:: Captain's Personal Blog ::

Stardate: Tuesday, January 11, 2005

It's time to fill up the boxes and move on out.

I've finally given in and done it. I've moved my blog over to LiveJournal. It was a decision that I thought long and hard about, and with the help of some friends I have finally decided to let go of Blogger, which has been wonderful to me for the past few years.

Adios for now, dear Blogger.com

I may come back some day. No one knows what the future holds, as this blog has certainly proved.

And so, I extend a hearty invitation to all to visit the new home of the Captain's Personal Blog!

:: J 8:48 AM [+] ::
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RANT NUMBER 2

OK, so I finished reading BIRTHRIGHT, and read the presentation which MARK WAID made to DC COMICS regarding the project. I can’t even put into words how distressing I found it, probably because it cuts to the very heart of what I disagree with when it comes to that huge SUPERMAN site (for further details, see my last post.)

One of the things which Waid cites as being fundamental about the character is that he is constantly asking himself “am I a human or a Kryptonian?” In addition, he constantly makes allusions to the Kryptonian flag (in this case the red and yellow S on the blue banner) to be as if Kal-El is wearing tribal colors.

This kinda urks me. The simple fact of the matter is that SUPERMAN fans have long felt that he should represent the ideal. The one thing that we should all strive for. In this case, I feel like we’ve SORELY missed the boat on that one.

The all-important question of “am I human or am I Kryptonian” should be moot. The simple fact of the matter is that he is neither. What he is is a MAN.

Let’s be clear on a bit of history here. I don’t care who you are. If you are 24 years old, and for those 24 years you were raised as CLARK KENT, you’re not going to be all that willing and ready to dump all that so you can be KAL-EL. Sure, you will learn all that you can about who KAL-EL was and what his culture was like, but odds are you’re going to still think of yourself as Clark. “Clark Kent” is not his ‘slave name’ or anything. It’s simply who he was raised to be. In Waid’s version of the origin, Kal-El was not old enough to really know what it meant to be Kryptonian. If he did, he’d remember a lot more than Clark seems to about it.

I see no problem is wanting to pay tribute to your heritage. My real qualm with the “tribal colors” issue can be found in my previous post regarding the reduced significance of the S. And just because Waid takes two sentences at the end of BIRTHRIGHT to say that the S will have all sorts of symbolic meaning, doesn’t make it so to everyone. Besides, didn’t it have a meaning of terror through a lot of that story? For a lot of people, it would be like asking them to change, in their minds, the significance of the swastika to a meaning of hope. Some things can not be erased, no matter how hard you try. And for every person who realizes that the Kryptonian invasion was all concocted by Lex Luthor, there are at least as many who say, ‘well, that may be the case now, but how do we know it still won’t happen?’

Back to the issue at hand, though. The ideal is not to constantly find ways to categorize eachother that make us different from other people. The simple fact of the matter is that we are all living things, and that is the most important fact of all. An ideal SUPERMAN would not say, “I am a Kryptonian, earth man!” He would say, “I am a man, just like you.” He would not attempt tirelessly to find a place to fit in, simply because he DOES fit it. He is a person, like any one of us. If he feels the need to recognize that he is indeed Kryptonian, fine. If he feels the need to explore that part of his culture, fine. He should NEVER allow that to define who he is. He can use the teachings of Krypton to inform who he is, but never decide who he is.

To me, the only reason why Clark would want to abandon thinking as a human was if he was dissatisfied with what that has meant to him. If you’d like to cite that he is unhappy because he has had to hide his powers and that he wouldn’t have to if he was surrounded by Kryptonians, you’d be mistaken. Under those circumstances, he would be as a human among humans. Placed in the same circumstances, they might be no less understanding or fearful.

Let’s not forget that Kryptonian society wasn’t quite idyllic either. Lest we forget the Phantom Zone? And what of the arrogance of the council which decided that the planet wasn’t going to be destroyed. This was not an idyllic society. Possibly by human standards it was close, but again, it looks, at first glance, to have the same frailties and problems that our society has. So to embrace that one over ours, seems to be a bit of faulty thinking.

The fact of the matter is that not being RAISED as a Kryptonian, he can never truly be Kryptonian. And not actually being a human, he can’t actually be one of us either (unless you want to get wacky and count Gold Kryptonite.) Simply, he can never be either, and is therefore what we all want to be. A man. Simply a man, who lives his life as the best of any of us. Better than any Kryptonian, better than any human. He has these great gifts that no Kryptonian has had, and he uses them for the betterment of humanity.

He was raised with HUMAN morals, by HUMAN parents, and ultimately has the knowledge of KRYPTONIAN society. He is the best melding of the two. He is a hero. He does not ask “am I Kryptonian or am I human?” because he knows in his heart that he is one of us. He is a man. A living being like any of us, who is just trying to do his best for everyone else. He has his home. He has his parents. He has his friends.

FOOTNOTE: Let me say this again – It is very important where you came from, and to never forget it. But you should never let it rule who you are, only inform you who are. You are ultimately left to make the choice of how you lead your life based on that. If you came from a long line of tyrannical kings, you should not automatically decide that that is what you want to be. You should look at that rich history and lineage and decide what you want to do from there. Let that information inform who you are going to be, without being the only factor. If you come from a long line of wealthy philanthropists, it does not stand that you will automatically be one, no matter what environment you grow up in. If you come from a poor family, it does not follow that you will automatically either be poor, or wise with money. However, every decision that you make going forward will be made with some small consideration to your past. It is inevitable.

:: J 11:32 AM [+] ::
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Tearing down all my heroes

I'm pissed. I mean REALLY pissed. Not quite sure why, so let me attempt to articulate this.

For some reason, it seems to be a growing trend in all my favorite franchises to re-write history and make all the central heroes, well, less heroic.

In the grand scheme of things, there are more important things to be angry about, but this is my current soapbox.

My first example is SUPERMAN. Yes, he is a favorite subject of mine, and he fits this situation better than any other franchise I can think of.

The biggest criminal in this farce would have to be none other than Elliot S! Maggin. Let me be clear on something here: I like the guy. His stories in SUPERMAN #400 were among my favorite from the Pre-Crisis SUPERMAN. One of the premiere SUPERMAN sites on the Internet lays great praise on him and his works. A great site. Very informative. But you do get the occasional feeling that there are those there who look upon him as the SUPERMAN MESSIAH.

The fact of the matter is, while he may have a great respect for the character, he has conspired to tear down the very fiber of what makes SUPERMAN heroic, and the people at this site seem to cheer him on, not realizing it for what it is.

After all that, it's time to get specific. I have been reading the trade paperback collection of MARK WAID's SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT. For those who are unaware, this is the 12-part maxi-series that WAID wrote for DC Comics, that they have taken as the NEW ORIGIN of SUPERMAN, and official canon.

In it, CLARK KENT writes the following to his mother in an e-mail:

"The animals here... I wish you could see them through my eyes._ We've talked about this before. Living things have a kind of glow around them. They're surrounded in a halo of colors I'd invent names for if I weren't the only one who could make them out._ I'm not sure if that halo is a soul or an aura or what. I do know that at the end of the life cycle, it fades pretty quickly, and what's left behind is... hard to look at. Empty in a way that leaves me empty too. But when it's there... my God, how it shines. (I know that information's not very helpful when you're trying to explain to cattle farmer Grandpa why your son's a vegetarian, but...)_"

Now later, he befriends a man, and watches him die. Through his eyes, we see the glow die out, and the body go dark. We see Clark cry......

Is all this bad? Sort of. It's a great read. It's a nice concept. But it removes the nobility of the character. Why?

This "special sight" is, most probably, the PREDOMINANT reason why SUPERMAN saves people's lives. This special light/glow/aura, it's beautiful, and with all beautiful things, it is heartbreaking to see them end. So he is motivated because he can literally see the beauty in life.

The (just for example) JOHN BYRNE era SUPERMAN (who I only speak of because I can speak in definites here, and for NO OTHER REASON of preference) saved people because he knew it was the right thing to do. No, he didn't LITERALLY see the beauty of life, he KNEW the beauty of life and the sanctity of it and protected it because it was what he FELT was the right thing to do. He was left with the same information that the rest of us have, and STILL made the decision to lay down his life in the preservation of others. To me, there is no more nobler sacrifice. That is an ideal that we can aspire to.

In the comic book version of SUPERMAN IV, SUPERMAN remarks about how he wishes we could see the world as he sees it, because in the end, it's just one world. He also makes this remark in the film, but what we see in the comic is that he takes a young boy named Jeremy into space with him (in a space suit) and flies him in orbit around the world. Jeremy sees that there are no borders, and that we are indeed one world. He DOES see the world the way SUPERMAN sees it. Astronauts have likened seeing the Earth from space to a religious experience. I believe that. In the end, to see the world that way is to see it as a whole.

But more importantly, we have the opportunity to see it that way more than you realize. When you are flying up in a plane, there is no greater proof of how small we truly are then to look out the window and see the (not even) specks below that are "us." To see that traveling from one state/country to the next, there are very few ACTUAL borders. There are very few (if any) actual lines in the sand which show that this is one country and this is the other (with the exception, of course, of continents.) We all live here together. As one people. This world is our home.

Now all that may not inspire everyone to make the choice to preserve lives, but (among other reasons) this was one thing that SUPERMAN believed in. He had that and the morals instilled in him by his parents. Armed with all this, and perhaps more, he made his decision. At the end of the day, all he had extra were his powers....his physicality. His mentality was the same as our own, and that is what makes him noble. Changing his perceptions, in my opinion, not only tears away his nobility, but also our ability to achieve the same, because no matter what happens, we just won't see things the way he does. We can't. It's figurative as much as it is literal.

Now, so you don't think I'm being unfair, just what does this have to do with Elliot S! Maggin? Good question. After doing some reading on that other website, I discovered that the idea of this special sight was not founded by Waid, but was first postulated by Maggin in a story that he had written. Waid, who dedicates BIRTHRIGHT to Maggin, among others, borrowed the idea. But Maggin is not the only one who has done this. Back to Waid.

Waid, who is one of the two creative geniuses behind my all-time favorite comic book story, KINGDOM COME, really dropped the ball in my opinion, as far as protecting the SUPERMAN heritage went. Not only did he take away the nobility of the character, but he COMPLETELY changed the significance of the "S" shield.

Now, let's be clear on this. It was first put forth in SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, that the S was the El family crest. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY continued this trend, as did LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. More recently, DC COMICS has created a KRYPTONIAN language which includes a character that looks suspiciously like the S, but is an 8 instead of an "s" in the diamond, although it translates to the ENGLISH letter "s." Now, finally, Waid has decided to show that the S has had important signficance throughout the history of KRYPTON. Now, again, it was first postualted by LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, that the S was actually included in the rocket with the baby Kal-El, although we were led to believe that it was still probably the family crest. In Waid's version, however, it is included on a banner that Jor-El and Lara send in the rocket with Kal-El. A BIG BLUE banner, in fact.

Now, why did I not have a problem with it being the family crest, but I have a problem with it being a Kryptonian symbol of some sort? GOOD QUESTION. Here's the answer:

As the family crest, it is simply that. A family crest. That is it. For him, and the people of the Earth, it will come to mean more. And those who learn of the symbol will know that it stands for truth and justice because they know the man behind it. It is HIS symbol. Others will strive to live up to HIS ideals.

Making it a Kryptonian symbol changes all that. As we all know, aliens have visited Krypton before it was destroyed. They will, undoubtedly, recognize HIS symbol, but not as his. They will recognize it as Kryptonian. They may recognize it as truth and justice, but KRYPTONIAN truth and justice. Will they fear it? No, because Krypton is dead. Will he change their minds? Probably, but they will not see it as his symbol. They will see him for what he is, not who he is. To them, he is a Kryptonian. Before, they would see him as a man. A Superman.

FOOTNOTE: I doubt that a number of people who spent any sort of time on Krypton would have had the opportunity to study ALL the family crests, including that of the House of El. So, the odds of it being recognized would have been MUCH smaller.

For now, however, let me get off this and make my initial point. SUPERMAN is not alone in this quagmire. Next up is the dreaded franchise STAR TREK.

Let me first point out the following: Long ago, I stopped being able to watch STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION without cringing. Not sure I can pin down why, let's call it a knee-jerk reaction. In it's history, I only TRULY enjoyed a handful of STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE episodes. STAR TREK: VOYAGER fared even worse on that score, as things just got to be too cookie cutter. Finally, I had to kiss off STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE after its second season, as that it just couldn't thrill me in ANY way. So, right now to me, the only STAR TREK I can stomach is The Original Series.

A friend of mine was telling me today about all the things the producers want to do to spruce up STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE to make it better. Let me just say that not only am I not impressed, but I am now scared.

It seems that the illustrious writing staff of ENTERPRISE, who have gone out of their way to say that while they do hold TOS in high regard, they see no need to build their show as a prequel to THAT set of stories, but to the TNG era instead, have decided to tackle the ROMULAN-EARTH war. How many ways could this possibly be wrong? The same number of ways I can say STAR WARS: EPISODE III is wrong, (coincidently).

The ROMULANS first appeared in the first season of TOS in an episode called BALANCE OF TERROR. Now we all know that TOS canon is a little fluid since the show did contradict itself from time to time. However, for the most part, the continuity in this episode stood up. Until someone decided to intentionally contradict it.

STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE has shown very little regard for TOS. In it's first season, the new ENTERPRISE, crewed by people who are just beginning to master faster-than-light travel encounter an alien ship far advanced of their own. And wouldn't you know, the ENTERPRISE cheif engineer went on board the alien ship and fixed their engine for them!!!! What the heck is that all about? How did that happen?

So, with a writing staff this senseless, let's tackle the facts from BALANCE OF TERROR. In the episode, Spock states that no Romulan nor Human had seen the other before, even during the aforementioned war, because ship-to-ship visual communication was not possible yet. Now, they're rewriting the story so that it's not that it was impossible, but that the Romulans simply didn't want to be seen. Why? Because their code of conduct wouldn't allow it. ARE YOU CRAZY?! Since when! Why is this necessary? It wouldn't be necessary if the show had been constructed to fit into the facts that were presented to the staff to begin with! Ship-to-ship visual communication doesn't HAVE to be possible with all races because the technology isn't advanced enough to decipher all alien transmission protocols. Or we just weren't that advanced. WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE TREATED TO THIS REALLY LAME EXCUSE?!?!?!

With all this in mind, let's get to the real guts shall we? I mentioned that characters are being stripped of their nobility. Where is that happening here? Good question. My friend also said that the following bit of continuity was tweaked:

SURAK, the father of Vulcan logic (which eventually led to the separation of the Romulans from the Vulcans) was not, in fact, a Vulcan, but was an exile from the Q Continuum. He was a freakin' Q!!!! WHY!!! Isn't it possible for a mere mortal to have a peaceful thought and be revolutionary enough to bring about peace? Do all peaceful people have to be that way because they're omnipotent? Even if you're going to say that he got stripped of his powers or something (which I can't say for sure because I don't know the details) it doesn't change the fact that he knows the importance of peace because his perceptions (like SUPERMAN'S ABOVE) are different from us mere mortals. Again, I think the original concept of SURAK as a Vulcan who came upon the idea of peace and knowledge through logic is much more nobler as it being the result of some God-like exile. And supposedly the war between the ROMULANS and the VULCANS was STARTED by a Q as well? Supposedly there was no space travel back then for Vulcans? WHAT THE HECK IS THAT CRAP ALL ABOUT?!?!?!? WHO SAYS THEY DIDN'T HAVE SPACE TRAVEL!

Let me get one thing straight right now. I am aware that everything I am complaining about in this entry is ficticious, and that no one should really take any of it particularly seriously. As isolated incidents, I don't. I just want to know why writers are finding it necessary to take naturaly altruism away from characters and, in the process, take away their nobility. The lessons of both SURAK and SUPERMAN are that one man can make a difference [Michael Knight too, for that matter ;-)] But in these revisionist stories one divinely perceptive man can make a difference.

This all hits me because I believe in the inherent good of humanity. I believe that we can overcome all our differences and bigotries and that we will strive to better ourselves. I believe that one day we may live together in peace. I believe that we will live long enough to stop ourselves from destroying eachother for once and for all. These stories, among others, fueled and, in some ways, were the foundations of these beliefs in me. And now, there are writers that are slowly tearing down the nobility of these stories. I doubt that they are doing it on purpose, or with malice. In each case, they are simply trying to help run a business. I am also aware that by the very nature of a franchise, the writers are not really in charge. So the faults lie in both the writers and the franchise owners.

I know that they have to tell stories. I just don't think they have to disregard what has come before in order to build what is to come. Especially since sometimes you wind up hurting more than just continuity. Sometimes, you cut these characters from the core, and are left with a flashy shell, with no real depth.

:: J 7:09 PM [+] ::
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Soul Searching Ahead

I have never spent as much time in the past as I have recently thinking about my elligibility for dating material. I swear to God, it's like the circumstances have just been presenting themselves recently as if there were no tomorrow.

A few weeks ago, I attended a wedding. It was a wonderful affair which again, mercifully, also gave me a small group of people that I knew to hang out with. There was a girl who was there, a very nice, sweet, wonderful girl who is full of pep. I know her. We are friends. We don't hang out much, but we do talk a lot. I deliberately went stag to this event, because I am aware of my overall unsuitability as a dating candidate. The problem with knowing this s that you know that you are going to disappoint whoever you wind up going with, whethe they know that about you or not. It is inevitable. Well, half way through this gala event, I think I may have given off the "date vibe" or something. The next thing I know, she's trying to get me to open up, and "have more fun." Now, I was having fun, no question. I just didn't care to indulge in some of the things that people do, such as dancing. Well, as dates are known to do, she tried to get me to dance and loosen up. I didn't want to, and bowed out. Up to this point, you could say that I am being egotistical thinking that she thought we might be on a date or something, but the fact that she chose to bow out as well (against her desire to dance and 'have fun') was a bit of a clue. Had we not been 'together' I'm sure she would have gone out and had all the fun that she truly wanted to have.

Over the course of the following weeks, we've had one "mini-date" which I kinda thought wasn't, but was getting the impression was afterwards, and we've spent a lot of time talking. She is an incredibly wonderful person, but I would like to leave it at that. I would hate to have all the emotional baggage that I have come in and totally destroy what is a very NICE budding friendship. Alas, this has been the running preoccupation of my mind for the past few weeks.
Now, today, another moment has reared its head. The worst part about this situation is that it, too, is borne out of people who are just being nice to me. As it turns out, today a few people decided that they wanted to set me up with a girl. On the surface, the question is "SO WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH THAT?!?! Like you ever get a chance to meet girls anyway?" This was probably one of the sweetest things that someone(s) have done for me in quite awhile. At first, I actually entertained the idea of actually going ahead with this and seeing where it went. I mean, she was here, and she was sitting right next to me. It's not like I had to be a particular go-getter to at least start a conversation.

And so, I did. And after the first few moments, I had that feeling. You know which one I'm talking about. The one that says, 'not for me.' And so, we did a little bit of talking, and that was it.

When asked by the outside parties what was happening and why I wasn't trying, I politely thanked, and had to explain that this just wasn't going to work. It touched me deeply that they even tried. They were so disappointed that nothing happened.

But more importantly, I'm right back where I started......alone.

To qualify, I have a great group of friends. Near and far. But the solitude that I refer to is with regard to companionship.

I'm reminded once again of The Beatles' "THAT MEANS A LOT." To quote Paul McCartney:

"A touch can mean so much, when it's all you've got. But when she says she loves you, that means a lot."

This was my anthem in College. Back when I had a girlfriend, this was my justification for how much I loved her. The fact of the matter is, the most important thing that I miss about having a girlfriend is the meaningful hugs. The ones that comfort when you feel bad, or can just inject you with the sense of wellbeing. Sometimes, I feel it more than others, but I do miss it.

Despite all that, I know why I don't pursue this. I have my reasons. And to me, that's enough. One day, I will find someone. My strongest virtue has always been patience. And the greatest proof of that, is the fact that I am still alone..............

:: J 5:40 PM [+] ::
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Christopher Reeve

I know it has been over a week, but I have not yet taken the time to express my feelings on the loss of Christopher Reeve. I know I am one of a million who feel this way, and this should by no means trivialize his other tremendous works, but he will always be SUPERMAN to me. I doubt that anyone will ever again be able to truly bring the sense of power and wonder to the character that he did. I did expound my full believes on the SUPERMAN THROUGH THE AGES forum, so I have provided the link to that, here.

In addition, being a fan of SMALLVILLE, I also wrote what, in my opinion, would be a fitting end to the character of Dr. Virgil Swann. You can read it here.

:: J 10:41 AM [+] ::
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All you need is........?

Ok, I first refer you the THE GUARDIAN

This was a story that I saw reported a lot yesteday, and one which I really am not all that sure I understand. I mean, I do understand it in a fundamental kind of way, but it just never ceases to amaze me how incredibly hypocritical people can be.

Yoko's feelings aside, John was a peace-loving man. Sure, he didn't take guff from anyone, but didn't he spend a great deal of time doing all sorts of crazy things to show that peace was the way to go and to be good to your fellow man?

Now, I'm sure that DOESN'T mean that we should forgive MARK DAVID CHAPMAN for what he did, and we will certainly never forget. But to think that the people who loved JOHN and his music so much are threatening to kill someone is just insane to me. It's almost the same sort of insanity that was displayed by CHAPMAN, except he was insane enough to go through with it. I can only hope that if he is released, no one takes it upon themselves to inflict some sort of vigilante justice on him. Believe me, when re-introduced to the general populace (should it happen), his life will certainly be nowhere near normal. And I'm sure it will be a much harder life, frought with lessons that he certainly wouldn't learn in death.

His life would be hell enough.

:: J 10:54 AM [+] ::
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Another Political Debate

Does being anti-Bush make you a liberal? Does being anti-Kerry make you conservative?

Many weeks ago I wrote a post here outlining my feelings on this issue. I constantly marvel at how closed-minded some people can be to believe that this HAS to be the case.

I'd get into a larger rant here, but I think my original rant speaks clearly enough.

:: J 1:38 PM [+] ::
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