Holy Pondered Answer, Batman!

I was at a leadership meeting recently, and one of the warm up, getting to know you exercises was "Which superhero would you want to be?"  I was the first to answer this question and without hesitation I said "Batman".  Then I got the unexpected follow-up question:  Why?    I was thrown for a second then said that I liked the fact Batman used his mind versus some special power to defeat the bad guys.  That was partially true, but the question it else led me into taking a moment to consider if that was the real reason.  Was it the cape?  Was it the Batmobile? Was it the scowl? The Nelson Riddle theme song?

I grew up in what was consider the golden age of the TV superhero. Superheroes flooded the TV just as I got home from school and all morning every Saturday.  In addition to cartoons we had The Green Hornet with Bruce Lee as Kato; old Adventures of Superman reruns with George Reeves and of course the campy Batman with Adam West.   These shows were repetitive and did not delve into the back stories of the characters; and they were not serialized so each was a 20 minute episode was a stand-alone tale.  The other 10 minutes of the half hour was filled with commercials for cereal and things like Sixfinger -- "...how did you ever get by with just five?" 

The shows were very basic:  you had a superhero kicking villain’s butts, with known powers, and known personality traits.  The rest of the depth of the characters and story lay on the cutting room floor, to get the whole story you had to read the actual comic books.  

Batman was my favorite not due to the acting chops of Adam West or Burt Ward, but because of all of the Batgadgets.  I liked and wanted a Bat-a-rang, BatJetPack, Batcomputer, Batcycle, Bat and Batmobile.  The day after the show was on was spent reenacting the episode on the playground with imaginary words like Biff! and Zow! flying out of our choreographed light contact fights. I was young and no character build-up was necessary.  I liked it just the way it was and later when I started reaching "that age"  I was happy to watch Julie Newmar slink around as Catwoman, though I did like Eartha Kitt's purr better.  

Side note:  I do recall an epic battle that took place on the St Mary's School playground when two kids got into it over Thor being the son of God.  A Catholic school playground is not a good place to have comic book theological arguments.  In the end Father Schwartz intervened and settled it by explaining Norse Mythology and the comic book adaptation of Thor, Loki (who was never in the  cartoon) and Oden.  

As I grew I got a bit more sophisticated, I moved on to Secret Agent Man, I Spy,  and Mission: Impossible.  All those heroes had gadgets.  Really cool gadgets and in MI you even occasionally got to see a guy pull off his face during the final reveal.  I didn't stop liking Batman, I would love to have seen more Batman, but as it was I grew up and Batman didn't and he wasn't enough to hold my attention about then.  I could have moved to comic books for the narrative, but by the time I got access to money and a comic book store, I had moved on to Mad Magazine.

Along came the Michael Keaton - Batman, then the Val Kilmer - Batman, and finally the George Clooney - Batman.  Cool gadgets, cool villains, cool cars; but a little on the campy side.  None of them looked into the dark soul of Bruce Wayne that led to the creation of Batman; at that point in my life I needed the complexities of that story line to keep me a fan -- or at least a fan of the movies.   I read more in depth discussion of nipples on the suit than of the storyline.  Sad, but it did lead me to the Dark Knight.
 

I finally read the graphic novels (grown men don't read comic books) and I liked them.  Here were the gadgets plus a complex back story that led a smart guy down a dark path that continually left him standing on the razors edge between doing the right thing the right way and administering justice himself.  Which side should I root for?  The villains were likewise deeply bent and psychopathic.  They were capable of anything at any time.  Catwoman and other female villains were sexy but used that sensuality to achieve evil or just plain cause chaos.  Awesome.  Plus there were rules for continuity (or canon) attached to the characters and things they could and would do and things that did not match history so they could not.  Also awesome.   

I had matured and now I had a mature Batman to enjoy and admire.  He was a superhero with zero super powers.  He was smart and rich enough to use the intelligence to invent the means he needed to fight the badness.  He threw on a cape and went out to do battle -- and he didn't always win.  Totally cool.  Then came the Dark Knight movies with Christian Bale.  Mostly canon, darker and very good.  I enjoyed all of them.    

So why is Batman my favorite?  Maybe because I could be him.  No radioactive spiders, dying planet, Arc reactor powered suit, or gills required.

Ben Affleck?  Meh.  Not a fan.  In real life and on the screen he has always seemed arrogant, condescending, and plastic.  A poor choice, but let's see what happens when he puts on the suit.

For now, I will slip into my cape a few nights a week and keep the local streets safe.  Since I have been here, neither the Joker nor Riddler has ever shown up.  Catwoman?  One can only hope.

62887

I'm Not Dead Yet...Or Am I?

As you go up in years, death becomes part of your life.  With each passing year, people you know, people you have heard of, and people you are related to start to pass on.  That is just the way life goes.  Of course, if you are the one who dies, you tend not to hear or worry about it anymore.  There have been a lot of articles and stories in the past few weeks about what happens to your on line presence when you die.  Some companies are considering letting you name a successor who can take over your accounts in the event of your death – the thought of that reminds me of something Teller (of Penn & Teller) once said:  “When I die, blow up my laptop”.  There is some wisdom in that, but what about all the stuff you have posted on line?  Do you want it destroyed or should it live on in a digital form of immortality?

When my Mom passed, my Dad left her voice on the answering machine for a long time.  At first it was a little unnerving to have her voice talking to me when I called, but then I got used to it.  Eventually, I found some comfort in hearing her voice now and then.  I am not sure why my Dad eventually changed it,  but when it did it felt a little like I had lost her again in some way.   I realize this is low tech compared to where we are now,  but why not let people go on living digitally?   Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to reach out to a friend who has passed and see something they wrote or recorded from time to time?

I am not suggesting that this apply to all on line accounts.  It would be creepy and heartbreaking would it be to finally be matched with the perfect soul-mate on Match.com or Farmersonly.com, only to find out they have been dead for a few years.  But for things like My Space, Facebook and this blog – digital eternity has a certain utility and warm feeling about it.  For example, you may have read something on this blog today or yesterday that made you laugh or think, but while you were doing so  -- did it ever occur to you that I might no longer be around?  Does it matter?  Would you have enjoyed it less?  Even better, if something I wrote made you angry -- too bad – it is hard to argue with the dead.  Haters matter less to the dearly departed,  it is the ultimate “Nah! Nah! Your words don’t hurt me!” or even better "Dude.  Are you really arguing with a dead guy?"

I am not sure what all the online companies might do with all the content that exists once people pass on, but should it be any different than what book publishers have done for years?  Hard print publishers keep printing an author’s books as long as they sell.   But think about it this way, you no longer have to be a member of a select, judged and approved class to have your voice heard – maybe forever.  On any given day thousands of humans write down or record what they feel and turn it loose into the digital stream.  How wonderful is that?  In the past you might have only gotten the viewpoint of only one or two people about an event, now you get hundreds,  and not all of them agree – that to me is the best part.  Who knows,  it may have been some guy on the grassy knoll.

Maybe a litmus test for keeping things around could be once no one has accessed the site for 500 years, it dissolves (literally) into the ether.   Thinking about it under that set of rules might lead people to be more careful and the same time more thoroughly think about what they say.

There are many great things that John Lennon did during his life, among them was recording and filming a lot of the most common events in his life as they happened.  Now 50 years later we can still see those things and appreciate how the genius he was handled day to day living.  We can feel connected and appreciate the simple wisdom and beauty of his life as we do his music.  Because he was well known and famous these things he left behind will exist forever.  For me, I would love to have access to similar information and personal remembrances of my great grandfather. 

 

The problem is he lived most of his life before such capabilities existed.  But what would my great grand-daughter think?  She might want to read a blog entry I wrote way back on 15 February 2015.  I hope Blogger keeps it available for her.



62,657

Pander to Pondering

I have heard the default setting of the human mind is active daydreaming rather than some kind of blank static. After giving it a little thought, I have to agree. If you allow your mind to go completely blank it starts to entertain itself with various thoughts. However, it is very difficult to get your mind to go completely blank conscientiously – – if I tell you not to think about elephants you can't help but start thinking about elephants.

So, if we agree that the default setting is daydreaming, when is the last time you can remember just sitting and daydreaming? I was recently sitting in a doctors office waiting to be called in, so I broke out my phone and started playing a game in order to relieve boredom. After a few moments of this, I wondered what I was losing by not allowing myself to just sit there bored. Even if I did not start daydreaming, I might start pondering other things that were going on that could use some thought.

For example, is there a better way to rearrange my basement so that it is more organized. Or, what do I plan on doing this spring to prevent that fungus from growing on the backside of the house where it is shaded by the tree and doesn't get much sunlight. Valid needs that might benefit from a little pondering.

When we lived in Germany, I used the time when I and my son were traveling places on the bus or while we were walking into the park to play chess to make him exercise his creativity. I would point out a person who was walking in the distance and ask him what their background was or if two people were sitting talking, what they might be talking about. There were no limits to the content of the answers; several times I found that we were surrounded by aliens, foreign agents from other lands, and a very alive Elvis hiding amongst us all dressed as a little old lady with a cane. It might sound silly, but it helped him to exercise his mind and his ability to see beyond what was visible.

I have always considered having a smartphone available, during a time that might otherwise have been wasted, to be beneficial. You can do email, check on your flight status, or just learn something new. What that phone does not do is allow your mind to be creative – – I'm not talking about simple creation like using letter tiles to create a word for a game but deep creative thinking that requires you to let go of something in your hand and instead grab hold of something that is not concrete but is infinite. We need time to let the mind return to default mode.

Much has been written about people taking days off from technology or escaping from being plugged in. A very valid consideration, in fact, I used to take Wednesday nights off from both TV and all other electronics, except a radio, when I was in Kuwait. But I'm not talking about something so drastic. Just once a day, rather than pulling your phone out to check it or to play a game while you have a few idle moments consider staring out the window for the same period of time. Allow your mind to take over in default mode and enjoy a daydream; failing that just take a few moments to think about something going on in your life that needs a few extra moments of thought. Not something emotional, but something concrete that you might be able to solve by giving it consideration. I think you might be surprised at the result.  Be Ralph Phillips.

Who knows, the mind that might've cured cancer instead was playing Candy Crush during the 30-minute train ride to work instead of letting their mind return to its default setting.

61,536

Je Suis Charlie

Freedom of expression is too vital to a civilized society to ever allow it to be censored and stifled; it must always be defended.

The FineZt

The other day, when I opened my Internet browser, I was greeted by my usual homepage. For some reason, I didn't click straight through but actually took a second to read it --- that is when it occurred to me that a full decade it passed since I closed the business that the webpage was for, in December 2004 I closed Unicorn Software Limited. So many years have passed since I hung up my computer keyboard and stopped being a software marketer. Unicorn was not run the business as a full-time venture, although it is high point it did have very impressive sales,  It was something I did because I enjoyed the challenge of programming and I like the idea that people were using and enjoying something I had created.

 

This is the company biography I sent out to publishers and potential marketing partners (forgive the grammar):

 

 

In 1985, Unicorn Software Limited was founded in Guam.   The founder was an avid computer enthusiast and was majoring in Management Information Systems with the University of Maryland at the time.  In addition, he was serving with the U.S. Air Force and was continually being called upon to write custom applications and solve problems with computer systems.  Additionally,  many businesses on the island made use of his services as a  technical expert .

 

It was by chance that he received several disks of Shareware along with a order of bulk floppy disks.  That changed the direction of his focus, from custom applications for the Air Force and local businesses, to more generalized programs for the public.  In January 1986, Unicorn released its first two programs into the Shareware market:  Forward2 and PrePrint.

 

Both of the programs solved problems he had experienced and needed computer help to solve.  The first registration check came 6 months later, and by that time Unicorn had released four more programs as Shareware:  VideoMaster, CassetteMaster, DayMaster and AlbumMaster.  They now have over 20 programs being distributed by the Shareware method.

 

After graduating from the University of Maryland, with honours, he went on to teach Computer Science for Central Texas College, Guam Campus, and then later at IVY Tech in Indiana.  At least one class of every course was devoted to what Shareware was and the advantages of it.  He left the Air Force after completion of his enlistment in 1988, but continues to serve in the Air Force Reserve

From the very beginning Unicorn Software Limited's philosophy  has been simple:  Build a program that is useful, make it easy for any level of computer user to use , and make the fineZt of its kind.  For over 7 years they have done that and more! 

 

In addition to creating the best programs available, they have provided the best customer service in the  software industry.  Unicorn constantly listens to user's suggestions and, most importantly,  implements them.  According to the Founder, "We consider the user vital to the outcome of every project and the reason that we exist".  Unicorn Software Limited is also a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).

 

All of  Unicorn's programs are being upgraded continually, taking into account inputs from users and the status of computer hardware.  Within the past two years most of Unicorn’s programs have been reintroduced in Windows versions. 

 

In addition to the above listed programs, Unicorn has home applications like OMNIMeal, SoundZ and CDMaster; business applications that include PostCardMaster and CompUser; utilities like DiZk4D and OMNIDiZk; two creativity products for writing, OMNIDay and WordZ; multimedia programs ; and educational  systems like Zpeller and LessonPlanZ. The variety has a lot to do with users suggestions for future programs, and the needs the author sees.  "If a program does not exist for a need I  have, or the ones that exist can not handle what I need done, it is created".

 

Unicorn Software programs have enjoyed critical, as well as, commercial success with glowing reviews being published in  The Little Laptop Book,; Shareware Update, PCM, CompuServe, and  Shareware magazines; the national  column Shareware.; and many on-line publications. In 1995 Unicorn’s SoundZ  program was selected for the coveted Best Home and Hobby Program by the Shareware Industry Awards Foundation.   Users who have no limits on their resources have also chosen to use Unicorn's programs among those:  EMI Music, Walt Disney World, Mike Callahan (AKA Dr. File Finder),  Robert Fulgham, Tom Clancy, radio and TV stations in 5 countries,  clubs like the Lions and  Masons , and  hundreds of small businesses. from all over the world.    In addition to that 1000's of  home users on all 5 continents have chosen a Unicorn Software program as their solution.

 

With that kind of vision, dedication and philosophy, it is easy to see why Unicorn Software will be around for a long time to come.

 

 

So, for 18 years Unicorn Software Limited existed and when I shuttered it in Germany, some 11,769 kilometers from its origin,   I still take great pride in knowing that it had produced the fineZt software of its kind.  It was sad to close it, but the market had changed and less time was available to work on those types of projects and keep them current. I do wonder what happened to my contemporaries from that period who along with me developed the software to the personal computer into the home computer.


60806

Distractions & Derisions

So far in 2014, I have made 2 blog entries.  Quite a change from the two years prior, when I was writing at least one entry a week.  Granted, things are different -- the biggest difference is that I am no longer living in the Middle East, which means I am no longer traveling to strange new places, meeting interesting people, or falling off of walls I should not have been climbing in the first place.  So the uniqueness of material to write about has declined, but there are still many interesting things going on in my life and mind.  I did take time to write about two of them:  Mary Poppins and Linda Ronstadt (there is probably a graduate level psychology paper about how those two women figured in), but the reason why is a little deeper.  In the end I have determined it is Mark Zuckerberg’s fault.

 

All of my entries are based on something that happened to me and how I felt about it.  In many cases, the bizarre titles of my entries are the actual starting string of thought that led to the blog entry.  When I was in Kuwait, I did not play on Facebook at all, but upon arriving back I started to read it more often to keep up with family and friends.  As a result of that, I starting making Facebook entries out of those starting strings of thought, rather than letting the ideas mull around in my mind for a few days and developing them into a short essay that would end up posted on my blog.  Facebook ate my initial ideas before they could develop into a full-fledged examination of situations.

 

To curb this in the coming year, I will Facebook a lot less and save to savor those ideas that pop into my mind until I have time to develop them into something more.  I will also go back to writing for a few hours every Sunday to give myself time to capture those savored thoughts and their resolution.

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I'm Saying Is I'm Not Ready

I have spent over four weeks working on this entry. My last iteration was almost 3000 words; overall I think that I have written 7000+ words trying to create the entry with no success.  This started out as a very simple piece in which I was trying to express gratitude and deep feeling for someone whose talents effected a seriously confused period in my life. However, as I was conducting active research, which I often do while writing, I started to uncover facts that I was unaware of and as I did the entry started to fall apart while I was writing.  This was not because my opinions or facts were wrong but I simply knew only one side of the person I was writing about. The discovery of additional information so drastically changed my opinion about the person that I found myself questioning the rationale and purpose for what I was writing.  In the end, I was so conflicted that I just kept writing but could never draw any conclusion that stood up against the information that I was finding.  I will also say that I have serious qualms about taking some of what I found to be truly attributable to the subject matter because in many respects there is a deep dichotomy between what was being reported and a lifetime of actions that simply did not mesh.  

After reading my last attempt at writing this, I know exactly what the kid felt like who looked up at Shoeless Joe Jackson after the Black Sox scandal broke and told him “Say it ain’t so Joe.”  So with that thought in mind, I am making a final attempt at this and instead of trying to figure out my feelings about the person and surrounding events, I will just stick to the facts I know and leave out what will never be clarified anyway.

The first song of Linda Ronstadt’s that I can remember hearing was Different Drum; the record was released by the Stone Poneys with her singing lead vocals. Here is a bit of musical trivia for you: Michael Nesmith of the Monkees wrote the song with the intention that it be performed as an acoustic ballad. Linda’s version flips the gender and instead of an acoustic ballad it was turned into something more complex by the producer.  To me it is a perfect showcase for the emotion filled voice and the passionate singing style of Ronstadt -- Nesmith acknowledged that her version "infused it with a new level of passion and sensuality".  But I digress.  

Even though the song was originally released in 1967 it did not touch my life until 1974; proof that a good ballad can always stir the heart.  It was one of the first times that the lyrics of a song collided with my own life and even though the song is written for a much older couple, it seemed to perfectly describe a situation between myself and a 9th grade girlfriend – I wonder where Renee is now.  Looking back, it is hard for me to fathom how I made those parallels in my preadolescent mind but somehow they were drawn.

A few years later, when I was taking a guitar class in high school I was greeted by Linda as she peered down at me from a poster on the wall. Even though I am no fan of shorthair, the image of her on roller-skates stirred my heart every week day in third period.  By then it was the 70s, and she had moved far beyond the Stone Poneys and was lending her voice to many groups singing distinctive harmonies, and coming into her own right as a songwriter and solo performer. At the time, Heart Like A Wheel was still getting airplay on the radio, even though it had been released a year or so earlier, and songs like When Will I Be Loved and others became part of my first attempts at constructing cassette tape playlists.  

It was somewhere around this point in my life that music changed for me. It was no longer something that I listened to with friends just for the fun of it or something to dance to.  Lyrics changed from words that might contain pre-adolescent dirty words (think My Ding A Ling) or situations that were not to be spoken about (think Timothy or D.O.A.) -- there was a distinct transition into something new. Music came to be (and remains) something that I could use to express feelings I had but lacked appropriate words to adequately describe.  From my first recollection of hearing Different Drum through my High School years and on into college Ronstadt was my heart’s spokesperson and her voice was what soothed those early life heartbreaks and times of loneliness.

As the albums kept coming, my admiration and appreciation for Linda grew.  She was a beautiful woman, with a wonderfully expressive and passionate voice, who wrote heart touching lyrics, and stared at me my Junior and Senior years in high school from a poster across the room.  Unlike many songs, I still feel the same about every note of music I heard that Ronstadt wrote and sang, she is still the basis for many of the attractions that I have in life, and I will always admire the creative talent she possesses. She will always be special to me.

Now that I have listened to everything she ever recorded (at least what is still publicly available) I can say that I have no single favorite song – I have 18 – and I enjoy a majority of the songs on every album except Dedicated to the One I Love, which are all lullabies.

The Aladdin incident:  I have no problem being friends or having discussions with people of differing opinions. It leads to healthy debate and helps a person to have well rounded opinions.  However, it is hypocritical for an individual to whine about suppression of their own Free Speech while demanding that anyone else who feels differently be stifled because the other person could not possibly be correct.  Celebrities who read one book or watch one movie and assume they are an expert and that the source they chose is the only viewpoint that should be considered are being narrow-minded.  Being an actor or a singer does not make anyone an expert or someone who should be a quotable authority on anything except maybe acting or singing.  Just because Linda may choose to dedicate a performance of Desperado to propagandist Michael Moore, does not mean that it has to be accepted or thought of that way – besides she and I both know that song was about me and Linda sang it to make me feel better during that turbulent phase of my Senior year. 

During the Spring Concert of my Senior year, I accompanied a vocalist on guitar as she sang Long, Long Time.  Beth had a great voice, but she was not Linda.  Later that night, I dreamed I played the song again – on a moonlit beach with Linda Ronstadt supplying vocals.  She was in denim cutoffs with her long hair pulled back on one side, held in place by a red flower.  I reminisce on that dream from time to time.  There was no conversation – no difficult discussions, we both knew our relationship was deserving of a more worthwhile soundtrack.

Different Drum

Michael Nesmith

You and I travel to the beat of a different drum
Oh can't you tell by the way I run
Every time you make eyes at me
Wo-oh

You cry and moan and say it will work out
But honey child I've got my doubts
You can't see the forest for the trees

Oh don't get me wrong
It's not that I knock it
It's just that I am not in the market
For a girl who wants to love only me

Yes, and I ain't saying you ain't pretty
All I'm saying is I'm not ready
For any person place or thing
To try and pull the reins in on me

So good-bye I'll be leaving
I see no sense in this crying and grieving
We'll both live a lot longer
If you live without me

Oh don't get me wrong
It's not that I knock it
It's just that I am not in the market
For a girl who wants to love only me

Yes, and I ain't saying you ain't pretty
All I'm saying is I'm not ready
For any person place or thing
To try and pull the reins in on me

So good-bye I'll be leaving
I see no sense in this crying and grieving
We'll both live a lot longer
If you live without me

45482