Just published two volumes of coloring books for adults, thought I'd share them here, if anyone is interested:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C72JWYD9
Here's the description:

Have Fun and Relax with 50 Unique Animal Mandala Coloring Pages!

Our animal mandala coloring book, volume 1 is a wonderful way to show your love of animals while your stress fades away. Each animal features stylized patterns which allow you to effortlessly fill pages with any of your favorite colors and produce a stunning image.
You get to color a variety of fun animal designs from all across the animal kingdom. We have included alligator, armadillo, bear, buffalo, camel, cheetah, chimpanzee, cow, crab, deer, dog, donkey, eagle, elephant, ferret, fox, giraffe, groundhog, hippopotamus, horse, ibex, jaguar, koala, leopard, lion, lobster, meerkat, mouse, orangutan, otter, panda, parrot, peacock, pig, polar bear, python, rabbit, raccoon, rat, rhinoceros, salamander, shark, sloth, sparrow, stork, tiger, toucan, weasel, wild boar and wombat. You can color each animal with realistic colors or let your imagination run wild and use whichever colors you choose!

A Product You Will Love

Coloring is a wonderful hobby and a great way to have fun and relax. The BOOP Maket brand coloring books come in a variety of themes and look awesome, so we have something for everyone to enjoy.

Great for All Skill Levels

BOOP Market books can be enjoyed whether you are a beginner or expert. Color each page however you want, there is no wrong way to color, and no artistic talent or experience is required.

Use Your Favorite Supplies

The BOOP Market coloring books are compatible with colored pencils, markers, gel pens, and crayons. Choose any colors you can imagine – from conventional color schemes to something super creative!

Single-sided Pages

Every image is placed on its own page so you never have to worry about bleed-through. The name of the animal is on the back of the page for easy identification, and is in light gray color, so it does not show on the front, where the image is.

Makes a Wonderful Gift

Our books are great for Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays, and any special occasion.

More Coloring Books Available

Animal Mandala Coloring Book, Volume 2. 50 more animals to color! Also, other books are coming!

https://imgur.com/a/hEwoS8P
I am currently getting rid of all of my accumulated BSD doujinshi that I’ve collected over the years. All books are in G5 condition or above (mint). Honoring the wishes of the authors, I am not here to sell, but to give away. However, I will expect payment for full calculated shipping fee. I will ship to anywhere so long as it is legal and possible. The list is by author below. If you’re interested, send me a DM and I’ll preview you the full photo of the product of interest:
008
Yume Kokyuu (DazaixChuuya)
AKA.MIKAN
VALENCIA INDIVIDUAL SERIES Vier Sechs Sieben Acht Neun Zehn Zehn (mint condition) Elf Zwolf Dreizehn Vierzehn Funfzehn Sechzehn Siebzehn Achtzehn Neunzehn Zwanzig Einundzwanzig Zweiundzwanzig (mint condition) Dreiundzwanzig (mint condition) Vierundzwanzig (mint condition) Sechsundzwanzig (mint condition)
VALENCIA OMNIBUS COMPILATION SERIES OMNIBUS 123 OMNIBUS 456 OMNIBUS 89 OMNIBUS 10-13 OMNIBUS 14-15 OMINIBUS 16-19 OMNIBUS 20-23 OMNIBUS 24-26 (mint condition) OMINIBUS 27-29
APOEPOCOMPANY
Bitter Trap (DazaixChuuya) Escort (DazaixChuuya) Escort (DazaixChuuya) (mint condition) Chima! (DazaixChuuya) 16 (DazaixChuuya)
CAMONASU
Bungo Stray Dogs Fanbook #5 (ChuuyaxDazai)
DENPATOU
The Gift For You Is World (DazaixChuuya) Moody Dogs (DazaixChuuya) Moody Dogs 2 (DazaixChuuya) Moody Dogs 2 (DazaixChuuya) Re Denaptou R-18 (DazaixChuuya)
HINANO
Midnight Rhapsody (DazaixChuuya) Kosa suru sokyokusen no mukogawa (DazaixChuuya)
KASHIKI
Iolite (DazaixChuuya) Sono te no naru hou he (DazaixChuuya)
KINBUNYA: ASAGI
Bokura no sekai (DazaixChuuya) Natsu no hitotoki (DazaixChuuya) Nevertheless (DazaixChuuya) Toumei na mirai (DazaixChuuya)
MASAKA
Sutenaide (AkutagawaxAtushi)
NIBOSHI
Bungou Stray Dogs Gag Web Rog (201803-201904)
NEDOKO
Unhappy Birthday (DazaixChuuya)
SHION ASAGIRI
Bad Daybreak (DazaixChuuya) Renri no utage (DazaixChuuya)
SIU
Beast Chuuya short story Bitter Bitter Chocolate (DazaixChuuya) Nioi no ato (DazaixChuuya) Wagamama Notokken (DazaixChuuya) Yakusoku no en ha mou nai (Beginning) (DazaixChuuya) Yakusoku no en ha mou nai (End) (DazaixChuuya)
TANOSHI_NA!
Anoyoto Konotono Kuchizuke ((DazaixChuuya)
YUNEHARA YOSHINO Zansyo ni mimau kakushigoto (DazaixChuuya)
COLLABORATION WORKS
Moshimo (Presented by Tanoshi_na!...and Furodaikoku) (DazaixChuuya)

Hi all;
I'm currently in the process of picking a new TV. The only issue I have is I'm limited to a UK store called John Lewis as the bulk of the purchase is being made using vouchers we got as gifts from our wedding a year ago.
I had originally settled on either the LG 55NANO766QA or the LG55QNED816QA, but after browsing this sub for about 2 minutes, apparently these aren't worth the money.
Could anyone suggest a TV from here (https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/electricals/televisions/view-all-tvs/_/N-6srf) that would be best. Price limit is £700 and would prefer 55 or 60". Viewing distance is ~3m.
Any advice would be appreciated 👍🏻

The first time you want to buy a laptop Sleeves, you have to look at the size. The laptop must fit well, and the cover should not be too tight (then the zipper could, for example, get caught in the laptop's ports), but not too wide, because otherwise the laptop would "play" through the cover and risk being exposed to accidents.\
Ideally, you can find a case specially designed for your laptop model. Brands like Dell and HP often offer special covers for the laptops they sell. And they guarantee that they fit perfectly.

The material from which it is made

There are two aspects of choosing the material of the laptop case: one is the material itself. Laptop Sleeve are usually made of polyester, suede, microfiber or nylon. The best ones tend to be nylon (or nylon). The way you use your laptop should guide you towards the material of the cover. But in general it is recommended to look for a cover with a durable outer material such as nylon or leather. These covers hold up better against wear and tear and tend to be more efficient.
A second aspect concerns the thickness of the material. In the same way, you have to think about how you use your laptop - you use it in the car a lot, at the office, on the field, etc. Some covers are extremely thin - almost no protection against shocks at all, but be careful, they are useful for protection against scratches. Unfortunately, if the laptop falls or hits a wall, it will not be protected.
You can also look at the design, color and other stylistic elements. But always remember the usefulness of the cover. As a laptop service, we recommend thicker covers because they are more effective in case of impact. On the other hand, we understand the desire of people to carry and display an elegant laptop in a very delicate cover.

See the best cover for your laptop!

AmazonBasics 13.3″/14 Professional Laptop Case Sleeve Bag – Gray

If the owned laptop is 13.4/14 inches, if users want to keep it as long as possible, then the Laptop Sleeve Pakistan Goodis cover will prove not only useful, but also necessary. The cover has a design as simple as possible to be used in everyday life. It has a special exterior and provides guaranteed protection to the laptop. It can be carried in a backpack, briefcase or laptop bag. Because people buy the most expensive backpack for nothing if they put their laptop directly in it 📷
The Sleeve Goodis case fits on any desk, waiting for the end of the activity in front of the laptop and storing it in safe conditions at night. It has a very good quality-price ratio and that is why it is the favorite of buyers.

HP Ultrabook Black Sleeve 15.6”

A black laptop sleeve in Pakistan with an ultra modern design, the HP ultrabook black sleeve model, suitable for laptops with a diagonal of 15.6 cm, lined with artificial leather. What strikes buyers right from the start is the way it looks, but also the ease with which it opens and opens and the reliability it proves over time. Which means that the laptop case has all the necessary qualities to be purchased: a water-resistant exterior, a beautiful and luxurious lining that prevents scratches and bumps and perfect compatibility with 40-inch laptops.
📷
The laptop cover is an HP quality product, ideal for any user, easy to maintain and keep at home. It has a quality seam and zipper, fast wear is a thing of the past, the price is quite good for the characteristics it proves, the lapel will be protected on both surfaces and on the sides and the product fits the requirements of the customers Read more

tomtoc Versatile A13 360 Protective Laptop Sleeve for 13-inch MacBook Light Blue

The happy owners of a MacBook Pro with a diagonal of 15 inches have good news! I can purchase a cover for this model that will provide increased protection against destruction and the appearance of signs of wear. It has an attractive design, the mint color is very pleasant, it stands out wherever the case is stored, it is elegant and fits several laptops, not only this one. The size of the 15-inch screen is very important, so that the cover fits very well and there are no problems that lead to the return of the product.
📷
Therefore, the cover for the MacBook is perfect, the inside is velvety, it protects very well and is recommended by specialists in the field to be used for storing and transporting the laptop in conditions of maximum safety Read more

HP Grip Premium Y1N43PA#ACJ Slip Case (Black) 14.1 INCH

Until now the laptop was kept more in improper conditions, now with the help of the HP protective cover specially created for devices with a diagonal of 13.3 inches. Thus, the laptop can be wrapped in a pleasantly colored cover, made of a resistant, neoprene, durable material, which helps to obtain a long-term protection against all shocks and scratches. The style is flexible, with a reversible design and the possibility to change its colors, and the elegant zipper closure is an additional reason for purchasing this cover and choosing it. Reliability is supported by the HP warranty and quality standards and fits well in any room it is placed in. At such a low price, of only a few hundred Read more

I went to the highland park yard sales today and was less than impressed with the attitudes of some of the sellers.
I was out early in the morning and stopped at a house that was still putting prices on things. The woman announced to everyone that if anything did have a price, to ignore it because it came from her retail store and she would make us a deal.
I found one small board book that I wanted for my classroom. I’ve bought similar older books like it at yard sales before for less than $1. I asked how much it was and she told me $3 and immediately walked away as I was getting the cash out. I had two one dollar bills and then some bigger bills. It took me another 5 minutes before I could even get her attention again. I asked if she would take $2 because that was all I had in singles and she just went “I’ll take $3.”
Now, if I would’ve had the $3 to begin with, I would’ve just bought it. I wasn’t thrilled with the price, but it wasn’t outrageous. But I thought the response was ridiculous. I’ve never had someone act like that at a yard sale. So I said never mind and took my money back.
She started looking at the book more and talking about how it’s old and how she has lots of great books. I said I was a teacher and was buying it for my classroom and she did eventually just hold out her hand to accept the $2, but the whole thing just left me feeling weird.
Also I watched as other people brought things up to ask the price and everything was $80-100. I saw the look on everyone’s faces. No one goes to a yard sale expecting to drop $100 on something unless it’s a big piece of furniture or something. Idk it just felt so bizarre to me.
I wish I knew what her store was so I could avoid it.
Anyway, I’m just venting.

​

Beer Money	Earnings
Bank Switch	£230
Matched Betting	£120
GPT	£57.75 & £3 Tesco gift card
Surveys	£19.50 & £20 Zizzi gift card
Market Research	£1.80
Sign up Offer	£6.20
Interest	£2

Bank Switch = £230

Another month and another bank switch completed, I've started to do one of these per month. In May I did the RBS switch for £200 & I also received a £30 bonus from Quidco from when I did the First Direct switch. For Junes switch I've started the Lloyds one, I already got their last bonus from Feb so I'm not sure I'll get this one but from what other people have said I think it will go through still.

Matched Betting = £120

This total comes from doing the weekly bet clubs, reload offers, daily free spins, and odds boosts. If you're thinking about starting matched betting have a read through some of the posts in here & I'd definitely suggest signing up to the free trial of OddsMonkey or OutPlayed to show you the ropes.

Get Paid To Offers = £57.75 & a £3 Tesco gift card

Inbox Pounds = £30 Sign up & get a £1 sign up bonus non-ref
Inbox Pounds is a great GPT site that has some very high paying offers for playing games, signing up to sites/apps & more. In May I cashed out £30 for completing the Empires & Puzzles game. I've just started the Family Island game which is currently paying £30 so hopefully I complete that.
Cashback Earners = £15 Sign up & receive a £6.50 sign up bonus non-ref
Cashback Earners is a GPT site that has lots of casino offers where all you have to do is sign up & deposit to the casino via their site, wait for it to track on Cashback Earners and then you can withdraw from the casino again. I've had £15 in there for awhile from a casino offer and was able to withdraw it this month as I had one successful referral.Each casino offer ranges from £10-£17.50 per one!
TopCashBack = £12.75 Sign up to TopCashBack non-ref
Topcashback seems to be the site with the best cashback offers out there! In May I withdrew £12.75 from signing up to BetUK.
Unbanx = £3 Tesco gift card Sign up & receive 150 bonus points non-ref
Unbanx is an app that allows you to earn points each month by sharing your spending data through open banking. Once you reach 492 points you can cash out a £3 gift card.

Surveys = £19.50 & a £20 Zizzi gift card

OnePulse = £15.50 non-ref
OnePulse is an app that has surveys in the form of polls, which are all 5 slides or less so they only take a few seconds to complete each one. You work your way up to earning more for each 'Pulse', atm in at 21 cents per pulse.You can cash out once you reach $20 (£15) which I hit each month now.
Consumer Pulse = £20 Zizzi gift card non-ref
On Consumer Pulse you take a weekly survey about your shopping habits. Each item you enter gives you 500 points. You can cashout a £10 gift card at 10,000 or a £20 one at 20,000. They also sometimes email out other surveys to fill in for extra points. I think it took me about 2 to build up enough points for a £20 gift card.
Testing Time = £4 Sign up with my ref link non-ref
Testing Time is a site to sign up for if you want to start doing more market research as it offers tasks to give feedback on things like apps, websites, physical products, gadgets & food. In May I completed 2 quick surveys, each for £2.

Market Research = £1.80

Testable Minds = £1.80 Sign up with my ref link non-ref
Testable Minds is a site similar to Prolific as it has academic studies posted by researchers which I find quite interesting. I completed one quick study on here last month for $2.30.

Sign Up Offer = £6.20

Lightyear = £6.20
Lightyear currently has an offer to deposit £50 and receive a $10 share, you then have to wait 30 days & can withdraw it all. I ended up with £6.20 at the end of the 30 days. I don't have a referral link as only certain people receive one so search the sub if you'd like to take advantage of this offer.

Interest = £2

I know this one isn't really beer money but it's because of this sub that I decided to try out some new savings accounts. I'd had my savings in the same TSB account my whole life at a horrifically low interest rate which I've not really thought anything of until I started hearing about banks with interest rates around the 3.3%-3.8% mark. The thing I love about them is they pay monthly too and not yearly like my old one. In May I tried out Chip but didn't really like the app & also found it annoying how you can only deposit & withdraw through one account through open banking. So now I'm trying out Chase & I love it so much more already!

CashBack

Shopmium Ref link to get free Dairy Milk Buttons or enter my ref link W3AN4K non-ref no bonus
Shopmium is an app that has offers on products you buy at the grocery store. You buy the product and upload the receipt to Shopmium to either get it for free or at a discount. This month I received cashback for baking paper, coffee & cocktails.

I finally acquired my LFL in December. In January with the ground still not frozen I decided to set up my LFL, Picked out my place and started digging a hole. Chopping though tree roots, having over dressed, heating up. I stopped digging went inside to rest. My wife was trying to log-on to her Facebook and having trouble. We had no internet connection. I had cut through the phone cable, and tree roots. I haven't seen to many of the visitors to my LFL, but a few I did see stand out. A grandpa and two little grand daughters, picking out books, the grand daughters hugging their books and skipping back to the car. One weekend a car setting next to the yard with the trunk up, I walked out, a community neighbor was sorting through boxes of books, she was distributing books from a local author and publisher I didn't know we had in our community. Another group of children where doing a community gift of coloring books and crayons to LFL in the area. All of the original books that I have started with are gone, I now have books from two states away from used library book sales. I keep a photo record of the books in my LFL each time there is a large exchange of books. The past five months has been a happy time every day to see what new book has dropped in for a rest, which one has continued on its world journey.

Timestamp
Selling a brand new sealed MacBook Air M2 in Space Grey
8-core CPU/10-core GPU
8GB RAM
512GB Storage
The machine was a gift but things fell through and it's just a week past its return period.
Asking $1100 Shipped, $1050 Local 93705
Repairs: None

I'm not much for remembering someone's exact words, so I'll just stick to summarizing. I was disappointed with a recent cart crash. We had set up a "return visit" at the cart, and I was expecting to receive an answer for "why the Bible is inspired, and not just a human book". This is what happened instead.
First off, I was gifted the remain in God's love and enjoy life forever books. I've been out for a long time, so I hadn't seen either of these. It's fascinating to see them. Honestly, though, I was expecting the God's word book. Neither of these books addresses my question in any detail. (Also, is this the same Remain in God's love book as before? That was supposed to be for progressive studies!)
Then, I decided to pose my question again. "What makes you think you can believe the Bible is really from God? What proof is there?"
The was the third time I had asked this questio, and I expected to have an answer today. Instead, we read 2 Tim. 3:16.
My response(naturally) was: "but how do you know that the Bible is inspired of God? I can say that I'm a prophet, but that doesn't make it true". Their answer was simply: "because we've studied it deeply." Then they gave the example of other churches, and how people just believe whatever their preacher says. So (they set themselves up) I asked:"but how do you know your not just doing the same?"
At this point, I expected some fact. A prophecy. A scientific point. Something. Instead, I got the same, unaware answer. "It's like searching for a diamond. You have to search hard, but you know when you've found it." They read Pr.2:1-7.
Me: But how do you know that there's actually a diamond("treasure") to find. You can't touch or see things in the Bible like a physical diamond. On the contrary, there's lots of historical evidence against the Bible. So where's the proof?
Awkward silence
Somewhere before this point, I commented the JW Library has a convenient layout for the Bible books(which is true. My Bible app lists them in alphabetical order, which annoys me to no end). So they started showing me all the app features. Eventually, we ended up in the appendix, looking at the maps. I like maps, and I said that I thought it was cool. Well, while showing the maps, they also showed the timeline from Adam to now. I thought this would be a good time to get back to my point.
Me: But this is my problem with the Bible. That map said that Adam was created 6,000 years ago. I've personally been to a city that's 9,000 years old. How can this be real when we have cities older than Adam?
I was sure that I would get some comment about carbon dating, or science being unreliable. Something. Instead, I just got a blank stare.
At some point toward the end, we ended up back to on topic. And I brought up Noah. Do you believe the flood was literal? How could that be? And the quiet one decided to get involved.
"Actually, I just heard that they found a piece of Noah's ark, and scientists are testing it now!"
I couldn't believe she would repeat something like this! That's not even WT propaganda(sounded like social media to me). So, finally, I got to make a couple detailed points.
Me: "But how can that be true, when we have actual writing from the Egyptians, sumerian, etc. that's much older than that? If God killed everyone but these 8 people, how could all of these societies exists?"
The most deer-in-the-headlights look of the day
After that, we moved off-topic, I promised to read the books(and I will. They are new to me). And they promised to stay in-touch.
I was utterly disappointed by the lack of attempts to show evidence. I've been thinking about this for days, and preparing for possible points. Instead, they gave me absolutely nothing. What happened to the cult? People used to try to show evidence
I also want to say that these two witnesses were very kind. They were sweet, conversational, and showed initiative(the one who I met earlier followed up with me multiple times about my questions before this meeting). But it's depressing to see them wasting their lives like this. In less than an hour, I left them unable to answer multiple times. They've spent their entire lives in this religion, and yet they don't even have a defense for some of the most common academic argumemts about the Bible.
Imagine how much they could accomplish helping people at an NGO, or organizing their community! Instead, they'll spend their lives waiting for something that will never come, not even willing to consider another possibility.
P.s. I forgot to mention. After the preacher point, I asked if they had ever read arguments against the Bible. The one quickly said: " no, I never read anything against the Bible." I got another look of pure confusion when I asked: "Then how do you know it's right? If you've never considered the opposite side, how are you different than anyone else who just believes what they're told?"

Hello, and welcome to Music’s Biggest Night!
That’s right, it’s the GRAMMYs. The year is 1994 and our category is Best Alternative Music Album. We’ll be rating each of the five nominees on Indieheads, but before we get to the nominees, a quick word about rates.
Hey, quick question, what are rates?
Obviously, if you're familiar with the process, skip this. But if you're new, I'll explain so this doesn't seem like a wild block of text!
Rates are a subreddit game in which a user scores a group of songs on a scale from 1-10, with each individual also given a single 11 and a single 0 to be used exactly once per rate. They will then message their ballot to the rate host, who will tally up all the points and then reveal the final results over a weekend, eliminating songs one by one until the last track remaining wins the rate and bragging rights forever. While there's just a bit more to know, I feel this is the basics of what you'll need to understand what's going on. I do recommend this video made by our popheads brethren to get a fuller picture; while some of the info applies specifically to the way popheads do their rates, the overall format is similar.

Introduction

The GRAMMYs are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry. The name derives from the trophy, which is shaped like an old-fashioned gramophone. The awards celebrate a variety of categories, but we’re going to be looking at Best Alternative Music Album or, as it was called at the time, Best Alternative Music Performance. The question of what “alternative” really means can be debated forever, but the original intent of this award was to celebrate non-mainstream rock albums which were heavily played on college radio. The category first appeared in 1991, so in 1994 the award is still pretty new.
And now, let’s meet our nominees!

Belly - Star

Belly are the act here that seem discussed least frequently on Indieheads, so I’m excited to see what everyone thinks of them. By the time of starting Belly, Tanya Donelly (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) had already been in two other classic indie rock bands. She was a co-founder of Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersch, contributing vocals and guitar for the band’s first decade, though she’d only get a handful of songs per album. Donelly would later start The Breeders with Pixies bassist and vocalist Kim Deal. The Breeders’ debut, Pod, featured Deal as the primary songwriter because existing record contracts prohibited the two from sharing primary writing credits. While they originally intended to alternate albums, Tanya had begun to form Belly by the time it was her turn to do a Breeders album. She recruited Fred Abong (bass) and brothers Tom (guitar) and Chris (drums) Gorman as they’d all known each other while going to high school in Rhode Island.
Belly co-produced most of their 1993 debut Star with Tracy Chisholm. Gil Norton, who’d previously produced Throwing Muses’ self-titled debut, produced four tracks, including singles "Gepetto," "Slow Dog," and "Feed the Tree." "Feed the Tree," one of the album’s highlights, would be the band’s highest charting hit, reaching 95th on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Modern Rock Chart. Star is an effective fusion of alternative rock with jangle pop, dream pop, "haunting" folk, and even some light country influences. At the 1994 GRAMMYs, Belly were also up for Best New Artist with Blind Melon, Digable Planets, and SWV, ultimately losing to R&B singer Toni Braxton. Belly released a sophomore album King in 1995 and Donelly released several solo albums before reuniting with the King lineup to release a third album in 2018. While Star may not have achieved the canonical stature of some of 1994’s other nominees, it is nevertheless a very enjoyable release from a strong songwriter who’d finally gotten the chance to make an album-length statement of her own.
Are Indieheads gonna feed the tree? Will this be an album to die for?
Tracklist:

1. Someone to Die For
2. Angel
3. Dusted
4. Every Word
5. Gepetto
6. Witch
7. Slow Dog
8. Low Red Moon
9. Feed The Tree
10. Full Moon, Empty Heart
11. White Belly
12. Untogether
13. Star
14. Sad Dress
15. Stay

Nirvana - In Utero If you were wondering where “Heart Shaped Box” was in the Guitar Hero Rate, well I’ve got a treat for you!
Kurt Cobain (vocals and guitar) and Krist Novoselic (bass) met while attending Aberdeen High School in the late 1980s. They shuffled through various names, ultimately deciding on Nirvana because Cobain wanted a name that sounded beautiful and nice instead of mean and raunchy. In their early years, they worked with several different drummers, recording 1989’s Sub Pop debut Bleach with Chad Channing on drums. Channing left the band as they worked on their follow-up to Bleach. Kurt and Krist met drummer Dave Grohl days after he’d moved to Seattle following the break up of his Washington DC band Scream. The addition of Dave solidified Nirvana’s classic lineup. The trio began seeking a major label to buy them out of their Sub Pop contract as they were dissatisfied with the label’s lack of promotion and distribution of their debut. They eventually signed with DGC Records per the recommendation of Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon. Upon signing, they began work on their major label debut, Nevermind, with producer Butch Vig. 1991’s Nevermind was an unexpected success, bringing grunge and alternative rock to the mainstream and even surpassing Michael Jackson on the Billboard albums chart.
In the aftermath of Nevermind’s success, Cobain felt he needed to reclaim his punk ethic. Wanting to depart from Butch Vig’s slick production on Nevermind (don’t worry, we’ll still be hearing from Vig a little later), he sought to work with Steve Albini. Albini was pretty famous in the underground for his work as frontman for Big Black and various production work, including PJ Harvey’s Dry, which he sent a copy of to give Cobain an idea of the acoustics in his studio. Albini dismissed Nirvana as "R.E.M. with a fuzzbox" (more on R.E.M. soon!) but decided to work with them because he felt bad for them, recognizing them as "the same sort of people as all the small-fry bands I deal with." The band pushed for minimal label oversight and recorded In Utero fairly quickly, wrapping recording sessions in as little as 13 days. The album was noisier and more abrasive than Nevermind, resulting in much dispute between the band, Albini, and the label. Cobain sought to make the kind of record he’d enjoy owning as a fan and began having second thoughts about the sound when listening to it at home. The press picked up on conflict about the album’s sound. The band denied this and even DGC president David Geffen called Newsweek to explain they would release whatever Nirvana recorded. Behind the scenes, the band tried to fix the album’s sound in the mastering process, which Albini was strongly against, though he’d later supply an alternate mix for the album’s 20th anniversary re-release. R.E.M producer Scott Litt was brought on to remix “Heart Shaped Box” and “All Apologies” which were intended to be the album’s singles.
In Utero was released in September of 1993 following a low-key release strategy which released “Heart Shaped Box” as a promo-only single to various rock station formats but not Top 40. Walmart and K-Mart initially refused to stock the album due to its back cover and the title of the song “Rape Me.” (A content note on that song, while it is interpreted as commentary on the invasive music press, it was intended to be a lyrically literal anti-rape song from the perspective of a victim. As this is a rate, you can score this song however you see fit, but I hope it goes without saying that everyone should please be respectful of this subject matter in their comments.) Despite In Utero’s abrasive sound and reduced mainstream promotion, the album still debuted at number one on the Billboard album charts and was well-received by critics. The music often hits harder and faster than Nevermind, containing more of the “punk” feel that Cobain was aiming for compared to the grunge of Nevermind and the band’s Seattle contemporaries. Check out this MTV clip if you’d like to see how college students in 1993 received this one. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiwhwy7S4qA) The band toured America shortly after In Utero came out and embarked on a European tour that was cut short as Cobain suffered from a drug overdose. A couple weeks later, Cobain died by suicide. As with the subject matter of “Rape Me,” I want to request that everyone is respectful of this in their comments, I will ask for edits (or omit comments myself) if they are inappropriate. Despite the tragic ending, Nirvana is still seen as one of American and alternative rock’s most important bands and In Utero remains highly regarded to this day.
Will our comments be all apologies? Are the results of this rate gonna be, uhhh, dumb?
Tracklist Serve the Servants Scentless Apprentice Heart-Shaped Box Rape Me Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle Dumb Very Ape Milk It Pennyroyal Tea Radio Friendly Unit Shifter Tourette’s All Apologies
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People If there’s a band who can rival Nirvana’s stature in the American rock canon, it’s gotta be R.E.M. They are often cited as one of the first “alternative” rock bands and were important for the college radio format. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980, Michael Stipe (vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass), and Bill Berry (drums) released 5 albums with independent label I.R.S. Records, evolving from a jangle rock sound on their early albums to a louder, more anthemic sound on their final record for the label, Document. After “The One I Love” became their first mainstream hit, the band signed to Warner Brothers, kicking off a second act that resulted in yet another 5 album run of great music.
At the start of the 90s, R.E.M. opted out of touring and became a studio band. The band recorded demos for the songs “Drive,” “Try Not to Breathe,” and “Nightswimming” at Prince’s Paisley Park Studios while mixing their 1991 album, Out of Time. Out of Time was a huge success, arriving as alternative rock was becoming mainstream. It spawned the massive single “Losing My Religion” and even ended up winning the GRAMMY award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1992. After concluding some promotional duties in early 1991, the band returned to the studio to continue work on what would eventually become Automatic for the People. This would be the fourth of six records the band would produce with Litt. The band traded off instruments in the studio, with Buck playing the mandolin famously featured on “Losing My Religion,” Mills playing piano or organ, and Berry playing bass. Their initial attempts to make a harder rocking follow-up did not pan out, as the band found they were writing better without drums. The material began to take on a more melancholic tone. The lush orchestration of Out of Time is rendered in a somber greyscale, with arrangements contributed by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. Lyrically, the album muses on loss and mourning, prompting rumors that recently balding Michael Stipe was dying of cancer or AIDs. Luckily, he was not but that is the lens through which some critics and listeners received this work. The album also finds room for political commentary, most noticeably in “Ignoreland” which pushes against Republican politics of the time, but also in opener “Drive” which calls back to the group’s work with the Rock to Vote movement, for which they added a petition on the longbox packaging of Out of Time.
Automatic for the People released on October 5, 1992 (gotta love the GRAMMYs odd eligibility window) debuting at number 2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike its predecessor, it never quite reached the top spot, thanks to Garth Brooks. Six of the album’s 12 tracks were released as singles including “Drive,” “Everybody Hurts” which has unfortunately been watered down through years of ironic use in comedies, the cryptic, Andy Kaufman referencing “Man on the Moon,” and “Nightswimming,” an emotional piano ballad that has become a fan favorite. The album was critically acclaimed upon release and, while perhaps not as fun as something like Murmur, this nocturnal bummer is regarded by many as one of the band’s masterpieces.
Will everybody hurt? Are R.E.M. going to get a raw deal?
Tracklist: Drive Try Not to Breathe The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite Everybody Hurts New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 Sweetness Follows Monty Got a Raw Deal Ignoreland Star Me Kitten Man on the Moon Nightswimming Find the River
The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream The Smashing Pumpkins formed in 1988 when Billy Corgan (vocals and guitar, he prefers William Patrick Corgan now though) met James Iha (guitar) while working at a record store in Chicago, Illinois. They performed as a duo with a drum machine, eventually adding bassist D’arcy Wretzky after meeting her at a show by the Dan Reed Network. Jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlain was recommended by a friend of Corgan’s after the trio were booked to perform at Cabaret Metro under the condition that they’d play with a live drummer instead of their drum machine. With Chamberlain on board, the band’s classic lineup had been formed and their sound began to shift in a harder rock direction.
Siamese Dream, the group’s 1993 sophomore album, expands on their 1991 debut Gish in every possible way. The band switched from Virgin subsidiary Caroline Records to Virgin itself. Butch Vig, who produced Nirvana’s massive Nevermind right after finishing work on Gish, returned to produce the follow-up. Where Gish’s $20,000 budget and month of recording time was “unprecedented” for Vig, Corgan and Vig spent four months on Siamese Dream and went $250,000 over budget. This is what happens when you let Billy overdub everyone else’s guitar and bass parts (something the rest of the band wasn’t particularly happy about) to get as many as 100 guitar parts compressed into one song.
The meticulous studio process paid off, as Siamese Dream was a bigger hit than Gish (peaking at 10 on the Billboard 200.) The band’s influences from metal, dreampop, and shoegaze give the album a layered and unique sound compared to the grungier alternative music of the time. Singles “Cherub Rock” and “Today” have been featured in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band videogame series. While never released as a single, “Mayonaise” has become a fan favorite and won a Rolling Stone poll for best Pumpkins song, beating out singles from Siamese Dream and the band’s follow-up double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Judging from some early discussion since this rate was announced, some of you seem pretty excited to rate “Mayonnaise.” While Mellon Collie took the band to the height of their popularity, Siamese Dream is often regarded as their masterpiece and one of the best rock albums of the 90s.
Will we be sweet sweet to the Pumpkins? The rater in me is the rater in you, I’ll send this ballot over to you
Tracklist: Cherub Rock Quiet Today Hummer Rocket Disarm Soma Geek U.S.A. Mayonaise Spaceboy Silverfuck Sweet Sweet Luna
U2 - Zooropa Formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1976, U2 (Bono on vocals, The Edge on guitar, Adam Clayton on bass, and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums) have become the top-selling Irish musical act of all-time, with an estimated 170+ million records sold. Across the 80s, U2 evolved their early post-punk sound to the anthemic rock of The Joshua Tree. While touring America for that album, the band recorded Rattle and Hum, a hybrid live/studio record (and accompanying concert film) which documented the tour and the group’s fascination with American roots music. Despite the album’s commercial success, most consider it a misguided failure. Even Bono admitted at their final show for the album’s Lovetown Tour that “we have to go away and dream it all up again.”
1993’s Zooropa catches U2 at their most adventurous. 1991’s Acthung Baby and its subsequent Zoo TV tour rebranded the band for the new decade. While they continued working with Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, they updated their sound with influences from electronic, dance, and industrial music. On stage, they dabbled in irony to counter the sincerity of their 80s output with Bono playing characters such as The Fly and Macphisto. Emboldened by the critical and commercial success of this album and tour, they began working on a promotional EP during a break between Zoo TV tour legs. Despite working quickly in the studio, this EP expanded into a full-length album, requiring the band to travel between concerts and the studio in Dublin to finish working on the album during the first month of the “Zooropa” leg.
Zooropa finally arrived in July of 1993 and it shows the band doubling down on their early 90s ideas. The sound of the album, built from loops of soundcheck jamming and leftover sketches from Achtung Baby, ventures even further from traditional rock instrumentation and songwriting, bolstered by production from Brian Eno, Flood (moving from an engineering to production role), and The Edge, credited as a producer for his first time. The fragmented nature of the album’s production is reflected in the eclectic tracklist which bounces between the multi-movement art-rock of the title track, dancefloor fillers like “Daddy’s Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car,” and ballads like “For the First Time” and “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” Unique vocal choices like The Edge’s spoken-word rapping on lead-single “Numb,” Bono’s falsetto on “Lemon,” and a Johnny Cash feature on closer “The Wanderer” help the album feel more varied than U2’s previous material. The album’s lyrics often examine Zoo TV’s concepts of “sensory overload” and technology more explicitly than Achtung Baby.
While U2 are reluctant to acknowledge Zooropa now (likely influenced by the failure of 1997’s Pop, a rushed, mixed bag of an album that stretched audience’s tolerance for 90s U2’s tendency toward electronic music and irony to a Rattle and Hum-like breaking point) the album was successful when it came out. Zooropa debuted at number one in several countries and finished ninth on 1993’s Pazz and Jop poll. It would also go on to win this GRAMMY award for Best Alternative Music album, with Bono shrugging on stage, shouting out Smashing Pumpkins, and promising to “the young people of America” that they will “continue to abuse our position and fuck up the mainstream” in his acceptance speech. (https://youtu.be/-DNXfFy8Ido?t=69)
Will U2 stay the champions in our rate or will they be faraway so close to the top?
Tracklist: Zooropa Babyface Numb Lemon Stay (Faraway, So Close!) Daddy’s Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car Some Days Are Better Than Others The First Time Dirty Day The Wanderer
Bonus Rate Since this rate is 5 albums instead of the usual 4, a bonus rate has been omitted.

Hi there!! I'm Jay! :)
I want to find a guy that is compatible to me and shares the same values. Hoping to find him here!
I am a 22 year old who graduated college and and am currently living in New York!
I am looking to form a bond with someone, and then continue with an in person relationship!
A bit about me: - I have natural hair that I like to keep short, and I occasionally like wearing different wig styles to show my personality!
-I am on a weight loss journey! So I cherish healthy living and fitness. I am looking for someone who will motivate me to make the right decisions but at the same time also loves my body the way it is right now. I am currently 170lbs, my goal is around 130-140lbs. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again! I love walking and being active so definitely looking for a man who is the same!
-I am looking for someone who is mature and is established. Meaning, a man who works hard every day in any aspect of his life (career, family, or fitness). Someone who is level headed. But I am also looking for someone fun, kind, affectionate, and chill to hang out with!
-I am looking for a man who will prioritize spending time with me, whether it is virtually or in person. Someone who communicates and is neither pushy on me texting back within seconds, but someone who respects me enough to let me know if they're busy/to expect a longer wait time. Someone who is not shy to take random pictures of themselves and send them to me just so I know those silly little thoughts you have. Also someone who doesn't mind me taking tons of pictures too (because I do take a lot of pictures haha)
-I believe in communication! I need someone emotionally available, someone who isn't afraid to have those long, deep conversations with me. Someone who will hear me out and not judge me. A man that really listens but also has enough confidence to speak up too!
-My love languages are words of affirmations and quality time! It's my top two love languages :) Also, I want a man who intentionally plans dates/hang outs/skype sessions, and wants to genuinely have fun with me!
-I love anime! I watch so much anime, and I need a guy who is willing to watch some with me!
A bit about my careeschool...
-I am a published author! I have written 3 books, first one dating back when I was only 13! I was introduced to the publishing industry at a young age, so I went to college to study creative writing. I am currently minoring in creative writing and majoring in psychology! What I plan to do in the future is become a liscensed Expressive Writing therapist and/or create books for the youth to help their mental health!
-I used to have 3 on campus jobs when I was on campus. Library Assistant, tutor, and I work at the gym as a proctor. I am going to be starting a new job soon so I would consider myself a busy person, but I ALWAYS make sure to prioritize my relationships that are serious, and I expect my man to do the same with me.
***I consider myself to be a religious person, and this is something that value. I am Catholic and hope to meet someone who shares my faith! I'm looking for a deep connection, where we can pray together and listen to gospel music!
*** I smoke weed! So I am also looking for a man who does the same! I'm very 420 friendly!
*** I would consider myself to be asexual, which means that I want to form a relationship where sex is not a priority and isn't expected of me. Sending nudes is also something I will not participate in and is a hard boundary. However, I am an extremely romantic person and value intimacy and closeness in other ways! If you want clarification on this, I will gladly explain further over PM!
I am open to talking to anyone between the ages of 22-29 years old!
I want to say that I am a very open-minded person and welcome many different guys! Please decide for yourself if you meet these qualities and send me a message! All I ask for is commitment to having something serious and someone who is ready for that. Looking forward to finding you!

AITA for blowing off my neighbours wedding
So this is a little long winded, my neighbour is getting married and she dragged my wife around for months as a supposed bridesmaid, she literally took her to the bridesmaids lunch and gave everybody else bridesmaids gifts and nothing to my wife. My wife came home very upset about it which I understand completely. Fast forward a couple months one of the bridesmaids bails and my wife is basically chosen to take the spot after one of the other bridesmaids reamed the bride out about how unfair it was to treat my wife. So as this all progressed I was left with basically a flyby basis of how this whole wedding was going down. I had to drive out of town to a hotel that was apparently being paid for for the night before the wedding for the rehearsal. There was no rehearsal, or room for us. I waited for 3 hours for an answer and after all said and done I called my sister who told us to run for the hills. We promised to be back the following day to what was met with a bunch of flak and this morning the phone was blown off the hook, I was called every name in the book and the bride and my wife’s sister started yelling at my wife. So I did what any self respecting husband would do and put my foot down, I have personally watched the bride go through plenty of people by using them and I told my wife we should not attend. She already had other bridesmaids and everything it’s not like my wife was a crucial part of the wedding and me and the wife agreed not to go. Are we the assholes for not entertaining someone else’s bullshit?

Hi all - Is this any good? Does it feel amateurish? How can it be improved? Any feedback appreciated.
I stood in the street, behind a tree, as I watched the living-room’s open window. The curtain net fluttered with a light summer’s breeze. It’s a funny thing to be stalking your own home.
It wasn’t long before I heard their laughter, my two little girls: Lily and Olive. Your childrens’ joy shouldn’t puncture you with pain, but it did. A searing hurt bolted down to my heart.
How could they be laughing? How could they be happy when their mother was locked up in a mental institution? At least, I should have been. Earlier that day, I’d lifted the keys from Tony, a guard at Perry Hill Psychiatric Unit. I'd ridden the bus south, paying the fare with the lucky £1 my mother had gifted me for my eighth birthday.
‘Stop,’ one of the girl's shout spilled out into the street. I couldn’t tell if it was Olive or Lily. But I thought it was Lily for she had a mouth on her from the day she came out. You couldn’t blame me for not knowing who said it, it had been three years since I’d seen the two.
My husband John, ex-husband I should say, would be in there somewhere, probably working on a book. He was a writer of stories, or as I like to say a creator of fiction. Some of the fiction which he creates is only spoken though, like when he told the doctor I’d been speaking to invisible people. What a ridiculous thing to say. Helen was not invisible, far from it. She was huge, the biggest person I ever saw. I would step into the dining room, and there she was, all scrunched up in the corner of the room. Poor girl sat on the floor with her head bowed as the back of her thick neck pressed against the ceiling. Her black hair draped over her body as she hugged her knees. If she had stretched her legs, her feet would have pocked holes in the far wall. And we didn’t have money to fix it every other day. John had only published one book, and for all the hoopla, and partying we had done during its release, sales were low. Helen was just too big so she just sat there. She would not even reach for the jug of tea I would bring her as I sat for my cup. I thought a cup too small for her hands. Not even a custard cream biscuit could entice her, and once those delights touched the air, you couldn’t put them back in the tin, so it was more for me.
The girl always wore that white dress. It looked like she’d left a man at the alter, ran across a pond, in which she would have tripped before clawing out onto the muddy banks. Her black hair gleamed wet and hung over most of her pale face. She never spoke with her mouth. It was her black eyes which told me of her pain. She had been hurt, bad, I damn near know it.
During some evenings, the two of us would just sit there watching a game show on the television. She liked it - I could see her peering from between her clumps of hair. I did miss that poor girl when I locked up.
I thought I would check on her once I got in the house that afternoon.

Other stories of mine can be found in my wiki
For those who want to go back to the beginning, here's a link to book 1 chapter 1.
An image of Lon'thul
Of Men and Dragons, Book 3, Chapter 45
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The order had finally been given. A bellow arose from thousands of argu'n before everyone surged forward. Dak'ton felt his blood thirst rise as he launched himself ahead, albeit a little more slowly encombered as he was by the new tool Lord B'arthon had insisted they bring with them. Then there was a shout from the enemy lines that preceded the first volley of small spears launched toward them.
Dak'ton hadn't believed they could be thrown this far, but judging by the path they were arching in his general direction, the warrior was suddenly grateful for the large thick wooden planks Lord B'arthon had insisted they carry with them. Raising it over his head, he could hear impacts all around him and a few screams as the wooden planks proved insufficient for some in the face of such a barrage. Dak'ton himself felt a jarring impact as one small spear hit his shield and a second impact as it pierced through the wood and hit his chest plate.
The warrior froze momentarily, wondering if he was dead, before realizing the combination of wood and his bone plates must have saved his life. However, Dak'ton was further delayed by trying to wrench the spear from his chest and planks as more warriors ran past. Finally, there was a sharp jolt of pain as he pulled the spear free. He was dismayed to see a trail of blood leaking out of a wound in his chest, but it wasn't deep enough to be a serious concern, so with a grunt, he threw the spear to the ground and resumed his charge.
Looking around, it was clear others weren't as lucky as him. Several were down when the spears impaled their legs where the wood hadn't protected them. Others had spears piercing through their wood like Dak'ton had, but the spear had gone on to hit them in more lightly armored areas like their arms or sides. One unlucky warrior had his wood now pinned to his arm as he screamed and grasped the small spear in an attempt to pull it out.
As Dak'ton gained more ground, another shout went out, and he raised his wood planks again, this time bracing in place, feeling his blood rush in fear as he waited again for impact. However, he didn't have to wait as long this time and again felt a jarring impact. This time the spear pierced through his planks higher up, punching all the way through and continuing to the ground beside him, narrowly missing his head. Around him, others fared worse a second time. A few had dropped their planks after the first barrage, having been unable to wrench the spears free, and were now paying the price.
Dak'ton blinked stupidly a few times before dropping his planks as instructed and running toward the enemy lines again. Lord B'arthon had told them the enemy would only have time for two barrages before they closed the distance, and rushing there after the second would eliminate the risk of a third, and all Dak'ton wanted was to never experience something like that again. Those small spears traveled so much further and faster than normally thrown spears, and they hit much harder despite their small size.
That was when he looked at the enemy and realized Lord B'arthon had made a mistake. Only half the enemy had fired the second round. The other half was still waiting with those odd spear throwers ready to unleash their second round. Dak'ton had a moment of grudging respect for those workers' discipline before a third shout was followed by more spears launched in their direction. Without the protection of his wooden planks, a spear hit Dak'ton clean in the shoulder, and he felt himself being pulled back as if some large creature had ahold of him and was pulling him bodily to the ground. That was when the searing pain came, as though his shoulder was on fire, and Dak'ton's screams joined the chorus of those screaming around him.
-
Lack'nul had no idea how Jack had foreseen the enemy would have those wooden planks, shields he'd called them, but the guard captain was glad he had. Perhaps the human had even more magic than he let on? He'd even been right about the enemy dropping the shields before engaging in melee, saying they would likely be too crude to wield while fighting due to rushed production. Because of that, the second half of the second volley devastated the enemy's front line in the section in front of his workers.
Further down the line, the warriors of the hill people were hurling more traditional throwing spears to lesser effect, but thankfully the enemy didn't seem to have enough shields to arm their entire front line with, so the spears were still effective.
The spears and belly bows had thinned the enemy front lines, but they were still drastically outnumbered. Lack'nul shouted for the workers to discard their belly bows and take up their spears. The workers threw the bows to the ground a few feet in front of them, hoping to trip up the enemy, then raised their spears and braced for impact.
-
A'ngles frowned from his position overseeing the battlefield. The second half-and-half volley had been unexpected. Not that it had cost them too much in the way of manpower, he estimated in total they'd lost maybe a hundred warriors between all three volleys and perhaps a hundred more across the rest of the front lines to the more traditional spears, only a fraction of the two thousand warriors charging in at the moment. Still, it definitely had an impact on the morale of that all-important center formation. Moreover, they'd slowed enough that the front line had bowed back slightly in the middle. Between that, the enemy's armor, and the obstacle the bulky weapons presented on the ground, the eventual charge had much less impact than he'd expected, with more of his own men going down in the initial exchange than the enemy.
Even all this wasn't nearly enough to change the battle's outcome, but it was just a few reminders that this wasn't their usual opponent, and only the gods knew how many more surprises they had in store.
-
The fighting was starting to get desperate. Lack'nul parried blow after blow with his sword, trying to create openings for the workers next to him to take advantage of with their spears. Occasionally an enemy would go down, taking the spear with him, but then the hill people behind them would hand the worker a new spear, and the fighting continued. Then there were the longer spears being thrust from further behind by the hill people. They didn't account for much in the way of killing blows, but they were one more complication the attackers had to beware of, preventing them from striking with total confidence.
It was strange for the guard captain to be fighting on the side of the hill people against what were likely guards from other villages, but he shoved that thought out of his mind as he parried another couple of spear thrusts around him. He wondered if any of the workers he was now familiar with had already died, but again shoved the thought from his mind as he took advantage of an opening and shoved his sword through an enemy warrior's midsection.
His victim grabbed hold of the blade as he fell, and rather than fight for the weapon and leave himself open for others to take advantage of, Lack'nul let go of the weapon and shouted behind him. "Spear!" Soon enough, the shaft of a spear was pressed into his waiting hands, and the guard captain resumed the fight, spinning the end of his spear in a way meant to shake loose his opponent's grip on their own weapon before thrusting forward and scoring a grazing attack his across the warrior's throat. It wasn't deep enough to kill but more than enough to spook his opponent, who drew back for a moment in shock.
That created enough of an opening that Lack'nul should have been able to get another kill, but then he noticed a spearhead flying toward him from the side, forcing the guard captain to step back and bring up his own spear, spinning the shaft in a way to deflect the strike and allow him to bring his own spearhead around to strike, driving his second foe back before turning his attention to the first, swiping with the butt of his spear before bringing the head around for another strike more designed to buy a moment than land a killing blow.
The guard captain was breathing heavily, wondering how much longer he should try to hold this spot.
-
A'ngles watched intently as the fighting continued, focusing most of his attention on that all-important center line. He could see individual fighters moving back and forth on both sides. Occasionally some fell and were replaced, but the armor on the workers kept them alive longer. But, of course, that also meant they were constantly fighting for extended periods, unable or unwilling to switch out with the less well-armed and armored allies behind them. In a massive battle like this, endurance was the key to victory, and it was just a matter of time before his greater numbers took their toll. Perhaps it was simply his imagination, but it seemed like the enemy line was starting to bow just the slightest amount in the middle. He just had to keep the pressure on...
Turning to two of his aide, the Village Lord issued his orders. "Send a runner to either flank and order fifty warriors from each to peel off and reinforce the center."
The aide nodded and repeated his orders to two runners as the old Lord continued to observe the battle.
-
Lon'thul traveled through the forest with an arrow knocked but not drawn as he crept ahead of the rest. Aside from Jack, Angela, Em'brel, and the wolgen all at the rear, the rest in their group were all hunters, used to moving quickly and silently through the underbrush, but even compared with the proud hunters of the hill people, Lon'thul was the undisputed master of his trade. So he walked ahead of the rest to look for ambushes.
It could have been just another day on the hunt if it weren't for the sounds of battle a little to his right. The hunter was glad non of his friends could see him at the moment, or else they'd notice his characteristic grin was absent in favor of a more stern expression. Something felt off about the forest, and he couldn't quite place a talon on what it was. He felt as if a presence had passed through not long ago, but the only person who could move this subtly was...
That was when the hunter noticed another scout ahead of his position. By Lon'thul's standard, he was moving loudly and clumsily. Looking around to ensure there wasn't anyone else present, Lon'thul took aim while inhaling silently. Once he had his target, he began exhaling while drawing back on the string, letting loose the arrow when he was about halfway out of air. After long hours of practice and countless hunts, he knew the arrow would fly true. However, he couldn't help but momentarily hold his remaining breath as he waited anxiously for a fraction of a second it took the arrow to clear the distance to its target.
As expected, the arrow embedded itself into his target's throat, pinning him to the tree behind him as the scout struggled briefly before falling limp. After ensuring there was no other movement to indicate another watcher, Lon'thul crept up and silently removed the arrow. Jack had once again been proven correct. It looked like B'arthon had sent an ambush to cut off their flanking maneuver. However, if the hunter could get enough of their scouts quickly enough, they might be able to ambush their ambushers. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he mimicked a kovaack's grunt to signal a halt. To his ears, it sounded nothing like an actual kovaack, but other hunters had told him it had an uncanny similarity from a small distance away.
Assuming one to two hundred warriors, they probably had ten to fifteen scouts. As the hunter snuck through the brush, he kept his ears open for any minor disturbances. A shadow out of place, or the sound of a twig cracking where he knew no animal would be. After an agonizingly long minute during which he tried to not think about what was happening in the main battle, he found another hunter, but this one was dangerously close to a second.
Lon'thul frowned, sliding sideways to get a shot from their flank with his back to the position of the one he'd already taken out so he could sneak closer to take his shot. Finally, after a few more agonizingly long seconds, he was in position, and the hunter knocked another arrow.
Standing and drawing in one smooth motion, Lon'thul took quick aim at the further of the two hunters before either knew what happened and loosed his arrow. However, rather than wait for his arrow to hit the target this time, Lon'thul dropped his bow while drawing a knife in one smooth action and flung the blade at the second scout, who was already starting to move at the appearance of the enemy from his supposedly protected flank.
Once again, rather than wait, Lon'thul leaped at his target, who was starting to fall, opening his mouth to shout out, but the hunter wrapped his arm around his victim's throat, slamming his mouth shut on his tongue, turning the scout's shout into a loud whimper as the hunter finished the job.
Lon'thul grabbed his knife and slunk back into the shadows, waiting for more scouts to come to check on the sounds of the scuffle. It was only after none appeared for over a minute that the hunter retrieved his arrow and returned to his bow with a frown. He was confident he'd been quiet enough to avoid detection by the main force, but the next scout over should have heard the twigs snapping as the two combatants struggled. Had he simply run back to report the disturbance without checking on the source of it? Given Lon'thul's reputation, it might have been a good move, but then the whole group would be "ambushing" every medium-sized animal in the forest, giving away their position! It didn't make sense...
The hunter calmed himself. Rather than jumping to conclusions, the only thing for him to do was precisely what he thought they should have done, go and check it out. He'd simply have to trust Angela to inform the rest if he walked into some ambush since she was silently watching everything from his headset.
As he rounded another tree, he found some disturbed underbrush roughly where he expected the next scout to be. As he crept closer, he realized there was a body there. The scout was already dead!
Lon'thul froze, holding his bow and ready to draw in the blink of an eye if any threat presented itself and thought rapidly. He knew he was the only one of his people's scouts out this far, so it couldn't have been any of his men. But what purpose could they have for placing this body here? He'd suspect a trap, but it made no sense. Still, it wouldn't help anyone if he stayed here any longer than he had to, so Lon'thul resumed movement, redoubling his efforts to remain silent and hidden as he moved.
After another moment, he came to another likely location and, after a moment of observation, found another dead scout. This time the hunter crept closer, inspecting the body. The sout's throat had been slit, likely from behind. He could even imagine someone's hand wrapping around the poor scout's mouth to silence any shout before the knife had done its work. That meant someone had walked right up behind the scout as he'd been searching for his own prey. Lon'thul might have been able to pull that off on a good day, but he'd never have risked it with so much on the line. Remembering the presence he'd felt earlier, he realized only one other hunter could pull something this brazen off...
Now Lon'thul was fully alert, scanning every shadow and listening for even the slightest disturbances while waiting with an arrow ready. This time he didn't have the luxury of waiting for his opponent to act first. He had to take the initiative and do it now! But beating his father in a duel wasn't his objective. Outmaneuvering the enemy force was. Putting a hand on the headset, the hunter activated the com and broke silence for the first time. "My position may be compromised, but if you move fast, you can still take the enemy unaware. Tell Jack to charge now!"
Putting his hand down, Lon'thul settled into position and readied another arrow. He knew his father wouldn't kill him like the other scouts, but that didn't mean the old hunter wouldn't try to pull him out of the battle now that he'd given away his location. The younger hunter would just have to be even faster this time...
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In case you missed it and are interested, book 1 is available to purchase in digital or physical form.
If you want to support my work or help me cover the costs of publishing, you can find my Patreon here. Though it's not necessary, I'm really just glad you took the time to read my stories.

[This is a translated excerpt from Clemens Traub’s “Future for Fridays?”. It’s a reflection about his time as an activist in “Fridays for Future” – the German branch of “School Strike for Climate”. The specific problems of western environmentalism adressed therein is germane to the issue of dysfunctional leftism often discussed on stupidpol and as far as I can tell nothing of this unique to Germany. The book is from 2020 and by now the movement “Fridays for Future” basically defunct. Meanwhile, the preferred tactic of current activists is it to glue themselves on main roads during rush hour. This protest method obviously affects working class people most, who usually have to physically show up at work (and often have to use cars to do so), and is less disruptive for the WFH email caste. The result of this is, surprisingly, a staggering 80+% disapproval rating for the climate organization “Last Generation” which is doing this.]
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I know the typical milieu of most “Fridays for Future” protesters well. In a way, it's my own and that of my current circle of friends: metropolitan, left-liberal, hip. A space for the daughters of doctors to meet the sons of lawyers. Gin tasting and discussions about plastic-free shopping and zero waste are equally high on the agenda. Veganism is as much part of the unspoken code of being trendy as frequenting second-hand shops. And the organic grocery store around the corner naturally enhances the location of your own home.
The offspring of the professional class keep to themselves. Does the climate movement represent a cross-section of society? Not even close! Fridays for Future is the rebellion of the privileged, and the movement offers them the perfect opportunity to flaunt their own cosmopolitan lifestyle and talent.
Many of my climate-concerned friends are questioning whether the social background of the demonstrators matters at all. Isn't that absolutely unimportant? The main thing, they are convinced, is that the earth is saved. It doesn't matter by whom. The population has been silent for long enough, and now it is finally time to stand up.
I admit that the consistency of this chain of thought was extremely appealing to me and that using social origin as an argument against a group is of course nonsensical. The outlined combative spirit also enthralled me at first. At the beginning of my participation in "Fridays for Future", saving the world was the only thing that counted for me. It didn’t matter who stood by my side. And it still wouldn’t matter for me today.
But what matters to me is the behavior and reasoning of the people protesting with me. And here the circle closes, because the social background reveals more about the movement than the demonstrators would like to admit.
In fact, I take the view that the exclusive social background of the young protesters is the actual birth defect of "Fridays for Future". But because the movement was far too homogeneous, far too elitist and correspondingly far too aloof right from the start, its members remained oblivious to it. Ultimately, only those who are doing well in material terms have the time and leisure to consider climate protection as the most important and also the only political issue of our time and to subordinate everything else to it.
Located in its ivory tower, the movement doesn't even notice that its criticism is leveled at the lifestyle of many economically disadvantaged people, who for financial reasons do not always have a choice. They are denounced as climate sinners because they don't shop in health food stores but at discounters. It never occurs to the demonstrators that there are people whose worries about ever-increasing electricity bills and rental charges make a discussion about forgoing air travel irrelevant from the outset.
And how could they? In their sheltered world, all of that is very far away. But that is exactly what makes the movement a risk, because it jeopardizes the already fragile cohesion of our society. For a large part of the population, however, other, more pressing everyday concerns prevail. For those who are afraid of being affected by job cuts in view of the announcements by the industry, the slashing and burning of tropical rain forest is currently of secondary importance.
Likewise, the extinction of exotic animal species is very far away for someone who worries every day about their tenuous retirement arrangements. That doesn't mean that everyday worries should completely obscure the problems of climate change, but it does explain why climate change is not the first priority for people with existential concerns.
It also explains why measures to save the climate must take economic concerns into account. And it explains why more and more people are wondering whether protesters will finally also take to the streets to deal with their everyday distress: lack affordable housing, declining pensions... plenty of issues exist.
The entire political discourse, both between the parties and outside of parliament, on the street, completely ignores the reality of life for many people in Germany! And I can well imagine that that's not a good feeling for many. The public discussions, which are often far removed from everyday life, exclude less privileged people. The result: we are all sitting on a social powder keg.
I don't originally hail from this metropolitan milieu, but grew up in a region that is often dismissed as "rural backwater". Publications such as "Landlust" and "Landleben" [trendy magazines promoting life in the country side] fulfill the longing of city dwellers for pure nature, but this dream only seems to apply to those people who consciously decide to have a weekend house in the forest. However, anyone who grew up in a rural environment will hardly benefit from this.
My parents live in the Palatinate. I grew up there too. My heart clings to the region, it is scenically beautiful with rows of wine-growing villages. But for an urbanite in pursuit of self-actualization it has to be the worst nightmare. In case your are unfamiliar with Palatinate’s culture: Schlachtfest instead of whiskey tasting. Very few apartments are actually furnished in this “country style” featured in the magazines. My home village isn’t shooting location for documentaries about gentrification. Maybe a camera team will get lost in one of our many hamlets at a Saumagen-centered village festival. But that would be pretty rare.
Drowsy villages provide the perfect backdrop while growing up. An ideal, idyllic world. But the older I got, the more I was drawn to the big city. I longed for a place that was more vibrant than the Palatinate and which could offer me more adventures and opportunities on the way to adulthood. Precisely this big, wide world I longed for. And I today I indeed enjoy its advantages. Whenever I drive home today, I have a feeling that two worlds that don't really have much to do with each other are colliding.
Shortly after attending my first Fridays for Future rallies, I paid another visit to my old homeland – these are becoming less and less frequent. When I enthusiastically told my acquaintances there about my experiences at the recent "Fridays for Future" demonstrations, I quickly realized how little they were interested. Out of pure friendship and politeness, they listened to me with half an ear.
I was quite surprised by that. What was the most hotly debated topic of recent weeks in my university town was met with absolute indifference among my old school friends here. They were more interested in the last day of the Bundesliga match or their last Tinder date than in the great climate revolution.
To be honest, I was initially disappointed and then increasingly angry at this lack of interest. While we young people in the big cities are trying to save our planet, the people in my home village are letting us down, I thought. Don't they understand that they too only have one planet at their disposal, just like us from "Fridays for Future"? Luckily, out of politeness, I kept those thoughts to myself.
In the days that followed, I started hearing disparaging comments about Fridays for Future with increasing frequency. In the eyes of my old friends, the movement was an "eco-sect", the self-promotion of big-city, left-wing weirdos. Someone called Greta Thunberg a "deranged menace". In addition to insults, they appeared to become increasingly bothered by the patronizing demeanor of many Fridays for Future protesters, who seem to perceive ICE-car drivers and meat eaters as second-class citizens.
The more often this happened, the deeper the wedge was driven between my current city life and my origins in my home village in the Palatinate. Between my old and my new world. For the first time in my life, I was just happy when I was able to drive back to the big city: finally the ideal world again, even if it was on the verge of collapse.
Ever since that visit, I've been quite hypersensitive whenever my enthusiasm for "Fridays for Future" wasn't shared 100 percent. In my eyes, there were simply only climate heroes on the one hand and climate sinners on the other. The absolute good or absolute bad – and nothing in between! It was only later that I realized how much I was already influenced by the “Fridays for Future” movement.
At first I could only offer my my old acquaintances reproaches. I accused them of being apolitical and uninformed about the world anyway. A mechanism of exclusion that is very common in "Fridays for Future", as I later realized. After all, at university I even mocked my old acquaintances as provincials, something I had always hated myself when my new metropolitan friends teased me about it.
But it was so much easier to just dismiss them as uninformed "provincials" than to argue with them and take them seriously. I didn't ask why my friends from my old home country saw "Fridays for Future" as arrogant or aloof, I didn't care at the time. Possible self-doubts could not arise in the first place.
I didn't anticipate, that this would actually fiercely play up in me over the coming weeks! I thought more and more about the experiences in my home country. It just wouldn't let me go. Where does the rejection of “Fridays for Future” come from, I asked myself. Where does the indifference in the face of urgent global climate problems come from? How could it be that my friends didn't see those and that they didn't comprehend the seriousness of the situation? I looked for answers but couldn't find any.
For several weeks, every Friday, there was no longer any plastic dishware in the university cafeteria. This gesture, following the "Fridays for Future" demonstrations, was intended to set an example for environmental protection. What should have caused storms of enthusiasm in theory, however, meant a very special kind of chaos in practice: balancing a piece of raspberry cake on your bare hand without a plate is more difficult than it might sound. Once the first piece of cake hit the floor, a discussion about the plastic boycott quickly broke out in the canteen.
It immediately turned out that the cashiers could only laugh at what they considered to be an idiotic ban on plastic. Their statements shocked many of my fellow students, who are big "FfF" fans. Instead of relaxed humorous small talk, my fellow students reacted with deadly seriousness. In the heat of the moment, the cashiers were even treated with extremely condescending insults. I will never forget how my fellow students lost all human decency that day in the supposed fight for climate protection. For the first time I noticed how fanatical and arrogant many of my "FfF" acquaintances had long since become.
After that event, something actually changed in me. But I didn't want to admit it to myself at first. But the more often I demonstrated at "Fridays for Future", the more alien the movement became to me. Today I know: It took an event like the one in the university canteen or a stay in my old home country to open my eyes and to realize how important sincerely attempting to understand other realms of experience before applying crude labels to people. Due to its exclusionary megalomania, “Fridays for Future” is incapable of this realization. But only a person who approaches other people, takes them seriously and wants to understand their everyday lives will be listened to. Only those people can actually affect something. They might even, in the best case scenario, save our planet!
While "Fridays for Future" was unable to make inroads my home village’s community, the media was showed more interest. Interviews with activists became more and more frequent on television. The talk shows couldn't get enough of them. "Markus Lanz", "Anne Will" or "Hart aber Fair": All of them had at least one "FfF" activist to visit. The more I saw them there, the more their arrogant demeanor bothered me. I suddenly switched off people who I still saw as inspiring personalities a few months ago. They kept raising their index fingers admonishingly. Looking down from the ivory tower at anyone who disagreed.
Finger wagging was slowly but surely becoming the hallmark of the movement. Their image of the enemy was crystal clear. Their worldview is dangerously one-dimensional. My big city friends suddenly fought everyone they saw as being complicit in the misery of the world: the meat eaters, the plastic bag carriers, the ICE-car drivers, the short-haul fliers, the long-haul fliers, the cruise tourists, the farmers, and of course the evil SUV owners. But honestly, don't we all belong to one of these groups from time to time?
Once they suddenly started cursing anyone who accidentally commits a tiny climate sin, even if it's just incorrect sorting of trash, I felt like they were in the ultimate battle against the rest of humanity. Elitist hubris everywhere I looked. In their moral arrogance they were (and still are) completely unaware of how many "normal" people they alienated by doing so. My assessment that "Fridays for Future" is primarily a movement of socially privileged young people has now been backed up by corresponding figures. The Berlin “Institute for Protest and Movement Research” got to the bottom of the social composition of the climate movement. On March 15, 2019, it surveyed “Fridays for Future” protesters at rallies in Berlin and Bremen. The study was financed by the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen-affiliated "Heinrich Böll Foundation".
The study’s results were illuminating: More than 90 percent of those surveyed stated that they had at least completed their Abitur (or advanced technical college entrance qualification) or were currently striving to do so. An overwhelming majority of 90 percent! Not even 1 percent of the demonstrators attended secondary schools [which prepare pupils for non-academic vocational training]. Almost two-thirds of the students considered themselves to be in the upper-middle class. Even before that, I had no doubt that "Fridays for Future" is a movement of the affluent. But what I read in this study surpassed my estimated. "Fridays for Future" does not in any way represent a cross-section of society, as has often been claimed.
I was surprised how little the sobering result of the study was then discussed. Society had to be informed about the privileged background and the resulting aloofness of the young protesters. Doesn't this change the entire perspective on the defining social debate of the last few months?
The figureheads of the movement in particular all come from the “most bourgeois” background. For example, we have Luisa Neubauer, the best-known German "Fridays for Future" activist. She grew up in the relatively expensive Elbe suburb of Iserbrook in Hamburg. Everyone in Hamburg knows: Not exactly a residential area that is known for its social housing. She did her Abitur in Hamburg-Blankenese. It is Hamburg's villa district par excellence. Sightseeing buses now offer tours through the district to present the magnificent villas to curious tourists. She is a scholarship holder of the party-affiliated foundation Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and is also a member of the party. So nothing stands in the way of a career in politics, she says so herself. "I don't want to rule out a career in politics," she told Zeit Campus, for example. [Neubauer is, in fact, a scion of the oligarchical Reemtsma clan; so is her cousin, another figurehead of the movement]
It’s less a rebellion from below and more a case of perfect self-marketing. But now cracks do appear in this underdog stage production. Today Luisa Neubauer can only be reached via her management. Demonstrators as pop stars! And of course you can't just talk to them on the street when you're demonstrating together. At least not with “Fridays for Future”. Please, what a naive notion! Although there are also critics of the excessive portrayal of people within the "Fridays for Future" movement, there is no real change in sight.
In the meantime, the climate movement has become one thing in particular: a career springboard for ambitious young elites. "Fridays for Future" is the perfect stage to make a name for yourself. Many of the educated offspring of academics are of course aware of this. The more media attention, the more attractive it is to be in the front row. Supposedly idealistic activism can now be marketed very well.
But not only the figureheads like Luisa Neubauer want to get some of the public spotlight. More and more "Neubauer disciples" are trying their luck in the "Fridays for Future" profiling machine. There we have, to name just a few examples, Linus Steinmetz, Carla Reemtsma or Sebastian Grieme.
Getting an appearance on a talk show or at least being able to read your name in the newspaper - all of this can become an opportunity of a lifetime. Being in the front row not only feels incredibly good, it is also a kind of free ticket for later professional life. And as if that wasn't enough: A flood of new Instagram followers is of course also a fantastic side effect. With this in mind: full speed ahead!
Who could object? Everyone is looking for recognition. Doesn't everyone want to take advantage of the opportunities in their life? And finally, every society needs ambitious young people who will later enrich politics, business and culture.
At best, people who want to be the center of attention also bear responsibility for themselves and others. So far no problem, you might think at first.
But how will many people with limited financial resources feel when those rebels who constantly lash out at the lifestyles of others take advantage of it for themselves? While many citizens have to accept new climate costs in their everyday lives, they also experience how Luisa Neubauer is offered a position on the supervisory board at Siemens. In view of this, the suspicion of many people that climate activists are making careers at the expense of other citizens is all too understandable.
I have other concerns as well. In our time, the frustration with the elites is growing. The "enraged citizen phenomenon" has become one of the most discussed topics of this decade. Intellectuals around the world are concerned about the cause of this worrying development. Our society is currently experiencing a "rift" between two major population groups. In an anthology they edited, the political and social scientists Wolfgang Merkel, Ruud Koopmans and Michael Zürn differentiate between “cosmopolitans” and “communitarians”.
There are those who benefit from the future and are therefore relaxed about it. Above all, they see opportunities in it and view the globalization of our world with optimism. This group is referred to as cosmopolitans. But many people are also afraid of change. They believe that the future will not hold anything good and, potentially, only the ever-possible economic decline. Given the "opening" of the world, communitarians see the dangers in particular. They often have the feeling that they are not really noticed by society's elite.
The well-known distinction between “anywheres” and “somewheres” by the British journalist and author David Goodhart supports this finding. Goodhart distinguishes "anywheres" who are educated, wealthy and will feel at home in their circles around the world, and "somewheres". They belong to completely different social milieus and are relegated to a specific place where they work, live, have their friends and struggle to assert their status.
Most "Fridays for Future" activists know: the future belongs to them. Many have the classic biography of a cosmopolitan. Because of their social background, they were born with everything they needed to benefit from our system. Everything is just right: the appearance, the social environment and of course the education.
Although they face the end of the world as a constant threat, their future does not scare them. Why? The doors are wide open for them. They master the complicated rules of our individualized knowledge society very well. You will do your internship in Brussels and not in Bottrop. Better the EU Commission than retail, a sector without future anyway. And also: cultivate connections! Your English vocabulary is usually larger than German. Perfectly prepared for the future, come what may - because they are the elite of tomorrow. The dangerous thing about it: most of the demonstrators are not even aware of this.
The well-trained "Fridays for Future" activists prefer to see themselves as misunderstood outsiders in society. Being an outsider is what makes rebellion sexy. At the same time I say to myself: What must a socially disadvantaged person think when suddenly wealthy cosmopolitans like to play the role of the outsider! And they don't just like it the role. No, they are really putting effort into staging it.
The classic distribution of roles between "perpetrator" and "victim" in the social context is thus turned upside down in a negligent manner: no longer the single mother and multi-jobber is seen as a victim of the existing social conditions, but the climate-conscious scholarship holder who has to experience how the consumption of affordable meat endangers our environment.
But that's not all: instead of listening to the concerns of hard-working people, they blame them for their environmentally unfriendly diesel car, which they need for their daily commute to work.
Instead of considering questions of justice with "Fridays for Future", the movement reduced itself from the start to questions of lifestyle. In my circle of friends, too, the extinction of species is simply cooler than poverty in old age and the issue of gender is hipper than low basic pension.
Above all, the privileged know the social code of the new “morally good” life. The new green-bourgeois bearing regulates the friend-foe scheme of the climate debate. A mechanism of exclusion that often pushes fellow citizens who are already worse off even further aside. A good person has long been only someone who can show an ecologically sound certificate of good conduct. The existential feeling of many that they just have to somehow make ends meet does not exist in the living environment of the (upper) bourgeois offspring. In the climate debate of the last few months, worlds have collided that couldn't be more different. Worlds that are moving further and further apart.
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[The author doesn’t mention it, but the social milieu that makes up the bulk of the climate movement is also very fond of importing Anglo-inspired race discourse. Towards the end of its decline, they were increasingly caught in purity spirals. For example: should white musicians with dreadlocks be allowed to play during happenings?
The study from “Institute for Protest and Movement Research” also examined ethnicity of the protesters: they are predominantly of ethnic German stock, much more so than the average German citizen. Who could have known?]

Feasts in honor of the Trinity rose up late in the first Millennium; interestingly the first feast to be observed which doesn't celebrate an event or a person. Instead, it celebrates a theological concept. Though it wasn't instituted as a feast throughout the Western Church until the 14th Century, it was popular in parts of Northern Europe well before then, including in England. That's why there are so many Anglican churches dedicated to the Trinity, and why traditional Books of Common Prayer count the Sundays which follow from Trinity rather than from Pentecost, in continuation of medieval English practice.

Important dates this week

Monday, June 5: Boniface, Bishop of Mainz and Martyr (Black letter day)
Thursday, June 8: Corpus Christi (not in any BCP, but nonetheless observed by many Anglicans, especially of the Anglo-Catholic bent)

Lectionary from the 1662 BCP

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.
Epistle: Revelation 4
Gospel: John 3:1-15
Post your prayer requests in the comments.

Hi everyone,
I'm an evangelical who has become interested in learning about different Christian traditions, particularly, Catholicism, Anglicanism and Orthodoxy, and are in the process of reading through some Catholic resources. One of the books my wife and I are reading is "Pope Peter" by Joe Heschmeyer. I really enjoy the book and have a deeper respect for the Catholic viewpoint on the establishment of a hierarchy including Peter having a special role beyond the other apostles. With that being said, in the intro to the book, he straightforwardly mentions that some of the Pope Francis' statements in regard to Zika Virus were highly disagreeable. Does his statement fly in the face of submitting to the magisterium, or are my wife and I misunderstanding what submission to magisterial teaching actually means? We're trying to understand what level of questioning statements from church authorities is acceptable (with the obvious understanding that anything "Ex Cathedra" is non-negotiable). Thanks for your considerations and responses.