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March Madness
It’s amazing how quickly people succumb to cabin fever and just plain self-absorbed ignorance.
It’s A Madhouse!
it’s a madhouse
So, there’s a lot to be said on both sides of the argument.
On one hand, you’ve got mad government overreach. Somehow, with all of the horrific diseases that have invaded our shores this century, this one is the one that needs to be treated like the Spanish Flu. Mandated closure of businesses both small and large are doing dreadful damage to the economy, ostensibly in the interest of stopping a pandemic. It’s conveniently tanking the stock market and the public mood in the months leading up to this year’s election in order to try to unseat an incumbent who (until recently) was enjoying an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity.
Isn’t that convenient?
On the other hand, there is a disease that can be spread rapidly just by regular human contact. Most of us will be fine. Elderly and other immunosuppressed people aren’t going to fare so well. The idea of self-quarantine is not such a bad one. Hanging out until the designated infectious period of 10 days to two weeks is recommended.
What you have is a lot of people staying in because it’s the decent thing to do and a select few who are so self-absorbed and hedonistic that they can’t be bothered to consider the potential damage they could do.
Sure, have a sweet beach party. Catch some STDs. Abuse a variety of substances of mixed legality. Life’s a big party and it’s all about you, isn’t it?
Fine
All I ask is that these party people should be quarantined just the same as if they were getting off a flight from Europe or from Wuhan, China. They want to be on vacation, so put them up in a hotel for two weeks and test them before you release them back into their home populations. Maybe test them for STDs and substance abuse issues while we’re at it…
Okay, more should have been done in the previous outbreaks to prevent the thousands of deaths that actually occurred from Swine Flu, H1N1, Ebola, Avian Flu and several others. Curiously, the media wasn’t too terribly interested in delivering bad news or panic during the Obama Administration. Now that they’re at the end of their rope trying to get rid of the current administration, suddenly we’re in Black Death mode.
Gimme a break.
It’s as transparent as it is pathetic and we’re all pretty sick of it. If any businesses should close, it should be the likes of ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and the rest of the mad media mob. The news media has totally jumped the shark, folks. Time to start pulling people’s press credentials.
Meanwhile, reasonable people can stay home and help prevent the spread of the virus as best we can. It’s time to…
Netflix & Chill
Top 10 Best Netflix Original Series to Watch Now! 2020
So, I subscribe to the Thrillist newsletter and they often comment on Netflix content and user hacks. They recently posted a list of the best action series on Netflix and now I’m in binge mode on The Last Kingdom.
Granted, it’s not in the same genre that I’m currently working but I love medieval stuff whether I’m in superhero mode or not. Sometimes, you just need to watch something new to clear the cobwebs.
The Deep Magic
We have deep depth. ~Yogi Berra
In addition to clearing the cobwebs, I’ve been binging the daylights out of a variety of YouTube channels dedicated to the craft and business of writing. It’s helping me to put things in place so I can get the Sentinels series written.
As I’ve said before, I’m an ardent admirer of authors who can weave a complex tale.
Dickens always amazes me with his byzantine plot twists, foreshadowing and well-woven character interactions.
Martin’s ability to juggle hundreds of fully defined characters across the breadth of continents and cultures impresses me to no end.
Tolkien’s mastery of linguistics and his capacity to create history and myth is something most fantasy authors aspire to.
The funny thing about the various YouTube channels is that you’ll always find someone who thinks that these authors who I seek to emulate are absolute hacks. Oh well, to each his own. OCD is its own reward, I suppose.
Just the same, these people are kind enough to share their views and findings online to benefit the rest of us. That’s awfully kind of them, so we needn’t be too judgemental when their positions go (perhaps) a bit too far.
In any case, my latest bit of searching has given me some excellent writing tips, historical resources and some basic viewing pleasure. I’ve watched a fair bit about the Story Circle based on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and wondered if the same format held for antagonists. This led me to the Villain’s Journey, which follows a similar format but with different beats.
My goal is to write a coherently crafted series about the Sentinels and their collective hero’s journey. The ever-growing superhero team has a collection of characters with their own aspirations and baggage to deal with.
The superhero genre is one that is currently still popular. I’m not the only one interested in the topic. Some suggest that the genre may have peaked already. Not sure that I agree, considering how many projects Marvel has in the pipeline for cinematic release and for the Disney+ streaming service.
Superheroes aren’t going anywhere just yet. They are our unique, modern mythology. Their appeal has been fairly constant since the first comics came out in the 20s and since superhero shows and movies came out in the 70s. The vast material available from the comics married with the rapidly improving digital effects has created a genre that’s going to stay with us long enough for me to get the Sentinels written and into publication.
Along with the popularity of the genre is the moral message associated with superhero tales. “With great power comes great responsibility” is the charge and perhaps the curse of being a superhero.
True heroes are naturally self-sacrificing. Sometimes the sacrifices are simply a matter of the time and effort fighting crime instead of living a normal life. Sometimes it’s the ultimate sacrifice. In either case, it’s always borne with no regrets. That’s the deep magic of comic books.
Narnia 50 best quotes: #23
“Do not cite the Deep Magic to me witch!”
I guess we’ll see our way through the madness one way or another. I hope you’re enjoying your social distancing. It comes to me naturally, so I’m enjoying it rather a lot.