#Jacqueline Millar

[maudeboggins]

Favourite stuff from the past year:

I was tagged by @norashelley and @womansfilm for best films and books of the year but i was already putting together some lists and I can't contain it to just 9! Here are my favourite things of the year, in chronological order:

Films:

The Great Gabbo (1929)

Madam Satan (1930)

Min and Bill (1930)

Hell's Angels (1930)

Street Scene (1931)

Million Dollar Legs (1932)

Hoopla (1933)

Alice in Wonderland (1933)

I'm No Angel (1933)

Death Takes a Holiday (1934)

Hips, Hips, Hooray! (1934)

The Old Fashioned Way (1934)

First a Girl (1935)

Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)

Poppy (1936)

It's Love I'm After (1937)

Give Me a Sailor (1938)

Never Say Die (1939)

Hellzapoppin' (1941)

Stage Fright (1950)

Richard III (1955)

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Carry On Cleo (1964)

A Warning to the Curious (1972)

Favourite actors: Sylvia Sidney, W.C. Fields, Bert Wheeler, Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, Dirk Bogarde, Greta Garbo, Fredric March, Jessie Matthews, Harpo Marx, Martha Raye, John Barrymore, Vivien Leigh & Laurence Olivier

Books:

Dream Story (Arthur Schnitlzer, 1926)

Ex-Wife (Ursula Parrott, 1929)

Deep Water (Patricia Highsmith, 1957)

Groucho and Me (Groucho Marx, 1959)

Listening Walls (Margaret Millar, 1959)

Harpo Speaks! (Harpo Marx, 1961)

The Collector (John Fowles, 1963)

The Sunne in Splendour (Sharon Kay Penman, 1982)

Eleven (Patricia Highsmith, 1994)

I Who Have Never Known Men (Jacqueline Harpman, 1995)

Empress (Shan Sa, 2003)

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary (2009) (a re-read but truly one of the greatest books about cats)

Dark Matter: A Ghost Story (Michelle Paver, 2010)

A Head Full of Ghosts (Paul Tremblay, 2015)

I’ve read 73 books this year. Many many books I did not finish and abandoned (i always get between 50-200 pages in to give it a real chance but I don’t believe in reading things I don’t enjoy), so ive actually consumed quite a bit more than 73 books. I did read a lot of dumb, trashy horror and thriller novels. Sometimes I don’t have the energy to read something intelligent and just need something easy. But that really bumps up my read count.

Favourite Albums:

Every year all I listen to are the same albums on repeat and I have a really hard time getting into new music. But this year I was especially into:

Joanna Newsom - Divers (previously I did not enjoy this album of hers but I have come around to it)

Shirley Collins - Adieu to Old England

Shirley Collins - Sweet England

[millarthesecond]

Family Herondale

[nicolewilliamsgossip]

Jacqueline Wilson Comes Out As Gay Aged 74 And Say's She's Been Living With Her Partner For 18 Years

Jacqueline Wilson Comes Out As Gay Aged 74 And Say’s She’s Been Living With Her Partner For 18 Years

The creator of Tracy Beaker and many other children classic books Jacqueline Wilson has came out as gay aged 74.

Jacqueline announced in The Guardian her sexuality as she pointed out it is ‘old news’ to those around her but she wanted to go public ahead of releasing Love Frankie, her new gay love story.

It was in 1965 when Jacqueline married police officer William Millar Wilson but their…

[doubleattitude]

Project 21 Season I Members

Age is what that dancer competed that season, previous studio is next to dancers that were in Project 21 groups.

Minis:

Brooklin Cooley-Age 9

Brooklyn Jara-Age 9 (Dance Precisions)

Daylyn Lucky-Age 10

Dyllan Blackburn-Age 9 (Dance Precisions)

Elsie Check-Age 7

Isabella Dimopolous-Age 9 (Dance Precisions)

Madison Beerer-Age 9 (OCPAA)

Raven Alanes-Age 10 (OCPAA)

Juniors:

Ava Siniscalchi-Age 12 (Dance Precisions)

Cami Ritzler-Age 11

Gwen Choi-Age 11 (Dance Precisions)

Kelsey Millar-Age 12

Kimberly Tobias-Age 12 (Dance Precisions)

Lauren Wallingford-Age 12

Perris Amento-Age 12 (South Coast Conservatory)

Selena Hamilton-Age 11 (Dance Precisions)

Teens:

Abbey Choi-Age 14 (Dance Precisions)

Alexis Ramirez-Age 13 (Dance Precisions)

Faith Montoya-Age 14 (Triple Threat)

Jacqueline Davis-Age 14 (?)

Jordyn Blackburn-Age 14 (Dance Precisions)

Kelly Sweeney-Age 13 (Centre Stage Dance Academy)

Mackenzie Auger-Age 13 (OCPAA)

Nina Choi-Age 15 (Dance Precisions)

Seniors:

Addison Moffett-Age 17

Haley Messick-Age 17 (Mather Dance Company)

Katelin McDermott-Age 17

*Please let me know if I’ve made any mistakes!!*

[rabbittstewcomics]

Episode 362

Comic Reviews:

DC

DC Mech 1 by Kenny Porter, Baldemar Rivas, Mike Spicer

Detective Comics 1062 by Ram V, Rafael Albuquerque, Simon Spurrier, Dani, Dave Stewart

Superman: Space Age 1 by Mark Russell, Michael Allred, Laura Allred

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend GN by Alys Arden, Jacquelin De Leon

Marvel

Amazing Spider-Man 6/900 by Zeb Wells, Ed McGuinness, Dan Slott, Jeff Loveness, Daniel Kibblesmith, David Lopez, Marcos Martin, Todd Nauck, Cliff Rathburn, Wade Von Grawbadger, Mark Morales, Nathan Fairbairn, Rachelle Rosenberg, Muntsa Vicente, Erick Arciniega, Dijjo Lima, Marcio Menyz

Ant-Man 1 by Al Ewing, Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire

Gambit 1 by Chris Claremont, Sid Kotian, Espen Grundetjern

Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel 1 by Peter David, Juanan Ramirez, Federico Blee

Wild Cards – The Drawing of Cards 1 by George R. R. Martin, Paul Cornell, Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto, Ruth Redmond

Image

Magic Order 3 1 by Mark Millar, Gigi Cavenago

Hollows by Chris Ryall, Sam Keith

Ahoy

Wrong Earth: Meat by Tom Peyer, Greg Scott

Dynamite

Vampirella: Year One 1 by Christopher Priest, Giovanni Timpano, Ergun Gunduz

Valiant

Book of Shadows 1 by Cullen Bunn, Vicente Cifuentes, Nick Filardi

Oni

Blink 1 by Christopher Sebela, Hayden Sherman, Nick Filardi

American Mythology

Florida Man 1 by Mike Baron, Todd Mulrooney, Elias Martins

Vault

Kenzie’s Kingdom GN by Shea Fontana, Agnes Garbowska, Sil Brys

Seven Seas Entertainment

Dungeon Crawler's Academy: Into the Portal GN by JP Sullivan, Elmer Damaso

Ray’s OGN Corner: Scout is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong

Additional Reviews: Birds of Prey, Cube, Event Horizon, DC’s League of Super-Pets, Dopesick, Harley Quinn s3 first thoughts

News: Spidey cartoon oddness (Freshman Year), Death of Superman anthology special in November, Spider-Punk joins Spider-Verse 2, Affleck returns for Aquaman 2, Nichelle Nichols

Trailers: Oppenheimer

Comics Countdown:

Superman: Space Age 1 by Mark Russell, Michael Allred, Laura Allred

Deadly Class 54 by Rick Remender, Wes Craig, Lee Loughridge

Radiant Black 16 by Kyle Higgins, Marcelo Costa, Igor Monti, Becca Carey

Something is Killing the Children 25 by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto

Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country 4 by James Tynion IV, Lisandro Estherren, Dani, Patricio Delpeche, Tamra Bonvillain

Swamp Thing 15 by Ram V, Mike Perkins, Mike Spicer

Ant-Man 1 by Al Ewing, Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire

I Hate This Place 3 by Kyle Starks, Artyom Topilin, Lee Loughridge

Rogue Sun 6 by Ryan Parrott, Abel, Natalia Marques

TMNT 131 by Kevin Eastman, Sophie Campbell, Pablo Tunica, Ronda Pattisono

Check out this episode!

[mood-of-collapse]

It's the last weekend to catch work by Margaret Evans, Catriona Millar & Jacqueline Shortland at @gallery_heinzel ! Don't miss it! Check it out online here >>> https://galleryheinzel.com/exhibitions/21-margaret-evans-catriona-millar-jacqueline-shortland/works/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CdN8AJIKeJ8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[starfast]

And why did you name your characters that way?

I know I’ve reblogged this already, but I love talking about how I name my characters, so I wanted to talk about this some more. 

I honestly don’t think too hard about what I name my characters, and a lot of the time it just boils down to “well, I like that name so...” But here’s a couple fun stories about how I names my characters: 

I’ve mentioned this before, but the reason why all the New Vellarton characters have “real” names as opposed to fantasy names is because I was having troubles coming up with cool fantasy names, so the names they have now were actually just placeholder names I gave them. 

As a sort of byproduct of this, a lot of the characters are named after members of bands that I like. Off the top of my head, Gerard and Frank are both named after members of My Chemical Romance. I’m pretty sure that Matthew might also be named after Matt Bellamy from Muse. There used to be more, but I’ve renamed a few of the characters. 

Eva is named after a horse that I used to lease :P 

In Immortal Minds, Dallas’ character originally wanted to be a rock star, so I wanted to give him a cool, rock star-esque name. His character has changed quite a bit so this doesn’t really hold up anymore, but idk his name still suits him. 

Ara’s middle name is Raphael, and the only reason why I chose that name is so that his initials would spell out his name.

One of Dallas’ friends is Morgan Miller, and she’s really into horse back riding. Morgan= a type of horse. Miller= a nod to the Canadian show jumper, Ian Millar. 

The band that Andor and Dallas both listen to is based off of Mother Mother, and this is reflected in the names of the band members. (Brian and Holly Groeneveld= Ryan and Molly Guldemond, Jacqueline Parker= Jasmin Parkin). 

James’ name was originally Adam, but for some reason when I was outlining I kept wanting to call him James, so I just decided that would be his name instead. 

I gave Catalina that name specifically after learning that there’s a type of parrot called a Catalina Macaw. 

Ella, despite being the main character, was the last to be named. I settled on the name Ella after I zoned out and started thinking about Drag Race UK s3 contestant Ella Vaday, and how clever of a pun that was (i’ve stopped watching this season after snatch game bc that was some bullshit, but I hope Ella wins)

I also chose the last name Goodwin for her because I wanted something that alluded to her strong moral compass, and calling her “Ella Goode” was a little too on the nose. 

I gave Adam Archer and Grant Gaines alliterative names because a lot of super heroes in other media have alliterative names. Grant’s name also kind of has a double meaning to it, but I feel like it’s kinda spoilery though. 

As a side note, a lot of my characters in my other stories have alliterative names because I remember hearing that it makes the name more catchy and easier to remember (off the top of my head, there’s Matthew Marwing, Victor Valeer, Dallas Dawson, and Ara Azaryan). 

I want to talk about names. Are there some interesting naming traditions? Is it inspired by some real life tradition? Who decides and or gave your characters their names? Are they named after a relative, past or present ? Is there a specific meaning to the names? And why did you name your characters that way?

WBW Alert List

@pheita

@nana-writes @raevenlywrites @eloquenceandemphasis

@viawrites-andacts

@fields-of-ink

@contes-de-rheio

@writinginslowmotion

@merigreenleaf

@helga-leakadia

@writeblrfantasy

@crowandmoonwriting

@ruinedqueenwriter

@faithfire

@danaspriddy

@strosmkai-rum

@lexiklecksi

@directionoftime

@thethistlegirl

@elizahgodswood

@anika-writes

@the-bard-writes

@vylequinne

@storytracks

@lunarmoment

@kalis-scribbles

@pen-and-inks

@avian-writes

@ayzrules

@dearestannabel

@thewrittenpost

@willowiswriting

@imaginationxlost

@chazzawrites

@faithfletcher

@wizardfromthesea

@the-writing-rat

@lost-writer-on-the-loose

@the-wierdo-christine @andiwriteunderthemoon @stormbeyondreality @dragon-swords-prophecies @nora-theteawriter

[faithfulnews]

ANZABS 2018 program and abstracts

ANZABS CONFERENCE 2018

6-7 December, 2018

Venue: Wesley Hall, Trinity Methodist College, 202A St Johns Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland 1072 Thursday 6 December 9.30 am – REGISTRATION 10.00-10.10 – mihi 10.10-11.00 – Keynote speaker: Robert Myles – Fishing for Eyewitnesses in the Fourth Gospel 11.00-11.30 – Morning tea 11.30-12.00 – Lyndon Drake – Economic Capital in the Hebrew Bible 12.00-12.30 – Anne Aalbers – Resurrection and Celibacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin? 12.30-1.00 – Jonathan Robinson – "And he was with the beasts," (Mark 1:13): Ambiguity, Interpretation and Mark as a Jewish Author 1.00-2.00 – Lunch 2.00-2.30 – Ben Hudson – Ethical Exhortation and the Decalogue in Ephesians 2.30-3.00 – Csilla Saysell – The Servant as 'a covenant of/for people' in Deutero-Isaiah 3.00-3.30 – Afternoon tea 3.30-4.00 – Jacqueline Lloyd – Did Jesus minister in Gaulanitis? 4.00-4.30 – Mark Keown – Jesus as the New Joshua 4.30 – AGM Friday 7 December 9.30-10.00 – Ben Ong – Pākehā Reading of the New Testament 10.00-10.30 – Jordan Chapman – Nero as “The Destroyer” in Revelation 9:11 10.30-11.00 – Morning tea 11.00-11.30 – Sarah Hart – The Rich–Poor Divide: Seeking Biblical Directives 11.30-12.00 – Paul Trebilco – What does Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, tell us about the Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century CE? 12.00-12.30 – Ross Millar – Narrative of the discourses: the introductory settings of Matthew’s teaching discourses 12.30-1.00 – Deane Galbraith – Jeremiah Wrote an Epilogue, And It Once Had a Mighty Fine Whine: The Original Prophecy of Unmitigated Doom in Jeremiah 25.1-13Lunch 1.00-2.00 – Lunch 2.00-2.30 – Stephen Gerbault – The Gospel of John, David F. Ford, and Reading in the Spirit 2.30-3.00 – Philip Church – “In Speaking of a New Covenant, God Declares the First Obsolete” (Heb 8:13): Supersessionism in the Book of Hebrews 3.00-3.30 – Julia van den Brink, “Blessed God”: The use of μακάριος to describe God in 1 Tim 1:11; 6:15 3.30-4.00 – Rikk Watts – The Stronger one and the dove: Revisiting two discarded images. 4.00 – closing words and karakia. Afternoon tea and chat for those who wish to stay. Registration To cover catering costs, there will be a registration fee for ANZABS 2018: Student/lower income presenters - $20 Student/lower income attendees - $40 Everyone else - $80 Please pay this registration fee in cash, on the day. To sign up for attending the conference, please register here: https://goo.gl/forms/Cs3yPj8xJQEmWQel1 Full abstracts are below. Abstracts Anne Aalbers, University of Auckland Resurrection and Celibacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin? In this paper I am proposing that, integral to religious belief in the first century, sexual abstinence – or celibacy – was the assumed status of the resurrected. I will discuss not only familiar NT texts but also some evidence of Jewish ascetic practice such as that which comes to us from the texts of the Judaean Desert. Greek and Latin historical sources, as well as insight available to us from common proto-gnostic attitudes, reveal a consistent cultural understanding of celibacy in the eschaton. Such diverse sources of support for the idea would suggest that, in any record of the account of the resurrected Jesus, the Gospel writers would assume this to be the case. In my PhD thesis I am proposing that John’s Gospel shows full consistency with this expectation and that Jesus’ puzzling prohibition to Mary Magdalene, not to touch him while he is still embodied before ascension (20:17), is motivated by this understanding. Julia van den Brink, Laidlaw College ‘Blessed God’: The use of μακάριος to describe God in 1 Tim 1:11; 6:15 Blessing statements using μακάριος are scattered throughout the Septuagint (LXX) and the New Testament (NT). Most are found in beatitudes (e.g. blessed are the poor, Luke 6:20). In the diverse uses of μακάριος across the LXX and NT, there appears to be one rule for its use: it is never used to describe God. While God may be described as ‘blessed’ using εὐλογητος, he is not praised with μακάριος. There are, however, two noticeable exceptions: 1 Timothy 1:11 and 6:15. In this paper, I will explore some possible explanations for why the author of 1 Timothy has seemingly broken with tradition and described God using μακάριος. Jordan Chapman, University of Otago Nero as ‘The Destroyer’ in Revelation 9:11 The angel of the abyss in Revelation 9:11 is given two names, both of which mean, ‘The Destroyer.’ Most commentators note that an allusion to the Greco-Roman deity Apollo can be seen in the Greek name of the angel, but fail to develop its significance. Epigraphical and literary sources attest to Nero's self-association with Apollo, and the Nero-like traits of the Beast later in Revelation (13, 17) make an Apollo-Nero allusion probable. In evoking Nero in Revelation 9, John fleshes out the nature of idolatry in the chapter and foreshadows his use of Nero-like qualities for the Beast. Philip Church, Laidlaw College ‘In Speaking of a New Covenant, God Declares the First Obsolete’ (Heb 8:13): Supersessionism in the Book of Hebrews In the 2000 edition of his Hebrews commentary Robert Gordon claimed that Hebrews was supersessionist. In the second edition (2008) he added an eighteen page defence of that claim. Since Hebrews was written by an ethnic Jew to ethnic Jews, and since the argumentation is drawn from the Jewish Greek Scriptures, the critique of the Jewish cult is an internal critique, the seeds of which were sown in those Scriptures. The former covenant anticipated the new, and what it anticipated is now a reality. Now that the reality has come, what anticipated it has been fulfilled and is no longer necessary. This is fulfilment rather than supersession. Lyndon Drake, Oxford University Economic Capital in the Hebrew Bible In Genesis 2:17, God prohibits eating fruit from ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ Commentators are divided about the reason for the prohibition and its related sanction, with some (for example, James Barr) even arguing that God acts unethically. I propose that eating from the tree functions within the narrative world of the text as an archetypal, negative example of comprehensive consumption in the face of plenty. Or, conversely, Adam and Eve lack appropriate restraint. Other biblical texts, particularly a number of economic regulations in the law codes, present restraint rather than complete consumption as a divinely-approved virtue. By contrast, the Adapa story and the Gilgamesh epic both present the restraint of primeval humans as foolishness. I argue that the virtue of restraint presented in Genesis 2 functions as a unifying principle for a number of biblical texts which address economic issues. Deane Galbraith, University of Otago Jeremiah Wrote an Epilogue, And It Once Had a Mighty Fine Whine: The Original Prophecy of Unmitigated Doom in Jeremiah 25.1-13 Jeremiah's prophecies dated before the Judahite exile of 597 BCE predict complete devastation for the land of Judah, the elimination of any remnant within its cities, and no hope of return for exiles. For Jeremiah, the ‘prophet of doom’, hope was something that only (pseudo-)prophets offered. Yet many have challenged this picture, pointing to the prophecies of hope in the various final forms of the book of Jeremiah. This paper finds support for a pre-597 ‘prophet of [unmitigated] doom’ in LXX Jer 25.1-13, when read against the tyranny of the (Masoretic) canon. In LXX Jer 25.1-13, Jeremiah composed an epilogue of hopelessness, without expectation of any future for Judahites, without any knowledge of the Oracles against the Nations, and without expectation of punishment for Babylon. Stephen C. Gerbault, Laidlaw College, Alphacrucis College The Gospel of John, David F. Ford, and Reading in the Spirit How is the church to read the Gospels? In a review essay on Richard B. Hays’ 2016 book, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, David Ford (2017) suggests that John is offering a creative ‘reading forwards’ paradigm for reading Scripture. This paper hopes to explore what is meant by reading forwards and how it relates to Hays’ reading backwards. It will then conclude with brief suggestions for reading the Gospels in the Spirit. Sarah Hart, Good Shepherd College, Te Hepara Pai ‘The Rich–Poor Divide: Seeking Biblical Directives’ What perspectives does the Bible offer regarding the economic gap between the rich and poor? Are analyses or directives of a rich-poor divide discernible in the biblical literature? These two questions focus the choice of biblical passages and secondary sources. Principal texts for the discussion are Jubilee Year and Land Tenure (Lev 25), Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kgs 21), and selected texts from the prophetic writings (Is 5:7; Am 6:4-7). Secondary sources include the work of Rainer Albertz and Samuel Adams. Ben Hudson, University of Otago Ethical Exhortation and the Decalogue in Ephesians This paper will argue that the paraenesis of Ephesians (Eph 4:17-6-9) is structured so as to reflect the second table of the Decalogue. The lengthly exhortations are attended by a series of allusions and echoes which evoke the scriptural commandments concerning parents, adultery, stealing, murder, false testimony and covetousness, in reverse order. Noticing this extended engagement with the Decalogue in which Gentile Christ-believers are exhorted to a way of live shaped by scriptural commandments contributes to resolving a number of puzzles in Ephesians including; accounting for the relationship between the two halves of the letter, discerning the letter’s purpose, and interpreting the difficult phrase τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας (he abolished the law of commandments in decrees, Eph 2:15). Mark Keown, Laidlaw College Jesus as the New Joshua It is common in NT studies to hear Jesus considered in regards to Messiah (Christ), Lord, Son of Man, Son of David, the Prophet, Son of God, new Moses, and so on. Yet, it is extremely rare to find Jesus considered as the New Joshua. In this paper, I will argue that God’s choice of name for his Son suggests that this is as essential an OT connection as Jesus as Christ and Son of Man, the two ideas that dominate the Gospel narratives. He is after all named by God as Joshua. To understand Jesus, he must be considered as the Second Joshua. Jacqueline Lloyd, Laidlaw College Did Jesus minister in Gaulanitis? References to Gaulanitis are absent in the Gospels. Consequently, Jesus’ ministry in Gaulanitis is largely ignored by New Testament scholars. However, the Synoptic Gospels do state that Jesus ministered in Bethsaida, which has been identified with Et-Tell in the central Golan, a region roughly corresponding to ancient Gaulanitis. In this paper I will argue that Jesus probably did minister in Gaulanitis. I will also argue that the reason there is no mention of this in the Gospels is because the Jewish people living in first-century Judaea considered Gaulanitis to be a part of Galilee. Ross Millar, Laidlaw College Narrative of the discourses: The introductory settings of Matthew’s teaching discourses Matthew is often divided into narrative and teaching sections, with the end of each teaching discourse beginning marked by the literary formula, ‘when Jesus had finished saying [all] these things...’ Each of these discourses begins with a narrative introduction and the settings and characters of these narrative introductions will be examined for patterns. The ways Matthew uses these opening phrases to outline the differing relationships crowds and disciples have with Jesus will be explored. Robert Myles, Murdoch University Fishing for Eyewitnesses in the Fourth Gospel John 18:15–16 mentions an unknown disciple of Jesus who ‘was known to the high priest’ giving him access to the events in Caiaphas’s courtyard. A minority of scholars maintain the identity of this disciple is consistent with John, the son of Zebedee, whom they also maintain was the author of the Fourth Gospel. To support this position, the commonplace fiction of entrepreneurial Galilean fishermen belonging to an aspiring ‘middle-class’ is asserted. This paper reviews the arguments and suggests that a more rigorous account of the agrarian political-economic relation in the ancient world demonstrates the implausibility of such a scenario. Ben Ong, University of Otago Pākehā Reading of the New Testament The contextuality of the scholar dictates the analysis of their work. ‘Pākehā’ exist due to their relationship with hau kāinga, true home people, in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. This relationship inherently influences the contextuality of the person and, therefore, the scholar. Few contextual biblical studies works exist in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu, this paper proposes a possible contextual methodology on the basis of relational identity granted in Te Tiriti o Waitangi for biblical studies, allowing for critical dialogue between ‘traditional’ analytical methods and the non-Māori scholar’s understanding of te ao Māori, the Māori world. Ka tino aweawetia te tātaritanga o ō rātou mahi e te ao horopaki o te tangata mātauranga. Nā te hau kāinga Māori te noho o ngā iwi Pākehā i roto i Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu. Ka aweawe tēnei piringa i te horopaki o te tangata me te tangata mātauranga. He mahingia horopaki itiiti o mātai Paipera Tapu ērā i roto i Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu. Kei raro i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ka whakaaria tēnei pūrongo i tētahi tikanga i mātai Paipera Tapu, ka taea te kōrero tātaritanga te hanga i waenganui i te kōrero tātari o tikanga Pākehā me tētahi Pākehā mōhiotanga o te ao Māori. Jonathan Robinson, University of Otago ‘And he was with the beasts,’ (Mark 1:13): Ambiguity, Interpretation and Mark as a Jewish Author James Dunn, in his seminal 1980 work, Christology in the Making, wrote, ‘We should not underestimate the Jewish hermeneutical readiness to read as much into the text as possible.’ Yet it may be observed that when it comes to interpreting texts from the 1st century Jewish sect known today as early Christianity the impulse of Dunn and others is sometimes to read as little into the text as possible. This paper will explore this tendency and its ramifications using Mark 1:13 as a test case, before arguing for a ‘maximal’ exegesis of this remarkably ambiguous yet evocative phrase. Csilla Saysell, Carey Baptist College The Servant as 'a covenant of/for people' in Deutero-Isaiah In the context of the Servant Songs, Deutero-Isaiah twice uses the phrase ‘a covenant of/for people’ (berit ‘am – Isa 42:6; 49:8), a construct chain that has puzzled commentators for a long time. The exact relationship between the two parts of the chain is hard to work out and the referent for both the covenant (Noahic? Mosaic? something else?) and the people (humanity? Israel?) is obscure. This research explores the different options for interpreting this enigmatic phrase in order to throw light on the Servant’s mission and its implications for the NT. Paul Trebilco, University of Otago What does Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, tell us about the Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century CE? Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History 5.23.1, quotes a letter by Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, written around 190CE. In the letter Polycrates defends the practice of concluding the Paschal fast on Nisan 14. Polycrates shows that Christians in Asia Minor were in the habit of celebrating Easter at the same time as Jews celebrated the Pascha, regardless of what day of the week Nisan 14 fell on. In this letter, Polycrates gives us some very valuable information about Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century, including details relating to leadership, traditions, the relationship between Ephesus and other churches and the Ephesian church’s relationship with the local Jewish communities. Rikk Watts, Regent College The Stronger One and the Dove: Revisiting Two Discarded Images. In spite of initially appearing somewhat conventional, ascertaining the identity and significance of “the coming stronger one” and the symbolism behind the “descending dove” in Mark’s prologue has proven surprisingly difficult. This paper will review the range of options, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and indicate why there is little agreement. It will argue for a reinstatement of the two options—Yahweh and Israel—which nearly all commentators early on cite and yet immediately exclude. On the basis of some previously uncited material along with a fuller appreciation of how they function in Israel’s tradition, the paper will suggest that their rejection was precipitous and that reinstating them makes better sense of their place in the context of Mark’s narrative overall.

Go to the article

[matataku-hoshi]

Yuletide 2017

Throwing it out there that I plan to participate in the annual Yuletide challenge this year (an annual Secret Santa exchange of fanfiction from rare fandoms).  

I used to say it was the one time a year I wrote fanfic, but per usual Groundhog Day has ruined everything ;)

Right now they’re as far as the fandoms nominations stage.  I nominated both the movie and musical versions of Groundhog Day, and both were approved.  I’ll admit I’m hoping that I get tagged for this fandom, both as a writer and as a recipient.

In the past, I’ve ended up writing fanfiction for: 1) Life is Strange (video game), 2) Sailor Moon Crystal (anime), 3) Fangirl/Simon Snow (book by Rainbow Rowell) 4) Into the Woods (musical), 5) Elisabeth (musical), 6) Lonely Werewolf Girl (book by Martin Millar), 7) Magician no Yutsuu (Takarazuka musical), 8) Silver Rose Chronicle (Takarazuka musical), 9) Kushiel’s Legacy (book by Jacqueline Carey)

[featuredshirts]

Nessa Jenkins Merry Christmas Sugar Tits Shirt

Nessa Jenkins Merry Christmas Sugar Tits Shirt

Angela burge triona walsh so so sad how sad what a tragedy helen millar so sad x chase mcginn. Sue thorn carol mcfaul this is so sad jacqueline gillen so very sad xxxx rip. Melanie xxx heartbreaking for all of their family xxxx chris cubley gosh how sad is this hey stranger your parents. Live long just one click httpsyoutubestyakazldgy plz subscribe danish kaneriya on youtube anne munden was she…

[phgq]

PDL-made lanterns adorn giant Christmas tree

#PHnews: PDL-made lanterns adorn giant Christmas tree

DUMAGUETE CITY -- A giant Christmas tree at the Quezon Park here will feature hundreds of star lanterns made by Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) at the Dumaguete City Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

Dems Rey Demecillo, the city public information officer, said on Thursday the Christmas lighting ceremony is scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday at the Quezon Park, to be followed by a Christmas choir competition.

Some 650 lanterns made by the PDLs will take center stage as these will doll up the Christmas tree and will also be hung in other parts of the park.

Organizers of the annual “The Pasko sa Dumaguete” celebration have tied up with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in asking the inmates to make the Christmas decors as part of the “parol” (lantern) project, which will provide extra income for the PDLs, city tourism officer Jacqueline Antonio said.

Artists Jude Millares and Beshiel Mayordomo supervised the making of the lanterns, although it was not mentioned how much the city was paying for each of these.

The City Tourism Office is also partnering with Subida Souvenirs for a Christmas wish-granting project, “Pangandoy sa Pasko”, to provide holiday cheer for the children of PDLs.

Some 200 children aged 12 and below have been listed for the project, with Christmas wishes to include t-shirts, food, and toys, Antonio said.

The city is appealing to generous people to make the wish of a child come true this Christmas, by participating in the project, she added. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "PDL-made lanterns adorn giant Christmas tree." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1088024 (accessed December 06, 2019 at 03:24AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "PDL-made lanterns adorn giant Christmas tree." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1088024 (archived).

[millarthesecond]

Jacquie Herondale

Jacqueline Paris Herondale

Birthday: June 16th

Occupation: Dancer

Home: New York City

Family: Eldest daughter of Ashley  Millar and James Herondale. Sister of Nathaniel and Marilyn.

A little bit of her history: Born in New York City, Jacque spent the first year of her life living in Australia with her mother. They both moved back to NYC soon after her first birthday. During her early years, she witnessed how the relationship of her parents grew stronger day by day. She was 3 years old when they finally got married. Years after, her siblings came along. She grew up in a loving home, she often traveled with her mother, before she was 20, she had already visited at least 35 different countries all over the globe. She was quite attached to her father, he was who first introduced her to the world of theater, she enjoyed going with his father to symphony concerts, operas, ballets, and musicals. She learned how to play the piano and guitar, and she had a great talent for dancing, and it soon became her greatest passion.

FC: Lily Bleu Bass, Sabrina Carpenter, Amber Heard

[debrahnesbit]

In Memoriam: My Dear Friend and Colleague Ian Kerr

Nearly twenty years ago, Ian Kerr was a rising star in the law and technology field at the University of Western Ontario. He had already published on the role of computers as intelligent agents in the nascent world of electronic commerce and was crafting new courses examining the legal and ethical challenges posed by machines and the law. In the fall of 1999 – about a year after I had arrived at Ottawa – he agreed to a visit to consider coming to help build a leading program focused on law and tech. I spent the day trying to convince Ian to come, offering tours of the law school, the city’s foodie hot spots, and a dinner at my house. My closing argument was that no matter his decision, this was going to happen since Ottawa was ideally situated to lead on tech law and policy and that there was no better place for him, personally or professionally.

I’m heartened that Ian told me during my last visit with him at the Ottawa Hospital that the decision was one of the best he ever made. But I was wrong. This wasn’t just going to happen. It happened because Ian – my colleague, friend, advisor, and professional partner – made it so.

Ian passed away last night after months of battling complications from cancer. He was a singular talent, whose impact not just on the field, but on everyone he worked with, taught, mentored, or lectured will be felt for decades to come.

He was a prescient scholar who proposed the title of Canada Research Chair in Law, Ethics, and Technology years before the ethical implications of technologies would emerge as a widespread societal issue. His work spanned so many issues – robotics and the law, artificial intelligence, privacy, surveillance, security, digital rights management, algorithms, electronic contracting, human rights, and human enhancement – that he needed to reshape the standard approach to the reporting of academic achievement in order to convey even a fraction of his prodigious output, while his four-way cross-appointment to medicine, information studies, and philosophy reflected a commitment to the study of law and ethics beyond the law school.

He was an extraordinary teacher, who won awards everywhere he went, leaving his students with indelible memories of opening music to set the tone, visually remarkable slides and multimedia materials that challenged students to think in new ways, and an engaging lecture approach that endeavoured to bring out the best in everyone. That teaching extended to the entire globe: teaching the world’s data protection and privacy commissioners on the privacy and technology at their annual conference in Morocco in 2016, delivering keynote addresses in countries around the world from Iceland to Singapore, and serving as a visiting professor at institutions such as New York University, Tel Aviv University, the University of Haifa, Pompeu Fabra University in Spain, and Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

He was a great builder, who brought vision and passion to creating new models for teaching, research, and student exchange. It was Ian that led to the creation of our LL.M. in Law and Technology that counts hundreds of students as past alumni. It was Ian that developed the much-beloved Techno-Rico course with the University of Puerto Rico that serves as model for many other courses including mine with the University of Haifa. It was Ian that led the quintessential multi-disciplinary large scale research project with ID Trail, a multi-million dollar initiative that launched many new careers, publications, and provided the roadmap for inclusive, forward-looking, team-based research projects. And it was Ian that worked with successive deans – Bruce, Nathalie, and Adam – on hiring, programming, and a myriad of other issues.

He was a dynamic leader, the heart and soul of the technology law program that blossomed years after we envisioned it around the kitchen table. For the amazing group of professors, program directors, research managers, and supporters, there were no limits to Ian’s generosity and his advice, enthusiasm, and support represented the not-so-secret sauce behind our success.

He was an exceptional advocate, changing the law through his scholarship and tireless efforts. Whether quoted by the Supreme Court of Canada, on the floor of the House of Commons, or in government reports, Ian not only identified the legal challenges associated with law and technology, he influenced the solutions. His work on supporting a global ban on Lethal Autonomous Weapons brought him to the United Nations for an address to member states and succeeded in convincing some of the world’s greatest computer scientists to join him at the policy table.

He was pioneer, joining forces in 2012 with Michael Froomkin, Ryan Calo, and Markus Wagner to launch the first We Robot conference. That event has since become the leading conference of its kind, resulting in ground-breaking scholarship and a generation of new scholars in the robotics law field. It was one of Ian’s proudest achievements that We Robot will come to Ottawa for the first time next year.

It is tempting – indeed deserving – to focus on a truly breathtaking record of academic achievement. Ian was widely recognized as a global leader and brought enormous pride to all of his colleagues. He was one of us and showed how Canadians can thrive on the world stage. Yet Ian’s towering career does not tell the most important part of the story nor explain why his loss is so difficult.

It was Ian the person, the mentor, the collaborator, the friend, that sparkles the most from this brightest of stars. He was a creative genius, equally comfortable baking challahs, reciting poetic rock lyrics, or drumming in a band as he was on the biggest academic stage. Earlier this year, he generously provided me with his Canada Research Chair renewal application in order to assist with my own. What stands out in those documents was his incredible love for, and commitment to, his colleagues and students. Over just the last decade, he co-authored pieces with Jena McGill, Katie Szilagyi, Katie Black, Jason Millar, Carys Craig, Jennifer Chandler, Timothy Caufield, Carissima Mathen, Noel Corriveau, Michael Froomkin, Joelle Pineau, Jennifer Barrigar, Jacqueline Burkell, Alex Cameron, Jessica Earle, and Daphne Gilbert. He co-edited works with Mitchell McInnes, Tony VanDuzer, Ryan Calo, Michael Froomkin, Valerie Steeves, Carole Lucock, and Jason Millar. It is an astonishing record of collaboration, demonstrating how Ian was most at home working with others, sharing with others, and ensuring that the spotlight was on others.

You didn’t have to write with Ian to know about his generosity, however. I have never met a colleague more willing to share his work or time. His supervisions of graduate students is legendary with members of Kerr graduate family holding prominent posts at universities around the world. His research assistants and classroom students held a particularly special place in his heart as evidenced by watching Ian continuously pop up and down during convocation as a steady stream of students invariably saved their biggest smile for his enthusiastic, warm embrace as they crossed the stage.

Of course, Ian reserved his biggest smiles and love for his family. A number of years ago, I convinced him to join my fantasy football league. He said yes, not because he was big football fan, but rather because he saw it as a great opportunity to play with his father, who was back home in Calgary. The Steel Kerrtains never managed to snag a title, but Ian had an entirely different goal in mind.

When I last saw Ian in the ICU ward, the talk quickly turned to Erin and Ruby. He pointed to their pictures on the hospital wall, noting that his family was his most important success story as his love for them – and them him – meant everything. They gave him the strength to fight his terrible disease and family life provided the fulfillment and happiness that he wished for everyone.

Last month, about two weeks after Ian was back in the hospital, I ran into our colleague Vanessa Gruben in the law school foyer. Vanessa told me that Ian had been moved to ICU hours before and that the situation was not good. I walked up to my office numbed by the news and as I opened the hallway door that leads to my office, I looked down the hall as I always do. It was then that I realized that for the past twenty years, the first thing I have done when I enter the hallway is look to see if the door to Ian’s office – just two down from mine – was cracked open with some light shining through. I’m not totally sure why. Sometimes I would pop in to say hi, sometimes not. But there was something reassuring knowing that my friend and partner was there. I don’t think I’ll ever stop looking for that light.

The post In Memoriam: My Dear Friend and Colleague Ian Kerr appeared first on Michael Geist.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8247009 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2019/08/in-memoriam-my-dear-friend-and-colleague-ian-kerr/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[runridedive]

Records smashed at Torpedo SwimRun Cape

Cape Town, 18 November. The third edition of the Torpedo SwimRun Cape saw records tumble in both the Men’s and the Women’s categories. Last year’s Mixed category winners, siblings Nick and Alexandra Quenet, now competing in the Men’s and Women’s categories, each took the wins with their respective race partners.

Conditions in the water were challenging due to a strong Southeaster, with both triathletes and lifesavers making up the bulk of the field tackling the 16km course from Sandy Bay to Clifton. There are no transitions in swimrunning – athletes run in their wetsuits and swim in their running shoes.

Men Young triathletes Nick Quenet and Jamie Riddle broke the 2-hour barrier with a time of 1:55:01, taking over 5 minutes off the previous record of 2:00:18.

“We knew it was going to be a tight race, we worked really well together and complemented each other in the swims and the runs. We didn’t enter the water first for the first swim, so we knew we had our work cut out for us. All in all a very tough race,” said Quenet.

Dylan Pivo and Riaan Shaw came second, despite Riaan losing a shoe in the water and having to run with bare feet: “We were exactly the same speed, running and swimming, which helped a lot. We may not be the fastest but we raced really well together,” they said.

Calvin Amor and Shane Fourie, one of the Llandudno Surf Lifesaving teams, came third: “It was a lot harder than last year, with longer swims, nice and technical. On the long swim we were pushed out to sea, fighting with the kelp on the inside. Competition was a lot tougher, a lot higher this year, so it was good to push ourselves.”

The Cooke brothers from Port Elizabeth, Keegan and Jarryd Cooke, were fourth. Race favourite Michael Lord, who had to find a replacement partner Llewelyn Groenewald in race week after JP Burger withdrew, pulled out during the course of the race.

Women Vicky Van Der Merwe, an experienced triathlete but new to Torpedo SwimRun, was ably led by Alexandra  Quenet for the team to take just over a minute off the previous Women’s record in a time of 2:25:20.

The two agreed that they had worked very well as a team, with van der Merwe crediting her partner with strength in the swimming: “Being my first Torpedo SwimRun, we decided to go out quite conservatively. Alex is a very good swimmer so I had paddles on and tried to sit on her feet as much as possible. So Alex did most of the work on the swims, and then we ran really well together,” she said.

Second place was taken by Bianca Tarboton and Lauren Granger, one of the Llandudno Surf Lifesaving teams: “The wind was a big factor but the salt water makes your shoes more buoyant than the freshwater we experienced in the Torpedo SwimRun Wild, which helps. It is good to race on our home turf.”

Jacqueline Vockins and Karen Graaf were placed third, in the same position as last year, and Alessandra Bayly and Christina Geromont, winners of the the Inaugural Torpedo SwimRun, were fourth.

Race Director Richard McMartin said they were thrilled with the outcomes. “In the Men’s and the Women’s, records have tumbled, with some top triathletes coming and racing. We introduced prize money this year and it has really brought the level of competition up a notch. The pumping Southeaster made conditions tricky, but we have a lot of excited people ready for next year.”

SwimRun gaining international attention

Andrew Maclean is originally from Scotland but has been living in Sweden for the past 15 years, where swimrun as a sport originated. He has done about 50 swimruns worldwide since 2013, including two Otillo Swimrun World Championships. His brother Robert lives in Johannesburg and the two met up in Cape Town to take on Torpedo SwimRun: “It was an amazing experience. Extremely surprised we finished in 12th place overall in my brother’s first ever swimrun race. I highly recommend this well organized and adventurous race; very cold water, hot runs, massive kelp forests to swim through. We didn’t see any sharks but we did see a seal near the finish line.”

Rugby Players embracing SwimRun

Former Springbok Rugby Players Robbie Fleck, Corne Krige and Ollie le Roux took part, and Robbie Fleck came fourth in the Mixed category with his race partner Keri Espey: “The wind made it pretty tough, but what a special experience. You see parts of Cape Town that you never really appreciate. You get tested to the limits.”

Lifesavers give up their chance at the podium to help a swimrunner

Llandudno lifesavers Rob Shaff and Rob Tweddle were expected to podium, but found themselves coming to the aid of a swimrunner struggling against the current. “As we were leaving the water at Sandy Bay we saw a guy in distress, he had lost his cap and was panicking, so we led him to the cameraman on a boogy board who could help him to safety,” says Rob Tweddle.

header image: Greg Millar

The winners

Results

Men:

Nick Quenet and Jamie Riddle (1:55:01)

Riaan Shaw and Dylan Pivo (2:04:47)

Calvin Amor and Shane Fourie (2:05:32)

Keegan Cook and Jarryd Cooke (2:09:39)

Women:

Alexandra Quenet and Vicky van der Merwe (2:25:20)

Lauren Granger and Bianca Tarboton (2:37:20)

Jacqueline Vockins and Karen Graaf (2:46:50)

Alessandra Bayly and Christina Geromont (2:49:50)

The post Records smashed at Torpedo SwimRun Cape appeared first on Run Ride Dive.

from WordPress https://www.runridedive.com/2018-torpedo-swimrun-cape/

[herretes]

Al Guaire lo que es del Guaire de Tilio Hernández

19 de abril, noche. Venezuela ahora es un hervidero de historias. Unas felices, por democráticas. Otras horrendas, por represivas. Y, otras épicas, por solidarias. Las redes sociales no se dan abasto con tanto que contar luego de la mega marcha que reclama elecciones.

Las imágenes de torrentes, cataratas, aludes, de venezolanos abarrotando avenidas de grandes y pequeñas ciudades son el símbolo más contundente de que, a un mismo tiempo, los ciudadanos demócratas perdieron el miedo y el PSUV las calles.

La fotografía aérea de una multitud de kilómetros, abigarrada, en la autopista Francisco Fajardo de Caracas, detenida abruptamente por una nube de gases lacrimógenos y un batallón de guardias nacionales con tanquetas impidiéndole el derecho constitucional al libre tránsito y a expresar su protesta, quedará para siempre en la memoria.

De un lado el pueblo desarmado. La gente común. Lo multicolor. La esperanza. Del otro, los uniformados. Escudos. Máscaras. Cañones. Bombas y perdigones. La fuerza bruta. El sueño de un socialismo que produce monstruos.

II.

Tarde. Para el día 18 los rojos mantenían secuestrados en sus cárceles a más de medio millar de venezolanos opositores al gobierno. Estudiantes, periodistas, dirigentes políticos, sindicalistas, maestros. Los relatos de torturas y tratos crueles –baños de excrementos, encierros por largos días en calabozos oscuros, alarmas encendidas para impedir el sueño– son un secreto a voces. Cuando la historia se arme a plenitud los cuentos de la Seguridad Nacional, la policía de la dictadura de Pérez Jiménez, se convertirán en un relato de bravucones ni tan malos.

Algunos voceros rojos anuncian, intimidando, que al día siguiente miles de motorizados saldrían a las calles. En la política represiva de los rojos un motorizado es un miembro de un colectivo, el rostro más siniestro de la herencia chavista, un aparato de terror inspirado en los camisas negras de Mussolini, pistoleros a sueldo cuyo trabajo es intimidar y, cuando sea necesario, reprimir violentamente a los opositores que manifiestan en las calles.

Era verdad. Por la tarde del 19 las redes retumbaban con varios videos que captan, desde ángulos distintos, la manera como un colectivo, unos quince pistoleros, en San Cristóbal, literalmente cazan, con técnicas del Ku Klux Klan, a una joven opositora. Paola Andreína Ramírez Gómez. Veintitrés años.

Primero la detienen. Luego le quitan sus pertenencias. A seguidas la dejan que escape. Al final le disparan por la espalda. La matan. Queda tendida en plena vía. Un hermano o amigo llega. La abraza dulcemente en el piso. Llora. Toda Venezuela, la no afecta a los colectivos, llora por ella. Y por su ser querido.

III.

4:00 pm. La fotografía es impactante por lo que apuesta. Un grupo de manifestantes se ha metido en el río Guaire huyendo del ataque de la Guardia Nacional. Pero el Guaire realmente no es un río, es una cloaca infecta. Meterse allí es arriesgar la vida. El tweet de los oficialistas expresa claramente lo que llevan dentro: “A Dios lo que es de Dios. Al Cesar lo que es del Cesar, al Guaire lo que es Guaire” (sic). Olvidan que Hugo Chávez ansiaba bañarse en el río caraqueño en compañía de Daniel Ortega. La enfermedad y Jacqueline Farías se lo impidieron.

IV.

5:00 pm. En San Cristóbal se las ingenian. Como el Sebin toma clínicas y hospitales para cazar manifestantes heridos y llevarlos a prisión, un grupo de dueños de posadas hizo correr sus voces por las redes ofreciendo sus espacios para recibir los heridos y algunos médicos se organizaron para instalar hospitales de campaña. En esas posadas se impidió que algunas de las tantas víctimas de perdigonazos fueran encarcelados.

Alguna vez escribí que la gran dificultad de los demócratas venezolanos era que sabían cómo se hace política en democracia, que tenían referencias también de cómo hacerla en dictadura, pero ninguna de cómo se enfrentaban a los modelos neoautoritarios, los que pretenden lograr el mismo poder de las dictaduras pero manteniendo la máscara democrática. Hoy, 19 de abril de 2017, puedo escribir con certeza que hemos aprendido. Ahora sabemos que todos los caminos oficiales conducen al Guaire.

La entrada Al Guaire lo que es del Guaire aparece primero en Noticias Diarias de Venezuela.

[nothingman]

On December 21, 2016, Jacqueline Craig, a black woman living in Fort Worth, Texas, called 911 to report that a white, male neighbor was choking her seven-year-old son, allegedly in retaliation for the child littering on his lawn.

When Officer William Martin arrived moments later, he began questioning Craig about what her son had done. When Craig insisted that Martin focus on the grown adult who had assaulted her child, he decided to arrest her and her teenage daughter.

The encounter, which was caught on Martin’s bodycam, was the definition of a police officer using excessive force on an innocent person (who was seeking their help, no less) that’s been seen time and time and time and time again.

To be black in America is to understand that you are at a much higher risk of being brutalized by the police regardless of whether or not you’re a criminal. That understanding has played a large role in galvanizing people to protest in recent years and it’s an idea running through the veins of a new comic book series from Ta-Nehisi Coates, Yona Harvey, and Butch Guice called Black Panther & The Crew.

In 2003, Christopher Priest, Marvel’s first black editor, conceived of the first version of The Crew: a predominantly black team of superheroes whose stories touched upon gentrification and historical, state-sanctioned violence against black bodies. The Crew introduced complicated, nuanced blackness into Marvel’s comics canon, which has been largely dominated by white narratives written by white men. And then, after a mere seven issues, The Crew was canceled before the series ever got a chance to get off the ground.

The Crew #5 is a comic that gave me life. It’s a remix of history, a superhero genre work that…Read more Read more

Black Panther & The Crew bears more than a passing resemblance to Priest’s original team. But where Priest’s Crew spent significant time focusing on the past and the largely untold story of the original, black Captain America, Black Panther & The Crew has its sights set firmly on the present and conversations about police brutality and infrastructural anti-black racism.

The first issue of the new series kicks off with the police-related killing of Ezra Keith, a onetime vigilante (much like the Black Panther) who became an outspoken agitator and civil rights activist later in life. Keith’s frequent run-ins with the police made him a fixture in the local precinct, but his mysterious death while in police custody sets off a wave of emotionally-charged protests that locks the community into an uneasy holding pattern of dueling tensions.

On one side are the police and their newly-recruited squad of Americops, mechanized policemen that have a history of targeting people of color. On the other are the black residents of Harlem who are all but sure that the police are covering up Keith’s murder. Caught in the middle of the conflict is Misty Knight, herself a former detective, who traded in her badge for a bionic arm and a life as a superhero.

While Misty believes that most cops are fundamentally good people, she also understands the concerns of community leaders who feel as if the police have forgotten their oaths to protect the public. The parallels between Black Panther & The Crew’s opening act and the recent events in Charlotte and Milwaukee are striking, but Coates has been careful to point out that he isn’t necessarily plucking story ideas from recent news headlines. From a recent interview with TIME:

This is in the air. It’s not like I looked at a Black Lives Matter protest and was like, “Hey, I want to write a comic about that.” But you’re confronted with it every day. So when I sat down to think about what is this story with four black protagonists about, and you start scribbling, that rises up. The events of the day are with me.

While Coates and Harvey might not have set out to write Black Lives Matter: The Comic, it’s obvious that they’re writing from perspectives shaped, in part, by their experiences as black Americans. Black Panther & The Crew isn’t a “black story” solely meant to appeal to black fans. It’s a story written by black authors, centered around black characters, and featuring themes that reflect the lived experiences of real black people.

In Mark Millar's original Kick-Ass, a 16-year-old high school student from Queens puts on a…Read more Read more

That distinction is important. Marvel and other publishers have been outspoken about their supposed commitment to prioritizing diversity and inclusion in their books. It’s great that there are more character of color than ever before, but many of those characters are being written by white authors who, quite frankly, aren’t well-equipped to give them authentic voices.

That’s not to say that white writers shouldn’t be allowed to write characters of color. Rather, publishers need to recognize the added benefit of bringing writers, artists, and editors of color into the mix so that the stories being told are infused with a degree of personal experience that immediately resonates with readers.

Black Panther & The Crew is what happens when you really commit to telling a good story well. This time, Marvel did it right.

Fusion staff writer. Professional nerd. Cyclops was right.

via Kotaku