There will never be a really free and enlightened state until the state comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all of its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.
Henry David Thoreau
Author: Derek
Message Vs Story
I’ve been listening to a lot of the back episodes of the “Unjustly Maligned” podcast. The premise is to find a property (book, movie, television) that receives a lot of hate and bring someone on to explain why the hate is not deserved. Sometimes, the episode is great, such as the episode on Twilight (still don’t like it, but I certainly understand its popularity more). Other episodes are frustrating.
The reason is several of the episodes are less on defending the property for its story or setting and more on its “message”. Example is when they had Brianna Wu on to talk about Star Trek Voyager. Personally, I liked Voyager and I thought Janeway was a good skipper. Instead, the discussion was pretty much “Voyager has STRONG WYMYN!”
I know that some of you are saying, well what did you expect from a person best known for leading SJW’s in Gamergate? The truth is that I have friends who I disagree with politically, but can totally geek out with over Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, etc. Instead, it was message being more important than story.
This is the crux of the argument. What is more important, message or story? Story or message?
For me, the story will always be the most important. Characters need to be in a story because they bring something. For me, it’s because they drive the plot. My current project (which is taking far longer than it should) has a gay character. Did I choose to put a gay character in to check off a box or so that some of my readers will identify with him? No. I chose him because he helps drive the plot.
Message fiction has its place. A good chunk of my “invisible friends” are fans of Ayn Rand’s works, and they’re all message fiction. Parables are message fiction writ small. Sometimes a person does need to see someone like them doing great things to kindle their own greatness.
I choose to write story over message. Those are the stories that need to leap out of my mind.
Ghost
Today is a day that all pet owners know will come. It was just so sudden. I mean fifteen minutes before he was sitting next to me get his morning skritches and rubs. Now, he’s laid to rest in the backyard. I don’t know what happened except my Ghost, who I’ve had since he was a kitten, is gone. My attention whore cat got his last bit of attention.
Friday Quote – Rene Descartes
Any community that gets its laughs by pretending to be idiots will eventually be flooded by actual idiots who mistakenly believe that they’re in good company.
Rene Descartes
Robotech on “Unjustly Maligned”
If you want to hear about probably my favorite cartoon series, here’s a damn good podcast episode.
Metal Tuesday- Within Temptation- Radioactive
I love metal covers. I also love Imagine Dragons “Radioactive”. So…
Lyrics:
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa
I’m waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
I’m breathing in the chemicals
I’m breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa
I’m waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I’m radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I’m radioactive, radioactive
I raise my flag and dye my clothes
It’s a revolution, I suppose
We’re painted red to fit right in
Whoa
I’m breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa
I’m waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I’m radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I’m radioactive, radioactive
All systems go, the sun hasn’t died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside
I’m waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I’m radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I’m radioactive, radioactive
Friday Quote – Carl Sagan
Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us, or somebody who says everything in this book must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved?
Carl Sagan
What If?
The brother sent me a link for a gallery of pictures based on the idea of what if popular movies were made in different decades. I loved the Dune one:
And there are four more of them if you really want to lose some time.
Metal Tuesday- Demons & Wizards – Poor Man’s Crusade
We haven’t heard from Demons & Wizards in awhile, and now is as good a time as any.
Lyrics:
The Holy Ghost can’t save you anymore
Your souls are condemned to burn in hell
Damned for all time
So spoke the noble one
He convinced us all
He is a gifted man
Though he will slaughter in the name of Christ
Holy and bright
He’s a devil in disguise
Protector of the cross
Beware of the snake
All in all it’s just a poor man’s crusade
Poor man’s crusade
The Holy Land home of our blessed lord
Enslaved and stained by godless hands
They shall be damned
Jerusalem
Is waiting for you
To rise once again
So we will slaughter in the name of Christ
Holy father, holy father
You’ll shed your blood
Your bodies fall
That is the price you’ll pay
To cleanse you of your sins
Vicious and cruel
Let’s kill them all
Let’s kill them all
So we will slaughter in the name of Christ
Holy father, holy father
All in all it’s just a poor man’s crusade
Poor man’s crusade
The Holy Land home of our blessed lord
Enslaved and stained by godless hands
They shall be damned
Jerusalem
Is waiting for you
To rise once again
So we will slaughter in the name of Christ
Holy father, holy father