#private wierzbowski

[pedroam-bang]

Aliens (1986)

[2x4swrites]

Hicks/Hudson — a continuation of this

They’re sitting together in the mess hall, trays in front of them. Hicks is watching Hudson as he and Wierzbowski joke, smiling indulgently whenever Hudson glances at him. Their own game of silent encouragement, a private affair that meant more to Hicks each time they played. Hudson grins at him, bright, full of energy- a ray of sunshine in the black depths of space, within the dull metal confines of the Sulaco. He doesn’t know why, but something Wierzbowski says catches his attention.

“You’ve got guts, that’s for sure.”

Hicks laughs, wiping the last of the tears from his eyes as he looks up at Hudson. Hudson had guts. Of course he’d found a way to survive, out here on this shithole of a moon. Hudson shakes his head, but he’s laughing a little too.

“God, I missed you.”

“I missed you too, tough guy.” Hicks smiles, still laying on his back, Hudson still on top of him. He wonders if Hudson remembers those nights on shore leave as well as he does. Hudson’s hair is shaggy and there are shadows under his eyes. They’re both older, worse for wear, but the smile Hudson flashes him makes Hicks feel like it’s their first day meeting again. He feels alive.

Hudson stands, holding his hand out to Hicks to help him up. Once he’s back on his feet, Hicks shoulders his bag and starts to follow Hudson. His friend, his lover, his world. Hudson tells him stories as they walk, filling him in on all that missed time. Hicks will find out on his own when Hudson pulls off his chest plate and shirt to go to bed, revealing all those fresh scars. Hicks will put himself in the same position, showing the extent of the acid burns that twist their way down from his forehead to his ribs. Ignoring, of course, the small, layered scars on his arm from all of Weyland’s injections. Hudson doesn’t ask about them, but that doesn’t mean the gears aren’t turning.

Hicks can’t remember the last time he’d seen genuine sympathy in someone’s eyes. It had always been pity. He can feel himself starting to crack again, until Hudson pulls him close, gathering him against his chest. He can hear Hudson take a shuddering breath, but it isn’t until he feels the tears that he realizes Hudson is crying too. They both speak at once, the same words spilling from their lips- they’d always been on the same wavelength.

“I’m so sorry I never looked for you.”

When they look at each other, Hudson cups his scarred cheek. That touch, warm and soft without the glove, makes Hicks feel more at home than he had anywhere else. He can hear wind in the halls of the abandoned, half-destroyed building. There was no power- Hudson had rigged a pull to slide the door open and shut. What made this place and the marine base so different for him was the man here now, breathing and crying and laughing. Alive. Even on the Sulaco, they’d had a way of knowing where the other was, or what they were going to say. Like twins, Drake had said. Some sort of ESP bullshit. They rush to speak at once, different words with the same message.

“I love you-“

“-I’m so glad you’re home.”

And Hicks is home, isn’t he? He cards his fingers through Hudson’s long, dark hair. It’s Hudson’s turn to laugh.

“Yeah, Dwayne, I love you too.”

[mustardmeme]

T R A S H Y by Private-Wierzbowski

Follow the Mustard Gang!

[dasmuggler]

Trevor Steedman (aka Aliens' Private Wierzbowski /2147-2179)

[chrisbransdon]

What I would say if I was not afraid (musings during the SSM debate)

Image by Lukasz Wierzbowski

I think I am someone whose default mode is deer stuck in headlights. People often say to me ‘I find you intimidating’ and it amazes me that they can’t see that the way I hold myself has got nothing at all to do with self-assured aloofness. 

When we are gathered for an all-in Greek class my hands tremble for the duration of the lecture because I am so afraid of being called upon. When I am asked to give my opinions in meetings, or even in gatherings with friends, and I’m not ready for it, I can feel my face grow flushed and the panic rise. Yes, I have entertained the possibility that I have actual social anxiety. But the point is, I feel that I spend a lot of my life lived in some kind of fear.

As I scroll through my facebook feed each day, it seems to me that I am not the only one who is a prisoner of fear. The same-sex marriage debate has probed our fears: the fear that this may all end in failure and same-sex marriages will not be recognised by law, or the fear that same-sex marriages will be recognised by law and the future of religious freedom will be in serious jeopardy. We may think that many good things are driving us as we move forward to decide Australia’s position on marriage, but I think that we are vastly underestimating the grip of fear. Fear is natural because everybody feels that they are on the cusp of losing something dear to them.

Given that the stakes are so high, Christians have moved forward with caution. Christians in my own circles, I feel, have been careful in how they have described their responses.

But I just wanted to consider, I wanted to know, what would we say if we weren’t afraid?

What would I say?

If I weren’t so afraid, I would say that I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. I would say that it is in him that we live and move and have our being. I would say that we are all sinners who have rebelled against God, and our deepest problem has already been paid for by Jesus on the cross. I would say that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead and ascend into heaven, and that judgement and hell are a certainty for all who now reject him, regardless of their gender, sexuality, race, ability, or age. I would say that the truth of what it means to be human is to be found in turning away from sin, turning to Jesus, and accepting his death and resurrection as your own.

I would say that Christianity is therefore not attempting to deny your identity or cut you off from a life of love. I would say that Jesus brings a fuller answer to what it means to be human and what it means to be loved. I would say that because it is a certainty that Jesus is returning, you must respond by accepting him as Lord.

I would say that because I believe so strongly that the Lord Jesus defines for me what it means to be human, I must vote in line with my conscience. This vote is not merely about allowing two people to privately enter into a contractual agreement, it is a statement about how we define ourselves. I define myself according to the Lord Jesus. I can do no other.

Every day, I find some new reason to be afraid. But Jesus Christ is Lord. Whether the vote passes or not, Jesus Christ is still Lord. Whatever happens, I don’t want to become desensitised to the truth. I don’t want to be so afraid that I choose self-preservation over proclamation. This is only the beginning, but Jesus Christ is Lord. So I will have to choose not to be afraid.

[spindelwebb]

Just Pinned to Aliens: Aliens (1986). L to R: Private Wierzbowski is played by Trevor Steedman, Private Vasquez, in the red bandana, is played by Jenette Goldstein, Sergeant Apone is played by Al Matthews, Bishop, an android, is played by Lance Henriksen, Private Hudson is played by Bill Paxton, and Private Drake is played by Mark Rolston. http://ift.tt/2vRtK7G

[chezalp]

Ricco Ross just let us know that Trevor Steedma, who played Private Wierzbowski in Aliens (1986) has sadly passed away. RIP our Colonial marine, you were an ultimate badass.

Rest in peace Trevor Steedman May 25, 1954 - June 25, 2016

[pedroam-bang]

Aliens (1986)

[chrisbransdon]

Tracking #metoo

Image by Lukasz Wierzbowski

Elizabeth Farrelly in the Herald: The way to stop the Harvey Weinsteins of the world isn't #instacleavage

This cannot be news to us. Crikey. It's Hollywood. We know Weinstein isn't a sex addict. He's a standover man. And he's not unusual, except in getting outed. The evident answer is feminism: equal pay, equal rights, equal respect. That's so simple, although apparently still so frightening. But broadcasting your privates to the world? #instacleavage? #instabooty? C'mon loves. That's not feminist. That's buying the Big Boy bullshit, big time. That's getting screwed.

The most popular comment on this piece with 193 likes:

Feminism is recognising that women have the right to make their own choices without bring insulted and called bimbos. I can’t fathom why in an article with the title referencing Weinstein, you’ve somehow laid the blame on women doing what they want in their free time. This article talks about feminism, but I don’t think this word means what you think it means.

Basically every comment reiterates this sentiment. So basically, men need to repent and women have zero, zero responsibility for their behaviour in this.

This is not a workable model for moving forward. 

This article in the Guardian by Jessa Crispin got a lot of hate: Liberal men think they know feminism. They really don't.

Crispin states that men who call themselves feminists are often trying to manipulate women. They need to have a ‘spiritual awakening’ in their encounter with feminism for it to be meaningful. The ending was particularly bleak:

The reports of harassment and assault will continue to roll in, and up and coming predatory men will replace the fallen predatory men. And men will continue to be surprised to discover that under their feminist T-shirt beats the heart of a predator.

A lot of comments decried the continual ‘moving of the goalposts’ as to what constitutes genuine subscription to feminism. Crispin is an outsider, her voice is not particularly authoritative within the wider movement, but I find it hard to see how this kind of fear will be managed. In the past few days all we have seen is women describing their stories in harrowing detail, men being given 10-15 points to put into practise in order to be a better person, and apparently this will be enough to remedy the darkness of the human heart. 

I was fascinated to see a comment by one of my FB friends who works for a high profile NGO. He stated that he normally stays silent in these situations until he can come up with a ‘theoretical solution’ to propose in order to move forward. He said he couldn’t come up with anything. Indeed.

The Christian response to this has been underwhelming. Eternity published this needlessly horrible article describing situations of assault. The title claims to recount situations of abuse of Christian women by Christian men. These are clearly not Christian men. The article provides no biblical framework, no solution, no way forward. This article is unhelpful and unbiblical and does nothing but say to the non-Christians that we have as little faith in our Jesus as they seem to do. 

This article at FHE at the very least provides a gospel framework for working through anger. Generally speaking though, I disagree with basically everything FHE posts. This is a rare exception.