LDS Geeks Podcast #62: Slytherin House

Rounding out our series about the Hogwarts Houses, we have Slytherin. The evildoers and the unexpected heroes. And this was all recorded before the release of the HBO Max Harry Potter trailer. So let's go at it!

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 62 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent content: click here

Check out Michael's recent content: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
00:48 - Spencer's Recommendation: Animorphs Graphic Novels
03:06 - Michael's Recommendation: Simply on Purpose on Instagram
04:49 - Slytherin House overview
        "Our Hogwarts Houses" by the LDS Geeks Team
07:21 - Favorite Slytherins
        Spencer: Horace Slughorn
        Michael: Lucius Malfoy
10:49 - Least Favorite Slytherins
        Michael: Bellatrix Lestrange
        Spencer: Severus Snape
        "Why Snape Is the Absolute Worst (Besides Umbridge)" by Spencer
        "Unpopular Opinions: Harry Potter" by Spencer
        "Heroes of Slytherin" by Spencer
14:58 - Slytherin Best Friend
        Spencer: Leta Lestrange
        Michael: Horace Slughorn
18:38 - Slytherin Theme Song
        Spencer: "Good to Be Bad" (Descendants)
        Michael: "Bad Boys Reply" by Inner Circle
21:14 - Analysis of Slytherin House
23:53 - Slytherin from Other Fandoms
        Zuko and Iroh (Avatar the Last Airbender)
        Vanellope von Schweetz (Wreck-It Ralph)
        Emperor Kuzco (Emperor's New Groove)
        Tony Stark (Marvel)
        Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold (Once Upon a Time)
        Hades (Hercules)
29:14 - Conclusion

5 Disney Movies About Embracing Differences

Our family recently watched Zootopia 2. I'm not sure what I expected, but I didn't expect a message so warm and applicable to the world. Regardless of your affiliations in the mortal journey, I think we can all agree there's a great deal of chaos in the world. No surprised, based on the number of Biblical prophecies about our day. You don't need to go far to see how "men's hearts will fail them" (Luke 21:26) and "the love of many shall wax cold" (Matthew 24:12). It's always us against them. The more differences, the more we fight. But it doesn't have to be that way. Many Disney movies have taught us to look past those differences and these are just a few that came to my mind.

Zootopia

Both this movie and its sequel fit this theme perfectly. First it was predators against prey. In the second, it was mammals against reptiles. There were animals in Zootopia that wanted to pit the world against itself for their selfish reasons. Power. Influence. It's because Judy and Nick were able to see past those differences that Zootopia was changed for the better. Later it was Judy and Gary clinging together that returned a community of reptiles to their homes. Yeah, we're all different. But we can work together.

Hunchback of Notre Dame

Talk about different: a physically deformed Quasimodo and a pariah Esmerelda. The mad priest Frollo was bent on putting people against the gipsies because of their differences. As with many situations of us against them, We have more in common than we have different. The world will always fare better if we focus on those similarities instead of differences.

A Bug’s Life

For this movie, I’m not even talking about the different types of bugs working together. Even within the ant colony there are differences, especially with Flik and Dot. Aside from those two oddballs, the colony isn’t accustomed to working together, except to pool the food for the grasshoppers. Hopper knew that the ants had the sheer numbers to overwhelm their oppressors. Once the ants realized this and pulled together to stand against Hopper’s crew, it was easy to gain their freedom. 

The Tigger Movie

Once proud of being the only Tigger, our bouncy friend began to realize how lonely that reality is as. Off on an adventure to find his striped family, Tigger wanted to find belonging with those who would understand him. Funny how he wanted a crew of folks exactly the same as himself, not a group of Tiggers with their own personalities and interests. When other bouncy trouncy friends weren’t doing, the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood can’t together for Togger. Their differences made the community what it was. Not a group of identical Tiggers, but a diverse family of friends. 

Lilo and Stitch 

If you know me, you knew I had to include Stitch in this list. Both he and Lilo felt alone in the world: Lilo’s peers actively rejected her and Stitch was as literally the only one of his kind. Rejected by those little goths and the Galactic Council, they found a home and an Ohana together with humans and aliens alike. Just another example of how family and love are available to everyone, no matter how different we are. 

When Zootopia 2 inspired this post, I knew there was more I wanted to say about it. I still don’t feel like I’ve articulated everything I wanted from viewing that movie. So seated tuned for whatever comes to my mind and heart in future viewings. Maybe it’ll come to me during General Conference. In the meantime, check out Zootopia 2 and these other movies on Disney Plus. 

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Moses

Picture this: your mom, living in an area where boys have been decreed by the king to be killed, decides to put you in a basket in a river to save your life. Then, the daughter of the king who had decreed you should be killed as a baby finds you and decides you should be her child. But wait, how is she going to nurse you? By chance, your older sister arrives on the scene, makes a suggestion that this woman hire the birth mother of the child to be the nurse for the baby (without sharing that this is the case), hooray! Happy reunion with mommy! But wait, 5 years later, you get taken back to the daughter of the king who had decreed that you should be killed and you are raised in the palace of that king as one of his progeny. Now, fast forward 40 years and you find out that you’re not a member of the royal household, but actually a descendant of the people enslaved by the king. So, you run away to the wilderness, encounter another group of people who decide to make you a part of their family and put you to work as a shepherd. You live with them for another 40 years and after an encounter with the Lord in a burning bush, you are called to be a prophet. Your mission should you choose to accept it is to go back to the people enslaved by the king and tell them that you are the Lord’s prophet. And then you get to go to the king who is the ruler of the enslaved people and tell him that the Lord wants His people to be free to worship. Are you following me? This is of course a very glossed over version of the story of Moses, but let’s just go over the identities he has had up to this point: son, baby, doomed baby, adopted child of the Pharaoh, Egyptian, Middianite, outcast, shepherd, prophet. We probably shouldn’t leave out killer or imposter either. Talk about confusing!! And yet, clarity comes in the conversation that he has with the Lord. We read the following in Moses 1: 3-4,

“And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless? And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease.”

    How comforting it must have been to learn this truth for Moses. He was on a figurative identity crisis roller coaster for much of his early years. He was displaced multiple times. I know there was a purpose in all of that, but I can imagine it still must of have been difficult. I mean he named his first born son Gershom which according to Exodus 2:22 means: “I have been a stranger in a strange land.” It must have been comforting to hear the Lord tell him that he was His son. It’s no wonder that Satan came immediately after this interaction and tried to convince Moses that he was a son of man. Fortunately, Moses remembered who he really was and was able to cast Satan out.

    This reminds me of President Nelson’s worldwide devotional to the young adults from May 2022. He spoke of many things to the young adults including the importance of remembering who you are. He said, “First and foremost, you are a child of God. Second, as a member of the Church, you are a child of the covenant. And third, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.” These are 3 important identifiers for us to remember. The beloved primary hymn reminds us, “I am a child of God and He has sent me here.” Regardless of what we have been through and where we have been and what we have done or not done, it is important to remember that like Moses, you are a son or daughter of God.

10 Bluey Memes by Me

Like any good (and possibly desperate) parent, I've indulged my kids in their love of Bluey and love it myself (really it's meant for parents, right?). Though the Bluey-mania has slowed down in our home (my girls are really into K-Pop Demon Hunters and Unicorn Academy) we still enjoy some Bluey. As such, with the way my brain works, I've turned plenty of Heeler Family moments into memes. These are just some of my creations. Enjoy!

PS: If you didn't notice, Muffin is particularly meme-able. Her granny moment was definitely inspired by certain patients at work.

A Case of Mistaken Identity: The Wicked Witch

As we come to St. Patrick’s Day, it’s good to remember that it’s not easy being green. Especially when you’re constantly compared to one of the most heinous villains of witch-kind: the Wicked Witch of the West. So let’s start with the OG witch. The big baddy of Oz. 

The Wicked Witch of the West

The infamous witch of the original Wizard of Oz, specifically the 1939 movie adaptation, is one of the most devious and evil villains. The movie was released only two years after the Evil Queen appeared in Snow White. 

While the Evil Queen was fueled by vanity, I think it’s safe to say that the Wicked Witch wasn’t concerned with vanity, simply power. She’s known for being petty, vile, and volatile. At least as far as the movie is concerned, her identity is based in the obsessive need to have Dorothy’s slippers. That's what makes her such an iconic villain, even decades later. And that has impacted our view of this green-skinned woman ever since. 

Zelena (Once Upon a Time)

This iteration of the Wicked Witch came onto the scene as the residents of Storybrooke returned to the Enchanted Forest. With their cursed memories available, Snow, Regina, and everyone else immediately equated Zelena with the Witch from the movie. 

And that’s kind of how Zelena was raised in Oz. Because of her magic, her adopted father considered her some wicked curse. When she learned about her half sister and turned green with envy, her appearance only reinforced that belief to the people of Oz. You call someone wicked long enough and they’ll believe that’s all she is. In fact, she began to equate herself with wickedness. “Wicked always wins” may have been her mantra, but that line is filled with shame. It wasn’t until she was treated with love from her mother and her sister that she began to see herself as something other than “wicked”.

Elfaba (Wicked)

Going into the Broadway play, we're meant to compare Elfaba to the original Wicked Witch. Like Zelena, she was treated as a villain because of her magical abilities. Unlike Zelena, Elfaba kept to her values and her priorities in a version of Oz that was full of discriminatory propaganda. Because she wouldn't play the Wizard's game, Elfaba was villainized.

It would have been easy for Elfaba to take on that baggage, like Zelena, and believe she was "wicked". Instead, she was sure enough of herself to be able to recognize the darkness of the world she lived in and rise above it. There are a lot of possible interpretations of "Defying Gravity" and this is one of them. We live in a fallen world and it can be easy to take on who the world says we are. It takes a lot of internal strength to remain a person of integrity when everyone around says to conform. Elfaba literally rose above her haters. She may not have changed Oz, but her influence changed Glinda and Fiyero "for good".

LDS Geeks Podcast #61: Animorphs Re-Read (9)

I wasn't fooled by this batch of books, even though it included three "filler" books. They may have been filler to whatever extent, but I knew going into this recording that they were dark filler. Four heavy books with plenty of ramifications. Let's do it!

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 61 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
01:03 - Spencer's Recommendation: "Warrior" by Michael Sarver
        Listen on Spotify
02:50 - Russell's Recommendation: "Jump" by Van Halen
        Listen on Spotify
04:51 - #30 - The Reunion
10:59 - #31 - The Conspiracy
18:13 - #32 - The Separation
        "6 Weird Morphing Glitches" by Spencer
        "Captain Kirk's Enemy Within" by Spencer
30:22 - #33 - The Illusion
43:33 - Conclusion

Fifth Doctor Revisited: "Castrovalva"

I'm finally moving my way into Fifth Doctor era. Though I love Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, a new Doctor was a breath of fresh air. I want to say that Peter Davison is among my favorite Doctors, but I'll leave that discussion for when TJ and I discuss his era on the podcast. In the meantime, I'll just share some of my musings/ramblings from watching the Fifth Doctor's first story: Castrovalva.

It's rare to get a Doctor Who story that's a direct sequel to the story prior. The closest I can think of is the Fourth Doctor's season with Sarah Jane and Harry. But I couldn't think of another regeneration episode that's a direct follow up/sequel to the previous Doctor's finale. This story leads right off the heels from Logopolis, still dealing with the effects of the Master and his plot. Sure, the Fifth Doctor was incapacitated most of the time, but the plot went almost seamlessly from one episode to the next.

Goodbye, iconic scarf

Speaking of the Doctor being incapacitated, the Third Doctor could have really used the Zero Room. Instead he was in UNIT's sick bay. It's too bad the Fifth Doctor jettisoned the Zero Room. A few future Doctors could have really used it... Specifically the Seventh, Eighth, Tenth and Twelfth Doctors didn’t have it. Could have helped. That's all.

I'm sad to say that I was tricked by Castrovalva; I thought the Master was the good guy. And I definitely didn't see the flaws in the fake paradise. And that's with having watched it before (granted, it's been like ten years). You'd think I'd see it coming even just with all my experience with the different Masters over the years. Well played, Master. Well played.

Do the costumes on Castrovalva remind anyone else of Monty Python?

Though many people complain about Adric (and occasionally I'm one of them) I loved how the TARDIS team worked together in this story. Each had a purpose in the Doctor's plans, even when the Master had Adric trapped. This is why I like a good well-rounded TARDIS team. The last time we had a true TARDIS team was Sarah Jane and Harry. After this team, we wouldn't get another until Rose and Captain Jack (unless you count Turlough... but he was a double agent part of the time).

I'm excited to see where we go from here. A fresh face. A new Doctor. And a decorative vegetable. Even having watched all these stories before, there are so many that it feels like a new experience each time.

Friday Creature Feature - Fledge

I debated for a while about which spotlight to do for Year of the Horse. I haven’t been consistent at featuring each year of the Chinese zodiac—mostly citing Disney dragons, dogs, tigers in the years I remembered to do it. Instead of Disney horses, I’m going with a creature feature from one of my favorite fandoms: Narnia. I could have easily gone with Narnian horses as a whole (Phillip, Bree, Hwin, Jewel, etc) but I wanted to look at the first powerful steed in Narnia’s history. 

Born to a cavalry horse, Fledge was called Strawberry by Frank, the cabby who owned him. Neither felt at home in the city and longed for the country life. So when Jadis commandeered the horse, it was providence that the pair was pulled into Narnia with Diggory, Polly, Uncle Andrew, and the Witch. 

As the creation of Narnia proceeded, Strawberry was turned into a talking horse by Aslan. He held vague memories of his life as a dumb animal. At least enough to trust Frank and carry the kids to the Lion, his final task as “Strawberry”.

When Diggory was tasked with protecting the new land of Narnia from Jadis, Aslan turned Strawberry in the winged horse named Fledge. And as the newly christened steed, he bonded with Polly and Diggory as they retrieved the fruit that would help protect Narnia for hundreds of years. 

I think it’s safe to assume that Fledge remained loyal to King Frank and Queen Helen as they reigned over Narnia. A majestic steed that was transformed by grandeur personified—or lion-ified. 

Unlike my “Mistaken Identity” posts, Fledge is a story of transformation. Though born a dumb horse, Strawberry became the majestic Fledge. Aslan’s power changed him into something that Strawberry couldn’t have imagined on his own. Taken in a gospel light, it’s not unlike how Jesus Christ transforms us through the power and grace of His atoning sacrifice. 

President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can.” Just as Aslan turned Strawberry into the powerful and magical Fledge, Jesus Christ will turn each of us into miraculous and eternal beings as we turn our lives to Him. 

LDS Geeks Podcast #60: Fourth Doctor Villains

Over the course of the Fourth Doctor era, we saw some incredible villains. Some were more notable than others (I'm rather fond of the captain in "The Pirate Planet"). TJ and I had a great discussion of about five of our favorites.

--Spencer

Pokemon Nicknames: Marvel

A few weeks ago, my daughters were watching Spidey and His Amazing Friends (a great cheesy way to introduce kids to classic superheroes). I’m minding my own business and sn adorable and unfamiliar character appeared: Jeff the Shark. I had to look up the character and see if there was a comic book basis for the cute land fish. The resemblance to Gible is uncanny so immediately went into Pokemon Go and nicknamed my Garchomp “Jeff”. Naturally that led me to more Marvel-inspired nicknames—lots of them based off heroic pets. So here are some of my first favorites:

Trevenant as Groot

Ariados as Man-Spider

Golduck as Howard

Obstagoon as Rocket

(Shiny) Growlithe as Lucky

Gallade as Dr. Strange

Tyrunt as Old Lace

Granbull as Lockjaw

Gible as Jeff

Rhyperior as Rhino

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.