#THE feud of the women's division supposedly

[smarkbomb]

This Empty Box of Kraft Dinner is All Elite

Once again, Uncle Tony has blown minds with his innovative booking and an ever expanding roster of talent he will never have enough TV time to showcase if he lives to be 1,000.

Wrestling dirt sheets and the few fans who still care about who is "All Elite" were rocked one more time by Tony Khan's most recent announcement. AEW is pleased to let the world know that this empty box of Kraft Dinner is All Elite.

That's right! An empty cardboard box that used to hold enough dry pasta to supposedly feed a family of four is now wrestling for AEW. I mean, we all know that is not enough pasta for four people. Maybe three if you use it as a side dish. Four? No chance in hell.

The empty KD box is actually joining the Women's Division and will be immediately slotted into a feud with Julia Hart. After the box doesn't win the title, it will disappear to the bottom of the card and end up in a stupid romantic angle with some idiot.

[biancabelairs]

okay having watched the match now, i don't think the big problem was britt winning here (although the cheating was way too much, no fucking ref should ever be that distracted for that long lmao).

the problem for me is, they managed to book britt/rosa to wrestle the exact same style of match britt has done for every other one of her storyless foregone conclusion throwaway title defenses.

and like. if aew can't book a memorable story driven feud for the women's title between britt and rosa, WHEN are they gonna manage to do it?

[wrestlingisfake]

Bound for Glory preview

Shit, I forgot this is tonight. Impact Wrestling has always treated Bound for Glory like it's biggest destination event, so they try to go the extra mile with this show. To avoid a schedule conflict with AEW Dynamite tonight, the event begins at 10pm Eastern. You can order the live stream for $39.99 on Fite.tv. Or I guess they're doing iPPVs directly off their Youtube page now, which might be more convenient for some people.

Christian Cage vs. Josh Alexander - Cage is defending the Impact men's world championship. On September 23, Alexander invoked "Option C," a rule introduced in 2012 that grants the X division champion a world title match if he vacates the X title. After a dominating five-month run with the X belt (including a 60-minute iron man match), this was pretty much the only thing left for Alexander to do.

Cage is under contract with AEW, and won the title from AEW's Kenny Omega on an AEW show. When Omega first won the belt, it felt like a major turning point in an AEW/Impact crossover, that would culminate in Kenny dropping the belt at Bound for Glory. Things didn't quite go that way, and now it feels like we're limping to the end of the story with one last loose end to wrap up. Christian is a babyface, and a key figure in Impact's history, but he's still an outsider, and it's high time Impact gets their belt back.

Everything about this match feels like a passing-the-torch moment with two babyfaces, so I don't think it makes any sense for Christian to retain unless he's going to act like a dick about it and go heel. And the only reason I think that's possible is because I smell a heel turn coming for him in AEW, but that could still be months away.

I went to my first indy show ever on September 2, and I had to stand all night, so I was exhausted by the time the main event started. It was Josh Alexander vs. Fred Yehi, and within about 20 minutes I realized they were going to a 60-minute draw. My feet were killing me but it was worth it to stay for the whole thing. So I'm a Josh Alexander fan now, and I hope he has a great match and holds the world title for a long, long time.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mickie James - Purrazzo is defending the Impact women's championship. If James wins, she would capture her tenth major-league women's title.

This one started in July when Purrazzo had basically cleaned out Impact's women's division, and James showed up to invite her to appear at NWA Empowerrr. Deonna took offense to Mickie supposedly stepping on her moment, but she eventually agreed to do the show. After that I missed a few steps but eventually Purrazzo wandering onto James's farm and beat the shit out of her, so I guess now they're going to settle it in the ring.

Ordinarily I'd say the legend coming in for a one-off program needs to lose in the blowoff match. But James is only 42 and there really isn't a reason she can't stick around as champion for a few months. More to the point, Deonna has run out of anything else to do--that's literally baked into the premise of this feud. She needs a real rivalry, and unless Gail Kim is coming out of retirement next, you might as well just have her chase Mickie until you can build up fresh opponents. On the other hand, Purrazzo is starting to get in that Okada zone where I just want to pick her to win every time to avoid being wrong later.

Rosemary & Havok vs. Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay - Representing Decay, Rosemary and Havok are the defending Impact women's tag team champions. Lee and McKay used to be Peyton Royce and Billie Kay in WWE, where they teamed as the IIconics (with two I's, because there's two of them, I guess). Now they're the IInspiration (again with two I's, which I kind of hate, but I suppose I'm stuck with it).

Impact only just announced that Lee and McKay are coming into the company, and they're already going to straight to the top of the tag division. It might seem rushed, but I think they've actually got some good buzz on this move. People were genuinely bummed out when WWE broke up the team in August 2020. A lot of sympathy built up for Jessie/Peyton being completely unused after that, and Cassie/Billie got a lot more over than anyone expected with the dumb gimmick they handed her. Fandom was very upset when they were released by WWE in April 2021, but also very excited that they can finally be a team again.

I'm kind of hyped for this personally because I never saw much of Lee and McKay, as most of their IIconics run happened after I quit watching WWE. What I did see didn't interest me much, because it felt like just another WWE Mean Girls gimmick. Their personalities seemed to be buried under a lot of WWE packaging, so if they can come up with something independent of all that it should be pretty different. Also, on paper you wouldn't expect the IIconics to do very well against a team of spooky psycho weirdos like Decay, so the IInspiration needs to show up with than the basic "we're better because we're pretty" stuff.

I actually think a title change is very likely. If Lee and McKay do win, they'd be the only wrestlers to have held women's tag team titles in both WWE and Impact/TNA. And since there haven't been very many women's tag titles, or titleholders, in North America, that would immediately put them in the conversation for the most decorated women's tag team in this part of the world. So that'd be neat.

El Phantasmo vs. Steve Maclin vs. Trey Miguel - This is a three-way match for the X division championship, which Josh Alexander vacated on September 23. Each participant won a three-way match to qualify for this one. Whoever scores the first fall over either opponent wins the match and becomes the new champion.

Phantasmo is the big star of this match, due to his run as a douchebag heel in the junior heavyweight division in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Maclin is best known for his run in WWE and NXT as Steve Cutler of the Forgotten Sons, which was so forgettable that Maclin/Cutler still doesn't have a Wikipedia entry. Miguel may be best known as the guy who used to team with NXT's Wes Lee and Nash Carter as the Rascalz, although he's spent 2021 establishing himself as a singles guy in Impact.

If you're trying to get attention for "forbidden door" crossover stuff, the best move is to put the belt on Phantasmo. If you're trying to emphasize Maclin's push as a killer, he should win this match in dominating fashion. If you're trying to pay off all the work that's gone into building up Miguel as a homegrown talent, now's the time to coronate him. But you can't do all three. So I'm thinking ELP pins Miguel to win the belt, so that Maclin can avoid a loss and move on while Miguel goes on to chase Phantasmo for a few months.

Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Hikuleo & Chris Bey - This is a three-way match for the men's tag team title, currently held by Gallows and Anderson. The first man to score a fall over any opponent wins the match and the title for his team.

Gallows and Anderson were mainstays in New Japan's Bullet Club faction years ago, but when AEW and Impact started collaborating they became aligned with the Elite, which broke away from Bullet Club a few years ago. For years people have wanted to see a real feud between the Elite and Bullet Club. I don't think anybody had Gallows and Anderson vs. Hikuleo and Bey in mind. I certainly don't think anybody expected Fin-Juice to be caught in the middle of it. But here we are.

At this point the Impact tag title just feels like toy belts that Gallows and Anderson bring to AEW shows. I don't think they're going to stop appearing on AEW anytime soon, but you could at least put a little more prestige on the title by moving it to another team. I'm not sure it matters which team gets the belts, though, since they're probably just going to keep feuding with one another for a while anyway.

Heath Miller & ? vs. any two members of Violent By Design - This one is a little complicated because I'm not even completely sure who is a member of Violent By Design at this point. The group has consisted of Eric Young, Cody Deaner, Joe Doering, and Rhino, although Young has been recovering from a knee injury for a while. Rhino seemed to get kicked out of the group, but it could be a swerve where they were just teaching him a lesson and he returns in good standing. All we do know is that Heath wants VBD in a two-on-two match, and he's not sure if his old buddy Rhino will be his partner, or in his opponents' corner, or one of his opponents.

Something else to consider: VBD could always introduce some new member to be in this match. So it could be Heath & Rhino vs. Deaner & Doering. Or Young could be healed up and it's Heath & Rhino vs. Doering & Young. Or Young could still be healing, so it's Heath vs. Rhino & Young without Young ever getting in the ring. Or maybe Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman beat the shit out of Heath and Rhino. Who knows?!

I assume this match will end up being Heath and Rhino vs. Deaner and Doering, but they'll probably lay it out so Heath is on his own for like 70% if the match. I think Rhino has to be on the winning side, but that's not much of a pick, so I'll go ahead and say Heath and Rhino win.

Call Your Shot Gauntlet battle royale - This is a 20-person gauntlet battle royale, so two entrants start the match and each additional entrant joins the match at regularly timed intervals. Eliminations can occur at any time when someone exits the ring over the top rope. Once the match comes down to the last two participants left, it turns into a regular match where you win by pinfall or submission. The winner earns a trophy and a future title match against the champion of their choice. I don't know if this match will feature both men and women, but it has in the past so that's a strong possibility.

Usually at least a few participants are announced in advance, but this year I think they've only confirmed Chris Sabin entering at #1 and W. Morrissey at #20. That leaves a lot of room for surprise entrants, but I think it's more likely that a lot of the field is just prelim guys that aren't worth advertising.

If reports are true, and Impact is close to signing Braun Strowman, this is the perfect place to debut him by squashing everybody else in the match. Otherwise, it's really anybody's ballgame.

Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Falla Bahh vs. John Skyler vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Madison Rayne - This is a six-way set for the pre-show, with the winner becoming the first Impact digital media champion. Whoever scores the first fall an any other participant will be win the match and the new title.

Everybody's dunked on the "digital media championship" name, but basically it's an attempt to modernize the old "television championship" concept. The title is supposed to be defended on Impact's streaming outlets, which seems to guarantee that it'll always be fought over by undercard wrestlers, but okay.

Chelsea Green probably has the most buzz around her out of anyone in the field, but in a way that makes her overqualified for the belt. I'd probably give it to Grace or Rayne if it's only going to be defended on Youtube and Impact Plus.

[thesurpriserollup]

Wave of the Future - Fantasy Booking WWE!

Peyton Royce

Ideal Booking Scenario: A very long road to the WWE Raw Women’s Championship

I can realistically see Peyton Royce as a top contender in the Women’s division. They broke up “The IIconics” for the sole purpose of doing so. She’s got the look, the attitude and she can get it done in the ring albeit her wrestling is still a bit clunky that could be fixed her husband is Shawn Spears after all. My dream scenario for her would be a painfully slow descent. I know, it’s not ideal and her break up with Billie Kay would seem like it was done for absolutely no pay off. But, hear me out. She could be built up as a struggling babyface who claws and fights day in and day out. She shakes off the comedic side of her and become this sympathetic Eric Young-type like his run in TNA. You could have her beat lower card wrestlers eventually climbing her way up the ladder. And ultimately the pay off would be at Summerslam 2022 where she beats somebody , supposedly, so out of her league it’s shocking and a feel good moment all in one. Maybe a heel Rhea Ripley or Alexa Bliss if by then she has cut her ties with “The Fiend”.

Toni Storm

Ideal Booking Scenario: Be the second coming of Sami Zayn in NXT.

At the time of writing, Toni has just returned to WWE NXT after a long extended break from the brand because of the Global health crisis. Io Shirai is the current NXT Women’s Champion with challengers lined up. From the likes of Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, Shotzi Blackhart and the aforementioned Toni Storm. I can’t see her winning the title from Io or Ember and Rhea for that matter. I want Io to play the Adrian Neville role. And Rhea Ripley to be the Kevin Owens in this scenario. I want Toni to put on show after show one after the other but never ends up winning the big one no matter how hard she tries. She sees everybody passing her by Ember Moon becoming champion then her fellow Aussie Rhea Ripley recapturing it for the 2nd time. I want her eventual title win to be an emotional one. Like how Sami won his. A hard path to glory. I want her to end up beating all 4 women mentioned above in one night. And main event a big-time PPV like the Takeover in Brooklyn or Wrestlemania Weekend.

Keith Lee

Ideal Booking Scenario: Eventual “Tribal Chief” conqueror

So, I’ve been thinking hard lately who could eventually dethrone Roman Reigns from his perch. One person comes to mind and it’s “The Limitless One”. This is by far the easiest to book to be honest. I can realistically see Keith Lee by Mid-2021 getting drafted to Smackdown in the annual WWE Draft. Bonus booking: Roman Reigns holds the title for a year maybe even until TLC 2021. So the draft happens and Lee goes to Smackdown. That is around after “Clash of Champions”. Reigns has bulldozed through the entire roster and nobody can stop him. They hold a 16-man tournament across all three brands leading up to TLC 2021 which Keith wins. That sets up a showdown between him and Reigns at WWE TLC 2021 in, of course, a TLC Matchup which the Limitless one conquers Roman Reigns once and for all. That could setup a Main Event rematch for Wrestlemania in California between him and Reigns. After Roman wins a squash match inside Elimination Chamber coming in first and eventually pinning all five other men.

Big E

Ideal Booking Scenario: Wins Royal Rumble 2020 , challenges for and wins WWE Championship

Let’s face it, although it was unnecessary, they broke up “The New Day” so they could push Big E into the stratosphere of the main event scene. People are pegging him to win the Rumble. Which I agree with but I don’t want him to challenge for the Universal Title. I want him to go after gold. The projected main event for ‘Mania next year is Edge Vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. But as much as I love Edge, I think it’s Big E’s time. The scenario is Big E wins the Rumble and chooses to compete for the WWE Title. You may ask why? Why not the Universal title instead? Because of one simple thing. THE NEW DAY SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN BROKEN UP. So we got them all on one brand. I can see “The Hurt Business” (Alexander/Benjamin) taking the tag titles from Kofi & Xavier before ‘Mania. All three members have a renewed focused because all of them are chasing after titles. We see a bit more serious side of The New Day more focused and determined but still babyfaces. Big E picks the WWE Title which Drew Mcintyre is still the champion up to that point. But as Randy Orton does, like he did with Rey and Kurt Angle, he weasels his way in to make it a Triple Threat. ‘Mania time three-way dance. Orton, Mcintyre (C), Big E. They have a stellar match as expected. Orton’s about to win by hitting Mcintyre with a foreign object but before he could pin him he gets speared by a returning Edge! So we incorporated Edge and his return and ultimately setup the continuation of their feud. Big E gets back in the ring and hits the “Big Ending” on Orton. Mcintyre stays protected. Orton eats the pin but sets up the feud between him and Edge. Big E FINALLY wins the big one. And earlier, in the night. Kofi and Xavier win back the tag titles from “The Hurt Business” in a three-way elimination style Tag team match. New Day Vs. Alexander/Benjamin Vs. MVP/Lashley. I basically booked everyone of the New Day. They all celebrate as champions as opposed to last year where Woods and Big E were bridesmaids to Kofi they bask in their triumph as “The New Day” stand tall. Each one of them champions.

Brock Lesnar

Ideal Booking Scenario: Tweener ass-kicker

I really wanna see a Brock Lesnar run with him just kicking ass and taking names. No heel or face motives. Nothing. Chris Candido’s gimmick which is basically no gimmick but amped up to like 20. I wanna see him beat Lars Sullivan senseless. Throw in Strowman in there. Lashley, Etc. The list goes on and on. I remember his promo back in the day how he wasn’t a “superstar”, he was an ass-kicker. Be the bully that bullies the bullies. I want him to go an absolute tear and I want him to have brutal encounters with “The Fiend”. Of course Lesnar wins one but Bray ultimately topples him. But he doesn’t care he’s on to the next victim. Maybe a Goldberg match is in the books again but him eventually retiring him fo good. Wouldn’t a Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar feud at let’s say Wrestlemania 38 sound so good? A “No Holds Barred” Match in which Heyman accompanies Reigns but is conflicted. Booking Lesnar is storylines that need time to develop was and is never ideal. You need him to just absolutely brutalize and obliterate everyone whether he wins or loses. That’s how you make money and that’s how you book Lesnar. Keep him away from the Title as much as humanly possible. Let him be the monster he was always meant to be since he came back in 2012.

[ronk]

The End of the Salem Witch Trials

September 22, 1692 Eight citizens of the colony of Massachusetts were hanged for their supposed connections to witchcraft. Theirs were the last of the deaths caused by the Salem Witch Trials, preceded by 11 other hangings, plus five who died in prison, and one who was crushed to death for refusing to enter a plea.

I was in Salem this past week and heard a very unsensationalized presentation about the trials at the Salem Witch Museum.

A period that roughly spanned the spring and summer of 1692, the Salem Witch Trials started when two young girls began displaying bizarre behaviors — convulsing, shouting blasphemy, and generally acting like they were possessed. The girls were the daughter and niece of Samuel Parris, a minister relatively new to town but already divisive. He’d moved from Boston, where an account of young children who were supposedly “bewitched” by a laundress was published. Parris had insisted on a higher salary and certain perks as the village reverend and insinuated in his sermons that those who opposed him were in cahoots with the Devil.

After the girls’ behavior gained attention and was pronounced the result of an evil spell, several other girls in town began acting strangely too … and began naming individuals in town as the cause. The town was whipped into a frenzy, and soon dozens of people — women, men, and children — were accused of and often jailed for practicing or supporting witchcraft. Many of the accusations seemed to fall along the lines of existing feuds or were directed at people who were — because they were poor, not upstanding members of the church, or marginalized in some way — not likely to mount a convincing defense.

By the time the final eight people were hanged on September 22, word about the trials was spreading throughout the state. Within weeks the governor of Massachusetts declared “spectral evidence,” or visions of a person’s spirit doing evil when in fact their physical body was elsewhere, was inadmissible. Soon after, he barred any further arrests, disbanded the local court, and released many of the accused. It wasn’t until the following spring that he finally pardoned those who remained in jail. A full decade passed before the trials of 1692 were officially declared illegal, another nine before the names of the accused were cleared from all wrongdoing and their heirs given restitution, and 265 years before the state of Massachusetts apologized for the events of that most infamous witch hunt.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/

http://www.garrisonkeillor.com/radio/twa-the-writers-almanac-for-september-22-2019/ 

[hazyheel]

WWE Smackdown Live 8/27/19 Review

Roman Reigns Interview: This was quick. Roman said that he has some business to deal with in regards to Erick Rowan and Daniel Bryan, but he will save it for the ring.

Kofi Kingston Promo: He started things out by calling Orton stupid, and said that Orton made this personal. He tried to involved Kingston’s family, and he tried to destroy Xavier Woods’ knee. He also said that Orton was scared last week, scared of the anger that Kingston has right now. He said that he has always been ready for Orton, and he will destroy him at Clash of Champions. As Kingston was signing off, Orton showed up on the Titantron. He called him stupid a whole bunch, before saying that he would not touch Kingston until their title match. He also said that he received a letter from someone, and he read it for everyone. He read a letter that is supposedly from one of Kingston’s kids, begging Orton to stop attacking Kingston. Orton then said that he is staying in the same hotel as Kingston’s family, and implied that he was going to attack them in the hotel. Kingston then ran backstage, where Orton was waiting for him. The two brawled, and refs had to separate them. Orton came out on top after giving Kingston the hanging DDT off a table and onto the floor. 

Grade: B. This was a pretty good promo, especially Orton’s stuff, and the brawl was really fun. My only problem is that it is very similar to the stuff between Joe and Styles last year. It is still an intense feud, I like it a lot better now than I did pre-summerslam, but a really good story won’t improve their match quality. Hopefully they do some good work at Night of Champions, which is now an official match. 

Big E interview: Big E was standing right outside the trainer’s room, and he said that Kingston will be fine and ready for Clash of Champions. However, he could not say the same for Orton, as they had a match later on in the show.

Ali vs. Buddy Murphy in the first round of the 2019 King of the Ring: This was the match I was most looking forward to in round one, as the two but on one of the best matches of the year last year. Ali quickly started things up with some striking, but he hurt his hand on a chop. Murphy then gave Ali a huge high knee to the face for a near fall. After the commercial, Ali took the advantage back using a series of quick strikes. As Ali went for the rolling face buster, Murphy caught him, threw him to the outside, and then gave him a huge tope con hilo. Ali responded with a huge superkick and a poison rana in the ring, scoring a near fall. Ali then tried to go to the top, but Murphy caught him with a cheeky nandos kick, a powerbomb, flipped him around into a sitting knee strike, and then a brainbuster for a near fall. The two then traded huge strikes in the middle of the ring, before Ali gave Murphy a huge DDT through the ropes. He followed it up with a 450 splash and won.

After the match, Murphy shook Ali’s hand and raised it. 

Grade: B+ Another great match from Buddy Murphy. His first three smackdown matches, and they all impressed. These two have great chemistry, we have always known that, but I think the problem here is that they weren’t give quite enough time. They kinda had to rush into their signature moves without much buildup in the start, but they still had some great offense and some great selling. These two are legit, and I hope WWE realizes that. Match of the Night

Bayley and Ember Moon Backstage: the two talked a bit about their Summerslam match, but Moon was respected. She told Bayley that Bayley was the face of the Smackdown Women’s division. She said that Bayley was the best, and then Lacey Evans showed up. Lacey said that she was the face of the division, and said that she will prove her worth in their match later on. Cool.

The Miz vs. Sami Zayn: before the match, Miz cut a promo about the attack from Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura. Miz said that Zayn is just latching on to someone who is more successful than himself. He also said that attacking Miz is not the way to get to the top. Miz then challenged Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash of Champions. Sami Zayn came out with a mic, and not in ring gear. He said that he is helping Nakamura a lot. He said that Nakamura feels free now, and he also said that the IC title is not Miz’s anymore. Zayn put over Nakamura a bit, and called Miz the king of soft style. He said that Miz wouldn’t understand Zayn’s reasoning, so he would have to beat some respect into him. Miz told him to do it, but Zayn refused. Miz then tried to attack him on the ramp, but Nakamura blindsided him. Nakamura threw him around ringside a bit, and tried to gave in his chest with knee strikes and kicks. He finished it off with a Kinshasa that sent Miz’s head into the LED boards on the apron. The heels then brought Miz into the ring, and Nakamura gave him another Kinshasa. The match never started. 

Grade: B+. I was skeptical of the pairing between Zayn and Nakamura, but it is great. Zayn needs a break from the ring, Nakamura needs a mouthpiece. The two have really good chemistry, and I like them together. A feud with the Miz is a good idea. Lots of good mic time, and that IC title match will be pretty good. The best part is that Zayn doesn’t have to cheat for Shinsuke, so he can just be a representative. I think that this pairing will go really well.

Elias and Kevin Owens backstage: The two just sorta jaw jacked a bit, and Owens asked where Shane McMahon was. Elias said that Shane isn’t in the building. Owens then just thanked him and walked away. 

Bayley vs. Lacey Evans: It’s been a while since I’ve seen Evans, so I was actually looking forward to it. Evans started the match by throwing her gloves in the air for a distraction, but Bayley didn’t fall for it. Bayley just dominated Evans in the early goings of this match, until Evans used some power moves to take control. However, Bayley totally wrecked Evans on the outside, which cued Charlotte Flair to come out. When we came back from commercial, Evans was in control firmly. Evans started to pick away at Bayley, working over just about any limb she could get ahold of. Bayley took control back by dropkicking Evans into the ropes, but Evans quickly fought back into it. Evans began to focus on the arm as they continued their match using strikes to the shoulder and stomps to the arm. Bayley then trapped Evans in the middle ropes, and started to drill her with lariats and knees over and over again. Bayley then locked in a new submission to work on the knee, but Evans got to the ropes, and took control back from there. At one point, Evans hit an awesome moonsault off the top for a near fall, but Bayley responded with a suplex on the outside. They both barely made the count before dueling for roleups, until Bayley rolled through one and gave her a huge knee and a Bayley to Belly, but Evans grabbed the bottom rope. After that Bayley hit another Bayley to Belly, and followed up with the Macho Man Elbow drop and the win. 

Grade: B-. Pretty good stuff from these two. Both got a lot of offense, but it didn’t feel like it was very back and forth. Evans got most hits in, while Bayley just hit some of her big moves and ended up with the win. A longer version of the classic WWE TV match. But it impressed me, and Evans got a match.

Daniel Bryan and Erick Rowan Interview: Bryan talked about how they need Reigns to apologize, and they wouldn’t leave until he did. 

Big E vs. Randy Orton: Big E started with some big shots to the body and quickly brought things to the outside and tossed Orton over the announce desk. Big E was totally dominant in the early parts of this match, giving him an abdominal stretch followed by a back elbow. However, Orton took control back with some well placed strikes. At one point, Big E went to give Orton a splash on the apron, but Orton dodged it, so Big E crashed and burned. As we came back from commercial, Big E gave Orton a huge back body drop onto the announce table, but Orton totally picked him apart when they got back in the ring. Orton looked like he was about to finish it, but Big E destroyed Orton with a series of suplexes, but when he went for the big splash, the Revival ran out. Big E went for the Big Ending, but Orton pushed him into the ropes, allowing the Revival to take a cheap shot, and Orton won with an RKO.

After the match, The Revival helped Orton with a super RKO to finish things off. 

Grade: B-. A strong B-, but not quite a B. The match was pretty good, but it kinda took me out of it to see Big E’s silliness when he was trying to be very serious right now. But seeing him in a singles match is really cool, and I like that Orton is slowly isolating Kingston from all of his friends. It is a good story, and Big E can be a singles star, so they both really impressed here. 

Chad Gable Interview: Gable said that Shelton Benjamin’s insults are not getting to him. He said that he will beat Shelton in the tournament, and that he’d be looking up at the lights. Shelton Benjamin then showed up and called Gable short. This build sucks. 

Elias Promo: he talked from the King of the Ring throne. He said that he will win the tournament, and that he will wear the crown better than anyone before him. Then he insulted the crowd, but as he did, Kevin Owens jumped out from behind the throne and attacked. The two brawled into the ring, and Owens gave Elias a Stunner, but he didn’t pin him for some reason. R-Truth did though, he tried to pin Elias, but Maverick pulled him out and pinned Elias himself. 

Grade: C+. Short and sweet, but it loses some points for Owens not trying to win the 24/7 championship. That wouldn’t been a great way to end it. Although Maverick is always entertaining with it. 

Chad Gable vs. Shelton Benjamin in the first round of the 2019 King of the Ring: Benjamin started things out with a stiff shot, and quickly took control. Benjamin tried to intimidate Gable by calling him short over and over, but it only fired up Gable, who decimated Benjamin with strikes and a German suplex, but Benjamin answered right back with a lariat. At one point, Gable went for a cannonball on the outside, but Benjamin caught him and just swung him into the barricade. As the two fought back into the ring, Gable went for a moonsault, landed on his feet and ate a huge running knee. Benjamin then tried for a powerbomb, but Gable gave him a sunset flip right back and scored the victory. 

Grade: B-. These two had chemistry, but again they weren’t given enough time. King of the Ring is not being treated as important at all, and it is upsetting. These two could have had a really good match, but this barely went five minutes, if that. Just disappointing. The action was good though, as will be Andrade vs. Gable. 

Roman Reigns Promo: Before Reigns could even start talking, Daniel Bryan got on the titantron and told him to say he was sorry. Reigns asked the crowd, who chanted no. Reigns then threw it to a video, which showed the first attack as someone that looked like Rowan, who was editted in, walked away. Daniel Bryan that got so mad at Rowan that he slapped him over and over, and told him to leave. Bryan then stormed out to the ring, saying that he didn’t know anything. Bryan said that he wasn’t the one who ordered the attack, but Reigns gave him a spear anyway. 

Grade: F. THAT’S IT? ALL OF THIS FOR ROMAN SHOWING A FUCKING VIDEO?!? I suppose we don’t know for sure if that was supposed to be Rowan, because it could’ve easily been the look alike, but I’m really not sure if that is a plot hole or not. I think WWE messed this up, and they could’ve created a really good and fun mystery, and they ruined it by having the stupid Rowan look alike. It didn’t have to be Rowan, just give he and Bryan an Alibi and keep this up. It could’ve been good, but now I’ve lost all faith. Awful way to close the show. 

Overall Grade: C+

Pros: Orton Promo; Ali vs. Murphy; Zayn and Nakamura stuff

Cons: THE END OF THE SHOW

[extremedivas]

Top Five Failed Attempts By WWE to Create the Next Trish Stratus.

Trish Stratus, even at her peak, was never something out of All Japan Women, circa 1994. She was a decent worker, although Victoria (now Tara in TNA) and Molly "Nora Greenwald" Holly (two performers she often  feuded with in 2002-2004) were superior to her in the in-ring department. She was over, but never had the connection with fans that, say, Sunny or Lita did in their primes (indeed, after Trish’s brief in-ring return this year, she just disappeared. Fans didn’t seem to notice or care.)   She was never a huge ratings draw like Sable (who in 1999, believe it or not, was actually pulling in bigger ratings than Steve Austin.) In short, Trish was a decent all-rounder, but never excelled in any area (although her heel promos were occasionally very good.) but still WWE brass has placed her on a lofty pedestal.  She was brought into be a trainer for Tough Enough. She’s likely to go into the Hall of Fame next year. Announcers and fellow wrestlers will often lavish praise on her and refer to her as a legend. Why, all the adoration? Well Trish is the only tangible proof management have that they can take a model and turned her into a good performer. It likely justifies their whole attitude to the women’s division: why bother hiring actual female wrestlers (who usually don’t have the looks), when you could just get models in and train them to be good wrestlers? Accordingly, they’ve tried to replicate the Trish experiment since. Even if, as I have noted, the original was probably a bit over-rated anyway. But, nonetheless, they’ve still tried. And, needless to say, most of the results have been a dismal failure. So, let’s have a look at five of the most blatant failures:

5.Ashley Massaro

What She Had Going For Her: She was a rock chick! She was totally different from all the other blond models! Well, okay, she really wasn’t. But the glimmer of personality she showed during the second Diva Search contest allowed her to win and gain the $250,000 contract. Also, Kevin Dunn and Vince McMahon liked her. A lot. This was mainly why she got the WWE spot on the CBS show Survivor, when the company was asked by the show to submit a contestant, even though most thought she would be a disaster and it would be ample opportunity to push an up and coming male star (indeed, Ashley lasted about 1 week and a half before getting kicked off).   

What Went Wrong: Ashley was an atrocious wrestler. Like, unbelievably bad. Sloppy, un-coordinated, injury-prone...frankly, Manami Toyota would have dug up her grave to roll in if she ever saw one of Massaro’s matches. Jenna Morasca even thought Ashley was a crappy women's wrestler and could have put more of an effort in. Massaro also battled personal issues (reportedly, getting sent him from a Raw taping, due to being in "bad shape", which in wrestling usually means only one thing); she also shrunk dramatically in size, prompting worries about her possibly having an eating disorder. No, it’s never a good sign when we can clearly see your rib cages in pictures.  Then there was the small matter of Rolling Stone Magazine outing her as a high-priced escort in their May 2008 issue after an FBI sting operation. Ashley took to her MySpace, vociferously denying the reports and claiming she was contacting her lawyer to demand a retraction. The Rolling Stone writer, Michelle Grigoriadis, stood by the claims that Massaro had worked as a $50,000 a night for a Los Angeles Escort Agency (and denied the theory that Massaro had been mixed up with a Las Vegas model of the same name.)  The magazine never issued an apology or retraction, and nothing was ever heard about Ashley and her legal action again (quite similar to the time Dave Batista dramatically announced he was taking legal action against Sports Illustrated for linking him with steroid use, and then never made another peep about it again).  She was released some time afterwards. Although it probably had less to do with the Rolling Stone story, and more with the fact that management had had it with her.

Where Is She Now: She was apparently in talks to do a reality show with VH1 (isn’t everyone?) The pitch of the show is that unknown MMA fighters would fight in gruelling matches to win the privilege of dating the supposedly stunning Ashley (for some reason, this concept conjured up the memory in my mind of GSP after he won the interim Welterweight title: “No, No, I don’t want this!”)

4.Christy Hemme

What She Had Going for Her: She was the winner of the first Diva Search and a management favourite for some time- they liked her look and her willingness to learn. Indeed, Christy was enthusiastic and worked very hard to get better in the ring. Indeed her first few performances were, for someone with limited training, very good indeed.

What Went Wrong: No-one is quite sure, actually. She was demoted to OVW in late 2005 (in a move that was speculated to have been an encouragement by WWE for her to quit on her own; although, instead,  she relished the opportunity to get better)  She was officially released from WWE in December of that year for what were apparently “budget reasons” (which makes sense: she was making quite a lot of money to not do that much, after all). Although Hemme strongly denied this and said she was more than willing to take a paycut. There were also some bizarre rumours about her and HHH (which were shot down by most reporters; after all, Christy looks way too much like a woman for HHH to be interested.) So, what was the deal? Later, Hemme writing in November 2008, claimed she had quit: “My departure from WWE was on my own terms because I stuck to my guns on my morals and values as a human being. I knew in my gut that it would be the end, but I also knew that carrying guilt for knowingly doing something against what I believed wasn't worth getting ahead. Leaving broke my heart... but doing the right thing is something I will always be proud of." Hmmm.

Where is She Now: Earning a huge pay check in TNA to do something that only mildly resembles ring announcing.  

3.Kelly Kelly

What She Had Going for Her: Signed at 19 when Johnny Ace spotted her photo in a bikini magazine (prior to that the only wrestling match she had seen was Andre vs. Hogan at Wrestlemania III)   Kelly was probably far too young when she got called up in 2006, but she is, nonetheless, an enthusiastic performer and well-liked backstage (It’s been noted that Randy Orton got a ton of heat for his criticisms towards her in his infamous interview with Arizona's Real Rock Radio Interview, because of her popularity in the locker room). She worked hard to get better in the ring and was given the divas championship after she won a title match in the fan voting for the interactive edition of Monday Night Raw. She even cried when she won her title(presumably because she was happy, not because she was distressed at being burdened with the ugly thing.) Also, she can count Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn among her biggest supporters backstage.

What Went Wrong: She’s deathly afraid of the ring ropes, for a start. She’s also had some absolutely atrocious matches (Notably with Brie Bella at Money in the Bank) as champion. Also, in recent times, she’s become far more well-known for her turbulent love life than she has for any of her in-ring contributions. In the past, she’s been romantically linked with Dolph Ziggler, Andrew “Test” Martin, Chris Jericho and Batista (who admitted that, shockingly, he found the girl was dating “immature”, apparently not realizing that’s what happens when you date someone young enough to be your daughter.) It was all this that apparently inspired Orton’s harsh remarks last month.

Where Is She Now:  Still hiding in fear from the ring ropes, I assume. Also: shooting Randy Orton evil glares if she spots him backstage at a taping.

2. Candice Michelle

What She Had Going for Her:  Former fetish model Candice worked hard to improve her in-ring skills after joining WWE in 2004. Eventually, her hard work paid off and WWE rewarded her with the title at the notorious WWE Vengeance in 2007. Oh, and Vince liked her. A lot.

What Went Wrong: While she improved a lot as a wrestler, she still wasn’t that great. She was never particularly over either. Of course what really killed her career was broken collarbone in a late 2007 match with Beth Phoenix, an injury she was never able to fully recover from. She also committed the ultimate diva infraction of Not Being In Totally Perfect Shape and was released soon afterwards. After her release, she put up an incredibly gracious goodbye note on her official WWE blog, thanking the McMahon family and everyone else at WWE for everything they had done for her. It was rather coldly yanked from the site an hour later.

Where Is She Now: She got married to a doctor and had a daughter called Aki-Anne (almost as bad as a NXT name, isn’t it?). She can occasionally be found on the convention circuit, but appears to have moved on from wrestling for the most part.  

1. Melina

What She Had Going For Her: Upon her debut, former beauty queen and Tough Enough contestant Melina Perez gained notice for her wrestling talent, presence and mic skills. Indeed, many predicted that she, along with her on and off screen boyfriend John Morrison, would become a major star in wrestling. Also, Mick Foley was a big fan. And Batista. And Bret Hart (who, in something he will probably never live down, once called her the "best wrestler in the world".)

What Went Wrong: Where to start? She was a heat-magnet for a start: shortly after her debut, she got sent to wrestler’s court in Australia for being rude to the other women and hitting on the wrong people (in their infamous shoot, Paul London and Brian Kendrick noted that she cried the entire time, and they thought the whole thing was awkward, needless and a complete waste of time) She apparently got into a catfight with Sharmell at one point, too. Melina’s erratic behaviour eventually got her and Morrison sent over to Raw. Later, she was kicked out of the locker room by Lita for her attitude. She was often compared to Tammy “Sunny” Sytch, who was also known for being a handful backstage during her run. She also allegedly got Brooke Adams fired for daring to wear furry boots, like she did (for her part, Brooke denied the story on Twitter, but acknowledged Melina was extremely difficult to be around in WWE, calling Melina a "rude, fake b****.")

More recently, Melina convinced herself that Trish Stratus had “stolen” her spot at Wrestlemania and instructed Morrison (who really does need to grow a pair) to give Trish the cold shoulder, bringing down an avalanche of heat on herself and Morrison. She also suffered a fair amount of injuries, including a torn ACL in early 2010, which seem to have affected her wrestling too: She has went from being a decent women’s wrestler to being as bad as the rest of the models turned wrestlers. Even if Ariane from Tough Enough claimed she had a five star classic with Alicia on Superstars once. And, worse still for any diva, years on the road and bad plastic surgery have also taken their toll on her looks: Melina has went from being a pretty girl to looking a bit like Michael Jackson.  In such a cosmetic business (even the always- thin Maria Kanellis once claimed she had been dragged into WWE offices and told to lose weight) this likely doesn’t bode well for her future in WWE.  

There’s also the strange behavior: the odd tweets, the strange Youtube videos, her new work-shoot persona (as for whether the angle is any good, let’s put it this way: she’s no CM Punk) and, of course, the skittles. Don’t forget the skittles. You know it’s never a good sign when Michael Cole (who is usually receiving instructions from Vince McMahon) refers to you as a “wackjob” on air (as Cole did last Monday) and it has nothing whatsoever to do with your on screen character.

Where Is She Now: Still munching down skittles and bossing Morrison around, I guess.

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/bella-hadid-insists-no-feud-rob-kardashian-sues-blac-chyna-now/

Bella Hadid insists no feud and Rob Kardashian sues Blac Chyna now

When you’re a female in the spotlight, it is not uncommon to be pitted up against your fellow female celebrity peers. Whether it’s the tabloids or people on social media, celebrity women are constantly being accused of feuding with one another, whether it is true or not. Inevitably, you can imagine supermodel Bella Hadid has dealt with her fair share or female feud rumors, including some involving her older sister Gigi Hadid. Both Bella and Gigi have established themselves in the modeling industry in their own ways. However, that has not stopped people from pitting them up against each other. In the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Bella opened up about working in the same [inherently competitive] industry as her sister. Fortunately, she told the publication that she has never felt that she was competing with Gigi. The 20-year-old model explained,  “Most of the time our markets are completely different and if we get booked on a job and she gets it or I get it, we’re both happy for each other. There are enough jobs in the world for both of us. There’s no reason for us to be mad at each other or competitive. So if she gets it, then good for her.” Later in the interview, Bella also talked about the importance of using her platform for good. The young starlet gushed, “If I can’t talk about something that I’m passionate about, why even be here? Why even do any of the stuff that I’m doing if I can’t make a better purpose for the world, or make a difference, or try to put light on a situation that is obviously so dark? It’s all really scary…If I’m able to change something in the world for the better, then I’ll be ecstatic.” For the past few years, Bella has been helping her mother Yolanda spread awareness for Lyme’s disease. Bella, Yolanda, as well as Bella’s younger brother Anwar have all been diagnosed with the condition. The Kardashian clan has certainly had a busy week. Now, on top of all the pregnancy rumors, reality star (and the sole male member of the Kardashian siblings) Rob Kardashian is reportedly suing his baby mom Blac Chyna. According to brand new reports, Rob is looking to recover damages, accusing Chyna of assault, battery and vandalism. The details of Rob’s court case were uncovered by TMZ, who obtained the documents. More specifically, Rob’s latest legal filings against Chyna claim that she tried to choke him with an iPhone charging cable, as well as hit him in the head and face during a violent fight back in December of 2016. In terms of the vandalism, Rob said that Chyna completely trashed the house that they were previously living in, which they happened to be renting from Rob’s little sister Kylie. The documents claim that Chyna caused over $100,000 in damages to the home. Crazily enough, the accusations against Chyna didn’t stop there. Rob went on to detail an incident in which Chyna supposedly threw a chair at his car and hit him with a metal rod. Rob writes in the legal documents that this particular situation played a pivotal role in the cancellation of his reality show (with her), Rob & Chyna. At this point, neither Rob nor Chyna have commented any further on the allegations made within the newly filed legal documents. Fans of Hollywood glamour have snapped up mementoes from the collection of the late Audrey Hepburn at a London auction. The star’s personal shooting script for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” sold for 632,750 pounds ($846,619) at Christie’s on Wednesday — seven times its pre-sale estimate and one of many lots that smashed expectations. A Tiffany bangle that was a gift to Hepburn from director Steven Spielberg — inscribed “you are my ‘inspiration’” — sold for 332,750 pounds. Hepburn’s wardrobe proved a big draw, with a bidder paying 68,750 pounds for a Burberry trench coat. A black satin Givenchy cocktail gown worn during the 1963 film “Charade” sold for 68,750 pounds. A satin sleep mask which had been expected to fetch up to 150 pounds sold for 6,250 pounds. Christie’s said Thursday that the sale fetched a total of 4.6 million pounds ($6.2 million), seven times the pre-sale estimate. The chic star of “Roman Holiday,” ″My Fair Lady” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” died in 1993 aged 63. Hepburn’s sons are selling about 500 items through live and online sales at Christie’s. The online sale runs to Oct. 4. U.S. rapper Macklemore is wading into Australia’s gay-marriage debate by vowing to sing his marriage equality anthem “Same Love” during a weekend rugby final. Benjamin Haggerty, whose stage name is Macklemore, will be headlining the pre-game entertainment in Sydney on Sunday at the National Rugby League Grand Final, the Australian version of the Super Bowl. But with the nation in the midst of a two-month postal ballot to gauge public opinion toward legalizing gay marriage, some opponents of change want “Same Love” censored. Macklemore told Los Angeles Radio KPWR before flying to Sydney on Thursday that he was aware of the controversy but would not change his song list. “It’s interesting actually because I’m playing ‘Same Love’, and they’re going through right now trying to legalize same-sex marriage in Australia, so I’m getting a lot of tweets from angry, old white dudes in Australia,” Macklemore said. “I think there was a petition today to ban me from playing,” he added. “I’m gonna go harder.” Some senior government figures who oppose gay marriage and other high-profile rugby fans accused the league of politicizing the game. League chief executive Todd Greenberg said his organization had to take a position on same-sex marriage as part of its diversity policy. “I think it is one of the bravest and best decisions we have made for pre-match entertainment, but people will be the judge of that on Sunday,” Greenberg told reporters. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a gay marriage opponent who determined two years that his government should ask the Australian public to decide the issue, tweeted on Wednesday that rugby fans “shouldn’t be subjected to a politicized grand final. Sport is sport.” “Everyone has a right to express their opinion. The opinion that I expressed yesterday was that the NRL had made a poor call in doing what they did,” Abbott told reporters on Thursday Attorney-General George Brandis, who supports gay marriage, supported Macklemore’s performance of “Same Love” in a stadium filled with 85,000 people and to be broadcast nationally. “It is one of his most popular songs, and for Mr. Abbott or anyone else to say that it should be banned, I think is a bizarre thing to say,” Brandis told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “I thought Mr. Abbott believed in freedom of speech.” More than 16 million Australians have been asked in a postal ballot whether they think the law should be changed to allow same-sex marriage. The result will be announced Nov. 15. If a majority of mail-in responses support marriage equality, Parliament will consider a bill to legalize gay marriage within a month. Some lawmakers have said they will vote down a same-sex marriage bill regardless of public opinion. Debra Messing has been told to “cut it out” by NBC bosses after she bad-mouthed fellow NBC star Megyn Kelly after appearing on her show. The “Will & Grace” star was so put off by Kelly’s question to an audience member — “Is it true that you became a lawyer, and you became gay, because of Will? . . . I don’t know about the lawyer thing, but I think that ‘Will & Grace’ thing and the gay thing is going to work out great” — that Messing posted on Instagram, “Regret going on. Dismayed by her comments.” While NBC insiders defended Kelly’s comments as “tongue-in-cheek,” Messing got a stern warning. One exec told media outlets, “Debra was told to cut it out by someone high up in the NBC Entertainment division run by Bob Greenblatt, via her agent or publicist.” Messing’s rep declined to comment, but a source close to the actress said, “NBC has been nothing but supportive of Debra . . . No one asked us to do anything.” Kelly also got on the wrong side of Wednesday’s guest, Jane Fonda, who snapped when the host turned the topic to plastic surgery. “We really want to talk about that now?” a displeased Fonda shot back. NBC didn’t comment Wednesday night. The iconic residence the late Hugh Hefner called home since 1971 is about to undergo some serious changes. As media outlets previously reported, the Playboy Mansion was sold to Hefner’s neighbor Daren Metropoulos of Metropoulous & Co. for $100 million in August 2016. At the time, the condition of sale mandated Hefner would live out his days in the plush pad before any renovations would begin under Metropoulos’ eye. Under the agreement, Hefner also agreed to pay $1 million a year in rent. Hefner died Wednesday at 91. “The Playboy Mansion is one of the most iconic properties in the world and the crown jewel of Holmby Hills and the platinum triangle,” Metropoulos said at the time of the purchase. “For the last 45 years, Mr. Hefner has imbued the estate with a rich and storied legacy. The property’s heritage is not only that of a famous address; it is a true masterpiece in design, constructed by a noted architect for a family who played an important role in the development of Los Angeles in the early 20th Century.” Now that Hefner has passed away, the property will undergo a massive renovation and will be reconnected with a neighboring property creating a massive 7.3 acre compound in Holmby Hills. It will be a private residence for Metropoulous. “Hugh Hefner was a visionary in business, a giant in media and an iconic figure of pop culture whose legacy will leave a lasting impact. I was fortunate to know him as a neighbor and friend and I extend my deepest sympathies to his family,” Metropoulos told Page Six in a statement. He did not provide details as to when renovations will begin or how much time will be given to the Hefner family to remove valuables. Meghan McCain has officially joined “The View” in the conservative chair — and media outlets have been told that ABC is excited about snagging the outspoken daughter of Sen. John McCain — sparking Jedediah Bila’s announcement that she was leaving. Insiders hope that she’ll create some positive headlines for the show, instead of the regular reports about the revolving door of talent. McCain starts next month, joining Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Paula Faris, Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar. On Thursday, Serena Williams flaunted her athletic frame less than a month after giving birth to her first child. The captionless shot featured Williams, 36, posing in front of a mirror in a one-piece, with her enviable closet in full view. Williams and fiancé Alexis Ohanian, 34, welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. on Sept. 1 in West Palm Beach, Fla., where she weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces. The couple is set to wed later this year after getting engaged last December. She is expected to return to the tennis circuit next year. After five successful seasons, one of HGTV’s most-watched shows, “Fixer Upper,” is coming to an end. Chip and Joanna Gaines announced the news Tuesday, shocking some fans of the show. While the Gaineses promised they would continue renovating homes in Waco, Texas, the future for HGTV is less clear. “The end of ‘Fixer Upper’ is a very big deal for the network. HGTV is a channel that depends on blockbuster, talent-driven shows to drive audience for their lesser content, new content, magazine, furniture line and overall brand,” Rebecca Lavoie, host of the upcoming podcast “HGTV & Me,” told Fox News. “Before ‘Fixer Upper,’ ‘Property Brothers’ was probably the channel’s most valuable property, which is why the brothers are at the center of several spinoffs, but even that show has probably seen its peak, while ‘Fixer Upper’ is arguably very much on the upswing and there are no other shows that touch it in terms of quality, charm, and sheer watchability.” The last season of the show garnered over 3.19 million same-day viewers, according to Deadline.com, and was HGTV’s highest-rated program followed by “Flip or Flop,” leaving a gaping hole in the network’s programming. But not everyone agreed. Geoff Skinner, an LA-based TV producer, said it’s a wise move to end a series while it is still at the height of its popularity. “There is great honor and integrity in going out on a high note,” he argued. “I wish more shows would follow suit. ‘Fixer Upper’ has an outstanding team both in front of and behind the camera, and really great showrunners, and I’m sure they know what they’re doing.” As for the Gaineses, some predict they will go to a larger network and possibly try their hand at a less niche program, like a talk show. “Joanna and Chip Gaines have outgrown their original show. A lot has changed since ‘Fixer Upper’ first premiered in 2013. They’re now instantly recognizable celebrities, immensely likable, and a trusted brand name in home repair and interior design,” explained branding expert Scott Pinkser. “Just like Rachael Ray eventually outgrew the Food Network, the Gaineses are clearly ready for a platform that’s more visible than HGTV. In fact, the Rachael Ray business model of TV talk shows, magazines, endorsements and product lines might make a lot of sense.” The handy couple issued a statement on their official site on Tuesday, writing, “It is with both sadness and expectation that we share the news that Season 5 of ‘Fixer Upper’ will be our last. While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with. Our family has grown up alongside yours, and we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. How bittersweet to say goodbye to the very thing that introduced us all in the first place.” The final season will begin in November. Liam Neeson‘s latest film takes viewers into the life of a key player in the Watergate scandal, and he says there are clear parallels between presidents then-and-now. Neeson plays the high-ranking FBI official who was a key source for Washington Post stories that helped lead to President Richard Nixon‘s downfall in “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House .” Felt was the No. 2 official at the FBI and his identity as the source known as Deep Throat was unknown until 2005. Neeson told media outlets that he sees similarities between Nixon’s distrust of critics and President Donald Trump‘s actions. “Nixon felt: let’s circle the wagons. Everybody was an enemy that wasn’t on his side. We’re certainly seeing that with President Twitter in Chief. If you’re not with me, you’re against me,” the actor told media outlets in a recent interview. Trump’s administration and several of the president’s allies are entangled in investigations into whether the billionaire’s campaign sought help from Russian operative during last year’s presidential campaign. Among those investigating is former FBI director Robert Mueller, who has been appointed a special counsel to investigate several facets of the campaign and Trump’s associates. Mueller was appointed in May to investigate potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign and his team has sought a broad batch of records and interviews with current and former White House officials. The exact scope of his investigation is unknown. Neeson said he expects Mueller’s probe will be successful. “I do think the truth is going to come out,” Neeson said. “I think it will be Robert Mueller. He’ll just keep chipping away.” “Mark Felt” is out in limited release on Friday. Firebrand Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) predates the Tea Party movement — but he likes the Gadsden flag and its “Don’t Tread on Me” motto. At a private meeting on Sunday at the Press Box on Second Avenue in Midtown, Gohmert, when presented with the yellow flag, wore it as a cape. The congressman said he has pleaded with President Trump to appoint a special counsel to “investigate the collusion between [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller, [former FBI director James] Comey and the Clintons.” Gohmert told the gathering, “Trump said, ‘Can I do that?’ and I told him, ‘You sure can, you’re the president!’”

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LIFE AFTER DEATH?

Death Is Not the End (Part Seven)

Death Is Not the End (Part Five)

The Second Death

Life Is Service (Part One)

Comfort One Another With These Words

Taking It Through the Grave

Heaven Must Wait

Resurrection AD 31

Jesus and 'the Spirits in Prison'

What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part One)

Is There a Hell?

Disproving Hell

Lazarus and the Rich Man

Is Your Soul Immortal?

Trumpets and Hope

Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Part One)

Was Jesus Dead?

The Resurrection From the Dead

Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved?

Whatever Happened to Gnosticism? Part Three: Satan's Three Heresies

The Sin of Partiality

by Dan Elmore

Forerunner, "Ready Answer," July 2007

Topics

Bias

Christian Unity

Church Problems

Competition

Division, Causing

Elitism

Equality

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Related

Respect or Respect of Persons?

What Sin Is & What Sin Does

God's Way of Give at the Feast of Tabernacles

The Weightier Matters (Part 2): Judgment

James and Unleavened Bread (Part Two)

The Church Family - Convinced and Persuaded

Mercy and Justice

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"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." —James 2:1

Back in the 1970s, in Norwalk, California, when I was seeking to be baptized, I was trying to quit smoking. I found that it required that I keep quitting, because I kept finding a cigarette in my hand. It was such an ingrained habit that I did it without thinking. Each time I did, I would leave the rest of the pack some place where I could not recover it.

One night during this time, my family went to the home of some friends for a barbeque. Out of habit, I lit a cigarette and took a drag. As I blew the smoke out, I overheard my mother bragging to our host that I had quit smoking. My mom had been blinded by her partiality toward me and my abilities, and I felt horrible that I had caused her shame and disappointment. Realizing this helped me to quit the disgusting habit for good.

James 2:1 broaches the topic of partiality: "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." The King James Version translates this virtually the same way except that instead of "partiality," it reads "respect of persons." In many ways, "respect of persons" is a plainer translation of the Greek, since that is exactly what the apostle is fighting: church members respecting some people over others.

Since we, too, are members of God's church, it is beneficial to take a closer look at this idea of partiality or respect of persons from time to time. This problem frequently rears its ugly head, causing trouble among brethren, so it is good to know what it is and how it manifests itself in a congregation.

Definitions

First, we need to make sure that we understand the full implications of partiality by reviewing some definitions of the term. Webster's Dictionary defines partial as "biased to one party; inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question, more than the other; not indifferent." A second meaning emphasizes favoring something "without reason," and a third, "affecting a part only; not general or universal; not total," implies dividing or separating things apart from the whole.

Another tool we can use to get a better grasp of a term is to see how other translations of a particular Bible verse use it. Here are several alternate translations of James 2:1:

International Standard Version: My brothers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by showing partiality.

New International Version: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Good News Translation: My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.

James Moffatt Translation: My brothers, as you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Glory, pay no servile regard to people.

William Barclay Translation: My brothers, you cannot at one and the same time believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ and be a snob.

The New Testament in Modern English: Don't ever attempt, my brothers, to combine snobbery with faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ!

Amplified Bible: My brethren, pay no servile regard to people [show no prejudice, no partiality]. Do not [attempt to] hold [and] practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of Glory, [together with snobbery]!

This term, rendered variously as "partiality," "favoritism," "respect of persons," "servile regard," and "snobbery" in James 2:1, is prosôpolepsía in Greek, and it is very close in meaning to the English word partiality. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words expands on its meaning: "[It is] the fault of one who, when responsible to give judgment, has respect to the position, rank, popularity, or circumstances of men, instead of their intrinsic conditions, preferring the rich and powerful to those who are not so. . . ."

Armed with this understanding, we can explore some of the occasions when partiality occurs. For instance, parents almost always display partiality for their own children over other people's children, which is only natural, but sometimes they favor one of their own children over his or her sibling(s). This is bound to have disastrous results at some point.

People also make economic distinctions, showing a bias for one brand of car, clothing, appliance, or laundry soap. Some are partial to stocks and bonds, while others prefer to invest in land, gold, or commodities. Such preferences are usually just personal opinions due to habit, experience, advertising, or personal recommendation.

Of course, there are racial, social, religious, and political prejudices. We read or hear of such biases frequently. Many of these kinds of partialities can get one in trouble with the group in question, the law, the community, or the church, depending on how radically a person displays them. Even in supposedly free and equal societies, prejudices abound, as they are part of human nature.

Further, intellectual snobbery and elitism abound. Those who have advanced degrees too often look down their noses at those whose educational achievements were stymied by a lack of opportunity or funds or plain bad grades in school. Though it is more rare, a reverse intellectual snobbery has been known to exist among poorly educated Americans from time to time.

In the church, we often witness the "holier than thou" individual who wears his spirituality on his sleeve for all to see. He is quick to criticize others for their shortcomings, drawing away from fellowship with them for their "lack of conversion." Such a person is showing a bias toward his idea of righteousness, which, as we know, is called "self-righteousness."

There are many other kinds of partiality, and if one keeps an eye out for them, they are easy to spot. Respect of persons is part of the underside of the human condition, so it is not surprising that the Bible presents so many illustrations of it.

Biblical Examples

God provides us with dozens of examples of men and women who were partial to various people or things, and along with the examples come important lessons we can learn to avoid their mistakes. Sometimes, a right and godly favoritism is shown—particularly by God Himself—and an unrighteous, human reaction causes a great deal of trouble. Yet, more often, human partiality toward or against others opens the proverbial can of worms. A number of examples come immediately to mind.

»When God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's—favor based on obedience and proper attitude—hatred, jealousy, resentment, and murderous rage resulted (see Genesis 4). This first example is one of godly favor taken badly.

»Through favoritism, Isaac (toward Esau) and Rebecca (toward Jacob) instilled a spirit of competition, strife, and resentment between the two brothers, which led to an even-now ongoing feud, more than 3,500 years later (see Genesis 25 and 27)!

»Jacob's partiality to Rachel was the source of a great deal of hostility and scheming among Jacobs's wives and concubines (see Genesis 30). This also created rivalries between their sons.

»Jacob's favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him (see Genesis 37). Instead, they "only" sold him into slavery, telling their father that he had been torn to pieces by a wild beast. This caused the patriarch no end of grief.

»Through his partiality as a father, Eli allowed himself to become complacent to the gross sins of his two sons (see I Samuel 2—4). This led both to calamity for Eli's house and national defeat at the hands of the Philistines.

»King David's partiality blinded his eyes to his children's evil actions, particularly Amnon's rape of his half-sister, Tamar; and Absalom's murder of Amnon and his rebellion against David himself (see II Samuel 13—18). Later, he ignored Adonijah's preparations to take over his throne, in spite of his expressed desire to have Solomon succeed him (see I Kings 1).

»In the story of Esther, Haman's prejudice almost cost the lives of all the Jews living in the Persian Empire (see Esther 3—8). Only an act of great courage and self-sacrifice saved the Jews from annihilation.

The Bible contains a host of other examples that thoroughly demonstrate the insidiousness of this potential sin. It is clear that the effects of partiality are the real problem. A person can have the best of intentions and reasons for his bias—as God's favor certainly is—but the reactions of those not in favor cause events to spin out of control. At other times, and certainly in most cases of human bias, the respect of persons is clearly wrong from the outset, and the carnal reactions of those it affects just makes matters worse.

Emulating God

In his epistle, the apostle James is combating the practice of showing favoritism toward the wealthy at the expense of poorer brethren. He asks in James 2:4, in doing so, "have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?" Here, he gets to the crux of the problem. As converted children of God, we are supposed to be able to make righteous judgments through the gift of God's Spirit. However, when we show partiality or respect of persons, we have allowed evil thoughts to compromise our judgment.

The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary emphasizes that "the sin in question [respect of persons] is peculiarly inconsistent with His 'faith.'" Christ died for all, rich and poor alike, and His doctrine consistently stresses the spiritual equality of believers and unity in a brotherhood of believers. Thus, preferring one person over another because of wealth or status introduces an element of wickedness into Christian relations: division.

Matthew Henry agrees:

The apostle is here reproving a very corrupt practice. He shows how much mischief there is in the sin of prosôpolepsía—respect of persons, which seemed to be a very growing evil in the churches of Christ even in those early ages, and which, in these after-times, has sadly corrupted and divided Christian nations and societies.

. . . You who profess to believe the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the poorest Christian shall partake of equally with the rich, and to which all worldly glory is but vanity, you should not make men's outward and worldly advantages the measure of your respect. In professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should not show respect to men, so as to cloud or lessen the glory of our glorious Lord: how ever any may think of it, this is certainly a very heinous sin.

What about God's supposed favoritism for His chosen people? For many centuries, it seemed as if God was partial toward Israel in that only Israelites had an opportunity for salvation. From our perspective today, we know that He was working solely through Israel only for the time being, preparing a people for the coming of His Son in the flesh.

After Jesus' resurrection, God soon opened salvation to the Gentiles too, as related in the story of Cornelius in Acts 10. In verses 34-35 of this chapter, Peter draws a conclusion from his experiences with the vision of the animals let down in a sheet from heaven and with the conversion of the household of Cornelius: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him."

In Romans 2:11, speaking of the righteous judgment of God, Paul repeats this point: "For there is no partiality with God," a truth Paul understood from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 10:17). To the Galatians, the apostle makes the spiritual equality of Christians even more specific: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28; see I Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 3:11).

It is clear that God is not a respecter of persons, giving everyone an equal opportunity for salvation and judging all by the same standards. And certainly, we should want to be like God, respecting every member of the church as an equal brother or sister in Christ.

English playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote, "We educate one another, and we cannot do this if half of us consider the other half not good enough to talk to." The church of God is an educational institution, and every member has a part to play in helping to build up others as they prepare for God's Kingdom. Eliminating biases and prejudices will go a long way toward bringing unity and growth to God's church.

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Respect or Respect of Persons?

[corbo-florbo]

Summerslam 2019, my picks

Kofi Kingston v Randy Orton - Kofi. A lot of the matches Kofi has had since winning the title have felt meh for me and I really wanted Samoa Joe to win the last one, but I feel Kofi winning this one would be another feel good moment.

AJ Styles v Ricochet - I am torn on this. I want AJ to win because he is one of my top favorite wrestlers and I want the Club to really mean a lot this time around (and maybe get more members), but Ricochet seems destined for greatness. He is also one of my current top faves.

Becky Lynch v Natalya - Who else but Becks? This feud does have some fire to it, and Natty does have a talent for making the women she wrestles with look good. Great seller. I just hope this brings us back to the badass Becky we fell in love with.

Bayley v Ember Moon -Bayley has definitely deserved and earn this run with the belt and I've liked her matches since winning it. That said, I want to go with Ember. She (along with Asuka) should be some top people in the women's division by now. I went from always being excited for her to being meh, and this match could rejuvenate that admiration again.

Charlotte Flair v Trish Stratus- This match doesn't need to happen. Flair is great, talented in many aspects. She doesn't need this rub. She ended Asuka's streak (still mad), had her feud with Becky prolonged too long, was main event of Wrestlemania, and is related to Ric Flair. Someone newer, fresher, or just needing that boost could be given just that from Trish. Trish is amazing and she could put a new talent over and she still has it. If this is just Trish's last bout then it will go to Charlotte. If this feud is prolonged, maybe Trish.

Roman v Mystery Attacker - The scaffold wins.

Kevin Owen's- None of us thinks Kev is going to go away. So maybe he beats Shane and Shane just takes a backstage role rather than being on camera, or at least that will be what I want to happen lol. We need talent to be exposed to us so we can have actual stars, and with Kevin Owens supposedly being given freedom on the mic to go unscripted, maybe this is the way.

The Fiend Bray Wyatt v Finn Balor - this may very well be a squash match. But it may also be like that squash Brock Lesnar had with John Cena where it is a squash that goes over ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Just to make an impact. Bray's new character needs something big. With Finn going on a two month vacation it can't go any other way. Plus maybe when Finn comes back maybe he may join the Club? Fingers crossed. And maybe, who knows, Demon v Fiend someday!

Miz v Dolph Ziggler - I want the Miz to win but I heard some rumors today that it might be Goldberg or HBK taking the place of the Miz. I hope so too because nobody wants to see Miz v the Zig, especially not like this. Most likely I feel it'll be Goldberg. Just so he can wipe out the taste of that bad match at Saudi with the Undertaker.

Sami Zayn v Aleister Black - Aleister definitely. He needs to be pushed heavily and maybe this loss for Sami will advance his own story going forward.

Shinsuke Nakamura v Ali- Ali def needs a push but it needs to not get in the way of Shinsuke. This dude was a big deal overseas for a reason. Shinsuke for me.

Gallows and Anderson v Usos - Gallows and Anderson. They need to win to keep the Club looking strong. We all know the Usos are great.

Brock Lesnar v Seth Rollins- I don't care. As long as they do something different for Rollins because the way they've been having him look has been meh.

[cityvibesdc]

White House Apprentice: How the “You’re Fired” Tagline continued on Pennsylvania Ave.

From 2004 to 2007 when you heard the “For the Love of Money” theme song and the words “You’re fired!” there was only one show you could be watching, NBC’s hot reality series The Apprentice. Every Thursday night over 10 million viewers tuned in to watch as, a once so friendly face, Donald J Trump had various businessmen and women, eventually celebrities, competing to win the next business-related challenge.

Fast forward to 2016 and unless you have been living under a rock for the past year and half, American’s most merciless boss is now living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. To add insult to injury, the once seamlessly business savvy brutally honest but fair Donald J. Trump has now transformed into Politically divisive, crude, brassy racist. This is a side note I must address; for the masses who knew Trump was a narcissist bigoted celebrity back in 2004, I mean come on, didn’t you watch the Apprentice too?  

Anyways getting to the point of this exposé, the “you’re fired” tagline has continued in his current position as POTUS. Have you been able to keep track of who’s left the White House? Let us start at the beginning: 

Flynn, one of the first to fall because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about a conversation he had with the Russian ambassador to the US.

Comey was fired early on, he was heading FBI’s investigation into whether the DJT campaign colluded with Russia to meddle in the 2016 election. Are you surprised?

Scott Pruitt was involved with various federal ethics investigations for his lavish spending habits, conflicts of interests with lobbyists, and allegedly tasking official government staff to carry out personal errands.

H.R. McMaster had disputes with his boss as well as other senior administration officials. 

The infamous Anthony Scaramucci was fired after he unleashed an expletive-filled tirade against members of the current administration, which leads two our next victims...

Reince Priebus, who “resigned” after a public feud with Scaramucci .

Who can forget Sean Spicer, he resigned after telling DJT he disagreed with the selection of Scaramucci as White House communications director. However, we all know Spicer was on thin ice; his tenure was filled with by controversy, lies and a very funny SNL skit.

Tom Price scandal involved using private planes for domestic travel and military jets costing taxpayers more than $1 million.

Omarosa supposedly left to "pursue other opportunities”, but then again she is use to getting fired by DJT. 

Hope Hicks resignation is still mostly unknown, it may be due the increasing controversy and attention, the 8-hour House Intelligence community or her reported distaste for D.C.

Rex Tillerson, was fired for a few reasons, he supposedly called DJT a moron, diverged from official White House statements and disagreed on many international policy approaches all of which undermined the POTUS.

 Who do you think is next?

Stay tuned for the next on the episode of Guess who has left the White House?

[tortuga-aak]

The GOP appears torn over what should happen with Roy Moore after sexual misconduct allegations

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Republicans are split over what should happen to GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore after Thursday's revelations about sexual misconduct allegations.

Some want him to quit immediately, others are saying he should step aside "if" the accusation that Moore sexually abused a teenager almost 40 years ago are true, and a third camp is defending Moore.

Three camps are emerging in the Republican Party regarding what it believes should happen to Alabama's Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore after The Washington Post reported Thursday that he initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32.

Moore has vehemently denied the allegations made against him in The Post. Multiple women told the publication that Moore pursued relationships with them while he was in his 30s and they were teens, and one woman described a sexual encounter she had with Moore when she was 14. He has shown no signs that he will drop out of the Senate race with just a month left before the election.

That, in turn, has led to a major battle over whether Moore should stay in the race. It's the latest such skirmish to show the fault lines in the longstanding intraparty feud.

But unlike past divisions, this one has split into three distinct groups rather than two.

The first of the three camps is those saying Moore should drop out "if" the allegations are true

Almost immediately after The Post published its investigation, Republican senators were asked about whether they still supported Moore or thought he should stay in the race.

And nearly every Republican senator said he should leave the race "if" the allegations were true.

The problem with that stance is that the "if true" qualifier left the door open to speculation over how much additional proof would be possible to obtain for instances that occurred decades back. The only obvious standard for this, aside from the women coming forward on the record with the allegations, would be for Moore to admit he committed the acts laid out in The Post.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans qualified their statements by saying he should drop out if the allegations were true.

"It's devastating," Republican Sen. David Perdue of Georgia, a top congressional ally of President Donald Trump, told a reporter Thursday. "I think if those allegations are true, he should step aside. I mean, I'm sorry but this is untenable — if they're true. I have no facts, I just saw the story. But it's very serious."

"These are serious and troubling allegations," Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who endorsed Moore, said in a statement. "If they are true, Judge Moore should immediately withdraw. However, we need to know the truth, and Judge Moore has the right to respond to these accusations"

President Donald Trump decided to join with the Republican senators in the "if true" camp.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on the president's trip to Asia that Moore "will do the right thing and step aside" if the allegations against him are true.

“Like most Americans the president believes we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case one from many years ago, to destroy a person's life," she said. "However, the president also believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside."

It should be noted that both Trump and Sanders have accused the dozen women who claimed last year that the president sexually harassed them of lying.

The second camp is actively backing Moore despite the allegations

A number of prominent Alabama Republicans and members of the insurgent right have taken to bashing The Post or the accusers, or suggesting that the revelations were made with a political motive.

Some also suggested that the allegations are not a big deal even if true.

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon pointed to The Washington Post as having been the outlet to publish both the Moore allegations and Trump's "Access Hollywood" tape last fall, suggesting there is a political motive at play.

Speaking at the "Taking On The Establishment" fundraiser in New Hampshire Thursday, Bannon raised doubt about the accusations, saying it was the "politics of self-destruction." He pointed to The Post, attacking its credibility.

"But it's interesting," Bannon said in a recording obtained by CBS News. "The Bezos-Amazon-Washington Post that dropped that dime on Donald Trump, is the same Bezos-Amazon-Washington Post that dropped the dime this afternoon on Judge Roy Moore."

"Now is that a coincidence," Bannon continued. "That's what I mean when I say opposition party, right?"

Daniel Dale, a reporter with the Toronto Star, contacted dozens of Republican state officials in Alabama after the Moore story went live. Those who returned his inquiries defended Moore from the accusations.

"It was 40 years ago," Alabama's Marion County Republican Party chair, David Hall, told Dale. "I really don't see the relevance of it. He was 32. She was supposedly 14. She's not saying that anything happened other than they kissed."

"It does not really surprise me," John Skipper, the chair of Alabama's Mobile County Republican Party, reportedly said. "I think it is a typical Democratic — Democrat — ploy to discredit Judge Moore, a sincere, honest, trustworthy individual."

Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler said the report was "much ado about nothing," even if true.

"The allegations are that a man in his early 30s dated teenage girls," Zeigler told The Washington Examiner. "Even the Washington Post report says that he never had sexual intercourse with any of the girls and never attempted sexual intercourse."

Zeigler even compared Moore's alleged actions to biblical figures.

"Take the Bible. Zachariah and Elizabeth for instance. Zachariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist,” Zeigler told The Examiner. "Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus."

"There's just nothing immoral or illegal here," Zeigler said. "Maybe just a little bit unusual."

The final camp isn't qualifying their statements with "if true" — they just want Moore out

A handful of Republican politicians aren't worrying about qualifying their statements with "if true." They are simply calling for Moore to drop out immediately.

"Innocent until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. I believe Leigh Corfman," 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney tweeted. "Her account is too serious to ignore. Moore is unfit for office and should step aside."

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, was the first major Republican politician to call for Moore to quit the race immediately.

"The allegations against Roy Moore are deeply disturbing and disqualifying," he said in a statement. "He should immediately step aside and allow the people of Alabama to elect a candidate they can be proud of."

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, often a critic of Trump, joined the camp as well.

"I've long opposed Roy Moore & his divisive viewpoints," he tweeted. "The actions described make him unfit for office. The GOP must not support him. He should step aside."

NOW WATCH: Trump says the Texas church shooting 'isn't a guns situation' — watch his full statement on the attack that killed 26 people

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[junker-town]

What we learned from WWE Money in the Bank 2017

WWE’s current strategy is to upset its fans, and it probably works better in some ways than others.

Money in the Bank has come and gone, and people are angry for a lot of different reasons. Some of those reasons are valid! Some are because their favorite didn’t win. We’re here to sort it all out and figure out what we’re supposed to have taken away from the SmackDown-exclusive, ladder-based show.

Carmella defeats Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Tamina thanks to James Ellsworth, who is not a woman, in the first-ever women’s Money in the Bank ladder match

You’re going to want to take a seat for this one. So, I get what WWE was trying to do here. Carmella is a cowardly heel who often gets assists from her friend who is a boy, James Ellsworth, who is also a coward but knows his role as Guy Who Distracts Or Takes Punches For His Friend. Having Ellsworth climb the ladder, bring down the briefcase, and drop it into the hands of a barely-aware Carmella works in the sense that it gets everyone really mad at him, at Carmella for being okay with winning that way, and so on.

The problem here is that this was the first-ever women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, propped up repeatedly by WWE as a historic outing. Unless they’re very young, fans are aware that there is a writer making these decisions for who wins and who loses and how it all goes down. Because of that, people are much more upset at WWE’s creative team for having a man win this supposedly historic match for a woman than they are at Carmella or Ellsworth for what was clearly an unsportsmanlike act we’re supposed to be mad at.

It’s tone deaf, and they can never go back and change the fact they had a man bring down the briefcase. This moment in time is ruined: there’s no shining clip to flash back to on a future WWE Network special with a woman hoisting the briefcase overhead after taking it down from its harness, and that was what we were supposed to get here, even if that woman was heel Carmella. Even if she had climbed the ladder to take it down because Ellsworth had simply pushed Becky off the ladder instead of then climbing it himself. It still would have been her!

However... WWE also did this on purpose, and there is much more of this angle to come. All of WWE that isn’t Carmella and James Ellsworth is (story line) furious about this. SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and general manager Daniel Bryan already said they plan to address this on Tuesday, and they might not have to if Natalya and Tamina and Becky and Charlotte and Sasha and Nia and so on all decide that murder is justified here.

So! While that moment in time is ruined, taken away from women who have waited far, far too long for even a shred of equality in WWE’s presentation of wrestling, the show has already moved on to the next stage. This can be an unfortunate (avoidable!) mistake and also include an entertaining and even satisfying conclusion to the story it started to tell.

Will that happen? It goddamn better.

What we learned: Besides the above? That this and other stipulation matches need to be a staple for WWE’s women, because they are killing it (and each other), even when the outcome is questionable.

Also, props to Carmella for rolling with it.

#CurrentMood http://pic.twitter.com/G5XoIRFprt

— Carmella (@CarmellaWWE) June 19, 2017

The Usos lost on purpose to the New Day because they are not dumb

This was hard for audiences to take because it meant Money in the Bank began with two goofy finishes meant to anger fans, but in a vacuum, this was the right end to this SmackDown Tag Team Championship match.

The Usos thought they were just going to crush New Day, and honestly, that was a fair belief. The Usos have busted ass both figuratively and literally while they’ve been heels on SmackDown, and New Day of late has spent more time making jokes than having matches where they look threatening. When it turns out that the New Day were apparently just resting up for the ass-whooping they delivered on Sunday, the Usos jointly agreed it was time to bail.

What we learned: This feud is not over, and if Sunday’s match is any indication, that’s great news. New Day looked as inspired as they ever have as in-ring performers, and that’s no small thing given how much of their popularity comes from their mic work instead. The Usos continue to be so much better as heels than they ever were as faces, and aborting this title match when they realized defeating New Day was easier said than done means we might even eventually get ourselves a situation that the Usos can’t walk away from.

Naomi defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Lana

Lana had some pretty old-school ring work going on, as she spent a lot of time trying to ground the high-flying, fast-paced Naomi. It was a successful strategy for much of the match, but it became clear that she didn’t have the second gear she needed to put Naomi away the longer the affair went on. It also didn’t help that she let herself get distracted by Carmellsworth as they came out with the briefcase mid-match to let both competitors know they were officially in the women’s main event scene whenever they felt like it.

What we learned: This was one of the only positive outcomes of a night devoted to heels doing heel things, as Naomi maintained her status as the only face champion in the entire company wait hold on seriously? Man, SummerSlam might be all faces all the time this year, just to restore balance to the galaxy.

We also learned that Lana is competent in the ring, and that given her performance and loss, probably isn’t going to stick around the title scene for long, if any longer at all. That’s fine, though! The announce team spent the entire match putting Lana over as better than anyone had any right to expect, so the lesson to be taken away from this match was that she’s ready to participate in a division that laughed at the idea of having her.

WWE.com

Also that her ring gear makes her look like she just came off the set of a 1950s space-themed B-movie.

Maria Kanellis returned to WWE with her husband, Mike Kanellis, and they are in love

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees I am so ready to hate these two hell I already do who is going to punch these wonderful bad people first

Jinder Mahal defended the WWE World Championship against Randy Orton because Orton let him take a nap in the middle of the match, have you never watched wrestling before, Randy, what the heck

This was shockingly a pretty good match, as Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton had their best interaction together to date. And also maybe their last interaction. Hopefully their last one. Listen, this was good, but I don’t want to get greedy, okay?

Jinder looked like he was going to lose — Orton even got a visual pin, but Mahal’s cohorts, the Singh Brothers, made sure to put their main dude’s foot on the ropes to break the count. They were kicked out of the match, so instead of making their way to the back, they made sure to cause enough damage to allow Jinder to recover: they taunted Orton’s dad at ringside and grabbed him, causing Randy to exit the ring and throw them around like they weighed nothing. Which, to 6-foot-5 Randy Orton, they probably do not.

Orton got back in the ring after Mahal had time for a nap and a massage and a refreshing drink, and immediately ate Jinder’s finisher, ending the match.

What we learned: Randy Orton has been around forever, but the voices in his head can still convince him that losing matches is worth the distraction of harming someone else.

We don’t know who Jinder will face next — maybe Orton again at Battleground, allowing Mahal a fresh feud for SummerSlam? We’ll probably have a better sense of this on Tuesday, though.

The Fashion Police defeat The Ascension, who took credit for destroying their office

I gotta say, I don’t know if I believe The Ascension actually destroyed the office of Breezango and attacked them, or if they just want to claim that they did because it was an easy way to make it onto a pay-per-view. My money is still on American Alpha turning heel and beating the hell out of both teams to let everyone know who is actually responsible for all of this.

What we learned: I’m still incredibly happy when the Fashion Police are allowed to thrive, even if it’s against The Ascension in a cooldown match buried during the back-end of a pay-per-view.

Baron Corbin defeated AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn to win the men’s Money in the Bank briefcase

This match was perfect. Baron Corbin didn’t make an entrance, instead opting to come in behind Shinsuke Nakamura to beat the heck out of him during his own. That took arguably the most dangerous opponent out of the proceedings until late, which accomplished two things: everyone else got to shine before super-powered Nakamura returned late in the match, and it helped build up the idea of an eventual feud between Corbin and Shinsuke.

WWE.com

Nakamura had an opportunity to win when he reentered the match, too, but decided instead that he wanted to regular wrestle AJ Styles. Now, Styles vs. Nakamura is really anything but regular, but you’re supposed to climb the ladder, boys! Man, even James Ellsworth understands that.

Corbin took advantage of everyone else being destroyed by each other and Nakamura and brought down the case for himself. Nakamura should feel cheated, Styles should feel cheated, and the fans should feel cheated — except, like, in the good “he’s a bad guy who won” way, not the You’re Ruining History way they feel about Ellsworth winning for Carmella.

What we learned: Corbin is unlikely to challenge Jinder Mahal for the title, but then again, Corbin has no love for either heels or faces, and if any heel were to go after another heel for the title, it’d be Baron. Plus, maybe that would give Jinder an opportunity to flesh out more of his face side — he’s been a bit of a tweener in some promos, and you’d have to think the crowd would side with him over Corbin if he leans into it. Right?

Chances are good that Corbin will hold onto the case for some time, which will inevitably setup Corbin vs. Nakamura for the WWE World Championship even further down the road. Now there’s a sentence that you never would have imagined seeing just two years ago.

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/tariq-nasheed-vs-umar-johnson-pushes-black-community-backward/

Tariq Nasheed vs Umar Johnson only pushes black community backward

“Nobody wins when the family feuds.” I have been on this tip since Jay-Z released the amazing video for his “Family Feud” track on December 29, 2017. What a way to end a most strange year with the message that working together and knowing your history is the way to true wealth and legacy building. The images, the significance, and the buildup in the video all speak to the need for unity amongst those fighting for the same things. Watching it, I thought to myself, “This is black magic” in a good way. There is representation in the video. There is diversity, and there is the universal law that internal feuding never profits anyone in the long run. That’s why the hotep war between self-proclaimed “mac” Tariq Nasheed and “is he or isn’t he a doctor” Umar Johnson is such a very bad look for the fight to lift the black community in the age in which we live. These two have been bashing each other for days now with memes, videos, and posts. It’s ugly, it’s immature, and honestly, it’s confusing. They are apart of the same movement. How can two men who claim to be for the advancement of black people and who both supposedly believe in black excellence as a means to elevation be so petty? Johnson wrote on Instagram, “I don't speak publicly on anyone, I mind my business, If you don't have anything supportive to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all. I've held my tongue on these two [Nasheed and another prominent hotep male] for a while; now the gloves are off...." Nasheed, NEVER one to mince his words, took it to the 'hood by posting to his Instagram page, “This fat fraudulent ass walrus looking nigga Umar Johnson keeps trying to start beefs to deflect away from the fact that he conned everyone outta their money for his non existent school THAT HE NEVER WAS GETTING BUILT IN THE FIRST PLACE. There is no school, folks. And there is not going to be a school. I peeped this out a while back, so I wasn't surprised over his bullshit excuses.” Nasheed and Johnson consider themselves staples in the “woke” community. They refer to themselves as pillars and leaders of the black resistance to white supremacy in America and around the world. They travel the globe speaking about the need for black people to do this and to do that in order to combat the wiles of the dominant society – the segment of the white population who believe in and adhere to white power. They are social media stars that have carved out a niche that speaks to, and some argue preys on, the desire that black folks have to be united, to advance in society, and to build a fulfilling life. Nasheed and Johnson, along with a handful of other outspoken black men, have the influence, the resources and the time to really affect change, but right now at the start of a brand new year, they are engaged in a frivolous beef that only serves to hurt both of their efforts. It also makes them look stupid, and it begs the question - were they ever really serious about helping black people or has it all just been about the money? I am not really sure what the issue is between these two. Apparently, it stems back a few years when they worked on Nasheed’s first Hidden Figures movie. There is also something about a school Jonson was raising money for that ended up, supposedly, being a farce that has Nasheed on the man’s ass. At this point, I don’t care what the bad blood is between them because the way they are going at it on the Internet is childish and reckless. These grown ass men, who are well in their 40’s and one of them (Nasheed) with a wife and kids, have posted numerous videos telling the other to “come find me.” Both men want it to be very clear that they are ready to do whatever whenever in the streets because neither of them are punks. If you ask me, they are both charlatans. Black men have this habit of making sure other men, of any racial background, know that they are 'bout that life. They take what they hear and learn and experience in the streets and apply it to the way they do business. For the most part, I am not even mad at them because with the current social climate, I get it. But in this case where, essentially, there is a family feud going on that threatens the important progress that has been made, it brings to light for me, and I am sure many others, the validity of their platforms. The way that they both have committed their time, energy, and social media presence to go in on the other is male ego at it’s finest, but it also sheds a bright light on why they do what they do in the first place. Most of their followers are black men and women and have voiced their disappointment in their bitter rivalry reaching the point it has, however, for Nasheed and Johnson, the calls from the people who support them monetarily to stop and work it out in private mean nothing. They have ignored the comments and pleas and continue using vulgarities when referring to each other. Their willingness to participate in a public verbal bloodbath that both of them are more than willing to make physical is disheartening and disgusting. Furthermore, it is a clear indication that the moves they have made and the platforms they both continue to tout are disingenuous and self-serving. I have written about Johnson in the past. His ideas about interracial marriage, black women, and the like are problematic AF. Nasheed is a super petty man who goes out of his way to clown people who get on his bad side. All of this that they are doing is distracting and serves no purpose. They have created division and are not helping the cause they supposedly care so much about. I am astounded by their behavior, and the fact that they would act in this matter is disrespectful to the people who look to them for guidance. This is not the way to start 2018. They are both being grossly negligent with their influence. Their purposeful inability to forgo addressing each other in public about the issues they have, at the cost of their respective messages, makes them frauds in my book. I hope both of them come out at the bottom of this family feud.

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