#it has stories that aren’t in the regular more classic bible

[thevoidofthevoid]

Next time you see a Christian ask them their thoughts on the Ethiopian bible

[sanstropfremir]

kingdom episode 5 review!!! lets fucking go!!!!!

 look. was i insanely hyped for this episode? yes. was my hype justified? also yes. holy FUCKING SHIT. you’ll have to forgive me for going off the rails at some points because ateez and btob directly tapped into something primal in my brain and i am obsessed. i'm obsessed. there’s no other word for it I’m obsessed. 

 ok ok ok i'll focus. i'm focused. i'll do the stage breakdown first and then do my personal ranking at the end. i might do a quick runup comparison of the self and expert rankings for funsies but i'll see how i feel when i get there. instead of going in airing order i’m gonna reverse it, since that was the order i actually watched them in and also i will run out of brains if i talk about rhythm ta first.

skz

i feel for skz. i don't think this show is going to be as much of learning curve as it needs to be for them because the fan voting skews the rankings so much. I’ve said it so many times before, but letting something flop or getting a bad ranking is actually good, because it shows you that you need to improve. because skz keeps getting validated by the fan rankings and placing first in the last two stages, they aren't actually taking the time to evaluate what about their stages is or isn't working. and besides, we’ve now seen two very similar concepts in a row from them, just one is on a grander scale than the other. what they should be doing is what both ateez and btob did for this round, which was scale up production value, but scale down concept. i know this sounds weird but i'll explain. skz has done two very abstract and ‘grand’ concepts. first round we had ghosts/good self vs evil self, and this stage they just went straight for the throat with a deal with the devil type stage. now when you combine these very abstract concepts with an unclear narrative arc, you lose clarity of intent in the performance because there are no specifics that you’re playing off of. there’s a lot more places left up to personal interpretation and this is where people can get lost. btob and ateez both narrowed down their concepts to hyperspecific scenarios where they very clearly showing the audience the arc the stage is taking. audiences can be smart but also if you can lead them by the hand they like not thinking about highly conceptual ideas, and especially not so much in a pop song competition show.

 costume

this is so rare because generally stylists are pretty careful about this, but i genuinely think they got outshone by the backup dancers, especially in the ‘heaven’ sequence. those sash and skirt combos with the strapped white tops that look like straitjackets? the fucking angel wings?! these are some thematically fun costume designs and because they’re white they stand out so much more when skz are wearing black. i also think i've seen these tops on backup dancers before? i thought it was on the last stage but i might be going insane.

i am a sucker for beaded embroidery and the combined dyework on some of their sashes is beautiful. but again, thematically irrelevant? at least you can see the greco-roman inspiration in the backup dancers’ costumes. all this is telling me is that whoever the stitchers are at jype, they are fucking incredible, but they don’t actually have a good designer because the main costumes for all their stages have been both aesthetically similar and thematically irrelevant.

again, i applaud skz for trying more experimental makeup, but boys you have to go bigger, it has no impact right now.

set

well, i did ask for them to commit to the western art bit and they sort of delivered? the first space is not planned very well and combined with the wide wide camera shots instead of making the space seem grand and sweeping it just seems bare. the ‘heaven’ side was excellent though, there was much better control of the camera and the columns and altar scaled the space down so it was more believable. also the breakable columns were fun and corny and i love it when stuff gets destroyed onstage.

the child statue transformation into actual child was a neat trick that i think landed really well. i wish they had given that concept a little more grounding other than the flashback bit but it was still very readable.

i know using rodin's gates of hell is the easiest way to shortcut saying that like, “you are now entering hell,” but them being used SO literally feels a bit blunt when the last time we saw them used in kpop was by original blasphemous catholic lee taemin, who used them with such nuance and intelligence that i'm a bit put off by skz’s literalism.

on that note, i find it very interesting the conflation that happens between greco-roman/”classical” aesthetics and catholicism, because ideologically the two are opposed (see: the bible) and historically, they didn't exist at the same time. now i'm not going to go off on a tangent about neoclassicism because you are not here for an art history lecture but i thought i would make the observation about how catholics continued appropriation of greco-roman aesthetics without complete understanding or context of those aesthetics is as pervasive as it ever has been in the last several hundred years. 

lighting

generally the lighting is pretty good, but there’s an over-reliance on projections that cheapens the look of the stage but also devalues the intentions as well. at the core of it there’s a profound statement being made about trading away your innocence, but when you underscore that with like, clock graphics and a WoW looking demon, it loses that simplicity of message.

the thing about using this particular type of projection, which are actually screens and not typical projectors, is that screens always throw light. and due to where they are situated, this basically means that if you're using the screens at full capacity with a cool colour range, we are going to be able to see everything. this is another contributing factor to why the stage looks so empty; they’re lighting up everything and it exposes where the gaps are.

now i fully acknowledge that this possibly could have been a deliberate choice, since they do actually use some spot lighting at the beginning and end. however, if it was it did not land for me. 

i loved the intro of demon felix done in blue, that was a nice switchup from what we would usually see, but i wish there was more of a coherent colour arc. like the narrative it stutters around a bit.

sound

the arrangement was a miss for me. i found it a bit dissonant again, like their last stage, since the original i'll be your man has obvious lyrics about a good christian boy being sad about a girl. this gets a bit wonky conceptually as soon as you add a child self into it. i don’t know if they changed any of the lyrics in the singing to match this a little more because i don't speak korean, so i'll have to wait for episode subs for verification. 

i really applaud them for trying, and overall they didn't actually do that bad, but skz is not a vocal group. the most i'm going to say about it is that these boys don’t have the breath support. this is likely because they're trying to do choreographically complex movements, but also it's a training thing. you can hear the difference even just between eunkwang’s ‘vocal warmup’ at the beginning of back door, he’s not projecting full voice but he still has the breath support for his voice to sound full, whereas all skz boys sound thin in comparison, even when at full volume, because they’re trying to project from the throat and not the chest. that's all i'm gonna say about that. i don't think the cracked note was bad, i didn’t really clock it on first listen.

staging

thematically they could have had something really interesting here if they stuck to a more simple narrative arc. the genesis (i’m very funny) of the idea here is good, the whole mephistopheles deal with a devil + regret/loss of innocence is clear, but the arc isn't really an arc, and the colour story doesn't help. it kind of goes earth (green/blue) -> the gates of hell are opening (red) -> oh it's heaven now (blue) -> oh just kidding it's hell/lets destroy heaven (red) -> back to earth (blue). not necessarily a bad arc, just a bit complex for four minutes.

the choreo was a lot better this time, there was a lot more intention and relevance to theme and i didn’t feel like they were flailing for the sake of flailing as much as i have in their other stages. there was also a clarity in the overall blocking and movement patterns that was missing from their other stages. this stage has a really great handoff of each member playing the ‘main’ character, especially in the beginning. i especially liked the cut from falling off the stairs to laying centre stage. 

i think I’m right in assuming that it was a choice that the members were all playing the same character and demon felix was that character possessed rather than the actual devil, but personally i think it would have been a lot more fun if they had straight up just made him be the actual devil. there’s a bit of dissonance when you have a performer with such a specialized skillset that gets used in very specific instances, but then he shows up in the regular group choreo like any ol’ guy. they always put such emphasis on felix (as they should, he’s their most charismatic performer), but they never go the distance. i would have loved it if they had committed to the bit like TOO did in their magnolia stage from rtk, where they had a member just be blinded justice. that was literally the only thing he did and it worked so well. could have done the same here with felix and it would have been fun. that being said the felix parts were SO good. love love love him getting dragging in chains.

 btob

this hit every little one of the buttons in my tiny backstage crew brain. i'm in love with this stage. there’s so many true to life little details here that on repeat viewings you're still finding new things. i know i rag on and on about narrative every week but here is a good example of what i've been trying to get at this whole time: the stage needs a shape. an a to b. you don't need a whole pirates spiel or a game of thrones theme extended universe; all you need is a clear setting and a point a to point b. this stage has both those things perfectly. we have a hyperspecific setting, (american rockstars) and a basic arc (getting ready to perform -> performing). even though back door is outside of btob’s wheelhouse, they spun it in a way that played to their strengths and did a bit braggadocio, which is rightfully earned. i'm gonna be saying it every time but the experience shows!!!

 costume

good contemporary costume is SO difficult, i want to impress that here. because it's the the time period that we are currently living and seeing every day it's so easy for the audience to spot mistakes. although yes it's easier to source/shop for, to get it good enough that it doesn't pull people out of the immersion is surprisingly more difficult than you think. their stylists did an excellent job here. the backup dancers and btob are all in monochrome plus one and it adds a very clean unity to everything without visual clutter.

each of btob’s costumes have enough to give indication of character, along with the member’s acting, which i'll get more into in the staging section. regardless, never underestimate the power of a good fitting shirt and statement belt. oh and minhyuk in the stirrup motorcycle boots with the skinny jeans and the supreme boxers and the red satin robe? good bye.

i love love love a dyed buzz this was such a good aesthetic choice for peniel, 10/10 i have no complaints about the costumes.

set

oh my god i’m gonna french kiss this set designer. this is such a simple set but it’s executed so well. there’s the ‘backstage’ area, the corridor with four dressing rooms, and then the ‘stage’ that’s pretty much just velvet ropes. so simple, but all the detail is in the set decoration and props. the road cases, the monitor, the subtle flex of the posters of them on the walls, the clothing racks, all the booze. although this is not the actual layout of any theatre (they're normally much weirder than this), there’s so many little details here that really make the experience.

there’s a very straightforward path here and it works so well. i think this might be the best use of the gates so far? it appropriately suited the drama of the moment and they didn't have to do anything to them because they're already in a theatre. bada bing bada boom.

lighting

love the setup and continuation through the amber ‘BRRRMM.’ like with sf9 it gives a smooth transition into the stage. also loved no blackout. it's a general rule in current theatrical practice that you only use blackouts when they are absolutely necessary, because they can stop the pacing of a play dead in the water. so the lack of one here at the start of the stage was a really smart choice and makes the transition feel less jarring.

i will say that actual backstage areas are very rarely lit with amber because it travels far and it's bright. it's much more common to see running lights (the lights on during a performance) to be deep red or blue.

those blasting wash lights as the gates open? the DRAMA. such a seemingly innocuous choice that really cements the atmosphere of ‘we are about to perform.’

really smart use of the projections to accentuate the already existing stage facilities. it's pretty much unnoticable because it's very well done but i appreciate it.

sound

this ARRANGEMENT!!!! it's so good!!! back door has this premise essentially built into the song so it was so smart of them to put this gimmicky spin on it. loved the literal interpretation of the knocks into the structure of the stage, it makes the blend between the sound design and the staging that much more effective.

more rock versions of everything please and thank you. 

btob is just stunting at this point and i love it. i'll have to wait for subs but judging by the hands in front of the camera bit and the ‘your super high note’ i’m pretty confident the added rap lyrics are full of shots at the other groups and honestly? valid.

staging

there's some really sharp camera control here with the one take first half. It’s up very close and personal because there’s a lack of space but it really works for the ‘intimacy’ of seeing backstage at a venue. also this is such a simple movement track but it’s so effective. it backs over a couple spots but it doesn't feel repetitive because there’s a sense of urgency and drive.

there are so many good little details in here that are true to life and unnecessary to include but sell the performance as a whole. peniel flinging water onstage, minhyuk stripping down twice and flinging his clothes around, minhyuk closing the door on the standby’s face, the backup dancer as a dresser with the laundry basket, peniel stealing the hat off her but then not going on stage with it these are all things that I’ve either had directly happen to me or something very similar has happened. but the best one and the one that sets off the tone amazingly for the whole stage is eunkwang’s intro. that ‘vocal warmup’ with the quiet okay at the end? with the little jump? i see that moment of vulnerability before the transition between person and actor every time i watch someone go onstage for the first time and there’s no way to describe it other than magic. 

the luxury of only having four members, there was actually time in this stage to establish character. it also speaks to the performing strength of btob that they can establish clear character in this short amount of time. obviously it’s pretty one dimensional; there’s serious eunkwang, typical rocker minhyuk, fuckboy peniel (how many licks does it take to make your tootsie pop, anyone?), and comedian changsub. i’ve seen and met and worked with these exact dudes many, many times. ugh i love this stage

 ateez

the utter euphoria i felt at the proof that last round’s stage wasn't a fluke. this stage is so good. it's so good. i'm obsessed with how good this stage. as an unreformed pop punk teen who played a LOT of latin jazz i am LIVING. if you’ve only seen the episode cut and not the full version here i'll make it easy and link it for you because oh my GOD mnet destroyed the pacing by cutting in a full minute and a half of reaction shots. actually mnet fucked up the pacing for all of these stages but this one was the worst. and look. i know this is the closest these boys are going to get to being real punks and this is a carefully curated and artificial facade for narrative purposes only but oh the pandering tastes so sweet. regardless of that, i am IN AWE of the level of storytelling happening here. the narrative is so clear on just the first viewing even though there is so much going on and they use every possible element they can to further enhance that narrative. repeat viewings just add more and more little details. i’ll probably miss some things because there's so much but i'll try my best.

 costume

look, hanya and i were joking that my notes for this stage were just gonna be ‘san dog collar’ for a thousand words and i was so tempted to just leave it at that because.....woof. so here is a short list of things i am the most obsessed with:

san dog collar

san smeared lipstick

wooyoung cruella deville ponytail

hongjoong terrible blond crewcut

san crushed velvet cargo pants?!

seonghwa cropped fur jacket

yunho arm sleeve

hongjoong sockless in red derbys

but in all seriousness the costumes are so good. none of these are truly authentic punk looks but they capture the spirit right and that's what matters. all the right trappings are there; safety pins, patches, plaid, leather, and a lot of diy type looks. i love the painted masks, especially as a callback to the comedy/tragedy theatre masks. it was a thematic choice to have the backup dancers in black and the tac vests are a super simple contextual device.

also hongjoong’s quickchange hat/jacket combo is super fun and i hope that’s intentionally a preview of the next stage.

set

if you weren't convinced before that whoever is designing the ateez stages is a stage designer, i don't know what to tell you. it's hard to tell because there is so much environmental storytelling happening, but there is NO large scale set here. like with their last stage, kq smartly put money into two highlight pieces; the anarchist blimp and the van/wall, and the rest of the stage atmosphere is established solely through propwork and lighting. just think about that for a bit. every other group has some kind of large scale room or wall build. ateez has a bunch of tables, flyers, and a podium. i don’t know if i can accurately communicate just how difficult this kind of coordination is to pull off but holy fucking shit this is so hard to pull off. these are theatre people i see you and i see your work and i love you!!!

they fully used the gilt mnet stage as their pseudo government building and it works. everything about this (lack of) set is so smart i wish i could be more articulate about it but there’s so only so many ways i can say the same thing over and over again. 

lighting

the laser scopes. the LASER SCOPES!!! god this lighting designer is so good. whoever you are, i'm acknowledging your effort because you deserve it. there’s some really wonderful contrast and directional lighting: the van light, the pinlights/lasers/smoke as searchlights. a lot of atmospheric red lighting but it makes sense for the theme (alarm lights) and they offset it well (unlike in the other two predominantly red stages we’ve seen) by fill lighting the faces with blue or amber; this is what actually makes us able to see what’s happening on stage

the projections are used to augment the stage action in without being overpowering, they're at relatively low tonal value so they aren't lighting up the stage at full brightness like in the skz stage. 

the big brother eye on the tv screens (it's just a projection, not actual screens) combined with the government ban notice and the broadcast has to be the record for fastest visual explanation of fascist totalitarian state. 

sound

i love it. they really successfully made rhythm ta into an ateez song and it’s cool as fuck. i love that it isn't sonically very loud. a lot of the chorus is actually quite level tone and quiet, which is a bold choice and they pull it off. this is very comfortably in their range (excluding jongho) and they went more for style than range and that's exactly what every group should be doing. singing high does not equal singing good. yes i am looking at you jongho you should have stopped at that penultimate note, it was fine!!

using rhythm ta as a pseudo protest song against a fascist government that’s banned all music and art? galaxy brain. that intro of hongjoong whispering “hey hey hey hey, this is just a song so get on the rhythm” after gunning down military police/guards? king fucking shit.

staging

i will eat all five pairs of my fluevog boots if kq hasn't hired a bunch of theatre professionals to direct and design these stages because now it's been proven that last stage wasn't a fluke. the level of execution at work here is absolutely incredible. oh the gesamtkunstwerk of it all!!!  there is SO much happening so quickly in this four minute stage and it still manages to convey exactly the correct amount of information that it needs to on the first go round, and it only gets better on repeat viewings.

they use a really classic theatre perspective trick with san climbing the rope, and they absolutely didn’t have to do that. san probably could have actually climbed that himself, but here they made a choice for aesthetic artistry over tricking/other feats of skills we’ve seen the 4th gen groups do. instead of going with the more technically difficult and ‘impressive’ option, they chose the simple way that allows for more character to shine through. there’s actually very little tricking in this stage as whole, they're putting trust in the design of the stage and the raw performance abilities of the members to carry the stage and they stick the landing again. san has some breakdancing and so do the backup dancers, but it’s window dressing in the same way that the flyers are window dressing.

there’s a lot of really good little moments of acting that really sell the performance and dedication of the group as a whole to giving their all. hongjoong overall in his cocky aspirational leader role, seonghwa’s first verse and malfunctioning earpiece bit, san’s falsetto hostage interrogation bit. also i'm obsessed with how far yunho just hucks that mask. he gets like fifteen feet of air with that thing. also props to hongjoong barehanding that glass break.

the paper props are impeccable. the first notice sets up the situation right away, and then we get some further exposition with the newspaper wooyoung is holding (which says ‘the central government has defined the black pirates as a terrorist’ but honestly you don't really need to know what it says to get the point), and then we have raining anarchist flyers from the anarchist blimp. great atmospheric touches.

the blackout crash-to-mask transition is just so good. this is an example of a good use of a blackout. nothing else to add i just thought i would point it out because it's dope.

like with btob there's some really tight camera control here, that along with the lighting and the way they've laid out the space make it easy to follow the trajectory of where they're going and also make the space seem smaller than it is. this is a really big stage and if you don't control how you want it to be seen you end up like with what happened to the first part of skz’s stage. i wish they had tracked some of the one takes a bit better, but the end of that take where the camera followed the group movement laterally and then the formation swung around to face front? sexy. surprisingly the editing is pretty ok.

there’s probably still so much i could talk about but this is already so long so if i missed something just let me know.

ok finally lets do some rankings

personal ranking

this round wasn't as tough to rank because there were two clear top tier stages for me. i actually went back and looked at my ranking from last round and this is identical except the top two spots are switched, which i find extremely funny. however in contrast to last round, these stages were all leagues better than their predecessors. all the groups are improving, just some at greater speed than others.

ateez - i'm not even gonna explain this one.

btob - i won't explain this one either since i just did that.

sf9 - this would have been first if ateez and btob hadnt blow everyone out of the water.i still think they made all the right choices and played to their strengths.

ikon - this stage is so fun to watch but the others offer me more. that’s it.

skz - i like the idea behind it and i loved felix; i'm always down for some good catholic fuckery but like last round it just wasn't played out far enough.

tbz - double ding on the moulin rouge and the continued game of thrones references for me. there were a lot of strong elements here but when compared to every other stage it just doesn't have the same gravitas.

the self rankings i thought were fairly accurate, but again, what the fuck is up with these expert rankings? who are these experts? what stages are they watching?? i won't go more into it than that because then you'll be here even longer but i don't trust these experts who consistently rank btob at the bottom, do you have eyes??? ears????

 ok i'm done for real now im so sorry this 4.6k words......if you make it this far do something nice for yourself like eat a cookie or something. this is way too long you deserve a reward for making it through my nonsense. as always if you’ve got questions or want to share your opinions feel free to send me an ask!

[skin-slave]

That RPF answer was awesome. I'd really love to hear more about the Tijuana Bibles, please?

*breaks knuckles* Time to ramble about junk again, boys.

Tijuana Bibles are little booklets, usually made in the 20s-60s, but some ppl still make them for fun or as art. They're mostly smut, but also have humor, political messages, inappropriate themes, etc. Some of the characters are OCs, some are comic/cartoon characters, and some are well-known figures, like actors. They were illegal, made anonymously, and sold in secret.

They were called Tijuana Bibles to imply that they were smuggled from Mexico. (In line with "Tijuana donkey shows," which also weren't a real thing.) They were also called a lot of other things, like eight-pagers and bluesies. They were sold under the counter or out of ppl's pockets. Organized crime was sometimes blamed, but it's more likely that most printers had presses for making labels and just switched to Bibles as a side gig.

What's important about them - other than the rpf angle - is that they were subversive "low-brow" art, made by regular ppl, for regular ppl. Though they absolutely did make money, they weren't marketable. The art wasn't expected to be consistent, so while some artists were actual pros *cough*Wesley Morse*cough* most of them weren't. The stories were meant to entertain, not to be classics. The creators were diverse (well, more diverse than in commercial products) bc they didn't have to fit any standard. There was no standard. Bibles were trash. Delightful trash, by the ppl, for the ppl.

They're considered by many to be some of the earliest comix, and I agree. Comix - underground comic books that gave a voice to social movement groups, women, the queer community, and other minorities - circumvented the rules for comics via self-publishing and clandestine distributing. If you ask me, and you did lol, that's a significant part of the heritage of fanfic/art as we know it now. Our beautiful mix of voices that would never otherwise be heard, speaking truth and entertaining our small but important audiences.

Going back to the Bibles specifically, the fact that they used various interpretations of beloved characters mixed with OCs makes them fanfic/art. They're tangible proof that we're wired to be inspired (can I get that on a pillow?) and to imagine so much more for the characters we love. They're a historical example of the fact that transformative art doesn't erode the source material, as they had little to no impact on the inspiration.

And they're proof that commercial art, while very valuable, isn't a barometer for our needs or wants. The secret art that we make for each other has always been sexual, dark, humorous, imperfect, gross, bizarre, and free. It embodies the things we aren't getting from "appropriate" media. It's where we find our niche content that no one can afford to publicly endorse. It's our own little world where we escape being told what to look at, and make what we want to look at.

It's also Mae West fucking Popeye. And I think that's beautiful.

[myupostsheadcanons]

Books “Read” in 2019

I am going to rank these by how much i enjoyed them vs. any actual literary quality. often well written books aren’t always the most entertaining books.

Note: i listen to many of these books at work, which is why i am able to go through so many of them in a year.

List from 2017 List from 2018

------- My Favs of the Year ----

Novels from The First Law:

Best Served Cold (#1), The Heroes(#3), Red Country(#4), Sharp Ends(#5).

A Little Hatred (#2) (Age of Madness, sequel to The First Law)

I read “The First Law Trilogy” about a year or two ago and finally got around to reading the rest of the books, just in time for a new series taking place in the same world to start up (Age of Madness) and now i am waiting like everybody else for the next two books to come out in 2020 and 2021. A Little Hatred shouldn’t be read as a stand alone, a lot of what goes on is dependent mainly on knowledge from the first trilogy and in The Heroes, then bits and pieces from Best Served Cold and Red Country. So much of your enjoyment of each book is based on what you’ve learned in other ones (character development or seemingly useless information being not so useless later).

Age of Legend (Book 4,  Legend of the First Empire)

This is more-or-less an “aftermath” book where the main characters are still reeling about what happened in the previous book and are trying to make plans for what they are going to do next. I still like the characters and the world/setting it takes place in.

House of Assassins (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, Book 2)

I’ve been waiting for the next book in this series to come out the second i finished the first book in the series. It is one of those Science fiction in the disguise of Fantasy settings and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see how that plot/revelation comes out (I am certain that the location the story takes place is Earth, more specifically around Asia/India, but in a post-invasion apocalypse setting where nobody remembers anything prior to the invasion). I also really like how much of a badass Ashok is... i have a thing for emotionally stunted badass characters, especially when their flaws are held up to a mirror and have real consequences.

R. R. Haywood’s Worldship Humility & Extinct (Extracted, Book 3)

I love the way Haywood writes characters and dialog. I was at-first iffy about WSH, but was won over after i warmed up to the new characters.

Shades of Magic Trilogy (A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, A Conjuring of Shadows)

Solid multi-verse and magic system world. Well-written characters, some minor nitpicks on plot points, but can be easily ignored. LGBTQ rep, the gays don’t stay buried.

“Don’t you have enough [knives]?” “You can never have too many.” [me, every time: LOL]

One of the few times when a character deserves a redemption arc, doesn’t really get one, dies, and i am perfectly fine with it because it is done well.

Assassin’s Fate (Fitz and the Fool, Book 3)

I read this one in book-book form, but i already knew most of the emotionally painful parts of the book by spoiling it to myself when it first came out a couple years ago. The main appeal is the inner monologues of the two main characters, even if like 50% of this trilogy is basically spending weeks/months trying to go from Point A to Point B, when many other books would have glossed over the details of travel.. but you can really feel the stress as they dwell in their thoughts and struggles.

Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles & Circe

Re-Imagining of the Iliad and The Odyssey. Focusing not on the characters of Achilles or Odysseus, but on Petroclus (Achilles’ lover) and Circe the sea nymph witch that Odysseus had an affair and child with.

The Spear of the Stars (Cycle of Galand, Book 5)

Still love Dante and Bleys... This is where they really get into the meat of world building and solving the mysteries of the Arawn Cycle (the book/bible) and peel back the layers of their reality.

Dust (Silo Book 3)

A great ending to a good series, it answers whether or not humanity can or has survived what had caused them to be locked away in the silos.

Blackthorn and Grim (Dreamer’s Pool, Tower of Thorns, Den of Wolves)

I like the premise of the books, the two main characters first seeking out revenge, but end up wanting to become better people due to magic shenanigans.... One part Fantasy, One Part Mystery, One Part Lovestory.

The Dispatcher (Audible Free Book) 

I want a whole series based off this novella. It is John Scalzi so he can write a good story. I had previously read Android’s Dream by him, which it didn’t make it into my top-10 that year, but was still decent, even if the subject matter was a bit gross... The Dispatcher world is a Sci-Fi Noir, not quite Cyberpunk, where people don’t die by anything other than natural causes. The Dispatcher’s job is to kill people before something goes does wrong and the person “resets” to when they where safe and sound.

---- this is the “Above Average” Zone ----

All the Pretty Horses & Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West

The master of bleak and depressing fiction. if regular Dark Fiction isn’t enough for you.... there is Cormac McCarthy books. Get use to the “purple prose” that fills up pages with no dialog.

The Golem and the Jinni

Supernatural world of the far past dealing with Edwardian New York and Immigration. It not only is a “fish out of water” story of the two main characters trying to fit in with society but they are among communities that are also new to America and trying to find their own place in the world. There are love subplots but most of those kind of fizzle out.

The Axe and the Throne: Bounds of Redemption Vol. 1.

“Discount First Law” book... it is lacking the dark humor that made TFL series far more entertaining.  This was also the book that was prefaced by warning people about how grim and dark the setting was... Hahahaha. I still found it entertaining none the less, and hope the rest would show up on audible soon.

Black Snow, White Crow (Audible Free Book) 

Another one of those short stories that should have a larger saga to its name. Fantasy Industrial Punk. It has the whole equality role reversal thing going on, it isn’t done quite as well as Left Hand of Darkness (but that book leaned onto the boring side of things).

Stephen King’s IT, Pet Semetary, and Carrie

It’s Stephen King. Classic King. Not much else to say.

Watership Down

Depressing Rabbit Book. Though I did like all the stories and mythology the rabbits had.

Bloody Acquisitions (Fred the Vampire Accountant, Book 3)

A series that is always fun to listen to. I wish the audio books were cheaper because they are rather short.

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, Book 4)

shuddup, i don’t care if it is Rowling... i have a low-key crush on Cormoran.... he just hits that big-burly tragic-backstory man-shaped soft-spot of mine. These stories are also her “for adults” writings so...  expect more racism and garbage values.

The Eye of the World (Book 1, Wheel of Time)

Classic set up to a long running series, though i am reluctant to go further as the middling books in this series are said to drag out the story too much.... It’s not as self-centered as Wizard’s First Rule and the characters are more relatable and stick to their fantasy tropes. This is the “mold” that other modern fantasy try to subvert by going “darker and edgier.”

The Exorcist

If you like the movie, read the book. There is a lot of back story that the movie wasn’t able to adapt.

---- This is the “AVERAGE, but Still Good”  Zone ---

The Iliad and The Odyssey

Classics. I am still on the hunt for an unabridged version of Jason and the Argonauts story. I also have Virgil’s Aeneid in my wishlist to get too soon.

Phillipa Gregory’s Plantagonate Novels (The Lady of the Rivers, The Red Queen, White Queen, The Kingmaker’s Daughter)

Sometimes it is like reading the same book 5x in a row. other times you end up not liking the previous protagonist in a book you just finished reading because of how the current protagonist sees them from their POV.

Return of the King (Lord of the Rings, Book 3)

Read the other books last year and didn’t get around to this one for a few months.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Fuck... I’m a janitor... why can’t i afford a house?   If you liked Stephen King’s “IT” go back and read this book.

Alien Franchise Dramatizations: Alien: Sea of Sorrows, Alien: The Cold Forge (Audible Free Book) Alien III (Audible Free Book)

I don’t mind that they all are done with a full cast. Though often I end up wanting to find the actual book and listen to them with just one narrator and descriptions.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Narnia, Book 1)

I would like to get the rest of the books in this series, but for books that are only 5-7 hours long they want 20$ a book for them. It needs to go into an omnibus.

Stephen Fry’s Victorian Secrets (Audible Free Book)

It’s Stephen Fry... he’s funny and a good narrator.

Wizard’s First Rule (Book 1, Sword of Truth)

I don’t like Richard. He started off alright, but even before he got tortured 2/3rds into the book, i was starting to dislike his personality.  Other than that, the side characters and world are solid, but it was like taking an R-rated movie and cutting it down for TV. There is somethings that are vaguely described when i am use to harder fiction like ASoIaF, The First Law, Dresden, and McCarthy books actually describing those things.

Halloween (2018, movie novel)

Like I said when i first read the book, it would’ve benefited by a second re-write before being published. But, i like the movie and so I liked the book.

Don Quixote

Another classic read. I did find it hilarious that the Author spent a good chunk of the second book complaining about Fanfiction of his own book... in the 1600′s.

The Princess Diarist

I listened this book instead of going to see TROS. worth it.

Smoke Gets in Your eyes: And other Lessons from the Crematorium

Non-Fiction, If you want to know the ins and outs of the funeral business and get told in an informative yet non-clinical way with lots of tidbits and history facts tossed in as well as a semi-autobiographical account of the Author’s life.

--- These Books are “Alright” ---

Frank L. Baum’s Wizard of Oz books

I ligit got into an argument with a 70yo man in a comic book shop about how Canon the other Oz books were post Baum’s death. He was looking for Oz comic books and I brought up reading the first 14 books, and he’s like “There’s over 100 of them” and i was all “but all those are written by somebody else.” and he got all “they are still canon...” 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

If you want to know about the In//cel ideology in a classic literary form, this fits the bill. So much man pain.

A Christmas Carol (Tim Curry) (Audible Free Book)

Tim Curry, guys.....

The Poetic Edda (Norse God Mythology)

I listened this book twice. I bought two Edda books thinking I’d get some extra content, but no... same book just different production teams and readers. Returned the one with the worst translation.

Treasure Island (Audible Free Book, dramatization)

I need to read the actual book sometime, but i did like the cast and thought they did a good job.

Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic (Audible Free Book)

A YA coming of age story about diversity and acceptance... with wacky science fiction. 

Carmilla (Audible Free Book, dramatization)

The vampire before Dracula. Victorian Lesbian love story.

Even Tree Nymphs get the Blues (Audible Free Book)

A novella from one of those “love on the Bayou” romance series with supernatural creatures. Could practically take place in the same world of either True Blood, Dresden, or Fred the Vampire Accountant.

Mystwick School of Musicraft (Audible Free Book)

Harry Potter lite. For 10yo girls.

A Grown-up’s Guide to Dinosaurs (Audible Free Book)

I like dinosaurs.

Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World (Audible Free Book, Dramatization)

Interesting way on telling us about the Fossil Wars and Puma vs. Adidas.

True-Crime from Audible: Body of Proof (Audible Free Book),   Midnight Son (Audible Free Book), The Demon Next Door (Audible Free Book), Killer By Nature (Audible Free Book)

Why is True-Crime or YA fiction the only halfway-decent things Audible is giving us? But yeah, these are basically the type of reporting that the two journalists from Halloween were trying to do. Where they go around and gather up information about semi-famous cases and present it in a Podcast-like format.

---- Meh... ---

Camp Red Moon (Audible Free Book)

Would’ve been better if they were actually written by R. L. Stein.

More Bedtime Stories for Cynics (Audible Free Book)

No... half of these aren’t written very well.

The Darkwater Bride (Audible Free Book, Dramatization)

The setting is nice, but it is far too .... Soap Opera Dramatic.

Junk (Audible Free Book)

A cross between Alien Invasion and Zombie outbreak, read by John Waters and written as if it was a bad version of a Philip K. Dick Novel.

Rip Off!! (Audible Free Book)

Most of them are duds and boring. I don’t even remember half of them without having to look them up. The two that stood out the most for me where the “Other Darren/Bewitched” and the “Dark and Stormy Night” stories, the rest were rather garbled.

--- Garbage... ---

Dodge and Twist (Audible Free Book, Dramatization)

No, you are not being edgy or kool.

Unread:

Siege Tactics (Spells, Swords, & Stealth. Book 4)

Triumphant (Genesis Fleet, Book 3)

Earthsea (Tehanu and Tales from Earthsea, i am going to re-listen to the first three before i get to these)

Into the Wilds (Warriors, Book 1)

Pout Neuf (Audible Free Book)

House of Teeth (Audible Free Book)

Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons (Audible Free Book)

The Other Boleyn Girl (Phillipa Gregory)

[solesurvivorkat]

Get to know my character

OC asks from @pathfinderyderss and @iheardtheowlcallmenames (answered in a regular post b/c the Android Tumblr app is evil, lol)

( ^^^------- Sarah’s faceclaim, actress Katie McGrath)

3) What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves?

Sarah's favorite trait is also one that secretly causes her a little sadness as well: the fact that she looks very much like her (deceased) mother. She suspects it's one a few reasons why her father (who was never the same after the loss of his wife) distanced himself from her.

11) What is something that would make your character fly into a rage?

Seeing people picked on or bullied is something Sarah can't tolerate, as she was often bullied growing up herself. Because of that and her religious background, she always strives to protect the weak, the needy, and/or the downtrodden (one of the factors that ultimately led her to become a junior deputy).

15) Is there a certain person in this world that they cannot stand? The very mention of this person's name makes them tremble with anger or fear.

At the moment, that 'lucky' individual happens to be one Jacob Seed. After everything he put Sarah through in the Whitetail Mountains (including brainwashing her and attempting to force her to kill Eli), the very thought of him makes her tremble with both anger and fear (...mostly anger, though). She's stayed away from the Whitetail region ever since what happened to Eli - but she knows that sooner or later, she'll have to go back and deal with things one way or the other...

17) Does you character have dreams of getting married and/or having children?

Sarah was engaged once..... it didn't work out. Before and after then, she never received much positive attention from people. Deep down, she'd probably like the thought of giving her heart to the right person and maybe starting a family of her own... but since she's hesitant/afraid to give herself completely to anyone, having been hurt by people before, the thought hasn't really occurred to her as something that's even on the horizon, unfortunately.

20) Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures?

Sarah definitely likes animals... better than people, sometimes. They do what they need to in order to survive, not necessarily to be cruel or manipulative (for the most part), like people are prone to do. She became fast friends with Boomer, and even though they scared the hell out of her at first she quickly grew to care for Peaches and Cheeseburger as well (and they her, also). Up until 'the Reaping' she hadn't had time for pets, but if things EVER 'settle down', maybe she'd consider one in the future. 

As for mythological creatures, she once read a story in the bible about a dragon and has thought they were kind of neat ever since (Revelations 12, for the curious. Revelations is also Joseph Seed’s ‘favorite’ bible section, remember? Lol). But really, anything imaginative can be fun for her to think about, since she was often ‘encouraged’ (lectured) by her father to concentrate on her studies and not get ‘distracted with trivial things’.

29) What is one of the most courageous things your character has ever done for a loved one?

Unfortunately Sarah doesn’t have too many loved ones, and maybe this isn’t necessarily ‘courageous’, but she once tried to learn sign language to communicate with one of her father’s housekeepers. The woman, Ruth, was deaf, and the small staff of hired help was directed to simply ‘do their job’ and not to ‘distract’ David or Sarah Rook. Sarah took pity on Ruth and, often being lonely herself, used some of her free time to learn to sign. She and Ruth started developing a makeshift friendship, with Ruth even teaching her a few more signs - but Sarah’s father eventually caught onto this and soon replaced Ruth with a different woman who didn’t pay Sarah any mind. Sarah always resented that her father took Ruth away from her, and got her ears pierced as an act of rebellion (the 1st of 3 pairs in her ears. David Rook was not thrilled. Each subsequent pair was done as a different act of defiance - but that’s another story.  ;-) ).

...And of course, she has done many good deeds for the people of Hope County as well.  ^.^

30) When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like?

Sarah didn’t have a lot of people to go to the movies (or theater) with growing up (her mom was gone, father always working, and she didn’t have many friends), so the ones she’s seen, she usually caught on TV. That said, she’s a true ‘geek’ at heart and tends to enjoy ‘the classics’: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, the Lord of the Rings movies, Disney movies, superhero movies, etc.

As for music, she enjoys classic/soft rock, and often listens to the music that Wheaty plays on his radio station (though she might enjoy a showtune every now and then... hey, just because she’s never seen it doesn’t mean she’s never heard it). She might not be a disco fan, but will indulge Sharky on the few occasions she lets him drive (lol).

40) Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, pastimes, music, etc that they wouldn't want known by others?

Sarah has extensive knowledge of the bible - she was often lonely growing up, and before her mom died she’d encouraged her to turn to ‘the good book’ whenever her heart felt heavy. She hides her religious side from others 1) because she was often picked on about it in school - sometimes very cruelly - and 2) because a certain religious cult in Hope County brings negative connotations to anything related to religion, and she doesn’t want people to misunderstand/misjudge her based on the negative actions of others. Even Pastor Jerome doesn’t know about this side of her - not that she’s worried about him judging her, but she’s just so used to ‘hiding’ that she doesn’t share this part of herself with anyone anymore (so far). She even hides her silver cross necklace (which once belonged to her mother) under her clothing all the time.

When she wasn’t reading the bible, she’d love visiting the picturesque ‘fish church’ in Stamford, CT (real church, to be mentioned in an upcoming chapter of ‘The Book of John‘), or going to the coast (she loves the beauty of the beach and the ocean - one of the things she misses about New England).

43) Does your character have a switch that changes aspects of their personality whether they are around friends, family, etc. Is there someone who gets to see their true self?

As said in the previous answer, Sarah hides her religious side away from others, not wanting to be ostracized (again). Especially nowadays, where she’s finally beginning to make friends in Hope County - friends aren’t something she’s really used to, and she really doesn’t want to risk losing them and being alone all over again. Trust is something she has trouble with, and opening herself up to others is very difficult, so she puts up a tough front and - while joking around and being friendly to others - hides her ‘true self’ away.

The only person she's slowly showing her ‘true self’ to is someone who half-forces it out of her, half-coaxes it out by gradually revealing vulnerabilities of his own (...funny what abducting someone, tying them to a chair, and talking with them at great length can do for your resolve, lol).

[whatscoolaccordingtodom]

July 2018

As winter nyasto settles into the Southern Hemisphere, I can’t help but think that maybe we’re doing something wrong and whoever has been in charge of the weather these past few years is mad. Our ancestors wore nothing but a bit of hide over their groins 365 days a year, my great-great grandfather never slept inside anything his whole life. They say on particularly cold nights, his family would come down from the hills to sleep around his fire, where he would sit there playing his mbira into the wee hours.

Umphako floated down to us on the 6thof July and I’ve been Mascandi through the streets ever since. The 4 track EP sees most of the songs go in different directions, but still make sense on the overall project. “Abangani” features label mates Emtee and Saudi, it’s definitely in the running for Squad Song of the Year. The “Confession” sample sounds like it was taken from an old hip-hop song, maybe a 50 Cent track and; the vocals though beautiful as they may be are overshadowed by the lyrics. I’m sure a few Zulu boys are convinced though. “Intombi” -also about a girl- talksis about all the lies she hears from interested suiters. The remaining is the hustle track, even the production is more upbeat than we’re used to from him. 2018 has been good to Sjava too, he came out from under the shadow of his labelmate and established himself as a serious contender with the Black Panther nod, BET award, and oh so Afrikan press run; this EP serves to show he’s still the guy who gave us favourites like “Before”. At least for now...

Strings and Blings is one half songs that can be bangers and the other is half is talking RnB. Nasty C’s on and off long-time girlfriend is kind of like the centerpiececentre piece, often finding herself being spoken to, of, from, about, and with; but he uses inconsistent angles. (Also, S/O to the girl who always sings on his songs but never gets credited). “No Respect” is my favourite offering on the project by far, it sounds like it was getting good, like he was about to rip at niggers, he’s about to start going in at the 1-minute mark then the just stops.; Tthe track ends 25 seconds later preventing what probably would’ve been a PR nightmare for him. “Jiggy Jigga”, “Givenchy”, “Strings and Bling” and “Gravy” are all easy plays in the club. We would like to thank Nasty for saying a Zulu word on “Blisters”. The whole album plays very well except for “My Baby”, that song is terribly cheesy; it sounds like every song by a boy band with a potty mouth lead singer. “SMA” is a standout from the other side, the dialogue verse’s add a layer to the rapper and Rowlene is just perfect. “Mrs Me” and “Everything” are the other emotionally heavy songs. “Casanova” cements just how much Nasty loves Metro Boomin and is perhaps the one track that doesn’t really fit into the 2 sides of album, it sounds emotional, but the lyrics really just aren’t.

A welcome addition to my favourite rappers in South Africa is Zakwe, he’s been around for a while but Cebisa is the first project by him I’ve listened to and honestly, it carries itself even without Sebentin. In true South African fashion, the remix is a who’s who of our rap elite but it’s all overshadowed by the obvious trade of bars by HHP and Cassper., Cass just seems to rub some people the wrong way, poor guy. At 20 songs, averaging well over 3 minutes each. The album is a long play but it’s well worth the listen, with a plethora of features to keep you entertained it plays like a Zakwe and friends playlist. The man himself has honed his sound, this nonchalant cross between hip-hop and kwaito is best described by the albums stand out line “Pac was Jesus, Zola wrote the Bible”. He isn’t stuck in old hip hop either, trap beats found themselves nestled in the playlist too.    

Future gave us Beast Mode 2 and I am satiated, but Atlanta spoils us (I have a theory about how it had a direct influence on how music is frequently now released), they understand that the streets need new music often. Jeffery needs to give us something more now since Hear No Evil was a while ago and it was 3 songs long. Future seems to be the only one of late who can get Young Thug into the studio too., Tthey did release Georgia, but a Thug feature was not on the cards for BM2 which really only has 2 features, both young artists who were given a wide berth to shine. People who say Future isn’t a lyricist need to take time out to listen to the first Beast Mode. On these albums over Zaytovens most almost gospel like production, he addresses a wide range of issues from his self-medicating drug problem, he checks himself trying to hold onto some sense of reality I think, but he makes it so that you have to listen to know what he’s saying. Being a workaholic -the man releases projects at an alarming rate- and the excess that seems to come with the life of having your “Racks Blue”, he talks about his anxieties both external and psychological. BM2 is the classic mix of Futures braggadocio and insecurities. It plays like one long thing the first time, but if you take the time to listen to what he’s saying you might realise why his spot amongst those at the top of rap is a non-debatable topic.

Unjayam uSliqe… this calling card annoyed me when I first heard it, but it’s kinda grown on me since then. I know I’m about to hear a hit when it plays. His sophomore album is a shining example of how hip-hop albums by DJ’s have evolved into their own league. Jam packed with features, feel good songs, and amazing production from the man himself, I don’t know if he just makes the beats and let’s people do their own thing or if he composes and directs each song, maybe he does a bit of both. The formula works, Navy Black is like a calm afternoon with your friends, most of the songs share a skeleton, so the vibe is carried well. “Biskop” is a fitting way to begin the album, it’s an ode to how the journey Sliqe, Kwesta and Makwa has transformed the artists’ lives since they started hustling, when is a Kwesta verse not welcome? Chiano Sky is the new naughty white girl, “Aunty” was nice, but “Girls Jungle” is a lot; the sample is so perfect and her lyrics are irreverent. Sy Ari saw Black Panther 5 times, I was going to discuss this but then I found out he’s American; him and AKA really came through for “Oh Well” though, Supa Mega talks like the big brother all young rappers have always wanted. I’m kind of torn between “Fully” (because we get to say FULLY a bunch of times), and “Town Talk”, it’s cool to see Wrecking Crew members make hits without their big gun. “Backyard” is the vibe of the album, and who better to call for a feature than Mr Hennessy, Tshego can sound like him featuring him with the different pitches he can sing at; it’s smooth and never overly emotional?

Gigi Lamayne, in her short time has built an enviable career finding her place in the league of our small handful of rappers. “VI” is a 6 track EP, her first since signing with Ambitious and it was built kind of like this version Maslow'sMaslows pyramid.; Tthe top is tiny and signifies the worst song as we descend into the album the sections get thicker until the bottom where we find “VI” waiting for us. The tape gets much better immediately with “Iphupho”, this song see’s the artist sing her truths about living in this concrete jungle while demanding to cash in on her dreams. “Roll” is dirtier, real trap shit reminiscent of “Beez in The Trap”. “Stimela” is fun, Gigi even gets in some good raps and punchlinespunch lines, a highlight being “I’m Gautrain, you Shosholoza”. “VI” is really easy listening, with a light sprinkling of zulu lines, the beats are catchy but maybe none more so than “Twinkle”; “Londie London” croons the memorable chorus and Gigi offers her most solid verses on the project. Until you hear the title track, she does the correct thing on the outro; no chorus, shit she barely lets it breathe until the last minute.

Ice Prince is an established name in Afrikan hip-hop and his confidence oozes out of his songs too. A few of them seem to be more about weed than anything else in particular and I’m okay with that. The albums opening track is a bass heavy banger, with the help of Jethro Faded, Ice-Prince “Shuts it Down”, which might be a weird way to start an album. Remy Baggins comes through for “Space Funk”, a Bruno Mars-y chorus with solid verses by Ice. “Hit Me Up” is the albums single, a typical South African trap track, PatricKxxLee & Straffitti help bring the head nods out. “‘Interlude”’ is his way of letting us know that this is the emotional track of the album and “Die For Your Love” does not disappoint, mans really promises to die for her love; but doesn’t miss the opportunity to mention weed again. I think I noticed all the weed references because of how frequently and prominently most of them are placed. “254” has one right in the chorus, but the verses are some of the most enjoyable on the whole album; they play like one long story. The uncredited singing bit at the end of “254″ is really nice, if that is Ice then kudos to him. “So High”, seriously, has Ice Prince always been this proud about his stoner ways? Anyways, “So High” is an anthem dedicated to just how high Ice Prince and Kay Switch get. By the sounds of it they use regular rizla and not Raw like Nasty C and Snoop Dogg, I might suggest switching to unbleached rizla if he really does smoke from Niger to Ghana. I mean, it’s an obvious metaphor for other kinds of highs too, success, girls, etc, but with the sound effects and lines like “puff puff pass, real nigger smoking that gas” the weed references might be all we get. “Watching You” is a simpler, way more vibey track where Ice Prince gets back onto his singing shit, helping keep the song as smooth as possible. The album closer is arguably the best, the production is really enjoyable, and he made sure to use easy to remember lyrics.

In The Faculty NEWS; on August 2, Human Error turned 19 and Tinayeishe Elisha Makoni better known by his stage name S.K.eye released his debut solo tape titled “Pseudology”. Please listen to it on Soundcloud @ https://soundcloud.com/tinayemakoni/sets/pseudology

Couldn’t leave without acknowledging Stay Dangerous and Astroworld, but that’s for later.

Beyonce and her husband are coming on the 2nd of December, but you have to earn a ticket. The only other ticket you work this hard to get in life is the one to Heaven, if you’re into that type of thing.

Edited by @NyraBlac

[johnchiarello]

Acts 25

ACTS 25

Acts 25:19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Acts 25- https://youtu.be/GO_EbKzNSpk

http://ccoutreach87.com/10-10-17-acts-25/

http://ccoutreach87.com/10-10-17-acts-25-2/

https://vimeo.com/238060868

ON VIDEO-

.Paul’s appeals

.The new governor comes in

.festus replaces Felix

.The local court out of Jerusalem still had the plot!

.From Ceasarea to Jerusalem was about 60 miles- a 2 day trip back then

https://www.britannica.com/place/Caesarea

.Paul appeals- to Nero!

.Why?

.Seneca the Stoic

.King Agrippa the 2nd- and Bernice the queen

.Wait- aren’t they brother ans sister?

.Bernice is the oldest daughter of Agrippa the 1st- and Agrippa the 2nd is his son

.How they they be King and Queen?

.Can you solve this riddle?

.Homer- Iliad- Odyssey

  NEW- Just a few notes- these past few chapters are simply covering Paul’s appeals thru the local court system [Sanhedrin] and going up the ladder to the top court of the land- Caesar of Rome.

 The caesar at this time- is Nero- http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/nero

Nero was one of the worst persecutors of the early church- yet Paul took his case to him.

Why?

 At this stage Nero was not ‘as bad’ as we know him to be later on.

He actually will martyr both Paul and Peter later on.

Yet at this stage of the game he was influenced by Seneca- a Stoic philosopher- https://dailystoic.com/seneca/

 Though the Stoics were not considered Christians- they did indeed have moral elements to their teaching.

Self denial- stuff like that.

 So it would not be strange for Paul to take his case to him.

Another point-

Paul has been sitting in the ‘county jail’ for 2 years by now.

Governor Felix left office- and festus took his place.

 So the case is reviewed by the new governor-

And after 2 years- the high priest at Jerusalem [the top judge in the county] still wants to kill Paul!

We see a lot of corruption in the system- and how those who hold seats of authority- positions the public should be able to respect- yet these same people are some of the most corrupt of the day.

 Yet- we also see Festus- and in his dealings with Paul- he does what is right.

The local court out of Jerusalem wants Festus to bring Paul to them- so they could carry out the plot to kill Paul.

 Paul is aware of the plot- for 2 years now.

And he appeals his case to Rome- and Festus takes the appeal.

I’ll add my past teaching below- but wanted to simply give this update-

John.

 NOTE- The regular PAST POSTS and VERSES section is still below- but I made this short post [below] last night- thinking I might do a daily ‘roll out’- But didn’t want to waist an entire post just for this- so I stuck it here- [More below] I also talked about a strange experience I had- it involved a person who was put to death last night in Texas [2 nights ago now] I talked about it on an upcoming teaching post- KINGS 13- but here’s the news link- http://www.kztv10.com/story/36586596/inmate-executed-for-beeville-prison-guards-death

His sister asked me to pray for him a few years ago- I did- Then she asked me to pray for her brother again- because he was on death row- again? Well it will be explained on the KINGS 13 post- I thought maybe his sister was wrong- she wasn’t. Most of my Bluff friends would know his sister- but I won’t mention her name here [If I do a roll out- I might mention it before the kings 13 post- there are a few issues I might want to talk about as well]

 ILLEGAL COP STOP- CAUGHT ON CAMERA

COP STOP- https://youtu.be/jfdKqg_e8FU

https://vimeo.com/238111606

 I pulled out of a gas station- as the cop was pulling in- we were right next to each-other.

You can see my sticker easily from the highway.

He saw it too- but he decided to turn around from the gas station he was pulling into- and followed me for a short distance.

 Notice- he already had in his mind what to say- it was basically an excuse to pull me over-

Why?

I’m wearing sunglasses- have the long hair- and I’m not from his town [Mathis].

 Cops profile like this- thought it is illegal.

As he came up to me from behind- before even seeing the sticker- he saw my fire dept retirement badges and union sticker on my back window.

 That's when he realized it was not what he was looking for- possibly some drug dealer or whatever.

But at least today you get to see it on video.

Why make a big thing out of it?

 Honestly- this stop was no big deal- but others are.

Many unjustified stops have lead to the deaths of people later on- Sandra Bland being one of them.

I’m sure they mean well when they profile- but it is illegal.

 They did it to the top lawyer from Florida a few weeks ago- I talked about that case.

[She is a Black woman- driving an expensive car]

 You also see a crime-

Huh?

Not only is it a crime to profile- but it is also a crime to lie-

Howbeit a small one-

 But these ‘small ones ‘have lead to the deaths of people in the past-

It would be better if they avoided all crimes.

Oh I forgot officer- smile- you are indeed on Candid Camera.

 One small note- he is a cop from Mathis- where I have caught them before doing wrong- and exposed it.

So maybe he knew who I was after all?

 Note- I’ll post the picture of the sticker to Facebook- he supposedly couldn’t see it because of the bible on my dashboard.

As I uploaded this video to Youtube- once again- someone changed the settings to PRIVATE- This only seems to happen when I talk about cops?

  PAST POSTS-

https://ccoutreach87.com/overview-of-philosophy/

ACTS-

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/01/18/acts-1/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/01/26/acts-2/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/02/02/acts-3/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/02/09/acts-4/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/03/23/acts-5/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/03/31/acts-6/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/06/acts-7/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/14/acts-8/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/18/acts-9/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/07/acts-10/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/16/acts-11/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/22/acts-12/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/06/01/acts-13/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/06/14/acts-14/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/07/03/acts-15/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/07/07/acts-16/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/07/27/acts-17/

http://corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com/2017/08/acts-18-acts-1828-for-he-mightily.html

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/08/09/acts-19/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/08/20/acts-20/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/09/04/acts-21/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/09/20/acts-22-2/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/10/04/redo-acts-23-2/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/10/08/acts-24-2/

(765) ACT 25- Festus hears the Jews at Jerusalem, they want him to bring Paul to Jerusalem. Festus goes back to Caesarea and asks Paul ‘why don’t you go back with me’? Paul appeals to Caesar! Of course going to Rome was part of the plan. Now King Agrippa [another one of the many ruling authorities that Rome had over the people!] comes to Caesarea and Festus tells him about Paul. Agrippa will get a strong word in the next chapter. Also the Jews come down from Jerusalem and accuse Paul of many things. I want to make a note here. In the area of apologetics, which we do a lot of, you need to be careful that you don’t jump on the bandwagon of unfounded accusations. There are and have been real doctrinal heresies that needed to be dealt with, but some of the apologists really get personal. Even calling family members degrading names! In Paul’s case he had accusations that were not true. He does defend himself against the false ones, but also admitted that he believes in Christ’s resurrection and that this is considered heresy among certain Jews. Paul’s main message was Christ and the resurrection! As we get ready to close our study in a few more days, I want to recap the importance of seeing Jesus and his fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets as the main message of the Apostles. This early teaching by the Apostles needs to be the ‘tradition’ if you will, once again. We [believers] have a tendency to delve deeply into all sorts of stuff. Paul will warn his spiritual sons ‘don’t get lost in endless genealogies and debates about the law’ and Hebrews says ‘it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats [legalistic doctrines] which have been unprofitable to those who have gone that route’. Now, you guys know I believe in correct doctrine, and Paul wasn’t advocating ‘no doctrine’. But it is easy to get lost in endless debates that lead to nowhere. Ultimately our goal is to present every man perfect in Christ. Paul will stick with this message all the way to Rome!

MY OLD POSTS-

The Iliad and Odyssey [Homer]

I want to cover some of the classics of Western Literature- when I do the philosophy and science stuff- the purpose is to show how God- and ‘religion’ are an inescapable thread that we see all thru out history- and in fact- the rise of what we call ‘intellectualism’ did indeed come from the Judaic/Christian tradition [for instance- the modern day university system did come from the Church].

 Ok- lets start with what most believe to be the greatest work from antiquity- outside of the bible.

 These are 2 poems by Homer- the Iliad and Odyssey.

 These poems were written in the 8th century BCE- and cover the Trojan war- which most believe was a real war- that took place in the 12th-13th century BCE.

 In Homers works we read about this epic battle.

 The war starts with- once again- a ‘woman’ issue.

 Prince Paris of Troy steals Helen of Greece- from her husband King Menelaus [king of Sparta].

 The Greeks- led by Achilles- lay siege to Troy.

 In Homers telling of the event- the Greeks are actually defending the honor of marriage- and are carrying out a just retribution against an unjust act.

Sort of the same themes we read in scripture- when the sons of Jacob defended the honor of their sister Dinah- when she was treated unjustly by the pagan nation that took her- forcefully- to be the wife of a kings son.

 The brothers meted out justice- by tricking these pagans to get circumcised- then- while recovering ‘from surgery’- the sons went in and wiped out the city- to their fathers dismay!

 In the story- Achilles is a warrior- who displays extreme violence- and also the human traits of a man who acts out of selfish motives.

 At one point in the war- he removes himself from battle- because he feels his honor was betrayed.

 The only thing that brings him back is the killing of his close friend Patroclus- by Hector.

Achilles leads the Greeks to victory- and reflects the struggle between living a long life- or dying young- yet dying for a just cause.

One of the more famous quotes form Homer’s Poems- attributed to Achilles- is ‘I carry 2 sorts of destiny to the day of my death. Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting; but if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life- left for me, and my end in death will not come to me quickly.’

 There has been some debate over the historicity of the war itself.

 Some scholars believe it was Myth [I’ll get to this in a moment].

That is- they believe the war itself was not true- but a sort of Oral Tradition- that encompasses the reality of the human condition- and that Homers Poems are simply mythological ways to reveal the true condition of man.

 Yet- much like the debate that took place in the 19th century German universities- over the ‘Myth’ of the bible- later on- the rise of what we now call Archaeology [because of the Industrial revolution- a new field arose- men started digging up the ground- for the primary purpose of extracting materials from the earth- and at this time we also discovered ‘lost worlds’- that is we could actually trace cities and lands that were once deemed fake].

 So- as with Homers Troy- and bible lands- these archaeologists did indeed find Cities that matched the stories.

 In 1870 the German Archaeologist Schliemann discovered remains that seemed to find the city of Troy- the area is known today as modern day Turkey.

 This same thing happened with the bible- we did indeed find historical evidence that seemed to back up the historicity of the stories we find in the bible.

 As a matter of fact- a famous doubter of the bible embarked on a search- to prove the bible was ‘myth’ yet- after researching carefully the historical names and places we read about in the book of Acts- he came to believe that the book of Acts- written by both an historian and doctor [Luke] was the most historically accurate writing that came from the first century [Acts has lots of names of political figures- court proceedings- stuff like that- and when doing research like this- it is quite easy to debunk the historical reality of a fake work- but- when these names and places were researched- from actual historical records dating back to the first century- it was amazing how the pieces fit].

 The Trojan War is found in many works of Greek literature- and art.

 But the most comprehensive account comes from Homer’s 2 poems.

 Now- in Homer’s poems there are obvious references to Mythology- Goddesses- Golden apples- the Greek gods intervening in the affairs of men.

 So yeah- we see that there are obvious mythological aspects to the work.

Yet- the ancient Geeks did indeed believe the war itself was a real war that took place at around the 12th century BCE.

 Some believe that Homer never actually wrote the poems- but that he told the stories- like Oral Tradition- and they were later written down by others.

 Sort of like the classic- Paradise Lost- by John Milton. Milton was blind- and told the story to his daughters [oral tradition] and the actual work was penned by those who heard it.

 Jesus himself used this method- he never wrote a book- or letter in the New Testament- yet the gospels were compiled by his men after his death.

 We read about this when Luke [who I mentioned above] gives the reason for his documenting stuff in the book of Acts [read Acts chapter one].

 Luke also wrote his gospel a few years after the death and resurrection of Christ.

 So- some believe the same thing happened with Homer- those who heard him tell the story multiple times- simply put it together later on.

 Most scholars believe that Homer did indeed write the poems- and that the famous Trojan War was a real historical event.

 Last year- when in North Bergen- my atheist friend Daniel said he watched a PBS show- and he said ‘even a priest said the bible was Myth’.

 I explained to Daniel that when the more liberal scholars use this term [like in the writings of Bultman] that they do not mean ‘fake’- like Greek Mythology.

 But they mean that some of the stories in the gospels might be a compilation of the many Oral teachings of Jesus- and they were put together as one story [some think the Sermon on the Mount was actually multiple teachings Jesus did- and they were compiled into one event].

 Now- when I explained this to Daniel- he said ‘see- even you believe it was Myth’.

 I told Daniel that no- I do not hold to this theory [not 100%] but that I was simply telling him that even those who use the term Myth- when talking about Theology- they do not mean Myth- as in fake.

 So- I find it interesting that both the New testament- and Homers poems- got the same scrutiny.

 In these poems we do indeed see the condition of man- which Homer depicts as one of constant war- not peace.

 The letter of James in the New Testament says- James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

  Homers poems are considered by some to be the beginning of the great works of Western literature- of which there are many.

 The great writer C.S. Lewis- who rejected Christianity for many years- later became a believer.

 He attributed his conversion to the fact that he could not escape the reality of the Church- or Christian themes- found in all the fields of study.

 Whether it was the classics- or history- philosophy.

 He said every were he read- studied- he could not escape this scarlet thread that ran thru out all the fields of knowledge.

 Yeah- in the end- his thirst for knowledge- his intellectual search- led him to the Cross.

 Jesus- in a way- was a 1st century Achilles- he battled the forces of darkness- for the honor of a woman- the Bride- the church.

 He- Like Achilles- chose a just death- for a just cause.

 There’s a prophecy in the Old Testament- it speaks of Christ ‘the zeal of thine house has eaten me up’.

 Jesus was a righteous warrior- a prophet, priest and king- and he had a zeal for the church- that far exceeded anything we find in Homers poems.

[parts]

The Epicureans and the Stoics.

 The Epicureans were an early form of what we call Hedonism today- the idea that pleasure is the principle purpose of man.

 The Stoics believed in ‘stoicism’ that man should have no emotional response to pain or pleasure- that’s why we call people today ‘Stoics’- when they seem to not be moved by anything.

 Ok- that’s it for now- might make some comments tonight- but I’m getting ready to fly out soon- and trying to wind down before I leave.

If I don’t write tonight- I’ll talk again when in North Bergen- God bless you all.

[parts]

  HERACLITUS- Ok- lets pick up on my philosophy stuff.

Heraclitus lived in the 6th/5th century BC. - He was from Ephesus and his key thought was Ever Present Change.

 That is he saw everything as being in a state of continual flux- one of his famous sayings was ‘No man ever steps into the same river twice’.

 He is called the Weeping Philosopher- sort of like the prophet Jeremiah in the bible- also called the Weeping Prophet.

 Heraclitus is known for his concept of the Logos- the Word- or thought/reason.

 Now- this aspect of his thought plays a role in the development of the Christian understanding of Christ himself- in our New Testaments [written in Greek] Jesus is indeed referred to as the Logos- or Word of God.

 The Greek philosophers understanding of the Logos was not the same as the Christian view- mainly expressed thru the writings of John [The gospel- the 3 epistles- and Revelation].

But- some see the Greek view as a precursor to Christ.

 In the work of one of the early church fathers- Hippolytus ‘The Refutation of all Heresies’ he attacks Heraclitus view of the Logos as an early form of heresy.

 The apologist Justin Martyr is more gracious- he [Like Ulrich Zwingli- the great Swiss reformer of the 16th century] viewed the early Geek thinkers as ‘pre- Christian’ or ‘Christians before Christ’.

 Though many reject this view- yet there is some scripture to back it up.

The apostle Paul said in his letter to the Romans that if the Gentiles [non-Jews] do by nature the things contained in the law- then they are justified in God’s sight.

 Of course these things are debatable- but I add this to show you that some great Christian thinkers did indeed view the early Greek thinkers- who did live by a moral code- as being right in God’s eyes.

 And the bible does teach a theme that we will be judged according to the amount of light [understanding] that we had at the time.

 I should note that Plato [one of the 3 titans that arose after Heraclitus- from the city/state of Athens] disagreed with Heraclitus on all things being in a state of constant change.

 When [if?] we get to Socrates- Plato and Aristotle- I’ll try and cover the ways they advanced- built upon- the thought of the pre Socratic thinkers.

 As a side note- the most famous student of Aristotle- who was the most famous student of Plato- who was the most famous student of Socrates- was Alexander the Great.

 This goes to show you how great an influence Greek philosophy had on the ancient world.

 A few nuggets from Heraclitus- ‘all things come to pass in accordance with this Logos’ ‘follow the common’ ‘not having their own judgment’.

 Recently I covered Acts chapter 2- and we see some of these ideas in the early Christian movement.

The first Christians did ‘follow the common’ they sold their goods- and had ‘all things common’ [communal lifestyle].

 The apostle Paul teaches the early church to all ‘speak the same thing- that there be no divisions among you’.

And the New Testament also says the scripture should not be given to Private Interpretation- meaning- ‘not having your own personal judgment’.

 All in all- we do indeed see a sort of pre Christian thought in the pre Socratic thinkers- they did indeed speak of the Divine- God- though there understanding of him was not the same as the Christian church.

 In a sense- Heraclitus idea that in life- the only ‘constant’ is the fact that there is no constant- that life itself is made up of an ongoing journey- we live day by day- not ever knowing what ‘the next day will bring forth’- Jesus.

 Yeah- the man had some good points- the later Stoics would consider Heraclitus as the father of their movement.

And in the study of Philosophy- the Stoics- who had a good run from a few years before the Common Era- were overtaken in the 4th century [as the main influential philosophy of the time] by some new and lasting philosophy- started by a man named Jesus Christ- who his followers claimed rose from the dead.

Yeah- this New Way was called Christianity- and this philosophy has endured now for over 2 thousand years.

     VERSES-

Acts 25:1 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

Acts 25:2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,

Acts 25:3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.

Acts 25:4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.

Acts 25:5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.

Acts 25:6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.

Acts 25:7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

Acts 25:8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.

Acts 25:9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

Acts 25:10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.

Acts 25:11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

Acts 25:12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.

Acts 25:13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.

Acts 25:14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:

Acts 25:15 About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

Acts 25:16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

Acts 25:17 Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.

Acts 25:18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:

Acts 25:19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Acts 25:20 And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.

Acts 25:21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

Acts 25:22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

Acts 25:23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.

Acts 25:24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

Acts 25:25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

Acts 25:26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.

Acts 25:27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

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 Note- Please do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on- Thanks- John.#

[ymoviesuk-group]

10 iconic movies with DARK hidden meanings

You may think that most Hollywood blockbusters are designed purely to entertain punters and make a load of cash. Well, you may be surprised that some of the most popular movies ever made often have hard-hitting political messages woven throughout them.

Below are seven hidden meanings in films that might surprise even their biggest fans.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead.

Star Wars Is Really About The Vietnam War

In a 2005 interview Lucas confirmed that “’Star Wars’ was really about the Vietnam War.”

Lucas said that he thought of the tiny, peaceful Ewoks as like Viet Cong fighters battling against the might of the American war machine saying: “That was the period where Nixon was trying to run for another term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren’t overthrown; they’re given away.”

The Lord of the Rings Is Really About The Battle of the Somme

J. R. R. Tolkien’s army unit was sent to the Battle of the Somme in 1916, where 60,000 British soldiers died one day during the infamous ‘over the top’ trench assault. Overall, nearly a million people were killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

Speaking later of his experiences in France, Tolkien simply said, “It was like a death.”

As he recovered in hospital, Tolkien wrote his first Middle-Earth story: ’Fall of Gondolin’ a strange, stand-alone tale featuring dragons which were half beast and half machine. These dragons are a metaphor of the tanks, which the British used in the mud of the Somme. Peter Jackson’s depiction of Saruman’s orcs being created recalls this imagery of animal fused with metal, as does his metallic, robot-like depiction of the villain Sauron.

In letters to friends, Tolkien admitted that the hellish marshes which the heroes of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ splash through were directly inspired by his experiences of France. In a letter, he wrote, "The Dead marshes and the approaches to the Morannon owe something to Northern France after the Battle of the Somme."

Observers have also commented on the significance of the One Ring, which is widely considered to represent the atomic bomb.

Godzilla Is Really About Hiroshima

The original black and white ‘Godzilla’ film was made in Japan in the early Fifties when the country was still reeling from the twin nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The first ‘Godzilla’ film includes scenes with scientists carrying Geiger counters taking radiation readings from Godzilla’s radioactive footprints, and the monster is revealed to have been created in a nuclear explosion.

When this news comes out, some characters immediately argue that it must be kept secret. 

For Honda and his Japanese audience, the real villain would not have been hard to discern: the escalating Cold War, and in particular the arms race between America and the Soviet Union.

The War of the Worlds Europeans Colonising The Third World

Written in 1898, the science fiction classic ‘The War of the Worlds’ has been filmed many times, but in none of those versions would a viewer suspect that the aliens represent white Europeans hell-bent on colonising the world.

The book was written to horrify readers with a vision of what it would be like if Europe were confronted by a contemptuous, technologically superior force – much in the manner the British Army had as it colonised countries around the world. Wells, a lifelong socialist, was particularly horrified by the war of extermination waged against the Aborigines in Tasmania by British colonial forces.

In the novel, Wells writes, “The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination. Are we such apostles of mercy, as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?”

The Dark Knight Is Really About The War On Terror

In Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’, despite a truly chilling villain in the form of Heath Ledger’s cackling Joker, it’s no longer clear who the bad guy really is. Is it the psychopathic terrorists who attack Gotham, or is it the increasingly draconian authorities? Parallels with America’s War on Terror run through the film.

The first parallel is the shift from the regular comic book bad guys that shoot lasers from the moon in order to take over the world. This time the threat was more sinister. The Joker blew up public buildings (including a hospital) and convinced weak criminals to become suicide bombers.

Once this realistic threat was established, more similarities can be compared. The Harvey Dent Act is a direct echo of the Patriot Act and there’s the questionable ethics of Batman’s bank of surveillance equipment that enables him to spy on everyone. There’s also the forcible extradition of Lau from Hong Kong, echoing the CIA’s tactics of “extraordinary rendition”.

RoboCop Is Really About Jesus Christ

Director Paul Verhoeven has admitted that his 1987 sci-fi classic is basically “the American Jesus” story and the similarities are easy to spot.

"It is about a guy that gets crucified after 50 minutes,” the filmmaker told MTV, “Then is resurrected in the next 50 minutes and then is like the super-cop of the world, but is also a Jesus figure as he walks over water at the end."

He’s a resurrected man on a quest for justice who is violently killed when those closest to him betray him. To earn his redemption he must confront those who betrayed him, and the final scene with Murphy seemingly walking across water is the icing on this thickly-laid metaphor. 

Of course, Jesus in the Bible didn’t mete out justice with a handgun, but let’s ignore that for the moment shall we?

Alien 3 Is Really About AIDs

Rolling Stones’ film critic Peter Travers called David Fincher’s feature film debut “the first $50 million thriller that also functions as an AIDS allegory” and it’s a layer of subtext that bears up to scrutiny.

AIDs was a hot topic in the late 80s and early 90s and ‘Alien 3′ is a damning indictment on how America reacted to the so-called “AIDs epidemic”. The deaths of Hicks and Newt highlight the disease’s seemingly random nature. There’s the imagery of shorn hair, Ripley’s “infection”, and an enemy that takes down the weak and strong with ease.

Add to that a reviled colony of men ostracised from society, who’ve taken a vow of celibacy, and a pharmaceutical company that arrives to profit from their pain, and the message is quite clear. As Dillon says: “Why? Why are the innocent punished? Why the sacrifice? Why the pain? There aren't any promises. Nothing certain. Only that some get called, some get saved.”

Groundhog Day Is Really About Zen And The Path To Enlightenment 

There are many different ways of interpreting Phil Connors’ story. Some say Punxsutawney Phil - the groundhog - is a metaphor for Christ resurrected, while some say the town is Purgatory, but the most compelling explanation for the film comes from director Harold Ramis’ mother-in-law, a Zen Buddhist.

Ramis explained at a lecture in 2009 that she’d called to tell him the abbots and senior monks at her Buddhist retreat had seen the film and loved it, saying “they thought it expressed a fundamental Buddhist concept.” The theory goes that Connors is what Buddhists call a “bodhisattva”,  someone “who, motivated by great compassion, has generated bodhicitta, which is a spontaneous wish to attain buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

And you just thought it was Bill Murray fooling around. 

Toy Story 3 Is Really About The holocaust

Guardian film critic Jordan Hoffman first wrote about this interpretation of Lee Unkrich’s seemingly harmless animated threequel back in 2010 while writing for UGO.

He argues that the toys left behind by Andy when he goes off for college represent the Jews abandoned by their host nations when the Third Reich conquered Europe. The toys discuss their options echoing a scene in Roman Polanski’s Holocaust drama ‘The Pianist’ where they say “We won’t just be abandoned, we can be useful to them”. Buzz steps forward and even suggests hiding in the attic.

Instead they’re sent to Sunnyside, the film’s concentration camp, where they meet Sonderkommandos like Ken who aid the guards and lead the innocent to their deaths. It’s a very grim reading of the film, particular when you consider the incinerator scene, and definitely not the message promoted by Pixar at the time of release.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit Is Really About Gentrification And Segregation

Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 live action animation hybrid was a groundbreaking piece of work and not just for its incredible seamless visual effects. The story of the encroachment of Toon Town can be read as a metaphor for the gentrification of Los Angeles where many poor black people were forced out of their neighbourhoods.

The theory, first discussed on Reddit, argues that the ‘toons, like black people, are largely seen as performers - a nod to Minstrel culture - and Christopher Lloyd’s Judge Doom is a typical Uncle Tom trope, a ‘toon who sells out his own people for his personal benefit.

Jessica Rabbit is “a symbol for women of mixed racial heritage and the way that white men frequently felt confused about their desire for them”, while even the word “‘toon” which is a slur against the cartoon folk, is worryingly similar to a horrific racial slur of years gone by. 

Read More - Ridley Scott Accused of White-Washing The Martian - John Goodman Reveals Dramatic Weight Loss - Stars With Helpful Family Connections In Hollywood

[kuwaiti-kid]

The 10 Best Christian Anime

Watching a couple of hundred series and hundreds of more episodes, movies, OVAs, and other anime content, I have been able to find several that can be relatable to Christians.

Now, I am not saying these are anime made by Christians, or for Christians, or are they biblical in theme.

There are a couple of those, but I don't recommend them as they are pretty ancient (Superbook, Flying House). Instead, the list below reflects anime that either has lessons that we can apply to our daily walk with God or biblical themes found in the characters or plot.

One way or another, for me, these anime reminded me of who God is or how He wants me to live my life to honor Him. Some you might know, while others might be a surprise. Let me know which ones you think should have been on the list, and which of these you enjoyed or want to watch!

The 10 Best Christian Anime

Trigun

This is an older series, one of my personal favorites that I watched years ago sometime after it was released. I had no idea it would have any Christian themes until analyzing it a long time after viewing it. The series is about a wanted man named Vash the Stampede, who has a mysterious past.

He is very silly, but is extremely skilled with a gun and has an impeccable aim. He is hunted by all sorts of people who want to collect his bounty, but the anime gets much better later on as you discover his history and what truly happened on the planet.

Vash's gentleness and desire to help others is his motto, “love and peace!”. He exemplifies good character, is respectful, but most of all, he understands the weight of his sins and seeks retribution for them. Along for the ride is Wolfwood, a priest with a large machine gun-shaped as a cross.

That doesn't make a lot of sense, but if you watch the anime, you'll see why his character is very impactful. Overall, I recommend this one even though the animation is somewhat dated; you will love this one if you like action, some comedy, and a strong plot.

Clannad

I have not watched this one again for some time, but now (as of this writing) it's on Netflix, I hope to rewatch it. It's a love story about two students who fall in love, friendships, and the hardships of life. What makes Clannad stand out for many fans, myself included, is how deep it hits you.

This show is not afraid to get real with emotions, daily struggles people go through when in a relationship or marriage, and the effects of depression and pain.

It can be a little bleak at times, as the content gets pretty heavy later on in the series. Don't let the beginning fool you, it's lighthearted and seems like a regular slice-of-life or school anime, but it hits your heart later on. I don't want to spoil anything, but let me know what you thought after watching it!

Haibane Renmei

Haibane is an older anime that you might not have heard of. It wasn't very popular, but the story was unique in that it deals with angels. The characters are all angels, dealing with their past in a slice-of-life and drama setting.

It's not a fast-paced, action-packed anime, but it deals with the repercussions of our actions, good or bad. It keeps the mystery of how they arrived where they are, which keeps you entertained. Overall, an excellent anime to watch if you aren't looking for anything heavy.

Violet Evergarden

Wow, this anime (which currently can be watched on Netflix) helped remind me why I love this genre of animation. There's so much bad, dull, or copy-cat animes out there that I was looking for a breath of fresh air, and I found it in Violet Evergarden.

The animation, for me, was excellent, and the story of how Violet becomes an Automemory doll, transcribing letters for clients to express themselves through words. The show delves into the meaning of love, finding peace in pain, and shares the personal stories of various characters in each episode.

It's a spectacular show that I hope you enjoy.

Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World

I have not finished watching this whole series, as I am still going through it. This is a remake of the original, so you can either view the older version or the redone one from 2017. Kino rides a motorcycle (that talks!) through various places and nations, discovering different cultural, political, or other differences in each one.

What makes this anime special is how Kino interacts with the citizens or situations she is put in. It's a very philosophical anime that asks a lot of questions and gives us perspectives that we don't always have an answer for. I think it's good to have questions, and not have all the answers, because it makes us human and knows that we have to rely on God to help us even if we never understand it all.

Rurouni Kenshin

If you have never watched Rurouni Kenshin before, then you will are in for a treat. It's an older anime and looks a little dated, but the story and its main character are the highlights.

Kenshin is a traveling ex-assassin from a war that has ended in old Japan. He decides never to kill again, so he uses his reverse sword (its sharp side isn't used) to stop that causing chaos wherever he goes. His passion and conviction to not kill is an example to die to ourselves when we want to harm others.

It's hard to do, and Kenshin experiences very trying situations that push him to his limits, but you will have to watch the anime to see what happens. I recommend watching the New Kyoto Arc as it skips a lot of filler.

Samurai Champloo

Another older anime but a classic. It also deals with samurai, two of them, who go through various adventures with a young girl who tags along. The music is one of my favorites in a series, the animation is top-notch, as is the action, and it deals with a group of Christians around the end as part of the story.

It is somewhat historical, so you get a taste of what life was like in Japan back in these days, and I highly recommend checking it out. 

My Hero Academia

This is a more recent anime that has gained a lot of popularity. It's all about superheroes, which is the perfect time to capitalize on that genre. MHA deals with a young group of students going to school at a hero school called U.A. and goes through their adventures of fighting villains, learning about their powers, and teamwork.

What makes this one stand out for me as a Christian, is its morality and how good overcomes evil. It doesn't make it so black and white every time, so it makes the viewer think if the villain's actions are justified or not.

Overall, it's a fun anime with action, drama, mystery, and quick-moving plots that keep you hooked!

My Last Day

Though it's not an anime series, it's a short video showing the crucifixion of Christ in excellent animation.

I highly recommend it, as it's a powerful display of what it might have looked like to see the Son of God take the cross, be crucified by the Romans, and how He left the grave. 

Manga Messiah

Yes, it's a manga, but it's very well done. I am a proponent that if Christians are going to be involved in the creative arts (music, art, writing, etc.), we should do our best.

This series of manga goes from Genesis until I believe revelation, each volume dealing with a different section in the bible. This one deals with the coming of Jesus Christ, His miracles, and preaching the kingdom on Earth, death, and resurrection.

Definitely check it out if you're a manga fan.

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[dwestfieldblog]

IT SEEMS TO BE NOW OR FOREVER/ A NEW DISORDER OF THE AGES

(Or is it only ancient and unjustified?) Hail Eris...I escaped England on the day Boris Johnson became the newest puppet of masters, vested interests, donors and manipulators. The evil of of two lessers. 23rd of July, Sirius day (The sun behind the sun). British people prefer characters these days more than actual character. Put it down to the Reality TV facebook twitter lifestyle. A loveable eccentric eh? Blonde and bumbling, good for a laugh huh? Despite the fact that he is a serial barefaced liar, was a very dubious lord mayor of London with highly expensive/ridiculous ideas and utter bollocks at being Foreign Secretary. Boris wrote in 1999 'I am a raving Euro federalist...a pro European of the most violent, dyspeptic and incurable disposition'. (That was until he saw 52 percent of Brits wanted to leave the EU and thought AHA! I smell a way to power.) We all forgive a rogue with boyish charm don't we? Let's see how long the United Kingdom survives. On the day I flew back The New York Times front page had a column: 'Is Johnson how Britain will end?' 

Depressing advert seen on the side of of red London bus...'Bucket Life (KFC) delivered'. Buckets of antibiotic pumped peculiar half 'chicken' type chemicals straight to your door. Good to have the empty bucket handy after one has consumed a feast fit for vomiting straight out again. Obesity well on the rise over there, he says, wolfing an entire packet of chocolate waffles with half a litre of cold milk.

Religion/politics...Nice quoted headline from a Taliban spokesman last month: 'We will not bomb schools or hospitals'. How very decent and noble of them after all these years, perhaps there aren't enough left to bother with. Today on the BBC news their spokesman said they 'never targeted civilians'. Well quite a lot seem to have been accidentally blown up by roadside and suicide bombs...Hard to imagine a decent future for the non fanatical people of Afghanistan, especially the females and shameful that the west is withdrawing because 'peace' is so near. Fnord. Perhaps they will get a cut in the opium profits/prophets. 'Mission accomplished'. Really? Saudi Arabia will now allow women to go out without permission or a guardian. In '2019'? Surely they will microchip them under the veil and have them followed by drones. How long did it take the sheiks just to accept female drivers? Nice folk who agreed to release a woman's rights activist only IF she said she hadn't been tortured. Swine.

'Can Christians in the US survive without bibles? The answer is probably not'. Thus spake the Global Times newspaper, run by the allegedly communist party of China. This, in response to hearing of new US tariffs on Chinese goods...guess where their bibles are made? That's right. 'The spiritual world of most American people is based on China's industrial capability'. Fascinating sentence on many levels. Take five seconds and think on the implications of that, if you will...

I watched several Trump debacles on CNN this summer. As usual, the 'fake news/liberal media' (etc etc) doesn't actually need to make any stories up, he provides a limitless supply of verbatim goodies with which to play. And then tries to deny he ever said them by using outright lies and obfustication (exactly the same as Boris's 'dead cat on the table' idea.) The four congresswomen of colour Trump ranted about...the chanting crowd 'Send her back'....'I didn't like that they did that and I started speaking very quickly'....Live TV coverage showed it took him 13 seconds before he spoke over them, while he turned left and right...and just for a second got that look of shiny eyed pride. His sentence that he had been 'down there' with the first responders on Nine Eleven. Surely his supporters (apart from QAnon who is either a moron, brilliant comedian or Kremlin sock puppet) must know he is lying in their faces..perhaps they really don't care. Like Melania's coat.

One of the congresswomen (Born in Somalia and a naturalised citizen) had made a non racist comment that some congressmen appear to have received money from Israeli businesses to promote their interests. Well..seems likely and fair enough, that is how it usually works everywhere. Those with money pay politicians to dance and the dosh is gleefully accepted. Not just Israel. It looks as if Trump seized on this as a useful way of stirring up manure. Criticising the state of Israel and her government is not racist just because they are Jewish. Corruption is corruption, whatever the colour or creed. And a prostitute is a prostitute. How many of Trump's KKK followers and Republican Christian haters of abortion actually support Israel? Take a calm guess on the percentages of probability. How many 'acting' people has he around him now? (One way of keeping them on their toes...) 'Fat tangerine racist with the brains of a McNugget' indeed. Hopefully he will continue to take no unhealthy exercise and maintain his cheeseburger diet.  

And Yet Another mass slaughter by a man/boy with a gun. In protest at the 'Hispanic invasion'. In Texas. That's right Texas, which used to belong to the Mexicans before the old land grab in the name of oil. Trump rambling that bigotry, racism and white supremacy have no place in America. Well apparently they do and are not diminished by your former and continuing outright lack of total condemnation over the last few years. Although they have been strengthened by your petulant little blonde boy Hitler youth type attitudes towards blacks, Moslems, Native Americans and Mexicans. Germophobia because of colour? (unless the showers are golden) Does darker skin seem dirty to you? You approach black sportsmen and musicians with a type of benevolent fascination rather than actual friendship.  

Extinction Rebellion...Hmm..'And yes, some of us may die in the process', as one of the English leaders of the movement said. Unlikely the 52 year old with a PhD meant himself. However, a placard I saw held aloft by a young protester read; 'WHY AM I BEING EDUCATED IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO THE EDUCATED' was a highly salient point (albeit without a question mark at the end.) Scientists amass careful evidence of global warming and the politicians, being paid regular large sums by oil, gas, precious metal companies etc, ignore long term survival for the sake of all following generations. Leave it for the kids to inherit a wasteland. However, in the XR handbook, it mentions the protests causing the 'necessary material disruption and economic cost'. Costs which will be mostly paid by those on average to minimum incomes...doesn't really square with XR also seeking the 'redistribution of wealth'. Marxist twats masturbating their egos. Personally, I am far more on the side of the rebellious, always have been and will be, just seems a shame XR seem so full of smugness, radical unbalanced vegans and hatred. (and I would like to know exactly where their funding comes from) Not possible to be a quiet, determined but peaceful fanatic. I have always liked Jaz Coleman's old quote that 'Fanaticism is the only way of dealing with a situation of overwhelming odds.' At last reason makes perfect sense! And speaking of those who love Mother Earth...

Who didn't love Putin's wonderful speech to a manufacturing and industrial forum in Yekaterinburg?....Hilarious stand up comedy as he asked 'How many birds are dying?' (By flying into wind farm turbines.) And followed that heartfelt classic up with 'This is no joke, the worms crawl right out of the ground' (due to the shaking...) 'This is the consequence of these modern forms of energy production'. In other words, keep buying oil and gas and sod clean solar and wind power because some worms and birds have a problem with it. How does the universe not laugh him into a Siberian gulag? Trump had said that wind turbines 'are killing all the eagles'. He didn't mention the worms. Don't mention the worms! It is lovely to know Mr Putin cares so much about our feathered and slimy friends. (Good to see Russia welcomed back into the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe after 5 years out in the howling wilderness for its invasion of Crimea. Well, the PCE were running very low on funding and Russia owed them a lot of well needed roubles. These assemblies cost money...and souls for Yog Sothoth)

Many hundreds of protesters have been arrested in Moscow over the last couple of weeks. They had been asking a fair question of where all the opposition parties and leaders had gone for the local elections. And the main opposition leader was moved from prison to hospital (and then back again) due to having had 'an allergic reaction'. Well, poison can do that to a man. Especially when he thwarts the Kremlin in any way. Whoever described Russia as a democracy? Not Solzhenitsyn. 11th August, one week after it told America that it is watching its missile programme VERY closely and will 'match every step with one of our own', Russia tells Google to stop advertising 'illegal demonstrations' or it will take action against it. Lovely news.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong...How long before the veritable Mrs Lam 'invites' the tanks in to help? Good luck with freedom people, be careful. At least Li Pcheng is dead. (one of the minds behind the June 1989 massacre of students in Peking) As one newspaper over here said 'One butcher is gone, others remain.' Detention Centres/'Vocational Schools' have been set up in Tibet where lucky students 10-20 years old can 'learn law (!) language and employable skills' and renounce the Dalai Lama. The latter is non optional. And the former. China has said the camps are 'all expenses paid humane boarding schools'. Humane is not a word for semantic realists to associate with their regime. One more time, Tibet is NOT China in any way whatsoever and certainly not spiritually. A fair number of Huawei workers were educated at and worked with and for China's varied military agencies. Enough to be worrying that Britain has yet to refuse them contracts involved in building the 5G mobile network. Smart phones for foolish people. Are these really the folk to have linked up to a telecommunications network in a democratic country?

Speaking of which...Seems that most folk in Britain have not got the smallest idea how much they have been manipulated. Direct links between Boris, (still in close touch with Steve Bannon) Farage and Trump. The well interwoven threads of populists pandering to the lowest common denominator in the name of self gain. The democracies of the western world are being turned against themselves in the name of foul hearted demagogues. Lack of balanced education has made a deep mass unawareness of actual facts. Human emotions are being weaponised to make choices based on wrong information.  It has always been so but it is far easier now due to false twitter accounts/facebook et al. Trump's entire vision is based exactly on genuine false news and what he and the other similar familiars are promoting is a virus of illusion and outright lies.  

Psyops..(psychological operations) have been used for centuries. There is much wrong with the EU, but they are way closer to us (Britain) in spirit and democratic culture than Russia and China. Those voting for more control of borders will eventually be gifted with less and less freedom but at least it will have been their democratic choice. Arf. The majority of Britons believe they are making patriotic choices. They are not. They are assisting in the break up and destabilising of friendships based on level headed, pragmatical agreements. And into this weakness will move those whose only interest is mass control. We are serving our enemies.

But that said, it is good to be aware that 'Opinions result from perceptions and perceptions reinforce opinions which then further control perceptions, in a repeating loop that logic can never penetrate.' Stasis and decay result unless a little shock of the new is introduced one way or the other to 'startle the brain enough to re-frame its experiences'. So there you have it. Or as Buddha said, 'We are the result of everything we have thought.' Makes you think, doesn't it? Ha. How do you know you are thinking? So...You knew that would happen but you did it anyway...

Back to normality....

While in London, I played with my band and after we had played a fast song called Natural Chaos, (a classic) the bass player told me I had shape shifted and looked like a reptile. No drugs involved. Very disturbing to be told this as I have various theories about those who look reptilian. Oh well, perhaps cold rage and evil are still within. Shame. I spent three and a half hours one afternoon freeing a bumble bee from a large black spider's web in the garden. Got it out, gave it a couple of flowers to suck from and get energy, some rain drops of water to help clean itself, tiny tiny bits of hedge twig to gently attempt to get the web off like a careful brain surgeon. Got two legs free, very gently helped clean one half of the head (it didn't fight or try to sting me) Put it in sunshine for some seconds to power it up, then back into cooler shade and back to work. Absolute focus of three hours. Web is VERY difficult to get off. I left it alone with some more rain drops from a flower tray to drink from. Went back, tried again until darkness fell. Had to leave it by side of flower bed, still half covered by binding web. In the morning found the bee was dead but had managed to remove the rest of the web itself and die clean. The energy it must have spent would have been massive. Wondered about attempting to mess with nature and whether it is justified but I could not have left it wrapped up and trapped. So, I am a hippy reptile. And according to someone in my family I am also a Socialist and cynical. Cynical I can live with (having checked the exact meaning and origin) but bollocks to Socialism. Labels are truly ridiculous...Libertarian anarchist is closer to a useful definition. Or failed mystic. Arf arf arf. The wizard without any whizz. Maybe.

'Whatever is done for love is beyond good and evil.' Hmmm...First, try define Love.  What do you seek? Happiness and learning, Freedom and magick...Balance?   Between the I and the AM, there sparks the relay of Will and vision and so, creation. 'Not until the male become female and the female becomes male shall ye enter the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus (Yeshua ben Yosif) in the Gospel of Thomas....So, All together now..Yod-He-Vau-He...(To couples too withdrawn to truly open their hearts, fearing pain or too guilty to express their inner nature to their partner or themselves.) Sex without true passion leads to orgasm but without connection by those who have been taught or who have learned to be afraid of love. Chasing orgasms is a fraction of the colossal energy and brain change possible. When Earth blends with Heaven, the astral is born and all take on aspects of the other, empowering all. Merge the fields, unify the forces and don't rush before the fields are charged. Open and focus.

I read in the New York Times today about various problems with tumblr...would be a pity if it vanished. All I have seen in the years I have been on, has been of far more heart and good spirited humour and care than other sources of individual expression on line for free.  All the best back to school...All Hail Discordia and see you with Love at Halloween. Keep expanding your reality labyrinths until now or forever....

[drippeddaily]

Album of the Year #11: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Album of the Year #11: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Artist: Kendrick Lamar

Album: DAMN.

Listen:

Spotify

Apple Music

Tidal

Google Play Music

Background by /u/King_CornShucker

As the dust settled following one of the most important hip-hop releases in recent years (2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly), all eyes were on Kendrick Lamar. This jazz and funk infused masterwork was both socio politically fierce and introspectively vulnerable, typifying Kendrick’s (familiarly) conflicting nature. The album’s strength spilled into the subsequent year’s untitled, unmastered., an EP of compiled demos originating during the recording sessions of TPAB. Together, these works established what Lamar had been working on perfecting since 2011’s Section.80. and 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city: his ability to craft a lyrically impressive body of work dense with storytelling and concepts begging for repeat-listens.

But as Kendrick said in his late-2016 interview with Rick Rubin, “It will always have some type of DNA in my music. But me as a person and just knowing who I am, I grow, I’m like a chameleon.” And nobody knew what to expect, especially after producer Syk Sense called the beats in consideration “some of the hardest shit I’ve heard.” He also described the sounds saying, “It’s not like the jazzy tape you would think, it’s like...fucking Memphis. It’s LA, it’s Memphis.” In an interview with The New York Times, Kendrick prefaced the topics he was exploring by saying, “We’re in a time where we exclude one major component out of this whole thing called life: God.”

But all the guessing was suddenly interrupted by the March release of “The Heart Part 4”, an exciting single concluding with the line, “Y’all got ‘til April the 7th to get y’all shit together”. The day came and Kendrick Lamar’s fourth studio album was available for preorder. It was soon announced to be DAMN., a fourteen-track album featuring Rihanna, Zacari, and U2, as well as a talented line-up of producers such as Mike WiLL Made-It, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder.

Review by /u/King_CornShucker

The album begins(?) with “BLOOD.”, an eerie introduction where Kendrick tells a story over a mellow instrumental produced by Bēkon and Top Dawg. Bēkon’s bone-chilling vocals kick off the song, offering what seemingly comes to be the album’s thesis,

Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide. Are we gonna live or die?

These lines carry a listener-hooking sense of mystery that leads into the story. To summarize, Kendrick is taking a walk when he encounters a frustrated blind woman who appears to be looking for something. Soon, he decides to help but is then killed by the woman as a result. This macabre climax is abruptly concluded by a gunshot. While “BLOOD.” is basically a bare-bones introductory skit, I believe it shows Kendrick’s ability to craft artistic brilliance beyond just rapping. A clip of FOX News reporters criticizing the lyrical content of Kendrick’s “Alright” epically transitions into “DNA.”, which is literally the hardest song I’ve ever heard. Kendrick begins by proudly listing both the good and bad in his history and heritage that makes him who he is. The entire first verse is an aggressive yet honest analysis of his personality and beliefs (“And I’m gon’ shine like I’m supposed to, antisocial extrovert”), as well as his current accomplishments (“At 29, I’ve done so well, hit cartwheel in my estate”). An intense, bass-heavy beat crafted by Mike WiLL Made-It carries on for the first verse until it halts into the bridge, featuring a clip of Geraldo Rivera condemning hip-hop’s effects on African-Americans. In response to the FOX News comments sampled here and previously on “BLOOD.” regarding “Alright”, Kendrick said this:

How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred? The overall message is ‘we’re gonna be alright.’ It’s not the message of ‘I wanna kill people.’

This sample paired with Kendrick’s repeating of the words, “I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA”, bring on an incredibly aggressive and in-your-face beat switch. Kendrick’s second verse is urgent and even angrier than his first. The passionate delivery of these apocalyptic lyrics (“Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate”, “Look up in the sky, 10 is on the way, sentence on the way, killings on the way”) gives the song the feeling of a grand finale, even though it’s basically the first song. The last line of the song is “Sex, money, murder-our DNA”, saying that these sins are in our blood. It is a very intentional moment, as it helps introduce the album's biblical theme of sin, and the punishments we face because of it. Mike WiLL Made-It reportedly created the second part of the instrumental after Kendrick rapped the second verse a capella. He stated:

Just imagine him a cappella rapping the second half of “DNA.” and I had to build a beat around that. I didn’t want the beat to just sound like a regular boom-clap, boom-clap. I wanted that shit to sound just as crazy. I wanted it to sound like he’s battling the beat.

Which he clearly accomplished. Not only one of the album’s highlights, “DNA.” is in my opinion one of the best songs of Kendrick’s discography.

The next song is “YAH.”, and the first thing we hear is the album’s debut appearance of legendary DJ and rapper Kid Capri. His inclusion gives off a classic mixtape vibe, calling to mind older eras of hip-hop.

New shit, new Kung Fu Kenny

Introduced earlier on Mike WiLL’s track, “Perfect Pint”, Kung Fu Kenny is a new nickname mentioned numerous times on DAMN. whose motif is seen in videos for the album as well as other promotion and concerts. It is inspired by Don Cheadle’s character from the 2001 film, Rush Hour 2. The most noticeable thing on “YAH.” is the sudden and drastic tone change. In contrast to the previous track’s intensity and unwavering confidence, Kendrick sounds forlorn and paranoid. Kendrick is rapping slowly and melodically over strange and smooth production by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Top Dawg.

Buzzin’, radars is buzzin’, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah

This hypnotizing chorus is a bit unclear in meaning, but it seems to be about his awareness. His “radars” are detecting who is untrustworthy, which connects to the paranoid lyrics (“I got so many theories and suspicions”, “My girl told me don’t let these hoes get in my head”). “Yah” may be in reference to Yahweh, the Hebrew name of God used in the bible. In verse two he raps about struggling with temptation even though he believes God is real and curses those who are unfaithful. The repetition in the chorus could be a calling out to God for help or forgiveness. <My cousin called, my cousin Carl Duckworth said know my worth, and Deuteronomy say that we all been cursed

This is the first we hear about Deuteronomy, a book of the Bible commonly referred to by Hebrew Israelites, people of colour who believe the Israelites are their historic ancestors. Kendrick’s cousin subscribes to this belief, and we later hear him on “FEAR.” educating Kendrick on the Book of Deuteronomy, detailing the curses that await the disobedient. This is a recurring and apparent theme of DAMN, from the album and song titles to the lyrical content.

Next up is “ELEMENT.”, which reverts back to a style more reminiscent of “DNA.”.

New Kung Fu Kenny! Ain’t nobody prayin’ for me! Y’all know what happens on Earth stays on Earth!

Kid Capri kicks off another track, with some strange lines that are very recognizable at this point. He had this to say when asked about them:

To tell the truth, I never asked Kendrick the meaning of it. I said what I said and I never asked him the meaning. He told me to say that part.

I think it’s meaning is simple, saying you can’t bring anything with you when you leave Earth, whether it’s materials or relationships. When the first line of Kendrick’s verse is, “I’m willin’ to die for this shit”, following multiple repetitions of “I don’t give a fuck”, the sentiment exudes a sense of risk-it-all confidence. While the lyrical content alone on this song isn’t as conceptual as most of the tracklist, it’s still a highlight. Kendrick takes shots at his rivals and boasts his skill, sounding smooth and precise while doing it. At the end of his final verse are these lines:

Last LP I tried to lift the black artists, but it’s a difference between black artists and wack artists

His last LP To Pimp A Butterfly focused on self-love and empowering the black community. There is a much different tone on this song, where he puts his competition in their place. When asked about this line, Kendrick had this to say:

A wack artist uses other people’s music for their approval. We’re talking about someone that is scared to make their own voice, chases somebody else’s success and their thing, but runs away from their own thing. That’s what keeps the game watered-down.

James Blake, Sounwave, and Ricci Riera produced this sharp and menacing instrumental that features numerous beat changes. It perfectly pairs with Kendrick’s style throughout the song, similar to how “DNA.” sounded like a back-and-forth between Kendrick and the beat.

Kid Capri and a slowed down version of the chorus take us into the next song, “FEEL.” Another stark contrast from the song before it, this track is Kendrick’s most stripped down and painfully honest since “u”. It’s a dive into the pessimistic emotions Kendrick’s feeling, performed like the mic is his therapist.

Ain’t nobody prayin’ for me

The song starts with a sad line that is heard throughout the album. Even with all of the critical and commercial accolades, Kendrick obviously has feelings of loneliness. He gives the world all his time and energy with his music, but in his position, people are still constantly asking for something. They aren’t even close enough to be real with him, let alone pray for him.

I feel like it ain’t no tomorrow, fuck the world, the world is ending, I’m done pretending, and fuck you if you get offended

If these lyrics are any indication, Kendrick is not lying when he says he has a chip on his shoulder. During both verses on “FEEL.”, Kendrick denounces the world, going so far as to condemn his family and friends. Like “ELEMENT.”’s lyrical content, what you hear is what you get, with not much interpreting needed. But that is only to it’s benefit.

I feel like this gotta be the feeling where Pac was, the feeling of an apocalypse happening but nothing is awkward

Tupac, one of Kendrick’s biggest influences and role models, has shared the same feelings of depression, frustration, and paranoia that are expressed in “FEEL.”. He even had predictions of disaster and bloodshed at the end of Kendrick’s last album, from an interview which Kendrick said had “answers for today’s time and age”. The beat on “FEEL.” was produced by Sounwave, and features bassist Thundercat who appears on “LUST.” as well. Sampling Loopmasters' royalty-free Organic Future Hip Hop sample pack, it is a relatively simple instrumental. However, it captures the mood Kendrick was in lyrically, and is a perfect platform for him to vent over.

“LOYALTY.” is next, a radio-friendly song featuring Rihanna. It is sequenced well in the tracklist, as it is a very light track between two of the most heavy. They rap about loyalty, a quality shown to be very important to Kendrick through his career. Not only does he make sure those he surrounds himself with are trustworthy, he has made himself a good example of the trait. He is still with his fiancee, Whitney Alford, a woman Kendrick’s been dating since high school.

Tell me who you loyal to, is it anybody you would lie for, anybody you would slide for, anybody you would die for? (That’s what God for)

Kendrick said this release would be about God, but also exhibits a sense of being done with religion earlier in the album. We hear him sneak a line nearing the end of “LOYALTY.” that reminds us of Kendrick’s loyalty to God. To quote 2016’s *untitled 01”:

I made *To Pimp A Butterfly for You, told me to use my vocals to save mankind for You, say I didn’t try for You, say I didn’t ride for You

The beat was made by Terrace Martin, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Top Dawg. Bruno Mars’s song “24K Magic” is the sample, which DJ Dahi decided to reverse, change key, and add a third harmony to. It feels uplifting while still sounding slightly eerie and fitting in with the recurring “reverse” theme. While “LOYALTY.” is, in my opinion, the least interesting song on DAMN., it still has a lot going for it and definitely does not warrant a skip.

Bēkon kicks off another song, “PRIDE.”, a hypnotically depressing highlight of the album.

Love’s gonna get you killed, but pride’s gonna be the death of you and you and me and you and you and you and me…

Kendrick raps in this song and throughout the album about his difficulties with putting trust and love in people. But as he’s said in the past:

When are we gon’ understand we are put on earth to love?

He believes in the importance of love, but recognizes people will take advantage of this and hurt you. This 20-second intro is saying it will harm you in the flesh to extend love, but the original sin of pride could lead to damnation and the death of the spirit. Another chillingly honest track, Kendrick goes through his and the world’s imperfections, as well as the pride that’s making Kendrick bitter and numb towards people. His vocals change pitch throughout the first verse, perhaps to capture the out-of-body numbness he’s describing. The chorus of “PRIDE.” appears to be an admittance of his lack of love and empathy for others. He is cold the to the world because of his ego. As he raps about in the second verse, pride isn’t allowing him to own up to his own mistakes, so he blames others. The idea of “a perfect world” is hypothesized, and at the end of the song, Kendrick raps:

See, in a perfect world I’ll choose faith over riches, I’ll choose work over bitches, I’ll make schools out of prison, I’ll take all the religions and put ‘em all in one service, just to tell ‘em we ain’t shit, but He’s been perfect, world”

A perfect world would be completely fabricated because people will always sin. Kendrick puts God as the focal point once again, saying He is only thing people should strive for, as God is free of sin. Steve Lacy of The Internet produced the beat for “PRIDE.” on his iPhone using GarageBand. Another example of questionable production choices that lead to a sound working perfectly for Kendrick’s performance and subject matter.

“HUMBLE.”, the lead single of DAMN., is the complete antithesis of the last song. The slow, cold sound of PRIDE is opposed by the loud, quick flow of HUMBLE, with the music video even including imagery of fire. The title of the track is an interesting choice, because the lyrical content of the verses is very braggadocious and prideful. When asked by Rolling Stone if the chorus of the song (which repeats the command, “be humble”) was directed at himself, Kendrick responded:

Definitely. That’s why I did a song like that, where I just don’t give a fuck, or I’m telling the listener, “You can’t fuck with me.” But ultimately, I’m looking in the mirror.

Even with a party-friendly banger like this one, Kendrick pays attention to detail. Thematically “HUMBLE.”’s lyrics fit in with the other tracks, but in terms of tone, are a wild and boastful deviation from the majority of DAMN.’s eeriness and pessimism. The instrumental, originally meant for Gucci Mane, was produced by Mike WiLL Made-It. It features a driving, menacing piano and trap drums. After recording the song, it was agreed that it would be released on Mike WiLL’s album, Ransom 2, but Kendrick was convinced by others to keep it. It’s a good thing they did, because “HUMBLE.” is still a memorable and recognizable moment on the album.

“LUST.”, the second song named after a deadly sin, comes next. It is an examination of of lust, and critique of those living for themselves and falling into a cycle of sin.

I need some water, something came over me, way too hot to simmer down, might as well overheat

The first line in the song shows the lustful feelings (or thirst) Kendrick has. But it also introduces the spiritual side of the song. Reminiscent of “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” from good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick is using the need for water to symbolize man’s need for God. Verse 1 documents the daily routines of a man and woman and their vices. Kendrick’s delivery intentionally makes the events sound uninteresting and repetitive, in a “Groundhog Day”-esque cycle of trivial living. The second verse delves into an unexpected point of view. He criticizes those who were initially outraged about Trump’s inauguration for eventually accepting it and being silent. The bridge immediately after connects this to the theme of lust.

Lately, in James 4:4 says “Friend of the world is enemy of the Lord”

Kendrick quotes a bible verse to illustrate that accepting worldly ways and seeking worldly things is to reject God. The incredible instrumental was made by Toronto jazz and hip-hop trio BADBADNOTGOOD, Sounwave, and DJ Dahi. It’s smooth yet intense, and features a reverse drum sound similar to “Vibrate” by Andre 3000, a song with very similar subject matter.

“LOVE.” comes next, and is another contrast to the track before it. It is a relaxing and easygoing jam that is welcomed after the steamy and urgent nature of “LUST.” It features Zacari, a newcomer who was on both Ab-Soul’s and Isaiah Rashad’s latest albums. His vocals compliment the beat, making for one of the most enjoyable choruses or hooks on the album. The lyrical content is relatively simple, much like the other singer-assisted song on the album. It is Kendrick rapping melodically, most likely about his fiancee. The main producer was Teddy Walton with additional production credits to Greg Kurstin, Sounwave, and Top Dawg. Easy to digest and vibe to, “LOVE.” is a much-needed rest from the heavy substance in the tracks surrounding it.

After this comes “XXX.”, which features Irish rock legends U2 and production from DJ Dahi, Sounwave, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Top Dawg. One of the most captivating moments on DAMN., it is a three-parted rollercoaster of a song. Kendrick had this to say in an interview with Zane Lowe regarding the song.

It’s an idea of complete chaos and madness. Organized madness and controlled madness; us trying to control this madness.

It begins with Bēkon introducing one of the song’s topics: America. Then, Kendrick offers two analogies.

Throw a steak off the ark to a pool full of sharks, he’ll take it. Leave him in the wilderness with a sworn nemesis, he’ll make it.

Both are images of hunger and temptation, with the second line referencing the story in the Book of Matthew where Jesus, who had been fasting for forty days, is tempted by the devil. It is interesting to think what this imagery metaphorizes in the context of the song’s message of America’s controlled chaos and corruption. Kendrick then uses “Johnny” to personify youth in America that fall into temptation and end up in violence. This point of the song might be the most experimental on the whole album, with the beat cutting out in moments and old school hip-hop sound effects. The beat then explodes into the second part, which features sirens and heavy breathing to help visualize the rage and chaos present in Kendrick’s verse. It’s about a man whose only son was killed and calls Kendrick in drunken desperation for advice and closure. Kendrick, even though his “spirit do know better”, tells him that he would seek revenge. After the phone call, Kendrick attends a convention to talk about gun control. It is an admittance of hypocrisy, reminiscent of 2015’s “The Blacker the Berry”. In my opinion, the storytelling on this verse is more vivid and powerful than any Kendrick’s ever done. The last part of the song is relaxing and takes a broader view of the topic with an analysis of America. The beat has live sounding instruments and sounds of birds in the distance. Bono sings a bit of an esoteric chorus that concludes the track. This song is absolutely a highlight and one of Kendrick’s bests.

Speaking of highlights, “FEAR.” comes next. It begins and ends with the phone call Kendrick referred to in “YAH.”. His cousin Carl Duckworth speaks to him of his and other Hebrew Israelites beliefs, stemming from Deuteronomy 28. People of this belief commonly use this passage to explain why minorities like Africans, Latinos, and Native Americans have dealt with such hardships like slavery, poverty and disease. The inclusion of this is interesting as Kendrick doesn’t explicitly say he subscribes to this belief. I think the general message of God cursing us for our lack of faith is one Kendrick believes in, which is why it is such a central theme on the album. The concept of the song is simple, but the execution is incredible. Each of three verses has Kendrick taking the perspective of himself dealing with fear at ages of 7, 17, and then 27. At the age of 7, Kendrick felt fear from his mother’s severe threatenings. At 17, his fear was death, as the verse follows Kendrick going over hypothetical scenarios where he dies. Finally, at 27 (which happens to be the year he released To Pimp A Butterfly) his biggest fears were losing his wealth, being judged, and being forgotten. Verse 4 very neatly wraps everything up, and could have easily been the last verse on the album. He alludes to many of the song titles on the album, and summarizes his emotions as of late. The instrumental crafted by The Alchemist is, ironically; considering the song’s name, the most chill on the album. A faster version of it was momentarily present on “The Heart Part 4”. The bassline and background vocals brilliantly compliment the emotions in Kendrick’s storytelling, making for one of the best tracks on the album.

“GOD.”, which is in my opinion the strangest and most unexpected song on the album, comes next. It features a pretty simple beat by Ricc Riera, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Cardo, Bēkon, and Top Dawg. On surface level, the song is basically a reminiscent, confident Kendrick going through his accomplishments. It has a spiritual tone of self-love and being above worldly things. But it’s eerie undertone mixed with the repeated line, “This what God feel like!” gives off a story of Lucifer vibe, which would connect to the theme of sin and pride found throughout the album. Regardless, “GOD.” is a very interesting song and one that has grown on me especially.

Concluding the album at track 14 is “DUCKWORTH.”, which is the last name of Kendrick Lamar. Originally titled, “Life is Like a Box of Chicken”, it plays as a sort of climax to the album. It’s top notch storytelling over soulful, ever-switching production of 9th Wonder. It begins with Bēkon just like “BLOOD.” did, which could play into the famous (or infamous) “reverse theory”. This theory suggesting the album has a different story (or “feel” as Kendrick said) when the tracklist is reversed lead to the recent release of *DAMN. COLLECTOR’S EDITION.”, which features, well, a reversed tracklist. The sample, Ted Taylor’s “Be Ever Wonderful”, takes us into the first verse. To summarize the story, Anthony, AKA Top Dawg, planned to rob a KFC. “Ducky”, who is Kendrick’s father, worked at this KFC and decided to give Anthony free chicken and extra biscuits. This decision caused Anthony to let him slide, which leads Kendrick hypothesize what could have been. This generosity caused a butterfly effect where Kendrick, Anthony, and Ducky “meet inside recording studios where they reaping their benefits”. It is a powerful, true story which beautifully encapsulates the message of the album. Kendrick’s hypothetical storyline where Ducky is too weak to be generous and Anthony kills Ducky out of wickedness leads to all of their demises. A gunshot is played which is followed by the sound of the album being reversed to the first track. It gives the album a cyclical nature, similar to that of “good kid, m.A.A.d city”.

To conclude, DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar is an extremely dense work of art, which justifies it being possibly my most listened to album ever (wow that sounds weird). Many people seem to consider it to be a poppy downgrade from To Pimp A Butterfly but I couldn't disagree more. While I might prefer TPAB musically, I would argue that there is just as much, if not more artistic depth to DAMN.. It is a ghostly, brooding, intense, honest, and artful installation to what is, in my opinion, one of the best discography runs in hip-hop. This is definitely one of the best albums of the year, and possibly the decade.

Favorite Lyrics by /u/King_CornShucker

I was born like this, since One like this immaculate conception

I transform like this, perform like this, was Yeshua’s new weapon

I don’t contemplate, I meditate, then off your fucking head

This that put-the-kids-to-bed, this that I got, I got, I got, I got-

“DNA.”

Now, in a perfect world, I probably won’t be insensitive

Cold as December but never remember what winter did

I wouldn’t blame you for mistakes I made or the bed I laid

Seems like I point a finger just to make a point nowadays

“PRIDE.”

Fear, whatever happens on Earth stays on Earth

And I can’t take these feeling with me so hopefully they disperse

Within fourteen tracks, carried out over wax

Searching for resolutions until somebody get back

“FEAR.”

Life is one funny mothafucka, a true comedian

You gotta love him, you gotta trust him

I might be buggin’, infomercials and no sleep

Introverted by my thoughts, children, listen, it gets deep

“DUCKWORTH.”

Talking Points

What hidden themes/meanings did you catch in DAMN. that could’ve been intentional?

What do you think the encounter with the blind woman in “BLOOD.” represents?

What do you think about the “reverse theory” that Kendrick co-signed?

Do you think Kendrick sacrificed quality to make the album approachable to the mainstream?

Did DAMN. live up to the standards set by To Pimp A Butterfly?

Favourite and least favourite songs, lyrics, and beats on the album?

What direction do you think/hope Kendrick will take with his next album?

Artist: Kendrick LamarAlbum: DAMN.Listen:SpotifyApple MusicTidalGoogle Play MusicBackground by /u/King_CornShuckerAs the dust settled following one of the most important hip-hop releases in recent years (2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly), all eyes were on Kendrick Lamar. This jazz and funk infused masterwork was both socio politically fierce and introspectively vulnerable, typifying Kendrick’s (familiarly) conflicting nature. The album’s strength spilled into the subsequent year’s untitled, unmastered., an EP of compiled demos originating during the recording sessions of TPAB. Together, these works established what Lamar had been working on perfecting since 2011’s Section.80. and 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city: his ability to craft a lyrically impressive body of work dense with storytelling and concepts begging for repeat-listens.But as Kendrick said in his late-2016 interview with Rick Rubin, “It will always have some type of DNA in my music. But me as a person and just knowing who I am, I grow, I’m like a chameleon.” And nobody knew what to expect, especially after producer Syk Sense called the beats in consideration “some of the hardest shit I’ve heard.” He also described the sounds saying, “It’s not like the jazzy tape you would think, it’s like...fucking Memphis. It’s LA, it’s Memphis.” In an interview with The New York Times, Kendrick prefaced the topics he was exploring by saying, “We’re in a time where we exclude one major component out of this whole thing called life: God.”But all the guessing was suddenly interrupted by the March release of “The Heart Part 4”, an exciting single concluding with the line, “Y’all got ‘til April the 7th to get y’all shit together”. The day came and Kendrick Lamar’s fourth studio album was available for preorder. It was soon announced to be DAMN., a fourteen-track album featuring Rihanna, Zacari, and U2, as well as a talented line-up of producers such as Mike WiLL Made-It, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder.Review by /u/King_CornShuckerThe album begins(?) with “BLOOD.”, an eerie introduction where Kendrick tells a story over a mellow instrumental produced by Bēkon and Top Dawg. Bēkon’s bone-chilling vocals kick off the song, offering what seemingly comes to be the album’s thesis,Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide. Are we gonna live or die?These lines carry a listener-hooking sense of mystery that leads into the story. To summarize, Kendrick is taking a walk when he encounters a frustrated blind woman who appears to be looking for something. Soon, he decides to help but is then killed by the woman as a result. This macabre climax is abruptly concluded by a gunshot. While “BLOOD.” is basically a bare-bones introductory skit, I believe it shows Kendrick’s ability to craft artistic brilliance beyond just rapping. A clip of FOX News reporters criticizing the lyrical content of Kendrick’s “Alright” epically transitions into “DNA.”, which is literally the hardest song I’ve ever heard. Kendrick begins by proudly listing both the good and bad in his history and heritage that makes him who he is. The entire first verse is an aggressive yet honest analysis of his personality and beliefs (“And I’m gon’ shine like I’m supposed to, antisocial extrovert”), as well as his current accomplishments (“At 29, I’ve done so well, hit cartwheel in my estate”). An intense, bass-heavy beat crafted by Mike WiLL Made-It carries on for the first verse until it halts into the bridge, featuring a clip of Geraldo Rivera condemning hip-hop’s effects on African-Americans. In response to the FOX News comments sampled here and previously on “BLOOD.” regarding “Alright”, Kendrick said this:How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred? The overall message is ‘we’re gonna be alright.’ It’s not the message of ‘I wanna kill people.’This sample paired with Kendrick’s repeating of the words, “I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA”, bring on an incredibly aggressive and in-your-face beat switch. Kendrick’s second verse is urgent and even angrier than his first. The passionate delivery of these apocalyptic lyrics (“Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate”, “Look up in the sky, 10 is on the way, sentence on the way, killings on the way”) gives the song the feeling of a grand finale, even though it’s basically the first song. The last line of the song is “Sex, money, murder-our DNA”, saying that these sins are in our blood. It is a very intentional moment, as it helps introduce the album's biblical theme of sin, and the punishments we face because of it. Mike WiLL Made-It reportedly created the second part of the instrumental after Kendrick rapped the second verse a capella. He stated:Just imagine him a cappella rapping the second half of “DNA.” and I had to build a beat around that. I didn’t want the beat to just sound like a regular boom-clap, boom-clap. I wanted that shit to sound just as crazy. I wanted it to sound like he’s battling the beat.Which he clearly accomplished. Not only one of the album’s highlights, “DNA.” is in my opinion one of the best songs of Kendrick’s discography.The next song is “YAH.”, and the first thing we hear is the album’s debut appearance of legendary DJ and rapper Kid Capri. His inclusion gives off a classic mixtape vibe, calling to mind older eras of hip-hop.New shit, new Kung Fu KennyIntroduced earlier on Mike WiLL’s track, “Perfect Pint”, Kung Fu Kenny is a new nickname mentioned numerous times on DAMN. whose motif is seen in videos for the album as well as other promotion and concerts. It is inspired by Don Cheadle’s character from the 2001 film, Rush Hour 2. The most noticeable thing on “YAH.” is the sudden and drastic tone change. In contrast to the previous track’s intensity and unwavering confidence, Kendrick sounds forlorn and paranoid. Kendrick is rapping slowly and melodically over strange and smooth production by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Top Dawg.Buzzin’, radars is buzzin’, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yahThis hypnotizing chorus is a bit unclear in meaning, but it seems to be about his awareness. His “radars” are detecting who is untrustworthy, which connects to the paranoid lyrics (“I got so many theories and suspicions”, “My girl told me don’t let these hoes get in my head”). “Yah” may be in reference to Yahweh, the Hebrew name of God used in the bible. In verse two he raps about struggling with temptation even though he believes God is real and curses those who are unfaithful. The repetition in the chorus could be a calling out to God for help or forgiveness.

[cstesttaken]

101 Social Media Marketing Resources

Here’s a monster list of social media marketing resources to help expand your knowledge of this ever-changing ecosystem. These resources are useful for newbies and social media mavens alike, looking to learn about the field as well as to hone their business skills.

To make it easier to use, this list is broken into sections. There are broad-based social media resources covering social media as a whole as well as more specialized offerings focused on a specific platform or topic.

Now without further ado, here are 101 Social Media Marketing Resources, the 2012 Edition. In the spirit of helping the social media marketing community, please share the link to this page as well as to link to it.

Social Media Top 5 Resources

Here are the top social media focused online resources. These entities provide quality content on a regular basis.

Social Media Examiner. A top Ad Age 150 blog that provides actionable social media tactics. A must-have for anyone in the social media field. (Disclaimer: I write for SME and this blog was chosen as a Top Social Media Blog of 2012.)

Mashable. The brand name in the social media space. It’s useful for staying on top of trends but can be fairly elementary for regular social media users.

Smart Brief for Social Media. This is a great digest of social media content. At a minimum, its daily newsletter gives a round up the day’s top social media stories. Its editorial team boasts Andy Sernovitz, former CEO of WOMMA. (Disclaimer: I write for SBFSM.)

Hubspot. As an Internet marketing firm, Hubspot’s blog, ebooks and webinars provide a wealth of information and social media data. Understand that their agenda is to sell their software. Hubspot is the home of social media data scientist Dan Zarrella.

Who’s Blogging What. This weekly email  curates some of the best on what’s happening from the blogsphere. It’s a good overview of current social media content.

Social Media Bookshelf. For those who still believe in books, here’s a short list of some of the gems currently available.  These books apply to social media in general.

Bodnar, Kipp and Jeffrey L. Cohen (no relation)  The B2B Social Media Book. This for B2B marketers who think that they can’t do social media. It’s written by two guys  who’ve learned from inside of two important firms delivering technology for social media.

Dietrich, Gini and Geoff Livingston  Marketing In The Round. These two authors provide an actionable plan for integrating social media with other more traditional communications functions.

Dragon, Ric  Social Marketology. One of the really smart books of 2012. Ric provides a combination of strategy and tactics with actionable tips and charts.

Kerpen, Dave  Likeable Business and Likeable Social Media. Dave shows how to use social media to transform your business from the inside out. Dave, his wife and co-partner Carrie, live social media and word of mouth marketing.

Odden, Lee  Optimize. Lee provides a strategic view of how social media, search and content marketing work together. This book gives you bite-size actionable how-tos based on Lee’s 9+ years of blogging at Online Marketing Blog.

Scott, David Meerman  The New Rules of Marketing and PR One of the early books on social media. My NYU graduate students either find this book too elementary or they love it. Check out David Meerman Scott’s blog and e-books.

Singh, Shiv  Social Media Marketing For Dummies. Don’t let the title fool you. Shiv is one very smart marketer!

Smith, Mari  The New Relationship Marketing. This book by one of the social media rock stars provides a road map for stepping into the social media ecosphere and building a following.

Social Media Theory

These books should be on every social media bookshelf. They provide the background and underpinnings behind social media and why it works.

Aaker, Jennifer  The Dragonfly Effect. This books shows how to use social media with unusual case studies.

Anderson, Chris  The Long Tail and Free. As a lower cost alternative, you can read the original articles on Wired’s site.

Brogan, Chris and Julien Smith  Trust Agents.

Evans, Dave  Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day. Dave offers a logical plan for your social media efforts.

Gladwell, Malcolm  The Tipping Point and Blink.

Godin, Seth  Tribes and Linchpin. Seth is a prolific writer and has been cranking out marketing books for years. My personal favorite is Permission Marketing.

Keller, Ed and Jon Berry  The Influentials. This book provides explanation for underpinnings of word of mouth marketing and the role of influence.

Li, Charlene and Josh Bernoff  Groundswell. Good read about how social media marketing works by two Forrester Researchers. Some may find it more historical now.

Locke, Christopher, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger  Cluetrain Manifesto. Written in 1998, this book is amazing in its foresight. It’s a classic treatise that provides the theory behind social media.

McConnell, Ben and Jackie Huba  Citizen Marketing: When People are the Message.

Sernovitz, Andy  Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking  Easy-to-read book by the former CEO of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.

Shirky, Clay  Here Comes Everyone. Very readable book by NYU professor Clay Shirky that approaches social media from a sociological perspective.

Solis, Brian  The End of Business as Usual and Engage. Brian Solis’ blog is a must read for marketers.

Surowiecki, James  The Wisdom of Crowds. Interesting research that provides insights as to why social media works.

Other social media resources.

This is a selection of digital social media resources worth checking out.

30 Social Media Definitions. Need help defining social media for your boss? Here’s the resource for you.

47 Social Media Facts. Nothing but the facts. Charts included.

Social Media Glossary. 100 Social media terms.

How to Make the Business Case for Social Media. Here’s an easy-to-follow guide to help you make your case.

2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Research by Social Media Examiner.

360i,  Social Media Handbook. Great free guide for marketers. Download it and see for yourself.

Marekto’s The Definitive Guide to Social Marketing. A corporate written e-book that’s worth downloading.

The 7 Step Social Media Strategy Every Marketer Needs. Short and to the point plan.

50 Questions to Determine Social Media Success. Useful checklist for marketers.

Facebook.

The current 800 pound guerilla of social media platforms.

Facebook. The corporate spin from inside the social media giant that’s worth monitoring.

InsideFacebook. Here’s the unofficial guide to Facebook for marketers and programmers. Include this in your feed (aka RSS) reader.

AllFacebook. Another unofficial guide to help you keep up with Facebook.

Porterfield, Amy, Phyllis Khare and Andrea Vahl  Facebook for Dummies All in One. Amy is one of the top Facebook gurus.

Treadway, Chris and Mari Smith  Facebook Marketing. Mari is one of the Facebook experts. You can also follow her on Twitter.

9 Surefire Facebook Tips. Examples included.

Facebook versus Twitter. Chart included.

YouTube

Both the largest online video platform and the second biggest search engine so that you can’t overlook this video powerhouse in your marketing plans since it’s a combination of content marketing, social media and search optimization.

Greg Jarboe and Suzie Reider  YouTube and Video Marketing Great how-to book to get you started.

8 Ways to Maximize Your YouTube Results. Includes examples.

31 Online Video Branding Questions. Useful checklist to help evaluate the strength of your video campaign.

Blogging

Blogs should be at the heart of any integrated social media marketing plan. They act as a CMS (Content Management System) and help search optimization and distribute content marketing.

Copyblogger. Considered the bible of blogging, especially for business goals. Get this RSS feed so that you’re on top of the latest trends. Try the 31-day Blogging Challenge either as a paid download e-book or in its original blog post format, which takes searching to find.

Problogger.  Another must read for bloggers.

How to Plan Your Blog. Details what you need to get your blog on track.

Blogging: 3 Secrets to Being An A-List Blogger.

31 Blog Design Mistakes (& How to Fix Them)

11 Tips to Optimize your blog

29 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Blog Traffic.

65 Blog Metrics to Track Success.

#BlogChat. Meets on Twitter every Sunday night at 9:00pm east coast time. Run by Mack Collier. It’s a must for every new blogger. (See notes below about Twitter chats.)

Twitter

Provides the ability to communicate in 140 character bites. It’s particularly useful for marketing purposes. 

Twitter Blog.  Twitter’s official blog.

Schaefer, Mark W.  The Tao of Twitter. Words of wisdom from Mark.

Thomases, Hollis  Twitter Marketing. Fellow ClickZ columnist Hollis’ book covers the subject in depth. At least follow her on Twitter!

24 Twitter Etiquette Guidelines. Miss Manners for Twitter.

How to Create a Twitter Strategy. Basic guide for marketers.

15 Steps to Build Your Twitter Following. Another basic guide.

Twitter Chat Schedule. For those who want to participate in chats.

How to be a Twitter Chat Champion. How to jump into the fray on any Twitter Chat.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the professionally focused social media platform.

LinkedIn Blog. This is the official blog of LinkedIn.

27 LinkedIn Social Media Strategies. Strong list with screenshots from fellow ClickZ columnist Harry Gold. A former college football player, Lewis is one of the experts on LinkedIn.

7 Steps to a LinkedIn Strategy. Here’s a useful case study via Social Media Examiner.

Neal Schaffer – Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn. 

Pinterest

Pinterest is the social media darling of 2012.

Hayden, Beth Pinfluence.

Pinterest Etiquette – 13 Tips to Pin By. Here’s the inside scoop on Pinterest.

19 Reasons to Add Pinterest to Your Social Media Strategy.

56 Ways to Market Your Business on Pinterest. This article makes it hard to say you don’t know what to do for your business with Pinterest.

7 Surprising Pinterest Insights Every Marketer Needs.

Google+

Brogan, Chris  Google+ For Business.

Ignore Google+ at Your Risk. Here are 8 charts that make the case for using Google+

Why Every Business Needs A Google+ Strategy. Strong thinking from SEOmoz’s Rand Fishkin.

Other Social Media Options

Instagram Research You Need Now. 7 charts that provide you with the rationale for using this social media application.

Wheatland, Todd  Slideshare. Here’s the bible on how to use this B2B marketing tool.

10 Tips for Using Slideshare. Slideshare is a B2B marketer’s heaven.

22 Point Checklist for Slideshare. Useful list to print out.

The Marketer’s Guide to Tumblr. A step-by-step guide that shows you how to use this microblogging platform.

How to (Properly) Use Tumblr to Successfully Market Your Brand.

Online photos

Don’t overlook the power of online photographs in your marketing mix since it’s the second most popular use of a smartphone after texting.

250+ Free Stock Photograph Sites. If you want more options than Flickr, look no more.

Flickr. This is my favorite source of images. Use Advanced Search to find photos you can use commercially.

How to Optimize Images for Better Search Rankings. Neil Patel’s list is a must read.

Images & Photos: How to Increase Social Media Effectiveness.

Social Media Guidelines

Every business (B2B, B2C or Not-For-Profit) must provide guidelines for how its employees should represent the company, how employees should represent themselves, how customers should be treated, and define acceptable behavior on company websites and social media entities. This is necessary even if your firm isn’t active on social media.

17 Social Media Guidelines Every Firm Needs. Checklist from which to create your business’ guidelines.

7 Guidelines for What to Do During a Social Media Crisis. How to be prepared for every executive’s nightmare.

Social Media’s Social Responsibility. 10 points to consider in order to make your social media marketing efforts more accountable.

57 Social Media Policy Sources. Dave Fleet provides a long list to help you develop a set of social media policies.

Army’s Social Media Handbook. Think that your firm can’t engage in social media? Think again. If the Army can, so can you.

Ford Company’s Social Media Policies. Great concise version of one company’s guidelines that incorporate great visuals with the help of Scott Monty.

Cisco’s Social Media Playbook. Another company’s more in-depth approach to social media guidelines.

Social Media PR

Use PR to enhance your social media efforts.

Social Media Press Release. Here’s the original social media press release prototype.

HARO (aka Help a Reporter Out). This free service delivers PR opportunities straight to your emailbox three times a day. Use it to get your story in the media but play by the rules.

How to Prevent a Social Media Disaster. Something that every marketer needs to know, even if you’re not doing any social media marketing!

Social Media Metrics

Social media metrics and ROI continue to confound marketers. Here’s a list of resources to help you.

Blanchard, Olivier  Social Media ROI. Useful guide for showing social media’s value to your organization.

Paine, K.D.  Measure What Matters. Katie brings intelligence to an often elusive topic.

Schaefer, Mark W.  Return on Influence.  Mark provides a guide to understanding how to assess and build influence.

Socialbakers. Useful social media related data. Part of a larger analytics firm.

Sponder, Marshall  Social Media Analytics.

Sterne, Jim  Social Media Metrics. Jim Sterne has been at the center of digital marketing metrics for years. He runs the eMetrics conferences.

As social media continues to grow and evolve, new and more current resources will continue to be created and published. To this end, please help contribute to our collective knowledge by adding your suggestions in the comments section below.

Happy marketing, Heidi Cohen

Social Media Marketing World 2017

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Discover the best and newest ways to market your business on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat.

The event takes place March 22-24, 2017, in San Diego. Actionable Marketing readers get a special, early registration discount. Act Now And Save!

Free Social Media Career Guide —

10 Ways Social Media Can Boost Your Career

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  Photo credit: http://skytechgeek.com/2012/01/12-beautiful-social-media-vector-icon-sets-free-download/

Source

http://heidicohen.com/101-social-media-marketing-resources-2012-edition/

[johnchiarello]

Acts 25

ACTS 25 Acts 25:19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Acts 25- https://youtu.be/GO_EbKzNSpk https://ccoutreach87.com/10-10-17-acts-25/ https://ccoutreach87.com/10-10-17-acts-25-2/

ON VIDEO- .Paul’s appeals .The new governor comes in .festus replaces Felix .The local court out of Jerusalem still had the plot! .From Ceasarea to Jerusalem was about 60 miles- a 2 day trip back then https://www.britannica.com/place/Caesarea .Paul appeals- to Nero! .Why? .Seneca the Stoic .King Agrippa the 2nd- and Bernice the queen .Wait- aren’t they brother ans sister? .Bernice is the oldest daughter of Agrippa the 1st- and Agrippa the 2nd is his son .How they they be King and Queen? .Can you solve this riddle? .Homer- Iliad- Odyssey

NEW- Just a few notes- these past few chapters are simply covering Paul’s appeals thru the local court system [Sanhedrin] and going up the ladder to the top court of the land- Caesar of Rome.

The caesar at this time- is Nero- http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/nero Nero was one of the worst persecutors of the early church- yet Paul took his case to him. Why?

At this stage Nero was not ‘as bad’ as we know him to be later on. He actually will martyr both Paul and Peter later on. Yet at this stage of the game he was influenced by Seneca- a Stoic philosopher- https://dailystoic.com/seneca/

Though the Stoics were not considered Christians- they did indeed have moral elements to their teaching. Self denial- stuff like that.

So it would not be strange for Paul to take his case to him. Another point- Paul has been sitting in the ‘county jail’ for 2 years by now. Governor Felix left office- and festus took his place.

So the case is reviewed by the new governor- And after 2 years- the high priest at Jerusalem [the top judge in the county] still wants to kill Paul! We see a lot of corruption in the system- and how those who hold seats of authority- positions the public should be able to respect- yet these same people are some of the most corrupt of the day.

Yet- we also see Festus- and in his dealings with Paul- he does what is right. The local court out of Jerusalem wants Festus to bring Paul to them- so they could carry out the plot to kill Paul.

Paul is aware of the plot- for 2 years now. And he appeals his case to Rome- and Festus takes the appeal. I’ll add my past teaching below- but wanted to simply give this update- John.

NOTE- The regular PAST POSTS and VERSES section is still below- but I made this short post [below] last night- thinking I might do a daily ‘roll out’- But didn’t want to waist an entire post just for this- so I stuck it here- [More below] I also talked about a strange experience I had- it involved a person who was put to death last night in Texas [2 nights ago now] I talked about it on an upcoming teaching post- KINGS 13- but here’s the news link- http://www.kztv10.com/story/36586596/inmate-executed-for-beeville-prison-guards-death His sister asked me to pray for him a few years ago- I did- Then she asked me to pray for her brother again- because he was on death row- again? Well it will be explained on the KINGS 13 post- I thought maybe his sister was wrong- she wasn’t. Most of my Bluff friends would know his sister- but I won’t mention her name here [If I do a roll out- I might mention it before the kings 13 post- there are a few issues I might want to talk about as well]

ILLEGAL COP STOP- CAUGHT ON CAMERA COP STOP- https://youtu.be/jfdKqg_e8FU

I pulled out of a gas station- as the cop was pulling in- we were right next to each-other. You can see my sticker easily from the highway. He saw it too- but he decided to turn around from the gas station he was pulling into- and followed me for a short distance.

Notice- he already had in his mind what to say- it was basically an excuse to pull me over- Why? I’m wearing sunglasses- have the long hair- and I’m not from his town [Mathis].

Cops profile like this- thought it is illegal. As he came up to me from behind- before even seeing the sticker- he saw my fire dept retirement badges and union sticker on my back window.

That’s when he realized it was not what he was looking for- possibly some drug dealer or whatever. But at least today you get to see it on video. Why make a big thing out of it?

Honestly- this stop was no big deal- but others are. Many unjustified stops have lead to the deaths of people later on- Sandra Bland being one of them. I’m sure they mean well when they profile- but it is illegal.

They did it to the top lawyer from Florida a few weeks ago- I talked about that case. [She is a Black woman- driving an expensive car]

You also see a crime- Huh? Not only is it a crime to profile- but it is also a crime to lie- Howbeit a small one-

But these ‘small ones ‘have lead to the deaths of people in the past- It would be better if they avoided all crimes. Oh I forgot officer- smile- you are indeed on Candid Camera.

One small note- he is a cop from Mathis- where I have caught them before doing wrong- and exposed it. So maybe he knew who I was after all?

Note- I’ll post the picture of the sticker to Facebook- he supposedly couldn’t see it because of the bible on my dashboard. As I uploaded this video to Youtube- once again- someone changed the settings to PRIVATE- This only seems to happen when I talk about cops?

PAST POSTS- https://ccoutreach87.com/overview-of-philosophy/ ACTS- https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/01/18/acts-1/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/01/26/acts-2/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/02/02/acts-3/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/02/09/acts-4/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/03/23/acts-5/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/03/31/acts-6/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/06/acts-7/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/14/acts-8/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/18/acts-9/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/07/acts-10/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/16/acts-11/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/22/acts-12/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/06/01/acts-13/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/06/14/acts-14/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/07/03/acts-15/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/07/07/acts-16/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/07/27/acts-17/ http://corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com/2017/08/acts-18-acts-1828-for-he-mightily.html https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/08/09/acts-19/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/08/20/acts-20/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/09/04/acts-21/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/09/20/acts-22-2/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/10/04/redo-acts-23-2/ https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/10/08/acts-24-2/ (765)ACT 25- Festus hears the Jews at Jerusalem, they want him to bring Paul to Jerusalem. Festus goes back to Caesarea and asks Paul ‘why don’t you go back with me’? Paul appeals to Caesar! Of course going to Rome was part of the plan. Now King Agrippa [another one of the many ruling authorities that Rome had over the people!] comes to Caesarea and Festus tells him about Paul. Agrippa will get a strong word in the next chapter. Also the Jews come down from Jerusalem and accuse Paul of many things. I want to make a note here. In the area of apologetics, which we do a lot of, you need to be careful that you don’t jump on the bandwagon of unfounded accusations. There are and have been real doctrinal heresies that needed to be dealt with, but some of the apologists really get personal. Even calling family members degrading names! In Paul’s case he had accusations that were not true. He does defend himself against the false ones, but also admitted that he believes in Christ’s resurrection and that this is considered heresy among certain Jews. Paul’s main message was Christ and the resurrection! As we get ready to close our study in a few more days, I want to recap the importance of seeing Jesus and his fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets as the main message of the Apostles. This early teaching by the Apostles needs to be the ‘tradition’ if you will, once again. We [believers] have a tendency to delve deeply into all sorts of stuff. Paul will warn his spiritual sons ‘don’t get lost in endless genealogies and debates about the law’ and Hebrews says ‘it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats [legalistic doctrines] which have been unprofitable to those who have gone that route’. Now, you guys know I believe in correct doctrine, and Paul wasn’t advocating ‘no doctrine’. But it is easy to get lost in endless debates that lead to nowhere. Ultimately our goal is to present every man perfect in Christ. Paul will stick with this message all the way to Rome! MY OLD POSTS- The Iliad and Odyssey [Homer] I want to cover some of the classics of Western Literature- when I do the philosophy and science stuff- the purpose is to show how God- and ‘religion’ are an inescapable thread that we see all thru out history- and in fact- the rise of what we call ‘intellectualism’ did indeed come from the Judaic/Christian tradition [for instance- the modern day university system did come from the Church].

Ok- lets start with what most believe to be the greatest work from antiquity- outside of the bible.

These are 2 poems by Homer- the Iliad and Odyssey.

These poems were written in the 8th century BCE- and cover the Trojan war- which most believe was a real war- that took place in the 12th-13th century BCE.

In Homers works we read about this epic battle.

The war starts with- once again- a ‘woman’ issue.

Prince Paris of Troy steals Helen of Greece- from her husband King Menelaus [king of Sparta].

The Greeks- led by Achilles- lay siege to Troy.

In Homers telling of the event- the Greeks are actually defending the honor of marriage- and are carrying out a just retribution against an unjust act. Sort of the same themes we read in scripture- when the sons of Jacob defended the honor of their sister Dinah- when she was treated unjustly by the pagan nation that took her- forcefully- to be the wife of a kings son.

The brothers meted out justice- by tricking these pagans to get circumcised- then- while recovering ‘from surgery’- the sons went in and wiped out the city- to their fathers dismay!

In the story- Achilles is a warrior- who displays extreme violence- and also the human traits of a man who acts out of selfish motives.

At one point in the war- he removes himself from battle- because he feels his honor was betrayed.

The only thing that brings him back is the killing of his close friend Patroclus- by Hector. Achilles leads the Greeks to victory- and reflects the struggle between living a long life- or dying young- yet dying for a just cause. One of the more famous quotes form Homer’s Poems- attributed to Achilles- is ‘I carry 2 sorts of destiny to the day of my death. Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting; but if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life- left for me, and my end in death will not come to me quickly.’

There has been some debate over the historicity of the war itself.

Some scholars believe it was Myth [I’ll get to this in a moment]. That is- they believe the war itself was not true- but a sort of Oral Tradition- that encompasses the reality of the human condition- and that Homers Poems are simply mythological ways to reveal the true condition of man.

Yet- much like the debate that took place in the 19th century German universities- over the ‘Myth’ of the bible- later on- the rise of what we now call Archaeology [because of the Industrial revolution- a new field arose- men started digging up the ground- for the primary purpose of extracting materials from the earth- and at this time we also discovered ‘lost worlds’- that is we could actually trace cities and lands that were once deemed fake].

So- as with Homers Troy- and bible lands- these archaeologists did indeed find Cities that matched the stories.

In 1870 the German Archaeologist Schliemann discovered remains that seemed to find the city of Troy- the area is known today as modern day Turkey.

This same thing happened with the bible- we did indeed find historical evidence that seemed to back up the historicity of the stories we find in the bible.

As a matter of fact- a famous doubter of the bible embarked on a search- to prove the bible was ‘myth’ yet- after researching carefully the historical names and places we read about in the book of Acts- he came to believe that the book of Acts- written by both an historian and doctor [Luke] was the most historically accurate writing that came from the first century [Acts has lots of names of political figures- court proceedings- stuff like that- and when doing research like this- it is quite easy to debunk the historical reality of a fake work- but- when these names and places were researched- from actual historical records dating back to the first century- it was amazing how the pieces fit].

The Trojan War is found in many works of Greek literature- and art.

But the most comprehensive account comes from Homer’s 2 poems.

Now- in Homer’s poems there are obvious references to Mythology- Goddesses- Golden apples- the Greek gods intervening in the affairs of men.

So yeah- we see that there are obvious mythological aspects to the work. Yet- the ancient Geeks did indeed believe the war itself was a real war that took place at around the 12th century BCE.

Some believe that Homer never actually wrote the poems- but that he told the stories- like Oral Tradition- and they were later written down by others.

Sort of like the classic- Paradise Lost- by John Milton. Milton was blind- and told the story to his daughters [oral tradition] and the actual work was penned by those who heard it.

Jesus himself used this method- he never wrote a book- or letter in the New Testament- yet the gospels were compiled by his men after his death.

We read about this when Luke [who I mentioned above] gives the reason for his documenting stuff in the book of Acts [read Acts chapter one].

Luke also wrote his gospel a few years after the death and resurrection of Christ.

So- some believe the same thing happened with Homer- those who heard him tell the story multiple times- simply put it together later on.

Most scholars believe that Homer did indeed write the poems- and that the famous Trojan War was a real historical event.

Last year- when in North Bergen- my atheist friend Daniel said he watched a PBS show- and he said ‘even a priest said the bible was Myth’.

I explained to Daniel that when the more liberal scholars use this term [like in the writings of Bultman] that they do not mean ‘fake’- like Greek Mythology.

But they mean that some of the stories in the gospels might be a compilation of the many Oral teachings of Jesus- and they were put together as one story [some think the Sermon on the Mount was actually multiple teachings Jesus did- and they were compiled into one event].

Now- when I explained this to Daniel- he said ‘see- even you believe it was Myth’.

I told Daniel that no- I do not hold to this theory [not 100%] but that I was simply telling him that even those who use the term Myth- when talking about Theology- they do not mean Myth- as in fake.

So- I find it interesting that both the New testament- and Homers poems- got the same scrutiny.

In these poems we do indeed see the condition of man- which Homer depicts as one of constant war- not peace.

The letter of James in the New Testament says- James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Homers poems are considered by some to be the beginning of the great works of Western literature- of which there are many.

The great writer C.S. Lewis- who rejected Christianity for many years- later became a believer.

He attributed his conversion to the fact that he could not escape the reality of the Church- or Christian themes- found in all the fields of study.

Whether it was the classics- or history- philosophy.

He said every were he read- studied- he could not escape this scarlet thread that ran thru out all the fields of knowledge.

Yeah- in the end- his thirst for knowledge- his intellectual search- led him to the Cross.

Jesus- in a way- was a 1st century Achilles- he battled the forces of darkness- for the honor of a woman- the Bride- the church.

He- Like Achilles- chose a just death- for a just cause.

There’s a prophecy in the Old Testament- it speaks of Christ ‘the zeal of thine house has eaten me up’.

Jesus was a righteous warrior- a prophet, priest and king- and he had a zeal for the church- that far exceeded anything we find in Homers poems. [parts] The Epicureans and the Stoics.

The Epicureans were an early form of what we call Hedonism today- the idea that pleasure is the principle purpose of man.

The Stoics believed in ‘stoicism’ that man should have no emotional response to pain or pleasure- that’s why we call people today ‘Stoics’- when they seem to not be moved by anything.

Ok- that’s it for now- might make some comments tonight- but I’m getting ready to fly out soon- and trying to wind down before I leave. If I don’t write tonight- I’ll talk again when in North Bergen- God bless you all. [parts]

HERACLITUS- Ok- lets pick up on my philosophy stuff. Heraclitus lived in the 6th/5th century BC. – He was from Ephesus and his key thought was Ever Present Change.

That is he saw everything as being in a state of continual flux- one of his famous sayings was ‘No man ever steps into the same river twice’.

He is called the Weeping Philosopher- sort of like the prophet Jeremiah in the bible- also called the Weeping Prophet.

Heraclitus is known for his concept of the Logos- the Word- or thought/reason.

Now- this aspect of his thought plays a role in the development of the Christian understanding of Christ himself- in our New Testaments [written in Greek] Jesus is indeed referred to as the Logos- or Word of God.

The Greek philosophers understanding of the Logos was not the same as the Christian view- mainly expressed thru the writings of John [The gospel- the 3 epistles- and Revelation]. But- some see the Greek view as a precursor to Christ.

In the work of one of the early church fathers- Hippolytus ‘The Refutation of all Heresies’ he attacks Heraclitus view of the Logos as an early form of heresy.

The apologist Justin Martyr is more gracious- he [Like Ulrich Zwingli- the great Swiss reformer of the 16th century] viewed the early Geek thinkers as ‘pre- Christian’ or ‘Christians before Christ’.

Though many reject this view- yet there is some scripture to back it up. The apostle Paul said in his letter to the Romans that if the Gentiles [non-Jews] do by nature the things contained in the law- then they are justified in God’s sight.

Of course these things are debatable- but I add this to show you that some great Christian thinkers did indeed view the early Greek thinkers- who did live by a moral code- as being right in God’s eyes.

And the bible does teach a theme that we will be judged according to the amount of light [understanding] that we had at the time.

I should note that Plato [one of the 3 titans that arose after Heraclitus- from the city/state of Athens] disagreed with Heraclitus on all things being in a state of constant change.

When [if?] we get to Socrates- Plato and Aristotle- I’ll try and cover the ways they advanced- built upon- the thought of the pre Socratic thinkers.

As a side note- the most famous student of Aristotle- who was the most famous student of Plato- who was the most famous student of Socrates- was Alexander the Great.

This goes to show you how great an influence Greek philosophy had on the ancient world.

A few nuggets from Heraclitus- ‘all things come to pass in accordance with this Logos’ ‘follow the common’ ‘not having their own judgment’.

Recently I covered Acts chapter 2- and we see some of these ideas in the early Christian movement. The first Christians did ‘follow the common’ they sold their goods- and had ‘all things common’ [communal lifestyle].

The apostle Paul teaches the early church to all ‘speak the same thing- that there be no divisions among you’. And the New Testament also says the scripture should not be given to Private Interpretation- meaning- ‘not having your own personal judgment’.

All in all- we do indeed see a sort of pre Christian thought in the pre Socratic thinkers- they did indeed speak of the Divine- God- though there understanding of him was not the same as the Christian church.

In a sense- Heraclitus idea that in life- the only ‘constant’ is the fact that there is no constant- that life itself is made up of an ongoing journey- we live day by day- not ever knowing what ‘the next day will bring forth’- Jesus.

Yeah- the man had some good points- the later Stoics would consider Heraclitus as the father of their movement. And in the study of Philosophy- the Stoics- who had a good run from a few years before the Common Era- were overtaken in the 4th century [as the main influential philosophy of the time] by some new and lasting philosophy- started by a man named Jesus Christ- who his followers claimed rose from the dead. Yeah- this New Way was called Christianity- and this philosophy has endured now for over 2 thousand years.

VERSES- Acts 25:1 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Acts 25:2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, Acts 25:3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. Acts 25:4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. Acts 25:5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. Acts 25:6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. Acts 25:7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. Acts 25:8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. Acts 25:9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? Acts 25:10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. Acts 25:11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. Acts 25:12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go. Acts 25:13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. Acts 25:14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: Acts 25:15 About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. Acts 25:16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. Acts 25:17 Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. Acts 25:18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: Acts 25:19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Acts 25:20 And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. Acts 25:21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. Acts 25:22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. Acts 25:23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. Acts 25:24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. Acts 25:25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. Acts 25:26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. Acts 25:27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

MY SITES http://www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com [Main site] https://www.facebook.com/john.chiarello.5?ref=bookmarks https://ccoutreach87.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ4GsqTEVWRm0HxQTLsifvg

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Note- Please do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on- Thanks- John.#

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