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  • Never Surrender Dreams Special Print

    (Also posted to the moderated newsgroup)

    For folks who may not be signed up for the Script Book mailing list, this is really rather cool. At NeverSurrenderDreams.com , you can buy a special print of JMS's "Never Surrender Dreams" message that's not only autographed but that he'll inscribe to the name or names that you designate. This is only going to be on sale for a week, through Thursday, October 17.

    This print is different from the replica of JMS's handwritten message that we first saw as a postcard included as a gift with Volume 7 in celebration of reaching the halfway mark in the book series. This one has the message in bronze with a nice border and JMS will be inscribing and signing the print itself before it's framed. I've gotten other framed prints from Cafe Press and they're very nicely done.

    The reason I think it's particularly cool is because I think that the "Foundation" text that usually resides at the NeverSurrenderDreams.com URL should be required reading by every parent and child everywhere. I hope JMS won't mind my reposting the text here:

    FROM "THE FOUNDATION"

    We are born capable of greatness. It's when we allow ourselves to
    become discouraged, to see ourselves as failures, when we fail to
    recognize our inherent nobility, that we grow small, and diminish, and
    ultimately sacrifice our dreams on the altar of more realistic
    expectations of ourselves.

    When that happens, we forget who we are, what we are here for, and
    what we want to achieve, knowledge that is always within us...until we
    choose not to remember it any longer because the memory pains us, and
    because it is easier to settle for less than our dreams demand of us.

    Children sing and dance spontaneously, tell stories without fear,
    reveal their thoughts without inhibition, and reach for what logic
    tells us should be unattainable. That is who and what we are in our
    most elemental form. We do, we explore, we ask questions; we pursue
    our heart's desires, we dream of achieving greatness. But as time
    passes, we learn fear, we learn to second-guess ourselves, and we
    learn to suspect our abilities and our desires. We are told that some
    people tell stories, some people dance, and some people sing, but
    these things are not for everyone. When we try to express our
    innermost thoughts, we are told to be quiet, that no one wants to hear
    what it is we have to say, and that even if they did want to hear it,
    what we say has no innate value. When we lose the spark of spontaneity
    that was born inside us, which is our greatest gift, we progressively
    eliminate the possibility of finding joy and purpose, and inch by
    inch, our dreams slip away from us.

    If we are to be who we are, and what we are; if we are to accomplish
    great things, then we must learn the heart's most essential rule:
    Never Surrender Dreams.
    Yeah, I like this one a *lot*.

    Jan
    Last edited by Jan; 10-11-2007, 05:49 PM.
    "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

  • #2
    Jan you beat me to it.

    Unlike the stuffed bear. This is something I'm diving in for.
    What a wonderful world you live in. -
    Yeah, well, the rent is cheap, the pay is decent and I get to make my own hours.

    Comment


    • #3
      Any coupons available?
      Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side and the truth.
      John Sheridan

      Comment


      • #4
        Ah! Good question. I just found
        Save 5 on 40 code SRV203 thru 10/13
        or
        coupon for $5 off any purchase of $50 or more. coupon code: WACKYCRANES. This offer is valid until Oct 14, 2007.
        I think CP has quit issuing the really good $10 and $15 coupons. At least I haven't seen any for a while.

        Jan
        "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

        Comment


        • #5
          Jan, I will consider this one .

          Have got the ltd. ed. of the "Declaration" , so have a *nice* thing there signed by the great maker.

          very good quote you started this thread with
          Jan from Denmark

          My blog :

          http://www.babylonlurker.dk

          "Our thoughts form the Universe - they *always* matter"

          Comment


          • #6
            Thank you!
            WACKYCRANES did the job.
            Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side and the truth.
            John Sheridan

            Comment


            • #7
              Gotta love a coupon code like wackycranes, eh? Glad it worked for you, DeMonk.

              I love the 'Foundation' piece, Jan. That's why I have neversurrenderdreams.com as my 'location' on my profile.

              Jan
              "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

              Comment


              • #8
                This looks cool but I don't think its for me
                "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Champagne in one hand - strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOW - What a RIDE!"

                Comment


                • #9
                  I've got the limited edition of the "Declaration" too and I'm not sure about this one. Personally I wish it were the whole quote from "THE FOUNDATION" that Jan posted above. If it were I wouldn't be able to pass it up. However if he'd just publish "THE FOUNDATION" I'd be even happier. I'd buy an autographed and inscribed copy of that in a second... but I'm not really keen on buying it at a rate of $30 a word.

                  In case I change my mind are there any coupon codes good till October 17?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by wwwmwww View Post
                    In case I change my mind are there any coupon codes good till October 17?
                    $5 off $50 or more. Coupon Code: WACKYKNOWN (Expires: Oct 20, 2007)

                    That takes care of domestic shipping, at least.

                    Jan
                    "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I’m going to ask something here. It’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask for a while as I’ve never even bought a tee-shirt or keyring for this or any other show/film and don’t understand something – so no biting my head off for this please.

                      I was under the impression that one of the reason jms disliked and subsequently left Captain Power was that it was essentially a springboard for selling Matel action figures. He also made a point of commenting on the marketing surrounding Star Trek with the “deep space franchise” comment while using words like demeaning on one of the episodes, and he’s basically made it clear he did not want the fans of B5 to be “exploited” in the same way.

                      I realise everyone (including the actors) have to make money, and some fans like this sort of thing of course. But as has been said above, charging a fair few bucks for three words on a bit of card (which wouldn’t seem so excessive if it included the whole quote on a scroll or something) does, on the surface seem a bit – I’m trying to think of a word that doesn’t sound like I’m trying to be deliberately insulting - contradictory.

                      Although I do own a successful printing business (so know the types of costs & profits involved), I am unfamiliar with this whole memorabilia thing. So don’t understand where the line is drawn between good and bad “marketing” of action figures, games, models, posters and the like (if anyone knows please share. As B5, like ST, has all these (and more). Based on the image on that site, is this a personal thing with jms and are the profits donated to charity or something.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I'll take a stab at this. Keep in mind, though, that it's just my opinion, though, even if I phrase it to sound like I know JMS's thoughts.

                        As I recall, what caused JMS to walk from the animation shows wasn't that they did have toy tie-ins, it's that the toy companies were given a large say in what was to be in stories.

                        JMS hasn't said that he was against action figures and other tie-ins, he only wanted to ensure (in the case of B5, at least) that what was offered was of good quality and, as he's said, stuff he'd want to own himself. One of the reasons he started his posting experiment online was because he didn't like the way SF fans were treated, Here's part of a postthat illustrates that:
                        my sense is this: a long
                        time ago, when we began this journey -- and I've been on-line talking about
                        B5 on the nets for several *years* now -- the one thing that was foremost
                        in my mind was the sense that SF media fans are probably the most exploited
                        such fans around. They're expected to be cash cows who line up and buy
                        the products, no talking or shoving in the lines, and for god's sake no
                        questions or hassle. They're often valued for as long as they continue to
                        buy the merchandise. Every year, producers who don't know SF, and don't
                        know fandom, and really don't care, trundle out their shows as the Next
                        Best Thing Since Sliced Bread, raise a lot of attention...and when the show
                        turns into crap, they're suddenly nowhere to be found.
                        As for the quote gear and script books and special prints...remember that it started out as just the script books. JMS has always been about showing/teaching how TV is made and he began selling scripts via the Fan Club and at cons years ago because the script is the foundation of any TV show or movie. From what he's posted, various publishers were interested in publishing *some* of the scripts but he wanted to put them all out there and that's where self-publishing came in.

                        Almost immediately upon learning that Cafe Press was involved, fans on the moderated newsgroup started asking for more stuff and JMS realized that, while he couldn't use images from B5, he could use his own words and so the quote gear was born.

                        As for the special prints...I can't say that he's posted a whole lot about them but I *think* that what he's putting out is the stuff that really means something to him and that fans have told him mean a lot to them. And since I go to his convention appearances whenever possible, I can tell you that the Declaration and that Never Surrender Dreams really do matter to him. So, yes, in that way it is personal. If he's donating the proceeds to charity, he hasn't said. And he probably wouldn't. When pressed in the past, he's made it clear that he believes that charitable donations should be private.

                        Having him inscribe and sign things for them means something to the fans, too. That's gotta be why I never go to those cons without stuff from 4 or 5 people for him to sign.

                        Does this help at all? I might be able to dig up some other posts but this seems long enough already.

                        Jan
                        "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          As I hopefully implied above itÆs not a dig or anything at jms. The bit about the Never Surrender Dreams I can see and appreciate

                          ItÆs the line between whatÆs considered good quality, ethical or suitable merchandising and exploitative or bad that I have difficulty in seeing. The financial realities of life coupled with the market created by fans means that memorabilia and merchandising in general is inevitable I guess, and if both æsidesÆ get something from it then itÆs no bad thing.

                          Is it things like product placement or the creation of a figure or character in a story thatÆs clearly only there to sell some future ætoyÆ (and can effect a story) that turns mutual profit into exploitation or is simply something like swamping the market with stuff from the four corners of the globe by those who have purchased a licence. And is that what those behind ST did (hence the little dig at them).

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Yes, it was clear that you weren't taking a shot at JMS, no worries.

                            What's good and what's bad? I can hardly speak for JMS but the only thing I specifically remember him saying of a negative nature was that he left at least one show, maybe more, because the toy companies had too much control over stories. For B5 he insisted that stuff be of good quality.

                            You've mentioned the 'deep space franchise' dig a couple of times now. That wasn't written by JMS, it was written by Peter David who was surprised that it was left in. I don't think the dig was really about merchandise, though, I think it was about the Trek franchise in general.

                            Jan
                            "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              While I have no bases for this other than the voice in my =)

                              One of my running theories for why JMS is doing all this is because he is trying to rise capital to become more independent and maybe have the money to fund some of his own projects. What that would be I have no I idea and I can't really see making enough money off the script book and other quote gear would be all that much but to me It makes me happy to think of JMS working in the back ground doing something on his own. That might dazzle us all Because I have read enough about JMS that I really don't think he cares about money other than to meet his basic needs, So to me I like to think he has some other master plan for it. I might be wrong but hey its a thought
                              "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Champagne in one hand - strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOW - What a RIDE!"

                              Comment

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