#Cringe+fatherless=CRINGE=me :3

[i-ate-your-dog-srry]

Waaaa my imaginary dad's :3

Oh god I have so many issues D:

[rottedleechboy]

I don't know what it is, love? Lust? A crush? An obsession? A delusion? Day dream? Nightmare? A complex distraction? or is it some part of me that longs and hopes that I may be deserving of love?

I've put you so high on a pedestal that I can no longer reach it myself.

My fingers bleed and fray, finger print unravelling like the fringe on old denim, as I so desperately try and try and try again to claw my way up.

You seem so distant, I, a remnant of fading friendly exchanges, I am still static, transfixed in times of past.

My hopeless grasp digging into my own heart strings, my illusory fall from grace.

This web of lies I've created for myself, soften the impact of reality, entertwined with my crimson flesh, an uninvited state of auto erotic asphyxiation.

Consuming my entire psyche yet I have yet to consume more then a minute of your time. Less then a fleeting thought. I wish to occupy your mind like you freely lounge in mine.

I. no longer see darkness, my eye close and I see what I can't have.

What I dont think I could bring myself to accept. Even if there was a chance I'd never take it. I would be greedy. Self indulgent. My mind already a wasteland, my human a unrepentant sinner. But what could I lose if I am already unredeemable to both God and the devil. My dignity? A futile snatch at the last pieces of remaining whole.

The grey is all I know and I'm afraid to leave my familiarity of my isolation. Trapped in a glass maze to save me from the plummet. A drop that not even the most rugged porcelain could come out unscathed let alone in one piece despite being stitched together with lacklustre gold.

[fleeglefazbeagle]

Welcome to my blog! :3

Do you like videogames, cartoons, anime or artwork of ANY genre as long as it's made by a human? You've come to the right place! I draw whatever tickles me fancy, shitpost, rant, chill(mostly).💕✨

Above here is my self insert Sona(description in alt).⬆️

(I used the term "Mary Sue" in a silly way, no ill will whatsoever./srs)

I don't have a specific schedule, I just post whenever I like.

This here is what I am!(It's already said in my bio but whatever.)⬇️

(Blinkies by @dragonpride17 .)

I'm also a platonic selfshipper.

Strictly platonic f/os(in other words, we're STRICTLY friends, don't be weird):

Secret History Tails(Mashed), Glamrock Freddy(FNAF), Fizzarolli(Helluva Boss), Husk(Hazbin Hotel), Funtime Freddy(FNAF), Luigi(Super Mario), Goofy(Disney), Oswald the Lucky Rabbit(Disney), Big the Cat(Sonic), Fleegle the Beagle(The Banana Splits), Drooper the Lion(The Banana Splits), Mangle(FNAF), Circus Baby(FNAF), Mimzy(Hazbin Hotel), Banny(The Walten Files), DogDay(Poppy Playtime), CraftyCorn(Poppy Playtime), Spinel(Steven Universe), Gwimbly(Smiling Friends).

Queerplatonic f/os(I guess):

Mortality(Boozoo's Ghosts/The Walten Files) and Pumpkin Rabbit(The Mysterious House/The Walten Files).

Don't roast me!>:[

The stuff I'm into is FNAF, Sonic, FNF, The Banana Splits(show and movie,), BATIM, Steven Universe(kinda), SML and SMLwiki(kinda), Disney(kinda), Pokémon(kinda), Tim Burton stuff(kinda), Hellaverse stuff, Coraline(kinda), Super Mario, Don Bluth stuff(kinda), The Walten Files, DHMIS, Welcome Home, Pizza Tower, Poppy Playtime, Garten of Banban, MLP(kinda), The Amazing Digital Circus(kinda), Monkey Wrench(kinda), Little Nightmares(kinda) and the Mashed channel(the one with the crazed fox).

DNI if you're:

LGBTQIA+phobic, TERFs, SWERFs, transmeds, syscourse, pro-endo, m-spec lesbians/lesboys(not butch lesbians or he/him lesbians), an IRL gore blog, a SH/ED blog, disrespect people's pronouns(this includes neopronouns), sexist(misogyny and misandry), NSFW(kinks, fetishes, etc.), a zooph1le, a zoosad1st, a pedo(map), ableist, racist, xenophobic, anti-xenogender, anti-objectum, transabled, transrace(not the adoption kind), transage, a fan of Pretty Blood and/or support the creator), a bodyshamer, someone who invalidates trauma, a proshipper, a comshipper, a darkshipper, toxic(in general), a zionist, a nazi(or at least a supporter), pro-cringe culture, believe blackwashing is real(it fucking isn't), anti-therians, anti-furries, anti-semitism, anti-agere/agedre/petre/petdre, use "fatherless"/"parentless" as an insult, say "kys" as a joke(it's a very serious thing), joke about abuse, pedophilia or rape(another serious thing), anti-alterhumans, AI "art" and crypto and NFT bros.

Rules when asking or whatever:

1.Use tone tags(they're REALLY important).

2.No arguing.

3.Be kind to others.

4.No hate speech(you WILL be blocked if I find out.

5.No NSFW(I know I already said this but still).

6.I can only do art trades and if you want to ask about what you want, come to my DMs(ya know, the speech bubble icon).

7.If you want to do an ask involving any of my AUs, go right ahead but remember the rules and stuff.

8. As far as donations go.

My YouTube is here!(It's where my videos are.)⬇️

Also, please support my sister and her work!⬇️

@valkyriephoenix98

Her channel:

[septillionseven]

I had a thought which is rare & it led to a conclusion which is rarer.

Humanity turns us into beasts.

It's the way that distaste towards each other leads to some who dehumanize others to the point of unempathetic, & violent ways of talking online.

"Fatherless"

(No empathy left)

"the infamous "You should kys now" speech"

(Normalization of violence)

"Ew Furry, get the flame thrower"

(Both of those)

I believe this is the root worst behavior online. "Oh, this person just insulted them by saying that their father left them? I should make fun of people by saying that."

I see this behavior of parroting mean statements like this as the main problem to the internet. Bringing people together just to divide them.

Othering internet users into factions that are at keyboard war.

also

The statement "Humanity turns us into beasts" is so non-specific that it has almost no meaning. & the meaning would have to come from what the individual thinks of it.

this was what I thought of the statement once I thought of it.

& it has a double meaning to me. haha, surprise. Here's part two.

Humanity turns us into beasts.

I never liked how humans could be so awful to each other. It was to such an extent that I didn't even want to consider myself human.

I was stuck in a weird looking flesh body that had weird human nose & ears. I wasn't too thrilled about it.

I related more to fictional dragons.

Why didn't I get to be a house cat who didn't deal with this human bs.

I inevitably just one day admitted to myself that I was a furry. This was after watching experience the furry tf wonder that is "Changed" by youtube video form.

I feel more like myself as a furry. I see a fursona as a truer form.

Could I be therian?? just a possibility

...That i might consider...

But the the statement "Humanity turns us into beasts" is a rather cringe & silly idea.

Yet it is part of me now.

It has been part of me now that I realize.

I am a beast, a fluffy one at that.

I am cringe & I am silly.

I am happy like this.

:3

[dutchforstrangers]

Taichi Yagami week 2022 Day 3 - Mentor

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

@taichiyagamiweek

For context see this post here. Content warning: mentions of persons who have passed away

Day 3: Mentor | Characters: Taichi Yagami & Souta Yagami (mentions of Susumu Yagami, Gennai and Daigo Nishijima) | Wordcount: 503

'The map doesn't tell me where to go,' Little Dragon said. 'The journey isn't visible on any map' Big Panda said. 'You've got to find your own path.' - Page 40

Dream big

...

“Daddy?”

Taichi’s head turned to his son.

“What is it like to not have a dad anymore?”

The unexpected question struck him. Although, it wasn’t that suddenly taking how things had gone the past month. He was aware of the death of his own father, but he never thought about being fatherless because of it. Why though?

Images of himself passing away and leaving behind Souta flooded Taichi’s mind followed by a shiver along his spine. Of course his motherless son wanted to know what living without a father would be like, since a father as a parental figure was all he knew.

“Well… ehm…”

He thought about his old man, how his own father had guided and mentored him through life whenever he could. But in times that he couldn’t guide, Taichi was reminded by his own memories of the many other mentor-like figures he had.

His football coach telling him to run and attack.

Gennai explaining to him about the potential he had and could have.

Nishijima-sensei giving him the strength to dream big.

He remembered how the latter had already left him behind in the most agonizing way. Taichi had to bite his lip, swallowing away the forming lump in his throat as a single tear rolled down over his cheek to the floor below.

These mentors had all made him suffer in one way or another, including his own father. He could never pinpoint why they had done that, but looking at his son, looking at the father and mentor he had become, he could see now.

In the end he had to score the goal on his own.

In the end he had to find out where his potential lay and what it meant.

In the end he had to live his dream himself, because no one could do that for him.

Taichi nodded and laughed to himself, smiling through the pain, feeling how the hands on his shoulder encouraged him to continue and struggle, walk and run over the path he paved for himself.

“You know, Souta, I might not have a physical dad anymore, but I was lucky to have more than one.”

“How?”

“You’ve got to figure that out yourself. But just remember, you will always take them with you in ways you can’t understand now.”

Souta cringed his eyebrows, tilting his head slightly just like a puppy who tried to understand life. “Just like mommy?”

Taichi softly smiled. “Yeah,” he nodded.

The bright smile on his son’s face was like the sun to Taichi. And through the rays of light he could not only see Rei, but also his own father. Or fathers. “Dad, I’ve got to keep dreaming big!” Souta exclaimed enthusiastically as he jumped on the couch, one hand above his eyes as if he was searching for that big dream in an imaginary distance. Taichi laughed with him, silently promising he would be the guide to his own son the way his handful of father-like figures had been mentors to him.

...

[manaosdeuwu]

Leorio

First impression:

fua amigo la re vive

Impression now:

hes my bestie hes so cringe hes malewife hes everything to me etc etc

Favourite moment:

CUANDO LO MANDÓ A CAGAR A GING Y LE CLAVÓ ALTA PIÑA

Idea for a story:

no se yo solo quiero volver a verlo cuanto antes posible. que lleve a los nenes a tomar helado :]

Unpopular opinion:

no se me ocurre nada dsaigjiraijhj

Favourite relationship:

con gon!! realmente dijo wow fatherless behavior. i am father now <3

Favourite headcanon:

bi y trans >:)

[flowrxchild]

Rules: you have to answer these 7 questions and tag 7 people so that this song challenge goes on.

I was tagged by @satingrass-maidensfair @dufflesmckagan @juvinadelgreko and @dramaticjupiter thanks my angels 🧡⭐️

Name a song that:

1. Is your current favourite- Thick As Thieves / Widowspeak

2. You know every single word to- Old Man / Neil Young

3. Makes You Sad- For the widows of Paradise, For the fatherless in Ypsilanti / Sufjan Stevens

4. Makes you want to dance around- Lucky / Donna Summer

5. You don’t really like that much- Sing / Hozier (sorry bog king it’s like the only song of his I kinda hate lol 🥴)

6. You will never stop playing- Flower Power / GVF

7. You are tired of listening to- Freaking out the neighbourhood / Mac Demarco (this song just kinda cringes me out now for some reason idek why lol TikTok might have something to do with it...)

I’m tagging @junkyardheart @rivervedder @flowerpqwer @spreadthecurse @turquoisehairedgirl @silver--storms @bxgginses if you guys want :-)

[loveofyhwh]

September 27: Isaiah 1; Hebrews 3:1–6; Psalm 81; Proverbs 24:15–16

New Post has been published on https://loveofyhwh.com/september-27-isaiah-1-hebrews-31-6-psalm-81-proverbs-2415-16/

September 27: Isaiah 1; Hebrews 3:1–6; Psalm 81; Proverbs 24:15–16

Old Testament:

Isaiah 1

Isaiah 1 (Listen)

1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

2   Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;     for the LORD has spoken:   “ChildrenOr Sons; also verse 4‘>1 have I reared and brought up,     but they have rebelled against me. 3   The ox knows its owner,     and the donkey its master’s crib,   but Israel does not know,     my people do not understand.” 4   Ah, sinful nation,     a people laden with iniquity,   offspring of evildoers,     children who deal corruptly!   They have forsaken the LORD,     they have despised the Holy One of Israel,     they are utterly estranged. 5   Why will you still be struck down?     Why will you continue to rebel?   The whole head is sick,     and the whole heart faint. 6   From the sole of the foot even to the head,     there is no soundness in it,   but bruises and sores     and raw wounds;   they are not pressed out or bound up     or softened with oil. 7   Your country lies desolate;     your cities are burned with fire;   in your very presence     foreigners devour your land;     it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. 8   And the daughter of Zion is left     like a booth in a vineyard,   like a lodge in a cucumber field,     like a besieged city. 9   If the LORD of hosts     had not left us a few survivors,   we should have been like Sodom,     and become like Gomorrah. 10   Hear the word of the LORD,     you rulers of Sodom!   Give ear to the teachingOr law‘>2 of our God,     you people of Gomorrah! 11   “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?     says the LORD;   I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams     and the fat of well-fed beasts;   I do not delight in the blood of bulls,     or of lambs, or of goats. 12   “When you come to appear before me,     who has required of you     this trampling of my courts? 13   Bring no more vain offerings;     incense is an abomination to me.   New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—     I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. 14   Your new moons and your appointed feasts     my soul hates;   they have become a burden to me;     I am weary of bearing them. 15   When you spread out your hands,     I will hide my eyes from you;   even though you make many prayers,     I will not listen;     your hands are full of blood. 16   Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;     remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;   cease to do evil, 17     learn to do good;   seek justice,     correct oppression;   bring justice to the fatherless,     plead the widow’s cause. 18   “Come now, let us reasonOr dispute‘>3 together, says the LORD:   though your sins are like scarlet,     they shall be as white as snow;   though they are red like crimson,     they shall become like wool. 19   If you are willing and obedient,     you shall eat the good of the land; 20   but if you refuse and rebel,     you shall be eaten by the sword;     for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

The Unfaithful City

21   How the faithful city     has become a whore,Or become unchaste‘>4     she who was full of justice!   Righteousness lodged in her,     but now murderers. 22   Your silver has become dross,     your best wine mixed with water. 23   Your princes are rebels     and companions of thieves.   Everyone loves a bribe     and runs after gifts.   They do not bring justice to the fatherless,     and the widow’s cause does not come to them. 24   Therefore the Lord declares,     the LORD of hosts,     the Mighty One of Israel:   “Ah, I will get relief from my enemies     and avenge myself on my foes. 25   I will turn my hand against you     and will smelt away your dross as with lye     and remove all your alloy. 26   And I will restore your judges as at the first,     and your counselors as at the beginning.   Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,     the faithful city.” 27   Zion shall be redeemed by justice,     and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28   But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,     and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 29   For theySome Hebrew manuscripts you‘>5 shall be ashamed of the oaks     that you desired;   and you shall blush for the gardens     that you have chosen. 30   For you shall be like an oak     whose leaf withers,     and like a garden without water. 31   And the strong shall become tinder,     and his work a spark,   and both of them shall burn together,     with none to quench them.

Footnotes

[1] 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4 [2] 1:10 Or law [3] 1:18 Or dispute [4] 1:21 Or become unchaste [5] 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you

(ESV)

New Testament:

Hebrews 3:1–6

Hebrews 3:1–6 (Listen)

Jesus Greater Than Moses

3 Therefore, holy brothers,Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12‘>1 you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’sGreek his; also verses 5, 6‘>2 house. 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.Some manuscripts insert firm to the end‘>3

Footnotes

[1] 3:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12 [2] 3:2 Greek his; also verses 5, 6 [3] 3:6 Some manuscripts insert firm to the end

(ESV)

Psalm:

Psalm 81

Psalm 81 (Listen)

Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.Probably a musical or liturgical term‘>1 Of Asaph.

81   Sing aloud to God our strength;     shout for joy to the God of Jacob! 2   Raise a song; sound the tambourine,     the sweet lyre with the harp. 3   Blow the trumpet at the new moon,     at the full moon, on our feast day. 4   For it is a statute for Israel,     a ruleOr just decree‘>2 of the God of Jacob. 5   He made it a decree in Joseph     when he went out overOr against‘>3 the land of Egypt.   I hear a language I had not known: 6   “I relieved yourHebrew his; also next line‘>4 shoulder of the burden;     your hands were freed from the basket. 7   In distress you called, and I delivered you;     I answered you in the secret place of thunder;     I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8   Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!     O Israel, if you would but listen to me! 9   There shall be no strange god among you;     you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10   I am the LORD your God,     who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.     Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11   “But my people did not listen to my voice;     Israel would not submit to me. 12   So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,     to follow their own counsels. 13   Oh, that my people would listen to me,     that Israel would walk in my ways! 14   I would soon subdue their enemies     and turn my hand against their foes. 15   Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,     and their fate would last forever. 16   But he would feed youThat is, Israel; Hebrew him‘>5 with the finest of the wheat,     and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Footnotes

[1] 81:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 81:4 Or just decree [3] 81:5 Or against [4] 81:6 Hebrew his; also next line [5] 81:16 That is, Israel; Hebrew him

(ESV)

Proverb:

Proverbs 24:15–16

Proverbs 24:15–16 (Listen)

15   Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;     do no violence to his home; 16   for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,     but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

(ESV)

[ljones41]

"THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" (2012) Review

"THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" (2012) Review Five years after the release of 2007's "SPIDER-MAN 3", Sony Pictures and Marvel Films decided to release a new SPIDER-MAN movie. The latter proved not to be a third sequel to the 2002 movie, "SPIDER-MAN". Instead, it turned out to be a franchise re-boot featuring a new actor in the lead and the first of two films:

With Andrew Garfield in the role of Peter Parker aka Spider-Man and Marc Webb directing, "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" commenced upon an entirely new saga about the web-slinger.  In this film, Peter is a geeky high school student and science major who lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in a suburb of Queens, New York. At least a decade earlier, he had witnessed the mysterious disappearance of his father and mother, scientist Richard Parker and his wife, Mary. After discovering his father's old briefcase, Peter makes the acquaintance of the latter's former lab partner, Dr. Curt Connors, who is now working as a geneticist at Oscorp. Dr. Connors is working on cross-breeding experiments in order to discover a formula based on lizard DNA in order to regenerate missing limbs. During his first trip to Oscorp's Manhattan offices, he discovers that the fellow Midtown High School student that he loves, Gwen Stacy, is working there as the chief intern. Peter is also bitten by a genetically engineered spider. During the subway ride home, Peter becomes aware of his new abilities. He also continues his visits to Dr. Connors at Oscorp. His new powers and visits to Oscorp lead to his growing neglect of his household duties. Peter also manages to help Dr. Connors by giving the latter Richard Parker's "decay rate algorithm", the missing piece in the scientist's experiments. After a quarrel with Uncle Ben, Peter storms out of the house and the latter hit the streets looking for him. Unfortunately for Uncle Ben, he encounters a thief who had just robbed a convenience store and is shot dead. Determined to find his uncle's murderer, Peter decides to assume the identity of the costumed vigilante, Spider-Man. When Oscorp executive Dr. Rajit Ratha decides to fire Dr. Connors and use the latter's formula at a VA hospital under the guise of a flue shot, Connors tries the formula on himself and becomes the human/lizard hybrid, the Lizard. Many Marvel and Spider-Man fans had complained about the lack of need for a Spider-Man re-boot so soon after the last Sam Rami film. What many did not know was that Sony Pictures had signed a deal, guaranteeing major control over the Spider-Man franchise as long as the studio releases a movie every five years or less. Sony originally had plans for a fourth Spider-Man movie with both Rami and actor Tobey Maguire. But the plans fell through and the studio decided to re-boot the franchise with a new actor, a new director and a new trilogy. Some fans and critics claimed that "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" was a lot closer to the original comics tale than the Rami films. I found this claim ironic, considering that the movie proved to be no more faithful to the comics than the films made between 2002-2007.  Comic book fans know that Peter Parker's first love was Betty Brandt, whom he dated in high school and who eventually became J. Jonah Jamerson's secretary at The Daily Bugle. Peter met both Gwen Stacy (of this movie) and Mary Jane Watson (from the 2002-2007 films) in college, not high school. He was a lot younger when his parents died. But hey . . . I managed to enjoy both the Rami/Maguire trilogy and this film. That is correct. I enjoyed "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN". It had plenty of well choreographed action. The special effects team from the Pixomundo company did an excellent job with the action sequences featuring Spider-Man's battles with the Lizard. The company's efforts were ably supported by Marc Webb's direction and the three cinematographers - Alan Edward Bell, Michael McCusker and Pietro Scalia. One of my few complaints about "SPIDER-MAN" was that the film almost seemed like two separate stories. I could never accuse "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" of that flaw. Screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves made sure that Peter's transformation into Spider-Man and Dr. Connors' transformation into the Lizard were connected plot-wise. After all, Peter's visit to Connor at the Oscorp labs led to his painful encounter with a genetically altered spider. And the visit, along with Peter's discovery of his father's notes, led to the creation of the formula that enabled Connors to become the Lizard. The movie also boasted some excellent performances by the cast. Andrew Garfield was outstanding as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. He did an excellent job of portraying a fatherless boy in search of a father figure, who is forced to grow up on his own. Emma Stone portrayed Gwen Stacy, the girl whom Peter dated during his early years in college. Stone's Gwen was a smart, witty and earthy young woman who found herself torn between Peter and her father's opinion of Spider-Man and vigilantism. Another excellent performance came from Rhys Ifan, who did an excellent job in revealing the complex man whose disappointments in life led him to utilize the formula that transformed him into the Lizard. He also managed to convey Connor's darker personality through the CGI figure of the Lizard. Other first-rate performances came from Denis Leary, who portrayed Gwen's father - NYPD Captain George Stacy. The latter role seemed a slight cry from Leary's usual roles. Although he managed to utilize his usual rapid fire wit, Leary also conveyed the image of a stern and responsible man, who harbored concerns not only for his daughter, but also the citizens of New York City. Martin Sheen and Sally Field created excellent chemistry as Ben and May Parker, the couple left to raise Peter after his parents' death. It is a crime that the pair never worked together before, because I thought they really crackled with chemistry. I could say that both had great chemistry with Garfield, as well. But I feel that Sheen had more interesting scenes with the young actor than Field. Irrfan Khan had to be convinced by his children to take the role of Oscorp executive, Dr. Rajit Ratha (a character created for the movie). I am glad they did, for he proved to be very effective as a shadowy representative for the corporation's reclusive CEO, Norman Oscorp. The movie also boasted solid performances from Chris Zylka as Flash Thompson; and from Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Richard and Mary Parker, Peter's parents. I will not deny that "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" was a very entertaining movie for me. But it had its flaws. One, there seemed to be a minor lack of originality in the script. A good deal of the story seemed to be borrowed from the previous SPIDER-MAN movies. As with Maguire's Peter, Garfield's Peter started out with an unrequited crush with the leading female character. And Dr. Connors' career faced extinction, just as Dr. Otto Octavius did in "SPIDER-MAN 2". However, the movie also borrowed a subplot from the 2000 movie, "X-MEN". Just as Erik Lensherr plotted to transform the world's population into mutants via a machine, the Lizard in this movie, plotted to transform New York City's population into reptilian/human hybrids. In fact, his scheme struck me as lame. The main problem for me laid in the fact that Connors did not transform into the Lizard, until the second half of the movie. Speaking of the Lizard, as much as I had admired Ifans' performance, I was not that impressed by the villain's role as Spider-Man's foe. I mean, honestly . . . the idea of Spider-Man facing a giant lizard rampaging all over Manhattan did not do anything for me. Frankly, I saw dealing with the problem of the Lizard as a job for the Men in Black, not Spider-Man. Everyone seemed to be filled with praise for Emma Stone's portrayal of Gwen Stacy . . . including me. However, I had a problem with the screenwriters' portrayal of Gwen in this movie. Frankly, she seemed too perfect . . . too ideal. She lacked any real personal demons that could have made her interesting to me. I could never say the same about the comic book Gwen - even if she had a tendency to be a crybaby. Could someone explain why Peter suddenly decided to end his search for the thief who had killed his Uncle Ben? It seemed as if the entire subplot had been dropped. And what happened to Dr. Ratha after Peter saved him on the Williamsburg Bridge? I have one last complaint . . . and it has to do with C. Thomas Howell's character, a construction worker named Ray. In the Williamsburg Bridge sequence, Spider-Man saved Ray's son from falling into the East River. Ray reciprocated Spider-Man's actions during the latter's final battle with the Lizard by using several cranes to help convey the web slinger (who had been shot in the leg by the NYPD) to Oscorp's tower, in order to stop the Lizard from using the formula on New Yorkers. I found that minor scene so incredibly cheesy that I practically cringed with embarrassment. It seemed as if the screenwriters were trying to re-create those moments from two of Sam Rami's films in which New Yorkers came to Spider-Man's aid. Only in this movie, I found Ray's actions embarrassing, not inspirational. "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" had much for me to admire. It had excellent performances from the cast led by Andrew Garfield. Marc Webb's direction in the action sequences and intimate scenes was first-rate. And the screenwriters managed to avoid the mistake from the Sam Rami 2002 film of creating a fragmented plot. Unfortunately, I believe that "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" had some flaws - including a lack of originality - that made it difficult for me to embrace the idea that it was the best SPIDER-MAN movie ever made.

[revpauljbern]

What’s In Store for America in 2019? The Answers Can Be Found in the Scriptures

Is The USA In Biblical End Times Prophecy?

by Minister Paul J. Bern

For a website view, click here :-)

By now you all know or have heard and read the various arguments about America's role in Biblical prophecy, both pro and con. There are those who say the US isn't in the Bible, and many others who insist that it is. These folks have included everyone from master theologians to televangelists on the Christian TV channels to some pretty wild conspiracy theories posted on You-tube and other websites. I see no point in debating this or in blogging about it based on what has already been disseminated. Instead, as I always do, I'm going straight to the Word of God as my reference point. This is not about dogma, nor denominational exclusivity, nor is it about any particular version of the Bible being more “correct” than any or all others. This is based on a lot of research, study, prayer and meditation based on the Word of God, which surpasses the religious dogma of humankind.

So what will our starting point be? How can we make sense out of end times prophesy considering all the angles and points of view being discussed both within and outside of the Church? One good starting point is found in the book of Isaiah, chapter ten, verses 1-4, as it is written: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain.”

Who is it that makes unjust laws? Was this intended for groups of people, or races, or entire nations? First of all, discriminatory laws are based on all of the above. Laws that discriminate against people due to their race, nationality, creed, gender, age, sexual orientation or religion – and especially for class and financial status – have no place in any 21st century society. Here in the US, we have or have had institutionalized discrimination based on all of the above for as long as I can remember, and I was born in the 1950's. During WWII, America forcibly incarcerated several hundred thousand Japanese Americans based solely on their race and ancestry. Then there were the “Jim Crow” laws that openly oppressed all black Americans up until the 1960's. As you know, there are significant vestiges of this vitriol against our black brothers and sisters that continue to be active even as I write this. And let's not forget the genocide of Native Americans that has been ongoing for the last two hundred years.

Another form of discrimination still in force in modern times has been the enormously wasteful 'war on drugs', where punishment replaces treatment with predictable results. If you smoke or otherwise ingest marijuana, even for medical reasons, you're considered a criminal, but if you overdose on pills that you purchased legally, it's usually ruled to be accidental and it gets swept under the rug. As of 2017, 56% of all incarcerated inmates at the state and federal levels are locked up for nonviolent drug offenses – mainly simple possession cases – with well over 75% of these hapless individuals being people of color. Now there's a classic case of discrimination based on race, ethnicity and class. Last but not least, is the ticking time bomb of economic inequality. When you have a situation where 99% of any given country's wealth (not just America – but any country) is in the hands of 1% of the population, you have a recipe for class warfare and civil unrest throughout that country. All of these things are the result of unjust laws and oppressive decrees whose source is centralized government. And it is for this reason, among a few others, that I believe America is being judged, or is about to be judged, by God.

“What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar?” What was Isaiah talking about? “Days of disaster” from “afar” sounds a lot like a nuclear first strike. This has nothing to do with domestic terrorism. This is worded to look like anything from terrorism outside the US directed inward to a full amphibious military assault on American soil by way of external invasion. But, a nuclear first strike would be much quicker. Before moving on, allow me to share another related quote from the prophet Isaiah: “Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is within it, the world, and all the nations that come out of it! The Lord is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood (Isaiah chapter 34, verses 1-3).

How does this read to you? I see the total obliteration of all the armies of the world, apparently all at once, and the US will not escape unharmed. God is sick and tired of all the countless centuries of fighting among humankind. God is fed up to here with our militarism. He has had more than enough of those who are murderers, robbers, kidnappers, extortionists and rapists within and around the military. God is enraged with the world's armies who kill and pillage their neighbors and other countries due to extreme covetousness on the part of all the governments and multinational corporations, who forcefully put their profit margins ahead of the people they claim to be serving. So, God is going to wipe out all the world's armed services in one swift stroke, and what a horrible day that will be! God wins, and everybody who stands against him will lose, beginning with those for whom fighting has become a way to make a living.

Now that I have shared some quotes from the Old Testament, I will move on to the New Testament. As I do this, let me mention some related facts with regard to Bible prophecy. There are numerous examples of prophecy throughout the Bible that have to do with the end times that we are currently living in. In the overwhelming majority of these instances, these prophecies have to do with the fate of the nation of Israel, God's holy land. Much has been said about the fact that the United States doesn't seem to fit into Biblical prophecy, and that it is barely mentioned at all. By and large this is very true. But there is one place in the Bible where America is not only mentioned, but her fate is spelled out in stark and frightening detail. For that, we need to go all the way to the last book in the Bible, the book of Revelation, where we will focus on chapter 18.

“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons, and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth have committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. Then I heard another voice from heaven say, 'Come out of her, O my people, so that you may not share in her sins, so that you will not receive her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion  of her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as a queen, I am not a widow, and I will never mourn'. Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'” (Revelation 18, verses 2-10)

What or who is Babylon the Great? Is this a person, a place or a thing? It has been taught in the past that this is a reference to the Babylonian Empire that conquered the nation of Israel and carried her into captivity around 880 BC. There is a famous quote from Iraq's now-deceased dictator Saddam Hussein that he was going to resurrect this ancient empire and make it into a world power as in days of old. As you all know, this didn't quite work out as Saddam Hussein had planned. So we can discount that possibility by process of elimination. Others have taught erroneously that this was symbolism for the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great, or for the Roman Empire, Napoleon's France or Hitler's Germany. But when we compare these possibilities to the ancient prophets such as Jeremiah, Daniel, Zachariah, or Joel – to name a few – Babylon the Great as foretold in Revelation simply doesn't match up with those passages of Scripture. So we conclude that this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Since Babylon the Great is a world power based on what we have just read, that leaves only one possibility. What global powerhouse, both financial and military, fits this description? None other than the USA.

Let's examine this more closely, starting with verse two. “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons, and a haunt for every evil spirit ... For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.” Has the US become a home for demons and evil spirits? We only need to look at today's news for the answer. There are mass shootings in our nation's schools, at military bases, and out in the streets. Mayhem is running rampant and it continues to get ever worse. America is devolving into a battlefield populated an assortment of psychotic murderers, armed robbers, rapists and thieves. People of all ages are being kidnapped, and people disappear every time you turn around, especially children. Sometimes their bodies are found, and more and more frequently their internal organs have been “harvested”. Other times, and especially concerning our children, people disappear never to be seen or heard from again. This is usually because they are either kidnapped and sold on the black market by human traffickers, or because they are being sacrificed in satanic rituals that are nothing short of revolting.

So we can now see clearly that the phrase “home for demons” is very accurate indeed. What is “the maddening wine of her adulteries”? This is far more than mere substance abuse or addiction, although those things do play a part. I think this represents all the espionage, cloak-and-dagger “black ops”, and political and military maneuvering behind the scenes both at home and abroad. From the Kennedy assassinations to Rev. Dr. King's brutal murder, from the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan to incidents of government-initiated domestic terrorism such as Waco Texas, Ruby Ridge Idaho, Oklahoma City and the 9/11 attacks, America's “leadership” has been behind them all to one extent or another (they're called “false flag operations”). So as we translate this into 21st century English, the US government has been fooling around behind the scenes for decades as they engage in espionage in nearly every country in the world, playing both sides of the fence, pitting one opponent against another for the profit of the US military-industrial complex. Most recently, technology has allowed remote enforcement of America's military-industrial paradigm by drone warfare.

“Come out of her, O my people, so that you may not share in her sins, so that you will not receive her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” There are at least two different explanations I have read about for this verse. The benign explanation comes from the apostle John (see 1st John 2, verses 15-17) that says we are to be “in the world but not of it”. There are still others, some Christian and some not, who have taken this passage literally by obtaining a passport and leaving the US for countries where the cost of living is lower (which is nearly everywhere else). Also, the “crimes” mentioned in this passage are everything I described above, and I regret to inform you that my country, the United States, is guilty of all the above, and there are times when I feel ashamed about America. Not its people – just those in charge. Although I have a passport, I haven't left yet, and I'm trying to hang on at least for the short term.

“Mix her a double portion of her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.” Evidently the US will get all its bad karma thrown back in her face, meaning that things within US borders will become as bad or worse than most banana republics. Pandemonium will reign supreme across America's landscape, and only those who put their complete trust in God and his only Son will escape unharmed. “Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her.… She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'” What does it mean when it mentions “her plagues”? Some say it will be epidemics of various kinds, and I believe this is at least partially true, but I also think there is more to it than that.

It is a little-known fact that America has the world's largest stockpile of germ warfare weaponry. The ongoing civil war in Syria is just one example. By now nearly everyone has seen the international news broadcasts about the Syrian people who were killed by chemical weapons of mass destruction. If you believe everything you see on the news – and who does anymore – you were force-fed false information that it was the Syrian government who launched these weapons after their own people. Where did these Syrian rebels get these weapons? They most definitely didn't have the resources to go out and buy such awful weapons. That leaves only one other possibility – none other than the United States. Our own country supplied the rebels for these WMD's, and they had the CIA's fingerprints all over them. Now that's what I mean by a false flag attack! But, it's the last verse of this passage of Scripture that sends chills up and down my back: “In one hour your doom has come!'” This is not a typo, people. When America falls, it will happen quite literally in one hour, like turning off an electric light in slow motion. There is more to back this up further down in this same chapter of Revelation, so let's begin to conclude this Spiritual fact-finding mission by taking up where we left off at verse 11.

“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore – cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon, spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep, horses and carriages; and the bodies and souls of men .… Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all those who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you'. Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: 'With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who had been killed on the earth.'” (Rev. 8, verses 11-13, verses 17-24)

“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore... “. I could end this commentary right here and simply say that this is a prediction and a prophecy regarding America for the near future, but that's only part of the explanation. As I write this, the US still has the world's largest economy, with Red China's economy running a close second place. But China's economy will not overtake that of the US until the US dollar will no longer be able to maintain its position as the world's reserve currency. When that inevitability finally occurs, the dollar will either have to be devalued or it will suffer a total crash – the likes of which no one has ever seen before (it will make the Great Depression of the 1930's look like child's play). This is the first two and the most palatable options for what will happen to the US economy in the next decade or so.

But what if it's not just the US that goes belly up? That leads me to the second and more likely conclusion, which would be a total collapse of Capitalism as an economic system. This would make the above passage of Scripture from Revelation something to be taken symbolically rather than literally. “Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all those who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you'.”

“The great city” could very well be New York City or Washington, DC. Then again, this could be symbolism for an entire economic system and not just one country – a truly terrifying possibility. Either scenario would create unimaginable chaos across our land as well as the other capitalist countries in Western Europe and Asia, and let's not forget Australia and Hong Kong while we're at it. But check out what the apostle John wrote further down: “Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!” There it is again; the prediction that the US and capitalism will not only fall, but that they will never rise again, and it will all be over with in just one hour. Of course, there will be some who dismiss this commentary straight out of hand, and they might say, “Who does Rev. Bern think he is? Why, he never even graduated from a seminary!” I will only respond that I have taken this straight out of the Scriptures. My word may be refutable to some, but the Word of God is irrefutable! Be careful that these dire predictions don't fall from out of the blue and hit you on top of your heads. There is no substitute for God's Word, which is truth, so there can be no argument about that unless one rejects the very possibility of God's existence. That is a separate argument that I have taken up previously.

“Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you'.” This implies that there will be religious persecution of Christians in North America and western Europe, something that has previously never happened. This is not a drill, people, this is the real deal. There is one last prophecy that needs to be mentioned here, and it reads as follows: “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: 'With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” This can only be explained as a meteor or comet strike upon the earth, most probably in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. There is nothing else that fits this description. So, insofar as this is possible, it must be taken very seriously. Otherwise, like Babylon the Great, America will be obliterated. So there you have it: the United States is in Bible prophecy all right, but not in the way the majority of churches and denominations are anticipating – nowhere near, in fact. The time for all of us to get ready for these events – and they will occur, it's only a question of when – is today, while we still have time and while we still have a choice. So until next week at this same time, keep a close eye on current events globally, particularly in the US and the Middle East, keep on studying your Bible, and continue to look upward for any sign of our Lord's return. Shalom!

[bomberqueen17]

Thanks for posting a photo of the political postcard you wrote! It inspired me to draw a thank-you fax to my own Congressman, who decided to skip the inauguration and made a sensible statement about why.

Good! 

I haven’t finished yet but I did go through the entire list on Wikipedia of representatives from my home state, and found the ones who are Republicans, and looked them up. The farm’s district is repped by an R, so I’ll write to him for definitely sure; I don’t vote in that district but I live there half the year, so I’m a constituent all right. And another district is repped by a Republican woman who graduated from a rival private girls’ high school (there are only two exclusive high-end girls’ high schools in the region, and one produced Gillibrand and me, and the other produced this lukewarm sack of shit, the youngest rep in the House and a staunch Trumpist, and let me tell you, I’m gonna write her the most exquisitely-crafted nastygram I can come up with). 

Also, my rep is the ranking member on the Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, so how fucking dare he give me complacent form-letters about collaboration with Putin’s fucking puppet. I’ll let him have it, for sure.

I also found a great Bible passage to calligraph exquisitely and send to basically every Republican I can think of, especially the ones who are hiding behind false Christianity, from chapter 10 of Isaiah:

Woe to those who make unjust laws,    to those who issue oppressive decrees,2 to deprive the poor of their rights    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,making widows their prey    and robbing the fatherless.3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,    when disaster comes from afar?To whom will you run for help?    Where will you leave your riches?4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives    or fall among the slain.

It’s so goddamn on-the-nose I can’t even stand it. I’m about to take a letterpress class and I had a poem all picked out but I really want to do this one, on some gorgeous heavy-stock paper, and mail it to a bunch of hypocrites who won’t appreciate it. 

(Maybe I’ll silkscreen it; that’s less effort but is still noticeably handmade.)

I almost feel like putting in the effort is a form of magic, you know? Like, I have labored over this, and you can take it as a blessing or as a curse, but I damn well know what I meant.

(As I get older I am starting to have more and more anger over the fact that the spiritual culture of my ancestors, that I was raised in, has been denied to me by a bunch of fucking hypocrites who have warped it to their own ends. But that’s a rant for another day.)