From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V9 #16 Reply-To: chakram-refugees@smoe.org Sender: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk chakram-refugees-digest Tuesday, February 2 2010 Volume 09 : Number 016 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] Review: Sparty ep 2 "Sacramentum Gladitorium" ["Chery] [chakram-refugees] Catching arrows [KLOSSNER9@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:28:42 -0500 From: "Cheryl Ande" Subject: [chakram-refugees] Review: Sparty ep 2 "Sacramentum Gladitorium" Spoiler Alert: God I love the smell of testosterone in the morning! This episode very male. Sparty has now decimated Batiatus's rival's gladiators and now he owns the Thracian whom he has named Spartacus (gladiators get stage names just like Lady Gaga). He has brought him to the ludus and plans to make him a star gladiator, for prize money, or a dead gladiator, to win Glaber's patronage. I don't think Batiatus's cares because he's got big problems that only money will solve. He owes a grain merchant big bucks for 300 lbs of grain and he doesn't have the money. The grain merchant who looks like the type to start cutting off fingers if he doesn't get paid agrees to wait for his money but at 30% interest. Batiatus's has to agree but now imperative that his new acquisitions pays off but things don't look good. Down in the ludus Spartacus is depressed. He dreams of making love to his wife only to be rudely awaken to find his in his new prison. He is also about to be washed and groomed and off to the baths he goes to meet the other gladiators. The gladiators are not welcoming crew. Lead by their alpha male, Crixus, the boys find Sparty wanting. Insults fly and it soon is apparent that these guys can't stand Sparty. Sparty is angry at being in the ludus but for the gladiators it is a matter of pride that they are gladiators. From their point of view they are more than slaves they been transformed into a warrior brotherhood and they seem genuinely loyal to Batiatus's because he has in a way saved them from a miserable existence menial mine workers. Here the have fame and honor despite a violent life. They probably can't understand why Sparty is so pissed off - he should be proud to be among them. However Sparty does find a friend, Varro. Varro is a Roman citizen who has consigned himself to be a gladiator. He owed money and in order to save his wife and child be paid off he creditor's by selling himself to Batiatus's. Varro however doesn't see this as a life sentence he tells Sparty there is a way out. Win in the arena and you get prize money - win enough matches you can buy your freedom be really good you can earn your freedom. This gives Sparty something to ponder. The training begins and Sparty is uncooperative. Doctore is trainer and Batiatus's right hand man and he is unimpressed with our hero. Yes he killed a slew of gladiators but they were a inferior breed not like these guys. To prove his point he matches Sparty against Crixus. Armed only with a wooden sword again Sparty's real sword, Crixus beats the snot out of Sparty while Doctore gives a running commentary on Sparty's flaws. Finally in desperation Sparty flings his sword at Crixus's back only to have the gladiator deflect and accidently kill on the new recruits. Spartacus is guilt ridden he has come to realize his in rage isn't getting him anywhere. Meanwhile back at the manse, Batiatus and Lucretia are preparing for bed and discussion business. They decide it is really important that Glaber become the ludus's patron. So when Glaber and his wife visit they hope to how off the gladiators and win Glaber's approval. As they discuss these business details there slave are busy getting their master and mistress ready for their conjugal duties- obviously the Romans had trouble with concept of foreplay. After getting revved up by their attendants the husband and wife go at it like rabbits. The day has come the new gladiators will have their big test. Glaber and his wife are coming. Batiatus is on edge. Glaber, the nasty sod that he is, goes and visits Sparty where give him the lace he had tied around his wife's leg and tells him his wife was raped and sold to far off to Syria. Meanwhile Lucretia is sowing Ilithyia the gladiators mad Ilithyia is thrilled right to the core of her lecherous little soul. She asks if Lucretia lets her children play with these big bad animals. Lucretia has to admit she is childless and there is an awkward silence. Indeed Lucretia has admitted to a terrible failing she has not produced an heir for husband - for a Roman woman there could be no greater failure. It is a testament to how much her husband loves her that he has not divorced her by now, which would mean shame and even poverty. Ilithyia however quickly recovers from her faux pas and is soon twittering about her wild side. Lucretia quickly realizes that here's an opening to win her friendship and admits she's a bad girl too. When Glaber arrives announces they are off to Rome, Ilithyia splat a smooch on a stunned Lucretia. Batiatus is also stunned. Glaber isn't staying and he has made his new gladiator suicidal. Things are just getting worse. So Batiatus gives Sparty a pep talk. Pass the gladiator test, pledge his allegiance to him and kill for him and he will help Sparty get his wife back. Sparty is thinking about it. Finally at the gladiator test, Sparty and Crixus fight again and at the last minute Sparty triumphant. Crixus is defeated but not dead. Sparty then with the other gladiators pledges his allegiance to Batiatus. So Sparty is now a gladiator, he has friend, a rival ,and a possible benefactor. Batiatus has a chance to make back his fortune with Sparty. Lucretia may have a new girlfriend and, wait, is she making goodley eyes at Crixus, well may she may solve baby problems. CherylA PS: KT will be happy that the penises came out in this episode. ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 20:46:24 EST From: KLOSSNER9@aol.com Subject: [chakram-refugees] Catching arrows I just saw, on Discovery Channel, a rerun of a Mythbusters episode in which they tested whether ninjas could catch arrows in their hands. They had an expert martial artist close his hand, from open to fist, as fast as he could. He did it in 35 milliseconds. They made a mechanical hand which could close that fast. They fired an arrow between the fingers and thumb, as the hand closed. The hand could not catch the arrow. They then made the hand close in 7 milliseconds - 5 times faster than the expert. At this speed, the hand caught the arrow-- but only the last few inches of a full-size arrow. So it is impossible for a person to do that. Though Xena did it all the time. Boeotian ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V9 #16 *************************************