I'm on my 3rd driving lesson and have an awesome instructor, but I'm still unsure the steps of handling 2, 3 and 4 way stops and intersections with lights. After coming to a full stop and looking left, straight, right and left, I always want to hang back at the stop sign and often go only when prompted to by my instructor. I often freeze when I see a car(s) out in the distance coming toward the stop- even after checking my left, right, etc. Intersections with lights are the same way. I'm comfortable doing the posted speed limits and have virtually no anxiety doing so even with two way traffic and curves, but at these junctions everything becomes Greek to me. I want to drive safe and correctly. How can this be simplified or do I just need more confidence?
I posted this to driving but only two people cared enough to read it. I do not know how to conquer this or if I even can. I'm very discouraged.
Thank you for your time,
-Alex

Hello, I am trying to find a large list of Greek and Latin root words, ans I cannot seem to find any online, only articles about random stuff.
Any help would be appreciated, have a good afternoon yall

The Collect
O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel
Mark 2:23–3:6
3:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath
3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Commentary on Today’s Gospel Selection;
One thing you can say about Mark, of the Gospel writers, he is the one who doesn’t mess around but goes to the heart of the matter; if Mark was writing about food, he would skip over the appetizers and go right to the main course. Here at the beginning of his Gospel he has grouped stories of Christ’s ministry that establish the God given authority of Jesus, and sotries that introduce the antagonism of the scribes, Pharisees, and Herodians—antagonism that will eventually lead to Jesus’ death on the cross.
We begin with a story of Jesus and the disciples traveling, on the Sabbath day, walking from village to village preaching the good news and Jesus healing the sick, and the disciples being hungry they begin to gather grain with their hands to eat.
The law of Moses allows for the hungry to gather grain, or even grapes for the purpose of immediately satisfying hunger, by hand on the Sabbath but not with implements or to put the produce up for later use. (see Deuteronomy 23:25) But here we find the detractors of Jesus trying to point blame at him for not teaching his disciples to observe the laws regarding labor on the Holy day. They contend that performing any work, even to satisfy one’s own hunger, violates the laws found in the Torah.
Assuming our modern day translations are correct, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 obviously bans performing routine labor on the Sabbath day, even the servants are to have a day of rest.
At issue here is what constitutes work. Is it work to pluck grain to satisfy one’s hunger? While various Old Testament passages deal with the subject of work (Exodus 16:22-30; 34:21; 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36; Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15-22; Jeremiah 17:21-22), they leave much to the imagination when it comes to defining exactly what constitutes work in particular situations.
However, Exodus 34:21 says, “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest”—so plowing and harvesting are clearly among the proscribed activities. The scribes list reaping as third among the 39 types of activities that they classify as work. The immediate question is not whether reaping is prohibited, then, because it clearly is. The question is whether plucking a few handfuls of grain constitutes reaping.
But of all God’s creation, he gave humans common sense and expects us to make use of it. If your house caught on fire during the Sabbath day, would you not and try to get as many of your possessions out which would in effect be labor? Would you expect the fire department to come put the fire out or would you not want the firemen to “labor” on the Sabbath day?
However, as often happens when people devote themselves to a narrow, intensive enterprise, their study took on a life of its own. By Jesus’ time, a substantial amount of scribal interpretation had been codified into the Mishnah (the Talmud, an extension of these studies, would come later).
Two problems resulted.
[1] Jewish religious leaders began to regard the Mishnah as second in importance only to the Torah—or even as equal to the Torah. It became increasingly difficult for them to differentiate between the Torah (God’s law) and the Mishnah (their interpretation of God’s law)—and they became increasingly inflexible in the application of their interpretations.
[2] As so often happens with academic endeavors, the scribes became so preoccupied with the fine points of the law that they lost the main point. We will see that in these verses as they criticize Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck small amounts of grain on the sabbath (2:24)—and as they watch Jesus “to see whether he would cure (the man with the withered hand) on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him” (3:2).
At the core of the contention between the religious leaders and Jesus, is Jesus’ adherence to the intentions of his Father, God in heaven, and the religious leader’s inflexible application of their interpretations of God’s commands. It comes down to; “God’s way or their way.”
Jesus asked them: “Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?”
David was Israel's greatest (earthly) King, and by the time of Jesus, King David enjoyed an iconic status. Under his reign Israel and its people enjoyed the greatest days of glory, so much so that each and everyone of them were eagerly anticipating the prophesied return of the king, the Messiah, the anointed one who would return Israel to its former glory. Here we find Jesus, in his infinite wisdom demonstrating that the actions of his disciples parallel that of David’s actions, doing so will present his opponents with an irrefutable argument. He begins by stating that David and his companions were hungry—an obvious parallel to Jesus’ disciples.
“How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?” Mark mistakenly uses Abiathar’s name—it should be Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1). Abiathar was Ahimelech’s son (1 Samuel 22:20) who became David’s priest and served David prior to and after his ascension to the throne. It is generally recognized that Matthew and Luke used Mark as one of their key sources. Both tell this story (Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 6:1-5), but neither mentions Abiathar’s name, presumably because they know that Ahimelech is correct.
Jesus is referring to an incident from 1 Samuel 21:1-6 where David, warned by Jonathan, fled for his life from King Saul. While on the run David asked the priest Ahimelech for bread. Ahimelech protested that the only available bread was the holy bread, the Bread of the Presence, also known as the Showbread—bread intended to be eaten only by the priests in a holy place (Leviticus 24:5-9). However, Ahimelech offered to give the holy bread to David if David’s young men had kept themselves from women. David promised that this was the case, and Ahimelech gave him the bread. God did not condemn this action, a fact that Jesus uses to support his contention, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (v. 27).
While Jesus cannot claim that his disciples’ circumstances are as desperate as David’s, the obvious parallel is that both David and Jesus’ disciples engaged in a forbidden activity (David date holy bread and Jesus’ disciples plucked grain on the sabbath) to satisfy their hunger. If it was appropriate for David to eat the holy bread to satisfy his hunger (and the Pharisees would not dare suggest otherwise), then it must also be appropriate for Jesus’ disciples to pluck and eat grain on the sabbath.
But there is also something more happening here. Jesus is drawing a parallel between David prior to David’s enthronement and Jesus prior to his enthronement. This incident points to Jesus’ kingship and his yet-to-come enthronement.
“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” Jesus puts forth the principle that God gave the sabbath to help people—not to arbitrarily restrict their activities. By abstaining from work on the sabbath, people keep it holy (a service to God), but also gain a day of rest (a service to themselves and their families). In the two instances mentioned in this Gospel lesson, neither Jesus’ disciples attempting to quench their hunger, nor the man with the withered hand have needs that could not wait for resolution, until after the sabbath is ended.
“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” Son of Man is Jesus’ favorite self-designation. It has its roots in Daniel 7:13. Son of Man comes without well-defined meaning, which suits Jesus’ purposes. The Romans would kill Jesus if he called himself king, and the Jews would convict him of blasphemy if he called himself Son of God.
Jesus has taught in the synagogue “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (1:21). He has used the title “Son of Man” for himself and claimed authority to forgive sins (2:10)—an authority validated by the healing of the paralytic (2:11-12). Now he pronounces himself “Lord also of the sabbath” (2:28)—putting himself on a par with God (Edwards, 97)
At the synagogue, Jesus commands the man with the withered hand (3:1) to stand up in the center of the gathering, he wanted everyone to see this man and the point he was going to make. He addresses the Scribes and Pharisees, these so called religious leaders of that time and place: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?”
Jesus’ opponents, of course, would advocate a third alternative: Let’s wait until the sabbath is ended. Let’s honor God on the sabbath and heal this man on the next day. There is no urgency. This man has lived with this condition for years. Another few hours won’t make any difference.
But Jesus has come to bring life and release and freedom. What better time to do a good deed than on the sabbath! What better place than the synagogue! Jesus is obviously at odds with any interpretation of the Torah that would stifle the impulse to relieve suffering on the sabbath.
In our example previously cited, if your house was on fire on the Sabbath day, should the firemen wait until sundown, before attempting to extinguish the flames?
Jesus is saying that he, The Son of God, is Lord of the Sabbath, not the narrow interpretations of his Fathers commandments as enshrined by mankind. What he says, should take precedence of their obsessive adherence to the law.
Jesus sent the message to us that even on the Lord’s day, we should attempt to do good works, to labor, in his name.
What better day of the week, to labor in his name thereby fulfilling his mission?
Benediction:
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

The Collect
O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel
Mark 2:23–3:6
3:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath
3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Commentary on Today’s Gospel Selection;
One thing you can say about Mark, of the Gospel writers, he is the one who doesn’t mess around but goes to the heart of the matter; if Mark was writing about food, he would skip over the appetizers and go right to the main course. Here at the beginning of his Gospel he has grouped stories of Christ’s ministry that establish the God given authority of Jesus, and sotries that introduce the antagonism of the scribes, Pharisees, and Herodians—antagonism that will eventually lead to Jesus’ death on the cross.
We begin with a story of Jesus and the disciples traveling, on the Sabbath day, walking from village to village preaching the good news and Jesus healing the sick, and the disciples being hungry they begin to gather grain with their hands to eat.
The law of Moses allows for the hungry to gather grain, or even grapes for the purpose of immediately satisfying hunger, by hand on the Sabbath but not with implements or to put the produce up for later use. (see Deuteronomy 23:25) But here we find the detractors of Jesus trying to point blame at him for not teaching his disciples to observe the laws regarding labor on the Holy day. They contend that performing any work, even to satisfy one’s own hunger, violates the laws found in the Torah.
Assuming our modern day translations are correct, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 obviously bans performing routine labor on the Sabbath day, even the servants are to have a day of rest.
At issue here is what constitutes work. Is it work to pluck grain to satisfy one’s hunger? While various Old Testament passages deal with the subject of work (Exodus 16:22-30; 34:21; 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36; Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15-22; Jeremiah 17:21-22), they leave much to the imagination when it comes to defining exactly what constitutes work in particular situations.
However, Exodus 34:21 says, “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest”—so plowing and harvesting are clearly among the proscribed activities. The scribes list reaping as third among the 39 types of activities that they classify as work. The immediate question is not whether reaping is prohibited, then, because it clearly is. The question is whether plucking a few handfuls of grain constitutes reaping.
But of all God’s creation, he gave humans common sense and expects us to make use of it. If your house caught on fire during the Sabbath day, would you not and try to get as many of your possessions out which would in effect be labor? Would you expect the fire department to come put the fire out or would you not want the firemen to “labor” on the Sabbath day?
However, as often happens when people devote themselves to a narrow, intensive enterprise, their study took on a life of its own. By Jesus’ time, a substantial amount of scribal interpretation had been codified into the Mishnah (the Talmud, an extension of these studies, would come later).
Two problems resulted.
[1] Jewish religious leaders began to regard the Mishnah as second in importance only to the Torah—or even as equal to the Torah. It became increasingly difficult for them to differentiate between the Torah (God’s law) and the Mishnah (their interpretation of God’s law)—and they became increasingly inflexible in the application of their interpretations.
[2] As so often happens with academic endeavors, the scribes became so preoccupied with the fine points of the law that they lost the main point. We will see that in these verses as they criticize Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck small amounts of grain on the sabbath (2:24)—and as they watch Jesus “to see whether he would cure (the man with the withered hand) on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him” (3:2).
At the core of the contention between the religious leaders and Jesus, is Jesus’ adherence to the intentions of his Father, God in heaven, and the religious leader’s inflexible application of their interpretations of God’s commands. It comes down to; “God’s way or their way.”
Jesus asked them: “Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?”
David was Israel's greatest (earthly) King, and by the time of Jesus, King David enjoyed an iconic status. Under his reign Israel and its people enjoyed the greatest days of glory, so much so that each and everyone of them were eagerly anticipating the prophesied return of the king, the Messiah, the anointed one who would return Israel to its former glory. Here we find Jesus, in his infinite wisdom demonstrating that the actions of his disciples parallel that of David’s actions, doing so will present his opponents with an irrefutable argument. He begins by stating that David and his companions were hungry—an obvious parallel to Jesus’ disciples.
“How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?” Mark mistakenly uses Abiathar’s name—it should be Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1). Abiathar was Ahimelech’s son (1 Samuel 22:20) who became David’s priest and served David prior to and after his ascension to the throne. It is generally recognized that Matthew and Luke used Mark as one of their key sources. Both tell this story (Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 6:1-5), but neither mentions Abiathar’s name, presumably because they know that Ahimelech is correct.
Jesus is referring to an incident from 1 Samuel 21:1-6 where David, warned by Jonathan, fled for his life from King Saul. While on the run David asked the priest Ahimelech for bread. Ahimelech protested that the only available bread was the holy bread, the Bread of the Presence, also known as the Showbread—bread intended to be eaten only by the priests in a holy place (Leviticus 24:5-9). However, Ahimelech offered to give the holy bread to David if David’s young men had kept themselves from women. David promised that this was the case, and Ahimelech gave him the bread. God did not condemn this action, a fact that Jesus uses to support his contention, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (v. 27).
While Jesus cannot claim that his disciples’ circumstances are as desperate as David’s, the obvious parallel is that both David and Jesus’ disciples engaged in a forbidden activity (David date holy bread and Jesus’ disciples plucked grain on the sabbath) to satisfy their hunger. If it was appropriate for David to eat the holy bread to satisfy his hunger (and the Pharisees would not dare suggest otherwise), then it must also be appropriate for Jesus’ disciples to pluck and eat grain on the sabbath.
But there is also something more happening here. Jesus is drawing a parallel between David prior to David’s enthronement and Jesus prior to his enthronement. This incident points to Jesus’ kingship and his yet-to-come enthronement.
“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” Jesus puts forth the principle that God gave the sabbath to help people—not to arbitrarily restrict their activities. By abstaining from work on the sabbath, people keep it holy (a service to God), but also gain a day of rest (a service to themselves and their families). In the two instances mentioned in this Gospel lesson, neither Jesus’ disciples attempting to quench their hunger, nor the man with the withered hand have needs that could not wait for resolution, until after the sabbath is ended.
“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” Son of Man is Jesus’ favorite self-designation. It has its roots in Daniel 7:13. Son of Man comes without well-defined meaning, which suits Jesus’ purposes. The Romans would kill Jesus if he called himself king, and the Jews would convict him of blasphemy if he called himself Son of God.
Jesus has taught in the synagogue “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (1:21). He has used the title “Son of Man” for himself and claimed authority to forgive sins (2:10)—an authority validated by the healing of the paralytic (2:11-12). Now he pronounces himself “Lord also of the sabbath” (2:28)—putting himself on a par with God (Edwards, 97)
At the synagogue, Jesus commands the man with the withered hand (3:1) to stand up in the center of the gathering, he wanted everyone to see this man and the point he was going to make. He addresses the Scribes and Pharisees, these so called religious leaders of that time and place: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?”
Jesus’ opponents, of course, would advocate a third alternative: Let’s wait until the sabbath is ended. Let’s honor God on the sabbath and heal this man on the next day. There is no urgency. This man has lived with this condition for years. Another few hours won’t make any difference.
But Jesus has come to bring life and release and freedom. What better time to do a good deed than on the sabbath! What better place than the synagogue! Jesus is obviously at odds with any interpretation of the Torah that would stifle the impulse to relieve suffering on the sabbath.
In our example previously cited, if your house was on fire on the Sabbath day, should the firemen wait until sundown, before attempting to extinguish the flames?
Jesus is saying that he, The Son of God, is Lord of the Sabbath, not the narrow interpretations of his Fathers commandments as enshrined by mankind. What he says, should take precedence of their obsessive adherence to the law.
Jesus sent the message to us that even on the Lord’s day, we should attempt to do good works, to labor, in his name.
What better day of the week, to labor in his name thereby fulfilling his mission?
Benediction:
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

The Collect
O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel
Mark 2:23–3:6
3:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath
3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Commentary on Today’s Gospel Selection;
One thing you can say about Mark, of the Gospel writers, he is the one who doesn’t mess around but goes to the heart of the matter; if Mark was writing about food, he would skip over the appetizers and go right to the main course. Here at the beginning of his Gospel he has grouped stories of Christ’s ministry that establish the God given authority of Jesus, and sotries that introduce the antagonism of the scribes, Pharisees, and Herodians—antagonism that will eventually lead to Jesus’ death on the cross.
We begin with a story of Jesus and the disciples traveling, on the Sabbath day, walking from village to village preaching the good news and Jesus healing the sick, and the disciples being hungry they begin to gather grain with their hands to eat.
The law of Moses allows for the hungry to gather grain, or even grapes for the purpose of immediately satisfying hunger, by hand on the Sabbath but not with implements or to put the produce up for later use. (see Deuteronomy 23:25) But here we find the detractors of Jesus trying to point blame at him for not teaching his disciples to observe the laws regarding labor on the Holy day. They contend that performing any work, even to satisfy one’s own hunger, violates the laws found in the Torah.
Assuming our modern day translations are correct, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 obviously bans performing routine labor on the Sabbath day, even the servants are to have a day of rest.
At issue here is what constitutes work. Is it work to pluck grain to satisfy one’s hunger? While various Old Testament passages deal with the subject of work (Exodus 16:22-30; 34:21; 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36; Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15-22; Jeremiah 17:21-22), they leave much to the imagination when it comes to defining exactly what constitutes work in particular situations.
However, Exodus 34:21 says, “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest”—so plowing and harvesting are clearly among the proscribed activities. The scribes list reaping as third among the 39 types of activities that they classify as work. The immediate question is not whether reaping is prohibited, then, because it clearly is. The question is whether plucking a few handfuls of grain constitutes reaping.
But of all God’s creation, he gave humans common sense and expects us to make use of it. If your house caught on fire during the Sabbath day, would you not and try to get as many of your possessions out which would in effect be labor? Would you expect the fire department to come put the fire out or would you not want the firemen to “labor” on the Sabbath day?
However, as often happens when people devote themselves to a narrow, intensive enterprise, their study took on a life of its own. By Jesus’ time, a substantial amount of scribal interpretation had been codified into the Mishnah (the Talmud, an extension of these studies, would come later).
Two problems resulted.
[1] Jewish religious leaders began to regard the Mishnah as second in importance only to the Torah—or even as equal to the Torah. It became increasingly difficult for them to differentiate between the Torah (God’s law) and the Mishnah (their interpretation of God’s law)—and they became increasingly inflexible in the application of their interpretations.
[2] As so often happens with academic endeavors, the scribes became so preoccupied with the fine points of the law that they lost the main point. We will see that in these verses as they criticize Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck small amounts of grain on the sabbath (2:24)—and as they watch Jesus “to see whether he would cure (the man with the withered hand) on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him” (3:2).
At the core of the contention between the religious leaders and Jesus, is Jesus’ adherence to the intentions of his Father, God in heaven, and the religious leader’s inflexible application of their interpretations of God’s commands. It comes down to; “God’s way or their way.”
Jesus asked them: “Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?”
David was Israel's greatest (earthly) King, and by the time of Jesus, King David enjoyed an iconic status. Under his reign Israel and its people enjoyed the greatest days of glory, so much so that each and everyone of them were eagerly anticipating the prophesied return of the king, the Messiah, the anointed one who would return Israel to its former glory. Here we find Jesus, in his infinite wisdom demonstrating that the actions of his disciples parallel that of David’s actions, doing so will present his opponents with an irrefutable argument. He begins by stating that David and his companions were hungry—an obvious parallel to Jesus’ disciples.
“How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?” Mark mistakenly uses Abiathar’s name—it should be Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1). Abiathar was Ahimelech’s son (1 Samuel 22:20) who became David’s priest and served David prior to and after his ascension to the throne. It is generally recognized that Matthew and Luke used Mark as one of their key sources. Both tell this story (Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 6:1-5), but neither mentions Abiathar’s name, presumably because they know that Ahimelech is correct.
Jesus is referring to an incident from 1 Samuel 21:1-6 where David, warned by Jonathan, fled for his life from King Saul. While on the run David asked the priest Ahimelech for bread. Ahimelech protested that the only available bread was the holy bread, the Bread of the Presence, also known as the Showbread—bread intended to be eaten only by the priests in a holy place (Leviticus 24:5-9). However, Ahimelech offered to give the holy bread to David if David’s young men had kept themselves from women. David promised that this was the case, and Ahimelech gave him the bread. God did not condemn this action, a fact that Jesus uses to support his contention, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (v. 27).
While Jesus cannot claim that his disciples’ circumstances are as desperate as David’s, the obvious parallel is that both David and Jesus’ disciples engaged in a forbidden activity (David date holy bread and Jesus’ disciples plucked grain on the sabbath) to satisfy their hunger. If it was appropriate for David to eat the holy bread to satisfy his hunger (and the Pharisees would not dare suggest otherwise), then it must also be appropriate for Jesus’ disciples to pluck and eat grain on the sabbath.
But there is also something more happening here. Jesus is drawing a parallel between David prior to David’s enthronement and Jesus prior to his enthronement. This incident points to Jesus’ kingship and his yet-to-come enthronement.
“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” Jesus puts forth the principle that God gave the sabbath to help people—not to arbitrarily restrict their activities. By abstaining from work on the sabbath, people keep it holy (a service to God), but also gain a day of rest (a service to themselves and their families). In the two instances mentioned in this Gospel lesson, neither Jesus’ disciples attempting to quench their hunger, nor the man with the withered hand have needs that could not wait for resolution, until after the sabbath is ended.
“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” Son of Man is Jesus’ favorite self-designation. It has its roots in Daniel 7:13. Son of Man comes without well-defined meaning, which suits Jesus’ purposes. The Romans would kill Jesus if he called himself king, and the Jews would convict him of blasphemy if he called himself Son of God.
Jesus has taught in the synagogue “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (1:21). He has used the title “Son of Man” for himself and claimed authority to forgive sins (2:10)—an authority validated by the healing of the paralytic (2:11-12). Now he pronounces himself “Lord also of the sabbath” (2:28)—putting himself on a par with God (Edwards, 97)
At the synagogue, Jesus commands the man with the withered hand (3:1) to stand up in the center of the gathering, he wanted everyone to see this man and the point he was going to make. He addresses the Scribes and Pharisees, these so called religious leaders of that time and place: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?”
Jesus’ opponents, of course, would advocate a third alternative: Let’s wait until the sabbath is ended. Let’s honor God on the sabbath and heal this man on the next day. There is no urgency. This man has lived with this condition for years. Another few hours won’t make any difference.
But Jesus has come to bring life and release and freedom. What better time to do a good deed than on the sabbath! What better place than the synagogue! Jesus is obviously at odds with any interpretation of the Torah that would stifle the impulse to relieve suffering on the sabbath.
In our example previously cited, if your house was on fire on the Sabbath day, should the firemen wait until sundown, before attempting to extinguish the flames?
Jesus is saying that he, The Son of God, is Lord of the Sabbath, not the narrow interpretations of his Fathers commandments as enshrined by mankind. What he says, should take precedence of their obsessive adherence to the law.
Jesus sent the message to us that even on the Lord’s day, we should attempt to do good works, to labor, in his name.
What better day of the week, to labor in his name thereby fulfilling his mission?
Benediction:
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

The Collect
O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel
Mark 2:23–3:6
3:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath
3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Commentary on Today’s Gospel Selection;
One thing you can say about Mark, of the Gospel writers, he is the one who doesn’t mess around but goes to the heart of the matter; if Mark was writing about food, he would skip over the appetizers and go right to the main course. Here at the beginning of his Gospel he has grouped stories of Christ’s ministry that establish the God given authority of Jesus, and sotries that introduce the antagonism of the scribes, Pharisees, and Herodians—antagonism that will eventually lead to Jesus’ death on the cross.
We begin with a story of Jesus and the disciples traveling, on the Sabbath day, walking from village to village preaching the good news and Jesus healing the sick, and the disciples being hungry they begin to gather grain with their hands to eat.
The law of Moses allows for the hungry to gather grain, or even grapes for the purpose of immediately satisfying hunger, by hand on the Sabbath but not with implements or to put the produce up for later use. (see Deuteronomy 23:25) But here we find the detractors of Jesus trying to point blame at him for not teaching his disciples to observe the laws regarding labor on the Holy day. They contend that performing any work, even to satisfy one’s own hunger, violates the laws found in the Torah.
Assuming our modern day translations are correct, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 obviously bans performing routine labor on the Sabbath day, even the servants are to have a day of rest.
At issue here is what constitutes work. Is it work to pluck grain to satisfy one’s hunger? While various Old Testament passages deal with the subject of work (Exodus 16:22-30; 34:21; 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36; Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15-22; Jeremiah 17:21-22), they leave much to the imagination when it comes to defining exactly what constitutes work in particular situations.
However, Exodus 34:21 says, “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest”—so plowing and harvesting are clearly among the proscribed activities. The scribes list reaping as third among the 39 types of activities that they classify as work. The immediate question is not whether reaping is prohibited, then, because it clearly is. The question is whether plucking a few handfuls of grain constitutes reaping.
But of all God’s creation, he gave humans common sense and expects us to make use of it. If your house caught on fire during the Sabbath day, would you not and try to get as many of your possessions out which would in effect be labor? Would you expect the fire department to come put the fire out or would you not want the firemen to “labor” on the Sabbath day?
However, as often happens when people devote themselves to a narrow, intensive enterprise, their study took on a life of its own. By Jesus’ time, a substantial amount of scribal interpretation had been codified into the Mishnah (the Talmud, an extension of these studies, would come later).
Two problems resulted.
[1] Jewish religious leaders began to regard the Mishnah as second in importance only to the Torah—or even as equal to the Torah. It became increasingly difficult for them to differentiate between the Torah (God’s law) and the Mishnah (their interpretation of God’s law)—and they became increasingly inflexible in the application of their interpretations.
[2] As so often happens with academic endeavors, the scribes became so preoccupied with the fine points of the law that they lost the main point. We will see that in these verses as they criticize Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck small amounts of grain on the sabbath (2:24)—and as they watch Jesus “to see whether he would cure (the man with the withered hand) on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him” (3:2).
At the core of the contention between the religious leaders and Jesus, is Jesus’ adherence to the intentions of his Father, God in heaven, and the religious leader’s inflexible application of their interpretations of God’s commands. It comes down to; “God’s way or their way.”
Jesus asked them: “Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?”
David was Israel's greatest (earthly) King, and by the time of Jesus, King David enjoyed an iconic status. Under his reign Israel and its people enjoyed the greatest days of glory, so much so that each and everyone of them were eagerly anticipating the prophesied return of the king, the Messiah, the anointed one who would return Israel to its former glory. Here we find Jesus, in his infinite wisdom demonstrating that the actions of his disciples parallel that of David’s actions, doing so will present his opponents with an irrefutable argument. He begins by stating that David and his companions were hungry—an obvious parallel to Jesus’ disciples.
“How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?” Mark mistakenly uses Abiathar’s name—it should be Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1). Abiathar was Ahimelech’s son (1 Samuel 22:20) who became David’s priest and served David prior to and after his ascension to the throne. It is generally recognized that Matthew and Luke used Mark as one of their key sources. Both tell this story (Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 6:1-5), but neither mentions Abiathar’s name, presumably because they know that Ahimelech is correct.
Jesus is referring to an incident from 1 Samuel 21:1-6 where David, warned by Jonathan, fled for his life from King Saul. While on the run David asked the priest Ahimelech for bread. Ahimelech protested that the only available bread was the holy bread, the Bread of the Presence, also known as the Showbread—bread intended to be eaten only by the priests in a holy place (Leviticus 24:5-9). However, Ahimelech offered to give the holy bread to David if David’s young men had kept themselves from women. David promised that this was the case, and Ahimelech gave him the bread. God did not condemn this action, a fact that Jesus uses to support his contention, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (v. 27).
While Jesus cannot claim that his disciples’ circumstances are as desperate as David’s, the obvious parallel is that both David and Jesus’ disciples engaged in a forbidden activity (David date holy bread and Jesus’ disciples plucked grain on the sabbath) to satisfy their hunger. If it was appropriate for David to eat the holy bread to satisfy his hunger (and the Pharisees would not dare suggest otherwise), then it must also be appropriate for Jesus’ disciples to pluck and eat grain on the sabbath.
But there is also something more happening here. Jesus is drawing a parallel between David prior to David’s enthronement and Jesus prior to his enthronement. This incident points to Jesus’ kingship and his yet-to-come enthronement.
“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” Jesus puts forth the principle that God gave the sabbath to help people—not to arbitrarily restrict their activities. By abstaining from work on the sabbath, people keep it holy (a service to God), but also gain a day of rest (a service to themselves and their families). In the two instances mentioned in this Gospel lesson, neither Jesus’ disciples attempting to quench their hunger, nor the man with the withered hand have needs that could not wait for resolution, until after the sabbath is ended.
“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” Son of Man is Jesus’ favorite self-designation. It has its roots in Daniel 7:13. Son of Man comes without well-defined meaning, which suits Jesus’ purposes. The Romans would kill Jesus if he called himself king, and the Jews would convict him of blasphemy if he called himself Son of God.
Jesus has taught in the synagogue “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (1:21). He has used the title “Son of Man” for himself and claimed authority to forgive sins (2:10)—an authority validated by the healing of the paralytic (2:11-12). Now he pronounces himself “Lord also of the sabbath” (2:28)—putting himself on a par with God (Edwards, 97)
At the synagogue, Jesus commands the man with the withered hand (3:1) to stand up in the center of the gathering, he wanted everyone to see this man and the point he was going to make. He addresses the Scribes and Pharisees, these so called religious leaders of that time and place: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?”
Jesus’ opponents, of course, would advocate a third alternative: Let’s wait until the sabbath is ended. Let’s honor God on the sabbath and heal this man on the next day. There is no urgency. This man has lived with this condition for years. Another few hours won’t make any difference.
But Jesus has come to bring life and release and freedom. What better time to do a good deed than on the sabbath! What better place than the synagogue! Jesus is obviously at odds with any interpretation of the Torah that would stifle the impulse to relieve suffering on the sabbath.
In our example previously cited, if your house was on fire on the Sabbath day, should the firemen wait until sundown, before attempting to extinguish the flames?
Jesus is saying that he, The Son of God, is Lord of the Sabbath, not the narrow interpretations of his Fathers commandments as enshrined by mankind. What he says, should take precedence of their obsessive adherence to the law.
Jesus sent the message to us that even on the Lord’s day, we should attempt to do good works, to labor, in his name.
What better day of the week, to labor in his name thereby fulfilling his mission?
Benediction:
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

The Collect
O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel
Mark 2:23–3:6
3:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath
3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Commentary on Today’s Gospel Selection;
One thing you can say about Mark, of the Gospel writers, he is the one who doesn’t mess around but goes to the heart of the matter; if Mark was writing about food, he would skip over the appetizers and go right to the main course. Here at the beginning of his Gospel he has grouped stories of Christ’s ministry that establish the God given authority of Jesus, and sotries that introduce the antagonism of the scribes, Pharisees, and Herodians—antagonism that will eventually lead to Jesus’ death on the cross.
We begin with a story of Jesus and the disciples traveling, on the Sabbath day, walking from village to village preaching the good news and Jesus healing the sick, and the disciples being hungry they begin to gather grain with their hands to eat.
The law of Moses allows for the hungry to gather grain, or even grapes for the purpose of immediately satisfying hunger, by hand on the Sabbath but not with implements or to put the produce up for later use. (see Deuteronomy 23:25) But here we find the detractors of Jesus trying to point blame at him for not teaching his disciples to observe the laws regarding labor on the Holy day. They contend that performing any work, even to satisfy one’s own hunger, violates the laws found in the Torah.
Assuming our modern day translations are correct, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 obviously bans performing routine labor on the Sabbath day, even the servants are to have a day of rest.
At issue here is what constitutes work. Is it work to pluck grain to satisfy one’s hunger? While various Old Testament passages deal with the subject of work (Exodus 16:22-30; 34:21; 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36; Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15-22; Jeremiah 17:21-22), they leave much to the imagination when it comes to defining exactly what constitutes work in particular situations.
However, Exodus 34:21 says, “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest”—so plowing and harvesting are clearly among the proscribed activities. The scribes list reaping as third among the 39 types of activities that they classify as work. The immediate question is not whether reaping is prohibited, then, because it clearly is. The question is whether plucking a few handfuls of grain constitutes reaping.
But of all God’s creation, he gave humans common sense and expects us to make use of it. If your house caught on fire during the Sabbath day, would you not and try to get as many of your possessions out which would in effect be labor? Would you expect the fire department to come put the fire out or would you not want the firemen to “labor” on the Sabbath day?
However, as often happens when people devote themselves to a narrow, intensive enterprise, their study took on a life of its own. By Jesus’ time, a substantial amount of scribal interpretation had been codified into the Mishnah (the Talmud, an extension of these studies, would come later).
Two problems resulted.
[1] Jewish religious leaders began to regard the Mishnah as second in importance only to the Torah—or even as equal to the Torah. It became increasingly difficult for them to differentiate between the Torah (God’s law) and the Mishnah (their interpretation of God’s law)—and they became increasingly inflexible in the application of their interpretations.
[2] As so often happens with academic endeavors, the scribes became so preoccupied with the fine points of the law that they lost the main point. We will see that in these verses as they criticize Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck small amounts of grain on the sabbath (2:24)—and as they watch Jesus “to see whether he would cure (the man with the withered hand) on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him” (3:2).
At the core of the contention between the religious leaders and Jesus, is Jesus’ adherence to the intentions of his Father, God in heaven, and the religious leader’s inflexible application of their interpretations of God’s commands. It comes down to; “God’s way or their way.”
Jesus asked them: “Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?”
David was Israel's greatest (earthly) King, and by the time of Jesus, King David enjoyed an iconic status. Under his reign Israel and its people enjoyed the greatest days of glory, so much so that each and everyone of them were eagerly anticipating the prophesied return of the king, the Messiah, the anointed one who would return Israel to its former glory. Here we find Jesus, in his infinite wisdom demonstrating that the actions of his disciples parallel that of David’s actions, doing so will present his opponents with an irrefutable argument. He begins by stating that David and his companions were hungry—an obvious parallel to Jesus’ disciples.
“How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?” Mark mistakenly uses Abiathar’s name—it should be Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1). Abiathar was Ahimelech’s son (1 Samuel 22:20) who became David’s priest and served David prior to and after his ascension to the throne. It is generally recognized that Matthew and Luke used Mark as one of their key sources. Both tell this story (Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 6:1-5), but neither mentions Abiathar’s name, presumably because they know that Ahimelech is correct.
Jesus is referring to an incident from 1 Samuel 21:1-6 where David, warned by Jonathan, fled for his life from King Saul. While on the run David asked the priest Ahimelech for bread. Ahimelech protested that the only available bread was the holy bread, the Bread of the Presence, also known as the Showbread—bread intended to be eaten only by the priests in a holy place (Leviticus 24:5-9). However, Ahimelech offered to give the holy bread to David if David’s young men had kept themselves from women. David promised that this was the case, and Ahimelech gave him the bread. God did not condemn this action, a fact that Jesus uses to support his contention, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (v. 27).
While Jesus cannot claim that his disciples’ circumstances are as desperate as David’s, the obvious parallel is that both David and Jesus’ disciples engaged in a forbidden activity (David date holy bread and Jesus’ disciples plucked grain on the sabbath) to satisfy their hunger. If it was appropriate for David to eat the holy bread to satisfy his hunger (and the Pharisees would not dare suggest otherwise), then it must also be appropriate for Jesus’ disciples to pluck and eat grain on the sabbath.
But there is also something more happening here. Jesus is drawing a parallel between David prior to David’s enthronement and Jesus prior to his enthronement. This incident points to Jesus’ kingship and his yet-to-come enthronement.
“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” Jesus puts forth the principle that God gave the sabbath to help people—not to arbitrarily restrict their activities. By abstaining from work on the sabbath, people keep it holy (a service to God), but also gain a day of rest (a service to themselves and their families). In the two instances mentioned in this Gospel lesson, neither Jesus’ disciples attempting to quench their hunger, nor the man with the withered hand have needs that could not wait for resolution, until after the sabbath is ended.
“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” Son of Man is Jesus’ favorite self-designation. It has its roots in Daniel 7:13. Son of Man comes without well-defined meaning, which suits Jesus’ purposes. The Romans would kill Jesus if he called himself king, and the Jews would convict him of blasphemy if he called himself Son of God.
Jesus has taught in the synagogue “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (1:21). He has used the title “Son of Man” for himself and claimed authority to forgive sins (2:10)—an authority validated by the healing of the paralytic (2:11-12). Now he pronounces himself “Lord also of the sabbath” (2:28)—putting himself on a par with God (Edwards, 97)
At the synagogue, Jesus commands the man with the withered hand (3:1) to stand up in the center of the gathering, he wanted everyone to see this man and the point he was going to make. He addresses the Scribes and Pharisees, these so called religious leaders of that time and place: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?”
Jesus’ opponents, of course, would advocate a third alternative: Let’s wait until the sabbath is ended. Let’s honor God on the sabbath and heal this man on the next day. There is no urgency. This man has lived with this condition for years. Another few hours won’t make any difference.
But Jesus has come to bring life and release and freedom. What better time to do a good deed than on the sabbath! What better place than the synagogue! Jesus is obviously at odds with any interpretation of the Torah that would stifle the impulse to relieve suffering on the sabbath.
In our example previously cited, if your house was on fire on the Sabbath day, should the firemen wait until sundown, before attempting to extinguish the flames?
Jesus is saying that he, The Son of God, is Lord of the Sabbath, not the narrow interpretations of his Fathers commandments as enshrined by mankind. What he says, should take precedence of their obsessive adherence to the law.
Jesus sent the message to us that even on the Lord’s day, we should attempt to do good works, to labor, in his name.
What better day of the week, to labor in his name thereby fulfilling his mission?
Benediction:
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

I have already contacted the priest at the church I'm trying to attend, but haven't heard back for a few weeks as apparently he is on vacation, so I thought I'd ask here.
I'm a mother and wife in my late thirties with a disabling medical condition that affects my spinal cord, cardiovascular system and joints. I use a wheelchair most of the time I'm out of the house but can walk and stand for limited amounts of time with crutches if necessary - but this is usually not a great or safe idea.
I connected/reconnected with God in a profound experience about six years ago and have been discerning mainly between the Orthodox and Latin Catholic Churches since then. I attended a Greek Orthodox Church off and on the past few years but it the building was not accessible enough and I had to stop attending. I recently discovered the beauty of the Latin Mass and am so fortunate to have a TLM church just fifteen minutes from me, but the accessibility is spotty and I have some concerns.
I'm wondering, as someone new to Catholicism, how does this work if I'm physically unable to kneel, stand, or even sit in the pews? There is no cut-out in the pews for a wheelchair as there was at the EO church. I would be blocking the aisle. How would I, if I were to be baptized (something I've longed for for years), use the confessional or take communion at the rail? At this church, apparently the elevator to get in breaks frequently and was out for months on end before I came. What happens if I, as an inquirer, can't even get to Mass? Also, because of my condition, I often need to use an accessible restroom (which they don't have) at inconvenient times, and sometimes cannot sit up for an hour or more on end, especially if it's hot. I have tried numerous churches both orthodox and Catholic in the area, and the accessibility is pretty awful at all (old New England churches). I have resorted to attending with crutches but end up nearly fainting from the pain and fatigue by the end of the services and can barely get myself out of there safely let alone chat with new people. When I do this I often become incapacitated for the rest of the day or even multiple days. My husband is not comfortable with traditional Christianity at this time and works on Sundays, I don't have anyone else to assist me on these days so it's up to me to fight through just to attend or stay home and feel guilty and longing all week. I just want to attend, learn about the faith, and not draw attention or cause issues with a church and community I don't even know yet.
TLDR - I feel like my physical disability is this huge barrier to entry for me to attend mass and become a faithful Catholic. What can I do when all of the churches are equally inaccessible? Pope Francis wouldn't even be able to get into mass here! (Obv he has a multitude of assistants that I don't, but still) I can't blame old buildings for inaccessibility but then how do I become a practicing Catholic?

The general rule is to get lessons. Not everyone can afford $150+ per lesson however and we do have an amazing resource out there with some of the best golfers/instructors in the world. Also, I've heard my fair share of horror stories about instructors, so not like they are bulletproof ways either, at least have to vet them properly too like the good from the bad on YouTube.

I know from personal experience that YouTube, when used correctly and with intentional practice and especially with a way to review and correct errors, one can get very good relatively quickly if they are at least a little athletic/in shape and have good coordination.
It wasn't golf, but only using YouTube and a GoPro, I (at age 39) went from a complete beginner skier clinging to the side of a mountain on a blue to advanced / maybe expert in a single season. Ableit a ~70 ski day season and 10ish days at an indoor place for learning back and front flips on skis and hitting jumps + falling from 10-20ft, but I didn't have an instructor at that place either except for an initial one to make sure I wasn't way too far ahead of my skis.
I am attempting to get good at golf this season after being an almost complete beginner and I hope to do it through YouTube too. I am certain I will be at least somewhat successful; wouldn't bet money on becoming scratch this year however. I am almost definitely going to use an AI swing coach to at least try it out. I'd estimate I've probably gotten $3k in lessons-worth. Once I think I am good and don't see any obvious faults in my swing or can't figure out the root cause and fix, then I'll start shelling money out for a really good instructor and that literal hands-on style of instruction.
Anyway, guess I am just saying YouTube should not be discounted and will probably be how the majority learn if it isn't already how. Maybe it would be nice if golf had a good self-study wiki to point to so that at least new people have a guideline to ensure they get some of the foundations down first before trying to force lag or force their hands to be ahead of the club without knowing what causes that etc.
I think giving new people the mindset that getting lessons is the only way is creating some fixed mindsets and doesn't really fully take into consideration the power of a plan, YouTube, a smartphone, and a tripod when it comes to learning sports, just need to point people in the right direction instead of the standard 'get lessons' answer. I think AI applied really well (AllKnowingCaddy) is only going to narrow the gap too.
tldr: I know from experience that YT can be used to get good at something that is traditionally instructed. golf should embrace YT instruction and help newbies follow a good learning path if they can't afford lessons / are too cheap.

Greetings to all.
Given the anonymity of the site, I decided to share my experience having dealt with my parents as an opportunity to vent a little. Normally, I do not post about personal issues anywhere on the internet, but this is a topic that I've made the exception for. Writing about it helps me put many thoughts in order. It’s difficult to leave things in the past when many of the behaviors of a person keep carrying on to this day, so I’ve got justification.
I'm in my mid-to-late 20s, and my parents are from the age range 50s-60s. My father has been a non-existant presence regarding the emotional side of parenting ever since I was a kid. My mother, on the other hand, has been emotionally immature, manipulative and the most hypocritical person I have ever met by quite a large margin.
My parents themselves have had to deal with neglectful parents in their time, so I am dealing with them repeating a cycle, so it seems. Remnants, I presume, because truth be told, they have managed to have given me with a few aspects that they weren't given, namely, proper financial support.
On that note, my parents are the typical type of parents that justify their deplorable emotional side of their parenting with materialism. As such, repeteadly throughout the years, the typical accusation has been that of the "ungrateful child" in the discussions that we've had. Every argument they made in defense of themselves has been based on their materialistic providence. They've always expected me to give them all of the positive emotional attachment that they have never given me in the first place and to accept all of the emotional negativity they have given me on this basis.
My father has never shown guidance nor emotional support of any kind growing up, not even now. He was/is a man committed to his work and providing for us, and left the emotional side of things to my mother. He's played the role of the passive parent in conflicts.
My mother has been... deplorable. Manipulation, childish tantrums, exaggerations, irritation, lies, gaslightning, projection, guilt tripping, push and pull tactics, passive-agressivenes, open hostility, wrathfulness... I could go on and on about all the negativity she has CONSISTENTLY shown me throughout the years, especially during adolescence.
Growing up as a kid, on the parenting side, I did get hurt plenty by a few aspects, as I've always had a soft spot for my parents. During adolescence, the period from 2010s onwards, until relatively recently, I fell to an emotionally dettachment/numbness towards them, and to family in general. I was in a state of severe depression and anxiety, especially that's when I developed social anxiety, and was also dealing with issues with high school. I ignored my family (I regret only not spending time with the ones that truly loved me and are now gone. The rest of my family was/is toxic). I pushed my little sibling away until they stopped trying to get closer over a few years. I put up a strong barrier against my parents, that helped me well to deal with their barrage of negativity, especially from my mother and her vitriolic hostile immaturity. It failed plenty of times, though. I do remember times where I would emotionally retaliate or have breakdowns. My mother would get extremely upset if I didn't answer to her provocations all that time, and would proceed to be more hostile to me. I also learned to not share anything with them, because they would not provide any support, rather weaponize the issue against me or dismiss/minimze/mock it. My mother had noticed the push and pull dynamic she's done and for a time used it willingly and also has attributed it to me mockingly. My mother also takes her anger on whoever she wished, anger that stemmed from situations she faced or by cause of another family member. My family (almost all) has always been prone to treating non-family members better than itself; the negativity is reserved for family, and it was important to maintain a front to them. I, naturally, treated other people instead simply because I wasn’t going to give what I didn’t receive from my family (not 100%, though, I have shown appreciation). Of course, this would upset my mom greatly, whose hypocrisy knows no bounds. Simultaneously, I did seek out any semblance of emotional support and love here and there, hoping, since childhood, that they would change. We had many issues, and my mother would always say she would be better next time, only for things to go back to how they've always been, a cycle of emotional instability.
During 2020, I ruminated about my family situation and how the decade had been between me and my mother, how she's been as a mother figure. I desired to lay it all out to my mother, given the chance, and it presented itself. Come december, we had a talk and I did so, as best I could, due to her interruptions. She did say something I didn't register at the time: she said that she wanted to be closer to me and asked me what she could do to make it so. I ignored that and continued talking. The conversation ended on my terms. That month, on the last day, I saw her breakdown crying. That was also the year I didn't attend the annual family meeting for the first time ever, because she was there.
These next three years were more of the same between us, with slight improvements in some areas. I spent, again, ruminating about family, but from a different standpoint. I had faced my deeply-rooted emotional dettachment in general and focused on improving myself, thanks to my depression subsiding and making GREAT advancements on my anxiety. I was committed to FEEL again, and try to, hopefully, attempt a deep talk about our situation again and maybe, get things going, if the opportunity presented itself. I also reflecte don whether or not I should stand up for myself more against bad treatment from my parents (I have always largely avoided confrontations, I can’t handle them well). I especially was looking back at how she said she wanted to get closer to me back then and offering a change. I thought maybe that was sincere, because she had never done that before, and with that demeanor. On the matter at hand, I gained a lot of knowledge from studying about narcissists, and emotionally immature parents in general. It always made sense for the way my parents were, but I had not known before then the extent to which it did.
Something unexpected happened last year. My mother was going through a rough situation on the phone (work) and I happened to be there in the room, along with my dad. We were getting ready to head out and I was preparing myself. My mother began making a drama because I wasn't planning to go dressed how she wanted me to and I dismissed her as I always did. She then shot up, and physically pushed me. I was taken aback but stabilized and stood ground. She faced me and completely EXPLODED in rage yelling, I had never seen her stare at me like that. I do not think I will ever forget that stare, she looked unhinged. She blurted out something about me wanting to hit her before (she did this a few times before, lying in front of my dad). I looked at her and I blanked out mentally momentarily. I, then, made a HUGE mistake, looking back. I do not know why, but I felt the urge to explode yelling too. My father was extremely concerned and was trying to calm us. I just kept staring and yelling things at her until she backed down and I stormed out, now semi-conscious, blurting out "I'd beat anyone, no matter who" as a bluff to scare them, because it was me in actuality who was terrified and so, so lost. We never spoke of that day again and things were back to normal. Later on that year, I came to my mother and I asked if we could move on and tried to once again, connect with her. We did, and we carried on.
Come this year, I was preparing myself for a task I was doing. My parents were trying to micro-manage what I was doing, yelling, and I was stressed and irritated. I went to wash my hands and I clumsily bumped into something, falling to the floor. My father saw and went into a HUGE screaming fit, to which my mother joined in as well.
In my mind, I flashed back to all we had been through all these years, and how I've for so long wanted to feel love from them and how easy it would be to form a strong bond with them if they just were more open and we could talk things through without them being hyperdefensive and actually listened. I flashed back to how much negativity I had endured from them and how best I tried to manage it all this time. I flashed back to this cycle of me being the one who wanted to move things forward emotionally with them after an issue (and the times they joked about the cycle). I broke. I hadn't had a breakdown since almost 10 years ago. This one was the biggest one, and I felt so fucking done with them, especially my mother. I said a lot of things I wanted to get off me to them and I longed to not be home, I truly wished to go no contact... if I could. I had nowhere to go. I just graduated and am not yet employed, and I'm from a latin american country that has a disastrous economy. It is extremely difficult or outright impossible for most young adults to quickly go independent, unless they land an incredibly high paying job. Anyway, I spent a few weeks with the only family member I could connect with and explained the situation (badly, I’ve never been one to express emotional stuff well). I wanted to live with them, but taking in another person is a huge compromise. I reluctantly proposed to go back home.
I had found out that my mother thinks that I brokedown because of that one incident. I set out to explain to her what we could do moving forward, and what happened and reach out to her. I couldn't even say 20% of what I wanted to, because she was incessant in her interruptions, her dismissive attitude and her twisting the conversation. She went hard on all the typical dismissive phrases: "I/other people have had it worse than you, you're exaggerating, you're too sensitive, I've treated your sibling the same way all this time and they don't complain, you torment yourself too much, no one's perfect, you can't change people (true general statement, but used by a hypocritical controlling person), etc..". She did apologize about her behavior, but in a general way. Whatever. We carried on.
Now, a few months later, her behavior has changed in many ways, and not in others. She's almost completely toned down the “bully” behavior. She’s more calmed and her yelling for small issues has stopped. She has also been open and shared a few vulnerabilities in a few talks; a thing her pride had never allowed her to do. Mainly, she’s admitted that she needs to understand other people’s feelings better. That’s huge; though it wasn’t particularly directed at us at home.
I am these days doing great in life in general emotionally-wise, it’s just the aspect of family on which I am a bit unstable. I surpass rather quickly situations like the way we’ve had, but I do admit that, at this very moment, I’m torn between seeing if these improvements will continue for the remainder of the year, or I outright cut them out emotionally, completely. In either case, I must continue working on myself and look ahead, plan for the future. I would also love to reach out to my sibling; we’ve been under the same roof, and has gone through some of the experience, but we barely speak since over 10 years ago. The blame is on me, for having repeated a neglectful attitude all those years ago.
Anyway, I must decide if I go semi-contact or fully no contact when the time comes. But I’ll see for myself once I get the opportunity to gain independance, for now I continue helping around, observing and keep maintaining peace on my part. I’m just so done with such a cycle, I want an end. I felt guilty and extremely anxious for wishing so long, long ago, but not anymore.
I didn’t expect this to be so long, and believe me, this IS a summary. But I’ve expressed the main points and I feel great having vented. Maybe it helps some relate, just like reading about many similar stories did for me. Made me feel more understood and less alone.
Take care of yourselves and keep working on yourselves. May you all find peace.

Well many of you were right I should not have met him in person but I did. He took me out to lunch insisting he pay for it all and it was incredibly over the top. He had flowers and a written letter of apology but as some of you messaged me his apologies dodged the point by way of "if I hurt you" or "that you're feeling x or y feeling" etc. He quoted some scriptures and said he has repented as his carelessness caused me harm.
I wasn't much moved by any of it until he said how much his family loves me and how much our church roots for us as a couple and I kinda sat back and realized that one flimsy reason I was even entertaining forgiving him and staying was because of the pressure I dealt with as the GF of a pastors son. It occurred to me that there were so many times I let things slide because he is the heir apparent so he had the power in the social aspect of our community.
Sorry I know I am rambling but I'm emotional and tipsy.
I remembering just staring at him and saying it was incredibly alarming that by now he can't be aware of my oe Ingle allergy and that he didn't bother to tell his own GF he was stepping out with the guys or even that he was stepping out of his own sisters wedding at all. He then said it was really actually kind of stupid of me to eat a cake that had coconut and implied I am an idiot for not realizing what I had was coconut. I realized then he would never accept that he was in the wrong and thus there was no point.
I stood up and and smiled and said "You know what, don't worry about it. Thanks for dinner. Goodnight." To which he replied that if I wasn't going to grow up and accept his apology I am a waste of his time. He uses that a lot whenever we disagree and it usually hurts me deeply but this time it was like a roladex of memories flooded my brain and I really suspect he's been deliberately making me sick whenever we disagree to teach me a lesson. I said I was done and he needn't waste his time with me from this point on and left. I then sent screenshots to his father explaining the situation as best I can without blaming Michael for prior illnesses without proof and I got a text about 20 minutes ago from his father.
His father is "incredibly dissppinted" in my immaturity and hurt that I wouldn't even give it until Sunday at church where we can pray together, talk it our and heal. I felt this way for a while but I was able to say it this time that using religion as a took of guilt is low and I am no longer concerned with his version of God as that version is a judgemental, cruel, and heartless jerk while the one I always thought of was loving, compassionate, and kind, and I am done. I was told by him and by further emails rolling in that I am no longer welcome at my church until I reconcile with my "true husband" and learn compassion and respect for my leaders.
So I guess that's it. I will enjoy sleeping in tomorrow and eating coconut free food, while lazing about my home rather than going to three sperate church services starting at 8am and then figure it all out from there.
I don't know how to sign off but I do watch a concerning amount of Charlotte Dobre videos and she usually ends things with practical shit like "do your laundry" or something so I will just say - live for yourself, feed your soul, and know you are enough. I certainly am going to put in the work to get there and I hope we all make it to the other side contented, and filled with love and joy.
And by the way, F you Michael. I know you are reading this. I know you know it's me. And I hope your socks are always just a little soggy. 🫶

My friend and I are arguing about the origins of the world Anus. I always thought it made sense that it came from "from Old French anus, from Latin anus "ring, anus," from PIE root *āno- "ring." So called for its shape"
But he INSISTED it actually comes from "old woman" like a puckered old grandmother and I was outraged but then he revealed there was an etymology "From Proto-Italic *anus (“old woman”), from *h₂en-H-o- (“old woman”). Cognates include Ancient Greek ἀννίς (annís, “grandmother”), Old Armenian հան (han, “grandmother”)
Anyway I don't know what to say but I was caught by surprise.
I suppose Annual refers to year, time, cycles, age, so it makes some sense.
Please help.

"The names of the days of the week in English and Swedish are mostly similar because they share common Germanic roots. However, the difference in the names for Saturday (English) and lördag (Swedish) can be traced back to different cultural influences and linguistic evolutions.

1. Origins of "Saturday" in English:
   • The name "Saturday" comes from the Old English "Sæternesdæg," which was named after the Roman god Saturn. The Romans had a significant influence on the English language, especially through the Latin language and Roman culture.
2. Origins of "Lördag" in Swedish:
   • The Swedish name "lördag" (or "lördag" in modern Swedish) has its roots in Old Norse. It is derived from "laugardagr," which means "bath day" (from "laug," meaning bath, and "dagr," meaning day). This reflects the old tradition of bathing on this day of the week.

The other days of the week in both languages are derived from the names of gods and celestial bodies in Germanic and Norse mythology, which is why they are more similar."

Justin was born in about the year 100 near ancient Shechem, Samaria, in the Holy Land; he spent a long time seeking the truth, moving through the various schools of the Greek philosophical tradition.
Finally, as he himself recounts in the first chapters of his Dialogue with Tryphon, a mysterious figure, an old man he met on the seashore, initially leads him into a crisis by showing him that it is impossible for the human being to satisfy his aspiration to the divine solely with his own forces. He then pointed out to him the ancient prophets as the people to turn to in order to find the way to God and "true philosophy".
In taking his leave, the old man urged him to pray that the gates of light would be opened to him.
The story foretells the crucial episode in Justin's life: at the end of a long philosophical journey, a quest for the truth, he arrived at the Christian faith. He founded a school in Rome where, free of charge, he initiated students into the new religion, considered as the true philosophy. Indeed, in it he had found the truth, hence, the art of living virtuously.
For this reason he was reported and beheaded in about 165 during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher—emperor to whom Justin had actually addressed one of his Apologia.
These - the two Apologies and the Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew—are his only surviving works. In them, Justin intends above all to illustrate the divine project of creation and salvation, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Logos, that is, the eternal Word, eternal Reason, creative Reason.
Every person as a rational being shares in the Logos, carrying within himself a "seed", and can perceive glimmers of the truth. Thus, the same Logos who revealed himself as a prophetic figure to the Hebrews of the ancient Law also manifested himself partially, in "seeds of truth", in Greek philosophy.
Now, Justin concludes, since Christianity is the historical and personal manifestation of the Logos in his totality, it follows that "whatever things were rightly said among all men are the property of us Christians" (The Second Apology 13:4).
In this way, although Justin disputed Greek philosophy and its contradictions, he decisively oriented any philosophical truth to the Logos, giving reasons for the unusual "claim" to truth and universality of the Christian religion. If the Old Testament leaned towards Christ, just as the symbol is a guide to the reality represented, then Greek philosophy also aspired to Christ and the Gospel, just as the part strives to be united with the whole.
And he said that these two realities, the Old Testament and Greek philosophy, are like two paths that lead to Christ, to the Logos. This is why Greek philosophy cannot be opposed to Gospel truth, and Christians can draw from it confidently as from a good of their own.
Therefore, my venerable Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, described St. Justin as a “pioneer of positive engagement with philosophical thinking - albeit with cautious discernment … Although he continued to hold Greek philosophy in high esteem after his conversion, Justin claimed with power and clarity that he had found in Christianity 'the only sure and profitable philosophy' [Dialogue 8:1]" (Fides et Ratio, 38).
Overall, the figure and work of Justin mark the ancient Church's forceful option for philosophy, for reason, rather than for the religion of the pagans. With the pagan religion, in fact, the early Christians strenuously rejected every compromise. They held it to be idolatry, at the cost of being accused for this reason of "impiety" and "atheism".
Justin in particular, especially in his first Apology, mercilessly criticized the pagan religion and its myths, which he considered to be diabolically misleading on the path of truth.
Philosophy, on the other hand, represented the privileged area of the encounter between paganism, Judaism and Christianity, precisely at the level of the criticism of pagan religion and its false myths. "Our philosophy...": this is how another apologist, Bishop Melito of Sardis, a contemporary of Justin, came to define the new religion in a more explicit way (Ap. Hist. Eccl. 4, 26, 7).
In fact, the pagan religion did not follow the ways of the Logos, but clung to myth, even if Greek philosophy recognized that mythology was devoid of consistency with the truth.
Therefore, the decline of the pagan religion was inevitable: it was a logical consequence of the detachment of religion - reduced to an artificial collection of ceremonies, conventions and customs - from the truth of being.
Justin, and with him other apologists, adopted the clear stance taken by the Christian faith for the God of the philosophers against the false gods of the pagan religion.
It was the choice of the truth of being against the myth of custom. Several decades after Justin, Tertullian defined the same option of Christians with a lapidary sentence that still applies: "Dominus noster Christus veritatem se, non consuetudinem, cognominavit - Christ has said that he is truth not fashion" (De Virgin. Vel. 1, 1).
It should be noted in this regard that the term consuetudo, used here by Tertullian in reference to the pagan religion, can be translated into modern languages with the expressions: "cultural fashion", "current fads".
In a time like ours, marked by relativism in the discussion on values and on religion - as well as in interreligious dialogue - this is a lesson that should not be forgotten.
To this end, I suggest to you once again - and thus I conclude - the last words of the mysterious old man whom Justin the Philosopher met on the seashore: "Pray that, above all things, the gates of light may be opened to you; for these things cannot be perceived or understood by all, but only by the man to whom God and his Christ have imparted wisdom" (Dial. 7: 3).
Reflection on St. Justin Martyr from Pope Benedict XVI

Is one justified in rejecting the historicity of the life of Jesus if there are no eyewitnesses to Him and His life, and the accounts are decades after He lived? Is this the standard that historians use? Or is it a double standard?
The Strange Case of Hieronymus of Cardia
Hieronymus [356–323 BC] is not a household name, but among historians he’s known for several things. He was an eyewitness to the campaigns of Alexander the Great, but he lived to the age of 104 — long enough to record the first battle between a Roman army and a Hellenistic kingdom. He was a friend and confidant of kings and commanders during the chaotic aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death. He was a military governor in Greece. Furthermore, he managed the asphalt industry on the Dead Sea.
Above all, he is regarded as a key source for many of the most of the history of the years 320–270 BCE. He’s also a prime authority for Plutarch’s famous biographies of Eumenes, Demetrius Poliorcetes, and Pyrrhus. In fact, he’s often cited as the first Greek to write about the rise of Rome.
On the other hand, Dionysius Halicarnassus — writing during the reign of Augustus — called him “a historian no one bothers to finish.” He’s everywhere without being personally a key historical figure.
However:
The bit about him being 104 at the age of his death comes from another author whose work is also lost: Agatharcides of Cnidus who lived roughly sometime in the later 2d century BC — born probably three generations after Hieronymus’ death. We know he discussed Hieronymus because he, in turn, is quoted by Lucian of Samosata (~ 125–180 CE) — about 300 years after Agatharcides and over 400 from Hieronymus.
The oldest surviving work that refers to Hieronymus by name is that of “a certain person named Moschion” who probably would have lived a bit before Agatharcides, writing in Sicily — 750 miles or more from where Hieronymus lived and worked and maybe 75 years after his death. The only thing we know about Moschion is the handful of his pages quoted by Athenaeus, about 450 years after Hieronymus.
There’s no reference to Hieronymus in any Latin source, despite his reputation as an early reporter of Rome. The reference to him being the first Greek to write about Rome comes from Dionysius of Halicarnassus, writing about 250 years after Hieronymus’ death.
Key biographical details — his relationship with Eumenes, his work for the Antigonid dynasty, and his governorship — only show up in Plutarch, 350 years after Hieronymus’ day.
The history for which he is famous is lost; it exists only in paraphrases or name-checks by later writers. Although there are several facts attributed to him, there is no verbatim quote of anything the wrote. It’s a commonplace among historians that Hieronymus is the main source for much of what is interesting and detailed in the work of Diodorus of Sicily, who wrote 200 years or more after Hieronymus’ death.
Diodorus tends to be somewhat wordy and diffuse, but when he covers the age of Hieronymus he suddenly becomes more detail oriented, has interesting anecdotes, and provides reasonable numbers; this is all assumed to come from Hieronymus. However, although Diodorus does refer to Hieronymus (for example, he tells the story of Diodorus’ job in the asphalt bureau in book 19) he never explicitly quotes him. The common assumption is that big chunks of books 18–20 are basically plagiarized from Hieronymus — but naturally, Diodorus doesn’t tell us this himself.
He’s not quoted by Polybius, whose account overlapped with events he wrote about. His most industrious recyclers are Diodorus and Dionysius during the transition from Roman republic to Roman empire (~200 - 250 years), and then Appian and Plutarch in the second century CE (~ 350 - 400 years).
It’s worth pointing out that not only is he not attested very close to his own lifetime — neither are many of the sources which refer to him. Agatharcides for example has no contemporary mentions — he’s cited by Diodorus, and by early Roman-era writers but none closer to him than a couple of generations.
Diodorus, too, is not referred to by his contemporaries — we have to guess when he died from the contents of his book, which does not refer to any event later than around 32 BC. At least his book survives him — about a third of it, anyway. The last complete copy was destroyed during the Turkish sack of Constantinople. There is no evidence for him that does not come from his own writings, and the oldest explicit quotation from him is from Athenaeus in the latter half of the second century CE, over 200 years from his own time.
Of the people mentioned in this piece by name Plutarch, Appian, Athenaeus, and — of course — emperor Augustus are attested by contemporary sources and known by any other means than their own writings. Only Augustus and Plutarch are known from physical objects (the latter from a single inscription). There is an inscription from Diodorus’ hometown in the name of a Diodorus; we have no way of knowing if it’s the same Diodorus and it offers no clue to the date.
This is how a fairly famous person — a widely cited author, diplomat, and friend of kings — fares in the sources. Hieronymus of Cardia is a figure who is completely familiar to ancient historians; if anything they are often over-eager to spot traces of him — he is almost universally assumed to be the source of most of the interesting and detailed bits of Diodorus and Dionysius in the the era of Alexander’s successors. He routinely shows up in any discussion of the early historiography of Rome.
But he does not pass the contemporary mention test by a country mile.
The implication:
Therre are no eyewitness account for the life of Hieronymus of Cardia and no contemporary accounts of him either, yet historians have no doubt or minimal doubt that he existed.
But maybe is just an outlier, surely this is just an anomaly, an exception, an oddity....
What about other well known people from history, they certainly are much more documented than people from Bible, right?
Spartacus 103–71 BC
The story of a slave turned gladiator turned revolutionary has been told and retold many times in media. Although a well-known and much-admired historical figure, Spartacus does not actually have any surviving contemporary records of his life. His enduring fame is in part due to the heroic visage crafted by a priestess of Dionysus, who was also his lover.
The story is mentioned in Plutarch’s biography of Crassus, the wealthy Roman who ultimately put down the uprising led by Spartacus. Parallel Lives was a collection of 48 biographies of prominent historical figures written by the Greek historian in the second century AD. Another major source of information about Spartacus came from another Greek, Appian, writing around a century after the events.
Hannibal born in 247 B.C
Despite how well-known his great deeds as a general are, there are no surviving firsthand accounts of Hannibal - or indeed Carthage at all. The closest thing to a primary source for the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage is the account written by the Greek historian Polybius around a century later
The historian was alive for the third and final Punic conflict and spoke to survivors of the second war, but obviously did not meet Hannibal himself.
Another major ancient source, which drew on other works from the time that are now lost, was by the Roman historian Livy. The History of Rome was written in the first century AD, but only part of the 142-book collection remains. While not considered as objective as Polybius and far removed from the events, Livy’s work fills in a lot of the gaps.
Alexander the Great 356 - 323 BC
At its peak, his empire stretched from the Balkans to the Indus River. Countless pages have been written of his deeds, but almost all were done long after his was dead
Our only knowledge comes from the much later works that drew on those long-lost pages. Perhaps the most valuable of all was the tome written by his general Ptolemy, who would later found his own great empire. One of the very few written records that survive from Alexander’s time is an incredibly brief mention of his passing in a small clay tablet of Babylonian astronomical reports.
William Wallace 1270 - 1305 AD
The screenplay for the 1995 film Braveheart occasionally drew upon a poem written by a monk known as Blind Harry in the 15th century.
Because Harry's romanticized account was penned more than 150 years after the Scottish hero was tried and executed at the behest of Edward I, it’s not exactly going to be a reliable telling of the tale. One of the few contemporary records comes from a single English chronicle that doesn’t try to be objective: …a certain Scot, by name William Wallace, an outcast from pity, a robber, a sacrilegious man, an incendiary and a homicide, a man more cruel than the cruelty of Herod, and more insane than the fury of Nero…
The passage details an unflattering description of the Scottish defeat at Falkirk in 1298, where Wallace apparently fled the scene before being captured. The time between the loss and his later apprehension was spent in mainland Europe, attempting to raise support for his cause. We know this because one of only two surviving documents personally attached to Wallace is a letter written on his behalf by the King of France to the Pope
Attila the Hun (c. 406-453 AD) was one of late antiquity’s most notorious figures, a brutal conqueror who ransacked the weakened Roman Empire.
Little is actually known of the Huns, as they left little evidence behind, and the few contemporary accounts that remain are from sources not disposed to view them favorably. The surviving fragments of a history of Rome written by Ammianus Marcellinus depict a backward, savage people of unknown origin.
As for Attila himself, much of his early life is the subject of speculation from later authors. Jordanes, a 6th-century Eastern Roman historian, wrote a second hand account as he drew upon the work of Priscus, a fellow Eastern Roman who actually met Attila. Unfortunately, only a few scraps of Priscus’s work remain.
So it seems that historians have no problem in taking as historical, people and events are much less evidence than what the Bible contains.
If anyone uses the "The gospels are not eyewitness accounts" argument to dismiss the Gospels as history, commits the double standard logical fallacy
Objection A - But Jesus is said to be God and rose from the dead. That's a major difference between all these other historical figures
Reply: So, your real objection has to do with the metaphysical implications of saying the Jesus rose from the dead, not the hidtorical nature of the account. That is beyond the scope of this argument.
However, I invite you to read why Philosophical Naturalism [the idea that only the physical exists] is logically self-refuting and why there is evidence for God
Objection B - The eyewitness stuff is important with the Gospels because there is a massive difference between 'I lived with Jesus for a few weeks after he died' and 'I heard others lived with Jesus for a few weeks after he died.
Reply: But the "eyewitness stuff" is apparently not impoertant - see nthe above for how many people/events are considered historical sans eyewitness account. The take Luke, for example, said the he investigated everything from the beginning and wrote an orderly account. This sems to be in line with what other ancient historians did, like Herodotus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Lucian - There is overwhelming evidence for the existence of Jesus of the Bible in ancient non-Christian sources
EDIT: Thesis is my negative answer to the title.

Best of TrekTalk: May 2024
[Awards Season] Star Trek Franchise Wins Peabody Institutional Award From the announcement: “Today Star Trek is more vibrant, imaginative, funny, entertaining, and progressive than ever.” (TrekMovie)
A Star Trek-Dr. Who Crossover?
[Interview] Russell T. Davies Breaks Down That 'Star Trek' Easter Egg in the 'Doctor Who' Premiere: “I'm coming to love Star Trek with an absolute passion. I love the old show. I always watched the old show, but when Star Trek: Discovery came along, I kind of became a proper fan.” (Collider)
[Star Trek & Dr. Who] INVERSE: "Could The 2 Oldest Sci-Fi Shows Finally Cross Over? Will the TARDIS ever materialize on the Enterprise? Has it already?" "Dr. Who showrunner Russell T Davies might be planting the seeds for his own fanfic crossover"
[Opinion] Chad Porto (Redshirts): "No, Star Trek doesn't exist in the Doctor Who universe" "Despite what some want to believe, Doctor Who and Star Trek don't share a narrative universe."
The final episodes of Star Trek: Discovery (Interviews, Reviews, Reactions)
Selected Reviews:
[Discovery 5x6 Reviews] CBR.com: "With Great Technological Power Comes at Least Some Responsibility - “Whistlespeak” Deconstructs the Prime Directive"
[Discovery 5x7 Reviews] GIZMODO: "The Breen come calling in "Erigah," giving Discovery some of its greatest diplomacy. The main plot delivers a strong, tense game of politicking and aggressive negotiation over spectacle in a very satisfying manner. It’s just captivatingly tense and triumphant"
[Discovery 5x7 Reviews] TrekCore: "Ruhn vs. T'Rina: it’s absolutely riveting! The writing is sharp, the logical turns land like punches, and Tara Rosling, who has been fantastic as T’Rina from the start, is electric. This is some all-time Star Trek diplomacy; Jean-Luc Picard himself would be proud"
[Discovery 5x8 Reviews] REACTOR MAG: "One of the biggest problems with this season is that the ticking clock/competition for our heroes has not been that compelling. Moll & L’ak are just a couple of ex-Couriers who should not be able to run rings around an entire starship full of smart people."
[Discovery 5x9 Reviews] DEN OF GEEK: "Although 'Lagrange Point' is a fast-paced and fairly action-packed hour, it is also largely setup for next week’s finale, and answers none questions any of us have about the larger story of this season. Suddenly everything just feels uncomfortably rushed."
[Discovery 5x9 Reviews] LARRY NEMECEK on YouTube: "The Beginning of the End?" "This is the penultimate episode of the series. The quiet moments? That's all over now, suckers! IT'S AMP UP TIME! And yet I am going to compliment the entire writers room for not having this one feel like Part 1 of 2"
[Discovery 5x10 Reviews] TREKMOVIE: "A solid season finale ties things for the season plot and the characters, with a bonus bringing the series to a satisfying conclusion." "Packing so much in did perhaps bloat the episode, which got even heftier when the epilogue was tacked on."
[Opinion] ScreenRant: "Discovery Ends As A Star Trek Success Story" "Star Trek owes its renaissance to Discovery" "Star Trek: Discovery broke important ground for diversity, inclusiveness, and LGBTQ+ representation."
Interviews:
[Interview] ‘Discovery’ Writer Eric J. Robbins on why the Breen would suddenly accept Moll (Eve Harlow) as their new leader: "There’s a lot of abstraction and a lot of mystery with them. There are things important to them beyond just subjugating other species and being in control." (TrekMovie)
[Interview] ‘Discovery’ Writer Eric J. Robbins On Episode 5x8: "For 'Labyrinths' one thing we talked about: this is a show led by a black woman and we never really had many opportunities to dramatize the pressures that women of color face in positions of power in the real world."
[Discovery Interviews] Elias Toufexis on the chemistry between Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak: "It was very easy to fall in love with her because she plays it so great, and she’s so pretty. She's such a good actor. I would always kind of defer to her performance first." (TrekMovie)
[Interview] Elias Toufexis (L'ak): "I don't like calling Moll and L'ak 'bad guys.' They’re antagonists for sure, but they're not really bad guys. Villains don't get to show the reason they're doing this. Because they want love and freedom. If we did our jobs correctly, you want to root for them."
[Interview] Mary Wiseman on Tilly's arc: "She started pretty insecure, and spent a lot of time apologizing for herself and for being the way she was naturally. The cool thing about the series is: she gets to grow up and still be herself: her nervous energy, silliness, her quirk, but stop apologizing
[Interview] Star Trek: Discovery’s Jett Reno Was Created With “Han Solo Vibe” - Tig Notaro, who plays Reno, was surprised by the comedic aspect of her character and credits the writers for the funny lines. (ScreenRant)
[Interview] STARTREK.COM: Tig Notaro Reflects on Discovery's Engineer and Star Trek Experience "It's so fun getting different scripts and reading like, 'Oh wow, I used to bartend. Okay, cool. I can personally relate because I failed out of school, dropped out, and had a million different jobs."
[Interview] INVERSE: "'Discovery's Most Unlikely Star Doesn't Understand Star Trek Canon At All" TIG NOTARO (Jett Reno): "When Alex [Kurtzman] developed this character, [...] they really wanted to make it me. That’s why I always call it Tig-in-space."
Commentary:
[Opinion] Robert Meyer Burnett: "What do BUFFY SUMMERS and Harry Potter (1997) have to do with STAR WARS, STAR TREK and all your favorite franchises?!" "Watching Discovery: Nobody on that show TALKS like anybody would talk in the 32nd Century. The reason I hate it: I don't believe any of it!"
[Opinion] DEN OF GEEK: "Starfleet Academy Needs to Ditch Modern Star Trek’s Defining Trope" "It will need to learn from Discovery's mistakes and re-embrace KNOWLEDGE. Feelings are not an end to themselves in Starfleet. And they certainly don’t take precedence over the search for the truth."
[Opinion] ScreenRant: "Captain Michael Burnham is arguably the most prolific action hero of modern Star Trek, perhaps even of the entire franchise."
[Opinion] STARTREK.COM on "Whistlespeak" (Discovery ep. 5x6): "A thought-provoking, durable, and utterly optimistic Star Trek idea. When the entire world seems to turn on you, this type of story seems to suggest that maybe we all just need some well-meaning repair people from space to help us."
[Opinion] POLYGON: "Star Trek: Discovery boldly goes where no Trek has gone before by saying religion is... OK, actually" "[Episode 3x6] ‘Whistlespeak’ breaks from Trek tradition to be pretty chill about believing in a higher power" "Spirituality is what you make of it."
[Opinion] SCREENRANT: "Star Trek: Discovery Proves Starfleet's Prime Directive Is Useless" "Starfleet insists on following Star Trek's Prime Directive in Discovery's 32nd century, but there's no reason the rule should still exist."
Ratings:
[Ratings] For the first time ever: Star Trek: Discovery Lands In Nielsen Streaming Top 10 Like Picard & Strange New Worlds (Week of April 8-14, 2024; episode 5x3: “Jinaal”)
[Ratings] For the third week in a row, the fifth season of Star Trek: Discovery has ranked on Nielsen’s top streaming chart, moving up again in the rankings. "Mirrors" (5x5) is the most-viewed season 5 episode and the best-ranked Discovery so far, with 285 million minutes streamed."
[Ratings] Star Trek: Discovery has failed to match Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in viewers However, Picard's second to last episode of the series netted fewer than Discovery's current figures. Discovery is clearly more popular than Picard, though Strange New Worlds is the top dog for a reason."
Terry Matalas joins Marvel:
[Matalas joins Marvel] No time for Star Trek: Legacy? Marvel Sets Vision Series for 2026 With Paul Bettany, ‘Star Trek: Picard’ EP Terry Matalas as Showrunner (Variety)
[Opinion] ScreenRant: "Terry Matalas Showrunning Marvel's Vision Show Means Star Trek: Picard's Spinoff Isn't Happening - Matalas is committing to Marvel for the next couple of years at least"
[Opinion] ROBERT MEYER BURNETT on Terry Matalas joining Marvel: "I can't believe that the head of Marvel, Kevin Feige, taps Terry Matalas to go make a "Vision" show, and the people that actually control Star Trek don't!" Picard and Ro? For that alone Picard season 3 earns my love and affection."
The future of Paramount
[Streaming] The New York Times: "Sony and Apollo’s Plan for Paramount: Break It Up"
[Streaming] VARIETY: "Paramount Stock Falls on Report Sony Is ‘Rethinking’ $26 Billion Bid"
[Streaming] VARIETY: "Skydance Media Revises Paramount Global Bid to Make It More Attractive to Noncontrolling Shareholders"
Alex Kurtzman on the future of the franchise:
[Interview] ALEX KURTZMAN on producing Star Trek: Discovery: "I look back on the first year and I see so many big, bold swings, you know, some of which I think were amazingly successful. But I do feel like at every turn we kept refining and tightening our storytelling." (Ready Room Interview)
[Interview] Alex Kurtzman Explains Why STARFLEET ACADEMY is Set in STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s 32nd Century Future: "My thinking was, if we set “Starfleet Academy” in the halcyon days of the Federation where everything was fine, it’s not going to speak to what kids are going through right now."(LA Times)
Starfleet Academy Previews:
[Starfleet Academy Previews] Canada’s Largest Purpose-Built Sound Stage Is Ready for Star Trek The 45,900 square foot soundstage will serve as the central hub of the upcoming series set to begin filming later this year. (TrekCore)
[Starfleet Academy Updates] Star Trek's New Series Has Cast Academy Award Winner Holly Hunter As Its First Actor (playing the “captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy.”)
Noteworthy articles and social media posts on Star Trek (May 2024):
[Opinion] SlashFilm: "Star Trek's Closest TV Cousin Isn't Sci-Fi – It's Law & Order" "The main characters of "Star Trek" aren't the officers on board Starfleet vessels. The main character is ... Starfleet itself." "Starfleet principles are the star."
[Prodigy Updates] TrekMovie: "‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Producers Urge Fans To Be Patient Waiting For Season 2 On Netflix" "Netflix just announced its lineup for June 2024 and Prodigy season 2 is not listed, so the wait will continue into the summer"
[Opinion] SlashFilm: "Star Trek Changed My Life Forever And Reigns As The Greatest Sci-Fi Franchise Of All Time" "The crew of the Enterprise weren't "violent/cool," and I liked that. Finally, I realized, here was a show about pacifism - teaching intense lessons of diplomacy and leadership"
[NCC-1701 Updates] L.A. Times: "Court is the final frontier for this lost ‘Star Trek’ model" Dustin Riach and Jason Rivas discovered the model among a stash of items they bought “sight unseen” last October. They sold it to Roddenberry Entertainment. They have yet to receive the $500,000 payment."
[Essay] REACTOR MAG: "Let’s Start a Fight: Are Science Fiction and Fantasy the Same?" "Both fantasy and sci-fi are equally free to imagine whatever they will... but people don’t relate to them in the same way."
[Opinion] Brianna Wu on X: “Star Trek has a LIBERAL message, not a PROGRESSIVE message. Another core message of Star Trek is duty and trying to get along with people who have different values. I think progressives are failing miserably at both values.” (Responding to Jessie Gender)
[Opinion] Brianna Wu on X (Twitter): “Star Trek is NOT SOCIALIST. If you think Star Trek was socialist, you didn’t understand Star Trek. A huge part of Star Trek is the market economy.” Jessie Gender: “I agree with you. The show is neoliberal; you’re not wrong.”
[Opinion] INVERSE: "15 Years Ago, J.J. Abrams Broke - And Then Saved - the Star Trek Universe" "Star Trek [2009] is the rare sexy reboot that actually helped its flailing franchise" "What makes it such a compelling reboot is its freedom from canon"
[Opinion] CBR.COM: "J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek Is a Great but Flawed Reboot" "Star Trek (2009) felt more like a reverent movie about the USS Enterprise's crew that would be made in the characters' universe than a glimpse into their missions and lives."
[Kelvin Movies] "Star Trek [2009]" Ranks Higher Than 3 Star Wars Movies On Rotten Tomatoes’ 300 Best Movies List (ScreenRant)
Another prequel? Paramount wants to produce a "Star Trek: Origins" movie
[Kelvin Movies] X-Men Producer Simon Kinberg in talks to lead Star Trek movie franchise, focusing on "Origin movie" release in 2025. Paramount looks to Kinberg as franchise shepherd for future Trek projects, with a potential REBOOT (!!!!) in store
[Opinion] SlashFilm: "The New Star Trek Movie Is A Prequel – But Will It Rewrite The Franchise Timeline? "Will Kinberg's new film time-shift First Contact backward?"
[Untitled Star Trek Origin Story] INVERSE on the new movie project: "Star Trek Canon Has Suddenly Reached a Pivotal Crossroads" "The venerable sci-fi franchise has to pick a future." "If this rumor is true, it’s possible a third Trek timeline could emerge ..."
[Opinion] Mick Joest (Cinemablend): "X-Men's Simon Kinberg Is Working On The Next Star Trek Movie, But As A Fan, I Have Some Major Concerns" "I can't help but feel worried about this."
[Opinion] DEN OF GEEK: "Star Trek Origin Movie Timeline Rumor Makes the Film Feel Even More Unnecessary" Set likely around modern times?!? - "We have plenty of stories that take a cynical look at humanity’s flaws, and many of them are very good. But that’s not what Trek is."
[Kelvin Movies / Origin Movie] THE GUARDIAN (UK): "Shatner, Pine, or a Kirk triple whammy: where should Star Trek boldly go next? - Maybe Paramount should just bite the bullet instead and give us the triple-Kirk, multiple timeline movie that is probably the only way to rescue this aching franchise"
[Kelvin Movies] AV Club: "Yeah, Chris Pine has no damn clue what's up with Star Trek 4, either"

First time poster here, had an idea for a short excerpt with Kassandra Curze based on the audio drama, A Lesson in Darkness, after I finished listening to it. Hope its all y’allz liking~ ////////////
The world screamed beneath her feet. It screamed with the chorus of over nine million souls as butchery rained down upon their roofs. The slurry of dismembered, flayed, and eviscerated corpses sending a maddening cacophony of panic through each pair of eyes who dared to look up above with hope. The debris weren’t just pieces of meat after all, it was the result of their defiance. The very men, women, and warriors who flew into the stars to meet the armies of the Imperium with foolish ideals of resistance in their hearts- now they lay in pieces and are eagerly falling back home.
“Terror as a scalpel.” The Primarch uttered to her son. “Mankind is a vindictive, grudge-filled, and hate-fueled creature. While many shall judge us for our method of war, we shall wield the fear of our ways like a scalpel. It shall pluck at their very foundation as anarchic animals right at its root.”
The captain nods, his inky black eyes filled with awe at staring at his gene-matron. His twin hearts beating in cold joy at the brutal lecture- he sees the nobility and monstrosity simultaneously. Kassandra Curze was a blood-stained angel.
Yet his own awe-strained thoughts were rocked by a singular question.
“Then, my lady, why do you command us to keep that mortal remembrancer around? Surely his account of our battles shall serve to stifle the fear we so-tenderly stoke?”
The Primarch paused, she didn’t expect her son to ask such a thing. While usually quick to anger, today she was treated to a gift from Starlight. She dare not sour the moment of her victory as well.
“It is not for his propaganda papers. He wishes to see…all of it.”
“All of it?” The captain chided.
“Yes.” Kassandra removes her helmet, “Of all the souls that have ever met my gaze no mortal has ever wished to see anymore as soon as eyes level. They see a monster, and that is by design, they see the Night Haunter. But Starli- I mean, the remembrancer. He sees me, the legion, and the blood of a thousand flayed men and he still does not turn away. He sees…me.”
The captain had been a veteran at this point and he had heard his Primarch talk about all manner of topics. From the complexities of human psychology and the myriad ways of battle, but this conversation, those words, he had no idea what she was saying. What stayed with him though, was her expression: She flashed a smile that almost seemed…tender.
Kassandra picks up on her son’s confusion and just sighs before putting her helmet back on. “Needless to say this world has been rendered compliant and I shall deliver this victory to the remembrancer personally.”

RackNerd.com is a leading provider of cloud-based infrastructure solutions, dedicated to empowering businesses of all sizes to achieve their goals through innovative technology and exceptional customer service. In this chapter, we will delve into the company's rich history, mission, and values that have enabled us to become a trusted partner for our clients.
Early Years (2013-2015)
RackNerd.com was founded in 2013 by a group of passionate entrepreneurs who shared a vision of revolutionizing the way businesses approach infrastructure solutions. Initially, the company focused on providing high-quality server colocation services to small and medium-sized businesses. Our early success was fueled by our commitment to exceptional customer service, competitive pricing, and a relentless pursuit of innovation.
Growth and Expansion (2015-2018)
As the company grew, we expanded our service offerings to include cloud-based infrastructure solutions, such as virtual private servers (VPS) and dedicated servers. This strategic move enabled us to cater to a broader range of clients, from small startups to large enterprises. Our team of experts worked tirelessly to develop and refine our infrastructure, ensuring seamless scalability and reliability.
Mission and Values
At RackNerd.com, our mission is to empower businesses to achieve their goals by providing innovative, reliable, and cost-effective infrastructure solutions. We believe that our success is deeply rooted in our commitment to the following core values:
1. Customer Obsession: We prioritize our clients' needs above all else, ensuring that every interaction with our team is exceptional.
2. Innovation: We continuously invest in research and development to stay ahead of the curve, providing cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients.
3. Integrity: We uphold the highest standards of ethics and transparency in all our interactions, fostering trust and credibility with our clients and partners.
4. Collaboration: We believe that teamwork is essential to achieving our goals, and we strive to create a culture of open communication, respect, and mutual support within our organization.
5. Inclusivity: We celebrate diversity and promote a culture of inclusivity, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.
Awards and Recognition
RackNerd.com has received numerous awards and recognition for our commitment to innovation, customer service, and community involvement. Some notable accolades include:
· Best Cloud Service Provider (2020) by Cloud Computing Magazine
· Top 10 Cloud Infrastructure Providers (2019) by Cloud Computing News
· Best Place to Work (2018) by the local business community
Conclusion
RackNerd.com's journey is a testament to the power of innovation, hard work, and dedication to our clients. As we continue to evolve and grow, we remain committed to our core values and mission. We are proud to be a trusted partner for businesses of all sizes, empowering them to achieve their goals and succeed in an ever-changing world.

History of RackNerd.com

History of RackNerd.com: A Journey of Innovation and Growth
As the world of technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, RackNerd.com has emerged as a leading provider of innovative solutions for data centers and cloud infrastructure. Founded in 2012, RackNerd.com has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a small startup to becoming a global player in the industry. In this chapter, we will delve into the fascinating story of how RackNerd.com was founded and evolved over the years.
The Early Days: Founding and Early Growth (2012-2015)
RackNerd.com was founded in 2012 by a group of passionate entrepreneurs who shared a vision of creating a cutting-edge data center solutions provider. The company's early days were marked by a focus on building a strong team, developing innovative products, and establishing a solid foundation for future growth. The founders' expertise in data center design, infrastructure, and operations played a crucial role in shaping the company's early success.
During this period, RackNerd.com focused on building a robust infrastructure, investing in state-of-the-art equipment, and developing a comprehensive suite of services. The company's early clients were primarily small and medium-sized businesses seeking reliable and scalable data center solutions. As RackNerd.com's reputation grew, so did its client base, with the company expanding its services to include cloud infrastructure, managed services, and consulting.
Expansion and Diversification (2015-2018)
By 2015, RackNerd.com had established itself as a reputable player in the data center solutions market. The company's growth was fueled by its commitment to innovation, customer-centric approach, and strategic partnerships. During this period, RackNerd.com expanded its services to include:
1. Cloud Infrastructure: RackNerd.com launched its cloud infrastructure services, offering a range of cloud-based solutions for businesses of all sizes.
2. Managed Services: The company introduced its managed services portfolio, providing 24/7 monitoring, maintenance, and support for clients' data center infrastructure.
3. Consulting Services: RackNerd.com expanded its consulting services to include data center design, infrastructure planning, and migration assistance.
As RackNerd.com continued to grow, it expanded its team, investing in talent acquisition and development programs. The company also strengthened its partnerships with leading technology vendors, solidifying its position as a trusted advisor in the industry.
Global Expansion and Mergers (2018-Present)
In recent years, RackNerd.com has continued its rapid growth trajectory, expanding its global footprint and diversifying its services. Key milestones include:
1. Global Expansion: RackNerd.com established a presence in key markets, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
2. Mergers and Acquisitions: The company has made strategic acquisitions, expanding its portfolio of services and expertise.
3. Innovation and R&D: RackNerd.com has continued to invest in research and development, driving innovation and staying ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving data center and cloud infrastructure landscape.
Today, RackNerd.com is a global leader in data center solutions, with a reputation for delivering exceptional service, innovative solutions, and unparalleled expertise. As the company looks to the future, it remains committed to its core values of innovation, customer-centricity, and strategic partnerships.
Conclusion
RackNerd.com's journey from humble beginnings to global recognition is a testament to the power of innovation, hard work, and dedication. From its early days as a small startup to its current status as a leading provider of data center and cloud infrastructure solutions, RackNerd.com has consistently demonstrated its commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction. As the company continues to evolve and grow, its story serves as a beacon of inspiration for entrepreneurs and innovators around the world.

RackNerd.com's Philosophy

RackNerd.com's Philosophy: Description of RackNerd.com's values and approach to web hosting
As a leading provider of web hosting services, RackNerd.com is committed to delivering exceptional quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction. Our philosophy is built on a set of core values that guide our approach to web hosting, ensuring that our customers receive the best possible experience. In this chapter, we will delve into the principles that shape our company culture and approach to web hosting.
I. Customer-Centricity
At RackNerd.com, we believe that our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We understand that our customers are the reason we exist, and we strive to provide them with an unparalleled level of service and support. Our customer-centric approach is built on the following principles:
· Personalized Support: We assign dedicated account managers to each customer, ensuring that their needs are met and concerns are addressed promptly.
· Proactive Communication: We maintain open and transparent communication channels, keeping our customers informed about their services and any issues that may arise.
· Flexibility and Adaptability: We adapt to our customers' evolving needs, offering tailored solutions and flexible pricing options to meet their unique requirements.
II. Quality and Reliability
Quality and reliability are essential components of our philosophy. We understand that our customers rely on our services to operate their online businesses, and we take pride in delivering high-quality hosting solutions that meet their needs. Our commitment to quality and reliability is reflected in:
· State-of-the-Art Infrastructure: We invest in the latest technology and infrastructure to ensure that our services are fast, secure, and reliable.
· 24/7 Monitoring: Our team of experts continuously monitors our systems, detecting and resolving issues before they impact our customers.
· Regular Maintenance: We perform regular maintenance and updates to ensure that our services remain secure, stable, and optimized for performance.
III. Innovation and Improvement
At RackNerd.com, we believe that innovation is key to staying ahead of the curve and delivering exceptional value to our customers. We prioritize innovation and improvement through:
· Research and Development: We invest in research and development to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends in web hosting.
· Customer Feedback: We actively solicit and incorporate customer feedback to improve our services and address their concerns.
· Continuous Improvement: We continuously evaluate and refine our processes to ensure that our services meet the evolving needs of our customers.
IV. Transparency and Accountability
Transparency and accountability are essential components of our philosophy. We believe that our customers have the right to know what they are getting and how we operate. Our commitment to transparency and accountability is reflected in:
· Clear Pricing: We offer transparent pricing with no hidden fees or surprises.
· Service Level Agreements (SLAs): We maintain strict SLAs for our services, ensuring that our customers know what to expect from our services.
· Regular Reporting: We provide regular reporting and updates on our services, keeping our customers informed about their performance and any issues that may arise.
V. Conclusion
At RackNerd.com, our philosophy is built on a foundation of customer-centricity, quality, innovation, transparency, and accountability. We believe that these values are essential to delivering exceptional web hosting services that meet the evolving needs of our customers. By prioritizing these values, we strive to build long-term relationships with our customers, providing them with the best possible experience and ensuring their online success.

Features

Features: Description of Shared Hosting Features
As the foundation of a reliable and efficient online presence, shared hosting has evolved to cater to the diverse needs of individuals and businesses. In this chapter, we will delve into the various features that make shared hosting an attractive option for webmasters, entrepreneurs, and organizations alike.
1. Storage Space
One of the most critical aspects of shared hosting is the storage space allocated to each account. This refers to the amount of data that can be stored on the server, including files, images, videos, and other digital content. Typical storage space ranges from 1GB to 10GB, depending on the hosting provider and the type of plan chosen.
Benefits:
· Allows for efficient storage and management of digital assets
· Enables the creation of complex websites with multiple pages, images, and multimedia content
· Facilitates the storage of large files, such as videos and audio files
2. Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transferred between the server and the user's device. This is measured in gigabytes (GB) and is typically calculated based on the number of visitors, page views, and file downloads. A higher bandwidth allocation ensures that websites can handle increased traffic and data transfer without experiencing downtime or slow loading times.
Benefits:
· Ensures fast and seamless website loading times
· Supports high-traffic websites and e-commerce platforms
· Enables the hosting of multimedia content, such as videos and audio files
3. Email Accounts
Email accounts are an essential feature of shared hosting, allowing users to create and manage multiple email addresses. This feature is particularly useful for businesses, as it enables the creation of professional email addresses, such as [info@company.com](mailto:info@company.com).
Benefits:
· Enables the creation of professional email addresses
· Allows for efficient communication and collaboration
· Supports multiple email accounts for different departments or teams
4. Databases
Databases are a crucial aspect of shared hosting, as they enable the storage and management of large amounts of data. This feature is particularly useful for websites that require complex data management, such as e-commerce platforms and online applications.
Benefits:
· Enables the storage and management of large amounts of data
· Supports complex data management and querying
· Facilitates the creation of dynamic websites and applications
5. Control Panel
The control panel is the central hub of shared hosting, providing users with a user-friendly interface to manage their account, files, and settings. Popular control panels include cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin.
Benefits:
· Enables easy management of account settings and files
· Supports the creation and management of databases and email accounts
· Facilitates the installation of third-party applications and scripts
6. Security Features
Security is a top priority in shared hosting, with providers implementing various measures to protect user data and prevent unauthorized access. Common security features include:
· Firewalls: Prevent unauthorized access to the server and data
· Encryption: Protects data in transit and at rest
· Regular Backups: Ensures data integrity and availability
Benefits:
· Protects user data and prevents unauthorized access
· Ensures data integrity and availability
· Supports compliance with industry regulations and standards
7. Scalability
Scalability is a critical feature of shared hosting, enabling users to upgrade or downgrade their plan as needed. This ensures that websites can adapt to changing traffic and demand without experiencing downtime or performance issues.
Benefits:
· Enables flexible and scalable hosting solutions
· Supports the growth and evolution of websites and applications
· Facilitates the adaptation to changing traffic and demand
8. Customer Support
Customer support is an essential aspect of shared hosting, providing users with assistance and guidance throughout the hosting experience. Common support features include:
· 24/7 Support: Available assistance and guidance
· Knowledge Base: Comprehensive documentation and tutorials
· Ticket System: Efficient communication and issue tracking
Benefits:
· Provides assistance and guidance throughout the hosting experience
· Supports the resolution of technical issues and concerns
· Facilitates the adoption and utilization of hosting features and services
In conclusion, shared hosting features play a vital role in ensuring the success and reliability of online presence. By understanding the various features and benefits outlined in this chapter, users can make informed decisions about their hosting needs and choose the best provider for their specific requirements.Features: Description of VPS Hosting Features
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting has become a popular choice for businesses and individuals alike due to its flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. In this chapter, we will delve into the various features that make VPS hosting an attractive option for those seeking a reliable and secure online presence.
1. Scalability
One of the primary advantages of VPS hosting is its scalability. With a VPS, you can easily scale up or down as your needs change, without having to worry about migrating to a new server or incurring additional costs. This feature is particularly useful for businesses that experience fluctuations in traffic or data storage needs.
2. Root Access
As a VPS user, you have full root access to your server, allowing you to customize and configure your server to meet your specific needs. This feature provides unparalleled flexibility and control, making it an attractive option for developers, programmers, and system administrators.
3. Dedicated Resources
Unlike shared hosting, where resources are shared among multiple users, VPS hosting provides dedicated resources to each user. This means that your server has its own CPU, RAM, and storage, ensuring that your website or application runs smoothly and efficiently.
4. Security
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Conclusion
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Benefits:
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Conclusion
Reseller hosting is a powerful tool for web professionals, allowing them to provide customized hosting solutions for their clients while still maintaining control over the hosting environment. By understanding the key features of reseller hosting, including control panels, sub-account management, resource allocation, billing and invoicing, security features, scalability and flexibility, and support and maintenance, resellers can provide high-quality hosting solutions for their clients.

Pricing Plans

Pricing Plans: Description of Shared Hosting Pricing Plans
As a leading provider of web hosting services, our company offers a range of pricing plans to cater to the diverse needs of our customers. In this chapter, we will delve into the details of our shared hosting pricing plans, highlighting the features and benefits of each plan.
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LESSON 153. In my defenselessness my safety lies.
You who feel threatened by this changing world, its twists of fortune and its bitter jests, its brief relationships and all the “gifts” it merely lends to take away again; attend this lesson well. The world provides no safety. It is rooted in attack, and all its “gifts” of seeming safety are illusory deceptions. It attacks, and then attacks again. No peace of mind is possible where danger threatens thus. The world gives rise but to defensiveness. For threat brings anger, anger makes attack seem reasonable, honestly provoked, and righteous in the name of self-defense. Yet is defensiveness a double threat. For it attests to weakness, and sets up a system of defense that cannot work. Now are the weak still further undermined, for there is treachery without and still a greater treachery within. The mind is now confused, and knows not where to turn to find escape from its imaginings.
It is as if a circle held it fast, wherein another circle bound it and another one in that, until escape no longer can be hoped for nor obtained. Attack, defense; defense, attack, become the circles of the hours and the days that bind the mind in heavy bands of steel with iron overlaid, returning but to start again. There seems to be no break nor ending in the ever-tightening grip of the imprisonment upon the mind.
Defenses are the costliest of all the prices which the ego would exact. In them lies madness in a form so grim that hope of sanity seems but to be an idle dream, beyond the possible. The sense of threat the world encourages is so much deeper, and so far beyond the frenzy and intensity of which you can conceive, that you have no idea of all the devastation it has wrought.
You are its slave. You know not what you do, in fear of it. You do not understand how much you have been made to sacrifice, who feel its iron grip upon your heart. You do not realize what you have done to sabotage the holy peace of God by your defensiveness. For you behold the Son of God as but a victim to attack by fantasies, by dreams, and by illusions he has made; yet helpless in their presence, needful only of defense by still more fantasies, and dreams by which illusions of his safety comfort him.
Defenselessness is strength. It testifies to recognition of the Christ in you. Perhaps you will recall the text maintains that choice is always made between Christ’s strength and your own weakness, seen apart from Him. Defenselessness can never be attacked, because it recognizes strength so great attack is folly, or a silly game a tired child might play, when he becomes too sleepy to remember what he wants.
Defensiveness is weakness. It proclaims you have denied the Christ and come to fear His Father’s anger. What can save you now from your delusion of an angry god, whose fearful image you believe you see at work in all the evils of the world? What but illusions could defend you now, when it is but illusions that you fight?
We will not play such childish games today. For our true purpose is to save the world, and we would not exchange for foolishness the endless joy our function offers us. We would not let our happiness slip by because a fragment of a senseless dream happened to cross our minds, and we mistook the figures in it for the Son of God; its tiny instant for eternity.
We look past dreams today, and recognize that we need no defense because we are created unassailable, without all thought or wish or dream in which attack has any meaning. Now we cannot fear, for we have left all fearful thoughts behind. And in defenselessness we stand secure, serenely certain of our safety now, sure of salvation; sure we will fulfill our chosen purpose, as our ministry extends its holy blessing through the world.
Be still a moment, and in silence think how holy is your purpose, how secure you rest, untouchable within its light. God’s ministers have chosen that the truth be with them. Who is holier than they? Who could be surer that his happiness is fully guaranteed? And who could be more mightily protected? What defense could possibly be needed by the ones who are among the chosen ones of God, by His election and their own as well?
It is the function of God’s ministers to help their brothers choose as they have done. God has elected all, but few have come to realize His Will is but their own. And while you fail to teach what you have learned, salvation waits and darkness holds the world in grim imprisonment. Nor will you learn that light has come to you, and your escape has been accomplished. For you will not see the light, until you offer it to all your brothers. As they take it from your hands, so will you recognize it as your own.
Salvation can be thought of as a game that happy children play. It was designed by One Who loves His children, and Who would replace their fearful toys with joyous games, which teach them that the game of fear is gone. His game instructs in happiness because there is no loser. Everyone who plays must win, and in his winning is the gain to everyone ensured. The game of fear is gladly laid aside, when children come to see the benefits salvation brings.
You who have played that you are lost to hope, abandoned by your Father, left alone in terror in a fearful world made mad by sin and guilt; be happy now. That game is over. Now a quiet time has come, in which we put away the toys of guilt, and lock our quaint and childish thoughts of sin forever from the pure and holy minds of Heaven’s children and the Son of God.
We pause but for a moment more, to play our final, happy game upon this earth. And then we go to take our rightful place where truth abides and games are meaningless. So is the story ended. Let this day bring the last chapter closer to the world, that everyone may learn the tale he reads of terrifying destiny, defeat of all his hopes, his pitiful defense against a vengeance he can not escape, is but his own deluded fantasy. God’s ministers have come to waken him from the dark dreams this story has evoked in his confused, bewildered memory of this distorted tale. God’s Son can smile at last, on learning that it is not true.
Today we practice in a form we will maintain for quite a while. We will begin each day by giving our attention to the daily thought as long as possible. Five minutes now becomes the least we give to preparation for a day in which salvation is the only goal we have. Ten would be better; fifteen better still. And as distraction ceases to arise to turn us from our purpose, we will find that half an hour is too short a time to spend with God. Nor will we willingly give less at night, in gratitude and joy.
Each hour adds to our increasing peace, as we remember to be faithful to the Will we share with God. At times, perhaps, a minute, even less, will be the most that we can offer as the hour strikes. Sometimes we will forget. At other times the business of the world will close on us, and we will be unable to withdraw a little while, and turn our thoughts to God.
Yet when we can, we will observe our trust as ministers of God, in hourly remembrance of our mission and His Love. And we will quietly sit by and wait on Him and listen to His Voice, and learn what He would have us do the hour that is yet to come; while thanking Him for all the gifts He gave us in the one gone by.
In time, with practice, you will never cease to think of Him, and hear His loving Voice guiding your footsteps into quiet ways, where you will walk in true defenselessness. For you will know that Heaven goes with you. Nor would you keep your mind away from Him a moment, even though your time is spent in offering salvation to the world. Think you He will not make this possible, for you who chose to carry out His plan for the salvation of the world and yours?
Today our theme is our defenselessness. We clothe ourselves in it, as we prepare to meet the day. We rise up strong in Christ, and let our weakness disappear, as we remember that His strength abides in us. We will remind ourselves that He remains beside us through the day, and never leaves our weakness unsupported by His strength. We call upon His strength each time we feel the threat of our defenses undermine our certainty of purpose. We will pause a moment, as He tells us, “I am here.”
Your practicing will now begin to take the earnestness of love, to help you keep your mind from wandering from its intent. Be not afraid nor timid. There can be no doubt that you will reach your final goal. The ministers of God can never fail, because the love and strength and peace that shine from them to all their brothers come from Him. These are His gifts to you. Defenselessness is all you need to give Him in return. You lay aside but what was never real, to look on Christ and see His sinlessness.

The profusion of identical green tents at this spring’s anti-Israel protests struck many as odd. “Why is everybody’s tent the same?,” asked New York mayor Eric Adams. Like others, the mayor suspected “a well-concerted organizing effort” driving the protests. More recent reporting shows a concerted push behind the Gaza protest movement. But it is not as simple as a single organization secretly rallying protesters or buying tents. Instead, the movement’s most determined activists represent a network of loosely linked far-left groups. Some are openly affiliated with well-known progressive nonprofits; others work in the shadows.
The movement also draws on diverse but generous sources of financial backing. Those funding streams may soon be augmented by the federal government. As I chronicled last year in a Manhattan Institute report, “The Big Squeeze: How Biden’s Environmental Justice Agenda Hurts the Economy and the Environment,” the administration’s massive program of environmental justice grants seems designed to prioritize the funding of highly ideological local groups. The Inflation Reduction Act, for example, earmarks $3 billion for “environmental and climate justice block grants” intended for local nonprofits. Today, hundreds of far-left political groups include language about environmental issues and “climate justice” in their mission statements. If just a fraction of planned grants flows to such groups, the effect will be a gusher of new funding for radical causes.
As the Gaza protests spread across U.S. college campuses, many observers noted an eerie uniformity among them. From one campus to the next, protesters operated in disciplined cadres, keeping their faces covered and using identical rote phrases as they refused to talk with reporters. The Atlantic noted the strangeness of seeing elite college students “chanting like automatons.” Students held up keffiyeh scarves or umbrellas to block the view of prying cameras and linked arms to halt the movements of outsiders. At Columbia University and elsewhere, protesters formed “liberated zones,” from which “Zionists” were excluded. Around the edges of the encampments, the more militaristic activists donned helmets and goggles and carried crude weapons, apparently eager to mix it up with police or counter-protesters. We’ve seen these tactics before—notably during the “mostly peaceful” Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, when full-time agitators helped ignite riots, set up a police-free (and violence-plagued) zone in Seattle, and laid nightly siege to Portland, Oregon’s federal courthouse.
In a remarkable work of reporting, Park MacDougald recently traced the tangled roots of organizations backing pro-jihad protests, both on and off campuses. These include Antifa and other networks of anonymous anarchists, along with “various communist and Marxist-Leninist groups, including the Maoist Revolutionary Communist Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and the International ANSWER coalition,” MacDougald writes. Higher up the food chain, we find groups openly supported by America’s growing class of super-rich tech execs or the anti-capitalist heirs of great fortunes. For example, retired tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, who is married to Code Pink founder Jodie Evans, funds The People’s Forum, a lavish Manhattan resource center for far-left groups. As the Columbia protests intensified, the center urged members to head uptown to “support our students.” Following the money trail of other protest groups, MacDougald finds connections to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Ford Foundation, and—surprising no one—the George Soros-backed Tides Foundation.
Of course, the current wave of anti-Israel protests also involves alliances with pro-Hamas organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine. Last November, Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies testified to the House Ways and Means Committee that SJP and similar groups have deep ties to global terrorist organizations, including Hamas.
For many keffiyeh-wearing protestors, however, a recently professed concern for Palestinians is just the latest in a long list of causes they believe justify taking over streets and college quads. In Unherd, Mary Harrington dubs this medley of political beliefs the “omnicause,” writing that “all contemporary radical causes seem somehow to have been absorbed into one.” Today’s leftist activists share an interlocking worldview that sees racism, income inequality, trans intolerance, climate change, alleged police violence, and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts all as products of capitalism and “colonialism.” Therefore, the stated rationale for any individual protest is a stand-in for the real battle: attacking Western society and its institutions.
In the U.S., this type of general-purpose uprising goes back at least to the riots at the 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle. In those protests, mainstream liberal factions—including labor unions and environmentalists—were joined by “black bloc” anarchists and other radicals eager to engage in “direct action” against police. That pattern—relatively moderate demonstrators providing a friendly envelope for hard-core disruptors—formed the template for many later protests: the Occupy Wall Street encampments in 2011, demonstrations following the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014, 2016’s Standing Rock anti-pipeline movement, and of course, the calamitous summer of 2020.
These uprisings were not entirely spontaneous. In some cases, activists spend months planning mass actions—for example, against economic summits or political conventions—and can recruit street fighters from across the country. In others, an event, such as George Floyd’s death, sparks popular protests involving neophyte demonstrators. Those attract far-left activists, who swoop in to organize and expand the struggle, often tilting it toward more radical action.
That has certainly been the case at the college Gaza-paloozas. At Columbia, the New York Times spotted a woman old enough to be a student’s grandmother in the thick of the action as protesters barricaded that school’s Hamilton Hall. The woman was 63-year-old Lisa Fithian, a lifetime activist, who Portland’s alternative weekly Street Roots approvingly calls “a trainer of mass rebellion.” A counter-protester trying to block the pro-Hamas demonstrators told NBC News, “She was right in the middle of it, instructing them how to better set up the barriers.” Fithian told the Times she’d been invited to train students in protest safety and “general logistics.” She claims to have taken part in almost every major U.S. protest movement going back to the 1999 “Battle in Seattle.”
America’s radical network has plenty of Lisa Fithians, with the time and resources to travel the country educating newcomers about the “logistics” of disruptive protests. And these activists appear to have played key roles in the college occupations. The New York City Police Department says nearly half the demonstrators arrested on the Columbia and City University of New York (CUNY) campuses on April 30 were not affiliated with the schools. One hooded Hamilton Hall occupier—photographed scuffling with a Columbia custodian before getting arrested—turned out to be 40-year-old James Carlson, heir to a large advertising fortune. According to the New York Post, Carlson lives in a $2.3 million Park Slope townhouse and has a long rap sheet. For example, in 2005, he was arrested in San Francisco during the violent “West Coast Anti-Capitalist Mobilization and March Against the G8.” (Those charges were dropped.)
For a quarter-century now, Antifa and other anarchist networks have worked to refine tactics and share lessons following each major action. At Columbia, UCLA, and other schools, authorities found printouts of a “Do-It Yourself Occupation Guide” and similar documents. The young campus radicals are eager to learn from their more experienced elders. And, like the high-achieving students they are, they follow directions carefully. MacDougald asked Kyle Shideler, the director for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, about the mystery of the identical tents. There was no need for a central group to distribute hundreds of tents, Shideler said. Instead, “the organizers told [students] to buy a tent, and sent around a Google Doc with a link to that specific tent on Amazon. So they all went out and bought the same tent.”
In other words, America’s radical class has gotten very skilled at recruiting and instructing new activists—even from among the ranks of elite college students with a good deal to lose. How much more could this movement accomplish with hundreds of millions in federal dollars flooding activist groups around the country?
From its first week in office, the Biden administration has trumpeted its goal to funnel more environmental spending toward “disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized,” partly by issuing grants to grassroots organizations. Previous environmental justice (EJ) grant programs were small in scope. But, with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022, a huge pool of grant money became available. EPA administrator Michael Regan told reporters, “We’re going from tens of thousands of dollars to developing and designing a program that will distribute billions.”
More than a year and a half later, it remains hard to nail down just where the Biden administration’s billions in EJ grants will wind up. Money is being distributed through a confusing variety of programs, and the process of identifying recipients is ongoing. To help outsource the job of sifting through proposals, the EPA last year designated 11 institutions as “Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.” These groups are empowered to make subgrants directly to community organizations, under streamlined EPA oversight. In all, the Biden administration has entrusted these outfits with distributing a staggering $600 million in funding. The money is expected to start flowing this summer.
The EPA’s grantmakers include a number of educational institutions and left-leaning nonprofits. For example, the EPA chose Fordham University as its lead grantmaker in the New York region. Fordham, in turn, lists as partners two nonprofits that oppose immigration enforcement. (One, the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, states on its website: “NJAIJ believes in the human right to migrate, regardless of citizenship or political status.”) Neither group claims expertise in environmental issues. Given that the IRA’s eligibility requirements for EJ grants are extremely vague, however, perhaps that’s not a problem. Almost any activity that could help “spur economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities” (in the words of Biden’s EJ executive order) might qualify.
Perhaps the most prominent—and problematic—EPA grantmaker is the Berkeley, California-based Climate Justice Alliance. The CJA is a consortium of mostly far-left activist groups. It describes its mission as working for “regenerative economic solutions and ecological justice—under a framework that challenges capitalism and both white supremacy and hetero-patriarchy.” The group is a vigorous proponent of the omnicause, embracing almost every left-wing concern as a manifestation of climate change. For example, the CJA website proclaims: “The path to climate justice travels through a free Palestine.” MacDougald notes that the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, one of CJA’s affiliated groups, “organized an illegal anti-Israel protest in the Capitol Rotunda in December at which more than 50 activists were arrested.”
The CJA website also includes a section dedicated to the cause known as Stop Cop City. It refers to an effort to halt the construction of an 85-acre police and firefighter training center outside Atlanta. Rag-tag activists from around the country have gathered around the facility since 2021. They have repeatedly battled with police—sometimes with fireworks and Molotov cocktails—and used bolt cutters to enter the site and torch construction equipment. (CJA’s Stop Cop City page features a cartoon illustration of three childlike activists; one brandishes bolt cutters.) The group also backs a legal defense fund for activists arrested in attacks on the training center or in other protests. For those looking for more inspiration, CJA links to an interview with former Black Panther and self-described revolutionary Angela Davis.
The Alliance is not an ideological outlier in Biden’s EJ coalition. On the contrary, when the White House assembled its White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC), a panel of outside experts meant to provide “horizon-expanding EJ advice and recommendations,” it chose CJA co-chair Elizabeth Yeampierre to help lead the committee. Like other members of the panel, she sees environmental issues through an ideological, not a scientific, lens. “Climate change is the result of a legacy of extraction, of colonialism, of slavery,” Yeampierre told Yale Environment 360. As a group, radical EJ activists tend not to focus on pragmatic ways to reduce pollution and carbon emissions; for them, the real goal is overturning what they see as an exploitative economic and political system. Since these are the voices the White House chose to help shape its EJ policies, we can assume this worldview will dominate grantmaking decisions.
In February 2023, House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, along with fellow committee member Pat Fallon, wrote to EPA administrator Regan asking for more information on the EPA’s grant programs. They noted that the EPA’s own studies of EJ grants issued in previous years showed sloppy supervision. According to an EPA report, an earlier version of the program funded projects that did “not logically lead to the desired environmental and/or public health [result].” Without better oversight and more clearly defined goals, the congressmen wrote, the EPA’s EJ grant machine risks becoming simply a “slush fund for far-left organizations.”
Since then, the administration has done little to reassure skeptics. To the contrary, the EPA has put at least one far-left organization—CJA—in charge of distributing $50 million in grant money. No doubt, many of the EPA grants will go to worthwhile projects. But money is fungible. A group that gets a large grant to, say, clean up dirty parks or teach children about recycling will also be able to hire more staff and divert more resources to political action.
With graduation behind them, most of the anti-Israel college protesters have stowed away their keffiyehs and moved on to summer vacations or internships. But the peripatetic activists who helped guide and intensify those uprisings are doubtless already planning their next actions. After all, two political conventions are looming. This fall, the college protests will likely flare up again, though by then perhaps focused on a different facet of the omnicause. And, with hundreds of millions in fresh funding flowing through the activist ecosystem, the groups that quietly nurture extremists—like those who firebombed “Cop City,” or who chant “Intifada Revolution!,” or who block bridges in the name of “climate”—will be more emboldened than ever.
A Slush Fund for Radical Protesters? City Journal (city-journal.org)
​

For anyone who wants to see how things began.
https://www.reddit.com/HFY/s/S97b2fqIjx
“In what universe would I ever do you a favor? “ I say, sweeping the floor of the reinforced barn.
“It’s not a favor, it’s a trade, bud.
What do you want in return? “ Trenchcoat asks from within the coffin-like cage.
“To be back home, 8 months ago. “ I reply.
Over the past few weeks I’ve managed to integrate myself into the day to day life on the farm. Things are still a grim, horrifying slog, but with every day it gets a bit easier to deal with.
“Give me something I can do. “ The creature pleads.
“Why, so I can wind up on the end of another ‘ Gotcha’ moment? I’m good. “ is my answer.
A few minutes of silence go by, Augustus breaks it.
“I don’t know many secrets of the universe. Facts, not really my bag. But I know a couple.
How about I share one with you?
No one, not the pope, not my brother, not the shit-bird perched on the highest branch of my twisted family tree, knows what happens when you die.
Some of us never will, of course. Others have ways of avoiding it, but at the end of the day, when the lights truly go out, we know next to nothing.
We do know one thing though. There is judgement, by who? Who knows? Why? Not important.
But at the end of the day, if your battery can’t be recharged, you really want to be thinking about how many marks are on each side of the ledger. “
I don’t reply, and for the next hour or so I ignore the pleading and hinting Trenchcoat does.
But that night, as I sip acidic tea, and try to get a handle on how in the fuck old televisions function, his offer is at the forefront of my mind.
He wants to kill, specifically 6 teenagers who, according to him, have been murdering classmates yearly in a twisted ritual.
He wants me to think this is some kind of noble act, he frames it as almost superheroic. The evil prick knows how I feel, knows that I see the blood on my hands every day, and would kill ( possibly literally) for some way to atone.
Is it a play? I honestly don’t think so, something about how eager the twisted thing is, about how he’s treating the situation as a buyer’s market makes me think something about this makes it important to him.
He offers me everything besides safety and protection. I’m desperate for help, but I have no way to hold him to any agreement.
So the thought rolls around in my mind, staving off the few hours of sleep I get.
“Okay, so, I have it on good authority that tea is supposed to taste better over here. What the hell is wrong with this? “ I say, sitting around an outside table with Sylvia, Dafydd and Colin.
Sylvia smiles, “ Barium, calcium, and a touch of castor oil. “
I look at the brew, then at her.
“If I had told you when you got here you need to drink that to mitigate the effects of working with void touched objects and creatures, you’d have assumed the worst, and found a way to avoid drinking it.
Good to see you becoming more perceptive though. “ Sylvia explains.
“That’s called paranoia, Syl. “ I reply.
She laughs, lighting a cigarette.
“Do you know why I’ve let you figure things out on your own? “ The ancient woman asks.
“Accepted? Yes. Understood, not in the slightest. “ I answer, wondering what sadist invented the scone.
“It’s because I need a leader. Someone who can understand, not a boy who puts his head down and listens to orders.
Someone who can make their own decisions when the time comes.
And I think that time is coming soon. “ Her statement feels like a question.
“If I chose to be here I’d be honored.” I counter.
“That attitude on the other hand… needs work.
Nikolas, today, we talk about what’s really going on.
We play a role in a much larger organization, us, and other families like us, are the ‘boots on the ground’ so to speak.
Our job is not to capture creatures, or horde esoteric goods. We do not foil the schemes of demons, nor blind those who look too deeply into the abyss.
We’re given information about events that could steer the path of humanity into a brick wall. And our job is to make sure they don’t happen. “ Sylvia reveals.
“Something is happening with these fights? “ I ask.
“As I said, perceptive.
Yes, it could be next week, it could be in a decade or two. Right now, we know very little about it, other than when it happens, it would be in our best interests to be of a high standing in the pits. “ She replies.
I absorb the information, and t drug laced tea in equal measure. As I do, I feel something, I feel I’m a part of what’s going on.
This is going to sound dumb as hell, but up until this point I hadn’t been taking things seriously. Don’t get me wrong, death is on the table, and I was trying to avoid that. But I was just treading water, hoping something or someone came by and to get me out of this situation.
But as Syl lays things out, I start to think of my place here, what I can be doing to better my state.
“Here is the part where you avoid telling me why you couldn’t have used anyone around here. “ I prod.
I keep her gaze, Colin and Dafydd shift uncomfortably.
“Augustus, he’s a tricky one. But a very lucky find for us.
I’ve tried 2 others. A boy and a girl, both I practically raised.
Marco, he was a warrior. But the demon got in his head. There was nothing that could be done beyond end his suffering.
Zelma, I won’t talk about.
That thing, it has a way of turning someone’s best traits against them. You, are a blank slate, but you’re family. You’re my best guess as to how we can use him to our advantage.
And this is why I need you, not to listen, but to understand. To see what’s happening, and make your own decisions. If I were to give you my knowledge, if I were to arm you with the best weapons, and the most powerful esoteric objects I know. He’d just have more to turn against you. “ Sylvia’s revelation scares me and puts a massive weight on my shoulders all at the same time.
Confidence and fear are both dangerous emotions. The two of them are almost like drugs in a way.
After eight months of mainlining fear, the tiny line of confidence Sylvia gave me, went straight to my head.
Trenchcoat told me where to find a video file. And after a couple of weeks of running it through every possible test I could, to check for any kind of manipulation, supernatural or otherwise, I watched it.
I was confident that the world would be much better off without the people committing the vicious acts contained in those twenty minutes of footage.
A teenage view of morality, I admit. But what do you want, I’m a teenager.
We watch the abandoned house from across the street. It’s a dingy, urban blight affected suburb, that being said, how no one seems to notice the seven foot freak with me, I have no idea.
The kid inside smoking stolen cigarettes and illegally supplied booze is a husky young guy of about 14. The half dozen kids that show up a couple hours later look closer to my age, last couple of years of high school I’m guessing.
The way they get into the house tells me they’ve done this before. The backpacks they all carry tell me they’re there for a purpose.
“How fucking funny would it be if I just killed you here and took off? “ Trenchcoat says, looming behind me.
I tense.
“It’s a joke. Out of my whole rotten family, Art and I, are close. I’m not going anywhere.
Unfortunately for you. “ Trenchcoat shoves me to the ground as he walks toward the house.
We get in through a basement window, I fit easily, Trenchcoat contorts his body to fit through the thin opening, somehow doing so silently.
I keep hearing Sylvia in my head. Telling me how she needs someone that can make his own decisions.
As I stand in the litter strewn basement, beside a creature with child murder on it’s mind I question the decision that I made.
At first the illumination is dim, nothing more than scraps of moonlight filtered through splintered wood. But with an industrial click, suddenly a half dozen lightbulbs bathe the basement in harsh, yellowish light.
Harsh, but not harsh enough to cause the reaction I see from Trenchcoat.
He squints and tries, unsuccessfully to turn away from the lights. Something about them is causing him discomfort. I get my hopes up for a moment he’s going to burst into flame or turn into dust or something, but no dice.
The sight of the walking nightmare looking pained and confused makes me panic. But before I can think of how I fucked up, I hear a voice.
The room, by the sounds of it, the entire house, has been rigged with speakers. Cleverly recessed in sconces and corners.
“Augi, long time no see. And I see you brought a little Renfield fella with you. “ The voice is modulated, Trenchcoat looks curious for a moment.
“Who, is this? You that clown that’s been fucking with Art?” He guesses.
The voice laughs, “Nope.
Who I am, is a guy who managed to find a few boxes of lightbulbs from ’93.
Then again, with eBay, that could make me just about anyone. “
Trenchcoat turns and looks toward the window we came in. He reaches a hand toward it, stopping a few inches away.
“That’s fucking interesting. “ He says, eyes darting around the room.
“Isn’t it though? “ The voice replies, clearly hearing the creature’s whisper, “ Tonight you get the pay for centuries of the worst shit committed by man or beast. I’ve made sure of that. No one in this house is going anywhere for the next 8 hours.
I’m sure the rest of the houseguests are pretty confused as to what’s going on. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, so let me give you the Cliff’s notes.
You kids have been killing a monster a year for half a decade. You were the perfect bait, and I have faith you’ll be able to outwit Augi long enough to make it out of here.
If not, you’ll still have helped kill one of the worst things to walk the face of the earth. “
“What the hell is he talking about? “ I ask, a sinking feeling in my gut.
“That’s what you’re worried about right now?
Yeah, these kids are more Scooby gang than Manson family. Don’t blame me for the fact it only took an out of context exorcism video and some promises of making things right with the universe to get you on board with killing them. “ Trenchcoat spits.
I feel afraid, stupid and small. Which is to say, lately, business as usual.
I begin to break lightbulbs, I notice no runes, or anything else that would indicate they have any kind of supernatural origin.
As the basement dims, Trenchcoat starts to breathe easier.
“What’s going on, what stopped you from leaving? “ I ask.
“This little shit is playing The Game. “ Trenchcoat says to himself as much as to me. He looks deep in thought, inspecting the glass from the bulbs.
“What are you talking about? “ I say, my voice cracking slightly.
I hear noises upstairs, frantic foot falls. Indecipherable shouting.
Trenchcoat turns to me, exasperated and filled with anger.
“You’ve heard of ‘Rules’ right? All that ‘Don’t turn left on East street at 3:24 am kind of shit? “ The creature starts, “More and more of them popping up lately. Can’t miss the things.
Well, your kind seems great at finding them, but fucking awful at figuring out what they are. It’s not someone’s new job, or creepy school. The answer is so damned simple, but all of you’ve missed it.
It's a game. It’s, The Game.
It’s ran by the thickest branches of my family tree, and the stakes are high enough even I don’t really understand.
And whoever has us here, he’s weaponized it. The crazy fuck. “
“Call on your family for help then. “ I say, starting to deal with the fear and confusion.
“You first. “ Is Trenchcoat’s reply.
I get his point, and for a twisted, shitty moment, I find myself relating to the murderous thing I’ve been saddled with.
“So what’s the plan? “ I ask.
“Get my hands on whoever’s been stalking me. Between A and B, probably kill those little do-gooders upstairs out of spite.
I need you to circumvent rules we come across. Humans need to agree to follow the rules, it’s why people encounter them in jobs and schools so much. I’m not human, if you haven’t noticed. I don’t get a choice. “ I’m shaking my head as Augustus relates his plan.
“We’re not hurting those kids. “ I say defiantly.
“I’m sure you’ll have no problem with that.
But I’m a God damned child killing monster, bud! How long is that going to take to sink the fuck in?
Me not doing what I do, isn’t like giving up smokes. Think of it like not having a slash for months on end. Sooner or later, like it or not, I’m either finding a bathroom or pissing my pants. “ the rant scares me, but it makes me think.
Something about Augustus, it seems very, 90’s. Whoever was on the speakers was talking about the lightbulbs being from ’93. I’m picking up on a very distinct pattern.
I file that information with the rest of the disconnected lore I’ve managed to find on Trenchcoat as I follow him up the steep, narrow set of stairs.
He whips the thin wood door open, taking an aggressive, lurching step into the livingroom beyond. Surely ready to dispense too far quips and limitless violence, as per usual.
But that doesn’t happen, his rage filled scowl turns into a look of resignation, “Fuck”, is the monster’s last word before he disappears.
I cautiously walk up the loose splinter ridden stairs, expecting Augustus to be waiting around the corner, or engaged in combat with some other horror.
But once I get to the top, there’s nothing more sinister than a livingroom covered in dust and graffiti strewn with old bottles and new stains.
I know my chance when I see it. The particle board sealing the bay window is rotten, the glass long since broken.
No monster, no crazy family, I’ll take my chances with the streets of the U. K.
I tap the crumbling wood with a foot, it rattles, it won’t take much to make a hole.
I line up a kick, freedom no more than a quarter inch of rotten wood away.
“I wouldn’t do that. “ Says a voice behind me, male, around my age I’d guess, but with a confidence that makes me listen, “ Rigged with a load of C4 in the window frame.
Don’t take my word for it, guy wasn’t very subtle. ”
Sure enough, I see small wires running along the edges of the frame and embedded in the particle board.
I turn around, the six people standing in front of me have a vibe I can only describe as severe.
“Are we going to have issues? “ a slight, dark skinned guy asks.
“You making threats? “ I reply.
“No, he isn’t. “ it’s the same voice that warned me about the explosives. It belongs to a squared jawed kid with short black hair, he’s wearing a grey hoodie, and separates himself from the group. “ Call me Kent, and I’m in charge of making threats.
Sid, he’s our people person, he’s just trying to see if you’re someone we need to worry about. “
“We don’t have time to figure this kid out, leave him. “ a short, ginger girl says.
“Ami, why don’t I stay out of equipment, and you and Kent let me figure this kid out?” Sid says.
“I’m Nik. “ I volunteer.
“Good to meet you Nik. “ Sid says, walking around Kent, “Didn’t mean to start things off on the wrong foot.
We’ve just gotten used to doing these kinds of things in our own way over the past bit. We get a little… weird around this time of year if I’m being honest. “
I nod, apprehensive at giving any kind of detailed response.
“Derik” says a tall, pale guy, “ Research. “
“Liam. “ a tanned boy in a flannel shirt and deep blue jeans tells me, “ Oxford doesn’t talk, accident a couple of years back. I’m logistics, he figures spooky shit out. “
Oxford is thin and bald, his face looks much older than it should. Like he’s the victim of some kind of wasting disease.
Telling these kids the truth would be, complicated. And something about their war vet demeanor, makes me want to keep things simple.
So I give them a version of the truth. One where I was plucked from my room by Trenchcoat, and brought here for a slow death.
They buy it. I think.
“Well, I don’t know what this Jigsaw wannabe has planned, but trust me when I say, it can’t be much worse than the things we’ve went through. “ Kent says, trying to be reassuring.
“Just, one more thing. “ Sid begins, “ Why all the scars? “
I know I’ve won most of the group over, but I don’t like the look Sid is giving me.
“Work on a farm, on top of that, the family owns an auction. Lots of bent steel and splinters, what can I say? “ I say, trying to sound casual.
“Fair enough, that accent though. “ Sid’s look becomes almost predatory as he talks.
“Immigration my guy. What’s with the third degree? “ I reply.
“We’ve just met and I’ve only asked three questions.
Humor me here though.
You get taken in the night by that thing that winked out of existence.
Seems pretty nice of him to let you put on shoes. “ Sid lets his statement hang.
Kent turns, I don’t like where this is going. Panic and fear start to well up.
“What’re you thinking Sid? “ Kent asks.
“Kid’s lying. But he’s good at it. “ Sid answers.
“You saying this has turned into a, me, situation? “ Kent’s question starts a deep pit in my stomach.
“I don’t know if we need to go that far. But I don’t like the idea of him having seen our faces. I think this is a Liam situation. “ As Sid says this I look to Liam, who already seems deep in thought.
“Local cops will back our story, but he could go beyond them.
We tie him up until all of this is done, and we get some video of him putting a blade into the body upstairs. He goes telling any stories, it’s us and the locals versus some Yank on video stabbing the kid. “ Liam suggests.
I tried to fight, it went, embarrassingly. Kent had me on the ground in some kind of arm lock in about a second.
I’m bound to an old wooden chair with electrical cords, dragged into a room on the second floor where the chubby kid from before lays face down in a coagulated pool of his own blood. Surrounded by the trappings of misspent youth.
The door locks, and I stare at the corpse, wondering what in the hell went on up here, and in what universe are these psychopaths anything other than what they seemed on screen.
Time becomes almost malleable. I’m terrified to the point where every moment seems to stretch out forever.
Then, I hear it. A wet, organic noise. It starts below the body, and slowly starts to spread.
After a minute or two, the body starts to jerk and twitch. The room is dim as hell, but some kind of ropey, flesh-like substance, is sealing off the door.
I watch as the corpse clumsily gets to it’s feet. It’s skin pale, it’s throat slit to the point of near decapitation.
The head falls backward, obscenely with a small spurt of thick blood.
I scream, I thought I’d been getting used to being face to face with monsters. But fully bound, inches away from a kid that seems to be filled with a twisting mass of barbed, writhing, intestine like tentacles, I realize I’m not used to shit.
The ropey mass forms the barest suggestion of features, a shifting, lumpen mass of ever moving tendrils coming from what used to be the kid’s neck.
The sound spreads more, cracks in the floorboards and walls begin to show hints of the tendrils filling them in like spray foam.
No one is hearing my screams, or if they are, they have no interest in helping.
Ever wonder how you’d handle torture? I think if you’re the kind of person to be reading this, it’s likely you have.
I started by pissing myself.
The second the thin tendril touches my hand, I feel a blinding, flensing pain. I can do nothing but watch, as thousands of nearly hair thin spines tear and consume my flesh. As it slowly, almost, curiously makes it’s way up my arm, it leaves a bloodless, scarred furrow about an eighth of an inch deep.
My second reaction was to lose any pretense at defiance or dignity. I thrash and scream, beg and offer. All of this turning into choked sobs as the thing starts to do much of the same with another tendril.
It felt like I was in hell, every inch of me nothing more than a canvas for this artist of misery.
But pain, it can only go so far. Whether we’re talking about my tolerance, or this thing’s interest.
Mutilation, the brutal wedding of pain and loss. That was it’s next step.
A thick, almost centipede like tendril sits on my pinky like a hot iron. I can only watch in horror as I see fat, then muscle, then bone, then, nothing.
My voice shreds, I tear my wrists and ankles trying desperately to break the expertly tied wires.
My mind is at the breaking point, the creature in front of my makes a terrible, high pitched keening I assume is laughter.
My body is a roadmap of scarred pits and lines. My hand sports a cleanly severed finger. Fuck me, I wish things ended there.
Of all the important parts of the human body, the eye, tends to feel the least pain. Which isn’t to say, as I watched the greedy, grasping claws slowly take pieces of one of mine, it didn’t hurt, but the worst part, was knowing what was happening.
The vision in my left eye begins to distort at first, the edges getting blurry, then going dark. Bit by bit, chunk by irreplaceable chunk, the creature takes half my vision.
I can feel the shifting air on the bare socket, to call what I’m doing screaming, would be understating things to the point of absurdity.
My brain reels at what has just happened. I can feel my grip on reality begin to loosen, pain, worse than can bare, loss of half my sight, it’s too much.
My brain feels filled with static, for a few brief moments I swear, I can hear someone, a voice, trying to tell me something.
But then, a smell hits me. Something so foul, so alien, it yanks me back from the brink of disassociation. I gag and choke, as the air becomes thick with the rotten, chemical reek.
Then, I see it, I see, him.
As randomly as he disappeared, in an instant Trenchcoat is in the room.
He’s torn apart, wounds so deep and ragged, I can see the door on the other side of the room through the worst of them.
One arm is a twisted, broken mess, the flesh jacket torn to shreds of necrotic tissue.
The look on his face is panic, paranoia. A rictus grin of someone that has been kept on his toes for entirely too long.
He trembles and heaves, looking like he could fall over at any second.
He points his good arm at the tendril creature, who I notice has a too familiar eye suspended in it’s shifting features.
“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about the motherfucker who just made me kill my favorite cousin, would you? “ Trenchcoat asks, his voice cracked, and strained.
He gets a confused keening in response.
“Bad day for you then. “ Augustus says.
There is no style to his violence, Trenchcoat grabs the shifting mass, his wicked, claw tipped fingers angling themselves in tendrils. As he lifts the thing, floorboards break, and it’s torn free from the root-like system it was creating in the room.
Three brutal slams cover me in ichor and pieces of creature. Trenchcoat tosses the mewling, twitching pile in a corner and looks at me with disgust.
“You let that thing do this to you? Fuckin’ pathetic, bud.
And who tied you up? “ The nightmare I’ve been cursed with chides me.
“The kids downstairs. “ I say only now realizing I’ve still been sobbing.
One handed, Trenchcoat snaps the wires, then stumbles backward, slowly sliding down the wall.
He coughs, grey, bloody phlegm hitting the ground.
“So, what’s the play here? If this shit broke you, I could use the spare parts, if not, well, you know what the Bible says.
An eye for an eye. “ Trenchcoat grins as he talks, nearly on the brink of death.
And that’s where I think I’m going to leave things. Because, honestly I don’t know what I’m choosing.
I’m mutilated, half blind, using too much of my energy typing to strangers online about things because, I’m so fucking alone here.
If you hear from me again, I hope I made the right move. If not, take this as a lesson on what happens when you screw around with the occult.