#ps also juggernaut is like

[silbeni]

Wyatt gets merc’d by Juggernaut + sillie

[treuallahtreuvulieou]

NBA BASKETBALL

Hopkins university to Hooters shooter security

Dallas Mavericks looking good

Coach Hawkins Hawkingson Hawkerman Hawkingu

Hawkingue

Hawkinos i

Terry

Draw the double with half court presence of defense turnover pass to half court drive the perimeter and release.

Fast break defense I see it

Just also fast break slow it increase speed drive the line launch it

Drive the inside and basketball without defense presence then change the direction with confusion

Coach on the wood field . Playing man to man , call team on team defense pressure, create mix in match up with little scoring ability in opposition

Lebron James you not going to double team mentality clueless for that one to be a factor in double team draw bait get that one to bite on it and leave any field agent open Golden State

Make defense pressure to create an offensive double team ball handler needs assistance to score turns over moré free on court roster anyone can score alone inside the perimeter

Become a Defense team juggernaut and go gravity has an effect on me the balls in astronaut heading to the moon and swish it landed

Blocks turnover interception anything for the opposite team to attempt everything and or nothing to prevent those the double triple quadruple double

Score normal offences play until you need coach and play books

Center Pressure play .. Your the center you Shaq in her his prime tonight post in and out perimeter and stationary scoring being tall enough to tip the ball In the basket at ease and at will free up Curry S expect double team In the paint area ai is love just love it and advantage over you opposition

Gold Badge Gold Star Gold and Mild and Golden State let's make those and make them whom it concerns spell gold and god like in God we trust is on legal tender debt relief is our modus operandi if need be

Opposite traffic wing it's no defense for that other then collision of opinion under the rim and blocking the passing lane a two point play forced instead of a three point wide open on the wing .

Interception lanes and defenders one and two inside and outer perimeter get between the passer and the recepter Intercept like communication error

Team mate comparison remember after wards your being compared to Micheal Jordan and The Chicago bulls until you are compared to everyone before Micheal Jordan and the Chicago bulls all after as well

Ps Remember Jordan and Pippen Pipen And team Roster comparison and you forget about because they are on the field and the opposition forgot about them or haven't starting go five and sixth then benched reserved

Ps Stephen Curry private coaching miss intentionally to be where the ball is our something or just don't care if enters the net back board rim just be where on the court the ball is if so anticipate where the ball will be alone drills work out also

[sarahlevys]

Do you ever feel burnt out from writing? I’m not a writer but I truly don’t know how you do it anddd at the volume that you do. I feel like I’d just end up repeating storylines and phrases and it just seems so draining to consistently come up with so many new ideas!!

Also semi-related question; is writing just a hobby for you, or a career?

hahahahaha 😆🥺😭 yes. i really do. i put a lot of pressure on myself to always come out with new stuff (i should have never made my ao3 username what it is). i absolutely worry about whether i'm repeating myself, whether i write things the exact same way every time, whether it's getting boring to read things, etc.

i took a long break after p&p because i was very burnt out from tropefest -> elevate -> p&p. now that my first year in the fandom (september 5 is my fandom anniversary!) is rapidly approaching, i think i'm getting back into the swing of things, but i recently did a lot of pondering about why i write and why i engage in this fandom to the extent that i do.

i didn't think i'd stay in this fandom for so long (it'd been nearly 9 years since the last time i was in a fandom) but a huge reason why is because i love all the connections and conversations i've made with people who love WLW and who love twylexis (and ruthie). the WLW corner of the fandom is small but mighty, and at times i get down about how small our engagement is compared to the d/p juggernaut – but then i remember how i got into fic because i wanted to see stories like mine be represented, and how much i treasure receiving asks from people who tell me that my fics have touched them, too.

i really appreciate this ask. thank you for reaching out ❤️ i hope you're doing well! happy september eve!

(PS: writing is just a hobby for me. 😌)

[kasey9395]

BTS ON STAGE: THEN vs NOW

After watching the 2 HYYH concerts last night at BangBangCon D1 (whew, those Floor Seats were tough to get), I realized some interesting things that I probably knew before but didn’t consciously register it into my thinking. I was excited, as I’m sure many newer ARMYs were, because this was the first time we would be seeing some of BTS’ older concerts. Yes, I’ve seen countless clips from them but I’ve never seen one (pre-Wings era) in its entirety, so I was curious to see how the boys performed ‘back in the day’ and compare it to the juggernaut performances we are witness to today. Did they improve? Did they always slay? Did the songs connect more with the fans? I was intrigued.

Just for reference –

HYYH on Stage (SK) : 27th – 29th November, 2015.

                                     SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium (cap. 5000)

HYYH on Stage – Epilogue (SK) : 7th & 8th May, 2016.

                                     Olympic Gymnastics Arena (cap. 15,000)

Yes, these 2 concerts were roughly 5 months apart….Just 5 months.

Here goes:

1.   What they wore: Five months between these 2 concerts. F.I.V.E. And the difference in concert attire quality was staggering and probably indicated just how much of a boost the HYYH era was to BTS and BH in terms of finances. We know they were still struggling well into 2015 but to see it manifest in this manner, I don’t know, did something to me emotionally. For HYY, The boys had just 3 wardrobe changes (+1 with just a jacket added). Yes, their clothes looked cool (I loved their fashion concept for this era) but the quality in what they wore sometimes was blaring. It was so simple. Fast forward those five months to May 2016 and their attire and jewellery was more of the glitz and glamour we know the boys to have.

2.   Jungkook really…I mean REALLLLYY grew into his own in terms of stage presence and performing on stage at their own concerts. The Jungkook I know, absolutely owns the stage when he performs so I was a little taken aback watching HYYH as I felt his timidity and a bit of awkwardness at times on stage. But boy did that fly out the window in HYYH: Epilogue. Here, I saw the JK I know. Confident, cheeky, comfortable. I guess it just made me appreciate him more as I realized this natural charisma on stage we get today wasn’t always that natural to him.

By extension, I could also see a visible improvement in the comfort level of all the boys in being on stage in HYYH: Epilogue vs HYYH. They were all more playfully interactive with each other and their confidence level seemed like it sky-rocketed in those short 5 months.

3.   Jung Hoseok was always…ALWAYS the King of the Stage. I mean, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019…it does not matter. J-Hope’s stage presence has always been top notch, bar none. I felt from him then what I feel from him now. And, after seeing them live, I can say without a doubt, Hobi should be everyone’s ‘concert bias’. That man simply owns a stage.

4.   BTS has always had stellar live vocals in concerts. It’s that simple. No explanation needed.

PS. Geez do I miss Tae’s husky growls in songs.

5.   This is just my personal opinion from what I felt last night, but I could almost tangibly feel a shift in their on-stage aura when they performed their more hip-hop oriented songs. It was almost like they were more comfortable performing that area of their discography. They truly came alive then.

6. Min Yoongi’s passion on stage while performing is always 100% true and ‘felt’. That man bares his soul every single time he raps.

7.   BTS’ aura needs a big stage to unleash its full potential. Yes, it’s true they will always own every stage they step on no matter its size, but seeing them in on that HYYH stage made me feel like they were restricted because I know what they can do when given the physical space to do so.

8.   Their goals for their careers were so ‘within the box’. I can now better understand why they were so emotional in playing at Citifield…a STADIUM…in a country outside of ASIA.

Ultimately, these concerts have shown just how far these boys have come, further than they ever thought possible (and that is no exaggeration), just how hard they have worked for every single ounce of success they have achieved, just how much they have earned that success and last but certainly not least…that when it comes to a stage, there a few in this this world, if any, that can even come close to their dominance.

[quarantineroulette]

2020 Releases that I listened to more than once / stuck with me in some way.

Excuse my pessimism, but 2020 was a year in which finding solace in music was of little use to me. I also had less time than ever to listen to music. I spent the worst of the pandemic displaced and with limited internet access, then moved to another city and switched careers, two changes which I still haven’t fully comprehended. I also spent 98% of my free time feeling too anxious about the future as a whole to do any sort of listening, focused or passive. 

Things eventually got settled enough that I could at least check out what various music publications were fussing about in their year-end round ups. Not the most ideal avenue for discovery, but this has been a hard, tiring year and, despite some very promising releases and trends, I still feel a bit hopeless. I can’t even really be bothered to do any sort of ranking or make things even with a “20 for 2020,” so instead here’s a summary of some music that stood out to me. I can promise there are at least 15 releases mentioned - you can do a “choose your own adventure”  and rank them as you wish. 

Without a doubt, the only 2020 record that truly elevated me to a place where I stopped stressing out about things was Protomartyr’s Ultimate Success Today. These guys are by far my favorite band right now and their fifth album gave me so many new reasons to love them, from the propulsive “Michigan Hammers” and its stock footage masterpiece of a music video to elegant closer “Worm in Heaven.” Saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and multi-instrumentalist Izaak Mills were deployed on most tracks and, rather than merely serving as a garnish for songs, their contributions added as much tension, heft, and brutal beauty as Protomartyr’s core members. Add in Half Waif’s Nandi Rose guesting on the Very Sad “June 21,” and you have one genuinely faultless release. In a similar vein, Algiers released their third and arguably strongest full-length, There is No Year, back in January and it served as a powerful, prescient (the title alone!) and just plain awesome reminder to keep fighting in even the darkest of times. 

This year I occasionally found myself praying for disco and I’m pretty sure Doja Cat’s sorta Chic-inspired “Say So” was the song I listened to the most in 2020 (yes, shame on me for a million different reasons). But little did I know 2020 was such an abundant year for mirrorball-indebted releases. Kylie Minogue’s Disco was a given, but what especially thrilled me were Roisin Murphy’s Roisin Machine and Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? Murphy’s outstanding “Murphy’s Law” especially sounds like a lost classic from the ‘70s, while Ware’s titular “What’s Your Pleasure” is as fitting a Donna Summer tribute as any you could come across in the past 40 or so years. Ware’s record became slightly less cool when I realized she’s a podcasting mom who is friends with Adele, but What’s Your Pleasure?’s irresistible procession of Great Pop Moments solidifies it as one release I’ll keep coming back to. 

(Bonus: if you favor a no-wave / post-punk spin on disco, then look no further than Public Practice’s Gentle Grip). 

Ware and Murphy have been particularly prevalent on many of the major year-end lists, but I still carry a bit of skepticism about such things. Therefore, discussions such as this sub-Reddit (sorry) thread on regional picks has been useful in thinking outside the US and UK-favoring ranking systems (although there’s still a lot of anglo shit listed there as well). I’m hoping to listen to more releases from oft-overlooked countries thanks to some of these Redditors’ suggestions, although I’ve already spent a bit of time with Einsturzende Neubauten’s Alles in Allem and remain Team Blixa (if such a team exists). Despite my aforementioned trepidation, The Quietus’  list did compel me to check out the wonderfully somber offerings of Closed Circuits. This Portuguese artist describes himself as “Leonard Cohen being bothered by Coil,” and if that doesn’t entice you, I fear you may be a lost cause.  

This year we moved to Philadelphia, which means...A lot of things, but relevant to this summary, we found ourselves driving past some provocative graffiti stating “Make America Nothing Again” numerous times. Eventually I put two and two together and gave Nothing’s The Great Dismal a listen. Having not expected much beyond the clever marketing, I was pleasantly wowed by the quartet’s moody post-shoegaze offerings. I can barely discern any of the lyrics, but on vibe alone, The Great Dismal perfectly captures the heavy despair that permeated 2020. Add in Korine’s gloom-pop The Night We Raise and I can confidently say that Philly’s music scene is in good hands. 

I might have lied a bit at the start of this post - in saying I didn’t listen to music throughout 98% of the pandemic, I’m overlooking the many car rides spent revisiting Fontaines D.C.’s brilliant 2019 debut, Dogrel. While it didn’t impress me quite as much, this year’s A Hero’s Death was a mostly worthy successor, interspersing a few tranquil moments among the band’s more confrontational offerings. Not all of those moments worked for me, but these new directions were enticing enough for me to officially consider Fontaines a Band To Watch, if that’s still something people say. Oh yeah, and the video for the title tune slams. 

Speaking of music videos, I don’t usually rely on this medium for discovering bands, but that changed this year with Dehd. The trio’s videos are vibrant, conceptually clever, and relentlessly fun. Thank goodness that the music lives up to Dehd’s visual knack, with Flower of Devotion at times recalling The Jesus and Mary Chain and Roy Orbison in equal measure (especially on the stunning “Letter”). Emily Kempf’s versatile singing reminds me of everyone from Jana Hunter of Lower Dens to Carla Bozulich of The Geraldine Fibbers, yet it’s still bracing enough that every word she sings sounds utterly gripping. Who knows when gigs will happen again, but Flower of Devotion rocketed these folks to the top of my post-Covid gigging wishlist.  

Sparks is one act I can happily say I’ve seen numerous times. They are never ones to disappoint but, nearly 40 years into their career, the Mael brothers owe us nothing. Yet A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is somehow an instant classic. It’s nothing short of astonishing that, at 75, Ron Mael can crank out a song that is equal parts insanely catchy, effortlessly humorous and deceptively sad, but he yet again nailed this trifecta with “Lawnmower,” to name but one. Russell Mael’s invincible vocals are in full effect throughout, particularly on the straight up lovely “Pacific Standard Time.” I would never even entertain the idea of using the term “pop / rock juggernaut,” but if it was regarding Sparks, I would at least not dispute it. 

(PS, special shout out to another singular duo of relatives, Prima Primo, who this year released my favorite song about Madonna since Sparks’ very own Madge tune, featured on 1988′s Interior Design.)

Finally, this list would absolutely be incomplete if I didn’t give mention to Bob Dylan’s fabulous Rough and Rowdy Ways. More than ever, 2020 felt like a year rife with stupid decisions, stupid actions and praise for mediocrity. A return to form from perhaps the greatest lyricist of all time is something many of us probably didn’t know we needed, but boy am I thankful for it (not as thankful as I would be for a second stimulus check, but still - next best thing). Dylan also gave us the fun bonus of having Fiona Apple guest on the outstanding “Murder Most Foul,” and of course Apple’s own Fetch the Bolt Cutters both featured her dogs as percussion and further solidified her place in the socio-political songwriting canon. Maybe there is something to be said for music after all!  

[markoftheasphodel]

Semi-blind PT#1 (Blue Lions) FE16 reactions: Chapter 21 Part 1:

So, for all the deserved love Gatekeeper gets, I have to put a word in for Dark Merchant. Dude’s so damn happy, hanging out in his corner in his plague-doctor gear tryna sell you stuff that’s not all that shady. Seems like one of the most content people in this continent. Good for him.

So, after a final round of monastery business and a couple more grinding battles, I forged/repaired the hell out of everything because with no post-game I dunno what 80K is even good for. I have all these damn shiny fish, all these fruits and vegetables that weren’t needed for supply runs, and a dearth of Wootz Steel that annoys the hell out of me (don’t get me started on Mythril, fuckdammit). I also have all this fine tea and have run out of parties and partners. Sigh.

(PS: My spouse and I have an extensive Amiibo collection and the Amiibo gifts did some in handy. I insta-completed one fishing quest thanks to an exceptionally rare fish found in the grass at the gazebo, heh.)

Also I swear to pete either Gilbert asks you for stuff in random order for one of the FAQS on side quests got the months wrong. Gilbert asked for all of those things but not in the months listed.

Speaking of Gilbert, when it came time to lay flowers on the grave and pick a spouse, my Byleth’s only choices were Gilbert and Annette. Went with Gilbert. 

Battle-wise, Dedue and Sylvain are just within reach of their Master promotion and I may try to get them there anyway before the next battle. Byleth, after peaking mid-game thanks to the Creator Sword, isn’t the OP juggernaut capable of soloing maps that earlier Avatars got to be. My main man is Dimitri his own bad self, though Sylvain (paladin), Felix (mortal savant), Seteth (wyvern), and Ingrid (falcoknight) can all do some serious work holding down corners of maps. Dedue can take hits (and dodge!) provided mages aren’t around. Ashe is a really great Sniper (thank you, accuracy ring) who puts the Crappy Archer Boi ‘archetype’ to rest tho I wish I’d given him a horse for utility. Annette/Dorothea are great casters but gotta stay away from the front lines. Ditto Flayn and Mercedes. Dimitri’s the one who really comes close to “holy shit he can handle anything” on this PT.

Oh yes, the dagger. I was pleased the text acknowledged the impropriety of Fake Russian Dimitri giving someone a dagger because I learned from Ukrainian Grandma giving sharp things to loved ones is a big no-no... as this gift turned out to be. I understand that despite the hold his friendship with “El” had on Dimitri, the Edel-centric routes don’t even bring it up, which is interesting and something I will expound upon when I finish this route.

“I never lost my heart”??111

FFFFF. Given what you got up to DESPITE his friendship, that’s one of the most fucked-up lines in this game. What does murder and kidnapping and cooperating with creepy cults and invasions and shit have to do with “not losing your heart” exactly?

Sounds like Dimitri wants a constitutional monarchy? Well, if kings are gonna go bonkers that’s an awfully good idea, gotta say...

[doctorofmagic]

Hello! I'm a little confused about how dark and light magic work with Stephen. I know he uses both but it seems like sometimes the dark magic consumes him (like Zom or the Void) or he can control it to use it for good (like in New Avengers). Is this like the Ancient One did with Dormammu's power in the movie? Can good and bad wizards use dark magic? Thanks!

Hi, there! Thanks for asking!

Don’t worry, it is indeed a little confusing. There’s no such thing as a clear line separating dark and light magic in Marvel, which I find very interesting since I love gray narratives and characters.

I find it funny because since Strange Tales, Stephen and the Ancient One call upon all kinds of entities, including bad ones. For instance, there’s Cyttorak. He’s an evil entity which lends his anger to Juggernaut, making him become unstoppable. He also did the same thing to Colossus when Marko was not worthy of his powers anymore. But you see, one of the most common spells used by our dear sorcerers are the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. They also use the Circle of Cyttorak and they were never harmed by his magic.

Another evil entity that they call upon is Satannish. It is known that he came from the same demonic energy that created Mephisto, so there’s no need to explain how evil this entity is, right? There’s also a cult called Sons of Satannish, they once tried to sacrifice Stephen for him. Even so, you can see Stephen uttering his name here and there.

These examples make me think about all of this. Maybe - and this is only my own speculation - maybe sorcerers can use dark magic as long as they use it for good. Plus, you have to know what are in your hands through knowledge and a mentor to guide you. That’s why you must learn about yourself, about life, and obviously, about the power you’re dealing with. It reminds me of how gray jedi can use both dark and light side of the force without choosing a side. It’s all about balance. That’s why I think Stephen can manage it.

So what makes it different from that time he used Zom’s dark magic? Zom was an unknown demon from another dimension. Stephen had absolutely zero knowledge about him. He couldn’t beat Zom, so he sealed his powers. In desperate times, he tried to use it and we all know it ended up badly, twice. So, you see, the reason Stephen was corrupted by Zom’s magic lies on the fact that he had no idea of what he was dealing with.

For instance, consider Shuma Gorath. What if Stephen sealed the magic of such powerful and ancient entity and tried to use it? I believe the result would be the same: a corrupted sorcerer. It’s just too much power for a mortal to handle.

As you pointed out, the Ancient One also drains Dormammu’s magic, but she’s not corrupted by it. She probably knew how far she could go, she had enough knowledge to deal with his dark magic. On the other hand, the moment Kaecilius dove into his magic carelessly, he ended up corrupted. It’s a story of a man who lost himself in power. He declined the Ancient One’s tutelage because he assumed she was a hypocrite. But I understand her reasons. She knew her disciples should have discernment to know how far they could go. And Kaecilius didn’t. Magic is about holding the power to control the world and, even so, choosing not use it. And few are able to do it so since humans beings are eager for power.

So, answering your question: yes, I do believe good and bad wizards can use dark magic. The difference is how they deal with power. The reason evil sorcerers are corrupted by it is because their souls are already corruptible. Wrong thoughts, doubts, moral compassess easily disturbed. If your spirit is easly broken, dark magic will run through your fissures and take over.

One last argument to prove my theory is when Stephen considered himself unworthy to be the Sorcerer Supreme due to the recent use of dark magic, and the Ancient One - along with Daimon - appeared to him and approved him as a noble guardian of thi realm. It’s not about using it. It’s about how you use it. And I truly believe Stephen is entirely capable of dealing with this gray area.

PS I didn’t mention the Void because he’s not magic related. He’s more like a dark, evil second personality created by the Sentry. When it possessed Stephen, it was more like it was only using him to hurt Robert. Yet, it was a powerful force that could destroy a whole universe, so Stephen ended up severely injured by the inside. What else is new?

Anyway, sorry for the long post, I hope it helped to clarify a few things about magic! Thank you for dropping an ask!

[miasswier]

Duets: You really can not see the humor in how Rachel could not just not vote for herself or just sing badly to lose? It just is not in her DNA. And one other thing I never get is how people do not see that Blaine is more the reason for a lack of Mercedes/Kurt than Rachel. I know its popular to blame Rachel for everything but we see Mercedes does not click with them but Rachel. Mercedes and Kurt do seem to click as friends.

so like, i really do not understand why you’re coming at me so aggressively here, acting like i’m some rachel hate blog when literally the only anti-rachel stuff i post is in my reviews, always under read mores, and never even just blind hatred it’s legitimate criticism about her characterization and the way that glee encouraged her flaws and refused to celebrate her strengths. 

but yeah you know what? i’ll bite

1) ignoring problematic behaviour because of humour or ~being extra~ does nobody any favours. it’s not that i can’t see that it’s supposed to be funny that rachel and finn are so self-centered and narcissistic that they legitimately believe that all their teammates are going to vote for them in this competition, it’s that it shouldn’t be funny. these are BIG flaws in both finn and rachel’s personalities, and it actually comes across as almost mean to their teammates and fucking friends. like, they think they’re so much better than everybody that not only will they dominate the competition despite the fact that everyone in the glee club is a juggernaut of talent, but that they will dominate it so completely that their just as fucking talented teammates (and, i repeat, FRIENDS) will actually think to themselves “you know what? even though i killed this number and mr schuester never said we couldn’t vote for ourselves, rachel and finn are just SO damn talented that i’m going to vote for them instead of myself because they deserve it so much more than i do.” despite the fact that finn and rachel already get EVERYTHING, which has been openly discussed as a point of contention within the club like???? 

yeah, okay, sorry that i don’t want to celebrate something that makes finn and rachel both look like self-centered assholes who could give two shits about anybody other than themselves. sorry that i’d rather they deal with the fact that they are so clearly looking down on their teammates and friends and learn to treat them with kindness and respect (like, hey, remember in 1x13 when rachel openly admits that mercedes was better than her and not only accepts that she will not get to sing the solo but also hugs mercedes and isn’t even the one to suggest that she step in when their setlist is stolen, she says that mercedes should do a different number? THAT is something i wish was encouraged more in rachel’s personality. that kindness and compassion and desire for friendship and unity). sorry i can’t see the humour in lack of character development (a lack of development by the way that i very openly and consistently blame on the writers and will schuester, not on the kids themselves). my b

2) yeah rachel, mercedes, and kurt click as friends but we get the three of them being best friends for like a hot second before everything becomes about kurt and rachel and mercedes gets left in the dust. also, there is literally ONE SCENE in the ENTIRETY OF THE SHOW that shows mercedes “not clicking” with kurt and blaine and that scene takes place almost immediately after kurt and blaine meet, when they are in the stages of finally fucking having a friend to talk about queer issues with and are excited about that and therefore obviously going to spend a lot of time talking about it (and this is nothing against mercedes, because obviously i love her, but she isn’t a queer woman (much as i headcanon her as such) and more importantly she’s a teenager so of course she isn’t all that interested in something that has nothing to do with her and is probably way deeper conversation topic than she was expecting from a dinner at breadstix to meet her best friends new friend). we are NEVER given the impression at ANY OTHER TIME that mercedes and blaine don’t get along, or that they don’t click. so like, miss me with that bullshit.

AND all that aside, kurt and blaine may start as friends, but it’s pretty clear from the beginning that it’s going to become romantic. therefore, when kurt has screentime with blaine instead of mercedes, that makes sense, because this is his love interest. when kurt goes to find rachel to give him advice on what song to sing for his warbler audition when there’s literally been no indication as to why he would do that, and logically at that point in time it would make WAY more sense for kurt to go to mercedes about that because she’s 1) his fucking best friend and 2) just as talented and knowledgeable as rachel -- yeah, that feels like they’re taking away screentime from the kurt and mercedes friendship. 

you know the reason it’s popular to blame rachel for the loss of kurt and mercedes’s friendship? because rachel was the protagonist of the show, and kurt was the breakout character. people were not as interested in rachel as glee hoped they would be, and so by turning kurt into her sidekick they got people more interested in her. THAT is why people blame rachel for the loss of kurtcedes. because they literally had a wonderful, pure, equal friendship between kurt and mercedes but they decided to forget that that existed and instead forced an unequal, animosity-filled friendship between kurt and rachel that was literally 80% of the time about rachel and exclusively about rachel so that they could pretend like they were giving the fans what they wanted (ie more kurt). 

regardless of all of this, i need it to be clear that i actually really fucking like rachel. i just get super annoyed at the way they wrote her because every time she had an inch of character development that actually helped her to become a more compassionate and understanding person they just threw it in a dumpster because it’s ~more humourous~ when she’s a narcissistic ball of “me, me, me” who looks down on her friends because she believes that she’s better than them in every conceivable way, and that throwing a pity party when one single thing doesn’t go your way is acceptable behaviour. sorry that i wanted more out of the protagonist of the show. sorry that i feel like the writers could have done better by rachel by maker her kinder. 

but lmao you’re right, i guess i’m just missing the joke :)

PS if you send me any more anonymous messages i won’t respond to them because i refuse to hash any more of this out in public. i don’t need my blog to become a negative space again. i’ve worked too hard to rid it of that. i’d be more than happy to continue this conversation in private, though. 

[greysstickers]

Big in japan sale

BIG IN JAPAN SALE FULL

BIG IN JAPAN SALE CODE

BIG IN JAPAN SALE PLUS

That’s more than the number of 7-Eleven locations (10,000) in the United States and Canada combined. Of the more than 55,000 convenience stores that dot the country, some 14,000 carry the Lawson name. This sale will be on until July 19 in all EU regions. While Lawson may have ceased to exist in the United States, Daiei has turned it into a juggernaut in Japan.

BIG IN JAPAN SALE PLUS

The Atelier Arsland Trilogy Plus (PSV) – £14.99 Clothing colors and materials change according to the season, and to clear their inventory, shops. Persona 4 Dancing All Night (PSV) – £6.99ĭark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin (PS4) – £8.99ĭark Souls III Deluxe Edition (PS4) – £29.99ĭanganronpa (PSV) – £6.99, Dangnaronpa 2 (PSV) – £9.79 The biggest sales in Japan are the winter and summer sales. Here are some of my recommendations from the sale:ĭragon Quest Builders (PS4) – £19.99, (PSV) – £11.99 There are some recent games and other classics that haven’t seen big discounts before all featured here. That of course includes games like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Resident Evil 3, Tekken 7, as well as Persona and Sakura Wars. If you’ve had some games (specifically Japanese ones), on your wishlist and have been waiting for a price drop, your time may have finally come. The promotion arrives today, September 23rd, on the PlayStation Store, and includes some of the most amazing video games that are huge in Japan. Players interested in experiencing one of Lara Croft's finest moments should remember that the discounted price on the game will only be available this week.Check out a massive Japanese games sale for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita on the PlayStation Network. (2) Nisshin plant at Isoko, showing big storage elevators. The game's Definitive Edition includes the base game, all seven DLC challenge tombs, together with downloadable weapons, outfits, and skills. Soft drink sales in Hong Kong are very seasonal, with 80 of the volume during the 6 summer. Shadow of the Tomb Raider serves as the final entry in the new Tomb Raider trilogy that explores Lara Croft's origin story before becoming the well-renowned tomb raider that she is today. The Big in Japan sale is currently active and I was looking for some recommendations. It expands upon the story quite a bit, adding new content and even a new. Jap eng+ Summary: The first shop of its type in Japan, it is linked to.

BIG IN JAPAN SALE CODE

The sale runs through March 6 and offers up to 70 off a huge range of titles, including Kingdom Hearts: All in One Package, NieR: Automata, Code Vein, and so much more. The PlayStation Store is also offering Square Enix's Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for $17.99 as part of the store's weekly deal. Persona 5 Royal only adds to the extensive wealth of content that the base Persona 5 game has to offer. Soyfoods first became popular in urban centers in the 1960s, Kauffman said. This year is no different, and the 2020 Big in Japan PlayStation Store sale is now live. Book flights & vacations to Tokyo, Osaka & more destinations in Japan & Asia with Japan Airlines (JAL).

BIG IN JAPAN SALE FULL

Players can check out the full list of games available here.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience - $9.99.

Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition - $17.49.

Clicking the Buy button will take you to the official store page. Homes listings include vacation homes, apartments, penthouses, luxury retreats, lake homes, ski chalets, villas, and many more lifestyle options. We have 349 luxury homes for sale in Japan. On our PlayStation Sales page, you can filter, sort and manage your Price Alerts. Search for Japan luxury homes with the Sotheby’s International Realty network, your premier resource for Japan homes. Please click on the appropriate flag to see prices in your region. Other games in Sony's Big in Japan Sale include: PlayStation Big in Japan sale round-up for North America: February 23rd, 2022.

[migstheruler]

The Future State of Gaming

With the next-gen consoles set to release within a month, I figured it would be great, to sum up what Sony and Microsoft, two of gaming’s juggernauts have in store for the 10th generation.

The Basics:

Sony is set to release its PS5 on Nov 12 in the US, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, and worldwide on Nov 19, 2020.

Microsoft is set to release its Xbox Series X and Series S worldwide on November 10, 2020.

Microsoft is releasing two next-gen consoles the Xbox series X and series S. The series S is a weaker version of the series X.

Sony is releasing two next-gen consoles, the PlayStation 5 digital edition, and disc-based edition, both consoles are similar in specs aside from the lack of a disc drive.

The Xbox series X’s price is $500. The Xbox Series S’ price is $300.

The PlayStation Digital Edition is $400. The PlayStation disc-based edition is $500.

Both consoles release with one controller. Microsoft’s controller requires batteries whereas Sony’s controller contains a rechargeable battery out of the box. Microsoft believes this option serves consumers best and offers a rechargeable battery pack for sale separately.

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X has 1 TB of storage whereas their Series S has 512 GBS of SSD storage.

Both Sony’s PlayStation 5 devices come out of the box with 825 GBS of SSD storage.  

Both of these consoles are sure to be blazing fast.

It’s also important to note that these consoles can install certain portions of games, so if you’re like me and prefer single-player-only games, you can just install the single-player portion of a game. If you’re worried about limited space.

Lastly, both companies are approaching additional storage differently where Sony allows 3rd party memory expansion  (that has been certified to meet the minimum requirements of the PS5). Microsoft has partnered with Seagate to offer proprietary memory card expansions.

Key Features:

Microsoft’s Game Pass is a literal game-changer, poised to establish itself as the Netflix of gaming. This method of game delivery is set to change how we as consumers think about purchasing video games. I’m sure the games pass service will cause a momentous change in how we as gamers consumer and purchase video games for the future. Especially with Microsoft’s recent purchase of Zenimax and rumored big purchase sure to spicy up the next-gen console war (if we could even call it that).

Although games pass is a great service, it’s worth noting at the time of writing this, you can’t access all the game pass games without an internet connection, although this may be addressed at a later time.

Microsoft is launching without any real major flagship titles for their Series X after Halo Infinite’s release date was pushed back to 2021.

Sony’s banking heavy on their exclusives to sell their ecosystem of games, with the likes of Spiderman, Demon Souls and Sack Boy as a launch title and Ratchet and Clank, and Horizon Zero Dawn arriving shortly after launch.

Both consoles have a slew of different third-party titles to bolster their launch line-ups.

Microsoft’s game pass service offers its users access to 100s of games fresh out of the box, similar to the Sega channel or an A La Carte selection like Netflix. The best part being all Microsoft first-party studios’ games automatically release on Games Pass on day one and have committed to doing so in the future. This means all future Bethesda games, Games Pass day one…

Not to be left in the dust, Sony is launching a new program alongside the PS5’s release where PS plus subscribers have access to 18 of the PS4’s best titles such as God of War, Last of US, and Days Gone to name a few to play on their new PS5.

Sadly, games’ prices are rising from $59.99 to $69.99 (PlayStation Games)  although again Microsoft is heavily banking on their games pass. Microsoft has yet to announce whether their game prices are going to be increased. Several third-party titles have indicated they will raise their game prices to $69.99.

Honestly though, if you look at gaming as a whole, it’s one of the cheapest entertainment mediums. A $69.99 game that is played for 20 hours runs the user about a $3.45 per hour entertainment value.

The Consoles specialties.

The PlayStation 5 digital edition and Xbox Series S consoles are digital-only consoles meaning if you plan on playing your disc-based backlog of video games, you’ll have to look elsewhere or shell out the extra $200 or $100 for either the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 Disc Based edition. The Xbox Series X is compatible with all prior Xbox games (Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One) whereas the PS5 disc-based edition is compatible with 99% of PlayStation 4 video games.

Both PlayStation Consoles and Series X are capable of 4k, 60, and 120 FPS gaming, while the capability for 8K view is in the works. The Series S has a max capability of 1440 60 FPS with a targeted goal of also 120 FPS gaming.  

Regarding backward compatibility, Microsoft’s upgrade systems seem pretty fluid with all last get consoles to receive a free upgrade to their Next-gen counterpart via the systems boost capabilities. Sony seems to be taking a more a la cart approach with most games receive a boost. But certain games receive a graphical and framerate improvement via a paid increase but this may be because additional content being added with the upgrade (I'm looking at you Spiderman).

PlayStation’s SSD is a supposed game-changer, while the Xbox’s raw power measured in flops seems to be greater. (whether TFlops are a good measure is questionable with both console makers resorting to saying it’s all about the games babi.

 Pre-Orders

The roll-out of PS5 certainly left a sour taste in my mouth despite being told we as consumers would have ample time to know when their console would release. Xbox’s pre-order release console was a bit smoother, releasing their console at a specified time. Sadly, the stark reality was that most websites couldn’t handle the immense traffic of all gamers eager to throw their money at their respective new console. I too had a PS5 in my cart, started imaging picking up my PS5 console on launch day, only to have my hopes dashed due to Best Buy’s website crashing.

 Final Thoughts:

What a great time to be a gamer. I think Microsoft Games Pass will surely push the market forward despite Sony saying they do not see a reason to do the same. I think the price points are great and provide several options for gamers.  I think they will eventually succumb to the pressure of delivering a games pass option I say this as someone who was not able to secure either console for launch despite having money set aside to do so. Either way, a next-gen console is sure to make any kid happy come Christmas time, should you be able to afford one or find one.

[chgreenblatt]

Who is your favorite superhero? and which character (that you created) would you cross them with? Ps. YOUR CREATIONS ARE AMAZING AND ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT SIR!! You're such a wonderful inspiration for imagination and creative arts!

Thanks! I’ve been a Spider-Man fan since I was a little kid. I also really dig Iron Man. And the X-Men. But if I had to choose a more recent hero, I really like Ms Marvel. She captures the feeling that Spider-Man used to.

I guess I would cross Harvey with the X-Men. Harvey would be Xavier. Fee would be Storm. Foo would be Wolverine. Rooter would be Colossus. Kratz would be Iceman. Technobear would be Beast. Piri would be Dazzler. Claire would be Jean Grey. Princess would be the Juggernaut. And NO ONE WOULD BE CYCLOPS, cuz he’s boring!! 

[zanytimetravelenthusiast-blog]

VideoSeeder Review

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A 6-Step Operations to Produce Video for Numerous VideoSeeder Systems by Marshal Carper on Social Network Examiner.

Why You Required a Social Video Workflow

You've listened to the news: Video is king on social networks. Regrettably, grabbing the crown to rule your very own video clip kingdom isn't as straightforward as hitting Record on your camera. Below's why the social video landscape is extra difficult and tough than ever before:

Use a six-step process to produce video for several platforms, instance of video on social by Southwest Airlines

Platform algorithms like LinkedIn as well as Facebook are focusing on indigenous video clip (web content submitted directly to their platform) over web links to videos hosted off-platform.

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The frequency of mobile devices indicates we need to reserve timeless VideoSeeder like facet ratio as well as sound if we wish to see the video clip interaction that provides us a choice in social media formulas.

Real-time streaming-- whether via Facebook, Twitch, or perhaps future challengers like LinkedIn-- is still a large question mark for brands.

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There are various other devices you can make use of to edit video clips as well as produce images, but using some industry-standard devices enables you to do more involved tasks in the future (without having to find out a brand-new collection of tools). Likewise, in terms of efficiency, the devices within the Adobe Creative Cloud incorporate well with each other, which can conserve you a lot of time.

# 1: Fire Your Video clip

Video pretenders like myself battled the increase of upright cellular phone video clips, and we lost. Despite how many times we commented about revolving the cam to film in widescreen, the vertical mobile routine could not be broken. Today, the whole of the mobile web experience is developed around upright screens, which indicates Instagram, Twitter, as well as Facebook social experiences are likely to remain in this style.

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[houseofmystery]

House of Mystery #292 (May 1981)

Script: Karen Berger

Pencils: Romeo Tanghal

Inks: Romeo Tanghal

Edited: silly typos fixed. Still a poorly written, tangential mess of a draft. 

From a meta-fictional perspective, this is just the coolest. Karen Berger comes in and takes the reigns and we can basically draw a straight line from here to Sandman to present day Berger Books. 

Before this:

EC Comics legend, Joe Orlando, revamps House of Mystery in 1968 and introduces the world to Cain the Caretaker. DC’s mystery line flourishes with The Witches Three/Three Witches/Weird Sisters in The Witching Hour, Cain’s brother, Abel, in House of Secrets, and occasionally the Mad Mod Witch or Judge Gallows in The Unexpected. Phantom Stranger began in a somewhat similar format around the same time, but the Stranger quickly began to lead his own stories and leaned more toward the super-hero-y side of the DC Universe. Nevertheless, PS would remain a linking character between the JLA and DC’s mystery titles/Proto-Vertigo books/Vertigo books.

In 1971, House of Secrets features the Swamp Thing and the book reportedly outsells everything on the stands that month. Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson quickly spin Swamp Thing off into his own book (with Orlando as editor) and the book is a critical smash. 

The mystery books go on for years, reaching something like 9 books by the mid 70s. Notably, in in-house advertisements, Orlando-edited books like Swamp Thing along with other spooky DC characters, just a little left of center. These include Mystery Books spin-off graduate, the Phantom Stranger, but also Neal Adams’ legendary Deadman, as well as Jack Kirby’s Etrigan the Demon.

Other characters incorporated into the Mystery line were Eve, Destiny, Lucien the Librarian (for a three issue stint as host of Tales of Ghost Castle) and Madame Xanadu, who was a refuge from the recently canceled Doorway to Nightmare.

Now:

Karen Berger takes over as editor for House of Mystery and if the letters pages are to be believed fans are immediately receptive to her. The serialized I, Vampire continues and the great writing team of Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn produce several great stories. Unfortunately, the Mystery line had been dying slowly for years and House of Mystery finally closed its doors with issue #321, cover date October (of course) 1983. Mishkin and Cohn would bring back Cain for a few appearances in their Blue Devil.

Meanwhile:

Swamp Thing was relaunched in 1982. Phantom Stranger back-ups were featured in the first several issues. A young Alan Moore, took over as writer with issue #20. Karen Berger became editor of the book with #25. A ton has been written about Moore’s run on Swamp Thing. Suffice to say, it’s a fantastic read, and anyone with an ounce of interest in this shit has probably read it years ago, or really owes it to their self to pick up the TPBs.

Swamp Thing

Moore’s Swamp Thing is really responsible for codifying the Magic and Mystery side of the DC Universe. Etrigan the Demon, Deadman, and the Phantom Stranger became regularly featured allies. Golden Age of Comics veteran, the Spectre, as well. The Spectre’s last solo series, notably, was very much a Joe Orlando book. The JLA’s Zatanna had some screen time in this run, and for years after - much like PS - she would be sort of a link between the more mainstream DCU and the Berger edited books. John Constantine premieres as a character in this run, and he is shortly spun off into his own book, Hellblazer. 

Post-Moore/Pre-Vertigo

Moore left a profound and permanent mark on American comics due to his work in the mid 1980s. A slue of Mature Readers Only books came out from DC in the late 80s/early 90s, mostly under the editorial stewardship of Karen Berger. Swamp Thing continued its creative heights under former Moore collaborator, Richard Veitch. Jamie Delano was handpicked by Moore to write John Constantine in Hellblazer, and the series would bring a gritty realism and move the character even further away from his super hero-ish roots. A very green Neil Gaiman put out Black Orchid, another wonderful comic that continued in Moore’s tradition of gritty remake of forgotten DC character. Grant Morison put out groundbreaking work on Animal Man and Doom Patrol, but these have less of a direct link from Swamp Thing, at least as far as the actual characters go. 

Sandman

A popular bit of advice, when recommending Sandman to new readers is to either be patient while reading the first volume (#1-8) or just start with Death’s first appearance in #8. The reasoning being, the first volume is in many ways a different genre than what follows. Or at least fewer genres. Before becoming the grand story about stories we know and love, Sandman was very much in the Gothic Horror/Fantasy genre and not much else. Another barrier to new readers, perhaps, is just how deeply it is ingrained the fabric of the DC Universe. The early volumes of Sandman feature multiple revamped DC characters of yesteryear, as well as direct appearances from mainstream super hero characters. 

Sandman’s roster was deep and included almost all of the hosts of DC’s Mystery books from the 70s. Destiny was revamped as one the seven Endless, along with main character Dream and fan favorite Death. Cain, Abel, (and a much younger looking Eve) were supporting cast members throughout the series. They served as a reminder of The Sandman’s comic book roots, and demonstrate the direct line that can be traced from the time Berger first arrived at the House of Mystery,

Vertigo

In 1993, Vertigo Comics was officially launched as an imprint of DC, with Karen Berger at the helm. While Vertigo was essentially a continuation of the Berger-edited books that had preceded it, there were some differences. DC’s Mature Readers books had previously featured a dark corner of the DCU, that was, nevertheless, part of the DCU. With the success of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, Vertigo began putting out more and more creator owned original properties - usually completely disconnected from the world of Batman and Superman. Books that were decidedly of the DCU in origin, like Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and Hellblazer seemed to now occupy their own little universes. Sandman retained its DC Universe ties until its end but was clearly so much more than that by the end. Sandman’s great success guaranteed it multiple spin-offs. Of these, The Dreaming and Michael Carey’s Lucifer were easily the longest-lived. Though ostensibly a spin-off of Sandman, Lucifer, was really a beast of its own. It lasted 75 issues and came to an end in 2006.

The true legacies of Vertigo, though, are the creator owned books which line at least one bookshelf in bookstores across the county today. Vertigo books were some of the first to really pioneer “waiting for the trade”... and...

Honestly, guy, I’m really tired. I didn’t set out to write an essay now.I just thought it was really neat that Karen Berger made a cameo appearance when she took over as editor in House of Mystery. I kind of want to come back and edit this at some point, though.

...something, something, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, Fables, DMZ, 100 Bullets... iZombie, Vikings...

Something about Hellblazer ending with #300 and an era coming to an end,

something about how in recent years Image really has replaced Vertigo as far as the forward thinking creative juggernaut in comics, and how Vertigo’s mini-revamp last year didn’t really change anyone’s mind.

something about the poor treatment  of Shelly Bond.

something about Young Animal

something about Berger leaving DC (that was earlier)

But now Berger’s back, baby! http://www.vulture.com/2017/07/vertigo-editor-karen-bergers-launching-a-new-line-of-comics.html

So excited for this! Collect them all! What a legend!

[anotheruserwithnoname]

Smile came in at 4.23 mil viewer figures, with 23% share, compared to 3.7 mil from S9E2? What do you make of this? I'm glad the ratings have been going up because I'd like to see DW continue on, but I believe S9 was plagued by later & different time slots, wasn't it? I don't live in the UK, but does DW have any competition when it airs? Did it have any competition when it aired in S9?

According to the report on Doctor Who News from October 2015, The Witch’s Familiar aired opposite the England v. Wales match in the Rugby World Cup. That blew everything away including Strictly Come Dancing. Keep in mind, however, that it’s not the ovenights that matter, but the +7. After all that was factored in, its real viewership was 5.71 million. The top show of the week - and the ONLY show to score more than 10 million viewers- was a baking competition. No, seriously. And for that week Doctor Who was the fourth most watched scripted series of the week other than the daily juggernauts Coronation Street and Eastenders (behind Downton Abbey, Doctor Foster and Doc Martin - obviously British viewers like their Doctors!).

In the UK I believe it partially airs opposite Britain’s Got Talent now and that show is still huge. I just checked the schedule for last night and BGT starts at 8 p.m., 40 minutes into the broadcast, but DW bounces around the schedule so that was just last night.

The real numbers for Smile won’t be known for a week or so, just as we’re probably still a few days away from seeing what the real UK viewership for The Pilot was. This also goes for the US showings. As I wrote a few days back, overnight viewing figures make for good clickbait but are really irrelevant in 2017. I don’t even understand why they bother reporting them anymore, frankly.

PS. According to Doctor Who Magazine’s Twitter, last night’s episode nearly got delayed due to a game running overtime just before. The fact it apparently aired after a game might have also given Smile a bit of a viewership bump as shows airing right after major sporting events often get a boost.

[perks-of-being-a-20-buck-flower]

094 Dear friend, I helped my sister and her fiancé move some of their stuff into their new place. I'm so out of shape. Third story apartments are ass and shouldn't be a thing. I'm so exhausted and drained and already felt that way from just work. Now my whole body aches. I umm. I also remembered about a video I have of my brother leading his unit in a March. I knew I had it but I forgot I had it. I let it slip to my sister which meant she wanted to see it. You ever forget what someone sounds like or what they looked like or their gait? Then you see it and you say "oh yeah. That's right." We watched the video. It took a while to find it but yeah. That's right. That's what he sounded like. That's what he walked like. Suddenly, I could hear him say "hey fatty!" It's gonna be one of those nights where I cry myself to sleep. I had forgotten what he sounded like. I had forgotten so much about him. It all hit me like a train being pushed down the track by the Juggernaut. Shit. PS. "...excuse my French but fuck you, no, fuck y'all. That's as blunt as it gets, I know you hate me, don't you?..."

[republicstandard]

Spineless Anglicans Appease the Progressive Reich. Cowards!

Amazing Appeasement, how sweet the sound, that saved an evangelical wretch like me!

Let me say this without an iota of irony. The Church of England’s evangelical bishops and clergy are decent, gracious and godly. They are refined and respectable—gentle, genteel, and gentlemen. They are steeped in the English tradition of courtesy and fair play. “It’s not cricket,” they’ll tell you if you put a foot wrong. They can spot a split infinitive a mile away.

Most have been to public school and Oxbridge; those of less noble upbringing managed to make it to the London School of Economics. One of my former parishioners, who attended Emmanuel Church, Wimbledon, would joke about how no one there ever enquired which university you went to, but what college you were at. “They presumed we all went to Oxbridge; I never quite felt at home because I went to Uxbridge,” he would say with a grimace and a chuckle.

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These honorable men (they are all biological men) also have a zeal for biblical doctrine and liturgy unadulterated by Popery. They’d suffer a fit of asthmatic wheezing if they inhaled a whiff of incense; candles on the altar would prompt an iconoclastic purge, and a priest wearing a chasuble would be seen as embracing the Whore of Babylon. Some of these courageous men refused to don even a stole at their ordination.

Not surprisingly, conservative laypeople in the CofE have looked to these leaders to remain as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar and as brave as the English reformers who chose to be barbecued rather than bought for a price. Recent events, however, have left us a tad disappointed.

The juggernaut of Archbishop Welby’s progressive Panzers has stampeded like rogue elephants into the heart of the evangelical Sudetenland. How have these our evangelical bravehearts responded? Surely they haven’t been frozen into ice sculptures by the vulturine glint from Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, as in Tennyson’s Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner?

Bishop Mullally holds him with her glittering eye—

The conservative evangelicals stood still,

And listened like a three years’ child:

Bishop Mullally hath her will (adapted).

I had waited with great expectations for these gospel champions to hunt down heresy with horses and hounds and blaring horn in a full-blooded foxhunt (ignore Oscar Wilde who called it “the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable”).

Surely they would rise in pulpit and media and with full-throated Churchillian fortissimo goad their troops: “we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight in the pulpits, we shall fight in the parish church and in the cathedrals.” No? Perhaps not like Churchill, who was vain as a peacock, volcanic with his insults and an indefatigable consumer of tobacco and alcohol—All Souls Langham Place would give him the bum’s rush.

So who might be a more fitting exemplar of our conservative evangelical leaders? How about Churchill’s predecessor Neville Chamberlain, who was hailed as semi-divine? His Munich deal with Hitler led journalist Godfrey Winn to exclaim:

“Praise be to God and to Mr. Chamberlain. I find no sacrilege, no bathos, in coupling those two names.”

Opening and closing to the strains of the song “A fine old English Gentleman” Harry Roy and his Orchestra recorded this song in praise of Neville in 1939.

God bless you, Mr. Chamberlain

We’re all mighty proud of you,

You look so swell holding your umbrella,

All the world loves a wonderful fella.

Historian John Charmley, Chamberlain’s greatest defender, presents him as most people in the 1930s saw him—a “far-sighted” and decent man doing his best for his people, while Churchill is a war-mongering opportunist with terrible judgment.

“My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time … Go home and get a nice quiet sleep,” Chamberlain says, waving his umbrella, on his return from his Munich meeting with the Führer. Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Gordon Lang, chimes in: “We sincerely hope that this measure of appeasement may lead to others in its train.”

Historian Telford Taylor defines appeasement as “a conciliatory, yielding approach” to conflict resolution … reflecting a “foolish faith in the pacifying effect of concessions to a foe bent on aggression, or a gullible reliance on promises from a source already established as untrustworthy”. Churchill puts it more pithily:

“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”

Evangelicals who until very recently were troubled by Justin Welby’s mantra of “good disagreement” suddenly find themselves making “good appeasement”, treating their sworn enemies with the same degree of distrust Bertie Wooster would have for Steggles the bookmaker. Are these examples of appeasement?

The President of the Church of England Evangelical Council Bishop Julian Henderson appeases the transgender lobby by overseeing and blessing the baptism-based liturgy for transgender initiation.

Bishop Rod Thomas, the only evangelical bishop who rejects women’s ordination, tacitly endorses a woman bishop by his presence at Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol’s enthronement (and trumpets it on his website).

William Taylor, Rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate, who refused to cede authority to Bishop Mullally until she had affirmed an orthodox position on sexuality, steps forward to rake in armfuls of dosh and offers his church as a ‘national resource church’ (along with a merry band of evangelicals from All Souls Langham Place, et al).

I asked Bishop Rod for clarification. He says he attended Faull’s enthronement because he’s an assistant bishop in the diocese. He writes: “I am intending to clarify with Bishop Viv what her standpoint is on same-sex relationships.” Hasn’t Rod heard of Google?

“The blessing of a gay relationship is not theologically a problem for me personally, but I’m under the discipline of the Church, and I keep the rules,” says Faull. In an interview, she reveals that though she follows the rules banning official wedding-like services for gay couples, she has previously “found ways” of celebrating gay and lesbian couples’ civil partnerships. What more does Rod need to know?

You see the problem? The Achilles Heel of the entire evangelical leadership is their “foolish faith in the pacifying effect of concessions”, a “gullible reliance on promises” and their Chamberlain-like naïveté in the face of totalitarian progressive forces “already established as untrustworthy”. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator said:

“Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.”

Evangelicals are responding to the crossing of the Maginot Line by the baptism-based transgender liturgy. The godly Lee Gatiss conducts a skillful autopsy of this liturgical cadaver and gravely states that “we continue to have extremely serious concerns”. He regrets that people will “find themselves more estranged from the Church of England”. So, Lee, what do we do now? Because this middle-class English circumlocution leaves us neither here nor there! Like Lee, evangelicals issue statements; so far not a single evangelical leader has issued a call for action.

How do they think the progressives in power will respond to evangelical huffing and puffing? In India, when an elephant walks the streets, dozens of stray dogs begin to bark and howl. But the elephant knows one thing. The infernal racket will only last a few minutes. The pachyderm doesn’t pay the slightest attention to the diminutive canines. He walks on unruffled.

Anglican social media sites are abuzz with the usual mix of debate, whining, and fake bravado. But none of those shielded by their computer screens are willing to go public. Some parishes stopped funding the diocese a long time ago, few say they are making exit plans, but there is no notice of D-Day yet. Do they think the powers-that-be will take the slightest note and change their course of action? No! Nein! Nada!

Why? Because conservative evangelical Chamberlains are plentiful, but there isn’t a single Churchill calling for “blood, toil, tears and sweat” and offering “hunger, thirst, forced marches, battle, and death” and loss of stipends, buildings, pensions and privilege in return.

I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I’m going to hazard a prediction. Not a single conservative evangelical cleric or parish will begin its Exodus from the CofE in days or months or even years to come. The progressives will continue their rampage through the Church of England destroying everything holy, true, righteous, orthodox and biblical. This is what cultural Marxists do—they destroy what others have built.

Conservatives, on the other hand, conserve; they also build and create. But because conservatives are too cowardly to oppose the new Anglican realpolitik, they will appease and ultimately acquiesce. I so desperately want my prediction to be proven wrong, so Lord hear my prayer!

We already have a striking illustration of this capitulation. Last year when the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) amended its canon law to allow same-sex weddings, a smaller congregation left but St Paul’s and St George’s one of its largest and wealthiest evangelical congregations remained even though the denomination had crossed the “red line”.

Its 2018 financial statement reveals that the congregational giving increased by 4% to £1,020,170. Ps and Gs Church gives £78,197 to the Edinburgh Diocese and the SEC. “We will continue to encourage the Diocese (together with the leaders of other churches) to establish mixed-mode training for ordained ministers. We want to train and equip younger ordinands, mission-minded leaders and worship leaders,” it proudly announces.

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Bruce Thornton, in his book The Wages of Appeasement, offers three reasons why we appease powerful and tyrannical forces: fear, self-interest and ideals/ideas. The first two are self-explanatory in the case of Anglican evangelicals. The third is a delusional ideal that remaining within an apostate church is to be preferred for the cause of the gospel.

There was once an evangelical Churchill—Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones. On 18th October 1966, he addressed a packed meeting in London and pleaded with evangelicals to leave denominations corrupted by false doctrine. Chairing the meeting was John Stott, Rector of All Souls. Stott had already spoken at the meeting. But just as Lloyd-Jones finished his address, Stott arose not to close the meeting, but to contradict what Lloyd-Jones had just said. Stott was afraid that many evangelical leaders would respond to Lloyd-Jones and would leave their denominations—particularly the Church of England.

I hold both John Stott and Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the highest esteem. Both had a profound impact on my life and ministry. It was difficult for me to takes sides in an issue that divided two of my Christian heroes. For years I believed Stott was right. But as false teaching began to poison the Church of England, I was forced to admit that Martyn Lloyd-Jones was right. If clergy had heeded his call and left the Church of England, we wouldn’t have evangelicals appeasing the bishops like a chorus of Chamberlains.

“Appeasement, then, did not happen just once, in the England of the Thirties. It is an eternal temptation for all peoples who for various reasons lose their nerve in the face of an enemy who wants to destroy them,” warns Thornton. The wages of appeasement is death.

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.

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