#The GOAT has returned after 20 years

[toaarcan]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

SON BOY!

[misguidedasgardian]

AMOR VINCINT OMNIA VI.

VI. Thesis

MASTERLIST

Summary: There was no such thing as settling 

Warnings: Use of she/her pronouns, reader has hair, Ancient Rome AU accuracies and inaccuracies, arranged marriages, age difference (Marcus is late forties reader is 20), cursing, we are shorter than Marcucs, reader is touch starved, depression, angst, reader is lonely, life threatening disease, gladiator fights, animal slaughtering for ritualistic purposes, MIGHT MISS SOME WARNINGS

Notes: Ufff another chapter of which i had scenes written before the prologue! uuhhh

“Ubi tu Gaius, Ego Gaia”, if she was acting, it was very convincing, you thought. As you looked at your mother and you could see, clear as day, the adoration lurking in her eyes.

Perhaps she did like him at least, he was a handsome man, his hair already painted a bit white though, but now you understood where Lucius got his looks. 

Speaking of Lucius, you felt his gaze on you, but you tried to ignore it.

His villa was the greatest and most lavish thing you have ever seen, tall walls and ample spaces, everywhere you looked there was gold, golden statues, marble pillars painted with gold, lavish pools with the most beautiful mosaics you had seen. 

A huge garden, where you stood now, the smell of various flowers hit your senses.

It was customary that the ceremony was done in your mother’s villa, in the Palatine HIll, but… this was her second marriage, and he was Consus Licinio Craso, so, things were… different, they differed from tradition altogether. . 

As you gazed on those who had gathered there, all of Rome, mostly, you were saddened to not see Publio, he had also left, his mission took him North, northern still across the sea to Britannia, even norther, to the border with Caledonia. 

You couldn’t wait for him to return to hear about his stories, you were sure they were going to be great. 

But now you were being drawn to the present by the squealing of the sacrificed pigs.

Why did you always find yourself witnessing that?

Three times in less than a year, including your own in your own wedding.

You took a long breath, the metallic smell of blood reaching even you, standing at the side.

Oh Marcus

He had been gone for four weeks, missed the whole betrothal and wedding, and signing of contracts and all. 

With your friend gone to really witness the “afters” of her wedding, you were really beginning to think it wasn’t a big deal to begin with, it was only a signed paper, which you could undo, so… the theatrical of it all started to bore you.

You stifled a whimper as you looked down in shame

You were becoming a cynic

You were becoming something dark, that you didn’t want to be

You wondered where that sweet girl was, the one who had woken up one morning happy that the sun was shining, and was optimistic about her future, about her arranged marriage, you wondered where she was.

You wondered what she’d think, to look at herself now, crying everyday, alone, so alone.

She’d be terrified of what the future held for her.

“Run”, you’d tell her, “get in a Trirreme for Alexandria, go live in a small farm in the edge of the Nile, raise goats or something, do not fall in love unless they fall in love with you first”

“FELICITER!”, everyone cheered and you had no choice but to pretend you had said it too, and to start clapping. 

As the lavish feast started, you stayed in the garden, trying not to gaze at Lucius with a beautiful young woman dangling from his strong arm. He had been betrothed, which had been a long time coming, you wondered how it didn’t happen sooner, and then you remembered he had been aiming for you for years.

Years

And it all had come to this, you thought as you gazed upon your mother and Consus, speaking inside with senators, he was your new stepfather, your paterfamilias, if you hadn't married Marcus first of course. 

Your mother relinquished all her rights on you to him, you were his, Marcus’ if you divorced him, you wouldn’t get nothing, you couldn’t be your own person, you’d be dependent on him even if you wanted to marry somebody else.

You should have said something when you knew, to protest, to question, but you trusted your mother and she trusted him, so…

It seemed like there was no way out for you. 

You took a seat in a stone bench by one of the fountains, letting the sun fall around you, leaving you in darkness. You’ve come to like the dark though, in this weeks,  it shielded you, you felt like you could put down your mask, especially in crowded events like this, you could stop pretending that everything was fine.

But nothing could be hidden from your mother, who took a seat right by your side.

“Your guests will miss the honored woman”, you mumbled

“They can wait”, she whispered. “How have you taken Marcus’ absence?”. she asked, and you cringed at the name, because she always called him Acacius, calling him by his first name would be an act of familiarity you thought only belonged to you.

“I’m fine”

“I’m glad”, she said, “Because I will be gone for a couple of months”, you looked back at her, alarmed. “We are going to Greece”, she whispered, with a soft smile and a strange shine in her eyes. “Consus fixed this Trirreme, with golden statues and luxury”, as she spoke, you were looking at her carefully, and you couldn’t believe that was your mother at all. You didn’t recognize her, you thought she didn’t care about all that. 

“For long?”, you asked

“Just a couple of months”, she whispered, she eyed you carefully, you nodded. Marcus’ departure had already left you heartbroken enough not to care much, and you had barely seen your mother since you married Marcus anyways.

They all leave

You wondered when Cecilia was going to come back from Sicily .

You missed her terribly. 

“I wish you have a great time, mother”, you whispered

“I’ll leave you to care for Rome”, she said as she would like you were a small child, you only nodded. she caressed the side of your face and your hair. “You have become a woman in this short months”, she admired, caressing your cheeks

Is misery the real barrier between a girl and a woman?

The night ended with little to less excitement for you.

And speaking of excitement…

The twin emperors of Rome were hosting their first games, in celebration of your mothers nuptials. It was set to be a great event, ten days filled with gladiator battles, performances of the greatest glories of Rome, for one, they were going to fill the Colosseum with water to reenact a naval battle.

It was going to be a great spectacle

And for the first time, your heart wasn’t in it.

As you sat there, next to your mother, watching the battles, the blood, the chariots that used to fill you with excitement, you felt little to nothing.

Maybe it was the line between girlhood or womanhood.

That nothing thrilled you anymore.

The spectacle was great, showcasing Rome’s might that still lingered after all the efforts of your grandfather. 

It was still bittersweet. 

You had been raised with whispers of the power and might of the blood that flowed through your veins and yet here you stood, alone, at this point you truly believed you were going to be alone forever.

As you were married now, seemed like you had turned invisible, the men that used to smile and you and talked to you barely gazed upon you, and well, their wives would draw small talk from you, but not completely engaging as your mother and you always kept a close circle, now you knew why, because of the emperors, but still, that meant you had few friends. 

So as everyone was watching the spectacle of gladiators killing each other, you looked at the people, all of them in the pulvinus, to those closest to it. All with wide smiles but your mother, her disgust for blood hidden in the small branches of lavender tangled around her fingers. 

“My sweet, you should come with us”, she offered after the spectacle was over, you looked at her expectantly, “you should come stay with us, in Consus’ villa”, she explained, grabbing onto your forearm, you just watched her silently, then, behind her in the pulvinus, you saw lucius, looking at you with a look that was hard to define 

“I prefer to retrieve myself to the comfort of my home”, you said quickly, you grabbed onto your mother’s hand and squeezed, “I’ll see you soon, mother”. 

You made sure to not come back to the Colosseum for the rest of the game, claiming you were feeling a bit unwell.

You missed what the entire city called the greatest fight they had ever seen. As regards the flooding and the boats included. 

But you had other things to occupy your mind. 

You had hired three painters, who were now drawing very graphic pictures of battles, myths across the walls of the triclinium and atrium, and then some more erotic scenes near your personal rooms and the bath room. 

With the height of spring on you it seemed like the most logical place to start, with arts, as you grew your garden slowly. 

You realize you found solace and contentment while making your villa a home, making it more beautiful, more lively, as if Marcus was not going to give you a family, at least you could spend the money on fixing your surroundings. 

He told you could do it anyways.

You had bought tapestries from Greece, as beautiful amphoras for the oils and grains, beautifully carved wood furniture from Nubia, the finest cottons you had seen from Alexandria, and you had made tunics for you, Thulia and Diana for the coming summer. 

From Alexandria you also had purchased scrolls, with ancient tales of Egypt and Carthage, they were all in Greek, but… you knew how to read it thankfully. 

You didn't even feel guilty when you bought yourself some nice jewelry. a beautiful bracelet of a snake slithering around your forearm.

You used to look at the Roman Eagle with admiration, owls seeking for wisdom and the mythical animal that had fed Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome itself, the wolves, with reverence.

But as you gazed on that golden snake you’d realise, It had its own qualities, it was sneaky, slithering about on the tall grass, quiet, with the ability of changing its skin, being born again as it were. You wore it everyday now. 

You received missives from your mother who was travelling through the islands of Greece, and you would enjoy her tales of beautiful sights. 

And you were not going to lie, for when you found yourself alone, in your cold room at night, you felt incredible jealousy.

That ship had been built for Lucius and you, he had said so himself, and yet, you laid there, alone, and your mother was aboard it, with her new husband that would take her with him in his journeys.

You didn’t care about the gold, about the boat, about the golden coins, but, you did care about… well… about being married to someone who actually wanted you.

With tumultuous thoughts and dark dreams you managed to actually wake up when the sun was on the horizon. 

And the days, turned to weeks, turned to a couple of months…. 

“I do not think this is a good idea”, you said, stifling a giggle, when you saw the work

 You were correcting one of the painters, who had drained one of the impluvium and was installing a beautiful mosaic 

“I did this to your image, domina”. the man explained, oh yes, he had immortalized you in tiny pieces of beautifully colored stones, the problem was that you were naked, and it was clearly you. “Nobody would tell”, he said lightly, “it’ll be a secret between you and me”, you only shook your head and let him keep to it. 

“Put more jasmines and laurels around it though, it might distract those who gaze upon it o the likeness to me”, you jested, and he chuckled, shaking his head but was determined to please you.

But again, as you started to find some kind of rhythm to your life… someone came and disrupted it.

You heard a commotion outside your villa’s gates, horses neighing, voices shouting, people complaining.

“A legionnaire had never crossed Roman’s gates in the last hundred years”, someone shouted, and if you weren’t in the atrium itself, you wouldn’t have heard any of it.  

And from a second to the nest, both the thick wooden doors of your home opened widely, you jumped where you stood as you truly believed they were going to kill you or something, but no.

“What’s wrong?”, you asked, alarmed, as the atrium, from one moment to the next, was filled with legionnaires, and medicus. Four soldiers carried Marcus himself who laid in a grabatum

It had happened quickly, you had received news from your husband himself that himself as his army had managed to cross the Mediterranean and reached Tarraco, a port in Hispania, and everything went well.

The letter was very formal, but you appreciated it nonetheless.

And now this… two months after

“The General has fallen ill my lady”, Quintus, his right hand man said, placing his arm across his chest in sign of respect towards you

“Is he going to be alright?”, you asked, concerned, you followed the soldiers to Marcus’ rooms, you reached it just when he was being placed gently in his bed

“The General started feeling unwell after we reached Tarraco”, he said, “he refused treatment, and the idea of returning, but three days ago, we had to put him in the first Trirreme back to Rome my lady, he caught a fever in the journey”

“Nobody cared for him in Terraco?”, you asked him, anger started bubbling inside of you

“We… couldn’t trust anybody with the health of the general”, he said carefully, you nodded, your eyes returning to his shaky form on the bed

“We had not managed to break the fever”, said a medicus, that wore some reduced version of the armor, he must have been the one who went with them to treat their wounds…. battle wounds

When you saw your husband there, his forehead sweaty and heavy breathing, is like everything your mother ever thought you came back to you.

You grabbed Diana who was passing by the arm a bit rougher, but this was not the time for pleasantries

“Go to the market, NOW, bring me ginger, chamomile and coriander if you find it”

“Yes Domina”, she said quickly, and ran to fulfill your command, understanding the emergency.

“Thulia!”, you called, and she was by your side in a minute, “bring me a bucket of fresh water, and some linens”, you commanded, she nodded and went quickly

“My lady…”, called the medicus with warning

“I know what I’m doing”, you said firmly.

Since the fresh water and linens arrived first, you wasted no time in sitting by Marcus’ side on the bed, you grabbed the linens, soaked them in water, and placed them all over his trembling body

“We tried that already”, said the old man impatiently

“So we gotta keep trying”, you insisted. You needed to lower his body temperature somehow. Diana came running back, giving you the herbs as she took deep accelerated breaths.

“Thank you”, you said, “the mortar”, you called, and for the first time alone, you prepared the tonic your mother had taught you to use for this sort of cases. 

Once ready, you ran to his side, grabbed the back of his head, made him lean in, and you made him drink your concoction. He frowned and fought it, even in his condition, the thing had a strong smell, and a strong taste as well, but you managed to slide it down his throat, and that is what mattered. 

And you dedicate yourself to care for your husband

Fear took a tight grip on you, was he going to die? The bare thought brought tears to your eyes. He was your husband, your mother’s dearest friend and ally, yes he wasn’t caring, but not because of it you wanted him to die.

You had prayed on your home’s altar for his safety, for his health and for his victories, clearly, you had not been heard. 

Hours passed by and you were stuck to his side, changing the rags over his foreheads. You took the liberty of raising his toga, touching his body. it was so odd, the first you had looked upon his naked legs, his intimacy only covered by his subligaria, and yet you did not wasted time to gaze, you touched his belly, and not only you found it hard, by his years of battle and training, but warm, unnaturally warm. 

You took a long breath feeling the air around you, the spring had made sure to warm the land so you wouldn't be traumatizing his body to much lower temperatures. You grabbed a wet rag and placed it on his belly.

He shuddered, but you needed to lower his temperature

And you had tried everything, now it all depended on him, and on the gods. You realised it was already the middle of the night by the time you ended your care. 

He was still burning, but you wanted to believe that he had lowered his temperature somehow. 

You didn’t even notice how everyone left you alone with him, but you didn’t care, as you tried to care for him as much as you could, with everything your mother had taught you. Many had called her a sorceress, accused her of poisoning men like your own uncle, but they didn’t understand. Not really. 

As sleep overtook you, you fell asleep on top of him, clinging onto him, hoping your body temperature would help to lower his. 

.

“You have to eat something domina”, Diana said softly, you nodded, waking up slowly, still hugging Marcus against you. But you separated from him, grabbing little fruit, bread and cheese that she was offering. You grabbed the pitch of water and tried to give it to Marcus, to your relief, he did drink something.

“Bring me more rags, more water”, you said, and Thulia was the one to bring those things to you. “Fetch the medicus”, you asked of them, and both went to find him their separate ways to make it faster. 

You grabbed a bowl and a rag, ready to start your care again for the morning, when he seemed to stir on his sleep. You watched him carefully, but he didn’t open his eyes, but he did open his mouth…

“Lucilla…”, you froze with the damped cloth in your hand, paralyzed, “... my love”, he whispered.

“Marcus?”, you called, but he was deep in lethargy, his eyes closed and his forehead frowned in anguish

“I love you… Lucilla”, he whined. “But I won't…anymore”

Your heart broke in a million pieces, just like the clay bowl you had in your hands that you dropped and fell to the floor. 

So he did prefer women to men, only that the woman he preferred was your mother. It was horrible the way everything seemed to fall into place. Now you understood so many things you wished you never understood. 

“Gods”, you whispered brokenly.

Luckily, the medicus entered the room.

“You have done great domina, he has almost returned to himself!”, he said, relieved, taking your palace by his side, “you should rest, my lady”, he said softly. 

You only nodded, leaving them alone, you walked the now beautiful corridors back to your own room, as tears fell uncontrollably down your cheeks. 

PCN: uuhh did you saw that coming?

I have re-ratched gladiator I and Lucilla seemed to now a thing or two about tonics, so I wanted to deepen into that.

taglist! @orcasoul @peelieblue @raynetargaryan2 @thereallchristine @sesdeuxyeux @melsunshine @thelastemzy @vjuvbbjugv @cloudroomblog @capycapy-bara @lokiwife2021 @whirlwindrider29 @peepawispunk @syd-maximoff @ayoungpascallover

[lol-jackles]

//If the spin off happens I think Jared's character will be called to return to his fictional hometown in Texas that suspiciously looks like Austin. The show will be called Fire Country: Lonestar.//

I’ve literally been thinking that if Jared does/gets a spin-op for Fire Country it would be called, Texas Fire Country. Lol.

From what he’s said in panels, I don't see Jared doing the spinoff unless he gets to work in Austin. I’m not saying there is no way, but I don’t see him signing up to live in Vancouver or LA, or whatever for 9 months of the year when he’s been adamant that he doesn’t want to be away from family that long. I suppose it would be more likely if it was a streamer or shorter tv season, but I’m thinking if he got Walker filmed in Austin, he’d probably try to leverage that and get a potential FC spinoff filmed there, too.

From the rest of your post, I hope it has a lighter tone than the OG show, too. I’d like it to feel familiar but distinct from the original show. Having Camden and The Goat on a show could be fun. Maybe that should be the spinoff name. lol.

Final thought, a week or so ago, a fan was claiming in someone’s ask box that Jared was annoyed by Deadline mentioning a spinoff and claiming he was only currently interested in doing the guest appearance, and not interested in leading another show. I’m sorry I don't have a link because it was an anonymous ask from a little while back, but it was hearsay anyway. My question is, do you think Jared would have actually expressed annoyance at the spinoff being mentioned? And would Jared really turn down a spinoff if he was offered one? Or was he just being cautious, if the anon's claims were even true.

First I've heard of Jared's annoyance, so let me guess, it allegedly came from a M&G and therefore no video to listen for the tone or transcript to read his words. If the claim is true, Jared's annoyance is that the spinoff news was broken too soon. Even if the spinoff is currently being developed, announcements are usually made after the character is introduced to the audience, not before. Jared probably hasn't had media training yet so he's not ready to answer questions and fend off people begging asking for jobs.

Jared wouldn't turn down offers, especially during this contraction era where more people than ever are without jobs, both above and below the line. Jared tends to hold stuff close to the vest, he didn't reveal for 20 years that he had a holding deal with WB, so he's being cautious if the Anon's claims are true.

[blorbowhereartthoublorbo]

All Mortimer appearances in House of Mouse **UPDATED**

because it’s been half a year, and i’m STILL hyperfixated on him. thanks to @yume2kwaves’ video, i decided to take another look through the series.

i now have more extensive knowledge on mortimer than his wiki page.

enjoy <3

(appearances that can be found in HD will be in orange text)

Ep 01 The Stolen Cartoons (cameo, ~1:55 mark)

Ep 02 Big Bad Wolf Daddy (segment, “Pluto Gets the Paper: Mortimer,” cameo in crowd, ~14:35-14:37)

Ep 04 Goofy’s Valentine Date (cameos throughout, ~1:18, ~2:46, ~10:46, ~13:44-14:06)

Ep 08 Gone Goofy (cameo, ~10:26)

Ep 09 Rent Day (segment, “Big House Mickey”)

Ep 11 Donald’s Pumbaa Prank (segment, “Mickey’s April Fools”) (fun fact, in the HD airing of this episode, they took out the part when mortimer thinks he killed mickey lmao)

Ep 12 Thanks to Minnie (cameo in the segment “Mickey’s Big Break”)

Ep 16 Clarabelle’s Big Secret (cameos throughout, ~2:09, ~2:23, ~21:28)

Ep 17, The Mouse Who Came to Dinner (central role, also appears in the segment “Mickey’s Mix Up”)

Ep 19, Everybody Loves Mickey (central role, also appears in his segment “Mickey’s Rival Returns”)

Ep 22 Where’s Minnie? (cameo, ~11:45)

Ep 25 Ladies’ Night (cameos throughout, ~1:26, ~9:37, ~10:20, ~19:17, ~21:29) (also he has a SONG number that he was given the okay to perform at the house of mouse??? but he was kicked out before he could perform it 😭 even tho he was scheduled beforehand to do so 😭😭😭)

Ep 26 Dennis the Duck (segment, “Mickey and the Goat Man,” cameo directly after)

Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse (cameos in crowd, ~8:19, ~9:54, ~33:44) (despite them going through the effort of drawing mortimer into the crowd (this one special being the most times they’ve done so), they removed his portions of the interview)

Ep 32 Goofy’s Menu Magic (cameo, ~9:52)

Ep 33 Music Day (cameo, ~1:10, cameo in crowd, ~7:42)

Ep 45 Pete’s Christmas Caper (cameos throughout, ~1:41-1:56, ~3:02, ~12:30, ~21:04, cameo in crowd, ~19:24)

Ep 46 Clarabelle’s Christmas List (cameos throughout, ~2:55, ~11:26, ~19:12, ~20:52, ~21:33, segment, “Mickey’s Christmas Crisis”)

Ep 51 House of Genius (cameo, ~2:24 (EXCUSE ME. WHAT))

Ep 52 Mickey and the Culture Clash (central role in the final ep :,))

[pocket-lin]

Hey!! 💕 for the fandom ask game, 5, 9 and 20? 🤩

hi!!! thank you for sending me this ask!! once again apologizing if the format for this is all janky, assume I have no clue what I'm doing 80-90% of the time!! also I found out so many of these writer's have tumblrs that I wasn't following so that was exciting!!

please note: this is all about the harry potter fandom so if you don't follow me for that, please look at my pinned post!! tldr is fuck jk and fuck terfs, I won't let her steal our joy!!

5. something I see a lot in fics and love

hmmmm... this is hard to narrow down!! so here's a few things I've been enjoying in hp fics I've read lately!

harry potter who is just so fucking earnestly in love. like, he's tripping over his feet so he can hold the door open for draco and looking at him with big heart eyes from across the pub. harry's got draco's order memorized from that takeout place he loves and he's been pining for draco for years in such an embarrassing way and all his friends are rolling their eyes and placing bets on when harry will finally make a fucking move.

adult ron weasley taking after his mother!! he makes delicious food and makes people scarves and shows his love through his actions!!

draco being absolutely rocked when he finds out that harry is queer! especially when harry is confident and completely unashamed of his sexuality. also throat goat harry

magic being tangible in some way!! like, a strong spell giving off the smell of ozone, being able to feel it in someone's hands, everyone's magic having a unique vibe.

harry as the ultimate dad. like, that dude 100% has so many complicated feelings about family and his kid(s) would be everything to him.

9. a ship that isn't your OTP but that you enjoy

I've been dipping into alllll kinds of ships lately. I love to just go look at individual ship tags on a03 and read the stuff with the highest kudos and then some of the most recent fics. I think you gotta do both to understand the ship!! here's some I've been vibing with lately (also realizing how many of these are drarry+someone else hahaha)

harry/draco is my otp BUT harry/ron and harry/ron/hermione are tied for second. that's harry's family!! they were his first friends and the first people to show him love and they literally went through war together. they know each other!! two favorite harry/ron fics of mine are Sun Kissed by @static-abyss and A tangled mess by @orange-peony! two harry/ron/hermione favorites are nineteen years later by wendydarlings and try to fix you by @maesterchill!

snarry - I was sooooo not into this in my early fandom days because so much of the ship stuff I saw was underage teacher/student stuff and that's very much not my thing. the first dip into this ship was actually through @writcraft's harry/draco/severus fic, A Life Worth Remembering, which is almost a complete subversion: Severus gets de-aged to 25 through a potions accident and has to stay with draco and harry, who are middle-aged and in an established relationship. its a gigantic change for everyone involved and the way their all find their way to each other is sooooooo good. from there I read all their snarry stuff. one of their other snarry fics I love is How We Were Warriors. I've actually been back into this ship the past few weeks and have loved On the Deficiencies of Translation Spells and old fires and phantom limbs by @liladiurne, as well as A Turn of the Page and Severus’s Story (or, A Hero’s Tale) by avioleta!

neville/harry and harry/draco/neville - I think about @kittycargo's Love to Give soooooo often. also absolutely love When it Returns by @academicdisasterfic and Touch Your Lips Just So I Know by @saxamophone!!

harry/draco/charlie - everyone go read Licurici by @lou-isfake and tell me you aren't a changed man!!!

ron/draco/harry. I can't even begin to talk about this one because we'd be here for a million years!!

20. your very first fandom!

I started doing irl fandom things for harry potter with my mom and sister when I was a little baby (I learned to read with the harry potter books!!) but my first solo (and almost exclusively online) fandom was the the teen titans!! I was obsessed with the marv wolfman and george perez comics from the 80s and completely lost my shit when they announced the teen titans animated series. that show cancellation still hurts 😭

[nerdygaymormon]

The Book of Genesis teaches wealth is destructive

In the Book of Genesis, the stories of the great patriarchs of the Israeli people shows that wealth resulted in families being split up. It happened again and again and again.

Let's start with Abraham. He doesn't have any children of his own, however his nephew lives with him and presumably Lot (the nephew) would be heir to Abraham. Each of them grow so wealthy that the land of Canaan couldn't support both of them. They separate and never see each other again (Genesis 13:6-9). Because of their wealth, Abraham loses his heir and someone he is close to.

—————————

Losing Lot creates a problem for Abraham, he needs a son to inherit his fortune. Sarah, his wife, has not been able to get pregnant, and her solution is for Abraham to have a child with Sarah's female slave named Hagar. A son is born and is named Ishmael. Sarah later becomes pregnant and has a son named Isaac. Sarah wants her son Isaac to inherit everything and so Hagar & Ishmael are abandoned in the wilderness knowing this will likely result in their death. Wealth causes this unjust action.

—————————

Isaac inherits his father's wealth. He has two sons named Esau and Jacob. They are fraternal twins, but because Esau was birthed first he is the beneficiary of the primogeniture system which rewards the first-born son with a larger inheritance. Jacob & his mom each connive to take Esau's birthright away and give it to Jacob. Esau is furious and vows to murder Jacob, causing Jacob to flee. The fight over an inheritance leads to the splitting up of this family.

—————————

Jacob flees to his uncle's home where he falls in love with his cousin Rachel and agrees to work for his uncle for 7 years in exchange for getting to marry her. I'm guessing since Jacob fled his home without much, this 7 years of labor is in lieu of a dowry, which was a sum of money offered to the father of his bride by the groom in order to receive the daughter as his bride. After 7 years, during which the uncle's flocks and fortunes increased under Jacob's skilled care, Jacob gets married but he is tricked, he didn't marry Rachel but Leah, who is Rachel's older sister Leah. Jacob is angry, but he and his uncle agree that Jacob can also marry Rachel now in exchange for another 7 years of labor. That was a shady way to keep Jacob working to the uncle's benefit.

—————————

Once the second 7-year agreement is completed, Jacob wants to take his family & possessions and head back to Canaan, but he comes to an agreement with the uncle to stay and work in exchange for payment, which is that Jacob could have all of the spotted, speckled, and brown goats and sheep of Laban's flock. Jacob employs tactics to increase the number of animals which would be born with these markings. After 6 years he leaves and his cousins claim he robbed his uncle of his wealth because he took most of the animals with him. The uncle gathers a team and pursues Jacob for 7 days. Jacob and his uncle meet and agree to setup a pillar, it would serve as a boundary, Jacob would go one way and the uncle the other way and they would never cross the pillar again as a way to ensure in the future neither would seek to harm the other. The uncle never again sees his daughters or grandchildren again.

—————————

Jacob is returning to Canaan with the great wealth he accumulated, but even 20 years after fleeing, Jacob is worried what his brother Esau may do to him. Fortunately, Jacob and Esau reconcile. Esau also has done well for himself. Unfortunately, just like Abraham and Lot, their combined wealth in the form of animals, possessions and servants is so great that the land can't support both of them. They have to split up. Their combined wealth causes them to be separated again. The descendants of Esau (the Edomites) become the enemies of the Israelites because they continue to tell their descendants the story of Esau being tricked out of his birthright. King Solomon enslaves the Edomites and forces them to build the temple. When Babylon attacks Israel, the Edomites celebrate rather than join with Israel to resist the Babylonian captivity. The prophet Obadiah writes about the violence done by Esau against Jacob, and how terrible the Edomites are for helping the Babylonians loot the city of Jerusalem and that they're cursed. This history of separation and hatred happened because of wealth.

—————————

Jacob has many children. Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob, is favored above all his other sons. Jacob had loved Leah and wanted to marry her, but was tricked into marrying her sister Rebekkah. He had children from 3 women before finally the baby Joseph was born by Leah, the love of his life, and he therefore favored Joseph. The implication is that Joseph is going to get the birthright as the oldest son of the wife Jacob loves. Joseph reinforces this idea by sharing dreams of him being powerful over his brothers and they bow down to him.

Joseph's half-brothers decide to kill him because he is a threat to their power and inheritance. They change their mind and rather than kill him, they sold Joseph into bondage and he was taken to Egypt. Interestingly, they sold Joseph to some Ishmaelites, who they may have known given they're probably 1st or 2nd cousins as the also were descended from Abraham.

Remarkably, Joseph survives and becomes free, but rather than go home to his family, he pursues power and wealth in Egypt. Eventually his brothers come to Egypt in search of food but Joseph tests them to see if he can trust them. They pass the test and Joseph moves the family to Egypt. While the reunion is joyous, it can't undo the many years of separation

—————————

Thus the book of Genesis gives us warning that being wealthy is destructive to the more important things like family relationships

[jovenfigaro]

Three's Company

This beautiful story took place in my beautiful and quiet neighborhood, four years ago, when I was about to change of job. One of my best friends, Loreto, had a terrible relationship problem; she was the submissive partner of a third-rate thug, an abuser, and a disgust of the worst kind. After one of their many fights, she ended up in my humble castle, leaving this parasite and his daughter on HER own apartment, because he was "about to hit her."

Alejandro, this scum's real name, met my friend in Antofagasta, where she was from, and also spent her summer vacations visiting her parents. This evil creature fooled Loreto by saying he was a serious, professional, hard-working guy, divorced, with a daughter, and that he was "only" 35 years old. My friend fell for it, and her two prestigious and well-bred university degrees proved to be worthless, because she was still a complete imbecile.

Alejandro wasn't 35: he was 45; he didn't have just one daughter: he had three more kids scattered everywhere; he wasn't divorced: he lived with one of the worst women in Quilicura; and he was never a professional: he had completed 8th grade, but since he started working at 14 in construction, he was taken by the surveyor's as a pet, learning the trade, which he did quite well for being a single-minded, scratchy mongoloid. Of course, we didn't find out about this until Loreto had this asshole firmly installed in her penthouse, complete with his daughter and a nanny—which, by the way, my friend paid for so "she could take care of the girl while we worked". They lived together for almost four years, and every day was an eternal fight, a complete, unbearable ordeal. Until the moment came when Loreto arrived at my house one cold winter night, around 8 pm, crying her eyes out, scared, and completely screwed up. Obviously, by seeing such a tragedy, I explained to her that she wasn't leaving my house before that bastard ran for the hills. "I feel sorry for Alejandrita"—somewhat melodramatically convincing herself that this fucking monkey had to stay on her apartment out of "pity".

— "I don't give a damn about the stupid bitch, the idiot has a home and a mother. Don't you see how they're screwing you?"—I try to summon sanity

— "Oh, friend, I'm desperate."

—"I don't care, you're not moving from here!"

Alejandro kept calling Loreto on her cellphone. Of course, he knew he was going to lose like in a war, so he had to solve the problem quickly and cynically, so as not to end up on the streets and have to return to his miserable life as a poor recluse.

—“Don't answer him, and turn that shit off!” I demanded harshly, because I'd already had done it like 20 times while she was waiting for words of repentance from her lover.

—“Friend, I'm sorry, but I love that man!” —“AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!You can't say that shit, you fucking goat. You know what? Do whatever you want, I'm not getting involved in your mess anymore!”

Half an hour later, Loreto got her shit together and went to her penthouse to “talk to her man.”

—"Friend," she says, "if I don't come back in two hours, it's because we've sorted everything out, and I'm fine, okay?"

—"Okay."

This whole show happened around 11 p.m. I had to wait patiently, holding my ass with both hands, to see if my friend would come back. So around 1 a.m., I asked my husband to go with me to buy some mineral water at the liquor store in Plaza Brasil. My lover told me to go to hell, so I went alone.I was at the "Paz Ciudadana" booth on the corner(which is some kind of public security thing but they're not cops yet). And I tried to call Lore to find out how the hell she was doing, because I was even more worried then. I was searching for the number in my phone when I see, across the plaza, a couple of young people who'd been arguing loudly. They were a couple of these really disgusting hippies, but apparently the girl was studying some kind of artistic thing, because she was carrying those classic plastic tubes—I have no idea what the hell they're called—for storing plans, drawings, or whatever. Suddenly, out of nowhere,the guy gives her a tremendous slap in the face, pulls her hair back, and rudely shows her his fist, ready and willingly to smash it directly in her snout. Me, now tired of seeing the cruelty of these jerks with girls, got enraged by that beautiful image, I emboldened myself and, like a defender of indefensible causes, I rushed out like a beast to rescue that poor idiot girl.

—"What's up with the bitch? You asshole!" I pushed him so he'd let go of the girl.

—“No, nothing! I didn't do anything to her!” said the cynical bastard.

Suddenly, I heard guttural screams, I looked back and saw two metalhead dudes running like crazy and throwing a flying kick right in the face of the disgusting hippie who was hitting the girl. The girl took ran off like a rocket, and I was rejoicing myself watching these two guys dressed in black beating the shit out of the guy on the ground. But, then I started noticing the huge pool of blood that was forming because this fucking animals where stomping the guy's face right in front of the people of "Public security."

—"You fucking faggot, you like hitting on girls? TAKE THIS, MOTHERFUCK!"—they yelled

"Arrrrrrgh!" screamed the guy on the floor.

—"Stop this shit! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL HIM! Why don't you do anything?!" I begged the people at the booth; I didn't wanted to be the witness of a murder.

Bad idea. The two devils in black, upon hearing this, turned around swiftly, and forgetting about the "girl-killer," they gave me a smack right in the snout, and yelled at me the most beautiful and delicate words of love:

—"YOU FUCKING BITCH, WE'RE DEFENDING YOUR FRIEND, AND YOU'RE SIDEDING WITH THIS MOTHERFUCKER? WE'RE GOING TO KICK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU, YOU MORON! SO TURN AROUND, BEFORE WE COUNT TO 3"

I'd never run so fast in my life, and I didnt gave a rat's ass about the other asshole that was bleeding to death in the street.

Moral: screw couples and their dramas!

NOTE: Loreto realized that her fabulous love story was rubbish, and that if she didn't get the shit out of this, her life would soon would end in femicide. So one day, sick of everything, she called the cops who arrived at 6 in the morning to drag the guy out with machine gun rifles, boots kicking his ass, and hard beatings to the head. By 7:30, the fucking asshole was at my door, begging for mercy and a warm bed. Since I'm a Christian, and my morals are of the highest order, I told him to go to hell and stayed there, because I hated him with all my soul.

The End.

[damienthepious]

hhaahahaha. haha. im in danger <3

heart beats best in a bed (ch 27)

[ch 1] [ch 2] [ch 3] [ch 4] [ch 5] [ch 6] [ch 7] [ch 8] [ch 9] [ch 10] [ch 11] [ch 12] [ch 13] [ch 14] [ch 15] [ch 16] [ch 17] [ch 18] [ch 19] [ch 20] [ch 21] [ch 22] [ch 23] [ch 24] [ch 25] [ch 26] [ao3] [Rating: Mature Fandom: The Penumbra Podcast Relationship: Lord Arum/Sir Damien, Sir Damien/Rilla, Lord Arum/Sir Damien/Rilla Characters: Sir Damien, Lord Arum, Rilla, (others? eventually?) Additional Tags: Second Citadel, Lizard Kissin’ Tuesday, Rivals With Benefits, (I CANT BELIEVE THAT WAS ALREADY A TAG THANK FUCK), Mutual Pining, Secret Relationship, Denial of Feelings, Alternate Universe, (it’s not ROLE reversal it’s like. RELATIONSHIP reversal), (the timing is fucked with), (who knows who first), Sex with Feelings, Relationship Negotiation, (i literally never know how to tag things), (some miscommunication and mild angst in the future), Pining While Fucking, Porn With Plot, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: Sir Damien is a committed, dedicated knight with a shining record and spotless reputation. Barring, of course, his one minor indiscretion, his singular, secret exception. It does not bear mentioning, of course. The arrangement is purely practical, purely physical, utterly inconsequential, of course. It is not as if a monster would- could care for him in any meaningful way, after all. The idea is impossible; as impossible as the idea of Sir Damien possessing any feelings whatsoever for the monster in return. Chapter Summary: It may have been their respite for the last year or so, but that respite is broken now, isn't it? And the jungle is rather dangerous, in the dark. Chapter Notes: (the first in line / will receive the full brunt of the blow) i don't know why that mountain goats line from 'make you suffer' came to mind but here we are. The last chapter was ONE turning point. This chapter is a different one. [check ao3 for chapter warnings!!!]

~

The portal home isn't far from the chosen grove, tonight. Small mercies.

The walk feels longer than it should, despite this. Arum's legs are rubbery, unsteady. They seem predisposed to stagger to a halt every few heartbeats, and Arum-

Can't think properly. He cannot think, not around the sensation of the dark, sucking void that has replaced all of his insides.

Good. This is a victory. This is good. His mind will be his own again, will it not? As soon as he recovers from the- the shock of the change.

Familiar trees, slow steps, stumbling thoughts.

(Something inside of him howls, begs for Arum to turn around, to go back, to throw himself at Damien's feet, do everything he wants, anything he wants, however he wants, so long as it means that this won't end, they won't end, that Arum may hold him one more night, one more night, one more night again-)

(Fool. He didn't even want Arum to hold him tonight.)

Something on the air. A scent Arum recognizes.

A scent-

(sooner or later-)

Everything goes cold, for a moment, with fear.

Arum turns from the hidden flora of his swamp, and bolts back the way he came.

[read more on ao3]

[owlinaminor]

was reflecting on why I so love the mountain goats returning to jenny ~20 years after all hail west texas even though I wasn't particularly attached to that album before, and I finally think I got it: john darnielle has given me confidence that I could, in 20 or so years, return to and finish my old fanfic wips

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

On the matter of this reddit post:

someone posted this:

For anyone that isn‘t aware of the story

A man sells his golden watch to buy his wife a comb for her long hair, and a woman cuts and sells her hair to buy him a watch chain, and THEY ARE HAPPY. None of them go "aCtUaLy I wanted a face cream", "And I told you I want a new tie! PURPLE one! PURPLE, WOMAN!!! CAN YOU SEE OR WHAT?".

I don‘t understand where the connection is

If you wanted to compare the story to the reddit post you would have to tell the story like this:

The man deliberately tells his wife to NOT SELL HER HAIR because he plans to sell his watch to buy her „a set of ornamental combs“*

And then wen he comes home to give her the set she has cut her hair to buy him a watch chain for the watch he told her he would sell.

Slightly taken aback he still gifts her the „set of ornamental combs“ because hair does regrow.

She asks him if he is disappointed because he isn’t vocally happy about the watch chain

He answers yes I am disappointed, I specifically asked you to do something and you didn‘t.

And now she is angry because he is an ungrateful piece of shit who wants to control her …

*(It wasn’t just a comb to comb her hair, it was a full set of hair jewelry)

They appreciate each other, because attention and love are more important than going full *insert Harry Potter character whose name I forgot* screaming "But I wanted 25 toys this year and not 20!".

Exactly, paying attention to what someone says, wen specifically asked is an important part of love :-)

But if we pull out the fairytales … don’t mind if I chime in

Cinderella’s father showered the step-sisters with gifts as he traveled, but Cinderella simply wanted “the first twig that brushes against [his] hat on [his] way home.” When her father returned she placed the twig on her mother’s grave and wept over it. Her tears watered the twig so that it grew into a beautiful tree. The tree watched over Cinderella as her mother had promised, sending white doves to her to watch over her and grant her wishes.

SOURCE

So by the logic of some peoples in regards to the AITA, bringing her a random ass stick is even better even though a random ass stick would not grow in to a dress making tree

Because a random ass stick is bigger and therefor better then a specific twig.

Because clearly daddy knows best … and the ungrateful brat should be happy she gets anything at all.

It is the thought that counts after all.

XD

Second story:

This one was recorded by John Rhys in Celtic Folklore, considered by him to be the most complete and representative of its type.

My original link no longer works, but this page here has the same version:

Now the long and short of the story is that:

Man meets supernatural maiden

Man falls for supernatural maiden

Man married supernatural maiden

The maiden's father gave her a dowry of as many sheep, cattle, goats and horses as she could count of each without drawing breath, and reminded the young man that if he ever struck her three times without cause then she would leave him forever and the dowry would be forfeit.

(… )

They were happy (…) but the wife continued to exhibit strange fairy behavior such as weeping at weddings (because marriage often brings trouble) and laughing at funerals (because death brings release from trouble).

At each instance of this her husband struck her a blow, not an angry or harmful one, but enough to break the terms of their marriage contract. Upon the third one she left him forever and took all their livestock back with her to the fairy realm. However, she did not completely abandon her sons.

I have known a variation of this story as long as I can remember

Man meets supernatural maiden

Man married supernatural maiden

Man is told specifically not to use a whip where she can hear it

Man uses a whip where she can hear it

She leaves

Though she comes back once a week on Sunday wen he is in church to do the chores and look after the children

Not good enough for him, so he takes mortal women

And ever since then, all the man in his family are born with a crippled foot …

And I hear you say, no fair you brought magic in to this

Well, you brought stories in to this and an artificial one at at that … barely a century old …

I brought stories in to this that have withstood the test of time for centuries, because they ring true for the experience of thousands and thousands of people …

The clash of cultures between people who are very specific about things and people who decide that they can interpret specific boundaries has been immortalized in countless stories.

Maybe it is time we remember these stories

Maybe it is time we remember

how hard seemingly small challenges can be, but how important they are to happiness.

how differently the same event, can be viewed.

how at times we fail to be fully present and aware of another’s feelings and needs.

Everyone has boundaries, it is NOT ON YOU to interpret them.

Vanilla in a chocolate cage might seem insignificant, same as using a whip where someone can hear it … but the issue is not the vanilla the issue is the breakdown of communication.

The issue is that:

She asked what he wanted

He said what he wanted, very specifically

She then decided to do what she deemed correct, interpreting what he wanted.

He ate the parts of the cake he actually wanted

She demanded to know if he was disappointed, in front of the children, instead of asking him later.

He gave her an honest answer

She din‘t like that.

Those are two people who do not fit together and will never fit together and who would be much much happier with different partners.

[female-buckets]

As the seconds ticked down toward halftime in Diana Taurasi’s first professional basketball game, the guard threw up a shot that would serve as a preamble for the ensuing 19 years. Fifty feet from the basket, Taurasi launched a half-court heave. Her attempt banked in for three of her 22 points on May 20, 2004. “It’s not hype — Taurasi is the real deal,” The Arizona Republic headline read the next day.

The Real Deal would later be given another nickname: In 2021, she was voted, by fans, as the WNBA’s GOAT. For nearly two decades, Taurasi has stuffed stat sheets and frustrated defenses. The 41-year-old is already the league’s all-time scoring leader, having passed Tina Thompson in 2017. Later this week, she likely will log another major milestone by recording her 10,000th point. Taurasi, who is averaging 15.3 points per game and returned to action Sunday after missing three games with an injury, is 47 points away. No other player currently competing in the league is within 3,000 points of her. “She’s definitely one of those generational talents that I don’t think (there will) ever be another one,” says Ticha Penicheiro, a four-time WNBA All-Star who played against Taurasi in her league debut.

To mark the occasion, The Athletic talked to 10 opponents who guarded Taurasi. Some, like Penicheiro, faced off against her during key regular-season moments in her career. Others guarded her in practice or went from on-court foes to roaming the same sideline as her. Consider this an anthology of Taurasi tales. Ten stories for 10,000 points.

[defensefilms]

NFL WildCard Weekend 2025 Preview

I'm going to open this year's round of playoff previews the same way I do every year, and that's by applauding the NFL on creating the most addictive sports television product on earth.

I don't love the fact that Americans voted for Trump over Harris. I don't love some of the staunch capitalist ideals espoused by some Americans, but I don't blame Americans for being addicted to the National Football League, because this s##t is CRACK.

Now let's do it.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Houston Texans

I like CJ Stroud, but if ever there were a time to pick the road underdog, this was it.

The Texans literally only made the playoffs because they are in the awful AFC South, meanwhile the Chargers fought through the most competitive AFC West in years.

The Texans have had blowout losses to both the Vikings and the Ravens, managing to score just 2 points against the Ravens.

The Chargers have been dependable this season, Justing Herbert is 9th in yards per game, the team is tied for 3rd place in turnover differential, but they average just 110 rushing yards per game on the ground, so that's something to worry about.

While I like the Chargers as an underdog, please understand, this pick turns to trash if the Texans score 24 or more points, because the Chargers have averaged a paltry 23 points per game as a team, more than doable when you got a QB like CJ Stroud.

Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers Win 24-17

2. Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens

I want to open this game preview by proclaiming that Lamar Jackson is the GOAT, whether the Ravens win or lose this game is immaterial and so is whether he wins MVP or not. This Ravens team comes and goes with Lamar, and Lamar is legendary.

The Steelers on the other hand, are limping in to this post season after starting the season 10-3 and then losing 4 in a row.

This Steelers team has no juice on offense. They did the right thing when they started Russel Wilson over Justin Fields, but they cannot move the chains, and George Pickens looks like crashing out in an interview, then proceeded to drop 6 passes against the Bengals in week 18.

At the start of the season the belief was that the Steelers owned Lamar and the Ravens, a belief that seemed to be validated by the Steelers 18-16 win in week 11.

Since then, the Steelers are 2-5, and among those losses, a 34-17 blowout to the Ravens in week 16.

The Ravens have led the league in yards per game on offense all season. Far and away the best offense in the NFL this year and built on the foundation of the number 1 run game in the NFL.

The Raven defense was shaky at the start of the season, but since then they have been more than respectable, and the key to this is how good they've gotten at stopping the run, and they're allowing just 80 rushing yards per game.

Prediction: Baltimore Ravens Win 27-17

3. Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills

I expect the Bills to comfortably advance to the next round, but what I want this to be statement game from Josh Allen.

All year people have insinuated that he should be league MVP over Lamar and Saquon, and I want Josh Allen to show out and have a career game to really prove it.

Just as well because as much as the Bills will be favored, the Broncos have more total sacks than any team in the league and are 7th best defense in total yards per game, but the pass defense has not been on the level of their 3rd best in the league run defense, and that's why Josh Allen and his receivers need to have a big game.

As good as that may be, the Bills defense leads the league in takeaways this year, and that's enough to make me think the Bills will win out against a young QB in Bo Nix who is somewhat prone to turnovers, with 12 in the regular season.

The Broncos are also the 4th best team in punt returns and a big special teams play will go a long way in helping them out, but the needs to be the Josh Allen party, he's the guy with a point to prove.

Prediction: Buffalo Bills Win 34-20

4. Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are kind of unlucky here to finish with 13 wins in the regular season, and then still have to open the post season against a very competitive, 11-6 Green Bay Packer team, albeit at home.

No matter though, this Eagles team may be the most complete Eagles team in years.

The Eagles defense has been incredible all year, holding teams to around 17 points per game, they rank top 8 in run defense and number 1 in pass defense.

What makes this game so tricky, is that you have two teams that have been really good running the football this year. Green Bay rank number 5 in rushing yards per game, bettered slightly by the Eagles who are number 2 in rushing league-wide.

Amother thing for Philly to worry about is QB Jalen Hurts and the head injury that saw him leave the game against the Commanders in week 16. I do expect that he'll play.

At some point, if Green Bay are going to win, it's going to come down to Jordan Love making big throws. His longest pass this season is a 75 yarder but more importantly, his 61% completion percentage, while being 19th in total pass attempts, indicates that Love needs to step up big to pull off the upset.

Further complicating matter for the Eagles, is that the Packers are top 5 in total defense and they're allowing less than 100 rushing yards per game on defense. Thier pass defense though is a little more leaky, where they allow 215 yards per game through the air.

Small foot note, the Packers average the least punt return yards of any team in the league, so there's that.

Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles win 26-21

5. Washington Commanders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay are 3rd in total yards this season.

I don't quite know how to feel about that other than that they may be the most dangerous team in one of the worst divisions in the league.

I fully expect this one to be a shootout, with both teams putting up a minimum of 28 points/4 td's each.

You know I love my black quarterbacks, so I'm obviously picking Jayden Daniels' team to go to the next round but Baker Mayfield will be feeling "dangerous" and rightly so because Tampa's offense has been their catalyst this season

While Tampa are elite at stopping the run, they are not so great at stopping the pass , and that might mean a big day for Jayden Daniels and he has the 7th highest completion percentage in the regular season, with Baker slightly better with 71% in 3rd place.

Should be a good one with lots of fireworks.

Prediction: Washington Commanders win 36-33

6. Minnesota Viking vs Los Angeles Rams

Very similar to the Eagles in how the Vikings have to play a very dangerous Rams team after the finishing the season with 14 wins.

There's a lot I don't love about the LA Rams in 2024/25.

Kyren Williams has almost 1,300 rushing yards, and Puka Nucua is close to 1000 receiving yards, but Mathew Stafford's 8 interceptions to 20 touchdown ratio is cause for concern, and the fact that they average 21.6 points per game this season, indicates an offense that is less potent than what the Rams have been in the past.

Minnesota on the other hand, started the season being touted among the top defenses in the league, and while they're still elite at stopping the run, their pass defense is among the worst in the league, giving up 242 yards per game through the air.

That lends itself to making this a shootout, given Rams are only slightly better in this regard, giving up 223 yards per game through the air.

Another stat that I think matter is Sam Darnold has been sacked 48 times this season, and in comparison, Matt Stafford has only been sacked 22 times.

Look, my heart really wants to pick the Vikings to win here, but a combination of playoff history, this being Sam Darnold's first playoff game as a starter and the Rams recent upswing, makes me think that this is a pick I'd rather root against than to be wrong about.

Prediction: Los Angeles Rams win 24-20

[dfroza]

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures

for the 6th of October 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New Covenant) of the Bible

[The Book of Matthew, Chapter 14 • The Book of Judges, Chapter 7]

along with Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms with Proverbs 6 and Psalm 6 coinciding with the day of the month, accompanied by Psalm 15 for the 15th day of Astronomical Autumn, and Psalm 130 for day 280 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

A post by John Parsons:

“Remember us for life, O King who delights in life, and write us in the Book of Life – for Your sake, O God of life." - Machzor (Zikhronot)

====

The central theme of Rosh Hashanah is to recall that God is our Creator, our King, and therefore our righteous Judge. Since our souls were created by God, we have the duty to serve Him as our King and live before Him as our Judge. Since the LORD is the God of Truth (יהוה אֵל אֱמֶת) who cannot attest to a lie, every person who has ever lived will necessarily face judgment one day (Heb. 9:27).

There is a midrash about a dialog between Adam and God after Adam's banishment from the Garden of Eden. Adam feared that all humans would later blame him for their mortality, but God replied, "Don't worry about the others. From now on, each soul will be responsible for giving account of his or her life. Each person is required to write his or her own 'Book of Life.' On the Day of Judgment, I simply ratify what has been written."

Indeed, the Scriptures reveal that there are heavenly “books” that contain detailed records of all that we did (or did not do) during our time here on earth: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life (סֵפֶר הַחַיִּים). And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done” (Rev. 20:12).

Today you are writing the "Book of your Life." Every action you make - every thought, every decision, every deed - is being “recorded” in the archives of Heaven itself. When your soul returns to account for itself before God one day, this “book” will be opened before the Judge of the Universe. As Yeshua said, “on the Day of Judgment (יוֹם הַדִּין) people will give account (ἀποδίδωμι, lit. “give back”) every idle word they speak (Matt 12:36). The story of your life will be replayed before all of heaven itself...

There are actually several different judgments described in the Scriptures. For instance, there is: 1) the judgment of believers, sometimes called the “judgment seat of Messiah” (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10); 2) the “sheep and goats” judgment at the end of the Great Tribulation period (Matt. 25:31-36), and 3) the “Great White Throne” judgment at the end of the Millennial Kingdom period (Rev. 20:11-15). Common to each of these judgments is the inevitability that all men, both living and dead, saved and unsaved, will ultimately give an account of their lives before Yeshua as the true Judge (John 5:22,27; Rom. 14:11-12; Phil. 2:10-11, cp. Isa. 45:22-23).

Some Christians tend to think that they will not face judgment for their lives here on earth because they are “saved.” And while it is gloriously true that Christians will not face condemnation with the world, nonetheless each follower of Yeshua will be required to give account for how he “walked out” his salvation in this world. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah (τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστου) so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless” (2 Cor. 5:10). It’s important to understand that this future judgment is not for the sins of a believer, since the sacrificial death of Yeshua paid the full price for all our sins at the cross (Col. 2:13-14). There is no condemnation to those who belong to Yeshua (Rom. 4:7-8; 8:1; John 5:24). We are justified by faith and now have peace with God because of what Yeshua has done for us (Rom. 5:1). Instead of a judgment regarding our identity (and security) as a child of God, the future judgment of Messiah concerns “giving what is due,” or rewarding acts of service done during our allotted time here on earth (i.e., in our mortal state).

To illustrate what this judgment will be like, Paul used the analogy of an elevated platform (or “bema,” βῆμα) that held a judge’s seat in an ancient Greek sports arena. Athletes would stand before the bema to receive awards based on how well they ran the race. All those who finished the race would pass before the bema, but only those who ran well would receive an award (often an honorary crown or victory wreath). In other words, the believer’s judgment will resemble an “awards ceremony” where those who ran the race well would be honored (1 Cor. 9:24-26). The Bema of Messiah is a place where rewards will be given - or lost - depending on how well we have walked out our faith in this life... While some Christians “shall suffer loss” (of rewards), nevertheless, each person attending this judgment “shall be saved” (1 Cor. 3:14-15). Again, this is a believer’s judgment before the Messiah based on his or her personal surrender to His will...

Yeshua taught that "everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt. 7:24). Though the house will be tested by storm and by flood, it will not fall because it had been founded upon the rock... Likewise the Apostle Paul warned us to construct our lives on the solid foundation of the sacrificial work of Yeshua our Messiah (1 Cor. 3:11-15). “Let each one take care how he builds upon it.” Choose your building materials wisely. “Wood, hay, and stubble” represent all the “worthless” efforts we make, including those based on self-effort or “religion.” Gold, silver, and precious stones represent the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. But every believer’s works will be tested: “Each one's work (ἔργον) will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test (δοκιμάσει) what sort of work each one has done” (1 Cor. 3:13). Notice that Paul likened the believer’s judgment to a fire that tests the quality of materials used to build a house. Good deeds will survive through the fire, whereas worthless (φαῦλος) deeds will be burned up. Again, it’s important to understand that the “testing fire” mentioned here is not one of eternal judgment, but rather pictures the burning away of the “worthless matters” (φαῦλος) of this life to reveal what is eternally abiding...

But understand that this “testing fire” is not something we will experience in the far off future. It is not some sort of “purgatory” experience. Today you are in the midst of testing, writing the "Book of your Life," and that includes your refinement for receiving future rewards... The Apostle Peter speaks about the present sorrow we may face through "various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith -- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire -- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah" (1 Pet. 1:6-7). The suffering we sometimes experience in this life is therefore a refining fire, intended to strengthen our faith and bring glory to the Lord. “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17). God tests our hearts so that we will be able to stand before Him without shame on the day of our judgment. “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:49).

Every one of us will give account of our lives. In Matthew 25:14-30, Yeshua used a parable to indicate what this reckoning will be like. After distributing “talents” to three different servants, a certain “employer” left on a long journey. When he finally returned, he wanted his servants to account for the use of their talents, so he called them to “settle accounts with them” (Matt. 25:19). This phrase “settle accounts” (συναίρει λόγον) means to compare things, to look closely at the records to determine profit or loss to a business, and is therefore similar to the idea of a financial audit. In the parable, the employer considered the state of his business and then called each of his servants in to stand before him for a summary review. Likewise, each of us will be called to stand before the Lord to give account for his or her life. Those who used their talent for the promotion of the Kingdom will be rewarded, but those who wasted their opportunities will not (1 Cor. 3:12-15).

Ultimately each of us will have to confess the truth (ὁμολογέω - "say the same thing") about who we are and what we’ve become. We can begin that process now through confession of our sins: “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31). If we refuse to do this, we may be “chastened” (παιδευόμεθα) so that we may not be condemned along with the world (1 Cor. 11:32; Heb. 12:5). The image of “testing fire” is a symbol of the examination of our lives by the LORD Himself. “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God (τῷ βήματι τοῦ θεοῦ); for it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.' So each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:10-12). Ultimately, this confession of the truth is not optional for anyone. For the follower of the Messiah, such confession produces salvation: "for with the mouth one confesses and is saved" (Rom. 10:10). But for those who refuse to undergo self-examination and therefore refuse to confess the truth about their need for salvation, there is the Lord's own reciprocal confession: "Then I will confess to them (ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς), 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness' (Matt. 7:23).

That is why we are commanded: “Examine (πειράζω) yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves (ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζετε). Or do you not realize that Yeshua the Messiah is in you, unless indeed you are proved to be rejected (ἀδόκιμος)” (2 Cor. 13:5). This, of course, is the critical test, since without the life of Messiah living within us, we will have no “works of righteousness” that will stand the test. After all, good works are an outflow of the Holy Spirit, and never the result of human effort. However, it is up to us whether we will "be filled with the Spirit" and yield to God’s guidance in our lives (Eph. 5:18). Note that the verb "be filled" (πληροῦσθε) is: 1) present tense (i.e., denoting continuous action), 2) imperative ("you must...), and 3) passive voice (i.e., "you must let yourself be filled"). In other words, you must continually let yourself be filled by the Holy Spirit. This is the test of faith, to let Messiah reign within your heart... “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you...” (Phil. 2:12-13).

We are instructed to practice self-examination (i.e., cheshbon ha’nefesh: חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ) before celebrating the “Lord's Table” (i.e., the commemoration of Yeshua's last Passover Seder that prefigured His sacrifice as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world). "Let a person examine himself first (δοκιμάζω - test for authenticity), and then he may eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks condemnation (κρίμα) on himself" (1 Cor. 11:28-29). Now while it is assuredly true that we should search ourselves in remembrance of our Savior’s sacrifice, the practice of self-examination and confession should be part of our everyday lives as followers of the Messiah. The unexamined life -- especially as a Christian -- is not worth living, and the practice of suppressing the truth about our sinful condition can lead to self-deception and even death itself (1 Cor. 11:30). “But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged by the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:31). "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7-8). "Therefore, confess (ἐξομολογέω, lit. 'confess out') your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (Jas 5:16).

Life is a serious business, friends, and it is also a test. It is “God who tests our hearts” (1 Thess. 2:4). It is our Lord Yeshua who said, "I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds" (Rev. 2:23). We have one opportunity to live for Yeshua in this life, and the fact that we will each face a day of judgment before the LORD should sober us to sanctity. God holds us responsible for what we think and believe (Acts 17:30-31), and this implies that we have a moral and spiritual duty to think clearly and not abuse our minds (Phil. 4:8; Rom. 12:2). It is the fear of the LORD (יִרְאַת יהוה) that is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Psalm 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10). "By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil" (Prov. 16:16). The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil, and therefore, those who love the LORD are called to hate evil (Prov. 8:13; Psalm 97:10). Sin always cheats us of the good. "Blessed is the man that endures testing: for when he has been approved (δόκιμος), he shall receive the crown of life (τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς) that the Lord has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).

So are you living in awareness that life is a test and that you will one day stand before Yeshua to give account for every detail of your life? Are you mindful of eternity and of the inevitability of your own personal judgement day? If this causes you anxiety, what do you need to do differently in your life so that you may have confidence for that day? “Therefore we labor... to be well pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5:9). We must strive to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us" in order to be unhindered in our walk with God (Heb. 12:1). God promises to help us as we endeavor to do his will (1 John 5:14).

There is great glory coming your way, chaverim! May the LORD God help you “to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12). May you be “fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:10-12). Amen, and Shanah Tovah!

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

Postsript: There is another "book," the Lamb's Book of Life, and all whose names are written therein are imputed the righteousness of Yeshua as the Savior and Sin-Bearer upon the cross, for he became a curse for us so that we become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13). More on this later, as we approach Yom Kippur...

========

Jer. 17:10 reading (with some comments):

Hebrew page:

10.4.24 • Facebook

from Today’s email by Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

[alexkime24]

Alex Kime - The Ultimate Guide to the Alaska Horsemen Trail Adventures

Alex Kime and his daughter Gretchen founded Alaska Horsemen Trail Adventures in 1997 in Cooper Landing. Having explored the Kenai Peninsula on horseback for over three decades, Alex Kime brings a wealth of experience to the venture. Their services include guiding and packing across the Chugach National Forest and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Apart from offering cabin rentals in a picturesque pioneer setting, the lodge in Cooper Landing provides horseback riding adventures, group retreats, and more.

Relocating to Alaska from Oregon in 1963 at 12, Alex witnessed the Great Alaska Earthquake the following year. In the 1970s, he was a truck driver on the Haul Road and contributed to the construction of the Great Alaska Pipeline to Prudhoe Bay. The 1980s saw him purchasing his first horse, Cyrano, with whom he delved into the backcountry of the Kenai Mountains.

Alex Kime's deepest passion lies in sharing the splendor of these backcountry trails, which were historically used by natives and pioneers. Alaska Horsemen is a tribute to the packers who originally navigated the Tustumena and Kenai Mountains on horseback. They invite everyone to join in an authentic adventure and become a part of the "Alaska Horsemen" legacy.

So, if you are looking for a one-of-a-kind Alaskan experience, look no further than the Alaska Horsemen Lodge. With its stunning location, welcoming atmosphere, and endless opportunities for adventure, this lodge truly embodies the spirit of the Last Frontier. Book your stay today and discover why so many guests return year after year to experience the magic of the Alaska Horsemen Lodge.

Our cozy Alaskan wood cabins and wall tent cabins make for a comfortable and memorable glamping experience. Folks mention often the serenity they experience at our small ranch. Our cabins and wall tents can sleep around 20 people.

There are tents and campsites for another 20. There is a spacious area for RV parking, all with mountain views. Our location, on the east end of Cooper Landing, is within walking distance of good fishing Quartz Creek, the Kenai Beach, Quartz Creek Campground, and the Sunrise Inn Café and lounge. We often watch sheep and goats on nearby Mt. Langille while sitting around the fire pit at the Pavilion. A truly unique and serene experience in an Alaskan pioneer setting.

"I have been to many lodges in Alaska, but none compare to the hospitality and attention to detail at Alaska Horsemen Lodge," one guest shared. "From the moment I arrived, I felt like part of the family. The guided horseback ride was a highlight of my trip, and I can't wait to return."

Whether you are seeking a peaceful retreat in nature or an adrenaline-pumping adventure, Alaska Horsemen Lodge has something for everyone. Come experience the magic of Alaska with the Alex Kime family and see why so many guests return year after year to this beloved destination. Book your stay today and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

[fireflowerpom]

Another Genshin Impact OC, this time the Fatui Operative, Kagota!

Born and raised in Morepesok, Snezhnaya, Kagota has always been close to Childe - Then known better as Ajax - and the two have been utterly inseperable for most of their lives. Unfortunately, his falling into the abyss is just the beginning of a nightmare neither of them see coming, and Kagota joins the Fatui at 14 after feeling like she's lost her best friend so something she can't understand when he's finally found after his three days away.

However, Kagota remembers very little of her year of basic training, much of it empty space and gaps that brings with it pain and overwhelming emotions to get near, prompting her to try not to. Her memory doesn't returning to being a solid, secure thing until she's well into the age of 15, armed with an Electro vision, and killed a man, dealing with heavy trauma from a battle she can't remember. The once bright and bouncy child she'd been no longer existed - She was now a cold, snappy, lone wolf of a woman who had locked away her emotions to deal with the world around her, pushing everything away.

Everything, that is, aside from her stubborn childhood friend, whose determination to stay by her side no matter what leads to him being the first - and only, really - to settle back into her heart and begin unlocking her emotions, little by little, as they tumble into a relationship, a shared dream to take over the world, and a willingness to face the world together.

Now well into her 20's, she's been through more than most, fighting through several years under the command of Signora with none expecting her to survive, leading a unit of misfits, the loss of her harbinger, and being taken in along with her unit by Childe. She's happily married to her harbinger and, as of the end of the Fontaine archon quest, they have twin daughters and she's recieved a promotion to operative, making a name for herself as deadly force on the battlefield all on her own as a swordswoman.

Those who know her best, however, know her nickname of Heraldic Tempest might just be more than a nickname when her shadow seems to have touches of the abyss held deep within...

Weapon: Sword, Dual swords, scythe (polearm)

Vision: Electro

Constellation: Tempestas Caprae (Storm Goat)

[mmagoats]

MMA GOATS - Blog 4

Stepping into the 8th tier of my MMA goats list, at this point and from now on,  the list is going to introduce more and more newer fighters who are still currently fighting and or champions because personally, I think the newer fighters are better, showing more skill and technique that the older fighters (and because I’m currently watching them and can better grasp their greatness). With that said, the two fighters that made it onto the 8th tier of my MMA goat list are both still in the bantamweight division, ranked and still active (for the most part) in the sport, one of the most intriguing division in my opinion because of how many fighters I like who are currently fighting.

Henry Cejudo 

The first listed in this tier is the controversial “Triple C” or “The Messenger” Henry Cejudo, a fighter who was an olympic gold medalist for freestyle wrestling and a double champion, but became and obtained the belts in a way that's extremely disputable and controversial. I’m on the side that he didn’t exactly earn his belts in the ways some other fighters did, and plus I’m not a fan of his “know it all” personally, I find it kind of annoying at times.

Henry was born in LA, California to Mexican immigrants and was raised in harsh conditions of a violent father in and out of jail who was deported and constantly living in poverty, only at the age of 6. But like many others, used fighting as a way out, specifically boxing and wrestling until he reached MMA within the ufc in 2013. When he first stepped into the octagon, Henry began like any other future world champ, amassing win after win and only two losses before the first controversial fight with Demetrius Johnson where he won by split decisions. His title defense against a weakened T.J Dillashaw, becoming double against a declining Marlon Moraes. I'm not saying he didn’t go through war fighting his opponents and making a name for himself despite his tragic upbringing, but his fights seemed to be unequal to others higher on this list. And after his return loss against Aljamain Sterling, it seems time is starting to catch up with Henry, all though he is still active with a possible fight next year. Overall, I can’t look past his double champion title, olympic gold metal, winstreaks and domination, and that's the reason he’s above all the other fighters, but I can’t see myself putting him higher on the list or even on the tier because of his “easy” (ish) rise when compared to the dominance, sacrifice and pain that the others on my goat MMA list endured. And that's the truth for this next fighter on the 8th tier.

“Sugar” Sean O’Malley

In my opinion, the most entertaining and spotless fighter to ever hit the scene in the bantamweight division, Suga Sean, if not for his cocky manner and spectacle-like fights he puts on. Even having him on this list is controversial because of the short amount of time he has spent in the sport, only being 29 years old and debuting back in late 2017. But it's for those reasons I'm placing him here and possibly in the future, higher up in the list.

To start off, Sean O’Malley was born on october 20, 1994 in Montana, blessed with freak athletic genetics that made him stand out to his coaches and friends all throughout his early life. But at the age of 16, he decided he wanted to start training in all sorts of styles where he eventually met his coach and close friend Tim Welsh. Then, like other great talents he started making noise and got into the octagon in 2015 amassing 7 wins and no losses in his professional MMA career, later getting put on the scene and signing a deal with the UFC after a KO win in Dana White's contender series. This marked his debut to greatness, already starting off flawless. Through the last 6 years, he has climbed his way to the top, becoming the bantamweight champion this year after beating Aljamain Sterling, and beating Petr Yan right before that. And looking at his only loss, which was because of a one in a million chance when Marlon Vera kicked a nerve in his leg and gave him drop foot, disabling his leg for the rest of the fight he was dominating, he’s been undefeated his entire career. You could say Vera won that fight fair, but I think he didn’t because he never proves his skills are better than O’Malley.

Now, I know he isn’t even in his prime but because of that loss that I see as a technical zero on his record, because of how he has dominated all the other fighters in the division and because of the time it took him, I think he has a real future of becoming the best bantamweight to ever do it (as long as he continues this at pace). Sean is an entertainer at the end of the day, so even if he doesn’t go any further, I’m going to always tune in to his fights and listen to what he has to say because I find him entertaining.