#well. he killed 15+ women. he's psychologically torturing you. lets just kill him.

[cosmicrhetoric]

insane ass dynamic??? sherlock asks watson if she actually committed the crime she's being charged with (brutally beating a serial killer to death after he tried to kill her) with full assurances that he'd help her get away with it and she's like "NO. so did you do it?" cause like five episodes ago the two of them had seriously considered murdering him with heroin because he pissed them off so much it would be worth the stain on sherlock's relationship with sobriety and holmes has to be like "omg nooooo nooo i would have told you!"

#they literally were going to murder him via heroin overdose okay im never forgetting that it was crazy #its so boring when these type of procedurals go ummm but its WRONG cause the law says so thank god these two are like #well. he killed 15+ women. he's psychologically torturing you. lets just kill him. #cbs elementary #elementary #AND that actor was on GOSSIP GIRL. #i know its a season finale but this episode is like actually crazy

[theparanormalperiodical]

A Brief History Of Transphobia In Horror Movies Feat. A Small Window Into The Reality Of Being Trans Cause Let’s Face It It’s Way Scarier Than Any Horror Film

It combined the eerie atmosphere of supernatural horror with the twists and turns of a psychological thriller - by all means An Incident In Ghostland (2018) was a great film.

It drove an innovative plot around tight bends of classic horror tropes and brought us skidding back to the ultimate psychological horror ending: we never really know what’s real and what’s not.

But this film should’ve crashed within the first 15 minutes.

And all that should be left in the wreck is a lipstick in the shade ‘Harlot Red’.

We already know that the struggle for trans rights - let alone with trans representation in the media - is a worthy fight. It has not been helped by the horror genre.

It’s time to change that.

It began with Buffalo Bill.

“Would you f—k me? I’d f—k me.”

It’s one of the most iconic horror films that have been put on the silver screen. But the thing is, when people were walking out of the first screenings of The Silence of the Lambs in 1991, they were traumatised by the disgusting acts Hannibal Lecter would commit on-screen.

They were not protesting Lecter’s former patient as they swiped on makeup, tucked their genitals between their legs, and paraded their desired body in the mirror. This quick pre-murder ritual is the most prominent portrayal of transgender identities, even if - as Lecter says - they are not trans.

From the scenes in the film to the pages of the novel it’s based on, we see Buffalo Bill’s gender dysphoria, but Lecter instead suggests their apparent trans-ness is rooted in something else - something far more sinister, something that never actually gets explained.

All we know is they want to create a ‘woman suit’ by murdering women and skinning their bodies.

Buffalo Bill thus brought to light a portrayal of gender dysphoria that claimed those that were questioning their gender identity were obsessed by gender.

So obsessed, in fact, they would go to extreme lengths to fulfill their desires by killing women and taking their ‘parts’ for themself.

This is also explored in another horror classic: Psycho (1960).

This film defined the horror genre, and put the slasher on the map. And if slasher films weren’t guilty enough for their portrayal of women, they further followed the J.K. Rowling school of thought and gave trans women a new separate character-arc.

Norman Bates is yet another horror icon known for dressing as a different gender, and then killing women. Whether they’re doing so to protect their identity or to keep the memory of their mother alive, we see another man don a wig, pull on a dress, and whip out a weapon of their choice.

The only difference is that Norman does become his mother (and thus a woman) on a permanent basis - only when he is officially declared insane and institutionalised.

The more deranged they become, the more crimes they commit, the more of a woman they become. By officially crossing the gender lines, they officially become monsters.

“But weren’t Norman Bates and Buffalo Bill based on a true story?”

Ed Gein was a serial killer who murdered countless women, mutilated their bodies, and used their body parts to create various household furniture and items of clothing. But it was Gein’s creation of a ‘woman suit’ that would allow them to crawl into their beloved mother’s skin which confirmed that they were the original inspiration behind these movie villains.

Despite debate on whether Gein was in fact transgender, a majority believe via police evidence and interviews that they would identify as trans by modern standards.

This brings us to an important point:

To an extent, these films portray trans peoples accurately. Funnily enough, trans people are actually people (shock horror). This means that they can in fact be murderers.

But what these films don’t get right is that they all portray trans people as exactly the same. Like, exactly the same. As in they could at least have tried to be a bit more imaginative.

So, when I was watching An Incident In Ghostland one Sunday evening, I was reminded of the same trope yet again. Well, not reminded, per se. ‘Smacked in the face’ is probably a better phrase to use.

But thankfully, Ghostland did throw in something different.

They chuck in a character that belongs in some found-footage haunted asylum movie!

*Slams laptop shut*

In Ghostland we see two sisters get stalked, held captive, and sexually assaulted and raped by a mentally impaired man and a trans woman. But despite the dominance of the scenes involving the torture, assault, and rape of the women, I want to focus here on the decor of the house they were held captive in.

The house was full of hundreds of vintage dolls.

From the striking image used on the movie poster to the garish aesthetic one can only imagine was inspired by Annabelle, dolls that are painted, dressed, and positioned for use by the woman and the man is central to the plot.

Its the dressing of the sisters in traditional feminine outfits and the application of doll-like makeup to join the other dolls in the house which fits the trope we just can’t escape from.

(No matter how fast we run.)

The Candy Truck Woman, as she is also known, dedicates herself to the process of holding their victims captive and making these women into traditionally feminine objects. It’s the process of creating extreme femininity that defines her role.

Well, that and the portrayal of her trans identity which only goes as emphasising her masculine features. This is embodied by the death of the villain:

Her wig gently slips off her head just before her corpse slumps to the floor.

This suggests that her trans identity is intrinsically linked to her crimes. When she dies, the girls are finally free from her control, and the doll facade ends. She too is apart of the facade. She is reduced to being a bloke in a wig.

The only redeeming feature of this movie?

She is correctly gendered by the credits as the Candy Truck Woman.

*flips through notes*

Yep, that is literally it.

So, why are trans people - specifically trans women - given such roles in the horror genre?

It’s been 60 years.

It’s been 60 years since Psycho earnt its status as the ultimate horror film. But still, to this day, we are presented with horrific portrayals of trans women. It isn’t their acts that define them, however.

If Buffalo Bill was murdering women and comfortable with their gender identity, it would just be another tragic tale of a brutal act. Buffalo Bill is horrifying because they dress like a woman and then commit the acts.

Unfortunately, this link ultimately suggests that those that identify as trans either are or can become mentally unhinged. From there it’s a short trip to becoming obsessed with gender and whoops they’re cold-blooded killers!

And for the uninformed, this almost appears to follow basic logic.

Take me as an example - I’m a cisgender woman. 

Because I am not trans, I do not know what it is like to feel like I was born in the wrong body. It’s hard to understand how it is to be trans when one is not. However, just because I don’t fully understand it because I have not experienced it does not mean trans feelings, experiences, and rights do not matter.

To many, this lack of understanding - especially in past eras when being trans was labelled with far more outdated terms and concepts like ‘transvestites’ - can feel uncomfortable. This is what horror preys on.

You don’t always need a jumpscare to be afraid.

You don’t actually require a demonic nun to keep you from turning the lights out.

By simply being presented with something we don’t quite get, by just seeing something that doesn’t quite click in our brains, we are immediately made uncomfortable.

And that can make us afraid instinctively.

The only way to overcome this fear is, well, to face it! Ultimately, this can be reduced back to the lack of representation and awareness of trans issues and trans rights.

It’s time to talk about Insidious (2010).

Outdated tropes are just that - they are outdated.

They belong back in decades gone by. They no longer make sense in our society.

But the problem with the demonisation of trans women is that it is still shipped out via the big screen. And Ghostland is not the only offender.

Insidious will always be one of my favourite horror universes. And yet it was the first to show me how the horror genre is still propagating the same image of trans women.

One of the most iconic monsters in the franchise is that of Parker Crane, the spirit of a serial killer who was forced to adopt a female identity by his mother as a child. Her abusive actions result in him murdering innocent women while dressed as a woman.

Sure, Insidious pins his murderous actions less on their gender identity and more on the abusive actions of his mother, but the fact is it’s the same story of a man dressing up as a woman and killing women.

And even the finer details of The Bride in Black’s story are replicated in other movies tapping into the same trope.

Sleepaway Camp (1983) features a similar character to Parker Crane. At the twist ending, we realise that the serial killer is Angela, a supposedly innocent girl at the camp. How do we know this?

Because Angela is revealed to have a penis. And, of course, that means she has to be batshit crazy and a killer.

*eye roll*

Angela was assigned male at birth, and their abusive parents forced them to dress like a girl, just like Parker. But yet again we stumble into another damaging forced narrative that demonises trans women:

As they had a troubled childhood, they were trans. And as they were trans, they were thus a dangerous person.

The filmmakers drive this home further by the final image closing the film: all we see is their female face embodying clear mental instability and their male body. It is meant to be disturbing, it is meant to be shocking. Pull out the pencil, connect the dots, and here we are.

What we see is upsetting, and that means trans people must be, too.

She is yet another ‘bloke in a wig’.

And if that wasn’t enough, Angela also provides us with the final segue into an LGBT-wide problem with the entire film industry.

(Mmhmm, it gets worse.)

Movie plot twists have always been praised, pulled apart, and memified via #edgy humour - they are the lifeblood of the film industry. And pumping through its veins is an eternal struggle to properly represent the LGBT community.

One of the ways that this occurs is that LGBT characters often feature as plot twists. They are there to shock us, to surprise us, to be the punchlines of the jokes.

Gay people are the shock twist when they turn down another character’s advances citing “they just don’t swing that way”. And trans people are the shock twist when they are revealed to be murders.

It’s a simple formula which ignores the fundamental complexity of humanity - and it’s this search for simplicity which stops the fight for equality in its tracks every time. We have to accept that people have experiences beyond our own, and these experiences are complicated and new and confusing and uncomfortable.

But they are real.

And they matter.

Only by addressing this complexity and listening to these real stories can we realise that it’s okay to be wrong and it’s okay to better ourselves via learning.

Okay, fine - so everything’s terrible.

Yes. And it gets worse.

Trans women in horror always follow the aesthetic presented by the concept of the monstrous-feminine, a concept erected by Barbara Creed:

Female monsters are abject beings that are a compilation of all the disgusting parts of being a woman.

You know, like periods and leg hair.

The films called out in this article follow this closely, but present this via extreme contrast between the male and female body. By confirming that they are abject and out-of-place beings, the trans women thus become the ready-made female horror monster - the alternative to the Final Girl.

They’re the Blair Witch, they’re the alien from Alien; but in some bittersweet way, they’re finally seen as the women they are.

However.

This portrayal isn’t exclusive to the horror genre. It’s not even restricted to the big screen.

Horror might have it wrong, but we can do our part to do things right. We need to learn, listen, and discuss how it really is to be trans.

Here are just 6 facts to start the conversation:

Trans women are not destined to be murderers. In fact, there is a day dedicated to those killed by transphobia - the Transgender Day of Remembrance (20th November).

A project dedicated to monitoring the murders of transgender people began in April 2009 due to the significance of transphobic-motivated violence (The Trans Murder Monitoring Project).

Last year was the second deadliest year for trans people on record (The Trans Murder Monitoring Project).

At least 48% of trans people fear using public toilets due to fear of discrimination and harassment (Huffington Post).

At least a third of trans students in higher education have received negative comments or experienced negative behaviour from staff in 2018 (Stonewall).

45% of trans people between the ages of 11 and 19 attempted to commit suicide in 2018 (Stonewall.)

In 2019, at least 26 transgender people were murder with some of the cases clearly inspired by anti-trans bias. Most of the victims were transgender women of colour. (This fact came from @macaronimarine​)

If you’ve got a fact or you’ve got an experience to share, I’d love it if you could add it. And if you haven’t completely given up on the horror genre, why not follow this blog and join me for a weekly article on horror films and the paranormal?

I also post a new real ghost story everyday!

Got a ghost story to share? DM me to feature on my archive of real ghost stories.

#best horror films #trans #transgender #trans women #trans men #pride month #trans representation #representation in horror movies #horror movies #women in horror #pyscho #norman bates #ed gein #insidious #sleepaway camp #an incident in ghostland #ghostland #lgbt #lgbt representation #lgbt representation in horror #trans people #trans in horror #buffalo bill #silence of the lambs

[emmalovesu]

Hope For Humanity

By Emma Angela Cayton

According to World Heath Organization (WHO) "Depression is a common mental disorder affecting more than 264 million people worldwide". People in any ages can suffer depression. In this blog I will be presenting the hope that we all need to hear. I believe that one of the major things that we need to nurture is (aside from physical fitness) mental and emotional wellness. Throughout my research, I've found an article that entitles "Faith in Humanity: 10 Studies To Restore Your Hope For the Future" by Mark Barker, 2014. As I've browsed throughout it, I've found that everything in it relates our personal experiences. I have listed some of the topics from Mark Barker, yet I've add my insights about them. At the end of this blog I am anticipating to help bring hope and optimism for everyone.

First, you bounce back better from tougher problems (Mark Barker, 2014)

I have seen other people fall and saw how great they were able to lift themselves up. Yes we may fall, yes we may fail but we will always persevere. From a study by Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness:

People rationalize divorces, demotions, and diseases, but not slow elevators and uninspired burgundies. The paradoxical consequence is that people may sometimes recover more quickly from truly distressing experiences than from slightly distressing ones (Aronson & Mills, 1958; Gerard & Mathewson, 1966; Zimbardo, 1966)…

We might think that if we fail we will never get ourselves out of that problem. Well that are just the usual thinking that we always have at the back of our heads. As long as the world still revolves in its own axis we still have hope. Hope of tomorrow and hope for a rainbow after the rain.

Second, regret is not that scary (Mark Barker, 2014)

I've read this line before from a book, (but I can't remember the exact title of it) "regret in taking a step out of something is not that bad, but regret of not taking that step is the worst". Many people out there wanted to take your place just to get that situation you are in, yet you don't have the guts to take that risk? It's just a matter of all or nothing. Whether you take them or not at all. You can never have your place in the middle, you'll always have to take a risk. I remembered from one of the videos I have watched before 'When Alexander the Great asked how did he conquered the world he said 'I did not stumble'. To stumble is to limp and have that fear of taking that risk. But what is that risk are you going to? Is it to 'take that all' or 'not at all'.

Third, “What Does Not Kill You Makes You Stronger” is often true (Mark Barker, 2014)

Let's take a look in how gold and silver are refined. They aren't refined by air, water yet they are refined with fire. Yes fire! This just shows us that 'the greater the trials the greater glory we can beheld'. Let us just look in the study that was conducted "A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being:

In a month, 1,700 people reported at least one of these awful events, and they took our well-being tests as well. To our surprise, individuals who’d experienced one awful event had more intense strengths (and therefore higher well-being) than individuals who had none. Individuals who’d been through two awful events were stronger than individuals who had one, and individuals who had three— raped, tortured, and held captive for example— were stronger than those who had two." Therefore, do not be dismayed about the things that were out of your control, but stand firm and keep going.

Fouth, sometimes terrible events make us better people (Mark Barker, 2014)

Things that we don't want to happen not just make us stronger but it helps us to become a better version of ourselves. A study entitles "The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work" claims that, for certain, not just anecdotally, that great suffering or trauma can actually lead to great positive change across a wide range of experiences. After the March 11, 2004, train bombings in Madrid, for example, psychologists found many residents experienced positive psychological growth. So too do the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer. What kind of positive growth? Increases in spirituality, compassion for others, openness, and even, eventually, overall life satisfaction. After trauma, people also report enhanced personal strength and self-confidence, as well as a heightened appreciation for, and a greater intimacy in, their social relationships.

This just made me realize that after an incident people are most likely to bring the best out of them. Let me just associate this with my father's personal experience. He was once addicted to alcohol. This then triggers him to become violent. When I was 7 years old he was involved in an accident which almost lead to his death. One of his kidney was removed and the doctor strongly suggest for him to quit drinking alcohol because that might lead to greater infections. He then changed and become more focus on our family than his own selfish desires.

Fifth, it is not bad to excel in different areas aside from what your family are inclined with.

This is probably one of the problems that we teenagers are facing. We were isolated in a thought that if our parents are mathematical inclined we ourselves could be one. This then gives parents a reason for them to dictate their children to be good at something because they are good at it. Well this 'concept' is definitely not true! In a study conducted by Benjamin Bloom 'After forty years of intensive research on school learning in the United States as well as abroad, my major conclusion is: What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn, if provided with the appropriate prior and current conditions of learning.” He’s not counting the 2 to 3 percent of children who have severe impairments, and he’s not counting the top 1 to 2 percent of children at the other extreme… He is counting everybody else.' This then gives us a good representation that all things are learned and not passed by generations to generations. Also this gives us a concept that it is not bad to be someone your family never had.

Their are still 5 things that was explained in Mark Barker's article, yet those things are for you to find out. The references are indicated below so you are free to browse there anytime you wanted to.

In this part of my blog, I will be presenting 2 things that I think very crucial for us to be able to surpass negativity and promote optimism and hope.

First, reassurance. Yes reassurance. We all need to be reassured that things will and can changed the way we wanted it to be. But I think it is more important that we should let God change it the way He wanted it to be. There are many passages in the bible that said 'fear not'. This is something that we must all remember. This was mentioned not just once or twice or even thrice but many times it was mentioned, 'fear not'. I think God is trying to persuade us that no matter how dark the world would be we should 'fear not'. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27" Fear can be really destructive. I think this is a strong hold that isolates people and then it produces anxiety and depression. Alot of people nowadays fear. I don't think that it is wrong to be afraid, but it is destructive when you stay afraid. I was once isolated by fear. Fear of messing up, fear of social interactions and even fear of oral recitations. But one great thing that made me stand up and be encouraged is John 14:27 (see the verse that was presented earlier). It was God who then gave me this great courage to face any troubles that I might and I have encountered.

In 2 Chronicles 32: 7-8 King Hezekiah said to his troops “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said."

He pointed out that even the imposible can be made possible with God. I just wanted to show people how great God is. Let us just look how reassuring Psalms 13:5 is "I will rely on your constant love; I will be glad, because you will rescue me." Let us remember that the God we are serving is "the same yesterday and today and tomorrow" Hebrews 13:8

In this pandemic we still have our God to run to and that is something that we must be glad about. So run to Him and find refuge and reassurance for a greater tomorrow.

Lastly, we all need restoration. You may say 'ofcourse we all need restoration". But the question is 'where can we find restoration?'. Great question right? As we all knew in the book of Chronicles in the Bible it was all about the different men who became the kind of Israel. But the thing is, many of the kings in Israel before sinned against God that is the reason why the fall of Jerusalem occured. (But let me just add that before their destruction God sent his messengers- 2 Chronicles 36:15- to let the people know that if they don't repent and turn back to their God it would cause their destruction, yet they didn't listen). It was then in the book of Ezra where God did rescued His people by moving the heart of Cyrus to commission Sheshbazzar (other name is Zerubbabel) "the prince of Judah", to rebuild the Temple; 40,000 exiles return to Jerusalem led by Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest. This then shows us that no matter how bad our situation is God is willing to restore everything in us. Let us also see the life of Job. At first he was really wealthy and he does all the things that pleased God, so Satan then persecuted Him and asked God to let Satan test Job. (I know some of you might think that God is unjust when He allowed Satan to persecute Job, but I think it is just for our own character development. As what I've mentioned earlier people who once gone through tough experience became a better version themselves) And throughout Job's trials he mocked at God and asked what sin did he did to let God suffered him like that. Inshort he started to asked God why all bad things happens to him. But the ending of this story is very interesting. God did RESTORED everything and he even had more than what he had before. This then reminds me of Romans 8:18 "The pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming."

In conclusion, it is not bad to cry and just let all your emotions out. But it is destructive to stay in that shadow of sorrow. We must all remember that even if you think no one out there wants to help, but be still God is willing to lift you up in that miry clay of fear, sadness, loneliness, sin and etc. Always remember that 'You can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you.' Philippians 4:13.

References

https://www.who.int/health-topics/depression#tab=tab_1

https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/96731/faith-in-humanity-10-studies-to-restore-your-hope-for-the-future/%3famp=true

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400077427/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1400077427

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190763/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439190763

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307591549/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307591549

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345472322/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345472322

[mittensmorgul]

I’ve seen multiple posts about how 13.21 referenced both Stand By Me as well as LotR (I mentioned it here but I know there were other posts that explained it in much more detail in case anyone doesn’t recognize all the references). And I’ve thrown around a couple of comments on how the episode directly referenced a LOT of the first half of s8 of The Walking Dead but I haven’t seen anyone write anything more detailed.

I intended to wait to see how the rest of the season turned out before writing anything more detailed, because this episode was written long before the second half of s8 of TWD was finished airing and I have no idea if Bobo knew spoilers in advance or if he was only using this as a sort of one-off parallel within this episode alone, but thematically there have been a number of other TWD references this season, from all the zombie comments in 13.06 to the Zombie Mom Witch in 13.12.

Anyway, below a cut in case anyone doesn’t want s8 TWD and current Fear The Walking Dead spoilers.

I mentioned in another post that I was essentially convinced by the end of Sam’s opening dream sequence that something terrible was gonna happen to Sam by the end of the episode... because TWD has been using a similar opening scene for a while now. Both on TWD and also on Fear TWD.

Essentially the “dreamer” is dead in every case (the notable unresolved “dreamer” whose fate we aren’t entirely sure of is Madison in Fear, but she’s now also been featured in Nick’s dream in the episode he died in so...)

But I want to focus on Carl’s dream sequences from the first half of s8. Because there were a number of them through the first eight episodes, and it wasn’t entirely clear that they were dreams at first. They seemed to show flashes of a “happy future” where his family was all safe and healthy, living a normal sort of “apple pie” life in their home in Alexandria. His little sister was older, his father had gone a bit greyer and walked with a cane, Michonne was still with Rick and happily being mom to Carl and an older Judith. Basically imagine a Walking Dead version of Sam’s dream, where they’re all around the table safe and happy and just living.

We didn’t really get a full understanding that these were specifically CARL’S dreams until the episode he was bitten (which aired December 10, 2017, so likely while Berens was working on this draft).

Clearly Sam’s “bite” went down a lot different than Carl’s did. But the part of the AU where Sam was attacked bore a lot of resemblance to the area where Carl and Siddiq had been walking together:

Path through the woods with hungry monsters waiting to eat them. But let me back up for a moment and explain why he was even out there.

Kindness.

He lived in a barricaded little town called Alexandria, who have allies in other groups such as The Kingdom (heh), Hilltop, and a broken relationship with a group of women living hidden in a community called Oceanside. All of these groups have been struggling under the oppressive rule of the Saviors (ie that group led by John Winchester Negan and his barbed-wire baseball bat called Lucille that Dean had in 12.15). At the beginning of s8, Carl’s father Rick had essentially been in what Mr. Mittens politely refers to as “kill mode.” They’d been betrayed and suffered heavily from the Saviors, who rule their territory with an iron fist and a steady campaign of terror and intimidation against any group they see as a potential resource.

(they’re basically awful, okay?)

But Carl is an odd duck. He’d spent quite a bit of time talking to Negan (not entirely by choice, because Negan is generally awful, but also had a weird soft spot for Carl, despite having threatened to force Rick to chop of Carl’s arm the first time they all met... it’s a disturbing show, sorry). Rick has never been able to forgive Negan for what he did (not just the psychological torture and threatening Carl, but also killing Abraham and Glen in cold blood just to intimidate and hurt the rest of them, and Maggie will never forgive him for killing Glen-- i.e. the father of her unborn child).

Which brings us to the people TFW+Gabe met in the woods-- a dark-haired woman called Maggie and a dude carrying a baseball bat. Interesting pair, no? Because in TWD if Maggie ever came face to face with Negan she’d claw his face off with her bare hands.

Okay now back to why Carl was in the woods. Back when Rick had been in Kill Mode, they ran across a man in the woods named Siddiq who Carl had wanted to help, but Rick shot at him to scare him away. Rick wasn’t in a mood to trust anyone, and especially not lone strangers in the woods. Carl apologized and began sneaking food out of Alexandria and befriending Siddiq. This went on for 8 episodes... bringing him supplies in secret and learning about the man. Which is what he’d been doing when they were ambushed by walkers.

Meanwhile back at home, one of the Saviors had turned traitor and was secretly helping Rick and his people escape an ambush (heck there’s so much of revenge and deceit involved in explaining Dwight’s motives here... but basically half the season is about revenge, and the fact that getting revenge is just... not worth it... sound familiar?)

So Carl had been out there in the middle of all this danger and (essentially) warfare to do a good deed for someone. And in the fighting, he’d accidentally been bitten by one of the walkers. (Sound familiar?)

The differences between Sam and Carl’s deaths:

Walker bites don’t kill instantly. It can take days to succumb to the infection unless the bite itself proves fatal, and Carl was bitten on his side (think about where Cas got stabbed by the Lance of Michael).

Carl killed the things that “killed him”

Sam’s bite was to a critical artery. If Carl had been bitten on the neck he would’ve been dead in a minute, but they wanted him to live long enough to get home and prepare for his own death. Sam didn’t get that luxury.

Carl didn’t have a handy archangel to resurrect him. Even if it was awful.

He did get to write letters to the people he cared about-- and to Negan-- and say goodbye to his loved ones in person. Sam didn’t. But Sam came back from the dead to address that in person.

Carl met back up with his family in the sewers (tunnels) under Alexandria after escaping the Saviors’ attack

The thing is, Carl had been the Negotiator. He’d been a sort of diplomat between everyone else and Negan, trying to convince everyone to work together rather than keep seeking revenge and trying to kill each other. Just like he’d been nurturing his friendship with Siddiq, and preparing to bring him back to Alexandria despite Rick not wanting him there.

Meanwhile we’ve been seeing hints about the revenge Sam is eager to take out on Lucifer. We saw Dean’s concern about Sam’s motives for helping Gabriel get his revenge against Loki and his children in 13.20, and Dean wanting to take the horrific burden of vengeance and the utter lack of fulfillment it actually provides off Sam’s shoulders.

It’s interesting that the Negan-coded dude (but not entirely, because his baseball bat didn’t have barbed wire wrapped around it) ended up biting it (pffft) in that tunnel and is never mentioned again. Maggie attempts to offer sympathy to Dean for the loss of his friend, but she gets nothing back from him.

Anyway, Carl left some letters behind (which he writes during episode 9, which didn’t air until February 25, 2018, so two weeks before they began filming 13.21 and likely after the script was finalized) and the contents he shared with Rick and with Negan can be read at those links in their entirety. But here’s a few key points:

You have to find peace with Negan. Find a way forward somehow. We don't have to forget what happened, but you can make it so that it won't happen again, that nobody has to live this way, that every life is worth something.

Start everything over. Show everyone that they can be safe again without killing. They can feel safe again. That it can go back to being birthdays, and school, and jobs, and even Friday night pizza somehow, and walks with a dad and a three-year-old holding hands. Make that come back, dad. And go on those walks with Judith. She'll remember them.

I love you.

Carl

and to Negan:

I hope my dad offers you peace. I hope you take it. I hope everything can change. It did for me.

Start over. You still can.

And at this point I’m singing “It’s never too late to start all over again” in my head.

And while all that was happening in TWD, the Saviors were launching firebombs into their town, as we assume there’s gonna be some more AU Angel “fireballs” hitting in 13.22.

The interesting thing about TWD’s season finale (which aired April 15, or four days before 13.23 wrapped filming), is that Rick finally both lucked out (via a timely bit of backstabbing by Eugene, who’d been considered a traitor when he went to work for Negan and had cost multiple people their lives as a result, but he’d rigged all the saviors’ guns to backfire and kill THEM instead of the people the guns were aimed at) AND took Carl’s message to heart.

He had the perfect chance to kill Negan and get his revenge at last, but he bargained for peace instead, in the face of a HUGE swarm of walkers that could threaten them all if they didn’t work together instead of constantly enacting petty revenge wars against each other.

(but Maggie? She still wants revenge, along with a few quiet others... but that’s for next season. For now, there’s an uneasy truce)

I have no idea what this means for anything else going on in SPN, or what lengths Sam, Dean, Cas, Gabriel, Lucifer, Mary, Jack... and everyone else... will be willing to go to to get “revenge” or to stop AU Michael, but I thought this was an interesting parallel between Sam and Carl in this episode.

#spn s13 spoilers #spn 13.21

[stargleeksil-blog]

Criminal Minds S06E21 “The Stranger” review - or more aptly named, funny and twisted in the same episode? Hells yes, we’re back on track XD I love this!

Episode 21 – The Stranger

Hey everyone! So last time was uberly weird, and depressing and emotional ... I need a reprieve, so let’s hope this has slightly more humoristic scenes with my three faves (Derek, Spence and Penelope) and more Rossi sarcasm, because I need it direly.

Let’s see what happens.

“Unnecessary. There’s too much blood and gore and ew.”

And that is why me and her are so perfect for each other.

“Garcia, it’s a slasher film. How do you do a slasher film without violence?”

“You imply it.”

XD

“Baby the movie is called Slice 6. What were you expecting?”

“A refreshing beverage with a twist of comedy.”

“I’m gonna have nightmares for a week.”

“With everything that we do and see on a daily basis, that got to you?”

“Listen, newb, you may be all Sigourney Weaver ass-kicking tough, which is awesome, but the mystical mavens of innocence like myself jump at things that go bump in the night.”

So I don’t need to even comment on this, because the dialogue does it for me XD

“Why are you worried? I’m sure that Morgan will protect you.”

“As long as he’s not jumping out of his chair like a prepubescent schoolgirl.”

WHAT?!

“The only reason I jumped is ‘cause you guys woke me up.”

“How could you sleep during that?”

“Easy. You drag me out after a 12-hour workday … for what?”

“You telling me that girl didn’t know the unsub was waiting for her upstairs?”

“Come on.”

Oh my tough puppy.

“Villain.”

“What?”

“In movies, unsubs are called villains.”

“My bad.”

I LOVE THIS SHOW SO FUCKING MUCH!

“Still, it’s totally unrealistic. No one should be walking through ha dark alley by themselves at night.”

“Ahem, hello.”

“Ah. No one should be walking through a dark alley without a Derek Morgan by their side.”

Oh lordy, this show is awesome.

“What we didn’t see coming is the Slicer’s brother was in the closet.”

“Frightening.”

Ah, the sarcastic Rossi.

“He betrayal consumed him and he sent his brother to his own private hell.”

Oh my god, just look at him so happily describing a horror movie. I balk at those.

“Speaking of horror …”

“What’s Strauss doing here?”

“Whatever it is, I cast my vote on ‘no good’.”

I love my goddess XD

“I left them on your desk last night.”

“This really isn’t the time for another evaluation.”

So Strauss is being the regular bitch and trying to get Aaron to do an evaluation on himself? And to have everyone take it again? I’m going to smack this bitch.

So three girls in college, who look eerily alike, were murdered ... yikes.

“As it stands right now, I’m coming up empty.”

“Their apartments were spread throughout the city, so … no fingerprints at the crime scene.”

“The unsub uses gloves.”

“He’s organized.”

“Forced entry at all the apartments. Back door, patio door, living room window.”

“The homes were wrecked.”

“Clear evidence of a struggle.”

“He’s creating a scene.”

“He wants to inflict fear not only in his victim but in whomever finds the body.”

“Could be a message to the local PD. ‘Look what I can do’.”

“He’s killed three women in under a week. San Diego PD wants us on the scene as soon as possible.”

Stephen King: “Sometimes human places create inhuman monsters.”

Dang, Mr. King, just dang.

“Our unsubs has a type and a temper.”

Yeah, he’s angry at brunettes. Seriously creepy (I’m brunette :O)

“Amber was getting ready for her bath. It would have been an easy target for a sexual assault, but none came.”

“That’s highly unusual for this kind of unsub.”

“You know, extreme violence in physical aggression is in its nature sexual.”

Again with the hot people talking about sex.

“That’s true, but as a substitution for the sex act.”

“This guy could be impotent. He can’t perform, so that’s why he goes all out for the kill.”

Again with the sweet ‘innocent’ people talking about sex.

“If he’s targeting female college students, we need to make sure that campus officials are informed if they haven’t been already.”

“We also can’t rule out other students and faculty.”

Insert Reid’s immense knowledge about San Diego college layout ... that’s a lot.

“Each girl lived off-campus and was attacked in their apartment.”

“That’s pretty high-risk.”

“Less risky if he’s stalking them in advance, running layouts and routines.”

“Between classes and part-time jobs, they’d be home sporadically at best.”

“Which tells us they’re not victims of opportunity. He targets them, then stalks them to know where they live and when they’re gonna be home.”

“Morgan, you and Reid go to the last victim’s apartment. Seaver, interview the roommate. Dave and I will go to the medical examiner’s.”

“Well, there’s no secure parking.”

“I rode a bike when I was in college.”

“That’s ‘cause you weren’t old enough to drive, Einstein.”

Oh my god, the Reid-Morgan bromance teasing is back. I love those two so fucking much.

“I could drive. It’s just the government wouldn’t issue me a license until I was fourteen.”

Oh, schooled!

“A lot of places for the unsub to hide out here.”

“Yeah, he could have easily grabbed her when she passed through here.”

“Yet she made it all the way to her apartment.”

“Where she should feel safe, but then he took that from her.”

“The number of stab wounds increases with each victim, yes?”

“Did the strike indicate any medical knowledge on the part of the unsub?”

“He hadn’t built his confidence yet.”

“He’s improving quickly.”

“He made the struggle last longer because he wanted her to suffer.”

“So now he’s starting to enjoy it.”

And I’m about to upchuck the strawberries and banana

“I’m Agent Derek Morgan. This is Dr. Spencer Reid.”

“He jimmied the lock on the window.”

“I guess he needed the privacy to complete the torture.”

“Well, most sadists like to kill on their own turf. This guy didn’t risk taking her to a secondary location.”

“Maybe something happened which makes the location of the kill significant. Look.”

“That’s something new.”

What is?

“He’s smearing the blood on the walls, exhibiting more control and rage over his victims, taking pleasure in the kill.”

Ew!

“It looks like he’s taking his anger out on women who represent someone he knows.”

“Yeah, like Edmund Kemper. He most likely can’t confront his true target yet, so he’s going after women who look like her until he can build up the confidence to complete his endgame.”

“So she wasn’t into the college scene.”

“Academically or for money?”

“Do you know where she heard about the part-time work?”

Craigslist ... yikes.

“The first victim, Monica Shanley’s, BFF reported that they were talking on the phone and hung up just before Monice stepped inside her apartment.”

“What does that get us?”

Phone time with the sexy goddess?

“Well, some neighbors heard loud screaming coming from Monica’s apartment at 11:12 pm.”

“At 11:15 they called 911.”

“11:26 cops arrived.”

“He’s able to strike, kill, and get out in less than 14 minutes?”

That’s one fast sicko.

“How’d it go?”

“According to her roommate, Amber worked odd jobs to make ends meet.”

“Could be where she met with the unsub. Garcia, get us a list of jobs that Amber worked the last few months, and look for personal checks she might have deposited as under-the-table payments.”

Oh, you smart Italian stallion.

“Copy that.”

“The unsub stalks his victims. He knows their routine.”

“He could attack them anytime they’re alone, even in their cars, but he chooses to attack them in their homes.”

“And waits for them to bolt the doors before he strikes.”

“He wants them to feel safe before he takes that away from them.”

“It’s about making them feel powerless in their own personal space.”

“So it’s physical and psychological torture.”

No shit.

So he killed a babysitter. Yikes. Poor baby.

“We profiled that he gets off by striking inside the victims’ homes. Why did he kill her here?”

“That’s a big change in MO.”

“Maybe Laurie had a roommate, so the unsub figured he’d have more time on the job.”

“Did he hurt the child?”

Thankfully, no.

“I’ll talk to them. You two go in.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, I’m David Rossi with the FBI. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?”

“And how did you meet her?”

Again with the fucking Craigslist.

“How many people did you interview?”

“Did she talk about any boyfriends or say anything that may have raised an alarm?”

“And how long ago was that?”

So she had a boyfriend up till a month ago. Yikes.

“With an infant in the room, Laurie would have been at her most vulnerable.”

“Look at this.”

“He felt compelled to organize the supplies.”

“Look.”

Now, if it weren’t for the blood, I would have so many images of Daddy!Derek.

“Do you think the unsub fed the kid?”

“Then he stabs Laurie, so the kid probably starts crying.”

“Maybe he gave the kid the bottle in order to keep him quiet.”

“We might be looking for someone with a deep-rooted abandonment issue.”

“One who identifies with the child.”

“Or maybe the baby crying interfered with his enjoyment of watching the babysitter bleed out?”

“Well, either way, caring for the child would be psychological torture for Laurie.”

“Reid. Look at that.”

“She’s got several missed calls and a few texts from social networking sites.”

“‘What’s with the photo? Halloween isn’t for months’.”

“Speak, boy wonder, behold my might.”

XD

“Garcia, the latest victim Laurie Burgin was writing something on the internet last night. Can you figure out what it was?”

“Yeah. I was just tweeting myself. Uno momento.”

She tweets? Damn. I love this woman.

“Oh, God. Reid.”

“She managed to take a picture of the unsub before she died.”

Oh shit.

“Can’t really make it out.”

“I can tell you more. Laurie’s account was active two hours after that photo was posted.”

“And continued posting status updates after she died.”

Shit. That dude is fucking sick.

“‘Feeling faint at heart.’”

“‘All alone and too scared to cry.’”

“All right, this isn’t good. He’s mocking his victims now.”

“He sat here tweeting while Laurie bled to death.”

“All right, baby girl, listen. I need you to go through Laurie’s accounts. See who was following her and see who was messaging back.”

“On it.”

“All right, let’s get out of here, let’s get back to Hotch.”

“We got a photo and we got a profile.”

“Thank you, Garcia.”

“We’re looking for a while male in his early 20s.”

“And because he’s stalking his victims, we believe that he either works out of his house or a part-time job.”

“This unsub strikes in the home rather than the outside where he could more easily abduct his victims.”

“Now, this tells us that his social skills are most likely lacking and he may not have the confidence to talk to women.”

“His confidence with killing, however, is growing. He’s gone from hesitant strikes in the victim’s home to painting the walls with blood.”

“Our unsub is developing a taste for the kill. And his victims share similar features and backgrounds.”

“And we believe that they represent someone whom the unsub thinks has wronged him and he’s taking out his rage on them.”

“Because the unsub shows signs of one neat aspect and started killing suddenly and effectively with no break, we believe he was recently incarcerated or institutionalized.”

“Look at men who got out a month or so ago. Their records will show a history of violence, anger toward women and/or symbols of authority.”

“We need to warn all young women to be hypervigilant, especially in their online acquaintances, but also with service workers, maintenance staff, and deliverymen.”

Hey! Assholes, don’t make fun of my superheroes!

“No, but tell them to double-check IDs, call dispatch before they let anybody inside.”“Panic is inevitable, but we still need to keep everyone informed. Uniformed officers are posting warnings across campuses.”

“Now, since the Jenkins family found Laurie online, we believe the unsub may be using similar methods …”

“Profiles, job postings, anything that gives a little too much information that the unsub could use to hunt his victims.”

“And time’s not on our side. We think that he’s already got his next victim in his sights.”

“The account tracks back to an email address he created yesterday morning, IP address leads to a public terminal. That’s where the trail ends.”

“What about the Jenkins house?”

“He was tweeting with her prior to the assault.”

“The unsub hacked into the Jenkins’ Wi-Fi network.”

“Pretty smart for a guy who’s been locked up.”

“Yeah, he has gotten good at covering his tracks. How are you doing on a list of criminal records and releases?”

“Oh, right, that. Okay. I searched local college students, which is a lot, and I’m a masochist, so I went ahead and included military personnel because San Diego has a big naval and marine presence.”

“Combine those with those two pools and he’s swimming in criminal infractions.”

“All right, filter out sexual assault and lewd behavior.”

“Filtering at the speed of light, sir.”

Someone give her writers all the awards.

“And what about background financials on the victims? Is there any evidence of jobs being performed under the table?”

“Actually, in all cases there were personal checks deposited from several accounts, most under $100.”

So babysitting isn’t that financially beneficial.

“All right, send a list of account holders, and, Seaver, when you get them, start making phone calls.”

“What am I looking for?”

Another brain? Because you’re looking at babysitters, activate those neurons.

“Any victims who might have worked as babysitters.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Shit. Fucking Strauss is sticking her nose in everything. Fuck.

“We’ve delivered the profile and the locals are canvassing the area. Did you call for a field update?”

“How’s that?”

Wait. So now he has to run an assessment on himself? Isn’t that against protocol?

“My orders were to assess the team.”

“Is that an order?”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, we’ve got four women dead and we’ll probably have another one by the morning.”

“She’s relentless.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Did he get another babysitter?”

You bet your ass he did.

“Who’s that?”

“They were locked in here all night?”

“I’ll meet you guys inside.”

So he locked the mom and the baby in the beddroom while he killed the babysitter and daddy? Fuck.

And now he’s just the cutest little puppy thing ever comforting that lady and being the most amazing hunky thing ever.

“Hello, Amy. My name’s Derek Morgan. I’m with the FBI. I understand you’ve been through a great ordeal. I’d just like to ask you a few questions if that’s okay.”

Oh my cutie polite puppy.

“Did you happen to see the man who came in your home?”

“It’s okay. Take your time.”

“Did you hear anything while you were locked inside?”

“Jake suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. The sitter, Lily, got the brunt of it.”

“She could be the one he’s been after all along.”

Wasn’t that the whole point of this? He hates brunette babysitters?

“I don’t know. This guy’s meticulous. He plans everything out.”

“Then why didn’t he know the Ellisons were returning?”

“I think he did. I mean, the unsub was watching the house. He knew that they came home, but he just didn’t care. He adapted.”

“He went after the biggest threat first. He eliminated Jake in order to gain control over Lily and Amy.”

“There are two initial points of attack, one in the hallway outside the nursery and the other one here. Yet, both bodies ended up together.”

“Look at the way they’re posed, directly looking at each other.”

“He wanted them to watch each other die.”

“I think it’s more than that. This change in behavior could be the piece that we’re missing.”

“This guy knew the Ellisons were home, but he struck anyway. He could have taken out the entire family, but he chose to spare the mother and the child. Why?”

“With the Jenkins, the unsub actually fed the baby. Here, he spared the mother and locked her in a room with her son. It’s likely he’s protecting the children.”

“The addition of Jake Ellison caused the unsub to change his methodology.”

“For the first time he posed the bodies, and he’s also sexually violated one of the victims.”

“Okay, we have a father posed to look at a dying babysitter and a mother and child protected upstairs. That’s a pretty clear message.”

“Garcia, search for local women who died in their early 30s and they’re survived by a husband and at least one son. Go back 10-15 years. Cross that with new marriage licenses filled by surviving husbands.”

“The unsub’s always been troubled, Garcia, so look for youthful offenders who would have fit into the sociopathic triad.”

“Okay, I’ve got a few.”

“What about …”

“Here’s one. Greg Phinney, Chula Vista.”

“He was put into juvie when he was thirteen for … threatening his stepmom with a knife.”

“What do we know about the stepmother?”

“Kate Jones, aka the second Mrs. Phinney. Married Greg’s father a year after Greg’s mother was killed in a car accident. Greg was 11 at the time.”

“Mr. Phinney died four weeks ago.”

“Is there any evidence that Kate worked in the Phinney home before the mother’s death?”

“Oh, the plot solidifies. Kate cited additional income as caregiver on her tax returns when she was a college student. Payments trace back to the Phinneys.”

“Kate filed numerous reports against Greg for violent behavior, experimentation on animals. Greg’s father finally put the kibosh on things when he was seventeen, had him institutionalized.”

“Greg was released two weeks ago.”

“Just before the killings started.”

“Garcia,  where’s Greg Phinney now?”

“Yeah, that’s a good question. Oh, dear …”

What?

“Greg Phinney, FBI. Open the door!”

“He’s not in here.”

Captain Hot and OBvious.

“The bedroom’s clear.”

“Baby girl, can you tell me why Greg Phinney’s laptop has an employee login screen?”

“Well, lover, I have been doing some digging.”

“Did you know that he’s been working part-time as a data entry clerk at the San Diego Register?”

“If he was in an institution, where did he get the time to find a job?”

“Uh, he didn’t even have to look. This job is part of his work-release program. And twenty hours of internet privileges will go a long way.”

“That’s how he finds his victims. He browses the classifieds. Did he have access tos the customers’ personal information?”

“Oh, honey, he entered it.”

“That must be Kate Phinney.”

“Well, he’s obviously built up the confidence to confront her.”

“Garcia.’

“Reading your mind. Calling the others.”

I love those two.

“Greg’s not at home, so he’s probably already at Karen’s house.”

“Kate’s the object of his hostility. He’s gonna take his time.”

“Let’s light ‘em up. I’m sure he knows we’re coming.”

“Dave, take some uniforms and find the back door. I’m gonna try to get inside and talk to him.”

“You think that’s gonna work?”

“I don’t think Kate gets out of this any other way.”

Oh boy, what are they gonna do now?

“Greg Phinney, this is Agent Aaron Hotchner. I need to talk to you about your demands so you can let Kate go.”

So he’s a serial killer without demands? Well, that’s weird.

Wait. He’s blaming Kate in all of this? Why?

“What has she done?”

“Greg, I think this has more to do with your dad than it is about Kate.”

“Your dad put you away.”

“Greg, I need to ask you a very important question. Do you want to live?”

Well, that’s seriously worrying.

“I think you do. And if so, you need to let me in the house. Otherwise I can’t guarantee that you’re gonna walk out of there.”

“Seaver, I want you to come in with me. Leave your firearm here.”

“Be compassionate and sympathetic to him. Let him tell you how Kate betrayed him and how much you understand his devastation.”

Heh, he’s pissed he brought in Seaver. But he can smooth his way into anything, can’t you, Hotch?

“I know, but I thought if we talked inside we could work this out ourselves.”

“No guns.”

No guns? Have you lost your marbles?

“As long as you’ve got a gun, if one of the agents outside has a clear shot, he’ll take it.”

Sneaky Rossi.

“I don’t have a line of sight.”

“Tell me what you want Greg.”

“Don’t you really want Kate to apologize for making your dad forget your mom?”

“Unless the next words out of your mouth are ‘I’m sorry’, I don’t want to hear anything else from you.”

WHOA!

“I understand, Greg. I do.”

“She took care of you. You trusted her. And then she betrayed you as soon as your mother was gone.”

Spider-Rossi! (Flexibility and stuff)

“It must have crushed you when Kate married your dad.”

“How did it make you feel, Greg?”

“You felt betrayed, didn’t you, Greg?”

“Ask her the question, Greg. Go ahead. Ask her.”

Wait. So this whole fucking thing was about him being in love with his babysitter-turned-stepmom? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?

No. Fucking. Way!

“Bring in backup.”

“No. I had to be aggressive towards you in order to gain Greg’s trust. None of this is your fault.”

Aw, that’s nice of you, b;ondie.

“Greg has always been troubled. Losing his mother and then his father made him even more unstable. Sometimes we do everything right and we still lose. Greg was a sociopath and there’s nothing you could have done to change that.”

“Good work, agent.”

“Hey. Nice job, kid.”

I love Rossi so fucking much!

Adrienne Rich: “Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, false namings of real events.”

What the fuck does that even mean?

“Why, uh, why the interest in the well-being of my team?”

“What kind of concerns?”

“What’s going on?”

So Erin has problems and she needs to go away? Finally.

Heyo! So this episode had everything! Humor, sarecasm, banter, cutie patooties making me smile, and then that whole bit iwth the unsub being a total nutcase. Just what the Dr. Spencer Reid ordered XD I have faith in this show again XD

Alrighty, I gotta go finish up the reviews for this season and get cracking on seven (holy shit, where has time gone?)

Thank you so much for the ever-surprising support!

#criminal minds reviews #criminal minds #reviews #s06e21 #the stranger #aaron hotchner #thomas gibson #derek morgan #shemar moore #spencer reid #matthew gray gubler #penelope garcia #kirsten vangsness #david rossi #joe mantegna #ashley seaver #rachel nichols #erin strauss #jayne atkinson #poodle #puppy #baby boy #hot stuff #god of chocolate thunder #chocolate adonis #baby girl #tech kitten #goddess #stephen king #adrienne rich

[bangtan-only]

BTS: Save me (Gang AU)

Character profile

Prologue

Chapter 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17

Chapter 18 “Wrinkled”

Warehouse

  Hoseok opened the rusty door lock. The creaking of the door was so loud that it was irritating. Light shown into the warehouse through the opening of the door. There was no one in sight. Hoseok carefully analyse his surroundings. It was always calm before the storm. He knew it too well from his job. He stayed close to the wall. He had to rely only on himself, no electronics, no weapons. No sight. It was pitched dark save for the meager of light shining through the crack of the door. As he ventured further in, he was just face with darkness and had to rely solely on hearing.

  Hoseok knew something was up. He could smell gunpowder from meters away. He dealt with them all the time. Time to put his skills into good use. What would they do ? Think hoseok think. Smoke bomb ? Tear bomb? Plainly shooting ? They couldn’t kill me before torturing me. That’s right. He avoided stepping on the triggers on the ground that would release god knows what. He entered the next room without issues. Then he notice the dangling trigger as if it was mocking at him. He knew shooting it was a good choice but that would be telling  them he bought weapon with him and he cannot risk that. He knew they were watching his every move like a predator and he was just an amusing prey. The simple traps were also an insult to his intelligence. If their plan was to frustrate the hell out of him. They had pretty much succeeded. As much as he hated them, he had to agree the three of them are good at what they do.

  Breezing through the what seems like the tenth door, the ominous feeling overwhelmed him. This time he carefully opened the heavy steel door. Only to be met with a familiar face. He almost miss it. If not for the situation they are in.

  “Hyung!”

  “What are you doing here?!”

  “No. What are you doing here?!”

  “Don’t tell me they contacted you too ?” Jhope questioned.

  “Yeah. But why are you here ? You have no reason to be here.” The younger male replied.

  “Of course i do. You know why.” Jhope sighed.

  “I don’t see what Park min’s capture got to do with you.” Taehyung looked at hoseok confused.

  “What ? They captured her too?” Jhope knew something was wrong.

  “Too?” Taehyung questioned, clearly having a name in mind but hoping it wasn’t true. Because if it is, then they are in trouble.

  “(Y/N).” Hoseok didn’t need to add anymore details.

  “What touching reunion. Don’t you both agree?” The sinister voice interrupted the tense silence.

  “Jackson. Let them go.” Hoseok spoke sternly.

  “They have nothing to do with this. It’s BTS you all want.” Taehyung added.

  “And they are the chess piece we need. Isn’t it?” He laughed lightly.

  “Shall we then play a little game?” He continued.

  “You get 3 choices. Fair isn’t it ?”

  “I ain’t playing this sh*t. ” hoseok interrupted, looking at taehyung

  “Count me out too.” Taehyung added, before jumping to attack Jackson.

  “Well well. That’s enough boys. You don’t want your woman to get hurt. Hmm. Or not.” Yugyeom piped in leaning against the door.

  Hoseok pinned Jackson hands to the back, and taehyung took out his gun pointing to Jackson’s right temple.

  “It’s either we get them back or he gets it.” Hoseok negotiated.

  “That’s a little unfair boys. 1 for 2. Not a fair deal isn’t it?” Yugyeom replied.

  “Plus i you didn’t honor your words. I said no weapons. ”

  “Fine. 1 for 1 how about that ?” Taehyung answered.

  Hoseok immediately looked to Taehyung. Who was he going to save ? You or her ? It’s so obvious. He came for her. But hoseok isn’t going to back down that easily when it comes to you.

  “Hmm. Sure. Which of the 2 ladies would you choose?” Yugyeom smirked, knowing the dilemma hoseok and taehyung would be in.

  “Woo. Would i see 2 closest brothers fighting over women?” Jackson chipped in, even though he was held hostage.

   They looked intently at the drama about  to happen before them. Why not just watch a good show ?

  “Hyung. Min. She’s not as strong as (y/n). She can’t take the torture.” Taehyung explained.

  “What makes you think (Y/n) is able to then ? Park min’s Jaebum wife. Before. On account of their relationship she is less in danger. ” hoseok argued.

  “Bu-” taehyung was interrupted.

  “Think about the times she helped you. You break her.”

  “Hyun-”

  “I have always let you get your way. Not this time. I won’t allow it.”

  “Are you guys done chatting? I am sick with being here. I expect more of a show. Tsk.” Jackson spoke out of nowhere.

  “Oh shut up. Jackson. Let them discuss. I find it amusing.” Yugyeom replied.

  “So? Who do you choose ?”

  “(Y/-”     “Park min” Taehyung shout louder.

  “What the actu-” before hoseok could finish sentence, taehyung nudge him giving him a little nod. It was taehyung way to get him to trust him. Deciding that taehyung was the one that specialised in psychology he decided to trust him.

  “Well. Park min it is then.” Yugyeom confirmed, before speaking into his speaker hang around his neck. Signalling to taehyung to drop his gun and hoseok to let Jackson go.

  “We need to see her safe.” Taehyung replied.

  Hoseok looked at taehyung skeptically, did he really have a plan for you ? Or did he do what he did out of desperation to save Park min ?

  “Tch. Fine. Jaebum bring her over would you ?” Yugyeom pressed his speaker once again.

  “Tae!” Park min exclaimed, the moment she sees taehyung. She was looking tired but fine. Hoseok grimace at the thought that she and you had different treatment.

  “Let’s let go at the same time” Jaebum look towards hoseok.

  At the count of three, hoseok threw Jackson towards them and shove Park min towards taehyung.

  “So? Are you guys not planning to save  (Y/n)?” Jaebum questioned, amused.

  “Poor thing.” Jackson added, faking sympathy.

  “We are. You fxxking sh*t tell us what you want ?” Hoseok glared at them, regretting that he trust Taehyung.

  “I don’t think you are in position to talk now. Hoseok.” Jaebum laughed, signalling to look in Taehyung direction.

They said women are more dangerous than men.

A/n: Do support my pt.2 of my gang au trilogy! And since my lies fanfic is coming to an end, do request what type of fanfic would you all like to read. (:

-J.L

#bts #bangtan #bts gang au #bangtan gang au #bts mafia au #bangtan mafia au #v x reader #hoseok x reader #taehyung fanfic #hoseok fanfic #jhope fanfic #bangtan network #taehyung fanfiction #hoseok fanfiction #taehyung angst #jhope angst

[muslimdialektis-blog]

Novel Heartsick: A Review

Novel heartsick review by Mutsla Qanita, Undergraduate Student of Communication Studies Faculty of Social and Political Science University of Indonesia.

Heartsick was published exactly a decade ago. I luckily found the book in a thrift shop at Gangnam (its difficult to find englisg books in Seoul) The writer is Chelsea Cain and what had hooked me to buy it is a review on the cover that claimed the book as "one of the most seductive and original psychopaths since Hannibal Lecter". That got me really interested cause come on who doesnt know Hannibal? In my personal opinion, Hannibal is just, well, superb. One chapter and I could see why the review said so.

Now there are three main characters in the book: (1) Grethen Lowell, the woman version of Hannibal. Beautiful obviously (Ive sent her physical apperance in case youre wondering how she looked like). She dropped out from a medical school (thats why shes good at chopping her victims' organs when they were alive without killing them, and also without proper surgical tools mind you). People said she'd killed two hundred people or so, no one really knows. She was the kind of character that could read people (the precision is uncanny, she could guess your past and personality from looking at your hair color, what youre wearing, the way you speak, every little details). The way she killed her victims was depended on her mood, sometimes she killed them herself, other times she let her lovers did it for her. There was no criteria for her victims: old, young, men, women, teenagers, everyone had the same 'chance' to be her next victim. The method was also differed. Sometime she cut them to pieces, sometimes she made them drink drain cleaner, other time she just burned them alive. Yet like any other serial killers, she had a pattern, her signature: she kept her victims alive for approximately 4days to play with before she got bored and finally killed them; and she always made a mark on her victims' chests, a heartshaped nailing pattern. It was always like that. Until Archie.

(2) Archie Sheridan: the detective who'd been chasing Gretchen for 10 years before she kidnapped and tortured him to almost-death. He was an exception cause after ten days and on the last moment before he die, Gretchen called 911 and turned herself in, in order to keep him alive. He had a wife (whom he divorced after the incident with Gretchen) and two children. The book went back and forth between the days Gretchen were kidnapping him and the present, which was two years after that. In the present, Archie had to live under prescriptions to be able to finction almost normally cause Gretchen had him consuming morphins and all those painkillers while she tortured him (cut off his spleen, made the heartshaped signature, made him drink drain cleaner a tablespoon everyday). After that Gretchen agreed to give Archie details of where her other victims' bodies were if he visited her in jail every sunday and that was what he'd been doing the last two years. Now Archie was asked to investigate a new sociopath who raped and killed 15 year old girls.

(3) Susan Ward: a pink haired reporter with an issue. Her job was to write feature stories about Archie and so she tagged along during the investigation and got tangled up in the whole legendary-Gretchen-Archie situation.

Lesson Learnt: 1. Psycho story is always intriguing, probably because it doesn't happen to you yet it's still enough of a reality to relate to 2. I was wondering how each of our field views this psycho kinda thing, cause it's only been academically discussed in psychology 3. Ive also been wondering for a long time about how Islam view these 'sick' people, are they really beyond help, how to approach them with religious approach (if possible), real cases on Rasulullah's time and how he treated them, etc

My biggest question is in the sake of writing itself. I wonder why muslim writers never dare themselves to write the kind of books that Dan Brown or even  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote. Should I say that in this era there's this sort of 'captive mind' (quoting one of my seniors) in which writers who also identify themselves with Islam mostly feel compelled to write only religious writings under limited themes. It is certainly a challenge to be answered.

The discussion on this book did talk of how psycho-related issues (especially in cultural context) relates to Islam, but as best as I can put it, it only grazed the surface. I hope there will be further and widespread discussions on this topic without diminishing the fun in enjoying a cultural piece of writers' minds :)

#BedahBuku #BookReview #Novel #Psycho

[madamlaydebug]

American Psychosis By Chris Hedges January 30, 2017 "Information Clearing House" - "Truth Dig" - Reality is under assault. Verbal confusion reigns. Truth and illusion have merged. Mental chaos makes it hard to fathom what is happening. We feel trapped in a hall of mirrors. Exposed lies are answered with other lies. The rational is countered with the irrational. Cognitive dissonance prevails. We endure a disquieting shame and even guilt. Tens of millions of Americans, especially women, undocumented workers, Muslims and African-Americans, suffer the acute anxiety of being pursued by a predator. All this is by design. Demagogues always infect the governed with their own psychosis. “The comparison between totalitarianism and psychosis is not incidental,” the psychiatrist Joost A.M. Meerloo wrote in his book “The Rape of the Mind: The Psychology of Thought Control, Menticide, and Brainwashing.” “Delusional thinking inevitably creeps into every form of tyranny and despotism. Unconscious backward forces come into action. Evil powers from the archaic past return. An automatic compulsion to go on to self-destruction develops, to justify one mistake with a new one; to enlarge and expand the vicious pathological circle becomes the dominating end of life. The frightened man, burdened by a culture he does not understand, retreats into the brute’s fantasy of limitless power in order to cover up the vacuum inside himself. This fantasy starts with the leaders and is later taken over by the masses they oppress.” The lies fly out of the White House like flocks of pigeons: Donald Trump’s election victory was a landslide. He had the largest inauguration crowds in American history. Three million to 5 million undocumented immigrants voted illegally. Climate change is a hoax. Vaccines cause autism. Immigrants are carriers of “[t]remendous infectious disease.” The election was rigged—until it wasn’t. We don’t know “who really knocked down” the World Trade Center. Torture works. Mexico will pay for the wall. Conspiracy theories are fact. Scientific facts are conspiracies. America will be great again. Our new president, a 70-year-old with orange-tinted skin and hair that Penn Jillette has likened to “cotton candy made of piss,” is, as Trump often reminds us, “very good looking.” He has almost no intellectual accomplishments—he knows little of history, politics, law, philosophy, art or governance—but insists “[m]y IQ is one of the highest—and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure, it’s not your fault.” And the mediocrities and half-wits he has installed in his Cabinet have “by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled.” It is an avalanche of absurdities. This mendacity would be easier to repulse if the problem was solely embodied in Trump. But even in the face of a rising despotism, the Democratic Party refuses to denounce the corporate forces that eviscerated our democracy and impoverished the country. The neoliberal Trump demonizes Muslims, undocumented workers and the media. The neoliberal Democratic Party demonizes Vladimir Putin and FBI Director James Comey. No one speaks about the destructive force of corporate power. The warring elites pit alternative facts against alternative facts. All engage in demagoguery. We will, I expect, be condemned to despotism by the venality of Trump and the cowardice and dishonesty of the liberal class. Trump and those around him have a deep hatred for what they cannot understand. They silence anyone who thinks independently. They elevate pseudo-intellectuals who adhere to their bizarre script. They cannot cope with complexity, nuance or the unpredictable. Individual initiative is a mortal threat. The order for some employees of several federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research service, the National Park Service and the Department of Health and Human Services, to restrict or cease communication with the press or members of Congress, along with the attempt to impose 10-year felony convictions on six reporters who covered the inauguration protests, signals the beginning of a campaign to marginalize reality and promote fantasy. Facts depend solely on those who have the power to create them. The goal of the Trump administration is to create an artificial consistency that conforms to its warped perception of the world. “Before they seize power and establish a world according to their doctrines, totalitarian movements conjure up a lying world of consistency which is more adequate to the needs of the human mind than reality itself; in which, through sheer imagination, uprooted masses can feel at home and are spared the never-ending shocks which real life and real experiences deal to human beings and their expectations,” Hannah Arendt wrote in “The Origins of Totalitarianism.” “The force possessed by totalitarian propaganda—before the movements have the power to drop iron curtains to prevent anyone’s disturbing, by the slightest reality, the gruesome quiet of an entirely imaginary world—lies in its ability to shut the masses off from the real world.” Trump’s blinding narcissism was captured in his bizarre talk to the CIA on Jan. 21. “[T]hey say, is Donald Trump an intellectual?” he said. “Trust me, I’m, like, a smart persona.” “I have a running war with the media,” he added. “They are among the most dishonest human beings on earth. And they sort of made it sound like I had a feud with the intelligence community. And I just want to let you know, the reason you’re the number one stop [in the new presidency] is exactly the opposite—exactly. And they understand that, too.” He launched into an attack on the media for not reporting that “a million, million and a half people” showed up for his inauguration. “They showed a field where there was practically nobody standing there,” he said about the media’s depiction of the inauguration crowd. “And they said, Donald Trump did not draw well. I said, it was almost raining, the rain should have scared them away, but God looked down and he said, we’re not going to let it rain on your speech.” He has been on the cover of Time “like, 14 or 15 times,” Trump said in speaking of his criticism of the magazine because one of its reporters incorrectly wrote that the president had removed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office. “I think we have the all-time record in the history of Time magazine. Like, if Tom Brady is on the cover, it’s one time, because he won the Super Bowl or something, right? I’ve been on it for 15 times this year. I don’t think that’s a record, Mike, that can ever be broken. Do you agree with that? What do you think?” [Editor’s note: Photographs or drawings of Trump were on the cover of Time 10 times in the last year and a half and once in 1989.] Trump’s theatricality works. He forces the press and the public to repeat his lies, inadvertently giving them credibility. He is always moving. He is always on display. He has no fixed belief system. Trump, as he consolidates power, will adopt the ideology of the Christian right to fill his own ideological vacuum. The Christian right’s magical thinking will merge seamlessly with Trump’s magical thinking. Idiocy, self-delusion, megalomania, fantasy and government repression will come wrapped in images of the Christian cross and the American flag. The corporate state, hostile or indifferent to the plight of the citizens, has no emotional pull among the public. It is often hated. Political candidates run not as politicians but as celebrities. Campaigns eschew issues to make people feel good about candidates and themselves. Ideas are irrelevant. Emotional euphoria is paramount. The voter is only a prop in the political theater. Politics is anti-politics. It is reality television. Trump proved better at this game than his opponents. It is a game in which fact and knowledge do not matter. Reality is what you create. We were conditioned for a Trump. Meerloo wrote, “The demagogue relies for his effectiveness on the fact that people will take seriously the fantastic accusations he makes, will discuss the phony issues he raises as if they had reality, or will be thrown into such a state of panic by his accusations and charges that they will simply abdicate their right to think and verify for themselves.” The lies create a climate in which everyone is assumed to be lying. The truth becomes suspect and obscured. Narratives begin to be believed not because they are true, or even sound true, but because they are emotionally appealing. The aim of systematic lying, as Arendt wrote, is the “transformation of human nature itself.” The lies eventually foster somnambulism among a population that surrenders to the magical thinking and ceases to care. It checks out. It becomes cynical. It only asks to be entertained and given a vent for its frustration and rage. Demagogues produce enemies the way a magician pulls rabbits out of a hat. They wage constant battles against nonexistent dangers, rapidly replacing one after the other to keep the rhetoric at a fever pitch. “Practically speaking, the totalitarian ruler proceeds like a man who persistently insults another man until everybody knows that the latter is his enemy, so that he can, with some plausibility, go out and kill him in self-defense,” Arendt wrote. “This certainly is a little crude, but it works—as everybody will know who has ever watched how certain successful careerists eliminate competitors.” We are entering a period of national psychological trauma. We are stalked by lunatics. We are, as Judith Herman writes about trauma victims in her book “Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror,” being “rendered helpless by overwhelming force.” This trauma, like all traumas, overwhelms “the ordinary systems of care that give people a sense of control, connection, and meaning.” To recover our mental balance we must respond to Trump the way victims of trauma respond to abuse. We must build communities where we can find understanding and solidarity. We must allow ourselves to mourn. We must name the psychosis that afflicts us. We must carry out acts of civil disobedience and steadfast defiance to re-empower others and ourselves. We must fend off the madness and engage in dialogues based on truth, literacy, empathy and reality. We must invest more time in activities such as finding solace in nature, or focusing on music, theater, literature, art and even worship—activities that hold the capacity for renewal and transcendence. This is the only way we will remain psychologically whole. Building an outer shell or attempting to hide will exacerbate our psychological distress and depression. We may not win, but we will have, if we create small, like-minded cells of defiance, the capacity not to go insane. Chris Hedges, spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has reported from more than 50 countries and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times, for which he was a foreign correspondent for 15 years.

[emmalovesu]

Hope for Humanity

By Emma Angela Cayton of Grade 12 HUMSS 1

According to World Heath Organization (WHO) "Depression is a common mental disorder affecting more than 264 million people worldwide". People in any ages can suffer depression. In this blog I will be presenting the hope that we all need to hear. I believe that one of the major things that we need to nurture is (aside from physical fitness) mental and emotional wellness. Throughout my research, I've found an article that entitles "Faith in Humanity: 10 Studies To Restore Your Hope For the Future" by Mark Barker, 2014. As I've browsed throughout it, I've found that everything in it relates our personal experiences. I have listed some of the topics from Mark Barker, yet I've add my insights about them. At the end of this blog I am anticipating to help bring hope and optimism for everyone.

First, you bounce back better from tougher problems (Mark Barker, 2014) I have seen other people fall and saw how great they were able to lift themselves up. Yes we may fall, yes we may fail but we will always persevere. From a study by Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness: People rationalize divorces, demotions, and diseases, but not slow elevators and uninspired burgundies. The paradoxical consequence is that people may sometimes recover more quickly from truly distressing experiences than from slightly distressing ones (Aronson & Mills, 1958; Gerard & Mathewson, 1966; Zimbardo, 1966)…

We might think that if we fail we will never get ourselves out of that problem. Well that are just the usual thinking that we always have at the back of our heads. As long as the world still revolves in its own axis we still have hope. Hope of tomorrow and hope for a rainbow after the rain.

Second, regret is not that scary (Mark Barker, 2014) I've read this line before from a book, (but I can't remember the exact title of it) "regret in taking a step out of something is not that bad, but regret of not taking that step is the worst". Many people out there wanted to take your place just to get that situation you are in, yet you don't have the guts to take that risk? It's just a matter of all or nothing. Whether you take them or not at all. You can never have your place in the middle, you'll always have to take a risk. I remembered from one of the videos I have watched before 'When Alexander the Great asked how did he conquered the world he said 'I did not stumble'. To stumble is to limp and have that fear of taking that risk. But what is that risk are you going to? Is it to 'take that all' or 'not at all'.

Third, “What Does Not Kill You Makes You Stronger” is often true (Mark Barker, 2014)

Let's take a look in how gold and silver are refined. They aren't refined by air, water yet they are refined with fire. Yes fire! This just shows us that 'the greater the trials the greater glory we can beheld'. Let us just look in the study that was conducted "A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being:

In a month, 1,700 people reported at least one of these awful events, and they took our well-being tests as well. To our surprise, individuals who’d experienced one awful event had more intense strengths (and therefore higher well-being) than individuals who had none. Individuals who’d been through two awful events were stronger than individuals who had one, and individuals who had three— raped, tortured, and held captive for example— were stronger than those who had two." Therefore, do not be dismayed about the things that were out of your control, but stand firm and keep going.

Fouth, sometimes terrible events make us better people (Mark Barker, 2014)

Things that we don't want to happen not just make us stronger but it helps us to become a better version of ourselves. A study entitles "The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work" claims that, for certain, not just anecdotally, that great suffering or trauma can actually lead to great positive change across a wide range of experiences. After the March 11, 2004, train bombings in Madrid, for example, psychologists found many residents experienced positive psychological growth. So too do the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer. What kind of positive growth? Increases in spirituality, compassion for others, openness, and even, eventually, overall life satisfaction. After trauma, people also report enhanced personal strength and self-confidence, as well as a heightened appreciation for, and a greater intimacy in, their social relationships.

This just made me realize that after an incident people are most likely to bring the best out of them. Let me just associate this with my father's personal experience. He was once addicted to alcohol. This then triggers him to become violent. When I was 7 years old he was involved in an accident which almost lead to his death. One of his kidney was removed and the doctor strongly suggest for him to quit drinking alcohol because that might lead to greater infections. He then changed and become more focus on our family than his own selfish desires.

Fifth, it is not bad to excel in different areas aside from what your family are inclined with.

This is probably one of the problems that we teenagers are facing. We were isolated in a thought that if our parents are mathematical inclined we ourselves could be one. This then gives parents a reason for them to dictate their children to be good at something because they are good at it. Well this 'concept' is definitely not true! In a study conducted by Benjamin Bloom 'After forty years of intensive research on school learning in the United States as well as abroad, my major conclusion is: What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn, if provided with the appropriate prior and current conditions of learning.” He’s not counting the 2 to 3 percent of children who have severe impairments, and he’s not counting the top 1 to 2 percent of children at the other extreme… He is counting everybody else.' This then gives us a good representation that all things are learned and not passed by generations to generations. Also this gives us a concept that it is not bad to be someone your family never had.

Their are still 5 things that was explained in Mark Barker's article, yet those things are for you to find out. The references are indicated below so you are free to browse there anytime you wanted to.

In this part of my blog, I will be presenting 2 things that I think very crucial for us to be able to surpass negativity and promote optimism and hope.

First, reassurance. Yes reassurance. We all need to be reassured that things will and can changed the way we wanted it to be. But I think it is more important that we should let God change it the way He wanted it to be. There are many passages in the bible that said 'fear not'. This is something that we must all remember. This was mentioned not just once or twice or even thrice but many times it was mentioned, 'fear not'. I think God is trying to persuade us that no matter how dark the world would be we should 'fear not'. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27" Fear can be really destructive. I think this is a strong hold that isolates people and then it produces anxiety and depression. Alot of people nowadays fear. I don't think that it is wrong to be afraid, but it is destructive when you stay afraid. I was once isolated by fear. Fear of messing up, fear of social interactions and even fear of oral recitations. But one great thing that made me stand up and be encouraged is John 14:27 (see the verse that was presented earlier). It was God who then gave me this great courage to face any troubles that I might and I have encountered.

In 2 Chronicles 32: 7-8 King Hezekiah said to his troops “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said."

He pointed out that even the imposible can be made possible with God. I just wanted to show people how great God is. Let us just look how reassuring Psalms 13:5 is "I will rely on your constant love; I will be glad, because you will rescue me." Let us remember that the God we are serving is "the same yesterday and today and tomorrow" Hebrews 13:8

In this pandemic we still have our God to run to and that is something that we must be glad about. So run to Him and find refuge and reassurance for a greater tomorrow.

Lastly, we all need restoration. You may say 'ofcourse we all need restoration". But the question is 'where can we find restoration?'. Great question right? As we all knew in the book of Chronicles in the Bible it was all about the different men who became the kind of Israel. But the thing is, many of the kings in Israel before sinned against God that is the reason why the fall of Jerusalem occured. (But let me just add that before their destruction God sent his messengers- 2 Chronicles 36:15- to let the people know that if they don't repent and turn back to their God it would cause their destruction, yet they didn't listen). It was then in the book of Ezra where God did rescued His people by moving the heart of Cyrus to commission Sheshbazzar (other name is Zerubbabel) "the prince of Judah", to rebuild the Temple; 40,000 exiles return to Jerusalem led by Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest. This then shows us that no matter how bad our situation is God is willing to restore everything in us. Let us also see the life of Job. At first he was really wealthy and he does all the things that pleased God, so Satan then persecuted Him and asked God to let Satan test Job. (I know some of you might think that God is unjust when He allowed Satan to persecute Job, but I think it is just for our own character development. As what I've mentioned earlier people who once gone through tough experience became a better version themselves) And throughout Job's trials he mocked at God and asked what sin did he did to let God suffered him like that. Inshort he started to asked God why all bad things happens to him. But the ending of this story is very interesting. God did RESTORED everything and he even had more than what he had before. This then reminds me of Romans 8:18 "The pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming."

In conclusion, it is not bad to cry and just let all your emotions out. But it is destructive to stay in that shadow of sorrow. We must all remember that even if you think no one out there wants to help, but be still God is willing to lift you up in that miry clay of fear, sadness, loneliness, sin and etc. Always remember that 'You can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you.' Philippians 4:13.

References

https://www.who.int/health-topics/depression#tab=tab_1

https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/96731/faith-in-humanity-10-studies-to-restore-your-hope-for-the-future/%3famp=true

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400077427/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1400077427

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190763/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439190763

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307591549/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307591549

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345472322/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345472322

@queenlupitajones