My region was hit by an ice storm again recently. I didn't have power for like almost five days and it sucked but since it was in April and not in the dead of winter like the '98 Ice Storm... it wasn't as bad as it could've been.
This article I wrote a few years ago has many memories about the 1998 one:
(https://www.writingsonsubjects.com/2019/11/skeletor-radio-and-ice-storm.html)
I think that article was good. It had like a two-theme-thing to it which makes the month's article fill up faster.
I was like...fifteen, I guess in the '98 one... and some of the lines are funny to me....
"At that point, if you don't have to go to school, but cannot play ten
hours of straight video games... then what is the point of not going to
school, you know?" -Me (2019)
This line is very Beavis and Buttheadian, I find. Honestly, it would not surprise me if Beavis and Butthead had a conversation very similar to this on an episode. They probably lost their TV and decided to attend school that day. This line is more Buttheadian not so much Beavisian.
The weird thing about this recent 2023 Ice Storm on the island and surrounding region of Montreal was that it lasted like 5 hours. That was it. Everything froze like Hell had literally froze over... as the old saying goes... as the photo I took here shows.
Check this out, I'm gonna write a Haiku for this photo I took check this out...
All Eyes Can See all Around
A Haiku: By D
If you didn't go out in the early morning of April 5th... you would not have seen this. It was warm and all of this melted by the afternoon ... and what was left was endless broken trees. The ice only weighed them down for like a few hours but still long enough to basically prune every tree on the island of Montreal.
Nature is wild, guys. Sometimes we think mere humans have really controlled our environment and our the Masters of The Universe like He-Man or She-Ra... but no... Nature can destroy us whenever it wants to and for no reason.
I still have my Skeletor radio and was listening to it again during the four or five nights I had no power. Let's do another Haiku while I'm in the mood. Let's write one about this cool Skeletor Radio...
Nary a Sound nor a Sight
Only Skeletor
A Haiku: By D
Alright, I think that's enough of Ice Storm and Skeletor Radio Haikus for one sitting let's move on to the next topic in this two-topic piece.
Northern Exposure X: X Posure
All this talk about ice, cold, and lonely nights has got me thinking about the hit 1990 television show Northern Exposure.
I hope you liked the first part of my article because this next one is very odd and silly. I chunk out dumb ideas on Twitter sometimes for future articles or just to launch some nonsense around into the void of the endless internet. I don't have many follower or anything but it's just fun to know you can launch nonsense into the stratosphere of the internet for someone/everyone to read whenever you want.
I remember thinking that Northern Exposure should get a reboot but in a totally ridiculous way... and lest we not forget... that many episodes of this show were freaking whacky, to begin with, looking back to it. I was like a pre-teen when this show aired and it was genuinely strange at times. I remember one where there were two Fleischmans... he had a cool alter-ego or something.... and one with tube-men or something. That show was always odd. They had a bubble-boy too.
Another show that sort of weirded me out as a kid and that was Picket Fences (1992)... that show was weird to a kid sometimes. The characters were genuinely strange. It was less fun than Northern Exposure though.
Anyways, since I saw it as a kid who didn't even really understand it... Northern Exposure (as well as Picket Fences) are sort of fun yet odd memories for me.
I was thinking a year or so ago... they should bring back Northern Exposure but make it more silly and weird... even make it a cartoon or a Tokusatsu style show.
First of all... Dr. Fleischman should have a mechanized bionic suit. He has designed a cool mech suit to deal with the cold and bears and stuff. It would be a cool-cool robot suit.
Ed would now be the Shaman of the town after many years of intense training and he can summon eidolons. They are Eagle, Falcon, Bear, and Coyote eidolons who guide him, can talk to him ... and are sagely and smart. His hair has gotten longer and cooler.
Maggie has laser guns now. Pew. Pew-pew.
The other characters are all there doing their things but I haven't fleshed-out their X-Concept designs yet. Anthony Edwards can come back as Bubble-boy Man Guy... but I heard he doesn't act anymore for a long time because in real life he's super rich because his mom invented "White Out" or something... or no... nevermind... I think that was one of The Monkees, maybe.
Yeah, Anthony Edwards can be Bubble Man again in Northern Exposure X: X Posure... if he wants. He was a different Bubble Man though... he didn't really live in a Bubble like Travolta, or the Seinfeld one did... he lived in a Bubble Mansion and studied plant life... or something. He was with Maggie a lot.
I don't think I remember this show well enough to commit to this pitch. I only actually remember like six episodes in detail and even then those details are scattered. I'd have to watch this show again... and there's 110 episodes it says... I don't think I can handle that episode load just to write a thousand word bizarre piece of bad fan-fiction with abominable snowmen, evil ice spirits, and robots.
I like the Ed character in this Northern Exposure X: X Posure idea the best so far. He was seen as dopey and kind of out-of-it on the old show... but in my reboot Ed will be the spiritual leader of the town after completing his shaman training with the elders. He can communicate with the spirits of Alaska and summon great and powerful spirit animals to guide himself and the town.
At the end of Season One, I'd end the pen-ultimate (second to last) episode on a cliffhanger where Ed and Dr. Fleischman have a falling out over how they should defeat the Season One end boss.... who would be an evil Ice Spirit who can make avalanches and take the form of a gigantic bird.
Fleischman says only the power of science can defeat the evil ice spirit that is bombarding the town of Cicely with bad avalanches... and he'd get Maurice and some others together to build a big tank that shoots fire... but Ed... would tell him he knows the nature of the evil of the spirit and can coax it into becoming a tame and helpful spirit once again... but he just needs time.
Fleischman tells Ed... that THERE IS NO TIME!
Maggie gets sick of their arguing ... tells them that they can longer count on her to operate the flame cannon of the tank... and goes to stay at Bubble Man's house.
Maurice and the others end up agreeing with Dr. Fleischman that the fire-cannon tank is their best option.
Ed is disappointed and leaves....
Meanwhile at Bubble Man's bubble mansion... Maggie is feeling regretful of her actions. The whole town is fighting but her... and Bubble Man. She comes to her senses and tells Bubble Man she's leaving to go back and operate the fire-cannon of the tank.
Bubble Man is a pacifist and refuses to join her and stays in his bubble mansion.
Whilst... back in the main A-plot... Fleischman and the rest of the townsfolk are battling the Evil Bird Spirit with the cool tank... they have it on-the-ropes... but simply can't finish it.
Oh no.
The episode ends...
To Be Continued....
Just kidding... I doubt I will continue this with any effort so let's just end it now.
In the season finale of Northern Exposure X: X Posure:
Ed is in a wooded-area sitting all by lonesome next to a roaring fire... he focuses his inner-mind and summons ALL the eidolons. The Eagle, the Falcon, The Bear, and the Coyote. They tell Ed that the evil bird spirit is also an Eagle... the Eagle remains silent for but-just a moment... and then tells Ed the shocking truth... that the evil spirit is his brother who has lost his way.
Ed asks the Eagle if he'll lend him his strength and asks the Eagle if he'll pacify his brother and let him rejoin the land of the spirits... the Eagle is wary... but agrees.
Ed and the Eagle soar as one to the battle ground!
Meanwhile... Maggie returns to the battle ground and hugs Fleischman. He asks her about Bubble Man (but he calls him the diminutive "Bubble Boy") ... and Maggie tells him to forget that guy. He's a big wuss and she hates him.
Maggie takes over for Maurice in the cannon tank chamber (the part that shoots the fire at the Eagle Ice Spirit). Maurice is tired and thanks Maggie for relieving him of his cannon duties.
They are about to regroup and re-commence their counter-attack on the Evil Spirit... when they are hit by another of its bad avalanches! This is not good, people. This is NOT good. They are scattered and their troops stop manning the ramparts!
The Evil Ice Spirit commences its main powerful avalanche attack! It's over for Cicely, Alaska! Oh no!
But...WAIT. A new hero emerges as a gigantic Bubble Shield envelopes the entire town...
....It's Bubble Man! He's come to join the fight after all! His powerful Bubble Shield deflects the entire avalanche! Wow!
Maggie asks Bubble Man why he decided to come fight and he says a touching monologue that I'm gonna think up right now...
"Maggie... I can live my entire life in my Bubble Fort safely coddled away from germs and danger... but... if you weren't in this town anymore... what would be the point of being alive? There comes a time in every Bubble Man's life... when he must leave his Bubble Fort and protect the town and people he loves..."
Maggie is touched by Bubble Man's words and embraces him deeply as Fleischman rolls his eyes. He's annoyed not so much that Maggie seems to like Bubble Man again... but he's more annoyed that Bubble Man keeps calling his Bubble Mansion a fort.
But Lo! The Evil Spirit is charging up ANOTHER ice-related super move! Oh no! Is this the end for our heroes!?
No... a big Aurora Borealis of multi-colored lights drifts in slowly on the horizon! An Eagle gently soars in the sky against the beautiful northern lights that light up the night!
It's Ed!
Ed and the Eagle are now One. The Good Eagle propels Ed into the Evil Eagle and Ed kicks it in the face! BAM!
The townsfolk roar like a lion!
Fleischman knowingly nods at Ed... to symbolize his regained trust in him. He throws Maggie a helmet and they jump into the Fire Tank. Fleischman pilots it while Maggie mans the cannon.
Ed instructs Fleischman and Maggie to fire a flaming cannon round right at him and the Eagle spirit that surrounds his body. They look at Ed and he looks cool. The Eagle and the Northern Lights look cool around Ed. Everything looks so cool.
"Trust Me..."
Ed tells him to trust him... and Fleischman and Maggie fire a flaming array of fire at Ed and the Eagle spirit. Ed, the Eagle, and the beautiful lights of the Aurora Borealis... are LIT A FLAME! The night's sky lights up in an extraordinary blinding fiery light!
Yeaaaaaaah!
Flaming Eagle KICK!
BAM!
The End
