Love is All You Need (in Tartarus)

As you may have noticed, I’ve developed a love for Rick Riordan’s universe of gods and heroes. After finishing the last short stories and audiobooks of the series, I’m taking a break from it before re-reading (currently re-reading Harry Potter, in addition to our ongoing Animorphs podcast project). But for Valentine’s Day I decided to revisit a portion of Heroes of Olympus. Just some thoughts I had about love while reading “The House of Hades” last summer. 

A little refresher for those who haven’t read Heroes of Olympus lately: At the end of “The Mark of Athena” our power couple Percy and Annabeth fell into the pit and spent the subsequent book walking through literal hell. They made a couple friends while trying to escape, while even the air of Tartarus tried to kill them both body and soul. 

Nico had recently escaped the pit after it nearly destroyed him. When Percy and Annabeth crash landed, things weren’t exactly hopeful. After all, even the son of Hades barely survived. The air itself was poisonous and only drinking from a fiery river kept them alive. 

One trial that particularly struck me early on their journey was the influence of the River Cocytus. Its powers fed them despair, regrets, and grief. Even being near the river was depressing. What struck me was how their physical contact with each other kept them anchored. 

I know not everyone’s love language is touch, but it’s high on my list. There’s something comforting for me about a hug when my anxiety or depression flare up. A physical anchor. Heck, I remember one night that my anxiety flared up after my wife and I went to bed. Not wanting to wake her, I gently let my hand rest against her back. That little connection helped me calm down even before she had the chance to roll over and check in. 

Whether it’s physical contact or something else, there’s something powerful about knowing you’re not alone. It was this journey that impressed me about anchoring myself in connection (not too different from anchoring myself in a positive memory when producing a Patronus). Everyone need someone who can be a safe place. Something like that can’t be manufactured; that trust must be developed and earned. 

This kind of safety is not limited to romantic relationships. Everyone needs a friend (or a few) with whom they can share their heart. I’m blessed to have friends who have helped me through Tartarus in the past. And definitely thankful for my wife who helps to ground me in reality when the Cocytus wants to drown me in despair. 

LDS Geeks Podcast #59: Animorphs Re-Read (8)

Every time I think our "filler" books won't give us much to talk about, I'm proven wrong. But along with those fillers, we had some heavy hitters like "The Attack" and "The Sickness". So go listen to this podcast episode and I'll be back after "these messages".

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 59 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent blog posts: click here

Check out Russell's recent blog posts: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
01:02 - Spencer's Recommendation: Hawkeye
        Available for streaming on Disney Plus
03:30 - Russell's Recommendation: Sing and Sing 2
06:01 - #26 - The Attack
15:30 - #27 - The Exposed
20:37 - #28 - The Experiment
29:07 - #29 - The Sickness
40:04 - Megamorphs 3: Elfangor's Secret
        "Preachings from 'Pollyanna'" by Russell
52:50 - Conclusion

Follow along: Animorphs Book Club Reading Schedule

Animorphs Re-Read Podcast Series:

• LDS Geeks Podcast #42: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 1-4)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #44: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 5-7 and Megamorphs 1)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #47: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 8-12)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #50: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 13-15 and The Andalite Chronicles)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #52: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 16-18 and Megamorphs 2)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #54: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 19-22)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #54: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 19-22)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here

Geek Tech 101: Digivice

Every Digimon fan fantasized at least once about having a digivice as a kid (and maybe still as an adult). Especially with the release of The Beginning in 2023, the history and lore of the digivices has evolved since that day that seven digivices fell to the Digi-Destined at summer camp.

The original digivices were designed to assist in the bond and digivolution of the partner Digimon. They also assisted the Digi-Destined in reaching the Digital World through various portals. The digivice enabled the Digi-Destined partners to reach as far as champion level. In conjunction with the child's crest power, the Digimon could reach ultimate and sometimes even mega. But even from the beginning, it was explicitly stated that the digivices were only a tool to assist in digivolution, not the means itself.

Compared to some later digivices, the original was very basic in function. Their power was nullified by the Control Spires and were unable to open a Digi-Port on their own. And without the crest power, the children's partners could only reach so far. Though limited in range in the real world, the digivices were able to track each other, which was especially important when tracking down the eighth digivice.

In the digivices history, we know they existed as far back as Daigo and Hime's team in the 1980s. Though we never saw their crests, we know their Digimon partners were able to reach ultimate and mega levels. The tricky thing (as far as the timeline) is that by all accounts these digivices predated Lui's bond with Ukkomon (who claimed he was the first digi-destined).

After these flashback events, the digivices were seen with our first season team of Digi-Destined, paired with their eight crests. Even without the physical crests, the children were able to use their digivices to reach ultimate and mega levels against Apocalymon. Though, in the interim between seasons, the kids gave up that crest power to strengthen the Digital World’s defenses. 

As I mentioned earlier, the digivices had their limitations in season two, forcing the evolution of the D3 (which I’ll spotlight another time) but that was only for six of the kids. The regular digivice still became the standard digivice for all children worldwide (until Oikawa’s children received their D3s). 

Year later the digivices were paired with smart phones that were able to tap into that power of digivolution. Presumably this was the work of Izzy (who else would come up with that?). The digivices and their associated smart phones eventually displayed the ring of light that served as the indicator or countdown to the Digimon’s disappearance. At the time that their bonds supposedly ended and the partner disappeared, the digivices cracked and presumably lost their power. 

A couple years later their purpose and history was called into question by Lui. Through the reconciliation of Lui and Ukkomon, the digivices and D3s disappeared. Their purpose fulfilled I suppose. But the bonds still existed.

I’d wager the digivolution was still possible (just like Tai and Kari with the original Koromon). And I’m still holding out for more of the Digimon Adventure story, connecting to the season two epilogue (which takes place next year). Here’s hoping. *fingers crossed*

My Favorite Purple Pokemon

Purple Pokemon might seem like a random topic (and it is) but it's my birthday weekend and purple is my color (and Hufflepuff yellow), so I thought I'd just do something fun today. By no means is this exhaustive list of awesome purple Pokemon pals, but just a few of my favorites.

Nidoking

For whatever reason, I’ve never played through a Pokemon reason with Nidoking on my main team—maybe because I usually have the three starter Pokemon clogging my party on Yellow. But Nidoking is a tank! I feel like I need one with Surf and Earthquake to make my current play through of Yellow worth it  

Gengar

A friend got into Pokemon (finally) last year and one of his favorites immediately was Gengar. Who could blame him? Those Gen I ghost-types are iconic. Unfortunately Gengar has never been prominent on my team… because that would involve the hassle of trading with someone. 

Ditto

Ever since the Ditto-centric episode of Pokemon, it has been pretty iconic. And after Gen II came out, it became the unofficial breeding Pokemon. What would the Pokemon Daycare be without Ditto? Also, there’s that theory that it’s a failed clone of Mew.

Mewtwo

The antagonist of the first movie and supposedly the most powerful Pokemon (at least while psychic type was broken). Unfortunately this power house has been outdone plenty of times since by other legendary Pokemon. At least Mewtwo got a place in the world of Super Smash Bros Melee.  

Crobat

For whatever reason, as much as I like Crobat and how plentiful Zubat are, I haven’t played through with Crobat. Unlike Gengar, Golbat doesn’t need trading to evolve. Just patience. With the speed of Crobat, I really would be using this one more frequently.

Espeon

I’ve had an affinity for psychic-type Pokemon pretty much since day one. So when Gen II gave us a psychic Eeveelution (that happens to be my favorite color) it’s perfect. It’s a frequent addition to my Johto team.

Palkia

When Gen IV came out, I had Diamond, so my experience with Palkia is somewhat limited. That being said, I love the combination of water and dragon. It's a powerful type combination. Plus, I landed a combo on Pokemon TCG Pocket with Palkia Ex and Misty that won me a match on the first turn--The computer didn't even get a turn. 

I know there are plenty of other purple Pokemon past Gen II, but these are a few of my favorites. I definitely need to give a shoutout to Poipole, since its English name is literally meant to sound like "purple". Some other honorable mentions are Sabeleye, Grumpig, and Genesect. Also, there's shiny Swampert. That one's pretty cool.

LDS Geeks Podcast #58: Fourth Doctor Adventures (1)

It's taken way too long, but thanks to some wonderfully exhausting insomnia I'm nearly done the Fourth Doctor's era. As such, I realized it's high time that I schedule time with TJ to record about the Doctor and his jelly babies, since we're planning on four more podcast episodes after this one. So grab your jelly babies and join us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

--Spencer

Sorting Phineas and Ferb into Hogwarts Houses

In a recent podcast episode about Ravenclaw House, Michael and I briefly disagreed about where Ferb would be sorted at Hogwarts (maybe he went there at one point? He is British after all). We landed on Ravenclaw, but I felt like the only way to follow up that discussion was to sort (most of) the main cast of the show—especially since new episodes were recently put on Disney Plus. 

Phineas Flynn - Ravenclaw

If you listen to our Ravenclaw podcast episode, you’ll know that Phineas is an easy Ravenclaw. He’s the brains behind the operation. He’s witty and curious. All hallmarks of an ideal Ravenclaw.

Ferb Fletcher - Ravenclaw 

In our podcast episode, I first thought Ferb fit well under the Hufflepuff banner. But Michael pointed out some very Ravenclaw traits. Ferb is the hands behind Phineas‘s inventions. Very clever in his own right and his one-liners are basically the definition of wit.

Candace Flynn - Hufflepuff 

Her brothers are set in Ravenclaw, I can’t exactly say the same about Candace. She has a lot of stereotypical, Hufflepuff tendencies, like being a spaz and a goofball. She’s certainly hard-working, trying to bust her brothers every day, even though she fails. At the same time, she’s also very loyal to her family and her friends, as seen when she gets protective of her brothers

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro - Gryffindor

This was a tricky one. Isabella could easily go into Slytherin just as much as Gryffindor. With her determination to get her patches, she sells very Gryffindor traits. Her cunning (and sometimes ruthlessness) are the type that could easily place her in Slytherin. So like with Harry Potter, she would do well in either house. But I think she would choose Gryffindor at that point, like Harry. 

Buford Van Stomm - Slythein

I think this one should be pretty straightforward. Buford was a bully who became their friend. (while still having some bully tendencies). He’s cunning and ruthless. And his loyalty to his family and his heritage, even if it’s just a goldfish, could easily place him in Slytherin.

Baljeet Tjinder - Slytherin

You might think that Baljeet belongs in Ravenclaw because of how academic he is. Hear me out. This boy is the definition of determination, cunning, and ruthless. Frequently his studies are not for the love of learning, but for the sake of achievement and ambition. Also, there’s a certain amount of self-preservation, which is typical of Slytherin, while dealing with Buford as his best friend. 

Heinz Doofenshmirtz  - Hufflepuff 

You might think that Doof belongs in Slytherin because he’s a villain. I disagree. Not only is he a poor villain, but he’s loyal to a fault. He will give up any scheme for the sake of his daughter, and even showed loyalty to Perry, the platypus, as his Frenemy. Also, his goofiness is very stereotypical Hufflepuff.

Perry the Platypus - Gryffindor

Hey. Where is Perry? He’s in Gryffindor. Or he would be if they let a platypus into the school. They don’t do much. But this semi aquatic mammal has shown determination and a fierce sense of right and wrong while battling Doof and taking care of his host family. 

Agree or disagree? There are a lot of other side characters, like Stacey and Jeramy, that I could include. But I think the eight core characters are enough for now. Make sure you check out our Hogwarts house series on the podcast and let us know what you think.

A Case of Mistaken Identity: T'Challa

A few months ago, I rewatched Black Panther and it’s still as good as ever. Between having that in my recent memory and last week’s Come Follow Me reading, with Satan trying to tear down Moses, I had some thoughts.

T'Challa had barely begun grieving in processing his fathr‘s death, as seen in Civil War, when he was duty bound to accept any challenges of ritual combat. Most of the tribes in Wakanda conceded to him as the rightful king and Black Panther. But naturally someone had to challenge him: M'Baku

Something struck me during their fight during my recent feeling of the movie. While fighting M’Baku, the queen mother shouted at T’Challa, “ Show him who you are!” For whatever reason, this line hit me differently. In many ways, it defined the rest of the movie.

Even though he won the throne in that battle, T’Challa had some growing pains as the new king and Black Panther. Again, it had been mere weeks since the traumatic death of his father. He had let go of the anger towards Zemo, to whatever extent. But it wouldn’t be long until Killmonger challenged everything he knew about his father. Imagine learning details about your late father and how he treated his family while trying to grieve that loved one.

Learning that his father was instrumental in his uncle’s death, our beloved Black Panther was conflicted about what it meant to be king and what to do about Killmonger’s plan. In the end, I suppose he realized that Killmonger's motivation wasn’t completely flawed, though obviously the execution of that plan was dangerous and cruel to many innocent people. 

In many ways, his mother’s words ended up having more to do with the coming fight with Killmonger than it did M’Baku. After the battle against his cousin, T’Challa add to decide what to do about the Wakandan tradition of isolation. What kind of king did he want to be? Would he keep the kingdom‘s secrets like his father? Or would he risk their livelihood by reaching out to the world? 

I think it’s amazing that T’Challa, while respecting his father‘s memory, decided to do more. By reaching out to the rest of the world, providing technology and resources, mankind would never be the same. If nothing else, the Avengers wouldn’t have had so many allies in the battle against Thanos (granted, they lost the first round of that battle). Their king gave the Wakandan people a chance to show the world who they were. 

To bring in a spiritual perspective, we are tempted every day to go with the flow or to stick with the status quo. Call it tradition. Call it a fallen world. Call it whatever you want. The adversary loves complacency and wants us to believe we're nothing more than flesh (see also Moses's experience in Come Follow Me last week) but we are sons and daughters of God. I love this quote from Christian author John Eldredge in his book Wild at Heart:

"The Enemy fears you. You are dangerous big-time. If you are ever really got your heart back, live from it with courage, you would be a huge problem to him. You would do a lot of damage…on the side of good."

Eldredge isn’t a member of the Restored Church, but the statement is true especially for Latter-day Saints. Like Moses, if we don’t have a sense of who we are (sons and daughters of God) and what our heart truly wants (see also the Plan of Salvation), Satan can take us wherever he wants to keep us from that goal. He can pull us down and downplay our divine identity.

Just as the Wakandans left their isolation and began outreach to the world, we are expected to be disciples of Jesus Christ, rising out of obscurity. Like the Wakandans we have so much to offer the world, but it’s easy to stay in our own little sphere. I’m praying and pondering almost constantly on this subject, as I tried to “[get] my heart back” and understand my relationship to our heavenly father on a deeper level. As each of us develops and deepens that relationship, I believe outreach will come naturally and powerfully. Like Moses, it's up to us to respond to the adversary, "Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten;"

LDS Geeks Podcast #57: Animorphs Re-Read (7)

I love Hork-Bajir Chronicles and The Pretender. I was very excited to record this episode, even if it also included the Helmacrons. "The Pretender" may be my favorite book, up there with "The Change". I hope you enjoy our discussion as much as I enjoyed the book.

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 57 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent blog posts: click here

Check out Russell's recent blog posts: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
01:57 - Spencer's Recommendation: Citizen Soldier
        Listen on Spotify
04:27 - Russell's Recommendation: "Gratitude" performed by BYU Vocal Point
        Listen on Spotify
06:22 - The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
13:57 - #23 - The Pretender
21:51 - #24 - The Suspicion
28:31 - #25 - The Extreme
39:54 - Conclusion

Follow along: Animorphs Book Club Reading Schedule

Animorphs Re-Read Podcast Series:

• LDS Geeks Podcast #42: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 1-4)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #44: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 5-7 and Megamorphs 1)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #47: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 8-12)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #50: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 13-15 and The Andalite Chronicles)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #52: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 16-18 and Megamorphs 2)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
• LDS Geeks Podcast #54: Animorphs Re-Read (Books 19-22)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here

9 Magnus Chase Memes by Me

I had another post about identity planned for today, but apparently it needs more time to marinate in my brain. Instead, I pulled out some memes I made while listening to the Magnus Chase trilogy, a spin-off of Percy Jackson. It was an interesting take on demigod life and a great crossover with Percy and Annabeth (but that's a conversation for another time). For now, please enjoy these memes, made by me.

Okay, so most of the memes are about Alex. But he/she is pretty fierce and sarcasm makes for great memes. I look forward to re-reading this trilogy.