WHY SO SERIOUS?

I'm not sure if it comes a shock but I like science fiction and that's not to say that I don't like other genres. I like straight drama, comedy and even some westerns & I am confident enough to admit that I like the occasional chick flick. However I tend to gravitate towards science fiction because its a genre with so much imagination and near endless possibilities. Its a genre that feels wide open and less claustrophobic.

So I get up early this morning (unusual since I've been out of work) and usually while I'm making breakfast I turn on the TV in the kitchen and watch something on DVD or VHS (laugh now and move on). I was watching an old "Red Dwarf" special and I think at least twice someone mentioned how unlike other science fiction "Red Dwarf" doesn't take it's self too "seriously" and that really bugged me or rather always has bugged me.

"Not so seriously" almost seems to be code for liking science fiction but not really liking science fiction. Basically its some peoples way of straddling the fence when it comes to this particular genre because its still a nerd thing. I honestly don't understand why science fiction shouldn't be treated seriously instead of something the dares to be ridiculed. That's not to say that I don't like the sillier stuff like a fore mentioned "Red Dwarf" or even something off the wall like "Lexx"

Those shows among others are great but by and large I like serious dramatic science fiction. Mainly its because I'm a fan of drama period and science fiction simply adds another layer on top of an already good story. I remember reading in a magazine a few years ago "Science fiction is the only genre preparing us for tomorrow" I love that quote because on some basic level, its true.

I believe that science fiction is something to be taken seriously and no one should have to walk any kind of thin line when it comes to the genre. I would like to live in a world where science fiction is as respectable as any other genre but I suppose that's just a fantasy. Bottom line, if you like science fiction then you like it and if you don't you don't. For instance I don't generally like westerns but I like a few and I don't hide that parse out that opinion.

-Jayson C.

July 16th 2009

A LOTTERY OF IDIOTS PART II

Lets put aside the amount of work it would take to maintain a large home and assume you don't have an army of people to do your work for you I can't imagine being able to fill something that large unless I have a family. But if I were to win millions of dollars I would want something that I personally could handle, literally with in my means. Hell, I wouldn't mind painting it once or twice a year but mowing the lawn would be a pleasure.

Anyway, let me tell you what I would do with my small fortune because I think I have a good plan even though its subject to unforeseen obstacles. I figure it this way, I would need at least 3 million. The first million would cover a new house and any moving expenses and I know your thinking, "what a hypocrite" but hear me out. I'm thinking of a 3 bedroom lake house in Montana and given I don't have allot of nice furniture now I would have to furnish it.

The first million just ensures I don't have to worry too much about expenses but I would still look for good deals, its just me. I've never been very extravagant or even stylish but I would still like to fill it with nice things that match (that would be a first). The next million covers any bills, maintenance, health, etc... and finally the last million ensures I will never have to work again. I can travel, indulge in various hobbies.

The bottom line is I would simply retire to a quiet part of the world and live the next 50 years of my life in relative peace and quiet. Now, that assumes I live to be 80 and given how the world works, its possible I won't make it that far but I have to set some kind of parameter. It seems to me that just being able to live your life with as little drama as possible is the best way to go and one that makes sense to me.

When I first started thinking about what I would do if I won the lottery or came into a large sum of money I assumed I would end up staying in AZ but then I quickly realized that it gets warmer every year since I was born in 1979 and that trend shows no sign of retreating. Personally I like the heat but not 365 days a year. While Montana can be bitterly cold I wouldn't have a job to go to so I could just stay by the fire and drink coffee.

To be concluded...

Jayson C.

July 10th 2009