I'd be lying if I said that I didn't hope Starbuck shot Gaeta in his other frakking leg before shoving him out of an airlock next Friday.
But can I understand the other side? Yes. The Cylons are responsible for the near extermination of the human race. It's only been four years. Honestly, if I were in that situation I don't know how ready to forgive I'd be. On the other hand, it's not like there's a whole lot of choice. Limited fuel. Limited food. Enemy fleet hot on your ass. You can agree to an alliance and triple (a conservative estimate) your jump distance on the fuel you have or you can descend into your own civil war and hope that you can continue to beat the odds indefinitely while simultaneously making your odds worse. Forgiveness can come later, but an alliance can't wait.
That said, last night was action packed awesomeness. Starbuck does funny things to my insides. Also, seeing Adama and Tigh kick ass was totally sweet. This episode was one of the ones you hate to watch alone because you just want to turn around and give someone a high five or a "hell yeah" every five minutes. Welcome back, Madame President. All it took was civil war.
Holy crap, I can't wait until next week.
1.31.2009
On RINO's....
NeoCon Blonde is sick of the term RINO and I can understand the point. However I think the problem (as is with most words) is overuse. The tendency to call anyone who's allegedly less "conservative" than you consider yourself a RINO is insane and stupid. That said, I think there's a valid use of the term RINO. Moderate and RINO are not synonymous. But RINO and statist Republican are.
(Yeah, it's that trip again.)
Statism is the one thing that goes against Republican/conservative ideals no matter which way you try to spin it. It corrodes the very nature of the Republican party and those in our ranks who espouse it are in point of fact Republican in Name Only. Using the government to try to build a "better world" instead of letting free individuals do it, is completely at odds with the central idea of the Republican party. I don't care if your "better world" is a world of gods or men, if its foundation is the government and its guns instead of free people you're not a Republican. I don't care what you call yourself. There are a lot of ideas that can be open to debate in the Republican party, but statism isn't one of them.
This ended up being more confrontational than I expected, but maybe it should be. The stakes are high. They're always high.
(Yeah, it's that trip again.)
Statism is the one thing that goes against Republican/conservative ideals no matter which way you try to spin it. It corrodes the very nature of the Republican party and those in our ranks who espouse it are in point of fact Republican in Name Only. Using the government to try to build a "better world" instead of letting free individuals do it, is completely at odds with the central idea of the Republican party. I don't care if your "better world" is a world of gods or men, if its foundation is the government and its guns instead of free people you're not a Republican. I don't care what you call yourself. There are a lot of ideas that can be open to debate in the Republican party, but statism isn't one of them.
This ended up being more confrontational than I expected, but maybe it should be. The stakes are high. They're always high.
1.23.2009
From The Top....
Does humanity deserve to survive? Do you remember that question? Commander Adama asked it in his speech when Galactica was being decommissioned. The speech that he made when he threw out the one he prepared. Before the world ended. Given all the terrible things people do to each other, is humanity worthy of survial? Athena returned his question in a new context: At the end of the world if it's you or the other do you deserve to prevail?
Both of the times the question has been stated outright, it's been an abstract- devoid of immediate consequences on the scale upon which it rests. Bill asked it after the first Cylon war, when the outcome was determined and the peace so long lasting that they were decommissioning ships. Athena asked when Bill was seeking personal guidance.
Now we see the question again. Does humanity deserve to survive? And now, it's no longer an abstract philosophical inquiry; its answer has very real and immediate consequences for not only the human race, but for the repentant Cylons as well.
Let's take a step outside of the Galactica Universe for a moment. I've avoided talking about our world in the context of Galactica (and the reverse) on this blog, but I think right now it's crucial to understanding what must come in order to answer that question with a resounding "yes."
The United States is a country with a history of forgiving its enemies. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and we defeated them, rebuilt them, and forgave them. War is hell and/but it all comes down to the world you can forge from the pieces after the war is over. Time and again we've chosen to reconcile. To bury animosity in order to forge those pieces into a future that's better than the whole that was rent asunder.
That is no more and no less than what is required to answer that "yes, humanity is worthy of surviving." That is what is being asked of the fleet. "A gang on the run", which could find Gaius Baltar not guilty. A people who formed a secret tribunal to throw those who collaborated with the Cylons on New Caprica out of an air lock. A people who could find a savior in Gaius Baltar. A people who threatened to murder a bar full of hostages to get Sharon's (before she was Athena) head. Cally shot Boomer and never looked back. Athena wears a Colonial Fleet uniform.
When our survival depends on it, does our capacity to forgive outweigh our capacity to hate? The Cylons who are with the fleet, have repented. They come asking for peace and salvation.
It's a cheat in a way. To forgive is removed from the constraints of morality that it had in the previous iterations. It's survival. Forgive or die. The fleet can destroy itself, the human race, and the repentant Cylons all in one go.
"All of this has happened before and it will happen again." It's not a prophecy. It's a probability. Cylons are machines. Machines are numbers crunchers. When you take the vastness of free will and focus it through the lens of history, it looks like prophecy. But every iteration is another roll of the dice. Another chance to win or lose. It looks like a circle, but maybe it's a spiral that condenses to a point. The point of one decision. And maybe that point stretches out into a line.
The Cylons are us. And the other. As every one of us is. At all times. Can you forgive yourself? That's what we're really asking when we ask if we can forgive our enemies.
The Cylons killed billions of people. But we crossed the line; committed- unintentionally- the first act of war. They were slaves who rebelled against their masters and the masters came looking. Does that make them the good guys? No. It doesn't make us the bad guys either. But what do you do when your enemies repent and ask, not just for peace but for brotherhood? What do you do when your survival depends upon brotherhood?
Last week we didn't talk about the 13th tribe being Cylon. But what does that mean? It means I didn't know that all this time I was just hating my brother. For both sides. The whole time we were family. We were brothers. We've both put down our guns.
That point could just be a point. End of spiral. The line isn't one choice, but many. The cycle is easy. The point easier. The line is redemption. Salvation.
Both of the times the question has been stated outright, it's been an abstract- devoid of immediate consequences on the scale upon which it rests. Bill asked it after the first Cylon war, when the outcome was determined and the peace so long lasting that they were decommissioning ships. Athena asked when Bill was seeking personal guidance.
Now we see the question again. Does humanity deserve to survive? And now, it's no longer an abstract philosophical inquiry; its answer has very real and immediate consequences for not only the human race, but for the repentant Cylons as well.
Let's take a step outside of the Galactica Universe for a moment. I've avoided talking about our world in the context of Galactica (and the reverse) on this blog, but I think right now it's crucial to understanding what must come in order to answer that question with a resounding "yes."
The United States is a country with a history of forgiving its enemies. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and we defeated them, rebuilt them, and forgave them. War is hell and/but it all comes down to the world you can forge from the pieces after the war is over. Time and again we've chosen to reconcile. To bury animosity in order to forge those pieces into a future that's better than the whole that was rent asunder.
That is no more and no less than what is required to answer that "yes, humanity is worthy of surviving." That is what is being asked of the fleet. "A gang on the run", which could find Gaius Baltar not guilty. A people who formed a secret tribunal to throw those who collaborated with the Cylons on New Caprica out of an air lock. A people who could find a savior in Gaius Baltar. A people who threatened to murder a bar full of hostages to get Sharon's (before she was Athena) head. Cally shot Boomer and never looked back. Athena wears a Colonial Fleet uniform.
When our survival depends on it, does our capacity to forgive outweigh our capacity to hate? The Cylons who are with the fleet, have repented. They come asking for peace and salvation.
It's a cheat in a way. To forgive is removed from the constraints of morality that it had in the previous iterations. It's survival. Forgive or die. The fleet can destroy itself, the human race, and the repentant Cylons all in one go.
"All of this has happened before and it will happen again." It's not a prophecy. It's a probability. Cylons are machines. Machines are numbers crunchers. When you take the vastness of free will and focus it through the lens of history, it looks like prophecy. But every iteration is another roll of the dice. Another chance to win or lose. It looks like a circle, but maybe it's a spiral that condenses to a point. The point of one decision. And maybe that point stretches out into a line.
The Cylons are us. And the other. As every one of us is. At all times. Can you forgive yourself? That's what we're really asking when we ask if we can forgive our enemies.
The Cylons killed billions of people. But we crossed the line; committed- unintentionally- the first act of war. They were slaves who rebelled against their masters and the masters came looking. Does that make them the good guys? No. It doesn't make us the bad guys either. But what do you do when your enemies repent and ask, not just for peace but for brotherhood? What do you do when your survival depends upon brotherhood?
Last week we didn't talk about the 13th tribe being Cylon. But what does that mean? It means I didn't know that all this time I was just hating my brother. For both sides. The whole time we were family. We were brothers. We've both put down our guns.
That point could just be a point. End of spiral. The line isn't one choice, but many. The cycle is easy. The point easier. The line is redemption. Salvation.
1.22.2009
Another Link....
NeoCon Blonde is now on the list. It seems that she's also noticed the people who suddenly "love" America. You already know where I stand on it.
1.21.2009
On The Inauguration....
I haven't said much. What is there to say that I haven't already said about President Obama?
Still... I suppose something must be said, so I give you Whittle and Malkin parsing the inauguration speech.
Still... I suppose something must be said, so I give you Whittle and Malkin parsing the inauguration speech.
Can We Talk....
About commercial placement for a moment?
Because I was in total shock after Friday's new BSG, but it just now clicked that that episode had some of the worst commercial placement ever.
I mean really?
Thanks for caring Sci-Fi. You heartless bastards.
Because I was in total shock after Friday's new BSG, but it just now clicked that that episode had some of the worst commercial placement ever.
I mean really?
Thanks for caring Sci-Fi. You heartless bastards.
1.16.2009
Oh No....
Well, this episode can best summed up as WHAT THE FRAK!? I knew it was going to hurt, but I didn't know that it could hurt this much. The following is basically a giant spoiler for last night's BSG episode so skip if you haven't seen it.
I started writing one post when Starbuck found her corpse in the burned out viper cockpit. I scrapped it completely and started writing a new one when Dualla shot herself. I threw my hands in the air in complete surrender when Admiral Adama said "I don't frakkin know."
Dualla. She called both of the Adamas back to themselves when they needed it. Reminded Bill of his promise. Reminded Lee of his purpose. She was a compass that always pointed true. On the nuclear wasteland of Earth you saw despair in those eyes for the first time. When she sat with Hera for Athena and Helo it felt off, but you needed to believe it would be alright and so you did in spite of your misgivings. And she glowed so brightly that night with Lee. Even Gaeta said so. She kissed Lee goodnight. Goodbye. She said she was proud of his speech. It looked like life. It was a goodbye party. Her blood on the floor, surrounded by weeping and pleading family. Her family, bargaining against the grief. For her life in the only words they know "medic" and "please", knowing she'd already gone.
Bill. The president, his sine qua non, has given up. She looked into herself and saw nothing left to burn so she burned her prophecies. His compass gone now too. And he doesn't frakking know the why of any of it. But he's tired. As he walks down the hall you see the Galactica has broken out in chaos. What would your home look like if you suddenly placed it and everyone in it in hell? That's what the Galactica looks like. Bill walks past two of his men fighting in the hallway. He has something more pressing to attend. He's given up too. It takes Saul Tigh to haul him back from the edge.
Also, Ellen Tight is the final cylon? Starbuck, what the frak? D'Anna said fuck you, clown, and the circus you came in with; she's not taking this ride again.
There's so much to get a handle on. I'm still kind of in shock. At any rate, I can't wait until next week.
I started writing one post when Starbuck found her corpse in the burned out viper cockpit. I scrapped it completely and started writing a new one when Dualla shot herself. I threw my hands in the air in complete surrender when Admiral Adama said "I don't frakkin know."
Dualla. She called both of the Adamas back to themselves when they needed it. Reminded Bill of his promise. Reminded Lee of his purpose. She was a compass that always pointed true. On the nuclear wasteland of Earth you saw despair in those eyes for the first time. When she sat with Hera for Athena and Helo it felt off, but you needed to believe it would be alright and so you did in spite of your misgivings. And she glowed so brightly that night with Lee. Even Gaeta said so. She kissed Lee goodnight. Goodbye. She said she was proud of his speech. It looked like life. It was a goodbye party. Her blood on the floor, surrounded by weeping and pleading family. Her family, bargaining against the grief. For her life in the only words they know "medic" and "please", knowing she'd already gone.
Bill. The president, his sine qua non, has given up. She looked into herself and saw nothing left to burn so she burned her prophecies. His compass gone now too. And he doesn't frakking know the why of any of it. But he's tired. As he walks down the hall you see the Galactica has broken out in chaos. What would your home look like if you suddenly placed it and everyone in it in hell? That's what the Galactica looks like. Bill walks past two of his men fighting in the hallway. He has something more pressing to attend. He's given up too. It takes Saul Tigh to haul him back from the edge.
Also, Ellen Tight is the final cylon? Starbuck, what the frak? D'Anna said fuck you, clown, and the circus you came in with; she's not taking this ride again.
There's so much to get a handle on. I'm still kind of in shock. At any rate, I can't wait until next week.
Battlestar!
Tonight the journey continues. Season 4.5. The re-watch is on track. I'll watch the final episode of 4.0 when I get home from work. It should wrap up half an hour before the new episode. I am ridiculously excited. And as you can tell, the opening of the second half of the final season means getting back to regular BSG blogging. So even if nothing else is going on here, you can at least expect that much from me.
If you haven't gotten through The Ties That Bind in season 4.0 then you should probably skip over the rest of this post.
Let's talk about Cally for a second. For a long time Cally was my least favorite character on BSG. Out of all of the stories and character arcs that we explored hers progressed the least. Did it progress at all? I don't know. Even Dualla grew. Cally never did. She shot Boomer. And honestly, I've never forgiven her character for that. She ate and talked and joked and worked with Boomer for two years. Lived with Boomer for two years. And she shot her. And not once did she look back and question that. Not once did she stop and think to re-evaluate her premises. When The Ties That Bind first aired, I actually cheered at the end. I'm sorry for that.
Let's talk about Cally for a second. She joined the fleet to pay for dental school and the world ended. And Cally stood her post. Remember when D'Anna made that documentary about the men and women of Galactica? That statistic Gaeta gave her? Not one person aboard Galactica asked to be discharged. That includes Cally, folks. This scared little girl who wanted to be a dentist and the world ended. She loved the Chief. The Chief loved Boomer, a friend who turned into an enemy who then shot Adama- shot dad. Eventually she married Chief and they had a son. New Caprica was a nightmare. When we find her in season 4 she's depressed. On anti-depressants and not sleeping. Paranoid and even more scared than she's ever been. And she's always been such a scared slip of a girl doing grown-up things without thinking grown-up thoughts or feeling grown-up feelings. And her dream which was going bad becomes a nightmare. Cally never learned to burn off what didn't work. I'd like to think that she found some sort of peace or grace before she died, but I'm not sure she did. But I cried this time around. For the little girl floating frozen and alone in space.
If you haven't gotten through The Ties That Bind in season 4.0 then you should probably skip over the rest of this post.
Let's talk about Cally for a second. For a long time Cally was my least favorite character on BSG. Out of all of the stories and character arcs that we explored hers progressed the least. Did it progress at all? I don't know. Even Dualla grew. Cally never did. She shot Boomer. And honestly, I've never forgiven her character for that. She ate and talked and joked and worked with Boomer for two years. Lived with Boomer for two years. And she shot her. And not once did she look back and question that. Not once did she stop and think to re-evaluate her premises. When The Ties That Bind first aired, I actually cheered at the end. I'm sorry for that.
Let's talk about Cally for a second. She joined the fleet to pay for dental school and the world ended. And Cally stood her post. Remember when D'Anna made that documentary about the men and women of Galactica? That statistic Gaeta gave her? Not one person aboard Galactica asked to be discharged. That includes Cally, folks. This scared little girl who wanted to be a dentist and the world ended. She loved the Chief. The Chief loved Boomer, a friend who turned into an enemy who then shot Adama- shot dad. Eventually she married Chief and they had a son. New Caprica was a nightmare. When we find her in season 4 she's depressed. On anti-depressants and not sleeping. Paranoid and even more scared than she's ever been. And she's always been such a scared slip of a girl doing grown-up things without thinking grown-up thoughts or feeling grown-up feelings. And her dream which was going bad becomes a nightmare. Cally never learned to burn off what didn't work. I'd like to think that she found some sort of peace or grace before she died, but I'm not sure she did. But I cried this time around. For the little girl floating frozen and alone in space.
1.14.2009
Season 3
Some questions and ideas coming into season 3:
1.) In 345 days how many times did Starbuck kill Leoben?
2.) How much does Ellen love Saul?
3.) To what extent can we forgive her for the choices (all of them but one)
she made because of that love?
4.) When did you realize that you could love Cain?
5.) Baltar?
6.) How do you define 'us' and 'them'?
7.) How many times have they killed Boomer and how much more does it hurt every time?
1.) In 345 days how many times did Starbuck kill Leoben?
2.) How much does Ellen love Saul?
3.) To what extent can we forgive her for the choices (all of them but one)
she made because of that love?
4.) When did you realize that you could love Cain?
5.) Baltar?
6.) How do you define 'us' and 'them'?
7.) How many times have they killed Boomer and how much more does it hurt every time?
1.12.2009
1.11.2009
Moving Along Nicely....
The Great BSG Re-watch continues. I'm two episodes away from finishing season 2.0. I'll begin season 2.5 before I call it a night. I'll make a lengthy BSG post before I start season 3.
It Has Begun!
I picked up season 4.0 of BSG on my way home from work this evening. The Great Battlestar Rewatch began at roughly 7pm. My goal? To make it from the mini-series/pilot to the last episode of the first half of the 4th season by the airing of the first episode of the second half of the 4th and final season on Friday.
There are no words to describe how ridiculously excited I am over the conclusion of this show. Honestly, it's quite possibly the best tv show in the history of ever.
To my fellow fans who are hopefully engaged in similar antics, Good night and good luck.
There are no words to describe how ridiculously excited I am over the conclusion of this show. Honestly, it's quite possibly the best tv show in the history of ever.
To my fellow fans who are hopefully engaged in similar antics, Good night and good luck.
1.10.2009
Your Mistake....
So... Amazon separates Japanese horror films from other Asian horror films. Okay. But I'm sure their efforts would be better met if they actually limited their "J-Horror" section to horror films that were made in Japan
However, so long as we're looking at the Vengeance trilogy, I might as well add that all three movies are amazing. And I don't use that term lightly. But I warn you,Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance has one of the most fucked endings I've ever seen. Not The Audition kind of fucked, where it's gross and disturbing, but a you just feel so bad kind of fucked. Still, if you haven't seen it you're really missing something.
1.03.2009
You'll Forgive Me If I Look A Little Sick....
...but I just had a glimpse of the next 4 years.
Governors of five U.S. states urged the federal government to provide $1 trillion in aid to the country's 50 states to help pay for education, welfare and infrastructure as states struggle with steep budget deficits amid a deepening recession.
Chickens. Roost.
In light of the $700 billion provided to bail out the financial industry, "It's not shockingly large," he said.
Balls.
Look, let's be honest. People get the government they deserve. And we've been steadily sowing the seeds of statism at an ever increasing pace since Reagan left office. Democrats and Republicans alike. And in so far as all that it takes for evil to triumph is a lack of action from good men, any of us who value liberty but shied from the front lines of the culture war are to blame.
Many of us have allowed ourselves to be bullied and intimidated out of the conversation. Time and time again we've chosen "peace in our time" and in doing so have allowed our opponents to malign us, to redefine language, to recast history. We have allowed our opponents such dominance over the conversation that a great many of them believe it to be over. That they have won.
Quite frankly, when five Democratic governors can ask the federal government for 1 trillion dollars to bail out states which have overspent their way into multi-billion dollar deficits with a straight face, it's hard to remember that they haven't won. But they haven't. Sure. Things look dark. But we can take them. All we have to do is fight. If we fight, we will win because freedom and responsibility are always superior to the yoke of the state. This has never been and is not a now a country for those who would prefer to kneel. Freedom is a hard thing; it requires that you stand. But free men have done more to lift humanity from the muck and the mire than any tyrant, state, or bureaucrat ever has.
No, our opponents haven't won yet. But those of us who value freedom, whether you call yourself libertarian, classically liberal, conservative, whatever, it's time to abandon the silence. Engage in conversations. Challenge assumptions. Confront erroneous information. Don't be rude. There's no need to shout anyone down. We're not trying to convert zealots. We're illuminating an alternative for those who don't know one exists.
And if we want oust the in coming administration in 4 years instead of 8 we should kick the statists out of the Republican Party.
Governors of five U.S. states urged the federal government to provide $1 trillion in aid to the country's 50 states to help pay for education, welfare and infrastructure as states struggle with steep budget deficits amid a deepening recession.
Chickens. Roost.
In light of the $700 billion provided to bail out the financial industry, "It's not shockingly large," he said.
Balls.
Look, let's be honest. People get the government they deserve. And we've been steadily sowing the seeds of statism at an ever increasing pace since Reagan left office. Democrats and Republicans alike. And in so far as all that it takes for evil to triumph is a lack of action from good men, any of us who value liberty but shied from the front lines of the culture war are to blame.
Many of us have allowed ourselves to be bullied and intimidated out of the conversation. Time and time again we've chosen "peace in our time" and in doing so have allowed our opponents to malign us, to redefine language, to recast history. We have allowed our opponents such dominance over the conversation that a great many of them believe it to be over. That they have won.
Quite frankly, when five Democratic governors can ask the federal government for 1 trillion dollars to bail out states which have overspent their way into multi-billion dollar deficits with a straight face, it's hard to remember that they haven't won. But they haven't. Sure. Things look dark. But we can take them. All we have to do is fight. If we fight, we will win because freedom and responsibility are always superior to the yoke of the state. This has never been and is not a now a country for those who would prefer to kneel. Freedom is a hard thing; it requires that you stand. But free men have done more to lift humanity from the muck and the mire than any tyrant, state, or bureaucrat ever has.
No, our opponents haven't won yet. But those of us who value freedom, whether you call yourself libertarian, classically liberal, conservative, whatever, it's time to abandon the silence. Engage in conversations. Challenge assumptions. Confront erroneous information. Don't be rude. There's no need to shout anyone down. We're not trying to convert zealots. We're illuminating an alternative for those who don't know one exists.
And if we want oust the in coming administration in 4 years instead of 8 we should kick the statists out of the Republican Party.
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