Stephen Averette

The Red Sox simply posted a video of Boston in 1950, and it’s immediately one of the most radicalizing things you’ve ever seen.

Understand this: The movies and shows about the crucifixion have been tame when compared to what He actually went through. Even The Passion Of The Christ was forced to hold back a little in order to avoid an X rating. Crucifixion was, and still is, arguably the most excruciating death someone can experience. The night before in Gethsemane, He was sweating blood. This is known as hematidrosis. This would have caused His skin to become extremely sensitive, thus making the beatings to come even worse. The fear He felt was the beginning of His feeling the weight of our iniquities being laid on Him. Yet - in this moment, He didn’t demand that the Father take it from Him. He only asked for the cup to pass Him over if it was within the Father’s will. Up next came the Cat of Nine Tails, or a Roman Flagrum. This was a weapon with long leather “tails”, each embedded with sharp bones and metal. He was flogged 39 times as Jewish law mandated “40 minus one”, because 40 was said to kill a man. This flogging wasn’t like being punished by your father’s leather belt. Every strike tore flesh, every strike exposed muscle. Every strike exposed nerve endings. Every strike tore flesh to the bone. This would be like getting struck with razor blades over and over again, leading to hypovolemic shock from blood loss. Oh, and the crown of thorns? These weren’t rose thorns. These were thorns which were 2-3 inches long. Beaten into his skull. These thorns would have pierced his skull, tripping the trigeminal nerve, thus causing unimaginable pain and even more blood loss from the dozens of head wounds. At this point, extreme nausea and dizziness would begin to set in. What came next? Carrying the cross. Which weighed around 300lbs. This would be like carrying two full kegs on your back. Splinters and wood grating against the open flesh on His back. And He had to carry it 650 yards, or close to a half mile. Imagine carrying a log on your back after being skinned alive. Up next? He was nailed to the cross with spikes 5-7in in length. Piercing His wrists - this no doubt pierced the median nerve, causing extreme burning sensations up and down His arms. A spike was driven through his ankles - severing nerves and tendons. This would have felt like standing on broken glass every time He pushed Himself up in order to breathe. He suffered for 6 hours. His chest muscles collapsing, making every single breath a fight for life. His shoulders were dislocated, His arms stretching unnaturally long. His heart was struggling to pump blood. He was extremely dehydrated, His lips cracking. His heart more than likely literally ruptured from the stress. And on top of all of that, He had to feel a separation with the Father for a period of time in order to REALLY bear the weight of our sin. He took up this burden for ALL sin before Him, and ALL sin which came after Him. HE DID IT ALL FOR US. To free us. To defeat sin. To give us a pathway to the Kingdom. Every sin we commit is exactly why He had to do it. And the real kicker? He knew what was coming when He rode into Jerusalem … and He didn’t turn around. He kept going. For us.

Napoleón Bonaparte mientras conversaba con el general Bertrand acerca de Jesucristo durante su exilio en Santa Elena, alrededor de 1820: «Yo conozco a los hombres, y les digo que Jesucristo no es un hombre. Las mentes superficiales ven una semejanza entre Cristo y los fundadores de imperios, y los dioses de otras religiones. Esa semejanza no existe. Hay entre el cristianismo y cualquier otra religión la distancia del infinito. Alejandro, César, Carlomagno y yo mismo fundamos imperios. Pero ¿sobre qué descansaron las creaciones de nuestro genio? Sobre la fuerza. Jesucristo fundó su imperio sobre el amor, y en esta misma hora millones de hombres morirían por Él. Yo pienso que entiendo algo de la naturaleza humana, y les digo: todos esos fueron hombres, y yo soy un hombre; ninguno es como Él. Jesucristo fue más que un hombre. Entre Él y cualquier otra persona en el mundo no hay posible término de comparación.»

Here’s a clear explanation of why Trump attacked Iran, and why I think the war will end soon. The war isn't about nuclear weapons. It's not about helping the Iranian people. It’s not about doing Israel’s bidding. And it's not about Iran being a threat to the U.S. It's about China. China imports 45-57% of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has the capacity to shut it down. A U.S.-aligned Iran means an Iran that would choke off that strait if there's ever a real power struggle between Washington and Beijing. And there already is one. The U.S. and China have been locked in a tariff war for over a year now. Also remember when China threatened export controls on rare earths, encompassing any company anywhere in the world that uses Chinese rare earths? Yes, China essentially said that any company that uses their rare earths (China refines 85-90% of the world’s supply) must seek their permission before exporting their products. This means if a German manufacturer uses rare earths fro China to create chips for American companies, China can block the export of these chips. That’s how much leverage China has over the U.S., and that’s dangerous, especially if China finally decides to reunify with Taiwan. So controlling the Strait of Hormuz becomes critical for the U.S. It's the same reason Trump wants China out of the Panama Canal. The same reason Venezuela matters. The same reason he's eyeing Greenland, where shipping routes to China pass through melting Arctic ice. Energy is everything now. The AI arms race is the most important strategic competition on the planet. Limiting China's access to energy is how the U.S. wins that race, and anyone who believes in freedom and democracy should want America to win. China is investing heavily in domestic energy, building nuclear reactors, solar farms, wind power. They're leapfrogging the rest of the world. But they still import the majority of their oil. And a significant chunk of it comes through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran was reportedly nearing a deal for supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from China, which would make it easier for Iran to threaten shipping in the Strait and strike U.S. naval vessels. That accelerated the timeline. Trump's comment today about doing in Iran what he did in Venezuela makes perfect sense in this context. He wants influence over who comes next. A regime that's workable for Washington. If he succeeds, this would be a massive strategic win for the U.S. and for Trump.

I want my tax dollars to be spent on things like this again instead of on immigrants.

>wake up with the sun. >walk to the market. >eat food your grandmother would recognize. >walk 20k steps. >sit with people who respect you. >drink wine that came from the hill you can see from your window. >talk until it gets dark. >no one checks the time. you don’t need a morning routine, a therapist or optimized sleep to live life.

The sun was free. They sold you SPF 50 and a vitamin D deficiency. Sleep was free. They sold you an app, a pill, and a wearable that tells you your sleep was bad. Walking was free. They sold you a treadmill, a fitness tracker, and a £180 pair of trainers. Fasting was free. They sold you meal replacement shakes and the anxiety that skipping breakfast would wreck your metabolism. Cold water was free. They sold you a £3,000 plunge barrel and a podcast episode about it. Silence was free. They sold you a meditation app with a premium tier. Animal fat was cheap. They sold you seed oils, then supplements to replace what the animal fat contained. Tallow was cheap. They sold you a seventeen-step skincare routine and a clinical trial proving your face needs ceramides. Meat was cheap. They are currently selling you the idea that you shouldn't eat it. The 20th century removed access to everything the body needs to function. The 21st century is selling it back, one subscription at a time. Your great-grandmother had none of the products. She had all of the things.

"you need a degree to build a house" mfs 500 years ago:

I know a guy worth hundreds of millions of dollars who will literally walk out the room mid conversation if he hears you complaining or speaking doom and gloom over yourself.

With more wisdom comes more sorrow

@sarah_cone @jakewoolf Gucci for more formal. Tod’s for more laid back

In the market for brown suede loafers Have my own inclinations, but curious to poll the room If money were no object, which pair would you buy?

Yes

@sarah_cone @TimurNegru Going more inland, more coastal or out of the region?

The ultimate flex in my job? A Lake Como hotel owner saw one of my posts, reached out and asked me to share their off-market, front row property with my private community. The Ritz-Carlton is opening there this year..that tells you everything about the kind of market this is. Working on it.

When you spend your life writing fiction, you lose touch with reality.

Geez

Can you remember the last time Americans agreed on anything like this? 83% support in today’s America is insane. Voter ID is good for all Americans. (Except crooked politicians)

There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year he won the prize for the best corn grown. One year, a reporter interviewed him and discovered something interesting about the way he grew corn. The reporter discovered that the farmer shares his seeds with his neighbors. "Why does he share his best seeds with his neighbors if every year they compete with his own?" the reporter asked him. "Why, sir?" the farmer replied, "didn't you know? The wind picks up the pollen from the ripe corn and swirls it from one field to another. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will constantly degrade the quality of my corn. If I want to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn." The same is true of our lives. Those who want to live good and meaningful lives must help enrich the lives of others, because the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches, and those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, because the well-being of each is linked to the well-being of all.

@JohnLeFevre More like >75% in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. All able working bodies on disability and food stamps

52% of adult women on food stamps are obese. (USDA data)

"Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you." -- Isaiah 43:1-2

The democrats that didn’t stand last night are not Americans. You can’t be anti-everything American, and be an American.