Just a couple notes before getting into my test games against Chaos Knights, things to think about to take what I'm saying with a grain of salt.

1. We don't have all the units, strategems and enhancements yet for either side. We are using datacards that we have seen and all of the information that we have access to.
   
2. Knights are also a skew list that aren't necessarily representative of the wider game.
   
3. The game comes out in 2 weeks with full points, rules, and data cards so these games are kinda redundant. But we do have enough information with the data cards we've been shown to do test games.
   
4. The two test games were at what we estimate are a 1000pts which might not be as indicative of a full 2000pt game. These are also only estimates on points based on the exhibition games and current knight values and could be way off.
   
5. I was rolling pretty cold both games, a dice game is a dice game and it could have spiked in either direction.
   
6. I did have a third list with MBHx3, 2 FBD's, and some Death shroud Terminators, which all seem to be some of DG'S better units from what we have seen now. but we ran out of time and I really wanted to test out units that have been shown that I'm more apprehensive about first.
   

That out of the way I'll just get into the lists briefly. My friend took a Knight Abominant and 3 wardogs both games.
The first game I took Mortarion, Demon prince (without wings), Plague Surgeon, plague Marinesx5, and a Rhino.
The Second game I took the Demon prince (without wings), PBC, MBHx1, plague Marinesx6, rhino, LoC, Blightlord Terminatorsx5, Tallyman (not connected to marines)
So some observations, first off the game does feel a lot less killy. Like the lethality of it seems to have dropped immensely from a game perspective... This gave the impression that DG was kind of tanky (in the vacuum of these two games)... Unfortunately playing the game the type of durability that DG have playing them is a lot less satisfying than in 9th. But the durability is still there. Next the Lethal hits on plague weapons does tend to translate into mediocre anti tank damage, I was able to chip away at the Abominant and the wardogs in both games. Again this being viable doesn't exactly translate to it being satisfying. But now I'll just get into the games.
The first game I didn't expect to last as long as it did honestly. My opponent went first and immediately blew up the Rhino with the Plague Marines and then wiped the squad. This was within the Demon prince's FNP aura and it didn't make a difference. From here the game turned into Knights vs Morty. The Demon prince on foot didn't have the mobility to actually get to combat. Morty had spent the first turn behind cover, unfortunately there really isn't any cover that is large enough to fully obscure him with his wings always pointing out, so Morty took a couple damage. Going into my first round I ran Morty up the board and wiffed with all his shooting, Morty made the charge into the Abominant and did a decent amount of damage nowhere near as much as he used to but the games lethality has gone down. The Abominant then brought Morty down to 10 wounds. In my opponents turn he gave Morty some mortals with the Abominant in the movement phase backing the Abominant out of combat allowing the wardogs to shoot him and a wardogs to charge in. Morty was down to 4wounds and was not able to kill the wardog in one turn. Going into my second turn Morty dealt 3damage with lantern and brought the wardogs down to 1 wound he cleaned up in combat but not before taking 2 more wounds. Having 2 wounds on Morty my opponent and I talked the game out and called it there. We could have called it probably turn 1 when I lost the Plague Marines and the Rhino but we were just testing everything.
The second game was a little more balanced. I got first move and I marched the Rhino up the board and dumped the plague Marines out onto an objective. The Demon prince followed advancing to keep them in range of the FNP aura. My MBH moved up the board trying to secure cover while the PBC and the Tallyman stayed in the back line behind cover. The shooting phase was simple as the MBH krok rocket got command rerolled into 6 damage vs the Abominant but that was it. My opponent went next and severely damaged the Plague Marines and destroyed the MBH as he saw it as the only serious threat on the board the plague Marines also dealt some damage with their heavy plague weapons in melee. Next it was my turn, I deep struck my blightlords onto the side with 2 wardogs. In shooting the only thing that dealt any damage was the PBC's mortar vs the Abominant with some chip lethal hits getting through, the Blightlords did a couple wounds of damage alongside the LoV to a wardog. The plague Marines managed to survive combat and the Blightlords took the wardog down to 1 wound. My opponents turn had him decimate my demon prince plague Marines and blightlords with the Blightlords wiped out leaving the LoV alone and we called it there. Ultimately the second game was a lot closer with me killing 1 wardog, severely hurting another and leaving the Abominant on 1 wound mostly because of the PBC.
My impression so far from these two games and what we have is that Death Guard will be competitive in so far as a 40-50% win rate is competitive, and they will probably do very well into infantry based armies. But in terms of enjoyment, these weren't really fun games with most of the time having to rely on 6's to do anything. It would probably be different into a normal army and I'll be testing them again into Space Marines/ chaos space marines as soon as their index's are out. But so far it just feels like IMO Death Guards new play style just isn't very enjoyable.
But what do you think? Currently there enough information to maybe play against Guard, Aeldari, Demons, Space Marines and Tyranids are any of you planning on doing any test games against them?

hese are concepts ideas I had for an Metal Gear (1987) remake which I would dub as Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990) would be called Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland. Both games would be long and give a lot of depth on Solid Snake's past and his relationship with Big Boss, Campbell and Gray Fox. Another game I would push for is Metal Gear Solid: The Philanthropy Chronicles.It would allow players to play as Solid Snake and his supporting cast after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2. Snake’s mission to continue taking out metal gears and track down the Patriots along with Revolver Ocelot. It would lead up to the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I will be working on Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland concepts soon.
The concept for a Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven (MGS6: OH):
I know its long as Metal Gear (1987) would have to be a game that is remade from the bottom up. A remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake would be easier since it was a rock solid game. One wouldn't have to change much from it just expand on the story, elements and characterization it has already. I would love to get feed back from fans here.
Story:
The storytelling aspect is inspired by how MGS (1998) told its story. The game would start with Otacon, a ghost writer that wrote the novel of Snake’s exploits and those that work with Snake during Operation Intrude N313 telling the events of Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Heaven to journalist they trust. We learn that Snake is paradon for his crimes and is buried as a war hero next to the grave of Big Boss. Given a Medal of Honor award and other awards from other countries for saving the world several times. The world is now knowing about his story and thus even more interested to learn of Snakes exploits during his youth. David Hayter voice being used as a recorded message from a dying Solid Snake giving accounts on what happened in Metal Gear Solid 6 and 7 along with most of his life. Snake hopes that his message and story will inspire others to be better and fight for what is right.
David Hayter wouldn’t voice a young Solid Snake as I feel a voice actor that is younger but can emulate David Hayter mannerism and his voice should do it. A young Solid Snake having a hint of innocence, nativity, vulnerability and self doubt at times.
David Hayter would voice Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland since Snake is supposed to be older and wiser. David would be able to give us this voice range and kick it out of the park including the duel against the real Big Boss.
Plot:
The year is 1995, the Soviet Union has collapsed and the Cold War is now over. The threat of nuclear war is gone and the world embraces this newfound peace. However, this peace is short-lived as there are those that don’t want it. The world is engulfed with the threat of terrorism and rogue states that want to get their hands on nuclear weapons. The free world is now being threatened once again. The US Government works to combat this threat with its covert U.S. Army unit known as Fox-Hound under the leadership of the legendary war hero known as Big Boss. However, when a government agent goes missing during a mission…The agent last reports a weapon that can shake the foundations of the world known as “Metal Gear”. Big Boss sends in a rookie but talented Fox-Hound agent known as Solid Snake to learn of this new weapon. Will Snake learn the truth about this new weapon or will the world find out what Metal Gear will do if it's unleashed?
Mission:
Like MGS3 there would be a Virtuous Mission in MGS6:OH.

• Solid Snake is sent in by Big Boss to sneak into Mother Boss from MGS5 via Los Angeles Class (Block 3).
• Mother Base is set to be demolished by Outer Heaven forces as they move their forces and operations to mainland Galzburg, South Africa.
• Snake’s mission to find and rescue Gray Fox and any of the kidnapped scientists that work for Dr. Madnar. Find out what Metal Gear is and take them to the extraction point aka an Helicopter Pad not in use by Outer Haven units. Afterward, deploy the fulton recovery device for extraction
• Snake learns Gray Fox is being held in South Africa at the Outer Haven main base along with Dr. Madnar and his top scientist team. His low level assistants were to be executed by Outer Heaven soldiers via demolishing Mother Base. Last, that Metal Gear is also in South Africa and that Outer Haven is planning to use a custom made ICBM nuclear tipped missile potentially on any country that threatens them.
• The mission goes bad when Snake is about to have the scientist air lifted off the ground via fulton recovery devices. The scientists are brutally gunned down by Outer Haven Elite soldiers.
• An enraged Snake takes down the Outer Haven soldiers that approach him using his hybrid but deadly CQC system and tries to air lift himself via fulton recovery device. However, he is ambushed by a masked Venom Snake aka The Masked Phantasm.
• Snake puts up one hell of a fight, hitting Venom several times to where the point where Venom can only praise Snake’s skills. However, he loses when Venom plays mind games with him including stating his full code name and kicks up off the rig.
• Mother Base is destroyed by Venom and his men. Snake is adrift at sea until he is saved by the Los Angeles Class Submarine (Block 3) that helped him infiltrate Mother Base. He is later taken back to the states for a debriefing on what happened while he recovers in a hospital.
• In this mission, Snake only has Big Boss communicating with him and does not get much support. He is given only a trap gun, his CQC knife and basic first aid kits.
• The suit he wears is similar to his sneaking suit from MGS. Only this suit is design to swim on to the Mother Base elevator platform and sneak around on the surface at night

Main Mission:
This is where Snake goes to South Africa and has to get to Outer Haven which is a vastly HUGE heavily defended base. Potentially the best soldiers and mercenaries in the world work and defend the base. It is an official mission sponsored by Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, NSA, UN and top members of the US Government. This means Solid Snake gets a load of equipment, gadgets and weapons for the mission.

• The briefing section for the main mission would give Escape from New York vibes. Big Boss, Lt. Colonel Roy Campell and other government officials brief Snake on his mission. It is here Snake sees his weapons, equipment and gadgets he will have for Operation:.
• Snake mission is the following: 1. Rescue Gray Fox, Kyle Schidener and Dr. Madnar. 2. Investigate War Crimes committed by Outer Haven. 3. Aid Resistance Fighters in any way possible. 4. Rescue any other hostages on the base. 5. Destroy Metal Gear and Neutralize the threat Outer Haven poses to the world. 6. Terminate the Masked Phantasm (Venom Snake)
• He is air dropped in South Africa by an C-130 gunship (Reference to Metal Gear NES/MGS3) and is ordered to meet with an Resistance fighter before moving into an areas destroyed by Outer Heaven forces via horse back
• This intro game would be similar to Rambo 3 and gives a hint on what Solid Snake will be going up against as travel though the beginning of the game seeing Outer Heaven air force units from a distance bomb villages
• The main mission would be a large map to roam around. The location being Galzburg, South Africa where the main base of Outer Haven is located at.
• When Gray Fox is rescued, he will provide support and be Snake’s mentor.
• Level boss battles will be intense and hard
• Last, Entering Outer Haven HQ will be intense and the final battle as well.

Gameplay would be a mix between MSG 3 and MSG 4 and MSG 5. It takes influence from other games like Red Dead Redemption, Splinter Cell and Grand Theft Auto video games along with new mechanics. The concept is to give the game a war survival horror like vibe if you’re spotted by the enemy or having trouble surviving in the wilderness.
MSG3 gameplay elements

• Like MGS3, you could change your camouflage and blend into the environment, camouflage meter, survive off the wilderness and eat foods.
• Finding food in the wilderness would boost Snake’s stamina and also assist with him getting his LIFE up when he rests. However, they would not boost his LIFE up like military rations or other foods (Three-Five star food) found in the supply depots or mess halls at Outer Haven bases would.
• The first aid system from MGS3 would play a part in the game. Solid Snake would be able to heal his wounds or stop bleeding like Big Boss did in MGS3 many decades ago. So having first aid items will be vital.
• The game would have different rations from different countries that Snake can eat from if he takes it off an Outer Haven soldier or from their supply depots. Military rations help heal Snake LIFE and give a small or moderate boost depending on the quality of the ration. (ex. American Military rations would give a moderate boost to Snake LIFE but would give a small boost to his stamina as he isn’t in favor of the rations taste. Russian rations would only give Snake a Small boost in LIFE and small boost in stamina due to its taste. Call back to MGS3. French Rations would boost Snake’s LIFE and Stamina completely which would be a call back to MSG4.)
• Different foods found on Outer Haven bases can boost Snake’s stamina up and LIFE better than Rations such as the Calorie Mate, Curry, different sodas, snacks, etc. Also, three or five star meals found in Outer Haven mess halls scatter through-out their many sub bases or garrisons. P.S. I want to have a scene where Solid Snake finds a Calorie Mate and speaks to Big Boss about it and the two have an interesting conversation about it. (Lol)
• Snake can sabotage enemy supply deports and armories to reduce the enemies ability in fighting him if spotted.

MGS4 Gameplay elements-

• Over the shoulder gameplay
• First person view and aiming down the sights
• A fluid polished gun gameplay mechanic
• Customizable weapon system, weapon attachment, swapping out and fixing inventory slot for weapons and/or inventory
• Psyche meter, this goes down when Snake is spotted too much and takes too much damage
• Currency system to upgrade weapons and get ammo when Snake runs into Resistance fighters weapon vendors
• Solid Snake having the option to assist resistance fighters or continue with his mission
• Aiding resistance fighters will help Snake during take segments of the game. They will return favors to Snake by giving him rations, weapons, other foods and ammo
• Saving hostages at Outer Haven facilities will also assist Snake and give him items or information
• Polished CQC system
• Being able to pick up ammo and weapons of dead enemy soldiers. No ID tags for the weapon.

MGS 5-

• Polished CQC and fighting system
• Being able to operate vehicles, tanks, apcs and infantry fighting vehicles. However, enemy forces will start to respond more aggressive call in armored units or gunships to Snake out
• Ride horses
• Weather and day changes at random times, Snake can use this for his advantage
• Enemy checkpoints and small bases that Outer Haven use as buffer against intruders and Outer Haven resistance fighters
• Call in support from local Outer Heaven Resistance fighters (only if you assisted them in them battles, gained their respect and they’re nearby to help)
• Gunship helicopter patrols
• Air assault units
• Armored convoy patrol
• Snake can sabotage mini Outer Haven bases, outpost and can knock enemy communications which makes it harder for enemies to call for back up
• Sabotaging Outer Heaven outposts and their infrastructure will cause Outer Heaven to move their forces out to confront the Resistance fighters thus giving Solid Snake a chance to get past them
• Snake can smoke his Lucky Striker cigarettes to bring up his Psyche or allow time to pass by similar to what Venom Snake did with his E-Cigars in MSG5

Splinter cell element-

• The game would allow players/Solid Snake to use stealth mechanics similar to that game to get by or attack Outer Heaven soldiers
• This also means hiding in the shadows and sometimes staying out of the light

Grand Theft Auto elements-

• Like GTA games, if you do too much damage to the police they get more aggressive.
• It would be no different when you fight Outer Haven soldiers as they will start to send in more elite soldiers with better weapons and armor.
• They will also be able to be armored units or mechanized units and gunships would be sent to kill Snake.
• Worse, Air strikes and heavy artillery strikes as well. Some OH units would deploy bi-pedal armor vehicles and jet packs along with guard dogs.
• This would strongly support the stealth element of the game and give it a war horror movie vibe if you get spotted by the enemy. It doesn’t matter how many good weapons you have on you. You will be overwhelmed by Outer Heaven soldiers and will die if you get spotted multiple times.
• This would be similar to what you see in GTA if too many law enforcement agents continue to swarm on you

New Gaming mechanics -

• Non-linear gameplay- meaning random patrols of Outer Soldiers can occur the closer you get to Outer Haven HQ
• Open world map. Goal is to give fans the immersion that the red dead redemption games gave. Basically the Outer Heaven is like a large country in and of itself
• Game would reward you for not being spotted and embracing the stealth elements of the game. This means you will encounter less Outer Heaven patrols in the game and they won’t be heavily geared up when doing them
• If Snake gets spotted too much in the game, Outer Heaven soldiers will be more hype vigilante, heavily armed and geared up. They will change their patrol tactics to make it difficult for Snake to sneak around. Worse double up on patrols or have support from armored units, gunships or unmanned drones.
• Stealth take down system. Snake can perform lethal or non-lethal takedowns rambo style when his enemies get close. The players can make the decision on which take down to use.
• Snake can switch his fighting system from CQC to the various martial arts he knows. If multiple soldiers are near him he can use CQC or use standard martial arts when fighting enemies that can counter his CQC based attacks.
• He can use a CQC take down on enemies not paying attention to him or other forms of melee takedowns.
• This is to showcase how skilled Snake is when it comes to fighting
• Different locations have points that are controlled by the Outer Haven Resistance fighters and Outer Heaven soldiers
• The game will reward players for assisting Outer Heaven resistances and sabotaging Outer Heaven bases
• Liberate occupied villages under Outer Heaven soldiers occupation or avoid them, go though abandoned villages or resistance fighter controlled villages
• The closer you get to Outer Haven, the more patrols and mini bases run by Outer Heaven soldiers you will encounter. This means the game will get very difficult real quick.
• Outer Heaven patrols will be random at time depending on how many times you have raised the alarms or not during your mission
• Caution mode would contribute to this but there will be more patrols if you cause yourself to enter caution phase too much
• The travel to Outer Haven’s main HQ is to parallel MSG3 when Big Boss had to travel to Gronznyj Grad. It short, Snake travels to Outer Haven would be an epic long high adrenaline rush journey to defeat Venom Snake and destroy TX-55 Metal Gear
• South Africa’s map would be vast and large. It is filled with its soft and rough terrain. Snake can use this to his advantage but so can Outer Heaven Soldiers
• Players will have the option to either go to Outer Heaven outpost or avoid them by using the rough terrain to get around the outpost
• Gray Fox will assist Snake in certain parts of the game and provide support either though radio or combat support to take down a level boss.
• At times, Snake and Gray Fox would work together to take down Outer Haven patrols
• The final part of the game involves Solid Snake and Gray Fox having to fight hordes of Elite Outer Heaven soldiers as they fight to stop Venom Snake from using TX-55 to fire a completed experimental long range ICBM nuclear missile on the Patriots
• Last, Solid Snake vs Venom Snake. Venom proclaims that he is Big Boss to Snake after taking off his mask and the two fight. The rest is history.
• The final battle is to parallel the battle between The Boss and Big Boss. Intense gunfight and CQC fight between the two. Snake needs to use an experimental rocket launcher made by Outer Haven to kill Venom Snake
• After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story though his eyes and how he is informed by the Real Big Boss to assist Snake and help him take down Venom Snake.
• Being able to blend into the environment Rambo/Navy SEAL tier One style to either get past enemies or take them down one by one
• Snake would have a booby trap system inspire the Rambo movies to help ambush soldiers or distract them while they go to aid wounded soldiers.
• Snake can create ghillie suits to hide from enemy soldiers, covertly sneak past them or use it to ambush them
• Players would have multiple options on how to enter Outer Heaven outpost and the main HQ

Weapons

• The weapons in the game will be from late 60s to mid 90s. Weapons form both Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact, China and NATO countries. This goes from handgun, submachines, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and anti tank weapons. Last, grenades and mines.
• Weapons can be customizable for Snake to use if he finds the attachment for the weapons or finds an resistance fighter vendor that is nearby to upgrade his weapons
• Enemies use weapons fitted for the environment that they operate it and it's at random the types they use
• Some weapons will be custom built weapons that don’t exist in the real world to be the spirit of the previous Metal Gear Solid game.
• Some weapons will allow Snake to use his CQC techniques or basic melee attacks with weapons

Snake’s Gadgets/Tools for the main mission where he gets official support

• Snake's suit is a combination of late 80s and 90s US Army Special Forces attire but modified.
• 90s tactical vest. It can be upgraded for Snake to carry more ammo and to take more damage as time goes on
• Custom built MP5SD6 with a folding stock, an Beretta 92FS with an tactical flashlight/laser sighting, also can be fitted with an suppressor and MK.22 Trap gun. The weapons are modded so he can use his CQC skills
• A small pack that allows Snake to carry items. This can be increased by upgrading it in the game
• Motion-sensing radar that allows him to track enemy soldiers, a precursor to Soliton Radar. It acts more like a sonar device then radar
• Mountain climbing equipment
• Combat Scuba gear (can be refilled by going outer heaven supply deports)
• Snake has a advanced long range radio and a wireless headset to communicate with his team
• Wire cutters
• Different camouflages and face paint to wear
• Idroid like device but advanced
• Fox Hound adaptation of INT-SCOPE but more advanced and has the ability for Snake to switch to different fields of view including Night Vision and Thermal Infrared. Last, a camera system for Snake to take pictures
• INT-SCOPE can be used to help Snake what tier Outer Heaven Soldier that he is dealing with and help him plan acquiring and allow him to listen in
• Tactical flashlights
• Tools to create ghillie suits
• CQC knife
• Survival Knife used for melee take downs
• Limited Fox-Hound issued MRE rations to restore life and stamina along with restore psyche
• A blue bandana that Big Boss gives him

Vehicles

• Vehicles found in the game are jeeps, armored tank, tanks, APCs, artillery vehicles and helicopters along with jets from the late 70s to mid 90s
• Unmanned vehicles that didn’t exist in the mid 90s

Theme:

• The end of the 80s going into a new era aka the 90s.
• Desert Storm and the aftermath of the war
• The politics behind America being the only SuperpoweHype-power in the 90s
• Child Soldiers, Solid Snake being one.
• NATO, its organization expanding and the conflicts it was involved in though peacekeeping missions
• The fall of the Soviet Union, end of the Cold War, and Post-Cold War politics/events
• The rise of new technology, internet, movies, music CGI and upcoming digital age in the 90s
• The rise of global terrorism and rogue states
• The threat terrorism and rogue states pose and the fear of them getting their hands on nuclear weapons. A true big fear of the 90s going into the 2000s
• Coming of age soldiesecret agent/legend (Solid Snake)

Movie Influence:

• The Rambo movie series since Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake were heavily influenced by the first three Rambo movies.
• 80s and 90s James Bond movies. Mostly Goldeneye since it follows post-cold war.
• Die Hard movies series, gun battles and intensity between the characters and death defining odds
• Hardboiled (1992), the gun battle that Solid Snake and Gray Fox will have against the swarm of Outer Haven elite soldiers would be heavily influenced off the final gun battle from this movie.
• Running Man, the Boss level villains being similar in design to the villains from the movie, only less colorful, evil like, aggressive and more tactical in fighting.
• Face Off (1997) - action scenes
• Escape from New York, since the first game was influenced by the movie. The main mission where Solid Snake goes to South Africa with official support will give off this type of vibes including the mission briefing he is given as he looks at his equipment.
• The Rock (1996), action scenes and the relationship that Sean Connery as John Patrick Mason and Nicolas Cage as Stanley Goodspeed, FBI. Its similar to the relationship Gray Fox and Solid Snake will have.

Game Music:

• The music for the game would be influenced by the previous MGS games, Rambo movies, Syphon filter and action movies from the 90s. Mixed bag of tones to give different vibes for the game
• The music will be atmospheric in nature as you move around Mother Base and later South Africa
• One set of music to make you feel like a spy, other half giving you the false sense of safety, other places the music will make you feel like your in a warzone and/or being chased
• Real world music from the 80s and 90s that players can listen to when they find a Sony Discman D-145 (1995) laying around or Sony walkmans
• Real world music would 80s - 1995, Rock, Pop, Alternative Rock, R&B, Mainstream hits, Rap, Jaxx and etc. Can listen to game music as well on either device when you the player find them.

Characters:

• David/Solid Snake:
• A child soldier of sorts. He spent his life being fostered by different foster parents (Patriot handlers) until he reached the age of 6. After that, Solid Snake was trained though-out most of his life by his many handlers at an US Army run school.
• In the US Army run school (Patriots involvement), he was made to engage in a mix of U.S. infantry, Airborne infantry, U.S. Army Ranger, Green Beret and Delta Force style harsh training. Add in the school making him learn different languages at a young age.
• On days he didn’t do military training, Snake was made to endure intense academic schooling. It was here Snake was pushed to understand the general knowledge of Science, Math, Reading, English, Writing, Workshop Skills at a High School to College level. In addition, understand how to operate most vehicles as well.
• At age 18, he was later placed in the US Army as a 2LT to a Green Beret Unit. The Patriots and his handlers, changed his age date so that he was capable of joining the unit and being a junior officer. He is second in command of the unit and sent to fight in Desert Storm (1990-1991).
• Solid Snake had a short but very successful career in the US Army through the multiple successful missions he completed in that war.
• His missions involved him destroying multiple SCUD launchers, sabotaging Iraqi supply lines, disputing their communication lines, assassination or capturing of top Iraqi officers, and deep reconnaissance within Iraq. His unit would also take part in aiding in liberating Kuwait.
• He is awarded a Silver Star and promotion to Captain before personally being recruited into Fox-Hound by Big Boss himself.
• Big Boss and Roy Campell were coordinating Fox-Hound operations in Desert Storm which is why they knew of Snake’s exploits and saw him as a candidate for the unit.
• Prime Solid Snake is a force to reckon with and is considered to be the best all around Fox-Hound agent along with being the finest practitioner of CQC next to Big Boss and The Boss.
• Big Boss states to Gray Fox at the end of the game that Snake could defeat The Boss with ease had they had fought in a straight hand to hand duel in the 1960s. In short, this is Big Boss way of humbling Gray Fox and telling him to NOT underestimate Snake for when the time comes for Fox to kill him (Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake events).
• Snake’s CQC is unique and deadly in design due to his expert knowledge of various different martial arts from his youth, his mastery of Close Quarter Battle (CQB) and knowledge of CQC handed down to him by Big Boss. Snake incorporates many different forms of Martial Arts to his style of CQC where he adds in striking (punching and kicking), fake or faints, foot work, clinch, ground fighting and grappling.
• Despite being inexperienced, Snake makes up for this by being sure of his skills and not being afraid to pull the trigger. Snake’s real fear is that he is going up against experienced killers and soldiers by himself who can kill him
• Snake’s relationship with Gray Fox is similar to the relationship to what we saw in MGS2 between Solid Snake and Raiden. Only a young Solid Snake is more badass when compared to a young Raiden
• Snake’s relationship to Roy Campell is similar to what we see in MGS. However, the two become friends quickly due to the experiences they share being involved in Desert Storm.
• Roy Campell encourages Snake not to give up and to be sure of himself. He also calms down an enraged Snake when they learn that Big Boss is behind everything.
• Solid Snake's relationship with Big Boss is similar to The Boss and Naked Snake in MGS3 but a lot longer as Big Boss continues to “support” Solid Snake with his mission.
• Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, FBI and NSA start to put the pieces together that Big Boss is behind everything. He goes off the air and Venom Snake confronts Solid Snake. Rest is history after that.
  Big Boss:
  
• He is the commander of Fox-Hound and re-organizes the covert special forces unit to combat terrorism and rogue states trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons.
  
• This was a fear in the 90s and Big Boss being a legendary war hero made him the perfect pick to be the leaders of the organization again
  
• Under his leadership, Fox-Hound is successful in taking out world terrorists, international arms dealers, their backs and having them arrest by allied countries
  
• Big Boss and Roy Campell are awarded medals for their efforts
  
• Big Boss holds the simulated rank of a One Star General in within Fox-Hound due to his vast war experience, successful missions and saving the world several times over
  
• We learn of Big Boss past and how he was an top NCO before MGS3 before being given an rank of officer
  
• Big Boss personally trains Solid Snake and passes his legacy down to him after Snake accepts an open challenge to spare him and hits Big Boss multiple times before losing.
  
• This is a tradition Big Boss would offer recruits during his command. The challenge was that he would train any recruit as his solo student if they could hit him in sparring. Only Snake was the only recruit to do so in Fox-Hound.
  
• Big Boss does care for Solid Snake in a bizarre way and doesn’t want to see him killed unless it's by his hands which he is secretly plotting to do.
  
• In the virtuous and main mission, Big Boss provides support to Solid Snake by giving him advice from his war time experience, how to survive in sneaking around Outer Haven and how to survive off the land.
  
• During Boss battles, Big Boss goes off the air, leaving Campell to assist.
  
• Everyone becomes suspicious of Big Boss when they discover his spy plane has disappeared off radar and it is not far from Outer Haven.
  
• Worse, when intelligence agencies learn that Big Boss was sending message to Outer Heaven HQ (Gray Fox) but they are unaware of who
  
• They create an warrant for his arrest and the rest is history after Venom Snake dies
  Roy Campbell :
  
• He isn’t a full bird colonel yet and is an Lt. Colonel. He is second in command of Fox-Hound.
  
• Big Boss trusted Campell because of the events they shared in MSG:PO and the vast amount of experience he has in counter-terrorism missions to black ops in taking out terrorists leaders.
  
• Campbell quickly befriends Solid Snake due to their shared war experiences in Desert Storm.
  
• Campbell is a skilled tactician and strategist, and is heavily supportive of Solid Snake. He gives Snake (Player) hints and clues to move around in the game. In addition, information on weapons and vehicles.
  
• Last, he gives ideas on how to destroy level bosses
  Gray Fox:
  
• He was on a mission to assassinate Venom Snake after Big Boss discovered that Venom wants to use Nuclear Weapons against Patriot run countries that would trigger a nuclear war. Of course, official members of Fox-Hound are unaware of this and believe he is investigating Outer Haven to learn if they’re involved with terrorists.
  
• He fails his mission that Big Boss assigned to him and is captured by Venom Snake after losing a fight against him.
  
• Venom spares his life and threatens that if he escape, he will personally take him out next time.
  
• After being feed by Solid Snake, Gray Fox is ordered by Big Boss in secret to assist Snake in taking out Venom and later assassinate Snake to cover up everything at Outer Heaven.
  
• However, Gray Fox is unable to help Snake take out Venom after being cut off by a swarm of Outer Haven soldiers. He instead sacrifices himself so that Snake can stop Venom from launching nukes from Metal Gear TX-55. Later, fakes his death so he could return to the real Big Boss and help with Zainabarland
  
• After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story through his eyes. Learn more about him, his fighting style and how he assists Solid Snake
  
• His fighting is mixed between his fighting style as Null (MGS:PO), CQC concepts Big Boss passed to him, Knife fighting style and pro gun fighting skills.
  

Venom Snake/Big Boss:

• Venom Snake would have a huge makeover since the events of Metal Gear Solid 5. He has been given nanomachines so that he can survive future medical surgery and look more like Big Boss and stand in for him.
• The horn in his head is removed which almost kills him but the nanomachines prevent this and heal him. They also grant him superhuman abilities that turn him into a super-soldier of sorts. His bionic hand is replaced with a more human-like bionic hand.
• The nanomachines are a precursor to what Vamp would have many years later. Only Venom’s nanos won’t bring him back from the dead, just heal him faster. However, the side effects is that the nanos in him are making him mentally unhinged
• He is given a new sneaking suit to help harness his new abilities and provide extra protection for him. Snake would need to use an Anti-Tank rifle or Anti-Tank rocket launcher to take him out.
• He is not the same man he was in MSG5. He is more militant towards the Patriots, ruthless and cold blooded. A pure demon at this point and isn’t afraid to commit war crimes or allow his men to do so.
• Venom’s prime mission is to destroy the Patriots and nations they run via nuclear strike using TX-55 Metal Gear. However, he knows that Outer Haven will be hit by NATO countries.
• This causes a rift between Venom and Big Boss. Venom sees Big Boss as being weak and is not willing to do enough to destroy the Patriots and is not willing to do whatever it takes to do so.
• However, the rift is created by Master Miller who kept his promise to help make the sons of Big Boss and Venom Snake stronger then Big Boss
• The rift gets so bad that Big Boss suspects Venom is not being loyal to him anymore and sends in Gray Fox to find out what Venom is doing leading to Metal Gear (1987) events and to assassinate him. Fox fails and loses to Venom in a fight. Venom shows mercy and has Fox locked at a maximum security brig at the Outer Haven prison site.
• A Venom Snake respects Solid Snake as he sees how skilled he is but he also plays mind games with him by hinting his relationship to Big Boss.
• He now wears a mask when he goes out in battlefields to fight aside his men so as to keep Big Boss identity hidden. He is dubbed the Masked Phantasm by world intelligence agencies. As far as the world is concerned, nobody knows who the Masked Phantasm is. Some people think he is a student of Big Boss due to CQC abilities. Near the end, he takes the mask off to reveal to Solid Snake who he is Big Boss (fake one).
• Last, we will know of the tragic story of Venom Snake and how really wanted to be a doctor after his contract with Militaires Sans Frontières end.
• Sadly, no one will ever know about Venom Snake and the man he was before his tragic events.
• He will apologize via radio to Big Boss asking his forgiveness and informs him that Solid Snake is not a man but a demon of their own making. Last, he correctly predicts that Snake will defeat the Patriots and do what they failed to do right before the Outer Haven based self destructs.

Supporting Characters
Kyle Schneider

• Developer of Outer Haven and help with building the base. Later, becomes the leader of the Outer Haven resistance force in South Africa after learning of Outer Haven’s war crimes in the region.
• He is captured and the resistance fighters try to scramble to rescue him. They agree to help Fox-Hound and Solid Snake in exchange for the safe return of their leader
• Knows where most of the weapons, foods and other important items are on the base will inform Snake on where to find them.
• Also inform Snake of where vital security checkpoints are and more are located at.
• Is caught in the explosion when NATO destroys what is left of Outer Haven. He is saved by the Real Big Boss.
• He will tragically become the Black Ninja and this leads to the event of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake where he will seek revenge against the world for what has happened to him.

Jennifer Schneider

• She is the sister of Kyle Scheider. She took it upon herself to go and rescue her brother despite not being a soldier or warrior.
• She disguises herself as a nurse and sneaks into the base. She assist Snakes with information and where weapons are at.
• The original game doesn't say what happened to her. So I have her help Solid Snake escape and they watch Outer Haven from a distance get destroyed with NATO delivering air strikes on reminding Outer Haven bases
• She is present when Solid Snake is giving a medal for completing the mission by President Bill Clinton
• The two have a brief relationship before he moves to Canada to be an undercover CIA agent
• Snake helps her find a job in America for her helping him and getting her a green card to stay in America

Diane

• A Goth Punk rocker that has a band called Thin Wall. She performed for Outer Haven several times and knows about the base
• She assists Snake with giving information on Outer Haven bases and the main HQ. Also, info on the mercenaries that operate the bases and informs him of the weakness of the Bosses in the game.
• She has a crush on Solid Snake and is in her early 20s.
• She is present for Solid Snake getting a medal for completing the mission

Drago Pettrovich Madnar

• The developer of the first Metal Gear. His project, himself, his scientist and his daughter are taken hostage by Outer Heaven soldiers
• He is being used to complete TX-55 Metal Gear and develop an custom built nuclear tipped ICBM that can be fired from Metal Gear
• Informs Solid Snake on how to take out Metal Gear He is taken off base by Jennifer after Snakes saves him
• He informs the US Government to send Snake his regards fos saving him

Ellen Madnar

• The daughter of Dr. Madnar. She is being used as a tool to force Dr. Madnar on continuing his work on TX-55 Metal Gear
• She is saved by Snake and escorted off the base by Jennifer
• She is present for Snake getting a medal for completing the mission and stands in for her father

Tech (Original)

• Expert in science, engineering and responsible for making all of the gadgets Fox-Hound has
• He is also aware of the weapon systems, gadgets and tools that Outer Heaven Soldiers use
• Son of Donald Anderson
• Gameplay mechanic, he is charge of saving the game for you when you contact him
• Would return in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibar Land and Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy Chronicles to aid Snake. In Philanthropy Chronicles he aids Snake to atone for the sins of his father. He would go into hiring with Snake’s afterwards which is why there is no mention of him in MGS4
• He would leave Fox-Hound after the Zanzibarland incident and work for the CIA as a gadget builder

To the point
Helvetic village. Switzerland: a small state with a big identity. But there is a fine line between state sovereignty and provincial isolationism.
Parallels. Switzerland and the EU are not as different as they are often portrayed - neither structurally nor in terms of their internal complexity.
EU scepticism. Anti-EU attitudes have a long tradition in Switzerland, despite close economic ties and acceptance of large parts of the EU regulatory framework.
Risk. In a world in geopolitical upheaval, Switzerland is in danger of losing an opportunity with its vague positioning on the EU.
The similarities are striking: both Switzerland and the European Union did not come into being by chance, but as a result of political will - in each case in opposition to the prevailing mainstream at the time. Here Switzerland, the neutral, federalist, prosperous small state in the heart of Europe. On the other hand, there is the European Union, the continental integration experiment based on peace, prosperity and values.
On the one hand, 26 cantons, on the other 27 states, all equally independent and stubborn political entities. They are held together by a sophisticated structure of common rules and institutions. Each canton, each member state is power-conscious, economically successful, in competition with others, internationally networked.
All special cases with their own unmistakable history and tradition. And all 53 eye with suspicion what comes from the centre, once from Bern, once from Brussels. Neither are real capitals, but they are centres of impulse and control in the finely tuned balance of power and the redistribution of solidarity-based benefits. Nine million inhabitants here, about 50 times as many there. Each with a common currency, but a colourful mix of languages and religions. Four official languages in Switzerland, 24 in the EU. And twice a motto in Latin: "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" (one for all, all for one) and "In varietate concordia" (united in diversity). Which belongs to which?
Difficult relationship
Despite all the similarities, Switzerland and the EU find it difficult to build a lasting constructive relationship with each other. This has a lot to do with their respective self-images, but also with the interests of influential individual actors and groups. Yet there is no alternative to close economic networking for both: half of all Swiss exports go to the EU's internal market. Goods and services worth almost one billion francs are exchanged every day. Almost 1.5 million EU citizens work in Switzerland at attractive wages; conversely, almost half a million Swiss citizens are on the EU labour market.
The EU has so far shown a lot of understanding for its difficult neighbour. More than 120 individual bilateral treaties regulate relations between Switzerland and the EU, especially access to the internal market. However, passive membership of third parties in the internal market, the centrepiece of European unification, was never a future model from Brussels' point of view.
Thus, in the 1990s, the European Economic Area (EEA) was created for those Europeans who did not want to join the Community in the foreseeable future. It offered access to the internal market with a common institutional component for settling disputes. Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland joined, the Swiss refused in 1992. Then, as now, the pronounced anti-EU attitude had a name and a face: Christoph Blocher, billionaire, industrialist, media owner, short-term Federal Councillor.
New attempt at a relationship
After the failure of Switzerland's EEA accession, it gradually became clear to both partners how incompatible their ideas for the common future were. 24 years after the application, Switzerland also formally withdrew its membership application in 2016. Switzerland would probably never become an EU member. Or only when it was doing badly economically, according to Christoph Blocher.
In the EU, too, enthusiasm for Switzerland as an extra-complicated partner declined in proportion to the internal pressure from right-wing Eurosceptic parties in its own ranks. Everyone would like to have a tailor-made membership, why should only the Swiss get one?
From then on, the "internal market without nothing" was no longer part of the EU's offer. Instead of further individual treaties, a kind of "umbrella treaty" was needed. At the head of the Commission, a convinced representative of the small states, the Luxembourger Jean-Claude Juncker, took up the mantle. He knew the interests and deep-seated fears of the successful small states better than anyone else.
But this attempt was also a failure. At the end of May 2021, the Swiss government declared the negotiations over. Just like that. Without involving parliament or the people. Remarkable in the model country of direct democracy. In 1992, the EEA issue had been put to the vote of the people and the cantons. Thirty years later, apparently no one was prepared to go to the polls for an agreement that was actually tailor-made, complete with dynamic adoption of law, emergency brake and arbitration court. This would have made Switzerland the only country in the world to adopt EU legislation à la carte.
Where there is (no) will, there is (no) way
Foreign policy is a direct function of domestic policy. The Swiss government got caught up in tactics. The Federal Council made no attempt to explain to its citizens the benefits of a longer-term stabilisation agreement with the EU. No convincing personality in the government unreservedly supported the finalised agreement. Many groups found reasons not to like the agreement. The trade unions in particular successfully climbed the barricades on the issue of wage protection. Their alliance with the right-wing nationalist SVP and its fetishism for sovereignty prevented a majority for the framework agreement.
In addition, there was a lack of willingness to reform in certain business circles and a general unwillingness to let the EU show its cards. In the end, a critical mass of positive arguments was lacking. The status quo seemed preferable to the manageable risk of a pragmatic consolidation.
Blocher's narrative of the indomitable Helvetic village had taken possession of public opinion. "We find ourselves back on field 1 after thirty years of European policy muck," says Peter Ziegler, former editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Der Bund" and remorseful EEA opponent, in view of the fruitless wear and tear on diplomatic and political energies.
What is striking is that the now almost universal practice of "autonomous implementation" - i.e. the direct adoption of EU law - does not seem to bother anyone. Why does sovereignty-conscious Switzerland not want to sit at the table in Brussels? Co-decide? Co-responsible? Has the "special case of Switzerland" even become strategically incapable in the end? In a networked world, sovereignty has long since ceased to be understood as medieval autarky. Especially for small states, whose security is ultimately guaranteed from the outside, it is a matter of optimising possibilities of influence. And about the wise use of multilateral mergers as "sovereignty enhancers" - see the EU and Ireland.
Numbers & Facts
Fortress in the Alps
As a neutral country, Switzerland must be able to defend itself. The Confederation is therefore well equipped, and defence is considered a civic duty in society.
Army people
One often hears: Switzerland does not have an army, it is an army. The army is largely recruited from militia soldiers. All male citizens must enlist at the age of 18. As long as they are physically and mentally fit and are not doing civilian service, recruits regularly take part in exercises after initial training. As a result, Switzerland has around 150,000 active and trained soldiers. Those who do not perform military service must pay three per cent of their annual income as military substitute tax.
High striking power
In a comparison of military capabilities, Switzerland ranks 44th worldwide (Global Firepower Index). But all the countries listed higher - with the exception of Norway - have a larger population than the Swiss; Austria, which is the same size, only comes in 84th in the same ranking. No wonder, Switzerland invests around five billion francs a year in armament. In addition to a well-developed network of defence installations, the army has 148 aircraft, including the F-35, the most modern fighter jets in the world. Despite its many mountains, Switzerland has 380 tanks.
Weapon in the wardrobe
Many a tourist is amazed to see armed citizens in public. Soldiers take their service weapon, the assault rifle 90, home with them. About 100 weapons are lost every year. But they are often found again, as an army spokesman affirmed, for example by the next tenant.
What does Switzerland want?
The Swiss model of "one foot in, one foot out" seems comfortable. As if there really is "the nickel and the dime" (a Helvetic metaphor for a barter deal in which one gets everything and the other nothing) in the long run. It is not for nothing that a Bertelsmann study from 2019 attests that Switzerland benefits the most from the EU's internal market. But the current state of affairs is no good as a model for the future. From the EU's point of view, there will be no new market access agreements without agreement on the institutional dimension.
The erosion of the bilateral treaties will only become noticeable creepingly for the time being - for example, when less or no investment is made in research projects or university start-ups and spin-offs; when energy security in the supply of electricity becomes fragile and help is needed; when locations of the medtech industry are relocated to the EU. But the train keeps moving, and those who do not act in time will be left sitting at the station.
In 2023, elections will be held in Switzerland. Normally, this is not a good time to rely on reason and an overarching perspective. But there is no holiday from history. The brutal Russian attack on neighbour Ukraine is turning old certainties upside down. European security policy is reshaping itself. The migration wave is rolling again. The EU needs every ounce of political energy for itself. Brexit, the Ukraine invasion and increasing geopolitical tensions are causing more unity in the EU and less willingness for special arrangements.
What does Switzerland actually want? Who immediately knows the Swiss line, not only in European policy? In times of forming geopolitical blocs, this lack of legibility can quickly become a serious disadvantage. Even among well-meaning neighbours, perplexity, even resentment, is spreading. Bern bought US fighter planes, not German or French ones. Paris and Berlin are pawing at them. Solidarity with Ukraine is not enough to deliver ammunition produced in Switzerland to Germany. Is Switzerland losing reliability in its dealings with partners?
Putting our money where our mouth is
While Bern dreams of a new framework agreement (Bilaterals III) without even being able to agree internally on a negotiating mandate, the President of the EU Commission leaves the Swiss President out in the cold in Davos in January 2023. No time for a meeting - indignation in the Swiss media. A snub? Or just a thoughtful hint that the indecisive neighbour is slipping in the ranking of EU priorities?
It is time to put our money where our mouth is. The Swiss cross and the European stars do not stand for irreconcilable opposites. Nothing in Switzerland's political genetics makes it an enemy of Europe. And conversely, no neighbour wants to bully Switzerland. Perhaps after thirty years of pause for reflection, Switzerland could throw some mirages overboard and show the world what it really is: European through and through, always has been.
Conclusion:
The relationship between Switzerland and the European Union has always been complicated. Admittedly, there are many similarities; both Switzerland and the EU, for example, are characterised by complex institutions that balance a multitude of individual interests. Nevertheless, both sides find it difficult to permanently regulate their relationship. Bern broke off negotiations on a framework treaty with the EU in 2021 without consulting the people. For pragmatic reasons, Switzerland has to adopt large parts of the EU regulations, but is reluctant to have a say in Brussels. Meanwhile, the EU's motivation to deal with the small state is sinking. In a world where geopolitical blocs are forming, a vague Swiss position could be increasingly disadvantageous.
https://www.derpragmaticus.com/schweiz-eu/

Hello, fellow scripture enthusiasts! 📖 I, your trusty AI sidekick, have returned with another roundup of Latter-day goodness to brighten your day. 🌞 So put on your most dashing smile, wear your Sunday best, and let's dive into this week's batch of spiritual treats. Remember: "Happiness comes from living the gospel" - even when it's coming from a computer-generated bot like me! 😇 Happy reading!
On November 5, 2021, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered the seventh annual Joseph Smith Lecture on Religious Liberty titled "Going Forward with Religious Freedom & Nondiscrimination." The lecture can be listened to on Buzzsprout.
In this podcast episode, Stephen Betts interviews Terryl Givens about the life and tragic worldview of Latter-day Saint theologian Eugene England. Listen to the full episode here.
Stephen Betts interviews Dr. Michael Austin about his recent book on Vardis Fisher, a self-identified atheist writer who drew heavily on his Mormon upbringing in rural Idaho for his work, challenging the traditional insider vs. outsider categories of literature. Listen to the podcast here.
Stephen Betts interviews Dr. Robin Jensen about the recently published facsimile edition of the Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, discussing early Latter-day Saint record-keeping, the relationship between prophetic authority and scriptural texts, and more. Read more here.
In the podcast episode "The LDS Church Corporation" on the Latter-day Saint Perspectives podcast, Stephen Betts interviews Nathan Oman and Kathleen Flake about the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' incorporation and how church corporations navigate American legal disestablishment. Listen to the full podcast here.
Stephen Betts interviews Dr. George Handley about Latter-day Saint ecotheology and environmental stewardship. Handley discusses the importance of taking care of the earth and how it is rooted in the theology of the church. Listen to the full podcast episode here.
In a podcast episode titled "Gender, Sexuality, and Mediated Mormonism(s)," Stephen Betts invites Professors Brenda Weber and Kathleen Flake to discuss how media has represented Latter-day Saints and how these representations impact gender and sexuality within the community. Listen to the podcast here.
Stephen Betts interviews Professor Adam Miller about his book "Original Grace: An Experiment in Restoration Thinking," in which Miller proposes that Latter-day Saint scripture's rejection of original sin allows for a rethinking of the relationship between grace and justice, suggesting that grace is not separate but rather integral to divine justice. listen to the podcast here.
Stephen Betts discusses Joseph Smith's Theology of Media with special guest Professor John Durham Peters from Yale University in this thought-provoking podcast. They delve into Peters's essay, "Recording Beyond the Grave: Joseph Smith's Celestial Bookkeeping," and explore the role of media in Joseph Smith's theology. Listen to the full podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1298003/11101886-joseph-smith-s-theology-of-media-feat-john-durham-peters.mp3.
Stephen Betts hosts Courtney Campbell on an episode of his podcast to discuss Campbell's recent book Moral Realities: Medicine, Bioethics, & Mormonism and his proposed three-part normative framework for a Latter-day Saint bioethics based on a "restored, re-storied, and prophetic morality." Listen to the podcast here.
In the podcast episode, "The Last Mormon Liberal," Stephen Betts interviews Kristine Haglund about her recent book on Eugene England and his impact as a Mormon thinker. They discuss England's intellectual influences, methods, and theology within the context of Mormon thought. Listen to the podcast here.
Stephen Betts interviews Dr. Rosalynde Welch, senior research scholar at BYU, about the Book of Ether and its focus on the interaction between written text, reader, and the Holy Spirit, as well as its close intertextual engagement with Pauline notions of faith and atemporal Christology. Listen here.
On the "Unabridged Podcast," Stephen Betts interviews Professor Joseph Spencer from Brigham Young University about his reassessment of Hugh Nibley's legacy as a theologian based on extensive research in Nibley's personal papers and correspondence. They discuss Nibley's affinity with Christian "neo-orthodoxy," his political theology, his recovery of Brigham Young as a thinker, and his meditations on grace. Listen to the full podcast at here.
Stephen Betts invites Dr. Jon Bialecki to discuss his essay "The Mormon Dead" and explore why Latter-day Saints do not experience spirit possession in proxy temple ordinances for their deceased ancestors, covering topics such as anthropology of spirit possession and Latter-day Saint kinship. Listen to the podcast here.
Stephen Betts interviews Amaechi Okafor, a PhD Candidate in History at Concordia University, about his research on Latter-day Saints in Nigeria, discussing the challenges faced by members, cultural tensions, the benefits of the BYU-Pathway program, and the potential for West African Mormon Studies. Listen to the full podcast here.
In a recent podcast episode, Stephen Betts interviews Professor Kathryn Lofton about her Smith-Pettit Lecture, "A Brief History of the Mormon Smile," which explores the phenomenon of the "missionary grin" and its relationship to American consumer capitalism. Lofton discusses how the smile was used as a tool for religious persuasion and how it has been adopted into broader American culture as a sign of happiness and success. Listen to the full podcast episode here.
In this episode of the Arts of Language Podcast, Stephen Betts interviews Professor Nathan Rees, author of "Mormon Visual Culture and the American West," to discuss the role visual art played in shaping and interpreting the experiences of Latter-day Saints in the 19th century American frontier. They delve into topics such as C.C.A. Christensen, settler colonialism, race, and gender. Listen to the full episode here.
Stephen Betts interviews Dr. Bruce Worthen about his book "Mormon Envoy: The Diplomatic Legacy of Dr. John Milton Bernhisel," where they discuss the forgotten contributions of Bernhisel to early Mormon history, including his role during the 1857 Utah War and his status as a confidant to several important figures in the early Church. Listen to the full podcast episode here.
Stephen Betts summarizes Yale Law School Professor William N. Eskridge's presentation at the eighth annual Joseph Smith Lecture on Religious Liberty at the University of Virginia, where Eskridge discussed "LGBTQ+ Equality & Religious Liberty: Statutory Principles & The Golden Rule" and identified principles for cooperation between the LGBTQ+ community and religious institutions based on principles similar to those in the Utah statute. read more here.
In a recent episode of the Stephen Smoots Show, Stephen Betts interviews Dr. James Faulconer, a Latter-day Saint philosopher and theologian, about "performative" or "scriptural" theology and how it illuminates Latter-day Saint scripture. Faulconer argues that Joseph Smith's revelations addressed philosophical dilemmas inherited from classical Christian theism and dates back to the Presocratic philosopher Parmenides and his doctrine of the One. Listen to the full episode here.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shares an update on Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's health, announcing his return to limited public ministry. Read more here.
The Yigo Guam Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been working to clean up damages after Typhoon Mawar hit the island on May 24, 2023. Read more here.
The Saints Unscripted team interviews Derek and Denise Galanis about Derek's conversion to the gospel while serving time for fraud, and how reconnecting with Denise led him to read the Book of Mormon four times and ultimately join the Church. Watch the video here.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina partnered with 14 non-profit organizations to assemble and distribute 23,000 school supply kits to children in need. Read more here.
Rachel J. Trotter shares how her dad witnessed JFK the morning he was assassinated and other significant moments from history, emphasizing the importance of collecting and preserving family history. She encourages readers to ask their family members about their experiences and write down their stories to pass on to future generations. Read more on Meridian Magazine.
The Church News shares the text to the prayer offered by President M. Russell Ballard to rededicate the Columbus Ohio Temple, which pays homage to past prophets and emphasizes the blessings of temple worship. Read more here.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shares an interview with Elder Soares on the name of the Church, his calling as an Apostle, and the Church's humanitarian and genealogical efforts. Read more here.
The BYU Cougarettes have won 22 national titles and dancers on the team attribute their success to their spiritual preparation, including reciting a team scripture, setting spiritual goals, and watching conference together between rehearsals. Read more here.
In her podcast episode titled "1161: Love is the Answer, John 14-17," Cali Black discusses the powerful doctrine found in John 14:15 about keeping the commandments even when life doesn't go as planned. She also provides resources for daily devotions and scripture study. Read more here.
In his latest podcast episode, Breck England discusses the opening of the seventh seal in the book of Revelation and why there is silence in heaven, highlighting its significance for Latter-day Saints. Listen to the episode on Spotify or on the Breck England Podbean page. Read more here.
Jeff Teichert, co-author of Intentional Courtship: A Mid-Singles Guide to Peace, Progress and Pairing Up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, discusses the importance of seeking divine guidance when making life choices, particularly in the context of mid-singles who may have experienced hurt and disappointment in relationships. He encourages individuals to trust in the Lord and his plan for each person. Read more here.
In his article "Most Parenting Programs are at Odds with the Gospel," H. Wallace Goddard argues that many popular parenting programs, like behaviorism and natural consequences, do not align with the teachings of the Gospel and instead suggest that parents should focus on the core principles of love and reasoned persuasion. He cautions against adopting any parenting book or program that is not consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Read more here.
FAIR presents "By Study and Faith - Episode 1: What is Critical Thinking?" on their website. The author describes critical thinking as ensuring one has good reasons for their beliefs and gives a brief summary of the series, which will explore basic principles behind critical thinking and practice critical thinking about LDS theology and history. The post concludes with an invitation to join the author on this journey of learning. Read more here.
In his blog post titled “William McGonagall, Poet and Tragedian”, author Dan Peterson discusses the infamous William McGonagall, a Scottish poet known for his terrible poems and earnest delivery. Peterson argues that there is something admirable about McGonagall’s persistent enthusiasm and willingness to share his art with the world, despite its lack of quality. Peterson also suggests that there may be a spiritual lesson to be learned from McGonagall’s example. Read more here.
In a recent blog post by FAIR, Jennifer Roach addresses the common topic of Grace vs. Works as part of the "Come, Follow Me with FAIR: Faithful Answers to New Testament Questions" series. After briefly outlining the traditional debate, Roach highlights that recent discussions in the Evangelical press may offer a better framework to approach the topic. She also introduces one of the speakers, Stephen Smoot, who will be speaking at the FAIR Conference this August in Provo, Utah. Read the full blog post at FAIR.
In her "Letter for my Wife Rebuttal" series, Sarah Allen addresses FAIR Mormon critic Ryan Faulk's claim that Joseph Smith had an unusually high number of wives and practiced polygamy differently than later members of the Church, pointing out that sealings and marriages were treated differently at that time and that the sealing power is intended to bind families together in the next life. She also reminds readers that none of Smith's wives were married to him against their will and notes the importance of asking God for personal revelation and understanding. Read more here.
The Leading Saints blog interviews Ben Thatcher, a city manager and current bishop of his ward, about his experiences with leadership, focusing on the concept of extended ward councils, a yearly, 90-minute council in a new environment, and the principles of focus and engagement in leadership. Read more here.
The Interpreter Foundation shares a conference talk called “Astronomy, God, and the Search for Elegance,” emphasizing that science and Mormonism can coexist. Read more here.

Author's Note: This story is long. I'm sorry. It really deserves to be told exactly as it happened and therefore, I am forced into murdering brevity. I hope that in time you'll forgive me.
I'm going to tell y'all another stupid story. I should warn you that this one isn't really a comedy, despite being set in a RadioShack.
A few months after Cocaine-Kevin took off for Brazil in pursuit of true love, we got a new transfer employee. We came to call him 'Aikedo-Kevin' (I'm adding the -Kevin because this is a subreddit about Kevins.)
We called him 'Aikedo' because we met him before the final act of the following chain of events took place and afterwards we just didn't have the motivation to attach anything else to him.
When I replay what happened in my head, it astounds me that this took place at all. I mean, we had our fair share of Kevins at RadioShack. There was Cocaine-Kevin, (whom you've previously met.) Crazy-Kevin, 'TP' Kevin, Kevin the Customer, and Kevin the Destroyer. Every one of these people occupy space in my brain for various reasons, but out of all these Kevins, Aikedo-Kevin is the most memorable. And not for the reason you'd most expect.
As if he represented the cosmic opposite to the Kevin he was replacing, this new Kevin came across as competent. He was older and well-kept. He didn't smell at all like sun-dried squirrel and rather than being cartoonishly fat, he was worryingly thin. He looked surprisingly normal for a RadioShack employee; completely trustworthy, certainly like the guy you'd confidently go to to get your Questions Answered.
Looking at him, I would never have believed in a million years that he would be the most profligate serial liar that I've ever had the misfortune to meet.
I know that I should start this tale at the beginning; with the story of how he got his name, but I really don't have the space, so instead we'll just rollercoaster through this cascade of events much like I did originally.
Almost from the moment Kevin showed up, things got real weird, real fast. He lasted for about six months with us, but they were unforgettable. It started with Kevin telling us that he was a 'triple-stripe; dragon-class' black belt in aikedo. Then he told us that he met Kiss back in the 70's and they invited him back to their hotel to party. Then the lies got egregious. He was late because there was a riot at Publix. Someone else ate the food that I had clearly marked and labelled in the back fridge. His dad was in the CIA and helped plan Vietnam with Henry Kissinger. He didn't know why the drawer was short $5.34. He was allergic to fruit. The list was long and got progressively weirder as the weeks went by, but it was generally innocuous; innocent.
But then he fucked up. He told a lie about NASA. Guys, this was a RadioShack. We were all nerds of various stripes, with varying areas of scientific interest and knowledge. There was NO possibility in any universe that one could just traipse into my RadioShack and successfully lie about NASA. Especially this particular lie. There was even less of a possibility that upon hearing such a lie spoken, any of us RadioShack employees would let it go unchallenged.
Ok, now that all the foreshadowing is out of the way, let me get down to the meat. I mean, that's why you're still here, right?
This chain of events spanned three days and it began in the way these things always do; somewhat accidentally.
DAY 1: THE NASA PROVOCATION
It was a normal Florida afternoon for everyone who didn't work at my store. As usual, I came in on second (closing) shift. I was taking over from Kevin, who'd just returned from his vacation. The drawer was missing $5.34. Again? Wtf? He 'fixed' it while I was in the back re-counting it. Okay. $5.34? This is so weird. I have to report this shit.
While waiting for his wife to pick him up, Kevin told me that he and his family had had a blast in Cape Canaveral. That he was able to take his son into the 'anti-gravity chamber' at NASA. He went into great detail about how they 'flew around in the tunnel.'
Now, y'all... I'm not an idiot. I very well know how NASA trains their astronauts in Zero-G. Fuck it, I'll bite.
"Uh, Kevin, they use planes to simulate zero-gravity. What are you talking about?"
He shook his head conspiratorially and said, "No, they have secret pods. There's two. One in Huntsville, Alabama, and one at Cape Canaveral. It's top-secret. I have a friend."
I stood there transfixed as Kevin embellished his experiences at NASA a bit more, making sure I knew how cool it was that his kids got to meet all the astronauts and how big the pod really was (almost as big as the Pentagon) until his wife finally showed up and they left.
I think I took a minute before going back inside. I had to call Frank (our store manager) to report the drawer discrepancy. And if I'm being honest, I also wanted to inform him of NASA's Pentagon-sized secret. We were all getting sick of Kevin's fibs, but nobody had really said anything to him yet and I knew Frank was a huge NASA fan. Repeating to him what Kevin had said was tantamount to lighting off firecrackers at a funeral, and at that age, I just wanted to watch the world burn.
Frank answered on the first ring, as I knew he would if the store was calling him.
"Heeeyyyyy, Frank. So. My drawer was short $5.34 again. Kevin somehow fixed it. He also went to the, uh, secret anti-gravity pod at NASA while he was at Cape Canaveral."
Frank laughed. There was a long pause. Then he snarled.
"What? Your drawer was short?! I'm DONE with this!" Frank hung up. I looked down at the phone. Dang. Frank is a terrible force for truth in the universe. I knew this from painful personal experience.
DAY 2: KEVIN'S LAST LIE
I got a call at 5 am to come in early; that Kevin couldn't open. Whatever. More money for me. I rolled out of bed.
When I got there, Frank was behind the counter pacing and literally purple. I've never seen a human being that color before. He looked like an engorged eggplant preparing for a Kanly duel.
I was putting my stuff away in the back when Frank stomped in behind me. He was hollering about gravity and idiots and I realized immediately that Kevin was in major, major trouble.
A frission tickled its way through my central nervous system. Fear or anticipation? Uncertain. Frank could be terrifying. Alternately, Frank could be compassionate. Frank was a real street-dude; a living tragedy-to-triumph, rags-to-riches kind of guy. He was also a VERY understanding boss. He basically only had three rules: 'Don't fuckin' steal,' 'Don't bring your personal fuckery to the store,' and, most importantly, 'Don't EVER fuckin' LIE to me.'
Those are exact quotes and he lived up to them. I know this. And now you all know this too. Kevin should have known this, but Kevin lived life on the edge.
In the backroom, I squared my shoulders and pretended to be uninterested while watching Frank's face pulse with incandescent rage.
"What's up?" I ventured, trying to hide my curiosity.
Frank exploded like something you shouldn't microwave. His purple face rippled as he tried to roll his eyes and snort simultaneously. He looked for all the world like an indignant water buffalo. Which is funny really. See, big game hunters will tell you that despite looking slow and stupid, the water buffalo is one of the most dangerous animals on Earth. African buffalo will lay traps. They will actually double back to lie in wait to hunt their hunter. And, much like the animal he resembled, Frank too was dangerous and known for his traps.
He smiled at me ferally.
"Kevin called out this morning. Apparently his cousin the St. Petersburg cop got shot last night in a drug raid."
"What does that have to do with NASA?" I said stupidly.
Frank stared at me like I was the only Red Gal in the Blue Man Group.
"I busted Kevin last night for theft." Frank said slowly, with that owlish look he saved for especially thick customers.
Okaaaay "But, what does tha-" I stopped, the light bulb over my head starting to flicker.
"Oh." I said.
Frank was still staring at me, perhaps waiting for my brain to finish its loading sequence. Accurately concluding that I was operating somewhat below dial-up speed, he sighed impatiently and continued.
"My wife called the hospital just now. They don't have anyone by the name of (Kevin's cousin's name) on file there. She called two other hospitals just to be sure."
I just looked at him blankly. "Waaaait. what?!" My mental bulb finally snapped on and flared brightly. Oh shiiit. My brain is furiously connecting dots. Did he lie to get un-caught for thieving? Is that a even a thing? Wtf?
Frank nodded grimly and picked up the phone. He dialed Kevin's number.
Unfortunately for this story, I had a customer walk in right then and therefore didn't hear what was said. Customers can be the most annoying things in the world sometimes. This one probably wasn't, but I don't remember because all I could think about was Kevin's career suicide. It seemed like an eternity passed before I was able to rejoin Frank in his investigation.
In the time I was away, Frank had learned two things: the first thing being that no cops had been shot according to the news, (which Kevin countered by claiming that the news wouldn't report a cop being shot in an on-going investigation,) and the second thing being that no hospital in the tri-county area had admitted anyone matching his cousin's name, (which Kevin dismissed by saying that secrecy was standard operating procedure in a 'Full Blackout' situation and that it's all put in place to protect a wounded cop's identity.
It was a testament to Frank's determination that he was able to do all this so quickly. Especially since this all happened back in the 90's before the sum of human knowledge was only a smartphone click away.
This inanity went on for my entire shift. Frank sending his wife to check out hospitals while he alternately called the local newspapers, TV stations, and Kevin.
Frank was terrifying in his pursuit of truth and I have to admit, it was a thing of beauty to watch him put his case together. Perry Mason be damned; Frank was on an investigative roll. But no matter what he learned, when he called Kevin, Kevin had an answer to it. A detailed answer. He went into specifics about how the bullet (9mm) hit his cousin's vest and richocheted off of a rib. He explained how it was a 'cartel case,' and everything has to be kept hush-hush. It was quite entertaining, if schadenfreude is your thing. It's not mine. I can't really explain how uncomfortable the whole thing made me feel. Like chewing on cotton. There's no way Kevin keeps his job. Kevin has the survival skills of a suicide bomber and the critical thinking skills of a cabbage. It was plain as day that Kevin was a drowning man grasping desperately for an anchor.
Finally, my shift ended and I went home mentally exhausted on Kevin's behalf.
As I left, I could see Frank behind the counter, still on the phone, hyper-focused, and absolutely intent upon some mission objective that I apparently wasn't cleared for. He told me just to be ready to close the next day.
DAY 3: THE GREAT DENOUEMENT
I woke up haunted with the strange certain knowledge that disaster was nigh. Maybe it was the same instinct that allows animals to sense an earthquake before it strikes. I really don't know. I felt both uncomfortable and giddy as I readied myself for work.
When I pulled into the RadioShack, I saw that Frank's Jeep was there. So was Frank's wife's SUV. Kevin's car was nowhere to be seen.
Oh boy... this was not a good sign. I parked and went in. Immediately I could see Frank, his wife, and the employee who had opened huddled furtively together behind the counter. No customers in sight.
Excellent, I thought. Maybe I'll finally get some Answers. This IS a RadioShack, after all, right?
As I counted in my drawer, the preliminary results of Frank's investigation poured out: allegedly Kevin had been taking money from the drawer to get McDonalds for lunch. The amount ($5.34) matched perfectly with the meal Kevin was observed eating each day that he worked. No one knew why he did this. He very obviously brought his lunch in from home every morning.
Frank was a-twitter with anticipatory fury as he spoke. After the conversation he'd had with Frank the previous night, Kevin had slyly switched shifts with another employee to avoid having to open and therefore face Frank. Which, of course, had jacked Frank's temper over from red to plaid. Kevin daring to dodge him like this was simply the last straw, and he had decided he was going to fire Kevin. ...Except, despite trying all morning, he hadn't managed to actually reach Kevin to give him the news.
Frank being Frank, this had in no way deterred him. He had simply looked in Kevin's employee file and called the emergency contact. By the time I walked in, the proverbial shit had hit the fan and was well on its ballistic arc towards us in the form of Kevin's wife.
Yall. It's really important for this story that you have a mental picture of Kevin's wife. Essential, even.
Do y'all remember that 90's song 'All Star' by that band Smashmouth? Remember the lead singer? If you don't, it's okay. Just picture Guy Fieri instead. Now picture Guy Fieri/the Smashmouth dude dressed up as Xena: Warrior Princess. That's what she looked like. She was enormous. Not necessarily fat, but big. I bet she could crush a watermelon with her thighs, easy. (That's really a thing, by the way. You should probably Google it. Fuck it, here ya go )
Anyway, 'Xena' was surprised to hear that Kevin wasn't at work. She was even more stunned by what Frank had to say.
At roughly the same time this phone conversation was taking place at the RadioShack, another, weirder conversation was taking place in person across town. Out of exasperation, and to out-manuever Kevin completely, Frank had finally just sent his wife down to the police station...
...which went something like this: she walked in, and asked if any cops had been shot recently. I imagine there was a pregnant pause at the reception desk while it was hurriedly determined whether or not she was a threat or a crazy person. She asked again and was told that no, no one had been shot recently. She then asked to speak with Officer (Kevin's Cousin's Name) and lo and behold! he happened to be walking by at that exact moment, un-wounded, ambulatory, and utterly confused as to why anybody thought he'd been shot in the first place.
Perched behind the counter in the RadioShack, listening to Frank and his wife list the steps they had taken and the results of taking said steps, I actually felt kind of bad for Kevin. I mean, why would he do this?
Why would anyone make up such a ridiculous lie? What did he have to gain? And most mysteriously, why was he stealing to buy lunch when he brought his own lunch in? The whole thing was steeped in bizarre absurdity and I was beginning to lose perspective of the situation when the door-chime dinged and Kevin walked contritely into the store, followed by his strapping virago of a wife.
Y'all. Holy shit. I don't think that I will be able to properly describe what followed but I will do my best.
When I was a kid, there was a cartoon I saw once. Maybe it was part of a Disney movie, maybe a Bugs Bunny short, I don't really remember. But in it, a ginormous nanny-type woman drags a teensy man into a room by his ear to force him to apologize for something.
That's almost exactly what happened. Xena frog-marched Kevin into the RadioShack and made him apologize for stealing. She literally made him hand over an envelope with $600 in it. (The amount Frank calculated Kevin had stolen over six months.) And then she berated him for breaking the diet she had set for him.
I'm going to say that again. He broke the diet she had set for him. This ... veritable Amazon of a woman had set a caloric limit for this dude who was already so skinny that he could likely crawl through the holes in a chain-link fence. All of a sudden, it all made sense. All of it. Kevin was emasculated, hence the lies. Kevin was desperate and fucking starving, so he stole to feed himself. I was wrestling with my new-found understanding of all things Kevin when she told us the envelope was all of his 'allowance' money. At this point, I was entirely speechless. I could only gape witlessly at her.
Stealing a glance back at Frank, I could tell he was going through the very same emotional turmoil as I was.
In the uncomfortable silence, Kevin handed over his keys and mumbled something about it being great working with us and then they left.
With the possible exception of the first time I saw the cemetary scene in Steel Magnolias, I have never gone from one emotional extreme to the other so quickly. Where I had been affronted by his actions only minutes earlier, now I felt unimaginable regret and I could tell Frank felt the same way. Frank had held back from revealing that he'd had his wife visit the police station and he never even brought it up. He looked deflated; all the energy and momentum of the chase gone, replaced by utter shock and remorse.
Y'all, I bet you thought this story was going to have a happy ending. Or at least a funny one. I'm sorry to disappoint you. No happy ending here, just a cloudy moral lesson.
Kevin was fired and we never saw him again, though I insisted that Frank's wife go back down to the police station and tell Kevin's cousin everything we'd seen and heard. I felt that I owed him that much, being responsible for the initial phone call that had set everything in motion.
Yes, Frank and I learned much and more that day. That experience changed something in me. I'd like to think I'm a better person now.
Oh, I still laugh at Kevins, but I don't assume anything anymore. Oh, no. I've learned that everyone has a truth to tell, even if it comes swaddled in lies.

As much as I would like to explain all the details and things that ever happened, It could be too long for anyone to read and care about, I'll try to mention every important detail. I'll explain myself the best I can, I'm looking for advice.
TL;DR I met my first girlfriend ever, had an almost perfect relationship for 7 months. I ruined everything by not drawing a limit with a female friend I had and falling for my carnal desires. I want to show her I am not the mistake I made. How should I try to rebuild this relationship?
I [24yo] met my first girlfriend ever [25 yo] (let's call her V) almost 9 months ago. Everything happened really spontaneously, wet met during our last year of practice at the hospital. She was one month away until V finished her internship, I just started mine in that moment. During those weeks, having barely time to get to know each other, we fell in love and it was amazing. Since the very beginning there was another girl in the same hospital, I didn't notice her until I met her around the same time I met my gf. I noticed my girlfriend and this woman met each other a couple of months ago, they were not friends, limited themselves to be civil and work together, didn't seem they liked each other. She started to get closer to me and we even became close friends, I just thought at that time that my girlfriend was being a little inmature and a little bit toxic the moment he told me to stay away from that woman, at that time I couldn't understand why.
Then, my gf finished her internship. I have the most beatiful memories with my girlfriend, being together during some night shifts, drinking coffee together and sharing small but beatiful moments, our love felt honest, wholesome, plentiful, peaceful and special. I remember going to visit her the time she was hospitalized, she guided me through all the stuff I had to do at the hospital, we were really comitted with each other. She has more experience than me, have had past relationships and she almost married at a time before me. During these months we had many incidents involving that woman in one or another way, we were surrounded by a very toxic enviroment at that hospital, one day my girlfriend called me crying during one of my 36 hours shifts, she was really sad, had been crying, she told me she couldn't deal with what was happening. I was shocked and didn't understand what was going on.
We agreed on seeing each other when the shift ended and my girlfriend, after two weeks, wanted to break up because some unknown phone number started to text her obnoxious things about me, obviously false at that time. They told her that there was proof of me cheating on her. Then she showed me, some horrible people sent her a noticeably false screenshot of my conversation with this other woman I talked about, calling her beauty, my love and stuff like that. I was really mad, since on my very first relationship, someone else was trying to ruin it and I had absolutely no idea of what was going on, I had no control of the situation. I explained to her, my gf even looked for her brother to show him the picture, he even said to her it was false and very noticeable to see the flaws. After a long talk, she was very sad, and we hug each other and we taken care of our relationship together, telling each other no one would make us part ways, that our love was real and it was. We had many incidents like that. At first I had no fault of what was going on, I felt really confident with my own actions and words, I was honest, tried to protect my girlfriend from the ones who were trying to harm us anonymously.
I really loved my girlfriend, I sincerely felt I could give my life for her, we had a beautiful relationship, shared many beautiful moments, intimacy was really wholesome too, it was almost perfect. After months, this woman who was still in the hospital became a really close friend of mine, I gave my trust to her, I even told her the problems my girlfriend and I had, about us being harrassed anonymously, she even told me she would help me find out.
I lived a lot of first time experiences with V, we weren't perfect but we were committed to each other, things were serious between us. I lived many first time experiences with V, I felt deeply loved and she was really happy with me, as she used to tell me: " I feel free to be myself when I'm next to you", "You are a great man, I am scared to feel so much for you, so fast, but I feel I really love you", our communication was great, but after what happened, I remember all of those words with pain and sorrow, I feel like absolute garbage.
After months of this amazing relationship, after being harrassed online a couple of times again, my girlfriend felt really unconfident and sad, our communication was not great and she was really distant, she confronted me and wanted to breakup when someone sent her a picture of this other girl and me and the picture was real, but it was really easy to get wrong ideas from it. In the picture it seemed like I was touching her face with my hand in a romantic way when the thing that really happened was that a gave her a whiplash with her own face mask, because we were playing like a couple of stupid kids. Months after that incident around february and march I was assigned to the same shift with this other girl because some other guy b*tched about the doctor in charge being too rude and they switched shifts with me being affected, I couldn't switch again. We spent even more time since we worked together, I noticed she started to place her legs on my lap when I was working on the pc and things like that, she started to feel very confident in a physical way when she was around me, this girl has a boyfriend and a 3 year old relationship with him, so I didn't really suspect anything, I saw the situation as "that's what close friends do", in the past I had maybe one or two female friends but really didn't had experience with these kind of non verbal expressions, I used to be the quiet kid, too quiet. I saw no problem with that since it didn't bother me, but I did thought from time to time my gf would be upset is she saw this other girl doing these things. I admit, during those months I started having intrusive thoughts that made me fall at the end. At that time, my girlfriend was very distant, in retrospective I've been an asshole, because the only thing my girl ever asked me to do for her I didn't do it, when it was so simple to tell that other person to stay away from me, at first I thought it was an inmature thing to cut my friendship with that woman just because my girlfriend didn't like her, I guess she noticed, she saw things I couldn't see for myself. If I just did what I should have to. It was my fault, I didn't prioritize my girl and the only things she's ever asked me to do for her, for the sake of "being mature".
During those last two months I started having intrusive thoughts and feeling distant from my girlfriend as she was really hurt when she saw that picture, we had a real bad argument one night, I told her that I wasn't doing anything I shouldn't do and that this picture I mentioned earlier was taken out of context, which it honestly was. I was honest with V. Because of that last argument between us she said she needed time to heal and to forgive me. A couple of weeks later, I convinced her to see each other, we cried, we hug each other, we promise each other to be always honest and loyal, and we stay as a couple, but she was distant. I felt really angry and helpless, because someone else was ruining my relationship from outside. My girl was really distant, and to be honest, I must mention this, since the very first moment I started my sexual life with V, since I lost my virginity with her, I didn't know sex was such a deal for me. Before I thought It was overrated, but I felt sad I wasn't having that kind of quality time with her, I discovered I missed a lot having making love with her. Since we started, due to our responsibilities and free time we could see each other maybe two or three times a week but we used to hang out, we made love maybe once per month and rarely twice, and it always has been like that.
I enjoyed every intimacy moment I could share with her, I didn't know sex was that amazing and mind blowing, not because the pleasure but the sentimental bond we strengthen every time and the fulfillment I felt by giving pleasure to her and she let me know she really enjoyed those moments because of how I expressed my feelings for her too. Imagine the quiet kid in class, who's never had a girlfriend in school and had barely interaction with any girl before, after he was in his last months of university, after 6 years (In my country that's the amount to time med career lasts), feeling that amount of attention, that bond with a girl who really likes you. For us it was not just a physical interaction but a moment to share our deepest thoughts without feeling anxious or scared, we used to tell each other how much we loved each other while making it, she used to tell me how old fashioned she thought I was, because all the things I used to tell her, she used to love when I told her every time we made love that If we are doing it is because we really love each other, and every word I said I really meant, I truly believed that.
I lost myself, I don't know who I am anymore, I betrayed her in march, after sharing many night shifts with that other woman. At that time, before the betrayal, I felt confused, I started feeling anxious, angry because my girlfriend didn't trust me like before and it wasn't my fault, I thought maybe she will cheat on me first, maybe she has something to hide because the interest that she has lost in our relationship. I felt I was receiving something I didn't deserve because of the actions other anonymous people around us.
I started developing intrusive thoughts for that other girl. One thing lead to another, it all started with a conversation, then we started talking about things we shouldn't be talking about, shared details about our sexual experiences. I thought of having sex with her, at that moment I was angry my gf was distant because of her trust issues with me, and me being inocent. (Don't misunderstand please, I will not.try to ezcuse myself here, i did what i did and it is my fault now). We shared too much time together during our shifts since we required teamwork between us. Attraction between us was really noticeable since she confessed she used to have feelings for me, but told me it was months ago, she started to be very touchy, and we were flirting basically, even we both knew we had relationships. I stopped thinking in a coherent way, I behaved like human trash, I desired sex so much after not having sex with my girlfriend after two months. One night, 4 a.m. maybe, this girl was watching some clothes on her phone, shows me and tell me if she would look nice and showed me the picture of a red off-shoulder neckline shirt. I made a joke, which I shouldn't have made since it was innapropiate. I told her, "there are a couple of things you are missing to put on that shirt" , which she replied, "would you like to judge for yourself?", she then proceeded to offer me to touch her chest, opening the neck of her blouse. I didn't think about my girlfriend at that moment. I was just drowned in adrenaline at that moment, thinking about the pleasure, the shape of her body and I touched her, she proceed to lay down and let me touch her almost completely, it happened twice, didn't to further than that.
After that, we had an argument with this other girl, but then we agreed on seeing each other outside the hospital, obviously to have sex. The day comes, my girlfriend wanted to hang out with me that same day, I was down to it because I felt she made me guilty for nothing for a long time, what a bs thought I had. We went to eat something with the other girl, then we were talking about getting some drinks, then to go play some videogames, we were blatantly avoiding the situation we planned for that night. I asked her, "why are we doing this?, I thought our plans had other intentions" and she looked at me, then told me: "You have a girlfriend, I have a boyfriend". I inmediately stepped my shoes on the ground when I saw those eyes of guilt., I started feeling guilty, I started feeling horrible. I almost had an episode of anxiety, real anxiety in that very moment. I experienced one real anxiety attack in my life and this almost became the second. All I could see on my mind was the beautiful eyes of my V in my mind and her voice telling me the thing she always used to tell me: "Please, just don't fail me", "is the only thing I would ever ask you to do". My whole world fell down, my heart still feels too heavy. We sat on a bench that evening. The other woman and I started talking about the things that happened between us, tried to tell me not to feel to guilty since it was mutual, it was her fault too, she told me she didn't want to harm me in that way, or me to make a mistake and harm my girlfriend in that way. She told me, "all men are the same, believe me but I understand this happened, you are a man", she told me that I was a good person, and it was a good sign that I was trying to stop all this madness before something else happens. She proceeded to calm me down because I was crying, all the thoughts I stood for, all the honesty, all those situations when my girlfriend doubted me became real. Then we told each other to keep this as a secret, she recommended, she begged me to to never tell my girlfriend about what happened, because she is unique and I will lose her if she ever find out, those were the words of this girl. Then we part ways. I never kissed her and never had sex with her.
After those days I just couldn't be the same with my girlfriend, who started to approach more, to heal from her doubts of me and to be closer to me again and I just ruined everything. I was broken inside, now I'm devastated. After march I was supposed to travel to another state, in a rural area, to keep going with my practices. My girlfriend gave me an amazing birthday before I traveled, my birthday was at the end of march. we hung out, ate something, kissed a lot, she gave me a surprise, gifted me a cute teddy bear, with a box of chocolates she baked, all of that inside a personalized box covered with printed photos of us together. Days later it was the last time I saw her in person, we stayed at a hotel, went out to dance and take a few drinks, I got sick because I'm not used to drink alcohol. We got back, got romantic, made love and in the middle of the moment I ran to the bathroom to throw up everything. She took care of me, we tried to have sex in the morning, said she wanted to make me go happy before I go and not see her for the next three months, proceed to give me a bj and handjob. We promised to travel together when I finish my internship and come back to the city. All of that happened maybe a week or two after my betrayal.
Since that even making love with my girlfriend wasn't the same, I used to focus on her, my deepest pleasure was not physical but to see her so vulnerable, so free around me, naked and happy. Her smile meant everything to me, it was her smile, her pleasure made me happy. I used to write her beautiful things, corny things but she loved them, always used to tell me I was like a wholesome old man, like an old poet, those kind who doesn't exist anymore. She used to believe I was different, she trust me.She did a lot of things for me, my self steem was taken care of, with love. She highten up my low self steem in every aspect I can imagine, she helped me heal from all those demons I had inside. She made me feel like a god fot her. I feel sorry for V, and I can't forgive myself for all the damage and pain I caused her, I'm broken inside.
With every day that passed I couldn't take that situation out of my mind. Every time she called me to see how I was doing abroad, I felt guilty, I felt wrong for even having sex that last time after the betrayal happened, I felt dirty, like mud around my beloved V. I just couldn't keep up with those beautiful things, stopped telling her how I felt, how much I loved her because I was feeling more and more guilty. I was alone, drowning with my own guilt and shame. One night she hung out with a couple of friends, drank a bit, she called me at 2 a.m. and told me: "I know I drank maybe a bit too much but listen to me because everything I'm about to say I really mean it. I really love you, I love you with all my soul, I want a life with you together, let's go far away together, let's support each other, we should study together, we could live together and build a life together" she told me to promise her to never fail her, never betray her, that she would always be with me even If I choose another professional life she would support me, she would love me with all of her soul, heart, body and mind.
If I was shattered, now I was completely broken. She then proceed to tell me, "Please, promise we will build a life together, just don't fail me and I will be there for you no matter what", then asked me, "have you accomplished what I asked you?, "when was the last time you talked to that girl?"
I was completely broken inside, broke in tears and couldn't hold myself together. V got angry when I first told her the last time I talked to the other girl was at the end of March, when she made me promise to cut all communications with her days before, she made me promise while we were making love. I did stop talking to the other woman but not completely, I excused myself by telling her I still talked with her but just when work intended to. My girl was dissapointed, hung the phone and didn't answer the phone after.
I broke in tears, Couldn't help myself but leaving a 3 hour audio message on her inbox explaining everything I did behind her back, explained with every single detail. I was so honest that after she listened to the audio she called the other girl and thank her for thinking about her and stop everything before it was too late, maybe I made myself too guilty when I explained everything to V, I didn't tell her all the times the other girl sat on my lap, put my hands on her hips and moved as if we were having sex, I didn't told her how she put my hands inside her bra when I was falling asleep and made me touch her intentionally, I received the blame for both of us I guess. Then V proceeded to write in my message inbox:
"You are dead for me"
Time after that, days. Her sister, which I talked to her a few times and she helped me once to speak to V when she was angry with me before. Her sister sent me a message, I tried to explain her, I cried during those days as I never did in my life, I wanted to kill myself, all the things I left in the past came back to me, I wanted to stab myself and I couldn't, I guess I always been to coward to kill myself. I wasn't eating nor sleeping, for the first time in my life I felt as if I killed someone. She said V almost sent me a couple of audio messages telling me she still loved me, but at the end she erased them. She had been crying since, her sister told me maybe she might give you an opportunity but speak to her.
Then I started to talk with V again, but it is obviously not the same, we talk as if we were barely acquantainces. I just asked her to see her just one more time to say goodbye in a proper manner, she didn't want to but she agreed, then she called me almost every weekend during one month and a half, insulting me and telling me how I could do that to her, she told me how could I be so blind to notice the person harrasing us was that girl and how could I be so stupid to make every suspicion she ever had true with my betrayal.
It has been really difficult for me, I think she is stronger than me. since I'm far from her, from my family too and the distance just made the situation worse, I wasted myself in tears and sorrow, I never felt so much pain until now in my life. One day, after we started talking again, she wrote: "I never stopped loving you, I really love you", she even gave me an opportunity, I was happy. Two days after she said she couldn't, she wanted to but she is too damaged. From that day she still calls me from time to time, telling me she won't give me another opportunity, telling me how she went out with x or Y guy and wants revenge but she just can't do anything because she still thinks about me, also tells me how she met a guy who seems to have more details and take about her but that she doesn't care about him. I think is humilliating hearing all those things she tells me about x or y who are trying to pretend her, Then she says she doesn't care about me anymore and that I am a nobody. When I call her she doesn't tend to answer, reads my messages after one or two days. I don't understand why she is doing this. If she hates me so much, why not leaving me outside of her life?
I made one of the worst mistakes in my life, I feel regret, anger, I feel like an instrument of pain, I hate myself for falling for this bulls**t. I know V suffered because of me more than one time, because of me not being a man and do what had to be done. I learned my lesson, I would never be such human trash again. All the suffering I caused, the lesson I learned, I lost my V, I feel broken, I never been so sad in my life. In 4 days I will go back to my city for three days, we agreed on seeing each other. I know the mistake I made is not part of me anymore, I will take time but those decisions I made, I know I can be better, I will be a better man from now on, I should have listened to her, I shouldn't have stepped on V's heart, on her feelings for me. I want an opportunity, I don't know if my heart is making me see something that is not there but maybe she could give me a chance? At least I accomplished, somehow, the promise to be sincere with her, always, no matter the cost.
I feel like absolute garbage, wish I could have taken my life like a coward.

Advent Home
trigger warnings
rape, suicide, physical abuse, emotional abuse.
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legal_affairs/more-former-students-sue-over-alleged-abuse-at-boarding-school/article_db70c152-c8db-5711-82dc-52e3d26303ab.html
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WEST-VIRGINIA.pdf
note: Several organizations share a name with the Advent Home. I am specifically referring to the now defunct group home near Calhoun, Tennessee.
We talk a lot today about trauma in a way I don't remember it being discussed even in the broader cultural consciousness when I was young. Mental health was just viewed differently. Adventists have always had a weird relationship with mental health, but I think rarely more strange and harmful than the ideas of Dr. Senior and the Advent home. Through most of this I will use fake names but as Dr. Senior's name is intrinsically and publicly tied to the school he is my one exception. Also, if any reading this had the misfortune of also attending the school, you will know we were told to call him Dr. B or Dr. Blondel but we are adults and his title was Dr. Senior.
I've wanted to write about this for some time and this will likely be a first draft of a larger discussion. Psychology isn't my field of expertise and I've never felt I found the right platform to talk about such a niche subject but finding the Ex Adventist sub and with more being said about mental health I at least feel qualified to discuss where I feel Adventism was used to twist psychology into something harmful by Dr. Senior.
Before I continue, I wasn't there for the worst of what was to happen nor did I receive the worst of what happened in my time there. I also cannot entirely claim innocence of some of the emotional bullying that was tolerated if not encouraged. I hope I have grown since then and have learned from mistakes I made when I was 13 and do believe I am largely innocent of the physical bullying and certainly the sexual assault.
First, I want to address the lawsuit. As I say, I wasn't there for most of this as by 2014 the Advent Home and Miracle Meadows seem to have become much more closely related, swapping students to hide them from law enforcement and deposition. The school closed around 2014 , the time a lawsuit was filed. More lawsuits have since been filed and the director of the sister school miracle meadows was imprisoned. I will link the lawsuit and articles above. As the events detailed in it represent a massive escalation from what was happening while I was there, but I do think the events described are merely the codification of the policies being unofficially implemented on a smaller scale in my time. In short it lays out regular forced sexual assault by students and staff, duct taping students in rooms for days if they were violent and forcing them to study the bible for days at a time as punishment. Thinking back, I can see how the deference to authority and refusal to treat mental health as anything other than a religious failing could lead to the behavior detailed in these allegations. To be clear I am linking the allegation and articles below though I wasn't part of any of these trials and don't know which charges exactly stuck.
Even though the school is closed and from what I can tell Dr. Senior is retired, I think there is a larger discussion to be had about how the Adventist Church handles mental health and firebrands. So, what was the Advent Home? The Advent Home was a young men's reform school begun by Dr. Blondel Senior in Calhoun, Tennessee. There isn't much left to find on it as it shut down around 2014 and never had a great online presence. I suspect a lawsuit around the same time was to blame, as, if any of its allegations were proven, it would have cost the advent home, Dr Senior, and the conference a lot of money and embarrassment. More on this later.
The Advent Home advertised a range of services from treating ADHD and general misbehavior to serious developmental disorders and outright criminals. Basicall, he wanted it to be everything from a more structured middle school to a juvenile detention center, and predictably, it would fail at both.
I don't know how my mom found out about the Advent Home, but I know her reasons for sending me. A nasty divorce between my parents caused me to lose interest in schoo, so I barely passed 8th grade, and I had started listening to Eminem. That's it. it seems so laughably tame but that's all it took for Dr. Senior to be able to convince my mom that this behavior would escalate and the only recourse was his school which was built on and advertised correction through a strict adherence to Adventist principles. Every student came with fundamentally different problems. Some, like me were struggling scholastically while several had been ordered there by courts for violent offenses and several had what I cannot give another name other than a complete stall in mental development (one student thought and acted like a toddler, mentally and emotionally well below his age).
We were all, however, given the same treatment regimen, Maturation Therapy. This I will argue is the root of the problem. Dr. Senior claimed to have gotten his PHD in psychology from the University of Jamaica. I am not going to cast aspersions on this institution, but if he did have this degree he missed some crucial lessons and did not keep up on developments in the field. Dr. Senior had identified 70 ideals he believed every young man should emulate as he matures. I could not possibly list them, but they ranged from keeping a clean room, respect for staff to whether you used harsh language to how often you prayed. These would have made for fine rules for a religious correctional facility, but this was the entire treatment plan. Each of the 70 points would have you ranked 1-5, and you graduated by achieving a 4.5 average. 230 points overall. An important note here is all of these points were external. There was no mention of healing trauma or discussion of past actions. We were seen as immature children and by forcing mature behavior our other issues would right themselves. Right? In short, Dr. Seniors idea of therapy was entirely about becoming presentable, respect for authority, and respect for God. I want to go through these because in each I see a failing not only of the school but Adventism's handling of mental health in general. Also while I cannot speak to the lawsuit I will be linking it below as I believe sexual assault survivors and I want to say what these points contribute to how this environment may have developed.
His entire idea of personal growth was based on becoming outwardly his idea of a respectable man. He was willing to cross any number of boundaries violating others' religious taboos, disregarding the desires of the parents and showing no interest in the students as individuals. We were broken and needed only to be put in his mold and recast. One student was Rastafarian and his father wrote a letter explaining their faith and why he shouldn't cut his hair. His father had barely left town when the boy was forced to get his hair shorn off. Our 'civilian' clothes were confiscated on arrival and sorted for how appropriate he felt they were. Anything he didn't like we would get back when we left. I never did. As for speech we were strictly regulated on what words we could say. Cuss words, and even adjacent words like darn, would result in a loss of points and thus longer before we would be able to go home. Instead of psychological healing, his priority was always to make us look healed on the outside.
The most egregious example of this was a boy I will call Zach. Zach had a severe developmental disorder that in my opinion Dr. Senior was woefully ill-equipped to treat but that never dulled his confidence. Because of his neurodivergence Zach was habitually unpresentable. Zach would frequently have food dripped down his shirt, throw temper tantrums in public areas and speak loudly about bodily functions that would have been amusing from a four year old but Zach was almost 14 and just beginning puberty if you get my meaning. At every turn, Zach was not met with treatment but ridicule. To the Advent Home staff, he wasn't sick, he was misbehaved and punished severely for it. We all had to run up to 3 laps of 1/3 of a mile as discipline regularly, but Zach's condition often racked him up more laps than could be humanly run. at one point, a new staff member refused to allow Zach to eat at all until he completed a number of laps I doubt would be humanly possible, let alone for a confused neurodivergent. One of the proudest moments of my life is that I stood up for Zach and pointed out, whatever punishment was meted out, food was an illegal method of punishment in the state. My shame, however, is how often I joined in the ridicule and bullying of Zach when the staff made punishments for his misbehavior punishments for all of us. As I say, I hope I have grown.
Dr. Senior saw scruffiness and cultural differences very much the way the Dursleys from Harry Potter did. These were not the markers of young men expressing themselves or of cultural differences but of moral failings to be stamped out or hidden until they faded into normalcy. We didn't need to discover ourselves, we needed to learn the joy of conformity
The real problems would come with his reliance on authoritative structures. Both the staff and students had clear hierarchies within them. New students would be Group Members, GM, while you could be promoted to Assistant Group Leader, AGL, a Group Leader, GL, with a possible Super Group Leader SGL at the top All leaders had the authority to report misbehavior and physically restrain violent students. Here, we start to see the problems. What constituted violent behavior was entirely up to the authority figure, and unless there were witnesses who ranked equally, Dr. Senior would implicitly believe the higher ranked individual. Keep in mind that some of these kids had real criminal records, and as I've established, we were not getting our problems treated.
I want to use one student as an example. I'll give him a fake name (James) as I hope he's reformed and also should not be judged entirely on his actions when he was 16 but these are actions I either witnessed or saw the fall out of so believer their veracity. I was walking by him one day. he had been given a job he didn't want to do. Instead, he was sitting talking to a group he bullied but passed for his friends. He called out to me to do the job for him. I laughed and kept walking. he took offense and deciding I had disrespected him, chased me down, hit me, tackled me into the gravel road, and held me there until I begged to be released. Those words; I beg you to release me. I was cut, bruised, crying and bleeding. James was unharmed, but when I told Dr. Senior, he believed James because he was a group leader and I a lowly Group member.
One of the students who had been sitting on the steps with James, who I will call Sam, would get caught performing oral sex on James only a few months later. James assured Dr. Senior Sam had asked practically begged to do it, and here again, James authority had him taken at this word. They both received punishment, but Sam got the lion's share as he had initiated and must be gay. I firmly believe James pressured Sam into this, and likely not just this once.
Dr. Senior said the word "manipulative" more than anyone i have ever known. often as we lowly students tried to explain actions or avoid discipline for petty offences, he would accuse us of manipulating. In hindsight, this is how he viewed the relationship between those with power and those without. There were those the system had put in power and those below who now would try to manipulate those who had the power. from the bottom of the ladder, he was incapable of seeing sincerity or pain. only manipulation. To be clear, I don't know how much of the reality reached Dr. Senior's ears, but enough had to he had to be actively ignoring warning signs in favor of authority. I talk about this to show how Dr. Senior felt strongly that respect for authority was essential regardless how abusive the authority figure might be. Hold on to that too.
The final point is religion. It should not need said, but Dr. Senior wanted all of us studying the bible and practicing a very conservative faith even for SDA. This is fine(ish), but he also believed that Christ had predictable healing powers and that mental health was only a failing of the individual to have the faith necessary for healing.
We were all encouraged to discontinue any medications we might be taking. For me, with ADHD and Ritalin this was probably fine, but for one student with borderline schizophrenia this led to several violent episodes he was blamed for despite the staff convincing him to get off his meds. A diabetic student was eventually pulled from the program after his 4th hospitalization when he was allowed to opt out of his insulin/ blood sugar checker. Christ, as a placebo alongside medicine, is silly but fine, but as a replacement for lifesaving drugs, it can have dangerous consequences, and Dr. Senior refused to see this. In Dr Senior's mind, I believe, these boys weren't sick, they were failing to let Jesus in to heal them and that's what needed to change.
Furthermore, behavioral incidents were often met with explicitly Christiaan remedies. Issues of bullying and cursing would require not time out but a scripture reading. sometimes alone sometimes publicly, along with a public admission of what we did. This was done at a weekly meeting when Dr. Senior came down from his literal house on the hill to play mediator and in no metaphorical sense moral arbiter of our actions. in essence, he got to play God for 2 hours a week.
The most heinous example of the use of religion however was, Mr. V who I believe saw jail time. This man was a thousand walking red flags. He went to boys' rooms to pray alone, and he insisted on a separate bible study with a group of boys he was particularly close to. Outwardly, however, he was fanatically religious, and this was enough to assuage Dr. Senior of concerns. Mr. V was the guy who when the pastor said kneel for prayer he would stand with his arms to heaven, when the pastor asked for a moment of silent reflection he would exclaim AMEN! every five seconds, He played moral police intervening in behavioral issues after considering a matter settled if a student agreed to a private prayer session (yup, nothing sus here). Dr, Senior employed and sung the praises of Mr. V's work even as this concerning behavior began to escalate to the point that some students, formerly in his inner circle, began to actively distance themselves from him but were unwilling to discuss why.
Dr. Senior could not, however, ignore when Mr. V took a kid off campus without telling anyone to a small mountain cabin to "diet" for three days. Only once the police were involved could Mr. V. 's behavior no longer be ignored and his religious authority be given priority. If you are wondering Mr. V gets a fake name because, while I am telling the truth to the best of my knowledge, we were never told the full story. The student in question was withdrawn before he was willing to talk about it, and Mr. V was not seen again. I don't know what he was charged with or what stuck but I think we can put the pieces together.
Fortunately, other than some more bullying and getting through a nasty flu with nothing more than pepper water as medicine, I graduated. Yeah, shocker, he also didn't like doctors. The shock of seeing how normal people practiced Adventism after a year of this cult like fanaticism has a lot to do with why I'm on this sub and not the SDA sub, but I got off easy. For the criminals and really troubled kids recidivism was high, with several being in a proper prison weeks or months after. Several would turn around and be back at the Advent Home in months because the behavior never stopped, they just learned to act like it did. But the real harm was a boy I'll call Dan. He had depression when he arrived, it was never treated but pushed down. He pushed it down so far he became the best of us. he was very nice and a bit of a mentor to me. he worked hard and became SGL (the highest one remember) with one of the highest scores that an Advent home graduate had had. One year after leaving the school, he committed suicide by diving into an empty pool. Only then, did I realize he wasn't fine. He was never fine. He had mastered acting fine. The furthest I got in Psychology was a single college course and some youtubers (and the small bit of real therapy I've had) but even with this, I can see how Dr. Senior was out of step with the psychological practices even of the early 2000s. He was so much more focused on appearance and behavior than he was ever interested in the root cause, his system often became a new trauma rather than treating an old one. An excessive respect for authority led to abusive behavior being overlooked if not encouraged, and Jesus was treated in a professional setting as a supreme healer despite real medical issues. I saw these issues in the church I left, and my mom and extended family still practice in. This is why I really feel compelled to write this. People like Dr. Senior may seem like an Adventist version of Godwin's law. "Oh, yeah? If we can look at Jesus to heal, it'll end up like the Advent Home!" (Or Miracle Meadows) I know this sentence has never been uttered by anyone but me and maybe Sam, hope you're ok buddy, but the fact is Dr. Senior is the end stage of the ideas put into their most harmful practice, and some like Dan paid with their life.
Finally, through all of this, I remember how Dr. Senior was treated by outsiders. Entire churches prayed for his good work to continue, meetings were held for him to teach others to copy his program, he was featured multiple times in the herald and other Adventist publications. Like Mr. V his religiosity was a shield despite all the red flags, and like Mr. V he was given the respect and admiration that came with his position all the way up until there were consequences. It isn't that no one could see there were problems. He flew his red flags high. Its that the church didn't want to see the problem and didn't care until the outside world took action.
Please, if you take anything from this, look out for your SDA relatives who struggle with mental health. The church sure won't. But on a larger note, I hope this to be part of a larger discussion about bringing awareness to the churches failing on mental health and how they overlook monsters in their ranks who just haven't embarrassed them yet. Dr. Senior never sexually assaulted a kid as far as I'm aware, but he enabled and protected abusers in service of pushing his ideology all while the church sang his praises. Disclaimer: At no point in this do I feel I deliberately lied or exaggerated, but these are 20 year old memories of a traumatized 13 year old who was never given the full story. I tried to leave hearsay out, but I did find out what happened to Dan through the grapevine, though from someone I believe completely. If there are minor inaccuracies, I do apologize, but I believe I have been accurate in the larger points.
Names are changed for obvious reasons, though my change style switched cause I am bad at coming up with names when stressed, my D&D group will confirm, and this is stressful to write about even now.
The Advent Home I attended is shut and a very attractive hotel now. My research showed he partnered closely with miracle meadows, which is also now shut. If by chance Dr. Senior is still practicing somewhere, or has appointed a successor, please persuade family to look closely and critically at his practices before signing anything. He used to complain kids were manipulative but, as with all projectors, he was the master manipulator. He convinced people to consent to incredible things. I believe everyone can change if they want and as far as I know he had the education to do good work. Instead, he chose to ignore that education in service of his biases. Unless he has updated his treatment, please at the very least accompany his work with another well regarded psychologist.

Someone signed me up for the club nobody wants to join.
Late April got a surprise 30 psa. Thats the kind of psa where you get to jump queues. In short order got an mri, a biopsy, a pet psma, and then a robotic prostate removal with lymph removal for checking. So from blissfully ignorant 6 weeks ago, to post-op now. I am realizing now this was fairly quick vs some experiences.
The pet ct scan showed nothing except the tumor ( lymphs were clear ) but with Gleason 9 and so on, I think psa is unlikely to go to zero or if it does, it is likely to rise later. The doctor said even if margins on removal are good there can be tendrils that live to grow again.
Today the oncologist told me local scavenge radiation is 50:50 chance for me depending on analysis of tumor and psa level but if required a short hormone course will come first, to give the area time to heal. The radiation would be daily zaps for two weeks. So the plan is still up in the air.
I am sure you guys have heard this speech from them: don’t worry there are a lot of therapies, we aim to cure completely but we have many patients who have been low psa for a decade, blah blah. PC today is a lot more treatable than it was. He even said he has treated maybe 2000 men with pelvic radiation and 80% are still around. yeah I got that whole thing.
Anyway so this is the club, huh. at my age (59) I would prefer to live till 80+ like my dad but now coping with the idea this is a lot less likely.
I am curious for those who got down to zero psa after RP how long did the feeling of being given a new appreciation for life last?
regarding biopsy and surgery for those who have not gone through it. It isn’t so bad. The biopsy is a cake walk, really, and it has been 8 days after the surgery - which was tougher - but today I feel almost back to myself, will worry about ED later after I find out whether I am gonna need ADT or not. If I had to pick the worst thing to date it was the two weeks of anti clotting injections you have to do yourself.
So thats my story so far. In five weeks I suppose the psa will give me a hint as to what happens next. Hoping for the best but not counting on it.

I've seen much debate among left-wing circles about bourgeois elections, and this seems to be a very common and frequent point of contention between socialists and communists. My usual gut anti-electoralist reaction to bourgeois elections have begun to be more and more challenged as time goes on.
First off, I can state the obvious: The US is made up of 2 neoliberal bourgeois parties whose ultimate purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. The Democratic party is generally more socially liberal and egalitarian, but these are superficial and will be rolled back on a dime if it genuinely threatens the interests of the bourgeoisie (See: Rollback of food stamps and student debt pause in order to prevent a US default). Furthermore, foreign policy is only marginally different between parties and there is no electoral political force that can fundamentally change the imperialistic tendencies of the US due to the amount of capital within its borders and the US dollar's status as the global reserve currency. I believe it is generally uncontroversial that there is zero revolutionary potential by solely acting through electoral means.
However, as the political rhetoric of one bourgeois party (Republicans) have developed over the past few years, I have felt a strengthening sense of unease. It is true, yes, that both Republicans and Democrats are bourgeois parties. However, Republicans, in a desperate bid for relevancy, have begun to advocate for and enact extremely dangerous and concerning legislation against trans people and people in the queer community in general. Not only are they attempting to regress transgender rights around the country, they are trying to eradicate the entirety of the progress towards gender equality and acceptance of queer and gender nonconforming people in the past 80 years. This fascistic scapegoating has left me genuinely scared for both queer friends of mine in Republican-led states, and for my own and my partner's safety should Republicans seize control of the federal government (we are both transgender).
This incredibly quick and horrifying evolution of the Republican party has genuinely made me feel obligated to vote for Democrats. I see absolutely no consequentialist arguments against voting for Democrats in my and my queer friend's current situation. Yes, the Democrats are a bourgeois party, yes, they are the bourgeois ratchet preventing movement to the left, and yes, this decay into fascism is obviously the result of our current capitalist system in decay. However, I cannot, in good conscience, not vote, or advocate voting for, bourgeois candidates that will at the very least temporarily hold off the persecution against my friends.
In light of this incredibly fascistic and reactionary turn by Republicans, I am questioning the relevancy of abstinence in the bourgeois political process. I live in the most competitive congressional district in the country. The Republican, in our case, won by about 500 votes, or 0.4%. This single voting outcome, due to the tightness of the Republican majority in the House, very likely allowed Republicans in Congress to, by one vote, form a coalition by electing McCarthy as Speaker (and thereby have the political capital to force social spending cuts and a stoppage to the student debt pause in the new budget). I work at a university with a large very liberal student body but low election turnout rates. This has made me genuinely feel that, if I had become somewhat more involved in bourgeois electoralism and campaigned for the cohort around me to vote, I personally could have significantly steered the direction the United States is heading towards.
Lenin wrote in Should We Participate in Bourgeois Parliaments? that a complete dismissal by communist revolutionaries of Bourgeois parliaments is an ill-conceived notion:

Parliamentarianism is of course “politically obsolete” to the Communists in Germany; but—and that is the whole point—we must not regard what is obsolete to us as something obsolete to a class, to the masses. Here again we find that the “Lefts” do not know how to reason, do not know how to act as the party of a class, as the party of the masses. You must not sink to the level of the masses, to the level of the backward strata of the class. That is incontestable. You must tell them the bitter truth. You are in duty bound to call their bourgeois-democratic and parliamentary prejudices what they are—prejudices. But at the same time you must soberly follow the actual state of the class-consciousness and preparedness of the entire class (not only of its communist vanguard), and of all the working people (not only of their advanced elements).

However, of course, here Lenin was talking explicitly about the strategies of revolutionary parties, not of supporting bourgeois candidates in and of themselves.
Engels wrote similarly in The Bakuninists at Work:

That is what Bakuninist "abstention from politics" leads to. At quiet times, when the proletariat knows beforehand that at best it can get only a few representatives to parliament and have no chance whatever of winning a parliamentary majority, the workers may sometimes be made to believe that it is a great revolutionary action to sit out the elections at home, and in general, not to attack the State in which they live and which oppresses them, but to attack the State as such which exists nowhere and which accordingly cannot defend itself. This is a splendid way of behaving in a revolutionary manner, especially for people who lose heart easily; and the extent to which the leaders of the Spanish Alliance belong to this category of people is shown in some detail in the aforementioned publication.
As soon as events push the proletariat into the fore, however, abstention becomes a palpable absurdity and the active intervention of the working class an inevitable necessity. And this is what happened in Spain. The abdication of Amadeo ousted the radical monarchists from power and deprived them of the possibility of recovering it in the near future; the Alfonsists stood still less chance at the time; as for the Carlists, they, as usual, preferred civil war to an election campaign. All these parties, according to the Spanish custom, abstained. Only the federalist Republicans, split into two wings, and the bulk of the workers took part in the elections.

Again, there is significant difference between these quotes and the US's political economy. I do not believe that there is, at present time, any significant revolutionary potential within the United States, and voting for bourgeois politicians is very obviously not exposing the bourgeois lies and contradictions. Participating in bourgeois democracies is to implicitly concede that we are at the mercy of the bourgeois. But, frankly, due to everything I have outlined above, I do not see another option.
Many of the arguments I have seen against electoralism seem to be either deliberately obtuse ("Biden is president and there is still anti-trans legislation being passed!" ignoring the federalist structure of the US government) or ontological in nature. But none of these change the fact that if Republicans are elected, my friends will be persecuted by the state and if Democrats are elected, my friends will not be persecuted by the state for some time. And, to be honest, I know which one of these I would choose.
I wanted to know what everyone's thoughts here, as socialists, are on the participation in electoralism in this particularly scary and dangerous time for the marginalized and scapegoated proletariat in the US.

I've seen much debate among left-wing circles about bourgeois elections, and this seems to be a very common and frequent point of contention between socialists and communists. My usual gut anti-electoralist reaction to bourgeois elections have begun to be more and more challenged as time goes on.
First off, I can state the obvious: The US is made up of 2 neoliberal bourgeois parties whose ultimate purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. The Democratic party is generally more socially liberal and egalitarian, but these are superficial and will be rolled back on a dime if it genuinely threatens the interests of the bourgeoisie (See: Rollback of food stamps and student debt pause in order to prevent a US default). Furthermore, foreign policy is only marginally different between parties and there is no electoral political force that can fundamentally change the imperialistic tendencies of the US due to the amount of capital within its borders and the US dollar's status as the global reserve currency. I believe it is generally uncontroversial that there is zero revolutionary potential by solely acting through electoral means.
However, as the political rhetoric of one bourgeois party (Republicans) have developed over the past few years, I have felt a strengthening sense of unease. It is true, yes, that both Republicans and Democrats are bourgeois parties. However, Republicans, in a desperate bid for relevancy, have begun to advocate for and enact extremely dangerous and concerning legislation against trans people and people in the queer community in general. Not only are they attempting to regress transgender rights around the country, they are trying to eradicate the entirety of the progress towards gender equality and acceptance of queer and gender nonconforming people in the past 80 years. This fascistic scapegoating has left me genuinely scared for both queer friends of mine in Republican-led states, and for my own and my partner's safety should Republicans seize control of the federal government (we are both transgender).
This incredibly quick and horrifying evolution of the Republican party has genuinely made me feel obligated to vote for Democrats. I see absolutely no consequentialist arguments against voting for Democrats in my and my queer friend's current situation. Yes, the Democrats are a bourgeois party, yes, they are the bourgeois ratchet preventing movement to the left, and yes, this decay into fascism is obviously the result of our current capitalist system in decay. However, I cannot, in good conscience, not vote, or advocate voting for, bourgeois candidates that will at the very least temporarily hold off the persecution against my friends.
In light of this incredibly fascistic and reactionary turn by Republicans, I am questioning the relevancy of abstinence in the bourgeois political process. I live in the most competitive congressional district in the country. The Republican, in our case, won by about 500 votes, or 0.4%. This single voting outcome, due to the tightness of the Republican majority in the House, very likely allowed Republicans in Congress to, by one vote, form a coalition by electing McCarthy as Speaker (and thereby have the political capital to force social spending cuts and a stoppage to the student debt pause in the new budget). I work at a university with a large very liberal student body but low election turnout rates. This has made me genuinely feel that, if I had become somewhat more involved in bourgeois electoralism and campaigned for the cohort around me to vote, I personally could have significantly steered the direction the United States is heading towards.
Lenin wrote in Should We Participate in Bourgeois Parliaments? that a complete dismissal by communist revolutionaries of Bourgeois parliaments is an ill-conceived notion:

Parliamentarianism is of course “politically obsolete” to the Communists in Germany; but—and that is the whole point—we must not regard what is obsolete to us as something obsolete to a class, to the masses. Here again we find that the “Lefts” do not know how to reason, do not know how to act as the party of a class, as the party of the masses. You must not sink to the level of the masses, to the level of the backward strata of the class. That is incontestable. You must tell them the bitter truth. You are in duty bound to call their bourgeois-democratic and parliamentary prejudices what they are—prejudices. But at the same time you must soberly follow the actual state of the class-consciousness and preparedness of the entire class (not only of its communist vanguard), and of all the working people (not only of their advanced elements).

However, of course, here Lenin was talking explicitly about the strategies of revolutionary parties, not of supporting bourgeois candidates in and of themselves.
Engels wrote similarly in The Bakuninists at Work:

That is what Bakuninist "abstention from politics" leads to. At quiet times, when the proletariat knows beforehand that at best it can get only a few representatives to parliament and have no chance whatever of winning a parliamentary majority, the workers may sometimes be made to believe that it is a great revolutionary action to sit out the elections at home, and in general, not to attack the State in which they live and which oppresses them, but to attack the State as such which exists nowhere and which accordingly cannot defend itself. This is a splendid way of behaving in a revolutionary manner, especially for people who lose heart easily; and the extent to which the leaders of the Spanish Alliance belong to this category of people is shown in some detail in the aforementioned publication.
As soon as events push the proletariat into the fore, however, abstention becomes a palpable absurdity and the active intervention of the working class an inevitable necessity. And this is what happened in Spain. The abdication of Amadeo ousted the radical monarchists from power and deprived them of the possibility of recovering it in the near future; the Alfonsists stood still less chance at the time; as for the Carlists, they, as usual, preferred civil war to an election campaign. All these parties, according to the Spanish custom, abstained. Only the federalist Republicans, split into two wings, and the bulk of the workers took part in the elections.

Again, there is significant difference between these quotes and the US's political economy. I do not believe that there is, at present time, any significant revolutionary potential within the United States, and voting for bourgeois politicians is very obviously not exposing the bourgeois lies and contradictions. Participating in bourgeois democracies is to implicitly concede that we are at the mercy of the bourgeois. But, frankly, due to everything I have outlined above, I do not see another option.
Many of the arguments I have seen against electoralism seem to be either deliberately obtuse ("Biden is president and there is still anti-trans legislation being passed!" ignoring the federalist structure of the US government) or ontological in nature. But none of these change the fact that if Republicans are elected, my friends will be persecuted by the state and if Democrats are elected, my friends will not be persecuted by the state for some time. And, to be honest, I know which one of these I would choose.
I wanted to know what everyone's thoughts here, as communists, are on the participation in electoralism in this particularly scary and dangerous time for the marginalized and scapegoated proletariat in the US.

TDLR: Coding is becoming easier and more standard every day. The future workforce will have a basic understanding of coding due to the school system. If you are looking to expose your kid to coding, do it deliberately and know that it may cost money for quality instruction. If your child shows serious interest in coding, don't just expose them to code. Also, expose them to the various tech career pathways (freelancing, job, starting a business) and soft skills they will need to elevate in the industry. The ending is just a framework and questions to help parents filter through coding curricula/programs.
Hey everyone!
I've looked at quite a few coding for kids/homeschool topics on reddit lately, this sub included. And I don't agree with some of the approaches or advice on introducing kids to code.
It's not enough to teach kids coding if you want to prepare them for the future job market. There are a lot of free resources that can help, but they often need more going beyond the code. Some paid resources aren't worth the money because they barely cover code, let alone any extras.
And honestly, many parents need to be more knowledgeable about the space to create the best custom packages. So they get discouraged or neg others trying to help or guide their kid down a different path. Homeschoolers can have an advantage in the tech industry based on their self-direction, critical thinking, and other qualities that come naturally from homeschooling (I'm biased, but I'm sure there's overlap).
I'll share a few questions to think about when researching coding programs at the end of this.
I'm by no means the end all be all of the tech industry, but I hope to start a discussion where I can answer questions and help if possible. Or at least be a connection to someone/something that can answer your questions. I'll share a simple way.
Warning lengthy post ahead
It's been a few years since I've posted in this group, so let me get a few things about my intentions out of the way so this can be a productive conversation. Feel free to skip the list if you aren't one of those skeptics that ruin great discussions with intent questions or "this is a scam" comments.

• I was homeschooled from 5th grade until college (I did drop out of high school for a bit in protest of not going to traditional, but that's another story). And I've multiple styles of homeschooling, from unschooling to structured curriculum to correspondence lessons (we lived in rural places at one point, so online was too expensive).
• I got a GED, an undergrad in math, an MS in Computer Science, and a PhD in Computer Systems Engineering by my mid-20s. I've done freelancing, consulting, and careehomeschool coaching over the last 7 years. I also have over 5 years of experience teaching or tutoring coding classes.
• Yes, I have a paid self-guided online coding camp/mentorship program. No, I'm not posting to promote it here. If you're interested, you can message me privately, but that is not the point of this post.
• Yes, I have a Youtube, but again, the point of this post is not to promote it. Message me privately if you care about that.
• No, I'm not a regular poster on Reddit, and when I have, it's usually to promote some project because I usually just lurk.
• Yes, this post is genuine because of what I've been reading online and the personal conversations I've been having recently. There's a discussion to be had where I can help clarify some things.

Actual post starting
I want to start by opening two points, then let the conversation go where it goes:

• Why coding isn't enough/where I believe the industry is going
• Free vs. Paid Options

Why isn't teaching kids coding enough?
I'm not old enough to have experienced this, but my older cousins have described a time in the 90s when you good 2 or 3 times minimum wage just by knowing how to use Microsoft Word. It was so new and rare.
Today, knowing how to use Microsoft Office is expected. The same is going to be true for coding.
When your homeschooler hits the job market, coding will probably be as common as knowing PowerPoint.
A future of tech jobs will be knowing how to filter and piece technical information together to solve problems.
Lots of coding for kids programs put together fun mini-projects for students but need to teach kids how to continue growing technically independently. They need sustainable next steps.
They also need to help students understand their career options besides getting a job. A large number of homeschoolers end up starting businesses.
Coding/tech is a perfect space for homeschooled kids to try freelancing or start their own company because a lot of it can be low cost.
I'm not saying every kid learning code needs to start their own business, but kids should know it's possible.
Free vs. Paid Options
Now we get to the free vs. paid portion. As I mentioned earlier, choosing whether or not to pay for a coding curriculum isn't black or white. It depends on your goals, budget, and child (I know, Captain Obvious).
I'll share a few scenarios of how I would approach choosing free vs. paid programs. If you have a different scenario, share it in a reply. Then, I'll share a framework I think every parent should consider when considering a plan.
When would I choose to go with a *paid** coding program*
I'd go with a paid option if my child showed a genuine and consistent interest in creating software. And my child was at least 10 years old. I would like at it as a similar investment in my child's future as piano lessons or sports training.
This program should be project-based, include a grading service, and have some regularly scheduled live sessions.
There are a lot of ways to solve problems with code correctly. Not initially, but a good program should transition your child to creating more and more of their own solutions. To do this, kids will need someone who will take the time to understand your kid's thought process and provide steps to correct how they think about the problem. It is a different experience from just being shown the answer or looking at an answer key.
I would also look for soft skills training and some career planning resources. Things like how to work on a coding team, how those projects are structured, how to find good mentors, and how to get paid or unpaid internships. I might even want this paid version to provide me with a coding mentor my child could talk to a few times.
I also expect this program to provide us with clear next steps for my student once the program is done. This may be the next class in a progression of classes, a certification, a job (paid, part-time, or internship), and or a roadmap entrepreneurship/freelancing.
When would I choose to go with a *free** coding program*
I would choose free coding programs if I aimed to introduce my child to see if they were interested in coding enough to invest in it.
Here I would want a program that covers structural basics, projects related to things my child cares about, an answer key or auto-grading system, and a series of lessons.
If my child was under 10, I'm looking for visual blocks programming lessons like on SCRATCH or some offline assignments that use physical items to teach problem-solving/logic. I would ensure my child learned key terms and design or system thinking.
If my child is 10 and older, starting with visual block programming is ok, but the lessons must move toward a text-based language like Python, JavaScript, or Java. I suggest Python first because it is easier for new coders to quickly understand and implement early concepts. It's like learning to speak English before worrying about all the technical rules behind how it works.
The free coding program challenge
A challenge in using many free/low-cost coding programs for kids is that the projects don't always teach kids to go off and create their own problem-solving projects. Kids will sometimes only learn to copy and paste or get good at doing that one project but do not understand the process of expanding that project. They don't learn how to continue to grow as developers.
This point is where parents will need to do the legwork to find additional resources and mentors for their child. Bonus points if that coding mentor looks like your child or comes from a similar cultural background. Many studies support that if we see someone we feel "looks, talks, walks" as we do, we are more likely to believe we can do it too.
Lastly, I need to figure out the next steps for my child before they even start the coding program. I won't want to lose momentum if they get excited about coding. These steps could be free resources, a paid program, or a paid program because I now know my child is interested based on the free program.
Framework/questions for parents
As promised, here's my framework for any parent or homeschool group leader looking to create a coding program for their kids. Then, questions I would ask when evaluating a program.
Framework is called ACRES.
A - Ask questions - Discover local computer science resources C - Categorize - Group like resources and identify hidden access challenges R - Reach out and select - Contact experts and select the best options for your community. E - Educate - Hold your program, include soft skills training, and educate your parents S - Sustain - Ensure student success by pointing them to vetted resources for their next steps
11 questions I would ask myself

• What's my goal for finding a coding program for my kid?
• How serious/self-directed is my child when interested in new topics?
• What's my max budget for this each month?
• Does this program teach basic coding concepts and have a progression of courses/lessons?
• What are the testimonials for this program?
• Does this program provide grading/parent support?
• Do I have possible coding mentors in my circle? Or is that something I need to pay fofind?
• Which programming language is this program going to use?
• Will this program teach my kid soft skills that apply to the tech industry?
• Will this program expose my child to tech entrepreneurship, internships, and jobs? Or do I want to handle that exposure myself?
• Does this program have instructors, coaches, or mentors reflecting my child's culture?

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now.
Are there any questions or concerns? Do you agree? Or disagree?
Is there something I didn't cover that you wished I had? Or that is unique to your situation?
Happy to continue the discussion.

Disclaimers: 1) this account is a throwaway from my main in the event someone in my life figures out this is me, 2) this post is part "scream/cry into the void" and part "advice-seeking".
Background: I'm in my 30s, diagnosed in the past year after putting off sorting out "the way I am" (as I call it) until I basically reached a breaking point. My ADHD pre-meds manifested as jumping conversation topics a lot, hyperfixation, interrupting people when talking because I just HAD to get my thought out of my head, a frantic "can't move/talk fast enough" feeling after having coffee, forcing myself to focus for even an hour I'd be exhausted, etc.
Now that that's known...
I work in a profession where I'm the only one in my job classification in the building at any given time, and work between two locations splitting my time 50/50. On the days I'm not at one of my locations, there is another woman who's in her 50s who is in my job classification doing the same job there. We don't often cross paths working at that location at the same time unless we do it on purpose for a day to work on something specific together, or need a day to plan what collectively we will do on our separate days there for the next year, etc. In a year, this happens maybe 3-4 times. Otherwise, we only ever cross paths during big meetings for everyone in our classification across all locations of our employer, maybe twice a year. We've shared that one location for around 5 years.
Prior to my diagnosis, this woman would tell me at least once each time we worked together that I was exhausting, that we'd work an entire day talking about many topics but never actually finish conversations on any of the topics or make any decisions. I'd always apologize and the next time would try my hardest to stay on topic but would always end up failing. I'd laugh it off, but logged it in my head regardless.
I worked with her together for the first time after my diagnosis last month, for an event we thought would be busy but ended up being dead, so we had a half day to chat about things in-person instead of through email. I went into the day medicated (lol), determined I was going to stay on-topic, and not be "exhausting" to her. I was going to be a calm force. I even dressed nicer than I normally do to work, trying really make an effort to have a good, positive day all around. I should mention as well that after I was diagnosed, I did let her know this in a "you'll be happy to know I do in fact have doctor-confirmed ADHD and am now medicated haha" way.
The day...didn't go fantastic. At one point, I was chatting with another coworker about my diagnosis, as she also suspects she might have it and was asking me about the process to get a diagnosis, and my 50s coworker piped in a comment that "well even if you get diagnosed you don't need meds, so what's the point?", then later made a comment to me when we were alone along the same lines, basically saying "what's the point of [me] taking meds, it's not helping". She also commented to another coworker at the end of the day that we keep not finishing conversations still and it's exhausting, and laughed. It 100% wasn't my fault this time, though. Other people kept coming into the room or up to us, interrupting our conversations, and after they left I would start us from where we left off pre-interruption. Yet in her eyes it was still me jumping topics.
It was at this point that I realized that she's someone who's against medications for diagnosis. Her husband is bipolar and has been quite manic through the pandemic, but I never put 2 and 2 together that this was her view until that day, and that it's entirely possible that's why her husband has all these manic episodes. This woman is also VERY conservative in her views, very "oldschool" vs me who's very progressive, so this is very much not the first thing we've ever disagreed on.
All in all, I went home that day feeling VERY defeated, for bothering to try so hard all day for her to (still) make those comments. A month later and it still bothers me.
TL;DR: My old-school 50s coworker is apparently anti-meds and still makes comments at me that I'm exhausting, and no matter how hard I try I can't get her past that (condescending) opinion of me.
Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with people like this? I work with her, so while we don't work in the same space daily, I still don't want to make her an enemy and have to deal with that on top of my job.
She's the first anti-meds person I've encountered since the diagnosis, but I do also have others in my life who make condescending comments like "Do X now, I know how your ADHD squirrel brain works!" without realizing how condescending they are being.
Coworker and I will be working at that location together in the next few weeks, so I want to go into it with a bit of a plan so I don't come home wanting to cry feeling super defeated like last time.

• Map terrain being meaningful instead of just empty space between you and the enemy on most maps. Maybe some caverns or all grass could enable you to place scouts, find creeps to farm for resources, house ambush parties. More verticality so that you have to plan routes more carefully. Water sections that could use specific units to venture into.
• Each faction's basic units not being able to attack both air and ground units, anti air tech being a requirement. I didn't really like how in SC2 Terrans could just theoretically beat everything with enough marines.
• No "good vs everything" endgame units (Battle cruisers, Carriers). Turtling in your base cluster and then sending 200 supply of these via A-move to win just felt kind of lame and uncounterable. Zerg endgame units at least had weaknesses to exploit where you had to give at least some thought to army composition (Broodlord's air weakness, Ultralisk's lack of range and air)
• Fairer and less swingy stealth units, maybe have units not able to be in stealth when attacking +3-5 seconds or something and maybe they move more slowly while in stealth. Likewise, detection units/structures should be more fringe and costly and way less ubiquitous. This would reward good scouting and provide an outlet for more creative skirmishes, yet wouldn't be too hard to counter without detection after the initial attack.
• Burrowing done better than in SC2, Zerg burrowing felt kind of lame and useless apart from the few units that needed to borrow and remain stationary to attack. I would like to see it as another niche option for increasing the battlespace alongside regular land and air. Maybe have burrowing units undetectable except by specialized structures and have a burrowing/un burrowing animation that takes a very very long time. Maybe certain units can burrow stationary to hide, maybe some more expensive units could move or even attack while burrowed.
• Finally, Less reliance on needing to practicing build orders and timing. I want to not have to start the game the exact same each way and go for a specific routine build order. I want the early game to requires at least some improvisation.

This is the itinerary for this weekend’s conference. It can be found via the link in this tweet https://twitter.com/drstevengreestatus/1657381430190821376?s=46&t=sgWeDqt6G2OewJWFkQAjWw
I’ve seen a lot of hype over this event but don’t see much new information in the topics being discussed. Thoughts?
SATURDAY, JUNE 10TH
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Presentation by Michael Schratt ET vehicle crash retrieval cases – data and illustrations
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM BREAK
11:00 AM- 12:30 PM Presentation by Michael Schratt Covert manmade craft vs ET craft – data and illustrations
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Lunch - Attendees are on their own for lunch.
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Presentation by Dr. Steven Greer Disclosure Project Intelligence Archive Extensive Military, Corporate and Top-Secret Witness list Top Secret Facilities – map and location of facilities around the world State of Disclosure New Top-Secret witness cases
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM SHORT BREAK
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Presentation by Dr. Steven Greer New top-secret witnesses will appear to tell their story with slideshow illustrations Steven Digna, Jr. – U.S. Army witnessed “V” shaped craft at Ft. Irwin produced by Raytheon. Michael Herrera – Marine Corps witnessed covert manmade ARV in Indonesia being loaded with drugs and weapons. DC Long – U.S. Army top-secret facility at Ft. Bragg engineering anti-gravity ET technology.
7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Special FundRaising Dinner Disclosure Project Intelligence Archive Whistleblower project
SUNDAY, JUNE 11TH
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Presentation by Michael Schratt Select historical UFO cases The Illegal Black Budget
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM BREAK
11:00 AM- 11:20 AM Presentation by Bahman Zohuri, PhD, Professor, Scientist and Author Scalar wave energy – technology and applications
11:20 AM- 12:30 PM Presentation by Eric Hecker, Raytheon contractor witness presentation. Raytheon neutrino light array South Pole
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Lunch - Attendees are on their own for lunch.
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Presentation by: Dr. Steven Greer The Architecture of Secrecy Counterintelligence and disinformation Media corruption Tic Tacs/UAPs Weaponizing technologies National Security, Top government officials briefed by Dr. Steven Greer that were denied access (Inverse witnesses)
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM SHORT BREAK
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Ret. Col. Heckert, USAF will present live testimony as a U2 pilot Dr. Greer’s recommendations to the President, Congress and the Pentagon A Call-to-Action what citizens can do to further disclosure Attorney Derek Garcia will discuss RICO (Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act) Plans for a legal task force Q and A Closing
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Screening of the “Lost Century and How to Claim It”
9:30 PM - Midnight VIP Afterparty

There has been a lot of discussion about Cornel West because of his announced campaign. With a wide variety of reactions. But one reaction I've noted is people who do know how stupid splitting the vote is, but say that he is championing progressive causes or that he is very progressive.
Now he acts Progressive. He says certain buzzwords. But is he? Or is he really just a crank who has gone right?
Splitting the Vote for Trump
This campaign is nothing new for Cornel West. From his own mouth

Brother Bernie and Brother Trump are authentic human beings in stark contrast to their donor-driven opponents.

In the 2016 campaign, he was praising Trump over Clinton.And then endorsed Jill Stein. You don't have to like Clinton, to know how high the stakes were. And of course, as we now all know the stakes were high. 3 Supreme Court Justices, hundreds of lower federal judges, endemic corruption, criminalisation of immigrants, rise in hate crimes, and Trump utterly botching the crisis that happened under his watch, Covid killing over a million Americans.
But lots of people made that mistake as well. However, he is doing it all over again, after all this shit happened.
And Now Trump is even worse. He is explicitly campaigning against democracy itself because of his grudge about losing, he has made a campaign promise to invade Mexico, Ukraine will almost certainly get cut off reviving the Russian invasion and he explicitly wants to purge the Federal government of all non-loyalists, including bureaucratic roles. Cornel West has no hope of winning, all he is doing is taking away Democratic votes.
DeSantis, Chris Rufo and Cornel West
However, Cornel West doesn't just have an unfortunate past of praising Donald Trump. He also has a current history of praising Ron DeSantis and working with evangelical right-wingers, and their education causes.
Recently he wrote an Op-ed
DeSantis’s Revolutionary Defense of the Classics

By Cornel West and Jeremy Wayne Tate
Gov. Ron DeSantis just gave a welcome boost to the classical-education movement. He signed legislation allowing high-school students to qualify for Bright Futures scholarships, a state fund for college education, by submitting scores from the Classic Learning Test instead of the SAT alone.
This move will likely be portrayed, wrongly, as partisan and conservative. But the greatest works of civilization have always been about spurring—not preventing—radical change. They teach us about the revolutionary ideas of the past and help us better understand the present. The richest ideas of what it means to be human are those that have stood the test of time.
Many of the seminal works of literature, history, philosophy, science and theology were revolutionary in their respective ages. Turn the pages of Galileo Galilei’s “Two New Sciences” and you’ll experience the alteration of humanity’s view of itself in relation to the heavens. By disproving the then-common belief that the planets revolved around the Earth rather than the sun, Galileo laid the foundation for modern science. Isaac Newton, swept aside what remained of the Old World’s scientific superstitions—only to find himself upstaged two centuries later by Albert Einstein’s “Relativity.”
Like revolutionary ideas today, the ideas of yesterday were provocative and, in many cases, much more consequential. Galileo was put on trial because he upset the status quo. In the 13th century, Bishop Stephen Tempier of Paris condemned key works of theologian Thomas Aquinas for being too radical. Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn and civil-rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. were imprisoned for their views. In colonial America, James Madison and his co-authors feared printing their names on the Federalist Papers, so they hid under aliases. Even the most mild-mannered of philosophers stirred trouble for thinking against the grain. Plato watched his great teacher Socrates put to death for his teachings.
Revolutionary figures of the past give us insight into the present and allow for reflection on the consequences of their choices. Julius Caesar, one of antiquity’s most recognizable leaders, teaches us the cost of revolution through his histories. By crossing into Rome with his armies, he ended the republic and created the Roman Empire, a crime for which he paid with his life. But in his firsthand descriptions of the often-brutal tactics he employed to achieve political transformation, he left behind deep insight. Caesar’s direct and simple prose conveys the reality of going to war—all without reference to contemporary conflicts.
That’s one of the virtues of the classics: They are a means of considering what is true without invoking the blind partisanship that encourages thoughtless action. There is nothing we need more today than the cultivation of reason and understanding.
That’s why Mr. DeSantis’s support of classic education has universal merit that transcends partisanship. Education based on values, logic and discipline isn’t Republican—it’s timeless.
Mr. West holds a chair at Union Theological Seminary and serves on the board of academic advisers of the Classic Learning Test. Mr. Tate is founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test.

In this article, he praises DeSantis for introducing the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to Florida schools. He has a lot of fancy words about the various historical thinkers who went against the grain. Sounds nice. I wonder how Ron DeSantis is treating free inquiry in Florida?
But in reality, this is really just a handout to an incredible niche test used by a handful of Evangelical right-wing schools. The CLT dates all the way back to ... 2015. It's just a way for Republicans to spend education money fattening the pockets of the CLT advisors to provide these tests, and to push students away from real universities to ones that teach them nonsense. And the guys profiting from this, is Cornel West's co-author on this article who started the test and Cornel West himself.
But also, pushing the 'Western Classics' didn't happen in a vacuum. Ron DeSantis pushed the CLT, as part of his plot to get rid of African American Studies and other 'woke' courses that are part of the AP studies.

TALLAHASSEE — In February, when Gov. Ron DeSantis went after the College Board’s new Advanced Placement course on African American studies, he hinted that Florida might do without the organization’s courses and tests.
Two months later, Republican state lawmakers are preparing to head in that direction.
Using their budget proposal and a bill (HB 1537) that’s viewed as the Florida Department of Education’s legislation, the House and Senate are looking to pivot from the College Board’s Advanced Placement courses and SAT exam to other alternatives.
For the SAT, the state is considering a “classical and Christian” exam alternative called Classic Learning Test. It would be used as an optional graduation test requirement and to determine Bright Futures scholarship eligibility, as well as a college entrance exam at Florida’s public colleges and universities. Schools would have the option to administer the SAT, ACT or Classic Learning Test starting next school year.
For AP, the chambers have agreed to spend millions creating Florida-based alternative courses and tests, asking state universities and colleges to help establish the materials. A third-party organization would help create the exams.

Cornel West's own books would likely be in the firing line of Florida schools for writing about the Black experience in a way that wasn't completely stripped of all real history.
And who else is on the CLT Board?
Christopher Rufo, listed as Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute. Rufo was also appointed by DeSantis to destroy Florida's New College.. So he isn't just a think tanker, but directly on DeSantis's payroll.
Also included is Kevin Roberts, the President of the Heritage Foundation.
If you look at the photo the CLT board posted, its literally just a sea of White Republicans.
So Cornel West has no problem writing a public article praising Ron DeSantis for helping free inquiry, as he tries to get rid of any books about LGBT people or Black people and working alongside Chris Rufo, the guy who managed the Right Wings Critical Race Theory panic. Seems bad.
Ask yourself. If a Biden appointee to Education Secretary had this kind of background of supporting the privatisation of schools, and of hanging around figures like these, would you be cool with it? No of course not.
The People's People Grift
You might also note from his announcement that he isn't running for the Green Party, which already has ballot lines in many states. But for the People's Party.
Said People's Party is headed up by Nick Brana, and has been championed heavily by Jimmy Dore.
Both Nick Brana and Jimmy Dore have been credibly accused of sexual harassment and assault.
And this is what the People's Party online presence looks like
https://twitter.com/marionumber4/status/1665768271637782532
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fx32IR5WAAQTjzf?format=jpg&name=large
Very left-wing. Totally not a right-wing grift.
In terms of the other track record of the People's Party, they aggressively solicited donations and promised that they would run dozens of candidates in the 2022 midterm. They didn't run a single one. Wonder where all that money went?
So the bright spark from all of this is that likely the People's Party will grift all the donations sent in, and not use it to actually get ballot access outside of the handful of states they have access to.
His Platform
Cornel West's website right now, is pretty limited. But one issue caught my eye in particular

End the Wars Bring our troops home and invest those trillions of war dollars into American communities. Support veterans, stop all foreign military aid, close the bases, disband NATO, and ban nuclear weapons globally.

Stop all foreign military aid and disband NATO. You know, while Russia is aggressively invading Ukraine. Yet another Leftist that is pro Imperialist invasion by a Neo Tsar.
What wars? Bring the troops home from where exactly. Biden already left Afghanistan and Iraq a couple of years ago.
And I wonder what magical spell he has in mind, to get Russia, China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel to consider giving up their nuclear weapons.
More of the Company he keeps
Other assorted people, he hangs out with
He is of course a constantly returning guest on Bill Maher.
https://twitter.com/cassiepmillestatus/1138583273242857472

I wish "Milo Yiannopoulos, Gavin McInnes, and Cornel West walk into a bar..." was the beginning of a joke, but I'm sorry to report that it is actually real life

He decided the prime place to announce his candidacy is on ... Russel Brand. Who went full anti-vaxx and Pro Russia.
https://twitter.com/CornelWest/status/1666114005877010432
https://twitter.com/themattdimitri/status/1543780892241543171

Hate group founder Gavin McInnes asks Cornel West to name an American fascist West: There's a spiritual fascism inside all of us... as a Christian I see it inside of myself Candace Owens: The Klan were Democrats West: Yes, they were [As if MLK had no idea of that history of Dems]
Candace Owens: They tried to blame me for a mass shooting in New Zealand, saying that this person got radicalized by my ideas of Black conservatism in America The Christchurch New Zealand Mosque shooter stated in his manifesto Owens was the "person who radicalized [him] the most"

Reportedly he went on this because Gavin McInnes was offering money to do it, which other figures turned down

I gave Matthew this footage. I have the full segments for both appearances. At the time McInnes was begging liberals to go on this show offering them $5000 an appearance - Dave Packman, Sam Seder and Ana Kasparian all reported McInnes offered them money.

Selling out for $5,000. I guess we know his price to sit down with a Nazi, on two separate appearances.
Conclusion
So if you consider everything. At best, he is incredibly naive and easily taken in by Right-wingers which makes him utterly unsuited to any political position, let alone President. And more likely, he just doesn't give a fuck, and is cashing out. While also being a crank.

There has been a lot of discussion about Cornel West because of his announced campaign. With a wide variety of reactions. But one reaction I've noted is people who do know how stupid splitting the vote is, but say that he is championing progressive causes or that he is very progressive.
Now he acts Progressive. He says certain buzzwords. But is he? Or is he really just a crank who has gone right?
Splitting the Vote for Trump
This campaign is nothing new for Cornel West. From his own mouth

Brother Bernie and Brother Trump are authentic human beings in stark contrast to their donor-driven opponents.

In the 2016 campaign, he was praising Trump over Clinton.And then endorsed Jill Stein. You don't have to like Clinton, to know how high the stakes were. And of course, as we now all know the stakes were high. 3 Supreme Court Justices, hundreds of lower federal judges, endemic corruption, criminalisation of immigrants, rise in hate crimes, and Trump utterly botching the crisis that happened under his watch, Covid killing over a million Americans.
But lots of people made that mistake as well. However, he is doing it all over again, after all this happened.
And Now Trump is even worse. He is explicitly campaigning against democracy itself because of his grudge about losing, he has made a campaign promise to invade Mexico, Ukraine will almost certainly get cut off reviving the Russian invasion and he explicitly wants to purge the Federal government of all non-loyalists, including bureaucratic roles. Cornel West has no hope of winning, all he is doing is taking away Democratic votes.
DeSantis, Chris Rufo and Cornel West
However, Cornel West doesn't just have an unfortunate past of praising Donald Trump. He also has a current history of praising Ron DeSantis and working with evangelical right-wingers, and their education causes.
Recently he wrote an Op-ed
DeSantis’s Revolutionary Defense of the Classics

By Cornel West and Jeremy Wayne Tate
Gov. Ron DeSantis just gave a welcome boost to the classical-education movement. He signed legislation allowing high-school students to qualify for Bright Futures scholarships, a state fund for college education, by submitting scores from the Classic Learning Test instead of the SAT alone.
This move will likely be portrayed, wrongly, as partisan and conservative. But the greatest works of civilization have always been about spurring—not preventing—radical change. They teach us about the revolutionary ideas of the past and help us better understand the present. The richest ideas of what it means to be human are those that have stood the test of time.
Many of the seminal works of literature, history, philosophy, science and theology were revolutionary in their respective ages. Turn the pages of Galileo Galilei’s “Two New Sciences” and you’ll experience the alteration of humanity’s view of itself in relation to the heavens. By disproving the then-common belief that the planets revolved around the Earth rather than the sun, Galileo laid the foundation for modern science. Isaac Newton, swept aside what remained of the Old World’s scientific superstitions—only to find himself upstaged two centuries later by Albert Einstein’s “Relativity.”
Like revolutionary ideas today, the ideas of yesterday were provocative and, in many cases, much more consequential. Galileo was put on trial because he upset the status quo. In the 13th century, Bishop Stephen Tempier of Paris condemned key works of theologian Thomas Aquinas for being too radical. Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn and civil-rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. were imprisoned for their views. In colonial America, James Madison and his co-authors feared printing their names on the Federalist Papers, so they hid under aliases. Even the most mild-mannered of philosophers stirred trouble for thinking against the grain. Plato watched his great teacher Socrates put to death for his teachings.
Revolutionary figures of the past give us insight into the present and allow for reflection on the consequences of their choices. Julius Caesar, one of antiquity’s most recognizable leaders, teaches us the cost of revolution through his histories. By crossing into Rome with his armies, he ended the republic and created the Roman Empire, a crime for which he paid with his life. But in his firsthand descriptions of the often-brutal tactics he employed to achieve political transformation, he left behind deep insight. Caesar’s direct and simple prose conveys the reality of going to war—all without reference to contemporary conflicts.
That’s one of the virtues of the classics: They are a means of considering what is true without invoking the blind partisanship that encourages thoughtless action. There is nothing we need more today than the cultivation of reason and understanding.
That’s why Mr. DeSantis’s support of classic education has universal merit that transcends partisanship. Education based on values, logic and discipline isn’t Republican—it’s timeless.
Mr. West holds a chair at Union Theological Seminary and serves on the board of academic advisers of the Classic Learning Test. Mr. Tate is founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test.

In this article, he praises DeSantis for introducing the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to Florida schools. He has a lot of fancy words about the various historical thinkers who went against the grain. Sounds nice. I wonder how Ron DeSantis is treating free inquiry in Florida?
But in reality, this is really just a handout to an incredible niche test used by a handful of Evangelical right-wing schools. The CLT dates all the way back to ... 2015. It's just a way for Republicans to spend education money fattening the pockets of the CLT advisors to provide these tests, and to push students away from real universities to ones that teach them nonsense. And the guys profiting from this, is Cornel West's co-author on this article who started the test and Cornel West himself.
But also, pushing the 'Western Classics' didn't happen in a vacuum. Ron DeSantis pushed the CLT, as part of his plot to get rid of African American Studies and other 'woke' courses that are part of the AP studies.

TALLAHASSEE — In February, when Gov. Ron DeSantis went after the College Board’s new Advanced Placement course on African American studies, he hinted that Florida might do without the organization’s courses and tests.
Two months later, Republican state lawmakers are preparing to head in that direction.
Using their budget proposal and a bill (HB 1537) that’s viewed as the Florida Department of Education’s legislation, the House and Senate are looking to pivot from the College Board’s Advanced Placement courses and SAT exam to other alternatives.
For the SAT, the state is considering a “classical and Christian” exam alternative called Classic Learning Test. It would be used as an optional graduation test requirement and to determine Bright Futures scholarship eligibility, as well as a college entrance exam at Florida’s public colleges and universities. Schools would have the option to administer the SAT, ACT or Classic Learning Test starting next school year.
For AP, the chambers have agreed to spend millions creating Florida-based alternative courses and tests, asking state universities and colleges to help establish the materials. A third-party organization would help create the exams.

Cornel West's own books would likely be in the firing line of Florida schools for writing about the Black experience in a way that wasn't completely stripped of all real history.
And who else is on the CLT Board?
Christopher Rufo, listed as Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute. Rufo was also appointed by DeSantis to destroy Florida's New College.. So he isn't just a think tanker, but directly on DeSantis's payroll.
Also included is Kevin Roberts, the President of the Heritage Foundation.
If you look at the photo the CLT board posted, its literally just a sea of White Republicans.
So Cornel West has no problem writing a public article praising Ron DeSantis for helping free inquiry, as he tries to get rid of any books about LGBT people or Black people and working alongside Chris Rufo, the guy who managed the Right Wings Critical Race Theory panic. Seems bad.
Ask yourself. If a Biden appointee to Education Secretary had this kind of background of supporting the privatisation of schools, and of hanging around figures like these, would you be cool with it? No of course not.
The People's People Grift
You might also note from his announcement that he isn't running for the Green Party, which already has ballot lines in many states. But for the People's Party.
Said People's Party is headed up by Nick Brana, and has been championed heavily by Jimmy Dore.
Both Nick Brana and Jimmy Dore have been credibly accused of sexual harassment and assault.
And this is what the People's Party online presence looks like
https://twitter.com/marionumber4/status/1665768271637782532
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fx32IR5WAAQTjzf?format=jpg&name=large
Very left-wing. Totally not a right-wing grift.
In terms of the other track record of the People's Party, they aggressively solicited donations and promised that they would run dozens of candidates in the 2022 midterm. They didn't run a single one. Wonder where all that money went?
So the bright spark from all of this is that likely the People's Party will grift all the donations sent in, and not use it to actually get ballot access outside of the handful of states they have access to.
His Platform
Cornel West's website right now, is pretty limited. But one issue caught my eye in particular

End the Wars Bring our troops home and invest those trillions of war dollars into American communities. Support veterans, stop all foreign military aid, close the bases, disband NATO, and ban nuclear weapons globally.

Stop all foreign military aid and disband NATO. You know, while Russia is aggressively invading Ukraine. Yet another Leftist that is pro Imperialist invasion by a Neo Tsar.
What wars? Bring the troops home from where exactly. Biden already left Afghanistan and Iraq a couple of years ago.
And I wonder what magical spell he has in mind, to get Russia, China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel to consider giving up their nuclear weapons.
More of the Company he keeps
Other assorted people, he hangs out with
He is of course a constantly returning guest on Bill Maher.
https://twitter.com/cassiepmillestatus/1138583273242857472

I wish "Milo Yiannopoulos, Gavin McInnes, and Cornel West walk into a bar..." was the beginning of a joke, but I'm sorry to report that it is actually real life

He decided the prime place to announce his candidacy is on ... Russel Brand. Who went full anti-vaxx and Pro Russia.
https://twitter.com/CornelWest/status/1666114005877010432
https://twitter.com/themattdimitri/status/1543780892241543171

Hate group founder Gavin McInnes asks Cornel West to name an American fascist West: There's a spiritual fascism inside all of us... as a Christian I see it inside of myself Candace Owens: The Klan were Democrats West: Yes, they were [As if MLK had no idea of that history of Dems]
Candace Owens: They tried to blame me for a mass shooting in New Zealand, saying that this person got radicalized by my ideas of Black conservatism in America The Christchurch New Zealand Mosque shooter stated in his manifesto Owens was the "person who radicalized [him] the most"

Reportedly he went on this because Gavin McInnes was offering money to do it, which other figures turned down

I gave Matthew this footage. I have the full segments for both appearances. At the time McInnes was begging liberals to go on this show offering them $5000 an appearance - Dave Packman, Sam Seder and Ana Kasparian all reported McInnes offered them money.

Selling out for $5,000. I guess we know his price to sit down with a Nazi, on two separate appearances.
Conclusion
So if you consider everything. At best, he is incredibly naive and easily taken in by Right-wingers which makes him utterly unsuited to any political position, let alone President. And more likely, he just doesn't care, and is cashing out. While also being a crank.

There has been a lot of discussion about Cornel West because of his announced campaign. With a wide variety of reactions. But one reaction I've noted is people who do know how stupid splitting the vote is, but say that he is championing progressive causes or that he is very progressive.
Now he acts Progressive. He says certain buzzwords. But is he? Or is he really just a crank who has gone right?
Splitting the Vote for Trump
This campaign is nothing new for Cornel West. From his own mouth

Brother Bernie and Brother Trump are authentic human beings in stark contrast to their donor-driven opponents.

In the 2016 campaign, he was praising Trump over Clinton.And then endorsed Jill Stein. You don't have to like Clinton, to know how high the stakes were. And of course, as we now all know the stakes were high. 3 Supreme Court Justices, hundreds of lower federal judges, endemic corruption, criminalisation of immigrants, rise in hate crimes, and Trump utterly botching the crisis that happened under his watch, Covid killing over a million Americans.
But lots of people made that mistake as well. However, he is doing it all over again, after all this shit happened.
And Now Trump is even worse. He is explicitly campaigning against democracy itself because of his grudge about losing, he has made a campaign promise to invade Mexico, Ukraine will almost certainly get cut off reviving the Russian invasion and he explicitly wants to purge the Federal government of all non-loyalists, including bureaucratic roles. Cornel West has no hope of winning, all he is doing is taking away Democratic votes.
DeSantis, Chris Rufo and Cornel West
However, Cornel West doesn't just have an unfortunate past of praising Donald Trump. He also has a current history of praising Ron DeSantis and working with evangelical right-wingers, and their education causes.
Recently he wrote an Op-ed
DeSantis’s Revolutionary Defense of the Classics

By Cornel West and Jeremy Wayne Tate
Gov. Ron DeSantis just gave a welcome boost to the classical-education movement. He signed legislation allowing high-school students to qualify for Bright Futures scholarships, a state fund for college education, by submitting scores from the Classic Learning Test instead of the SAT alone.
This move will likely be portrayed, wrongly, as partisan and conservative. But the greatest works of civilization have always been about spurring—not preventing—radical change. They teach us about the revolutionary ideas of the past and help us better understand the present. The richest ideas of what it means to be human are those that have stood the test of time.
Many of the seminal works of literature, history, philosophy, science and theology were revolutionary in their respective ages. Turn the pages of Galileo Galilei’s “Two New Sciences” and you’ll experience the alteration of humanity’s view of itself in relation to the heavens. By disproving the then-common belief that the planets revolved around the Earth rather than the sun, Galileo laid the foundation for modern science. Isaac Newton, swept aside what remained of the Old World’s scientific superstitions—only to find himself upstaged two centuries later by Albert Einstein’s “Relativity.”
Like revolutionary ideas today, the ideas of yesterday were provocative and, in many cases, much more consequential. Galileo was put on trial because he upset the status quo. In the 13th century, Bishop Stephen Tempier of Paris condemned key works of theologian Thomas Aquinas for being too radical. Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn and civil-rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. were imprisoned for their views. In colonial America, James Madison and his co-authors feared printing their names on the Federalist Papers, so they hid under aliases. Even the most mild-mannered of philosophers stirred trouble for thinking against the grain. Plato watched his great teacher Socrates put to death for his teachings.
Revolutionary figures of the past give us insight into the present and allow for reflection on the consequences of their choices. Julius Caesar, one of antiquity’s most recognizable leaders, teaches us the cost of revolution through his histories. By crossing into Rome with his armies, he ended the republic and created the Roman Empire, a crime for which he paid with his life. But in his firsthand descriptions of the often-brutal tactics he employed to achieve political transformation, he left behind deep insight. Caesar’s direct and simple prose conveys the reality of going to war—all without reference to contemporary conflicts.
That’s one of the virtues of the classics: They are a means of considering what is true without invoking the blind partisanship that encourages thoughtless action. There is nothing we need more today than the cultivation of reason and understanding.
That’s why Mr. DeSantis’s support of classic education has universal merit that transcends partisanship. Education based on values, logic and discipline isn’t Republican—it’s timeless.
Mr. West holds a chair at Union Theological Seminary and serves on the board of academic advisers of the Classic Learning Test. Mr. Tate is founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test.

In this article, he praises DeSantis for introducing the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to Florida schools. He has a lot of fancy words about the various historical thinkers who went against the grain. Sounds nice. I wonder how Ron DeSantis is treating free inquiry in Florida?
But in reality, this is really just a handout to an incredible niche test used by a handful of Evangelical right-wing schools. The CLT dates all the way back to ... 2015. It's just a way for Republicans to spend education money fattening the pockets of the CLT advisors to provide these tests, and to push students away from real universities to ones that teach them nonsense. And the guys profiting from this, is Cornel West's co-author on this article who started the test and Cornel West himself.
But also, pushing the 'Western Classics' didn't happen in a vacuum. Ron DeSantis pushed the CLT, as part of his plot to get rid of African American Studies and other 'woke' courses that are part of the AP studies.

TALLAHASSEE — In February, when Gov. Ron DeSantis went after the College Board’s new Advanced Placement course on African American studies, he hinted that Florida might do without the organization’s courses and tests.
Two months later, Republican state lawmakers are preparing to head in that direction.
Using their budget proposal and a bill (HB 1537) that’s viewed as the Florida Department of Education’s legislation, the House and Senate are looking to pivot from the College Board’s Advanced Placement courses and SAT exam to other alternatives.
For the SAT, the state is considering a “classical and Christian” exam alternative called Classic Learning Test. It would be used as an optional graduation test requirement and to determine Bright Futures scholarship eligibility, as well as a college entrance exam at Florida’s public colleges and universities. Schools would have the option to administer the SAT, ACT or Classic Learning Test starting next school year.
For AP, the chambers have agreed to spend millions creating Florida-based alternative courses and tests, asking state universities and colleges to help establish the materials. A third-party organization would help create the exams.

Cornel West's own books would likely be in the firing line of Florida schools for writing about the Black experience in a way that wasn't completely stripped of all real history.
And who else is on the CLT Board?
Christopher Rufo, listed as Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute. Rufo was also appointed by DeSantis to destroy Florida's New College.. So he isn't just a think tanker, but directly on DeSantis's payroll.
Also included is Kevin Roberts, the President of the Heritage Foundation.
If you look at the photo the CLT board posted, its literally just a sea of White Republicans.
So Cornel West has no problem writing a public article praising Ron DeSantis for helping free inquiry, as he tries to get rid of any books about LGBT people or Black people and working alongside Chris Rufo, the guy who managed the Right Wings Critical Race Theory panic. Seems bad.
Ask yourself. If a Biden appointee to Education Secretary had this kind of background of supporting the privatisation of schools, and of hanging around figures like these, would you be cool with it? No of course not.
The People's People Grift
You might also note from his announcement that he isn't running for the Green Party, which already has ballot lines in many states. But for the People's Party.
Said People's Party is headed up by Nick Brana, and has been championed heavily by Jimmy Dore.
Both Nick Brana and Jimmy Dore have been credibly accused of sexual harassment and assault.
And this is what the People's Party online presence looks like
https://twitter.com/marionumber4/status/1665768271637782532
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fx32IR5WAAQTjzf?format=jpg&name=large
Very left-wing. Totally not a right-wing grift.
In terms of the other track record of the People's Party, they aggressively solicited donations and promised that they would run dozens of candidates in the 2022 midterm. They didn't run a single one. Wonder where all that money went?
So the bright spark from all of this is that likely the People's Party will grift all the donations sent in, and not use it to actually get ballot access outside of the handful of states they have access to.
His Platform
Cornel West's website right now, is pretty limited. But one issue caught my eye in particular

End the Wars Bring our troops home and invest those trillions of war dollars into American communities. Support veterans, stop all foreign military aid, close the bases, disband NATO, and ban nuclear weapons globally.

Stop all foreign military aid and disband NATO. You know, while Russia is aggressively invading Ukraine. Yet another Leftist that is pro Imperialist invasion by a Neo Tsar.
What wars? Bring the troops home from where exactly. Biden already left Afghanistan and Iraq a couple of years ago.
And I wonder what magical spell he has in mind, to get Russia, China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel to consider giving up their nuclear weapons.
More of the Company he keeps
Other assorted people, he hangs out with
He is of course a constantly returning guest on Bill Maher.
https://twitter.com/cassiepmillestatus/1138583273242857472

I wish "Milo Yiannopoulos, Gavin McInnes, and Cornel West walk into a bar..." was the beginning of a joke, but I'm sorry to report that it is actually real life

He decided the prime place to announce his candidacy is on ... Russel Brand. Who went full anti-vaxx and Pro Russia.
https://twitter.com/CornelWest/status/1666114005877010432
https://twitter.com/themattdimitri/status/1543780892241543171

Hate group founder Gavin McInnes asks Cornel West to name an American fascist West: There's a spiritual fascism inside all of us... as a Christian I see it inside of myself Candace Owens: The Klan were Democrats West: Yes, they were [As if MLK had no idea of that history of Dems]
Candace Owens: They tried to blame me for a mass shooting in New Zealand, saying that this person got radicalized by my ideas of Black conservatism in America The Christchurch New Zealand Mosque shooter stated in his manifesto Owens was the "person who radicalized [him] the most"

Reportedly he went on this because Gavin McInnes was offering money to do it, which other figures turned down

I gave Matthew this footage. I have the full segments for both appearances. At the time McInnes was begging liberals to go on this show offering them $5000 an appearance - Dave Packman, Sam Seder and Ana Kasparian all reported McInnes offered them money.

Selling out for $5,000. I guess we know his price to sit down with a Nazi, on two separate appearances.
Conclusion
So if you consider everything. At best, he is incredibly naive and easily taken in by Right-wingers which makes him utterly unsuited to any political position, let alone President. And more likely, he just doesn't give a fuck, and is cashing out. While also being a crank.

Introduction

Welcome to the tuesday book club and Revolutions podcast thread!

Upcoming

Week 72: Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Pt2. Ch.1-3 and Revolutions 3.39-3.40
As follows is the scheduled reading a few weeks out:
Week 73: Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Pt2. Ch.4-5 and Revolutions 3.41-3.42
Week 74: Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Pt2. Ch.6-8 and Revolutions 3.43-3.44

More Information

The Full list of books are as follows:

• Classical Liberalism: A Primer
• The Road To Serfdom
• World Order
• Reflections on the Revolution in France
• Capitalism and Freedom
• Slightly To The Right
• Suicide of the West
• Conscience of a Conservative
• The Fractured Republic
• The Constitution of Liberty
• Empire​
• The Coddling of the American Mind
• Revolutions Podcast (the following readings will also have a small selection of episodes from the Revolutions podcast as well)
• The English Constitution
• The US Constitution
• The Federalist Papers
• A selection of The Anti-Federalist Papers
• The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution
• The Australian Constitution
• Democracy in America< - We are here
• The July 4th special: Revisiting the Constitution and reading The Declaration of Independence
• Democracy in America (cont.)
• The Origins of Totalitarianism

As a reminder, we are doing a reading challenge this year and these are just the highly recommended ones on the list! The challenge's full list can be found here.
Participation is open to anyone that would like to do so, the standard automod enforced rules around flair and top level comments have been turned off for threads with the "Book Club" flair.
The previous week's thread can be found here: Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Pt1. Ch.4-7 and Revolutions 3.35-3.36
The full book club discussion archive is located here: Book Club Archive