‘Game of Thrones’ Season 4 Casting News Brings Someone Back From the Dead

donderdag 22 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Jill Baughman 4 hours ago

Another day, another daily dose of Game of Thrones season 4 casting news. Believe it or not, they're actually bringing back someone who was killed off in season 3 -- but it's definitely not who you think! But first, the role of Wildling leader Styr, the Magnar of Thenn, will be played by Joseph Gatt, and they have recast Tommen Baratheon, replacing him with an older boy, as he'll most likely have a meatier role in season 4.

Callum Wharry played Tommen in seasons 1 and 2, and he won't be back for season 4. Dean-Charles Chapman will take over -- though this actor played Martyn Lannister and was brutally murdered by the Karstarks in season 3. Guess they're hoping no one will recognize him?

So let's speculate what we're going to see from these characters, based off A Storm of Swords, okay? There are BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD. You already know the Internet is dark and full of LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS.

So let's start off with badass Styr, Magnar of Thenn. Why are the names in Game of Thrones so freakin' cool? Anyway, he is a Wilding leader, the leader of the Thenn. The book describes him as tall, skinny, and he doesn't have ears. Also, Joseph is perfect because he's clean shaven and bald, with gray eyes. He's a tough ruler but his men are extremely loyal to him. He once allied with Mance Rayder against the Others.

Mance plans an assault against the Wall, and Styr, his co-commander Jarl, and a group of his men went ahead to try to take Castle Black from behind ... but Jon Snow was able to warn the Night's Watch of the attack. Styr and his men die when they're caught in a trap as they're climbing the Wall. Should be a very exciting scene to watch!

Tommen, on the other hand, gets a bigger role because ... he becomes the king! That's right, his older brother, Joffrey, kicks the bucket at his own wedding, and Tommen is next in line. There are also plans to have little Tommen marry Margaery Tyrell in place of Joffrey. He also enjoys putting royal stamps on all the documents. Gotta love Tommen.

And RIP, Joffrey:

What do you think of Joseph Gatt as Styr? Think you would have recognized Martyn?

Image via Joseph Gatt/Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jill Baughman

is the copy chief of The Stir and geeks out over all the nuances and weirdness of the English language.

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Powerful Video Shows What the World Looks Like to Someone With Autism (VIDEO)

dinsdag 23 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Ericka Sóuter 3 hours ago

Autism is a perplexing disorder, even to parents of children on the spectrum. Try as they may to understand exactly what their child is going through, it can seem like an impossible feat. Well, 18-year-old autism activist Carly Fleischmann wants to help us all understand how she and others like her see the world. She has created a video that provides a shocking snapshot into her life and the frustrations she feels when her body won't let her voice be heard. I promise, you have never seen anything like it.

The video depicts an outing to a coffee shop with her father and sister. Carly, who was diagnosed with severe autism, cognitive delay, and oral apraxia at age 2, has opinions that she just can't express. As she describes it, "Autism has locked me inside a body I cannot control." This shows you her perspective of what is happening and her interactions with everyone, including the weary barista and the perplexed customers.

Heartbreaking, isn't it. Carly and so many other kids with autism have so much to say, but they simply can't say it. This video certainly sheds a profound light on what they go through. It breaks my heart they have to endure this. It's so important for the rest of the world to be aware of their frustrations and struggles.

What is your reaction to Carly's video?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ericka Sóuter

is a veteran pop culture and celeb news writer. That experience boils down to two things: she knows way too much about the Kardashians and she dominates on Trivial Pursuit's arts and entertainment questions.

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I Don't Care if My Kid Calls Someone Else 'Mom'

dinsdag 16 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota

I was a teenager when I first met a woman I would come to call Mom. Technically, she wasn't my mother. She had no biological kids of her own, and we weren't even related. But she was the kind of woman I could turn to for common sense advice on the tough stuff that comes with being a teenager: boys, college, my (real) parents.

Women like her are a godsend for struggling teenagers. They're also the nightmare of mothers everywhere, mothers who see another woman being called "Mom" and feel threatened that they're losing THEIR rightful place as their child's one and only mother.

Now that I'm a mom, I can sympathize. Being my daughter's mother is something special, something I don't have to share with anyone.

And yet, if my teenage daughter finds another "Mom," I'd like to think I'd be OK with it.

Remember what it was like to be a teenager, when you didn't feel comfortable talking to your parents about everything? Sometimes you need someone else to bounce ideas off of or someone to comfort you. Sometimes you need to feel listened to, not judged.

That's where an extra "Mom" comes in, an extra adult who cares about our kids.

They're better, in many ways, than a child's friends because they offer the benefit of experience and aged wisdom, things well-meaning teenagers don't have when they dole out advice. They tend to know a little bit about the world and have the sense to report to you when there are real problems that require parental attention.

As much as an extra Mom is a stand-in, she's also an extra set of eyes and ears.

She's someone your kid will talk to when she really needs to talk.

I called Deb "Mom" not to piss off my own mother but because I felt like she looked out for me, like she truly cared for me, and I wanted to show her that I loved her. As it turned out, I made a good choice. We transitioned to adult friends and remained that way for years, right up until her sudden death a few years ago, and during that time, she counseled me through many a rough time. She was the woman who made a quilt for my baby daughter (that she still sleeps under at bedtime) and watched my dog when I went on vacation.

She wasn't my mother in any biological sense of the word, but she was a woman who was special to me (still is special to me).

I want my daughter to have that, to have an adult in her life who she can count on in addition to my husband and me -- not instead of. I don't feel threatened by that, by more love for my kid.

I don't need to. I'm still her mother. No one can take that away from me.

As my friend Eve Vawter said over at Mommyish, when explaining she would have no problem with her kids calling a stepmother Mom, "I am their mom, I have the stretch marks to prove it, and I will always be their mom, but as far as I’m concerned, the more humans my kids have in their lives who they are close to and have good relationships, the better."

Got that? More love = good for my kid.

What do you think? Would you be hurt if your teen called someone else "Mom"?

Image via edenpictures/Flickr

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