Doctor Who: The Last of the Time Lords

Oh my word... what a spectacular finale for Doctor Who!

It was kind of hard to see where it was going with the Doctor being artificially aged (even if it has happened twice before), and I originally wasn't keen on the Utopia humans being the protagonists. What can I say though, the script had me won over.

Martha was Earth's only hope, the Doctor gave her a secret message and she was sent on her way, to use this knowledge to save humanity. What did she do with this knowledge? We are led to believe that there is one weapon on the Earth that is capable of ending the Master's life... but it is separated into four parts (I rumbled this as a ruse as soon as I saw it). She has been seemingly walking the Earth seeking out the components of this weapon.

However this was not her genuine purpose at all. The mission the Doctor really charged her with, was to spread the word of who he was, what he had done and what he could do. Martha had only one weapon -words.... words and "prayer". All she really had was evangelism. She couldn't threaten the Master, she could only help other people to understand there was something better.

This is what it is like for genuine Christians. We don't have M4 or SA80 assault rifles, we don't have squadrons of joint strike fighters or fleets of warships... and we certainly don't have nuclear weapons. No, our equipment consists of:

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

- Ephesians 6:13-18

and:

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

- Hebrews 4:12

Like Martha we possess privileged information. We are on personal terms with the God who created us. Jesus Christ died for the sins of humankind and rose to life. Through his Spirit, he transforms our lives for the better, day by day. Yet while he has done and continues to do these things, many of the people of Earth remain blissfully unaware of who he really is. For some he is just a fairy tale, for others he's merely a vague historical figure. Their best hope of knowing him as he deserves to be known... is if we make him known to them properly. We have exactly the same call as Martha.

Eventually, Martha is betrayed into the hands of the Master... who proceeds to mock what appears to him to be nothing more than a useless scheme... all she has given the people is faith and hope... not a practical means of resistance.He then proceeds with a live televised countdown at the end of which he will execute Martha. However this is playing into her hands... because the countdown is what she needs, to get everyone on Earth thinking the same thing at the same time - "The Doctor". It is similar to the same way that Jesus played into the Devil's hands. Satan thought that the son of God had put himself into a vulnerable position and saw an opportunity to rid himself of the one person who could stop him. In fact, Jesus needed to be handed over to death in order to save mankind from it's sin.

As the people begin their "prayer", The Doctor is surrounded by incandescent blue/white light and is restored to his former glory. He levitates over to the Master... and what is the first thing he offers him?

Forgiveness.

Despite everything he has done, the Doctor offers his nemesis the offer of redemption - he feels responsible for him. In the end, the Master declines... he doesn't want to be "trapped" in the Doctor's presence. The thing is, the same offer is on the table for us... and for the same reason. God made us and loves us and feels responsible for us. He wants us to respond to his love:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

- Romans 5:6-11

The offer as I said, is on the table. You have a choice... are you going to be hard-hearted and die like The Master? I'm sure he'll be back... but you and I don't have the luxury of a Time Lord ring to bring us back, do we? The Doctor's reaction when his enemy stubbornly refuses to listen and dies in his arms, is the exact same reaction I believe God has when his people who he loved and created, reject him and refuse his offer of grace. He said these words of the nation of Israel... but his heart is the same for you and I:

"Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!"

- Ezekiel 18:31-32

""Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying: "Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?" 'Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'"

- Ezekiel 33:10-11

I wonder if that is where you are at? You may have just stumbled in here looking for a synopsis or an opinion of the episode, and now you are maybe faced with a little more than you bargained for.

If that is you then please follow this link to a Keith Green song, close your eyes and pray the lyrics through.

Don't put it off... because you don't have any more regenerations.

Regrets... I've had a few.

I was reading Alistair's blog on being a time travelling vicar last night, and it prompted me to think of my own past... and a few of the things I might have done differently. Lets just think for a minute or two:

If only I had my own TARDIS, I could travel back 70 1975 and warn my mother to keep her 1 year old son away from boiling teapots. If that had happened I might not have been scalded. I could materialize in 1986 and tell an insecure teen aged Nick on his first day at secondary school, not to worry about getting too close with people, that it is OK to let people love you... and not to manipulate them into merely liking you as a eccentric fool.

I could appear back in 1994 and tell myself not to worry about college fees or loneliness and go off to university to study journalism or film editing. I could even have travelled back to 1996 and make it absolutely crystal clear to myself that not all that glitters is gold and that I should be a little more astute in choosing my romantic liaisons.

If you look at these historical hiccups, you can see that they are all interconnected... each one stems from it's chronological predecessor. If I could alter the past they'd never happen and it'd all be different.

The simple truth is though that the past happened and I can't change it. Even if I could... I might end up in a much darker world than I could possibly imagine. I'd be a different person. It is an idea that has been explored many times in popular science fiction: Star Trek, Babylon 5, The Final countdown, Transformers, The Butterfly Effect, Donnie Darko, Frequency and of course Doctor Who... to name but a few.

You often hear an expression in saccharine dramas and soap operas when a person is on their death bed - "I have no regrets". Is that really the case though? I know I certainly regret a couple of things I have done wrong, some of the opportunities I have let slip out of my grasp. I do regret them.. is that so bad?

I don't believe it is.

You see if we didn't regret the things we have done wrong, how could we repent of them? How could we pick ourselves up out of the dirt and pledge to redouble our efforts never to make the same mistake again? If we didn't regret missing past opportunities... where would we get the determination not to feel the same way the next time an opportunity arises?

The worst part of a crime is not when we fall off our horse, it is when we decide to stay sat in the puddle afterwards. I believe it is OK to have a few regrets in life... just so long as your regrets do not have you. When your past overshadows you, it rules your future.

As a Christian I believe that my God is Lord of the past, present and future:

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

- Isaiah 43:25

"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."

- Proverbs 23:18

""For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.""

- Jeremiah 29:11

"Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.""

- Revelation 4:8

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

- Hebrews 13:8

So whilst I have a past... a past with its own fair share of mistakes, successes and the mundane, I have a greater belief that there is one who sets me free from any chains that may be found in my yesterdays... and the hope and faith that he is able to inspire me to a better tomorrow.

I don't wish to be hypocritical and so I'll be up front and honest with you. I struggle with stepping forwards, if I'm candid I have to say that I'm very timid when it comes to bold hopes. I am my own worst enemy. Take women for example.... I am as much terrified by the prospect of being accepted by a woman who genuinely loves me... as i am of being alone. So I make the mistake of embracing the familiar.

That is an attitude that I urge you not to emulate in any area of your life.

If you have a past that you feel you need to come to terms with, maybe you might considering seeking God on this. Be reconciled with your history.

Maybe while you are doing it, you could remember me... and ask God to plant a firm kick on my backside whilst you are at it.

The Blair Legacy:

So we are finally released from the hold of Tony Blair... for now at least.

Looking at the positive changes his administration has brought in, we finally have the hope of lasting peace in Northern Ireland and we also have a minimum wage... on the surface at least, Britain seems to be enjoying a period of economic prosperity. We have even cast off the shadow of World War 2 debt.

Dig below the surface however... and we see all the negative changes. Prisons full to bursting and judges actually releasing convicted criminals early onto the streets, a health service that under a Labour government has found itself floundering and tied up in red tape... genuine people suffering whilst the cheats and benefits fraudsters (people who have the brains to work their way around a form... but who don't put their assets to use in work or the community), prosper more and more. Civil liberties have been attacked and depleted in the name of counter terrorism. We now live in an age of politics where substance bows and gives way to style... the soundbite reigns supreme.

Then of course we have the repercussions of Blair's foreign policies, most notably in Iraq. Britain's reputation for international fair play has been badly bruised and tarnished. Oh yes we knocked off a couple of dictators... but what have we left in their place? A wake of carnage and destruction where the blood of innocent Iraqis and Afghans is spilled and mixed with that of our own troops on a daily basis.

All this... all this and more. I argue that Blair's true legacy is like Ridley Scott's alien. We thought it was bad when he was stuck to us like a limpet... we might be forgiven for thinking we have been released from the effects of his political decisions. However, something dark and deadly gestates within this country now... it may take 20-30 years but there is a dark cloud on the horizon. It may be avoided, but the danger is real.

Blair has exacerbated the natural tribalism in the collective subconscious. His policies have polarised different groups against one another he has helped to fundamentally raise tensions between:

• The old and the young.
• Islam and Christianity.
• Theists and secularists.
• The home nations, especially Scotland and England.
• The indigenous and migrant communities.

You watch, in the first instance it'll start to go wrong when the baby boom generation (who are reaching pensionable age now), become infirm and in need of increased medical care. They are the largest age group... closely followed by the mass of children in the past 10-15 years who have been born in need of benefits (for whatever reasons). In the middle of that is my age group... the smallest age group. We are going to have to pay out on two very large fronts in about 20 years. I don't really need to go into detail between the troubles of radicalized Islam and how Christianity is currently perceived, thanks to US & UK foreign policy and the fact that Blair and Bush wear their own flavour of "Christianity" firmly on their lapels . As a direct consequence of those tensions, secularists are hopping up and down preaching the abolition of public religion, which of course is a moronic and intellectually bankrupt gesture... not to mention extremely hypocritical!

I don't really need to go on with the other issues. I think I've made my point.

We may as well have had Harold Saxon elected as Prime Minister!

Indeed what this country really does need right now IS a Doctor!

In my next blog I'll look at what my thoughts are on the Brown Government as it takes it's first steps out of the crib.

In the meantime (and trying my best to avoid being a fundamentalist Christian), I'll conclude in the words of W.B. Yeats with my concern over Blair's new role as Peace Envoy to the Middle East:

The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

To Quote Mark Twain:

"The reports of my death, have been greatly exaggerated".

I'm sure that must be a cliche amongst bloggers, especially when used in the context of having been away from your blog for a while. However I wanted people to be sure I wasn't disappearing quietly into the night... I would say reassure, but I would guess that most people who end up reading my blog, do so by accident and regard it as a navigational hazard.

I can only hope there are some that regard stumbling onto this site as a "happy accident".

Recently I read another person's blog that suggested that it is this time of year when blogs tend to die off. I don't know if that is statistically true... but I have to agree, you do get that impression. It's a time of year when people go away on holiday, or have other things to do with the better weather. Things become quiet and the temptation to just forget about writing and just move on is strong indeed.

Watching these things happen is a bit like standing at the end of the universe and watching the stars slowly go out one by one:

Or to take an example from popular culture, I guess I feel a little bit like Frodo and Samwise as they chance upon some Wood Elves leaving Middle Earth.

Sam comments that seeing them leave is "kind of sad" but he doesn't know why. I think it is because he knows deep down, a little bit of the magic is leaving his world.

That is how I feel when I read a dormant blog. It is like walking into a derelict or abandoned church; or maybe it is like looking upon a tombstone, monolith... or a monument commemorating something or someone that has been lost forever to memory and time.

I don't wish for that to ever happen to my blog (unless I pull the plug on it like at MSN Spaces), I feel so strongly about this that I'm considering handing the keys over to this place should anything befall me. Maybe it would be a bit freaky if it still bore my name and picture... but the reason for this blog's existence is more important to me than any sense of it being branded in my image.

So serious about this am I, that I even have a shortlist of potential "heirs", people who I would feel honoured to take the helm in my absence (short term or permanent).

That is enough blogging about blogging. I have things to say about politics in the next few days, so expect business as usual very shortly.

God bless

N

The Battle for Science Fiction's Soul

I promised the other day that I would respond to an article I had read recently in TV Zone magazine (issue #216).

The item (entitled "Deep Thought"), was written by John Binns. He posed the question "Why are Science Fiction series so obsessed with mystical themes such as destiny?"


By looking at an array of television shows including Heroes, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, Doctor Who and Quantum Leap - from his own subjective viewpoint, he voiced concern that some science fiction programmes were playing fast and loose with evolutionary theory and by misunderstanding what evolution means... were threatening to let religion in through the back door.

Binns suggests that:

"the prosaic truth of natural selection is that the only choice that matters to a gene sequence is whether the individual who carries it decides to have children; everything else, at least as far as evolution is concerned, is irrelevant."

He even went as far in his criticism of modern science fiction, as to say that:

"Doctor Who has joined a cultural pantheon that understands so little of the concept of evolution that it might as well be an act of God after all"

Binns has made the classic mistake of believing that evolutionary theory is the exclusive property of atheism.

It really isn't.

I have many Christian friends who have a genuine and passionate relationship with God and yet are prepared to consider that Genesis is allegorical. There are many reputable scientists who feel the same way - too many to list. They believe in evolution as part of God's creative process... and so do not subscribe to the view that Binns expresses.

I could turn this post into an exploration of the various different ways that Christians choose to understand the created order... and there are several - contrary to the popular misnomer, not every Christian is a literal 6 day believer. However, I am writing this as a response to an attack on fiction not fact... and so now is not the time.

Binns also writes about the ideas of God, religion and fate working their way into science fiction:

"What's worrying about this trend is not just that it has persisted and made it into the mainstream, but that it has blended with a general ignorance about what evolution means, threatening to let religion in to popular culture by the back door."

Binns is clearly imposing his subjective view on us in this article. I stress once again, that there is no singular view on "what evolution means". Scientifically minded atheists are entitle to their views. However as I have pointed out before when being critical of Richard Dawkins, their views are not sacrosanct by any means. Their views when it comes to "why", are equally subjective... and we do well to be cautious of them when they preach their own flavour of fundamentalism.

The right to "freedom of religion" (inclusive of atheism, humanism and agnosticism), must not be superseded by "freedom from religion". The former is inclusive, the latter exclusive.

Science fiction writers should be absolutely free to express any theistic or atheistic viewpoint they desire. Lets remember that roughly only 16% of people don't subscribe to a theistic belief of some nature, so it is wrong that only 16% of people get a say in what input goes into popular culture. Religion and faith in themselves are not a threat and should not be seen as something to keep out of popular culture. If it were the case, most of my blog posts would never exist... because I frequently reference popular culture, so did the apostle Paul for that matter(but there the comparison ends).

Besides, even if you could eradicate purposeful theistic parallels, the ideas and principles are so saturated into the collective psyche that religious allegory, ideology, iconography and imagery would continue to influence created works.

It should be noted that J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5 is actually an atheist. However he does not seek to impose his atheism on his audience. He accepts that religion plays an important role in peoples lives - and often plays on it (remaining assertive with his atheism but never aggressive). Here is a sequence from the first season episode The Parliament of Dreams:

Note that the first in line is an atheist. It is beautiful sequence is it not? Staczynski is objective, he holds his creative microscope up to religion and he is equally favourable and critical towards it. I believe that is a good attitude to have towards writing.

Returning to Binns who concludes in his article:

"In other words there's nothing wrong with a few outlandish non scientific ideas in the dramas we watch; the only thing to be careful of is when they're masquerading as something else. And when a drama presents itself as knowledgeable about something as important as evolution, we should be able to expect not a bundle of pseudo-religious ideas masquerading as science, but something more like the real thing."

In conclusion, I would like to encourage John Binns to take some time out to become knowledgeable about something as important as other people's beliefs... and how they interact and co-exist with scientific theory. Science is not equipped to make bold philosophical and ideological statements in itself, it is not designed to... and the last time a political organisation decided to hijack scientific theory (oddly enough evolution), for it's purposes; millions of people ended up in furnaces. Faith and reason both have their role to play and we should not be afraid of embracing either. Science fiction should continue to flourish in a carnival of religious and scientific diversity.

Dead Man Talking

Have you heard the one about the charity who brought a comedian back from the dead on a mission to raise funds and awareness?

They were apparently short of a Bob or two.

I awoke this morning to the news that the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation has produced an advert posthumously featuring the stand up comedian/entertainer, Bob Monkhouse (you can see it for yourselves by following this link).

Of course this sort of thing has technically been done before in various forms (JFK in Forrest Gump, Marlon Brando in Superman Returns, Gene Kelly in a VW Golf ad), however to my knowledge this is the first time we have had a dead person break the fourth wall... and this is what makes it strange.

Seeing a person interacting in a sketch is easy because we are suspending our disbelief anyway... but when someone addresses the camera, they make a direct connection with the audience. It is strange having a dead person speaking directly to you as you chew your Weetabix. The advert was made with the blessing of his widow Jackie, and I'm happy to give it a plug as at the end of the day... whatever reasons people watch it, it'll raise awareness of a form of cancer which is relatively swept under the carpet... and yet is clearly just as deadly if left untreated.

I can see where this technology is going to lead though. sooner or later people if they have enough money, as they grow older (and especially if they are withered by illness); are going to want to leave personal messages to their friends to be played after their demise. Now of course nobody wants to be remembered as a worn out shell (and why should they?), so they will want to use the digital technology to have a younger version of themselves deliver the message to their loved ones.

I expect we will be seeing a lot more of this thing in the future... is it romantic... or tacky? I suppose it depends on who and how many people do it.

You Can Call Me Sir!

Yesterday was an interesting experience. It was the annual Alcester Street Market, this year themed around Medieval history. Well as you all know, I love any old excuse to dress up in ridiculous costume and have fun. So that, is exactly what I did. Why don't you play Nick's Sanctuary's version of "Where's Wally?" We'll call it "Nobble Nick":

Did you spot me? I stick out a fair bit! It's a little easier in the picture below:

The above pictures were taken during the initial parade. You can't see them here, but I had been persuaded by John Bunting to pursue a bunch of female bandits in green tights... but they escaped into the hustle and bustle of the busy market... and from there, probably back into the enchanted woods. I had to settle for tracking down a fearsome and terrible beast that stalked the church... but unfortunately my mother had returned to the Alcester in Bloom stall by then! Instead I held aloft my magic sword (er wrong show) and prepared to strike a fatal blow to the BBC Coventry and Warwickshire mascot... a terrifying demon that appeared in the form of a giant green duck (A bit like Orville on steroids)! It soon scarpered when it saw me coming though.

The weather was glorious... which isn't always a good thing when you are wearing long sleeves, full length trousers and dark colours. I managed to catch the sun throughout my brave exploits and noble pursuits as Sir Nick - Lord Protector of the Order of the Sanctuary.

Throughout the day we were treated to music from both the 60's and 80's era - a nice mix for everyone there. I remember dancing around, singing aloud and generally waving my sword about to synth pop and some of the classic retro school disco hits of yesteryear.

I was captivated and bewitched by a few fair maidens I had spotted throughout the day... particularly one who had obviously spotted the rather tragic dancing white knight dancing I was exhibiting (or maybe I ahould say she had been checking out my "knight moves" - *groan*). I could have rescued her from the dragons and dark wizards if only she'd been paying more attention.

All in all, by far the best street market in a long stretch... it was something EVERYONE could get in to and dress up for. Medieval stuff captures kids imaginations... Victorian and Edwardian stuff does not!

I thoroughly enjoyed taking part, even if I did have to be peeled out of my costume by nightfall.

I should also add that I have rather excitedly entered a rubber duck race for the first time in my life. I'm going to christen my little fellow "Duck Dodgers", I'll let you know how he gets on.

Is rubber duck racing ecologically ethical? Isn't there some kind of law against dumping that amount of plastic in a river? ;-)

Latest Thoughts on Doctor Who

I think watching Doctor Who last night might just rank as one of the most terrifying televisual experiences of my entire life.

The plot was a "Doctor lite" episode and revolved around the idea that the Doctor and Martha had been cast back to 1969 by a species of interstellar psychopathic "assassins" known as "the weeping angels". They don't kill you exactly... they remove you from your current life and send you back to some obscure point in the past, to live out your days among strangers. Fortunately for us, these assassins are "quantum locked" - if anything living sees them, they instantly turn to stone. Furthermore, they are a little like the gorgons from Greek mythology... for if they look upon one of their own kind, they become forever set in stone. Here is a clip of them in action... but I don't recommend looking at it if you are easily scared. Never has a statue been as terrifying:

I was genuinely petrified (pardon the pun).

Still... in between the heart attacks, I was more than compensated by the pleasing on screen demeanour of Carey Mulligan:

Wow! I was a very happy man. I may even have to consider making an exception to my "No Jane Austen" rule (she appeared in the recent big screen adaptation). I really hope we see much more of her acting on stage and screen... it seems likely as judging by the roles she has been winning for herself, her star is in ascendancy.

All the same, I don't think I'll be attending a cemetery or figurine sculpture exhibition for a long time to come after watching Blink. All in all, an excellent one shot drama in it's own right it was a strong enough plot not to require the presence of the Doctor.

This episode followed in the wake of last week's conclusion to a two part Doctor Who adventure... and that gave me a lot to think about.

First we had the Doctor, in the guise of "John Smith" - facing his own Gethsemane moment. To avoid being captured by "The Family of Blood" (although really as it turned out, he was trying to hold himself back from judging them), the Doctor took on human form, storing his personality in a pocket watch. Unfortunately, the problem with taking on human form, is that you also take on human feelings and human desires. It isn't long before the Doctor falls head over heels for a matron in 1913 and has grown very attached to his mortal life.

Unfortunately the Family of Blood have managed to track down the Doctor and set about causing mayhem, in pre WWI England. the only person who can stop them is The Doctor... but the Doctor is John Smith now... and if John Smith chooses to become the Doctor, then John Smith dies.

We are treated to a glimpse of what life would have held for John Smith if he had remained as a human and not become a timelord. His life literally flashes before his eyes. This is very much the kind of idea explored by Scorsese in The Last Temptation. The idea of an alternate future being presented to the hero (the Doctor/Christ), as a form of temptation. You really gain a small insight into how hard a choice Jesus made, when you look at it in that way.

That said, once the Doctor is re-established, he acts like a god... but in some ways he comes across more like a Greek god... rather than the more benevolent Christian God (I'm not saying that God does not judge, but he always offers people the opportunity to repent). He consigns all the troublemakers to live out eternity under individual terrible punishments:

• wrapped in unbreakable eternal chains
• thrown into the event horizon of a dying sun
• trapped in every mirror in existence
• and lastly...

... and most poignantly of all, one of his enemies is put to work watching the fields of England as a scarecrow. He becomes the symbol of John Smith's death and The Doctor's victory, for all to see... and as a scarecrow he tellingly symbolises that paradox, cruciform - the shape of the cross.

Here is a visual summary I found on YouTube, set to the music of Evanescence... it's been put together really well:

A good couple of episodes... and now we are hurtling towards the climax - the final three episodes of the series. I can't wait.

In a couple of days I'm going to respond to an article I read in a recent science fiction magazine. that attacked the idea of religious concepts being used as credible themes in the science fiction genre. It may be quite hefty... so watch out for it!

Political Headaches

It has been an interesting week in politics so far, unsurprising given that the G8 leaders are meeting this week.

I think what has disappointed me the most so far, is the double act of Vladimir Putin and George W Bush doing a Time Warp. I'm not a fan of either of them as I'm sure you are aware... and why should I be - they both authoritarianism in one form or another. However I was a teenager in the days when the Iron Curtain fell, it was a time of great optimism... the world was waking up from a bad dream.

Now it breaks my heart to see two ancient and decrepit dinosaurs who should know by now that extinction is their destiny... and whose time has long gone, attempt to resurrect the rhetoric and dogma of an era which their pathetic species thrived upon. Whichever side you take, I think this missile defence thing can only end in tears.

Neither man can see beyond his own testosterone fuelled inadequacies. It has occurred to me that we live in an age where the landscape of political leadership is literally saturated with examples of bad leadership - be it through weakness, evil, insanity, paranoia, ineptitude... there are many leaders who we would do well to be wary of. I certainly do not trust a significant portion of the G8 group. Bush, Putin, Blair, Sarkozy are all people who I scrutinize intensely... I wouldn't trust any of them as far as they could be thrown. Many other leaders including Ahmadinejad, Mugabe and Kim Jong-il also feature on my "naughty list".

I wonder what you make of Bush's rejection of Angela Merkel's efforts to commit the G8 to cutting carbon emissions? It seems a little childish to me. "We'll only do it if it's our plan". Which is more important? Doing the right thing... or getting the credit?

Having said that, I can certainly understand why Bush might feel the need to get some credit... because his decisions have pretty much left any hopes of a lasting political legacy, pretty bankrupt.

Finally I am bemused, appalled and dismayed at a recent Friend Request on my Myspace account.

For some reason the BNP (link not provided because I don't wish to benefit their cause), feel that I have potential as a future dark apprentice and have tried to recruit me. That's right, I had a friend request from "Keep British Jobs for British people" and it was plastered all over with pictures of Nick Griffin.

Yeah right! The only similarity between myself and him is in our forename! There we part ways... the BNP is about as a authoritarian as they come... and they are racist trash. They would have ethnic minorities driven into the seas of Britain. I would have Griffin and his kind crushed underfoot and cast into the sea themselves.

They are quasi-British. That is to say they think they are British and they represent a certain kind of "bulldog spirit"... but really they preach intolerance and fear. They represent the dark side of Britain - that which we should strive to suppress and eradicate.

There I shall leave things as I realise I am ranting somewhat... and I need to get to home group. I've already gone on too long for me to be able to eat any dinner!

Babylon 5 is Coming Back

I've just managed to lay my hands on a copy of the latest trailer for the new Babylon 5: The Lost Tales DVD.

I'm completely blown away by the improved CGI. One can only wonder how much more popular B5 would be today... if the technology and budget afforded to more established science fiction franchises was readily available at the time the original series was made. Here's another brief clip which shows one of the climactic scenes from the final series updated with modern CGI:

I should point out that the man doing the narration is the gifted and sadly departed Andreas Katsulas, who played the part of G'Kar... one of the series most important characters.

Babylon 5 fans are some of the most hardcore science fiction disciples you will find. There are a lot of parallels between being a Babylon 5 fan and being a Christian... you get a lot of stick from people who don't understand and think you are just an idiot on both counts... guess I'm just a masochist!.

The simple truth is that B5 is arguably one of the most political science fiction television series in existence. In fact there is a lot in its storyline which is highly relevant to the world we live in today.

It was often described as "space opera" (although there isn't really that much singing). It has a definite beginning, middle and conclusion... and draws on rich literary and historical sources. It taught the science fiction "old guard" a trick or two. Why do you think it is that about 10 years ago, many dramas suddenly shifted emphasis from merely being episodic... to having a defined story arc?

I would argue that inheritors of Babylon 5 in the modern world would include the modern incarnation of Battlestar Galactica... and in some ways Lost.

If you aren't already a fan, check Babylon 5 out.

Two Viewpoints

It occurred to me today that often we fall into one of two types of flawed behaviour, when it comes to how we live out our lives.

The first type are "the grass is always greener" crowd. People who follow this path, have little conviction when it comes to commitment and loyalty, if a better offer comes along... they are off to pastures new.

The second type are the "you made your own bed, lie in it" crowd. I know all about them! In the past, that is the group I have most closely associated with. These are people who value loyalty and commitment so highly that if they make the wrong choice, they stubbornly refuse to get out and instead try to make the best of a bad deal.

The sensible people are those who fall in between... but I wonder in reality, how many people that actually amounts to. It would come as no surprise to me if they were in the minority.

I have a problem with the first group I mentioned... I don't like it when people act like locusts, especially in matters of friendship and relationships. I find it unacceptable that a person can come along, strip mine another individual for all their goodness and then leave them when the next best thing comes along. It is wrong. How does a person justify such an attitude in their own heart? Of course the truth is that it probably never crosses their mind... and for that... if it weren't for the terrible damage they cause to others by their behaviour, perhaps they would have more of my pity.

However the second group, the one I have followed in the past... don't believe in hurting others, they don't understand that there are times when it is OK to get out... that sometimes staying is the wrong option. If you are slowly being devoured in body mind or spirit through a friendship or relationship... I think it is OK to escape.

True friendships and relationships are built on symbiosis (two or more separate individuals working together to benefit one another). Too often we can fall into the trap of parasitic relationships - where one party takes advantage of the other.

I strongly encourage you to think carefully before making a big decision either way about your relations with others. If you are thinking of walking out on someone, ask yourself why. Ask yourself is it really worth it. Ask yourself if you are thinking of what is best for both people, or if you are just trying to have your cake and eat it.

Similarly if you are on the receiving end, if you are in a relationship with someone where you feel obligated to helping them, ask yourself if you are really helping them by spoon feeding them. Are you losing sight of yourself, do you feel like you are slowly dying inside? Don't needlessly commit yourself down a path from which there is little or no escape.

Essentially all I'm asking you is if it is a two way thing. There is an old Korean parable of a soldier who dreams he dies and is shown Heaven and Hell. In Hell, he sees men and women wailing in despair because they are given impossibly long chopsticks with which to eat. In Heaven, the people have happy faces... and yet they have exactly the same chopsticks. the difference is in their attitude. In Hell, the people are trying to feed themselves... in Heaven they are feeding one another.

Are you getting fat off what other people feed you, whilst neglecting to return the favour?

Or are you being fed at all... or are you giving all your food away without receiving nourishment?

Please think about these questions, your long term future may one day depend on it.

Regards and blessings

Nick