#Babylon 5 declares independence

[bookwormandsci-fifanatic]

[victusinveritas]

Lest We Forget...Entire Frederick Douglass Speech on the Fourth of July, delivered July 5, 1852 in Rochester New York. (Note particularly the last paragraph). Usually, portions of the speech are quoted. This is the entire address. He was 34 years old when he made the speech..

=====================

The speech is below the cut, because I'm not going to force you to read it, just strongly encourage.

"Fellow citizens, pardon me, and allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here today? What have I or those I represent to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? And am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits, and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?

Would to God, both for your sakes and ours, that an affirmative answer could be truthfully returned to these questions. Then would my task be light, and my burden easy and delightful. For who is there so cold that a nation's sympathy could not warm him? Who so obdurate and dead to the claims of gratitude, that would not thankfully acknowledge such priceless benefits? Who so stolid and selfish that would not give his voice to swell the hallelujahs of a nation's jubilee, when the chains of servitude had been torn from his limbs? I am not that man. In a case like that, the dumb might eloquently speak, and the "lame man leap as an hart."

But such is not the state of the case. I say it with a sad sense of disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today? If so, there is a parallel to your conduct. And let me warn you, that it is dangerous to copy the example of a nation (Babylon) whose crimes, towering up to heaven, were thrown down by the breath of the Almighty, burying that nation in irrecoverable ruin.

Fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions, whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are today rendered more intolerable by the jubilant shouts that reach them. If I do forget, if I do not remember those bleeding children of sorrow this day, "may my right hand forget her cunning, and may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth!"

To forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs and to chime in with the popular theme would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world.

My subject, then, fellow citizens, is "American Slavery." I shall see this day and its popular characteristics from the slave's point of view. Standing here, identified with the American bondman, making his wrongs mine, I do not hesitate to declare, with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July.

Whether we turn to the declarations of the past, or to the professions of the present, the conduct of the nation seems equally hideous and revolting. America is false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future. Standing with God and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name of humanity, which is outraged, in the name of liberty, which is fettered, in the name of the Constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery -- the great sin and shame of America! "I will not equivocate - I will not excuse." I will use the severest language I can command, and yet not one word shall escape me that any man, whose judgment is not blinded by prejudice, or who is not at heart a slave-holder, shall not confess to be right and just.

But I fancy I hear some of my audience say it is just in this circumstance that you and your brother Abolitionists fail to make a favorable impression on the public mind. Would you argue more and denounce less, would you persuade more and rebuke less, your cause would be much more likely to succeed. But, I submit, where all is plain there is nothing to be argued. What point in the anti-slavery creed would you have me argue? On what branch of the subject do the people of this country need light? Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man? That point is conceded already. Nobody doubts it. The slave-holders themselves acknowledge it in the enactment of laws for their government. They acknowledge it when they punish disobedience on the part of the slave. There are seventy-two crimes in the State of Virginia, which, if committed by a black man (no matter how ignorant he be), subject him to the punishment of death; while only two of these same crimes will subject a white man to like punishment.

What is this but the acknowledgment that the slave is a moral, intellectual, and responsible being? The manhood of the slave is conceded. It is admitted in the fact that Southern statute books are covered with enactments, forbidding, under severe fines and penalties, the teaching of the slave to read and write. When you can point to any such laws in reference to the beasts of the field, then I may consent to argue the manhood of the slave. When the dogs in your streets, when the fowls of the air, when the cattle on your hills, when the fish of the sea, and the reptiles that crawl, shall be unable to distinguish the slave from a brute, then I will argue with you that the slave is a man!

For the present it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race. Is it not astonishing that, while we are plowing, planting, and reaping, using all kinds of mechanical tools, erecting houses, constructing bridges, building ships, working in metals of brass, iron, copper, silver, and gold; that while we are reading, writing, and ciphering, acting as clerks, merchants, and secretaries, having among us lawyers, doctors, ministers, poets, authors, editors, orators, and teachers; that we are engaged in all the enterprises common to other men -- digging gold in California, capturing the whale in the Pacific, feeding sheep and cattle on the hillside, living, moving, acting, thinking, planning, living in families as husbands, wives, and children, and above all, confessing and worshipping the Christian God, and looking hopefully for life and immortality beyond the grave -- we are called upon to prove that we are men?

Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it. Must I argue the wrongfulness of slavery? Is that a question for republicans? Is it to be settled by the rules of logic and argumentation, as a matter beset with great difficulty, involving a doubtful application of the principle of justice, hard to understand? How should I look today in the presence of Americans, dividing and subdividing a discourse, to show that men have a natural right to freedom, speaking of it relatively and positively, negatively and affirmatively? To do so would be to make myself ridiculous, and to offer an insult to your understanding. There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven who does not know that slavery is wrong for him.

What! Am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty, to work them without wages, to keep them ignorant of their relations to their fellow men, to beat them with sticks, to flay their flesh with the lash, to load their limbs with irons, to hunt them with dogs, to sell them at auction, to sunder their families, to knock out their teeth, to burn their flesh, to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters? Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood and stained with pollution is wrong? No - I will not. I have better employment for my time and strength than such arguments would imply.

What, then, remains to be argued? Is it that slavery is not divine; that God did not establish it; that our doctors of divinity are mistaken? There is blasphemy in the thought. That which is inhuman cannot be divine. Who can reason on such a proposition? They that can, may - I cannot. The time for such argument is past.

At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. Oh! had I the ability, and could I reach the nation's ear, I would today pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be denounced.

What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy - a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour.

Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival."

[fallowhearth]

It's striking how and when Babylon 5 puts its main cast in conflict with Earth, vs when Deep Space 9 offers critiques of the federation.

DS9 offers several critiques to the Federation as set up in previous series via the Maquis, the 'little guy' not considered by the Federation's interstellar politicking, and Section 31 who violate the supposed ideals of the Federation in favour of efficacy. But the thing that actually puts DS9 in conflict with Earth is infiltration by foreign aliens - shapeshifters replacing key personnel. But this isn't really a split, so much as the cast of DS9 need to step in to flush out the imposters.

In Babylon 5, however, from the get go the main conflict between B5 and Earth is the simmering homegrown human ethnonationalist political movement. Ideologues and agents who resent aliens migrating to human territory, who oppose cultural mixing, and who want a rematch of the Earth-Minbari War. When the Earth government is taken over by the ethnonationalist isolationist faction, and becomes more authoritarian, B5 actually declares independence. So in later seasons B5 is not only fighting against the external alien threat posed by the Shadows, but against the racist Earth government.

I think they're both great shows, to be clear. But it's just fascinating what different choices they made, despite airing at the same time and having similar starting premises.

[fancoloredglasses]

The saga of Babylon 4 (time travel again?!)

[All images are owned by Babylonian Productions and Warner Bros Discovery. Please don’t sue me or send the Shadows after me]

When dealing with a show with an overarching story spanning multiple seasons, there are bound to be episodes where the stories overlap, but what about multiple episodes (in different seasons) telling the same story? Such is the tale of Babylon 4.

This review is going to be a bit different than most “sagas” I’ve done. In previous sagas, I’ve told each episode in chronological order. However, as the two episodes in question (one in two parts) cover the same time span but from points of view two years apart (isn’t time travel fun?) I’ll be chronicling the two episodes simultaneously. If you would like to watch the episodes, they’re available on Tubi or behind your favorite paywall.

Someone should have some Advil and a straitjacket handy just in case.

PREVIOUSLY ON…

As you know, Babylon 5 is the fifth station in the Babylon Project. Three stations were destroyed during construction, but the fourth disappeared without a trace 4 years prior to the start of the series.

A Great Machine is discovered on Epsilon 3, the planet that Babylon 5 orbits, and Delenn’s friend Draal has become its operator. Commander Sinclair has been named Ambassador to Mimbar, later creating a covert group of human and Mimbari warriors known as the Rangers (with Marcus Cole being assigned to Babylon 5) and being named Entil’Zha (“Ranger One” in English) by the Mimbari.

Babylon 5 is drawn into the coming war between the Vorlons and the Shadows, declaring independence from the Earth Alliance.

Additionally, Captain Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn have started their relationship.

We open on Mimbar, where Ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair is about to receive a disturbing message…

(Thanks to Aaron Anglea)

Roll credits!

Sinclair immediately hops a ship to Babylon 5, but his aide raises an interesting question. That letter was written 1,000 years ago by Valen, who was the architect of Mimbari society. How did he know Sinclair would be on Mimbar at that time?

On Babylon 5, Ivonova claims she never sent that distress signal, but Garibaldi isn’t sure.

Garibaldi gives a 15 second synopsis of the events in Babylon Squared (which I’ll cover shortly), that I’ll be covering later (trust me, this will make sense…I hope) Garibaldi wants to investigate the source of the signal, and Sheridan authorizes it.

Meanwhile, Delenn receives a similar letter and is as haunted by it as Sinclair was. Also, how did Valen know she’d be on Babylon 5 when it was built 997 years after the letter was written?

She then marches her way to C&C and interrupts a meeting with Sheridan and Marcus.

[The White Star, as you may remember, is a ship built using Mimbari and Vorlon technologies. By season 5 there is a fleet of White Stars, but at this point there is just the one.]

She takes Marcus and Ivonova along as well, and are joined by Sinclair.

About that time, Garibaldi reports in (he’s been gone for about an hour at this point) that his long-range scans show the temporal rift in Sector 14 has doubled in size due to an outside source (namely, Epsilon 3).

Speaking of Epsilon 3…

…a being known as Zathras is worried about issues within the Great Machine, but Draal has given him orders, and Zathras knows what must be done.

Back on Babylon 5, Sheridan wants to investigate Epsilon 3 instead of Sector 14, but Delenn is insistent.

Her logic is that they need to leave now because this is the time they’re supposed to leave (hey, don’t blame me if your head hurts from that. She said it, not me!) Sheridan reluctantly agrees. He’s even more skeptical when Sinclair reveals he didn’t know he was coming to Babylon 5 until just before he left Mimbar.

Upon arrival on the White Star, Sheridan wants to know what the hell is going on.

Next begins the exposition part of the episode where Delenn starts talking about the last Shadow War 1,000 years ago…and how the tide of the War began to turn against the Shadows…

The appearance of Babylon 4!

Further, just before Babylon 4 disappeared, it was about to be attacked by allies of the Shadows to prevent it from going back in time, but were stopped…

…by the White Star!

Then Delenn reveals that their mission is to go through the enlarged temporal rift to save (and steal!) Babylon 4, or else the Shadows won’t be defeated in that War, causing a chain of events that will lead to the destruction of Babylon 5! (So…no pressure or anything)

Sheridan contacts Garibaldi (remember him?), who’s been monitoring the rift and recording whatever transmissions come through, saying he's witnessed the destruction of Babylon 5 through the transmissions.

With that, Sheridan’s vote makes the decision to proceed unanimous. Sheridan orders Garibaldi to return to Babylon 5 as the White Star prepares to enter the rift. However, there is a shuttle from Epsilon 3 preparing to rendezvous with equipment for their mission, as well as the last member of the team…

Sinclair immediately recognizes Zathras (for reasons that will be explained) and tells him not to say he knows his past self when they meet (I swear this will make sense!) Zathras is honored to meet Sinclair and Sheridan, but won’t explain why (yes, things are very confusing and secretive. I hope it doesn’t hurt your head too badly)

Before they enter, Zathras gives everyone a temporal stabilizer device that will negate most of the effects of time displacement, as well as keep them anchored to the current time (or the time Babylon 4 is in, anyway) With that, the White Star enters the rift.

Upon arrival to 6 years ago, the White Star finds Shadow fighters with a fusion bomb large enough to destroy Babylon 4.

Six years in the future, Garibaldi has returned to Babylon 5 and finds out Sinclair was there. There’s a message from Sinclair waiting that’s a bit ominous, saying Sinclair isn't planning on returning.

Meanwhile 6 years ago, the White Star destroys the bomb, but is too close.

A wave of something hits Sheridan’s stabilizer and he vanishes into the time stream! While everyone wants to find Sheridan, Sinclair reminds them what’s at stake and tells them to continue with the mission.

And what of Sheridan? He appears surrounded by Centauri guards and facing down…

Londo, only much older and wearing the attire of the Emperor! Londo tells him it’s been 17 years since the end of the Shadow War, and his planet is in ruin because of him and Delenn, and they are to be executed for war crimes! Londo sends him to his cell to prepare himself for his execution.

Back in the past, the White Star (thanks to the explosion knocking out Babylon 4’s sensors) has infiltrated and latched onto the station and cut into the hull so the crew can quietly board. Ivonova and Marcus go to secure a path for Zathras to bring the equipment for the time jump while Sinclair and Delenn go to…do something reckless (but apparently necessary) as part 1 ends.

[Normally I would have a pic of the title for part 2, but I’m not in this case since Babylon Squared will be mixed into this and it could become a bit confusing. Plus, due to doing three episodes in one review, my image budget is taxed to the limit as it is!]

Ivonova and Marcus begin looking for an unsealed access panel when suddenly Marcus vanishes, just as a patrol finds her! Then Marcus drops from the ceiling and helps Ivonova subdue the guards. They then find an access panel and get to work rigging the security systems.

Meanwhile on future Centauri Prime, Sheridan convulses and fades.

He appears briefly before Zathras before returning to the future just in time for Delenn to be thrown into his cell.

Well now, THAT’S a hell of a way to discover you’re a father! Sheridan quickly explains what has happened, and Delenn reveals he told her long ago of this moment but didn’t entirely believe him.

Back on Babylon 4, Delenn and Sinclair find a spot in the fusion reactors to place the time travel devices as Ivonova triggers an alarm to clear the reactor chamber.

On Centauri Prime, Londo has called for Sheridan and Delenn. However, Londo has made himself very drunk…

…to induce his “keeper" (a member of one of the Shadows' minion races) into slumber so he can be candid with them. He has arranged transport off of Centauri Prime for Sheridan and Delenn and begs them to save the Centauri from the remnants of the Shadows in exchange. He quickly sends them away, as he can feel his Keeper waking up. He then calls for…

Londo asks G’Kar to end his life to give Sheridan and Delenn time to escape, then Londo’s Keeper awakens, killing G'kar as G'Kar kills him!

Thus Londo’s vision of his death (mentioned Season 1) is fulfilled. Who says long-term storytelling is dead? Also, thus paves the way for Emperor Vir.

However, on the way to the escape ship, Sheridan feels himself being pulled away. Delenn gives him a warning before he leaves (which he doesn’t wind up heeding)

Back on Babylon 4, Zathras is rigging one of Babylon 5’s space suits with the broken time stabilizer in hopes to retrieve Sheridan, to which Marcus calls Zathras mad. Ivonova muses about Valen (a Mimbari not born of Mimbari) when suddenly Sheridan appears in the suit!

With Sheridan back, he and Sinclair place the rest of the time displacement devices along the outside of the station.

Then the station increases power output, causing a surge that sends Sheridan and Sinclair flying! And with that, Babylon 4 vanishes (and so does Sheridan)! Zathras manages to stabilize the equipment, but Babylon 4 has moved 4 years into the future to Season 1.

Speaking of Season 1...

(Told you I'd get to this)

We open at breakfast with a bit of levity…

(Thanks to Grv3n)

And what about the Star Fury that was sent to Sector 14? Alpha 7 gets to the source of the disturbance and discovers…

…just before he utters a blood-curdling scream!

Roll (Season 1) credits!

We come back to find Ivonova unable to make contact with Alpha 7, despite sensors saying it’s returning to the station.

A bit over an hour later Alpha 7 returns, but halts just short of the station and doesn’t respond to instructions. They do a scan and discover no life signs! An autopsy reveals he died of old age, despite being only 30 (his organs were those of a 90 year-old man!) After doing a thorough search of the Star Fury, Garibaldi’s team discovered something scratched into the safety harness…

Then C&C contacts Sinclair (I’m gonna call him Past Sinclair just to avoid making this any more confusing) about a distress signal.

After confirming the authenticity of the signal (though the time stamp is 4 years old), Past Sinclair offers his assistance (without revealing from where) to evacuate Babylon 4. He and Garibaldi lead a team of transports to B4’s location, a trip that takes 3 hours.

Meanwhile on Babylon 4, the crew of the White Star meets up with Sinclair to find…

…he’s aged considerably due to one too many run-ins with the time distortion field. Sinclair puts Zathras to work repairing Sheridan’s time stabilizer for if/when he returns. Zathras scurries off with Ivonova into Babylon 4 for the parts he needs. Meanwhile, Sinclair heads back to the reactor to make adjustments and sends the others back to the White Star.

Zathras manages to repair the time stabilizer, but…

Security takes Zathras to a holding cell. Delenn decides to leave the White Star and sees…

Meanwhile, the shuttles from Babylon 5 arrive. Upon their arrival…

(Thanks to Texx Titillations)

“Unstuck in time” is an interesting way to phrase what’s happening, but I can’t think of a better one. Anyone who can, please let me know in the comments.

As the evacuation proceeds, Major Krantz says they found an alien (Zathras) aboard just after things went pear-shaped. Zathras then looks at Past Sinclair and immediately sits back down.

Zathras explains he’s stealing Babylon 4 to fight “a great war”, but never explains when that war is.

Then a guard summons Krantz. He and the others follow (including Zathras, since no one thinks to stops him)

Sheridan’s space suit appears out of thin air. Zathras claims Sheridan is “The One.” Past Sinclair moves to speak with The One, but when they touch, he’s blown clear about 20 feet! In the confusion, Zathras hands The One some sort of device and scurries off as The One vanishes. Unfortunately for Zathras, he’s quickly re-captured.

Meanwhile, Ivonova has made her way to C&C after the crew has evacuated to help Sinclair make adjustments.

Marcus then leaves the White Star and sees…

But if Sheridan’s there and stable…who’s in the space suit?

Back in interrogation, Zathras reveals the device was his time stabilizer so The One will survive the time jump. wants to take Zathras to put him on trial (for what? Being an accomplice for stealing Babylon 4?) Zathras says that if he leaves Babylon 4, he’ll die since he’s not from this time.

Then the power fades a bit. Zathras says Babylon 4 will be leaving for its new home soon.

Garabaldi then reports in that the station is getting ready to go to whenever it’s going. Krantz insists on taking Zathras with them, and since he’s technically still in command he can order it.

Then the station shudders and a pillar falls on Zathras, pinning him! Unfortunately, it’s too heavy to quickly move and they need to go now! Zathras tells Past Sinclair to leave him, but before he goes…

Garabaldi practically drags Past Sinclair to the last shuttle, but as they leave Zathras gets a visitor.

So that’s who was in the suit!

At C&C Sinclair tells everyone to go back and he’d join them shortly. Marcus calls him out on his bullshit, claiming that someone has to control the station’s journey…and there’s no way back.

Then Sinclair shows the letter he got back on Mimbar (remember that?)

Delenn then reveals her own letter, verifying Sinclair’s claim. Sinclair also says the aging effects of yet another trip through the temporal rift would likely kill him anyway. Sinclair then asks Ivonova and Marcus to leave so he can have a conversation with Zathras.

(Thanks to evelyn raymond)

With that, Zathras decides to stay with Sinclair to assist with the integration of Babylon 4. And with that, the White Star leaves Babylon 4 to return to their own time and the temporal rift closes behind them.

(Thanks to Korfez Derince)

Now we know how Valen knew how everything had transpired.

Hope you enjoyed. Now, I’m gonna take a few dozen Advil and beat my head against the wall to clear my head of this.

[brookston]

Holidays 3.9

Holidays

American Paddlefish Day

Amerigo Vespucci Day

Armored Warships Day

Babylon 5 Launch Day (Babylon 5)

Barbie Day

Baron Bliss Day (Belize)

Chervil Day (French Republic)

Chess Prodigy Day

Day of Waiting (Elder Scrolls)

Day to Mourn Slavery

Doctor’s Day (Venezuela)

Eid Al Moalim (Teacher’s Day; Lebanon)

False Teeth Day

Festival of Primal Ooze

Get Over It Day

Hatsune Miku Day (Japan)

Joe Franklin Day

Land Management Day (Kazakhstan; Ukraine)

Made in UK Day (UK)

National American Paddlefish Day

National CBDB Day (a.k.a. Central Bank Digital Currency)

National Day of Abundance Day (Nigeria)

National Day of Women Living with HIV (Australia)

National Dishwasher Appreciation Day

National Heroes and Benefactors Day (Belize)

National Lina Day

National Marcia Day

National Music Day (Indonesia)

National Shane Day

National Urban Educator Day

National Women’s Range Day

Panic Day (a.k.a. ... 

Absolute Total Nihilists Bang Clang Day (Los Angeles)

Bang-Clang Day

Hit the Panic Button Day

Wellness Permission League’s Panic Day

Registered Dietician Day

Taras Shevchenko Day (Ukraine)

Teacher’s Day (Lebanon)

U.S. Hostage & Wrongful Detainee Day

World DJ Day

World Kidney Day

World Trisomy 9 Awareness Day

Zangoose Day (Pokémon)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Spanish Omelette Day

National Cookie Cutter Day

National Crabmeat Day

National Meatball Day

2nd Saturday in March

American Frontier Day [2nd Saturday]

Daylight Savings Time begins/Standard Time ends (a.k.a. Spring Forward Day; US, except AZ, HI, Navajo Nation, Puerto Rico, others) [Saturday Night/2nd Sunday 2 AM]

Genealogy Day [Saturday of Name Week]

Georgia Beer Day (Georgia) [Saturday of 1st Full Week]

Hunahpu’s Day (Cigar City Brewing; Florida) [2nd Saturday]

International Fanny Pack Day [2nd Saturday]

National Urban Ballroom Dancing Day [2nd Saturday]

Snake Saturday (Pagan) [2nd Saturday]

Independence & Related Days

Cambodia (Kampuchea, Luang Phrabang & Vietnam declare independence; 1945)

Festivals Beginning March 9, 2024

Bacon on the Lakein) Romulus, New York) [thru 3.10]

Beach Shrimp Festival (Fort Myers, Florid) [thru 3.10]

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival (Tampa, Florida)

Brew-Ha-Ha (Baraboo, Wisconsin)

BUFF International Film Festival (Malmö, Sweden) [thru 3.15]

Cajun Chili Fest (Maurice, Louisiana)

Canberra Balloon Spectacular (Canberra, Australia) [thru 3.17]

Carnival of Stavelot (Stvelot, Belgium) [thru 3.11]

The Chocolate Expo (Edison, New Jersey) [thru 3.10]

Fumetto: International Comix-Festival (Lucerne, Switzerland) [thru 3.17]

Golden Raspberry Awards (Los Angeles, California)

Gumbo Gladiators Cook-Off (Shreveport, Louisiana)

Highland Maple Festival (Highland County, Virginia) [thru 3.10]

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival (Hokitika, New Zealand)

Kona Brewers Festival (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii)

Maple Sugar Festival (Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Marathon Seafood Festival (Marathon, Florida) [thru 3.10]

Melodifestivalen Stockholm, Sweden)

Minneapolis International Festival (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Orchids in Bloom Festival (Coral Gables, Florida) [thru 3.10]

St. Patrick’s Day Festival (Coral Gables, Florida)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Washington, D.C.)

Southern Michigan Winter Beer Festival (Jackson, Michigan)

Taste of Rums (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Uncork the Alleghenies (Altoona, Pennsylvania)

Veggie World (Zurich, Switzerland) [thru 3.10]

Feast Days

Alexander Orlowski (Artology)

Archytas (Positivist; Saint)

Best Foot Forward Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Bosa (Christian; Saint)

Butter Lamp Festival (Buddhism; Everyday Wicca; Tibet)

Catherine of Bologna (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Cyril VI of Alexandria, Pope (Coptic Orthodox Church)

David Smith (Artology)

Day of Adonis (Pagan)

Dominic Savio (Christian; Saint)

Erotic Dancing Day (Pastafarian)

Farvardigan (Zoroastrian)

Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (Christian; Martyrs)

Frances of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Granville Redmond (Artology)

Gregory of Nyssa (Episcopal Church, United States)

Jackie the Orangutan (Muppetism)

Meatball Day (Pastafarian)

Media Hiems III (Pagan)

Mickey Spillane (Writerism)

Millard Fillmore Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mona Druids Massacre Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Pacian (Christian; Saint)

Saitousai (Harvest Festival; Japan)

Second Day of No Interest to Fairies (Shamanism)

Socrates (Humanism; Saint)

Strinennia (Festival calling birds and spring to return; Slavic Pagan)

Takaosan Hiwatari Matsuri (Fire Walking Festival; Tokyo, Japan)

Tom Roberts (Artology)

Vita Sackville-West (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [17 of 71]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Alpine Antics (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

Buddy’s Pony Express (WB LT Cartoon; 1935)

Can-Can (Film; 1960)

Castle (TV Series; 2009)

Children of the Corn (Film; 1984)

The Chipper Chipmunk (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1948)

Cirrhosis of the Louvre (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

East of Eden (Film; 1955)

Fast Buck Duck (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

The Fire Alarm (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

Fort Apache (Film; 1948)

42nd Street (Film; 1933)

The Hotel New Hampshire (Film; 1984)

House Party (Film; 1990)

Joe Versus the Volcano (Film; 1990)

John Carter (Film; 2012)

The Joshua Tree, by U2 (Album; 1987)

The Lost Chick (Happy Harmonies Cartoon; 1935)

Man in Space (Disney Animated TV Special; 1955)

Merry Wives of Windsor, by Otto Nicolai (Opera; 1849)

Mice Paradise (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1951)

Mike’s Murder (Film; 1984)

Nabucco, by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1842)

The Onion Field, by Joseph Wambaugh (True Crime Story; 1973)

The Owl and the Pussycat, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1934)

Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Piano Concerto; 1785)

Pretzels (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1930)

Raiding the Raiders (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1945)

The Ref (Film; 1994)

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (Film; 2012)

Screwy Squirrel (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1946)

Señor Droopy (Tex Avery Droopy MGM Cartoon; 1949)

Sheep & Wolves (Animated Film; 2018)

Skyscraper Caper (WB LT Cartoon; 1968)

Slumberland Express (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1936)

Splash (Film; 1984)

State Fair (Film; 1962)

Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale (Anime Film; 2017)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Film; 1949)

300 (Film; 2007)

A Wrinkle in Time (Film; 2018)

Today’s Name Days

Bruno, Franziska (Austria)

Fanika, Franciska, Nedjeljko (Croatia)

Františka (Czech Republic)

Edvin, Heido, Heivo (Estonia)

Auvo, Edvin (Finland)

Françoise (France)

Barbara, Bruno, Dominik, Franziska (Germany)

Aetios, Eliana, Filoktimon, Iliana, Lysimahos, Sarantos, Sevirianos, Smaragda, Smaragdos, Vivianos, Xanthos (Greece)

Fanni, Franciska (Hungary)

Francesca (Italy)

Ausmis, Ervalds, Ēvalds (Latvia)

Dominykas, Pranciška, Visgailė, Žygimantas (Lithuania)

Sindre, Sverre (Norway)

Apollo, Dominik, Franciszka, Katarzyna, Mścisława, Prudencjusz, Taras (Poland)

Františka (Slovakia)

Catalina, Francisca, Paciano (Spain)

Torbjörn, Torleif (Sweden)

Flavia (Ukraine)

Keely, Kelda, Kelley, Kelli, Kellie, Kelly (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 69 of 2024; 297 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 10 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 29 (Ren-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 29 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 28 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 9 Green; Twosday [9 of 30]

Julian: 25 February 2024

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 13 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Apollonius of Tyana]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 15 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 80 of 89)

Week: 1st Week of March

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 20 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 3.9

Holidays

American Paddlefish Day

Amerigo Vespucci Day

Armored Warships Day

Babylon 5 Launch Day (Babylon 5)

Barbie Day

Baron Bliss Day (Belize)

Chervil Day (French Republic)

Chess Prodigy Day

Day of Waiting (Elder Scrolls)

Day to Mourn Slavery

Doctor’s Day (Venezuela)

Eid Al Moalim (Teacher’s Day; Lebanon)

False Teeth Day

Festival of Primal Ooze

Get Over It Day

Hatsune Miku Day (Japan)

Joe Franklin Day

Land Management Day (Kazakhstan; Ukraine)

Made in UK Day (UK)

National American Paddlefish Day

National CBDB Day (a.k.a. Central Bank Digital Currency)

National Day of Abundance Day (Nigeria)

National Day of Women Living with HIV (Australia)

National Dishwasher Appreciation Day

National Heroes and Benefactors Day (Belize)

National Lina Day

National Marcia Day

National Music Day (Indonesia)

National Shane Day

National Urban Educator Day

National Women’s Range Day

Panic Day (a.k.a. ... 

Absolute Total Nihilists Bang Clang Day (Los Angeles)

Bang-Clang Day

Hit the Panic Button Day

Wellness Permission League’s Panic Day

Registered Dietician Day

Taras Shevchenko Day (Ukraine)

Teacher’s Day (Lebanon)

U.S. Hostage & Wrongful Detainee Day

World DJ Day

World Kidney Day

World Trisomy 9 Awareness Day

Zangoose Day (Pokémon)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Spanish Omelette Day

National Cookie Cutter Day

National Crabmeat Day

National Meatball Day

2nd Saturday in March

American Frontier Day [2nd Saturday]

Daylight Savings Time begins/Standard Time ends (a.k.a. Spring Forward Day; US, except AZ, HI, Navajo Nation, Puerto Rico, others) [Saturday Night/2nd Sunday 2 AM]

Genealogy Day [Saturday of Name Week]

Georgia Beer Day (Georgia) [Saturday of 1st Full Week]

Hunahpu’s Day (Cigar City Brewing; Florida) [2nd Saturday]

International Fanny Pack Day [2nd Saturday]

National Urban Ballroom Dancing Day [2nd Saturday]

Snake Saturday (Pagan) [2nd Saturday]

Independence & Related Days

Cambodia (Kampuchea, Luang Phrabang & Vietnam declare independence; 1945)

Festivals Beginning March 9, 2024

Bacon on the Lakein) Romulus, New York) [thru 3.10]

Beach Shrimp Festival (Fort Myers, Florid) [thru 3.10]

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival (Tampa, Florida)

Brew-Ha-Ha (Baraboo, Wisconsin)

BUFF International Film Festival (Malmö, Sweden) [thru 3.15]

Cajun Chili Fest (Maurice, Louisiana)

Canberra Balloon Spectacular (Canberra, Australia) [thru 3.17]

Carnival of Stavelot (Stvelot, Belgium) [thru 3.11]

The Chocolate Expo (Edison, New Jersey) [thru 3.10]

Fumetto: International Comix-Festival (Lucerne, Switzerland) [thru 3.17]

Golden Raspberry Awards (Los Angeles, California)

Gumbo Gladiators Cook-Off (Shreveport, Louisiana)

Highland Maple Festival (Highland County, Virginia) [thru 3.10]

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival (Hokitika, New Zealand)

Kona Brewers Festival (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii)

Maple Sugar Festival (Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Marathon Seafood Festival (Marathon, Florida) [thru 3.10]

Melodifestivalen Stockholm, Sweden)

Minneapolis International Festival (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Orchids in Bloom Festival (Coral Gables, Florida) [thru 3.10]

St. Patrick’s Day Festival (Coral Gables, Florida)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Washington, D.C.)

Southern Michigan Winter Beer Festival (Jackson, Michigan)

Taste of Rums (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Uncork the Alleghenies (Altoona, Pennsylvania)

Veggie World (Zurich, Switzerland) [thru 3.10]

Feast Days

Alexander Orlowski (Artology)

Archytas (Positivist; Saint)

Best Foot Forward Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Bosa (Christian; Saint)

Butter Lamp Festival (Buddhism; Everyday Wicca; Tibet)

Catherine of Bologna (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Cyril VI of Alexandria, Pope (Coptic Orthodox Church)

David Smith (Artology)

Day of Adonis (Pagan)

Dominic Savio (Christian; Saint)

Erotic Dancing Day (Pastafarian)

Farvardigan (Zoroastrian)

Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (Christian; Martyrs)

Frances of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Granville Redmond (Artology)

Gregory of Nyssa (Episcopal Church, United States)

Jackie the Orangutan (Muppetism)

Meatball Day (Pastafarian)

Media Hiems III (Pagan)

Mickey Spillane (Writerism)

Millard Fillmore Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mona Druids Massacre Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Pacian (Christian; Saint)

Saitousai (Harvest Festival; Japan)

Second Day of No Interest to Fairies (Shamanism)

Socrates (Humanism; Saint)

Strinennia (Festival calling birds and spring to return; Slavic Pagan)

Takaosan Hiwatari Matsuri (Fire Walking Festival; Tokyo, Japan)

Tom Roberts (Artology)

Vita Sackville-West (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [17 of 71]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Alpine Antics (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

Buddy’s Pony Express (WB LT Cartoon; 1935)

Can-Can (Film; 1960)

Castle (TV Series; 2009)

Children of the Corn (Film; 1984)

The Chipper Chipmunk (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1948)

Cirrhosis of the Louvre (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

East of Eden (Film; 1955)

Fast Buck Duck (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

The Fire Alarm (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

Fort Apache (Film; 1948)

42nd Street (Film; 1933)

The Hotel New Hampshire (Film; 1984)

House Party (Film; 1990)

Joe Versus the Volcano (Film; 1990)

John Carter (Film; 2012)

The Joshua Tree, by U2 (Album; 1987)

The Lost Chick (Happy Harmonies Cartoon; 1935)

Man in Space (Disney Animated TV Special; 1955)

Merry Wives of Windsor, by Otto Nicolai (Opera; 1849)

Mice Paradise (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1951)

Mike’s Murder (Film; 1984)

Nabucco, by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1842)

The Onion Field, by Joseph Wambaugh (True Crime Story; 1973)

The Owl and the Pussycat, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1934)

Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Piano Concerto; 1785)

Pretzels (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1930)

Raiding the Raiders (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1945)

The Ref (Film; 1994)

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (Film; 2012)

Screwy Squirrel (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1946)

Señor Droopy (Tex Avery Droopy MGM Cartoon; 1949)

Sheep & Wolves (Animated Film; 2018)

Skyscraper Caper (WB LT Cartoon; 1968)

Slumberland Express (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1936)

Splash (Film; 1984)

State Fair (Film; 1962)

Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale (Anime Film; 2017)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Film; 1949)

300 (Film; 2007)

A Wrinkle in Time (Film; 2018)

Today’s Name Days

Bruno, Franziska (Austria)

Fanika, Franciska, Nedjeljko (Croatia)

Františka (Czech Republic)

Edvin, Heido, Heivo (Estonia)

Auvo, Edvin (Finland)

Françoise (France)

Barbara, Bruno, Dominik, Franziska (Germany)

Aetios, Eliana, Filoktimon, Iliana, Lysimahos, Sarantos, Sevirianos, Smaragda, Smaragdos, Vivianos, Xanthos (Greece)

Fanni, Franciska (Hungary)

Francesca (Italy)

Ausmis, Ervalds, Ēvalds (Latvia)

Dominykas, Pranciška, Visgailė, Žygimantas (Lithuania)

Sindre, Sverre (Norway)

Apollo, Dominik, Franciszka, Katarzyna, Mścisława, Prudencjusz, Taras (Poland)

Františka (Slovakia)

Catalina, Francisca, Paciano (Spain)

Torbjörn, Torleif (Sweden)

Flavia (Ukraine)

Keely, Kelda, Kelley, Kelli, Kellie, Kelly (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 69 of 2024; 297 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 10 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 29 (Ren-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 29 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 28 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 9 Green; Twosday [9 of 30]

Julian: 25 February 2024

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 13 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Apollonius of Tyana]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 15 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 80 of 89)

Week: 1st Week of March

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 20 of 30)

[exxar1]

Interlude 1: Lessons From The Old Testament

3/27/2021

             It is a lovely Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. And I mean genuinely beautiful spring weather! It’s 73 degrees outside with a perfectly pleasant breeze that would be great accompaniment for a hike in Red Rock canyon. Alas, I must report for work in an hour.

           In following my plan to read the whole Bible in a year, I’ve been working through the books of Samuel and Kings for the last 2 weeks. This morning I wrote down some of the lessons I’ve gleaned from the Old Testament in general, but these 4 books in particular.

1.     Am I listening for God’s voice? 1 Samuel 3:10: “…Speak; for thy servant heareth.” No, God doesn’t use an audible voice today as He did with Samuel, but that’s because we now have his Holy Word in the form the Bible. We also have the Holy Spirit if we are truly born again. I need to make sure that I’m always listening for the Spirit and seeking God’s wisdom in all things. I should never be so busy with daily life, nor should the noise of the world be so loud, that I don’t hear God when He speaks to me.

2.    God does not tolerate sin. Eli was a servant of the Lord, but he failed to rear his sons to also fear and obey God. Because of this, God took the lives of all three and gave the priesthood to Samuel. Same for the nations of Israel and Judah. Throughout the books of Samuel and Kings, God punished his chosen people over and over as they continually disobeyed his commandments and turned to idol worship. There were occasional respites, short periods where certain kings would obey and fear God; David and his son Solomon, for example. Unfortunately, those two – and two or three others in the succeeding generations – were the exception, not the rule.

Am I always obeying the Lord’s commandments? Am I living my life in complete service to Him? When I do sin, am I genuinely repentant? God will forgive me, His love and mercy are as vast as the universe He created. But He is also a jealous God, and He will punish me when I turn from Him, as a loving father will discipline his child when he strays. I should always be striving to please God and obey Him always in all things.

3.    There are consequences for sin. God’s divine patience with Israel and Judah finally reached an end in the latter half of the book of 2nd Kings. He delivered His people into the hands of their enemies, and both nations were exiled into Babylon. Chapter 17: 7-23 summarizes the sins of Israel and Judah and God’s punishment for their continual sin.

Even though God will always forgive me when I sin, He will not spare me the consequences of my sin. Therefore, I need to always be seeking Him first and be making good choices.

4.    God will reward obedience and faithfulness to Him. David was chosen as King of Israel because he had a heart that was always seeking God. Even in the worst times of his life, when he was on the run and hiding from Saul, David never lost his faith that God was always with him, and that He would take care of him. (Psalms 23 & 46.) God rewarded this faithfulness time and again throughout David’s life.

Same goes for Solomon. When God spoke to Solomon early in his life, Solomon requested not riches or long life but, instead, the wisdom to lead the nation of Israel. God rewarded Solomon’s request with not only wisdom but riches as well.

Now, it should also be noted that, even though David and Solomon always sought to please and obey God, they also sinned. Both men were polygamists, and David even committed murder to try to cover his sin of covetousness and adultery. But God used them anyway, and each still suffered the consequences of their sin. Which brings us to the final point:

5.    God always keeps his promises. The Israelites were never completely wiped from the face of the Earth. God had made a covenant with Abraham, and He had also promised His people salvation through the lineage of David. Therefore, while He allowed His people to suffer the consequences of their disobedience, He still protected them and kept His word to them.

God will do the same for me. No matter how many times I stray, I will never lose my salvation. God has promised me that He is preparing a place for me in Heaven, and He will keep that promise. But neither is that a license to go do whatever the hell I want. Refer back to lesson #3.

           What I also found most striking about these four books was the clear parallel of the nation of Israel/Judah at this time and the United States today. Over the past year, I have argued with strangers on Facebook who try to convince me that America is not now and never was a Christian nation. That belief utterly baffles me. The phrase “In God We Trust” is still stamped on all our coins. The Declaration of Independence uses the phrase “divine Creator”. Despite all the scrubbing and washing by today’s social justice warriors, it’s still a known fact that all our founding fathers believed in the basic religious principles taught in the scriptures. Those principles are scattered throughout the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other documents such as the Federalist Papers. George Washington and his compatriots might not all have been born again Christians, and they were most certainly as flawed, failing and sinful as you and me. But they regarded the Bible as an essential guide to the basic facts of our flawed, failing, sinful human nature, and they crafted a carefully constructed form of government that was designed to enhance the best in all of us and, by the same effect, discourage the worst.

           Today, that government is in serious threat of being dismantled from the inside out. The founding fathers had not anticipated what Paul wrote to Timothy: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

           Today’s generation is all about the self. Just as Israel and Judah in the Old Testament continually turned away from God to worship false gods and idols, so we today have turned away from God to worship the idol of ‘self’. There is not a single news headline lately that doesn’t bear some form of the phrase “personal rights”, or “individual truth”, or “living as him/her/itself”. Everyone screams about their own “truth” and that their “rights and freedom of expression” are all that matters, especially when it comes to the homosexual and transgender movements. Everyone’s rights are more important than everyone else’s, and our nation has become a people who are “…lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” (And no, before you even say it, I am not referring to the COVID/mask/pandemic government mandates. That specific case is a whole ‘nother argument where, yes, personal rights and freedoms most definitely matter.)

           And, just as He did to Israel and Judah at the end of 2nd Kings, God’s divine patience is rapidly running out for America. God delivered Israel and Judah into the hands of their enemies, the Babylonians. His chosen people spent seventy years in exile as punishment for their wickedness and their disobedience. Something I didn’t know before reading the commentary in my MacArthur study Bible is that Israel never returned from that captivity. Several thousand Israelites had migrated to the kingdom of Judah prior to the Babylonian captivity, so that all twelve tribes were still intact seventy years later, but it was only the former kingdom of Judah that actually returned, whole and united as the ‘new’ nation of Israel, seventy years later.

           Think about that. God kept his promise to Abraham. The whole of His chosen people were not utterly wiped from the face of the earth, but the meager, reunited nation that returned from Babylonian captivity was nowhere near the size or power that it once was. God’s wrath was justified and vast.

           If you study world history, you will find that ANY nation that has ever put God first has ALWAYS prospered. Think of the Victorian era of 19th century Great Britain. Queen Victoria was – and still is – revered as one of England’s greatest monarchs, and it’s because she believed that her empire was blessed by God. The evidence is self-explanatory. At that time, England – and the United States – were considered by all the world as the greatest powers, and the best lands of equal opportunity by all those seeking a better life. Our founding fathers built this nation on the premise that God had created every man and woman – no matter his/her race or station in life – equal. That ALL of us were endowed by our Divine Creator with certain, inalienable rights. And that, as long as we continued to recognize the source of our blessing and our greatness as a nation, we would prosper.

           Sadly, that cannot be said of us today. We, as a nation, have fallen so far from God’s grace that I wonder what our exile will look like. Though I have not yet done a close reading and study of the book of Revelation, I am fairly certain that nowhere in that book is there a mention of any western nation such as ours. We are rapidly losing our reputation as a world super power, and I believe that America as we know it today will not exist by the time chapter one of Revelation begins. And, right now, it’s not hard to see why.

           John 1:4-5 says, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (Emphasis mine.) America has become filled with great darkness. For me, personally, that is my only mission for the rest of my life. I will do what I can to be a light for Christ and the gospel as we get closer and closer to that first chapter of Revelation. God’s wrath is coming, and only those who have believed on His name and accepted Him as their Lord and savior will be spared His judgment.

           The only answer for today’s corrupt generation is the command from God found in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” For those who are still ignoring that command, Isaiah warns, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

           Amen.

[madewithonerib]

How to be Weaned | Jonathan Cahn [Daniel 7:1-10]

      Daniel 7:1-10 | ¹ In the 1st year of the reign of Belshazzar       over Babylon, Daniel had a dream, & visions passed       through his mind as he lay on his bed.

      He wrote down the dream, & this is the summary of his       account. ² Daniel declared:

            “In my vision in the night I looked, & suddenly the             4 winds of heaven were churning up the great sea.

            ³ Then 4 great beasts came up out of the sea, each             one different from the others:

            ⁴ The 1st beast was like a lion, & it had the wings of             an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off & it             was lifted up from the ground & made to stand on 2             feet like a man, & given the mind of a man.

            ⁵ Suddenly another beast appeared, which looked             like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, &             it had 3 ribs in its mouth between its teeth.

            So it was told, ‘Get up & gorge yourself on flesh!’

      ⁶ Next, as I watched, another beast appeared.

            It was like a leopard, & on its back it had 4 wings like             those of a bird. The beast also had 4 heads, & it was             given authority to rule.

      ⁷ After this, as I watched in my vision in the night, suddenly         a 4th beast appeared, & it was terrifying—dreadful &         extremely strong—with large iron teeth. It devoured &         crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left.

        It was different from all the beasts before it, & it had ten         horns. ⁸ While I was contemplating the horns, suddenly         another horn, a little one, came up among them, &         3 of the 1st horns were uprooted before it.

      This horn had eyes like those of a man & a mouth that       spoke words of arrogance. ⁹ As I continued to watch,       thrones were set in place, &

            the Ancient of Days took HIS seat. HIS clothing             was white as snow, & the hair of HIS head like             pure wool. HIS throne was flaming with fire, &             its wheels were all ablaze.

            ¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing, coming out from                HIS presence. Thousands upon thousands                attended HIM, & myriads upon myriads stood                before HIM.

      The court was convened, & the books were opened.

INTRODUCTION

      This is a picture of world history from the first great world empire       that took Jerusalem, to Rome the great world empire at the end.

            But first thing I’m going to do is get into             the nutshell of world history.

      This is the first part, there is going to be more than one on this.

      Today we’re going to go from a certain point in history, up to the       destruction of the Temple, up to Rome.

      But this principle, it’s going to take us ultimately before we finish       this series, it’s going to take us to the United States of America.

      This principle is so exact, it’s so amazing that it goes from the       time of the Pharaohs all the way to 2013.

      And it explains world history in an amazing way.

      The first thing I’m going to do, is give you a nutshell of ancient       history & secondly we’re going to start tying it into       what happened in the BIBLE linked to that world history.

      Third, after that, then we’re going to get into this secret or key of       world history that unlocks world history.

      So you will be understanding more of what’s going on       in the world more than renowned scholars of the age.

      See you know, I can’t go through every kingdom in this series       of course, there are many nations, & peoples, & kingdoms.

      And many very substantial ones, for instance China, India,       Latin America, all these things; but we’re going to follow the       center cord of world history.

      You know the focus, the vortex of world empires; & you’ll see       some amazing things; & we’ll see first the sweep.

1.] Start of Civilization

      Civilization begins as we know it in what is called Mesopotamia.

            We learned this, some of us in school,             called the cradle of civilization.

      The fertile crescent because it looks like a crescent, it’s the fertile       part of the Middle Eastern Desert.

            It surrounds the rivers of the Middle East.

      And that’s where these kingdoms arose.

      Particularly the land of Iraq, of all places.

      Beginning in the mountains of Armenia, flowing down to the       Persia Gulf. That’s where it all pretty much began.

      Particularly in the south of this region, which was called Sumer.

      More than any other people the Sumerians shaped the       Mesopotamian civilization.

      And they were living originally in kind of independent city states,       around 2K B.C. they united;

            writing as we know it came from Sumer.

      That in other words, you had hieroglyphics that were basically a       picture was what it was, but you had now symbols taking over       from pictures.

      Which is going to lead to writing. It began in Sumer.

      About 2150 B.C. they come under the leadership of a city named       Ur. Does that sound familiar & Ur which it just so happened, we’ve       done another called the D328 (the secret of world history) which       also deals with the centrality of GOD’s purposes.

      Notice Abram(ham) will end up right in the center of world history,       today it’s more like America, New York, Israel, & other places that       is where always the Jewish people—GOD keeps them there.

      But here, Ur of the Chaldees, they drive out foreign invaders.

      They reunite Sumer & the region called Akan, under their rule.

      The Sumerian independence is short lived around 2K B.C. they       are conquered by the Elamite. Around 1900 B.C. the Amorites       invade, you hear of all these people in the BIBLE.

      They establish a capital at the village called Babylon,       the kingdom of Babylon.

      And they have a famous king called, Hammurabi,       the code of Hammurabi. 1728-1686 B.C.

      It reaches it’s peak around 1900-1595 B.C. that’s the       first Babylonian Kingdom.

            The extent of the Babylonian Empire at the start &             end of Hammurabi's reign, located in what today is             modern day Kuwait and Iraq. [1895-539 BC]

            Official languages:  Akkadian Sumerian Aramaic

2.] Egyptian Civilization

      Then you come to another kingdom developing, another great       center of the world, ancient civilization & that is called in Hebrew       Mizraim מִצְרַ֔יִם (miṣ·ra·yim), & in English it’s called Egypt.

      The first or old kingdom, it has three periods:

       ●  The Egypt Old Kingdom,        ●  The Middle Kingdom,        ●  The New Kingdom/Empire,

      And so it comes around, you know, in the late middle kingdom       the pharaohs extended their power to the land of Israel.

      But around 1750 B.C. something happened they are invaded by       a people called the Hyksos, who are the Hyksos?

            The Hyksos period marks the first in which             Egypt was ruled by foreign rulers.

            Ancient Greek: Ὑκσώς, Ὑξώς) is a term which, in             modern Egyptology, designates the kings of the             Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt [1650–1550 BC].

            The term Hyksos is used ethnically to designate people             of probable West Semitic, Levantine origin.

      It’s a Greek version of an Egyptian word, it literally means       foreign ruler. Now most likely the Hyksos were actually Semitic       people, linked to the Jewish people.

      And they ruled around 1648-1540 B.C., so the 1500s the       Egyptians drove them out & they ushered in the last big       empire of Egypt.

      Called the empire, it reached its peak under pharaoh       Thutmose III [Reign: 1479–1425 BC], & Ramesses II the Great       [reigned 1279–1213 BC] who you know about.

      Ramesses built all these things.

      There’s a question about how they linked up with the Exodus,       we’ll get to that after.

3.] Period of Decline

      And after that big kingdom comes, a long decline for Egypt.

      By 1200 BC Egypt is stripped of all its foreign territory.       It becomes pretty much isolated, in may ways, to the Nile.

      Egypt would never again be a great world power after that,       & around 1200 BC there’s this invasion across the Middle East       called the sea peoples.

      And here are these sea peoples, some of the sea peoples are       called the Philistines, they most likely were Greek-based people.

      And they are sailing, they are coming by the sea.

      They sweep over Egypt, they sweep over this whole region.       It’s unstable, Egypt deteriorates & continues to deteriorate.

4.] Kingdom of Israel

      Next another great civilization, that arises around the year       1K BC around there.

      Is a little kingdom, it really would never have risen up unless       there was a big power vacuum. There was a power vacuum.

      So this, a little brief moment, this kingdom rises up in the center       or world history, or as a peak in some ways..

      That’s called the little kingdom of Israel.

      And here it is ruled by a, first a king named Shaul (Saul of course)       & then David. I mean it shows you how much there was this big       power vacuum, when a little shepherd boy could become just       about the most powerful man in the world.

      After the death of Solomon, it splits into two.

      On the top are the Northern 10 tribes.       On the South are the Southern 2 tribes (Judah & Benjamin)

5.] Assyrian Empire

      Then comes the next great empire of the Ashur, or the Assyrians.

      The Assyrians are another Semitic people.

      They move into the Mesopotamian valley, & they basically are       this huge war machine. They were known for their sadistic cruelty.

      They made the most feared people, the most hated people       of the ancient world. Enemy soldiers were skinned alive, impaled       on stakes, or severely mutilated, so were citizens.

      Entire citizens were slaughtered, or they would mutilate them &       put them in cages & bring them to the walls of the cities that       they were going to attack.

      And the city would just surrender to them, rather than fall into the       hands of the Assyrians. Around 883 BC, Ashurnasirpal II rises in       Assyria & begins a western conquest.

            Ashurnasirpal II (flourished 9th century BC) king of Assyria             883–859 BC, whose major accomplishment was the             consolidation of the conquests of his father, Tukulti-Ninurta II,             leading to the establishment of the New Assyrian empire.

      It’s as if it were drawn to Israel all these great powers, in some       way are drawn to Israel.

      It would become the major power of the world around this time.

      Assyrian empire reaches its peak under the king named Sargon       in 722 BC, then Sennacherib in 705 BC, &  Ashurbanipal...etc.

            In 722 BC, ten to twenty years after the initial deportations,             the ruling city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria,             was finally taken by Sargon II after a 3-year siege star ted             by Shalmaneser V.

            Sargon II was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from             the downfall of his predecessor Shalmaneser V in 722 BC             to his death in battle in 705 BC.

            Sennacherib, 705–681 BC             Esarhaddon, 681–669 BC             Ashurbanipal, 668–631 BC

      You see all these names in the BIBLE.

      They conquered much of the known world back then.

      Egypt, Phoenicia, everything fell to them; & they were ultimately       going to sweep across Egypt at that time; joining the entire region       together.

6.] The Revival of Babylon

      But then comes the next kingdom that rises.

      This is where Daniel sees the creatures.

      The kingdom is again called: Babylon.

      It is in some history books called Neo-Babylon.       It’s the new Babylonian kingdom.

      It’s the revival of Babylon.

      And so after the death of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, the       Assyrian empire goes into rapid decline.

      And so here a Semitic people, the Babylonians or the       Chaldeans, they rebel & are led by a king whose name is       Nabopolassar.

            After dealing with the revolt of the general Sin-shumu-lishir,             Sinsharishkun faced a much larger threat. His Babylonian             vassal state had taken advantage of the upheavals in             Assyria & rebelled under the previously unknown             Nabopolassar, a member of the Chaldean tribe, in 625 BC.

            What followed was a long war fought in the Babylonian             heartland. Nabopolassar tried to capture Nippur, the main             Assyrian center of power in Babylonia, but was defeated             by Sinsharishkun.

            However, Nabopolassar did take the actual city of Babylon             after a popular uprising there, & was crowned king of the             city in 625 BC.

      He had served the Assyrians as a governor, but now he rises       up against them. He senses weakness & he captures the       Assyrian capital of Nineveh.

      In 612 BC he destroys them.

      The new Babylonian empire rises under king Nabopolassar,       & then under his son who was called Nebuchadnezzar.

      Or you know this in the BIBLE, Nebuchadnezzar who then       joins the Middle East, he sweeps across Egypt, & Mesopotamia

      ..becomes the great Babylonian empire of Daniel.

      This is the background to understand the BIBLE!

7.] Biblical Symbols

      The next world power that rises up in Daniel’s vision was       the bear, in 559 BC, Cyrus becomes king of the Persian (Iran)

      And he rises up, Cyrus overthrows the Babylonians ~539 BC       conquers Babylon. Persia now the great Persian empire       dominates the ancient world.

      It’s the largest empire ever known: From the Nile to India

      When you read about porum, you read about that at the very       beginning: How big his empire was. At it’s height, I mean       it had conquered all these things;

      & then under Darius, it conquers Northern Greece, but as it       starts coming in contact with Greece, it starts getting drained.

      And this new empire starts rising.

      In Daniel’s vision, it is the leopard, its fast, its ferocious.

            Its not big, or its not weighty rather.             Its light, but its fast.

            And this is the Greek empire.

      Under Philip of Macedon & his son Alexander the Great; he       defeats the Persians & he sweeps across with his men.

      He sweeps across the Middle East, sweeps across Israel,       sweeps across even up to around India.

            When he dies, his kingdom splits as in Daniel, it becomes             there are four heads that will rise up.

            It splits into 4 kingdoms among his generals.

      The two most prominent kingdoms of these four is the       Seleucid Empire & the Ptolemaic empire.

            When he was asked who should succeed him,             Alexander said, “the strongest”, which answer             led to his empire being divided between four of             his generals:

            Cassander, Ptolemy, Antigonus, and Seleucus             (known as the Diadochi or 'successors').

      And one is Ptolemaic is Egypt, & the Seleucid is Syria       around there. It’s divided-up & now the fact is it’s a Greek       empire, they seek to make everyone Greek.

      They seek to be a universal empire that everybody will       be drawn into Greek culture.

8.] Final Beast: Roman Empire

      Then comes another, the last of the ancient powers, or       the great powers; & of Daniel’s creatures.

      In the 2nd century BC, a new power makes it ways known       to the West. From the Italian peninsula, Rome!

      Expanding under general Pompeo, & then the next Julius Caesar.

      Then after Caesar’s death comes the power struggle with       Marc Anthony, Cleopatra, of the Ptolemaic empire       [we just spoke about Alexander], & Octavius who was adopted       as the son of Julius Caesar, who will then later become known       as Augustin.

            He will be hailed as the first emperor of Rome,             the New Empire..

      A few decades before the 1st century, Rome becomes the       empire of empires. The GOSPEL begins under Rome.

            It says in the year Caesar Augustin reigns,             the birth of the MESSIAH

      That is the backdrop, now that is a sweep!

      Right now I just gave you, in I don’t know what: 10 minutes?

      I gave you the whole sweep of ancient history that’s the       background of the BIBLE.

9.] Connect Four

      But now let’s go back & let’s kind of lift a veil a little bit,       to see how what you read in the BIBLE goes together       with what I just said.

      And then we’re going to open up this key of world history.

      You have what started with Mesopotamia.

      Now it’s interesting because the BIBLE starts out with the       Garden of Eden & in Eden you have 4 rivers.

      And two of those rivers are the Tigress & the Euphrates.

      Another one maybe the Nile.

      And so it’s interesting where the BIBLE says everything started       is the same place where historians say civilization started.

      In the same area of the rivers.

            In fact, Mesopotamia (you know what it means?)             Mesopotamia - Meso means in the middle of, &             potamia (like the potamic) means the river..

            It means it’s in-between the rivers.

      Which rivers?

      The same rivers that are mentioned in the Garden of Eden!

      It all happens around there.

      Then when you look at Egypt, you have this great center, which       is by the Nile (the other river); & we said that around a certain       time (1750 B.C.) these invaders come in (the Hyksos),

      which is interesting because when you look at the names of       these invaders, who took over Egypt (at the time), their names       are Semitic. They have names like Baal or one name has       Jacob in it.

      And so it kind of makes sense that they would be more open       to the Hebrews (Joseph) when he came in, but once the       Egyptians drove them out, it makes sense that there arose       a pharaoh who did not know Joseph

      (who are now against the Hebrews)

      Because the Hebrews are seen as similar to these people.

      So it kind of makes sense that then they would enslave, or       they would come against (in fear) the Israelites.

      Then you have the invasion of the sea peoples I talked       about, as Egypt starts falling apart.

      And this again was linked to the Philistines (David & Goliath       Samson & Delilah) all that is part of this backdrop.

      Or all backed up by it.

      Around 1K BC as I said, “You have Israel just comes out of the       powerful vacuum & it’s GOD’s plans. It’s amazing that when       they are ruling, David & Solomon are ruling at the height of       world power.

            I mean it’s amazing from nothing to suddenly this high

      And it’s interesting because if they had stayed following GOD       if Israel had followed GOD, the whole history of the world       could have been different.

      I mean GOD is sovereign, we’re not getting into that but       the fact is: As they started falling away from GOD then       their enemies started rising up.

      So the thing is, if they had stayed (under GOD) there’s a       chance that GOD would have kept everybody there because       that’s what HE did. (I mean it)

      But then HE allows Assyria to rise up.

      And yet you could say that all history centers around GOD       of course, & all history also centers around GOD’s people!

      And GOD’s plans.

      As they turned away from GOD, that’s when quote the       Gentile world kingdoms began to rise & threaten them.

      And that’s what happens.

      Assyria is the empire of Nineveh.

      That’s Jonah! That’s the whole background of Jonah, so when       Jonah when he’s (you can under Jonah a little bit more); you       know it would be like GOD calling you to go to Nazi Germany       that they could get saved!

      And so if you’re Jewish & you went through that, you might not       want to do that, so Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh       because of how horrible these people were!

      But he did.

      The north kingdom, which is really the backdrop of the       Harbinger, the north kingdom, Hosea had warned them,       Amos had warned them, but by 722 BC the Assyrian empire       sweeps in & judgment finally falls on them thru Assyria!

      The Assyrians are the fathers of terrorism.

      Every terrorist comes in some way is descended spiritually       from the Assyrians. Follow their, they invented terror as we       know it.

      And they come in & they wipe it away & then you have, that’s       where you begin with the 10 lost tribes. They were taken       by Assyria!

      So you see the whole BIBLE goes right in how the BIBLE goes.       Here you have the story of king Hezekiah & when the Assyrians       come to him in the South in Judah & they surround Jerusalem       he instead comes to GOD & says:

            GOD, YOU have to help us,

      And what happens is, you don’t understand how fearful they       are, with the Assyrians, how awful the Assyrians were

            Surround all the walls of Jerusalem & the people know             if they get in those walls they are finished they’re going             to be devoured & terror.

            So you can understand more what that was like for             Hezekiah. He goes & he brings it to GOD & says:

            GOD help us!

      And what happens? As he does that, it says, the BIBLE says       GOD sent one angel to help.

      And that angel struck down thousands & thousands, the       entire Assyrian army in one night!

      And the amazing thing is if you look back in history & a map       the Assyrian empire went all across but it didn’t get Judah.

      Something stopped it from getting Judah.

      And there is actually (as I mentioned) in Greek history,       they got something, they got an echo of this cause

      They wrote about a time when the Assyrian empire was       outside a city & suddenly it was struck by a plague.

      But it matches what it says about Israel.

Rise of Babylon

      Then you have the rise of Babylon, we spoke about:

      How does that link with the BIBLE?

      Well this is the backdrop of Daniel, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel,       that Babylon is rising up & Jeremiah rises to warn Judah       of the Judgment coming through Babylon.

      And he tells the king of Judah submit to Babylon.

      But all the false prophets are saying,

          “No, no. GOD’s going to bless you; prosperity don’t worry.”

      And they are all false, the people will reject Jeremiah but       the king will be taken captive to Babylon & blinded.

      And his sons will be killed.

            And Babylon will be the kingdom that             destroys Judah & Jerusalem & the Temple             & brings GOD’s people into captivity.

      The Babylonian captivity, 70 years they destroy Israel.

      When Jeremiah (we believe) is writing Lamentations, he’s       weeping over Jerusalem, that’s the work of Babylon.

Rise of Persia

      So they go, as Daniel saw the Lion with wings of an eagle,       & then the next power we saw was Persia. 

      So the BIBLE speaks in Daniel of Persia taking over Babylon!

      And it’s this massive bear. It’s big, it’s cumbersome.

      Then you have Ezra & Nehemiah & Cyrus, that’s all under       Persia because the Persian empire actually did something       good, they let the Jewish people return to Israel & rebuild       Jerusalem. SO they actually blessed Israel.

      And that’s when you have Ester & Modecia.

      And the Persian empire almost destroys the Jewish people       but it doesn’t happen.

      Now the OT ends with a Persian empire.

Rise of Greeks

      But then between the OT & NT you’ve got the Greeks.

      And that’s when you have Alexander, the leopard with the       4 heads & the wings. that’s where you have the Greek or       the generals of Alexander. (the Seleucid Empire)

      That’s how you have Hannukah.

[acrazyobsession]

Babylon 5 - 3x10

“Severed Dreams”

Bruce McGill - I have only ever seen him in Rizzoli & Isles so it is weird to see him in a sci-fi show.

Sheridan: “We are five hours away from a crisis situation.” Yet he delivers that line like he is talking about a paper cut. I think the storyline goes so quickly and they don’t really explain in depth so it doesn’t feel like a crisis. I know I have harped on this several times before. But today it doesn’t bother me as much, because I have had plenty of crisis/drama with A Place to Call Home. So I am happy to have this as a break from that.

“The Grey Council has said: The problems of others are not our concern.” Delenn doesn’t seem impressed with that. So she is on a mission to find what the hell is going on with the Grey Council. Doesn’t she tell them?!

Babylon 5 has declared their independence from Earth Alliance. I am not 100% sure why. I guess Earth Alliance is making bad decisions--decisions that have caused the deaths of innocent people. I am not sure if that is because of the President and that whole plan. It has been a couple weeks since I watched the last few episodes.

This episode makes me want to watch Battlestar Galactica again. Which I am not going to do, because I recently did a rewatch and my heart and life can’t handle another one so soon. Definitely one of my all-time favorite space shows.

Delenn is a badass! But I have to admit that was over too easily.

Great ending! My shipper heart almost burst out of my chest when Delenn walked into the room. It does seem that I am just here (watching this show) for this ship .... which is almost completely true. I do enjoy the rest of the show, but if it weren’t for them, I might not have made it this far.

S: Listen, I've been trying to think of some way to tell you how much what you did means to me, and well. "Thank you" seems poor and inadequate. I don't know how much this cost you personally, and I suspect I never will. But I want you to know that seeing your face at that moment was probably the single finest moment in my life. D: It seems that this is the only home we have left. How could I abandon, as you say my partner?

The very last scene was very heartwarming. It reminded me of "The 37′s” episode from Star Trek: Voyager when Janeway gave the crew the option of staying on Voyager or staying on the planet. At least I am pretty sure it was that episode. Any crew member who wanted to stay on the planet was to meet in a certain bay of the ship. When she walks in, there is no one there. I love that scene!

Anyway, I hope to stay more on track with this!

[ljones41]

Memorable Television Episodes

Below is a list of television episodes from the past two to three decades that I find memorable:

MEMORABLE TELEVISION EPISODES

1.  “BABYLON 5″ (3.10) “Severed Dreams” - When President Clark of Earth Alliance escalates his brutal repression upon Earth’s population, Captain John Sheridan of Babylon 5 declares the space station independent.  Hugo Award winner.

2.  “GAME OF THRONES” (3.09) “The Rains of Castamere” - The new King of the North, Lord Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn and his wife Queen Talisa; arrive at the estate The Twins for the wedding of his uncle Edmure Tully to one of Walder Frey’s daughters.  Brandon Stark’s small traveling group decide to split up after a close call with the Freefolk.  And Daenerys Targaryen plans to invade Yunkai in order to free that city’s slaves.

3.  “LOST” (2.07) “The Other 48 Days” - This episode depicted the first 48 days on the island of the surviving Tail Section passengers of Oceanic 815.

4.  “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.” (1.17) “Turn, Turn, Turn” - In this companion piece to the 2014 movie, “Captain America:  The Winter Soldier”, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised by an old enemy from the past and Agent Phil Coulson’s team do not know whom to trust.

5.  “THE FLASH” (6.09) “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three” - The Arrowverse heroes continue their efforts to prevent the Anti-Monitor from destroying the multiverse and creating a new one. 

6.  “GAME OF THRONES” (1.09) “Baelor” -  Robb goes to war against the Lannisters in an effort to save his father, Eddard “Ned” Stark, imprisoned at King’s Landing.  His half-brother Jon Snow finds himself struggling on deciding if his place is by Robb’s side or with the Night's Watch. Khal Drogo falls ill from an infected battle wound and Daenerys is desperate to save him.

7.  “LOST” (6.14) “The Candidate” - With Jack Shephard's help, the Man in Black rescues the castaways/candidates from Charles Widmore's compound.  But their plans for leaving the island are forced to change.

8.  “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” (5.22) “The Gift” - Buffy Summers and her friends prepare for battle when the hell god Glory plans to use her sister Dawn to open up a portal to a demonic dimension.

9.  “D.C.’s LEGENDS OF TOMORROW” (2.17) “Aruba” - The Legends decide to break a cardinal rule of time traveling in order to prevent the Legion of Doom from using the Spear of Destiny to change the world’s reality for good.

10. “BABYLON 5″ (3.22) “Z'ha'dum” - After his supposedly dead wife Anna Sheridan turns up very much alive on Babylon 5, Captain Sheridan ignores previous warnings and  travels with her to the Shadows' homeworld Z'ha'dum. 

[kabane52]

The Glory of the Eucharist in Zion

[Main point: as we offer up the Eucharist in the Anaphora, we say to God in Christ: “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.” This is a phrase taken from our Lord’s ride into Jerusalem, where He embodied Yahweh’s promised return to His house to fill it with glory- Jesus does this by entering the temple where He is hailed as King. This is the personal, embodied return of God’s Glory to His house. But then Jesus flips the tables and desolates it, deserting the temple for the last time. But this is meant to lead to what happens in the “Upper Room”- having flipped the table of temple sacrifice, Jesus sets another table with the Twelve, where He institutes the Eucharist as His own body and blood. This is the enduring fulfillment of the Lord’s presence in Zion. Jesus fulfilled the prophets to the cries of “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!” These are the very words we pray as we participate in the reality of His return.]

Throughout the prophets, God promised to return in glory to Zion. The one sanctuary in the Tanakh which is actually established on Zion is not the Temple- that is established on Mt. Moriah. Zion is the mountain where David places the ark at the time of his enthronement over all the tribes of Israel. For a period of time, the ark of the covenant was separated from the rest of the tabernacle, and the two operated independently. It was the former which bore the focal point of the divine presence, and for this unique time, it dwelt nearly unconcealed before all Israel. Gentiles participated in the life of the Zion sanctuary in a way that they did not in the Tabernacle or Temple system. Remarkably, we are told that King David actually “sat” before the Lord in the Zion sanctuary. David was enthroned in God’s presence! This anticipates the words David wrote concerning his promised son (likely, I think, as a praise to God concerning the promise given in 2 Samuel 6), “The LORD said to my lord: sit at my right hand” (Ps. 110:1). [See Peter Leithart’s book “From Silence to Song” for documentation of the distinction between these mountains and their unique characteristics.]

This is what Isaiah and other prophets of Israel see as a sign of the Messianic Age, when the glory of God, focused on the ark of the covenant, would dwell in the midst of Israel and the nations, gathered as one family of peoples on Zion. When the Temple had been sufficiently defiled by the wickedness of Judah, the glory of God, which was the basis for Jerusalem’s impenetrability according to Isaiah, departed. Ezekiel beholds this in a vision in Ezekiel 10. When Babylon came to destroy the city and temple, the ark of the covenant was taken away- and it disappeared. The Lord tells Ezekiel that He has come, in a mystical and invisible way, to dwell as a “sanctuary” in their midst. The Spirit of God has not abandoned Israel, but continues to blow where He wishes. Because of the Spirit-Wind’s presence among the exiles, Zechariah and Daniel refer to Israel as the “winds of heaven” who blow among the nations and attest to the sovereignty of the God of Heaven.

Ezra and Nehemiah, describing the construction of the city and temple, describe the city itself being sanctified as a kind of temple. The ritual measuring of the walls of Jerusalem is an act symbolizing the sacredness of this space, as we also see concerning the angelic measurements for sanctuaries in Zechariah 2, Ezekiel 40-48, and Revelation 11. And indeed, the term “holy city” is only used to refer to Jerusalem during and after this period of time. Isaiah is the first biblical author to use the phrase, and he uses it in a prophetic context referring to this specific period in Isaiah 48:2. The coming of the exiles, with the Spirit moving mysteriously among them, sanctifies the walls of the city. God tells Israel in Haggai 2:5 that “my Spirit remains in your midst.” The presence of God was in the midst of Israel, bringing the first signs of a dawn- Gentiles heard of the God of Heaven and submitted to Him (usually while remaining Gentiles) through the witness of the returned Jewish people, spread abroad among the Gentiles.

And yet, there was something missing. The ark of the covenant was lost. That was where the glory of God, His intense, personal presence, concretely and focally dwelt on Earth. The temple system was ordered around the ark of the covenant as the sign of the link between heaven and earth. And it was gone. Isaiah spoke of the return to Zion- when the ark returned, it would not dwell behind a veil. And God in Haggai declares, after affirming His continuing presence in Israel, that He will “fill this house with glory” and that the “latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former.” This is a reference to texts like Exodus 40 and 1 Kings 8, where the tabernacle and temple were inaugurated in their function with the visible manifestation of the divine presence filling the inmost part of the sanctuary. As the glory had dwelt on Sinai, so now the glory dwells in the Holy of Holies, the enduring presence of Sinai with the sons of Israel.

This is an essential part of the story told in the Gospels. As N.T. Wright has pointed out, the theme of the divine return to Zion is an interpretive key to understanding the Savior’s parables. Jesus told a story of a man who had gone away from His servants for some time and then returned to inspect them and evaluate them. This is what we read in the prophets of Israel. The glory of God had gone into exile in the days of Ezekiel along with its focal point, the ark of the covenant. Zechariah described the return of divine presence to Israel as a time when a flying scroll shall go into the depths of Israel’s being- echoing the drinking of the holy water by the suspected bride in the jealousy inspection of Numbers 5- and judge accordingly. The prophet echoes the language of the ritual tearing down of a house with leprosy described in the Torah to explain what will happen to those unfaithful when the inspection comes. When the Lord returns, according to Malachi’s prophecy, you will “again see a distinction between the righteous and the wicked.” As Amos says concerning the rebels in Israel: “Why do you desire the Day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18). The coming of the Lord is described as the “Day of the Lord” because His glory-presence is light which makes day out of night. As Malachi says, when the sun of righteousness arises, it will “set ablaze” those who are rebels (Malachi 4:1).

This is what happens when Jesus rides into Jerusalem. This is the Lord’s return to Zion. Zechariah 9 is identified by the Evangelists as the prophetic word fulfilled on that day:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

The prophet is echoing closely the promise given by Jacob of the chosen seed from Judah’s line who would rule over the nations (Genesis 49:8-12) and echoed throughout the Torah and prophets. But he is combining this text with another text from earlier in his own writing.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.” (Zechariah 2:10)

This is one of the most striking examples of divine messiahship in the prophets. Zechariah takes a messianic text from Genesis and integrates it textually with a clear promise of the return of Israel’s God to Zion. Who is the one who is “coming to you”? It is the Lord, who promises to “come” and dwell in the midst of Israel. This is the ultimate textual basis for the Evangelists’ presentation of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem as the return of the Lord to Zion. As I pointed to above, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is the recapitulation of the ritual procession of King David with the ark of the covenant up to Zion. As in the days of Jesus, the ark of God had been dislocated from the people of Israel for some time in the days of David. Its return- and its establishment at the capital of a united Israel under an anointed king- was an event meriting terrific celebration. And this is what we see- the procession of the ark to Zion is a public event, and it is accompanied, as the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem, with “shouting and the sound of the horn” just as tremendous shouts and chants accompanied the coming of Jesus as King into Jerusalem.

With Jesus having entered Jerusalem, He journeys to the temple and fulfills the promise of Haggai that the “latter glory of this house” will be “greater than the former.” Jesus, as the incarnate, eternal Logos of God, is the most intense expression of the presence that is possible- far more than had been present in Israel even in the days of Moses. Moreover, Jesus is not limited to the Holy of Holies, but is present for all to see in the Temple area. This is the return in glory which was promised. Given the link between 2 Samuel 6 and this event, this is the fulfillment and undoing of the loss of the ark of the covenant. Yet, if this were all to the promise, then the Gospels should end here- Jesus personally dwelling in the stone Temple on Moriah. But they don’t end here.

Given the association of the Lord’s coming with inspection and judgment, Jesus enacts a parabolic judgment on the temple by flipping its table. In Mark, Jesus quotes the word of Isaiah that the temple is to be a “house of prayer for all nations.” In Haggai, the return of God in glory is the time when the “treasures of the nations shall come in.” Likewise, in Zechariah 2, the coming of God to Zion means that “many nations” turn and become the people of the Lord. By excluding the Gentiles from the liturgical life of Israel, the Jewish leadership has attempted to hoard the blessings meant for all the families of the earth and been profoundly unfaithful to their calling. Malachi, which ends with the sun of righteousness rising and setting ablaze the unfaithful, begins with a prophecy of the nations offering a “Tribute Offering” from the “rising of the sun to its setting.”

And so we see that the return of the Lord to Zion does not end at the Temple. Jesus, having examined the temple and judged it, departs and leaves it desolate. As in Ezekiel 10, the glory of God has departed. But there is again more to the story. As Jesus overturned the table of sacrificial food in the temple, Jesus will set up a table later in the Gospels. He does so in the “Upper Room.” The Holy of Holies signified the top of Mt. Sinai, and the repeated emphasis on the “Upper” nature of the Upper Room is not accidental. This room signifies the Inner Sanctuary where the presence of God dwells- this is also where Pentecost happens.

It is at this new “table” that Jesus provides the Eucharist as His body and blood. This is the enduring form of God’s presence in Zion, the ongoing sign of His fulfillment of the prophetic word. Isaiah 25, describing the glorified Mt. Zion, filled with the presence of God and crowded with the ingathered nations, tells of a “feast of well aged wine” where the glory of God is “before His elders”, an allusion to the covenant meal of the Seventy Elders on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 24. It was in this context that Moses sprinkled blood on Israel and said “this is the blood of the covenant”- words quoted by the Lord at the Last Supper. 2 Samuel 6 is followed by the institution of the Davidic covenant wherein the dynasty of David is given an eternal place in the divine economy. This covenant is the context for the construction of the temple, which is the purpose of David’s “son”- to build a “house for my Name.” And as Malachi 1:11 pointed to the Gentile offering of “Tribute”, the Eucharist is described as a Tribute Offering. Like the Tribute, it is of Bread and Wine, and like the Tribute, it is described as a “Memorial.” This does not so much mean something which provokes the people of God to memory as it means a ritual wherein we call on God to remember His covenant with us in the blood of Christ.

This is what happens at the Eucharist. The God of Israel, in the face of Jesus, has returned to Zion and gathered all nations to His table. It is therefore altogether appropriate that we say at the beginning of the Anaphora: “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!” These are the words with which Jesus was greeted as He entered Jerusalem to fulfill the promise of God’s glorious and permanent return to the temple. We sing these words as we participate in the fullness of that return in the offering up of His Body and Blood.

[momzoneonline]

MOVING TO CANADA IS A JOKE...The Economic, Military, and Social Integration of North America

Eh? I can think of scores of reasons to move to Canada (or opt for the Mexican Riviera) . . . any place but Babylon the Great: The USA. The War in Iraq . . . or better yet: The entire Military-Industrial Complex sucking the life-blood out of Americana for starters. Or, how about the whole hedonistic culture of greed, avaricious appetites, and super sizing all things godly and ungodly--from Hollywood to Mega Churches; indeed, ours is a "city set on a hill which cannot be hid" but the closer you get to this glittering jewel, the more it resembles the "Little Shop of Horrors," you know, that flesh-eating plant crying out: Feed me, Seymour! Conspicuous consumption of a nation which spends $1.8 Billion more each day than the whole earth combined and finds herself some $14 Trillion in debt (National Debt + Balance of Payment/Trade Debts) is a bit too much, wouldn't you say?--after all, she represents but 5% of the world's population.

Come on, half the eagle is in a declared state of emergency and the overt identification by Big Brother of all things human is prepared and/or is itching to pounce upon American liberties once thought sacrosanct by both the ACLU and the NRA by euphemistic legislation called Patriotic Acts, and finally, a cashless society where all of us are implanted with chips awaiting true identity and debit through scanning devices at your local Safeway.

The clock is ticking. Peak oil, where American's "zero sum game" is played out--for you to gain I must loose--refuses to share her bounty with the Asian tigers of China and India; and, of course, they are more than pleased with our indulgence. Like Rome, our legions amongst the world's "provinces," are stretched thin--and the draft can't be all that far off if we're to maintain our economic edge and SUV-lifestyle (latest stats for the past two years show that 58% of all vehicles purchased in the USA are SUVs, pickups, or plain old gas guzzlers). And, as if these outrageous consequences weren't enough to abandon ship--toss in the worst natural disaster ever to afflict the homeland: Katrina; man, wait till we finance that one!

So . . . isn't it about time to flee to Canada or head for the Mexican Riviera? Eh? Canada's a safe haven for pot-people and same-sex marriage is the rage. Crime's relatively low compared to the lower 48 and the death penalty's been outlawed for nearly thirty years. Finally, most of the 125,000 Viet-Nam Era draft dodgers who fled to Canada stuck around and now constitute the leading edge of all the above progressive life-style. Wow, we're talkin' about socialized medicine for all--a veritable paradise compared to the inflictions of them patriots down under. Cheap drugs (includes tons of cannabis), affordable housing, tiny military budget, etc., etc.--a little cold, but you'll get used to it.

Finally, if Hollywood's collective apoplexy over President Bush's election can be believed--we're outta here . . . a few of these righteous indignations (unfulfilled) are duly noted, if for nothing else, their entertainment value. Notwithstanding the Hollywood stars and directors who claimed exodus was their only option under Bush--Barbra Streisand, Alec Baldwin, Michael Moore, Robert Altman, Lynn Redgrave, Pierre Salinger (now deceased), and Cher--all found the allure of Babylon on the Hudson irresistible; so much for leftist vibratos. Misquoted or just plain fluff--they all abide within the walls of the crystal palace celebrating the party atmosphere, as they star in a movie sequel to the "Left Behind Series" entitled: Talk is Cheap, Follow Us falling in love with a single mom quotes.

ECONOMIC INTEGRATION VIA NAFTA, CAFTA, FTAA--Enter the "Three Amigos"

Patriots would exclaim we're selling off and out America; globalists would see dollars galore; socialists would see an on-going rip off; and a whole bunch of people in the middle could care less (a.k.a. "victims anonymous").

Meanwhile Deanna Spingola in "Building a North American Community" (July 15, 2005) keeps telling it like it is:

"While our sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers having been spilling their blood in the sands of Iraq under the guise of restoring the country to the Iraqi citizens, our president is in the process of giving our country to the elite One World Order insiders. While our president is requiring protected borders in Iraq, he is obliterating, not only our southern, but our northern borders." Actually, Deanna (and you've got to read her entire article) is referring to the Bush/Fox/Martin meeting (USA/Mexico/Canada) held at Baylor University in Waco, Texas on 23 March 2005, where they were busy about establishing the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America" - to wit, the SPPNA's troika:

"We, the elected leaders of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, have met in Texas to announce the establishment of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.

"Over the past decade, our three nations have taken important steps to expand economic opportunity for our people and to create the most vibrant and dynamic trade relationship in the world (i.e., NAFTA; my insert). Since September 11 2001, we have also taken significant new steps to address the threat of terrorism and to enhance the security of our people. "But much still remains to be done. In a rapidly changing world, we must develop new avenues of cooperation that will make our open societies safer and more secure, our businesses more competitive, and our economies more resilient.

"Our Partnership will accomplish these objectives through a trilateral effort to increase the security, prosperity, and quality of life of our citizens. This work will be based on the principle that our security and prosperity are mutually dependent and complementary, and will reflect our shared belief in freedom, economic opportunity, and strong democratic values and institutions. It will also help consolidate our efforts within a North American framework, to meet security and economic challenges, and promote the full potential of our people, by reducing regional disparities and increasing opportunities for all."

COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS--They're at it again!

Now don't go conspiratorial on me . . . hee-hee . . . don't need to . . . let the truth speak for itself:

It was on May 17, 2005 the CFR formalized its "Independent Task Force" to review at length the parameters of such a three-pact agreement among the USA, Canada, and Mexico. This 31-member force de jure was chaired by John F. Manley, Pedro Aspe, and William F. Weld and vice-chaired by: Robert A. Pastor, Thomas P. d'Aquino, Andrés Rozental. Cooperating with the CFR's efforts were the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales.

Indeed, the composite document released by the aforementioned is the very title of Spingola's article . . .

No wonder that Spingola and other American patriots view this as the "Great American Give-a-way!"

Take a gander at their timid prognostications and guess why moving to Canada's a joke . . .for what NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) could not destroy, FTAA (Free Trade Area/Agreement of the Americas . . . a.k.a. "Building a North American Community") fully intends:

"We are asking the leaders of the United States, Mexico, and Canada to be bold and adopt a vision of the future that is bigger than, and beyond, the immediate problems of the present . . . they could be the architects of a new community of North America, not mere custodians of the status quo." (Canadian co-chair, John P. Manley, Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance). CHRISTIANS ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE

Now, listen to Spingola's assessment of all this--and, don't think she's some brainless Libertarian gone amok down in Texas somewhere . . .

"This basically means that Americans must give up their freedoms and hard won sovereignty along with all resources for the greater good of the 'New Community.' It is a socialistic equalization designed to make slaves of everyone in all three countries. This will occur as a result of the secret, subversive activities of our ruling elitist who have never sacrificed anything except their integrity. When it comes time to sell this socialistic venture, Bush will adopt his multipurpose 'Christian' stance and use every possible guilt maneuver to encourage this good hearted Christian country to open our hearts to the less fortunate. This is a ploy to make all of us less fortunate. There will be many who will fall for this scam under the pretext of Christianity. If we think Christians are media maligned now, just wait! We will be the most hated inmates in the camp!" Wow! Powerful projections here, right? I'm sure we'll somehow meet up with Spingola one day--if not in glory, then in some gulag cell contemplating how all of this got out of hand . . . I mean, if Shirley McClain went out on a limb, Spingola's going out on a twig:

"All of this is done under the facade of protecting us - from terrorists? The worse terrorists we face are those who serve in our government. Another day that shall live in infamy, 9/11, has done much to serve the purposes of those whose main goal is to establish the One World Order. What an opportunistic event! It couldn't have worked any better if they had planned it!" O CANADA - VIVA MEXICO - Life is good!

Of course most Americans, Canadians, and Mexicans can't stomach all of this unification at once; thus, the GREAT TRANSITION awaits us all:

Unified military command? Listen to what the CFR plans for your future:

1. Establish a common security perimeter by 2010. 2. Develop a North American Border Pass with biometric identifiers. 3. Develop a unified border action plan and expand border customs facilities. The CFR web site is effusive in its sacrifice of sovereignty:

4. Create a single economic space: 5. Adopt a common external tariff. 6. Allow for the seamless movement of goods within North America. 7. Move to full labor mobility between Canada and the U.S. 8. Develop a North American energy strategy that gives greater emphasis to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases - a regional alternative to Kyoto. Hey, and let's shoot the gap - listen, we're talkin' INTEGRATION BIG TIME . . . and we're not whistling Di

[brookston]

Holidays 10.28

Holidays

Bhai Dooj (India)

Bhai Tika (Nepal)

Children’s Day (Australia)

Chucks-N-Pearls Day

Civil Servants’ Day (Brazil)

Common Fig Day (French Republic)

Cox Plate Day (Australia)

Day of International Concern About Young People and Gun Violence

Flying Baby Day

Folly Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Hari Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge Day; Indonesia)

Honoring the Nation’s First Responders Day

International Animation Day

International Creole Day

Milvian Bridge Day

National Caroline Day

National Comprehensive Sex Education Call-In Day

National Cry Yourself to Sleep Day

National Day of Outrage

National First Responders Day

National I Love You Day

National Immigrants Day

National Internal Medicine Day

National Internment Commemoration Day (Canada)

National William Day

Ohi Day (a.k.a. Ochi! Day or Oxi Day; Cyprus, Greece)

Part Your Hair Crooked Just To See If Anyone Will Say Anything About It Day

Plush Animal Lover's Day

Prefectural Earthquake Disaster Prevention Day (Gifu, Japan)

Separation of Church and State Day

Stan Lee Day (Los Angeles)

Stargate Day

Statue of Liberty Day

Ticker-Tape Parade Day

Time Day

Ugly Pickup Truck Day

Vote Early Day

World Judo Day

World Tobacco Growers’ Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Chocolate Day

Wild Foods Day

4th & Last Saturday in October

Hug A Sheep Day [Last Saturday]

Make a Difference Day [4th Saturday]

Mother-in-Law Day [4th Saturday]

Muddy Dog Day (UK) [Last Saturday]

National Erotic Humiliation Day [4th Saturday]

National Forgiveness Day [Last Saturday]

National One United Race Day [4th Saturday]

National Pit Bull Awareness Day [4th Saturday]

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day [4th Saturday]

National Snowmobile Day [Last Saturday]

National Take Back Day [Last Saturday]

National Trick or Treat Day [Last Saturday]

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Day [4th Saturday]

Snowmobile Day (Sweden) [Last Saturday]

Universal Children’s Day (Australia) [4th Saturday]

William Penn Day (Delaware) [4th Saturday]

World Federation Day [Last Saturday]

World Swim Day [4th Saturday]

Yellow Saturday [Saturday of Last Full Week]

Independence Days

Bokonton (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Czechoslovakia (Now the Czech Republic; from Austria-Hungary, 1918)

Erusia (Declared; 2008) [unrecognized]

United Republics of Michigan (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abdias of Babylon (Christian; Saint)

Abgar V of Edessa (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Diwali, Day 5 (Hindu, Jain, Sikh), a.k.a. ... 

Bhai Tika (Sisters honoring Brothers)

Gyan Panchami (Jain Celebration of Knowledge and Education)

Eadsige (Christian; Saint)

Extra Kinky Day (Pastafarian)

Faro, Bishop of Meauz (Christian; Saint)

Feast of the Einherjar (Norse)

Feast of the Lord of Miracles (Peru)

Fidelis of Como (Roman Catholic Church)

Firmilian (Christian; Saint)

Francis Bacon (Artology)

Full Moon [11th of the Year] (a.k.a. ... 

Beaver Moon (Amer. Indian, Colonial, Traditional)

Dark Moon (Celtic, North America)

Digging Moon (Traditional)

Flower Moon (South Africa)

Freezing Moon (Alternate)

Frost Moon (Alternate)

Hunter’s Moon (North America)

Ill Full Moon Poya Day (Sri Lanka)

Loy Krathong (Floating of the Lamps Festival; Thailand)

Palden Lhama Festival (Tibet)

Rutting Moon (Traditional)

Sassafras Moon (Choctaw)

Snow Moon (England, Wicca)

Southern Hemisphere: Corn, Flower, Hare, Milk

Tazaugmone (a.k.a. Thasaung Mong; Festival of Lights; Myanmar)

That Luang Festival (Theravada Buddhism; Laos) 

Trading Moon (Cherokee)

Tree Moon (Neo-Pagan)

Whitefish Moon (Traditional)

White Moon (China)

Fyribod (a.k.a. Forebode; Norse beginning of Winter)

Godwin of Stavelot (Christian; Saint)

Gumby Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Isis/Osiris Mysteries I (Pagan)

Job of Pochayiv (repose) (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Jude Thaddeus (a.k.a. Jude the Apostle; Western Christianity)

Leibnitz (Positivist; Saint)

Lord of Miracles (Lima; Christian; Saint)

Makoshe’s Holiday (Honoring Mother Earth; Asatru/Pagan Slavic)

Neot (Christian; Saint)

Paraskrevi of Iconium (Christian; Saint)

Simon the Zealot (a.k.a. Simon the Canaanite; Simon the Apostle; Western Christianity)

The Tortoise (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 50 of 60)

Premieres

All Quiet on the Western Front (Film; 2022)

An Alpine Symphony, by Richard Strauss (Tone Poem; 1915)

Because I Got High, by Afroman (Song; 2001)

Bee Movie (Animated Film; 2007)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote (Novella; 1958)

Decade, by Neil Young (Compilation Album; 1977)

Decline and Fall, by Evelyn Waugh (Novel; 1928)

Educating Rita (Film; 1983)

Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift (Novel; 1726)

How Green Was My Valley (Film; 1941)

Inferno (Film; 2016)

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (TV movie; 1978)

The Legend of Zorro (Film; 2005)

Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl (Philosophical Book; 1959)

News of the World, by Queen (Album; 1978)

The Pet Store (Disney Cartoon; 1933)

Pinterest (Social Media App; 2009)

Pop ‘im Pop! (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Puss in Boots (Animated Film; 2011)

Richard Pryor … Here and Now (Stand-Up Comedy Film; 1983)

The Rum Diary (Film; 2011)

Stargate (Film; 1994)

Talking Book, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1972)

Tinker Bell (Animated Film; 2008)

We Can’t Dance, by Genesis (Album; 1991)

Today’s Name Days

Judas, Simon, Thaddeus (Austria)

Juda, Šimun, Siniša, Tadej, Tadija (Croatia)

Státní Svátek (Czech Republic)

Judas, Simon (Denmark)

Siim, Siimo, Siimon, Siimu, Simmo, Simmu, Simun (Estonia)

Simo (Finland)

Jude, Simon (France)

Freddy, Simon (Germany)

Evniki, Vili (Greece)

Simon, Szimonetta (Hungary)

Giuda, Simone (Italy)

Antoņina, Ņina, Ninona, Zemgals (Latvia)

Almantė, Gaudrimas, Simas, Simonas, Tadas (Lithuania)

Simen, Simon (Norway)

Juda, Szymon, Tadeusz, Wszeciech (Poland)

Iachint (Romania)

Dobromila (Slovakia)

Judas, Simón (Spain)

Simon, Simone (Sweden)

Nestor (Ukraine)

Dayanara, Eunice, Jonah, Jonas, Jude, Liberty, Simeon, Simon, Simone, Thad, Thaddea, Thaddeus (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 301 of 2024; 64 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 43 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Ten-Xu), Day 14 (Ji-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 13 Heshvan 5784

Islamic: 13 Rabi II 1445

J Cal: 1 Mir; Oneday [1 of 30]

Julian: 15 October 2023

Moon: 100%: Full Moon

Positivist: 21 Descartes (11th Month) [Leibnitz]

Runic Half Month: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 35 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 5 of 29)

Calendar Changes

Mir (Month 11 of 12; J Calendar)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.28

Holidays

Bhai Dooj (India)

Bhai Tika (Nepal)

Children’s Day (Australia)

Chucks-N-Pearls Day

Civil Servants’ Day (Brazil)

Common Fig Day (French Republic)

Cox Plate Day (Australia)

Day of International Concern About Young People and Gun Violence

Flying Baby Day

Folly Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Hari Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge Day; Indonesia)

Honoring the Nation’s First Responders Day

International Animation Day

International Creole Day

Milvian Bridge Day

National Caroline Day

National Comprehensive Sex Education Call-In Day

National Cry Yourself to Sleep Day

National Day of Outrage

National First Responders Day

National I Love You Day

National Immigrants Day

National Internal Medicine Day

National Internment Commemoration Day (Canada)

National William Day

Ohi Day (a.k.a. Ochi! Day or Oxi Day; Cyprus, Greece)

Part Your Hair Crooked Just To See If Anyone Will Say Anything About It Day

Plush Animal Lover's Day

Prefectural Earthquake Disaster Prevention Day (Gifu, Japan)

Separation of Church and State Day

Stan Lee Day (Los Angeles)

Stargate Day

Statue of Liberty Day

Ticker-Tape Parade Day

Time Day

Ugly Pickup Truck Day

Vote Early Day

World Judo Day

World Tobacco Growers’ Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Chocolate Day

Wild Foods Day

4th & Last Saturday in October

Hug A Sheep Day [Last Saturday]

Make a Difference Day [4th Saturday]

Mother-in-Law Day [4th Saturday]

Muddy Dog Day (UK) [Last Saturday]

National Erotic Humiliation Day [4th Saturday]

National Forgiveness Day [Last Saturday]

National One United Race Day [4th Saturday]

National Pit Bull Awareness Day [4th Saturday]

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day [4th Saturday]

National Snowmobile Day [Last Saturday]

National Take Back Day [Last Saturday]

National Trick or Treat Day [Last Saturday]

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Day [4th Saturday]

Snowmobile Day (Sweden) [Last Saturday]

Universal Children’s Day (Australia) [4th Saturday]

William Penn Day (Delaware) [4th Saturday]

World Federation Day [Last Saturday]

World Swim Day [4th Saturday]

Yellow Saturday [Saturday of Last Full Week]

Independence Days

Bokonton (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Czechoslovakia (Now the Czech Republic; from Austria-Hungary, 1918)

Erusia (Declared; 2008) [unrecognized]

United Republics of Michigan (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abdias of Babylon (Christian; Saint)

Abgar V of Edessa (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Diwali, Day 5 (Hindu, Jain, Sikh), a.k.a. ... 

Bhai Tika (Sisters honoring Brothers)

Gyan Panchami (Jain Celebration of Knowledge and Education)

Eadsige (Christian; Saint)

Extra Kinky Day (Pastafarian)

Faro, Bishop of Meauz (Christian; Saint)

Feast of the Einherjar (Norse)

Feast of the Lord of Miracles (Peru)

Fidelis of Como (Roman Catholic Church)

Firmilian (Christian; Saint)

Francis Bacon (Artology)

Full Moon [11th of the Year] (a.k.a. ... 

Beaver Moon (Amer. Indian, Colonial, Traditional)

Dark Moon (Celtic, North America)

Digging Moon (Traditional)

Flower Moon (South Africa)

Freezing Moon (Alternate)

Frost Moon (Alternate)

Hunter’s Moon (North America)

Ill Full Moon Poya Day (Sri Lanka)

Loy Krathong (Floating of the Lamps Festival; Thailand)

Palden Lhama Festival (Tibet)

Rutting Moon (Traditional)

Sassafras Moon (Choctaw)

Snow Moon (England, Wicca)

Southern Hemisphere: Corn, Flower, Hare, Milk

Tazaugmone (a.k.a. Thasaung Mong; Festival of Lights; Myanmar)

That Luang Festival (Theravada Buddhism; Laos) 

Trading Moon (Cherokee)

Tree Moon (Neo-Pagan)

Whitefish Moon (Traditional)

White Moon (China)

Fyribod (a.k.a. Forebode; Norse beginning of Winter)

Godwin of Stavelot (Christian; Saint)

Gumby Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Isis/Osiris Mysteries I (Pagan)

Job of Pochayiv (repose) (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Jude Thaddeus (a.k.a. Jude the Apostle; Western Christianity)

Leibnitz (Positivist; Saint)

Lord of Miracles (Lima; Christian; Saint)

Makoshe’s Holiday (Honoring Mother Earth; Asatru/Pagan Slavic)

Neot (Christian; Saint)

Paraskrevi of Iconium (Christian; Saint)

Simon the Zealot (a.k.a. Simon the Canaanite; Simon the Apostle; Western Christianity)

The Tortoise (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 50 of 60)

Premieres

All Quiet on the Western Front (Film; 2022)

An Alpine Symphony, by Richard Strauss (Tone Poem; 1915)

Because I Got High, by Afroman (Song; 2001)

Bee Movie (Animated Film; 2007)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote (Novella; 1958)

Decade, by Neil Young (Compilation Album; 1977)

Decline and Fall, by Evelyn Waugh (Novel; 1928)

Educating Rita (Film; 1983)

Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift (Novel; 1726)

How Green Was My Valley (Film; 1941)

Inferno (Film; 2016)

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (TV movie; 1978)

The Legend of Zorro (Film; 2005)

Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl (Philosophical Book; 1959)

News of the World, by Queen (Album; 1978)

The Pet Store (Disney Cartoon; 1933)

Pinterest (Social Media App; 2009)

Pop ‘im Pop! (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Puss in Boots (Animated Film; 2011)

Richard Pryor … Here and Now (Stand-Up Comedy Film; 1983)

The Rum Diary (Film; 2011)

Stargate (Film; 1994)

Talking Book, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1972)

Tinker Bell (Animated Film; 2008)

We Can’t Dance, by Genesis (Album; 1991)

Today’s Name Days

Judas, Simon, Thaddeus (Austria)

Juda, Šimun, Siniša, Tadej, Tadija (Croatia)

Státní Svátek (Czech Republic)

Judas, Simon (Denmark)

Siim, Siimo, Siimon, Siimu, Simmo, Simmu, Simun (Estonia)

Simo (Finland)

Jude, Simon (France)

Freddy, Simon (Germany)

Evniki, Vili (Greece)

Simon, Szimonetta (Hungary)

Giuda, Simone (Italy)

Antoņina, Ņina, Ninona, Zemgals (Latvia)

Almantė, Gaudrimas, Simas, Simonas, Tadas (Lithuania)

Simen, Simon (Norway)

Juda, Szymon, Tadeusz, Wszeciech (Poland)

Iachint (Romania)

Dobromila (Slovakia)

Judas, Simón (Spain)

Simon, Simone (Sweden)

Nestor (Ukraine)

Dayanara, Eunice, Jonah, Jonas, Jude, Liberty, Simeon, Simon, Simone, Thad, Thaddea, Thaddeus (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 301 of 2024; 64 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 43 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Ten-Xu), Day 14 (Ji-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 13 Heshvan 5784

Islamic: 13 Rabi II 1445

J Cal: 1 Mir; Oneday [1 of 30]

Julian: 15 October 2023

Moon: 100%: Full Moon

Positivist: 21 Descartes (11th Month) [Leibnitz]

Runic Half Month: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 35 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 5 of 29)

Calendar Changes

Mir (Month 11 of 12; J Calendar)

[hellojulie1971]

Unregenerate pagans have no alternative but to use their carnal minds by doing what seems right and good. Therefore, God warned His people to avoid that leaven by not marrying dogs (Dt 7:3-5). However, because He takes human wives He allowed His people to marry pagan women. But in order to protect His church from the leaven that might be introduced by strange wives, the Lord issued certain guidelines concerning them (Ex 34:11-16; Nu 31:14-18; Dt 18:9-14; 21:10-13). As wise as King Solomon was and as much as he loved the Lord, he failed to control his pagan wives, and their leaven of Peor turned his heart away from properly serving God (1 Ki 11:3,4). Solomon then did something evil (1 Ki 11:6): He officially established religious toleration/freedom of religion in his kingdom (vv.7,8)! We’ve already reviewed other carnal ideas that seem “good” when examined with no consideration for the Bible, and we’ve seen some of them were fairly subtle. But if you were the King of Israel, the son of King David, and the Lord had appeared to you twice (v.9) do you think you’d be stupid enough to establish freedom of religion?! No, you say? Do you think you’re smarter or wiser than Solomon? Solomon’s mistakes show carnality is no respecter of wisdom and intelligence. And when we consider his actions realistically we must conclude that some combination of socio-political factors convinced Solomon and many others that religious freedom was a good idea. God’s anger (v.9), however, makes us realize that no matter how pressing life around us may seem, we must be careful to always through discernment consider the will of God as revealed in the Bible. God was so angry He decided to divide the kingdom (vv.11-13), but because of His love for David, He did it not in Solomon’s day, He waited until the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Jeroboam and the congregation of Israel approached King Rehoboam one day with a democratic ultimatum: Reduce their tax burden or they wouldn’t serve him (1 Ki 12:4). King Rehoboam sought two sets of advice. One group told him to preserve unity by becoming a democratic public servant (v.7), and the other group said, “These willful spoiled brats need a heavier rod” (vv.10,11). God caused Rehoboam to reject democracy (v.15). So the people of Israel (like the British colonists in America in 1776) declared their independence from their king (v.16), murdered the king’s tax man (v.18), and rebelled (v.19). Ordinarily King Rehoboam would have been right to go to war and punish the rebels (v.21), but God stopped him (v.24) because He wanted the kingdom split. God’s people rising in rebellion against their king does not establish rebellion as a legitimate method of social or political change: Jeroboam is a type of Lucifer, his fellow Christians are types of the angels who joined the rebellion, and rebellion is always witchcraft (1 Sa 15:23). This rebellion was God’s punishment for His people. God also uses Satan (and other devils) to tempt and to punish Christians (Jb 1:8; 1 Sa 16:14; 2 Sa 24:1; 1 Ch 21:1), but that doesn’t make Satan good. And Daniel was a eunuch (Da 1:7-11,18) because God was punishing His people (2 Ki 20:18), but that doesn’t mean you should be castrated, too. When the twelve tribes of God’s people were split into two houses or kingdoms, the major portion of the congregation of Israel – the northern ten tribes – was called the kingdom of Israel, and the southern kingdom was called Judah (1 Ki 11:37,38; 12:16,17,20,23). It was later, during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah (2 Ki 16:1), when Syria and Israel were at war with Judah (2 Ki 16:5), that the people of Ju-dah were called “Jews” (2 Ki 16:6). The division of God’s people into two kingdoms was punishment for their apostasy. God continued to keep them as His people but His patience was wearing thin. In fact, it was only because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that God had not cast them from His presence “as yet” (2 Ki 13:23). As we shall see, the “as yet” means exactly what it says – the time was coming when He would cast them away from Him. He ran out of patience with Israel first. He had tried to get both kingdoms to repent, but to no avail (2 Ki 17:13,14). So He rejected His people of Israel and cast them out (Ho 1:4,6,9; 2 Ki 17:18,20,23). He kept the people of Judah even though they also were bad (2 Ki 17:18,19; Ho 1:7). Judah had some good moments (2 Ki 18:1,3), but God warned future punishment was coming (2 Ki 20:16-18; 21:12-15). In spite of these warnings God’s people continued in their carnal ways “till there was no remedy” (2 Ch 36:16). God cursed the kingdom of Judah by having it defeated and taken into the Babylonian captivity. God used pagan King Nebuchadnezzar as His servant (Je 25:9; 27:6) to punish and to bring evil (Je 25:29) upon the Jews in accordance with His wishes (2 Ki 24:3). (Interestingly enough, at the end of seventy years of having Judah captive, God would punish Babylon for doing evil to His people (Je 25:12)! It goes to show it doesn’t matter if your name is Satan, Balaam, or Nebuchadnezzar; you don’t mess with God’s people and get away with it – even if He is using you to punish them.) RETURN TO JERUSALEM When Judah was allowed to return to Jerusalem, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi were leaders during the rebuilding of the city. They speak of God’s people disobeying His orders that they should not marry pagans, and they record the putting away of the pagan women they had married during their captivity (Ezr 9:1-10:44; Ne 13:1-3,23-31). Through the prophet Malachi, God rebukes them: Mal 2:9 says they were partial in the law; 2:10 says they dealt treacherously against their brethren; 2:11 says they had married heathen women of other religions; and Ne 13:23,24 says they did not require them to speak the Jews’ language. But Mal 2:16 says God hates putting away and knew His people were just trying to cloak their own sins by putting away their wives. So He warned them not to deal treacherously. 2:17 says they wearied God by claiming the evil of their disobedient marriages was good in His eyes; or, knowing they were being hypocrites they said in their hearts “God won’t do anything about this.” Once God’s people were reestablished in Jerusalem they continued to err. Some of their misdeeds I’ll cover in the doctrinal section, but for now I think it’s fitting to see how God’s people closed the Old Testament era with another democratic act: When Jesus Christ was arrested by His people He was tried by the pagan governor of Judaea, Pontius Pilate. Pilate announced to the assembled Christians three times that he had found no fault in Christ and would therefore chastise and release Him (Lk 23:13-22). But the voice of the people cried out that they wanted Barabbas released, and that they did not want Christ chastised – they wanted Him crucified. The will of the people prevailed (Lk 23:23) and Pilate did as the people required (v.24) and delivered Christ to their will (v.25). The carnal mind had reared its ugly “head” again. And by the time of Christ’s First Coming carnality had picked up another synonym to describe it: Previously it was referred to as carnality, doing what was right in your own eyes, living by your own inventions, living by your own counsel, the whoredom of Peor, the leaven of the Pharisees, the doctrine of devils, etc. Now it was also called philosophy (Co 2:8). We need to realize none of the mistakes mentioned in this and in the previous chapters was committed by stupid Christians. Saints who thought they were serving the Lord committed them, saints who were no different from you and me. These mistakes were made because the realities and events of everyday life caused our brethren to take their eyes off Christ and the Bible and instead to focus on the events themselves. We must never allow that to happen. We must always have some part of our minds objectively analyzing events in order to find and understand the Biblical concepts and principles behind them. And then we must have what it takes to walk by faith, not by sight. You and I have already used some of the events in the Bible to develop and practice our ability to objectively and Scripturally evaluate the actions of Old Testament saints. We are not condemning them; we are learning from them. As we move through the rest of the chapters in this section we shall continue practicing discernment by Scripturally evaluating the actions of Christians about whom we have read in our studies of world history. We are going to see why they made the decisions they made and see if we think they were the Biblically correct decisions, and in the process gain a better understanding of world history from a Christian perspective.  By the time you finish this book you will understand how important it is for us to use discernment because you will see how the worldshaping errors of our carnal Christian ancestors down through history compounded and produced Western civilization and the unscriptural doctrines in our so-called “Bible-believing, Bible-preaching, Bible-teaching” churches.

http://allchristiansarewelcome.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-house-divided-against-itself.html

[maresdotes]

I finished season one of my Babylon 5 rewatch and it’s always bittersweet.

I love Jeffery Sinclair so so very much. Always have. And I’ve always wondered about what the rest of the story arc would have been like if John Sheridan didn’t have to exist, or at least didn’t have to exist so soon.  For one, would Garibaldi have been as easy to prey upon if he hadn’t felt so abandoned by his best friend?  How would have Sinclair’s transformation to “The One Who Was” been handled?  What about declaring independence from Earth Alliance and the Shadow War? Would he have fallen to the depths of Z’ha’dum?

It’s a kick in the feels to know the reason behind Michael O’Hare’s departure from the show and the abrupt drop of Sinclair as a character was due to his struggle with paranoid delusions. O’Hare left on his own, not wanting to jeopardize the careers of his fellow cast members if the show went on hiatus while he sought treatment. Fans never knew of this until he died in 2012 -- J. Michael Straczynski had promised O’Hare he’d keep his secret until after his death in order to help protect his career. It was O’Hare’s hope telling people would raise awareness and understanding for those struggling from mental health issues.

Rest in peace, Entil'Zha, in a place where no shadows fall.