FedCon Germany - Bruce B. & Peter J.

[*Starstuff*]

Hi everyone,

as the FedCon XVII in Bonn, Germany, is approaching, I am constantly trying out new ideas for wallpapers. There is a thread in the official FedCon forum where fans can post wallpapers about the guests of the FedCon.

Since Bruce Boxleitner and Peter Jurasik are attending as well and B5 wallpapers are grossly underrepresented in the aforementioned thread, I took on the challenge to let my creativity loose.

I just wanted to share the wallpaper with you, in the hope you'll enjoy them.

Disclaimer: The ideas are mine, but the pictures are either screenshots from the DVD's or they are taken from the web. I do not own any rights to the people or to the B5 universe.
(In case my post somehow is against the forum guidelines, please let me know.)

John Sheridan - Our thoughts form the universe
Londo Mollari - Granting visits
John Sheridan - Me? At FedCon?
Franklin & G'Kar - Raise your glasses
John Sheridan - Send your ambassadors
Bruce Boxleitner - You have always been here
Peter Jurasik - Spread happiness
We are starstuff
John & Delenn - Find the other half of your soul
Londo Mollari - Career in interstellar politics

I hope you have fun and I will keep posting news about the convention. I can't wait to go there (April 18-20).

*Starstuff*

[Jan]

Those are *great*, Starstuff! One teensy correction, though...In the 'Send your ambassadors' wallpaper it says that Sheridan is President of the *Earth* Alliance instead of the Interstellar Alliance.

And this is absolutely acceptable to post here, I'm glad you did. I'm just going to move it to the 'General Discussions' forum where we usually have convention threads.

Jan

[*Starstuff*]

Jan, thanks for the kind words and for moving the post.

And thanks for the correction! How could THAT have escaped me?!? I'll correct it right away ... don't want to give the impression I am pro Earth and Clark here

[Garibaldi's Hair]

I am kind of surprised that they are all in English ... it being in Bonn and all.

Grateful that they are, since I understand English whereas my O Level German from 23 years ago is somewhat rusty, just surprised.

[*Starstuff*]

Well, most people here (Thread in the official forum) are Germans and have their wallpapers in German.

But I can express myself better in English (funny, I know, since I am German), especially if I want to make a (more or less) subtle joke.

Glad you liked it. Maybe I should re-do those in German so you can practise language skills?

[WorkerCaste]

Those are great. Thanks for sharing!

[grumbler]

Great stuff. Another niggle, though: In "Raise your glasses" it should be a colon, not a comma, after "toast" so that it reads "A toast: to absent friends, in memory still bright."

[*Starstuff*]

Thanks, grumbler, I'll correct it tonight!

[*Starstuff*]

Made another one, rather funny (I hope). Maybe you get at what I am hinting ... maybe I should get into marketing, after all?

Jurasik/Boxleitner - Priceless Moments

[*Starstuff*]

I always wanted to show the development of John Sheridan from the soldier he was when he came to B5 to the considerate President he was at the end. I combined the pictures with the lyrics of Matthew Ryans "Follow the leader", I thought it fit well.

That wallpaper was my "answer" to the claim of another SciFi fan that Patrick Stewart (who is also attending FedCon) is the best Captain ever. I couldn't pass on that one

John Sheridan - Follow the leader

[Whyruss]

Great wallpapers Starstuff - but since the FecCon is in Germany I wouldn't call it "Follow the leader" due to some sensitive historical references *lol*
btw - I live in Austria so we have a similar historical background ^^

[*Starstuff*]

*lol*

Actually, I became aware of that while I was staring at the wallpaper on my desktop yesterday. What I wanted to show was a strong, charismatic leader who was (will be? It's happening in the future, so I should use future tense.) able to unite not just one people, but whole worlds. Not by force, but with passion and honesty. That the setting of the FedCon in Germany could lead to certain ... connotations ... came to me much later.

But to be honest: I don't care.

It's not that I don't care for the historical background, heaven's no! But I think that some issues should at some point remain in the past and not be dragged out again and again ... I mean, 50 years of punishment should be enough at some point; I am 26 and I am tired of constantly being reminded by certain prominent individuals of how bad a people the Germans were (are) and that we still should do penance (somehow, you Austrians seem to never get dragged into this, curious )

And apart from that: I believe that SciFi fans, the real fans, can't possibly be racists or nationalists. The ideas that we love and treasure are about people who live and work together no matter their race, their beliefs ...

You can't be a StarTrek, Babylon 5, Stargate... fan and have prejudices against women, people of another skin color or people that believe in (another) God. It just doesn't work

But of course, you are right, it _could_ be misunderstood. I hope people read the lyrics in the background and realize what I wanted to imply.

Anyway, I just wanted to explain myself to make sure no one misunderstood my intentions; thank you for pointing it out and giving me the chance to put things right (I hope).

Ganz liebe Grüße nach Österreich, nächstes Jahr komme ich zum Snowboarden wieder vorbei ... ihr habt einfach die schönsten Berge

Starstuff

[Harrdy]

George Santayana: Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

I have no problem being reminded that two generations ago something happend that a lot of this generation think "unique". Those - not willing to learn from their past - are sure that it cannot repeat, and therefore will fall pray to the next dictator. Only understanding how it happend prevents a repetition.

Etienne Gilson: History is the only laboratory we have in which to test the consequences of thought.

But maybe he was right... George Bernard Shaw: We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.

By the way, I am from Austria myself. Gruesse in den Norden...

PeAcE

[*Starstuff*]

@Harrdy:

Just in case my words led you to believe that ... I don't really know how to put it into words. But the citations seem to indicate that maybe you believe I am in favor of not looking back and therefore likely to repeat past mistakes.

It really isn't so. I am just saying that we should overcome some things. For example, I'd like to say I am proud being German. Since you are from Austria, you may understand what usually happens if we say that. Only because 50 years ago national pride was used to enforce some of the worst crimes against humanity ever. But must that mean that we cannot be proud of our heritage (which includes so many achievements in science and art) ever again?

And because the German people once rallied around a leader who was ... well, EVIL, does that mean we cannot express our dedication to another leader anymore? (Politically speaking, not in reference to my wallpaper).

I do believe that we have to be aware of the past, to learn and to improve. I do not believe that we should let the past completely dictate our present and future. It is not always an easy way.

Greetings "down south"

Starstuff

[Andrew_Swallow]

I have no problem being reminded that two generations ago something happend that a lot of this generation think "unique". Those - not willing to learn from their past - are sure that it cannot repeat, and therefore will fall pray to the next dictator. Only understanding how it happend prevents a repetition.

"Unique" is the wrong word. Having a dictator is standard practice. In the 1950s and 1960s practically every country in Africa, Asia and South America acquired a dictator.