the board Kai'us technology is around the late Stone Age, though some races dabble a little with metal. Most races have agriculture and live in villages of 75-150 individuals. Deer Kai'us' are the least advanced though and live simple, nomadic lives. They tend to live in much smaller groups. Mountain Kai'us' are semi-nomadic due to the seasonal changes where they live.
Many races live among semi-domesticated animals which are used for championship, pest-control, protection, beasts of burden, or travel. No animals are penned or captured for these purposes and they don't deliberately breed animals. All animals who live near Kai'us' or interact with them do so of their own volition. Meat and animal products are acquired exclusively through hunting and any prey animals that are felled in that process are greatly respected.
Despite their relative low technological status, Kai'us' have advanced metal abilities: telepathy, telekinesis and pyrokinesis. Their telepathic abilities more or less function similar to a walkie-talkie. One "tunes in" to the person they wish to communicate with. Physical contact strengths the "signal", distance weakens it. Though telepathy is developed in the womb, telekinesis and pyrokinesis must be learned, usually at around seven to ten years old.
Telepathy is a very important aspect of Kai'us life. Mates join together mentally and that's what triggers full sexual maturity. A person who's "mentally deaf" (unable to send or receive telepathic signals) is often shunned and not considered trustworthy.
Despite the fact that telepathic communication with those of other races is difficult, all Kai'us' share a subconscious telepathic bond that keeps their language and culture fairly consistent even with races on opposite sides of planet. Though there are certainly racial and regional dialects that can sometimes make verbal communication difficult. (Okay, it makes my life easier not having to track a bunch of different languages and writing systems!)
So that's the general gist of things without being too overwhelming (believe me, I can go on and on and on!). Before I dive into the actual creation myth (which will be next week's post), I wanted to also talk about "time" and "place" as it can get confusing when I talk to people about Kai'us'.
There's literally centuries of Kai'us history that I play in. I break time up on the Kai'us planet into four categories:
1) Old Tales
The stories I'll be posting in the coming weeks fall into this category.
These are ancient tales that have been passed down orally through the millennia. Though most Kai'us races to have both writing and math, these tales aren't typically written down as everyone knows them. They originate "before time" and are therefore timeless. They encompass the creation of the world and the first two Cataclysms.
2) Between the Second and Third Cataclysms
I consider this time to be Kai'us "prehistory". The planet the Kai'us' live on goes through periods of great geological instability every few million years. During that time the genetic structure of most creatures (not just Kai'us') becomes incredibly unstable and mutations reign supreme. As the world settles, so does everyone's DNA. The mutations best suited to survive in the new environment get to continue on, becoming increasingly stable. Once the dust settled from the Second Cataclysm and Kai'us' settled down into their current seven (later, eight) races, not much of note really happens. Kai'us society grows and develops as cultures of fresh, young sentient races do. I don't deal too much with this time in Kai'us history. It's just not terribly interesting as there's no wars or conquests to speak of; no subjugated people; no great tales of forbidden love.
3) The Third Cataclysm onward
This is where Kai'us history starts in my opinion. The Third Cataclysm isn't a geological event for a change, but rather an ideological one. This is when the Ka-Kiu come into being (they're a very new race). As a result of their creation, the first Grand Chief also comes into being. This is a really big deal in Kai'us history, affecting nearly every race on the planet. Marking time from this point on is easy: the Grand Chief holds their station for 100 years, at which time they pass their power and position off to their successor (it's okay that this doesn't make much sense, I'm being vague on purpose here).
4) "Modern History"
This is where "The Kai'us Planet" takes place. The eleventh Grand Chief is nearing the end of his "reign" at the start of the story and the twelfth Grand Chief is installed by the end. This period also encompasses all time and events after the book.
Now onto "place". The North-West Territory is the approximate origin of the Kai'us species and is where all the "Old" races come from. As mentioned earlier, this is where the Spider, Cave and Ka-Kiu presently live. This is important because, like I said before, not all races know about the others. In fact only the Grand Chief (who's a Spider Kai'us) and most of the Mountain Kai'us' know of the existence of all the races (they're also the only ones who know the world is round). Apart from the Ka-Kiu, all the "New" races live on the other side of the world. These tales are from the perspective of the "Old" races and don't mention the "New" races at all. The "New" races have very similar tales with slight variations that take into account vast migrations that don't affect the "Old" races at all.
Numbers are important to the Old races and knowing how all the races are numbered is important in understanding Kai'us mythology (the New races don't get as hung up on such things as their cultures are younger). Two, four, eight and sixteen are considered "good" numbers. Five is the worst number out there. The four Old races are associated with elements that also correlate with the first four gods (there's eight gods total by the way).
The Kia'us races by the numbers start with the Old races:
1) The Mountain (Earth)
2) The Winged (Air)
3) The Spider (Fire)
4) The Cave (Water)
The New races are:
5) The Ka-Kiu
6) The Crystal
7) The Snake
8) The Deer
The the Ka-Kiu are hands down the youngest race by a few hundred-thousand years, but they're always stuck in fifth place just to show how much everyone else doesn't like them (poor new kids; well they earned their place).
Next post will kick things off with the 1st part of the creation myth.
The simple answer is no.
Kai'us' have grown up with me. Though their general appearance and the main themes of their society haven't changed much in all that time, they have matured and become more "realistic" and well-rounded. Nearly all my interests and things I do have something to do with development if Kai'us culture. It's my semi-closet obsession.
There's a lot to their culture that lives solely in my head. Though I have endless drawings as well as notebooks upon notebooks of story chucks and numerous drafts of a first Kai'us novel (called "The Kai'us Planet"), as well as a website to try to document all this (no, I'm not sharing the link; the website is awful), it still only scratches the surface of what lives in the three or so pounds of grey matter chilling in my skull.
Because I'm dragging my feet on getting the novel finished, I thought I'd share some non-spoiler stuff here to get more Kai'us-related things out in the the world and hopefully inspire people to relentlessly badger me to keep working on the book. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting bits and pieces of the Kai'us creation myths.
Okay, so first and foremost: what the heck is a Kai'us anyway?
A Kai'us is a humanoid being with a horse-like head. Their eyes face forward though and their muzzle is significantly shorter than a horse's. Their teeth are those of an omnivore (more so than humans). They have four digits on each hand - three fingers and a thumb. Their feet are blunt with four, stubby toes; the two center toes are larger than the two outer ones. They have a long tail with a tuft of hair at the end the same color as their mane. Their skin is dark grey typically, but they're covered in short, white fur. Because they're fur-covered, Kai'us' don't wear clothing; though those who live in colder regions will wear a belted poncho for warmth. They do like to decorate themselves though with creative braids, bracelets, necklaces, arm cuffs, etc. Typically any body and mane decorations show social status and/or one's trade.
Kai'us reproductive organs are all internal (even for the guys), and there's very little sexual dimorphism between genders; though males have thicker tails with more blood vessels (to keep those internal testes cool). Females have slightly wider hips than males, though their waists aren't nearly as narrow as human females. Females' breasts do swell when they're nursing, but any other time they look fairly androgynous.
There's eight different Kai'us races with their own physical characteristics that set them apart. For instance, Spider Kai'us' have four arms; they're also the tallest race, topping out at about six feet when full-grown. Winged Kai'us' are the smallest, barely breaking 4 and a half feet. They have (you guesses it!) wings. Think more bat-like than bird-like.
The different races can (kind of) interbreed, but in general it's rare since they tend to stick to their own kind. The genetics involved are fairly simple, but that's the stuff of another post. One race though: the Ka-Kiu (also called the People of the Whole) are actually not a genetically unique race, but rather any race can become Ka-Kiu by receiving a special mark (it's more complicated than that, but again that's a whole other write-up). The Ka-Kiu encourage intermarrying between races who join them so there's far more hybridization among them than any other race. Children born to Ka-Kiu parents though are without a doubt Ka-Kiu even without the mark (they receive that as part of their coming of age ceremony); therefore Ka-Kiu are indeed their own race.
Kai'us' range all over their planet, though each race lives in a specific region. The planet itself is far more dry than Earth - there's only one ocean that takes up about 35% of the planet's surface. The ocean and the rivers feeding it, as well as a vast mountain range that spans from one pole to the other located on the other side of the world from the ocean, splits the planet into four main regions that I call "Territories". The Spider, Cave and Ka-Kiu all live in the North-West Territory. The Winged live in the rain forests of the South-West Territory. The Crystal Kai'us' live along the ocean's coast in the South-East Territory. The Snake and Deer live in the North-East Territory. Lastly the Mountain Kai'us' live in, well, the mountains.
Though the Kai'us' within a particular region will have contact and trade with each other, there's very little contact (or sometimes even knowledge of) the other races outside of their part of the world, save for the Mountain Kai'us' who trade with everyone (except the Ka-Kiu <- no one likes them).
On the whole Kai'us' are a peaceful people. They're highly adaptable and readily adjust to whatever environment they settle in. If an area is lacking in necessary resources they'll either move somewhere more plentiful or trade for what they need.
Across the board Kai'us technology is around the late Stone Age, though some races dabble a little with metal. Most races have agriculture and live in villages of 75-150 individuals. Deer Kai'us' are the least advanced though and live simple, nomadic lives. They tend to live in much smaller groups. Mountain Kai'us' are semi-nomadic due to the seasonal changes where they live.
Many races live among semi-domesticated animals which are used for championship, pest-control, protection, beasts of burden, or travel. No animals are penned or captured for these purposes and they don't deliberately breed animals. All animals who live near Kai'us' or interact with them do so of their own volition. Meat and animal products are acquired exclusively through hunting and any prey animals that are felled in that process are greatly respected.
Despite their relative low technological status, Kai'us' have advanced metal abilities: telepathy, telekinesis and pyrokinesis. Their telepathic abilities more or less function similar to a walkie-talkie. One "tunes in" to the person they wish to communicate with. Physical contact strengths the "signal", distance weakens it. Though telepathy is developed in the womb, telekinesis and pyrokinesis must be learned, usually at around seven to ten years old.
Telepathy is a very important aspect of Kai'us life. Mates join together mentally and that's what triggers full sexual maturity. A person who's "mentally deaf" (unable to send or receive telepathic signals) is often shunned and not considered trustworthy.
Despite the fact that telepathic communication with those of other races is difficult, all Kai'us' share a subconscious telepathic bond that keeps their language and culture fairly consistent even with races on opposite sides of planet. Though there are certainly racial and regional dialects that can sometimes make verbal communication difficult. (Okay, it makes my life easier not having to track a bunch of different languages and writing systems!)
So that's the general gist of things without being too overwhelming (believe me, I can go on and on and on!). Before I dive into the actual creation myth (which will be next week's post), I wanted to also talk about "time" and "place" as it can get confusing when I talk to people about Kai'us'.
There's literally centuries of Kai'us history that I play in. I break time up on the Kai'us planet into four categories:
1) Old Tales
The stories I'll be posting in the coming weeks fall into this category.
These are ancient tales that have been passed down orally through the millennia. Though most Kai'us races to have both writing and math, these tales aren't typically written down as everyone knows them. They originate "before time" and are therefore timeless. They encompass the creation of the world and the first two Cataclysms.
2) Between the Second and Third Cataclysms
I consider this time to be Kai'us "prehistory". The planet the Kai'us' live on goes through periods of great geological instability every few million years. During that time the genetic structure of most creatures (not just Kai'us') becomes incredibly unstable and mutations reign supreme. As the world settles, so does everyone's DNA. The mutations best suited to survive in the new environment get to continue on, becoming increasingly stable. Once the dust settled from the Second Cataclysm and Kai'us' settled down into their current seven (later, eight) races, not much of note really happens. Kai'us society grows and develops as cultures of fresh, young sentient races do. I don't deal too much with this time in Kai'us history. It's just not terribly interesting as there's no wars or conquests to speak of; no subjugated people; no great tales of forbidden love.
3) The Third Cataclysm onward
This is where Kai'us history starts in my opinion. The Third Cataclysm isn't a geological event for a change, but rather an ideological one. This is when the Ka-Kiu come into being (they're a very new race). As a result of their creation, the first Grand Chief also comes into being. This is a really big deal in Kai'us history, affecting nearly every race on the planet. Marking time from this point on is easy: the Grand Chief holds their station for 100 years, at which time they pass their power and position off to their successor (it's okay that this doesn't make much sense, I'm being vague on purpose here).
4) "Modern History"
This is where "The Kai'us Planet" takes place. The eleventh Grand Chief is nearing the end of his "reign" at the start of the story and the twelfth Grand Chief is installed by the end. This period also encompasses all time and events after the book.
Now onto "place". The North-West Territory is the approximate origin of the Kai'us species and is where all the "Old" races come from. As mentioned earlier, this is where the Spider, Cave and Ka-Kiu presently live. This is important because, like I said before, not all races know about the others. In fact only the Grand Chief (who's a Spider Kai'us) and most of the Mountain Kai'us' know of the existence of all the races (they're also the only ones who know the world is round). Apart from the Ka-Kiu, all the "New" races live on the other side of the world. These tales are from the perspective of the "Old" races and don't mention the "New" races at all. The "New" races have very similar tales with slight variations that take into account vast migrations that don't affect the "Old" races at all.
Numbers are important to the Old races and knowing how all the races are numbered is important in understanding Kai'us mythology (the New races don't get as hung up on such things as their cultures are younger). Two, four, eight and sixteen are considered "good" numbers. Five is the worst number out there. The four Old races are associated with elements that also correlate with the first four gods (there's eight gods total by the way).
The Kia'us races by the numbers start with the Old races:
1) The Mountain (Earth)
2) The Winged (Air)
3) The Spider (Fire)
4) The Cave (Water)
The New races are:
5) The Ka-Kiu
6) The Crystal
7) The Snake
8) The Deer
The the Ka-Kiu are hands down the youngest race by a few hundred-thousand years, but they're always stuck in fifth place just to show how much everyone else doesn't like them (poor new kids; well they earned their place).
Next post will kick things off with the 1st part of the creation myth.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Lets Talk About Star Wars
It's hard to explain or even quantify the incredible impact that Star Wars has had on my life. From the day Dad recorded the 10th anniversary airing of it off the TV in 1987 I've been hooked.
Before the movie came on there had been an anniversary special hosted by Mark Hamill that went into the affect Star Wars had had on American culture over the past decade. I'd watch it and rewatch it, along with the movie, transfixed as to how such a thing could have so much power over so many people. How one movie could shape a whole culture.
As The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) were released to video, they were added to our ever-growing movie collection to be watched over and over again as well. My love for the original trilogy bordered on religious fanaticism. I wasn't interested in collecting the figures or posters or anything like that; it was ideals that drew me in. The forces of good battling against a horrible evil, and not always with clean-cut success. The princess had wit and nerve, the heroes had flaws, the formidable villain had a heart in the very end.
All of that was compelling, but it was the calm and wise Jedi who were the role-models for my growing years. Them and the ever-stoic Vulcans from Star Trek (yes, I love both fandoms). I was prone to emotional outbursts as a child, and both the Jedi's and Vulcan's unruffled demeanor showed me how to remain calm is trying situations (not that I was terribly successful, but it was something to shoot for!)
I started reading the Expanded Universe novels in my mid-teens. Though some were better than others, they at least gave me more Star Wars and I was eternally grateful.
The Phantom Menace (1999) came out while I was in college.
More Star Wars!!
Watch the movie Fanboys (2009) if you want to remember the hope and anticipation leading up to the release of Episode I. I played hooky from school the day it came out. I was fourth in line for tickets and first in line for the actual movie. I'd waited my whole life to see a new Star Wars movie in the theater! I will admit I saw it several times on the big screen and watched it several more times on DVD, but with it's Jar Jar, midi-chlorians, and stiff acting, it didn't satisfy. It wasn't till other people admitted the blasphemous statement that they didn't like it that I realized there wasn't something wrong with me. Yes the pod race was fun, that lightsaber battle at the end along with Duel of the Fates will forever hold a special place in my heart; but it wasn't a good movie overall.
I'd felt let down.
The following two movies were even more abysmal for me.
They didn't follow the story I had created in my mind over the years of what the prequels should have been. The story-line of Episodes I-III could have been so much more compelling. So much less awkward, so much more bright and beautiful. But they weren't and I was sad.
The release of the MMORPG "Star Wars: The Old Republic" at the end of 2011 gave me a new hope (see what I did there?) Though I never played the game beyond a few minutes on one of my brother's accounts (as I had quit WoW cold turkey a few years before and vowed to never play another MMORPG), I was giddy with delight. The opening intro cinematic is still beautiful, still powerful, still everything I had wanted the prequels to be. It assured me that there were others out there who knew what Star Wars was supposed to be! Maybe someday it would really happen in movie format.
When Disney acquired the rights to the Star Wars franchise a year later, I was worried and dubious like other fans. Disney's promise to release a whole crap-ton of Star Wars movies ASAP wasn't exactly cause for celebration; but I remained hopeful when looking at what they had done for Marvel (X-Men was another beloved fandom of mine).
The first few trailers for Episode VII didn't pique my interest at all. I'd been hurt before and I wasn't interested in repeating the same old feels. It wasn't going to be "The Truce at Bakura", so what did I care?
Then. THEN! that famous trailer with the reverently delivered lines of, "Chewy, we're home!" was released and for the first time in years I felt excited for a Star Wars movie. Maybe, just maybe The Force Awakens would be okay!
An oh it was!
It was so okay!
Perfect?
No.
Beautiful?
Yes.
I had tears in my eyes throughout most of the movie (I've only seen it once sadly; not opening day, but opening weekend. First showing on a Sunday; and the theater was packed!). Finally I felt like I was seeing a real Star Wars movie on the big screen! The fact that it parted so drastically from the Expanded Universe was actually a breath of fresh air. This next trilogy is going to be new to die-hard fans and newbies alike. We will all be gazing up at the screen in wonder, no one knowing what would happen next. It's a thrill I wasn't expecting, but one that I was so thrilled to experience!
So am I excited for the next one, along with the other spin-off films lined up?
You bet! Though I'm being cautions: as much as I liked it, Episode VII is riddled with plot holes and superfluous characters that may or may not have any purpose in subsequent films.
Though I know we won't get the delightfully subtle philosophy that was interwoven in the original trilogy, I have no doubt the following movies will be just as pretty as The Force Awakens.
I've accepted that the Star Wars franchise has been delegated to the "popcorn flick" and frankly I'm okay with that. It still provides me with music by John Williams. It still provides familiar characters, themes and settings while introducing new planets, creatures and people to love and hate, the names of which I'll never remember.
There's the Force, there's lightsabers, there's Jedi.
I'll be there in the front-ish row with my overpriced popcorn soaking it all in.
Before the movie came on there had been an anniversary special hosted by Mark Hamill that went into the affect Star Wars had had on American culture over the past decade. I'd watch it and rewatch it, along with the movie, transfixed as to how such a thing could have so much power over so many people. How one movie could shape a whole culture.
As The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) were released to video, they were added to our ever-growing movie collection to be watched over and over again as well. My love for the original trilogy bordered on religious fanaticism. I wasn't interested in collecting the figures or posters or anything like that; it was ideals that drew me in. The forces of good battling against a horrible evil, and not always with clean-cut success. The princess had wit and nerve, the heroes had flaws, the formidable villain had a heart in the very end.
All of that was compelling, but it was the calm and wise Jedi who were the role-models for my growing years. Them and the ever-stoic Vulcans from Star Trek (yes, I love both fandoms). I was prone to emotional outbursts as a child, and both the Jedi's and Vulcan's unruffled demeanor showed me how to remain calm is trying situations (not that I was terribly successful, but it was something to shoot for!)
I started reading the Expanded Universe novels in my mid-teens. Though some were better than others, they at least gave me more Star Wars and I was eternally grateful.
The Phantom Menace (1999) came out while I was in college.
More Star Wars!!
Watch the movie Fanboys (2009) if you want to remember the hope and anticipation leading up to the release of Episode I. I played hooky from school the day it came out. I was fourth in line for tickets and first in line for the actual movie. I'd waited my whole life to see a new Star Wars movie in the theater! I will admit I saw it several times on the big screen and watched it several more times on DVD, but with it's Jar Jar, midi-chlorians, and stiff acting, it didn't satisfy. It wasn't till other people admitted the blasphemous statement that they didn't like it that I realized there wasn't something wrong with me. Yes the pod race was fun, that lightsaber battle at the end along with Duel of the Fates will forever hold a special place in my heart; but it wasn't a good movie overall.
I'd felt let down.
The following two movies were even more abysmal for me.
They didn't follow the story I had created in my mind over the years of what the prequels should have been. The story-line of Episodes I-III could have been so much more compelling. So much less awkward, so much more bright and beautiful. But they weren't and I was sad.
The release of the MMORPG "Star Wars: The Old Republic" at the end of 2011 gave me a new hope (see what I did there?) Though I never played the game beyond a few minutes on one of my brother's accounts (as I had quit WoW cold turkey a few years before and vowed to never play another MMORPG), I was giddy with delight. The opening intro cinematic is still beautiful, still powerful, still everything I had wanted the prequels to be. It assured me that there were others out there who knew what Star Wars was supposed to be! Maybe someday it would really happen in movie format.
When Disney acquired the rights to the Star Wars franchise a year later, I was worried and dubious like other fans. Disney's promise to release a whole crap-ton of Star Wars movies ASAP wasn't exactly cause for celebration; but I remained hopeful when looking at what they had done for Marvel (X-Men was another beloved fandom of mine).
The first few trailers for Episode VII didn't pique my interest at all. I'd been hurt before and I wasn't interested in repeating the same old feels. It wasn't going to be "The Truce at Bakura", so what did I care?
Then. THEN! that famous trailer with the reverently delivered lines of, "Chewy, we're home!" was released and for the first time in years I felt excited for a Star Wars movie. Maybe, just maybe The Force Awakens would be okay!
An oh it was!
It was so okay!
Perfect?
No.
Beautiful?
Yes.
I had tears in my eyes throughout most of the movie (I've only seen it once sadly; not opening day, but opening weekend. First showing on a Sunday; and the theater was packed!). Finally I felt like I was seeing a real Star Wars movie on the big screen! The fact that it parted so drastically from the Expanded Universe was actually a breath of fresh air. This next trilogy is going to be new to die-hard fans and newbies alike. We will all be gazing up at the screen in wonder, no one knowing what would happen next. It's a thrill I wasn't expecting, but one that I was so thrilled to experience!
So am I excited for the next one, along with the other spin-off films lined up?
You bet! Though I'm being cautions: as much as I liked it, Episode VII is riddled with plot holes and superfluous characters that may or may not have any purpose in subsequent films.
Though I know we won't get the delightfully subtle philosophy that was interwoven in the original trilogy, I have no doubt the following movies will be just as pretty as The Force Awakens.
I've accepted that the Star Wars franchise has been delegated to the "popcorn flick" and frankly I'm okay with that. It still provides me with music by John Williams. It still provides familiar characters, themes and settings while introducing new planets, creatures and people to love and hate, the names of which I'll never remember.
There's the Force, there's lightsabers, there's Jedi.
I'll be there in the front-ish row with my overpriced popcorn soaking it all in.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Life with Mono - Week 12
A milestone I never thought I'd reach and still be feeling symptoms.
My fellow Karate classmates have been asking when I'll be "cleared" to come back to class. Honestly I'm not under any medical restrictions; it all boils down to lingering fatigue and I've got it in spades!
Just this past Monday I stayed home from work because I couldn't walk straight when I got up, or string two words together coherently. That miserable day of special hell was the culmination of a lot of me-not-taking-care-of-myself though.
You see, last week was my first week of working 8-hour days again (finally!). I could feel myself slipping by about Wednesday, but I was determined to push through (hadn't it been bloody long enough already?). By Friday I was beat and asked to go home an hour early. Honestly I was surprised I'd made it that far. I made it home safely and immediately laid down for a half hour. I was too tired to sleep, but it felt so good to not have to be a functional human for a little while.
I had hoped to get some rest over Easter weekend, but I really should have known better as I was going to my mother's house for the holiday. I love that woman to pieces but there's a few things working against anyone thinking they can convalesce at her place:
1) There's no guest room. You can sleep on the hide-a-bed in the living room or in her room. Though her room has a door, there's no point in closing it as the cats and dog will freak out no matter what side of the door they're on.
2) Her dog likes me.
Her dogs sleeps with me at night.
Her dog snores louder than a creature his size should.
3) Mom is not a quiet person. My mother has a voice that carries and the house has a pretty open floor plan. She's also been very distracted lately, so five minutes after I laid down for a much-needed nap on Sunday afternoon she called out, "It's 46 degrees outside!"
Thanks Mom, didn't really care. Trying to sleep and all.
Five minutes after that she made some other pointless observation or asked a question.
I wanted to cry.
Fortunately exhaustion *did* allow me to sleep eventually but it wasn't enough (<sobbing> it's never enough!)
So I went into this week running on fumes and on Monday I crashed...into my bed and there I stayed all day. Fortunately I felt worlds better yesterday and today I've felt better still, but just to provide a point of reference: the fatigue I feel today would have been worrying in my pre-mono days and it likely would have sent me home early to rest while guzzling down copious amounts of orange juice. (Now backtrack that to two days ago!)
Post-mono though it's just a fact of life. And a relatively good day to boot as I don't have one of those lovely fatigue headaches to go along with it!
One of the nice things though is the fatigue I've been feeling lately has been different from the "heavy", oppressive fatigue I had experienced earlier in my illness. This fatigue feels more "normal"; it just doesn't ever seem to want to go away.
Just today I was contemplating saying "screw it!", throwing caution to the wind and starting my morning exercise routine back up (easing into it of course, but finally starting to at least do my stretches again). Cooler heads prevailed though and I did a little online research.
Sadly, experiencing lingering fatigue even 3+ months out is considered normal within the scope of mono and everyone, EVERYONE said "DON'T PUSH IT!". "The fatigue is your body telling you that you still need to take it easy. Heed the warning and TAKE IT EASY!"
*sniff*
So I'll be good (...or as good as I'm capable) and not pick my exercises back up just yet. I'll continue to "take it easy" (try not to laugh too hard please). I'm still going to keep up these 8-hour days at work because I really can't afford it monetarily to stay home and do "nothing"; but I'll stay away from my extracurricular activities a little longer.
And mono sucks.
My fellow Karate classmates have been asking when I'll be "cleared" to come back to class. Honestly I'm not under any medical restrictions; it all boils down to lingering fatigue and I've got it in spades!
Just this past Monday I stayed home from work because I couldn't walk straight when I got up, or string two words together coherently. That miserable day of special hell was the culmination of a lot of me-not-taking-care-of-myself though.
You see, last week was my first week of working 8-hour days again (finally!). I could feel myself slipping by about Wednesday, but I was determined to push through (hadn't it been bloody long enough already?). By Friday I was beat and asked to go home an hour early. Honestly I was surprised I'd made it that far. I made it home safely and immediately laid down for a half hour. I was too tired to sleep, but it felt so good to not have to be a functional human for a little while.
I had hoped to get some rest over Easter weekend, but I really should have known better as I was going to my mother's house for the holiday. I love that woman to pieces but there's a few things working against anyone thinking they can convalesce at her place:
1) There's no guest room. You can sleep on the hide-a-bed in the living room or in her room. Though her room has a door, there's no point in closing it as the cats and dog will freak out no matter what side of the door they're on.
2) Her dog likes me.
Her dogs sleeps with me at night.
Her dog snores louder than a creature his size should.
3) Mom is not a quiet person. My mother has a voice that carries and the house has a pretty open floor plan. She's also been very distracted lately, so five minutes after I laid down for a much-needed nap on Sunday afternoon she called out, "It's 46 degrees outside!"
Thanks Mom, didn't really care. Trying to sleep and all.
Five minutes after that she made some other pointless observation or asked a question.
I wanted to cry.
Fortunately exhaustion *did* allow me to sleep eventually but it wasn't enough (<sobbing> it's never enough!)
So I went into this week running on fumes and on Monday I crashed...into my bed and there I stayed all day. Fortunately I felt worlds better yesterday and today I've felt better still, but just to provide a point of reference: the fatigue I feel today would have been worrying in my pre-mono days and it likely would have sent me home early to rest while guzzling down copious amounts of orange juice. (Now backtrack that to two days ago!)
Post-mono though it's just a fact of life. And a relatively good day to boot as I don't have one of those lovely fatigue headaches to go along with it!
One of the nice things though is the fatigue I've been feeling lately has been different from the "heavy", oppressive fatigue I had experienced earlier in my illness. This fatigue feels more "normal"; it just doesn't ever seem to want to go away.
Just today I was contemplating saying "screw it!", throwing caution to the wind and starting my morning exercise routine back up (easing into it of course, but finally starting to at least do my stretches again). Cooler heads prevailed though and I did a little online research.
Sadly, experiencing lingering fatigue even 3+ months out is considered normal within the scope of mono and everyone, EVERYONE said "DON'T PUSH IT!". "The fatigue is your body telling you that you still need to take it easy. Heed the warning and TAKE IT EASY!"
*sniff*
So I'll be good (...or as good as I'm capable) and not pick my exercises back up just yet. I'll continue to "take it easy" (try not to laugh too hard please). I'm still going to keep up these 8-hour days at work because I really can't afford it monetarily to stay home and do "nothing"; but I'll stay away from my extracurricular activities a little longer.
And mono sucks.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Life with Mono - Week 6
Today marks the sixth week since I came down with mono.
Of course I didn't know what it was at the time. We were doing warm-ups in Karate class and a quick change in the intensity of the work-out sent my heart into disconcerting palpitations and I felt too weak to stand. I sat the rest of the class out, sipping water and trying to get my breathing and heart rate back under control.
The next morning my lungs were no longer on fire but my heart was still a little "poundy" well into the day. I had no energy (which surprised me, usually a good night's sleep solves such problems).
As the days went by with little to no improvement, I thought there was something wrong with my blood pressure so I bought an at-home automatic blood pressure cuff and checked my pressures daily. The numbers were perfectly fine though. Still, I couldn't shake the oppressive fatigue or the fact that my heart would go nuts if I stood for too long or did any level of physical activity. I'd even get winded if I spoke for too long. I couldn't lay down on my sides and slouching wasn't too comfy either.
Being the little hypochondriac that I am, my mind raced through a whole slew of possibilities: something wrong with my heart, something wrong with my lungs. I'm genetically predisposed to blood clots (though I've never had one), maybe I had a clot in my lungs that I didn't know about?
Finally after a full week of not getting better I went to the Urgent Care to get looked at. Any answers were better than no answers. Fortunately the doctor was determined to figure out my problem. He ordered all the tests he could think of, and then almost as an afterthought he said, "Let's do a test for mono too."
My husband and I snickered at that. "Mono? At my age?" Hey, whatever makes you happy pal.
Turns out that was the only test to come back positive. Everything else proved I'm in perfect health.
I was told that mono is incredibly catchy and that I could have picked it up anywhere - even a grocery cart handle! There's no medications for it and the only treatment is rest. I was given a three-day leave of absence from work (giving me five days off as that took it to the weekend) and sent on my way.
Knowing what was wrong was great in that I at least had a time frame of how long I'd be laid up for: minimum two weeks; could be as much as three months though (or longer?); but it didn't make dealing with the symptoms much easier.
I delegated the bulk of the household chores to my husband and slept and slept and slept some more.
I returned to work the following week and things went along pretty hunky-dory for two weeks. I still had no energy for Karate or Tai Chi. I still had no tolerance for standing for any length of time, but I could finally sleep on my left side again and after a while could even slouch in perfect comfort (yay?), and I was acclimating to the fairly constant fatigue (so that's how parents of young children do it!).
By last week though I realized I couldn't even function on that level.
I had to scale it back at work to half-days as I realized if I get over-tired I'm done for well into the next day!
My employer has been exceptionally accommodating though: my boss hooked me up with a laptop that allows me remote access to my work computer. The present routine now is that I go to work in the morning and put in four hours. Then I come home, get some lunch and lay down for an hour and a half to two hour nap (and I sleep!). Then I get up, have some dinner, and remote in for a couple hours. It's not a full eight hour day, but it's better than nothing.
Even six weeks in, my energy levels are still shot. I still tire freakishly easy and I still sleep like the dead (no really, I've slept through calls to the house phone which typically wake me under normal conditions!) At this point I seem to be in a holding pattern: I'm not getting much better, but I'm not really getting worse either.
I had to see my doctor last week to get her written approval for the half-days at work, and I'll see her again next week for some follow-up blood work to see how things are going.
I'm seriously hoping this week marks a turning point for me.
Today was the first day I didn't need a nap in the afternoon and I actually got a lot done today after work without feeling horribly drained.
Whether this is the start of an improvement or not, all I know is mono sucks!
Of course I didn't know what it was at the time. We were doing warm-ups in Karate class and a quick change in the intensity of the work-out sent my heart into disconcerting palpitations and I felt too weak to stand. I sat the rest of the class out, sipping water and trying to get my breathing and heart rate back under control.
The next morning my lungs were no longer on fire but my heart was still a little "poundy" well into the day. I had no energy (which surprised me, usually a good night's sleep solves such problems).
As the days went by with little to no improvement, I thought there was something wrong with my blood pressure so I bought an at-home automatic blood pressure cuff and checked my pressures daily. The numbers were perfectly fine though. Still, I couldn't shake the oppressive fatigue or the fact that my heart would go nuts if I stood for too long or did any level of physical activity. I'd even get winded if I spoke for too long. I couldn't lay down on my sides and slouching wasn't too comfy either.
Being the little hypochondriac that I am, my mind raced through a whole slew of possibilities: something wrong with my heart, something wrong with my lungs. I'm genetically predisposed to blood clots (though I've never had one), maybe I had a clot in my lungs that I didn't know about?
Finally after a full week of not getting better I went to the Urgent Care to get looked at. Any answers were better than no answers. Fortunately the doctor was determined to figure out my problem. He ordered all the tests he could think of, and then almost as an afterthought he said, "Let's do a test for mono too."
My husband and I snickered at that. "Mono? At my age?" Hey, whatever makes you happy pal.
Turns out that was the only test to come back positive. Everything else proved I'm in perfect health.
I was told that mono is incredibly catchy and that I could have picked it up anywhere - even a grocery cart handle! There's no medications for it and the only treatment is rest. I was given a three-day leave of absence from work (giving me five days off as that took it to the weekend) and sent on my way.
Knowing what was wrong was great in that I at least had a time frame of how long I'd be laid up for: minimum two weeks; could be as much as three months though (or longer?); but it didn't make dealing with the symptoms much easier.
I delegated the bulk of the household chores to my husband and slept and slept and slept some more.
I returned to work the following week and things went along pretty hunky-dory for two weeks. I still had no energy for Karate or Tai Chi. I still had no tolerance for standing for any length of time, but I could finally sleep on my left side again and after a while could even slouch in perfect comfort (yay?), and I was acclimating to the fairly constant fatigue (so that's how parents of young children do it!).
By last week though I realized I couldn't even function on that level.
I had to scale it back at work to half-days as I realized if I get over-tired I'm done for well into the next day!
My employer has been exceptionally accommodating though: my boss hooked me up with a laptop that allows me remote access to my work computer. The present routine now is that I go to work in the morning and put in four hours. Then I come home, get some lunch and lay down for an hour and a half to two hour nap (and I sleep!). Then I get up, have some dinner, and remote in for a couple hours. It's not a full eight hour day, but it's better than nothing.
Even six weeks in, my energy levels are still shot. I still tire freakishly easy and I still sleep like the dead (no really, I've slept through calls to the house phone which typically wake me under normal conditions!) At this point I seem to be in a holding pattern: I'm not getting much better, but I'm not really getting worse either.
I had to see my doctor last week to get her written approval for the half-days at work, and I'll see her again next week for some follow-up blood work to see how things are going.
I'm seriously hoping this week marks a turning point for me.
Today was the first day I didn't need a nap in the afternoon and I actually got a lot done today after work without feeling horribly drained.
Whether this is the start of an improvement or not, all I know is mono sucks!
Friday, January 29, 2016
The Kai'us Numbering System
(Sorry for the crazy formatting, not quite sure why it's coming out that way...)
For those who don't know (which would be everyone except maybe one or two of you) the Kai'us numbering system has given me heartburn for years (approaching decades really). You'd think it'd be easy: Kai'us' have four digits on each hand (three fingers and a thumb), so it's always made sense that their numbers would be based on fours and eights instead of our fives and tens.
Wanting to make my life as easy as possible I decided to give them just four numbers: meu, leu, deu & sheu
Written as such:
/ = meu (1)
// = leu (2)
/// = deu (3)
//// = sheu (4)
Not too complicated.
Wanna go past that? Add a dot after the character:
/• = meu'ah (5)
//• = leu'ah (6)
///• = deu'ah (7)
////• = sheu'ah (8)
9-12 have the dot (and the "ah" sound) in front, and 13-16 have a dot in both the front and end of the character (so 16 would be •////• "ah'sheu'ah")
All of that's been the same since college.
For those who don't know (which would be everyone except maybe one or two of you) the Kai'us numbering system has given me heartburn for years (approaching decades really). You'd think it'd be easy: Kai'us' have four digits on each hand (three fingers and a thumb), so it's always made sense that their numbers would be based on fours and eights instead of our fives and tens.
Wanting to make my life as easy as possible I decided to give them just four numbers: meu, leu, deu & sheu
Written as such:
/ = meu (1)
// = leu (2)
/// = deu (3)
//// = sheu (4)
Not too complicated.
Wanna go past that? Add a dot after the character:
/• = meu'ah (5)
//• = leu'ah (6)
///• = deu'ah (7)
////• = sheu'ah (8)
9-12 have the dot (and the "ah" sound) in front, and 13-16 have a dot in both the front and end of the character (so 16 would be •////• "ah'sheu'ah")
All of that's been the same since college.
Easy-peasy; but what to do from there?
Add prefixes!!
This is where things get flaky 'cause I can do anything from this point (and I have).
This is where things get flaky 'cause I can do anything from this point (and I have).
The pattern for the first sixteen numbers was always set to repeat but with lines added to the tops and/or bottoms of the numbers; I just never devised a good system that was easy for me to remember. Also what to call those prefixes proved difficult as I always came up with just random labels that I'd never remember.
Finally though, I came up with a method for identifying and writing out the remaining numbers that I think will actually stick in my brain and make my life easier.
(Keep in mind that these numbers hardly ever show up in the stories, I've just always felt it important to understand thoroughly and completely how Kai-us' handle numbers and math.)
After the first set of sixteen numbers you're going to add a line along the top, and the syllable "Lee" to the beginning of the number.
Yeah, 30 gets to be a mouthful, but this is much higher than most Kai'us' can count. Most only need to get up to sixteen in their day-to-day life; after that there's nouns that translate to things like "many" and "many-many" that change in quantity depending on the context and what you're "counting".
33-48 are going to do the same thing, but the line will be along the bottom.
The prefix for that set is "Du".
The "final" set (49-64) will have a slash going up from the bottom connecting with the first slash of the actual number:
The prefix is called "Sha"
So 64 would be "ah'sha'sheu'ah" (sounds like a dance) and it would look like this:
The dot can go inside the triangle if you so choose.
The beauty of all this is the naming convention.
The first set of 16 numbers has no prefix.
The second set has the syllable "Lee", as in "leu", as in the number 2 ("Lee" is also a prefix that goes before a noun to make it plural).
The third set uses "Du"; "deu"; 3. Also "u" is the next vowel in all the base numbers.
Fourth set is "Sha"; "sheu"; 4. The "ah" sound is the next vowel to arrive in the number system.
So nicely and simply we've gotten 64 numbers all named and labeled in a way that I'm sure to remember.
Awesome.
Let's keep going.
The next set of 64 numbers will all be named the same, but will have "O" in the beginning.
"O-" in the Kai'us language is a prefix to denote that something is holy, divine or really big.
As far as Kai'us society goes, we're talking really big numbers now.
The written prefix for the numbers 65-80 is two lines pointing outward, one at the top and one at the bottom. It's more or less a closing bracket ( ] ). So 65 is pronounced "o'meu".
The highest number before this prefix changes is •]|||• and is "ah'o'sheu'ah" (80)
You can also put the "o" in front if you like.
Doing this starts to sound like "wa" so this set can also be pronounced that way as well once the "ah"s start to get involved.
Set number two (81-96) will have a line coming off the top of the first slash pointing outward (rather like a 7). The Prefix is "o'lee"
The third set (97-112) has the line coming off the bottom. "O'du"
The fourth set is an upside-down "sha" (a "V" in other words) and so is "o'sha".
This gets us up to 128.
From here you can stop.
Even the Grand Chief rarely needs to count much higher than that.
If for some wild and crazy reason though you need yet another set of sixteen numbers, you're in luck.
129-144 is denoted with a line at the top and a line at the bottom pointing inward (like an opening bracket [ only longer).
This prefix is called "o'shee".
This is going to be a source of humor for those who know the name of my first WoW character which was "Oshemeu". Using pigeon Kai'us this translates to "Great One". "O-" for really big or divine; "she" is the word for "big"; and "meu" is obviously "one".
(Using correct grammar though the name "Great One" would come out as "Mu-o-she" - "One who is Great"; but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely)
Taking this new system into account though, "o'shee'meu" is the number 129.
The interesting thing is this loops around nicely.
Remove those lines and suddenly you're back to the beginning. If you need specific numbers past that you'll just have to start adding numbers together.
The general rule is to start with the highest number that's divisible by 16 (which would be 128 or 144 typically) and add the number that gets you the rest of the way; but a person is welcome to get creative and mash together whatever two numbers will get you there based on their aesthetics.
Two hundred for instance could be broken down in many ways, but would likely be conveyed as "ah'o'she'sheu'ah esh sha'sheu'ah" which translates to "144 and 56".
Finally though, I came up with a method for identifying and writing out the remaining numbers that I think will actually stick in my brain and make my life easier.
(Keep in mind that these numbers hardly ever show up in the stories, I've just always felt it important to understand thoroughly and completely how Kai-us' handle numbers and math.)
After the first set of sixteen numbers you're going to add a line along the top, and the syllable "Lee" to the beginning of the number.
Yeah, 30 gets to be a mouthful, but this is much higher than most Kai'us' can count. Most only need to get up to sixteen in their day-to-day life; after that there's nouns that translate to things like "many" and "many-many" that change in quantity depending on the context and what you're "counting".
33-48 are going to do the same thing, but the line will be along the bottom.
The prefix for that set is "Du".
The "final" set (49-64) will have a slash going up from the bottom connecting with the first slash of the actual number:
So 64 would be "ah'sha'sheu'ah" (sounds like a dance) and it would look like this:
The beauty of all this is the naming convention.
The first set of 16 numbers has no prefix.
The second set has the syllable "Lee", as in "leu", as in the number 2 ("Lee" is also a prefix that goes before a noun to make it plural).
The third set uses "Du"; "deu"; 3. Also "u" is the next vowel in all the base numbers.
Fourth set is "Sha"; "sheu"; 4. The "ah" sound is the next vowel to arrive in the number system.
So nicely and simply we've gotten 64 numbers all named and labeled in a way that I'm sure to remember.
Awesome.
Let's keep going.
The next set of 64 numbers will all be named the same, but will have "O" in the beginning.
"O-" in the Kai'us language is a prefix to denote that something is holy, divine or really big.
As far as Kai'us society goes, we're talking really big numbers now.
The written prefix for the numbers 65-80 is two lines pointing outward, one at the top and one at the bottom. It's more or less a closing bracket ( ] ). So 65 is pronounced "o'meu".
The highest number before this prefix changes is •]|||• and is "ah'o'sheu'ah" (80)
You can also put the "o" in front if you like.
Doing this starts to sound like "wa" so this set can also be pronounced that way as well once the "ah"s start to get involved.
Set number two (81-96) will have a line coming off the top of the first slash pointing outward (rather like a 7). The Prefix is "o'lee"
The third set (97-112) has the line coming off the bottom. "O'du"
The fourth set is an upside-down "sha" (a "V" in other words) and so is "o'sha".
This gets us up to 128.
From here you can stop.
Even the Grand Chief rarely needs to count much higher than that.
If for some wild and crazy reason though you need yet another set of sixteen numbers, you're in luck.
129-144 is denoted with a line at the top and a line at the bottom pointing inward (like an opening bracket [ only longer).
This prefix is called "o'shee".
This is going to be a source of humor for those who know the name of my first WoW character which was "Oshemeu". Using pigeon Kai'us this translates to "Great One". "O-" for really big or divine; "she" is the word for "big"; and "meu" is obviously "one".
(Using correct grammar though the name "Great One" would come out as "Mu-o-she" - "One who is Great"; but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely)
Taking this new system into account though, "o'shee'meu" is the number 129.
The interesting thing is this loops around nicely.
Remove those lines and suddenly you're back to the beginning. If you need specific numbers past that you'll just have to start adding numbers together.
The general rule is to start with the highest number that's divisible by 16 (which would be 128 or 144 typically) and add the number that gets you the rest of the way; but a person is welcome to get creative and mash together whatever two numbers will get you there based on their aesthetics.
Two hundred for instance could be broken down in many ways, but would likely be conveyed as "ah'o'she'sheu'ah esh sha'sheu'ah" which translates to "144 and 56".
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Name That Precipitation (Weather-related)
We're into that time of year where I'll overhear someone say, "Wow, it was hailing really hard last night!" and I'll mentally note that there were no thunderstorms in the area and it's really the wrong time of year for thunderstorms anyway. Then I'll realize they're talking about sleet. Totally different.
I'm rather saddened at how few people seem to know the difference between hail, sleet and freezing rain. I do understand why it may be hard to keep them straight: all three are forms of precipitation that involve rain and ice, but all three are very unique and occur under very specific conditions.
What saddens me more is that meteorologists - rather than educating the masses - are dumbing down their terminology. Intellicast no longer uses the word "sleet" in its forecasts. They now use the term "ice pellets". Though this is indeed an accurate description of sleet, it does have a name and it's called "sleet".
So, what is the difference between the three?
Glad you asked for I'm here to answer!
Hail
Conditions - Typically warmer weather; more specifically during thunderstorms.
How's it made - Inside cumulonimbus clouds (the type that produce thunderstorms).
Hail starts as rain or small ice pellets that get kicked around within the towering cloud by wind.
The proto-hail gets thrown high up into the cloud where the air is colder and a layer of ice forms around it. When it gets too heavy for the winds to hold it aloft it falls to a lower portion of the cloud just to get tossed up again for another coating of ice.
Once it's too heavy for a repeat trip upwards, it falls to the earth as an uneven blob of ice.
Hail can damage crops, vehicles, and structures. Large hail can hurt people too.
A hail fall doesn't typically last too long and the hail itself tends to melt quickly as it usually occurs in the spring and summer months when the ground temperatures are rather warm.
Hail is an indication of severe weather and its presence can herald a tornado or intense thunderstorm.
Sleet
Conditions - When surface air temperatures temperatures are below freezing, but temperatures aloft (in the clouds) are above freezing.
How's it made - Sleet starts life in the clouds as rain. As it falls to the earth it freezes into little ice pellets. Unlike hail - which looks globular in nature and can be any size, sleet is evenly shaped and small (because it's just rain that turned to ice).
Sleet can fall with just as much intensity as rain and for as long as the temperatures are favorable for it to remain ice. Sleet though can easily switch over to snow (if the air gets cold enough), or rain/freezing rain (if the air gets warmer).
Freezing Rain
Conditions - When the surface air temperatures are above freezing, but the ground and surfaces touching the ground are below freezing.
How's it made - Freezing rain is liquid rain that...well, freezes as soon as it hits something.
This forms a smooth, even coating of ice on trees, cars, the ground, anything it lands on because those surfaces are colder than the air that's just warm enough to keep it liquid.
This ice build-up can bring down power lines or cause tree limbs to fall across power lines, causing power outages. The smooth ice can also accumulate on roads making travel difficult.
So those are the three types of frozen precipitation that tend to get mixed up or used interchangeably.
Hopefully this guide will help you keep them straight so that you too can use the correct descriptions for what's falling from the sky.
I'm rather saddened at how few people seem to know the difference between hail, sleet and freezing rain. I do understand why it may be hard to keep them straight: all three are forms of precipitation that involve rain and ice, but all three are very unique and occur under very specific conditions.
What saddens me more is that meteorologists - rather than educating the masses - are dumbing down their terminology. Intellicast no longer uses the word "sleet" in its forecasts. They now use the term "ice pellets". Though this is indeed an accurate description of sleet, it does have a name and it's called "sleet".
So, what is the difference between the three?
Glad you asked for I'm here to answer!
Hail
Conditions - Typically warmer weather; more specifically during thunderstorms.
How's it made - Inside cumulonimbus clouds (the type that produce thunderstorms).
Hail starts as rain or small ice pellets that get kicked around within the towering cloud by wind.
The proto-hail gets thrown high up into the cloud where the air is colder and a layer of ice forms around it. When it gets too heavy for the winds to hold it aloft it falls to a lower portion of the cloud just to get tossed up again for another coating of ice.
Once it's too heavy for a repeat trip upwards, it falls to the earth as an uneven blob of ice.
Hail can damage crops, vehicles, and structures. Large hail can hurt people too.
A hail fall doesn't typically last too long and the hail itself tends to melt quickly as it usually occurs in the spring and summer months when the ground temperatures are rather warm.
Hail is an indication of severe weather and its presence can herald a tornado or intense thunderstorm.
Sleet
Conditions - When surface air temperatures temperatures are below freezing, but temperatures aloft (in the clouds) are above freezing.
How's it made - Sleet starts life in the clouds as rain. As it falls to the earth it freezes into little ice pellets. Unlike hail - which looks globular in nature and can be any size, sleet is evenly shaped and small (because it's just rain that turned to ice).
Sleet can fall with just as much intensity as rain and for as long as the temperatures are favorable for it to remain ice. Sleet though can easily switch over to snow (if the air gets cold enough), or rain/freezing rain (if the air gets warmer).
Freezing Rain
Conditions - When the surface air temperatures are above freezing, but the ground and surfaces touching the ground are below freezing.
How's it made - Freezing rain is liquid rain that...well, freezes as soon as it hits something.
This forms a smooth, even coating of ice on trees, cars, the ground, anything it lands on because those surfaces are colder than the air that's just warm enough to keep it liquid.
This ice build-up can bring down power lines or cause tree limbs to fall across power lines, causing power outages. The smooth ice can also accumulate on roads making travel difficult.
So those are the three types of frozen precipitation that tend to get mixed up or used interchangeably.
Hopefully this guide will help you keep them straight so that you too can use the correct descriptions for what's falling from the sky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)