All That Space

Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash

 I'm watching Invasion on Apple TV and it is boring. Looked promising. Had Sam Neill. Nice setup. But as a space alien invasion movie it has character development like nobody's business and ... yeah, that's it.

Where are the monsters? I mean, the space aliens? I watched three episodes, I think, saw one peek.

So far most of the show are people behaving badly. Duh. Sorry, but currently we've got more than enough of that in real life.

I'm watching and start thinking, what if * aliens did land on or accost Earth in some way? What would we do? Would we get along with our freaked out neighbors. Do we get along with them now? Would we continue to hide out in the mountains of Montana or make a run for -- who knows where?

Would the disparate personalities of my family manage to meld into a cohesive survivor unit or would we drive each other crazy in new and disastrous ways?

And, I got scared. 

Really.

Photo by Brian McMahon on Unsplash

We'd have some time to adjust because, apparently space aliens always start with New York. Might take them a while to get to Montana. 

 So, I'm sitting there with Invasion playing in front of my face, trying to figure out how to keep the family together in the event of space invaders, scaring myself, and it finally occurs to me.

 

Photo by Guillermo Ferla on Unsplash

The odds of alien space explorers ever finding us in the expanse of space are long. Dare I say astronomical? 

 We're a small planet overrun with with delusions of grandeur. One in billions and billions as Carl Sagan used to say. Those odds are a sucker bet.

Then I felt better. 

 Glad to know I can continue to ignore the neighbors. Cherish the charming personalities of my family. And be content in the fact that we're hiding out in the the embrace of the Milky Way.

Photo by William Zhang on Unsplash

* Those are the magic words. 

I have my own invader from space script. It's called, George Clooney Saves the Universe, and my space alien is nice. Still causes trouble, but a nice being. That script was the most fun I ever had writing a screenplay. Space is weird.

Smart TV

Setting Limits

In the news this week – an abundance of tolerance.

I’m proud to be an American raised to recognize that America is a melting pot and to accept the differences in folks that brings.

I know we don’t always get it right, but the idea is out there. I say, good for us.

This week the English Heritage Foundation opened the new visitor center at Stonehenge. They built a museum. Took out a road. Made quite an effort to return the site closer to its original incarnation.

This includes, within the museum, an exhibit of Neolithic remains found at the site.

A group of British druids took exception to this exhibit, demanding a proper reburial for the Neolithic Brit.

The modern druids are led by a man called King Arthur Pendragon*, Battle Chieftain of the Council of British Druid Orders and Titular Head and Chosen Chief of the Loyal Arthurian Warband Druid order. In other words, a loon. They staged a protest and threaten to disrupt the site all next year.

What amazed me was the calm tenor of the English Heritage response. “English Heritage Commissioners considered Mr. Arthur Pendragon's request to use replicas very carefully in September 2013 but decided that the original plan should go ahead.”

Okay. It is well-known the druids did not build Stonehenge. Whether they worshipped there is unproven and improbable. They may have passed through in a fashion similar to the way a million plus tourists do today.

But label any lunacy RELIGON and it’s hands-off. Let’s not be intolerant. God forbid.

My usual religious tolerance stance is this – I don’t care what you believe as long as you don’t try to force it on me. If you want to worship little blue fishes and pray at the foot of a lodge pole pine, have at it. Just keep it to yourself.

I’m rethinking that.

Maybe there should be a limit to tolerance.

Maybe, a better response from the English Heritage Foundation to the self-named druid king would have been – Look, you lunatic. Piss up a rope.

Seriously, the guy’s crest is a griffon with an erection. I say that pretty much proves he’s a dick.

Back in America, a reality television star made news by getting removed from his show for spouting racist and homophobic rhetoric.

I’m not providing a link to this fool, but you can’t Google “water fowl” without hitting the story.

And now, there is a campaign across social media to protect this racist, bigoted idiot’s** freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech, one of the foundations of this great country of ours.

Maybe it is about time that we called bullshit on this one.

Maybe spouting hate speech isn’t protected free expression.

Maybe we should call it what it is and not support its purveyors.

Maybe we should not tolerate intolerance.

Or ignorance. Or bigotry. No matter how delivered or labeled.

*His real name’s is John.

**The reason most sited is because he’s a “good Christian.” Really, good Christians, is this who you want as a poster boy?

Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

I started watching AMC's The Walking Dead because I saw this poster and it cracked me up.

I don't like zombie movies. Shaun of The Dead and 28 Days Later aside, I think most of the genre is a bloody gross-out fest for those who don't enjoy good film.

I had heard this was a good show, but honestly, telling me that a zombie show is good, makes me doubt your ability to judge value.

That said, ahem, this show is great.

Since I'm playing catch-up, watching the DVDs, I have the benefit of hindsight. I tolerated the first episodes' arty factor as them getting their groove on. And the next thing I knew, I was hooked.

I just finished Season Two. I read the reviews first. They were criticized for too much talking, not enough action. Fair enough, but only half the story.

There is a lot of moralizing in this series. Morality, moral imperatives, moral decisions,* civilization, oy, when the characters pause, and the two shot is framed, brace yourself for moralizing that will make you wish for someone to jump in and gnaw their faces off.

But when they stop talking about it and the series shows them behaving within the new morality and you're right with them there, then turns that 180 degrees, they knock it out of the park.

-- SPOILER ALERT -- IN CASE YOU'VE NOT BEEN WATCHING --

When the little girl walks out of the barn. Holy crap.

-- END OF SPOILERS --

Great writing is always instructive. 

The Sopranos was a delicious guide on how to make a villain sympathetic. I mean, sometimes, didn't you wish Tony could get a break. Carmella would drive anyone around the bend. But I digress.

The Walking Dead excels. You will invest in these people. You will be surprised.* If you're just there for the bloody gore fest, they have that too.

Which brings up another point. I'd rather be intrigued than grossed out. That's just me. 

One episode of The Walking Dead made me gag.

Something IMAGINARY evoked a real physical response.

I want my writing to do that.

Although gagging is not the response I'd prefer.

*Ha! Got it right in one.
*Ha! Did it again. The curse is lifted.