Episodes
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When we think of encampments, we may have militaristic visions of Crusader Kings like Baldwin IV and his thousands marching under banners and flags; we might see the Mongol empire marching behind the great Genghis Khan or perhaps Napoleon on his march through Europe. Conversely, we might see peaceful medieval tournaments with their tents and banners, religious pilgrimages or even their more modern equivalent—music festivals! Two weeks ago, there was an encampment at the University of Chicago, around which much discussion has revolved on and off campus. What kind of encampment was it: peaceful or militaristic? Was it just a peaceful demonstration involving students exercising free speech, or was it an event purposefully planned to disrupt, polarize, and provoke a physical police response? The ladies of the Mosaic Ark continue last week’s discussion about the UChicago encampment and wonder if the general public could see the parallels from history. We invite you to listen and tell us what you see.
—Streamed May 15, 2024
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“I heard my momma cry / I heard her pray the night Chicago died / Brother, what a night it really was / Brother, what a fight it really was / Glory be!”
This song about fights between gangs and cops in 1920s Chicago was all the rage back in the 1970s. There’s a lot of appeal to nostalgia in it. But were people nostalgic for violence, or were they longing to be in a dramatic moment—a moment that matters? Last week, the University of Chicago hosted an encampment of protestors who gathered in support of the Palestinians of Gaza and made demands that the University divest from Israel. But the encampment also attracted protestors of issues unrelated to that war, and eventually attracted counter-protestors. The mini “community” that sprang up in the encampment was forcibly (and thankfully, peacefully) dismantled one week later and neither they, nor the counter protestors, nor any police were hurt. Chicago didn’t die! As the ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed these events, we kept returning to the same question: what attracts people to these types of events? Are they simply dedicated to their cause, or do they also long for something more—a connection with others, a feeling of collective purpose? Join us as we discuss. —Streamed May 8, 2024
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Once upon a time in the Middle Ages, in a geographic area comprised of a patchwork collection of hundreds of separate Duchies ruled over by hundreds of Dukes, a loyalty was misplaced. Doesn’t sound like a very inspiring fairy tale, does it? But you must admit that it does sound similar to the current landscape of social media. There are hundreds of different platforms within larger platforms for social, news and entertainment media, each with their own “Duke” (or Duchess) demanding trust and loyalty of their followers. Which one do you trust? Are you loyal to any of them? The ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed how the misplaced trust of the eleventh century’s Hugh IV of Lusignan provided the perfect example of how trust and loyalty have always been a hotly contested issue even as it has always been demanded by people of power and influence. Please enjoy watching our lively discussion, or I’m afraid that Baldric shall have to be very severely beaten! —Streamed May 1, 2024
Agreement between Count William V of Aquitaine and Hugh IV of Lusignan: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/agreement.asp
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“A little learning is a dangerous thing.” Alexander Pope wrote these words in 1711 at the tender age of 22, and thereby created one of the understatements of the millennium. At least that is what the Dragon Common Room discovered as it began writing its first epic poem, Centrism Games. Join the Ladies of the Mosaic Ark as we discuss our admiration for Pope’s skill in writing satire in iambic pentameter, how it inspired us to write Centrism Games in the same style, and how that style of writing had an almost magical ability to assist us in the focus and direction of the story we wrote. —Streamed April 24, 2024
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“What is truth?” This question asked of Christ by Pilate 1,991 years ago seems to also be the question of this age. Five generations after women were granted the right to vote, every artistic endeavor (most notably in architecture) has changed for the worse and every institution has been morally compromised, nowhere more starkly than in relationships between men and women. The very foundations of our society both literally and figuratively have been degraded. But are women to blame? Are men to blame? There is confusion among the youngest adults of this fifth generation, and those not despairing are looking for answers in the past. Evita Duffy-Alfonso joins the ladies of the Mosaic Ark to discuss the challenges faced by Gen Z, and the hope that she sees in them. —Streamed April 17, 2024
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“It’s the end of the world as we know it…and I feel fine.” Props to Michael Stipe. Eclipse 2024 happened, the world did not end, and everyone is feeling fine. This is good news! But why might some people have thought that something big was going to happen? Why were some people looking for significance in an entirely predictable event? Have there been significant events in history that occurred during other astronomical displays? Or are people simply trying to place themselves into the ongoing story of creation; are they trying to feel some of that significance? The ladies of the Mosaic Arc discuss eclipses, comets, the doomsdays that weren’t, and KC’s need for additional reading about the people of the middle ages! —Streamed April 10, 2024
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Did you hear the news? Christians of the Middle Ages hated the Jews, frequently accused them of murders they didn’t commit, and forced them to live in constant fear! Or at least, if you listened to Rabbi Michael Barclay schooling Candace Owens before she was subsequently “let go” by the Daily Wire, you would think exactly that. But in all of the rancor, and (if rumors are to be believed) damage control now being done by the Daily Wire over these allegations, did you ever stop to think if they were true? Was it a fact that Medieval Europe was a hotbed of Christian hatred against Jewish communities? Listen in as Professor of Medieval History, Rachel Fulton Brown lays down the facts for KC (who is definitely not a professor of any kind!). —Streamed April 3, 2024
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What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women? With all due respect to the mighty Conan, the women of the Mosaic Ark believe it is discussing the idea of God as a Tabletop RPG designer with the mighty Alexander Macris, who writes in Substack under the title "Contemplations on the Tree of Woe." In tonight’s stream, we discussed his lifelong obsession with RPGs, the RPG he designed and successfully launched on Kickstarter, and some of the contemplations he has had about the nature of God and His relationship to mankind. Oh, and we also briefly discussed the fact that Orcs are real, because of course we did! Join us for a magical evening—with chocolate! —Streamed March 27, 2024
Follow Alexandris Macris on X: @archon
Adventurer Conqueror King System: https://autarch.co
Contemplations on the Tree of Woe: https://treeofwoe.substack.com
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January 6, 2021—The feast of the Epiphany in the Western Christian calendar, but was it also an epiphany for the country? That was the day that Jacob Angeli Chansley, also known as Q-Shaman, entered the Senate Chamber and invoked God in a prayer for America. Moments before, a member of the Capitol’s security who had escorted him there, told him that this place was “the sacredest space.” Sacred to whom (or what?) That was the question the ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed in tonight’s livestream. We reviewed the public buildings, monuments and the architecture of Washington D.C. for clues, and the character of the men that built them. We discussed the power of symbolism and the recognition it ignites in the human imagination, and wondered if the prayers of Jacob Angeli (multiple angels) in that “sacredest place” began a monumental shift in the world as we know it. —Streamed March 20, 2024
“The Sacredest Place,” January 21, 2021 https://fencingbearatprayer.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-sacredest-place.html
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In many ways, Dune 2 is an old-fashioned sword-and-sandals epic in the mold of Ben Hur. It has sweeping desert landscapes, costumed figures wearing robes flowing in the breeze, gladiatorial fights, and Greek-tragedy levels of dramatic exposition. In that sense, it is a real popcorn movie. But what if we told you that it was also a religious experience? This is what the Ladies of the Mosaic Ark concluded from their viewing and discussion of the second of Director Denis Villeneuve’s films interpreting Frank Herbert’s classic novel. Images and sound were the driving force of this film’s power, and both were infused with religious influences. We believe that this is what is resonating the most with audiences. It is a love story, but maybe not the one they thought! —Streamed March 13, 2024
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Two weeks ago the ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed the interview of the century between Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin. This week, we looked at the body language of both men and asked what, if anything, could be inferred from it. Was Tucker in control of that interview, or did Putin take the reins? Was Putin nervous when he took off his watch, or was there something else to it? Is Putin an Alpha male and is that even important in the age of women’s electoral power? We hope our discussion answers some of these questions and sparks even more! — Streamed March 6, 2024
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In February 2024, Tucker Carlson stood in front of the onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow and announced his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some call Putin a brutal dictator with plans for military expansion after he invaded Ukraine. Some call Carlson a traitor for meeting with him. The two-hour long interview that aired on X included many questions and many layers of answers from ancient history to 21st century diplomacy. The format of the interview itself held many more unspoken layers. Is Putin an ogre? Or an onion? Both have layers! Take a deep dive with the ladies of the Ark as we attempt to peel them away to reveal the backstory within. —Streamed February 22, 2024
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It's Valentine's Day, and the Queen is making a list. Will you be on it? Why do women make lists? Is this the key to their power over other women? The ladies of the Mosaic Ark are determined to describe the FSSH (if it exists), and tonight we talked about Queens and the making of lists. What is a "Queen?” Or more properly, what makes a Queen and why do the women in her social circle follow her? Why is fashion so important to women? Is it always the prettiest girl in the circle who is the Queen? And why should men always wear nice shoes? OK, that last part is not really related to the FSSH. Or is it? Come listen to our conversation, and you be the judge. —Streamed February 14, 2024
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The Ark returns to lift the lid on the Female Socio-Sexual Hierarchy (FSSH). It’s been an eventful online battle this week between the sexes, as men and women have swarmed in the chats to vehemently deny or confirm the existence of the FSSH. Many say they can’t see it. But how does it look from the perspective of women? Dragon Common Room’s K J Crilly sits down with the Professor to talk about elves, witches, queens and weaving the women’s world. —Streamed February 7, 2024
"The Female of the Species": https://fencingbearatprayer.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-female-of-species.html
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The Ark welcomes you to a house party. But whose house? RFB and Kilts reflect on Ken’s revolutionary takeover of Barbie’s Dreamhouse, and why the creation of the Mojo Dojo Casa House has polarised the sexes. Was Ken justified? Or was Barbie a victim of the patriarchy? We take a look at the dynamics of the Kendom, and of Lobstercide—what happens when the girls take over the boys’ game? The hostess invites you to play the game of the sexes on the Mosaic Ark. —Streamed January 31, 2024
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This is the one you’ve all been waiting for: the Ark takes on the Female Socio-Sexual Hierarchy! You’ve probably all heard of Sigma and Alpha males. But do women have the same categories? Looking at examples of female pop icons and female relationships, we look to “Heathers,” the dreaded “Mean Girls,” and of course beloved “Barbie,” and the Ark discovers what the Female SSH actually is and how to navigate it. Join the Professor and Kilts for the official breakdown of The Female SSH. —Streamed January 24, 2024
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AntiCatholic streamers are livid. Apparently Rome has been hiding books from humanity in its library, and even created its own dogma for Catholics to blindly follow in service to the Roman Pope. In this episode of the Mosaic Ark, RFB reads from three top secret books that were buried in the Vatican Secret Archives. How did she get access? Join us in discovering the hidden truth of the Vatican Secret Archives, manuscripts like The Nag Hammadi Library and The Other Bible. What influence do the lost books have on Christians? Have secret texts been purposefully hidden from Christendom, or has Christendom forgotten how to read its own texts? —Streamed January 17, 2024
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The Ark unrolls the tinfoil and is ready uncover the conspiracies! Have you ever wondered why history seems so complicated? How do we know what really happened, and why is it so taboo to question the official story? Join us as we play Conspiracy Theory bingo and figure out once and for all why public crises generate enormous energy in populations; how going to the Moon helped the American Empire feel good about itself; why 9/11 was probably an inside job; why the QAnon was supporting Trump and of course, who are the aliens; and finally, what is going on with those New York synagogue tunnels? Why do these stories have the power that they do to misdirect and confound? — Streamed January 10, 2024
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The Ark launches into 2024 with a meme deal, and we shuffle the electronic deck to reflect on the forces moving in the world in this Year of the Dragon. What kind of things can we expect this year, given the patterns of history? Does civilization work like a machine, or do the relationships between people make or break events? Do family feuds feel like world wars because the world wars were giant family feuds? Join us as the Professor and the Pigeon deal the memes and find the themes for the next year in the stream! —Streamed January 3, 2024
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The Ark wraps up the year of Our Lord 2023 with our Christmas stream, and we're full of fudge and predictions! What is in store for the malls and markets of the world in the current global conflict over control and access to the Red Sea shipping lane? How long will the mythology of the American Empire hold up when its Pax Americana no longer has a navy to control the seas? Are we going to see the global financial system collapse, or just the mechanism of bureaucracy that controls the debts in certain regions? Join us as we unbox the future by revisiting the past, and watch history in the making! —Streamed December 27, 2023
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