DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '06 I => Topic started by: Evan Hanley on March 16, 2006, 08:25:52 PM
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Does anyone like the leivithin time period???
Evan Hanley
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No. I like to be succinct.
j/k.
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It's been over 10 years since I saw that, but I seem to remember that whole storyline never really had any payoff. I don't remember being too terribly bored during it though; must have been some interesting things going on in other storylines or something.
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I do *love* the early part of the storyline for its creepiness, but it falls apart as it progresses. Â I'm relieved when Barnabas discovers the Parallel Time room, because I know it heralds the end of a storyline that had overstayed its welcome.
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After being spoiled with the dense story of 1897 we get the same simple menace month after month, an asthmatic snake who is deathly afraid of television cameras. People made fun of soap operas for staying forever at the same point in the story, and DS was supposed to be different by this point. I know it had to be exhausting to keep the full-tilt action of 1897 going, but becoming static wasn't the answer.
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BTW Evan, I think you mean the Leviathan, as Levi Thins are those tasty new Kosher matzos in regular, unsalted, onion and chicken soup flavors. [tongue5]
Actually I think this story is typical of DS writing, you have this exciting opening with the creepy, ancient altar, the gothic ghoulie druid types, and then some bumps in the road before it wears out its welcome. (Adam and Eve did this the most, IMHO)I think we have a serious bump in Alexander ("Thank youmistahstoddahhd") and then some highlights with Paul Stoddard and Michael Maitland, who has a great other wordly, Christopher Walken at 12 thing going. I rather like the idea of the creature being offscreen, ( [tongue2] ? [spidr] ? or [snake]? ) as it makes us work our imaginations and falls into traditional Lovecraftian lore that even glimpsing an "ancient one" could cost you to lose part of your sanity. I thought it was pretty cool-scary at 9 especially.
Michael
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I LOVE the Leviathans and their story. I am probably the only fan on the planet who regrets that Dan Curtis cut the original 6 month story arc in half due to all the hate mail. The hate mail had mainly one cause--people did not want to see Barnabas being an evil, creepy menace. The later part of the storyline has its ups and downs--the ups include Megan as a vampire and Bruno's strange excitement at flogging the captive werewolf; the downs, for me at least, included practically every other scene involving Bruno, and Barnabas's Grampa Munster hair hairlights after a certain event in the story. And then there's the truly horrifying return of Peter Bradford...
I agree with Michael; the story has just as many pluses and minuses as the other storylines. I know others disagree, but if we all felt the same way about everything, think how boring it would make life!
G.
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For all its shortcomings, I enjoyed the Leviathans, at least in the beginning. There was a creepy edge there, and having Barnabas back as a meanie was much-needed at the time. I've always disliked the fact that he was -forced- to be wicked. He had plenty of ruthlessness inside anyway, and I prefer his natural vampiric evil to his being a pawn any day. I admit to some prejudice in this regard, though; as I've said here plenty of times, when I first got to watch DS on a regular basis back in its original run, the Leviathans episodes were just starting up. I look back on these with great fondness, and it was only later -- in the mid-70s -- that I got to see the earlier episodes. I'll take the Leviathans over Adam any day... Never was there a more tedious subplot, though I give Robert Rodan a lot of credit for playing the part better than it deserved.
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My Apologies in advance: In honor of my writing muses, I had to correct the spelling of "Leviathans" in the subject line for my reply...it was driving me nuts. :P ;D
Forgive me...I'm in "everything's gotta be perfect for final projects" mode right now... [homework]
Anyway--one big highlight (for me) in the Leviathan time period has to be Julia's role in the whole situation. The way she juggles everything, playing master detective while her "good friend" is under the faceless terror's evil influence is just...inspiring.
I know, go figure... ::) >:D
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I liked the Leviathan storyline a great deal. It wasn't my favorite storyline but it was very enjoyable, suspenseful and featured so many great scary moments. The earlier portion of the storyline was great. The latter portion was fun too albeit less eerie as the first half. I'd very happily watch it all over again, and plan on doing so eventually.
The Adam storyline gets a bad rap too, but that storyline also featured many great, memorable episodes. I thought Robert Rodan was fantastic, especially when he was in child-like mode (before he went into "teen" mode).
I am very fond of both storylines. Early Barnabas, 1795, 1897, and 1968 Quentin's Ghost take the cake (for me anyway) as the best DS storylines but I love all the others too.
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BCs "certain event" was profoundly sad and tragic (maybe literally), and the Pauley hair helped convey that something big had changed.
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There are more cons than pros when it comes to Leviathans for me, but I can't dislike it too much because it's really the last major storyline that takes place in the present day - sadly. I honestly don't care for the storylines that come after it - far too much time jumping - so I guess that makes me appreciate it a bit.
I don't mind mean Barnabas, I just wish they had come up with a different way to make it happen - a different plot. The antique shop, Megan & Phillip, and the kids drove me absolutely mad. Characters were wasted - Paul & Quentin.
I did like seeing Quentin, Chris and Julia working together. I liked seeing the interaction between Carolyn & her Paul - Nancy Barrett really did great work as Carolyn (her cluelessness about Jeb not withstanding).
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I do not like the leviathin storyline. It was to me first of all quite unnessecary as a way of concluding the 1897 arc; there were already many interesting possibilities to build on from that in the present time without going back to 1795 and having Barnabas abducted by a cult. I never will understand the seemingly suicidal anxiety with which those later storylines were stacked onto each other. Ultimately, though, after being hooked to seeing dark shadows every day on scifi, I stopped watching during the leviathin episodes, because it all became extremely boring. For instance, the episodes that dealt with Jeb's younger incarnations just dragged on needlessly; like those 1968 episodes that only featured Adam in his room in the west wing, but worse. I also think some of the show just declined in quality; compare any of the dream sequences in 1987 to the leviathin dreams (such as the ridiulous one which turned Liz over.) If Jeb had just come along as an isolated character who happened to be able to turn into a monster when the box was opened but, like Chris the werewolf, didn't act as the obsession of every other character around him, it would have been interesting. But there is an entire feel that the storyline has which is so off that it really is no surprise this was the beginning of the end.
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There's actually things  I like and love about each storyline. I am probably one of the few people here who can say the reason I was irreversibly hooked was during the original Phoenix story, because I so wanted to be David Collins, even with the danger. What drags out to me about Adam and Eve is when Adam becomes dislikable after Nicholas evil twisting of his naive good nature. I love Marie as a person and an actress but Eve is not a likable character. She to me is more evil than Angelique. I do love any scenes with Nicholas in any story. I think one thing that would have improved the Leviathans was better special effects, Chris Bernau (sp?) a little less consistently wooden because when he had some good moments he was good although most of the time i couldn't see much difference in him and the furniture most especially the Shadow thingy, [spoiler]not bringing in Peter Bradford to create some awful backstory about the 18th century that was the worst contrived plot twist ever perhaps[/spoiler], and not trying the kitchen sink thing with the werewolf v/s Leviathans business,  [Wolfie] although it rather oddly foreshadows the Kate Beckinsale "Underwear" er um "Underworld" goth films. Actually, although I know in my gut feeling that 1795 is the true heart of the series, I also have such a special place for 1840, just as it pulls together a lot of the essential themes of the series so well, plus I gotta love the "head in the Box Judah" and Gerard workings. Then again Quentin's ghost was soooooo cool.... [ghost]
Michael
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i certainly wouldn't go so far as to say that i thought leviathan was the best storyline but i did,having just completed it,enjoy it more than i thought i would.
like most here i prefered the early part of it.i thought it was creepy and atmospheric and unique.the antique shop set joined my list of favorites.i thought it was really well done.
it certaily had it's flaws as well.
clocking in at just about three months i thought it lasted just the right amount of time.longer and i can see it becoming quite wearisome.
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i also agree with those here who found the whole werewolf/leviathan connection to be tacked-on,silly and meaningless.
suffice to say that the peter bradford development was the worst plot twist in the show's entire history.
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God, that Peter Bradford crap was just so...unnecessary. Why couldn't they just do a Jeremiah Collins and hire some random guy to play the ghost of [spoiler]Paul Stoddard?[/spoiler] That's where the storyline looked to be heading, anyway. It's almost laughable just how many people wanted to kill Jeb by the end of the plot. Let's see, we have [spoiler]Nicholas, Bruno, Angelique, Sky, Philip Todd, Peter Bradford...am I missing anyone? Probably Roger and the rest of the Collinwood gang sans Carolyn, but they were just too nice to admit it.[/spoiler]
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Peter Bradford's appearance and what it meant absolutely disgusted me, and the fact that they let it go without any characters on the show discovering it makes it even worse, IMO. They just dropped it like it meant nothing. I'm surprised my tv lived through those episodes.
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He had plenty of ruthlessness inside anyway, and I prefer his natural vampiric evil to his being a pawn any day.
Haven't seen Leviathan yet, but I tend to agree w/part of the above statement. Although I DO prefer Barnabas as the anti-hero rather than all out villin, I hate it when he's a PAWN and being pushed around (one of the reasons I hated the Adam/Eve plotline, Adam was constantly pushing him around and I *hated* that!). If it's a choice between him being good, but pushed around, and bad but in control, I'll take bad and in control every time!
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The Leviathans was the first full story I got to see (before I had only seen the Revival series), so it holds a special place in my heart.
In hind sight it has a rather slow pace. Still a lot good stuff too. One particular memory that stands out is how Angelique ruined Carolyn and Jeb's happily ever after moment. To me that was the conclusion of the story, not the "Afterward" to Jeb's giving up his destiny.
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Leviathan was to be six months long? That explains the first 6 weeks of almost nothing happening. I always wonder if there is an outline to these later stories somewhere (1897, Leviathan, 1840) that explains the original intent of the writers like Shadows on the Wall was for the first year of DS.
They should have had Paul Stoddard return in a traditional soap opera story as they did with Jason McGuire. Having him involved with the Leviathans was a mistake and we missed out on a lot of good drama with Paul, Liz, and Carolyn. BTW... they should have used Paul's ghost even though Dennis Patrick was unavailable by having him be off camera and Jeb reacting to him.
[spoiler]The fact that they changed the origin of the Leviathans more then halfway through was a really bad mistake and where they start to "throw everything but the kitchen sink in". One episode Oberon was the leader and then the next one Nicholas Blair was the leader as if he always was.[/spoiler]
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They should have had Paul Stoddard return in a traditional soap opera story as they did with Jason McGuire. Having him involved with the Leviathans was a mistake and we missed out on a lot of good drama with Paul, Liz, and Carolyn. BTW... they should have used Paul's ghost even though Dennis Patrick was unavailable by having him be off camera and Jeb reacting to him.
I agree with this. I think Paul was a wasted opportunity in terms of character development. There would have been plenty of drama and conflict between Carolyn, Elizabeth and Paul, no need to add the Leviathans into it at all.
Also agree with you on [spoiler]Nicholas showing up and being behind the whole thing. That was so tacked on, and just....well, dumb. They should never have brought him in, even though the scene when Angelique meets him is amusing.[/spoiler]
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i agree that it would have been great to have some traditional soap opera storytelling with the return of paul stoddard.it was a wasted opportunity in terms of character driven plotting.
but i suspect that the writers believed(rightly or wrongly)that after all that had preceeded it they couldn't return to more "normal" soap opera storytelling because it might turn off those "kids that ran home from school".they needed to constantly sate the pre-teen attention span.
i loved the jason mcquire blackmail plot but it's unlikely that it would have rivited many twelve year olds.
in some ways they created a monster.the youth audience brought the show it's greatest success but they became captive of it and could never again gear a storyline strictly at an adult audience.
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but i suspect that the writers believed(rightly or wrongly)that after all that had preceeded it they couldn't return to more "normal" soap opera storytelling because it might turn off those "kids that ran home from school".they needed to constantly sate the pre-teen attention span.
i loved the jason mcquire blackmail plot but it's unlikely that it would have rivited many twelve year olds.
in some ways they created a monster.the youth audience brought the show its greatest success but they became captive of it and could never again gear a storyline strictly at an adult audience.
Adults need their imaginations stimulated, too. Jason McGuire was a well-done character and storyline for what it was, but it's such a relief to see it end, and see the last vestiges of 1966-type DS dissipate, knowing things are now really going to take off. For me, watching the Barnabas and McGuire storylines going on simultaneously is strange, because it's like seeing the old DS and the new DS at the same time, perhaps vying with each other. Then, when the two storylines merge, with Barnabas finally getting around to giving some of his personal attention to the Jason problem (dealing with it as a good family man like Tony Soprano might), it really seems to me as if the brave new DS is strangling the life out of the reserved, patience-trying, both-feet-squarely-on-the-ground old DS.
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I love the Jason McGuire storyline that ran parallel with Maggie's kidnapping. I'm surprised those first dvd sets of mine still work, considering how many times I've watched those episodes over and over again. That was DS at its finest, IMHO. There was no need to choose one over the other [realistic drama/supernatural] - blended together, they were perfect, IMO. The characters were all interesting, it had some of the best dialogue, it was well written and developed.
My imagination was stimulated by those episodes. Very much so.
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as much as i enjoyed the 1966 episodes i'm ultimately glad that the show made the jump.
that's why 1967 is my favorite time period.i felt plenty stimulated by those episodes.
i just feel that after a certain point the writers aimed certain storylines specifically at the pre-teen audience.
i don't mean that as a total criticism because i as an adult enjoyed alot of this material but i do think the show could have stayed a bit more grounded and utilized the original cast more and focus less on what amounted to temporary,disposable characters.
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I appreciate the Leviathan storyline much more as an adult than I did as a kid.
[spoiler]It was interesting to see Barnabas revert back a bit to the old, mean Barnabas from 1967 (though I too prefer the half bad/half good Barnabas) and it once again put him at odds with Julia. And also, instead of trying to help Chris, we see Barnabas actually working against him (I do think Barnabas was actually trying to expose Chris secretly by trying to get Elizabeth to check up on Chris' activities).
Also it was very exciting to see Elizabeth play an icewoman as well.....her scene with a drugged Paul, saying she never wanted him back at Collinwood at all.....BRRRR!!! She was a block of ice in that scene (Joan was simply brilliant).
Hated Michael and Alexander, but we were supposed to dislike them from the start. We knew they weren't "normal kids".....rotten to the core but their evil plots were exciting to watch.
I know many feel Jeb's rehabilitation was a bit too quick, but I do appreciate the fact the writers did make me change my feelings for him in such a short time (hated him for turning Barnabas back into a vamp, but totally appreciated he wanted to be human and applauded the fact he destroyed the box and the altar to save Carolyn from becoming what he was).[/spoiler]
As a child it had all been confusing to me, but from an adult point of view, I have a better understanding and appreciation for the story.
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They could have won me over with less wheel-spinning, a creative glimpse or two at the monster, and double the screen time for Megan. More imagination and detail concerning the Leviathans' plan and point of origin, and backstory, too. It was fascinating at first. I thought they might be from the extreme distant future, or another planet.
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I think they could have done more with Barnabas acting bad to please Jeb, but meanwhile going around in secret undoing his handy work. I hated Sky Rumson and I like how that ended.[spoiler]This was like the old days. When Barn took things into his own hands.>:D Could have done more with Barn and Julia and their changing feelings.[boxing]  [/spoiler] [/size]
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They could have won me over with less wheel-spinning, a creative glimpse or two at the monster, and double the screen time for Megan. More imagination and detail concerning the Leviathans' plan and point of origin, and backstory, too. It was fascinating at first. I thought they might be from the extreme distant future, or another planet.
That's interesting. When I saw the story I simply thought the Leviathans were a supernatural cult because I saw a G.I. Joe episode (Skeleton In The Closet) where Destro was part of a supernatural cult that had something to do with a monster called a Leviathan that was kept at the family castle. Although I haven't read any HP Lovecraft I'm pretty sure that's the kind of Cthulhu like story G.I. Joe was going for.
I wonder if that G.I. Joe episode was in anyway inspired by Dark Shadows.
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I just got to the end of DVD set 18, shortly after Jeb is introduced. After about 30 episodes that were nothing more than rotten little kids being rotten (gee, do you suppose they pandered to the children in the audience enough?), it's finally starting to get a little bit better. I enjoy the unrelated subplots with Quentin, Julia and Amanda Harris and the portrait a whole lot more than the Leviathan stuff. By far the high point of the whole story so far was [spoiler]Quentin and Amanda lost in the nether realm or wherever they were. Also really liked Barnabas explaining the Leviathans to Julia as the thunderstorm raged outside, that was classic.[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Also really liked Barnabas explaining the Leviathans to Julia as the thunderstorm raged outside, that was classic.[/spoiler]
I like how that episode was done, too - very atmospheric. But would it surprise you to know that many fans were extremely disappointed and upset by it - not because of how it looked - but because of the lack of info it contained? ABC had heavily promoted it as finally revealing "the real story of the terrifying Leviathan plot" - but it really contained nothing that regular viewers didn't already know. And the letters fans wrote to the various daytime magazines about the stunt were scathing. :o
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TRhanks MB... anything further like that that you could pass on would be appreciated.
I forget what made me think "future" in the first Leviathans scene, but I think it must have been the speech about the charred and blackened star that made me think "alien". By the way, doesn't this connect it all to Satan and Blair right from the start? Blair said this too.
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But would it surprise you to know that many fans were extremely disappointed and upset by it - not because of how it looked - but because of the lack of info it contained? ABC had heavily promoted it as finally revealing "the real story of the terrifying Leviathan plot" - but it really contained nothing that regular viewers didn't already know. And the letters fans wrote to the various daytime magazines about the stunt were scathing. :o
That does surprise me! I guess sometimes they can ruin something for the fans by over-hyping it when everyone might have enjoyed it much more if they hadn't said anything. They still do that today on soaps - I sometimes watch As The World Turns and the previews make it look like something important is going to happen in the next episode, then when it airs you realize they tricked the viewers and what they showed was only part of a dream sequence or someone was hallucinating or god only knows what.
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ABC had heavily promoted it as finally revealing "the real story of the terrifying Leviathan plot" - but it really contained nothing that regular viewers didn't already know. And the letters fans wrote to the various daytime magazines about the stunt were scathing. :o
It doesn't sound like ABC promos have changed much in the last 37 years. "LOST" fans have the same complaint today about promo overhyping ("The answers to four mysteries in next week's episode!" Oh, really?)
Maybe we'll find out next week that the Leviathans have drawn everybody to the island in yet another attempt to take over the world.
ProfStokes
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I love the Jason McGuire storyline that ran parallel with Maggie's kidnapping. My imagination was stimulated by those episodes. Very much so.
I totally agree. I think that if DS would have balanced "regular soap plots with supernatural ones the show may have not ran out of gas so quickly! Oh well...we will never know. I guess it was destiny!
I have to say that I also didn't know that the Leviathan storyline was cut in half. I would have loved to have seen how the full 6 months would have played out. I agree with JF when he said the show needed to move a little this way and that way instead of changing the story so often. I am sure DC was the main culprit of this all. I also wish he would have turned over DS to someone else. I think I have read on this board, ABC toyed with the idea.
Now onto the episode about Barnabas finally revealing the truth about the Leviathans to Julia! That episode, hands down, might possibly be my favorite of the entire series. Everything worked. The acting, the atmosphere, the camera work! JUST SUPERB storytelling!!
Also thanks MB for some more insight into DS I didn't know about! You are a wealth of information. YOU should be the one writing a DS book! :)
T
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Sorry for the double post. I meant to mention that I am watching these episodes of the Maggie's kidnapping/Jason McGuire for the first time ever. I am totally loving it. I have volumes 2 & 3 on the way! After almost 20 years in fandom I am coming close to seeing all DS. It's slightly saddens me in a way. :(
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Glad I'm not the only one didn't realize the Leviathan storyline was cut in half. I own (and have by and large, read) all of HP Lovecraft, so I really WANTED to like this storyline. Wish I could have liked it more. The start was good, and as has been said, if it was intended to be longer it explains the slow start. They could have gotten a lot more into the science fiction/horror aspects, and some of the whys and wherefores.
Paul Stoddard's backstory also got short shrift, and it would have been good to get more character development. Goes without saying that more emphasis on the Liz, Carolyn and Paul situation and the current externally driven conflicts would have been interesting.
After all the teasing with the subplot of bringing back "Grant Douglas", to do virtually nothing with the character once he's himself again is a terrible waste. Outside of Professor Stokes, he has the most knowledge of the occult of anyone we've seen. He probably added even more to that in the 70 something years since he left Collinwood to avoid Petofi. But instead, the character serves no plot purpose other than to hold up walls and look pretty.
I'm partial to a mental image I have of Prof. Stokes asking his old doctoral advisor to come consult on this. An "expert on the occult, and obtainer of ancient antiquities" he and Quentin are trying very hard not to let it slip how often they've encountered each other before. [zzwhip]
And don't even get me started on the nonsense with Peter Bradford's ghost. [8311] [gun] [smash]
Jeannie
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I'm now firing up the ignition to get Jeannie started on Peter Bradford's [spoiler]ghost![/spoiler] Vroom vroom!!!!! Go Jeannie go!!!!!
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I was just researching info on the Leviathans for some work I'm doing and came upon an interesting tidbit I wasn't aware of. I knew about the connection to H. P. Lovecraft's work, of course, but I found this rather surprising.
Original Leviathan Model (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/damnedrodan/fraz-lev.jpg)
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That IS enough to drive anyone insane! [shockeyes]
;)
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[laughing4]
Love LOL Cats!
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Kitty IS the Root of all evil.
Which explains why we love her so much.
G.
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Serious LOL! Good one.
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LMAO! Thanx I needed that!
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I'm suspicious about what the cat is actually doing in the sink. We seem to be interrupting.
For those who can't get enough of the awful Lovecraftian horror:
http://www.catsinsinks.com (http://www.catsinsinks.com)
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You would have to post that link!! I have no idea how many they had, but I knew I didn't have much time, so had to force myself to stop clicking for more!
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You would have to post that link!! I have no idea how many they had, but I knew I didn't have much time, so had to force myself to stop clicking for more!
You have opened the door to the infinite. The key to this mystery is the odd fact that many of these people who post photos don't even have cats. It seems they just sort of appear in the sinks. At the present rate of spontaneous generation of sink-cats, you cannot possibly click fast enough to keep up.
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LOL...This is a funny!! OT: I really wish that someone had saved the second half draft outline or whatever so we would know how this story was intended to play out! :(
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I'm now firing up the ignition to get Jeannie started on Peter Bradford's [spoiler]ghost![/spoiler] Vroom vroom!!!!! Go Jeannie go!!!!!
Be careful what you ask for, you may get it! [evil3] [evil1] [evil1] [91a2]
Jeannie
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I'm suspicious about what the cat is actually doing in the sink. We seem to be interrupting.
For those who can't get enough of the awful Lovecraftian horror:
Some people have WAAAY too much time on their hands [91a2]
And yes, I have cats, and Yes Again, they like to curl up in sinks. Any questions? <This is your cat. This is your cat on sinks>
Jeannie
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And just to make a last gasp attempt to drag this topic back ON TOPIC.....
A graphic of the giant iron lung himself http://www.cthulhu.org/ (http://www.cthulhu.org/)
and more on his story
http://www.cthulhu.org/cthulhu/index.html (http://www.cthulhu.org/cthulhu/index.html)
[snow_smileydevil]
Jeannie
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The phrase "Cthulhu effluvia" caught my attention. I'm going to start dropping it unobtrusively into conversations.
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Drop it!? Can you even pronounce it!? LOL
Try that one in the banana fanna song.
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Cthulhu effluvia, Cthulhu effluvia, bo-bulhu effluvia
Banana-fana fo-fulhu effluvia
Fee-fi-mo-mulhu effluvia
Cthulhu effluvia!
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This is what Jeb must have looked like in it's true form. If the show were on a network with some money behind it (in series form of course) I would love to see this storyline and see something like this instead of an ashtmatic snake as MT so fondly calls him!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cthulhu_and_R%27lyeh.jpg
While we are on this topic. Does anyone have a good suggestion of a HP LoveCraft book to read that includes this creature. I have been wanting to read one forever!
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I’d recommend one of the many omnibuses of Lovecraft stories, since most of his Cthulhu mythos work is (oftentimes longish) short fiction. “Call of Cthulhu” is the primary tale that actually features Cthulhu, though it is referenced in many others.
For someone getting into Lovecraft for the first time, this is a pretty good volume, featuring a number of his pivotal works, including “Call of Cthulhu” and “The Dunwich Horror,” which more directly inspired the Leviathans story.
The Best of H. P. Lovecraft (http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/0345350804/?tag=therealmofste-20)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/damnedrodan/c3059.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/0345350804/?tag=therealmofste-20)
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I finished the collected "Watchmen" yesterday (I told you I'm a geek), and after seeing the images in this topic's links, it struck me that the creature in the WM comics is very Cthulhu-like, though also part Cyclops (and I won't get into the disturbing sexual imagery that results from this combination, yikes).
This is OT for Leviathans, but since I'm currently watching the 1897 storyline, it made me smile that the last stop in Ozymandia's journey around the world was Alexandria. [easter_cheesy]
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I am huge GEEK too Midnite...your in good company!
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I have a shirt that says "and the geeks shall inherit the earth" (with the linux penguin on it [easter_grin])
But what a string of comments to hit after seeing the Wild West Tech episode on geek shows (part of the 19th C freak shows, where a "wildman" bit the head off a chicken or bat). Who knew Ozzie Osbourne was a geek?
[easter_shocked] [easter_wink] [easter_grin]
Jeannie
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I have a shirt that says "and the geeks shall inherit the earth" (with the linux penguin on it [easter_grin])
But do you use Linux? If not, then you're a mere pretender! [undg]
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I meant I am a geek when it comes to what I like. So I really don't know if I am the kind of geek you guys are referring too. I am a geek for DS, Charmed, Buffy, Madonna, The DS Boards, etc! LOL
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But do you use Linux? If not, then you're a mere pretender! [undg]
At the time I had a laptop I had configured to a dual boot windows/linux. [easter_wink] Does that make me a half geek? Or half A geek? Or do I bite heads off of HALF CHICKENS?
But no longer. Now I have to be able to get into the Citrix network at work via my home computer, and it does NOT like Linux. [easter_sad]
Jeannie
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Though that is no reason to completely abandon Linux. A real Linux user would never abandon Linux - they would only use Windows when it was absolutely necessary for work and use Linux for everything else. Also, I've read that the new Citrix Clients for Linux actually get better performance than the Windows ones.
Maybe you should take the Geek Test in this topic to see how much of a geek you really are.OT-The Geek Test
I'm having my doubts... ;)
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Though that is no reason to completely abandon Linux. A real Linux user would never abandon Linux - they would only use Windows when it was absolutely necessary for work and use Linux for everything else. Also, I've read that the new Citrix Clients for Linux actually get better performance than the Windows ones.
Maybe you should take the Geek Test in this topic to see how much of a geek you really are.OT-The Geek Test
I'm having my doubts... ;)
You're having waay too much fun, aren't you? [easter_grin]
As to the Citrix clients, out of my control at work. I don't work in IT, and they're wedded to the existing standard, which is Windows and Office. I even have to use Explorer to do the remote access, as our Citrix client won't recognize any other browser (IT even had to send an email around about this when they upgraded the client.)
Had this laptop about a year, and it also came with Windows and Office 07, so I haven't spent the time to make it a dual boot at this point. Relearning all the UNNECESSARY and cumbersome changes in Office is enough of a timesink right now.
But on the geekiness front, does doing all my own computer upgrades (hard drives, configuring, memory, and internal peripherals) count? I also remember how to assign and force reassignment of com ports on modems......
[easter_cool]
Oh and I took the geek test. I have a vague memory of a version of that going around SW fandom a good while back. LOL Probably back when the GEnie service still existed. My score this time was 40.23669....... [easter_wink]
Jeannie
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You're having waay too much fun, aren't you? [easter_grin]
Well, I evangelize Linux any chance I get. I've used it as my main OS for close to a decade, and I would never go back to Windows as a main OS again. I only use Windows when I absolutely have to use IE to check something about the forum or to test out a piece of software that someone might want me to look at for them.
But on the geekiness front, does doing all my own computer upgrades (hard drives, configuring, memory, and internal peripherals) count? I also remember how to assign and force reassignment of com ports on modems......
[easter_cool]
Oh and I took the geek test. I have a vague memory of a version of that going around SW fandom a good while back. LOL Probably back when the GEnie service still existed. My score this time was 40.23669....... [easter_wink]
Apparently doing ones own computer upgrades doesn't count for much because I do all mine as well, yet my score has barely changed from what it was in 2004 - and that's with me having a computer that never seems to have its cover on AND using Linux AND being a devoted DS and Buffy fan. [easter_wink]
40.23669 has to be a forum high - at least among the people who were willing to share their results. I have NO idea how you were able to reach that level. You must walk around dressed as a Star Wars/Star Trek character 24/7 while also wearing a pair of glasses that are taped to hold together while also wearing a pocket protector filled with four color pens while also reading a comic book in one hand and playing a video game in the other while only speaking in Klingon. [easter_shocked] [easter_grin]
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Oh my! If that's the case, we'll be able to spot Pansity among the masses a mile away at the fest! ...(or maybe not, lol.)
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Apparently doing ones own computer upgrades doesn't count for much because I do all mine as well, yet my score has barely changed from what it was in 2004 - and that's with me having a computer that never seems to have its cover on AND using Linux AND being a devoted DS and Buffy fan. [easter_wink]
40.23669 has to be a forum high - at least among the people who were willing to share their results. I have NO idea how you were able to reach that level. You must walk around dressed as a Star Wars/Star Trek character 24/7 while also wearing a pair of glasses that are taped to hold together while also wearing a pocket protector filled with four color pens while also reading a comic book in one hand and playing a video game in the other while only speaking in Klingon. [easter_shocked] [easter_grin]
We need to work on developing your inner geek. [easter_grin]. All kidding aside, the way those questions were skewed, it looked like they were concentrating on multiple interests across the geek scale to get the grades. They also included stuff like an interest in history and reading as well as the stereotypical math and science. Add all of the above, sounds like the typical science fiction fan to me. With a lot of people in DS fandom (but way way WAY less so on this board) my impression is that it's their one and only exposure to fandom, and a lot of them don't come in with the wide range of interests that's typical in science fiction and media fandom in general. My interests are all over the map, even before I found fandom in 1975. Like most people,I don't ever lose interest in a specific fandom, just keep accumulating more new ones along the way. Maybe you need a few new fandoms to boost your measurable geekiness, if not your copious spare time. [easter_evil]
Nah, don't dress that way. (Sorry, Dom, you'll have to work harder than that.) I wear the usual fannish uniform of t shirts and jeans at cons. I do have some professionally done ears somewhere, and a set of theatrical custom molded fangs (lovely thing about a Science Fiction con is that you get cool panels by folks like makeup artists, where you can learn to do stuff like that). Only wore them for Halloween Fundraisers at my job, though.
Maybe the other high level geeks are just trying not to be noticed. In the mundane world smart, creative and different gets you picked on. Some people haven't yet tumbled to the fact that smart and well informed is FUN and a lack of knowledge and curiosity is boring.
Jeannie
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On the geekiness front I also upgrade my computers myself, change video and memory cards and can do most configurations for new software and hardware. I can install new hard drives and swap out failing parts of my computer.
However, that said, I never had the urge to wear costumes at fests or cons even when visiting a con with a friend. I know there are lots of people who enjoy dressing up the part and that makes it all the more fun for them. For some reason, when I attend any function just for fun I do not wear t-shirts and jeans. Funny, just how I am.
nancy
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We need to work on developing your inner geek. [easter_grin]. All kidding aside, the way those questions were skewed, it looked like they were concentrating on multiple interests across the geek scale to get the grades. They also included stuff like an interest in history and reading as well as the stereotypical math and science. Add all of the above, sounds like the typical science fiction fan to me.
Well, beyond what I laid out previously, not even having been on the Math team in high school, having read books on Math/Science/Grammar outside of class, having taken part in Science Fairs, having a Math degree, an English degree, teaching Computer Programming, having taught myself and students five computer languages that I didn't learn in school, having read entire computer manuals for mainframes and personal computers (I worked for several years running/maintaining a mainframe for a high school computer lab) and software/computer language books, and having created Web sites (writing all my own HTML/Javascript) before 1996 barely raises my geekiness (according to that test) over a 16.
But it seems to be that two of the major sticking points for me are that 1) my taste in movies goes beyond the ones on their list (I've only seen four of them), and 2) I've never played a video/computer game in my life - nor do I have any real desire to. [easter_cheesy] (Not that I look down on them in any way, shape or form - it's just that they don't appeal to me.)
Maybe you need a few new fandoms to boost your measurable geekiness, if not your copious spare time. [easter_evil]
Spare time? [easter_huh]
With a lot of people in DS fandom (but way way WAY less so on this board) my impression is that it's their one and only exposure to fandom, and a lot of them don't come in with the wide range of interests that's typical in science fiction and media fandom in general. ... Some people haven't yet tumbled to the fact that smart and well informed is FUN and a lack of knowledge and curiosity is boring.
Or just perhaps in today's hectic, too fast paced world they're unable to cultivate more than a few interests beyond those that are needed to get through their lives.
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Or just perhaps in today's hectic, too fast paced world they're unable to cultivate more than a few interests beyond those that are needed to get through their lives.
Which is I think is the case with many people. I have many interests I would like to pursue further but time and some other constraints do not allow me at this particular time. I will get to explore those other intersts in more depth at some point. DS introduced me to numerous interests as a child and other tv shows, including Star Trek and other scifi programs have done the same. But I tend to prefer to incorporate those interests into my daily life and finding friendships and other nearby outlets which eliminates the necessity to travel to many different kinds of fandom conventions/festivals in order to commune with others with the same interests. Message boards are another easy and convenient outlet.
I have friends who have what I would call a fandom lifestyle in that they travel several times a year to this and that media convention or some fandom convention. I prefer to find ways to engage in my interests on a more local and immediate level and to have that access when i want it rather than wait for a function to be planned with people I see only a few times a year, if that.
Nancy