Beautiful

This was a comment on Yahoo Answers in response to a question asking whether or not atheists are grateful for their lives. The original question is rather patronizing, misinformed and presumptuous in all of the wrong ways. It is reproduced here.

"Grateful" is a synonym for "thankful". Are atheists ever thankful they were born human? That they were born intelligent? (because let's face it...atheists ARE intelligent...albeit misguided) That they were born TALENTED?

Are they THANKFUL? And if they ever feel that thankfulness, who exactly is it they're thanking? Because being thankful means you WANT TO THANK somebody...the same "somebody" whom you so cavalierly describe as "an invisible sky friend".

Are you ever thankful...EVER...when an IMPOSSIBLE situation for you suddenly, and for no apparent reason, turns out okay, even if you "don't believe" in this "invisible sky friend"?

However, this particular response is beautiful. Why can't more people see the world this way?

I feel and notice that theists and atheists have basically all the same experiences in life. Theists assume they have a very different life because of their theism. Atheists assume they have a very different life because of their atheism. Each side assumes they are living a far superior live. But here's the truth: no matter which way you go--theist or atheist--you remain human, all human, and nothing but human. You live a human life, with all the possible joys and miseries that go with that. No human can escape being human. Theists and atheists are not really different, no matter the fact that both sides are generally very sure that they are very different. But that is just all vanity, illusions, smoke and dust.

Power Sets

So, in a discussion with @GameTavernNews on Twitter, I told him my possible power sets for a hero (undoubtedly based on myself :D). Here they are!

1) Flight, telepathy, empathy and energy blasts

These powers might better be explained as the synthesis of two parents' powers. The father is able to manipulate energy and the mother has high level psychic abilities (telepathy). He inherited both powers from his parents and flies using energy manipulation (pushing the energy under him a la Dragonball Z [see: Gohan teaching Videl how to fly]). His brother inherited powers more from the father, but that manifest as teleportation (he can transform things into energy and he is able to "manipulate" the location of the resultant energy).

2) Flight, hard light construction/manipulation

The flight works here by using light energy. The hard light comes from taking this energy and making it visible and tangible. The user is able to create only one shape (an eight pointed star) but eventually learns to make other shapes. He can also manipulate the forms to create shields around objects and people. These hard light forms also take on offensive capabilities in that they can be willed to explode on contact or by delayed reaction (expansion of the light energy)

3) Visible psychic energy

I imagine the color to be blue, more than likely for a hero named Blue. These visible psychic powers manifest as telekinesis and telepathy. Energy surrounds objects, much like Lantern Corps energy to move them. Telepathy works by energy connecting to another organism's brain to enable communication or allow the user to control the organism. He is able to use this visible energy to make forcefields and is also able to propel bolts of energy as an offensive technique.

Race and Superheroes

I couldn't let this sit.

I read a ComicVine forum on some people being upset that John Stewart wasn't the Green Lantern for the upcoming movie. According to the quotes posted, some people thought a white man shouldn't be cast. Why? Well, they were accustomed to the Justice League cartoon, which featured John Stewart rather than Hal Jordan. I loved it; it was nice seeing a Black man as one of my favorite heroes. However, I like most of the GLs, save for Guy Gardner, so I would have been happy with any of them.

The question proposed by the article/forum was: Does race matter in casting superheroes? And, even as fired up as I am right now, I can only say yes and no.

I think some of the comments brought up good points in that some heroes like Storm and Black Panther shouldn't have race changes in other media because their race is integral to their identity. I would argue the same for Echo, Psylocke, Banshee, and the Huntress as their races or ethnicities are an integral and evident part of their personalities and characterization. However, others, like the Trinity for DC, may not change based on the race of the actor/actress portraying them.

I think there could be a Black Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. I don't see much in their histories that absolutely says they must be portrayed by a white character. I'm not clear on Amazons in Greek mythology and what ethnicity they're supposed to be, but I would just assume Greek. I think there are many characters whose race is just a matter of fact issue rather than an important part of their identity.

One of the big issues I had with some of the comments was that the assumption that if a character is Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, etc. it shouldn't be changed. As I said before, I think race is integral for some characters. However, I think this assumption promotes the whiteness of superheroes. I harp on this a lot, but a majority of superheroes are White, male, and straight. As comic fans, we should not be so scared of change that we promote ideas like this which perpetuate the status quo. "Don't change what I love!" seems to resound from some fans on many situations, race included. I wonder, though, what a drastic "diversity upheaval" would do.

Of course, this means that minority characters can be portrayed by white actresses and actors if I'm using this logic (which doesn't sit well with me because there is a much smaller number of minority characters by comparison). So, I wonder what this would do, to see a cast of superheroes that is typical an arrangement of different minorities in the comics but primarily white in other media. I'm trying to give thought as to the other side, but I do not promote this idea. I don't think it's racist or discriminatory to try to make typically white characters other races in different media if it does not drastically alter the character, but making typically minority characters white only seems to support a status quo and is a reflection of whitewashing.

This is a hot issue, or maybe I'm deluding myself. But, like I said, I just couldn't sit on this without saying something.