#they did genealogy on a grape

[bucknado]

???

[evilminji]

Normally he doesn't! True! Man out there living in a butterfly wing, rice paper world. But! Importantly? If your ten year old takes a running leap at you? You will be knocked back, if you don't compensate for their weight n momentum. A butterfly? Not so much.

Most people are butterflies. Usually less.

Sometimes he fights people who are like... angry squirrel strength.

Certainly not NOTHING, but unless very VERY targeted? Hardly lethal. And Wes didn't look strong to him. More "baseline, I could run if I HAVE too but would prefer not" you know? Stringy.

So Clark is leaning back, relaxed. Not to mention the pain probably didn't help, but that neither here nor there. Then?

Imagine holding a cup to your lips. You're kinda tired. Thinking about Some Project. You here a loud, interesting bit of drama behind you. Turn to see what's up. Doing that "uuugh, Monday's" sorta lean, like you wish you had a wall to lean against. At least you have coffee. Small mercies, right?

You go to take a sip.

JUST as you do?

JUST as the inside of your mouth suddenly feels like it's filled with razors and battery acid, too hot in a way NOTHING should be? You get hit low and hard. Like your son is practically his running tackles. It's in that moment before you've locked your legs and seized against the pain, where your disoriented and your normally fast brain? Is mostly just giving you "aaaaaaAAAAAAAA-!!!!!?!?!?"

You hit the ground.

Why?

Cup? Bad! What in-!? Pain!!

Spit out? Yes! Spit it out! You can do that!!

Is THAT YOUR BLOOD??!

All in all? Wes himself? Probably NOT the most Limnal. Honestly, more magical then anything. But! And this is crucial. Like the canary islands, isolation has pulled some FUCKERY on the denizens of Amity Park.

And that was BEFORE the Ectoplasmic Nuke that was that portal.

The Weston Line left Greece a looooong time ago. On foot, making rude gestures the entire, spite filled, way. The heard about this hot new religion called "literally any God but the ones who cursed us" and were here to sign up.

Didn't go well.

Like.... repeatedly.

They got chased for being "witches" and "gossips". Ended up in Amity. Stabbed the mayor. The rest, as they say, was history. Them and the local witch's became besties. Learned how to STOP blabbing everyone's secrets. And over the centuries? Got their biology aaaaaall fucked up.

Yes, centuries.

"Oh, but, America isn't-"

Did they SAY America?! They said AMITY. Who they FUCK cares who SAYS they "own" that dirt. None of us are gonna pay you tithes anyway! Sorry, "taxes". Besides! Everyone knows time is fucky in Amity! It's however long or as short as it wants to be! Always has been!

So like? Wes can eat poisons but grapes or chocolate might kill him. Bare minimum send him to the ER. He also doesn't tan. Literally. Really, there's... like? A list? It's stapled to his genealogy chart, in his medical file. He can hold his breathe for 6 hours.

But, of course, lies?

Fuckin trigger his fight or bite reflex.

(Don't you mean-) (he knows what he said)

Ooooh~ Drink mix up? >.>

Because! Wes DID, in fact, get that dream job. HAS learned... after many, many hours of "beat about the head and shoulders with an ethics pamphlet by his great aunt", to keep his mouth shut! Family curse of Sight? WHAT family curse?

He doesn't see shit! Mind your business.

What're you? A cop?

Look, he sent Fenton a gift basket. He was a shitty, shitty "I have to be RIGHT and nothing else matters!" Stubborn lil asshole of a kid. He got better. Grew up. No one is there best Self during puberty. He DOES, in fact, regret it.

Which is WHY, he is deliberately ignoring Kent's terrible, awful, paper-thin, "who meee~?" Aw shucks BULLSHIT excuse of a disguise, like it isn't blatantly obvious he's Superman. Yep. Nothing to see here! Nothing but us chickens! Mmmmm, morning coffee! Delicious.

But see, here's the THING.

The Itty, bitty, teeny lil PROBLEM...

Wes grew up in Amity "Totally Not Supernatural Hotspot For Centuries" Park. He is... to put it mildly, genetically? A freak. His biology is ALL fucked up. Everyone's is. And it WAS NOT made better by the Fenton's playing fast and loose with their hell basement. The Ectoplasmic NUKE that was that portal.

There is a REASON his morning coffee? Is COVERED. Contained. Fenton brand, LEAD LINED, specialty cups. The sort that can't be EATEN from the inside out. Eroded after a few uses. They're ugly as sin, but they work. He even ordered a few covers from Star's etsy shop. (Apparently he wasn't the only one who hated how ugly they looked. Good for her though, he heard it was doing well.)

He SAYS this? 'Cause his morning brew is less... straight COFFEE... and more... how to put this? A blend? Brew? Potion, really. Like an energy drink. From hell. Or, partially at least, the Zone. It's the combination of roots, seeds, and a few dried berries. Kinda like a tea, actually!

Tasty. Adds this nice fruity, warmth. A zing. Goes GREAT with the coffee. And it really perks you up... if you are Limnal. If you AREN'T? It'll desolve your esophagus like swallowing straight acid. And that's not TOUCHING the... witch-y, more Seer specific bit of the blend.

That stuff is medicinal. You know, "calm the mind" and "mental clarity". That sorta thing. With a good ol helping of "don't blurt out everyone's secrets, you spacey bitch! For the love of God, those are our INSIDE THOUGHTS!". Which? Really helpful! Infinitely less likely to get decked. It's a family staple.

Poisonous, though.

They're fine cause they've basically developed an immunity to that part, but like? Wouldn't recommend. It's why he NEVER shares his drinks. Food? On occasion. If he PLANS it and knows not to add and interesting spices. But DRINKS? Never. Weston family brews are basically NEVER safe.

Which? Begs the Very Important Question ™!

Who's Coffee Is This?

Cause it SURE AS FUCK AINT HIS!

You never realize quite how fast you can go from "completely calm and kinda sleepy" to "bomb strapped to my chest, primal panic AWAKE" until it happens to you. His coffee was ON HIS DESK. People have passed by. He talked to them. Cups put down and picked up. Lazy early morning. He doesn't even register, really, as his chair crashes to the ground.

He's shouting.

People confused. They don't realize yet. His head whips around, looking for that distinct cover. Before it's too late. Before someone takes that fatal sip. He spots it. Bolting from his desk. Crashing through coworkers, over desks. Chaos and outrage. "It's 'just' coffee!" They cry.

Kent turns, confused. Pretending. Raises his (HIS! Oh god!) cup to his lips, unknowing. Wes SCREAMS a warning. But he doesn't listen. "It's 'just' coffee" They never listen. Curse of Cassandra. God's damn it. This is why his family fucking CONVERTED!

He TACKLES the man of steel.

RIPS his cup away from him, knows his eyes are frantic. How much have you had?! Spit it out! Wes voice ECHOES in the sudden silence. I'm a META, Kent! It could KILL YOU!

And oh, Oh NOW they get it. Or perhaps it is the burn in his mouth that finally registers. He rolls, spits oil slick nebulae that eat away the floor. There is blood mixed within it. It took mere moments. Superman stares, transfixed and horrified, as Wes shakes. He... he should probably get off of him.

He'll move in a moment.

When his legs no longer feel weak from terror.

The news room is in chaos. Lane kneeling by her husband, Perry trying to do damage control. He... he's probably gonna lose his job, isn't he? Wes wants to cry. Protection laws only go so far, after all. And warning his boss about his dietary needs means jack shit, after an incident like this. Beloved as Kent is. Not that anyone likely believed him.

They never do.

And now he's nearly killed Superman.

@hypewinter @hdgnj @legitimatesatanspawn @nerdpoe @lolottes @babbling-babull @mutable-manifestation @dcxdpdabbles

[thegenealogy]

1 Chronicles 9: 1-3. "The Great Reset."

9 All Israel was listed in the genealogies recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. They were taken captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.

The Kingdom of Israel officially ended in 597 BCE when its people were overtaken by the Babylonians and its last king, Zedekiah and the Royal Line died in 586 BCE.

Fortunately for humanity the Torah survived as did the Jewish people who have since traveled all over the world teaching people to read, write, and establish a pure and ethical way of life on this planet.

They continue to look to God for signs their lost Kingdom will return and put an end to the sojourn the Babylonians forced upon them.

The Gematria for 597= Tragedy.

The Gematria for 587= The Great Reset.

The People in Jerusalem

2 Now the first to resettle on their own property in their own towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants.

3 Those from Judah, from Benjamin, and from Ephraim and Manasseh who lived in Jerusalem were:

Israelites= "To be Upright."

From El, "God" Sharar, to "retain, as the grape retains the wine."

Priests= According to Jewish Law, High Priests are the bastion of inherited responsibility for the people, its Royal Line:

The Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, held the holiest position in Judaism. His role extended through history, from Aaron in ancient times until the destruction of the Second Temple. His job was to oversee the Temple service and act as spiritual leader to the Jewish people. His most prominent responsibility was entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur—when the most sacred time, person, and place converged.

High Priesthood was to be passed from father to son unless the child was unfit to serve.3 Upon Aaron’s passing, the job was assumed by his son Eleazar.4 Then, Phinehas, Eleazar's son, took up the mantle and served during Israel's conquest of the Promised Land.5

Levites= "The Moral Compass."

Originally, the firstborn sons were to have been the priests. When G‑d spared the Jewish firstborns in Egypt, He “acquired” them and designated them for this special role.

When the Jewish people made and worshipped a golden calf after the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, the only tribe that did not participate was Levi. At this time, the firstborns lost their special status, and it was transferred to the Levites.

In truth, however, the Levites were special from beforehand. Even during the Egyptian bondage, they were exempt from the crushing labor and permitted to devote themselves to spiritual pursuits, providing the rest of the Israelites with much needed encouragement and a strong moral compass.

Temple Servants=

The Levites, descendants of Jacob’s son Levi, were selected to serve G‑d in the Holy Temple. Most served in peripheral roles, playing music, opening and closing the gates, and standing guard. In the case of the portable Tabernacle (which preceded the Holy Temple in Jerusalem), they were responsible for packing up, transporting, and reconstructing the Tabernacle whenever the Israelites traveled to a new camp. The most sacred tasks, including bringing the sacrifices, were reserved for the kohanim (priests), descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses.

Judah= "Glory"

Benjamin= "Kindness"

Ephraim= "To Branch Out"

פרר

The verb פרר (parar) means to split, divide and usually make more, expand or multiply. This root belongs to an extended family that also contains פרץ (paras), to break (through), פרש (paras and parash), to spread out or declare, פרס (paras), to break in two or divide, and פאר (pa'ar) means to branch out or to glorify.

Manasseh= "To go up, to evaporate the troubles."

Jerusalem= "To teach the peace."

"To teach the peace and evaporate the troubles, the inherited responsibilities of the High Priests and the Temple Servants must branch out and restore the Glory. This will end the Tragedy."

[lifeofroos]

Part 65: Nico is doing some research with the gang.

In short: Nico gets therapy from Dionysus. In this chapter, Nico and his friends go to look for his family line. The rest is on AO3 and FanFiction.net! And in Tumblr tags like Pjo, Dionysus, Nico di Angelo, etc. 

This Might Be Crazy: Chapter 65: Grape flavoured Gatorade

Hades had been easy to persuade. He was almost eager to let me go to Italy, as if he wanted to see if there were any di Angelo’s left as well. It meant part of my plan succeeded. Now it was time to do some research. 

There was a centre of genealogy in camp Jupiter, where they obsessively kept track of family lines. Every line was written down in a huge book, which were a metre or so tall and broad. You couldn’t even lay them down on a table, you had to sit on the floor with the book in front of you. So it was the best place to start. 

Will went with me. He was the first I had told about my plans after my last therapy session. Already waiting by the centre was Hazel and furthermore, I had brought Pollux from Camp Half-blood with me. Dionysus already knew about my plan, so it felt safe to get his son on board. 

I sat down in front of my book. ‘Okay. We have a clear goal.’

‘We’re demigods,’ Pollux noticed dryly. ‘We never have clear goals. Or maybe we do, but it’ll become less clear in a minute or so.’

I narrowed my eyes. ‘Then we have one minute of serious study. Go. Search for Italy. Search for di Angelo.’

We managed to look through the Italian lines for a whopping five whole minutes before someone got distracted, when Hazel pointed at a name in her book: ‘That’s sounds like the last name of one of the new recruits.’ Will left his own book (Which had a fold-out family tree; they went for extra in camp Jupiter) to go look over her shoulder. ‘We have a new recruit called Gio Colombo. There is a Colombo over here.’

‘From 1876,’ Will thoughtfully said. ‘That could be a possible connection’

‘Maybe.’ Hazel sighed and looked at the branch that came after the aforementioned Colombo. ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to find Gio’s name, though. Not like this.’

Will blinked, before smacking his hand against his forehead. ‘We’re idiots, too,’ he mumbled. We all gave him a strange look. ‘What Hazel just said made me think: We should have just started looking for Nico himself, instead of the di Angelo lineage. There might be lots of people with the name Di Angelo. After we found him, we can search for family members.’ 

I blushed a little. ‘Eh, yeah, that sounds like common sense.’

Will sighed. ‘We’ll do that from here on out. Unless! Wait, before we make another mistake, Hazel, are there any maps for these books? As in, is there any way to see in which books which names are?’

‘Eh… yeah, I think so. Let me go take a look, I am sure...’ 

‘Of course we do.’ A girl with a hoarse voice  walked around the corner, with a map in her hands. She laid it out on the floor. ‘Look. Over here, you can see the family name, which are sorted alphabetically, and the books the names are in. Then, you can look it up again, and…’ There followed a whole lot of other instructions, which I kindly ignored. 

When the genealogist walked away, I looked at my friends. ‘Did any of you understand any of that?’

‘There is something, somewhere, and it’ll help us,’ Pollux stated. 

‘Yeah, not. We’ll just have to keep looking until we find… well, me,’ I answered. 

The rest mumbled something, before we all turned back to our books and maps.

After quite a lot of searching, Pollux tapped my shoulder. ‘I found... a di Angelo, from the nineteen-thirties.’ 

I crawled over to him. ‘Where?’

‘Here. Francesca di Angelo,’ Pollux muttered. He had a funny look on his face. 

‘Where did she live?’ I asked.

‘According to this, eh… Rizziconi? Is that how you pronounce it?’

‘Could be. Rizziconi is not Venice, far from it, but Francesca is probably a woman, so…’

‘So what?’

‘It means she probably went to live with her husband. Which means we might be related.’ Will, who was hanging above the book as well now, tapped the picture of the man next to her. ‘Then again, if she has a husband, she probably took his last name…’

‘Not according to this book? Her husband's name is not di Angelo,’ Pollux answered. ‘Oh, I see it now, her married name is right under her maiden name. Her married name is not di Angelo.’ He sighed. ‘Anyway, then we should go up, because her parents must be the di Angelo branch. The name probably comes from her father. He had a bunch of kids, anyway, eh, your mother might be around there somewhere, I think…’ 

‘I see no Maria,’ Will breathed into my ear. 

‘No,’ Pollux stroked a strand of hair out of his face. ‘Then we go up a ledge, maybe it is a different di angelo branch. Then we are looking for a man with a daughter named Maria, because at this point she can only have gotten that name from the male line if it is the correct line…’ Pollux almost tore the paper out. My head began to spin. 

‘How do you keep track of this?’ Will asked.

Pollux shook his head. ‘I don’t know. Anyway, I… still see no Maria di Angelo, I think, at which point we should go even further up… and that runs off the map, which means I have to flip a page.’ He sighed.

Will looked over his shoulder. ‘Hazel, did you find anything useful? We might find something here after another hour or so, but…’

Hazel pushed her book closer to ours. ‘I have been looking at Hades’ family line. The map doesn’t show every family member of his children, but I think that if we combine our maps, we can find something.’ She put her book under that of Pollux. 

I looked over her shoulder. I saw my dad and, miracle miracle, my own name, next to Bianca’s and slightly further away from Hazels’. It mentioned my mothers’ name, the names of my grandparents and those of my great-grandparents. ‘Pollux, do you have a… Nicola di Angelo somewhere?’ I inquired. ‘Never knew I was named after my grandfather, but alas, it made sense. Or otherwise a Marco di Angelo? He was my… great grandfather. It doesn’t run further.’ I took a deep breath and put my hand against my forehead. ‘He… I mean Marco… was married to someone named Maria Veronese...’

‘I have a Maria Veronese!’ Pollux exclaimed, while excitedly pointing into his genealogy book. ‘I got a Maria Veronese and praise the gods, she is married to a Marco di Angelo. They have a son, Nicola di Angelo, Who has a daughter, Maria di Angelo, who…’ He took a deep breath. ‘Has a son named Nico di Angelo.’ He pointed into the book, before laying down with an arm over his eyes. His breathing went very quickly for some time, until it slowed down again. ‘Oh, man.’ 

Wil kneeled down next to him. ‘Are you okay?’

He opened his eyes. ‘I am.’ He shrugged, even though he was still on the floor. ‘Information overrun. Dangers of the job.’

‘If you want to see ‘child of Dionysus’ as a job,’ I said, while staring into the book. 

It was told me who of my family members had died. It was strange to see a ‘deceased’ next to Hazel and it hurt to see it next to my mother and sister. For a moment, I doubted whether I was doing the right thing by going to Italy, but I shook that thought off. I could worry about that later. Pollux didn’t almost drive himself insane for me to walk away now. 

‘So. Unsurprisingly, all of my grandparents and their siblings have passed away. My mother had two sisters and a brother. Her brother didn’t have any children... but her sister did. That, sadly, means she changed her last name and then moved to… Toulouse.’ I raised my eyebrows. Sure, France, why not. ‘Okay, but I can’t do anything with that,’ I muttered, a little sad. ‘Alright, then her second sister, she had a daughter and two sons… blah-blah-blah… and...’ I took a deep breath, ‘to make a long story short, her three youngest descendents live in Foggia.’ It felt like a relief. Finally. A place of reference. 

Will produced a notebook from his pocket, with a pencil. ‘I am writing that down. What are their names? Of the last decendants, I mean?’ 

‘Sofia, Elena and Lucia. Their parents are still alive too, eh, Gabriella and Collin. That doesn’t sound all that Italian to me… anyway, them.’ 

‘Cool.’ I looked up at Will, who wrote it all down, before looking back at me. ‘Do you think that's' enough?’

‘What do you think? Actually, Will, how do you feel about me going to Italy?’

‘I am already worried and you haven’t even left yet. However, it’s Italy. I think Dionysus, Hades and Persephone, or, I don’t know, Apollo for that sake, will be there to save you whenever you are almost getting yourself killed, or something.’ He tugged on his shirt. ‘You’ll be fine. It’s Italy, the gods are with you.’ 

I nodded. ‘Thanks,’ I whispered. 

He gave me a tender smile. ‘I hope you’ll get something from it.’ 

‘I hope so too,’ I heard Pollux say in a defeated voice. ‘Otherwise this whole exercise was for nothing and my head hurts.’ 

‘Are you seriously hangover from a book?’

‘Shut up, Nico.’  

Hazel got up and stretched her limbs. ‘Shall we go get something to drink? I’m parched.’ 

‘I feel like getting lunch,’ Will answered.

‘I find these ideas top-notch, if I can be candid,’ Pollux said from the floor. Slowly, he got up. ‘Although I also got a life supply of grape-flavoured Gatorade with me.’

‘That’s called purple,’ Will corrected him. 

‘Grape-flavoured.’

I sighed and stood up as well. ‘Let’s get something to eat. I got my information.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Now I just have to seek out contact with one of them, and then maybe...’ I could actually go. To Italy. Now that it was basically within reach, it felt like the scariest thing ever. 

A/N: More Nico/Dionysus kid interaction! I wanted to add Dakota but then the truth hit me. Honestly that still hurts me to no end, I loved my kool-aid boy.

Does Pollux have a canon last name, actually? I don’t think so. I don’t even think we are ever told about heir second parent is. In the fandom, it ranges  from some mortal woman to some guy to Ariadne herself, I believe. 

[roombachicken]

Why Renly didn't know about the incest.

A popular theory is that Renly Baratheon knew about the incest all along. It's so popular it's treated as fact.

But I maintain that he didn't know, and I think the text supports my assertion.

Here I've listed the common arguments for why he knew, and my rebuttal to them.

It's impossible for Robert to set Cersei aside without the incest

Then why do all these people think he can?

He's still in love with the sister, the insipid little dead sixteen-year-old. How long till he decides to put me aside for some new Lyanna?

( A Game of Thrones, Bran II)

"He was a wretched king . . . vain, drunken, lecherous . . . he would have set your sister aside, his own queen . . . please . . . Renly was plotting to bring the Highgarden maid to court, to entice his brother . . . it is the gods' own truth . . ."

"And what was Lord Arryn plotting?"

"He knew," Pycelle said. "About . . . about . . ."

"I know what he knew about," snapped Tyrion, who was not anxious for Shagga and Timett to know as well.

(A Clash of Kings, Tyrion VI)

Both Pycelle and Cersei think that Robert could set Cersei aside if he wanted to. You can argue that Cersei is paranoid and not well versed in politics, but Pycelle? Pycelle is a maester who would have an in depth knowledge of Westeros history.

Pycelle says Renly was plotting to bring Margaery to court so that Cersei would be set aside, and that Jon Arryn knew about the incest, but he doesn't seem to think Renly knew. Tyrion, a very well read person, does not express surprise or disbelief at Renly's scheme, but takes it in stride.

And there's that word: "put aside". If Renly was planning to use the incest, Cersei would be executed, not put aside.

The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger … the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark's the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he'll have the truth. 

(A Game of Thrones, Arya III)

Varys also doesn't seem to think Renly knew. He's afraid of Ned revealing the truth but doesn't imply that Renly was planning to reveal the incest in his scheme. Why?

“I had never suspected you were so clever, Stannis. Were it only true, you would indeed be Robert’s heir.”

“Were it true? Do you name me a liar?”

“Can you prove any word of this fable?”

Stannis ground his teeth.

“We both know your wedding was a mummer’s farce. A year ago you were scheming to make the girl one of Robert’s whores.”

“A year ago I was scheming to make the girl Robert’s queen,” Renly said.

(A Clash of Kings, Catelyn III)

At the parley between Renly and Stannis, Renly denies knowledge of the incest while freely admitting he was planning on making Margaery queen. If the incest was necessary to make Margaery queen, why doesn't Stannis accuse him of knowing about it and using it in his scheme? If the Margaery plan was so impossible, why does Catelyn not think about that when Renly tells the everyone present at the parley about it?

Also, are we supposed to believe that Renly was so careless with his Margaery scheme half the court knew about it, but not a whiff about him supposedly knowing about the incest?

He had to know, otherwise the Tyrells wouldn't agree

I have a counter to that as well:

1) It's not known if the Tyrells did agree. We only hear of Renly and Loras urging Mace to bring Margaery to court, but we don't know if he was going to or if the letter had even been sent (Varys might have prevented it).

2) Margaery being queen would still be a huge coup.

Plans had been under way for some time for the two of them to make another progress the following year, returning to the westerlands for the first time in twenty years. Shortly after their falling out, the queen informed Jaehaerys that he should go alone. She was going back to Dragonstone, alone, to grieve for their dead daughters.

...By that time, the queen’s absence had been noticed, and His Grace would oft find himself seated next to some lissome maid or handsome widow at feasts, or riding beside them when hawking or hunting, but he took no notice of any of them. At Bandallon, when Lord Blackbar’s youngest daughter was so bold as to seat herself in his lap and attempt to feed him a grape, he brushed her hand aside and said, “Forgive me, but I have a queen, and no taste for paramours.”

(Fire and Blood, Jaeherys and Alysanne: The Long Reign)

We know that even being the king's mistress is very desirable based on how many girls were trying to seduce Jaeherys at his first progress without Alysanne.

Aegon IV also had many paramours. With their influence on the king they were able to get their family wealth and power. Robert could hand out council positions, lands, castles and favours to the Tyrells.

Robert still also has many years to live, so the Tyrells could also exert their influence on Joffrey and his siblings, to make sure by the time Joffrey ascends the throne all the gains aren't reversed.

There's no precedent!

That isn't quite true either.

"Wars are bad for trade," said Lord Dorian Hightower, when he set aside his wife of twenty years, the mother of his children, to take an Andal princess as his bride.

(The World of Ice and Fire - The Reach: Oldtown)

Garth the Great extended the borders of his realm northward, winning Old Oak, Red Lake, and Goldengrove with pacts of friendship and mutual defense. Garland accomplished the same in the south, bringing Oldtown into his kingdom by wedding his daughter to Lymond (the Sea Lion) of House Hightower, whilst putting his own wives aside to marry Lord Lymond's daughter. 

(The World of Ice and Fire - The Reach: The Gardener King)

Beldon tells us that in 239 AC, Ellyn Reyne was accused of bedding Tytos Lannister, urging him to set aside his wife and marry her instead.

(The World of Ice and Fire - The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons)

Daemon found the Vale of Arryn boring (“In the Vale, the men fuck sheep,” he wrote. “You cannot fault them. Their sheep are prettier than their women.”), and soon developed a mislike of his lady wife, whom he called my bronze bitch, after the runic bronze armor worn by the lords of House Royce. Upon the accession of his brother to the Iron Throne, the prince petitioned to have his marriage set aside. Viserys denied the request but did allow Daemon to return to court".

(Fire and Blood: Heirs of the Dragon)

A fortnight later, Alyn Velaryon and Baela Targaryen were married in the sept on Dragonstone. The bride was sixteen, the groom nearly seventeen.

Several of the regents, outraged, urged Ser Tyland to appeal to the High Septon for an annulment, but the Hand’s own response was one of bemused resignation.

(Fire and Blood: The Hooded Hand)

The marriage took place without the leave, knowledge, or presence of King Aenys. When it became known, the two half-brothers quarreled bitterly. Nor was His Grace alone in his wroth. Manfred Hightower, father of Lady Ceryse, made protest to the king, demanding that Lady Alys be put aside.

Vexed and angry, King Aenys gave his brother a choice: put Alys Harroway aside and return to Lady Ceryse, or suffer five years of exile.

(Fire and Blood: The Sons of the Dragon)

Assuming the throne in 209 AC, Daeron’s second son, Aerys, had never imagined he would be king, and was singularly ill suited to sit the Iron Throne. Aerys was learned, in his way, though his interests were largely to do with dusty tomes concerned with ancient prophecy and the higher mysteries. Wed to Aelinor Penrose, he never showed an interest in getting her with child, and rumor had it that he had even failed to consummate the marriage. His small council, at their wits’ ends, hoped it was simply some dislike of her that moved him, and thus they urged him to put her aside to take another wife. But he would not hear of it.

(The World of Ice and Fire - The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I)

As can be seen, there have been marriages which have been put aside or which have been petitioned to be put aside, which tells us it's possible. It's also worth keeping in mind that no one hearing of Renly's scheme questions it.

We also know Renly doesn't care about precedents:

"Tell me, what right did my brother Robert ever have to the Iron Throne?" He did not wait for an answer. "Oh, there was talk of the blood ties between Baratheon and Targaryen, of weddings a hundred years past, of second sons and elder daughters. No one but the maesters care about any of it. Robert won the throne with his warhammer." 

(A Clash of Kings, Catelyn II)

It's very in-character for him to concoct a scheme without keeping in mind legalities.

Everyone else in the Small Council knew

Barristan didn't know.

Littlefinger has a spy network.

Varys also has a spy network.

Stannis only found out after 12 years of being in the capital, and it's also hinted that someone told him.

"He accuses my brother and sister of incest. I wonder how he came by that suspicion."

"Perhaps he read a book and looked at the color of a bastard's hair, as Ned Stark did, and Jon Arryn before him. Or perhaps someone whispered it in his ear." The eunuch's laugh was not his usual giggle, but deeper and more throaty.

"If you were not this whisperer, who was?"

"Some traitor, doubtless."

Varys tightened the cinch.

"Littlefinger?"

"I named no name."

(A Clash of Kings, Tyrion III)

Then Stannis went to Jon Arryn:

“Lord Stannis,” [Catelyn] asked, “if you knew the queen to be guilty of such monstrous crimes, why did you keep silent?”

“I did not keep silent,” Stannis declared. “I brought my suspicions to Jon Arryn.”

(A Clash of Kings, Catelyn III)

They investigated, Jon Arryn looking up genealogies in the book and he and Stannis looking up Robert's bastards.

However no one even hints at Renly knowing about the incest. Neither does anyone mention Renly investigating things in the capital.

Keep in mind that Renly was only around 20 in A Game of Thrones. It's safe to assume he became Master of Laws only when he was 16, so that's only around 4 years in King's Landing.

Why was Renly so scared of Cersei when Robert's dying? It makes no sense unless he knew about the incest!

That's patently untrue.

Consider what kind of person Cersei is. Cruel, and very overprotective of her children's rights.

She wanted Arya to lose a hand for striking Joffrey:

Ned Stark's daughter had run off after her wolf savaged Joff, you'll recall. My sister wanted the girl to lose a hand. The old penalty, for striking one of the blood royal. Robert told her she was cruel and mad. They fought for half the night . . . well, Cersei fought, and Robert drank. 

(A Feast for Crows, Jaime IV)

Let's think about another protective mother, Catelyn:

Catelyn said nothing. Let Ned work it out in his own mind; her voice would not be welcome now. Yet gladly would she have kissed the maester just then. His was the perfect solution. Benjen Stark was a Sworn Brother. Jon would be a son to him, the child he would never have. And in time the boy would take the oath as well. He would father no sons who might someday contest with Catelyn’s own grandchildren for Winterfell.

(A Game of Thrones, Catelyn I)

That morning he called it first. "I'm Lord of Winterfell!" he cried, as he had a hundred times before. Only this time, this time, Robb had answered, "You can't be Lord of Winterfell, you're bastard-born. My lady mother says you can't ever be the Lord of Winterfell."

(A Storm of Swords, Jon XII)

Catelyn wanted Jon gone because he or his children could threaten her children's claim to Winterfell. The same would hold true for Renly, being the uncle of Cersei's children, he could challenge their claim on the Iron Throne. He could even be made Regent to the children, which would ensure a bitter power struggle between him and Cersei. There's no need for Renly to know of the incest to fear Cersei.

The Lannisters are regarded to be treacherous:

"Not our men," Ned said patiently. "Lannister men. The lion of Lannister flew over the ramparts, not the crowned stag. And they had taken the city by treachery."

(A Game of Thrones, Eddard II)

He swore to trade her for his brother," she said numbly. "Sansa and Arya both. We would have them back if we returned his precious Jaime, he swore it before the whole court. How could he marry her, after saying that in sight of gods and men?"

"He's the Kingslayer's brother. Oathbreaking runs in their blood." Robb's fingers brushed the pommel of his sword.

(A Storm of Swords- Catelyn IV)

So more than enough reason for Renly to fear Cersei even without the incest.

In my opinion, Renly's suggestion to Ned supports the argument that Renly didn't know.

Lord Renly took a step back, taut as a bowstring. "Every moment you delay gives Cersei another moment to prepare. By the time Robert dies, it may be too late … for both of us.

(A Game of Thrones, Eddard X)

When Robert is dying, Renly asks Ned to sieze the Regency and take Cersei's children in hand. He is genuinely scared of Cersei siezing power.

So why then didn't he tell Ned about the incest?

Cersei would be executed, and her children as well. One can say: Because Ned wouldn't believe him. But in that very instance he was planning on storming the Red Keep and potentially dying. If he thought that risk was worth it, why not this one? One can say: Because Stannis would be king. But again, storming the Red Keep is much more dangerous than assassinating Stannis once he comes to the capital.

Alternatively, he could have told Robert on his deathbed, like Ned planned to do but which he could not make himself do.

So that's my argument for why Renly didn't know about the incest. Since it's so widely accepted as fact that he did know, I had to put it out there.

[metanoiyed-archive]

Ariadne - Goddess of the Labryinth, Fertilty, Childbirth, and Marriage.

Who is Ariadne the mythological princess?

Let’s review:

Ariadne’s myth is from Minoan Crete, where she is known for helping Athenian Theseus defeat the Minotaur and escape the Labryinth. Theseus abandons her on the shores of Naxos — why, we can’t be sure, but it’s likely because by helping Theseus she betrayed her home, and to do so was seen as terrible.

From here, the myth splits. Some versions say Dionysus married her from the shores of Naxos and they traveled teaching the art of wine making. In some versions of the myth, Ariadne is immortal - either made that way by Dionysus, or simply is - and they continue to travel still. In other versions, she dies of old age and Dionysus, when he goes to retrieve his mother from the Underworld, retrieves Ariadne as well and raises her to immortality. There is a version of the myth where Ariadne was dropped ashore Cyprus by Theseus because she was heavily pregnant but he was washed out to sea, and she dies of childbirth and had a shrine dedicated to her.

Who is Ariadne the Goddess?

Let’s review:

Ariadne is likely a Cretian Goddess from Minoan Crete. There’s theories of the Ariadne in the story being her avatar, her high priestess, or a non-deified version of her. Cults of Ariadne spread from Crete to Cyprus (where as I mention below, it’s traditional for her to be venerated next to Aphrodite) to Argos, to Naxos and other Greek Islands. Her name also means “most holy,”

Attributes and Symbols of Ariadne

Ariadne was often venerated with these symbols. Additionally, she was traditionally venerated with Aphrodite on Cyprus.

- vegetation

- mazes

- paths

- fertility

- wine

- snakes

- passion

- bulls

- lions

- thread

- cranes

- ivy

Devotional Acts/Worship/Offerings

What do you offer Ariadne? Historically, young men used to offer her a ritual where they would imitate the labors of childbirth. I’ve got a few different options for you if you’re not feeling that one. (Some of these are historical offerings, not UPG, please keep that in mind, I wouldn’t write “ecstasy like trances” otherwise, also, please be safe when offering things to Gods, because the ancients really were whack.)

- Ritual dancing

- Ecstasy-like trances

- Honey

- Milk

- Mead

- Wine

- Grapes

- Fruit

- Bread

- Saytyr imagery

Yeah, yeah, people used to pray to Ariadne for childbirth and love and all that. What can you pray to Ariadne for now?

Well, you can still pray to Ariadne for assistance with love, childbirth and such — she is the wife of Dionysus, after all, and He loved Her enough to make Her His wife! But, what else does Ariadne do for us? Who did she lead out of hardship?

Theseus.

Out of the labyrinth, she lead him with the thread, she provided his sword. To Ariadne, you can pray for help with hardships. For guidance out of a “maze”. If you feel as if you’re lost, she can help you.

A Prayer to Ariadne to Find Ones Way Out Of Difficulty

Fun Fact: Though it’s probably not right, some mythology equates her with the Roman Prosperpina (or, apparently, because I guess classics can’t get their opinion straight) but most (by most I mean literally all except like one place) equate her with Libera. But the one or two Proseperina equivalents kind of solidified my private UPG theory that with her maiden-like and gentle presence, her and Persephone would get along often.

Also, her Roman name translates to Arianna or Ariadna, though Hyginus is the one who identified Prosperpina as Ariadne’s opposite. (Though we know now that the equivalency of the Greek and Roman pantheons are false.)

Sources:

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – By: Judika Illes

Theoi.com/Ariadne

Ariadne via the Greek Mythology Link, by the author of the Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology.

The Ariadne Project

Completely forgot to add that I did send an ask to @olymposhiraeth about Ariadne and meant to tag them as a source too, I checked out their post during my research. Thank you for your response, it helped decide what I was going to offer to Ariadne for answering my prayer!

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

4th July >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saturday, Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time 

    or 

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Amos 9:11-15

I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel; I will plant them upon their own ground.

Thus says the Lord:

On that day I will raise up

the fallen hut of David;

I will wall up its breaches,

raise up its ruins,

and rebuild it as in the days of old,

That they may conquer what is left of Edom

and all the nations that shall bear my name,

say I, the Lord, who will do this.

Yes, days are coming,

says the Lord,

When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,

and the vintager, him who sows the seed;

The juice of grapes shall drip down the mountains,

and all the hills shall run with it.

I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel;

they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities,

Plant vineyards and drink the wine,

set out gardens and eat the fruits.

I will plant them upon their own ground;

never again shall they be plucked

From the land I have given them,

say I, the Lord, your God.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14

R/ The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the Lord–for he proclaims peace to his people.

Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,

glory dwelling in our land.

R/ The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

R/ The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

The Lord himself will give his benefits;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and salvation, along the way of his steps.

R/ The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Gospel Acclamation

John 10:27

Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 9:14-17

Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

———————————-

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

I will put enmity between your offspring and the offspring of the woman.

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me– she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The Lord God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned

from all the animals

and from all the wild creatures;

On your belly shall you crawl,

and dirt shall you eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

He will strike at your head,

while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the Lord,

my horn is exalted in my God.

I have swallowed up my enemies;

I rejoice in my victory.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,

while the tottering gird on strength.

The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,

while the hungry batten on spoil.

The barren wife bears seven sons,

while the mother of many languishes.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The Lord puts to death and gives life;

he casts down to the nether world;

he raises up again.

The Lord makes poor and makes rich,

he humbles, he also exalts.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust;

from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,

To seat them with nobles

and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

cf. Luke 1:45

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

cf. Luke 2:19

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God

and pondered it in her heart.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Luke 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are those who hear the word of God

and observe it.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;

from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary;

without dying you won the martyr’s crown

beneath the Cross of the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Either:

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 1:18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 12:46-50

Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, here are my mother and my brothers.

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 1:26-38

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 1:39-47

Blessed is she who believed.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:1-14

She gave birth to her firstborn son.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:15b-19

Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:27-35

You yourself a sword will pierce.

Simeon came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled;

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:41-52

Your father and I have been looking for you.

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that carried you.

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

John 2:1-11

The mother of Jesus was there.

There was a wedding in Cana at Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from although the servers who had drawn the water knew, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

John 19:25-27

Behold, your son. Behold, your mother.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[bigthighsandstupidguys]

This or That: Zodiac Edition

Tagged by @satans-helper, thanks! 

Tagging: @gretavanfic @safarimama @lazingonsunday @okietrish and anyone else who’d like to do it!

Doing my sun, moon, and rising sign like satans-helper did

Aries Rising: White or Red. Ruby or Diamond. Honeysuckle or Tiger lily. Cinnamon or Cayenne Pepper. Scuba diving or Skydiving. Puma or Adidas. Sports cars or High-end tech. Pomegranate or Grapefruit. Dragon or Hellhounds. Spicy chocolate or Ginger candies. New beginnings or overcoming a challenge. Knight or Warrior. Winning something or Being the first to try something. Syrah or Some scotch. Fire powers or Enchanted weapons. Trumpet or Drums. Aquarius or Gemini.

Taurus: Green or Pink. Malachite or Emerald. Roses or violets. Thyme or Basil. Vanilla or Chocolate. Candles or Bath bombs. Painting or Jewelry making. Seduction powers or Enchanted jewelry, treasure, or gemstones. Foxglove or Larkspur. Choker or Medallion necklaces. Apples or Grapes. Singing or Humming. Elephants or Turtles. Gardening or Shopping. Having a homebody day or Taking a walk in nature. Pinot Noir or Bourbon. Precognition or Manipulating life force. Violin or Lute. Pisces or Cancer.

Gemini: Yellow or Light blue. Tourmaline or Agate. Lavender or Lily-of-the-valley. Parsley or Fennel.  Licorice or Lemon. Chess or Puzzle games. Black or White Tea. Twitter or Snapchat. Butterflies or Small Birds. Riesling or Jagermeister. Flute or Clarinet. Magic words or Enchanted Books. Walnuts or Hazelnuts. Blogging or private journaling. Having a pen pal or Joining a club. Trickster-like powers/short-term illusions or Ability to manipulate electricity/technology. Aries or Leo.

Cancer: Silver or Iridescent. Moonstone or Pearl. Waterlily or Lotus Flower.  Chamomile or Bay Leaves. Relaxing at home during a rainy day or snowy day. Hand Mirror or Jewelry Box. Aloe or Sea Salt. White Roses or Jasmine. Frogs or Crabs. Water manipulation or Classic witchcraft. Sailing or Swimming. Twilight or Midnight. Photography or Painting. Scrap-booking or Collecting. Merlot or Rum. Guitar or Banjo. Healing magic or Blood manipulation. Magic mirrors or Magic candles. Taurus or Virgo.

Leo: Gold or Orange. Cat’s Eye or Ruby. Sunflower or Marigold. Aniseed or Elderflower. Oranges or Peaches. Dance or Theater. Cosplay or Creating Fan Fiction. Sunbathing or Hot Stone Massage. Light Magic or Magical statues/monuments. Saxophone or Trumpet. Chardonnay or Gin. Super Strength or a Power like Occlumency. Lions or Tigers. Being a Queen/King or Having immortality. Being the hero or Being the headliner. Tickle or Pillow Fight. Libra or Gemini.

Virgo: Navy Blue or Olive Green. Peridot or Sardonyx. Peony or Sweet pea.  Hops or Rosemary. Chess or Checkers. Carrot Cake or Fig Bars/Cakes/Cookies. Knitting or Crocheting. Grammar Checking/Quality Assurance or Critiquing a piece of work. Golf or Tennis. Buttercups or Morning glory. Herb magic or Earth and plant bending. Mice or Bees. Cabernet Franc or Micro-brews. Enchanted Garden or Magic that can perfect skills. Bunnies or Deer. Cancer or Scorpio.

Libra: Pale Blue or Pastel Pink. Sapphire or Jade. Cabbage Rose or Primrose. Mint or Marjoram. Interior Design or Fashion. Light Kisses or Hand Holding. Yellow Roses or Daisies. Swans or Lovebirds. Strawberries or Cherries. Harp or Violin. Badminton or Volleyball. Air Manipulation/Bending or Finding a (friendly) genie. Scales or Feathers. Doves or Songbirds. Enhanced vision or Love potions and curses. Pinot Gris or Complex cocktail. Singing or Whistling. Force field powers or Magic lanterns and charms. Sagittarius or Leo.

Scorpio Moon: Maroon or Black. Opal or Topaz. Dahlia or Chrysanthemum. Horseradish or Peppercorns. Para-sailing or Deep diving. Photography or Poetry. Garlic or Onion. Hot Spring or Sauna. Necromancy or Poison Specialists. Lizard or Snake. Living on a desert island or Cabin in the woods.  Bass or Guitar. Cabernet Sauvignon or Brandy. Darkness Manipulation or Emotion Manipulation (magic). Eagle or Wolf. Paintball or Laser tag. Telepathy or Invisibility. Cactus or Joshua Tree. Virgo or Capricorn.

Sagittarius: Teal or Purple. Topaz or Turquoise. Dandelion or Daffodil.  Ginseng or Cilantro. Horse or Stag/Buck. Plane ride or Road Trip. Learn Hindi or Learn Japanese. Ginger or  Wasabi. Climbing or Snowboarding. Teleportation or Super speed. Carnival or Circus. Sake or Tequila. Duffel Bags or Suitcases. Time manipulation or Basic Precognition. Tambourine or Triangle. Backpacking or Whitewater rafting. Aquarius or Libra.

Capricorn: Grey or Brown. Jet or Garnet. Poppy or Pansy. Sage or Wintergreen.  Cello or Viola. Antique collecting or Genealogy. Pottery or Jewelry Making. Bears or Bats. The smell of Cedar or Pine. Woodworking or Metalworking. Hellebore or Hollyhock. Enhanced senses or Magical Runes. Kissing in the rain or Cuddling by a Fireplace. Michael Kors or Kate Spade. Shape-shifting or Biological manipulation. People watching or Exploring an abandoned building. Scorpio or Pisces.

Aquarius: Neon Colors or Rainbow. Magnet stones or Boji stones. Orchid or Golden-rain. Star fruit or Coconut. Long board or Skateboard.Yoga or Tai Chi. Peacock or Owl. Aliens or Phantoms. Star Magic or Astral projection abilities.  Frankincense or Myrrh. Drums or Didjeridu. Desktop or Laptop. Time Travel or  Gravity manipulation. Protest or Volunteer. Sauvignon Blanc or Absinthe. Aries or Sagittarius.

Pisces Sun: Aquamarine or Amethyst. Sea Green or Ocean Blue. Tulips or Carnations. Turmeric or Willow Herb. Surfing or Water Skiing. Ocean or River. Poetry or Painting. Dolphins or Whales. Pineapple or Watermelon. Telekinesis or Reality Warping/Illusion powers. Zinfandel or Spiked punches/lemonades. Starfish or Seashells. Healing Crystals or Dreamcatchers. Psychic powers or Water Bending/manipulation. Coneflower or Iris. Lighthouse or Watermill.  Baby’s breath or Waterlily. Taurus or Capricorn.

[carmenlire]

7,11,15,17 and 21 for the identity asks

7. do you care about your ethnicity?

not as much as other people seem to lol!! I’m very interested in my family history and genealogical research but it’s all so muddled that I care much less now than I did when I was younger– and I won’t say that a lot of that isn’t because it’s so annoying having strangers come up and ask you “so, like,,, what are you…..”

11. describe your ideal day.

going to the gym/walk early in the morning and spending the day exploring a foreign city– solo or with someone I care deeply about! Try new things, laugh myself silly, and end the day at home with said person relaxing and talking. Pretty basic lol!

15. five most influential books over your lifetime.

damn….. damn. Okay. 1) Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie because that’s what got me into romance 2) City of Bones because I absolutely fell in love with that world and it led me to this fandom 10 years later 3) Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief because I still remember a friend making me read that first page and just being overwhelmed immediately by such a strong voice 4) Grapes of Wrath because that was the first proper classic I read and I was a freshman in college– it challenged me and showed me how shitty my high school education had been and I was very proud when I read it and could contribute intelligently to class discussion/did well on those papers and 5) Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay because it was one of the only non-romance books I ever read for fun and it really made think critically about myself and the world around me.

17. would you say your tumblr is a fair representation of the “real you”?

yup! I’m a dumbass lesbian who laughs at bad jokes and has a fondness for dramatic quotes! I post literally everything i like on my tumblr lmao.

21. do you love easily?

nope! I’m probably pretty vocal in proclaiming that I’m dead inside and I never have feelings for anyone. It takes a lot for me to consider someone Meaningful to my life and I’ve despaired for quite some time about wanting to fall in love but just never finding anyone suitable.

identity asks!

[wineanddinosaur]

Wine 101: Muscat/Moscato

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Barefoot Wines. At Barefoot Wines, we believe life is more fun when we’re together. That’s why Barefoot has something for everyone, with a diverse collection of delicious, refreshing wines that are sure to have you reaching for another sip. Looking for a smooth, silky Pinot Noir? How about a bright, juicy Riesling? Need some bubbles for your brunch? Whatever your taste, Barefoot Wine has you covered. Head over to barefootwine.com and use our flavor profile tool to find your perfect match. Barefoot Wine: Get Barefoot, and have a great time.

Click here to purchase wine brands discussed on Wine101! Get 15% OFF when you purchase $75 or more. Shipping restrictions vary by state.

In this episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers discusses the origins of Moscato. Beavers explains that Moscato comes from a family of grapes called Muscat, and explains the differences between the two distinct categories of Muscat: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria.

Beaver explains that Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is one of the oldest — if not the oldest — grape varieties in the world. This particular grape produces a strong aroma, whereas Muscat of Alexandria is known mostly for its sweetness. Listen or read on to learn more about the past and present of this often misunderstood grape.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers, and I mowed the lawn for the first time in 30 years. I’m not good at it. I need help. What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 18 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast, Season 2. My name is Keith Beavers, and I’m the tastings director of VinePair. And you are very cool. OK, this is a big one. It’s a little bit crazy. Everyone’s confused about it all the time. I was confused about it for a long time. Moscato, Moscatel, and Muscat. What is this stuff? We got to talk about it.

Sometimes, I think about what it was like for me when I was coming up in wine. I was obsessed with it, and I felt like I had to know everything about it. There were times when I saw a subject matter, a grape variety, or a family of grapes, and it overwhelmed me so much that I would just ignore it. I would ignore it for a long time, but when I finally got around to it, I understood it. This is the reason why I even do this whole thing, “Wine 101,” and teaching about wine, because I know what it’s like to be confused about a thing in wine. This episode here is one of those subjects that confused me for a long time. I thought, what is going on? It’s insane and it’s a little confusing even right now as I’m talking about it to you. This subject is a grape or a family of grapes called Muscat.

The word Muscat is not the original name for this grape. This grape has been around forever. It’s believed that this is the oldest wine grape ever cultivated by humans. I know we talk about how old Pinot Noir is, but I never said that it was the oldest. I just said it’s very old. Muscat is probably the oldest variety cultivated. Since it was probably the oldest grape cultivated, that means that it has been hanging out in the Mediterranean for so long, traveling all over the Mediterranean and then across the world. It has mutated so many times and has had cross-pollination with other varieties. The Muscat grape family is huge. It is one of the largest grape families out there. Not only that, Muscat grapes are yellow, but they can also be pink or black, which in the wine industry or wine world, black is basically red wine grapes. And even crazier is that from vintage to vintage, it can slightly change in color. That’s how old all these things are. It’s just nuts.

The wines that are made from the Muscat grapes are often going to be sweet. Sometimes, they’re dry, but they’re often sweet. Sometimes they’re even bubbly, no matter what color they are. Almost every country that makes wine has some form of Muscat grape wine. Now, this is where things get really confusing. For our purposes, here in this episode, there are two distinct varieties of Muscat. Throughout the world, they either use one or the other or both. Depending on the country’s language, the history of the grape there, it has its own name. You could be drinking wine made from the Muscat grape but it’s a wine called Zibibbo. It’s a progeny of the Muscat grape, of one of these big two.

That’s where the confusion lies, is everyone has their own style but all comes from two distinct varieties. One is Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, and we’ll get to that in a second. The other one is Muscat of Alexandria. These are the two most known and used Muscat grapes. These are also the two that have spawned other varieties of Muscat around the world. Actually, the first one, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is a parent of Muscat of Alexandria, so it’s all connected. It’s thought that Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is superior to Muscat of Alexandria, in general. It really isn’t about the superior-inferior so much. It is about what the two varieties have to give. The Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is more aromatic, where you get the classic orange blossom, honeysuckle stuff. It’s also very expressive, whether it’s dry or if it’s fizzy, or if it’s sweet, it’s very expressive.

The Muscat of Alexandria is really interesting. Whenever I do tasting classes with people and I ask them to smell and tell me what they smell, I say, “Look, if it smells like grapes, let me know, because that’s a wine made from grapes so it’s OK to say that a wine smells like grapes.” Well, wines made from Muscat of Alexandria are grapey. They basically smell like grape juice. They can be sweet, slightly aromatic, a little bit savory sometimes, but they are grapey. Also, what’s annoying or cumbersome is, why does Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains have that long of a name? It makes sense because Muscat Blanc means white Muscat. Petits Grains mean small grain or small seeds. This particular variety of Muscat, probably the oldest variety of Muscat, has small seeds, and it’s also nice and round. Actually, sometimes, it is referred to as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Ronds, which means round.

Jedi wine master Jancis Robinson was part-editor, writer, and author of “The Oxford Wine Companion,” but she also was part-contributor on an amazing book called “Wine Grapes.” Very simple name, but a huge tome of wine parentage with the whole genealogy of every grape that they could find, and it was insane. In that book, there are at least 60 synonyms for this grape alone. Just to give you a sense: Muscat d’Alsace, Muskateller, Moscato Bianco, Moscato d’Asti, Muscat de Frontignan, Moscatel Blanco, White Muscat, Moscato d’Asti Canelli, Muscat Romain, and Sàrga Muskotàly. These are all names of wines made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

It’s believed that this is the grape that was established in the Greek settlement of Massalia, which is now the southern French city of Marseille. That city is very far in the east of the southern arch of the Mediterranean coast of France near Provence. If you keep going west, what’s really cool is you hit a town called Montpellier and after you hit Montpellier is a town called Frontignan. In that town is where they think that the Romans started planting this variety. If you keep going west from there, when you’re going towards the Pyrenees, you hit this beautiful, ancient town called Narbonne. It’s thought that this particular Muscat was already established in that area by the Gauls.

This thing has been around for a long time, and it wasn’t always called Muscat. The history of the word Muscat has a couple of theories. One is that these wines are so aromatic that the French use the word “musk” or “musque,” which for them is basically the aroma of musk. That aroma originated from a gland of a musk deer. They associated that musky smell with this wine. There’s a thought that Muscat comes from musk. The other theory — and this one’s really fun — the Muscat grape, when it’s on the vine because of the amount of sugar that it produces in the sweetness, it attracts bees a lot. It’s thought that there was a grape that was referenced by the ancient Greeks, and I cannot figure out how to pronounce this. Actually, when you put these two words into Google, it says, “We don’t know how to pronounce this.” I’m going to try and it is called Anathelicon Moschaton. I’m not sure what the first word means, but I know the second word is very similar to mosca, which means fly.

Then, you have Pliny the Elder, who was an ancient Roman agronomist and wrote a lot about wine. He called the wine Uva Apiana, and ape means bee in Italian. I just love those historical connections that bring things together. It’s so cool. And what’s even cooler is that Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains — which is very hard to say — but DNA profiling has had a hard time finding its origins. However, they believe that this all started in Greece, and what’s interesting about that is there is a wonderful wine in Greece. It’s called Moschofilero, and it tastes just like Moscato. Awesome stuff, guys. Awesome ancient stuff.

One more thing about this grape before I move on to the next one. You have experienced this particular Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is Moscato d’Asti. That wine is from the Asti region of Piedmont. We did an episode previously about Barolo and Barbaresco talking about how important those wines are in Piedmont, but here’s another mind bomb for you: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, which the Italians refer to as Moscato, is the first grape to be documented in the history of Piedmont. Not Nebbiolo, not Barbera, not Dolcetto. It is Moscato. Actually, through DNA profiling, it is suggested that out there that if you see a wine with Muscat in the name, there’s a really good chance that this Muscat was a parent of that Muscat.

Speaking of parents, the other Muscat I want to talk about is almost as ancient as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, and is actually progeny. Petits Grains, at some point, cross-pollinated with a grape called Axina de Tres Bias, which is really not around that much, and created the grape Muscat of Alexandria. I mean, how much easier is that to say, am I right?

This is the other very popular Muscat. It also has dozens and dozens of synonyms. It was spread around the Mediterranean, mainly by the Romans. That is why sometimes it’s called Muscat Romain. And where Petits Grande is known for its aromatics, the Muscat of Alexandria is just known for its sweetness. It’s known for its grapiness. It can literally smell like grape juice sometimes, like Capri Sun-style. This is the Muscat in Chile that is distilled into a brandy named pisco. There’s also a wine, and you’ll see it around, that’s called Zibibbo. It’s a wine from Sicily, and they believe it’s derived from the Arabic word for raisin because these grapes are really great for making raisins. There was a big occupation by the Carthaginians in Sicily who were Arabs, and they think that’s where that came from.

Also, speaking of raisins, California does make wine from Muscat of Alexandria, but California also produces raisins from this grape. Actually, to this day, this Muscat of Alexandria — and I don’t know if it’s popular — is a table grape in Britain. They grow it under glass like they did back in the day in New England. If you want to know about that craziness, check out my Zinfandel episode. If you’re drinking Moscatel from Spain, it’s Muscat of Alexandria. If you’re drinking Hanepoot from South Africa, it’s Muscat of Alexandria. In Australia, they have Gordo Blanco and Lexia, and that is also the Muscat of Alexandria. This wine is associated with sweetness. It can be very, very sweet. Zibibbo can be very sweet, but so can a lot of the other Muscats.

Now, one of the things I wanted to tell you guys about is that what’s really fun is drinking Moscato dry. There’s just something so special, because the first time I experienced it, I did not know what was going on. Because I was in the same boat as you guys. The Muscats that I knew were from Italy and then just random stuff that I would try in my life. I would actually pour Zibibbo by the glass at one point in my Italian restaurant, and a lot of it is sweet. When you have a dry Moscato — whether it’s from the Muscat of Alexandria, which you actually find some really good ones in California, or whether it’s from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains — the dry version of Moscato is so wild in that when you smell it, your nose is like, “I’m smelling Moscato.” You smell all the sweetness, you smell the orange blossoms, the honey, and the almond.

Yet, when you sip it, it’s not there so much. It’s a very subtle sweetness, and it’s crazy because it’s more like a scented wine. It’s a naturally scented wine because of how aromatic these varieties are, but because the yeast has had its way with the wine and fermented to dryness, the palates are almost like river rock minerality, with these suggestions of the aromas you have on your nose showing up on the palate. They’re so refreshing, enjoyable, and balanced. They’re cool. If you ever get a chance to try a dry Moscato, do it.

OK, so I hope I gave you guys a little bit of clarity there about this Moscato, Muscat stuff. It can be confusing, but if you start here, you’ll start getting a sense of it. And as you drink more wines from this family of grapes, you just know what you’re drinking. I think it’s important because I didn’t for a long time, and I hope you guys do.

@VinePairKeith is here is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast, wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there. And now for some totally awesome credits.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. And I mean, a big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

Ed note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Muscat/Moscato appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-moscato-podcast/

[johnboothus]

Wine 101: Muscat/Moscato

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Barefoot Wines. At Barefoot Wines, we believe life is more fun when we’re together. That’s why Barefoot has something for everyone, with a diverse collection of delicious, refreshing wines that are sure to have you reaching for another sip. Looking for a smooth, silky Pinot Noir? How about a bright, juicy Riesling? Need some bubbles for your brunch? Whatever your taste, Barefoot Wine has you covered. Head over to barefootwine.com and use our flavor profile tool to find your perfect match. Barefoot Wine: Get Barefoot, and have a great time.

Click here to purchase wine brands discussed on Wine101! Get 15% OFF when you purchase $75 or more. Shipping restrictions vary by state.

In this episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers discusses the origins of Moscato. Beavers explains that Moscato comes from a family of grapes called Muscat, and explains the differences between the two distinct categories of Muscat: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria.

Beaver explains that Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is one of the oldest — if not the oldest — grape varieties in the world. This particular grape produces a strong aroma, whereas Muscat of Alexandria is known mostly for its sweetness. Listen or read on to learn more about the past and present of this often misunderstood grape.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers, and I mowed the lawn for the first time in 30 years. I’m not good at it. I need help. What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 18 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast, Season 2. My name is Keith Beavers, and I’m the tastings director of VinePair. And you are very cool. OK, this is a big one. It’s a little bit crazy. Everyone’s confused about it all the time. I was confused about it for a long time. Moscato, Moscatel, and Muscat. What is this stuff? We got to talk about it.

Sometimes, I think about what it was like for me when I was coming up in wine. I was obsessed with it, and I felt like I had to know everything about it. There were times when I saw a subject matter, a grape variety, or a family of grapes, and it overwhelmed me so much that I would just ignore it. I would ignore it for a long time, but when I finally got around to it, I understood it. This is the reason why I even do this whole thing, “Wine 101,” and teaching about wine, because I know what it’s like to be confused about a thing in wine. This episode here is one of those subjects that confused me for a long time. I thought, what is going on? It’s insane and it’s a little confusing even right now as I’m talking about it to you. This subject is a grape or a family of grapes called Muscat.

The word Muscat is not the original name for this grape. This grape has been around forever. It’s believed that this is the oldest wine grape ever cultivated by humans. I know we talk about how old Pinot Noir is, but I never said that it was the oldest. I just said it’s very old. Muscat is probably the oldest variety cultivated. Since it was probably the oldest grape cultivated, that means that it has been hanging out in the Mediterranean for so long, traveling all over the Mediterranean and then across the world. It has mutated so many times and has had cross-pollination with other varieties. The Muscat grape family is huge. It is one of the largest grape families out there. Not only that, Muscat grapes are yellow, but they can also be pink or black, which in the wine industry or wine world, black is basically red wine grapes. And even crazier is that from vintage to vintage, it can slightly change in color. That’s how old all these things are. It’s just nuts.

The wines that are made from the Muscat grapes are often going to be sweet. Sometimes, they’re dry, but they’re often sweet. Sometimes they’re even bubbly, no matter what color they are. Almost every country that makes wine has some form of Muscat grape wine. Now, this is where things get really confusing. For our purposes, here in this episode, there are two distinct varieties of Muscat. Throughout the world, they either use one or the other or both. Depending on the country’s language, the history of the grape there, it has its own name. You could be drinking wine made from the Muscat grape but it’s a wine called Zibibbo. It’s a progeny of the Muscat grape, of one of these big two.

That’s where the confusion lies, is everyone has their own style but all comes from two distinct varieties. One is Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, and we’ll get to that in a second. The other one is Muscat of Alexandria. These are the two most known and used Muscat grapes. These are also the two that have spawned other varieties of Muscat around the world. Actually, the first one, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is a parent of Muscat of Alexandria, so it’s all connected. It’s thought that Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is superior to Muscat of Alexandria, in general. It really isn’t about the superior-inferior so much. It is about what the two varieties have to give. The Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is more aromatic, where you get the classic orange blossom, honeysuckle stuff. It’s also very expressive, whether it’s dry or if it’s fizzy, or if it’s sweet, it’s very expressive.

The Muscat of Alexandria is really interesting. Whenever I do tasting classes with people and I ask them to smell and tell me what they smell, I say, “Look, if it smells like grapes, let me know, because that’s a wine made from grapes so it’s OK to say that a wine smells like grapes.” Well, wines made from Muscat of Alexandria are grapey. They basically smell like grape juice. They can be sweet, slightly aromatic, a little bit savory sometimes, but they are grapey. Also, what’s annoying or cumbersome is, why does Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains have that long of a name? It makes sense because Muscat Blanc means white Muscat. Petits Grains mean small grain or small seeds. This particular variety of Muscat, probably the oldest variety of Muscat, has small seeds, and it’s also nice and round. Actually, sometimes, it is referred to as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Ronds, which means round.

Jedi wine master Jancis Robinson was part-editor, writer, and author of “The Oxford Wine Companion,” but she also was part-contributor on an amazing book called “Wine Grapes.” Very simple name, but a huge tome of wine parentage with the whole genealogy of every grape that they could find, and it was insane. In that book, there are at least 60 synonyms for this grape alone. Just to give you a sense: Muscat d’Alsace, Muskateller, Moscato Bianco, Moscato d’Asti, Muscat de Frontignan, Moscatel Blanco, White Muscat, Moscato d’Asti Canelli, Muscat Romain, and Sàrga Muskotàly. These are all names of wines made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

It’s believed that this is the grape that was established in the Greek settlement of Massalia, which is now the southern French city of Marseille. That city is very far in the east of the southern arch of the Mediterranean coast of France near Provence. If you keep going west, what’s really cool is you hit a town called Montpellier and after you hit Montpellier is a town called Frontignan. In that town is where they think that the Romans started planting this variety. If you keep going west from there, when you’re going towards the Pyrenees, you hit this beautiful, ancient town called Narbonne. It’s thought that this particular Muscat was already established in that area by the Gauls.

This thing has been around for a long time, and it wasn’t always called Muscat. The history of the word Muscat has a couple of theories. One is that these wines are so aromatic that the French use the word “musk” or “musque,” which for them is basically the aroma of musk. That aroma originated from a gland of a musk deer. They associated that musky smell with this wine. There’s a thought that Muscat comes from musk. The other theory — and this one’s really fun — the Muscat grape, when it’s on the vine because of the amount of sugar that it produces in the sweetness, it attracts bees a lot. It’s thought that there was a grape that was referenced by the ancient Greeks, and I cannot figure out how to pronounce this. Actually, when you put these two words into Google, it says, “We don’t know how to pronounce this.” I’m going to try and it is called Anathelicon Moschaton. I’m not sure what the first word means, but I know the second word is very similar to mosca, which means fly.

Then, you have Pliny the Elder, who was an ancient Roman agronomist and wrote a lot about wine. He called the wine Uva Apiana, and ape means bee in Italian. I just love those historical connections that bring things together. It’s so cool. And what’s even cooler is that Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains — which is very hard to say — but DNA profiling has had a hard time finding its origins. However, they believe that this all started in Greece, and what’s interesting about that is there is a wonderful wine in Greece. It’s called Moschofilero, and it tastes just like Moscato. Awesome stuff, guys. Awesome ancient stuff.

One more thing about this grape before I move on to the next one. You have experienced this particular Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is Moscato d’Asti. That wine is from the Asti region of Piedmont. We did an episode previously about Barolo and Barbaresco talking about how important those wines are in Piedmont, but here’s another mind bomb for you: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, which the Italians refer to as Moscato, is the first grape to be documented in the history of Piedmont. Not Nebbiolo, not Barbera, not Dolcetto. It is Moscato. Actually, through DNA profiling, it is suggested that out there that if you see a wine with Muscat in the name, there’s a really good chance that this Muscat was a parent of that Muscat.

Speaking of parents, the other Muscat I want to talk about is almost as ancient as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, and is actually progeny. Petits Grains, at some point, cross-pollinated with a grape called Axina de Tres Bias, which is really not around that much, and created the grape Muscat of Alexandria. I mean, how much easier is that to say, am I right?

This is the other very popular Muscat. It also has dozens and dozens of synonyms. It was spread around the Mediterranean, mainly by the Romans. That is why sometimes it’s called Muscat Romain. And where Petits Grande is known for its aromatics, the Muscat of Alexandria is just known for its sweetness. It’s known for its grapiness. It can literally smell like grape juice sometimes, like Capri Sun-style. This is the Muscat in Chile that is distilled into a brandy named pisco. There’s also a wine, and you’ll see it around, that’s called Zibibbo. It’s a wine from Sicily, and they believe it’s derived from the Arabic word for raisin because these grapes are really great for making raisins. There was a big occupation by the Carthaginians in Sicily who were Arabs, and they think that’s where that came from.

Also, speaking of raisins, California does make wine from Muscat of Alexandria, but California also produces raisins from this grape. Actually, to this day, this Muscat of Alexandria — and I don’t know if it’s popular — is a table grape in Britain. They grow it under glass like they did back in the day in New England. If you want to know about that craziness, check out my Zinfandel episode. If you’re drinking Moscatel from Spain, it’s Muscat of Alexandria. If you’re drinking Hanepoot from South Africa, it’s Muscat of Alexandria. In Australia, they have Gordo Blanco and Lexia, and that is also the Muscat of Alexandria. This wine is associated with sweetness. It can be very, very sweet. Zibibbo can be very sweet, but so can a lot of the other Muscats.

Now, one of the things I wanted to tell you guys about is that what’s really fun is drinking Moscato dry. There’s just something so special, because the first time I experienced it, I did not know what was going on. Because I was in the same boat as you guys. The Muscats that I knew were from Italy and then just random stuff that I would try in my life. I would actually pour Zibibbo by the glass at one point in my Italian restaurant, and a lot of it is sweet. When you have a dry Moscato — whether it’s from the Muscat of Alexandria, which you actually find some really good ones in California, or whether it’s from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains — the dry version of Moscato is so wild in that when you smell it, your nose is like, “I’m smelling Moscato.” You smell all the sweetness, you smell the orange blossoms, the honey, and the almond.

Yet, when you sip it, it’s not there so much. It’s a very subtle sweetness, and it’s crazy because it’s more like a scented wine. It’s a naturally scented wine because of how aromatic these varieties are, but because the yeast has had its way with the wine and fermented to dryness, the palates are almost like river rock minerality, with these suggestions of the aromas you have on your nose showing up on the palate. They’re so refreshing, enjoyable, and balanced. They’re cool. If you ever get a chance to try a dry Moscato, do it.

OK, so I hope I gave you guys a little bit of clarity there about this Moscato, Muscat stuff. It can be confusing, but if you start here, you’ll start getting a sense of it. And as you drink more wines from this family of grapes, you just know what you’re drinking. I think it’s important because I didn’t for a long time, and I hope you guys do.

@VinePairKeith is here is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast, wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there. And now for some totally awesome credits.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. And I mean, a big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

Ed note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Muscat/Moscato appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-moscato-podcast/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/wine-101-muscatmoscato

[resetmypatientviolence]

Tumblr User Questionnaire

Tagged by: @natalie0622 and @laniquelove, thank you lovelies!

Nicknames: None, really. Boss calls me by my last name. And my friend Chelsey calls me Chels.

Gender: Female

Sign: Double Trouble Gemini

Height: 5'1

Time: 7:47am

Fave Bands: Too much! Right now: The Kongos, Kaleo, The Score, Imagine Dragons, MCR,

Fave Solo Artists: Halsey, Banks, Bishop Briggs

Song stuck in my head: Champions, The Score

Last movie I saw:

Blood Glacier (Andy and I have a thing for watching all kinds of horror movies)

Last Show I Watched:

The Office

When did I create my blog:

February 2018

What do I post:

Choices and dramatic ass fanfiction for Choices

Last thing I googled:

“desk by window black and white photography” for my fic picture lmao.

Do I have any other blogs?: Nah. Too busy to manage more than one.

Why did I choose my URL: The boy has me WHIPPED.

Following: 1182-- Followed a ton when I first joined. And still do cause y’all are cool and snarky.

Followed by: 601 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Average Hours of Sleep:

4-6  

Lucky Number:

13

Instruments:

I played the recorder in 4th grade once?

What am I wearing:

Brown tanktop and shorts that say “Class of 2010″

Dream Job:

Author!

Dream Trip:

A month long trip going all around around Italy by train. Stopping for a few days in the various cities I want to see, try and find places where ancestors were from, probably stop in Sicily too. Ugh. The life.

Fave Foods:

Stuffed grape leaves!

Nationality:

American, but I’m a mutt with my genealogy: Italian (both grandmothers are 100%. Or maybe Sicilian for one), French, Dutch, Belgian, English, Scottish, and Cherokee. I think.

Fave Song:

At the moment, Brain by Banks.

Last Book I Read:

Courage to Create, by Rollo May for class

Three Fictional Universes I want to Join:

Choices, Harry Potter, Star Trek

Tagging:

@youwontlikewherewewillgo @ninamckenzie22 @drakewanker @drakesfiance @sir-wigglesworth

[frederickwiddowson]

Leviticus 25:8-22 comments: Jubilee, bad slavery comparisons, and the concentration of wealth banned

Leviticus 25:8 ¶  And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. 9  Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. 10  And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 11  A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. 12  For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. 13  In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession. 14  And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another: 15 According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee: 16  According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee. 17  Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God. 18  Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. 19  And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. 20  And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: 21  Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. 22  And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.

 Here are the instructions for the Jubilee. This is the forty ninth year or seven times seven from which it is not incorrect to say the fiftieth year. Once the year 49 arrives you are now in the 50th year. Every man’s possession is returned and servants are returned. It was a Sabbath year when the land would not be worked, the seventh Sabbath of years but a special Sabbath of years in that property and persons were to be returned. Although participants in the American institution of slavery often claimed that slavery was Biblical I am not aware of anyone being returned to Africa in the first generation of slaves or being reunited with their families after 49 years when families were broken up and sold apart as they often were. Over a thousand advertisements are being currently studied and more added to the list of former slaves making appeals in black newspapers after the American Civil War for anyone who might have information on their spouses or children who were torn from them and sold away by their owners.[1]

In addition, on this interesting side note in the American version of slavery before the Civil War advocates of the institution often claimed it was no different than the ancient Biblical practice. In disagreement to that excuse for American racial, chattel slavery a slaveowner’s wife who fled the institution noted in her 1839 diary that;

In Louisiana and the new Southwestern Slave States, I believe, task labor does not prevail; but it is in those that the condition of the poor human cattle was most deplorable, as you know it was there that the humane calculation was not only made, but openly and unhesitatingly avowed, that the planters found it upon the whole of their most profitable plan to work off (kill with labor), their whole number of slaves about once in seven years, and renew the whole stock. By the bye, the Jewish institution of slavery is much insisted upon by the Southern upholders of the system; perhaps this is their notion of the Jewish jubilee, when the slaves by Moses strict enactment were to be all set free.[2]  

 There will be other gaping differences between the slavery referred to in the Bible and the more modern versions which I will note when they come up.

In this command noted beginning in this passage God makes provision for the year they do not sow and for the time they will have to wait for their labors to bear fruit again. God promised fruit of the land in the sixth year’s harvest for three years and that they would eat of the old store until the ninth year. God continues to warn them to follow His measures to live in the land and live in safety.

This liberty that was to be proclaimed represented God’s mercy and peace made with Him. The returning of land and persons represented that peace with God. A trumpet announcing the Jubilee in the day of atonement was a glorious thing. To have peace with God is greater than any other peace. The whole foundation of the Bible is peace with our Maker, our Creator, our God. There is no greater experience than to know that God has offered us peace and made peace with us.

Having afflicted their souls for sin, as Matthew Henry put it, they rejoiced to hear a sound of joy and gladness.

Romans 5:1 ¶  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 Jesus quoted this passage in Isaiah in Luke 4.

 Isaiah 61:1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

 Matthew Henry pointed out how this was an extraordinary time. Not only was there a Sabbath of rest for the land as there was every seven years but the release of all debts.

Deuteronomy 15:2  And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. 3  Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;4  Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 5  Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

 The property of every Israelite was to be restored that was lost since the previous Jubilee. This preserved genealogies, the distinction of tribes, and, as Henry noted, prevented individuals from acquiring great wealth on the backs of other people’s folly.

Indeed, at America’s own founding this warning was given by the famous Reverend Phillips Payson, ancestor of several notable clergymen in early America;

“The exorbitant wealth of individuals has a most baneful influence on public virtue, and therefore should be carefully guarded against.”[3]

 It was claimed during the Gilded Age of American history in the late 1800s after the Yankee empire had crushed the agrarian South to move on to expand across the world that mass poverty did not exist in America before the amassing of great fortunes with government help as railroads and shipping, factories, mining, and financing became noteworthy emblems of America’s economic power.

Here, God is controlling the baser parts of the Hebrew’s nature, selfishness, a desire to dominate each other, and those inclinations all men and women have that go against God’s plan for mankind.

If they obey His regulations on their economic activity they will dwell in the land in safety and will not suffer want.

[1]

Kristin E. Holmes, “Families torn apart by slavery sought lost loved ones in newly archived ads,”

The Philadelphia Inquirer,

(Feb. 19, 2017).

https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/New-project-highlights-newspaper-ads-placed-to-find-relatives-lost-during-slavery.html

 [2] Frances Anne Kemble, Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation (1838-1839), (Bel Air, CA: Neeland Media LLC., 18)  Kindle Edition, loc 327.

 [3] Phillips Payson, “Election Sermon,” in The Pulpit of the American Revolution, or, the Political Sermons of the Period of 1776, ed. by John Wingate Thornton (Boston: D. Lothrop & Co. Publishers, 1876), 338.

[icarus-suraki]

I believe you've said you are a librarian. Can you elaborate on what sort of librarian stuff you do, and/or what sort of library you work in?

Gladly! I am, indeed, a librarian and I work at a public library–which is a pretty broad category, lbr. 

I’ve been working in libraries since I was 16, when I was hired at my local public library to help check in and shelve books. I moved up in the world, shelving, then working at my undergrad library, then briefly in a bookstore (where I decided I wanted to give books away instead of sell them), then back to another public library where all the librarians I was working with kept insisting that I go get my Master’s [of Science in] Library Science (MLS). So I did. And I worked in my university’s library for a bit there, then did some temp work in my current library system. And now I am happily ensconced as A Real Librarian (MSLS 2010) at another public library. Whew. So since I’m now 35, that means I’ve been in libraries for 19 years. I should retire soon, right? (Wrong.)

As of now, I’m I guess what some other library systems would call an “adult programming librarian,” so I have to coordinate, plan, and present, like, library events and programs, among other things, for grown-up library patrons. I was first hired as a reader’s advisory librarian (as in, hey, you like The Shining? Okay, here’s 19 other books you might also like) but I’ve been shifted into the business&education area lately. So that means, sigh, that I have to help with the small biz stuff, the getting-into-college stuff, and testing stuff. It’s not my favorite area, but it’s not as bad as I thought. It requires some attention to detail, which I can totally do. I’m just not always interested in “Setting Up Your Business Accounts The Right Way The First Time” for a program. I might be able to shuffle my way into another area here in a bit–the arts committee, or maybe back into the reader’s advisory committee…

A lot of my day is helping the public. This is what I do and it is the most important thing that I do. I do a lot of checking in/checking out, computer help and troubleshooting (we have 30+ public-use PC terminals and they get a lot of use because you can’t do a job application on your fucking phone; get real), some reference work or reader’s advisory work (more like giving directions to the book), sometimes more in-depth reference (a good day!!!), usually some good-natured ribbing of famous Brand Name authors, some sarcastic comments thrown around with colleagues in the office, &c.

I thought for a long time that I wanted to work in an academic library, a library attached to a university. Sometimes I still wish for that, because I miss reference (see below) and that’s a lot of what goes down in academic reference departments. But it’s highly competitive, which is intimidating. But, while this may sound like sour grapes, I really think I can do more and do more good helping the general public than I could do in an academic library. Would academic work be interesting? Yes. But I’m here in one of the last truly public (even downright socialist!) institutions in the United States and I am going to keep it going. The work we do here may sometimes be tedious, but it’s overwhelmingly important–whether it’s literacy programs for children, college preparedness programs for teens, keeping the most popular books on hand for reluctant readers, having obscure nonfiction for esoteric questions, talking YA and manga with young people, bringing in guest authors to talk up their books, providing access to the internet and technology and resources, &c, &c–all of what we do is really important. And I think we need to keep doing it.

As a final aside: one of the more interesting stints (gigs?) I had was working in a local history/genealogy library. It was sort of part library, part archive, all reference. And I got really good at reference work during those couple of years. This was as close as I’ve gotten to true academic librarianship. Reference has always been my strong suit. But, wow, there were so many days when someone would start in on “And now John had 3 children and his son, James, had 4 children, and his third daughter Sarah married John Jones and they had 9 children and their son Frederick was my great-grandfather and we want to know who John’s father was because we want to know where we came from.” And I’m just like “Okay, and I am third generation Don’t Give a Fuck.” To say nothing of the Very White People (disclaimer: I, too, am a Very White People) who would suddenly discover an ancestor identified as Native on the census and suddenly the whole family were “really Indians” and they fell headlong into all the “Magical Indian” tropes and it was awful. I should write a whole post just on that. I have Seen Some Shit, y’all.

All librarians have Seen Some Shit. Let’s be really honest.

Ask me things! Anon or not!

[thebowerypresents]

Jawbreaker Make a Triumphant Return to Brooklyn Steel on Saturday

Jawbreaker – Terminal 5 – March 23, 2019

One of your favorite bands reunites and begins touring again after a multidecade hiatus. Are you excited, nervous, or some combination of both? Is it worth holding out hope that they’ll come back even better than ever? In the case of the highly influential Jawbreaker, they may well have pulled this off—although I can’t say with certainty, because I never saw them live in their initial run, stretching from the late ’80s to mid-’90s. And if you’re an honest fan reading this, you probably didn’t either.

They’re known for being your favorite band’s favorite band. It’s been said that the Velvet Underground didn’t sell many records but that everyone who bought one went on to start a band. The same could be said of Jawbreaker, with an entire lineage of emo and pop-punk acts that dominated the ’90s and ’00s leading back to them in the genre’s family tree. Or maybe you’re an emo fanatic and a genealogy inquiry into the genus led you back to a group now considered to be one of its forefathers. As a result, Jawbreaker’s popularity has only grown with time. This reunion, which launched in 2017 and extended through this past weekend at Brooklyn Steel, is a gift to those fans. There’s simply no better way to pay homage to a band like Jawbreaker than to find yourself shouting back familiar sing-along lyrics to a group you never thought you’d get the chance to see play live.

Singer Blake Schwarzenbach’s voice has somehow held up perfectly, this alone a miracle considering one of the reasons Jawbreaker initially called it off was a polyp the size of a grape on his vocal chord. A big downside to rocking a signature gravelly singing voice is that sometimes that gravel wears out. But on Saturday night in Brooklyn, singing softly or all-out screaming, his voice sounded just as it did on the band’s recorded work. There’s also no room for fuck-ups in a rock trio but the band sounded tight and well-rehearsed. Between some songs bassist Chris Bauermeister shook out cramps from his hands, but his basslines remained right where they needed to be. You seldom see rock bands these days with just one guitarist, but Schwarzenbach’s got it covered. He alternated between guitar riffs and chanted lines on “Sluttering (May 4th),” somehow finding time to breathe. In a performance filled with passionate sing-alongs, the best was saved for the encore, the band/genre/mid-’90s rallying cry “Boxcar” and its chorus of “One, two, three, four/ Who’s punk, what's the score?” Care less about these things and you just might create yourself a new genre. —Dan Rickershauser | @D4nRicks

(Photo: Dan Rickershauser)

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

18th August >> Mass Readings (USA):

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

   or

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

I will judge you according to your ways.

The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel:

“Fathers have eaten green grapes,    thus their children’s teeth are on edge”?

As I live, says the Lord GOD: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel. For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.

   If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just, if he does not eat on the mountains, nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile his neighbor’s wife, nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period; if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked; if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury; if he holds off from evildoing, judges fairly between a man and his opponent; if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.

   But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer, or lends at interest and exacts usury– this son certainly shall not live. Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die; his death shall be his own fault.

   Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD.  Return and live!

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R/ Create a clean heart in me, O God.

A clean heart create for me, O God; and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R/ Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me.I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall return to you.

R/ Create a clean heart in me, O God.

For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

R/ Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. 

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 19:13-15

Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

——————————

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

I will put enmity between your offspring and the offspring of the woman.

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me– she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”    Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned    from all the animals    and from all the wild creatures;On your belly shall you crawl,    and dirt shall you eat    all the days of your life.I will put enmity between you and the woman,    and between your offspring and hers;He will strike at your head,    while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world;    he raises up again. The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.