T-shirt #81: Starship Enterprise Schematics

T-shirt #81: Starship Enterprise Schematics & Friends

Friends are important.

One thing I have learned (and I often feel that I have not learned very much at all in life) is that people are drawn together because of similar interests.

Pictured here are my friends Jeff Waldeck and Steve Curl on the occasion of Jeff's 50th birthday.

Not pictured is Timothy Travis, with whom we met the night before and I was too intoxicated to remember to have a picture taken. Sorry, Tim. Next time.

I am wearing a T-shirt displaying  a cutaway schematic of the Starship Enterprise. The shirt has been worn by the character of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) on the CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. My wife gave me the shirt as a gift for Christmas in 2012.

Of the many things we four all have in common, we share the love of Star Trek. We all own the original Enterprise blueprints published in the 1970s (or at least Jeff and I still own ours, Steve owned them at one time, and Tim was not part of that discussion, so I cannot claim that he owned them though surely he knows what I am talking about and has at least looked at them). After all, Tim, Jeff, and I programmed Star Trek and Super Star Trek text-based games in BASIC on the Altair 8800 (or was it the IMSAI 8080? There was some debate on this point of order) in high school, ultimately teaching the computer programming class together as we had in a short time learned more than our teacher.

The four of us gathered Saturday night June 8th for some reminiscing and drinks. We all still share the same interests that brought us together in the first place: science fiction movies and TV (such as Star Trek and Star Wars), role playing games (we all played D&D together in the '70s and '80s), live action role playing (which we did in the 1970s before it was called LARP), and a variety of other things including blowing up stuff. Jeff and Steve re-met through the Burning Man community, once again drawn together by common interests, though only corresponding as online avatars until one dropped a location clue (Kalamazoo) and they exchanged actual identities.

I have been interested in re-connecting lately, in large part due to the subject I explored deep within the entry for T-shirt #77. Jeff and I have been trying to connect for a few years as he lives in Idaho, but he returns to Kalamazoo at least once a year to see his family. I had been searching for Tim Travis off and on for the last five years, and only recently scored a successful search via Facebook. I have no good excuse for not seeing Steve Curl more often, as he lives in the greater Kalamazoo area. The crazy life stuff, work, family, and just the chaos of day-to-day living sometimes distract us too much. Now, we are all back in touch, and at least, I can see Steve on a more regular basis. Plans are already afoot to gather more of our cronies  for a D&D reunion game session next year. I intend to make this happen. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I have blogged about Star Trek so much that I hardly that I hardly need to generate more content about the great SF TV and movie franchise. Instead read  T-shirt #39, T-shirt #13, T-shirt #11, T-shirt #4, and T-shirt  #72.

It should be self evident as to why we were all fascinated by how the Starship Enterprise works and the layout of its decks, corridors, shuttle bay, and engine room.

Jeff and I played many games of an early version of Star Fleet Battles with tiny ship miniatures, 360 degree compass targeting, and string when in high school.

We also blew up stuff, which now Steve and Jeff can do without breaking laws at Burning Man.

It's good the reminisce about such things.

Friends are important. It's cliché, but it's also true.

- chris tower - 1305.10 - 7:42

T-shirt #80-Detroit Tigers est. 1901

T-shirt #80-Detroit Tigers est. 1901

Today, I present various thoughts on the Detroit Tigers, my favorite Baseball team and my  favorite sports team (of any sport) of all time.

A point of order: I capitalize Baseball even though one is not supposed to as it is considered a common noun. I do not think there is anything common about it.

A point of order #2: As I write this blog, my beloved Detroit Tigers are poised on the brink of sweeping division rivals, The Cleveland Indians, and winning a fourth game in a row. Usually when I comment on a potential sweep, the Tigers lose, so I probably just cast a jinx. Still, even if the team loses, the Detroit Tigers will have a 3.5 lead in the division. If the team wins, it takes a 5.5 game lead in the division, which feels very comfortable for June 9th.


SENSE OF HISTORY: A team named the Detroit Tigers has played 112 years of Baseball games in a single and continuous history. The team that would become the Detroit Tigers began in 1894. The Detroit club joined three others (Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland) as charter members of the Western League. In 1901, The Detroit Tigers established the team as a major league Baseball team in the new American League.

The sense of Tigers history is both rich and fulfilling. But the entire fabric of Baseball history colors in the shapes of American culture from the days of games in vacant lots in the early 1800s. By the mid-1800s, the Baseball craze had taken hold of America with New York as its hub. When people ask why I love Baseball, the history is my number one answer.

STATS HEAD: My number two reason for loving Baseball is the statistics. My world of Baseball love opened wider in the 1990s when I discovered the geeky statistical analysis of Bill James and started watching stats that were different than the standards of batting average, earned average, pitcher win-loss record, and batter runs batted in with which the press was narrowly focused (and which are featured on the backs of Baseball cards). My love for the game grew exponentially as I began to investigate other indicators of offense, defense, and pitching success and what combinations of these elements it takes to advance to the post-season in the MLB. Now, these statistical analyses are much more prevalent and common. I am in hog heaven reading complex analytical articles on whether home runs do really come in bunches or whether managerial pitching changes really do maximize wins over a season.

TIGERS STADIUM: I love Baseball stadiums. I plan to visit every major league stadium before I die. I have already visited ELEVEN stadiums or the stadiums of just NINE teams as I have a couple of doubles
(Detroit[2], Cleveland[o], Milwaukee[o], New York Yankees[o], Chicago White Sox[2], Chicago Cubs-Wrigley, New York Mets, Boston-Fenway, and Seattle-Safeco: [2] indicates two stadiums, new and old, [o] indicates the old stadium which is now torn down). Though some of these stadiums are much nicer, grander, or quirkier, my heart rests with the now demolished Tigers Stadium once gracing the corner of Michigan and Trumbull in Detroit Motown Motor Rock City.

COMERICA PARK IS NICE, TOO: As much as I loved Tigers Stadium and have many fond memories of going there starting in the very early 1970s, I do LOVE Comerica Park (though I hate the name). I love the park because the Detroit Tigers play there. But I also love the Park. I love its location, its decor, its layout. It's a fantastic venue for Baseball and for the Detroit Tigers.

SOUNDS OF BASEBALL: Any stadium will do it for me, but wherever the Detroit Tigers play gives me the most special thrill in terms of the overall atmosphere: sounds, smells, tastes, sights, and feelings. The energy of the Baseball stadium is holy. It is my church. Yes, yes, I am being corny. But I am also being real. When I go see Baseball, I feel the strong connection to the history, the statistics, and to all the people who share my love (at least to some extent) for the game, and if I am in the Tigers' park, for the home team. Very few things give me a thrill and a super-charge like going to see the Detroit Tigers play.

Also, I rarely listen to the TV broadcast's announcers. Usually, I mute the TV and turn on the radio. I love those radio guys (Dan Dickerson and Jim Price). But every day, I miss Ernie Harwell, who was the voice of the Detroit Tigers for most of my life.

I LOVE JV: Though I could write about Tigers throughout history, and I am sure I will as the year progresses and I devote more blog space to my favorite team, today, I am just going to write about the current team. And of the current team, few players are as amazing as Justin Verlander (JV). This is not news to anyone who loves the Tigers or even anyone who follows Baseball. As one of the best (if not the single best) pitchers in Baseball and surely a Hall of Fame bound player, Justin Verlander is one of a kind, and the Tigers are very lucky to have him. Most of all, I just love his attitude, his demeanor, the way he conducts himself. Classic.

LET'S NOT GET CARRIED AWAY: JV is a human being. They all are all the players. Some Tigers fans seem to expect JV to shut out the other team every time he pitches. He cannot dominate all the time. As good as he is, he is going to give up some runs. People need to relax. Just because he gives up some runs or even takes a loss does not diminish what he has done, is doing, and will do. RELAX.

THE ROTATION: The current Detroit Tigers rotation is arguably the best in all of Baseball. What team can match Verlander, Scherzer, Fister, Sanchez , and Porcello? Granted, the current statistics do not bear out this opinion with 100% assurance. The Detroit Tigers do not lead Baseball in ERA, WHIP (Walks+Hits/Innings Pitched), Hits Allowed, or Walks Allowed. BUT the team does lead the majors in STRIKEOUTS by a significant margin (591 as of, today, June 9th 2013 with second place Boston at 551). A closer look reveals that the Tigers lead the AL in WHIP and are top five in ERA (3rd), Hits Allowed (2nd), and Walks Allowed (4th).

MIGGY: THE TRIPLE CROWN WINNER: Last year, Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown (leading in Batting Average, HRs, and RBIs). He was also the Most Valuable Player in the majors last year. He was the first MLB player to win the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski won it in 1967. Even so, one cannot claim that Cabrera single-handedly led the Tigers to the AL Championship and into the World Series last year. It was a team effort with great contributions from everyone.

The trade that brought Cabrera to Detroit in 2007 for prospects is arguably one of the best trades in the history of Baseball.

THE SMART GM: Long suffering Tigers fans will not so fondly remember the years with Randy Smith as General Manager, marked by poor acquisitions and terrible draft choices. When WMU grad Dave Dombrowski took over as General Manager of the Tigers in 2002, this trend was reversed and smart decisions based on solid statistical evidence began to be made. Scherzer, Sanchez, Fister, Guillen, Ordonez, Fielder, Peralta, Infante, Jackson, Benoit, Valverde, Cabrera, Verlander, Martinez, Torii Hunter, and more. Need I go on? These acquisitions speak for themselves.

ADDING FIELDER: Signing Prince Fielder to a monster long term contract in 2012 was not solely due to Dombrowski's brilliance, it was also due to Illitch's pocket book. Fielder batted .313/.412/.528 with 30 home runs, 108 RBIs, and 85 walks in 2012. Those are outstanding numbers.

HEY VICTOR! The Tigers success depends on production throughout the lineup. After missing all of 2012, Victor Martinez is slowly starting to heat up. If he is hot come playoff time, watch out.

LEYLAND IS NOT THE MAGIC BULLET: In 2006, after Leyland was brought in to manage the Tigers, many people attributed the team's turnaround and World Series appearance to Jim Leyland. Not me. Leyland is a good manager, but he was not the secret ingredient that catapulted the Tigers from a 71-91 team in 2005 to a 95-67 team in 2006 and winners of the American League Championship. Though I often criticize Leyland for being too traditional in his Baseball horse sense, he seems to be doing a great job managing this year in 2013. Though it may not be quantifiable with statistics, one of the key measures of a manager's success is having his team peak at the right time, managing personnel for the greatest possible performances from the greatest number of contributors. Leyland seems to be doing well with this personnel management element this year.

I like that my team is in first place in the division on June 9th. So far, it's a good year.

GO TIGERS!

- chris tower - 1306.09 - 10:21

T-shirt #79 - The Planet of the Apes: Evolution

 T-shirt #79 - The Planet of the Apes: Evolution


Today's topics include pride, time loops and paradox, and how T-shirts come to be featured in this blog. Today's blog also features one of the best movie franchises of all time: The Planet of the Apes films.

Film first. Other nonesuch second and third.

The original Planet of the Apes movies introduced me to the ideas of the time loop, paradox, and the unsolvable question of the chicken and the egg.

Between 1968-1973, 20th Century Fox released five movies that comprised a cyclical story about an apocalyptic future ruled by apes and how that future came to exist. Fox followed with two TV shows: a live action show (1974) and an animated show (1975, though the animated series is not considered part of the films' storyline) to further develop the story and its associated characters. Since then, there have been two remake/reboot movies and plans for a third due out in 2014.

The original Planet of the Apes movie came out when I was just six years old. It's possible that my parents took me to see the film as I was a big fan of other science fiction or related genres TV shows and movies, such as The Time Tunnel, The Land of the Giants, Star Trek, Batman, and Lost in Space among others. My first viewing of The Planet of the Apes film is lost in time. I asked my father, and he distinctly remembers seeing it in the theatre.
As Planet of the Apes came out in February of 1968, we were still living in Traverse City at the time, though he thinks he saw it in Kalamazoo, which means I might have seen it during several re-release periods. I have seen the film many times since then, so tracing back to my original viewing is difficult.

The Village playset.

My first clear memory of the Apes films was seeing Beneath the Planet of the Apes, which I may or may not have seen before I saw the original Planet of the Apes movie. I am reasonably certain I saw this in the theatre upon its release. I remember being very disturbed by the nuclear bomb worshipping cultists in the underground remains of the old New York City subway station with their deformed faces and telepathic powers. This film is truly creepy.

A great deal of my playtime as a young boy involved The Planet of the Apes franchise. As seen here, I had many of the figures and playsets. I wrote stories about The Planet of the Apes. I wrote synopses of all the episodes of the 1974 TV show. I collected and read the comic books published by Marvel Comics about the apes and all the movie novelizations. I devised my own stories of time loops and paradoxes during years of play time during which I was as obsessed with the Planet of the Apes as I was with other great and inspirational TV shows and films, such as Dark Shadows, which is one of the few I did not mention in my list two paragraphs previously.

The idea of paradox fascinated me. In the five-film  Apes story, during the first iteration, two of the key players, Zira and Cornelius, are born in a future version of the Earth circa the 3900s. After Taylor (Heston) and his astronaut crew are flung into Zira and Cornelius' future (Planet of the Apes), Taylor and an astronaut from a second ship, Brent (Franciscus), play a role in the destruction of the Earth (Beneath the Planet of the Apes). But before, the planet is destroyed, Zira and Cornelius launch Taylor's space ship and journey through a time warp back to 1973. In what was the near future to this film's present (Escape from the Planet of the Apes was released in 1971), Zira gives birth to a child (monkey) that grows up to be Caesar the leader of the ape revolt that culminates in the use of nuclear weapons and Earth's partial destruction (Conquest of the Planet of the Apes). The fifth film (Battle for the Planet of the Apes) takes place at least twelve years later in a world post-nuclear holocaust and chronicles struggles between humans and apes, raising the question as to whether apes and humans can co-exist in peace or in a state of constant war.

The stories create a time loop. In the first iteration, in which Zira and Cornelius are born in the earth of the 3900s, Caesar is a historical figure who started the ape revolution against the humans, though by this time the original human society is much forgotten by the majority of apes, who believe that they have always been the dominant species on the planet. And yet, Caesar is Zira and Cornelius's son, who does not exist until they go back in time, and Zira gives birth to him. And yet, he cannot exist until Zira and Cornelius are born 2000 years in his future. I use the term "first iteration" because from our perspective in learning the story, it begins for us with Planet of the Apes and a version of Zira and Cornelius before they go back in time and before Zira gives birth to Caesar. And yet, Caesar has already been born. Hence the "paradox," and my introduction to the chicken-egg conundrum. Though I should not say that this was my first introduction to such a puzzle, since many of the SF related shows I listed dealt with similar time paradoxes, especially the TV show The Time Tunnel.

And yet, the time paradox from The Planet of the Apes is the one I remember best as having the greatest impact on my own sensibilities as a budding writer. As I mentioned, I wrote many Planet of the Apes themed stories and studied the entire set of tales closely with detailed synopses that I kept in a notebook. Shortly thereafter, I started my first major SF story epic, which I wrote in a series of notebooks from around 1974-1977. I called this story "Zeroes," and it dealt with a time cycle paradox and the idea of infinity. In my estimation, I could not conceive of something that continued without end that was not a circle. At some point,  one must come back to the starting point. I also grappled with the idea of multiple universes, multiple realities, and the atomic and subatomic foundations of our universe, which provide structure to the multiple universe idea: one universe after another universe consisting of a base level, atomic level, subatomic level, which is a new base level that has its own atomic and subatomic levels, and so on. I know these ideas did not originate with me, but Planet of the Apes was one of the principle and germinating sources for my own exploration of the ideas of paradox, cycle, and infinity. I mixed "Zeroes" with some other fictional elements. My play world of small woods, fields, fences, ponds, hills, and trees formed part of the story, and, also, I was inspired by the aliens of Jim Starlin in his 1970s Marvel Comics work. I invented a little, pointy-eared alien whom I called "Grok," not knowing that the word had entered my consciousness because of the Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land, which I had not read at that time.

DEAR READERS, Were you drawn to this entry because you also have a strong connection to The Planet of the Apes saga? Please share in the comments box at the bottom of this blog entry. I am sure my experiences share commonality with yours.

Yes, I also own the Treehouse. Pictures of toys courtesy of http://www.toysyouhad.com/Apes.htm

T-SHIRTS: As I have written about from this blog's inception, the original idea for this blog came from the simple question: do I have enough T-shirts that I could wear one every day of the year and never repeat? I have written already about how I originally rejected featuring this preoccupation as a blog from the first dawning of the notion because I might be branded as narcissistic. I am sensitive to name-calling. Childhood phobia. But also I rejected the idea because I did not really want to wear some of my T-shirts just once in the year. 

I like some T-shirts enough to wear them multiple times a year, and, as I have already explored, some become current favorites (such as T-shirt #19), others remind me of ways I have to be or things I have to feel (such as T-shirt #5), whereas others are very timely and are worn once or twice and sometimes for the first time in years (such as T-shirt #33). But the original idea confined my work here to the T-shirts currently in my possession or ones I would buy in a typical year, instead of a year  in which I am featuring daily shirts  in a blog. However, as I began writing this blog, I began to think about the things in my life that I love and realized that I did not own a single T-shirt to be able to display this love to the world as a walking billboard, a walking advertisement for the thing.

After starting the blog, I found myself engaged in serious inventory of the list of "the things that I love." As I wrote previously in T-shirt #45 and T-shirt #50, I realized that I had no Star Wars shirts when I started this blog. So, I bought two of them. Likewise, I realized I had no shirts for The Planet of the Apes, and so I bought the T-shirt featured here, which uses the same clever evolution motif as the Darth Vader shirt for T-shirt #45. After buying several new T-shirts in a flurry of spending inspired by writing the blog and especially by finding out that people READ the blog, I slammed the door and exercised some caution. Purchasing some T-shirts is just a normal thing for me. I like them. I buy them. This is how I ended up with so many that I may have 365 or more. But I could see myself going hog wild on T-shirts for things I loved that I did not own. I had to keep it in check or all of my disposable income (and the not so disposable income meant for paying bills and buying groceries to feed my family) would bleed out of every budgetary orifice in T-shirt purchasing. MAKE IT STOP.

Or, a quote that may have more resonance with this entry though less direct application: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!"

I refuse to pledge a T-shirt buying boycott between now and March of 2014 (the 365 day mark), but I am going to keep it limited (though some may be received as gifts).

The reveal at the end of the Planet of the Apes was a great mind bender.

PRIDE: The last subject for today's blog entry deals with pride, which is a core motivation for creating this blog in the first place and a theme that I plan to return to many times. The reason for owning these T-shirts is pride. Each shirt declares a cool factor: "I am a Planet of the Apes fan, and I am proud!"; "Proud to wear a replica of the Star Trek Science Officer uniform!"; "I know what this cool logo represents, and you may not, so I feel proud and cool"; "I saw this band on this tour in this year, and the T-shirt is aged and threadbare proving that I have been cool enough to like the band for a long time." And more. You get the idea.

The surface idea of displaying pride on a T-shirt for loving a sports team or a comic book only scratches the surface of the real motivations a person would have to choose to be a walking billboard advertisement for some product produced by our culture. In the weeks to come, I will dial this idea back to its roots. Why these choices? Why this pride? ("Why this mountain? Why this sky?" - Laurie Anderson)

- chris tower - 1306.08 - 14:39

T-shirt #78: Suzanne Vega

T-shirt #78: I heart Suzanne Vega

I am grateful for many things in my life. Each morning, I run a list of these things through my head as a kind of meditation-prayer. I focus all my energy on the positive things in my life, what I love, the things for which I am grateful. Obviously, the list always starts with the people I love: my wife, my kids, my parents, my sister, extended family, dear friends, and then finally a few of the people I have never met but who have made a huge impact on my life.

Suzanne Vega is one of those people.

Funny thing? I already wrote a blog about seeing her in  concert and various thoughts on Suzanne Vega on the main blog page in my Blogger collection: Sense of Doubt:

"Old Blogs that never got posted pt. 1."

If you're interested, you can read that blog entry, which, mentions narcissism several times, yesterday's topic.
Though I am tempted to re-post the entire former blog entry here, I am resisting as I feel it's time for at least one shorter post.  The link above will you take you the original entry (and I cannot resist quoting from it here); it's a LONG blog entry, but I am rather proud of it. It examines many of the issues I am going to touch on here and more. SIDENOTE: Did you know that Suzanne Vega published a book of poetry? Neither did I until I saw someone bring the book to the concert at the Ark in 2007, hoping to get it signed. So, I tracked it down later and bought it. Good stuff.

A couple of quotes from that blog entry: "If I made a list of musical artists with whom I would like to have dinner and a good conversation, Suzanne Vega would be at the top of my list. She radiates such keen intelligence that I think the conversations would be fabulous, and she also possesses such a warm and open manner that I think I could overcome the intimidation I might feel around other “celebrities.” I am sure that I am not the only one who would like to have an extended talk with Suzanne Vega, asking questions about the origins of her songs, the choices she makes, the scope of her career, and her plans for the future" (Me, 2008).

"There’s a confluence of ideas here. Suzanne Vega, connections between people, obtaining things we love from others, learning to evaluate without using personal taste as the only criterion, how memory permeates every experience with an artist’s work. And so, returning to my original comment about having dinner with Suzanne Vega, all of these ideas would make for a great conversation, I think. I would like to hear her reaction to these ideas and her experiences with creating and performing her music. Has she had similar kinds of experiences? Have others shared with her similar stories of how they have encountered and listened to her music? What varied experiences have people shared with her?" (Me again, 2008).

A few more thoughts before I sign off.

I find it a bit odd how we consume media and become so involved with it, so passionate about it. Just looking at how we consume and enjoy our music, many of us (and this is an important distinction because not everyone does this kind of thing with music) go all in. We invest deeply in the music we love. We listen repeatedly to favorite albums, favorite songs. With favorite artists, we collect all the music available, which conveys a special status. We become experts on the music of our favorite artists. We contemplate the meaning of lyrics, and ultimately, we may fantasize about meeting the artists we love.

Suzanne Vega would definitely make a top ten list of people I would like to share dinner and discussion (as I had already written about five years ago and quoted above). Or, if I could really live my fantasy, I might expand the guest list to 13 musical artists that I would love to invite to a dinner party. I would love to talk with Suzanne, if she was willing to share, about what prompted her to write "Marlene on the Wall," "The Queen and the Soldier," or other favorite songs not necessarily from that first album. I would like to tell Suzanne how much her music has meant to me, how it has affected my life, and how many of my memories, times in my life, have her music as a soundtrack or as a touchstone. Many of us use our music as a way to fully invest in the emotions we're feeling: celebrations when happy or anger and pain when heart-broken. I wonder what Suzanne would say about her music and its role in her life, and in our all our lives, in this fantasy discussion. It's unlikely that I will ever find out.

So, I am very grateful for Suzanne Vega and all that she has given me in my life, all that I have shared with her through music, what seems like deeply personal music, without knowing her at all, though feeling like I do know her, know her music.

So, each morning, I run the list of things for which I am grateful. I am not always listing musical artists, like Suzanne Vega, because I focus mostly on my family and community. Though from time to time, musical artists will drift into my consciousness, and I will thank the universe for them, infuse the positive energy of my love into the fabric of the cosmos, because, after all, we are all connected.

LAST WORD ON THE GRATITUDE THING: I got the idea for the gratitude prayer (meditation, list, incantation, catalogue, rumination, reflection, or whatever you want to call it) from a movie called The Secret. I am not quite promoting the movie as a "true" exposure of an actual science. In fact, many of the stories in the film are a bit fatuous. However, I like watching it. I showed it to a class (my second viewing) about a month ago, and the idea of the daily gratitude thing struck me. In the movie, one of the interviewees (I forget which one and it's not important) explained how he had a rock in his pocket. At night, he would set it on his dresser with the other contents of his pockets. The next morning, he would retrieve it and remember to list the things for which he was grateful as a daily routine, like a prayer. He had a visitor from South Africa and told the man about his rock and gratitude practice. The man called it a "gratitude rock." After returning to South Africa, he wrote his American friend and asked for some gratitude rocks to be sent to him because one of his children was very sick, and he did not have the money to seek medical care for the child. The interviewee balked at sending "gratitude rocks" because, after all, "they are just rocks," he said. But he found three nice rocks and sent them to his South African friend. Months later, the South African wrote back. The rocks worked! His son was healed and recovered. They paid for his medical treatment by selling a hundred gratitude rocks. People believed in the power of the gratitude rocks.

I found this story inspirational. I do not use a rock, but every day, I make my gratitude list. I send energy into the universe. I focus on the positive and try to limit or dismiss the negative.

I think it's working.

VIDEOS - UPDATE 1312.09

In working on my post for Monday Dec. 9th, T-shirt #263, I discovered that I had this post in the "posts with music videos" category, even though it featured no music videos.

So I am updating. First my favorite Suzanne Vega song.

Marlene On The Wall - Suzanne Vega

second favorite.

The Queen and the Soldier ~ Suzanne Vega [live]

Here's a newer one.

Suzanne Vega - Songs In Red and Gray

- chris tower - 1306.07 - 8:30
updated 1312.09
updated again 1601.08

T-shirt #77: Narcissism

T-shirt #77: Narcissism

Yesterday, my wife was reading a Time Magazine article, and she asked me if I thought that the "Millenial Generation" was more narcissistic, entitled, privileged, self-absorbed than our generation. I said no, despite the data presented in the Time Magazine article, which has its portal here (though the full article is only accessible to subscribers): "The Me Me Me Generation."

Of what Time Magazine allows us to see, one can read the following: "The incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is nearly three times as high for people in their 20s as for the generation that's now 65 or older, according to the National Institutes of Health; 58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in..." (Stein, 2013).

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2143001,00.html#ixzz2VLHHSkzk

I left in the the "Read more" link because when I copied just the text from Time Magazine, the site automatically appended the text with the Read more blurb and URL. Tricksy Tricksy.

Though I am not disputing that Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a very real and very destructive force of psyche, I would like to question the data and how the National Institute of Health arrived at those statistics.

The modern world breeds conditions like Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). It's no wonder that both entered into serious study around the 1970s. Again, ADD is a very real thing, but it's also very prevalent with almost everyone in our modern world to some degree, especially among people who use various forms of technology to interact with and consume media and who engage actively in social media outlets. Because of the very nature of media, social media, and all the access technologies, everyone involved is a little (and some quite a bit more than a little) narcissistic and ADD (used in the common vernacular as an adjective for someone displaying the symptoms of ADD). But there's a significant difference between showing signs and symptoms and having a disorder. Are we a little quick to slap a "disorder" label on basic human reactions to our complex, modern world?

When I read the definition of  NPD, I find that it does not universally apply to those in my life whom I may label as narcissists or when I find that I am labeling myself as narcissistic. "Narcissistic Personality Disorder involves arrogant behavior, a lack of empathy for other people, and a need for admiration-all of which must be consistently evident at work and in relationships. People who are narcissistic are frequently described as cocky, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. Narcissists may concentrate on unlikely personal outcomes (e.g., fame) and may be convinced that they deserve special treatment ("Psychology Today," 2013). This list features seriously damaging personality traits, such as lack of empathy and manipulations.

So back to the discussion with my wife, are the children of today any more entitled, manipulative, or privileged than we were? No. I don't think so. Granted, those of us who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s (and to some extent those from the 1980s) can grouse and complain about how much MORE the children of today have: more television channels, more product choices, more technology, just MORE. I am sure I am not the only person from my age group who has said that my smartphone has ten times the computer power and capacity of my first three computers combined. I am sure I am not the only one who has discussed with his peers how different our lives would have been if had we been plugged in the way the kids of today are plugged in with all the choices and fun games and access to media that we have today. (In fact, both these themes have appeared already in this blog and will recur as often re-visited themes.)

It's a new and different world today than the one of my childhood, and with the next singularity (or singularities) approaching as described by Ray Kurzweil (see trailer and link elsewhere on this page), the changes we have seen so far are just the beginning of changes so transformative that our culture of the near future may well be indistinguishable from the world of the 1970s in just a few years.

Not on Netflix. Not via Amazon. Buy it? Here.

And yet, are we fostering and enabling a generation of NPDs?

T-shirt #76: LOST

T-shirt #76: LOST

I have followed JJ Abrams' productions ever since his first offering to the TV viewing public as co-creator of Felicity, which aired on the WB from 1998-2002. Though I have not watched everything he has created (skipping Undercovers, Person of Interest, and Revolution), I am a very big fan of Alias, Fringe, and LOST as well as the films, such as both Star Trek films and Cloverfield.

I spotted LOST as a show with potential from the start, jumping on from the first episode. Right away, I was hooked. LOST aired on ABC from 2004-2010.

LOST accomplished something that few other shows had managed or had not managed with a high level of popularity. Abrams and his posse of creators (including Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof among others) wove a complex story with dozens of lingering questions for viewers. LOST was filled with unexplained phenomena and intricate mysteries. The reveals that were spread out over its six seasons often produced more questions than answers. The show generated enormous fan chatter on the Internet, as Web 2.0 really came of age during the show's run. A heavy traffic of speculation and discussion filled chat rooms, message boards, web sites, blogs, and various outlets of social media. I did not pay much attention to all of the chatter. But I did engage in discussions with other LOST viewers about what it all might mean. And though I was not quite as disappointed in the finale as many of my friends, I was not entirely blown away and thrilled with it either. Ultimately, LOST collapsed a little (though not completely) like the house of cards it is. It's a great ride as a work of episodic fiction, but the pay off is not quite as astounding as the promise of its complexity and mystery.

LOST may be the best example on the current media landscape of the novel for television told in episodes. For many years, television networks resisted formats that would preclude new viewers from jumping on midway through a season or an entire run of a series. Networks also had a vested interest in milking a money-making product to death rather than agreeing to allow a show to reach a natural conclusion. LOST is one of the first, and surely the best example, of a show with a rich mythology that will be impenetrable for anyone to attempt to jump on mid-stream. The show must be watched from beginning to end in the same way a novel must be read from beginning to end. No one would try to start a novel in the middle and attempt to figure out what's going on as he/she reads, or if someone tried, he/she would indeed be "lost," depending on the intricacy of the novel.

LOST thrived in this new format because past episodes were readily available on DVD, Internet downloads, and eventually via streaming technology. TV networks finally realized that many, many people would willing devote themselves to TV novels. Others who missed out on regular broadcasts would buy or rent all the DVD sets to catch up. People yearned for a longer, sustained experiences rather than a series of stand alone episodes with a few arcing story elements woven throughout. Television had entered a new era. No longer were TV shows relics of the past that were discussed with reverence and longing. Because unless they were in reruns somewhere or stored on ancient video tapes, these shows only existed in memory and in an oral tradition or describing their brilliance to others. Many shows from the pre-video tape era were hidden away in the TV studio archives, waiting for the technology that would set them free and make them accessible. Now with streaming technology, many beloved artifacts of long ago decades of entertainment are available with a few clicks of a button, forever changing the way we consume and interact with our media products. And these changes are only the beginning. In our lifetimes, we are due to see even more significant changes to our media experiences.

Another aspect of people's desire for the sustained, episodic narrative woven intricately with mysteries galore may not have occurred to the corporations who fund and profit from these projects until the advent of LOST, though the storytelling methods can be observed in other series' that aired prior to LOST. Watching a program like LOST binds people together in an exclusive club. A viewer gains a special status by watching--let alone studying--the program. More status is conveyed by those who expend the most energy in speculation and discussion. LOST fans can speak in a special language only understood by other LOST fans. They have special knowledge. They have the secret key to powerful mysteries and engaging, cerebral puzzles. They keep secrets from non-fans, if only to preserve the surprises and plot twists, the "truth" and the exciting cliff hangers for these non-fans who may, at some point, become fans.

Critical reception ranks LOST among the best TV shows of all time, and I agree.

- chris tower - 1306.05 - 9:26

T-shirt #75: Spektrmodule

T-shirt #75: Spektrmodule

 I like Warren Ellis.

For those who do not not know who Warren Ellis is, check here: Warren Ellis web site.

Warren Ellis, the author (not the musician who works with Nick Cave), describes himself thusly: "WARREN ELLIS is a graphic novelist, author and columnist. His new novel, GUN MACHINE, available now from Mulholland Books, is being developed for television by Chernin Entertainment and FOX. His first non-fiction book, from FSG, is due in 2014. RED 2, the sequel to the Bruce Willis-Helen Mirren film RED based on his book of the same name, will be released in August 2013" (Warren Ellis, 2013).

Planetary #26

Additionally, I would add many of his other credits to who he is and why I like him. Ellis did not hit my radar until I started reading Planetary, a comic book from DC/Wildstorm, which may be my favorite comic book thing concocted from his mind (and that of the the brilliant artist John Cassady). Once I realized how much I was loving Planetary, I back-tracked to read his other stuff: The Authority, Transmetropolitan, and his work for Avatar Press with the Gravel graphic novels among others. When Planetary ceased publication due to a disagreement between Ellis and DC, he forged ahead with many other books that quickly catapulted him to status as not only my favorite comics writer but one of my favorite writers, period. Notables from this time period include Global Frequency, Fell, Doktor Sleepless, and genius run on Iron Man, which gives us the Extremis storyline that I am told is the basis for the Iron Man 3 movie (though I have not yet seen it).

And, of course, there was FreakAngels, which I discussed with T-shirt #22.

The Wiki page is not very good for gaining Ellis knowledge. There are probably better compilations of his career to be found on the web somewhere. I did not look, but I suspect there are fan sites to be found.

But, wait, there's more. Since 2008, I have been plugged into Warren Ellis' wired presence in cyberspace. He runs a website which he updates frequently, and since it runs on blog-software, I can load an RSS feed in a reader  that I check daily. He sends Twitters, and though sometimes he goes off for 20-30 in an hour (like the time he broadcast his views on whisky and whiskey from a pub somewhere near London to the tune of 45 messages in 90 minutes), I allow his messages to go through to my phone because he is endlessly entertaining and thought-provoking. He started an email newsletter to promote his Gun Machine book, which I pre-ordered and read, after which, I re-read his first book Crooked Little Vein via the excellent audio edition. He has many recurring activities, such as bookmarks of interesting research, Night Music (of which three of his posts are embedded on this blog page), and website station idents, sometimes posted by guests and other times as weather updates from his home near London with text overlaid on photos.

One of his most recent projects (he calls it a "hobby") is a podcast series entitled "Spektrmodule." As of this writing, Ellis had just broadcast Spektrmodule 23 - "Cloud Circuitry." Here's what Ellis had to say about it in his most recent Machine Vision #50 "Sundays" email newsletter: "First off, I wanted to mention that there’s a new SPEKTRMODULE podcast, since some of you seem to like that sort of thing.  I seem to be doing a two weeks on / one week off kind of schedule with it right now.  Still utterly amazed at how many people listen to it."

Ellis describes Spektrmodule as "a podcast of haunted, ambient and sleepy music I compile for my own amusement."

I have found a great deal of synchonicity with Warren Ellis. Before I plugged into his online broadcasts, I was already a big fan of "haunted, ambient, sleepy music" going back to Eno's pioneering work, Bowie's Berlin albums, David Sylvian, Holger Czukay, Harold Budd, Robin Guthrie, William Orbit, Robert Fripp, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Laraaji, John Hassell, and many more. I would add Tangerine Dream to that list but for some reason Tangerine Dream has always freaked me out. But Aphex Twin's and Future Sound of London's creepy ambient work has given me many haunted, sleepy nights.

Ellis takes the name for Spektrmodule from the Russian Mir Space Station project. The fifth module of the station was known as Spektr, designed for remote observation of the atmosphere and surface of the earth. Ellis describes the origin of his podcast name in the first episode of Spektrmodule. In 1997, a collision with another vessel punctured a hole in the hull of the Mir. The resulting de-pressurization required that the entire station be sealed off. As Ellis describes, "the crew had to sever the power cables to the module with fire axes. Fire axes on a space station. Who thinks of that?" (Spektrmodule 01, 2011).

Find the podcasts here: SPEKTRMODULE.

If you like haunting, sleepy, ambient music, you will like them. Trust me. I'm a doctor.

UPDATED: 1401.14 with link for Spektr and image below.

SIDENOTE: Ellis is always on about interesting things. He works with ideas. Part of his appeal is that he freely shares his thinking to the world. Not all of it, mind you, but a good share of what's going on in his mind is on display to the world in his posts, Twitters, emails, and podcasts. One such post, which he is still unpacking, is a little investigation analysis he called "The Manfred Macx Media Diet," after a character in a free e-book serial novel published via the Creative Commons license by Charles Stross. This is the kind of thing that keeps me paying attention to Ellis. If you have time, follow the link and read the column. If you consume media, and if you are curious about how we consume media, you will be interested.

- chris tower - 1306.04 - 8:25