New Fan by sonicj

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

New Fan

POSTED BY: SONICJ
UPDATED: Saturday, April 30, 2005 20:35
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 3365
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Saturday, April 30, 2005 4:32 AM

Recently I visited a local video store looking for something other than the usual hash and rehash. I tend to lean toward Sci-Fi, so I headed toward that aisle. The name Firefly jumped out at me. I noticed it was a tv series and thought this was surely another failed series. I mean I never even heard of it. How good could it be? So as I stood there wondering if i should waste my money or not, I remembered the many series on tv that I thought were revoltionary, only to end up in the scrap pile of cancelled shows. So fortunately for me I chose to "waste my money". It was the best waste of money I have ever lucked upon. I was so engrossed in this show, that I watched the entire firt disc in one setting. I then promptly hopped back into my car and rented the other 3 discs. I became so addicted that I would take my lunch at home so I could watch one more episode. As I put in the last disc I hesitated, realizing that this was it. There would be no more. Of all the crap on tv, what "genious" made the decision to cancel this show?

There are many reasons this show captivated me. I think the major reason was the cast. They were such a perfectly unfitting match. I found myself believing it was real, as if I was watching some reality show. And the suspense of waiting to see the storyline develop. As I watched the last episode, I realized that I would just have to use my imagination to determine how the many complicated plots would unfold.

As I was reluctantly returning the discs to the video store I noticed the web link to fox. Curiosity got the better of me and I found myself googling to this site. And what do I find but a trailer for the movie coming out. All I can say is woooohoooo! And to those of you who were turned on to this series from the beginning, I feel sorry for you that your wait has been so long. I feel fortunate to have just discovered this, then lost it, to have only found it again. Here I would say something appropriate in chinese, but I can't, so just pretend the following is chinese *$^(#)^^%$^*()@@%#$)

See you at the theatre.

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 4:39 AM

FRSCPE1

Welcome to the fold sonicj, glad to have you aboard.

"Well, other than being shot at by the Electric Mayhem, I'm fantastic."

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 4:53 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

Welcome new Browncoat! Its great ain't it. Both the show and this site. And yes, I might just see you at the theater!

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 4:56 AM

CORNCOBB

Welcome to the madhouse

"Gorramit Mal... I've forgotten my line."

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:16 AM

CHRISISALL

Welcome Sonicj! Your discovery of Firefly is very similar to my own, only been a Browncoat little over two months now! We, in suspended animation, as it were, were spared the heartbreak of cancelation and instantly have a feature of our favourite show on the horizon! A shiny 'verse, is it not?

Which episode was your favourite (aside from the pilot)?

Welcomin' newbies round the clock now Chrisisall

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:20 AM

BECSTHEBEAST

I was considering putting up a new long post - but this seems to fit
watched over xmas - a real down time for me. got hold of my own copy a couple of weeks - and oh gosh was this all a million times better than i remembered (and i thought it was the best tv i ever did see in the first place!)

two main things to say
yeah i agree the acting is great - but its not just that - any aspect of this show is exemplary (they should use at tv production school!) greg edmonson's score is incredible - if you don't cry at the end of the message you ain't human, the writing, the sets, the aim of building a believable culture and the inventive use of mandarin - oh yeah and the writing

the second thing is this - i don't know when the show first aired in the states i'm guessing a couple of years back now - BIG BIG thanks to all you out there who fought for this and i doubt there'd be a BDM without the people here. also i have discovered this whole new world of creativity not too wax too lyrical but stumbling on this site now with the fiction, videos, artwork, t-shirts etc. is fantastic
i couldn't make it to the con in england this weekend but i am going to make sure everyone i know gets to see it.

i'm also really impressed that there seems to be very little negative attitude to all those of us who are newer to all this - i can't compare with other fansites as i never even been in ANY chat room or message board - but you guys have inspired me.

what joss is to observe really well what it is to be human - i think that's why we like it - and the fights rock too

love to you all (and i mean it!)

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:44 AM

NYWOE

Quote:
what joss is to observe really well what it is to be human - i think that's why we like it - and the fights rock too

Well said. :)

I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:46 AM

MALICIOUS

Quote:
Originally posted by becsthebeast:
i'm also really impressed that there seems to be very little negative attitude to all those of us who are newer to all this

Well, that's gonna change right here and now!

Hahahah, KIDDING! We welcome new people and accept them as they are. As long as one is not an evil, detestable troll that is. I only started posting here a year or so ago and I felt at home immediately. Everyone has always been kind, funny, amazingly supportive, and stunningly creative. Please browze, lurk and participate as you wish. ALL the newbies are welcome.

Mal-licious

"Let's go be bad guys."

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:55 AM

BECSTHEBEAST

oh i've been lurkin'
ain't got much work done this past week

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:55 AM

DIETCOKE

Glad to have you join the crew!

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 6:02 AM

DARKJESTER

Welcome, sonicj! And you too, BECSTHEBEAST. We are a decidedly non-elitist bunch here. As long as you love the show, you are one of us. No-one here bites, except for Malicious, and with her it's more of a friendly nibbling.

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 6:06 AM

BECSTHEBEAST

i'm not the greatest with technology - can you tell me any of the bits of fiction here that struck you as good (and why w/out spoiling) - there's soooooo much

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 6:43 AM

ZOID

To all new fans (especially sonicj and becsthebeast):

Welcome! Kick off yer shoes and set' a spell...

You know, the first thing I do when I'm preparing to respond to someone whose acquaintance I've not previously made, is to check their Profile page to see how long they've been a member ('Member Since' item), what else they've written ('My Recent Posts' item) and hopefully some clues about them personally ('Member Profile' item). All of these items help me get a picture of the person I'm responding to, so I can say something appropriate.

My pet peeve is a blank 'Member Profile' item. I enjoy my privacy as much as the next guy; but, age and sex should be required. It just feels totally wrong to constantly refer to someone as he/she, him/her. For instance, I assume that sonicj is a male and becsthebeast is a female, based strictly on writing style and choice of words ('voice'). But we all know what we get when we 'assume'...

I know that -- in this PC age -- age and sex shouldn't matter, and they don't. The things that motivate me to respond are the thoughts and ideas, not the age or sex, of the person who wrote them. I'm a 'humanist' that way (zoid definition: humanist = feminist + masculinist). But it makes conversing very unnatural when you don't know which set of pronouns to use. No matter how hard I try, I end up feeling very frustrated because I think the use of 'he/she' is insulting, which is not my intent.

It's no big thing, really, and welcome to the board, Madames and/or Sirs...

Respectfully,

zoid

P.S.
Has anybody seen Ebonezer? I could really use her testimony on this. When she first came on, so many people thought she was a guy (with a screen name like 'Ebonezer', who could blame them?), that she came up with the sig, "Four out of five gynecologists recommend calling Ebo a girl". While it clears up the whole 'girl or guy?' issue, it does raise the question of what the fifth gyno recommended calling her, and why wasn't the recommendation unanimous? (heh, heh) See? Y'all don't want to get the wags (like me) started, do you?
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 6:51 AM

BECSTHEBEAST

just checked that out - sorry being new to the technology i'll put something there soon!

for the record - it's beccy (so female pronouns are good!)

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 7:37 AM

ZOID

Merci très beaucoup, Mademoiselle becs...

v/r,
-zed

P.S.
Everyone was new once. No apologies necessary. We all knock over some furniture in the beginning, and y'all really only scooted a footstool I use. When I was new, I broke a couple of vases...

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 7:54 AM

BECSTHEBEAST

ok - (sound of teacup crashing) i looked up your profile - what are the following:

ATC
USAF
CB/SS/WR
ENTP
FTL

i'd just got to grips with the idea of learning mandarin looks like i'll have to add a couple of more languages too

'i can't abide useless people'

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 8:33 AM

ZOID

becs wrote:

Quote:
ok - (sound of teacup crashing) i looked up your profile - what are the following:

ATC
USAF
CB/SS/WR
ENTP
FTL

i'd just got to grips with the idea of learning mandarin looks like i'll have to add a couple of more languages too

'i can't abide useless people'

First, that's one of my favorite quotes from Shindig, especially since the character who said it is one of my alter egos on the show (along with Book, River, Wash and Mal, in that order). The full line is more appropriate for me:

Quote:
MURPHY (cont'd)
(to Kaylee)
Forgive my rudeness. I can not abide
useless people.
From http://twiztv.com/scripts/firefly/season1/firefly-106.htm

The politeness with which he excuses himself for being rude indicates he was protecting Kayley from attack. I'm all about that.

(NB: Strangely, a Firefly personality test they've got somewhere on this site shows me as a 67% 'Inara'. Guess that means I'm a female trapped inside a man's body; but, it's okay because she's a lesbian...

)

As to the rest:
ATC = air traffic controller

USAF = United States Air Force

CB/SS/WR = cornerback, strong safety (after I filled out physically) and wide receiver

ENTP = The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Extroverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiver ('Inventor'). See http://www.capt.org/The_MBTI_Instrument/Isabel%20Myers.cfm

FTL = faster than light. According to Einstein, nothing can propagate faster than 'the speed of' light ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%3Dmc2). However, according to the concept of 'quantum entanglement' ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement), this 'speed limit' can be broken, though exactly how is unknown (if widely theorized).

By the way, my novel is half-finished, where it's likely to remain. At least I'm in good company...

Explanatively,

zoid

P.S.
NB = Nota Bene, "Mark well!"... from the Latin...
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 9:47 AM

SHINY

Welcome, Sonic! Hope you stay with us will be long and enjoyable (read: there will be a TRILOGY!!!) Of course to get a trilogy, we have to make sure Serenity is a Big Damn Success, so recruit all of your friends, family, co-workers, and strangers you meet at the bus stop into browncoats before October!!!

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 12:38 PM

WHISPER

Welcome to the browncoats, Becsthebeast and SonicJ! I, too, am relatively new here. I joined in march, but it feels like i've been apart of the bunch for much longer than that. This site will probably become your favorite online hangout. Everyone here is really great.

www.whispergraphics.net

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 5:47 PM

MALICIOUS

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
CB/SS/WR = cornerback, strong safety (after I filled out physically) and wide receiver

I'm always curious about this: Did you have any problems being on offense after having been on defense? Or did your knowledge of the cornerback and safety positions help you be a better receiver? Or am I assuming you were defense first when it was the other way around? Am I asking too many questions? Discuss.

Mal-licious

"Let's go be bad guys."

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 6:21 PM

JADEHAND

Big Welcome to Sonicj and Becsthebeast. Yes we're all mostly friendly(like mostly harmless). This is the only site I visit with any regularity, due to the fine community of people here.
Good to see another person familiar with The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. And that result certainly fits you Zoid. Mine was INFP which is Intraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perciever (Questor). That might have changed a bit I think it was more than 10 years ago that I took it.

Visit WWW.Marillion.Com for a better way to live

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Saturday, April 30, 2005 8:35 PM

ZOID

'Lish:

I played in Texas, in the vicinity of Houston. That's important to note, as you'll see. When I was a kid and playing sandlot ball (we used to do that in the dark ages before computers), I loved playing wide receiver. Just running down the field, juking the opponent and then catching the ball. Very beautiful.

When I got into junior high and started playing in pads, nobody could much throw a ball; but, there were tons of good running backs, so offense was still pretty potent. When I got into high school, we ran a Veer offense (made famous by U. of Houston coach, Bill Yeoman). The Veer was (is?) an option offense, similar to the Wishbone, but with only two backs behind the QB, instead of three. The QB typically takes the snap and heads down the line toward the strong side (the side where the tight end is lined up). He then has the option to handoff into the line, keep it himself or pitch it to a halfback circling the end. On occasion, after he has faked the first option above, he will zip a little five yard 'in' pass to the WR (that would be me).

This generally means the wide receiver in a Veer is either blocking a CB or SS, or else trying to catch that 5 yd. 'in' route. Problem is, that 5 yd. 'in' takes you smack in to the lair of the most fearsome creature in all of sports (especially in Texas), the LINEBACKER. He will gladly -- jovially, in fact -- hand you your ass, if you stray into his domain. Many the times when I literally heard ringing sounds so loud I couldn't hear the crowd in the stadium, as I tried to pick myself up off the turf without staggering too much.

On defense, playing corner was tough, not because of the speedy receivers (remember, nobody much threw deep anyway), but because the corner has to keep that running back from getting to the outside on the pitch option. Gotta turn him back toward the middle of the field, where your LINEBACKER can get a shot at him. If the CB doesn't turn him and the RB gets to the sideline, he is gone.

When I got my growth spurt to 5'11" and 185 lbs. (sophomore year), they moved me to strong safety, a defensive back who basically lines up on the side the tight end lines up. Again, not much passing to defend, but now I had to 'read' for the dive or off-tackle run (option #1, above), or tackle or turn-in the QB on the keeper. Now, there were some good running QBs around, but the real b!tch of playing SS was the enormous running back coming at you off-tackle, looking like a bowling ball studded with butcher knives. Lest we forget, Earl Campbell, Thurman Thomas, Eric Dickerson and Craig James all played Texas high school football, among thousands of other similarly gifted RBs. I used to hate seeing some 6'1", 220-pounder come tearing through the line, right at me!

It's a very lonely, 'doomed' feeling. If you don't make the play, these guys were (again) just gone. Too much speed. Often, right before I threw myself into the path of these oncoming locomotives, I would think, "Why can't the linemen get some of these? Where the hell is a LINEBACKER when you need one?" I'd like to say that my natural talent as a vicious hitter would take over and I'd clean that 220-pounder's clock; but t'ain't so. My technique was to watch their belt (so I didn't get faked out of my jockstrap), and then -- at the critical moment -- throw myself into their legs. Not so much to tackle them, as to muck up their works until a LINEBACKER could get there and finish the job. Think 'human speed bump'. The net result was (as with making a catch on the 5-yd. 'in') picking myself up after having been run over by a Mack truck, while trying my best not to look like road kill.

So I guess, in answer to your question, no, it was not hard transitioning from offense to defense, since both were mostly about being knocked senseless by guys who were typically 30-50 lbs. heavier than me, running at full steam. Then, they'd laugh good-naturedly and pull you up, saying, "Nice tackle!" or "Nice catch!" It didn't help much...

Offense/Defense-ively,

zoid

P.S.
Rugby is for pussies. Armor a guy up like a car and he'll hit you like one. Football pads aren't for protection (as many Europeans believe), they're for attack. Hockey would be the next toughest sport; but there is no hockey equivalent of a 285 lb. defensive end who plants his feet on the turf (as opposed to ice) and then hurls himself into you like a projectile from the business end of a howitzer, totally unconcerned for his own safety because he's wearing armor. You see guys getting the crap knocked out of them every week in football, and I'll tell you what: They ain't getting paid enough.
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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