Today is the 108th day of the year. 10 fun facts about the number 108.
The number 108 is considered sacred by a number of eastern religions. For example, the Hindu god Shiva has 108 attendants; Lord Krishna in Brindavan had 108 followers; there are 108 temples of Vishnu, who is armed with a spinning weapon called the Sudarshana Chakra, which has 108 edges. Buddhist malas or rosaries generally have 108 beads. The Lankavatara Sutra has a section where the Bodhisattva Mahamati asks Buddha 108 questions.
This is no doubt the reason why, in Japan, at the end of the year, a bell is chimed 108 times in Buddhist temples to finish the old year and welcome in the new one; and why it’s a significant number in martial arts traditions. According to Marma Adi and Ayurveda, there are 108 pressure points in the body, where consciousness and flesh intersect to give life to the living being.
108 is an emergency telephone number in several states in India.
Hassium is a synthetic chemical element with the symbol Hs and atomic number 108. It is highly radioactive: its most stable known isotopes have half-lives of about ten seconds. It is a superheavy element which has been produced in laboratories in tiny quantities. Natural occurrences of hassium have been hypothesised but never found.
The 108 Heroes are the main characters in the classic Chinese novel The Water Margin, which was written in the 14th century by Shi Nai'an. The heroes are divided into the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends, groups that are based on a belief in Daoism that Ursa Major has 36 Heavenly stars and 72 Earthly stars.
The number regularly occurs in the TV show Lost. The numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42, which appear frequently throughout the series, add up to 108. It is said that the Oceanic Six left the island after 108 days. Also, the button in the hatch had to be pushed every 108 minutes.
108 is an American hardcore band founded in 1991. Their music reflects the fact that the band members are followers of the Hare Krishna faith.
108 is an Italian artist in the field of street art and contemporary art from Alessandria. He has moved from working in traditional graffiti art to painting large and mysterious figures that invade public spaces.
108 is the shirt number that Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt was wearing when he suffered a fatal crash in the Giro d'Italia in 2011. As a tribute, many supporters held replicas of his race number by the side of the road the next day. The Giro d'Italia decided not to issue race number 108 again, to commemorate him.
108 Hecuba is a main-belt Asteroid discovered by Karl Theodor Robert Luther in 1869, and named after Hecuba, wife of King Priam in the legends of the Trojan War.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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