#£14.20 a week for the two days I go in???? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mittensmorgul · 5 years ago

Text

Plastic fantastic

I've put off doing this long enough, and spent the intervening days reading everyone else's interpretations, so there's gonna be a lot in here, but also a lot that I've probably not focused on too heavily because other folks have already said the things better than I could've. So this is just a recap of the things I personally feel are most significant and thematically cool going forward. It's... a lot... :'D

15.04 was infused with an element of surreality. Which I ended up referring to throughout this post as “plastic.” Hence the title. But this got super long, so here have a cut. :’D

Right from the THEN segment, we're reminded of Cas. Rowena's sacrifice, Cas's own suffering at Chuck's hands, and how this has affected Sam and Dean-- Sam miserable for having done what they had to do (right?) in sacrificing Rowena, and Dean PISSED but feeling like this was the only way to free them from what he sees as Chuck being a "fanboy" of them. It shifts directly into BECKY, who was described previously as a "fangirl" and involved in a supremely unhealthy relationship with both Chuck AND Sam (even if it was completely one-sided and creepy with Sam). And then shifts to Chuck being told-off by Amara in 15.02, in essentially a recap of all the best insults and condemnations she could fling at him... because he deserved it honestly, I mean HE LOCKED HER AWAY FROM THE DAWN OF CREATION TO SUFFER ALONE WHILE HE DID HIS THING TO MAKE HIMSELF FEEL BIG.

Okay, sorry, I just really hate that guy and his hypocrisy sometimes (read: all the time).

Right. Where were we. At the beginning.

Gunfight in the bunker, with the Danger Lights activated. I've been waiting for this scene since we got BTS photos of Jensen all battered and ragged with the beard. This... isn't real. It's not SPN universe real anyway. Since the SPPT promo came out, I have been eager to see this episode just for this scene. I guessed it was a vision Sam was having/receiving because of the Equalizer Wound, the beginning of his glimpses into "Chuck's writing process." Is this an AU that Chuck actively created? Is it just the sort of thing Chuck daydreams about? Or in the style of Supernatural episodes past, is this some sort of window into the ending Chuck wants/intends to write for them, which obviously would be something they absolutely could not let stand?

Like Dean’s nightmare he awoke from in 10.09 where he saw himself slaughtering a room full of people at the beginning of the episode, which became reality by the end of the episode? Is Chuck’s horrific ending that Becky hated what we actually saw play out in Sam’s nightmare? The show has invited us to consider that as at least a possibility. Or, to at least assume Chuck’s horrifying ending was at least that awful.

There's so much in this scene that doesn't match up with what any of us might imagine Sam would even consider a nightmare of his own mind's creation, you know? And yet it's SAM who is plagued by these incongruous nightmares that don't even really connect up with things that are relevant to the things currently on his mind, you know? After recent events, one would think the things that would plague Sam's nightmares would be the loss of Jack, or his role in Rowena's apparent death and his guilt/depression over it, or even the fight against the ghostpocalypse and the people who lost their lives as a result of that. Instead, he's having "nightmares" about having gone full Boy King of Hell demon blood addict, which hasn't been a pressing personal fear of his for more than a decade. He's even talked specifically about how he's made his peace with that entire time in his life, such as his talk with Magda in 12.04. NOT coincidentally also written by Davy Perez.

That's because... this is NOT Sam's "nightmare." Why would Sam "dream" about Dean's regular gun having the power to spark out demons? Why would he "dream" about BENNY being a human (and alive!) ally of Dean's that Sam had sent his own army of demons to destroy? Why would Sam dream that his demonic-self would hunt down and kill his loved ones (Bobby! Jody! and nobody else mentioned! as if this was some weird time-travelling situation combined with Benny's human presence!), and then in the end hunt down and murder Dean in cold blood? This wasn't Sam-As-Lucifer (though I believe we will be seeing that particular nightmare in next week's episode), but SAM. HIMSELF. Turned into the demon he always feared he was "destined" to become before they learned how to tear up the story and make their own choices about their destiny.

The problem now is that they actually believe that Chuck has gone, and they're on their own now. Sam believes that this must be his own nightmare, and therefore he's just stuck with it, as his own mind and memories and fears come back to torment him. He's lost his power to fight against it, like Dean's lost his power to fight against his current experience. It's as if the only power Chuck retains over them is in the fact that they BELIEVE he's gone, you know? Magic's power is in the belief of the caster, Rowena has recently reminded us with her own life. And I think that's exactly what's leaving Sam and Dean so completely vulnerable to manipulation by Chuck, in ways they've never before been vulnerable to it. Because they've both staked their entire futures on the fact that they so firmly believe they're free of Chuck's story.

Sam is just... so confused by this nightmare, he can't even make sense of it at all. And the sleep deprivation isn't probably helping.

I think we've all covered the Meat Man conversation already, as well as all the Dean vs Food stuff, so I'll only add that commentary in here if I think of something I haven't already said on the subject.

Dean calls out Sam's assertion that he's fine, directly telling him "No, you're not," and expressing his understanding of what he's going through.

And here come the cheerleaders. And doesn't this (as I believe many of us have already said over the last two weeks) just smack of Sam's "fake case" Gadreel had him trapped researching inside his own mind in 9,10? Crowley had to convince Sam that what he was trapped inside wasn't real, that he was possessed by an angel who was forcing him to experience these things. And obviously the God Wound isn't direct possession, and I don't doubt that this is a real case, but how much of this case might have been "arranged" by Chuck, or how much of Sam's perception right now may be clouded or colored because of the effects of that Wound?

Not only that, but Dean is also a participant in this entire odd case, and he doesn't even HAVE a wound connecting him directly to Chuck, you know? But his judgment seems to be equally clouded by something, as well... I'm gonna call it Intense Denial. Dean is basing his entire life right now on the presumption that Chuck has stopped interfering in their lives, when I think the exact opposite is true. I think Chuck is now focused on them more directly and more intensely than he ever has been before, and their obliviousness to that fact is only strengthening his hold on them, and amplifying his power over them.

But back to the current point in the episode:

Sam interviews the vice principal of the school, and the girl who was killed was in the drama club, debate team, cheerleading, campus ministry, you name it. That's... an awful lot of potential friends, so Sam asks about BEST friends, and we're directed to Veronica "and the girls." Veronica is singled out, which makes her speech to the empty room later even more interesting...

This episode relies on a lot of the elements of the case they're investigating to seem rather... plastic. And Veronica stood out as one of these elements. She could've just been "one of the girls," but she was identified specifically here, and it's like that designation itself somehow altered reality just a little bit. Heck I think I'm gonna need to put this line of thought on hold until we get to the speech scene. Remind me to come back to this.. >.>

The Whitmans interrupt (oh those crazy parents from 1.08, at it in a completely different role), seemingly uncaring of the dead girl and demanding their son's future not be ruined by postponing the lacrosse game. (OH THE IRONY) Sam rightly calls them out on framing it as "the end of the world" if he doesn't get into his first choice college. These parents have already been established to be Those Kinds of Parents who will do anything for precious little Billy to get whatever he wants in the world. They'd probaly strangle kittens on live TV if it would guarantee their son's future, you know? We haven't even seen the full extent of what they were willing to do for their son, and they already feel like cartoonish villain types.

I need to take another aside here to talk about the boy’s name. BILLY. Which, considering how we left things in 14.20, we’ve all been wondering about what Billie is up to in the Empty, right? This boy that will, by the end of this episode, become a literal stand-in for Jack on a cosmic scale? Is called Billy. Just... consider that.

I can already hear Becky critiquing Chuck's Monster of the Week here... and in turn parts of the fandom cynically saying that this is the complaint on MotW episodes forever-- that they're boring or unimportant or skippable because the monsters are predictable and boring, and just... NO. YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY MISSED THE POINT.

I think the general assumption is that the case we watch Sam and Dean solve is being directly affected by Chuck's simple act of typing it out. In exactly the same way we believed Metatron influenced the events of s9 by the simple act of typing it out. Could he control the thoughts of the people he wrote about? Not exactly. Could he manipulate the situation via the power of the angel tablet-- the direct word of God-- to influence the scenario and events in improbable ways? Yes, I absolutely think he can. And I'll continue discussing this as we go along.

But we return to Dean leaning against the car eating pretzels. I've already written about his constant eating and drinking in this episode, but PRETZELS?! That's a new one for Dean. It's usually jerky, or chips, or candy, or... all sorts of other things. Where did he even get the pretzels from?

He'd apparently been at the morgue examining the body, and found a vampire tooth. So this case that seemed NOTHING like a vampire case based on how the body was found, suddenly there's irrefutable evidence that it's a vampire instead. Almost as if the facts of the case have shifted somehow, rather improbably and inexplicably. Just as inexplicably as Dean finding the beaver mascot riding a scooter "awesome."

The second girl to be abducted calls out Veronica as being "so fake" in her grief over Susie's death. And yet, improbably, after a long cheer practice, she's the only one alone in the school parking lot late at night. Where's the rest of the cheer team? The coach? Anyone? How was she there all alone? Yet she was, because the case needed her to be.

It's plastic.

Like the little square of crime scene tape left unattended in the woods. Weird, right? That after the scene was cleared and the original investigators left, it was still left there around an empty patch of dirt. And Sam and Dean... are just... standing there at the edge of the woods, boxed in by yellow crime scene tape and orange cones while they have their conversation about the fact the police have no idea what could've done this, and Sam laments the fact that it's THEIR job. THEY deal with the truth and carry the weight, while everyone else gets to go back to their blissfully unaware lives.

Dean busts out the flask while the two of them stand there in their own personal crime scene box, like their lives are the crime here. They ARE the victims of a cosmic crime. And the corpse of what their lives could've been, of what Sam had always thought he'd want of his own life, to live in a little town like this and just be NORMAL, is what they'll find on the autopsy here. And Sam is just beginning to realize he can't identify with those sorts of people at all.

And then we jump right from Sam lamenting the lost white picket fence to Becky's house-- where the front railing is white pickets, where she's built a real life for herself. Yet even something about it seems... off... just a little bit. That older kid seems way older than 7, which I assume would be the oldest any of her kids could be based on when we last saw her in canon, before she began to recover from her obsession and begin building a true happy life for herself. Heck maybe I'm talking myself into a problem that doesn't exist, and he's supposed to be just a really big 6-year-old, but okay. Or maybe he's adopted, or the kid of her husband from a previous relationship. GAH This is so not relevant to anything, why can't I let it go... >.>

Regardless, she clearly loves her family, and is invested in her life with them. Her husband is a man who truly appreciates and loves her in return. I'm really happy for her. Her husband at one point says, "Where would I be without you," and she jokingly replies "Covered in puke." And it's the same sort of cute exchange we saw between Sam and Jess in the pilot, where he asked, "What would I do without you?" and she jokingly replied, "Crash and burn." And considering that Sam himself will mention Jessica at the end of the episode, it seems worth pointing out the thematic similarity they're trying to set up here.

I wonder how much Becky has told her husband about the reality of the Supernatural books she's built her business and hobbies around, or her own part in the events of the books? More than Sam ever told Jess about the reality of his life? At this point, I'm gonna be glad her husband didn't end up pinned to the ceiling on fire.

Becky waves goodbye to her family as they leave for a day of fun, and Chuck waves back at her. He's inserted himself into her life again, and it's freaking creepy.

Chuck says he "wanted" to see her, and corrects himself to "needed." And here we have the laying out of the classic “NEED VS WANT” conundrum we’ve been yelling about for literal years. Funny that Chuck has it all wrong himself, you know? Becky makes herself clear that she neither wants nor needs him. He's not welcome there at all, and yet he presses on, past her assertion that his problems aren't her problem. I've already written a little bit about what Chuck apparently wanted from Becky, and what he actually got from her, so I'll try not to repeat myself, but to say that Becky was far kinder to him than he deserved.

So we learn about the second cheerleader's kidnapping, Dean makes an uncharacteristically flippant comment in front of the Vice Principal (somebody has a fetish), and kinda... blinks in shock at himself before professionally affirming they'll look into it and turning and walking away. Like he can't quite believe he actually said that. Which is weird, right? Because this is the sort of thing Dean has made flippant and kinda gross comments on in the past, right? But even when he's made comments about which cheerleaders are legal (4.13), or suggestive comments about even college students, he's rarely done so this blatantly directly TO the school principal, you know? This was... odd... like everything is just slightly out of sync.

I'm fascinated by the tiny models of Supernatural things that Chuck is prodding at in Becky's house. The first thing we see is Lil Levi's gas station. The only time we have EVER seen this gas station was in 10.03, when Hannah and Cas stopped there for gas, and yet Becky has the Impala parked by the pump, and what looks like a yellow classic car of some sort on the other side, hidden by the pumps so it's impossible to really see it there.

(I swear I will replace these Mittens Quality Screencaps™ as soon as HotN properly caps the episode... apologies for the photos of my tv in the meantime)

It was Cas's pimpmobile we've actually seen at this location in canon. And this was the gas station where Cas was losing his grace, desperately trying to get to Dean in time to save him, and Hannah kept getting them lost. He calls her out over her feelings-- dangerous temptations-- clouding her judgment and getting in the way. They're attacked by Adina, and Crowley arrives just in time to save them both from her, stealing her grace and force-feeding it to Cas, enabling him to power up again and save Dean. Aah, callbacks! And I mean, it might just be a visual callback to the fact that Jensen also directed that episode (and that gas station was named after his nephew), but it's still a reference that brings an awful lot of baggage with it, regardless of what prompted its appearance in miniature in Becky's house. Not to mention, this reference happened LONG after Chuck had supposedly stopped writing about the Winchesters' lives. And yet... Becky seems to know this reference, which had nothing to do with Sam and Dean and everything to do with Cas.

The second model we see looks incredibly like (or at least should all be having us THINKING of) the Carver crypt from the first three episodes of s15. And that's... super creepy, right? What is this building? Why did Becky have a model of it at all? This happened DAYS ago in canon.

And the third is Singer Salvage yard, with the Impala parked out front. How long has it been since we've seen it? In an episode that opened on Sam's "nightmare" that involved him strung out on demon blood having just killed Bobby and Jody in Sioux Falls? Interesting that Chuck expressed fascination with that particular model in this episode, isn't it?

He asks if Becky is still obsessed with his work, and she corrects him. She's obsessed with HER work. She'd essentially dismissed Chuck as the creator of Supernatural, and relegated him to the role of Recorder Of Events, as a prophet. It wasn't actually HIS story. But what she's made of it, what she's made her life's work, IS HER OWN CREATION, based on the same reality she believed that Chuck had been nothing more than a conduit for. And OUCH for a guy like Chuck to not even get credit for any of it now, because of the lie he'd told to insert himself into his own creation. It's incredible to me. He wants nothing more than recognition as the creator, as the writer, and Becky's far more interested in her OWN stories about the same characters. She saw herself as more than Chuck’s equal as a writer, she saw herself as his superior. He just recorded, she CREATES. She dismissed everything Chuck was most interested in, and writes the characters all having achieved a measure of peace and happiness, the same as she has. And Chuck... hates it. :'D

Remember, this is the guy who invented monsters before he invented anything else. Leviathans were his first creation, even before the archangels. But they had a nasty habit of eating everything else he tried to create, so he grudgingly locked them in Purgatory, and moved on to the next thing. And he's had a lot of similar failures over the years... like the original hellhound that Lucifer stole away (and that Sam killed in 12.15). Seems like this has always been the story Chuck wanted to tell, because he's always only ever had his original drama with Amara as a source for his creation. He's... obsessed... with his version of events, no matter how many times he's confronted with reality, he weasels out of personal responsibility for everything. Like he does in this scene with Becky, letting her believe he's just a poor dude who wants to keep writing and lost his writing mojo because his prophet powers dried up.

This is probably the first Becky's heard Chuck had a sister, who Chuck only explains rejected him because she "sucks." And... Chuck... you're leaving out the horrific things you've done to her as an explanation of why she refused to help you. He's still hiding behind the “super cute” Chuck Facade. And nothing he says is an out and out lie, but it's entirely a manipulation, a complete reframing of the cosmic scale of what's happened into something he expects Becky to be able to offer him sympathy over. And she's just not having it. And again, good for her.

Chuck admitting that he's lost and hates himself at least engages Becky enough to try something to get him moving forward (again, still thinking he's just a guy who's lost everything). And tells him if writing makes him happy, then he should write.

Meanwhile Dean's incongruously eating a hot dog (WHERE IS HE GETTING ALL THIS FOOD?!) and interviewing a beaver. Sam questions why, and Dean's not only gotten information about the case (mascots have access to cheerleaders), but information about the kid inside the suit (he's a smart kid, got a full ride to IU). Dean's been unusually productive while chewing that hot dog, apparently. But he’s basically a caricature of himself during this case, like he’s trying to wear a suit he hasn’t worn in 15 years, and is finding it really ill-fitting. (it’s probably all the snacks he’s eating, honestly)

Veronica hands Billy a black wristband printed SUSIEFOREVER, which... is probably how Billy's feeling at the moment (hello, she was his girlfriend and he accidentally killed her... this is gonna haunt him forever). Veronica (who we've already been told by the latest girl to disappear is "so fake" in her grief over Susie's death) seems to be coming on to Billy, or at least making her interest in him known. And we DON'T know how all of this will resolve yet, but there's an awful lot going on in this scene. Did Veronica actually kill Susie? Is she the vampire and is that the reason for this OTT "so fake" grief on her part? Did Billy's "anything for my kid" mother who interrupts the scene actually kill her and Billy know something about it? Why is everyone acting so... weird?

Because we're back to the plasticity of this entire case again. What's actually killing cheerleaders? What's really going on here? If this entire case is Chuck's machination, because he wrote it down, and therefore subtly affected the situation, is that why everything seems just slightly off? Slightly malleable, as if Chuck is only working out the details of the case as he's writing it all down?

Billy leaves with his mom, and Veronica is left in a dimly lit gym filled with empty chairs and programs for the memorial service. She's practicing her speech to this huge empty room, speaking into a microphone. And as she talks, she edits her speech.

We've seen Chuck do this. in 4.18, he had Dean push the doorbell with determination, and then went back and edited it to read "with forceful determination." Just before the doorbell rang, and it was a forcefully determined Dean doing the ringing... So Veronica's self-edit here seems almost like a Chuck self-edit.

Remember how I mentioned way back toward the beginning of this mess how Sam asked the VP for a clarification on who Susie's "BEST" friends were, and Veronica was singled out among a group of her close friends? And now Veronica stands alone not only as the sole person in the room here talking to empty chairs, but as the one with apparent motive to kill Susie, who's been accused of expressing a lot of over-the-top melodramatic "so fake" grief. And... she edits her relationship with Susie on the fly:

Veronica: We are here to celebrate the life of my friend Susie. No. *clears throat* *takes a breath* We are here to celebrate the life of my best friend Susie. My best friend Susie who I miss like... *sigh* like she was a part of me. And in many ways she's still a part of me. She'll always be a part of all of us. Susie Martin was as rare as a ghost orchid and as unique as a snowflake. So beautiful inside and out. But as Robert Frost tells us, nothing gold can stay. And that's what Susie was. Pure gold.

And during this entire speech, to the empty room, the music in the background is ominous, looming, tense. The musical cue is telling us to doubt her performance here, with the high strings picking up the tension just as she comes to a close and Dean shows up with his slow clap. I mean, it was a pretty OTT speech, delivered with an intensity that literally does feel rehearsed. Stilted. Plastic. Everything in the case so far has pointed the arrow at her being the monster. The framing of the narrative would support it if it had been true, but the background of the entire case feels exactly as Becky has described it. What if THIS was the original ending to the case that Becky had voiced her complaints about, as if THIS is the story that Chuck would've written.

But that's such weaksauce. MotW episodes are nothing if not thematically consistent. Vampires are about revenge cases, and this case is a very specifically pointed bit of revenge, of Chuck against the Winchesters. They ruined the last story he tried to tell, and the fact this started out looking like something OTHER than a vampire case (possibly a ghoul, based on the parallel to 9.10, and a dismembered body), and then seemingly remolded itself INTO a vampire case halfway through... it feels like that first fang Dean found at the morgue was Chuck sinking his teeth into their lives.

And Veronica, no matter how the case had painted her to this point, was completely innocent. A bit plastic, because she's a victim of this reality bend as much as Sam and Dean are, because the real monster of this case is Chuck-- only Sam and Dean don't have any idea yet.

Dean calls her on her fake emotions, and they directly accuse her of killing her friend. And get the proof that she was innocent because she HAS BRACES, which she's apparently self-conscious about, but it proved she wasn't a vampire. *SIGH*

Plastic.

So Sam and Dean look for video evidence from surveillance cam footage, which the police had apparently already looked at and found nothing, but now they find a car driving past immediately after the second girl's abduction. Did the police not see it? Or is this another bit of plastic?

Meanwhile back at Billy's house, his parents refuse to even hear him say Susie's name, and suspicion immediately shifts to their entire family. Billy's father washes blood off his hands, and nobody seems to find this strange. Are they all monsters? Did one of them slip up? What the heckeroo is actually going on here? Whatever it is, it feels like they're all complicit, and Billy seems to be having reservations. Except they've also got the latest victim tied up and blindfolded in their storage room. So... they're definitely guilty of something. But we're only halfway through the episode at this point, so there's clearly more to the story.

Chuck tells Becky he can't see what Sam and Dean are doing anymore, as he conveniently scratches at his left shoulder where his wound connecting him to Sam is. Which is wild, right? Because what little we know about the Equalizer gun was that it fired INTENT. And that it affects the person shot and the shooter identically. So what was Sam's intent when he shot Chuck? Dean had just told Chuck to "Go to Hell," but Sam didn't say anything out loud when he shot Chuck. Was his intent "stop fucking with our lives" or more vaguely grief-filled "go to hell" or something more? Because whatever intention Sam shot at Chuck seems to have directly caused both Chuck's loss of power AND his inability to see directly into their lives now. And after having watched the Sam and Dean show for their entire lives, Chuck is PISSED about not being able to see what they're up to.

And I wonder, incidentally, if this will be the same factor that's causing problems for the Winchesters, too... that Sam may have inadvertently severed whatever protective force had made their lives as hunters as... implausibly unproblematic as they've always been, you know? I think we'll be seeing that develop more in the next episode, but we saw hints of it happening in this episode too (like with Dean's comment about the killer having a cheerleader fetish). But regardless, I think this is why Sam is suffering these grief-fueled nightmares, his inability to breathe, and his general current mental state. He’s suffering from the same intent he’d fired at Chuck. Only it hit Chuck with a case of writer’s block, while it hit Sam with something he’s been unable to truly define or explain. Yet.

Becky tells Chuck to write about the Winchesters if he loves their story so much, because that's what SHE does. Her stories don't have to be based in reality for her to enjoy them, but Chuck's only metaphorically a writer. He doesn't just want to make up tales, he wants to literally create reality. During Becky's entire pep talk, Chuck's holding a little figurine of Sam pointing a gun, and ain't that just on the nose? She plucks Sam out of Chuck’s hands and puts him back on the mantle (and I admit to at first thinking it was the Cas doll from 5.06, because Dean did the same thing with Cas, putting him up on the mantle like that), but Chuck still expresses doubt in his ability to actually write.

And here's where the most incongruous stuff in the entire episode begins happening-- the family dynamics of a killer family. It's still unclear who the monster is among them, but like Dean, we are leaning toward the father. The thing is, none of it's actually plausible. That's the beauty of this entire case. It's plastic.

How did this single kid out of this entire town get turned by a vampire, and his parents just... completely accepted what happened immediately without question? How did they KNOW what to do for their son in this circumstance? They went out and killed animals for their blood for him. Where did they learn to do this for him? And then how could they so casually just... kidnap a whole human being just to feed their son? Why not go back to feeding him animal blood like he'd done before? They didn't see anything wrong with any of this, either. DID THESE PEOPLE NOT HAVE QUESTIONS?!

And what of the vampire that made him? Did that vampire just... turn him and run? Did he give the kid a pamphlet explaining vampire life to him or something? It's just utterly baffling that this whole family just... incorporated this development into their lives as if it was all an entirely normal thing to accept about their kid. The dad KIDNAPPED A WHOLE ENTIRE HUMAN BEING for him on his own initiative, the mom was ready to shoot Sam and Dean for interfering in their plans. LIKE HOW IS ANY OF THIS NORMAL?!

And perhaps most bizarre of all, Sam and Dean didn't see anything wrong with it in reflection later that night. But I'll get to that when we get there. Heck this note-writing thing is really hard when I already know everything that's gonna happen. I have enough trouble staying on point without the benefit of foresight. :'D

So these parents are insistent that they're doing all of this, sacrificing all of this, just for him. And when he tells them he doesn't want them to, they just beg him to tell them what he wants from them. And he's just so frustrated because they aren't listening to him. Like they don't even care about him despite professing they're doing all of this so he can be happy. And he's just... profoundly not happy.

So the father, when Sam and Dean show up, still thinks they're going to ARREST him. Which is a weird thing for a suspected vampire to believe, and he's horrified when Dean pulls out a machete instead of handcuffs. This is a totally shocking development for him, and yet he STILL holds it together enough to bargain for his wife and son's lives. And the wife is profoundly confused by this, and our suspicions shift to her. But that's still... not quite right. She's prepared to literally shoot what she believes to be two FBI agents to save her son, again, as if all of this was entirely normal. As if this is what normal people are willing to do for their monster children.

I've already written a bunch about Becky's critique of Chuck's writing, and how poorly Chuck takes her notes. Chuck... is really out of touch with fanfic culture. Becky's reading this story as if it was fic, not reality. She kudos'ed and commented, and expected Chuck to just accept that and move on, because that's how fic culture works. But he demanded a beta read level critique, and Becky gave it. And he shouldn't have asked for it if he didn't actually want it.

And here comes the revenge that justifies the Vampire Plot. Chuck... is the vampire. he's the monster that doomed Billy for no reason. Who drove the parents to such extreme lengths to protect their child. Because that's how CHUCK saw what TFW had done to protect Jack. He saw it as just that outrageous and unfounded, even though it was in no way the same. We just witnessed Chuck's critique of TFW's actions in 14.20, and it was scathing, mocking, and vindictive.

Plastic.

But I also suspect that Becky wasn't reading ~this case~ exactly, because she complained that Sam and Dean were tied up (they were never once tied up in this episode), and she complained about the villain monologue being stale (Dean does most of the monologuing here, and it's Sam who figures out what's actually going on). Just one more bit of plastic.

But Chuck somehow managed (even if he couldn't see it) to put Jack's 14.20 realizations about himself into Billy's mouth. As if Chuck's story had already been written, and through some power of its own it was brought into reality via these previously innocent people. The story itself is more powerful than the author.

Like Jack, Billy has been trying to accept responsibility for his actions. He couldn't control himself, he didn't know it would happen, but he's dangerous and needs to be stopped. And Billy's speech isn't a "villain monologue," but a painful confession of everything he'd done. So what story was Becky reading?

Sam angrily judges the parents' actions, and Dean expresses his shock that the father would've just let him cut off his head to save his son. And is taken aback at the comment that he must not have kids, if he doesn't think he wouldn't have done the same for his own child.

And Dean's like... well, no I wouldn't have done the same for my own child. It's a super messed up situation that I'd really been trying not to think too hard about, thanks. It's been less than a week and here you go bringing up the worst day of our lives, so thanks for that... but they carry on. The mother says they just wanted him to have a normal life, and that's something Jack never would've had regardless because of what he was. But he had *a* life, with the Winchesters. If Jack had been a vampire, they wouldn't have gone out hunting and kidnapping teenage girls for him to eat, you know? But they were willing to raid heaven and shout down God for Jack. But context matters. And this hastily assembled vampire family ready to play revenge/victim for Chuck's story lacked all context. They were plastic.

It's Billy who ends up dictating how his parents are to handle everything, calm as can be. And his parents finally listen to him. And he sacrifices himself to the Winchesters. And they just... go along with it, take him out to the woods, and Dean kills the boy kneeling at his feet, accepting his fate as he's clearly crying, while Sam watches on. It's what Chuck had wanted in 14.20, and Dean had refused to give him. And now this entire situation has been Dean, manipulated into providing that demanded sacrifice, one way or another. And the most interesting bit of it? Chuck... couldn't even see it playing out. He missed the whole show that played out in Chuck Puppet Theater despite the fact. Like whatever he actually wrote was irrelevant, because his intent is somehow still connecting through to the Winchesters in pantomime.

And Sam and Dean's reactions to all of this are also just weirdly plastic.

I've already written about Chuck and Becky enough I think, but Chuck's moved on from "Writers lie," to "I can do anything, I'm a writer." With some of the worst villain monologue we've ever gotten, with "There, see, it's making you feel something! That's good, right?" While Becky is outraged and heartbroken over Chuck's ending. The only thing I need to say about whatever Chuck's planned ending is, is that if the series ends the way CHUCK wants it to, it'll go down as the biggest intentional betrayal of a fandom in the history of television. The show has stated to us in this episode that Chuck is the final boss big bad, and that he cannot be allowed to win. He can't have the final word in this story.

In *our* world, the current writers have officially called out a good number of sins of their past and exposed them via Chuck. They wrote the Leviathans being a personal favorite of Chuck's despite being pretty universally hated by fandom... well... they're looking for redemption for themselves in s15. THEY can't allow the story to end horribly. They've staked their current writing cred on it, as well as the entire history of 15 years of building TFW into the heroes. Sure, they've joked that not all fans will be happy with the ending, but in serious comments they've also promised a "real" ending and not some advanced level deus ex machina that wipes everything clean, either. That's a lot to deliver, and Chuck's suggested ending of the Winchesters horrifically dead doesn't deliver any of it.

So... back to the denouement of the episode. To the Impala! The least plastic thing in the entire episode. But it's pretty plastic.

Sam suggests that what Henry did for his son, was something they would've done for Jack, given the chance. And no, he's not talking about kidnapping teenage girls to feed him, he's talking about offering himself as a sacrifice in his son's place. Because Dean literally did do that. He was willing to sacrifice himself to kill Jack before he could kill again. It's what Chuck had presented as the ONLY way to stop Jack from destroying the world, with the examples of Jack having accidentally killed Mary, and then the whole of society crumbling because Jack told everyone to stop lying. But Sam? He wasn't willing to sacrifice both of them. And then he learned the truth from Chuck, about the manipulations that forced them all to this point, how Chuck probably did have the power to make everything right, restore Jack's soul, everything... but he didn't want to because it was more entertaining for him to watch them act out his plots instead. He WANTED that drama, that horrible sacrifice. He ENJOYED it.

But given the choice, I think Sam and Dean both would've traded places with Jack. We actually *saw* Cas literally exchange himself for Jack in 14.08. But Chuck wasn't satisfied with that trade. He wanted more from them, and they decided they were done playing on his stage.

There's a bit of incongruity in the speech Dean gives Sam about his current state, as well. He's usually so much better at reading Sam, yet he's comparing Sam's current mental state to his own back in the crypt, after Chuck. And just... no? This is not it at all? When he told Sam he's felt like cashing in, *we* think of 13.05, where he literally DID think of cashing in, you know? That feels far more similar to how Sam's feeling right now than to Dean's ANGER and "we need a plan!" bossiness from the crypt after Chuck. It's jarring as a comparison, because IT'S THE WRONG THING ENTIRELY.

But it's wrong, because it's the glaring omission of Cas that's already been lampshaded in the episode. That Dean's current blind spot here is shining a violently bright light on what SHOULD be said. Just like the end of 13.05 when we all yelled "HELLO, DEAN" at the television when Cas didn't say the line to him. We've been talking FOR YEARS about how this show uses narrative negative space like this, how it expects us to shout HEY WHAT ABOUT CAS?! at the screen, or to see that even this driving scene in the dark, in the car, is a perfect inverse mirror of that scene in 13.05, where Sam had spent that entire episode feeding his favorite junk food that he criticized Dean for in this episode, Dean and dragging him out on a case in the hopes of making him feel like himself again and... that's what Dean's telling Sam he wanted to work this case for now, to show Sam exactly what Sam had tried (and failed spectacularly) to show Dean in 13.05.

Dean even quotes some of Cas's last words to him before he left, that he should "move on."

But they needed to walk around the giant Cas-shaped hole in the narrative. And they needed to do it this incongruously. And that's exactly why it works.

And it's why Sam CAN'T move on. He doesn't feel free. I've already written a bit about this, and how it's directly tied to Sam's wound, and what it's probably doing to him. And what IS it doing to him? Chuck wobbles his head side to side, and the Sam and Dean bobbleheads on the desk beside him follow suit.

#spn 15.04 #spn s15 spoilers #i have no idea how long this is but it's so many long #the scheherazade of supernatural #this is The Author actively preventing shahryar from listening to the final story #we are all shahryar

159 notes · View notes

andreagillmer · 5 years ago

Text

Wounded Animals, Indeed

Source: Michael Ballanger for Streetwise Reports 09/09/2019

Sector expert Michael Ballanger offers his observations of recent activity in the gold and silver markets.

“The permabulls will tell you that the bullion banks and their treasury department conspirators have lost all power in this ‘new paradigm’ and we should relax and refrain from worry. I tend to disagree because wounded animals are the singular most dangerous of all creatures on this debt-ravaged planet, and with gold at $1,552, these cartel cretins are now wounded, angry and very desperate animals.” Michael Ballanger, Sept. 2, 2019; silver at $19.00 one day before the top

OK, so now that there is zero doubt surrounding the recent demise of the bullion banks, I was reminded yesterday (amidst the gnarling and gnashing of many a silver bulls’ incisors) of a famous Mark Twain quote surrounding rumors of his passing: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

That is exactly the reply of the criminal cartel last week as bullion bank shenanigans took a page out of the Carpe Diem playbook and absolutely pounded the precious metals with such feral ferocity that they quite predictably set off a retail panic of the highest order. One very prominent gold and silver bull tweeted out, “It should be noted that Crimex silver is still up on the week!”, to which I quickly and cynically replied, “Tell that to my margin clerk.”

Tweets defending the tape action were furious all day Friday after noticeable calm on Thursday, and the fact that every single tweet was of the “BTFD!” or “buying opportunity” vintage, I would have felt a great deal better had there been a few “Get me the $#$% out!” tweets implying the arrival of panic, and not of the “buying” kind we saw on Wednesday. It would seem that the Millennials and GenX-ers suddenly discovered the precious metals over the Labor Day weekend and were abruptly punished for their tardiness. Empty vodka bottles and used vaping dispensers were everywhere. . .

The daily charts for gold and silver have recorded but a mere blip on the long-term radar screen and remain in beautifully choreographed uptrends. But there is one chart that has me a tad rattled and it is the weekly silver chart, where the arrival of the dreaded and most-foul “gravestone doji” marks a powerful reversal signal to a market that has been trending higher in orderly fashion since my July 2 bullish call at $15.00 silver at $14.20 SLV. The gravestone doji is one of the most reliable reversal indicators and is always found at the tail end of a bull move. When accompanied by the big volume spike we had last week in silver, it suggests that my re-entry into the silver market is going to be farther away and possibly a bit lower than I initially expected.

Going into Thursday, the number of tweets from newly minted gold “experts” (most of whom you know) that were the literary equivalent of a NASCAR victory lap, complete with buxomy girls and flowing champagne, were voluminous to the point where I actually tweeted this during the final orgasmic spike in silver on Wednesday: “Not ONErepeatNOT ONE bearish tweet on the PM sector in the past two sessionseveryone now long and strong with bows taken and egos fully erect.”

Whenever highly emotional extremes of either greed or fear enter the marketany marketI have learned over the years to be prepared to take the opposite side of the trade. Certainly there was an extreme last July when people were revolted by the prospect of owning silver, with more than a few of the “enlightened ones” calling for a 100 GSR (gold-silver ratio), which was the equivalent of capitulation.

I took the other side of that trade and remain short the GSR from 92.40 (currently 82.68). Similarly, I counted somewhere in the order of 75 bullish articles on silver and over 200 on gold by Wednesday of last week, and answered over 50 e-mail queries asking whether they should add to Aftermath Silver Ltd. (AAG:TSX.V) at $0.30 per share (up from $0.10 60 days prior).

The abject terror of early July was replaced with unwavering avarice last week, so naturally, seeing, feeling and smelling the odious presence of greed slithering its way into the gold and silver trading pits compelled me to take the other side of that trade as well. And I offer this not as a self-laudatory handwave but more as an educational lesson in human behavior.

What has annoyed me to no end in the past few weeks has been the presence of hubris in the collective psyches of many precious metals bulls, and it is not surprising that an attitude of “There! Take that, ya bastards!” was prevalent with regard to the bullion banks after year-after-year of intervention, interference and criminal collusion. I, too, was delighted in July when the $1,375 cap for gold was blown to smithereens by the combination of physical demand and rising mistrust. Notwithstanding the many thousands of dollars I left on the table by exercising the same prudence that saved my sexagenarian ass in past campaigns, the move into the $1,500s has been at once both vindication and celebration for a gold “opinionator” known to launch quote monitors from ninth-floor windows in search of banker craniums with alarming regularity.

However, the camaraderie among we gold bulls turned ugly when I started to read about a “new paradigm,” to the point where I wanted to take the term and install it in my lavatory. Just as pride cometh before a fall, tweaking the bulbous, red-veined noses of the bullion bank sloths is analogous to shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic; it invites a negative outcome.

That is why I started this week’s missive with a quote not from Ayn Rand or John Maynard Keynes but from last week’s missive. By last Wednesday, the bullion bank traders weren’t just irritated canines; they were bruised and bloodied wolverines, backed into a corner of the underground garage with nary a path for escape save launching a final desperate attackand attack they did, sending the gold and silver bulls reeling into urgent and intensified retreat after weeks of complacency and control.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years, you do not tempt fate. In the minds of those who control governments and their military-industrial complexes, gold is the enemy. Rising gold prices are the financial equivalent of nuclear missiles being shipped to and installed in Cuba. Neither will be tolerated (for very long) by those wielding the baton of power and if we, for one millisecond, forget that, we are doomed to margin call miasma and deflated dreams.

Wall Street symbolizes the American Way of Life and all that is good that separates them from the heathens in Afghanistan or Venezuela. When rising gold prices hijack the financial news headlines, you had better prepare yourselves (and your margin clerk) for a change of venue. The most dangerous phrase in all of trading is “It’s different this time.” It is never, ever, “different”. . .

Cot Report

The September 2 COT had only one notable item: The bullion banks were afraid of adding more than 4,000 new shorts to their positions despite a massive price surge on Tuesday. That is informative. (See below.)

To summarize what I deem as a “watershed week,” I go into Monday morning with a 53.7% cash position my unleveraged trading account and 85% cash in the leveraged account. The GGMA portfolio is essentially my unleveraged account and is now up 163% year to date. But what is important for me is being able to resist the temptation of buying back all positions that I put on in the first half of the year too early.

In an election year, the incumbent president (and particularly DJT) will be acutely aware of the S&P 500 and of gold prices. I do not trust these insidious serial manipulators because the most mind-numbing and alluring narcotic of all is power, and with the addictive personalities sported by all politicians, there is little if anything they will not do to lose their grasp of it.

Therein lies the danger in assuming that physical demand alone will give way to unimpeded advances in gold and silver; the central banking global cabal has many tools at its disposal, and to underestimate its willingness to use them to advance its own agenda would be abject folly. What we witnessed late last week was most certainly a healthy and well-deserved spate of gold ol’ all-American profit-taking in the metals but the manner in which it closed out the week, and particularly the post-Crimex Access market, reeked of the all-too-familiar odor of interference.

While natural forces may have initiated the pullback, a malevolent and purposeful force exacerbated it and that was clearly evident in the final hours on Friday. While the bullion bank behemoths were blatantly timid earlier in the week, someone or something gave them great confidence in pressing their bearish bets late Friday, and I think readers of this publication have a pretty good idea who or what that presence might be.

Wounded animals, indeed.

Originally trained during the inflationary 1970s, Michael Ballanger is a graduate of Saint Louis University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Bachelor of Art in marketing before completing post-graduate work at the Wharton School of Finance. With more than 30 years of experience as a junior mining and exploration specialist, as well as a solid background in corporate finance, Ballanger’s adherence to the concept of “Hard Assets” allows him to focus the practice on selecting opportunities in the global resource sector with emphasis on the precious metals exploration and development sector. Ballanger takes great pleasure in visiting mineral properties around the globe in the never-ending hunt for early-stage opportunities.

Disclosure: 1) Michael J. Ballanger: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of the following companies mentioned in this article: Aftermath Silver. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures are below. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Aftermath. Please click here for more information. 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports’ terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Aftermath Silver, a company mentioned in this article.

Charts provided by the author.

Michael Ballanger Disclaimer: This letter makes no guarantee or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the data provided. Nothing contained herein is intended or shall be deemed to be investment advice, implied or otherwise. This letter represents my views and replicates trades that I am making but nothing more than that. Always consult your registered advisor to assist you with your investments. I accept no liability for any loss arising from the use of the data contained on this letter. Options and junior mining stocks contain a high level of risk that may result in the loss of part or all invested capital and therefore are suitable for experienced and professional investors and traders only. One should be familiar with the risks involved in junior mining and options trading and we recommend consulting a financial adviser if you feel you do not understand the risks involved.

( Companies Mentioned: AAG:TSX.V, )

from The Gold Report – Streetwise Exclusive Articles Full Text https://ift.tt/2ZNeaw9

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2ZTOSvI

#Uncategorized #The Gold Report - Streetwise Exclusive Articles Full Text

0 notes

goldcoins0 · 5 years ago

Text

Wounded Animals, Indeed

Source: Michael Ballanger for Streetwise Reports 09/09/2019

Sector expert Michael Ballanger offers his observations of recent activity in the gold and silver markets.

"The permabulls will tell you that the bullion banks and their treasury department conspirators have lost all power in this 'new paradigm' and we should relax and refrain from worry. I tend to disagree because wounded animals are the singular most dangerous of all creatures on this debt-ravaged planet, and with gold at $1,552, these cartel cretins are now wounded, angry and very desperate animals." Michael Ballanger, Sept. 2, 2019; silver at $19.00 one day before the top

OK, so now that there is zero doubt surrounding the recent demise of the bullion banks, I was reminded yesterday (amidst the gnarling and gnashing of many a silver bulls' incisors) of a famous Mark Twain quote surrounding rumors of his passing: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

That is exactly the reply of the criminal cartel last week as bullion bank shenanigans took a page out of the Carpe Diem playbook and absolutely pounded the precious metals with such feral ferocity that they quite predictably set off a retail panic of the highest order. One very prominent gold and silver bull tweeted out, "It should be noted that Crimex silver is still up on the week!", to which I quickly and cynically replied, "Tell that to my margin clerk."

Tweets defending the tape action were furious all day Friday after noticeable calm on Thursday, and the fact that every single tweet was of the "BTFD!" or "buying opportunity" vintage, I would have felt a great deal better had there been a few "Get me the $#$% out!" tweets implying the arrival of panic, and not of the "buying" kind we saw on Wednesday. It would seem that the Millennials and GenX-ers suddenly discovered the precious metals over the Labor Day weekend and were abruptly punished for their tardiness. Empty vodka bottles and used vaping dispensers were everywhere. . .

The daily charts for gold and silver have recorded but a mere blip on the long-term radar screen and remain in beautifully choreographed uptrends. But there is one chart that has me a tad rattled and it is the weekly silver chart, where the arrival of the dreaded and most-foul "gravestone doji" marks a powerful reversal signal to a market that has been trending higher in orderly fashion since my July 2 bullish call at $15.00 silver at $14.20 SLV. The gravestone doji is one of the most reliable reversal indicators and is always found at the tail end of a bull move. When accompanied by the big volume spike we had last week in silver, it suggests that my re-entry into the silver market is going to be farther away and possibly a bit lower than I initially expected.

Going into Thursday, the number of tweets from newly minted gold "experts" (most of whom you know) that were the literary equivalent of a NASCAR victory lap, complete with buxomy girls and flowing champagne, were voluminous to the point where I actually tweeted this during the final orgasmic spike in silver on Wednesday: "Not ONErepeatNOT ONE bearish tweet on the PM sector in the past two sessionseveryone now long and strong with bows taken and egos fully erect."

Whenever highly emotional extremes of either greed or fear enter the marketany marketI have learned over the years to be prepared to take the opposite side of the trade. Certainly there was an extreme last July when people were revolted by the prospect of owning silver, with more than a few of the "enlightened ones" calling for a 100 GSR (gold-silver ratio), which was the equivalent of capitulation.

What has annoyed me to no end in the past few weeks has been the presence of hubris in the collective psyches of many precious metals bulls, and it is not surprising that an attitude of "There! Take that, ya bastards!" was prevalent with regard to the bullion banks after year-after-year of intervention, interference and criminal collusion. I, too, was delighted in July when the $1,375 cap for gold was blown to smithereens by the combination of physical demand and rising mistrust. Notwithstanding the many thousands of dollars I left on the table by exercising the same prudence that saved my sexagenarian ass in past campaigns, the move into the $1,500s has been at once both vindication and celebration for a gold "opinionator" known to launch quote monitors from ninth-floor windows in search of banker craniums with alarming regularity.

However, the camaraderie among we gold bulls turned ugly when I started to read about a "new paradigm," to the point where I wanted to take the term and install it in my lavatory. Just as pride cometh before a fall, tweaking the bulbous, red-veined noses of the bullion bank sloths is analogous to shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic; it invites a negative outcome.

That is why I started this week's missive with a quote not from Ayn Rand or John Maynard Keynes but from last week's missive. By last Wednesday, the bullion bank traders weren't just irritated canines; they were bruised and bloodied wolverines, backed into a corner of the underground garage with nary a path for escape save launching a final desperate attackand attack they did, sending the gold and silver bulls reeling into urgent and intensified retreat after weeks of complacency and control.

Wall Street symbolizes the American Way of Life and all that is good that separates them from the heathens in Afghanistan or Venezuela. When rising gold prices hijack the financial news headlines, you had better prepare yourselves (and your margin clerk) for a change of venue. The most dangerous phrase in all of trading is "It's different this time." It is never, ever, "different". . .

Cot Report

To summarize what I deem as a "watershed week," I go into Monday morning with a 53.7% cash position my unleveraged trading account and 85% cash in the leveraged account. The GGMA portfolio is essentially my unleveraged account and is now up 163% year to date. But what is important for me is being able to resist the temptation of buying back all positions that I put on in the first half of the year too early.

Therein lies the danger in assuming that physical demand alone will give way to unimpeded advances in gold and silver; the central banking global cabal has many tools at its disposal, and to underestimate its willingness to use them to advance its own agenda would be abject folly. What we witnessed late last week was most certainly a healthy and well-deserved spate of gold ol' all-American profit-taking in the metals but the manner in which it closed out the week, and particularly the post-Crimex Access market, reeked of the all-too-familiar odor of interference.

Wounded animals, indeed.

Originally trained during the inflationary 1970s, Michael Ballanger is a graduate of Saint Louis University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Bachelor of Art in marketing before completing post-graduate work at the Wharton School of Finance. With more than 30 years of experience as a junior mining and exploration specialist, as well as a solid background in corporate finance, Ballanger's adherence to the concept of "Hard Assets" allows him to focus the practice on selecting opportunities in the global resource sector with emphasis on the precious metals exploration and development sector. Ballanger takes great pleasure in visiting mineral properties around the globe in the never-ending hunt for early-stage opportunities.

Disclosure: 1) Michael J. Ballanger: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of the following companies mentioned in this article: Aftermath Silver. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures are below. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Aftermath. Please click here for more information. 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Aftermath Silver, a company mentioned in this article.

Charts provided by the author.

( Companies Mentioned: AAG:TSX.V, )

from https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2019/09/09/wounded-animals-indeed.html

0 notes

southernchicstyle · 5 years ago

Text

I Scream You Scream

Photos by Daniel Ortiz Photography

When thinking of ideas for our daughter’s 3rd birthday party, she was on a major ice cream kick (I mean, what kid isn’t... but she was extra excited about it all of the time). So, ice cream party quickly became the theme.

And, with her birthday falling on a week day and Sunday Funday on my brain, “Sundae Funday” just clicked and came together! There was already a gold letter banner for it and everything. Plus, it was nice having all of Saturday to get everything ready for the Sunday party.

I pinterested the heck out of ideas to find what would really stick for our party. Ice cream cone centerpieces, a sundae bar with lots of toppings, and an ice cream cart were MUSTS from my research.

Etsy came through with the best banners, printables (invites, signs, etc), and balloon garland kit (linked everything at the end of the post but also attempted to link throughout the post).

There are so many fun ice cream themed ways to serve food. I found this great clear acrylic cone stand and served fruit in sugar cones. And, our sweet nanny made popcorn balls on sugar cones that turned out so cute!

Another Etsy find were the ice cream food tents that were a great accent to the decorations.

The table centerpieces were a combination of a few ideas I saw online. The glass containers themselves were finds from our local Ross. (The gold bottom was not my favorite at first but I’m so glad I got them!)

Then sprinkles went in the bottom with a waffle cone for the flowers. Carnations and hydrangeas give a good ice cream scoop appearance and we added in some wild flowers to liven it up.

Not everyone will care so much about sprinkles matching throughout the party, but I was a bit crazy about the specific colors. So, I found a huge container of them online and used them from the cake to the centerpieces, etc.

Ice cream cone cookies and 3s were an easy cookie decision in the party colors... with sprinkles, of course. Ours were made by Paulie’s Cookies in Houston. They tasted as delicious as they looked!

And, these honeycomb ice cream cones were an easy addition to the party.

I really loved so much about the birthday party, but I’m SUPER proud of the ice cream cart. Unable to locate one to rent or purchase, I tasked my handy husband with making one. He bought the wood, I found the wheels, we had the umbrella, and I bought the letters (and lined them up ever so carefully). He knocked it out of the park!

The balloon garland kit was perfect for recreating this look I found on pinterest (we added in the lavender balloons to pull it in from other parts of the party) and the inflatable ice cream cones were one of the first things I bought for the party!

The ice cream cart photo spot was popular, too. And, thanks to the balloon garland kit I now can create a balloon garland with ease!

Since the kids would no doubt end up on the playset, it got a little ice cream party touch, as well. A mini ice cream banner was the cutest along with mini 3D cones.

Our talented nanny also created the awesome balloon ice cream cone that she also knocked out of the park. She even managed to add balloon sprinkles!

It was SUPER windy during the party, so it was quite difficult to capture of a photo of the awesome ice cream cone balloon piece completely upright (its even on a sturdy metal pole...).

Two things:

1) Who remembers the ice cream poppers/shooters (in my daughter’s hand below)? We HAD to have them for the party and the kids LOVED them!

2) The pieces on the floor in the photo below are frozen rose petals. I’d never seen anyone freeze flowers like this! Keep reading for who made that happen.

Scooping ice cream from tubs was the last resort for the party. My first idea was to rent a soft serve machine. Oddly enough, that was a difficult task (finding a company who rented one and would deliver it to our area). Sharing this with a friend, she recommended trying a local ice cream store for catering.

So, I reached out to Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream. You know, the ice cream spot where they make the ice cream in front of you using science. Not only would that provide entertainment, but it would be one less thing I have to attend to during the party.

Sub Zero to the rescue!

The owner was great to work with, and he had a great set up complete with science experiments for the kids like the frozen roses. Perfect option for a party!

For the Ice Cream Sundae bar, toppings were the hero.

But, the set up included two “ice cream sundae” arrangements (white and pink hydrangeas bundled to look like ice cream scoops with burlap wrapped around the stems to look like a cone, and a cherry on top), the ice cream cups each child could take home with them, and our wooden back drop covered in vinyl sprinkles and finished with the “Sundae Funday” gold balloons.

Toppings on the bar: Marshmallows, crushed Heath Bar (toffee), cherries, mini M&Ms, gummy bears, strawberry wafers, almond slivers, Teddy Grahams, strawberries, sprinkles, cookie dough, peanut butter cup, caramel, chocolate syrup, white chocolate syrup, and whipped topping.

Clear scoops for the toppings aimed to keep little hands out of touching everything. No telling if that was successful, but they looked great!

Even though ice cream was the main attraction, you can’t have a birthday without cake.

Sweet Marie’s made the cutest “ice cream cone melting” cake for our girl’s party. And, we ordered some chocolate and vanilla cupcakes from the local grocery store with white icing and added the cupcake holders and cherries to look like ice cream sundaes.

The birthday girl wore a tiara made of sprinkles (a little pricier than I wanted, but it was perfect) and a custom Cuteheads dress with the most perfect ice cream cone buttons on the back.

The candle for the cake is simple a “3″ I found online that we put adhesive on and sprinkled sprinkles on to match the cake and other decor.

Oh how I wish I could take credit for the melting ice cream cone on the craft table, but I only found the idea on pinterest. Our nanny recreated it!

Rough instructions: Inspired by Pinterest. We didn’t have specific instructions, but took brown butcher paper to make the cone and added a sheer tan ribbon for the lines. The white “ice cream” is a filler you would use when stuffing pillows or crafts for kids with pink table cloths (I believe we used the plastic ones you can get at any party store) bunched up around the base with craft pom poms sprinkled all over. The cherry is a bunch of sheer red fabric balled up with pink string making the little pink ball on the cherry and a cotton ball on top of that. Used a combination of hot glue and fabric glue to secure things.

In addition to the jump house, our playset, and the trampoline, we had a necklace/bracelet activity for the kids.. These ice cream cone charms paired well with the two sets of beads I ordered for stringing.

And, the bean bag toss has become a consistent activity at our parties. It was painted with flowers for the first birthday, bubbles for the second, and ice cream for the 3rd. You’ll see the next iteration when I get our son’s 1st birthday posted!

For the adults, I found a fun ice cream champagne idea on pinterest and put my own (easier) spin on it. The post I found suggested scooping vanilla ice cream ahead of time and putting it in the freezer on a pan, which definitely helped get the drinks out quickly. And, we served them in fun gold rimmed champagne flutes that I also used for flowers on the kids’ table.

To make the ice cream drink, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the flute then pour champagne over it. Add a raspberry flavored drink on top... just a little more than a splash. We used the black raspberry Ice Water, but the original recipe called for a homemade raspberry sauce. I did not have the time for it, and the raspberry sparkling water was easy and delicious!

And, last but not least, the kids all went home with some fun ice cream themed goodies. The favor tags were a printable download linked here that was personalized with our girl’s name. And, the cellophane wrapped cups were printed with a similar ice cream cone as the signs and invite. Inside the cups we put ice cream pens, mini sundae shaped lip glosses, stickers, and lollipops.

Then we wrapped cellophane around the cups, tied it with ribbon, and added the favor tags. The kids also took home bath bombs shaped like ice cream scoops with sprinkles. My friend Beth (who owns Manor) made them and they were a hit!

It may have taken me a while to get this comprehensive post together for you guys, but I loved reliving every single detail. My last tip from the party is related to the balloon garland.

Get a balloon pump for blowing up the balloons, use balloon tape, and enlist help for blowing up balloons. It’ll go much faster with help! And, the balloons will hold air and typically look good at the least for 24 hours. We assembled ours the night before.

All things party related including some not pictured:

- Assorted Beads for Stringing $14

- Balloon Garland Kit, Ice Cream Dream $30

- Balloons: Gold and White 12″ Balloons, 100 pack $10

- Balloon Tape, 25′ length $7

- Cake by Sweet Marie’s

- Candle (gold trim 3) $4.50

- Cherries: Pack of 25 Artificial Lifelike Red Black Cherries $5.60

- Clear Acrylic Ice Cream Cone Stand $15

- Clear Scoops for Toppings, 16 pieces $9

- Confetti Sprinkle Beverage Napkins (48 count) $7.50

- Cookies: Custom by Paulie’s Cookies

- Dress: Custom Cuteheads Dress

- Elastic Thread Beading String, 0.8 mm $7.60

- Ghirardelli Caramel, Chocolate, & White Chocolate (3 pack) $18

- Gold Plastic Silverware (300 piece) $30

- Gold Rimmed Champagne Flutes (clear hard plastic set of 50) $20.20

- Gold Rimmed Plastic Cups (set of 50) $14.20

- Happy Birthday Ice Cream Banner $20

- Honeycomb Ice Cream Cone Hanging Decor $6.50

- I Scream You Scream Instant Download Sign, 8x10 $5

- Ice Cream Birthday Party Printable Invitations, 5x7 pdf $16

for those in Houston, I print mine at Katie & Co.

- Ice Cream Birthday Party Favor Tags (1.75″ x 3.5″) $10

- Ice Cream Cone Shooters, 12 pack $12

- Ice Cream Cone Charms (set of 9) $9

- Ice Cream Dessert Bowls and Spoons, 12 pack $14

- Ice Cream Party Balloons with Sprinkles $13

- Ice Cream Party Cups (with lids and straws, 16 oz) $12

- Ice Cream Parlor Food Label Table Tents, Printable set of 8 $10

- Ice Cream 6″ Pens (6 count) $12

- Ice Cream Scoop Bath Bombs (made by Beth of Manor)

- Inflatable Ice Cream Cones, 36 inch $8

- Lavender Balloons (12 inch, 12 count) $4.17

- Mini Ice Cream Banner $10.40

- Natural Rainbow Sprinkles, 1.6 lb $18.99

- Pastel Lunch Napkins (150 count) $15

- Photos: Party Photographed by Daniel Ortiz

- Rainbow Sprinkles Lace Tiara $30

- Self Adhesive Vinyl Letters, 4 inch $9.50

- Sprinkle Number 3 Balloon $6

- Sprinkle Paper Lanterns (set of 3) $11

- Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream (catered locally)

- Sugar & Cloth 5 inch Oval Dessert Plate, Mint with Gold Trim (24 count) $10

- Sundae Funday Gold Balloon Banner $37

- Sundae Lip Gloss Party Favor, set of 12 $16.55

- Tablecloth: Round Raised Petals in Taffeta, 120 in. $40

- Wire Spoke Wheel, 16 inch for cart $33

- Vinyl Sprinkle Stickers (used on backdrop) $18

Sugar & Cloth 5 inch Oval Dessert Plate, gold plasticware, and cake by Sweet Marie’s

_______________________________________________________

Birthday Archives:

2nd Birthday: Bubble Bash

1st Birthday: Garden Party (I guess its possible in my baby brain state I never posted the garden party... Will remedy that as soon as I can)

0 notes

whittlebaggett8 · 6 years ago

Text

The best instant coffee you can buy online, Defence Online

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Defence Online has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

source

Steven John/Defence Online

Instant coffee is made in two different ways: by drying a concentrated spray of coffee with super heated air or by freeze-drying the liquid into crystals.

Most instant coffee is shelf stable for years, making it great to have on hand for whenever you want a quick cup as well as for use in cooking, brewing, and for making sweet treats.

Waka Coffee’s instant coffee is our top pick because it dissolves rapidly with just a few stirs and genuinely tastes like a freshly brewed cup.

Based on a quick glance, I’d estimate that I have about 35 servings of instant coffee in my pantry right now. While my wife and I split a pot of coffee every morning, those packets aren’t just reserves or kept on hand for when I go camping. I drink a cup of instant coffee at least three times a week. It helps out on those days when the baby kept us up late, an article is taking longer than I expected, or when sometimes I just want more than my usual two cups. I’ll also have a cup of instant decaf many evenings when coffee sounds great palate-wise, but like a not entirely great idea sleep-wise.

Beyond the mere convenience factor, instant coffee creates more variety for your sipping pleasure. When making single serving coffees, you can enjoy a light breakfast blend with your eggs and toast then a robust roast as you get down to work. You can whip up a blended coffee beverage, no barista required, and you can also enjoy precise control over the potency of your joe.

I’ve sourced a number of instant coffees for which I can personally vouch. In fact, most of these brands are currently in the aforementioned pantry, and one of them in the burgundy colored mug sitting beside my computer. I chose the best instant coffee I could find in a number of classic coffee categories, from iced to decaf to blended.

While all of these instant coffees share certain qualities, they are markedly distinct in terms of flavor profile and will be suited to different coffee drinkers or at least to different coffee drinking occasions.

Here are the best instant coffees you can buy:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best instant coffee overall

source

Steven John/Defence Online

Why you’ll love it: Waka Coffee Quality Instant Coffee will fool even discerning coffee drinkers into thinking it is fresh brewed.

My wife loves coffee, and she’s a harsh critic of a bad cup. The first time she took a sip of Waka Coffee’s Quality Instant Coffee, she did that thing where you look at the object you’re holding as if just seeing it for the first time, pleasantly surprised to find it actually, well, pleasant.

I’m paraphrasing, but she said something like: “Whoa, this is actually really good.” I made myself a cup and confirmed the “whoa.” This instant coffee is actually really good.

Waka Coffee’s medium roast instant has a smooth, low-acidity taste that’s got a slight citrus hint and a genuine roasted flavor without any hint of burning. Its rich, fresh taste comes from the large freeze dried crystals contained in each of the eight 0.1-ounce packets in a box of Waka. Freeze drying preserves the flavor of coffee better than air drying, which can produce those burnt off notes.

Furthermore, Waka Coffee crystals dissolve remarkably quickly and completely, leaving no sludgy residue at the bottom of the cup and delivering full flavor. Long story short, if you want the taste of a fresh brewed cup of quality Arabica coffee, a packet of Waka and eight ounces of hot water is all you need. Oh, and a some sort of cup.

One Amazon customer describes this coffee as “bursting with flavor,” while another said it “tastes just like slow drip coffee” and also appreciated the company’s “very eco friendly” packaging. The experts from CoffeeReview called Waka’s instant “crisply sweet … with lingering notes of caramel and apricot” and an overall “appealing 100% Colombian coffee in [an] instant format.”

Pros: Fresh brewed taste, crystals dissolve quickly and completely, eco friendly packaging

Cons: Pricier than other options

Buy a box of Waka Coffee Quality Instant Coffee on Amazon for $9.99

The best instant iced coffee

source

Starbucks

Why you’ll love it: Starbucks VIA Instant Sweetened Iced Coffee tastes great even when stirred into cold water, so you really can enjoy coffee anywhere within a matter of seconds.

Even the best instant coffee isn’t exactly delicious when stirred into a cup of cold water, except when it is. Starbucks VIA Sweetened Iced Coffee is great when prepared using cold water because that’s precisely how it was intended to be prepared. It’s lightly sweetened with natural sugar cane and enjoys a mild, refreshing flavor thanks to medium roast Arabica beans sourced from South and Central America.

I will say that this coffee has a bit of that bitter, burnt taste you know from many instant coffees and with which you may well already associate Starbucks in general. The instant coffees are made using both sprayed and air-dried particles as well as blended in super finely ground coffee beans. This arrangement delivers plenty of flavor, but some drinkers will find off notes.

That said, when served with plenty of ice, this stuff is so refreshing you’ll probably slurp down a big glass so fast you’ll hardly notice. And I do mean big: Each packet contains enough instant coffee for two technical servings, or 16 ounces of coffee in total.

A shopper named Roy called Starbucks VIA Instant Sweetened Iced Coffee “easy to make” and “the best [choice] for those of us who like instant iced coffee,” while a coffee drinker named Marianne agreed that it was “so easy” and “tastes great!”

Another called it “convenient for on the go coffee drinkers” but just found it “too bitter” for her palate.

Pros: No hot water required, large 16-ounce serving per packet, natural sweetening

Cons: Slight bitter/burnt notes

Buy a box of Starbucks VIA Instant Sweetened Iced Coffee on Amazon for $5.62

The best organic instant coffee

source

Mount Hagen

Why you’ll love it: Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee tastes good, plus, it’s certified Fairtrade and organic.

Before we talk about the flavor of Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee’s instant coffee, let’s talk about its background. First of all, it’s organic, so you know there are no pesticides, additives, or genetically modified ingredients in there.

Second, it’s Fair trade certified, meaning that while the people producing the coffee are from developing nations, they are guaranteed to receive payment and to work in conditions comparable to those found in the developed countries.

And third, the stuff is pretty affordable even given those stipulations: A 3.53-ounce glass jar of Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee will produce about 30 proper cups, meaning each serving costs only 42 cents (at current pricing).

Now, how does that affordable cup of organic, fair trade coffee tastes? While I’ve been a Mount Hagen fan for years, when someone says it better than you, you should let them say it.

A Mount Hagen fan named Michael left an Amazon review that says it perfectly. He writes: “I couldn’t care less if this coffee is organic, fair trade or created in a lab from old tires, road kill and toxic waste. All I want is a decent cup of coffee [and this is] really excellent coffee.”

The flavor profile is rather mild and might even be too light for some coffee drinkers who want a robust cup, but the organic and fair trade certifications should help sway those on the fence here. The writers from DrippedCoffee agree, calling Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee “a milder and smoother instant cup of joe” that’s a “reasonably close alternative” to fresh brew.

Pros: Organic and fair trade, good price point, good hot or over ice

Cons: Too mild for some coffee drinkers

Buy a jar of Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee on Amazon for $11.44

The best decaf instant coffee

source

Nescafé

Why you’ll love it: A mug of Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf tastes about as good as any regular instant coffee out there, and almost as good as any fresh pot of decaf.

There’s nothing mind-blowing about the flavor of Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf instant coffee. It’s a light-to-medium slow roasted house blend that wouldn’t be out of place at a diner, in the break room, or in your own kitchen.

There aren’t fruity notes that call to mind a fresh plate of berries or a toffee/caramel sweetness that inspires thoughts of holiday cheer. It just tastes like a basic cup of decent coffee. But with so many instant coffees tasting decidedly less than decent, that’s not a putdown, it’s a nod of approval.

The Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf instant coffee actually deserves better than decent – it deserves to be called good. The fact that you get 80 packets of the stuff for $14.95, which equals 18 cents per serving, certainly helps, too. Beyond the flavor and price, you’ll also appreciate that Nescafe has donated nearly 75 million coffee trees to farmers in developing regions, helping thousands of families establish financial independence and security.

With around 400 reviews posted at the time of this writing, Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf instant coffee currently enjoys a 4.3-star overall rating. A customer named Dave put it well, speaking for many when he said it tasted just how he “thought coffee should taste” and in addition to being “excellent” was “very easy to make.”

A few reviewers did decry the small portion of the rather mild coffee contained in each packet, with one saying she had to “use three of them” to make a strong enough cup.

Pros: Great low price, naturally decaffeinated, brand supports independent farmers

Cons: Packets don’t contain enough coffee

Buy a box of Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf instant coffee on Amazon for $14.20 to $14.95

The best low-cost instant coffee

source

Folgers

Why you’ll love it: Each eight-ounce jar of Folgers Classic Roast instant coffee can make up to 130 cups of joe, so each serving will cost around a nickel.

OK, to be honest, the 130 cups of coffee Folgers claims you’ll get out of an eight-ounce jar of Folgers Classic Roast instant? That’s something of an exaggeration. The brand’s serving size is just six ounces, so not even a whole cup, and even at that six-ounce size, if you use the “rounded teaspoon” of coffee crystals they recommend, you’re going to get a pretty weak cuppa. That said, an eight-ounce serving prepared with about 150% that much coffee means a mug of coffee that still costs you less than dime. And it’s pretty good stuff, too.

Folgers Classic Roast instant doesn’t make great coffee, but it’s almost as good as fresh brewed Folgers, a taste many people around the world appreciate as a sort of baseline for decent joe. Beyond the great price and decent flavor when used to make coffee, this stuff is a great choice for use in other culinary practices.

When mixed into cakes, cookies, or pastries, used in sauces or rubs, or even in the homebrew process as you make beer, the quick-dissolving crystals and generic coffee flavor are perfect. Of course, that low price means you can scoop in as much coffee as your recipe calls for an then some.

With dozens of reviews posted online, Folgers Classic Roast instant coffee has a solid 4.2-star averaged rating from shoppers. One reviewer said this affordable coffee “was the best but [that he] found” when browsing instant coffee options. Another said it “tastes like the real thing” and “wakes [her] up in the morning.”

While several buyers did call the coffee bitter, still others loved that it was “great for baking and cooking” and praised its “surprisingly versatile culinary use.”

Pros: Very low price, great for cooking and baking, dissolves quickly in hot water

Cons: Bitter and burnt flavor notes

Buy a jar of Folgers Classic Roast instant coffee on Amazon for $5.72

The best instant latte

source

Alpine Start

Why you’ll love it: Instant black coffee is great and all, but for when you need a burst of sweetness and flavor in the next few seconds, a packet of Alpine Start Coconut Creamer Latte has you covered.

Black coffee is not only a fine beverage in and of itself, but it’s also the starting point for all sorts of beloved drinks, from the latte to the cappuccino to the dirty chai and beyond. So with great instant coffee, you can quickly make your favorite fancy coffee treat. Or you can cut out all the steps beyond stirring powder into hot water and make a tasty latte in one step with Alpine Start Coconut Creamer Latte instant coffee.

The coffee crystals and sweetened creamer powder found in a packet of Alpine Start Coconut Creamer Latte produce a rich, smooth drink that might not taste like it was just whipped up by Brooklyn’s hippest Barista, but is plenty good for instant and will satisfy your sweet tooth and caffeine craving at the same time.

Because the stuff is made with a non-dairy coconut based creamer, it’s safe for people who avoid milk. Don’t worry if you don’t much care for coconut, you’ll hardly taste that flavor at all, but instead will enjoy a taste more akin to actual creamer.

Each serving of Alpine Start Coconut Creamer Latte costs $1.79, making it the priciest instant coffee on the list by a long shot, but it’s also the only one that whips up more than mere black coffee, of course.

With nearly 200 reviews posted and counting, Alpine Start Coconut Creamer Latte has a four-star overall rating at present. A reviewer named Cynthia called it “the best instant type coffee [she’d] had yet,” while a buyer named Paully was quite direct when said it “really is instant coffee that doesn’t suck,” praising its “smoothness” and the fact that it had “no bitterness.”

Do note that the writers from OutdoorGearLab were less taken with the brand, saying that although “Alpine Start is a way to get your fix anywhere and anytime,” they said it was “not the best flavor compared to fresh brewed” and that the “price adds up.”

Pros: Instant sweet latte, soy and dairy free creamer, rich smooth taste

Cons: Quite pricey compared to other instant options

Buy a box of Alpine Start Coconut Creamer Latte instant coffee on Amazon for $7.65

The post The best instant coffee you can buy online, Defence Online appeared first on Defence Online.

from WordPress https://defenceonline.com/2019/03/11/the-best-instant-coffee-you-can-buy-online-defence-online/

#Amazon Product Coverage #Coffee #Coffee Guides #Features #Food Guides #Insider Picks 2019 #Insider P

0 notes

elizabethiris · 8 years ago

Text

East Midlands Trains

When you own a car you definitely take it for granted, we all do. When we don’t have a car for a while its only then you realize how much you rely on it. Unfortunately some careless driver crashed into me, leaving me without a car for a few weeks whilst it was been repaired. Because of this I had to use public transport for my daily commute. I live in Sheffield and work in Derby, it’s about a 65 mile round trip there or there about. Ok, so if I get the 6.49am East Midlands train from Sheffield to Derby, one way on that train only costs me £7.10, that’s the cheapest single ticket. If I want an anytime single, so I can get on any train, it costs me £21.40 ONE WAY! Now if I get on the train from Chesterfield, to travel on a specific train, and only that train, prices start from £4 and the anytime single is £11.60. Now here is the thing. From Sheffield station to Chesterfield is a journey time of about 10 minutes and Chesterfield to Derby approximately 20 minutes. So why is it so much more expensive to go from Sheffield, when the long length of the journey is Chesterfield to Derby? The morning trains from Sheffield are always empty, and if I come home before 4pm, the return trains are usually pretty empty also. When I have turned up to Sheffield station in the mornings without booking in advance, one way costs me £21.40.

Let’s get to return tickets. If I want an anytime return from Sheffield to Derby it will cost me £21.30 per day, if I get on the train from Chesterfield to Derby, an anytime return will cost me £18.90 (not much different). Booking on specific trains is much cheaper however its not always possible for me to know what time I’m finishing work and sometimes the bus is late which takes me to the station, so it’s always best for me to book anytime trains. Yesterday for example, to save money I booked on the 3.25pm train from Derby to Sheffield which cost me £7.50. I got to the station at 3pm, now I could have caught the 3.05pm train which stopped in the station and was empty, and then the 3.16 train which also stopped at Sheffield, but because I had booked for specifically the 3.25 train I had to sit in a cold and wet station and get on the 3.25. Also there has been many times I have been on a peak train home and had to stand.

If you want to change your ticket to a different time, you have to pay the difference. I tried to do this once coming back from London. My flight was on time and I was straight through the airport with no delays, so I had a 4 hour wait for my booked train. If I wanted to change my ticket to an earlier OFF PEAK train, it was going to cost me £30, which was additional to the £45 which I had already paid for the single ticket. Disgraceful, bear in mind my booked train was a peak train and I wanted to change to an earlier off peak train.

I drive a small diesel car with zero road tax, I put fill the tank with £37 worth of fuel every week, which also lasts me the weekend. Why would anyone choose to use public transport when it’s so much more expensive. The prices above are just for the train as well. I have to get a bus from home to Sheffield station, from Derby station to work, and the same back which costs me an additional £6 a day.

There seems to be no cap on what rail companies can charge. They also do season tickets however they cunningly don’t do a five day season ticket, only a seven day one. Most people who get the train are commuters and only want a Monday to Friday ticket. So it’s not worth your while getting season tickets because if you book the specific timed trains it costs £14.20 a day whereas the seven day season ticket is something like £74.

One last note, if you book single tickets online via the East Midlands trains website, for five days, collecting them from the machine at the station, you have to put your card into the machine five separate times and input five different codes. You then get about 25 individual tickets from the machine, Don’t forget, if you have a seat reservation you need to have two tickets, the seat reservation isn’t valid without the other ticket. This catches so many people out, and if you don’t regularly travel by train I can see why it can be confusing. And don’t rely on the trains being on time, especially the return commuter trains, they are always delayed for some reason or other.

Basically rail travel in the UK is appalling. I especially despise East Midlands trains. They do nothing for their customers apart from rob them of their hard earned cash, the trains aren’t even nice, nor is the overpriced food and drink they serve on board. I was recently in the USA and traveled by Amtrak, which is their train network. I was surprised with the ease of the trains to use and how much space there is on the trains along with the fact that they were all on time.

Until the government do something to stop the monopoly companies like East Midlands trains have, just get in your car, it’s cheaper and much more comfortable, you will be able to sit down at least and won’t have a smelly, drunk or abusive individual sat by the side of you.

1 note · View note

hqletterdepot · 4 years ago

Text

The HQ Letter Depot

Through this project, you can send a message to a Haikyuu character and get a letter reply posted to you; fully personalised, decorated and with a gift that made them think of you. I hope you enjoy this project as much as I will!

This project will be supporting small businesses during the pandemic - gifts and decorations will be purchased from small businesses/independent artists and creators

What you will receive:

An A4 customised letter in a personalised character handwriting (these letters will be typed and printed)

An envelope decorated by the character themselves - each character has their own themes and styles, including stickers, flowers and more!

A small gift chosen for you by the character, something that made them think of you

An easy-read format if required, such as dylsexia-friendly font or anything else you need alongside your original letter to help you

How and when will the letters be shipped:

The letters and envelopes will be shipped in a plain hardback A5 envelope to protect the decorations and gifts inside, and also so it is concealed for those who would not wish for the contents to be known by others

Letters will be shipped from the UK

Due to the pandemic, please wait up to 2 weeks for the letters to be shipped, and another 3 days - 4 weeks for delivery (depending on your location). While it is likely postage will be much shorter than this, I cannot guarantee that due to the situation currently

Each gift will be picked personally for you, therefore they will be purchased after ordering making the wait a little longer that it could be

Pricing:

Each letter and gift will cost £12.50/$17/€14.20 (with free shipping to the UK and £3.50 shipping internationally)

As much as I would love to deliver these for free, it is expensive buying the gifts and decorations, and shipping costs me £4.50 (internationally) per letter

This project will be supporting small businesses during the pandemic - gifts and decorations will be purchased from small businesses/independent artists and creators which makes the creation of these letters more expensive

How to order:

There are two ways of order - through Tumblr (paying by PayPal) or through Etsy!

There is a form that is required to fill in to process your order. This is so the letters can be fully personalised! Each form allows you to introduce yourself to the character and send them a message or letter of something you’d like to say to them, whether that be what you think about them, some struggles you’ve been going through or just about your interests.

Ordering on Tumblr and paying through PayPal -

To order on tumblr, please fill in this form

After, I will send you a Paypal invoice where you can pay directly

Ordering through Etsy -

To order on Etsy, please follow this link and place your order

Please leave a contact email (or your tumblr url) so I can email you the correct form

Other notes:

Processing will begin once payment is made

Cancellations or refunds will not be accepted

Please message me if you have any questions!!

#PLEASE TUMBLR LET THIS WORK #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#haikyu x reader #haikyū!!#haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu fluff

242 notes · View notes

theladyjstyle · 7 years ago

Photo

Vienna. Home to schnitzel, Freud, Mozart, the Hapsburgs, opera, art, coffeeshops, and so much more. Over the decade I have been coming in and out of this city, I’ve watched it change from a stiff capital city to a cool, hip, foodie, and arty paradise.

Ok, it’s always been an arty paradise and maybe the “stiff capital” was just my incorrect first impression. See, when I first visited Vienna, I wasn’t a fan. It felt too stiff. Too proper. It had the air of a city too long steeped in imperial history. Despite being taken around by a local friend, I kept comparing it to Prague and Budapest and went “mehhh.”

But, over time, I’ve come to appreciate the city and all it has to offer. In short, I was wrong about Vienna (and that goes to the important point that first impressions are not always correct). The city has countless museums, palaces, markets, restaurants, quirky art exhibits, delicious food halls, neighbors a wonderful wine region, and is a quick train trip to Bratislava.

With so much to offer, here’s how I’d organize a week long visit to Vienna:

Day 1

Free walking tour (Neubaugürtel 54, +43 6645544315, www.goodviennatours.eu) – Start your trip off with a free walking tour. It’s a cool way to get a sense of the capital, give you a taste of its history and culture, and let you explore and orientate yourself the city on foot. Plus, you can ask your guide any and all questions you may have! Three excellent free tours are:

Good Tours

Anna Loves Vienna

The Original Free Vienna Walking Tour

Just make sure to tip your guide!

Imperial Palace (Michaelerkuppel, +43 15337570, www.hofburg-wien.at) – Built in the 13th century, this is a giant complex with multiple attractions. You can easily spend half a day here. First, there are the Imperial Apartments, which is really three activities in one: the silver collection featuring thousands of royal dinnerware, the Sisi exhibit highlighting the life of the beloved Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and the actually royal apartments themselves. Additionally, you can also check out the butterfly museum and the National Library where you can see the ornate baroque style State Hall with its tens of thousands of books.

However, my favorite is the Imperial Treasury. You’ll find tons of royal artifacts, crowns, scepters, and a really detailed history of the Hapsburg family and empire. And, though not free, you should definitely get the audio tour. It adds a ton of context to the exhibits. Honestly, if you just see this attraction, you’d learn enough!

Opening hours: Daily (9am-5:30pm) from September to June, and 9am-6pm in July and August. Admission is 14 EUR for adults and 8.20 EUR for kids. Just be sure to avoid the weekends if you can, as it gets crowded.

Additionally, you can listen to the Vienna Boys Choir during mass on Sundays at the Royal Chapel (which is located at the Imperial Palace). They are one of the most famous choirs in the world. There are around 100 boys in the choir. (Seated tickets start at 11 EUR, though you can get free standing room tickets if you line up 30-45 minutes before the performance.)

Naschmarkt (1060 Vienna, +43 1400005430, www.naschmarkt-vienna.com) – This is Vienna’s largest open-air food market. It’s been operating for hundreds of years and has a variety of restaurants, street stalls, and grocers. It’s a little touristy (don’t go food shopping here) but it has a cool vibe and, on a warm sunny day, it’s nice to sit out with a meal and a glass of wine. Despite its fame, you’ll still find a lot of locals here. Be sure to hit up Umarfisch for seafood and wine.

Opening hours: Monday-Friday (9am-7:30pm), Saturday (9am-5pm). Restaurants and cafes are open later.

Day 2

Museumsquartier (Museumsplatz 1, +43 15235881, www.mqw.at) – Once the imperial stables, the Museumsquartier is now home to three different museums: the Leopold Museum for Art Noveau and Experessionism; Kunsthalle Wien, an exhibition center with rotating exhibitions; and the Museum of Modern Art, which has the largest collection of modern art in central Europe. The Museumsquartier is also home to a number of festivals throughout the year.

Basically, if you love modern art, you need to come here!

Museum of Fine Arts (Maria-Theresien-Platz, +43 1525240, www.khm.at) – This is the largest art museum in the country, with artifacts from ancient Egypt and Greece and paintings from Raphael, Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, and more. Most of the items are from the Hapsburg’s old collection. This museum is more “classic art” and there’s enough to keep you busy for a few hours (at the very least).

Opening hours: Daily (10am-6pm; 10am-9pm on Thursdays) from June to August. Tuesday-Sunday (10am-6pm) and Thursday (10am-9pm) from September to May. Admission is 15 EUR.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansplatz 3, www.stephanskirche.at) – Built in Romanesque and Gothic styles, this cathedral has been standing since the 12th century. Inside, you’ll find an ornately decorated church with high archways, vaulted ceilings, and a plethora of statues and religious paintings. Additionally, there are two beautiful altars: the High Altar, built in the 1640s and the Wiener Neustadt Altar, commissioned in 1447. The cathedral also has two towers, though one was never finished because they ran out of money. You can pay 5 EUR to climb the several hundred steps of the south tower or, if climbing isn’t your thing, you can pay 6 EUR to explore the catacombs below the cathedral.

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday (6am-10pm), Sunday (7am-10pm).

Stroll along the Danube If you haven’t done so already, take a walk along the Danube. There are plenty of bars, stores, and cafes along the water so you can grab a drink and chill or just window shop if you don’t feel like stopping. In the summer, there are also a few small “beaches” where you can relax and soak up some sun and relax on a nice day.

Day 3

House of Music (Seilerstätte 30, +43 15134850, www.hausdermusik.com) – This is a small but fascinating museum featuring exhibits on some of the world’s most well-known Austrian composers — Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, and Schoenberg. You can view manuscripts, artifacts, and there’s also a virtual stage where you can conduct your own symphony.

Opening hours: Daily (10am-10pm). Admission is 13 EUR.

Schonbrunn Palace (Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, +43 1 81113239, www.schoenbrunn.at) – This palace started off as a hunting lodge in 1696 before becoming the summer residence of the Hapsburgs (because at the time this was far outside the city center). There are over 1,400 rooms in the palace but only a handful are open to the public (you’ll see 22 rooms with the imperial tour and 40 rooms with the grand tour). However, there’s enough to spend a few hours here wandering the exquisitely restored rooms. The gardens are free (you’ll see a lot of locals running here) and there’s also a neat maze as well as the “Schonbrunn Tiergarten” (the Vienna Zoo), which is a great place to take the kids. I love coming to the gardens, climbing up the hill, and enjoying a bottle of wine with friends. You can see the city off in the distance. There are also guided tours for those particularly interested in the history of the palace.

Opening hours: Daily (8am-5:30pm) from April-June and September-November; 8am-6:30pm from July 1-August 31; 8am-5pm from November 5-March 31. The Imperial Tour is 14.20 EUR and takes 30-40 minutes, the Grand Tour is 17.50 and takes approximately 1 hour, the Classic Pass is 24 EUR and takes 3-4 hours, and the Sisi Ticket is 29.90 EUR and lasts an entire day. There is also an audio guide available in 21 different languages free of charge.

Vienna State Opera (Opernring 2, +43 1 514 44/2250, www.wiener-staatsoper.at) – Vienna is pretty much synonymous with opera. This opera house is one of the largest and most famous in the world and opera is a major focal point of Viennese life. For 9 EUR, you can take a 40-minute behind-the-scenes tour of the facility. To see a show, I recommend buying last minute standing room tickets for around 10 EUR (often less) the day of a show, usually around 60-80 minutes before it starts (you can line up earlier than that, but they don’t start selling until right before the show). It’s first come, first serve and you can only buy 1 ticket per person.

Opening hours: Varies daily for guided tours and for performances.

Day 4

Belvedere Palace (Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27, +43 1 795570, www.belvedere.at) – This is one of my favorite places in the city. The Belvedere is actually two palaces. The northern palace is home to an incredible art collection with works by Renoir, Monet, and Van Gogh and a large portrait collection (which is my favorite). The southern palace is a rotating exhibit hall. The free grounds feature beautiful fountains, gravel walkways, ponds, statues, plants, and flowers and are prefect for stroll on a nice day.

Opening hours: Daily (10am-6pm). Admission is 8-22 EUR, depending on how much you want to explore.

Jewish Square (Dorotheergasse 11, +43 1 5350431, www.jmw.at) – For centuries, Vienna was home to a sizable Jewish population. Then the Nazis came. This area of town features two important museums: the Vienna Jewish Museum that details the role Viennese Jews played in the development of city life; and the Medieval Synagogue, which gives a more authentic look at the history of Jewish life in Vienna. There is also the nearby sober Holocaust memorial designed by British artist Rachel Whiteread.

Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday (10am-6pm), Friday (10am-2pm). Admission to the museum is 12 EUR for adults, with discounts available.

Natural History Museum (Burgring 7, +43 1 521770, www.nhm-wien.ac.at) – The Natural History Museum features a huge collection of minerals, precious stones, meteorites, fossils, and even some taxidermy because stuffed animals and all! With over 30 million objects, the museum’s collection is one of the biggest in Europe. The museum is also home to a digital planetarium where you can watch movies about the earth and its development. I highly recommend going (cause space is awesome).

Opening hours: Thursday-Monday (9am-6:30pm), Wednesday (9am-9pm). Admission is 10 EUR.

Day 5

Mozart Museum (Domgasse 5, +43 1 5121791, www.mozarthausvienna.at) – Though Mozart lived at a handful of different addresses in Vienna, this is the only apartment that has survived. He lived here from 1784-1787, and you’ll learn about his life, family, music, friends, and are able to listen to his work. There’s a variety of paintings, artifacts, letters, and memorabilia from his life here as well. It’s a neat little museum to check out.

Opening hours: Daily (10am-7pm). Admission is 11 EUR.

Freud Museum (Berggasse 19, +43 1 3191596, www.freud-museum.at) – Sigmund Freud, the famous founder of psychoanalysis, lived in this apartment-turned-museum from 1891 to 1938. The museum was opened in 1971 with the help of Anna Freud (his youngest daughter) and is home to the original furniture and Freud’s private collection of antiques as well as first editions of his works. There are also films from his private life. It’s small and only takes about an hour to visit.

Opening hours: Daily (10am-6pm). Admission is 12 EUR.

Albertina (Albertinaplatz 1, +43 1 53483, www.albertina.at) – The Albertina is one of the best museums in the city (which says a lot because this is a city of museums)! It’s housed in one of the old private residence wings of the Imperial Palace. It’s most famous for its print collection, which is comprised of over one million prints and 60,000 drawings. However, they have a lot of temporary exhibits that rotate through here too, which I found to be the highlight (I saw one on Raphael).

Opening hours: Saturday-Tuesday, Thursday (10am-6pm), Wednesday and Friday (10am-9pm). Admission is 13 EUR for adults and free if you’re under 19.

Day 6

Do a Wine Tour (+ 43 12297334, www.discoverviennatours.com) Once you’ve had your fill of museums and palaces, take a bike tour of the nearby Wachau Valley. You’ll get to taste some of the best local wine while burning off a few extra calories (to make room for more wine, of course!). It’s a full day excursion (plan to spend 8-10 hours on this) that includes some sightseeing and lunch too. If you’re looking for a tour operator, I suggest Discover Vienna Tours. They are who I use when I run tours to Vienna and people love it. Honestly, it’s the number thing people remember!

Tours go between April and October and cost around 74 EUR per person (with discounts available for students).

Day 7

Visit Bratislava Bratislava makes for a great day trip from Vienna. Located only an hour away, you can easily head there for a day to explore its charming medieval center, several castles, a cathedral, beer halls, restaurants, and paths along the Danube. Bratislava is a relatively small capital so it’s easy to get around on foot. Trains depart regularly from Vienna for as little as 10 EUR, while Flixbus runs a regular bus service with tickets starting around 5 EUR. If you stay in the night, Hostel Blues is my favorite hostel in the city.

OR….

Explore Vienna Woods This beautiful woodland (known as Wienerwald) is located on the outskirts of the city and is filled with a lot of hiking paths. It’s located around 30km from the city, extremely popular with locals (few tourists get out there). If you don’t have a vehicle, you can take public transportation or try the ride-sharing service BlaBlaCar.

Where to eat

Here’s a list of all my favorite restaurants in Vienna:

Figmueller (Wollzeile 5, +43 15126177) – Founded over 110 years ago, the Figlmüller is famous for its schnitzel. Yes, it’s super touristy but the schnitzel is very good and it’s about the size of your face so you’ll have leftovers. Be sure to make reservations!

Der Wiener Deewan (Liechtensteinstraße 10, +43 1 9251185) – This pay-what-you-want restaurant cooks Pakistani cuisine with excellent daal, naan bread, and salad. It’s popular among students (the university is nearby). Don’t go in a huge group or you’ll never get a seat.

Café Jelinek (Otto-Bauer-Gasse 5, +43 15974113) – This is one of many coffee houses in Vienna. It’s cool, stylish, serves great drinks, and has comfy tables.

Japanisches Restaurant NihonBashi (Kärntner 44, +43 18907856) – This is the best sushi restaurant in Vienna. Not only is the food mouth watering but it has an extensive sake menu.

Plutzer Bräu (Schrankgasse 2, +43 15261215) – A Westernized bar, this place has delicious Viennese food, along with steaks, burgers, and lots of beer.

Café Phil (Gumpendorfer 10, +43 15810489) – This cafe is also a bookstore. It’s very laid back and a great place to people watch. They also have fast wifi, friendly staff, and serve food!

L’Osteria Bräunerstraße (Bräunerstraße 11, +43 1512253610) – To die for Italian and pizza joint right downtown with outdoor seatings, friendly staff, and a huge wine list.

Restaurant Hidori (Burggasse 89, +43 15233900) – Another solid sushi place that also services some pretty amazing yakitori (grilled skewers).

Café Sperl (Gumpendorfer 11, +43 15864158) – This traditional coffeehouse dates back to the 19th century and is home to some delicious pastries. It was featured in Before Sunrise and A Dangerous Method.

**** Vienna has a lot of things to do in see. Sure, there’s a lot of museums and, by the time you leave here, you’ll have museum overload but there’s also a lot of great walking tours, excursions outside the city, food markets, places to eat, and cafes to sit around with a good book in! Vienna will never steer you wrong!

The post How to Spend a Week in Vienna appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

How to Spend a Week in Vienna https://ift.tt/2KhH3oW

#Nomadic Matt's Travel Site digital nomad

0 notes

mittensmorgul · 5 years ago

Text

Aah, 12.09. Good timing, tnt loop.

Sam and Dean trapped in a place that's "not supposed to exist." They are literally trapped in a cage where Dean was finally driven to make the only choice left open to them-- his deal with Billie.

Then there's all of his communication issues with Cas. Cas has been looking for them for weeks [Cas voice: six weeks, two days, and ten hours]. But he doesn't so much hear a single word of them during that whole time. Not even Crowley's contacts have any idea where the Winchesters are. No prayer even worked (or Dean-- or even Sam-- never bothered trying, at least not that we saw. But Dean's "prayer" or whatever to Billie DID work... she found him immediately... *something something cutting off all other options until they have no other choices blah blah blah* This is what Chuck has always done to them, and I do think Billie had a hand in this iteration...). Dean literally using the line "Well, what we have here is a failure to communicate." (well, not to Cas, but point stands), after Sam had called Dean out on his choice NOT to tell Cas about his deal with Billie over the phone.

Then (thanks to 14.18 this is even more freshly painful, because of Cas's memory/flashback of Mary establishing their earlier attempts to get to know one another when they felt mutually exiled from the bunker after 12.03 for their own personal feelings). The progression of their interactions over the weeks that Sam and Dean are missing fits into the EXACT same diagram of Dean and Cas's interactions over the course of s15 so far. Well, without all the history and emotional baggage and years and years of close personal interactions that make the s15 situation so horrifically painful now. This all occurred within the span of a single episode. Dean and Cas's issues-- built on 11 years of prior relationship-- have spanned more than half a season (going back to 14.17 where these dominoes started falling).

When Mary first arrives at the bunker after Cas realizes Sam and Dean are missing, she is ANGRY. And Cas is the only one there to be angry AT.

MARY: You left them. CASTIEL: No, I… Dean told me to go. The woman-- MARY: The one you lost? CASTIEL: I didn’t. I… I thought that she-- MARY: Stop making excuses. [Cas looks down, and Mary sighs heavily] MARY: Why… if they needed help, why didn’t they call me? CASTIEL: You were out. MARY: [sighs] How did we let this happen, Castiel?

Mary's anger stems mostly from the fact that SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THIS. Which is different, admittedly, from the source of Dean's anger in 14.18... Dean SHOULD HAVE known, he admitted to Sam that he DID know. That his anger was mostly self-directed, but he lashed out at Cas for "going off on his own to solve the problem without them anyway," in Dean's mind.

But this is the same issue to Cas, because they hadn't involved Mary in 12.08 because she was "out," they didn't want to drag her back into the hunting life that she was apparently struggling so hard with. It was apparently one of her main reasons for leaving them after 12.03, and then LIED TO THEM FOR WEEKS about what she was actually doing-- attempting to reconnect with her old life both with John AND through John's journal (i.e. her hunting life). In a similar fashion, this is what Cas has been doing for Dean (and Sam) since s6, right? Trying to do whatever he could to keep them out of the "bigger cosmic drama" so they wouldn't have to do those terrible things. (and this will continue to be an issue going forward-- disappearing to Heaven in just a few episodes, stealing the Colt to try and kill Dagon and the unborn nephilim, absconding with Kelly and cutting all connections with Sam and Dean... and then in 14.17 going off to attempt to find a way to contact God directly to "fix" Jack's missing soul without telling Sam and Dean about any of it... ostensibly to spare them ever having to know how bad he suspected things with Jack had become). And it all horrifically, terribly just made everything worse. No matter how hard Cas tries to protect the Winchesters, it always seems to just make things worse.

(I'll argue that killing Billie in 12.09 was inadvertently the BEST thing he's done, and Billie would likely agree, because it gave her the power to do what she's been planning ever since then...)

But when she and Cas meet again a few weeks later, Cas has had no further success at finding Sam and Dean. And he hasn't even been able to carry on hunting in their stead. He's lost his confidence in himself. He's... broken by his failure to protect them. And most importantly, Mary APOLOGIZED. First words out of her mouth after SHE reached out to CAS.

MARY: Thanks for meeting me. I just wanted to say [clears throat] I’m sorry. I was angry, and… Sam and Dean, that’s not your fault. CASTIEL: No, you were right. I should never have left them. I… Have you heard anything? MARY: All my law enforcement contacts are retired, or… dead. [sighs] I’m trying, but… You? CASTIEL: [shakes his head] MARY: I keep telling myself they’re fine. They’ve only been gone-- CASTIEL: Six weeks, two days, and ten hours. MARY: We’ll find them, Castiel. We will. Until then, we just… We’re doin’ our best. CASTIEL: Are we? Did you hear about the murders in Lancaster, Missouri? MARY: No. CASTIEL: The women with their throats ripped out, the blood drained? MARY: Vampire. CASTIEL: I saw it on the news and I thought, that’s the sort of thing Sam and Dean would investigate. They would roll into town, save the day, kill the monsters. But with them gone… I tried to work the case. I tried. [bitter little laugh] But… I don’t know what I did wrong. I… I asked questions, but maybe they were the wrong people, or the wrong questions, and I just-- I never found it. Never found the monster. Never even got close. And three more women died before I left town. Before I ran away. MARY: So we go back. You and me. CASTIEL: No. No, I’d only get in your way.

It's so similar, and yet so entirely different, from what Cas has done since he chose to walk away after 15.03. He "ran away," yes. He went off and tried hiding, learning to fish. But when he stumbled across a suspected monster case, he asked the RIGHT people the RIGHT questions, and no one else died. He killed the monster, saved and healed a boy, and made the choice to go back.

In 12.09, Cas resorted to sitting in the bunker library, in the dark, alone, rather than face his own failure. Mary took care of the monster he couldn't kill on his own, and that only made him feel worse. Until he was able to turn around and save all three Winchesters:

DEAN: Cas, what have you done? CASTIEL: What had to be done. You know this world-- this sad, doomed little world-- it needs you. It needs every last Winchester it can get, and I will not let you die. I won’t let any of you die. And I won’t let you sacrifice yourselves. You mean too much to me. To everything. Yeah, you made a deal. You made a stupid deal, and I broke it. You’re welcome.

Sacrifices sometimes have to be made, though. The loop has continued to play into 12.10 as I've typed this, and Cas's talk with Ishim is currently my background noise:

Ishim: Now, Mirabel, some angels think of Castiel as a hero. After he left us, he had his own flight to command. Balthazar, Uriel. Great soldiers. Both dead now, of course. You had a hand in that, too. So is he a hero? Is he a spanner in the works? I don't know. Castiel: I am not a hero. But sometimes doing the right thing requires sacrifices. Ishim: True, but it just always seems that it's other angels sacrificing for your good deeds. Their wings, their lives.

Because isn't this just what Cas has had to face on every front, for years? Doing the right thing, making sacrifices (and being willing to sacrifice himself-- and anyone else-- over and over again if it means Sam and Dean don't have to)? And regarding Lily-- who will eventually find her own redemption through helping Cas (and Sam and Dean) heal Jack in s14-- what is the Truth and what Cas was manipulated into believing because of Ishim's lies and jealousy was the cause of all of this from the start. Cas has struggled with understanding the machinations of Heaven for eons, through the failures of Heaven's plans, through the failings of his fellow angels, and finally understood that it was all a reflection of Chuck-- and Chuck's clear failings. Cas, unlike Dean, understood Chuck's revelation in 14.20. It was more a confirmation of everything he's suffered through forever (but especially since he'd gripped Dean tight and raised him from Perdition on God's orders) for Cas, rather than a shock.

What Cas doesn't yet understand is how badly that revelation shattered Dean's entire mindset and everything he'd ever believed in.

And what Dean doesn't yet understand is that Chuck's revelation hasn't changed anything, not fundamentally, and that Cas was right-- they are real, even if everything else is just Chuck's manipulation. That Cas's choices all along have been real, because all along he's chosen Dean again and again.

Good things do happen, Dean.

Not in my experience.

(or maybe not in any way Dean has yet been able to understand... gah these idiots really need to talk...)

#spn 12.09 #spn 12.10 #spn 15.07 #spn 15.06 #spn 15.03 #spn 15.01 #spn 14.20 #spn 14.18 #spn 14.17 #spiders georg of the tnt loop #s15 meta rewatch #that's what free will is #then on top of that we have all the obsession vs love themes in Lily Sunder that reiterate the central themes of s11 #and which will become the background noise of dabb era #grand unification via love theory #in the end it's always love that saves everything...

14 notes · View notes

besthtcphonesunder15000-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Latest and best HTC Cell phones Value, Specs.

Prime eight In style Smartphones Under Rs 10,000 in India. The 13MP f2.0 primary digital camera with CCT dual-LED flash and 4X digital zoom, 5MP f2.2 front dealing with digital camera takes one of the best and sharp runs on Android v5.1.1 (Lollipop) OS working system with 1.four GHz quad core CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal reminiscence expandable up to 32GB, dual micro-SIM (4G+4G).

Wrapped in a zero-gap aluminum unibody, the good four.7-inch full 1080p HD display screen is the right show for the brand new breakthrough digicam expertise of HTC Ultrapixel Digicam with Zoe which gives individuals the power to shoot excessive-res pictures that come to life in three-second snippets using these best HTC phones under 15000/- available in India

In the case of the Galaxy Note , Samsung's phablet wonder has been having fun with some unexpected popularity in markets abroad and even here in the US. But the company's possession of that when-area of interest class is about to be contested by a surge of copycats, spearheaded by the stylus-toting LG Optimus Vu ($866 unlocked).

Service and Gross sales revenues (as outlined in Notice thirteen to the Chosen Information, below) were $5.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, down from $5.2 billion within the third quarter of 2011 and $5.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010.

HTC A310E Explorer Metallic White : one other touchscreen cell phone by HTC is out there at Online Cellular Retailer at a value of just rupees 6999/- you could take a word that the web value of this newest cell phone by HTC is far higher - yes, the MRP is Rs. 12990/-, these phones are dual camera best HTC phones under 15000/-

As earlier than, the most recent model of MIUI still enables you to keep a bunch of quick toggles (similar to display rotation, WiFi, torch, information connection and guard mode) on the Android notification tray, and better but, this time the default layout is page mode as an alternative of compact mode.

Fitbit is on the forefront of cell accessibility, initially as the first and only company in its category to supply an Android app, and the only to offer Bluetooth 4.zero syncing for iOS units, Fitbit is now the first and only to offer Android Bluetooth four.0 syncing.

You might remember that in July researchers improved upon the standard, cesium-powered atomic clock mannequin by utilizing a community of lasers to trap and excite strontium ; instead of losing a second each few years, the Optical Lattice Clock only misplaced a second every three centuries.

This BEST HTC PHONES UNDER 15000/- another a type of price-efficiency balancing acts Motorola had to deal with, and since this thing has the same brain and the identical lack of LTE assist (HSPA all the best way) as the original G, I assume popping in a more highly effective cell wasn't deemed crucial.

Information service revenues in the fourth quarter of 2011 represented 31% of blended ARPU, or $14.20 per customer, in comparison with 30% of blended ARPU, or $14.00 per buyer within the third quarter of 2011, and 28% of blended ARPU, or $12.eighty per buyer in the fourth quarter of 2010.

youtube

From the dual stereo speakers (featuring devoted amps) surrounding the screen to the 2.1-megapixel camera with 88-degree large-angle lens capable of 1080p video, to the simplified gentle keys (one for again, one for house), to the IR blaster (integrated within the power button), to the default BlinkFeed homescreen (a Flipboard-like social feed); it's secure to say, the One's aggressively embracing the position of smartphone as multimedia powerhouse.

Sprint's All the things Information plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM begins at simply $seventy nine.99 monthly for smartphones - a financial savings of $20 per month versus Verizon's comparable plan with limitless speak, text and 2GB Web (excludes taxes and surcharges).

T-Cell USA reported Adjusted OIBDA (as outlined in Note 8 to the Chosen Knowledge, below) of $1.forty billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to $1.45 billion in the third quarter of 2011 and $1.34 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010.

We nonetheless have a week to go earlier than Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving in the United States when retailers supply a few of their best offers of the buying season - and Vizio has already introduced a one-day price discount on their forty two-inch plasma.

Accessible online at roughly Rs 8,500, Nokia Lumia 525 has a 4-inch (480 x 800p) show and runs on Home windows Telephone eight OS. This best HTC phones under 15000/- is powered by twin-core 1GHz processor with 1GB RAM and is accessible in 4 colors, particularly black, white, yellow and red.

If it's good to view any MKV information, you may nonetheless need to depend on third-get together apps like MX Player and PPTV (which is now very popular in China because it also affords an unlimited range of films and local TV exhibits for streaming).

Not that it matters all that a lot, because the Eluga borrows considered one of Japan's more standard telephone tricks by waterproofing the whole machine - supplied you keep the micro-USB and micro-SIM covers closed (something the phone will consistently remind you of whenever you boot it up).

0 notes

andreagillmer · 5 years ago

Text

Wounded Animals, Indeed

Source: Michael Ballanger for Streetwise Reports 09/09/2019

Sector expert Michael Ballanger offers his observations of recent activity in the gold and silver markets.

That is exactly the reply of the criminal cartel last week as bullion bank shenanigans took a page out of the Carpe Diem playbook and absolutely pounded the precious metals with such feral ferocity that they quite predictably set off a retail panic of the highest order. One very prominent gold and silver bull tweeted out, "It should be noted that Crimex silver is still up on the week!", to which I quickly and cynically replied, "Tell that to my margin clerk."

The daily charts for gold and silver have recorded but a mere blip on the long-term radar screen and remain in beautifully choreographed uptrends. But there is one chart that has me a tad rattled and it is the weekly silver chart, where the arrival of the dreaded and most-foul "gravestone doji" marks a powerful reversal signal to a market that has been trending higher in orderly fashion since my July 2 bullish call at $15.00 silver at $14.20 SLV. The gravestone doji is one of the most reliable reversal indicators and is always found at the tail end of a bull move. When accompanied by the big volume spike we had last week in silver, it suggests that my re-entry into the silver market is going to be farther away and possibly a bit lower than I initially expected.

Whenever highly emotional extremes of either greed or fear enter the marketany marketI have learned over the years to be prepared to take the opposite side of the trade. Certainly there was an extreme last July when people were revolted by the prospect of owning silver, with more than a few of the "enlightened ones" calling for a 100 GSR (gold-silver ratio), which was the equivalent of capitulation.

What has annoyed me to no end in the past few weeks has been the presence of hubris in the collective psyches of many precious metals bulls, and it is not surprising that an attitude of "There! Take that, ya bastards!" was prevalent with regard to the bullion banks after year-after-year of intervention, interference and criminal collusion. I, too, was delighted in July when the $1,375 cap for gold was blown to smithereens by the combination of physical demand and rising mistrust. Notwithstanding the many thousands of dollars I left on the table by exercising the same prudence that saved my sexagenarian ass in past campaigns, the move into the $1,500s has been at once both vindication and celebration for a gold "opinionator" known to launch quote monitors from ninth-floor windows in search of banker craniums with alarming regularity.

Wall Street symbolizes the American Way of Life and all that is good that separates them from the heathens in Afghanistan or Venezuela. When rising gold prices hijack the financial news headlines, you had better prepare yourselves (and your margin clerk) for a change of venue. The most dangerous phrase in all of trading is "It's different this time." It is never, ever, "different". . .

Cot Report

Therein lies the danger in assuming that physical demand alone will give way to unimpeded advances in gold and silver; the central banking global cabal has many tools at its disposal, and to underestimate its willingness to use them to advance its own agenda would be abject folly. What we witnessed late last week was most certainly a healthy and well-deserved spate of gold ol' all-American profit-taking in the metals but the manner in which it closed out the week, and particularly the post-Crimex Access market, reeked of the all-too-familiar odor of interference.

Wounded animals, indeed.

Originally trained during the inflationary 1970s, Michael Ballanger is a graduate of Saint Louis University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Bachelor of Art in marketing before completing post-graduate work at the Wharton School of Finance. With more than 30 years of experience as a junior mining and exploration specialist, as well as a solid background in corporate finance, Ballanger's adherence to the concept of "Hard Assets" allows him to focus the practice on selecting opportunities in the global resource sector with emphasis on the precious metals exploration and development sector. Ballanger takes great pleasure in visiting mineral properties around the globe in the never-ending hunt for early-stage opportunities.

Disclosure: 1) Michael J. Ballanger: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of the following companies mentioned in this article: Aftermath Silver. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures are below. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Aftermath. Please click here for more information. 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Aftermath Silver, a company mentioned in this article.

Charts provided by the author.

( Companies Mentioned: AAG:TSX.V, )

from The Gold Report - Streetwise Exclusive Articles Full Text https://ift.tt/2ZNeaw9

#The Gold Report - Streetwise Exclusive Articles Full Text

0 notes

365-money-diary · 7 years ago

Text

DAYS 105 - 111

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIVE

8:30 AM - My ear is still pretty beat up from the storm last night and it looks like the humidity hasn’t cleared much. I begrudgingly get the egg salad I made yesterday and head to the office.

9:10 AM - I arrive at work and make myself a slice of toast and a Chemex (It’s “cold” outside -- 86 degrees.)

11:00 AM - I do math and realize I’m $170 over my budget for this month. I am glad I brought lunch this week! Hopefully that will help me balance things out a little bit money-wise.

1:00 PM - I lose track of time and walk to Sprouts to get some misc. ingredients for my egg salad sandwiches. I buy two tomatoes, some lettuce, a red onion and some Ranier cherries. $6.71

1:15 PM - Back at the office, I make my sandwich. It’s way better with all the fixings!

1:30 PM - While I eat my lunch, I take a look at the SELF planner I bought. I want to start using it today so my week start date aligns with my Money Diaries entries, but it’s very intimidating looking.

5:00 PM - The day escapes me and I am definitely feeling stressed. I leave work feeling like I accomplished nothing in the midst of having a new fancy planner.

6:00 PM - I start working on Tastemaker 10 series that I was asked to do. I made some decent progress on it, so I’ll give up for tonight.

8:00 PM - I heat up a frozen breakfast burrito and drink a fuji apple DRY soda.

9:15 PM - I still haven’t calmed down. I really want to read, but I feel like if I can just get through the rest of the intro of my planner instructions that I really will feel like I actually did something today.

9:30 PM - My boyfriend fell asleep on the couch around 8, so I wake him up as I move to the bedroom to read. This ends up actually waking him up for a couple hours so we go back on the couch and I read as he plays video games.

12:00 AM - Bed.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIVE TOTAL: $6.71

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIX

8:15 AM - I’m awake and ready to take on my day. I hop in the shower and I’m on the road by 8:40.

9:00 AM - I pour myself a toddy and toast a slice of bread. I sit down to break out my planner and start mapping out my day.

1:30 PM - I get pulled into a meeting that makes my blocked out day become super out of whack. I make an eggless salad sandwich and eat some cherries for lunch while I install an update on my phone. I do a quick email check on my personal account to discover that my payment method has been pulled out of Costco.com so I re-add it and quickly call them so my order gets processed.

2:00 PM - Phone updated. I am a happy girl.

5:00 PM - I call my best friend from high school on my way home from work. It’s so good to catch up with her!

6:30 PM - I head to Taste of Tops to meet an old colleague of mine from my last job. She’s interviewing for a social paid position and is honestly screwed. I give her a knowledge dump that lasts for two and a half hours. Probably my fault it ran so long.

9:30 PM - Home! I heat up a Big Sur Breakfast Burrito for dinner and read some Theft By Finding.

11:00 PM - We fall asleep at a reasonable hour today. I need the extra Zzz.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIX: $0

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVEN

8:30 AM - Good morning! I roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, and head out.

9:05 AM - I arrive at work feeling pretty good. I pour some toddy, make some toast, and start the toddy batch again. I am trying new beans this time, so it’s ~*~exciting~*~

10:00 AM - I haven’t started working yet.

1:45 PM - After finally finishing a call with the city, I’m actually caught up on my work and feeling pretty good.

2:00 PM - I make myself an eggless salad sandwich. I really have to remember to bring lunch more often. It saves so much dough!

5:30 PM - Home from work! I check the mail and see that my check came from my old colleague's new company. $300 richer. Bonus: she wants to potentially hire TMB to do some stuff.

6:00 PM - I putz around on instagram for a while and work on my “Tastemaker’s 10” thing for Yab Yum. Gonna make a goal to have it done by tomorrow.

7:30 PM - Boyfriend and I eat TC Taco for dinner. I offer to get the tab because he spent $800 on his car this week. $27.43

8:30 PM - We’re home! I read some Theft By Finding, fill out the goals for my new planner, try to pimp our instagram and eventually go back to reading Harry Potter.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVEN TOTAL: $27.43

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHT

8:55 AM - I’m at work before 9:00! I strain my toddy and take out the trash. I am feeling a little carb heavy from yesterday, so I skip the toast.

12:00 PM - I’m starving. I make my eggless salad sandwich and snack on some cherries. I end up taking a walk after lunch to clear my head.

4:35 PM - I’m hungry. Lesson learned: don’t skip breakfast. I can’t really focus on anything so I decide to catch up on R29’s MD series for the rest of the day.

4:40 PM - I remember I have coconut ice cream bars in the fridge!

5:45 PM - Home! I am still super hungry so I eat chips, salsa, and hummus.

7:15 PM - We finally take my bike to State Rideshop for a new tube. $16.65

7:45 PM - We try to eat at Green but it’s packed for whatever reason. We decide to eat at Cornish Pasty, but they only have the Vindaloo one and I hate it. I opt for the pasta salad instead and it’s SO good. I also order a Jameson lemonade and pick up the tab. $33.57

9:00 PM - We arrive at home and I read for the rest of the night while boyfriend plays video games.

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHT TOTAL: $50.22

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINE

8:30 AM - I roll out of bed a little late today and take a look in the mirror. I definitely need a shower before I leave the house. I look like trash.

9:10 AM - I arrive for work a little late today. I do my morning routine which is starting to take me about a half hour: catch up on this journal, make toddy and toast, and plan my day out using my new planner. I am starting to feel bad that this is eating so much into my work day, but I also feel very productive as a result, so I’m not sure what to do about the whole situation.

12:00 PM - I leave work and stop at Taco Bell on my way home. I get two “fresco” bean burritos and eat them in the car. $3

12:45 PM - I throw a bunch of my stuff in a Chrome bag and bike to Planet Fitness. The trip isn’t too bad. It’s over 100 degrees out so I’m feeling the heat, but I hydrated a lot beforehand.

1:10 PM - I arrive at the gym and sit for a few minutes outside before walking in. I rehydrate and blow my nose. My allergies flared during my ride so it was starting to get hard to breathe. I go in and scan my card and grab my book and walk on the treadmill for an hour and 45 minutes.

3:00 PM - I walk to Chase in the same plaza and get 20 ones in exchange for a 20 dollar bill. I walk back and start the 20ish minute journey home.

3:15 PM - I stop with less than a mile left, but I can’t breathe and the heat is really getting to me. I rest for five minutes, drink some water, blow my nose a couple times and head home.

3:30 PM - I lay on the couch naked and drink Gatorade.

3:45 PM - I hop in the shower quickly to rinse off and then get dressed for the D-backs game with my colleagues.

4:30 PM - I had originally planned on walking to the lite rail but I’m too tired. I take an Uber downtown. $14.20

5:00 PM - I grab a drink at The Whining Pig before the game. $5.84

5:30 PM - I walk over to the stadium and buy a giant Smart Water from a street vendor. $3

6:00 PM - It’s nice to be in the stadium! My boss snuck in a bunch of vodka so I buy a lemonade. I’m also super starving so I get a veggie dog with fries. The owner of the D-backs is vegan so there are tons of options in the stadium! $20.25

10:00 PM - We played this random gambling game throughout the game. My boss won and the rest of us lost. $21

10:30 PM - Boyfriend picks me up and we celebrate our friend’s birthday (the one we go to the Suns games with) at Gracie’s and then Thirdspace. I drink water for the rest of the night.

12:00 AM - We are home! I heat up some Gardein chicken fingers and drink some water while I finish the second Harry Potter book.

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINE: $67.29

DAY ONE HUNDRED TEN

8:30 AM - Arise. I am so tired. My butt hurts from walking so much yesterday. Boyfriend takes me to Cartel and buys me coffee. Then, he’s off to work. There are open interviews for the new venue his company is opening and he has to help out.

9:30 AM - I have a new friend. I’ve known her for years and this is the first time we’ve decided to grab brunch. She picks me up and we head to Pomegranate in Ahwatukee. I get the chorizo biscuits and gravy. We talk a lot about friendships and our jobs and all sorts of stuff. I want to hang out with her again, so I make a mental note to check in with her in a few weeks to see if she wants to hang out again. $20.83

12:30 PM - I am exhausted. It’s my friend’s birthday today and I text back and forth with my friend about when we’re going to head over there. I am not feeling so great from my past 24 hour escapade, so I opt to play it by ear and binge watch 60 Days In.

2:00 PM - I hear from my boyfriend. They still have 75 people left to interview out of 250.

3:00 PM - I get the energy to go out to my friend’s birthday pool party. I am still dehydrated so I try not to stay for too long.

5:30 PM - On my way back home. I stop for gas. $23.65

6:15 PM - Sweet naptime central.

8:30 PM - We wake up and I am very very out of it. I drink some water and Gatorade but it’s no use. We opt to stay home and order Jimmy Johns for dinner. For the rest of the night, I read Harry Potter while boyfriend plays video games. $17.99

11:00 PM - In bed. I have nightmares about joining a sex cult. It’s really weird.

DAY ONE HUNDRED TEN TOTAL: $62.47

DAY ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN

8:30 AM - We wake up. I think I might be feeling better but I’m still tired which means I’m dehydrated.

10:00 AM - Boyfriend and I go to Cartel and Einstein’s. Cartel guy gives us coffee for free. I throw a buck in the tip jar, and I pay for our bagels. $10.18

11:00 AM - We are going to another D-backs game today with NY Friend and a few others, but we decide to do a lap around AZ Mills super quick before leaving for the stadium.

12:00 PM - We pick up our friend Q and head downtown. It’s so hot and gross. By the time we get to the stadium, we’re super thankful NY Friend brought us water.

2:00 PM - Boyfriend buys me a veggie dog.

5:45 PM - We bounce from the game. On our way home, we stop at Circle K and I buy me and boyfriend Gatorades. $3.33

6:15 PM - Boyfriend opts to stay home, but I go out with Q, NY Friend and the rest of the others to Freezer’s Ice House. I order greyhound, snack on fries, and hang out for a while. $6

8:00 PM - I arrive home. By this point, I’m starving. I make spaghetti and Gardein meatballs for dinner. It’s very good and I am happy to have this many carbs in my tummy.

10:15 PM - We watch a Celtics/Cavs game from earlier this year and I’m asleep within 10 minutes.

DAY ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN: $19.51

0 notes

mittensmorgul · 5 years ago

Text

Faith on the tnt loop (which, full disclosure, I slept through oopsie, so I pulled out the blu ray because this is NOT one I can skip).

Post 14.20, this episode is... extra-amazing, honestly. I’ve always felt that this episode was unwittingly (possibly, at the time it was written) a window into what this story could potentially do. When I first binged this series, this was the first episode I finished where I had to stop and completely reevaluate what I was actually witnessing. This was the episode that took me from casually consuming a fun lil monster show to 100% invested in this grand narrative. Even without any knowledge of what the ensuing 6 1/2 season (that existed at the time), I felt like I had my first glimpse of a much bigger picture in store for me. This was the first episode that, after a break to absorb what I’d just witnessed, I went back and immediately watched it again. Turns out I wasn’t reading too much into it... in fact, I wasn’t reading nearly enough into it...

The episode begins with Sam and Dean hunting a monster that we’ve only ever seen once more in the entirety of canon-- a rawhead, which earned a mention in 14.01 after an off-screen hunt for one went wrong enough to have left a tooth behind in one of the AU hunters. As if the monster in this case has been rendered doubly irrelevant, by virtue of the fact it practically dies offscreen in 1.12 while Dean's defeat of it and his own actions and choices in defeating it are the actual inciting incident of all the relevant action to follow. And in 14.01, all that remains of the rawahead was a tooth that's extracted from a wound and likely a wild hunter's tale.

Dean explains the use of the tasers they're using to take down the rawhead (specifically that the electricity is deadly to it and each weapon is one use only, "so make it count"). Dean takes his shot, and misses, but they find the children the rawhead had been holding captive. Dean tells Sam to take them outside to safety, and Sam hands over his taser to Dean, leaving Dean alone to face the monster (who we learn in 14.01 moves a lot faster than expected, and fast enough that we never even really see it in 1.12). Dean is literally backed into a corner, on the ground in a puddle of water, with the monster looming over him when he chooses to take his shot. It's not like he had much choice, right? So he shoots, and thanks to the water he's lying in, he electrocutes himself as well, damaging his own heart to the point where the doctor gives him a month to live.

He could've made a different choice, could've rolled out of the water, could've tried to fight off the rawhead (probably ineffectively) but perhaps enough that it would've given up and escaped to hunt children another day, but Dean took his shot, in a circumstance where he felt it was the right thing to end this monster and prevent it from hurting anyone ever again, even when it hurt him in the process. Not that he knew it would necessarily kill him to do it, but he was fully aware of the power of the weapon in his hand and what it was capable of, and accepted that it would hurt him right along with the monster he'd aimed it at since they were “connected” through the puddle of water.

Can anyone else say Hammurabi? Equalizer?

All of this has happened before.

But that's just the beginning. Because Dean survived, even if mortally wounded. This was the first time, though, that they were motivated to defy death, and that brings us to the true Monster of the Week-- Sue Ann LeGrange. Yes, I know it's technically "a reaper," but operating under Sue Ann's control and on her orders. She was the one who chose who lived and who died, based on who SHE thought was worthy, or unworthy in the case of her chosen victims. She was "playing god," deceiving her husband after saving HIS life with this dark magic (which required at least TWO sacrifices on her part-- one to make the altar and talisman to bind the reaper in the first place, and one person to die to save Roy, unbeknownst to him), and letting him think that he was miraculously granted the gift of healing by God.

And Sam decides to look for a similar sort of miraculous cure for Dean, even when Dean had accepted his own apparent fate:

DEAN: Look, Sammy, what can I say, man, it's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story. SAM: Don't talk like that, alright? We still have options. DEAN: What options? Yeah, burial or cremation. And I know it's not easy. But I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it. SAM: Watch me.

Sam isn't about to go committing human sacrifice like Sue Ann, but after a tearful phone call plea to John for help, which goes unreplied to, Sam takes matters into his own hands, just as Dean checks himself out of the hospital having accepted his fate:

SAM: You know, this whole I-laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap. I can see right through it. DEAN: Yeah, whatever, dude. Have you even slept? You look worse than me. SAM: (Helping DEAN to a chair) I've been scouring the Internet for the last three days. Calling every contact in Dad's journal. DEAN: For what? SAM: For a way to help you. One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist. DEAN: You're not gonna let me die in peace, are you? SAM: I'm not gonna let you die, period. We're going.

(aside to lol at John’s friend being named “Joshua,” namesake of the one angel God continued to talk to after supposedly abandoning Heaven and Earth, the angel who told Sam and dean in 5.16 that God refused to step in to help stop the apocalypse, and the angel killed in 12.19 by Dagon before fetus!Jack hijacked Cas to kill Dagon in turn... and even after his death it was Joshua’s amulet in 14.17 that enabled him to summon Chuck back into the story... funny that this hunter we never hear about again was the one to point Sam in the direction of this healer...)

And I'm sorry to just keep pasting in chunks of transcript, but this all goes to Sam and Dean's respective outlooks on pretty much everything, and the Grand Manipulation of Chuck in the entire narrative as we now understand it post 14.20:

DEAN: I mean, come on, Sam, a faith healer? SAM: Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean. DEAN: You know what I've got faith in? Reality. Knowing what's really going on. SAM: How can you be a skeptic? With the things we see everyday? DEAN: Exactly. We see them, we know there real. SAM: But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there, too? DEAN: Because I've seen what evil does to good people.

Sam has faith, Dean's a skeptic. Throughout s14 we saw what it would take to break Dean to the point where he would accept the word of God without question. It literally took the entire season, more than half of it revolving around his possession and complete loss of free will and self, building him up when Michael left him again and giving him a false sense of security to begin to feel comfortable building emotional bridges to his entire family (including Jack), only to tear it all down and lose himself to Michael again on a whim, losing Mary again, losing Jack to soullessness because of his own failed choices (in his estimation, at least). This process of showing Dean how little power and control he has over his own existence was furthered by Billie presenting him with the supposed singular solution to save the world, which Dean interpreted to mean the most horrifying iteration of self-sacrifice the show has ever presented to us-- an eternity spent at the bottom of the ocean, locked with Michael in the Ma'lak box. Ironically, just as he was beginning to think of himself as something more than just a weapon, the parallel can't help but be drawn to the First Blade, which Cain had thrown to the bottom of the ocean in a similar fashion. Which should only serve to remind us that even that's not a permanent solution to any problem. And I think THAT was the lesson Billie truly wished Dean to understand. Jack is the one who ends up making the true sacrifice (his own human soul) to kill Michael once and for all, and Dean is left with the guilt of that.

But several other important incidents in s14 tie directly back to this, too. 14.08, playing with life and death, learning about what truly matters in someone's destiny after death, and what the Winchesters are willing to do to save a loved one. Ironically, in the process, Cas is backed into a corner, making a deal with the Empty Entity for his own happiness in exchange for Jack's soul.

Nothing ever comes for free. The Winchesters have been juggling these horrific choices and sacrifices their entire lives, and nothing is ever just as simple as an uncomplicated win.

Which is a key element of 1.12. Dean's skepticism, his feeling of "wrongness" after being healed by Roy, uncovers the larger truth. Sam desperately wants Dean to just let it go, accept it as a miracle, and move on:

SAM: Look, Dean, do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on? DEAN: Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why.

A miracle isn't enough for Dean, and the truth is darker and more horrifying than Sam can accept. As he uncovers more and more of the facts of just how Roy is supposedly healing people, he tearfully apologizes to Dean, and they work together to find a way to stop it from happening again. Someone is controlling a reaper, literally trading one life for another. Chuck must've LOVED this episode of his favorite show. It nails all his favorite themes:

DEAN: You never should've brought me here. SAM: Dean, I was just trying to save your life. DEAN: But, Sam, some guy is dead now because of me. SAM: I didn't know.

Ignorance of the truth didn't stop them from becoming entangled in this mess, though. Just like it hasn't stopped them from becoming entangled in every other cosmic mess they've stumbled across over the succeeding 14 seasons. Sam believed it was a miracle, and his faith had blinded him to the truth-- or at least made him want to believe, motivated by the results at Dean's miraculous healing. It's the same faith that led him in early s11 to want to believe his visions were coming from God, that maybe his visions that had plagued him in early seasons were being used for good now-- and with the intervention of Billie in 11.02 when those visions began, it's interesting how the solution that actually saved his life in that circumstance technically came from what she said to him about being "unclean in the biblical sense."

Reapers and their powers and limitations (clean hands!), and their knowledge of the Bigger Picture that Billie herself won't be able to see until she dies and is resurrected with the mantle of Death, have their beginnings in the mythology right here, enslaved to the will of a mortal woman who believed she could make choices about who deserved to live and who deserved to die based on her own corrupted sense of morality.

Even when the concept of Death is introduced in 5.10, he's presented as "lesser" than what he truly is by virtue of Lucifer having bound him to his will for the purposes of the apocalypse, and as merely one of the Four Horsemen equal to War, Famine, and Pestilence. In 5.21, we learn what he's "supposed to be." Practically an equal to God, with the power over all life and death. It's not really until 13.05 that we learn the truth about just how powerful Billie has become, and yet what her limitations still are. We begin to see one side of this massive cosmic chess match, all leading up to the biggest revelation of them all in 14.20.

Back to 1.12 again... (sorry it's impossible not to be continually distracted by the theme spiral here). Dean also is uncomfortable for the first time over the potential for The Lord to be eyeballing him specifically, which is a feeling he's gonna truly grow into throughout s4 "I don't like being singled out at birthday parties, let alone by God," right up through the showdown at the end of 14.20.

DEAN: Why? Why me? Out of all the sick people, why save me? ROY: Well, like I said before, the Lord guides me. I looked into your heart, and you just stood out from all the rest. DEAN: What did you see in my heart? ROY: A young man with an important purpose. A job to do. And it isn't finished.

Throughout the episode, they believe it's Roy controlling the reaper and making the choices about who lives and dies, but he was literally blind to the fact it was Sue Ann. He was as much a victim in all of this as the people he believed he was healing, that he believed he had been touched by God to impart new life to. But knowing the full truth, Dean has to stop someone from being healed that even HE believes deserves to be saved, to be spared the suffering of a life cut short by an inoperable brain tumor, after learning an innocent man would die in her place. No matter how much he might feel that Layla didn't deserve that fate, he also doesn't believe the man who'd been protesting Roy's healing ministry deserves to die just for that fact, either.

SUE ANN: I just don't understand. After everything we've done for you. After Roy healed you. I'm just very very disappointed Dean DEAN stares at her, saying nothing. SUE ANN: You can let him go. I'm not gonna press charges. The Lord will deal with him as he sees fit. SUE ANN leaves. The cops turn to DEAN. COP 1: We catch you round here again son, we'll put the fear of God in you, understand?

Once again, in text, Sue Ann is unwittingly labeled "God." It's not God's wrath Dean fears, but Sue Ann's, knowing his defiance has likely turned him from worthy of healing to unworthy of living. Now this has moved beyond idealistically wanting to stop someone from playing god with people's lives right back to the immediate need to stop them before someone else becomes the next victim. And all of their choices-- Dean not being able to walk away, not being able to look the other way, discovering the full horrific truth of how he himself had been brought back from the brink of death, led them to this juncture where it truly felt like they had no other choice but to stop the monster. It literally became a life and death matter for Dean.

I still find it fascinating that as a result of their actions and choices in this episode, the reaper who'd been enslaved to Sue Ann's will was freed when Sam crushed the talisman that kept him bound. I find that highly amusing in retrospect, that while Dean was literally touched by an incarnation of Death several times in this episode, Sam effectively committed services rendered to the Cosmic Order.

We've learned so much about all of this over the years, as well-- the need for balance, order in the universe, and so many of those lessons have come from Death directly. Dean learns some of this firsthand in 6.11, for example, when he takes on Death's job for a day (or at least the life-and-death side of his job, now that we know so much more about his knowledge and understanding of creation as a whole). We learn even more through Billie, and her constant reminders that what's dead should stay dead, and through Billie's reapers once she becomes Death. 13.19 reminds us, through a story about the consequences of killing reapers, just how tenuous the course of cosmic events can be, and what the universe does to self-correct when the balance tilts too far in one direction. It's a lesson Tessa began to teach way back in 4.15, in an episode where Dean once again saves the life of a reaper (not only unwittingly protecting the cosmic balance, but literally stopping the breaking of a seal and staving off the apocalypse for at least another day, and that entire episode, that entire case, only happened through the unwitting guidance of them to the case by Cas-- still operating under Heaven’s orders and pretending to be Bobby sending them to that town to investigate...).

It has always felt to me that the show has subtly revealed more about the truth of the cosmos through death and Death than anything else. And that's on full display now in 1.12. Sue Ann's lies of omission about Roy's "powers," her manipulation of circumstance and her ensnarement of a reaper to do her will, choosing who lives and dies and literally "playing God," is it really any wonder to find out that Chuck has attempted to do the same on the highest cosmic scale from the start? He is a writer, after all, writing the entire story of the universe even as the universe fights to tell its own story. It's only by looking to the center and seeing the truth of the entire picture that they can free themselves from that fate, break the spell that's held them captive to Chuck's narrative and this endless cycle of sacrifice.

Heck I still love this episode. So much that I’ve let the next three episodes play out in the background... This is the entire spiral of the story played out in miniature, wrapped into a single episode.

71 notes · View notes