Channel D Opening Soon!

Good news--at long last, the whole Man from UNCLE issue has been resolved and Time-Life is releasing the entire series (packaged in a nifty attache case) on 41 DVDs in late November. Now, if only the whole Warner/Fox dispute over Batman could be resolved, the two biggest holes in my childhood-revisited television collection would be filled! Both David McCallum and Robert Vaughn are recording commentary tracks for some of the episodes, and there should be oodles of bonus items. Hoorah!

Shifting Sands

Ever watch Friends? I enjoyed the series a great deal, because I felt like I got to know those six characters, and I found them all to be very likeable. I knew that, week after week for ten seasons, I would spend a half an hour with the same half-dozen friends, and I would enjoy the brief glimpse into their lives.

Would I have kept watching if, for a six week period, Ross had been portrayed as a dark, driven, almost psychotic man? Had it turned out that Phoebe was an an amoral killer who would turn on her own friends? If, for another four week arc, Chandler had become a foul-mouthed self-indulgent character who mocked those close to him?

Television, one of the most successful forms of episodic continuing-character entertainment, would have little room for such unexplained abandonment of character. However, it is not only tolerated in comics, but it seems that too many writers and editors think it is necessary in order to advance their storylines.

Reading the latest issue of All Star Batman and Robin, unarguably the worst comic ever produced by major talent, I realized that, if this were television, Frank Miller would have been fired over as storyline that so ignored established personalities. He's not the only offender--only the worst. Ed Brubaker, Judd Winick, Mark Millar, and others are throwing away established characters with a long-standing reader relationship in order to "reinvent" these characters in an image more to their liking. And unfortunately, editors allow this to happen, offering no guidance and setting no barriers to a writer's radical reinvention of established characters who are as significant to their readers as the characters of Friends were to their viewers.

Bad storytelling, bad writing, bad editing... the industry really needs to demand more of its talent if it wants to win readers over long-term.

In the meantime, I'm convinced DC could do much better if they'd reissue All Star Batman and Robin with blank word balloons and encourage readers to fill in their own stories. I guarantee they could do a far better job than what Frank Miller is doing...

Happy Birthday, Mom

September 24th would have been Mom's 74th birthday.

Mom's birthday was always the "anchor birthday" for our fall birthday extravaganza. Jessica's birthday is on September 15th, just a little more than a week before Mom's; Susan's birthday is October 1st, a week after Mom's. So we usually used Mom's birthday as the centerpiece of the celebratory period, with everyone getting together to celebrate all the birthdays at one time.

Some people are hard to find gifts for, but for some reason I never had trouble finding gifts for Mom. I guess it's possible that I had a more difficult time than I realized--perhaps I got gifts she didn't particularly care for--but if she was unhappy with the gifts, she never said anything about it. Mom always seemed thrilled with the family gathering, and she always said, "You didn't have to get me anything," but of course we always did, because we wanted to. Finding the right gift is always part of the fun of gift-giving, and I grew up surrounded by Mom's tastes, so I always felt attuned to her likes and interests.

The only gift I can offer her tonight is my undying love and appreciation, and my assurance that everything she tried to instill in us has not been forgotten. I can give her my word that our family remains as close today as it was when she was alive, and I can promise her that she and Dad are always in our hearts and minds. And I can remember all those wonderful birthdays and smile... and wish that we had many more to share.

Happy birthday, Mom!

The Need for Civil Society

Charles loaned me his copy of The End of Faith by Sam Harris, which I had read partially and then forgot; I finished it last night when I ran across it once again, and I strongly recommend the book to those who enjoy provocative writing, whether you agree with his point of view or not. One of the most insightful chapters deals with, as Harris calls it, "The Problem With Islam." Here are a few cogent passages that underscore the difficult relationship between Islam and the rest of the civilized world, while raising the unspoken question, "How does a tolerant society deal with intransigent intolerance?"

"While it would be comforting to believe that our dialogue with the Muslim world has, as one of its possible outcomes, a future of mutual tolerance, nothing guarantees this result--least of all the tenets of Islam... I think it is clear that Islam must find some way to revise itself, peacefully or otherwise. What this will mean is not at all obvious. What is obvious, however, is that the West must either win the argument or win the war. All else will be bondage." (p.131)

"It is time for us to admit that not all cultures are at the same stage of moral development... not all societies have the same degree of moral wealth..." (p.143)

"Is Islam compatible with a civil society? Is it possible to believe what you must believe to be a good Muslim, to have military and economic power, and not to pose an unconscionable threat to the civil societies of others? I believe the answer to this question is no. If a stable pleace is ever to be achieved between Islam and the West, Islam must undergo a radical transformation. This transformation, to be palatable to Muslims, must also appear to come from Muslims themselves." (p. 152-153)

It's powerful, provocative reading that underscores many of the reasons why the West has been largely unable to reason with the Muslim world, and I strongly recommend that you read the book to see how Harris comes to these conclusions. You'll also see that he perceives the current Muslim world as being comparable to Christian society at one point in the past--but you'll need to read the book to learn all about that!...

Taking a Step Back

Every now and then, one feels the need to step away from the day-to-day events of life in an effort to glimpse the bigger picture. I routinely do this on the first day of each season--I use the four transitional days as a chance to evaluate what has happened in my life since the last season began its tenure.

So much is so very different than it was three months ago that, had someone told me at that time just where my life would be on September 23rd, I'd have dismissed it as an impossibility.

Of course, Dad's death is the overshadowing event that has reshaped almost every aspect of my life. Three months ago, I was spending one day a week with Dad, handling his finances and running errrands and enjoying a leisurely lunch and reminiscing; had I only known how precious those days would be!

Cole and Christy are in the midst of a significant transition--Cole has just started a new full-time job, Christy is a full-time student, and they'll soon make the old Marchmont House their own home--and the absence of a monthly house payment will offer them new opportunities.

Jessica has solved her transportation problems, and she and Adam are engaged to be married in 2009. She's already beginning to plan for the wedding that will begin a major new phase in their lives.

Kimberly has found a kind and caring person to help fill her life, and she's been able to resolve some of the worrisome problems that had made her life more stressful.

The store has seen three of the best months in its history, and continues to grow and thrive at a time when other comic shops seem to be facing problems with growth, stock, and a shifting customer base.

Jared and Jenny are preparing to move into their own apartment as their life as a couple enters a new phase that frequently leads me to reflect on my and Susan's early married life.

Chris has become comfortable with his new job, MarKay is successfully transitioning her store into something that she enjoys, and their son Ben is beginning a new job in Japan.

Charles has retired some long-standing debts and has achieved a level of financial security that he hasn't known for several years--and with that financial security seems to come a greater personal satisfaction with his accomplishments.

Allyson and Brett are steadily eliminating some of the financial stresses associated with the volatile graphic design field, and Allyson seems to enjoy her new job more than any that she's held since I've known the two of them.

I've rediscovered friends and family that I had neglected, and am much happier for it.

A time of changes indeed...

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

There's been some discussion among members of the comics community regarding a teacher who recently resigned after stirring up a great deal of controversy by giving a copy of a mature-readers comic book (Eightball #22 by Dan Clowes, for those who want specifics) to a high school freshman. Since I am a strong proponent of comics as an art form and I taught English in public high schools for more than a quarter-century, several people have asked me what I thought about this issue. Here are my thoughts:

Any teacher passing out an issue of Eightball to public school high school students is displaying such bad judgment that he/she doesn't belong in a classroom.

I taught for over a quarter century in a progressive system, and I am aware that it is incumbent on teachers to maintain a very stringent standard of acceptability in regards to any non-approved material (that is, anything not adopted as acceptable texts or supplements by the local school board and/or board of education's sanctioning authority). Teachers in public schools do not have the freedom to randomly select supplemental material, including material that might be objectionable to some or all of the community.

No parent should feel that the school system and/or a representative thereof is undermining a family's chosen values by imposing his own material that includes words, phrases, scenes, etc., that the parent doesn't condone.

Every school system I've dealt with has a system whereby teachers can request that supplemental materials be approved. Among other things, I supplemented Morte d'Arthur, Perceval, Idylls of the King, and other Arthurian material with Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King; since it was an R-rated film, I submitted it to the school board along with an abstract explaining why I felt it was beneficial for advanced-placement World Lit students, a purchased copy of the film, and a parent permission slip I would send home with all students prior to showing. I also prepared an alternative assignment of equal educational value for any student who did not watch the film because of personal or parental concerns. I did this with all supplemental texts or readings that I distributed to students, and never once had a problem. (Had a very good experience with Aliens and Beowulf in comparative studies, all with school and community support and enthusiastic student involvement.)

Once again, we have a case of someone with very poor judgment and a lack of respect for the divergent values of others choosing to distribute what he/she wishes to an inappropriate audience. This sort of judgment is disappointing enough when it comes from a comic shop owner; it's far more disturbing when it comes from a public school teacher, since it creates a community distrust/lack of confidence in the system as a whole--and the system has enough problems to overcome without teachers creating further roadblocks.

(I keep saying "public school" because I have never taught in a private school and have no idea if their procedures are the same or wholly different.)

Simple rule: you don't get to impose your values and standards on your students. That's why school boards have approved texts, etc. In a position of authority, he distributed inappropriate material to a student, thereby determining this was appropriate. He does not to be in a classroom as an educator.

Teachers are fully protected if they simply follow the policies and get any additions to the outside reading list vetted and approved; when they venture from that protection, though, the jeopardize their career and community good will towards teachers as well.

It's also a bad choice for outside reading because... well, because there's so little reading involved. You know how much I love comics as an art form... but I would no sooner let a student substitute a graphic novel for a novel on a reading list than I'd let him watch a film rather than read a book. As an addition, yes--as a substitution, no.

I have no problem with Eightball being in the school library, where students have the freedom of choice as to whether or not to check it out. A library purchase is reviewed and approved by appropriate personnel, so it has been "vetted" through appropriate channels. Even if it's in the library, though, no teacher should give it to a student; they could add it to a list of approved readings, so long as there are appropriate and less controversial choices for parents whose values would conflict with the contents of the book, but it's essential that the teacher must offer viable choices reflect a diversity of values any time non-approved texts and readings are utilized.

Thinking of George

An old friend of mine, George Inzer, lost his father to a stroke earlier this week. George's loss was made even harsher by the fact that his mother died only ten weeks before. I called George and talked to him for about a half and hour yesterday morning, catching up and sharing condolences; he seems to be dealing well with what many would see as an overwhelming situation. George has been taking care of his parents for several years now, and has thus stayed very close to them, which will offer him some solace during this time of grief, I'm sure.

I've urged George to write down his memories, his experiences, and his family stories; it's a cathartic experience for him and it'll give him a chance to preserve things that might otherwise get blurred with the passage of time.

Jerry & Polonius

Just finished reading Dean and Me, Jerry Lewis's fascinating look at his half-century relationship with Dean Martin (he subtitles it "a love story," and in spite of the years of friction and turmoil, it's obvious that insofar as Jerry is concerned, that's just what it is). As a reader with a genuine affection for Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, and first-person narratives, this book clicked with me on every level; even though the first half of the book is almost too factual, the insights of the second half make up for that slow start. Charles loaned it to me after mentioning that it was his favorite read of the summer; now that I've finished it, I can understand why. I suspect that there are many friendships that go through similar fractious periods, but few of them are subject to the intense public scrutiny of Dean and Jerry's relationship.

But I'm not really setting out to review the book here (although here's the short review: lightweight start, great read after the first hundred pages, movingly honest and poignant); instead, I'm using a minor point that Jerry made as a stepping-stone for this post.

In discussing the famous incident in which he and Dean were booed after a truly outstanding performance at the London Palladium, Jerry places a great deal of the blame on the WWII-era Lend-Lease Act, during which America loaned England money and goods for the war effort. As Jerry saw it, there were British hostilities because (a) people hate having to borrow from someone else, (b) they end up resenting the lender, and (c) this creates genuine animosity.

Jerry's paragraph, of course, echoes Polonius' entire "neither a borrower nor a lender be" speech from Hamlet. Polonius even gave the reason for his advice: "For loan oft loses both itself and friend," he warned his son. And as I ruminated on that passage for a few minutes, I realized that my experiences have, for the most part, upheld both Jerry and Polonius's observations.

(I should point out that, according to his own account, Jerry Lewis was a stickler for repaying loans; the one time he had to borrow a large sum of money from a friend, he told him specifically what day and time he would repay the entire amount, and he did so thirty minutes early, just as he had promised.)

I am not a rich man; I have been fortunate enough to have achieved a certain measure of financial security that means that Susan and I have managed to cover our bills and accumulate some savings. (I credit much of that to the frugality that each of us learned from our childhood experiences, combined with some timely career decisions that afforded us the opportunity to invest some savings and leave them untouched for a time.)

Early in my adult life, there were two times when I had to borrow money from my father. In both cases, I paid him back just as regularly and steadily as I would have paid a bank or any lending company. (In both cases, I suspect he took all the money I repaid him and later spent it on gifts for Susan and me, because that's the way Dad was...) From his generosity, I developed a general attitude that, if a friend needed money or other tangible assets sufficiently to ask me for a loan, I should be willing to make the loan if I could afford to do so.

And in many cases, this has ironically cost me friendships. In one case, I knew even at the time I made the loan that it would do so, but was curious to see if I would be proven wrong. I wasn't.

With only a few exceptions, no one to whom I have loaned money has ever repaid it... even when he or she could afford to do so. I can count on the fingers of one hand the people to whom I have made loans who have subsequently stuck to a steady repayment schedule. One person even said to me recently when making an infrequent payment on a loan, "I don't know why I'm giving you money... you don't need it, and I do." And there was a notice of animosity in his voice that made it clear that he begrudged the payment. (See, I told ya--Jerry and Polonius were right!)

I have had some tell me that they simply couldn't possibly afford to pay me back... only to find out that they could, however, afford to spend large sums on others, to support the bad habits of family members, to make vacation trips, or to make other expenditures that I would have considered exorbitant were I in their place. All the while, they insist that their budget is such that a repayment simply can't be made...

I have sold items to people on promise of timed payments, only to have payments go unmade... and then, years later, when the item has reached the end of its functional life and the payments are still unmade, I've even had the same people proclaim that as far as they were concerned, they no longer owed me the money because the item was no longer usable. (I know that my niece Jessica would have loved to have used the same logic to persuade the loan company that she should be relieved of all car payments after a storm dropped a huge oak on her Honda, which had no comprehensive coverage at the time.)

I've had friends simply disappear from my life because it was easier to avoid me than to make payments. In one case, a friend who wanted a mimeograph and an electronic stenciller I was no longer using took them, promising that I would see him in two weeks with the $50 we had agreed he would pay. For those keeping count, that agreement was made in October of 1988; I have yet to see him since then, except as part of a passing crowd in which he made an effort to avoid me.

You'd be amazed how many people have told me that they really needed the money more than me, making it clear that they weren't happy about repaying me even as they were doing so, as if I should then say, "of course--debt negated!"

Somewhat amusingly, I've had two different people ask what I was going to do with the money when/if they repaid me, only to express their disapproval once I told them what my plans were--as if the acceptability of my financial plans should be a determinant in whether a loan should be repaid.

I should add that there are also friends who have steadily repaid loans, and who have expressed gratitude for the loan with each and every payment. It restores one's faith in humanity...

Jerry Lewis felt that a begrudging attitude regarding a loan led to a group of strangers rudely booing what he felt was the performance of his and Dean Martin's careers. Based on my much more limited experience, I can believe it could be so...

Fade to Grandeur

Tonight, I could almost see autumn on the western horizon. As I walked outside near sunset, the treeline was silhouetted against a layered sky colored with the chalky richness of a pastel; as I gased, I felt a playful breeze drift 'round me as it rustled the leaves over my head. Not even eight o'clock, and a cerulean sky overhead brightened by a crisp half moon and a light swirl of cloudiness hinted at cooler nights to come.

Imaginary Geography

I was watching Discovery HD's hour-long feature on the Nubian Empire when I was struck by a major errror in the episode. Midway through, when they wanted to show readers just how expansive the Nubian Empire was, they showed a map of modern-day Northern Africa and the Middle East with several countries superimposed to show where they were in relation to the old Nubian Empire. One country they showed, on the southern edge, was Sudan... no problem there. The other country they showed, to the northeast, was Palestine.

Problem is, there is no country of Palestine. It doesn't exist in today's world. There is a country of Israel, and there are Palestinian-dominated regions, but there is no Palestine.

Dropped the Discovery channel a not about the error, but haven't heard back from 'em. Don't know that I will. There seems to be a major push among several elements to treat Palestine as if it's a country, even though it's not, so I'm left to wonder if this was a simple error or not...