Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Fashion Advice Needed!

So, I have a wedding to attend on October 10. Yes, the wedding date is 10/10/10. The bride jokingly said it was the only way the groom was going to remember their anniversary, and it sort of just happened. Anyway. Because I am still losing weight and have no real desire to spend any money on an outfit that I will likely not be able to wear in another couple of months, I am trying to put together something out of my non-work wardrobe.

It's a second marriage for both of them, and an afternoon wedding, so not formal in an insane way at all. Plus, I'm neither *in* the wedding, nor related to either party, so I don't feel the need to go crazy with the fancy.

One outfit I thought might work is the black and white one ya'll've seen before, but I took a new picture:



White top with the black and white skirt. In case you can't tell, the pattern on the skirt is flowers and leaves done in white. I also tried it with a black jacket, but I think the jackets a little much.



This is the only outfit I really thought all the way through. The shoes I was considering are this nice dark metallic blue pair I have, illustrated below:



And for jewelry I was thinking my opal necklace/earring set.

While I was rummaging, I found this red top which I thought might be better with the color, but I really don't think so. Yet I include because of my own fashion impairedness.



And for my last option so far, the same skirt with a black top that I love very much, but haven't ever worn anywhere because, well, I don't go out much and it's not a 'work' top. Now, don't think that I'm stuck on the skirt - I do have other skirts, but I didn't feel like changing into all the different skirts tonight. And I think this one actually looks good with the top.



My Dad says I need a clunky necklace with it, but the only one I own is my amber necklace, and I'm not sure about that both from the fashion side of it, and the fact that it's one of my few real pieces of jewelry, and I'd probably kill someone if something happened to it.

Oh! Bonus points to anyone who spots the change that I've made to myself since the last picture. :)

Jonah '6:5'

No sixth chapter, so we get 1:3:

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa and found a ship Tarshish, paid his fare, and boarded the ship to set sail with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Variations on a theme

How many shows/movies are just variations on the idea of the A-Team?

I can think of two off the top of my head and I'm sure there're more.

The Losers and Leverage. Granted, in Leverage they aren't actually innocent of the crimes they could be accused of, but it's the same idea.

Sheesh. Why's today so long? I wanna go watch my movie obsessively!

Religious Education - What's the Best Way?

So, I read this little article this morning on Yahoo news. Based on a recent Pew poll, apparently most Americans are actually fairly ignorant of, you guess it, religion. Even their own. The atheists and agnostics did the best, answering 21 out of 32 questions correctly, followed by Jews and Mormons who got about 20 correct. Protestants averaged 16 correct and Roman Catholics about 15. (No Muslims? Why not?)

My first thought (thinking back to the article that Sarah had linked to over on one of Susanne's posts) was, 'well there's your problem'. We're counted as a 'religious' country because most people will answer that they are religious, but we're apparently mostly ignorant of our religions! I believe if people actually knew and understood their faiths that we'd be much better off as a country. Individuals would have to take responsibility for their actions and curb their own darker impulses - not that I think it'd be a utopia by any stretch, but if people *knew* what their faiths taught, what they were claiming to be when they said 'I'm Christian' and understood it and actually *followed* it, how many abuses and crimes wouldn't occur?

But the question is, how do we correct this problem? For adults, they have to choose to learn. I mean, you can't force them into religious ed classes, really. So I think the best thing there is to have the information and the opportunity out and available so that if and when a person becomes interested they have the opportunity to learn. Sure, there's a million books out there on pretty much every religion imaginable but it's not the same as interacting with people of that faith and seeing how they live their faith, being able to ask questions.

And what about the children? Clearly the only way a child is going to get religious education is if the parents send them there. So the parents must be, at least a little, involved in their own faith. Obviously the more involved the parent, the better because then the child would not only be getting their faith from classes but also be seeing it lived out in their home. So assuming that the child is being sent to Sunday School or CCD or whatever the program is called, what's the best way to actually educate them? Not just get them through the years and let them have fun while they do it, but actually get them to know and understand their faith?

I've experienced two different religious ed programs for kids - one from the position of being a kid and one from the position of being the teacher. When I was a kid we were sent to Sunday School because kids were disruptive to the church service. Our program went on at the same time and we sat back there and colored and made dolls and sang, etc. All Lutheran oriented, of course, but still. Not a whole lot of educating going on, as I recall. It certainly didn't make a huge impact on my life. The second, the CCD class I helped teach for a while was a bit better, I think. There was a focus on actually teaching the kids things but it was an odd situation (at least for me) since we weren't really given a curriculum so we were sort of making it up as we went. The information we taught was correct, but I think it could have been much better if we'd known what we were doing! :) In that case the classes also went on during Mass and what typically happened is that the parents would drop the kids off to CCD and attend that Mass so that they could pick the kids up and go afterward. Some of the parents went to the Mass *after* class ended and took their kids with them, and I can honestly say that those were the kids who already knew some of the material we were teaching.

So. I think my problem here is this: we've shunted the kids off into another room for the church service. They're made to seem not welcomed. The church service (Mass, sermon, Divine Liturgy) is the culmination of the Christian week, isn't it? Even for those who believe that it's just a chance to gather with like minded believers and hear the word of God and worship, isn't that the high point? And for those of us who believe that we are actually communing with all the believers and heaven and are taking the Body and Blood into ourselves and strengthening ourselves for the trials of the world, isn't that the high point? But we don't want kids there. (I'm actually not speaking of the Orthodox here, because Orthodox children receive Communion as children and I've yet to be to a Divine Liturgy where there weren't any children.) They're noisy and disruptive and we glare at them and their parents.

It's rude and disruptive to the unity of the church that we don't want the children there! Sure, if the child starts to cry the parent needs to walk out with them and get them calmed down. But that doesn't mean that they shouldn't bring them at all, or that we should just put them off in a room to 'educate' with crayons.

It's my opinion that (aside from the religious education that the children should be receiving at home from their parents who are responsible for this in the first place) there needs to be a serious religious education program but that the time should either be before or after the actual religious service so that the children can (and should be expected to) attend.

And I realize that I speak from the peanut gallery, not having children myself, but I do believe that being a part of the community from the beginning, from their earliest memories will help children to be interested in their faith. To absorb and internalize the knowledge that they're supposed to be taught.

*explodes in fannish glee*

A super sekrit source just handed me a copy of the A-Team movie.

I was going nuts waiting for it to come out on disc and now I have this to tide me over!

*explodes*

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Supernatural S06E01 - Exile on Main Street

I liked the opening, the juxtaposition between the apple pie life activities and the things Dean used to do while hunting. I really think it's meant to be memories. Like...all these things remind him of these things he used to do in his real life.

Of *course* he keeps a gun and holy water under the bed. He's still Dean.

Okay, so the title shot. That usually has something to do with the season. Season 1 was sort of metallic, right? Season 2 was fire. Season 3 was demon smokey and lightning. Season 4 was wings. Season 5 was blood in the water. Season 6 is glass shattering? Maybe a mirror? The title is reversed in the shards. What's it MEAN?

It's weird, the whole episode is really brightly lit. It's not natural. *glares at show* Stop that! You're making me suspect that the *entire thing* is not real somehow. I mean, this is my second watching, so I know about the djinn and all, but this is different. It's *too* Mayberry.

Hi yorkie! So cute! Hellhound yorkie strikes again!

Hello girl.

Heh. Lisa is not falling for your shit Dean. This is part of why I think I love Lisa.

Hmmm...I wonder how many times Dean has gotten 'worked up over nothing' in this past year? It's like a solider coming home from a combat zone. PTSD out the yingyang. Lisa and Ben are *good* for Dean. Doesn't mean I want him settling down with them by any stretch.

Creepy bouncing ball...

Hi YED! Original, crunchy flavored no less!

Oh, Dean, you don't ever believe you can have nice things, do you? I blame John.

The *whole* sequence with Sam 'proving' he's Sam is wrong. If a hallucination cuts itself, why wouldn't you hallucinate blood? And how do you know that's really salted holy water? Hmmm? I want it to be Sam, but it's all just a little *too* easy. Something must explode!

Dear Dean - punch Sammy in the face.

Okay, problem: Sam didn't ditch in a field. It was a graveyard. And realSam would know that. And if this is just writer screw up, I will be disappointed. I believe it's a clue! How does Sam know that Dean's always wanted a family? I mean, it's true, but Dean's always portrayed Hunting as what he wants. Suspicious.

And oh, hey, look, I pulled a bunch of Campbells out of my ass.

Hey! Christian is that guy who was supposed to replace Daniel on SG for that one season. Um...yeah. That failed.

Okay, see, so I can see Chuck or maybe even Cas pulling Sam out of the cage. I lean towards Chuck, because Cas would have told Dean, and while an angel is the only thing that can yank a soul out of hell, I think it would require magnitudes more power to yank a soul and a body out of a cage designed to hold an archangel, so Chuck. But why pull down Samuel from heaven? Makes no sense. I call bullshit.

Oh! Maybe Raphael. He's still around, and likely pissed off. Maybe Samuel's working for him?

Bobby!

Assume it's all loaded. Heh. I love Bobby.

*grin* I do love this part where Dean realizes they've all been holding out on him and forcing him to live this life he thought he wanted.

You know, Hunter's don't really retire. The only one we ever saw was the guy in the asylum. Not the best example.

Because a monster always shows up. Dean can't have nice things. Except the Impala. And Sam. And Cas. And you, Lisa, but only on alternate weekends.

Hey! That's it. Do a Persephone thing and split Dean. Half the year with Sam, half the year with Lisa. And Cas can just pop in when the mood takes him.

Sam, I like your car, but the Impala is BETTER. It makes me happy deep inside.

*chuckle* I do like the conversation between Christian and Dean. Kick him in the ass, Dean. 'It's almost like I'm a professional.'

It's long been said that Dean was Mary's son while Sam was John's. I see nothing to contradict that in this ep.

Do not trust the resurrected grandpa!

There go the neighbors. They were creepy anyway.

I love the djinn tattoos.

Hmmm...how many things may have a personal vendetta against the Winchesters? My guess is a lot. The djinn are just the beginning.

Dean's subconscious brought his childhood boogey man out to play.

I wonder what the Campbell's are going to do with the girl djinn. And what else they might have locked away.

ep 2: was that Cas's voice saying 'he's a monster'? Or am I wish-hallucinating again? Is the baby eating the mom?

Smallville S10E01 - Lazarus

Right, this should have been done last week, but I was finishing up the rewatch of Supernatural season 5, and so am behind on everything else. Playing catchup, and I remained unspoiled, so this is all new to me.

Watching Lois give Clark opportunities is funny.

Cadmus = cloning. Duh.

Hey, wait, does this mean we can have Kon? Probably not.

Dear guy playing cloneLex. You're not Michael Rosenbaum. This disappoints me.

Also, shades of Ripley in Alien Resurrection with the destroying the faulty clones by fire.

Oh look, damsel-in-distress-Lois. Hi there. Also shades of season one - and The Friendship. Ah, memories.

I am fairly certain green plants don't burn quite that easily.

Oh, he set fire to the dead corn in the clearing. Why is there a clearing of dead corn in the middle of a live field? And how and when did he have time to set a bomb on the Planet?

Screw you. Not flight. Jumping.

Daddy's mad!

What's the darkness? Eclipso? Naw. He's a lame villain. Darkseid?

Wait, wait, maybe that's not Jor-El. CloneLex was in there. Maybe, no...the Big Scary Dark Villain. Maybe.

Hmmm...nekkid Ollie. Even all tied up and tortured. Nice.

Hey! BabyLex! Yeah, no, that can't end badly Tess.

And the toy solider in the fire is not ominous. At. All.

Did Chloe just do a Stupid Thing? Yes. Are we surprised? No.

And Lois went to Africa. Because she's His Greatest Weakness. Blarg. Whatever. We all know better.

John! Pa! I've missed you, Pa...

Clark, your hallucinations are scarily realistic. You might wanna look into that.

HA! Oh, did I call it or what? HULLO DARKSEID! Wait, wait, wait, does this mean DeSaad? Apocalypse? *makes flaily motions and noises*

Huh. Okay. No flying, and no Batman, but it's only the first ep. Now to watch Ghost Adventures (I know, I know. It's the Bad Crack and I can't stop.) And then to rewatch the premiere of Supernatural. I watched it live, but drunken premiere party with friends does not *quite* make a conducive environment for analyses. However, there is much love for Supernatural's new season. Hi BOYS!

Book: Holy War by Karen Armstrong

Given how I felt about the last book I read by Ms. Armstrong, I was wary about this one. However I really enjoyed this one.

It's detailed - it doesn't go extremely in depth into any one particular area because it's meant to cover all of the Crusades and tie in the history to more modern wars and conflicts in the Middle East and how it all boiled down (or over) into what we have today. But it doesn't gloss over anything either. She does a much better job of citing who she is quoting (recall that Ms. Armstrong is not an actual historian).

I think the major difference is time. Holy War is one of Ms. Armstrong's older works while The Bible is a newer book. I think she's dumbing down her writing (which was fairly passable early on) for the audience. Which is a terrible mistake in an author who is trying to write about history and religion and politics, etc. and make them accessible to a wide audience. It might work for a certain segment of the population, but for people who are actually interested in the history in more than a superficial way it's painful and aggravating.

There are some instances where she lets personal opinion enter into the book. For instance, there is one section where she claims that Christianity has done more harm to women than any other religion and mentions that she's 'proved this elsewhere'. She references an article she's apparently written, but I haven't read this so I can't comment on her proof. Another place she basically claims that expecting people to believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist makes them stupid. Which...really, just take a look at all the great thinkers that the Church has produced and you can see that that's not so. But these instances are rare, and it's fairly easy to mark where she is speaking from her own thoughts and opinions and where she's taking about historical fact.

There's a ton of interesting information in there - the arrangements that have had to be made in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre so that the Christian groups won't fight over it is fascinating. Basically they had to give the keys to the church to the Muslims because the Christians couldn't share. Which is insane, but there you go. Oh! And when Omar conquered Jerusalem he was invited to pray within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre but declined because he knew that the ummah would want to commemorate the place he first prayed in Jerusalem by building a mosque on that spot and would destroy the church to do so. So he prayed across the street - and they did build a mosque there, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre still stands today because of it.

Anyway. This book I would recommend. You can use it as a jump off point to get more into the history in specific details, since this is a more general work. But it can give you a basic overview of the Crusades.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Sirach 27

1. Many have sinned to make a profit,
And he who seeks riches will turn away his eyes.

2. As a stake will be driven tightly between fitted stones,
So sin will be wedged between selling and buying.

3. If a man does not hold steadfastly to the fear of the Lord,
His house will be soon overturned.

*Tested by Reason*
4. When a sieve is shaken, the refuse remains;
So a man's filth remains in the way he reasons.+

5. As a furnace tests a potter's vessels,
So the test of a man is in the way he reasons.+

6. As fruit reveals how a tree is cultivated,
So a man's reasoning process reveals his heart.

7. Do not praise a man before he reveals the way he reasons,
For this is the way a man is tested.

8. If you pursue righteousness, you will attain it
And put it on like a glorious robe.+

9. As birds flock with their own kind,
So also truth will return to those who practice it.

10. As a lion lies in wait for his prey,
So sin lies in wait for those who do wrong.

*Speaking Wisely*
11. The talk of a godly man is always wise,
But a fool changes like the moon.

12. Among senseless men, limit your time;
Instead, spend it with men of understanding.

13. The talk of fools is offensive,
And they laugh at the lewdness of sin.+

14. Speech filled with swearing will make one's hair stand on end,
And quarreling will make one stop his ears.

15. The quarreling of the arrogant leads to bloodshed,
And their abusive language is hard on the ears.

16. He who reveals secrets destroys his credibility,
And he will not find a friend for life.

17. Love your friend,
And be trustworthy with him;
But if you reveal his secrets, do not pursue him closely.

18. For as surely as a man has destroyed his enemy,
So you have destroyed the friendship of your neighbor.

19. As you might release a bird from your hand,
So you have let your neighbor go;
And you will not catch him.

20. Do not pursue him, for he has withdrawn far away
And has escaped like a deer from a snare.

21. For a wound can be bandaged and an insult forgiven,
But anyone who reveals secrets is without hope.

22. He who winks with his eye plots evil deeds,
And no one can draw him away from them.

23. His speech will be sweet in your presence,
And he will marvel at your words;
But later his speech will distort what you said,
And he will cause trouble with your words.

24. I hate many things, but none in comparison to him;
And the Lord will hate him.

*Consequences of Sin*
25. He who throws a stone into the air
Throws it on his head,
And a treacherous blow will distribute wounds.

26. He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who sets a snare will be caught in it.

27. He who does evil things will have it roll back on him,
And he will not know what hit him.+

28. Mockery and abuse come back on an arrogant man,
And vengeance lies in wait for him like a lion.

29. Those who rejoice at the fall of the godly
Will be caught in a trap,
And pain will consume them before their death.

30. Anger and wrath, these are also abominations,
And a sinful man shall possess both.

~~~
Notes:
+27:4-7 - Jesus Christ must be the Lord of our reasoning process (v. 6), keeping our motives pure.

+27:5 - Cyprian of Carthage (martyred AD 258) sees this passage as the basis of St. Paul's and all Christian sufferings. "This, in short, is the difference between us and others who know not God, that in misfortune they complain and murmur, while adversity does not call us away from the truth of virtue and faith, but strengthens us by its suffering."

+27:8 - The Lord Jesus Christ confirmed and amplified this truth in His fourth Beatitude (Mt 5:6).

+27:13, 14 - Trash talk and swearing may make a man look tough, but Ben Sirach is right: it is offensive and gains no respect from others.

+27:27 - Moses told the children of Israel the same thing in different words: "You will know your sin when evils overtake you" (Nm 32:23).

Friday, September 24, 2010

Countdown to Season 6 - Review of Supernatural Season 5

Supernatural Season 5: Lucifer is ComingHere

When we last left the boys, Sam had just unwittingly popped Satan out of his box. They were trapped in the old chapel that was the entrance to his cage as it was filling up with a really freaking bright, hot light (it was disintegrating the doors!) which is really the un-hosted form of Lucifer (highly intelligent and pissed off sunbeam, people). They're screwed, and then suddenly, *snaps fingers* they're not!

They find themselves on an airplane flying near where they just were, with no idea how they got there. Looking out one window, they see the massive column of light that is Lucifer shooting up into the sky.

The boys go back to Chuck's place, where Dean had left Castiel to fight the archangel coming to smite his ass back to Eden. Chuck is there and whacks Sam upside the head with a toilet plunger. The place is a disaster and Chuck tells them that Cas was exploded by the archangel. (There's bits *everywhere*!)

Zachariah the douche shows up with some angel bully boys and tries to nick Dean, but they were prepared and use one of the sigils they learned from Cas to blast the angels back to Oz. Dean and Sam head off to lay low in a hotel, meanwhile Chuck gets a 'secret vision', and has to contact the boys in a very roundabout way by means of the Fangirl Becky!

Becky likes Sam. A lot. (ps, I totally typed 'licks' at first there. Hullo Freud.)

Anyway. The message is that the angels lost Michael's sword and that it's in a castle on a hill made of 42 dogs. Very vision-y.

Bobby comes to help and they figure out that it's a storage facility where their dad has a unit. Castle Storage at 42 Rover Lane or something. Sadly, 'Bobby' is actually a demon possessing Bobby and he cold cocks Dean, lets Meg (in a new body!) in and gets set to slice and dice. Sam tries to stop them, fails, and Dean somehow reaches Bobby beneath the demons control and Bobby stabs himself with the demon killing knife, killing the demon and nearly killing Bobby.

They rush Bobby to the hospital then have to rush off to try and beat the demons to Michael's sword. When they get there, the demons are already dead, and Zach and Crew are there. Turns out the 'sword' is a metaphor. Dean is the 'sword'. Michael's vessel. Zach is torturing the boys to get Dean to say yes (since Michael's an angel he needs permission to take a vessel but it apparently doesn't matter how that permission is obtained).

Cas shows up, *poof* and kills the bully boys and forces Zach to heal Dean and Sam and flee. He tags Enochian on the boys ribs that will keep them under the angelic radar and vanishes again. The boys go back to the hospital to find that Bobby has survived, but will most likely never walk again. And Cas, though alive, is cut off from heaven and cannot heal him.

In the mean time we meet Nick, who is a very tragic, tragic man. His wife and child were murdered and he's falling apart. Unfortunately for him, he's 'special' - he's Lucifer's vessel.

The scene where Lucifer convinces him to say yes? Is awesome. I prove it with dialogue:

'Nick. You're dreaming Nick. That doesn't mean this isn't real.'

'Sarah?'

'I'm not your wife Nick. I'm an angel.'

'An angel?'

'My name is Lucifer.'

'Sure. Naturally. Um, could you do a favor there, Satan, and remind me to quit drinking before I go to bed?'

'I'm here because you're special, Nick. There's very, very few people like you.'

'Is that so?'

'You're a vessel. A very powerful vessel.'

'Meaning what exactly?'

'I need to take control of your mind and your body. To be honest it'll probably be unpleasant for you. But it is necessary.'

'Okay. Look, if it's just the same to you, I think I'd like to wake up now.'

'I told you. This is real. Don't be afraid! This is your choice. You need to invite me in.'

'Even if this is real, which it's not, but assuming it was, why the hell would I do something like that?'

'People misunderstand me. They call me satan, and devil, but, do you know my crime? I loved God. Too much. And for that he betrayed me. Punished me. Just as he's punished you. After all, how could God stand idly by while that man broke into your home and butchered your family in their beds? There are only two rational answers, Nick. Either he's sadistic or he simply doesn't care. You're angry. You have every right to be angry. I am angry too. That's why I want to find him. Hold him accountable for his actions. Just because he created us doesn't mean he can toy with us like playthings.'

'If I help you, can you bring back my family?'

'I'm sorry, I can't. But I can give you the next best thing. God did this to you Nick and I can give you justice. Peace.'

'How do I know you're telling the truth?'

'Because contrary to popular belief, I don't lie. I don't need to. What I need, is you. Nick, I need you to say yes.'

'Then yes.'

So the boys are on the run from both heaven and hell, trying to find a way to kill the devil and keep from fulfilling their destinies and ripping the planet apart as Michael and Lucifer's meat suits. Oh, did I forget to mention that, of course, Sam is destined to be Lucifer's vessel. See, Nick is like...plan b. He can hold Lucifer but not forever. He starts burning out.

Dean and Sam run into the Horsemen as well, which is just awesome. War is cool, and drives a *cherry* Mustang! To stop him from making an entire town full of people slaughter each other they figure out that this ring he has somehow controls his powers and they slice off his finger to get it.

Famine is icky and gross and his car is nowhere *near* as nice as War's. They also collect *his* ring. Chop chop baby!

Dean and Sam get sent back in time to stop the angel that is trying to kill their parents before Dean and Sam can be conceived, and the highlight of that ep, for me, aside from watching Anna get ganked is Michael's speech on free will:

M: Well I'd say this conversation is long over due, wouldn't you?

D: Fix him!

M: First, we talk. Then I fix your darling little Sammy.

D: How'd you get in my dad anyway?

M: I told him I could save his wife, and he said yes.

D: I guess they over sold me, being your 'one and only vessel', huh?

M: You're my true vessel, but not my only one.

D: What's that supposed to mean?

M: It's a bloodline.

D: A bloodline?

M: Stretching back to Cain and Abel. It's in your blood, your father's blood, your families' blood.

D: Awesome. Six degrees of 'Heaven' Bacon. What d'you want with me?

M: You really don't know the answer to that?

D: Well you know I ain't gonna say yes, so why're you here? What d'you want with me?

M: I just want you to understand what you and I have to do.

D: Oh, I get it. You got beef with your brother. Well get some therapy pal, don't take it out on my planet!

M: You're wrong. Lucifer defied our father, and he betrayed me, but still, I don't want this any more than you would want to kill Sam. You know, my brother, I practically raised him. I took care of him in a way most people could never understand, and I still love him. But I am going to kill him, because it is right, and I have to.

D: What, because God said so?

M: Yes. From the beginning, he knew this was how it was going to end.

D: And you're just going to do whatever God says?

M: Yes. Because I am a good son.

D: Huh. Yeah well, trust me, take it from someone who knows, that is a dead end street.

M: And you think you know better, than my father? One, unimportant little man? What makes you think you get to choose?

D: Because I gotta believe, that I can choose what I do with my, 'unimportant, little' life.

M: You're wrong. You know how I know? Think of a million, random acts of chance that let John and Mary be born, to meet, to fall in love, to have the two of you. Think of the million random choices that you make and yet how each and every one of them brings you closer to your destiny. Do you know why that is? Because it's not random, it's not chance. It's a plan that is playing itself out. Perfectly. Free will's an illusion, Dean. That's why you're going to say yes. Oh, buck up. It could be worse. Y'know, unlike my brothers, I won't leave you a drooling mess when I'm done wearing you.

D: And what about my dad?

M: Better than new. In fact, I'm going to do your mom and your dad a favor.

D: What?

M: Scrub their minds. They won't remember me or you.

D: You can't do that.

M: I'm just giving your mother what she wants. She can go back to her husband, her family -

D: She's going to walk right into that nursery!

M: Obviously. And you always knew that was going to play out, one way or another. You can't fight city hall.

In a *fabulous* appearance, the Trickster returns. Seeing as how he's the most powerful non-angel being they've met Sam wants to see if he'll help them stop the apocalypse. Unsurprisingly this does not go as planned. The Trickster seems to want them to 'play their roles' - to let the apocalypse go as planned. He traps them in 'tv land' until they agree to say 'yes' to their respective puppet masters. Cas breaks in to try and free them and realizes that the Trickster is way too powerful, but gets shunted off somewhere before he can get the boys out. Dean figures out what's what, and traps the Trickster in a ring of Holy Oil Fire. Turns out 'the Trickster' is actually the archangel Gabriel who's been AWOL for a millenium or two. Dean chews him a new one for being a coward and they set him free, leaving to continue their search for some way to stop the end of the world.

Thinking that Chuck was in trouble they get tricked into attending a Supernatural Fan Convention by Becky. It's a cute ep, but the important fact is that they find out that a demon named Crowley has the Colt (which was stolen back in season 3, remember?) and they think they might be able to use it to kill the devil.

They catch up to Crowley who has read the writing on the wall and realizes that the devil's mad on for humanity is not going to end with humanity. Since demons used to be people as soon as he finished with them Lucifer will kill the demons as well. All he's *ever* cared about are the other angels. So in the name of self preservation Crowley gives them the Colt to try and kill Lucifer. They find where Lucifer is and attempt to stop him, taking Jo and Ellen Harvelle with them. Painfully, Jo and Ellen die - sacrificing their lives to get Dean and Sam the chance to get next to Lucifer. And more fully painfully, the Colt can't kill Lucifer.

They run away, and a bit later on run into Gabriel again. Who heroically dies fighting Lucifer! Yay Gabriel! (BRING HIM BACK SERA!) And who also informs them that they can trap Lucifer in his cage again and that the Horsemen's rings are the keys.

Crowley shows up to help them track down Pestilence and Death.

Pestilence is *gross*, but they get his ring.

Death...Death is something else. Death is awesome. Death is just as old as God, and swears that eventually he will reap God too. He's pissed that Lucifer managed to put a leash on him and gives Dean his ring in exchange for Dean following Sam's crazy ass plan and getting Lucifer put away.

See, Sam's decided that the only way to get Lucifer back into the cage is to say yes, let Lucifer in, and then fight control back from Lucifer and jump into the cage with him. Dean, with no real choice, agrees.

With all four rings, they track down Lucifer and Sam says yes. Of course Lucifer kicks him mental ass and goes about to have his big show down with Michael who has found an alternate vessel in Adam (who is Dean and Sam's half brother). Their conversation before they fight is also made of win:

It's good to see you Michael.

You too. It's been too long.

Can you believe it's finally here?

No. Not really. You ready?

*nods* As I'll ever be. Part of me wishes we didn't have to do this.

Yeah. Me too.

Then why are we?

Oh, you know why. I have no choice, after what you did.

What I did? What if it's not my fault?

What's that supposed to mean?

Think about it. Dad made everything. Which means he made me who I am. God wanted the devil.

So?

So why? And why make us fight? I just can't figure out the point.

What's your point?

We're going to kill each other. And for what? One of dad's tests? We don't even know the answer. We're brothers. Let's just walk off the chess board.

I'm sorry. I - I can't do that. I'm a good son and I have my orders.

We don't have to follow them.

What, you think I'm going to rebel? Now? I'm not like you.

Please Michael.

No you haven't changed a bit, little brother. Always blaming everybody but yourself. We were together. We were happy. But you betrayed me. All of us. And you made our father leave.

No one makes Dad do anything. He is doing this, to us.

You're a monster Lucifer. And I have to kill you.

If that's the way it's gotta be. Then I'd like to see you try.

Before they can fight though, Dean shows up. Cas follows, and Molotov's Michael. Which pisses off Lucifer. Nobody dicks with Michael but him. So he explodes Cas again. And then kills Bobby when Bobby shoots him. Then he proceeds to kick Dean's ass. In the middle of this, Sam takes control again! And he opens the portal to Lucifer's cage and gets set to jump in. Which is of course when Michael shows up and wants to fulfill his destiny. He tries to stop Sam from jumping, but Sam just grabs him and pulls him into the cage with him.

The cage closes and then Cas reappears. Dean thinks Cas might be God, but he says no, but God brought him back. He heals Dean and resurrects Bobby. Cas is the new sheriff in heaven. He's currently the biggest bad ass with wings.

Dean goes to live the life Sam wanted for him, apple pie and normal.

We flash to Chuck, who may or may not be only a prophet. There's debate on this, so I won't spell it out.

Meanwhile, we see Dean sitting down to dinner with Lisa and Ben (who may or may not be Dean's son), and then as we pan out, we see...SAMMY!

End season! Damn you Kripke!!!!!!!!!!

But Season 6 starts tonight!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

My Life Is So Exciting

Dad and I spent 30/45 mins rescuing a snake that had gotten itself tangled in the bird netting we have over the chicken pen.

We were eaten alive by mosquitoes and probably have malaria *and* encephalitis now.

Hopefully the snake will be okay, since he'd gotten himself *really* tangled and we're not positive we got it all off, since he took off as soon as we cut him free. We got at least 99% of it though. Dad was very careful to get it off without cutting the snake more, and the snake was very docile about the whole process.

Random People Thought

We're torn between the conflicting desires to be invisible in the crowd, and to stand out for how special we are and be recognized.

Countdown to Season 6 - Review of Supernatural Season 4

Supernatural Season 4: In Which There Is Gripping Tight and Raising From Perdition

Season 4 starts with flashes of Dean in hell, and then, suddenly, he wakes up in his own grave. After digging himself out, Dean finds himself in the middle of a clearing that was made...hastily... by something knocking everything down around his grave.



He makes his way to a gas station, breaks in and 'borrows' some essentials. As he's there, scrounging, a *presence* begins to make itself known. The radio goes funky and staticy, there's a physical shaking of the building, and earsplitting noise, all the glass in the building shatters, and then it all just as suddenly stops.



Dean makes his way to Bobby, convinces him that he's really Dean and not something pretending to be Dean, and they go hunting for Sam, who has gone off on his own since Dean died. They locate him holed up in a hotel with a random woman, and then convince *him* that Dean is Dean. The reunion is touching.

Now, they need to figure out how Dean got out of hell. The first assumption is that Sam made a deal, which he denies. He says he tried, but no one would make the deal. The demons who would even talk to him claimed that they had Dean right where they wanted him. The second is that 'something' *rode* Dean out of hell, supported by the new handprint shaped burn scar Dean is sporting.



They go to a psychic who tries to summon whoever it was that brought Dean out, gets the name 'Castiel' and the warning not to look at him for her trouble, ignores the warning, and gets her eyes burned out of her head.

We find out, though Dean and Bobby don't learn this until later, that the random hotel woman is actually Ruby in her new, 'recycled' body (recycled in the sense that she grabbed a comatose body - someone whose spirit had already left and whose body was being kept alive by machines, to make Sam feel better about having sex with her - as opposed to having sex with Ruby and her unwilling host). We also learn that Sam has been 'exercising' his exorcist powers, and can (most of the time) yank demons out of hosts leaving the hosts alive. How did he get so strong? Practice, hard work, and drinking Ruby's demon blood. Yuck.

New Ruby. Same demon, new host.

Meanwhile, Dean and Bobby set up every ward they can, and summon Castiel - the plan is to stab him a lot.

Castiel. Proving he's an angel.

Castiel shows up, and is a 'Holy Tax Accountant'. Um...they do make with the stabby and the shooty, but it has no effect, and Castiel puts Bobby to sleep so he can have a heart to heart with Dean. Turns out Castiel is not a demon, but an Angel of the Lord, who was commanded to bring Dean out of hell, because 'they have work for him'. Also, the sound and fury earlier was Castiel trying to talk to Dean, but Dean couldn't hear him because he's not one of the few that can and not, you know, have their heads pop. Which is why Castiel had to go out and put on the Jimmy suit.

We do eventually also meet Jimmy, who is Castiel's semi-willing host. Jimmy is an adorable puppy, and you just want to pet his head.

Jimmy. Who is adorable.

We meet Alistair, hell's top torture guy - who, apparently, took a liking to Dean when he was 'down under'. See, the plot is thusly:

Alistair. Whom Super-Sam, also known as the Sam-tichrist, killed with his *mind* a little later on.

Lilith wants to free Lucifer. In order to do this, there are 66 seals that must be broken. Not that there are *just* 66 seals on Lucifer's cage, but that only 66, any 66, need to be broken for it to weaken enough for him to get out. And even that's not strictly true, the first seal and the last seal are very specific.

Lilith's new host. She upgraded so she could see over a steering wheel.

The first seal is that a 'righteous man must shed blood in hell'. In hell, time passes differently. Four months on earth, forty years in hell. And Dean was tortured (by Alistair) for the first thirty years. After the first thirty, Dean took the 'offer' and got off the rack and started doing the torturing. Which is apparently when they sent Castiel to bust him out. Because the prophecy (which is in the unedited Book of Revelations, which the general populace doesn't have) says that the guy who starts it is the guy who has to end it. So they need Dean to end the apocalypse. How? No one's very clear on the details, to be honest.

So, Lilith runs around breaking seals, the angels and Sam and Dean run around trying to stop her, and mostly failing. Which, you see, is because (as we learn in the later portion of the season), *some* angels, like Zachariah:

Zachariah, to whom Dean's basic reaction was, 'Angel or not, I *will* stab you in the face.' Dean may have authority shaped issues. And that was before we knew about him helping to kick start the apocalypse.

*want* Lucifer set loose. The apocalypse *has* to happen, and at the moment, the angels like the odds in their favor. So they're pushing the timeline up and letting Lilith win the battles for the seals, sacrificing lower level angels to make it look good.

Oh! We also meet The Prophet Chuck:



Who used to think he was hallucinating a lot and wrote books which were popular with teenage girls, but these books will become the Winchester Gospels. :) And, as Castiel says, if you think he's bad, you should have seen Luke.

So...yadda, yadda, seals breaking, angelic jerkwadery, Sam sucking blood like an addict (and, at the end, killing a woman to drink her demon blood), and Castiel has to bust Dean out of this 'angelic waiting room' in order to try and prevent the last seal being broken, and then Castiel takes a 'last stand' against an archangel which is coming to kick his head in for this. (Castiel survives, because he's a series regular in season 5...)

Dean rushes off to stop Sam, who is at this church which got built over Lucifer's cage (probably as a reaction to the EVIL that was radiating from him). Ruby has convinced Sam that killing Lilith will stop all this.

*HOWEVER* Ruby is a demon, and therefore a lying liar who *lies* and has been working with Azazel who was working with Lilith ALL ALONG and killing Lilith is the last seal. Which is why we get the phrase: Sam Winchester. College Educated. Still Stupid.

Sam kills Lilith, despite Dean yelling to warn him (Dean was stuck behind a door Ruby slammed in his face), and lo and behold, Lucifer starts to rise. But Dean gets to gank Ruby for good with her own demon killing knife...

...and then all hell breaks loose.



And as a bonus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up93TNDMqUs

because youtube has disabled embedding on this, I must give you the link. It's Jensen Ackles (Dean) lipsynching and airguitaring to Eye of the Tiger. Funny and cute!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hammer of the Gods: WAAAAAAH!




Gabriel, you are utterly full of awesome, and I want you back! Kali still has your blood, and you're bound to her for EVER! I want to see your pagan god family bringing you back!

I know some people were all gungho about how Gabe could have faked that second death, but I think that detracts from the sacrifice he's supposed to have made for the choice of humanity. So while I want it to not have been a trick, I also need Gabriel to be brought back.

Ps: Kali is incredibly awesome, and I want her back, and I want to see Loki's kids. Hop to, Supernatural!

Destructo Girl

I just broke one of the recumbent bikes at the gym for the second time. The SAME bike!

Bull, china shop, etc.

Countdown to Season 6 - Review of Supernatural Season 3

Supernatural Season 3: In Which We Learn Where Baby Demons Come From (hint: it's not where you think)

So, last season, Dean sold his soul to save Sam's life, and he has one year to live. Dean, being Dean, is determined to make the most of his time. Meaning there's a lot of drinking and naked women in his future. He becomes sort of...care free's not quite the right word, but very determined to enjoy himself.

A demon named Ruby shows up and tries to befriend Sam, saying that she's on his side and can help him save Dean. Her story is that she worked for Azazel, who was one of the major powers of hell. She wants to see his plan through, which was to raise the demon army, with Sam as it's leader, and crush the opposing demons, one of whom is Lilith. We learn from Ruby that no one in hell has ever actually seen Lucifer or any other fallen angel, to the denizens of hell, they're like god, some demons think they exist, some don't. We also learn that all the demons in hell started out as humans.

Ruby.

Ruby also brings a knife that kills demons, which is good, since the Colt has stopped working.

Lilith has risen in the power vacuum left by Azazel's death and wants Sam dead so he can't carry out whatever Azazel was planning.

Lilith.

Sam, as they get toward the end of the year, gets desperate, takes the Colt (which Ruby and Bobby have gotten working again), and summons the crossroads demon. He wants her to undo the deal Dean made, but she refuses, saying that even if she wanted to, she can't because it's her boss who holds the contract. Sam, being a little more ruthless than he ever has been before, shoots her in the head, killing the demon and the woman she was possessing.

A thief later steals the Colt from the boys, and eventually dies because she too had made a deal with a crossroads demon, and the Colt is lost, again. But, they still have Ruby's knife.

They track down Lilith at the eleventh hour, intending to use Sammy's growing powers and the knife to kill her a void the contract on Dean. This, of course, does not go according to plan, Lilith spanks Ruby out of her host body, takes it over, tricks the guys into thinking she's Ruby *just* long enough to break the barrier that had been keeping the hell hounds away from Dean, and then runs away.

Well, she only 'runs away' because Sam's about to open a can of whoop ass (he thinks). But more about that in Season 4!

But the damage is done, and Dean's dead and in hell.

Dean in hell.

This was a shortened season, because of the writers strike.

Obadiah '6:5'

Obadiah's so short it has no chapters at all. So here's the third verse:

The arrogance of your heart exalts you, dwelling as you do in the clefts of rocks, as one overconfident in his habitation, saying in his heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?'

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Supernatural: Point of No Return

I love ALL THE THINGS about this episode.

That is all.

edit: So I just noticed. Dean *watched* Zachariah flame out when he killed him. That should have blinded Dean. So...he's 'special' after all? If Cas tried to talk to him without wearing Jimmy, I suspect Dean could hear him now.

edit 2: Crap. Next ep is Hammer of the Gods, and I cannot watch that one right before bed. Gabriel! *wails*

What Do You Do With the Body?

This is one of those open ended questions.

I was poking around on the OrthodoxChristianity board and came across a thread discussing whether or not it was appropriate for Christians to be cremated. After all, we're told that we will be bodily resurrected, so why destroy the body? Not that anyone is implying that God cannot resurrect your body from ashes, but rather, what's the point of the cremation?

There's a lot of talk on the thread about the pagan origins of cremation and some adherents gnostic reasoning for cremation, i.e.: the body is just a vessel and doesn't really matter.

When I was coming into Roman Catholicism we were taught that the Roman church allowed for cremation (which was a change from previous policy, but please don't ask me for the year that change occurred since I don't recall), provided that it was being done for (essentially) financial reasons and not because of a disregard for the physical body.

Many of the people on the thread seem to hold that the correct way to deal with the deceased is to not even embalm them, but rather that they should be buried in as natural a state as possible. I'm not clear on whether or not this is Orthodox teaching or not, since there is apparently some disagreement between Orthodox parties as to whether or not cremation, etc. is allowable under 'normal' circumstances. No one argues that extraordinary events (disease, natural disaster, etc.) don't change things so that necessity may mean that a person needs to be cremated. One poster pointed out that it is the law in Japan that people must be cremated, and so the Orthodox in Japan are cremated because it's the law. Anyway.

The best, imho, argument against cremation that I saw was that even after death the persons body remains the temple of God. The Holy Spirit has dwelt within it and changed it by it's presence. The same theory that impacts holy relics. Many of the people on the post seem to be of the opinion that the *best* and most correct and Christian way of dealing with a corpse is to bury it in as natural a state as possible. So no cremation, and if possible (I guess some states/countries may have laws about it - see Japan) no embalming.

Of course the discussion also has expanded a tad to include organ donation, which I have to admit I've always been personally against. I get that people do it out of a desire to help others, but *ugh*. It gives me the willies. I want all my bits with me, not wandering around in other peoples bodies. Which I have been informed is 'selfish', but I can't help it. I'm not even certain that I would *take* a donated organ for myself if given the choice. A part of someone else grafted into me? *shudder* But then, of course, I am thankfully not in a position where I might need one, thank God, and I hope to never be. And opinions change as need arises.

What do you think is the correct way to deal with a loved ones body? Why? Do you think it matters? And I'm not just limiting this to the Christians, of course. Anyone who has an opinion, please answer. I'm curious. :)

Countdown to Season 6 - Review of Supernatural Season 2

Supernatural Season Two: In Which Bargains Are Made

Okay, so when we last saw our intrepid heroes, they'd been smooshed by a demonically driven semi. *Because* they're the heroes, they all survive the crash, and are MEDEVAC'd to a hospital. However, we all remember the demon-torture and all that with Dean? So, he's the worst off, and comatose. Of course, because it's Supernatural, he spends the entire first episode wandering the hospital as a semi-ghost, which introduces us to the Reaper, who looks like a very nice young lady.


YED - Azazel. Very bad (de)man. Demon's don't have a form, and jump from host to host, but this is Azazel's usual (stolen) body, though he does occasionally possess someone else, which makes me question where he leaves this host when he goes on walkabout. Cause the original owner's still in there, of course. Anyway.

John, knowing that his oldest son is dying, summons YED (aka Azazel, actually), and makes a deal. His soul and the Colt for Dean's life. Azazel possesses the Reaper (Tess) and uses her powers to put Dean's soul back into his body. And John dies, whispering something into Dean's ear.

Dean has...issues...coping with this, as does Sam, of course, but Dean takes his issues out on the poor Impala, a little. Here's a link to a clip of it, because it is an awesome scene, and Dean is just *gorgeous* in all his man-pain. I'd embed it to force you all to watch, but I can't find a video that hasn't had the embedding disabled.

So, the boys continue in the family business, looking, too, to get the Colt back and kill Azazel *really* dead. In the process, they come across other children who are like Sam.

Sam, aside from being the size of a sasquatch, has *powers*. He occasionally gets visions of things before they're going to happen, and possesses *really limited* telekenisis-ish powers. The other kids all have powers too, which vary from person to person. They all figure out that Azazel did something (he dripped his blood into their mouths, which is apparently enough to make you a demon-baby) to them when they were six months old, which resulted in many of their houses being burnt down and their mothers (sometimes both parents) dying in the process.

Dean, in light of all this, and the fact that many of the children have turned out to be kind of evil, reveals to Sam that what John had told his was that Dean either had to 'save Sam, or kill him'. Which is reason number 23 why John Winchester will never win father of the year.

Different things occur throughout the season which lead the boys (and us) to believe that the demi-demon-kids are part of a larger plot by Azazel, something to do with a demon army he hopes to raise for the apocalypse.

Various revelations occur throughout the rest of the season that lead the pair to believe these psychics are being trained to participate in an army that the demon will lead in a coming apocalypse. After a season of this, Sam disappears in the middle of a diner.

He wakes up with four other demon-kids, and Azazel reveals to them that they're there to compete for the job of his demon general. Whoever's still alive, wins.

Two are killed right off the bat, then one of the women, Ava, is revealed to have been working with the demons all along, and gets killed by this other guy, Jake. Who has sort of been acting like he's a 'good guy', but then stabs Sammy in the back. Jerk.

Of course Dean and Bobby (who is the Winchester's 'uncle' and an old friend of John's) arrive just in time to see Sam get killed, and this does not make for a happy Dean. Sam actually dies in Dean's arms, which is just *sad*.

Dean, who might be a little unhinged at this juncture, runs off and summons a crossroads demon. The thing with crossroads demons is they make deals - you get whatever you want, and at the end of a specified period (usually ten years), she gets your soul. So Dean makes the deal, he wants Sam alive again. She agrees, but only gives him one year before his soul gets collected, and if he tries to do *anything* to get out of the deal, Sam drops dead again.

Dean gets back to Sam and finds him alive, and without any memory of having died. Dean decides not to inform Sam of this whole, stabbed in the back, made a deal with a demon to get you better thing. Because he wants to protect Sammy.

So, meanwhile, Jake has joined up with Azazel, who has taken him to the Gate of Hell (well, it's *a* gate to hell. Which Samuel Colt also made. Though to be perfectly fair, he was just putting a lid on an existing entrance. The man had a lot of free time, apparently.

The Colt is the key to unlock this, so off Jake goes to set the demons loose. Of course Bobby and Dean and Sam all show up to rain on their parade, which *really* surprises Jake, since he distinctly remembers killing Sam, and tells him so.

There's fighting, and Jake gets the gate open, and then gets shot by Sam.

Azazel is busy taunting Dean with the possibility that the Sam he brought back is not quite the Sam that died. And, you know, to round out the day, he tries to kill Dean. But, John, who was in hell, managed to escape through the open gate, and saves Dean.

And then Dean shoots Azazel with the last bullet in the Colt.


Dean being *awesome* and killing Azazel.


Which also has the added bonus of freeing his dad's soul from hell. They get the gate closed, but hundreds of souls and demons escaped, which means the boys have even more work to do.

Sam, having had his suspicions raised by Jake's insistence that he *killed* him already, questions Dean, who is forced to admit to what he did.

Which makes Sammy sad, and angry, and he swears to find a way to save Dean.

End season.

Monday, September 20, 2010

It's Like an Addiction!



Please don't try to stop me. It's too late. Save yourselves!

Countdown to Season 6 - Review of Supernatural Season 1

It's that time! Probably this belongs on the fangirl blog, but whatever. Supernatural is for *everyone*!

The dork with the cool curvy knife is Sam (Jared Padalecki), the cool guy with the gun would be Dean 'Awesome' Winchester (Jensen Ackles).

Supernatural, Season One: The Beginning (mwahahaaaaa)



Right, so we start off with this lovely domestic scene, a mother, father, and an older brother putting baby to bed. So cute! So adorable! Pinch his little cheeks!

And then it all goes horribly wrong!

Mom (Mary Winchester), thinks she hears something, and heads into the baby's (Sam) room to check. She pokes her head in, sees a man standing over his crib, and assumes that it's her husband (John). She turns to head back to bed, and on the way realizes that John has fallen asleep in the living room watching tv.

She, of course, rushes back up to Sam's room, and, well. Mary winds up dead on the ceiling. Yes, the ceiling. And then the house bursts into flames. Or, well, not quite. What happens is John wakes up (he heard something), goes looking, walks into Sam's room, and sees blood dripping into Sam's crib. He looks up, sees Mary on the ceiling (pinned like the worlds most horrible butterfly) and *then* *she* bursts into flames, which catches the house on fire. John hands Sam to his big brother (Dean, who's four) and tells him to get his brother out of the house, while John tries to save Mary. Clearly, since she was gutted, *on the ceiling*, and then *on fire*, this is futile, but John *really, really* loves Mary, so he tries.

And their house burns down. This was...November 2, 1983, All Souls Day.

John, obsessed with finding out what the hell just happened, winds up going to a psychic, who tells him that a demon killed his wife. This becomes John's new purpose in life: hunting and killing supernatural things, all the while searching for the demon that murdered his wife. Look, John is at no point going to win 'Father of the Year' awards, because he hauls his kids all over the country, in the back of his Impala (Metallicar!) hunting things that hunt back, and training them to do the same. The Winchester family is *special*, and not in a good way, but they're *family*, and they work, to an extent.

They go on this way until Sam hits college age, at which point he rebels, and leaves to have a normal life. Which he succeeds at, mostly. Of course this is all covered throughout the season, and with flashbacks, etc. The first ep. jumps from 'house burning down' to Sam in college, being a dork.

One night, Dean shows up. Their fathers gone missing, and he wants Sam to come help him find him. Sam does agree, and off they go. They track John to his last 'case/hunt', and take care of the ghost, but no sign of John. Sam insists that he needs to get back to his life, and Dean takes him back to college.

Where he finds his girlfriend gutted, pinned to the ceiling and then bursting into flames.

Sammy's luck sort of sucks, yes?

Dean rescues his brother from the burning building (AGAIN) and now Sam's all gung-ho for the 'family business' because the demon is a jerk who is making certain that Sam's going to need therapy for years! And, also, you know, *demon*.

So, the first season follows the boys looking for their father, and hunting other monsters and ghouls along the way. And I brush over it, but the individual stories for each ep are great! And they do a lot of traditional folk tales and such. Bloody Mary, the Woman in White, Windigo, all that sort of stuff.

They do, eventually, find John, and discover that he's figured out how to track the demon (Yellow Eyed Demon - YED for short), and *also*, and more importantly, how to kill him.

The Colt. Which is a special gun made by Samuel Colt, during the Battle of the Alamo and at the time of Halley's Comet. This gun can kill *anything*, even demons, which ordinarily can't be killed, just kicked back to hell, where they can come back from.

Due to circumstances out of their control (except where there was *stupid* involved, and mostly I'm looking at you, Sam), and the fact that, again, *demons*, plural, and YED being, well, YED, and clever and evil, the Winchester's are captured, and the YED possesses John and tortures Dean, and then Sam kneecaps him with the Colt, which drives YED out, but fails to kill him, because Sam would have had to kill John to do it.

And then in their rush to get to the hospital, what with the torture and the bullet wounds and all, a semi being driven by a demon smashes them. Leaving them even *worse* off than they were, plus, THEY SMASHED THE IMPALA! The Impala is the fourth Winchester, and *integral* to all the plots. All of them.

End season.

Season 6 starts this Friday, so we'll get a season a day! *twitches in gleeful anticipation*

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Chuck favors the scorched earth approach to cleaning house



I did not make this macro. You can tell by how awesome it is. I found it on my comp, so I dl'd it from somewhere. And it bears *no* relation to this post!

I had a thought. Maybe this whole apocalypse thing was GodChuck cleaning house? The angelic hierarchy clearly misunderstood the concept of free will, which I believe he was trying to get them to use by his absence. So he had them removed from power, basically, and tested Castiel (giving him a crash course in human via Winchester), then when he passed the tests, gave him phenomenal cosmic powers and put him in charge of everything. (Also Chuck is clearly a Cas fanboy.) He knew that Michael and Lucifer would be unable to change (though I think he really was still giving them that last chance to come together as brothers) and so having them both in the pit gives them all of eternity to fight/make up. Plus, the Apocalypse can never happen again. It requires Lilith's death to open the cage, right? Well, she can only die once. So...problem solved. The Apocalypse happened, but didn't really happen. Loose end tied up. Major players (Azazel, Alistair, Lilith, the Horsemen (except for Death, who winds up being kind of cool)) have all been wiped from the board. I think humanity might be the best off supernaturally speaking it's been in millennium. Erm...I swear I had more thought to this, but I'm distracted by Gabriel on the tv. Oh! Also, gave Gabe a chance to 'come home' and redeem himself. Ish. Bring back Gabe!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Season 5 disc 1 fannish smoosh

Becky! I embrace you and your desire to feel up Sam! However, Dean is just perfect.

Nick. *hugs him*

'Nick. You're dreaming Nick. That doesn't mean this isn't real.'

'Sarah?'

'I'm not your wife Nick. I'm an angel.'

'An angel?'

'My name is Lucifer.'

'Sure. Naturally. Um, could you do a favor there, Satan, and remind me to quit drinking before I go to bed?'

'I'm here because you're special, Nick. There's very, very few people like you.'

'Is that so?'

'You're a vessel. A very powerful vessel.'

'Meaning what exactly?'

'I need to take control of your mind and your body. To be honest it'll probably be unpleasant for you. But it is necessary.'

'Okay. Look, if it's just the same to you, I think I'd like to wake up now.'

'I told you. This is real. Don't be afraid! This is your choice. You need to invite me in.'

'Even if this is real, which it's not, but assuming it was, why the hell would I do something like that?'

'People misunderstand me. They call me satan, and devil, but, do you know my crime? I loved God. Too much. And for that he betrayed me. Punished me. Just as he's punished you. After all, how could God stand idly by while that man broke into your home and butchered your family in their beds? There are only two rational answers, Nick. Either he's sadistic or he simply doesn't care. You're angry. You have every right to be angry. I am angry too. That's why I want to find him. Hold him accountable for his actions. Just because he created us doesn't mean he can toy with us like playthings.'

'If I help you, can you bring back my family?'

'I'm sorry, I can't. But I can give you the next best thing. God did this to you Nick and I can give you justice. Peace.'

'How do I know you're telling the truth?'

'Because contrary to popular belief, I don't lie. I don't need to. What I need, is you. Nick, I need you to say yes.'

'Then yes.'

Oh my god, this, and then the speech at the end between Lucifer and Michael. Also the Michael speech about free will and how it doesn't really exist! So much good writing. And the acting, which goes without saying.


*purrs* I know it's 'wrong', but I find demonDean very sexy. *waggles eyebrows* Of course I find regularDean sexy too, but whatever. Dean.

Hmmm...futureCas is awesome. 'Go clean up for the orgy.' Okay!

You know, I forgot or missed that the demons didn't intend for Jesse (miniAntiChrist) to be raised by people. They meant for the mother to remain possessed and be raised evil. So, uh, hey, guess what that looks like? Why yes, it's another similarity to Good Omens! I'd like Jesse to come back for a guest spot. He was adorable. Plus, he turned Cas into an action figure. I want a Cas action figure! Also Dean and Sam. Hell, just give us toys! *snorfle* The whoopee cushion! 'That was not me.' Utter deadpan. Ah, Misha.

edit: Oh, god, commentaries. I'm laughing so hard I think I burst something.

'I know what the devils problem is, noshutupis!'

Sirach 26

*A Good Wife*
1. Happy is the husband of a good wife;
The number of his days will be doubled.+

2. A courageous wife makes her husband glad,
And his years will be full of peace.

3. A good wife is a good portion,
And she will be given in the portion
Of those who fear the Lord.

4. The good heart of a rich or poor man
Is a cheerful face at all times.

*Fallen Womanhood*
5. My heart fears because of three things,
And I pray to God concerning a fourth;
The slander of a city, the gathering of a mob,
And a false accusation - all of these are worse than death.+

6. There is also a pain of heart and sorrow
When a wife is jealous over another woman,
And a tongue-lashing makes it known to all.

7. An evil wife is like an ox-yoke that shakes to and fro,
And to take hold of her is like grabbing a scorpion.

8. A drunken wife is very wrathful,
And she will not conceal her shame.

9. The fornication of a wife will be known
By her haughty looks and her eyelids.+

10. Keep strong watch over a headstrong daughter
Lest she find some liberty and make the most of it.

11. Be on guard against her shameless eye
And do not be amazed if she trespasses against you.

12. Her mouth will open like a thirsty traveler's
And drink from any water nearby.
She will sit down before every tent peg
And open her quiver to any arrow.

*A Blessed Wife*
13. A wife's grace will delight her husband,
And her skill will put fat on his bones.+

14. A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
And there is nothing worth as much as a disciplined soul.

15. A modest wife is a blessing upon blessing,
And there is no scale adequate to weigh a self-controlled soul.

16. Like the sun rising in the Lord's heaven
Is the beauty of a good wife in the ordering of her house.

17. Like a lamp shining on the holy lampstand
Is the beauty of a countenance in the prime of life.

18. Beautiful feet with a steady heart are like golden pillars on a silver base.

*Three Griefs*
19. My heart is grieved by two things,
And because of a third, anger arises within me:
A man of war in want because of poverty;
Men of intelligence who suffer contempt;
And a man who turns back from righteousness to sin.
The Lord will prepare this one for the sword.

*The Merchant*
20. With difficulty a merchant will deliver himself from wrongdoing,
And a peddler will not be acquitted from sin.+

~~~
Notes:
+26:1-4 - A good wife brings her husband happiness (vv. 1, 2, 4), long life (v. 1), and peace (v. 2)

+26:5, 6 - After listing three fears, Ben Sirach declares the fourth to be the wife who is jealous over another woman. The implication is that her jealousy is unfounded.

+26:9-12 - This passage warns of the sin of sexual promiscuity. Clement of Alexandria says of v. 9, "But languishing looks, and ogling, which is to wink with the eyes, is nothing else than to commit adultery with the eyes" (ClemA).

+26:13-18 - This passage makes many of the same observations as 1Pt 3:1-6.

+26:20-27:3 - Business related scandals are not new. Unless a merchant holds steadfastly to the fear of the Lord, the work of his hands will be overturned.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Why's it always gotta be the virgins?

I'm watching this new show on SyFy called Beast Legends, and this ep is on dragons. And the legends reminded me.

Why is it always the virgins? Whenever there's a monster that requires human sacrifice (or a god, sometimes, but the human sacrifices I recall off the top of my head to gods varied a lot more, and weren't necessarily virgins. A lot of them were warriors.) it's always a virgin. At least once Christianity comes of the scene. I'm not well versed in European/Eastern Europe/Asia/Middle East/African human sacrifice prior to the Christian period. I wouldn't even really consider myself well versed in it *after* Christianity appears, but I at least know bits and pieces.

Anyway. Here's my completely unoriginal and unenlightening theory. The 'dragon' (which we know isn't a real animal) is associated in the Bible with the devil, demons, bad nasty things. Dragon/monster = evil, and since Christian Europe was a *tad* obsessed (story wise, if not in fact for the most part) with a girls purity and virginity a virgin girl = good. *makes chomping motions with her hands* So the evil wants to eat the good, destroying it.

But it's not just that huge, basic good vs. evil thing either. Monsters represent the darkest urges of humanity (and in these cases, men, since they were the ones telling the stories). So on another level, it's really the dark parts of men that want to take what they have been taught to perceive as ultimately good and pure and untouchable and destroy it. Which, to their minds, they would be doing if they touched it. The minute a girl lost her virginity, she was no longer pure (I don't think there are any stories of dragons demanding (AND ON A RANDOM SIDE NOTE: DEAR SYFY, SHARKTOPUS? *FACEPALM* WTF?) the sacrifice of the virgin prince) and he'd basically destroyed her.

It occurs to me that some of the people who were/are obsessed with *keeping* people from having sex in what they believed to be immoral ways (which for some of them would be all the ways!) were just reacting to their own problems. They didn't have the 'purity' that they thought they should, and just assumed that if *they* were this bad, then everyone else must be worse! They thought about sex and 'dirty wrong things' more than the people who were having sex!

This utterly pointless ramble brought to you by SyFy, and the wacky random thoughts it produces in me.

Paranormal Activity 2

So they released a poster for this, and I noticed something and now I'm wondering what it could mean.

Take a look:






Examine the poster, please, and let me know, do you notice anything there that shouldn't be, or not there that should? Take your time. It's odd....

I want this movie, please. Here's hoping it doesn't fall flat, because the first one was quite good, I thought.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

CW Smoosh

1. ONE WEEK TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Well, okay, like, a week and a day. Whatever. I saw the trailer for Season 6, and oh, gods, it was beautimus! (Though, worryingly, I think I saw Lisa get shot, and much as I am not a fan of the Dean settling down idea, I kind of like Lisa, and do not want her dead. Kay?) I got my blurays, and will be having an season 5 marathon with added Ghost Facers!

2. Vampire Diaries - you bear little to no resemblance to the books. I don't understand why, after Damon tried to kill the kid brother, everybody's just all, 'oh, it's *Damon*' and trusting him and letting him run about town anyway. I hate Bonnie. Period. Please make her go away. Also, cease dicking around with the werewolf storyline. Everyone gets it by now. It's not a surprise. 'Kay?

3. Smallville - I demand two freaking things of this final season: 1) FLIGHT, YOU BASTARDS! 2) BATMAN! You have the freaking Justice Society, and most of the League, and I very damn well want BATMAN.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Joel '6:5'

There's no chapter 6 in Joel, so we get 1:3:

Tell your children about this, and your children to their children, and their children to the next generation.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

I'm Blaming Sanil

It might not be isn't really her fault, honest. But I'm blaming her anyway.

In her latest post, nyah, she mentioned this site that she had found that, amongst some other really fascinating wacky ideas claims that vegetarianism is being introduced to Christianity by Satan. For some unfathomable evil purpose.

And since reading that, I've had the random thought: 'Cheeseburgers for Jesus'. Thus:



And on that note, good night.

Movie: The 19th Wife

I really liked this book, and I was looking forward to seeing what Lifetime would do with the material.

I was, sadly, disappointed.

They changed so very, very much of this book. The overall plot was the same, but details were changed, and the changes were not for the better.

Things I did not like:

1. They changed Jordan - he's no longer gay, for one very huge thing.

2. The relationship between Queenie and Jordan. The implications that they had a relationship beside brother and sister. Ugh.

3. The *ending*. I won't say what they changed, for spoiler purposes. But the book did it so much better.

In very short conclusion - read the book, skip the movie.

Completely unsubtle femslashiness

H(elena) G. Wells: 'I know a thing or two about the opposite sex. Many of my lovers were men.'

And then Myka *smirks* like a smirky thing who makes up a part of the percentage of Helena's lovers who were not-men.

*giggle* She cannot be evil! The cuteness is too cute!

edit: Oh, they dressed HG up like Lara Croft for this whole Warehouse 2 deal. And Myka was *so very much* appreciating the view! Damn you Warehouse 13! I don't need another pairing!

edit the 2nd: DEAR W13: SCREW YOU! I want a desperate, crying reunion next week, with forgiveness and HG suffering to prove her love, OR ELSE! YOU SUCKED ME IN, YOU BASTARDS! ALSO, YOU KILLED VALDA(Crowley). I DO NOT LOVE YOU ANY MORE.
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