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builder051 · 3 years

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Happy. Starbucks. Sunday. OMG.

I’ve been vaguely around for the past couple weeks. Then we had to skip last week because DD and I were jamming to Bad Wolves and Papa Roach—totally worth it, by the way— It’s been so long since we’ve been able to make it to a live event that I actually can’t quite place our last concert in the timeline… I think it was Breaking Benjamin…before the pandemic. But, anyway, we deaf peeps love our hard rock and big noise. We’re seeing Greta Van Fleet again later this month (sssoooooo excited; this one is my fave), and have tix for Breaking Benjamin when they pass through in May.

This probably feels hella irrelevant, but I’m gushing, because, friends, I feel like I’m finally coming back home after a long forced sabbatical. I’ve been really ill since December last year, as in, operating on depleted body functions. I’ve had several Iron and IVIG infusions to get my basal metabolic panel to come back reading any slant toward normal. My main antipsychotic/mood control/migraine and (possible) seizure control med was taken away, for there’s literature that it, along with pretty much every other med on the planet, can have headaches as a side effect. I guess it’s a fair thing to try a taper-and-switch in a patient like me who has had zero relief from other established treatments, but, long story short, bigtime fail, many weeks taper off, realize mistake, a few more weeks to taper back on (so as not to induce a rash or psychotic episode), and finally, finally I get to about 3/4 of my dose, and I’m like, wow. If I just put the keyboard on the iPad for a few minutes, I wonder what will happen? And I’m actually willing to do it and find out, which is 10,000 steps up from a few days ago, when it was more like, can I get out of bed to go get a cup of tea, look at the blank schedule, and find something productive to do? Um, no. Cry on DD’s lap, then probably listen to NPR for an hour before either being colonized by a cat or getting the gumption to empty the dishwasher or smth, whilst feeling guilty I haven’t made creative content on any social media platform or done a project with the kids in living memory.

So, deep breath. Sorry for wasting your time and space. I trust you guys to look out for me, and I think you deserve to get a truthful explanation for why I’ve been kinda hands-off and flighty and turning out very few pieces that, well, aren’t that good. I’m back in my own, good, regular headspace now, and I’m so relieved. While this blog will always be an autocratic one-man show, provided to the public for free at my convenience, it will always also have a place for recs, reqs, and comment cards. I want to write what pleases me, and I want to write what pleases you. It makes me happy to see the likes and reblogs gain numbers. Yeah, I roll my eyes at a prompt here and there. Some of them are so positive, letting me know you want more/different iterations of things I’ve put up before. And sometimes you hit me with amazing ideas that make sparks fly.

Again, to summarize:

-I’m feeling much better. Probably better than I have so far this year.

-Hopeful the quality/quantity of things will pick up, but life is still very big and obstacle-y. (Baby is in hospital, I have tons of appointments, and just DD and I are home with the kiddos rn.)

-Please, my followers, continue supporting and reading and requesting and doing what you do. I love you.

And with that, here is today’s Starbucks Sunday plan:

-Classic prompt play, but with parameters, please:

-For Captain America, stick to Powers/No Powers or Whoa Bessie ‘verses. (The others with popular reqs either need a break or are getting an overhaul soon.)

-St. Patrick’s day/green beer is fine because DD said so. 🤣 Please no underage or Irondad and Spiderson.

-Bits and pieces that could use some attention, if you need some inspiration: Jonestown ‘verse, Clint + Nat + Laura, Whoa Bessie ‘verse pre-Steve (James struggling alone in the apartment or in therapy w/ Nat or Sam), Venom/Veddie (super fun to do in, like, 200-word bursts with minimal context, if you have a specific symptom or misadventure in mind)…

-Ask game is going up, feel free to play or ask a Q of your own.

- I’m going to try to stay in the time parameters as best I can (logging off around 6:30 PM US Eastern, Daylight Savings), because it helps DD and the bbs stay regulated (and me, too, really).

NOW— a couple things coming up:

- April is designated We fit like an Enfit (Tube ‘verse) month. I will be writing ONLY for that ‘verse during April, except during SS, when everything goes. I loosely plan to :

-finish/round up Cuts and Scrapes (currently missing part III)

-Catch you up with and iron out the timeline, starting from Steve’s diagnosis and leading off to where he is at “present” as a functional tubie x2, minus a colon, plus a BF with a spiffy arm and Bluetooth ears. There are a few, like, major event stories, I guess I’d call them? Like, not super long (or maybe super long, you know me, and this hasn’t made it from scribble notes to computer yet), but stories that would read like an episode of a TV drama series? That’s the best way I could describe them. I need to do 3 or 4 and place them among the stories I’ve already written for the ‘verse. The boys have this established backstory, I just haven’t had a chance to get it all written out yet!!

-take all your questions about everything related to Tube ‘verse and the likes. I tend to roll with medical slang when I write; it just seems to flow better that way, but I know some of you get it and some of you probably don’t. And for what things look like, feel like, anatomy, recovery, illness, intimacy, whatever… Be as nosy as you want; nothing is a “stupid” question, and if anything is out of bounds, I’ll answer for Steve, a fictional character with no say-so, and everything will be fine.

-Collect your Tube ‘verse prompts and see where you’re interested in seeing the boys go from here. I have a lot if work to do to prop the ‘verse up to look the way I want it to, but, seriously, going forward, I have yet to make any plans. I’ll obviously act as the executive, ensuring all fics are medically realistic and done up properly, but feel free to drop your ideas. Inspire me. Let me know what you want to read.

-And a scheduling note— I think things look good to keep pressing on as usual, but there may be a cancel here or there in the spring/summer timetable due to little buddy’s ballet performance timings. He’s doing amazing things—has medical challenges and tubes like me, but he’s gained, like, three levels’ worth of strength/technique/coordination in the past academic year. When he first started in the entry class, he couldn’t distinguish pointe/flex, do a push up, pick knees up and skip… and now he does pilates teasers on the living room floor just for fun, can do rond de jambes at tempo back to front and front to back, AND he’s holding passe balance so well that he’s leaning the steps to prepare for a pirouette!! Sorry, I’m being such a weepy little old millennial here, bragging on my kid, but I’ve been out of commission for all of 2022 so far, and seeing little guy excel in my playing field… it’s just the coolest thing.

Ah, sorry to bombard you with all that. To quote the late, great Tony Stark:

Go break some eggs.

#starbucks sunday #laur talks #a lot

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quartzself · 3 years

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1-5 for the arospec ask game? I'm trying so hard not to just ask all of them jfnkjdfnkjbf

[arospec ask game]

That is SO valid and a mood. I appreciate the restraint and also the questions let's goooo

1. Where are you on the aro-spectrum?

ALLLLL the way on the aromantic end, I think. It's hard to say for sure because honestly my understanding of my own identity is sort of. -gestures vaguely- yknow? I don't think I experience romantic attraction at all but boy I have had a lot of trouble figuring that out LMAO.

2. How would you describe your identity?

Bold of you to assume I can describe it /j. The actual answer: I just use the word "aromantic" for myself, in part because it can just mean "arospec" without specifying Where, and in part because I know I'm for sure closer to aromantic than alloromantic.

3. Do you use aro-spec microlabels?

Yes and no? I have seen a lot of arospec microlabels I really enjoy and vibe with, but none that I feel confident calling myself. But if I ever found a term that did make sense to me I'd be more than happy to claim it, I love microlabels. So I guess the answer is "I would if I find any that seemed right".

4. Are you romance favorable, neutral, or repulsed?

I think favorable-to-neutral? Depends a lot on the context. But to put it one way, I can be open to a lot of activities that are traditionally Romantic, but it's very very important to me that whoever else is involved understands that I consider myself aromantic. Does that make sense? Like I have done romantic stuff with my partner, but he also knows how I identify, and for me I don't consider that romantic stuff at all connected to romantic attraction, but instead to a different form of attraction. I find it difficult to summarize because I don't fully Get It myself.

5. What kinds of attraction do you feel? [platonic, queerplatonic, aesthetic, alterous, etc.]

The honest answer is I'm not too familiar with all the other attraction types, but! Having looked into alterous attraction recently I think that explains a lot of my confusion about whether or not I experience romantic attraction. Because I was basically always like "well I don't think I experience romantic attraction... but i still feel Something... so what is this?" So! I think I experience alterous attraction - as well as platonic and queerplatonic. I'm not too well-versed on the many types of attraction.

#ask game #ghost speaks #asks #arospec ask game

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queencamden · 4 years

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Do you think that the SIX fandom has become very toxic ????

That’s rather complicated. I’m not totally well-versed in fandom drama, as the major fandoms I’ve been in previously (School for Good and Evil, Six of Crows and Three Dark Crowns) are all fairly chill. However, I have noticed that it has gotten a lot less unified as time went on. I first joined around July (before I got my account, just looking at posts) and it seemed much more supportive then.

I think the fandom has just become very DIVIDED. I, like several others, have become more in the Tudorblr community than the Six fandom at this point, and because of this I’ve noticed a big divide in terms of views of historical accuracy. (That’s the lens I will be focusing on, as I don’t care much about other discourse)

The divide between history fans and Six fans (and the toxicity within fandom this leads to) can be summarized in three main points.

1. History blogs and history-loving fans don’t understand/ are weirded out by fandomey fans.

2. Fandomey fans do not bother to consider the history.

3. Both sides are very aggressive on what they think is right.

Let’s start with the history blogs

They don’t understand the fandom

I hate to say it, but we’ve become the next Hamilton fandom: most Six fans get their info only from the show, and from this have developed their own, fandomey versions of the characters. The Anne Boleyn that the Six fandom loves is not the real Anne Boleyn. The Katherine Howard the Six fandom loves is not the real Katheryn Howard. However, (I saw a post about this once) the fandom is quite good at separating the characters from the actual people. (Most of) us know that the Angry Bible Aunt, Chaotic Heely Gremlin, The Mom Friend, The Dog-Loving Badass, The Babey-Brat, and The Sleep-Deprived Academic are NOT the Six Wives of Henry VIII. Because that is how fandom works. You take the most exaggerated versions of the characters in question and work off of them. ESPECIALLY in theatre fandoms, where most fans can’t even see the whole show. I think that’s why Theatre fandoms have a reputation for being cringy. The exaggerated, fandom versions of the characters are all they know.

I think a lot of the time, more history-focused blogs don’t get that aspect of fandom. Yes, Tudorblr has its own memey versions of these people (Anne Boleyn being extra, Henry being Garfield) but the content that they make are not solely these characters- because in the end the meme versions are characters. It’s hard for history blogs to understand that the fandom versions of the characters, are NOT what the fans actually think these people were like. This can lead to mocking, and attacking Six fans for being “dumb” or “cringy”. Certain blogs that are within the fandom that like the historical figures hate on fan blogs and that is NOT OKAY. For example, I saw a post where someone was making fun of Six the Kids, because they “would never be friends in the modern day”. Yeah..... neither would the Queens. And this is explicitly set in the universe of Six. History blogs should stop being high and mighty over fandoms having fun. HOWEVER.....

Fans don’t understand the history.

This show IS about real people. Who actually existed. In real life. And Six fans who ONLY reduce them to these characters can be very frustrating for people who are interested in the real people. Because Six is so popular the ONLY versions of these people you can often find on Tumblr are the Six versions. And I get it. Really I do. I used to be one of those Six fans who called KH “Kitty” (only for clarification purposes between the Katherines but still) and made memes about Anne being a chaotic gremlin. And then I looked up the actual history and I STOPPED. Not everyone has to go that deep, of course, or stop making these memes (most of them are very funny) but it would be good to respect the historical figures. I understand that it’s hard to do that in an incorrect quote, but maybe do what @sabrianna said in an earlier post and tag the characters as, say Katharine of Aragon- Six, so as not to clog the tags of people searching for the actual historical figure.

Like I said, the problem is not with making exaggerated versions of the queens. That is part of BEING a fandom. It’s not even a problem of using the characterizations from the show (such as chaotic Boleyn) What is the problem, is that many fans DON’T care about the history, or think they know everything about it. They make roleplays, ship the queens, e.t.c. but it’s all very out of character to the real women. I said earlier that most people can differentiate between the fandom queens and the real queens and that’s true. But some fans don’t. Some fans only know the queens from the fanon and the musical and because of that we get stuff like UwU Babey Katheryn Howard or people shipping Boleyn and Aragon, which is actually kind of disrespectful to the historical figures. At best, this leads to ire and harassment from Tudorblr, at worst to actual misinformation about the queens being spread by the fandom.

Both are overly aggressive in what they think is right

This is the big one and the major component of the “toxicity” of the fandom. Six is a musical about raising your voice, so it makes sense that it’s fans would be very outspoken. But it falls into a problem when they refuse to see the queens any other way. When it gets to people harassing others for stating differing opinions just to defend YOUR interpretation of a real person who actually lived, that is wrong. Because often your interpretation is NOT right, or at least limited. For example people who view Elizabeth and Mary as a black-and-white ‘good sister, evil sister’ dichotomy, when in reality they were both just as grey and complex as anyone else. But people will straight-up harass and argue with others who are just trying to explain that Mary’s background caused a great deal of her problems, and that Elizabeth did bad things too.

There’s just a lack of LISTENING which is a problem for a fandom based on history. (I know Six isn’t historically accurate, but a lot of fans are interested in the real queens). History is subjective. In my time researching historical!Katheryn Howard my opinion on her has changed around three to four times and that’s good. You are allowed to have multiple views on a thing, and when someone is trying to explain something to you, you don’t have to dismiss it. This goes for the history fans to. When Six fans make a factually incorrect statement, many history fans tend to condescend or belittle them which, as a Six fan, does NOT make us want to learn more. Simply telling us the true, often much more interesting, situation, DOES. Also, friendly reminder, most of the Six fandom are teenagers, and from what I’ve seen of Tudorblr it’s more of a mix of teens and adults. IF YOU ARE AN ADULT, DO NOT BELITTLE TEENAGERS FOR BEING WRONG. WE ARE ALREADY INSECURE ENOUGH.

Tldr; History fans, treat Six fans with respect, and acknowledge that their fandomey queens are not the queens you know and love. Six fans, respect the queens (and the history fans), do some research, and put *Queen’s Name*- Six in the tags, so that history blogs don’t ALWAYS have to see Six content. Both groups, respect others opinions. Stop constantly trying to prove you’re right. In the case of Six fans, you’re probably not (sorry) and in the case of history fans, most of the Six fandom are new to this and still learning.

Sorry for the long post @thedeadqueensclub I meant to have this finished a while ago. I don’t really know of any other fandom drama aside from the Tudorblr Vs. Six thing, so this is all I got for fandom toxicity (though there is definitely a lot more I haven’t covered)

I really enjoyed answering this, and would love if I got more asks (though it might take some time to answer them) It’s really nice to talk to all of you!

#sixthemusical #tudorblr #asks #sixcourse #long post

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aiden-png · 4 years

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Heyy, is there any way for you to possibly share your planning/outlining process? I’m having a lot of trouble myself figuring out how to write my fic, it’s all just out of order and all over the place, and I feel like knowing what you do might help a bit

omg sure!! I know how to outline a few different ways and jump between the methods depending on the story, length, and how much planning is actually needed to achieve my goal. I don’t typically outline unless I’m setting out to write something over 20k words or I have an idea that relies on a series of interconnected scenes (like a 5+1 for instance)! I’ll continue below the cut...

when I’m ‘outlining’ for a multichapter fic below 20k, my notes are pretty simple and typically look like this (example from “5 Times Wild Did Something Wild”): -collecting bomb arrows while it’s raining -electrocuting a group of enemies during a lightning storm -deflecting guardian lasers with his shield/cryo-launching a guardian and sniping it midair -riding a Lynel and killing it from close range* -setting up a trap and killing a Yiga in disguise elaborately* -getting stabbed/shot and pulling the weapon out of himself to finish the fight

these ‘bullet outlines’ are really good for laying out scenes, story beats, or chapter summaries for multichapter fics. when I write a short oneshot however, my notes are 1-5 sentences that summarize the entire plot or the prompt, and I add more notes if necessary when I sit down to start writing. for example, the prompt outline for “Hero Through the Ages” was this: Wild is reverted back to a child and everyone expects him to be rowdy and impossible. Instead he’s entirely mute, very stoic, extremely well versed in swordsmanship, and acts like he’s a knight.

however, when I’m outlining a longggg multichapter fic, I have two methods I really enjoy using and tend to pair them together. first is the summary method, where I write out an overview of what I want the story to be like in paragraph form. it ends up looking like a Wikipedia summary for a book or film when it’s done, but the reason I like this method is because it allows me to brainstorm on the page and develop my ideas where I can reference them again. these methods are supposed to be rough at first and get developed further later, so the next two examples are plans for a fic that ultimately went in slightly different directions by the end! here’s the beginnings of a paragraph outline for my BotW fic “A Major Test of Strength”: Link has been training for a few weeks since defeating Vah Naboris so he has all the supplies and strength he needs to take on Calamity Ganon. He learns of a Spring of Wisdom (or smth actually not in canon) that is said to have healing/restorative properties and it’s suggested that he travel there to try and regain the last of his memories. Sidon decides to tag along to help/see if he can finally work up the courage to confess his feelings to Link. When they get there Link not only gets his memories of this life, but of all other timelines restored at once along with his abilities. Every Champion had a power, and Link always thought the swordsman didn’t. It suddenly makes sense why everyone has believed in him without question since he awoke: Link is the strongest Champion, and he’s just now reached his full potential. Before Link can begin to train his new powers the Yiga stage a plot 100 years in the making, putting Link, Sidon, and the whole of Hyrule in danger. Link has a time limit to face Ganon before the barrier breaks now, and he’ll need all the help he can get to make it there in time.

from the paragraph-style outline I can make a scene-by-scene or chapter-by-chapter (or even act-by-act) outline which is the second method I like, though I have a hard time writing things I know the endings of. I typically outline as I go after the midpoint of a fic so I don’t lose interest, and will place filler estimates for how many chapters will be in the climax and resolution. working from story beats in this case is a lot easier for me, so I’ll make a bullet list where I describe the exposition in quite a bit of detail, summarize to the midpoint, more briefly summarize to the climax, and then stop outlining. it looks sort of like this (same fic as above): 1- Link hears about a Shrine* that is said to help connect those to their past or smth and it’s in the Laynaryu Mountains. He decides to go for it, as he’s still missing a lot of his memory (he’s not super distressed by this, he knows himself and he’s content, he has more important things to handle, but he hopes that the final piece in his puzzle may help him defeat Ganon). He travels to Zora and Sidon insists on traveling with him, it’s not far after all 2- they travel to the location and become close along the way 3- when they arrive the place is surprising and Link emerges from the Shrine with far more than he expected. A Yiga had tailed them, and upon seeing Link’s powers, quickly teleports back to their base 4- Link spends some time training to grasp his new powers and finds himself drawn to Sidon more and more. The Yiga commune with Ganon 5- the Yiga stage an ambush on Link as he travels, kidnapping him and Sidon. The Yiga preform a ritual in front of Hyrule Castle where Link was knighted at the blood moon to rend Link of his powers and Sidon rescues him too late, the Yiga and any information they had disappearing 6- Link and Sidon travel to visit the Great Deku Tree as Link looses his strength, hoping to reverse the spell 7- Link and Sidon make it at the last minute and are shown the secret location of the Temple of Time, where Link completes the ritual, and is sent back in time to before the kidnapping so he can continue his training 8- Link prevents Sidon from being kidnapped with past Link and they journey to Satori Mountain to stakeout the ritual site so they can disrupt the ritual before it’s too late. they talk and share secrets and both realize how they feel 9- Link and Sidon successfully intervene and the two timelines collapse, merging, until Link awakes in the Temple of Time in a fixed timeline with the triforce and knowledge of his powers and his love for Sidon. He confesses instantly 10- epilogue? Link and Sidon share a peaceful day months after calamity ganon’s defeat, Link training future soldiers and running errands for citizens of Hyrule while effectively retired, Sidon and him officially courting, and everything right in the world

there are a lot of different outlining strategies beyond these that you can use too! there’s a flashcard one, where you write out important events and scenes on cards and organize them in whatever timeline you feel works best. there’s the in depth outline, where you summarize the scenes and events in every chapter from beginning to end (this one helps a lot with keeping consistent chapter lengths and maintaining plot threads). when I use an outline, to make sure I don’t forget what I’m supposed to be writing for each chapter, I’ll write myself notes at the end of the doc that I can glance at as I’m typing. I’ve also used the editing method, where I’ll read and edit the previous writing session before starting the current one so I don’t lose track of where I was. when writing a long piece, it can be helpful to stop in the middle of a scene that excites you, so you have the motivation to return later to finish it! it also works well to finish an entire scene or chapter before stopping so you don’t have to read back to start writing again, but since I tend to write every single day until a fic is finished I don’t have a lot of issues picking back up where I left off.

just remember, the outline is only a tool for you to use! it’s not set in stone, it doesn’t have to be neat or completed--the only thing that matters is that it helps you better write your piece. it’s perfectly fine to diverge from the outline when writing, or to edit it as you go! and outlining definitely isn’t for everyone, I rarely use one because I feel it limits my own creativity in some regards. flying by the seat of your pants when you write is a perfectly valid method too, so stick with what makes you comfortable and what works for your style--and remember to have fun! I hope this helped answer your question! :D

#thanks anon!#aiden writes #outlining #I hope this is helpful!#it took me years to figure out methods that worked best for my writing style so playing around w a few different outlining methods #will help you figure out which one works best for you!#I only really plan or outline when I have a hard time visualizing where the fic is going to go tbh #so I've been outlining a lot recently for two longfics and I still don't know how long either will be XD #outlining also helps writing a longfic not be so scary or overwhelming #you can get lost writing so easily and lose motivation or inspiration--so keeping notes or an outline really helps !

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orangeflavoryawp · 5 years

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Jonsa - “A Violence Done Most Kindly”, Part 1

Alright, it’s here. I’m fucking doing it. This is my Jonsa tour de force, my magnum opus. My ultimate fix-it fic.

This is going to be a Season 7/8 AU. To summarize the major plot points up until now, this 'verse branches out roughly post Battle of the Bastards in canon, the mass murder of the Freys by Arya still stands, Cersei has been killed but her murderer hasn't been determined yet, Daenerys has only just landed in Westeros, the occupation/battle over Riverrun never happened as the Freys were slaughtered beforehand, and both Edmure and Brynden Tully are still alive, Bran found his way to Winterfell while Jon and Sansa dealt with ruling the North and preparing for a war with the dead, as well as the shifting power dynamics in Westeros now that Cersei has died. This story also assumes established Jonsa. Soft E. Dark. Politics and magic and murder and sex. That's essentially the gist of it.

I HIGHLY recommend that you read 'Bruises' before getting into this. It serves as a prequel of sorts, and it's only a one-shot so it reads pretty quickly. 'Bruises' really helps to set up the tone of where Jonsa is at the start of this fic.

“A Violence Done Most Kindly”

Chapter One: Hunger

"There is an old sort of magic to sacrifice, after all." - Jon and Sansa. Stark is a house of many winters.

Read it on Ao3 here.

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 fin

* * *

It would be a lie to say that Sansa understands Cersei now – here at the end.

Here where she warms her brother’s bed.

Sansa imagines Cersei looked at Ser Jamie like this once, watching him in his sleep beside her. Or perhaps not. Perhaps theirs was always a quick, furtive fuck. A blinding instant of lust and need, smothered in dark alcoves and behind garish tapestries, a secret, silent thing – clawing at them from the inside.

Perhaps they’ve never slept the night through beside each other.

Perhaps she regretted it – gurgling out his name while she choked on her own blood.

Sansa reaches up to trace a hand down the side of Jon’s face, trailing past his jaw, along the cords of muscle flexing in his throat beneath her touch, whispering down his chest as he groans to wakefulness. She slips her hand to his growing hardness with a surety that might have been foreign to the little dove Cersei once knew.

But then, maybe that is also a lie.

“Sansa,” he groans, head thrown back along the pillow, voice rough with sleep and desire.

She braces her lips to his neck, imagines the rush of blood just beneath her mouth – pulls him from slumber with a selfish, desperate yearning she does not regret. “I need you,” she breathes into his skin, teeth sinking down.

Jon growls his answer, grabbing her by the hair, yanking her head back and kissing her hungrily. He turns her easily, bracing her back along the bed as he covers her with his weight, already hard and ready in her hand.

Some small part of her wishes Cersei had been her kill. A different, equally intense part of her, is relieved beyond words that she isn’t – that she would never be, now.

But more than that – more than a vengeful wrath she’s spent too long feeding to ever be free of hunger, to ever be satisfied with a mere raven scroll and the somber, even way Bran announces the news – more than that –

She just needs Jon.

“Come back to me,” she whispers against his mouth, moving with him in the dark.

No, she doesn’t think she’ll ever understand Cersei.

But as she feels Jon slip inside her, as she cradles his groan in the hollow of her throat, as she catches her lips at his temple – she thinks she doesn’t need to.

It’s a different hunger she feeds now, after all.

* * *

Sansa recognizes the sound of Baelish’s footsteps well before he’s made it to her side. He slinks like shadow easily enough across stone and wood and dirt, but here in the godswood, trudging through snow in the womb of winter, his steps are almost awkward, clunky.

He does not belong here. She knows this now with a certainty she hasn’t felt in years.

“My lady, I had hoped to find you here.”

Sansa only sighs, glancing away from the red weirwood leaves to meet his gaze over her shoulder. She offers a silent nod in greeting.

Baelish makes his way toward her, smoothing his hands over his robe when he settles beside her. “You have not forgotten what we spoke of when last I found you here, I should hope.”

Sansa tugs her furs tighter around her shoulders, eyes drifting back to the weirwood branches. “How could one forget?”

“Yes,” he murmurs, eyes drifting down her face and trailing the length of her throat.

She tries not to swallow, not to give notice of her discomfort. He takes a step closer. She resolutely does not take one back.

“This is a very crucial time for us, Sansa, you must know that.”

“Cersei is dead,” she says in answer, and she thinks maybe it should feel different along her tongue. Lighter, perhaps. Sweeter. Instead, it’s nothing but a stringent tartness.

“Yes, and by whose hand? None of my people seem to know the answer to that, except for whispers of faceless girls. Dead end gossip.” He looks at her out of the corner of his eye, appraising.

Sansa gives him nothing to appraise. “Is that what matters right now?”

He stays quiet a moment, and then, “It is, until we can ascertain whose side her murderer is on.”

Another silence. Sansa stretches a gloved hand out to catch the faint flecks of snow falling from the branches.

“We can’t let this opportunity pass us by. Cersei’s death has lead to infighting amongst the houses. King’s Landing is in near shambles with no discernible sovereign. Qyburn has fled without the support of his queen. The Mountain hasn’t been seen since reports of Cersei’s death. Citizens are fleeing to the other kingdoms as we speak, and even Daenerys Targaryen has seen the uselessness in conquering King’s Landing at this point.”

She knows this. She knows this already and she’s tired of hearing it. It only ever ends one way.

Baelish reaches for her, grasping her arms and turning her to face him, his gentleness forced and rushed – a falsity. Sansa blinks up at him.

“We have to consolidate power. If we wait too long, this chaos will be of no help to us.”

“Then go.”

Baelish furrows his brow at her answer, his fingers flexing along her elbows.

She swallows tightly, face a blank visage. “Go to King’s Landing then. Consolidate.” She lifts her chin. “Go.”

His throat flexes, poison tongue pressing back behind pursed lips.

“You can’t, can you?” she asks, not unkindly. “Because your power lies here. With me. And with the Vale. You can’t abandon either of us without giving yourself a disadvantage.”

“Sansa.” It’s almost a warning. As much a warning as Baelish ever gives – all smooth tones and invaded intimacy. His head inclines toward hers.

“Jon won’t go South. Not for that.” She extracts herself from his hold slowly, gently, without offense.

Baelish smacks his lips, a minute flicker of irritation crossing his eyes, but it’s all he will allow her to see of his disturbance. “The King can be persuaded.”

“Not in this. The dead occupy him on all sides. He won’t play the game.”

“Not even for you?”

Sansa doesn’t think too long on the way his eyes flick to her lips for a fraction of a second. “You overestimate my influence.”

“Oh, I think not,” he says lowly, a curl to his lip that reminds her of purple-faced boy-kings and hound-fed bastards.

No, he does not belong here. Not in the white and cold and wind of home. Not here where her mother used to brush her hair and her father used to beg her hand to dance and her brothers played their knightly parts in her tales dutifully. Not here where she had wanted to bury Lady those many years ago.

Wanted, and never could.

Sansa realizes suddenly, that Winterfell is not yet free.

And neither is she.

* * *

In the wake of Cersei’s death, the ensuing vacuum of power nearly cripples the kingdoms, with the remainder of the Lannister forces rallying behind a mourning, vengeful Ser Jaime, intent on securing the Reach and the Stormlands. Dorne wastes no time to declare its independence from the Seven Kingdoms entirely, and shortly after the suspicious slaughter of the Freys by unseen Northern hands both the Riverlands and the Vale swear to the North under the threat of a coming dragon queen.

Jon has no time for such politics.

Sansa rails against him openly in the Hall of Lords, demanding his attention to the ensuing fight for the crown, but the dead take precedence in everything he brings to court, and it’s not long before ravens are sent to all corners of Westeros begging aid in the coming fight.

Bran watches placidly, neither arguing for or against either of them. Sansa would call him not unlike a piece of furniture if she hadn’t better manners, and most days her pleads for his council lands on deaf ears. She ends most gatherings of the lords rife with frustration and nearly frothing at the mouth.

She doesn’t need to glance at Baelish to know the look he gives her.

“You think just because Cersei is dead that we are free from the South? That they will not land their hooks into every inch of the North until we are chained to them once more?” Sansa seethes, shutting her door once Jon is through it.

Jon heaves an unsteady breath, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I think, and you know it,” he grits out, sending a dark look her way. “Stop twisting my words.”

“Then stop ignoring mine.”

“I’m not!” He stalks toward her, stops before he can do anything else. His hands itch at his sides. “Sansa, we can’t keep this up – this back-and-forth. We can’t afford such a divide, not now.”

Sansa takes a purposeful breath, hands folding before her. “I’m with you, Jon, I am but – ”

“Are you? Sometimes I wonder.” He can’t help the scoff that leaves him. He stares at her, keeps her gaze a moment longer, and then he’s turning to the far window, a hand raking over his face. He’s just so tired, suddenly.

Sansa is deadly still. So still he can’t even hear the rustle of her skirts on the cold stone at their feet – can’t pick up the scrape of air she pulls through anger-fused lungs.

“And how is your show of the dead going with the other kingdoms, hmm?” she bites out.

Jon snaps his head to her, his eyes narrowing so quickly she might have missed it.

Sansa takes a step toward him. “Are they simply jumping to aid us? Are they gathering the entire might of their forces, marching the sum of their armies North, all on your word?” Something sharp glints in her gaze and Jon swallows his reply back instantly. She scoffs, head thrown back. And then her eyes are eerily blue on his – instantly staggering him. “And have I ever demanded evidence? Have I ever once denounced your claims of the rising dead before the lords?”

Jon has no answer. None that would satisfy, at least.

Something in her softens at his silence, another step taken toward him. “I’ve never asked you to prove anything to me, Jon.”

Jon, she calls him – always.

(There was never anything to prove between them, after all.)

Jon closes his eyes, takes a long, deep breath, exhales just as evenly. When he opens his eyes, she’s still there. Still copper-crowned and winter-poised. Still every inch his sister.

And every inch not.

He thinks maybe it’s a sickness – this craving of his.

Jon steps into her, the stiff silence descending upon them like a cloak. He’s so close. He’s so unbearably close, and even though he has yet to touch her, the heat suffuses him – a stifled winter, a burrowing need.

He can see the way her chest heaves at the sudden proximity.

(She’s always been his, even when she won’t admit to it.)

Jon thrums a tentative hand along her side, fingers grazing the line of her hip.

Her tongue darts out to wet her lips.

It’s a lost cause, he knows. Since the moment she opened her door to him, this was only ever going to end one way.

“I know you’re with me,” he tells her on an exhale, roiled in heat.

She arches a single, fine brow. “Do you? Sometimes I wonder.” She almost smacks her lips with self-satisfaction.

A low snarl eases from his lips, his hand bunching in her dress, dragging her to him. She lets him, hands alighting on his chest. He leans into her, nuzzling his temple to hers, breath ragged already.

She makes it so easy.

He’s already panting for her.

(She makes it so hard.)

“Sansa,” he groans out, fingers trembling as they reach for her laces.

She takes his face in her hands, pulls him back until his eyes are locked with hers. He doesn’t still his unlacing of her. He couldn’t even if he tried.

So unbearably close.

(He just needs to touch her.)

“You lose one war, you lose them all,” she tells him, arching against him.

She’s right, he knows. She’s right, and yet –

She comes undone so easily in his hands – they need to stop ending their arguments this way.

Because this – the splendid way she hisses beneath his tongue and the subtle way she arches into his hands and the ragged pant of his name (his name) along her bruising lips – is a war they can’t afford to lose.

(This is a war they haven’t even begun to fight, not truly – not by the light of day.)

“I’m with you,” she whispers against his mouth, and he knows.

He knows, he knows, he knows.

And even still –

Some wars aren’t about who’s right. They’re only about who’s left.

* * *

Arya returns to Winterfell in the dead of night. Ghost clambers to wakefulness at the foot of Jon’s bed, the sharp rap on his door jolting him from sleep.

It’s Davos at his door. “In the hall, Your Grace,” he says, and nothing more.

Jon rushes from the room, following his Hand and the faint shadows Davos’ torch casts along the walls. When he turns the next corridor, he sees Sansa emerging from her own chambers, Brienne at her side. Her sworn shield tugs the fallen slip of Sansa’s robe over her lady’s bared shoulder at Jon’s presence, and the motion does not go unnoticed.

“What is it?” Sansa hisses in the night.

He shakes his head, throat parched.

It happens moments later.

It happens when they breach the shadowed hall. It happens when Arya turns from her appraisal of the room, eyes a slate grey that should be comforting, familiar – but are only haunting. She is perfectly still in the filtering moonlight through the tall windows. She is perfectly winter-poised (an eerie reflection of the sister beside him, and distantly, he wonders if either of them knew they’d ever grow to be thus).

It’s a crack, a fissure – a lung-scraping quake that sunders through the silent hall.

Ghost is the first to break the stillness, trotting up to Arya with an ease that staggers Jon’s heart in his chest. But Arya smiles – smiles – and it’s a faint curl of her lips, before she’s bending like reeds in the wind, reaching for the direwolf’s great maw and threading her fingers through his thick fur, hands gliding over Ghost’s face and ears and neck. Something of sorrow and fondness sweeps over her face then. “Hey, boy. You’ve been keeping watch for me?”

Jon is breaking toward her then, something splintering inside him he hasn’t a name for, and then she’s in his arms, and he’s lifting her up, up, and up, her feet off the ground, her arms around his neck, his broken gasp of her name smothered in her hair, and he’s trembling, absolutely shaking against her, absolutely shattered – here, to be here – with his little sister in his arms. He holds her for an immeasurable amount of time, for eons and epochs and yet he’d hold her still, if only he could. It never seems enough.

Jon dips her back to the floor, breathless, glancing back at Sansa, and he stills suddenly at the way she stares at them.

Arya keeps a hand at Jon’s elbow, her smile receding. A soft, keen quiet overtakes her. Her eyes shine with tears. “Hello, Sansa.”

Sansa takes a step, hand outreaching, and then stops herself. She takes a sudden breath, and Jon is too overcome to think much of it, so he braces a hand at the small of Sansa’s back, urging her toward their sister.

He doesn’t catch the way Arya’s eyes trail the intimate motion of his hand.

“Arya.” Sansa’s voice catches, and then she’s stumbling into her, arms wide, drawing her little sister to her chest.

Arya’s eyes shutter closed for a moment, breathing something of relief against Sansa’s breast, her hands fisting in her robe at her back, but then she’s blinking those grey, haunting eyes open to Jon.

He feels cracked open. Bloody and bare. Jon swallows the trepidation back.

Their sister is returned.

His hand burns beneath the memory of Sansa’s heat at his fingertips.

* * *

Arya knows.

She knows, Sansa thinks when she catches the derision in her little sister’s eyes from across the courtyard. Somehow, she knows.

Sansa steps purposely away from Jon as they walk together below the ramparts.

He furrows his brows at the motion, a hand going to her elbow. “Sansa,” he begins.

She huffs her frustration, staying his hand.

He’s always been terrible at pretenses.

“Our sister is watching,” she mutters beneath her breath pointedly, and she can see the way his spine straightens, the way his shoulders stiffen.

She is Sansa Stark. And he is Jon Snow. And not for the first time has she lamented this – though perhaps not so much as now.

Now when he is close enough to touch and yet the chasm widens ever farther.

This chasm called honor.

(But there is nothing honorable about the ways in which he touches her in the dark of night.)

Jon is silent for long moments, before he comes to an abrupt halt at the edge of the courtyard. Sansa turns to find him staring at his boots, brows furrowed. He heaves a sigh, a calloused hand wiping down his face, and then he’s turning swiftly, walking back the way they came. Sansa watches him go, something constricting in her chest not unlike grief. She looks back across the courtyard to see Arya still watching her. Her jaw locks, her barred teeth caught behind perfectly poised lips.

There are some things Arya will never know, she reminds herself.

She will never know the way Jon’s eyes grow dark by candlelight, or the way his throat flexes beneath the press of her tongue, or the tremble that racks through him when she slips to her knees at the edge of his bed, bracketed by his thighs.

And perhaps there is something secret and selfish still living in her. Perhaps there is a part of her that revels in the knowledge that while she may not be the favorite sister, she is the only sister who can drag such whines from his throat, who can reduce him to pleading, who can have him panting and desperate as he throws his head back, hand curling in her copper tresses as he pushes her mouth down on his length, hips thrusting shallowing up to meet her.

No, Sansa reminds herself. Arya will never know the dark visage of Jon when the last of his control snaps, when he’s pouring filth from his mouth too base even for brothels, when he’s rutting into her mouth like something feral, spilling hot and frenzied down her throat as he growls her name through clenched teeth, over and over and over again.

No. Arya will never know the way he looks at her in the aftermath, the way he curls a quaking hand along the curve of her jaw, thumb brushing over her mouth in something perhaps too feverish to be called tender, but just as searing.

She thinks this when she departs from the courtyard.

She thinks this when she feels Arya’s gaze following along her back.

She thinks this when she closes the latch behind her to Jon’s door that night.

* * *

“You’re our brother,” Arya says like a demand. “You’re her brother.” It comes out slightly searing this time.

Jon grips at the mantle over the hearth, his back to her. “I still am.”

“How could you be?” Her scoff is lined with something faintly like disgust.

Jon closes his eyes at the sound. He draws a deep breath in, lets it to air.

Arya shifts somewhere behind him. “Robb would never have touched her so.”

“Aye, and Robb isn’t the brother she begs for at night, is he?” he spits just as harshly, whirling on her. He realizes what he says a moment before he catches the look that passes over her face.

It’s not a look she’s ever directed at him before.

Jon swallows thickly, the words dying in his throat.

Arya looks away, lips pursed tight. She’s so utterly still. This whole while, her entire time at Winterfell, she’s been nothing but stillness.

Jon wants to shake her suddenly, just to know she’s still there. Just to know he isn’t the only one missing what they used to be.

He has to tear his gaze from her – has to focus on the lick of flames in the hearth, the flare of copper too familiar to cool this rancid heat in him. “But I’m not Robb, am I?” he whispers, almost like regret, almost like penitence.

(Almost, but not quite.)

“No,” Arya answers, so low he might have imagined it. “No, you’re not.”

He isn’t sure what it is he hears in her voice, and he doesn’t have the heart to turn to her then, to see for himself, to know the damning censure of her gaze, even when her voice is indiscernible.

She leaves him then, the heavy door of his solar sliding shut with a nauseating finality.

She doesn’t even leave a shadow.

(But he thinks he should have expected this. He thinks he should have expected a lot of things.)

* * *

Jon has known the permanence of betrayal, the way it sinks into your marrow until you are rife with it, until the sharp tang of it has festered long and sour beneath your tongue, until it is behind every look over the shoulder and every false greeting.

Jon sneaks a glance at Sansa beside him, catches the upturn of her chin while she listens to Lord Glover in the Hall of Lords, the resolute crispness of her blue gaze as she sits regally at the head table.

His hand strays to the ends of her furs hanging over the arm rest. He catches the material between his thumb and forefinger, a small comfort. An anchor in the storm.

He glances back out across the hall. All eyes are on Sansa. All but a lone, accusing pair.

Jon catches Arya’s glare from across the hall, nearly missing her lithe frame amidst the shrouding shadows of the Stark banners. The flicker of torchlight is not enough to obscure her frown.

His hand slips from the edge of Sansa’s furs beneath the table, his throat dry with an apprehension he’s never felt before.

They sit staring at each other for long moments – everything and nothing passing between them – the lords airing their complaints and their needs like a fog around him.

“Do you agree, Your Grace?”

Sansa’s voice comes to him like a gale.

Jon snaps his gaze to her, blinking rapidly.

He suddenly remembers.

He remembers that Sansa has seen the evidence of betrayal marring his skin. She’s seen the gashes along his chest and not withheld her touch. She’s smothered his sobs of recollection to her breast when he’s recounted the nooses – the way their feet swayed in the wind like a condemnation.

Sansa has never been party to his betrayal.

Sansa will never be his betrayal.

His fingers search for the ends of her furs once more, gripping tightly beneath the cover of the table – no longer an anchor, but the thing that drowns him.

“Aye,” he agrees, never needing to know what he agrees to.

Sansa eyes him with something of sharpness.

Jon looks back across the hall. Arya is gone.

He does not relinquish his hold.

* * *

{“Why did you bring her here?”

Bran looks up at Sansa’s question. It is a face she used to know once – but not anymore. She holds tight to this image of her brother like sand sifting through her fingers. She wonders if it is not perhaps easier to simply let him fall.

She looks away finally, her hands gripping at her skirts.

The hearth spits another log to cinders before them, and she thinks he means to keep this damn silence always, until, “Because she is needed.”}

#jonsa #jon snow #sansa stark #jon x sansa #jon and sansa #arya stark #bran stark #starklings #house stark #game of thrones #got fanfic #my writing #a violence done most kindly

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bandsanitizer · 6 years

Text

Youngblood: Every Track

Except for the Target Exclusive tracks because I haven’t heard them yet.

I personally found this album great because instead of connecting through the music with personal experience, it feels more like diving into and empathizing with the emotions 5sos are giving in the songs. Also, please note the following “analysis/review/babble” is purely from my own inference and opinion. It’s not fact, and I don’t claim it to be, so be kind please. I’m not asking to fight or meaning to hate, I’d love to discuss the album, though.

————————————————————

1. Youngblood

Prior to the album, I didn’t care for the song. I mean, it’s good, but I preferred the live version and just wasn’t the biggest fan. After listening to it with the whole album, though, I now see why it’s the title track and better understand Michael saying it really sets up the whole album.

Sonically, the song offers the mix of pop and rock, old and new, that the entire album has. Of course, it’s more pop, just like the album.

Lyrically, it captures a back-and-forth feeling of a relationship and summarizes the feeling of the album. The whole album feels like a relationship, mostly a break-up. What we’re experiencing emotionally and hear in the lyrics, all ties into a relationship and most obviously, can connect to some of the band’s struggles over the past three years.

Specifically, the falling out of relationships, which I presume, is part of why Luke and Ashton have more writing credits than Calum and Michael. Again, that’s speculative. Still, nothing wrong with being influenced by their love life.

Youngblood, is a song that captures all of the good and bad of a relationship, but through the view of post-break-up. It’s about coming back for something that isn’t good for you and hanging onto a love that isn’t all that loving. It truly makes the album whole, and it’s a jam.

The chorus (THE DRUMS) are so amazing.

2. Want You Back

I’m not going to lie, the first two songs released weren’t my favorites at first. They just didn’t feel the best. Still, I’ve come to like Want You Back the more I listened to it.

I think this song really marked a changed in 5sos’ sound and while it didn’t do well on the charts, I think it was a nice way of introducing fans to a new era of 5sos. Both sonically and lyrically, it’s quite modern pop and captures that “stuck” feeling. It’s like being unable to move forward, but incapable of going back.

It’s a great second track to follow Youngblood, because it really expands upon the relationship described in the title track. It takes you to that place inbetween the leaving and coming back, the push and pull, that’s present in the first song. I’m growing to love it more and more.

Also, Luke saying “fucking” is amazing. And the falsettos kill.

3. Lie To Me

Why is it so short? I need more than 2.5 minutes of this song.

Their HARMONIES. Like, we all know that when 5sos sing together the world is a brighter place, but this song is the ultimate. Their vocals are perfection in this and I’m living for the contrast in the beat/bass with the melodic lyrics and guitar. Fucking love this song.

Confirmation Luke has a lying kink? Yeah.

It’s a softer song and kind of just feels like wishing you didn’t have to move on? It’s like watching someone move past something that still hurts you and you can’t quite grasp why. One of my favorite from the live shows and I’m still waiting for the video.

4. Valentine

The opening is just so beautiful. I like the vocals that accompany the bass at the start. It’s has the vibe of like an chill, kind of lowkey club. It’s not big or bold, very intimate.

THE SINGING OVERALL JUST KILLS ME. Michael’s solo? Calum’s solo? It’s like my soul leaves my body every time I hear the song. Ashton’s backing vocals? KILLER.

The message is really sweet. It’s this idea of Valentine’s Day being special, but also the importance of this love extending past the commercialized February 14th. It’s soft and tender. Truly loving. I didn’t know I needed a Valentine’s Day song until now. It’s also got the feel and sound of a song to have sex to. It’s just some lyrics are quite sexual and it has the same feel of a candle-lit bedroom and yknow all that stuff.

It’s a bop.

5. Talk Fast

I have little to no clue what Luke sings in the beginning. Outside of that, this song makes me want to dance. It’s really weird cos it’s not a super dance-y song, but it’s just a song that makes me feel hyped-up.

I don’t really know what it is, but the “woah oh oh” in the chorus is just perfect to me. The whole rhythm that plays through the verses is catchy. This song is really weird to me as it’s the least like my tastes and it just... I really like it but I don’t know why. It’s like I want to drown in the vibe and rhythm of the song.

This is a song about a love set to fail, but still diving head-first into the relationship anyways. It’s not about serious feelings or commitment, it’s more about the current moment and the mood of just living on the fast and hyped feelings.

6. Moving Along

Okay, so like I have an ENTIRE idea for a music video for a song. It’s sort of like how Big Time Rush would have episodes that just lead into the performance of one of their song. This has such a beach-y vibe and I want to see 5sos do a music video for this song in Aloha shirts and shades at a beach or resort. I have SO MANY IDEAS.

I just love how this song feels. It’s like lyrically, the song is sad, but the musical aspect is so so upbeat. It’s something very All Time Low-ish, but not as pop-punk/rock. ONE OF THE BEST ON THE ALBUM. Also, the drum fills are amazing. I love them.

It’s a song that kind of explains those days when you’re bitter? It’s not being full-on angry, but it’s not sad and it’s not happy. It capture the idea of how people deal with loss in different ways and at different rates. Not everyone will move on at the same time, and if you’re someone moving on later, it can suck sometimes.

After a break-up, it’s hard to think how someone could move on from love so fast, so sometimes we hold onto the idea that it could be just as hard for them to move forward. This song feels like that. It’s watching someone wonder about someone’s who’s gone and not really be sure how they feel about this whole “moving forward” thing.

Again, absolutely love this track.

7. If Walls Could Talk

All songs prior to this, we had already heard, so this was like the “NEW MUSIC!!!!” point. I started tearing up solely because it meant officially going into the new era. I love this song so much. It’s another song that I have a music video concept for.

I really like the contrast between the verses and the chorus, with the addition of the acoustic guitar. It’s a real mix of a singer-songwriter pop and the typical feel of something more Halsey? If that makes any sense.

HOLY SHIT. ASHTON’S VOCALS. He sings the falsetto part of the chorus and it’s fucking beautiful. I want to drown in the sound. This song complements his voice so well.

I swear to god 5sos better perform this song live. The lighting concept could be so so cool with this track. If they let this song die, I will personally fight them. I’ve never met them, but this is a track that isn’t the perfect live song, but it would also be soooooo fucking cool to just see them play this song live.

I love the idea of a secret love that kind of love that’s going on. It’s this idea of all these secrets and definitely something sexual. It’s basically about getting naughty, but also could be deeper and about a relationship that isn’t good to begin. It’s kind of like we shouldn’t but do.

It’s such a good song. AND THE BRIDGE and following chorus... HOLY FUCK.

8. Better Man

This song was the complete opposite of what I expected. I was thinking of something more like “You found someone better” not “You make me better”.

It’s clear this is about finding someone who seems to change you for the better. It’s about being at a low but then someone just comes into your life and spins it around. It’s a love song, really. I love the sound, but I would love for an acoustic version, too.

Luke’s vocals. I don’t know what it is but I want to have the chorus played 24/7. His voice just sounds soooooo amazing in the song. He sings “Better” and I just cannot. I WANT TO BOTH CRY AND DANCE WITH AN S.O. WHEN I HEAR THIS SONG.

By far, it’s gotta be one of my favorite Luke songs out there.

9. More

The opening of this song feels like it came from a car commercial. Lol

But wow. I love the sound to this song. THE DRUMS MAKE ME WANT TO DIE. WOW.

And what the fuck is that prechorus? I LOVE when 5sos slows down in the middle of an upbeat song and idk... This song does it so well. MOSTLY I JUST LOVE THE DRUMS AND FALSETTOS.

Calum’s solo is quite nice and tHE GUITAR? FUCK ME UP.

I want to light myself on fire when I hear this song. It’s not really a song I need them to do live, but I can definitely see it making the set.

It emotionally is confusing and a bit disconnected, but it’s kind of what the song is about? It’s that search of what used to be as a relationship seems to fizzle out. It’s like it’s so close but unreachable.

Lyrically, I’m in love with this song. All the lyrics in this song just... I strive for the way it makes you picture something, but it’s not a specific something. It’s like an image of a feeling.

10. Why Won’t You Love Me

This is the first song I actually started crying for. It makes me so fucking sad. It’s like, of all the songs, it’s the one that truly makes you feel what 5sos is feeling, as opposed to necessarily connecting to it in a personal experience?

The opening verse breaks my heart. It captures the idea of touring and flying and just being so far away and how distance prevents a relationship from working out. The second verse is a bit less specific, but captures this idea of being in a love that is reciprocated, but at not really? It’s there but not. It’s about a difficult situation of distance and time and circumstances that don’t feel right and prevent the love from being as good as it could be.

Really, the whole song makes me so emotional. It’s such a sad and painful song of wanting something that you’re so close to having but just can’t? It’s not even an unrequited love as much as it’s getting tired of the feeling of lonely that comes with the distance. It’s not really about not loving, but more about loving so much that every second waiting feels like centuries and its so constant that you just can’t really hold on. It’s from one person who’s constantly traveling and physically distant and it’s kind of hard for them to let go and accept that the person they love can’t keep doing the long-distance thing.

I just feel so emotional with this song.

11. Woke Up In Japan

This song is so swanky. I don’t know that just the word I think of. It’s a sweet kind of song and I like the tone that plays leading into the chorus that’s like that opening sound to SLSP. This song is really lovely and a morning-after kind of story. It’s having had so much before and then finding the bed empty and just being like, “Oh” and you can’t complain because the night was great but it’s still lonely and disorienting when you wake up.

I’m in love with the sound of the song. It’s a head-phones on slow head-bob type of track.

I like the way their voices are, it’s cool how it sounds like morning voices cos it matches the concept of the song.

12. Empty Wallets

The opening is so misleading and it makes me angry because the song gives me Bridgit Mendler vibes? Y’know her older music like “Hurricane” and such? The verses have that kind of vibes and I HATE HOW MUCH I LOVE IT. And then the chorus, musically, gives me more of Twenty-One Pilots type of feel. Could just be me... I’m not the best at this association thing.

I just love how there’s three different feels through the whole song.

It’s about a love that doesn’t ask for the material things. It’s more about the feelings and riding the roller coaster of life together. It feels like having happy dates without leaving the house and just finding a relationship that can be a free (in both senses of the word).

I’m not sure what to make of the bridge, but it kind of makes me think of a love that comes and goes but always kind of feels the same.

I’m really into their vocals, specifically the falsettos (the chorus) and Michael’s solo in the bridge. And the music is just really good. A nice vibe to it and I REALLY WANT THEM TO DO THIS SONG LIVE.

13. Ghost of You

There’s only a few songs that are guaranteed to make me cry every time I listen to it. Those songs include Lea Michele singing, “Make You Feel My Love” on Glee, Taylor Swift’s “Ronan”, and Simple Plan’s “Welcome To My Life”. Yeah... They’re all different and mean different things, but they’re so important to me and I hold them very dearly to my heart and they make me so emotional.

Ghost of You is now a song to add to that list.

It’s a mix of the guitar from “For the First Time” by The Script, the general vocal feel of Coldplay music, and a little bit of the melody from like “Firelies” by Owl City.

It’s a lyrical masterpiece. Michael and Ashton said it’s be a fan favorite and it sure as hell feels like it. There’s something so sad and raw and lonely about the lyrics. While it’s a post break-up song, it just generally has that feeling of losing someone but not knowing how to let go.

My favorite part of the song is at the end when Luke sings “That my feet don’t dance like they did with you”. It’s a heartbreaking lyric of realizing that you aren’t the same person you were before they left. It’s searching for happiness alone, when you thought you’d always have someone there.

But what hurts most is that I knew that this song was going to be sad. First off, the title. You can’t have a song named “Ghost of You” and it be anything but sad. Secondly, they wrote it with Mitchy Collins. I have only heard “Broken” from his band, but just that song secures the idea that he can write a sad song. Third, 5sos hyping the song meant it was going to be pretty sad because the songs that do best overall with the fans are the sad songs.

Thus, I expected a sad song, but FUCKING HELL 5SOS. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS.

Everything about the music and the lyrics and they way they sing the song is just so heart-wrenching. It makes me want to curl up and sob because I can feel their pain in their singing and I can relate my own feelings and experience to it.

I swear, 5sos better not let this song die. I dont care if we never hear any other dead song ever, I just so badly want this song to make the set list for the tour. I want this to be a song that 5sos holds onto because it’s so heart-breaking and beautiful.

They know how to write sad song and this is like Amensia-level sad. It’s like we were all talking about Lie To Me but HELL THEY DROP THIS? The song shows how much they’ve matured and grown and just how much they’ve experienced. In the same way Jet Black Heart solidifies the lyrical genius of Michael and Calum, Ghost of You really showcases the skills Luke and Ashton have as songwriters.

This is definitely one of my favorite songs off of the album, if not my favorite.

14. Monster Among Men

Personally, I consider this song to be a sequel to Jet Black Heart. Conceptually, it carries the same idea of being poisoned or broken and afraid of how that hurts the person you love. It’s a sequel, though, because it talks about not calling it off again and just captures the idea of working past those issues to truly be able to say that you’re not going to leave, you’re not going to be the demons that haunt you or the darkness you can feel consumed by. It’s an empowering song

Plus, MICHAEL GORDON CLIFFORD. FUCKING SHIT HE KILLED THIS SONG. His vocals are just so good. He’s grown so much as a singer and the amount of control and emotion he has with his voice always blows my mind. Then the chorus is so cute? I love the keys and the music being upbeat and Calum’s lower vocals in the background. The chorus vocals in general are just top notch. And THE GUITAR SOLO??? MICHAEL G. CLIFFORD IS KILLING THE GAME. (Also loving Luke singing “Asshole” and both of them counting)

I love this song so much, it’s currently tied with Ghost of You.

15. Meet You There

I’m head-over-heels in love with the bass in this song. It’s so beautiful and catchy and I want to dance. This song also feels a lot like fire? Like it’s a perfect song for them to do on tour so it bETTER MAKE THE SETLIST.

I love the music and lyrics. It’s quite summer-y and, as I said, it’s a song I just really want to dance to for some reason. I don’t know who’s vocals I love the most, but the bridge where Michael sings is fucking perfect.

The concept of the song is like the idea of “If you love something let it go, and if it’s meant to be it’ll be.” It’s this idea of being able to spilt and grow as individuals and then possibly come back together. Honestly? It’s basically what the four of them experienced with the hiatus, in growing on their own and coming back together and meeting on common ground with the album.

I very much like this song.

16. Babylon

This is the new Calum song. Don’t get me wrong, I love “Invisible” and will always die when his solo in IYDK plays. But holy shit, this takes the cake. It basically fulfills the need for Calum to do Bad Dreams.

Calum Thomas Hood is so talented, and this song perfectly shows that. His voice and the bass in this song is killer. The lyrics are phenomenal and the concept is so beautiful. It’s a very very smart song, as Babylon was a city that was HUGE. It grew and expanded, until after wars and conquests, eventually was taken under different control and collapsed. Additionally, one of the possible reasons for the absence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon include war and erosion. Easily, the idea of Babylon is something growing big and eventually falling apart. This is carried with the concept of the song. It’s about a love that grows and builds and goes so hard but then burns itself out. I love the whole idea. I just love this song so much with all that it means, how it sounds and the feel it gives.

I think it was a great choice of song to close the album with because unlike the rest of the album, it’s very final. There’s no sense of longing or wanting the past back. It’s not about second chances or going back-and-forth. It’s just a tragedy. There’s a beginning middle and end, and the end isn’t happy, but it’s a clear and set closure. It completes the album very well and is one of my favorite 5sos songs. It’s reminiscent of the band’s older sound, but also capture their ventures and changes well.

————————————————————

Overall, this album is relationship-centric. I know it doesn’t tackle huge issues like SGFG did, but this album is clearly for 5sos more than it’s for the fans. It’s not as much about songs with messages for the fans to find safety in, but rather songs that allow 5sos to express everything they’ve been dealing with for a while. And I truly find it to be beautiful.

The album is a great step forward and truly gives them a lot of room for whatever sound they want. Additionally, it captures how talented they are as artists, in singing, writing, and playing. It’s a masterpiece and I am so proud of them. While do have favorites, it’s the only album I can 100% say I love every song on. It’s an album I want to play and listen to 24/7. The whole thing is just so cohesive and I love with all my heart. I am just so so so so proud of 5 Seconds of Summer.

No matter where this new chapter takes the band, I hope it does them well and gets them the respect they deserve. I truly see this as their best album yet and I can’t wait for what’s to come. I’m so proud and it makes me happy that they are, too. It’s an album worth listening to and deserves so much recognition because it’s truly inventive in it’s mix of genres and sounds, creating something that feels so familiar, but also unique, fresh, and new. 5sos created something beautiful and I’m just so happy that they shared it with us.

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metalshea · 5 years

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A Perfectly Doomed Christmas Carol: A Reflection on A Perfect Circle Through Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”.

Reflecting on the holiday season, I’m a little surprised at myself. Maybe it’s because the lead up to Christmas was shorter here in the United States than it usually is. The Thanksgiving holiday, our historic kick off for the Christmas season, was very late this year and so in some ways it doesn’t quite feel like Christmas time, yet. And so, I have yet to watch what is easily my favorite Christmas movie, A Muppet Christmas Carol.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are a TON of great Christmas movies: Die Hard (YES IT IS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE—I WILL FIGHT YOU!), Elf, A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, The Santa Claus, Miracle on 34th St., It’s A Wonderful Life, and, of course, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original with Boris Karloff, not that Jim Carey nonsense), but there’s something about A Christmas Carol that resonates so clearly and seems so relevant beyond the holiday season. I can’t say that about many Christmas movies.

Ok, maybe Die Hard. Yippee Kai Yay!

Maybe it’s because I share a birthday with Charles Dickens, but I really love and appreciate his writings. There is a clear moralism running his body of work that is still pertinent even today. He continuously tries to call attention to disaffected working peoples, structuralized disadvantage, and implores his readers to simultaneously feel empathy and outrage. A Christmas Carol does this as well. I won’t spend long summarizing it because, really, who hasn’t seen or read it in the English-speaking world? If you haven’t, go check out A Muppet Christmas Carol, it’s surprisingly accurate to the original text and Michael Caine plays a great Ebenezer Scrooge. Or just read the novella and prepare to be shocked at the surprisingly unsettling atmosphere of the book. What, surprised that the original is actually pretty creepy? It’s supposed to be a ghost story!

“Dude, when are you going to get to the music?”

We’re getting there, I promise!

A Christmas Carol follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a deeply flawed and emotionally insecure man who insulates himself from his insecurities by devoting himself entirely to his business. He takes an “I got mine” approach to life, disparages and ignores the outside world—often at the expense of those in his employ or influence, and in the process begins to literally damn himself. Not to mention his name is literally synonymous with miser. Scrooge’s deceased friend appears to him in spirit form and basically sets him up for a round of speed dating with 3 ghosts who show him the error of his ways by bringing him through his past, the present world around him, and the very not too distant future.

Sounds familiar, right? If you speak English, it should ring a few bells even if you haven’t read any Dickens. The literary device he uses is pretty common in Western literature because it basically invokes Dante’s Divine Comedy: the idea of a character being led by around by spirit and shown a picture of the world around them or the world that awaits them.

“Dude, now you’re shifting to Dante Alighieri?! When are you getting to the metal music??”

Right now.

Just like Dante and Dickens, Maynard James Keenan uses the same literary trope in the writing of A Perfect Circle’s, The Doomed.

Did I just blow your mind?

Before I go further, if you haven’t heard the song, you probably should. Otherwise none of this will make much sense. If you have heard it, give it another listen. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDvfbvuJtS8

When this song dropped in 2018, it immediately resonated with me because of it’s use of religious symbolism, particularly the invocation of the Beatitudes. When I started actually reading the lyrics, I realized just what Maynard did in it’s construction and started to get excited, he basically alludes not only to the Beatitudes, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Gospels, but the narrative structure of the song alludes to Dante. This religiously-raised, English-majoring musician and metalhead in started bouncing for joy. Not only is the song pretty damn good, but it has a freaking point! Hold me, Maynard!

But it’s Christmas, dammit, so we’re going to ignore Dante for now and instead examine this through the lens of A Christmas Carol.

Truth be told, I actually think A Christmas Carol is a better lens to view the song than Dante, anyway, but I’m pretty damned sure that Maynard wasn’t even remotely considering it when he wrote The Doomed, let alone the absolutely glorious Muppet version. Alas!

Ok, let’s start with the song itself and maybe some context.

The Doomed is a damning portrayal of our current societal state. You could probably make an argument around equality or neoliberalism, Trump’s America or capitalism, or the global refugee crisis, but I don’t think it’s meant to be so narrow a commentary, and for our purposes, I’d rather focus on the religious language at play here.

The song was released in 2018 and was probably written closer to, if not in 2017. At the time there was a growing on focus on the plight of the disaffected and a growing dialogue about how people interact with others with different life experiences. There was a Huffington Post OpEd from around that time that this was likely being written titled “I Don't Know How To Explain To You That You Should Care About Other People” that sums up the broader societal dialogue quite nicely. I wonder if Maynard read it as well?

Before going too far down that particular rabbit hole, let’s actually break down the lyrics. The vocals open:

Behold a new Christ Behold the same old horde Gather at the altering New beginning, new word And the word was death And the word was without light The new beatitude "Good luck, you're on your own"

To my eyes, the song opens from the perspective of Dante’s Virgil. Or, since this is Christmas, the Ghost of Christmas Present (GCP). In my head, I picture the scene where Scrooge and the spirit stand outside the window looking into the Cratchit’s kitchen. The spirit explains to Scrooge what he is seeing, an impoverished family making the best of what they have. In Maynard’s retelling though we aren’t greeted with a touching Christmas scene, but rather a new Sermon on the Mount. In the opening lines of the song, he immediately calls to mind the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John. But it is the last two lines of the verse that are the most striking and set the tone for the rest of the song:

The new beatitude "Good luck, you're on your own"

For those who are not Christian, or for those Christians that never learned about The Beatitudes, it helps to have some extra context. The Sermon on the Mount is a scene from the Gospel of Matthew and elaborated on in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus Christ gives a lengthy sermon to a crowd and during this famous speech, he issues The Beatitudes. You can kind of think of them as the New Testament’s answer to the Old Testament’s 10 Commandments and be kind of in the right ballpark. For all the hype and focus in Western society on the 10 Commandments, the Beatitude are often overlooked by a lot of Christians. Which is kind of bonkers if you think about it and may hopefully become more apparent by the end of this article.

Christianity is big on layering imagery and call-backs to earlier Biblical writings. Seriously, Christians love that shit. It adds a feeling a depth and purpose to The Scripture. We can sort of view the weightiness of The Beatitudes through the doctrine of the Trinity. Basically the idea that The Son, The Father, and the Holy Spirit are all one in the same being. Ergo Jesus Christ is the literal physical manifestation of God. Just as God the Father literally wrote the 10 Commandments in stone, Jesus Christ, The Son, issues a new set of Commandments, The Beatitudes, in the Sermon on the Mount.

Yeah, they’re supposed to be THAT important.

Most Christians can name probably 6-7 of the 10 Commandments without too much thought, but they probably don’t know The Beatitudes, at least as a term. That being said, almost everyone would recognize them:

Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are the patient; they shall inherit the land. Blessed are those who mourn; they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful; they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart; they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers; they shall be counted the children of God. Blessed are those who suffer persecution in the cause of right; the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are you, when men revile you, and persecute you, and speak all manner of evil against you falsely, because of me. (Matthew 5:3-11)

The Gospel of Luke, a later chronological writing than the Gospel of Matthew, further expounds upon The Beatitudes, adding a bit more flavoring and essentially turns them into action items rather than just virtuous states of being:

27 And now I say to you who are listening to me, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you; 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you insultingly. 29 If a man strikes thee on the cheek, offer him the other cheek too; if a man would take away thy cloak, do not grudge him thy coat along with it. 30 Give to every man who asks, and if a man takes what is thine, do not ask him to restore it. 31 As you would have men treat you, you are to treat them; no otherwise… 36 Be merciful, then, as your Father is merciful. 37 Judge nobody, and you will not be judged; condemn nobody, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and gifts will be yours; good measure, pressed down and shaken up and running over, will be poured into your lap; the measure you award to others is the measure that will be awarded to you. (Luke 6:27-31, 36-38)

Luke also offers a complimentary set of warnings to accompany the Beatitudes, known as the 4 Woes:

Woe upon you who are rich; you have your comfort already. Woe upon you who are filled full; you shall be hungry. Woe upon you who laugh now; you shall mourn and weep. Woe upon you, when all men speak well of you; their fathers treated the false prophets no worse. (Luke 6:24-26)

When I was growing up in a very devoutly Catholic household, I remember my mother telling me that as important as the 10 Commandments are to the foundations of what was then my faith, The Beatitudes were absolutely critical to my being a good Catholic and, what’s more, no person could ever hope to have a shot at entering heaven without ascribing to them.

Something about a rich man, a camel, the eye of a needle, and the prosperity gospel, amirite? But I digress.

It’s funny, re-reading the Sermon on the Mount and Luke 6, after I don’t know how many years, I really am struck by how the Beatitudes really are positive action items. The quotes I provided above don’t really delve too deeply into how the broader context of the Beatitudes demand positive action. This is article is going to be long enough as is without dissecting the full text of the Sermon on the Mount from both Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but they’re interesting pieces to read from a moral philosophy perspective even if you’re not religious. Where the Commandments say essentially, “Don’t do this or else”, the Beatitudes basically say: “Do these things, act this way, and you will be rewarded; don’t do them and you won’t be”. That is a MARKED difference in tone from the Commandments, and it is baffling why as a religion Christianity focuses so much on the consequences of negative behavior as opposed to the positive outcomes for good behavior.

Getting back to the song, it is through the Beatitudes that all people are called to approach and treat others with compassion and empathy. As the GCP shows us though, this is no longer the case: you are no longer expected to care for others, and you should not expect them to care about you. You’re on your own now.

As The Doomed progresses, we get a better picture of scene the GCP shows to Scrooge. The underlying music shifts to more of a march feel. There is a call-and-response at play between an unnamed preacher, the New Christ, and his followers, The Same Old Horde:

Blessed are the fornicates May we bend down to be their whores Blessed are the rich May we labor, deliver them more Blessed are the envious Bless the slothful, the wrathful, the vain Blessed are the gluttonous May they feast us to famine and war

Maynard covers a lot of ground in these two short verses. He’s alluded 3 Gospels already--2 of which we’ve dug into, I’m not getting into John here, but yeah that allusion to the Word comes from there (among other places… Christianity is big on scriptural call-backs, what can I say?)--and now he’s inverting the Beatitudes by referencing the 7 Deadly Sins and even the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Damn. Maynard’s smart.

Like the Beatitudes, the 7 Deadly Sins are familiar to most Christians, but they’re fundamentally misunderstood. They are not explicitly Biblical, and their legacy mostly comes down to us through early Christian mysticism and through the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. They are: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. What sets these apart from sin as it’s normally understood is that they are not actions. According to Aquinas, sin is a moral evil that is not in accord with reason or Divine Law and it fundamentally requires some type of decision and action. The 7 Deadly sins are more states of emotional being that lead us to moral evils. Through wrath and anger, we’re prone to violence and poor decision making. Through sloth, we’re prone to inaction in the face of evil. And so it goes.

The 7 Deadly Sins are inherently selfish mindsets. They are considered so in Western culture because allowing ourselves to fall victim to our lust or greed is the same as saying that we are sating ourselves potentially at the expense of others. Such a mindset is in direct conflict with the words of Christ vis-a-vis the Beatitudes. The contrast is so strong that, in a way, you could look at The Beatitudes and the 7 Deadly Sins as extremes on the end of a spectrum. It is the human condition to err towards the Sins, but it is imperative for all humans to move towards the Beatitudes, not only for their salvation but for the betterment of society (anybody else catching a whiff of Freud here? Id/Ego? Just me?). Maynard flips the script: the worst impulses of humanity now guide us.

The music shifts again, this time to something more innocent sounding, and we hear our Scrooge speak for the first time:

What of the pious, the pure of heart, the peaceful? What of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful?

It’s a little difficult to tell if it’s our Scrooge or GCP who utter the next two lines, I like to think it’s the latter, but the sentiment is the same either way:

All doomed All doomed

In this new world, those that embrace the values and actions embodied by the Beatitudes are left behind.

The music picks up again and the GCP again address Scrooge. The atmosphere almost feels more somber and reflective:

Behold a new Christ Behold the same old horde Gather at the altering New beginning, new word And the word was death And the word was without light The new beatitude: "Good luck"

This repetition of the earlier verse brings us back to Dickens’ scene outside the Cratchit’s: The spirt echoes the earlier words of Scrooge while Scrooge solemnly considers Tiny Tim’s health: “’If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.’”

The music shifts, again, this time back to the innocent, meek section we heard earlier in the song. Scrooge interrupts GCP:

What of the pious, the pure of heart, the peaceful? What of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful? What of the righteous? What of the charitable? What of the truthful, the dutiful, the decent?

Once again Scrooge directly references the Beatitudes, but this time he expands beyond them, alluding to people that embody other parallel virtues to those referenced in the Gospels. There’s a sense of pleading and desperation to his words as Scrooge tries to capture the gravity of the implications of GCP’s descriptions.

The music shifts again to the marching beat, with a dissonant guitar lead, purposefully played off key. GCP is becoming angry and annoyed. “You’re not getting it, stupid”. He responds through Maynard, who now sings with a clear edge to his voice:

Doomed are the poor Doomed are the peaceful Doomed are the meek Doomed are the merciful

For the word is now death And the word is now without light The new beatitude:

GCP directly calls out a number of the virtues of the Beatitudes, but this time his cynicism is crystal clear. He finally exclaims to Scrooge, anger boiling over:

Fuck the doomed! You're on your own.

Again, I’m reminded of Dickens and the final exchange between Scrooge and GCP. Scrooge laments the state and health of those whose lives he has just seen. The sprit, angry that Scrooge still seems to be missing the big picture—that Scrooge bears responsibility for their state, let alone their opinions of him—uses Scrooge’s own words to drive the point home: “’Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?’". It’s a final, damning rebuke for Scrooge to ponder before being confronted by the most terrifying spirit of the night. Just as we are left to ponder the implications of the “New Beatitude”.

See, I told you there was a good reason to use GCP as the narrator as opposed to Dante.

Plus, Christmas.

So there.

Some final thoughts:

I’ve been struggling how to relate the two children that accompany the GCP in A Christmas Carol, named Ignorance and Want, back to “The Doomed”. In some ways they could be tied into the 7 Deadly Sins as they are both expressions of pure human selfishness, but, you know, square peg/round hole. Still food for thought though.

Even as I have moved in my own faith journey from Catholic to absurdist (a la Albert Camus), I still refer to myself as “philosophically Catholic”, and have been known to reference Luke’s version of The Sermon on the Mount in casual conversation, specifically this gem:

By what right wilt thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me rid thy eye of that speck, when thou canst not see the beam that is in thy own? Thou hypocrite, take the beam out of thy own eye first, and so thou shalt have clear sight to rid thy brother’s of the speck. (Luke 6:42)

I love that image.

The Beatitudes, The Woes, the 7 Deadly Sins, and their larger roles as measures of personal morality are really meaningful to me. Even though I don’t consider myself Christian, I still ascribe to them. They are guideposts towards achieving The Golden Rule—if such a thing could be considered a state of virtue—and in their broader context they are calls for us to engage of certain types of action, especially considering Matthew 25:36:

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Re-reading The Beatitudes for this post, I’ve also been so struck by how little sense of primacy there is in them compared to the Commandments. There’s no explicit demand that we follow the Christian God, but that we embrace the Beatitudes and their broader contexts as moral bedrock. Christ reflects later in the Gospel of Luke that not using them as the basis for our personal morality would be like building a house in a flood zone on dirt instead of bedrock. There’s a lot of truth to that, and that message transcends a lot of the nonsense that tends to lead people away from the religion.

I think Maynard might be coming from a similar viewpoint. The values that we are supposed to espouse and embody are outdated in this New World. Kindness is obsolete. Those that embrace virtue are kicked aside just as readily as those that we would otherwise consider to be lesser than ourselves. The Doomed urges us to reflect on this and consider how we view the people and world around us. Like Scrooge, in order for us to make a substantive change in ourselves and around us, we need to really consider what we’re seeing before us in the present moment.

And it’s not a pretty picture.

But it’s not all bleak. The last line of the song uses the conjunction and pronoun “You’re” and “your”, respectively. Both variations of “You”. We could spend hours discussing and dissecting the grammatical implications of the lyrics, but suffice it to say: as much as a condemnation as the last line is, it’s also a recognition that it’s on us to act. No one else.

I’ll end this 3500-word beast on that note.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Let’s do a little bit better every day.

Shea \m/

#a perfect circle #a christmas carol #maynard james keenan #eat the elephant #charles dickens #Christianity #sermon on the mount #beatitudes #seven deadly sins #heavy metal #metal #alternative metal #catholicism #thomas aquinas #aquina

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marvelandponder · 7 years

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I LOVE YOU!!!!! You're honestly so sweet and PURE and you make the world a better place WE DONT DESERVE YOU!! Anyways,, I hope you had a great day and a gay day and I hope you have a successful and happy future because you deserve it friend, love u

I can’t believe it... the world’s nicest anon... We finally found them, everybody! You can all stop looking, give this one the trophy and prize money.

Like, seriously, I need you to know that the world doesn’t deserve YOU, because hOLY MCFREAKING CRAP???? YOU’RE SO NICE???? YOU TAKE TIME TO JUST SEND ME THE NICEST ASKS, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GOOD HEART???? THANK YOU???

I’m not exaggerating either, I actually had to stop after I read this message because the sweetness just... wow, I needed a second there.

As for my day, it was a nice one for sure. Relaxing. I just finished the third of four exams the night before, and because I have a lot of time until the next one, I just took today off to chill.

My partner’s studying for an exam on Wednesday, so I texted very briefly (it was raining outside, and, like, we both LOVE the sound of the rain, so whenever we hear it coming down hard, one of us usually texts the other something along the lines of: RAAAAAAIN! which usually gets a similar response of RAAAAIN!!! We’re kind of like dogs that way) before letting her do her thing.

But in terms of gay shit, me and @saveshootingstar usually chat pretty much daily about our next gen EQG universe where, among many other things, Sunset and SciTwi eventually get married, have 3 kids, etc. The Shimmer-Sparkle family is the main one in that verse, so that’s how I usually describe it, I guess. As she summarized today: it’s either sad, sweet, or sinful (NSFW implications). Or a fun combo of the three.

We talked about a Gravity Falls AU to our verse (yes, our extended next gen universe has its own alternate universes... it’s been, like, almost a year of us talking about it, and we have too much power) that basically changed up the dynamic: instead of two brothers separated by a portal, it’s two wives. The differences get fun from there, but I’ll leave it at that. What you really need to know is that it’s gay as all hell.

So, yes, I had a pretty gay day.

I hope you had a great, gay day, too!!! I hope all of them are like that! I love you, too, friendo, take care and have, like, the best night’s sleep

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dailyaudiobible · 7 years

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8/10/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezra 10:1-44 ~ 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 ~ Psalm 31:9-18 ~ Proverbs 21:3

Today is the 10th day of August. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it's great to be here with you today. Grateful for the coffee to my left, grateful for the technology that brings us together right now, grateful for the community that we share together as we journey through the scriptures in a year. And speaking of that, we’ll conclude the book of Ezra in our reading today and then continue Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. So, first, Ezra Chapter 10 verse 1 through 44 today. We’re reading from the Good News translation this week.

Commentary:

OK. So, Paul, I mean, we talked extensively yesterday about a specific incident that was going on in the Corinthian church with a son being in a sexual relationship with his stepmother. And then Paul transitions and continues on with this idea of taking one another to court and allowing, essentially, the secular society to judge the small matters that could and should be worked out between one another or with the leaders of the church. And there's a reason for all this. So, like, Paul's being quite direct in the first part of this letter in a fairly confrontational way. So, he’s saying, some things that are going on should not be going on. There's a reason for this though. Paul's worldview is that Jesus declared he would make all things new and he believes that to be absolutely the truth. And, so, what that means is that we are being made new creations in Christ, being reborn, born-again, as Jesus said. So, like, restarting as something new. And for Paul, Jesus is the turning of the tide in the human race within this species. Jesus is the turn - the reintegration of God and man together in righteousness because of God's mercy and grace - all the stuff we watched form in the book of Acts and that Paul unpacked in the book of Romans. So, it's from that context that he speaks any of his letters. And as he’s speaking today, he’s basically saying to the church in Corinth, come on. Like, we are, we have to be better than this on all of these things. We have to be better than this. We are being remade as new creatures. The turning of the tide has come and we have to do better than how we were because we're not the same as we were. We’ve got to get rid of all of that. And I think this portion of the letter is succinctly summed up in one verse. And it's brilliantly stated. It's one verse that would be worth committing to memory. It’s kind of one of those ones that you want to write on your doorstep or wrap around your fingers…you know…or somewhere where you can remember this, always. It’s this: ‘Someone will say I am allowed to do anything’. Yes, you are. ‘But not everything is good for you’. Right? Just because you can do whatever you want doesn't mean that’s going anywhere and doesn't automatically mean that it's going to turn out well or that it's even healthy in any way for you. So, someone will say, I'm allowed to do anything. Yes, but not everything is good for you. I could say, and this is Paul, I could say that I’m allowed to do anything but I am not going to let anything make me it’s slave. So, boom! I need like a mic drop effect that I can put in here from time to time. That's like the mic drop effect right there. That summarizes everything that we’ve been working through. The freedom that you have can also enslave you if you let it. This is like when I was a kid in church and I'm sitting in the pews…the old, hard, wooden pews with the gross carpeting on the floor…right…it’s just gross…and…I don’t know…just red…or some…I don’t know…if you ever were in an old-time church you know what I’m talking about. And the preacher is saying, ‘can I get an Amen.’ That's kind of how this verse works because it’s comprehensive. We can apply it to anything in our lives. Yes, you have the freedom to do whatever you want. But not everything you might do will be good for you. And although we can do whatever we want we must not let anything make us it's slave. So, think about your life right now. Just…kind of…maybe you can’t do this is you’re driving right now…just kind of calm yourself here…even just close your eyes for a second…just breathe deeply for a second. Think about your life and now invite the Holy Spirit to show you the entanglements, the different big and small entanglements that are kind of wrapping themselves around you because you are doing things that are not good for you. You can do them but they're not good for you and they are slowly entangling you and making you a slave. Those are the things to invite Holy Spirit in. And, you know, sometimes what comes up in that is, I don't know how to get out…like…I'm entangled in lots of ways, relationships, and entangled with business partners, I'm entangled in all kinds of ways. And kind of the posture of the apostle Paul would be, look, you are a new creature, a different kind of being now and you have got to walk with God away from the things that are making you a slave to them. And it's really easy to read into Paul because he’s direct and blunt in his communication style. It's very easy to read condemnation all over lots of the things that Paul says. But when you get to condemnation you have to…you know…like…if you're feeling condemnation from somebody, you actually need to take a step back and a deep breath and count to ten and say why do I feel this. Do I feel this because this person is literally, falsely characterizing me and condemning me for things aren't a part of my life or that aren't being portrayed well or true? That's one thing. But if you're feeling this thing rise up in you because it's completely the truth, well, then no one’s condemning you. You're condemning yourself. Paul's posture isn't domination. Right? So, it's not like domination by condemnation. Which is something that everybody kind of brussels at and many people flee from. That’s something that should not be done, it's not good for anybody. That’s not Paul's point though or his posture. His posture is, come on. Wake up. We are different than this now. There are freedoms unspoken that we can walk into. There is no telling the kind of freedoms that we can experience because Christ now lives within us. The human and the divine are reunited together as humanity was intended to be. There's no telling the freedoms. There is no telling the beauty and the grace and the wonder of being here on earth in Christ. There's no telling what we can do. We’ve got to stop this other stuff. Wake up. There's freedom. This is Paul's posture. And, so, this is the invitation.

Prayer:

Father, we take the invitation and we see it and we accept it and we walk into it. Yes, we can do whatever we want. It's true. And the truth is, we do whatever we want and blame You for whatever doesn't go right. That's not helpful. That doesn’t change us. That’s our own attempt to justify ourselves. But we cannot make ourselves righteous. We will not be able to come before You because we earned it, because we were so good that You have no choice but to accept us. We’re all here because You loved us enough to come and get us. That’s it. So, we can do whatever we want. But that doesn’t mean we should. And we invite Your Holy Spirit to show us the things we've gotten ourselves into that are beginning to make us its slave. We want to cut those ties and renounce those things in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and move away. Come Holy Spirit show us what that looks like. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what's going on around here. Be sure to check it out.

Couple of new things. In Daily Audio Bible shop, the Sneezing Jesus medallion that we had when we were launching and getting ready launch Sneezing Jesus is available for purchase in the store. And the Sneezing Jesus small group films and leaders guide that’s a downloadable set, that is also available in a Daily Audio Bible shop. So, check those things out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, especially in the summer, thank you for your partnership. There's a link on the homepage of dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the More button in the lower right hand corner or if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill TN 37174.

And of course, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayers and Praise Reports:

Hey guys. How are you doing? It’s John...just John. I want to thank you all for praying for me for my request to help our marriage and things like that. And anyway. I’ve got a report. Let’s call it that. I just…ah…she left…she's gone. She moved to New Jersey…totally out of the blue. She’s never been to New Jersey before in her life. So, it’s been in play for six months or something like that. And I, of course, and am always on the road. So, you know, shame on me. But, anyway, I just ask everybody to pray that she stays happy, that she get what she really wants. She’s a really good woman. I remember when Brian married she and I again at En Gedi Springs back on our trip in Israel. But, you know, stuff happens and you have to move on. One door closes and God opens another for you. He never gives you anything He won’t help you handle. And I really have to believe that because if I don’t I’ll crater. But, anyway, so, I just want to say that everybody’s praying for marriages, pray for them, work on them and just keep your eyes open guys. There’s things that you just might miss…that…one little change…one little word might make the difference…all the difference in the world. Pray every ____ night if you’re challenged with something like that because He shows up. The things is, what I learned, is that he shows up in a way you might never expect. That’s what He did for me. And it was kind of like a wow moment. So, two weeks ago I was doing a leaving Las Vegas thing, trying to drink myself to death. You know, that’s one way to do it. And today I’m smiling, happy, and that’s gone. That’s past. What I have is right now. What I have is the future. And think we all have that, thanks to God. So, anyway, Love you all. And I lost the time on this thing. But, God bless you. Praying for you all. Praying for marriages. Praying for the prayer warriors. God bless you. Out.

Many times I'm angry God with You as well as men. Why is there such happiness and wealth where there is sin. Why do I still suffer while pie falls from the sky. Yet daily I stay serving you and daily still I cry. My heart is filled with anguish with the present and the past. Faith sometimes gets week dear God it seems like it won’t last. I also get confused dear God when often wrong seems right. Temptations from the wicked one turn darkness into light. I long for you to comfort me. Lord can you hold me know. My Spirit Lord cries out for Thee as humbly now I bow. I trust You Lord above all things. You’ve taught me not to fear. I know there’s nothing in this life that can harm me while You’re near. Stay with me and comfort me. I struggle every day. Even when I know You’re right I still want things my way. David felt that same way too and everything I’ve said. A man you called after Your own heart who still lives though he’s dead. I’m thankful God that in all things I can open up and see. And share with you my inner thoughts. There are so many sides to me. I’m also thankful from my heart that I can speak the truth. Your loving hands have been on me from the time I was a youth. Never have You left me and I pray You never will. Let Your peace surround me now. My wrestles heart keep still. Closer Lord each day to thee please let my actions be holy and acceptable in thy sight for all eternity. [email protected]. Like to give a shout out to Less Like Me…haven’t heard from you in a while brother…time to check in. And Gigi…would be good to hear from you too. And Leah from Waskahegan…ya. Anyway. Be good to hear you all’s voices…

Hi you Daily Audio Bible people. This is my second time calling in probably two or three days. I wanted to reach out to…it’s either Peggy or something like that in California. And you touched my heart so much because you said that you were backslidden and now you have cancer. And I just want to say, your prayer was so sweet that you’ve already repented of that…Peggy or Patty in California. God has forgiven you completely and He loves you. Keep listening to the Daily Audio Bible reading every day because then you’ll hear His heart and how He loves you, how forgiving, how much mercifulness, and how much longsuffering He has with all of us. And it’s because you've already repented, I feel like, for that part of it, you're already on your way. You're already on your way. Just move forward to the next good thing. The next good thing, Patty or Peggy, is you’re reading your bible and you can talk to God just like you talk to another person. You don't have say ‘these and thoughs’. But just take some time with him every day and He’ll bring you back. As far as the cancer goes. I’m going to be praying about that too. But I know your heart. Your heart is true and your heart is right and the main thing you need is that full assurance that He sees you're cries, He hears your words, and…

Hey Family. It's Redeemed in Him from Virginia. Today is August 6th 2017. And I heard Debby from California who is very upset. She's a first-time caller and previously walked away from the Lord and is now diagnosed with cancer. Debbie, I want to reach out to you and anyone else who previously feels that they’ve walked away from the Lord. If you have returned, there is a party going on right now in heaven because you have returned to the Lord. I want you to go and read, out loud, because there’s power in speaking God’s word out loud, Luke 15:1-10. Verse 7 says, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sheep who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others. Your faith will grow by studying His word. I would start Romans, chapter 4 and 5. And remember that Romans 10:9 says, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 8:31-39, remember, nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. Romans 4, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Debbie, God sees your heart when we humble ourselves before Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins and keep thanking Him for everything you have. Please let us know how you are doing. We love you and are with you and are praying for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Viola in Maryland, Victoria S., Louise in Alabama, Drew in the bay area, Lisa The Encourager, Charlette in England, Mark S., Robert F., Paula in Albuquerque, More Than a Conqueror, Suzy, Jay in New Jersey, Nadene in Michigan, Christy in Kentucky, Will is Bozeman Montana, Dianna B. in Newburgh Indiana, Gods Girl in east Texas, Dr. John in Jordan, Darlan in Utah, Candice in Oregon, Pastor Gene, my girl Nettie A., Erica M, Boya G…sorry…I’m a very emotional…Laura L. B., Jennifer S., SarahJane, Sheila P., Deborah C., Billy in Montgomery, and anyone that I may have missed…I want to thank you all for your prayers. You know, when it rains and the rain gets in your face and every drop literally makes your eyes blink but you're awake and that’s what I feel right now. I feel like all of you have been praying over me and every name that I mentioned has been a rain drop onto my face making me blink and it's washed in with my tears…tears of love…tears of gratitude. I have been so blessed by this community and I would love to continue being a blessing to you all and all of your encouraging words and knowing that God's will will be done and God has a plan. And something my husband continues to say, focus on the things you can change and be thankful for all the gifts that God has given us especially our little baby g, Aden. I love you DAB family. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you, Brian and Jill Hardin and the DAB family…everyone behind the scenes. Cheers. Asia in Munich.

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anatolysergievsky · 7 years

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@airshipcity you asked how other versions do endgame and i apparently felt like writing you a novel lmfao ily fdhkjg

Okay so the problem with Endgame is that so many versions do NOT want to rewrite as much of it as is necessary for the varied endings that different productions have. You see so many versions rely partially or completely on either the original (In Concert) version or the Broadway one, depending on if it is a match with Viigand or with Freddie. But it’s not as simple as that—London Endgame doesn’t always work for matches with Viigand and more than that, Broadway Endgame DEFINITELY doesn’t always work for matches with Freddie. To explain that, there are matches where Anatoly plays against Freddie in Act 2 but still actually wins, unlike Broadway. So it doesn’t make sense to use the Broadway lyrics for that show. To remedy that but instead of doing the smart thing and REWRITING THE SONG to reflect the production, some versions will just sloppily combine London and Broadway into a completely incomprehensible song that you can’t even decipher who won from until the Arbiter says it. An example of this would be the bane of my existence, Sydney production’s Endgame:

“All

We are all aware of reputation

But this empty chair is condemnation

Of a man who blew it, sold out with dishonor.

No one gives a damn for his dilemma

Just another scam, we're sick of them, a

Petulant display, another prima donna.

We can hardly begin to

Imagine why he'd risk all he's put into

His calling through the years

The blood, the sweat, the tears

The late, late nights, the early starts.

Of course the effect is

Exactly what observers will expect, viz.

The world is set to cheer

The only one who's here

The bad guy's gone and won their hearts.

(Florence enters.)

All

Is he still in bed?

Or in the shower?

Even if he's dead

They won't allow a

Man to show up after the appointed hour.

(Music builds. Anatoly enters at the last possible moment. Reactions among the protagonists)

Anatoly

They all think they see a man

Who doesn't know

Which move to make

Which way to go

Whose private life

Caused his decline

Wrecked his grand design

Some are vicious, some are fools

And others blind

To see in me

One of their kind

(Anatoly takes his place at the board and makes a confident opening play. Freddie is unsettled by Anatoly’s sure play but relies strongly)

Freddie

So he hasn't cracked

He still can cut it!

Maybe it's an act -

It must be - but it

Made us all believe that

He could even sit here

Anatoly

Never let them know

Their eyes affect you

Never let it show

They won't suspect you

Mean to let them win

There's no one going to quit here

(Anatoly makes a particularly decisive move - Freddie is taken aback.)

Florence & Svetlana (during which a stylised version of the game continues)

Here we have two men caring

About a minor sporting triumph, sharing

A show with esoterics,

Paranoids, hysterics

Who don't pay attention to

What goes on around them

They leave the ones they love the way they found them

Is this the life they need?

A chidlish, selfish greed

While those around them bleed to death

Anatoly (dramatically)

Check!

(Freddie is taken aback)

Then I think of her

Her and her father

What would she prefer?

I know I'd rather

Never win again than feel

That I'd betrayed them

(Freddie moves, Anatoly counters)

Arbiter (taking over the calling)

Check!

(Clearly Anatoly attacking Freddie)

Freddie

My god, he's not gonna crack -

Anatoly

Which means that my decision

Really isn't very hard at all -

Freddie

He’s possessed by guilt and fear

Anatoly

So here we are

The final stages of a soul-destroying game

The sacrifice of something I shall never find again

Arbiter

Check!

(Again, Anatoly attacking)

Anatoly

Never!

('Check' and 'never' are repeated by the Arbiter and Anatoly respectively as Anatoly makes a series of moves that destroy Freddie)

Never!

(Checkmate. Anatoly wins. Freddie turns his king over.)

Freddie

On the losing side!

A variation!

Taken for a ride

A situation

That is known as dues and

Florence, I just paid them!

Anatoly

There is nothing more to do

My choice is made

The die is cast

The game is played

And so at last

I have freedom!

Arbiter

Mr. Sergievsky is the winner and becomes the new world champion.”

So… I have to say, this makes just about no sense to me. To bring up a direct example from this: “Then I think of her / Her and her father / What would she prefer? / I know I'd rather / Never win again than feel / That I'd betrayed them” versus, like two seconds later, Anatoly choosing to win the game. He has just said he would rather lose than betray her but he doesn’t follow through on that at all. They way they combine the Broadway and London-ish versions is so bizarre lmfao—then they also added a few extra lyrics of their own (“Never let them know their eyes affect you…”) just to add to the confusion.

But honestly, the Sydney version is not the only version to do this super weird kind of mashup of different versions. Just today I was looking at a script (unofficial, I’m pretty sure, but it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination considering Chess to think that this had been a staged production) which had an Endgame that can be summarized as:

1) Broadway opening: Anatoly arrives late, has his “they all think they see a man” verse, Freddie has his “so he’s gonna fight this situation” verse.

2) Svetlana comes in with the “here I see a man caring” verse, something that is never really included in versions where Anatoly is going to make the selfless decision and lose the match. She berates him in this verse so that him winning is clearly established as being “bad.” Anatoly responds with “take my blues as read” etc. This further solidifies that he’s going to win—he’s essentially agreeing that he’s Bad™ and he says the following “finding out my one true obligation—to chess!”

3) ??? We cut back to Broadway with Freddie’s “at last he’s made a mistake” and Anatoly’s “I cannot go on hurting all the people who have trusted me.”

4) ????????? For some reason we then get the chorus singing the “listen to them shout… etc/ but in the end a winner” verse.

5) Anatoly loses the match.

Like literally who wrote that. They could have easily just stuck to Broadway with this one—it would have been no real issue. Adding in points 2 and 4 here completely muddy the progression of the song and actually mess up the flow of it too, with respect to point 4.

In summary… Broadway Endgame? Makes sense. London Endgame? Makes sense. Most other versions? Literally bizarre. However! I do have to say that this post is only centered around the English-speaking versions of the show. The lyrics for other language-d versions obviously have to be rewritten and thus they don’t tend to do this mashup catastrophe thing although they do tend to change the sentiments of the song during the rewrite so it’s really a win-lose situation. In particular, the Hungarian version changes the sentiments of the song quite a lot! If you would like to see the translated version of this one, you should ask my super intelligent and generous friend @phantasmagoricfebruary who completely saved my life by translating all of the Hungarian Chess songs.

I obviously rambled a lot here and I didn’t even manage to talk about You and I Reprise or Walter and Florence but I’m not sure how long this post can be without being ridiculous so here’s just my thoughts on Endgame lmao.

#kdhgkjg i am so sorry for how long this is you dont have to read it all if you dont want #i have a lot of feelings and thoughts #anatoly #chess

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brilliantorinsane · 8 years

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Twitter ARG: A Sort of Summary

I’ve seen a lot of confusion here on Tumblr about what is supposedly going on in the twitter-verse. There’s a reason for that: it’s confusing. It’s vague. It relies on intuitions and moves in fits and starts. But it is also fascinating, compelling, and loads of fun. So for anyone who is interested I thought I’d give it a go, summarizing what is happening and what we think might happen. For starters:

The reason you’re hearing very little concrete information about twitter is: there is very little concrete information about twitter. It is all halls and mirrors. There have been (as far as I am aware) two major instances of people receiving DMs from the twitters: the first was the Dale Pike ‘reveal’ in which she ‘confessed’ and released her ‘script’; and the second prompted worriesconstantly’s announcement that we need to trend Norbury on March 21. But if it’s all so vague, why are putting any stock in it? Well, there are a few good reasons.

1. The show itself pointed us towards twitter in numerous ways.

2. If you’ve been following the ARG theories, you are doubtless aware of the speculation that the John and Sherlock twitters are BBC run. Evidence includes their posting of an original photo that seems like it could only have been taken from a window of the BBC building.

4. Our fellow tumblr-ers who are convinced something is going on. As far as I have seen, there tends to be a direct correlation between the amount of time someone has been digging through this twitter game and how convinced they are that something is happening. Sure, you could call that confirmation bias. Or, like I am inclined to do, you can see it as the collective consensus of those who have the most solid basis for reaching an informed conclusion.

3. The most compelling evidence is the intricacy of what is occurring. Like I’ve said, I’ve only been there two days, but it really is compelling. There’s a network of interconnecting accounts, interacting with each other and with us. Even those who don’t openly communicate display the most curious coincidences in timing. And it’s hard to conceive that they could be fellow-fans—there are too many oblique hints of ‘something coming,’ which would be cruel if they don’t actually know something. To me this feels like a game of ‘BBC or trolls’; and I’d be ridiculously impressed with any trolls who could pull this off, and somehow maintained this level of dedication and interest over such a span of time.

Very well, then. Here are the known players in this Twitter story:

1. The Sherlock and John accounts: These, of course, are the ones tumblr is most familiar with. For the most part, they are just telling an ongoing narrative about their happy existence as a couple—a remarkably frequent and high-quality narrative. However, they have had some meta discussions about stories, about ‘the game’ being a bit harsh but still worth playing . . . It is also worth noting that in their universe Rosie does exist, but the events of TFP apparently do not.

2. Contact_JM, i.e. an account that claims to be Moriarty: This one is also pretty well known around here. He tweets less frequently than the Sherlock and John, but still with impressive dedication. He has not infrequently dropped codes, puzzles, and cryptic clues. Other times he just rambles on in a thoroughly psychopathic-sounding manner.

3. Dale Pike/The Skull/ContactWSSH: Yes, this the Dale Pike who wrote the fics everyone went wild over, released a script they had written, then ‘confessed’ to being a fan and said goodbye. This one concerned me most at first, because I was genuinely concerned that we might be harping on a fan who just made a mistake and wanted to be left alone. The thing is: she didn’t leave. She is still posting fics which are no less meta and suggestive that her previous ones. And she is still using her Dale Pike twitter account—an account created solely for the purpose of . . . whatever it is she is doing. And while using that account she is still being just as openly cryptic and suggestive and interactive as ever—even to the point of resurrecting the old contactWSSH twitter and having a thoroughly mysterious conversation with them. Whoever she is, she has chosen to play this game; she hasn’t been forced into it. And what is she up to? Well, she is the queen of mixed messages. One moment kind and encouraging, the next insulting. Portraying herself as a fan and then claiming some mysteriously privileged status. Declaring she is finished only to begin again. Dropping cryptic hints, ranging from her fanfiction to an eminem music video which concludes with an innocent DVD being replaced by one labeled ‘explicit content.’ She is most likely one of the villains of this narrative.

4. Assorted: Besides these major players there are a few minor players who seem significant—@Bask_in_flies and @HarappaTiger have had brief, cryptic conversations with Contact_JM about executing some sort of plan. @eugenim portrays herself as sort of Eurus/Moriarty hybrid, and interacts like a cross between Contact_JM and Dale Pike: sometimes talking like a fan, sometimes like a psychopathic insider. Besides these, there are a few other potential players that people are keeping eyes on.

5. Creator twitters: there are a few of the Sherlock creators who periodically tweet things that are . . . suggestive, to say the least. Sometimes they are manifestly striking, other times they would passed unnoticed if it weren’t for uncanny timing: Gatiss and the Sherlock account both posting about moors around the same time, for example. The comments on their tweets can also be ripe with suggestion and ‘coincidence’.

Good. Now, finally: What all of this is hinting at:

I’m going to divide this section into two parts. First: What we know (as much as we know anything at this point):

1. The hints and the halls and mirrors cannot yet be assembled into a complete and coherent image. But they insistently hint at a secret episode, a false narrative, and something coming.

2. What has been seen on twitter strongly supports theories about a future fourth-wall break—both in the sense that what is going on in twitter is already breaking the fourth wall, and that it is hinting at some further, more undeniable break.

3. In this narrative, there are good guys and bad guys. Figuring out which is which seems to be part of the puzzle.

4. There are hints that this might be a ‘choose your own story’ ARG: obviously it would end in the release of The Lost Special no matter what we do, but we might have some say in how that happens and what role we play in its release.

5. Whatever is coming is still being only hinted at; it has not yet begun in earnest.

6. Maybe it’s a fluke, maybe it’s intentional, but this past week has felt different. More urgent—like something is coming. (Having just arrived I can’t testify to this one, obviously; but it seems to be the general consensus of those who have been involved long-term).

7. We are supposed to trend Norbury on March 21st—and this time, we will have help. (Okay, we don't technically know this. But again, worriesconstantly assures us that she has good reason to suspect this is the case on the basis of some dms. And seriously, what could she have to gain by making this up? Making people angry at her if nothing happens? There is always the possibility that this is another intentionally false lead from tptb; but worries constantly is certainly trustworthy, and it’s worth a try. Fortunately, #norbury has the added bonus of being worthwhile even if it doesn’t launch anything ARG related).

And finally: What we believe might be coming:

Well, okay, the actual speculations are far too numerous to actually list here. I’m just going to give my personal favorite theory about what might happen if/when the ARG kicks off and the fourth wall collapses for good. However, because this post is getting quite long and this isn’t really an essential part, I’m going to link to a separate post here for anyone who is interested.

In conclusion: What do we do with all of this?

Whatever you want, really. If you’d rather sit back and watch things unfold, go for it. (Although I’d still encourage participating in #norbury even if you are giving twitter theories a wide berth. That’s is a worthwhile project regardless of the ARG; something being set in motion by it would just be an added bonus!) But if you are aching for engagement, learning to navigate this twitter story will give you no end of entertainment and brain-teasers. So if you want to have a good time while potentially participating in making history, give it a look.

And remember, all of this endorsement is coming from someone who attached very little credibility to the ARG until getting on twitter just one day ago. If you’re intrigued, come and see for yourself. You would be most welcome!

@worriesconstantly

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mrm64 · 3 years

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hello! i know it's a bad idea to engage in any shipping discourse but for the sake of constructive criticism, i asked an sns shipper if she thinks there's atleast potential in ss if ever sakura had that capacity to stand up to sasuke and if she wasn't as much fixated on him during shipuuden and the war arc. i even brought up the wasted opportunity of sasuke vs sakura that was shown in the game. the sns shipper gave a very structured and well-versed answer and i do agree with some of her points. i'm not even anti-sns and i understand the support this ship gets. but this person really hates sakura. so her answer to my question if ss has potential is straight up NO. hate is an understatement. she explicitly said she DETESTS sakura and ss xD. granted, her hatred is valid since sakura's writing is very flawed and inconsistent. what i didn't like was when she said why am i trying to change sakura's personality (her standing up to sasuke whether physically or verbally) when "she's constantly on heat when he's around". gosh, i really wanted to retaliate here and say it's called freakin character development. i mean, that's what she's mainly hated for right? the fact that she's obsessed and a pushover when it comes to sasuke. having that change especially during the war arc doesn't mean she's out of character, it means development. but gah, sakura haters are really hard to argue with so i just stayed silent.

to briefly summarize, her main point of argumentation is that sakura was toxic to both naruto and sasuke. sasuke's relationship with naruto is more defined than whatever he had with sakura. she brought up ss's pt.1 moments and said that sasuke would do the same to naruto, if not even better. as for naruto's case, sakura was a mean bitch and was so unfair to him throughout the series. simply put, even if sns has questionable elements, they are more organic and healthy than sasusaku.

this got me thinking. between sasunarusasu and sasusaku, despite both having toxic elements, i think the reason why there are relatively more sns shippers is because there's balance. compared to sakura, sasuke has shown more consideration towards naruto and we all know naruto cares for sasuke just as much and he isn't afraid to stand up to this guy.

idk what i'm even trying to ask here. i guess i'm just ranting lol. i've always seen your comments in youtube vids defending sakura and ss and i know you have an extensive knowledge of the naruto manga in general. you could only imagine how shocked i am when i found out you're a male. it's really rare to find someone like you. :)

anyways, i just feel so disappointed and pressed lmao. ss shippers couldn't catch a break from haters. like yea, some of us know it has shit writing in the canon and explanations regarding their relationship in the series is very limited. i already accepted the fact that they are underdeveloped and was borderline toxic. but then, between kishimoto's pitiful inability to write female characters properly and SP's biased treatment towards sasusaku plus the manga's main narrative focusing on naruto and sasuke, i just feel like it's kinda unfair for antis to shit on ss shippers when in reality, most of us just hold onto it because of nostalgia. most sasusaku shippers came to be when they were very young. i even found comments saying they started shipping them when they were 6 or 7. in my case, i was 12 lol.

it's kinda unfair since sns has the upperhand bcoz the series is mainly about them. naruhina has retcons and SP and what does ss have? small pt.1 moments, headcanons, fanons and to top it off SP's biased ass shitting on it. the ss fandom isn't perfect and has its fair share of immature stans as well, but i'm still glad that didn't stop authors and artists from making content. ss has got some of the best fanfictions, fanarts and doujinshis. i just wished antis won't attack them as much.

anyways, i'm not even asking a specific question. i just ranted. i just needed to get this out of my system. sorry for that 😅

Hey! It's been a long while since I got asks like this lol! Once tumblr went all anti-nsfw a few years ago, we all kinda migrated to Twitter for our SS/Anime cravings tbh but I'm glad and flattered you decided to ask me on my thoughts! :)

I won't write long as again, tbh, I'm kinda retired from debating/arguing with antis on things of SS/Naruto/Etc (unless I'm simply too triggered to let it go lol. You've already probably seen my long Sakura video so I won't go too much into details of what I already covered with Sakura's character. But to answer you, I'll keep it to the point.

It's ok of course to say Kishi's writing is flawed, I mean he is human and we know Naruto has holes. Every manga/story does of course. When it comes to SS, I personally bring it to this: Sasuke and Naruto's relationship is NOT Sasuke and Sakura's relationship. And that's (imo) ok. Sasuke and Naruto obviously have a bond only they have. Both lonely and orphaned, rivals with each other, haters to brother, you know it all. But Sakura is different. She's simply a normal, head-strong and caring girl. Kishi wanted to write a normal girl, and he did a darn well good job, because just like normal girls (or people in general), they're imperfect. That's why she first appealed to me.

Anyway, to the point, SS is pretty easy to follow. Sakura likes Sasuke....what's the problem? Where's the toxicity, lol. Sure she fangirls over him as a 12 year old girl, but again, Sakura is normal. Most girls I knew that age did the same thing. Most BOYS I knew were super...*cough* ready to be with girls (*cough cough*, puberty, everyone, *cough*). Sasuke is cool and confident. Sakura lacked confidence, so naturally she was drawn to Sasuke. Sasuke at first found her annoying (as he did with Naruto too) but as the became a team, she bonded. SS' bond is NOT NSN's bond. SS's bond is built upon a simply caring basis. Sakura always cared for Sasuke, and Sasuke always was protective of Sakura. Forest of Death, Sand Invasion, etc...add in the angst of Shippuden (nobody can tell me one was better than the other during Shippuden, Sasuke was 'bout to axe everyone while in darkness lol), blank period bonding, and then Boruto. There it is in SIMPLE terms.

As far as "standing up" to Sasuke...not sure where this person is coming from....again, NSN is NOT SS....Sakura has stood up to Sasuke at times. In the FOD where she indirectly called him a coward, when she pleaded with him to not fight in the Prelims and threatened to tell the proctors of the curse mark, trying to stop him from leaving Konoha., etc. If she was a "doormat", she would have said "Ok Sauske, you do whatever you want, it's all ok my love!" That was chapter 3 Sakura. A LOT of haters can't move beyond that chapter tbh...moving on. The main thing is, she wasn't STRONG enough to stop him by FORCE. She wasn't written to. Sure I woulda liked some angsty moments of them fighting, TRUST ME, you already know. But Kishi wanted the fighting to mostly be between Naruto and Sasuke, as most battle Shonen go. It's Goku and Vegeta, Deku and Bakugou, you name it. She was written to LOVE him unconditionally. And despite Kishi's misses here and here, it's clear as day to many people that they do indeed, love each other. Sarada is a product of years of redemption, forgiveness, and understanding between SS (which is....literally some of the themes of Naruto....Zabuza...Haku...Gaara...Pein...Obito....list goes on...).

And of course Naruto and Sasuke's relationship got more spotlight. They're essentially the Shonen "duo" like I explained before with Goku and Vegeta. It's a common tope which can be a bit annoying imo since other characters get shafted, but they're gonna be seen more by the public. At the end of the day, Kishi modeled NSN after his relationship with his BROTHER....that was one of Naruto's main story plots. AGAIN, OF COURSE it's gonna be pushed and seem like it's more "balanced"...it's a battle Shonen, not a love story lol. The love stuff is sprinkled in. This isn't a Shojo. If it was, SS would be the main focus (or...I guess NSN if Kishi WANTED to go that route).

So to finish off, you're right with the SP thing. But it can't be helped. If people wanna say NSN has more "development", let them. At the end of the day, they're shown more to the viewers because they're the Goku and Vegeta of Naruto. They push the narrative, not a romance. They're Kishi's go-to boys. They're the essential main character and rival. It's nothing new. But you know what else? They're. NOT. A. COUPLE. SasuSaku is, and again, romance is SPRINKLED in. It's N O T a Shojo and not the main focus. Honestly...the arguments that NSN shipper used are a bit weak knowing full well that SNS represent Kishi's brother and himself.

I mean...tldr, I could just say "Kishi and his bro are Naruto and Sasuke. SO nah bro, NSN has no romantic development. I wasn't meant to lol."

Typed longer than I thought, but I hope this helped! At the end of the day, ship SS in peace. We have an amazing fandom for the most part with wonderful content and we ain't stopping anytime soon :)

#my posts

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meraenthusiast · 5 years

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The Richest Man In Babylon Summary – 7 Wealth Lessons

The Richest Man In Babylon Summary

If you’re reading this post, then it’s safe to say you want to improve your financial life. There’s also a good chance that you’ like to read.

People that don’t read much (but want to) usually blame their busy lifestyle yet the smartest and wealthiest people have linked much of their success with their reading habits.

In fact, Jordan Peterson’s best advice he gave to college students was to read good books.

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Tom Corley of Rich Habits, performed a five-year study of the daily habits of the rich and poor. He found that your daily habits are responsible for your financial circumstances in life.

Here’s a few stats that he uncovered:

86% of the wealthy loved reading vs. 26% for the poor

63% of the wealthy listened to audio books during their commute to work vs. 5% for the poor

85% of the wealthy read two or more self-improvement books every month vs. 15% for the poor

88% of the wealthy read 30 minutes or more each day vs. 2% for the poor

94% of the wealthy, on a daily basis, read newspapers, newsletters, magazines, blogs and other digital media vs. 11% of the poor

Billionaire Reading Habits

As you can imagine, the world’s wealthiest people are avid readers as well.

Here’s a handful to learn from:

Bill Gates

Bill Gates reads 50 books a year or one a week.

Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg read a book every two weeks in 2015, and even started a book club called “A Year of Books”.

Warren Buffett

The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, reportedly spends five to six hours a day reading.

He also goes through 500 pages of financial documents and recommends prospective investors do the same.

He once told a Columbia University investment class, “That’s how knowledge works, it builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will.”

Mark Cuban

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban constantly looks for the competitive edge however he can with his multiple businesses.

Often, that means reading for three hours every day, just to learn more about the industries he works in. Cuban has said this worked wonders at the start of his career.

Now that we know one of the key habits that many of the successful people have, let’s take a look at a great story that can help change your financial future.

The Richest Man In Babylon Summary

Here’s a brief, five minute video summarizing The Richest Man In Babylon:

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In 1926, George Clason published a series of pamphlets written in parables that took place in the ancient city of Babylon. These stories eventually turned into a financial classic known as The Richest Man in Babylon. Even though it was written almost a century ago, the book is still well known because of its timeless principles on wealth creation.

Background

Babylon was once the richest city in the world, known for its lavish houses and palaces all protected behind massive walls. It was founded around 2300 B.C. and located along the Euphrates River in present-day Iraq..

It created fertile farmland where once there had been a desert through the use of irrigation. All forms of lending and borrowing within the city were highly developed thus making it extremely prosperous. Most people living there, including slaves, were allowed to freely make money.

The success of Babylon inspired George Clason to write several stories including what’s become known as The Richest Man In Babylon. Many of his stories discussed principles of finance and wealth-building and were distributed by banks, insurance companies and other employers to teach the benefits of saving and hard work.

The story is about two friends, Bansir, a chariot builder and Kobbi, a musician. They both were good at their trade but had no money. (Sound like anyone you know?) One day Kobbi had an idea to visit their childhood friend, Arkad, who was the richest man in Babylon.

The two set out on a journey and eventually met with Arkad. During their time together, they asked him why he thought they had no money to show for all of the hard labor they’ve performed all of their lives.

The lessons that Arkad provided, which he calls the seven cures to a lean purse, are wealth building habits that anyone can follow to build a solid financial foundation.

7 Wealth Building Lessons From The Richest Man In Babylon

1) Pay Yourself First (“Start thy purse to fattening.”)

The greatest lesson in the book is this first lesson. Arkad was faced with a similar situation as Bansir and Kobbi. He told them a story of how he once was a scribe with no money and sought out advice from a wealthy man. This man gave him the secret to wealth in exchange for his work on a clay inscription.

His secret was that he found the road to wealth when he decided that a part of all he earned was his to keep. And that anyone can do that by simply paying themselves first before spending any money.

The IRS REALLY gets this concept as they pay themselves first with our money during each pay period. Are you doing everything you can to lower your taxes?

Paying yourself first is also one of the key lessons David Bach teaches in his books, The Automatic Millionaire and The Latte Factor.

Clason recommends that we pay ourselves at least 10% of all that we earn. I suggest 20% or more. If you’re not diligent enough to do this yourself, have someone else set it up for you so that it’s automated each month.

The difference between wealthy and poor people is knowing this first rule. Wealthy people pay themselves first while poor people don’t.

2) Live below your means (“Control thy expenditures”)

This is one of the concepts that young docs and high-income professionals that I coach can’t seem to grasp; live on less than you earn. When I recommend this, the excuses start flying such as, “It’s hard because I have so many expenses” or “My spouse pays the bills so it’s hard to know what’s happening with the money each month“.

It’s hard to reach financial freedom if both spouses aren’t on board. If I can just get to someone coming out of residency to encourage them to live on their resident’s salary 3-5 years, then they’d see success much sooner in life. It would also help them to ingrain this habit – live on less than they make.

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, the overall physician salary is $300,000. If you follow Rule #1 and save at least 10% ($30,000), then you’d have $270,000 to live on. If you can’t live on $270K a year, you have bigger problems that need addressing.

Most millionaires state that finance is 80% behavior and 20% knowledge. Meaning, you don’t have to be a doctor to become rich, simply adopt and apply good money habits.

3) Make your money work for you. (“Make thy gold multiply”)

This lesson reminds me of two verses about investing in the Bible:

Proverbs 21:20 – “The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”

1 Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

In the The Richest Man In Babylon, Arkad recommended invested only in things that you’re knowledgeable about. I see too many doctors lose money in risky investments that they don’t have a clue about even though the broker says it’s the next BIG THING.

If you want to invest in index funds, then learn about them first. If you’re interested in real estate, then meet with others that can teach you about it first. You don’t have to become a professional, but at least learn enough to ask smart questions before investing.

Put your money to work by making smart investments and taking advantage of time and compounding interest.

4) Insurance protects our wealth. (“Guard thy treasures from loss.”)

In the book, Arkad encourages the protection of one’s wealth from loss. This is fantastic advice that, unfortunately, many younger docs don’t consider when starting out. I remember the early days of practicing when all I could do was make ends meet and pay off loads of student loan debt.

Getting all of the adequate insurance policies needed wasn’t on my radar.

Learn from my mistake and make sure that you have all of the insurance coverage in place as soon as you being practicing. Insurance helps safeguard our wealth by absorbing potential loss and mitigating our financial situation.

There are many types of polices that you should consider. Make sure you research those that you need or find an agent that can guide you.

Another thing you should do is re-evaluate your policies on an annual basis. For instance, we noticed two years ago that our health insurance premiums were going to triple. I began researching online and with others and ended up dropping it and going with a much more affordable option, MediShare.

You can read about it in more detail here.

5) Our home is our biggest expense. (“Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment”)

Of all of the lessons mentioned in the book, this one could be the most debatable. I understand the principle behind it; rather than pay a landlord rent each month, it’s better to pay a mortgage to eventually own a home.

Our homes are potentially the biggest expense we have to tackle and there’s nothing wrong with following this lesson as long as we approach it correctly.

If you follow Dave Ramsey’s real estate principle, then you know:

When you buy a home, put at least 20% down on a 15 year, fixed mortgage. The monthly payment should be no more than 25% of your take home monthly income.

Many people got burned in 2008 when they decided to take on a huge mortgage. Once the real estate market tanked, they were left with homes that lost their value and many had to go into foreclosure.

If you follow Lesson #2 and live below your means, you’ll be in much better financial shape when it comes to making larger purchases in the future.

6) Have a retirement plan. (“Insure a future income.”)

A 25 year old earning an annual salary of $40,000 with an annual raise of say 3% will have earned an estimated $3 million if they retire by age 65. That’s about 40 years of working and earning. We should have a retirement plan if we want to retire comfortably. We can do that by setting aside money to be invested for our retirement. There are many retirement investment plans out there such as 401K, Traditional IRA, Roth, etc. The younger we can start putting money away for our retirement the better. When we start putting money away for retirement early we take advantage of a magical thing called ‘compounding interest‘.

Our net-worth does not equal our self-worth. We need to keep them separated. Compounding interest is known as the eight wonder of the world. Benjamin Franklin knew of this knowledge. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin left 1,000 pounds (about $5,000 in today’s money) when he died to a trust. He bequeathed that trust and left it to his favorite cities Philadelphia and Boston with the provision that the money was to remain untouched for as long as 200 years. What was left in the trust after it grew was the amount of $2 million given to Philadelphia and a whooping $5 million for Boston. The lesson we can learn from this is to make time work for us when we plan for retirement by starting early. Time can be our retirement’s greatest friend.

“Remember that money is of a prolific generating nature. Money can beget money, and its offspring can beget more.” – Benjamin Franklin

7) Invest in ourselves. (“Increase thy ability to earn.”)

The best way we can increase our earning is by investing in ourselves. We can do that by continually learning and striving to develop ourselves. We are now in a very exciting time: the Information Age where knowledge is literally within our fingertips thanks to the Internet. I really love the OpenCourseware idea where many schools including Ivy Leagues post their whole class courses for free. It’s a great way to learn on our own. Another one is Coursera which has many online courses for free from Finance to Philosophy, check it out.

“Those eager to grasp opportunities for their betterment, do attract the interest of the goddess of fortune. She is ever anxious to help those who please her. And who is she pleased with? She is pleased with those who do – rather than those who merely talk and engage in wishful thinking. Action will lead you forth to the successes you desire.”

There are many things we can learn on our own and should strive to make ourselves well-rounded. Whether we learn to eat more healthy, enhance our current work skills, or learn to make more money, we must take the initiative to invest in ourselves. When we become smarter and wiser our ability to earn more also increases.

The 5 Rules of Gold from the “Richest Man in Babylon”

Gold comes gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put by not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an estate for his future and that of his family

Gold labours diligently and contentedly for the wiser owner who finds fir it profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks of the field

Gold clings to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling

Gold slips away from the man who invests it in business or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep

Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who follows the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment

8) Track Our Wealth. (Know where you are and where you are going.)

In order for us to know where we stand financially we need to face the whole truth of our current situation. We can do that by tracking our current wealth or lack thereof. This is a tough exercise but we must face the truth of how we earn and spend our money in order for us to know where we are going. There is a big difference between wealthy people and those who are not, wealthy people know their net worth while the poor do not pay particular attention nor care at all about tracking their assets and liabilities.

“You cannot manage what you do not measure.” – Bill Hewitt (co-founder of Hewlett Packard)

We can track our wealth by creating a spreadsheet of all our months earnings and expenses and tallying the difference between the money we earn and how much we spend. When we do this work we are able to gauge how we are doing financially. We can also track our net worth by calculating our assets versus our liabilities (our debt). If you have not done this work yourself it is an eye-opening experience. In order for us to fully develop a plan to be wealthy we need to learn how to track our wealth so that we may know where we want to go and create a plan to get there.

drbreatheeasyfinance.com/the-richest-man-in-babylon-summary/

https://ift.tt/2hFyrJw

enlight8.com/8-lessons-from-the-richest-man-in-babylon/

readingraphics.com/book-summary-the-richest-man-in-babylon/

willyoulaugh.com/the-richest-man-in-babylon-book-summary-review/

fourminutebooks.com/the-richest-man-in-babylon-summary/

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johnhardinsawyer · 5 years

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Give Me Jesus

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

4 / 28 / 19

John 20:19-31

Acts 5:27-32

“Give Me Jesus”

(Living, Breathing, and Witnessing the Resurrection)

Last weekend, a group of people gathered in that not-so-sacred space on the Internet known as Twitter, to debate a question. One of the trending questions for Easter weekend seemed to be “Did itreally happen?” Did Jesus actuallyrise from the dead? There were those who insisted that scripture is historical proof of Jesus and the things he did.[1] There were those who insisted that you can “believe in resurrection without believing in a bodily resurrection.”[2] And there were those who wrote that, “it would take just one piece of verifiable evidence to destroy #atheism. . . but since that has never happened, here we [the atheists] stand.”[3] People have all kinds of answers to the question “Did it actually happen?”: from “Absolutely. Yes. I have proof. The Bible tells me so,” to “Do we really need any proof? The resurrection is more of a metaphor, anyway,” to “There is no verifiable proof, but if there were, I would believe. If Jesus has truly been raised from the dead, then give me Jesus.”

Of course, the resurrection is not the only instance of people coming to wildly differing conclusions about the same thing. It seems like just about everything is up for debate these days. This is not a new phenomenon, though. In today’s story from the Gospel of John, we find one of Jesus’ disciples – a man named Thomas – demanding some kind of verifiable proof that itactually happened.

On the morning of the first Easter, there had been a knock at the door. Mary from Magdala –one of the first towns that Jesus would have visited in his ministry along the shores of the Sea of Galilee – a woman who had been healed by Jesus and had been providing for him ever since,[4]had come running to tell the disciples some surprising news. “I have seen the Lord,” she told them. (John 20:18) “You’ve seen Jesus, who was killed last Friday, whose body was buried in the tomb?” they must have asked her. Mary went on to tell them the story of an empty tomb, tears of sorrow becoming tears of joy, Jesus being raised from the dead and appearing to Mary – talking with her. Mary brought this strange and wonderful and hard-to-believe good news and the disciples sat with it all day – wondering if it could possibly be true.

When it was evening on that day, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” (20:19)

There are a couple of interesting things about this part of today’s story. First, the doors were locked because the disciples were afraid of “the Jews.” Throughout history, there have been some Christians who have used verses of scripture like this one to pin the death of Jesus on “the Jews,” leading to the persecution of the Jewish people and anti-Semitic violence – we saw this play out, tragically, yesterday near San Diego.[5] This has been a gross misuse of scripture and a horrible misunderstanding of passages like this. Just so you know, the disciples, themselves were Jewish and Jesus was also Jewish. Would they have locked the door because they were afraid of themselves and others who worshiped the God of Israel? No. In this case, “the Jews” refers to the religious authorities and ruling class who, for reasons of self-preservation and holding onto power, had felt threatened by Jesus and had asked that he be killed. But they didn’t have the wherewithal to do it themselves, so, they had gotten the Romans to do it. It is amazing what some folks will do to hold onto power – sell out their own people, even sell their souls.

Another interesting thing about this moment in today’s story is that even though the door is locked, Jesus just comes and stands among them. In the original language, there is nothing to indicate that there was anything miraculous about this moment – no flash of light, or puff of smoke. . . just Jesus, standing there as if nothing had happened. Of course, the real miracle about this moment is that something hadhappened. Jesus had been killed. Dead. Buried. And now, here he is, somehow appearing despite the locked door, and saying, “Peace be with y’all.” Jesus then shows them the wounds in his hands and side, and the scriptures tell us that “the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:20)

But, one of the disciples – Thomas, the Twin – is not with them when Jesus comes. Maybe he’s out buying groceries or picking up the dry cleaning. Anyway, when they tell him about the whole experience, he says to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” (20:25)

You know, Thomas often gets a bad rap for his need of proof, but there is a little bit of Thomas in every person. When John Calvin wrote about this passage, he said,

. . . every one wishes to be wise from his own understanding, and flatters himself beyond measure. If I do not see, says he, “and if I do not touch, I will not believe.” These words have no approach to faith, but [are]. . . founded on the perception of the senses. The same thing happens to all who are so devoted to themselves, that they leave no room for the word of God.[6]

Thomas, and so many of us over the centuries, who long for some kind of proof “seek to be wise from our own understanding.” If we experience something through our senses – sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing – then we can comprehend that the experience is real. But if we have not had that kind of personal, sensory experience, then the jury is still out. This is the conundrum that so many in our society wrestle with – be they atheists, agnostics, or even people of faith: “If I do not have ‘proof’ of something, then I cannot reason it out in my own mind. So what, then, should I do with it? Surely I can’t believe in something that I can’t prove. How foolish would that be?” To which John Calvin says – and I’m paraphrasing here – “What makes you think that you and your ‘senses’ are so reliable? What makes you think that you are smart enough? Is it possible for you to understand everything – even the stuff that defies understanding?” We can only see and comprehend a small fragment of the world – much less, the universe. What makes us think that we can understand everything or know much of anything at all?

Now, this line of thinking might work on some folks, but telling someone that they are not smart enough to understand that they are not smart enough or that their scope of understanding is too small isn’t really a viable strategy for winning the hearts and minds of unbelievers. It’s not a viable strategy for changing anyone’s mind about anything, really, these days.

What do we do about something for which there is no verifiable 2,000 year-old proof? Mary and Thomas and the other disciples who saw Jesus are long dead and gone. And, remember, even they had a hard time believing one another. The ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, mentions Jesus’ resurrection in a small paragraph,[7]but apart from this and scripture, we have little else. Now, there are plenty of people who say that this is enough evidence for them, as the bumper sticker says: “If the Bible says it, then I believe it, and that settles it.” But there are plenty of people who don’t see things this way.

So, what are we to do? First, it is important to acknowledge that, as Marilynne Robinson writes: “. . . the whole substance of the supposed controversy [between reason and faith or religion and science or atheism and theism] could be summarized as follows: Some people believe in God and some people don’t.”[8] Some people do not need proof. They take it on faith. Others need proof – verifiable, quantifiable evidence – and, when it comes to God, they don’t believe they have that proof.

Oftentimes, people will think of reason (the kind of thinking that requires evidence) as the as the opposite of faith or they will think of doubt as the enemy of faith. But I’m not convinced that this is true. You know, we can try to reason with something in our own minds until we can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. But there will always be those things that we don’t know – those things we can’t prove. We will always have doubts – uncertainties – and doubt might be the opposite of proof, but I do not believe that it is the opposite of faith or an enemy to faith. In so many ways, it is doubt that keeps us looking, and wondering, and dreaming, and searching until we can know something for sure.

As Jesus says, in today’s story, when he appears to Thomas – giving him the verifiable evidence he desires – “Do not doubt [or, be unbelieving][9]. . . Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (20:27, 29) This is faith – the process of coming to believe – a process that can be filled with doubts, but is also filled with the Holy.

As Presbyterians, we believe that the gift of faith – along with all other spiritual gifts – comes from the Holy Spirit. John Calvin wrote that “Faith is the principal work of the Holy Spirit. . . faith itself has no other source than the Spirit.”[10] Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is not with people who do not have faith in God? I don’t think so. The Holy Spirit is always working on all people. Some people believe in God, and some people don’t. . . yet.

In today’s story, when Jesus breathes on the disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” (20:22) he is giving them the gift of faith, so that they will believe in him, even when he is not right there in front of them. And, in our baptism, and with every miraculous breath that we are given in this life, the Spirit offers proof that there is something Holy at work for those with eyes to see. In other words, if you’re looking for proof of the Holy, you don’t have to look far. And, if you’re looking for the resurrection, even if you cannot touch the wounds of Jesus, there is still room for faith in the midst of doubt.

In the end, we don’t have the proof – in the form of a touchable, risen, wounded Jesus – that it really happened. But there is a body – a living, breathing body that has been given the grace to rise again and again each and every moment of every day. There is a body in the world – the Body of Christ, the church – wounded and imperfect though it may be.

It is clear that the world still wants Jesus. There are so many people – be they doubting Thomas’, or atheists on Twitter, or even people who believe in Jesus – asking in their own way and for their own reasons: “Give me Jesus!” So, how will we, who have received the Holy Spirit and are sent to be the body – the hands and feet, and eyes and ears, and mind and heart – of Jesus be proof of the resurrection in the ways that we live, and breathe, and love, and serve, and sacrifice, and rise up from the depths to bring good news and abundant life to the world?

May we give them reason to believe. May God – through us – give them reason to believe.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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[1]https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1120306404752076801.

[2]https://twitter.com/SereneJones/status/1119933825969209345.

[3]https://twitter.com/ThinkAtheist/status/1119495168267313152.

[4]See Luke 8:2-3.

[5]https://www.npr.org/2019/04/27/717849871/injuries-reported-in-shooting-at-california-synagogue.

[6]John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries – Vol. XVIII(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009) 274.

[7]Josephus, The Works of Josephus, trans. William Whitson (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987) 480. . . . He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold. . . and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

[8]Marilynne Robinson, ibid. 64.

[9]Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) 85.

[10]John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion – III.i.4(Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960) 541.

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gus-the-icreamman · 6 years

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3 Methods To Achieve Effective SEO Methods

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