Our author is taking a break, we promise you a fate can be chosen next edition!
‘I thought we had a lot more to buy?’ ‘Yeah, we did. But when I handed you the sour candy, I saw a giant crocodile acting as if it was a shopkeeper. We have to move.’
Remember- I’m in it only because Happiness and Moral asked me to make the general public aware of the world of
the gods. Eh, maybe also because they promised me to take me to Disney World tomorrow.
But I’m still grumpy. So listen carefully and don’t annoy me, okay?
‘Sausage, Joy?’ Happiness asked me.
‘Nah. Give that one to Dad.’
We were holding camp at Buffalo, shopping for nourishment and supplies. Losing the two major gods, Fortune and
Chaos had shaken us up. Basically, in the winter, we had a battle with Evil, a goddess who’d gone out of
control. We lost. Badly.
Chaos, Luck and Fortune, three of the major gods, died. Me, Mom, the goddess Death and Dad escaped only because
those three gods had died trying to save us. Then here we were, preparing for an all-out war with Evil and her
cronies.
‘Take this.’ Death, my sister, tossed me a sour candy packet. Buy one, get two free, it said. Eat them and
prepare to die from the sweetness!
Nah, packet, I thought to it. I’ve had enough deaths already, thank you very much. The pack didn’t reply.
‘Okay…’ Death took stock of the supplies we’d bought. ‘Cheese, check. Macaroni, check. Bread, jam, butter,
check. Pack up, guys! We have all the things we need for the next two days! Let’s
go!’ Her voice sounded a little strained.
‘Wha-?’ She stepped on my toes. I cornered her in the car to ask her about it.
‘What the heck was that? I thought we had a lot more to buy?’
‘Yeah, we did. I was just giving you the sour candy packet when I saw a giant crocodile acting as if it
was a shopkeeper. I can easily see through such glamors.’
‘Mr. Croc. Why didn’t you tell Moral or something?’
‘Why?’ But I was hardly listening to her. ‘Mom!’ I called.
‘I’m talking to Dad, Joy-’
‘Mom, Death says she saw Mr. Croc at the shop and that’s why she told us to leave.’
That made her go very still. ‘Death, is this true?’
Death looked sheepish. ‘Listen, Mom- I can explain. I was j-’
‘Death. Is this true?’
‘Well, yeah.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I took care of it myself. I mean, just because I’m younger than Joy by three years doesn’t mean I have to tell
you everything, Mom. I’m fifteen.’
‘Death. This is a serious thing. Tell these things to us immediately if you see them from now on. Right?’, she
added kind of menacingly.
‘Okay, mom.’
‘Yes. Now, - Yes, driver, put us down there- no, there- two lefts up- yes- thank you.’ We got out and Moral paid
the driver. We were walking towards the house, when a sudden movement to the left stopped us. ‘What’s that,
Mom?’ Death asked, looking curiously at the gold, green and blue glitter swirling in the air. Mom’s face
brightened up for the first time in weeks, and all of a sudden a thought struck me, and I knew who it was. Mom’s
voice brought me back to reality from the big world of joy.
‘Death- those are the standard colours of Luck.’
What makes being a conductor the hardest, is the ability to interpret a ‘score’ or a sheet of music. In order to become one, that person must have the ability to play more than at least 4 instrument
The person who leads the orchestra, standing between the musicians and the audience is the conductor. Most of
us can relate to a conductor as a person waving a thin flashy stick around; but many don’t actually realize the
value and importance of having an experienced conductor.
In the modern orchestra the conductor’s purpose is to direct the flow of music. In simple words, to cue
instruments and make sure the music comes to the audience just like the composer would have intended. Several
pieces have long breaks for many instruments and for a percussionist who has to play many instruments with a
short break; the conductor will cue when the performer has to move to the next instrument, or even for other
instruments to start playing.
To make a piece of music sound the way the composer would have liked is
much harder than it seems. Much of the music that is played by orchestras is by composers who aren’t alive, and
cannot make their intentions clear. What is written (the markings, lengths of notes, softness and loudness and
emphasis to be given to individual instruments when playing at once) is not as precise as it should be and the
conductor has to give it his/her own feel.
Practice makes one perfect and a conductor often heads the practice sessions for the orchestra, making several
instruments play solos to make sure everything sounds the way that the composer would have liked. If the
composer is are still alive, he/she will give tips on how to make it sounds better.
During a performance we have often seen the conductor waving around this stick. This is actually called a
‘baton’ and the conductor uses this to keep rhythm. Keeping rhythm is one of the most important things a
conductor has to do, because in an orchestra with several hundreds of instruments, each performer may play at
their own speed causing a lot of noise. So the conductor, acting as a human metronome keeps the time for the
orchestra. In fact, several different works have their own ‘time signature’ or the number of beats in a given
‘bar’. So, based on the time signature the composer moves the baton in different patterns or shapes. The easiest
to recognize are 2/4 and 3/4 – where in 2/4 he moves the baton up and down and 3/4 which is a triangle. They’re
easy to understand – shapes we all know.
What makes being a conductor the hardest, is the ability to interpret a ‘score’ or a sheet of music. In order to
become one, that person must have the ability to play more than at least 4 instruments or to read music and
interpret for all the instruments. Most are talented pianists who then decide to train as a
conductor. They must be able to deliver a piece properly, cue individual sections, read all the markings from a
score and keep in mind the ‘architecture of the piece’ or how the piece will sound if all the instruments play
the same passage of music at once. Unsurprisingly, most composers are conductors. After all, who knows better
how the music should sound than the person who wrote it?
A fun fact about conductors is that during the ‘baroque’ ages (between 1500 CE and 1700 CE) is that there wasn’t
a baton. To keep rhythm, they would have to pound a rod on the ground, so the entire ensemble could hear it.
This really didn’t work out because several conductors would often pound it on their foot accidentally and that
would lead to fatal hits!
So every time you listen to an orchestra, think about the conductor and the amount of hard work put behind the
scenes and onset, to ensure that you can enjoy a single piece of music.
do Oreo cookies taste better without dipping them in milk- all the giga chads dip marie biscuits in chai :sunglasses:
This is random but there are a bunch of puppies hanging out around my school and everyone would pet them and
give them treats after school got over- now that we have online I hope they’re still doing well :/
Whenever I start thinking of thoughts for 3am I get a bunch and once then forget all of them the second later-
It almost feels like a dream- generally I’m also a pretty forgetful person though. Sometimes I’ll walk into a
room and not know why I’m there; sometimes I’ll have something really important to do then forget what it was
because I was too lazy to jot it down.
If watches are the mini versions of clocks then does that make smart watches the mini version of ipads or
phones- o.0
So a while back my mom took me to a clothes shop and forced me to try on some clothes and I just realized how
much hate I have for trial rooms. The entire concept of a trial is just so weird- think about it.
You ever wonder if people can hear your music when you're wearing headphones and then panic-
Is it just
me or do Oreo cookies taste better without dipping them in milk- all the giga chads dip marie biscuits in chai
:sunglasses:
When I think about it school is an extremely weird concept- Like, every single day a bunch
of adolescents gather for 7 hours to learn the same things- and for mot people their lives kind of revolve
around it. And grades are kind of like a mark to test how much you’re willing to sacrifice to learn something
we’re not even interested in- unless you actually like it then gfy-
editor’s note: we have nothing against
school or the government haha please don’t sue us-
I’m actually really looking forward to learning how to drive, getting my driver’s licence and blasting random
songs while I go a 100 on the highway-
Why is everyone suddenly okay with bags of flour leaking- why
has no one updated flour sack technology but we’re all making toilets high tech
That is all for this edition, peace.
Cats are weird, I'm sure we can agree on that.
I’ve had a cat for about half a year now and I still
cannot understand what’s happening in the little feline’s brain. The way she has different mews for her every
need, why she constantly wants fresh food, the way she sleeps, her four small blushing paws sticking into the
air are all a complete enigma to me.
Cats are weird, I'm sure we can agree on that.
But what
triggers their peculiar behaviour? Is it something more than we can comprehend? Studying their every movement,
Felinology, the science of cats is rather intriguing. Cat behaviour is peculiar but with enough research, it can
be explained.
Here are a few widely believed cat myths:
• Cats are anti-social and unlovable -
An absolute lie. A lot of cats are highly social and enjoy human contact, a happy cat will rub you and purr in
your presence, which is a clear sign of affection.
• Cats are nocturnal - cats aren’t nocturnal, but
crepuscular, which means that they are most active during dawn and dusk, where the hunting opportunities are
abundant, and no, cats cannot see in complete darkness.
•They love milk - contrary to popular belief,
some cats are lactose intolerant, which means that many cats cannot digest cows’ milk unless they’ve been used
to it their whole life.
Feline sleeping positions and what they signify:
• The loaf - when
your cat sleeps with their body squared and all limbs tucked in, it means that they’re laid back but attentive
enough not to fall into too deep of a sleep.
• Belly up - when they sleep with their belly facing the
sky and their paws sticking out, this means that they are very comfortable in their environment and trust you.
• Sleeping on their side - when a cat sleeps on its side, this means it’s able to fall into a deep,
good sleep.
• Sleeping with their face closed- when your cat covers its face with its paws, this means
that they're trying to block out the sun, and are trying to keep their nose warm.
Signs that your cat
is content:
• A happy cat is a vocal cat - high pitched long meows is a sign of happiness in cats.
• A healthy appearance - a happy cat is healthy, and often grooms itself and sometimes even its humans
and other cats.
• Social sleeping - when your cat decides to sleep near you this means that you have a
healthy relationship with it.
• Purring - while purring can also signify other emotions, a happy cat is
relaxed, with its paws tucked in, purring.
• A healthy appetite - happy cats have good appetites. like
humans, unhappy cats tend to have a bad appetite, so if your kitty’s eating well, that might be a sign of
contentedness.
Cats are great, and I really hope people start to appreciate our little feline
blessings.
Shout out to Sansskrithi for answering the puzzle in the previous edition!
What has thirteen hearts but no other organs?
What runs all around a backyard, yet never moves?
What three numbers, none of which is zero, give the same result whether they’re added or multiplied?
Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?
What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
What begins with an “e” and only contains only one letter?
What is the end of everything?
I join as a Kursant but expected nothing less, the army needs soldiers. I’m going to do my best to protect Kiev, and help win the war.
Enter Kiev, Ukraine, in the twenty ninth day of the war between the two powers - Russia and the USA. There has
been tension between them for months, and Russia attacking Latvia was the last straw for the USA. Ukraine
decided to support Russia, so here I am, sitting in a building bombed by one of the hundreds of F-15s, F-16s and
F-35s.
Anyway, I’m Artem, your average job-searching 18 year old, stuck in Kiev fighting for my life. The government
hasn’t done anything to help us at all, they’re sitting in their mansions around the world, and anywhere the war
isn’t. It’s hard living under the constant threat of being bombed or getting caught in the middle of a tank
battle.
A grenade lands right in front of me. I can recognize the sound of a grenade anywhere, I run as fast as I can,
the blast hurts badly. I’ve been in the blast radius before, and the burns still haven’t healed. Just as soon as
I think I’m out of danger, I see three soldiers of the Ukrainian army. I freeze, I don’t want to mess with them
and risk my life. The strongest looking of the three asks “What’s your name, where are you from?”
I take a deep breath and answer “Artem, Kiev”
“Kiev? That wasteland? It’s been thoroughly bombed by the Americans, you shouldn’t stay there, join us back to
the base.”
“Yes, I will join you.” I’m overjoyed, I would be much safer there, and I could enlist in the army and finally
get a job. We get in the armoured car and drive to the base. The streets of Kiev have become lonely; almost
everyone in Kiev fled or died in all the warfare. At least my family is safe in Warsaw.
On the way to the base the soldier reveals that his name is Anatoly and is a major in the Ukrainian army.
Anatoly takes me to a dorm once we reach the base and tells me I can stay there, but I’m not sitting down here
and doing nothing, I’m going to enlist.
A few days later I get a letter, my enlistment in the army was accepted. I join as a Kursant but expected
nothing less, the army needs soldiers. I ‘m going to do my best to protect Kiev, and help win the war.
Disaster struck.
According to spies, a minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was headed straight for Kiev. We had to
evacuate the base and leave to Boryspil in an Ilyushin Il 78. Kiev was going to be reduced to ashes, this nuke
was fifteen times more powerful than the one used in Hiroshima. We didn’t have a missile defence system either
and stood no chance. I bid farewell to Kiev and got on the plane. The nuke detonated soon after we landed in
Boryspil, there was a huge dark cloud in the sky, and a nuclear winter to look forward to.
To be continued in edition 13…
Not a good idea, because water plus metal plus electricity equals BOOM!
“Adam, are you okay?”
Everything was blurry. I tried to wake up, but I couldn’t.
“Adam! Wake up! ADAM!”
I woke up with a start. I got up to my feet, and took a moment to realize that I wasn’t in the maze anymore. I
was back in the forest, the maze right next to me. I found Leo right next to me, who told me that after I passed
out, they found an exit and left the maze, carrying me without any encounters with that weird monster. Then
while Leo tried to wake me up, Amber went ahead with the forest to see if there was anything else to deal with.
Right as we were discussing why I fainted, I saw Amber in the distance, running toward us. She screamed,
“Leo! Adam! Run! A sign further ahead says, You better hurry. Something will start chasing you...”
Ah.
What else could exit the maze, other than that monster?
We ran. That was our only option. Somehow, the
monster wasn’t as fast as it was in the dark maze. So, the monster only attacked us quickly when it blew out the
fire. Which meant that it was much less powerful under the daylight.
“Amber! Leo! Stop running! The
monster is less powerful and slow at day! That’s the reason why we couldn’t beat it at the maze. But now, we can
defeat it!”
“Are you sure, Adam?” Said Amber as she slowed down.
We stopped and faced the
monster. “Well, so it’s time to kill Mr. Creaky Stick then.” Said Leo.
It lunged towards Leo. “Grrrr…“
It trailed off. It tried stabbing Leo with its claw, but Leo blocked the attack with his sword and he was safe.
The story was not the same for his blade though. It snapped in two, just like his wand, when he was attacked for
the second time.
Amber attacked the monster. “LEO! Are you alright?!”
The monster parried the
attack with its claw. “Yeah, I’m fine.”, said Leo as he threw more exploding berries at the monster. “My weapons
though…”
“We can get more, don’t worry. Amethius told me he has plenty, and so did Arbeal.” I said,
while attacking the monster with a combination of fire and electricity. The monster took the hit, and jumped
into a nearby pool to extinguish the fire. Not a good idea, because a metal body plus water plus electricity
equals BOOM! It short-circuited, and then drowned.
“Well, that was easy.” Said Amber.
We walked
further on, and reached the end of the forest. There wasn’t much of a gate or anything. After a while, the trees
just got lesser in number until there were no trees at all. That meant we had successfully left the forest in
one piece. We had passed the test.
“Great job, guys!” I said as I fainted again.
To be continued in edition 13…
Varsha: Our amazing comic illustrator! She finds inspiration in the small, vague
details
hidden in the world, and incorporates them into her everything.
Jyotsna: The first to introduce the bob obsession, she’s the peacekeeper (I see you
hunger
games fans), is on the tranquil side of our team, and writes stellar articles.
Aadhav: our talented pianist! He loves anything musical, from singing to of course,
playing
the piano. He loves sports too, and is an avid Agatha Christie fan.
Moukthika: Our Artist! Her art skills are next level - Even buzzfeed agrees that she’s
artsy and she cooks really well.
Bhargavi: She’s our editor and personal kpop spammer; expert at burning toast. She’s
also
everyone’s (self proclaimed) favourite unnie.
Vedika: The one team member who’s up before the sun with a smile, she’s our motivator.
She’s a part of our photography gang, and contributes art and articles every other edition too!
Darshan: Our photographer, tech enthusiast, and self-proclaimed halo sweat who is supposed to help code the website.
Aravind: Fellow youtube animator addict, he's known to be talkative and lighten the
mood
anywhere he goes! He contributes both articles and stories.
Paddy: known by the name ‘Evil.’, he’s our evil, chaotic teammate. He’s the inventor of
a
language we’re proud to use. He talks equally as often as Favorite Unnie, and is the author of the
regular
section, 3 am brain factory produce.
Sriram: A voracious reader with his interest in a variety of genres, his fingers can do
magic with both pen and brush. He loves cooking and eats cricket for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Anhiti: The youngest here, she makes the website for the particle. Famous for
convincing
us to save the reefs – budding artist and author. (Don’t tell her, but she’s basically kpop spammer
#2.)
