Fanboy Humor

I love the way Peter David includes little nods to fandom in his writing! In one of his Star Trek novels, “Stone and Anvil”, Jean-Luc Picard is talking to the future Captain Mackenzie Calhoun on his home planet of Xenex, then takes him up to his starship to show a world far larger than he’d ever known:

"You'll find there are no screens nor fearsome gods up here, M'k'n'zy. Although there is the odd hole or two, but you can learn about that later."

"Learn how? Where?"

"Well, there's an academy. A school, back on the planet where I was born. The best, the brightest, the most gifted of young people attend it to learn and grow and, ultimately, see if they have what it takes to be a Starfleet officer."

"Are you in charge of it?"

"No, no." Picard smiled. "I couldn't exactly see myself running a school for gifted youngsters. Not sure I'd have the patience."

I know some of the people who read my blog won’t get this, and I apologize, but explaining it won’t really make it interesting for you if you don’t know, and simply takes up more space than is necessary.

Anyway, back to the book before I nod off for the night…

TV During Strike Season

When I first heard that the Writer’s Guild was going on strike, I experienced what one might call phantom withdrawal. Being invested in a few TV shows, I began to wonder if I could go without it for a year…

Surprisingly, I’ve barely noticed! I watched the disappointing, rocky journey of Heroes’ second volume. I wondered whether Lost could truly win me back (and I guess I’ll find out soon enough, as the new episodes start airing this Thursday). I got a taste of the new Bionic Woman, a dash of the Office’s 4th year, and now the new late-season show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I even kept watching Smallville, even if only for the women (The writing may be shit, but Supergirl… Supergirl!).

Now, I don’t watch my television on the TV any more. I absolutely hate commercials, and the Internet has offered an alternative source, which I’ve gravitated to for the last few years. Episodes available online, without the annoying inundation of advertising, are also over a good 15 minutes or so shorter for your hour-long fare, so I’m even saving time! It does mean I’ve ventured into an ethically gray area, but I’m willing to continue that because, when I do enjoy a show, I pick up the seasons on DVD. Good stuff gets my money. It’s that simple.

And without so much new TV to watch, I find I spend far less time on my computer these days, and that can’t be a bad thing. But, with this dry patch, I’ve turned to DVD seasons, and enjoyed the ride.

Currently, I’ve been watching the first two seasons of Boston Legal… not the kind of thing I usually gravitate to. But with the high praise from my friend (and lawyer in training) Syed, coupled with a sale that offered the seasons at half the normal price, I made that leap, and have enjoyed it far beyond my initial expectations. It has all the richness and depth of West Wing, and all of the characters are amazingly brought to life by a slew of talented actors. William Shatner’s portrayal of Denny Crane alone has greatly improved my opinion of him... I’m even starting to understand his… unique comedic sensibilities.

Alan Shore, the protagonist, is by no means a paragon, and is my new favorite character in a very, very long time. Played expertly by James Spader, we see him take on the ugly cases that are usually portrayed in television and movies from the other side of the courtroom. We see the morally ambiguous life he’s led, and the toll it’s taken. And by the end of almost every episode, the examinations of the ethical issues have forced me to reevaluate my own moral standings and opinions. Any show that can do that has my blessing; because it’s the stories that force you to think and reshape your world view that are the highest form of art.

And to think, I may not have discovered this show if there hadn’t been a strike.

Now, I certainly hope the Writer’s Guild gets it’s fair share of the profits being made in the new digital millennium, but in hindsight I’m glad the strike has happened. (But really, it can end now. Please...)

And if you weren’t aware, many major TV shows are on DVD and can be rented from your local movie store - or better yet, library - just as easily! Rejoice, and imagine a world of entertainment without incessant advertising!

The Turning Point

As everything starts to shift, I find myself evaluating every aspect of my life with equal consideration. I feel like I have a new start to commit to some very old goals. It's not all totally organized in the chaos that is my brain, but perhaps putting it out here will allow me to... bring it all into focus.

1) Monetarily. Having a higher income opens more doors, like the aforementioned vehicle, health insurance, and other little things. It also allows me to see the road ahead... the one I'd taken such a long detour from. Budgeting not just from month to month, but year to year, onto the eventual retirement years. So, in terms of work, I'm considering my future at Spectrum, as well as the possible future of writing to get published (which has always been a dream and passion of mine, if long-neglected).

2) Physically. It's a time for new starts, and on top of getting real health insurance, I am also enrolling in the Healthier Lifestyles program tied to Spectrum. What sort of diet changes should I make? What are the benefits and risks of programs like Atkins? I certainly want to live healthier, lose weight and have more energy. It would also assist in mental equilibrium. That, and exercise.

3) Environmentally. I have lots of junk that yet needs to be sorted/sold/removed. Committing to a couple boxes a week seems a reasonable amount, and getting the things worth money sold on eBay would be the next logical step. Keeping a clean apartment really should be a standard I hold to.

4) Spiritually. Should I weigh what it means to attend church and commit to my faith? Where is my faith, precisely, and in what ways have my beliefs transformed since high school? Also in this category is a commitment to my writing. So far I've managed to post once a day. Can I keep that pace up? What about making headway on the multitude of novel/other creative endeavors I've started and left in folders and boxes to gather dust? Writing should be one of my primary goals.

Now, how to balance all of that? It's so much to try to keep in my brain I fear I simply won't be able to. I'm looking to enact an entire shift in how I live my life. Maybe the blog can be a tool, though I don't honestly see the appeal in anyone reading these sorts of musings. I'll try to offer up a more varied menu for this place in future installments, but bear with me while things get organized!

How To Build An Ork Trukk

Step one, don’t sniff the glue.

Step two, surround yourself with friends who are also building models.

Step three, focus more on Decision 2008 than the plastic pieces.

That was where the last five hours of my day went. Hours well spent. Not only did I get to put my Warhammer 40k model halfway together, but I got to sit with Mike and Corey as he built his own miniatures and she built her stage for the upcoming theatre production she’s working on. And while this was going on MSNBC kept the numbers running for the South Carolina primaries.

Having a vested interest in politics, I’m of the hope that our country can do much better than it has done for the past eight years. I’ve never liked Bush. In 2000 he came off as a moron. In 2008 I hold that very same opinion, but have added many things to the list of reasons I want him gone.

So, today was the South Carolina Democrat primaries, and I was anxious to see how things panned out. I am not affiliated with any party, but I have leaned very strongly towards the Democrats since I could first vote. I’ve taken tests that have labeled me a free-thinking moderate. Good. I would like to think that most people are. So, living in Michigan, where – of the ‘top 3’ – only Hillary was on the Democrat ticket, I did the sane thing. I voted Republican.

So, I’m glad to see Obama win South Carolina. I’m hoping that Romney and Obama win the primaries, because of the ‘top players’, they are the ones I’m inclined to vote for. Either way, when November rolls around I’m still going to be examining my choices very closely… but as far as I’m concerned, no matter who wins, I’ll consider it a win in my book. Because Bush will be gone and good riddance; it can’t come soon enough.

And that is how I build an Ork Trukk. Well, half of it.

And yes, I did sniff the glue, but not on purpose.

And no, it was not a pleasant experience, but the rest of the night was.

The First Two Weeks

Because I know... know! That I won't always be topping myself, I thought it best to tackle the mundane right away. I just don't have the desire or energy to write a daily essay. And I didn't want to raise false expectations of my writing skills or ability to pump out fancy material.

Today marks the end of my first two weeks at my new job. I work at Butterworth Hospital, and I have to say, it's been an incredibly rewarding experience thus far. It beats the mundanity of JC Penney catalog orders, and you actually feel like you're a part of something larger than yourself. I am not only getting paid to do work (which helps me), but make the process a smooth one for patients (which helps others). I get a lot more out of this than a paycheck, and since I'm inclined to enjoy serving others, it seems like an ideal fit.

For those who know me from my many years working at Goldmine Comics... I will still be there! Even if I'm only working one Sunday a month, or the occasional Wednesday morning for new comic day, I will still be around. As it is, I'm still running the World of Warcraft trading card game tournaments each Sunday, and it doesn't look like my new schedule will conflict with it.

And why am I still working there? For one, Rocky is willing to keep me on, even for such minimal and transitory shifts. Thank you, Rocky! Also, I love, and have always loved working with comics. I've been reading them since I was in Third Grade, and I don't see myself ever not reading them!

Anyway, working at Butterworth has already started to shape me a little. Since I'm always wearing dress clothing, and keeping myself clean-shaven every day, I've noticed little changes in my demeanor. I guess you really do act like you dress. Who knew.

I'm also, it appears, a lot happier. Others noticed it first, but now I do as well. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm no longer parked in neutral, and am actually able to do things like save for my future and afford my own vehicle. I do find it odd, though, because I didn't really consider myself unhappy before this.

I'm sure that many entertaining stories will come from working there, and I'll even be able to give you those highlights, as long as I don't reveal names or other specifics. That is the law, after all, and I have no intention of violating HIPAA.

Oh, and my first paycheck? That arrives on Friday.

What is the Seventh Beacon?

There was a silence again for a while. Then, 'What is that?' cried Pippin suddenly, clutching at Gandalf's cloak. 'Look! Fire, red fire! Are there dragons in this land? Look, there is another!

For answer Gandalf cried aloud to his horse. 'On, Shadow- fax! We must hasten. Time is short. See! The beacons of Gondor are alight, calling for aid. War is kindled. See, there is the fire on Amon Dîn, and flame on Eilenach; and there they go speeding west: Nardol, Erelas, Min-Rimmon, Calenhad, and the Halifirien on the borders of Rohan.

But Shadowfax paused in his stride, slowing to a walk, and then he lifted up his head and neighed. And out of the darkness the answering neigh of other horses came; and presently the thudding of hoofs was heard, and three riders swept up and passed like flying ghosts in the moon and vanished into the West. Then Shadowfax gathered himself together and sprang away, and the night flowed over him like a roar- ing wind.

Words.

They can do anything. They can build a man up, and they can just as easily destroy him. They can convey the most beautiful image and conjure the most profane nightmare. They can confirm our worldview or change even the most intractable mind. They can shape reality.

Words have power.

It’s why I love them so dearly. Not for the promise of power, but for the chance to ride their current and, with enough luck and skill, even bend that power to my will. Words are a bridge, conveying - through common symbols and experiences - ideas shared by one another, crossing that infinite gulf that exists between each of us.

I’m not going to proclaim that I have new ideas, or better ones (though I certainly fancy them to be). I’m here to discover them, and – finding worth in that discovery – pass them on to share with as many people as I can. Because I, like you, have a voice that needs to be heard. Because ideas that are lonely will wither and die. And here, an oasis in the vast wasteland that is the Internet, they become inviolate and immortal.

Words are freedom.

Words are love.

Words are life.

Do I sound melodramatic? Maybe, but I’m not wrong. Just by writing those sentences I have proven them to be true. The idea has taken form, and therefore exists. But enough about words. Let's just start putting them to use, and let them become our silent partners in crime.

The Seventh Beacon.

You may recall the signal fires in Tolkien's Return of the King, set atop the White Mountains, warning the Rohirrim that war had begun and Gondor needed their aid. The distance stretched from one nation to another, each fire lit in succession, blazing across snow-covered mountaintops against the coming darkness. There were seven of them, the final resting on the border between Gondor and Rohan. Halifirien. Amon Anwar to the elves. The Hill of Awe. The highest place in the land.

Beacon Wardens lived near the summit, to keep watch and wait, and finally to light the fire, whose light would move men to action.

My goals aren’t so lofty, although I aspire to move others as I have been moved. The Seventh Beacon, in all its myriad metaphors, is my forum, my soapbox, my voice. It aspires to inspire and informs to reform; change hearts, warm hearts, break hearts and take hearts.

But what is it really?

I don’t know. Not yet. Finding out what it becomes… I guess that’s the goal. That’s the point.

The Seventh Beacon is a journey with no end planned. A journal, an observation, an accounting of my life and the world, and a home for all the ideas out there that are waiting to be discovered.

The words are out there.

The words will empower.