A Forever Question: Conceptualizing Happiness

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Why is it that, for some, two-plus-two-equals-four is an abstract concept?

Writing Production

Movies. Movies. Movies. I've seen a lot of movies since I was a child. For instance, my father took me to a diverse range of films when I was growing up. And the military base movie theatres rotated a wide range of product, old and new.

Now, try and get me to clear two hours to watch a feature length dramatic film. Something blocks me. For months now, especially, I've hardly popped a flick into the player, nor watched one on one of the many free streaming services.

Just this morning I came to the realization that there is a perfectly valid reason why I've been slacking on "keeping up": I feel I have a lot to accomplish, and the idea of locking myself down to vapourize two hours of my creative life is not part of the plan....or any plan.

Switching gears, or film reels: I'd rather be a successful writer than a successful filmmaker. Also, I worked in film and television for years; been there, done that. That's enough. Besides, I can make films on my laptop now. Why consume when I can, for little to no money, about the cost of a ream of paper, produce video product.

That's it. Produce!

Remembrance Day 2020

The years are passing. In particular, our direct connection with those vets of the Second World War is becoming less.

Above is a photo taken in May of 1945 of RAF No 626 Squadron, my late father's unit. Those guys were brave. Bomber Command had one of the highest casualty rates of any service.

Contrary to what some folk might think, observing Remembrance Day is not a celebration or glorification of war in any way, but to remember those who served.

It's True What 'They' Say About Fox News

About a week ago I started checking out the Fox News website, due to my curiosity about how they were covering the U.S. presidential election.

I've been continuing to sample. While most of its commentators are as insane as ever, the news division reports the news, for the most part. In fact, many devoted Fox News devotees were upset when the network confidently named Joe Biden as the winner on Saturday.

So, today I updated myself on the bold news service's latest. This snip-clip is from today: a picture speaks a thousand words....

(Click to enlarge.)

Donald Trump Says He'll Run Again in 2024

"Run again"?!

No way.

Mr Trump will be in no shape to run in four years time, figuratively or literally: The 2024 United States presidential election is more than a thousand Happy Meals from now.

A Forever Question: Tunnel Vision

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Why do certain folk think that watching hours of "dedicated" YouTube videos qualifies as serious research?

Schadenfreude is Real

For some reason it's all around us today: Schadenfreude. That German word used to describe one's enjoyment of another's suffering or misfortune.

U.S. President Donald Trump was defeated "at the polls" by Joe Biden.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden gave his victory speech last night, and was the perfect gentleman in giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the opportunity to open the festivities. Right there, alone: What a difference! (And those smiles! Again: What a difference!)

Do I have any of this schadenfreude right now? No. I do not like or approve of that emotion. But, I did spend my formative years in Germany....

Prediction of U.S. Federal Election Result

Picturing: Toronto Sunset from Late This Afternoon

Doctor Zachary Smith, Indeed!

I'm seeing a few tweets like this today: "BOTD, Jonathan Harris."

Doctor Zachary Smith was a stowaway on Lost in Space's Jupiter 2 spaceship when it lifted off from Earth on its journey to a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri. The character, as played by Jonathan Harris, started off as a somewhat mysterious "foreign agent" who was an onboard threat to the Space Family Robinson -- his efforts knocked the flying saucer off its flight path; hence, "lost in space". However, as episodes passed throughout the first season of that truly horrible television series, Dr. Smith became a bumbling, selfish, and sneaky fool -- which is how he is remembered today by those who grew up with the show, or watched it in its original run on the NBC network (1965 to 1968).

Lost in Space was a treat-bag of absurdities. It was made at the same time as Star Trek, but looked at least a decade older, due mainly to its poor design work....which helped render the series as 'old' right out of the gate.

But there was some appeal in the form of the interplay between the "Robot", Dr. Smith, and young Will Robinson (played by Bill Mumy).

Dr. Smith, to the Robot: "You watch your mouth, you bellicose bumpkin." (Like that.)

Despite a lengthy filmography, Jonathan Harris (1914 - 2002) will forever be remembered for giving life and comedic dimension to Doctor Zachary Smith.

"Have no fear, Smith is here!"

My Elections Canada Experience

Yesterday, although it seems like days ago, I popped a tweet noting my experiences working for Elections Canada in 2000. With what's happening in the U.S. right now, I'm valuing what we Canadians enjoy at and through the ballot box.

My respect and admiration goes out to all the many election workers in the States right now. They are working hard to keep "America" a democracy.

The tweet:

"I took a break from my career to work in the (November) 2000 federal election. A well-oiled machine. There were a few blips and re-cues in our office, but it went well. With the business happening in the U.S., I'm only more respectful of Elections Canada and our system."

A Card Game of Trumps

U.S. president Donald Trump and his team want some states to stop counting votes as this may allow Joe Biden to catch up and overtake. Conservatives are mighty upset at those folk who have the temerity to count every vote cast by U.S. citizens.

That's it. Do everything you can to stop the game in progress when you sense that precious lead may slip away.

We may have our own equivalent here in Canada.

Imagine Toronto Maple Leafs fans wanting to stop a game at the end of the second period when their beloved "Buds" are ahead on the score-sheet, suspecting that the enemy might pull ahead and win in the third.

Pull out the Zamboni ! ....

Toronto Weather Snip from November 4, 2020

Toronto is now into a warm weather spell. I don't mind winter weather at all, even when there's actual wintery weather, but this is a spell I like.

Alternative blog post title: From 59 to 68 (Fahrenheit)

Prediction Re U.S. Federal Election

Biden.

Teenage Head Documentary on TVO Tonight

On TVOntario tonight at 9pm, Toronto time (ET), Picture My Face: The Story of Teenage Head.

"Canada's Notorious Punk Band", Teenage Head, played at my high school. But this then little punk did not go to the show. I'm much more interested in the band now than I was back then, probably due to the fact that they are now part of Canadian punk band history -- a vibrant history, I might add.

As the TVO webpage says:

Alternative Viewing Premiere November 3, 2020: Don’t Miss TVO Original Picture My Face: The Story of Teenage Head, Canada's Notorious Punk Band

"On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, TVO Original Picture My Face: The Story of Teenage Head, will premiere on TVO. It will then be available to stream across Canada on tvo.org and TVO's YouTube Channel. It will also rebroadcast on TVO on Saturday, November 7 at 9 pm ET and Sunday, November 8 at 10:30 pm ET."

Picturing: Let There Be Snow (There Was a Little)

Picturing: Snow to Come?

A Forever Question: A Certain State

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. In a state of insanity is it possible to be sane?

Picturing: Crackly Trees

Looking Back at D.C. Fontana

On December 4th of last year I wrote the following piece on the late television scribe, Dorothy Fontana....

Written by D.C. Fontana

Dorothy Catherine Fontana, perhaps better known as “D.C. Fontana”, was an important force in creating Star Trek and its mythology. Credit too often goes to the Great Bird of the Galaxy himself, Gene Roddenberry, as being the great all-encompassing creator of Star Trek. As noted by Desilu studio exec Herb Solow and associate producer Robert Justman, there were many stellar contributors to the show that started it all, including but not limited to: cinematographers; designers; composers; and writers.

With Ms Fontana’s passing, there is not a lot of key Star Trek production people still with us. Gerald Fried is still alive and composing music at the age of 91. David Gerrold, creator of Tribbles, as in “The Trouble With Tribbles”, is still writing and publishing at 75.

In the then male-dominated dramatic television arena, undoubtedly it was a woman’s touch that helped humanize Star Trek, supplying vital stories and dialogue to characters powered by what my brother describes as “The Beatles Cast”. Ms Fontana had said in interviews that there were female writers working in television in the mid-1960s but they tended to work on non-drama programs. Roddenberry assigned Fontana, his then assistant, the story editor position after he read what she had rewritten of "This Side of Paradise", a script by another writer. (She had earlier written "Charlie X" -- the 5th episode shot in series production.) In this coveted staff role Fontana not only wrote her own scripts, but, as per the job requirement, rewrote others, helping shape the stories into the series whole. Along with other staff writers, she even took a stab at polishing Harlan Ellison's "The City on the Edge of Forever". (When I interviewed Mr Ellison in 2007 I did not broach the subject of "City" since his feelings are well documented; including by him.)


Music composers will say that talking or writing about music is clumsy. Best to listen to the music. The same could be applied to writing about writing.

The following quotes are out of context for the uninitiated, but one can surmise what is going on. It also shows how in television drama writing, every word must count. Not only moving the story forward, but revealing character.

***

From "Charlie X":

KIRK: You go slow. You be gentle. I mean, it's not a one-way street, you know, how you feel and that's all. It's how the girl feels, too. Don't press, Charlie. If the girl feels anything for you at all, you'll know it. Do you understand?

...

KIRK: Charlie, there are a million things in this universe you can have and there are a million things you can't have. It's no fun facing that, but that's the way things are.

From "Journey to Babel":

SPOCK: Any competent officer can command this ship under normal circumstances. The circumstances are not normal. We're carrying over one hundred valuable Federation passengers. We're being pursued by an alien ship. We're subject to possible attack. There has been murder and attempted murder on board. I cannot dismiss my duties.

AMANDA: Duty? Your duty is to your father.

SPOCK: I know, but this must take precedence. If I could give the transfusion without loss of time or efficiency, I would. Sarek understands my reason.

AMANDA: Well, I don't. It's not human. That's not a dirty word. You're human, too. Let that part of you come through. Your father's dying.

SPOCK: Mother, how can you have lived on Vulcan so long, married a Vulcan, raised a son on Vulcan, without understanding what it means to be a Vulcan?

AMANDA: If this is what it means, I don't want to know.

SPOCK: It means to adopt a philosophy, a way of life, which is logical and beneficial. We cannot disregard that philosophy merely for personal gain, no matter how important that gain might be.

AMANDA: Nothing is as important as your father's life.

SPOCK: Can you imagine what my father would say if I were to agree, if I were to give up command of this vessel, jeopardise hundreds of lives, risk interplanetary war, all for the life of one person? 

AMANDA: When you were five years old and came home stiff-lipped, anguished, because the other boys tormented you saying that you weren't really Vulcan. I watched you, knowing that inside that the human part of you was crying and I cried, too. There must be some part of me in you, some part that I still can reach. If being Vulcan is more important to you, then you'll stand there speaking rules and regulations from Starfleet and Vulcan philosophy, and let your father die. And I'll hate you for the rest of my life.

SPOCK: Mother

AMANDA: Oh, go to him. Now. Please.

SPOCK: I cannot.

From "This Side of Paradise":

LEILA: I love you. I said that six years ago, and I can't seem to stop repeating myself. On Earth, you couldn't give anything of yourself. You couldn't even put your arms around me. We couldn't have anything together there. We couldn't have anything together anyplace else. We're happy here. I can't lose you now, Mister Spock. I can't.

SPOCK: I have a responsibility to this ship, to that man on the Bridge. I am what I am, Leila, and if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else's.

…

MCCOY: Well, that's the second time man's been thrown out of paradise.

KIRK: No, no, Bones. This time we walked out on our own. Maybe we weren't meant for paradise. Maybe we were meant to fight our way through. Struggle, claw our way up, scratch for every inch of the way. Maybe we can't stroll to the music of the lute. We must march to the sound of drums. 

SPOCK: Poetry, Captain. Non-regulation.

KIRK: We haven't heard much from you about Omicron Ceti Three, Mister Spock.

SPOCK: I have little to say about it, Captain, except that for the first time in my life, I was happy.

From "Yesteryear", from the animated Star Trek series:

SPOCK: Every life comes to an end when time demands it. Loss of life is to be mourned but only if the life was wasted.