This one’s a reblog, but we just did one for Valentine’s day with similar results, so I figured why not?
Nope, not a misspelling of steak. It’s time for my also promised nearly 3 pound (1.3 kg) tomahawk cut ribeye steak cook. 😀
As the picture hints at, the cut got it’s name from the bone being left in and the size of the cut. It bears a passing similarity to tomahawk.
As usual, it was salt, pepper and garlic for the seasoning, and then onto the smoker:
Notice I did go lighter than with the ribs yesterday also. A good steak should be seasoned lightly to let it’s own flavor shine through. Those ribs were a bit over seasoned also to be honest.
Since a good steak should also have a nice sear or grill marks on it also, I do something fairly unique here. Pellet grills and other smokers almost never put good grill marks on meat. So what I do id cook the meat to an internal temperature of about 95 degrees (35 degrees C).
Cooked slow and low, by the time it reaches that internal temperature, the meat has a nice,moderate level of smoke flavor. From there, it goes onto the Weber charcoal grill.
One thing I should mention here… If you’re going to BBQ with charcoal on a kettle like this… You ideally want the charcoal on two sides and a clear space in the middle where you can place your food. This prevents flare ups of the fire and the food getting burnt or cooked unevenly. I got in a hurry here and was sloppy with the charcoal.
Getting back to the actual cook, it stays there long enough to get to a nice 135 degree (57 degrees C) internal temperature. That’s just long enough to get it a perfect medium rare and put a nice surface sear on it for extra flavor:
This particular steak is a good example of learning to trust your instincts also. My thermometer lied and said it was still raw. When I pulled it though, here’s what we got:
That’s right on the high side of “medium” in terms of how cooked it is, which means it had an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees (62 degrees C). Still very edible, but not quite as tender as it could have been.
Cultivating that instinct takes work. You have to regularly make a mental note of how long items cook each time you do them, and their appearance as well.
Here’s a finished dinner plate, with the green beans and bacon now mixed with the Marsala sauteed mushrooms, some biscuits, and the raspberry yogurt fruit salad from Friday.
That opening a play on the old Joker’s WIld game show from the 1980s. 🙂
So what we’re really doing here is discussing Batman’s favorite punching bag; the Joker.
Years ago, I ripped into the Joker movie, and how I felt it both glorified evil and extremely maligned the mentally ill. The mental health system too, for that matter. Everybody at the city clinic seems to be completely apathetic and just going through the motions at best.
A recent discussion at Laura’s blog got me thinking about the other Joker roles and actors out there. With that in mind, I’m going to do what everybody else on the internet does and rank them in order of my favorites. Why be online if you can’t be judgy, right? 😁
Side Note: WOW, WordPress does NOT recognize judgy as a word
Guarantee Number 1 will surprise you also.
LAST Place: Jared Leto
The title of the video says it all. I don’t know what the hell the Suicide Squad writers were thinking with this version of the Joker. I think they clearly didn’t understand the character, OR like so many new comics writers, they thought they were going to show everybody they knew better than the old guard.
The look they gave him was some weird cross between a gangbanger and a poorly defined psychotic. The grill on his teeth was even worse than the chains.
I’m not familiar enough with Jared Leto’s work to say how much was his fault. I will say that all the other actors on the list seemed to have a much better grasp on the character though.
How bad was the performance? It even got Count Dooku killed!
Sixth Place: Juaquin Phoenix
What can I say? Juaquin Phoenix is by NO means a bad actor. He was amazing in Gladiator. This movie just went off the deep end trying to rewrite the character of The Joker. Trying to make a mass murdering lunatic into a sympathetic character AND minimalize the struggles of people with mental health issues by all but saying any of them could be him was, in my opinion, disgusting. The blue eye paint even ruined the look of the character. This was one of the few movies I can say I watched that had NOTHING redeeming about it. Juaquin Phoenix deserved better, and so did the audience.
The scary part is, as bad as this Joker was written, Jared Leto’s was worse! LOL
Fifth Place: Cesar Romero
Here, at least, we get into a relatively good performance. I will say though that Romero’s mustache showing through the makeup was always cringe for me, even watching the show as a youngster.
Romero was a fine actor, and he certainly understood the role as it was given to him. As with other versions of the Joker, the defined role was the bigger problem. In the 1960s, Batman comics were fairly campy. The Joker was the most campy part of all. The actual TV Show went out of it’s way to one up the comics in campiness. It was parody of the campy comics. Romero played the part to the hilt, but the part wasn’t what it could have been. I think he could have made a great more serious Joker.
Fourth Place: Heath Ledger
Yes, I know this is going to be blasphemy to some of you, but hear me out….
First, if there were a points scale on my ratings, all of the remaining actors, Ledger included would be VERY close. That hospital scene above is some of the most brilliant improv work you’ll see in acting (the detonator really did malfunction from what I’ve read). Ledger’s improv and bending the script are what made the character as good as it was.
Again, the problem is in the script. THIS Joker is written as a violent sociopath. What COULD have been lines delivered with dark humor and a classic Joker laugh are too often delivered flat and dry as if for the sole purpose of intimidating those present. Take the infamous disappearing pencil scene:
Now imagine after that enforcer gets his head slammed into the table and the pencil through his eye, Ledger delivers a Nicholson-esque one-liner and twisted laugh. Then as the rest of the mobsters react, he throws open the coat revealing the bomb. He delivers another one liner about getting a bang out of his next trick, laughs, then INSTANTLY turns deadly serious and orders them all to sit the hell down or else. The performance suddenly is more in keeping with the character and becomes even better than it already was. 🙂
What makes the Joker a truly memorable villain is that his twisted flip flopping between comedian and deadly serious leaves you feeling ANYTHING could happen next. By the writers over-playing the deadly serious side of Joker it diminished the character. From what I’ve read, if not for Ledger’s ad libs and improv, the character would have been FAR worse. Ledger saved the movie from a bad script.
Third Place: Jack Nicholson
Though a few scenes were over the top campy, such as trick shooting the mob bosses while circus music played, this was OVERALL the best movie portrayal of the Joker, and NOBODY plays a deranged psycho like Nicholson. What I meant about the Joker’s mood swings and unpredictability is perfectly illustrated in the second half of that scene:
He goes from happy to sad to angry like its nothing, and casually asks for Bob’s gun and then calmly shoots him simply for the sake of having somebody to take out his negative emotions on. That despite Bob being Joker’s #1 guy and presumptive friend.
The movie also has some great social commentary as well. The above scene being a great example. Joker’s already poisoned the city via personal hygiene products and it took what seemed to be weeks for Batman to crack the pattern of the poisons. Yet all it takes is a pretty speech and the promise of giving away alot of money at the Gotham Bicentennial parade and everybody’s lined up, hands out, cheering him like a hero… Until he gases them and has his goons start to gun people down. Look at social media and tell me people aren’t really that dumb and greedy.
Second Place: Mark Hamill
What can I say? Hamill’s Joker is everything that Nicholson’s was without the occasional over the top campiness. He’s so popular he played The Joker in multiple DC Animated Universe series, a few other DC animated movies, and several video games. If it wasn’t for the role destroying his voice, he might still have a lock on it for voice acting.
Oh, and while the above was the darker side of Joker, Hamill had a lock on the campy side also:
Side note: See how many real world serial killers and nut jobs you recognize at Arkham. One freebie; the guy next to the ladder that hands Joker the tree topper is Charles Manson. 😯 Who said Batman TAS was only for kids? 😁😁
And the winner is…
First Place: Cameron Monaghan!
Remember when I said nobody plays a psycho like Nicholson? Cameron Monaghan MAY be the first person I’ve seen actually do it BETTER:
The way he changes moods and personas is amazing, and that instant transformation from crying to the evil laugh… It’s breathtaking. When I first saw this scene, I said that IF this kids gets the shot he deserves, he WILL be the next Nicholson. The Gotham TV series was worth watching for him alone, although I hated the way they passed off the Joker title to Jarome’s twin brother and made the character more like Ledger’s. Even that switch was made masterfully by Cameron.
I LOVE Cameron as Cal Kestis in the Star Wars video games
I have to be honest though. This guy is WAY too talented to be relegated to voice acting for video games.
And there you have it, MY opinion on who did it best. As previously mentioned, I think Ledger, Nicholson, Hamill and Monaghan would be all very closely ranked if I did a 1 to 100 point type thing. Cal Kestis just owned the role though, LOL.
An Added Bonus: Luke Skywalker Meets the Joker:
Yes, a conversation only Mark Hamill could pull off and it really happened
In my last NLP post, I started to talk a little bit about the background of Ericksonian Hypnosis and N.L.P. and gave an example of using NLP for phobia cures along with some of the “sleight of mouth” phrases that can allow NLP to be misused for all manner of manipulation.
Today, I wanted to look at the concept of “Anchoring”, and how it can be used, or misused in N.L.P. Then I’ll add a few more phrases to the sneaky language list.
Keep in mind that N.L.P. is a tool, it’s not bad or good in and of itself. It’s all about who is using it and for what end. Sadly, there are quite a few weasels out there.
Anchoring; What Is It?
Anchoring is the process of connecting a physical action or sensation, or even something seen, to a desired mental or emotional state. It’s easier than it sounds. Our brains naturally make these kind of connections. A good example being a sound or smell that instantly brings a family member to mind: You smell soup cooking, it reminds you of the old days when Grandma cooked that meal, and suddenly you’re flooded with memories of time spent with grandma.
N.L.P. figured out how to take advantage of our mind’s natural tendency to make connections like that. Let me give you an example of a helpful use and then an example of a bad use.
The good use is one of the early things that’s taught when studying N.L.P. to help show students what anchoring is and how powerful it can be if done right. I’m going to teach you how to anchor yourself to a powerful, confident state and recall it at will.
First, find yourself a quiet spot to help you relax and focus on the next step.
Second, close your eyes and remember a time when you felt totally on top of the world; you just reached a major achievement of some sort, you won an award, whatever memory powerfully recreates that feeling for you. Hold on to that feeling; embrace it, explore it, swim in it.
Third: Touch yourself in some (non-obscene) way. Typically what’s recommended is grabbing your wrist, or holding your thumb. Anything works, but if you want to use this in situations where a little subtlety might be good (around judgmental co-workers, etc…), then keep the move discreet, like touching your arm, rubbing your chin. Whatever you’re comfortable with. As you do that, visualize and feel a connection between that emotion you’re remembering and the touch trigger you’re using. Make it as clear as the original memory itself.
It may take a few tries to get that connection to truly form. That’s OK. Like everything in life, it’s practice. Once you do get it set up correctly, you SHOULD be able to just use that same touch to recreate that powerful, confident state the same way you mind will recreate those memories of Grandma from the smell of her recipes cooking.
As an added note, these kind of things are “use it or lose it”, similar to any sort of training one might do. If you practice that touch to evoke that state, the ability to call it up will not only stay intact but also grow. If you forget about it, you’ll have to repeat the exercise above to rebuild the connection.
Now, as far as the negative uses… I almost hate to give a detailed description here for fear of encouraging and teaching unscrupulous use.
Suffice it to say that an immoral sales weasel will get a potential customer talking about something that excites them, etc… Doesn’t matter if it’s something that went well that day, something they’re looking forward to the upcoming weekend, whatever.
Yes, EVERY sales person does this to break the ice and build rapport. An NLP using sales weasel will be anchoring at the same time though; subtly scratching their jaw or some other move to anchor that state with the prospective customer. When it gets time to make the sale, they will use the same gesture to try to recreate the feelings of excitement and rapport that were anchored earlier.
Yes again, it CAN work that way with an outside trigger also. Grandma didn’t program you to crave the food, right? It was simply repeated experiences that established the anchor to that situation / memory in your mind.
As I pointed out last time though, being aware of these tricks can greatly limit your ability to be manipulated by them.
Anchoring used to be taught by the pick up artist community as a trick also. The general idea would be to build rapport and some excitement as above with more personal anecdotes shared. While doing so, the guy would use a veiled “self pointing” type gesture like brushing his chest or scratching his same side shoulder, to indicate that the gal subconsciously anchor that state of excitement to him. Once the conversation turned more flirty or sexual, he’d then use the anchor to trigger the excitement again, and indicate that she should be feeling all those things because of him.
If you want a little more depth to the discussion on Anchoring in N.L.P. then try this video:
The video description also has a bit better version of the positive use Anchoring technique that I described above.
Back to Embedded Commands:
If you forgot, these are word games and trick phrases that act like hypnotic commands and can be used during the course of normal conversation. Done wrong, they stick out like a sore thumb and make you sound weird. Done artfully, they can blindside a listener or reader
“Invite you to notice…” This one is great in conversations that have taken a philosophical or casual fun turn. Like a previous embedded command or two, it’s a sneaky way to get a person to focus on and be more agreeable to whatever follows the phrase. I invite you to notice how how wonderful that steak smells. It’s as if you can literally taste it. 😁
“Notice what it’s like…” yet another ‘command’ to get the person imagining experiencing something while bypassing their normal defenses. You’re just asking them to imagine something after all… Notice what it’s like as you continue to imagine eating that steak… the rumble in your stomach, the way you’re practically salivating as you picture chewing on it.
“What would it feel (or be) like if…” Another harmless sounding command that’s actually a little stronger than the others. This one is asking the target to fully place themself into the imagined experience AND take note of their feelings and other sensations they may be experiencing. What would it feel like if that big juicy, perfectly cooked steak was sitting on a plate right in front of you?
Yes, I know I’m evil. Mwhahahahaha. 🤣😈🤣😈🤣
“as to when” This phrase connects and presupposes that the thing mentioned will happen. You may find yourself wondering as to when you’re heading off to the grocery store to buy steaks to grill.
“as if” A connector and enhancer. This one you see poorly used as a tool for hyper-exaggeration in debates on social and political topics. There are far more artful uses of the phrase though. Thinking about those steaks, it’s almost as if it’s unbearable waiting any longer to have one.
As I was writing the latest chapter, it came to mind just how many things were left totally undiscussed in the original Star Wars movie. Believe it or not, there wasn’t even any mention of working communication systems beyond short range. This is one of MANY things that factored into how I decided to re-write the original trilogy in an alternate reality.
This whole “after show” thing is simply my attempt to communicate with readers why I made the choices I did, and maybe noodle through a few things myself.
First, Let’s Talk Kyle Katarn
I’m sure a few of you are wondering why kill off Luke just to have somebody else take “his spot”. That’s not my intention. After I started writing though, I did realize that the whole Leia rescue and Death Star escape plays out alot better with four characters instead of three. A bit of research refreshed my memory that Kyle was originally credited with recovering some of the Death Star information in the first place also. Ergo, he became an easy choice to become an extra gun on the Death Star before he goes off to deal with the first iteration of the Dark Troopers shortly after the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the first Death Star.
So, Kyle becomes an easy short term addition to the crew. I had to have Jan Ors chased off though, because if The Moldy Crow had been available to get Kenobi and Kyle off-world, Han and Chewie wouldn’t become central characters.
Since the Crow is really only a two seater anyway, that could have been enough of an excuse, but TIE fighters everywhere adds to the dramatic tension. 🙂
Since it’s early in Kyle’s adventures, literally right before Dark Forces 1 takes place, he doesn’t have any Force powers yet, and won’t totally unbalance the story the way he would if it was much further along in his career. Being able to get in contact with him (any help really) is much easier to justify when we now know that the Star Wars universe has galaxy spanning communications. Why wouldn’t Leia call for help, and why in turn wouldn’t Bail Organa or the Rebellion try to send aid when the stakes are THAT high?
It only makes sense and we can PERHAPS assume that maybe some sort of aid just missed catching up with the heroes in the official version of the story.
“Tapes?!?” Really???
Honestly, I couldn’t help but marvel at would have been a GLARING oversight were it not for the fact that the movie was made in 1977. Nowhere in the discussion of the Death Star plans at any point did the idea of digital data transmission come up. The plans are even referred to as “tapes” in the Death Star meeting room, LOL. That REALLY shows how far real world technology has come in the last 4 decades plus, and how that’s enabled sci-fi writers too imagine even more sophisticated technology.
A New Hope still could have been made “as is”, but done today there’d no doubt be some reference to transmissions being blocked, thus preventing file transfer and requiring Artoo to hold the data.
Clearly I’m going to have to make some adjustments to allow for greater technology when doing the original trilogy.
Spinning My Wheels Till Empire?
This is my immediate next question. Am I going to just go through the motions with the story and retell “A New Hope” with minor changes in dialog? Leia can’t get any sort of Jedi training until after the Death Star is destroyed after all. OR… do I do something dramatic to shake up the story?
For instance, knowing what we know about The Force now, why did Vader never realize that Leia was his daughter in the Death Star’s detention center? Surely he would have seen some similarity in appearance and spiritual energy to Padme. At least enough to make him suspect something was… off. Vader is more an unstoppable force than a Sith Sorcerer like Palpatine, BUT he was sharp enough to sense that Luke had a sister in Return of the Jedi.
Would that insight change anything? Fathers tend to be much more protective of their daughters than their sons after all.
What about survivors? Having characters like Kenobi, Tarkin or Biggs Darklighter potentially survive the first movie could add some interesting twists to future episodes.
Then there’s who destroys the Death Star. I’ve got a couple of twists there for you all…
Lucas, Luke and Leia…
I have to wonder how far Lucas read or wrote ahead (depending upon if you believe he actually wrote the originals or not) when I think about the two kisses Luke and Leia shared, and that’s just in the original two films. There was a deled scene with another near kiss on Hoth, and the comics had even more. Things got awkward between Luke and Leia in Splinter of the Mind’s Eye as well.
What makes it all the worse yet is Leia’s reaction to learning Luke is her brother after all that; “Somehow I’ve always known”. That’s not creepy at all, LOL.
So I have to wonder, was the planning that poor or does Lucas have and incest fetish?
I do at least have to defend him against Carrie Fisher’s “no underwear in space” accusations. She’s covered from head to foot the entirety of the first two movies, and nowhere in the films do her boobs so much as jiggle slightly. Not even when running around the Death Star. No bra, they WILL jiggle. Return of the Jedi shows she’s fairly busty also.
At any rate, I also remember that her complaint about Lucas from the early days was that he made her wrap her boobs because she was too well endowed to be playing an 18 year old princess.
Both sides also agree that Fisher got stuck wearing the “Slave Leia” outfit in Return of the Jedi because she complained all the time about not being able to show any skin in the first two movies.
All things considered, Fisher is lucky the movies were made so long ago. Nowadays, the Death Star detention center scene would have had her forcibly stripped, there’d have been sex scenes required for her, and Jabba probably would have had her collared and naked at his palace and on his barge.
As the mid-morning twin suns beat down, Kenobi piloted the landspeeder at full throttle through the barren wastes. Over the horizon he saw a plume of black smoke rising into the sky. Sensing trouble, he veered slightly off-course and headed toward the smoke.
In just over a minute the landspeeder closed in on the smoldering remains of a Jawa Sandcrawler. The bodies of dead Jawas and shattered machinery littered the surrounding landscape.
Kenobi coasted to a stop and hopped out of the speeder. One hand drifted cautiously to the lightsaber on his belt as he surveyed the area. “I know you’re here”, he said matter-of-factly. “Show yourself.”
A tall, muscular man wearing a chestplate of grey armor under a brown synth-leather jacket stepped out from behind nearby rocks, a Bryar model heavy blaster pistol in his hand, pointed at the ground.
You’ve got better eyes than I’d have given you credit for, old timer.”, the man said. He studied Kenobi up and down. “Or was it just eyes? Those robes…”
His sentence was cut short by a beep on his commlink. “Kyle, I’ve got a full squadron TIEs coming in hot. Seems the Imps are serious about locating the data. I’ve got to get the Crow out of here. Even I can’t handle a full squadron solo.”
“Get out of there, Jan.”, the man said back into the commlink. “You’re no good to us shot down. Jump if you have to. I’ll try to make contact in two hours. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll arrange alternate transportation and meet you at base.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”, the woman replied.
“Do it Jan. The mission comes first” the man replies firmly.
“Fine, we’ll do it your way… as usual.”, the woman snapped. “Jan out”
Kenobi’s hand edged slightly away from the hilt of his lightsaber as he heard the exchange. “Well, you certainly don’t seem to be working for the Empire…” he said, as his posture relaxed.
“Defector actually, after I found out they murdered my father… Long story.” the man replied. “Katarn… Kyle Katarn.” He said, holstering his blaster and offering a handshake. “And if my academy classes didn’t fail me, those are Jedi robes… Pretty bold of you to wear them openly”.
“And that… is a bold assumption” Kenobi retorted with a wry smile as he shook Kyle’s hand. “Robes are common enough wear across the Galaxy after all”
“Here I was hoping my job was going to be easy,” Kyle said. “Bail Organa sent me to retrieve his daughter, an astromech droid and ideally a Jedi he knows as well.” Kyle glanced skyward. “Tantive 4, the Princess’s ship appears to have been captured by a Star Destroyer shortly before I arrived, but my last communication said the information she was carrying was sent planetside. Judging by the mess here, I’d say my intel was correct. This is no random attack; it has all the markings of an Imperial assault team trying poorly to mask their tracks.”
“I’d agree…” Kenobi replied. “By the tracks, we’re meant to believe this was done by Sand people; native raiders… Sand people always ride single file however, to hide their numbers. These blaster hits are too precise for anything other than Imperial Stormtroopers as well.”
“So, I assume you are the Jedi I’m looking for.”, Kyle said. “Locals might be able to notice the inconsistencies with the tracks, but it would take a trained professional to spot the marksmanship discrepancies.”
Kenobi raised an eyebrow and shifted uncomfortably.
Kyle half smirked. “I get it. Not exactly safe admitting to that kind of thing nowadays. The Empire has certainly killed for a lot less. Here…”, he said handing over a small holodisk, “this will prove I’m who I say I am.”
Kenobi popped the disk into a portable holoplayer on his belt and the message sprang to life. A small hologram of Bail Organa appeared and began speaking:
“Obi-Wan… Leia is in trouble again and I need your help. As I record this, her ship is fleeing the Scarif system and on it’s way to you. The rebellion needs your help. The Empire is developing a weapon of terrible destructive power. If it isn’t stopped, all is lost. Mon Mothma and I have sent Commander Katarn to assist you and Leia. You MUST save her and get the data she’s stolen into the hands of the Rebellion. I cannot overstate the seriousness of the situation. Please act swiftly. Leia’s ship is already being pursued by a Star Destroyer.”
Kenobi clenched his jaw and rubbed his chin. As he started to speak, they were again interrupted by Kyle’s commlink.
“Kyle, I’ve been able to confirm that the Tantive IV is captive in the Star Destroyer’s docking bay, and there’s a boarding tunnel connected. I’ve got half the Imperial Navy’s fighters after me at this point. I can’t keep playing Huttball with these clowns, I’ve got to jump.”
“Get out of here, Jan.” Kyle barked. “We’ll get offworld another way…”
“You’d better…” Jan quipped.
There was a brief whining noise followed by the comm channel going dead.
“Judging from the noise, she jumped in time.” Kenobi said. He looked around. “It seems a fair assumption that the Imperials attacked the Jawas hoping to learn the location of the droids I have with me. If they’ve made it this far, they’re likely on the way to the Lars homestead. We have to help them.”
Kenobi hurried to the Landspeeder and jumped in. Kyle hesitated momentarily and followed with an exasperated sigh, quickly hopping in as Kenobi started to pull away.
“We don’t have time for this.” Kyle said flatly. “The data the droid is carrying is what’s important, and the longer we take to get off planet, the more resources the Empire is going to deploy here to catch us.”
Kenobi sighed. “Normally I’d agree, but these people are like family, and they just lost their nephew thanks to me.” “I… owe them this much.”
Kyle simply nodded, and they made the rest of the trip in silence. In short order, they approached the homestead’s location and could see a pillar of black smoke ascending skyward.
“Damned it, not again…” Kenobi growled, flooring the landspeeder.
They pulled up to the homestead to find it a smoking ruin. Blaster fire marks and signs of explosive use everywhere. Obi-Wan’s fears were realized when he saw the two smoking skeletons near the entrance to the home.
Meanwhile, a Star Destroyer approaches the Death Star…
(Yes out of sequence from the film, BUT….)
Cut to a conference room interior on the Death Star
“Until this battle station is fully operational, we are vulnerable. The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They’re more dangerous than you realize.” General Tagge said.
“Dangerous to your starfleet, Commander, not to this battle station”, Admiral Motti quipped.
“The Rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial Senate…” General Tagge started.
He was cut off by Grand Moff Tarkin walking into the room, followed closely by Darth Vader.
“The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us.” Tarkin interjected smugly. “I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the old republic have been swept away”.
“That’s impossible”, General Tagge interjected in disbelief. “How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?”
Tarkin’s voice took a more serious tone as he surveyed those seated at the circular conference table. “The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear… will keep the local systems in line… Fear of this battle station.”
Still skeptical, General Tagge responded, leaning in as he did so. “And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness, and exploit it.”
“The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands”, Vader replied.
Admiral Motti interjected in the conversation again, determined to win the debate with Tagge. “Any attack made by the rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they’ve obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it.”
“Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed.” Vader countered. “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”
Motti, perhaps blinded by arrogance, responded back in an arrogant tone; “Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion hasn’t helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes or given you clairvoyance enough to find the rebels’ hiddden fortre…”
Vader, who had been strolling over to Motti’s side of the table, raised his hand and pinched his finger and thumb towards each other. “I find your lack of faith disturbing…”
Tagge watched in visible fear as Motti choked, grasping at his collar and fighting for air. Tarkin carefully observed the situation for a few moments.
“Enough of this.”, Tarkin snapped. “Vader, release him”.
“As you wish”, Vader replied. He dropped his arm and turned to walk back to Tarkin’s side. Motti collapsed forward onto the conference table, gasping.
“This bickering is pointless”, Tarkin snapped. “Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the rebellion in one swift stroke”.
Back on Tatooine…
Kenobi had finished force levitating debris from around the homestead to make a pair of bonfires and levitated the two corpses onto the pyres. “They didn’t deserve this…” he said absently. “They tried to avoid any involvement.”
“The Empire rarely cares”, Kyle replied, resting a hand on Kenobi’s shoulder. “You’ve given them a proper funeral. There’s nothing more we can do here.”
Kenobi gave a solemn nod. “You’re right, of course. We should head to Mos Eisley. It’s the closest space port. With any luck, we can find transport off world there.”
Hours later, the landspeeder pulled up to the ridge overlooking the city of Mos Eisley. The two men climbed out and surveyed the town below.
“Mos Eisley space port…” Kenobi said. “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy”.
“Or Imperial patrols…” Kyle added, looking through his macrobinoculars.
OK, time to continue writing the story at long last… I’m putting my train of thought update here so I don’t have to add it to the next actual story update.
First, Let’s Talk About The Nature of The Force.
I’ve made a few decisions on how to proceed on the story. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve been stuck on how much to let the larger Star Wars Universe influence my re-telling of the original trilogy. No feedback here or from friends elsewhere, so I’m going it on my own here, lol.
First, I’m going to stick with the original trilogy interpretation of what “The Force” is, and how it’s tapped into by Jedi and Sith.
The Force is an energy field created by all living things. It penetrates us, surrounds us and binds the galaxy together.
Obi-Wan Kenobi – A New Hope
Nowhere in there is a parasitic infection mentioned as the source of energy. Yes, I absolutely HATE HATE HATE the whole Midi-chlorians concept. Some sort of symbiotic parasite accounting for a connection to anything beyond ourselves is probably the biggest proof to me that George Lucas did NOT write the original trilogy.
The originals show a deeper spiritual or religious understanding than the prequels or sequels on the part of the writers. Midi-chlorians are just a close-minded layman’s attempt to justify the kind of abilities Force Sensitives have. Never mind it even outright goes against the basic bio-chemistry of how cells work. Ironically, the decision there is that humans and other sentient species can’t have a connection to anything greater than themselves, BUT a microscopic parasite can. Go figure. OK, end of rant on that one, LOL.
Leia Will NOT Be Luke… OR Rey
I’m still working out how Leia’s reactions will differ from Luke’s to the various situations in the movies, and how I might steer her to similar choices as Luke. I will probably have to play that by ear to a certain extent. I’ll be better able to put myself in her shoes as I’m actually creating. I wouldn’t want spoilers anyway. I *will* say that Leia will NOT be another Ultra-MarySue like Rey. Characters need challenges to grow and endear themselves to readers.
All Those New Characters Introduced Since 1977…
As far as the role of the expanded universe and it’s characters playing in the new storyline… That will be a tight line to walk. If I introduce too many new characters, then they take the spotlight away from the existing original trilogy characters. To be honest, some of them are much better trained than the existing cast also. Kyle Katarn from Dark Forces and Kal Kestis being the best examples. Kal does stuff in his games that puts Spider-Man and Anakin both to shame. Ergo, I’ll probably have to keep additional characters somewhat limited.
If I work in retelling of stories like “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” and “Shadow of the Empire”, OR just my own stories of adventures between the movies, I may be able to squeeze in more interaction with larger universe characters then. It would feel like less of a potential disruption to the main timeline.
Jacen and Jaina, or Ben?
Regarding the sequel era… I’m still at a crossroads there. Half of me wants to go “Legends” / Extended Universe, and half of me wants to go canon. Legends would involve a MASSIVE amount of catch-up / refresher reading. Canon would be easier, but… Well, is there anybody who doesn’t hate Kylo Ren? ROFL. I figure I have a LONG way to go before I hit the sequels era though, so there will be time to decide.
Ages ago, I did a post on solutions to the gun violence problem in the U.S. 4 1/2 years ago actually. Since then, the situation has gotten exponentially worse in terms of rhetoric.
I’m just going to jump straight to the point here; tensions keep escalating because the extreme elements of BOTH sides keep pushing their respective side further away from compromise with each attack they endure.
It’s a simple concept; nobody’s mind is ever truly changed by trying to physically or verbally beat them into submission.
That’s a lesson that needs to be applied to all political and social issues.
For My Fellow Gun Owners:
The N.R.A. is going to end up leading you into total disarming if you keep listening to their ideas. They lost me when they came out against mental health checks as part of a background check for gun ownership. The concerns about abuse of a mental health check can easily be countered by proper safeguards and a fair appeal process.
ALL rights have limitations on them. Freedom of speech does NOT allow one to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater. Nor does it or freedom of the press allow for slander. Likewise, the right to own a gun does NOT give one the right to brandish it in public or gun down people for trying to use your driveway to hang a U-Turn. There was no “stand your ground” issue there, nor any threat to the home owner’s safety in any way. He got off easy with 25 to life.
The reality is any time you start talking about shooting anyone who wants your gun, how criminals should be gunned down in the street without due process, you start parading around Walmart and airports with rifles and body armor because “you have a right”, all you’re doing is showing people you don’t understand responsible gun ownership.
With the right to carry demonstrations I’ve seen at airports, the people were lucky that the Feds are so lenient. Airports are FEDERAL facilities, which means your state “right” means jack, and by all rights you could be sent to Gitmo as a domestic terrorist. Regardless, all you’re doing is scaring people and turning public opinion against gun ownership.
Check your ego and realize it’s your own worst enemy. That Molon Labe crap… The government has bigger guns, better armor, more troops and better training. It WON’T end well.
Meet folks half way in terms of responsible carry and storage laws, and harsh sentences for gun crimes and you might be surprised how fast public opinion changes in your favor.
To The Anti-Gun Crowd:
You NEED to realize that the VAST majority of gun owners are perfectly law abiding people with no desire for anything but to protect their family at night, and maybe do some sport target shooting… Maybe hunting to feed their family. Almost half the people in the country own guns. Well, per Pew Research, 32% own guns and 44% live in a household with guns. If it was as bad as you make it out to be,everybody would be dead already.
Quit blaming the gun instead of the shooter. A gun is an inanimate object. There is no A.I. controlling it. It is not possessed by some demonic entity that will make it levitate and hunt victims.
More to the point, banning a weapons does NOTHING to change violent people, or those is desperate need of self-defense. I’ve made this case in the past: In the 17th century, Japan invaded and conquered Okinawa. They were far from one big happy nation at that point. The Emperor, to limit the ability to rebel, banned Okinawans from carrying ANY weapons. The result was some of the most deadly improvised weapons and techniques ever seen.
Nunchaku or Nunchucks used to be a grain flail for separating rice and other grains from the harvested plants.
Sais were forks for hay bailing:
Kama were rice harvesting sickles:
Getting the idea? If not, all the stories of robbers and muggers using all manner of improvised weapons including tailor’s scissors in England to ply their craft SHOULD convince you that violent people will always find tools to help them be violent, and likewise, as in Okinawa, people desperate to defend themselves will improvise a way as well. Just check out a recent post on how even a walking cane can become a weapon.
The BIG Point: If you want to reduce the ever escalating ugliness, you have accept that stopping violence requires the humanity and compassion you claim to have. Change hearts and minds instead of labeling almost half the population as psychotic killers and supporters of mass murder.
Violent words, like violent actions, only beget more of the same in response.
Lastly, realize that you can’t say “leave it to the police”. Even in good cities, the average response time is 5 to 10 minutes, often it’s MUCH longer. I’ve reported disturbances and had it take 7 hours before the police showed up to take reports. Imagine if that had been a home invasion. Five minutes is an eternity in that situation. What if that was your child that some gangbanger was closing in on after kicking down your door at 2am?
To Both Sides:
If you talk to each other with a genuine desire to understand each other and meet each other half way, you’ll understand where each other are coming from. Neither of you are evil. Both sides have real concerns. There IS room for compromise.
That means REAL compromise though, not “I talked, so you have to see everything my way”. That’s the kind of crap so called “leaders” are spewing on each side to escalate the drama and profit politically and economically from that conflict. YES, that IS the ultimate driving force behind all this. It gets votes for both parties and fuels sales of guns and other home security systems.
MY Proposed Solutions to the Violence:
First (again), you can’t confiscate everybody’s guns. Period. It’s morally and legally wrong to hold 43% of the US population accountable for the actions of a handful of lunatics.
Second, the existing laws have to be better enforced. In so many cases, there were processes that failed when they shouldn’t have, law enforcement agencies that dropped the ball regarding reports and warnings, etc… What good does making a new, stricter rule do if it’s also going to fail to be executed properly? You have to fix what’s broken to build newer systems on top of it. That’s just common sense.
Yes, We NEED New Laws Also… Better background checks that are collaborated between agencies so things are not missed. I’m very open to reasonable increases in restrictions also. Maybe waiting periods like in California, with exceptions if an applicant can show a legitimate need for protection (domestic violence separation for example)
Red Flag Laws. I’ve been saying for YEARS we need these. I’m so pissed off at the gun lobby and the far right for saying that they wont work and saying that they’ll be used to arbitrarily take innocent people’s guns away. Don’t tell me it can’t be done! Find a way to make it work and set up processes to protect the rights of people who might be falsely accused. It’s WAY past time we got the guns out of the hands of mental defectives.
Mental health in General: This country has swung from the extreme of persecuting and in some cases torturing the mentally ill to the opposite extreme of excusing everything they do in the name of false compassion (ie enabling). It’s time to find a reasonable, compassionate middle ground. People who struggle with issues like depression who aren’t a danger and deserve our compassion and understanding. If somebody is a violent psychotic though, I want them locked up in a mental institution! It’s not prison, it’s having the compassion to protect them and others from their violent tendencies. Yes, we need to make sure said institutions are run in a way that gives patients human dignity also.
Quit Glorifying These Shooters and Giving Them Press! Far too many of these people leave some sort of statement or manifesto behind that they want to be famous, often like some other shooter or movie character. The Aurora Colorado theater shooter wanted to be The Joker. See above mental illness and red flag paragraphs there. If these folks know that their faces will never be shown and their names will never be spoken by the media in any way, they lose alot of incentive.
Gun Show & Private Sale Loopholes: Sorry, it’s not popular with other gun owners, but these need to be closed to prevent psychos from getting around checks. Gun shows dealers can set up background checks on wifi enabled laptops and private sales can be brokered though a licensed gun dealer.
Friends and Family of Shooters: Another one that’s likely to ruffle some feathers. Too many times though, these folks have gotten guns from family members either willfully or because they weren’t secured properly. If that’s the case during a shooting, the friend or family member should be tried as a co-conspirator. Harsh? NO, it’s taking securing your weapons seriously. Understand however, I would NOT apply this to anyone who did make a real attempt to secure their guns (locked in a safe), and the shooter still got them. It’s a sticky subject, but people have to start being held accountable for their actions.
STOP THE HATE: This goes for more than both sides of the gun debate. There are so many issues, causes and beliefs out there than have taken to vilifying anyone who disagrees with any part of their dogma. Hate and fear are damned near a universal tactic now. It DOESN’T help the cause, it just makes you look bad, and undermines the cause. That’s true no matter how righteous you think your cause is. Worse, this kind of constant bombardment of hate, fear and negativity does take a toll on the human psyche.
Stop the Political Bullshit: Plain enough? Yes, there are almost as many extremists involved in these shootings as there are just plain crazy folks. Most are alt right, a fair number are also far left, like the Washington DC congressional softball team shooter. It’s NOT a left vs right thing, except for politicians trying to exploit this for their own power gain (and ONLY that). A comprehensive solution will take admitting shooters come in all flavors of mentally ill.
Responsible Gun Ownership: Gun owners, if you want your rights protected, you have to start putting your foot down when a fellow gun owner acts like a jackass. The guy who waltzed into a Walmart a few weeks back wearing body armor and carrying multiple weapons… Not to shoot anybody, but to show he had a right to bear arms. This isn’t protecting your rights, it’s trying to intimidate those who disagree with you and only makes people who fear guns further believe that gun owners are psycho.
This includes shutting down the idiots on YouTube that make videos glorifying destructive and dangerous gun use. Blowing up SUVs loaded with BBQ propane tanks for example (yes I’ve seen it). For every one of those videos, there are 10 more safely demonstrating how to use a specific gun, or how much penetration another gun has via shooting at wood or metal fixed targets. I’m fine with those. The rest of my fellow gun owners have to realize that these other bad apples are dragging you down with them. You can cut them loose or go down with them.
Training, Training, Training! This is part of responsible ownership in my opinion. Whatever right you THINK you have to carry in public, the rest of us don’t want you getting into a shootout if you’re only capable of shooting wildly and hitting everyone except the bad guy. THIS, at the minimum, should be required before you can carry in public, as a matter of public safety:
Hell, I’d like to see some basic marksmanship requirements for home defense also. Stray shots can end up anywhere.
Gun Mentality Education: We need some sort of a public service campaign to change the mindset of people. Guns do not make you macho. They are also not self automated killing machines or tools of evil that possess their victims and prompt them to murder. A gun is a dangerous tool that needs to be respected. It has multiple uses including hunting and amateur and professional target shooting as well as self defense.
Quit Infantilizing Guns: What do I mean here? There are some pretty extreme and stupid gun designs out there. The best example is a Culper Precision Glock 19 model that I ranted about years ago:
This makes a gun look like a toy instead of a dangerous weapon. Not only does it make it look too tempting to a child, it promotes childish behavior in adults. If you view a gun looking like this as cool, you probably don’t have the right mindset to own one.
Likewise ladies, I don’t like pink guns either:
If you need your gun to be painted pink to feel comfortable using it, you don’t have the right mentality to carry or use. A gun isn’t a fashion statement or an accessory. It’s a dangerous weapon to be used for life and death self-defense.
Improve Police Response Times: Yes this is a VERY real issue. It literally takes over 7 hours to get a police unit dispatched in my city sometimes. If you want people to feel safe in giving up their guns, they have to believe that when they need protection, the police will be there in minutes, not hours.
Punishment for Shooters: The draconian side of me says execute them right on the scene. Treat them as domestic terrorists as the Trump administration had started to do sounds good too (off to Gitmo), but there’s a question in both cases of suspension of constitutional protections. Once anybody starts losing those, it’s all bad. At the very least however, I’d make sure they spend their lives in solitary confinement and never get to become a celebrity inside prison or out… or even talk to another human being again. Execution should definitely be a very real possibility for them too. If they don’t respect life, there’s no reason we should respect theirs.
Alot of what I said came down “against” my fellow gun owners. I’m very second amendment, but we have to realize that all freedoms are balanced by responsibilities. We can’t yell fire in a crowded theater despite having freedom of speech. If we’re not willing to take reasonable steps to protect the public from the bad apples among us, we’re ALL going to lose our rights. Let’s do something now that weeds those folks out while protecting our rights.
You folks on the other side of this issue… I said it at the start of this post. When you condemn almost half of the population of the country for the actions of a few, you lose any pretense of the moral high ground and turn those people against any ideas you might have. It’s human nature.
My advice to you? Talk like human beings. Realize that people have valid reasons for owning guns. Collecting for investment, farmers protecting livestock from predators, women fleeing abusive relationships, people who sport target shoot, hunters in poor rural areas trying to feed their families, etc…
Education is the antidote to all fear also. Learn about guns, if only to discuss and debate more intelligently. Properly respected and handled, a gun is no more dangerous than a kitchen knife. Target shooting at a range is intimidating at first, but can be fun. You also learn things like an assault rifle is not a machine gun. It’s a class of rifle under 5 feet in length that came into existence around or after World War 1 when armies were finding their 6 foot long rifles impractical for fighting in tight spaces. The civilian copies are not the same as the military versions either. I’m not specifically defending assault rifle ownership here. I *am* saying understanding makes them a little less intimidating and you able to better discuss the issue.
Help promote the idea of responsible gun ownership also. Speak out against extremists groups. Remind responsible gun owners not to approve of the conduct of people with a Rambo mentality. Urge gun owners to keep their guns secured properly. And let them know you appreciate those who do it right. You’ll gain alot more allies than you will by kicking people in the teeth.
If you read and liked this at all, feel free to hit the like button or reblog me. If you disagreed, that’s fine also. Let’s just simply leave it at we respect each other’s right to their own opinion and keep things friendly.
I’m going to make an exception for my refusing to answer daily prompts due to their invasive nature and my belief the information is data mined and sold for profit. Mainly because disclosure about my spiritual side lately has helped me on a few levels.
So, shall we do the obvious and start by defining superstition?
So, by those definitions, I’d have to say no, I’m not superstitious. I *do* believe in the spiritual, non-material world though, and I’ve had more than my fair share of experiences that are difficult to otherwise explain.
Well, ONE “Superstition”, Perhaps…
That being my refusal thus far to work with any sort of “magick”. Magick being loosely defined here as any sort of ritualized system designed to tap into and shape otherworldly sources of power for various effects or goals.
We can split hairs here since technically prayer falls under the broad definition of magick; you’re appealing to a deity for a desired goal. So, on that level, I suppose I’m guilty.
Beyond that, there’s a few reasons I avoid messing with what’s traditionally thought of as magick. First, there’s the belief by several traditions that magick is too likely to derail your spiritual path and growth. Buddhism has the clearest standard that I’ve seen. It advocates not using magick at all until one reaches the bodhisattva level of spiritual growth. Before that point, the potential to misuse magick for personal gain or pettinesss is too great and one runs the risk of seriously derailing their path toward enlightenment.
VERY similar to that idea is the nature of spiritual energy and that what we put out there is returned to us. In short, spiritual energy acts exactly the opposite of magnetic energy, and like attracts like. It’s not just a question of “karma” either, where doing bad to somebody brings bad back to you. It’s also a question of state of emotional wellbeing. Mindset, mental health and emotional state factor into the energy of spellcasting. If you’re trying to work some sort of protection, for example, but you’re obsessed with all the bad things that happen to you… You’ll create the illusion of a shield but draw in all manner of hostile energy and entities. That energy will further darken your mood and spirit too. I can’t tell you all how many people I’ve seen that started out working magick for all the wrong reasons and had it corrupt them into a dark and twisted version of themself.
I’ve used this example elsewhere in the past, but Aleister Crowley is a great example of ego and carelessness being the downfall of a mage. It’s said he was fairly positive person, if not a a bit egotistical, until he failed to properly close an Enochian magic ritual and it completely corrupted him. By those accounts, he went from Harry Potter to Voldemort.
Side Note: For those wondering, Enochian magick is a very powerful form of Western Ceremonial Magick focused on summoning the most powerful angelic and demonic beings to do the caster’s bidding.NOT something to undertake lightly
I still believe magick CAN be used safely. I’ve met some really wonderful practitioners over the years. Magick has to be used for the right reasons (knowledge and defense only), and only with the correct mindset. Self-pity, anger, fear and aggression do indeed lead to the dark side.
There’s also the idea that you can’t get something for nothing, and that sooner or later, this life or the next, everybody gotta pay the piper.
Centuries ago this used to be an accepted idea. Everybody thinks they know better nowadays though. All I will add here is it’s best to be DAMNED certain what you’re dealing with and why you’re doing something.
At the risk of offending my couple of Wiccan readers, I’ll offer an example. One now ex-friend has been a follower of Aphrodite for multiple lifetimes. Even a relatively benign goddess like her plays by the rules above though. Said friend has always used her connection with Aphrodite to manipulate and charm others and for otherwise selfish and petty reasons. End result is that she’s become very much like the negative mythological stories of Aphrodite and embodying her worst elements.
This will weird some of you out, but one night when we were still friends, I was grumbling loudly to myself about Aphrodite twisting her into something selfish and cruel, and a response popped into my head “I can only give her what she asks for and let her learn from the pain that she causes herself”.
Hard for me to argue with that one when Christianity runs on the same principle of free agency. God (or gods) aren’t the problem, it’s man’s inhumanity to man.
OK, LONG explanation short, I’ve simply known that with all the stuff going on in my life, I wasn’t in a place to safely use magick, so I’ve avoided it.
Empathy and Beyond… Why I Do Believe:
Being able to read people’s emotions for as long as I can remember would be enough for most folks, but I’ve had my share of weirdness beyond that as well.
Even with empathic ability, my beliefs stayed mainstream Christianity for the longest. I used to engage in spirited (pun intended) but friendly debates with one of my earliest Wiccan friends about the existence of past lives. THEN, I started having past life flashbacks, clear as remembering what happened yesterday. First it was one life in Ancient Egypt, then a handful of others followed.
Kind of changes your perspective under those circumstances, LOL.
I do have to add that I *try* to keep an open mind about the possible other explanations for anything supernatural. “Past lives” could be the subconscious trying to communicate a message or warning to you, it could be picking up psychic residue, similar to object reading AKA psychometry, they even could just be the imagination running wild.
Keeping grounded and questioning everything keeps you from going off the deep end. I’ve seen people start to accept something spiritual at face value and before you know it, they’re wildly embracing every idea out there.
I’ve seen ghosts a few times for certain, beyond the “corner of your eye, might be an optical illusion” kind of thing. The South is outright creepy with the amount of paranormal activity it has. San Diego is overflowing with “shadow people” also, especially the Miramar area. I even had the ghost of a friend warn me to get out of an area once.
I’ve had precognitive dreams and flashes of intuition as well. All completely random with still no ability to control it after many years of trying. Once I even spontaneously had a badly pulled muscle heal. Hard to explain that away. Again something that’s never been close to duplicated but it still happened.
One of my favorite stories though… My copy of Francis Barrett’s “The Magus” used to shock my ex every time is was touched. NOT static either. It could be tried multiple times with the same result. It was like watching Bart Simpson in that old Butterfinger commercial, LOL
A Trio of Creepy Ghost Stories:
Taking them in chronological order, the first would be decades ago in the East Bay (SF area) in California. My mentor thought it would be fun to have us drive by a house that was supposed to have a very strong poltergeist living in it. We turned into the cul de sac and all three of us (my ex was with us) immediately felt something very malevolent coming right for us. We high tailed it out of there as fast as we could. When we got to my mentor’s house, we hopped out and noticed that the previously pristine top of the rear seats looked like they’d been slashed by something like Freddy Kruger’s claws. The car progressively fell apart after that over the course of a couple of months.
The next was also decades ago, this time in Georgia… Conyers has a Catholic monastery on the edge of it, and I felt STRONGLY compelled to investigate it. The first time was when my mentor was visiting (pattern here anyone? lol). There’s a LONG private road to the monastery. We were smart enough to go during the day this time; early afternoon, broad daylight… We felt eyes on us the entire drive up the road, and when we got to the parking lot, we saw shadow people lurking in the tree line at the edges of the parking lot area, and I mean ALOT of shadow people. There was an overall foreboding feeling of unwelcome also, and we took that as our cue to promptly leave.
Months later though, I returned alone, determined to see if it was real, or all in my imagination in some form. I went at dawn, reduced spiritual risk but still early enough to have a better chance to see or sense anything out of the ordinary. The private access road was fogged over and I saw all manner of humanoid shapes swirling in the fog, and shadow people along the tree line again. I even took a few pictures, but I can’t find them. If I do, I’ll have to post them for sure. Anyway, this time I didn’t even get out at the parking lot and look around, it was get the hell on time.
Lesson for the day, holy ground isn’t always…
The last one isn’t 100% guaranteed a ghost story, BUT it’s hard to come up with a rational explanation for it…
This was years after the last event. I was in the process of getting divorced, and staying at a residence motel. I worked nights, so that’s when I was otherwise up. In this specific instance I could do laundry that late since the laundry rooms had passkey locks.
So, I’m walking back to my room after moving a load from the washer to the dryer, and out of nowhere, I’m hit from behind in the neck, hard! I almost blacked out, but I stepped forward with one foot and while I was doubled over, looked behind me to identify my attackers. NOBODY there.
I pivoted on my lead foot 180 degrees to gain distance, and came up into a fighting stance, and again, nobody there… I hadn’t simply missed them. Ona rational level, I was almost certain initially that it was a person. It felt like a 2 x 4 to the back of the neck, and on top of being late at night, this was towards the tail end of when the knockout game was a thing with punks. BUT, there was nobody there, and not only would they have had to snuck up on me at a time when my hearing and awareness were still world class, they would have had to sprint over 50 yards in dead silence within a second and a half for me not to have seen or heard them flee.
I had brain fog for weeks after that, and my psi gifts were dead for well over a decade because of that “attack”. They’re still nowhere near what they once were either, but have partially recovered.
If you’re looking for a “rational” explanation for this one, I’ve only come up with two; either the attacker was some sort of Hollywood ninja able to make impossible leaps and disappeared that way, OR my neck was completely screwed up beforehand and suddenly just popped into or out of place all by itself that I almost blacked out from it. Neither seem much more likely than some sort of spiritual attack.
Wrapping It Up…
So, do I believe in the supernatural? Yes. Am I superstitious and controlled by the idea of the occult? No. Control your imagination and negative emotions or they’ll control you. That’s really all it comes down to.
Silk Chatters 