WORTHY

“I guess I’m just completely riddled with feelings of inferiority.”

PHILOSOPHER: 

I see. Incidentally, Adler is thought to be the first to use the term ‘feeling of inferiority’ in the kind of context in which it is spoken of today. 

YOUTH: 

Huh, I didn’t know that. 

PHILOSOPHER: 

In Adler’s native German, the word is Minderwertigkeitsgefühl, which means a feeling (Gefühl) of having less (minder) worth (Wert). 

So, ‘feeling of inferiority’ is a term that has to do with one’s value judgement of oneself. 

YOUTH: 

Value judgement? 

PHILOSOPHER: 

It’s the feeling that one has no worth, or that one is only worth so much. 

YOUTH: 

Ah, that’s a feeling I know well. 

That’s me in a nutshell. 

Not a day goes by without me tormenting myself that there’s no point in being alive.

“One of the cool things about Thor was the enchantment around Mjolnir and the original inscription on it. 

So I thought, well that means someone else can pick up this hammer and get this power, if they’re worthy! 

So since then, some other big characters, people’s favorites, have picked up the hammer, Captain America, Superman, whoever. 

But at this point, no one had ever picked up the hammer. 

I liked the idea of Cap walking to the bathroom and seeing it, and grabbing and just tugging, not being able to. 

So this had to be someone new. 

This is the most powerful weapon of the Norse gods. 

This hammer is a Killing Weapon. 

It’s used to kill Frost Giants and others. 

So, Superman couldn’t pick it up, cause he’s never going to kill anyone, and the hammer knows that. 

Captain America, he’s too patriotic. 

He’s too much a symbol of America to be chosen by this Norse artifact. 

So he couldn’t get it. 

So I created Bill because he’s noble, 

and he’s designed to kill. 

He’s got a great purpose as a warrior, and also the noble ability. 

That makes him “worthy” whatever that may be.

As far as appearance, back then, comics were these self-contained stories. 

So for Bill, I had to do this in short form. 

This was a four-issue story, and that was my longest on my entire run on Thor. 

We had to take him, make him into a character that the Hammer would recognize. 

So I wanted for Bill, I wanted him to have a “monstrous” look as a visual, so that everyone would think he’s a bad guy, and I got letters after the first issue that said 

“What on earth? Why is this monster picking up the hammer, what’s wrong with you?” 

and I said “I got it!” 

So I basically started with a skull, and then I made him a bit like a horse, with the gap behind the teeth. 

But horses are beautiful creatures. So what I was aiming for is a sense of death, a sense of monster, underlined by beauty. 

His costume was the same so that the minute you see that image, when he strikes the stick and becomes “Beta Ray Thor” or whatever, you know: OK, that guy has the powers of Thor. 

So that’s why Bill had the monstrous face, that’s why that stuff was done the way it was done."

RAGNAROK

Wise men have regarded 

The Earth as A Tragedy, 

A Farce, even An Illusionist's Trick; 

but all, if they are truly wise and not 

merely intellectual rapists, recognise that 

it is certainly some kind of stage 

in which we all play roles, most of us being 

very poorly coached and totally unrehearsed 

before The Curtain rises.

Is it too much if I ask, tentatively, that 

we agree to look upon it as A Circus, 

a touring carnival wandering about The Sun 

for a record season of four billion years 

and producing new monsters and miracles, 

hoaxes and bloody mishaps, wonders and blunders, 

but never quite entertaining The Customers 

well enough to prevent them from leaving, 

one by one, and returning to their homes 

for a long and bored Winter's 

sleep under The Dust?

Then, say, for a while at least, that 

I have found an identity as Ringmaster; 

but that crown sits uneasily 

on my head (if I have a head) and 

I must warn you that the troupe is small 

for a universe this size and 

many of us have to double or triple 

our stints, so you can expect me 

back in many other guises. 

Indeed do many things come to pass.

Time’s Champion : 

The Climax of My Act, Gods of Ragnarok, 

requires something you do not 

possess in great abundance. 

That is, Imagination. 

And it starts, with 

A Piece of Metal. 

This Piece of Metal once belonged, to A Sword, 

and that sword, belonged to A Gladiator. 

(The Doctor throws the piece of metal into the air, 

where it transforms into A Gladius, and then 

A Broadsword drops into His Hand.) 

And that gladiator fought and died 

in this ring to entertain you.

I have fed you enough, Gods of Ragnarok; and 

You found what I have to offer indigestible. 

So, I have taken myself 

off The Menu. 

La comedia e finita. 

DAD: 

We command you. 

MUM: 

You cannot stop. 

Time’s Champion : 

I already have. 

DAD: 

Then you will die. 

Time’s Champion : 

Probably not. 

It's all a matter of Timing, 

don't you know --

(The Doctor points the sword to the ground.)

[Stone chamber]

ACE: 

Oi, sarcophagus face! 

(The Captain turns and Mags kicks the medallion out of his hand and into the well. 

It lands on the sword and the Doctor uses it to reflect the Gods' laser bolts back at them. 

The Eye in the well grows.) 

“If You Behave.”

“POWER! 

It is a Quality that must be CULTIVATED and NURTURED.

It is a reward to be earned through INTELLECT and PATIENCE.

It cannot be gained and held through chance.

In the wrong hands, it will only prove self-destructive.”

— Thanos, The Mad Titan

VULCAN LULLABY

The tale begins with a merchant man 
He sold the finest goods in town 
Accumulating such great wealth 

But Falor knew wealth would not last 
And took his his leave from selling things 
So he began his journey 

Through storms he crossed the Voroth Sea 
To reach the clouded shores of Raal 
Where old T'Para offered truth. 

He traveled through the windswept hills 
And crossed the barren Fire Plains 
To find the silent monks of Kir. 

Falor entered the temple of Kir 
Certain that at last his journey 
Had brought him to this place of peace 

So that his burdens and sorrows 
Could be lifted from his weary mind 
But all that greeted his newfound hope 
Was silence, only silence. 

Still unfulfilled, he journeyed home 
Told stories of the lessons learned 
And gained true wisdom by the giving

It Felt Like a Kiss

He hit me

And it felt like a kiss

He hit me

But it didn't hurt me

He couldn't stand to hear me say

That I'd been with someone new,

And when I told him I had been untrue

He hit me

And it felt like a kiss

He hit me

And I knew he loved me

If he didn't care for me

I could have never made him mad

But he hit me,

And I was glad

Yes, he hit me

And it felt like a kiss

He hit me

And I knew I loved him

And then he took me in his arms

With all the tenderness there is,

And when he kissed me,

He made me his

The DIA destroyed 2.5 TB of data on Able Danger, but that’s OK because it probably wasn’t important.

The SEC destroyed their records on the investigation into the insider trading before the attacks, but that’s OK because destroying the records of the largest investigation in SEC history is just part of routine record keeping.

NIST has classified the data that they used for their model of WTC7’s collapse, but that’s OK because knowing how they made their model of that collapse would “jeopardize public safety“.

The FBI has argued that all material related to their investigation of 9/11 should be kept secret from the public, but that’s OK because the FBI probably has nothing to hide.

This man never existed, nor is anything he had to say worthy of your attention, and if you say otherwise you are a paranoid conspiracy theorist and deserve to be shunned by all of humanity. Likewise him, him, him, and her. (and her and herand him).

Osama Bin Laden lived in a cave fortress in the hills of Afghanistan, but somehow got away. Then he was hiding out in Tora Bora but somehow got away. Then he lived in Abottabad for years, taunting the most comprehensive intelligence dragnet employing the most sophisticated technology in the history of the world for 10 years, releasing video after video with complete impunity (and getting younger and younger as he did so), before finally being found in a daring SEAL team raid which wasn’t recorded on video, in which he didn’t resist or use his wife as a human shield, and in which these crack special forces operatives panicked and killed this unarmed man, supposedly the best source of intelligence about those dastardly terrorists on the planet. Then they dumped his body in the ocean before telling anyone about it. Then a couple dozen of that team’s members died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

This is the story of 9/11, brought to you by the media which told you the hard truths about JFKand incubator babies and mobile production facilities and the rescue of Jessica Lynch.

If you have any questions about this story…you are a batshit, paranoid, tinfoil, dog-abusing baby-hater and will be reviled by everyone. If you love your country and/or freedom, happiness, rainbows, rock and roll, puppy dogs, apple pie and your grandma, you will never ever express doubts about any part of this story to anyone. Ever.

This has been a public service announcement by: the Friends of the FBI, CIA, NSA, DIA, SEC, MSM, White House, NIST, and the 9/11 Commission. Because Ignorance is Strength.

ENDGAME

Chess is a Game of War — and Pawns Linked Together can WIN a Game of Chess :

• In The Opening, We link Together and control the flow of The Board;

• In The Midgame, WE TRADE AWAY THE LEADERSHIP;

• In The Endgame, We Change and Elevate Our Nature to Become The NEW Leadership Cadre.

The Gift of Tears

What Is The “Gift Of Tears”?

Dear Father John, Would you please explain the “gift of tears”? I know some people who say they have the “gift of tears” because they cry at the drop of a hat. But, I have a feeling this is not what the saints and mystics are talking about when they write about this gift. What is it exactly? And, how does one know if someone has it? Thank you. God bless you in your ministry.

The Gift of Tears per se is not mentioned in the Bible, nor in the Catechism. It is a phenomenon mentioned in spiritual writers since very early in the Church, and it refers to an intense personal experience of God that overflows in abundant tears. It is the overflow of a spiritual experience in an emotional/physiological expression that creates deep comfort in one’s soul, and deep encouragement for the person who receives the gift, as well as (sometimes) for others who happen to witness it.

What This Gift Doesn’t Mean
Like all gifts of this sort (generally referred to as “charismatic” gifts, from the Greek, New Testament word for “gift”), it is freely given by the Holy Spirit in accordance with God’s wisdom. It can be given once or multiple times, or it can even recur throughout one’s life, though it certainly doesn’t have to. In itself, it is not an indication that someone has achieved a high level of holiness, nor does it directly create a higher degree of union with God. Rather, it is meant to encourage the person who receives it and those who witness it. In this sense, it can be a powerful stimulant to greater fidelity to God and God’s will in one’s life, a confirmation of good decisions already made, and shield against future temptations. If someone receives this gift, they should accept it gratefully and humbly, but not build their lives around it.

Supernatural vs. Natural Tears
This gift of tears differs from normal tears both in what triggers it (it is triggered by an experience of God, not by natural pain or sorrow or joy, for example), as well as in how it occurs physiologically – generally, these tears are abundant and are not accompanied by the usual kind of sobbing or the distortion of the facial muscles. So you can see that your instinct was right. Someone who has a particularly sensitive nature may often be moved to natural tears by beautiful spiritual realities. This can be a very good thing, but it may not be, strictly speaking, the same as the gift of tears. Likewise, someone may go through periods or moments when their natural sensitivity is heightened (by stress or exhaustion, for instance), and this could make them more susceptible to shed tears in response to normal emotional stimulation – perception of beauty, sorrow at sin, etc. This type of crying can be emotionally renewing and of great benefit for the person (crying releases many hormones and toxins that are known to reduce stress levels), even though it may not, strictly speaking, be the gift of tears.

I hope this helps. God bless you! Fr. John

+

Art for this post on the gift of tears: Las lágrimas de San Pedro (The Tears of Saint Peter), Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), unknown date, PD-US author’s life plus 100 years or less, Wikimedia Commons.

The Richard Burton Diaries

21st August 1969

Yesterday was another terrible day, insulting Elizabeth, drunk, periodically excusing myself rather shabily, and then starting the rough treatment all over again.

Sometimes, I am so much My Father's Son that I give myself the occasional creeps - He had the same gift for damaging with the tongue, he had the same, temporary violence. 

“It’s not my province. 

I give it away.

Give it to My Family.

Or — I Buy Enormous Presents for Elizabeth Taylor. Or Did.

The fact that I have been able to take care of a certain amount of people has given me some pleasure — the fact that I had the power  to do it.

The Waiter Test

There was one time when we were children, he... he transformed himself into a snake, and he knows that I love snakes, so I went to pick up the snake to admire it, and he transformed back into himself and he was like, 

"Mblergh!!, it's me!" 

And Then He Stabbed Me. 

We were eight at the time. 

[Loki smiles fondly at the memory]

“I want to talk about a little-mentioned red flag, but one of the easiest ones to spot early in a relationship. Most narcissists are rude to servicepeople and others they see as beneath them. My ex was notoriously rude to servicepeople, always screaming at customer service people, even if the problem wasn’t their fault. He was also rude to wait staff in restaurants, to the point it was embarrassing going out to dinner with him. He was unreasonably demanding, condescending, and treated wait staff as if they were mentally deficient. With attractive female wait staff, his rudeness was of a sexual character–he openly flirted with young waitresses, even though I was watching. I think he did this because he knew it would bother me.  He also did it because he knew his target was a sitting duck and might be fired or reprimanded if she objected to the flirtatious behavior (which wasn’t so over the top if could be called sexual harassment).

My parents were always rude to service people too. My mother embarrassed me constantly with her relentless, unreasonable demands in restaurants and loud criticism and insults toward anyone she thought was beneath her, which was almost everyone. I remember the time we went to Charleston, SC in the early ’90s. We took a tour bus through the downtown area. The bus driver gave us information about historical homes in the area as we passed them. My mother was bored, so to relieve her boredom (and to get attention), she began to loudly argue with the bus driver, telling him why he was wrong and to get his facts straight. People stared at her, horrified at how rude she was being. The bus driver looked like he wanted to cry. I wanted to sink through the bus floor. I tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible to avoid being associated with such a rude, arrogant, person.

Another time, I went to visit her in a motel when she had come to visit. My mother isn’t wealthy (although she always had upper-class pretentions), and could only afford a fairly inexpensive chain motel near the Interstate. A Mexican family was staying next door to her room and as we made our way to the motel pool, the Mexican family came out with their 3 kids. A little boy, probably three or four, started talking to my mother in Spanish, and she shooed him away as if he was a bug. The little boy looked hurt, and I felt sorry for him. I gave the boy’s mother a sheepish, apologetic look. The kids ran past. The little girl accidentally brushed past my mother, and she started making “ugh” sounds and wiping her skirt as if it was contaminated. She didn’t like this family for two reasons: 1. she regarded them as being of low social status, and 2. They were Mexican.

actions

This brings me to racism, which is related, because racists regard “those other people” as being of a lower social status, and sometimes not even quite human. Seeing others as beneath them or even as like animals absolves them of any guilt they might otherwise have in treating another person like dirt.

Racism is common in narcissists. I think most people who are racist probably are narcissistic if not straight up narcissists. Of course, some people are racists because they were raised to be that way, and it is more common in older generations than younger ones. But I think it’s a lot more prevalent in people with a lot of narcissistic traits.

These same people are likely to fawn all over those they see as being “worthy” or of a higher social status (even though they might secretly hate them). Narcissists are snobs, but they are only snobs because they secretly hate themselves and must put other people down to feel better about themselves.

It’s also my opinion that most people who demean the poor and blame them for their poverty, calling them “lazy” or “stupid” or insisting they “chose to be poor” are probably narcissists or at least have a lot of those traits.

racist

If you see any of the following behaviors after meeting someone, run! These are all red flags.

1. Rude, condescending or unnecessarily critical of wait staff or servicepeople. I am not including anger at a serviceperson because they legitimately screwed up or were rude themselves.

2. Calling attention to oneself by loudly arguing with servicepeople, making sure everyone hears.

3. Does not care if they embarrass you. If you tell them to chill or keep things toned down, they are likely to turn their anger on you.

4. Unwarranted personal insults toward servicepeople, including customer service representatives and technical support people.

5. Threatening a serviceperson even though the problem was not their fault. For example, threatening to sue a store clerk for demanding to see ID (which is a required part of their job).

6. Acting like a serviceperson or person of another race or nationality is beneath them and not worthy of respectful, polite behavior.

7. Racist, sexist, or ethnic jokes meant to insult their targets (or call attention to themselves).

8. Insulting someone of lower social status, coexisting with fawning behavior toward someone of higher social status. If an encounter with a higher status person immediately follows one with a lower status person (or vice versa), they will appear to have a Jekyll-Hyde personality. This is common in the workplace. Beware of narcissistic bosses who look down on you because of your lower position in the company. Of course, they will do anything they can to keep you from getting ahead.

9. Openly flirtatious behavior toward servicepeople or wait staff in front of a date or spouse.  This is a double whammy, intended to upset the partner(the behavior is usually subtle enough it can be denied later and the partner told they are being paranoid or imagining things), and intimidate or humiliate the service person (again, it’s likely to be subtle enough that it doesn’t qualify as sexual harassment

Alternative Easter Movies : Thor

"An Old Testament God who becomes a New Testament God."

Verananke, 

Empress of The Skrulls :

Your Hate is Your Own.

Your Judgement is Your Own.

We are Here to Save You.

We are Here to Change You.

And We’re Here Because, in Spite of All That You’ve Done to Our Empire —

He Loves You.

The Amazing Spider-Man :

Uh... He Who..?

Verananke, 

Empress of The Skrulls :

God.

Capt. Nick Fury (US Army, Ret.), Director of S•H•I•E•L•D :

Yeah?

Well, MY God Has a HAMMER!

Odin: 

Once, Mankind accepted a simple truth: 

That they were not alone in this universe. 

Some Worlds Man believed home to their Gods. 

Others they knew to fear. 

From around the cold and darkness came the Frost Giants, threatening to plunge the mortal world into a new ice age. 

But humanity would not face this threat alone. 

Our armies drove the Frost Giants back into the heart of their own world. 

The cost was great. 

In the end, their king fell, and the source of their power was taken from them. 

With the last great war ended, we withdrew from the other worlds and 

returned home at the Realm Eternal, Asgard. 

And here we remain as the beacon of Hope, 

Shining out across the stars. 

And though we have fallen into Man's myths and legends, it was Asgard and its warriors that brought Peace to the universe. 

[looks at his children] 

Odin: 

But the day will come, when one of you will have to defend that peace...

Young Loki: 

Do the Frost Giants still live? 

Young Thor: 

When I am King, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all! 

Just as you did, Father! 

Odin: 

A wise king never seeks out war. 

But he must always be ready for it. 

[walks off, his sons run after him] 

Young Thor: 

I'm with you, Father! 

Young Loki: 

So am I! 

Odin: 

Only one of you can ascend to the throne. 

But BOTH of you were born to be Kings!