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[King Zultan]

A

[S1lentWanderer]

A

I would love to hear what you find on the Matthew passage you mentioned in your last update, should anything come of it.

[Superdorf]

The archbishop visited today to serve everyone a slice of the annual vasilopita.
It was a busy day. I felt too wretched to eat anything after work study. Then my Scripture professor brought snacks to class, and things felt a little better.

I'm enjoying her lectures immensely, even without the unexpected veggie straws and cookies. It's always nice when a professor's excited about the material, and this lady in particular has a wonderful knowledge of and sensitivity towards Old Testament language and culture. I've never been able to feel so Jewish in a Christian course!

More on that in a moment, I guess.

Feb. 6 2023

I finished the Gospel of Matthew.
Most passages were familiar. Some were uncomfortable - Christ's apocalyptic language is hard to reconcile with a modern mindset.

There was one bit I really appreciated. Weirdly, it's a passage I used to hate.

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

There's a strong current of anti-Semitism in the history of the church. These two verses in particular have been used to justify some downright heinous acts - "THE JEWS KILLED JESUS" was a popular sentiment throughout medieval Europe. I still hear a stray comment or two in the modern church (occasionally worse.) My mother is Jewish. Going by inheritance, her people are my people. I'll not keep a faith that says she's going to hell for going to synagogue.

What got me about slogging through my study Bible today was a small footnote tucked in by the (Orthodox) editors, commenting on Matt. 27:25. It said, in essence: "the blood of Christ can never damn those who strive with a good heart towards God."

Whatever the crowd wanted that day, they were unwittingly calling the holiest of sacraments down on their people. I find a lot of comfort in that.

1d4=2

Nothing unlocked today.

Spoiler: Actions (click to show/hide)

Reading->Extend: Keep going for another half hour.

Tomorrow's Bay12 Hour will be:
A) Reading. Mark's Gospel is next, the shortest of them all - doable in one Extended session maybe.
B) Exercise. The weather is lovely lately - perhaps it's time to jog a bit?
C) Art. The club application is coming along, but for now I've my own projects I could work on.
Music. Open mic night is tomorrow evening, so this'll be happening regardless!

[King Zultan]

How about some Art today.

[IncompetentFortressMaker]

C let's try some art

[S1lentWanderer]

Art seems to be the most reasonable pursuit for today. Reading too much too many days in a row may lead to burnout. Keep your schedule varied. I recommend fitting a little exercise into whatever you do, but that's up to you.

[Superdorf]

Not much to say about today. I have some fake daggers coming in the mail for a theater project or two - pretty excited about that. I have House of the Rising Sun on the brain today for some reason; maybe I'll pull up a karaoke version for open mic tonight. We'll see.

Art seems to be the most reasonable pursuit for today. Reading too much too many days in a row may lead to burnout. Keep your schedule varied. I recommend fitting a little exercise into whatever you do, but that's up to you.

I hopped on the EFX machine earlier today on a whim - couldn't tell you why, I haven't set foot in the campus gym in weeks. Maybe some of this self-improvement stuff is rubbing off?

Feb. 7 2023

Iconography is... really complicated, phew. I reviewed a couple of my old books on the subject, and concluded that I need more supplies before I start sketching out my design on a proper canvas. The nearest art store is reachable on foot with public transport, but it'd take me a few hours to get there and back - I may wait for the club to get going before I embark on an afternoon odyssey for tracing paper.

For now, I just pulled out my sketchbook and started drawing from a reference of St. John the Evangelist. The piece is surprisingly complicated, layers on layers of carefully-proportioned pigments - the robe folds alone are beyond me! I drew what I could with the tools and time I had.

Spoiler: I think I did ok. (click to show/hide)

If nothing else, it's one more page in the collection! I love the physicality of a finished sketchbook, the sense of real time and effort contained in a thing weighing maybe a pound. There's a sense of wonder in flipping through someone else's sketchbook, or through an old book you've half forgotten working on. I bought my last one for maybe 7 bucks, and now it's one of the more precious things I own.

As far as art club goes, I just need to onboard one more student and get the faculty's ok. Shouldn't be hard to do, I just need a convenient opportunity to approach people about it.

1d4=2

Nothing unlocked today.

Spoiler: Actions (click to show/hide)

Reading->Extend: Keep going for another half hour.

Tomorrow's Bay12 Hour will be:
A) Art. Could do more iconography sketching, focused secular studies, or just a bit of a doodle.
B) Reading. Mark's Gospel is next, the shortest of them all - doable in one Extended session maybe.
C) Exercise. I'm feeling a bit fitter these days; maybe it's time to reboot that calisthenics app I had?
D) Music. My guitar still needs adjusting, but I could practice some barre chords then tinker elsewhere.

[S1lentWanderer]

"Okay" is a significant understatement. That is a phenomenal work of art, and calling it merely "Okay" is selling it short by a wide margin.

Glad to hear Art Club is coming along smoothly! Y'know, Open Mic Night might not be a bad time to approach people about it, given that the sort of people likely to attend will be of more artistic bent. Worth considering, at the very least.

Which Calisthenics app was it, out of curiosity? I may check it out as well. I, as usual, recommend Exercise in at least some quantity, tempered with other activities such as Reading. Reading through Mark is definitely doable within an Extended Reading Session, I'm pretty sure I had to do it for a class at one point. Might end up being a little bit more extended than anticipated, but that depends on reading speed.

I've been doing some Music work of my own, practicing a new song for the piano. It's been too long since I did that, and I'm getting out of practice. Maybe I'll put some updates on that in here going forward, if the mood presents itself and I feel like figuring out how to attach audio files.

[Superdorf]

phenomenal

((aw, thanks ))

Which Calisthenics app was it, out of curiosity? I may check it out as well. I, as usual, recommend Exercise in at least some quantity, tempered with other activities such as Reading. Reading through Mark is definitely doable within an Extended Reading Session, I'm pretty sure I had to do it for a class at one point. Might end up being a little bit more extended than anticipated, but that depends on reading speed.

((I need to know which option you're actually voting for, friend - an hour's kinda short all things considered!))

I've been doing some Music work of my own, practicing a new song for the piano. It's been too long since I did that, and I'm getting out of practice. Maybe I'll put some updates on that in here going forward, if the mood presents itself and I feel like figuring out how to attach audio files.

((I think it'd be fun if other folks got in on the daily pursuits as well! This doesn't hafta be just a me thing.))

[S1lentWanderer]

((I need to know which option you're actually voting for, friend - an hour's kinda short all things considered!))

I don't know what your schedule looks like, so I don't want to just recommend the Extended Reading Session on a day when you don't have time for it. But if you have time for it, do that. If you don't have time for that, then do some Music

[King Zultan]

Since you've got that open mic thing I say do some Music stuff.

I've been doing some Music work of my own, practicing a new song for the piano. It's been too long since I did that, and I'm getting out of practice. Maybe I'll put some updates on that in here going forward, if the mood presents itself and I feel like figuring out how to attach audio files.

((I think it'd be fun if other folks got in on the daily pursuits as well! This doesn't hafta be just a me thing.))

If we're allowed to mention things we're doing outside the forum related to the tasks here, I've started work on this art thing I was doing quite a while back, maybe one day I'll have it to a point I feel comfortable showing it to people.

[Superdorf]

You clutched your hours like jewels, little rat, and one by one they were torn from you
Day after day, week after week you scrabbled and raved
hour by hour, minute by minute, with Lenten mercy beating on your walls until

...

I'm free, O Lord
and the hours are like eternity

I'm flying south

March 4, 2023

I don't have a lot of words right now to describe what the past weeks have been. This was something that happened at some point.

Spoiler: This too. (click to show/hide)

it made way more sense in context, I swear

It's Lent. I'm half in love. I'll be in the Caribbean this week. I'll be very busy.
It's been a madcap month.

1d4=3

Nothing unlocked today.
No vote today.

[King Zultan]

I'll be in the Caribbean this week.

Sounds exciting, hopefully you have fun there.

[delphonso]

Soak up the rays for the rest of us!

[S1lentWanderer]

Glad to hear from you again!

Enjoy your spring break!