Do I see myself as being a leader? No, foxes are independent, often solitary animals. We do our own thing, and don’t operate with or out of packs.
Moreover, I lack the desire to lead. Can I lead? Absolutely, but I abhor the degree of self-surrender and the coping with internal politics that comes with leadership of a group. It is a vexation to the spirit. As a leader, you are unlikely to make all of your followers happy at the same time, yet you can exhaust yourself in trying. And if the group fails, a leader can be held responsible, even if he or she has a following of turkeys.
As someone wrote, those who refuse to lead are liable to be led by someone worse than themselves. Because of this, I have at times assumed leadership when no one else wanted to perform that function, or was capable of the role. I have done so reluctantly. My natural role in an organization appears to be in position #3, operating behind and in support of the leader and the second in command.
Those who wish to become leaders may wish to consider that power corrupts, and absolute powercorrupts absolutely. I’ve seen nice people become complete bastards when elevated to leadership positions.
The notion that monsters make the best heroes has been previously explored, for example in shows like Being Human, whose characters featured a werewolf, vampire. and ghost. The Imperfects on Netflix has a similar cast of unlikely prime characters, this time a banshee, a succubus, and my favorite, a chupacabra-shifter, who in his transformational state rather closely resembles a werewolf with the exception of external spiny projections that go from his forehead down his back…
Now Juan Ruiz, the chupacabra-shifter, essentially blacks out when he transforms, and in that transformational state has enhanced speed, razor-sharp claws and teeth, and one assumes, enhanced vision and hearing as well. He tends to eat at least part of his victims in his feral state, and when transformed back, has no recollection of how he got blood on his face or what he was doing that caused that. In all fairness, most of his victims were posing a serious threat to himself or his female companions the banshee and succubus. Just to be safe, however, those companions have been known to keep Juan bound up in situations where he is likely to be “triggered.” They’ve been known to playfully refer to him as “Chupi,” even going to far as to torment him by saying things like “cute Chupi” or “You’re a good Chupi.” “I hate you guys!,” responds Juan…
Now the show’s unlikely trio appear to be in their late teens to early twenties, prompting some to call this series a “coming of rage” show. Their condition is the result of a rogue scientist experimenting on them without their permission using stem cells, and their powers are unfortunate side effects of that experimentation. The trio spend much of the series pursuing the rogue scientist in an effort to get him to “fix” them, all the while being pursued by armed and shadowy agents intent on their control or if necessary, extermination. This in turn leads to some epic confrontations along the way. “They want monsters?,” notes the banshee, “We’ll GIVE them monsters!” With that, the banshee can blow people away with her voice, the succubus emits pheromones that can get their pursuers to fall under her control and shoot each other, and the chupacabra springs, bites, slices, and dices…
Now variations on the show’s themes as mentioned have been done before, and probably better. Still, the show has promise, which makes it unfortunate that Netflix cancelled the series after one season. Still, it remains possible that fan demand might bring the show back, since it was just finding its footing after one one season, and there are different directions that the series could go with just some tweaking…
(language and graphic violence warnings for the following clip. This ain’t Barney the Purple Dinosaur, folks…)
If thereâs still a ten-year-old boy buried in you somewhere, you can appreciate vintage 1960 science fiction movies like Dinosaurus, because hey, who among us wouldnât jump at the chance to fight a T-Rex with a steam shovel?! Youâve always wanted to, right? âFess up, now⌠đŚ
We all know that explosives, atomic or otherwise, can unleash beasts from the past from the ocean bottom, frozen underground rivers, you name it. So when blasting to expand a harbor on a Caribbean island brings a T-Rex, Brontosaurus, and caveman to the surface that are reanimated by lightning, you all know that mayhem is gonna ensueâŚbut a least you may get a dinosaur ride out of it!
Possibly this girl below has had worse dates than this one, too. At least she doesnât have to provide an intellectually stimulating conversationâŚ
Now the climatic scene of Dinosaurus featured a foreman (Caucasian, of course!) in an excavator battling a T-Rex on the edge of a precipice. This has got to be iconic for brains versus brawn, or the modern versus the primitiveâŚand weâve seen variations on this theme play out on cinema screens since, such as Sigourney Weaverâs Ripley in a power lifter suit fighting the formidable alien queen in AliensâŚ
Well, our human hero in Dinosaurus gives the T-Rex several uppercuts with the earth mover bucket before deciding that he can get better momentum against the carnivore by swinging the whole rig around against him, a tactic which wins the day and gives us hope for tourism on that Caribbean islandâŚhooray for heavy equipment manufacturers and Earth-denuding capitalism! đ¸
Whether itâs for simple nostalgic value, to laugh along with outdated special effects, or to simply appreciate the heritage of the genre, vintage science fiction movies continue to be a kick to watchâŚ
Werewolves on a train? – –Well, why notâŚit worked for snakes on a plane, and monsters and other nasties can be even more horrifying if their victims are somehow in a confined space with less chance to run or escapeâŚ
So take a British night train out of London, have it break down in a deep, dark forest infested by werewolves, and youâre set for some claustrophobic gory fun. Being British, however, this will be a proper train, complete with a tea cart girl dispensing tea and chicken sandwiches. There is a guard on duty, working a second shift but well-attired in a dress jacket, asking passengers for ticketsâŚ
Things start to go awry when the train hits a deer which clogs under the wheels, necessitating a stop where the investigating engineer becomes victim #1. Werewolves gradually approach and then infiltrate the train, which passengers progressively barricade. As the barricades are breached, the characters of passengers are revealed, and hand-to-hand combat becomes necessary with the werewolves, which to me rather resemble Yeti with upgraded dentitionâŚthese are humanoid werewolves, with not nearly enough hair and snout. I like a werewolf with a good muzzle, so I fault the creature designâŚ
As the Nazis discovered, you can only push Brits so far, and in one memorable scene, a well-attired book-reading gentleman goes absolutely medieval on a werewolfâs head with a fire axe! Howl is recommended for moments of black humor such as this, and you can catch this 2015 film on Netflix or UtubeâŚ
It was back in the 1960âs that we first encountered the Gorn in the Arena episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. Who can forget William Shatner as James T. Kirk grappling with a hulking rubbery-suited reptilian creature intent upon killing him? Great stuff then, and a comic delight now!
The Gorn also appeared to fight with Captain Archer in the under-rated series Enterprise; he shot one multiple times, presumably to ensure that it was dead. Guess who won’t be joining The Federation any time soon? So itâs good to see the mean keen green guys revised, revamped, and updated for modern times, for the Gorn are classic Trekâ heaviesâŚâ
Unlike Kirk, the young Spock that we see in Strange New Worlds did not spare the life of an offending Gorn, but in all fairness it was either the Gorn or Spock and company who were going to be offed. Yes, the Spock of Strange New Worlds can go medieval when the situation calls for it…whoever would have thought?!
The Gorn have been reimagined, too, into a faster, far morenimble and ambulatory species reminiscent of thealiens which plagued Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. They even implant human hosts! Captain Pike, he of the uplifting hair, considers them “monsters.”
With the season cliffhanger ending with intelligent, space-faring reptilians descending on an outnumbered Enterprise, Captain Pike will have to pull something out of his hair to defeat the lizard horde.- – What a pity we have to wait to see Part 2!
âYouâre a GREAT audience, do âya know that? For my next little number, Iâd like to share a medley of musical standards from Sinatra!â đť
No, Chinaâs Sun Bears are not escapees from a furry convention, humans in a fur suit despite allegations to the contrary!
A zoo in eastern China has denied allegations that their Sun Bears are humans in costume, pointing out that a costumed human would only last a few minutes in the triple-degree heat before collapsing. Chinese zoos have also been accused of spray-painting dogs to make them look like wolves, and painting donkeys to resemble zebrasâŚ
Not all bears are big hulking menaces. The Sun Bear is the smallest bear species, and stands about 50â tall on his hind legs. From the back or side, the bear does present a rather human-like appearance, especially when it interacts with humans by waving its paws. But no, thatâs not some dude in a suitâŚ
I was shocked and deeply saddened by the recent death of actor and comedian Paul Reubens, not knowing that he was battling cancer. Best known for his Pee-Wee Herman character in his red bow tie, white shoes, and several sizes too small gray suit, Pee-Weeâs Playhouse ruled 1980âs Saturday morning kidâs television, presenting us with a twisted world that appealed to children and secretly adults alikeâŚ
I grew up watching wild and crazy childrenâs TV hosts like Soupy Sales and Sandy Becker, and Pee-Wee Herman was just the logical extension of the demented kiddie show host, a perpetual 10-year-old boy trapped awkwardly in a manâs body. Iâm a man-child too, âya see, the 10-year-old in me still secretly loving Godzilla moviesâŚ
Paul Reubens recognized the enduring power of childhood. A few other comedians have too, as did the late great Andy Kaufman when he memorably lip-synched the theme to Mighty Mouse, complete to a vintage recording with earnest expressions and dramatic gesturesâŚ
Pee-Wee Herman in his Playhouse created an entire twisted world for us, a microcosm of madness complete with a cowboy, a sea captain, dinosaurs, anthropomorphic furniture and devices, a robot, and even a genie in a box! It was a world of enchantment far preferable to reality, and we felt that we belonged there! Paul Reubenâs âPlayhouseâ world was a fully fleshed out alternative reality drawn from bits and pieces of our childhoods, the better parts, reallyâŚ
Pee-Wee Herman expressed the inner child in all of us, and represented the way that we wished we could respond to inflexible humorless adults if we were not ourselves expected to be respectable grown-ups. Pee-Wee was Peter Pan with a sarcastic sense of humorâŚ
Paul Reubens was more than just Pee-Wee Herman, too. He had movie and TV roles in which he was virtually unrecognizable, such as The Spleen in the under-rated film Mystery Men, was a vampire in the Buffy series, and played the father of Batman villain The PenguinâŚ
But it is as Pee-Wee Herman that Paul Reubens will best be remembered, and while not everyoneâs cup of tea, itâs certain that heâs left many of us smilingâŚ.and just remember that if you hear the Secret Word, scream real loud! Adults hate it when you do thatâŚ
Like many furries, I have a cheap fursuit, plus a full wearable head and a mask. They are all in shall I say the economy range, as thatâs my budget. But what might be possible if you chose and could afford to throw over $15,000 into the creation of a stunningly realistic and detailed fursuit? The awesome results may be seen aboveâŚyes, thatâs a suit, with a dude inside it!
The gentleman, identified only as Toko or in some locations Toco, chose to transform into a collie because of its size, the fact that it was his favorite dog, and also because he felt that a collie’s long hair would help to hide his human form.He hired the Japanese company Zeppet, known for creating sculptures and models for movies and commercials, to craft the suit. Creation of it took 40 days as numerous fittings and adjustments were made to get the best look and fit…
Now Toko-san as one might expect is somewhat limited in his movements while within the suit, and cannot move all of his limbs freely or excessively. But he is living the dream that he has had since childhood, and who are we to deny him that? The results are uncanny…
Like Discovery, Star Trekâs Strange New Worlds is set slightly prior to the time of The Original Series, but for my money is a more emotionally cogent and relatable series than Discovery. Money is what Iâm paying to see it, too, since it airs only on Paramount+.
Now Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) is helming the Enterprise in this series, and we do get to know Captain Pike quiet well, and heâs partway between Kirk and Picard, an older captain with his own charms. Number One (Rebecca Romijn) is also there as Pikeâs first officer, and a younger Spock (Ethan Peck) is engaging and well-played as a science officer still learning the ropes of Starfleet.
Despair notâŚyouâll get to meet a younger James T. Kirk, also working his way up the ranks, quite engaging with an edge of being brash and cocky.You can believe this guy evolving to be William Shatnerâs Kirk, so adept is Paul Wesley at conveying Kirkâs mannerisms and styleâŚ
Strange New Worlds also gives some previously minor characters an upgrade, and a chance to shine. Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) is young, blonde, and hot, a versatile and dynamic character who would like to do more than just mind meld with SpockâŚ
Uhura too (Celia Rose Gooding) is finally given given the more major role that her earlier character begged for but never fully achieved in the original series and filmsâŚ
So catch Strange New Worlds if you possibly can. It has all of the right stuff to be a worthy addition to the Star Trek franchise, with better linkage to the characters, spirit, and content of the original seriesâŚ
S Worlds if you can, a promising and solid-looking show with a better linkage to the characters and spirit of the original series than we’ve seen before..
If you blended Star Trek, Alien, and Jurassic Park together, youâd probably get something like the movie 65, now available on Netflix. The title refers to 65 million years ago when that legendary asteroid impacted with Earth, affecting the planetary history foreverâŚ.
Now if you were to take an ancient alien-type pilot who was transporting 35 passengers in hypersleep to an unspecified destination before an asteroid shower perforated his ship and forced it to crash land on the Earth of 65 million years ago, you’d have the basic premise of the movie. Our pilot and the only other sole survivor, a girl, must brave the perils of ancient Earth, and locate their escape craft, all before the main asteroid of 65 million years ago arrives to ruin everyone’s day. The predacious dinosaurs who attack our hero and his charge are outclassed by his laser rifle and some really neat mini-bombs, but outnumber him greatly, making this a syfy survival flick.You know they’ll survive, but get knocked around a good bit with numerous close escapes, and it’s all rollicking good funthatâs paced well, and doesnâtpretend to be more than it isâŚ
Laser (and phaser) rifles are definitely cool! They give you so much more of a presence than just a hand phaser. James T. Kirk knew this, and looked like a boss holding one. Did you know that his phaser rifle sold for $615,000 at auction? Thatâs not a bad trade-in allowance considering that it was an older model compared to those seen in The Next Generation. Wouldnât you like to own a laser rifle? âFess up, nowâŚ
But I digressâŚAdam Driver shines as the alien but humanoid pilot, looking and reminding me a bit of Keanu Reeves in the part. You may want to catch this Dino-tastic film, because it goes quickly to the action, and future tech versus saurian hordes is a fun ride⌠đŚ
FOXSYLVANIA 
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