Trumpvilles?

Hi Alex,

A while ago, I started my own Star Trek RPG. I need a place to start my story and for reasons, I picked the ghost town of Nothing, Arizona. The rest of the story doesn't matter for this letter. 

What does matter is that by the 24th century, Nothing is a shanty town made out of tents, converted shipping containers and all sorts of makeshift homes. There are even a few brick and mortar buildings.

Nothing is home to roughly 900 people who fell through the cracks of the United Federation of Planets. But the most important thing is that the people of Nothing are there voluntarily. 

And all of this was some harmless fun....until Trump called the National Guard into Washington, DC. Which made we wonder....

How long before life imitates art ? How long before Nothing, Arizona really is repopulated. Except this time, there will be nothing voluntary about it. This time, it will because people will be forced into these...Trumpvilles (or Tarkin Towns if you've seen Star Wars: Rebels)...at the barrel of a gun. While that...chimpanzee...in the White House sells it as....*does his best Trump voice*....his Big and Beauty final solution for homeless people. *end Trump voice*

After all, what better place to dump the homeless the a ghost town. No locals to complain, no votes to lose. *Trump voice* After all, it's not like these homeless people as allowed to vote. And if they are, I'll pass another Big, Beautiful law to end that. *End Trump voice.* 

I really think this is scenario is a distinct possibility. Alex, Americans....please, worry.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka @Dantes74302 on X)

PS. Alex is not a real person, it is my version of Hello, Kitty/Dear Sigmund.

Why I think AITSE should go on strike

Hi Alex,

As is common knowledge, last year saw two strikes - WGA and SAG-AFRA - do numbers on Hollywood and the American film industry as a whole. And 2024 has a potential strike bubbling away in background.

I know that these strikes were hard on people. And that sucked. Nor do I think that should be swept under the rug. But...

I still think that IATSE should strike. Why ? Because while the 2023 strikes have created some certainties for the future, our world is a rapidly changing place. Especially in the field of Artificial Intelligence. 

And then there is the matter of the Bob Igers of the world, with their giant egos. Yes, the strikes forced them to bend the knee to the unions. But give them a successful box office years in 2024 and 2025 and by the time the next negotiations roll around, they will be just as selfish and arrogant as they were last year. Even more so if they are possession of next-level AI programs that will allow Hollywood to replace people with software like you and I change socks. (And I have a LOT of socks.)

Not only would any agreement resulting from the IATSE strike add certainties and safeguards against AI (and people getting sacked), the strike itself would result in productions getting shut-down (or at least experiencing major issues). Does that mean more hard times ? Yes. Does that suck ? Absolutely, totally, two-hundred percent. If I could think of another way, would I be for that ? Yes.

But I can't think of one. Not without things being much worse during the next negotiations. Or to summarize, If IATSE doesn't strike..."The bill comes due." (Karl Mordo, Dr Strange)

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash)

Why I think the quality of Picard S3 doesn't matter....

 ....If It's Good Or Bad

After all the visceral that Picard Season One and Two took, making Season Three was not a glorious job. Essentially, it was a house on fire. So Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman bolted, leaving Terry Matalas to deal with the ruins. 

If It's Bad...

From what I've seen of them so far, Kurtzman and Goldsman will throw Matalas under the bus. All the  show's flaws - including those in season 1 and 2 -  will magically all be his fault.

If It's Good

Kurtzman has a giant ego. There is no way he is going to let Matalas beat the odds and run off with the glory. (Which he was never supposed to have.) He'll find a way to stab both Matalas and the fandom in the back. 

My guess is that he'll either make sure that Matalas' next project is non-Trek. Or he'll put his in charge of the already deeply loathed Section 31 show, with the Discovery Writers' Room conveniently reassigned there.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash)

Bits and Pieces Vol. 9

Hello Alex,

How are things going on your end ? Things have been wonderfully average here. It is easy to complain about the average-ness of your life, but I am cherishing it right now. No dramas, no major problems and no war. How fragile things are in life. Moving on to...

Robservations

I used to write-in to Robert Meyer Burnett and his Robservations show (on YouTube). But I have decided to stop. Mr. Burnett made some changes that made it impossible for me to watch his shows life. Which turned a fun activity into a chore. (Partially because it locked me out of the chat.) It also ruined the Discord chat for me. So I left and wrote Mr. Burnett a letter saying that I was out. Speaking of writing...

Rewriting

I finished the corrections on Chess Games in Cairo. The good news is that they take as didn't long as I expected. The bad news is that they covered only a third of the novel. So now I'm trying to get my editor to give me notes on the rest of it. (I don't have an official editor, just a friend who did me a favor. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll have time to read the rest.)

MGM/Amazon Deal

Meanwhile, it turned out that my decision to stop writing Stargate fan-fiction was indeed well-timed. The MGM/Amazon deal was approved by the EU this week and the Federal Trade Commission led the deadline for acting action lapse. The thing is.....they were missing a member. 

This is because his appointment is deadlocked in some committee. So they didn't really have a choice. For once, bureaucracy and political infighting actually worked in favor of a fandom. So I am not complaining. Now all the fans - including yours truly - have to do, is poke Amazon into making new Stargate. 

And that's all I have for today,

Best Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Bits and Pieces Vol. 5

Hello Alex,

Okay, to begin with, turns out that you are female. As for what you look like, well.....It took some digging, but I found my mental picture of you. (Hidden between grandma Coulson's secret chocolate chip cookies recipe and a pile of The Doctor's old socks. What can I say ? My mind can be messy.) Any how....

You are African-American, with your hair in a short pixie cut. It was dyed blond in the picture, do you still do that ? Not very surprising, you have brown eyes. But what really surprised me, was the Mackenzie Calhoun-like scar on your right cheek. I keep forgetting you have that. Maybe you'll tell me how you got it one day ? For now, however, I think we should move on to....

Why I don't talk about Politics about a lot

Well, because I am simply not a fan of politicians. A lot of my political post are my ranting at Trump. Who was an idiotic president and now is an idiotic ex-president. And I'm not happy about many a Dutch politician either. If I talked about politics, this would be one of those 'old man angry at clouds' type of blog. Which I don't want to be. Besides, there are plenty of those out there already. And we're walking...

Into a Short Dark Empire update

Chapters 16 and 17 are in the can. My day job ate all my energy for a while, but now I am back to working on Chapter 18. And, trust me, it contains a whopper of a surprise. (But I'm not saying. Muhahahahaha !) And that's all, people.

Regards,

Ruben Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Serious Science Vol. 1

#1 Why you should never date American girls/Women

Well, it is simply a matter of biology. You see, behind every American girl, is an American Dad, the Abba Americanus And as their female off-spring grow, American Dads develop a sixth sense. This sense is known at the Mate Detector. 

This new sense allows the Dad to detect a potential Boy/Girlfriend a mile away. At the same time, the development of this sense affects the subjects' visual cortex. This makes it impossible for the father to see his off-spring as anything other then "Daddy's perfect little princess."

Upon detection of the potential mate, the American dad will immediately proceeded to 'Communicate' with the potential mate. 

Should you survive this stage of the process, you might end up saying the dreaded "I do." In which case, the American Dad and the Mom will immediately mutate into a pair of inhuman, blood thirsty creatures known only as 'In-laws." This raise the question of... 

American Procreation

....how do Americans procreate ? This is the true mystery of the 21st century. One that will likely not be solved for a considerable amount of time. It should be noted that this 'communication' is one of the reasons why Americans as so fond of their guns. Finally, it should be noted that there is one exception to this mystery. Namely, the Americanus Conspiracy Nuttus. 

This subspecies of American had been known to be created by the means of Black Magic. The mamma of the potential ACN burns a pile of old comic books, sacrificing them to the comic book gods Stanicus Lee'us and Jackus Kirbus. This causes the ACN to coalesce fully grown in the middle of their basement. 

And thus ends today's episode.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Curve Ball / Hollywood Strike

Hello World, 

Okay, starting this one with a bit of a wind-up here, people. So, here we go...

About six months ago, something happened. I wrote my first letter to Robert Meyer Burnett, who has a YouTube channel. And she read it on his show. In the months that passed after that, I wrote in more and more letters were read. And - over time - I collected the shows where RMB read my letters into a YouTube playlist.

But recently, I did a review and I was not that happy with my playlist. This is not a reflection on Mister Burnett's replies to my letters. In my opinion, it's the quality of the letters that I think is not up to snuff. Too much silliness, too much filler and not enough philosophy. Only the first one made my cut. 

So I deleted the rest from the list, before sending Mr. Burnett a message that I would not be writing in for a while. Because that was the plan. But then life threw me a curve ball. Namely, the possible Hollywood strike. So here we go. *Crosses fingers and hopes this one will get read*

My Letter for Robservations

Hello Rob and Members of the PGS,

I wasn't expecting to write this letter, but sometimes life throws you a curve ball. I was planning to take a break from letters, because I was not happy with the quality of my letters. Too much silliness, too much filler, not enough philosophy. (Ruben rule's #1: Always be your own harshest critic. Maybe its a dutch-slash-Calvinistic thing, maybe it's just me.) But then the potential IATSE strike appeared on my radar, and I just couldn't help myself.

So, let's move on to the million dollar question....what's your opinion on this potential strike, Rob ?

As for my two cents.....The short version is a sentence Dr. Phil uses whenever he is dealing with a pair of parents in a ugly divorce. The kind with mudslinging and trying to make the children chose sides. "I'm on the side of the children." 

What made me pick this stance is that one of the union members said that she hadn't seen her children in five days. FIVE.....frakking....days !

And as if The Powers That Be wanted to remind me just how important quality time is, I just spend the weekend with three of my sister's bouncing balls of joy. We went to a bookstore, we played games and visited some local dunes. (Just give 'em a ball and a place to kick it around and you have an afternoon of quality entertainment.) 

Which made me wonder......Are the children of that union member getting these kind of experiences ? Nope ! Books ? Sorry, can't afford them. And even if they could somehow scrape together the money, they can forget about mom and dad going along to the bookstore. Because they'll be either be at work or asleep. And should they be awake, they're probably busy recharging for the next insanely long workday.

The point I'm trying to make here, is that these Hollywood jackasses are not just abusing the parents. They're abusing the children. Robbing them of quality time with the most important people in their lives. Once your childhood is gone, it'll never come again. 

And for those stakes, I say....shut it down. Shut it all down. Let Hollywood burn in a Hell of its own making.

Best Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers

Chess Games in Cairo

A small update on my third novel. I still have to write the Blurb and find an editor. But the good news is that I have found the picture that will grace the front. And here it is. 

And that is all I have for today,

Regards, 

Ruben A. Hilbers

Dusting this puppy off....

 ...after several months of inactivity

 To begin with.....

 

TRUMP

 

Sanity and loyalty have prevailed in the US. Donald Trump can deny it until he's blue in the face, but he LOST the election and that is that. He's been losing one legal case after the other, simply because all this fraud claim are bogus. 

And that is probably just the beginning of his (legal) troubles. Before he was elected, Trump was at the receiving end of a ton of accusations. Soon, he will no longer have the White House to shield him from these and he will have to deal with them. Sucks to be him. Anyhoo, moving on to....

STARGATE UNIVERSE AND SPACE: 2029

My fan fiction continuation of Stargate Universe is done. And nope....I am not saying what the signal hidden in Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation means. You'll just have to go and read it on Fanfiction.net. As for what is now swallowing up my time....

 

Space 2029 is a reimaging of Space: 1999. I'm not going to redo the whole show, just the pilot - Breakaway - and the first regular episode - Earthbound - with each being an entry/story in the Fanfiction.net database. 

As an experiment, I'm began writing Breakaway in a different format as usual. Instead of using the Play-by E-Mail (RPG) format that I usually use, it is written as a television script. Which IMHO is REALLY  annoying. So for Earthbound, I am going to back to the PbEM format. So, why finish Breakaway in the television format ? Because I'm seriously considering sending it...somewhere, to somebody....

 

(I haven't figured out where/to who that would be, so stay tuned for that....) I figure that the worst (and most likely) thing that could/will happen, is that it ends in somebody's paper shredder. Finally, there is....

Space 2029 Casting

Scarlett Johansson as Commander Joan Koenig

Why a female Commander Koenig ? Simple, I heard behind the scenes stories that Martin Landau was an enormous pain-in-the ass during the making of Space: 1999. The dude had a HUGE EGO. So I was looking for somebody who was the polar opposite of that. And while I was brewing up the idea of Space: 2029 I saw an interview with Scarlett Johansson. Which made me think....yep, that's the kind of actress this project needs.

George Clooney as Captain Alan Carter

Ian McKellen as Doctor Victor Bergman

Hello, we're talking George Clooney and Ian McKellen here. Enough said. And finally....

Sean Bean as Commissioner Simmons

Have a character that you are going kill off ? Maybe in some gruesome fashion ? At or near the start of the series ? Cast Sean Bean. Who else are you going to cast ? And....

 

...That's all I have for now,

Ruben Hilbers

Trump

Hello World,

So, it's been a while since I've posted....and especially about politics. But recent event in the US....well, I can't just sit back and watch. I am not a fan of Donald Trump. In fact, I loath the man. I cannot watch him and wonder....

Is this the America the Founding Father's fought for ? The America that people lost fathers, husbands and brothers for ? And daughters, wives and sisters ? Rode into the hell of war across the centuries ? Wars of independence ? Civil Wars, World Wars ? Korea ? Vietnam ? And the only answer I can come up with is.....No, no, no !

Did the colonist on the Mayflower come over to trade one tyranny for another ? Is this what the thirteen colonies broke away from Great Britain for ? The history of America is a history of struggle, strife and sacrifice. All done to build a nation that was supposed to be fair, that was supposed to be free. 

Is America perfect.....absolutely not. Does American have clean hands.....no. There are some pretty nasty black pages in the American history books. Especially regarding the treatment of the Native Americans. But it deserves better then to be stabbed in the back.

And in my opinion, to vote for Trump is a betrayal. Against America, against the principles it was founded on and against those who gave their last full measure to defend both.

Ruben Hilbers

A Strange Combination

Hello world,

So here we are again. Things have been quiet here for a while. As for why...well, it's a strange combination of things having been really hectic - at work - and at the same time being really rather silent. Long story short, there was nothing to write (about). So this is probably going to be a rather short entry. Anyhow, moving on to....

Politics

The state elections are coming up. On March 20th, the people of the Netherlands will get to vote for the provinces. Which will not only change things at the State Level, but will also change things on the national level. You see, the people who run the States get to elect the members of the Senate/Upper Chamber (Eerste Kamer in Dutch). And losing the majority there will make things harder for the parties running the country. (Which is fine with me.) With that done, time to go on to....

Novels

Not much to report on this front. Work on novel number three continues (slowly, but steady). I'll soon have to have another typing session. But for now, I'll continue work the old-fashioned way. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I prefer pen and paper. (I also prefer calling ships 'she', but that is a story for another time.) And finally....

Stories

I really need to dust off my 128 blog. I haven't written a new chapter for Stargate Nova Roma since (September) 2017. Also, my NCIS fan-fiction story has been stuck for quite a while. But my muse simply hasn't been talking to me. Still, something for me to spend time on next weekend. But for now, novel number three to work on.

That's all for today....folks,

Edmond Dantes

Update

Hello World,

So...what's happening over here in Zwollywood? Well, to begin with I'm trying not to let my blog gather so much dust. But sometimes there is simply nothing to report, so the blog is silent. Today, however, that is not the case. Moving on to subject number one...

Politics

A quick check revealed that its been a while since I tagged a post with the label. (The last one was in April 2018.) The reasons why are simple. To begin with....Donald Trump is an idiot. (Not that this is news to anybody, but I'm stating it anyway.) I know that there some people - like Peter David - who fill their blogs with rants about Trump and the stupid things he does. And that is his right. I just don't feel like spending one more second thinking about that buffoon than necessary. Thank Heaven I life in Europe. Which brings me to reason number two...

Brexit. Ugh. I'm sick and tired of hearing about this. I think it was a bad decision that will come back to bite the people of the United Kingdom in the ass. But, it's their country...and they can do with it as they please. Any how, moving on to subject number two.

Novels

I did another day of typing on Chess Games in Cairo. The chunk of novel that I had already written is now in my computer. So now comes the hard part....writing more. Meanwhile, I found somebody to help me with the commercial campaign for novels one and two. But said help has a day job, so it will still be a while. More info as it comes around. For now, moving on to...

Leftovers

My bicycle finally got fixed. Yay ! It's good to be able to move around town at any time again. You don't realize how lucky you are to have something until you lose it. Being without my bike was really annoying.

And finally, I changed the theme of my blog. The old was growing a bit stale, so I picked a new one. Someday, I'll (think about) put(ting) up a costume theme. But not in the short term. Any how, that's it for today.

Edmond Dantes

Fact, fiction and physics

Hello world,

Okay, so I sort of did this post ages ago. (All the way back in 2011. But trust me, do yourself a favor and don't look it up. For....) It was badly written and since then some things have changed. So here comes version 2.0.

Several decades ago, Gardner Fox created the DC comics multiverse. Back in those days, he suggested that while he slept, he dreamed of several fictional characters, because he ended up 'in tune' with an alternate universe where his characters were real.

While this may have been meant to be tongue-in-cheek, the times have changed. And with it, so has our understanding of physics. And also the scientific multiverse. Which is where the line between the two multiverses begins to start blurring.

Quantum theory proposes a particle will not take one path, but every path possible. Or....Anything that can happen, will happen. And even the tiniest slither of a chance is enough. (You don't need a fifty percent chance, or even one percent.) Thus leading to an infinite amount of universes. And infinite versions of people and events. And this applies to all matter in existence...

Including actors, sets and props. So, what does this mean for the border between fact and fiction ? Does that mean that the actor and the character as basically two versions on the same piece of matter ? For does that mean that - somewhere out there, in the vast multiverse - these characters are real ? And - since nothing truly exists in a vacuum - so are their fictional universes ? Making (the fantastic) Mr. Fox's claim considerably less tongue-in-cheek ? And what are the moral implications of that ? For example....

Since it is the laws of physics that control what can happen, and not the copyright law. Does that mean that both the BBC's Time Lords and Marvel's Asgard exist ? And does that mean that the Asgard chose not to help the Time Lords during the Last Great Time War ? (Remember, if this theory is true, we're talking real life here. Which makes the fact that these two races are from two different franchises a non-factor.)

And that's just one example. So...does this theory hold up ? And if it does....what does it mean ? Decide for yourself ?

Edmond Dantes

MGM and Stargate

Hello World,

So the dust has settled and.....as expected....my Pitch for SGU 2.0 has (come and) gone completely ignored. While I could throw a fit about this, doing so would not do anybody any good. I will, however, point out that this is part of a pattern. (I did this in the letter that came with my pitch, but I see no reason not to do so again.)

For over the years (since the end of SGU), there was been many attempts to bring back Stargate. Petitions, twitterstorms and even a kickstarter campaign. All to no avail. And all (completely) ignored by MGM.

So....what has MGM been doing with Stargate ? The answer is....not much. There was, of course, the disastrous reboot movie plan. Well, disastrous for the studio. I suspect that many a Gater secretly celebrated when the proposed trilogy collapsed following the train wreck that was ID4: Regurgitated Plot. Since then, MGM has been trying to keep the fans pleased by occasionally throwing them a bone...

The bad result: The Back to Destiny comics.  The good result: Stargate Origins.

Alas, this does not spell anything good for the future of Stargate Origins. Because the silence on the Stargate front makes it feel like SGO was nothing more then a stunt. But this is simply my opinion. And I right or wrong ? Decide for yourself.

Edmond Dantes

Doctors, Missiles and Plans.

Hello readers,

So....there is old Chinese curse...may you life in interesting times. Alas, these are interesting times indeed. And for interesting, read deeply troubled. Chemical attacks by Syria, counter attacks by America and company, and threats by Russia.

And who (or whom) is in the right ? The problem with politics is that there are always deals, nuances, long games, greater agendas, plans and secrets. And the simple fact that, let's best honest, politicians only care about themselves.

Now, I could go into a long rant about this, but you know what ?....I don't have to. My friend - and Captain of the USS Pathfinder - Richard Clogston has done that much better then I every could. His blog is here. *Points to link* http://panstand.blogspot.nl/

I will, however, say that I now understand how Verity Lambert must have felt on 23 October 1963. To have worked on something with a passion, only to have it blindside by (unforeseen) horrible events. So the time has come for...

Piss and Vinegar

I promised that I would publish my pitch on the 14th. And by Rassilion, that is what I am going to do. Another friend - yes Bram, I mean you - however - pointed out that if I published it, I might rendering the pitch useless to MGM. While Rick - the same Rick from above - to be careful that MGM did not steal my ideas. (Or somehow left me holding the bag.) So, what to do ?

Instead of simply copying and then pasting the whole thing, I have decided to write a press release. Or well, technically, what I imagine a press release for season three of Stargate Universe would look like.

(Note to self: Better make that clear, or this whole thing will blow up in your face like an Acme Dynamite Kit.) There will be some overlap with the briefing I posted earlier, but alas, that can't be helped. To keep it from becoming to long, the 'press release' will be a separate entry.

Edmond Dantes

Stargate Universe Reboot Pitch

Hello World,

After a period of nothing to post, I am happy to report that I now have some news. To begin with, I have written a pitch for a Stargate Universe reboot. (Based on Stargate: Nova Roma.) And then I send said reboot out to several actors - and even a General - hoping to rally support for it. So, who did I send an old-fashioned paper copy ?

1)      General David L. Goldfein - Chief of Staff, USAF
2)      Mr. Goran Visnijic - Actor
3)      Mr. Paul McGillion - Actor
4)      Mr. David Nykl - Actor
5)      Mr. Corin Nemec - Actor
6)      Ms. Amanda Tapping – Actress
7)   Mr. Robert Carlyle - Actor

Of course, let's be realistic, the chance of getting a reply are probably reaaaaallly low (if not sub-zero). But sometimes you have to roll a hard six. And if nobody replies, what will I have wasted ? Some of my spare time, some paper and some stamps. It won't be the end of the world.

And yes, I know that some people would consider this attitude a bit defeatist. The problem, however, is that I merely a fan and not part of the industry. And when you are not part of industry, the response of agents towards your ideas tends be...

 

On a side note, for those of you reading Stargate Nova Roma....when writing SGNR, I try to write it as if it is a television show. Of course, SGNR does not have budget limitations, so that I was able to pull off some things that would never fly on television. (Such as the crew being a mix of New Asurans, Humans, Ursini and Nakai rebels.)

Also, in my pitch, Mr. Visnijic - known for playing Dr. Luka Kovac on ER -  plays Colonel Vale. So, next time you read one of my chapters, you might want to add that face to the mental picture. (Or not, it's up to you.)

Game Front

Episodes 2 and 3 of the Freedom Chronicles have come out. They were much fun. And although the general attitude seems to be that Wolfenstein II is done on the DLC front, I'm hoping that the E3 conference will include news on further expansions. But E3 2018 is still a couple of months away, so only time will tell.

Politics

This week saw elections over here in the Netherlands. The city council was up for voting and there was a referendum on a new security law. Also, a man attempted to commit suicide in the Tweede Kamer (the Dutch Senate). All in all, this has been a stormy week in politics over here in the Netherlands.

And while I cannot speak for the rest of the country, there's a good chance that it's not over here in Zwolle. (Or as I call it, Zwollywood.) Apparently, the big parties here don't really get along. So, forming a coalition should be....interesting.

And for now....that's all, folks !

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

Why I picked Edmond Dantes as an alias...

...or why the Netherlands isn't perfect either.  (Trump, Wilders, George Lucas and Chateau d'If.)

With the elections creepy near over here in the Netherlands, I felt it was time to write this blog. To begin, I have a run-of-the-mill piece of news. A couple of entries ago...I kind of promised that I would write an NCIS story on FanFiction.net. I am happy to announce that work on Chapter 1 began today. Alas, since this outside my comfort zone of writing (aka Science Fiction) - which was the whole point - it will take time. And now, on to the main show....

Trump and Wilders

The point I was trying to make with my open letter to Peter David was that Trump was a threat to the US of A. Not just because he's an idiot - which he is  - but because he represents the class society. (He's a spoiled, pampered, arrogant <insert long list of curses>.) The very thing that the founding father wanted to get rid off. Donald Trump is the antitheses of every principle the country was founded on.

What does this have to do with the Netherlands ? Well, the words are very different - as is the history - but the Netherlands' constitution is based on the same principles. And we even have our own Donald Trump. He's called Geert Wilders. And like Donald Trump, he's a (racist) idiot. As the saying goes...those who fail from history are doomed to repeat it. And Geert Wilders is a repeat just waiting to happen. And the only way to prevent it is to go vote, for anybody who is not him. Who you should vote for instead ? Well, that is for you to decide for yourself....

George Lucas and....

Moving on. The subject name for this section was a bit hard to lock down. This because I was inspired by an episode of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Indy run into Doctor Albert Schweitzer and the two of them have a conversation on a boat. (It's a long story, it would be shorter to simply watch the episode.) But since George Lucas created the show, he gets the title slot. So, anyway, to get to the point....

Albert tells Indy that society doesn't want men to think and come to their own convictions. It wants servants who do as they are told. And that people go along, because it is easy to let society do your thinking for your. That way, all you have to do, is follow.

The sad truth is that this was true when Albert told Indy - during World War One - and it is still true now. When I got started on this blog - years ago - it was basically a very angry, very immature rant against my day job in a sheltered workshop. (PDD-NOS is a bitch.)

It's not something I'm proud of, but fortunately with time came wisdom and self-control. But that does not change the fact that I am very critical of the whole concept and the management of the sheltered workshop in Zwolle. (Which is called Wezo, for the record.) Which brings me to my next subject.

...Chateau d'If

People say the class society is gone. But - at least in my experience - when you work in a sheltered workshop or have some kind of disability, that is far from true. In the 2002 movie version of the Count of Monte Cristo, the main character - Edmond Dantes - is send to a jail called Chateau d'If. Edmond tells the warden he is innocent - which he is - and the warden tells him that he knows that this true. Because Chateau d'If is the prison people who are politically inconvenient are locked away.

While the sheltered workshops in the Netherlands were once about what was best for the people who worked there, but in time that changed. And not for the better. The workshops became about commercialism. Which is where what Albert told Indy shines through once again. This became painfully obvious when - a couple of years ago - the folks in The Hague made a decision.

Everybody (at the sheltered workshops) had to be seconded to commercial companies. This was not done because it was the best for the employees. This was done because the sheltered workshop program had become to expensive. At the same time, they decreed that every company above a certain size that to have a certain percent of handicapped employees. They also decided that companies which did not do so, could be fined up to 5000 Euros. The thing is....

To hire somebody full-time (or two part-timers, who together make up one extra employee) costs at least 1000 Euros per month. Times twelve + vacation money + the Christmas bonus is 13000-ish dollars per year. In short, it is cheaper to pay the fine, then to comply with the law. (And that's just the new employees paycheck. I'm sure there are other costs as well.)

Further more, the cynic in me says that if it was that easy...why were the sheltered workshop created in the first place. That same cynic also says that the answer was so that society could hide away the handicapped people without having to feel guilty. After all, it was their own good, sending them there. Wasn't it ?

Conclusion

But when you are on the inside, it feels like Chateau d'If. (At least, it did to me.) A prison where the people made only mistake. They were born different from the rest of society. And so, Edmond Dantes seemed fitting.

Edmond Dantes

Mister David's Answer to my Letter

After writing my letter on my blog, I used the comment system on Mister David's blog to deliver it. This is what he wrote in reply...

(Edmond Dantes)

I don’t know if we have a class society in the same way that, say, the UK does, so much as a determination of where you are on the financial side of things that is determined by where you start out. But there are plenty of examples of people being born with nothing (including our previous president) who was able to build himself up. Trump may indeed be a part of the one percent of people who have tons of money, but that doesn’t put him in another class that is exempt from following rules. That is a fact that he is currently discovering, and it’s clearly pissing him off. Thus far throughout his life his money and position have exempted him from having to deal with the same laws that everyone else does. But he’s discovering that the founding fathers indeed saw that someone like him might come along and built safeguards–checks and balances–into the governing process. He wants to do something unconstitutional and the courts are saying, “Nope,” just as Sally Yates knew they would.

PAD

An open letter to Peter David

Regarded Mister D,

I hope you do not mind me using you as a crutch, but I feel that this entry would work better as a letter. One with lots of questions, but no answers. (I do not do answers. You can blame Anton Chekhov for that. It's a long story.) So, anyway....

Looking at the world today, I feel the question must be asked....does freedom exist ? Not long ago - from a historical point of few - humanity lived in a class society. (As anybody who has seen Titanic will attest, this was still visible as late as 1912.) Have these days truly passed ? Or have we simply become better at hiding the lines ?

Do we not all follow the expectations of society ? (A good example of this question might be Another Brick in The Wall by Pink Floyd, Part 2. Is it ? Decide for yourself.) We go to school, we get a job and pay the rent. Is this freedom ? After all, how many people actually chase their dreams ? And how many of us put these 'on hold' ? For practical reason, we tell ourselves. And we do not have to worry to about our dreams.

After all, as soon as life allows it, we will resume chasing them. Won't we ? And how many of us are lying to ourselves ? I do not know. I will not say. Instead, I will - as I often do - let people decide for themselves. (Despite not having meant it that way, I seem to have to developed that as a catchphrase. But I digress...*wink*)

To conclude this letter, I would like to speak about why I picked you as the receiving end of this letter. It is The-President-whose-name-shall-not be spoken. Is he not a symptom of the class society attempting to dig its claws into the US of A ? Or am I - as an outsider living the Low Lands - seeing this wrong ? Is this not the true threat to the Land of the Free ?

Should America not demonstrate its principles now ? Which - as I understand them - are that anybody can become anything, as long as they would hard and - this is where it becomes sticky for President Donald Voldemort - play by the rules. (In this case meaning the law and the US Constitution.) And should not demonstrate them by showing that nobody is above said rules ? (No matter how much idiocy they catapult at judges and media.) And is the best way to do this not to remove anybody - regardless of money, rank or status - from office ?

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

P.S. I know the chance of me getting a reply is 0.0 percent. But no pain, no gain. Also - for anybody reading my blog (if there is anybody) - up next in this series....Why did I pick Edmond Dantes as an alias. (Or...why the Netherlands is not perfect either.)

Putting Opinions into stories (The Chekhov Paradox)

Dear Want-to-be-Writers of the World,

Today I want to talk about the practice of putting opinions and morals into stories. This is something that many a writer does. But in my opinion, should not be done. And thus, in three sentences we have hit what I have called the Chekhov Paradox. It is named after Anton Chekhov, who believed that - in order to write good stories - a writer should write from a neutral viewpoint. And that realism should take precedence over providing answers.

This is a paradox, because while I agree with this view, I can never say so in a story. Because if you do so, you violate the very principle of not putting an opinion in a story. (Fortunately, this blog is slightly more flexible in that regard.)

To continue....I feel this neutrality is not only better story telling, but it forces the reader to think. If the writer does not provide a morale or answers, but merely questions, the reader must find them for him or herself. Further more, I agree with Mister Chekhov that talent is more important then opinion.

Why ? Well, as I said in my previous entry.....Writing is easy - there are plenty of writers out there. But good writing - which has a chance of improving the world - that is hard. Extremely hard. And rare. One last opinion....

Never, ever presume/say you have talent. The only writer I know to have done so, was Harry Mulish. (I know many people in the Netherlands consider his books classics. I do not.) The man was arrogant and selfish. At least...In my opinion...But was he really ? Or do you agree ? Decide for yourself.

Edmond Dantes

Edit: After I finished this piece, I read it on the blog myself. And I noticed it had an aura of arrogance. So while I accused Mister Mulish of arrogance, I have to admit that I am susceptible to it as well. So, my last tip....keep your ego in check.

Inspiration

Dear Want-to-Be Writers of the World,

Ages ago  - at least that is how May of 2016 now feels to me - I wrote an entry about Chess and Chekhov. And how this inspired me when I hit a lull in my creativity. (For those of your who have not read it and wish to do so now, here is the link: http://xanthi-rising.blogspot.nl/2016/05/chess-and-chekhov.html And if you don't that's okay as well.) That post kind of digressed into the subject of how we (perhaps ?) should see the world and the future.

So today I would like to continue the discussion of inspiration. For example, the inspiration for today's blog has been bubbling below the surface for quite a while now. But - at least in my experience, perhaps this is different in yours - to properly surface and blossom, you have to take your time. No chores, no appointments....just you and the paper. (Or - for us Bloggers - PC.) And - as mentioned in Chess and Chekhov - the right music.

It is at this point that I must give credit where credit is due....This post was inspired by my Uncle Roel. A while ago, he wrote a book called Music That Makes Your Heart Sing. A book containing a selection of 99 works of music, with space 100 left empty for the reader to fill in himself. (For details see....http://www.roelsteenbergen.nl/muziek-/ Alas, the site comes only in Dutch. But there is always Google Translate.) When I got my copy, I believed that I would never fill in space 100. It simply did not feel like my cup of tea.

But - as also mentioned in that old blog - time (and perhaps life) is change. So I found my number 100 in the form of a song called Hallelujah. But with this conclusion rose a very difficult question....which version ? This song has many a version (having been covered by many an artist), but the two most popular ones - or so they seem to me - are Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley.

The key difference between these two versions is the lyrics. Both are about a man in trouble. But whereas the Cohen version ends with the man pushing through his pain and clinging to his faith, the Buckley version ends with doubt and loneliness. So which is the better ? I honestly do not know. Some days Cohen wins out, while the other the Buckley ends up on top.

The point I am trying to make here is that while you may find fixed sources of inspirations, others maybe be in flux. Some days they may inspire you to write, while on others they fall flat. And that is okay. For that is life. And in my opinion there is only one way to deal with this flux. To have as many sources of inspiration as possible. Agree ? Disagree ? Like I have said before, decide for yourself.

Edmond Dantes