Part 1. You know the story of the three wise men of the east and how they traveled from him far away to offer their gifts at the major cradle in Bethlehem. But have you ever heard the story of the other wise man, who also saw the star in its rising and set out to follow it, yet did not arrive with his brethren in the presence of the young child Jesus? Of the great desire of this fourth pilgrim, and how it was denied, yet accomplished in the denial, of his many wanderings and the probations of his soul, of the long way of his seeking and the strange way of his finding, the one whom he sought, I would tell the tale as I have heard fragments of it in the Hall of Dreams, in the Palace of the Heart of Man. The Sign in the Sky In the days when Augustus Caesar was master of many kings and Herod reigned in Jerusalem, there lived in the city of Ekbetana, among the mountains of Persia, a certain man named Artaban, the Median. His house stood close to the outermost of the seven walls which encircled the royal treasury. From his roof he could look over the rising battlements of black and white and crimson and blue and red and silver and gold, to the hill where the summer palace of the Parthian emperors glittered, like a jewel in a sevenfold crown. Around the dwelling of Artaban spread a fair garden, a tangle of flowers and fruit trees, watered by a score of streams descending from the slopes of Mount Arantees, and made musical by innumerable birds. But all color was lost in the soft and odorous darkness of the late September night, and all sounds were hushed in the deep charm of its silence, save the plashing of the water, like a voice half sobbing and half laughing under the shadows. I above the trees a dim glow of light shone through the curtained arches of the upper chamber, where the master of the house was holding counsel with his friends. He stood by the doorway to greet his guests, a tall, dark man of about forty years, with brilliant eyes set near together under his broad brow, and firm lines graven around his fine, thin lips, the brow of a dreamer and the mouth of soldier, a man of sensitive feeling but inflexible will, one of those who, in whatever age they may live, are born for inward conflict and a life of quest. His robe was of pure white wool, thrown over a tunic of silk, and a white-pointed cap, with long lapels at the sides, rested on his flowing black hair. It was the dress of the ancient priesthood of the Magi, called the fire-worshippers. Welcome, he said, in his low, pleasant voice, as one after another entered the room.   There were nine of them, differing widely in age, but alike in the richness of their dress of many-colored silks, and in the massive golden collars around their necks, marking them as Parthian nobles and in the winged circles of gold resting upon their breasts, the sign of the followers of Zoroaster.  Then he began the ancient chant of the Yasna, and the voices of his companions joined in the beautiful hymn to Ahura Mazda. We worship the spirit divine, all wisdom and goodness possessing, surrounded by holy immortals, the givers of bounty and blessing. We joy in the works of his hands, his truth, and his power confessing. We praise all the things that are pure, for these are his only creation, the thoughts that are true, and the words and deeds that have won approbation. These are supported by him, and for these we make adoration. Hear us, O Mazda, thou livest in truth and in heavenly gladness. Cleanse us from falsehood and keep us from evil and bondage to badness. Pour out the light and the joy of thy life on our darkness and sadness. Shine on our gardens and fields, shine on our working and weaving, shine on the whole race of man, believing and unbelieving, shine on us now through the night, shine on us now in thy might, the flame of our holy love and the song of our worship receiving. The fire rose with the chant, throbbing as if it were made of musical flame, until it cast a bright illumination through the whole apartment, revealing its simplicity and splendor. The floor was laid with tiles of dark blue veined with white, palasters of twisted silver stood out against the blue walls. The clear story of round arched windows above them was hung with azure silk. The vaulted ceiling was a pavement of sapphires, like the body of heaven in its clearness sewn with silver stars. From the four corners of the roof hung four golden magic wheels called the tongues of the gods, at the eastern end, behind the altar, there were two dark red pillars of porphyry, above them a lintel of the same stone on which was carved the figure of a winged archer with his arrow set to the string and his bow drawn. The doorway between the pillars, which opened upon the terrace of the roof, was covered with a heavy curtain of the color of a ripe pomegranate, embroidered with innumerable golden rays shooting upward from the floor. In effect the room was like a quiet, starry night, all azure and silver, flushed in the east with rosy promise of the dawn. It was, as the house of a man should be, an expression of the character and spirit of the master. He turned to his friends when the song was ended and invited them to be seated on the divan at the western end of the room. You have come to-night, said he, looking around the circle, at my call, as the faithful scholars of Zoroaster, to renew your worship and rekindle your faith in the God of purity even as this fire has been rekindled on the altar. We worship not the fire, but him of whom it is the chosen symbol, because it is the purest of all created things. It speaks to us of one who is light and truth. Is it not so, my father? It is well said, my son, answered the venerable abhorus. The enlightened are never idolaters. They lift the veil of the form and go into the shrine of the reality, and new light and truth are coming to them continually through the old symbols. Hear me, then, my father and my friends, said Artaban, very quietly, while I tell you of the new light and truth that have come to me through the most ancient of all signs. We have searched the secrets of nature together, and studied the healing virtues of water and fire and the plants. We have read also the books of prophecy in which the future is dimly foretold in words that are hard to understand, but the highest of all learning is the knowledge of the stars. To trace their courses is to untangle the threads of the mystery of life from the beginning to the end. If we could follow them perfectly, nothing would be hidden from us. But is not our knowledge of them still incomplete, or are there not many stars still beyond our horizon, lights that are known only to the dwellers in the far Southland, among the spiced trees of punt and the gold mines of O'Fear? There was a murmur of assent among the listeners. The stars, said Tigranis, are the thoughts of the eternal. They are numberless, but the thoughts of man can be counted like the years of his life. The wisdom of the Magi is the greatest of all wisdoms on earth, because it knows its own ignorance. And that is the secret of power. We keep men always looking and waiting for a new sunrise. But we ourselves know that the darkness is equal to the light, and that the conflict between them will never be ended. That does not satisfy me, answered Artaban. For if the waiting must be endless, if there could be no fulfillment of it, then it would not be wisdom to look and wait. We should become like those new teachers of the Greeks, who say that there is no truth, and that the only wise men are those who spend their lives in discovering and exposing the lies that have been believed in the world. But the new sunrise will certainly dawn in the appointed time. Do not our own books tell us that this will come to pass, and that men will see the brightness of a great light? That is true, said the voice of Abgurus. Every faithful disciple of Zoroaster knows the prophecy of the Avesta and carries the word in his heart. In that day, Sosioshth the victorious shall arise out of the number of the prophets in the East country. Around him shall shine a mighty brightness, and he shall make life everlasting, incorruptible and immortal, and the dead shall rise again. This is a dark saying, said Tigranis, and it may well be that we shall never understand it. It is better to consider the things that are near at hand, and to increase the influence of the Magi in their own country, rather than to look for one who may be a stranger, and to whom we must resign our power. The others seem to approve these words. There was a silent feeling of agreement manifest among them. Their looks responded with that indefinable expression which always follows when a speaker has uttered the thought that has been slumbering in the hearts of his listeners. But Artaban turned to Abgurus with a glow on his face and said, My father, I have kept this prophecy in the secret place of my soul. Religion without a great hope would be like an altar without a living fire. And now the flame has burned more brightly, and by the light of it I have read other words which also have come from the fountain of truth, and speak yet more clearly of the rising of the victorious one in his brightness. He drew from the breast of his tunic two small rolls of fine linen with writing upon them, and unfolded them carefully upon his knee. In the years that are lost in the past, long before our fathers came into the land of Babylon, there were wise men in Kaldia, from whom the first of the Magi learned the secret of the heavens. And of these Balaam the son of Bior was one of the mightiest. Hear the words of his prophecy. There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall arise out of Israel. The lips of Tigranis drew downward with contempt as he said, Judah was a captive by the waters of Babylon, and the sons of Jacob were in bondage to our kings. The tribes of Israel are scattered through the mountains like lost sheep, and from the remnant that dwells in Judea, under the yoke of Rome, neither star nor scepter shall arise. And yet, answered Artaban, it was the Hebrew Daniel, the mighty searcher of dreams, the counselor of kings, the wise Balthashazar, who was most honored and beloved of our great king Cyrus, a prophet of sure things and a reader of the thoughts of God, Daniel proved himself to our people. And these are the words that he wrote, Artaban read from the second roll, know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore Jerusalem, unto the anointed one, the prince, the time shall be seven and three score and two weeks. But my son said, abhorus doubtfully, these are mystical numbers, who can interpret them or who can find the key that shall unlock their meaning? Artaban answered, it has been shown to me and to my three companions among the Magi, Kaspar, Melchior and Balthazar. We have searched the ancient tablets of Kaldia and computed the time. It falls in this year. We have studied the sky. And in the spring of the year, we saw two of the greatest stars draw near together in the sign of the fish, which is the house of the Hebrews. We also saw a new star there, which shown for one night and then vanished. Now again, the two great planets are meeting. This night is their conjunction. My three brothers are watching at the ancient temple of the seven spheres in Borsippa, in Babylonia, and I am watching here. If the star shines again, they will wait 10 days for me at the temple, and then we will set out together for Jerusalem to see and worship the promised one who shall be born King of Israel. I believe the sign will come. I have made ready for the journey. I have sold my house and my possessions and bought these three jewels, a sapphire, a ruby, and a pearl to carry them as tribute to the king. And I ask you to go with me on the pilgrimage that we may have joy together in finding the prince who is worthy to be served. While he was speaking, he thrust his hand into the inmost fold of his girdle and drew out three great gems. One blue as a fragment of the night sky, one redder than a ray of sunrise, and one as pure as the peak of a snow mountain at twilight, and laid them on the outspread linen scrolls before him. But his friends looked on with strange and alien eyes. A veil of doubt and mistrust came over their faces like a fog creeping up from the marshes to hide the hills. They glanced at each other with looks of wonder and pity as those who have listened to incredible sayings, the story of a wild vision, or the proposal of an impossible enterprise. At last Tigranis said, Artaban, this is a vain dream. It comes from too much looking upon the stars and the cherishing of lofty thoughts. It would be wiser to spend the time in gathering money for the new fire temple at Kala. No king will ever rise from the broken race of Israel, and no end will ever come to the eternal strife of light and darkness. He who looks for it is a chaser of shadows. Farewell. And another said, Artaban, I have no knowledge of these things, and my office as guardian of the royal treasure binds me here. The quest is not for me, but if thou must follow it, fare thee well. And another said, In my house there sleeps a new bride, and I will not leave her nor take her with me on this strange journey. The quest is not for me, but may thy steps be prospered wherever thou goest, so farewell. And another said, I am ill and unfit for hardship, but there is a man among my servants who I will send with thee when thou goest, to bring me word on how thou fairest. But abhorus, the oldest and the one who loved Artaban the best, heard after the others had gone, and said gravely, My son, it may be that the light of truth is in this sign that has appeared in the skies, and then it will surely lead to the prince and the mighty brightness. Or it may be that it is only a shadow of the light, as Tigranis has said, and then he who follows it will have only a long pilgrimage and an empty search. But it is better to follow even the shadow of the best than to remain content with the worst, and those who would see wonderful things must often be ready to travel alone. I am too old for this journey, but my heart shall be a companion of the pilgrimage day and night, and I shall know the end of thy quest. Go in peace. So one by one they went out of the azure chamber with its silver stars, and Artaban was left in solitude. He gathered up the jewels and replaced them in his girdle. For a long time he stood and watched the flame that flickered and sank upon the altar. Then he crossed the hall, lifted the heavy curtain, and passed out between the dull red pillars of porphyry to the terrace on the roof. The shiver that thrills through the earth ere she rouses from her night's sleep had already begun, and the cool wind that heralds the daybreak was growing downward from the lofty, snow-traced ravines of Mount Orantis. Birds, half awakened, crept and chirped among the rustling leaves, and the smell of ripened grapes came in brief wafts from the arbors. Far over the eastern plain a white mist stretched like a lake, but where the distant peak of Zagros serrated the western horizon the sky was clear. Jupiter and Saturn rolled together like drops of lambant flame about to blend in one. As Artaban watched them, behold, an azure spark was born out of the darkness beneath, rounding itself with purple splendors to a crimson sphere and spiring upward through rays of saffron and orange into a point of white radiance. Tiny and infinitely remote, yet perfect in every part, it pulsated in the enormous vault as if the three jewels in the Magian's breast had mingled and been transformed into a living heart of light. He bowed his head, he covered his brow with his hands. It is the sign, he said, the king is coming, and I will go to meet him. By the waters of Babylon. All night long Vasta, the swiftest of Artaban's horses, had been wading, saddled and bridled in her stall, pawing the ground impatiently and shaking her bit as if she shared the eagerness of her master's purpose, though she knew not its meaning. Before the birds had fully roused their strong, high, joyful chant of morning-song, before the white mist had begun to lift lazily from the plain, the otherwise man was in the saddle, riding swiftly along the high road which skirted the base of Mount Orante's westward. How close, how intimate is the comradeship between a man and his favorite horse on a long journey. It is a silent, comprehensive friendship, an intercourse beyond the need of words. They drink at the same wayside springs and sleep under the same guardian stars. They are conscious together of the subduing spell of nightfall and the quickening joy of daybreak. The master shares his evening meal with his hungry companion and feels the soft, moist lips caressing the palm of his hand as they close over the morsel of bread. In the grey dawn he is roused from his bivouac by the gentle stir of a warm, sweet breath over his sleeping face, and looks up into the eyes of his faithful fellow-traveller, ready and waiting for the toil of the day.  God bless us both, and keep our feet from falling and our souls from death. And then, through the keen morning air, the swift hoofs beat their spirited music along the road, keeping time to the pulsing of two hearts that are moved with the same eager desire to conquer space, to devour the distance, to attain the goal of the journey. Artaban must indeed ride wisely and well if he would keep the appointed hour with the other magi, for the route was a hundred and fifty parasangs, and fifteen was the utmost that he could travel in a day, but he knew Vasda's strength, and pushed forward without anxiety, making the fixed distance every day, though he must travel late into the night, and in the morning, long before sunrise. He passed along the brown slopes of Mount Orantis, furrowed by the rocky courses of a hundred torrents. He crossed the level plains of the Nisassans, where the famous herds of horses feeding in the wide pastures tossed their heads at Vasda's approach, and galloped away with a thunder of many hoofs and flocks of wild birds rose suddenly from the swampy meadows, wheeling in great circles with a shining flutter of innumerable wings and shrill cries of surprise. He traversed the fertile fields of Kankabar, where the dust from the threshing floors filled the air with a golden mist, half hiding the huge temple of Astarte with its four hundred pillars. At Pakistan, among the rich gardens watered by fountains from the rock, he looked up at the mountain thrusting its immense rugged brow out over the road, and saw the figure of King Darius trampling upon his fallen foes, and the proud list of his wars and conquests graven high upon the face of the eternal cliff. Over many a cold and desolate pass, crawling painfully across the windswept shoulders of the hills, down many a black mountain gorge, where the river roared and raced before him like a savage guide, across many a smiling veil with terraces of yellow limestone full of vines and fruit trees, through the oak groves of Kareen and the dark gates of Zagros, walled in by precipices, into the ancient city of Kala, where the people of Samaria had been kept in captivity long ago, and out again by the mighty portal, riven through the encircling hills, where he saw the image of the high priest of the Magi, sculptured on the wall of rock, with hand uplifted as if to bless the centuries of pilgrims, past the entrance of the narrow defile, filled from end to end with orchards of peaches and figs, through which the river Gendys foamed down to meet him, over the broad rice fields, where the autumnal vapors spread their deathly mists. Following along the course of the river, under tremulous shadows of poplar and tamarind, among the lower hills, and out upon the flat plain, where the road ran straight as an arrow through the stubble fields and parched meadows, past the city of Tessiphon, where the Parthian emperors reigned, and the vast metropolis of Seleucia, which Alexander built, across the swirling floods of Tigris and the many channels of Euphrates, flowing yellow through the corn lands, Artaban pressed onward until he arrived at nightfall of the tenth day, beneath the shattered walls of populous Babylon. Vazda was almost spent, and he would gladly have turned into the city to find rest and refreshment for himself and for her. But he knew that it was three hours' journey yet to the temple of the seven spheres, and he must reach the place by midnight if he would find his comrades waiting. So he did not halt, but rode steadily across the stubble fields. A grove of date palms made an island of gloom in the pale yellow sea, as she passed into the shadow Vazda slackened her pace and began to pick her way more carefully. Near the farther end of the darkness an access of caution seemed to fall upon her. She scented some danger or difficulty. It was not in her heart to fly from it, only to be prepared for it, and to meet it wisely, as a good horse should do. The grove was close and silent as the tomb. Not a leaf rustled, not a bird sang. She felt her steps before her delicately, carrying her head low, and sighing now and then with apprehension. At last she gave a quick breath of anxiety and dismay, and stood stock still, quivering in every muscle before a dark object in the shadow of the last palm tree. Artaban dismounted. The dim starlight revealed the form of a man lying across the road. His humble dress and the outline of his haggard face showed that he was probably one of the poor Hebrew exiles who still dwelt in great numbers in the vicinity. His pallid skin, dry and yellow as parchment bore the mark of the deadly fever which ravaged the marshlands in autumn. The chill of death was in his lean hand, and, as Artaban released it, the arm fell back inertly upon the motionless breast. He turned away with a thought of pity, consigning the body to that strange burial which the Magians deemed most fitting, the funeral of the desert from which the kites and vultures rise on dark wings and the beasts of prey slink furtively away, leaving only a heap of white bones in the sand. But as he turned, a long, faint ghostly sigh came from the man's lips. The brown, bony fingers closed convulsively on the hem of the Magians' robe and held him fast. Artaban's heart leaped to his throat, not with fear, but with a dumb resentment at the importunity of this blind delay. How could he stay here in the darkness to minister to a dying stranger what claim had this unknown fragment of human life upon his compassion or his service? If he lingered but for an hour he could hardly reach Porcipa at the appointed time, his companions would think he had given up the journey. They would go without him. He would lose his quest. But if he went on now, the man would surely die. If he stayed, life might be restored. His spirit throbbed and fluttered with the urgency of the crisis. Should he risk the great reward of his divine faith for the sake of a single deed of human love? Should he turn aside, if only for a moment, from the following of the star to give a cup of cold water to a poor perishing Hebrew? God of truth and purity, he prayed, direct me in the holy path, the way of wisdom which thou only knowest. Then he turned back to the sick man. Loosening the grasp of his hand, he carried him to a little mound at the foot of the palm tree. He unbound the thick folds of the turban and opened the garment above the sunken breast. He brought water from one of the small canals nearby and moistened the sufferer's brow and mouth. He mingled a draft of one of those simple but potent remedies which he carried always in his girdle, for the Magians were physicians as well as astrologers, and poured it slowly between the colorless lips. Hour after hour he labored as only a skillful healer of disease can do, and at last the man's strength returned. He sat up and looked about him. Who art thou, he said, in the rude dialect of the country? And why hast thou sought me here to bring back my life? I am Artaban, the Magian, of the city of Ekbetana, and I am going to Jerusalem in search of one who is to be born king of the Jews, a great prince and deliverer of all men. I dare not delay any longer upon my journey, for the caravan that has waited for me may depart without me. But see, here is all that I have left of bread and wine, and here is a potion of healing herbs. When thy strength is restored, thou canst find the dwellings of the Hebrews among the houses of Babylon. The Jew raised his crumbling hand solemnly to heaven. Now may the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob bless and prosper the journey of the merciful, and bring him in peace to his desired haven. But stay, I have nothing to give thee in return, only this, that I can tell thee where the Messiah must be sought, for our prophets have said that he should be born not in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem of Judah. May the Lord bring thee in safety to that place, because thou hast had pity upon the sick. It was already long past midnight. Artaban rode in haste, and Vasda, restored by the brief rest, ran eagerly through the silent plain, and swam the channels of the river. She put forth the remnant of her strength, and fled over the ground like a gazelle. But the first beam of the sun sent her shadow before her as she entered upon the final stadium of the journey, and the eyes of Artaban, anxiously scanning the great mound of Nimrod and the Temple of the Seven Spheres, could discern no trace of his friends. The many-colored terraces of black and orange and red and yellow and green and blue and white, shattered by the convulsions of nature, and crumbling under the repeated blows of human violence, still glittered like a ruined rainbow in the morning light. Artaban rode swiftly around the hill. He dismounted, and climbed to the highest terrace, looking out towards the west. The huge desolation of the marshes stretched away to the horizon and the border of the desert. Bitterns stood by the stagnant pools, and jackals sculked through the low bushes, but there was no sign of the caravan of the wise men, far or near. At the edge of the terrace he saw a little cairn of broken bricks, and under them a piece of parchment. He caught it up and read, We have waited past the midnight and can delay no longer. We go to find the king. Follow us across the desert. Artaban sat down upon the ground and covered his head in despair. How can I cross the desert, said he, with no food and with a spent horse? I must return to Babylon, sell my sapphire, and buy a train of camels, and provision for the journey. I may never overtake my friends. Only God the merciful knows whether I shall not lose the sight of the king because I tarried to show mercy. End of Part 1 Part 2 of The Story of the Other Wise Men. Recording by David Leeson. The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke Part 2 For the sake of a little child. There was a silence in the hall of dreams where I was listening to the story of the other wise man, and through this silence I saw, but very dimly, his figure passing over the dreary undulations of the desert, high upon the back of his camel, rocking steadily onward, like a ship over the waves. The land of death spread its cruel net around him. The stony wastes bore no fruit but briars and thorns. The dark ledges of rock thrust themselves above the surface here and there, like the bones of perished monsters. Arid and inhospitable mountain ranges rose before him, furrowed with dry channels of ancient torrents, white and ghastly as scars upon the face of nature. Living hills of treacherous sand were heaped like tombs along the horizon. By day the fierce heat pressed its intolerable burden on the quivering air, and no living creature moved on the dumb, swooning earth, but tiny gerboas scuttling through the parched bushes, or lizards vanishing in the clefts of the rock. By night the jackals prowled and barked in the distance, and the lion made the black ravine's echo with his hollow roaring, while a bitter, blighting chill followed the fever of the day. Through heat and cold the magian moved steadily onward. Then I saw the gardens and orchards of Damascus watered by the streams of Abana and Pharpar, with their sloping swards inlaid with bloom and their thickets of myrrh and roses. I saw also the long snowy ridge of Hermon, and the dark groves of Cedars, and the valley of the Jordan, and the blue waters of the lake of Galilee, and the fertile plain of Esdrealon, and the hills of Ephraim, and the highlands of Judah. Through all these I followed the figure of Artaban moving steadily onward, until he arrived at Bethlehem. And it was the third day after the three wise men had come to that place and had found Mary and Joseph, with the young child Jesus, and had lain their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh at his feet. Then the otherwise man drew near, weary, but full of hope, bearing his ruby and his pearl to offer to the king. For now at last, he said, I shall surely find him, though it be alone, and later than my brethren. This is the place of which the Hebrew exile told me that the prophets had spoken, and here I shall behold the rising of the great light. But I must inquire about the visit of my brethren, and to what house the star directed them, and to whom they presented their tribute? The streets of the village seemed to be deserted, and Artaban wondered whether the men had all gone up to the hill-pastures to bring down their sheep. From the open door of a low stone cottage he heard the sound of a woman's voice singing softly. He entered and found a young mother hushing her baby to rest. She told him of the strangers from the Far East who had appeared in the village three days ago, and how they said that a star had guided them to the place where Joseph of Nazareth was lodging with his wife and her newborn child, and how they had paid reverence to the child, and given him many rich gifts. But the travellers disappeared again, she continued, as suddenly as they had come. We were afraid of the strangeness of their visit. We could not understand it. The man of Nazareth took the babe and his mother and fled away that same night secretly, and it was whispered that they were going far away to Egypt. Ever since there has been a spell upon the village, something evil hangs over it. They say that the Roman soldiers are coming from Jerusalem to force a new tax from us, and the men have driven the flocks and herds far back among the hills, and hidden themselves to escape it. Artaban listened to her gentle, timid speech, and the child in her arms looked up in his face and smiled, stretching out its rosy hands to grasp at the winged circle of gold on his breast. His heart warmed to the touch. It seemed like a greeting of love and trust to one who had journeyed long in loneliness and perplexity, fighting with his own doubts and fears, and following a light that was veiled in clouds. Might not this child have been the promised prince? He asked within himself, as he touched its soft cheek. Kings have been born ere now in lowlier houses than this, and the favourites of the stars may rise even from a cottage. But it has not seemed good to the God of Wisdom to reward my search so soon and so easily. The one whom I seek has gone before me, and now I must follow the king to Egypt. The young mother laid the babe in its cradle, and rose to minister to the wants of the strange guest that fate had brought into her house. She set food before him, the plain fare of peasants, but willingly offered, and therefore full of refreshment for the soul as well as for the body. Artaban accepted it gratefully, and as he ate the child fell into a happy slumber, and murmured sweetly in its dreams, and a great peace filled the quiet room. But suddenly there came the noise of a wild confusion and uproar in the streets of the village, a shrieking and wailing of women's voices, a clangor of brazen trumpets and a clashing of swords, and a desperate cry, the soldiers, the soldiers of Herod, they are killing our children! The young mother's face grew white with terror.  But Artaban went quickly and stood in the doorway of the house. His broad shoulders filled the portal from side to side, and the peak of his white cap all but touched the lintel.  At the sight of the stranger in his imposing dress they hesitated with surprise. The captain of the band approached the threshold to thrust him aside. But Artaban did not stir. His face was as calm as though he were watching the stars, and in his eyes there burned that steady radiance before which even the half-tamed hunting leopard shrinks and the fierce bloodhound pauses in his leap. He held the soldier silently for an instant, and then said in a low voice, I am all alone in this place, and I am waiting to give this jewel to the prudent captain who will leave me in peace. He showed the ruby, glistening in the hollow of his hand like a great drop of blood. The captain was amazed at the splendor of the gem. The pupils of his eyes expanded with desire, and the hard lines of greed wrinkled around his lips. He stretched out his hand and took the ruby. March on, he cried to his men, there's no child here, the house is still. The clamour and the clang of arms passed down the street as the headlong fury of the chase sweeps by the secret covert where the trembling deer is hidden. Artaban re-entered the cottage.  I have spent for man that which was meant for God. Shall I ever be worthy to see the face of the king? But the voice of the woman, weeping for joy in the shadow behind him, said very gently, because thou has saved the life of my little one, may the Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace in the hidden way of sorrow. Then again there was a silence in the hall of dreams, deeper and more mysterious than the first interval, and I understood that the years of Artaban were flowing very swiftly under the stillness of that clinging fog, and I caught only a glimpse here and there of the river of his life shining through the shadows that concealed its course. I saw him moving among the throngs of men in populous Egypt, seeking everywhere for traces of the household that had come down from Bethlehem, and finding them under the spreading sycamore trees of Heliopolis, and beneath the walls of the Roman fortress of New Babylon beside the Nile, traces so faint and dim that they vanished before him continually, as footprints on the hard river sand glisten for a moment with moisture and then disappear. I saw him again at the foot of the pyramids, which lifted their sharp points into the intense saffron glow of the sunset sky, changeless monuments of the perishable glory and the imperishable hope of man. He looked up into the vast countenance of the crouching sphinx, and vainly tried to read the meaning of the calm eyes and smiling mouth. Was it indeed the mockery of all effort and all aspiration, as Tigranis had said, the cruel jest of a riddle that has no answer, a search that never can succeed? Or was there a touch of pity and encouragement in that inscrutable smile? A promise that even the defeated should attain a victory, and the disappointed should discover a prize, and the ignorant should be made wise, and the blind should see, and the wandering should come into the haven at last? I saw him again in an obscure house of Alexandria, taking counsel with a Hebrew rabbi. The venerable man, bending over the rolls of parchment on which the prophecies of Israel were written, read aloud the pathetic words which foretold the sufferings of the promised Messiah, the despised and rejected of men, the man of sorrows, and the acquaintance of grief.  If the light of the world and the glory of Israel had been appointed to come with the greatness of earthly splendor, it must have appeared long ago. For no son of Abraham will ever again rival the power which Joseph had in the palaces of Egypt, or the magnificence of Solomon thrown between the lions in Jerusalem. But the light for which the world is waiting is a new light, the glory that shall rise out of patient and triumphant suffering. And the kingdom which is to be established forever is a new kingdom, the royalty of perfect and unconquerable love. I do not know how this shall come to pass, nor how the turbulent kings and peoples of the earth shall be brought to acknowledge the Messiah and pay homage to him. But this I know, those who seek him will do well to look among the poor and the lowly, the sorrowful and the oppressed. So I saw the other wise man again and again, traveling from place to place and searching among the people of the dispersion, with whom the little family from Bethlehem might, perhaps, have found a refuge. He passed through countries where famine lay heavy upon the land, and the poor were crying for bread. He made his dwelling in plague-stricken cities where the sick were languishing in the bitter companionship of helpless misery. He visited the oppressed and the afflicted in the gloom of subterranean prisons, and the crowded wretchedness of slave markets, and the weary toil of galley ships. In all this populous and intricate world of anguish, though he found none to worship, he found many to help. He fed the hungry, and clothed the naked, and healed the sick, and comforted the captive, and his ears went by more swiftly than the weavers' shuttle that flashes back and forth through the loom, while the web grows and the invisible pattern is completed. It seemed almost as if he had forgotten his quest. But once I saw him for a moment as he stood alone at sunrise, waiting at the gate of a Roman prison. He had taken from a secret resting-place in his bosom the pearl, the last of his jewels. As he looked at it, a mellower luster, a soft and iridescent light, full of shifting gleams of azure and rose, trembled upon its surface. It seemed to have absorbed some reflection of the colors of the lost sapphire and ruby. So the profound, secret purpose of a noble life that draws into itself the memories of past joy and past sorrow, all that has helped it, all that has hindered it, is transfused by a subtle magic into its very essence. It becomes more luminous and precious the longer it is carried close to the warmth of the beating heart. Then at last, while I was thinking of this pearl and of its meaning, I heard the end of the story of the other wise man. A Pearl of Great Price Three and thirty years of the life of Artaban had passed away, and he was still a pilgrim and a seeker after light. His hair, once darker than the cliffs of Zagros, was now white as the wintry snow that covered them. His eyes, that once flashed like flames of fire, were dull as embers smoldering among the ashes. Man and weary and ready to die, but still looking for the king, he had come for the last time to Jerusalem. He had often visited the holy city before, and had searched through all its lanes and crowded hovels and black prisons, without finding any trace of the family of Nazarenes who had fled from Bethlehem long ago. But now it seemed as if he must make one more effort and something whispered in his heart that, at last, he might succeed. It was the season of the Passover. The city was thronged with strangers. The children of Israel, scattered in far lands all over the world, had returned to the temple for the great feast, and there had been a confusion of tongues in the narrow streets for many days. But on this day there was a singular agitation visible in the multitude. The sky was veiled with a portentous gloom, and currents of excitement seemed to flash through the crowd like the thrill which shakes the forest on the eve of a storm. A secret tide was sweeping them all one way. The clatter of sandals, and the soft thick sound of thousands of bare feet shuffling over the stones, flowed unceasingly along the street that leads to the Damascus Gate. Artaban joined company with a group of people from his own country, Parthian Jews who had come up to keep the Passover, and inquired of them the cause of the tumult and where they were going. They answered to the place called Golgotha, outside the city walls, where there is to be an execution. Have you not heard what has happened? Two famous robbers are to be crucified, and with them another, called Jesus of Nazareth, a man who has done many wonderful works among the people, so that they love him greatly. But the priests and the elders have said that he must die, because he gave himself out to be the Son of God, and Pilate has sent him to the cross, because he said that he was the king of the Jews. How strangely these familiar words fell upon the tired heart of Artaban! They had led him for a lifetime over land and sea, and now they came to him darkly and mysteriously like a message of despair. The king had arisen, but he had been denied, and cast out. He was about to perish. Perhaps he was already dying. Would it be the same who had been born in Bethlehem thirty-three years ago, at whose birth the star had appeared in heaven, and of whose coming the prophets had spoken? Artaban's heart beat unsteadily with that troubled, doubtful apprehension which is the excitement of old age. But he said within himself, the ways of God are stranger than the thoughts of men, and it may be that I shall find the king at last in the hands of his enemies, and shall come in time to offer my pearl for his ransom before he dies. So the old man followed the multitude with slow and painful steps towards the Damascus gate of the city. Just beyond the entrance of the guard-house a troop of Macedonian soldiers came down the street, dragging a young girl with torn dress and disheveled hair. As the magian paused to look at her with compassion she broke suddenly from the hands of her tormentors and threw herself at his feet, clasping him around the knees. She had seen his white cap and the winged circle on his breast. Have pity on me! She cried, and save me for the sake of the God of purity. I also am a daughter of the true religion which is taught by the Magi. My father was a merchant of Parthia, but he is dead, and I am seized for his debts to be sold as a slave. Save me from worse than death! Artaban trembled. It was the old conflict in his soul which had come to him in the palm grove of Babylon and in the cottage at Bethlehem, the conflict between the expectation of faith and the impulse of love. Twice the gift which he had consecrated to the worship of religion had been drawn from his hand to the service of humanity. This was the third trial, the ultimate probation, the final and irrevocable choice. Was it his great opportunity, or his last temptation, he could not tell. One thing only was clear in the darkness of his mind. It was inevitable. And does not the inevitable come from God? One thing only was sure to his divided heart, to rescue this helpless girl would be a true deed of love, and is not love the light of the soul. He took the pearl from his bosom. Never had it seemed so luminous, so radiant, so full of tender, loving luster he laid it in the hand of the slave. This is thy ransom, daughter. It is the last of my treasures which I kept for the king. While he spoke, the darkness of the sky thickened, and shuddering tremors ran through the earth, heaving convulsively like the breast of one who struggles with mighty grief. The walls of the houses rocked to and fro, stones were loosened and crashed into the street, dust clouds filled the air. The soldiers fled in terror, reeling like drunken men, but Artaban and the girl whom he had ransomed crouched helpless beneath the wall of the Praetorium. What had he to fear? What had he to live for? He had given away the last remnant of his tribute for the king. He had parted with the last hope of finding him. The quest was over, and it had failed. But even in that thought, accepted and embraced, there was peace. It was not resignation, it was not submission. It was something more profound and searching. He knew that all was well, because he had done the best that he could from day to day. He had been true to the light that had been given to him. He had looked for more, and if he had not found it, if a failure was all that came out of his life, doubtless that was the best that was possible. He had not seen the revelation of life everlasting, incorruptible, and immortal, but he knew that even if he could live his earthly life over again, it could not be otherwise than it had been. One more lingering pulsation of the earthquake quivered through the ground, a heavy tile shaken from the roof fell and struck the old man on the temple. He lay breathless and pale, with his gray head resting on the young girl's shoulder and the blood trickling from the wound. As she bent over him, fearing that he was dead, there came a voice through the twilight, very small and still, like music sounding from a distance, in which the notes are clear but the words are lost. The girl turned to see if someone had spoken from the window above them, but she saw no one. Then the old man's lips began to move, as if in answer, and she heard him say in the Parthian tongue, Not so, my lord, for when saw I thee and hungered and fed thee, or thirst he and gave thee drink? When saw I thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked and clothed thee? When saw I thee sick or in prison and came unto thee? Three and thirty years have I looked for thee, but I have never seen thy face, nor ministered to thee my king? He ceased, and the sweet voice came again, and again the maid heard it, very faintly and far away, but now it seemed as though she understood the words. Verily I say unto thee, in as much as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me.  His journey was ended, his treasures were accepted, the other wise man had found the king. End of the Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke


Exercise Sea Breeze is an annual exercise that brings most Black Sea partners and Native forces together. It's a demonstration and it's an opportunity. It's a demonstration of resolve for peace and stability in the region and it's also an opportunity for partners to work together to build capabilities and enhance their alliances and partnerships throughout the region. It benefits Marines because they're able to demonstrate a lot of the skills that they gather and in some cases don't even know because our minds, our habits force us to do things over and over again and they start to realize, why are we doing this? But then they come out here and they show it to another force and they realize, wow, we are good at what we do. Training is beneficial for our Marines due to the fact that the Ukrainian forces have combat experience, whereas not so many of us do. They have upfront, personal, like all of these guys have just gotten off the front lines and that is the most, that is first-hand experience, that is the most valuable experience we can have for them. So it's good to see what actually they do and what works for them on the front lines where we can take that and prepare for the next conflict. I think anytime you're trained with a partner nation, it gives you the opportunity to become a better image woman because they're going to do things a little bit differently. Even the same mission with similar equipment will be carried out differently by a unit that has different experiences. Simply something like the way that you move from one to the next, the way they keep their head up, the way they keep their shoulders down, the way they go from cover to cover. That's one small example of one way that they're different, that our Marines watch and see and it's something they can learn from and they're kind of measuring themselves up to that. They're sticking their chest out a little bit higher, they're running a little bit faster, they push themselves a little bit harder in training, they're inspired by some of the other Marines that are out here training. Marines come out and do things like this because they want challenges. This is why they want to be Marines, they want challenges, they want difficulty and they want to be able to demonstrate their own skills to make their time and effort worth it. And this exercise, Severe's 21, is absolutely worth it.


This is covering the spread part of the Fandall podcast network We have talked through all angles of Super Bowl 58 from sides totals player props same game parlates Everything and now it's time to just sit back and watch the game But while doing so we can still bet on Super Bowl 58 a Fandall sportsbook via live betting And we haven't discussed that a lot here on the show We are going to amend that today by talking to Ed Miller He is a co-author of two of my favorite sports betting books I've ever read we're gonna talk through a live betting models things that he has built himself and try to get some insights on What the inputs are for live betting models where they're in efficiency lies and how we can potentially Try to find some edges while live betting both Super Bowl 58, but also just broadly in live betting markets This is covering the spread right here on the Fandall podcast network and Fandall research. My name is Jim Sonnis I am a managing editor of digital media for Fandall research Joined here as mentioned by Ed Miller you can find him on Twitter at Ed Miller poker He is a co-author of interception the secrets of modern sports betting Of course the logic of sports betting to with Matthew Davidao He's a guy who has built out his own live betting models So Ed it is a pleasure to have you on the show for today. How are you doing? I'm great, man? Thank you for having me absolutely We had Ed on a couple of years ago uncovering the spread talking through the logic of sports betting And it was fun to get the insights kind of on His thoughts and the industry and stuff like that and of course interception came out this fall Finally got to read all the way through it find some time during football season to get through that and it was a delight So we'll talk to Ed about what went into that book Building a live models where you can find it in efficiencies and much more throughout the show for today But first a reminder to make sure you're subscribed to covering the spread wherever you get your podcast We had four shows up previously throughout this week talking same-game parlays talking player props Sides and totals with dr. Ed fang and much more you can find all that right here in the covering the spread podcast We and of course on the Fandall YouTube page and Fandall TV plus if you like what you hear leave us a five-star rating I up a podcast or Spotify or leave us a thumbs up over on YouTube as well Happy Super Bowl to all who celebrate from Fandall America's number one sportsbook Fandall has so many ways For you to end the season with a W or two or three not only can you bet on who will win Super Bowl 58 But Fandall also has bets for which players will score a touchdown how many points will be scored and so much more new customers join today You'll get $200 in bonus bets if your first bet of $5 or more wins Make every moment more a Fandall an official sports betting partner of the NFL must be 21 plus and president select states Fandall is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino LLC $10 first deposit required bonus issued as non-modrable bonus bets that expire seven days after a seat see terms at sportsbook Dot Fandall comm gambling problem call 1-800 gambler over the Fandall comm slash RG in Colorado Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and Vermont call 1-800 next step Or text next step to 5334 Q in Arizona 1-888-789-7777 Over the ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut 1-800 9 with it in Indiana 1-800 522-4700 visit KS gambling health comm of Kansas 1-800 777-770 stop in Louisiana visit MD gambling health at Oregon, Maryland 1-800 gambler net in West, Virginia 1-800 522 4700 in Wyoming hope is here visit gambling helpline ma.org or call<PHONE_NUMBER> for 247 supporting Massachusetts or call 1-87 70 hope and why or text open why in New York now And we're gonna talk about live betting for the most part for today But I feel like you'd be negligent on my part not to ask you any thoughts for you on the pregame markets here For 49ers versus cheese Fandall sports because the Niners are two and a half total at forty seven and a half right now. I Have none Yeah, I don't I don't in general, you know, these are extremely liquid markets There's tons of sport people in it And you know, I don't I don't think I could work very very very very hard and maybe Find a very small edge that I probably could easily be wrong about so I don't know my thing with you right now Are you primarily betting live? Is that kind of where you live as far as your actual like betting allocation? Well, I'm not I so I'm not Betting exactly. I've been on the industry side. We were built a company that Created odds feed for for operators. Basically. We we supplied sports books like Fandall not Fandall, but you know other sports books With with live odds, you know for you know during the game props all that kind of stuff So that's what I wanted to have you on for today is because your book interception focuses a lot on Live betting models and because you built those out You know what goes into a live betting model and you know some of the deficiencies as well because I'm sure you've had Frustrations along the way several while building out these live betting models So for people who don't know what are the inputs for live betting models? And yeah, so lead to bad lines during game Yeah, let me just outline the problem real quick from the sports books side, right? Like if you're a betting customer, you may not even think about it, but you know After every play in the Super Bowl, for instance, you're gonna get a new betting line, right? That line has to come from somewhere Well, where does it come from? It comes from a computer program Basically like the one I wrote or you know something similar So that's what we're talking about when we say a live betting model It's really just a program or an algorithm that calculates a line and and and it's important to say this because this is a big Distinction remember you asked do I have an opinion on the pregame betting line? Well, that's not an algorithm Yeah, what that is is that is a market a liquid market where people are buying and selling So if it if the price were minus three and a half people would buy if the price were minus You know where pick them people would sell right does that make sense? So whereas live That there's really no time for that process to happen every place There's just too much Information in the actual stuff that's happening on the field in any given second to allow that model That that market kind of model to even out So they rely on people like me to build computer programs to calculate lines So the question is, you know, what what goes into that? Well, the the there's several different ways to build these I would say they're on a spectrum kind of the two ends of the spectrum are like I would call it math equations Where if you looked at the code, you wouldn't even necessarily know there was a football game in You know, it's just kind of like plus on distributions and beta distributions and say right and then the other end of the spectrum is you can simulate the game you can you know, basically try to faithfully recreate a football game and Do it, you know a hundred thousand times and then However many times the chiefs win in your simulation, that's your betting line, right? So those are kind of the two ends of the spectrum and I would say most models that exist in them And there's like when I say models, there's I don't know a handful half a dozen that are in them You know marketplace any give a time fan duel will have their own football model You know, some of the other companies will have their own there's third-party companies like the one We found it that have supply them. So I know there's maybe six of them that are roughly in use In in the space And yeah, they're gonna lie on a spectrum between those two extremes of exactly how they work The main idea though is you want to tell the model what the pregame line was One way or another right so the model will either directly take in, you know, minus two and a half You know, whatever the total is as an input or it'll take some proxy for that But but it's it's gonna have some input that basically pegs that model to the pregame line because the people running the model trust that the market is smart Just like I do so Yeah, so that's how it works And then it's the model's job as things happen in the game to figure out mathematically Okay, well if this was a two and a half game before it started, but now You know, the 49ers just scored a touchdown on the first drive now What is it right? That's the question the model is supposed to answer and the problem is that situation occurs a lot Where a team is favor by two and a half is for a touchdown there of seven nothing a model is going to know And have a large sample to draw upon what the expectations are going forward from that kind of thing So in that sense a model is probably gonna be pretty efficient because like you said the market is efficient There's a lot of money in these markets. So they're gonna have good numbers going in and they're gonna have a good idea of what To expect when team acts that's favored by two and a half is up seven nothing early on Where are the models? Steer off course what can give them issues? Because I know like you said you've built out live vetting models What are the hardest things for you when you're building out that model and try to encapsulate within a game? So so first of all, there's the obvious, right? There's like the quarterback gets injured, you know, big major You know sort of unexpected events In this is less so in the NFL in college football The the pregame market even in the bigger games did the pregame markets are not very efficient and the teams The offenses and defenses are much more different. Yeah, and so Just seeing how they're matching up against one another in the game. How is this, you know You know option offense working against this defense actually, you know You can guess how it's gonna work based on whatever before the game But then you actually see the two teams on the field you see oh man that guy is it a huge matchup problem for this guy, right? So so it's less true in the NFL. These guys are all amazing that they all play off You know the teams are better known so that's less of a thing in the NFL But the thing that's always true is so obviously there's just unexpected events The other thing is that football is just Complicated especially because it's it's like it's not a continuous thing, right? Like they they have specific amounts of time on the clock They're gonna make specific decisions like for instance. Here's an easy one, right?  Why are totals a nightmare? It's because the teams have two choices It's fourth down you have two choices choice one is punt That goes under right choice to is go for it that goes over right no matter what right? So like if they choose to go for it, that's an overplay and if they choose to put that's an underplay, right? And so as a model builder like it's my job One way or again one way or another whether I'm building a math model or one of these simulation models I I have to account for that sort of decision-making, right? I mean you've watched You're like, why is he going for it here?  So and and as I say, this is not a subtle effect on the total. This is a huge effect, right? So all that stuff is extremely hard to model and you know as the game goes on You know, it's just that that pregame market becomes less and less Useful it basically you could just think of it as a you know The chiefs are about this good and the 49ers are about this good, right? That's what the pregame line tells you well The further you get in the game, okay, I know that but like now the actual things that are happening in the game matter more and one thing you focused on a lot in the book is coaching tendencies and Like last year we two weeks ago. We saw Kyle Shanahan who's pretty conservative against Dan Campbell who's a madman And so I feel like being aware of those coaching tendencies is important for us as live better Kind of knowing right will this coach be aggressive or not? But that's something that like maybe you can but I I feel like it'd be very difficult to incorporate a coach's Aggressiveness into a live betting model because it's just like it's not realistic for you to kind of have those inputs across However, many NFL games are in a season. I mean, it's it. Yeah, exactly I mean, so I would say so I said there's you know, roughly six fish models in the market, you know, and Some of them are gonna account for that pretty well some of them are probably gonna completely punt on that problem You know, they might not even be aware they're punting on the problem again Some of these models are math models They don't even look like a football game necessarily if you look at the code the people that write them are mathematicians So the way that it's hard as a football Watcher and fan and better It's hard to get in the mind of some of the people that build the models, you know But really some of them are pretty math oriented and so they're not even necessarily thinking like that They're just thinking like how do I draw a distribution against this other distribution? They're just You know abstracting out the football part and thinking about numbers and yeah, exactly It's it's impossible to nail that. Yeah, um if You're not diode in on the football because it changes over time. That's the other thing, right? All this stuff changes, you know Right like they're all gonna make different decisions next year, right? So you can't you can't You can't use past data like that the way the way it's tempting to if you don't you know, think about the stuff Exactly, and that's a tough thing other thing you focused on in the book was The value that can be had in weird scenarios where the sample size models are drawing upon is smaller Like if the game script gets out of hand in a hurry that could potentially be a situation where the live model has Trouble encapsulating because the sample size is drawing upon is smaller so do you feel like better should be more inclined to check out live betting markets in Where things get off the rails because there are more difficulties in modeling out those kind of edge case scenarios Yeah, for sure. I mean if the game is going according to script, right then What does that mean? Well, no matter how the model is built. It's gonna be more comfortable in that space, right? There's gonna be whether it's a math model the distributions are you're gonna be in the middle part of the distribution if it's a simulation model It's gonna be built on Looking at just more instances of games that have gone like that, right? So no matter no matter what way, but yeah if that team gets out to you know, 21 nothing lead or something And now coaches start thinking about making weird decisions. Somebody's on slide kicking, you know, whatever, right? Like yeah, that's where all these models. I mean the model itself is Could easily get lost in a spot like that easily very easily, right, you know, yeah Yeah, for sure. So that's that's a difficult thing to model. So if things do get out of hand, that's where you could potentially find some more I would just pay more attention, you know, if the game starts going like that you say, okay This is this is this is gonna be harder for and this is and and you know I know this is Fandall and and just to be clear I think Fandall does a great job on this from you know, just as a you know, a professional respect Perspective, I think they did the people at Fandall who who build this these models and stuff Do a particularly good job? But yeah, I'm just you know That's the time to say hey, maybe the folks at Fandall didn't think of this one You know, maybe maybe they're you know flying blind and just yeah, take a look at those markets Does this number make sense? You know, you know and and whereas whereas that thought process of does this number make sense I kind of caution against that in the book because Sometimes your intuition is bad, right? So like, you know, yeah if they if the team that's favorite runs down the fuel and scores a touchdown and you're like Is that the right life? Yes, that's the real life Yes, it is But if the some team goes up for touchdowns and you're like is that the rail you think you're you're in much You know stronger ground to be like, I don't know if that's the right life, right? Exactly. Okay, so let's talk about Super Bowl specifically because one thing you discussed a lot in the book is how Models are running for like for college basketball. You've got 15 games going in a single and you can't have oversight in all those games You can't have eyes on those games as a trader But this is a Super Bowl most most sports are clearing out the paint letting this one have an iso ball for the entire time And with so much money being in there, there are more eyes in those markets So Should we be changing our process when this event like the Super Bowl where we know traders are going to have their eyes? To the best extent they can on these live markets, right? So so that's an excellent question And here's kind of what I would say about so so again There's a model, right with the which is the math But then there's a trader who's an employee at the sports book who's basically a go-between Between the math model and then what what betting odds actually get posted? So on a college basketball Saturday where there's a million games that go-between is just going to be like rubber stamp Yep. Yep. Good line. Good line. Whatever, you know, and nobody's betting it. So it's fine, right for the most part Super Bowls obviously the polar opposite of that. So yeah for sure. There's gonna be traders watching these lines the problem is from a trader perspective is that the math is Still gonna be a little bit of a black box for that trader, right? If I'm a trader. I work at a sports book Alright, the model says X. I don't Necessarily understand why the model says X. I didn't build the model. I sure it certainly didn't build the model I don't I don't know of any place where the people who are actively trading the games are One in the same as the people who built the so So that it's very likely that person's not gonna have insight into exactly how that model works exactly how it came up with So they might decide they don't like the number move it They might move it based on action, right? So that's the other thing. That's the thing that will happen There's a little bit more of a market in the Super Bowl for this stuff Then there would be during a normal right during a normal game. There's essentially no market behavior There's you know, people bet it and then boom lines down and now a new line gets calculated It's very little market, you know bet the weight of betting type input in the Super Bowl Obviously could be a little more but that then Begs the question do the traders understand what that betting action means, right? Because again, if I'm gonna say I'm a trader. I got a black box, right? Here's what I can look at I can look at what my black box is telling me I can look at what other operators have posted Right. I can watch the game and I can see the bets that are coming in Those are my four bits of information, right? And I have to Use my brain to kind of figure out, okay Everybody wants to bet on the chiefs at this moment. Why? Why are they all betting on the chiefs? Is it because it's a good bet? Is it because they just showed Taylor Swift on TV? Is it, you know, is it because some other sports book has it has a line that's 3% off of where I'm at. Is it because some sports book? It's not even on my screen that I don't see is offering something I don't you know, is it because my model sucks Is it because I mean you don't know right and you don't have a lot of time to figure it out in the moment Not not for any single line if it starts to accumulate over time, right? Like if everyone's betting the chiefs the entire second quarter Well, now you've got some time to think okay. What the heck's going on here? Why is everyone on the chiefs? You know, what do I need to do about that? You know, but as a one-off it's just it's a very difficult problem for traders So yeah, there's gonna be people trying to do that But it's hard. The other thing is that the books try to have a lot of lines up I mean, yeah so far we're basically only talking about the the big line, right the point spread or the money line I mean a lot of these books have props up. Yeah, you know Next touchdown scorer right and with a list of 20 people. I mean you keep track of that You try to figure out on the fly Okay, that she's had the ball on the 43 yard line who's the next touchdown score oops They just got a first down now with that. I mean come out to pick six, right? I mean exactly. It's just you know It's it's so hard In the moment to keep track of all this stuff and you just have to I mean so for the main stuff Yes, there's gonna be traders with eyes on it for the littler stuff I mean, it's just I mean best of luck to the operators offering that stuff if they want to do a good job So let's talk about those props because most books do now have live player props available And for me personally I have enjoyed these markets more because of latency issues When the chiefs of the ball mark Andrews is not in the field So I have more ability to bet into Mark Andrews markets without worrying that I'm gonna because my TV Feed is behind What the the the odds feed is I'm not worried about missing something, you know It will still impact what the chiefs do an offense will impact mark Andrews live markets But not to the same extent it'll impact results of this drive and stuff like that We've got wardrobe malfunctions to the Super Bowl so I'm assuming latency issues are not gonna get a whole lot better For this weekend than what they would be so for me personally live player props are my preferred way to bet it live So when you're watching games injuries are the big thing Obviously, you know, we know that the injuries will influence live markets But what other things do you think can influence us and trying to decide whether a live player prop is a good bet or not? Well, again, this is a football game and football is played in discreet Blocks one team has the ball. They have a dry like you said Mark Andrews is not on the field Not only is not on Mark Andrews not on the field now He will not be on the field until the Ravens get the ball, right? So Um So how does this sports book? That has to be in the line. Yeah, so in any line about a mark Andrews prop, right? There is an assumption about Essentially how many plays from scrimmage the Ravens are gonna run from here to the rest of the game Okay That's a hard assumption to make football is weird you know and and It's At the very first play of the game. It's easy because you use the pregame market, right now. It's the third quarter Right teams up to touchdowns, right Ravens are up to touchdowns, you know chiefs are driving you know What's that Mark Andrews prop supposed to be you tell me I don't know right the Ravens are gonna get the ball back What are they are they just gonna run it? What are they gonna do our Does the model know they're just gonna run it probably Probably doesn't nail it for sure.  But you know, yes the third quarter You know you say okay, how many drives are left here that she's had the ball Okay, something's gonna happen on this drive. They're either gonna score or not then the the Ravens get the ball back Okay, it's gonna be the clock is gonna be about four minutes.  What's gonna happen? You kind of do the math, you know and again, this sounds like a lot of Logic to do in your head during a game and it will be if this is your first time doing it But you know if you if you make a habit of this if you decide you want to get good at this, right? you know and practice this is you get used to how football works, right and how this stuff works and Yeah, and and you're gonna find me if you do that Well, you're gonna find a lot of these props the in-game props are just absurdly priced I'm just gonna be honest because it's because because it's a math equation making the number and there's Complicated assumptions that go into that number that it's impossible to make the number without also making the complicated assumptions and You know, I mean, it's just who's made there's there's there's often The honest answer is there's often no person on the other end of that math equation who's actively trying to do that So and I think that with the live player props It's especially pertinent with guys who have volatile roles like I went to Mark Andrews because entering the conference championship We didn't really know what his role would be because coming off this pretty serious injury He didn't play the first three snaps of the game So like those are situations to that a math equation like you're talking about it's gonna have a hard time knowing unless they're like Filtering in next-gen stats feed to know that Mark Andrews imply which I'm guessing also you get updates on the first drive We watch the first drive you now have a new information exactly That is the person running the odds feed paying attention to that. Did they see the same thing, right? Often the answer is no and like that was my issue previously is I was like because I have like I have my own betting models But they're all for pregame or pretty right for me for a lot of now you and everyone else This is the state of the market. Everyone has pregame stuff and again for good reason. I understand why it's this way But yeah, there's there's not that that's the other thing. There's not a lot of live stuff out there Yeah, there just isn't like as far as like on the modeling side, right on the better modeling side Like there's it's not like the you know go to live betting model calm You know and then get up to the minute, you know nerd modeling is not a thing, right? Will it be a thing probably? But it's not right now the the issue I had is I was always like it was like paralysis Cuz I was like I know that this was a good bet before like I can tell myself It was a good bet before the game But I would always be like paranoid during the game whether or not it's a good bet But I think that reading your book kind of you know Allows you to realize the inefficiencies of some of these markets and feel more at ease and feel more like Okay Maybe I actually do have an edge here even though I can't mathematically right you never know it right never know That's that that's the thing about sports betting that it is it is nerve-wracking right because you know at other games You know in poker. I mean I my background my original game. I mean it's cards. I know if I get my money all in with aces It's a good bet. I just know right you literally never know it sports Yeah, but you never know when you when you pull that trigger and you're like man, I'm sure there's a good But you could be wrong You know, but the thing is they can also be wrong and they can also be very wrong Right, so it's it's you just have to embrace that you know kind of uncertainty of it and just say you know We're we're we're in the fog of war here and we're we're gonna just do our best You know finally getting to that point which has been comforting for me throughout these playoffs now The other thing you talk about a lot during interception is the inefficiencies of same game parlays because it's the same thing Where it's relying on a model and you get some to some edge cases You can get a lot of flukiness So you talked about the value parlays as well in the logic of sports betting we talked to you about like parlaying KBO markets when the weather is you know a certain way and stuff like that and you talked about the value parlays And I think that's especially pertinent when it comes to heavily correlated markets Where the books are trying to account for that correlation, but are they doing so properly? So what are the advantages of same game parlay is that may go overlooked through your eyes? All right So say a parlay from the sport again from the sports books perspective is a devilishly hard problem if you want to offer Any kind of menu like the modern modern menus, right? Particularly if you want to offer any player base bets at all it It becomes extremely hard because you have to correlate correctly Player usage with game state with game situation. So All of a sudden you have a situation where you have to know If the chiefs go up three touchdowns This guy is gonna get more usage or this guy's gonna get less usage. You have to get that right, right? This happens in basketball is a big deal in basketball a big deal So that's the first thing you have to nail all that because that you can pick all that if you get that wrong You're better can pick that apart By choosing those as the options they pick chiefs win the first half by 21 plus points, which is you know gets obviously huge plus money But you know now as the moment you click that into your parlay leg You're now you don't care about any of the run out to the game where that doesn't happen, right? That's a no longer matters. You only care So it's it's on one hand. You can think of this is the long odds of public illusion. Yeah, you probably lose Don't think of it in those terms. That's not how to think of it to think of it is okay. They have a model. Oh They have this entire universe of possible events that they have to basically model correctly I want to find the parts of that universe that they screw up, right and so Yeah, you say okay Well, what happens if you know the chiefs go up by 21 points in the first half and then what's gonna happen to this players? You know touchdown rate in that situation Okay, or what's gonna happen to this players yardage or this players carries or something, you know And it could be maybe it's a second string running back who all of a sudden it's gonna get you know 11 carries in that situation or something like that, right? So so Um, whatever it is you just think it through right you say, okay What happens? What about if this happens in the end you can just play around with it You just say what what what if what if the what if they score? No points at the first That's not as interesting a one but like, you know, but you could just ask all those like what if this happens Click that in that's now a parlay leg Okay, then what right and look at all the options and say okay Can I bet I can now bet this guy over anytime? This is 20? Yes, please, right? Yes, you know and Yeah, so that's that that's how I would look at it. It's it's you know, again, it's the player Props that really make the single game parlay is extremely hard to price because if it's limited to only game props You know, yeah, I can kind of get it, right You know if you have to choose win the first half by 21 points, you know, what are the total right yards of the other team? In the second you can kind of come up with a reasonable answer for that But I mean when you draw down to the individual player, let's just you know forget it Well, I think it's just like such an advantage for us to realize that when we plug a leg into a parlay We're assuming that that plays out and it's that's an input for us like okay the Game goes over. Let's say the Niners win. Let's do an alt market Niners minus five That means the chiefs are dropping back more often Patrick Holmes may scramble more often So you can say what are the things that occur if I assume? Yep, this leg automatically hits and that's it's just like more data for us to have and I feel like Thinking about it as that that is guaranteed to hit It's not guaranteed it but like in the event this parlay pays out that event is guaranteed to hit What else is more likely to occur if I assume that happens this? Yeah, this kind of thinking is is extremely effective for picking apart apart same-game parlays for really in all the sports Honestly now, I mean I had somebody email me. We have an example in interception that I just kind of I haven't messed with Hockey same-game parlays. I just was like, you know uses my brain and I said here's a here's a if someone decides to offer hockey parlays where you can bet on you know players to score goals and get assists Well, you could pair up people on the same line and you know possibly take it and sure enough somebody about me It said I I read that in your book. I thought about it. I looked for it. I've been killing it Well, no hockey same-game parlay. I mean, I didn't even know that was a thing I was just like it's it's going to be if it's not a thing now It's going to be a thing someone's gonna decide they want to put up player-based hockey parlays And and then that's the problem that person's gonna have to solve and it's hard to solve So here it is, you know, and yeah, it's it's it's it's there in all this Sports right and there's value and they want to get the markets up they want to offer these all these markets how offer a wide menu and Not everything's gonna be perfect right away It'll never be perfect as you said, but it'll be less perfect at night So trying to find things that may be more in their infancy stage like live Live player props like same-game parlays. You're more likely to find an edge there than there then you may somewhere else That is Ed Miller, I have a link to Interception the secrets of modern sports betting in the show notes over on fan dual research if you want to check that out I'd highly recommend it along with the logic of sports betting with him and Matthew Davidao Two awesome books for you to betting or if you're a seasoned veteran to both integral parts for your process and I appreciate the time Enjoy the soup bowl and hopefully we'll talk to you again here soon. Thank you so much It's always a lot of fun to talk about this Absolutely Ed on Twitter at Ed Miller poker and we have a link to that book again over on fendal research as well true delight I get to talk to him pick his brain about live betting something. We have not discussed enough I don't think on this podcast overall. That's all we got here for today and this week here on covering the spread big Thank you to all of our guests for joining us throughout this time I'll talk you in their insights on Super Bowl 58 find all those shows on the covering the spread podcast feed and Fandal.com and the Fandal podcast network Fandal YouTube page and Fandal TV plus I am on Twitter at Jim Sonnis You can find me on threads at Jim dot Sonnis and check out Fandal research on Twitter at Fandal research want to thank you all for tuning in for Today enjoy the Super Bowl talk to you all once again next week This has been covering the spread right here on the Fandal podcast network


This is what crossing someone's boundaries looks like you might think it's not that bad or not that harmful But whether intentional or not some sort of permanent scar or damage can be left behind Do you ever feel misunderstood or even worse not heard or ignored? If so, it's a natural human desire to make our points not only heard but listened to and discussed as this Inherently deepens our irresistible need for connection and thus our feeling of belonging This also means we generally desire to steer clear of perceived Unhelpful conflict and leave conversations feeling content or fulfilled However, sometimes interactions don't proceed as smoothly as you want or imagined Making relationships difficult territory to maneuver in this video We want to talk about the five reasons why boundaries are important and how to set them If you're someone dealing with this scenario, whether at school home or work We hope that you can utilize these methods to set healthy or at least healthier boundaries for yourself 1. Your emotional health is linked to boundary setting Setting healthy boundaries has a direct influence on your emotional health There tends to be a better feeling of control and comfort when you know who you are How you want to be treated and what you won't tolerate clarity of these aspects helps protect your emotions and helps you stay in control of how you feel People however can be unpredictable and even the best thought-out interactions don't always unfold as planned So giving yourself a backup plan or outline of how to respond Shouldn't interaction go awry is important to maintaining that clarity and control of your situation This maintenance will help you feel calmer more confident and protects your self-esteem when situations with others become difficult 2.  You deserve to be loved and understood We have the desire for others to understand us or at least acknowledge our perspective due to that wired need to be loved and to belong This desire is intensified when the person is someone we care about According to psych central healthy boundaries don't always have the same optimal delivery methods For some it depends on clear-cut dialogue for others being direct is important Being specific or direct about how we feel is key This includes sharing our feelings even if we think the other person won't fully understand It includes standing up for ourselves These actions enable us to take part in open active communication which fosters deeper understanding and a healthier bond 3 Sometimes situations call for assertiveness When someone's being pushy or even aggressive, it's hard to apply the standards you set based on your boundaries But assaults to boundaries threaten the self Things like ridicule contempt judgment and forcefulness are harmful to our emotional well-being You deserve respect. This is when assertiveness comes into play It doesn't mean meeting aggression with aggression Instead it means setting healthy boundaries and saying no when you want to and sticking to your strongly held beliefs And acting in a way that is in your best interest You shouldn't have to always adjust to others. Your emotional well-being is important 4 It allows for growth of self-awareness Setting boundaries requires you to know what you truly want You may have to do some soul searching to figure that out Soul searching allows us to know ourselves better in the end Boundaries also allow you to realize that you alone are responsible for your own happiness No one can mind read or guess what you truly desire with complete accuracy An example is a situation where you want some space You can calmly express that in words to the other person Who expects someone to just know without adequate communication is unreasonable Understanding your boundaries will lead to understanding that you need to communicate or ask for what you want and need 5 When you're able to communicate your wants and needs appropriately Your relationships with others flourish For example Partners who are open and honest with each other have a better understanding between them They know better what upsets their partner and where their limits lie This enables a happier coexistence all around the website break the cycle Posit that setting healthy boundaries and relationships allows both partners to feel comfortable and develop positive self-esteem Furthermore with boundaries you grow to realize that you are whole and good in and of yourself While a partnership can be a positive enhancement You're capable of surviving without it no additional pieces needed Maybe just wanted like a bonus Establishing boundaries is overall conducive to healthy and sustainable coexistence with others maintaining positive relationships It's also an important part of staying mentally healthy If you struggle with interpersonal relationships whether they be with your boss partner or your parents Perhaps the situations can be rectified by examining your boundaries and how you uphold them Do you agree with the points explained in this video? Let us know in the comments below Don't forget to like and share this video with someone who might benefit from it and as always Thanks for watching


Alright, here is a shot of just my headlights on in the truck. I'm gonna turn on the new LED lights, the new LED fog lights. As you can see, they are hella bright. We are working on Frostbite Holler again. This is my diesel pusher 06-2500 Cummins and we got some new lights sent to us to try out. We got some new fog lights from the 4-byte store on Amazon. These are 5,000 Lumen LED lights and we ended up going with the black housing on the inside. These are awesome looking lights. I can't wait to get them installed. So we're gonna install these lights real quick on my truck which still has the factory fog lights on it currently. And as you know, they run just the regular halogen bulbs like this and we're going to be going to these LED lights which is actually pretty massive. I'm gonna bring the camera here so you guys can see the LED system on the inside of this thing. And as you can see, it has a very big magnification LED system inside the housing. So these are very bright lights. Again, they're 5,000 lumens. So we're gonna get them installed, swap them out and see how they look. Alright, as you can see these are the factory halogen fog lights that comes on the Dodge trucks. We're gonna ditch these things in the trash and we're gonna install the 5,000 Lumen LED lights from the 4-byte store on Amazon. Again, if you're interested in these lights, the link will be in the video description. Just click down below to take you right to the store. Alright, so these lights so far, they bolt right in. You got three 10 millimeter screws that you have to remove and the new lights come with new hardware also and they are plug and play. Very simple install, three bolts, swap them out, plug it in and you're good to go. This is the passenger side that we have installed right now. Fits in there very good. Alright, so here is the old passenger side light assembly and this is the new 4-by-4 store light right here, the LED that we're installing. Now I wanted to show you guys something real quick before they get mixed up. Is your factory lights as you see has an adjustment to angle the light up or down and the new ones also have the same adjustment to build adjust the light but I want you to pay attention to when you install these is you'll see on the housing you'll see a right hand and a left hand. Now the difference is that the lights are the same but they do come to you as driver side or passenger side and the difference is the adjustment. The adjustment system needs to be on the top of the light when you install them so just make sure you pay attention so this light right here will actually be the left hand side so this will be a driver side light right here and then we're currently installing the passenger slot passenger led light right now so just make sure you pay attention and you install them the right way now they will go on either way but the problem will be you will not be able to get to the adjustment screw if you install them backwards and what I mean by that is you see this slot right here this slot is so that you can insert a screwdriver and get to that adjustment to adjust your light angle up or down so if you install them backwards left hand versus right hand what happens is the adjustment screw will be on the bottom and you will not be able to adjust the light so just make sure you pay attention and you put the correct light on the right side. Alright so we're going to do a test here is the driver side factory light that is on and we're going to go over here and look at the passenger side new led light we just installed it's a very clean light as you can see and it is much much brighter than the factory light without a doubt so here we go this is not the best test in the world as we're in the shop but we just turned the lights out so as you see on the right side we have the new led light and on the left side we have the factory halogen light over there and as you can tell the driver side looks very very yellow and dull compared to the new led side it's very bright and it has a white looking clean light effect to this side so we're going to continue on get the driver side installed and go from there. Alright guys we got both lights installed driver and passenger all right we got them both installed we're going to turn them on definitely very bright turn them back off turn them on yeah we'll do a driving video with them going down the road as well but other than that they are definitely brighter in a much much better looking light put out for sure. Alright here is a shot of just my headlights on in the truck I'm gonna turn on the new led lights the new led fog lights as you can see they are hella bright I'm gonna turn them back off just the headlights here's the fog lights again very bright definitely bright fog lights for sure so there you go guys we got the new fog lights installed they look awesome again if you're interested in these lights the link will be in the video description below so just click below it'll take you right to the link take you right to the store other than that guys don't forget hit that subscribe button hit that like button and send me a comment on the lights and tell me what you think of them but we'll see you on the next one


Good morning everybody, I'm Tommy O'Brien, coming to you live from TFNN headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. It's Monday, 10 a.m. Eastern time, 30 minutes in the trading day. We got markets starting off to the downside. You have the S&Ps right now, negative by 9 points, trading at 27.43. You get the Nasdaq negative by 66 points, trading at 73.87. And the Dow off 51 points, trading 24,767. Lower yield, once again, we got higher price, lower yield in notes and bonds. The 10-year up 9 ticks, 126.21. The 30-year up 16 ticks, 154.28. I believe we had 2.07% in the 10-year this morning. Pretty remarkable. Dollar index off 201 ticks at 96.97 and oil up 40 cents, 53.91 and gold continuing the uptrend from last week, up almost $10 at 13.21 on the dot. Let's jump over to the futures markets. We'll start it off with the Dow. And we had to sell off on the opening bell on all the indices, the Dow less pronounced than the rest. The Dow made it up there to a high of 24,891 right after the opening bell and from there we're off more than 100 points, 24,758 in the Dow. Nasdaq 100, you can see the difference in the sell off in the two indices. Nasdaq makes it up to 71,31. We're now down a solid more than 1% or more than 80 points in the Nasdaq 100 at 7,051. S&Ps made it to a high of 27,59. We're now trading 27,43, so about 16 points to the downside in the last half hour. We've got a little bit of an acceleration to the upside early this morning, but pulling back in the last hour, 53,54 on the price of crude. There's your gold contract trading higher from most of the overnight session. Last night, futures open at about 1312. Gold makes it up to 1323, currently trading 1321. And there's your Euro-US dollar approaching that 112 mark currently trading 111.99. In terms of what else you have happening across the market, there's the news in the 10-year and let's jump over as I have a chart up there of the 10-year and there it is. So this is the yield on the 10-year. We're now sitting at 2.10. We did reach a low of 2.07 at about 5 a.m. Eastern time. Pretty remarkable, for sure. Stay tuned, folks. We got a lot to talk about. We got FedEx getting hit this morning. We have a few things going on in terms of trade, tariff, 10 o'clock coming back with Tom. That's our market at 11. Basil Chapman, Steve Rhodes, Dave White, Tom O'Brien, all this afternoon. Have a great Monday.


Abstract femtosecond laser ablation has been demonstrated to be a versatile tool for producing micro-slash nanoscale, features with high precision and accuracy. However, when using high laser fluences, unwanted effects such as redeposited debris, recast layers, and heat-affected zones may occur. To overcome these limitations, a thin frost layer was used to form a condensed water vapor from the air onto the exposed surface, whose temperature is below the freezing point. This frost layer helps to boost ablation efficiency, suppresses the recast layer, and reduces the heat-affected zone, while the remaining frost layer prevents abrasion debris from sticking to the target surface. The frost-assisted strategy allows for high-quality surface micro-slash nanostructures to be achieved at high laser fluences, and the mechanism behind the formation of high spatial frequency, HSF, laser-induced periodic surface structures, Lipses, on silicon is discussed. This article was authored by Wen Haigao, Kai Zhang, Yang Liao, and others. We are article.tv, links in the description below.