The Outer Limits: Dead Man’s Switch
EPISODE OVERVIEW
Ben Conklin has been a loner ever since his parents died when he was twelve years old. This is one reason why General James Eiger selected him to spend a year buried in a bunker 11,000 feet below the Artic tundra, manning the controls of a doomsday device set up by world leaders after the Hubble space telescope spotted 11 spaceships heading towards Earth. The device is designed as a last-line deterrent against alien invasion and Conklin’s job, shared with four other loners in four other bunkers, is to hit a dead man’s switch on the bunkers control panel that prevents the doomsday device from going off and destroying aliens and mankind alike. At first, the job is easy, but as the aliens draw closer to Earth, and as Conklin grows closer to his subterranean colleagues, he begins to doubt the reliability of the doomsday machine. News from General Eiger becomes scarce, then Conklin’s fellow guardians begin to fall victim to assorted mishaps. Conklin realizes that he carries the weight of the world – and the fate of mankind in the palm of his hand.
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi – Spirited Away
Sadness
Sadness is an emotion characterized by feelings of disadvantage, loss, and helplessness. When sad, people often become quiet, less energetic, and withdrawn. Sadness is considered to be the opposite of happiness, and is similar to the emotions of sorrow, grief, misery, and melancholy. The philosopher Baruch Spinoza defined sadness as the “transfer of a person from a large perfection to a smaller one.” Sadness can be viewed as a temporary lowering of mood (colloquially called “feeling blue”), whereas clinical depression is characterized by a persistent and intense lowered mood, as well as disruption to one’s ability to function in day to day matters. Most people who are sad are usually also angry or mad at something.
The word ’sad’ is also used as a derogatory slang term to refer to something that is considered pathetic.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadness
Sadness is good for you, scientists say
By Richard Alleyne, Science Corresponden - Telegraph
Scientists have warned that growing tendency to medicate against sadness like a disease stops us embracing our miserable side and removes the motivation to mature emotionally.
Like the saying “what does not kill me, makes me stronger”, being sad and melancholic can leave sufferers better able to cope with life’s challenges, more resilient and spur them to greater achievements, it is claimed.
The researchers point out that today’s society prizes personal happiness above all else and there is little tolerance for wallowing in despair after losing a job, the break-up of a relationship or the death of a loved one.
But a growing number of mental health experts fear the increasing tendency to take a pill to beat the blues could actually affect human evolution.
Continues: Telegraph
Angels by www.rotten.com
http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/angels/
Angels aren’t cute little cherubs with rolls of baby fat, whose only concern in life is making you happy and posing for greeting cards. Just get that idea out of your head right this minute.
Angels are angry, ass-kicking, flaming-sword-wielding, vengeance-mongers who impregnate human women with mutant spawn in their spare time. Angels should be dragged to Nuremberg and held to account for their voluminous crimes against humanity. If you ever see an angel coming toward you, run the other way, because there’s just no fucking way that it’s good news.
- Archangels: This is the elite corps of God’s murdering army, often charged with Very Important Tasks on His direct orders, like obliterating cities to prevent buggery. Archangels include Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael and Metatron. Don’t ask how these names were determined. It’s just the way things are. There is some ambiguity about where the archangels rank in the cosmic scheme, but it seemed like a good idea to put them first (if for no other reason than to avoid being turned into a pillar of salt).
- Seraphim: The Catholic Encyclopedia says seraphim “stand before God as ministering servants in the heavenly court,” whatever that means. They have six wings, an uncertain number of faces. The archangels are members of the seraphim caste.
- Cherubim: The designation cherubim is where the word “cherub” comes from, but these bloodthirsty mutant freaks are anything but adorable. They have four faces, four hands, four wings and cloven hooves for feet. And don’t forget the flaming swords!
- Thrones: These guys aren’t in the Bible. Somebody just made them up… I mean, figured it out. Whatever. Thrones are the keepers of God’s Justice, which is apparently a good thing, despite whatever conclusions you may have drawn from your life experiences.
- Dominions: These are even less biblical than the thrones, if possible. They are the cosmic bureaucrats, and most likely responsible for your karmic check getting lost in the mail.
- Virtues: Supposedly in charge of nature and lending the occasional hand to beleaguered humans.
- Powers: These angels are in charge of killing demons, much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- Principalities: In charge of watching over the welfare of nations. Clearly, the Principality in charge of Iraq has a lot of ’splaining to do.
- Angels: Just plain old angels. This includes the so-called guardian angels, which we shall discuss more completely below.
