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Authors seem to be feeling more empowered to speak out about how faithful adaptations are, sometimes even before they’re being released. Under what conditions do you want to hear from authors about their concerns?
Authors seem to be feeling more empowered to speak out about how faithful adaptations are, sometimes even before they’re being released. Under what conditions do you want to hear from authors about their concerns?
Service had given a rare order in directing Offlas Keil to land on Clio in search of Forerunner treasure; and Keil had given a more startling one in attaching his niece Roane to the expedition. For Clio was a closed planet. Settled centuries ago as a Psychocrat experiment, its colonists had been brain-cleared, implanted with false memories, conditioned to obey the machines of the Psychrocrat installation, and left to evolve as they might. When rediscovered, Clio had been sealed - for the impact the truth might have upon its people could not be calculated, or risked. Nonetheless Keil had been ordered to touch down in Reveny, one of the small archaic kingdoms that had evolved on Clio amidst dynastic intrigues and skirmishes which seemed, to an onlooker from the stars, a giant game.
Roane, could not have foreseen her part in that game, no more than that she was part of an even larger game. Though forbidden to interfere in Clio's destiny, Roane is compelled by an emotion she does not recognize to do just that. She consents to aid the heiress to Reveny's thrown, Princess Ludorica, in her search for the lost Ice Crown - a gift from the "Guardians" to the royal line, and source of the power of rule. Roane's growing loyalty to Ludorcia, strengthened as the web of Revney's intrigue closes about them, leads her to a bitter choice - a choice that carries with it the dread knowledge of the Ice Crown's true and hitherto unsuspected powers, and frees Roane from her own more subtle slavery.
As far as I know, there’s no sequel to this book (though it’s obviously within the Forerunner universe.) Which is a shame because I really became invested in Roane’s story, especially her relationships with the princess and those who serve her. Their struggle becomes Roane’s, bringing her own personal struggle into the fore.
It’s the sort of story that Norton was known for; an outcast in their own world, the protagonist takes part in a struggle on a new world, so that ultimately that struggle becomes her own.
The book is well paced, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
( Mount TBR 2026 Book Links 1-35 )
36. Endymion (Hyperion Cantos #3) by Dan Simmons
37. Artifact by Kevin J. Anderson, Janet Berliner, F. Paul Wilson
38. Death in a Scarlet Gown (Murray of Letho 1) by Lexie Conyngham
39. The King's Bed (Shadows of the Crown #5) by Margaret Campbell Barnes
40. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
41. Daughter of Earth and Water: A Biography of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley by Noel B. Gerson
42. John Plantagenet by Freda M. Long
43. Upgrade by Blake Crouch
44. To Wake the Giant: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Jeff Shaara
45. Ice Crown by Andre Norton
SEPTEMBER - Orbit, Hot, Daydream, Endure, Curse, Ice, Decay, Smile
As ever, I started watching this due to my husband R watching it. As ever, I said "what's this nonsense you're watching now?" then got totally absorbed in it. This happens about half the time, the last time I got this absorbed in one of his shows was Shadowhunters. I LOVED that show.
But Hawaii Five-O is more or less perfect. It has the feisty bromance where we know Danny and Steve love each other but can't stop arguing. The beautiful location of Hawaii. The believable, diverse characters i.e. they aren't all old white men, far from it. The good mixture of exciting action, believable emotion, and genuine humour. The slow gathering of a team over the seasons where more and more characters are drawn into Danny, Steve, Chin and Kono's circle.
The only problem is, I'm not desperate to rush off and write fanfics about this show, probably because it IS so well written and comprehensive. Which is nice and relaxing in a way, it's like having a rest watching something so complete that I don't feel the need to fanfic it.
It is also interesting to see how far the male buddy cop show has come since The Professionals. In the 1970s when Bodie and Doyle were the stars, there is no way in hell that they would have said "I love you" to each other in times of stress. The show, the characters and the actors would have been dragged through the mud in the homophobic 1970s and probably ended up being cancelled.
I can only remember Doyle crying once in The Professionals when Bodie nearly died of his injuries, and Bodie might have cried once but I can't remember clearly. Maybe over a girl? Maybe when Doyle nearly died of his injuries? But they certainly weren't saying "I love you" for the reasons above.
It is good to see that men in the 2010s when Hawaii Five-O was made, and since then, are comfortable enough to say "I love you", cuddle up on the sofa and flirt with each other, yet no one makes a big deal of it. It's okay for men to show emotions and not be macho and stoic 24/7.
I am a firm believer in and supporter of, men showing and speaking their feelings. The only one they are 'allowed' to show in the 2020s (have we regressed?) is anger. That is seen as a 'manly' emotion. If men were allowed to show ALL their emotions, they wouldn't have to channel all of them into anger, and the world would be a happier and safer place.
Conversely, women are not allowed to show anger, it is disapproved of and gets us labelled 'crazy' 'a bitch' 'hormonal' and so on. Women should also be allowed to show ALL our emotions, not just the cute ones like sadness and helplessness. We don't need to be rescued 24/7.
Actually thinking about it, the women in Hawaii Five-O ARE allowed to show anger. Kono, Catherine and Lori are often angry about things, and again, no one makes a big deal of it. And all the characters are constantly faced with upsetting and horrific situations, and so all of them, male and female alike, are often crying about something.
Anyway, I've gone off at a huge tangent. But I'm really enjoying Hawaii Five-O!
But Hawaii Five-O is more or less perfect. It has the feisty bromance where we know Danny and Steve love each other but can't stop arguing. The beautiful location of Hawaii. The believable, diverse characters i.e. they aren't all old white men, far from it. The good mixture of exciting action, believable emotion, and genuine humour. The slow gathering of a team over the seasons where more and more characters are drawn into Danny, Steve, Chin and Kono's circle.
The only problem is, I'm not desperate to rush off and write fanfics about this show, probably because it IS so well written and comprehensive. Which is nice and relaxing in a way, it's like having a rest watching something so complete that I don't feel the need to fanfic it.
It is also interesting to see how far the male buddy cop show has come since The Professionals. In the 1970s when Bodie and Doyle were the stars, there is no way in hell that they would have said "I love you" to each other in times of stress. The show, the characters and the actors would have been dragged through the mud in the homophobic 1970s and probably ended up being cancelled.
I can only remember Doyle crying once in The Professionals when Bodie nearly died of his injuries, and Bodie might have cried once but I can't remember clearly. Maybe over a girl? Maybe when Doyle nearly died of his injuries? But they certainly weren't saying "I love you" for the reasons above.
It is good to see that men in the 2010s when Hawaii Five-O was made, and since then, are comfortable enough to say "I love you", cuddle up on the sofa and flirt with each other, yet no one makes a big deal of it. It's okay for men to show emotions and not be macho and stoic 24/7.
I am a firm believer in and supporter of, men showing and speaking their feelings. The only one they are 'allowed' to show in the 2020s (have we regressed?) is anger. That is seen as a 'manly' emotion. If men were allowed to show ALL their emotions, they wouldn't have to channel all of them into anger, and the world would be a happier and safer place.
Conversely, women are not allowed to show anger, it is disapproved of and gets us labelled 'crazy' 'a bitch' 'hormonal' and so on. Women should also be allowed to show ALL our emotions, not just the cute ones like sadness and helplessness. We don't need to be rescued 24/7.
Actually thinking about it, the women in Hawaii Five-O ARE allowed to show anger. Kono, Catherine and Lori are often angry about things, and again, no one makes a big deal of it. And all the characters are constantly faced with upsetting and horrific situations, and so all of them, male and female alike, are often crying about something.
Anyway, I've gone off at a huge tangent. But I'm really enjoying Hawaii Five-O!
clay·more [ˈkleɪmɔː]
noun
1. a broadsword formerly used by Scottish Highlanders, typically double-edged.
2. a type of anti-personnel mine.
examples
1.“I used to like the big sword claymore, but now … now they have to make them all splody and full of — what do you call that stuff, Nemain?” A Dirty Job, Christopher Moore.
2. La Forge was amused to note that where Picard used to have a fish tank, Scotty had a shield and a couple of claymore swords. Star Trek The Next Generation David A. McIntee 2011
origin
Scottish Gaelic claidheamh mór, literally, great sword
noun
1. a broadsword formerly used by Scottish Highlanders, typically double-edged.
2. a type of anti-personnel mine.
examples
1.“I used to like the big sword claymore, but now … now they have to make them all splody and full of — what do you call that stuff, Nemain?” A Dirty Job, Christopher Moore.
2. La Forge was amused to note that where Picard used to have a fish tank, Scotty had a shield and a couple of claymore swords. Star Trek The Next Generation David A. McIntee 2011
origin
Scottish Gaelic claidheamh mór, literally, great sword
The very large tree they cut down one year ago in my neighbour's garden is growing back! It was a mighty giant, it saved us from flooding, but now it is growing back and already taller than the fence! It is pretty good to see it again.😊
The blossom trees they cut down in spring might not come back though, I think they removed them pretty thoroughly 🙁
And! The azalea that appeared dead in the heatwave is still alive! I was cutting back the brambles the other day and tried to break off an azalea twig poking at me, but I couldn't. It bounced back and refused to break, and so did the other ones I tried. So this is a sure sign the azalea lives! Thank goodness. Seems like it was just the leaves that died in the drought. It had 8 whole months to get its roots settled before the drought, so that must have helped.
Plants so often bounce back.
Happy Monday!
The blossom trees they cut down in spring might not come back though, I think they removed them pretty thoroughly 🙁
And! The azalea that appeared dead in the heatwave is still alive! I was cutting back the brambles the other day and tried to break off an azalea twig poking at me, but I couldn't. It bounced back and refused to break, and so did the other ones I tried. So this is a sure sign the azalea lives! Thank goodness. Seems like it was just the leaves that died in the drought. It had 8 whole months to get its roots settled before the drought, so that must have helped.
Plants so often bounce back.
Happy Monday!
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communal_creators is a community built around ALL creative efforts, with a focus on supporting one another through the variety of trials being creative can be.Welcome and Rules, plus we are having sign ups for our fourth annual main event that kicks off on September 15th.
Come take a look and see if we can support you creating!
communal_creators - I signed up for the tier 3 time, 60 minutes a day! It does weekly averages, so if I cut it short one day, I can add it to other days. Which is good, because there are some days when we go into the city or go on an adventure that is mostly an all day time of thing, and when I get home I do not want to be creative, lol. I also just joined
booknook because being chatty about books is fun, when I manage to read books! Reading books is DIFFICULT but I very much try. And being part of a community is very nice. :3 Also! Round one of
xoverbingo has started! And since all I want to do is crossovers and fusions, this is definitely something I had to sign up for. :3 ( card under here! )I'm not going for a blackout because those never go well, but there's a couple of rows and columns I can work with!
I have gym this morning, wehhhhh I'm not feeling it, but after that I think I'm going to (shower) go to a coffee shop and see if I can get some work done in my Primarch Week things. I STARTED WITH THE 6TH DAY INSTEAD OF AN EARLIER DAY and it has five people in it, so I'm like oh nooooooo, I gotta get something prepared for the earlier daaaaays, aaaaaahhhh.
What I'm saying is, fandom is being great fun and I'm having a good time, lmao. ♥ ♥ ♥
kenspeckle [ken-spek-uhl]
adjective:
(Scot/North England) conspicuous; easily seen or recognized.
(click to enlarge)
Examples:
They are a kenspeckle pair... but Ballantrae is probably the last place you’d expect to find them. Wee Jimmy Krankie and his 'dad' Ian arrived in the village to a showbiz reception. (Charles McNulty, The Krankies thrill Ballantrae villagers as they surprise comedy fans with surprise appearance at community group, Daily Record, July 2017)
For almost fifty years Jonathan Wills has been a kenspeckle figure on the Scottish scene, writes journalist, author and playwright George Rosie. (An intriguing account of Wills’ exploits and encounters, Shetland News, December 2021)
Melvin Dalgarno, a kenspeckle figure in North-east agriculture, has died at Muirhead Care Home, Muir of Fowlis, Alford, at the age of 88. (Melvin Dalgarno – a popular and well-respected auctioneer, The Scottish Farmer, November 2017)
He became a kenspeckle figure round the edges of the course and was soon on bonnet-lifting terms with most of the regulars. (Anna Blair, The Goose Girl of Eriska)
He had a pointed beard . . . which in a time of shaven men made him kenspeckle (Samuel Rutherford Crockett, The Raiders)
She had little, as she said, to make 'her kenspeckle when she didna speak'. (Sir Walter Scott, Midlothian)
Origin:
Apparently a derivation, in -le of English dialect kenspeck, 'conspicuous' probably of Scandinavian origin.
Thorson Anglo-Norse Studies I. (1936) suggests a combination. of ken to recognise, identify, and speck a small mark on anything (cf modern northern English, especially Yorkshire dialect kensmark and kensmarked and Ken-speckled) (Dictionaries of the Scots Language)
The shorter form kenspeck appeared in the 1580s. The extended form kenspeckle (adding the suffix -le) emerged in written Scottish and Northern English dialects by the early 1700s. Folk etymology sometimes mistakenly links it to 'speckles' or freckles, though it is unrelated. (Oxford English Dictionary)
Welcome to the weekly roundup post! What are you watching this week? What are you excited about?
New York Times bestselling author Jeff Shaara takes on Pearl Harbor, the world-changing attack that catapulted America into World War II, in a novel featuring his trademark "you are there" immediacy.
The master of military fiction details the lead-up to the attack, the events of that terrible Sunday in December, and the aftermath with his signature sense of urgency and intensity. Based on voluminous research and unprecedented access to the archives at the Pearl Harbor memorial and museum in Honolulu, among many other sources, this is destined to be one of Shaara's definitive works and most enduring bestsellers.
Shaara is a past master at bringing history to life. His novels dealing with the Civil War made it an especial interest of mine. World War II was already on my radar, but this novel really brought it, and especially the attack on Pearl Harbor, into focus. While many of the characters were real people, even those who were not were crafted from the first person accounts of several enlisted sailors present at the attack.
These characters, real and imagined, especially those stationed at Pearl Harbor, make the novel. We come to know the men as they go about their daily lives, unaware of what is to come.
I don’t think I’ve read a novel about the attack that was so vivid. It made what many of the men experienced more real. It also laid to rest many of the conspiracies that surround the attack. That the US was so unprepared, and so sure of Japan’s military inabilities, seem to have been the main reasons that the attack was so successful.
( Mount TBR 2026 Book Links 1-35 )
36. Endymion (Hyperion Cantos #3) by Dan Simmons
37. Artifact by Kevin J. Anderson, Janet Berliner, F. Paul Wilson
38. Death in a Scarlet Gown (Murray of Letho 1) by Lexie Conyngham
39. The King's Bed (Shadows of the Crown #5) by Margaret Campbell Barnes
40. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
41. Daughter of Earth and Water: A Biography of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley by Noel B. Gerson
42. John Plantagenet by Freda M. Long
43. Upgrade by Blake Crouch
44. To Wake the Giant: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Jeff Shaara
SEPTEMBER- Based in Truth - Read a book that is based on real-life events.
1. What arts or crafts do you spend time on these days?
Not sure it's an art or craft but I do writing, writing, writing, nothing else. I'm quite boring in that respect. Does writing count?
2. What arts or crafts have you stopped doing, and why?
I've done a few in the past - silver jewellery making, encaustic art (melted wax), pottery, drawing. I stopped mainly because I didn't have the equipment at home for most of them, and I prefer writing to drawing.
3. What new art or craft are you interested in trying?
I wanted to do candle making but I found a course on Udemy that explained how to do it, and gosh it looked boring.
4. Are you more of an experimental craftsperson, or do you tend more toward the traditional?
Really, I'm not a craftsperson at all, but it's mainly because I have terrible eyesight, and I need to use my eyes for my writing and my job. If I spent a lot of time peering at crafts as well I think my eyes would fall out.
5. Choose your favorite, and explain why: line shape form light color texture.
I like LOOKING at arts and crafts. I always enjoyed the Pre-Raphaelites' paintings because they are brightly coloured, romantic and kind of fluffy looking.
EDIT: I realised I answered no. 5 completely wrong 🤣
Out of that list, I choose...colour. I'm a very visual person and I like the different types of colour- shade, tint, tone, hue and working out which colour is which type and what goes with what.
Not sure it's an art or craft but I do writing, writing, writing, nothing else. I'm quite boring in that respect. Does writing count?
2. What arts or crafts have you stopped doing, and why?
I've done a few in the past - silver jewellery making, encaustic art (melted wax), pottery, drawing. I stopped mainly because I didn't have the equipment at home for most of them, and I prefer writing to drawing.
3. What new art or craft are you interested in trying?
I wanted to do candle making but I found a course on Udemy that explained how to do it, and gosh it looked boring.
4. Are you more of an experimental craftsperson, or do you tend more toward the traditional?
Really, I'm not a craftsperson at all, but it's mainly because I have terrible eyesight, and I need to use my eyes for my writing and my job. If I spent a lot of time peering at crafts as well I think my eyes would fall out.
5. Choose your favorite, and explain why: line shape form light color texture.
I like LOOKING at arts and crafts. I always enjoyed the Pre-Raphaelites' paintings because they are brightly coloured, romantic and kind of fluffy looking.
EDIT: I realised I answered no. 5 completely wrong 🤣
Out of that list, I choose...colour. I'm a very visual person and I like the different types of colour- shade, tint, tone, hue and working out which colour is which type and what goes with what.
From the porch at dusk I watched
a kingfisher wild in flight
he could only have made for joy.
He came down the river, splashing
against the water’s dimming face
like a skipped rock, passing
on down out of sight. And still
I could hear the splashes
farther and farther away
as it grew darker. He came back
the same way, dusky as his shadow,
sudden beyond the willows.
The splashes went on out of hearing.
It was dark then. Somewhere
the night had accommodated him
—at the place he was headed for
or where, led by his delight,
he came.
* * * * * *
I found this one in the process of sending "September 2" to some friends; one of the friends likes kingfishers.
§rf§
a kingfisher wild in flight
he could only have made for joy.
He came down the river, splashing
against the water’s dimming face
like a skipped rock, passing
on down out of sight. And still
I could hear the splashes
farther and farther away
as it grew darker. He came back
the same way, dusky as his shadow,
sudden beyond the willows.
The splashes went on out of hearing.
It was dark then. Somewhere
the night had accommodated him
—at the place he was headed for
or where, led by his delight,
he came.
* * * * * *
I found this one in the process of sending "September 2" to some friends; one of the friends likes kingfishers.
§rf§
1. What arts or crafts do you spend time on these days?
2. What arts or crafts have you stopped doing, and why?
3. What new art or craft are you interested in trying?
4. Are you more of an experimental craftsperson, or do you tend more toward the traditional?
5. Choose your favorite, and explain why: line shape form light color texture
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
**Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going. Also, please remember to play nice. We are all here to answer the questions and have fun each week. We repost the questions exactly as the original posters submitted them and request that all questions be checked for spelling and grammatical errors before they're submitted. Comments re: the spelling and grammatical nature of the questions are not necessary. Honestly, any hostile, rude, petty, or unnecessary comments need not be posted, either.**
2. What arts or crafts have you stopped doing, and why?
3. What new art or craft are you interested in trying?
4. Are you more of an experimental craftsperson, or do you tend more toward the traditional?
5. Choose your favorite, and explain why: line shape form light color texture
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
**Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going. Also, please remember to play nice. We are all here to answer the questions and have fun each week. We repost the questions exactly as the original posters submitted them and request that all questions be checked for spelling and grammatical errors before they're submitted. Comments re: the spelling and grammatical nature of the questions are not necessary. Honestly, any hostile, rude, petty, or unnecessary comments need not be posted, either.**
chartaceous (adjective)
[kahr-tey-shuhs] / kɑrˈteɪ ʃəs /
• of or like paper; papery
etymology: First recorded in 1645–55, chartaceous is from the Latin word chartāceus made of papyrus.
Hypericum nudiflorum (aka Early St. John's-wort) has chartaceous leaves:
(source: Atlas of Florida Plants)
[kahr-tey-shuhs] / kɑrˈteɪ ʃəs /
• of or like paper; papery
etymology: First recorded in 1645–55, chartaceous is from the Latin word chartāceus made of papyrus.
Hypericum nudiflorum (aka Early St. John's-wort) has chartaceous leaves:
(source: Atlas of Florida Plants)
September 2
Wendell Berry
In the evening, there were flocks of nighthawks
passing southward over the valley. The tall
sunflowers stood, burning on their stalks
to cold seed, by the still river. And high
up the birds rose into sight against the darkening
clouds. The tossed themselves among the fading
landscapes of the sky, like rags, as in
abandonment to the summons their blood knew.
And in my mind, where had stood a garden
straining to the light, there grew
an acceptance of decline. Having worked,
I would sleep, my leaves all dissolved in flight.
* * * * * *
As promised.
I love this one.
The imagery, so rooted in the real world and yet so massive and powerful. I love the nighthawks. If I had to choose a favorite line, it might be "burning on their stalks / to cold seed."
Structurally, I am noticing that the sentences, while they don't align with the line breaks, each have an almost couplet structure -- first an image that could stand as a sort of question or challenge, so powerful and irreducible is it, and then something like an answer, or refinement, or clarification.
I almost don't need the final thought because the imagery is so powerful, though I like the thought in itself.
§rf§
Wendell Berry
In the evening, there were flocks of nighthawks
passing southward over the valley. The tall
sunflowers stood, burning on their stalks
to cold seed, by the still river. And high
up the birds rose into sight against the darkening
clouds. The tossed themselves among the fading
landscapes of the sky, like rags, as in
abandonment to the summons their blood knew.
And in my mind, where had stood a garden
straining to the light, there grew
an acceptance of decline. Having worked,
I would sleep, my leaves all dissolved in flight.
* * * * * *
As promised.
I love this one.
The imagery, so rooted in the real world and yet so massive and powerful. I love the nighthawks. If I had to choose a favorite line, it might be "burning on their stalks / to cold seed."
Structurally, I am noticing that the sentences, while they don't align with the line breaks, each have an almost couplet structure -- first an image that could stand as a sort of question or challenge, so powerful and irreducible is it, and then something like an answer, or refinement, or clarification.
I almost don't need the final thought because the imagery is so powerful, though I like the thought in itself.
§rf§
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Mode (noun)
mode [mohd]
NOUN
1. a manner of acting or doing; method; way: modern modes of transportation.
2. a particular type or form of something: Heat is a mode of motion.
3. a designated condition or status, as for performing a task or responding to a problem: a machine in the automatic mode.
4. Philosophy.
a. appearance, form, or disposition taken by a thing, or by one of its essential properties or attributes.
b. (in the philosophy of Spinoza) one of the nonessential qualifications of God, contingent upon other modes.
5. Logic.
a. modality.
b. mood.
6. Music. any of various arrangements of the diatonic tones of an octave, differing from one another in the order of the whole steps and half steps; a type or variation of a scale.
7. Grammar. mood.
8. Statistics. the value of the variate at which a relative or absolute maximum occurs in the frequency distribution of the variate.
9. Petrography. the actual mineral composition of a rock, expressed in percentages by weight.
10. Physics. any of the distinct patterns of oscillation that a given periodically varying system can have.
SCIENTIFIC
11. The value that occurs most frequently in a data set. For example, in the set 125, 140, 172, 164, 140, 110, the mode is 140.
12. Compare arithmetic mean average median
Related Words
approach, condition, fashion, form, mechanism, method, posture, procedure, process, quality, situation, status, style, system, technique, tone
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonym Usage
See method.
Usage
What’s the difference between mode, median, mean, and average? In the context of mathematics and statistics, the mode of a set of values is the most frequently repeated value in the set. In contrast, the median is the middle number in a set of values when those values are arranged from smallest to largest. The word mean refers to what’s informally called the average—the sum of a set of values divided by the number of values.
The word average is of course also very commonly used in more general ways. In math, though, it’s helpful to use more specific terms when determining the most representative or common value in a set of numbers.
To illustrate the difference, let’s look at an example set of seven values: 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9. The mode is simply the value that shows up the most. In the example set, the mode is 3, since it occurs twice and all the other values occur only once.
To get the mean of this set, you’d add up all the values (2+3+3+4+6+8+9=35) and then divide that total by the number of values (7), resulting in a mean of 5. This is what most people are referring to when they refer to the average of some set of numbers.
To find the median, you have to find the one that’s sequentially in the middle. In a set of seven numbers arranged in increasing value, the median is the fourth number (since there are three before and three after). In this set (2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), the median is 4. When a set has an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two middle values.
Origin: First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mod(e), from Old French or directly from Latin modus “measured amount, limit, manner, kind, tone”
Example Sentences
“You can be in a sort of magpie mode where you’re always looking for things to use, and spiriting those things back to your creative process,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
This is, more or less, my grandmother’s domestic mode.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Many employers are in a low-hire, low-fire mode.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than three months and means the nervous system stays stuck in emergency mode.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Back at the controls, I finally discovered the button for flight mode.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
Mode (noun)
mode [mohd]
NOUN
1. a manner of acting or doing; method; way: modern modes of transportation.
2. a particular type or form of something: Heat is a mode of motion.
3. a designated condition or status, as for performing a task or responding to a problem: a machine in the automatic mode.
4. Philosophy.
a. appearance, form, or disposition taken by a thing, or by one of its essential properties or attributes.
b. (in the philosophy of Spinoza) one of the nonessential qualifications of God, contingent upon other modes.
5. Logic.
a. modality.
b. mood.
6. Music. any of various arrangements of the diatonic tones of an octave, differing from one another in the order of the whole steps and half steps; a type or variation of a scale.
7. Grammar. mood.
8. Statistics. the value of the variate at which a relative or absolute maximum occurs in the frequency distribution of the variate.
9. Petrography. the actual mineral composition of a rock, expressed in percentages by weight.
10. Physics. any of the distinct patterns of oscillation that a given periodically varying system can have.
SCIENTIFIC
11. The value that occurs most frequently in a data set. For example, in the set 125, 140, 172, 164, 140, 110, the mode is 140.
12. Compare arithmetic mean average median
Related Words
approach, condition, fashion, form, mechanism, method, posture, procedure, process, quality, situation, status, style, system, technique, tone
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonym Usage
See method.
Usage
What’s the difference between mode, median, mean, and average? In the context of mathematics and statistics, the mode of a set of values is the most frequently repeated value in the set. In contrast, the median is the middle number in a set of values when those values are arranged from smallest to largest. The word mean refers to what’s informally called the average—the sum of a set of values divided by the number of values.
The word average is of course also very commonly used in more general ways. In math, though, it’s helpful to use more specific terms when determining the most representative or common value in a set of numbers.
To illustrate the difference, let’s look at an example set of seven values: 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9. The mode is simply the value that shows up the most. In the example set, the mode is 3, since it occurs twice and all the other values occur only once.
To get the mean of this set, you’d add up all the values (2+3+3+4+6+8+9=35) and then divide that total by the number of values (7), resulting in a mean of 5. This is what most people are referring to when they refer to the average of some set of numbers.
To find the median, you have to find the one that’s sequentially in the middle. In a set of seven numbers arranged in increasing value, the median is the fourth number (since there are three before and three after). In this set (2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), the median is 4. When a set has an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two middle values.
Origin: First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mod(e), from Old French or directly from Latin modus “measured amount, limit, manner, kind, tone”
Example Sentences
“You can be in a sort of magpie mode where you’re always looking for things to use, and spiriting those things back to your creative process,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
This is, more or less, my grandmother’s domestic mode.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Many employers are in a low-hire, low-fire mode.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than three months and means the nervous system stays stuck in emergency mode.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Back at the controls, I finally discovered the button for flight mode.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
I meant to make another post before August ended but here we are at September 1st. Somehow???? Somehow. Even though it feels way too soon to be September, I'm looking forward to it. All of the -ber months tbh. ESPECIALLY now that I know there are so many things that grow well in the fall/winter. With how iffy produce in the US is getting, I want to grow as much home as I can. I just planted 30 radishes in the whiskey barrel!
Today is going to be a pretty quiet day, as yesterday I did A MILLION house chores and tomorrow I have therapy at 11a, an appointment to get my RealID so I can actually fly again at 3:15p (I didn't realize driver's licenses didn't work for that anymore!), and then a dance fitness class at 6:45p.
Speaking of dance fitness, I've been working on health/fitness. ( Cutting for talking of weight loss, body positivity/negativity, self-esteem issues, and WORKING OUT )
Today is going to be a pretty quiet day, as yesterday I did A MILLION house chores and tomorrow I have therapy at 11a, an appointment to get my RealID so I can actually fly again at 3:15p (I didn't realize driver's licenses didn't work for that anymore!), and then a dance fitness class at 6:45p.
Speaking of dance fitness, I've been working on health/fitness. ( Cutting for talking of weight loss, body positivity/negativity, self-esteem issues, and WORKING OUT )
Quag Keep was the first novel based on the world of Dungeons & Dragons by the legendary grand mistress of SF/Fantasy, Andre Norton. Once, they were role-playing gamers in our world. They came from different places and different backgrounds. Now they're summoned together by some magical force...to a land that mirrors the games they used to play. Quag Keep Can they band together to unlock the secret of their summoning--and rescue from the legendary Quag Keep the person who may be able to return them home?
One thing I’ve always liked about Norton’s novels is how much I come to care for the characters. There’s so much to them, more than just the part they play in whatever events are going on. Unfortunately, I can’t say that about this particular book.
None of the characters have much of a back story. Having never read a book based on a game before, I was taken aback at how it’s just one thing after another, no time to catch your breath, which I assume is how games are (having never played one.) There’s no time for the characters involved, to get to know them. They’re little more than place holders.
Because the story is mostly seen from his POV, the character of Milo Jagon, a swordsman, is somewhat filled out, but not by much. It’s a shame, because I can see how he could have been a truly wonderful character. I saw bits of it near the end of the story, but it was much too late to save the book.
( Mount TBR 2026 Book Links 1-35 )
36. Endymion (Hyperion Cantos #3) by Dan Simmons
37. Artifact by Kevin J. Anderson, Janet Berliner, F. Paul Wilson
38. Death in a Scarlet Gown (Murray of Letho 1) by Lexie Conyngham
39. The King's Bed (Shadows of the Crown #5) by Margaret Campbell Barnes
40. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
41. Daughter of Earth and Water: A Biography of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley by Noel B. Gerson
42. John Plantagenet by Freda M. Long
43. Upgrade by Blake Crouch
44. Quag Keep (Greyhawk #1) by Andre Norton
There have been articles about how people are circumventing payments for streaming or even cable/satellite content, citing a litany of issues with both costs and service. Meanwhile, popular devices being used have been shown to be a serious malware risk which could lead to ISPs cutting users' internet service.
What are the biggest drawbacks of cable vs streaming vs TV license fees for you? At what point could something become too much trouble to watch?
The woods is shining this morning.
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall,
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its grace is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
“He moves your bones, and the way is clear.”
* * * * * *
Can't not think of Frost, and then at the end of Shakespeare.
Here is an autumnal poem by the brand-new ancestor Wendell Berry. I found one I like even better, but it is called "September 2", so I will do my damndest to post it then.
I find the "it" here a little bedevilling -- it must be the woods, right? But there are so many referents between the "woods" and "it", and the "it" goes on alone without refreshing its connection to any particular thing, that it seems to become a more transcendent idea.
§rf§
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall,
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its grace is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
“He moves your bones, and the way is clear.”
* * * * * *
Can't not think of Frost, and then at the end of Shakespeare.
Here is an autumnal poem by the brand-new ancestor Wendell Berry. I found one I like even better, but it is called "September 2", so I will do my damndest to post it then.
I find the "it" here a little bedevilling -- it must be the woods, right? But there are so many referents between the "woods" and "it", and the "it" goes on alone without refreshing its connection to any particular thing, that it seems to become a more transcendent idea.
§rf§