im sure there’ve been other posts about it but it’s interesting that one of the Great American Folk Heroes literally worked himself to death.

like obviously there’s a lot more context to it narratively racially and historically, but John Henry did literally work himself to death to save the jobs of his coworkers and that aspect of the story is interesting.

in the talking dead for the quiz they say that the box Michonne had, the things inside was inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird.If you've read the book the the Mockingbird represents someone innocent that has been injured or destroyed by evil(in the book Boo Radley,Tom Robinson,etc.) ( in the show I guess Rick can be a representation but mostly Beth in my eyes) considering the comparison of beth and birds lately, I would love to hear your opinion

Sorry it’s taken me awhile to answer you! I wasn’t ignoring you, I just had to find a way to really think about what you were asking and about the source material.

First off, I don’t watch Talking Dead anymore. I don’t have much like for Chris Hardwick after all the stuff I’ve learned about him and all the stuff that’s been proven… Yeah I just can not watch Talking Dead without wanting to throw something at Hardwick… You know I don’t much trust ya when I won’t even watch for my favorite actors on the show… I don’t know, maybe he really didn’t do the crap that was said but… I’m not seeing any evidence against it… So I don’t watch Talking Dead.

That said, I have gotten a break down of stuff that was talked about. And I gritted through a few scenes of it to listen to my favorite actors talk… And let me just say that, yes. I know the book To Kill A Mockingbird. I don’t know if it’s just a Midwestern school thing, but for most Missouri kids I know, To Kill A Mockingbird was one of those books you read every year until senior year. The first time I read the book was in fifth grade, over fifteen years ago… I can still recall how I felt after reading it to… It’s just one of those books that sticks with you like Lord of the Flies or Romeo and Juliet or The Great Gatsby – those books teachers shove down your throat because they have such important life topics.

You mentioned how the Mockingbird represents “someone innocent that has been injured or destroyed by evil (in the book Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, etc.)”. And you’re right in that, this is the main theme of the book that most people will point out… Interesting to note, though, that Harper Lee was never forthcoming with the symbolism and themes. But she was famous for saying that the story spells out the meaning of a code of honor and the conduct in the heritage of the Southerners. Which makes sense if you look at in a simplistic term, sure. Honor is the high respect you have for someone or something. Conduct is the manner in which a person behaves, especially on a particular occasion or in a particular context.

An example of this is basically the whole thing with Tom and Boo. Bob Ewell is the town drunk and known to be one mean and cruel man. But because Bob is white, because Mayella is white, and because poor Tom is a man of color, the view of what they know is right vs what they see as right is truly shown. It’s very very obvious in the book that Tom Robinson is innocent and that the stuff he’s being accused of, are things he couldn’t and wouldn’t do. People of the town know what kind of man Bob Ewell is… But because Bob and Mayella are white that’s enough for people to turn a blind eye to it and sentence poor Tom to be hanged. It doesn’t matter all the proof that Atticus had. It didn’t matter if Bob Ewell had been caught red handed, even. Because Tom was a black man, he was doomed. Ignorance, racism, and hatred play a big role in the undertone of the book and it is those key elements that lead to an innocent being killed. It’s what leads to people like Boo and Tom being hurt. Bob Ewell was a symbol of evil in that he was a cruel, racists,and unbearable man. But because he was white, Tom – a black man that was the symbol of innocence with Boo – was screwed.

There’s so much you can talk about when it comes to this book. There’s themes and undertones that you can pick at and everyone would have a different opinion. For me, this is a book of studying the moral nature of a person; are people good or evil? It’s highly noted that a single person can be good or evil, while people as a whole can be evil or do good. As individuals, the jury would probably have agreed with Atticus and Tom would’ve lived. But as a whole – to uphold an image of “pureness” – they made an evil choice because of an evil man… Yet it’s more than that. Scout and Jem in the beginning of the book believe that all people are good and innocent because the two have never been exposed to evil and they believe people have never been around evil so that makes them good and innocent. By the end of the book, they both have experienced what evil is and have to come to understanding with it and their view of the world. It’s through Atticus – who is an example of being able to see evil but not letting it change him to evil but instead also see the good and learn to see people as a whole in that they have good and bad in them,that nobody is truly evil to the core, but that things in life lead them down these paths that aren’t always just good and evil. That the world isn’t black and white, heroes and villains. It’s gray. That’s how I always saw the book,anyway.

So taking into account that this book has many themes, how do they apply to the show? First off, letting me know that was kind of interesting for me. Thanks for sharing that because it got me thinking a lot… In the box, Michonne specifically pulls out three things. A preserved four-leaf clover, what appears to be baseball cards, and the little sheriff figure with the gun. Lets focus on these things fora bit before I get to the mockingbird (And I will, just hold on for a second!)

Coming from an Irish and German background, I always loved trying to find four-leaf clovers at my grandma’s house. First off, the four-leaf clover is a very rare plant to find because they just generally do not grow with four leaves. They’re kind of a mutation of sort, basically…Anyway, each leaf on the four-leaf clover has a meaning according to my grandma. Faith, Hope, Love, and Luck. The regular three leaf I learned in bible school that it represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and if you found a four-leaf, the fourth leaf was God’s Grace. So, finding a four-leaf clover was basically really good fortune for you, as in the holy trinity is watching over you and giving you grace.

There’s a lot of symbolism around the four-leaf clover really. After doing some digging, I learned that apparently in some biblical background stories about the Garden of Eden, Eve took a four-leaf clover with her to remember the place she and Adam were cast from (that’s kinda depressing but I get it). I also learned that apparently Druid priest used the four-leaf clover to ward off evil spirits in worship rituals. Also, in some cases,children and adults would hang a four-leaf clover over their doors to ward off bad omens, witchcraft, and evil spirits. In the Middle ages, they believed that those that carried a four leaf clover could see the fae folk. It was also believed to help ward off and give protection from The Evil Eye – which is basically a legend about a malevolent spirit of evil casting misfortune to someone; cause them to harm themselves by casting eyes on them. So the clover was like a “shield” against this gaze.

If there’s one thing that has happened to TF, it’s the cast of the evil eye upon them. Rick is “dead” (so they think) and their world has been cast astray of what they all know – which is following Rick’s leadership. Even with Michonne taking over (she doesn’t let them call her the leader but she basically is) everything is still not together – they’re all scattered away from one another and all lost with Rick gone, even after all this time. Finding a four-leaf clover – one basically buried away in a tomb van – shows a prospering future for Michonne and TF. Something they could all use… The clover is linked to the box, which means it’s basically a box of memories for someone…Just as the clover was a memory for Eve, that clover was for someone else…

I find it fascinating the Morgan and Michonne both found“lucky” items in abandoned vehicles.

Next up is the baseball cards – or at least that’s what they look like – and I’m wondering if that’s supposed to represent Negan. Finding the clover then the baseball cards in order… I’m thinking Negan is going to have a big hand in the future. Now obviously I could be wrong and maybe they’re just school photos or something like that and maybe they have nothing to do with good for Negan. But you say baseball and I automatically think of baseball bat and then I think of Negan. Plus the cards were wrapped up – imprisonment symbolism? Michonne would be the only one who could truly let Negan free… I’m not to sure about these cards but I do feel Negan with them.

Finally the little sheriff figure. Obviously, it’s for Rick. But what does a Sheriff represent in general? Well first off the Sheriff is supposed to represent keeping the peace. A sheriff protects the peace, enforces law, provides traffic control, investigates accidents, transports prisoners,and leads a community. I work for a Sheriff department, as luck would have it(for me, anyway) and I can tell you something neat. The badge we all know – the star badge – was taken because it was cheaper and easier to make than the original badge – which was an eagle shaped/themed badge. Plus the star is a symbol of all fifty states and the Sheriff wears the star with his state and his county name printed on it. So it’s his American shield/symbol of bringing peace.

Rick being a Sheriff is really interesting for me since I started working with the Sheriff of my county. Throughout the last eight years of TWD, I have seen Rick do basically everything I just described above… But he’s also been very much the complete opposite of what a Sheriff is supposed to stand for. I mean Rick has murdered before. He stabs Shane after luring him into a false sense of peace, straight up put a machete through Thomas’s head at the prison, strangles a Claimer to death and rips the throat of another open…Like Rick has done a lot of shit a Sheriff shouldn’t do… But he is still a symbol of peace and future, which is what a Sheriff is.

So with those items aside, lets talk about a Mockingbird. In the book, there’s a quote about the Mockingbird, which is supposed to be part of the symbolism we talked about above. The line is said by Atticus and later affirmed by Miss Maudie, I believe. It goes as followed:

“Rememberit’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.

“Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs,they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

This line is the main line for the title of the book and is basically the key metaphor explored by people. It’s true that Boo and Tom are indeed part of this symbolism. The mockingbird is a symbol that good, innocent people are destroyed by evil. Tom is destroyed by evil and I believe he’s even likened to a songbird that was slaughtered by children (or something like that, I’d have to dig my copy out and really read it again… Which I just might…). For Boo, he was destroyed by the evil that is his abusive father long ago, but he was still just good and gentle and didn’t cause no harm and saved Jem and Scout. Scout even makes a wise comment that hurting poor Boo would be like shooting a Mockingbird – it would be a sin to punish something/someone who has done nothing but try to be a good soul.

I believe the reason they decided to use To Kill A Mockingbird for this episode is because of Magna, Yumiko, Connie, Kelly, and Luke… And for Michonne. Think about it. There’s a trial scene. At this point,Judith would be Scout and even a bit of Boo. Michonne is being a Bob Ewell (funny how that works) and Magna and her group are Tom Robinson.

Michonne bases Magna and the whole group on one simple thing– Magna was a convict. She basically riled up a lynch mob with everyone and made the group out as these monsters that would stab them all in their sleep…Just as Bob painted Tom as some kind of big violent rapist. Judith was basically Scout and Boo. Judith saved them and brought them in, but she also killed to protect them (sure they were just walkers but yeah). Think about the character Scout and the Character Boo and then think about Judith. Judith can basically be considered “innocent” (I use that lightly because the girl isn’t completely innocent, she knows things, but she’s not grown enough to experience what true evil is). Judith is Scout in that she sees these people and assumes “good” because it’s something she just sees. Now obviously Magna and them are good, but what if they weren’t? Judith wouldn’t be able to see it. It wouldn’t take much to pull the cloak over a child’s eye, even one as quick witted and smart as Judith.

I believe that’s part of the reason we had her speaking against Negan. What Negan says is true about people. They can look real nice and seem real nice, but they can turn on you real quick and do damage. Funny enough, Negan is basically an anti-Atticus in his own right. He knows what is real good and what is real evil, but he lets himself make his own choices and runs an evil path. Atticus knew the difference between evil and good but stayed good and kind. Which, yeah, Rick fits this mold with a little push… But it’s also Daryl who fits this role the most and that’s something as well.

Anyway, Michonne was basically going to get Mockingbirds killed. Magna and them haven’t done anything evil that we know of so they’re not far from sin, but they are people that have done no wrong to the people that have helped them and have shown to be good and even democratic (the whole voting scene) and that’s our evidence that they’re good people just trying to survive. Michonne would basically be doing what Scout told Atticus about Boo –it would be like shooting a mockingbird to send them off. And I agree that Rick would have helped them too… He would’ve been wary and he would’ve been watching the new people, but Rick would’ve given them a chance to prove themselves as good. Michonne wasn’t doing that. She was stone walling them out – being a child throwing rocks at the mockingbirds.

Now… I know you asked about Beth. The more I think about it, Beth was an Atticus. She knew the world was full of evil… But she knew there were good people and knew that you had to see people for their strengths and weaknesses to see their whole and see them for who they were as a whole. Beth was like Jem and Scout too. She hadn’t experienced real evil until watching her father be beheaded… But she wavered in her belief of good people with Dawn and that put her at how Jem was towards the end of the book. But if she were around now, Beth could’ve been an Atticus…

Which leads me back to Daryl. If there’s anyone that fits the mold of Atticus, it’s Daryl… At least he did. Right now I’d say he’s more of a Jem. Lost his faith in systems and his beliefs of there being anymore good people… By the end of the book, Jem becomes distant in his belief of good people and justice. Daryl was an Atticus but now he’s a Jem… But he can become an Atticus again, which I believe will happen as the season goes on.

To be honest with you, the only thing bird related I’ve seenwith Beth was the bird cage in her cell room back in season 4. The birdcage in media – art or otherwise – is generally a symbol of lost freedom for a bird but also a frame of appreciation for their natural wonder. The birdcage is a symbol as much as the actual bird encased. For example, when I hear someone speak of a caged bird I always think of Sweeny Todd and the song “Green Finch and LinnetBird” that Johanna sings. In the song, Johanna compares herself to the caged bird and how she is trapped in the judges house, how her dream is to be free of her imprisonment and also talks of her inability to cope with the fact she will probably never escape. It’s always that song that comes to mind when I think of a bird cage and honestly it’s probably the most symbolic image and song I can think of. A bird that sings jubilantly and carefree while trapped in a cage…Yeah. That sounds like Beth. She still sings and still shows peace and acceptance even when she is basically in a giant bird cage in season 4 – the prison.Later – in season 5 at Grady – Beth still sings and is still an imprisoned bird, but she’s not as jubilant as she was. Rather she is like Johanna – she is trapped and isn’t sure how she’s to get free. But unlike Johanna, Beth isn’t disillusioned to her captivity and knows she’ll get free.

Now what about a Mockingbird? Well let’s talk about the bird itself. I know some people like @twdmusicboxmystery believe that the bird Daryl sees in 9x06 is an Osciner bird – the Songbird. But I believe it really is supposed to be a Bluebird or a Mockingbird, which IS a type of Songbird. I’m leaning more towards it being a Mockingbird since that’s part of the story in9x06. So Mystery isn’t wrong, I just believe it’s a different type of songbird than what they think it is.

And if it is the Mockingbird – which I believe it is – then that’s also a symbol for Daryl in that he doesn’t kill the bird and he doesn’t destroy it’s food source with the walker. He doesn’t commit a sin. He lets it live. And seeing a bird feeding it’s young and letting it live is definitely Daryl as a Boo Radley. Boo Radley was horribly hurt by his own father – like Daryl– and shut himself from the world because he wanted to be away from all the pain and horribleness the outside world can offer. That is what Daryl has basically done – shut himself way from people and their societies to “protect” himself from their troubles and pain. Loosing Rick put Daryl there but since Tyreese’s death – yes even with Beth’s death – Daryl has been pulling away and it’s no surprise he reached that point with Rick’s departure.

I know I’m not giving some deep meaning into the whole “Here’s all this that shows that Beth could be alive” and for that I’m sorry. I know that’s what you wanted me to answer, was probably hoping for… But I don’t see much symbolism around this bird and Beth and Daryl. I believe the bird is representing the To Kill A Mockingbird theme and that Daryl has his place as Boo at the moment, but is also an Atticus in his own right but needs to find his balance again. Which Daryl has a balance, he’s just off kilter right now.Understandably so.

This isn’t me shitting on anyone. I believe too many people are putting TOO MUCH emphases on all these things being related to Beth. I don’t have any connection for birds and Beth except for one thing and that’s Beth back at the prison and while she was in Grady because of that birdcage. People want to point out Carl seeing a bird cage back in season 4 with a dead bird on the ground and I think that was to symbolize how Carl was feeling and what he was going through – that he was a bird that escaped a cage but he has a chance of dying like the bird, who was probably caged it’s whole life and once free it didn’t know how to care for itself. But Carl wasn’t going to be the bird. He was going to survive and carry his dad along. Which he did. Sure he dies later,but for that scene and for that moment, Carl didn’t let himself become the dead bird.

So… I guess – posting all of this – I don’t really have anything to add to Beth and Birds and symbolism besides to say that sorry I don’t have anything but maybe reading what I’ve posted will give you a thought to go with your connections for Beth?

Thanks for asking me, by the way. This was pleasantly stimulating.

Wanderer of Sol - Business Chapter 4

Chapter 1 here,  Chapter 2 here,  Chapter 3 here

Chapter 4

After an appetizer of freshly baked bread, the nature spirit had regained a fair amount of her strength, at least enough to walk and find a more comfortable sitting spot in her servant's home, where he offered her, and the rest of his guests a meal.

“It's not much, not much at all, but my mother was a kitchen witch as well as a gardener. I've put what I can into it for you.” Jackal said, placing a bowl in front of each of his guests and began serving them. Jackal's lentil soup was famous. Almost as famous as his late mother's.

“The taste of this... I never knew having a tongue would be such a boon.” She was amazed that humans could turn something so simple as the beans she created from seeds and soil into something full of flavor and soul.

“Honestly Ma'am, I couldn't do it without you.” Jack was humbled by her compliment.

“Please, call me Sacra, Jackson. We're both children of nature. There's no need for formalities.” She smiled at him, then mimicked Robin, as she dipped her bread in the soup. Sacra's eyes lit up.

“Right. Sacra? What can we do to help the crops? And to keep you healthy?” Jackal hadn't even started his meal yet. He was too preoccupied by the current events and wanted to get the work done as soon as it could be done. He was a farmer after all.

“I'm not... I'm not sure how you can help.” She said with a sigh. The joy of her meal was gone, as she too knew there were pressing matters. “It's just so much work. You have thousands of acres of Mars' skin to plant your crops, which I could handle. But to feed your people, you have to farm in your buildings. Twenty floors of farm going into the sky. It's brilliant, and  the lives of those plants are so well kept... But I can't keep up, poor Jackson.” She paused. Her eyes were sad, almost shameful, as she looked at Jackal “I'm a young spirit. Mars has only given her fruits to man for three hundred years, and my skin... You're only the third generation to grow here, aren't you Jackson?”

“Y-Yes, Sacra...” Jackal took her hand, showing his undying support for her. “My grandparents came from Venus, bringing their craft to help garden here on Mars. This isn't your fault. Not your fault at all. We're asking so much of you, Sacra. I'm a green witch. I should be able to do what my ancestors could, and help you.” Both parties felt the guilt of being unable to carry an unreasonable burden. The table was quiet for a moment.

“Did you know... Did you know your grandparents were there for my birth? They planted trees and herbs and fields here until Mother found it necessary to breath me into life, just like my elder sisters elsewhere on Mars. I was made out of the unyielding passion they showed for the plants, and my mother. I've watched them from that moment. I saw your mother come into the world. Watched her play in the greenhouses. Loved her while she watered my leaves. I held her while she looked at the stars from my tree branches. I supported her when she met your father, as he sold her seeds and tools. I-” Sacra laughed a little. “I remember your conception in a field just east of here, sweet Jackson.”

“Ha, that's probably more information than Jacky wants to know.” Munin chuckled, but Jackal corrected her.

“No, not at all. I think that's beautiful. Did you watch me the way you watched her?” He inquired.

“I did.” She smiled, rubbing the top of his hand with her thumb, affectionately. “I watched you plant your first crop. A potted sunflower. I was watching when you earned the name Jackal. You dropped a shovel on your toes, and yipped and howled. Your grandfather called you a 'little jackal'. I remember the blood and sweat you shed the first year you worked the fields with your family. That was a trying year for you, but you grew so strong. You're still so strong.” She reassured him. “I cried when you left my fields to spread and gather knowledge with the rest of Mars, but I cried joyfully knowing my sisters would meet you. You planted seven vast fields for them, in the impossible deserts. You would have gone on to plant so many more... I was there for your mother when she passed. Or she was there for me. I cried and cried, and she wiped away my tears before she moved on. I still cradle her bones. I miss her very much.” Sacra had many things she had to say. Smiles and stories that needed to be shared. Tears that needed to be shed. Both of them had tears to shed. By the end, there was no more guilt or burden. They could begin addressing the problem honestly.

First, Wanderer suggested they get a better understanding of the problem. A tour of the grounds and hydroponics towers.

“For the past few decades we've had to focus on volume. Even after terraforming when Mars was settled, there's not a lot of farmable land. And with the population boom at the end of the war, we've had to grow more and more. Lab synthesized foods help supplement, but humanity is still dependent on agriculture.” Jackal explained to the group as he demonstrated the hydroponics system.

Robin looked around and noticed that there were several people passing by as the tour continued. Often times people would stop and say hello to Jackal, or wave in passing. She found it peculiar, given that he was dressed in a way that most witches only do in private, or when meeting other like minded individuals.

“Quick question. How do the other farmers respond to you being a witch? I can't be open in an electronics store or hacker space without someone ridiculing me or threatening to burn me at the stake.” Robin's experience was echoed by Wanderer. Even in the 25th century, people still feared what they didn't understand.

“Oh, they're mostly alright with it. Mostly fine, really. Around here, farmers are superstitious, but we've been green witches here for, well like we discussed at lunch, three generations. Many of the farmers here were raised along my grandparents casting spells on their parent's crops. It's just part of life, and they're willing to accept it, wholeheartedly. We've always been a staple of the community.” He explained in a casual tone. For him, this was daily life. Through the rest of Mars, and even further out in the system, he had made a name for himself as an eccentric but brilliant botanist, agriculturist, and terraformer. In this town, there were no secrets.

The tour concluded in an office, reviewing orders and looking at numbers. Munin was abjectly bored. She'd had nothing useful to say since they left the green house. She did suggest causing civil war on Mars, thus lowering the population, and in doing so, lower the need for food. Wanderer told her it was a horrible idea, so she sighed and went back to picking her nails with her boot knife.

“Let's break it down and figure out where we can help Sacra do what she does.” Wanderer suggested. “Sacra, would better hydroponics make it a little easier for you to manage the growth of the plants?” He asked, and she nodded.

“But there's only so much I can do. While, if the plants got more nutrition and light, it would make the load lighter for me, I'm still not strong enough to handle all the layers of farms stacked on top of each other. It's like having to do twenty times the work on the same field's footprint.” She explained. Wanderer could tell she still felt upset that she couldn't manage this on her own.

“Robin, you've been taking notes this whole time, right?” Wanderer was starting to formulate a plan in his mind.

“Do you really need to ask?” She replied with a smirk, whipping out her touch screen.

“Obviously not. Do you think you could optimize the automated system a little?” Again, he already knew the answer, but he needed the conversation to gain speed, and get everyone's heads together.

“Oh yeah. Just from what I've seen, I could probably tweak the system and get another ten percent efficiency, without using magic. With Jackal's help, and if I commune with the AI that runs this operation, I might be able to double that.”

“That would be wonderful!” Sacra chimed in “I don't know if that would be enough, but it would certainly help. If only I were stronger.”

“How about a cult?” Munin suggested. “A spirit or god gets more power when more people believe in and praise them... Or fear them.” She said, not looking up from their nails, but admiring how clean she managed to get them.

“I-I don't know. The farmers are superstitious, but they don't have a cult mentality. Most of them already have a religion, and I don't want to impose beliefs on anyone.” Jackal voiced his concerns, but the gears in Wanderer's head were beginning to turn.

“I think I agree with Munin.” Wanderer stated sternly. Munin fumbled and dropped her knife, letting out a quiet “What the fuck, really?” as she turned to look at him. Jackal looked concerned, but he trusted his friend, and didn't object.

“Munin, how long can a spirit keep a human form?” He asked her, being the resident expert on the subject.

“Indefinitely, so long as they don't die. And they'd die just like a human, but they could, probably, get a new body if the rite was preformed again, after some time and with enough belief in them. Why? Are you suggesting Sacra becomes a living deity or something, because that's a little crazy, even for me.” Munin wasn't sure if she was on board for this one or not, but she was curious to see what Wanderer was thinking.

“Not exactly a living deity. Jackal, you said your family is renowned for what you've done. You, yourself, are a folk hero in the countrysides of Mars.” Wanderer reasoned, and Jackal seemed to follow.

“So... Sacra stays human and tend the gardens with me?” Jackal was unsure at first, but the more he thought about it the more it made sense.

“Exactly. She works here, posing as a witch, a friend of yours, maybe one you met on your journey, who's come to lend a hand in helping the food shortage. Before long the people here will love her. Would that kind of praise help her, Munin?” Wanderer needed to check his plan for holes before everyone got too excited for a solution.

“I mean, that's boring as fuck compared to starting a cult, but yeah, that should work fine. Praise is praise, when you're a spirit or a god. You just need people to believe in you, in one way or another. If you got that, you'd be stronger. And if they really like you, you could always expose yourself and start a cult later, I guess.” She saw the value in this kind of a plan, even if she thought it was the least entertaining variant of her plan.

“Sacra, what do you think of this idea?” Wanderer questioned. She looked like she was still absorbing it all.

“I'm... I'm still very new at this whole having a body ordeal, but I could get used to it. And I've watched the people of the area for decades. It certainly wouldn't be hard to pretend to be a witch. I would be willing to try.” She seemed optimistic, a little excited, and a bit nervous.

“Don't worry, Sacra. I'll fill you in on what you need to know about being human. It's easier than it looks.” Munin chimed in, winking at the nature spirit. Robin's jealousy was still easy to read on her face as she took initiative.

“Cool, I'll take Jack and we'll get to work on the hydroponics.” She declared, linking her arm in his and dragging him back to the room that housed the farm's servers, glaring a little at Munin as she left.

“Are you two actually dating now, or something?” Wanderer asked, half joking, but also half very much not joking.

“Nah, I just like pushing her buttons. I mean, I started pushing her buttons right before we landed, but like you said. 'deadlines and shit'. I'll help her blow off some steam later. You can help too, if you want.” Munin might have been trying to push his buttons too, but Wanderer was used to this kind of teasing. And he knew she definitely wasn't joking about a word she said.

“Alright then, I've got some antiques in the ship that might help give Sacra a boost. Altar cloths, offering bowls, incense, a couple books and the like. I bet Jack could make use of it, and it's well within his budget. I want to be in Asimov City by midnight, so let's get to it.” Wanderer said with a clap of his hands. He was happy be able to help, happy to be able to move some inventory, and happy to get out of that office before Munin started flirting with Sacra.

A few hours later, Robin was wrapping up her final enchantment on the servers, and ending her communication with the farm's AI. Her job was the most tedious and time consuming of the group's, but everyone else did what they could with the time. Munin brought Sacra a bag full of extra clothes that Wanderer had been using as packing material to keep items in his cargo safely padded and hidden. Wanderer helped himself into Jackal's kitchen and prepared dinner for the group. It wasn't as good as Jackal's cooking, but it was enchanted and consisted of lots of off world goods that would be hard to find on Mars. Wanderer didn't mind dipping into the ships pantry to celebrate a job well done. Besides, he knew he would be leaving with top grade produce and home made preserves by the bag load, as was tradition when visiting Jack.

With the last loose ends tied up, full stomachs, and a modest amount of credits in hand, they said their goodbyes. Each got another round of thanks from Jackal, and a hug from Sacra as they promised to visit again soon. It was time to move on. They had a long flight to make, and clients to meet in the morning.

Hit and Run Commentary #126

Antifa insurgent Willlem Van Spronsen is being heralded as an hero in the mainstream media for his attack on a Seattle immigration facility. Wonder how long until New Wave Baptists hand down an edict demanding mere pewfillers flagellate themselves in homage to this revolutionary martyr.

Am trying to wrap my mind around New Wave Baptist thinking. Apparently a pewfilling angler that skipped three Sundays in row to go fishing should be subject to formalized church discipline. Likewise, a member wanting to resign from a congregation over the refusal to remove a book from the church bookstore by an author that allegedly abetted child molestation was denied PERMISSION to leave. Yet there is no outcry for discipline on the part of these sorts when ministries eagerly link to CD’s with cover art depicting the puffing of recreational cannabis or when a theologian calls for the hacking of the U.S. electoral system to prevent a Trump reelection. In fact both offenders are still upheld as beloved brothers in the faith most likely simply because they are Black.  

Apparently this is the debate topic of the day: I resolve that overall one is better off overall being a “momma’s boy” than “p---y whipped”. In most instances, a mother does not have an incentive to financially ruin her son and in most cases strives to ensure that he is not mistreated. The woman controlling a man through sex has no reason not to ruin the life of a man she can no longer manipulate or who no longer keeps her attention in a carnal manner.  What these woman jacked out of shape are actually articulating is a frustration and the inability to acquire the resources accumulated by a man that is a momma’s boy or adopted some iteration of MGTOW ideology. 

In an episode of the City Of Man podcast, Capitol Hill Baptist-linked theologian Thabiti Anyabwile denounced as a tendency the White church the reluctance to accept those as Christians who do not vote conservative.  But he himself recently remarked that you are satanic if you do not support reparations.  

In an episode of the podcast The City Of Man, Capitol Hill Baptist-linked theologian Thabiti Anyabwile denounced elevating White normativity to the level of Christian obligation. As an example, he referenced a panel on worship responding negatively to the possibility of Christian hop hop. If culturally expansive ministries want to make the case for the legitimacy of such artistic productions, perhaps these organizations should link to albums other than one depicting an image of an individual puffing what one assumes is recreational cannabis given that the title of the CD itself alludes to words associated with the use of controlled substances.   Furthermore, if Black people don’t like White folks’ worship music and vice versa, why not just go to a church where your preferred demographic predominates? These are not the days of the Pre-Reformation in which we live with only one church game in town.  

There is nothing in the Pledge of Allegiance insinuating that because an individual articulates its phraseology in reference to the United States that God is not the God of other nations. So just what other aspects of life internal to America must be curtailed and altered from the perspective of being concerned regarding what other countries think? And I was the one accused of spreading fear for daring to raise the question of what would happen to a congregation’s flag should a merger take place with a congregation where one of its elder’s claim to fame is his antipathy to ecclesiastical displays of patriotism.  

It’s been claimed that childless millennials that go to Disney parks are sad and weird.  Maybe so. But they are entitled to spend their excess vacation dollars anyway they want.  Vacation is about doing what you enjoy. Not pleasing those around you that in no sense provide for you. Maybe childless millennials that go to Disney are weird. But they are less disturbing than the gays that go to Disney and stick their tongues down each other’s throats in front of young children.  

If this is the route we want things to go, I would say that a church should be more ashamed over having a Wrestlemania style jumbotron, smoke machines, and effect lighting than a simple American flag.  

Apparently Pastor Matt Chandler speaks at Dallas Theological Seminary.  I remember when respectable dispensationalism considered you little better than a Catholic if you were a holy roller such as a Pentacostal or Charismatic.  

According to Pastor Matt Chandler in a sermon on racial reconciliation, it is insinuated that you ought to confess your “racial sins” to someone solely on the basis of what color they happen to be.  At that point, one really ought to leave such a church and never look back. That is especially sound advice in regards to Chandler’s own Village Church which is also facing a multimillion dollar molestation lawsuit.

In a Matt Chandler sermon at Dallas Theological Seminary on overcoming prejudice, an institution functionary admonished the need to repent of the cultural sins of our forefathers even if these misdeeds are more perceived than actual. Now does that include things said about and done to Catholics or are they not usually Black enough?

Just because a pastor or minister is wracked with White guilt over his lack of diverse friends, there is no reason an entire congregation needs to be beaten over the head about it. In all fairness, I don’t really hang out with all that many White people either.

If the Obama’s are so outraged at President Trump’s characterization of Baltimore, why didn’t the former first couple settle on property there for their post-presidential residence rather than in a swanky, upscale section of Washington, DC.   Aren’t there a number of open air markets in Baltimore of the sort that Michelle claims to adore?  

In a Matt Chandler video on racial reconciliation, it was insinuated that the true church is obligated to listen to the music of and eat the food of different cultures.  If you attend a church, there might not be much you can do about assorted rhythms assaulting your tympanic membranes. But the moment you are told what you are obligated to eat in order to receive the approval of the COMMUNITY, you have begun taking dangerous steps into cult territory.  

In a video on racial reconciliation posted by Matt Chandler of Village Church, it was lamented that most Americans will only have friends of another race if the person thinks like they do.  So just how deep into our closest confidences are we obligated to bring those advocating the forcible redistribution of property and resources or the proponents of assorted forms of revolutionary violence and jihadism? To what extent are conservatives and related traditionalists obligated to alter their own underlying worldview to placate ecumenicalist social engineers?  

In a video by Matt Chandler of Village Church on racial reconciliation, it is emphasized that the individual’s preference does not matter in regards to worship music. That might be true if you want to remain at a church as a paid staff member. But has news about the Protestant Reformation not yet reached certain people? Dear reader, if things are that onerous at your church, you have the freedom to go elsewhere if you are already driving wherever else you want to go.  You don’t even have to go back at all if things have burdened your conscience to that degree and there is no hope of improvement or you derive no sense of purpose or satisfaction playing the gadfly role.  

It was insinuated by Pastor Matt Chandler in a video on racial reconciliation that you are racist if you do not welcome racial minorities into your home. Frankly, I don’t really welcome that many other Caucasians. They really have no reason to be there.  

American cities are so overrun with rodents that the nation is on the verge of a bubonic plague outbreak.  Should that happen, any categorizing the epidemic as anything other than a glorious environmental correction will be condemned as an enemy of sound ecology.  

Too bad tolerancemongers are not as concerned about rodents infesting Baltimore as they are about Trump’s characterization of the situation.

In a sermon on racial reconciliation, Pastor Matt Chandler insinuated that there needs to be verbalized confession of sins between those of various racial groups. So how does this work: “Hey mommacita or brown sugar, I’m sorry that I like your jiggle when you strut.”  

In agitating about White privilege, Gospel Coalition operative Matt Chandler lamented how in his youth the local high school football games were diverse but the churches were not. That is because the town probably only had the one football team but most likely multiple churches.  So who decides what congregation closes up shop to placate some leftwing activist’s arbitrary preferences? Chandler can’t even let enough control go of the churches he has planted for them to operate as autonomous independent congregations. His preferred ecclesiastical modality is the multisite paradigm.  That is where in most instances you go to a satellite campus to watch a live stream feed from central headquarters.  

Does it really matter if White folks worship in churches composed primarily of other White people and Black people in  churches composed primarily mostly of Black people so long as one congregation is not planning to go vandalize or firebomb their counterparts?  

In condemning seminarians establishing independent congregations rather than coming under the authority of megachurch potentates, how is Matt Chandler appreciably different than a medieval pontiff insisting that there is no legitimate church outside of Rome’s direct authority?  Maybe if Chandler did not oversee a church of 14,000, if the average church had an average attendance of 100 people, maybe nearly 150 people would be able to be employed by smaller independent congregations.  

If you are so mentally weak that seeing the flag of a country in a church building in that country inflicts upon you irrevocable psychological harm, perhaps it might be best if you avoided international travel.

In ramblings psyching himself up to perpetrate his atrocity, mass murderer Santino Legen wrote, “Why overcrowd towns and pave more open space to make room for hordes of mestizos and Silicon Valley white tw**s?” In attempting to cast this incident solely as racial, the comment directed against Whites is largely being ignored. If we are obligated to delve into the philosophical causes of these sorts of tragedies, isn’t population control and radical environmentalism just as much to blamed in this incident?  

Considerable debate has erupted over remarks regarding the propriety of childless millennials vacationing at Disney parks. But what about scrutinizing an assertion made in the initial tirade suggesting that simply because a woman has a child she should be allowed to skip the line because neither she nor her whelp have the patience to wait and are too important to be bothered with the inconveniences that beset mere mortals?  So unless a customer is willing to pay extra for some sort of timed access permit, just because you have spawned that does not entitle an individual to resources where access is based upon other objective market criteria.  

By Frederick Meekins

Stranger Issues season 3: How and when to observe and plot rumors

http://tinyurl.com/y4r3senm Stranger Issues Netflix Welcome again to Stranger Things, welcome again to the Upside Down  As we speak Stranger Issues returns to Netflix. If it is advisable play catch-up we have a recap of Season 1 and 2 here. For our full review head here. However now for the largest query of all… When can I watch? Netflix is releasing all episodes on July 4. However you in all probability know that already. You wish to know precisely when. We have got the exact timings proper right here! 12:01 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) 3:01 a.m. Japanese Daylight Time (EDT) 4:01 a.m. Brasilia Time (BRT)  7:01 a.m. Coordinated Common Time (UTC)  8:01 a.m. British Summer time Time (BST)  12:31 p.m. India Customary Time (IST)  3:01 p.m. Central Customary Time (CST)  4:01 p.m. Korea Customary Time (KST) For these of you dwelling in Australia, Netflix made a close to little diagram (because you all have so many bizarre timezones.) In case you may’t see the above tweet, we have additionally listed the instances under… 3.01 pm Australian Western Customary Time (AWST) 4.31 pm Australian Central Customary Time (ACST) 5.01 pm Australian Japanese Customary Time (AEST) The best way to watch Get your self a Netflix subscription. Stranger Issues is a jewel within the service’s crown of authentic sequence, and it is one of the best ways to make sure you get all the brand new episodes plus entry to the primary two seasons. Undecided Netflix is price it to you? The service gives a free one-month trial, so for those who enroll near the brand new season’s premiere you may take in the brand new season and each earlier years, then cancel your membership with out value. However we’re anticipating two extra seasons of the present, so that you may need to enroll once more afterward (or discover a Netflix-subscribing buddy who’ll invite you over) Critiques are promising And in accordance those that’ve lucked out and seen it early, you may wish to overlook the native gathering and keep residence and watch a distinct form of fireworks from your individual TV. CNET’s own Jennifer Bisset supplied excessive reward for season 3, dubbing it, “a tighter, faster-paced barely shorter run of eight episodes that manages to faucet each emotional vein of childhood (even for individuals who did not develop up within the ’80s).” Bisset is not alone. MTVNews tradition director Crystal Bell tweeted that season Three is the present’s “finest season but.” CNET sister website ComicBook.com also approves, noting that the brand new season works to “not solely ship followers all the things they cherished about earlier seasons, but additionally elevate components to new heights.” Trailers and teases Whilst you await the complete episodes, Netflix dropped a final trailer. Issues in Hawkins look fairly grim this summer season — er, we imply, in the summertime of 1985. Take a look at the present’s newest poster, too. Sure, Eleven is sporting a scrunchie, and yikes, these are plenty of lifeless rats. And is {that a} new hideous monster rising up from the Upside Down? In Could, the present teased a bit concerning the sizzling instances coming to the Hawkins, Indiana, Group Pool. Trace: The center-aged mothers love them some bad-boy Billy the lifeguard. To accompany the brand new video clip, Netflix additionally launched some new character posters. It is OK to chortle at Steve Harrington in his sailor-boy Scoops Ahoy ice-cream store uniform. Again in March, the present delivered a preview dripping with 1980s nostalgia. Now taking part in: Watch this: Netflix teases Stranger Issues season Three in new trailer 2:50 The trailer has its enjoyable retro moments — Dustin sprays Lucas within the face with Farrah Fawcett hair spray when the chums sneak up on him — however it’s apparent that hazard nonetheless dwells in Hawkins. Hopper tries to reassure Joyce he needs her to really feel secure, however who can when there is a new horrific monster lurking, plus a man with a gun? And it is actually a disgrace that Mews, Dustin’s household cat, met such a tragic finish, as a result of it seems rats have invaded the town. (Learn: Stranger Things temporada 3 en español.) Again on New Yr’s Eve 2018, Netflix launched the July Four launch date with a cute retro video mixing clips from Dick Clark’s New Yr’s Rockin’ Eve, the precise 1984-turns-into-1985 version, with typical Stranger Issues doom and gloom. The video was reduce via with bizarre pc glitches, and revealed a hidden message that learn, “When blue and yellow meet within the west.” Netflix additionally tweeted a picture of the forged celebrating July Four underneath fireworks-dotted skies. What’s all of it about? Why is Stranger Issues so surprisingly compelling? The present seemingly got here out of nowhere in July 2016, with a 1980s setting and wealthy popular culture particulars. Younger Will Byers disappears one evening after taking part in D&D along with his buddies in Hawkins, Indiana. The unfolding plot features a secret authorities laboratory, a younger woman referred to as Eleven, with psychokinetic powers, a creepy Upside Down dimension full of monsters and goo, and Christmas lights that blink an unnerving message. It boosted the sales of Eggo waffles, Eleven’s favourite snack, and created a complete motion, Justice for Barb, after a beloved character disappeared from a pool and despatched followers off the deep finish. The third season is about to blow up, and co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer say a fourth and fifth season are possible.  And in an interview with CNET Journal , David Harbour (Hopper himself) additionally confirmed that tidbit concerning the present: We will expect Stranger Things to stick around for an additional few years and push into 5 seasons. He additionally stated he is aware of “considerably plenty of Hopper’s place in that story as a result of the extra you may know concerning the finish of your story, the extra you may arrange,” and that followers should not concern free ends (cough — Game of Thrones — cough) regardless of when the present lastly ends. “I really feel very pleased with that … we’re not going to get type of misplaced in our story and depart these strands,” he stated. “We’ll tie issues up.” However till then, here is a sneak peek at what unusual issues await. Meet the forged Returning faces Who will we add to the core group in season 3? Courtesy Netflix New faces Maya Hawke: Hawke, the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, will be part of the forged as Robin, Variety reports. Robin is described as “an ‘different woman’ bored along with her mundane day job. She seeks pleasure in her life and will get greater than she bargained for when she uncovers a darkish secret.” Cary Elwes: Elwes, perpetually recognized to many as Westley in The Princess Bride, is coming to Hawkins, the place he’ll play the city’s mayor. “Good-looking, slick and sleazy, Mayor Kline is your traditional ’80s politician — extra involved along with his personal picture than with the folks of the small city he governs,” Netflix says.  Jake Busey: Busey, son of acclaimed actor Gary Busey, will play Bruce, described by Netflix as “a journalist for The Hawkins Submit with questionable morals and a sick humorousness.” What we all know concerning the plot Bros perpetually: One of the crucial endearing options of the present up to now got here when Dustin and Steve developed a likable little bro-big bro relationship. “You positively see extra of that,” actor Gaten Matarazzo, who performs Dustin, told Entertainment Weekly. “That is what I actually like about (showrunners) Matt and Ross (Duffer): They know what followers like and so they roll with it.” Millie and Eleven: Millie Bobby Brown recently revealed that she and her character are melding much more this season. “Eleven turns into rather more like me… She positively turns into extra like me this season,” Brown stated in a press roundtable. “She’s very weak, very highly effective and powerful. I can relate to her power principally.” The actress additionally stated she had a hand in her character turning into extra trendy, even “(displaying) a bit of leg.” Billy, do not be a hero: The ultimate trailer means that Max’s bullying brother Billy will probably be possessed by no matter evil continues to be lurking outdoors the Upside Down. The mothers of Hawkins might imagine he is sizzling stuff on the native pool, however the summer season appears dangerous for ol’ Invoice. Freeze, police! In October 2018 a casting notice looked for extras with military and police experience to movie with the present in Atlanta. Each women and men, aged 18-50, of any ethnicity, are wanted. Hmm, what Stranger Issues plot may name for a big navy or police presence? Might Chief Hopper be calling in a bigger pressure to assist management the supernatural facet of Hawkins? Strike up the band: In September 2018, casting notices had been posted seeking people with marching band experience to seem in a Stranger Issues episode. As with the police/navy casting discover above, there is not a ton of information to go together with this information: Will or not it’s a college band? A group group? Are they to seem in a parade? And, after all, we do not know if any of the principle forged members will probably be a part of the band, which would appear to imply it may play a bigger position in an episode, or if the band is simply background noise. Life’s a seaside: Celeb website Simply Jared published a photo of Millie Bobby Brown filming what seems to be a reasonably dramatic scene on the seaside in Malibu, California. Stranger Issues, after all, is about in landlocked Indiana, so perhaps the Pacific Ocean is standing in for an Indiana lake or river. Or maybe Eleven is taking a West Coast journey within the new season. A few week later, extra snaps of the forged taken in Georgia had been revealed, this time, that includes most of Eleven’s mates, however she wasn’t seen. It is unclear what scene the youngsters had been filming, and most of them had been wrapped in robes, both to maintain heat or to cover no matter they had been sporting.  Eleven’s backstory revealed: Viewers have already met Eleven’s mother, troubled Terry Ives, however a brand new young-adult novel printed in February 2019 will dig into her mom’s previous much more. Entertainment Weekly published an excerpt from Gwenda Bond’s guide, referred to as Suspicious Minds, and it follows Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine on the present) as he tries to assemble a gaggle of younger check topics, presumably together with Terry. 5-year-old Eight, who Eleven meets when she’s fairly a bit older, additionally seems. Courtesy Netflix Love is within the air: The romantic duos of Eleven/Mike and Max/Lucas are nonetheless collectively in Season 3, however for the way lengthy? “They’re like 13- or 14-year-old youngsters, so what does romance imply at that stage of life?” executive producer Shawn Levy said.  However in July 2018, Finn Wolfhard, who performs Mike, famous that the present will probably be set in the summertime of 1985, and referred to as it “the summer season of affection.” Wolfhard wasn’t round for the primary summer season of affection in 1967, and he wasn’t born till after the summer season of 1985. However his quote appears to trace that love and relationships will probably be part of season 3, for good or for sick. Not everybody’s romance will probably be all hearts and flowers, although. David Harbour, who performs police chief Jim Hopper, stated his character will “take extra dangers with these new languages of intimacy and vulnerability,” however is “going to flail and be horrible at it.”  Father determine as martyr: Additionally in summer season 2018, Harbour told the Tampa Bay Comic-Con audience that he is aware of how he’d like his character to bow out. “I wish to take a bullet for Eleven,” he stated. And when followers cheered the selfless response, he replied, “Now you are all comfortable about me dying!” No fears, although. I feel Hopper will stick round till the present’s eventual finish. We’ll have to attend and see whether or not he lives fortunately ever after (with Joyce?) or heroically exchanges his life for Eleven’s. New faces: Finn Wolfhard appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August 2018 and hinted at some new additions. “We’re in the course of (filming the season),” Wolfhard stated. “We acquired some new forged members, some unbelievable folks.” However that was about all he would spill, and Fallon shortly modified the topic to joke about how he ought to seem on the present as a “bizarre uncle or one thing.” New characters aren’t any shock, and in the event that they play main roles, as Max and Billy did in season 2, certainly particulars will leak out quickly. Extra D&D: The primary season began with the principle boys taking part in Dungeons & Dragons, which actually helped endear the present to all of us nerds on the market. Anticipate extra of the fantasy role-playing sport in Season 3.  As Comicbook.com identified, artist Jared Flaming shared on Instagram in April that he is educating the present’s prop grasp concerning the sport. Jackson Davis/Netflix Dad Steve is again: Older teen character Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), who turned out to be an enormous brother determine for Dustin in season 2, will sustain that position. “I will simply say we cannot be abandoning the Dad-Steve magic,” Levy told THR. Again in time: Ghostbusters was an essential theme in season 2, and Michael J. Fox’s 1985 film Back to the Future will probably be a key ingredient this season. Chasing Chase: Again to the Future is not the one 1980s film that can play a job. David Harbour instructed Selection that Chevy Chase’s 1985 motion comedy Fletch will also inspire season 3. “Fletch is one film we get to mess around and have some enjoyable with this season, which you would not count on from Stranger Issues. and also you would not count on from the Spielberg universe and also you actually would not count on from a darker season,” he stated. Hopper’s historical past: Harbour also told Variety that he hopes the present investigates his character’s historical past as each a New York cop and a Vietnam vet. “I am curious as to how his excursions in Vietnam may need formed him to be who he’s and if a few of that stuff does not nonetheless linger or hang-out him in varied methods,” Harbour stated. Sing it, sister: Lucas’ full of life youthful sister Erica (Priah Ferguson) may have an expanded position this season, and deservedly so. “There will certainly be extra Erica in season 3,” present co-creator Ross Duffer instructed Yahoo Entertainment. “http://www.cnet.com/”We acquired to make use of extra Erica’ — that was one of many first issues we stated within the writers’ room.” Maintaining with the Byerses: Millie Bobby Brown, who performs Eleven, did her finest to begin a loopy rumor concerning the new season. While being interviewed by E! in mid-Could, Brown requested co-star Noah Schnapp (Will Byers) if he’d like to see reality-show star Kim Kardashian on Stranger Issues. A confused Schnapp thought the casting was actuality, and Brown led him on by claiming Kardashian was set to play a personality named 10. Kardashian herself gave the impression to be onboard, tweeting an enthused response. (Fan opinion: NOOOOO PLEASE NOOOO!)  Notice: This piece was first printed Could 3, 2018 and is ceaselessly up to date as we get nearer to the Upside Down. Source link