GCH V: The Final Blogtier

"What does God need with a starship?"

It's the central line of Star Trek V, easily the worst (and funniest) 2 hours in the series' forty year plus history. The movie, if watched repeatedly, does eventually grow on one. The appallingly low production standards, a result of Paramount's meager budgeting, the bizarre plot twists and above all the remarkable piece of madness that allowed William Shatner to both direct and write. A competent actor who found a legendary niche, sometime around 1977 he became a shtick laden parody of himself. Carefully hemmed in by directors (including Leonard Nimoy) and writers with some talent, he could still play a space bound Horatio Hornblower (one of the role models for Captain Kirk). Star Trek V was Bill being Bill. Worse than that it was Bill being Bill circa 1989. More than once, watching the film, you can feel the presence not of the Almighty, but of Henny Youngman.  "Take My Vulcan - Please!"

The critic, of which this blog has many, may say that The Gods of the Copybook Headings is Publius' Star Trek V. Publius being Publius. Rambling historical asides. Rants against the government. Circuitous pieces of logic that somehow link obscure references to The Fountainhead, Reflections on the Revolution in France and a rather too detailed understanding of Trek arcana - though I am piker compared to people I have met. Trust me. It all makes sense. Just another few paragraphs, it will all come together. As we note this blog's fifth anniversary - or blogversary as I called it after year one - one is compelled to ask how have we lasted so long. I say "we" not referring to Publius' multiple personalities, or imperial sense of self, but you and me. 

I keep writing because I'm an eccentric. It's either this or talk to the TV. Whatever person is sitting next me, they tuned out awhile back. I sometimes have no idea why any of you keep showing up. Some of you, I know, are fellow eccentrics. Objectivists, monarchists, atheists, non-mainline Christians, Anglophiles and others caught in a kind of time warp. Pardon the pun. I say eccentric as in "deviating from the recognized or customary character." Ever been told you were born at the wrong time? Yeap, I get it about once a week. Right now JS Bach's Concerto in C Minor for 2 Harpsichords is playing on my iTunes. Exactly. The word you're looking for, the WFB word anyway, is discomfiture. Sometimes you're embarrassed, sometimes you're embarrassed for other people. You show up at the 20 screen megaplex with your date, she wants to see some ghastly chick flick that will make you're skin crawl and you....there is no alternate. 

The chick flick is the least worst thing available. At least it involves human being doing recognizably human things. The rest is just nihilism and bubble gum. Nothing wrong with bubble gum, but it's not part of a balanced diet. A little bit back Chris Taylor redesigned his blog. I'm picking on Chris because he's a nice guy. I've met him. Perfectly decent chap. Looking at him you'd assumed he was completely sane. Who designs his blog to look like a 1930s airline poster? One trumpeting the British Empire no less? I don't know but my first reactions was: "Holy crap this is sooooooo cool!" I actually did say that. The person sitting next to me - this was at work - replied: "You never say cool." It's not a Publius word. If you love Art Deco (broad non-academic use of the term) and the period between World War One and Woodstock (the latter being the precise moment Western Civilization lost it's sense of good taste and decency), you'll love looking at the blog. I don't know about the content yet, I'm sure it's all good stuff. I'm still admiring a gorgeous colour photograph of Stirling Moss looking very determined and very British. Two things I like.

There have always been eccentrics. Social conformity is never universal. A distinction should be made between ordinary quirkiness and genuine eccentricity. One of my favourite lines, from one of my favourite plays - it's not in the movie version - is "make the sort of trouble that's expected." It's from A Man For All Seasons. Sir Thomas More was a devout Catholic who died a martyr's death. He was the quintessential eccentric. The historical More is somewhat more complicated - isn't that always the case? - as he had others executed for their beliefs.  The image of More that we know, what Robert Bolt brilliantly captured, is of an individual who remained true to his personal beliefs. Bolt was a socialist and agnostic. Sam Spiegel, the legendary producer of Lawrence of Arabia, had to spring Bolt from jail because the latter had been protesting nuclear weapons illegally. Yet Bolt could see a fellow eccentric across the centuries and intellectual divide. Something more than the beliefs, the personality that adheres to something intangible yet vital. Beyond mere quirkiness. Not the trouble that's expected and accepted. Hopefully over the last five years I've provided the unexpected, or at least the interesting. In anycase, I know what I'll be doing for the next five years.

Regards,

Publius

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

Comments

[Chris Taylor]

Haha, congratulations on five years of blogging. I'm glad you like the blog redesign, and I hope we'll be able to continue reading Publius for another five years.

[The Monarchist]

You're not a strange bird, Kiplius, you're a paradox with wings.

Some kind of cavalier whig, Christian atheist, crown republicano, rooted cosmopolitan, portuguese Anglophile...eccentric yes, and an inherently contradictory one, or perhaps you suffer from some type of extreme middle of the road madness. In any event, blogging is clearly a happy obsession for you, so we look forward to another five years of the same.

Best,

[Publius]

I pay attention to the wine, not the label Monarchist. Cheers

[Brutus]

Indeed. A man so in touch with traditions unfathomable today that his message is, shall we say, revolutionary.

Many more years of blogging, and hopefully printed writing as well Publius.

-B.