xenexian

The entrepenurial spirit is alive and well, it seems. This article from the Chicago Tribune shows us that there is nothing that won't be done to earn a buck. The Ferengi would be proud. I might buy some just to have and perhaps make a collectors item out of but I really don't know how much they actually plan on selling. Any takers?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainmen...0,4006167.story

In thte real world, my vote would still be for Mars. i was so bummed out when about 9 years ago or so, one of thte mars landers crased and we never got a chance to hear what Mars sound like. It was the only mission that I knew of that had a microphone as part of the science instruments and being an audio guy, I wanted to hear what another planet sounder like. Outside of that, my next vote would be to visit the "Wild Sororiety Girls of Planet Platex." :lol:

I prefer Trekker to Trekkie. To me, when I hear the work Trekkie, I see images of adolescents who drink more Pepsi than they should and have a tendency to giggle a lot. Poodle skirts and bobby socks also come to mind when I hear trekkie. Trekker, on the other hand, conveys a more balanced sense of what the show is and what reality is, or perhaps what we would like it to be. To me, it's just a more mature label for any Star trek fan, like myself, who has been there since the beginning in 1966. I may not have the technical manuals or blueprints memorized but I do have a very real appreciation for what the series and idealism of Star Trek has accomplished. Real life may still get in the way but at heart, I'm a Star Trekker.

I consider all of that a badge of honor. What other modern entertainment phenomenon has such a deep and loyal following that script writers add Trek references into their writing? Face it, we Trekkers and Trekkies alike, are part of the fabric of society like nothing ever before. Trek has inspired people to follow careers in technological fields, bringing those images to life or begin to ponder their eventual existence. Trek language is now part of the lexicon of countries all over the world. As far as I'm concerned, any reference made to Star Trek on any TV show or movie, however slight, shows how much the Star Trek universe has become part of our shared consciousness. I'm sure the writers of the aforementioned examples may be Trekkers themselves. If we were really that marginal, we would be no more than an afterthought and I wouldn't be here writing this post. Trekkers WILL rule the world someday and all this attention from any quarter is just part of the plan. We may be somewhat ridiculed, but we are not going away. In any case, I don't consider it bashing as much as I do consider it envy. Star Trek will rule the world.

Well, even if it is a couple of months past the Christmas season I will admit that my own Number One gave me seasons 2 and 3 of DS9 to finally finish out my DS9 collection. My daughter gave me the ever popular Pez collection of the TOS characters. (It seems everyone I know this year got this Pez collection as well. It'll be years before they're really worth anything.) And I bought myself a few Star Trek books to keep me warm on those occasional VA winter nights where it can get too cold to want to go anywhere. (No gripping from the northern crowd, please. I'm still a Wisconsinite by heart so I do remember what real cold feels like.) I also received a beautiful, already assembled model of the Enterprise-D to go along with my Vorcha class battle cruiser. Those are the only two things my number one allows me to display in the living quarters of our starbase but since the DVD and video collections are part of the entertainment section, she has no choice but to allow me to arrange them so that when you peruse our collection, you can't help but notice that Star Trek is prominently displayed front and center with a little spotlight from the ceiling. (I added that when she was out shopping one day without her knowledge.)

Here's an oldie but a goodie from 2003 when I also brought up this subject. My belief that Trelane was possibly an Organian rather than a Q. I've pasted it below.

On another thread here, it's been speculated that Trelane may have been Q, but was he really? What about the Organians? They seemed to be just as powerful as any Q but didn't have that meddling trait that the Federation found so annoying. In fact, it seemed that they just wanted to be left alone. Having an interstellar war between the Federation and the Klingons starting on their home planet just didn't suit them so what did they do? They force fed a peace treaty to both parties under threat of having all their ships just sit in space with the controls and weapons too hot to touch. The Organians may be related to the Q perhaps and decided that it was best if they just stay out of everybody's way, hence their peaceful, non-beligerant demeanor. Seeing the two so-called parent figures floating as blobs of light seem to be more like the Organians then the Q's. I think that Trelane was more like, if not completely, Organian in nature. In other series episodes we've seen a number of god-like creatures all possessing some sort of Q type power but this does not mean that they are Q. The aliens in Charlie X also fall under this catagory. Considering that Trelane never traveled to Earth suggests that he himself was not Q and did have some limitations or didn't know how to use his power properly and was limited to the area of space where Kirk and crew found him. Was Trelane Q? I don't think so based on the evidence presented in the episode. Was he possibly an immature Organian? Possibly but more info is needed first before assigning him to be any particular species.

That is a possibility since I'm not sure that the SAG union contract has any clause that covers artificial voices or computerized ones. I"m going to speculate that Steven may have done what Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's did when he wanted to be in his own TV and radio spots and that is, just join the union. The cost is really not that much and it's one of those requirements that seems silly but keeps everyone within the confines of the labor agreement and no one gets bent out of shape about losing a gig to a non-professional actor. He may not ever use his membership again but if he ever appears on TV again, outside of a news event or such which is not covered by any performing contract, he would have no trouble being given a speaking part on a scripted show, ala Star trek. Joining the AFTRA and SAG union isn't that big of a deal and I have my own opinions as to what constitutes a union or non union talent and the cost is quite minimum. To actors though, it's the yearly membership dues and such that have to be paid to keep working on union gigs that may get expensive after awhile, especially when the gigs are few and far between.

The SAG requirement is real. I've worked with voice talent for over 30 years and even if a talent is a member of AFTRA, they still have to join SAG to get a speaking role in movies and some TV shows, depending on who's footing the bankroll for the production. People who are voice talent for radio and/or TV can be a member of AFTRA, if they want, or be ann independent free lance voice but if that same person wants to do film or TV roles and have a speaking part, you've got to be a SAG member.

I just discovered this today but over on the E-surance website, they have an exclusive interview trailer for the new movie and they are also running a contest to find the biggest Trekker out there to win a trip to the hollywood premiere. Entrants have until March 5th to enter. You need to submit a video explaining why you're the biggest fan and why you deseve to win the trip and tickets. Some of them are pretty funny and some are somewhat lame but all in all, an interesting diversion for a couple of hours. You can rate them and I'm guessing that the biggest vote getter wins. The whole contest is tongue in cheek and the intro video to the contest uses real e-surance employees who just happen to be Trekkers as well. Since they can't win being on the intro video is a decent second prize, if you work for e-surance that is. Has anyone else here heard or even entered or even checked it out? I just may give it a shot myself.

I loved the original too. I never thought it would ever be re-made but that's a bad assumption to make in Hollywood these days. Originality is pretty rare out there now and that's one of the reasons, I believe, why comic book heroes are being made into movies. Comics, IMO, harbor one of the last places where original ideas are born because they are, for the most part, out of the mainstream. Also the fact that CGI can now bring all those super hero powers to life makes a real life movie more viable then what was tried back in the 70's and 80's. But as for "Day the Earth Stood Still", I did read that the end was going to be more like the original short story from the 40's then the harmogenized(?) 50's version. Did that turn out to be true? There are ways to re-do a movie if the director and producer believe in turning out a quality product but if they are in it just to make a fast buck, stay away. I haven't seen it yet and will wait for DVD release so I'll reserve any judgment until then. Did anyone else see it and have a review?

I love science fiction. That goes without saying since I'm here at this site and an original Star Trek fan, (It's an age thing, don't go there.) so I'm interested if anyone else saw this movie? Whenever I watch a Sci Fi film, my rating starts off at 5, (on a scale of 1 to 10) and then I proceed to adjust that rating as the movie progresses. This one, released a couple of years ago, had a great looking trailer and the special effects are over above average, to say the least. The story was a bit typical, Earth's sun in trouble, mankind gathers to save the day and then proceeds to accomplish just that. But what caught my attention was the storytelling itself and the usage of actual scientific theories to re-start a star. The mere size of the thermonuclear device, though, was almost beyond reasoning. How large does an object, a man made object mind you, have to be in order for it to project and maintain it's own gravitational field? Albeit a very weak one but a gravity field none the less. When two of the main characters, in a typical end of movie battle to save the bomb fall off the edge, each gets about halfway down before they both skid to a stop on what should be the vertical side of the bomb. And then, of course, the camera angle changes to a horizontal one so you don't feel any vertigo in the theater seats. Almost a bit surreal but thought provoking enough to begin to make this movie worthwhile. The images of the ship behind an enormous sun shield was one of the better special effects that I had seen in some time and what happens to a living organism when it leaves that shield was an eerie sight, to say the least. Overall, I did give this movie a 6.5 on the Xenexian scale of ratings. I do recommend it if you're looking for a Sci-Fi fix and there's nothing better on but it's not a mind blower as I hoped it would be. Anyone else see this movie?

So many things to catch up on. Here's a question that I've been trying to find the answer to for some time. For Sci-Fi fans in general, the name Billy Mumy is one that transcends the past four decades. From his appearance on the Twilight Zone to Will Robinson of Lost in space to Babylon 5. Why then, with his acting resume, is he not listed in the credits of AR-558? I'll admit it's been awhile since I've watched the episode but I don't seem to recall his name listed. I even checked the Star Trek encyclopedia and he has no listing there either. Anyone?

I've always had a special place for Miles. How could you not like the guy? He could fix just about anything, and would even kick a computer to get it do what he wanted it to do. (See Emissary, season one). His character really took off when the writers paired him with Julian and developed that friendship with the holodeck battles and dart games and such. Who didn't feel a twinge of sadness when during the last episode we get a montage of all the fun moments in their time on the station? But the best part of his character? Four words, "Scotch Flavored Chewing Gum"!! Wriggley's? Are you listening?

Sad, yes. But satisfying as well. A good story doesn't always tie up every loose end and DS9 gave us that. It would be more sad to me to know that there would be no more DS9 but live on it still does, albeit in book form. But what is a script if not words on paper? Imagination and the theater of the mind is still the best place for the stories of DS9 to continue so for me the sadness was only knowing that there would be no more new visual episodes to watch. Thank the stars for DVD's.

Nog turned out to be a pretty great character after all, didn't he? I would have to say that he became my favorite secondary Trek character out of all the series. More so because we got to see him evolve from this little annoying, creepy Ferengi to a somewhat fearless Starfleet officer. And when you think about it, a renegade among Ferengi's. What else would you call a Ferengi who has compromised his natural social tendancies to strive for profit to dedicate his life his Starfleet? A most unprofitable venture among his people. Although he certainly showed his capability to wheel and deal in the episode, Treachery, Faith and the Great River. He became the all powerful supply sargeant, ala WWII, that could procure anything, anywhere, for the right price and motivation. It was nice that the writers didn't just blow this character off the series after the first couple of years, which they could have and instead allowed him to grow and become something no one expected. Sort of a Star Trek "True life story of success". I believe the series was made better because of that decision.

I was pretty sure that I had logged out that day long ago as a Lt. Cmmdr. Are you sure that you don't want to check the records? Anyway, it's nice to be back and I always did look good in red.

This episode deserves to be rated in the top five of all Trek episodes, if not first. What I truly appreciate is the look into the darker side of human nature. Something I think the writers and producers wanted us to see. A part of us that we all keep hidden to some degree but utilize when you have no other good option. Sisko's statement at the end that he can "live" with his decision reveals more about we are willing to do to not only win but survive as well. And even that decision, although forced upon him by Garak, had the price of killing a few Romulans to ensure that it would work. To paraphrase, the needs of the billions over the needs of the millions. Referring of course to the loss of life in the alpha quadrant had the Dominion prevailed.

Well, I find this very interesting. Metaphorically speaking, due to circumstances, I wind up getting trapped in the delta quadrant for a while, leaving as a Lt. Commander and now having returned, discovered that I'm now a Commander! I'm just wondering how I managed to accomplish this feat. Especially since I haven't been exactly opening up my hailing frequencies and transmitting any sub space messages to post as of late. Please understand I'm not ungrateful for the raise in rank, just curious as to how this occurred. After having been away for so long I almost didn't recognize the site. As Dr. McCoy has said, "I know engineers, they love to change things!". That was meant for VaBeachGuy since I'm surmising that most if not all of the changes to this site has been his handiwork. :o It's going to take some time for me to get used to navigating around here again but some things, I've discovered, as still basically the same. Time to catch up. Well, thanks again for the promotion and I'll be beaming around

Quite Excellent. This looked like a term paper or a script for a voice over but nonetheless, extrememly informative. Now, can you also do one on Christmas for us? The Saturnalia, as the Christmas holiday was originally called, was also a pagan holiday in origin and was also incorporated into the church due to it's inability to banish or outlaw the holiday. When you can't beat them, you join them or at least steal it and make it your own while adding some false info to make it more palatable to those who ban anything not god-related. It might surprise many who still think that Dec 25 has some deep religious significance when in fact, it has no connection to any early christian belief.

If you've seem the Movie, "Finding Nemo", it's the little tune she sings as Dora the fish.

I still swim. I started swimming competition back when I was a freshman in high school and haven't stopped. I go to the pool three to four times a week now and swim anywhere from 80 to 120 lengths, depending on my mood and how tired I am. In a normal 25 meter pool, that averages out to between 2000 and 3000 meters everytime I swim. I don't race anymore but occassionaly I get a young pup in the lane next to me who thinks they can outswim me. I just keep going and usually around 500 to 600 meters, they have to rest, the wimps, while I just keep swimming, just keep swimming. (With apologies to Ellen DeGeneres)

Yes Jim, it was a great win. I've always said that, in sports, you have to chew up and spit out the weak sisters and well as slug it out toe to toe with the main competitors. But the win came with another hefty price tag, mainly losing Najeh Davenport for the season with a broken ankle. For those who watched the game, it was an ugly sight seeing Najeh lift his foot off the ground and seeing it hang at a 45 degree angle that was just not natural. Green Bay's best hope this year for a decent running game will be for Ahman to heal before the game in two weeks against the Vikings and that Tony Fisher, William Henderson and the rest of the delpleted running corp will pick the slack. It's a good thing that the rest of the division sucks as well right now. Green bay has the same record they did last year at this point of the season and still won the division. Perhaps, it'll happen again but the team needs to stay healthy from here on out to have any chance of making some noise in the playoffs.

A great question. Was it too much of a good thing, too clumped together? Very possibly but I also know that once you get certain creative juices flowing, it's very difficult to turn them off. I do think DS9 did come around at precisely the right time and even though it was underappreciated at it's premier, it had grown steadily into the most intelligent of the Star Trek Series and the best. My own personal belief as to why there were so many at one time, includiing movies, comes from my experience in dealing with producers and writers and the people who hold the purse strings, and that is that everyone at Paramount who were in charge of the Star Trek division became greedy. The old, "if they love that they're going to love this" mentality reared it's ugly head. Like everything else today, windows of opportunity are very fickle and no one knows for certain how long they remain open. The opportunity to take advantage of the high interest and flood the market was just too tempting. The downside to all this is that the average tv viewer couldn't care less and became jaded, especially after some other series debuted at the same time, some successful, some not. There is also the old "how many different ways can we tell the same story" aspect as well. Even I admit that some plot lines on all the series were strangly familiar to stories I have seen elsewhere and caused me to lose interest. As King illustrated in his make believe timeline, the serie(s) could have stretched well into the next decade but I'm sure that the investors of Paramount would have none of that. The attitude of "what have you done for me lately", holds too much sway there and returns on investments are more important to them then trying to maintain a long term series run for what is really a small segment of their audience. The producers took their orders from TPTB, produced tons of material for distribution, ran with it for as long as they could and gave them some very nice returns but not enough to maintain it as we would all like. Profits are what matters in the world of TV production and if there is no profit, there is no longer any shows. Paramount would make the Ferengis very proud. I'm just glad that I was there to witness it all.

To me, this is a tough one. At this point in time, as it relates to the Star Trek universe, I don't see any effort from anyone in putting the resources together to even make an animated version. A mini-series, ala what the Sci-Fi channel did for Battlestar, would be a more logical choice to try and jump start the franchise but the intererst and the realities of pitching a new Star Trek series to Paramount right now would most likely be met with the phrase, "Please leave your name in the ashtray and we'll get back to you". I've read every book in the series and the one aspect of it all that could possibly light a fire under Paramount, is the character of captain Mackenzie Calhoun. If you get a chance to read the stories, you'll find that he is the most tempermental captain in Starfleet that has ever been in command. His personality is a combination of the fly by the seat of your pants James Kirk, and a somewhat more emotional Picard. He is the type of captain who realizes that once you're out in the far reaches of the Federation, the normal rules of diplomacy and decor, no longer apply and a good threat to destroy a planet or ship is every bit as effective as an olive branch when the circumstances allow and call for it. His character would be the one to build a series around and give long time Star Trek fans and people who even have a passing interest, a focal point to become interested again. I dare say that a real life Captain Calhoun, would vie for the title of best captain among Trek fans. He's already mine and the only image I have of him is what the illustrator put on the cover of the first book. A captain with a purple scar on his face evokes images of that brave new frontier and reminds readers that the Federation sometimes can be very inept when it comes to handling a crisis far from home. Sometimes you need to send in a gunslinger and that's exactly what Calhoun is, albeit with a little more restraint. Will this happen? Probably not. But, in my opinion, it's the best chance of creating a memorable character to actually build a show around and start traveling around the galaxy once more.

I'm not sure about this but I think that may be old news. I'm not even sure if the present rights holders would allow another Battlestar while the reimagined series is still going strong. The original Apollo, Richard hatch, also tried for some years to re-do Battlestar himseldf and went so far as to have a network pitch trailer produced. It's not even allowed on the internet anymore because of the Sci-Fi channel's commitment to the new series which, IMO, is excellent and far less sugar coated then the original. I was a huge fan of the first series but it pales in comparison to the new one.