text:
package us.misterwok.app.fragment;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.BaseAdapter;
import android.widget.ListView;

import com.google.gson.Gson;

import uk.co.senab.actionbarpulltorefresh.library.ActionBarPullToRefresh;
import uk.co.senab.actionbarpulltorefresh.library.PullToRefreshLayout;
import uk.co.senab.actionbarpulltorefresh.library.listeners.OnRefreshListener;
import us.misterwok.app.R;
import us.misterwok.app.api.obj.MenuObj;
import us.misterwok.app.widget.MenuItemView;

/**
 * Created by hoyin on 14/4/14.
 */
public class FoodListFragment extends BaseFragment implements AdapterView.OnItemClickListener, OnRefreshListener {

    private static final String KEY_CATEGORY = "category_id";

    private PullToRefreshLayout mPullToRefreshLayout;
    private ListView mListView;
    private MenuAdapter mMenuAdapter;
    private CategoryListFragment.FilterFoodListener mFilterFoodListener;

    public static FoodListFragment newInstance(int categoryId, CategoryListFragment.FilterFoodListener filterFoodListener) {
        FoodListFragment fragment = new FoodListFragment();
        Bundle arguments = new Bundle();
        arguments.putInt(KEY_CATEGORY, categoryId);
        fragment.setArguments(arguments);
        fragment.setFilterFoodListener(filterFoodListener);
        return fragment;
    }

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                             Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        mPullToRefreshLayout = (PullToRefreshLayout) inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_items, container, false);
        mListView = (ListView) mPullToRefreshLayout.findViewById(R.id.list_view_fragment_menu);
        mListView.setEmptyView(mPullToRefreshLayout.findViewById(R.id.progress_bar_fragment_menu));
        mListView.setOnItemClickListener(this);

        View footer = getActivity().getLayoutInflater().inflate(R.layout.view_item_footer, null, false);
        mListView.addFooterView(footer);
        return mPullToRefreshLayout;
    }

    @Override
    public void onAttach(Activity activity) {
        super.onAttach(activity);
    }

    @Override
    public void onActivityCreated(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onActivityCreated(savedInstanceState);
        ActionBarPullToRefresh.from(getActivity())
                .allChildrenArePullable()
                .listener(this)
                .setup(mPullToRefreshLayout);
        getData();
    }

    public void setFilterFoodListener(CategoryListFragment.FilterFoodListener mFilterFoodListener) {
        this.mFilterFoodListener = mFilterFoodListener;
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        this.mFilterFoodListener = null;
    }

    @Override
    public void onRefreshStarted(View view) {
        getData();
    }

    private void getData() {
        mPullToRefreshLayout.setRefreshing(true);
        mMenuAdapter = new MenuAdapter(mFilterFoodListener.getFilterFood(getArguments().getInt(KEY_CATEGORY)));
        mListView.setAdapter(mMenuAdapter);
        mPullToRefreshLayout.setRefreshComplete();
    }

    @Override
    public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> adapterView, View view, int position, long id) {

        MenuObj.Food food = mMenuAdapter.getItem(position);
        FoodDetailFragment.newInstance(new Gson().toJson(food)).show(getFragmentManager(), "item_detail");

    }

    private class MenuAdapter extends BaseAdapter {
        MenuObj.Food[] mItems;

        private MenuAdapter(MenuObj.Food[] items) {
            mItems = items;
        }

        @Override
        public int getCount() {
            return mItems.length;
        }

        @Override
        public MenuObj.Food getItem(int position) {
            return mItems[position];
        }

        @Override
        public long getItemId(int position) {
            return position;
        }

        @Override
        public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
            MenuItemView item = (MenuItemView) convertView;
            if (item == null) {
                item = new MenuItemView(getActivity());
            }
            item.parse(mItems[position]);
            return item;
        }
    }
}


It's time to settle in because this is going to be a long post! Lots of people have requested that I share my tips for applying to medicine in the UK and so I decided I'd put together this post to serve as a sort of guide. I am going to be focusing on the UK as that's the only system that I know, but I'm sure some of this information is useful for those of you that are applying to other countries too!
Applying for medicine can be a very stressful experience, especially if you are one of the only people applying for it from your college. It's also very different to applying for other university courses as you need to think about your application much earlier than other students – ideally around the time of your GCSEs – and you're likely going to be waiting much longer for offers.
One of the things that I realised is that applying for medicine is a marathon not a sprint (is that too cheesy?) so it's important that you don't let it get on top of you. Many students don't get into medical school the first time around even though they're excellent students who definitely have the potential to succeed. This is something that you need to keep in mind as a rejection doesn't mean that it's the end of the road and there are plenty of other options left for you.
On that note, I think it's time that we get into this (hopefully) useful guide!
If you're still in Year 11, then you need to think about the entry requirements for medicine when choosing your A Levels. Chemistry is an absolute must-have subject as I believe all medical schools require applicants to have this subject (not including graduates or access course applicants as they often have different entry requirements). Beyond that A Level Biology is advised as it is also required by the vast majority of medical schools in the UK so it is definitely useful to have when applying.
I often get asked if you need to take 3 sciences to apply for medicine (Chemistry, Biology and Physics/Maths) and unless you're applying to Cambridge, you definitely don't. No other medical school gives you an advantage for having these subjects, so unless you enjoy them and think you could get the grades required then I would just recommend picking something you'll find interesting.
If you're in year 12 or above (sidenote: if you're in Year 13/going into Year 13 and you've only just become interested in medicine, I would recommend a gap year in order to build up your work experience and outside reading in the subject so that your application is more competitive) then the only thing you need to worry about is becoming more informed about the course.
Once you've decided that you're interested in medicine, it's time to start building up your personal statement which means you need to find some work experience and do some reading. Don't worry though, finding work experience isn't as daunting as everyone thinks!
Many applicants think that the only work experience worth having is things that were done in a clinical setting, i.e. shadowing a doctor or going to a GP surgery. Whilst these experiences are useful for seeing what the life of a doctor is really like, it can actually be better to get some hands on experience in different areas of care.
Clinical – shadowing, working in a GP surgery, volunteering in a hospital, etc.
Non-clinical – working in a care home, helping a primary school or with disabled children, etc.
Other volunteering – in a charity shop, fundraising, as a leader/young leader, etc.
Ideally you should try and get some kind of clinical experience just so that you can reflect on the realities of being a doctor (although if this isn't possible there are countless autobiographies written by surgeons, junior doctors and all sorts of other people who talk about their experiences). However, many medical schools will look favourably on non-clinical or even non-caring volunteering as it demonstrates that you have a lot of good characteristics that they're looking for in their students beyond academic ability.
When I applied for medicine, I had completed a variety of experiences with my local medical school alongside one week of shadowing, a week at a sexual health charity, four years as a young leader at Beavers and a year of volunteering at a local preschool. One thing that can make your application stand out is having at least one long term placement so that you can show you're committed to something (as opposed to just completing countless placements to fill up your personal statement). Many medical schools won't care if this is a volunteering placement or just a part-time job that you've had for around a year.
It can also be beneficial to have hobbies on the side to show that you're a well-rounded student (UCL and HYMS are amongst the medical schools which like their students to have interests outside of medicine) so it probably isn't time to give up your sports activities or music lessons. If you feel like you don't have anything like this, look for opportunities within your school which are low commitment but can be mentioned on your personal statement – joining the council, a debate club or the choir can still be mentioned on your application but they don't take up as much time as learning a new instrument or sport.
If you want more information about the kind of work experiences that can be useful when applying for medicine, check out my post about finding work experience. One thing to remember is that it isn't always about quantity, but more about how well you can reflect on it.
As corny as it may sound, when you apply to medicine you have to play the game. This means focusing on the strengths of your application and ruling out places that judge applicants on things you're weaker on. This is harder to do before you have your UKCAT score (and maybe your BMAT score if you take the September session) but you can still start to narrow it down based on GCSE results and other factors (like location or A Level requirements).
Entry requirements – A Levels, GCSEs, etc.
Is it UKCAT or BMAT?
Interview type – MMI or standard?
Is there an intercalated degree option?
You should try and have some variety in your choices too (of course you should still like them all) as applying to 4 extremely competitive universities may just result in 4 rejections. If you're looking at courses with an A*AA standard offer then maybe consider applying to one or two with an AAA standard offer so that you have an insurance option on results day. Applying to medicine is one of the few courses where attending a Russell Group university will not necessarily boost your career options in the future due to the fact that F1 applications are pretty much blind to where you went to university and they are introducing a standardised final exam for all medical students anyway. Therefore, you shouldn't rule out any universities just because you don't think they're as prestigious as others.
Although it may be annoying, you should also try and visit any universities that you're interested in before applying as something that looks good in the prospectus may not suit you in real life. I was dead set on putting Manchester University as my fifth non-medical course, however after visiting I realised that I just didn't like the city style of it and it wasn't right for me. On the other hand, I visited UCL and found that, despite the fact it was one of the ones I just looked at out of curiosity, I loved the general ~vibe~ it gave off and the course options there.
It may seem like there's a lot to consider when looking at the different medical schools so I've put together a printable that will hopefully help you to organise your different options.
If you want to download it, click here!
Most medical schools in the country require applicants to take the UKCAT before applying. This is a computer-based exam with five different sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Decision Making and the Situational Judgement Test.
Each medical school uses the UKCAT differently when looking at their applicants so it's useful to know their methods before applying there. This document summarises how each medical school used the UKCAT score for 2018 entry, however this may change for future years. Like I mentioned above, you need to look at which universities you have a realistic chance of getting an offer from based on your score. Some universities like Birmingham and Edinburgh are very UKCAT-heavy so if you have a good score then it may be best to use it to your advantage and apply to universities like these. On the other hand, if your score is weaker (for example, if it's below the average score for that year) then you should avoid these universities to maximise your chance of getting an offer.
In theory, the UKCAT is meant to be a test that you cannot study for as it doesn't test knowledge. However, the trickiest part usually isn't the questions themselves, but the fact that you have a limited time frame to complete them in. This means that you can definitely practice different techniques in order to improve your speed before the test. A lot of people start worrying about the UKCAT once it gets to around January time but you really do not need that much time to prepare for it. I started preparation around a month before the exam and then I did serious practice a couple of weeks before.
You can also choose the test date that you want and whilst this isn't always important, it's worth considering carefully before booking it. If you're planning on taking the BMAT I would highly recommend booking it for some time in September if you're doing the early BMAT test or in August if you're doing the November test. This means that you are not taking away time from the BMAT which definitely requires more preparation than the UKCAT in order to do well.
If you're interested in finding out about the best UKCAT preparation resources, then I recommend this post and if you want more information about the test itself I recommend looking at the official UKCAT website or my post that I made last year.
If you have already taken the UKCAT, then you should be fairly comfortable with employing similar techniques in Section 1. The questions that will most likely be unfamiliar to you are the understanding arguments questions. These give you a passage and then ask you about what is an assumption the author makes or a conclusion of the passage.
Like the UKCAT, the only real preparation you can do for Section 1 is practice until you can do the questions faster and more accurately. Don't worry if you don't understand the questions or the answers the first time around; this test is designed to be taken by the brightest students in the country so it will always be difficult. For more guide on Section 1 question types, I'd advise looking at this document from the official website.
Section 2 is another story altogether though! I only studied Biology and Chemistry at A Level so I really struggled with this section as there were many concepts I hadn't even thought about since GCSE. The best guide for Section 2 is the official revision guide that has been put together to fit with the BMAT specification. If you really don't understand a concept then you can always dig out your GCSE revision guides, check out the good old BBC Bitesize or find videos on Youtube which cover the topics.
Like the UKCAT, the BMAT is multiple choice so you don't have to worry about exam technique or wording particularly (at least not for the first two sections). It also means that if you're unsure of an answer, you can quickly choose one and move on. This is an important tactic as many people find that they run out of time in the BMAT so you definitely shouldn't dwell on questions. Unfortunately, I'd often find myself unable to finish properly so I'd guess the last few questions a few minutes before the end and then I'd go back and properly complete the ones I felt I could do.
As for Section 3, there is less pressure when it comes to time so you have time to plan and consider your ideas carefully before writing. You are given space to do any planning on the question sheet and it's important that you are clear about what you are going to write before you do it as you are only given one side of A4 to write your essay on (actually, it is smaller than that due to the header at the top). If you look back at the past questions, there's usually a quote, a question relating to scientific principles and a question relating to medicine. Previously, there was a veterinary medicine question too, however they removed this for 2018 entry.
In order to do well on Section 3, you have to have a decent enough knowledge of scientific principles and the four ethical pillars of medicine. These provide you with a solid foundation for answering the scientific and medical questions so that you can give well thought out arguments which would potentially allow you to access the 4/5 score. The quote-based question can be a little harder to prepare for as it can consider anything from ancient philosophy to the limits of technology.
There is no benefit to choosing a particular question so it is important that you choose the one that you believe you have the best arguments for. If you are quick, you may have time to plan for two questions and after that you can decide which one you want to do.
When preparing for Section 3 you may want to look at books like Medical Ethics: A Very Short Introduction, sites like The Medic Portal's guide to medical ethics or the Wikipedia page on the scientific method. Remember that these ideas are just a starting point and you will get top scores for coming up with your own original and well thought out arguments.
BMAT scores are a little more abstract than UKCAT scores as they are not organised into deciles. The website states that the most able students will be able to score a 5 in sections 1 and 2, although most people applying to Oxbridge will typically score a 6 or above in each section. It is very rare to find people that score higher than that and almost no one will score a 9. For Section 3, you gain a 3 for content just by answering all 3 sub-questions that you are given. Beyond that it is down to the strength of your arguments really as to whether you gain anything higher. You also score an A by having very few grammar or spelling mistakes. Most people score an A so it may put you at a disadvantage if you score below that (although this may be different for those with a valid reason, such as dyslexia, however for more information you will need to contact your universities themselves or the BMAT support team). For the full Section 3 scoring criteria, check out this link.
Obviously this structure will alter depending on your own personal experiences (I added a separate volunteering paragraph and then put all of my extracurricular activities together) as you may lack experience in some areas but have a lot in others. For more tips on writing a personal statement for medicine, I recommend The Student BMJ and The Medic Portal. It may also be worth considering that certain medical schools will have specific things that they look for in personal statements so it can be worth using these as a guide if you know where you want to apply. You can usually find these on university websites, although you might need to do a little digging around! This is the one for UCL and Edinburgh (page 95) although it will differ for each medical school.
If you're running out of things to write on your personal statement then I recommend reading some medicine-related books, such as those that I mentioned in this blog. A word of warning though, you will most likely be asked about these in interview as they will want to ensure that you didn't just Google the title. I learnt a couple of cases from both of the books that I mentioned and researched the diseases that the considered so that I could talk about it if I was asked. This also goes for mentioning any specific disorders: I spoke about dementia in my personal statement so I learnt the ins and outs of it just in case I was asked about it at interview.
An alternative way to bulk out your personal statement is to do some MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). Sites like Future Learn, Coursera and edX have countless healthcare related courses in a wide variety of areas. I completed the UCL/Future Learn course on The Many Faces of Dementia in order to supplement my research into dementia, but there are many others which cover anything from diabetes to autism to antibiotic resistance. Once again, make sure you can actually discuss the course in an interview before you write it in your personal statement.
When writing your personal statement, the key thing is to get as many people to read it as possible. I made my family members, my friends, my form tutor and my UCAS teacher read it and help me improve it. There will likely be at least a dozen drafts before you're happy for it to be sent off so don't worry about if your first draft is a trainwreck! The most important thing is that you have something written down so that you can then begin to improve it bit by bit. This is much easier once there is already the foundations of a good personal statement laid out on the page!
Each medical school will have their own unique interview process, so whilst I will aim to give you some advice for interview preparation in this section, you will need to look at what is expected of you from each school you're applying to. It may also be worth mentioning that Oxbridge interviews tend to be totally different to any other medical school interviews and as I don't have experience of those, I don't feel qualified to discuss them so I'll be focusing on . For some school-specific tips, I recommend looking at The Medic Portal (again).
The first thing that you need to know about your interview is whether it will be a MMI (multiple mini interview) or whether it is a traditional panel interview. MMIs will typically feature various stations that are supposed to show certain skills, whilst panel interviews will usually focus on your experiences and personal statement, although some may give you problems to solve.
If it is MMI then you ideally need to find out the type of stations you will face before you go so that you can prepare for them. Some medical schools give people other academic tests that require mathematical or scientific knowledge once they arrive so this is something that you need to be prepared for. Others may have roleplay stations which may seem daunting at first, however they usually require limited to no medical knowledge and just require you to act like yourself (although there are some cruel ones where you have to face crying actors!) so you don't need to worry too much.
It is also unlikely that MMI interviewers will have read your personal statement so unless there are stations that are specifically related to asking you about it, I wouldn't worry too much about knowing the ins and outs of it. I would still try and reflect on any work experience that you have done, as they may ask you about the experience you've done and how you think it would help you be a better doctor, etc. You should also expect the usual questions of "why medicine" and "why this medical school" as these are usually asked regardless of format.
For standard interviews, I highly recommend that you learn your personal statement down to the details as your interviewers will have most likely read it and they will have questions to ask you about it. As I had mentioned dementia in my statement, I was asked about it in my UCL interview; I had anticipated this and I had already researched various disorders, the causes and treatments so the question didn't really throw me. Also be prepared to debate your points with the interviewers as they will have more time with you and they want to see how you respond to their counter arguments.
There will most likely be ethical components to any interviews, so once again it is essential that you read up on the four pillars as they are vital to any area of medicine. I also recommend looking up the GMC's Good Medical Practice as this outlines the key characteristics and duties of a good doctor. It may be worthwhile to look at the NHS Constitution whilst you are preparing too as this can help you when answering any questions regarding the state of the NHS.
Another key thing to do is ensure that you are up to date with the biggest medical stories, including important research or NHS news. I did this by downloading the BBC and the Guardian apps and scrolling through them whilst waiting outside lessons at school or whenever I had a spare moment. I was asked about recent news events at both UCL and HYMS so it is definitely a common topic amongst interviews. The Medical Portal has lots of posts on current hot topics, both in the NHS and in medicine in general.
It may be worthwhile looking up some TED talks or research articles so that you can discuss these in your interviews too. By discussing research that you've done outside of school, it shows intellectual curiosity which is something that medical schools like to see in their students. Even if you're not asked about them explicitly, it never hurts to drop it into your answer as evidence for one of your points.
Don't be afraid to ask the interviewer to clarify – they would much rather you asked them to rephrase the question than spend three minutes talking nonsense!
Make eye contact and don't fiddle – I'm the kind of person who will fiddle with anything they possibly can, so I went out of my way to make sure that there was nothing around me that I could mess with during my interview (including necklaces, rings, pockets, hair, etc.). It's important to make eye contact with anyone in the interview whilst answering, although you should try and focus on the person who is asking you the question.
Providing your interviews go well, you should have some offers in which means that you now need to focus on fulfilling them!
Unless you are on a gap year, you will almost definitely have an offer that is conditional on you getting the grades required for medicine alongside some non-academic requirements (like a DBS check, filling out certain forms, etc.). This will usually be AAA or A*AA (A*A*A for Cambridge, although it can be different if you do four or more subjects) and most medical schools will not be lenient if you drop a grade on results day.
Hopefully this should be the easy part (believe it or not)! Providing you have been on top of your revision throughout the year and you have a clear plan set out, you should be well on your way to achieving those A's and A*'s.
You also need to make sure that you complete any forms that the university sends over to you as they can withdraw your offer if you don't complete these by the deadline. You may also have to get vaccines prior to starting medical school and you may have your offer withdrawn if you don't comply with these either.
You also have to complete any subjects that you listed on your UCAS form, even if they are not mentioned in your offer. If you wish to drop this subject after gaining your offer, you need to contact UCAS as well as your universities as they may require that you continue with it despite the fact it wasn't mentioned in your offer.
Despite the fact that you should be on track for meeting the conditions of your offer, things don't always go to plan so what do you do if it all goes wrong?
Many excellent candidates don't get into medicine the first time around for one reason or another so it's important that you don't get discouraged! There are several other options that are still available to you, even if miss the conditions of your offer or you didn't get any offers to begin with.
The first option is that you go onto a non-medical course that is still related to science in some way. Many people put this course in as their 5th UCAS choice and use it as their insurance offer. If not, there are many biomedical science type courses that go into clearing on results day if you don't hold any offers for them. If you unsure which course you'd be interested in, I made a post about it here. This shouldn't be a decision that you take lightly as you're going to be studying this subject for three years at least so you need to be happy with your choice.
Many people do this with the intention of transferring to the medical course in the second year (FYI, even though some universities offer this, there will likely only be 1-2 places so do not count on this happening!) or going into Graduate Entry Medicine (or regular medicine) afterwards. Both of these options are extremely competitive so you have to prepared to continue in this degree field if you can't get into medicine.
The second option is to apply for medicine in clearing. This used to be almost unheard of but recently there have been a couple of medical schools that have released places into clearing, although the entry requirements are unlikely to be lower. Once again, you need to consider whether this is the right thing for you as you are going to be studying at this university for a minimum of 5 years so you shouldn't just rush into it.
Some people also ring up medical schools that rejected them post-interview on results day if they get the minimum grades or higher. However, this is unlikely to be beneficial as many medical schools hold reserve lists of rejected applicants that they will contact if places become available. If you are in the situation where you got interviews but no offers then it may be worth a try, however don't get your hopes up!
If you miss the grades on results day, you may want to retake the subjects that you missed the grades in. This limits the medical schools that you could reapply to, however there are still a few which will consider you. For example, HYMS now considers students who got AAB and resat an A Level to get AAA. You will likely need to discuss this with your sixth form/college as well as they may require you to do extra courses in order to fill up your hours, etc.
An alternative is to look at medical schools abroad, particularly in Europe. Many European medical schools teach their courses in English (although you'll definitely need to learn the language for general living and for your clinical years) and their entry requirements may be lower than in the UK. If you're considering this option, I suggest looking at this page on The Medic Portal.
Your final option is to take a gap year and reapply next year, whether this is for medicine or another course. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it allows you to save up for university, gain more work experience and mature. Not to mention the fact that you will have picked up some very useful tips during your round of applications! Many medical school interviewers can instantly spot a gap year applicant as they have a sense of maturity that a lot of sixth formers typically lack, something that is very important for medicine.
If you get to interview, be calm and collected – they know you're a good potential candidate, now you just have to prove it!
If you don't get any offers or you miss your offer on results day, it isn't the end of your medicine dream!


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Home » Archive » Clerks III
Clerks III2022-09-132022-09-13https://amovieguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/headonlylogo.pngA Movie Guyhttps://amovieguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/clerks-3-poster.jpeg200px200px
MOVIE: CLERKS III
STARRING: BRIAN O'HALLORAN, JEFF ANDERSON, ROSARIO DAWSON, TREVOR FEHRMAN, JASON MEWES, KEVIN SMITH
DIRECTED BY: KEVIN SMITH
The career of Kevin Smith has been a winding road. A director that struck gold with his first movie- Clerks, which he made on a shoestring budget, about the daily events of a group of 20-something's working at a small New Jersey Quick Stop. The convenience store style had the black & white cinematography captured on what looked like store surveillance footage. It was a unique touch. And then the movies got bigger for Smith. The fan base grew, as he created his own unique universe of characters, and the critical responses arrived. Some movies were hits, some mixed reviews, some flops, but what Smith could go back to was the Clerks gang. In 2006 he made Clerks II, after the feature spin-off with Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and then the failure of his romantic-comedy Jersey Girl. Clerks II was at least a brief reminder of his directing capabilities, but what followed was six disasters in a row, including the embarrassing Tusk and Yoga Hosers, so now the bar is low, and it is a desperate time for Kevin Smith to get back behind the counter. This is Smith on a better highway, but Clerks III is a shamefully nostalgic trip down the Kevin Smith memory lane, with its heart in the right place, but still not a good movie. Clerks III is just another Clerks movie, where constant man children Dante and Randal have become older, a lot wiser, and able to express themselves in a more emotional fashion. This may be where Kevin Smith belongs, back at the Quick Stop, but that does not always equal success.
We catch up with Randall (Jeff Anderson) and Dante (Brian O'Halloran) at the Quick Stop, still playing hockey on the roof, and both co-owners of the place they love. Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) are still hanging out in front while they run a weed dispensary shop next door, and more than ever these guys are living the lifestyles they always wanted. For Dante his life has been rocked, as we find out that Becky (Rosario Dawson) has passed away from a terrible accident with a drunk driver, so for him life is fragile. Things become a bit more complicated when Randall has a massive heart attack and after he has this eye-opening moment, he decides he's going to live his dream and make a movie about his life. It's all life imitating art all over again, with the guys from Clerks making their own version of Clerks, but only this time it puts an emotional wedge between Randall and Dante's friendship.
Like many of Kevin Smith's other films, Clerks III is frustrating, as you could laugh at one joke and roll your eyes at the next three. Visually this Clerks is once again in color, with the budget undoubtedly being higher, but leaving you wondering where all the money went. There's a delightful moment of cameos of Smith's famous actor-friends auditioning for roles in the meta flick and there is a boat load of nostalgia for fans of the Kevin Smith universe. References to Dogma, Yoga Hosers, and obviously Clerks II all make there appearances but at the cost of a genuine story. The bottom line purpose for the nostalgia is for fans to point at the screen and say they remember that.
What does surprise in Clerks III is the genuine emotion that Smith is able to carve out. It's when Smith's writing and the performances from Anderson and O'Halloran emanate that honesty, dealing with subject matter of loss, love, and the fear of death is when it works. The problem with that, however, is that it's followed with jokes about ass-to-mouth, an ongoing gag that never lands of co-worker Elias (Trevor Fehrman) changing his goth-style makeup, and painfully lame bits from Jay and Silent Bob. It's the moments that don't land which ruin the jokes that worked so well in the original material.
Ultimately, Clerks III is a better movie for Kevin Smith, and it may seem like I'm hard on it, but I wouldn't blame anyone for saying this worked. What I saw was a bipolar nature of Smith struggling to find a healthy medium on his brand of cinema. On one hand, a film like Tusk will not be for everyone, but is certainly risky. The emotional and personal takes in Clerks III is his bread and butter. I would be okay with more of that, only in something original, and willing to dig into adulthood as Chasing Amy did. Sadly, Clerks III should be the last of this series, because this one has arrived at a dead end.
CLERKS III IS PLAYING EXCLUSIVELY IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 13TH TO THE 18TH.
2 Stars (out of 4), BRIAN O'HALLORAN, COMEDY, JASON MEWES, JEFF ANDERSON, KEVIN SMITH, LEO BRADY, ROSARIO DAWSON, TREVOR FEHRMAN
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Home \ Prophecy \ Revelation \ Seven Churches
Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/revelation/seven-churches-of-revelation/philadelphia/
by David Treybig
Christ's message to Philadelphia in Revelation 3 was quite different from the messages to the other churches. What is the significance of this message?
The cornice from a building in ancient Philadelphia (photo by Joel Meeker).
Philadelphia was the sixth of seven congregations to receive a message from Jesus Christ at the end of the first century. For an overview of the messages to all seven congregations, see "Seven Churches of Revelation."
Members of the Church of God in Philadelphia undoubtedly faced similar influences and pressures as did other Christians at the time. Yet the nature of Christ's message to this church did not include correction. It only offered encouragement and promises.
Before considering the significance of this message, this article will provide a short history of the city. Then it will explain the meaning of the message and its importance today.
History of Philadelphia
Located in modern Turkey on the Cogamus River about 105 miles east of Smyrna and 25 miles southeast of Sardis, Philadelphia was founded later than many of the other cities of Asia Minor. Sometime after 189 B.C. it was established on one of the highways leading to the interior of the region.
Philadelphia means brotherly love. "Its name was given to it in honor of Attalus II, because of his loyalty to his elder brother, Eumenes II, king of Lydia. Still another name of the city was Decapolis, because it was considered as one of the ten cities of the plain. A third name which it bore during the 1st century AD was Neo-kaisaria; it appears upon the coins struck during that period. During the reign of Vespasian, it was called Flavia.
"Its modern name, Ala-shehir, is considered by some to be a corruption of the Turkish words Allah-shehir, 'the city of God,' but more likely it is a name given it from the reddish color of the soil. In addition to all of these names it sometimes bore the title of 'Little Athens' because of the magnificence of the temples and other public buildings which adorned it.
"Philadelphia quickly became an important and wealthy trade center, for as the coast cities declined, it grew in power, and retained its importance even until late Byzantine times" (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1939, "Philadelphia").
Like the other cities in Asia Minor, it often had to be rebuilt due to earthquakes. Roman emperors often helped rebuild these cities; and in the early part of the first century, the famous historian from the area, Strabo, specifically wrote of the walls of the houses in Philadelphia being cracked due to earthquakes (Strabo's Life and Works).
A few ruins, including cornices of buildings, a portion of a wall and the foundations of churches dating throughout the centuries, are still visible today.
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
"Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
"Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"'" (Revelation 3:7-13, emphasis added throughout).
The explanation
The message to Philadelphia begins with an announcement from Christ that He has "the key of David" and that what He opens "no one shuts" and what He shuts "no one opens" (Revelation 3:7).
This statement is similar to Isaiah 22:20-22 where Eliakim is given the key of the house of David: "So he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open." Eliakim had the authority to control who had access to David's house.
Christ's statement that He had "the key of David" reveals two important points:
First, as prophesied, Christ had received "the throne of His father David" (Luke 1:32).
Second, Christ had the authority to open and close doors for the benefit of the congregation at Philadelphia. When Christ opened or closed these doors, no one could reverse these actions.
As for how Christ used His authority to open or close doors, He next tells the church at Philadelphia that He knows their works and that He has set before them "an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name" (verse 8).
An open door to preach the gospel
Several New Testament passages show that "an open door" referred to the opportunity to preach the gospel of the Kingdom. One example of this is found in Acts 14:27 where Paul reported to the church at Antioch that God "had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles" (also see 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3).
Ruins of a Byzantine Church at Philadelphia (photo by Joel Meeker).
In addition to telling the church at Philadelphia that He had opened the door for them to preach the gospel, Christ also commended the members for their spiritual strength (albeit "little") in faithfully obeying His commands. They had not "denied" Christ's name through disobedience. As Christians, they faithfully observed all of Christ's instructions and followed His example of worship instead of accepting humanly devised changes claiming to be Christian (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6).
Next, Jesus says that He will make "those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not" worship before the feet of the members at Philadelphia and recognize that Christ has loved them (Revelation 3:9). While it is clear that Jesus is making "those of the synagogue of Satan" understand that He loves and respects the members of the church of Philadelphia, it is not as clear who these people are who are part of the synagogue of Satan.
This reference to people falsely claiming to be Jews is similar to Christ's words to Smyrna: "I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan" (Revelation 2:9). As was noted in the article on Smyrna, the meaning of people falsely claiming to be Jews could be a reference to people falsely claiming to be Christians.
As Paul explains, all Christians, regardless of their racial background, are considered Jews: "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God" (Romans 2:28-29).
The point behind Christ's action toward those labeled as the "synagogue of Satan" is to show them and others whom He loves and respects. As has already been documented in this series of articles on the seven churches of Revelation, the Church of God founded by Jesus and the apostles faced much persecution through the centuries.
This persecution came from the Roman government, from Jews who practiced Judaism and from people who claimed to be Christian yet who did not diligently adhere to the teachings of Christ and the apostles. (The article on Smyrna documents the struggle faithful Christians had during the second century with others claiming to also be Christian who had mistakenly abandoned the observance of Passover for Easter.)
The hour of trial
Because the members at Philadelphia kept Christ's command to persevere, He promises that they will be kept from "the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world" (Revelation 3:10). While some have looked for a historical fulfillment of this time of trial, such as a particularly severe persecution by a Roman emperor, the primary meaning of this phrase is the difficult conditions that will exist at the end of this age just before Christ's return.
Explaining to His disciples what conditions would be like for His faithful people when He comes again, Jesus said, "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another" (Matthew 24:9-10).
Later in the same chapter He added: "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (verses 21-22).
When we bear in mind that the chronological development of the Church is one of the ways the messages to the seven churches can be understood, it becomes apparent that "the hour of trial" represents the Great Tribulation that will occur just before Christ's second coming. For further explanation of the Church's historical development, see "Seven Churches of Revelation."
As the world teeters on the edge of self-destruction and faithful Christians are hated and even martyred, Christ promises protection for those in Philadelphia during this particularly bleak period of human history that will "test those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10).
As these awful events occur, Jesus admonishes the Philadelphians to hold fast to God's way of life so no one will take their "crown" (verse 11)—their opportunity to receive eternal life and reign with Christ over the nations (Revelation 1:6; 2:26; 5:10).
Promises for overcomers
The message to this congregation concludes with important promises that Christ says He will give to those who overcome. These include the opportunity to be "a pillar in the temple of My God" and having God's "new name" (Revelation 3:12).
The reference to being a pillar in God's temple and the further explanation "he shall go out no more" (verse 12) was encouraging for Philadelphians who, due to earthquakes, may have seen the pillars of buildings in their city collapse and citizens having to go out of the buildings for safety. The new name that will identify Christians as belonging to God was surely more enticing than the various name changes the city of Philadelphia had experienced.
Lessons for us
Although there is no correction offered by Christ to the church in Philadelphia, there is still important advice in this message that applies to us. What pleased Christ about this church was that its members had persevered in the face of pressures to abandon God's instructions. Instead of denying God's name, they had remained faithful and apparently preached the gospel as God opened doors for them to do so.
Christ advised these faithful members to "hold fast what you have" (verse 11), meaning they should continue in this path. He also reminded them that He will reward those who overcome (verse 12, also see Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 21). An important lesson for us is that once we begin obeying God and living as He commands, we must stay the course.
If you would like to learn more about how to please God, the articles in the "Change" section of this website provide excellent guidance.
David Treybig
David Treybig is a husband, father and grandfather. He and his wife, Teddi, have two grown children and seven grandchildren. He currently pastors the Austin, Texas, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He has served in the pastoral ministry for over 40 years, pastoring congregations across six states.
Pergamos
Learn More About Revelation


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Q: check if boostrap modal is hidden using js Bootstrap modals can be hidden using
$('#myModal').modal('hide')
or using the close icon on the corner or clicking on somewhere outside the modal.
is there a way to check if the modal was closed using the js method and whether it has been triggered using other methods?
I want to do specific actions depending on each scenairo
$('#myModal').on('hidden.bs.modal', function (e) {
  // on js trigged close, do something
  // otherwise do something...
})

A: whenever modal is shown, it adds a in class into modal. so you can check if $('#myModal') has class in it means modal is show if not then hidden
here is exmaple:
    if ($('#myModal').hasClass('in')) {
      console.log('modal is shown')
    }else {
      console.log('modal is hidden')
    }
    // or

    if ($('#myModal.in').length != 0) {
      console.log('modal is shown')
    }else {
      console.log('modal is hidden')
    }

already tested.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: Debugging Flash SWF panel Does anyone think it could be possible to create a custom debugger for swf files using a socket, able to support breaking points and step through code functionality?
I know there are swf debugger's out there but I have not found one that can step through code...
I was thinking of creating one and would like to get some input and ideas.
I know flash has a System.Pause() function that will stop the player and I can get the code line using stackTrace. but I have no idea how to perform the step functionality.
Maybe FlasCC some how?
Or create a server debugger which will call the pause function every step... but how would I know when a new line is being processed?
The reason I would like to create this is to debug Flash extension SWFpanel which wont connect to flash remote debugger
Any thoughts and ideas are welcome .


I was commissioned by Furtherfield and the Southend Education Trust to develop and deliver a workshops for teachers on the Raspberry Pi computer. I worked with Olga Panades to create a workshop plan which we then delived. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-license.


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Major General Jan Krister Lennart Larsson Lagersvärd, né Larsson (14 September 1934 – 22 September 2022) was a senior Swedish Army officer. His senior commands include postings as Chief of the Army Staff and of the General Staff Corps (1983–1988) and head of the Swedish National Defence College from 1988 to 1994.

Early life
Larsson was born on 14 September 1934 in Lund City Parish (Lunds stadsförsamling), Sweden, the son of Lennart Larsson, a farmer, and his wife Kristina (née Bengtsson).

Career
Larsson attended a staff course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1964 to 1966 and served in the Army Staff from 1966 to 1976. Larsson served in South Scanian Regiment from 1976 to 1977 and in the Southern Military District from 1977 to 1979 and then attended the Swedish National Defence College in 1979. He served as acting regimental commander of Värmland Regiment from 1979 to 1980 and Planning Director at the Defence Materiel Administration from 1980 to 1983.

In 1983, Larsson attended a staff course in Monterey, California, United States and at the Swedish National Defence College. In 1983, Larsson was also appointed Chief of the Army Staff and of the General Staff Corps. He served in this position for five years before being head of the Swedish National Defence College from 1988 to 1994.

Larsson was an expert in the Swedish Armed Forces Management Investigation (Försvarets ledningsutredning, FLU 74) and in the 1979 Materiel Procurement Commission (1979 års materielanskaffningskommission), chairman of the Swedish Pistol Shooting Association (Svenska pistolskytteförbundet) from 1984 to 1989, chairman of the Swedish Military Sports Association (Sveriges militära idrottsförbund) from 1984, and a board member of the Swedish Ancestry Research Association (Sveriges Släktforskarförbund).

He was chairman of the Swedish Military Sports Association from 1995 to 2000.

Personal life
In 1962, he married Solveig Lagersvärd (née Bergström) (born 1934), the daughter of Arvid and Ingrid Bergström.

Death
Larsson died on 22 September 2022 in Täby.

Dates of rank
1956 – Second lieutenant
19?? – Lieutenant
1966 – Captain
1972 – Major
1972 – Lieutenant colonel
1979 – Colonel
1983 – Major general

Awards and decorations
  Knight of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1974)

Honours
Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1982)

References

1934 births
2022 deaths
Swedish Army major generals
People from Lund
Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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[WL Gist] Things You Need To Know About Delta Unity Concert [ Click Here]
Delta State Celebrates "The Power of Oneness"
On the 2nd of October, 2017, Asaba, the capital of Delta state played host to top-notch artistes, comedians, from the 25 local governments of the state and many visitors of the Delta unity concert. The Delta unity concert tagged 'THE POWER OF ONENESS' is the result of a collaborative effort of the body of Delta Entertainers and will be held at the prestigious Dome Event Center, Asaba, Delta State on 27th of October, 2017, Venue is the Dome, Event Center, Asaba.
This concert seeks to bridge the gaps in Delta state, multi-tribal state, while emphasizing the spirit of unity amongst all. The leadership of the Delta Entertainers recognises the power of music, culture and entertainment generally, to foster greater lives, harmony and cooperation amongst its people for the purpose of making Delta state a peaceful and economically viable state.
Delta state is once again leading the way as it has always done, in creating a counter narrative to the various divisive voices seeking to create disunity and disaffection in various parts of the country by highlighting our oneness as a people. To this extent, "The Power of Oneness" concert is a timely intervention capable of snowballing into a call to Nigerians as whole, to embrace our uniqueness, similarities and shared history and aspirations.
As part of the former Bendel state, fondly referred to as mini-Nigeria, Delta state still retains its original character of having various tribes that have co-existed, inter-marry and collaborate in so many spheres of life. This underscores the need to showcase this oneness through music and comedy.
In addition, the concert has as part of its objectives the following:
To reach out a hand of unity and fellowship to all Deltans irrespective of their tribes, culture and political leanings
To promote unity and harmony amongst ALL indigenes of Delta State
To create an restore hope in our people and put smiles on their faces in spite of the current prevailing circumstances
To bridge the gap between the different strata of the society thereby and engendering greater cooperation and collaboration even amongst members of the Delta Entertainers Council
To explore and exploit entertainment as a platform for communicating the message of Unity, Peace, harmony and hope to all Deltans
To create an avenue for local talents to perform alongside A-list acts in order to give them the desired exposure and recognition
To create and enabling environment for improved economic activities and patronage especially from neighbouring areas like Onitsha, Nnewi etc
'A' list Artistes and comedians from Delta State Origin, DJs, Actors and other 'A' list Entertainers will be performing at the concert.
The Power of Oneness of Concert is an indication of the commitment of the Delta Entertainers to promote greater love and understanding through music in addition to propagating the message of hope amongst entertainers and indigenes of the state as a whole. This clarion call serves as a reminder to every indigene of Delta State of the importance and need for unity even in our unique diversity in order to further uplift our dear Delta State to greater heights.
This premier edition is expected to be the first in the series of similar concerts to be staged periodically at various locations across the State so as to allow for inclusion in order for every indigene of the State to have a sense of true participation and belonging.
The traditional beads circling it the logo is unique, Beads are synonymous to ALL tribes in Nigeria and even our own dear state. We have used this continous unbroken circle of beads to symbolise our "oneness". The unity that binds us all together.
Frank Otoide.
(Spokesperson)
Sebastian Ikpoza
(General Secretary)
For details and enquiries: 0806 474 7518, 08037304939.
Tags [WL Need Asaba Delta Delta Unity Concert Know!
[Video] Nonso Amadi – Go Outside ft. Mr Eazi
[Video] Jorja Smith – "Be Honest" ft. Burna Boy
[Video] Davido x Chris Brown – "Blow My Mind"
[Lyrics] Rexxie – "Foti Foyin" ft. Zlatan x Teni x Naira Marley


One of the perks of working in a library is getting recommendations from patrons on what they read and liked. Many of the novels that I have come to love the most were little gems that came from these suggestions, so when a number of library members with whom I normally share reading tastes said read "Sting" by Sandra Brown, I put it on my to-read list. I'd read Sandra Brown years ago, when she was firmly in the romance or romantic suspense period of her career so I thought this would be more of the same and was delighted to find she'd carved out a great thriller, instead.
The novel begins with poised and polished Jordie Bennett in a seedy Southern bar, where she has attracted the attention of the bar patrons, especially two particular men. Unknown to her, these men are hired assassins and she is their target. Within a few pages, the hit has turned into a kidnapping as one of the killers, decides that rather than collecting a paltry sum for her death, he can shake her brother down for the 30 million in stolen mob money that he may have access to. The story then twists into a neat little cat and mouse between Jordie and her kidnapper, Shaw Kinnard, a man with secrets of his own. In this situation, Jordie must rely on her wits to survive.
"Sting" is like a roller coaster ride of a book, weaving happily in one direction before vering off somewhere completely different. I have read a number of thriller or romantic/thrillers but this one was full of surprises. Everything here works; the characters, the situation, the dialogue and the romantic elements complement each other well.
A number of writers who have honed their skills in the traditional romance market, like Catherine Coulter and Tess Gerritsen have moved on to write superb thrillers which I enjoy, now I will add Sandra Brown to that list. My only regret is that it took me forever to try her again. PS. I just checked out another of her books, "Friction".


A series of incidents in a short period created cause for concern on a large construction project in the UK (+£500m). Incident investigations are one of the ways to learn about safety failings, so that remedial action can be put into place to avoid a recurrence. The researcher was a member of the H&S department, with the role of a participant observer during the incident investigation period. Data collection included: informal conversations with employees; attending safety and accident investigation meetings; viewing project documents; and attending the safety stand down that occurred. The case study findings revealed that a blame culture restricted information flow on the incidents; and consequently there was a focus on easily observable unsafe acts, and static unsafe conditions, providing a narrow rather than deep perspective. These acts and conditions, such as a lack of compliance with PPE, or a weather condition, were often difficult to manage. For safety understanding the project repeatedly used Heinrich's (1931) seminal work as a foundation. However, this work is arguably outdated as it focuses on accidents on an individual rather than complex socio-technical level.


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Q: VNC connection to headless Ubuntu workstation - black screen after login I managed to be able to get to the logon screen of Ubuntu 16.04LTS via VNC/ssh following several nice guides on these websites:
http://machine-cycle.blogspot.com/2012/04/remote-gdm3-login-with-vnc.html
http://c-nergy.be/blog/?p=11231
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-and-configure-vnc-on-ubuntu-16-04
However, once I logged on all I see is a black screen and a cursor. With a display attached on the remote machine, the logon worked there, but is not shared via vnc. Without any monitor attached, I get back to the login screen immediately after successful login. The only configuration that somewhat worked was using the XFCE4 window manager, but that causes a number of applications to crash (RStudio). Therefore, I'd rather have it up and running with XUbuntu or Gnome.
Btw, VNC is no problem using the Remote Sharing AFTER login. But I really want a headless system (or with attached diplayport dongle emulating a display).
Any help is greatly appreciated!
-Geo


The Grout Medic of Denver performs tile and grout services in the Denver Metro area. As our longest-running client, we have designed several overhauls to their website over the years.
The site has received redesigns in 2013, 2015 and 2018, with updates to looks and features to keep the site looking crisp and modern.
The latest version included a dramatic new design scheme with unorthodox, but appealing, shapes and layout. Great care was taken to maximize compatibility and responsiveness.
Over the years, the Grout Medic of Denver has been willing to try out new SEO techniques and site features, often resulting in great success.


The Cubs slammed Freddie Merkle in his first big league start but it's the Cubbies, not Merkle's Giants, who've lived with the pain for more than a century.
Fourth of July and I looked at the MLB standings in my morning paper and there sat the Cubbies, at the top of the (usually) competitive NL Central. There's an old baseball adage – the first place team on the Fourth of July takes home the pennant, and this Cubs' edition, with an unorthodox, savvy manager, pitching, power and speed, may be heading for the Cubs' first World Series triumph since Babe Ruth was a thirteen-year-old delinquent.
The Red Sox, famous for their own championship drought, are also playing pretty good ball, and wouldn't it be hilarious, for those of us not residing in Chicago, if the Cubs roared into the Series, only to get hammered by the Sox. For the truth is, it's going to take more than a solid, on-field effort for the Cubbies to break their century-old drought. What Chicago has to do is stop blaming the goat and propitiate the gods of baseball by making amends for a terrible injustice perpetrated the last time the Cubs were World Series champions.
The curse of the Bambino I can understand. By the winter of 1920, the Babe was already a star baseball player, although I don't suppose anyone, including Harry Frazee, who sold him, or Jake Ruppert, who bought him, realized just how much bigger Ruth would become. The Curse, or more precisely, the Sale, was to have devastating effects on the Bosox' fortunes. Winners of the very first World Series, the Sox accrued five World Series titles before they dealt the Babe for another babe, Nanette, and before the Babe's new ball club, the Yankees, even got into the Fall Classic. And afterward? The Yankees would finish the century as the kings of baseball, with 26 World Series titles. The Sox would go 0 for the rest-of-the-century. They'd play in four World Series, losing them all in seven games and in excruciating fashion.
The Cubs' curse I don't get. Something about a smelly old goat getting kicked out of Wrigley Field and why would anyone bring a goat to Wrigley Field? Must have been a pet, but when was the last time you took your hamster or parakeet out to the ball game? And if the goat didn't get kicked out of Wrigley until 1945 and the Cubs haven't won a World Series title since 1908, it has to be something else.
Let me tell you what it is. It's what the Cubs did to poor Freddie Merkle.
Imagine you're a teenager, the youngest player in the major leagues and a member of the illustrious New York Giants with John McGraw and Iron Man McGinnity and Christy Mathewson and all those other Giants. It's your first time in the starting lineup and you're the, uh, goat, in a controversial play that costs your team the pennant and that lives forever in baseball lore. You go on to have a pretty solid big league career but nothing you can ever do on the ball field can wipe away the infamy of that one play, and everyone (except your wife) calls you Bonehead for the rest of your life, and it's all the fault of those crafty Cubs. Wouldn't you put a curse on them?
You're darn right you would.
1908 was an amazing year for baseball and not only because it was the last time the Cubs won a championship. Both the National and American Leagues had down-to-the-wire pennant races. In the National League it was the Cubs, Giants and Pirates battling and on September 23, the Giants and Cubs met at the Giants' home field, the Polo Grounds, in upper Manhattan. The game was tied in the bottom of the ninth and with two outs, the Giants had a runner on third and Freddie (let's not call him Bonehead,) was on first, and the batter hit a single to center field, an apparent game winner. Apparent because the runner scored from third, ball game over, Giants win. Except Freddie, seeing the fans rushing onto the field (the exits were behind center field,) did what most ballplayers did in those days. He turned around and headed for the showers before reaching second base.
"A run is not scored if the runner advances to home base during a play in which the third out is made...by any runner being forced out."
Emslie and O'Day conferred and concurred and since they couldn't restart the game, it was nearly dark and there were those thousands of Giants' fans on the field, the umps declared a tie. There was an uproar, and plenty of legal wrangling but the umps' decision was vindicated by the league office and the whole thing would have been forgotten if one of the three contenders had just simply outplayed the others the last few weeks of the season and walked off with the pennant. Instead, and only in baseball, the Giants and Cubs finished in a tie for first place. The Merkle Game had to be replayed and can't you just see it coming, the Cubs winning the decisive game, 4 to 2, and going on to win the World Series, 4 games to one over Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers, champs of the American League.
Poor Freddie Merkle, and this bears repeating, poor Freddie Merkle, scarred for life, had only done what all the ballplayers did in those days.
Freddie played sixteen years in the majors, appeared in five World Series, once as a Cub, and never on the winning side, and he remained bitter over his fate.
Legendary umpire Bill Klem, who always called them like he saw them, called this one "the rottenest decision in the history of baseball," and Klem's reasoning? The force rule was meant to apply to grounders, not to balls hit to the outfield. Klem was highly respected and feared, and maybe his tirade against the injustice done to Merkle convinced the baseball gods the Cubs needed to be punished. The Giants, since 1908, have had their share of success, pennants and World Series Championships, and the Cubs? Well, they've been the Cubs. They've won seven pennants since 1908 and have lost the World Series each time, and they'll never win another one, until they make peace with Freddie Merkle's ghost.
A gentleman, a ballplayer, a worthy diamond foe.
And please, Chicago, if you get to the Series, for your own sake, please shut up about the goat. The goat isn't the problem. The problem is the way you treated that teenager from Watertown, Wisconsin, on that fateful, dark day back in September of 08.