Valjiir

[Buster's Uncle]

Boy, boy, crazy boy, / Get cool, boy! / Got a rocket in your pocket, / Keep coolly cool, boy! / Don't get hot, / 'Cause man, you got / Some high times ahead. / Take it slow and Daddy-O, / You can live it up and die in bed!
Boy, boy, crazy boy! / Stay loose, boy! / Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it. / Turn off the juice, boy! / Go man, go, / But not like a yo-yo schoolboy. / Just play it cool, boy, / Real cool!



"Cool" has its origins as a compliment in terms like "cool as a cucumber" and "one cool customer".  It got mutated into more of an expression of admiration for personal style by the time Happy Days was through with it, but is rooted in high regard for self control; the two are far from incompatible, anyway.  Spock was cool ten years before anyone thought of Arthur Fonzarelli.

And he's cool in both senses of the term.  He's a man of extraordinary self control who is also powerful and heroic.  What's not to admire?

You might go for someone hot-blooded for romance and fun, but if you're wise, you're looking for a cool customer to marry; you have to live with them in between the fun.  I believe the ladies will agree that Spock has something of the best of both worlds as a romantic object; he's cool, but we know he's a volcano too, if you approach him just right.  He also wears the hell out of the uniform.

And he's lonely.  He seems to gravitate towards intelligent workaholic commanding officers; fellows who don't bother with concealing their feelings at all times - but very much in control of themselves.  And if we admire the "cool", the self-controlled and competent, how much more must Vulcans, who practice self control as something almost like a religion?

It's something like the difference between a teenager and an adult.  When I was 16, I was bigger and stronger than the majority of adults (albeit a bit short, still),  more widely-read, I'd always been smarter, and I could do over 95% of what I'd ever be able to.  I thought that there was right and there was wrong in the world - and the difference between them wasn't hard to suss out.  You'd never have been able to explain to me the subtle tricks of thought and deed and self-restraint I was going to learn, all too slowly, over the years.  Young people approaching adulthood can be excruciating to take.  They're excitable, loud, impetuous, excitable, big enough to be dangerous and foolish enough to pick fights they'll lose or at least get hurt in.

-And it seems to follow that Vulcans, bred to peace and ruling their passions with inhuman will, would see Humans at least a little that way.  Attitudes might easily range from patronizing admiration of Human industriousness (they may not be that bright, but surprisingly few of them get killed in their million illogical schemes; they mostly do more good than harm) to overt distain for the space hillbillies.

Good bad or IDIC, of the five Vulcans we've met, one's half-Human, one's a diplomat/politician married to one, and one of the other three seemed hostile.  It's far from evidence that all Vulcans are one annoying encounter with an Earther from joining the Vulcan Vux Vlan, and it's laughably far from a reliable statistical sample, but it's all we have to go on, and at least hints at non-trivial level distain in the population.   The same ought to go for attitudes towards any other race you'd care to name.  Maybe there's a problem there in need of addressing, both internally and externally.

If you don't buy any of it, ask yourself if not wanting it to be so is in the mix.  We, an emotionally immature race, admire cool for good reason.  Why wouldn't Vulcans tend to feel much more strongly, given my reasoning?  (Also, our eating habits are disgusting; you know how vegetarians are. ) 

[Valka]

Yes, there is the "cool" factor... but I noticed you use the "West Side Story" lyrics without acknowledging that play as a 1950's-era retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

(West Side Story is one of the musicals I worked on, making crappy props that were supposed to look crappy but still function... that umbrella the guys took from the trash can for the "Gee Officer Krupke" scene started its life as a perfectly good one in the local Kresge's store, and ended up a work of art, being shredded and destroyed by 3 people, and finally made appropriately dirty by my having tossed it outside in a convenient mud puddle and jumping up and down on it several times)

[Buster's Uncle]

You mean in the sense that I could have talked about Romeo and Juliet as examples of unrestrained youth and passion letting things get out of hand, or something?  I assumed everyone would recognize the song, and rather think everyone knows about the inspiration.

I've never been involved in a production of either show, alas.  I have been in a production of Superstar, which I wish had gone up a couple of nights sooner - one of those shows that peaked in dress rehearsal.  I was a disciple, and faking crying for Jesus by the time it opened.  I also got nominated for a Willy for singing  Someone Christ, King of the Jews!   - that was my entire solo in the show.  It really was called a Willy unironically.

[Valka]

"Someone" Christ, King of the Jews" is not one of the Apostles' lines. I seem to recall that being one of the Roman soldiers' lines, in the first scene with Pontius Pilate.

I worked front of house on a production of Romeo and Juliet. By that time I was also the Chatelaine for our local Society for Creative Anachronism group, and when I offered to provide 6-10 medievally-costumed people to be ushers, ticket-takers, program people, etc., they jumped at it (the only stipulation was that we would get free admission to see the play). It was interesting seeing a live production - and yes, the actors really did do the bedroom scene nude.

I wonder how a "Romeo and Juliet" scenario would play out in Vulcan society? I could easily see it happening pre-Surak, but in modern times?

[Buster's Uncle]

"Someone" Christ, King of the Jews" is not one of the Apostles' lines. I seem to recall that being one of the Roman soldiers' lines, in the first scene with Pontius Pilate

and I doubled up - I think someone dropped out late in rehearsals.

In modern times would take a lot of adapting.  Pre Surak, it could fit so well you'd only need to change names.  I'm going to pitch that one to Mylochka for at least a series of illos.

[Valjiir1]

Ah, casting for a Valjiir movie... used to be a fun pastime for me, but now all my choices are at least 25 years out of date.   Although (sure to invite the ire of my fellows here) Chris Pine as Jim, Zach Quinto as Spock and Karl Urban as McCoy would definitely be at the top of my lists...  And remember, we agreed to disagree about the quality of the reboot.  I'm looking at the above-named actors as actors as those characters, not at the movies overall.

[Valjiir1]

Boy, boy, crazy boy, / Get cool, boy! / Got a rocket in your pocket, / Keep coolly cool, boy! / Don't get hot, / 'Cause man, you got / Some high times ahead. / Take it slow and Daddy-O, / You can live it up and die in bed!
Boy, boy, crazy boy! / Stay loose, boy! / Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it. / Turn off the juice, boy! / Go man, go, / But not like a yo-yo schoolboy. / Just play it cool, boy, / Real cool!

So is Spock a Shark or a Jet?

"Cool" has its origins as a compliment in terms like "cool as a cucumber" and "one cool customer".  It got mutated into more of an expression of admiration for personal style by the time Happy Days was through with it, but is rooted in high regard for self control; the two are far from incompatible, anyway.  Spock was cool ten years before anyone thought of Arthur Fonzarelli.

And he's cool in both senses of the term.  He's a man of extraordinary self control who is also powerful and heroic.  What's not to admire?

You might go for someone hot-blooded for romance and fun, but if you're wise, you're looking for a cool customer to marry; you have to live with them in between the fun.  I believe the ladies will agree that Spock has something of the best of both worlds as a romantic object; he's cool, but we know he's a volcano too, if you approach him just right.  He also wears the hell out of the uniform.

And he's lonely.  He seems to gravitate towards intelligent workaholic commanding officers; fellows who don't bother with concealing their feelings at all times - but very much in control of themselves.  And if we admire the "cool", the self-controlled and competent, how much more must Vulcans, who practice self control as something almost like a religion?

It's something like the difference between a teenager and an adult.  When I was 16, I was bigger and stronger than the majority of adults (albeit a bit short, still),  more widely-read, I'd always been smarter, and I could do over 95% of what I'd ever be able to.  I thought that there was right and there was wrong in the world - and the difference between them wasn't hard to suss out.  You'd never have been able to explain to me the subtle tricks of thought and deed and self-restraint I was going to learn, all too slowly, over the years.  Young people approaching adulthood can be excruciating to take.  They're excitable, loud, impetuous, excitable, big enough to be dangerous and foolish enough to pick fights they'll lose or at least get hurt in.

-And it seems to follow that Vulcans, bred to peace and ruling their passions with inhuman will, would see Humans at least a little that way.  Attitudes might easily range from patronizing admiration of Human industriousness (they may not be that bright, but surprisingly few of them get killed in their million illogical schemes; they mostly do more good than harm) to overt distain for the space hillbillies.

Good bad or IDIC, of the five Vulcans we've met, one's half-Human, one's a diplomat/politician married to one, and one of the other three seemed hostile.  It's far from evidence that all Vulcans are one annoying encounter with an Earther from joining the Vulcan Vux Vlan, and it's laughably far from a reliable statistical sample, but it's all we have to go on, and at least hints at non-trivial level distain in the population.   The same ought to go for attitudes towards any other race you'd care to name.  Maybe there's a problem there in need of addressing, both internally and externally.

If you don't buy any of it, ask yourself if not wanting it to be so is in the mix.  We, an emotionally immature race, admire cool for good reason.  Why wouldn't Vulcans tend to feel much more strongly, given my reasoning?  (Also, our eating habits are disgusting; you know how vegetarians are. ) 

I definitely buy it 

[Valjiir1]

"Someone" Christ, King of the Jews" is not one of the Apostles' lines. I seem to recall that being one of the Roman soldiers' lines, in the first scene with Pontius Pilate

and I doubled up - I think someone dropped out late in rehearsals.

In modern times would take a lot of adapting.  Pre Surak, it could fit so well you'd only need to change names.  I'm going to pitch that one to Mylochka for at least a series of illos.

You could pitch it to me.  I'm right here. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I think he's a Jet - all the way.

I didn't love the casting for the reboot, I didn't even like it, but the cast was never the problem.  Your scripts would be better, and that would make all the difference.

...

Well, start writing, then.  Mylochka likes the idea, at least doing a few pics.  You know she's big on the Shakespeare.

[Valjiir1]

Spock as a Jet.  I like it. 

Thanks for the compliment and vote of confidence.

Tell Mylochka hi for me - haven't heard directly from her in nearly a month 

And I'll start working on Vulcan Side Story ASAP - but I suspect it won't be one of the kind you like

[Buster's Uncle]

[blinks] It's got a lot of swordfights and I know you'd never waste time on the mushy love stuff.  [blinks]

[Buster's Uncle]

Mylochka says hi back.

She's been pretty troubled with the headaches and depression lately, though at least the seizures haven't been too bad.  Right now she's laying on the couch watching a Hartnell Dr. Who.

She's keen on the Sp'romeo and T'juliet notion - pointed out that it could be something in the line of those folktales from different cultures things y'all did.

[Valka]

Ah, casting for a Valjiir movie... used to be a fun pastime for me, but now all my choices are at least 25 years out of date.   Although (sure to invite the ire of my fellows here) Chris Pine as Jim, Zach Quinto as Spock and Karl Urban as McCoy would definitely be at the top of my lists...  And remember, we agreed to disagree about the quality of the reboot.  I'm looking at the above-named actors as actors as those characters, not at the movies overall.

If any of those three are used as the basis of any character in this, I will not be able to even look at it, much less read it. I find nuTrek to be an abomination.

I don't like the actors, either (yes, have seen them elsewhere).

[Valjiir1]

You're confusing things.  The actors named were for a fantasy Valjiir movie (as suggested by you, I believe).  And it would be a real shame if you kept preconceptions from seeing such a movie.  But since this is all fantasy, it's really neither here nor there.  But it's sad you're so close-minded about it.

The Vulcan Side Story thing will, of course, be done with the Valjiir characters as depicted by Mylochka's artwork.

[Valjiir1]

[blinks] It's got a lot of swordfights and I know you'd never waste time on the mushy love stuff.  [blinks]

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!