Random musings

[wiseheart]

I've rewatched the 3rd season Babylon 5 episode "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place" yesterday, and a funny thought occurred to me.

Tolkien, who was a devout Catholic, consequently left out any aspects of an organized religion from his work, even though there are, of course, clear parallels.

JMS, who's a declared atheist, can't stop dealing with religious stuff in B5. Really, it reminds me a little of how straight women keep writing male-on-male slash. Something about the forbidden fruit and all that... only the other way round.

Rabid B5 fans have been raving about Star Trek inferiority for uncounted years, their main argument being that Trek lacked originality. Plus, they raved about DS9 being a shameles rip-off of B5, just because both series took place on a space station. Some equally stupid Trekkers riposted that B5 was ripping off DS9.

Now, I happen to like B5 a great deal (even though I'm a devout Trekkie), but I always found it amusing that nobody seems to address the actual rip-off... cuz, let's face it, JMS has ripped off Tolkien, big time. Starting with naming the homeworld of the Shadows Z'Ha'Dum (Moria anyone?) and even giving a techno-mage Gildor's sentence about wizards being subtle and quick to anger. And there are many other examples.

I for my part do find this amusing.

Comments

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, that one! I actually liked that episode very much, I just never realized there was a Gilgamesh reference. Although the translation seems a bit far-fetched for me...

A Feanorian day, eh? Sounds ominous.

[cirdan-havens.livejournal.com]

No kidding, but I've been having a lot of Feanorian days lately. -_-

Every time anyone even suggests that I become a high school teacher, I get tempted anew. I owe my life to some of my teachers and would really like to maybe unwittingly save the lives of others too. Teaching too. It's like meeting one of these young kids online and wanting to help mentor them when they ask for advice. But I have such attachment issues. I'm scared I'll get really bummed about having my students leave me, and even though my friend says they'll come back to visit, I'm not sure it'd be the same. Everyone I know agrees that the students are becoming increasingly immature. And there are years when you don't get any really truly good students, and those times must be horribly depressing. It's so very stressful and emotionally taxing too since I know I can't help any of them in the end. But honestly, I always think about it whenever I hear about a teaching situation/problem or when someone mentions that there's more job security in it. I know it must be different over there, but kids are kids and they do seem to be about just as good/bad over there as they are here. I was hoping maybe you could give me some advice. Figured I'd start asking teacher friends so I can more seriously make an informed decision instead of just telling myself that I don't have the emotional stability for it.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not the right person to give useful advice about teaching, considering how I've been feeling about my job since the current term started.

[cirdan-havens.livejournal.com]

Ah. Ok. One of my friends did say that if I'm naturally on the depressed side, school might not be the best thing for me. *hugs* So sorry things are still as they are.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Your friends are very right. EVen someone naturally very optimistic like me can get depressed in this education business.