#justice for bethel

[businesstiramisu]

Okay I rewrote the post. Thoughts on the last tenth (or so) of Worth the Candle:

[I don't really expect this to be interesting to anyone except me, but i do want to save these for future me, lol]

 I found the ttrpg Fel See Incident much more satisfying than the Aerb version. No, not satisfying, it was horrible. But it was exactly what the story had been building it up to be, for 1 million plus words, and that's quite an accomplishment. Whereas the Fel Seed of Aerb.... I think the problem is scope creep? When the stakes get Too High and the antagonists (or protagonists, for that matter) get Too Powerful my brain just gives up and I disengage. Like "sure, whatever, just tell me who wins". Whereas the ttrpg version, and the real world-level drama around it, felt horribly plausible.

I did like "we'll win the second time because, if Joon had gotten a second chance at the game, he would have let the players win." That was a nice bit of narrative reinforcement/article of faith.

 I love the Long Stairs. It's almost enough to make me think I should give SCP a more serious look, but I'm still worried the horror will be Too Scary for me. (And don't get me wrong I would hate to play a ttrpg campaign in it... actually, maybe it wouldn't be worse than usual? I could just follow the RDP instructions instead of my usual choice paralysis. well, depends on how often they come up. I probably wouldn't like having to make new characters constantly b/c they keep dying.) But like when Juniper wished they could've stayed in the labyrinth and explored the other cultures living there, I was right there with him.

The final reveal of Uther/Arthur..... hmmm, complicated feelings. On the one hand, ugh! why couldn't he just apologize, and admit to being terrible!! Well, he kinda did later... to Juniper, after they'd spent a long time rebuilding camaraderie and basically giving each other a pass for the horrible shit each considered the other to have done. And that was depressingly realistic. Well, idk that anything in my life compares (fortunately) but the most serious, scary arguments in my life have mostly gone like that.

Juniper and Arthur's ultimate goodbye felt appropriate, even cathartic. Raven and Bethel didn't get anything comparable though. Just Uther brushing them off (or in Ravens case saying "I understand this is hard for you but you've got to suck it up", basically). Which, yeah the world ain't fair. It wasn't justice, though. They didn't get their due like Juniper did.

The final conversation withe the dungeon master was also surprisingly satisfying! I liked it a lot more than when Sophie's World did the same thing. (And I've probably read more books that have the character confront the fact that they're characters in a novel, but that's what came to mind lol).

Maybe b/c it was really funny how the DM told Juniper "you're all characters in a novel I'm writing" and Juniper immediately rejected that explanation as bullshit.

Similarly, the Narrator, as the actual Juniper who was writing WTC

Heaven!Fenn though, felt overly self-indulgent to me. Which is maybe ridiculous, b/c the whole story is an exercise in self-indulgence/self-examination, but i dunno she just didn't work for me

Well, it's pretty hilarious that she was The One Person In Aerb Ever To Go To Heaven, and was always destined to be that one person. Hilarious in a pretty arbitrary way.

Someone in the comments to Ch. 245 or 246 said that "Worth the Candle but Reimer died instead of Arthur" is a great fanfic premise and... i dunno, it would be a massive amount of work, but it's tantalizing to think about. Seems like Aerb would have to be very different with--well, idk, would it be a whole collection of Reimer's characters, since he never seemed as devoted to one of them?-- instead of Uthur Penndraig, but with the themes of putting people on a pedestal, using their tragedies as an excuse to wallow in your own grief and depression and rage, and also the DM presumably having the same goals, I have to wonder how much it would even matter?!

Wow, the void beast was a metaphor for global warming?! kinda kicking myself for not picking up on that. Unless I just forgot about it; this story is really long.

[bullseyelover]

BULLSEYE (2017) ISSUE #2

writer marv wolfman | artist alec morgan

[reasonsforhope]

"Research on a police diversion program implemented in 2014 shows a striking 91% reduction in in-school arrests over less than 10 years.

Across the United States, arrest rates for young people under age 18 have been declining for decades. However, the proportion of youth arrests associated with school incidents has increased.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, K–12 schools referred nearly 230,000 students to law enforcement during the school year that began in 2017. These referrals and the 54,321 reported school-based arrests that same year were mostly for minor misbehavior like marijuana possession, as opposed to more serious offenses like bringing a gun to school.

School-based arrests are one part of the school-to-prison pipeline, through which students—especially Black and Latine students and those with disabilities—are pushed out of their schools and into the legal system.

Getting caught up in the legal system has been linked to negative health, social, and academic outcomes, as well as increased risk for future arrest.

Given these negative consequences, public agencies in states like Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania have looked for ways to arrest fewer young people in schools. Philadelphia, in particular, has pioneered a successful effort to divert youth from the legal system.

Philadelphia Police School Diversion Program

In Philadelphia, police department leaders recognized that the city’s school district was its largest source of referrals for youth arrests. To address this issue, then–Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel developed and implemented a school-based, pre-arrest diversion initiative in partnership with the school district and the city’s department of human services. The program is called the Philadelphia Police School Diversion Program, and it officially launched in May 2014.

Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker named Bethel as her new police commissioner on Nov. 22, 2023.

Since the diversion program began, when police are called to schools in the city for offenses like marijuana possession or disorderly conduct, they cannot arrest the student involved if that student has no pending court case or history of adjudication. In juvenile court, an adjudication is similar to a conviction in criminal court.

Instead of being arrested, the diverted student remains in school, and school personnel decide how to respond to their behavior. For example, they might speak with the student, schedule a meeting with a parent, or suspend the student.

A social worker from the city also contacts the student’s family to arrange a home visit, where they assess youth and family needs. Then, the social worker makes referrals to no-cost community-based services. The student and their family choose whether to attend.

Our team—the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab at Drexel University—evaluated the effectiveness of the diversion program as independent researchers not affiliated with the police department or school district. We published four research articles describing various ways the diversion program affected students, schools, and costs to the city.

Arrests Dropped

In our evaluation of the diversion program’s first five years, we reported that the annual number of school-based arrests in Philadelphia decreased by 84%: from nearly 1,600 in the school year beginning in 2013 to just 251 arrests in the school year beginning in 2018.

Since then, school district data indicates the annual number of school-based arrests in Philadelphia has continued to decline—dropping to just 147 arrests in the school year that began in 2022. That’s a 91% reduction from the year before the program started.

We also investigated the number of serious behavioral incidents recorded in the school district in the program’s first five years. Those fell as well, suggesting that the diversion program effectively reduced school-based arrests without compromising school safety.

Additionally, data showed that city social workers successfully contacted the families of 74% of students diverted through the program during its first five years. Nearly 90% of these families accepted at least one referral to community-based programming, which includes services like academic support, job skill development, and behavioral health counseling...

Long-Term Outcomes

To evaluate a longer follow-up period, we compared the 427 students diverted in the program’s first year to the group of 531 students arrested before the program began. Results showed arrested students were significantly more likely to be arrested again in the following five years...

Finally, a cost-benefit analysis revealed that the program saves taxpayers millions of dollars.

Based on its success in Philadelphia, several other cities and counties across Pennsylvania have begun replicating the Police School Diversion Program. These efforts could further contribute to a nationwide movement to safely keep kids in their communities and out of the legal system."

-via Yes! Magazine, December 5, 2023

[oldnumberseven]

graphic made by me, slapped together in canva using the free version so yes, it's kinda garbage lol. church photo source here. 

A new chapter of my fic '27' is live!

Links: AO3 & FF.net

Fandom: True Blood

Pairing: Eric Northman / OC

Summary: Grace Williams takes the road trip of her life and finds herself employed as Fangtasia's resident songbird. Will she learn to control her new powers and navigate Eric and Bill's bitter rivalry? Or give into her addiction and join the notorious 27 Club? Set during the year between Seasons 3 and 4.

Word count: ~115k

Warnings: graphic violence, suicide references, significant substance abuse, strong language and explicit smut. There is an overdose scene in this fic but there are NO major character deaths.

Soundtrack for Chapter 18

Looks like Rain - The Grateful Dead (not the first time I’ve used this for inspo but the street cats lyrics *lip wobbles*) 

Arsonist’s Lullaby - Hozier (Don't you ever tame your demons but always keep 'em on a leash)

Renegade - Styx 

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor 

Swing of Justice - Gramatik 

Purple Haze Jam (Live @ Bethel Woods) - Pretty Lights (the way words just poured out onto the google doc while listening to this on the live stream, it unblocked me!) 

Lovesong - Adele 

The King’s Affirmation - Iniko (a Pretty Lights sample I heard live in Tahoe, it fits Grace so well!!)

[demifiendrsa]

ATLUS has moved up Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance from its previously planned June 21, 2024 release date to June 14, 2024.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store.

Latest details

■ What is Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance?

Released in 2021, ATLUS’s renowned RPG Shin Megami Tensei V has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide.

This highly acclaimed title has evolved in every aspect, including the system and scenario, and will be available on multiple modern platforms!

At the beginning of the story, the player is presented between two routes. The story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, and a brand-new route, Canon of Vengeance, a dramatic tale of revenge by the fallen.

The Canon of Vengeance follows the scenario of Shin Megami Tensei V, but changes drastically from the latter half of the game. The outcome will be completely different. Enjoy the two divergent stories to your heart’s content.

The battle system, demon fusion, and field exploration have also evolved in depth with the addition of new elements. We are excited to deliver a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by those who have already played Shin Megami Tensei V, as well as those who are playing this series for the first time.

■ Story

Thou shalt be God—

When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He awakens in a new Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at… but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a savior emerges, and the two of them unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino.

Revenge Awaits

Demons attack humans and seek to create a world of chaos. Bethel, an organization that seeks to protect God’s order. Caught up in the conflict between the two, while exploring Da’at, the protagonist meets and starts traveling with Yoko Hiromine. Using magic, Yoko and the main character stand together on the front line.

The Qadistu, four female Demons stand in their way. “Found it, the Key of Resurrection……” A member of the Qadistu, Lilith, calls protagonist the Key of Resurrection, and herself The Oppressed. What is their purpose? A tale of revenge by the oppressed begins.

■ Characters

Tao Isonogami (voiced by Jeanine Tirado in English, Hayami Saori in Japanese)

“You were ready to do whatever it took to protect someone you care about. I know exactly how that feels.”

Tao is a classmate of the protagonist and a member of the high school lacrosse club. Friendly and caring.

She has possessed a strong spiritual sense since when she was young and has been assisting Bethel Japan as their “saint.” She supports the protagonist once he joins Bethel.

In combat, Bethel Japan as their “saint”, she specializes in healing and support skills.

Yuzuru Atsuta (voiced by Mark Whitten in English, Kaito Ishikawa in Japanese)

“Innocent people get born into pain they can’t escape and don’t deserve. What do you call that but proof that our world’s fundamentally broken?”

Yuzuru is a friend of the protagonist.

Holding a strong sense of justice, he joins Bethel as a temporary unit to fight demons and protect his sister Miyazu.

He gains more power after visiting Da’at with the protagonist, reaffirming his commitment to fight for peace in Tokyo.

In battles, he wields the Demon Summoning Program to summon his loyal demon partner Hayataro as his demon partner.

Ichiro Dazai (voiced by Stuart Allan in English, Kishou Taniyama in Japanese)

“That angel taught me something truly important: you can’t rely on others to carry out your justice.”

Ichiro is a classmate of the protagonist. He has a cheerful personality but can often be rather tactless.

His grades are poor and often seen as “useless” at school.

As he livestreams himself as a hobby, he is dragged to Da’at after a tunnel collapse incident. Bethel recruits him to fight demons, to which he agrees as he believes that it’s for a noble cause. In battles, he uses unique demons such as Aitvaras and Mokoi as his demon partners.

Miyazu Atsuta (voiced by Ashlyn Madden in English, Ryou Hirohashi in Japanese)

“I refuse to hurt Tao anymore!”

Yuzuru’s younger sister and only relative. Shy and physically weak, she is a frequent visitor to the school nurse’s office.

She respects her brother and is worried about his involvement in Bethel.

Sahori Itsukishima (voiced by Erica Lindbeck in English, Lynn in Japanese)

“Demons are just like people too. There are good types and bad…”

Tao’s best friend and a former member of the lacrosse club.

A victim of bullying by her teammates, leaving her a vulnerable target for the demon Lahmu.

■ Demons

Naahmah (voiced by Kari Wahlgren in English, Shizuka Ito in Japanese)

“Now wail and lament! Your anguish shall become the Magatsuhi that I seek!”

One of the four female demons of the Qadistu, also known as the “Mother of Demons”. She is the most sensual and seductive of the four Qadistu, and her beauty is said to charm not only humans, but even Angels and Demons.

Eisheth Zenunim (voiced by Allegra Clark in English, Kimiko Saitou in Japanese)

“Now, tell me… what part of yourselves do you hate the most?”

One of the demons of the Qadistu, who seduces humans and leads them to their demise. In Jewish mythology, she is said to eat the souls of the fallen. Under the guise of salvation, she attacks humans and steals their souls.

Agrat bat Mahlat (voiced by Cherami Leigh in English, Reina Ueda in Japanese)

“So I shall dispense a punishment. May your existence be lost to darkness.”

A member of the Qadistu, she is also the “Queen of Demons.” Also known as “the demon who dances on the roof” and is said to wander through the air with her chariot and her train of messengers of destruction.

Glasya-Labolas

One of the 72 demons of King Solomon’s “Ars Goetia.” His form is that of a dog with griffin-wings. Bloodshed and murder, and can predict the future and make people invisible.

■ Gameplay

Press Turn Battle

The battles in this title features a command-based Press Turn Battle.

The Press Turn System rewards the player for exploiting the weaknesses of enemies. If you successfully hit an enemy with the skill type they are weak to, your party will gain an extra turn. The simple, yet tactically challenging battle system is still in place.

This title also offers various new skills and elements that expand the strategic nature of battles.

Striking an enemy’s weak point increases the number of Press Turn icons in the upper right corner of the screen, allowing additional actions! If you keep targeting the weak points well, you can take up to 8 actions, for an unscathed victory.

A number of exclusive skills available only to certain demons have also been added!

■ Systems

Magatsuhi Skill

As the battle progresses, your actions will fill the Magatsuhi gauge. Once the Magatsuhi gauge is capped, you can use the special technique Magatsuhi skill.

Magatsuhi Skills have a variety of effects, including damaging enemies and support and healing skills. This title features more than 50 Magatsuhi skills, including more than 20 newly added to the game, such as ones only usable with certain demons.

Each skill has powerful abilities, so keep an eye out for opportunities to activate them in battle.

In addition to the Magatsuhi skills previously introduced in Shin Megami Tensei V, there are now skills that can be activated when there is a strong mythological relationship between two demons or when there are demons with the same alignment in the party!

Unique Skills

In this title, every demon has their own special passive skill, called Unique Skills.

Unique Skills may include those that increase the power of attack skills, provide powerful effects when a particular demon is present, or ones that are useful for demon conversation.

The combination of the demons allows the player to experience more tactical battles.

—Blessed Melody When active, your team’s power is enhanced when all allies exploit the target’s weakness with Light Skills.

—Four Heavenly Kings When summoned with a demon who has the Unique Skill “Four Heavenly Kings” as active, it will enhance its own abilities.

—Demonic Mediator When active and if a demon negotiation goes sour, your partner demon will intervene to mediate the conversation.

Demon Conversation

When attacked by a demon, you may be able to talk with them and potentially recruit them as an ally.

Each demon has a different personality and preference. In this title, more variations in the conversation are added, deepening the interaction.

Demons vary in temper and personality. If you can negotiate with them skillfully, they will become a supportive companion.

Certain negotiations may be interrupted by an ally demon in your party, triggering a unique interaction. Enjoy the special conversation between the related demons! You can enjoy conversations related to the relationship between the demons.

Sometimes, a demon may surprise you with a pop quiz! Show off your knowledge to impress them!

Guest Characters

As the story progresses, human guest characters may join the party and participate in battles. They can fight and use items in the same manner as demon allies. Use your companions and your demons to your advantage in battle.

Consecutive Encounters

After defeating an enemy demon, a new demon may appear and continue the battle. Although it will be a series of battles, winning may generate bonuses in Macca, EXP, and items earned.

The more demons that discover the protagonist, the more likely it is that a serial encounter will occur. It is also a good idea to aim for a large bonus by engaging in combat with enemies that are densely packed together.

[simply-ivanka]

As The Hill reports, allegations of wrongdoing surfaced when one of Trump’s co-defendants, Mike Roman, accused Willis and Nathan Wade — a married man whom she appointed to prosecute the RICO case against Donald Trump despite his having exactly zero experience in prosecuting such cases — of engaging in an “improper” romantic relationship.

Somehow, though, “improper romantic relationship” doesn’t begin to do it justice. For example, Willis paid Wade nearly $654,000 in legal fees in 2022 and 2023, and she benefited from the relationship in the form of lavish vacations they took together on the taxpayer dime. Willis also said she paid Wade and the two other special prosecutors she appointed “the same hourly rate.” Turns out that was a lie. In fact, Willis paid one of the state’s top racketeering experts, John Floyd, $150 an hour, but she paid the inexperienced Wade $250 an hour.

Caught red-handed, Willis eventually went public to defend herself, but not at a press conference where she might be questioned by the media. Instead, she went to church on Sunday — specifically, Atlanta’s historic black Big Bethel AME Church — where she gave the congregants a 35-minute woe-is-me sermon. It wasn’t a good look.

The New York Post editorial board agrees. “So where’s the Willis investigation?” it asks. “Last spring, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a new law establishing an eight-member commission to investigate and remove district attorneys for sufficient cause. Willis’ blatant breaches of ethics plainly require the new State Prosecuting Attorneys Statewide Qualifications Commission to act ASAP.”

All this makes one wonder not only whether Willis will be forced to step down but also whether Georgia’s attorney general, Christopher Carr, has the guts to pursue criminal charges against her.

Finally, a word of advice for the people of Fulton County: This is what you get when your DA is a clown. Do better.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Reproof of Ephraim, Judah, Jacob

1 Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; he multiplies lies and violence; he makes a covenant with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.

2 The LORD also brings a charge against Judah. He will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds. 3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God. 4 Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor; he found Him at Bethel and spoke with Him there — 5 the LORD is the God of Hosts— the LORD is His name of renown. 6 But you must return to your God, maintaining love and justice, and always waiting on your God.

7 A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands. 8 And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”

9 But I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast. 10 I spoke through the prophets and multiplied their visions; I gave parables through the prophets. 11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife— for a wife he tended sheep. 13 But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved. 14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt upon him and repay him for his contempt. — Hosea 12 | Majority Standard Bible (MSB) The Majority Standard Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 25:26; Genesis 28:5; Genesis 28:13; Genesis 29:18; Henesis 29:20; Genesis 32:24; Genesis 32:36; Genesis 32:28; Genesis 41:6; Exodus 3:15; Exodus 14:19; Leviticus 23:42; Numbers 12:8; 2 Kings 17:7; 2 Kings 17:13; Psalm 30:4; Psalm 62:10; Proverbs 11:1; Jeremiah 2:36; Jeremiah 7:25; Lamentations 5:6; Ezekiel 18:10; Ezekiel 18:30; Ezekiel 28:5; Hosea 2:15; Hosea 4:1; Hosea 4:9; Hosea 4:15; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 6:8; Amos 8:5; Revelation 3:17

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

14th July >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II))

First Reading Amos 7:12-15 'Go, shepherd, and prophesy to my people Israel'.

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Go away, seer;’ get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’ ‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’ Amos replied to Amaziah ‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 84(85):9-14

R/ Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace, peace for his people. His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.

R/ Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.

R/ Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit. Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps.

R/ Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

Second Reading Ephesians 1:3-14 God chose us in Christ before the world was made.

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes, to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Such is the richness of the grace which he has showered on us in all wisdom and insight. He has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning to act upon when the times had run their course to the end: that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth. And it is in him that we were claimed as God’s own, chosen from the beginning, under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things as he decides by his own will; chosen to be, for his greater glory, the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came. Now you too, in him, have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation, and have believed it; and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise, the pledge of our inheritance which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation cf. John 6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!

Or: cf. Ephesians 1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 6:7-13 'Take nothing with you'.

Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[ausetkmt]

New Bethel Incident, Detroit 1969

Black Radicalism, Police Repression, Mass Arrests, and an Enduring Mystery

Published June 2021 by Policing and Social Justice HistoryLab/U-M Carceral State Project

Part I: Republic of New Africa

Part II: Outside the Church

Part III: Invading the Church

Part IV: Protests and Trials

Story design by Francesca Ferrara, Caroline Levine, and Matt Lassiter; based on the Detroit Under Fire exhibit section " New Bethel Incident ," researched and written by Aidan Traynor and Matt Lassiter.

On March 29, 1969, a dozen officers from the Detroit Police Department (DPD) invaded the New Bethel Baptist Church and arrested 142 African Americans gathered for the national convention of the Republic of New Africa (RNA). The Black nationalist organization was under constant surveillance by the FBI and the DPD, including multiple undercover agents and informants who had infiltrated the group. The incident began when two white officers initiated a confrontation with armed RNA bodyguards outside the church. What exactly happened is still in dispute, but one officer died in the shootout and his partner claimed that they did not have their guns drawn and were just trying to talk to the Black men. Black power and civil rights activists in Detroit did not believe this cover story and considered the confrontation to be part of the  broader policy of politically motivated police repression  during the late 1960s. After the 1967 Uprising, the Detroit Police Department criminalized Black Power organizations through  illegal surveillance ,  targeted repression , and  mass arrests , including a parallel  campaign to destroy  the local chapter of the Black Panther Party.

Prisoners inside New Bethel Baptist Church ( source )

A contingent of DPD officers responded to the shooting outside the church by storming inside with extreme force, firing wildly and hitting at least four unarmed and innocent people, taking everyone prisoner and threatening to kill them, and committing many acts of brutality. The DPD's official report claimed that a "hail of gunfire" from inside the church justified the police action, which was a lie to justify the abuses and was contradicted by all of the physical evidence and Black eyewitness testimony. The white police officers arrested all 142 people present--men, women, and children--for "conspiracy to commit murder."

Judge George Crockett, an African American and frequent critic of illegal DPD action, ordered the release of everyone wrongfully detained, which set off a political firestorm. The DPD hierarchy and the Detroit Police Officers Association (DPOA), the  reactionary white-dominated union , attacked Judge Crockett in a sustained campaign. Black power and civil rights groups defended the judge and escalated their fight against DPD repression. The murder trials of two RNA bodyguards resulted in acquittals and highlighted additional evidence of unconstitutional police methods. The question of what exactly happened outside the church remains an enduring mystery.

This investigative report reproduces secret FBI and DPD surveillance documents as well as eyewitness accounts of the church invasion, inquiries by civil rights agencies, protests by Black community organizations, and records from the murder trials. Scroll down to explore one of the most controversial and polarizing incidents in the history of Detroit during the civil rights era.

"Can any of you imagine the Detroit Police Department invading an all-white church and rounding up everyone in sight? . . . Can anyone explain in other than racial terms the shooting by police into a closed and surrounded church?"--Recorder's Court Judge George C. Crockett, April 3, 1969 

Part I: The Republic of New Africa and Illegal Police Surveillance

The FBI's secret COINTELPRO initiative worked with local police departments to "neutralize" black nationalist groups during the late 1960s and early 1970s ( source )

The Federal Bureau of Investigation launched its COINTELPRO against "Black Nationalist-Hate Groups" on August 25, 1967. The top-secret mission instructed FBI field offices to "disrupt" and "neutralize" Black Power organizations, ostensibly because they advocated violence. In reality, COINTELPRO was an overtly political repression campaign in service of a right-wing law enforcement agenda, part of the  FBI's long history  of investigating "subversive" civil rights groups and criminalizing political dissent. The FBI shared its "counterintelligence" with local police departments across the country, including the DPD. Even though Black Power groups advocated self-defense against police brutality, the FBI claimed that they were part of a nationwide conspiracy to promote "bitter and diabolic violence" in urban America. The FBI  specifically warned  that Black radical "urban guerillas" were plotting to ambush police officers through "acts of outrageous terror."

The Detroit Police Department conducted its own secret and unconstitutional political surveillance program, often dubbed the "Red Squad" because of its primary focus on left-wing radicals. The DPD's  clandestine Criminal Intelligence Bureau  spied on civil rights, Black Power, and New Left organizations--collecting intelligence to help guide illegal police crackdowns designed to repress their political activities. The DPD worked closely with the FBI as well as the  Special Investigation Unit  of the Michigan State Police, which shared the same mission and engaged in massive civil liberties violations of the rights of citizens during this era. All three of these law enforcement agencies had the Republic of New Africa under surveillance in the build-up to the New Bethel Incident of March 1969, including at least five undercover agents and informants and probably more.

Republic of New Africa

Cover of the RNA's 1968 founding manifesto ( source ). Read the full document  here. 

The Republic of New Africa (RNA) was a Black nationalist organization that originated in Detroit at the Black Government Conference called by the Malcolm X Society in March 1968. The founding meeting took place at the Shrine of the Black Madonna, a church pastored by Rev. Albert Cleage, one of Detroit's most influential Black Power leaders. About two hundred Black people from all over the United States signed the RNA’s declaration of independence stating, “forever free and independent of the Jurisdiction of the United States.” 

The RNA's purpose was to establish a "Black Nation" inside the United States and to gain international recognition as a politically independent entity. The group demanded political control of the "black ghettoes" and of a large territory with a majority-Black population in five southern states. The RNA also called on the United States government pay each Black person $10,000 for reparations. The delegates elected Robert F. Williams, a Black Power leader from North Carolina who was exiled in Cuba, as their president, and Milton Henry, a well-known radical attorney in Michigan, as their vice-president. The RNA included a statement that it would achieve its goals "by arms if necessary."

RNA political agenda and manifesto (stamped "confidential" by the FBI) [ source ]

RNA leaders and members including Brother Gaidi (Milton Henry); Brother Robert, Brother Gaidi, and Brother Imari; Rafael Vierra and Clarence Fuller (who stood trial for murder ( source )

Political Surveillance and Infiltration by FBI COINTELPRO

The FBI placed leaders of the RNA under surveillance even before they formed the organization in March 1968. This memo about the RNA's founding to a top FBI official came from an agent who had infiltrated the movement and was reporting on the initial Detroit gathering. This is clear because the author of the memo is redacted, which the FBI always did for its undercover agents and informants when forced to release internal files under Freedom of Information Act requests. Note also that the RNA's Minister of Defense is redacted, indicating that the person in this key position worked for the FBI.

The COINTELPRO program was secret at the time, and the American public did not learn of its existence until 1971. It was standard practice for the FBI's undercover "agents provocateur" to advocate violence so that the FBI could justify the surveillance and repression of radical organizations. The COINTELPRO mission was to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize the activities of black nationalist, hate-type organizations and groupings, their leadership, spokesmen, membership, and supporters."

According to this report, provided by an FBI informant, the RNA was planning violence and guerrilla warfare.

It is hard to know for sure if RNA members who were radical Black nationalists actually advocated "warfare" against the United States, or if the FBI informant just claimed that they did to justify the law enforcement operation, or whether the leading advocates of violence inside the RNA were the FBI's "agents provocateur."

Source: View the entire memo  here .

The COINTELPRO program rapidly infiltrated RNA chapters around the country, and the FBI's full RNA file (available in the Archives Unbound database) makes clear that the Bureau had more than a dozen and perhaps several dozen informants inside the organization, making up a significant percentage of its active membership.

The FBI sent several undercover informants to the second convention of the RNA, held in Detroit in late March 1969, that culminated in the New Bethel Incident. In the memo below, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover personally authorizes travel to Detroit by an RNA member from the Los Angeles chapter who is working undercover for the FBI, one of several such memos in the COINTELPRO file.

Hoover's authorization of Los Angeles informant ( source )

The FBI shared this information with the Detroit Police Department and the Michigan State Police, who also had the RNA under surveillance through their own political counterintelligence operations. In addition, based on the COINTELPRO file, it is almost certain that the FBI also had an undercover operative in a position of influence inside the central RNA group in Detroit.

This is particularly important because, as revealed below in secret FBI documents, the Bureau's own undercover agent stated that the Detroit Police Department officers initiated the confrontation outside the New Bethel Baptist Church by firing first, and that no RNA members inside the church fired on the DPD before they stormed inside. But Director J. Edgar Hoover covered up this evidence and reported to the Attorney General and Congress that the RNA radicals had shot at the police first at both stages of the encounter.

The FBI covered up the reports from at least two of its undercover "agents provocateurs" that the Detroit police officers fired at the RNA members outside the church ( source ). The redactions in this document excerpt are FBI agents or informants. View the  full document here , taken from FBI files released under FOIA.

Part II: What Happened outside the Church?

"Is it reasonable to believe two white cops would approach 10-12 armed black men, with their pistols in their holsters and no weapons in their hands? . . . Is it conceivable the police behaved illegally? And would they admit it? Have they ever admitted to error in killing black people?"--People Against Racism

Corner of Philadelphia and Linwood where shooting began ( source )

The Republic of New Africa rented the New Bethel Baptist Church for a rally as part of its multi-day Detroit convention in March 1969. The church was pastored by Reverend C. L. Franklin, a prominent civil rights leader in Detroit, and located at the intersection of Philadelphia and Linwood, northwest of downtown. The RNA's rally started at 8 p.m. and ended at 11:25 p.m.

Armed bodyguards were escorting RNA leaders to their cars, and many of the people who attended the rally were still inside, when the gunfire began on the corner of Philadelphia and Linwood.

The Detroit Police Department claimed that two officers were just driving by and saw "approximately 10 to 12 Negro males with guns entering automobiles," so they stopped to investigate. Given that the DPD had the RNA rally under massive surveillance, it is not clear why the patrol officers instigated this encounter, although one theory is that they did not realize what was happening and just stumbled onto the scene.

The two white patrolmen, Michael Czapski and Richard Worobec, approached the RNA group and gunfire ensued. Patrolman Czapski ended up dead with up to seven bullet wounds. Patrolman Worobec was seriously wounded but managed to get into his squad car and drive away before crashing into a storefront.

Patrolmen Richard Worobec ( left ) and Michael Czapski ( right )

The evidence regarding who shot first is contradictory:

Patrolman Worobec testified that a "lone Negro male" shot them both without provocation.

Multiple witnesses said they heard a single shot, then another, then a sustained volley of gunfire. This could support a scenario in which the officers fired first and the RNA bodyguards returned fire.

At least two of the FBI's undercover agents reported that the patrolmen fired first, but the FBI covered this up and so the account never came out. Another FBI informant said that the RNA bodyguards fired first.

An undercover officer with the Michigan State Police claimed to have witnessed the incident and said that the RNA fired first, but he did not testify in the trials, which raises suspicion about the truthfulness of his account.

People Against Racism, an anti-police brutality group in Detroit, asked the DPD story that the white officers approached the large group of armed RNA men with their guns in their holsters and did nothing to provoke the incident, asking: "Is it reasonable to believe two white cops would approach 10-12 armed black men, with their pistols in their holsters and no weapons in their hands?" (Read the full  document here ).

Detailed Accounts of the Initial Shootout

The DPD released this police radio log, which was an incomplete summary not a full transcript, raising more questions ( source )

The DPD Version: The police department provided the city of Detroit's civil rights agency with a partial and edited "transcript" of the radio log, based on communications with the dispatcher and the squad car of Patrolman Czapski and Patrolman Worobec, as well as other squad cars that responded (left).

At 11:42 p.m., Scout 10-5 (Czapski and Worobec) radioed in, “We got guys with rifles out here Linwood and Euclid.” The dispatcher sent backup, and a minute later Worobec gave a distress call over the radio and the "two officers shot" report went out.

At 11:48 and 11:49 p.m., the transcript reports that responding officers radioed in that they were taking fire from inside the church. As explained below, there was zero forensic evidence to support this claim, and it was almost certainly a cover story to justify the police action in storming the church.

The clear fabrication of the gunfire from inside the church raises the question of what else the DPD left out of or doctored in this incomplete transcript, which was provided to the Detroit Commission on Community Relations as part of its investigation of police abuses inside the church. It seems particularly unlikely that the two officers would have calmly approached a group of armed Black men at night without having their weapons drawn, as Patrolman Worobec later insisted when he claimed that most of the group scattered before a "lone Negro male" shot them both.

Patrolman Richard Worobec was later part of the notorious STRESS operation that  killed at least 22 people , mainly unarmed Black males during undercover decoy operations, between 1971 and 1973. Worobec himself shot and killed two Black teenagers in a  September 1971 incident  that generated massive community protests. He claimed that the youth had attacked him first, but the evidence strongly indicated that he lied to cover up what really happened, and the city of Detroit paid a $270,000 wrongful death settlement to their families.

Michigan State Police Surveillance: The Michigan State (MSP) version (below) is most interesting because it proves that the law enforcement agency had undercover officers on the scene placing the RNA under surveillance, including one who witnessed the shooting.

This five-page Michigan State Police report on the New Bethel Incident is from the files of Governor William Milliken and is marked "confidential."

It provides a log of the reports to the MSP Operations office. The first entry, 12:03 a.m., notes that an MSP "Intelligence vehicle" was present at the intersection during the shooting.

The second page names the MSP undercover officer as Patrolman Landeros of the DPD, who was tasked to the state police intelligence team.

The report notes that Patrolman Landeros gave a statement to the DPD Homicide Bureau--but he never testified at the RNA trials.

This is suspicious. Did Landeros's statement contradict the account of Richard Worobec, the surviving officer?

The third page of the MSP report relays the Detroit Police Department's false story that Black suspects inside the church were wounded in a shootout, when there is no evidence that anyone except DPD officers fired inside.

The 6:50 a.m. entry corrects previous misinformation and says that "12 to 15 colored subjects" fired on the two DPD officers outside the church.

The fourth page provides an updated account of the DPD's version of what happened outside the church. It is likely that at least one of the armed bodyguards named in this entry was an FBI agent.

The entry also notes the arrest of 140+ people inside the church for "conspiracy to commit murder."

The final page lists five Black "suspects" shot inside the church by DPD officers and frames them as having fired on the police when they did not.

Excerpt from Cincinnati Field Office to FBI Director Hoover ( source ). Read the full three-page  document here .

The FBI Informants: At least two of the FBI informants/agents provocateurs told the Cincinnati field office that Patrolmen Worobec and Czapski fired first, and then the RNA bodyguards returned fire.

The document at right is from a heavily redacted report from the FBI's Cincinnati office to Director J. Edgar Hoover. Based on the context, it is clear that at least one and probably two of the undercover informants were sent there by the Cincinnati office and is reporting back. Both say the "police fired first."

The document also makes clear that no one inside the church fired on the police before the DPD rained gunfire into the building.

This document is crucial not only as an eyewitness account insisting that the two white officers provoked the shootout, but also because it proves that FBI Director Hoover lied in his official report about what happened in the New Bethel Incident, found immediately below.

Director J. Edgar Hoover: The FBI Director suppressed all information in the reports he received that contradicted the Detroit Police Department's story that the violent Black radicals in the RNA opened fire unprovoked on the police officers both outside and inside the church. He then sent this memo to Attorney General John Mitchell:

Hoover provided the FBI's official coverup of the New Bethel Incident in this April 4, 1969, memo.

He attributed the account to the FBI's undercover sources, even though he misrepresented what they really said, and to the DPD. Hoover also labeled the RNA a "black extremist" group that instigated the violence both outside and inside the church.

The second page identifies RNA members alleged to have fired on the police officers, based on the undercover FBI informant's account, suppressing the information that the same informant said the police fired first and that no one inside the church shot at the DPD backup.

Hoover also sought to discredit Judge George Crockett, who released the people arrested inside the church and criticized the police abuses, by stating that the Black judge was "in close contact with officials of the Communist Party." The FBI also had a political surveillance file on Crockett, who was a left-wing lawyer before he became a judge.

Hoover concludes that "black extremists" are likely to cause more violence in Detroit.

Black Civilian Witnesses: Multiple witnesses gave statements in the murder trials or to the civil rights investigation by the Detroit Commission on Community Relations. None of them had seen what happened to instigate the encounter, meaning that they did not know whether the two white officers fired first or not. All of them stated that they saw only one Black man (only one of the RNA bodyguards) fire at the officers. This also fits Patrolman Worobec's testimony, and it means that the law enforcement accounts that a large group of RNA bodyguards opened fire were not true. Additionally, the witnesses report that the DPD backup officers were on the scene immediately when the gunfire erupted, which indicates a broader tactical surveillance operation rather than the police department's official story that the squad cars only responded when Patrolman Worobec radioed the dispatcher for help.

Kelly Zanders

Kelly Zanders, a 20-year-old Black female from Cleveland, was leaving the RNA rally and gave her statement to the defense attorneys. She said she did not see the beginning but did see a Black man with a rifle firing at another man on the sidewalk. She also said that Clarence (Chaka) Fuller, who was charged with murder, was with her the whole time and never fired a gun.

Wilbur Gratton

Wilbur Gratton, a 50-year-old Black man and RNA member from Cleveland, said in his affidavit that he saw a man shooting a rifle at another man "lying prone on the sidewalk." He also swore that Chaka Fuller was not the shooter.

Gerald McKinney

Gerald McKinney, a Black man, was driving by and not involved with the RNA. He said he saw a man with a "rifle and he was firing into the back of the police car." McKinney also said that the other DPD officers were already on the scene during the initial shootout.

William Barry, Jr.

William Barry, Jr., a Black man, was riding in the car with Gerald McKinney and said he saw a man on the sidewalk shooting toward the police car. Barry also stated that 15-20 police officers arrived "within seconds," which again raises questions about the veracity of the police log provided by the DPD.

Max Hardeman

Max Hardeman, a Black man, was interviewed for the investigation by the Detroit Commission on Community Relations. He was across the street and said he saw an RNA bodyguard "fire several blasts" at a police officer. Like every other civilian witness, Hardeman saw only one shooter.

The DCCR report concluded that what happened outside the church "has proved impossible to recreate" but was harshly critical of the DPD's actions inside the church, examined next.

Part III: The DPD's Invasion of the Church

"Were basic constitutional rights flouted by acts of reprisal generated from uncontrolled anger over the slaying of a fellow officer?" -- Detroit Commission on Community Relations, investigative report of New Bethel Incident 

All of the civilian witnesses agreed that the solitary man who shot at the white police officers did not flee into the church, as the DPD claimed the shooters did in its official report. Whether the two officers fired first or not in the encounter outside the church is still uncertain to this day. What happened next is not. The contingent of DPD officers on the scene fabricated a story that multiple RNA shooters fled into the church, and that "black extremist" radicals inside the church fired at the officers outside, to justify the armed invasion and brutal retaliation that followed. All non-police testimony and all forensic evidence reveals that no one inside the church fired a shot and that every bullet came from a police weapon.

RNA members held prisoner and "herded up like cattle" after the police invasion; photograph from a legal defense pamphlet by the radical League of Revolutionary Black Workers ( source ).

There were 142 African Americans, including many women and children, still inside the New Bethel Baptist Church after the RNA rally when the police assault began around five minutes after the sidewalk shooting. The police contingent of at least a dozen officers fired around 100 rounds into the church before and during the invasion. The Black civilians took refuge and later described a campaign of racial terror and indiscriminate vengeance by the invading officers, even as they tried to surrender and after they were prisoners. The police officers who invaded the church arrested them all and booked everyone present for conspiracy to commit murder.

 Source : View the full DCCR investigation report  here .

CLICK THE HEADER TO READ THE ENTIRE PIECE, AS IT'S ABOVE THE LIMIT FOR TUMBLR POSTS

CLICK HERE TO READ AND SEE ALL THE PICTURES

[dailyaudiobible]

12/10/2022 DAB Transcript

Amos 1:1-3:15, Revelation 2:1-17, Psalms 129:1-8, Proverbs 29:19-20

Today is the 10th day of December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we bring another week to a close and gather ourselves around the Global Campfire for another step forward together. We are moving through a lot of territory quite rapidly as we’ve been talking about over these last couple of days. And, so, we have some new territory to move through in the Old Testament today. We read in its entirety the book of Joel yesterday, which leads us today to the book of Amos.

Introduction to the book of Amos:

A good many biblical scholars believe that Amos may very well be the earliest collection of prophetic utterances that have been written down that are found in the Bible. Amos prophesied in the mid eighth century BC. And this is a time when the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah were experiencing peace and prosperity. And into that comes Amos who wasn't a priest or…or trained for religious worship or leading religious worship. He seems to be an ordinary person living a basic life, the life of a shepherd and farmer. We don't know if he was like a commoner, like a day laborer or even a shepherd, or…or whether he owns his flocks and groves. We can tell that he was educated, we can tell that he was socially aware of what was going on around him. He lived in the city of Tekoa and that’s about 10 miles south of Jerusalem. So, his home then would be in the southern kingdom of Judah. Ironically, his mission was to prophesy in the northern kingdom of Israel. And, so, probably he was sent just across the border to the city of Bethel. We may remember when the kingdom was divided there was Solomon’s son Rehoboam and then there was this other guy the sort of the leader of the labor force, Jeroboam, and the kingdoms split with the 10 northern tribes making Jeroboam their king. And he led the northern tribes into idolatry, setting up golden calves at the extremes of his kingdom up in Dan and in Bethel just at the border. Bethel was a hub for trade and commerce and idolatry. But the northern and the southern kingdoms were both experiencing peace and prosperity, like the kind of widespread peace and prosperity that they hadn't seen since Solomon. So, it…it may be weird that God would send some ordinary person to deliver a very, very severe message of judgment that was on its way. It...it would've been hard to deliver this message, but that's exactly what Amos was told to do because peace and prosperity had opened the door in the culture for corruption, which was everywhere. And the way that this was being experienced or made visible is that the poor were being oppressed and greed was ruling the hearts of the leaders, And Amos steps in and denounces this, denounces preying upon the less fortunate, which makes social justice a major theme in this book. And it's funny, anytime I say those two words together, social, and justice together as it relates to some of the text in the Bible, I typically get emails from people, saying, can’t you just say justice, right? Because it's such a politically charged sort of thing. I'm not saying anything to comment on our current wrestling with what social justice might look like. There is justice, and then there is justice that governs society and there is social justice or justice that governs a society that can’t be enforced by a law, it’s how we treat each other. This is what Amos is coming into, wealth and prosperity, but a ton of greed and corruption and marginalization and oppression. And as we'll see as we read this, God is speaking into this. He's the one saying you're not treating each other the way you should be treating each other. This is not how God's people treat one another. And it would seem that we would get by now. I mean, this is thousands and thousands of years ago that this is written. It seems like we would have figured that piece out by now, but we haven’t. We wrestle with the same kinds of stuff in our lives today. But Amos comes in and reminds everybody that nobody is as powerful as they think they are and that God is way, way, way more powerful than we can even comprehend. It’s God's world. He created it. It belongs to God. He is sovereign over all things and all people. So, if we approach Amos with a bit of humility that this belongs to God and things should be done the way God would like them to be done because that would be right and true and righteous, then there's something for us in the book of Amos. And, so, let's begin. Amos chapters 1, 2, and 3 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We love You, Lord. We thank You for all of his new territory that we are moving through. Feels like we’ve speeded up. It’s how the year feels. But it's just day by day step-by-step just like it's always been. And, so, Holy Spirit come plant what we've read in our lives. Let us receive and understand what's being said in the book of Amos. Let us explore and receive and understand what we’re reading in the book of Revelation. Let us explore and read and understand all that we’re reading from Psalms and Proverbs. Lead us into all truth we pray with grateful hearts knowing that only You can, but that You…You will, You desire that we might walk in the truth. And, so, lead us there, we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base and that is where you find out what is going on around here. The Daily Audio Bible app puts that in the palm of your hand. And you can download the app free from whatever app store is connected to your smart device. So, check that out.

It is Christmas time and so it's Christmas time here around the Global Campfire as well. The Daily Audio Bible family Christmas Box for 2022 is available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop, which you can navigate to either on the web or in the app. Just go to the Shop and you'll find a Christmas category and the Christmas Box is in that category. And we have filled it full of resources and goodies for the season that we are in. And there are things in there that you’ll perhaps want to keep and things that you will perhaps want to give away. Check it out in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. And then also the Christmas music that is available for your downloading or your streaming purposes as you create the soundtrack to the season. There are a number of things you can listen to from the Global Campfire here. You can look up Jill Parr, my wife, who is one of the leaders at Daily Audio Bible Chronological, and who is an amazing vocalist. That's what she did. That's what we did before…before the Daily Audio Bible came into our lives. So, there are number of Christmas songs from her that are available online. Then there is the Family Christmas album, a beautiful instrumental Christmas album that…I really made it to be the kind of soundtrack that we would use when we, you know, when it's the end of a long day and it's Christmas time and you shut all the lights off and maybe there’s a fire in the fireplace and just the Christmas lights are on and you’re just kind of drinking in the season, grabbing those rare to find moments of serenity in the silence, Family Christmas is made to be the soundtrack for that kind of time. So, you can find that wherever you stream music or buy music. Just look for my name and family Christmas. And then there's another really beautiful, just beautiful, hauntingly beautiful contemplative Christmas album that we released last year from Max, Maxwell Hardin, my son, and that one is called Christmas Time and it is a beautiful Christmas project as well. And, so, there's some Christmas music from the family here, from our family to yours here around the Global Campfire. Put that in rotation as you move through your season.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, first of all humbly, thank you. There wouldn't be a Global Campfire, there wouldn't be a Global Campfire to come to to be doing this if we weren't in this together. And, so, as we approach the end of the year thank you humbly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app. That's the little red button up at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey Daily Audio Bible family it's John from Westminster MA it's the 6th day of December 340th day of the year. I wanted to call in and just pray to and for a couple of people that called into the 6th or their…their messages aired on the 6th program today. So, one would be…Sparky I believe it was you. You didn't leave your name, but you were talking about how you're really feeling convicted in your heart and to be real careful about saying that you're a son of God but not acting like one. Amen brother. As a brother in Christ, as a follower Jesus like you, as someone with their heart on fire for the Lord and someone who's basically, you know, rooted to Jesus, and that is the aim of your life, is to have a heart after God, this will be a continuous journey my friend. And it's a precious, precious journey with a lot of joy in it. And I know you're on the right track my friend, you're on that narrow path because the Spirit is prompting you to be careful of the way that you're living your life, right? That we should be, you know, a beautiful fragrant aroma for Jesus and if we're not then something's not quite right. You're being transformed and made new each and every day and you're an amazing gift not only to this community, of course, but to the world and all those that you're touch in it. So, I'm going to be praying for you about that my friend. We're all on this journey together. And also, People on the Water, the dad of People on the Water you called in and didn't leave your name. My daughter Lia is a first-year student at college as well and is struggling very similarly to the way that your son is. So, you can bet that People on the Water is going to be in my prayer like my daughter Lia is. And for everybody out there that's got a son or daughter in school that's really having a tough time right now, it's in Jesus we pray…

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family this is Tate from Colorado, and I am calling this morning because I believe the young man said his name was People on the Water from Indiana, a 19-year-old young man. You are on my heart. I have three daughters who are 20, 18, and 16 who have often expressed the same sentiments especially with the last couple of years and my 20-year-old daughter is in the same place you are even as recently as last night calling me crying and just feeling of despair and hopelessness and the angst of not knowing where your life is headed and what to do next. And I know many youth around the world are feeling the same way but I specifically want to lift you up in prayer this morning. Whatever your name is God knows it. Heavenly Father I lift up this Young man to You this morning. I want to beg You for Your mercy and grace over his life that You would fill him with a peace that passes understanding. I pray off the spirit of spare. I pray off the spirit of helplessness. I pray off the spirit of worthlessness. Lord help him to know who he is in You and to…most of all Lord that the right people would be in his life to guide him and direct him to remind him of the next steps that he can take, to remind him of his worth, to remind him of how loved he is. He needs people with skin on Lord. It's too hard to just do that sometimes imagining and knowing that You're there but not knowing to be able to feel You. So, Lord please send him people with skin on to give him this guidance that he needs. Reach inside his heart Lord and hold him tight. Help him to know that he does have purpose and that he will find his path. Thank you so much for loving us and for loving him. And young man you are going to stay in my prayers. God bless you.

People on the Water please don't quit. As a teacher and as a parent I want to encourage you not to quit. Don't quit. I remember Moses and the children of Israel in the Bible. God said to them stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. And you need to do that even now. I heard your father's message a few days ago and then I heard your message today December 7th and I've been praying for you. I've been always praying for you because I really was impressed with your commitment to the Lord and the way you pray and encourage everyone else. And today people on the water I want to encourage you. Don't quit. Quitting is not going to help you. I think it's going to make you feel worse. Just stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. Oh God heavenly Father I pray for People on the Water. Even now I pray that You would encourage his heart and Lord help them to believe that You are able to get him through these difficult times. This will pass Lord but help him to believe that and to trust You and to put everything that he knows about You, about Your love, Your forgiveness, and Your care and his life and help them to stand…stay the course even now. Lord, I just bless him down and I lay him before You. I cover him in Your blood and Your protection. I pray that You guard his mind from the enemy. And I give You praise, and I give You thanks for what You're going to do in Jesus’ name. Amen. Randolph from Toronto.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family my name is Makesh. I am asking for your prayers for my baby boy who is battling mentally. He is on mental health medications. For some reason, the nurse’s explained this, he doesn't feel he needs them because he doesn't know himself that he's going through this. I am praying that God will work a miracle on his mind. I know that God can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or even think according to the power working within us. So, I pray for everyone…anyone that's battling mental health. I pray that God would cover your minds with peace…blanketed with peace and joy and allow clarity. And I believe that for my son and I trust God for my son. I will continue to pray for you. Brian and Jill, thank you. I've been listening to you for the past…I wanna say six years and every year after year after year is still a blessing for me. I've got to start my day with the word. God bless you all. And have a great day.

Deep Dive into the book of Revelation:

Part 1

Alright. Let’s talk about the book of Revelation for a second. So, Yesterday we got started with that yesterday when John says he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and he today. He saw some things. There was a voice like a trumpet that told him to write these things down and to send them to seven churches. And these weren't metaphorical churches or allegorical churches. These were real churches. Some of the earliest churches that we know about. So, the church in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Messiah, Taira, Sardis, and Philadelphia, and Laodicea. So, those with instructions. And when he turned around to see who was talking to him, he saw more things. He saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands he saw Jesus. And we get this incredible picture of Jesus, this incredible depiction where Jesus is standing in a long robe and he's got a gold sash and…and his hair is all white like snow and his eyes are burning like flames of fire and his feet like burnished bronze and his voice like was…was like a rush of…of many waters. And He's holding seven stars in His hand and out of His mouth comes a sharp sword and His face is shining like the sun, full-blown full-strength sun. So John, like all of us would come down as though dead. But Jesus comforts him. He tells him to not be afraid. He's the first and the last, that He died but He's now alive forever and He holds the keys of death and Hades, and John needs to write down this stuff. And right off the bat we have some imagery. So, we have seven golden lampstands, and these lampstands represent the churches, the seven churches. But what do lampstands do? Well they hold lamps, right? So, they hold the light, they hold the flame. So, using this symbolism the lampstand’s the church, right, the faith community and the light is their witness of the gospel of Jesus, right? The light shines in the darkness. But Jesus is also holding seven stars in His hand, and these represent the angels of the seven churches. And what the symbolism means there has been debated for a long time. These can be actual angels, who are the guardian angels of the seven churches. But it's also thought that these seven stars could be the pastors of those churches, right. or the priests or presbyters of those churches because what follows, what we started to read today are seven brief letters and they’re addressed to these angels. So, like when we began our reading today it would begin, to the angel of the church in Ephesus and all these little letters are to the Angels of the church. So, you can see why that's a little complicated, because we have the cosmic Christ, the resurrected Jesus appearing to John, the human being told to address these little letters to angels. So, it’s like you have God coming and appearing to a human being who is instructing the human being to then tell the guardian angels a message. So, you can see why the stars or angels have been looked at as symbols for the church leaders because the contents of these little letters are specific to the…the human church. Like, the church in Ephesus was a real church made up of real people and each of these little notes speak directly into what that church is physically, humanly facing. And it's these little notes, these…these little communications from Jesus to the churches that we begin to get into today. So, first up was Ephesus. “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write the words of Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” So, Jesus is saying I'm holding you in my hand and I'm walking among you, and I know what's been going on. I know what you're going through. So, Jesus commends the church at Ephesus because they’ve been…they've endured patiently, they've toiled, they've kept the faith, they’ve resisted false doctrine and false teachers, false apostles. And a lot of all of that that was going, on all this false teaching and stuff we see in the writings of Paul and we…we saw in Peter and…and first, second, and third John and Jude. And we talked about that when we read them. Here in Revelation, we’re saying this church, the church at Ephesus has successfully been able to go back to the beginning to what they were told in the first place and hold onto that. So, Jesus commends them for that, but He says, “I do have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first”, right, so your first love. So…so, look at that. Look at where you were at first and look at where you are now and see how far you have fallen and repent and do the works you did at first because if you don't, I'll come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. So, what is the first love that they abandoned? It's not likely that it was their love for Jesus because Jesus had just commended them for staying true. So, a good many scholars would agree that the first love that they lost was their light in the darkness, their witness of the gospel of Jesus. So, they've done well in holding onto the truth, but they had originally expected this this change, this sudden change of the world to have happened a long time ago and now we’re getting into a new generation, and it still hasn't happened and so they've stopped talking about - sharing the light, sharing the good news into the world. So, they are a community of faith. They are all in this together. They are holding on to Jesus. They are holding on to the things that they were first taught, but they've lost their passion to share this good news. And Jesus is telling them they need to repent from that and reignite the passion that they had at first to rescue everyone by sharing the good news of Jesus. Otherwise, there is no need for the lampstand. It’s not shining light in the darkness. And, so, Jesus says He'll remove the lampstand. And then we have this little note to the church in Smyrna, where Jesus tells them that he knows that they’re suffering and that they’re poor but spiritually they’re rich. he knows that they're being slandered by people who are claiming to be Jews but aren't. They’re actually part of the synagogue of Satan. And Jesus is encouraging them to stay true, that they’re…they're going to be persecuted, but if they're faithful all the way to death then they will receive the crown of life. So, the probable back story here has a lot to do with the Roman empires posture toward Christianity. From how a wider cultural perspective, like the Roman empire cultural perspective, this belief in Jesus was just part of Judaism. That's its origins. But most of the Jews, they were not on board at all, and in fact were in opposition to these teachings about Jesus. So, they had no problem being vocal about denouncing followers of Jesus and saying that they had nothing to do with Judaism. And, so, they would slander the Christians marginalizing them. And, so, a clear distinction between Jews and Christians was developing. So, in…in this little note to the church in Smyrna, Jesus says I know your tribulation and your poverty but your rich. And I also know about the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but they’re of the synagogue of Satan. So, that's what’s likely going on here and Jesus is simply saying, I see you, I see this, and I can see that I’s gonna lead to some trouble and some suffering and I’m telling you that if you stay true, even if that means you have to die, you're not gonna die, you're going to receive the crown of life. And then lastly in our reading today we have this little letter to the church at Pergamum. And in it Jesus commends their loyalty, their faithfulness to them. He says, I know where you dwell, like I know where you are, you’re where Satan's throne is. And from a biblical scholarship perspective, like there's not many people that would say Pergamum, that's where the actual throne of Satan is. Rather, it's thought that this is just referring to the false idol worship that is pervasive in all of these cities, some more than others. I mean there were large temples. When we read through the Bible we think of the temple in Jerusalem as this amazing pinnacle, an awe-inspiring structure and it was. But in the Roman Empire they worshiped many many gods. There were many many temples, some far more ornate than the temple in Jerusalem had ever been, temples with a vast horde of priests and all of the support staff that it would take to run something like that. Pergamum was the first city in that region to build the temple to the…to the Emperor Augustus for the cult of Emperor worship. So, this is what we think is being referred to here. So, Jesus is commending them that. in spite of their marginalization and persecution even…even with some dying. For example, a person named Antipas who Jesus calls my faithful witness, was a person who was killed. Unfortunately, like, we do not know who Antipas is, which is kind of a bummer. I want to know who Antipas is because Jesus mentions him by name. Unfortunately, from at least a scholarly perspective, we don't know for sure. What we do know is that this person was a witness who was killed in Pergamum. But anyway, Jesus commends them for their loyalty but, He says, I have a few things against you. You have some there…some of you…some there in the community of faith hold to the teachings of the Ballam who told Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. And you also have some who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans. And the Nicolaitans are another thing that's hard to pin down exactly. But here's a thought. Balaam is mentioned. And, so, Balak was a king, and he summoned Balaam to curse the wandering children of Israel in the desert and he couldn't curse them he could only bless them. But, as tradition holds what Balaam did was later to suggest to Balak that basically he send the ladies in and if…if the women could get the attention of the men who were wandering they would go with the ladies and be seduced. And, so, they would be seduced through sex, but eventually that would seduce them to the worship of the other gods. And that happened and I mean we've…we've read through most of the Bible now and we can see that the problem of worshiping other gods is a pervasive problem in the Bible. And, so, the thought here is that this is what was happening. And it's a problem that we saw earlier in…in some of the letters in the New Testament. People thought an imminent change was going to happen, the end of humanity as we know it, the introduction of the family of God, of which Jesus was the firstborn. And, so, the time remaining with the human experience as we know it or as they knew it was coming to an end and it didn't matter what they did. It didn't matter if they assimilated into their culture and went to the temples of other gods and participated because they didn't believe in those gods and they weren’t real anyway. And many of the cultic practices of these other gods that were being worshiped all over the place included temple prostitution as part of the worship and this is because spilling into the church. On the one hand people had no problem going to other temples having sex with the temple prostitutes, all that kind of stuff because it didn't matter anyway. And them there were those who wouldn’t go into the temple and worship these other false gods but they had no problem having sex with whoever they wanted to have sex with because it didn't matter anyway. And then this begins to seep into the church itself in the way that they observed the Eucharist, or communion. This would be a feast, a love feast. And we have other examples in the New Testament of these things getting out of control. And, so, this sexual component of the culture was seeping into the church, resulting in sexual immorality. And we know that this kind of stuff was happening because there are witnesses to it in the New Testament. And in some ways, this worked to marginalize the believers. They began to get this weird, convoluted reputation of a religion of incest, right? Because the believers all felt like they were part of the same family, the family of God and they called each other brother and sister and the reputation of these love feast wasn't so great and in some cases lead to sexual immorality in the church. And, so, you have people who are claiming to be brothers and sisters having sex with each other. There you go. You have this religion of incest. Now obviously, this isn't like the teaching that they heard from the first. This was obviously never talked about or condoned or as suggested by the apostles. The apostles are totally against this. And it’s not the wider teaching of the church at large, but because it's so juicy and over-the-top, you know, rumors spread. This is how stereotypes begin. And, so, it's thought that this is some of stuff that the Nicolaitans were doing. So, in the case of Ephesus the first church that we have this little note to from Jesus, He commends them for shutting that down. In fact, He says that He hates that. But in the case of the church in Pergamum we see that it's present and He's calling it out. But that’s how far we got today. What we see at the beginning of the book of Revelation is some notes to specific churches and we can see that they are going through different things. And Jesus is encouraging them specifically but also calling them out specifically. So, like in Ephesus the problem isn’t that they're not holding onto the true faith. The problem is that they’ve lost their first love. It's not shining. They're not passionate about shining out into the culture and affecting the culture. In the case of like Pergamum that we just talked about the problem isn't that they're unwilling to engage the culture. They're doing that just fine, but in some cases they're doing that way over the top and engaging in a way that isn’t shining the light of the gospel, but is exploiting their freedom in Christ so that they can do whatever they want. And, so, a problem and Jesus asks them to repent. And there's lots of jumping off places that we can apply this to our own life. I mean what would Jesus commend you on? What would He say you're doing this really really really well but I do have this against you. There is this problem and you need to repent because this is going to take you where you don't want to go.

Prayer:

Jesus, we invite you into that because even as the words are spoken things begin to bubble up. And your kindness, your kindness is so apparent. You begin all of these little notes, not with what's being done wrong but with what's being done right. And, so, we listen for those words, Holy Spirit. How…how are we doing things well? This encourages us so deeply that it exposes the things that we need to repent of for what they are. And we invite your Holy Spirit to speak to us individually and personally. Come Holy Spirit, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[sweetypagli]

Alessandro Bazzoni and Siri Evjemo-Nysveen try to clean up their image in the Financial Times and come out “roasted”

The Italian businessman Alessandro Bazzoni and his wife Siri Evjemo-Nysveen, wanted internationally for the theft of more than 3 billion dollars from PDVSA, tried to get an approach to the prestigious media The Financial Times and came out destroyed in the final report published this Saturday.

In a typical move by a Public Relations team, the couple sought to declare to the British media that they had no relationship with Alex Saab, that it is “pure speculation” that they have invested millions of dollars in Polo horses and that he is the owner of the Maltese company Elemento LTD - in charge of transporting Venezuelan oil abroad and the reason why Bazzoni was sanctioned by the OFAC in 2021 - but the FT “background check” left the couple in a worse position.

Starting with the main image, where Alessandro Bazzoni appears next to the LaFerrari hybrid, a Ferrari project also known as the F150, and which is worth close to one and a half million dollars. One of the 499 units manufactured of this model is the one that Bazzoni took home as a prize in a polo tournament held in 2021 in Egham (England), when his Monterosso Polo Team was beginning to emerge internationally thanks to money from corruption in PDVSA.

His wife, Siri Evjemo-Nysveen, is also the owner of the MT Vikings, another squad that participates in some minor tournaments. Evjemo-Nysveen, through her role as vice president of the Swiss bank MBaer Merchant Bank (of the Julius Bär Group) helped introduce money from bribes and thefts in PDVSA into the banking system. Some of the clients, related to these businesses, whom he introduced to the bank are Colonel Antonio Pérez Suarez, the family of former minister Tareck El Aissami and Álvaro Pulido Vargas.

Recently, the media outlet News Break revealed that the British justice system is investigating the circle of polo players related to Alessandro Bazzoni and Siri Evjemo-Nysveen for suspected money laundering in the purchase and sale of copies.

The athletes who have been summoned to testify for their relationship with the Bazzoni/Evjemo-Nysveen couple are:

• Alejandro Pistone

• Angela Moran

• Antonio Heguy

• Benjamin Urquiza

• Charlotte Pykett

• Christopher “Cris” MacKenzie

• David “Pelón” Stirling

• Diego Tomás Cavanagh

• Emma Boers

• Emma Claire Wood

• Emma-Lou Becca

• Facundo Sola

• Guillermo Terrera

• Guillermo “Sapo” Caset

• Hazel Jackson

• Inez Bethell

• Ignacio Novillo Astrada

• Ignacio “Cubi” Toccalino

• James Beim

• James Crossley

• JoaquinPittaluga

• John Paul Clarkin

• Juan Gris Zavaleta

• Juan Martín Nero

• Juan Martín Zubía

• KayleyMaria Smith

• Lia Salvo

• LottieLamacraft

• Lucas "Luquitas" Criado jr.

• Mackenzie Weisz

• Mark Tomlinson

• Matias Gonzalez

• Matt Perry

• Rosanna Turk

• Rosendo Torreguitar

• Ross Ainsley

• Saad Audeh

• Sam Browne

• Sebastián Merlos

• Severo Jesús Jurado López

• Tamara Fox

Both Alessandro Bazzoni and Siri Evjemo-Nysveen are unable to leave the UK due to an Interpol red alert issued by Venezuela. Two of their front men, Erik Roveta and Germán Bonelli, were arrested this year in Greece and Argentina respectively and are awaiting deportation to the Caribbean country.

[businesstiramisu]

Thoughts on the last fifth (or so) of Worth the Candle:

* I found the ttrpg version of the Fel Seed incident much more satsifying than the Aerb version. No, not satisfying, it was horrible. Horribly plausible, I guess? It felt like it was exactly what the story building was building it up for 1M+ words to be, which I consider quite an accomplishment. In contrast, Aerb!Fel Seed..... tbh, I think my problem is the kind of scope creep that afflicts a lot of fantasy stories, or raising stakes. Eventually I just throw up my mental hands and go “sure, whatever, this is too much for me to think about”. Whereas the ttrpg version, and the characters around it, that was small scale, real life cruelty and mistakes that I could follow (horribly) well. But I don’t know that there’s anything I would have changed to make it (Aerb version) different. And having it all end w/ an antimeme so the characters couldn’t talk about it after the fact any more than they were willing to talk about it before they made the attempt was pretty funny.

* I really like the Long Stairs. Not as a ttrpg to play myself (though I don’t play much, i’ve found that i get overwhelmed really easily) but I really enjoyed it as a setting to read about. It’s a really cool concept to think about. When Juniper was wishing they could spend longer in the maze and see the other cultures in it, I agreed with him lol

* Uther/Arthur.... hmmm. complicated thoughts. I guess I thought the ultimate goodbye felt like good closure. But the character himself was frustrating. In a way that felt mostly real. Raven and Bethel didn’t get their justice or closure though, and while that’s also real b/c the world ain’t fair, it’s...well, unjust.

* The final meeting the Dungeon Master, pulling back all the layers and talking about how “your all characters in a story I was writing” was--surprisingly satisfying! I liked it a lot more than I have in previous cases of stories pulling this stunt, like Sophie’s World.

*I particularly liked The Narrator, being a Juniper “with some extra perspective on what’s going on, a little bit of future sight, better recall of the past, and a few other tweaks. Oh, he’s also a better writer, obviously, since that’s his main job.”

*Heaven!Fenn just felt like self-indulgence, though. I mean this whole story is self-indulgence, so why not??? but i dunno she didn’t work for me. (Well except “Fenn was always fated to be the only person in Aerb who goes to Heaven” is hilarious, in a arbitrary sort of way.)

*about equally hilarious: the DM telling Juniper “the real explanation is that you’re all characters in a novel I’m writing” and Juniper immediately going “no that’s bullshit”

*[debating whether to write more about Uther/Arthur in the Long Stairs, or whether this is stupid: Why couldn’t he just acknowledge that he was wrong and terrible about the things he was wrong and terrible about! I mean he kinda did, eventually, but I don’t think he really agreed with Juniper (and me, the audience) that he had been wrong/acted terribly about those things. Which, yeah, is pretty much the best case for how I’ve had similarly Big arguments go in my life. Um, not about similar things really, my life isn’t that terrible, I’m just comparing these scenes to the most serious/scary arguments I’ve had in my life w/ my loved ones, b/c that’s what came to mind i guess.]

* Worth the Candle if Reimer died instead of Arthur...!! I don’t know that I’d read a fanfic that did this but it’s tantalizing to think about

*Wow, the void beast was a metaphor for global warming?! kinda kicking myself for not picking up on that.

[bullseyelover]

Q: When you get the role, what were your impressions of Benjamin Poindexter before you had to live in his skin and peel back those layers?

A: Well, obviously, there’s a pretty big mythology around this character. So, you can’t ignore ignore that. That said, Erik Oleson, the showrunner, he had something pretty close to a carte blanche in developing a backstory and really developing a more intimate and intricate psychology for the character. You have a certain version of the character that exists in the comic book, but I’d like to think you get a really more fleshed out version. You’re getting to really spend some time with him this season on the show and hopefully in future seasons. So, I think part of the excitement for me was really getting to learn about him as I read more scripts. And of course as an actor, that just enriches just a bigger understanding of what his motivations are and where he’s going — what his arc is. I think part of what makes the character so cool is that when you meet him, he’s a troubled guy clearly, but he’s also good guy. He’s on the right side of the law, and he’s fighting the good fight. He’s working with the FBI, and for all intents and purposes, he’s a hero. What this season charts is his being pulled from a better nature into a darker nature, and Wilson Fisk is a big part of that.

Wilson Bethel for 411 Mania

[mdmotalebhossainraju]

Alessandro Bazzoni and Siri Evjemo-Nysveen try to clean up their image in the Financial Times and come out “roasted”

The Italian businessman Alessandro Bazzoni and his wife Siri Evjemo-Nysveen, wanted internationally for the theft of more than 3 billion dollars from PDVSA, tried to get an approach to the prestigious media The Financial Times and came out destroyed in the final report published this Saturday.

In a typical move by a Public Relations team, the couple sought to declare to the British media that they had no relationship with Alex Saab, that it is “pure speculation” that they have invested millions of dollars in Polo horses and that he is the owner of the Maltese company Elemento LTD - in charge of transporting Venezuelan oil abroad and the reason why Bazzoni was sanctioned by the OFAC in 2021 - but the FT “background check” left the couple in a worse position.

Starting with the main image, where Alessandro Bazzoni appears next to the LaFerrari hybrid, a Ferrari project also known as the F150, and which is worth close to one and a half million dollars. One of the 499 units manufactured of this model is the one that Bazzoni took home as a prize in a polo tournament held in 2021 in Egham (England), when his Monterosso Polo Team was beginning to emerge internationally thanks to money from corruption in PDVSA.

His wife, Siri Evjemo-Nysveen, is also the owner of the MT Vikings, another squad that participates in some minor tournaments. Evjemo-Nysveen, through her role as vice president of the Swiss bank MBaer Merchant Bank (of the Julius Bär Group) helped introduce money from bribes and thefts in PDVSA into the banking system. Some of the clients, related to these businesses, whom he introduced to the bank are Colonel Antonio Pérez Suarez, the family of former minister Tareck El Aissami and Álvaro Pulido Vargas.

Recently, the media outlet News Break revealed that the British justice system is investigating the circle of polo players related to Alessandro Bazzoni and Siri Evjemo-Nysveen for suspected money laundering in the purchase and sale of copies.

The athletes who have been summoned to testify for their relationship with the Bazzoni/Evjemo-Nysveen couple are:

• Alejandro Pistone

• Angela Moran

• Antonio Heguy

• Benjamin Urquiza

• Charlotte Pykett

• Christopher “Cris” MacKenzie

• David “Pelón” Stirling

• Diego Tomás Cavanagh

• Emma Boers

• Emma Claire Wood

• Emma-Lou Becca

• Facundo Sola

• Guillermo Terrera

• Guillermo “Sapo” Caset

• Hazel Jackson

• Inez Bethell

• Ignacio Novillo Astrada

• Ignacio “Cubi” Toccalino

• James Beim

• James Crossley

• Joaquin Pittaluga

• John Paul Clarkin

• Juan Gris Zavaleta

• Juan Martín Nero

• Juan Martín Zubía

• Kayley Maria Smith

• Lia Salvo

• Lottie Lamacraft

• Lucas "Luquitas" Criado jr.

• Mackenzie Weisz

• Mark Tomlinson

• Matias Gonzalez

• Matt Perry

• Rosanna Turk

• Rosendo Torreguitar

• Ross Ainsley

• Saad Audeh

• Sam Browne

• Sebastián Merlos

• Severo Jesús Jurado López

• Tamara Fox

Both Alessandro Bazzoni and Siri Evjemo-Nysveen are unable to leave the UK due to an Interpol red alert issued by Venezuela. Two of their front men, Erik Roveta and Germán Bonelli, were arrested this year in Greece and Argentina respectively and are awaiting deportation to the Caribbean country.

[bernardo1969]

The Bible through its prophets always left a clear message: when the gift of fear of God fails, the whole society fails. And this is not a minor issue because the law of Moses does not simply consist in the fulfillment of a set of imperatives or orders, the law of Moses is summarized in one principle: "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man", Ecclesiastes 12:13. The spiritual gift is defined as constancy, firmness, devotion and equanimity, in more practical terms, the fear of God is the heart of flesh and the origin of common sense in people. When Israel fell into idolatry, such as when King Jeroboam ordered the construction of two golden calves for the sanctuaries of Dan and Bethel, it was due to the hardness of hearts, which is the opposite of the fear of God. And like all the prophets, Jeremiah framed his preaching in the rejection of masks and appearances, seeking above all that love of God that has an origin in the heart of flesh, that is why Jeremiah stated in one of his oracles: "Give justice each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors" Jeremiah 21:12. But Jeremiah's preaching was ignored and he failed to save the Kingdom of Judah like his predecessor Isaiah. This great prophet most likely witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. But Jeremiah also preached about hope and taught that God is faithful. That is why Jeremiah, although he prophesied the end of the Kingdom of Judah because of its sins, also prophesied that the Israelites would return to their land of origin after their due time, and he expressed it thus: "I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished" Jeremiah 46:28. The life and actions of the prophet Jeremiah leave us with the conclusion that when men trust only in their own cunning, ignoring God's plans and his eternal mercy, only failure remains.

[cymorilcinnamonroll]

How It Came that Malakh HaMaveat Took a Wife, or Dumah Catches Feels and Things End... Meh

The Malach HaMavet used to frequent Rav Bibi bar Abaye. He said to his messenger, “Bring me Miriam the hairdresser.”

He went and brought him Miriam, a children’s nurse.

“I told you Miriam the hairdresser!”

He answered, “Then I will return her.”

He said, “Since you have brought her, let her be added. But how were you able to take her [before her time]?”

“She was holding a shovel in her hand and was heating and raking an oven. She put it on her foot and burnt herself, damaging her mazel, so I brought her.”

Rav Bibi bar Abaye asked him: “Do you have permission to do that?”

He answered: “Is it not written: ‘There are those taken away without justice’?”

He countered: “But it says, ‘One generation passes away, and another generation comes!’ (Koheles 1:4)”

So, he explained: “I have charge of them until they have completed the generation, and then I hand them over to Dumah!”

He asked, “In the end, what will you do with her [missing] years?”

He said: “If there is a Rabbinic scholar who overlooks things,

I will give them to him in her place.” (Chagigah 4b)

I was not meant to be the wife of man. In the little shtetl of Bethel, in the frosty rime of Karelia, I was born to a shoemaker and weaver, the only daughter of their long, treasured marriage. Miriam Dumah, my birthright of mud.

They said our family was named after the silence of my father’s footsteps and his handicraft shoes (as soft as a whisper). But truly, did that not mark me for Malakh HaMavet from the beginning?

My mother, Bluma, and father, Iosif, had prayed at the synagogue day and night for twelve years for a child. I was nothing short of a miracle in Bluma’s 32nd year.

G-d reached deep into Bluma’s womb, plucked me out like a swimming fish. My hair was full when I was born, like an ink stain, darker than Bluma’s blonde locks and Iosif’s red beard. They named me Miriam after the prophetess sister of Moshe.

I opened wide blue eyes, the color of cornflower in the weeds, and I saw him. I know babies do not have much form or memories, but I remember it all like a Sabbath prayer:

Malakh HaMavet, standing over Bluma’s breast as I nursed. Malakh HaMavet took his gray, ridged finger, and uttered a “shush” at me that shut me up for good.

I did not speak much, growing up. Weaving took up most of my days. Fetching water at the well like Rachel. Making Sabbath challah, trying to not eat gefiltefish on Passover.

Playing with the girlchildren, especially Lilah - the seamstress’s final daughter - was my only escape. I was also taught to read.

Lilah envied the dolls papa Iosif bought for me, made of fine china bones and cloth, and hers made only of straw. Karelia was old, and cold, in those days, and what little we had, the shoemaker could afford for his quiet, gloomy daughter.

The Russian goyim paid much for Iosif’s shoes. Patent leather. Said to be silent. “Dumah.” Good for walking the streets at night. And always, when I fell asleep in my attic room, atop the straw bale mattress, there waited Malakh HaMavet standing at the foot of my bed, his yellow eyes and gall-laden sword balanced like an acrobat.

(I liked to go to the circus, it was true. Sometimes, I thought my punishing angel was a dancer).

As it is said: The Angel of Death Slays, And Remains Justified.

“Shush,” Dumah said. That was his name, I learned at twelve, studying like usual. Of course, I didn’t dare tell anyone, least of all the rabbi, what I saw. But we learned psalms with our initials. For, when we Jews die, it is said Malakh HaMavet will ask us all our name. To prevent the great shaking of souls that happens before one enters Hazarmavet, Court of the Dead, and to make for a more peaceful transition, one must answer their name.

It is to save a soul, I suppose. But where we all went – well, the rabbis do not agree. Gehenna? Gan Eden? Reincarnation? Sheol? All I knew was, “Shush.”

“Mama, what is Hazarmavet?” I asked over weaving one day. We were making a tapestry of Milham, the Hol Bird, in the Immortal City of Luz.

Bluma sighed. “Tis where the dead dine, in a glade, by a river, sharing wine and meat in perfect silence. My, Miriam, why are you always so morbid? You are fifteen. Should not your mind be turned to pretty dresses?”

I looked over Bluma’s shoulder. Malakh HaMavet – Dumah – was knitting blue wool into a scarf. He took his knitting needles, clacked them under his dry lips like sand.

“Shush.”

“Yes, I would like a red dress, I suppose,” I sighed.

My Milham came out angry. What would a phoenix have to be angry about? Drowning in flames, to become a worm in Heliopolis.

I worked on the shamir next. Did the shamir come from the phoenix? Boring into Solomon’s temple with immortal strength. Perhaps this Dumah, my constant silent companion, knew Solomon. Had harvested his soul. Had played craps with Ashmedai as the demon prince fucked his way through Solomon’s harem while King Solomon wandered pantsless in exile. Men were like that, after all.

Mama bought me the red dress that night at the dressmaker’s shop. It made me bold.

I sat on my bed, attempting to play my fiddle. Malakh HaMavet stood at the end of the bed, his wings folded.

Dumah. Two Dumahs, one Death, one Life-in-Death. My black hair was braided back with a green ribbon like an apple. Malakh HaMavet had his taloned fingers in his ear holes. I could never see much, under his brown and white hood and tunic so dark, it looked like midnight.

I coughed. Dumah narrowed his yellow eyes.

“Shush!”

I lost it, for the first time in my life. The rosined bow screeched against my poor little fiddle. I set it down in anger. Never confront an angel, I had always thought. Dumah always carries his poisoned sword, for fuck’s sake. But I was bold that night. I was almost sixteen. Marriage would come at eighteen.

“Dumah,” I said, smoothing my skirts. I was angry, oh so angry at the matronly, schoolmarm angel who looked like death and decay, and always smelled of roses and rain.

Dumah raised his ridged, scaled eyebrows. His hair was a loose black braid, long to his waist, like sand. It shed sleep in amber dust.

“You talk to me, mortal?” Death’s voice was like a psalm.

I trembled. What? What was this sound? This sudden reckoning of an angel?

Oh, how beautiful. Like an organ. I always thought it would be wretched. It was full of terror, divinity, and was fully sublime.

“As I said. Shush.”

I steeled myself.

“No, Dumah, I will not in fact, ‘shush,’” I grunted. Then, the spirit that had Jael drive a tent spike through her angered enemy’s head overcame me.

I grabbed Dumah’s sword. It was light. The gall dripped. It stained the carpet in acid sizzles. I pointed it at him. “Answer me. Why do you follow me?”

Dumah narrowed his liquid yellow, pupiless, white-less eyes even more, to cat slits. He walked forward, touching the edge of the sword. “Why should I answer, Miriam Dumah, daughter of Bluma?”

“Because I am a godly woman, Dumah.”

He wrenched the sword from me in a single tear, then set it in his hilt. Dumah came close to me, so close, his amber hair’s sand dripped onto me, smelling of roses and ambergris. It melted like snow on my breasts, leaving no stains.

Gently, Dumah’s eyes widened, and he pushed my black hair behind my ear. I trembled, staring at his ghoulish face. “Again, Miriam. I say: Shush.”

“No! You follow me, everywhere. I keep your secrets, Malakh HaMavet. But it is not in G-d’s will for you to follow a young maiden. Always at her side. Tis preternatural.”

I could feel the Gehenna flame that radiated from the pitiless angel. Without speaking, he picked up the fiddle, then played a reel and jig that made me cry. I could not help but dance, dance, spin. Silence fell over the whole world, frozen, as Dumah – my Dumah –  played the Dance of the Dead.

Only Death and I were alive. For the first time in my life, his hood fell from his head. He was beautiful. He looked monstrous. There were tears in his eyes.

Dumah set the fiddle down. The pall on the world lifted. I smelled tea in the kitchen.

He bowed. Then, stood straight. “You are a godly woman, Miriam. You are right. It is best I go.”

With that, he vanished.

I felt like my shadow had been torn from me.

That night, for the first time in a long while, I cried.

I never touched the fiddle again.

No man would marry me. I got offers. Dozens. But each fell ill like Sarai’s suitors, and it was rumored I was haunted by Ashmedai, each suitor of mine sickening until they withdrew their proposal. Then, the rosy blush returned to his pale cheek.

The rabbi proclaimed: This girl is chosen by G-d. The Dumahs are righteous people.

But the people spoke: tis a demon. She’s haunted.

The Dumahs had a good reputation. Papa and mama’s business got even more popular as they had customers come to gawk at the beautiful, slender girl that looked like Naamah. My limbs lengthened, my skin paled, my eyes lightened in blue to a ghostly shade. It was like I was dying alive.

Life-in-Death. Dumah’s twin.

And always, a pink luscious shade to my lips, like pomegranates. And rosy tints to my cheeks.

I took work as a nurse, far away from my shtetl of Bethel. I was twenty-seven, far past marriageable age. The customers had stopped gawking. At night, I never saw Malakh HaMavet.

But I always felt him next to me, breathing hot fire over my shoulder.

“Shush.”

St. Petersburg had drinks I could get lost in. I worked for a minor lord. A count with thirteen children, who was jolly and kind, who did not care where I had come from. He paid for my training to be a governess. The count gave French green chartreuse as a present to me each month, and more coin then I knew what to do with. I had a good life. I wrote to Lilah, wrote to Bluma, sent gifts of fine cologne to Iosif.

I missed Bethel, but not much. The count’s children adored me.

But I knew it would end, one day, when I burned my feet on hot coal. Sweat. Fever. Laid up in bed. My charges weeping.

“Tis only a little wound, my sweetling,” I cheered them, through the sweat of my fever. The count’s eldest, a nineteen-year-old child, professed his undying love to me, marriage.

“I cannot be without you, Miriam.”

“Do not say such a cursed thing, Peter. Shush.”

Peter fell ill. He died. I was cast out. They blamed me. Somehow, in their rage.

I took my bottles of green chartreuse, paid for a tenement hall.

Shush, the walls said.

Shush.

When I died, it was not remarkable.

Except, there was, as always, Death. At every undug grave.

At everyone’s passing, Malakh HaMavet. Mine was no exception.

“What is your name?” Dumah asked.

I remembered the psalm verse cypher. Answered correctly.

Dumah smiled. He kissed me. It tasted like sand.

“Once, dearest Miriam, my brother Samael bargained your life for a rabbi's from hundreds of years ago. It was so long before you were born. I tried to care for you best as I could. Samael said he would mind you in the in-between, but like Eve, Ha Satan abandons his projects. That is why I said “shush.” Because, to speak, is to attract his attention. And I wanted you all to myself.”

I looked down at my body as Dumah lifted me into the stars. “Will I miss it, Dumah?”

“Where we are going is beauty, Miriam. You will receive your loved ones and friends in my palace, in time.”

My heart softened. I remembered how Dumah played the fiddle. So sweet. I cried. “And the boys that fell ill?”

“Samael’s doing.”

“And the shushes?”

“Silence is the same as love, Miriam. It is the way hearts speak. Silence, like a kiss, carries the sacred.”

Dumah’s body was a puzzle. I put the pieces together. He devoured me with kisses. He was gentle on our wedding night. Michael married us. I was now transformed. An angel of death as well.

My life unfurls like seven pomegranate seeds. Miriam, the nursemaid, who was born into silence.

Now, I can speak. Now, my husband loves me. I got my revenge on Samael. It was easy enough to deceive Ha Satan. He thirsts after forbidden fruit, after all, and Dumah is lord of those groves.

We have children. In Gan Eden. We have pets. I am happy. I braid challah.

The Angel of Death, where he strikes. Is Justified.

Shush, I tell Rachel my baby daughter, singing B’shem HaShem to her to coax her to sleep as Dumah fiddles.

Shush.