#today marks 4 years since he returned back to our maker

[shufaya]

And if you’re missing a lost loved one, I pray a reunion in Jannah is written for you.

[solrosan]

There are notes and a more readable version of the wiki page under the cut.

Notes

I imagine Merlin created this wikipage for the shop when he was bored one time

Later, Eggsy took over keeping it up-to-date

He’s the one who’s written the Swedish one too

This article exists in the same verse as Prince Gary’s wikipage

It’s heavily influenced by the Huntsman wikipage

I have written source [9] and [10]

Any errors and inconsistencies can be blamed on Wikipedia’s open editable model and not at all the fact that I can’t see straight anymore when I try to double check things

This article is written after 2022

Other Kingsman wiki pages can be found here

Kingsman Tailor Shop

Kingsman Tailor Shop (commonly known as Kingsman)[source?] is a high-end fashion house and tailor located at No. 11 Savile Row, London.[1] It is known for its English bespoke tailoring, cashmere ready-to-wear collections, and leather accessories.

Kingsman was founded in 1849 by Mark Millar.[2] Kingsman has been granted several royal warrants bestowed by British and European monarchs, including The Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), and Queen Victoria.[3] Kingsman is also one of the founders of the Savile Row Bespoke Association,[2] the trade body responsible for protecting and promoting the working practices of Savile Row.

History

In 1849, when Mr Mark Millar[2] founded Kingsman the tailor shop was located at No. 126 New Bond Street.[2] Millar’s tailoring house quickly gained a reputation for dressing the hunting and riding aristocracy of Europe and did so for much of the nineteenth century.[3] Kingsman still makes equestrian and sporting tailoring, but during the twentieth century the focus shifted more to formalwear.[2] The house's relationship with British royalty extends as far back as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who both patronised the house from its opening in 1849.[3] 

During World War I, Kingsman was a tailor to the military, producing dress uniforms for British officers throughout the war. Some of the ledger books remains, listing the names of each officer and their commissions, often with a note revealing their fate in the margins,[3] though most were destroyed by the gas explosion in 2017.[4]

By the end of the war, and with the third generation of the Millar family taking over, Kingsman moved to No. 11 Savile Row in 1919[2] just in time for the onset of the Roaring 20s. The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) was a customer during the 1920s[5] which prompted many to follow. It was during this time that Kingsman came to acquire the two stags' heads which were displayed in the shop for many years after they had been left by a customer who went out to lunch in 1921 and then never returned.[6]

In 1933, the Millar family passed on the firm to Mr Allard de Vere Drummond.[2] de Vere Drummond worked together with Head Cutter James Goldman until the mid-70’s, is said to have transformed "Kingsman's reputation from that of merely a reliable garment maker to a glamorous bespoke fashion house".[7] The two worked together at the shop until the 1970’s, ensuring Kingsman’s reputation as the most expensive Savile Row tailor.[6]

After World War II Kingsman Tailor Shop started apprenticeship programs for tailors and cutters.[8] They went on to become two of the most prominent apprenticeship programs in the United Kingdom; for cutters it’s even said to be the best in Europe.[7] Many of the tailors working on Savile Row today did their apprenticeship at Kingsman Tailor Shop.[8] One of the most notable apprentices is Prince Gary of Sweden who started the apprenticeship as a part of Kingsman’s social outreach program before marrying the Swedish heir apparent, Crown Princess Tilde.[9] Prince Gary came back to finish his apprenticeship four years into his marriage. Crown princess Tilde and Prince Gary met at Kingsman Tailor Shop in 2014.[10]

Even though Kingsman has been making womenswear since the very start, it took until 1972 before they employed their first female tailor. She had been part of the apprenticeship program as well. The first female cutter started 2014.[11]

Gas explosion

In September 2017 a gas explosion took out Kingsman Tailor Shop. Luckily, it was after business hours and no one was injured, but the entire building was destroyed. At first, the explosion was thought to be linked to the other ten other explosions around London that same day, but was upon further investigation it was determined to have been due to a gas explosion.[12]

The explosions, besides ruining the shop, also destroyed most of Kingsman’s records and archives, containing, for example, Mr Mark Millar’s own patterns and advertisements from when he first opened the store. Lost were also portraits and photographs of many of the shop’s patrons and tailors. A spokesperson for Savile Row Bespoke Association said that the explosion erased a huge part of the guild’s history.[4]

Recent developments

Following the gas explosions in September 2017, Kingsman Tailor Shop once again operated out of a location on New Bond Street while work was being done to rebuild the store on Savile Row. The temporary shop was lend to them by Gieves & Hawkes. Gieves & Hawkes stated in a press release that Savile Row would not be the same without Kingsman and that it was an honour to be able to help out colleagues in need.[13]

In July 2018 Kingsman Tailor Shop reopened No. 11 Savile Row. Present at the opening was, among others, the Swedish Crown Princess couple.[14]

Kingsman Whisky

 In 2017, Kingsman bought the Ochiltree distillery in Scotland, where they have started to produce Kingsman Whisky, which is a single malt Scotch.[15]

Clients

In 1886, the company earned its first royal warrant as Leather Breeches Maker to HRH the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII). This was followed by that of HRH Prince Albert, Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha and Queen Victoria in 1888.[3] Other royal warrants include King Edward VIII, King George VI, and Queen Elisabeth II.[7]

Other customers are Winston Churchill, Rudolph Valentino, Lord Mountbatten, Gregory Peck, Clark Gable, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Laurence Olivier, Ronald Reagan, Marc Jacobs, Lapo Elkann, Gianni Agnelli, Richmond Valentine, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Crown Princess Tilde of Sweden.[7] Prince Gary of Sweden is also a frequent patron of Kingsman Tailor Shop and since 2022 he is the head tailor on all the Kingsman suits he wears. Prince Gary was also the head tailor for the Duke of Cambridge’s suit.[16]

Bespoke process

Although Kingsman’s suits retain what has been referred to as “their famous structured silhouette”[17] Kingsman's website notes that “our talented team can work to almost any brief”.[18]

As outlined on the Kingsman website, the process of placing an order begins with a consultation, during which the customer meets with their Bespoke Clients Manager, who discusses the customer's requirements for their suit, helping to finalise any stylistic decisions and their choice of fabric. A cutter will then measure-up the client (Kingsman takes an average of 30 different measures for a first suit) before this is drafted into the traditional paper pattern. This pattern is then chalked onto the customer's chosen cloth, which is in turn cut out. This will then be sewn together into the suit's raw three-dimensional form by a dedicated coat maker, ready for fitting. Kingsman produces all of its clothes in house, so every suit is produced by the same team.[17]

After the first fitting, the basted garment is then returned to its two-dimensional form and re-cut according to the refined pattern, after which a second fitting will take place to re-assess the garment's fit. More structure will be added to the garment at this stage, jacket sleeves will be set-in by hand and the suit's lining felled into the garment accordingly. Other hand-sewn elements will include all buttonholes, the trouser fly and any topstitching applied to the jacket and/or waistcoat lapels and pocket flaps - conforming to Savile Row Bespoke Association working standards.[18] Further alterations are carried out if required and a final fitting will take place. Each individual suit takes over eighty man-hours to produce.[17]

References

Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

About Kingsman, Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

James  Sherwood, Savile Row: The Master Tailors of British Bespoke, (Thames &  Hudson, 2010), p.62-67

Statement regarding the explosion on Savile Row (Press release)  Savile Row Bespoke Association

'Edward VIII  Portfolio', Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

Richard  Anderson, Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed, (Simon & Schuster,  2009) p.106

Our Clients, Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

Apprenticeship, Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

“PRINCE GARY – ONE YEAR IN”, solrosan.tumblr.com

“A Tailor Made Life”, solrosan.tumblr.com

Simona  Roberts, Needlewoman, Seamstress, Tailor (Roberts, 2019) p. 92

“Suspect terrorist attack was gas leak”, The Sun

“Gieves & Hawkes helps competitor in time of need”, dailymail.co.uk.

"The Crown Princess Couple to attend reopening of Kingsman Tailor  Shop". (Press release) (in Swedish).Royal  Court of Sweden.

Kingsman Whisky, Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

“A Royal Suit”, The  Guardian

Bespoke Suits, Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

Bespoke Heritage, Kingsman Tailor Shop Website

[iaskleaders]

Gloria Ai’s Dialogue With He Xiaopeng on Competitor Elon Musk

While the real economy is struggling in the bleak environment of 2020, intelligent electric vehicle manufacturers stepped on the accelerator.

The two tremendous pains in the car making industry are described as “too hard to earn" and "too challenging to build a car". In earlier days, Jia Yueting staged "a deadbeat escape", followed by the swindle cases of Dong Mingzhu and Xiong Xuqiang. A number of events have witnessed the billionaire’s broken dream of vehicle making. Even the domestic electric-vehicle (EV) maker Nio Inc. set the lowest record at $1.19 per share last year, hovering on the edge of delisting.

But since the beginning of this year, the Nio stock has risen by nearly 600% in the past ten months, with market value reaching around $35 billion, which enjoys the highest increase rate among Internet companies. On August 27, 2020, when Xiaopeng Motors was listed at the New York Stock Exchange, the CEO He Xiaopeng and his friends gathered to pay close attention to its performance in the U.S. stock market, and the celebration lasted until 4 a.m. the next day. On August 31, the property of Elon Musk reached the value of over $111.3 billion, overtaking the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to become the third richest man in the word.

In 2020, the epidemic has catalyzed the interconnection of all things. With the rapid influx of capital and the active transformation of supply chain, the independent research and development of intelligent vehicles has accelerated its transformation. On October 24, the “Day of the Programmer”, “The Xiaopeng Motors Intelligence Day Conference on October 24”was held. The chairman and CEO addressed: " We saw the development pace of batteries goes faster year by year than when I started to work in this industry back in 2017. I saw the computing power now exceeding what I saw in Moore's law.”

He also quoted Alan Kay: "People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.”

He is today's iAsk leader —— He Xiaopeng.

Check out this episode on Youtube: 

He Xiaopeng VS Elon Musk

He Xiaopeng and Lei Jun are both from Hubei Province. He graduated from the Computer Department of South China University of Technology in 1999 and started UC with his colleagues after years working for a foreign company. Ding Lei, who was an Internet business man back then, offered him 800,000 yuan as a loan and an office space for free.

With his team in 2004, He Xiaopeng founded UC and launched a national app called the UC mobile browser. In 2014, things happened like a dream, when UC was acquired by Alibaba. The 37-year-old He Xiaopeng came to the spotlight with skyrocketing fortunes which made him one of the new billionaires in China. The life goal such as buying a house, a car, a yacht and alcohol as well as accumulating wealth was realized in a lightning speed. But he was not happy.

Although the merger and acquisition of UC by Alibaba was China's biggest acquisition news of the year, the mobile browser was not of Ali's main businesses. In an annual executive meeting of Alibaba running from the noon to the evening, He Xiaopeng heard the world “UC” only once in the overwhelming discussion about payment and e-commerce. In addition, the Ali mobile business group and the Ali Games in the charge of He Xiaopeng were not market leaders of the time.

Despite the spacious office provided by Alibaba and no longer having to borrowing the space from Ding Lei, He Xiaopeng often locked himself in with a dignified look. Empty, anxious and hesitant, he was always on the phone, talking to all kinds of people, even restless during breaks.

On June 13, 2014, Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO announced that the company started to open to all patents in a broadening source model, which means more companies can manufacture vehicles. He Xiaopeng proposed to Ali with his ambition to build cars, but it didn’t turn out as expected. He Xiaopeng couldn’t restrain his ideas, thus he worked with Li Xueling, dozens of other Internet people, and initiated a number of venture capital agents to founded Xiaopeng Motors.

Unlike PayPal, which was acquired eBay, the founder Musk was expelled from the company because of his failure in the internal struggle, He Xiaopeng voluntarily gave up the glory and the high salary in the past and resigned from Alibaba.

More than 20 years ago before graduation, while some of He Xiaopeng’s classmates were playing computer games in the dormitory, he had a conversation with Huang Ronghai on the dormitory balcony: " I want financial freedom when I am 40 years old, then retire".

At that time, Huang Ronghai thought that financial freedom was out of reach. On the day when He Xiaopeng turned 40 years old, he had achieved financial freedom for three years, but retirement had become a distant prospect. Again He Xiaopeng talked to Huang Ronghai: "I think three traits are the most important for a person: the self, his family and career. Now that I have a family and a career, I want to be myself.”

In 2017, he revealed to Lei Jun that he might quit the current job and started to make vehicles. His old friend Liu Qin was also present. Lei Jun warned him: "the possibility of failure is very high. You are no longer a nobody, and this project must require massive investment by yourself.”

“How much are you willing to invest?”, asked Lei Jun.

He Xiaopeng immediately replied: “$100 million.”

On August 29, 2017, the seventh day when He Xiaopeng left Ali, he started a full-time position at Xiaopeng Motors. On the same day, he posted a Wechat moment: “It’s a cycle of entrepreneurship, bitter, sweet and salty. I now return with hope still like a teenager.”

Gloria Ai: Why did you bother yourself with this unrelated and inconsistent entrepreneurial venture at the age of 36? This second venture will be difficult.

He Xiaopeng: Hardware is a new domain for me.

Gloria Ai: So there is no making without breaking. You have to jump and fall into this abyss before climbing up, right?

He Xiaopeng: It’s learning from scratch.

The year He Xiaopeng founded Xiaopeng Motors, he was richer than Elon Musk when he started Tesla. For the past six years in the motor industry, He Xiaopeng has kept the record of being the most frequent self-funded entrepreneur among the top three new vehicle manufacturers in China. Before going public, He Xiaopeng has invested more than $317 million (about 2.2 billion yuan) in Xiaopeng Motors.

At the CES 2018, the 41-year-old He Xiaopeng showed the courage of a newborn calf not scared of tigers. He remarked: " Elon Musk is better than me now, but I may be better than him in the future.”

Gloria Ai: But to be honest, what do you think is the gap between you and Elon Musk?

He Xiaopeng: I think the gap doesn’t exist. He is a winner in his field. I have my logic of thinking. We are both working on some travel revolutionary changes to make our lives safer, greener and better.

Elon Musk often posted on his Twitter that we are not good enough because he does not know us. In other words, China's own manufacturing enterprises should prove ourselves with true quality and capacities, not with words. As a saying goes: “Easy to say, hard to do.”

Gloria Ai: I agree that respect is earned. That is, I get in your car, I don't want to compliment you, but I really think this car is made with heart and devotion. But has the name Xiaopeng been disputed?

He Xiaopeng: As you know, there are many Chinese brands with foreign names. In fact, there are a large number of non-Chinese names in China. But Ford, Tesla and the like are named after scientists and Bosch is also a person's name. So why not using a Chinese name for a brand to meet the world? I think if you use your name for a brand, the brand itself is a trust and a responsibility.

The potential and confidence of He Xiaopeng

Can you make a car to stand up and walk to its parking lot like a transformer does?”

Can you put a lift camera on the top of the car and make it appear automatically when you stop the car?”

Can you make automatic parking smoother?”

...

Since 2014, He Xiaopeng has hardly stopped his imagination. He wants to build a robot car like Transformers. He intends to produce the smartest car that meets the needs of the Chinese market, despite of many challenges.

Gloria Ai: It’s quite magical that you did a good job in mobile Internet, but you suddenly departed from Alibaba to the track of car building. Your entrepreneurial endeavour of shifting your focus from software to hardware has been six years, right? What is the biggest challenge from 2014 to 2020?

He Xiaopeng: There have been too many challenges. I regard them as challenges in different stages. I used to know a lot about an industry, but now I basically become someone being respected but not trusted, because I really don' t understand the industry in a professional way.

In the past, we didn’t involve manufacturing, branding, expensive sales at such high prices and post-sales services in the Internet domain. We only knew about operations and users, so there are a lot of challenges in learning. Without the support by so many employees, my classmates, and customers, we can’t achieve today’s result and the process is not easy at all.

From the "front wave" of the Internet to the "back wave" of intelligent vehicles, it is not the extension of an industry, but a butterfly change. As a cross-border entrepreneur, in his view, the positioning of Internet car building should be transformed from the engineer dimension to the user's point of view, so that a team of traditional manufacturing and R & D can be Internetized, and even develop its software and hardware independently. The journey will be long and great endeavors should be made.

In 2017, the production base of Xiaopeng Motors which is worth tens of billions yuan was launched in Zhaoqing City, with a total of 10 billion yuan invested in the first and second phase. The self-built factory of Xiaopeng Motors is the only new vehicle brand with self-production and OEM qualifications in China. It has independently designed and developed the full stack autopilot technology and intelligent voice recognition system, including dynamical system and electrical/ electronic architecture. Meanwhile, it is fully autonomous at the core hardware level. Xiaopeng Motors is also the only company in the new vehicle force to develop battery management system (BMS) and battery pack at the same time.

The prospectus shows that Xiaopeng Motors has invested as much as 3.75 billion yuan in R & D in the past two years, with 43% of its employees of more than 1600 people working in R & D. He Xiaopeng understated the surprising ratio before: "Nearly 70% of the staff worked in R & D, and the number decreased to only 43% this year. In a rough calculation, it was more than 2,600 people.

Behind the influential new force of vehicle manufacturing, there have been rounds of large expenditure.

Gloria Ai: Where is the source of your courage to invest huge resources and funds to do independent research and development?

He Xiaopeng: There are many OEMs in China. I think we mainly count on the resource dependent type. Meanwhile, we initiate more partners to create a resource pool. It actually costs at least 500 million to 1 billion yuan to build a type of car but this fund basically goes to mould building and testing. So I believe we have to invest in sections that can accumulate liking growing a snowball, including the valuable R & D, branding, sales channels, good reputation from customers, which is a long-term treasure.

What is the intellectualization of Xiaopeng Motors?

Gloria Ai: I think that China's new vehicle making force has been questioned for a long time, because we constantly invest like burning money and lose money. What is the essential reason behind Xiaopeng Motors's popularity in 2020 particularly when the Sino-US relation is delicate? Have you ever thought about it?

He Xiaopeng: Three months ago, most people were actually not optimistic about this track. Tesla has made many people believe that vehicle manufacturing presents the future.

Gloria Ai: So you need to thank Elon Musk, for his high stock price performance.

He Xiaopeng: Yes. I think since the beginning of the year, this future has been predicted by top investors a few months ago. They conducted work, research, and took part three months later. Because of their engagement, more people were attracted to the market.

“If you really want to find a hard thing to do, you can try building a car.”Despite of this heart-felt remark, He Xiaopeng was full of excitement.

The young members in the team were from Gac Group, SAIC, BMW, Lamborghini and other well-known enterprises. They spent every day studying intelligent vehicles in a flat with two bedrooms and one living room. On Wednesdays and Saturdays after work, they met with He Xiaopeng, who was like a godfather to pump up this young group. When the team found hard to poach a talent, they would bring the people to Xiaopeng and had a chat together. He Xiaopeng began to describe the bright future of intelligent vehicle manufacturing. In the end, "about 30% - 40% of members were persuaded by me.”

Whenever frustrated, He Xiaopeng would offer "blind" advices: "It’s quite normal. I have experienced bitter and harder when I was young." In each meeting, He Xiaopeng would give "blind" ideas: “How about a lift camera and something like Transformers?”

The idea of lifting the camera was realized, and has become an essential selling point for the first model G3 a few years later. On the idea inspired by Transformers, He Xiaopeng later consulted two famous professors from overseas universities, and they replied, theoretically it worked, but it might not have commercial and practical values. He Xiaopeng was not convinced: “Let’s retain the idea now, which doesn’t mean it won’t work in the future.”

He Xiaopeng firmly believes that intelligent vehicles are the future. While Xpeng P7 came out, someone compared it with Tesla Model 3, but Xiaopeng's goal was never to rival with Model 3, but to become the No.1 B-class sedan.

Gloria Ai: I have a challenging question. What’s the selling point of Xiaopeng Motors? It’s about intelligence. But would a smart phone manufacturer boast everyday that it sells intelligent systems? Shouldn't intelligent vehicles be smart? This is the question I raised for you.

He Xiaopeng: It’s a very good question. I believe that many people would agree that intelligent vehicles are the future. Xiaopeng Motors has taken the deepest research in intellectualization and is one the earliest pioneers of all China's OEM manufacturers. It also invested the most. Now people begin to recognize Xiaopeng Motors as the most intelligent vehicle, but our business is in a small scale. We have to make it bigger and deeper, which is the first thing we should do.

The second thing to focus on is to rethink how software produces the value of data and the value of the overall data engine from the data resource, when we have achieved a good performance in intellectualization and software.

The third aspect is whether the hardware should be changed in the influence of changes of software, with a new usage scenario, which you can identify in our third and fourth model, as well as the following models.

Changes in hardware can also lead to huge revolutions in hardware, some of which will improve your experience and reduce your procurement costs. Pioneers must be able to think about your strengths and weak points.

The first page of the prospectus of Xiaopeng Motors writes the mission of the company: "The data-driven changes in intelligent electric vehicles lead the way of future travels.”

The fantastic future of intelligence and changes are all inseparable from the support of capital. What did investors read from the listing of Xiaopeng Motors?

Gloria Ai: the Morningside Venture Capital you represent has been a major investor and shareholder from the Series-A funding to the Series-C funding. I would like to know whether you are optimistic about the competitiveness of He Xiaopeng as the founder, or the competitiveness of the Xpeng products?

Liu Qin: Our investment philosophy is to invest in people. We must have invested in this company because of He Xiaopeng. From the perspective of an entrepreneur, I have also expressed the wish to invest in entrepreneurial people. How can I put it?

Firstly, We would like to choose those really good and entrepreneurial candidates, who has a clear and simple entrepreneurial motivation. It may sometimes appear silly, naive and extremely easy to fail. It seems a silly decision, right? However, we admire this kind of silly and naive entrepreneurial motivation.

Secondly, I am willing to invest in those who really have vision for the future, and can turn this vision into a faith of a company and a person. I think Xiaopeng is such an entrepreneur. Thirdly, I think he has the charm of a leader, who can inspire others and organize a group of talented people to embark on a course together.

Finally, he is full of awe of the risk of starting a business, and is brave enough to face the reality and anxieties, and to solve the problem. In fact, it takes great courage to face the reality and these considerable difficulties. We see in Xiaopeng these four traits of the spirit of an excellent entrepreneur.

Three years has passed. He Xiaopeng, who once challenged Elon Musk, now seems more pragmatic and simpler. Xiaopeng Motors has been publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, but what lingers in He Xiaopeng’s mind is always the product.

Gloria Ai Cheng: Do you think the US listing is the best way to facilitate Xpeng to achieve a better vision?

He Xiaopeng: I think it’s a choice. If we don't make a good layout today, it will be difficult for us to offer more new products in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Today we are in an industry of rapid changes and innovation, and we can’t use the old logic for products. Instead, we need to step forward to pave the road for the better performance in the next track.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

30th January >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saturday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

   or 

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

He was looking forward to the city whose architect and maker is God.

Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested.    By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age –and Sarah herself was sterile – for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.    All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.    By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, of whom it was said, Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name. He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

R/ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,    born of the house of his servant David.

R/ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old.    that he would save us from our sins    from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers    and to remember his holy covenant.

R/ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:    to set us free from the bonds of our enemies,    free to worship him without fear,    holy and righteous in his sight    all the days of our life.

R/ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Gospel Acclamation

John 3:16

Alleluia, alleluia. God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 4:35-41

Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

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)

Either:

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.

OR: --------

First reading Genesis 12:1-7 The Lord spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever (Luke 1:55).

The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.

”I will make of you a great nation,    and I will bless you; I will make your name great,    so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you    and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth    shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, by the terebinth of Moreh. (The Canaanites were then in the land.)    The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

OR: --------

First reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-11, 16 The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father (Luke 1:32).

When King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” Nathan answered the king, “Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.” But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?’    “‘It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

OR: --------

First reading 1 Chronicles 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2 They brought in the ark of God and set it within the tent which David had pitched for it.

David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORD to the place which he had prepared for it. David also called together the sons of Aaron and the Levites. The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with poles, as Moses had ordained according to the word of the LORD.    David commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren as chanters, to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals to make a loud sound of rejoicing.    They brought in the ark of God and set it within the tent which David had pitched for it. Then they offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. When David had finished offering up the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

OR: --------

First reading Proverbs 8:22-31 Mary, seat of Wisdom.

The Wisdom of God says:

“The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways,    the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; From of old I was poured forth,    at the first, before the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth,    when there were no fountains or springs of water; Before the mountains were settled into place,    before the hills, I was brought forth; While as yet the earth and fields were not made,    nor the first clods of the world.

“When he established the heavens I was there,    when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; When he made firm the skies above,    when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; When he set for the sea its limit,    so that the waters should not transgress his command; Then was I beside him as his craftsman,    and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while,    playing on the surface of his earth;    and I found delight in the sons of men.”

OR: --------

First reading Sirach 24:1-2, 3-4, 8-12, 18-21 Mary, seat of Wisdom.

Wisdom sings her own praises and is honored in God,    before her own people she proclaims her glory; In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,    in the presence of his power she declares her worth.

“From the mouth of the Most High I came forth    the first-born before all creatures. I made that in the heavens there should arise    light that never fades    and mistlike covered the earth. In the highest heavens did I dwell,    my throne on a pillar of cloud.

“Then the Creator of all gave me his command,    and he who formed me chose the spot for my tent, Saying, ‘In Jacob make your dwelling,    in Israel your inheritance    and among my chosen put down your roots.’ Before all ages, in the beginning, he created me,    and through all ages I shall not cease to be. In the holy tent I ministered before him,    and in Zion I fixed my abode. Thus in the chosen city he has given me rest,    in Jerusalem is my domain. I have struck root among the glorious people,    in the portion of the LORD, his heritage    and in the company of the holy ones do I linger.

“Come to me, all you that yearn for me,    and be filled with my fruits; You will remember me as sweeter than honey,    better to have than the honeycomb    my memory is unto everlasting generations. Whoever eats of me will hunger still,    whoever drinks of me will thirst for more; Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,    whoever serves me will never fail.”

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 The virgin shall conceive and bear a son.

The LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel which means “God is with us.”

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 9:1-6 A son is given us.

The people who walked in darkness    have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom    a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy    and great rejoicing, As they rejoice before you as at the harvest,    as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them,    the pole on their shoulder, And the rod of their taskmaster    you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle,    every cloak rolled in blood,    will be burned as fuel for flames.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;    upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,    Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast    and forever peaceful, From David’s throne, and over his kingdom,    which he confirms and sustains By judgment and justice,    both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 61:9-11 I rejoice heartily in the Lord.

Thus says the LORD:

Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations,    and their offspring among the peoples; All who see them shall acknowledge them    as a race the LORD has blessed.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,    in my God is the joy of my soul; For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,    and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,    like a bride bedecked with her jewels. As the earth brings forth its plants,    and a garden makes its growth spring up, So will the Lord GOD make justice and praise    spring up before all the nations.

OR: --------

First reading Micah 5:1-4a Until the time when she who is to give birth has borne.

The LORD says:

You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,    too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me    one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old,    from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time    when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return    to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock    by the strength of the LORD,    in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness    shall reach to the ends of the earth;    he shall be peace.

OR: --------

First reading Zechariah 2:14-17 Rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,    and they shall be his people,    and he will dwell among you,    and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,    and he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!    for he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

-------- ________

EITHER: --------

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

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Judith 13:18bcde, 19

You are the highest honor of our race.

“Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,    above all the women on earth;    and blessed be the LORD God,    the creator of heaven and earth.”

You are the highest honor of our race.

“Your deed of hope will never be forgotten    by those who tell of the might of God.”

You are the highest honor of our race.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,    forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty;    for he is your lord, and you must worship him.

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters;    her raiment is threaded with spun gold. In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;    behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

They are borne in with gladness and joy;    they enter the palace of the king. The place of your fathers your sons shall have;    you shall make them princes through all the land.

Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,    praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD    both now and forever.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun    is the name of the LORD to be praised. High above all nations is the LORD;    above the heavens is his glory.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high    and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

He raises up the lowly from the dust;    from the dunghill he lifts up the poor To seat them with princes,    with the princes of his own people.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. or Alleluia.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,    my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed:    the Almighty has done great things for me    and holy is his Name.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“He has mercy on those who fear him    in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm,    he has scattered the proud in their conceit.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,    and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things,    and the rich he has sent away empty.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

“He has come to the help of his servant Israel    for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers,    to Abraham and his children for ever.”

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. or O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.

-------- ________

Gospel Acclamation see Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: see 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: see 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.”

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

[maudelebowski29]

My Top 10 Movies Of 2017

So this was hard because I saw a lot of good shit this year and I thought 2017 was a way better year for films than 2016. Here’s my list:

1. Baby Driver Is Edgar Wright capable of making a terrible movie? The answer so far has been a resounding no. The man who gave us The Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World continues his unstoppable streak as one of the best film makers of the 21st century and gives us a fantastic hybrid of heist movie and jukebox musical. Baby Driver is an excellent example of great character study, technical prowess, and scene geography. I adored every second of it. It also has the best soundtrack of the year. Oh, and a film that finally knows how to use Jon Hamm correctly!

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Are Wonder Woman, Logan, and Thor: Ragnarok technically better movies than this? Probably. But I don’t care. GOTG Vol. 2 is still my favorite comic book movie of 2017 and holds the most emotional resonance for me. It deals with themes of losing a parent, toxic fatherhood, and making a family of people who aren’t blood-related to you and it had many moments where I wept in a movie theater openly. It’s a tearjerking heartbreaker that still manages to deliver the laughs and satisfying space battles. I can’t wait to see what James Gunn has in store for us in Guardians 3.

3. Blade Runner 2049 Easily the best science fiction movie of 2017. Absolutely gorgeous to look at, fantastic performances all around (including one of the best roles Harrison Ford has had in many years) and manages to ask a lot of poignant questions about what it means to be human. There are things about it I like even more than the original and that’s saying a lot. Unfortunately this didn’t do well at the box office, but I hope more people do see it. Denis Villeneuve is one of the most gifted directors working today.

4. Thor: Ragnarok The best movie in the Thor trilogy, the most fun I had at a movie all year, and it has some subtle anti-colonialism messaging to boot. Marvel lets Taika Waititi loose on their product and he gave us a cosmic party adventure that wouldn’t look out of place in the Flash Gordon universe. It’s drenched in 80′s - the colors, the costume design, and Mark Mothersbaugh’s synthy score, but it doesn’t feel cynical like the upcoming Ready Player One. Also, hearing the term “devil’s anus” in a superhero movie will never not be funny to me.

5. I, Tonya Darkly funny, well acted, and an almost feminist call-to-arms to reevaluate Tonya Harding in the pop-culture landscape. This is a star-making turn for Margot Robbie and I hope she wins all the awards she can for it. We also see strong acting from Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Paul Walter Hauser, and Bobby Canavale. The cast is stellar. I only saw this a couple days ago as of typing this out and I can’t stop thinking about it.

6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi My favorite Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back. I loved The Force Awakens but you can’t deny it played it quite safe. This, on the other hand, does not. I love the weird, bold choices it makes in terms of storytelling and the Star Wars mythos, the characters, and the stunning visuals. Mark Hamill has never been better as Luke Skywalker and Rey, Kylo, Poe, and Finn continue to be fascinating. I also really loved Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, a fangirl who loves Finn but doesn’t shy away from pointing out his faults. Plus a lot of MRA and Reddit choads hated this movie which gives it a ringing endorsement, as far as I’m concerned. 

7. Logan Lucky Holy shit. A movie about working-class people that doesn’t condescend to them. Steven Soderbergh’s return to the director’s chair sees him going back to the well for a heist movie but I liked this way better than any of his Ocean’s films. Adam Driver’s quiet dignity as Clyde and Channing Tatum’s likable Jimmy make for a great duo. Though Daniel Craig steals the show as Joe Bang. He’s terrific. There’s a scene in this movie where a little girl sings “Country Roads” by John Denver at a beauty pageant and could have been corny as hell and laughable. But it’s not. It’s a show-stopper and an emotionally effective moment.

8. Get Out The best horror movie of the year. No contest. Smart and genuinely scary. It has a lot of intelligent and relevant commentary about race in America but never comes across as preachy and heavy-handed. The fact that this is Jordan Peele’s first time as a director is astonishing. Oh, and I will never look at a spoon tapping against a teacup the same way ever again. *shudders*

9. Logan So if you’re Fox what do you do with the X-Men franchise after the disappointment of Apocalypse? Why, you do a Wolverine solo movie, make it R-Rated, and turn the universe into a dystopian western. Nice. Logan isn’t for everyone - it’s violent and bloody as hell and there are no happy endings. But I fucking loved it. It’s certainly the best X-Men film since First Class. Dafne Keen is a revelation as Laura Kinney (X-23) and one of my favorite female characters in recent memory. When her claws came out the first time I literally squeed in the theater. Please give her her own movie as soon as possible. Logan is a fitting send-off to Hugh Jackman’s signature role.

10. War For The Planet Of The Apes The third entry in the second best trilogy of the 2010′s (the first being Captain America) is a different breed of summer blockbuster and one I hope to see more of. It’s thoughtful, ambitious, and emotionally devastating. The themes of slavery and genocide and the allusions to militias and the white power movement are pretty clear and it definitely puts you on the side of the apes. Andy Serkis is still amazing as Caesar and the motion capture used to create him is astoundingly realistic, Woody Harrelson is genuinely frightening as the main villain, and Amiah Miller as the mute Nova is one of the best child performances of the year. Oh, and that last shot is killer. I’m hoping they make more of these films, but if they don’t this is one hell of a finale.

Some honorable mentions: Spider-Man: Homecoming Huge thank you to Marvel Studios for saving our favorite webslinger from the awful Amazing Spider-Man franchise, two movies that turned Peter Parker into Edward Cullen from Twilight (ugh).

Wonder Woman After the cinematic wrongness of Man Of Steel, Batman v. Superman, and Suicide Squad (three of the worst big-budget movies of the decade that are not Transformers films), I had really low expectations for this one and was pleasantly surprised by how good this is. Three words: No Man’s Land.

IT Another film that surprised the hell out of me. A horror movie released in the beginning of September has no fucking right to be this good. But it is!

Dunkirk Christopher Nolan at the peak of his powers. This almost made my top 10 list for its technical acumen alone but it didn’t quite make the cut.

Atomic Blonde Probably the best pure action movie of the year. Is the plot convoluted as all hell? Sure. But it has Charlize Theron kicking major ass in well-choreographed fight scenes and making out with Sofia Boutella. What’s not to love?

[markvillacampa]

Week 39, 2020

NVIDIA to Acquire Arm for $40 Billion, Creating World’s Premier Computing Company for the Age of AI

NVIDIA - September 13, 2020 - 6 min

This purchase will deeply influence the future of computing. We probably won’t see the effects for 5-10 years.

Nvidia’s Integration Dreams

Stratechery by Ben Thompson - September 15, 2020 - 19 min

Great overview of the NVidia-ARM acquisition with historic and industry context.

SiFive hires Qualcomm exec as CEO for RISC-V alternatives to Nvidia-Arm

VentureBeat - September 17, 2020 - 5 min

RISC-V is an instruction set architecture, just like ARM, that companies can use to build chips. The biggest difference is price: while manufacturers need to pay royalties to ARM for using it’s architecture, RISC-V is completely free.

An update for our TikTok family

TikTok - September 20, 2020 - 3 min

The USA-TikTok saga is closer to an end:

“Both Oracle and Walmart will take part in a TikTok Global pre-IPO financing round in which they can take up to a 20% cumulative stake in the company. We will also maintain and expand the US as TikTok Global’s headquarters while bringing 25,000 jobs across the country.”

How a marked-up term sheet and messy rollout threw TikTok deal into disarray

Reuters - September 23, 2020 - 5 min

Some of the terms of the deal are not 100% clear yet:

“ByteDance said it would hold an 80% stake in TikTok Global itself, until it launches an initial public offering in the next twelve months, and that it would then gradually reduce its stake.”

“Oracle said on Monday that ByteDance would not have a stake in TikTok Global, and that it would be ByteDance’s investors who would be awarded the remaining 80% stake.”

Building YouTube Shorts, a new way to watch & create on YouTube

Youtube - 3 min

YouTube is launching their TikTok competitor, called Shorts.

Airtable raises $185M and launches new low-code and automation features

TechCrunch - September 14, 2020 - 5 min

“The spreadsheet-centric database and no-code platform Airtable today announced that it has raised a $185 million Series D funding round, putting the company at a $2.585 billion post-money valuation.”

The Billionaire Who Wanted To Die Broke… Is Now Officially Broke

Forbes - September 15, 2020 - 7 min

“It took decades, but Chuck Feeney, the former billionaire cofounder of retail giant Duty Free Shoppers has finally given all his money away to charity. He has nothing left now—and he couldn’t be happier.”

Delivery Hero strengthens its global footprint and acquires Glovo’s operations in Latin America

Delivery Hero - September 16, 2020 - 5 min

The deal is valued at €230M.

Will Smith and Airbnb team up so fans can now stay at the ‘Fresh Prince’ mansion

The Loop - September 14, 2020 - 4 min

Stripe Workers Who Relocate Get $20,000 Bonus and a Pay Cut

Bloomberg - September 15, 2020 - 3 min

A classic carrot and stick strategy. Relevant comic strip.

Opendoor, a Leading Digital Platform for Residential Real Estate, Announces Plans to Become Publicly-traded via Merger with Social Capital Hedosophia

Businesswire - September 15, 2020 - 11 min

“The transaction values Opendoor at an enterprise value of $4.8 billion, and is expected to provide up to $1.0 billion in cash proceeds”

Chamath launches SPAC, SPAC and SPAC as he SPACs the world with SPACs

TechCrunch - September 19, 2020 - 2 min

Chamath Palihapitiya is behind last year’s Virgin Galactic and now Opendoor’s SPACs. And he’s planning more.

Buffett-backed Snowflake’s value doubles in stock market’s largest software debut

Reuters - September 17, 2020 - 3 min

“Snowflake shares started trading at $245 apiece on Wednesday, more than double its $120 IPO price, and closed up 111% at $253.93 to value it at over $70 billion.”

Amp It Up!

Linkedin - May 13, 2018 - 17 min

This 2018 essay from the CEO of Snowflake’s reads like an alpha business bro parroting the same old startup advice down to Steve Jobs quotes. You will probably not learn anything new, but it serves as a good primer into the mind behind the biggest software IPO pop ever.

Uber backup driver charged in fatal 2018 self-driving car crash

The Verge - September 16, 2020 - 2 min

Uber is throwing under the bus the backup driver that was overseeing the self-driving car when it hit a cyclist.

The TinySeed Investment Thesis — TinySeed: The Startup Accelerator for Bootstrappers

TinySeed - 15 min

“We believe investing broadly into the earliest stages of the Independent SaaS market — specifically, the set of B2B SaaS companies who are not necessarily reliant on traditional venture capital — can provide venture returns with less than venture risk.”

Zwift, maker of a popular indoor training app, just landed a whopping $450 million in funding led by KKR

TechCrunch - September 16, 2020 - 3 min

The exercise-at-home market is booming, and this Peloton competitor is cashing in.

Affirm Raises $500M Series G Round

Affirm - September 17, 2020 - 2 min

The company, founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, offers a point-of-sale (POS), buy now, pay later (BNPL) service.

Klarna raises $650 million at a $10.6 billion valuation

TechCrunch - September 15, 2020 - 3 min

“Klarna’s main product is an alternative payment method on e-commerce platforms. It lets you buy now and pay later over three or four installments with 0% interest.”

Evernote’s CEO on the company’s long, tricky journey to fix itself

Protocol - September 16, 2020 - 10 min

Evernote’s CEO on how they had to undergo a 18-month deep code rewrite that was the root of many of the product’s longstanding issues. Technical debt is real and it can undermine your company. Now, they’ll try to take on note-taking newcomers like Roam and Notion.

Chime is now worth $14.5 billion, surging past Robinhood as the most valuable U.S. consumer fintech

CNBC - September 18, 2020 - 4 min

“In this latest round, a Series F that raised $485 million, Chime more than doubled its valuation from December and is worth almost 900% more than just 18 months ago, when it hit a $1.5 billion valuation.”

How does the laser technology in EUV lithography work?

Laser Focus World - August 29, 2019 - 12 min

There’s a new laser technology for semiconductor manufacturing that’s been in the making for quite a while but could signify a big leap in the industry.

The Era of Visual Studio Code

Roben Kleene - September 21, 2020 - 18 min

Great overview of the history of text editors and why Visual Studio might stay at the top for a while.

Nikola shows the tech hype cycle can’t stop worshipping founders

The Verge - September 25, 2020 - 7 min

The founder and CEO of electric truck company Nikola resigned after a report last week suggested the company has overstated the technological capabilities.

The company’s shares fell 33 percent in two weeks.

My semiconductor conspiracy theories

‌Aishwarya Nagarajan - September 20, 2020 - 8 min

The case for how a semiconductor fabrication company in Taiwan could spark the next world war.

How we used data to design modern record certification plaques

Sony Music Data and Insights - September 21, 2020 - 5 min

“Record labels regularly present their artists with recording certification plaques to celebrate milestones in the journey of a song or an album.”

Sony redesigns the record certification plaques for 2020 using data science.

Microsoft Pledges to Get Gaming Service on iPhones

Bloomberg - September 21, 2020 - 1 min

Following Apple’s AppStore rules, Microsoft said they’s bringing xCloud to iOS. We’ll see what the implementation finally looks like, as the rules estate each game needs to be submitted separately as an independent app.

Microsoft is acquiring Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax

The Verge - September 21, 2020 - 2 min

“Microsoft has agreed to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Doom and Fallout studio Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion in cash”

Zynga co-founder’s Playco is already a mobile gaming unicorn

TechCrunch - September 21, 2020 - 3 min

I’m always wary of startups with huge valuations pre-launch. Specially if it’s in the gaming industry where it’s virtually impossible to predict what users will like next.

QR codes bring helpful context to the Apple Store experience

9to5Mac - September 21, 2020 - 3 min

There’s a bigger pandemic trend of using QR codes to create contactless experiences. They mainly substitute shared pieces of printed text (e.g. restaurant menus) and, in this case, shared objects.

Gig Economy Company Launches Uber, But for Evicting People

Vice - September 21, 2020 - 6 min

“The website also featured a quote, attributed to The New York Times […] A search reveals this phrase hasn’t appeared in the Times. The company did not respond to requests for comment or a source for this quote, but the mention of the Times has since disappeared from its website.”

“At the time of writing, Civvl and OnQall did not return requests for comment, but did appear to block the author’s IP address from visiting OnQall.com. ”

This is what I call culture-market fit.

Creating Your Own Widgets: A New Category of Apps Emerges

Macstories - September 21, 2020 - 16 min

Since iOS 14 was launched, there’s been an outpouring of apps to customize your home screen, and videos to tech you how to. Turns out people like to customize the devices they use for most of the day.

On Widget Shaming – 512 Pixels

512 Pixels - September 23, 2020 - 2 min

On the other side, people are critiquing many peoples home screens as lacking “taste”. But taste is subjective.

Following TechCrunch reporting, Palantir rapidly removes language allowing founders to “unilaterally adjust their total voting power”

TechCrunch - September 21, 2020 - 2 min

“Palantir has now filed a sixth amendment with the SEC just a few hours after it filed its previous amendment, and the company has removed all references to this special mechanism from its SEC filing.”

Aston Martin reveals first racing simulator: The AMR-C01

Aston Martin - September 14, 2020 - 4 min

If you’ve always wanted to feel like James Bond while driving an Aston Martin from the comfort of your home, this is your opportunity. The experience can be yours for a mere $75k. But be quick, units are limited to 150.

Microsoft says it detected active attacks leveraging Zerologon vulnerability

ZDNet - September 24, 2020 - 2 min

The Zerologon vulnerability is one of the worst in recent times. Update your Windows machines.

Daniel Ek will invest over $1 billion in European moonshots

Protocol - September 24, 2020 - 1 min

More European startups success stories will hopefully help fuel 🤑 the European tech ecosystem.

Anduril among companies tapped to build the Air Force’s ‘internet of things’ for war

TechCrunch - September 24, 2020 - 3 min

The Ex-Oculus founder military drone company is among the ones chosen by the Air Force as supplier.

Also, “Internet of things for war” is dystopian AF.

How Twitter Survived Its Biggest Hack—and Plans to Stop the Next One

WIRED - September 24, 2020 - 14 min

The most surprising takeaway is many Twitter employees were not using physical 2-Factor authentication (using a physical USB key instead of a SMS or TOTP code).

Spotify, Epic, Tile, Match, and more are rallying developers against Apple’s App Store policies

The Verge - September 24, 2020 - 3 min

They’re calling themselves the Coalition for App Fairness, and their aim is to “create a level playing field for app businesses and give people freedom of choice on their devices.”

Ring’s newest security camera is a $249 autonomous indoor drone shipping in 2021

TechCrunch - September 24, 2020 - 4 min

Amazon announces new cloud gaming service called Luna

The Verge - September 24, 2020 - 3 min

Amazon is joining Google Stadia and Microsoft’s xCloud in the cloud gaming space.

Expanding to the US

Index Ventures

Index Ventures, one of the biggest VCs in Europe, is launching a guide for European startups to expand to the USA, based on experiences from some of the biggest success stories like Spotify.

Amazon disavows $500 “Prime Bike,” says it has no formal connection to the product

The Verge - September 23, 2020 - 2 min

Not even Amazon can police Amazon for Amazon counterfeit products.

Firefox usage is down 85% despite Mozilla’s top exec pay going up 400%

calpaterson.com - September 22, 2020 - 11 min

Journalists Are Leaving the Noisy Internet for Your Email Inbox

The New York Times - September 23, 2020 - 6 min

I wonder if Substack is simply subsidizing a few tens of creators to build momentum and absorb the long tail of writers that will not make a fulltime income in the platform but will increase their bottom line.

Twitter to start testing voice DMs

The Verge - September 23, 2020 - 1 min

▶ ◉──────── 02:37

Microsoft’s Edge browser is arriving on Linux in beta next month

The Verge - September 22, 2020 - 1 min

This is the first time a Microsoft browser will be officially supported in Linux.

Old television kept wiping out village’s broadband for 18 months

CNN - September 22, 2020 - 2 min

“For 18 months, residents of a village in Wales have been mystified as to why their broadband internet crashed every morning.”

“Now engineers have finally identified the reason: A second-hand television that emitted a signal that interfered with the connection.”

Russia wants to ban the use of secure protocols such as TLS 1.3, DoH, DoT, ESNI

ZDNet - September 22, 2020 - 3 min

Following in China’s steps. This is proof the latest security protocols work well to prevent espionage.

Recurring Revenue: The Rise of an Asset Class

Medium - September 21, 2020 - 15 min

Apple CEO Impressed by Remote Work, Sees Permanent Changes

Bloomberg - September 22, 2020 - 2 min

“Cook said he doesn’t believe Apple will “return to the way we were because we’ve found that there are some things that actually work really well virtually.””

Apple is unique among big tech companies in their adamant reject of remote work. But it looks like hell just froze over.

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for Thursday, September 17 of 2020 with Proverbs 17 and Psalm 17 accompanied by Psalm 90 for the 90th day of Summer and Psalm 111 for day 261 of the year

[Proverbs 17]

Better to gnaw on a bit of dry crust in peace

than to feast in a house full of stress.

A wise servant will be put in charge of a child who behaves badly

and will take a share of the inheritance like one of the family.

Silver is purified in the crucible, gold in the furnace,

but motives of the heart are judged by the Eternal.

Wrongdoers perk up when listening to gossip,

and liars lean in close to hear talk of mischief.

Anyone who makes fun of the poor disparages his Maker,

and those who celebrate another’s misfortune will not escape certain punishment.

Grandchildren are the crowning glory and ultimate delight of old age,

and parents are the pride of their children.

Elegant speech sounds odd when it comes from a fool,

and a lie on the lips of a leader is even more out of place!

A bribe is like an enchanting charm to one who counts on it—

everywhere he looks he sees the illusion of success.

Those who forgive faults foster love,

but those who repeatedly recall them ruin relationships.

A single correction makes a more lasting impression on one who is wise

than a hundred lashes do on a fool.

Evil people are determined to rebel,

and so a merciless messenger will chase them down.

Better to face a mother bear stripped of her cubs

than to encounter a fool caught up in his foolishness.

Those who repay good with evil

bring unrelenting trouble upon their families.

Picking a fight is like leaking water from a crack in a dam,

so walk away from an argument before the outburst.

Both of these deeply offend the Eternal:

one who acquits the guilty and one who condemns the innocent.

Even if fools had the means to obtain wisdom,

they would not be able to benefit from it.

A true friend loves regardless of the situation,

and a real brother exists to share the tough times.

Only a fool shakes hands on a deal

and guarantees repayment of someone else’s loan.

A person who loves sin loves a fight,

and one who builds a grand entrance dares others to tear it down.

Crooked-hearted people never recognize anything good,

and those who distort the truth court disaster.

Having a fool for a child is misery;

there is no joy in parenting a fool.

A joy-filled heart is curative balm,

but a broken spirit hurts all the way to the bone.

A wicked person accepts a bribe under the table

to derail the course of justice.

Those who understand look to wisdom for guidance,

but fools fasten their eyes on some distant horizon.

Foolish children irritate their fathers

and embitter their mothers.

Also know this: It is wrong to penalize those who do what is right

or to lash the noble because of their integrity.

Those with knowledge know when to be quiet,

and those with understanding know how to remain calm.

Even a fool who keeps quiet is considered wise,

for when he keeps his mouth shut, he appears clever.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 17 (The Voice)

[Psalm 17]

A David Prayer

Listen while I build my case, God,

the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear.

Show the world I’m innocent—

in your heart you know I am.

Go ahead, examine me from inside out,

surprise me in the middle of the night—

You’ll find I’m just what I say I am.

My words don’t run loose.

I’m not trying to get my way

in the world’s way.

I’m trying to get your way,

your Word’s way.

I’m staying on your trail;

I’m putting one foot

In front of the other.

I’m not giving up.

I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer.

So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp!

Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;

take in your frightened children who

Are running from the neighborhood bullies

straight to you.

Keep your eye on me;

hide me under your cool wing feathers

From the wicked who are out to get me,

from mortal enemies closing in.

Their hearts are hard as nails,

their mouths blast hot air.

They are after me, nipping my heels,

determined to bring me down,

Lions ready to rip me apart,

young lions poised to pounce.

Up, God: beard them! break them!

By your sword, free me from their clutches;

Barehanded, God, break these mortals,

these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today.

I’d like to see their bellies

swollen with famine food,

The weeds they’ve sown

harvested and baked into famine bread,

With second helpings for their children

and crusts for their babies to chew on.

And me? I plan on looking

you full in the face. When I get up,

I’ll see your full stature

and live heaven on earth.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 17 (The Message)

Book 4

The Numbers Psalms

Psalms of our pilgrimage on earth

God, the Eternal

[Psalm 90]

A Prayer of Moses, Man of God

God, it seems you’ve been our home forever;

long before the mountains were born,

Long before you brought earth itself to birth,

from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.

So don’t return us to mud, saying,

“Back to where you came from!”

Patience! You’ve got all the time in the world—whether

a thousand years or a day, it’s all the same to you.

Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,

no more than a blade of grass

That springs up gloriously with the rising sun

and is cut down without a second thought?

Your anger is far and away too much for us;

we’re at the end of our rope.

You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed

since we were children is entered in your books.

All we can remember is that frown on your face.

Is that all we’re ever going to get?

We live for seventy years or so

(with luck we might make it to eighty),

And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.

Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.

Who can make sense of such rage,

such anger against the very ones who fear you?

Oh! Teach us to live well!

Teach us to live wisely and well!

Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—

and treat your servants with kindness for a change.

Surprise us with love at daybreak;

then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.

Make up for the bad times with some good times;

we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.

Let your servants see what you’re best at—

the ways you rule and bless your children.

And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,

confirming the work that we do.

Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 90 (The Message)

[Psalm 111]

Hallelujah!

I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got—

Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.

God’s works are so great, worth

A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!

Splendor and beauty mark his craft;

His generosity never gives out.

His miracles are his memorial—

This God of Grace, this God of Love.

He gave food to those who fear him,

He remembered to keep his ancient promise.

He proved to his people that he could do what he said:

Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift!

He manufactures truth and justice;

All his products are guaranteed to last—

Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof.

All that he makes and does is honest and true:

He paid the ransom for his people,

He ordered his Covenant kept forever.

He’s so personal and holy, worthy of our respect.

The good life begins in the fear of God—

Do that and you’ll know the blessing of God.

His Hallelujah lasts forever!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 111 (The Message)

[bermudaroad]

Personal History:  Summer of ’91

My kids Walker Roe and Clayton, ages 18 and 20, his girlfriend Adrian and their friends Reed, Shelby and Trevor spent the covid spring and summer of 2020 hanging out together, swimming, kayaking, watching movies, lamenting their lost semester and generally not following recommended guidelines for social distancing. Clayton was able to continue work while the rest finished spring classes online, which was a total bummer.  With businesses and restaurants shuttered for quarantine, there hasn’t been much else to do.  Walker and Reed had internships lined up that were cancelled.  Adrian did some housecleaning and as soon as a few restaurants did open back up, she and Trevor, who both used to work at the pub, got part-time jobs.  Reed cuts grass. The rest of their time is spent mostly at leisure.  

In seeming unrelated news, Thomas, one of my oldest friends, became a grandfather last week.  Because of covid, no visitors could go into the hospital, so when the baby was born, the new dad held her up to the hospital window and the grandparents all held up posters and signs of congratulations outside.  It was shared on Facebook, so I sent Thomas a text.  I could tell from his response how giddy he was. They didn’t get to actually hold the new baby for three or four days.

The quarantine, my kids’ spring and summer getting derailed and Thomas becoming Pawpaw got me thinking about the summer after our first year of college, back in Many, the summer of 1991.  I spent that time mostly with a small group with whom I had been friends since first grade: Thomas, of course; Ginger who was home from school in Oklahoma, Jeff and Andy who, like Thomas and me had been going to Northwestern State, and Ginger’s brother Clay who had just finished 10th grade and had finally stopped being a complete jerk.  Sometimes there would be one or two others, but that was the core group. 

Except for Clay, we were 18/19 and had just got our first big kid jobs.  Thomas and Jeff went to work at the mill in Florien, Gin got a job at the radio station and I was tellering at Sabine State Bank. I can’t remember what Andy was doing, probably working for his grandpa, and Clay, who was 16 and fast growing into a giant of a man, tooled around in his truck and worked out at the gym.  We no longer had curfews and seldom felt the need to ask our parents for anything.

We were all single, too, which probably explains why our group was small and close.

Ginger had come home from Oklahoma unsettled.  The previous Christmas, she had appalled her family by getting engaged to her long-time boyfriend Nathen, the same person who had been fooling around with our other friend Jamie behind Ginger’s back for most of the time they were dating.  Ginger found out about it in the middle of our senior year which was pretty much wrecked after that, but she and Nate stayed together, even though neither was happy. Her parents had hoped that when she shipped out for Oklahoma and Nate left for LSU, things would fizzle between them, so their surprise engagement at Christmas 1990 was less than joyous. By February, Ginger had come to her senses. She mailed Nathen back his pitiful little ring and he decided to stay in Baton Rouge for the summer, thankfully bringing that awful drama to an end. Also, she had met someone new in Oklahoma.

Clay’s girlfriend Anna had broken up with him right after Prom.  She was a classy girl, also a friend of ours, and she returned the jewelry Clay had given her, which Ginger divided up with me. Thomas and Jeff had recently split with the girls they dated through and beyond high school. Andy was always single, even though he carried a torch for Jamie for years. They were funny, affable guys and great pals.

I was fractured, too. My first love Patrick and I had outgrown each other and he had broken up with me in the spring, which was for the best, but I missed him terribly.  He was already seeing someone else. I was on a mission to get over Patrick, lose the freshman 15 I had packed on and have fun with my friends – Thomas being chief mischief-maker and proponent of fun.  

Riding around town, “making a drag” as we called it, wasn’t for us anymore as we tried to avoid our old flames, which was hard to do in Many.  Most of our friends had significant others to absorb their spare time and several had jumped straight into adulthood, going to work in the oilfield, joining the military or getting married.  We, on the other hand, aside from work responsibilities, could do pretty much whatever we wanted.  

Often after work, we would meet up and go hang out somewhere on Toledo Bend, the long pier at Pendleton or my parents’ place down near Quiet Cove, to drink wine coolers and talk nonsense.  Weekends we went swimming at LaNan or San Miguel and a couple of times Andy drove his grandpa’s barge across the lake to the cliffs on the Texas side where kids used to shinny up a frayed rope as thick as my arm to the top of the bluff and jump off.  The boys listened to the Beasty Boys, N.W.A., Sir Mix-A-Lot and Color Me Bad (I wasn’t a big fan of any of it) and Ginger had discovered Garth Brooks. We went to our friends’ weddings, stayed out too late, crashed at each other’s houses, made it to work on time and irritated our parents.

There were some long serious talks, too, as we commiserated and sorted out our broken hearts. Clay even opened up about his lost love.  It was a bonding period for Clay and Ginger who had spent most of their childhood fighting, and for he and I as well.  

I hope my kids aren’t as stupid as we were and I’m eternally grateful that social media did not exist.  One night – I don’t know what go into us - we got a wild hair and vandalized a dumpster with spray paint.  Thomas and Jeff frequently made a contest of pitching empty beer bottles at road signs going 4/60 down the highway headed to the lake. Under a full July moon, Andy took us armadillo hunting at his grandpa’s farm.  Riding four-wheelers and armed with .22s and homemade pipe bombs, we crisscrossed the pasture in the moonlight firing at will in the humid night that was thick with recklessness.  Another time Thomas and I were headed to Natchitoches in his monster old Bronco when I told him I wanted to smoke a cigarette. Thomas habitually swiped packs of Marlboro Reds from the carton his dad kept on top of their fridge. He offered me a light and told me what to do.  And so it was that I smoked the inaugural cigarette – the very first one -- in the drive-thru at Maggio’s, coughing and turning green and reveling in my rebellion. I even remember the music we were listening to: a cassette single of “I Wanna Be with You” by Pretty Boy Floyd. I don’t know why that detail has stuck with me.

At some point, Jeff and Andy both noticed charms about Ginger that had never been obvious to them before.  This was typical of Andy but surprising for Jeff. Thomas and I were greatly amused. Jeff made the first move, asking Ginger on a date that Clay offered to chaperone.  They went to see “King Ralph,” and the rest of us chased them down at Hardee’s after the movie.  I remember gathering around Jeff’s white Dodge stepside in the parking lot and snickering because Gin was sitting next to him in the cab. We all knew it wasn’t going anywhere; it was just a lark.  It wasn’t long before Ginger’s beau from Oklahoma couldn’t stand the separation anymore and hauled it down to Louisiana for a visit, which is how I met Brent and was maid of honor at their wedding a year later.  

With Ginger unavailable, Andy turned his attention to me and was rebuffed again.  But he wasn’t too disappointed.

As summers do, it went by in a blink and in mid-August, it was time to get back to business.  Clay started two-a-days, Gin packed up for Oklahoma and I, who had starved myself down to a wafer, moved back to Natchitoches. Thomas and Jeff were supposed to commute together, but Jeff dropped out of school to work full-time.  Andy transferred to LSU.  Thomas fell in with my college buddies and we share those memories as well.  It wasn’t our last summer of fun – we had a few more in store before adulthood really caught up with us.

Now we are in our late 40s – the summer of our lives. Thomas and Jeff still work together. They are deacons in their church, volunteer coaches and planners of wholesome youth activities.  Ginger and Brent have been over in Nacogdoches for over 20 years and active in ministry in their community.  Andy married a girl from Baton Rouge and lives on his family’s farm.  Clay went on to play football at Louisiana Tech, but personal troubles have always dogged him, even unto today. I married a nice guy I met in journalism class and have lived in Natchitoches ever since. We have seen each other quite a bit over the years, most recently when Ginger and Clay’s dad died, an occasion marked by the same old sense of camaraderie, nostalgia and some measure of sadness.  

It’s been a strange year, this spring and summer of covid.  It’s nice to see Clayton and Walker spending quality time together.  Interestingly, during the pandemic, Walker and her college friends have been writing old-fashioned letters and mailing them to each other, a true novelty for them.

It brings to mind the contrasts between the now and then.  In 1991 we had no cell phones, no email, no Internet, no Netflix, no Twitter or Snapchat.  Our parents had no idea where we were or what we were up to most of the time.  We had to make plans and sometimes locate each other by that peculiar friend-radar teenagers used to have.  We could buy alcohol and never wore seatbelts. Most blessed of all, youthful indiscretions were not splashed all over the social media, although I do have some lake photos boxed up on a high shelf.  It seems like our freedom was much greater in many ways. Some things change and some things stay the same.

It’s hard to believe it was almost 30 years ago.  Summers always go by too fast.

[cagsun]

Notes about Japan

Oh, Japan, how to start writing about you? We came to visit for just 20 or a maximum of 25 days, depending on the coronavirus situation in South Korea and we ended up staying for more than 60 days. So far.

That is not much when you think about slow travelers or maybe war-time stranded soldiers (yes, I’m looking at you 7 years in Tibet) or refugees. In history there have been people who were left in much worse situations for a much longer time, that’s true.

But there’s a certain peculiar pain in not being able to pursue travel plans that you have been making for years, and burning 2 months of your time and savings on some other country just waiting to return to your homeland. There is much going on inside us there to talk about. I am not sure if I can cover that here, but let's try.

I persuaded myself that those dreams of traveling to Latin America won’t be happening soon, and so far it seems I am comfortable with it. Having traveled almost 4 months around Asia really helped with that. I feel a certain amount of satisfaction from traveling right now that I don’t feel like I need more of it. And also, I came to recognize that traveling can be used perfectly as a runaway tool. If you are unhappy with things in your life, travel is one of the best ways to run away from them, only to return to the same pains when the travel is over. There is so much that keeps you busy while traveling (planning trips, accommodation, learning about new places, getting to know people) you don’t really need to look inside. You can keep running away as long as you want. And you can even get addicted to that. Because it’s such a great way of running away, so much joy involved in it: you would feel happier than you could ever be in your daily life, so travel would feel like the ultimate rescue package. And you would employ it whenever life feels unbearable again. To me this is the sad truth about traveling, and why so many people seem to love traveling so much.

Maybe I’m now aware I can’t run away anymore. Maybe it’s time I need to come to terms with life as is, otherwise, my whole life will be a matter of running away from things. And that’s not what I want with my life, that I know. I now know that I need to consistently invest in certain things (people, expertise, hobbies, etc.) so that I can get deep in things and leave marks that don’t happen so easily & quickly. That is something I’ll need to remember for the rest of my life. Things may be painful, life might feel miserable, but I need to find my way of dealing with it, one way or another. This is my ultimate take away from traveling. And funnily enough, these thoughts didn’t appear to me while traveling.

It happened when we actually stopped traveling due to coronavirus and finally I had the time to think about things. That is why I think if you are after enlightenment, maybe what you need to do is stop moving, and stop searching. Stay where you are, stay with your thoughts and be courageous enough to listen to them. Maybe something is shouting inside you waiting to be heard. As Nuri Bilge Ceylan once said, a new place doesn’t create a new person.

Sorry Japan, I got quite sidetracked there. Talking about you, there is so much to say, and at the same time, it feels like there's nothing really worth saying since they had been said so many times before. Japan amazed us in so many different ways. From the moment we landed, until today, there was something surprising all the time if you were ready to see. I remember when we landed, the first evening we went to Akihabara. I wrote it in my blog post for that day, it was unbelievably interesting for me. I don’t know if I’ve seen anything that was pulling me more in that place. All those gadgets, stores of interesting things, games, cultural content... Heaven for a geek.

And from that beginning until today, there have been constantly things that would grab my attention, and creating some kind of desire in me. Many times with a commercial demand, but still the variety of things, the way they are presented, it’s very intriguing. I may say the Japanese are good at design. Things look beautiful as a default. Both natural things and man-made as well. They have a pixel-perfect way of dealing with and shaping nature as well. In their gardens, you can see they don’t have tolerance for lack of beauty but in contrast, they try to create imperfection intentionally. That may be one of many inconsistencies in Japanese culture, but I don’t feel equipped enough to write about Japanese culture. Because I can see it goes very deep, but I haven’t been able to dig deep. That is primarily due to communication difficulties. The number of people we could have a decent English conversation in Japan hasn’t been more than a handful. That is very unfortunate because there is so much to ask here, so much curiosity in me that I couldn’t find a response to, I gave up after a while with my desire to learn more.

That is also due to the fact that we had a very intense travel around Japan. With our 14-day rail pass, we have seen more than 10 cities and tried to really cover those places with respect so we really had days of running from place to place. I wouldn’t do it that way if I knew we would have 60days or 80days here rather than 20.

Coming back to my point, this intense traveling made me tired quite quickly, and my desire to learn more disappeared since there was soooo so much to learn, and I basically didn’t have that much energy or capacity to learn so much in such a short time. And that habit continued after we got stranded and we had so much extra time here.

What else are they good at? They are definitely good at technology but that’s not news. What surprised me more is that they are so good at machinery and electronics combined with mechanics. I mean, I knew they were good at robotics but until I came here I didn’t recognize they have so many car brands, construction vehicles, precision trains, precision machines, elevators, etc. They are also good at building, controlling nature, controlling water, etc. One good example is the toilets. Just by looking at their toilets, you can say so much about Japanese culture -and all cultures in that respect- Japanese are the ones that took the concept of comfort in a toilet to an extreme. That deserves a post on its own but its highlights are: It can direct water to your preferred body part with the pressure of your preference, its seat is heated, it can play music for privacy and it has an electronically controlled flush. After seeing things like this, things that the whole world uses, and in Japan, you have a version of it that is clearly much better, you get to respect the country naturally. And these things don’t come to an end, which is great news. I saw a signage on the stairway that’s much better than anything I have seen, the showers are also better than anything in the rest of the world, their public baths ( wait, is there a trend here? ) their paper, pens and notebooks (or stationary in general) their rice, and rice makers, their speakers, and HiFi culture, their cameras, their fonts, their signages, sex toys, traffic lights... You name it.

And also their homes. I don’t think you can conclude that they are absolutely better but for me, there are certain things that should have been present in the rest of the world and I don’t know why it doesn’t. Like the tatamis and the futons, and showers and toilets for sure.

Since we came, I started to grow the feeling that from now on I would prefer the Japanese version of anything that I need, if that’s available from a Japanese manufacturer. It seems it’s very well thought over and manufactured with precision. It’s apparent that it’s usually engineering-driven thus complex in usability but it still feels sophisticated, and society has learned to cope with this complexity somehow. Their maps are a good example of this. The metro maps were driving us crazy, and somehow for the Japanese this is manageable. We were wondering if this is due to their extended ability to recognise visual things. I'm I mean, whoever can read and write that alphabet is worthy of a gold medal.

And this is only the material side of things. In Japanese people, we found one of the most welcoming, and probably the kindest hearts of all we’ve seen. They are calm, understanding, and emphatic despite whatever difficulty the situation may have. They are so good with technology and live a life surrounded by it, but they definitely haven’t lost their humanity. We had been through an event that shows the reality of this, more details on that in another post. But you don’t need to go through much to see this. They are especially nice with visitors and just happy to see you around, you meet people smiling or trying to help.

We actually came across some people who were volunteering to help guests. One was an old man, in front of the train station in Hiroshima. He had a neon yellow life jacket which said "volunteer". He was trying to help foreigners, so he approached us seeing that we were looking at our phones in the middle of the street. Although we knew where we were going, we still asked him and he showed us the place, feeling the pleasure of being helpful. I came across some people, who cheered us with their drinks while I was just looking inside the place, to see if it was nice inside. I was surprised because I didn’t have a drink to respond to their gesture, but exchanging smiles was enough.

I wish we had the chance to find deeper into the roots of Japanese culture. We had tried our best, maybe not while intense traveling, but we stayed with a family in Okinawa for instance, and we definitely have a better idea of family life after our experience with them. We also watched several movies, and read a good book ‘a geek in Japan’, which we borrowed from the Cervantes Institute in Tokyo.

After all these days, I feel like I have a decent understanding of Japan. Not quite enough, but I’m sure I’d need years before I’d feel it is enough.

In the end, we are just travelers passing by. To get deeper, you have to stop, and take the time to get clearer, deeper and sometimes better.

[kauriart]

Journals of CSR  Chapter 4 - The Commander

A Dragon Age Fic | Cullen x f!Lavellan | Read it on AO3

Cullen sits at his desk, running the tips of his fingers lightly over the last weeks worth of journal entries. Everything since arriving at Haven. Stolen moments, interrupted thoughts. Bits of his soul scattered across the page.

A handful in all. The accounts have been brief since the attack on the Conclave. Growing briefer as the magnitude of the trouble became clear. He’d managed a full sentence yesterday, before practically collapsing atop his journal. Wrung out with exhaustion. Swallowed by past failures. Choked by fading hope.

Day 14 Reports have been pouring in, or, stuttering in -- I suspect the supply lines have been compromised. Leliana seems tense, and even she can make no sense of what they suggest. Demons. Scattered across the countryside. We’ve no idea yet how they got there. I suspect the lack of proper circles has something to do with the matter. 

There’s been no reports yet of abominations. But it is only a matter of time. Josephine insists that I remain positive.

I should thank the Maker for small favors, but I find it difficult to see the Maker’s hand in this terror. Cassandra asked me to keep faith. Her resolve is unshakable. She is everything I am not. I strive to follow her example.

Leliana fell asleep at the Chantry. She and Josephine have been--

Day 15 Demons.

How did this happen?

At least there is something to fight now. I prefer this to striking at shadows. Anything you can swing a sword at, seems less impossible to manage.

It would be easier with the lyrium, though.     -- CSR

Day 16 Andraste watch over us all. A Pride Demon’s been sighted near--

Day 17 I do not know who started the rumor.

Yesterday’s entry.

Cullen stares down at the words, tapping a clean, dry quill at the edge of his journal. His brow furrows.

He barely remembers writing it. He’d gone to bed so late it had been nearly dawn. Wrapped in the scent of Elfroot. Nerves still jangling with the aftershocks of battle. Exhaustion, and adrenaline, and lust, tangling with the spikes of pain. He’d been certain sleep would elude him for some time, and yet…

He sighs, and dips his quill.

Day 18 The stability of the Inquisition -- a fledgling organization by any definition of the word -- has deteriorated rapidly. Much of our supplies, food, and medicines, (even common tools, and textiles) have been distributed to the nearby villages. The supply trains that were previously established have been delayed, mostly due to the condition of the roads, or lack thereof. Those not destroyed by the explosion, or the fighting, have eroded in the face of cowardice and uncertainty. The influx of recruits -- generously described as, a trickle -- has ceased entirely. And there has been a rash of desertions.

Our army is in danger of being downgraded to a mere gaggle.

Yet for all our lack, and losses, we have acquired a savior, of a sort.

Surely the Maker’s Chosen tips the scales more heavily in our favor than sacks of grain, or potions, or blankets, or supply trains. Or not nearly enough competent fighting men.

Clearly, my struggle with gratitude continues.

I know the power of words. Have seen words whispered in doorways and shadowed corners, and watched them fly, trampling armies, and alighting revolutions. Even Hawke was a whisper as much as he was a man. But it took the Champion nearly four years to gain his title. The Herald of Andraste -- as Cassandra’s prisoner is being called -- has been raised up from nothing in two scant days.

Even the ascension of Andraste herself was not so swift.

Josephine insists that nobility and common folk alike will rally around a hero, since one has miraculously manifested. I cannot say that she is wrong. However, this Herald is an Elf, a Mage, and uncommonly pretty.

Cullen’s quill stutters to an abrupt halt.

He frowns down at the page and re-reads the last sentence. Twice.

“Maker’s Breath.”

Absurd. He is absurd. Cullen sets his quill down entirely, and tangles his hands in his hair, breathing heavily through his nose. He drags the tips of his fingers hard against his skull, trying to stimulate his brain into being less… abysmal. He can feel himself flushing, and sends a brief prayer of gratitude to the Maker that he writes in the solitude of his cabin, and not at the makeshift field office near Haven’s gate.

He reaches crosses it out. Over, and over, and over again, until nothing remains of his unprofessional, and irrelevant observation.

-- uncommonly powerful. [He writes instead.]

Terrifyingly so.

Whatever magic had been tearing her apart has subsided, or so Solas assures us. He acquitted himself well in the battle, from what I recall. The more uncontrolled displays of magic, came from the Herald herself. She did close the rip tearhorrifying demon portal whatever it was.

I suppose she has earned our thanks, if not our trust. Though, there is still the Breach.

I have been getting headaches.

I have been getting headaches.

I have been getting headaches.

It is a selfish, insignificant trouble. Far outweighed by everything else that has happened. Still, I feel compelled to document the effects of lyrium withdrawal, or what might be lyrium withdrawal, as I have been unable to find any other reliable sources on the matter.

I cannot say if the headaches are due to lack of lyrium, lack of sleep, or stress. Surely, there has been little of the former, and an abundance of the latter. But they have been building, like thunder on the horizon, and it seems remiss of me not to address them. So I have.       -- CSR

--

The War Room is as it has ever been. Grim. And entirely all business.

“How is she?” Cassandra asks when they all arrive. No need to ask who is meant by she.

“The same.” Leliana admits. “The mark on her hand remains stable. But she is still unconscious.”

“Yet still her fame grows.” Josephine adds. “The nobles whose correspondence has managed to get through seem surprisingly... unalarmed by our Elven Mage.”

“It is the same with the troops.” Cullen frowns, hand resting on the pommel of his sword. “Though in their case, I think it is more gratitude than a true lack of concern. The number of our soldiers lives she saved by closing that rift is… incalculable. Still. I would feel better if we knew more about her.”

“We’ve learned very little.” Leliana admits, crossing her arms, and glaring at the -- rather slender -- packet of papers before her. “Dalish born. Mage. Sent to the circle at Markham, in the Free Marches. Escaped a few years later, shortly before the circles fell. Has been living as an Apostate since then.” She sighs, fingers light against the parchment. “We’ve still no idea why she was sent to the Conclave, or by whom.”

Markham.

Cullen’s frown deepens. “Markham’s reputation is --”

“Well earned.” Cassandra asserts. “Though it was one of the last of the Circles to fall at the start of the war, so I cannot give credence to all the rumors.”

“Markham’s records were destroyed or damaged when the Circle did fall. So much of what it was or wasn’t may remain a mystery. But, if there is anything to be found of our Herald, my people will find it.” Leliana says firmly.

Our Herald.

A strained and uneasy silence falls over the War Table. Cassandra and Cullen share a brief, uneasy look.

“So,” Josephine’s voice is soft, and hesitant. “You believe?”

“I do.” Leliana says simply, tapping her papers back into a neat stack. She does not elaborate further.

“And you Cassandra?” Josephine asks.

“I…” Cassandra shakes her head, as if in denial, a furious scowl on her face. But she fists the hand on the tabletop, and says, “You were not there Josephine. The things she did… the things she can do… I do not know if she is Andraste’s Herald, but she has been touched by the Maker, that much I am certain of.”

Cullen feels that odd little urge to agree, and has to stop himself from nodding automatically. And yet… Seekers themselves are guided by the Maker’s hand. Surely Cassandra, of all people, would be able to see His will at work.

Still. He is not a Templar. And this Herald --

“Cullen?” Leliana interrupts. “You fought beside her at the Temple. What is your opinion?”

“Cassandra is likely right.” He frowns. “She -- the Herald and I -- have not even spoken.” “Your assessment, then.” The spymaster presses.

Uncommonly pretty. He thinks, closing his eyes. Storm powers. Hesitates between casts. Favors her right hand. Unreliable magic.

“She’ll run.” He says, instead. “First chance she gets. She’s an apostate.” He elaborates to the surprised faces around him. “The cost of fleeing a Circle high. Mages are often killed during recapture. If they are returned, they are considered for the Rite of Tranquility.” He touches the War Table with the tips of his fingers, almost gingerly. “The head of our Inquisition is made of up of the two of the highest ranking members of the Chantry, a former Templar, and a member of the nobility. She’s no reason to want to stay with us. And we’ve no hold over her, to force her to. It’s --” He shrugs, almost apologetically. “You can always tell the one’s who’ll run.”

Cassandra makes a noncommittal sound, but the line of her mouth thins out. “Then we must pray that we can convince her to stay. There are reports of more rifts."

“Two yesterday, another five today.” Leliana confirms. “From what we can tell, they are all like the one at the Temple.”

Cullen swears under his breath, though the news is not unexpected.

The second half of the council is nearly as bad of the first. There are shortages of nearly everything. Complications at every turn. Several soldiers abandoned one of the mass pyres they were forced to light, to deal with the dead villagers. Nearly an acre of timber was destroyed, along with a valuable sawmill, before they were able to quell the blaze.

Josephine reports that the Marquis du Rellio, one of the few nobles not taken in by the Herald, is demanding to inspect the Divine’s official writ for the use of Haven, or, failing that, for the Inquisition to quit the village entirely. And unfortunately, Justina’s written orders were destroyed at the Conclave.

“Coward.” Cullen growls. “Fool. We ought to do as he says. See how he fares against whatever demons still lurk on the mountainside, without the last remaining force this side of the Frostbacks.”

“Or we could simply dispatch the Marquis.” Leliana snorts. “Surely his heirs would be more… welcoming.”

“Leliana,” Josephine gives the seneschal a level, unamused gaze, “it has only been two hours since you last suggested that we murder someone.”

“It would save us a great deal of paperwork.” Leliana shrugs with one shoulder. An entirely Orlesian gesture.

“In fact, it would not.” Josephine sighs. “I will deal with the Marquis, and the paperwork. You refrain from murder, at least until after dinner.”

The council disbands, and Cullen lingers, rubbing the back of his neck to ease the knots that have formed from hunching over the map. They’d pinned a sheet of parchment to the table, outlining the devastation from the destruction of the conclave. It sits atop the map like a burn mark, a stain leaning against the foothills of the Frostbacks, a mere handbreadth away from Haven.

“It might have been worse, if not for the Herald, you know.” Leliana says softly. The others have left, and they are alone. She touches the map, almost reverently. “Cassandra might be wrong. It is just as likely that she tempered the destruction, as caused it.”

“It’s hardly worth convincing me.” Cullen says with an amused sound. “For better, or for worse, no one sees her as the villain any longer. Except Cassandra.” He adds for strict accuracy.

Leliana is quiet for a moment. “Cassandra grieves in her own way.”

“My condolences.” Cullen offers, softly. “I have not had the opportunity to ask… the Divine… How… Are you alright?”

“You and Cassandra were delayed by the storms.” She says, voice strangely even. “I lingered at Haven of my own choosing.”

Cullen nods. Guilt, is grief’s dearest companion, after all. “It is no doubt a waste of breath to tell you, that if you had gone to the Conclave, you’d likely be dead. The Divine was not unguarded. And, Left Hand or no, there is nothing you could have done to prevent such an catastrophe.”

Leliana meets his gaze, eyes raw and ringed with red. “I would not have tried to prevent it, Commander. I simply would have gotten Justinia out.” She looks down at the black spot  map, at the harsh reminder of the destruction. “You disagree?”

Cullen frowns. “I’m thinking I would have made a very poor hand of the Divine, indeed. I could not have left all those people to die.”

She look she gives him is flat, but it glimmers faintly with amusement. “Has anyone told you that you are terrible at offering comfort?”

“No.” He says, “But I am. I’m sorry. And… I am sorry. Truly.”

They fall silent a moment before Leliana asks, “How is your arm, Cullen?”

It’s an abrupt change of topic, but he seizes upon it, instantly.

“Better. Thank you for your concern.” He touches the injury automatically, still heavily padded, and throbbing beneath his tunic. His shield had shattered when he’d fought the Pride Demon. Steel shards had sliced into his forearm, nearly to the bone.

She makes a thoughtful noise. “You ought to have Solas see to it. I know you didn’t take the Elfroot potion Josephine procured for you.”

He grunts, amused. “Tell your spies that one of my soldiers will walk with a limp, instead of never walking at all.”

“Solas.” She insists. “Then my spies will have no cause to worry.”

Cullen sighs, and stares back down at the map, grinding his teeth in indecision. He’d ordered one of his own Lieutenants to seek healing the day before -- the man was a Templar recruit who hadn’t managed to take his vows before the Circles fell. Fresh-faced and nearly squeaky with newness, he’d sneered at the idea of seeking help from a Mage -- do not Templars hold themselves above their charges -- and in return, Cullen had given him a blistering lecture about the purpose of the Inquisition, and battle readiness taking priority above all else in times such as these.

He does not, naturally, hold himself above following his own advice.

Still…

When he excuses himself from the war room, he finds himself meandering through the upper tiers of Haven, skirting around, but never quite making it to, the tiny storage-shed-turned-cabin they’d assigned to the Apostate. The other Apostate.

“Coward.” He mutters to himself. “Fool.” And, marshaling his courage -- or his sense of recklessness -- marches purposefully towards the cabin. He knocks sharply at Solas’ door, still hoping to find the Mage without. But the Elf’s steady voice bids him enter, and so he does.

The cabin is small, and dark, and odd-smelling. The little table in the corner is so crammed full of bundles of herbs, that he wonders if the apothecary uses it as a storehouse. The chair on the other side of the room is piled with books. A row of lit, and half-burned candles -- clearly lifted from the chantry -- line the small headboard. Solas himself is seated on the bed, comparing a long, leafy plant with a sketch in an oversized, decrepit looking tome.

“Commander Cullen.” He looks up. “Your arm?”

Cullen nods, a frown already pinching between his brows. He has to steel himself not to draw away from Solas when he reaches out, laying a long-fingered hand on Cullen’s arm. He feels an exploratory pulse of magic shiver through his limb. It’s not an unpleasant feeling in and of itself, but it sets his teeth on edge. “If… if it’s no bother.”

Solas gestures to the bed. “You’ll need to remove the bandages, if you can.”

He’ll have to practically strip to the waist to do that.

Cullen silently curses, but pulls off his gloves and begins to unbuckled his vambrace and breastplate. Every hair on the back of neck stands on end, as he removes his armor, piece by piece, until he is in his shirtsleeves. Alone, and unarmored with a known apostate. Words like death wish and unconscionably foolish float around in his mind. They sound unsettlingly as though they are spoken in Meredith’s voice.

The Mage tactfully keeps his back turned while Cullen undresses. Busying himself with setting his tiny workspace to right.

Cullen carefully rolls up the sleeve of his tunic. There are hundreds of things he’d rather be doing, he nearly stands and see himself out, but just then, there’s a brief, frantic knock, and the door to Solas’ tiny cabin bursts open. The Herald rushes in, door shutting behind her with such force, that three of the candles extinguish.

Cullen scrambles to his feet, half-relieved, half-alarmed. “You’re awake.” He says, inanely.

She looks as wrong-footed as he feels, and rather worse for wear. She’s noticeably thinner, and there are deep circles beneath her eyes and a sharp crease between her brows. “You.” She says breathlessly, going utterly still for a heartbeat. She glances at Solas, but her eyes keep sliding back to Cullen as if torn between the pair of them.

“I…” She hesitates a moment longer before turning to the other Mage, and presenting her marked hand, palm up as if in supplication. “Take it.” She says without preamble. “You have to take it.” The panic in her voice is clear.

Solas’ lips thin out at her request. Cullen can see him grinding his teeth, the small movements making the muscles in his jaw leap. “If I was able…”

“Please, you have to.” She repeats, desperately. “I can’t… and Varric said --”

“I tried.” Solas admits quietly, gently folding the fingers of her hand closed. Little erratic sparks of magic flutter between their closed fists. “Believe me.”

Her fingers tighten around Solas’, but her gaze doesn’t waver. “Can… can you remove it without magic, then? Cut it out?” She asks, voice low. “Off?”

Cullen sucks in a low, shocked breath, and Solas meets his gaze briefly over the top of her head.

“I can’t have this in me.” She insists, her gaze is hard and focused, on the near-side of crazed. “I can’t. Please.”

The other Elf lets out a small sigh, and traces a line with his finger halfway up her bare forearm. Presumably, where he’d make the cut. “The magic that made this is… old, and complex. It will very likely kill you, if I tried to remove it by force. And even then…” Solas pulls his hands back with a small shake of his head. “I am sorry.”

She nods, mutely, backing away, fisting her marked hand against her abdomen, as if trying to staunch a mortal wound. Her eyes dart around the room, wide, and blank. Cullen can see the tide of panic well within her. Sees her try to swallow it down, teeth clenched. Her expression hardens a little, and for a moment she seems almost resigned, but then, all at once, everything cracks.

She falls to her knees. Folds in on herself. Presses her hands over her face, as though trying to physically stave off the the tears, but it’s too much to contain. Grief and terror simply pour out of her. The mark on her hands flares erratically, bathing the tiny room in harsh green light. Cullen flinches, expecting screams of agony, but there are only the soft sounds of someone’s heart breaking wide open.

It is far, far worse.

Cullen’s hand twitches, fingers reaching towards the figure upon the floor. Someone should… But not him…

He glances at the other Elf.

Solas’ features are absolutely rigid. The light from the mark catches in the hollow of his eyes, and for a moment he’s nearly skeletal. Ragged, and empty. He looks ancient somehow. Brittle. Worn. His head tilts, just slightly, jaw clenching. It's the only way he acknowledges the woman keening at his feet.

The Herald makes little noise as she weeps, though her shoulders shake with the force of her sobs. Cullen kneels slowly beside her, carefully adjusting his sword belt so he doesn’t stab either of them. He glances nervously at Solas, but the Elf is still being no help at all. So he reaches forward, and awkwardly pats at the Herald’s forehead. “It’s alright.”

She startles at his touch. Pale blue eyes wide, and watery. He starts to pull back, a stilted apology already forming at his lips, when she leans into his hand. Breath catching on a tiny sigh.

All the air in his lungs comes out in a startled rush, and he leans in a little too, stroking the tangled hair off her brow.

“I’m sorry.” He offers hoarsely, then grimaces.

Rutherford, you are terrible at this.

“I--” Hesitation. Then the dam breaks again. Her expression crumples, weight shifting towards him, and all at once she’s in his arms. Sobbing, face pressed into the curve of his shoulder. His arms tighten around her instinctively, but he’s not sure what he should do, or say. He glances at Solas for some sort of intervention, but the Apostate remains still.

“I’m sorry.” He says again. It is better than nothing. Barely. But it is all he can say.

She tangles fistfuls of his tunic in her hands, trembling. The sound of her cries ebb and flow, broken by the breathless catches in her breathing. Cullen holds on, and tries to remember to make soothing noises. He has no experience with this -- has never held anyone dissolving in tears before. But he thinks of the kennel master he knew in Honnleath, a tall man, strong, and whipcord thin, and remembers watching him soothe an agitated mabari bitch struggling to birth. Owens, had been the man’s name. And Cullen remembers how he’d held on, arms strong, yet gentle, and stroked the mabari’s flank as she whined and whimpered.

“There, now...” Cullen says, running his hand lightly down the Herald’s arm. “It’s going to be alright.” He whispers quietly. “I’m here. You’re not alone.”

His back aches, and he leg is falling asleep, but he doesn’t let go. He’s not sure how long they sit as they do, crouched on the floor of Solas’ cabin, his arms folded around the Herald, muttering softly into her ear. But after a time he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“She’s asleep.” Solas remarks quietly.

She is. The terror and grief having burned through whatever internal reserves she’d managed to restore.

Cullen moves slowly, careful not to wake her. She stirs, briefly, the hand in his tunic tightens for a moment, and he feels… well, he feels rather foolish, and he can tell the tips of his ears are glowing pink. She’s heavy and warm in his arms, and completely wrung out. He shifts from foot to foot, trying to adjust her so she’s less awkward in his arms. “I should take her back to her cabin.”  He says, voice low. “I’ll… I’ll send someone to collect my things.”

Solas nods, and helps him to the door.

Once outside, Cullen pointedly ignores any attention they draw, taking the shortest path back towards her cabin. He hopes whatever rumors this act inspires is a boost to morale, and doesn’t merely become fodder for one of Varric’s ridiculous stories. He’s practically at Haven’s center, where the Dwarf is ever so casually positioned to soak in the Inquisitions atmosphere, when he feels the Herald stir against him.

The dark sweep of her eyelashes flutter open, and she shifts a little in his arms, body going rigid for a moment, before settling. Her marked palm rests against his shoulder, the magic caught inside it, flashes erratically. He flinches away a little, remembering the torrents of raw, uncontrolled power she’d wielded.

“Does it hurt?” He asks, frowning.

“No… not anymore.”  Her voice is soft, and thick, heavily creased with exhaustion. “It’s… just warm, and… see?” She presses her marked hand against his chest, just over his heart.

He takes a startled breath, steps faltering.

It is warm. Alarmingly so. Like a tiny furnace nestled in her palm. And it… throbs. A heartbeat. A tiny, shockwave of power rippling across her skin. It’s disquieting. Makes every hair on the back of his neck stand up. This close he can smell the magic within her. The scent of lightning under her skin. Like ozone and warped metal.

Worst of all, the strangeness of the magic calls to the lyrium wrapped ‘round his bones. He can feel it plucking at him, trying to stir something within. It’s an unpleasant sensation, just this side of actual pain. Like pressing your thumb against the edge of a dull blade. A lingering sense of danger.

“Yes.” He croaks, then clears his throat, fighting for composure. “I see.”

If the Herald notices his discomfit, she doesn't say so, simply lets her head drop back to his shoulder with a heavy thump. “I don’t like it.” She says after a moment, voice tremulous. She tucks her face against him, a little. As though trying to hide any tears that may be welling.

He nods, agreeing. But honesty compels him to add: “I do not know what we would have done without it. Our soldiers… the rift. For what it is worth… thank you.”

She says nothing, but the breath gusts out of her on a sigh. He can feel it, a breath of air against the bare skin of his neck. Warm, and close. He can almost feel her lips against him. It makes him stumble, just a little, and her hands tighten against him.

And if he feels the heavy thud of his heart in his chest, it is all the fault of the mark in her hand.

By the time they reach the tiny cabin where she’s been quartered she is asleep once again. There is little in the room, just a bed and the sour smell of elfroot. He lays her carefully across the quilt, and wonders absurdly if he ought to remove her boots. But the thought of undressing her, even a little…

“Maker’s Breath.” He mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

In the end he simply flips the edge of the quilt up over her. Leaves word with one of the aides who miraculously appears just outside the Herald’s cabin. Then he walks, very calmly back to his own little cabin on the other side of Haven. Sits at his desk, ignoring the untidy pile of letters littering the surface, and buries his head in his hands, where the scent of lightning lingers still.

--

The Herald sleeps on and off, for two more days. Solas tends to her, and assures them all it is merely exhaustion. But Cullen knows it is more than just fatigue. It is the thing on her hand. Shoving around. Making space for itself inside her. He can only hope it is not too greedy. When she wakes, she wakes to a new world.

She is the maleficar who destroyed the conclave, no longer. Instead she is Andraste’s own Herald, with the might of the Maker in her fist. And she is miserable.

Skittish.

That is the word that sticks in his mind whenever he thinks of her. Whenever he sees her. A glimpse, caught here and there. The shape of her beside Varric’s fire as he breezes past, en route to the training field. The flutter of her long, dark hair as she lingers at the doorway of Solas’ cabin. The Dwarf and the other Mage are the only ones she seems to speak to, and it is another two days before she agrees to stand before the council.

Now he wishes they had waited longer.

Her appearance is much improved. The dark circles beneath her eyes have faded a bit, and she’s lost the most ragged of her edges, and that disquieting sense of being consumed from within. She looks pale, but perhaps she just is pale. Her eyes dart around the room as though she’s not sure where she’s supposed to look.

A Mage, cornered. Cullen finds it difficult to keep his hand off the pommel of his sword.

Cassandra says nothing, but the corners of her mouth are tight. Lips pursed, as if it is the only other expression she can manage, save a scowl.

Josephine, at least, smiles. “Herald. We are --”

Something flickers behind those pale blue eyes. “I’m leaving.” She says, quietly.

He meets Cassandra’s sharp and disappointed gaze. He had warned them.

“Why?” Leliana asks. Her voice is uncharacteristically gentle.

“You said I’m not a prisoner.” The Herald reminds her, tightly. Her marked palm is fisted against the table top, knuckles white.

“You aren’t.”

“Then I can leave.” She insists. “I’m leaving.”

Josephine makes a small sound of distress. “Will you not consider staying, at all? Even for a short time? You have become a beacon of hope for so many, Herald. Already, Thedas looks to you. There is so much you could accomplish.”

She looks at the Ambassador as if Josephine has just sprouted wings. Equal parts startled, and horrified. A tiny flutter of green magic escapes her fist.

“Our soldiers believe you have been sent by Andraste herself. The Maker’s chosen.” Leliana says. She doesn't say that she believes it too. “Yours is not an ordinary magic. You can seal the rifts. There are many of them. You are needed.”

The Herald makes a choked sound. “No God in their right mind would choose me.”

Cassandra makes a thin sound of agreement.

The Herald glances up, and for a moment her expression relaxes into something almost resembling ease. But she is resolute.

They try. Josephine, and Leliana. Even Cassandra, offering a halted, and slightly blistering admonishment that she ought to think of the lives she might save. They are passionate. He’ll give them that. For nearly an hour they circle the Mage, reasoning, cajoling, failing to notice that the Herald is becoming more and more withdrawn. Answering with shorter, and shorter sentences. Refusing to meet their gazes. Tears spark on her lashes, but do not fall.

The Herald looks like she might say something more, but she doesn’t. Just turns, and leaves. The door to the war room bangs shut behind her with a thud that sounds like nothing so much, as failure.

--

Cullen watches her go from the hillside vantage near the training ground. It is early, his troops have only just begun to gather at the small training field besides the gates of Haven. No one else sees her leave. She carries her staff like a walking stick, and with her hood pulled up, she looks like any other road-weary traveler, and nothing at all like the prophetic Herald of Andraste. Her progress is slow. He loses sight of her here, and there through the trees, and, for a time, thinks she is truly gone before he spies her again crossing the bridge high above the frozen falls. She lingers there. A small dark fleck against the glittering ice.

He’s distracted momentarily by one of the recruits -- the fool keeps dropping his sword to readjust the weight of his shield on his arm -- but when he looks back, she is there still.

He watches her for nearly an hour. Ever expecting to glance back, and see her gone. But she remains, still as stone. Cullen stares at her unmoving form for precisely five more minutes, before calling to his Lieutenant to take over the drills, and heading down the trail after her.

It’s colder with Haven behind him. The woods, thin as they are, swallow him almost at once, and for a large stretch there’s only trees, and snow, and the swirling breach overhead. The bridge is set at an abrupt bend in the road, and when he rounds it, the Herald is still there, forearms braced against the rail, staring out at the empty, frozen lake.

He takes in her appearance. Dark leathers, threadbare cloak, a sac -- too small to carry much in the way of provisions -- and a short-staff, roughly crafted, and so ancient looking it’s likely to explode in her face if she actually tries to cast with it.

Cullen draws a breath, holds it for a moment, then lets it out with a sigh.

Her eyes flicker to him, then away.

“I have absolutely no idea what to say to you.” He shakes his head, disappointed by his own lack of eloquence.

She glances at him again, eyes sharp, searching for some sign of mockery in his gaze. “I am leaving.” She insists.

He nods. His fingers find the pommel of his sword. It’s a bad habit, and he forces himself to stand at the rail beside her. He can feel the cold of the stone through his gloves. “To where?” He asks.

She makes an aggravated sound, and brings the palm of her marked hand down on the stone rail. It makes a soft, impotent sound, and he remembers how she made the earth tremble with nothing more than her bare hand. Now it just seems small. Almost fragile. “I can’t stay here.” She says, voice tight. “And I can’t… go anywhere. There’s nowhere to go to.”

Cullen clamps his lips together so he doesn’t say something stupid, like the Alienage.

He knows it is likely a wasted effort -- he is less silver-tongued by half than either Josephine or Leliana -- but duty compels him to try. “You don’t have to go.” He says, haltingly. “The Inquisition is... very likely, all that stands between the world, and darkness. You could be a part of that. A large part, likely.”

“I’m not what you want.” She says, voice small. “Believe me.”

The omission tugs at something inside him.

“The Inquisition…” She makes a helpless gesture. He can’t see the flare of magic in her palm, the glove covers her arm, up to her elbow, but he can feel it. “You need someone strong, and brave, and I can’t bear --” She shakes her head. “All I am is scared. All the time.”

Oh. Oh of course.

Cullen frowns at his own stupidity. “How long have you been an Apostate?”

She closes her eyes, the breath rushes out of her with a soft sigh. “I’ve seen more people in the last day, than I have in the last five years. I haven’t spoken this much since…” She shakes her head, eyes still closed, as if shaking off bad memories. “I don’t know what to do.” She says, thickly.

“Stay.” He asks.

She makes a sound that bears the shape of laughter, but isn’t. “It’s not that simple.”

“It can be.” He looks at her. “I know the cost of conflict. I know what you will need to bear, should you choose to remain. And I have no good reason for you to do so. Still. Stay, please.”

Cullen does not know how many heartbeats they stand in silence in the drifting snow. But all at once she seems unable to hold his gaze. He’s certain she’ll turn and go, but inexplicably she nods.

“I’ll stay.” She agrees, softly.

Cullen closes his eyes.

Thank the Maker.

[celebritylive]

Daniel Wright, a former contestant on The Biggest Loser, died this week nearly two years after first being diagnosed with cancer. He was 30.

Wright, who competed on the seventh season of NBC’s weight-loss reality series, died on Sunday morning from leukemia, several of his Biggest Loser costars confirmed on social media.

“I am so so heartbroken to hear about Daniel Wright this morning. He has fought SO HARD during his battle with cancer & more,” former contestant Courtney Crozier Respess wrote on Facebook. “This man is one of the kindest people I have ever met & is a true difference maker in this world!”

“His faith has never faded, even in the darkest of times. I am honored to have known him!!!” she continued of her friend, who was married to former Biggest Loser contestant Rebecca Meyer Wright.

RELATED: Mom, 36, Who Was Diagnosed with Rare Cancer After Giving Birth Dies After Fundraising Effort

“Please keep him & his beautiful, amazing, and beyond strong wife Rebecca Wright in your prayers today as he is being called to heaven,” Respess continued. “Rebecca will need all of us to lift her up now & for the months & years to come.”

First diagnosed in October 2017, Wright had started to return to work and regain some normalcy in his life when he relapsed with a more severe case of leukemia in December 2018, according to his GoFundMe page.

Within 24 hours of relapsing, Wright was transported by ambulance to an Iowa City hospital, where he spent nearly four weeks dealing with “fevers, infections, low blood counts, chemotherapy side effects, and attempts with immunotherapy treatments,” the GoFundMe reads.

RELATED: 44-Year-Old Mother of 11 Dies from Stage-4 Breast Cancer: ‘We Just Have Each Other’

As he continued his health struggle, Wright’s wife would often give updates on her Facebook page.

Rebecca’s most recent post came on May 24, just two days before Wright passed away, where she explained that her husband was undergoing treatment after noticing blood in his vomit.

“Yesterday, the Lord broke me down & today because of your prayers & my pleading our Lord has made me warrior strong!! I will let you know when they will be doing the procedure as soon as I know,” she wrote. “He is much more alert today but still quite foggy… Man alive this is insane & alone seems impossible but with GOD all things are possible

THANK YOU for your prayers & well wish I adore you all!!!!”

RELATED: The Biggest Loser Will Return to TV in 2020 on USA Network

Since his passing, several former Biggest Loser contestants have spoken out on social media and shared their condolences.

Season 12’s Joe Mitchell paid tribute to his friend on Facebook Monday.

“Please keep Rebecca Wright and her family in your thoughts and prayers. After a long heroic fight, my fellow Biggest Loser and Browns fan Daniel Wright is at peace now in our Lord and Saviors arms,” he wrote. “He was a hero and a man of faith who inspired so many, including me, during his short time on this earth.”

“He and his lovely bride showed the whole world what true love, faith and commitment are all about and he will be truly missed,” Mitchell added.

Season 8 winner Danny Cahill also wrote a sweet note to his friend on Facebook.

In his touching tribute, Cahill said the pals met for the first time in May 2009 while on the television series’ eighth season and went on to speak to his grit, determination and love.

“Yesterday the world lost a bit of its light. Daniel Wright and I met for the first time in May of 2009 on the beach in Malibu,” he began. “15 of us went to the beach that morning to begin our journey on season 8 of The Biggest Loser. Our 16th contestant was driven up to the starting position of that first 1-mile race (which he won) and out popped Daniel. ‘Hey guys!!!’ He yelled as he jogged over to us.”

“Little did I know the effect this man would have on my life. As the picture shows, he never missed a chance to double back and encourage every soul in the fight of their lives to keep going, and ensure us we would make it. He gave me so many gifts, not only there, but in years after.”

“Daniel’s light has always been one of Grace, encouragement, wisdom, love and honor throughout the time I have known him. And I can honestly say that because of him I am a better man,” he continued. “He showed me (by example – not by telling me) how to care for others in a different way, and I thank God for being able to know this man for the 10 years I have known him.”

“We could all learn a lesson from him how important it is to leave a mark of love on those we meet, to lay down differences and to see similarities, and to serve those around us in any way we can,” Cahill finished. “I love you Daniel, I love you Rebecca, and I pray for your peace in this time of loss.”

Representatives at NBC, the original network the show aired on, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

from PEOPLE.com http://bit.ly/2X8RJwf

[gothrapxxx]

We've all become aware of netflix original show, and more so, we have actually all likely spent hours sucked into the world of one TV show or another that comprises the steaming system's extensive collection of content. With 75 million yearly subscribers, Netflix is a television powerhouse, house to a few of the most high profile shows in existence. It is every television show maker's dream to see their show sizzle in the houses of millions of individuals throughout the world, and there is truly no place more desirable to make this occur than through Netflix ... however getting this done is an incredibly uphill struggle. How do you make it occur? It begins with the concept. You are going to need something pretty damn unique, as the tv world has actually never been richer in imagination than it is today. However fresh concepts are out there, and if you believe you've got a good one then hold on to it firmly. You are going to have to flesh out your concept in detail, acquainting yourself with all of the important things your show would incorporate, from characters to setting to design to plot. Getting your prospective show out there does not suggest you require to compose a whole series worth of content, oftentimes you require just a terrific, well-thought out idea to hook the right people who can get you where you wish to go.

But, usually, you as the author will require to establish a meaningful script for, at least, the pilot episode of your show. TV Production business are rarely interested in an "idea", as everybody has ideas. If you are able to swing into action and put your concept into a developed, thoughtful script, ideally a number of episodes, you are much more likely to catch the eye of a production company. These people want to see that you have actually thought out your concept and have sufficient material to turn it into a possibly lasting television show. You are then going to wish to connect with a manufacturer or agent that best matches the direction you see your show heading in. You need to do extensive research to determine which production companies and studios would be a good fit, who specifically you ought to get in touch with, how they like to be queried (e-mail, fax, mail, etc.) and what exactly they are trying to find in regards to material (comedy, drama, sci-fi, etc.) The absolute finest case situation is to pitch in individual, if you can handle to find a connection to a producer or somehow handle to set up a personally meeting-- it is the simplest method to passionately pitch your show, and you will exist to be certain nothing is misconstrued and the agent/producer is clear on your concepts and visions. There are a variety of questions you need to absolutely have the ability to respond to about your show before heading into a pitch. These include: How are your main characters and your characters' world distinct? How are these terrific, complicated, conflicted, multi-layered, possibly flawed characters ones that the audience is able to end up being mentally bought? Why do we care and why do we need to inform this story? What's the tone of the show? Be able to compare to a new netflix series or motion picture if possible. Season one primary character arcs. An overview of the very first season plot. How is this series sustainable over 100 episodes? (this is the golden mark to reach, due to the fact that it's where prod co's can syndicate out the series; if you can't show a minimum of a shred of intend to make 100 eps, it's hardly worth thinking about doing). How is this show various than shows of the exact same genre that are on the air now? Specificity is key. Who are your dream writers/directors/cast? (nearly each and every single tv show on the air has numerous writers/directors-- so select a couple of who are dealing with shows today and believe they 'd succeed composing your show). Now, if you've got an agent/producer, preferably one who has ties with Netflix currently, you are on track to getting your show on to Netflix's radar. Your form of representation will help in readying your job to be pitched to the network. If this is successful, you will be able to sell your show to Netflix for a gone over amount of loan, along with work out a contract for an order variety of episodes and compensation based on the regards to the arrangement. From there, it can take any amount of time to get your new netflix show up onto the TV screen, if it even makes it to that point. The TV industry is extremely unpredictable, with shows being gotten, produced and fully made only to be cancelled at the final moment.

How To Pitch A Show To Netflix?

Step 1: Think Up the Show. "Residue" began life as a concept in Harrison's head. ... Step 2: Finance the Show. The actual story covered by the first 3 episodes of "Residue" is really various from Harrison's initial strategy. ... Step 3: Make the Show. ... Step 4: Get the Show to Netflix. ... Step 5: Make More of the Show(?). There are no set steps to producing a show and successfully getting it into the most popular streaming service. Hundreds of developers have taken different routes, as a great deal of it depends on connections/chance encounters, and what works for some individuals will not work for the other. It is very important to commit whatever you have to creating your show if this is something you really want to do, and following your gut and intuition in terms of picking a next step is incredibly important. But, hopefully by following these actions you will offer yourself the best possible chance to make your tv-show deserving idea a reality. While the spring of 2015 has been dominated by Netflix releasing high profile series after high profile series, "House of Cards," "Family" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" aren't the only new shows available now for streaming. " Residue," developed by John Harrison, premiered the other day on Netflix with 3 45 minute-long episodes. The genre series, starring "Game of Thrones" notables Natalie Tena and Iwan Rheon, tracks the after-effects of a terrible explosion on the city of London and the federal government conspiracy that might be hiding the truth. (Netflix users may anticipate to see it as an advised pick if they have actually watched a lot of "The X-Files" or other category programs.).

Via both phone and email, Indiewire got a detailed breakdown of how "Residue's" first season arrived on the streaming giant, and what may take place next with the series. Action 1: Think Up the Show " Residue" began life as an idea in Harrison's head. He then brought it to producer Charlotte Walls after a positive experience dealing with her on the scary movie, "Clive Barker's Book of Blood." " When [' Schedule of Blood'] was finished and released, I returned to [Walls] and stated, 'Look, I have another idea that I actually want to do and I'm bringing it to you first due to the fact that I would like to work with you people,'" he stated. And Harrison had a substantial quantity of material for the concept. "The important things I had imagined was rather a long story. The movie that I was pitching them was basically the beginning of the mythology, and with success we would have the chance to do more, so television sounded actually exciting to me, offered how it has progressed over the past a number of years-- the novelization of television. Likewise, many of the networks are actually getting artistically engaged with category material, which was not constantly real in the early 2000s and going back." Action 2: Finance the Show The actual story covered by the first three episodes of "Residue" is extremely different from Harrison's preliminary plan. After optioning and developing the product, manufacturer Charlotte Walls came to Harrison with the concept-- and more importantly, the cash-- for a task that would work, in Harrison's words, as "a proof-of-concept pilot." " Whenever somebody states they have cash for production, you need to take it!" he said. According to Walls, "Residue" discovered its financing via International Pictures Four, Screen Yorkshire and Green Screen Studios. Since some of the money came from the UK, Harrison didn't direct-- they had to ensure a certain portion of the team was British. "We worked with a really young gifted British director [Alex Garcia Lopez], who I had a terrific collaborative relationship with," he stated. " [Lopez] is so key to the job, which brings his signature design. He was the hook for Iwan Rheon, who he worked with on 'Misfits,'" Walls stated. " If we get to the next group and I'm able to compose them all and get them written prior to we get to production," Harrison said, "Then it would be easier for me to drop back into the director's chair." Step 3: Make the Show sizzle

How do you employ known gamers like Tena and Rheon? Harrison associated that to the script, along with its non-traditional nature. "I think the mix of the product and the innovative group brought in all the skill. I believe everybody knew that we had terrific ambitions for this also, so they wished to get on board." Those aspirations consisted of a non-traditional method to the production, which led to a the task ending up being both a new netflix series and a film. "When we got it into post-production our distributor, Material Media, had a look at it and said, 'Let's ... go straight to television,'" Harrison stated. "So I wrote some extra scenes so we could pull, into these very first three episodes, some of the bigger conspiracy themes. We shot those and re-edited them into the three hours that are now airing on Netflix."

"' Residue' is quite pioneering because it is really multi-format," Walls said. "We scripted, shot and cut the job as a film, which was launched theatrically in the UK on March 20, 2015 on a restricted release. Whilst we remained in post-production, we examined the product and decided to develop the three-parter as well, which was then offered to Netflix in this format specifically." Step 4: Get the Show to Netflix How did that happen? Well, when "Residue" was completed in its newfound form as a television show, supplier Content Media brought the show to the October 2014 MIPCON, a trade convention kept in Cannes that works as a marketplace for worldwide television. They also ensured that Netflix got a possibility to see it beforehand. " That actually started the sales pitch," Harrison said. "We had a number of entities who had an interest in it, however Netflix wished to take it off the table." The show is now available for streaming in English-language territories; a worldwide launch will roll out over the course of the year. In the meantime ... Step 5: Make More of the Show(?). It's truly just the beginning of the story, according to Walls. "' Residue' Season 1 is actually an extended pilot and ought to be considered that way," she said. "Netflix don't necessarily do the Amazon-style pilot season. However 'Residue' is actually more in that design where these very first 3 chapters are live prior to the existence of a full season.".

How do I send something to Netflix?

Step 1-- Refine Your Pitch For Netflix. Since almost every filmmaker imagine getting a Netflix deal, there is an abundant supply of content. ... Step 2-- Find An Aggregator or Distributor. ... Step 3-- Get An Action. Hence the strategy is to work towards a 10-episode 2nd season, and Netflix already has the unique option on it. Walls did clarify that since 10 episodes is a larger dedication, there would have to be modifications. "Any complete season would constantly be more conventional in its funding as the overall budget plan would be a lot higher," Walls stated. "Netflix would be at the center of that finance plan from the first day, for this reason the choice.".

However independent financing has some advantages, and Harrison was happy with the experience: "It's an excellent thing for someone like me, since artistically I'm solutioning to my partners as opposed having to handle a regular network structure. We made this without any interference from studios or networks. We were with the studio! That, to me, was actually terrific."

Four months after it was revealed that Netflix would be investing CDN$ 500 million in original productions in Canada over a 5-year period, Netflix's now previous VP of Content, Elizabeth Bradley, took the stage at Prime-time show in Ottawa to talk about how producers can get their shows on the platform. It's been 5 years given that the commissioning of the very first Netflix Original series, Home of Cards, which had a budget of $100 million for 26 episodes. With its reliance on data that led to the show's creation and promo, House of Cards marked a turning point in the method programming was made. Prior to the Canadian Netflix deal being revealed, a variety of Canadian manufacturers had currently had successful partnerships with Netflix. Some took the type of additional windows for productions initially produced broadcasters while others were complete collaborations on Netflix Originals. To the latter category belong Travelers, Frontier, Alias Grace and the Anne of Green Gablesadaptation known simply as Anne (when relayed on CBC) or Anne with an E on Netflix. What is Netflix searching for?

When asked what Netflix is searching for in terms of genre, Elizabeth Bradley responded "Everything.". Whether it's sci-fi, a thriller, drama or funny and even a remake of Anne of Green Gables, she said the essential concerns authors and producers need to ask themselves are these: Why is it exciting? Why is it different? Bradley noted that once Netflix believes in the manufacturer's vision, the other pieces are secondary. "The package of directors and actors isn't crucial to us.". " We can resolve the cast and the director. What we can't fix is amazing writing and storytelling.". A story that resonates internationally. Bradley continued: "When Moira [Walley-Beckett] and Miranda [de Pencier] came to me with a script for Anne," and it is necessary to come with a script, she stressed, "they had a genuine and grounded analysis that we knew would resonate globally.". And it wasn't just the same old 1908 Anne of Green Gables. Vancouver-born Walley-Beckett came to the project with Emmy wins for her writing on the extremely 21st century Breaking Bad, so including some edge to the Anne character and story was all part of the strategy. "We knew it would work all over the world," stated Bradley. That inkling ended up being precise. Anne with an E was among Netflix's the majority of binge-watched shows around the world in 2017, with Prince Edward Island's most popular red-headed daughter winning over audiences as far away as South Korea, India and South Africa. So what does it take for a new netflix series to have an international appeal? Some believe that shooting in several locations worldwide resolves the problem, but Bradley cautioned that it's not quite that simple. " If you're sitting with a good friend in Japan, and you both simply get it ... if you've got that sort of relatable story worldwide, that's what we seek.". In addition to stories that work across cultural and geographical borders, there are logistical issues to bear in mind when thinking of making a pitch to Netflix. For these factors, Bradley recommends dealing with an agent, a manager or a lawyer. The value of partnering with a Canadian broadcaster or supplier.

The length of time should a TV show pitch be?

Your pitch should be no more than 12-15 minutes long. Focus on the hook of your show and why it would be an excellent suitable for their network. Your pitch must be as prepared as your treatment and your script, so practice it multiple times! In a January 2018 interview with the CMPA's Indiescreen publication, Corie Wright, Netflix's Director of Global Public law, shared a couple of more insights about working with the company that Canadian manufacturers are most likely to discover handy. " Lots of people don't understand that Netflix can't make certified CanCon without partnering with a Canadian broadcaster or independent Canadian supplier. That's why all of our CanCon originals are co-productions with Canadian broadcasters. Other Netflix originals like the Trailer Park Boys reboot and Canadian director Tony Elliott's film ARQ feature a lot of Canadian creativity and talent, and score high on CanCon criteria, but they aren't licensed as CanCon due to the fact that we can't do CanCon on our own.". Reiterating the platform's central interest in making the highest quality programming offered to a varied and dispersed audience, Wright stated this: "We attempt not to get too caught up in the labels and instead focus on making great movies and new netflix series.". SUGGESTION: Netflix and Hulu DO NOT desire your "concept." They desire your FINISHED product. And even then, they only desire it if it makes good sense for them. It's like a book, people, I can not pitch them an unsolicited "concept," because a million other individuals most likely have the same concept, and the last thing they desire is for you to think they "took" yours, when it wasn't even distinct to begin with. If you want to see your "idea" on Netflix and Hulu, develop a pilot, or produce a few episodes, or movie the movie. Again, it's like a book, the publisher wants to see a finished manuscript, or a minimum of some strong chapters ...

[junker-town]

Marshall is a volatile team for a volatile conference

Doc Holliday’s 10th Marshall squad might be his most Marshall squad yet.

Bill C’s annual preview series of every FBS team in college football continues. Catch up here!

“I tend to enjoy college football a lot more when Marshall’s good and Marshall fans are particularly chesty.”

We all have our own preferences for how the college football universe should look and feel, and I expressed one of mine in last year’s Marshall preview. I enjoy it when one of the sport’s great chip-on-shoulder programs is handing out comeuppance, and while 2018 wasn’t the greatest year for such a thing, we caught some glimpses.

We got a sustained glimpse in the Gasparilla Bowl. What might have been the best Marshall defense since 1999 sacked hometown USF’s Blake Barnett four times; forced six punts, a turnover, and a turnover on downs; and ceded the floor to a Herd offense looking better than it had all year. Freshman quarterback Isaiah Green went 17-for-25, backs Keion Davis and Brenden Knox rushed for 187 yards, and Marshall bolted to a 28-7 first-half lead before cruising, 38-20.

Marshall’s ninth win announced that the Thundering Herd had completed their rebound after a nasty 2016 stumble.

Doc Holliday has now made it nearly a decade in Huntington. Context-free, that’s a remarkable achievement in today’s FBS landscape — only 14 head coaches have served in their current position longer. But the 61-year-old former WVU linebacker, once Urban Meyer’s ace recruiter at Florida, has done so despite a high-wire act. In order to maximize physical potential, he constantly mixes transfers, JUCOs, prep schoolers, second-chancers, greyshirts, blueshirts, and whateverothercolorshirts.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Doc Holliday

Roster balance sometimes falls out of whack, and the Herd sometimes careen toward youth in certain units. They went from 24th in Def. S&P+ in 2015, to 104th in 2016 and back to 22nd by 2018. They were 99th in Off. S&P+ in 2011, climbed to 20th in 2014, then slowly slid back to 116th by 2017.

Despite the ups and downs, the Herd have almost always remained competitive. They hovered around .500 for his first few seasons, just as they had in the final seasons of his predecessor, Mark Snyder. They broke through with a spectacular 33-8 run from 2013-15, suffered an equally spectacular 3-9 reset in 2016, then started climbing again. The defense found major traction, and an offensive rebuild at least took root last fall.

Programs like FAU, FIU, and maybe Southern Miss or North Texas might have something to say, but Marshall might have the best combination of experience and potential in Conference USA this fall.

I thought the Herd might be capable of 10 wins last fall and they came up just short, but they’ll get another shot at that bar. They return Green, their two most effective runners, most of their offensive line, and most of an exciting secondary. They get FIU and Louisiana Tech at home, and while they have to travel to FAU, they’ve played as well as anyone against Lane Kiffin’s Owls over the last two years.

There are question marks, of course. Holliday has yet to finalize his staff after losing defensive coordinator Adam Fuller to Memphis, and an occasionally dominant front six/seven has known play-makers but got hit pretty hard by attrition. Plus, an offense that wasn’t quite explosive enough must now replace its two most explosive receivers in Tyre Brady and Marcel Williams.

The cocktail of talent is volatile, and there’s no guarantee that Marshall will be able to follow up on last year’s gains. But this team has Marshall-level potential and a schedule that features shots at strong mid-major programs (Boise State, Ohio, Cincinnati) before a run at the title in what might be FBS’ most balanced conference.

Offense

To turn his offense back around, Holliday brought pass-happy coordinator Tim Cramsey to Huntington a year ago. Marshall is the sixth school to employ Cramsey as its OC in this decade, and for the first time since 2015, it appears he’ll be at the same school for a second year in a row.

A short-term presence or not, he engineered at least a little improvement in 2018. And it might have been more had Green remained healthy. See if you can spot where he may have gotten hurt:

Marshall QBs, first 4 games (3-1): 55% completion rate, 12.7 yards per completion, 123.1 passer rating

Marshall QBs, next 4 games (2-2): 52% completion rate, 10.4 yards per completion, 106.0 passer rating

Marshall QBs, last 5 games (4-1): 59% completion rate, 13.4 yards per completion, 135.0 passer rating

Green was never dominant, but when he missed four games with a knee injury in the middle of the season, Wagner transfer Alex Thomson, an in-demand QB last offseason, subbed in and struggled. The Herd sank from the mid-70s in Off. S&P+ in late-September to the mid-110s by early-November.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler King

It was a period of discovery, however. With the passing game struggling, Cramsey leaned more heavily on the run game, and in fits and starts, it responded. Tyler King and Anthony Anderson rushed 36 times for 286 yards against ODU, then King and Davis rushed 31 times for 185 against FAU. King injured his leg and missed the last five games, so Knox carried the load (22 for 116) in a win over Charlotte, and then Knox and Anderson combined for 145 yards in a tight win over FIU.

Cramsey leaned on a four-headed running back group, which responded pretty well. Davis and Anderson are now gone, but King and Knox, the two most successful, return for their junior and sophomores seasons, respectively.

They get most of their line back, too. All-conference center Levi Brown and junior tackles Tarik Adams and Will Ulmer have combined for 85 career starts, while three others have starting experience. Plus, enormous incoming JUCO transfer Josh Ball is a former blue-chipper who started nine games at Florida State in 2017 before a suspension for dating violence. He will get a second chance in Huntington.

Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

Armani Levias

It’s in Cramsey’s DNA to want to throw the ball, and it’s unclear how well Marshall will do it. Green had promising moments for a freshman, but a lot of those moments were due to Tyre Brady.

The former Miami receiver caught 71 balls for 1,002 yards and averaged nearly 16 yards per catch when Green was healthy. Without Brady and slot man Marcel Williams, Marshall needs a new center of gravity in the receiving corps.

There’s still potential, and Z receiver Obi Obialo is a good starting point. He was easily the most efficient option, though he averaged just 12 yards per catch, and tight end Armani Levias was another “explosive when Green was healthy” guy — he averaged 9.6 yards per catch in those middle four games and 14.7 otherwise.

Senior Artie Henry could be ready for a starring role in the slot, but it’s unclear who might step up as the new X receiver. Junior Willie Johnson? Sophomore Naquan Renalds? A former three-star prospect like junior Jeremiah Maddox or redshirt freshman Talik Keaton?

Defense

Adam Fuller’s lone season as coordinator could barely have gone better. A longtime Holliday assistant, he got promoted to the role last year when Chuck Heater left to become Maryland’s safeties coach.

Fuller knew the personnel and the Holliday culture and thrived with a defense that was both aggressive (17th in marginal efficiency) and capable of solid big-play prevention (37th in marginal explosiveness).

The Herd were rather all-or-nothing on blitz downs — 12th in sack rate, 28th in success rate, 103rd in big-play rate — but if they were able to top you athletically, you were going to struggle. ACC teams NC State and Virginia Tech averaged 39 points per game and 6.8 yards per play against UM; everyone else: 18.7 and 4.5, respectively.

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Channing Hames

We’ll see what happens now that Holliday’s going outside of the family. He has brought in former Charlotte head coach Brad Lambert as a “volunteer defensive assistant” at the moment, and it appears he will become coordinator, with line coach J.C. Price as co-coordinator, once Lambert’s buyout is cleared up. Charlotte and Marshall had two of the three best run defenses in the conference (along with Southern Miss’), so maybe Lambert and Holliday will find some things in common.

Depth does take a hit in 2019, as Marshall must replace three of last year’s top six linemen and four of five linebackers. The Herd should have one of the quickest interior lines in the country — nose tackle Channing Hames and end/tackle Ty Tyler combined for 16.5 sacks and six non-sack tackles for loss. Plus, there are weapons on the edge in senior linebacker Omari Cobb (6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks), end Marquis Couch (8.5, 2.5), and perhaps Virginia Tech transfer Tavante Beckett.

Still, depth is perilous. Some combination of JUCO transfers (tackle Esaias Carpenter, end TJ Johnson) and recent star recruits (redshirt freshmen Darius Hodge and Arak McDuffie, incoming freshmen Dante Walker and DeShawn Page, etc.) will be asked to take on large roles if there are any injuries ... and there are always injuries.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Chris Jackson

If the front holds up, though, the back should thrive. Star safety Malik Gant declared for the NFL draft, but everyone else in the secondary is back, from corners Chris Jackson and Kereon Merrell (23 combined passes defensed) to safeties Nazeeh Johnson and Brandon Drayton. Plus, corner Jaylon McClain-Sapp appeared well on his way to a massive year — he had three passes defensed and a TFL in three games — before missing most of the season with injury.

Losing Fuller, Gant, and front-seven depth is reason for concern, but Marshall returns as many known play-makers as anyone in the conference.

Special Teams

Marshall loses its strongest special teams weapons and returns its weakest. The Herd were top-20 in both punt and kick return efficiency, but Marcel Williams (PR) and Keion Davis (KR) both depart.

Kicking dragged the Herd down to 88th in Special Teams S&P+. Senior-to-be Justin Rohrwasser was limited in range (14-for-16 on FGs under 40, 1-for-5 beyond), which held the Herd back in both place-kicking and kickoffs. Punter Robert Lefevre (59th in punt efficiency) is solid, though one hopes Marshall is a bit less reliant on its punter this fall.

2019 outlook

2019 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 31-Aug VMI NR 40.8 99% 7-Sep at Boise State 24 -16.2 17% 14-Sep Ohio 82 3.2 57% 28-Sep Cincinnati 44 -5.8 37% 5-Oct at Middle Tennessee 104 5.6 63% 12-Oct Old Dominion 119 18.9 86% 19-Oct at Florida Atlantic 79 -2.4 45% 26-Oct Western Kentucky 101 9.9 72% 2-Nov at Rice 126 16.4 83% 16-Nov Louisiana Tech 86 3.8 59% 23-Nov at Charlotte 120 14.2 79% 30-Nov Florida International 88 4.6 61%

Projected S&P+ Rk 77 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 111 / 37 Projected wins 7.6 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 0.8 (69) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 76 2018 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* 0 / 5.5 2018 TO Luck/Game -2.1 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 57% (63%, 50%) 2018 Second-order wins (difference) 9.2 (-0.2)

Holliday’s 10th Marshall team will bear plenty of similarities to recent teams.

Proven play-makers: Marshall has a ton of them, from Jackson and Merrell to Hames and Tyler to King and Knox.

Massive athletic potential: Beyond the knowns, the Herd could also boast more than 20 three-star true and redshirt freshmen.

Depth issues: Marshall could be perilously young at WR, DE, DT, or LB with just a couple of injuries.

Reliance on youth: Green is still a sophomore, after all.

Marshall will be as interesting as ever in 2019. That might excite me personally, but it makes the Herd awfully hard to project. S&P+ projects them as the No. 2 overall team in the C-USA, just ahead of FAU, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, and FIU and just behind Southern Miss.

S&P+ projects four of Marshall’s conference games (plus two non-cons) to finish within a touchdown. The Thundering Herd have as good a chance as anyone in a logjam of a race, but they are only a couple of injuries or bad breaks from a mid-tier finish. Buckle up, I guess.

Team preview stats

All 2019 preview data to date.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/business/brexit-stop-playing-to-brexit-bad-boys-tuc-chief-tells-may/

Brexit: Stop playing to Brexit 'bad boys' TUC chief tells May

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Media captionTUC chief Frances O’Grady: PM should “stop playing to the bad boys at the back of the class”

The UK’s trade union movement chief has told Theresa May to “stop playing to the bad boys at the back of the class” over Brexit and “start listening”.

Frances O’Grady said she did not get the guarantees on workers’ rights she wanted in a meeting with the prime minister in Downing Street.

The TUC leader urged Mrs May to take a no-deal Brexit “off the table”.

Mrs May is trying to find compromise with union leaders after her Brexit deal was voted down by MPs last week.

But some of them have backed delaying Brexit and others support another poll.

It comes a day after Sony announced it was planning to move its European headquarters from the UK to the Netherlands to avoid disruptions caused by Brexit.

And Aeroplane maker Airbus has warned that it could move wing-building out of the UK in the future if there is a no-deal Brexit.

The UK is due to leave the EU at 23:00 GMT on 29 March.

After meeting the prime minister, Ms O’Grady said workers were worried about their jobs and needed reassurances about their future.

“We have a prime minister on a temporary contract – she cannot bind the hands of a future prime minister,” the TUC general secretary said.

“People wanting her job are on record as saying Brexit is an opportunity to reduce workers’ rights.

“The prime minister, frankly, has to stop playing to the bad boys at the back of the class and start listening to where I think Parliament is, which is wanting no deal off the table and more time for genuine talks to take place.

“But get on to priorities that matter to working people in Britain.”

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Your guide to Brexit jargon

Unison leader Dave Prentis said he believed it to be “in everyone’s interest” that Article 50, the process taking the UK out of the EU at the end of March, was extended.

“Time is precious and we do need that time,” he said.

“We would want Theresa May to move away from just appeasing the right wing of the Tory party and to actually talk about what is best for this country.”

He also called for no deal to be ruled out and for a move towards remaining in a customs union.

Mrs May is also due to meet leaders from Unite and the GMB.

Mrs May spoke to a number of union leaders ahead of the vote on her deal last Tuesday, hoping to drum up support – but it did not pay off, with MPs rejecting her proposals by 230 votes.

Since the defeat, she has been meeting leaders of opposition parties and factions within her own as she called for MPs to “work constructively together” to find a way forward.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to join the talks until Mrs May rules out the UK leaving the EU with no deal, which he says would bring “chaos” to the country.

However, the head of Unite Len McCluskey, who is a close ally of Mr Corbyn, will be among the union leaders she meets later.

What options for Brexit do the unions back?

Image copyright BBC, PA

Image caption Unite leader Len McCluskey, left, TUC boss Frances O’Grady and Unison’s Dave Prentis are meeting the PM

The TUC’s Frances O’Grady, Unison leader Dave Prentis and the general secretary of the GMB, Tim Roache, have all publicly backed extending Article 50 – the mechanism by which the UK leaves the EU – to postpone the exit date of 29 March.

All three have also said the government should give the public the final say, either through a referendum or general election.

But Mr McCluskey is against another referendum on the EU, writing in the New Statesman that it “risks tearing our society apart”.

On Wednesday, the PM met the first ministers of both Scotland and Wales on the future of her Brexit deal, but both said she seemed unwilling to compromise.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there “wasn’t much indication that the prime minister is listening to, or hearing the concerns of people in Scotland”, while Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said she “repeated many of her red lines”.

How are MPs trying to move Brexit plans on?

The PM is hoping to tweak her deal to address concerns about the Northern Irish “backstop” among her own backbenchers and Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, which she relies on to keep her in power, ahead of another vote on her proposed way forward next Tuesday.

The backstop is the “insurance policy” in the withdrawal deal, intended to ensure that whatever else happens, there will be no return to a visible border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic after the UK leaves the EU.

Rees-Mogg: Brexit deal could be ‘reformed’

Are Brexiteers softening on May’s deal?

Both the UK and the EU believe that bringing back border checks could put the peace process at risk but critics say the backstop keeps Northern Ireland too closely aligned with the EU and separate from the rest of the UK – and that the UK would be permanently trapped in it.

However, a number of MPs are proposing amendments putting forward alternative plans to the PM’s deal with the EU – including seeking an extension to the UK’s exit date.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper has tabled one that would give time for a bill to suspend the Article 50 process for leaving the EU – enabling it to last until the end of the year – if a new deal has not been agreed with Brussels by the end of February.

Her Labour colleague, Rachel Reeves, has also tabled an amendment to extend Article 50.

Read more about the amendments here

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the pair met Mr Corbyn to discuss the proposals.

He said they recognised that, as Ms Cooper’s amendment would lead to a bill, it would be amendable – meaning the nine-month extension could be significantly reduced to reassure MPs nervous of the timeframe.

Ms Cooper’s amendment is also backed by several Remainer Conservatives and is the only amendment that would be legally binding on the government, if passed.

Conservative ex-cabinet minister Sir Oliver Letwin, who is supporting moves to delay Brexit, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there was “an open question” over whether the EU would agree to an extension of Article 50, but there had been “strong signals” that they would do so.

He said it was “possible but unlikely” that the EU would say: “We’re not going to give you any more time to do that, you can just jump out of the plane without a parachute and leave without a deal.”

Other amendments would ask the government to consider a range of options over six full days in Parliament before the March deadline, to set up a “Citizens’ Assembly” to give the public more say or to insist on “an expiry date to the backstop”.

What’s the view from the EU?

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who is in Berlin for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, reiterated on Germany’s Deutschlandfunk radio that there can be no time-limit on the proposed backstop.

He said that Brexit would be “bumpy” if the UK’s Parliament failed to come together to support a deal.

“If nothing moves, if no positive suggestions are put on the table, then we will be heading for a more or less bumpy or accidental no-deal on 30 March,” he said.

Mr Barnier also played down suggestions that the two-year Article 50 process ought to be extended, saying: “I personally believe that we do not need so much more time, but that we now need to make decisions, to be taken by the British government and the Parliament of Great Britain.”

[sir-hicks-a-lot]

The Definite Top Ten Albums of 2016

10. FaltyDL - Heaven is for Quitters

The latest from FaltyDL aka Andrew Lustman is decidedly less experimental than his last couple of albums, forgoing the more repetitive loops and complicated drum patterns in favor of straight ahead and melodic synthscapes.  He even gives smokey vocal downtempo a stab on "Drugs" with singer Rosie Lowe bringing to mind Little Dragon.  He can still create densely abstract beats as he does on "Whisper Diving", but even when he drops a short saxophone loop on "Bridge Spot", it fades away before becoming abrasive.  Elsewhere he rides the oh-so late '80s Touchstone Pictures logo theme throughout "Future Shock" and it's one of the most awesomely obscure samples in recent memory.

9. William Tyler - Modern Country

I don't know if the title Modern Country is supposed to be a cheeky rejoinder to what passes for country music today, or if it is a sincere statement of what Tyler believes these instrumental compositions to represent.  To me, it's solidly in the alt country vein of bands like Wilco and Megafaun, which is no surprise as members of both bands appear here.  At other times, these pastoral soundtracks even conjure images of the acoustic excursions of Led Zeppelin III or Mark Knopfler's fingerpicking style.  Regardless of the proper categorization, the folky jams on Modern Country are evocative of American landscape contours and make for a listen that can either engage directly or set the background mood.  And the clear highlight of "Gone Clear" shows off Tyler's ability to piece together a multi-part epic that even throws in a classical section and perhaps points the way forward for the next go around.

8. Ray LaMontagne - Ouroboros

Ray LaMontagne teamed up with the guys from My Morning Jacket for Ouroboros and it makes for a spectacularly psychedelic twist on LaMontagne's usual singer/songwriter fare.  The songs are particularly well written and Jim James’ production makes a great match for the spacey themes, creating an all around strong effort.   I think there may be some overarching concept album going on as well, but honestly the songs themselves and the expansive production are enough to warrant and reward repeated listens.    

7. Bob Weir - Blue Mountain

My relationship with the Grateful Dead is complicated, for a long time I was a "hater" and to be honest a lot that stemmed from the on-stage histrionics of Bob Weir and his propensity for cowboy songs.  So it's pretty ironic that in the year 2016 an album of what are essentially cowboy songs by Weir makes my list.  I suppose as we get older our tastes change, but I think it's more than that in this case.  Blue Mountain feels like Weir making a bid for a late career statement, in much the same way Dylan did on Time Out of Mind and several times since.  And in that respect, it is a remarkable success, these songs build upon the Americana thread that weaves through the Dead's music and even adds a retro-indie rock sensibility via collaboration with younger artists like Josh Ritter and The National's Josh Kaufman.  Well done Weir, consider your legacy secured.  

6. Bibio - A Mineral Love 

It seems that sometimes albums released earlier in the year get forgotten during the end of the year wrap ups and perhaps that's the case with Bibio's latest that came out last April.  For me it was the soundtrack to summer and the sunny compositions on A Mineral Love were the perfect complement to a mid-afternoon drive or evening cookout.  Bibio strays even further from his IDM roots with a theme of old school funk and even leaning toward jazz fusion at times.  Then there's the straight up 80s style R&B workout "Why So Serious?", which wouldn't be out of place on a Debarge album. The message hits home, don't worry if it's cool or not, just enjoy the good times while you can.

5. Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love!

I don't think anybody could have predicted that actor turned nerdy rapper Donald Glover would drop the funk explosion that is Awaken, My Love!  All across America you can hear confused listeners asking, "Wait, is Troy from Community the next Prince?"  A complete throwback to the halcyon days of funk and soul that recalls Parliament Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone and the aforementioned Purple One, there is no rapping to be found here.  Instead, it's a blast of psychedelic goodness and exuberance as Glover truly lets his freak flag fly in what is essentially a treatise on pursuing love in all its forms.  Such a pleasant surprise of an album is proof you can find fun in the most unexpected of places.  

4. Tycho – Epoch

Scott Hansen aka Tycho has been one of the elite downtempo beat makers since he released the now classic Dive back in 2011.  Even then, there were some acoustic flourishes of guitar and other live instrumentation, but on his latest he has made the bold move of injecting the tropes of rock, more specifically the moody dynamics of postrock, more than ever before into his previously mostly electronic music.  Clearly the influence of Hansen touring with a band for the last five years heavily influences the proceedings as it feels like the work of musicians playing together live.  Taking a more organic approach pays off well, adding new life, heft and even a little menace at times to balance the airy environments of Epoch.

3. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here. . . Thank You 4 Your Service

Another shocker, the members of Tribe Called Quest recorded this largely in secret and during the final days of Phife Dawg who passed this last March.  After his untimely death, the first Tribe Called Quest in 18 years seemed like an impossibility, and yet here it is.  Not only did Tribe unleash this sneak attack on the world, but even more astounding, it stands as their best work since their monumental and genre defining first three albums in the early '90s.  Going out with a bang and packed with guest spots from longtime collaborators like Busta Rhymes, relatively new faces like Kenderick Lamar and even throwing a couple curveballs with Elton John on the Benny and Jets invoking "Wall of Sound" and Jack White’s blues inflected guitar showing up multiple times.  And although We Got It absolutely stands as a tribute to the memory of Phife, it is also a statement of protest in the face of frayed race relations, xenophobia and a prescient antidote to the coming dark ages of Trumpdom.  Tribe has long been the conscience of hip hop as well as one of its most creative purveyors of beats and rhymes. In the year 2016, we needed their return, however brief it may be, more than ever.

2. David Bowie – Blackstar

What more can be said of David Bowie that has not already been written?  He was truly a singular talent, a force in the world that we perhaps took for granted and just assumed would always be with us.  His absence has left a hole in the fabric of spacetime that cannot be filled.  His mode of expression and innovative spirit was so unique, that the mere thought of another arriving to take his place is preposterous.  It’s fitting then, that his farewell was like none other.  Dropping Blackstar on us like a bomb, it is an emphatic statement that Bowie was artistically vital right up to his last day on this earth.  It’s almost as if his years of inactivity and somewhat underwhelming albums before 2013’s The Next Day were all part of a long game to make his swan song all the more dramatically brilliant.  Blackstar is a dark, dense and unflinching examination of mortality and yet somehow is still hopeful.  Yes, it’s an album that directly addresses the death of its creator, but it transforms that death into a new birth and beginning.  Bowie was already immortal decades ago, by turning his last days into art, he stunned us once again.

1. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

Sometimes the universe just lines up in ways that provide the undeniable evidence of a pattern underneath everything.  Even though it’s always there, we are lucky to only get a few brief glimpses of the hidden structures that connect us and affect the events of our lives.  In 2016, I endured the most challenging ordeal of my life in the form of triple bypass surgery and the subsequent recovery.  Getting home from the hospital should have been an occasion for celebration, as it was all I could think about during the longest nine days imaginable, most of which I spent confined to a hospital bed.  Instead, I found the reality of the remainder of my existence waiting for me outside the hospital walls.  A new normal of medications and limitations, many of which were temporary, but others which I would carry permanently.  Mental scars in addition to the physical ones that I now bore.  It was in this moment that I received a gift, a new work from a band I have loved for almost 20 years now, since the landmark OK Computer exploded the conventions of rock n' roll itself.  The day after I came home from the hospital, the universe reached out to me and gave me this album, perhaps Radiohead’s most emotional, and one in which lead singer Thom Yorke sublimated his own struggles with a divorce into music with a level of artistry that few can achieve.  It was a message personally to me, and yet also designed for anyone else receptive to it.  To say it helped me through those difficult days is an understatement.  It truly was a lifeline, sustaining me and giving me the strength to keep persevering in the face of extreme distress.  The gift of A Moon Shape Pool can be summed up in the parting line of its final song, “Don’t leave, don’t leave”.  To which I can only respond by saying, I am still here and thank you.

[ladystylestores]

E-commerce Is ‘The New Name of the Game’ at L’Oréal – WWD

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PARIS — Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, e-commerce is helping to buoy many a company’s business, including the world’s largest beauty maker L’Oréal, where the channel has developed at warp speed.

Jean-Paul Agon, the group’s chairman and chief executive officer, spelled out the impact that digital is having on the company during a call with financial analysts and journalists on Friday morning, the day after the beauty giant published second-quarter and first-half 2020 results.

“E-commerce is the new name of the game,” he said.

Agon outlined four main ways L’Oréal has exhibited resilience over the past few months, starting with e-commerce, which he said “has grown even stronger during the crisis.”

L’Oréal’s e-commerce sales jumped 64.6 percent in the first six months of the year and now represent one-quarter of the group’s total sales, which reached 13.08 billion euros in the period.

That meant e-commerce revenues were “growing almost twice the speed of the market and accelerating every month, even as stores are reopening,” said Agon.

(By contrast, e-commerce sales accounted for 15.6 percent of L’Oréal’s overall business in full-year 2019.)

“For the first time, online sales are growing faster in countries outside China like, for example, the U.S. or Western Europe,” he said. “Second reason, we have capitalized on our excellence in digital. Our brands are creating more personalized and engaging consumer experiences, like virtual try-ons, diagnostics, teleconsultations and shoppable livestreaming. All of this is building stronger relationships between our brands and consumers.”

Agon said digital also enhances L’Oréal’s return on investment in media with sharper targeting. Sixty-percent of the company’s media spend was in the digital realm.

“E-commerce is the most important topic of this first half,” said Agon. “[It] has seen an acceleration as never before, and in terms of penetration of e-commerce in our business, we have progressed in these last 10 weeks as much as we did in the previous three to four years.

“So the capacity of the company to excel in e-commerce is more vital and strategic than ever,” he said.

Agon specified that when he referred to the growth in the channel, that represented an average.

“When you look month-by-month, in fact at the end of the period, we are growing even more than that,” said the ceo. “For example, it grew by 75 percent in May, or 82 percent in June. So I believe that also the 25 percent average percentage of sales will be for the last month of the period higher than that.”

L’Oréal is fairly evenly weighted between the various types of e-commerce its businesses trade in.

“E-tailers represent 30 percent; online pure players, 27 percent, and d-to-c, 43 percent,” said Agon, explaining that “direct e-commerce” is comprised of Tmall and L’Oréal’s own sites. “The very good thing in this first half is that for the first time we have seen a very strong acceleration of our own sites.”

Sales generated by those rose about 80 percent. Agon said this marks a “real tipping point.”

E-commerce today is embedded in all of L’Oréal’s geographies and divisions, so it’s difficult to pinpoint how it bears on profitability.

“What is sure is that it has clearly an [accretive] impact on our different businesses,” said Agon.

L’Oréal began its e-commerce push in China.

“Now our business in China is more than 50 percent in e-commerce,” said Agon “So [it’s] completely transformed the way we market products in China.”

The recently formed team driving L’Oréal’s activity in the U.S., under Stéphane Rinderknech, is mandated with speeding up e-commerce’s penetration in the company’s business there.

And the results are palpable. During the first half, L’Oréal’s e-commerce sales rose by more than 100 percent, the first time the group posted triple-digit growth in the channel anywhere.

“E-commerce will continue to grow — Q2 [with] plus 119 percent in the U.S. and plus 91 percent in Western Europe — and that’s what we are seeing in China,” wrote Pierre Tegnér, an analyst at ODDO BHF, in a research note published Friday. “Low exposure of some countries to this channel does offer room for growth.”

In the half, 40 percent of L’Oréal’s sales were rung up online in South Korea, for instance, 30 percent in the U.K., 25 percent in Japan and 23 percent in the U.S.

The third reason Agon gave for L’Oréal’s resilience was the power of its brands and hero products.

“In times of turmoil, like now, consumers turn to quality, to strong aspirational brands they can trust,” he said. “Big brands were already winning before the pandemic and continue to outperform during the crisis.”

Fourthly, Agon cited L’Oréal’s teams’ dedication and agility, and added the group delivered very solid results.

“We are determined for the second half of 2020 to outperform the market, find again the path to growth if the sanitary conditions allow it, and deliver solid profitability,” he said.

The executive spoke of the beauty market at large, calling it resilient, too, with an estimated sales decline of between 13 percent and 14 percent in the half.

By product category, sales were down about 26 percent for fragrances, 25 percent for makeup, 10 percent for skin care and 7 percent for hair care.

“This COVID-19 crisis has been a crisis of supply, rather than demand,” Agon reiterated, referring to how the lockdowns worldwide caused the temporary closures of millions of salons, perfumeries, department stores and airport stores, among other retailers, making it difficult — and in many cases impossible — for consumers to buy beauty products and services.

“The impact has been very contrasted by sector and channel,” said Agon.

The professional sector was the most negatively affected, with sales down about 28 percent as salons totally closed at the beginning of the second quarter.

Luxury products’ sales declined about 23 percent, while revenues decreased about 6 percent in the mass market and 4 percent for dermocosmetics.

Travel retail sales experienced a brutal drop, of about 35 percent, as air traffic ground to a halt, while e-commerce sales gained about 36 percent.

There were disparities by category, as well. Makeup and fragrance were strongly impacted, with sales down about 26 percent and 25 percent, respectively, due to mask-wearing and consumer confinement. At the same time, skin-care and hair-care sales fared better, at about minus 10 percent and minus 7 percent, respectively.

The crisis hit all geographic regions.

“Western Europe was the most severely impacted,” said Agon. “We see positive signs of recovery in northern countries like Germany, the Netherlands and the Nordics, where lockdowns have been less severe and e-commerce is well-developed. France is coming back. The U.K., Spain and Italy have been more heavily affected.”

North America and the U.S., where the health situation and lockdowns vary from state to state, remain highly challenging.

“In the new markets, the semester was very contrasted, with some countries like India and Brazil heavily impacted and others recovering more quickly — of course, China,” said Agon.

That latter market rebounded quickly and returned to double-digit growth in the second quarter. In China, Agon explained “beauty is leading the recovery and growing much faster than total retail sales. Online growth remains very strong, and offline traffic is returning to normal progressively.”

So are overall sales at L’Oréal. For the company, the crisis began in February and reached its lowest point in April. Since then, the group’s activity has been recovering month-by-month.

“July, that we are closing today, will be the first positive month in terms of growth again since January,” said Agon.

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