AdamSmith

I have no intention of trying to do either one, any more. They can both go fend for themselves. (Although again, as mentioned previous, I DO intend to live forever. Just to annoy the bastards! )

These insane times are revealing all number of pathologies -- on left, right, and in the heart of our institutions -- that we have averted our eyes from for far too long. In that sense, I still believe Trump, and Trumpism, will end up being a good tonic for the Body Politic, and the Republic.

Particularly as, in these current times, it may be the only path back to sanity. (I actually kind of do mean that.) My 2 years in NYC were certainly anything but sane. Yet they ultimately saved me.

My bet's on... Robert Mueller, the Eye of Sauron By ROBIN BATES | Published: NOVEMBER 27, 2017 Special Counsel Robert Mueller Monday Comedy is one of the few things keeping me sane these days as Donald Trump continues to attack democratic norms. Seth Meyers’s “A Closer Look” is one of my must-sees, and recently the late-night comedian wondered how Donald Trump and associates are feeling as Special Counselor Robert Mueller bears down on them. “Mueller is like the eye of Sauron,” Meyers said. Frodo’s encounter with the eye in Gadriel’s mirror is terrifying: But suddenly the Mirror went altogether dark, as dark as if a hole had opened in the world of sight, and Frodo looked into emptiness. In the black abyss there appeared a single Eye that slowly grew, until it filled nearly all the Mirror. So terrible was it that Frodo stood rooted, unable to cry out or to withdraw his gaze. The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing. Then the Eye began to rove, searching this way and that; and Frodo knew with certainty and horror that among the many things that it sought he himself was one. But he also knew that it could not see him—not yet, not unless he willed it. The Ring that hung upon its chain about his neck grew heavy, heavier than a great stone, and his head was dragged downwards. The Mirror seemed to be growing hot and curls of steam were rising from the water. He was slipping forward. My worry is that Trump will panic under Mueller’s relentless gaze and do something epically destructive, like start a war with North Korea. In other words, that he will become Sauron. Following this line of thought, the GOP leaders in Congress have become Nazgul, emptied out of principle and responsive only to the call of their leader. Middle Earth hangs in the balance. The rest of us must be Frodo-strong. In the mirror scene, Frodo is recalled to his senses by Galdriel–think of her as our higher selves–and when he faces his greatest challenge on Mount Doom, the good that he has done saves him. The Resistance, like Tolkien’s fellowship, can take heart from that. http://betterlivingthroughbeowulf.com/robert-mueller-the-eye-of-sauron/

Blood thinner

Regrettably not, though...

My avatar as a client!

'Live Presidents' almost sounds like a porn title! '...caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy'

prison

Time for a gay Kama Sutra!

Careful likewise with that butt flap...

Once more, with feeling...

MsGuy & I understand each other, and would never do each other mental harm. More than the age-old Southern average! Bless your heart!

'There is no planet like that in all our records' -- Rashaverik 'Then he has left the Galaxy.'-- Karellen

Within your deflation remark there is probably a fart joke lurking. Which, out of deep personal respect & regard, I will just this once forego.

In actual life practice, I'm today the leading market researcher & consultant on engineering modeling & simulation software in the world. But -- reality? How dull!

I takes it where I finds it, yas indeedy. if the cellulose induces spastic colon, so much the better.

Yes, dear. I sat through the insanely turgid slow-moving treacle every day. It was torture. BUT I got the poetic beauty out of it, likewise, every day. (Well, enough of them! ) You are obviously not an English major.

@MsGuy, is that not all self-evident?

Reverend Trask EDIT SHARE Reverend Trask Production Information Portrayed by Jerry Lacy First appearance 385 Last appearance 523 Episode count 21 Biographical Information Name Reverend Trask Year of death 1796 Manner of death Immurement by Barnabas Collins Origin Salem, Massachusetts, USA Profession Reverend Witch-hunter Family members Lamar Trask (Son) We have 3 images of Dark Shadows Reverend Trask This article is about Reverend Trask from the 1795 storyline. For the 1897 character, see Gregory Trask. Reverend Trask (1760s - 1795) was a witch-hunter from Salem, Massachusetts. Trask had a reputation for persecuting innocent girls and sending them to the gallows as witches. He was brought to Collinsport by Abigail Collins to exorcise the estate of a witch, Victoria Winters (385). His passion for the case eventually resulted in Victoria being wrongly found guilty (437) and sentenced to death by hanging. Trask was also responsible for blackmailing Nathan Forbes into testifying against her in trial. He later confessed his error (441) and wrote a letter to this fact before being immured in a supporting basement wall in The Old House by the newly risen vampire, Barnabas Collins (442). The letter was dismissed by the court as inadmissible evidence. Rev. Trask was the father of Lamar Trask, an undertaker who lived in the 1840s. Lamar was trying to get revenge for the disappearance of his father. Through Lamar, he was the grandfather of Elias Trask, who lived in the 1860s. He was the great-grandfather of Gregory Trask, a cruel preacher and educator who died in 1897. Rev. Trask was also, in all probability, the ancestor of Tony Peterson, a lawyer who lived in the 1960s and '70s. In 1968, Professor Stokes, Julia Hoffman, and Tony Peterson held a seance to summon Trask's ghost (510) so he could exact revenge on Angelique (who was masquerading as Cassandra Collins, wife of Roger Collins), reasoning that since she was the real witch and she had deceived him into persecuting Victoria Winters, and she was the one who made Barnabas a vampire, she was more responsible than he for Trask's death. Trask tried to get revenge on Barnabas for killing him in 1795. He started to wall up Barnabas in the same space he was in for 173 years. Trask also summoned all of Barnabas' victims from the past for a mock trial. Barnabas was found guilty and he was walled up. Dr. Julia Hoffman and Willie Loomis saved Barnabas. The shade of Rev. Trask destroyed Angelique (519) by performing the same rite of exorcism on her that he had performed on Victoria Winters in 1795 (385). This was undone when Nicholas Blair came to Collinsport (521) posing as Cassandra's brother and resurrected her (526). Nicholas used his powers to summon Rev. Trask's ghost to extract information about Barnabas Collins (523). At first, Trask refused, but had no choice when Nicholas threatened to force Trask to spend eternity wandering without being able to return to his grave. The ghost of Reverend Trask also appeared to Victoria Winters and Jeff Clark. Jeff was the reincarnation of Peter Bradford, the lawyer that defended Victoria in her trial for witchcraft. Jeff recognized Trask and Victoria believed that to be proof that Jeff was Peter. Rev. Gregory Trask told Barnabas Collins that he was the great-grandson of the Rev. Trask who travelled from Salem to Collinsport in the late 1790s and disappeared mysteriously on his way home (725). Later Barnabas admitted to Gregory Trask that he killed his great-grandfather at the Old House and vowed to Gregory that he would meet a similar fate, which he did. NotesEdit Reverend Trask's first name was never revealed, although Jerry Lacy jokingly referred to him as "Horrible." Reverend Trask was Jerry Lacy's second and most notable role on the show. The Reverend Trask was also played by Roy Thinnes in the 1991 Revival Series. Source MaterialEdit Reverend Trask's death was based on the death of Fortunato in Edgar Allen Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. Appearances Edit 385, 386, 387, 388, 400, 412, 427, 429, 432, 433, 434, 435, 437, 438, 440, 441, 442, 511, 512, 516, 519, 523, 1126 http://darkshadows.wikia.com/wiki/Reverend_Trask

One of my most precious belongings is a publicity still of Roxanne that Donna Wandrey (the actress who played her) autographed for me in the signing lineup at the 1993 Shadowcon. I will scan it and post it here sometime. Great spot-plot summary here: https://darkshadowseveryday.com/2017/12/21/episode-1114/ The below summary shows just how insanely brilliant this TV show was. Roxanne Drew EDIT SHARE Roxanne Drew Production Information Portrayed by Donna Wandrey First appearance 1081 Last appearance 1177 Episode count 20 Biographical Information Name Roxanne Drew Year of death 1840 Manner of death Turned into a vampire by Barnabas Collins (As a vampire): Consumed by flames when exposed to sunlight by Randall Drew Origin Maine, New England, USA Supernatural abilities (As a vampire): Possession Teleportation Shapeshifting Summoning Family members Randall Drew (Brother) Samantha Collins (Sister) Mr. Drew (Father) We have 3 images of Dark Shadows Roxanne Drew This article is about the Roxanne Drew who lived as a vampire in 1840 and 1970. For the psychic from parallel time, see Roxanne Drew (PT). Roxanne Drew was a female vampire who lived in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and who victimized Maggie Evans, Lamar Trask, Sebastian Shaw, and Julia Hoffman. Contents [show] Original life history Edit Roxanne Drew was a native of Collinsport in the year 1840. She had one brother, Randall Drew and an older sister, Samantha, who was married to the original Quentin Collins. She was courted by Lamar Trask, the son of Reverend Trask. Although Lamar hoped to marry Roxanne, she did not return his affections (1114). It is unknown how Roxanne became a vampire in the 19th century without Barnabas and Julia there, and then showed up in Collinsport in 1970. Vampirism Edit In an alternate timeline, Roxanne became a vampire because of Julia Hoffman's presence in 1840, before the Barnabas Collins who lived with her in the 20th century joined her in the past. Julia released Barnabas from his chained coffin and he, not yet knowing the doctor from the twentieth century, refused to work with her (1112). Hoping to make her his bride, Barnabas attacked Roxanne (1114), and when she tried to prevent his actions, killed Julia. Roxanne rose as a vampire, but apparently did not remain with Barnabas. She returned to Collinsport in 1970 (1080) with her assistant and servant Sebastian Shaw, an astrologer and psychic. Barnabas had recently returned from Parallel Time, where he'd loved the Roxanne Drew living in that time band. Trying to woo this version of her, Barnabas found the girl uninterested (1081). Roxanne later victimized Maggie Evans, forcing Julia, Barnabas and Willie Loomis to trap her inside a coffin in the secret room of the Old House (1106). At one point, Sebastian tried to destroy Roxanne, but he was stopped by the ghost of Gerard Stiles. Roxanne in 1840 Later, Barnabas, inexplicably unaffected by the alterations to the 1840 timeline, saw Julia's grave from that year and used the I Ching wands to send his astral body back in time and take control of his physical body in the past. Now under the control of his future mind, Barnabas did not kill Julia and did not allow Roxanne to die and rise as a vampire (1116, 1117). In theory, this prevented the existence of the 1970 Roxanne. This was all nearly in vain, however, when Angelique caused the vampire wounds on Roxanne's neck to reopen later in 1840 (1133). Roxanne did die (1139) and return as a vampire (1143), but the timeline was changed again when her brother Randall Drewforced Roxanne to remain in the sunlight, where she was destroyed (1150). It was never revealed if Roxanne was still in the secret room of the Old House when Barnabas and Julia returned to the present following their mission in 1840. Paradox ruminations Edit The character of Roxanne Drew of regular time has been labelled an inconsistency in the show's writing by the publication "The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection", however her existence can be clearly understood with the inconsistencies in the character of Barnabas Collins, instead. It appears that three versions of the 1840 time-line are referenced on the series: one described only in the aftermath of the 1970 disaster and seen by Barnabas and Julia in 1995. We can assume, since Julia Hoffman had not traveled to 1840 because she had not come back to 1970 from Parallel Time in this version of events, that Roxanne had died a normal death in the unaltered timeline. The second version of 1840 existed when Julia and Barnabas returned to 1970 after being in the future. That version of 1970 now existed in the aftermath of Julia's eventual solo journey to 1840, although Barnabas was paradoxically not changed by Julia's releasing him from his coffin early. Roxanne had become a vampire because of Barnabas in this version of 1840, and he had killed Julia in 1840. The third version of the 1840 events shown were those actually enacted during the full 1840 Flashback storyline. Barnabas and Julia prevented Roxanne's first death and rising as a vampire, but their presence alerted Angelique to begin posing as Valerie Collins. Roxanne died anyway, and was killed in 1840 because of her brother's unexpected arrival. Barnabas' unchanged status in the 1970 storyline leading up to the 1840 Flashback is the true inconsistency and creates the perception that Roxanne should not exist in 1970. References Edit The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection, edited by Kathryn Leigh Scott, foreword by Jonathan Frid, Pomegranate Press, 1990. ISBN 0-938817-25-6 Appearances Edit 1081, 1082, 1083, 1088, 1090, 1101, 1102, 1104, 1105, 1106, 1114, 1115, 1116, 1117, 1124, 1133, 1138, 1139, 1143, 1149, 1150, 1163, 1164, 1177

'Yes, Vicar, I do have self-control -- but I refuse to be a slave to it!'