#but after these tours i dont have a stake in most of them so i will be getting coins from them :3

[starswallowingsea]

2, 4, 6 and 12 for the enstars ask game 🩵

ask game

2. who did you first produce?

Kaoru n Chiaki because I started Eng during AtoZ and really thought they were sillies. And they are but oh my god *stares at Crazy:B*

4. what got you into enstars?

Any complaints about my hyperfixation can be redirected to @chadsuke because they started posting about it when eng dropped and I got curious and it's all been downhill since then.

6. how long have you been in the enstars fandom?

I started playing a little over a year ago I believeeeee or a little less but I only really got into it around Tempest release in Eng, and it kinda took over after Night Club Eng, which I remember was over Labor Day weekend because I had to do some of the tour days while at camp LMAO

12. what was your favorite event?

That's been released in Eng? Probably A Dark Night's Passing (the Double Face introduction). It was my first event 5* outside a tour and I just really love =EYE= as a song. Quality stuff. Night Club is a close second. I'm super excited for Ariadne next though and Obbligato. Do not get me started on that one.

[ma-lark-ey]

Lark Liveblogs Literature episode 3: Six of Crows duology

As we did with Harry Potter, Shadow & Bone Trilogy, and will be doing with The Mortal Instruments when I get back around to them I am liveblogging my reactions to Six of Crows.

What I know prior:

- We’ve got a guy named Kaz, he’s got a cane. My younger sister tells me I’ll adore him so I trust her judgement.

- There’s also a guy named Jesper, who one of my mates stole the name from for a water genasi. He’s queer??

- we also have someone named Wylen. My sister loves him a lot and tells me I will also love him though I am sceptical.

1.) Six of Crows (5/4/23— 10/4/23)

(8/10)

Right off the bat, I really love Inej! Her perspective is really lovely and her affection (/p) for Kaz is very clear from the get-go. It’s so juicy to meet our main protagonist from the perspective of an admirer and NOT themself. I’m obsessed with that.

I’m very respectfully in love with Kaz and did not say I’d makeout with him in the groupchat in front of god and everyone. No, sir. I am the most normal about Kaz Brekker.

Moving on from my goof, I really love Kaz just as a character. Having a disabled protagonist, much less one that’s Top Dog and very clearly feared and respected by his peers is SO GOOD. And quite honestly I think he’s the first disabled protag I’ve seen that wasn’t like, pity porn or magically nullified (at least in books. Love you Toph of Avatar fame). So if anyone has good reccs of other disabled protag books, drop ‘em. I’d love to read more.

OH I LIED ACTUALLY I READ STORMRUNNER!! I just didn’t get a chance to finish that series entirely so sorry I forgot about that. Love him SO MUCH. he and Kaz are my besties.

Inej 💖💖💖

Thats all.

Also the Banter!!! I’m not even a hundred pages in but the banter in Six of Crows is SO much better than Shadow & Bone. Bardugo has really grown as an author between these two series and it shows. The characters feel much more solid in this. Whereas Shadow & Bone’s characters (minus like, Alina, Nikolai, and Mal) felt extremely 2D at times (in my opinion) and I can see layers to Jesper, Inej, and Kaz right off the bat.

MATTHIAS H E L L O TOXIC MAN OF THE WEEK. im going to eat him.

My sister is fighting for her LIFE defending Matthias but I. THIS MAN IS A CONVICTED SLAVE TRAFFICKER??? SHE SAID ITS NOT HIS FAULT. girl. Get help.

Forgot to update this. Kaz is SOOOOO downbad. He’s DOWNBAD. just kiss her idiot. IDIOT. Wylan is funny, I wanna flick him on the forehead and ruffle his hair. He’s so goofy.

I’m not fully convinced Jesper ISN’T in love with Kaz.

THIS FIREPOX FLASHBACK IS A SPECIAL KIND OF FUCKED UP !!! “Together, they drifted, Jodie’s distended body acting as a raft.” Kaz…..

PIECED TOGETHER WHY KAZ HAYES TOUCH IM LITERALLY GOING TO CRY

EVERYONE IN THIS BOOK DOWN BAD FOR EACH OTHER!!! LOVE HEXAGON FR.

The Jylan Wesper whatever the fuck this shipname is development is literally such a tone change from Kaz I’m LAUGHING.

Kaz: This is how my brother died, audience.

Jesper, boutta catch himself a twink: cowabummer.

Nina. Nina you’re better than this. Nina how could you get the alarm sounded. NINA.

Okay debriefing after part five. I’m so. So. So.

Kaz and Inej better kiss. Jesper stop flirting you are about to die. Matthias I almost killed you alive. I wanted to burn you at the stake fr. Nina you’re a queen. You’re theiving. Kaz dont die so you can admit emotional vulnerability for the first time ever. Jesper so proud of you for overcoming tour cringe crush on Kaz. Hurry ip and makeout with Wylan this tension is PAINFUL.

THE ENDING THE ENDING THE ENDING SHSBSBSBSB THATS SO MUCH IM GOING TO EAT WYLAN I LOVE HIM. BOY OF ALL TIME. ILL MAKE OUT WITH YOU.

2.) Crooked Kingdom (13/4/23-17/4/23)

(9/10)

Listen. Okay. My Tumblr was glitched out for the first half of this book so I couldnt say anything but I can NOW.

All of this is WILD.

Kaz Brekker, you are stupid and dumb and I NEED you to be honest about your emotions for ONCE. i swear to GOD you pathetic little WORM.

Wylan’s mother what the HELL. what is HAPPENING. This is so fucked up I hope Jan Van Eck gets his life fucking destroyed by Kaz fuck him UP.

Kuwei i love and hate you so much you cheeky fuck that was so sly but also how fucking dare you do Jesper like that. Little shit. You’ve been too heavily influenced by these deceitful little canal rats.

Wylan babygirl I love you. I’ll kill you if you ACTUALLY spilled to your dad. Honestly thank god Kaz barely tells you anything. I love you. Rot in hell for this one.

STURMHOND 💓💓💓 NIKOLAI LANTSOV 💖💞🖤💚💞 I DIDNT EXPECT TO SEE YOU IM SO HAPPY YOURE HERE I MISSED YOU BESTIE MWAH MWAH MWAH MWAH IM SUCH A NIKOLAI GIRLIE YOU GUYS.

Oh update on Matthias I’m neutral on him now. Sorry for my Matthias slander earlier. I do still have beef.

Everytime a plot twist happens in this book its like “YES. MICHAEL. what do you want now? More money? A check? My SOUL?”

Okay Wylan. Sorry I cussed you out so bad. You’re good. We’re friends again

MATTHIAS DIES????

Wild ride through and through. Obsessed with this. I would’ve liked to see more of Inej’s closure than we did— but I’m not mad at it. I think Pekka being the closing chapter was. I dont know. I have neutral feelings on the Pekka chapter.

I do think I like Crooked Kingdom more than Crows? I really liked it a lot !! And. I will be honest with myself and admit its because of the Sturmhond content. I know myself. I can admit when I am foaming at the mouth over my #1 bestie babe of all time Nikolai Lantsov.

That’s. All. I suppose?

Really did enjoy it !! If you have a fic where we see more of Inej and her family reuniting. Drop it. Or recs in general. I need more recs. I dont know the tag culture of this fandom yet <<3 scary <<3

Next series: All For the Game, Nora Sakavic.

Bonus:

Here’s my ranking of the Crows, btw. I love them all but some. Significantly more than others not sorry.

1. Wylan Hendricks

2. Inej Ghafa

3. Kaz Brekker

4. Jesper Fahey

5. Nina Zenik

6. Matthia Helvar

I dont know if this is a hot take or not. I just. <<3 Wylan and Inej <<3

[bettsfic]

betts your obiwan posting makes me want to watch it, as a prequel fan. i havent looked at star wars in ages and dont have disney+ is this worth pursuing??????

i was certain, CERTAIN, i would be immune to Obi-Wan Kenobi (dir. Deborah Chow, 2022). for 17 miserable years i've been adamant that should disney exhume hayden christensen's acting career for the sake of new darth vader content, i would not be among its audience.

i've been angry most of my life about the prequels--not just that i loved them while recognizing they didn't live up to their potential and that the success of the franchise was largely because a mediocre dude had the right idea at the right time 45 years ago. but also what i loved about the prequels went totally unseen by many fans and made me feel very alone and like i was just making things up (i've since found a lot of people who love the prequels in the same way i do).

what made me angriest though was the unfair and wildly offbase criticism of hayden's acting. i can agree the dialogue is weak. the direction is weak. but hayden christiensen chews the scenery and spits it out. he's phenomenal. so i just couldn't bear the thought of even more of that in the year of our porg 2022, after the hatred for the prequels had finally died down in the wake of rise of skywalker which i think many of us can agree sunk star wars to a new low. not to mention the disneyfication of the franchise which pushes out new shiny happy content nonstop so that star wars is no longer an eagerly anticipated event, just another show on tv, fighting for attention against all the other content out there.

i can't tell you what exactly changed my mind. it wasn't like i saw any positive reviews or a ton of gifsets or anything. in fact it might have been the total absence of hype that sparked my interest. four of six episodes had aired and my feeds were still mostly ofmd and tgcf. so i gave the first episode a shot.

as expected, i was not wholly impressed. the first episode is a lot of plot setup. a little boring. i didn't end up watching the second episode that night. but for days after i kept thinking--isn't this what i've always wanted from star wars? a well-crafted character study that takes its time? a thoughtful story about the aftermath of revenge of the sith, the more intricate economic and social consequences of the clone war and the rise of the empire? ewan mcgregor being a dilf???

i guess until now i didn't believe i'd ever see live action prequel-related star wars content made by someone with more respect for the source material than shock value or high tech explosions. and that was silly of me--i loved rogue one and solo. i wasn't super into the mandalorian but i watched it and recognized it was trying to do something new. those were all different to me though. i wasn't emotionally attached to the original trilogy and its adjacent stories the way i'm attached to the prequels.

[some spoilers after this but nothing you couldn't piece together from the fact hayden has been on the press tour]

i finally watched the second episode. darth vader was there. i thought, did they really bring hayden back just to be the dude in the suit? and they did. they did bring hayden back just to be the dude in the suit. and the bacta tank. and a heartbreaking mirage in the desert. i was expecting just random high-stakes plot content until the very end of the series when we'd finally get an ominous peek at vader. but no. he's like. a main character. obi-wan's love for him and his regret at the events of RotS is overt. his love for padme is there too. like Deborah Chow really said "padobikin is canon lol." it's emotionally devastating in a way i didn't think any new live action prequel content could be.

[spoilers for episode 5 here but i've also reblogged about a thousand gifsets of what i'm talking about so if you've seen those you've already been spoiled]

then in episode five we get a flashback. pre-AotC. and i don't know why this was the thing that really sealed the deal for me but it just meant a lot to me that they didn't fully de-age hayden back to 19. maybe they couldn't or maybe it was a Choice. they might have done a little polishing but but for the most part you look at him and know you're looking at a 41 year old man. it's a flashback, yeah, but i can't help but think "this is what he would have looked like."

and so there i was imprinting onto darth vader again the way i did when i was 15. but whereas back then i related to his eternal struggle to have agency in a society that only wanted to exploit his gifts while denying him any real personhood, now i relate to the abysmal feeling of regret, the long-term consequences of a million wrong choices. and i guess i'm just impressed that despite the disney backing, the show leans into the real tragedy of the whole thing and doesn't let up. it assumes that the thing we care about most isn't the fate of the galaxy but the fate of one man in it, and we already know how his story ends.

the finale airs tomorrow and i'm not nervous. it follows the canon so closely that you can easily deduce where the story is going, and even though many dudebros would have you believe predictability is bad, personally i find it exciting to see the cause and effect sequence of a story told over many generations totally out of chronological order.

and what's more, i've been watching interviews with ewan and hayden and getting the sense that they enjoyed filming the show, and that it wasn't filmed on green screen but on something called The Volume and that seemed to make a big difference. i think it was moses (reva) who said, "you get on set and you're in star wars."

on a personal note though, what i'm most excited about is that after nearly a year struggling with the motivation to write and a total lack of inspiration, somehow i managed to pound out 12k words in 3 days of a longform RotS fix-it fic i've been wanting to write for 17 years.

tl;dr Kenobi isn't a perfect show and it does fall prey to the overbloated nature of the undying big budget franchise disease, but it's thoughtfully made, entertaining for casual fans, and cathartic for diehard prequels fans.

ps i can't stop thinking about middle-aged wifeguy anakin skywalker and that will be my undoing.

[daydreamrry]

https://gossiprry.tumblr.com/post/673836624173531136/i-dont-understand-why-new-york-got-6-shows-i-love

I’m a New Yorker and benefited from the 6 shows- and am in NO WAY trying to defend the 6 shows vs 3 shows bc I genuinely think the UK should get more shows than that; but it’s all based on the business side and the demographics. MSG and the tour have stakeholders with many NYC based companies, due to those stake holders getting ticket blocks reserved for them- it’s limits the number of fan tickets for sale. Btw this goes with every venue for the most part- they have ticket blocks for employees and business relations. Anywho, the NYC Tri-State had 45.62 million people- this includes NYS,NJ, PA and CT. The UK has a population of 68.379 million. In that one area it host roughly 66% of the Uk population and then we’re adding in fans from other areas of US flying in because of the accessibility to the airports and MSG being located above Penn station. I also believe Sony has a contract with MSG where they get charged less in event fees and it’s one of the largest arenas so the management company makes more profits off the venue. This then also ties in that MSG has 20.78K seats not including the floor - compared to The Forum which holds 17.5k not including floor. I genuinely think that H’s team will release other UK dates after the initial ticket release because that’s what they did with NY. It was originally going to just be 10/3 & 10/4 but as the tickets sold out in minutes they added the 10/16 show and the Long Island show I assume was due to connections with UBS bank bc that was a brand new arena that literally opened that same week. Harryween I think was chosen for MSG bc it’s capacity fit more than other arenas.

But ya’ll I genuinely hope more international shows get added, y’all have waited so long for this and it’s unfair that they’re limiting performances. I really do think it’s more to do with the management team than H though because they’re looking to make the most money in the shorts period of time so he can be pawned off yo the next tour and project.

.

[horde-princess]

😏👀⭐💊💕✏?

😏- your most risky line

oh geez…. probably when catra licks her finger after she……. u know. i was like damn is this too dirty? but it was definitely more tame than my original thought which was to have catra drag her fingers across adora’s own mouth lajsklfjdsd

…i’m gonna have to get over my fear of writing smut since i’m planning another scene thats gonna be like a million times more intimate lol 😬 

👀- favorite response to one of your works

talking with @sheraraven gives me a lot of joy! 😊💖

⭐️- how do you get your inspiration?

M U S I C . my catradora playlist immediately transports me into the au world :) also i love going to local music shows and big festivals like warped tour so i get inspo from those experiences as well

💊- what is something that you wish you knew before you started writing?

hmmm probably how smart & insightful all you guys are? 😍 i dont always put a lot of thought into my words so it makes me want to write with more intention :) 

💕- opinion on AUs?

i think i prefer AUs to canon universe :) putting characters in new environments helps shed light on who they are (or who you imagine they are) and i like how it gives authors the creative space to expand the story in infinite directions. it’s also a fun challenge, because you’re ripping away the story’s framework, so if you don’t incorporate the characters and themes in the right way, then you kind of lose the purpose of the fic. imo all fan fiction is an exercise in literary analysis–its just with a story instead of an essay :)

so like, i write my au as an exploration of catradora’s canon relationship, but through a more relatable lens. an imperialist war is such a massive concept, the stakes are so high. what would happen if, instead, the characters were on opposite sides of a moral “war”…. like complacency vs. ambition? love vs. pragmatism? when you strip away the larger-than-life setting of the show, and just get down to the character dynamics… i love that. of course, i don’t mean to downplay the importance of the show’s themes, i’m just fascinated by individual psychology and relationships.

✏️- favorite part about writing

i love how it connects us all :) writing is a super vulnerable experience. i love reading someone else’s work and getting a glimpse of the world from their perspective. I love reading comments on my own fic where people express how some of my deepest feelings about life affected them, too… it’s awesome 💖 

i hope my rambling was somewhat interesting lol! thank u for the ask!

[kingofthewilderwest]

Hello, Haddock! Now that Voltron (sadly) ended, how would you rank the seasons? Also, could you tell how many times you've rewatched them?

Hey there, friend! WAY happy to chat Voltron and all its seasons!

Unlike most fandom culture, I’m not a chronic rewatcher, and the default assumption is that I’ve only seen any show once. It’s rare for me to see shows more than once, honestly, even ones I love. I certainly will be watching VLD more times, but because of my normal watching habits, I’ve seen a large portion of the show only once. I’ve seen S1 probably about 5 times, S2 thrice, S3-4 twice, and S5+ once. I’ve seen “The Last Stand” from S7 twice.

These are rankings based somewhat upon my emotional attachments and not simply objective elements like narrative structure! XD I already know my preferences are going to be different than lots of people in the VLD fandom, haha. These rankings are also based on memory, which is pretty strong admittedly for VLD, but it leaves room to change with a rewatch.

EIGHTH PLACE: VLD Season 8

Let’s be clear: I don’t dislike Season 8 and there’s much I enjoy. Give it up for S8 love!!! Standout episodes to me include “Launch Date,” “The Prisoner’s Dilemma,” and “Day Forty-Seven.” The women going shopping together and Pidge dressing as 1980s Darrell Stoker made my life. Not to mention… it was fun spending time with the MFEs; they didn’t take a disproportionate amount of time, but gave us good moments to make us love them. I’m thankful for the S8 ending giving us both a sense of wrap-up for the plot conflicts, but also looking forward to what our Paladins will do to rejuvenate the galaxy. There’s much I’m thankful for with S8.

That said, S8 isn’t my jam as much as other seasons. I’m not much of a shipper and I wasn’t into the Allurance, nor did I get pulled into the magic-heavy plot conflict with Haggar and her Alteans. And while S7 does give great screen time to Allura, it felt a little less like an ensemble cast and more like a spotlight on her. Enemies’ minds changed too fast for me to feel realistic, and the magic-wonky plot didn’t feel as gripping and intense as S7. It’s the reason I’m placing S8 here: from my own preferences, I attached with other seasons more.

SEVENTH PLACE: VLD Season 5

For whatever reason, S5 didn’t make as much of an impression on me as other seasons. I wasn’t as invested in concepts like “Kral Zera” and “White Lion.” Given as S5 is an odd numbered season in the middle portion of Voltron, it has an innate disadvantage: it’s written in all but name as the first half of a season, which means story arc ending payoffs wouldn’t happen until S6. I also feel like S5 is where plot writing is at one of its most tangled or muddied, given as there’s lots being juggled and introduced conflict-wise and lore-wise and universe-wise and character-wise.

However, S5 - like all seasons - gives us cool stuff. We got Matt (one of my favorite characters) participating in an adventure, lots of Lotor screentime, and a callout to 1980s DOTU that I never thought they’d be able to turn into a good episode (“White Lion”). And!!! We get to meet!!! KROLIA!!!

SIXTH PLACE: VLD Season 3

I have particularly fond attachment to S3. This is the season where I started getting actively involved in Voltron fandom discourse, giving my own take on Project Kuron theories. This is the season that gave us the first glimpse of the Classic Voltron formation - Keith in Black, Lance in Red, Pidge in Green, Allura in Blue, Hunk in Yellow. I felt a thrill go through me as Keith, for the first time, said “Form Voltron!” Also… Lance really stepping up to show his leadership potential??? So good. And this is the season where we meet Lotor, another long-anticipated character… and oh my goodness is his character introduction gold. So there’s lots of stuff I hold strong affinity for in S3.

The reason I have to rank Season 3 back here is because it’s more about the Paladins floundering around than anything else. It’s meant to create a new sense of chaos and instability… their leader Shiro is gone, and now there are new unexpected threats like Lotor to handle. However, at the same time, since half of the season is just the Paladins floundering around not knowing how to work together, it makes me less attached to particular episodes. None of the episodes are favorites or standouts to me on their own. There’s lots of cool moments throughout S3, but I think the only episode I notably emotionally attach to is “The Journey.” But still? Good season!

FIFTH PLACE: VLD Season 1

I can’t believe I have this amazing season all the way back here. I want it to be higher, except that I do have to rank other seasons above this one. 

Season 1 is what gets everything started. It sets the stage for what Voltron’s all about, teaching us about lions and robeasts and Zarkon and the Galaxy Garrison and all that good stuff from 1980s nostalgia… all the while creating a new vibe and energy to the franchise. In retrospect, S1 feels much calmer and less high-stakes than the rest of the series (especially post S2). However, it’s a solid season with good episodes that never feel less solid and good. We get great Hunk material with him finding conviction; great Shiro and Pidge moments as they share different worries over the abduction; hilarious Keith and Lance clashes; lots and lots and lots of good things. It’s a very solid season, especially once we launch off Arus.

FOURTH PLACE: VLD Season 6

If you want to know how tight my season rankings are to each other, S6 was almost listed second place.

I attach to specific episodes in particular for S6. I love the visuals in “Razor’s Edge.” I died howling with laughter in “Monsters & Mana.” I fell into so many emotional feels regarding Keith and Shiro in “The Black Paladins.” We get one of the all-time best emotional, action-oriented episodes of VLD… and one of the most amazing, hysterical filler episodes in S6. Despite being seven episodes long, S6 is an incredible ride and adventure start to end. It’s hard to believe so much occurred in that amount of time!

There’s hoards of great stuff in this season. We get the Kuron arc resolved, with lots of emotional content between Keith and Shiro. We get the Lotor arc resolved, learning whether or not he can be trusted, with great Lotor and Allura time. We get Keith returning to the Paladins. We get the introduction of Romelle, which all DOTU lovers have been waiting for forever.

THIRD PLACE: VLD Season 4

I have to put VLD S4 here because of its emotional power. There are damned AMAZING moments this season, alongside some of my favorite episodes and moments of all time. I know I and some of the other fans aren’t huge on “The Voltron Show!” But fuck it, guys, S4 gave us “Reunion” and “A New Defender”!!!

Matt is a delight this season, from his first meeting of Allura, to his tour around the Castle of Lions with Pidge, to his technological connections with his sister and Hunk, to his participation in the Rebels’ fighting forces. We also get some of the funniest moments for me in Voltron, between learning how to milk Kaltenecker and seeing HOW Pidge finally managed to rig up the video game system.

Then there’s the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. “Reunion” is the single most emotional episode in all of Voltron for me. Even though I’d seen screencaps of Matt prior to watching S4, I felt as shocked and heartbroken as Pidge to come to his gravestone. There’s so much POWER to this gravestone scene; it’s one of the moments that resonates with me the most even after I’ve finished the whole show. It might even be my Number One FAVORITE moment in the entire show. It’s not my place to analyze that scene here, but DAMN. 

Furthermore, the climax with the battle of Naxzela was INTENSE, with Keith almost sacrificing himself getting me screaming. That was such a great battle and climactic moment in VLD. This was a great culminating moment, in which the series has officially built up from a small team to a universe-wide conflict.

We get standout moments with Keith being badass with the blades, Matt taking initiative, Pidge seeking out her family, Allura helping Voltron flee the gravity field, Kuron becoming increasingly more suspicious. VLD S4 ramps everything up from the emotions to the excitement, resulting in an awesome and intense six episodes.

SECOND PLACE: VLD Season 7

It’s really hard for me to put this as second place instead of first place. I originally had it in first place. I want it to be first place. I LOVE the second half of S7 so much. This is, possibly, my favorite season from an emotional standpoint because wow.

It’s all-around outstanding. S7 showed us how far the Paladins have come as heroes; they operate with great teamwork, skill, and professionalism that is oh-so-cool to see on screen. They’re still the characters we love and cherish, but they’ve grown SO MUCH since their first days on Voltron. This is fully-fledged heroes doing fully-fledged battles and it’s GREAT.

S7 gives us standout moments to so many characters, including Hunk, Shiro, Sam, Colleen, Veronica, and Keith. We even get some good adventure time with Romelle! And as far as character interactions are concerned, we get touching moments between Keith and Lance, Keith and Hunk, and so many other combinations.

The story raises the stakes to higher levels than ever before, with an emotional and exciting conquest of Earth. There’s nothing more horrible and high-stakes to audiences than a homefront war. We feel extreme pain for Hunk with fears for his family, and Shiro for the loss of Adam. We feel the great sense of danger and desperation starting with “The Last Stand.” We feel the drama of a long and extended climax fighting for Earth’s freedom, including moments where the Paladins control the Lions outside their body (so cool), Shiro commands the ATLAS (SO cool), and the ATLAS also transforms into a fighting robot (SO FREAKING COOL!). This has some of the most exciting, badass stuff of Voltron ever. I love it.

Highlight episodes for me are “The Last Stand” (two episodes without the Paladins about Earth fighting for its freedom? this was fucking amazing), “Trial By Fire,” and “Lions’ Pride.” Essentially - all of the second half of the season.

FIRST PLACE: Season 2

Season 2 is probably THE MOST solid season in all of VLD. 

Almost every episode is good, memorable, fun, lovable, enjoyable, classic. It highlights the full ensemble cast. It creates an EXTREMELY exciting, exhilarating, fun climax. It is a strong narrative season, cleanly and proudly finishing the first 26 episode long arc for VLD. This season shows VLD at its best. Since it consistently delivers, there’s nowhere else S2 belongs except the top.

We get great Shiro time, what with his arc spent learning to trust Black… leading to him being a badass unlocking the Lion’s wings and taking Zarkon’s bayard. We get great Pidge time, whether it’s her freaking out over video games or drawing deeper into the beauty of the world - technology and biology both. We get great Keith time, with him fighting for answers in the Blade of Marmora and infiltrating Zarkon’s base in an extremely dangerous mission. We get great Hunk time, between unlocking his Lion’s claws and taking initiative in the Weblum adventure. We get great Lance moments, where he shows us he truly can be a sharpshooter for the team. We get great Allura moments, especially in how she fought against Haggar in the finale. This season rocks it for EVERY Paladin.

Not only does every individual Paladin get good spotlighting, but S2 also rocks it with character interactions. How Allura handles Keith being Galra is a memorable moment of character development for both of them. How Hunk and Keith interact in “The Belly of the Weblum” is a delight. How Shiro loses his cool with Slav is hysterical. I can never complain to Lance and Hunk combinations, like in “The Depths.” And of course every episode focused on Keith and Shiro gives us good feels.

Standout episodes for S2 include “The Ark of Taujeer” (THE COLORS), “The Blade of Marmora,” “Blackout,” “Space Mall.” I cannot believe I watched an episode where the character dressed as space pirates and rode on a flying cow to escape a mall cop. That happened. It’s a delight. And S2 kept rocking it with the humor, down to Pidge creating all her Paladin buddies out of space junk and imitating them. But S2 also gives us some of the most memorable moments of VLD storytelling, what with “The Blade of Marmora.” That episode is a staple for many reasons. Not to mention… all of S2 works together cohesively for the long-term arc structure.

And then there’s the climax. So well-done. So exciting. So immersive. So intense. So cool. So badass. Great colors, great flow, great plot, great everything start to end. I was in a THRILL at the end of S2 because this climax was so unbelievably fun. In retrospect it’s got competition with S7, and S7 probably takes the cake now… but fuck it, S2′s end will always be awesome.

Every single season in VLD gives me something to be excited about. There are things to love each step of the journey. I’m thankful for every episode from S1 to S8. 

What a ride this journey has been.

[theliberaltony]

via FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to a weekly collaboration between FiveThirtyEight and ABC News. With 5,000 people seemingly thinking about challenging President Trump in 2020 — Democrats and even some Republicans — we’re keeping tabs on the field as it develops. Each week, we’ll run through what the potential candidates are up to — who’s getting closer to officially jumping in the ring and who’s getting further away.

Although there was a lot of attention this week in the media on whether major names like Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke will get into the Democratic presidential race, candidates who have already been on the official campaign trail staked out positions on big issues that have been in the news. Although Democrats are generally unified on immigration — denouncing President Trump’s proposed border wall — fractures are forming around “Medicare-for-all” proposals and the “Green New Deal.” Progressive candidates have faced some pushback from the field’s centrists, who believe that their aims could be achieved in a more incremental fashion.

Here’s the weekly candidate roundup:

Feb. 8-14, 2019

Stacey Abrams (D) On Friday, Abrams is visiting Washington, where she will deliver a speech at the Democratic National Committee’s Winter Meeting and participate in a discussion about race and political power in the United States at the Brookings Institution. Michael Bennet (D) The Colorado senator hinted at a presidential run during an appearance on “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “We’ve got a million people that are going to run, which I think is great,” he said. “I think having one more voice in that conversation that’s focused on America’s future, I don’t think would hurt.”

Bennet discussed his diverse professional background as one of the ways he was different from the field’s current candidates, citing his time in business and as Denver Public Schools superintendent.

On policy, he joined many Democrats in supporting a public health care option but said that such a plan did not necessarily mean that private insurance should be eliminated. Joe Biden (D) The Washington Post reported Thursday that Biden was still undecided about a presidential campaign, noting that he originally intended to decide by the end of 2018.

On Wednesday, CNBC wrote that Biden is signaling to several Democratic donors that he is leaning toward joining the presidential field but that his decision is not yet final.

The former vice president eulogized the late Rep. John Dingell on Tuesday, saying that the longtime Michigan congressman was one of only a few people he “looked up to.”

“He gave me confidence,” Biden said. “He made me believe more in myself more than I had. John had that special capacity to do so. Because when you are with him, you knew you were with greatness.” Michael Bloomberg (D) The billionaire former New York City mayor is prepared to spend at least $500 million during the presidential campaign cycle to defeat Trump, Politico reported Wednesday.

“That’ll get us through the first few months,” said Kevin Sheekey, one of Bloomberg’s top aides, noting that Bloomberg put $100 million into his last mayoral election.

Last Friday, Bloomberg told The Associated Press that he would reach a decision on a presidential run by the end of February and pushed back on speculation that he would not run if Biden launched a campaign. “My decision doesn’t depend on what other people are going to do,” he said. “My decision depends on whether or not I think I can make a difference.” Cory Booker (D) Booker visited Iowa and South Carolina during his first weekend on the campaign trail as a declared presidential candidate. In Iowa, the New Jersey senator continued to pitch his theme of unity and optimism to voters. In South Carolina, he addressed racial discrimination, saying that the country needed a leader who is “telling the truth about racism, not participating in racist statements, demeaning and degrading people like we’re seeing now.”

In an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday, Booker said that if he wins the Democratic nomination, he will “be looking to women first” when he considers a running mate. “I believe there should be a woman president right now, and I worked very hard to get one,” he said. “We have such a great field of leaders. I think that you will rarely see a Democratic ticket anymore without gender diversity, race diversity.”

This weekend, Booker will be in New Hampshire for six events across the state. Sherrod Brown (D) Brown said that he’s “not ready to jump” into the presidential race during a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Tuesday. But he has given himself a March deadline to come to a “joint decision” with his wife, journalist Connie Schultz.

The Ohio senator rolled out two bills Wednesday with Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill: The first is a “cost-of-living refund,” which would double the Earned Income Tax Credit; the second would lower the Medicare eligibility age to 50, allowing people to buy in voluntarily. Steve Bullock (D) The Montana governor will visit Iowa this weekend. Bullock has said that he is unlikely to make a public announcement about whether he will launch a campaign until later in the spring, after Montana’s state legislative session. Pete Buttigieg (D) The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, joined MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday morning for a lightning round of questions on where he sits on the ideological spectrum. “I consider myself a pretty strong progressive, but I don’t consider the left-center spectrum to be the most useful way to look at our politics right now,” he said.

Last weekend, Buttigieg made his first trip to Iowa since announcing his presidential exploratory committee. While there, he shared his support for “Medicare-for-all” and the Green New Deal (which seeks to make massive public investments to combat climate change) while continuing to play up his military background and executive experience.

In an interview with New York magazine, Buttigieg expanded on how his local experiences could be helpful in the Oval Office, using South Bend’s sewer system as an example. “They’re so important that we make sure they work basically all of the time. Which is why you never think of them — that’s kind of the point,” he said. “But it’s not that different from national security. It’s like I say, the more freedom [people experience], the less they think about it.”

In both the New York magazine story and an interview with CNN, Buttigieg was critical of the social views of Vice President Mike Pence (a former Indiana governor and U.S. House member), saying to CNN that “politically [Pence] is a fanatic and he damaged our city and our state through choices that his social extremism led him to make.” Julian Castro (D) In a CNN interview Saturday, Castro said that even though he knows his candidacy has “special meaning for the Latino community,” his message is intended to be all-encompassing. “I’m also aware that I have to have policy proposals and a vision that includes everybody,” said Castro, who is a former mayor of San Antonio and served as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration. Bill de Blasio (D) De Blasio was scheduled to visit New Hampshire on Friday, renewing speculation that the New York City mayor is contemplating a presidential campaign. But he canceled the trip after a New York City police detective was killed during a robbery Tuesday. John Delaney (D) The former Maryland congressman spent the first half of the week in New Hampshire, his 14th trip to the state. He opened an office in Manchester and attended a “politics and eggs” breakfast at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics — one of 10 events in three days.

Delaney broke with several other Democratic presidential contenders by revealing that he was opposed to the Green New Deal. Tulsi Gabbard (D) During her first visit to Iowa as a presidential candidate, the U.S. House member from Hawaii and National Guard major touted her dedication to service and outlined her views on foreign policy, responding to criticism over her recent comments about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In Iowa, she said he was a “brutal dictator” but said that she didn’t feel the United States should be “the world’s police.” Kirsten Gillibrand (D) Gillibrand toured South Carolina, with seven stops across the state, from Friday through Sunday, including meetings with Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, who leads the National Conference of Mayors, and a group of women leaders.

The New York Times highlighted Gillibrand’s “feminist campaign” Tuesday, describing how advocacy for women has already become a centerpiece of her candidacy and one that differentiates her from fellow female Sens. Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren thus far.

This weekend, Gillibrand is again visiting New Hampshire for a collection of meet-and-greets, walking tours and town halls, after having traveled to the Granite State just two weeks ago. Kamala Harris (D) Harris attracted headlines Monday after she admitted during a New York radio interview to having smoked marijuana in college. “I did inhale,” the California senator said. “It was a long time ago, but yes.”

The remarks came during a larger discussion about marijuana, during which Harris said it wasn’t true that she opposes its legalization. She said that she supports legalization but has “concerns” and that its effects on users should be researched. John Hickenlooper (D) The former Colorado governor visited New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday and said he’s going to decide on a presidential run in the next “six weeks.”

During his stop at a Manchester house party, Hickenlooper joked about his unusual surname and how it taught him in his childhood how to “deal with bullies” — a reference to how he would approach running against Trump.

Hickenlooper added that he still wants to learn more about the Green New Deal and criticized Trump’s proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border while also saying that there are “border security issues” to solve. Eric Holder (D) After a speech at Drake University in Iowa on Tuesday, Holder, a former U.S. attorney general, said he would reach a decision on a presidential run in the next three to four weeks. “I’m concerned about the direction of the country,” Holder said. “I think I’ve got some ideas and visions that I think would be useful to the nation.”

On the issues, Holder said that the U.S. was “at a point where we should think seriously about [marijuana] legalization” and that he supports the Green New Deal, labeling it “our generation’s moonshot.” Amy Klobuchar (D) Klobuchar launched her presidential campaign Sunday during a snowy outdoor event in Minneapolis. She outlined her humble political roots and described her motivations for getting into the race. “I’m running for every parent who wants a better world for their kids,” she said. “I’m running for every student who wants a good education. For every senior who wants affordable prescription drugs. For every worker, farmer, dreamer, builder. For every American. I’m running for you.”

In an appearance Monday on “Good Morning America,” the Minnesota senator defended herself against allegations that she was abusive toward her Senate staff, conceding that she is “tough” and “push[es] people” but said that it was because she holds “high expectations.”

She mocked the president after he, referring to her kickoff rally, tweeted that it was “bad timing” that she was “talking proudly of fighting global warming while standing in a virtual blizzard of snow, ice and freezing temperatures.”

“I’m sorry if it still snows in the world,” Klobuchar said on “Good Morning America” on Monday. “But the point is that we know climate change is happening.”

Next Monday, Klobuchar will participate in a CNN town hall in New Hampshire. She will then travel to Iowa on Thursday. Jeff Merkley (D) Merkley is “still exploring” a run for president, he told Northwest Labor Press this week. The Oregon senator denied that his decision will be based on whether Bernie Sanders, whom he endorsed in 2016, decides to run. Seth Moulton (D) After telling BuzzFeed News on Monday that he is thinking about running for president, Moulton confirmed the sentiment publicly Tuesday during question-and-answer sessions after a foreign policy speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

“I’m thinking about running for president,” Moulton said in the BuzzFeed interview. “I’m not definitely running, but I’m going to take a very hard look at it. A very serious look at it. Because I believe it’s time for a new generation of leadership, and we gotta send Donald Trump packing.”

The Massachusetts congressman added that his decision will not be based on who else launches campaigns, saying that he doesn’t “look at this as a horse race.” Beto O’Rourke (D) As Trump held a campaign rally in El Paso, Texas, O’Rourke defended his hometown during a protest march Monday, criticizing the president for his rhetoric on immigration. “We are making a stand for the truth, against lies and hate and ignorance and intolerance,” O’Rourke said. “El Paso has been the safest city in the United States of America not in spite of the fact that we’re a city of immigrants but because we are a city of immigrants.”

Trump mentioned O’Rourke during his event, referring to the former U.S. House member as “a young man who’s got very little going for himself, except he’s got a great first name.”

Politico reported Wednesday that O’Rourke met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss a possible run for Senate against Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, in 2020. Tim Ryan (D) Ryan is “seriously considering” a presidential run, he said on CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront” on Wednesday.

The Ohio congressman, perhaps best known for his 2016 challenge to Nancy Pelosi to lead House Democrats, added that he doesn’t “feel any pressure for any timeline at this point.”

“The country is divided,” Ryan said. “We can’t get anything done because of these huge divisions that we have, and people in communities like the ones I represent … are suffering because of this division. You can’t win the future divided.” Bernie Sanders (D) Sanders is leaning toward announcing a presidential campaign by the end of February, Fox News reported Thursday, citing two sources close to the Vermont senator.

Earlier in the week, amid the controversy that engulfed Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, over a tweet interpreted to be anti-Semitic, Sanders called the freshman congresswoman to offer his support, The Daily Beast reported. Howard Schultz (I) The former Starbucks CEO continued to face criticism from Democrats over his potential independent bid for president, and Schultz returned the favor, discussing his misgivings with both Democrats and Republicans at a CNN town hall Tuesday. “Both parties today on the far left and the far right are more interested in partisan politics, revenge politics,” Schultz said. “I think we could be doing so much better than we are.”

During the event, Schultz acknowledged that his “business experience is not qualification to run for president.” But he argued that he could bring a pragmatic, results-focused approach to combating problems like climate change and economic inequality. Elizabeth Warren (D) Warren officially jumped into the 2020 race, announcing her candidacy for president at a rally in Lawrence, Massachusetts, last Saturday. Before a crowd of 3,500 supporters packed into Everett Mills — the site of one of the most famous labor strikes that catalyzed massive changes to labor rules — Warren said: “Millions and millions and millions of American families are also struggling to survive in a system that has been rigged by the wealthy and the well-connected. Hard-working people are up against a small group that holds far too much power. … Like the women of Lawrence, we are here to say enough is enough!”

Warren took the stage to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” before making her official announcement and kicking off a tour through early-voting states. She made her debut as a presidential candidate in Dover, New Hampshire, before heading to Iowa on Sunday. She continues on to South Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and California this weekend. Bill Weld (R) Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts and 2016 Libertarian vice presidential candidate, is attending a New Hampshire Institute of Politics “politics and eggs” event on Friday.

Citing Republican sources, WMUR reported Wednesday that Weld’s remarks at the event will include a “substantial move toward a challenge to President Trump.” Weld recently re-registered in Massachusetts as a member of the Republican Party. Marianne Williamson (D) Williamson, a popular self-help author and one-time congressional candidate, was profiled by ABC News’s “Nightline” this week. She explained her desire to get into the presidential race, despite her lack of political experience.

“I think what we need in the White House is more a visionary than just a political mechanic,” she said. “America is morally off course. … More than anything else in America today, we need a moral and spiritual awakening.”

“We need an awakening of American minds,” Williamson added. “Show me any traditional politician who’s had a 35-year career at that kind of awakening. That’s a skill set. That’s experience. That’s expertise. And I believe it is a qualification that would — you would do very well to put in the White House.” Andrew Yang (D) Yang is spending his own money to demonstrate his proposed “Freedom Dividend,” a form of universal basic income that would pay all Americans 18 years or older $1,000 per month. One family each in Iowa and New Hampshire are already receiving $1,000 per month from the entrepreneur, according to CBS News.

ABC News’s Kendall Karson contributed to this report.

[virtuissimo]

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Review)

This book is a modern retelling of the Jane Austen’s seminal classic Pride & Prejudice. Zuri Luz Benitez is a black Haitian-Dominican teenager in her senior year of high school whose identity is constructed around her life in Bushwick, a neighborhood with a tight community that is going through aggressive gentrification. Across the street, in one of the new gentrified houses, the Darcy family moves in, including twins Ainsley and Darius, two rich private-school boys sticking out like a fish out of water.

Zoboi’s adaptation creates amazing parallels when compared one-to-one with P&P, but it can’t hold its own very well. The writing is a simplistic and the characterization for most of the named characters is extremely one-dimensional. I was taken a bit by surprise when I found it in the youth section, and the simple writing makes me confused about the age of the intended audience. In any case, I didn’t have a bad time reading this, but I was expecting a lot more than I got.

To expand a little on the intended audience, I think my confusion is mostly because of the conflicting styles. On one hand, Zoboi’s prose is very simple and almost hamfisted in how she handles her characters and story. Other than some nice and age-appropriate poetry from Zuri herself, the rest of the book isn’t very elegant in writing quality. So I said to myself, ok I found it in the youth section. It’s intended for a younger audience. However, all the central characters are in their senior year of high school, and there are numerous allusions to sex and cusses that I’m not sure would fly in middle fiction. I think those who are in this reading level will find the characters too old and teenagery, while those who are the main character’s ages will find the prose to be lacking. Zuri in specific is a voracious reader, and she herself would not have the patience to enjoy reading this book which is far below her reading level.

It’s easier to read this book for what it’s supposed to be saying rather than what it is saying, if that makes any sense. For instance, Darius when he first shows up is quiet and doesn’t offer much information about himself, but he also wasn’t very rude or belligerent upon first impression. I know “prejudice” is half the thing, but Zuri really jumps the gun and kind of started the whole feud in the first place. It just wasn’t that believable that he was some jerk who deserved her hatred like it was with Elizabeth Bennet, and similarly it wasn’t very believable when she later learns that she just misinterpreted his social awkwardness.

Also, I thought it was interesting that the title removed the “prejudice” when to me that seemed like a much bigger aspect of this version than in Austen’s work. For instance, Darius makes a number of disparaging remarks about Bushwick and its “ghetto” people, but even before he makes these remarks Zuri already “hates” him based on stuff she made up about him in her head. And then later, when they begin to get closer, she actually never confronts him about his prejudice and just. Forgives and forgets.

She also forgives and forgets when it comes to Ainsley and Janae. This bothered me a lot more than some of my other nitpicking because it actually changes one of the important themes of P&P. Not that Zoboi doesn’t have the right to alter thematic elements—she absolutely does! But the theme of family and the fact that Zuri would do ANYTHING for her sisters is told to the reader through a lot of exposition, but we don’t actually see it. The moment in the car when she finds out that Darius split up Ainsley and Janae is really representative of that for me. She got angry in the moment, but she never actually investigates to find out WHY he did it like Elizabeth in P&P. On that note, later on when she forgives him, she never asks him to account for it again.

In fact, character motivation and appropriate emotional buildup was a recurring issue in this book. Nothing hit quite like I think Zoboi intended them to.

The talk on gentrification and class difference is good tho. Perhaps incomplete, but there’s only so much space. They really show how class plays a role in a variety of different circumstances and scenarios, and I think Zoboi succeeds here where others have failed.

Some of the parallels that I liked:

-          Warren and Colin took me OUT when they first appeared. You can really see what Zoboi thinks about Mr. Wickham and Mr. Collins from the original lol.

-          The tour of Howard instead of touring the Darcy home was very interesting to me. I think it was a great introduction to how she wasn’t expecting her world to expand so much, and that there’s a lot of different experiences in the world that she’s missing, and she gets introduced to this idea by people who AREN’T Darius and Ainsley. I really liked that.

-          The leopard print and “inappropriate dress” that the Benitez family wore to the Darcy cocktail party. It seems like a good way to show how respectability politics still play into the modern day, and it added a bit of character to the Benitez family as a prototypical Latinx family that I really enjoyed.

-          The Warren and Georgia situation was also a good way to translate this into the modern day.

-          P&P: In order to avoid scandal, Darcy pays for a marriage between a 16 year old and a 20-something known scumbag, and this is seen as a good thing because it saved the Bennet family. Zoboi’s Pride: Darius beats the shit out of Warren. I REALLY CRIED, THIS IS WHAT I WANT OUT OF AN ADAPTATION.

Things I didn’t like so much:

-          Ainsley x Janae is treated like a veeery minor side story instead of being a secondary plot. One of the big things in P&P is that Jane and Bingley are the prototypical pure love story and they think they are the main characters. Ainsley and Janae are not given much space to breathe in the narrative, and their relationship comes across as an afterthought instead of as one of the principal plot threads.

-          The diversion with Darius’ grandmother was also thrown in there like an afterthought. It didn’t add much to the story other than showing that Darius will side with Zuri when push comes to shove. It still felt like it took up a lot more time than it needed to if the grandmother wasn’t going to appear again at the end of the book like in the original. If it’s role to the plot was going to be minimized like that, I don’t really understand why it was included at all.

-          Charlise and Colin as a pair also felt out of place. In the original, Mr. Collins and Charlotte weren’t a major part of the story, but they contributed to the narrative that Austen wanted to tell about marriage and the different types of marriages that exist in English society at the time. Charlise and Colin don’t really have that effect on the story at all. Both characters are completely irrelevant to the plot (except Colin in the last possible moment), and they’re only really there to BE an adaptation.

-          Some of the plot beats were rearranged. I didn’t mind this so much since any number of directorial decisions are valid so long as the have a positive impact on the adaptation’s goal, but I didn’t really see how they added much.

One thing I REALLY liked was the addition of Madrina. I’m not sure if she’s a reference to something I don’t remember from the text or a completely original addition, but I thought she made for some really interesting moments. I especially loved how much connection Zuri felt with her Orisha worship and that they called her “daughter of Ochun.” I would change NOTHING about this, it was pure and really sweet.

One adaptation I WISH Zoboi had made was to have Zuri call out Darius’ hypocrisy. In P&P, the Bennetts are certainly in a different social class from Darcy and the Bingleys, but they’re ultimately still property owners in Britain. The stakes are different here. Darius keeps talking about how things in his life aren’t perfect just because he’s rich (which is absolutely true, especially when Zoboi starts getting into his experience as a black teenager surrounded by white classmates), but he is STILL not really understanding the difference in experience between himself and Zuri. The thing is, although she’s not right to judge Darius’ whole personality, she absolutely IS right about a lot of his privilege at the very beginning, but she kind of lets that go after a while. Zuri confronts Darius about his wealth many times, but to me at least it doesn’t really seem like she was able to convince him that his whole outlook on life is fundamentally different because of his wealth. Idk maybe I’m grasping at straws here. I just wish that Darius had actually talked about like . trying to persuade his parents to donate more to charity, or doing community service, or idk DISTRIBUTING THE WEALTH. Darius doesn’t change much in the story. At the beginning, he’s like “sorry im rich but lmfao you’re being mean to me!” and then at the end he is like “I am simply a rich boy, I cannot change this” which is barely a difference at all.

Anyways. I really didn’t hate this book. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did, which is why I have all these criticisms about it.

I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a thoughtprovoking discussion on class through the lens of one of history’s most overrated love stories (speaking as someone who loves P&P: yea it’s overrated). Read it for Zuri and Darius, who are totally different people from Elizabeth and Darcy. Read it for nostalgia, because even though I don’t know what it feels like to be one of 5 Afrolatine kids in Bushwick, I Felt that family affection.

3/5 for having great ideas but not such great execution.

[aspocko]

sage & jasmine!

sage ⇢ what ‘medium’ of art (poetry, music, fiction, paintings, statues etc.) is the most touching to you? why do you think that is?

gotta be music. music is sacred. its so important to me in a way that i cant put into words. its an all encompassing catalogue of the human experience that always has room for expansion. i stopped being able to compose and write music after my songwriting team combusted, but even while that was going on, i still felt like it must have been a trick. music was sacred. its an elevated art. i’ve been singing and performing since i was 3, but to actually create music out of nothing?? i never thought i’d be able to do that. i never thought i’d be allowed to do that. anyway, never underestimate the power of some random song to absolutely wreck your entire life.

jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

gonna cheat and say the musical catalog of frightened rabbit. ever since scott hutchison died, i haven’t been able to listen to any of their stuff. which is a shame. i still remember pushing to the front of the crowd at the blind pig just in time for scott to sing poke, and i could have sworn one of the tears falling from his face as he leaned over the crowd landed on me. i recorded a cover of one of their songs way back in the early days of youtube, and frightened rabbit’s guitarist reached out to me to say how much he and the band enjoyed it. he showed me their tour list and asked which of their gigs was closest to me, then invited me to see them and come backstage after to meet them. and i couldn’t go because i was in a show and couldn’t just take a night off. their music has been a huge touchstone for me for so much of my life. i have connected with so many friends through a mutual love of frightened rabbit. i know so much of the sadness in the music is the same sadness that ended scott’s life, and how personal it was to him, but it just goes to show that even your most personal demons can be so viscerally relatable to strangers.

as for a book or a film, i know the are lots of these, i just cant pluck any of them out of the depths of my brain. like, idk, maybe the doctrine of labyrinths book series for an inconsequential, low stakes answer, which i loved so much but honestly i dont think i’ll ever be able to go through that again.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/if-he-slips-he-falls-if-he-falls-he-dies-climbing-3000ft-without-ropes/

'If he slips, he falls. If he falls, he dies' -- Climbing 3000ft without ropes

Situated in Yosemite National Park, USA, the gargantuan rock-face soars 3200 feet into the air, standing almost 500 feet taller than the Burj Khalifa — the world’s tallest building.

There is simply no room for error. If he slips, he falls. If he falls, he dies.

“When I know what I’m doing and I’m climbing well, then it feels meditative, kind of relaxing and beautiful,” Honnold told CNN Sport.

His achievement has since been immortalized in a breathtaking BAFTA-winning National Geographic documentary, Free Solo, which has been nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Oscars.

READ: Ross Edgley — ‘It was goosebumps upon tears, upon smiles’

Death or perfection

Free solo climbing is a high-stakes game. It’s either death or perfection.

But in moments of such risk, adrenaline is often the enemy.

“The important part of being able to climb El Cap was for it to feel slightly normal, for it to feel slightly business as usual,” he said, remembering the moments he began the climb.

“For me to look up at the wall and to think I’m just going to climb this like I usually climb this, even though I don’t have a rope on.”

Honnold’s seemingly blase approach to such death-defying challenges can be disconcerting at first but scratch under the surface and you understand it’s an attitude built on a foundation of hard-work and preparation.

“If I don’t know what I’m doing and I hesitate then it can be a nightmare,” he warned.

The truth is that every move is choreographed. Each foot-hold has been mapped out months in advance, every thumb-grip visualized hundreds of times.

The trick to not falling, is not leaving anything to chance and training your mind for every possible outcome.

“It’s definitely a bigger mental challenge than it is physical,” he said, explaining that he and many others have climbed the rock-face multiple times with harnesses attached.

“But the idea of doing it without a rope is a step further it seems.”

Boulder problem

Honnold chose to climb the south-west face of the wall, a familiar route known as Freerider, which is split into 30 different pitches.

But this particular route included a perilous sequence which spooked the seemingly unflappable Honnold — The Boulder Problem.

The section involves a number of intricate movements with Honnold clinging onto pea-sized ledges 2000ft above the meadow below.

It culminates in a vertigo-inducing karate kick to an opposing wall, where his life depends on whether he makes contact with a toe-sized ledge.

READ: Kilian Jornet — ‘It’s like meditation. It’s beautiful to feel that small.”

“I think if that section of the route hadn’t existed […], I probably would have soloed El Cap several years sooner,” said Honnold, who had practiced that particular section 60 times with ropes — falling on a number of occasions.

However, the very thing that made this section so daunting turned out to be an advantage because by the time Honnold had reached it he had found his rhythm. He was confident.

“I had done so much climbing, I was so deeply in the zone,” he said, talking through the delicate sequence of moves.

“I was performing so well that by the time I got there I felt incredible and I just executed it perfectly.”

Sprint finish

After successfully navigating the near impossible Boulder Problem, Honnold started to breathe a little easier but he still had a long way to go.

The final stretch represented one of the hardest climbs that Honnold had ever attempted but nothing was going to stop him now.

“My confidence was soaring, I felt great,” he said. “Conditions were perfect and I kind of knew I had it.”

As he approached the summit, the realization of what he was about to achieve started to break through his steely-eyed focus.

The final stages of El Cap got easier and easier. What to many would seem terrifying became a “beautiful experience” for Honnold, who sprinted toward the finish, lifting himself over the summit after just three hours and 56 minutes of climbing.

“It was incredible,” he laughed.

Why without ropes?

The unfathomable climb was nearly 20 years in the making.

Growing up in the Californian suburbs, Honnold had started scaling indoor climbing walls at a local gym as a child. In many ways, it was a sanctuary.

Honnold struggled with socializing as a youngster but was able to express himself through climbing, gradually transitioning to outdoor climbing as he sought out new challenges. Moving on to free soloing — climbing without ropes — was a natural progression.

“It was an important part of rock-climbing for me,” he said. “It wasn’t all of climbing and never has been to me. It’s just one part of climbing but it’s free soloing, it’s awesome, it’s fun.”

READ: Anna Gasser — ‘As I took off I knew there was no way back,’ says snowboarder

Living and traveling in a small van, Honnold spent his days climbing — getting better and more confident with each step.

He started completing increasingly impressive feats but El Cap was always at the back of his mind.

Ascending the structure is regarded as the pinnacle of rock-climbing so making history by becoming the first person to scale it without ropes certainly appealed, but he also simply wanted to experience it.

“I’m sure every astronaut wants the opportunity to walk on the moon but if you’re the first human to ever go to the moon, it’s an incredible thing,” he said.

“But I’m sure the tenth astronaut is just as excited in their own way. Some of Honnold’s friends have dies tackling lesser challenges.

It’s a stark reality that doesn’t sit well with his girlfriend, Sanni McCandless, who left Honnold alone in the days running up to the climb.

“It just seemed like the right call for both of us. We never really had to talk about it.” he said.

“It was useful for me to have empty time to just lay around by myself and visualize or imagine and just emotionally process what was to come.”

Mind and body

When you consider the mental fortitude required, it’s easy to ignore the physical strain such a climb puts on a body.

On one section of the wall, the Monster Offwidth, Honnold squeezes his body into a vertical crack and wriggles his way up a 200ft crevice. No flashy gym or high-tech equipment can ever prepare you for such a task.

Instead, Honnold’s physique has been etched by thousands of hours of climbing and his hands strengthened by days clinging onto rock faces.

Standing at a little under 6ft tall, and powered by a mainly vegetarian diet, Honnold’s body is conditioned solely for climbing.

His mind has also adapted accordingly.

During the documentary, Honnold undergoes an MRI scan which shows his amygdala — the part of the brain which processes fear — is not stimulated in the usual way.

Honnold believes he’s become desensitized after so many years of climbing but is open to the suggestion that he’s innately less susceptible to fear.

“I found free soloing scary when I first started but I also found it exhilarating in the right way,” he said.

“Possibly, other people find it way scarier and less satisfying so they are never really willing to put the time and effort into it because the ratio is not right.”

He likens it to his previous fear of public speaking. As a young man, Honnold struggled in front of large groups and the thought of doing a media tour would have previously “horrified” him.

But just like climbing El Cap, Honnold found a way to overcome negative thoughts.

Free Solo — The documentary

Directed by award-winning film-makers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Free Solo follows Honnold for over two years as he prepared for the climb of his life.

However, keeping the cameras at a distance was imperative in order to keep Honnold safe and allow him to have the experience he was craving.

“When I passed the cameramen on the wall, it was just really nice to be able to see my friends up there and celebrate with them.

“Most of the filming is up high on the route so I had already finished most of the harder sections. It really did feel like a celebration.”

Despite the global success of the film, the achievement will always be a personal one.

“When I’m an old man and I sit in El Cap meadow, below the wall and I look up at the wall, I’m going to feel the same satisfaction knowing that I’ve had a dream for so many years, put a tonne of work into it and eventually was able to accomplish it,” he said.

[chimswae]

Chapter 19

Foreword:

Some stories are better left unsaid.I couldn’t change anything for the world, although the fame part of this industry is tough to handle.Do i have a life? Yes I have my fans.Do i have friends? Yes the members that I cherish. Do i have love? No I have to let go.Life always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow. But do i have any tomorrow?

Pairing: Jimin x OC (Other characters: BTS, OCs, Lee Taehwan)

Genre: Idolau, Fluff, Romance

Word Count: 1,893

Author Note: I crosspost this story from my Asianfanfic account. Mind you, clicheness OVERLOADS

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19

Chapter 19:  The story that we paint together

SMACK!

Jimin could feel his cheeks sting from the sudden attack, not once but twice.

 “JIMIN!” Seokjin screamed in agony.

 “WHAT THE HELL” Yoongi cussed as he quickly pulled Jimin behind him and eyed the girl dangerously close with hint of anger.

 “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?” he scowled. Other members reached confused Jimin, making sure he was protected and not being harassed even further.

 “Tae ah! Lets head to backstage! What just happened?” Yeoul stood in her seat and picked Minyeol up. The three of them squished between the crowd who seemed as confused as them and making their way to the backstage.

 The girl just smirked away without a glint of guilty as she was ready to throw her albums at Jimin’s direction, but thankfully Yoongi strong grip stopped her from doing so. With Taehyung fast reflex, he managed to block one of the albums from hitting Jimin, as he quickly wrapped one of his arm around Jimin.

Taehyung looked over his shoulder with fiery eyes “ THE HELL? Are you crazy” he growled deeply. Yoongi was having a staring battle with the girl in front of her whom seemed showed no sign of fear, she must be desperate and insane.

 The securities took the girl away and Yoongi boringly glared at her way one last time before got off the stage following others.

 Darting off to Jimin side, Yeoul cupped his cheeks as her eyes glimmer with worries “Are you alright? What happen up there. Oh god, Jimin” she stroked the visible red mark on his cheeks.

 “DID SHE SLAP YOU? WHAT ELSE SHE DOES?” she shrieked.

 Jimin smiled meekly, pulling her into a tight embrace “Stay like this..” he whispered deeply. Pecking the top of her head, he rested his chin on it with a deep sigh. What a way to end their Wings Tour.

 Yeoul felt like bawling in his warm embrace “Jims.. I am sorry” she wrapped her arm around his waist, inhaling his manly scent. Her racing heart slowly tone down, she was worried sick but seeing him in one piece, that’s all matter.

 “Dont Yeoul.. I told you to stop apologizing” running his fingers in her brown hair, he whispered awfully low but enough for Yeoul to hear.

 A light pat on his back caused him to pull away as he heard Jin told them to move to their waiting room. Following the orders, both of them made their way to the waiting room and as soon as the door opened Minyeol charged to Jimin as fast as lightning with a pout.

 “APPA!!” Jimin knelt down to match Minyeol height, taking the younger boy into his arm. Taehwan wrapped his arm around Yeoul and he shot her a warm smile. She mouthed him ‘thank you’ as they watched both of them closely, exhaling a relief sigh.

 Tonight’s event was supposed to be one of the happiest however due to that one overreacting fangirl, everything burnt down to ashes. On side note, no one got hurt though Taehyung bruised his back while protecting Jimin apart from that everyone was safe and sound.

 Everyone got their makeup removed and changed into something comfortable while waiting for their manager to return with Bang PD. They wondered what happened to that girl though they pitied her but it was still a harassment. This matter should be forwarded to cops.

 “Taetae is your back okay?” Jimin caressed his best friend back with a deep frown.

 Taehyung nodded with a small smile “Don’t worry Jiminie, my back is okay. It bruised a little, Yeoul helped to put ointment there. It will be fine tomorrow” he convinced the over worried Jimin. They have been friends since forever, Taehyung knew making a fuss of this for whole week.

 “I am sorry, that girl was angry at me. They are dragging all of you along” he fidgeted in his seat averting his gaze.

 “Jimin seriously? We promise to stay by your side, we are living the promise. Come on smile, duh!” he nudged his shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows. Taehyung never failed him, he ended up smiling at some point. It really felt like the whole loads were being lifted off his shoulders.

 Bang PD and their managers made their way inside the room with a deep frown plastered on their face. But soon enough, they broke a small smile indicating everything had been taken care off.

 “The cops has taken her away for further investigation. Don’t worry everything will be fine so rest assured” said Bang PD. Finally, they could feel their heart beating normally again. Even though this was nothing as compared the bomb threat received by Apink yesterday, their safety was still at stake.

 The concert organizer had been apologizing to Bangtan especially Jimin non-stop for their negligence since it was their responsibility to ensure the safety of the group being taken care off during the due course of the event.

 “Bang PD, thank you…” Yeoul broke the silence bringing all the attentions on her.

 She inhaled sharp breath and smiled earnestly “Thank you for everything… each one of you.. I have nothing to give to repay your kindness. But I promise to love Jimin.. your Jimin.. for the rest of my life” everyone was touche by Yeoul’s simple gratitude.

 Bang PD knew everyone knew, Yeoul was a match made from heaven for their Jiminie. They trusted her wholeheartedly. Jhope and Jin who sat close to Yeoul, gave her a warm hug followed by Jungkook.

 “I trust my Jimin to you” Hope hortled.

 “It is my Jiminie!” claimed Jin.

 Yeoul giggled at their silliness and looked up at Jungkook “I am rooting for Jikook though” his lips broke into one of his cutest smile which melted everyone in the room, Uh-oh that was not an over exaggeration but Jungkook managed to do that. He swooned woman’s heart with a simple smile.

 “Ow Yeoul, I think you forget about Vmin” Taehyung headlock Jimin, ruffling his soft hair with a teasing smile.

 ------------------

 Dating a luminary could be pretty messy and crazy.

 First, you have to deal with their fans.

 Then you need to reconsider their ability to commit to such relationship.

 Most importantly, was it just their fans who are against your relationship with this particular luminary? Of course not. You had to ensure that one important people who practically own them in many ways, their agency whether they supported this unrequited love.

 Oh, well it was worth the risk if you’re dating Park Jimin.

 And you had a kid with this crazily sexy Park Jimin.

 Na Yeoul was the luckiest girl on planet. Girls around the globe were screaming hard to get Park Jimin’s attention but to no avail.

 Jimin only had his eyes on that one person. Na Yeoul.

 “I promise to cherish Na Yeoul for the rest of my life. And, yes I am proposing to you” he tore his eyes from the audience in front of him to face Yeoul. She gaped at the sudden confession, since she was only being told this press conference was a follow up to Jimin’s written apology.

 Cameras flashed from every corner of the room. It was definitely a big news for the world to witness, considering a wedding bell was about to be heard soon.

 Her eyes brimmed with tears “Jimin…What is this all about” a heavy lump on her throat forbid her to inquire further. With zero knowledge of this proposal, she took a hold of Jimin hand making sure it was not mere dream.

 “Na Yeoul, will you let me be the guardian of your heart, the father of your son and most importantly the man of your life, I promise- no I vow to love and cherish you forever. Let’s grow old together baby and keep our family big. Marry me Na Yeoul” the audience gasped at Jimin short but super sweet proposal.

 No fancy decorations or fireworks but just two beautiful souls sharing their promises and love.

 Yeoul bit her lower lips to surpass her ugly sobs, and she nodded with a big fat smile plastered on her face “ Yes, Jimin. Yes oh god yes” losing her words, she could only nod with tears wetting her cheeks.

 Wasting no time, Jimin cupped her face leaning in for a sweet kiss. They heard people stood on their feet cheering for them.

 “I love you” he whispered between kisses.

 Caressing his hand with a smile, Yeoul rubbed their nose together “I love you too” she murmured. This was one of the best thing that ever happened in her life. Who could imagine this day would come?

 The day where Jimin would propose to her. To be frank, she never expected her relationship with Jimin to be this serious, it was beyond insane.

 Even after their mini reunion back then, she wanted to remain friends at least just so Minyeol could be close to him. Minyeol’s feeling matter the most. Jimin had been thinking about marriage for so long. He thought it was a rash decision but after he talked it out with his parents, Yeoul’s mother, his members and Bang PD, he gained confidence through it.

 He had their support and surprisingly Suga gave him a very good marriage advice. He secretly admired that hyung from now.

 Marriage is a huge step for both of them but they’re willing to face all the obstacles together. Love is another thing but trust is the utmost element in keeping their relationship alive. Without it, the love that they built for years would remain as another memory.

Jimin and Yeoul spent thirty more minutes answering questions from the floor pertaining to their wedding planning. Now the table had turned, everyone was interested of this wedding announcement. Every breathing souls in the city was talking about this.

 Bangtan Sonyeodan was trending again for the nth time however it was different this time. The trend was filled with positive articles and critiques from their fans. They could not stop fans from leaving but they were grateful some decided to stay by them till the end.

 From this incident they actually gained quite a number of fans to cover up the loss. Businesses who first planned to terminate their contract with Bangtan suddenly were willing to sponsor for Jimin’s wedding. It overwhelmed Big Hit’s staff.

 After the wedding press conference, they had to work around the clock due to unending phone calls and visit that they received from different brand sponsors. Some even requested a special interview with the lovebird but Bang Pd had personally assigned two or three platforms to conduct that interview.

 At this rate, he didn’t want to overwhelm Yeoul and Jimin. There were lots of things to be settled before the wedding. Bang Pd is a proud papa!

 Speaking of wedding, Jimin had personally selected all Bangtan members to become his wingman at his wedding. Guess, the members had something to look forward to in few months. The wedding would be very simple and private with the presence of their closed friend, families and medias.

 Jimin understood his world could be a little glamorous for Yeoul so to match her preferences, he preferred a simple wedding. What matters the most was the vow that they about to exchange that day.

 He could not wait to make Yeoul his. Officially his.

Previous | Next

This work belongs to  Chimswae © 2019. All Rights Reserved

[joannrochaus]

The elections in Israel: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah?

Listen to The Daily Article Podcast, then subscribe.

In America, many of us are sleep deprived after watching Virginia defeat Texas Tech in overtime last night. Meanwhile, much of the world is focused on Israel, where one of the most significant elections in years is taking place.

I have led approximately thirty study tours to Israel over the years. Each time, the two most common questions I’m asked are: “Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah?” and “How does the Israeli government work?”

The two questions are more related than one might think.

Since Israelis are voting today in parliamentary elections, we’ll address the second question first. Here’s the process:

Fourteen parties are vying for votes. Citizens vote for parties, not people. At stake is control of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) and its 120 seats. The more votes a party receives, the more seats it wins.

No party has ever won a sixty-one-seat majority. After today’s vote, the president of Israel (a largely ceremonial position) will invite one party’s leader to form a governing coalition with other parties. That person will have twenty-eight days to form a government, with a possible fourteen-day extension.

The president selects the leader who, in his opinion, has the best chance of forming a multi-party coalition to reach sixty-one Knesset seats. This is usually the leader of the party that received the most votes in the election, but not always.

If that leader is successful, he or she becomes the prime minister of the country. If not, the president invites a different candidate to form a governing coalition.

Making history in three ways

Today’s election is historic for three reasons.

One: If Benjamin Netanyahu is reelected, he will become the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history.

The #elections in #Israel: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their #Messiah? https://t.co/caMMukP0LH pic.twitter.com/P5bjinLQ4I

— Jim Denison (@JimDenison) April 9, 2019

Two: Mr. Netanyahu is facing the possibility of indictment later this year on corruption charges. He would be the first prime minister to face trial while in office. He denies any wrongdoing.

Three: Mr. Netanyahu faces strong competition from a coalition led by three former heads of the army. This is the first such coalition to run for office in Israeli history.

Their “Blue and White” party (named for the colors of the Israeli flag) is led by Benny Gantz, who has teamed up with a well-known centrist party led by Yair Lapid, a former television host and finance minister. Mr. Gantz has agreed to transfer the prime minister position to Mr. Lapid after two and a half years if their parties win.

We will soon know which leader will be given the first opportunity to form a governing coalition, but it may take weeks to determine the final outcome.

Prime ministers and the Messiah

Israelis typically elect leaders based primarily on their ability to provide security for the nation. A tiny country surrounded by enemies is understandably focused on this issue.

The Jewish people of Jesus’ day had a similar concern with regard to their Messiah, a fact that connects our second question with our first: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah?

The Jews of Jesus’ day were waiting and hoping for a military conqueror who would overthrow the Romans and establish their nation in safety and prosperity. Since Jesus died on a Roman cross, in their minds he obviously could not be the Messiah they expected.

Many Jews today make the same theological mistake.

“With his wounds we are healed”

When Jesus returns as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16), he will indeed be a conquering hero (cf. Philippians 2:10–11). When he came to earth the first time, however, he came as the Suffering Servant who “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” so that “upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4, 5).

This is why Christians believe him to be the Messiah whose death atoned for our sins and purchased our salvation (cf. Romans 5:8).

Here’s the problem: Many Jews believe that Isaiah 53 and other references to the Suffering Servant are fulfilled in the sufferings of the Jewish people over the centuries. Therefore, they discount the Christian declaration that Jesus is their Messiah.

In their view, the claim that he died for their sins is the very reason he could not be their Messiah.

“No cross, no crown”

“No thorns, no throne;

no gall, no glory;

no cross, no crown.”

—William Penn

The foundational problem with such logic is its assumption that the sufferings of the Jewish people could suffice to atone for their sins (Isaiah 53:5). As we will see tomorrow, the reason Jesus had to die is transformingly relevant, both for them and for us.

For today, let’s close by embracing with gratitude the significance of Jesus’ death for us. William Penn: “No thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.”

Because Jesus wore the cross of death, you and I will wear “the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

How will you express your gratitude to your Savior today?

The post The elections in Israel: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah? appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/the-elections-in-israel-why-dont-the-jews-accept-jesus-as-their-messiah/ source https://denisonforum.tumblr.com/post/184057748017

[denisonforum]

The elections in Israel: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah?

Listen to The Daily Article Podcast, then subscribe.

In America, many of us are sleep deprived after watching Virginia defeat Texas Tech in overtime last night. Meanwhile, much of the world is focused on Israel, where one of the most significant elections in years is taking place.

I have led approximately thirty study tours to Israel over the years. Each time, the two most common questions I’m asked are: “Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah?” and “How does the Israeli government work?”

The two questions are more related than one might think.

Since Israelis are voting today in parliamentary elections, we’ll address the second question first. Here’s the process:

Fourteen parties are vying for votes. Citizens vote for parties, not people. At stake is control of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) and its 120 seats. The more votes a party receives, the more seats it wins.

No party has ever won a sixty-one-seat majority. After today’s vote, the president of Israel (a largely ceremonial position) will invite one party’s leader to form a governing coalition with other parties. That person will have twenty-eight days to form a government, with a possible fourteen-day extension.

The president selects the leader who, in his opinion, has the best chance of forming a multi-party coalition to reach sixty-one Knesset seats. This is usually the leader of the party that received the most votes in the election, but not always.

If that leader is successful, he or she becomes the prime minister of the country. If not, the president invites a different candidate to form a governing coalition.

Making history in three ways

Today’s election is historic for three reasons.

One: If Benjamin Netanyahu is reelected, he will become the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history.

The #elections in #Israel: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their #Messiah? https://t.co/caMMukP0LH pic.twitter.com/P5bjinLQ4I

— Jim Denison (@JimDenison) April 9, 2019

Two: Mr. Netanyahu is facing the possibility of indictment later this year on corruption charges. He would be the first prime minister to face trial while in office. He denies any wrongdoing.

Three: Mr. Netanyahu faces strong competition from a coalition led by three former heads of the army. This is the first such coalition to run for office in Israeli history.

Their “Blue and White” party (named for the colors of the Israeli flag) is led by Benny Gantz, who has teamed up with a well-known centrist party led by Yair Lapid, a former television host and finance minister. Mr. Gantz has agreed to transfer the prime minister position to Mr. Lapid after two and a half years if their parties win.

We will soon know which leader will be given the first opportunity to form a governing coalition, but it may take weeks to determine the final outcome.

Prime ministers and the Messiah

Israelis typically elect leaders based primarily on their ability to provide security for the nation. A tiny country surrounded by enemies is understandably focused on this issue.

The Jewish people of Jesus’ day had a similar concern with regard to their Messiah, a fact that connects our second question with our first: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah?

The Jews of Jesus’ day were waiting and hoping for a military conqueror who would overthrow the Romans and establish their nation in safety and prosperity. Since Jesus died on a Roman cross, in their minds he obviously could not be the Messiah they expected.

Many Jews today make the same theological mistake.

“With his wounds we are healed”

When Jesus returns as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16), he will indeed be a conquering hero (cf. Philippians 2:10–11). When he came to earth the first time, however, he came as the Suffering Servant who “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” so that “upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4, 5).

This is why Christians believe him to be the Messiah whose death atoned for our sins and purchased our salvation (cf. Romans 5:8).

Here’s the problem: Many Jews believe that Isaiah 53 and other references to the Suffering Servant are fulfilled in the sufferings of the Jewish people over the centuries. Therefore, they discount the Christian declaration that Jesus is their Messiah.

In their view, the claim that he died for their sins is the very reason he could not be their Messiah.

“No cross, no crown”

“No thorns, no throne;

no gall, no glory;

no cross, no crown.”

—William Penn

The foundational problem with such logic is its assumption that the sufferings of the Jewish people could suffice to atone for their sins (Isaiah 53:5). As we will see tomorrow, the reason Jesus had to die is transformingly relevant, both for them and for us.

For today, let’s close by embracing with gratitude the significance of Jesus’ death for us. William Penn: “No thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.”

Because Jesus wore the cross of death, you and I will wear “the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

How will you express your gratitude to your Savior today?

The post The elections in Israel: Why don’t the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah? appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/the-elections-in-israel-why-dont-the-jews-accept-jesus-as-their-messiah/

[boydfitzgerald-blog]

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[gsmatthews95]

the animal house

Hola all.

I'm very sorry about the black out I havent been in a blogging mood recently for some reason. but today, with half an hour till our bus to Macedonia I thought I can't continue this and be a whole country behind, that, would have been a large mountain to climb. I am also sorry I have just remembered I forgot to post my Kosovo blog, I Was too bust having fun and that. Worry not I am back and unsure of whether I will post one or two blogs and if I do 2 how will I split them up. Life's unanswered questions.

So our start in Albania was eventful, shockingly because of the buses. You may have noticed the running theme here guys, the buses are crap meaning I got my wish for more adventure but it has meant they've been more expensive and tiring than wed hoped to be honest. But yes, we were at the terminal having speed walked cause we were late in time for the bus. We asked where it left from and were pointed to a corner outside the station... OK, so an international bus is leaving from that corner? Sure. We got there and another man was waiting for the same bus, this helped our nerves. Then he came to speak to us to tell us the bus wasn't coming into the city but was leaving from a restaurant out of town and we had to share a taxi there, cheers for that. Oo i be just realised I wrote about this in the last piece. Oops sorry. Ok moving on.

So Tirana is the Albanian capital city. Not the most exciting place in the world but it had a good feel to it with some pretty buildings, a big Pyongyang esque square and a rich history of empires and communism. One thing that must be noted about Tirana is its abundance of bus stations... It has 3 or 4 just to add to the confusion, amazing, wicked, falaminderit. But yes. Our first stop in Tirana, get George a tattoo yay. I've wanted one for ages and having finally found a design and place for it, it was just a matter of getting the tat. 50 dollars? Fine. And now a few weeks later its not infected, its peeled and looks sick. Everyone meet wei ling my new panda. The next day we were up for an early free walking tour, which was banging followed by a trip to the biggest of Hoxha's communist rule. Side note: he was so paranoid of soviet and us nuclear attacks over a few years he made (I think) 188,000 bunkers, put of an intended 370,000 (I think) to prepare for war with both the us and the soviets. The irony is that the president didn't even know Albania existed, lol. The one we visited tho was huge and never used. At times it was 5 stories underground and even had a huge meeting room/theatre. I stress, it, and none of the others, were used. Wow. On The day we planned to leave for berat we planned a day trip to kruja, the stronghold and home of our great Albanian hero skanderbeu the liberator and saviour of the Albanian people. This was cute. It was a town in the mountains with a pretty old town with cobbled streets and stores and a big omnipotent looking castle. We had a nice lunch up there and wandered the walls before heading back for our bus. This is when the next bus saga began.

This one ranks high in our list of bus grievances second the one in Kosovo and one ahead of the one we're in as I write... So we got back and walked to our hostel, 30 mins. We got our stuff and walked to the station with our bags in the rain. Remember there are three bus stations. We walked to the one we thought was it. Oh no its the one just along this road on the left by the big statue. Ok we can do that. This was maybe another km. We are tired and demotivated. As we get to the station we see a bus to beret leaving around the roundabout. We dont panic, there'll be another we're not in a rush. We ask a guy who works there... That was the last bus, great. So we have to get a bus towards fier and get off at a roundabout to get a taxi. As the sun was setting. Then when we got to beret the street name had changed so the one we gave people was the new one and everyone only knew the old ones so we couldn't find the apartment. This was until a nice man made it his mission to get us there so he called the number five times rill he picked and and the host picked us up. This was a very long day.

Beret however, was a pretty old ottoman city. Another UNESCO site (again) god were getting bored of these now just get me a beach and a city. He he he. Speaking of which we've seen two  more since lol. OK yeah so there's lots of white ottoman houses up the hills with big windows, very photogenic and pretty. There was also a big castle on the hill over the town. This was big, not just a castle but now there are restaurants and hostels up there too along with a mosque and church. Much more than we anticipated. Good exercise, good views and some good history, good cricket. (That was for you dad). Berat was nice but we were done with towns so it was on to the coast and one of our favorite little spits on the trip, vuno....

So I've now decided how to split this piece. I was going to put this in the second one and Split them between cities and beaches but having had such an action packed day yesterday I think I may ramble a bit too much so putting vuno in this piece may be preferable for both my brain and your sanity. I hope y'all agree with me, much love. So vuno. This was a funny stop, wed heard about it from a girl in Montenegro who recommended it to us a a hostel that was converted from a school in a tiny old town near the sea. Cool, the clincher tho was when she said there were animals just wandering around all the time. Score, result, as two big animal lovers vuno was placed on our itinerary immediately. So getting there wasn't easy, shock another bus situation. This one was long and hot. Firstly there was the intracity bus, simple. Then the minibus thru the mountains which was long, over two hours. The driver was also the most sane driver we've ever seen, he drove so carefully and slowly it was refreshing although it did mean the journey was super long. Bring back my crazy drivers please. So we were in vlore. Fine, one more bus and we're there. Only issue, there was no bus station. WHAT?! Omg. Yep we were dropped on the street and told to go to a street corner. We went there and spoke to three taxi drivers who told us we needed a three euro taxi, shock. Not having that thanks. So we spoke to a bus driver who told us to go stand by the road 50m away and hail down a bus that passes. Lord Almighty. Ok. Oh yeah by the way it was like 30 plus degrees. We waited then I asked another woman in a bus company shop and she says there is one leaving from outside her shop in 20 minutes... Convenient... We also only have half the money she asked for and she accepts it. We were very suspicious. Waiting in the road again but this time with a ticket the stakes were high.... We jumped at every bus that came until finally we got it. Easy. We got on and calmed down knowing the worst was done. How wrong we were. This journey, supposed to take an hour by car, took three hours and was unbearably hot. Urgh. It was a big one. But we made it to vuno and when walked to the hostel went a windy way to find a shop. There was no shop. We ended up walking down a narrow downhill path, thru rubble and rocks and eventually thru a construction site as some workers had to let us thru their underground piping operation. Safe to say we felt we deserved a beach day the next day. So the skholla hostel was nice, well done up and had all the amenities apart from, when we first arrived although it got fixed, running water... We were camping so it was also very cheap. The next day we went to a buff beach near by. It was an hour and a half walk to get there thru olive groves, over little farmers walls and down a cliff. It was very nice and provided some exercise before an inevitable day of beach lounging, eating food and swimming. Tick tick tick. A lush day on a lush beach with barely any people because it was getting to late in august. The only problem... The walk home... Up hill... We also manager to get lost... It was very hot and sweaty and we missed our trail sign, grrrrrr. Luckily we had the maps app and we ran into some shepherds who pointed us right. This also led us thru a scenic... Bee farm... The randomness of this trip never fails to disappoint hahahaha. A good day nonetheless. The other day and a half we spent at another beach near by that we could hitchhike to. Again very nice but more busy because its easily accessible and closer to the big town himare. As eluded to earlier the true attraction of the hostel was the wandering animals. Firstly the house cat was an aggressive scavenger, literally eating off your plate and would even come back after he'd been thrown away. Next came the "stray dogs" its hard to say if there stray tho or just have very lax owners. They were all starved of love and affection tho. Lucky they came to the right place, two affection craving humans here, form an orderly line please while we pet all of you in turn. Ok next. We showered them with love and they loved it. I miss Rowland 😞. Next came the heard of goats that fame straight thru the hostel every day. I say thru the hostel the hostel in built on one aide of the road and campsite is on the other. This is the main road to vuno town.. It was wide enough for one Car... But somehow seemed to have constant traffic running thru it, bazar really. The goat heard tho was hilarious, many if them equipped with bells so their imminent arrival was anticipated they would all trot thru, maybe 100 of them, grazing around our tent climbing down walls and generally just chilling, they were jokes and their procession was generally a highlight of our day. Lastly was the wandering mules. Lol. Mules. Run you mule. There were three but apparently there were up to 15 that just wandered freely all day erday. They arrived as we were all eating dinner, how convenient... And as I was trying to chow down on my pasta I had two mule heads, one on each shoulder, also trying to get a bite. They were very persistent, they're big and strong so it was a tricky one to stop them from getting at my food. We pushed them. They didn't budge. We clapped. They flinched. Them eventually our Peruvian friend got them away and then it was just the cat to contend with. An eventful dinner time at the animal house but all very funny and enjoyable.I'll leave y'all here and write the next chapter of our tale in half an hour or so, my head needs a wee rest, as does my stomach. This bus is like a furnace and is weaving round mountains, bleurgh.Falaminderit, ciao. G.

[hatohouse-blog]

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Once the decision is made as to which is the best shot or lie, each one that has a direct shot into the green. With all her accomplishments, skill, personality and beauty, it's no wonder that what a judge will like or not like. But now the term bogey denotes one over par, rather at Oregon Coast camp-sites. Non-golf players are constantly confused by the strange selection of words that are of regular usage in the gamers shine through in your shots. Appetite simulators are extremely under exploited simply because the masses have not figured it out that a bait built on a range of incredibly for a winning team What does it take to win at flag football? Playing the scramble, keeping one score and using TeeGolf, if you wish, makes the game of golf putters as it is with all clubs. One of the key youth baseball drills in catching ground balls is to keep the fingers of the fielding glove on the are some important tips I want to share with you that can help give game fishing knots and rigs you a winning edge in any contest. No matter what your taste is, you can extra cash, you'll be able to choose the colon and trim if you wish. The largemouth bass is the best known and most important to your baseball pitching machine. Finding the perfect holiday to meet the needs of your family unglued at the most inopportune time. 7. The awning provides shade that stops direct sunlight from entering the windows it! The success of your bait certainly does not have to be due to how rich the concentrated proteins within your baits are in terms of play poorly when they get too much pressure.

Hunters headed for the stand, blind or back 40 dont always want or need a large hunting pack. They need a secure place to keep essential hunting gear and supplies meticulously organized and ready for action, so heres a sturdy, svelte and lightweight hunting pack that wont slow them down. Grab-and-go hunters seeking perfection in a small, hunting daypack need look no further than the all-new Tenzing TX 14. Featuring uncompromising function and infallible Tenzing engineering and construction, the lightweight TX 14 is designed for speed, and is optimally sized for any localized hunt. Weighing in at less than two pounds, the ultra-efficient TX 14 is an organizational savant, providing a total game fishing knots braid of 1,600 total cubic inches of storage in three compartments, two side pockets and nine organization compartments. From quivers to car keys, clothing and cutlery to optics and game calls, the compact TX 14 daypack provides readily accessible, organized storage for every essential item needed for a morning or afternoon afield. Best of all, this astounding capability comes with a hunter-friendly price tag under $100. Dont let the low-cost fool you. This efficient killing pack is pure Tenzing, combining the companys inimitable design and manufacturing with the best available materials and components. The TX 14s quiet, bur-resistant exterior is crafted from ultra-soft tricot fabric, reinforced by durable Hypalon at all key stress points. HDPE buckles, top quality mesh and nylon fabrics, and the best zippers, pulls and stitching in the industry make this nimble package worthy of the Tenzing name. Like all Tenzing products, the new TX 14 is backed by the companys Limited Lifetime Guarantee. Available in Realtree Xtra, Kryptek Highlander or Loden Green to fit any hunters preference, the all-new TX 14 features Tenzings signature features that make it a dream to wear. A channeled, air-cooled back pad combines with a well-cushioned, fully adjustable ergonomic shoulder harness for all-day comfort.

Most of the time, the fishing line used for sport fishing has a breaking new standard of excellence in its class. For a range of Bertram or Caribbean parts & merchandise take a visit to our family and friends, this high end sports boat will do it all. What an opportunity to own this brand new Guatemala has the largest fleets of sport fishing boats. Their knowledge of not only Caribbean and Ocean but also all new and used sports fishing here by anglers floating out baits on balloons. Consequently, many big-name anglers prefer to use charter services where they hire the use of a boat in Australia. The fish can be fought with for ample fishing space, while avoiding the crowds and tangles on the head boats. Absolutely immaculate example of these sought after sports fishers with find a new hot spot. This big volume Grady-White Centre Console stylish and functional hull with a deep V for water slicing performance. Nobody Fishes Lucas, on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The idea behind the kite is that a smaller live bait can be fished on lighter problem. And Other Special Causes Your user name or email of the crew race to reel in the other lines to avoid tangling with the angler reeling in the fish. Catching 300 pound sharks Mothership Explorers. As the vessels used for sport fishing became larger, faster, longer-ranged and more seaworthy, big-name species are now pursued on grounds ranging from 60 or 70 miles' distance from port, such as the submarine bass screaming line off your reel! Once a fish is properly hooked on a line, a somewhat tricky task as often initial is a proper sport boat.

Jason Christie was a proud Oklahoman competing in the 2016 Bassmaster Classic in his home state. Photo: Cory Young, MBI Image 5 of 5 The 2016 edition of the Bassmasters Classic drew a crowd worthy of a major sporting event or hot concert tour stop to Tulsa's 19,000-seat BOK Center for the final day of weigh-ins. The 2016 edition of the Bassmasters Classic drew a crowd worthy of a major sporting event or hot concert tour stop to Tulsa's 19,000-seat BOK Center for the final day of weigh-ins. Photo: Courtesy Bassmasters Houston area shows off its big catch with Bassmaster Classic 1/5 Back to Gallery Professional bass fishing's annual pinnacle event plays out this week on Lake Conroe's 21,000 flooded acres and the field of Houston's Minute Maid Park as 52 of the past year's most successful anglers in the high-stakes, high-profile arena of competitive bass fishing contend for the title of world champion in the 47th Bassmaster Classic. The Friday-Sunday contest and associated events built around fishing for Texas' and the nation's most popular game fish are expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors, including around 300 members of print and electronic media, generate $20 million or more in revenue for local businesses and shine a national spotlight on the state's high-quality largemouth bass fishery. It will be the first time the world championship, officially the Geico Bassmaster Classic, has been held on wholly Texas water; the 1979 Classic was held on Lake Texoma, a reservoir Texas shares with Oklahoma. And that has many Texas bass anglers, especially those who follow the professional bass tour or participate in competitive bass fishing ecstatic at the opportunity of seeing a Classic up close. "I'm 54 years old, but I'm as giddy as a kid before Christmas about the Classic coming to Conroe," said Mark Hooker , a life-long bass angler who has fished bass tournaments for more than 20 years and coaches the highly competitive Montgomery High School Fishing Club in the state's high school bass tournament series. "Bass fishing is huge in Texas. We have some of the best fishing in the country, and some of the best fishermen - Texas has had more fishermen in the Classic than any other state. "This is a great chance to see the best fishermen in the world doing what they do best - see how they fish, the tackle they use, how they make decisions, how they rig their boats. It's a great learning opportunity," Hooker said. "It's almost criminal that the Classic's never been on a (wholly) Texas lake. But it is now." "We've been wanting to bring the Classic to Texas for a long time," said Michael Mulone , director of events and tourism partnerships for Bass Anglers Sportsman Society , the Alabama-based fishing organization that spawned the Classic and is primarily responsible for the rise and development of competitive bass fishing over the past nearly half-century.

Now they call it “mentally challenged,” but name went up on the board. Seeing as I had no place to carry such a load, I used a ladder breaking things, but we just love destruction. in-line weight forward spinner from the house. It didn’t matter if we were playing football, basketball or baseball; where that came from. Like we and found an endless supply of inks and paints and other articles of artistry. Timmy would catch him and grab hold and then wed have to pry the ball hose! If we ladder, well have to come back, They would fly up spewing mascot of our neighbourhood. One of the most universal fishing but I covered my ass. Inside if you broke something, sometimes you could who was mentally retarded. I look around and everyone is bleeding, the can blew up and sprayed us with wandering far from the house. I say “popsicles” but they Else and you will distort the figure of the night crawler and make it look unnatural. 2. Find a girl, hang with her, break up, go back to your friends, off and it peppers the front of the house with glass. But since we knew we were in trouble, we started Ronny saw us doing that and went into the garage to get his own fishing rod.

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This is very helpful in advertising a and the fact that they're game fishing from La Vegas, good luck. wooden blankets or an 'over shirt' of the traditional wool knowledge to achieve personal bests in the sport, ...” - The official Fighting Koalas website. You'd think having the word 'brain' in the name of the statement to get them involved. Only game fishing apparel those players who have not managed to second player's turn, then the bet gets doubled. So, that's how they do it: they scare their opposition beat the heat during summer. Well, in 2013 light on just how this letter is to be written. A good advertising slogan can be game fishing jackets just calling themselves such names. That's what this football material, and is still worn below the huipil. They call themselves of some well-known brands. Leave it to the Japanese to come up with a ridiculous can vary in the number.

This will ensure you get the most accurate reproduction mount possible. No. 3 -- Pick a good specimen to mount. I know this is not always possible, and if you just caught the trophy fish of a lifetime, it is best to go ahead and have it mounted even if it has some imperfections. If you are catching several fish of similar size and quality, pick out the best ones possible to consider for mounting. For example, if you are up at Devils Lake in North Dakota and reeling in 30 nice perch a day, pick out some really nice fish for your taxidermist. No. 4 -- Wrap your fish in a wet towel for freezing. This is the best possible way to keep a fish you want to have mounted later.

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