From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V5 #53 Reply-To: chakram-refugees@smoe.org Sender: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk chakram-refugees-digest Thursday, February 24 2005 Volume 05 : Number 053 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [chakram-refugees] Defining "the Xenaverse" ["Xena Torres" Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] Defining "the Xenaverse" >Admittedly, I'm only familiar with XWP-related discussion lists, but they >tended to have tons of lurkers who may have liked seeing discussions, but >rarely >if ever participated. I should correct myself - I consider just listening to be part of the 'conversation.' And lurkers, when they do speak, often have the best words to share. But by joining a list and reading the conversations, you are PART of the fandom. You are still involved. People have to listen as much as talk. ;) >I've also run into people who absolutely loved the show but aren't into net >or fan stuff. Some >didn't even realize there was a "Xenaverse" of folks >like them. That's two different issues. People who don't know, means they have no idea there are fans like them who WOULD discuss the show with them. That doesn't mean they don't WANT to discuss the show, they just don't know where to go to do it. As I said, I consider a fan anyone who discusses the show or interacts with other fans - regardless of in what manner. If you and your daughter watch Xena and then chat about the episode for 5 minutes and consider yourselves fans, then you are part of the Xenaverse. Hell, even if you watch a show and just take five minutes to disgest and think about it. I honestly don't discuss EVERY show I watch, but I do take a few minutes to reflect back on an episode. Or, if watching DVDs, I might even pause the DVD and reflect back on a scene - even if only to myself. That is a fan to me. If you just watch but aren't really involved or into it (ie: feel for the characters, get moved by the show, think about what the show is saying, etc), then, personally, I would not consider you a fan, therefore, not a Xenite - not a member of the Xenaverse - but you can always choose to join or leave. >I guess I'm wondering how much the internet skews our view of fandom, since >it is the primary way I know of for finding out about what's going on, It's true, but not the only way. In the past I've met fans by simply wearing my Xena shirt. I still do. I met people who aren't online and those who are, but by coming up to me and asking about my shirt, they are a fan - it might just be their first time meeting a fellow fan. We've also hosted premiere parties where only about half the guest list were people online - the rest were people we had met in 'real' life. The challenge is, it's just harder to locate fans without the internet. We don't exactly have a secret handshake (and even then, only the internet folks would likely know it. ;) BATTLE ON XENA! Xena Torres: Warrior Writer http://www.geocities.com/bitchofrome "And most importantly, I've learned that the heart can betray, but the sword never lies." - Eve "Heart of Darkness" ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 21:58:12 EST From: KLOSSNER9@aol.com Subject: [chakram-refugees] [almost OT] Pompeii: The Last Day Tomorrow the Discovery Channel replays the docudrama Pompeii: The Last Day. I saw it a couple weeks ago. I have seen hundreds of documentaries on Discovery and History Channel over the last several years, but this is one of the best. It has a convincing drama, a lot of real science and good special effects. The difference between the real story of Pompeii and the relevant RenPic episode (Sky High, on Hercules) is that in the episode everyone knew what the volcano would do and Hercules was very brave to climb it. In reality, the Romans didn't know what Vesuvius could do. There was no word for "volcano" in Latin. There had not been any very destructive volcanic eruptions that the Romans knew of. There were few men who could be called scientists. The Romans simply knew that some mountains threw up rocks and lava. Mount Etna released lava, which flowed slowly down predictable paths and was easy to avoid. Stromboli sent up spectacular but harmless displays of fire and rocks. Nobody knew what Vesuvius could do, which included a pyroplastic surge, a mass of superheated material which moves at 80 miles per hour and incinerates humans instantly. One of the few men in the Empire who considered himself a scientist, Pliny the Elder, was commander of the Roman fleet in the Bay of Naples. He made the mistake of going toward the volcano to investigate it and was killed. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, who left the only useful account of the eruption, doesn't come out of the story very well. He refused the join his uncle in investigating the eruption; young Roman males were not supposed to show cowardice. When he thinks he is going to die, P the Younger says, "I took some comfort in the thought that the gods were destroying the whole world." Boeotian Boeotian ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V5 #53 *************************************