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Unfortunately, that sounds like a cop out to me. USS, in this future time, just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me considering the circumstances of what the Federation is supposed to be. Oh well, as usual, this is just my opinion and thoughts on the subject and I'm always open to hearing any sort of explanation concerning this.

I've had the great experience of meeting the Great Bird of the Galaxy himself some years ago just before the idea of Star Trek conventions took off. It was in Milwaukee and Gene came to give a speech about science fiction and the direction it was heading. This was in 1975 in Milwaukee and just before the Star Wars craze hit the country. I got to shake his hand and tell him how much I appreciated his vision of Star Trek and to tell him that I hoped it would return in either series or movie format. A truly landmark moment in my young life at the time. Presently, I have the pleasure of working regularly with an old TOS alumni extra. Mr. Derek Partridge, who played on of the extras in "Platos Children" is one of our voices in my studio's stable of voice actors. He was the dark haired individual with the blue patterned toga in the episode. I have his still up on my studio wall. Other than that all my glimpses of Star Trek Alumni have been at long distance since I don't get out to too many conventions.

Okay fellow trekkers, I'm at a bit of a loss here from a question that my 14 year old son threw at me. Among my many interests is history and in particular U.S. naval history with an emphasis on W.W.II. While watching a recent TNG episode my son asked my why, if Star Trek is taking place in the future, especially during a time when there is a single world government, are Starfleet ships still designated as USS? Most of us know that these designations usually refer to the country of origin or rather the country that the ship serves under, i.e. USS-United States Ship or HMS-Her Majestys Ship, and so on. If that's the case why are the Starfleet ships still labeled with this designation? I'm sure the United States still exists in this fictional future time but even so, if Earth is a part of an all encompasing Federation consisting of hundreds of other worlds, with crew members of different species, why would Starfleet ships carry an obvious Earth and, more to the point, human designation? Could it be that because humans were the driving force behind the founding of the Federation that we made the decision to give all Starfleet ships this identity just because we said so? Or does the USS stand for United Solar Systems? Wouldn't it make more sense to designate all Starfleet ships as UFP ships instead? UFP Enterprise or UFP Constitution would seem to be more in line with the idea of a unified designation for any ship serving under the Federation banner. Maybe UFP isn't sexy enough? I admit I couldn't come up with a resonable answer to my son's question and he left the room with his arms raised triumphantly over his head yelling that he finally got one over on old dad. Now this may have been covered somewhere else a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away but I don't recall ever seeing this addressed. Help me out here friends. I have a fourteen year old I need to put back in his place when it comes to understanding Star Trek.

These are all classic debate tactics and I'm glad to see the world of debate, point and counterpoint upheld here at startrekfans, but what I would like to know is what do any of you do when you are wrong? Not so much in a belief but in a point of contention that doesn't undermine your belief but maybe causes you to re-arrange the foundation of that belief a little bit? Not everyone can be right all the time and during your entire lifetime views on may subjects can be open to change when presented with arguments that could be, in some cases, stronger and more valid then what you previously believed. An example could be, and I may be reaching a bit here, is the idea of what is the center of the universe? How many hundreds of years did the church hold to the idea that the earth was the center and even went so far as to persecute those that didn't see it that way, even when presented with proof of the falicy of their belief? I'm not saying that anyone is wrong any more than saying that everyone is right. Belief in an idea or anything is a matter of faith and reamins on a personal level but is your belief or opinion, perhaps that's a better word, that resolute that you refuse to change it or even consider changing it when confronted with a conflicting viewpoint that could cause one to restructure their belief system? Is changing a viewpoint considered a sign of weakness or does one consider that possibility an opportunity to grow and learn and in the process, become stronger for it? The world and everyone on it is in a constant rate of change. There were some ideas and beliefs that were considered right even a hundred years ago but today no longer hold water due to societal changes which caused a change in how people perceived things. Less than 80 years ago, is was believed that women had no right to vote. Does anyone hold to that belief now? Just some ideas to thrash around here. When does holding on to an debated belief become pointless when confronted with an equally and perhaps stronger counterpoint?

I guess that this is touchier subject than I originally thought. From my standpoint, I prefer far and above this re-made version compared to the original. Now I listen to music differently than most people due to the fact that I've been involved personaly with just about every genre there is. From a production viewpoint, the piece is brilliant, exceptionally produced with a clarity that you don't often hear on the narrow broadcast band of tv audio. It's lighter but still serious with the cello backing track a nice counterpoint to the more contemporary instruments that were added and I'm fairly certain that the vocals were re-done as well, although I can't offer any proof of that yet. It catches the ear and because of the overdubbed new tracks, it just might draw in a few younger viewers as well. There are types of music that each generation dismisses out of hand because of either it's looked upon as old people music or just doesn't have the flair that most popular music contains. Orchestral pieces tend to fall into this realm since most orchestra tracks, outside of classical recordings, are used primarily as backing tracks for popular recordings. As for really liking it or whether that it fits in with the theme of the show or even if it belongs with the previous Star Trek themes, is a matter of debate that I'll leave to others. But, IMHO, This updated piece was just one thing that was needed to help jump start some interest in the show. To me, the fact that they even did the re-made version, shows me that someone is trying and is still interested in the overall success of the program.

I will definitely be going to see the movie, when I can spare the time. I say that because even though I remember the event very well and it brings some memories to the forefront, it's just not that high on my to do list. I was but a 23 year old engineer at the time living in Madison, Wis., a huge hockey town due to the fact that the hockey Badgers were perennial contenders for the NCAA hockey crown. You couldn't go anywhere in Madison without seeing some hockey reference anywhere you looked. Also, two former Badgers were on the team, Mark Johnson and Gary Suter. And, strange as this sounds, I have yet to see the game as it was played. Oh, I've seen the highlights and watched the condensed version of the game on ESPN classic, but I never saw the game as it unfolded for the US audience at the time it was broadcast. The reason for this was at the time I was a very horny young man and had made a date that February 22nd, a friday, to go take part in a showing of the "Rocky Horror Picture show" with a group of friends and our dates. When we left the theater the whole city was in the midst of a celebration so naturally, we joined in as well. Needless to say, the whole evening went as planned and everyone went to sleep happy, (draw your own conclusions). So even though I never saw the game as it happened, I'll see the movie and partake in the dramatic re-telling of a true american success story but since I already know the outcome, it's not a huge priority for me to go see it now.

I loved it and gave it a ten all the way around. So far, this season is following the Star Trek formula of finally finding it's rhythm in the third year. The T'pol, Trip scene showed me that T'pol is not above feeling a few human like emotions after all. And her facial expressions at the table on the morning after had tease written all over it. This is definately the start of something big in Vulcan-Human relationships that will lead eventually to the marriage of Sarak with a human. I wonder how long Reed and Hayes stood at attention before they were relieved. If they are the officers they say they are, they wouldn't have dared leave before being dismissed. No matter what one thinks about the consumation of T'pol and Trip, this was worthy episode, but I still hope they get around to kicking some Xindi butt soon.

Since I haven't been here since before last September, I'm not sure if this topic has been covered yet so phaser whip me if this has been done already. Being an audio production engineer I was pleasantly surprised with the re-working of the Enterprise theme this season. It sounds to me, like most of the tracks were redone. Outside of the added percussion tracks and prominent acoustic guitar, which sound great, the backing tracks like the cello and orchestra sound the same to me from the previous year. A common practice in the recording field to save on costs. It's extremely expensive to record an entire orchestra. I can't really tell yet but it also sounds like the vocal tracks were also redone to allow Russell Watson to get a better feel for the new rhythms. Has anyone done an A-B listening session to try and determine if this is the case? I don't think I recorded any episodes from the previous two years so I can't do this myself until I get ahold of the original track. On a personal note, I love the new version even though I also liked the original. This new one has so much more energy and feeling it surprises me that this wasn't done sooner. I'm even humming the tune at work now. I know alot of people weren't too pleased with the theme the first time around so I'm interested in what everyone thinks of the updated version.

Glad to see you've finally discovered this classic piece of early broadcasting. It was because of this broadcast that commercials, radio and tv, can not start their spots like a news bulletin without a disclaimer saying that the following is not real. Now that you've listened to the broadcast check out the movie "The Night America Panicked." It's a dramatization of how the entire broadcast came about, a sort of docudrama. The late John Ritter plays one of the radio actors in the movie and I believe he played the part of the "on the scene reporter" who witnesses the Martians unscrewing their capsule. There are also many papers available on the web covering the aftermath and analysis of the reactions to the broadcast. This was the springboard for Orson's career that eventually lead him to Hollywood and the filming of "Citizen Kane".

I was just sad that we no longer had the honor of gazing at the best looking babe in Starfleet. If only she could have worn that TOS uniform in a few more episodes.

Actually, "The Dark Knight Returns", graphic novel takes place at a time when Batman disapeared from Gotham city for an unspecified time. When he returns years (?) later, it becomes obvious that this Batman has some serious behaviorial problems, very schizoid, almost as bad as the criminals themselves, and in some cases, more so. A lot of rage and anger and very little mercy, almost none. Even the cops were scared of him except the older ones who understood that his methods were what they could not use and were more than willing to let Batman beat the snot out of the bad guys. very much a good cop, bad cop scenario.

I still prefer trekker over the others. Trekkie still sounds like somebody under the age of fifteen.

Well, to be honest, I missed the first ten minutes of the movie due to the fact that the concession people and the theater management were not operating at full power. You'd think that with a multiple screen theater you would have a more then two people running the snack stand. If it did say that at the beginning I missed it completely and admit my mistake but, if you read the Ray Bradbury story, you'll see the connection. And to me it makes a little more sense.

Electrical.

I too, was happily surprised by this movie. It was far better than I expected. The title left me wondering for quite awhile until I began to think about sci-fi authors and then it hit me. Ray Bradbury wrote a short story some years back called "A Sound of Thunder". It was a time travel tale but it was the ending that made everything fall into place. Without revealing too much about the story line, because I wholeheartly suggest that everyone read it, when you step on a butterfly in the past, don't expect the world you left to be waiting for you.

I'll have to check that out. No one here at the studio wants to play me so I'm always looking for a good game. I had one talent here, who's been playing for well over 40 years, give me a thrasing and humbled me quite a bit. But because of that, I've renewed my dedication to the game and it has made me much better than I thought I could be. If I like what I find I'll see about finding you.

This is the best news ever coming out of the animation world. Disney has shown itself to be an arrogant, overbaring slavemaster when it comes to how the house of mouse is run. Their present deal calls for a 50-50 split among profits even though all Disney has been doing is the distribution. They take more than their share for doing next to nothing in production. Pixar wanted to re-structure the deal to reflect a more accurate picture of what each contibutes. Their offer of 90 for Pixar and 10 for Disney is by far more fair. Disney balked. Their animation department has been decimated. Lay-offs. Direct to video produced cartoons that absolutely suck. No originality. Pixar made the correct decision by severing ties. After Cars, the fifth movie from Pixar, Disny will no longer have their hand in anything Pixar does. Unfortunately, they will still retain rights to the characters from those movies and Disney has already said it will produce Toy Story 3 on their own but who are they kidding? That's akin to saying that a five years olds drawings are just as good as a Rembrandt. Would you buy it? Once Eisner is gone perhaps they will see the error of their ways.

If the title refers to the way Batman is in his reincarnation, (i.e. The Dark Knight Returns, a graphic novel by Frank Herbert) then this could be the best one yet. To those not familiar with that book, it was the inspiration for the first Batman movie and showed an extremely dark side to the Batman Character. A hero who was not above playing by the rules of the underworld and was more than happy to break your arms and legs to get the information he needed. It's still available and I recommend it to all who would like to see a more human and scary Batman then you've ever seen before. This is truer to the Bob Kane original idea for the character before it got all twisted in the 1950's and 60's. This was a man you would be scared of upon seeing and to see him dangle a criminal by his neck over the edge of a building and then letting him fall when he he got what he wanted still gives me shivers. This is not your fathers Batman and hopefully that will be the charater portrayed in the movie.

I agree, T'mir, the Beatles are timeless. The fact that there is talk about the 40th anniversary and that their music is still being played and re-recorded today, despite having two members pass on, is proof of that. Todays generation x, y and z just don't have enough years under their belt yet to appreciate what the Beatles have done anymore then I did during the sixties and hearing my father talk about the swing bands of the 30's and 40's. It is a generational thing but when one gets older there is a tendancy to begin looking past the bridge of your nose and realize that there is much more to everything then just what you were mass exposed to as a youth. Yes, to some the music is dated and boring but it's simplicity and it's ability to catch the ear is something that most of todays music doesn't have and very few will. Would most of todays artists be as popular if they had to rely solely on their musical abilities instead of how good they look lip-syncing in a post-produced video? Something tells me no. I used to think that classical composers had no place in todays modern world yet after more than 200 years for most, they are still there. 200 years from now I suspect the Beatles will still be around as well unlike most of todays pre-packaged acts. Even now, has anyone really said anything about the longevity of say, Kurt Cobaine? Outside of being another in a list of tragic rock artists, will his music still be talked about even 10 years from now? The Beatles will always be there.

What I have is not exactly a board game. Decipher games, located in Norfolk Va., has "How to Host A Mystery" Star Trek Game. If you like throwing dinner parties and have your guests be interactive and assume roles, you might like this one. I honestly never played it but one of my fellow producers her at the studio was responsible for doing the music for the game. Your guests have to solve a mystery aboard the Enterprise. It was given to me and because it was never used, and most likely will nver be used, it's in pristine form and hopefully one day, I might be able to sell it to another collector. It's honestly a little dated since it comes with a cassette instead of a cd. If you like, I might be able to put you in contact with the proper people to see if it's still available on the open market or whether you can order it directly from the company.

How nice it is to see someone else having a birthday today, but I still had it first. More genius' were born in February than any other month and we just keep getting better each year. Happy Birthday, Bellamorte.

Thank you all. Marguaritas in ten forward at 1700 hours if you are so inclined. Actually D.C. Chases on 20th St in Ghent in Norfolk. If you can't make that, donations are gladly accepted.

I've been a New Frontier fan since book one, hence my screen name. I've just finished the two new books as well, Gods Above and Stone and Anvil. It took only one week to finish them both. These are great books and I always recommend them to anyone who wants to read about more than just the usual characters. You're gonna love Captain Calhoun.

No, it was far from ruining the series. In fact, It more more like life itself. Think graduation (high school or college), leaving for a new job, or relocating away from home or familiar surroundings. All of these events are both sad and exilirating at the same time. Life is never supposed to stay the same and what happened during that last episode underscored that fact that along with the good memories and happiness, sadness and sometimes regret, go hand in hand. We all have good memories in our lives and they will always be there. But when it's time to move on, you can't help feeling sad or upset that things don't stay as they are and that we can all go on in a sort of stasis. It's still one of my favorite episodes. Kai Wynn gets what she deserves, Gul Dukat is imprisoned with the Pah Wraiths, the Dominion war ends with the good guys winning and the Cardassians are left with a world not too unlike 1945 Europe. It may not have been totally satisfying in the sense of happily ever after endings but if you're looking for a more realistic vision of life moving on, you couldn't have found a better episode.

It's been a long time since I've been here. The past 6 months (has it really been that long?), have been extremely busy for me and I just never had the time to check in on my favorite website and my many Star Trek collegues. The studio was involved in a huge project for (dare I say it?), AOL. Oh, the horrors of it all. Now that the project is finished and our studio demos are in the process of being completed, I'm able to once again take a few minutes each day and see what all my fellow trekkers are writing about. I see already I have alot to catch up on. Although, I will have to say that even though I'm returning on my B-day, I'm somewhat dismayed by the fact that my age is posted for all to see. Just kidding really about that. But I will say I still suffer from Jack Benny syndrome and won't admit to any age over 39. I hope I haven't missed too much and hope to catch up on and participate again in everyone's favorite subject, at least around here, Star Trek. I'm glad to be back and expect me to be around a bit more often again.