Holding out for a Hero

Fellow Haligonian and eminently more successful blogger La Canadienne has, with her latest post, caused something of a stir in the perpetually reverberating catacomb that is my mind. You see, I started to wonder: who would I consider my JG*? Who would I give anything to meet, to – dare I think it – speak to? Is there someone whose career or success I aspire to emulate? Possibilities start trickling in: Werner Von Braun, Burt Rutan, Richard Feynman, Freeman Dyson, Frank Herbert, Joe Strummer... death has done away with over half of these already. Randall Munroe, Joss Whedon, the cast of Firefly/Serenity/Farscape/Battlestar Galactica/Red Dwarf...all of these are at least alive, but I'm not sure I aspire to be very much like any of these people. I'm not certain I could tell them anything that I appreciate about their work that they haven't already heard from any number of screaming fans at conventions. I'm sure they'd appreciate the sentiment all the same, but I don't know if I would gain anything besides geek cred from any of these encounters.

As for those members of my first group who have yet to shuffle off this mortal coil, my concern is that I'm not enough of a scientist, mathematician or engineer to gain from the meeting. I could jabber excitedly about Dyson spheres or SpaceShip One for hours on end, of course, but I could not talk with them about these concepts on a level remotely approaching theirs. Of course I can never know something as well as the man or woman who created it, but I certainly never will if I can't talk through the math on a graduate level! Speaking of men OR women, how about some individual women for this list? Imogen Heap? Gorgeous, but I haven't the musical inclination to elevate such a meeting above heroine-worship. Elizabeth May? Now we're getting somewhere: I can talk politics, I can talk environmentalism, and leader of a federal party is certainly the kind of success I can imagine wanting to emulate. That being said, she's not as iconic as, say, Rachel Carson. Also on my list of unfortunately deceased women I would have liked to meet are Nellie McClung, Helen of Troy, Hedy Lamarr, and Queen Elizabeth I. Really, though, I'd just like to know what those women were like, I'm not sure if there would be enough common ground (or, in the case of Helen of Troy, there might not even be a woman to begin with!) to make a meeting worthwhile.

Notorious figures in game development, ie. Gabe Newell and Ken Levine might be cool choices, but – as you will hear them and others say repeatedly – game development is really a team effort, so if you're only allowed to meet one part of the team, you're not really getting the whole picture. Not that I wouldn't enjoy meeting either of these two; I'd love to ask Gabe Newell about where he thinks gaming and digital distribution are going, and I have a pretty endless litany of questions about Bioshock that I'd love answered. Even so, my lack of coding knowledge could certainly put me on the disadvantage here, just as it would with Dyson or Rutan.

What I think the problem is with my process here is that I'm thinking about famous, or at the very least notorious people. These people are, or were, in the spotlight for reasons of extreme proficiency, competence, and vision. Speaking of vision, I think I'd like to meet Adam Smith, John Locke, and Karl Marx. These people interact (or interacted) with others who were likewise extraordinary. I think that I would be underqualified to meet these people, in a sense. I would be approaching them as inferior-to-superior, not as anything so proper as student-to-instructor. Goodness, I can barely hold my own against my housemates in most debates! The other factor is that since I'm at present very uncertain of what I desire for my future, I can't really narrow my focus to people I would like to follow in the footsteps of, so to speak. While I don't think I would limit my choices like that, I'm working on the assumption that this is about a hypothetical one-time wish sort of deal. I want to choose the person to whom I will have the absolute most to converse about, and the absolute most to gain from and share with. Of course, there's never a perfect person like this. I doubt there ever will be.

...ok, so David Bowie is perfect, but remember that part where I'm not musically inclined?

So, instead of calling it quits, I have a new idea. If anyone I don't already know is reading this, and thinks that they might gain something by meeting me (or that I could gain something by meeting them), leave me a comment, let me know. My blog email should be listed on my profile page if you want to send a private message. Of course, meeting people from the internet is pretty much one of the worst ideas ever, even if they're not actually CRAZY STAKER KILLING MACHINES, so the idea isn't to just give out my address and phone number to anyone who decides that it would be great fun to, say, kill me. If I remember to check my blogger email, there is a decided likelihood of email correspondence, though.

I think that in our haste to hoist the “greatest” up on our shoulders, we are in danger of missing the value in the rest of us in the crowd. Here begins my little experiment to see if I can't find some of that value.

Loud!

*JG = Jian Ghomeshi, of CBC's "Q"

PS. La Canadienne, I downloaded some Holy Fuck to see what it was all about, and I'm pretty sure (will reassess when it's not 3AM) I am enjoying the holy fuck out of it :P

man, now I'm sad for missing their show!

In Defense of Farscape

(Etarran-style rejected title: "Lay off my favourite TV show, you frelling dren-faced farbot phillistines!")

It has been the policy of certain “friends” of mine – for exactly how long I cannot say – to make fun of/ get a rise out of me by disparaging the Australo-American Sci-Fi/Comedy/Romance masterpiece, Farscape. While this not-particularly-good-natured teasing is very little about the show itself (few of these “friends” of mine have seen so much as an episode. In an unprecedented feat of being absolutely no fun at all, one claims to have seen an entire season and not found it enjoyable), I would not be writing this post merely to bitch about the means by which they cause me distress*. My worry in this matter is for their sake, and not my own; I fear that should they not already accept their petty fabrications as the honest truth by virtue of endless repetition, they soon will. More than anything I am distressed by the idea that these otherwise intelligent and humourous individuals would predispose themselves against the pure, unadulterated joy that is Farscape. It almost did it to myself, years ago, and I cannot in good faith allow them to do the same.

*I would be blogging about Star, were that my purpose here.

It was my mother, of all people, who first brought Farscape to my attention. I was actively disinterested in this low-budget australian muppety romance...thing, and can you blame me? The recommendation had come to my dear mum by way of a romance readers news group, for crying out loud! I'm not known for being a good sport, so I suspect it was a pointed reminder about the (flawless) track record of mom in recommending fiction in literature or on screen that had me grudgingly agree to watch an episode. It took maybe half of that episode for me to figure out that not only had I lost a potential counterexample for those times when my parents would bring icky, boring looking movies home to their infernally infallible chorus of “you'll like it!”, I had also discovered a kickass TV series. And so it was that Friday nights in our house became synonymous with Farscape...a glorious tradition that lasted until the bastard network execs canceled it for a “drop in ratings” in season 4**, leaving us among the legions of angry, heartbroken fans (Farscape's writing team having no warning to modify their final episode to achieve closure meant for Season 5 resulted in the most egregious cliffhanger finale EVER -spoiler After four years of torturous uncertainty and sexual tension, the main characters agree to be married. Also she is pregnant with his child. Also he has been forced to cut his one remaining connection to Earth (a wormhole) due to circumstances arising from flowers, careless words, and a small nuclear explosive...and then they, in their little rowboat are spotted by an alien starfighter and reduced to an equivalent mass of small, marble-sized pebbles by some esoteric weapon, THE END /spoiler)

.**I'm not a census bureau, but I know that the show became rather more arc-based in its final season, hence some casual viewers would have reason to balk. The third season was also marginally stronger, but it's not as if that's unique to Farscape.

The question you may be asking with regards to this post, besides “why bother?”, is probably something along the lines of “ok, but what was it that made Farscape so good?”. This is an excellent question, which is perhaps best answered by the show itself. As a Jim Henson production, Farscape was a fundamentally positive show. It was about the value of friendship (incidental note on the acting: this is from the episode where everyone is being driven mad, and not indicative of the acting in the series-at-large):

it was a work of subtle, intellectual humour:

A show that stressed the importance of nonviolence in all things:



...And which featured the best obligatory-episode-where-everyone-swaps-bodies of them all (note: at this point in the episode, Crichton (the human) inhabits Aeryn(the hot space Aussie)'s body):

I am somewhat constrained by what the fans have managed to upload so far, which seems to be a pretty random assortment, so what's there isn't really my ideal range of clips, but it will have to suffice for the moment. It's mostly fun and games above, but the show does shine equally in its silly and serious segments. Moreover, there really is a Jim Henson vibe to be found underneath the layers of twisted muppets, sex and violence. There is a real message about the value of peace, friendship, and love in a universe so full of evil things. It's perhaps more overt in the Peacekeeper Wars miniseries (a paltry 4 hours where Season 5 would have gone, but they made pretty epic use of those hours), but if you watch the series, it's there. The trademark Jim Henson glee is there, even in the darkest episodes. Farscape is a show where you cannot imagine that anyone on stage isn't having a blast at any given time, because they are acutely aware of just how awesome this thing they are part of is. You and I both know another show of which this is true, a show that you don't needlessly malign. A show that was also canceled well before it's time.

That's right, Drive – I mean, uh – Firefly, of course!

-LOUD!

PS. I suppose the one thing you could say against Farscape is that while Jim Henson could demonstrably get David Bowie to act in their stuff (Labrynth, for people who live under rocks), I don't recall ever seeing him on Farscape. Possible Explanation: it would have created a singularity of pure awesome and destroyed Television.

Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's Blog Post Ninety-Nine!

Please DO NOT Sign This Petition

I feel almost filthy jumping on the bandwagon of speculation with regards to the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but something popped up in the news, and I consider it my duty to deliver whac-a-mole-style justice!

I speak of this petition, addressed to J.K. Rowling, to have her "resurrect" Harry - after a fashion - and write more adventures for him and his mates...regardless of the events of the supposedly final seventh book. The Citizen article which informed me of its existence provided worrying statistics, namely that some 66% of readers (total) desire more tales of the Boy Wizard's adventures after The Deathly Hallows is published. It revolts me that, when given a seven-book-long series detailing the adventures of a select few people in a vast and compelling world of magic which exists beneath the very noses of us Muggles, the majority of readers would rather have more of the same than deeper explorations into the depths of J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World! It's not surprising that this is the case, of course; people enjoy routine because it is comfortable, because it is easier than being perpetually on one's toes. Adapting to new characters means assimilating new information, means forming new emotional bonds, means using that lump of grayish stuff that occupies the skull - people HATE that.

I will concede that Harry Potter being the phenomenon it is has become more product than art, but I believe that what fans who sign this petition do not understand what they are doing. The Deathly Hallows will surely include the final showdown between Harry Potter and the Dark Lord Voldemort, and that means that ONE OR BOTH WILL DIE. Do these people think that it is a coincidence that J.K. has devoted many a page to discussions of how these two are intertwined? Harry can no more exist as a dramatic character without Voldemort than he can without Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Hagrid, or even the Dursleys! Without a central enemy, he has no motivating force, no perpetual shadow looming over his head, and no destiny. There could be other villains, but none would compare. Even if J.K. went as far as to create another wizard of terrifying evil, the lack of intertwined destinies would make this new malefactor a pale shadow next to The Dark Lord. If she chose to omit a hero-villain conflict for infighting, she would end up writing another sixth book, which to my mind was a jarring transition from angst-vs-evil to hormonal angst which felt forced and artificial. She has said it herself: Harry's story ENDS WITH THE SEVENTH BOOK. Dragging him out for another go-round would feel tired and limp, more so if he's already had to die.

What I WOULD like to see is a new series set somewhere else, because the particulars of the hidden world of magic intrigue me to no end. For example: How are spells made? How did the art of wizardry evolve? What were the circumstances of Hogwarts' founding? What is the daily life of the Minister for Magic like? What kind of dark wizard did Aurors apprehend before Death Eaters and the Dark Lord? See, THESE are good questions which DO NOT require the presence of Harry Potter to answer. I would sign a petition asking for more works in the same universe inhabited by Potter and Company, but I will NOT ask an author to go against her creative vision. Finally, I should point out that it is none other than a BOOK VENDOR which has created this petition. I trust it goes without saying what the true motive for this petition is?

PS: From an artistic point of view, a noble sacrifice seems befitting of Harry Potter. No, I DO NOT think he should be a Jesus figure, but that may be unavoidable, as he has always been something of a messiah to the Wizarding World. There, now you know what my theory is.

It Might Not Unfold Into a Giant Robot...

But my computer is still one of my favourite playthings, and so it is with great pride that I announce my most recent upgrades: A G5 laser gaming mouse, and not one, but TWO new [EDIT] Western Digital (gah, curse my random reflex-writing of "Maxtor" here) 500GB Hard Drives.

My financial situation being what it is, I didn't actually buy either of these; one is a substitute for the prize I am never going to get from the Ontario Reach for the Top people (I am suddenly reminded that I need to blog about both tournaments...), and the other is my Dad realizing that 120GB just doesn't cut it for data storage anymore. It makes these bittersweet upgrades, as much as my true connection to any computer should be through hands-on assembly, rather than purchase. If I'd been able to pay for either or both of these upgrades, I would have had a greater share of the computer ownership. Some people gauge their independence in terms of cars, I judge mine in terms of computers, it's as simple as that. When I buy every component of a new computer, I will feel just that much more sovereign. Moving out will help, too...but it's a great deal more expensive, and so naturally further down the line

I will need a job to accomplish either of these goals, of course, but with at LEAST 3 out of my next 4 weeks being spent on vacation, there seems scant hope or point to the acquisition thereof.

Ah, well. There's always the fall season...

Why do I get the feeling that come fall, I will be telling myself "there's always winter"?

-LOUD

Pure Aluminum Sex

So there is no new computer as of yet, but when the day comes, I have a luscious new Lian-Li PC-v1000 to house it in. In the meantime, my Athlon 64 3000+ is in residence. For a case with 2 120mm fans preloaded, plus an 80mm power supply fan, this thing is just pleasantly humming along beside me at the moment. Upstairs, a new ASRock motherboard gives life (and crappy integrated graphics) to our old Athlon XP 1700+. The upshot is that said integrated graphics have decent Linux GL drivers, so OpenGL games will run under WINE. Not well, but they will run. Glee!

(For those of you who hate the performance ratings, the 3000+ is 2.0GHz, with 512K L2 cache, and the 1700+ is 1.47GHz with 256K L2 cache.)

I will spare you paragraphs of praise for this wondrous new case of mine, and go straight to pictures. Due to being unable to find the USB cable for the digital camera, I had to improvise and use my TV tuner to capture from the camera's analog video cable. I apologize for the lower quality of the pics, as a result of this.

The Case Itself:

Lookin' sharp with the Very Fine Hat:

A boy and his dog case:

The case alone is quite light

The Lian-Li in it's n47ur4l h4b1747:

Not to forget a bonus pic from a while ago:

That's all for tonight. Political content and some Sci-Fi writing to come later on, time permitting. My dialogue needs major overhauls, but progress is happening.

Saturday Night and No Date

Flu Shot

It's very likely that you will have heard of "lonelygirl15" on youtube, and the minor press-storm which was sparked when she was first suspected, then confirmed as a marketing plant. It has now come to light that Sony is behind not one, but two fake fan sites, one for the PSP and another for the PS3. This trend is not harmless, this trend is scary, and it is potentially destructive.

I could go off on a rant about how any form of fanboyishness is just free advertising for money-grubbing Mr. McFuckthepoor, or perhaps on a tirade about how people enjoy the art of a thing so much, they create beautiful social networks with total strangers, simply to share their enjoyment. Instead, I will tell you why so-called viral marketing is both poor business sense, and a danger to the fan communities that can be so crucial to success, especially to 'underdog' franchises.

Paying someone to go out and fake a fan site seems to me an action that would only be taken if "real" enjoyment of the product was less than expected. Perhaps the right combination of personalities never 'happened' within its fan base...but more likely, whatever was being sold, just didn't cut it. In the case of the PS3, I can see limited supply turning people off the fan-wagon, but I don't understand the need for viral marketing for the PSP. Despite the sticker shock, I was under the impression that those little things were doing quite well. Either way, how is the risk of losing credibility worth even a short-term boost in sales. Is there some value in the reveal? Are all these hoaxes just ploys to get people talking, even if scornfully? I can't say for sure, but I doubt I'm any more likely to drop cash on a PS3 or PSP, just because Sony made a Jackass out of itself...again. You know what sells? Quality! The people who buy it get something enjoyable, and the people selling it get all the filthy lucre they crave. Is it so much to ask that the sellers hold up their end of the bargain, here? Last time I checked, I enjoy it when something I buy is worth it.

Part II of this issue is more serious. What happens to the great fan communities, such as the infamous 'Browncoats', if all fansites will have to be vetted in future, to ensure they aren't some stupid corporate money ploy. The risk and doubt will start to outweigh the fun and camaraderie of establishing a new community, and the heyday of fan culture could be brought to a screeching halt. I don't want to see that happen, and unless you have no sense of fun, you won't either. Trekkies were all that kept Star Trek going, after TOS was canceled...if not for those brave nerd men and women, there would have been no Wrath of Khan, no TNG, no DS9, no VOY or ENT. Ok, so the universe would have been better off without the last two, but the others were fully enjoyable, in their own right. The sheer fan power of the Browncoats brought Serenity to screens, although - as I discussed with CheeseLikeSubstance last night - much of the best elements of Firefly were left behind. Still, a movie with extremely good production values rose from the ashes of a TV show that was bungled by individuals so incompetent, they barely deserve to be called "human", a show which ran for only 11 episodes (14 produced). That is the power of fans. If companies want to harness that power, they should do it right, and STAY AWAY FROM VIRAL MARKETING! If you build something cool enough, the fan base will come.

Apologies Due

I was talking to La Petit Mort last night, and it came to pass that I asked for some advice about my tumultuous situation with Star. Well, she dug up some ugliness from her own past in the process of giving me some (very helpful) advice. I'm sorry for my part in this, sometimes the past is best left where it lies.

Crowd of Adoring Fan

Check out the first comment under my previous post. I think this marks the first comment from someone I don't personally know. How cool is that? If you don't know who I am, and have been reading my blog for longer than this dude, too bad for you...you didn't say anything about it, did you? In any case, I'd like to see more comments...come to think of it, I should leave more myself. Feedback lets someone know they are being read, being appreciated, or being an ass, should they not be aware of those things. Never underestimate how good it feels to read a comment and think "wow...someone said something...it's like I have a fan". As I said above, the power of a fanbase is incredible. Heck, you don't even need to be a fan. Even having a readership is pretty awesome.

So thank you, readers and leavers of comments. It's good to know that in this space, someone can hear me scream...or rant...you get the idea.