#foundations commander retrospective

[a-magical-recap]

Foundations Retrospective - Top 10 cards for the 99 in Commander

Number 5 – Bloodthirsty Conqueror – 23,900 decks

A reference to Exquisite Blood (down to mentioning it in the flavor text), Bloodthirsty Conqueror is a powerful attacker and blocker even on its own. A 5-mana 5/5 flier with what is basically lifelink (and deathtouch too, I suppose, though I don't see how that adds a whole lot to the package). It also essentially gives all of your other sources of damage (and loss of life) a form of lifelink, making it incredibly powerful in decks where swinging the life totals in your favor is a big boon. On top of that, it has multiple cards that it can combo with to immediately win the game.

[sahashbelvanie]

Radagon — Queen’s Hot Cousin

We know the nature of Radagon as Marika’s other half — that big ol’ secret is out of the bag. But something I’d like to explore further is the civilian perception of Radagon, which I feel most people don’t talk about.

This primarily stems from his marriage to Rennala. Radagon’s union with her merged the Erdtree Royal House with the Carian Royal House. But that raises questions about the events leading up to it. Radagon only gained fame during the Liurnian War, which is also his earliest known appearance in historical records. Yet when he arrived in Liurnia, he was presumably commanding a segment of Leyndell’s army.

The fact that Radagon’s marriage united Marika’s bloodline and kingdom with the southern lands of Liurnia must at least imply a familial relation. Now, I know the people of the realm weren’t privy to the truth of their second Elden Lord, but it seems Radagon had some known connection to Marika — perhaps as a distant cousin. Not a demigod, but significant enough for the Queen to appoint him to command a portion of the capital’s military. This blood tie, however you want to frame it, merged the two royal families. So when Marika later married Radagon, it would have been incestuous in both the public and secret contexts.

Radagon was hailed as a hero, a champion, and was known — beyond the war — for his striking red hair. Red hair, of course, is symbolic of Giant’s blood, but it’s also often associated with inherited flame — like that of the Fire Monks or Messmer’s inner circle of Fire Knights. Radagon was apparently self-conscious about his hair and loathed it, despite its flowing beauty. He was a man who sought perfection — or perhaps wholeness — a desire to know and master all things. To some extent, I’m sure he satisfied this under his first wife’s tutelage. Radagon was a “peacekeeper,” a scholarly king, and his reign was one marked by “civilization,” devoid of the barbarity seen during Godfrey’s era.

Of course, Radagon’s reforms led to a wave of Crucible purging, thereby condemning both those blessed by its power and anyone living outside the reach or pretensions of the Erdtree. Gotta love a racist, abusive house-husband twink who plays favorites with his children.

Another point is how good of a servant Radagon was. In retrospect, he did quite a lot to further the interests of the Fingers. He brokered peace with a nation that could resist the Erdtree’s might, produced influential figureheads within the Golden Order — his two sons — one being the captain of the faith’s inquisition, and the other a warrior capable of manipulating fate. He then, either directly or indirectly, weakened the Carian household by emotionally devastating its matriarch into seclusion. He produced multiple heirs to replace Queen Marika and evolved the Golden Order by incorporating sorcery and intellect into its foundation. So, good job, Radagon.

Either way, considering that their relationship was known — at least in part — the incestuous implications make Godrick’s cut dialogue even funnier when he refers to Miquella and Malenia as “rank and malformed.” The byproducts of incest, unlike the gallant golden lions of his stock.

Also, a detail I remembered: the blonde-haired northerners are said to descend from the Giants. It’s possible that the curse of flame — and the red hue — faded or was bred out over time, resulting in their blonde hair. This made me think of Rykard. While his lighter hair could be attributed to Radagon’s genetics (as Marika’s other half), this little tidbit adds another layer of observation.

[this-week-in-rust]

This Week in Rust 582

Hello and welcome to another issue of This Week in Rust! Rust is a programming language empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software. This is a weekly summary of its progress and community. Want something mentioned? Tag us at @ThisWeekInRust on X (formerly Twitter) or @ThisWeekinRust on mastodon.social, or send us a pull request. Want to get involved? We love contributions.

This Week in Rust is openly developed on GitHub and archives can be viewed at this-week-in-rust.org. If you find any errors in this week's issue, please submit a PR.

Want TWIR in your inbox? Subscribe here.

Updates from Rust Community

Official

Announcing Rust 1.84.0

This Month in Our Test Infra: December 2024

Foundation

Announcing Rust Global 2025: London

Newsletters

This Month in Rust OSDev: December 2024

Rust Trends Issue #57

Project/Tooling Updates

cargo.nvim - A Neovim plugin for Rust's Cargo commands

Context-Generic Programming Updates: v0.3.0 Release and New Chapters

The RTen machine learning runtime - a 2024 retrospective

Observations/Thoughts

The gen auto-trait problem

Async Rust is about concurrency, not (just) performance

The Emotional Appeal of Rust

[audio] Brave with Anton Lazarev

[audio] Lychee with Matthias Endler

Rust Walkthroughs

Creating an embedded device driver in Rust

Const Evaluation in Rust For Hex Strings Validation

Concurrent and parallel future execution in Rust

[video] Intro to Embassy: embedded development with async Rust

[video] Comprehending Proc Macros

[video] CppCon - C++/Rust Interop: Using Bridges in Practice

Miscellaneous

December 2024 Rust Jobs Report

Tracing Large Memory Allocations in Rust with BPFtrace

On LLMs and Code Optimization

Nand2Tetris - Project 7 (VM Translator Part 1)

Crate of the Week

This week's crate is vidyut, a Sanskrit toolkit containing functionality about meter, segmentation, inflections, etc.

Thanks to Arun Prasad for the self-suggestion!

Please submit your suggestions and votes for next week!

Calls for Testing

An important step for RFC implementation is for people to experiment with the implementation and give feedback, especially before stabilization. The following RFCs would benefit from user testing before moving forward:

RFCs

No calls for testing were issued this week.

Rust

Tracking issue for RFC 3695: Allow boolean literals as cfg predicates

Testing steps

Rustup

No calls for testing were issued this week.

If you are a feature implementer and would like your RFC to appear on the above list, add the new call-for-testing label to your RFC along with a comment providing testing instructions and/or guidance on which aspect(s) of the feature need testing.

RFCs

Rust

Rustup

If you are a feature implementer and would like your RFC to appear on the above list, add the new call-for-testing label to your RFC along with a comment providing testing instructions and/or guidance on which aspect(s) of the feature need testing.

Call for Participation; projects and speakers

CFP - Projects

Always wanted to contribute to open-source projects but did not know where to start? Every week we highlight some tasks from the Rust community for you to pick and get started!

Some of these tasks may also have mentors available, visit the task page for more information.

rama - see if improvements can/have-to be made to rama's http open telemetry layer support

rama – add rama to TechEmpower's FrameworkBenchmark

rama – add rama server benchmark to sharkbench

If you are a Rust project owner and are looking for contributors, please submit tasks here or through a PR to TWiR or by reaching out on X (formerly Twitter) or Mastodon!

CFP - Events

Are you a new or experienced speaker looking for a place to share something cool? This section highlights events that are being planned and are accepting submissions to join their event as a speaker.

Rust Week (Rust NL) | Closes on 2024-01-19 | Utrecht, NL | Event on 2025-05-13 & 2025-05-14

Rust Summit | Rolling deadline | Belgrade, RS | Event on 2025-06-07

If you are an event organizer hoping to expand the reach of your event, please submit a link to the website through a PR to TWiR or by reaching out on X (formerly Twitter) or Mastodon!

Updates from the Rust Project

469 pull requests were merged in the last week

add new {x86_64,i686}-win7-windows-gnu targets

arm: add unstable soft-float target feature

-Zrandomize-layout harder. Foo<T> != Foo<U>

best_blame_constraint: Blame better constraints when the region graph has cycles from invariance or 'static

mir_transform: implement #[rustc_force_inline]

run_make_support: add #![warn(unreachable_pub)]

account for identity substituted items in symbol mangling

add -Zmin-function-alignment

add default_field_values entry to unstable book

add a list of symbols for stable standard library crates

add an InstSimplify for repetitive array expressions

add inherent versions of MaybeUninit methods for slices

add missing provenance APIs on NonNull

assert that Instance::try_resolve is only used on body-like things

avoid ICE: Account for for<'a> types when checking for non-structural type in constant as pattern

avoid replacing the definition of CURRENT_RUSTC_VERSION

cleanup suggest_binding_for_closure_capture_self diag in borrowck

condvar: implement wait_timeout for targets without threads

convert typeck constraints in location-sensitive polonius

depth limit const eval query

detect mut arg: &Ty meant to be arg: &mut Ty and provide structured suggestion

do not ICE when encountering predicates from other items in method error reporting

eagerly collect mono items for non-generic closures

ensure that we don't try to access fields on a non-struct pattern type

exhaustively handle expressions in patterns

fix ICE with references to infinite structs in consts

fix cycle error only occurring with -Zdump-mir

fix handling of ZST in win64 ABI on windows-msvc targets

implement const Destruct in old solver

lower Guard Patterns to HIR

make (unstable API) UniqueRc invariant for soundness

make MIR cleanup for functions with impossible predicates into a real MIR pass

make lit_to_mir_constant and lit_to_const infallible

normalize each signature input/output in typeck_with_fallback with its own span

remove a bunch of diagnostic stashing that doesn't do anything

remove allocations from case-insensitive comparison to keywords

remove special-casing for argument patterns in MIR typeck (attempt to fix perf regression of #133858)

reserve x18 register for aarch64 wrs vxworks target

rm unnecessary OpaqueTypeDecl wrapper

suggest Replacing Comma with Semicolon in Incorrect Repeat Expressions

support target specific optimized-compiler-builtins

unify conditional-const error reporting with non-const error reporting

use a post-monomorphization typing env when mangling components that come from impls

use llvm.memset.p0i8.* to initialize all same-bytes arrays

used pthread name functions returning result for FreeBSD and DragonFly

warn about broken simd not only on structs but also enums and unions when we didn't opt in to it

implement trait upcasting

mir-opt: GVN some more transmute cases

miri: add FreeBSD maintainer; test all of Solarish

miri: added Android to epoll and eventfd test targets

miri: adjust the way we build miri-script in RA, to fix proc-macros

miri: illumos: added epoll and eventfd

miri: supported fioclex for ioctl on macos

miri: switched FreeBSD to pthread_setname_np

miri: use deref_poiner_as instead of deref_pointer

proc_macro: Use ToTokens trait in quote macro

add #[inline] to copy_from_slice

impl String::into_chars

initial fs module for uefi

hashbrown: added Allocator template argument for rustc_iter

account for optimization levels other than numbers

cargo: schemas: Fix 'metadata' JSON Schema

cargo: schemas: Fix the [lints] JSON Schema

cargo: perf: cargo-package: match certain path prefix with pathspec

cargo: fix: emit warnings as warnings when learning rust target info

cargo: make "C" explicit in extern "C"

cargo: setup cargo environment for cargo rustc --print

cargo: simplify SourceID Ord/Eq

rustdoc-json: include items in stripped modules in Crate::paths

rustdoc: use import stability marker in display

rustdoc: use stable paths as preferred canonical paths

rustfmt: drop nightly-gating of the --style-edition flag registration

clippy: add new lint unneeded_struct_pattern

clippy: auto-fix slow_vector_initialization in some cases

clippy: do not intersect spans coming from different contexts

clippy: do not look for significant drop inside .await expansion

clippy: do not propose to elide lifetimes if this causes an ambiguity

clippy: do not remove identity mapping if mandatory mutability would be lost

clippy: do not trigger redundant_pub_crate in external macros

clippy: don't emit machine applicable map_flatten lint if there are code comments

clippy: don't suggest to use cloned for Cow in unnecessary_to_owned

clippy: fix type suggestion for manual_is_ascii_check

clippy: improve needless_as_bytes to also detect str::bytes()

clippy: new lint: manual_ok_err

clippy: remove unneeded parentheses in unnecessary_map_or lint output

rust-analyzer: add a new and improved syntax tree view

rust-analyzer: add config setting which allows adding additional include paths to the VFS

rust-analyzer: re-implement rust string highlighting via tool attribute

rust-analyzer: fix JSON project PackageRoot buildfile inclusion

rust-analyzer: do not compute prettify_macro_expansion() unless the "Inline macro" assist has actually been invoked

rust-analyzer: do not offer completions within macro strings

rust-analyzer: fix env/option_env macro check disregarding macro_rules definitions

rust-analyzer: fix ref text edit for binding mode hints

rust-analyzer: fix a bug with missing binding in MBE

rust-analyzer: fix actual token lookup in completion's expand()

rust-analyzer: fix another issue with fixup reversing

rust-analyzer: fix diagnostics not clearing between flychecks

rust-analyzer: make edition per-token, not per-file

rust-analyzer: implement #[rust_analyzer::skip] for bodies

rust-analyzer: implement implicit sized bound inlay hints

rust-analyzer: improve hover module path rendering

Rust Compiler Performance Triage

A quiet week with little change to the actual compiler performance. The biggest compiler regression was quickly recognized and reverted.

Triage done by @rylev. Revision range: 0f1e965f..1ab85fbd

Summary:

(instructions:u) mean range count Regressions ❌ (primary) 0.4% [0.1%, 1.8%] 21 Regressions ❌ (secondary) 0.5% [0.0%, 2.0%] 35 Improvements ✅ (primary) -0.8% [-2.7%, -0.3%] 6 Improvements ✅ (secondary) -10.2% [-27.8%, -0.1%] 13 All ❌✅ (primary) 0.2% [-2.7%, 1.8%] 27

4 Regressions, 3 Improvements, 3 Mixed; 3 of them in rollups 44 artifact comparisons made in total

Full report here

Approved RFCs

Changes to Rust follow the Rust RFC (request for comments) process. These are the RFCs that were approved for implementation this week:

No RFCs were approved this week.

Final Comment Period

Every week, the team announces the 'final comment period' for RFCs and key PRs which are reaching a decision. Express your opinions now.

RFCs

Supertrait item shadowing v2

Tracking Issues & PRs

Rust

remove support for the (unstable) #[start] attribute

fully de-stabilize all custom inner attributes

Uplift clippy::double_neg lint as double_negations

Optimize Seek::stream_len impl for File

[rustdoc] Add sans-serif font setting

Tracking Issue for PathBuf::add_extension and Path::with_added_extension

Make the wasm_c_abi future compat warning a hard error

const-eval: detect more pointers as definitely not-null

Consider fields to be inhabited if they are unstable

disallow repr() on invalid items

Cargo

No Cargo Tracking Issues or PRs entered Final Comment Period this week.

Language Team

No Language Team Proposals entered Final Comment Period this week.

Language Reference

distinct 'static' items never overlap

Unsafe Code Guidelines

No Unsafe Code Guideline Tracking Issues or PRs entered Final Comment Period this week.

New and Updated RFCs

Make trait methods callable in const contexts

RFC: Allow packages to specify a set of supported targets

Upcoming Events

Rusty Events between 2025-01-15 - 2025-02-12 🦀

Virtual

2025-01-15 | Virtual (London, UK) | London Rust Project Group

Meet and greet with project allocations

2025-01-15 | Virtual (Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL) | Code Mavens 🦀 - 🐍 - 🐪

An introduction to WASM in Rust with Márk Tolmács (Virtual, English)

2025-01-15 | Virtual (Vancouver, BC, CA) | Vancouver Rust

Leptos

2025-01-16 | Virtual (Berlin, DE) | OpenTechSchool Berlin + Rust Berlin

Rust Hack and Learn | Mirror: Rust Hack n Learn Meetup

2025-01-16 | Virtual (San Diego, CA, US) | San Diego Rust

San Diego Rust January 2025 Tele-Meetup

2025-01-16 | Virtual and In-Person (Redmond, WA, US) | Seattle Rust User Group

January Meetup

2025-01-17 | Virtual (Jersey City, NJ, US) | Jersey City Classy and Curious Coders Club Cooperative

Rust Coding / Game Dev Fridays Open Mob Session!

2025-01-21 | Virtual (Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL) | Rust 🦀 TLV

Exploring Rust Enums with Yoni Peleg (Virtual, Hebrew)

2025-01-21 | Virtual (Washington, DC, US) | Rust DC

Mid-month Rustful

2025-01-22 | Virtual (Rotterdam, NL) | Bevy Game Development

Bevy Meetup #8

2025-01-23 & 2025-01-24 | Virtual | Mainmatter Rust Workshop

Remote Workshop: Testing for Rust projects – going beyond the basics

2025-01-24 | Virtual (Jersey City, NJ, US) | Jersey City Classy and Curious Coders Club Cooperative

Rust Coding / Game Dev Fridays Open Mob Session!

2025-01-26 | Virtual (Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL) | Rust 🦀 TLV

Rust and embedded programming with Leon Vak (online in Hebrew)

2025-01-27 | Virtual (London, UK) | London Rust Project Group

using traits in Rust for flexibility, mocking/ unit testing, and more

2025-01-28 | Virtual (Dallas, TX, US) | Dallas Rust User Meetup

Last Tuesday

2025-01-30 | Virtual (Berlin, DE) | OpenTechSchool Berlin + Rust Berlin

Rust Hack and Learn | Mirror: Rust Hack n Learn Meetup

2025-01-30 | Virtual (Charlottesville, VA, US) | Charlottesville Rust Meetup

Quantum Computers Can’t Rust-Proof This!

2025-01-30 | Virtual (Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL) | Code Mavens 🦀 - 🐍 - 🐪

Are We Embedded Yet? - Implementing tiny HTTP server on a microcontroller

2025-01-31 | Virtual (Delhi, IN) | Hackathon Raptors Association

Blazingly Fast Rust Hackathon

2025-01-31 | Virtual (Jersey City, NJ, US) | Jersey City Classy and Curious Coders Club Cooperative

Rust Coding / Game Dev Fridays Open Mob Session!

2025-02-01 | Virtual (Kampala, UG) | Rust Circle Kampala

Rust Circle Meetup

2025-02-04 | Virtual (Buffalo, NY, US) | Buffalo Rust Meetup

Buffalo Rust User Group

2025-02-05 | Virtual (Indianapolis, IN, US) | Indy Rust

Indy.rs - with Social Distancing

2025-02-07 | Virtual (Jersey City, NJ, US) | Jersey City Classy and Curious Coders Club Cooperative

Rust Coding / Game Dev Fridays Open Mob Session!

2025-02-11 | Virtual (Dallas, TX, US) | Dallas Rust User Meetup

Second Tuesday

2025-02-11 | Virtual (Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL) | Code Mavens 🦀 - 🐍 - 🐪

Meet Elusion: New DataFrame Library powered by Rust 🦀 with Borivoj Grujicic

Europe

2025-01-16 | Amsterdam, NL | Rust Developers Amsterdam Group

Meetup @ Avalor AI

2025-01-16 | Karlsruhe, DE | Rust Hack & Learn Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe Rust Hack and Learn Meetup bei BlueYonder

2025-01-18 | Stockholm, SE | Stockholm Rust

Ferris' Fika Forum #8

2025-01-21 | Edinburgh, GB | Rust and Friends

Rust and Friends (evening pub)

2025-01-21 | Ghent, BE | Systems Programming Ghent

Tech Talks & Dinner: Insights on Systems Programming Side Projects (in Rust) - Leptos (full-stack Rust with webassembly), Karyon (distributed p2p software in Rust), FunDSP (audio synthesis in Rust)

2025-01-21 | Leipzig, SN, DE | Rust - Modern Systems Programming in Leipzig

Self-Organized Peer-to-Peer Networks using Rust

2025-01-22 | London, GB | Rust London User Group

Rust London's New Years Party & Community Swag Drop

2025-01-22 | Oberursel, DE | Rust Rhein Main

Rust 2024 Edition and Beyond

2025-01-23 | Barcelona, ES | Barcelona Free Software

Why Build a New Browser Engine in Rust?

2025-01-23 | Paris, FR | Rust Paris

Rust meetup #74

2025-01-24 | Edinburgh, GB | Rust and Friends

Rust and Friends (daytime coffee)

2025-01-27 | Prague, CZ | Rust Prague

Rust Meetup Prague (January 2025)

2025-01-28 | Aarhus, DK | Rust Aarhus

Hack Night - Advent of Code

2025-01-28 | Manchester, GB | Rust Manchester

Rust Manchester January Code Night

2025-01-30 | Augsburg, DE | Rust Meetup Augsburg

Rust Meetup #11: Hypermedia-driven development in Rust

2025-01-30 | Berlin, DE | Rust Berlin

Rust and Tell - Title

2025-02-01 | Brussels, BE | FOSDEM 2025

FOSDEM Rust Devroom

2025-02-01 | Nürnberg, DE | Rust Nuremberg

Technikmuseum Sinsheim

2025-02-05 | Oxford, GB | Oxford Rust Meetup Group

Oxford Rust and C++ social

2025-02-12 | Reading, GB | Reading Rust Workshop

Reading Rust Meetup

North America

2025-01-16 | Nashville, TN, US | Music City Rust Developers

Rust Game Development Series 1: Community Introductions

2025-01-16 | Redmond, WA, US | Seattle Rust User Group

January Meetup

2025-01-16 | Spokane, WA, US | Spokane Rust

Spokane Rust Monthly Meetup: Traits and Generics

2025-01-17 | México City, MX | Rust MX

Multithreading y Async en Rust 101 - HolaMundo - Parte 3

2025-01-18 | Boston, MA, US | Boston Rust Meetup

Back Bay Rust Lunch, Jan 18

2025-01-21 | New York, NY, US | Rust NYC

Rust NYC Monthly Meetup

2025-01-21 | San Francisco, CA, US | San Francisco Rust Study Group

Rust Hacking in Person

2025-01-22 | Austin, TX, US | Rust ATX

Rust Lunch - Fareground

2025-01-23 | Mountain View, CA, US | Hacker Dojo

RUST MEETUP at HACKER DOJO | Rust Meetup at Hacker Dojo - Mountain View Rust Meetup Page

2025-01-28 | Boulder, CO, US | Boulder Rust Meetup

From Basics to Advanced: Testing

2025-02-06 | Saint Louis, MO, US | STL Rust

Async, the Future of Futures

Oceania:

2025-02-04 | Auckland, NZ | Rust AKL

Rust AKL: How We Learn Rust

If you are running a Rust event please add it to the calendar to get it mentioned here. Please remember to add a link to the event too. Email the Rust Community Team for access.

Jobs

Please see the latest Who's Hiring thread on r/rust

Quote of the Week

This is a wonderful unsoundness and I am incredibly excited about it :3

– lcnr on github

Thanks to Christoph Grenz for the suggestion!

Please submit quotes and vote for next week!

This Week in Rust is edited by: nellshamrell, llogiq, cdmistman, ericseppanen, extrawurst, U007D, joelmarcey, mariannegoldin, bennyvasquez, bdillo

Email list hosting is sponsored by The Rust Foundation

Discuss on r/rust

[felipeandletizia]

Felipe and Letizia retrospective: March 1st

2005: Inauguration of president Tabare Vazquez

2006: Children’s Literature Awards and International Illustration Awards,

2010: Investiture of Jose Mujica as the new president of Uruguay & Eva Luise and Horst Koehler Foundation for Rare Diseases award ceremony in Berlin, Germany.

2012: “Rare Diseases World Day”.

2015: Offered an official welcome to the president of Colombia; Offered a lunch to the president of Colombia& Welcome dinner of “Mobile World Capital Barcelona” & “GSMA” in Barcelona

2017: Closing of the ‘Women and Disability. We Crossed Borders’ International Congress & 8th King of Spain Human Rights Awards

2020: Luis Lacalle Pou’s inauguration

2023: Audience with General Christopher G. Cavoli, Commander of the Supreme Allied Command in Europe (SACEUR) & National Research Awards for Young People, 2022

F&L Through the Years: 1142/??

[skillyantra]

Become a Certified Scrum Master: Your Complete Career Guide in 2025

In the fast-paced software sector of today, Scrum Masters are highly sought after. The position of a Scrum Master has changed from being a facilitator to a crucial team leader who ensures successful project delivery as a result of businesses quickly implementing Agile methodology. This is the ideal time to research Scrum Master employment, comprehend Scrum Master roles and responsibilities, and get ready for the future, regardless of whether you're a business analyst, an ambitious project manager, or just looking for a shift in role.

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A Scrum Master: Who Is It?

As a servant leader, a Scrum Master helps Agile teams by making sure the Scrum framework is properly implemented. They facilitate meetings, assist the team in removing roadblocks, and help members comprehend Agile principles.

This position involves more than just daily stand-ups; it also entails setting an example, encouraging exceptional performance, and cultivating a continuous improvement culture.

Scrum Master Roles and Responsibilities

Maintaining the Agile board is only one aspect of a certified Scrum Master's duties. The following are some essential duties of a Scrum Master:

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mentoring the self-organization development team

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These days, a Scrum Master also serves as a mentor, mediator, and Agile trainer because Agile Team Coaching is becoming crucial.

Scrum Master Interview Questions: What to Expect

If you’re preparing for a Scrum Master job, expect to answer questions that test both theory and practical understanding. Common Scrum Master interview questions include:

What is the difference between Agile and Scrum?

How do you handle team conflicts during sprints?

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Experience Level

Average Salary

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₹6–8 LPA

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₹10–14 LPA

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SAFe® Scrum Master Certification

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Once certified, your career path can expand in various Agile roles:

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Agile Coach

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Program Manager

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Tools You’ll Learn in Scrum Master Training

Resources You Will Acquire During Scrum Master Training

Jira Fundamentals for Sprint Planning and Backlog Management

Confluence for records

Trello and Miro for cooperation

Excel for team measurements and reporting

As the most job-ready Scrum Master training platform in India, we replicate actual sprint cycles so you may experience them firsthand.

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The role of a Scrum Master is more relevant than ever as companies scale Agile across teams and departments. By understanding Scrum Master responsibilities, preparing for Scrum Master interview questions, and acquiring certifications like Professional Scrum Master, you open doors to high-paying, fulfilling careers.

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[agile-scrum-certification]

The Importance of Online Scrum Training and CSM Classes

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations continually seek efficient methodologies to enhance project management and team collaboration. Scrum—an agile framework—has emerged as a favored approach for delivering high-quality products while accommodating changes during development. As the demand for proficient Scrum Masters increases, online training and Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) classes have become essential for professionals looking to excel in this competitive field.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a lightweight framework designed to help teams work together more effectively. It emphasizes iterative progress, accountability, and continuous improvement through defined roles (Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Team Members), events (Sprints, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective), and artifacts (Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment).

Benefits of Online Scrum Training

Flexibility and Accessibility One of the most significant advantages of online Scrum training is its flexibility. Participants can access courses from anywhere in the world, accommodating different time zones and personal schedules. This accessibility ensures that more individuals can pursue Scrum training without geographical constraints.

Cost-Effectiveness Online classes typically have lower costs compared to in-person training. Participants save on travel expenses, lodging, and other associated costs, making it more feasible for companies to invest in employee development. Many online platforms also offer various pricing options and discounts.

Diverse Learning Resources Online Scrum training programs usually provide a variety of resources, including videos, readings, quizzes, and interactive forums. This blended learning approach caters to different learning styles and enhances understanding of Scrum principles and practices.

Immediate Application of Skills With online training, participants can often apply what they learn immediately in their current roles. This real-time application helps reinforce knowledge and improves retention, making professionals more effective Scrum practitioners.

Networking Opportunities Many online courses offer forums or discussion groups where learners can interact with peers, instructors, and industry experts. This not only broadens their understanding of Scrum but also builds valuable professional connections.

Importance of CSM Classes

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) classes are pivotal for anyone seeking to become a Scrum Master or deepen their understanding of Scrum. Here are some key reasons why these classes are essential:

Verification of Knowledge The CSM certification demonstrates a person's comprehension of Scrum principles, terminology, and practices. It serves as a recognized credential, validating that an individual has the foundational knowledge necessary to lead Scrum teams effectively.

Enhanced Career Opportunities Having a CSM certification often opens doors to new career opportunities. Organizations frequently prefer candidates with formal training and certification, as it indicates a commitment to the Scrum framework and agile practices. Certified professionals can command higher salaries and take on more challenging roles.

Skilled Facilitation CSM training emphasizes the Scrum Master’s role in facilitating team functions and removing obstacles to progress. Through these classes, participants learn how to foster collaboration, improve communication, and manage conflicts within teams, essential skills for any effective Scrum Master.

Continual Learning and Improvement CSM classes online promote a culture of ongoing learning and improvement, integral to Agile methodologies. Participants engage in practices that encourage experimentation, feedback, and adaptation, helping them develop a mindset geared toward continuous growth.

Conclusion

Online Scrum training and CSM classes are invaluable for professionals looking to excel in Agile project management. These programs offer flexibility, cost savings, and a wealth of resources that make learning efficient and effective. As more organizations adopt Agile practices, the need for skilled Scrum professionals continues to grow, making this training an essential investment for career advancement.

Whether you're just starting in project management or looking to sharpen your skills as a Scrum Master, embracing online training can pave the way for your success in this dynamic field.

[awynter]

If you'd let me kiss you that night... Anne's cheeks burned and yet she couldn't suppress the happy chuckle that bubbled out from her. She didn't deserve his forgiveness, not after the heinous things she'd said, the horrible person she'd accused him of being. George had managed to taint her perspective of men and life and Ben did not deserve to suffer from that. All she wanted was someone to find solace in during her short life on this earth. This is what she wanted, she thought. This sort of friendship is all she wanted.

"Let you? I do believe I had asked you to do exactly that, sir. ...Or rather commanded you to. Which I suppose, in retrospect, is not the best foundation for romance, is it? Perhaps I need to freshen up my knowledge on that topic before offering my two cents." Biting her lip, she looks away, not knowing how much longer she'd be able to look him in the eye without having her heart leap from her chest. "Oh, please, do not hold back your quips for my sake. A trickster cannot survive on kindness alone. Besides, I've learned my lesson. I will not repeat my mistake, I promise you. As much as I loathe to admit it, you do seem to be far more skilled at discipline than I am. And if I do falter again, I give you full permission to embarrass me however you see fit. Though, if striking me is in the cards, I do hope your hand is as soft as your heart is."

Seeing his flustered expression made her smile, a feeling of relief making her heart feel buoyant. How could one person make her heart feel so unbalanced? One moment, her chest felt tight and hollow, and now she swore she could feel flowers sprouting out from between her ribs. The power he had over her should've been terrifying, and yet Anne didn't entirely mind. Sometimes it was better to follow the ebb and flow of the waves than to paddle against the tide.

Did Mr. Pleinsworth have to fire a rifle at all of Lady Sarah's suitors? Anne shook her head at his question, her smile unable to completely hide the wince. "Not exactly. But it's not my place to divulge such things. However, I should inform you that Lord Pleinsworth is notorious for his brood of hunting dogs. Fifty of them or so, last I heard. The girls adored playing with them when we were back in Dorset, and I'm sure the younger ones are eager to return once the season is over."

His lips linger on her skin and Anne lets out a soft, shuddered sigh. She was in trouble, more now than she had been when she'd been convinced that Ben hated her. As though her own concerns were audible, he pulls away and straightens himself. A part of her wilts at his apparent eagerness to leave, but she merely bows in his direction.

"Why stop at the household? Miss Daisy is a Smythe-Smith, after all. The marriage possibilities are endless if you branch out a little further." Smirking, she hoped her true feelings on the matter did not betray her words. If he had no interest in her, then there was not much she could do about it, even if it wounded her deeply to imagine him marrying someone else. Sarah was beautiful and well-suited for the life of a bride, even without Ben's lessons on running a household, while Anne, on the other hand, was destined for a life of a spinster. She knew it was for the best if she remained alone, but that didn't mean her heart didn't yearn for something more. "You too, Frog Prince. Next time our paths cross, I pray will make a more favorable impression."

There is still time, Benjamin wished to say, but held his tongue. Time, after all, was a cruel mistress, and hardly seemed to be on his side these days. Instead, he merely nodded, forcing a smile as he listened to Anne's fervent explanation.

She pitied him, he decided. Why else, after all, would she feel the need to all but trip over herself to explain away the hurt? But rather than clue her in toward his suspicions, he laughed along with her breathy giggle, neither quite able to meet the other's eye.

“You're working on the assumption that the girls aren’t in there fighting about who should ought to kiss you." Anne's mouth quirked. "But, I should warn you, I am still in charge of these girls. I would hate to have to scold you for ungentlemanly behavior.”

"Heaven forbid that the disciplinarian become the disciplined," Benjamin wryly agreed. "If anything, governesses are supposed to lead by example. If you'd let me kiss you that night, perhaps you could've given pointers to these poor, allegedly smitten girls." His mouth quirked by way of jest, and he lifted his shoulders. "But perhaps I shouldn't joke. That is what landed us into this mess in the first place."

Courting Lady Sarah?

Despite all his teasing, Benjamin found his face flooding scarlet. Barely able to meet with Anne's gaze, he instead focused somewhere over the top of her hair, his hands clenching as he allowed, "She is a lovely girl. But truly, you don't have to intervene... If I'm meant to court a woman of the ton, then there is nothing that can stop us from being together." He flushed further. "Ah...er, not us, I just meant 'us' as in...a-as in a generic term."

To his surprise, Anne didn't seem overly enthused about his plan. She leaned toward him, her voice low and conspiratorial as she whispered, “I do suggest keeping the topic of shooting to a minimum for Sarah or Lady Pleinsworth. The family has some less than glittering opinions on guns. Not after what happened with…"

Perplexed, Benjamin prodded, "What? Did Mr. Pleinsworth have to fire a rifle at all of Lady Sarah's suitors?" Here, he chuckled. "I may not be a father, but I know all about paternal sentiment."

Anne shook her head. "Nevermind. I merely urge you to proceed with caution if shooting is a topic you expect to breach.”

Benjamin's smile vanished. "Perhaps I'll end up being the target, after all," he muttered. "I meant no offense. A lot of people use rifles for sport -- both recreational and for survival purposes. I suppose I thought it might be helpful."

Anne pulled herself to her feet, though this time, she leveled him with her heady gaze. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Mister Tallmadge," she said. Offering him her hand, she flashed him a threadbare smile. "And I wish you luck on your romantic endeavors."

The sting of embarrassment lanced his cheeks again, but rather than denounce her good will, Benjamin took her hand and kissed it. His lips perhaps lingered against her skin for far longer than was necessary, and gently squeezing her hand, he straightened again before releasing her as if she'd burned him.

"Good day," he murmured. "Perhaps the next time I see you, I will be courting the entire Pleinsworth household." He grinned then, hoping to convey he was only teasing her. "Stay well, Fairy Princess. I hope to see you in town someday soon."

[twothpaste]

sneak peek fic snippet from the absolute monster i'm working on. this bit features postgame sheep befriending teenaged claus. actually the teeniest bit surprised i've never seen anyone draw parallels between thunder tower's helmsman (who turns out to be just some decent guy), and the pigmask army's commander (who turns out to be just some decent kid). anyways. 🐑⚡

For Sheep, Lucas was a full scale demolition. A siren's blare still haunts their nightmares. Those scarlet tones, which yanked them from the control station, its knobs and thrown switches. Ripped the lightning right from their singed fingertips. Ashen and quivering, drawing steep smoky breaths through a hoggish mask - the other evacuees couldn't see what'd become of them. Gaze obscured. Trooper, and the rest, were none the wiser. That the embers in their eyes crackled not with vengeance, but with stars. Galaxies, even. Sheerest reverence.

And the dawning inklings of deepest remorse.

When Porky took Sheep, they'd been an upstart electrician down on their luck. One bad week away from eviction. One butterfingered accident away from Saint Peter's gates. Rustled them right outta the hospital bed they couldn't afford, from which - surely, they beg - they wouldn't be missed. Scooped 'em up, in both tender hands, like a sheared, shameful beast. Ascend time's veil, the clouds n' heavens, to the Tower's surging helm. Set this wayward lamb to its assigned post, atop all four wobbly hooves. Pat on the head. Good as new. And say,

"You're Zeus, now." With a Listerine smirk, and a fullmetal handshake. "Get it?"

But Lucas' pensive frown said otherwise. That gray-eyed stare, n' the tired bags beneath. Disarmingly familiar. The sorta perseverance fatigue couldn't crumble. Climb any Babel, or Burj Khalifa. Sheep thought it nothing short of amazing, and said so, too. Kid didn't mutter his reply aloud. Far too polite - to this day. It was his silence that rang in their ears.

"You're just an ordinary fella," came forth the answer, to thwart Sheep's star-studded praise. While Duster n' Kumatora did the talkin'. Lucas' recognition, comparatively, deafened them. The muted surprise, which colored his feverish haze.

"Just like us. Y'could be."

Raze the Tower to its foundation. Plant a seed amidst the wreckage. Huff a dusty chuckle, in retrospect. Funny thing is? Lucas hadn't the faintest idea what he'd left behind to sprout, within the Pigmask's aching chest.

Funnier still, in further retrospect - Sheep's life'd been a hell of a story, thus far. So, really. They shouldda known foreshadowing, when they saw it.

They met the same gaze, after oblivion. Stormy slate, over weary valleys. Eyepatch notwithstanding. Recognition like a pinprick to their throat. An itch, an awkward cough. It's true. Lucas did look an awful lot like the Commander. Ha. Practically identical. Would you call Sheep slower, or smarter, for missing the imposter's memo?

Claus wore sixteen about as gracelessly as anybody. And his guilt, about as well as Master Porky's other lightning-slingin' wind-up toy. When Andonuts' newly-minted apprentice rolled up to the wind farm, in the automaton's stead, he'd ruffled back his ginger cowlicks with a robotic palm. Wavin' a peace sign. Donnin' a slanted grin. Trooper, and the rest, did their double takes. "Y'all need a hand?" was a far cry from the little falcon with the busted wings. The broken kid - just a kid, he was just a kid, for Christ's sake! - who'd emerged from his metal mask. Who'd spent the first year dodging their stares, and hiding every scar. Further yet, somewhere six feet under, resided their dear Commander. That stagnant glower. A toneless order, perched at the merciless tip of a sword. Could almost make your skin crawl. How his comrades quivered, n' hunted for ghosts. Peering around trees, like haunted woods - amidst a Sunshine Forest of summertime freckles.

See, to them, Claus was inconceivable. That their former superior'd swoop on in, to haul turbines n' rotors. Right alongside 'em. Spare some poor reformed hog a fractured shin, at a fallen ladder's mercy, with the same telekinesis that used to inspire awe and terror. Smirk harmlessly, n' shout, "Aw, jeez! That was a close one!" Like. There had to be a catch. Right? A missin' piece of the puzzle? Surely there was something (beyond an impending nonbinary awakening) thunderstormin' beneath the surface. Any trace at all. Some secret, lingering, prickling spark.

Wouldn't you know it, Sheep held the elusive jigsaw chunk. Contemplated it in their zapped-numb fingers, as they sifted generator wiring. Let the embers flicker, behind the imparsable dark of their sunglasses. The weeping roots, n' gnarling bark, grating at their ribs from the inside. Yeah. They knew what it was like, to feign a smile. To loan one's labor so selflessly - no, so goddamn selfishly. Holdin' out the pleadin' hope that maybe, one day, your good deeds'll outweigh the bad. With a few dozen tons of demolished houses boring down on your chest, every ounce counts for somethin'. At least, it damn well better.

They met their fellow revenant in a dark place. Atop a so-called Tower of Love and Peace. Dared not dwell too long on his scrawny stature, or his husklike gaze. Nor the queasy sensation in their guts. Nah. They did as they were told. Couple of zombies, the both of 'em. Just churning the gears to some great, big, undead machine.

But, really? They met him - actually met him - at the base of a tower, instead. Moseyed meekly over one afternoon. Neither cared to share their breaktimes with the riff-raff. Neglected to cram the bustling stables. Leave these lonesome cowpokes to patrol their blustery farmlands. Sheep joined him, peering all the way up at those pearly, swirling blades. They recall their neck popping. The sun challenging their shades. Offered the kid a can of Sanpellegrino. He took it. With a plastic grin. N' the titanium hand his mentor'd built for him.

"C.. Erm. Claus," they stuttered. Earning his perked attention.

Outta the whole pigpen, Sheep's vocal cords, battered too by ash and voltage, were the very first to utter:

"Been… wantin' to tell you, I'm… I'm awfully sorry. 'Bout everything."

And they'd feel the ghoulish quiver, right down their lack of spine, when his facade faltered. His lips twisting, like a wince. Then promptly re-calibrating. Back into that yardstick-straight impassive line. Nerves n' muscles on his leftward side, pulled just as abruptly stiff as the steel on the right. Though the eyepatch, n' the scars besides, halved his mis-matched countenance - one intact brow was plenty to betray the troubled clouds. One gloomy, gray-green iris. 'Bout the color the sky turns, if a tornado's brewin'. His voice'd dropped an octave or twelve, since the good ol' days. Nonetheless. Its hollow monotone rang unmistakeable.

"Why. It wasn't your fault."

N' Sheep braced themself, as if for their infraction. No, no. For the proper apology, pilin' up in their choked windpipes. That it was, and it is. That every single one of 'em - every swinish schmuck who heeded the stolen son's orders, instead of askin', demandin'!, what the hell they did to that poor kid - was just as culpable. And that if they could take it all back, do the goddamn time warp, again, they'd've never fired a single bolt. Wouldda come down like Catalumbo. Stormed the pompous pimple's playroom. Even if it wouldn't've changed a damn thing. Even if it got 'em booted straight outta Eden. Even if it wouldda.. wouldda killed them, they…

.. they did nothing. Said nothing. Just watched the kid blink. His unlocked jaw, drifting ever so slightly to a slack. Pupil shifting about the windmills. As if searching for something. Sheep didn't know it then. Would come to learn, soon enough. The way it sometimes takes a second or two, at Claus' most earnest, for his central processing unit and his "half-a-brain" to reach these sorts of compromises.

"… No. M'sorry," he murmured. With almost his brother's softness. And almost the same smile. Shook his hodge-podge head. Crooked teeth perkin' through that polyethylene veneer. "Haha.. Heheheh…"

Bewilderment slipped past Sheep's shades. Whether the tin soldier noticed, amidst his relinquished chuckles, is anyone's guess. For all the writhing garbage lodged in their throat, brimmin' over their lungs? Not a word of it breached the bright, blue, cloudless sky.

"Thank ya, Sheep," Claus said. Gratitude punctuated by a swift swig of aranciata rossa. "I, uh. 'Preciate it. Really."

[a-magical-recap]

Foundations Retrospective - Top 10 Commanders

Number 5 – Slinza, the Spiked Stampede – 1,800 decks

Slinza, the Spiked Stampede plays in a space we've seen a few times in the past several years: Beast-typal commanders. Slinza allows you to play more beasts per turn, makes them bigger, and can use the mana you saved in order to tack a removal spell onto them. Slinza finds an interesting niche in the realm of Beast commanders, since Beast is such a varied creature type, each one can kind of care about different things. Tawnos prioritizes effects that excel when doubled like Garruk's Packleader. Radagast prioritizes big spells that will give you more creatures. Slinza wants you to use the discount to multi-spell Beasts, playing multiple 4- and 5-mana beasts for 2 or 3 mana. You can spread out the +1/+1 counters and get more fight triggers.

Slinza synergizes with other Beast payoffs like Krosan Warchief (89%) and notably powerful Beasts like Thunderfoot Baloth (83%) and Rampaging Baloths (79%).

Slinza is currently the 36th most popular Gruul commander. Similar to Aphelia, you're really only building Slinza if you're excited by the opportunities brought about by his synergies with Beasts. Unlike Aphelia, we've already gotten a few commanders in recent years who explicitly care about Beasts. As a result, there was always only limited room for Slinza to grow. With that said, Slinza is currently the 210th most popular commander from this week (putting it behind Alesha and Plagon). This puts it in a good position to jump a few spots soon, passing up Phylath, World Sculptor (#34) and possibly even reaching for the 2000s near Muerra, Trash Tactician (#30).

[mohgwynn]

wildfire | retrospect i | mohg, neil | 797

The small Omen looks up towards his lord through the wide slits in his mask, a sunny smile behind the ivory grin as he folds the garments in his hands. “It’s been so long since I’ve been outside!” he says, excited and kind, turning to give Miquella’s cocoon a deep, respectful bow — kneeling, almost, like one would genuflect before a God.

He has no idea what’s going on.

“What’s the occasion, Milord?” Neil asks as he sets the fabrics — Morgott’s clothing, both old and new — beside the radiant lily that sprouts from the bloody stone. “You’ve, ah… y-you’re awfully quiet.

And he is. Deathly so.

Mohg forces a smile, trying to calm his faint-hearted little dressmaker. He’s glad Creighton was able to fetch Neil without much fuss — enter the mansion as a guest, and leave as an escort. According to them both, the walls barely creaked at all.

That’s about to change.

The Omen Lord places a hand on Neil’s frail shoulder, sighing long and deep — serious. “I am about to ask thee to assist in a very, very important task,” the Lord says. “Art thou ready?”

Not at all what the young Omen had expected. His mask smiles gently, but he frowns in fear behind, his eyes growing wide in equal parts awe and confusion. “Y—… I would never turn you down, Milord,” he stutters, placing his clawed hands atop his heart. “What… what’s wrong?”

Mohg looks up towards the cocoon — at the lily still growing at its feet — and worries deeply about the pain of death.

But he needs to do this.

Now.

—

It’s hell on earth the very second Mohg has entered the Mother’s realm.

It’s as if the walls themselves are screaming, and those milling about the stairwells drop what they’re holding and cover their ears with gloved hands, whining and pained like dogs beside a whistle. Mohg grimaces as his blood boils — quite literally, like a wildfire aneath his skin, the branches of his veins snapping and leaves of crimson bursting into flame. But pain be a companion, he’s always said. And he’s never had to believe that as much as he does now. He holds its burning hand as he runs.

His voice has never been terribly loud, but he finds himself roaring like a lion amidst the din of the Mother’s distress. She wants him gone — like a disease, a tick or a leech, She wants him out from under Her skin. He does not deserve this realm she offers — not if he is to do something stupid…

Which he is.

Right now.

His voice echoes, growling and roaring, commanding everyone to meet in the foyer. Bodies rush, dishes falling in shattered pieces and laundry being tossed on the floor. It’s a rush, like a panic — like a flood, like a hurricane. A natural disaster within an unnatural world. Bodies in white and brown, panicked, fleeing, freezing, or fighting…

The walls are alive. The walls are unhappy. The walls clatter and bang, crack and cry, shaking as if fit to be wrenched from its very foundation. People huddle, holding each other — some crying, some screaming, some begging their Lord for mercy. Some cry to the Mother, and she laughs in disbelief. Some cry to Gods of old. Some cry for anyone who will listen. Some just cry, and cry, and cry…

He doesn’t have time to ensure all the bodies have gathered when things start to fall.

There’s no countdown — no warning — before the Lord enters the din. He says, “Everybody shut up!” He says, “Everyone, hold one another!” He says “Everyone, hold thy breath!”

He claws into the Mother above, his claws and horns vicious as one attempting to ki, and she writhes and whines and complains. She refuses to offer Her wounds. She screams at his attempts to use Her. He doesn’t deserve Her aid — he doesn’t deserve Her blessing. But Her blood is poured nonetheless, despite her efforts to escape, pooling at their feet like a river — a lake, up to their ankles, hot and boiling, angry and red.

She snaps her teeth. She readies her claws. She bites, she howls, she convulses and constricts. Mohg’s blood is aflame. Mohg’s blood is alive. Mohg’s blood is fit to burst from his every pore like the frenzied flame from a heretic’s eyes.

The surge of red is temporary, but it stings like being consumed alive.

Like being consumed alive.

…

A swarm of bodies is spat out at the foot of Miquella’s pedestal, shaking and pained, terrified and bloody, shocked and screaming and still, still crying.

And a small Omen boy, with dedication behind his smiling mask, helps each and every one to their feet.

Mohg is silent as unconsciousness takes him, and his blood spoils and churns.

[felipeandletizia]

Felipe and Letizia retrospective: November 18th

2003: Visited the Villanubla Air Base in Valladolid & Attended the mass of thanksgiving for the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s tenure, in La Almudena, Madrid.

2004: Prince Felipe Business Awards Ceremony at Auditorio Nacional & Commemoration Concert by the Symphonic National Orquestra Celebrating their 100th Aniversary at Royal Theatre.

2008: Plenary session of the “China Global Business Meeting” & Dinner celebrating the 25th anniversary of the of the Youth Council of Spain

2009: Audiences at la Zarzuela & Meeting of the Board of the Student Residence

2010: Military audiences at El Pardo

2011: Visited the “Machete 2011” exercise of the Special Operations Command of the Army

2013: Key to the City Presentation in Miami, Florida, USA; Dinner Foundation Spain-Florida 500 in Miami, Florida, USA.

2015: 8th meeting of the Spanish-German Forum in Berlin, Germany

2016: Meeting of the Delegate Commission of the Princess of Girona Foundation & Received TVE employees at la Zarzuela

2020: 37th Francisco Cerecedo Journalism Awards

2021: Oversaw the oath of the new magistrates of the Constitutional Court & Meeting of the National Security Council

2022: Military Audiences

F&L Through the Years: 1086/??

[hellsbellschime]

Could you make a meta about jonerys storyline in s7?

LOL okay so fun story! I thought this would be a fun idea for a video and figured I’d do a scene by scene analysis except by the time I was done with 7x03 I already had FIFTEEN MINUTES of material, so I stopped there. It was interesting so I might dive more into it at another point, but I do feel like at the very least the subtext and narrative material from 7x03 is the most rich anyway.

Most fans of Game of Thrones were looking forward to the shows main leads, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, meeting each other for years. But unfortunately once "ice and fire" finally came face to face, their chemistry and relationship was tragically lacking. However, given that the show was trying to sell an epic love story between them in half a dozen episodes, what was it about Jon and Dany that went so wrong? And in retrospect, did it even go wrong at all? One of the most interesting bricks in the foundation of Jon and Daenerys's relationship actually gets set in stone before Jon and Dany even meet, and it's set in stone by Tyrion. There is an significant miscommunication caused by him in the second episode of the season, because Daenerys commands him to invite Jon to Dragonstone specifically to bend the knee, but the message he actually sends to Jon doesn't include that vital tidbit. But the question is, why is that?

It's possible to chalk it up to just an error in writing or editing, however it's something that would have to be overlooked by everyone, and given the way the season progresses it seems unlikely that that's the case. It could have easily been edited out of the episode itself, so the fact that it wasn't means that it had to have been left in for a reason. And the fact that this miscommunication is never clarified or brought up by Tyrion afterwards seemingly indicates that it's an intentional moment too. But what matters more about this intentional confusion is not the confusion itself, but what it's supposed to tell the audience. 

This disconnect between perspectives and understanding between Jon and Dany seems to repeat itself from the literal moment that they're introduced to each other as well. Obviously Missandei listing off all of Dany's many titles while Jon Snow is introduced with such little fanfare is a moment that plays very well comedically, but despite the fact that up until this point Jon and Dany have been portrayed as two of the most heroic characters in the series, the audience is immediately meant to see them as total opposites of each other. Obviously the disparity between them will become clearer later, but given the way they've both been presented as individuals thus far, it's quite odd that the literal second they meet they're portrayed in direct contrast to one another.

Jon and Daenerys's interactions are really weird right off the bat. Not only is Jon completely thrown for a loop when he arrives on Dragonstone and is immediately commanded to bend the knee and taken prisoner, but Daenerys is her worst, least appealing self as soon as she meets him. It's not entirely out of her wheel house to play hardball with another person in power that she's just met, but from what Tyrion has said about Jon she has no reason to negotiate so aggressively with him, and yet she does anyway. 

What really sticks out in this initial conversation more than anything though, is that immediately after Daenerys meets Jon, she does quite a few things that are going to be incredibly unappealing to Jon as a character. Firstly, she disregards Robb's quest for independence, something he literally died in service of, in order to defer to the supposed last King in the North, Torrhen Stark. That might make sense from Dany's perspective given that she has very little love lost for Viserys, but to Jon, overlooking his deceased brother who was legitimately chosen to be King in the North is not something that is going to win any points with him. 

Then Dany points out that Torrhen Stark swore fealty to House Targaryen in perpetuity in exchange for his life and the life of the Northmen. Now, given what Dany has done up until this point, no one would have expected her to kill all of the Northmen if Jon hadn't bent the knee, but Jon doesn't have the benefit of narrative omniscience, so this statement after his frosty welcome to Dragonstone seems like a pretty clear threat that if Jon doesn't submit to her, he and the Northmen will die. 

She also makes it clear that she sees Torrhen's vow (if a vow can even be considered legitimate when it's given under threat of death) as still valid despite the fact that this is centuries old history that she nor Jon had any choice in. When he refuses, she levies the accusation that he is somehow breaking faith with House Targaryen, despite the fact that according to feudal law, the Mad King very clearly broke faith with House Stark by nearly executing all of the men in the family. 

This is the first moment where Jon actually pushes back against Dany's claims and points out that it was clearly House Targaryen that broke faith, and Daenerys admits some guilt on her father's behalf but asks that he forgive this crime and not judge a daughter by the sins of her father. That would be a halfway decent concession for her to make, were it not for the fact that it's buffered by two implications that Jon is responsible for an oath that his ancestor swore as well as responsible for the fact that his father was best friends with someone who attempted to kill her. 

Her next attempt at winning Jon's allegiance is even stranger. She claims that House Targaryen and House Stark were allies for centuries, when the obvious reality is that they were unwillingly subjugated by House Targaryen and the Iron Throne for the entire time. She also calls them centuries of peace and prosperity, which they very clearly and objectively were not. Westeros has never been particularly peaceful, but it's also never been as chaotic as it was during the reign of the Targaryens. She also somewhat hilariously presents him with the offer of Warden of the North, as if that were a prize to be won for him and not an obvious downgrade in terms of his status among his people and in Westeros in general. 

Jon refuses in a pretty fair retort, explaining that he isn't beholden to his ancestors vows and Daenerys isn't guilty of her father's crimes. It's interesting though, because Daenerys is frustrated by this. It's somewhat understandable that she'd be frustrated by the fact that Jon isn't bending the knee, but it's also intersting that she is frustrated by something that is an objectively fair propisition that puts both she and Jon on equal footing with one another. Throughout their conversation it's been clear that she does not see things that way, she expects Jon to bend the knee because someone who isn't him made a vow, but she doesn't expect to be held guilty for her father's crimes because it wasn't her doing. 

When Jon says that he needs Dany's help and she needs his, her response here is very telling as well. Clearly she's flexing because she wants to be perceived as intimidating by everyone she meets, but what's curious is that she automatically disbelieves that she could need Jon's help when he hasn't even explained what she needs his help for. It's extremely telling because she is already in a mental position where she believes that nothing and no one could possibly pose any kind of threat to her. 

Jon's engagement with the conversation takes an interesting turn here, because even after everything that has been said and done so far, he tells Daenerys that she is at least better than Cersei because she hasn't attacked King's Landing yet. While that is technically true and feels slightly more on par with the heroic Dany that everyone has seen so far, what the audience does already know is that she hasn't just decided not to attack King's Landing, she's been convinced not to attack King's Landing. Thus far, this is the only positive thing that Jon has said about her, and the viewers already know that it's false. 

Jon, ever the wordsmith, tries to immediately apprise Daenerys of the gravity of the situation in the worst way possible by likening the game of thrones to children playing a game screaming that the rules aren't fair. But again, it's interesting that, even though Tyrion corrects her afterwards, Daenerys is offended that Jon is calling HER a child. And it seems that honestly, Dany has no interest in what Jon is saying to her so long as it's not about her and her right to rule Westeros. 

What's also really bizarre here about Daenerys and Tyrion's behavior is that when he starts explaining what's going on with the army of the dead, they are both apathetic and disbelieving, despite the fact that Melisandre told them to summon Jon Snow because something big was coming and Jon knew more about it than almost anyone. It's possible that they were suspicious that it was some kind of trap or ruse, but it's strange that they both act so clueless and uncaring when they've both already been told that Jon was going to show up and tell them some wild shit. 

The dialog exchange gets really bizarre at this point, because instead of actually responding to anything that Jon said, Dany goes off on a tangent that essentially sums up to the idea that she believes in nothing but herself and it's her destiny to rule Westeros. It seems so off topic that it's hard to even understand what the writers were trying to convey here, but the only thing that I can possibly comprehend is that they're essentially trying to make it clear that after everything Jon has said and done, Daenerys is still thinking of nothing more than her destined birthright. 

And once again, we're all meant to see a contrast here because Davos intercedes and counters with the idea that if it's Dany's destiny to be queen, then all of Jon's accomplishments were his destiny too. This is interesting for two reasons though. The first is obvious, that Jon isn't the type to talk himself up or behave in a remotely entitled way, and that he doesn't command respect but earns it.

However, this points out something else interesting that is easy to overlook throughout this exchange. Daenerys is extremely forthcoming about herself, her accomplishments, and what she believes is her right, but Jon hasn't offered up any information about himself willingly. It's an understandable strategic tactic, there is no reason to offer up information to a potential enemy, but the fact is that this conversation clearly has confirmed in his mind that Daenerys is still a very possible enemy. 

And unfortunately for both of them, as Jon and Dany's first ever conversation concludes, Daenerys actually confirms that Jon is her enemy, claims that he is in open rebellion against her, and takes him prisoner while refusing to admit that she's actually taking him prisoner. 

Jon's conversation with Tyrion later is even more interesting. Because Jon directly calls out the fact that he's a prisoner, and Tyrion tries to claim the exact same thing that Dany did, that he's not a prisoner based on the incredibly frail technicality that Dany did not directly tell him that he was a prisoner. But even more importantly, this is an obvious instance where Tyrion could have told Jon that his message to him was intentionally misleading and Daenerys's aggression towards him may have been partially his fault, but he doesn't, nor does he explain this at any point later. 

Another interesting element to their conversation is that Tyrion tells Jon that he actually does believe him about the army of the dead. It's interesting because, if that were the case, why did he so clearly tag-team Jon in his first meeting with Daenerys? Perhaps it took him a moment of thought to actually understand what Jon was saying and come around to believing him, but it's interesting that the writers had a character who was familiar with Daenerys and Jon who could easily have mediated between them and didn't have him mediate. 

Tyrion also makes mention of the fact that children are not their fathers, luckily for all of us. While this is just a one off line and potentially means nothing, it's also a potentially very telling one because, honestly, Jon and Tyrion are very much like their fathers. Jon has idolized Ned for his entire life and desperately wants to be his father, and despite all of his attempts to distance himself from Tywin, Tyrion is clearly the Lannister child who is the most similar to his own father. So the subtext there about none of them being their fathers when even at this point two out of three of them are incredibly similar to their fathers specifically, seems like it could be very obvious foreshadowing.

But probably the most intriguing and noticeably strange aspect of Jon's conversation with Tyrion is that Tyrion explains to him that asking for Daenerys's help against an enemy she doesn't even believe is real is not a reasonable thing to ask. However, literally everything that Tyrion and Daenerys have asked of Jon so far has been wildly unreasonable to ask. Daenerys has asked a complete stranger to bend the knee to someone he's never met or even seen before, and she has essentially taken him hostage when he refused instead of just trying to convince him to do so. Jon even offers her an incredibly easy way in, he asks for her help, and if she provides it it's obvious that he and the rest of the Northmen would be much more open to the idea of her as their queen, but rather than even hearing Jon out she takes a seemingly desperate person as her prisoner with the clear intent of holding him there until he bends the knee. 

When Tyrion convinces Daenerys to give Jon the dragonglass he requires, Daenerys makes her first attempt to actually relate to Jon on a personal level. It's once again interesting that Daenerys brings up the loss of her two brothers and relates it to Jon's loss of his brothers, because Jon offers literally nothing in return. 

But what seems to be more relevant is Dany's position that everyone enjoys what they're good at and Jon saying that he doesn't. Once again, because the audience has the luxury of seeing Jon's entire journey thus far, it's easy to see why he feels this way. However, this seems to be another opportunity to point out the way in which Jon and Dany contrast each other, not to point out the ways in which they're similar to one another. 

It's interesting that Melisandre claims that she has brought ice and fire together at the beginning of the episode. Aside from being a nice nod to the original text, it also positions Jon and Daenerys as opposing forces instead of united ones. And these constant contrasts that are being brought up from the instant that they meet seem extremely relevant to their relationship to one another, but the fact that Dany enjoys what she's good at while Jon doesn't seems to be the most vital bit of information that the show conveys about Jon and Dany right off the bat. Because there really are so many parallels between what they're good at. Much of Jon and Dany's journeys thus far have been about fighting from the bottom to get to the top, winning people over, and trying to kill their enemies before their enemies can kill them. However, many of the things that Jon seems to dislike about leadership the most seem to be things that Daenerys actually does genuinely enjoy. 

It's safe to say that their very first meeting wasn't all that many fans were hoping for, however it seems like in the brutally short timeline of the final two seasons of Game of Thrones, the writers felt that the most important thing to establish between Jon and Daenerys right off the bat was not some sort of chemistry or romantic interest, but was the idea that these two people are diametrically opposed to one another in every way that matters. Despite the fact that their character arcs have had so many parallels thus far, the first episode where Jon and Daenerys actually meet seems to be designed to establish that everything about their personalities, dispositions, and overall ideals are on opposite ends of the spectrum, which was truly just the first gigantic step in establishing a romantic relationship that seems muddled, disjointed, and generally hard to follow and comprehend.

[hyrule-kingdom-updates]

Zavis shrugged innocently.

“Oops?”

He looked back down towards the water, and indeed, two halves of a very splinted and broken Great Eagle Bow were floating in the water below.

The Yiga tosses his sword between his hands casually and gave a soft chuckle. “Ok, all this aside, I have been waiting forever to kick your ass ever since Rauru. Like,” He rubbed his left shoulder. “My poor clavicle! Exposing me wasn’t enough, you had to mess with my violin shoulder! How would you feel if someone just randomly pounced on...wait do Rito even have collarbon—”

Faster than thought, Revali dashed forward with the full force of his tornado behind him, and the next thing Zavis knew, he was pinned by his shoulders, head hovering above the stairway below.

“HK—Yeah, that. That’s what I’m talking about...very rude...very....” He sputtered as Revali’s talons edged his head further towards open air. “Yeahyeahyeah, we can say you won this round, ahahaha—Anyone else feeling deja vu?”

Revali clicked his tongue and leaned his so close Zavis nearly thought he was about to bite his face off.

“Oh I’ve won indeed, little bard. But let’s ensure this result stays permanent—”

The Rito released one foot off his shoulder, and pierce his talons into the pocket by the Yiga’s belt. His remaining handful of paper talismans fluttered away in the wind. Revali then turned back to shove him over the edge.

But Zavis was faster. As soon as the hold on one of his shoulders fell away, he reached for his sword and butted the pommel into Revali’s face.

He stumbled back, but seemed to recover instantly with the power of spite. He took an arrow and held it like a dagger as he lunged, the wind still at his command.

Zavis dodged left, but lost his balance as the wind forced him backward, and  he toppled off the edge.

“Fuck!”

He thrust his sword into the side of the house, and hung on for dear life. He glared up a few feet away to lock eyes with Revali. 

“Don’t you get it!? I thought you were the sharp one! I’m trying to help you. It takes a lot to recover your reputation from ‘serial killer friends’ to ‘heroes.’ The more effort you put into defeating me, the better.”

He weakly gestured with one arm towards the scrambling Sheikah down below, and spoke a bit louder. “And what a show we did put on for them! And though my skills and intellect were great, I shall admit defeat to you, my friend! For surely no one rivals your valor!”

Revali’s eyes narrowed dangerously again, green flames seemingly simmering his face off. He hopped on Zavis’ sword, and both the Yiga and the sword squeaked pathetically as the wood that held the blade started to weaken.

“I don’t think you understand, poet. This isn’t about winning...this is about settling the score...” With each articulation of his words, Revali playfully hopped up and down on the sword.

Zavis grimaced at the motion, but rolled his eyes. “Are you still mad about the grave thing? Ok, ok. I’m sorry I accidentally caused monsters to trample all over those graves. I can give a more proper apology when I’m not dangling over the dangerous drop above that long staircase...”

Revali scoffed with an unexpected smile. “Oh, I’m well over that, don’t worry. Recently I’ve detached from my deceased family in place of...more desirable alternatives.”

He edged his talons closer to the end of the sword where Zavis was holding onto.

“I mean, that was the plan...until matters got complicated.”

The boy’s breath caught, but he glared confidently at Revali.

“I’m not scared of you.”

Revali scoffed again. He started hopping up and down again as he spoke in a dignified tone.

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy.”

Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop.

“It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop.

Zavis sucked in a breath as the panel of wood his sword was impaled into started to pry away. Revali leaned down close to Zavis’ face again as he smirked.

“A little bard like you would be familiar with the work of Illian Quiverspear, yes? That quote’s from Osprello. Act III if I recall correctly?” He tilted his head, as if asking for confirmation.

Zavis nodded. “Sure, the play where the osprey character is egged on by the parrot Rito, Iago, to kill his wife.” Zavis couldn’t help but quip as he smirked. “Is that a request, Champion Revali? Got a lover you want me to off?”

SLAM.

Zavis gasped as his sword sunk a foot down the side of the house, his grip loosening as the sword angled to a near 45 degree angle.

“What I want is for you to get what you deserve!” Revali leaned down, resisting the urge to just peck his eyes out. “I can’t believe how pathetic you truly are! A double agent...Tsk...” He shook his head as he crossed his wings.

Zavis’ thoughts bubbled with confusion. “I feel like being on the same side is a good thing—?”

“IT ISN’T.” Revali slammed his weight onto the sword again, the force strong enough to erupt a blade of wind out the edge. “First you make me look like a fool in Rito Village, then again, you elude me in Rauru. And now you. Break. My. BOW.”

“I’LL BUY YOU A NEW ONE, OK???” Zavis’ grip slipped further down the sword. “Look, I don’t have anything against you personally, cause you know in retrospect we have a lot in—”

“You were given everything!” Revali spat. “You were rich and prosperous, with loving parents, and talents to be praised for day in and day out.” He shook his head and waved away the memories. “While I chewed on dirt, and suffered under the constant dissatisfaction and anger of the Rito unfortunate enough to hatch me.”

He stomped on the sword, and once more the wood creaked, and the blade slipped just a bit further. “I endured and rose beyond my pathetic circumstances. But then I get a front row seat so seeing you throw away everything that I should have had!” His talons scratched Zavis’ skin. “You had the freedom to live as you wanted, and you decided the best course of action was to destroy the foundation that held you so highly!? You cast aside your ties, and for what? To play pretend?”

“My ties didn’t serve me any purpose! I’m more useful to everyone as a Yiga.” Zavis glared up at him. “And make assumptions all you want, but life wasn’t as glorious as you make it out to be.”

“HA!” Revali threw his head back and laughed. “Forgive me Master Zavis of the Yiga! I did not realize I should have expressed more sympathies for you!”

“I am so sorry that you never had to worry about food on the table, nor clothes on your back. I am ever so sympathetic to your joining of the Yiga Clan, as you provided them the information necessary to wreak havos upon the kingdom for years! And most of all...I am so sorry that you decided that your ‘greater usefulness’ as a Yiga was more important than caring for the people who foolishly decided to love you.”

Revali bore both his talons on Zavis’ grip. “Siv only started changing after you destroyed his trust. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the catalyst in all this.”

The Rito shook his head as he bounced on the sword again.

“And now!” Hop. “You’re supposed to be on my side all along?” Hop. “You?! Who succumbed to underhanded tactics and pathetic desires,” Hop. Hop. “To be praised and respected, the same as me?” Hop."Hmm...I don't think I can let that fly..."

Revali chuckled again, before regaining his grim expression. “I resisted the temptation to be selfish for years. My entire Hylia-damned life I’ve played by the rules of this kingdom and its authorities. And now you’re saying I could have given in all along, and still be in the right to be called a hero?!”

Zavis’ grip finally gave away, and he started to fall.

“GAAH—”

His forearm was suddenly caught be Revali’s talons, the grip harsh enough to draw a bit of blood. He leaned down once more.

“Assivus’ actions and choices are his own, and that divinator is certainly a problematic instigator...” Revali stared down at Zavis, green fire bearing into him. “But since you’re already here, and since we’re already allowing ourselves to be a little bit self...I see no reason I can’t settle for taking this all out on a insufferable little bard like you!”

The Champion's grip released.

[archive-archives]

Coming in April!

NEW 2020 1080p HD masters                                                                               JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS IN OUTER SPACE

Run Time             352:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs        DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio       1.33:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration 2 BD 50

 Rock stars Josie and the Pussycats are out of this world...literally! When the bumbling Alexandra accidentally launches Josie and the gang into outer space, they travel through the galaxy searching for a path back to Earth. Along the way, they meet cat people, robot monsters, evil dictators, space pirates and plenty of strange creatures, including their new companion Bleep, voiced by Hanna-Barbera legend Don Messick. Fortunately, everyone’s a fan of Josie and the Pussycats, including aliens! Rocket through the universe with your favorite superstars as they save the day, sing some songs and have a hip-happenin’ good time in a 2-disc, 16-episode Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space complete series collection that hits all the right notes!

                                                                                                                                NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of preservation film elements!       

GREEN DOLPHIN STREET

Run Time             141:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Lux Radio Theater Broadcast;  Theatrical Trailer (HD)    

                                                                        The Academy Award® winner about star-crossed love that spans the years – and the globe. After her triumph as the lunchroom temptress in the crime classic The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lana Turner expanded her range with Green Dolphin Street. Set in 19th century Europe and New Zealand, this sweeping romance tells the story of two beautiful sisters, one headstrong (Turner) and one gentle (Donna Reed), and of the man (Richard Hart) who marries one even though he loves the other. The film’s riptides of emotion are matched by breathtaking physical tumult: a fierce Maori uprising plus a catastrophic earthquake and tidal wave that earned the film a 1947 Oscar® for special effects. With its dramatic story and spectacular visuals, Green Dolphin Street drew huge audiences for epic moviemaking, being one of the top-ten box office hits of the year.

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of Nitrate preservation elements!               

BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940    

Run Time             102:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Making-of Featurette: "Begin the Beguine" (hosted by Ann Miller); "Our Gang Comedies: The Big Premiere"; MGM Cartoon: "The Milky Way" ; Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

 The job – a career breakthrough – is supposed to go to hoofer Johnny Brett, but a mix-up in names gives it to his partner. Another example of Broadway hopes dashed? Not when Johnny is played by Fred Astaire. Sparkling Cole Porter songs, clever comedy and dance legends Astaire and Eleanor Powell make the final Broadway Melody (co-starring George Murphy) a film to remember. Powell’s nautical “All Ashore" routine (a/k/a I Am the Captain”), Astaire’s blissful “I’ve Got My Eyes on You” and Fred & Eleanor's elaborate routine to Cole Porter's classic "I Concentrate On You" are more than enough to please any fan. But they’re just a warm-up for the leads to tap one finale number into immortality: “Begin the Beguine,” introduced by Frank Sinatra in That’s Entertainment! with, “You can wait around and hope, but you’ll never see the likes of this again.”                                                                                     

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from a new 4K restoration of the last-known surviving nitrate Technicolor print!

DOCTOR X (1932)            

Run Time             76:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color      COLOR; BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Alternate B&W version of feature; DOCTOR X (HD): UCLA Before & After Restoration featurette (HD); New documentary: "Monsters and Mayhem: The Horror Films of Michael Curtiz (HD); New feature commentary by author/film historian Alan K. Rode; Archival feature commentary by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film and Television Archive. Original B&W Theatrical Trailer (HD)             

 Is there a (mad) doctor in the house? “Yes!” shrieks Doctor X, filmed in rare two-strip Technicolor®. An eminent scientist aims to solve a murder spree by re-creating the crimes in a lab filled with all the dials, gizmos, bubbling beakers and crackling electrostatic charges essential to the genre. Lionel Atwill is Doctor Xavier, pre-King Kong scream queen Fay Wray is a distressed damsel and Lee Tracy snaps newshound patter, all under the direction of renowned Michael Curtiz. The new two-color Technicolor master was restored by UCLA Film and Television Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Warner Bros. Entertainment. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Foundation. Also includes the separately filmed B&W version (which has been restored and restored from its original nitrate camera negative) originally intended for small U.S. markets and International distribution, and which has been out of distribution for over 30 years.

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of original nitrate Technicolor negatives!       

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950)

Run Time             107:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English

Aspect Ratio       1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Susan Lucci retrospective & intro piece (from 2000 DVD release); Outtakes: Let’s Go West Again-Betty Hutton, Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly-Judy Garland, I’m an Indian, Too-Judy Garland,  Colonel Buffalo Bill with Howard Keel and Frank Morgan; Stereo audio pre-recording session tracks including There’s No Business Like Show Business featuring Judy Garland; Theatrical Re-issue Trailer (HD)

 Betty Hutton (as Annie Oakley) and Howard Keel (as Frank Butler) star in this sharpshootin’ funfest based on the 1,147-performance Broadway smash boasting Irving Berlin’s beloved score, including “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and the anthemic “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” As produced by Arthur Freed, directed by George Sidney, and seen and heard in this new remastered HD presentation, this lavish, spirited production showcases songs and performances with bull’s-eye precision, earning an Oscar®* for adaptation scoring. The story is a brawling boy-meets-girl-meets-buckshot rivalry. But love finally triumphs when Annie proves that, yes, you can get a man with a gun!                                                                    

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master!                                                                                 QUICK CHANGE (1990)

Run Time             88:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English

Aspect Ratio       1.85:1, 16 X 9 WIDESCREEN

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration           BD 25

Special Feature: Theatrical Trailer

 The star of Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day headlines and codirects this uproarious Big Apple heist-and-pursuit caper. Bill Murray plays Grimm, a frazzled urbanite who disguises himself as a clown – and sets out to rob a bank. Geena Davis and Randy Quaid play accomplices in Grimm’s daring scheme and Jason Robards is the blustery cop caught up in Grimm’s “Clown Day Afternoon.” Swiping a million bucks is a snap compared to getting out of town. Grimm and cohorts commandeer a car, a cab, a bus, a baggage tram and a plane (and encounter future stars Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub in hilarious supporting roles) to make what becomes a less-than-merry escape. But for comedy lovers, Quick Change is a ticket to ride!                                                                                                 

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving nitrate preservation elements!            EACH DAWN I DIE (1939)

Run Time             92:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50    

Special Features: Warner Night at the Movies including 1939 Short Subjects Gallery: Vintage Newsreel,  WB Technicolor Short: "A Day at Santa Anita", WB Cartoon: "Detouring America"; Restrospective featurette: "Stool Pigeons and Pine Overcoats: The Language of Gangster Films" ; Feature Commentary by Film Historian Haden Guest; Breakdowns of 1939: Studio Blooper Reel; WB Cartoon: "Each Dawn I Crow"; Radio show w/George Raft & Franchot Tone; Trailer for "Wings of the Navy" and Original Theatrical Trailer for Each Dawn I Die (HD)  

 Framed for manslaughter after he breaks a story about city corruption, reporter Frank Ross is sure he’ll prove his innocence and walk out of prison a free man. But that’s not how the system works at Rocky Point Penitentiary. There, cellblock guards are vicious, the jute-mill labor is endless, and the powers Ross fought on the outside conspire to keep him in. Frank’s hope is turned to hopelessness. And he’s starting to crack. Two of the screen’s famed tough guys star in this prison movie that casts a reform-minded eye on the brutalizing effects of life in the slammer. James Cagney “hits a white-hot peak as [Ross,] the embittered, stir-crazy fall guy” (Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide). And George Raft (Cagney’s friend since their vaudeville days) portrays racketeer Hood Stacey, who may hold the key to springing Ross.                               

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving preservation elements!                 

ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939)

Run Time             102:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50    

Special Features: M-G-M Musical Short: Love on Tap; Classic M-G-M Cartoon: The Bookworm

 Dum-Dum, Wacky, Creeps, Fingers: They’re just a few of the hoodlums in the world of amateur sleuths and professional bon vivants Nick and Nora Charles. And now there’s a new hood: parenthood. A birthday – make that boithday – party that some of da boys hold for infant Nick Jr. is part of the fun in this third film in the witty series. The case begins when the Charles family arrives for a weekend with a Long Island industrialist who fears someone wants to kill him. Sure enough, his fears come true. Nick (William Powell) is among the suspects. Asta scrams with what may be the murder weapon. And Nora (Myrna Loy) has her own ideas about the case and sneaks off to a nightclub to ferret out a clue. “Madam, how long have you been leading this double life?” Nick asks. “Just since we’ve been married,” she replies.

[kemetic-dreams]

Is there evidence that human sacrifices were made to Yahweh in ancient times?

Yes. People believed that if you wanted a favour from God , you must offer something of value in return. In most cases, the sacrifice of a sheep and a libation would be enough to achieve a bargain, but when a great favour, such as victory in war, was required, then a great sacrifice must be offered. Usually, the greatest sacrifice was to offer up one’s eldest son.

The Old Testament hints at several kings sacrificing their children, but others are also recorded as offering their children as human sacrifices. Ezekiel 20:24–26:

Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.

When the Bethelite Hiel built the city wall of Jericho, he offered two of his children as sacrifices to ensure success of the project (1 Kings 16:34):

In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

Scholars long assumed that Molech (or Moloch) was a Canaanite god who demanded child sacrifices, but were puzzled that this god was never mentioned in any culture in the region, except in the Hebrew scriptures. In biblical texts written around the time of the Babylonian Exile, we begin to find condemnation of the cult of Molech and warnings against child sacrifice—which add to the evidence that it was a former practice that was no longer acceptable. They were aware of the practices of their ancestors and retrospectively wrote a prohibition back into history via the Books of Leviticus and Jeremiah, for example:

Leviticus 18:21: “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech ...”

Leviticus 20:2-5: “Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

Jeremiah 32:35 “And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.”

Mark S. Smith reviews the evidence and concludes in The Early History of God that, in the seventh century BCE, child sacrifice was a Judean practice performed in the name of Yahweh (YHWH – God). It appears that ‘Moloch’ was not a god but rather a sacrificial term for the practice of offering children as sacrifices by fire.

Judah ceased offering child sacrifices to God at the time of the Babylonian Exile, when Persian influence probably accelerated the elimination of the practice throughout the ancient Near East.

[greatworldwar2]

• British Home guard/LDV

The Home Guard (initially Local Defence Volunteers or LDV) was an armed citizen militia supporting the British Army during the Second World War.

The origins of the Second World War Home Guard can be traced to Captain Tom Wintringham who returned from the Spanish Civil War and wrote a book entitled How to Reform the Army. In the book, as well as a large number of regular army reforms, Wintringham called for the creation of 12 divisions similar in composition to that of the International Brigades, which had been formed in Spain during the conflict. The divisions would be raised through a process of voluntary enlistment targeting ex-servicemen and youths.

When Britain declared war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939, debates began in official circles about the possible ways in which the German military might launch an invasion of Britain. In the first week of the conflict, numerous diplomatic and intelligence reports seemed to indicate that there was the possibility of an imminent German amphibious assault. Many government ministers and senior army officials, including the Commander in Chief Home Forces, General Walter Kirke, believed that the threat of invasion was greatly exaggerated and were sceptical, but others were not, including Winston Churchill. Churchill argued that some form of home defence force should be raised from members of the population who were ineligible to serve in the regular forces but wished to serve their country. on October 8th, 1939, Churchill called for a Home Guard force of 500,000 men over the age of 40 to be formed.

While government officials were debating the need for a home defence force, such a force was actually being formed without any official encouragement. In Essex, men not eligible for call-up into the armed forces were coming forward to join the self-styled 'Legion of Frontiersmen'. Officials were soon informed of the development of the legion, with the Adjutant-General, Sir Robert Gordon-Finlayson, arguing that the government should encourage the development of more unofficial organisations. The fear of invasion in 1939 quickly dissipated as it became evident that the German military was not in a position to launch an invasion of Britain, official enthusiasm for home defence forces waned and the legion appears to have dissolved itself at the same time. The government soon found itself under increasing pressure to extend the internment of suspect aliens to prevent the formation of a fifth column and to allow the population to take up arms to defend themselves against an invasion. Calls for some form of home defence force soon began to be heard from the press and from private individuals.

The government and senior military officials rapidly compared plans and, by May 13th, 1940, worked out an improvised plan for a home defence force, to be called the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). The rush to complete a plan and announce it to the public had led to a number of administrative and logistical problems, such as how the volunteers in the new force would be armed, which caused problems as the force evolved. On the evening of 14 May 1940, Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden, gave a radio broadcast announcing the formation of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) and calling for volunteers to join the force. The Home Guard did not, initially, admit women to its ranks. Some women formed their own groups like the Amazon Defence Corps. In December 1941, a more organised but still unofficial Women's Home Defence (WHD) was formed under the direction of Dr Edith Summerskill. The War Office continued to lay down the administrative and logistical foundations for the LDV organisation. Eden's public words were generally interpreted as an explicit promise to provide everyone who volunteered with a personal firearm. In retrospect, it was recognised that recruitment would have been better limited to the numbers required (and capable of being armed), with later volunteers given places on a waiting list. However, once volunteers had been enlisted, it was considered impossible from a public relations perspective to then dismiss them. Nevertheless, the regular forces saw no priority in providing more arms and equipment to the new force.

Another problem that was encountered as the LDV was organised was the definition of the role the organisation was to play. Initially, in the eyes of the War Office and the army, the LDV was to act as 'an armed police constabulary', which, in the event of an invasion, was to man roadblocks, observe German troop movements, convey information to the regular forces and guard places of strategic or tactical importance. The War Office believed that the LDV would act best in such a passive role because of its lack of training, weapons and proper equipment. At the same time, Churchill, who had assumed the position of Prime Minister in May 1940, became involved in the matter after being alerted to the problems, obtaining a summary of the current LDV position from the War Office on June 22nd, 1940. After reviewing the summary, Churchill wrote to Eden stating that in his opinion, one of the main causes of disciplinary and morale problems stemmed from the uninspiring title of the LDV and suggesting that it be renamed as the 'Home Guard'.

The Home Guard in 1940 were an armed uniformed civilian militia, entirely distinct from the regular armed forces. Volunteers originally had no recognised military rank, were not subject to military discipline and could withdraw (or be withdrawn by their employers) at any time. In 1941, nominal ranks were introduced for Home Guard 'officers', and in 1942, limited conscription was implemented intended for circumstances where Home Guard forces were taking over functions from regular forces (chiefly coastal artillery and anti-aircraft batteries), and non-officer volunteers became 'privates'. Volunteers remained legally civilians and failure to attend when ordered to do so was punishable by civilian authorities. Nevertheless, the British Government consistently maintained that as Home Guard service was strictly to be undertaken only in approved uniform. uniformed Volunteers would be lawful combatants within the Geneva Conventions and so would be 'prisoners of war' if captured.

The Home Guard remained in existence manning guard posts and performing other duties to free up regular troops for duties overseas, especially taking over the operation of coastal artillery batteries and anti-aircraft batteries (especially rocket batteries for the protection of key industrial sites). In 1942, the National Service Act allowed for compulsory enrolment in the Home Guard of men aged 42 to 51 years where units were below strength. Meanwhile, the lowest rank within the Home Guard, 'volunteer', was renamed to 'private' to match the regular army usage. It was only when the tide on the Eastern Front had definitively turned against Germany in 1943 that the military necessity for the Home Guard began to recede. Even so, both military planners and the public maintained an apprehension that the Germans might launch seaborne or airborne commando raids against targets in Southern England to disrupt the preparations for the Second Front or to assassinate Allied leaders. Following the successful landings in France and the drive towards Germany by the Allies, the Home Guard were formally stood down on December 3rd, 1944 and finally disbanded on December 31st, 1945.