tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17513369.post115808034643084085..comments2023-12-28T22:53:34.119-08:00Comments on Fred Schiller: To boldly go where we’ve all been before…a bunch of times….Fred Schillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01888771079495878583noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17513369.post-1158279247540298542006-09-14T17:14:00.000-07:002006-09-14T17:14:00.000-07:00I was always much more of a ST:TNG fan. The stori...I was always much more of a ST:TNG fan. The stories seemed to be more plausible since the effects department could step up to needs of the episode.<BR/>Remember the "TWO Enterprises"? Not sure if that was the actual name, but it involve some dimension rift that the E slipped through and found itself configured as a pure war vessal. Guinan was the only one who sensed that something was not right.<BR/>One of my favorites is the ep where Picard has his mind hijacked by a probe from a long-dead galaxie; the sun went supernova and wiped everyone out. But not before they got the probe out of harms way.<BR/>Anyway, he is subjected to an entire lifetime as an inhabitant of this deadworld and then returned to the E. Turns out he had only been unconcious for a few minutes. But he had masterd the flute during his simulated lifetime among the extinct lifeforms and had always played the instrument after that episode. He had also formed real emotional bonds to the simulated people; belived he had grown old and become a grandfather; the whole nine yards.<BR/>His "family" wheeled him to a hilltop to watch the launch of a probe (the one that zapped him in the first place). As it lifted off, the explained that hey were a people long dead and this was their only way to say that we were once here; by downloading this simlife into your cranium. Then, zap, he was waking up on the bridge of the E with Crusher reading his lifesigns. Brilliant stuff.Tony Akinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02477324248773506362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17513369.post-1158219170937002002006-09-14T00:32:00.000-07:002006-09-14T00:32:00.000-07:00Tony,Speaking of war and Star Trek, which I think ...Tony,<BR/>Speaking of war and Star Trek, which I think we just were, I’m reminded of one of my favorite episodes of the original Trek. (I’ve always had love/hate feelings toward the show. I absolutely adore some of the tasty plots and conflict Gene and the writers cooked up, but the actual execution of those plots and the resolution of the conflicts always left me cold.) <BR/><BR/>Anyway, the episode that I was thinking of involved a massive war that had been raging between two countries or planets. Thousands die in epic battles between the warring factions. A major reveal in the story demonstrates that the battles are actually taking place within computer battleground simulations. I guess at some point it was decided that a simulated war was more cost effective than the real thing. When the computer spits out the results of the simulated battle, it dictates that Side ‘A’ lost 56,000 warriors while Side ‘B’ lost only 41,400. The appropriate number of troops on either side report for duty and are marched into disintrigration chambers. While this is happening the computer is busy dreaming up new battlefield maneuvers. <BR/><BR/>Now THAT’S what I call a story. It was probably swiped from some pulp anthology from the 1930s, but you get my drift. I don’t remember what the resolution was—how much they mangled the Prime Directive—and how many green-skinned babes that Kirk managed to bone, but I sure remember the story.Fred Schillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01888771079495878583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17513369.post-1158196950976364222006-09-13T18:22:00.000-07:002006-09-13T18:22:00.000-07:00Oh, my point was this...I like the idea that StarT...Oh, my point was this...<BR/>I like the idea that StarTrek is rehashing the old series. Lucas did the same thing with the original Star Wars and it helped the content.Tony Akinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02477324248773506362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17513369.post-1158196648811850762006-09-13T18:17:00.000-07:002006-09-13T18:17:00.000-07:00I was watching a report on CNN. Apparently the Am...I was watching a report on CNN. Apparently the American Dream is dead.<BR/>At best, even those idealistic immigrants that strive to reach our shores, will slave for ten generations <BR/>before reaching the middle-class.<BR/>The United States of America, God help us, is ranked 5th in the world for quality of living.<BR/>The world and country that our fathers and fathers' fathers knew (yes, and our mothers' mothers, too), was brief shining moment in the shitstorm that's known as Life on Earth; Homo Sapien Sapien.<BR/>Think about it. How the old goots used to proclaim that America was the greatest country on the planet.<BR/>This is only post-war hooey. Of course we lived at an elevated quality of life; geography and resourses allowed us to enjoy a properity that the rest of the world could not afford because it was on it's knees after the conflagration of WW2. Even the European victors, England in particular, were in sorry shape.<BR/>Because of geography the United States suffered only 5, FIVE, civilian casualties during the war.<BR/>In contrast, Germany civilian casualties, from AERIAL BOMBING alone are in the area of 340,000.<BR/>That's men, women, children in their homes or on the job or at school; non-combatants.<BR/>American service casualties for the war; men and women, in uniform, paid to go in harms way around the globe, in ALL theaters of the war; 260,000.<BR/>Of course we had the greatest way of life after the war. That's WAY over.<BR/>Shit...where was I going with this? All I can think of now is B-17s...<BR/>I recently joined NetFlix. Awesome is the word.<BR/>I'm watching "Reilly:Ace of Spies" for the first time since it originally aired. It's fantastic.<BR/>Sadly, I'm reminded of the history and politics of one-hundred years ago. How Empires carved up other nations for their resources in order to kill inhibitants of competing Empires off more efficiently. <BR/>OK, I feel a rising tsunami of cynicism I must abandon my point as I'm losing focus. Damn.<BR/>Dont' trust the Government. Or the Church.Tony Akinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02477324248773506362noreply@blogger.com