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Never before had Rapier stood witness to such an enormous fleet mustered in one location. Dozens of assault carriers and troopships, over three hundred battleships and cruisers, and each one of these capital craft were surrounded by ten frigates for close-in defense. This was the Armada of the Small of which Wakizashi spoke.
Rapier gazed out of the bridge, captivated by the shifting lights in the distance. Such a show of force had surely been ordered by Her Dominance herself, but it was grounds for worry. Not since the war against the great machine empire of the Upsilon had a force so large been raised, and for a moment he wondered what that meant about the current conflict. Then, he expunged doubt from his mind. He may have had his misgivings with his immediate superiors, but his faith in his sovereign, like most Poslushi of the day, remained unshaken. If the great Katana II wished it done, it had to be for good reason.
On a somewhat more relieving note, Rapier had been all but relieved of duty. Overbattlematron Dao of the Oxilini Brood had assumed joint command of the fleet with Wakizashi, but the Tethylen and her escorts would remain as the spearhead of their offensive, joined by a strike group of battleships and carriers.
“You know, this is only about a tenth of our might. Even if we subtract ten thousand of our craft for border patrols, ten thousand more for Judge retinues, and a generous twenty thousand for policing, that’s still only a sixth.” Wakizashi explained.
“It’s impressive, I must say.” Rapier replied, antennae standing almost straight with excitement.
“Her Dominance has made it clear that she will not tolerate delays in the campaign from this point forward. She expects to be meeting with me on Earth quite soon. It shouldn’t be a problem; the Armada alone outnumbers the navies of all their nations combined almost two to one.”
“They really number so little? Damn, we could’ve just had the Council of Arbitrators send a Peacekeeper detachment and been done with it!”
Wakizashi chuckled at the prospect. “Would’ve served those yokel people right. Better than the tit-sucking softskins deserved, even.”
Rapier saw one of the Ovinis crewmen give Wakizashi a dirty look when she wasn’t looking. For a moment, he thought to remind her that such anti-mammalian language was not to be used in mixed company, but found that it would be too blunt and too suspicious.
“Though, that does raise the question: what are you planning to do once we win?” Rapier asked out of a mixture of genuine curiosity and a willingness to change the subject.
Wakizashi’s eyes narrowed in thought. “First, I’ll demolish the capitals of the nations of man and build my palace from the stones, as is custom. Then, once mankind has been brought around, I’ll probably have to rekindle their old martial history. The Council will have… issues with the Combine gaining too much from this war.”
“A prudent choice, ma’am, but would the Council bring a coalition to bear against one of its own Tribunals?” Rapier asked. Such a thing had never occurred before, not counting the war that replaced the Psychocracy with the Upsilon in the position of First Tribunal.
“Remember, Rapier, to put nothing beyond our enemies, and even less beyond our friends.”
Rapier tried to remember what the quote was from. “Tribulations of Sunsword?”
“Axioms of the Before, actually. Nasty time, that was.”
Rapier didn’t know much about the Before; it had been a time of great pain that existed before the rise of Sunsword as First Warlord of Poslush, and all information beyond that was restricted to Judge eyes only.
The bridge door hissed open and someone entered with heavy footsteps. Rapier spun in his chair to see Ulo standing just barely on the inside of the doorway. His bright blue plumage quivered on end with excitement.
“Viceroy, Captain-General, commnets are up and running with all craft. 900th through 1210th Mixed Legions are deploying to the surface as we speak, with artillery and armored elements soon to follow. We’ve currently got 30,000 Aerial Knights in Omen’s high atmosphere as well, but I imagine they’ll be suffering high casualties soon. Human air effectiveness is not to be underestimated, ma’am.”
“Oh, don’t be such a pessimist, Captain. I’m sure the Aerial Knights will perform as admirably as they have ever done.”
Rapier envied Ulo at this moment. As he wasn’t the direct subordinate of Wakizashi, she couldn’t punish him for speaking out without overstepping social norms.
“The issue is not one of performance; it’s one of technology and honor. I’m sure you know of the human air forces’ self-steering air torpedoes, and their tendency to attack without warning. If they were to be engaged by our Knights, it is likely that each enemy fighter could inflict significant losses before running out of munitions or being overwhelmed. The Judges of the Squireworlds would not be pleased to see their Knights wasted, ma’am.”
A foul smell permeated the room and Rapier cringed with apprehension. Wakizashi’s voice had a sharp, angered hiss to it. “Well, you can tell the Judges of the Squireworlds that they can write their complaints down, roll them up, and shove them up their cloacae. I am still Viceroy, and the forces they entrust to me will still answer to me. Her Dominance does not tolerate factionalism within her demesne, and neither will I. Understand, Captain?”
Ulo lowered his gaze and tilted his head forward, the closest thing to an apology an Aralu could push aside their pride to give. “Understood, ma’am.”
“Good. Tell Dao that we are ready to proceed with the offensive.” Wakizashi said, shooing Ulo from the room with one hand. Then, she turned to Rapier.
“What do you think, Captain-General? How should we proceed?”
Rapier’s antennae raised in excitement. Ever since she had stung him, she had paradoxically become more open to suggestion. Perhaps she was willing to be more vulnerable before somebody she thought didn’t have the capacity to use such vulnerability against her.
“Well, in this situation, I would suggest a doctrine of combined-arms tactics. The Aerial Knights wrest control of the skies and work in tandem with our artillery to bombard enemy positions, and our armored and infantry columns support one another in rolling over what remains.”
A sweet scent tinged the air once again. “Sound strategies as always, Captain-General. Rally the Driver Caste; I’ve been wanting a human servant ever since this war began.”
—
“Flush,” Simmons said, laying her cards out on the floor of the barracks. Overjoyed, Pavlov took his turn to show his hand. “Four of a kind, baby!”
“Ugh, two pair,” Sparrow said, facepalming.
Darren, the dealer, took the opportunity to speak. “And the taker of the grand jackpot of two dollars, a novelty stamp, and a free drink when all this is over: Corporal Pavlov!”
Pavlov eyed the stamp greedily, but before he could collect any of his winnings, Darren’s PDA flashed twice and a message appeared on the screen with a loud ding. Darren picked up the tablet and read the message.
From: Capt. Devon McCullough, USSAC, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Astral
Get your equipment and proceed to Fort von Richthofen’s helipad for your next assignment. Say your goodbyes; it’s unlikely you will return before the fort has been evacuated.
End transmission.
Darren put the PDA in his bag and said, “Get your gear. We’re leaving.”
“Where to?” Pavlov asked.
“Dunno; it just says to wait for a helicopter.” Darren responded, already donning his ballistic vest and helmet. He picked up his rifle, freshly cleaned and greased, and slung it over his shoulder. A minute of slipping into his boots, adjusting his belt, grabbing his pack, but mostly adjusting his belt later, he was combat-ready and already on his way to the vertiport. The walk was short and the air was brisk and clean, unlike Earth’s cocktail of smog, industrial aerosols, and synthetic ozone that passed for an atmosphere. The place would make a good holiday retreat, as long as CAST won the war first.
The Dark Sparrow lay in wait on the helipad, rotors still spinning. Darren ducked under the blades (such behavior was greatly reinforced after he watched a taller trainee get the top of his head removed during Ranger School) and climbed into the back of the helo, the rest of the platoon close behind. The moment Pavlov, bringing up the rear, got in, the doors slammed shut and the aircraft lifted from the ground. Soon, Fort von Richthofen was nothing but a slowly-shrinking cluster of structures behind them, a little city soon to vanish forever.
The flight was solemn and quiet; the gravity of the situation was clear to everyone for the first time. Normally, someone would step up with a quip or joke to lighten the mood, but it seemed that humor was no longer a viable option. The only noises to occasionally break through the drone of the engines were the occasional report of an artillery piece or the whine of a passing fighter. Darren silently dictated a final address to his mother on a piece of stationery. When the helo came down, he left it with the pilot in case he didn’t return; he couldn’t help but notice several others doing the same.
Darren’s PDA flashed one last time as they emerged atop one side of a steep mountain-rimmed valley, about a hundred feet above the floor of the landform. A column of French and Dutch evacuees had recently passed through, and had managed to goad a more foolhardy Battlematron into sending her forces through the canyon in pursuit. To that end, the platoon, alongside two Marine Raider and one SAS detachment of the same size, would set an ambush for her forces, inflicting as many casualties as they could in hopes of degrading her soldiers’ morale. When the job was done, the four platoons would retreat one after another, the Rangers covering the last of the Marines. Darren chuckled as he imagined what the Marines were thinking about not being last out.
“This is Staff Sergeant Hardwell, 75th Ranger Regiment, requesting sound-off, over.” Darren said, one hand to his ear.
“Sergeant Armstrong in position, over.” a gruff, heavily Scottish voice responded nigh-instantly.
“You’re late to the party. Staff Sergeant Walker and Staff Sergeant Kennedy. You might remember me from that intel raid, over.” another voice with a Brooklyn accent spoke.
It took Darren a minute to remember what he was talking about. “Oh, with the Battlematron Sparrow took a leg off. Yeah, I remember you! How’s Abilene, over?”
“Recovering; some asshole put a Bouncing Betty in our patrol path and she, erm, disarmed it. With her unmentionables. We’re running with a replacement, over.”
“Yeesh.” Darren exclaimed, cupping his hand over his microphone. Looking over, Pavlov looked to be simultaneously horrified and suppressing a laugh.
“Well, that’s all. Let’s try to maintain radio silence; God knows whether or not they’re listening in on us, out.”
“Roger, out.”
“Affirm, out.”
Sighing, Darren clicked off his radio and tried to find a good spot to set up his gun. However, he was immediately interrupted when Pavlov called out, “Hey, they left us a cache!”
Instantly interested, Darren ran over to Pavlov’s side, and sure enough, two large steel crates had been partially buried, bearing the insignia of the French logistics corps. When Pavlov cracked them open, it was like they had struck gold. One crate carried dozens upon dozens of STANAG rifle magazines, and the other contained five anti-material coilguns with enough sabot rounds to put a tank brigade out of commission.
A dark whimsy overtook Darren and he smiled as only someone about to destroy something could. This was going to be fun.
(AN: If you could make a tier list of the various characters, who would go where? Why? Just an interesting way to know where I need to work on characterization [I know I'm not the best at it].
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Love 'ya!)

Hi 👋🏽. I'm a 21 year old (just turned) Hawaiian/African American. I work in sales for Pepsi, I'm a part time mechanic/soldier, and I'm currently pursuing my BS in Aviation. In my free time I like to work on computers, play video games, work out, read books, [learn to] cook, and dive. (I wanna add working on cars to my hobbie list when I get back when I get back). In late 2022 I decided to join the national guard. I spent the last 7 months in combat and mechanic training. In 15 days I'm going back home to Texas and I'm really excited to get the next chapter of my life started. As I previously stated, I'm trying to get my BS in Aviation and I haven't been able to put much time into while in military training. With that out of the way I'm hoping to find someone to talk to. Mayhaps....
If you're interested in video games I play:
-World of tanks -War Thunder -Apex -Cyber punk -Hell let loose - Halo MCC -and a bunch of other games
If you want to play any with me you are gonna have to wait 2 weeks till I get back home. If you're into any of the other stuff I mentioned shoot me a pm and I'll try and get back to you when I can.

Hi 👋🏽. I'm a 21 year old (just turned) Hawaiian/African American. I work in sales for Pepsi, I'm a part time mechanic/soldier, and I'm currently pursuing my BS in Aviation. In my free time I like to work on computers, play video games, work out, read books, [learn to] cook, and dive. (I wanna add working on cars to my hobbie list when I get back when I get back). In late 2022 I decided to join the national guard. I spent the last 7 months in combat and mechanic training. In 15 days I'm going back home to Texas and I'm really excited to get the next chapter of my life started. As I previously stated, I'm trying to get my BS in Aviation and I haven't been able to put much time into while in military training. With that out of the way I'm hoping to find someone to talk to. Mayhaps....
If you're interested in video games I play:
-World of tanks -War Thunder -Apex -Cyber punk -Hell let loose - Halo MCC -and a bunch of other games
If you want to play any with me you are gonna have to wait 2 weeks till I get back home. If you're into any of the other stuff I mentioned shoot me a pm and I'll try and get back to you when I can.

Selling War Thunder Account, level 100. USA - tier 7 ARB every vehicle researched asides for the F16A block 10. Bomber line unpurchased from the B57. GRB - everything researched asides for the M1A2 SEP, ADATS, and the M60 tier 6 line. Premium vehicles: XP38G. XP50. AV8. XM1. F2G. AH64A (israeli in the US tree). Premium vehicles in other nations. Germany: mig21 spsk. France: yak 3. Japan: J2M5 (30 mil) England: spitfire FR MK XIVE. israel: merkava mk2d. A4E Germany premium: KV1C. russia: ITP (M-1).Italy premium: M4. Panzer 4.Russia: ARB: researching tier 5 - 6. Grb researching tier 4.Germany ARB researching tier 5. GRB researching tier 3. Japan: arb: researching tier 6. France ARB: Researching tier 4 Britain: ARB researching tier 5 Israel ARB: researching tier 5. GRB: researching tier 5.
Selling for 400$

Hi 👋🏽. I'm a 21 year old (just turned) Hawaiian/African American. I work in sales for Pepsi, I'm a part time mechanic/soldier, and I'm currently pursuing my BS in Aviation. In my free time I like to work on computers, play video games, work out, read books, [learn to] cook, and dive. (I wanna add working on cars to my hobbie list when I get back when I get back). In late 2022 I decided to join the national guard. I spent the last 7 months in combat and mechanic training. In 15 days I'm going back home to Texas and I'm really excited to get the next chapter of my life started. As I previously stated, I'm trying to get my BS in Aviation and I haven't been able to put much time into while in military training. With that out of the way I'm hoping to find someone to talk to. Mayhaps.... 

If you're interested in video games I play:
-World of tanks -War Thunder -Apex -Cyber punk -Hell let loose - Halo MCC -and a bunch of other games
If you want to play any with me you are gonna have to wait 2 weeks till I get back home. If you're into any of the other stuff I mentioned shoot me a pm and I'll try and get back to you when I can.

Or is there any mods or ways to make either of these single player?

I was casually reading about the writing of the Gospel of Mark (which I believe is understood to be the earliest-written of the canonical gospels) and noticed the context seems intertwined with the first Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD.
That event is soon followed by the Kitos War in 115-117, which led to the expulsion of Jews from much of the Empire to Judea, and then the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132-136, which according to Wiki some scholars have called a genocide against Jews in Judea.
Now, I don't know a lot about the history of early Christianity, but it would seem that these events must have had a major impact on the rise of Christianity as a separate religion within (at least at first) Judaism, no?
It seems that amid a period of horrible anti-Jewish persecution by the Romans, early Christianity could have offered Jews a way to worship the same Abrahamic god more safely, relatively speaking.
I'm sure I'm missing a lot in this question, but am I wrong to think these Roman-Jewish wars must have greatly helped the spread of early Christianity?

The day seemed like it would be ordinary until the aeronautical community’s most sought after document showed up on my doorstep.
It came wrapped in brown kraft paper tied off with twine, and the exterior packaging had no return address nor any indication of a postage stamp. It was as though it had been simply bundled up and dropped into my wall-mounted mailbox by a random passerby.
No part of me was willing to surrender the strange parcel without opening it first. Regardless of who its contents truly belonged to, my eyes would be the first to see it. I removed the twine and then dug a thumb under a fold in the packaging paper before clawing it away to expose a brown tan notebook circa 1900. It was full grain buffalo leather with a crisscross of cord for the spine and a thick hand cut string keeping it sealed shut.
When I undid the string, the pages that had been gripped tight by the leather fanned out gently then returned to their original position, my eyes landing on the front page. It was without a printer’s mark and read in big handwritten type: “THE DIARY AND RECORD OF HENRY H. HELGELAND.”
I knew in that instant the package was in the hands of who it was rightfully sent out for. Not just because I’d recently lost my job as an associate at our city’s art museum but because of a separate, much deeper connection to the diary’s author.
Perhaps it’s in my best interests to turn it over to the National Archives, or the US Arctic Research Commission, or maybe even the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, but at the risk of seeing it blue-penciled to death, I’ve elected to instead share it here and now.
The world needs to know what happened.
---
Henry H. Helgeland — my great grandfather — was a severe looking man with a walrus mustache and a bone to pick with anyone who ever doubted him. He was born in Oakland, California in 1871 and was, by all available accounts relayed to me, well-behaved and well-liked. His father worked a lucrative job in the shipping industry, transporting timber between San Francisco and the Central Valley. Two years into Henry’s life, his mother would contract a fatal case of diphtheria and die shortly thereafter; when he was old enough to understand what had happened, Henry “yearn[ed] fervently for a reunion to mend [his] great anguish and sorrow.”
Near the turn of the 20th century, Henry attended Stanford University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he learned everything from thermodynamics to machine design. But it was a lecture about polar transportation that would ultimately kindle his interest in a separate enterprise: arctic exploration. Indeed, the race to the North Pole was well underway, with naval officers, geologists, and aeronauts around the globe vying for the chance to make history. My great grandfather, like many of his peers, propounded the theory that he, and he alone, would be the first to reach the Great White North.
In 1895, Henry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and sought to expand the member list of the so called Ascension Society, a student organization he’d assembled to aid engineering graduates with materials science. Many of its constituents had engaged in research projects and experimental setups to hone their craft of mechanical systems, but in time, however, the venture would instead prove a hotspot for investors and philanthropists. Donations averaging up to $5,000 helped fund and promote the fantastic ambitions of my great grandfather. So long as the Ascension Society was gracing him with their support, he’d be the first to reach the North Pole.
In early 1898, armed with enough capital, Henry used the proceeds to purchase the materials required for the balloon.
---
A notable circus at the forefront of traveling attractions in the early twentieth century was The Fielding Troupe. With its impressive lineup of talent — from fire eaters and aerialists to equestrians and strongmen — the ensemble drew crowds from nearly every town in western America during its historic run. Its wide reach would ultimately reel in many notable faces, including my great grandfather.
Prior to a performance in Oakland, the Fielding Troupe led a procession through the town around Stanford University, announcing their arrival with a parade of wagons, floats, and animals. The strategy, as it were, was to drum up as much publicity and fanfare as possible. Evidently it worked, as a healthy fraction of the faculty and student body at Stanford made the trip over to Oakland in order to see the troupe in action.
Surrounding their arena with two hundred feet of heavy duty tent canvas, the troupe put on a show for the ages the night Henry was in attendance, with extravagant acrobatics, trained animal performances, and a special appearance from Curtis the Clown. Following a skillful display of juggling and good natured audience ribbing, Curtis’s master stroke was an intricate stunt involving balloons and wire flying. Firstly, he would inflate several multi-colored balloons and tie them off with string, securing them firmly in his grip. They served as a flashy distraction from the piece of flexible metal snaking out from the harness he had concealed under his equally flashy costume. Then, with a whisper of strength, a couple stagehands hoisted the balloon-carrying clown thirty feet into the air to make it appear as though he was levitating by virtue of the balloons alone. A separate performer — a marksman — showed off his sharpshooting skills with a Winchester model rifle and gunned down the balloons, exploding each one as the stagehands loosened their hold on Curtis’s harness until he was eased to the ground.
Henry watched the routine with eager delight. Seeing Curtis the Clown float above a hundred or so onlookers helped stir within him a plan. The ceiling of the Big Top Tent where Curtis had concluded his ascent represented more than the centerpiece of a traveling circus.
“Ascendancy,” Henry muttered to his wife Ruth. “This is how we get to the top of the world.”
---
The spherical vessel measured sixty-five feet in diameter, with a capacity of over 200,000 cubic feet. Its construction was overseen by Henry and a couple french engineers who installed in its gondola three berths and ample ballast to keep it stable. The gondola, a carefully constructed assemblage of wicker and chestnut wood, was built as such to bar any interference to the magnetic instruments of the explorers. Keeping it shielded against severe weather conditions was a varnished silk calotte and a vaselined net composed of over four-hundred hemp cords. A bamboo pole was attached bellow the carrying ring to attach the side sails and, perhaps most notably, the balloon was fitted with hemp and cocoa nut fiber guide ropes to help steer and maintain a consistent altitude.
After two years of exhaustive construction, work on the balloon was completed in 1900. Henry named it Ascension, after the society that funded its creation.
---
What follows are several selected passages lifted directly from Henry’s memorandum, transcribed by me. The first entry reads:
“At nine o'clock on the forenoon, May 5, 1900, under the auspices of the Ascension Society, we embarked from the 71st parallel on our quest of the Pole. Our great journey sets off from Point Barrow, Alaska following a grueling adventure aboard the steamer Sursum. I, Henry Helgeland, travel forth, accompanied by Charles Ringvold, esteemed navigator, and Edward Meyer, long celebrated physician, into the arctic wilderness. Together, our efforts will generate a most formidable team and an unwavering spirit. We will ascend.”
Indeed, the SS Sursum disembarked from a port in San Francisco in mid May of that year; it offered easy access to the Pacific Ocean and sailed through the Bering Strait, covering over 3,000 nautical miles before reaching Point Barrow on July 2.
When the balloon took off, carried by a fierce north east wind, it was to a thunderous applause from those that had come to bear witness to the bold endeavor. Among them were crew members of the SS Sursum, high ranking associates of the Ascension Society, and carpenters tasked with helping the balloon reach its initial phase of liftoff.
As it elevated to 300 hundred feet and passed around an onlooking whaler, Henry was reported to have shouted: “To the top of the world, hurrah!”
---
36 hours would elapse before a second entry was made.
“July 4, 1900, Lat. 77° 48' N, Long. 143° 4' W. We are soaring at a height of 600 feet above the Earth's surface, traveling at a speed of approximately seven kilometers per hour. Our morale remains similarly aloft. Charles relayed to me that, God willing, we anticipate reaching the pole in roughly 800 miles. Beyond the drag ropes lending their ballast to our journey, optimism is our guiding force. We will ascend.”
Turbulent air currents had a different plan in mind, however.
“July 5, 1900, Lat. 80° 8' N, Long. 138° 37' W. Alas! Our aerial journey came to an abrupt halt yestereve on the 80th parallel. We voyaged as many as 500 miles before a forceful downdraft spun our vehicle on its vertical axle and compelled it into a sharp descent; we had lost what we estimate to be just over 100 cubic feet of gas.
“Edward suffered severe injuries during the initial impact and claims his vertebrae have been shattered, leaving him immobile. We’re at the mercy of the floe on which we now rest, at the mercy of the Polar Sea. Should we face the specter of death, we shall meet it with unwavering honor. We will ascend.”
---
“July 6, 1900. We find ourselves solitary in the barren expanse, accompanied only by bergs, ice-fields, and majestic glaciers. Our rations encompass a container’s worth of hardtack, enough salted beef for approximately one week, canned stew, dried apricots, some chocolate bars, and seven bottles of ale.
“Edward’s outlook remains grim; he suspects he’ll never walk again. In witness of his current state, I’m beginning to share in such apprehensions. Edward, whom we have reposed on on of our sledges, fears that the opportunity to make known the great love he holds for his mistress Rebecca is one he’ll never be granted. ‘You shall be reunited at once,’ I assured him. ‘Our journey to triumph will not be thwarted by minor inconveniences.’
“We’ve plotted the course to our next destination: that being Herschel Island, located off the coast of Canada in the Beaufort Sea. Charles — who shares in Edward’s dismay — estimates a three month footslog spanning just under one thousand miles is in store for us, perhaps more given Edward’s ailment. I am determined to see this mission to its completion, yet survival remains a paramount desire. Who’s to recount our extraordinary journey should we fail?
“While establishing our encampment and scouting the local flora of the area for additional sources of sustenance, I happened upon a plant of an unknown species. Half a meter tall, bulbous tubers, and thin roots terminating in clusters of white flowers; intuition suggests this is a water hemlock, which precludes it from edibility. Nevertheless, I shall regard this finding as one of great fortune. A portent of divine value. We will ascend.”
---
Two days later, gold prospectors off the Alaskan coast at Nome beach were in the process of emptying their sluice boxes when from the sky flew a carrier pigeon directly to their mining site. It bore a label with the inscription “Helgeland” and contained the following dispatch:
“July 7, 1900. First dog watch. Three southerly traveling carrier-pigeons were sent off at approximately 7 h. 40 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, the following among them. This is Rear Admiral Charles Ringvold of the United States Navy and the Helgeland Balloon Expedition of 1900. Our hopes of reaching the pole have been reduced to naught. Assistance urgently needed. Our destinies have hitherto been unknown, and now my fears have been actualized. GO IN TERROR OF HENRY HELGELAND. He is not who he proclaims to be. I volunteered for a man of honorable stature and venturesome drive. The man before me betrays neither.”
The remainder of the message was a hasty scrawl, decrypted only by the best in linguistics and modern codebreaking.
“UNASSISTED WE WILL PERISH HELPED WE WILL PERSEVERE PLEASE GOD HELP US HENRY WILL KILL US ALL DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE PROCLAIMS.”
The communication was immediately passed off to the Smithsonian Institution, where word fell within the earshot of Ascension Society proponents and additional members of the US Navy. A follow-up expedition — a rescue team led by Captain S. P. Matthews — was put together at once with the authorization of the Secretary of War.
Months later, after a congressional bill introduced to secure grant funding for arctic exploration — and thereby a rescue mission for Helgeland’s lost expedition — was successfully passed, the USS Greenwich departed from the San Francisco Naval Shipyard with a crew of thirty boatswains, medics, and deck officers among others.
What they would ultimately uncover puzzled them all.
---
“July 7, 1900. The team has fractured. We are without our provisions and without the morale that has served us thusly.
“Charles and I set upon the pursuit and capture of a walrus, a most strenuous task in the Arctic Circle. Furnished with a Winchester model .40-82, the sport skews in our favor but we are in no short supply of peril. These are one ton beasts with the strength of a hundred strongmen as they stave the ice, and yet it is not them I should have feared.
“’I can’t allow you to proceed further.’ I heard the click clack racket of the Winchester as Charles chambered a round and raised the rifle, training its twenty inch barrel toward my back after I had volunteered — quite ignorantly — to take the vanguard.
“’Charles?’ I managed between clattering teeth.
“’You’re a man of bold stature. An honorable man at that. But not honorable enough to die for. And that’s it, Henry. I will not die for you.’
“’You speak out of distress, not rationality.’
“’I’m as rational as one permits when I say we won’t all make it to Canada. You can’t expect us to sledge Edward for the next month and retain our strength. Our sanities.” I could hear him gulp, ‘our lives.’
“’You’re not who you say you are.’ I realized in that moment. ‘Not even an ensign would renounce his own crew. Who are you really, Charles?’
“His credentials were a farce; a clever scheme to scrape through the expedition’s vetting process. He was no navy-man nor expert nor navigator and if you piled his life’s accomplishments on top of one another, they’d be equal to that of a cretin.
“’Doesn’t matter any more, Henry.’
“’Then why haven’t you shot me?’
“I sensed beyond his terror a hint of reluctance and felt within him the trepidation of an amateur. The man had never wielded a firearm in his life and wouldn’t start hence.
“’In Your infinite mercy, hear my prayer. In Your boundless grace, grant me Your forgiveness,’ he muttered below his breath. I could’ve believed he’d have squeezed the trigger if not for the unexpected convulsion that suddenly brought him to his knees. Befallen by the strange attack, Charles unhanded the Winchester and collapsed to the ice in the midst of a crippling seizure. And in a matter of moments, he had succumbed to death.
“With some activated charcoal or perhaps an emetic, he could have eluded such a painful demise. I stepped over to look upon his body, his pupils dilated to the size of dimes. Reviewing the immediate symptoms, intuition tells me he’s become the latest victim of hemlock poisoning, the kind of amateur mistake I’d expect from someone such as Charles. Ideal timing, if I may speak candidly.
“Hope remains alive. I will ascend.”
---
Investigators with the crew of S. P. Matthews found everything except answers.
It took them all of three months to zero in on the campsite left behind by Helgeland’s expedition. Any prospect of finding the balloon itself was dropped by the wayside to preserve manpower and time.
The camp was discovered on the 79th parallel, not in any particular state of disarray but with enough evidence to suggest conflict had broken out between the members. Edward was discovered in a tent with the rest of the rations and a bullet hole stamped in the side of his head. There was no telling how long he’d been dead for.
Forty-five meters away from the camp, buried under a stalagmitic gathering of ice and snow, was the body of Charles Ringvold. A followup inquiry would prove my great grandfather’s claims that he was a fraud, but like Charles himself, the truth is buried deep under the surface. Edward and Charles are commemorated for their failed — albeit honorable — efforts in the face of great opposition.
The body of my great grandfather, however, was never found. Theories thus abound in the saga of Henry H. Helgeland and we are no more the wiser now than we were a century ago. He is remembered for murdering his men in cold blood, deserting them, and then yielding to the elements somewhere in the frozen hell of the arctic. The carrier-pigeon message sent by Charles corroborated the apparent facts.
But I know the truth. Because only I have the answers.
“July 8, 1900. All that remains is me, for everyone else has vanished. Edward and I regaled each other with stories of our mistresses as night fell upon our place in the arctic wasteland. Rebecca, Edward’s beloved, works as an expert seamstress in San Francisco and will no doubt be devastated when news of his fate reaches her. But the great memories they shared together, I assured him, will serve her well in the years to come.
“‘You shall be reunited at once,’ I whispered to him once more before executing the dying man with the Winchester. It is my turn to face whatever awaits me on the ice.
“My great anguish and sorrow have been mended.
“Ruth is calling to me now. Our son promptly requires our presence.
“I shall go to them."
The fruitless search for my great grandfather peaked at last with the unearthing of a path of footprints snaking away from the tent where Edward’s body lay. Investigators followed them for approximately ten meters before they abruptly ceased. Captain Matthews is quoted as saying: “it was as though the walker had simply floated away.”
And indeed, it was our family that won in the end, for my great grandfather received exactly what he wanted. The final, undated entry of his diary is comprised of but three simple words:
“I have ascended.”

Something I wanted to share is that 76 provides us with our first solid information on the two new post-war crops added in fallout 4: razorgrain and tatos. From the first link provided below, it appears that these two, along with corn, when mutated (judging by how the lab contains these crops along with the rest of the ones we can plant by the time we can explore it, we can assume that the plants found in the wasteland are something similar to this; however, its also worth noting the lab contains the only examples of flux plants that are not in a blast zone) are capable of growing much more quickly and being more resistant to pesticides at the cost of a somewhat weakened immune system for the crops and low diversity.
https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Arktos_Pharma_terminal_entries#Food_crop_research_terminal
​
What I'm wondering now is if this could be used as a general guide for what happened to the other mutated foodstuffs we see in the series. Mutfruit even appears to be treated the same way as the crops mentioned directly in the terminal, with Curie noting a type of sugar that's beneficial for healing purposes which could be spun as an improvement on whatever the normal variant of a mutfruit is (while she states its only effective if the plant hasn't been exposed to radiation, fallout 2 and NV make it clear this isn't entirely the case due to the creation of super stims needing a mutfruit; I'm betting the irradiated form isn't helpful for the radiation-cleansing effects of Curie's healthpaks, though). However, the terminal on the prywden seems to go against this idea, at least in Boston (though the issue could be a lack of good soil as opposed to an issue with growth rates; if they don't have the nutrients to grow, the speed doesn't matter).
​
https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/The_Prydwen_terminal_entries#Commonwealth_Plant_Database
​
I'd also like to mention that carrots, razorgrain, tatos and mutfruit are found inside the Appalachian west tek facility, where the greenhouse initiative was tested (using the pan-immunity project on plants). However, I suspect that the crops we see here were not exposed to FEV since they are the same plants that exist elsewhere in the world.

LPI (LP Information)' newest research report, the “Calming Products for Pet Industry Forecast” looks at past sales and reviews total world Calming Products for Pet sales in 2022, providing a comprehensive analysis by region and market sector of projected Calming Products for Pet sales for 2023 through 2029. With Calming Products for Pet sales broken down by region, market sector and sub-sector, this report provides a detailed analysis in US$ millions of the world Calming Products for Pet industry.
This Insight Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global Calming Products for Pet landscape and highlights key trends related to product segmentation, company formation, revenue, and market share, latest development, and M&A activity. This report also analyzes the strategies of leading global companies with a focus on Calming Products for Pet portfolios and capabilities, market entry strategies, market positions, and geographic footprints, to better understand these firms' unique position in an accelerating global Calming Products for Pet market.
This Insight Report evaluates the key market trends, drivers, and affecting factors shaping the global outlook for Calming Products for Pet and breaks down the forecast by type, by application, geography, and market size to highlight emerging pockets of opportunity. With a transparent methodology based on hundreds of bottom-up qualitative and quantitative market inputs, this study forecast offers a highly nuanced view of the current state and future trajectory in the global Calming Products for Pet .
This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Calming Products for Pet market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries.
https://www.lpinformationdata.com/reports/729976/calming-products-for-pet-2029
The main participants
Petco
Adaptil
Medi-Vet
Orion Corporation
Quiet Moments
Boehringer Ingelheim
Merck Animal Health
Beaphar
Kradle
Pets Calm Down
Serendipity Herbals
Vetnique Labs
ThunderWorks
Ourofino Saude Animal
Elanco Animal Health
Dr. Harvey’s
Zoetis
Dechra
Kyron Labs.
Virbac
Ceva Animal Health
Pet Remedy
Feliway
Bella & Duke
Reggie
Natural Dog Company
Segmentation by type
Calming Snacks
Calming Spray
Sedative Drugs
Others
Segmentation by application
Cat
Dog
Others
Key Questions Addressed in this Report
What is the 10-year outlook for the global Calming Products for Pet market?
What factors are driving Calming Products for Pet market growth, globally and by region?
Which technologies are poised for the fastest growth by market and region?
How do Calming Products for Pet market opportunities vary by end market size?
How does Calming Products for Pet break out type, application?
What are the influences of COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war?
LP INFORMATION (LPI) is a professional market report publisher based in America, providing high quality market research reports with competitive prices to help decision makers make informed decisions and take strategic actions to achieve excellent outcomes.We have an extensive library of reports on hundreds of technologies.Search for a specific term, or click on an industry to browse our reports by subject. Narrow down your results using our filters or sort by what’s important to you, such as publication date, price, or name.
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Anybody have any good eqs to bring tanks sounds out more?

Here are the final results of the latest poll after 2 full years of weekly voting, followed by all-time statistics for all 3 years of polls including the Atari Era:

The Best Games of the NES/Master System Era:

1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Contra
3. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
4. Ninja Gaiden
5. Bubble Bobble
6. Mega Man 3
7. Phantasy Star
8. Final Fantasy
9. Battletoads
10. Batman: The Video Game
11. Blaster Master
12. Shinobi
13. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
14. Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation / Dragon Warrior III
15. Tecmo Super Bowl
16. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
17. Rygar
18. Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap
19. Dr. Mario
20. Mother / EarthBound Beginnings
21. Journey to Silius
22. Metroid
23. Super Mario Bros. 2 / Super Mario USA
24. Space Harrier
25. The Legend of Zelda
26. River City Ransom / Street Gangs
27. Jackal / Top Gunner
28. Rampage
29. Super Spike V'Ball / U.S. Championship V'Ball
30. Little Samson
31. The Guardian Legend
32. Gargoyle's Quest II
33. Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
34. Sid Meier's Pirates!
35. DuckTales
36. California Games
37. Alex Kidd in Miracle World
38. Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars
39. Jaws
40. Gun-Nac
41. OutRun
42. Mega Man 2
43. Kid Icarus
44. R.C. Pro-Am
45. Faxanadu
46. Double Dragon II: The Revenge
47. Kirby's Adventure
48. Snake Rattle 'n' Roll
49. The Battle of Olympus
50. R-Type
51. Maniac Mansion
52. Kid Niki: Radical Ninja
53. Golden Axe Warrior
54. Psycho Fox
55. Crystalis
56. Gimmick! / Mr. Gimmick
57. Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team
58. Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior
59. Bionic Commando
60. Gain Ground
61. Conquest of the Crystal Palace
62. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
63. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
64. Excitebike
65. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
66. Captain Skyhawk
67. Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
68. Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II
69. Zanac
70. Black Tiger / Black Dragon
71. NES Open Tournament Golf
72. Golvellius: Valley of Doom
73. Bucky O'Hare (NES)
74. International Karate + / IK+ / Chop N' Drop
75. Ghosts 'n Goblins
76. Rolling Thunder
77. Renegade / Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun
78. Rambo: First Blood Part II (SMS) / Secret Command
79. Baseball Stars
80. P.O.W.: Prisoners of War
81. Blades of Steel
82. Ice Hockey
83. Fantasy Zone
84. Micro Machines
85. Super Mario Bros.
86. Castlevania
87. 1943: The Battle of Midway
88. Vice: Project Doom
89. The NewZealand Story / Kiwi Kraze
90. Mega Man 4
91. StarTropics
92. Paperboy
93. Gradius / Nemesis
94. Formula One: Built to Win
95. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen / Dragon Warrior IV
96. Super Sprint
97. Mega Man
98. Ys: The Vanished Omens / Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished
99. Batman: Return of the Joker
100. Super C / Super Contra

"Super C / Super Contra" won last week's poll with nearly twice as many votes as all 5 other games in the poll combined, and becomes the 64th NES game to join the list! Last round 100 people voted in the poll.

Earliest and Latest NES/Master System Era Games:

6 games were the earliest in the poll from 1985.
3 games were the latest in the poll from 1993.

Platforms of the NES/Master System Era by Number of Games:

64 - NES 23 - Arcade 9 - Master System 4 - Computer
The percentage of arcade games fell from 66% in the Atari Era to 23% in the NES Era.
The percentage of console games rose from 20% in the Atari Era to 73% in the NES Era.

Genres of the NES/Master System Era by Number of Games:

38 - Platformer 13 - Action Adventure 9 - Shooter 8 - Sports 7 - Beat 'em Up 7 - RPG 7 - Run and Gun 6 - Racing 4 - Action 1 - Puzzle 1 - Adventure 1 - Fighter
The percentage of shooter games fell from 40% in the Atari Era to 9% in the NES Era.
The percentage of platformer games rose from 20% in the Atari Era to 38% in the NES Era.
A new genre to the polls, the Action Adventure, was suddenly the 2nd-most popular genre.
3 other new genres also did well: Sports, Beat 'em Up, and Run and Gun games.

Developers of the NES/Master System Era by Number of Games:

13 - Nintendo 11 - Sega 11 - Capcom 10 - Konami 5 - Rare 5 - Sunsoft 4 - Tecmo 4 - Compile 4 - Technos 3 - SNK 3 - Chunsoft 2 - Westone 2 - Irem 2 - Taito 2 - Atari 1 - Square 1 - Ape 1 - Bally Midway 1 - Takeru 1 - MicroProse 1 - Epyx 1 - Hudson Soft 1 - HAL Laboratory 1 - Infinity 1 - Lucasfilm Games 1 - Vic Tokai 1 - Quest 1 - Atlus 1 - System 3 1 - Namco 1 - Codemasters 1 - Aicom 1 - Winkysoft 1 - Nihon Falcom
Atari fell from developing 20% of top games in the Atari Era to only 2% in the NES Era.
Activision similarly fell from 10% of top games in the Atari Era to none in the NES Era.
Namco as well fell from 10% of top games to only 1% in the NES Era.
Capcom, a new developer not in the Atari Era poll, ended up tied for 2nd-most games in the NES Era.
Nintendo and Sega rose to dominate this Era, developing 13% and 11% of games, up from 6% and 2% last era.

Platforms on the All-Time List (Atari & NES Era Combined):

83 - Console 56 - Arcade 11 - Computer

Genres on the All-Time List (Atari & NES Era Combined)

48 - Platformer 29 - Shooter 13 - Action Adventure 11 - Action 9 - RPG 8 - Sports 8 - Racing 7 - Beat 'em Up 7 - Run and Gun 4 - Maze 3 - Adventure 2 - Paddle 1 - Interactive Film 1 - Puzzle 1 - Fighter

Developers on the All-Time List (Atari Era & NES Era Combined):

16 - Nintendo 12 - Atari 12 - Konami 12 - Sega 11 - Capcom 6 - Namco 5 - Activision 5 - Rare 5 - Sunsoft 4 - Bally Midway 4 - Taito 4 - Tecmo 4 - Compile 4 - Technos 3 - SNK 3 - Chunsoft 2 - Williams 2 - Lucasfilm Games 2 - Westone 2 - Irem
(only developers with multiple games listed)

The 50 Best Video Games of the Atari Era

Want to see the best games before this era? Check out this list which was compiled by Reddit users' nominations and votes over an entire year:
https://www.reddit.com/retrogaming/comments/o4drau/best_video_games_of_the_atari_era_poll_final/

What Was Eligible To Be Nominated:

• Any Arcade coin-op game from 1985-1988.
• Any Computer game (any PC system) from 1985-1988.
• Any Home Console game from the 3rd Generation (regardless of year published unless it is a port): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_generation_of_video_game_consoles
• NO SNES games, NO Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games. Those systems aren't retro enough for this poll.
• NO Sonic. NO Streets of Rage, NO A Link to the Past, NO Super Mario World. Those games aren't retro enough for this poll.

Exceptions:

In general, the original year published takes precedence. No games that played betteare more iconic/are more remembered in an earlier or later era.
"Sonic the Hedgehog" was released for Sega Master System, but as a port, it was made for the Sega Genesis, so it is not eligible for this poll.
"Tetris" made its biggest impact with 35 million copies sold for the Game Boy, in the next era, so it is not eligible for this poll.
Arcade ports like the original "Mario Bros.", which hit arcades in 1983 are not eligible for this poll, even though they were ported to home consoles from the next generation.
1984's coin-op “Punch-Out!!”, was more iconic/more remembered as 1987's “Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!” on the NES, which is now eligible for this poll.
Instances like this can be debated. I think it's best to allow all games from a console to be designated to one era, and for games to appear in one era poll only.

The Idea:

Comparing, say, Pong and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, is not useful. It's like arguing which is better: the Ford Model T or the Space Shuttle? But comparing games of their era is interesting and fun! Usually, best game polls are limited to a single system. This poll is unique because it includes all platforms from the era together. How will the best arcade, computer and Master System games compete with the best that Nintendo had to offer? It will be interesting!

Why Only Arcade and Computer Games from 1985-1988?

The 3rd Generation of home consoles launched in the West with the NES in 1985 and changed everything. The Sega Genesis/Mega Drive launched in 1989, began the 4th generation of home consoles which will begin the era for the next series of polls after this concludes.

The Criteria:

I'll leave it up to the individual to decide. Innovation, quality, influence, iconic status, how much fun it was then, how it holds up today, are all valid. Whatever games you love, whatever games you want to see named as the greatest of the era.

What Happens Next:

Next week we will move on from the NES/Master System Era to the SNES/Genesis/TG-16 Era, for a new set of polls.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in the polls and nominate games in the comments section.
This will be a series of polls I hope to hold every week for a long time! Have fun everyone!

Dm on discord @miggygobrr#3672 for info.

I'm back from my brothers bachelor weekend and here to fire back some more responses

the question of authority is not one that any Christian gets to determine and really gets to the heart of why the Messianic sect is not Judaism. It is an internal question for Judaism and Jewish communities. The fact that Jews have accepted the following authorities for centuries is enough to make them authoritative. Whereas you, as a Christian, must accept the new testament as the final authority, and are determining which Jewish authorities you're willing to accept based on whether they align with the new testament. This quite obviously places you outside the authority structure of Judaism and reveals that you are thoroughly Christian. Simply put, there's no way for you to appeal to Jewish authorities to validate Christianity because Jewish authorities all concur that it is idolatry for a Jew to practice Christianity and that a Jew who practices Christianity is an apostate who has removed themselves from the community.

I don't care if you think I don't get to question authority, you nor any other Jew does not own the text in question and even If I were to say I were a Christian, Christianity is a religion that literally descended from 2nd Temple Judaism same as modern Judaism, which means those text belong to it as much as they belong to Judaism.
This idea of "ownership" is a basic Singerite talking point and it's one of complete ignorance, no one owns an idea, or an ancient text for matter.
edit: you even taking the time to address me proves your own take on this wrong, as you don't go out of your way to address normal Christians, only people like me. Ill wait for you to make that "Anti-Christianity" subreddit to and make strawman arguments about what they do.

The Talmud is authoritative

I'm not going to lie, I have very low opinions of the Messianicphobic crowd, I find them very pathetic for a multitude of reasons. but I expect you to be smarter then this.

Bekhorot 7b ת"ר דג טמא משריץ דג טהור מטיל ביצים כל המוליד מניק וכל המטיל ביצים מלקט חוץ מעטלף שאף על פי שמטיל ביצים מניק The Gemara cites the entirety of the previously mentioned baraita. The Sages taught that a non-kosher fish spawns its offspring, while a kosher fish lays eggs. Any animal that gives birth to its offspring nurses them, and any animal that lays eggs gathers food and feeds it to its young. This applies to all animals except for a bat [atallef ], as although it lays eggs, it nurses its young. 

It looks like our friend it now hard locked into defending that Bats lay eggs
Seder Olam Rabbah gets the dates for the Persian exile VERY WRONG
SIDE NOTE: there's no quote here has I can't even find a good English version and wish for this to be as readable as possible for people who don't believe me I can provide the quote.

Sanhedrin 109a (אלא) א"ר ירמיה בר אלעזר נחלקו לג' כיתות אחת אומרת נעלה ונשב שם ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודת כוכבים ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה זו שאומרת נעלה ונשב שם הפיצם ה' וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה נעשו קופים ורוחות ושידים ולילין וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודת כוכבים (בראשית יא, ט) כי שם בלל ה' שפת כל הארץ Rather, Rabbi Yirmeya bar Elazar says: They divided into three factions; one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol worship. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war. With regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there, God dispersed them. And that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war, became apes, and spirits, and demons, and female demons. And with regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol wor-ship, it is written: “Because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9). 

Apes came form people too and no that not me mistaking that for some symbology the Rabbi who debated Ethan Bar talked about this as if it were a good thing!
Edit: For reasons unknown the debate is now privte (proof of its existence https://news.kehila.org/video-historical-messianic-debate-with-english-subtitles/ ) Im gunna work on trying to extract it and uploading it on a separate channel but if anyone wants to not believe that's fine.
I think 3 examples is enough to show that no one wants to be in a position were ALL of Talmud is authoritative because its not. In reality the Talmud is a collection of ruling from the Sanhedrin, Commentary on those rulings and some Myth and Folklore.
The point? Chazal (the people with authentic Smeikhah) never ruled on anything even related to the religious beliefs of the Nazarenes which is why one has to go to later Geonim, Rishonim and Acharonim for such bigoted opinions and as shown below, all they have is OPINON not AUTHORITY.

and the Talmud unequivocally categorizes Christianity as avodah zarah. Maimonides is also generally authoritative for halakha.

except They didn't, and he isn't because he wasn't a member of Chazal I know this offends you but this demonstrable reality to the point that it has it own Wikipedia quote from the page on Semikhah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semikhah)
" The original line of succession seems to have died out in the 4th or 5th centuries. The Geonim, early medieval Jewish sages of Babylon, did not possess semikhah, and did not use the title "rabbi". They were formally known as "rav" and were entrusted with authority to make legal and religious decisions."

The classification of idolatry is a halakhic judgment

I don't think you know what that constitutes as most of the Rabbis of Northern France were all corporatists (believed God could have a body) at a point (no citation for brevity can provide on request)

The Meiri is the outlier in saying that Christianity isn't idolatry

*face palm* you keep missing this AGAIN the point is that it can be a Jewish opinion that its NOT Idolatry outliership is not a checkmark for being wrong.

"Whoever leaves the Jewish religion and adopts another religion is considered a member of that religion in every respect except in matters of divorce, marriage, or any matter of familial affairs."
So the Meiri is not going to get you far in this debate. Even according to him, Messianics have ceased to be Jews in all but a few respects.

My same refutation that you've never addressed still stand here, your not in the Meiris head, so you don't know what his opinions on the status of todays world would be. On top of that we didn't leave, I don't care if you feel like we have I don't have to capitulate to your feels on who does what and why.

I have yet to see a Messianic organization prioritize Judaism, Jewish theology, or Jewish scripture (including the Talmud) over Christianity.

Well that would be because you not familiar with Messianic Judaism, your familiar with an online character created by people like Tovi Singer while never actually engaging with any Messianic beyond the computer screen, Odds are the ones you have talked to are in reality Hebrew Rooters (a cosmetically similar group but literally composed of only Gentiles) so when you say this, all this really tells me is that you don't know because instead of choosing to ask questions and debate in good faith. you choose to instead raid and make a subreddit over the topic of bigotry towards us proving what I told all of you so long ago about how we TOTALLY live rent free in your head.
Edit: assuming your desperate to prove me wrong! http://ourrabbis.org/main/ have fun!
Part 3 will be on "Common deflecting tactics of Messianics" and if anyone wants a sample the gist will be "people in glass houses should not throw stones"

Hey guys,
It's been about a year since the last June balance patch, and as many of us remember, it was not well received by the community - which isn't unusual. What was unusual was the leak of a Discord chat between an Anet developer who-shall-not-be-named and several veteran players involved in build development and benchmarking. A subreddit safe version is available in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/Guildwars2/comments/vkmiy4/subreddit_safe_balance_discord_contents/
This developer was responsible for the Harbinger, Mechanist, and Virtuoso specializations, but what was noteworthy about this leak was the developer admitting to making balance decisions based on their personal preference, influencing the development of EoD specs that other developers were in charge of, being in charge of balancing classes they were so inexperienced with they had to check the wiki, and the list goes on. This leak resulted in some changes to the balance team, and in October, they finally shared their balance philosophy in this forum post: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/topic/123508-guild-wars-2-balance-philosophy/
Now that a year has gone by since the last big summer balance patch, I basically wanted to do a vibe check and see how the community is feeling about balance over the past 12 months and the upcoming June 28 balance patch? Does it seem like they've been moving in the right direction since last June? Feeling apprehensive about June 28? Why/why not?
I was curious how profession representation in group content has changed since then, so I added the percentages on https://gw2wingman.nevermindcreations.de/popularity in fractals and strikes for the June 2022 patch and the recent May 2023 patch to get an idea of what's changed since then, & this is what I got:

Profession	June 2022	May 2023
Mesmer	12.66	10.28
Necromancer	13.56	15.75
Elementalist	2.42	5.32
Engineer	21.47	21.3
Ranger	6.44	8.26
Thief	8.35	4.15
Revenant	7.64	11.42
Guardian	24.39	16.5
Warrior	2.68	6.75

Nothing too drastic, but Guardian saw the greatest drop in representation, falling by 7.89, followed by Thief with a 4.20 reduction, but these are just averages for fractals and strikes. I chose not to include raids since they don't seem to be as popular.
Anyway, how are you guys feeling about balance in general while we wait on the upcoming June 28 patch?

Sorry if this has already been asked.
In the first movie, Carlisle says Jasper is the youngest one in the family, reasoning that that's why he has the lowest self-control out of the group. But then in the third one, Jasper reveals he was in the civil war, making him older than everyone other than Carlisle. According to the Wiki, he was turned in 1863, 55 years before Edward. Is this just something that got overlooked, or did I miss something?? Shouldn't that mean that Emmett would have the lowest amount of self-control?