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You've finished your manuscript. It's all shiny and new, and after months of feeling like crap about it, you finally feel accomplished. It's your baby. Now it's ready to be published!
No. No, it's not. It's not even close.
Luckily for you, beta reading is done for free. But it does take time and patience and some toughening up. Here are some things that I try to keep in mind when I send stuff off to beta readers.
The first is to find beta readers that you trust to do the job well. You'll want honest, helpful people. As tempting as it is, you don't want people who will just gush meaningless praise all over your manuscript. I know I always get extremely suspicious. The point of beta reading is to improve. You can't do that if you consistently surround yourself with hapless sycophants. By the same token, you don't have to put up with people who offer nothing more than, "this is crap." Beta readers don't exist to take you down a peg. Their job is to take your writing and point out things that do and don't work.
It may take some shopping around. You might have a bad experience or two. The hunt is worth it. A good crew of beta readers will really help forge you into a better writer. I know I owe mine everything. So, do the work, find your crew.
Once you've found your beta readers, there are some courtesy things that I feel are important. Try to ensure that your manuscript is as clean as possible. I'm terrible at self-editing, so I struggle with this one. I still try to make sure that there are as few spelling and punctuation errors as I can before sending it off to my beta readers. There are two reasons for this.
One, readers can often be distracted if the errors are too many or too egregious and they stop concentrating on the things they're supposed to be concentrating on and focus on the things that don't matter at this stage of the manuscript's life. I would much prefer they concentrate on ensuring the story/characters/timeline/whatever.
The other reason is that I think it's just good manners.
To achieve this I do three editing passes myself before I feel the manuscript is decent enough to be sent off to others. I put the thing away for a couple of weeks and work on something else. Then I edit it, put it away again, and edit it again. Somewhere in those three edits, I take the time to have the computer read the text back to me. It is so helpful to me to hear the thing out loud. It's not fool-proof, but it helps.
Once you've edited your manuscript, it's time to send it off into the world for criticism. Gulp.
This is not easy. I struggled with it a lot my first few times. There are some things you will have to practice if you're going to get through this stage with any grace whatsoever.
The first thing to practice is patience.
I'm terrible at it. However, you have to remember that your beta readers have lives and projects of their own. And their doing you a huge favour by agreeing to take on your book. Don't expect to receive word of their thoughts on your manuscript any time soon. You might be anxious to send the book out to agents and publishers, but rushing the beta process will almost always guarantee failure at the submission stage. Give your beta readers the space to work.
If you have a deadline, let them know before you send the book to them, and don't get upset if it's too tight for them and they have to decline. A month is usually a reasonable deadline, but be prepared to give them more. These are volunteers, not your slaves.
I know it's tough. My first few times, I had to fight hard to resist the urge to send follow-up emails every week after sending of a manuscript.
The worst part is, that's not even the worst part. That comes when the feedback arrives in your inbox.
Criticism is hard, even if it's done gently and with the most tact in the world. It can feel deeply personal, whether it is or not, especially since you've poured so much time and effort and soul into your manuscript. It took me longer than it should have to be able to separate self from work when accepting criticism on my manuscripts. Sometimes I still get a little wounded when reading criticism, but I've developed the ability to pull back and get a grip when I feel that coming on.
You will have to find that same distance. Your manuscript is not you, and criticisms of that manuscript are not criticisms of you. It's easier said than done, but if you want to improve your craft, you're going to have to find a way.
To that end, flipping out at a beta reader for any of their notes is an enormous no-no. Don't do it. Lashing out because you're feeling wounded over a criticism is a quick way to lose a beta reader... or many, if your readers know one another. You might vehemently disagree with their notes, and that disagreement may even be free of ego, but emailing or calling a beta reader to tell them they're wrong is a really stupid idea. Don't do it.
That doesn't mean you absolutely must agree with them, either. You can disagree with a beta readers note/s. If that's that case, all you have to do is ignore it. Do take the time to think on it thoroughly. If you still feel the note has little merit, you can absolutely ignore it. It's your manuscript. You may do whatever you wish with it.
A good rule of thumb for ignoring or accepting notes is this: if multiple readers have the same or similar notes, it's a problem and you really should change it. That happened recently with my Soldier manuscript. All three readers made the same note at the same spot. I definitely needed to change it up.
Your manuscript is something you should be proud of. You've written a book. Not everyone can say the same. Not even everyone who has tried can say they've succeeded. It's a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud.
Now you must set aside your pride, and ask for help to make this manuscript the best it possibly can be. You must accept that help, and try to do so with grace.
And once you've received that help, make sure you thank those who have helped you. They've gone out of their way to try and help you succeed. They didn't have to.
This is the end of my beta reading serial. Is there anything else you want me to write about? Let me know in the comments below. Until then, I have work to do.


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ENG vs RSA ICC World Cup Match Prediction Today – Match 1, 2019
April 9, 2019	ICC World Cup 2019, Match Predictions Leave a comment 262 Views
Today match Prediction of England vs South Africa Match cricket Prediction, Toss Prediction, Who will Win, Pitch Report, weather report etc of world Cup 2019.
England vs South Africa Match Prediction: Today Match Prediction
ICC World Cup 2019, London: Ahead of the opening match at the Oval on Thursday, we take a look at all the statistics and numbers.
The World's biggest cricket event is finally here! As we know the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will play in England and Wales from May 30 to July 14, 2019. Ten teams will fight for the sport's most prestigious prize, with England and India will be the hot favorites to win this contest. England, the hosts and the number-one ranked ODI team, will kick off the proceedings against South Africa at on Thursday at Kennington Oval.
England Team Updates :
England will surely put four years of their planning on the line when they face South Africa in the opening match here at the Oval on Thursday.
England will look to forget their humiliating exit four years back and begin the World Cup on the bright note. Since their loss at 2015 world cup, the hosts have won 17 of their 22 ODI series with winning almost 15 out of their last 16 matches at home. Their only defeat at home was against India.
England's transformation has been remarkable, with Eoin Morgan's men climbing to the top of the rankings like ODI team and twice setting a record for the highest ODI total, which stands at 481 for six.
Batting has been the strong basis for England's with Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Morgan, and the super player Jos Buttler among top six who can change the course of the match within no time.
South Africa Team Updates :
On the other hand, South Africa has been one of the favorites to win the world cup. They are one of the strongest team with a dynamic batting and bowling unit. A bit every time luck and fortune played a spoilsport. They have suffered plenty of World Cup heartaches in semi-finals with pressure being dominant on them.
In this tournament, South Africa are without their retired star batsman AB de Villiers but their top order includes Hashim Amla, Faf Du Plessis, Rabada and the talented Quinton de Kock.
South Africa has managed to win 16 of their last 21 ODIs while also winning the first warm-up match. South Africa is too much dependent and riding high on openers Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock. But the one big blow that South Africa faced ahead of their campaign was Dale Steyn's injury. Due to the injury, he has ruled out of the first encounter against hosts England.
Weather Report:
The weather forecast for Thursday indicates dry but mostly cloudy conditions at Kennington Oval, London. These clouds are likely to spread over a little by the evening. There is a small chance of small rain showers in the late evening.
Humidity is likely to increase from a minimum of 65% to a maximum of 79% during the match. High humidity, winds, light, and low temperatures may lead to a wet outfield, especially during the second innings of the game.
Pitch Report:
The warm-up matches played at this venue were an example of how solid a pitch this is going to be for batting if the sun is out. The surface covered with grass which helps eventually seamers to bounce the ball and batting here is going to be a nightmare for the batsman.
England vs RSA toss prediction:
As there was a small chance for rainfall, the team who wins the toss may elect to chase the score.
England Team news :
Mark Wood has been declared fit enough for the first encounter. But if England team management decides to give him some rest, bowler Liam Plunkett is likely to join into the lineup.
Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes will be their all-rounders, with the strong batting line-up with the likes of Jason Roy, Joe Root, Bairstow, and Buttler.
England possible XI :
Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (C), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer
RSA Team News:
It has confirmed that pacer Dale Steyn will not play against England, which means there's an opportunity for the all-rounder, Chris Morris, to join the squad.
RSA possible XI :
Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis (C), Rassie van der Dussen, JP Duminy, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Lungi Ngidi,.
England vs South Africa:
England won: 26
South Africa won: 29
Tied: 1
No result: 3
World Cup head to head:
Matches: 6
England won: 3
South Africa won: 3
Ties: 0
England vs South Africa match prediction:
It is evident from the statistics today match Prediction England vs South Africa has been quite a close affair, with the South Africans almost coming out on top on many occasions. But England will be looking to create a landmark by winning their first trophy at home, as they have backed as hot favorites for the tournament. South Africa too, will be hoping for a better display of performance in this World Cup as they have been the dangerous team at any level of cricket.
However, the hosts England have the benefit of playing in their home conditions. Besides they have a strong ODI record at this Kennington Oval ground and have even beaten South Africa here on the previous four clashes.
Although Proteas are a very dangerous team and can beat any team on their day, we are backing hosts England team to begin their World Cup campaign with a strong win against South Africa.
Today Match Prediction Winner: England
Tags ENG vs RSA ENG vs RSA fantasy ICC World Cup Match 1 Prediction ICC World Cup prediction ENG vs RSA ICC World Cup Prediction England vs South Africa
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French 'rogue trader' Kerviel must pay 1.0 mn euros to bank
Yahoo – AFP, Céline Agniel, September 23, 2016
Jerome Kerviel was sentenced to five years in prison over a series of risky
trades which nearly bankrupted Societe Generale in 2008, though in total he
actually spent only 150 days in prison (AFP Photo/Kenzo Tribouillard)
Versailles (France) (AFP) - A French appeals court on Friday ordered "rogue trader" Jerome Kerviel to pay a million euros to Societe Generale over the nearly five billion euros he squandered through his reckless risk-taking.
But the court in Versailles, outside Paris, laid the lion's share of the blame for the 4.9 billion euro ($5.5 billion) loss at the feet of the French banking giant, citing its "woefully inadequate" internal checks.
Kerviel, 39, was "partially responsible for the loss" that brought Societe Generale to the brink of bankruptcy in 2008, the court said.
But "regardless of (Kerviel's) wiles and determination, or the sophistication of the procedures he used, such a loss could not have been incurred without the woefully inadequate oversight systems at Societe Generale," the court said.
The deficiencies and "managerial choices... gave an ill-intentioned employee such as Jerome Kerviel a wide scope of action," it added.
In a civil case, Kerviel was first ordered to repay the entirety of the enormous losses but that was quashed on appeal.
'I owe nothing'
Despite Friday's verdict that he must now pay a million euros, Kerviel said: "I still believe I owe nothing to Societe Generale."
He said the decision gave him the "energy to continue the struggle" and would go on fighting for a retrial.
His lawyer David Koubbi, while trumpeting that the Versailles court "wiped out 99.98 percent of the sum" hanging over his client, said he would oppose "any effort to recover" the one million euros.
Jean Veil, a lawyer for Societe Generale, had called the ruling "completely satisfactory".
French lawyer Jean Veil, representing Societe Generale, leaves the Versailles
courthouse on September 23, 2016, during the appeal trial of Jerome Kerviel
(AFP Photo/Martin Bureau)
Koubbi said Friday's decision would be "excellent fodder" for three lawsuits that are pending against the bank as well as the bid for a retrial.
The decision did not bear directly on a 2.2 billion euro tax break that the French state awarded to the bank in compensation for the losses -- a protection that is available in fraud cases.
But the government said it would review Societe Generale's tax situation in view of the ruling that the bank was overwhelmingly responsible.
Kerviel, who was convicted of breach of trust, forgery and entering false data for the trades, was sentenced to five years in prison, two of which were suspended.
In total he actually spent only 150 days in prison.
'Crook, fraudster, terrorist'
Kerviel has always maintained that his bosses turned a blind eye as long as the profits kept rolling in.
His colleagues said he was generally well thought of by his bosses, but Societe Generale's then CEO described Kerviel as a "crook, fraudster and terrorist" after the scam fell apart.
Friday's verdict follows hearings at the Versailles appeal court in June in which lawyers for Societe Generale made a fresh attempt to claw back the cash.
The bank said it had "always recognised the weaknesses and faults in its system of checks", but that Kerviel was responsible for the trades.
In June, a Paris labour tribunal ordered Societe Generale to pay him 450,000 euros in damages, saying he had been fired "without genuine or serious cause". The bank has appealed.
Kerviel, the son of a village blacksmith from the far west of rural Brittany, divides opinion in France.
Many believe he is a scapegoat while others think he should pay the price for his actions.
He has never denied taking risks -- at one point staking 50 billion euros of the bank's money -- but maintains that his bosses were just as much at fault as he was.
Although his annual salary of some 100,000 euros was modest compared with that of some of his fellow traders, Kerviel reportedly generated 1.9 billion euros for the bank before the financial crisis accelerated his losses.
Since his release from prison, Kerviel has reinvented himself as a computer security consultant and a trenchant critic of "casino capitalism", even meeting Pope Francis after making a pilgrimage to Rome to protest against the "tyranny of the markets".
Posted by Cempaka at 1:31 PM 0 comments
Labels: Financial Institutes, France, Integrity - Ethical, Justice, Truthful and Transparent
Neelie Kroes failed to declare offshore firm directorship while in Brussels
DutchNews, September 22, 2016
Ex-EU commissioner Neelie Kroes came under fire in several newspapers on Thursday for failing to declare she was a director in an offshore firm at the time she was appointed to the Commission.
Leaked files from the Bahamas corporate register show Kroes was recruited by a UAE venture named Mint Holdings set up to buy Enron assets, the Guardian, Financieele Dagblad and Trouw reported.
The information comes from a leak of 1.3 million files from the Bahamas corporate registry which has revealed the names of tens of thousands of people with interests in the tax haven.
Kroes, who is now a paid advisor to Bank of America and Uber, was not allowed by the commissioners' code of conduct to have any other roles. She did declare previous jobs at more than 60 companies, foundations and educational bodies, the Guardian said.
Kroes' told the papers through her lawyer that formally she should have declared this directorship. He added that 'she made her filings in good faith because she believed Mint Holdings had been liquidated in 2002, before her appointment as Europe's antitrust watchdog.'
The Financieele Dagblad reports that in 2004, Kroes was questioned by the European parliament for failing to file about her advisory role at American defence company Lockheed Martin. She said at the time it had been a one-off job.
The Guardian also points out that before becoming anti-trust commissioner, Kroes had to pledge 'not to engage into any business activity following the end of my term'.
Asked why Kroes had gone back on this pledge to work for Uber and others, the lawyer said Kroes had kept the pledge after completing her first term with the European Commission.
'Instead, she was honoured with a second term in a completely different field. Having now finished her second term, she no longer feels bound by the commitment made prior to taking her first post,' the Guardian quoted her lawyer as saying.
Jose Manuel Barroso's appointment to the role of non-executive chairman and
advisor at Goldman Sachs has caused a furore in the EU (AFP Photo/Thierry Charlier)
Paris calls on Barroso not to take Goldman Sachs job
Posted by Cempaka at 12:51 PM 0 comments
Labels: EU, Financial Institutes, Integrity - Ethical, Netherlands, Tax, Truthful and Transparent, US
Dutch ports at centre of dirty diesel trade, Swiss report claims
A lorry near Accra. Photo: Carl De Keyzer – Magnum
Swiss commodity trading firms are exploiting lax regulatory standards to sell toxic fuel to Africa and much of the dirty diesel is stored in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, according to a report by Swiss NGO Public Eye.
Rotterdam oil firm Vitol and Dutch Swiss Trafigura, have major refining and storage interests in the Netherlands and in Antwerp where crude oil is mixed with other substances to keep prices low, Public Eye claims.
'The 160-page report also shows that the trading companies not only ship dirty diesel and dirty gasoline — and in some areas even sell it at their own pumps — but also produce both fuels themselves,' Public Eye said.
'On land or at sea, they mix up a petrochemical cocktail from refinery products and other components known in the industry as "African Quality". These toxic fuels are mainly mixed in the ARA-Zone (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) where Swiss trading firms have their own refineries and storage facilities,' the report said.
Banned substances
Many West African countries that export high grade crude oil to Europe receive toxic low quality fuel in return.
Public Eye researchers drew fuel at local pumps in eight countries and found diesel samples contained up to 378 times more sulfur than is permitted in Europe. Other toxic substances, such as benzene and poly-cyclical aromatic hydrocarbons, were also found in concentrations that are banned in Europe.
'It is unacceptable that we continue to supply developing countries with sub-standard fuels and vehicles, which result in major health impacts by increasing air pollution,' said Eric Solheim, executive director of the UN's environment programme.
'In our globalized economy, there are good reasons to universallyapply clean fuel and vehicle standards in every country. Dumping old and dirty substances and technologies needs to stop now.'
According to Trouw, both Vitol and Trafigura say they support measures to reduce pollution and will reduce the level of sulfur permitted in fuel if the countries concerned change the regulations.
Ploumen: reported export of toxic diesel 'scandalous'
Labels: Africa, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environment, Financial Institutes, Health, Integrity - Ethical, Maritime, Netherlands, Pollution, Switzerland, Toxin, Truthful and Transparent
Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, September 17, 2016)
Matthew Ward - September 17, 2016
With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. Let us begin by addressing the thoughts in many minds, and foremost is concern about North Korea's successful missile launchings. If that country does send a nuclear warhead into space, detonation will be prevented by universal family members who continuously patrol your skies—the same will be so if any other nation would make such an attempt.
The ceasefire in Syria for humanitarian purposes is welcome, to be sure, but much more than this bandage is needed to relieve the plight of people in that war-torn country. Peace will come; however, the strong energy streamers of hostility and distrust emitted by opposing religious and secular groups will cause detours along the way.
As for the energetic scenarios described in our last message about the presidential election in the United States, Hillary Clinton's withdrawing from the race for health reasons has an edge on the other possibilities that also would put Bernie Sanders in the White House. This doesn't mean that if the edge widens, the scenarios pertaining to Clinton's activities will evaporate. The energy of those streamers will run its course to bring that information to light, thus the possibility remains that it will be her disqualification for the presidency that elevates Sanders to the office.
The truth about "9/11" will be revealed, but not until after the Rockefeller faction of the Illuminati have lost all their influence in the government, economy and mainstream media of the United States.
That nation's finger-pointing at Russia in a series of hacked emails and portraying Vladimir Putin as a meddler in US political affairs and a dictator who wants to control the countries formerly within the USSR is political posturing and fodder for the media. Putin doesn't want a new cold war era or conflicts with any country; he is one of the individuals in governments, military forces and the corporate and economic sectors whose efforts behind closed doors are aimed at ending the Illuminati's long reign of global corruption, deception, assassination, initiating wars and fostering impoverishment.
Rising vibratory levels that also are helping to rid Earth of those plagues on humanity are playing havoc with people who don't understand what is transpiring. What you know is the evolution of a civilization and transformation of a world, most are seeing as perpetual turmoil, divisiveness and confusion, and the sense of time passing faster and faster is unsettling as well. For many, this means rushing through responsibilities, yet often days end before all tasks are accomplished, adding pressure to bodies and minds already stressed by the effects of high vibrations.
A number of readers are writing about the challenges they are encountering in that respect, and, while awakening souls in particular are seeking guidance, lightworkers are not immune to the stress of adjusting to successively higher frequencies along Earth's ascension pathway. Rather than repeat stress-reduction suggestions we have offered, I asked my mother to note the dates of messages so that anyone who would like to read that information anew or as reminders can easily find it. [ July 4, 2013 has the most comprehensive coverage, and March 23, 2008; March 10, 2009; November 22, 2013; and March 20, 2016 offer additional insight into causes and relief of stress.] Thank you, Mother. We want to emphasize that changing a negative thought to one that is positive is the fastest way to ease stressful feelings about any situation.
"Why don't vibrations affect everyone the same way?" Actually, vibrations do affect everyone the same way in that they magnify all people's personal characteristics and behavioral tendencies. It is reactions to vibrations that vary greatly, and that is because each person is unique. You differ in a multitude of ways just physically, from size and age to body chemistry and cellular structure; however, it is beliefs, experiences, relationships and attitudes that most profoundly affect individuals' reactions.
But speaking again about the entire populace and stating this most basically, responses to vibrations are in accordance with whether minds and hearts are open or closed. We digress a bit to say that vibratory levels differ immensely, but always the "ingredient" of vibrations is the love-light essence of Creator, the most powerful force in the cosmos. Although generally light is considered visual and love a sensation, they are one and the same energy; and in a spiritual context, love, light and love-light are synonymous. Now then, persons who are open to this energy can receive and send love along its spectrum of uplifting manifestations; those who close out the energy cannot.
It may seem that the opposite of love is hatred, but it isn't—the opposite is the absence of love. Fear also is the absence of love, and even though fear energy never can have the power that is inherent in love, it is strong enough to "parent," so to say, ruthlessness, greed, violence, deceit and lust for power and control. People who live in fear are "in the dark" insofar as spiritual and conscious awareness and people who cause fear-filled circumstances are captives of the dark. That is why so often we urge you to send light to all of Earth —only when people "see the light" can their hearts and minds open to let love displace fear.
We have been asked how to send light. Every personhas the capacity to be a channel of universal energy, the all-powerful love-light, and simply the desire, or intention, to send that energy to a person or a specific area or to all of Earth automatically and instantly directs that energy to the intended recipient. If you wish to do this more formally, perhaps a prayer, meditation or visualization, of course that is fine, but not necessary—it is your feelings that count. And count they do! The collective feelings of people who want to live peacefully and in harmony with Nature, with justness, dignity and prosperity for all, is the energy force that is manifesting that kind of world.
"Are people in Nirvana affected by different astrological signs the way we are?" No. Etheric bodies and Nirvana itself vibrate at frequencies that are not affected by planetary interaction in your solar system that can produce effects on dense bodies like yours.
"With the advent of autonomous robots, do they pose a threat to our future and will artificial intelligence be used by the Illuminati to stop our ascension into fourth density and create massive unemployment and social unrest?" When robots are commonly used by industries, the tedious assembly line jobs this technology replaces—and that is the only"threat"—will end, and depending on workers' ages, they can retire or prepare for jobs in other fields that will be much more satisfying and financially rewarding.
That will not happen in the blink of an eye, but this valuable part of Earth's Golden Age is on the way. When society realizes the need for restorative recreation— re-creation—which the new economic system will support, people will be much healthier, happier, more meaningfully active and prosperous. Artificial intelligence also will be used for purposes that enrich life. And, the Illuminati never have had the ability to stop anyone's personal ascension to fourth density and beyond in spiritual and conscious awareness.
Mother, there is no need to type the questions about twin souls—I'll reply from your list. It's improbable that a soul contract would include the reuniting of twins; each contract is an integral part of a pre-birth agreement intended to benefit all participants, and the twins might not be able to fill the roles that all others in the agreement need. Because twins are known only to each other, there is no "unmistakable means of identification" that apply to all twins. No, twins do not influence each other's soul contract choices or conscious decisions to any greater or lesser extent than any other soul prior to or after incarnating. Reuniting with a twin in a physical civilization doesn't assure karmic completion, and being twins isn't a step-up in the evolutionary process. Yes, twins are more likely to recognize each other in a highly evolved civilization or its spirit world. It is more than "possible," it is very likely "that someone could be wrong about a particular person being their twin soul"— as we stated in a prior message, twins are extremely rare. We add that preoccupation with wanting to know if you are a twin or to reunite with your twin can diminish the fulfillment of your contract choices for this lifetime.
"I am thinking about the shift in which many will die because their bodies will not tolerate the rising vibratory levels. What if they have young children? Will all children up to a certain age naturally rise with Earth? Is there a certain point where humans become responsible for this decision? Will family structuring evolve into new forms?"
When bodies abruptly lose viability due to rising vibratory levels, death will be attributed to heart failure, aneurism, massive stroke or perhaps the result of a fall or vehicle crash. Whatever the medical reason, young children learn to cope with grief and the loss of a parent. Down through the ages countless souls have chosen this experience to achieve balance, and in this unprecedented era in the universe, pre-birth agreements take into account that children may lose one or both parents due to vibratory intolerance. If so, just as now, families will accept medical diagnoses.
Heightening vibrations will provide heartwarming aspects, too. People will be enlightened about life in a spirit world and the certainty of reunions with beloved persons and pets. As telepathic connections open, there can be clear communication between souls on Earth and elsewhere in the universe; and, when your society is more highly evolved, residents on the planet and in Nirvana can visit back and forth.
Naturally rising with Earth—or better said, personal ascension—is a matter of growing spiritually and consciously, and age is not a factor; for 30 years or more, a considerable number of newborns arrived in an evolved status. Every person has the choice, not the responsibility, to grow in the awareness that enables physically going along with Earth for the duration of the life span chosen in the soul contract. Personal ascension does not require traveling with the planet into higher densities—souls evolved throughout the millennia when Earth was mired in deep third density. The grand advantage now is the opportunity to complete third density karma in one lifetime, aided by accelerating vibrations and often the loving assistance of stronger souls.
Family structuring has been evolving for quite some time, and this deserves some thought in the context of ascension. There are biracial and interfaith marriages; in some areas, same sex and transgender marriages; youths are rebelling against arranged marriages. Divorced parents share custody of their children; remarriage creates "blended" families; some parents choose commitment over legal status; surrogate mothers and in vitro fertilization are not unusual; birth control enables married couples to choose not to have children. Children removed from abusive or neglectful parents live with other family members or in foster homes, single persons are adopting children, people in one country are adopting children from another. Three generations may live in the same home, family members may live far distant from each other, elderly parents may live in assisted-living facilities. Some familial arrangements are due to progress in medical science, but the more profound evidence of change is the growing respect for all loving relationships and family configurations.
Beloved brothers and sisters, as the vanguard of the spiritual and conscious evolution underway, simply by living your light you exemplify enthusiasm and confidence in Earth's future—as your vibrations keep rising, you keep raising the vibrations of the world. Light beings throughout this universe honor you and surround you with unconditional love.
Website: The Matthew Books
Email: suzy@matthewbooks.com
Labels: 9/11, Ascension, Bernie Sanders, Clinton, Consciousness, Disclosure ET/UFO, Election, Matthew, North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, Rockefeller, Syria
Brazil ousts lawmaker who pushed for Rousseff impeachment
Yahoo – AFP, Damian Wroclavsky, September 13, 2016
The former president of Brazil's lower house Eduardo Cunha delivers a speech
during a session in the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia on September 12, 2016
(AFP Photo/EVARISTO SA)
Brasília (AFP) - Brazil's lower house of Congress voted Monday to oust its former speaker Eduardo Cunha, who spearheaded the drive to impeach president Dilma Rousseff only to suffer his own graft-stained downfall.
Cunha, who is often compared to the dark, manipulative villain Frank Underwood of the hit Netflix series "House of Cards," was stripped of his seat in the Chamber of Deputies by a resounding vote of 450 in favor, 10 against and nine abstentions.
"I declare lawmaker Eduardo Cunha stripped of office for conduct incompatible with lawmakers' duties," said the decision read out at the conclusion of the late-night session.
Cunha, a 57-year-old conservative allied with the Evangelical Christian right, was a central figure in Brazil's long impeachment drama.
His enemies accuse him of using his power to launch impeachment proceedings as a trump card to stave off his own prosecution for allegedly taking millions of dollars in bribes.
He resigned as speaker in July amid swirling accusations of corruption linked to the huge state oil company Petrobras.
He was forced to face the music in Congress for having "lied" to other lawmakers about his possession of secret Swiss bank accounts.
Cunha, who denies any wrongdoing, handled his own defense at Monday's session. He mainly displayed the cool and calculating persona he is known for, but occasionally his voice broke with emotion.
"I didn't lie. There's no bank account. Where's the proof?" he said.
"Don't judge me based on what public opinion says," he implored, reminding his colleagues that at least 160 of them also face judicial investigations.
But his appeals fell on deaf ears. The vote against him was well clear of the simple majority of 257 needed in the 513-member chamber.
Cunha was first suspended in May, less than a month after lawmakers voted to open impeachment proceedings against Rousseff, Brazil's first woman president.
Rousseff was definitively removed from office on August 31, and replaced by her vice president turned nemesis, Michel Temer.
The new center-right administration brought an end to 13 years of leftist rule in Brazil.
Evangelical 'gangster'
Cunha used a variety of stalling tactics to slow the proceedings that ultimately led to his ouster from Congress. The process dragged on for almost a year, the longest in Brazilian history.
Analysts had predicted he would continue to stall by asking his peers to delay a vote on his fate, arguing for a simple suspension or asking that lawmakers allow him to keep the right to hold public office.
But many of his onetime allies deserted him -- including in his own PMDB party, the biggest in Brazil and also Temer's party.
Rousseff, from the leftist Workers' Party, accused both Temer and Cunha of orchestrating a coup against her.
Thanks largely to Cunha's leadership, the lower house voted heavily in favor last year of opening an impeachment trial against Rousseff, on charges that she illegally manipulated government accounts.
On April 17, the day Rousseff's impeachment trial was authorized, Cunha was the target of a barrage of insults in Congress from leftist deputies, who shouted "Gangster!" and "Putschist!"
Cunha was long considered one of the best wheelers-and-dealers in Brasilia, building a considerable support base including the powerful agriculture lobby, fellow evangelicals and the so-called "bullet caucus" of politicians with police and army connections.
He won prominence promoting a conservative social agenda that included a "Heterosexual Pride Day" and restrictions on abortion. He has been reported to own no less than 150 Internet domains using the name "Jesus."
His defense Monday was sprinkled with religious references, as well as condemnation of Rousseff and her Workers' Party (PT).
In the end, he outlasted her by just two weeks.
"It's the price I'm paying so Brazil can be free of the PT. They're making me pay the price for impeachment," he said.
No matter his fate, he said, no one can take from him "the pleasure of seeing that criminal government go."
Labels: Brazil, Corruption, Financial Institutes, Integrity - Ethical, Switzerland, Truthful and Transparent
Yahoo – AFP, Anita Chang Beattie, September 11, 2016
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to US Democratic presidential nominee
Hillary Clinton during a memorial service at the National 9/11 Memorial in New York
on September 11, 2016 (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)
Washington (AFP) - Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was dealt a blow Sunday when the Democratic nominee fell sick and had to leave a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York, an episode sure to fuel Donald Trump's insinuations that she is not healthy enough for the nation's top office.
The former secretary of state was at the high-profile ceremony at Ground Zero in Manhattan for 90 minutes and greeted some family members of those killed in the deadly terror strikes 15 years ago, her campaign said in a statement.
"During the ceremony, she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughter's apartment, and is feeling much better," the statement said.
An AFP journalist at the ceremony noted that Clinton, dressed in a navy suit and white blouse, was greeting people as she left and did not appear to be rushing out. She walked out accompanied by an aide at her elbow.
However, a video posted on Twitter showed Clinton seeming unsteady as she waited to get into a black van. She appeared to stumble as she was helped into the vehicle, held up on either side by members of her entourage.
It was a humid day in New York, with temperatures around 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius).
Clinton reappeared a few hours later, apparently recovered as she walked out of her daughter Chelsea's home. She smiled for the media and posed for pictures with a young girl before departing in a vehicle for her home in Chappaqua.
"I'm feeling great, it's a beautiful day in New York," Clinton said.
Trump was uncharacteristically silent on Twitter after Clinton's illness, as both candidates took a break from formal campaigning to mark the somber day of remembrance in the United States.
But the businessman, his spokespeople and surrogates have promoted the idea in recent weeks that Clinton, 68, has serious health problems.
The internet is awash with claims that she may have a brain tumor, Parkinson's or dementia. Some complain that she has "seizure-like facial expressions" and others allege that she twitches.
US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves to the press as she
leaves her daughter's apartment building after resting on September 11, 2016,
in New York (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)
Trump, 70, has said Clinton is "not strong enough to be president" and that she "lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS."
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump supporter, has said that Clinton was "tired" and "looked sick."
Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson, who is not a doctor, last month diagnosed Clinton with dysphasia, a disorder that impairs speech and comprehension.
The root of the claims lies in 2012, when Clinton was nearing the end of her stint as secretary of state and a stomach virus and dehydration prompted her to faint, causing what her doctor said was a concussion.
They said they found a blood clot on the brain and Clinton complained of double vision. She appeared in spectacles featuring a prism when testifying before Congress on Benghazi in January 2013. She was later given the all-clear.
The former first lady has dismissed "conspiracy theories" about her health and points to a detailed report from her doctor declaring her fit to serve as president.
She blamed a coughing fit during a speech in Cleveland last week on allergies.
'Vitality and viability'
Clinton's sudden illness is unlikely to be a turning point in the White House race, said Jennifer Lawless, a professor of government at American University in Washington.
From all indications, it appears to just be a brief bout of overheating, she told AFP.
"What the Clinton campaign needs to do over the course of the next several days is demonstrate her vitality and viability. She has to be at tons of events and seem very energetic," Lawless said.
Clinton had been trying to move on from a blunder in which she told a crowd at a fundraiser late Friday that "to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables."
"The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic -- you name it."
Trump and his supporters slammed the remarks. Clinton said she regretted saying "half," but then listed a number of "deplorable" things about Trump.
"I won't stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign," she said.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll out Sunday -- conducted in the days before she made the remark -- shows that 70 percent of the electorate has already decided who to vote for, and only 30 percent are undecided or could switch.
Clinton leads Trump 46 percent to 41 percent lead among likely voters, according to the poll, which had a 4.5 percentage-point margin of error.
The US Constitution gives no guidance on instances when a candidate is unable
to finish a political race (AFP Photo/Jim Watson)
What happens if a US presidential candidate drops out? - New
Clinton has 'no other' health problem than pneumonia: aide - New
Hillary Clinton emails recovered by FBI to be released just before election day
Matthew Ward – August 19, 2016
With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. With nominees for United States president set in stone, or so it would seem, it is understandable that you are asking how it is possible for Bernie Sanders to become that country's next president.
Our last message didn't enumerate the scenarios that Earth's monitors in Nirvana are keeping an eye on because we were waiting to tell you the only one with significance, the one that has gained unstoppable momentum. None has. Therefore, we shall tell you the various possibilities that affect Sanders and the two major parties' nominees—energy around other contenders is too weak to materialize streamers with development potential.
The universe's constant balancing act provides ways to resolve a blockage in an energy field, and that is what's happening here. The preponderance of energy generated around Sanders is positive even though he is not a presidential nominee; the energy generated around Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, who are nominees, is predominantly negative. The overall energy investment, which comprises the thoughts and feelings of the populace, produced countless streamers and they are darting about in the collective consciousness. To bring order out of that chaos, the energy coalesced into various scenarios that represent the total investment and each has the potential to unblock the field and enable the energy around Sanders to flow in the direction it was given, toward the presidency.
Now, the scenarios. Clinton's private dealings with other nations while she was Secretary of State or her complicity in irregularities in the Democratic party's primaries could be disclosed. Some of her sworn statements under oath could be shown as the falsehoods they are. The sources and uses of Clinton Foundation funds or her long-time Illuminati affiliation could be revealed. Any one of those would officially disqualify her as a nominee, and her health issue could disqualify her physically. If any of those scenarios attains unbeatable dominance, Sanders will replace Clinton on the ballot and win the election. Or, she could remain in the race, citizens who are dissatisfied with her and Trump could join Sanders' supporters in electing him via write-in votes. And, since this energetic situation still is unsettled, other possibilities could arise that will put him in the White House.
Any of those departures from the country's traditional procedures at this stage of the process would be unusual, to be sure. However, few would call the 2016 political campaigns "business as usual," so Sanders' return to the presidential arena with the person he wants as vice president may not be all that surprising.
Eventually the populace will understand that this was simply the workings of energy—the vibrations supported Mr. Sanders personally and as the people's choice. This will be understood as well in its much larger context: It is part and parcel of the ongoing momentous change as corruption and oppression give way to freedom and upliftment of the entire civilization.
Resistance also is part of this transformation because fear of change is inherent in third density consciousness. Dark souls are fearful of losing their hold over the many who are fearful about conditions that the dark ones have created or controlled— fear energy of the many is what keeps the dark ones going— but efforts to retain the status quo will be futile. All intentions and conditions in low vibratory levels will continue to disintegrate as vibrations keep rising.
You are accustomed to reading "love," "peace" and "unity" in messages from light sources. Have you noticed how often these words are used by national, civic and religious leaders, individuals interviewed on newscasts, and chanting crowds holding placards with the words boldly printed? Like everything else in existence, words are energy, and spoken or written, they emit vibrations that attract more of their kind—the universal law of attraction—and in all of your languages, love, peace and unity have the highest vibrations. Now that these words are being used frequently around the world, their powerful reverberations are awakening the peoples.
"I think of myself as a searcher for truth. I don't know if this is the same as 'light worker,' but it seems there should be more to that than wanting to know what is true and what isn't. My question is, what is a light worker and how does anyone know if they are?" Thinking of yourself as a searcher for truth and asking about lightworkers shows that you are on the same pathway they are, just not as far along on your journey.
Being discerning as to what information is truthful and what is not is an important part of enlightenment, of self-discovery; however, much more important than relying on external sources for answers is asking within, where all truth is known. The answers, which are messages from soul-level to the consciousness, come as intuition, instinct, conscience, inspiration and aspiration. When you heed the answers you receive, perhaps as strong sensations or images or words in your mind's eye or a voice in your mind, your life flows smoothly. This signifies that your decisions and actions are aligned with choices you made in your soul contract prior to birth.
We made quite a leap from your question, so let us return to it. A simple description of lightworker is a person who lives in godly ways—God made it simpler still: Be kind. Millions of people around the world who haven't heard the word lightworker nevertheless are by sharing their time, skills, money and other resources with those in need. Although we say light worker , what those individuals and all who do identify themselves as such actually are doing is serving the light by living within it.
Light, the same energy as love just expressed differently, is radiated by acts of kindness and attributes like honesty, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, generosity; by being nonjudgmental and open to considering others' perspectives while staying true to one's own principles and values. Radiated light uplifts others—the ripple effects of a genuine smile, a comforting hug or an encouraging word are immeasurable—and light within imparts a sense of peacefulness, optimism and self-confidence, not with hubris, but humility. When lightworkers encounter challenges, they know their inner strength and determined spirit will carry them through as they continue helping society move ever closer to the greater glories of Earth's Golden Age, when all peoples will know that every life form on the planet is inseparably connected with all others.
Our suggestion to all newcomers to spiritual information is to read the guidance recently offered to a gentleman who identified himself as "an awakening soul." Mother, please add the date of that message. [ May 19, 2016 ] Thank you.
"It has been said many times by different channelers that after we go from this life, we go to a much better place. That spirit guides await for us to help us and guide us. So, can you explain this for me?" Indeed, Nirvana is a much better place in myriad ways for people who lived in accordance with their soul contracts, but they don't need spirit guides there. Guides, your guardian angel and others in the angelic realms, souls with whom you are bonded in love, and members of other civilizations are God's emissaries who, unseen, help you during your Earth lifetime. Awaiting your arrival in Nirvana are persons you know and are dear to you.
Each soul has a unique frequency, and moments prior to death of the body, it sends a special signal that is received by all with whom that soul has love bonds. The welcoming party can be family and friends in any lifetime, not only those in your immediate past life who preceded you to a spirit world, even if they have embodied again on the planet or in another civilization. Because you will transition from an Earth lifetime, you will reunite with those loved ones and your dear pets in Nirvana; however, reunions can take place anywhere in this universe where the energy corresponds to the souls' vibrations.
"I just read the message where Matthew said the soul is liberated from people when they enter Nirvana. What does that mean? Where do the souls go?" The soul is liberated from—or, not affected by—any damage to the person's etheric body or psyche. The etheric and physical bodies are so closely aligned that any illness or injury the physical body sustains also affects the etheric body, and emotional traumas experienced during the lifetime remain in the psyche, thus people enter Nirvana with those conditions. During the healing process, which is customized to meet the needs of each person, the soul can go wherever it wishes at the same time it is with the person—it IS the person!
Souls, the pure love-light essence of Creator, are energy fluctuating at higher vibratory levels than etheric bodies and much higher than the density of physical bodies, so souls always are "liberated" and can be wherever they wish simply by the thought of being there. That is why during a person's sleep time, the soul may visit those with whom it has love bonds, perform light service in worlds where that kind of assistance is needed, or enhance its spiritual and conscious awareness by studies in advanced civilizations.
Beloved brothers and sisters, as aspects of Creator, the omniscient, omnipotent and eternal I AM Oneness of All, you always have had unlimited potential to manifest whatever you wish. That capability is inherent in the makeup of the soul, and as you continue evolving, you will be able to produce what you now think of as miracles.
Labels: 9/11, Bernie Sanders, Clinton, Election, Health, Integrity - Ethical, Matthew, Old Energy, Truthful and Transparent, US
Yahoo – AFP, September 8, 2016
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at St Peter's basilica before the opening of the
"Holy Door" by Pope Francis to mark the start of the Jubilee Year of Mercy
(AFP Photo/Vincenzo Pinto)
Berlin (AFP) - Retired pope Benedict XVI says he has no regrets about his 2013 decision to retire and thanks God for enabling him to recover his "freedom" from the responsibilities associated with leading the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.
"I thank God that this responsibility, which I could no longer bear, no longer weighs upon me and that I can in all humility move forward with Him, that I can live with friends and friends can visit me more," Benedict, 89, says in an extract from "Final Conversations", a series of interviews with German journalist Peter Seewald.
In the work to appear Friday the former pontiff says that "of course it wasn't easy" to take the decision to become the first pope to retire in seven centuries.
But the erstwhile Joseph Ratzinger insisted that "it was the right moment" to step down.
He explained that the decision stemmed from a March 2012 visit to Mexico and Cuba during which he realised he no longer had the strength to oversee World Youth Day celebrations in Rio the following year.
After he stepped down it was successor Pope Francis who led celebrations for three million faithful on Copacabana Beach.
Seewald told German news weekly Die Zeit, in an article which appeared Thursday, that Ratzinger "fell in love... in a very serious way" as a student.
But his collection of interviews do not contain any revelations on the scandal of paedophile priests, although Ratzinger indicates that he would "deal with things straight away" if he did get wind of an issue that required action.
Benedict admitted he had initial reservations on the choice of Pope Francis, Argentine Jorge Bergoglio, to succeed him.
"I was uncertain to begin with. But then I saw how he speaks with God, with men -- and I was very happy."
He also told Seewald that he felt he himself had "perhaps not been enough among men" during his stewardship and found Francis' direct style of engagement "very good."
Even so, "I do of course ask myself how long he will keep it up... because that requires a lot of energy."
Lightning strikes St Peter's dome at Vatican on day
the Pope announced resignation, by Filippo Monteforte
Dutch anger over pope's gay marriage condemnation
Pope Francis says Christians 'must apologize' to gay people
Pope Francis: Who am I to judge gay people?
Pope Francis' No. 2: Clerical celibacy is open to discussion
"Recalibration of Free Choice"– Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope "soon", 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth, 4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse "soon", (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical) 8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)
" … Spirituality (Religions)
Number one: Spirituality. The systems of spiritual design on your planet are starting to change. This is not telling you that certain ones are going to go away. They're simply going to change. Some of the largest spiritual systems, which you would call organized religion on the planet, are shifting. They're going to shift away from that which is authority on the outside to authority on the inside. It will eventually be a different way of worship, slowly changing the rules while keeping the basic doctrine the same.
The doctrine of the Christ has always been to find the God inside. The teachings were clear. The examples of the miracles were given as an example of what humans could do, not to set a man up for worship as a God. So when that has been absorbed, the teaching of the Christ can remain the teaching of the Christ. It simply changes the interpretation.
The teachings of the great prophets of the Middle East (all related to each other) are about unity and love. So once the holy words are redefined with new wisdom, the Human changes, not the words of the prophets. In fact, the prophets become even more divinely inspired and their wisdom becomes even more profound.
You're going to lose a pope soon. I have no clock. Soon to us can mean anything to you. The one who replaces him may surprise you, for his particular organization will be in survival mode at that point in time. That is to say that fewer and fewer are interested in starting the priesthood. Fewer and fewer young people are interested in the organization, and the new pope must make changes to keep his church alive. That means that his organization will remain, but with a more modern look at what truly is before all of you in a new energy. It is not the fall of the church. It is instead the recalibration of the divinity inside that would match the worship that goes on. It's a win-win situation. The new pope will have a difficult time, since the old guard will still be there. There could even be an assassination attempt, such is the way the old energy dies hard. That is number one. Watch for it. It's a change in the way spiritual systems work. It's a realignment of spiritual systems that resound to a stronger truth that is Human driven, rather than prophet driven.…"
"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God/Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun's, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won't do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)
"… I gave you a channelling years ago when Pope John Paul was alive. John Paul loved Mary, the mother. Had John Paul survived another 10 years, he would have done what the next Pope [The one after the current one, Benedict XVI] will do, and that is to bring women into the Church. This Pope you have now [Benedict XVI] won't be here long.* The next Pope will be the one who has to change the rules, should he survive. If he doesn't, it will be the one after that.
There is a large struggle within the Church, even right now, and great dissention, for it knows that it is not giving what humanity wants. The doctrine is not current to the puzzles of life. The answer will be to create a better balance between the feminine and masculine, and the new Pope, or the one after that, will try to allow women to be in the higher echelon of the Church structure to assist the priests.
It will be suggested to let women participate in services, doing things women did not do before. This graduates them within church law to an equality with priests, but doesn't actually let them become priests just yet. However, don't be surprised if this begins in another way, and instead gives priests the ability to marry. This will bring the feminine into the church in other ways. It will eventually happen and has to happen. If it does not, it will be the end of the Catholic Church, for humanity will not sustain a spiritual belief system that is out of balance with the love of God and also out of balance with intuitive Human awareness. …"
"Current" Events – Apr 10, 2005 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)
"… The Last and Next Pope
[Note that this was channelled right after the death of John Paul II, and before the conclave of Catholic Cardinals had selected the next pope.]
"Kryon, we just lost what appears to be a great religious leader, Pope John Paul II. What are the ramifications of this?" My partner eluded earlier to the man called Karol who became the pope [spoken of earlier within the seminar]. He discussed what his goals were and what he did on this planet that really had nothing to do with his religion. Oh, perhaps the hat he wore did, and the places he walked did, and the ceremony around him did. But this was only given to facilitate what he could do.
But you see, like you, we knew Karol. He leaned into the wind of birth, too - just as you did. He was no different. And Spirit said to him, "You're going to have a chance to change the earth because the energy of this planet has the potential of being very different. There are potentials when you get to be a certain age where there'll be something called the Harmonic Convergence on the planet, and things will begin to change. You can fit into this as a world leader. Are you ready for that?" And he said yes.
No angel asked Karol if he wanted to be a Catholic, as he leaned into the wind of birth. That was simply the vehicle that got him into the position where he could change the planet the way he did. You couldn't have had the absence of the Armageddon that you've experienced without Karol. Did you know that [speaking of his direct involvement in the influence of the fall of communism]? So his belief system not only served him well, but it propelled him to a special place that was his alone to be in, and one that allowed him to touch billions all at once. And so it was that this great religious leader, who also knew intuitively what he was doing, had a love of humanity. His favorite thing was to be among common people - and he was, every time he could be. When he got to the position where he could make a difference, he did.
Now, there's something you don't know about Karol. The last decade of his life, he was very frustrated. Go look at the pictures. Go look at the pictures of the first 16 years. Then look at those from the last ten. The last ten, he was suffering - not just with his health - he was anguishing over a situation that none of you truly know about. For in his last ten years this man wanted to make some more changes while the time was ripe, but he knew he was too old.
Karol didn't have the energy to make the changes he really wanted to make, and those around him fought him to keep things the way they were. It was all very political, and someday this information may come out into the open, and you'll hear about those who influenced him in the last ten years and helped to keep things on an even keel. He was too old to make a difference and he knew it.
Karol was not of a consciousness to make some of the changes that many cried out for - about poverty and the role of women in his organization (that will come later). But Karol cried out in his heart for the children that were abused by the priests, and he wanted to do something about this and make a difference. He believed that his Savior wanted him to make a difference, but he couldn't do it. So what might look to you like inaction was instead the pope suffering, for he was not allowed to do what he wanted - due to his lack of energy and those around him who made certain he didn't.
"Kryon, here we sit with conclave of cardinals about to meet and select a new pope. What's the potential based upon the energy right now of the selection? What's going to happen?" I'll give you two potentials of what might take place in the next few days, because your future is always about free choice. There is no entity who can tell you about the future, since it's totally in the hands of the free-choice of humanity. However, based on the energy of the moment, here's what we see: (1) You're either going to have an interim, temporary pope for only a short amount of time (relative to the last one), who will lead to a radical pope; or (2) You're going to go right to the radical pope. Either way, you're going to eventually end up with a man who's going to do things to shake up the establishment.
Let me give you some of the potentials of what the radical pope may be involved in: This religion he leads on earth has doctrines that no longer "square up" with what humanity is seeing around itself. He absolutely has to address this issue, for the sophisticated Humans will leave the church otherwise. There will be those who may even call him "the evil pope" because he's going to go against tradition when he slowly starts a process that honors the Virgin Mary more than any pope ever has - therefore honoring women within the church, elevating them to higher positions... even to priests.
He will speak about family planning, and start processes that will slowly justify it in the eyes of God [this will take awhile], but it must come from the man who "sits in the chair" [ex cathedra] to change the doctrine of the whole organization. Because of this, he will also be in danger and will have to have constant protection.
Then he'll talk about what to do with priests who abuse children. Watch for this. Even if you receive the interim pope, he'll set the stage for the radical pope in this area. For this is in the energy aura of what we would call the potential future around this grand event. The earth is filled with free choice and it can go any direction, but I've just given you the potentials of what is here and now. ..."
Labels: 2012, Ascension, Compassion, Consciousness, Gay - Lesbian, God, Netherlands, Old Energy, Religion, Vatican, Women Empowerment
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text:
Movie Weddings, Ranked
From the Italian wedding in 'Goodfellas' to the quaint backyard of 'Father of the Bride' to Tony Montana pushing it to the limit, these are the 20 best nuptials in film history
By Andrew Gruttadaro Jun 22, 2020, 5:40am EDT
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2020's summer blockbuster season has been put on hold because of the pandemic, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate the movies from the past that we flocked out of the sun and into air conditioning for. Welcome to The Ringer's Return to Summer Blockbuster Season, where we'll feature different summer classics each week.
There are a lot of movie weddings.
That's partly because weddings are one of society's most reliably action-packed events. The collision of families, friends, love, flower arrangements, and open bars makes weddings overflowing sources of storytelling opportunities. Martin Scorsese uses weddings as anthropological excursions; Nora Ephron uses them as ground zero for narrative peaks; Quentin Tarantino uses them as, uh, stages for brutal violence. (Classic QT.)
But the other reason why there are so many movie weddings is because when you hit a certain age, you have to go to so many goddamn weddings. It's a thing that people warn you about when you're younger but you, a rube, ignore those warnings. "How could weddings be a bad thing?" you think, like a dumbass. Then a few years later you find yourself in a backyard in Cleveland on a hot August day, hungover, wearing the same suit again, five-sixths of the way through wedding season. By the time you hit your early 30s, you've seen every kind of wedding—big, small, quaint, extravagant—and judged each one of them with a viciousness you'd never reveal publicly. Weddings—both their joys and their pains—are universal, an easy way for a filmmaker to both put an audience in a familiar setting and right the wrongs of their own wedding-going pasts (or, for the real masochists, to re-live them).
Now, as we revisit My Best Friend's Wedding as a part of The Ringer's Return to the Summer Blockbuster, there's no better time to ask which movie nuptials are the best. To do so, I devised a rubric that captures the elements that every great wedding—and every great movie wedding—needs to nail. I then rated each movie based on how well they fulfill each element. Here are those elements:
The accoutrements: This is a catchall that encompasses all of the minor details of a wedding—the setting, the decorations, the fashion, the people, the band and/or DJ, etc. The little things are quite important.
The preamble: Another thing you learn at a certain age: Being in a wedding is not a one-day commitment. It is a months- or even years-long commitment that could contain planning sessions, bachelor/ette parties, rehearsal dinners, and other stray duties you hadn't ever considered. "The preamble," for our purposes, covers all of that preparation, but it also covers the general story that leads to the "I dos."
The drama: What, you'd rather be bored at a wedding?
The romance: I suppose your mileage may vary, but I prefer weddings that result in a marriage that is going to last. Otherwise why the hell did I spend all of this money?
Bonus points: I'll be rewarding (or taking away) extra points to the weddings for random things that I enjoy (or loathe).
As always, the scoring and the tiebreakers were based entirely on my personal preferences. Some weddings lost points because they were more about male friendship than the actual wedding (The Best Man; I Love You, Man); some took a hit for featuring a creepy priest (The Little Mermaid) or a death in the family (Tommy Boy), or things that are just bummers; and some weddings were DQ'ed for not being weddings at all (Kill Bill's is a wedding rehearsal). If you disagree, may I direct you to Blogger.com? It has a great tool that'll help you write your own ranking. For now, on to mine:
20. Love Actually
The accoutrements: Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Juliet (Keira Knightley) have a pretty solid wedding: classic British church, straightforward ceremony, and a flash mob-ish situation where a bunch of people sing "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles. That's a nice touch. The reception is decent too, despite a bad DJ. In general it's a refreshingly low-key affair—Laura Linney wears a horrible hat to it:
Screenshot via Universal Pictures
I have some issues with Juliet's feather-lined wedding dress and Peter's decision to wear a hot pink shirt, but I'll get over them. 7/10
The preamble: We don't really get one. Honestly, the most we get in the way of a backstory is Peter and his best man, Mark, talking about how they accidentally hired Brazilian male sex workers for the bachelor party. 2/10
The drama: It quickly becomes clear that said best man is fully in love with the bride. Pretty spicy stuff! 5/10
The romance: It's a very romantic affair, thanks to the splendid church organ and the whole "All You Need Is Love" thing. 5/10
Bonus points: Minus-2, because I absolutely hate Mark. Mark, why don't you talk out your issues with your best friend before the wedding, rather than showing up, moping, and filming a weird stalker video of the woman he just married?
19. Scarface
The accoutrements: Bro, pretty dope shit here:
Screenshot via Universal Films
There are backyard weddings and then there's Tony Montana's backyard wedding. Also, this wedding is where Tony becomes the actual Tiger King:
Never forget that Mario Tabraue, the real-life drug runner who appears in Tiger King, is probably the inspiration for Tony Montana. Regardless, this wedding picked an aesthetic ('80s drug lord chic) and really stuck to it. 5/10
The preamble: Not a lot of wedding planning going on here—more like a lot of money laundering. 3/10
The drama: Aside from Tony's sister shooting eyes across the altar at Tony's best friend, things are pretty low key. Even the tiger unveiling is a rather chill, lighthearted affair. 2/10
The romance: So, I guess Tony is in love with Elvira. But a better read is that Tony is incapable of love, and that he treats all things—including humans—as objects to be acquired. Seen through that lens, uh, this wedding doesn't exactly make my heart swell. 3/10
Bonus points: 4—two for the tiger and Tony's general tiger-related glee; and two for the fact that this wedding comes in montage form, scored by Paul Engemann's "Push It to the Limit." That's just awesome; I want to walk down the aisle to "Push It to the Limit" too.
18. The Sound of Music
The accoutrements: Oh, the things that can be accomplished to celebrate the union of a former nun and a filthy rich Austrian captain. Pure beauty! What class! Julie Andrews looks like an angel in that wedding dress! They appear to be getting married by a cardinal! Look at this church!
Screenshot via 20th Century Fox
I do think it's a little unfair that the nuns aren't allowed into the church, but otherwise, stellar stuff here. 8/10
The preamble: Can we be brutally honest here? I know the story of Captain Von Trapp and Maria is a classic tale of true romance, but I think the Captain deserves a little scrutiny. So, he's engaged to Baroness Elsa Schraeder, even though his heart is clearly not in it. And for a while he's just leading her on, getting horny for his kids' governess. The Baroness is fully set on marrying him—she's legit talking about buying him a yacht as a wedding gift—until finally, the Captain's like, "Yeah, so about that marriage. I've been meaning to have a chat with you about that but, you know how things go, people get busy. I've been dishonest to the both of us."
The Baroness totally lets him off the hook, saying that she needs someone who needs her (or at least her money, which is a weird take) and that he's totally free to pursue things with Maria. The Captain's all like, "Wow, I can't believe how simple and easy this all is for me," and then he bounces to make out with Maria.
I'm sorry, but that's some fuckboy behavior.
Cool romance story, though. 5/10
The drama: The Nazis' attempted detention of the family unfolds after the wedding. 2/10
The romance: See above. 3/10
Bonus points: 0—I'd give a bonus point to the incorporation of "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" into the wedding march, but there's a slight implication that the answer to the question is "Make her a housewife." I've got some reservations about that.
17. Clueless
The accoutrements: A gorgeous California wedding—at a house in Bel Air, maybe?—between teachers Ms. Geist and Mr. Hall. I do have a question though: Why are there so many students at this wedding? I get that Cher set the couple up, so she totally deserves an invite, but like, Amber definitely didn't need to be there. Overall, it seems like there's a boundary being crossed. 6/10
The preamble: No wedding planning or anything, but the love story of Ms. Geist and Mr. Hall is a great one. You gotta root for these two disheveled nerds. 7/10
The drama: The Clueless wedding is an example of a denouement wedding—an event that caps off a story after the central conflict has been resolved. (Clueless is a pure comedy in the Greek sense of the term. It's based on Jane Austen's Emma—ever heard of it?) As such, there's no drama here; good vibes only. 1/10
The romance: Again, I'm really happy Ms. Geist and Mr. Hall found each other. They're adorable. 6/10
Bonus points: -2. I'm sorry, maybe this is puritanical of me, but I cannot condone Cher tongue-kissing her once step-brother in a public venue. Remember what I said about boundaries being crossed? Well, THIS IS A BIG ONE. (Great choice to score this whole scene with General Public's "Tenderness" though.)
16. Steel Magnolias
The accoutrements:
Screenshot via Sony Pictures
The backyard folksiness of this wedding is charming, but M'Lynn is right—there's way too much pink. Also the groom's cake looks disgusting:
It looks like a red velvet cake stuffed in raw chicken skin. 4/10
The preamble: Steel Magnolias is a great example of a movie wedding with a superb preamble. The ladies get their hair done at Dolly Parton's in-home salon (it's mostly cute except for when Julia Roberts's Shelby starts talking about sex in front of her mom) while the father of the bride sets things up at home, a chore that involves shooting a handful of fireworks into a tree to scare away some birds. The movie wants you to know that this is a Louisiana wedding, and it does just that. 7/10
The drama: You see, there's this whole thing about Shelby being a diabetic who probably shouldn't have kids due to the health risk, and so M'Lynn spends most of the reception worried, and even confronts the groom (Dylan McDermott) about family planning. The dad is also engaged in a war with his neighbor Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine). Nothing erupts, but the tension is fun, and reflective of the dynamics often at play during a real-life wedding. 5/10
The romance: Nothing exceptional, but there's good, solid love on display here. 4/10
Bonus points: -1, because no one should ever have to marry Dylan McDermott.
15. Wet Hot American Summer
Screenshot via USA Films
Pretty nice—lakeside, garlands, acoustic guitar, flute played by Amy Poehler, comfortable clothing. And very few guests. (Guests can be overrated.) 5/10
The preamble: Aside from the extremely passionate sex scene between Bradley Cooper and Michael Ian Black that precedes this wedding, there's also a nice bit of tension in the fact that the ceremony is uncovered by J.J. and Gary, friends of the couple who didn't realize that they were gay and in love. Through J.J. and Gary's eyes, you think you're about to stumble on something absurd—but instead you witness a truly tender moment. 5/10
The drama: It's all love, baby. 1/10
The romance: Like I said, it's a really beautiful ceremony, and one of the few on this list that's bereft of distraction. Janeane Garofalo even cries at one point. 8/10
Bonus points: 1, for the scene when J.J. and Gary interrupt dinner—just when it seems they're about to confront and judge McKinley and Ben, they just give them a wedding present from Crate & Barrel.
14. The Godfather
The accoutrements: A beautiful sunny day, a flawlessly decorated 1940s-era outdoor space, and gabagool to last you till winter. Don Corleone spared no expense for his daughter's big day. 8/10
The preamble: The wedding reception is the setting of the very first scenes of The Godfather. We don't even get to see the actual ceremony. 1/10
The drama: Where do I even begin?! Per Sicilian tradition, no man can deny a request on the day of his daughter's wedding. And since Corleone is, let's say, a man in high demand, there are a lot of people making requests. We've got contract killings being ordered, immigration deals going down; we've got the FBI jotting down license plate numbers in the driveway; photographers getting accosted left and right. This is the kind of action I'm looking for! 9/10
The romance: There's not much—in fact, a lot of relationships seem to be on the brink of collapse at this wedding:
Screenshot via Paramount Pictures
But it's still just so beautiful and sunny! 2/10
Bonus points: 0
13. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The accoutrements: It's a little too hippie-ish for my tastes, but at least the guests are impressed. "We gonna get some fuckin' toys," Jay says to his girlfriend, referencing the hobby that enabled Andy to afford such a ceremony. 5/10
The preamble: Andy waded through years of intimacy issues, mountains of bad advice from his friends, Boner Jams '03, and a gross amount of shellfish puke to arrive at the conclusion that the most important part of sex is love. It's a nice message, and all's well that ends well. 7/10
The drama: Another denouement wedding! 1/10
The romance: Pretty high. Steve Carell yells at a cleaning guy because it's so high. 6/10
Bonus points: 2, for the "Age of Aquarius" performance that follows all of this.
12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
The accoutrements: With a few wands you can accomplish anything. The tent at Bill and Fleur's wedding would cost like $100,000 in our world. (Why does the outside of the tent have to be that big when you can use a tiny tent that is just as gigantic on the inside? Either the Weasleys are vapid or this is a world full of inconsistencies.) This wedding also has champagne glasses that refill themselves, a nice trad band, and antique centerpieces. It's very well done; props to Molly. 7/10
The preamble: We're not exactly privy to the ins and outs of Bill and Fleur's relationship, but the union between the suavest Weasley and a veteran of the Triwizard Tournament is fascinating nonetheless. Plus, this preamble comes with heady questions about whether there should even be weddings while good and evil are at war, as well as Ginny pulling a classic, sexy "zip me up" move on Harry. (It would have been a lot sexier if Daniel Radcliffe and Bonnie Wright had any chemistry.) 4/10
The drama: Speaking of the war between good and evil! A bunch of Death Eaters show up at the reception. Not great for the vibes, but definitely makes it a wedding you'll never forget! 8/10
The romance: Even before the Death Eaters show up, it's a bit of a somber affair. There are guards lining the tunnel—that sort of thing is a bummer. 2/10
Bonus points: 1—did I mention that the champagne glasses refill themselves?
11. Jerry Maguire
The accoutrements: Jerry and Dorothy's impromptu nuptials are a great example of a backyard wedding done well. It's understated and just the right size—you don't get the feeling that anyone who's there didn't deserve to be invited. They also get a mariachi band to do their music, which is a nice change of speed and also an adorable reference to the couple's first date. NFL wide receiver Rod Tidwell sings "What's Goin' On" with the band; sort of a strange song choice, but he pulls it off. 8/10
The preamble: She'll let you in her house / If you come, knockin' late at night / She'll let you in her mouth / If the words you say are right.
(What the fuck? I never knew until just now that Bruce Springsteen says "She'll let you in her mouth." Anyway, good preamble.) 6/10
The drama: Well, there's this whole plot about how Jerry maybe doesn't actually wanna get married.
Screenshot via TriStar Pictures
That's drama, right? 6/10
The romance: The man literally looks like he wants to set himself on fire the entire time. 2/10
Bonus points: 0—but can I just say it's weird that the people who were at the wedding watch the wedding video the night of the wedding? Like, the wedding just ended, and Rod Tidwell was like, "All right! Let's fire up the VCR and rewatch what we just lived!" It's a necessary moment to showcase the doubt racking Jerry Maguire, but maybe that scene could've happened the next day? Everyone should've just been slamming Budweisers like Bonnie Hunt.
10. The Graduate
The accoutrements: It's your run-of-the-mill '60s wedding—but Katharine Ross's dress is very pretty. 4/10
The preamble: It's a classic tale: Man has sex with woman and then falls in love with her daughter; then kind of stalks the daughter; then tracks her down to a church in Santa Barbara and breaks up her wedding. All the while, Art Garfunkel is hammering the shit out of some acoustic guitar strings. 6/10
The drama: Imagine you just got married and then some guy dressed like a fisherman starts banging on the church balcony glass yelling your name. And then while people start screaming unintelligible things at you through gritted teeth, you, almost subconsciously, scream his name out. Then you run away with him, despite the fact that you literally just said "I do" to a different person.
Super dramatic. 8/10
The romance: I have to put this right in the middle because, well, is what Ben does really romantic? The idea is romantic, sure, but it's hard to tell whether Ben's actions are coming from a place of genuine love or if he's just chasing after Elaine because she's the one focal point for the only strong feelings he's had in his young life. 5/10
Bonus points: Minus-1. We've all seen how this movie ends and it's not exactly cheery.
9. Bridesmaids
The accoutrements: They got Wilson Phillips to perform. They got married on water in a setup weirdly similar to what the NFL said it was planning for the 2020 draft before the pandemic happened. And Paul Feig got Tim Heidecker to play a silent doofus groom. 7/10
The preamble: The back half of Bridesmaids is some deeply depressing shit. This score is only so high because of the dress-fitting scene. 8/10
The drama: By this point, all of the jealousy and passive aggression between Annie and Helen has mostly simmered down. But you can tell the Wilson Phillips reveal grinds Annie's gears. 3/10
The romance: Chris O'Dowd is a very charming man. 3/10
Bonus points: 1, for Lillian's dad's reaction when Wilson Phillips comes out: "I am not paying for this shit."
8. The Wolf of Wall Street
The accoutrements: It doesn't fit all the criteria, but Jordan and Naomi's wedding in The Wolf of Wall Street is one of my favorite movie weddings ever. It's in the Bahamas; it's a perfect recreation of tacky, early-'90s extravagance—the kind of thing Robin Leach would've loved; Jordan and Naomi's first song is "Goldfinger"; and then, of course, there's Leonardo DiCaprio's dancing:
I have no other choice but to give this a 9/10.
The preamble: A debauched bachelor party wouldn't work in most movies, but obviously it makes sense for this one. 6/10
The drama: A split-second of worry courses through Jordan's veins when Naomi's aunt notices the very obvious remnants of cocaine hanging out under his nose—"Into the donuts, I see," she says—but in the end, she's cool with it. 3/10
The romance: Yeeeeah … I'm not totally sure Jordan Belfort is capable of loving anyone other than himself. 2/10
Bonus points: 3—one for Scorsese's integration of home movie footage, one for Jonah Hill's dancing, and one for the fact that in the above scene, the cigarette never leaves Jon Bernthal's mouth.
7. Coming to America
The accoutrements: I mean, wow:
The palace of Zamunda isn't my style, per se, but you gotta respect the spectacle. 5/10
The preamble: Prince Akeem goes to Queens to find real love and falls for Lisa, the heiress of a fast food restaurant called McDowell's—before the king retrieves him, forbids him to wed her, and orders him to agree to an arranged marriage. There's a lot of stuff that happens in between all that, but you get the gist. 6/10
The drama: So get this: Prince Akeem thinks he's about to marry the woman who was arranged for him. Little does he know that King Jaffe saw the light, decided it'd be OK for Akeem to marry Lisa, and then arranged to have her and her family come to Zamunda for the wedding. Akeem literally doesn't know he's about to marry Lisa until he lifts her veil. What a reveal! King Jaffe is one dramatic bitch. 9/10
The romance: It's kind of hard for me to wrap my head around everything that had to happen to make the Lisa reveal work, which takes away from some of the scene's sentimentality. But still, it's true love winning out. 5/10
6. When Harry Met Sally
The accoutrements: The wedding of Harry and Sally's best friends, Jess and Marie, takes place in the grand ballroom of the Puck Building in New York City's SoHo neighborhood. That is just incredible. (Less incredible: The bottom floors of the Puck Building are now an REI.) As with most everything else in this movie, the wedding scene is a perfect New York dream. 7/10
The preamble: When Harry Met Sally is one of the greatest will-they, won't-they stories of all time. After having sex temporarily disrupts their friendship, the two are in a resolutely "won't" phase heading into the wedding. But because this movie is so well written, because Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan's chemistry is so unparalleled, and because the movie itself is so well styled, you're dying to see what happens at the wedding no matter what. 8/10
The drama: After staring longingly at each other during the ceremony, Harry and Sally get into a big fight at the reception that spills into the kitchen. (Meg Ryan says the F-word in front of a lot of caterers.) It's high drama, man—if I was at this wedding I'd completely forget about Jess and Marie and be like, "Ooh, what are those people fighting about?" 7/10
The romance: Things between Jess and Marie are very sweet, but like I said, they get majorly overshadowed by their friends. 4/10
Bonus points: Minus-1 because this wedding seemingly takes place from noon to 6 p.m. Day weddings without after-parties are bad.
5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
The accoutrements: It's obviously extremely Greek—the reception is at a place called Aphrodite's Palace. But the wedding also looks ridiculously fun—maybe the wedding on this list that I'd most want to attend. There's raucous dancing, shots—shots at a wedding, both a blessing and a curse—and Toula's dad gives a lovely, heart-wrenching speech. 7/10
The preamble: If you take all the Greek-centric jokes out, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is really a movie about how everyone tries to make all of your decisions for you when it comes to planning a wedding. To those who have not yet planned a wedding, I say: Heed this message. Prepare yourself. Elope instead. 7/10
The drama: There's some mild drama about whether or not Ian's mom is going to continue being an ethnocentric jerk—but she warms up after several shots of ouzo. 2/10
The romance: It's totally there—and not just for the happy couple. The movie also captures the romance of family. Your parents and relatives may be frequently insufferable, but they're the people who make your life what it is, and recognizing that is profoundly important. 7/10
Bonus points: A total of 3—I give the dad four points for his "We're all fruit" speech and the fact that his wedding present was A FREAKING HOUSE, but I had to take one point away because Joey Fatone is all over this thing.
4. Goodfellas
The accoutrements: A perfect Italian wedding. (It's not a coincidence that Scorsese pops up twice in the top 10.) Long, beautiful tracking shots pan across the room at a dreamlike pace as Karen meets Henry's extended "family," a whole mess of Peters, Pauls, and Maries who have descended on the tacky recreation hall. The shot of the endless line of guests waiting to give the newlyweds wads of cash is a brilliant image. And Scorsese's mom even pops up!
This sequence is a true experience. 9/10
The preamble: Ever nuanced, Scorsese positions Karen and Henry's courtship as both romantic and dysfunctionally violent. There's glamour and romance, but also Henry Hill beating a guy's face in with the handle of a pistol and then giving it to Karen to get rid of. That's the point of Goodfellas (and all of Scorsese's mob movies): The mob life is great … until it isn't. 8/10
The drama: [Breathes a deep sigh.] This wedding is one of the few moments of respite in Goodfellas. 1/10
The romance: Like I said, the romance is there—but it comes with a price. 6/10
Bonus points: 1, for the way Scorsese sandwiches the wedding sequence. The aforementioned pistol-whipping scene comes directly before Henry and Karen's ceremony—it's a hard cut from Karen mentioning how Henry's violence turned her on to the couple stomping on a glass and yelling, "L'chaim!" Then right after the wedding is a scene where Henry returns to Karen's parents' house at the crack of dawn, before turning right back around with an evil chuckle when Karen starts scolding him. At least the wedding was nice?
3. Furious 7
The accoutrements: Letty is wearing a very tasteful wedding dress. Dominic Toretto ... IS WEARING WHITE JEANS AND A TANK TOP.
I think about this every day. 7/10
The preamble: To say Dom and Letty have been through a lot is an understatement. First of all, Letty DIED. Or rather, Dom thought she died. Actually, she survived her horrible crash, though she did lose all of her memories. Then a villain named Owen Shaw scooped her up and turned her into a bad guy. Then Dom and Letty bumped into each other in London and Dom was all like, "Derrr, Letty?" Then Letty shot him. But you don't turn your back on family. Dom and the gang eventually rescued Letty from Shaw—which involved some absurd, physics-defying heroics. Then, after Dom almost dies from being crushed by thousands of pounds of concrete, Letty regains all of her memories—one of those memories being the night they got married.
This is the greatest love story ever told. 9/10
The drama: Minus all the memory loss stuff, you mean? 3/10
The romance: I'm sorry, I feel like you're not listening—LETTY LOST ALL OF HER MEMORIES BUT THEN THEY CAME BACK "LIKE A FLOOD" BECAUSE OF LOVE. 8/10
Bonus points: 1—because Dom and Letty seem to exchange their personal vows while the priest is speaking. "We have eternity in this moment," Dom says. "You ride, I ride," Letty replies. Then Dom kisses her—seemingly before the priest says, "You may kiss the bride"—and lustily lifts her into his arms and swings her in circles. The priest, out of the shot, is presumably wildly confused.
2. My Best Friend's Wedding
The accoutrements: The aesthetic of this wedding is the closest to my personal dream wedding. Security does feel a bit lax, however: Jules's friend George—who definitely did not RSVP—is just sitting at a table at the end of the movie. If he ate the food, he better be paying for it out of his own pocket! 9/10
The preamble: As my colleague Rodger Sherman pointed out: Yes, it is extremely strange that a 28-year-old sportswriter is marrying a junior in college. It is also extremely strange that his expectation seems to be that she'll drop out of school, no questions asked. But the real story here centers on Michael and Jules, two best friends/former lovers who made a pact to get married if they were still single at 28. (Too young for a pact like this!) Michael's a real dirtbag who, mere days before his wedding, goes on romantic day-cruises with his ex-girlfriend and puts her whole finger in his mouth. But the story itself is immensely compelling and infectious. And the important thing is that Jules doesn't actually break up the wedding. 7/10
The drama: Hours before the wedding, the bride-to-be, Kimmy, catches her groom kissing (or being kissed by) Jules. The three then chase each other in front of everyone, and Kimmy briefly disappears. Very dramatic stuff—definitely a fun wedding to be at. 10/10
The romance: As we've mentioned, there are plenty of legitimate questions to ask about this union. All of those questions sort of blunt the air of romance created by the wedding's warm, tasteful aesthetic. 4/10
1. Father of the Bride
The accoutrements: The Bankses probably invited about 50 too many people to the wedding reception held at their house, but if you ignore that, this is hall of fame stuff. Swans, tastefully romantic lighting, gourmet catering, valet parking. Don't worry, though, George Banks can afford it—he's the founder of the sneaker brand Side Kicks.
Screenshot via Touchstone Pictures
(Aside: I've got a lot of very off-topic questions about Side Kicks. We don't have time for all of them, so let me whittle it down to two. Question 1: How successful is Side Kicks? It looks like a pretty small, local business, but at one point in the movie, George gets mad that his daughter's fiancé is wearing Nikes, which suggests that George considers Nike a legitimate competitor of his. So is Side Kicks, like, Converse-level? And if that's the case, why is George always acting so cash-strapped? The man owns a house that has two staircases. Question 2: You copping these or nah?) 8/10
The preamble: Father of the Bride is the best movie ever made specifically about planning a wedding—the absurd and ever-growing expenses, the clash of opinions and families, the way the months of buildup take forever when the day itself flies by in a flash. For that, the movie deserves tons of credit. But there are always countless tiny details to praise in this preamble: George teaching his young son how to walk down the aisle; it randomly snowing the night before the wedding; George having a breakdown because grocery stores sell hot dogs in packs of eight and hot dog buns in packs of 12. 8/10
The drama: The wedding day drama is less about the married couple and more about George desperately trying to steal a moment with his daughter. He never manages to, which is rather bittersweet. 5/10
The romance: Annie Banks and Bryan Mackenzie seem to genuinely love each other. What's more, their wedding seems to reinvigorate George's love for his wife, played by Diane Keaton, who extends her streak of movies in which she's the most stylish person on earth. 7/10
Bonus points: 3—one for Martin Short as the wedding planner Franck Eggelhoffer:
One for BD Wong with a ponytail. And one for the young Roman Roy:
And there you have it—the best movie wedding ever.
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Here are some artists, artworks, music, musicians, writers and literature that are special to me.
A wonderful Irish singer and noted humanitarian. Best Danny Boy I have heard, and excellent on all songs I listened to Frank Patterson.
A very interesting portrait of a man driven by self reliance, honor and high expectations Jiro Dreams Of Sushi.
Substantially written when he was deathly ill, out of love for his family, the memoirs of Ulysses Grant are a testament to a straightforward and unassuming man who never faced a battle too big for him Personal Memoirs Of U.S. Grant.
She can draw pictures with her lyrics Joni Mitchell.
His words between the lines of age mirrored the agony and ecstasy of adolescence Neil Young.