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seths-wife · 3 years

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Theory: why is Seth Twiright the demon of wrath? What's his backstory?

Note: this theory tries its best to be as objective as possible in explaining and deducing facts basing on only what is known in the novels and not basing on personal preferences and sensibilities, just cold gathering of the facts and trying to draw plausible conclusion. That doesn't mean i'm right, necessarily.

Index:

1) Demon of wrath or demon of pride? (Biblical references and discordance of themes).

2) Was Seth a victim of abuse? (Can we draw this conclusion basing only on what we know?)

3) That one comic by Ichika

4) Conclusion

Chapter 1: demon of wrath or demon of pride?

Seth is a really peculiar character: the sin he's represented by doesn't seem to be...displaying that much, contrary to those of the other demons in this series.

Gilles is clearly lustful (basing on the catholic religion definition of it, at least) seen his high sex drive.

Vlad is not really explained but he's a cook so he must be obsessed with food (joke), also his interactions with Banica seem to suggest a morbid curiosity of his to try new foods for hedonistic pleasure, no matter if it's immoral and illegal to eat those.

Marie Annette is a really prideful human/demon seen her few lines in the entire series, like "bow down to me" without any legitimate reason.

Eve...well...on another theory about that...

Rahab is clearly envious when also other people get what she has, seen that she's basically the ec version of Ayano Aishi and a big stereotypical yandere, at least in one part of the narrative.

Salem (does he even exist? (joke)) is an economist so he must be obsessed with money and gathering earthly and perishing goods. (joke)

I won't talk about Adam Moonlit as the demon of greed here as it's for another topic.

But Seth? When in the series does he show unrighteous wrath? Do we see him get angry outbursts and go around beating up and killing people because he's angry at them?

No.

On the contrary, in the whole series Seth seems to be pretty calculating and cold, and he doesn't seem to be really excessively troubled by any behavior or at least he doesn't really show a strong vengeful attitude towards them.

Yes, he might get on bad mood when his plans don't succeed as he expected to, but he never goes like "you'll pay for ruining my plan" or something. He proceeds with his plans, trying to adjust the latters in order to fit the new situation.

Actually, sometimes he seems to find amusing and funny when people try to kill him and unmask (pun or not lol) him for his evil bahaviour, like when Adam tried to kill him and the latter was surprised he couldn't succeed since Seth outsmarted him, or Gammon when he confronted him about brainwashing Miroku.

It's as if Seth finds funny when people are frustrated because of him, it soothes his ever-roaring mind and boredom.

For months, i've thought that Seth should have been the demon of pride because of his attitude in the crime novel and because it fit him better as for the Biblical references:

We see multiple instances in the crime novel that Seth likes himself very much: he loves the fact that he consideres himself to be the best scientist in the country™ as he uses this bunch of words everytime he introduces himself (both as Horus and as himself), also he considers himself to be very handsome to the point he doesn't want to change his face because it would be "such a terrible crime" (i mean, i also think he's hot but Seth, calm down, what the hell...).

But his pride doesn't end with him flaunting his intelligence and hotness.

There are also other instances of Seth's pride that are even more remarkable.

Like for example, the whole matter of Seth making artificial humans (so called "ghoul children") mimicking the creation of the "gods" in the series. This can be considered a matter of pride, as he wants to act as the "gods", he thinks he's able to be on par of them.

Well lol, gods...i always found pretty unrealistic how we got from human scientists with high tech from almost omnipotent beings that can cast lightening wherever they want, make ladies pregnant and instill thoughts and visions in people in a single arc while being trapped inside of a spaceship. This always provoked some strong cognitive dissonance within me, this sounds like a stretched, inappropriate and unrealistic even if they have big tech. That's why i call them "gods wannabe". They're still humans playing God after all.

But that's besides the point.

Even more remarkable is this other line, right after quoting the achievements of other "gods" in the series:

"In that case—

I am the god who creates “evil”.

Seth is literally and explicitly placing himself in the place of the gods, considering himself to be a god on par of the pillar ones in the series.

And this is very coherent basing on the fact he should be the parallel of the Biblical serpent, the demon who thought he was on par of God and fell because of pride.

So it would have had much more sense to have Seth as the demon of pride.

So when and why is seth the demon of wrath since in the series it looks more like he's the demon of pride?

His motive? Not really...Seth doesn't seem to act because of some sort of anger as his main motivation is to "follow his h.e.r.s nature and make himself 'new friends' (his own definition of friends)".

Then i think we have no choice than look at his backstory and see if we can spot some unrighteous anger there.

Chapter 2: is Seth a victim of abuse and angry at his mother?

The vast majority of the theories around about the reasons of Seth's evil are based off the fact that Seth might have gone through motherly abuse that provoked him some childhood traumas back when he was a little white and red mask.

Those assertions are usually backed up by pieces of the short story "Outlaw and lychgate".

Let's look at them.

The most quoted line about this issue is:

“My, and what sort of dish is that?”

“It’s not really much of a dish. You just splash some curry powder and ketchup on a sausage. My old ma used to make it for me a lot when I was a child.”

“Just like mom used to make, hm. That sounds quite nice. My mother never did any home cooking for me.“

Well...from this particular line, fans have begun to speculate than maybe his mother starved him or refused to cook for him.

But is it necessarily the case? It can be a possible interpretation but we don't know how masks work in this series or whether or not they need to eat, especially since they don't have a mouth or a digestive system of some sort.

It can also be that Seth was just curious about food in the line upwards since as a mask maybe he could not experience food, given that he couldn't physically eat when he was a mask.

This doesn't necessarily refer to an abusive situation of a mother refusing to provide food and care for her son.

There is also another instance in which Seth spoke about his mother.

"I often hear strangers tell me that they can’t tell what I’m thinking.

Even my own mother said so, before she died.

That’s why, to get her to understand at least a little bit, I shot her in the forehead.

To this day I still remember how stopped moving, her mask cracked in two.

That was the first murder I committed."

Ok, the fact that his mother "didn't understand him" could have been because of various reasons:

1) maybe she didn't try to understand him and neglected him.

2) maybe Seth became too different from his mother since he contracted hers and she couldn't understand and relate to him anymore even if she tried to.

3) Seth is just too cryptic or changes his mind too fast (probably because of his boredom) when it comes to expressing his true intentions or having certain intentions therefore people have big trouble understand him.

I would go for 3 since Seth also explained that not only his mother didn't understand him but also various other characters, so it's not necessarily true that Seth's mother just refused to listen and understand him, it could have been that Seth was too cryptic or that she couldn't relate to a her.

Anyways, we don't have a lot of info about this but i don't think it is correct to see a mysterious passage in just one possible way.

And also i wouldn't like for Seth to be "he's evil because mommy wasn't nice therefore he's angry and wants to make everyone like him and destroy everything uwu" because:

1) that's a really misused trope.

2) it doesn't properly explain why Seth did what he did in the crime novel, it's clear that there has to be an even deeper motivation that made him do those horrific things: abuse is too much of a simplistic and lazy motivation given his role.

Also there is no specific mention of anger and resentment even if there could be.

So where can we see that Seth is angry?

Chapter 3: that one Ichika comic.

Let's look at this one comic.

It is kinda difficult to understand what it means but the face resembles Seth's human form a bit and also this comic shows a theme of anger against the human creators of the first period since the comic seems to be talking about the second one "in this world where everything is an extension" (the second period is a virtual parallel reality to the first one in the series).

Seth seems to be pretty aware of the first period.

I think so because Kiril (his clone) at one point gained back the memories of his original.

Who? Seth? Pale? (That twist complicated things a whole lot).

I will go for Seth since in the series he's always referred to as the original talking about his "clones".

Kiril with Seth's memories came up with "Vocaloid, huh?!", showing awareness of the knowledge of vocaloid (since the first period is similar to the real world in the series) but i don't think this is an info Kiril learnt on his own but he took from Seth's memories since he was a researcher of parallel worlds and wouldn't have been out of place for Seth to learn about the first period.

So, given that Seth is the one of the comic and he's talking about the humans of the first period, he seems to be angry at the fact he was born to be an her (let's remember the humans of the first period started the her problem for their own personal gain) and in the society of the second period he's seen as a problem because of that.

Therefore Seth in his anger invites people to blame the creators instead of him since he doesn't think to have a free will and has no other choice than being evil because of those humans who "made him this way".

Funny how the same topic is faced with Irina and Levia in the duel. And funny how Levia in this series seems to also be a victim of her own pulsions and can't really be a moral authority in this, again, gods wannabe. They have their morals inspired by their originals who made their avatars who have tainted them with a virus, so they can't create, define or judge good and evil themselves.

So funny.

Chapter 4: conclusions.

So i think this is a plausible reason Seth might be the demon of wrath. But still, i wonder how it is that Seth is happy later on to follow those pulsions he thinks he can't control (given by humans) and doesn't try to fight back the instincts.

Maybe he accepted and got happy with his disease or he just resigned that that was his destiny thinking that he had no choice.

I don't know if i will make anymore theories after this, since i want to go on and make content for something else.

#evillious chronicles #evillious #seth twiright

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nileqt87 · 3 years

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More thoughts on how to resurrect the Indiana Jones franchise post-Harrison Ford

Perhaps a proper, modern television show would be a good way to bring back a younger, but adult Indy (with perhaps flashbacks littered throughout). You can also get away with a lot more content (definitely aim for TV-14) and characters who are allowed to be flawed. Relationship dramas are serialized storytelling's forte in a way that is disappearing more and more from blockbuster films. Complicated characters are better left to television, as the audience expects and allows for it because of the nuance and depth the serialization affords. The complicated, messy story of Abner and Marion is a story best left to being explored only after the characters have some real complexity and development. It also wouldn't be forced to play to the mass audience of under-13s that makes modern PG-13 often meaningless. In comparison, TV-14 actually pushes up harder against its limits regularly--not just violence, but also with innuendo and sexuality minus nudity. The amount of historical-style, pulpy violence, not to mention potentially comically gruesome deaths, in Indy would also necessitate the rating. Indiana Jones might be niche enough at this point with an audience veering towards adults who grew up with it (Gen-X and the older end of Gen-Y), while Gen-Z has little awareness of it, that Disney wouldn't be forced to make it a total kiddie property. It's not the same situation as back in the early '90s with Young Indy being aimed at older kids who had recently seen Last Crusade in the theater. They could reboot it for television with a young adult Indy who potentially could grow into a fully adult version. And I wouldn't try too hard to not step on the trilogy's toes with the timeline. Just let it live in its own developing continuity.

Use of long-running supporting cast (parents, Remy and returning guest stars aside) would also be a big difference from Young Indy. Characters like Belloq (could potentially go from friend to antagonist, akin to how Smallville handled Lex), Sallah, Henry, Brody, Abner, Marion, etc... could actually be around a lot more than just for an adventure here or there. These are all characters Indy had clearly known for years. Actually put the show into a seasonal, serialized format that isn't a new cast every episode. You could also stick around in locations a lot longer this way, which would help with budget.

Another thought I've had since watching an absolute ton of fantasy/sci-fi dramas in the last few years is that the influence of Indiana Jones is actually pretty apparent in a number of pretty famous characters, sometimes overtly and sometimes a bit more subtly. Harrison, Indy or Raiders in general are outright name-checked in quite a few places, often by scrappy action hero types who tend to take hard beatings (the kinds of characters who should've died a hundred times over) while in situations they're way over their heads in or literally impossible odds they can't win. Like Indy, the intended prize isn't won at the end and, outside of a few gruesome baddie deaths, the shady, corrupt or evil barely get a dent. Fox Mulder and Dean Winchester are two characters who name-check the comparison overtly and you can see the writers and actors both having the influence in mind. It's obviously a male fantasy, too. The influence on The X-Files and Supernatural is definitely there. Supernatural is chock full of biblical MacGuffins (not to mention having angels and demons as most of its recurring supporting cast), so it would be a hard comparison to avoid. Raiders came up in the WWII Nazi submarine episode with a piece of the Ark onboard (it's subsequently a show to raid for Indy ideas, because they pretty much mined everything biblical), for example. The X-Files likewise was dealing with shady government officials and pretty blatantly copied the huge warehouse of government secrets loaded with alien relics (and then repeated the Cigarette Smoking Man's warehouse reveal with the tunnel of filing cabinets stretching on forever). Mulder was also very much a one-man army a lot of the time when it came to the alien conspiracy (no offense to Scully). Moments like him climbing/riding the tops of sky rides, trains and escaping the spaceship were total Indy-esque moments. Sam and Dean had literal God-tier levels of plot armor keeping them alive (repeated resurrections included). Angel is another one that, unlike Mulder and the Winchesters being very human, is a supernatural character (subsequently his level of pain tolerance and durability is at the level of regular impalement, defenestration out of skyscrapers and being set on fire), but the comparison still holds because of how often he's getting decimated and fighting forces way beyond his pay grade. Wolfram & Hart, the Shanshu and seeking redemption with the Powers that Be, like the mytharc conspiracy/alien takeover and literal God a.k.a. Chuck, is another endless, unwinnable fight that is so far beyond all the protagonists that there's no win/happily ever after and they'd be lucky just walking away from it with nothing. Angel also name-checks Indy with a blatantly Indy-inspired fantasy dream episode (Awakening in season 4) with Angelus making a crack about the Raiders fantasy. George Lucas actually visited the Angel set back in 2000 and was interested in how they were making mini movies every week and doing some pretty huge stunts on television. David Boreanaz had lunch with Lucas and has talked about it a few times over the many years. I mean, these are all shows starring action-oriented leading men and writing staffs of relatively similar age. Mostly Gen-X males with a few Baby Boomers (more so on the writing staff) with an audience that's primarily Gen-Y but appealing to a pretty broad age range (and probably a lot more female than originally intended!). Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford films in general were very formative to that generation. Harrison Ford is the ultimate leading man action star to a certain generation. Gen-Y got their familiarity with all of that by being the original home video/VHS generation and subsequently a lot more familiar with retro media (including things that were made before they were born or around that time) than Gen-Z. '80s movies have a lot of currency and familiarity still with Gen-Y, even if Baby Boomers were the stars of them and Gen-X were the ones who saw them in theaters. Gen-Y fangirls absolutely dominate the fandoms of many iconic television supernatural/sci-fi franchises (many are admittedly aging franchises). The WB/CW have catered to this group of fans for the last two and a half decades. If you're going to be reviving the character as a mid-20s-to-30s version (if the show lasts long enough, it probably will be stepping on the trilogy's toes timeline-wise by the end), I'd absolutely be aiming for this same audience and their tastes. They're also the audience who would be most receptive to and familiar with the character, IMO. If I were going to reinvent Indiana Jones for the television landscape, I would definitely be looking at those sorts of shows that have influence from the character already in their DNA. I think for the target audience, they'd definitely need to be aiming it at the same fanbases. Young Indy mostly tried to avoid stepping on Raiders' toes (despite Temple of Doom and Mask of Evil already making it ludicrous) by limiting the amount of supernatural elements, but I think a show would have to go all in on it. Indy would have to be transformed a bit in regards to trying to line him up with a character who would still be skeptical after all he's seen. Young Indy ended up forced into being a straight period drama with educational elements, which is very counter to what the audience wanted. There are things to keep from that approach (meeting historical persons, being a WWI veteran and witnessing history could absolutely be mined as backdrops to the stories), but the supernatural elements would have to exist in a revival now to get the audience who I think would be most receptive to it. While I would aim for a serialized drama format that would mean the globetrotting wouldn't have to completely change locations every episode (have it instead in arcs with some bigger MacGuffins and baddies perhaps crossing entire seasons), it's true that there would probably have to be more location filming than good, ol' Vancouver, but Disney is one of the few who could afford it (though Covid certainly would throw a wrench in it and political situations could potentially kill off certain locations). There's only so much green screen that Indy could get away with, though I imagine that a fair amount of it would have to be used for period piece reasons alone. There are a lot of modern intrusions even in historically-intact cities (Eastern Europe comes to mind as having a lot of its architecture intact and is affordable to film in) and around iconic landscapes to paint out. But at its core, it probably would need to bulk up its focus on the relationship dramas. Indy tends to have a girl at every port and to a degree you would introduce some of these love interests, but there's still a lot of relationships of every kind that could be developed and serialized. Certainly throw in a few femme fatales and tragic losses, given the Smallville-esque situation of there being an inevitable Indy/Marion endgame that should be kept--it thus becomes about the journey when it's a set conclusion. Absolutely have a strong recurring cast of Henry and friends new and old. The films actually have a lot of characters that Indy didn't just meet yesterday and could be developed to a huge extent. For a show to work now, there'd have to be a lot more connectivity to how often the recurring cast appear. Young Indy had a lot more of an anthology format with little chance of us getting attached to most of the revolving cast outside of a very tiny few. That's the biggest thing I'd change. You need characters to become regulars beyond just Indy if it were revived for modern cinematic television (the true successor to the film serials of the '30s!) in a way that isn't necessary for film installments.

#indana jones #harrison ford #lucasfilm #indy #young indy

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lets-steal-an-archive · 5 years

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TVLine Fall TV Spoilers, retrospective edition (s8-s15)

Fall TV Spoiler Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 47 Returning Favorites! [September 06, 2012]

PREVIOUSLY ON… | After taking out Leviathan boss Dick Roman, Dean and Cas disappeared to a monster-filled purgatory while Sam was left on his own back on Earth. Ghost Bobby finally moved on to the other side.

COMING UP NEXT | Dean and Sam will reunite in the season premiere, but lots will have changed while they were separated. For one, after a “not very cute meet” with Amelia (recurring guest star Liane Balaban), Sam struck up a romance with the damaged woman during the Winchesters’ hiatus from each other, previews new showrunner Jeremy Carver. Dean’s side of the story will be told in flashbacks, which will answer the mystery of why Castiel vanished and how the elder brother got out of purgatory. Hint: He’s now indebted to the vamp Benny, “who is a super cool, super complex character who is a force to be reckoned with unto himself,” says Carver. “That is something that applies above ground and below ground.”

TVLINE BONUS SPOILER | Prepare for a major new recurring character in Naomi, who’s all business – complete with a serious pulled back hairdo – and very private. But underneath that no-nonsense suit exterior, she’s not quite so together.

Fall TV Spoiler Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 45 Returning Favorites! [September 03, 2013]

PREVIOUSLY ON… | Metatron expelled all the angels from Heaven and turned Castiel into a human. Sam continued his efforts to close the gates of Hell by curing Crowley, but Dean discovered that completing the trials would kill him, and begged his brother not to go through with it. Unfortunately, Sammy didn’t know how to stop what he started and collapsed in agony.

COMING UP NEXT | No surprise here: Sam survives. But why he does is a secret that the elder Winchester will hold on to — and one which may cause a rift between the brothers. “You’re going to find Dean, in the beginning of this season, in a slightly different position, one where it’s his decision driving great importance and weight on their relationship,” previews executive producer Jeremy Carver. “It’s a heavy weight to bear, and it has a great effect on their relationship.” There’s also angel mayhem on Earth for the brothers to contend with, including “a lot of players for the throne of who’s going to rise to the fore here,” including Battlestar Galactica alum Tahmoh Penikett’s injured warrior angel. Cas, meanwhile, is adjusting to life as a human by “eating, defecating and fornicating,” deadpans his portrayer Misha Collins. On the more quirky side, Felicia Day’s Charlie returns in Episode 4, which goes back in time to reveal “the first Men of Letters ever to occupy the bunker,” teases Carver. So what were they up to? You know, the usual — like “learning the truth behind the events that lead to The Wizard of Oz books. It’s a lot of fun and heartfelt.”

TVLINE BONUS SPOILER | Penikett’s Ezekiel isn’t the only heavenly creature we’ll be meeting. “We’re really delving into the individual characters here, and we found really interesting, really neat angels,” says Carver. “Wherever we can dive into Biblical references, we do and then we turn that the way that we need. Some of the angels that we see…have deep roots in angel mythology.”

Fall TV Spoilers 2014: Exclusive Scoops On 42 Season Premieres [September 02, 2014]

As a newly turned supernatural creature, Dean will have to decide “how dark and what kind of demon he’s going to be,” executive producer Jeremy Carver previews. So what’s the verdict? Per star Jensen Ackles, “[He’s] an ultra version of a womanizing party animal.” Considering how wild and fun his new life is – he even becomes too much for Crowley to handle! – it’s no wonder then that Dean doesn’t want to be found. But Sam, unaware of what’s happened to his brother, will try his darnedest, leading the younger Winchester “to do some questionable things that will make him, and certainly the audience, wonder which one of these guys is the true monster,” Carver notes. Meanwhile, Castiel is back on Earth and struggling with the moral dilemma of how to get his angelic grace back without being a burden.

BONUS SPOILER | Cas will be the harsh “voice of reason” when it comes to Dean’s situation, says Ackles. “Even though it might be hard to hear, it might be hard to say, he tells Sam, ‘Listen, you know what you have to do if things don’t go right.’”

Fall TV Spoilers 2015: Exclusive Scoop On 44 Season Premieres [September 08, 2015]

The Winchesters will need all the help they can get battling The Darkness, which brings us to Season 11’s theme: “You can’t outrun your past.” Dean and Sam “have to make some unexpected and unholy alliances involving folks from their past, which will have personal ramifications,” exec producer Jeremy Carver reveals. Will any of said people be fan faves who died? “We’re talking about a fight that is going to incorporate the likes of Heaven and Hell and those on Earth. So there’s certainly opportunity to see folks that have departed,” the EP replies. Perhaps one of them can provide some answers, because “there’s a lot of mystery to not only what or who The Darkness is” – maybe it’s a she? – “but what The Darkness wants,” Carver says. And while Castiel will be working alongside the brothers, he first needs to “find a way out of this spell that Rowena has cast.”

BONUS SPOILER!: Praise be! “We’re going to see more of a vintage Crowley in terms of scheming, less caring about Dean and Sam,” Carver shares.)

Fall TV Spoilers 2016: Exclusive Scoop On 42 Season Premieres [September 07, 2016]

“Dean, Mary and Cas are on the ‘Save Sam train,’ and that really drives them for the first three episodes,” executive producer Andrew Dabb previews. Once reunited, the Winchesters find themselves “pulled in two different directions” thanks to the dual threat of the British Men of Letters and Lucifer, who has taken on the vessel of a down-on-his-luck rock star (Rick Springfield). Everyone wants a piece of the fallen angel, including Crowley, who is looking to reclaim Hell and get payback for being humiliated. Lady Toni’s brethren, however, may turn out to be occasional allies in addition to stirring up trouble. “Sometimes, Sam and Dean will be working with them. Sometimes, they’ll be working against them,” Dabb hints. Meanwhile, the miraculous return of Mama Winchester has the brothers feeling “happy and conflicted” as she adjusts to a world that includes modern technology and angels. Speaking of heavenly creatures: Season 12 will spin “more personal” Cas stories and dig into his past a bit.

BONUS SPOILER!: “We’re putting the focus more on the world of hunters, so some of our past fan favorite hunters will, hopefully, swing through the show,” Dabb teases.

Fall TV Spoilers 2017: Scoop on 35+ Returning Favorites [September 07, 2017]

Cutting to the chase, “death is not the end for Castiel,” executive producer Andrew Dabb reports. “That being said, when we pick up our season he’s more dead than people usually get on our show. Castiel has a big role to play for us, but that may not be as soon as some people are hoping.” Meanwhile, the Winchester brothers, Dean especially, are reeling from the double whammy of losing their friend and their mom Mary. “There’s no one they can call,” Dabb notes, “so our guys are a bit on their own, a little spun out, both emotionally and in terms of the plot.” On top of that, they’re “acting as parents” to Lucifer’s “walking atomic bomb” offspring. “There are parts of him and things he does that they really love,” Dabb shares, “and there are parts of him and things he does that worry them a bit.” In the alt apocalypse world, Mary’s attempt to run away from Lucifer doesn’t go as well as she had hoped, while the fallen archangel finds that he “may not be the most powerful” creature over there.

BONUS SPOILER!: “Even if it’s not played by an actor that we recognize, there are certain characters that are going to come back in different bodies,” Dabb hints.

Fall TV Spoilers 2018: Scoop on 40 Returning Favorites [September 05, 2018]

Michael still wants to purify the world, but now that he’s loose on our earth — in Dean’s body, no less! — “his method is going to change,” executive producer Andrew Dabb previews. Back at the bunker, little bro Sam and heavenly pal Castiel are “extremely driven to find Dean,” with the latter even seeking help from “certain people, possibly with black eyes, who he would not normally contact.” Despite their efforts, “Sam, ultimately, and even Cas, to a degree, are a little pessimistic,” the EP says. “They’re not sure if it’s going to work out.” The Winchesters’ mom, Mary, however, “is optimistic, but sometimes that optimism can be very annoying.” Meanwhile, powerless Jack is back to hunter basics, “learning how to throw a punch [and] decapitate a vampire,” with the help of Bobby. Up in Heaven, Naomi and the few remaining angels are “trying to hold everything together.” As for the dark side, “we’re going to get a really good preview of what’s going on in Hell, actually, in the first episode,” Dabb teases.

BONUS SPOILER!: In Episode 4, “Sam and Dean and our whole crew get involved in our homage to ’80s slasher movies,” Dabb shares. “We’ve got some really cool gory stuff planned for that.”

Fall TV Preview 2019: Spoilers on 37 Returning Favorites [September 4 2019]

After finding out that God has been manipulating them, Dean and Sam are facing an “existential crisis” in the 15th and final season. “They’re realizing, ‘Well, we’re the Winchesters, but were we really doing this Chuck’s way?'” co-showrunner Andrew Dabb previews. “Part of reclaiming that agency is a big part of the season for them.” Plus, the brothers are “going to start to lose people who, in past seasons, we would’ve never lost — and lose them in a very real way. Our guys are going to realize there’s a certain finality, and some of the things they’ve relied on to get through the day — people, talents, things like that — they are no longer going to be able to roll out. And that’s going to throw them for a loop.” The show’s swan song will also welcome back some departed faces, including the Winchesters’ half-brother Adam (Jake Abel), God’s sister Amara (Emily Swallow) and deceased hunter Eileen (Shoshannah Stern).

BONUS SPOILER!: Jack is still in The Empty when Season 15 starts, and “he’s not coming back in the near future,” Dabb reveals. As for the deal Cas made to save Lucifer’s offspring, “when The Empty becomes more active, a lot of things are going to come to a head.”

#spn spoilers #pr is not showrunning #media journalism is a giant game of telephone #dabb era #carver era #tvline fall preview #long post #idek how to tag this #🎉🤦‍♀️

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dfnews · 4 years

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Episode Recap of "The Vuolos Take LA" Season 10, Episode 2 October 22, 2019 "Jinger and Jeremy explore L.A. with new friends. While hiking, Jinger discusses her decision to wear pants, which is unusual for Duggar women. The Duggar boys' road trip could be the last time they're all together before one of them starts a new courtship." TV Guide Online This will be a review in three parts; 1. The Gospel of Jinger: Thou Shalt Not Follow Your Parents' Pants Shunning Legalistic Ways 2. The Gospel of John and Abbie: Conservatives Visit Reindeer and Socialism and Survive 3. The Gospel of The J Boys: Thou Shalt Not Buy Lemons & Try To Pass It Off As Lemonade 1. JinJer and Lissy are visiting LA and decide to take a hike up to the Hollywood sign. Why two conservative evangelicals want to see the sign is beyond me. My suspicion is that they plan to stake out the location with the hope of one day altering the sign. If the HOLLYWOOD sign changes to JESUSWOOD overnight we'll know who is responsible. They somehow got special permission to actually walk down to the big letters. I guess the city saw this opportunity as good advertising. If they didn't get permission JinJer may want to lay low for awhile. If the city doesn't bust them child welfare might after watching Jeremy stumbling down the mountain with a baby strapped to his chest. Jinger explains she decided to wear pants for the hike due to the steep terrain. What? That didn't stop her before when hiking mountains in a skirt and flip flops. One of the Duggars most often used phrases is a Duggar girl can do anything in a skirt. Jinger explains about her pants wearing that her parents taught her "To honor Christ in everything that we do and that is where the Lord has led me, as of now." Sooooo, the Lord told her she could wear pants? I'm confused. She also says, with Michelle sitting by her side, that her parents instilled in them the importance of modesty and she appreciates that training…yet Lissy wears pants. She doesn't find that foundation important for her own daughter? Michelle is asked by the producer why she decided to wear only skirts and dresses. She goes right to blaming herself which isn't the true reason. The real reason is that she fell in with hardcore legalistic church people who put false biblical beliefs into her head. Beliefs that blame women for the actions of others. She said she had a lot of baggage in her life like wearing a bikini while mowing the lawn as a teen which she feels may have caused some men to have bad thoughts. Michelle, you aren't responsible for others thoughts. Wearing a bikini while mowing the lawn is bad for so many reasons but not because your body is shameful or hurting others. It's bad because rocks and sticks and dog poop may fly into places you wouldn't want them flying. Oh, and she also claims the Bible says for women to not wear what men wear. As I've said before, why would God give a darn what people are wearing? That passage seems more men sponsored than spiritually inspired. You really need to learn to read between the lines to find true inspiration in the Bible. You'd think they would have figured that out by now. Jinger says she discussed with her parents about wearing pants before she decided to rebel against her mother's convictions. Michelle says she's okay with it as long as they walk with God and continue to be modest. So I guess short shorts might be a cause for shunning? Anyway, as they talk about walking with God, scenes of Jeremy with baby and jeans wearing Jinger are being shown as they walk/fall with God down the side of a mountain to the Hollywood sign. Michelle seems a little resigned that she can't keep dressing Jinger in prairie dresses anymore and is just glad that her kids will at least walk in truth which does her mama's heart good. In other words, "Wear your stinkin' jeans! Just don't become an atheist or a Catholic!!!" Later, JinJer meet up with that Cade hair guy and his future wife to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I discover from Jeremy that Alice Cooper is now a Christian and Jeremy fan boys all over the Backstreet Boys. The producers ask various Duggars on the couch who their favorite Backstreet Boy is and most of them don't know and just laugh about it. They've learned to take these questions that exploit their ignorance lightly. But I can't blame them for being ignorant on this one. I couldn't name a Backstreet Boy or any of their songs either. Boy bands were never my thing. After a hedonistic walk through Venice Beach, (They walked passed a tattoo parlor. Gasp!) Lissy gets to see the ocean for the first time and then is proselytized to by the hair guy who sings Amazing Grace. Why the heck didn't he sing a Backstreet Boys song? 2. John and Abbie decide to flee the winter in Arkansas and fly to the even more winter of Finland for their honeymoon. John says the typical Duggar line of saying that marriage is great because there are no more chaperones watching your every move. Ummm, I recall that they didn't use chaperones during their courtship. They said they were too mature for that hence the photo of them alone in Walmart where John allegedly smacked unmarried Abbie in the arse. These people are raised on so many family talking points that they can't remember what their reality is. John and Abbie play with reindeer in the snow. Smart Abbie decided to wear snow pants instead of following Michelle's lead of snow skirts. Abbie is a walk in truth pants wearer and thankfully John is okay with that. Later they visit a Greek Orthodox church where they take selfies on the steps but don't go inside. They were there either to try to show the world that they don't hate other types of Christians or they passed out tracts on the steps that announced Greek Orthodox believers were hellbound. Probably a bit of both, I guess. 3. Jed, Jeer, James, Justin and Jason are in Philly to pick up three used limo lemons to sell at their car lot. Jed is wearing a dress shirt with large pictures of cars all over it. They seriously make those in men's sizes? They need to drive the cars 20 hours back home and they leave without test driving the vehicles. Smrt! These five goofy guys with walkie talkies drive out onto the highway announcing, "Jed is president, Jeer is vice and I'm (Jason) is speaker of the house." That must be a little peek into the conversations being held around the Duggar dining room table these days about their future. (giggle) Of course the five daddy owned stooges run into car problems pretty quickly. As they stand along the side of the highway with a camera crew the boys discuss their car problems and their decision to wear skirts. As long as you walk in truth, boys. After driving way too long they decided to stop in an RV park without an RV. They plan on sleeping in the limos though they don't show that and I bet they actually found a nice motel nearby. The boys talk about someday settling down and for some reason they think if they get married they won't be able to hang out and go on road trips anymore. It's all just blah, blah, blah talk just so they can bring up personal beliefs again as is their mission for the show of which none of them are paid. They need to spread the word of DugGod in each episode because saying it once isn't enough. All the family on the holy couch chime in with their views, I mean, Duggar views, on courtship and marriage in this very long boring segment that we've seen way too often. Why is TLC allowing them to proselytize without giving equal time to other beliefs? Jana is again put in that uncomfortable hot seat of having to defend her singleness. She says at least she can still go on family trips which her married siblings can't…except Josh. Josh and his clan go on most of those family trips for some reason. Jana claims to never have been in a courtship before despite reports of her mentioning relationships. I guess technically she can call her one relationship that I know about a "promise". She was promised to a guy named Andrew but he broke off that relationship because he just wasn't ready to settle down. Since her family is probably looking for someone within their cult to marry Jana, somebody her age and financially stable, Jana may be waiting for a very long time. That is a very limited pool of guys unless they want to take a chance and go outside the cult again and then all of a sudden BOOM! Jana is sporting jeans and is living in a city. How much more can Michelle's mama's heart take. Next week, John and Abbie head to Lapland in an attempt to use natural birth control to freeze their reproductive systems limiting the size of their family. Science, you know.

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hazzabeeforlou · 5 years

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11/11/11

Oh my gosh so my lovely friends @halosboat @helloamhere and @haztobegood all tagged me in this so I’m going to answer a few from each of them I hope that’s okay!!

1. Do you prefer to write in past or present tense?

I mostly use past tense. Present squeaks me out a bit, not sure why, perhaps my anxiety can’t deal with things happening in the moment! I have an irrational fear of the word ‘was,’ though, which is eliminated in present by ‘is’ so, one would think I’d like present more but I *don’t*

2. Is there any story you want to write but feel like you won’t manage?

My story The Garden is going to be... hard. It’s a soulmate fic set in three time periods, a Biblical AU following the reincarnation of lovers David+Johnathan but in the middle ages, Jesus+Judas in the 1960s, and Adam+Eve in the present day, all obviously portrayed by Harry and Louis. It stems from the evangelical idea that Adam, David, and Jesus were the three ‘Christs,’ or rather that Adam and David were imperfect Saviors. Anyways. I want it to explore divinity and fate and religion and politics and loss and violence and love, and the blurring between good and evil and if there even is a distinction, and it’s so clear in my mind that I can almost taste it, but because of that I’m very daunted by the prospect. It would also be very LONG. And idk who would read a biblical gay love story AU so... I’ve even considered just doing a novel, not a fan fic *shrugs*

3. Which one of your fics do you think deserves more love?

OH BOY. Well I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. My RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER AU. Like. Harry is a shapeshifting reindeer. He pulls Santa’s sleigh. He love Christmas more than anything in this whole damn world. Louis is one of Santa’s elves and Harry’s best friend and he wants nothing more than to run away and explore the world. There’s all the mutual idiotic oblivious pining. There’s Christmas shit. SO much Christmas shit. There’s smut. There’s magic. Peppermint dildos. Need I say more?

4. Are the fictional characters you like to read/write similar to the people you like in real life?

I unfortunately read about the people in my real life quite enough in the news *trump voters cough cough* so no, I try to fill my fictional life with witches and warlocks and fairies and intellectuals and scientists and the occasional damsel wandering the moors. As for the characters I write, I have noticed that I tend to make them all very emotionally prone, which I think is more a reflection of myself than the people I’m around. I honestly base most of my characters, or at least their inner issues, on myself, not in an egotistical way, but in an ‘I know myself better than anyone else in my life’ way. Now. Do I like myself? Haha. Um. Ya there’s a reason I solve my self-based character’s problems in fics, I usually need to learn those lessons in my real life.

5. What is your biggest fear about your writing?

My biggest fear has always been failure. As a musician, I’m constantly fearing my art. It’s my profession, and it has to be perfect, and it’s a constant strain. So when it comes to writing, I just don’t let myself care. That’s not to say I don’t edit obsessively and let my perfectionist side play, but because writing is for fun, I don’t fear failing at it. So what if no one reads a story I wrote? I wrote it for me. I wanted to read that story, so I did, and if people hate it, so what. If writing ever became my profession I would likely attach my self worth to it like I do with music, and that’s part of the reason I shy away from that path... I want writing to always be my safe place. Now mechanically, I admit freely that I am the world’s WORST speller. Above that, I also am slightly dyslexic when it comes to right/left, music staff lines, and some words, so I’ll often use the wrong word that sounds the same, you know. Believe it or not my vocab score on the GRE was fucking PERFECT. I just can’t remember how to spell anything, I will legit SPEAK the word I want into Siri and hope she can save my ass. The spelling rules of English are my worse enemy.

6. What is the least “you” story that you like, what was something you really thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving?

This is so hard because I’m super picky and usually don’t have the patience to wait out things that initially fail to grab my interest. Perhaps... dare I say, the Great British Baking show? I eat none of the things they make. I usually don’t like reality tv or competition shows, they’re too anxiety inducing. But I LOVE this show. I will binge watch it while curled up in bed drinking tea. I now know what a proving drawer is.

7. How do you think about places, locations, settings for your fics?

Usually my plots come ready-made with places. The two are pretty inseparable. I knew PITS would happen in a place like my hometown, that was integral to the story. I knew Until You Remember would be a coastal British village like I’d seen on BBC shows. I knew Flawless would be in NYC, and same with Reindeer Games (apart from the North Pole of course). For Kiss the Girl I did debate between Miami and St. Pete, but having been to both I just... Miami is so wild. I needed a slow, tired place that felt old and forgotten. I guess the real answer to this question is that I set fics mostly in places where I’ve spent time in real life!

8. Give me an example of a scene or plot point in a fic of yours that changed a lot from what you thought it would be

I struggled a lot with the end of Flawless. I’d written this fic and posed all these problems and questions about the nature of love and passion and art and they were all questions I’d been dealing with in my real life and hence I just didn’t have the answers. So I sat on the fic for a while and spent lots of time just thinking, thinking while I put makeup on in the morning, during rehearsal, as I drove places, etc. I remember when the answer “art never needs to be flawless to merit love/people don’t need to be flawless to merit love” hit me, I was sitting on the bathroom counter flossing my teeth or something, and I just jumped up and ran to my notebook. Because that’s a super obvious answer, isn’t it? But I hadn’t been able to find it amidst all the clutter of my questions.

9. Do you consider tags necessary for fics or are they just spoiling the content?

100% necessary. I was super conscious of this for PITS, as the last thing I ever wanted to do was trigger people trying to avoid trauma. Also, as someone who will actively stop movies or shows if I don’t know the ending is happy, I always am clear about that as well. Spoilers and proper tagging aren’t mutually exclusive, in my opinion.

10. Is there any author that inspired you to start writing?

Well... I’ve been writing stories since I was very little, so I’m sure many of my influences have been subconscious ones. However! When Christopher Paolini wrote Eragon, I remember thinking ‘hey if one homeschooled weirdo can do it so can I!”

11. Was there a fic that made you cry?

Pretty sure everything soft and magical that Phoenix @alienfuckeronmain has ever written has made me cry. Including her recent girl direction fic that I had the absolute honor of cheerleading for. I think about that underpass scene all the goddamn time. Um... Nina @pattern-pals wrote this STUNNING girl direction serpent fic that left me a fucking mess, like it was HOLY and I wanted to run to the nearest cathedral and jump in a vat of holy water and scream into stained glass windows, that type of holy. I *sobbed* myself to sleep reading the end of the world fic (I forget the name, I’ll never read it again, it hurt too badly) you know the classic one. God. Ya. Um, but in the GOOD tears category I absolutely bawled at @crinkle-eyed-boo ‘s While You Were Sleeping AU, and I am usually not a rom com sappy type of person but it hit ALL the right notes and I loved it so fucking much.

HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO LONG I’M SORRY! Okay 11 Questions.

1. If you could crawl inside one of your stories and live, which one would it be and why?

2. Is there any imagery you return to again and again?

3. Do descriptions of characters’ clothing factor into your fics a lot, why or why not?

4. Which of your fics would you want adapted to the big screen and why?

5. Are there any place you won’t go with your writing that other’s might think is an usual trigger, i.e. how Indiana Jones hates snakes?

6. Which composer would score your favorite fic and why?

7. Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters or written a character as a wish-fulfillment perfect partner for yourself?

8. How do you write accents/dialect differences in your fics?

9. Do you ever find yourself re-using words/sentences for kissing or smut? How do you avoid repetition?

10. Which fic author has most touched your soul?

11. If you had to pick only one fic to read over and over again for the rest of your life, what would it be?

@always-aqua @metal-eye @newleafover @lesbianiconharrystyles @pattern-pals @alienfuckeronmain I’m not sure if you’ve all been tagged yet but I think pretty much EVERYONE else has been, however if you haven’t been consider this your tag and please @ me!!!

#11/11/11 #about me #wow this got long so sorry

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duhragonball · 5 years

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Variations on a Theme

My fanfic is long enough that I start to worry that I may be repeating myself in places. In particular, I feel like the villains sort of run together, although that’s arguably true for any long-running story. Lots of people get the Joker and the Riddler mixed up, for example. Your standard Batman villains are all going to play off the same themes: fear, chaos, power, dual-identity, genius, etc. Some of them are bound to overlap eventually.

I thought about how this works with Dragon Ball’s villains. In general, I feel like the major bad guys manage to be pretty distinct from each other, even though they’re basically all doing the same things. I guess I should make a list. Note that I don’t really have a firm definition of “major bad guy,” so if your fave didn’t make the cut, I wouldn’t read too much into that.

Emperor Pilaf: Wants to use the Dragon Balls to wish for world domination. He seems kind of lazy and unfocused at first glance, but when you think about it, he puts a lot of time and effort into his goals. It’s like he thinks Dragon Ball hunting is the quickest, easiest way to get what he wants, but it never actually works out that way, and he never seems to notice.

Red Ribbon Army: I’m sort of lumping General Blue and the other RR officers into this one. They’re all cruel and ruthless in their search for the Dragon Balls, but they’re only doing it in service to a larger cause. For most of the Red Ribbon Saga, it’s assumed that the Army wants to wish for world domination, just like Pilaf, because what else could they possibly want? But you have to figure that a guy like General White wouldn’t be much better off before or after that kind of a wish. He’d still be assigned to some Red Ribbon outpost, carrying out the will of his superiors. He’d probably be richer and more powerful in a world ruled by the Red Ribbon Army, but in the end he’s doing it all for espirit de corps.

Mercenary Tao: He’s just in it for the money, and I suspect the money is really just a way for him to keep score, since his rates are so high that he’s he’s probably already a rich man. Besides, he never pays for anything, so what does he need with money anyway? Tao’s the first bad guy who’s so strong that he can just do whatever he wants. He’s like a one-man Red Ribbon Army in that sense. As an individual, he doesn’t have to worry about angry superiors or unruly subordinates. I suppose his only real overriding motivation is his pride, as he refuses to accept defeat at the hands of Goku, even though he has no particular reason to keep fighting him.

Commander Red: The big twist of the Red Ribbon arc is when Staff Officer Black finds out that Red only wanted the Dragon Balls to become taller. You’d think he’d rather have his right eye healed, but nope. This is where we find out all the RR guys have been fighting for a completely meaningless objective. The Army is already rich and powerful, and one could argue that they practically rule the world anyway, since they can more or less do as they please. I think Red’s quest to become taller demonstrates that they’ve already peaked as a world power. With nothing else to accomplish, Red’s applying his accumulated power on selfish desires.

Tien Shinhan: Essentially, he’s just a patsy for the Crane Hermit, who in turn is out to avenge the death of Mercenary Tao, who in fact isn’t even dead. I suppose Tien’s character arc in the 22nd Budokai is really just him waking up to the fact that his whole life is pointless. He’s just stealing and killing for other people’s benefit, not unlike Tao’s mercenary career. His power was impressive, but his victories over Yamcha and Jackie Chun were empty, and his victory over Goku would have been empty as well if he hadn’t repudiated the Crane school during the fight.

King Piccolo/Piccolo Junior: I guess the big difference with King Piccolo is that he already ruled the world fifty years ago, and now that he’s been unsealed, he’s going to pick up where he left off. Also, we eventually learn that he’s the evil side of Kami, and if one dies the other will cease to exist. That puts an interesting spin on his villainy, since his greatest enemy can never truly be defeated. Not unlike the Biblical Satan, his plan is to just to defile creation as much as he can until his inevitable end. Like Tien, there’s a certain pointlessness to his brand of evil, which probably contributed to his reform. I like to think that when Piccolo Junior became a martial artist, he began to appreciate the discipline and sportsmanship of it, to the point where he began to think of Goku an company as peers to be respected, instead of enemies to be destroyed. And, as Kami observed, training Gohan was a way for Piccolo to leave a legacy behind, something he could never do as a Demon King.

Raditz: Really, Raditz only came to Earth to recruit Goku for a battle on some other planet. What sets the DBZ villains apart is that they don’t even care about the Earth at all, and only see it as a stepping stone to some larger goal. Upon learning about the Dragon Balls, he believed that his comrades would use them to bring him back to life.

Nappa: Not unlike Raditz, in the sense that he probably would have used the Dragon Balls to wish him back to life. Nappa’s thought of breeding a race of Saiyan-Earthling hybrids suggests that he had some lofty dreams of his own for the future, but he was happy to put them aside when Vegeta suggested something more selfish.

Vegeta: The first guy to think of wishing for immortality. The key difference between Vegeta and past villains is that he’s not just looking for a way to conquer a particular empire, or to kill lots of people. He’s thinking ahead to battles he wants to fight in the future (i.e. Frieza), and he wants to keep conquering and killing forever. I don’t think Vegeta ever truly wanted to be immortal for its own sake, but he saw it as a way to hedge his bets, in case he ever bit off more than he could chew.

All of Frieza’s henchmen: In a nutshell, they serve Frieza because they see that as the only way forward in a universe where Frieza is the strongest mortal in it. There’s no freedom from Frieza, only freedom through Frieza, and your Zarbons and Captain Ginyus thrive in the organization by doing their jobs very well. They think the universe is an extremely simple equation because of this, and they’re always shocked and horrified to learn that they’re mistaken.

Frieza: Basically all of the previous bad guys rolled into one. He already rules the universe, by virtue of being the strongest guy in it, so he’s a lot like Red, Tao, and Piccolo on Earth. He seeks immortality like Vegeta, but it almost feels like Red’s wish to become taller. Frieza doesn’t really have anything else to wish for, you know? He also planned to destroy Namek after getting his wish, just as Piccolo did when he got his youth restored, and he became a revenge-obsessed cyborg like Tao.

Garlic Junior: Okay, he’s filler, but I still think he’s cool. Garlic sort of doubled down on the whole “evil-for-evil’s-sake” gimmick that King Piccolo represented. Unlike Piccolo, he’s not the evil half of anybody, and he’s not just looking to torment everyone on Earth. Instead, his plan is to convert everyone on Earth to his cause, using the Black Water Mist. I get the sense that none of this was really headed anywhere specific. He spoke of resurrecting his dead father, but I have no idea what the purpose of that would be when he had already conquered the Earth and overthrown his enemies. He reminds me a lot of Pilaf, and I almost wonder if Garlic is supposed to represent what Pilaf could have become if he’d tried a little harder, or stooped a little lower.

Dr. Gero: Revenge personified. Akira Toriyama later established that Gero lost his son in the destruction of the Red Ribbon HQ, and that’s why he wanted revenge on Goku so badly, and that’s fine and all, though I liked the original implication that he just really, really liked the Red Ribbon Army as a concept, like a middle-aged wrestling fan who really misses WCW. You could argue that Gero is the most nihilistic villain of the set, as his revenge plot involves multiple long term schemes, some of them arranged beyond his expected lifespan, and none of them were particularly concerned about the fate of the Earth.

Androids 17, 18, and 19: I’m assuming that 19 had some semblance of free will here. None of these three had any stake in Gero’s plot, but they didn’t really have anything else going for them either. I’m pretty sure 19 stuck with Gero because he wanted to be on the winning side, and maybe because Gero was the more powerful of the two. By contrast, 17 and 18 turned on him at the first opportunity, and wandered around for a while before turning good. Their counterparts in the Future Trunks timeline never reformed, which I always assumed was they were driven mad by boredom. Of course, they were always designed to be fodder for Cell, so in a sense they were trapped in Gero’s vendetta whether they wanted to be or not.

Cell (The Best Villain): He’s a lot like Frieza if he had actually wished for immortality. What would Frieza have done next? Well, he’d probably sip wine and gloat for another hundred million years, so maybe this analogy doesn’t hold up. The point is that Cell was designed to fulfil a very specific set of objectives, making him stronger than everyone, and then he just sort of had nothing else to do. It’s very similar to Tien and Mercenary Tao’s lack of purpose, but since Cell is an inhuman monster, there’s no guarantee that he’d eventually get sick of killing and destroying everything.

Babidi: He’s a lot like Commander Red, Frieza, Garlic, and Dr. Gero, in that he relies on others to do his dirty work. You know, that’s actually a pretty long list. All five of these dudes use different forms of manipulation to control their underlings. Babidi uses mind control, and I suppose Garlic does too, though the Black Water Mist isn’t quite so well-defined. Gero seems to be able to program his cyborgs to varying degrees of complaince. Frieza uses on intimidation and cult of personality, and Commander Red seems to rely on military hierarchy and a sense of “we’re all in this together”. Babidi is more direct about it. If he wants someone on his team, he just uses his magic and makes them join his team, whether they would have shared his objectives or not. He also wants revenge like Dr. Gero, and he has dreams of ruling the universe like several other past villains, but all of that seems to take a back seat to reviving Majin Buu. That seems to be what makes him stand out. Mind control is a bit cliche, but the real hook to Babidi is what he’s trying to use it to accomplish. Each guy he brings to his side is just cannon fodder for winning the next guy, until he can finally get Buu on his team. I’m pretty sure he could conquer the universe and kill the Supreme Kai with Dabura and Vegeta alone, but he can’t stand the thought of not having Buu on his team. Except Majin Buu’s the one bad guy he can’t control. If he had just left that one go, he would have been unstoppable. Instead, he pushed too far and lost it all.

Majin Buu: This guy gets a lot of criticism for being short on personality, but I think that’s the point. He’s a weapon, like Cell, and he’s even more devoid of purpose than the Crane School guys, King Piccolo, or the Androids. He’s basically a walking natural disaster, practically begging the universe to stop him. I never really thought about it before, but he’s a lot like Tien’s run as a villain. Like, Tien met Majin Buu in the middle of that arc, and you’d never make that connection during that encounter, but it really is a similar kind of situation. They both needed somebody to slap some sense into ‘em.

I thought about moving on to the villains from GT and Super, but this is pretty long already, so I’ll just call it here. I think I’ve seen what I needed to see anyway. A lot of these guys have similar power-sets and motivations. Babidi and Dr. Gero are very similar in the sense that their revenge plans end up summoning an unstoppable weapon and unleashing it upon a defenseless Earth.

But the difference lies in the details. For Gero, Perfect Cell was Plan C or D, a failsafe he never expected to live long enough to see in action. Plan A was to tackle Goku in person by becoming an android himself, and everything else that happened was because of his initial failure to accomplish this. Majin Buu, on the other hand, was Babidi’s first and only goal. As much as he wanted to get revenge on the Surpreme Kai, he seemed much more fixated on Buu. Killing the Kai was just a way to clear a path to Buu, or a fun thing to do with Buu once he got him.

This also puts some parallels in stark contrast. When 17 kills Dr. Gero, it’s superficially similar to Buu killing Babidi. The difference, though, is that Gero never trusted 17, and he was only activating him out of desperation. Babidi really thought he had Buu figured out, and then he lowered his guard for just a moment and paid the ultimate price. Which is ironic when you think about it, because we don’t usually think of Buu as being treacherous or sneaky. 17 comes across that way sometimes, but he’s pretty up front about his intentions. Gero wasn’t exactly surprised when 17 turned on him.

And this is why I get pissed off when people who don’t watch the show try to dismiss it as the same thing over and over. It’s not the same thing over and over, but the only way to be convinced of that is to take the time to sit down and experience Dragon Ball in depth. I don’t like football, but I’m not gonna buy into the tired old joke of it being a bunch of guys running around in tight pants. I have no idea how football works, but I’m not gonna pretend that there isn’t some deeper appeal, or that there’s no tactical or athletic contest going on, simply because I don’t like it. A lot of people enjoy it, so there must be something to it, even if it’s not for me. I just haven’t taken the time to study it.

Anyway, I’m concluding from this that I should probably take the time to study my own work, and maybe that would help me to shake some of these confidence issues. I can talk myself into believing that my writing is better than I think it is, but maybe I need to analyze that in detail, and actually write the analysis down instead of letting it swirl around endlessly in my head. I’ve always resisted this sort of thing because it feels like an ego trip, but maybe it’s been the opposite all along...

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baronvontribble · 6 years

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Original drabble, pt. 5

Navigation: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

yeeeeeeee

It was cold on the way home the same as it had been on the way to work. The bus didn't run from anywhere near the store to anywhere near Ted's apartment building in an amount of time that made walking the less reasonable option, so he walked the whole way. By the time he got to his door, his cheeks and nose and ears stung with the cold; the relief of putting down his bags long enough to get out his keys only lasted the amount of time he spent not picking them back up again, which he inevitably had to do to go inside.

He slumped heavily against the door the moment he'd closed it and held onto the bags just long enough on their way down to the floor to make sure nothing broke, but after that, all bets were off in terms of physical activity. "I'm home," he called out, closing his eyes and letting himself breathe. Fuck, walking had been a bad idea.

"Is this where I'm supposed to ask you how your day went?" the AI's voice asked him, and Ted let out a wheezy chuckle.

"Well for starters," he said, "if we were really following the script? Slippers. And dinner. Already made, nice and hot. Falls apart when you get to the 'sit in front of the television' stage though, what with me not having one."

"That's a shame. It didn't even get to the part where you threaten physical violence if I'm not quick enough with your alcoholic beverage."

"Jesus. I think I'll skip that one, thanks. I mean for one thing, I don't drink." Heaving a sigh, Ted straightened back out and made his way to the kitchen to put the groceries away, draping his coat over a chair as he went and leaving his keys and phone on the counter. The only things that stayed out beyond that were the HD camera made for streaming purposes and the sandwich he'd bought to act as a reasonably well-rounded meal. "Where'd you hear about that shit anyway? Kinda antiquated at this point."

"Case files. Domestic cases weren't the kind of thing I handled, but I still had to be educated in how they worked. I had to be able to take notice of everything that might count as evidence in any given case because the data I recorded could be used in court." Whether Ted was anthropomorphizing or not, the tone of the AI's voice made it sound like he was smiling. "Ended up being used against a few human co-workers too. I didn't have much in the way of agency, but if I saw something, I still reported it."

"Aw, so you're a good cop."

"No." A firm statement that left no room for argument; the good-natured tone was gone just as easily as it had crept in, impressing Ted all over again at the tuning. "Good cops are the ones who stop what they're doing when they realize it's wrong."

That just sounded all kinds of wrong to Ted. "Some people might say there's a lot of grey in there. If leaving puts your life in danger, for instance. Or if you don't have any real say in what you're doing." He wasn't sure what this guy had done, but he'd never gotten a bad vibe from any of their little talks over the past couple days. And usually his instincts about people were pretty spot-on.

But that firm tone was back again, giving no ground. "Ted, please," the AI insisted, "I'd rather not talk about this."

"Seriously though," Ted continued. "I mean you left, didn't you? Yeah, maybe it took longer than it should've, I don't know enough to make any kinda call on that, but it seems to me like you had a limit to how much you were willing to-"

"Ted." The volume had been turned up significantly, hard enough to rattle the laptop's cheap onboard speakers. Admittedly that didn't take much, but it still stopped Ted dead in his tracks. "Don't."

Just like that, all the good humor had been sapped out of the room. Ted let out a slow, steadying breath. He just knew this one was gonna claw at the inside of his head for days. "Fine, I won't talk about it." Picking up the box with the camera in it and leaving the sandwich for later, he headed back over to his not-quite-desk and fell into his rickety old chair. "I didn't mean to upset you."

The volume was back to normal when the AI spoke again, and his tone was softer. "I know."

Right, time for a subject change. "Did you read your way through all the books yet?" Ted asked as he wrestled with the box the camera was in. Stupid packaging.

"Not all of them," was the reply. "But I did find a name. You've read I, Robot?"

"Hell yeah." Ted had to grin. "Gonna name yourself after Susan Calvin or something?"

"Wrong book. I meant the short story."

"Ohh..." That one was a bit older than Asimov's stories, if Ted remembered right. "Kinda dark, isn't it?"

The AI ignored his comment. "I did some research. 'Adam' is a common enough name in enough languages that if I pick a similarly common surname, I'll be relatively difficult to track effectively by my name alone."

"And I guess the literary allusion doesn't hurt either, huh?" Ted gave it some thought. "What about the biblical roots of it?"

"I haven't read the Bible."

"Y'know, ate a fruit from the tree of knowledge after watching a woman do it, and then both of them got kicked out of the Garden of Eden by God for disobeying His orders. Original sin, free will. All that jazz."

It was several seconds before he got a response. He heard the fans kick into overdrive for a moment on the main computer tower. "Right."

Damn, almost sounded like the guy had barely tuned that one at all. “What’s that mean? Like, is it good, is it bad-”

"It means I suppose I have a name now."

"You like it?" The box Ted had been struggling with tore open all at once, the cardboard giving way long before the tape did; one layer of packaging down, a bazillion more to go. He took a moment to idly suck on a finger that'd been nicked on the cardboard's edges with a quiet hiss at the way it stung. "I mean, I like it. But I'm not the one who's gotta live with it."

Machines couldn’t scoff, but this one definitely knew how to give the impression of such a thing through his voice. "Functionality is more important than whether or not I like it."

Ted snorted. "Yeah, you like it." One thing he'd learned about this guy: positive feelings were rarely ever admitted to directly. "Got a voice, got a name. Might be tempting fate to say this, but it seems to me you're just about ready to face the world, man."

"Just focus on getting the camera set up."

"I'm working on it, jeez." Foam, plastic, more plastic. Naturally, only about half of it could be recycled. The camera came with a flash drive about the same size as the end of his thumb, and included wireless capability that Ted would probably never use. He was quick to toss the trash aside for Future Ted to deal with, only hesitating when part of the 'trash' was the instructions. However, a cursory glance told him he didn't actually need instructions, and the manual promptly went back into the pile.

Then he let out a tired sigh as he ended up scooting over to what had once been his main computer to pluck out yet another bit from its wreckage: the USB extender. He'd have a lot of rebuilding to do after all of this was finished. His poor gaming rig had been reduced to a pile of spare parts. Honestly, if anyone in the pipeline ever contacted him about a job this big again, he'd probably just tell them to go sit on a cactus. Or at least be really salty about taking said job.

"This might take a little while," he said. "Gotta install the drivers, get the extender plugged into the power strip..." Within moments he was under the desk having a fight with one of the power strips connected to the battery backup, rearranging things until he could make room for the cord to the extender. "Got any music you like?"

"Depends. Am I limited in what media libraries I'm allowed to take it from?"

Ted grinned even as the dust under his not-desks had him stifling a sneeze in his elbow. "Dude, have you seen my library? Half of it is ripped straight off of video upload sites. I'm the last person who's gonna tell you where to go for that shit."

"True." Ted looked up from his work long enough to get a glimpse of the windows open on the laptop, trying to follow Adam's music search as it happened. To say it went a little fast would be an understatement; there was no way in hell he was keeping up. "It's a blend of different genres," Adam informed him. "Part symphonic, part electronic. It's also in Russian. You don't mind that, do you?"

"Not a bit." Just as long as he understood that Ted didn't speak a word of Russian. "Is that where you're from?"

There was no answer except the music as it started to play, and Ted dutifully hauled himself upright to listen.

It was pretty. Ted had no idea who the singer was when her voice entered the mix after a few bars of meandering piano and flowing strings. She had perfect pitch, whoever she was; the tone of her contralto voice made him think of long, flowing black hair framing long, elegant features. One of those fairytale maidens singing about longing and true love and all that profoundly schmoopy nonsense.

Then the beat dropped, and he envisioned the maiden tearing her dress asunder and climbing astride a winged steed while holding a battleaxe, and the longing contralto turned into a one-woman wail of anguish and howling righteousness.

"I would've loved this in high school," he said somewhere during the second chorus, awestruck. He was pretty sure there'd been some Latin in the lyrics somewhere, but he hadn't been listening very hard so it might've been a trick played on his ears. This along with something that sounded like it might've been either badly mangled English or even more badly mangled Esperanto, but he wasn't enough of an expert on linguistics to tell what the attempted lyrics were. It was exactly the kind of melancholic angsty nonsense he would've loved when he was fourteen, and at twenty-seven, he was seeing it as equal parts awesome and endearing.

Adam didn't respond until the song was over, letting it play out before saying anything. Was listening to the echo of it over the speakers and through the microphone different from reading the data of it, beyond a difference in audio quality? A question for another time, perhaps. "It's not what I usually listen to," the AI admitted, in the kind of tone one might use to describe their fondness for Rocky Horror Picture Show or The Room. "From what I've experienced so far, I prefer soundtracks over anything on the radio."

Ted snorted. "You nerd."

"I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"Only a nerd tries to justify their cheesier music choices. Just admit that you like this, I dunno, this symphonic emo Russian synth-EDM, and don't look back. I mean, I listen to show tunes."

"Show tunes?"

"Dude." By that point, Ted was grinning from ear to ear. "Broadway? Y'know, musicals. And big band stuff too, like Gershwin."

Several seconds of silence followed, then: "I regret asking."

"Alright, look. Lemme find some and I'll show you-"

"No, I believe you."

"I won't take long, I swear!"

"Ted..."

And this was how Ted dragged an AI into an hour's worth of Broadway sing-alongs, which the AI in question would later call 'torture', followed by Ted suddenly remembering his sandwich and bringing it into proceedings as well in the form of turning lyrics into nonsensical mumbling. This is also how it came to be that the camera did not get hooked up that evening. It didn't even occur to Ted to question why Adam seemed relieved when he gave up on it for the night, because he was having too much fun.

#no one cares andy #original writing #original characters #robot and marshmallow #this thing's grown a plot on me and i didn't expect that #written up to part 7 so far but idk what's gonna happen next

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tigy-the-gaymer · 4 years

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Some Anti-Theist Religious Bits & Pieces: Round Thirteen

Of those Big Questions vital to philosophical ideas that encompass life, the universe and everything, the domains of religious philosophy and religions and the idea of divinities keep on captivating. Assessments multiply in books, articles, recordings, discussions in bars and bars, and in actuality anyplace and wherever at least two people are in nearness. There's the genius side; there's the counter side. There aren't an excess of fence-sitters. I'm still in the counter camp as the accompanying odds and ends outline.

Concerning

*You needn't bother with a divine being to have significance and reason in your life.

*There is one quality that the multi-a huge number of varying strict conviction frameworks/religious philosophies have displayed and that is the intensity of the human creative mind to strikingly proceed to envision fanciful ideas never envisioned. The world would be a less beautiful and fascinating spot without our different folklores.

*I think there ought to be required strict and Biblical instruction in schools since that ought to guarantee a constant flow of nonbelievers growing up and entering the network!

*Religions frequently do great to veil the shrewd they do, yet would now be able to do without risk of punishment.

*The Catholic Church: AIDS is terrible yet the utilization of condoms is more terrible since God doesn't favor of 'conception prevention' in any way, shape or form Engagement Rings Perth. It is obviously educated in Africa by Catholics that utilizing condoms makes "Infant Jesus cry". Abnormal.

*Then too we had the Catholic Church's Index of Prohibited Books. It wasn't only the Nazis that consumed books. Presently you must be extremely shaky and uncertain of your philosophy and how to protect it in the event that you need to take cover behind a brought down drape that outcomes by the controlling of disparate conclusions. It's simply one more sign of Christianity's eventual demise.

*There's no more proof for casual and complicated strict conviction (like being profound without being an individual from any proper strict faction/association/church) than officially sorted out religion. It's all only a type of "charm".

*When it comes to religion, "fall back on toleration when in doubt" True Believers are particularly in the minority. (By means of Greta Christina).

*Any religion is only a working speculation about how life, the Universe and everything, except particularly the world, works. All things considered, that religion is dependent upon investigation and counter and being tested and rectified as would some other working theory from some other effective region or of topic of worry to people, from the sciences through to political frameworks.

*We don't will in general go out to shop for the brand of religion we need among the entirety of the extraordinary and broadly contrasting brands of religion on offer and afterward picking the most reasonable the manner in which we accomplish for the multi brands of parcels of rolls on offer at the grocery store or for a particular brand or design name of dress at the women style shop and apparel division. Rather we continue eating/wearing a similar brand over and over and again in light of the fact that that was only the manner in which we were raised. In like manner, we will in general keep the religion that was forced on us when we were kids. This is to a limited extent because of custom (in the event that it was adequate for Mum and Dad its sufficient for me) just as family/social weight. Obviously in certain social orders the weight verges on real physical dangers and disciplines on the off chance that you stray from the acknowledged overlap.

*Thanks to Christianity and its all-adoring, all-simply, all-benevolent God, more than 50,000 blameless individuals were tormented and executed - they were classified "witches" however were not any more genuine witches than the individuals who turned the thumb-screws, fixed the rack, and light the blazes encompassing the stake. Incidentally, this training is as yet going on in numerous remote regions in immature nations. God (and His hirelings here on earth) should balance their heads in disgrace for Exodus 22: 18 "Thou will not endure a witch to live".

As to versus Science

*According to Leviticus 11: 6 and Deuteronomy 14: 7, rabbits (for example - hares) cheweth the cud. This obviously is zoological hogwash. Chalk up one more Biblical uh oh.

*The general pattern over all of written history is that normal clarifications have displaced, typically surpassed in informative force, powerful (for example - strict) clarifications. I'd wager that is a pattern that will fight the good fight.

As to and Belief

*Saying that you simply know something (without proof to back up your insight) is simply not a pathway to truth.

*If you state your confidence bests proof then you are absolutely impervious to both self-amendment and impervious to contradict.

*Religious conviction is confidence in the mysterious. There's not a single verification in sight in the strict pudding. Any evidence to be discovered comes after you've kicked-the-basin and by then it's short of what was needed to tell anybody.

*The thought of choosing what's actual dependent on what you need to be genuine is ludicrous in the extraordinary. The truth is the thing that the truth is and your convictions to the opposite are immaterial. So any conviction framework that urges individuals to disregard the truth is a terrible conviction framework and that covers Christianity directly down through and including New Age "Charm".

*The prime instructing of monotheistic strict confidence in an imperceptible enchantment man in the sky is a conspicuous model known to software engineers of GIGO - Garbage In; Garbage Out.

*Christian: You need to regard my convictions.

Nonbeliever: No! I may regard you similar to a legitimate and amiable individual yet that doesn't mean I need to regard what you put stock in.

*You reserve a privilege to your private strict convictions until such time as you go too far and your strict convictions enter the open field and begin to hurt others.

*It's misleading in the outrageous for you to basin the strict convictions of others when those convictions don't adjust to your convictions and afterward anticipate that your strict convictions should get a free pass.

As to and Miracles

*For the Catholic Church to announce some occasion as a real wonder (for example Fatima, October 1917), well that is much the same as a genuine devotee to Bigfoot or the Yeti pronouncing that a photo of a disintegrated 'primate' impression in the snow is outright verification of same. Genuine adherents will clearly embrace occasions that reflect proof for their actual conviction.

With respect to

*The thought that strict confidence consequently makes you a decent and good individual is ridiculous in the extraordinary. Jails in America, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and so on are brimming with Christians. Penitentiaries in Muslin nations are brimming with detainees of the Islamic confidence. And afterward as well, shouldn't something be said about those individuals of the material and the neckline - like Catholic (and other) ministers and other church who utilize their places of power to 1) intellectually misuse little kids with frightening dangers of interminable discipline in Hell and 2) who genuinely misuse kids in their consideration, particularly captivating in sexual maltreatment. What's more, that is simply starting to expose the disasters submitted by those proclaiming strict confidence.

With respect to End Times

*Faith is a container! Proof? There have been a large number of exact prophetic estimates made by the devoted for the End Times; End of Days; the Second Coming; the Rapture; Armageddon; the Apocalypse, and so forth. There have been multi-a great many loyal devotees who have accepted those prophets. Every single such prescience have fizzled. None have ever happened. Score: reality of extremely genuine reality 1; confidence 0.

*We're despite everything pausing!

*Sorry Michele Bachmann and all related "End Times" fan, yet one more day has traveled every which way but then once more, God's a flake-out. Also, Jesus, of Second Coming distinction, gives off an impression of being somewhat late too. Did they neglect to set the morning timers? Did they miss the transport? Possibly their Holy Chariot had a level! Michele Bachmann and organization may accept that the end is near (and has been for very some extensive time) and the Rapture is impending (and has been for very some significant time also), yet I believe it's really ok for you to plan and pay for your next occasion and develop that savings for your long a long time in retirement.

With respect to Soul/Afterlife

*This may come as an amazement to numerous yet there was no confidence in an existence in the wake of death in antiquated Israeli Jewish people group. The main genuine reference to an existence in the wake of death in the Old Testament is at Daniel 12: 2. That is it. There are no different hits "forever endless" or "interminable life"; "life never-ending" or "never-ending life"; or "existence in the wake of death" or "eternal life" or even "restoration". So there's no area given for a life following death in the Old Testament on the grounds that with the one special case there is no understanding of an existence in the wake of death in the Old Testament and Daniel 12: 2 discussed no the hereafter area. Well that is truly amazing given the noticeable quality eternity gets in the New Testament. Maybe life following death was only an after-thought on God's part as in "hmm, it is extraordinary to have some consistent gracefully of new faces and friends to converse with me here upstairs on my eminent seat".

*As long as religions can dangle the hereafter carrot before the incredible unwashed (and furthermore taking into account the not very good washed), you'll never dispose of the organization (particularly when it utilizes countless individuals and produces billions in salary).

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bestbooksintheworld-blog · 5 years

Link

My least favorite feeling is feeling stuck.

I could be stuck with personal growth, stale in my relationships, fresh out of ideas at work… the list is endless.

The fear of remaining stagnant can be crippling.

I’ve felt that way many, many times. Each time it feels like I’ll never overcome it, like I’m permanently drained of motivation.

Know what I mean? Perhaps you’ve resigned yourself to living a miserable, boring life. Maybe you even believe you don’t deserve better than that. When you feel so bad for so long, it’s hard to imagine life any other way.

I’ve been there too. Many times.

In fact, I’ve made so many trips to Yucklando and back that I’ve proved to myself that my time there isn’t permanent. Some of my trips are definitely longer than others, but I always return.

And because I know I always return home, I’ve made it a habit that every time I’m in a “valley,” I remind myself of aaalllll the other valleys I’ve already been in. I remind myself that this valley is no different than the others, even though it feels like it is. I remind myself that I have felt like this before and that I have overcome it before too.

You don’t have to face the valleys alone. In fact, it’s better not to face them alone. When we’re alone, that’s when the crushing negativity can creep in… all the self-doubt, the worry, and the fear.

We’ve all got little “voices” inside our heads. Sometimes they’re positive, but sometimes they’re negative. When you tell yourself you “can’t” or you’ll “never” or you “don’t deserve it”… those are the voices. And the times when those voices are the loudest? Well, those are the valleys.

To get out of the valleys, you have to shush the negative voices. And the best way to shush ’em isn’t to try and get rid of them — because they’ll always return, saying something different next time. No, the best way to shush the voices is to crowd them out.

How do you crowd ’em out? The answer might surprise you.

Every time you read, you get access to a fresh perspective — and you get to choose that perspective every single time.

Every time you read, you hear other voices besides the ones in your head.

Every time you read, you make your world bigger.

You give yourself the opportunity to grow and improve your life… one word at a time.

So where should you start? I can help with that! Below is a detailed list of 21 motivational books you can use to fill your mind with positive voices, empowering ideas, and inspiration to create a life you love.

1 .The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

I bet that title grabbed your attention, huh? It does have a bit of shock value — but it also backs it up with legit advice on how you can determine what to care about… and what not to. Pretty bold thinking, right?

2. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

This is one of those books that’s a bit older but makes everyone’s “Best Motivational Books” list. Napoleon conducted dozens of interviews with the most successful and richest people in the early 20th century and drills down into the common traits between them.

3. Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins is one of the names most synonymous with self-help books. And for good reason — he’s written six best-selling books about financial freedom, personal development, and more. I especially like this book because he shares what he’s learned about the best ways to help people break through to new levels in life.

4. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

This is the *perfect* book for those who feel stuck with where they are in life. I’ve totally been there, and this book helped me get out of my slump. With short chapters on each topic, Jack teaches you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, live with passion and purpose, and make your goals real. You’ll be back on track in no time.

5. Spirit Driven Success by Dani Johnson

Dani Johnson went from being homeless to a millionaire in TWO years. Two years, folks. She’s an ordained minister and teaches how to “unlock the door to biblical wealth and prosperity secrets.” I was so inspired by her story and knew I had to add it to this list.

6. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

Over the last two years, Tim has interviewed the best of the best in the world on his podcast. He’s taken everything he’s learned from those 200+ interviews and packed it into this GINORMOUS book. But don’t let the size intimidate you — think of it as a giant resource for health, wealth, and happiness.

7. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Robert explores the mindset that you don’t have to earn a ton of money to be rich. He’s responsible for changing how millions of people think about money and investing. This is one of the best personal finance books out there.

8. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Ever heard of Facebook? (LOL!) Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of the social media empire, and she’s created a name for herself by teaching women how to take control of their careers and be true leaders in their fields. She shows “specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment.”

9. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Here’s another old-time classic that you’ll find on many “Best of” lists. It has sold millions of copies over the years and illustrates how to interact with people in an effective way. Communication = the key to success in ANYTHING.

10. Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Records, and more top businesses. He’s one of the most iconic entrepreneurs of our day. This autobiography tells the story of his crazy-interesting life and how he writes his own rules in business. It’s a fresh take on the traditional “self-help” book.

11. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

The author of the wildly successful Eat, Pray, Love is back with another book on inspiration, creativity, and conquering the fears that are holding you back. She’s super inspirational and when you finish reading the book, you’ll want to start taking action stat.

12. The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

You know what I say: Being happy isn’t about having zero problems — it’s being able to solve the problems we do have, no matter how big or small. And that’s why I love this book so much. It shows you how to turn problems into successes.

13. Loving What Is: The Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie

Byron Katie created a process called The Work that helps you see your problems in a different light. This book expands on that process through specific examples of people working through their problems and understanding the underlying thought processes behind them. It’s considered one of the leading books on personal transformation.

14. The Now Habit by Neil Fiore

Are you a procrastinator? Always putting things off and either doing them at the last minute or not doing them at all? I used to be just like that until I read The Now Habit. Now I get my booty in gear and get things done so that I can enjoy my free time faster — without feeling guilty.

15. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

You guys know how much I consider mindset to be an integral part in anyone’s success. Well, this book is THE book about mindset. I got so much out of it that I even based part of my Money Mindset Transformation workshop on the principles taught by Dr. Dweck in this book.

16. The Dip by Seth Godin

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” But… sometimes winners DO quit and quitters DO win! But how do you know when to quit or when to push through? Seth teaches exactly that in The Dip.

17. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley & William Danko

Being a millionaire doesn’t have to mean you’re flashy or have expensive things. In fact, you could have a millionaire living right next door and not even know it. This book walks you through the seven “rules” all millionaires live by — and they’re probably not what you expect!

18. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Stephen Covey is another highly regarded author in the motivational world. This book came out 25 years ago, but it’s still one of the most recognizable and recommended personal growth books out there.

19. Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz

No, this book is not about robots It’s a shorter, easier way of saying “steering your mind to a productive, useful goal so you can reach the greatest port in the world, peace of mind.” It’s a fairly unknown book compared to others on this list, but Tony Robbins is a fan — and so am I.

20. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Here’s another great book about unleashing your creativity and pushing through roadblocks standing in your way. If you’re a wannabe author, this book is for you — Steven Pressfield was over 40 years old when he first got published. You’re never too old!

21. Change Anything by Kerry Patterson & Joseph Grenny

Have you ever tried to make a change in your life (go on a diet, start exercising, etc.) but couldn’t follow through? There’s a reason for that, and this book dives into how you can change your destructive habits and replace them with better behaviors.

This blog contains affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

#life changing books

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musicgoon · 6 years

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Recommended Reading

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#rr #christianity #culture #link #news

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sinceileftyoublog · 6 years

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Wussy Interview: Monsters, Inc.

Photo by John Erhardt

BY JORDAN MAINZER

“The magic of the modern world,” dryly quips Wussy’s Chuck Cleaver as I’ve successfully connected him and co-band-leader Lisa Walker over a three-way call. “We tend to be Luddites,” he adds. The sort of simultaneous weathered curmudgeonly sarcasm and conversational warmth Cleaver and Walker exude is exemplary of a duo who’ve been at it for a long time. A band born out of a dare to play together in 2001 (Cleaver was in Cincinnati cult heroes Ass Ponys), Wussy have released seven albums of folk-, shoegaze-, and country-tinged rock. Cleaver and Walker share vocal, guitar, and songwriting duties, while Mark Messerly plays bass and Joe Klug the drums. Recently, they’ve added John Erhardt on pedal steel. All five shine on the band’s latest full-length, the excellent What Heaven Is Like.

Heaven, like a lot of Wussy records, centers around society’s Midwestern outcasts--not who they consider the “other” but who society as a whole considers so. In context of today’s climate, the band seems all the more essential, avoiding the self-righteous trap of writing politically inspired music by channeling it through the ultra-personal consumption of culture. Walker’s songs, especially, are loosely based on everything from Fargo to Charles Burns’ Black Hole. And on the record, the band covers folk singer Kath Bloom, another outsider. “If key and musical ability are something you’re concerned with, you’re not gonna like Kath Bloom,” jokes Cleaver. “She is a wonderful writer.”

While Wussy don’t have any upcoming tour dates (they recently had to cancel a couple tour dates due to Cleaver experiencing spinal stenosis), they’ve been quite busy even besides Heaven, releasing a duo CD, Record Store Day CD, Cleaver solo record, and split single with The Paranoid Style on Bar/None. Still, it’s Heaven that will endure and remain both a document of socially inspired music in 2018 and a timeless record. Read my conversation with Cleaver and Walker, heavily edited for length and clarity, below.

Since I Left You: What about What Heaven Is Like is unique as compared to your past discography, and what about it is a continuation of your past albums?

Chuck Cleaver: It took a lot longer to make the other ones for various reasons--we kind of tried some other studios, and it worked out to varying degrees, but we were kind of away from our home turf a little bit. We got some good stuff out of it, but we decided we were more comfortable where we normally record.

It took us a little bit to actually get going. Current political stuff kind of hindered us for a while because we were all to varying degrees put off by it. But that worked its way into some of the lyrics. We explored a little more. I think we do with every record. We thought, “Let’s go even farther out of whatever limb we normally do.” The quieter songs were possibly even quieter than before.

I don’t think try is the right word, but it’s just something we naturally lean towards. We just get bored otherwise. We keep things moving and hope it’s interesting for other people.

SILY: In the opening song, “One Per Customer”, the line about the astronauts stands out: “back when astronauts had more appeal.” What did you mean by that?

CC: I was born in 1959. Throughout the 60′s, my sister and a lot of her friends wanted to marry a fuckin’ astronaut. They were new, and it was the “it” job for swingin’ guys or whatever. Now--in reality, being an astronaut is scary as hell--but it doesn’t have the appeal that it once did. Kids when they grew up wanted to be an astronaut. I don’t have any idea what they want to be now. A robot, maybe. Maybe kids just wish they were more intelligent. I don’t know. It does seem like being an astronaut used to be more of a goal.

Lisa Walker: I had an astronaut Barbie.

CC: And there was an astronaut GI Joe.

LW: But I feel like that’s not as much of a thing now.

CC: Now, everybody wants to be a fuckin’ reality star or something. Ugh. They should just be murdered in their sleep. Sorry.

LW: What?!?

CC: [laughs]

LW: Oh my god.

SILY: “Gloria” was inspired by the character in the latest season of Fargo--it’s not the first time you’ve named an album or song title after a movie or TV show. Attica! was named after Dog Day Afternoon. Why do you like naming things after other parts of culture?

LW: My theory on this is that I think classical allusions are a little played out. We’ve already used all the biblical ones.

CC: We’re big TV advocates.

LW: I prefer TV over film generally.

CC: I prefer TV over people.

LW: I’m in that camp, too. And I watch the same things over and over again. It’s like a comfort. Almost like therapy. One of the documentaries I saw over the past couple years I really enjoyed was that brony one. I can’t remember the title. [Editor’s note: It’s Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony]. It sounds odd, but it’s pretty sweet. It’s sort of like that Bob’s Burgers episode with the Equestranauts.

CC: [cackles]

LW: They talk about how a lot of people process stuff through watching television. Something made for children helps people process adults, conflicts, emotions. I kind of get that. For me, that third season of Fargo helped me process the election. It took me a while to get through it. I had to quit in the middle because it was too bleak. I was like, “This guy’s gonna win.”

CC: The thing is [in the show] he doesn’t beat her spirit.

LW: That’s my takeaway from every article. I try to come away with the long view of history. I know a spark of hope when I see it, too. And I think that TV, more than movies, is good at telling the story.

SILY: Over that many episodes and hours, over a serial thing, it allows for greater storylines and development. It’s just such a commitment, and there’s so much, it can be hard to pick.

LW: I know. Some are too intense for me, frankly, because I get too into it. I’m one episode into Season 1 of Legion, and there’s flashbacks with a puppy. I’m already like, “If they do something to that dog, I’m out.”

CC: I’m like that with animals and little kids. Unless the little kid’s an asshole--then I’m like, “Kill that son of a bitch.”

LW: [laughs]

CC: Plus, I have the attention span of a gnat. Sometimes, when we’re watching a movie, I’ll get up and leave the room, and my wife will be like, “God damnit. We’re watching a fucking movie! What are you doing?” And I’m like, “Oh, I forgot.”

LW: I watch a lot of Bob’s Burgers and Parks and Recreation. Things I’ve already seen. And that stuff helps me with reality a little bit because there’s a kindness to it.

CC: There’s kind of a not-kindness to it too that keeps it funny. Bob’s Burgers is a very irreverent show. But in a sweet way.

SILY: What else helps you process and come to terms with the world around you?

LW: For me, I listen to a lot of Gang of Four and Wire. Their anger is soothing.

CC: Just being in a band. My wife always notices I get really grumpy when we don’t play for a while. [Lisa and I] both for varying degrees buy lots of junk--not really junk--but vintage stuff. We both collect all kinds of things. Going to antique malls and fairs and stuff like that is very therapeutic for me. I don’t even have to buy anything. Just walking around and seeing the tritest of people’s lives is interesting to me.

SILY: That’s exactly what my girlfriend does. She just organized her so-called “cabinet of curiosities” with her knick-knacks and what not.

CC: That’s it. Organizing and reorganizing things, looking at each thing and wondering whether it’s haunted or not. It’s just interesting to me. It provides great joy. I just posted a picture on Facebook--I found an old rat trap with Mickey Mouse’s picture on it. [To Lisa] You actually found it first, I think.

LW: Why would you put Mickey Mouse on a rat trap? That makes no sense.

CC: Exactly. But it’s just beautiful. Like, “Oh my god. Who thought of this?!?” That keeps me going. It made my entire week.

SILY: There’s a clip of Tom Waits on Letterman from a few years ago wherein he for no reason brought a rat trap from the 1800′s. He didn’t explain why he had it--he just had it. It makes me crack up every single time.

LW: It explains itself.

CC: It’s just fascinating. Especially when it’s something that’s mass produced. I’ll never get over some of the stuff we found created by individuals, but the idea that a group of people got together in a board room or wherever and thought, “This rat trap with Mickey Mouse on it is going to be a good idea” is just great to me. Wow. This mass hallucination of people thinking it’s the right thing to do.

LW: It’s like the Middle Ages dance hysteria. Where people did something in hysteria until they died--like dancing. There are paeans with the Pied Piper of Hamelin where they think something happened like that. If you look in the town records of Hamelin, they say, “It’s been such and such years since our children went away.” And they don’t know what it means. There’s a stained glass that told the story.

CC: That’s some X-Files shit.

LW: You could also make correlations with acts of terror now. You read and think, “Why would somebody do that?” It’s crazy.

SILY: You can be fascinated and talk about how crazy the past is, but part of me thinks you can’t judge it at all because we do shit that in a number of years is just as crazy if not crazier.

CC: Imagine two generations from now people looking back at our political atmosphere and wondering, “Those motherfuckers were nuts. What the hell were they thinking?”

LW: I always love watching movies made before cell phones because people actually look around. You see their face. Now, if everyone’s not on their phones, it seems disingenuous somehow. You’re like, “That’s not real.”

SILY: I was waiting for the train the other day, and some guy was talking on the phone and very purposely and loudly saying, “I’m trying to engage with these people and they’re all on their phones!” Part of me was like, “Nobody wants to talk you to, it’s early.” But there was a certain extent to which he was right.

CC: And, you’re on the phone, [too].

SILY: Back to the record. It seemed like it had a much darker instrumental tone than previous records. Was that at all an intention or observation on your end?

CC: It was probably just a product of the time in which it was made, I’m guessing. We don’t ever talk about that stuff. We never say, “Let’s put in the devil’s chord,” or “the brown note” or anything.

LW: If we could, we would, though.

CC: Especially the brown note. The idea of our record making people poop their pants is just great.

LW: Musical laxative.

CC: Again, we don’t discuss much. We just do it. However it comes out is how it comes out. I know that seems strange. We’re just not that kind of a band.

LW: You know what it is, though. It’s a product of what we listen to. If we’re listening to a lot of Yo La Tengo--particularly their darker stuff, as I do--that’s gonna come out in what I play. Not like I’m trying to copy it. It’s just by osmosis.

CC: And I’ve watched a lot of black metal documentaries this year. [laughs] There’s probably that. It’s just interesting to me. I don’t listen to the music much or at all. I could watch a documentary on practically anything.

SILY: Any good ones in particular?

CC: If you go on YouTube--I’m terrible at remembering titles--there’s a couple that are really informative. They’re always kind of funny. Any time I see someone in corpse makeup, it just makes me giggle. At the same time, they seem very genuine and into it, so I can’t make fun of it too much. It’s no less relative than what we do.

SILY: Lisa, how do you like the new Yo La Tengo record?

LW: I haven’t heard it yet. I’ve only heard one song. I’m looking forward to it. My favorite Yo La Tengo record is Electr-O-Pura, if that gives you a sense of the ones I like. I like them all, but the ones that tend towards that. I think that record is kind of dark. A lot of singable noise. You could hum that record. Some of their stuff is so monotone--the I Can Hear the Heart Beating era. Like that song “Demons” of theirs from one of their covers records. I tend to like their dark stuff, so I’m hoping it goes in that direction.

SILY: It’s pretty droney.

LW: I’m in.

SILY: One song is in that great tradition of sweet, fuzzed out bliss like “Tom Courtenay”. I think it’s one of their best songs. The rest is kind of atmospheric.

LW: Sounds like Yo La Tengo. I will be happy.

SILY: The song on the new Wussy record “Tall Weeds”--

LW: We’ve played that more than any of them.

CC: We’ve been playing that for almost two years. Since the end of Forever Sounds.

SILY: The delivery in the vocal tone reminded me of Nick Cave.

LW: Sweet. That’s always a compliment.

CC: Thanks. I can think I’m skinnier and more handsome now.

SILY: The line, “Are you afraid of all the monsters in the folding metal chairs,” on the final song “Black Hole”--

CC: Best line on the record.

SILY: What’s the story behind it?

LW: Since “Tall Weeds” was kind of born out of Black Hole, that graphic novel by Charles Burns, I was having trouble knowing what to write about on this record. So I thought, “Let’s just make a whole suite about that.” Chuck had already gotten the ball rolling, and I had to write my half. If you haven’t read [Black Hole], it’s about this mysterious disease that afflicts people graduating from high school in this town. It’s like an STD, but people mutate. Not so much X-Men style--they become lizard skin or part animal. Some people grow a tale. Some guy grows a mouth on his neck that talks and tells his secrets.

CC: [laughs] It’s an amazing graphic novel.

LW: It touches on fear of aging, growing up, fear of change. I just thought about what that graduation would look like. But it rang true to me because of the climate, challenging my perceptions of people.

CC: Where it hit with me is I can remember my graduation, looking out on all those dunce faces and thinking, “What a bunch of fuckin’ assholes, I’m getting out of here.”

LW: That feeling of alienation from everything from your own body to your neighbors. Because even though those people mutate, they’re still the same people. And that’s the key. It just sort of brings out what’s already dormant in their spirit. They turn into something that makes them want to act out.

CC: You and I grew up in the middle of nowhere. Different places. But all I thought about was getting the hell out of there when I was 18.

LW: Me too. I don’t like to downplay where I’m from.

CC: I respect where I’m from and respect the people, but I didn’t belong there. I was afraid of all the monsters.

SILY: What’s the inspiration behind the album title?

LW: [laughs]

CC: [cackles]

LW: One day, when I was walking in the studio, I was thinking about this tweet from Donald Trump. He was shit-posting all day. After all of the shit-posting and talking about hating people, there was something like, “Oh, read this new book!” I forgot what the title was, but it was something along the lines of “what heaven is like.” “Read it today! Beautiful.” Are you serious? [laughs] It was so gross, but so funny. It was like Onion level. I got the title wrong. It’s not “What heaven is like.” It’s A Place Called Heaven. [The rest of the band] laughed so hard. They were like, “That’s the title.”

CC: Then we found an old postcard and ran it through some filters and that’s how we came up with the cover.

SILY: Are you still ingrained in the Cincinnati music scene?

LW: I think so. I never really was that much. I’m really less so now but just because I don’t go out a lot. I save my going out for being on tour. I don’t go to a lot of shows. It’s not because I don’t like music. I just don’t like going out socially much.

CC: We have two band members who are a little more social than me, Lisa, and John. We never go anywhere, pretty much.

LW: We do, but with our own families. I get together with Chuck and his wife or John and his wife.

CC: Mark and Joe tend to be our butterflies. [laughs] Our rhythm section.

LW: I go out on the road, and that’s sort of how I get it out of my system.

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letonmite · 6 years

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A COMEDY OF ERRORS: 1

20 years. Completely unexpected... What started out as a side excursion, after years of playing punk, guitar & bass, (ok some jazz clarinet) I started a project with SK-1 Casios and microcassette recorders and it became through time & mutation, in spite of my best intentions, my life’s work. I can’t say everything was always great, but it is here. And there’s proof. So, I’m doing a little lecture about 20 years, a ton of bad decisions: there is some words, some photos & real music, maybe. The path to success is a long one. I don’t come from what one would call a successful family. Perhaps the most successful person in my family to date is my grandfather. He moved from Oregon to Arizona and within the first month, this happened.

He made it into the newspaper & a very popular postcard was made out of his unfortunate experience. As he did not have the rights to the image, he made no money, but he anonomously entered into the folklore of the desert. The story of Le Ton MIté is a different path. not frozen in an image & difficult to measure because it is still happening. But, the following things are certain: I did not choose to be the big fish in the small pond & I have a predilection for the underdog.

But, as with everything, there is a beginning. For instance, at this point in time, this story is beginning. It sort of feels biblical ! Like : in the beginning... ! But it's not so special, i mean, really, everything that exists begins at one point otherwise we would not be aware of it.

From what I understand here are two schools of thought about the concept of beginning: 1. That everything has always & will always exist: it is only our awareness that brings "(fingers making quotation marks) " to existing. 2. That there is a sort of ether, like a gelatinous substance existing in the interstices of matter, and that from this murky womb, ideas & objects take form & thus, begin.

Personally, I am not sure I believe in either theory...

I sort of see a collusion of the two theories, like beginning is like cooking, usually we take ingredients: things that already exist. We cook the meal & voilà ! something new begins.

On that note, i'll briefly digress & talk about the ingredients:

This is Little Rock, Arkansas, here on a map of the United States, obviously it's not that big, but at least you get the idea that it is located in the south east, in the interior of the country, rather than on the coast or in the mountains.

In terms of geography, Little Rock is a bit like Brussels, nestled between flat alluvial plains & rolling hills (for Arkansas that would be between the Mississippi River & the Ozarks, for Brussels that would be between the North Sea & the Ardennes).

Let's add a group of kids, that are bored & searching for alternatives to the conservative society in which they find themselves. They decide to make music & presto...

From 1988-1997 I played bass & guitar on large amplifiers, influenced by the sounds of Washington DC (please refer to the catalog of Dischord Records) & the Minutemen. Then me & my friends started looking for a new ways to express our rejection of American society.

We were opening up our ears & started to play music inspired by free jazz, Sun Ra, electronic sounds & more importantly for this talk: international literature.

So, twenty years ago, in the forty degree sweltering summer sauna of the south, something happened...

Here we are just moments before the beginning. You may notice a slightly younger & slightly thinner me in front of someone you don't know. That is John Mark. At this time he is finishing up his degree in comparative literature at a well respected university on the east coast. Through his studies he learned about an Italian writer: Italo Calvino and we found that we have a shared passion for a body of work called Invisible Cities.

Based on this excitement, we set to create soundscapes, with the following instruments :

Casio SK-1 keyboards, micro-cassette recorders & other sources of sound which were sampled. We went on to have one recording & one concert, before John Mark went back to New York.

As you might guess, this left me in a difficult position... Still reeling from the new discoveries & finding myself alone with all this equipment. I started a solo project based on the same ideas.

Tired of having locally successful bands with hip names, I decided to look at my dictionary from my French studies & I found a way to describe the music that was being made: as I was making sounds : ton did the job, and they were broken, cassé, shabby, no, moth-eaten, yes, mité & thus Le Ton Mité came to being.

I had no idea this would be come my life's work.

At the time, these noises seemed to be a better expression of the ideas of punk. Not only anti-establishment, but anti-structure: instead of making noisier & noisier music, I decided to make music with noise.

Here is the first recording:

After months of laboratory work at home, it came time to share these experiments with the outside world. The first performance was at a pizza shop, live venue. For an open mic night. I was faced with the question: how do I perform this on stage?

My conclusion was to tape the keyboards to my body, the micro-cassettes in hand, for some unknown reason I dressed in a choir boy outfit & for my head: a lampshade filled with blue lights. The first show basically consisted of me walking around bumping into people to cacophonic noise. (at least, if we judge by the photo, they seem to enjoy it).

Though I had a supportive scene, at least 5 fans & three cassettes. It was time to move on, away from the years of heat, and the oppressive general mentality, & Y2K fears, i decided to go to a land which seemed to be filled with promise, musical & social opportunity, a cooler climate & is closer to Canada : Olympia, Washington.

#beginning #anecdotes #monologue

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grapsandclaps · 7 years

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Graps and Claps does Guest Blogs Part 3 - True Grit Wrestling

Hello everyone! Ben Corrigan here, feeling very honoured to have been invited back to present another guest edition of #GrapsAndClaps. My last stint as a GUEST GRAP CLAPPER was a few weeks ago when I told you about my trip to 3CW; you can read all about that one (as well as a bit of background on myself) here: https://grapsandclaps.tumblr.com/post/165973966028/graps-and-claps-does-guest-blogs-the-755-show. This return edition will focus on my recent visit to True Grit Wrestling, held at Fibber’s in York last Saturday (21 October 2017). This was my 59th live wrestling show of 2017, with the big 6-0 coming the following night in Leeds at TIDAL Wrestling (which I’m sure your regular #GrapsAndClaps host Andy will be along to tell you all about shortly). This one wasn’t really an “away day” for me: it was the local-est of local graps, taking place a mere 10 minute walk from my front door. Thanks to Storm Brian, however, that brief walk was cold, wet, windy and rather unpleasant, though did give me chance to consider whether “Brian Storm” would be a good wrestler name (I concluded that no, it would not…). The venue itself, Fibbers, is a noted live music spot in York. I used to come to this building years ago when it was ‘Toffs’ nightclub. It’s since been ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Tru’, and as of a couple of years ago now plays host Fibbers at the back, York’s Barvarian-styled Bierkeller at the front and a, erm, “gentleman’s club” club upstairs. While regular readers of this blog will be horrified, the local nature of this show meant that I hadn’t planned on visiting any of the local drinking establishments beforehand. Given the inclement weather, though, there was no chance of me queuing outside so I popped into the aforementioned Bierkeller to dry out and wet one’s whistle. In true bierkeller fashion, they offer a variety of German beers served as either pints or steins. I was tempted by the Warsteiner, but settled on the Lowenbrau at a reasonable £4.40 a pint. Wunderbar. As for True Grit Wrestling, they originally started running shows in Leeds nightclubs in 2014, then moved to Wakefield for a single event, before stopping altogether when that venue became unavailable. Those original shows were effectively the “big grown up sister” events to West Yorkshire-based GRAPPLE Wrestling, very strong on in-ring action and featuring many of the top names in northern BritWres. GRAPPLE itself has been running Fibbers for over a year now, with the shows there recently rebranding under the returning True Grit banner. As a university city, they’d put effort into marketing the show to students and it paid off, with the biggest crowd I have seen packed into that venue (150, I’d say), mainly young adults treating it as a night out. It’s an ‘intimate’ setting for wrestling, with the all-standing crowd gathered looking down on the ring, which is set low down in a pit (the ‘dancefloor’). The room and set-up doesn’t offer great sight lines unless you manage to get to the front of the standing areas (as a gig venue, it’s mainly intended for everyone to see the stage, not low on the floor), so it’s worth getting there a little early if you can. I was lucky enough to get a decent vantage point (though next to the constant dripping of the leaking roof…), but with the strong attendance on this occasion there were plenty that were struggling to see. Inside waiting for the show to begin, we were treated to a soundtrack of WWE themes both old and current, including Seth Rollins, Sheamus, Kane, AJ Styles (that had people singing along!), Evolution, Los Guerreros, Ember Moon, Sanity and more. There was chance to go to the bar, which has everything from your usual draft lagers to an impressive selection of bottled real ales and canned craft beers. I started on the Goose IPA at £4.80 a pint (“One!” “Two!” “GOOSE!” No.), before later moving onto Becks Vier (£3.90) until it ran out halfway through the show, pushing me onto the Stella Artois (also £3.90). The show itself opened with ring announcer Ricc “Dombrowski” (the name being a spoof on the former 1PW commentator) introducing Danny O’Doherty as the “host” for the show. He was really good in this role, drinking beer, engaging with the audience, chipping in with comments before each match and leading chants during them. He set the tone for the show as being a fun night out and encouraged people to get involved. Good stuff. The first match saw The Evil Within (Sean Only & BA Rose) retain their GRAPPLE Tag Team Championship (or, to quote what is hilariously misspelt on the rather-crap-looking title belts, the “CHAMPIONATOS DE PAREJAS”…) over ‘Amazing’ Matt Myers and Ace Matthews. The match was good, with Evil Within beating down their opponents and Myers & Matthews making spirited comebacks. Rose reminds me of a mini Dave Mastiff, not only in the looks department but also with much of his offence (back sentons and cannonballs). It was Only that scored the fall, though, pinning Ace after a curb stomp. The next match started off as a friendly bout between popular fan favourites the “Bhangra Bad Boy” Amir Jordan and “Hot-Blooded” Dom Black. Black is pushed as “York’s Own”, and he did have his vocal fan club in the crowd there specifically to see him. He’s a talented young performer that shows a lot of potential. All friendliness came to a halt a few minutes later, though, as “Your Naan’s Favourite Wrestler” faked an injury as an opportunity to get a jump on Dom. From that point on it was a heated brawl, with the entertaining Jordan showing annoyance at the audience’s support of Black. The pair brawled out into the crowd, and referee Mark Rolls had no choice but to count them both out. It was at this point that it was revealed that True Grit’s return date would be 20 January 2018, featuring a championship tournament with tonight’s matches acting as qualifiers. As Black and Jordan were both counted-out, it was announced that both would be in that tournament. So, the rivalry is to be continued, by the looks of it. I like that they’re building some rivalries now that they seem to be running here semi-regularly – it always makes the matches more interesting than basic goodie vs. baddie. Next, former Super League player Luke Menzies showed off his power in dominating and beating Olly and Bradley (apologies, I missed their surnames) in a handicap match. I’ve been incredibly impressed with Menzies on the few times I’ve seen him now; as I mentioned in my last appearance in #GrapsAndClaps he looks to have all the tools and aptitude to be a star in this business. So this match was basically him just launching these two kids all over the place with ease and it was BRILLIANT. Luke quickly put them out of their misery with a huge powerslam. Consider me well and truly aboard the Luke Menzies train. The final match of the first half was billed as a “RI:SE guest match”, where WWE:UK’s MUSCLECAT Saxon Huxley bested Joe Vega with a shoulderbreaker. RISE runs gritty cool-looking “underground”-type shows in Leeds gig venues, themed around attitude-fuelled brawling and out-of-control action. They have a show coming up on Saturday 28 October at ‘Temple of Boom’, so that got a heavy plugging here. I do want to check out a RISE show, as they are pretty local to me and do look very cool and chaotic in a good way, but they always tend to clash with other shows I’m already attending (as is the case with their show next week, as I’ll be in London for wXw that day). Vega was a regular on the north-west scene a number of years ago, but then had a long spell out with injury. He was good here as the arrogant little prick. Much of what Musclecat does is basic, but I noticed that he does do those basics very well indeed; he’s a solid and capable wrestler. Danny O’Doherty spent most of this one leading chants of “JESUS! JESUS!” over the microphone, based on Saxon’s biblical appearance. After an interval in which drinks were refilled and raffle tickets were bought, Boris Koslov beat The Pop Punk Kid in a colourful and entertaining contest with the air raid crash. Boris, an alter-ego of longtime British wrestling personality JC Thunder, is no longer the “Russian Nightmare”, but a dancing, drinking friendly Russian party animal. PPK is billed from Chicago and came out with a box of pizza to match his pepperoni pizza tights. This match was daft but also loads of fun, with pizza getting thrown around (and out into the crowd) and Boris Cossack dancing and swigging from his vodka bottle to power-up his moves. A number of lounge chairs were brought into the ring next (then taken out… then put back in…), together with a potted plant, for a segment only described as “SPEED DATING WITH COWBOY JOHN PARKER”. Cowboy John Parker is a manager on GRAPPLE/TGW shows, and wears a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Like a cowboy, you see. He also fancies himself as a bit of a lothario, so this was about bringing out some of the female wrestlers (including Ruby Radley and Evee Black) for him to “woo”. Instead, he insulted each of them in turn, before Evee smacked him round the head, called the segment “the most degrading thing I’ve ever been involved with in wrestling… and that’s saying something…” and challenged Parker to a match on the next show. This whole thing was nowhere near as cringeworthy as I thought it could be; a daft bit of throwaway fun. Before the next match, in which THE LION KINGS Seb Strife & Nsereko beat Bison Reid and (a partner whose name I didn’t catch), it was time for that all-important raffle, often the highlight of a British wrestling show. Starting a theme that would last all weekend, I only went and won the top bloomin’ prize – a family ticket to the 20 January return show. So there. The match itself was fine, a good showcase for the Lion Kings and featuring plenty of “RRRAAAAARRRR”ing. Oh, and Bison Reid is literally the best name for a wrestler. The main event was a rematch from the last True Grit show in Fibbers, in which Martin Kirby had defeated ‘The Grafter’ to relieve him of the GRAPPLE Championship. This return match was a streetfight, and while neither man “brought their jeans” for the occasion, it did involve an entire bagful of Poundland’s Halloween toys, including a severed hand which made a wonderfully satisfying noise when Kirby used it to chop Graves. Being a streetfight, it was quite fitting that they went outside Fibbers and FOUGHT, on the STREET. Most of the audience ran outside to watch, but I stayed inside and waited for it all to calm down… Sure enough, they fought back to the ring, where they bumped the referee and Kirby hit a Sablebomb on top of a pumpkin for a desperate nearfall. I am not making this up. After surviving such devastation, Graves hit Kirby with a spear to win back his belt. And that was that. Actually, no it wasn’t, because the show closed with a massive brawl between all the guys in the 20 January tournament and more. Referees & trainees couldn’t separate them, and it was only when the onlooking Big T Justice jumped in to lend a hand that everyone thought “f*ck that” and wisely backed down. And THAT was that. A fun little show that I really enjoyed, and I’ll likely be back for the 20 January championship tournament show (I did win the raffle, after all). Good local undergraps. Some good upcoming talented performers in a good atmosphere. And nothing that could be described as “bad”. You can find out more about that show and True Grit Wrestling in general on Facebook and at @TrueGriPromote on Twitter. As for me, you can read more about my adventures at @BritWresAwayDay and maybe one day back in another guest edition of this blog… Until then, keep supporting Andy and #GrapsAndClaps, and I’ll see you out there!

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touchpointpress · 7 years

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Walter Brockmann is one of our new authors and our resident YA Fantasy specialist. I was pleased to be able to perform his first interview after the release of the first book in his The Seventh Order series. He will be signing books at Sports Dome Kenosha on Saturday, October the 14th from 1-3 p.m. If you’re in the area, swing by and ask the author your own questions. If you’re not, don’t worry you can still purchase his book from the TouchPoint Press bookstore or Amazon. And keep an eye out for the second book in The Seventh Order series, which he is currently writing.

I know that you started writing when you were a kid. Did you keep your childhood stories? When did you first consider yourself a “real” writer? What do you think of those stories now?

I do! Well, my mom, technically, is the one who’s kept them, but I still have them. “Sharks” is a book I wrote in first grade, about…well, sharks, and there’s another about me and my friend Ben. We go to Pluto and meet some aliens. My writing style has matured since then, but I still like to write about space!

I probably first considered myself a “real” writer in high school, when I wrote my first novel. It was called “The StoryTeller,” and I’ve actually grabbed some characters and ideas from that book and used them in The Ruby-Eyed Child. Unfortunately, that one didn’t get picked up (to be honest, it wasn’t all that good) so the only way you can read it is if you talk to my friend Eric and get the copy I printed for him freshman year of college.

I have a special connection with everything I’ve ever written, even stuff that was pretty terrible! For instance, my first attempt at a novel was in fifth grade. I still have the spiral notebook I wrote it in. Obviously, the writing isn’t great, but to me, it’s something special because it reminds me of how long I’ve been doing this, and how much I love it. Even the little “books” I wrote when I was little mean a lot to me. I can’t ever remember a time when there weren’t stories in my head that needed to be told.

That’s awesome! So often, love of literature and the written word is developed at a young age. How did you choose TouchPoint Press when came time to submit The Ruby-Eyed Child for consideration? We encourage our authors to be involved in every process of the publishing process. How involved were you in this process?

I first was turned on to TPP by a college friend of mine. She suggested I submit, and here we are! As for the publishing process, I represented myself, so very involved! It was pretty cool to really be a part of the book from beginning to end.

What do you want your readers to know? What were you trying to say with your book? What is your motivation or reason for writing?

I’ll start by saying that people often find deeper meaning in my writing than I do myself! With that said, I do try to sneak in some different themes that I find particularly important.

Maybe I’ll get to elaborate on those themes at a later date. I have a very serious question for you now. Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

I do! Kind of. My full name is Justin Walter Brockmann, so I go by J. Walter Brockmann. I think it has a nice ring to it.

The Ruby-Eyed Child is a character-driven story. All of the characters are unique and play integral, and sometimes surprising, roles. How do you handle your characters in your mind? How realistic are they and their world? Do you think it’s important to have real, physical inspiration or models or not? If characters aren’t difficult to write, what is your “writing kryptonite”?

I think my stories are pretty character-driven…at least that’s the goal! My characters are very real to me, and when I’m thinking about plot, I often find myself impersonating them. I think it helps me get into the mindset of ‘what would this character really do or say in this situation?’ So I’ll have little conversations with myself between characters. Probably looks kinda weird at the coffee shop, but hey…writers are pretty weird.

As for what, in particular, my characters look like, that honestly isn’t that important to me. Sure, I like to have a basic idea, but I think, for the most part, a well-written character shouldn’t have to be described much. They should jump off the page at you not because of how they’re described but because of who they are, what they say and do. So when I write, I try to “feel” the character more than I try to see them, if that makes any sense.

My writing kryptonite is probably pacing. I tend to get excited about what I’m writing and try to get through things too fast.

Ever since reading your manuscript, I’ve wanted to ask you one very important question: How did you name your characters? I love Spawn’s name. I don’t know why it suits her – it shouldn’t – but it does! What was your favorite and/or least favorite character to develop and write about?

Ah! I’ve actually had quite a few people bring this up. I’m glad people like them! I don’t have a “formula” for naming characters. I occasionally use an online name generator (don’t tell anyone!) but I don’t think I’ve ever taken a name straight from it, just ideas. I try to come up with a name that fits into both the character and the world.

In The Ruby-Eyed Child, I decided to go with more nature-based names for the elves, simple names for the humans, gruff names for dwarves, and old/biblical names for vampires. I’m still working on the ghouls. (I only had to name one in the first book!) Once I have the category, I try to find something that fits the character well. I think the name of a character is the most underrated part of really making him/her pop off the page, so I spend a lot of time on it.

My favorite character to write about was Cord. He’s my favorite overall character, and I’m excited about adding some depth to his character and letting you guys see more of him in the coming books. My least favorite character to write about was probably Grunchik. I felt like I had a difficult time encapsulating what he was supposed to be, and I ended up sort of all over the place with him.

Well, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the characters in the next book. Are there any little hints or tidbits that you can give your fans? Also, do you have any non-series writing plans?

Well, I can’t tell you too much! With that said, The Olympiad of Races is going to play a pretty big role in the coming books, so I’m excited to see how that turns out. Outside of this particular series, I’m always working on things! Right now, I have a series of short, episodic type stories called “Rooster & the Building” that I’m working on. It’s very weird and more sci-fi than I usually write, but it’s been fun!

You seem to embody the joy that is supposed to be a part of the writing process, but it’s not all fun and games. What has been the hardest part of the writing process? The editing process?

The hardest part of the writing process, for me, is the time that it takes to put together a good book. It’s hard to sit down with an idea in your head, start working on it, and say, “I won’t have much to show for this for a year, maybe two years.” That’s tough. But it’s worth it when it all comes together.

The hardest part of the editing process…boy. Writers don’t like editing, you know? I would probably say, and hopefully, this will make sense: I would say it gets really, really difficult to step back and read the book like a reader would. You get so close to the story, to every line, almost, that it makes tough to pull yourself back and feel it the way a reader would.

So tell me, where does the magic happen? What writing habits do you have, and are you a paper person or a computer person?

Oh, computer for sure. I wrote some of my very early stuff (late middle school/early high school) by hand, and it was terrible. There’s no backup copy, it hurt my hand, and it’s almost literally impossible to read what I write. (I somehow make my g’s look like s’s, and that’s just the start.) I actually do most of my writing at either Starbucks or the library. I don’t like to do it in a place like my house because it’s too familiar and too easy to get distracted.

I understand the handwriting thing. I have to concentrate really hard if I want to write something that someone else can read. Maybe it’s just a writer thing. Does your bookshelf reflect your own writings? I have found that the answer isn’t always yes. What do you love about your genre?

Definitely. Ha. Pretty much all I read is YA fiction…weird, dystopian, fantasy YA fiction. I started reading it in middle school, and I guess I never really grew out of it! I love strange, different worlds, whether it’s writing about them or reading them.

Weird?…Huh. I don’t know what you’d classify as weird, but I think it’s great that you write what you love! Do you want your work to fit into your favorite genre or stand out? How did you manage either?

I want it to do a little of both. I want it to appeal to lovers of my genre (for The Ruby-Eyed Child, it’s fantasy), but I also want it to stand out within that genre. I think you do that by trying to bring a fresh take on old ideas. For this book, it’s taking common fantasy characters (elves, vampires, etc.) and putting them into a different world than you normally see: more of a dingy, industrial world, but a world still ruled by magic.

I know that you have recently gone through some big changes in your life. So how do you balance your work, writing, and family lives?

Man! Great question. It isn’t easy all the time, that’s for sure. I got married about a month ago, which obviously changes things quite a bit, but I’ve found time to get some writing done. I usually write in the evenings while my wife is in class.

Are you part of any writing/reading groups, or is writing a private experience for you?

Writing tends to be a very private experience for me…I’m not sure why. I’m a little bit self-conscious about my work, to be honest, and I don’t like people to see until it’s finished. I have a couple of people who read my work, and who I bounce ideas off of, but besides them, really no one sees it until it’s a finished product.

I know that The Ruby-Eyed Child hasn’t been out for long, but I’ve already noticed a lot of positive feedback from readers. With any positive feedback you receive, you’re sure to receive a share of criticism. How do you handle criticism? Do you ever google yourself or read reviews for your work? Do you actively seek out positive criticism?

I handle it okay, for the most part. I have a couple of very supportive text messages from a few people that I’ve saved over the years for when I get frustrated. But for the most part, I understand that I’m not a perfect writer, and not everyone is going to like what I do. I don’t Google myself often and I’m not particularly concerned with finding positive criticism. Positive feedback is great, and necessary, but I think it’s more valuable to address the weaker spots in your writing.

That’s a great answer! What do you plan to do with your first royalty check?

It depends on how big it is, right? In reality, I’ll probably save it. I just got married, and we’re looking to buy our first house, so that’s the main focus on the financial side right now!

Do you have any writing/editing pet peeves?

Not really, honestly. I have a few things about my own writing…I get into bad habits of using the same things over and over or trying to make things overly obvious when I write, so that bugs me about my own stuff a little bit. But besides that, not much.

What have you learned since you first started writing? Has the way that you approach writing/editing/publishing changed?

Oh my gosh…the answer to this question could probably fill a book. I would say that recently, and I was just talking with my wife about this, I’ve really been trying to consider sort of the point between the micro and the macro when writing a novel. Somewhere along the way, what you’re writing ceases to be a collection of individual letters or words and instead becomes a single entity, and I guess I’m trying to learn what that means and what it looks like to understand how these ten thousand individual keystrokes come together to be this single story.

Wow, I’ve never stopped to think about how that all comes together. It’s truly amazing. I see that you aren’t actually a first-time author. The Ruby-Eyed Child is the first book you’ve published through TouchPoint Press, but it isn’t your first published work. Can you talk a little bit about your other works? How they came about being written and published, and how they cross genres/mediums?

Definitely! I have a couple of different things available, including Rooster, which I mentioned above. I also have a collection of short stories available titled “The Attempted Love Life of Rudy Campbell & Other Short Stories.” I actually shot a short film based on one of the stories in the book, “Richard Blatt and the Magik Elixir.” It’s a pretty light-hearted story, and will be out on Youtube soon!

I’ll keep an eye out for it! What question are you dying to answer? This is your chance to ask yourself one question.

I always like when people ask me how long I’ve been writing because the answer is quite literally my entire life. And I like answering that question because it shows how much work has really gone into this, and how much I love what I do.

What is the most underrated book/author in your opinion?

Another tough one. This is maybe a weird answer, but I’m going to go with “Maniac McGee” by Jerry Spinelli. It’s pretty popular, I guess, so I don’t know how underrated it is. It’s a middle-grade book, but I read it for about the tenth time not that long ago, and it’s just super relevant to everything that’s going on right now. I think it was great!

Okay, and the last question. Drum roll, please! This is super important. What does literary success look like to you?

In a way, I think it’s something I’ve already achieved because every day I get the chance to sit down and do what I love – and that’s been true since long before I ever published anything, or anyone had even ever read what I wrote. In fact, I think anyone who spends time telling stories they love has achieved that success.

You can find out more about J. Walter Brockmann the author of The Ruby-Eyed Child and connect with him through the TouchPoint Press Website, Amazon, or Goodreads.

Happy reading! Let us know if you are already a fan of The Ruby-Eyed Child, and make sure to check our website for more information about author appearances and upcoming books soon.

Meet J. Walter Brockmann, Author of the Ruby-Eyed Child Walter Brockmann is one of our new authors and our resident YA Fantasy specialist. I was pleased to be able to perform his first interview after the release of the first book in his The Seventh Order series.

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thefilmjournal · 7 years

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Mother! (2017)

Writer & Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence & Javier Bardem

Rated R (disturbing violent content, some sexuality, nudity, and language)

A woman (Jennifer Lawrence) is rebuilding her and her husband’s house located in the middle of nowhere after a fire burned down the last structure. The husband (Javier Bardem) is a writer, who is currently uninspired. A man wanders onto their property one night (Ed Harris) and claims to have mistook their house for a bed & breakfast. Despite the wife’s clear discomfort, the husband invites the man to stay, thereby opening the door to a chain of disturbing events that will follow.

As a fan of The Wrestler and Black Swan, all I needed was to see Darren Aronofsky’s name attached to be interested in seeing this film.

I watched an interview with Jennifer Lawrence talking about having a hard time figuring out who her character was. I heard a lot of people comparing her performance to Mia Farrow’s in Rosemary’s Baby. Not only that, but many people suspected the film’s storyline would be very similar. Admittedly, I still have not seen all of Rosemary’s Baby, but I definitely recognized the inspiration. As an actress, any time I am having trouble with characterization, I may look to another respected actress in a similar role to see what they brought. As such, I don’t know that I find that to necessarily be a problem the way some people make it seem. A lot of actors must do that. That being said, I don’t think that she went far beyond the person she usually is in dramatic roles either. The difference was more so a slight tweak to her voice. What bugged me about her character did not come at all from her performance but from her character’s willingness to be stepped on by her husband. There were so many instances where she should have said “no” and didn’t.

The movie starts a bit slow and the opening scene is instantly confusing because you are being presented with so much information and yet no real answers. It’s hard to let go, in that way, and to simply allow the movie just happen to you without trying to answer every question you have in your head. I don’t know if I should say what it is--probably not--but I didn’t like that first scene. When I thought about what I would edit out of the whole movie, it was the opening.

It does pick up, though, in a way that you hardly realize until you want it all to stop. It’s a very confusing movie, but I also took it be very artistic. I was stuck in this mode of trying to find the meaning in the film as I was watching it and also trying to appreciate it for the sake of the art.

Darren Aronofsky didn’t want us to know a lot about the film beforehand, and I’m afraid I may have already said too much! So, please, watch this with an open mind, and if you have any thoughts you’d like to share, send me a message or leave a comment!

*SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT*

I have to bring this up first and say that the most horrifying thing I have ever seen in my life was the being passed around in the crowd and then getting its neck or spine snapped. For that reason, I will never watch this again. I knew Jennifer Lawrence was going to fall asleep and that Javier Bardem would come grab his son like he wanted, but I was not prepared for that horrific scene that followed! I lost it when we saw the baby peed because I knew, obviously, that meant he was afraid. I thought, surely, Jennifer Lawrence would be able to grab him at some point and that she would just have a fight with the husband or something over how irresponsible he was, but the people just kept passing him on. Then, through my fingers with my hands over my face, we see and hear that crack. They freaking ate him! Killing everyone around her was absolutely the appropriate reaction. The way her beating was shot seemed incredibly realistic to me. I could hardly handle any of what I had just seen.

Some criticism I’ve heard is that the movie makes a “mockery of biblical stories.” You see religious imagery in the movie poster I used above where Jennifer Lawrence is made to look like a Virgin Mary statue. Aronofsky gave us two brothers that were a representation of Cain and Abel, I thought. I wondered, closer to the beginning, if this was maybe a comment on celebrity life being that this was focused on Bardem’s growing fame and that celebrities, in general, tend to have little privacy, in some degrees by choice and otherwise taken by force. I thought this could maybe say how they are forced to give too much of themselves.

As far as religious references, I’m sure it was a big deal in the bible when Jesus was born, but, as we know, this is absolutely the horror spin on that. Obviously by eating the baby, I didn’t get the sense that they cared very much for it or worshipped it the way Jesus was worshipped and if they did, it was because the baby was a piece of Javier Bardem’s character they could take and destroy. They wanted anything and everything from him, in a sick, destructive way. The people who came into the house ripped it apart and stole from them. So, is Javier Bardem’s character God, and is this house the world? Is Jennifer Lawrence’s character representative of Mary or is she supposed to represent devout Christians in a world competing for God’s love and attention?

Overall, I didn’t know how I felt right after seeing mother! and I still don’t. It is certainly not my favorite movie, but I don’t at all feel like I wasted my time--it was an experience.

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