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prairiedust · 4 years ago

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The Further Folklore of Supernatural

Here’s a little more folklore meta in light of how season 15 has been playing out if anyone is game. I genuinely thought that Moriah would be the end of the folklore stuff and tossed out “Folk the Author” as an “epilogue,” so this is probably less of an addendum than it is a waymarker as I try to continue to parse these themes into the last seven episodes.

Welp. *waves hands at everything* THIS is not how anyone expected 2020 to go. Things got a little bit big and I stopped thinking about Spn in light of needing that energy elsewhere. But I also don’t want this crapfest to ruin how I fan my favorite show, so here I go again. I will attempt a TL;DR, too!

If you’ve read my old “folklore” analysis here about how I think fairy tales and all their baggage fit into Supernatural season 14, you know that I believe Castiel has stepped into a Sleeping Beauty type story, and that coincidentally a few themes and symbolism from Snow White kept popping up around Dean. (I hold Sam to be a Protagonist in the modern “literary fiction” sense of the word, but emotionally, thematically, and narratively he’s always been a little inaccessible to me. I finally understood him when the death-of-the-author plot surfaced, and I’ll get to Sam eventually here. And Jack, there’s a little Jack in here, too.)

If you would rather have the TL;DR than read several thousands of words about how folklore and myth *might* be abstractly connected to an American genre show, all I can say is that I tried. The textual support is all in the folklore posts. This is as succinct a summary as I could fabricate. At least I’m not gonna talk about Sam and bricolage and freeplay! This is an almost completely theory-free post! If you don’t want to read or don’t need a refresher and just want to know how this has been working in 15, you can scroll down to “END OF TL;DR”.

So, to catch up, I’m not talking about the folklore and mythology that this show has always relied on for plot and MOTWs. I wasn’t drilling down into urban legends like Hook Man or world folk monsters like shtrigas or pishtacos. By “folklore” I mean the study of storytelling tropes and tale types that have been with us for ages. One of the many subtexts of the end of the series. I’ve been tracking this because I think it’s fun to see how fairy tale imagery and mythology might layer preconscious suggestions into the text of the show. I personally think it was loud enough to be seen easily, but more than likely viewers felt unsettled, felt cheered, or felt like they knew what was coming? I’m curious to know. Anyway.

When we found out that Kelly Kline was going to name her baby “Jack” waaaaay back in season 12, things started chiming. Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack the Giant Killer. Jack Tales. Jack is a powerful Western character, sort of a cross between a noble hero and a trickster, featuring in stories that often blur lines and boundaries. He is both the poor man’s youngest son and the equal to King Arthur’s heir. Jack is both everyman and extraordinary. Jack is so cool, I wish I had more time to parse that but his qualities are not subtle in the text/subtext, anyway.

But back to my half-crack reading of seasons 14 and 15.

Once upon a time in Supernatural, there were two fairy tales being told. Both fairy tales are found all over the world and in many forms, but they all can be grouped together because they all contain shared elements of the same basic plot or shared themes, and these two in particular are sister stories. So when I mention “Sleeping Beauty,” I’m talking about lots of different versions of the folk tale, and the same for “Snow White,” which can be found in one form or another in storytelling traditions all over the place. It is both helpful and irritating that these are both Disney movies, too.

Jack makes an allusion to Sleeping Beauty in 14x03 The Scar while talking to Castiel-- it’s the kind of subtextual flash that in and of itself means little and proves nothing, but then beginning with The Scar we got three stories in a row that dealt with “sleepers” of some sort-- Lora in 14x03 doomed to die because of a witch’s spell, Stuart in 14x04 Mint Condition in a coma because of a ghost attack, and Sasha’s father in 14x05 Nightmare Logic under the spell of a clever djinn. It’s powerful subtext, like a soft light that bathes these episodes in the color of fairy tale and makes Jack’s Dramatic Swoon at the end of Optimism all the more Dramatic-- subtext amplifying the plot. Jack goes to Heaven, but is eventually cornered by the Shadow, who wants him in the Empty where he will sleep forever-- the Shadow being an entity who has claimed the husks of dead angels since their inception and thus implies a “curse” laid on Jack from the moment he came into being-- but Castiel, who is ever a thief in oh so many ways, makes a bargain with the Shadow and essentially takes over the consequences of Jack’s Sleeping Beauty story (hence my rarely used but hilarious tag “Castiel Thief of Endings.”)

Now that we know from 14x20 Moriah that the Shadow and Billie the Reaper are, if not allies, at least working together when Jack is awakened in the Empty, does that mean that Castiel’s deal is still on the table, or has that fate been thwarted? *pounds table* Was Jack’s death and Chuck’s rise as a “greater threat” in 14x20 enough to shift Castiel’s ending? It’s the kind of subtextual question that lends tension to the narrative and it’s what I am here for.

Well, speaking of thwarted expectations, Dean’s arc was being shadowed by a Snow White tale type. We all know Snow White but why don’t I sum it up anyway, since Disney messed up the folktale ending lol. Snow White is cast out of her home by her jealous stepmother (and echoes of the stepmother’s magic mirror show up in 15x02 Gods and Monsters) who sends her huntsman to kill her; the dude can’t do it and turns the girl loose in the forest instead. Snow White joins a band of outsiders who live in the forest-- in the Disney movie and the Grimms’ tale they are dwarfs, in some versions she happens upon a band of robbers-- and they love her very much and we presume she’s safe for the rest of her life; Michael mysteriously turns Dean loose to join Sam’s gathering of hunters, however we know, like Stepmom, Michael is still out there. The stepmother finds out that Snow White is actually alive and contrives to kill her herself. Eventually succeeding, Snow White appears to die and is usually laid to rest in a crystal casket/glass coffin. Her stepmother’s machinations have _stolen her agency_ (further paralleling Dean’s possession by AU!Michael.) A Handsome Prince stumbles upon Snow White, is besmitten with her, and he asks her protectors if he can have her, as one does. Leaving the Disney adaptation aside, Snow White awakens when whatever item that has caused her death-like state is dislodged (piece of apple in her throat) or removed (magic corset) or withdrawn (poisoned hairpin) by her protectors. Snow White is a story about the community of the dwarves of band of robbers or adopted family caring deeply for her, and when Dean starts making his own crystal casket, the ma’lak box, in which he will ride out eternity in tormented symbiosis with Apocalypse Michael, he has to rely on his family to help him see the plan through. However, here’s where Jack-- who is as much a chaos engine as his surrogate father Castiel if not more so-- steps in and ruins the ending. Jack smites Michael. Dean Winchester is saved. Again. To put the final nail in the coffin, so to speak, Jack later destroys the ma’lek box entirely.

That was quite the surprise ending… for one of the stories.

Was the end of season 14 the end of the Sleeping Beauty theme, also?

END OF TL;DR

I quit writing about “folklore” for a while, but that doesn’t mean it stopped being a theme. It just stopped being fun to write about as the story got more and more dark, and when it transmuted into two parallel themes of “folklore” or storytelling by the people versus Death of the Author--or storytelling by a lauded authority-- and there was so much angst about the boundaries of Chuck’s powers, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy that. I did distill my thoughts about Sam’s new arc in the DotA plot, which I thought would subsume the folktale themes but hey, we still have folktales around, too. I mean, we have Sam and we have Dean, and we have two “literary” subtexts, or maybe rather two subjects about the nature of story, something that I thought was a little bit of a surprise.

Storytelling was a Feature of 15x07 Last Call, both in the sense that Lee and Dean swap new stories and tell old tales of their adventures together as they catch up, but also in the sense that we got additional “text”-- hints of a backstory where John and Dean hunted with Lee in that swampy long-ago “Stanford era,” and again we get storytelling when _Lee recounts how he ended up keeping a marid in his basement_. There is also an allusion to the Thousand and One Arabian Nights in that episode that I yelled about in a meta that I never put on the interwebs, but the “marid” is in a specific tale in many editions of that collection, and thus calls in not only a different folktale tradition but the concept of a framed/nested narrative, which I believe will be important to understanding the last episodes of the series, but that’s an aside. In 15x08 Our Father Who Aren’t In Heaven, Castiel _tells Michael the story_ of how everyone ended up where they are now to convince him to help. And Michael and Adam’s allyship, if not friendship, was probably the best subversion of any “storytelling” expectation we’ve ever had on this show. Belphagor set us up for “room full of crazy” or something, but, no. We got symbiosis.

That almost sums up how I’ve been viewing the last “era” of spn. This wasn’t in the master post, but I shouted a lot about underworlds before 15x09 Purgatory 2: Return to Purgatory, and then stopped shouting because I had to ferment for a while. Also, as has been mentioned, the world turned to crap. But talking to other meta writers during the ramp up to the resumption of the season helped me realize just why this reading of myth to folktales to literature feels so right.

Underworlds and Otherworlds…. Everybody has crossed into an “underworld” or three in Supernatural, it’s really nbd. It was actually surface-level plot in season 13. By the time 15x09 rolled around, our heroes are just, like, strolling in and out of “sealed off” Hell after doing a level one spell and chilling with Billie in the Empty and even that Purgatory trip didn’t have the same feeling of danger that, say, crossing into the AU did. But also, we’re at the point where subtext is leading us to a _satisfactory_ ending. Where before we had serial text, like a cumulative tale type-- “The House that Jack Built”-- which just kept adding more and more plot, we’re hurtling o’er the apex of Freytag’s pyramid now and things are getting loud.

But they’re also getting very shifty.

I wrote a little bit about Sam Winchester successfully reviving Eileen in 15x06 Golden Time and the “Orpheus and Eurydice” symbolism of him keeping his back to her. (I’m not linking it because it’s so, so rough.) But because Sam is not an underworld hero, not completely-- I see him as a modern Protagonist coming to terms in a psychoanalytical model with things like mortality, fallibility, and mastery-- maybe bildungsroman, even -- he was able to subvert the tragic ending of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice because it is not “his” story. But if I were pressed to find a mythic or folk tale type to measure Sam against, I could. I would probably sideye “the sorcerer’s apprentice” trope (ATU 325-The Magician and his Pupil :D ) which began as a poem that entered European folklore on different fronts. (and weirdly, that story was also Disnified in Fantasia. That’s probably more my own limitation as a gen x american lol than anything coming from the writer’s room.)

Dean got his moment in Purgatory where he was able to finally come to grips with his anger and heal the rift between himself and Castiel because Purgatory is a different kind of underworld. Dean is a successful threshold-crosser, having crossed that boundary out of Purgatory before, but in 15x09, his prayer to Castiel is all a subtextual evocation of doing the emotional and mental work of therapy, which Sam, as a modern protagonist, is usually caught up in. The mythic hero also deals with mortality, failibilty, and mastery, but in different terms. I hope I’m doing an okay job peeling apart these nuances that I’m seeing.

Since Castiel accompanied Dean to Purgatory, and in the past made his own wildly successful incursion into and out of Hell with Dean’s soul, and was the one in The Trap who actually retrieved the Leviathan blossom, Castiel counts as an underworld hero, too, but you can pull the lever and send the tumblers spinning again and make him a fairy tale character in that he has made this Bargain with the Empty which is both in the “modern” tradition of subverting a fairy tale, and the tale type “deal with the devil.” Or he could be seen as a modern protagonist in that he’s lowkey grappling with questions of selfhood and identification. “I am an angel of the lord.” “I am no one.” “It’s Steve, now.” “You are nothing.” “I am an angel.”

We even got an episode that playfully explored the concept of “hero” by subverting our expectations (Sam and Dean were rescued by, of all people, an upgraded Garth.) It was called The Hero’s Journey, after the Joseph Campbell book about mythic heroes.... !!! Like, what??? !!!! I didn’t even have anything to say about that episode, it just rocked. The “meta” was just all out there in plot, like the olives and boiled eggs in a 1950’s gelatin recipe.

Some of this slipperiness in the subtext points right at the study of folklore and the (admittedly Eurocentric at first) efforts to transform a “soft science” into something approaching scientific rigor. The Aarne-Thompson-Uther folktale index is today a codifying or cataloguing tool, with which anthropologists and literature scholars can line up stories based on the motifs found within them-- it is useful for cataloguing tales, making comparative studies, and for trying to trace these stories back through human history to find the One First Story of that type, for instance the ur-story that led to Snow White. When did people first start telling that tale, where, how did it spread, and why are we still telling it today? The danger in using the ATU index is that by stripping a story down to it’s bones, we lose the story, if that makes sense. The beauty of using the ATU index is that you find many, many more interconnected stories. It’s sort of a paradox. Some scholars criticize the ATU, claiming that one could take a random selection of these motifs and shuffle them to create a story and, you sort of could? That’s the beauty of the system.

So that brings us to Jack. I feel like Jack, as in Jack of all Trades, is anything that the narrative needs him to be. As far as I can find, “Jack” is not a “tale type.” He shows up alongside any number of them-- sometimes as a trickster, sometimes as a hero, almost always as a kind of slippery character. In the first folklore post, I invested many words in exploring Dabb’s obsession with threes-- AU Michael asks three beings what they desire, asks his human victim to guess his name three times, then we follow three sleeper stories, and so on. The original TFW was three people. But Jack makes four.

What is Jack’s story going to be?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And speaking for a sec about the origins of myth and folklore-- what about ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE in the world? Are they lowkey churning the matrix of reality on their own and generating their own content, like Becky and her AO3 stories and mackettes?

*¯\_(ツ)_/¯ intensifies*

It all just feels so good at this point, even the peril that I feel surrounding Castiel.

I *think* this will be the last of the longform metas before the end of the series. I mean, I can only hope so. I’ll drop some stuff about individual episodes that might be applicable as I rewatch, and I might clean up my post about Last Call and drop it on here, but I just wanted to kind of hold this up as a mile marker before the Final Seven air.

#the folklore of supernatural #idk even what to tag this

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himboskywalker · 4 years ago

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I’m watching my way through Star Wars the clone wars for the first time, just, how is this a children’s show??? Like there’s death in almost every episode, seriously a clone just got cut in half, and how!?

I think that’s one of the things I like about Clone Wars is that it doesn’t hold back. I think western society’s penchant to be horrified at material and content and be like this is for children?!?!?is a very modern concept. And while I’m not advocating chucking scarring or too mature content at kids,I think as protective adults we have a penchant to think children are less capable at understanding the nuances of something like the violence and emotional traumas in Clone Wars.

I don’t have any kids of my own but I have a whole horde of nieces and nephews ranging from the ages of 13 to 1 and I’ve watched Star Wars with almost all of them. It never fails to surprise me the really subtle and sometimes prolific things they pick up or understand from the movies and series. I was recently explaining the process of the Clone Troopers becoming Stormtroopers and my 10 year old nephew looked at me and said, “But if they had chips in their heads they didn’t have a choice,so they aren’t evil they’re just slaves.” I think kids understand death and pain and struggle a lot better than we give them credit for,which is further what endears Clone Wars to me. Ultimately the show is about war and the horrible things that stem from it,and the trauma individuals who experience it go through. The creators trusted that the kids watching it could endure these darker topics because they are lessons and facets of the human experience that we all must learn.

My family is American and we all grew up in the states. My nieces and nephews don’t know what war is,but by the content like Clone Wars they consume they understand that violence inflicts pain and struggle. Those kids have strong moral codes,taught by their parents and family and society of course,but also by the heroes they watch and look up to. Sure they love to lightsaber fight with me and play war and fight,but I’ve had enough discussions with them to know that they ultimately understand other kids don’t get to play fight because their everyday lives are real battles and violence and turmoil. Not all kids have the luxury of turning to something like Clone Wars and that being their point of reference for war,for some it’s a more peaceful escapism to how bloody and horrible their real lives are. I love the levity that Clone Wars approaches it with. It is a cartoon and it’s light and funny and fun,but like you said,there’s death and violence in most every episode and it’s taken seriously and often with a point of a lesson or advice.

Star Wars is one of those things that’s super interesting because the different eras of content very much reflect the societal and historical stage of the world during the period of its making. The original trilogy came out in the late 70s and then the 80s and was made for a generation who had lived and fought through World War II and then their children lived and fought through Vietnam. Everything was more black and white,good versus evil,innocence against corruption. I mean the empire uniforms were repurposed Nazi uniforms. The indigenous species gorilla fight against invaders and conquerors. George Lucas has stated that the og trilogy had commentary on Vietnam in it. We understand the historical context of viewers for that era.

But the prequels and Clone Wars came out in the late 90s and early to mid 2000s. Attack of the Clones went into theaters in 2002,to an American audience permanently altered by 9/11 and a global audience permanently altered by international terroism,the media’s perception of modern warfare and the wars in South America,Africa,Eastern Europe,China,Russia,and the Middle East. Between the 80s and turn of the millennium the world saw a vast rise is publicized and televised corruption and warfare and internal National conflict. The 90s saw a huge rise in distrust for political figures for western countries and after Korea,Vietnam,the Philippines,Sarajevo,Kuwait,Iran,Iraq,Afghanistan ect. Americans increasingly grew to distrust their government and leaders.

That’s the world the prequels and Clone Wars emerged into and that’s the political and social commentary it builds on. It’s in dialogue of a world who can’t trust its governments and militaries and leaders. The Clone Wars is made for generations of children whose parents fought in those wars and some who have bought into the toxic nationalism and propaganda that is such an issue in our modern world. It’s what I love about this era of Star Wars so much,because it so heavily focuses on the choices we must make everyday. It teaches that war isn’t black and white,good versus evil,that good people can do bad things and bad people can be motivated by good things or think their actions are good.

Ultimately Star Wars is a tale of good and evil,the Jedi are good the Sith are evil. But the wars and the choices and the world the character live and fight and die in is not so clear cut. I love that Clone Wars gives us good and evil characters who must make ambiguous choices amidst a gray world of violence and internal corruption and lies. It’s the perfect media to let children take that social commentary on war and violence and investigate it for themselves,adults too. It teaches children the difficulties and the complexity of the moral decisions we make everyday,because good and evil is not a feeling,it’s a choice. Our education systems and society and lots of media shows kids that good or evil is inherent,but we know the reality and our modern world is not that way at all. The Clone Wars is one of the few shows that I think truly delves into with levity and nuance for children,just how gray and unsure war and the fight of good guys versus bad guys is,through Star Wars,and as an excellent representation of the reality of our own world.

#star wars #the clone wars #star wars clone wars #meta #star wars meta #social commentary #war #war commentary #politics

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whoispeytonjames · 4 years ago

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Why God is the Ultimate Villain of the Supernatural Series

Warning: The following article contains quotes and spoilers from the television series Supernatural. If you have not watched up until season 15, please stop reading now.

While sitting around the dinner table with my partner, his father, and his stepmother, it occurred to me that after 15 years, I am in the minority of television viewers who are still as in love with Supernatural as the day that it first aired. During a discussion of iconic television series, of course, I had to bring up Supernatural. What could be more iconic than a genre show that has lasted long enough to make God a villain? Considering that my comments led to laughter and a discussion on when shows have “jumped the shark,” I can conclude that my main point was missed. Looking back on everything that has happened in the past 15 seasons, it makes sense that God is the true villain in a show about the threat that supernatural entities pose to humanity. Canonically, God created Archangels, Leviathans, Hellhounds, Angels, Humans, Souls, Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Considering all these entities have created a major threat within the show; it seemed fitting that God was revealed as being the shocking twist ending at the end of Season 14. By revealing himself as being a cold and manipulative author, as opposed to a caring and benevolent God, Chuck became the “big bad” of the entire series.

When Supernatural first aired, the premise of the show centered around the two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, traveling around the United States to investigate and fight paranormal entities and urban legends. With the inclusion of Christian mythology in season 4, the overarching plot line of the series shifted so that the brothers were now saving the world from the apocalypse. Viewers of the show saw the aversion of the apocalypse at the end of season 5 and creator, Eric Kripke's departure, as being where Supernatural should have sung its swan song and disappeared into the archives of American genre television. Yet, the fan base had some other ideas, and kept the boys around for another decade despite some unfavourable moments (The British Men of Letters, anyone?). We have seen the Winchester brothers fight everything from demons and angels to the Leviathans and The Darkness, so what could be next? Well, God, of course.

From a logistical standpoint, Supernatural is entering into its final season, which means that it's imperative for the writers to escalate the level of threat that the Winchester brothers face. Since the face off with the Devil in season 5, the writers have struggled with the task of creating a villain or situation more dire than the apocalypse. With being forced to up the ante each season, it's no surprise that Supernatural has chosen to end after 15 seasons. How can you end a long-running television show that satisfies the most loyal fan base? By ensuring that the final season presents the greatest challenge that the Winchesters have faced to date. The odds need to be firmly stacked against the heroes and the show needs to present a spectacle for the series finale that is novel for the viewers. By making God the villain, whom is an omniscient and nigh-omnipotent character, the writers are sure to deliver on all the earlier listed criteria. This poses Sam and Dean with the impossible task of trying to stop a foe that can expect their intentions; not to mention that killing God will overthrow the Cosmic Balance. Although God's sister, Amara or The Darkness, has the power to wound him, and Death has claimed to be the one to reap God at the end of everything, doing so would destroy all the universes that he has created and the creations within them. If the brothers are all about "saving people [and] hunting things" how can they possibly hunt down God without destroying all creation? That's a question that I will leave for the writers to answer.

Beyond presenting viewers with a powerful antagonist for the final season, the writers of Supernatural are also alluding to an underlying thread that could make God the ultimate villain of the entire series. The apocalypse, Raphael's civil war, Leviathans, Naomi's control of Heaven, the fallen angels, the Mark of Cain, The Darkness, the corruption of all the other universes, as well as Jack's birth and death can all be traced back to God. As I mentioned before, God is the creator of the perilous threats that have plagued the Winchesters over the past 14 years; but as his existence is that of an absent father, he has also allowed his two chosen ones, Sam and Dean, to clean up his mess. Since his abrupt leave from Heaven after his creations, namely Lucifer, didn’t meet his expectations, God lived among humans as Chuck, your average everyday Joe, who enjoys nacho cheese, playing his guitar, and living his life as an out and proud bisexual. When Metatron challenges his decision to leave as being a cowardice act, in "Don't Call Me Shurley," God responds by saying that he was "done watching [his] experiments' failures." Beyond his disappointment, Chuck wanted to stay hidden and allow humanity, the archangels, and the rest of his creations to take responsibility for their actions, claiming that, "No one likes a helicopter parent." This sentiment is later echoed during season 14's "Moriah," when he reminds both Sam and Dean that he may have created the "sandbox," but he has remained "hands off."

Although God has presented himself as an occasional ally to the Winchesters throughout the years, he has never dealt with any of the obstacles that have arisen as a consequence of his absence. Instead, he ensured that the Winchesters would be present to settle each of these dilemmas in his place. Thus, the Winchesters were instrumental in Chuck's grand manuscript, as they played the all important heroes in his "favourite show." Instances of Chuck's meddling can be traced back to his coupling of John and Mary Winchester. When Sam, Dean, and Castiel meet up with Cupid in "My Bloody Valentine," he reveals that Heaven doesn't care about human matches, unless they lend to certain bloodlines and destinies. Cupid goes on to clarify that, "the union of John and Mary Winchester [was a] very big deal upstairs, [a] top priority arrangement." This was to ensure the existence of Sam and Dean Winchester. Without them, the apocalypse would have occurred as the archangels had planned and the world would have been destroyed, as shown in Apocalypse World. This is precisely why Chuck declares this world's Sam and Dean as being his favourite in all the multiverse: they are his self-sacrificing heroes. In Apocalypse World, for example, there's destruction and constant chaos with no sense of ease. When the antagonist is always winning, it's uncomfortable and boring to a Western audience that constantly consumes the narrative of the hero's quest. This literary trope has battling forces of good and evil, with the hero prevailing in the end; and for 14 seasons, Chuck has been weaving together narratives that pit the heroes against villains of his own creation. With the curtain pulled back to reveal the Wizard of Oz and all his tricks, it's time to face the antagonist left standing: God.

Upon the realization of Chuck's puppetry, Team Free Will has been effectively left shattered. After all, Sam and Dean have been "just hamsters running in a wheel [their] whole lives," or heroes acting out God's plan. Even though both brothers had the strength to escape their destiny as Michael and Lucifer's vessels, they have still been playing into the roles that Chuck had written for them, fulfilling a destiny versus being having the freedom of choice. Mary's death aside, this knowledge has already created a rift between Dean and Castiel; as Dean views their whole lives as being a lie, and Castiel views life as having predetermined obstacles, with a choice of how you overcome them. Not only has the concept of freewill been destroyed for the Winchesters, but the notion of Chuck's interference has also torn apart the Winchesters' familial bond with Castiel. If freedom and family, by both blood and bond, is truly what gives the Winchester brothers the strength to continue to fight evil, then God has already proven his status as the ultimate villain of Supernatural.

Let the end times roll.

#supernatural family #supernatural final season #supernatural season 15 #supernatural fandom #article #writer #writers

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renegadesstuff · 11 months ago

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“I'm gonna kiss you now, if that's okay.” 🥹

The fact that he asks her if it's okay for him to kiss her makes the scene 100 times better 🤍

#chuck #sarah walker #charah #chuck bartowski #chuck and sarah #sarah and chuck #chuck x sarah #sarah x chuck #chuck series #chuck rewatch #chuckedit #chuck season 3 #3x12 #chuck versus the american hero

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dterrero · 4 years ago

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My Night With Official Outcome

(From April 2015)

I decided to spend my Friday night at Weekend Willie’s in Naples. I’ve eaten there a few times before and I love it. I wish I could spend more nights eating there than at home.

I walk in, grabbed a seat and waited for a server to get me a drink. The band onstage is preparing to open up the night. They are playing as a quintet, but at the core of the band are Zac Sperry, 21, of Naples and Julia DeTomaso, 15, also of Naples. They are Official Outcome.

Weekend Willie’s was modestly busy that night given the time of year They started out the night with acoustic pop covers, including Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”, Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”, Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again” and “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias.

At the end of these songs, DeTomaso switched from acoustic guitar and sat behind the drum kit.

Their drummer Ryan Cathey takes up a djembe onstage as their keyboardist Garrett Cutler plays the Jeopardy song. They also make note that the Truth Custom drum set is brand new. Julia wasted no time making it sing. She hit that thing hard. I can’t even remember the song they played. I could only focus on that ferocious drumming.

Again, Julia and Ryan rotated instruments with the Jeopardy song playing. When they feel like the joke isn’t funny anymore, Zac starts playing a blues shuffle in E. I think to myself, “OK where is this going?” Once they got a groove going, Zac does the sliding Chuck Berry riff intro to “Johnny B. Goode”. Not kidding. It got livelier as more people trickle in. From there they go into “Rock Around the Clock” and blink-182’s “All the Small Things” before taking their first break. ______________________________________________________________________________ I remember when I got the invite to like their Facebook page. It said Official Outcome formed in December of 2012 at Center Point Community Church in Naples and listed their style as “Americana pop”. Right off the bat they started playing shows all across Southwest Florida and got recognition. Indie Artist Magazine even named them the 2013 Artist of the Year. Their original vocalist Sarajane Sullivan rounded them out as a trio, but left before a year had even passed.

Zac Sperry (left) and Julia DeTomaso (right) of Official Outcome performing at Weekend Willie’s Bar and Grill in Naples on April 24, 2015. Their debut album Never Take It Slow is in the post-production phase. Photo Credit: Daniel Terrero

During the first break, I got to sit and chat with Julia and Zac about what they had been up to. For the past year or so, they have been promoting their debut release Never Take It Slow through their Facebook and ReverbNation accounts. I started off by telling them what a great performance they put on. They responded with awkward silence and some awkward thanks.

“‘Official Outcome is rude, they don’t say thanks,’” Zac said jokingly.

“You guys have a new LP coming out soon, is that right?” I asked.

“Yes,” Julia replied.

“When does it drop?”

“That’s a good question,” Julia said.

“When you find out, let me know,” Zac said. “Um . . . I don’t know. That’s the only information I can tell you at this time.”

The record, titled Never Take It Slow, was set to be released earlier this year on Valentine’s Day.

Zac said that recording was finished, but there were some decisions being made over a song being featured on their release.

“How do you feel about this being your first LP?”

“I’m excited. I think Zac is too. It’s exciting to be able to get our music out.’

“But this is your first album too, so . . .”

“Wait, wait,” Zac said. “I have to clarify this. It’s only four or five songs, so it’s like a demo. It’s not full LP.”

“It’s not a full LP?”

“It’s an EP.”

At that moment, I was slightly disappointed. I was anticipating a long player at this point in the band’s history, or least for them to have enough material written for one. Everything sort of pointed in that direction. After all, they had put out a music video for their original piece “Tell Me That You Love Me” in 2013, when Official Outcome was still a trio. ______________________________________________________________________________ After the break, Official Outcome reconvened to the stage. Again, they returned with the mellow covers like “Secrets” by OneRepublic. They followed up with a tasteful rendition “Cruise’ by Florida Georgia Line and the more upbeat “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors.

They turn up the artificial reverb effects through the vocal mics and through the guitar amps.

Julia jokingly says, “Welcome to Earth.” They take their time making sure everything is set just right.

The spacey noise is so present at this point, Austin yells from the crowd, “Are we at Woodstock?” After Julia gets all the giggles out, she sings “Royals” by Lorde.

Near the end of the song, Zac hopped back behind the drum kit to drag the song out a little longer. I got distracted by two very awkward conversations between an elderly Minnesota man and some tipsy woman. Before I knew it, the second set was over and Official Outcome was on break. ______________________________________________________________________________ I’ve known Zac since the spring of 2009 during our sophomore year of high school. He was a home-school student who ran track and field with me for First Baptist Academy. We both signed up for spring football later that year. I figured he would go to Naples High School like told me he would, but his parents decided to enroll him as a full-time student at FBA. Since then, we’ve been friends. We had common interests in music and sports, and we shared a bizarre, offbeat sense of humor. Interestingly enough, our birthdays sit right next to each other.

Zac is also one of the few friends that stayed in Naples after high school. After two semesters at Florida Gulf Coast University, he decided college wasn’t for him. I, on the other hand, dedicated myself to just schoolwork.

I wasn’t too disappointed about the record or the release date. I asked Zac and Julia about the recording process. The recording took place at the Mix Factory studios in Bonita Springs, with production work from local artists Ray Nesbitt, Darrell Nutt and Doug Tracy, whom both refer to as “just Doug.”

“What was the recording process like? Did you already have songs going into the studio?”

“We had songs that were written before,” Zac said.

“Did you improve upon them or were they good to go?”

“No, we definitely improved upon them.”

“What have the guys at The Mix Factory taught you on the production side?”

My First Baptist buddies right before our high school graduation ceremony in 2011. Zac Sperry (pictured third from left) and I (far left) have known each other since we were 10th graders. (Photo Credits: Virginia Ruiz)

“I think they taught us about arrangement,” Zac said. “Arrangement is the biggest thing that I learned about writing songs.”

“What about aesthetics? What’s their production philosophy versus your production philosophy?”

“Something that’s going to stick in your head,” Julia said, “in a good way obviously.”

“They really like catchy hooks,” Zac said. “Julia has a knack for writing catchy hooks, so they don’t have to change a lot about that.” ______________________________________________________________________________ Official Outcome jumped back onstage once more and begin with a mashup of Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” and Jessie J’s “Price Tag”. The muted instrumentation provides a great foil to Zac and Julia’s soulful delivery. As they drag out the song, Zac starts twerking onstage. Julia jokingly suggests photo editing Kim Kardashian’s butt onto Zac’s backside, which earns them a few laughs from the audience.

They can sense their limits coming on as 10 p.m. approaches, but they take it in stride. They throw an original and a hilariously censored version of Cee Lo Green’s “F**K You.” They end the set doing an extended jam on Sublime’s “What I Got”. They give credit to all the musicians onstage and opens up the musical space to let each of them solo. ______________________________________________________________________________ As far as future is concerned, Official Outcome’s plans are to keep playing shows like this in local bars and public spaces, and to seek more independence and a sense of adventure in their songwriting and production. It may sound modest, but Julia is still only a sophomore at Naples High School. She says she and has plans for dual enrollment at Florida SouthWestern College.

In Zac’s case, he’s recently completed his EMT training. Still, they have come this far since losing one member with lots of support from friends and family, and they aren’t too worried about the future. Their manager, Sheri Austin, isn’t worried either.

“As long as they are having fun and have the right attitude and remain humble and follow their dreams, that’s what’s important,” Austin said. “The minute it’s not fun anymore, it stops.”

Of course, in our shared sense of humor, I could not resist asking the very last question.

“Alright, very last question,” I said.

Zac laughs and asks “Is it like a ‘Dan Terrero-back-in-high-school’ question?” I do the best I can to tell him no.

“Do you have any guilty pleasures in music?”

“Brittney Spears,” Zac says. “Just kidding, just kidding.”

“He’s not kidding,” Julia says straight-faced. “He has that song ‘Circus’ on his phone. He knows every single word. I’m not even joking.”

“Ok,” Zac goes, “Circus’ is my guilty pleasure.”

“I’m trying to think, “I don’t know,” Julia says.

“’One Time’ by Justin Bieber.”

We all had a good laugh on that question, promised each other to stay in touch, said our goodbyes and headed home.

#livemusic #naplesflorida #indiemusic

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thewillowness · 5 years ago

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Crimes versus freedom

Once again, the White House is hoping to renew its war on end-to-end encryption in the ostensible names of “national security” and “fighting child pornography” among others.

Lest anyone may think this is just Donald Trump being a despot, let’s refresh memories first: Barack Obama’s FBI director (and now a hero to some) James Comey was a vocal opponent of the E2E encryption technology.

In fact, the White House has long been no fan of encryption since the Clinton era.

But is banning E2E really a solution?

Australia seems to think so.

And this is an idea that appeals to both left and right. Democrats Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein have also been strong critics of encryption.

Here I am not going to regurgitate the cypherpunk-libertarian-civil liberties talking points on why banning E2E encryption is bad idea. There are already many articles about that.

Instead, I would say this:

Crimes, even acts of terror and child pornography, are fair prices for having a free, open society.

Freedom means that the State will not treat every individual as a criminal suspect, presumed guilty until proven innocent. That means that the State has no business conducting surveillance for “pre-crime” intelligence analysis.

Freedom means that the powers of the State are strictly limited and contained. In a free country such as the United States, we don’t let the government play God even if there may be a really really good reasons for it. Backdoors to let the government agencies break encryptions, regardless of any “good” intentions, would empower the State to play a role of God omniscient and omnipotent.

In any case, the U.S. government is already powerful and capable enough to find and take down darknet markets, terrorist cells, and child porn rings -- without the “backdoor” they claim to be “essential.” They do not need any more “law enforcement tool” and “force multiplier.” (Many people, including Edward Snowden, suspect that NSA was behind the arrest of Ross Ulbricht, but I digress.)

We won’t have a free society if the State is so powerful that no crimes could occur. If I have to choose between a crime-infested free country and a crime-free totalitarian state, my choice is obvious, the former.

American politicians routinely criticize totalitarian and authoritarian countries such as China and North Korea (and to a lesser extent, Turkey, Russia, Singapore, etc.). Sure, they may be “safer” but they’ve got no freedom. Do people really want to live in such countries, if they were given a choice? Why do people from all over the world risk their lives to come to the United States?

We’ve got to Make America Free Again and Keep America Free.

In the mean time: Don’t put your trust in Big Tech when they claim to offer E2E encryption. Encrypt sensitive information with PGP even if you’re transmitting it through an E2E encrypted channel.

#cypherpunk #encryption #liberty #surveillance #internet surveillance #domestic surveillance #freedom #privacy #e2e #endtoend #crypto #cryptography #totalitarianism

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riverkeuk487-blog · 6 years ago

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Making Croutons At Home

My hubby is an ex-Marine. He takes pleasure in reading anything military so I have order him the new book out by Col. Oliver North, edited by Chuck Holton. The title is American Heroes in the Battle Versus Radical Islam.

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swipestream · 6 years ago

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The Spy Game Game Changer

By now you’ve heard that Castalia House completed yet another hugely successful crowdfunding campaign. It’s just the latest feather in the cap for the publishing house that’s going to need a bigger hat before long. On the surface it looks like just another title – a modern day adventurer taking on a vast and shadowy criminal conspiracy. Look a little deeper though, and you’ll see that this project represents something far more profound. I think – and this may just be wishful thinking – but I believe Alt*Hero: Q represents the first of a new kind of espionage tale, and that it will spawn a host of similar titles.

Infogalactic reports that spy fiction:

emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligence agencies.

Checkpoint Charlie – the Gate in the Iron Curtain

That’s a pretty narrow definition. For the sake of this analysis, we’re going to consider espionage tales to include any story that revolves around small and dedicated heroes investigating large and powerful organizations that operate in the shadows. There’s a natural progression of this broader definition that allows the genre to evolve and change as the geo-political and economic conditions change. And it’s that malleable factor that has made the genre so robust over the years. Let’s look at how it has changed since the end of World War Two, and you’ll quickly see where the genre is headed and why Alt*Hero: Q represents the next phase in the genre’s evolution.

The espionage genre really took off during the Cold War, which allowed for the white hat/black hat stories in which the various western powers faced off against the evil forces of the Warsaw Pact. When the Berlin Wall came crashing down under the weight of the inevitable failures of communism, the genre trundled along with a new set of villains. The most popular of the villains was large mega-corporations led by megalomaniacal CEOs, but mileage was also wrung out of stories with large drug cartels, with no clear cut bad guys, or stories in which the good guys were painted as bad because Reagan amirite?

And then came the X-Files.

A little heralded monster of the week show that featured aliens and Men In Black, The X-Files found that the monolithic evil of communist governments could be easily replaced by the monolithic evil of small, shadowy conspiracies within the American government. The fall of the Soviets left a vacancy for distrust that the US Federal Government seemed all to eager to fill. Rumors of the US Federal Government hiding aliens in military warehouses, or experimenting on citizens with mind-altering drugs without their knowledge, or trapping and studying urban myths like bigfoot or the Chupacabra had long circulated through the underbelly of the American culture. Controversial government attacks on citizens such as the bombing of the Philadelphia MOVE commune, the shootings at Ruby Ridge, and the Waco massacre added more grist to the mill, as did the increasing number of airline tragedies whose coverage was plagued by inconsistencies. Everything discussed in hushed tones on late night AM radio became fodder. Add to that the ongoing military actions in the Middle-East with no clear end and no clear objectives, and it is no wonder the mood of the country and the interests of media consumers had shifted.

Instead of good Us versus evil Them, film viewers and TV watchers flocked to stories about good men struggling to push back against the shadows inherent in their own governments. Jack Bauer in 24, Michel Westin in Burn Notice, even Law and Order couldn’t resist cashing in on the craze with several episodes touching on or diving head first into conspiracy territory – every show in the series has brought in resident conspiracy expert Detective John Munch. They sold, so they got made.

And then came 9/11.

With this titanic shift in the public mood and the groundswell of public patriotism that followed, blaming the government fell out of fashion for a time. Those who asked awkward questions about the events of that fateful day were mocked, regardless of whether they delved too deep into the men who conducted or caused the attacks Twin Towers or those who merely capitalized on it. Coupled with a vicious backlash against any hint that the culture that funded and inspired the 9/11 attacks might have anything to do with them, the espionage genre turned into a schizophrenic mess that lingers even to this very day. Amazon’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan takes the huge risk of showing no-fooling evil middle-eastern terrorists, but bends over backwards to assure the viewers that Muslims are good Americans and even the worst terrorist is really a victim of white cisheteropatriarchy.

For a time the joke became that literal Nazis were the only allowable villains in cinema any more. A few abortive attempts were made to anoint large corporations or international financiers as the appropriate dark and powerful menace, but those rang a little too close to the truth for the large corporations and international financiers who fund big budget productions to continue very far down that road. Films such as The Kingsmen and FX’s show Archer posited worlds where private intel companies vied with each other while the world continued along its merry way, unaware of the high stakes games played in dark alleys and elegant restaurants all around them. Each film and each show became an island unto itself, forced to rebuild the world in its own image and to laboriously communicate the complexities of the internal logic of the story.

The genre was tired. Without the central focus of the Russkies or Men In Black or Global Corporations, the production of espionage stories tapered off. No doubt you can name a few of the exceptions, but in general the genre was moribund. It had no foundational culture on which to rest. The only thing anyone really knew was that nobody really knew what was really going on in the halls of power. With no clear cut villains and no clear cut heroes, what was the point? You might as well just focus on the car crashes and shoot ’em ups and over the top spectacle, because the cloak and dagger stuff just didn’t mean anything any more.

And then came WikiLeaks.

And Fake News.

And Hilary’s emails.

And PizzaGate.

And President Donald Trump.

Suddenly a lot of thing that were not clear to anyone became very clear to everyone. Yes, elections were rigged. Yes, corporations couldn’t be trusted. Yes, the Deep State existed. Yes, the “objective” news lied to viewers on a regular basis. Yes, a few lone actors could bring down powerful people. Yes, the panopticon that so many feared had arrived, but it turned out the people most vulnerable to the power of universal oversight were those most likely to want to turn it on others.

The espionage genre had its new paradigm. Lone agents, scattered researchers toiling away in anonymity, working to expose the nefarious deeds of bad actors installed at the highest levels of governments both national and supranational. That story will resonate with the public, no matter how you dress it up, but it lacked a creative team with the talent and vision – and yes, the freedom from the tangled web of deceit that binds traditional publishers – to bring a story like that to the public.

If that’s the story the Legend Chuck Dixon brings us with Alt*Hero: Q, and so far nothing we’ve seen suggests otherwise, you can expect a raft of similar stories to follow in its wake.

Disclaimer: The good folks at Castalia have been kind enough to allow me room on their blog to share my own thoughts on sf/f and popular entertainment. I’ve had no direct involvement with the Alt*Hero: Q campaign other than as a fan and financial backer through the IGG campaign.

The Spy Game Game Changer published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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chavighurst · 7 years ago

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Americana Lifetime Achievement Awards 2017

I was once again pleased to contribute program notes for the Americana Honors & Awards Lifetime Achievement winners for 2017. I wanted to give these a permanent home on the web, so to read my short essays on Robert Cray, HighTone Records founders Larry Sloven and Bruce Bromberg, Iris DeMent, Graham Nash, Van Morrison and the Hi Rhythm Section, click through to the jump and scroll. They’re all on one post.

Robert Cray - Performer

On the jacket of the 1983 Alligator Records ensemble album Showdown! a young Robert Cray mimes a guitar jam, standing between blues legends Johnny “Clyde” Copeland and Albert Collins. Cray’s smiling gaze is transfixed by the left hand of his hero Collins on the fretboard. The image symbolizes the hours Cray spent as an aspiring guitarist, studying the Ice Man’s phrases and passionate vibrato.

By that year, Cray had emerged as a favorite in the clubs and theaters of the Pacific Northwest. He’d released two albums on HighTone Records and was being hailed as “a one man Wave of The Blues Future,” as expressed by album producers Bruce Iglauer and Dick Sherman. But even their expectations were exceeded over the next few years as Robert Cray became the only African American blues and traditional R&B artist/songwriter to enjoy massive radio airplay and platinum record sales in his era. His vehicle was the album Strong Persuader and the hit single “Smoking Gun.” His tools were a silky vocal style reminiscent of Sam Cooke, a piquant electric guitar that moved the music in both lead and rhythm mode, and original songs that told relatable stories in fresh, carefully crafted forms.

High profile collaborations further fueled Cray’s prominence, including recordings with Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker, a slot on the feature documentary Chuck Berry tribute concert Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll and tours with the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt. Steadily and without mis-steps he amassed a deep catalog and nailed down five Grammy Awards.

Cray’s most recent project saw him return to Memphis where sessions with the veteran studio cats of Royal Studios produced Robert Cray and Hi Rhythm, an 11-song set that underlines Cray’s statesman stature in American music and his enduring fascination with traditional R&B. His success, even in the infertile soil of 1980s pop/rock radio, wasn’t a matter of fortuitous timing but of soul and skill. He’d have been a hitmaker in the 60s, 70s, or 2010s had it worked out that way. He’s that tapped into a timeless firmament.

Larry Sloven and Bruce Bromberg / HighTone Records - Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive

Several of this year’s lifetime achievement awards are connected by history. Robert Cray was introduced to the public thanks to the vision and risk-taking of Larry Sloven and Bruce Bromberg who made 1983’s Bad Influence the inaugural release of their new HighTone Records. It proved an auspicious start for a company that would enrich and enlarge the very idea of American roots music, with important releases in blues, country, folk and rock and roll. The label produced more than 300 albums over 25 years, including essential discography titles by Bill Kirchen, Dave Alvin, Rosie Flores, Chris Gaffney, Dick Dale, Chris Smither, Tom Russell, Geoff Muldaur, Dale Watson, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and 13-time Americana Award winner Buddy Miller.

“Larry and Bruce cared about signing music that was real. They didn’t care if something was making a splash,” Miller says. And across his four solo albums, plus two more by Julie Miller and a duo album, “they gave us complete creative freedom. I’m so glad this award is happening.”

Sloven and Bromberg had jobs in record sales and distribution when they met in the late 1970s, bonding musically over a shared love of Merle Haggard. When they took on the Robert Cray release six years later, it was a side project with little hope of being anything else. But two years in, HighTone Records was a self-sufficient, full time pursuit, based out of Oakland, CA.

Bromberg, a blues maven with a history of producing important artists such as Lightnin’ Hopkins and Johnny Shines, was the chief talent scout; he contributed as a songwriter as well. Sloven tended more to the business side of the label with an art-before-commerce philosophy. With the multi-platinum status of Cray’s 1986’s Strong Persuader album, the partners were able to put a firm foundation under the venture and release what moved them. That included a distinguished blues reissue series, spotlights on underappreciated veterans like Hank Thompson and ventures into Latin roots music.

The founders never achieved their dream of bringing Merle Haggard into the label’s fold, but they did oversee a tribute concert and album with Marshall Crenshaw, Joe Ely, Lucinda Williams, Iris DeMent and others performing Haggard songs. The resulting Tulare Dust project became the first No. 1 album on the very first Gavin Report Americana chart, making it a signifier and landmark for the new format. Today, any respectable Americana/roots CD collection will have scores of HighTone logos on the shelves.

Iris DeMent - Trailblazer

Few artists have told their roots music origin story in song as clearly and memorably as Iris DeMent did on her 1992 debut album Infamous Angel with the song “Moma’s Opry.” In a proud, plaintive voice, DeMent relates: “I'll never forget her face when she revealed to me, That she'd dreamed about singing at The Grand Ole Opry.”

With a few strokes, the artist conveys how deeply music ran in her heritage, as well as music’s power to widen horizons and inspire hope. Music, she told an interviewer once, “wasn’t a plaything” in her family. “It was something you had to have to live.”

DeMent’s own aspirations were quieter and more personal than being a country star, but she gradually developed a yearning to write and perform. She joined a widening American folk music scene in the 1980s, where her tart, rural diction became a country counterpart to the more urbane sounds of the Lilith Fair era. Fellow Americana Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Jim Rooney championed her music and helped her land on Rounder/Philo Records, where her first album earned such acclaim and success it was picked up by Warner Bros.

DeMent has been more selective and patient than prolific in her creative career, but her work is unfailingly observant, compassionate and relevant. In “Our Town,” one of her earliest songs, she documented rural America’s economic decline before it was a hot national topic. She offered a sort of hillbilly Taoism with “Let The Mystery Be.” And her 1996 anthem “Wasteland of the Free” was a searing and comprehensive indictment of America’s shortcomings that presaged the politics of today.

Iris DeMent has earned the Trailblazer Award for her commitment to making classic folk and country forms relevant in her time.

Graham Nash - Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music Award

When Graham Nash emigrated to the United States in the late 60s to join Crosby, Stills & Nash, the songwriter wasted no time and minced no words engaging in America’s vital, cacophonous democracy. He wrote “Chicago” about the fraught Democratic National Convention of 1968 and the trial of Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale and the Chicago Eight. Angry but idealistic, it included the line “We can change the world / rearrange the world.” About the same time, his acerbic “Military Madness” confronted his adopted home country with its violence in Vietnam. That song became the opening track on his debut solo album in 1971. These and other compositions marked the opening salvos in a life devoted to music and change-making, from Woodstock to Occupy Wall Street and beyond.

Nash says he developed his sense of social justice as a boy, seeing how the judicial system in England treated his hard-up father versus its genteel lenience with the upper classes. His music took flight in England as a singer and songwriter with The Hollies. Success with that pop group led him to the US on tour, where he met David Crosby and Stephen Stills. His decision to move – musically and geographically – was inspired by a chance to make music that said something topical and vital at a time of great tumult.

Crosby, Stills & Nash, with and without Neil Young, became one of the iconic folk/rock groups, whose success was fueled as much by its message as by its floating, inspiring harmonies. They helped make Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” a national anthem of the counterculture. They made a hit of Nash’s starry eyed and hopeful “Teach Your Children” only to purposefully bump it off the radio when Neil Young’s hot take on Kent State, “Ohio,” needed to vent anger at the establishment.

Nash’s music-fueled activism extended beyond the quartet and his own musical pursuits. In 1979, he partnered with Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt to create Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) and to produce No Nukes: The Muse Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future. In the summer of 2006, Nash and his old quartet toured behind Neil Young’s angry Living With War album. It was the first time Nash experienced death threats. Nevertheless, he told Jambase: “I was out there doing what I am supposed to do, which is to make music and to a certain degree entertain people, but to a large degree make them think.”

With Graham Nash it was ever thus.

Van Morrison - Songwriter

Where The Rolling Stones helped boomerang the blues of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters back to American audiences during the British Invasion phase of rock and roll, Van Morrison accomplished something similar on behalf of Ray Charles and Solomon Burke. R&B pioneers were linchpins of Morrison’s father’s record collection in Belfast, Northern Ireland. And American roots music informed Van’s development at every level. His first guitar lessons came from a Carter Family folio compiled by Alan Lomax. He formed a skiffle group and then a proto-rock and roll band named after Leadbelly’s Midnight Special. Gradually, improbably, the secondary school dropout built a life in music that took its first public step with Them, a rock and roll band that toured the US in 1966 and left behind Morrison’s widely covered “Gloria.”

Morrison’s solo career began with the R&B flavored “Brown Eyed Girl,” which was part of a small and frustrating record deal in 1967. In near poverty conditions, in the Fall of 1968 in New York, Morrison composed and recorded his masterwork Astral Weeks. While its initial reception was mixed commercially and critically, the album was rather quickly recognized as a profound and iconoclastic statement. When Moondance, the album and single, followed in early 1970, Morrison’s career exploded.

He’s a supple, emotive and attention grabbing vocalist, but his epic output of songs gave that voice wings over a 50-year, 35-album career. He wrote about love, freedom and beauty in “Tupelo Honey.” He wrote unsentimentally but nostalgically about his youth in “Take Me Back” and “Redwood Tree.” He employed dense and cryptic language when it suited him, as in “St Dominic’s Preview,” and yet he could write the breezy and romantic “Moondance” as well. He was ever spiritual and sometimes overtly prayerful, as with “In The Garden.”

With access to a vast range of human emotion, an eye for provocative subject matter and an ear for soaring melodies, Van Morrison would have been a major influence even if he’d only written for other singers. Happily and majestically, this highly controlled and creatively demanding artist has been his own best muse.

Hi Rhythm Section - Instrumentalists

As the mighty Stax Records empire began to unwind around 1972, Hi Records found its footing and became home for a new wave of soul, steered by Memphis lifer Willie Mitchell out of Royal Studios at 1320 South Lauderdale Street. As with Stax and FAME Studio down the road in Muscle Shoals, AL, Hi/Royal developed a sound defined by a cadre of studio musicians. They became known as Hi Rhythm.

Three brothers were at the core of it - Mabon “Teenie” Hodges on guitar plus Charles on organ and Leroy on bass. Drummer Howard Grimes was an alum of Satellite and Stax Records. And keyboardist Archie “Hubbie” Turner was also in the circle. They are the silk purse making the pocket on Al Green's "Love and Happiness," Otis Clay's "Tryin' To Live my Life Without You," Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand The Rain," Syl Johnson's "Dresses Too Short," O.V. Wright's "Eight Men, Four Women" and many more.

Scott Bomar, founder of the Bo-Keys, in which Grimes and Turner play today, says the Hi Rhythm section followed in the footsteps of the Memphis Boys, Mitchell’s first house band, when they went on to work for Chips Moman at American Sound Studio. Being slightly younger than the Stax team they similarly admired, the Hodges were attuned to the raw energy of rock and roll. “And having three brothers who’d grown up playing music with their father gave them a special feel and bond and chemistry, kind of a telepathy that no other studio group really had,” Bomar says.

The brothers recorded their own work as Hi Rhythm in the mid 70s and regrouped to tour with Albert Collins and Otis Clay. In more recent years, members of Hi Rhythm have played on projects by Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Cat Power and Robert Cray. They’re also prominent in the 2014 documentary Take Me To The River featuring meetings between old and young Memphis talent. Teenie Hodges died in 2014. The rest remain part of the heartbeat of Memphis.

#Americana music #ryman auditorium #lifetime achivement

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bs-supply · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on Broke Student Supply

New Post has been published on http://brokestudentsupply.com/complete-list-sega-genesis-games/

Complete List of Sega Genesis Games

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3 Ninjas Kick Back

6 Pack (Columns, Golden Axe, Revenge of Shinobi, Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Super Hang On)

688 Attack Sub

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DJ Boy

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Double Dragon

Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls

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Double Dribble

Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

Dragon’s Fury

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Dungeons and Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun

Dynamite Duke

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Earthworm Jim

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Ecco Jr.

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Ecco: The Tides of Time

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Elemental Master

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Goofy’s Hysterical History Tour

Granada

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Hard Drivin’

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Hit the Ice

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Hook

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Immortal

Incredible Hulk

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Insector X

Ishido: The Way of the Stones

It Came From The Desert

The Itchy and Scratchy Game

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Jack Nicklaus Golf

James Bond: The Duel

James “Buster” Douglas Knockout Boxing

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James Pond 2

James Pond 3: Operation Starfish

Jammit

Jennifer Capriatti Tennis

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Joe Montana Sportstalk Football ’94

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John Madden

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John Madden ’93

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John Madden Champ. Edition

Jordan vs. Bird

Joshua

Judge Dredd

Junction

The Jungle Book

Jungle Strike

Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition

Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World

Justice League Task Force

Ka Ge Ki: Fists of Steel

Kawasaki Superbike Challenge

Kid Chameleon

King Salmon

King of the Monsters

King of the Monsters 2

King’s Bounty

Klax

Lakers versus Celtics

Landstalker

Last Action Hero

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Lawnmower Man

Legend of Galahad

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Lethal Enforcers

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LHX Attack Chopper

Liberty Or Death

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Lobo

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M.U.S.H.A.

The Magic School Bus

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Man Overboard

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Maverick

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Menacer 6-Pack

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Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker

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Mickey’s Ultimate Challenge

Micro Machines

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Midnight Resistance

Mig 29 Fighter Pilot

Might and Magic: The Secret Of The Inner Sanctum

Might and Magic II: Gates To Another World

Mighty Max

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers

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Mike Ditka Football

Minnesota Fats: Pool Legend

MLBPA Baseball

Monopoly

Mortal Kombat

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Mr. Nutz

Ms. Pac-Man

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Mutant League Football

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Mystic Defender

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Nobunaga’s Ambition

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Operation Europe: Path To Victory

Out of This World

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The Tick

Time Killers

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Tiny Toon Adventures: ACME All-Stars

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TNN Bass Tournament of Champions

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Toe Jam & Earl

Toe Jam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron

Toki, Going Ape Spit

Tom & Jerry: Frantic Antics

Tom Lasorda Baseball

Tony La Russa Baseball

Tony La Russa 95

Top Gear 2

Toughman Contest

Tour Tennis

Toxic Crusaders

Toy Story

Toys

Trampoline Terror

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Triple Play ’96

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Tyrants

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

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Uncharted Waters

Universal Soldier

Unnecessary Roughness

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0 notes

allisonswrittenwords · 7 years ago

Text

…and Jaleel White played the hero, standing up to that other kid representing Shadow Force!

I swear, I’ve seen more of pre-Urkel Jaleel White in the last year than I actually believed was possible, but he was in a few commercials back in the day.

Previously, on Throwback Thursday, we looked at a car with insanely low financing (in 1985), as promoted by Telly Savalas. Today, we move forward to 1987, and vehicles of the future, as only our fabled future U.S. Space Force (think Air Force of the Stars….The Space Kind), could drive.

Starcom was a short-lived motorized toy franchise (by Coleco) that tied into a short-lived TV show (by DiC – stop giggling – and Coca-Cola Telecommunications), beginning in 1987. It never really caught on here in the states, but the toyline was popular in Europe and Asia, where it enjoyed life as a toyline for a few years. The cartoon itself only lasted thirteen episodes from September – December 1987.

It still lasted eight episodes longer than Chuck Norris and the Karate Commandos. Just sayin’.

It was only a five-episode miniseries because syndication would have exploded from one more episode.

Or just insert your own Chuck Norris joke here. I’ll wait.

Anyway…Starcom was both a short-lived American animated cartoon and toyline, but it had a pretty kick-ass commercial that featured a kid representing Shadow Force antagonism and whose face we only see once, but also featuring Jaleel White in a cape…

…representing the forces of Starcom good!

We also see his face more!

This commercial (taped from WNYW 5 New York in June 1987) features our young hero, our young villain, and a few of the cool toys in the Starcom vehicle line. And you can see them (and Jaleel White!) in action when you click play!

These toys looked really amazing – they were motorized and didn’t require batteries. What wasn’t to love about something you didn’t constantly have to raid the household Duracel supply to help it along?

Not alot, apparently. The toyline was poorly promoted domestically, and never really caught on. They left the toyline tie-in scene two years later, but found a good life in Europe and Southeast Asia, where the American and NASA details were removed. It also helped that the toys came under the production wings of Mattel. They continued on in the early 1990s thanks to that wingspan.

So, for a short time in the mid 1980s, these looked kinda cool.

But we still liked Transformers and GI Joe better.

But not Go-Bots. Those were still the “baby” version of Transformers.

They were first, but they knew their doom was near.

You know, this was supposed to be about a totally different toyline/cartoon connection, and wound up becoming a discussion about Chuck Norris, his cartoon, and a “Quienes Mas Macho: Go-Bots versus Transformers Edition” debate.

Proof that when you come here for one thing, you best be prepared to hear about ten other references that usually have nothing to do with the main feature of the article.

Truly the random thought processes of a truly random mind, on a blog meant for randomness.

Seriously, these toys never caught on? Pre-Urkel played with them! They had to be awesome!

What, they weren’t? Well darn.

Yeah, I’m done. Enjoy your Friday!

It Happened in the #FlashbackFriday! ...and Jaleel White played the hero, standing up to that other kid representing Shadow Force!

#FlashbackFriday #1987 #Coleco #Jaleel White #Starcom

0 notes

pcwpolwrestling · 8 years ago

Text

Orrin Hatch Drops Serious Language- 2/6 PCW Newsline

Stone Chism Hits a Backbreaker on ‘No Frills’ Chris Escondido Saturday Night in Huntington, WV

American Patriots vs. Progressive Alliance at PCW Headquarters Part One In the midst of a tumultuous week where the American Patriots and Progressive Alliance were at each other’s throats, the fallout continues over PCW CEO Donald Trump’s decision to end to the practice of liberally giving out free tickets to VIP’s and political friends where just show up to venues where PCW runs. Opponents to this decision have gone to court to get the executive order stayed in the interim.

Stay tuned on this one as CEO Trump continues to push to get this rule changed.

American Patriots vs. Progressive Alliance at PCW Headquarters Part TwoAnd then there was this. The atmosphere has become so heated over CEO Trump’s picks to fill out key positions in the PCW organization, Orrin Hatch stunned a few people when he finally snapped after the Progressive Alliance boycotted not one, but two hearings on prospective nominees and said: “I think they ought to stop posturing, and acting like idiots. I’m really tired of this type of crap. I mean, my goodness, there’s no excuse for it.”

‘The Voice of PCW’ Johnny Suave had this to say: “Yeah, when Orrin Hatch starts dropping ‘c-bombs,’ you know the crap’s about to hit the fan.”

How mad was Hatch? While the Progressive Alliance’s Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown held a press conference during another hearing on a nominee, Hatch interrupted the proceedings to announce he’d called for a vote to change the rules to allow the committee to proceed without a member of the other faction present while the three were talking to the press and it passed. That pissed off Schumer, Warren, and Brown. Then Hatch announced the nominee had passed through the committee. That really pissed off Schumer, Warren, and Brown. Then Hatch said- and we quote: “if you think I’m going to continue to take this kind of crap from you, then you three can just eat crap and-“

And at that point, American Patriots John McCain, Lindsey Graham, John Cornyn, and Rob Portman dragged the still ranting Hatch away from the stunned Progressive Alliance trio.

Sports Entertainment Corporation (SEC) and CSPN (Corporate Sports-entertainment Programming Nation) AnnouncementA joint press release came out Thursday from the SEC and CSPN announcing that all interviews done with SEC talent will be done exclusively by CSPN. ‘Sports Entertainment Genius’ Mr. McMann of the SEC commented, “We believe that giving CSPN ‘exclusive status’ over our interviews will position the SEC better in terms of perception and posturing towards title opportunities.”

Said Mark Splitter, CEO of CSPN: “CSPN is the worldwide corporate forerunner in sports entertainment. With our track record of focusing on specific charismatic athletes and teams and ramming them down our viewer’s throats, we are well positioned to accomplish Mr. McMann’s goal of elevating the profile of their wrestlers and make them not only household names but viable candidates to hold PCW titles.”

Professor McCarthy and his – whatever they’re going to call it – Faction AnnouncementAnd speaking of faction not talking to anyone else but their ‘officially anointed’ news correspondent, Professor McCarthy made it clear on Saturday afternoon before the PCW house show in Huntington, West Virginia that he and his supporters will only talk to certain media people- hint…not anyone associated with F** News (the news organization that shall not be named).

Such was the week at PCW headquarters.

PCW also hit the road this weekend for a pair of house shows. Heartland Champion Charlie Blackwell headlined the Chillicothe, Ohio house show Friday night as he faced RINO- The Wonk Machine for his title.

MAIN EVENT/HEARTLAND TITLE MATCH: Charlie Blackwell © (Les Miserables) vs. RINO- The Wonk Machine (American Patriots)Heartland Champion Charlie Blackwell (Les Miserables) put his title on the line in the night’s Main Event against RINO from the American Patriots. Blackwell wasted no time slapping the Figure Four on the more powerful RINO and spends the rest of the match limping on his leg. Blackwell hits the Alabama slam and nearly ended the match right there but RINO miraculously kicked out. RINO struggled with the knee throughout the match. He did nearly hit SPEAR! But Blackwell countered, chop blocked the knee, and nearly rolled him up. Finally, Blackwell slapped on the Katahajime and that put an end to RINO’s night.

However, the real news came after the match when Gator Bates and the Sports Entertainment Corporation rained on his victory celebration. Bates hit the ring with A.J. Alabama, Stevie ‘War’ Eagles, and Butch Fullmer and the CSPN personalities assigned to them- Reese Anderson and Rebecca Morris. Anderson interviewed Bates in the ring and after lamenting the fact that Gonzaga was now ranked the number one college basketball team even though they weren’t from a ‘power conference,’ asked Bates if the fact current Heartland champion Charlie Blackwell- a wrestler from the Les Miserables stable, could be compared to the Zags.

Bates replied the only reason Blackwell held the title was because of the competition he’s faced up to now. Bates said Blackwell hasn’t faced anyone in his class yet and that the SEC ran at a much higher level than the Les Miserables. Morris asked Bates how long it would take him to dethrone Blackwell from the Heartland title. Bates’s response: “as long as it takes for the match to be made and for me to step in the ring with him.”

That may happen sooner than later.

Beer Bellied Softball Playing Ninja DebutHank and Tiny aka…the Beer Bellied Softball Playing Ninja with Hal and their valet April O’Neale defeated Farmer John and Nick Ray in tag team action.

The BBSPN hit the ring with their theme song (sung to the tune of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song):“Beer bellied softball playing ninja Beer bellied softball playing ninja Beer bellied softball playing ninja Heroes with a six pack- of beer SOFTBALL POWER!”

HankHT: 6′ 0″ WT: 216 / HOME: Urbana, OH / FIN: Ninja Nunchucks TinyHT: 6′ 6″ WT: 345 / HOME: Middletown, IN / FIN: The Big Belch

The BBSPN showed off some impressive ninja-like moves before Tiny ended the match with the Big Belch. What is the Big Belch? Tiny guzzles down two pitchers of beer in short order. Then he burps in your face- in this case, he burped in Nick Ray’s face and then fell on Ray to get the win.

Jack Fraiser w/his Oootlander DebutFraiser debuted with an elaborate ring introduction on the video screen…

It’s 1946 in the Scottish Highlands.

On the hill of Craigh na Dun, British nurse Blaire Rendell hears the tell-tale buzzing sound as she approaches the standing stones. This makes her very happy.

Blaire Rendell (Scottish accent): Soon, I’ll be back with my true love Jamie and I will be truly happy once again in eighteen century Scotland.

Blaire goes to the standing stones where the buzzing sound gets louder and louder. Soon she faints and falls to the ground. When she wakes up…

Blaire Rendell: JAMIE! JAMIE? JAM-AHHGH!

Voice (Canadian dialect): It’s about time you got here, eh?

…Blaire becomes aware that she’s on stage with Jack Fraiser and looks disgusted by the whole situation.

Blaire Rendell: Oh…whatever. I need something to drink.

Fraiser reaches into his bag and hands her a Molson. Blaire rips the can out of his hand, opens it up, and chugs it.

Fraiser’s Oootlander proved to be extremely scrappy and useful hand to have at ringside as well, whapping Dick Van Damm with an iron skillet and paving the way for the Canadian to pick up his first PCW win.

Double Main Event in Huntington, WVThe Huntington show featured a double main event with the PCW Tag Team champions Starz N. Stripes and Magnum P.O.’d (American Patriots) versus the Dork Dynasty (Leonard and Sheldon Robertson) in a non-title match and the team of PCW Champion William Daniels Bryan (Les Miserables) and Kirk Walstreit (American Patriots) taking on The Green World Order (Radishing Rick Rube/’Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee)

Starz and Magnum eased to a workmanlike win over the Dork Dynasty.

Bryan/Walstreit vs. the GWO? That turned out to be a bit more interesting. First off, Bryan and Walstreit were not even one week removed from their match for Bryan’s PCW Title. Second, both men represented different factions: Bryan- Les Miserables, Walstreit- The American Patriots. How would they co-exist? Well, Bryan and Walstreit co-existed enough to pick up a relatively easy win over the GWO.

But after the match, Walstreit turned on Bryan and hit the Stock Market Plunge on the PCW champion to serve notice that he continued to be an active threat for the PCW title. That wasn’t necessarily a surprise. The surprise came when Professor McCarthy sent his flock- Codee Pink, Emily S. List, all five members of the GWO, and several followers, into the ring to attack both men. After overwhelming Walstreit and Bryan, the flock then began to tear the ring ropes off, flip over tables at ringside, and throw chairs into the crowd.

A very pissed off PCW Owner Dawn McGill walked out and lit into the protesters. “Hey putzes. This isn’t Berkeley, California where apparently you can destroy public and private property and not face any consequences,” she said and then Def Leppard’s “Tear It Down” played. The Extreme Equalizer Whiskey Tango Foxtrot raced down to the ring to make an unannounced visit to PCW and cleaned house. Professor McCarthy himself refused to back down and even took a swing at WTF. That would prove to be a bad move as Whiskey Tango Foxtrot kicked him in the groin prompting Johnny Suave to comment earlier today, “I haven’t seen someone’s balls deflate like that since I watched Roger Goodell hand Tom Brady his MVP trophy last night after the Super Bowl.”

Before the flock left the arena, they made sure they stopped to pick up their paycheck from Codee Pink before exiting.

‘The One Man Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism (Progressive Alliance)- Not HappyAfter Chism defeated ‘No Frills’ Chris Escondido of Les Miserables in a match where the One Man Hollywood A-List got off to a sluggish start against the technically proficient Escondido. However, midway through, Chism kicked it up another gear as Escondido tired and hit the Hollywood Blockbuster to seal the win.

Post match, Chism got on the microphone and complained that he’s been ‘left on an island’ and bemoaned the ‘lack of leadership’ in the Progressive Alliance at the moment. The P.A. are in the process of determining who their new leader will be and progress has been painfully slow.

2/3-PCW House Show- Chillicothe, OH Results:-The Goatbusters (Peter Jenkman/Ray Scantz) def. PBR and Kevin Collins -Jack Fraiser w/Oootlander Blaire Randall def. Dick Van Damm -Ken Worth-American Trucker w/Tequila Sheila (Les Miserables) def. GreenPete (GWO)-Beer Bellied Softball Playing Ninja (Hank and Tiny w/Hal and April O’Neale) def. Farmer John and Nick Ray -Texas Jack (American Patriots) def. Union Jack Taylor (Progressive Alliance) -MAIN EVENT/HEARTLAND TITLE MATCH: Charlie Blackwell (Les Miserables) def. RINO-The Wonk Machine (American Patriots)

2/4-PCW House Show- Huntington, WV Results:-‘The Luchador with the Insanely Bad Breath’ Halitosis def. The Fainting Goat Kid -Professor McCarthy def. Jamie Walker-The SEC (A.J. Alabama/Stevie ‘War’ Eagles) def. Brad Company/Brad Romance -Rah! The Sunshine God def. The Couch Potato-‘The One Man Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism (Progressive Alliance) def. ‘No Frills’ Chris Escondido (Les Miserables)-MAIN EVENT #1: PCW Tag Team Champions Magnum P.O.’d/Starz N. Stripes (American Patriots) def. Dork Dynasty (Sheldon and Leonard Robertson) in a non-title match-MAIN EVENT #2 PCW Champion William Daniels Bryan (Les Miz)/Kirk Walstreit (American Patriots) def. The Green World Order (‘Radishing’ Rick Rube/’Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee

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