Say "what" again.

Apr 16 2019

Thoughts on Bran (GoT S8E1)

Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1 started with an homage to Bran, as it opened through the eyes of a little boy racing to get a glimpse of the procession of the Queen (Daenerys) riding into Winterfell - echoing Bran’s view of the Queen (Cersei) riding into Winterfell all the way back in S1E1. In this echoing, we’re effectively treated to a vision of the past, just as Bran himself is often treated to visions of the past.

As the little boy in S8E1 climbs the tree to get a better view (a bird’s eye view, one might say?) of the procession, one can’t help but think of little Bran climbing the tower at the end of S1E1, only to have Jamie Lannister push him out the window to his presumed death. And as S1E1 ended with these two, so S8E1 ends with them too, with Bram leveling an icy and knowing stare at the returning Jamie.

While I think this particular reunion (however brief this portion of it) between Bran and Jamie was the best of the series to date (and this episode was full of reunions), perhaps the most interesting was that between Bran and Jon. “Look at you,” says Jon to Bran, “you’re a man.” “Almost,” replies an emotionless Bran.

The first interpretation of this statement might be that Bran is referring to his paralysis - his legs no longer work, thus he’s not a full man. But what if by “almost,” Bran means he’s more than a man? Not quite human, but something above it? As the original Bloodraven once said to his successor, “you will never walk again, but you will fly?” Thanks for the compliment, Jon Snow, but I’m a greenseering warging Three Eyed Raven who knows all that ever was – I’m a little more than a “man.”

I have no doubt that further S8 episodes will reveal Bran to dragon-warg (fire vs. ice dragon warg throwdown?), alter the past/present/future through his greenseer time-fuckery, AND become (in some sense) the Night King, something I’ve long assumed. I feel all the crucial arcs of the story we are (sadly) finishing will ultimately be bent by Bran. By the end of the episode he (through Sam) has already dropped the spoiler on his cousin Jon (”you’re the Heir to the Throne but more importantly you’re banging your aunt”), thus setting an inevitable clash in motion. What further twists will our boy Bran spin?

Jun 28 2015

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TWO MINUTES ABOUT GHOSTS

Ghosts are among us. I am one of the 42% of Americans who thinks so. Then again, even if 100% believe something, that doesn’t make it true, does it? Like people who think they’re superior to others. Or voters who believe their candidate is best. Or those who say an invisible prankster is pounding up the stairs and making the sound of chandeliers crashing onto their bedroom floor. One of my ghosts used to do that. I thought it was my husband, a member of the 58% who did not believe in ghosts. But then he heard the tune to Jeopardy whistled behind his back—off-key, twice, and once when he was naked in the shower. Naked with a ghost! My husband now believes, sort of.

I bet many of the 58% have never heard a whistling ghost. They think ghosts are merely grief inflated by wishful thinking. Would they change their minds if the ghost named his murderer? One of mine did that, and the murderer was sentenced to life in prison. He also told me I would one day be a writer.

Defying science and reason, my mother sailed into my bedroom the night after she died, looking like a statically charged hologram of light. I was punched breathless with the strongest emotions I have ever felt and they are now stored in my intuition as a writer. From time to time, she brings me gifts—uncanny coincidences in the form of particular books, photographs, music, paintings, and people—at precisely that moment when I’m flailing in my writing. She helps me observe that happenstance can have meaning, that grief is beautiful, and that percentages are nonsense. There are things you feel because they are true. Like love, like loss, like ghosts.“

- Amy Tan

As one who spent their first three months in Seattle sharing a house with a ghost, (the crashing sounds and shower shenanigans described are familiar), I found this piece by Amy Tan (written on the back of my Chipotle burrito bag) to be delicious (as was the accompanying burrito).

Nov 16 2014

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Sep 23 2014

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(via daveshumka)

Jun 27 2014

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Jun 4 2014

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thekidshouldseethis:

Tens of thousands of mobula rays come together off the coast of Baja California in a brilliant display of their massive numbers underwater. Then watch them breach for reasons unknown. The leaps out of the water are spectacular as their pectoral fins flap in the air.
Though it’s hard to tell in this clip, these animals are quite large, likely weighing over a ton and reaching “a disc width of up to 5.2 m (17 ft)…” This is also likely the largest school of rays ever to be caught on film, captured for National Geographic’s Untamed Americas.
Surprisingly, we know very little about these large “flying” creatures. They feed on plankton and small fish, give birth to a single pup, and are listed as endangered, but we’ve yet to learn the details of their population, birth cycles, or what keeps them healthy. In many ways, they remain mysterious.
In the archives, two more incredible ray videos: California Devil Rays leap from the Pacific and Dr. Andrea Marshall gets up close with the giant manta rays of Mozambique.
Thanks, @HeathenReason.

Looking good, Billy Ray.

May 6 2014

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On Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"

Best thing I’ve read in a long time. Hold on to this feeling.

alisonagosti:

…The opening keys of “Don’t Stop Believin’” came out of the one rusted speaker that sat on the checkout counter. I sucked in air, only a little because my head hurt, and told the three-legged cat, “I love this song.” He swished his tail and continued to stare at me. I have lived in this city for nearly six months, through the loneliest and coldest winter of my life, and now into this weird, horny spring. It is confounding how quickly this place consumes you with fun and culture and booze and stress. I thought I was handling it and still do, but while you and a cat are being rock-serenaded from the 1980s, it’s hard to be sure.

Feb 16 2014

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“I think human consciousness is a tragic misstep in human evolution. We became too self aware; nature created an aspect of nature separate from itself. We are creatures that should not exist by natural law. We are things that labor under the illusion of having a self, a secretion of sensory experience and feeling, programmed with total assurance that we are each somebody, when in fact everybody’s nobody. I think the honorable thing for our species to do is deny our programming, stop reproducing, walk hand in hand into extinction, one last midnight, brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal.”

Feb 3 2014

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Jan 31 2014

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A Drunk Seahawks Fans Key’s To The Big Game

Our city is craycray right now. All the 12th Man Flags flying, the 12th Can beers (thank you Hilliards), rallies and songs. Its beautiful. Everyone’s been tipsy since we beat the 49ers. DON’T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT ME.

Are folks everywher as excited about this game as we are? They should be.

Peyton Football Jesus Manning leading his record-breaking Broncos offense against the Legion of Boom, the Seahawks league-leading defense. Five of Manning’s Broncos receivers scored ten touchdowns this year. That is INSANE good.

Seems like most people are calling the Broncos to win as a result. And of course people are crowning Manning Super Bowl 48 MVP already, deservedly so. So we are playing with house money in this game. (You might even say HAUSCHKA money, the first key). Other keys:

MARSHAWN VS. POT ROAST: Pot Roast is the nickname of the Broncos nose tackle Terrance Knighton, one big dude. He’ll be trying to stuff Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch’s runs. If Lynch gets by him - all about that action, boss. On running plays, the clock keeps ticking after the play stops. The more Marshawn can run, the longer Football Jesus stays on the sideline.

KAM CHANCELOR, MAN CRUSH: Chancelor is the Seahawk’s very strong safety, who roams the middle of the field on defense and hits men extremely hard. The Broncos offense runs lots of crossing routes, meaning they run across the middle. If they catch a ball, Chancelor will look to hit them so hard that they stop trying to do that. One of those crossers, Wes Welker, got concussed earlier this season and now wears a helmet that makes him look like Dark Helmet from Spaceballs.

REFS: STOP THROWING YELLOW FLAGS, ZEBRAS

PERCY HARVIN: Harvin was out for much of the season recovering from surgery for a torn labrum (you have to imagine how much that hurts, and imagine you know what a labrum is). Then he comes back in the first game of the playoffs and gets concussed. SO MUCH CONCUSSING. So the effing SUPER BOWL may be his first full game he plays! Percy Harvin is crazy fast and will get the ball A LOT. Flintstone feet ya’ll.

Them’s the keys as I sees them. I am super excited. Its exciting here. Have a super fun game.