Frank J. Hernandez - Elysian Visions Blog

My top 10 Star Trek (TOS) Episodes

2011-05-11T14:49:00.000-04:00

Someone recently asked me for a list of my favorite Star Trek (TOS) episodes that they could watch as an introduction to the gestalt that is the Star Trek universe. It turns out there are some young people out there who are just discovering Science Fiction and understandably they are curious about Star Trek. As a world renowned expert on the subject (ahem) they naturally sought me out. I had some trouble limiting my list to ten but I picked those episodes I thought would speak well for the series and that contained the most important history of the universe they would be entering.
Here then is my edited email response with my list.

__________________________________________

This is my list of the top 10 Classic Star Trek episodes.
I would also be happy to provide list for Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
Remember when you are watching these that it was a very different time.
Many of the ideas and media techniques you are watching had never been tried before.
Basically, at this time, television production was only good at producing police shows and westerns.
In fact, Roddenberry, in order to even sell the idea to the network had to explain it as “a wagon train to the stars.”

In any case, here is my list in the order they should be watched with the episode number:

1 10 "The Corbomite Maneuver"
In many ways this was the very first real Star Trek episode. By that I mean it’s not a pilot and is shot with finished sets and uniforms.

2 11 "The Menagerie, Part I"

3 12 "The Menagerie, Part II"
A little Star Trek History here via a re-edit of the original pilot

4 14 "Balance of Terror"
Here we meet the Romulans.

5 22 "Space Seed"
The back Story to the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

6 26 "Errand of Mercy"
One of my personal favorites also we meet the Klingons

7 30 "Amok Time"
A little insight into Vulcans

8 39 "Journey to Babel"
We meet Spock’s parents as well as some other aliens

9 28 "The City on the Edge of Forever"
Widely regarded as one of the best episodes, it’s like a Star Trek episode in the Twilight Zone

10 33 "Mirror, Mirror"
My absolute favorite classic Trek episode!

Cheers,

Steve Martin - Atheists Don't Have No Songs (Live on Letterman 03-16-201...

2011-04-01T11:24:00.000-04:00

Use the FORCE!

2011-02-21T10:14:00.002-05:00

Athlete taps into the FORCE Levitates ball & self before astonished opponents!

"A Merry New York City Christmas" by Rob Thomas & Sidewalk Angels Link

2010-12-21T10:59:00.002-05:00

Rob Thomas "A New York City Christmas" - Video

The Sidewalk Angels foundation.com

Call on your angels
Come down to the city
Crowd around the big tree
All you strangers who know me

Bring your compassion
Your understanding
Lord, how we need it
On this New York City Christmas

Yeah I'm sending you a merry New York Christmas
and a prayer for peace on earth within our time
Hear the sidewalk angels echo hallelujah
We understand them, now more than ever

So call on your angels
You're beaten and broken
It's time that we mended
So they don't fade with the season

Let our mercy be the gifts we lay
From Brooklyn and to Broadway
Celebrate each and every day
of this New York City Christmas

Yeah I'm sending you a merry New York Christmas
and a prayer for peace on earth within our time
Hear the sidewalk angels echo hallelujah
We understand them, now more than ever
Merry New York Christmas

Call on your angels
Come down to the city
Let's Crowd around the big tree
All you strangers you know me
Bring your compassion
Bring your forgiveness
Lord how we need it
On this New York City Christmas

Yeah, I'm sending you a Merry New York Christmas
And a prayer for peace on Earth
It's not too late
Yeah the sidewalk angels echo hallelujah
We understand them
Merry Christmas
Yes, a New York City Christmas

“The Emerson”

2010-12-07T22:06:00.000-05:00

The U.S.S. Integrity fairly limped back to Deep Space 9 in need of extensive repairs. The Dominion war had taken its toll on both the ship and her crew. The final push into the Cardassian system had all but ended her but the Cardassians had switched sides at the last moment and then, the Dominion had surrendered.

            Captain Logan sat in his ready room and tried to get used to the idea that the war was finally over. It had taken so much from all of them, but now finally it was over. Many of his crew had died in the war and other officers had been given field promotions to keep the ship functioning. Ordinarily if a ship suffered such losses, officers would be replaced when the ship next made port but, Logan knew all too well, that all of Starfleet had taken such losses that he would be lucky to even get a full compliment.
            It was during this time, while Logan looked grimly over the logs and damage reports, that a high priority coded message came in from Admiral Ross.
Logan entered his clearance code and tried not to show the tension that he felt at getting such a message while his ship was in such a state.
            “Good Morning Captain,” Ross said evenly.
            “Admiral,” Logan replied, “what can I do for you, Sir?”
            “I’ve got a covert mission and I need a top pilot to pull it off,” Ross Said.
            “I see,” Logan said. He knew better than to ask for details that Starfleet Command were not inclined to provide but he still needed to know as much as he could if he was going to be sending one of his people into harms way. “What can you tell me, Sir?”
            “We need a lone officer to take a runabout into the badlands. The mission itself will be fairly straight forward but we need them to leave right away and they need to get where they’re going quickly,” Ross continued “Have the officer reach back to me once they’re on the way and I’ll brief them then.”
            “I understand,” Logan said, checking his data pad and looking over his available officers and still functioning shuttlecraft and runabouts “I can send Commander Tia in the Emerson. She will be underway within a few minutes.”
            Ross seemed to think that this was acceptable, “Very Good, Captain” he replied. “Ross Out.”
            Logan summoned Tia to his ready room and told her what he knew.
            “You’re my top pilot, just get whatever it is done and get back as soon as you can,” Logan told her.
            “What about you?” She asked baiting him slightly. They had often sparred over who had the better flight skills.
            Logan would not let her off that easily. “If the Admiral had wanted me to go he would have simply ordered me to do it,” he said smiling. Tia smirked at that and Logan relented a little. “Besides you’ve logged more impulse flight hours in the past few months than I have in the past year. I’m sure you’re up to it,” he told her.
            “Aye, Sir,” She replied smiling openly now.
            “On your way commander,” Logan told her and off she went...

            Hours later after docking at one of the upper pylons at Deep Space 9 Logan was sleeping fitfully after going through the repair list when another emergency, coded message came in. Logan snapped awake.
            “Logan here,” he said. The connection was audio only and full of static.
            “Captain,” he heard Tia’s voice, “I’m not sure what happened, Sir, I’m stranded in the badlands. I think an energy discharge hit the Emerson. The engines, life support, and the airlock have all been damaged. I can’t even get the hatch open from the inside.”
            “We can send a rescue team out,” Logan began.
            “No sir,” Tia replied sternly. “My mission must remain covert and now I . . . I’m really pressed for time, Sir.”
            “I read you Commander.” Logan took a moment to weight his options. “I’m on my way,” he said finally.
            “Thank you, Sir,” he could hear the relief in her voice and the channel closed.

                                                            ***************

            As Logan closed on the Emerson, he saw right away the damage to the front port nacelle. An energy stream from one of the intense ion storms had ripped through the Emerson’s shields and raked the entire port side of the craft. Tia had managed, using her thrusters, to get the craft into a relatively calm area between the endless storm fronts and slipstreams that raged through out this area of the badlands. Logan got into his EVA suit and exited the Thoreau. He could clearly see Commander Tia also wearing her EVA suit inside the Emerson.
            He examined damaged nacelle and hailed her, “We’ll need to replace this forward warp coil,” he said without preamble.
Shuttles and runabouts carried accessible spare units but usually these kinds of procedures engineers performed in the shuttle bay. There was a procedure for doing it as an EVA but doing it here, in the middle of the badlands, was something no engineer had probably ever conceived.
            Logan worked carefully and quickly to remove the clamps that held the forward most warp coil in place. Once he had done the unit would slide free and he would mount the replacement and secure it. That is what the procedure said anyway. However, the blast that had destroyed the unit had also fused the unit in place. Logan worked at the unit, trying to find some leverage and pry it free but there was no hope and the clock was running.

            Logan thought the problem through and then hailed her again. “I’m going to force the hatch. I’m coming in.”
            “I’m ready,” Tia replied.
As Logan forced the hatch opened, the compartment inside the Emerson vented completely and Logan slid easily into the craft.
            “Looks like you cut it a little too close that time Commander,” he said.
            “You’re not funny,” she replied tersely.
            “Alright,” he went on more seriously, “You will take the Thoreau and go complete your mission. Once you’re away I will send out a general distress hail and get myself out of here.”
            Tia knew what he was offering but once she was away, Logan might well be stranded out here for some time if help was not readily available and the shuttle drifted back into the storms or the storms suddenly intensified.
            Logan saw the concern on her face but cut her off, “That’s an order Commander,” he said. “Take the Thoreau and go.”
            This time it was Tia’s tern to weigh her options. She nodded finally and said “Aye, Sir.” She went out the open hatch and made her way to the Thoreau. A few minutes passed after she was away and she hailed back that she had made contact with whomever she was meeting and that she should still be able to complete her mission. Logan wished her luck and then turned back to his own problems. He checked the air supply and power levels on his suit, it read four hours remaining, and he set his suits internal alarm countdown.
He sent out a general distress message, sat back, and waited. It wasn’t long before he got an answer but it was from an unlikely source. A Ferengi ship was in the area and offered to tow him out of the badlands. The Ferengi Captain told him he could get him out of the area but that was all as he had a perishable cargo and needed to keep to his schedule. Logan gratefully accepted but . . .
            “I, ah, I don’t have any gold pressed latinum with me,” he explained feeling somewhat awkward.
            The Ferengi Captain seemed mildly amused at this.
            “That’s not a problem,” he said, “Grand Nagus Rom has made it clear in his new edicts that rescue missions like this are to be strictly non-profit.”
            Logan had heard about some of the recent changes that had been happening throughout the Ferengi alliance but was still surprised.
            “Well, that will be grand,” he said.

            The Ferengi ship slid in place in front of the disabled Starfleet craft and towed the Emerson to a nearby cluster just outside the badlands. They were on their way again in less than an hour. Logan turned down the power setting on his suit, which made it colder for him but would give him a little more power in the long run and sent out another general distress signal. Then he settled in to wait for a response. This time the response was somewhat longer in coming but eventually a Benzite Freighter answered and offered to take him back to Farmingdale Station. That was risky but it was better than staying where he was, he checked his chronometer, 2 hours left, he took them up on the offer. Logan also hailed the Benzite craft and asked if they had any spare air but they only carried their own variety, which would be toxic to Logan.
            Logan tried to relax as much as could. In due course Logan found himself at Farmingdale Station but as he half expected the station was unmanned and running in automated mode. The Benzites efficiently docked the Emerson in an empty repair bay and departed. The shuttle was now safe but looking at his chronometer, Logan saw that he only had about twenty minutes of air and power left.
            He needed to get from the repair station to the empty habitat section of the small Starbase itself. The problem was that it was a long way from one to the other - if he went through the station itself. His only option was to risk a final EVA from one side of the station to the other. It would be risky in his nearly spent EVA suit but there was nothing for it. He would jump from the ledge of the open to space repair bay, run along the side of the station until he got to the habitat ring where he could let himself in through the airlock and then finally take off his helmet. After that, he could send one last call for help but he would finally have air, replicators, and time on his side.

            Logan estimated his trajectory, checked his chronometer one last time, and leapt. He drifted along the station for a short distance and then activated his mag-boots. He misjudged his distance to the surface and struck the side of the station slightly harder that he had intended but he was still on track. He began a light jog towards the habitat ring. After a few minutes the warning tone of his suit began letting him know he was running out of power and air. The cold was really beginning to seep in now and he pushed himself into a full run trying to shorten the time this trip would take and keep himself warm. The problem, of course was that it meant using up the last of his air. He tried to manage his breathing in spite of his exertion but he wasn’t sure it was helping. Finally, he reached the habitat’s air lock. He had the strange thought that if this airlock were not functioning for any reason someone would probably find his body out there next time anyone came back to the station. Fortunately, the air lock worked perfectly and within a few minutes, he was inside the station with his helmet off.

            After getting out of EVA suit Logan visited the replicators and order up a nice warm meal. Then he used the stations communications system to send out his final call for assistance. The person he heard back from came as a pleasant surprise. It was Captain Germann of the Legacy. Logan had thought the Legacy was in a distant sector but it turned out that Starfleet Command had reassigned them to a nearby system towards the end of the war. Captain Germann was only to happy give Captain Logan transportation all the way back to the Integrity at Deep Space 9.

                                                **************************

            Commander Tia arrived back aboard only a couple of hours after Captain Logan. She found him on the bridge. It was almost disserted with only a pair of technicians making repairs to the Helm station and the Captain supervising efforts in Engineering and throughout the secondary hull from the Mission Ops station.

            “I see you made it back in one piece,” she said.
            “Well, you didn’t think I’d let you beat me back here did you,” Logan joked. “Welcome back, was your mission successful?”
            “I made it on time, thanks to you as for the rest, well, we’ll see.”
            “I understand,” Logan said.
            “I’m sorry about everything,” Tia said suddenly more serious.
            Logan smiled at that, “You’ll be happy to hear that I heard from the repair center and they’ll have the Emerson back to us in about two weeks, but” Logan turned to face her full on “after all we’ve lost recently, even if it was a total loss, as long as you’re alright, we always get another runabout.”

The Battle

2010-11-16T15:26:00.001-05:00

I had travelled far to meet my old friend before we set out to the bloodthirsty task we both knew lay ahead of us. I arrived in good time for the feast that all old warriors of our cut and vintage partake in as a matter of ritual. However, once we stood together, my old comrade told me this would not be any mundane or hurried affair. He had, and out of his own pocket, laid down a plan for us to share as magnificent a repast as any we had ever enjoyed. Indeed, as the servers brought out the food, I knew he had spoken true. The meat and wine were red and the portions plentiful and all of it as well prepared as any delicacies either of us had ever tasted. During dinner we talked little of the coming conflict but, as old friends are want to do after long separations, we spoke largely of our lives since last we were last together and of mutual friends one or the other of us had not seen in what seemed an age. We toasted the present company and the coming clash and ate until neither of us could eat another morsel.

After that, we set off on foot to the battlefield itself for well we knew better than to ride out and risk being unable to ride back. It was night now and the air was cool but he told me milder than usual for the time of year in that region. The walk was long and gave us more time to reminisce but not so long as to be tiring. Which was good, for soon, we both knew we would need all of our strength. As we walked, my old cohort of many such crusades expressed his concerns about our advancing years and mixing it up with the young hellions were we certain to meet in battle that very night. I jovially eased his mind telling him I intended to slay the first of them quickly, that he should plan to do the same, and after that, I declared; “The devil may take the hindmost!”
He laughed at this and we arrived on the battlefield in high spirits and thirsty for warfare.

We met the enemy and, by virtue of our vast experience, sized them up quickly. Among them, I noticed at least one Titan and being an old hand of many wars I set my sites on him firmly and, as I had promised not a quarter hour before, ended him quickly and while I was still fresh. My friend ran ahead laying into one of their common soldiers who had the misfortune to cross his path. As soon as this first blow struck, he smiled back at me and yelled that all his reservations had died by that mighty blow. He took his time and slew his adversary. I had moved on to another target I spotted on the field. For there I spied a foppish character they called “the Brune”. I know not why they called him thus but he was as flamboyant and as brilliant a swordsman as any opponent I had ever faced. I saluted my adversary, which he returned, and we began circling each other warily. Soon our swords were fairly singing and members both companies near us stopped their own battle to watch the dance. After a fair time I put the man down and the mêlée resumed in earnest. My old friend had marked another Titan in our enemies’ ranks, following my example; he set upon him like a berserker of old, and dispatched him straight. That left the more common, rounder members of their company and although they were well clad for fighting and they knew it not, their cause was already long lost. We worked our way through them, each of us following the lead of the other, first him, then me and so on, with the steady efficiency of veterans from a thousand such campaigns.

Later we walked away from the battlefield and made our way back to the safely and warmth of his home. Quite in our cups, we traded stories admiringly of the fight and quarreled good-naturedly about the exact numbers.
“It was at least a dozen,” I declared.
“Not so,” he answered laughing, “it was no such matter, but then again” he relented, “it was close enough I would say.”
We reached his home and I remember sharing a toast to victory with Old Fezziwig who had been waiting there for us. In truth though, by this time, the battle had taken its toll and I had spent my aging vitality. I fell asleep where I sat and shortly had lain down on the floor before my chair. My old companion mocked my fatigue but then had the lack of good sense to drink one last toast with a treacherous Irishman. The next day I was back on my feet long before my old comrade in arms, but I kept the watch until he found his feet again later that evening.

Catching up

2010-07-18T12:41:00.000-04:00

I am spending this weekend catching up on the more mundane, but necessary, chores that need to be done to keep us moving at the pace we've been setting. The last few weeks and months have been hectic. Between shooting on "Polaris" in Maryland, The Phase II episode "Origins" in Ticonderoga NY, "Sci-Fi Science" in Manhattan, going to our son's wedding in Buffalo and all our regularly scheduled madness Gina and I both need to regroup and put things in order around here.On the plus side, all of that stuff has been going really well. Gina's acting career seems to be on track and moving into the next level. My episodes on Sci - Fi Science start airing September 1. Although I shot for all the episodes this coming season don't expect to see me in every one, but you should be able to catch me in a few at least.
Speaking of that the final two episodes will be shot August 6th. If anyone wants to dress up and join my away team let me know. This is the last chance for this season and if you can make it you will get to meet the venerable Dr. Kaku. They shoot at about 2:00PM at Capsule Studios in NYC.
I'm making real progress on my personal "Ripped in 2010" initiative to get in even better shape. Between careful dieting, the trips to the gym and swimming three times a day I'm making some real progress. I've been too busy to get in enough running and sword work but even so I'm stretching and keeping limber while steadily increasing definition so it's all good.
Here are some pictures from or recent adventures.

My Run

2010-06-02T22:47:00.000-04:00

With a little help from my friend Lainey I have been able to make a pretty good estimate of the distance I've been running and it comes out to about .83 miles. I must admit I thought it was closer to a mile but I don't really mind. I can just loop in a a little more as I go and it's very scenic. Between my diet, this run, swimming two to four times a day and my employer paid gym membership I should be able to enhance and maintain my overall condition pretty well.
Those are tennis courts on the left and two baseball diamonds.

My Vegan Banana Brownie Recipe

2010-06-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

As some of you know, now that the kitchen is nearly done, I have started experimenting with cooking and recipes to try and improve my overall diet. Here is an example of a Brownie recipe I've put together that I believe is pretty good. Made without butter, white sugar, eggs, or dairy products these still taste great.

Ingredients:
1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk
1 Banana
1/2 cup Light brown sugar
1/2 cup Dark light brown sugar
1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder
1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 oz chopped Walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Lightly grease with vegetable oil an 8 inch square pan.
Blend Soy Milk and Banana
In a large mixing bowl combine 1/3 cup cocoa, Sugars, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder.
Mix in Soy/banana mix
Spread batter into prepared pan.
Gently place Walnuts over the top until well covered.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
(Cook until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.)
Allow to cool for 15 minutes
Remove from pan and enjoy

Apogee - Jethro Tull

2010-05-17T11:28:00.000-04:00

Just because I like it:

Sailing round the true-blue sphere---

Is it too late to bale out of here?

Well, there has to be some better way

To turn back the night,

Spin on to yesterday.

The old man and his crew---

After all these years,

It's apogee.

Pilot training and remorse---

Spirit friends fly too,

At apogee.

Apogee --- solar bright.

Apogee --- through the night.

Apogee --- over ground.

Don't think I'll be coming down.

Screened for a stable mate

With nerves of ice we flew,

At apogee.

No creativity allowed

To pass through stainless veins of steel,

At apogee.

Apogee --- put the kettle on.

Tight-lipped --- soldier on.

High point --- communicate.

Don't forget to urinate.

So glad they put this window in.

How to explain, how to begin?

See! Tennyson and Wordsworth there

Waiting for me in the cold, thin air.

Beware a host of unearthly daffodils

Drifting golden, turned up loud.

Tell the boys back home,

I'm gonna get some.

The wrong stuff's loose in here ---

I'm climbing up the walls,

At apogee.

So hoist the skull and bones ---

Death and glory's free,

At apogee.

A stranger wind, a solar breeze ---

I'm walking out upon the starry seas.

See pyramids, see standing stones ---

Pink cotton undies and blue telephones.

Goodbye, cruel world that was my home ---

There's a cleaner space out there to roam.

Put my feet up on the moons of mars ---

Sit back, relax and count the stars.

Patrick tells it like it is on Teabaggers

2010-05-06T16:16:00.005-04:00

1) The term "teabagger" was coined by teabaggers themselves. Here are some pictures demonstrating that:
http://brendancalling.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/teabag13.jpg
http://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/theoriginoftheteabag.jpg
http://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/teabagging4jeebus.jpg
http://www.sodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/philly.jpg

It was only when somebody tipped them off as to what the term meant that they suddenly declared the term to be a mocking epithet.

2) If the biggest racist you know of is Al Sharpton, then I recommend you go to some of these tea parties which you are defending so ardently. Pictures of Obama as a witch doctor, Obama as a chimpanzee, signs decrying his being a Muslim (which of course is false) who should go back to Kenya (where he wasn't born). Or maybe take a trip to Arizona after you hit a tanning salon and see how friendly they are to you.

3) The tea party movement is based around two notions, the first being that Americans are now taxed too much, most of it due to Obama. This is a lie. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly called the stimulus, included $275 billion, billion with a B, in tax cuts. These cuts lowered taxes for over 90 percent of Americans.

4) The second notion is that the tea party movement wants smaller government. This is a lie so outrageous and so patently false that it still defies belief every time a teabagger (yes, that's what I'll call them) tries to tell it with a straight face. The teabaggers said nothing when Bush wiped out the Clinton surplus without cutting spending. The teabaggers said nothing when Bush pushed through Medicare Part D and No Child Left Behind, both huge and expensive expansions of the federal government (and ineffective, but that's another conversation). The teabaggers made not a peep over indefinite detentions without trial in Guantanamo, American citizens like Jose Padilla held in jail FOR YEARS, WITHOUT OUTSIDE CONTACT, WITHOUT BEING CHARGED!!! Didn't bother them. (Well Padilla was the wrong shade, really.) The teabaggers didn't give a damn about the TOTALLY ILLEGAL Terrorist Surveillance Program wherein Bush had the NSA spy on phone calls, email, and text messages of American citizens, without warrants of any kind. Not a peep. When BushCo proposed Operation TIPS (Terrorist Information and Prevention System), to get Americans to inform on one another like something out of East fucking Germany, when BushCo supported the massively intrusive project of social engineering known as the Federal Marriage Amendment, and when it passed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban to interfere with doctors and their patients, and when it decided to funnel taxpayer money to churches through the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, when BushCo was found to be WATERBOARDING PEOPLE, a crime for which we HANGED German and Japanese officers after WWII...
The teabaggers. Said. Nothing.
NOTHING!
But.
But...
When a Democratic President acts to provide government health care, something that is accepted by the governments and peoples of every other industrialized nation on Earth as a responsibility for every society to provide, something that is part and parcel of any just and humane civilization, the teabaggers, who thought that George W. Bush was just the bee's knees for the first 7.5 years of his administration (if not his whole term), suddenly, suddenly, for the first time ever, and based solely on the intellectual merits of their arguments, and not at all on Barack Obama's presence inside their White House, suddenly decided that they were for small government. Well, keep in Medicare and Social Security and everything they like. But still: small government! Small enough to keep the "wrong sort of people" out in the cold.
They have no coherent intellectual argument other than an appeal to resentment and rage. The tea party movement is nothing more than pure and undiluted sore loserism. That's it. That's the beginning and end of their agenda: We lost. Not fair. Do over. I'm telling Mom.
Fuck the fucking teabaggers.

- Patrick
___________________________________

We here at Elysian Visions respectfully agree with every single syllable.
(Also we wish he would write more often.)

Tractor Beam Version 1.0

2010-04-29T10:14:00.004-04:00

Laser 'tractor beams' to tidy up space junk - tech - 29 April 2010 - New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627585.900-laser-tractor-beams-to-tidy-up-space-junk.html

A new thruster design could make it possible for dead satellites to be pushed, pulled and steered by lasers aboard other craft

- Not really a tractor beam as such but at least they're thinking along the right lines.

Star Trek: Phase II

2010-04-20T12:43:00.002-04:00

Gina and I have been asked to join the cast of Star Trek: Phase II and we are very excited to be involved.
We are shooting in early June but we are going to try and keep the summer Pool Party on June 18th.

Star Trek: Phase II Home Page

www.startreknewvoyages.com

Senior Executive Producer James Cawley announced today a succession of casting decisions for the Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II's "Origins" episode slated to... MORE>>

Put on Star Trek: TOS uniforms and play Star Fleet officers on full classic Star Trek sets you say?

. . .
Why yes, I think I can do that!

Our Best Pictures From Meeting Buzz Aldrin

2010-04-12T14:09:00.000-04:00

Here are the best shots of our meeting with Buzz Aldrin this past Saturday at Yuri's night.

I love this shot and everyone always enjoys meeting Gina.

What do Yuri Gagarin, Buzz Aldrin and I have in common?

2010-04-11T13:13:00.002-04:00

Answer: The NYC Yuri's Night Party of 2010.

These parties are celebrated all of the world to commemorate Yuri Gagarin's famous first manned flight into space. If you've never heard of them that's understandable given our current culture. In point of fact I had never heard of them until I was on the set of "Sci Fi Science" a few weeks ago. There I met a very nice woman named Carol. She told me about the party and introduced me to her friends who were setting the whole thing up.
I almost missed it because I had miss remembered the date, but I got word from Carol yesterday that none other than Buzz Aldrin himself might be attending. Needless to say I was all about the chance to meet the famous astronaut. Also the Yuri's night party is a big costume event so I of course broke out the Star Fleet uniform again. (As an aside, to those who go around saying I just look for any excuse to wear that damn thing . . . you are 100% right.)
This time Gina was feeling better, so off we went into Manhattan's lower east side, to a club named "DROM" for a night of live bands, science talk and a chance to meet one of the first men to walk on the moon.
Well, not only was Mr. Aldrin, and his very nice wife, already there but he seemed to be in a really pleasant and talkative mood.
Once I was introduced to Mr. Aldrin, who according to his wife really does prefer that everyone call him "Buzz", I asked him about what he thought about the recent advances in technology. His response was focused on the recent set backs in manned space exploration, but this was fine with me. I had expected nothing more than a brief polite introduction and then to be overtaken by others perhaps more interested in his recent appearance on "Dancing with the Stars" but this was not the case at all. This crowd was focused on science more than reality television which I must say suited me just fine.
After a while the conversation, which involved a few of us now, drifted into what Buzz thought the future of America's manned space program should look like. I must say he had some really well thought out and wide ranging ideas on the subject, as one might expect. We talked about Mars, Space Elevator technology and low Earth orbit operations as opposed to the Lunar exploration missions he was part of and many other topics.
Eventually I asked him about the work of Dr. Marc Rayman and using some of the technologies developed in "Deep Space One" and to my surprise, he didn't seem to know anything about it. I went on to explain the ion drive and other new technologies that had been developed and that's when he asked me to send him more information at his email address. This, of course, I did last night, before I even went to sleep.
Gina and I had a great time and went to the restaurant upstairs from the club and had sushi for dinner.
All in all it was a great night and we had a wonderful time.

Sensor Report

2010-04-05T14:16:00.000-04:00

SPACE.com -- Double Play: Spacecraft to Image Two Saturn Moons This Week

Meeting Michio

2010-04-02T11:50:00.000-04:00

Forgive me for the title, I know it makes it sound like the venerable Dr. Kaku and I are on a first name basis, but he is truly a very friendly fellow and we did actually get to talk a little about self replicating nano-technology.

Let me not jump ahead though. As I already wrote I noticed in my Twitter feed that the Discovery / Science Channel was having a contest to be a guest on the set of “SCI FI SCIENCE: physics of the impossible.” To enter you had to tell them why they should pick you, what you would wear (costumes were encouraged) and then write a VERY short essay on how you would terraform a planet and how you would colonize the galaxy.
I entered and got called back, interviewed over the phone and finally told where and when to be for the shoot.

Gina was originally going to come with me but she has been ill and despite really trying to get it together for the shoot she just couldn’t do it. In any case, she did spruce up my Star Fleet uniform and off I went.
Now the shoot was in Manhattan at 5:30 and I left the house at about 3:15. Plenty of time I thought but as fate would have it there was a jam at the Lincoln Tunnel and I lost more than 90 minutes. I’m sure I was quite a sight, sitting there in full Star Fleet regalia raging silently at what I was sure would now be a missed opportunity. I saw 5:30 come and go and I was still crawling up to the tunnel. I held fast though, I would get there and see what, if anything could be salvaged of the situation. I finally get in to the city, find a place to park near the cross street I’m looking for and catch a cab to my actual destination. I arrive 45 minutes late only to find that everyone is still outside.

Victory! I had not missed a thing.

I chatted with some very nice Mandalorian Mercs from Virgina and took a few pictures, posting them directly to my Facebook page. I met some excellent people and even got invited to a “Yuri Party” in the city.
Yuri Parties are global events, I had never heard of, that celebrate Yuri Gagarin’s first journey into space and the larger ones even feature a costume contest like the Farpoint or Shore Leave conventions.

Once on the set they had lager and wine waiting for us and the whole thing was more like a party than a shoot with the director, Adam Warner, interrupting only occasionally to give us direction. Dominic Aston and everyone on the set was very friendly, professional and easy going. It turns out the whole production is run out of England so everyone had those charming accents and were just generally more polite that the typical New York inner city dwellers.

Finally we got to meet Dr. Kaku who comes in and presents his ideas on the big screen of how to terraform Mars. I was fortunate enough to be up front, center of the crowd for this episode and had the opportunity to be the first one to ask a question. (They liked it so much that had us repeat the entire exchange on the reverse angle shot.)

Now this was a Television show, so everything had to be repeated four times of so from different angles, between takes Dr. Kaku would invite questions and chat it up with us. I noticed that this could be pretty hard on him as some of the questions were either based on a ridiculous movie premise or a really poor understanding of basic physical laws. He handles these situations gracefully though, like a politician he would ask them to repeat the question and then simply give a short answer to the question he wished they had asked, followed by a polite but firm “next question”. With those of us who were better able to keep up however he talked at length about his ideas and what he though future trends might lead to.

We filmed two episodes, one on terraforming Mars, (look for me in this episode next year) and another on colonizing space (if you see me at all in this episode it will be the wildest stroke of luck.)
I won’t post any spoilers here but his solutions were elegant and economical as always and he seemed a genuinely pleasant person. At the end he posed for pictures as we chatted some more.
I know this will only serve to reinforce my hardcore geek status but I must say it was a real honor to have the chance to meet and talk with him.

And We Have a Winner!

2010-03-29T23:58:00.001-04:00

This is really big news (well, for a geek like me anyway.)

Recently I saw through Twitter that the Science Channel was having a contest.
I entered and had to describe how I would terraform a planet and how I would colonize the galaxy.
Those who know me know that these are among my favorite topics to ramble on about, but the contest (like most of my friends) had a 100 word limit and, as you might guess, that did pose a challenge for me.
Nevertheless after editing down my original 300 word answer I sent it in and, along with a lot of other people, I won.
It means a chance to be on the show "Sci-Fi Science" and meet the host the esteemed Dr. Kaku himself.
I am a big fan and often listen to "Exploration", his Wednesday show on NPR, as well as watching his many appearances on my favorite Science shows. I would welcome a chance to talk about his take on any number of topics. Gina is also invited and, if she isn't working, is coming with me.
The only minor down side is that it's filming this Thursday night so I will not be around for the usual festivities.
On the plus side they want us to wear our full Star Fleet uniforms and, of course, we will!

"Peaceable Kingdom"

2010-03-19T14:44:00.001-04:00

This is an original lyric I recently turned out.

"Peaceable Kingdom"

Running in the wide, wide world

We always seem to be miles off track
Out of patience, out of time
And no chart to find our way back

To that peaceable kingdom

Where out of many, we are one

And everyone understands that hope

Doesn’t flow from the barrel of a gun

Walking in the streets of the city

You’ve got to keep your guard up high
Excitement comes with an edge

And we all keep a watchful eye

Looking for that peaceable kingdom

Where I trust you and you trust me

And everyone understands that force

Can’t keep us safe or set us free

It’s hard enough
(Why must it be so hard)
Just to survive
(When we all want the same things)

To keep my self respect
(Simple security for our families)

And keep us all alive

(And the peace of mind it brings)

Late at night with you in my arms

I let all the pain and anger go
I breathe out and close my eyes
I can finally find it and at last I know

My one and only peaceable kingdom

Where out of two, we are one
And I trust you and you trust me

Here, together, between you and me

Our one and only peaceable kingdom

by Frank J. Hernandez

inspired by an idea from Pete Gilman

"Synthohol" Version 1

2010-03-11T10:29:00.004-05:00

Scientists discover booze that won't give you a hangover - Holy Kaw!
Like to have a few cocktails with friends, but dread the next-morning-hangover? You’re in luck. According to a new Korean study, scientists have successfully developed a booze formula that’ll get you silly while eliminating the drawbacks.

Sounds like Party Time to me.

More than a mere status update

2010-02-17T10:57:00.004-05:00

Gina and I did indeed talk last night. We also cried, screamed, argued, accused, denied, walked away, came back and tried again and so on.

We are both really hurt and angry and the issues between us are complex and easily misunderstood. As is often the case in such situations between people who care about each other, but who end up here, we are both right and we are both wrong.

On the other hand a few days in Hell can sober the mind and dissipate the anger as few things can and when two people care enough to try and remain respectful to one another despite their pain communication is at least possible. Even if solutions seem out of reach.

The one thing that has been strange throughout this was going through all of this in such a public way. First at the Farpoint Convention and secondly on line through Facebook and so on. This has been both very difficult and embarrassing to us and yet, at the same time, the source of great support and compassion. For those of you who have known us for any length of time you know this is not how we usually conduct our private business and it’s been very painful for both of us.

I want to apologize first and foremost to our children who through no fault of their own have had to endure the emotional brunt of this. I want to apologize to all our friends and other family members for putting them trough this as well. I especially want send a special apology and thank you to Dawn, Dennis, Jo, Paul, Steve and to my friend Pete for being there for both of us.

I am so sorry for all of this. Please believe this and try to find the grace to forgive me.

In the end Gina and I have decided to try and reconcile.
We have both apologized to each other and agreed to redouble our efforts to work things out.
We’re taking it slowly, but we both want to try and that’s something.

To that end, last night, we each placed our wedding bands back on each other’s hands.

Remember My Name - Toy Matinee

2010-02-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

Living by the printed page
The landmarks of the age
I find... a coat that's poorly lined
Handed down from time to time
Waiting for the sun to shine

Standing here amidst this crowd
And wondering aloud
I find... a joke that's poorly timed
Thinking back to simpler days
Of waiting for a light to change

No one can take this away from me
The martyrs and madmen I learned of in school
Will remember my name
Some things are never the way they seem
Bury our centuries' wasted regrets
And remember this reign

Walking from the weary gloom
The din of empty rooms
I find... a poem that's poorly rhymed
And waiting for the walls to fall
I'm stunned by the failure of it all

No one can take this away from me
Spellbound in anger my heroes have failed
To remember my name
Some things are never the way they seem
Buy up our centuries' bleeding remains
And remember this reign

It's only water falling down
It's only water in my tears
It's only water drowning me
It's only water for all these years

And waiting for the walls to fall
I'm stunned by the failure of it all

News and 10 things I want you to know

2010-02-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

First the news:

After ten years of marriage, Gina and I have split up.

Now the 10 things I want you to know:

I’ve been through a bad time lately and when I asked for a little help, I meant it.

I really did try!
In the short term I will be looking for some additional work (nights and weekends) to pay down some debt, so I may not be around much.
I’ll be taking this time to reinvent myself and will be replacing a lot of old past times (Science Fiction Cons & Renaissance Festivals) with new ones (Undecided and I have no idea yet).
I am not looking for someone new, nor is there anyone “waiting in the wings”. I’m alone and I deliberately intend to be alone for some time to come.
This is not acrimonious. I still care about her and will do all I can for her and wish her nothing but good things in her life.
I have been lucky to have her in my life at all, and I know it. We had a great run and, while it lasted, it was the best thing in my life.

Lately we’ve grown apart, fallen out of touch and just seem to be headed in different directions.

I still love her and always will but . . .
It’s over.

Captain Logan’s Star Trek: Online Review

2010-02-04T15:52:00.010-05:00

Before we delve in here let me be clear, this is not a video game review written by someone who is an expert on video games and video game play. This is review written from the perspective of someone who is knowledgeable about Starship Operations and Starship Combat.
(That may seem odd but just play along and it will all make sense as we go. I promise.)

The game itself:
Despite attempts to mix in some more peaceful, exploration based missions this game is a pretty straight up combat game. The peaceful exploration missions are clearly just filler and by that I mean that they are basically a walk through. There are not a lot of options to allow for different outcomes. Orders and Reports come in with suggested actions. Not even a menu of choices beyond “do X to proceed” or “Exit”.

Okay it’s a combat game. So, how is the combat?

Space Combat:
One of the first things you notice in the simulation is that they got the distances wrong. Starship weapons optimal range is 40,000Km. Yet in the game you cannot fire at all until 10,000Km. (As a side note; space is really big and if we’re within 10,000Km someone's finger better be hovering over the collision alert alarm.) This seems like a random number that could have been easily reset to the scales we’re already accustomed. Also there is apparently no combat at warp speeds. I’m not sure why this is and in fact the whole impulse / warp speed scale seems a bit off.
(Here is a Warp Table that spells out Time over Distance: http://www.elysianvisions.com/integrity/warp.html
But we can't wait for all that we need to keep things moving around here. This is a simulation after all.)

In actual starship combat there are a number of options. Of course, due to relativistic effects, Phasers are just this side of totally useless at warp, but Torpedoes work just fine provided you fire along the right vector or compensate for the enemy’s position and motion. You can even fire blind against ships that have just cloaked, not here though, impulse only combat and no fire option without a weapons lock.
Also what looks like a single opponent at warp may in fact be an entire fleet once you drop out to engage. This happens way too often and, if the enemy force is overwhelming, once you engage the enemy fleet you are often destroyed before you can even get a proper scan going. Some of the combat seems lopsided to the point of making one wish for a simple Kobayashi Maru simulation.

Okay let’s cut to the chase, we’ve got a combat game that only let’s us fight at Impulse speeds, forget everything else how does this work? Well again it’s kind of strange. Let’s start by remembering that actual impulse speeds are not fixed but rather refer to a rate of acceleration. However I can understand that putting all of that acceleration math into the simulation would limit play to super computers so let’s leave that out as well.

Here we are then, Impulse power, Shields, Phasers, and Torpedoes.
Let’s break this down.

Shields: It seems Shields are always up and on full. Power cannot be manually rerouted from one set to another. Also there is not a representation of a dorsal or ventral shield. For the sake of the simulation you get four shields (Port, Starboard, Fore and Aft) in two dimensions. In order to change the enemy facing shield you need to maneuver the entire ship and that brings up another weakness in the simulation. There doesn’t seem to be any compensation for speed versus maneuverability.
A starship at full impulse does not turn on a dime; you have to bank and turn wide even with your Structural Integrity Fields and Inertial Dampeners running full out. To be fair that does seem to be the way the ship handles in the simulation but there doesn’t seem to be any commensurate ability to turn faster at slower speeds. When I reduce speed I want to be able to spin around and fire on a target not drag my way through a painfully slow rotation just in time to see the target drift past my arc of fire. Maybe this is actually built in to the simulation but, if so, it needs to be tweaked.

Phasers: Phaser banks are the weapon of choice for overcoming enemy shields, in the simulation and out, but they do much more than that. In the simulation though Phasers seem to have only one setting - full power. The target lock is nice and works as it should but there is no manual ability to increase fire rates by reducing power output. Also the arc of fire is pretty limited leading to a bad habit of just giving the fire all weapons order.

Torpedoes: The Torpedoes are hull and ship killers but again the configuration is limited and if there is a way to use them as mines - I haven’t found it. The arc of fire here is also pretty limiting. One of the nice things here though is that proximity counts.

Overall Configuration: The way the Simulation tries to compensate for all of the above is actually pretty interesting. What they have done is allow more exact configuration via NPC assignment. Train up crew people put them in the right stations and the overall stats go up based on where they are. I can increase torpedo yield for a few seconds by telling my Tactical Office to do it. I can use my Science Officer to scramble the enemy’s targeting sensors and so on. Also my character avatar acquires new skills as I play, I can engage in evasive maneuvers, once I acquire the skill for it.

How do I make this all work for me?
As you close on targets, time your orders (IE: scramble the enemy’s targeting sensors) to go into effect just as you enter weapons range. Use the weapons range limitation to your advantage by isolating targets, move just to within 10,000Km of a single target and reduce your speed. Use your Phasers to overcome their shields. Then increase speed, go straight at the enemy, get in close and hit them hard with the Torpedoes. When things get too hot and the shields are failing, don’t panic. Increase speed away from the battle front and let a long sweeping arc give your crew the time to get the shields and weapons back on line, then come back strong.

Having said all of that it’s still a lot of fun. The map and interface for long range navigation are fairly elegant and allow for a large universe to explore and play in. As a simulation this is one of the nicest features. There is a political history built into the simulation that seems to lend itself to some interesting story telling and expansion in the future. There is some new race called the Undine that are making trouble throughout the galaxy and the Gorn and the Klingons are raising hell. If I had to guess, based on what I’ve read, I’d say the Undine are perhaps a spin off of the Changeling race from the Gamma Quadrant. Maybe one of the Changelings sent out to explore the universe with no memory found a way to reproduce and that ended up creating a new race with no memory of the original race and their own belligerent agenda. That is all speculation of course but part of the fun of the simulation is that it leads to this kind of speculation.

Look for more updates from Captain Logan as we learn to master the simulation going forward.

To Gina

2010-02-02T13:55:00.003-05:00

I know it's a bit early, but Happy Valentine's Day Baby!
You make my life worth living!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Love Always,

Frank

Robotic Breakthrough May Change The Game

2010-02-01T18:21:00.005-05:00

French Scientists Build First Transistor That Mimics Brain Connections
Popular Science By Jeremy Hsu
Let's get that positronic brain rolling
The thing about this is that it's going to mean a possible radical change in possible design parameters. One of the most exciting things is the possibility of finally crossing the brain / computer interface divide.
In fiction we've almost always seen artificial brains that are designed separately and that are just as isolated as our own human brains. In reality the solving of the AI problem may be more of a merger between living brains and artificial augmentation right from the get go.

Missions to MARS

2010-01-30T20:10:00.000-05:00

There and back again!
A visual guide to every Mars mission.
Good Stuff from Gajitz.

That's What Love Can Do

2010-01-27T15:10:00.005-05:00

Look in the mirror
The face is familiar
But not the one I used to see
Got a fever, can’t shake it
There’s no way to break it
Something’s got a hold on me

And I can’t give it up

I won’t give it up

It feels good to me

But I don’t know the man

Standing in my shoes

That’s what love can do

Turn a wise man to a fool

That’s what love can do to you

And I lose my head every time I see you

That’s what love can do to you

Bitter tastes sweet

I’m dreaming on my feet

I’m looking for the missing clue

Heartbeat jumping

I never saw it coming

Hit me right out of the blue

And I can’t give it up

I won’t give it up

It feels good to me

But I don’t know the man

Standing in my shoes

That’s what love can do

Turn a wise man to a fool

That’s what love can do to you

And it turns my world around

That’s what love can do

Well it’s crazy but it’s true

That’s what love can do to you

And I lose my head every time I see you

That’s what love can do

I’ve found a new game to play

It’s taken my breath away

I’m on top of the world

Looking at you, how can I lose?

And I can’t give it up

It feels good to me

But I don’t know the man

Standing in my shoes

That’s what love can do

-Lyrics by GO WEST From the Album "Indian Summer"
Photo by Chrispics Photography

LA Times has article on "Trenches"

2010-01-20T16:50:00.004-05:00

With mentions of "Star Wars: Revelations", "Pitching Lucas" and quotes from Shane himself.
Good stuff check it out here.

"Someday" - Rob Thomas

2010-01-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

You can go
You can start all over again
You can try to find a way to make another day go by
You can hide
Hold all your feelings inside
You can try to carry on when all you want to do is cry

And maybe someday
We'll figure all this out
Try to put an end to all our doubt
Try to find a way to make things better now and
Maybe someday we'll live our lives out loud
We'll be better off somehow
Someday

Now wait
And try to find another mistake
If you throw it all away then maybe you can change your mind
You can run, oh
And when everything is over and done
You can shine a little light on everything around you
Man it's good to be someone

And I don't want to wait
I just want to know
I just want to hear you tell me so
Give it to me straight
Tell it to me slow

Cause maybe someday
We'll figure all this out
We'll put an end to all our doubt
Try to find a way to just feel better now and
Maybe someday we'll live our lives out loud
We'll be better off somehow
Someday

Cause sometimes we don't really notice
Just how good it can get
So maybe we should start all over
Start all over again

Play "Someday" (sample)

Watch Video

Criticisms of the Singularity - Singularity 101 - GOOD

2010-01-04T21:54:00.001-05:00

http://www.good.is/post/criticisms-of-the-singularity

Is superhuman intelligence feasible, or even desirable?

Part seven in a GOOD miniseries on the singularity by Michael Anissimov and Roko Mijic. New posts every Monday from November 16 to January 23.

Take a Moment

2009-12-31T10:44:00.000-05:00

Take a moment
Lower your weapon
Take a look around
Measure the damage
Strewn upon the ground

Take a moment
Close your eyes
Breathe in, breathe out

Feel the world turn

Past your fear and doubt

Take a moment

Raise a glass in praise

For those we left behind

We’ve come this far
Keep that thought in mind

Share a moment
Share a smile with someone new

Ask someone for their forgiveness

Find someone and offer them yours
Reach out your hand in kindness

Take a moment

Pick up your weapon

Scan the far horizon
Steele up your resolve

And pick a new direction

Ring Out Solstice Bells

2009-12-27T20:35:00.001-05:00

Now is the solstice of the year
Winter is the glad song that you hear
Seven maids move in seven time
Have the lads up ready in a line

Ring out these bells
Ring out, ring solstice bells
Ring solstice bells

Join together 'neath the mistletoe,
By the holy oak whereon it grows
Seven druids dance in seven time
Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming

Ring out these bells
Ring out, ring solstice bells
Ring solstice bells

Praise be to the distant sister sun,
Joyful as the silver planets run
Seven maids move in seven time
Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming

Ring out these bells
Ring out, ring solstice bells
Ring solstice bells
Ring on, ring out
Ring on, ring out

- Ian Anderson

Happy Holiday's to all!!!

2009-12-22T20:43:00.003-05:00

TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS!!!! Due to unforeseen circumstances and our busy lives, we were unable to send out our Holiday cards this year. We wish everyone a sincere happy and healthy Holiday Season, and a prosperous New Year! We cherish each and every one of you.

Frank and Gina

"Mad Season" - Rob Thomas

2009-12-15T13:32:00.000-05:00

I feel stupid - but I know it wont last for long

I’ve been guessing - I coulda been guessin’ wrong

You don’t know me now

I kinda thought that you should somehow

Does that whole mad season got ya down

I feel stupid but its something that comes and goes

I’ve been changin’ - think its funny how now one knows

We don’t talk about - the little things that we do without

When that whole mad season comes around

So why ya gotta stand there

Looking like the answer now

It seems to me - you’d come around

I need you now

Do you think you can cope

You figured me out – I’m lost and I’m hopeless

Bleeding and broken - though I’ve never spoken

I come undone - in this mad season

I feel stupid - but I think I been catching on

I feel ugly - but I know I still turn you on

You seem colder now, torn apart, angry, turned around

Will that whole mad season knock you down

So are you gonna stand there

Are you gonna help me out

You need to be together now - I need you now

Do you think you can cope

You figured me out - I’m lost and I’m hopeless

Bleeding and broken - though I’ve never spoken

I come undone - in this mad season

Now I’m cryin’ - isn’t that what you want

I’m tryin’ to live my life on my own

But I wont

At times - I do believe I am strong

So someone tell me why, why, why

Do I, I, I feel stupid

And I came undone

I need you now

Do you think you can cope

You figured me out - I’m lost and I’m hopeless

Bleeding and broken - though I’ve never spoken

I need you now

Do you think you can cope

You figured me out - I’m a child and I’m hopeless

Bleeding and broken - though I’ve never spoken

I come undone - in this mad season

In this mad season

There’s been a mad season

Been a mad season

____________________________________

. . . yeah . . .

"Polaris"

2009-12-11T09:40:00.001-05:00

www.unitedworldspictures. com
Here is the site for the new project Gina is working on.
It looks really exciting and there may even be a small part for me in the future and I should be filming next year.

Singularity 101 part 4

2009-12-08T10:44:00.004-05:00

Birthing Gods - Singularity 101 - GOOD

http://www.good.is/post/Birthing-Gods

“The AI does not hate you, nor does it love you, but you are made out of atoms which it can use for something else.”—Eliezer Yudkowsky, Artificial

The Mind Machine Project aims to reinvent AI for a new era.

2009-12-07T10:27:00.000-05:00

http://www.ddj.com/architect/222000815

This is a really good look at a very exciting project. If even a fraction of what they are working on bears fruit it will mean new tools available to solve the remaining problems in a very short time.

Algae and Light Help Injured Mice Walk Again By Michael Chorost

2009-11-16T15:39:00.001-05:00

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/mf_optigenetics/all/1

"In theory, two-way optogenetic traffic could lead to human-machine fusions in which the brain truly interacts with the machine, rather than only giving or only accepting orders. It could be used, for instance, to let the brain send movement commands to a prosthetic arm; in return, the arm’s sensors would gather information and send it back. Blue and yellow LEDs would flash on and off inside genetically altered somatosensory regions of the cortex to give the user sensations of weight, temperature, and texture. The limb would feel like a real arm. Of course, this kind of cyborg technology is not exactly around the corner. But it has suddenly leapt from the realm of wild fantasy to concrete possibility."

Read this one twice and consider the implications.

Stellar Cartography Report:

2009-11-12T14:19:00.000-05:00

"SPACE.com -- Mystery Emissions Spotted at Edge of Solar System" http://j.mp/3Wx3k3

Let me pose a question here: If we think of the entire Solar System as one unit, with an electric charge, that interacts with the rest of the Galaxy; could this help explain the high rate of rotation along the outer edge of the Galaxy without the need for Dark Matter?

Science Station Report

2009-11-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

Enceladus:
Saturn Probe Samples Moon's Ice Plumes : Discovery News

Interview with Kurzrweil

2009-10-16T14:22:00.001-04:00

Impulse Engines?

2009-10-07T09:31:00.000-04:00

Trips to Mars in 39 Days | Universe Today

To anyone who's ever read a Star Fleet Technical manual this looks very familiar and cutting the travel time from six months to thirty nine days sounds pretty good to me.

Defining Posthuman and Transhuman

2009-10-05T11:40:00.004-04:00

Let "Transhuman" or "Posthuman" be defined not as simple artificial replacement or augmentation of a sense or function to normal levels (IE: False teeth, Eye glasses, Contact lenses, Pace maker, etc.) but rather as enhancement beyond ideal performance, providing alternate performance or an altogether alternate method of some basic function.

Case in point:

"Vulcan Science? The Woman Without A Pulse!"
http://ow.ly/sKbo

Image Credits: ChonaStock Moonchilde-Stock

Everything is OK Montage

2009-10-01T11:37:00.001-04:00

Notes on a Staycation

2009-08-31T14:33:00.001-04:00

"I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be." - Peter Gibbons, Office Space.

As many of you know I took this past week off. Invariably when you come back everyone ends up asking you about it. Where did you go? What did you do?
The short answers are ‘nowhere’ and ‘as little as possible’ but these don’t really answer the question so let me tell you in some detail. I am not a wealthy person but setting aside time like this made me feel like I was. Taking time off like this, to me, was the height of luxury.
I spent my time sitting quietly and enjoying the weather when it was nice (which was most of the time). I reflected on my life, on all the things I’ve done and speculated on what I might like to do later. I swam, tanned, napped and drank beer a lot. I had friends over, enjoyed some excellent meals and didn’t worry about my diet at all. I played really lousy tennis until my limbs ached and then went back in the pool. I went to a museum with a friend and explored a lot of Star Trek stuff. I spent long hours under the stars, in front of the fire, talking about futurism, ethics, language, poetry and music. I watched movies and laughed at the bad ones and enjoyed the good ones. I listened to a lot of music both old and new. I caught up on sleep and with people I had lost contact with. I reinforced some old bridges and built some new ones with the people in my life who were around. I enjoyed a long, deliberate sense of not needing to be reliable, punctual or responsible for a while.
Now maybe sometimes you have to jump on a plane and travel half way around the planet to ‘get away from it all’ to do all this, but this time I stayed right where I was and let it come to me.

"Electronic Thinking, Feeling Artificial Lifeform 10 Years Away?"

2009-08-13T10:55:00.001-04:00

"Since the model of the rat neocortical column was created, something unusual has been occurring within the complex circuitry, as the neurons have started to, all on their own, self-organize into a more complex pattern."

. . . .

Well, there it is.

"Where The Wild Things Are" Trailer

2009-07-25T14:21:00.004-04:00

I see a little story padding and stretching even in the trailer, but man this looks good! Thanks to Jessica for letting me know about this one.

Alice in Wonderland Trailer

2009-07-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

Looks cool.

Just an AWESOME image

2009-07-21T20:29:00.003-04:00

Three Galaxies and a Comet
Credit & Copyright: Miloslav Druckmuller (Brno University of Technology)
This is just stunning.

Could helical clusters formed from interstellar dust be somehow alive?

2009-07-08T22:17:00.006-04:00

I was just talking about this. I was having a hard time making my case, but this is exactly what I was saying. Here is the underlying question; What if our definition of life is fundementally wrong? What if life is about replicating and evolving energy patterns? What if it only used amino acids, RNA and DNA here on Earth because that is what was available? Read the article and think about it. The tone of the article itself is very skeptical, but read some of the comments too. It's still a worthy question.

New Space Observations: Early Forms of Inorganic Extraterrestrial Life?

Patrick's Letter to the White House Re: Health Care

2009-07-07T21:22:00.001-04:00

Dear Mr. President,

I have no idea whether or not this email will reach you, or whether it will (almost certainly) be read one of your staff instead. But I feel compelled to try and reach you anyway. I've just finished reading a distressing article in the Wall Street Journal and I certainly hope it's conclusions are unfounded. It states that you are willing to give up any demand for a public option for health care as a part of the reform package your administration is currently writing. I cannot overstate how angry and disappointed such a move will make me. Me, and millions of others who voted for you too.

Last year, I donated hundreds of dollars - money that I really could not afford to throw around on a whim - to your campaign, and voted for you proudly. Thousands and thousands of your supporters did the same. We did not give up time and money so that the HMOs could be appeased with a huge giveaway for them. Health care reform without a public option is not reform of any kind. It's a sham disguising itself as reform. If you sign a health care reform bill into law that lacks a public option in the name of compromise, then I am sorry, but you have lost my vote, my money and my time, and you won't get it back.

The Republicans don't want a public option. WE DON'T CARE WHAT THE REPUBLICANS WANT. And neither, frankly, should you. There is a reason that they have been annihilated in the last two elections - their ideas are terrible and have all but wrecked the country, and we have soundly rejected them as a party. The country is NOT yearning for bipartisanship. The country does NOT want to see the Democrats reach out and give up 40 percent of any legislation they pass to GOP far-right-wing nonsense. We want what Canada, and the UK, and France, and every other industrialized Western nation has enjoyed for decades: health care for ALL citizens, and real health care, not an illusory coverage that disintegrates the moment one of us becomes seriously ill. A health insurer that only wants to cover me when I'm not sick is like something out of Franz Kafka. We need an option that views providing health care to its patients as the primary reason for its existence, not something to be given up grudgingly only after all dodges and excuses have been exhausted.

The HMOs have complained loudly that a government-run health care system will run them out of business. Well, WE DON'T CARE IF THAT HAPPENS. The sole purpose for health care providers' existence is to help sick people get well. It is not to increase the value of executives' stock options and it is not to serve as a bold declaration of the vibrancy and efficacy of the free market and the capitalist system. Health care is a RIGHT. It's not a privilege, and it's not an opportunity. If HMOs are more concerned about maximizing profit than maximizing lives saved, then they deserve to be driven out of business.

Not everything in this world should be about making a buck.

This is really too important. By even suggesting that your administration is not willing to go all the way on this, you are gambling with people's lives. You are giving the enemies of health care reform the ammunition they need to whittle away support in Congress. Please let us know that this article misstated the case. Please don't tell us you're going to walk away from another fight in order to minimize conflict. There's a time to reach out and there's a time to push back. And you can't reach out to a party that offers you nothing but a closed fist.

I know you've often said that we should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

But, Mr. President, sometimes the good is just not good enough.

Please fight for real health care, with a public option for all. I sincerely thank whoever in the White House reads this letter for your time.

______________________

Tweeting the Dialectic of Technological Determinism

2009-06-29T11:13:00.002-04:00

"Tweeting the Dialectic of Technological Determinism"
by Ted Friedman / Georgia State University - Atlanta

Excellent article about Iran and the so called Cyber Revolution.
I don't necessarily agree with this point of view but the author is clearly pondering what I'm pondering.

Patrick Vent's over President Obama

2009-06-27T17:57:00.000-04:00

Another Obama signing statement giving himself the right to ignore part of a law. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/27/obama-issues-statement-on_n_221821.html

Essentially, Bush (43) and Obama have both reclaimed the line item veto. Clinton briefly had this power from 1996-8 but the Supreme Court ruled the law as being unconstitutional and struck it down. Now both his successors have decided that the president can merely choose to ignore parts of laws they sign by stating that certain provisions would interfere with the powers of the executive.

Well, that's not how it works, my friends. If a bill does that, then you don't sign it into law. You veto it and tell Congress to try again. If Congress overrides it you have the Justice Department bring suit against it and go through the courts. I understand Bush doing this, he was not a lawyer and he was someone who was easily manipulated by his royal court. But Obama, someone who A) taught constitutional law and B) criticized Bush for doing this very same thing, knows better but has decided to try this out and see if he gets much push-back. Which I'm sure he won't. The media's criticism of presidents revolves around whether or not he endangers capitalism, i.e. the entrenched system of wealth distribution that funnels money upwards from the poor to the middle class to the insanely rich, i.e. the very people who pay their exorbitant salaries. So they have no problem getting tough on Obama when it comes to "nationalizing" General Motors (which it did not do) or trying to pass any kind of health care reform that doesn't consist solely of providing massive subsidies for everyone to buy expensive private coverage. That makes the media pat itself on the back for grilling the president and living up to the legacy of Woodward and Bernstein, an ethic that even Woodward and Bernstein couldn't maintain. But stories about the Office of the President abusing power, stealing power for itself, torturing people for political ends, refusing to play straight with the electorate? Bo-ring! Where's the percentage? Their bosses don't really care what laws presidents break so long as they don't have their taxes raised. And both Bush's and Obama's people know this.

Yes, yes, I know, Obama's very smart. And he probably knows things we don't know. And he's playing the long game. Biding his time. Waiting for the Republicans to trip up and drop from 25% approval down to 15%, or something, and then he can REALLY stand up and do the right thing. I'm not sure how much longer people will keep resorting to these excuses - and that's what they are, excuses. And I don't know what to make of a president who can't roll over the GOP in their current dessicated state. I can only conclude that he doesn't intend to. He's an adjuster, not a reformer. Even health care, I suspect, is going to end up being nothing but a big giveaway to the HMOs without any real guarantees that people can't be dropped whenever they actually get sick. And Obama will give his usual line about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, and no one will dare to tell him that sometimes the good just isn't good enough.

Sorry, but I'm more and more disappointed with our president lately. Being "better than Bush" is not a high enough bar, for Christ's sake. Khrushchev was not a great statesman simply because he didn't kill twenty million of his own people like the last guy did. A leader must be judged by his own actions, and we can't keep giving Obama a pass just because he isn't George W. Bush. Just my opinion.

Patrick

Tipping Point?

2009-06-24T14:14:00.002-04:00

Excellent Article by Wilson da Silva in Cosmos

#IranElection

2009-06-24T12:22:00.004-04:00

As an outsider I have watched in horror as the outrages of the fascist, theocratic, dictatorship in Iran have escalated. I am always resistant to advocate the use of force in political matters. I have tried to favor peaceful change through passive resistance. If, however, even a small part of the reports now coming out of that country are accurate; I don’t think that peaceful protest is still a viable option. The brutality of this corrupt regime has become unspeakable. It shows, more clearly than even their most zealous and verbose detractors could ever hope to, the depths of depravity the former leaders of that country have sunk to. I say “former leaders” because no matter what happens from here they no longer represent the people of Iran. These are your own people you are attacking!
Needless to say this is no longer merely about an election, or votes, or anything of the sort. By resorting to this kind of viciousness the situation has escalated into a full scale revolt. By letting their fear drive them, the former leaders have done what their enemies could not and turned the people of their own country against them. Like men, no country is an island. These crimes will long weigh on the minds of your neighbors and indeed the rest of the planet.
This is not the first time this has happened nor, I fear, will it be the last. What is also important here is the speed with which it all happened. The technology that facilitated this rapid change is more ubiquitous everyday. Imagine if North Korea allowed unrestricted internet access and Twittering.
Even as President Obama has maintained a hands-off approach from the US government (a decision I support by the way) the people of the US and the rest of the world have reached out and embraced the protesting Iranians. Their peaceful and reasonable demonstrations and cries for Democracy and Freedom reach us and we are with them. Not merely months or years after the fact, but in the moment. We hear their voices and we raise ours in support of them.
This will be even more and more the case as we move forward and these technologies expand and are refined. As more and more people around the world attain the ability to speak to each other directly the age of repressive dictatorships is gradually ending. As I watch the continuing events in Iran, I say, good riddance.

I am REALLY sorry about last night.

2009-06-21T09:37:00.004-04:00

Well folks, things got a bit out hand for me yesterday. There was too much drinking, and then some more drinking, and then it all caught up to me. I remember telling some age inappropriate stories and jokes, and offending some some people I haven't seen in a long time, and I feel really terrible about it. Later it got so bad my wife and friends had to call 911. I remember some EMT's and then waking up in the hospital. My sister Denise, who is a nurse, was working at the time and her and Gina looked after me.
Later Denise drove us home, thanks again for that.
This morning I am, of course, dealing with the aftermath of my own stupidity.
I am, as I say, home from the hospital, and I feel as well as can be expected and better than I deserve.
I want to sincerely thank and apologize again to everyone involved especially Gina.
There are no words I can use to express the depth of my shame.
I hope that at least some of you will find it in your hearts to forgive me for getting so carried away and acting so stupidly.

IRAN - WE ARE WATCHING!

2009-06-15T14:05:00.005-04:00

Twitter is going wild today as it has become the primary source of information on the demonstrations and riots in Iran. This ties into something I was trying to explain to my friends a few weeks ago. The rapid advances in technology and communications are becoming tools for change, almost in real time. The days of a repressive state locking down the coverage so no one can see what they are doing to repress the people internally are almost at an end. Twitter was, almost certainly, never meant to be used this way but here we are watching what the authorities in Iran clearly do not want us to see. How long can these regimes retain power when the people of their countries and their neighbors stand together and say "ENOUGH!" remains to be seen. However, I believe it will be less time than it would have been with the technology of even ten years ago.
Power, and Freedom, to the People.

"Revelations" in the news again

2009-06-15T09:22:00.004-04:00

The LA times has the article "Hollywood hits the stop button on high-profile Web video efforts" which mentions Shane, "Star Wars: Revelations" (see the link to the 47 minute movie, starring Gina and featuring me, on this page.) and "Trenches". It's an interesting article but I think it misses some key points. For instance it doesn't talk about The Onion and it's video offerings. This is an example of an existing product using webisodes to enhance their offerings.
The fact that the television model doesn't work on the web doesn't surprise me. Let's be honest, it never really worked all that well for television. Their overall point though is well taken, when almost anyone can produce their own content and distribute it for free, we need a completely new business model.
It' nice that their still talking about "Revelations" though.
Shane is quoted at the beginning and end of the Article.

FUTURAMA RETURNS!!!

2009-06-10T12:00:00.002-04:00

http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/407062_tvgif10.html

Hot Damn! I'm glad to hear this.
As Bender would no doubt say: "Compare your lives to mine, then kill yourselves!"

60 Marvelous Superhero Wallpapers

2009-06-09T13:07:00.003-04:00

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/60-marvelous-superhero-wallpapers/
Something for almost everyone!
Thanks to 9swords on Twitter for linking this one.

The Bunker Hill Bogs Wildlife Recreation Area

2009-06-09T11:52:00.007-04:00

The Bunker Hill Bogs Wildlife Recreation Area

Ummm, yeah, . . naming stuff is not our strong suit around here.
Still though, the park itself sounds nice. I haven't been on a hike in too long and I'm sure this is an easy walk.

Starship design in the NEW timeline.

2009-06-09T07:26:00.005-04:00

Check this out.
http://www.startrekmovie.com/panoramas/bridge.html
A 360 panorama of the Bridge fro the new Movie.

A couple of notes:
I'll never understand why designers love to put those needless ankle breaking steps all over the floor.
The disco floor lighting under the Captain's chair is just plain dopey looking.
The Captain's chair itself is, well, why don't I just skip that one.
The very nice indirect ceiling light is wasted by the needless and ubiquitous spot lights all over the place. Also if you were trying to work at any of the wall side stations those lights would be right in your eyes.
Lights mounted in bulkheads and support beams are a major mistake but you'll find them in all kinds of movie sets.
The Chairs are clearly a nod to the original series but not something you would ever actually see or use on a Starship. Here is an area where they could have improved on the original and didn't.
The transparent panels would be a lot cooler if they moved in some kind of track but they don't, they're fixed. Still I like the idea of being able to display all that information.
I could go on and on, (You have no idea, really!) but overall, I think it looks like it was designed by a lighting technician. It's a mishmash of different Star Trek series and movie set elements just thrown together and over lit.

"So much style without substance
So much stuff without style"
- Peart

Trailer for "The Answer Man" with Gina

2009-06-05T22:25:00.003-04:00

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3113615897/
You can clearly see Gina twice in this trailer.
This movie stars Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham and it keeps changing it's name from "The Answer Man" to "Arlen Faber" and back again. We're hoping that you will really be able to see Gina do some real acting in this one. Seeing her in the trailer is a good sign.

Brooke Elizabeth Collins

2009-06-05T11:05:00.001-04:00

Born: June 4, 2009, 9:07pm
Weight :7 pounds, 4 ounces
In: Community Medical Center, Toms River NJ

Marcia and Brooke are both doing well!

Welcome to planet Earth!

New h+ issue is online

2009-06-04T18:38:00.004-04:00

http://hplusmagazine.com/
Always worth a look.

Cybersecurity vs. Human Extinction

2009-06-02T09:28:00.004-04:00

Interesting article on the Daily Kos (of all places) here.

What's interesting about this article is some of the timelines they suggest and the concepts it practically takes for granted. Also I notice that nanotechnology is not mentioned. It seems like the closer we get to this Singularity thing the harder it is to get your heads around everything that it implies. This article seems to take a raw power approach to advancing technology. For all of that the timelines it suggest are still staggering.

Pulsars

2009-05-28T11:47:00.001-04:00

Pulsars for Interstellar Navigation.

Argh! I said this like three years ago.

GREEN LANTERN TRAILER!!!!

2009-05-27T10:30:00.004-04:00

Okay, okay, I confess the all the capital letters were just to get my buddy Patrick excited and it's a fan made trailer with footage and dialog stolen and worked over from just about everywhere, but it's still fun.

Thursday Night Quotes:

2009-05-21T22:27:00.005-04:00

Wife: "You're not listening to me!"

Husband: "My god, you're right. Now why is that? Why would that be...we have a conundrum here. A mystery. The game is afoot. I shall begin my investigation at the nearest pub, don't wait up."
___________________________

Woman of ill repute: "YOU are the man I've been looking for."

Man: "No, I'm his brother. I'll tell him you said hi, though."
____________________________

Amazon "Milk" reviews. No, I'm not kidding, too Funny. http://tiny.cc/cU8Oz

Possible Battery breakthrough

2009-05-20T10:35:00.002-04:00

Breathing batteries could store 10 times the energy

The key thing about this is not the story itself but the rate at which stories like this are flooding in. Rapid advances on almost every front continue to bombard us.
Speaking of that, when I say "almost every front" even the exceptions are starting to be note worthy. For instance, why do we not yet have streaming video phone technology every where? All of the technology to make this happen is in place right now. You can even set it up yourself with a little know how. Why isn't is readily, commercially available and ubiquitous? Think about it.

U.S.S. Integrity NCC-2112 - Reboot

2009-05-16T15:10:00.006-04:00

We are getting ready to relaunch the ship.

This time it will be different and a bit of an experiment.
This time there will be no dues, newsletter or monthly meetings.
We will have the occasional away missions to conventions, museums, renaissance fairs and so on (but to be fair Gina and I never really stopped doing any of that).
This time we will be writing an on going storyline that you can follow (on our new BLOG, Facebook group and Twitter account's) with the characters on the ship getting into (and hopefully out of) various scrapes.
Any real time role playing will have to wait for some kind of acceptable interface.
If you want to see your character in the logs; send me an email with a character name, Star Trek race (Human, Vulcan, etc.) age, desired section (Sciences, Operations, Bartender, Etc), desired rank (no promises) and as much or as little detail as you feel you need. Do not feel limited to whatever you had before, consider this a chance to start over.
Finally, do not worry about the time line or the changes from most recent movie (We got that!). The setting is still a Galaxy Class Starship and Captain Logan is still in Command. Everything that has gone before will serve as back story.

Food for Thought

2009-05-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

Excellent Article from New Scientist:
Will designer brains divide humanity?

I like this article because of the ideas it takes for granted.
Consider some of the broader implications of what we're looking at here and I think you will agree that this is worth pondering. Also it raises that underling question; how much enhancement can we take and still remain . . . ourselves?

SNL Star Trek bit

2009-05-12T11:32:00.001-04:00

From Facebook

2009-05-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

Frank J. Hernandez OH MY GOD!!! I just went to play Star Trek: conquest on my Wii and . . it's .. it's gone, there's nothing there . . erased from existence!
9:15pm · via Blog It · Comment · Like

Timothy Young at 9:48pm May 11
It's been replaced by a younger, hipper game.

Bill Kieffer at 9:49pm May 11 via Facebook Mobile
Did u upload red matter?

Frank J. Hernandez at 10:16pm May 11
The stars look right but . . Vulcan is gone!

Timothy Young at 10:23pm May 11
...as if millions of voices suddenly accepted their fate logically, and were suddenly silenced.

'I drink your dilithium! I drink it up!' STAR TREK SPOILER ALERT!!!

2009-05-08T11:30:00.008-04:00

Here it is, my review of the new Star Trek Movie.
Final Warning - Spoilers Ahead:
Do not read this if you haven’t seen it yet.

You know when people make jokes about those really extreme Star Trek Fans. I AM that guy! I have a rule that there is not to be any Star Trek that I don’t know all about. I know more about the Star Trek universe and its lore than, well, than just about anybody. I’m not boasting here, I’m just giving it to you straight. I don’t memorize who wrote and directed which episodes or their original air dates and I don’t claim to be an expert on the behind the scenes, day to day details. Also I don’t look much like the average fan boys the media likes to portray us as, I don’t live in my parent’s basement and I have a wife and a real life - but if you want to know what Warp fields are measured in or discuss the Vulcan Philosophy of IDIC or just about any detail of Starship Operations - I'm your man. Before we talk about the new Star Trek Movie I just think you need to know who you’re dealing with.

To start with I want to talk about what was good in this movie. There is a lot to like here. First and foremost the actors were great. They really manage to capture the characters without coming off like imitations. Second the special effects were just this side of perfect. Also the action was really well done. It is exciting and very cool looking.

Now I’d like to talk about the things I was okay with. I was okay with the Spock love interest. I was okay with the changes to the timeline and, yes, I’m even okay with recognizing that the “Enterprise” series and this movie are now the only true canon. Everything else (and I mean everything else) are washed away and must be reset.

Fine.

So here we are - all disclaimers in place and ready to go.
First a minor technical note - I really did not like that when we are on the bridge there is apparently a search light spinning just out of frame and regularly blinding us. In fact I hated this. I thought, when I saw this in the trailers, that is was just for the sake of the trailers - but no that’s the way those scenes are shot.
This is as I say and by comparison a minor technical note.

Here is an prime example of what I really did not like about the new Star Trek movie.
It all starts when Spock says about Kirk; “Get him off the ship” and no one asks, ‘I’m sorry acting Captain, is something wrong with our brig?’

Spock arbitrarily decides to send Kirk, his First Officer at his point ‘overboard’ in what looks like a single man escape pod onto the ice planet Delta Vega.
You know, because Star Fleet officers do that kind of thing all the time.
Wait though, we’re not done. We then have a drawn out scene with the ice creatures of Delta Vega (there’s always a bigger ice creature) and then ‘Professor McGuffin from the Exposition Institute’ shows up and saves him. By which I mean Spock Prime, who has been marooned on the same ice world by Nero, by complete coincidence, so he can watch the destruction of his home world, which he does, unaided, even though it’s in another star system, just happens to be right where Kirk is! Not merely on the same forsaken planet, but literally just a short run from where Kirk’s pod lands.

Wait though because we’re still not done. On the nearby base, also shipped off to the gulag Delta Vega for screwing up, by Admiral Archer no less, they find Scotty.
(Why not just have Baltar and Six show up as angels and tell us they arranged the whole thing.)

After this we have the horrible Scotty beams himself into the Enterprise’s water system scene (reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate factory) and his unlikely escape. I won’t go into how many things are wrong with that scenario but I trust my point is made.

Another thing that really stretches the imagination is Kirk going from Cadet directly to Captain of the Enterprise. Who knows though, maybe Spock Prime put a good word in for him.

There are other plot holes that one could fly a Galaxy Class Starship through but these are illustrative of the overall problem.

Having said all of this though, I want to also say that it is clear to me that this film is going to be wildly popular. JJ Abrams seems to have really struck a chord with the Zeitgeist in this movie and all of my nitpicking and ranting aside, people really love this film. As I said there is a lot to like about it. I just wish they had put a little more work into the plot issues. I mean Spock Prime was from the future for crying out loud, if he had worked his way to Delta Vega from wherever Nero had dropped him off because he knew Scotty was stationed on Delta Vega at that time or something, anything, it would have been so much more believable and enjoyable.

Overall though I give the movie Six out of Ten and, of course, I will see it again, and again, …..

Gina on the set!

2009-05-07T17:46:00.002-04:00

"Today we will be Marching, up and down the square."

The Singularity of Ray Kurzweil

2009-05-07T12:21:00.002-04:00

This is just one part of a series but I thought I'd put it up here as food for thought.

Fun with Trek.

2009-05-06T15:07:00.003-04:00

Warning: Not work safe!
No Eating or Drinking and please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Pon Farr Edition) from Darth Mojo on Vimeo.

Thanks to Karen for sending this our way.

"Star Trek" review from The Onion

2009-05-05T19:25:00.001-04:00

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

h+ Article on Transcendent Man

2009-05-05T15:44:00.002-04:00

by Ben Goertzel
Link here.
Another really good article. I can't wait to this. I'm just hoping I don't have to travel to far to see it. Who knows though maybe it will have wider release than I expect.

"Vulcans Never, Ever Smile" More from Newsweek

2009-05-04T21:05:00.006-04:00

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195083/page/1
This one is not as objectionable . . . but I'm still angry at the last one.
Also this one has a bit of a spoiler so don't read it if you don't want to know anything going in.

Newsweek: "We're all Trekkies now" . . yeah, sure.

2009-05-04T14:31:00.005-04:00

First of all it's "Trekkers" and second of all 'NO, you're not'. You may want to be but those of us who have been trekkers all along really resent you late comers jumping on the Runabout now after breaking our balls about it all these years.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195082

This is just like the RUSH (The Band, not the fat radio clown) is now cool thing.
Bad news idiots! RUSH was always cool, you were just too damned stupid to realize it at the time.

Elementary, my dear Watson.

2009-05-04T13:55:00.004-04:00

IBM builds new AI system to take on humans at the game of "Jeopardy".
I think the natural language part of this will be the most impressive.
Exciting stuff though.

Brian as First Officer

2009-05-02T13:12:00.002-04:00

Brian G. sent this over.

Good stuff! Just like the old days.

Sadly the auto play code must be embedded because I can't see it to turn it off.
Oh well, there's always the "Stop" Button.

Trek yourself.

2009-05-01T10:52:00.004-04:00

Strange but kind of fun.

Gina's new Comp. Card

2009-04-30T21:10:00.004-04:00

The actual final card, of course, includes more contact info but I really like the layout.

Transcendent Man

2009-04-29T09:20:00.002-04:00

Singularity Hub review

Brigid Fitch Strikes Back!

2009-04-29T07:28:00.005-04:00

As my long time readers will know I have been saying for a while now that the Republican Party is dead. Just last night in fact I heard Chris Matthews of "Hardball" compare them to the Whigs. I must say got a chuckle out of that. Over the past few months I have tried to stay away from the political rants and focus more on futurism and personal stuff. However, occasionally one of my readers will submit something that I think bears posting, as is the case today.
The rest of this post is the opinion of one Brigid Fitch.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Elysian Visions, Inc. or it's subsidiaries.

___________________________________________________________________________

Just think—150 years ago, the Republican Party was anti-slavery and for high taxes in order to help the poor. We are now witnessing a dramatic shift in ideology of that same party. I’m oversimplifying here, but basically the Democrats & Republicans flipped ideals during the Lincoln years and solidified their stance in the Truman administration. If you require evidence of this fact, just look at any Blue Dog Democrat right now. Those so-called Democrats are the remnants of days gone by—fiscally & socially conservative, traits now attached to the current GOP. So here we are in the 21st century, watching history repeat itself.

Welcome to 2009, where we can witness the implosion of the so-called Republican Party. A Party that is embracing social conservatism at an unprecedented rate. They literally have no clue as to why they lost the 2008 elections. They’re so entrenched in their ideology that they believe a more conservative bent is the way to win over the American people. In the face of a 55% mandate, they maintain that their way—that of “Real America” (whatever that is)--is best. They sideline conservatives like Specter (who has already decided to switch parties), Collins, and Snowe. They advocate the “Tea Parties” as a way to show their dissatisfaction when they fail to do the same in Congress. They have become the Party of “No” simply because they can’t understand why they lost on Nov 4th.

My friends, I invite you to witness the death of the Republican Party as we know it. I voted Republican in 1988. At that time, Reagan stood for something that I felt our country was lacking. However, when I looked at the broader scope of things (WTF—you’re cutting the education budget WHY??), I learned my lesson. 20+ years later, you’re experiencing the fall-out of that era. The GOP is nothing like it was 30 or even 25 years ago. Back then, it represented American strength against opposition in any form. Reagan made plenty of missteps during his administration, but I’ll give credit where it’s due: He knew when diplomacy was the better course of action. The USSR became a thing of the past (See his letters to Gorbachev as citations).

But again I invite you to look at the GOP as it is today: A political party so myopic in its vision that its main focus is anti-gay marriage legislation, Hell-bent on being the party of “No”, and so ridiculously hypocritical as to be laughable. This is not the GOP that our fathers knew. No, this is a GOP that is kowtowing to a Fundie base, working towards a socially conservative lifestyle. One that embraces Big Oil, denounces any study that uses the term “carbon footprint”, and espouses the way of the Bible in the face of anything even remotely related to equal rights for gays.

My point is that they’re so out of touch, it’s only a matter of time before the GOP becomes irrelevant.

- Brigid Fitch

Gina's other new Headshot

2009-04-28T20:17:00.001-04:00

Also from Chrispics
I like this one. She looks like she's up to something.

Falling into a Blackhole

2009-04-27T16:20:00.000-04:00

Computer simulation of what it might be like.

. . . and speaking of the Singularity,

2009-04-27T15:57:00.002-04:00

h+ Singularity Article with Vernor Vinge.

Sneak Peek

2009-04-25T18:46:00.002-04:00

I snuck this picture when she wasn't looking. This sums up how I spent the day. And yes I went in the pool.

Gina's New Headshot

2009-04-24T19:48:00.004-04:00

Photo by Chrispics Photography

Is it me or does that look just like . . . Patrick?

2009-04-24T16:16:00.002-04:00

I'm just minding my own business, surfing the net, when suddenly, looking back at me is a sort of Microsoft, Cyber . . . Patrick.
I'm freaking out here a little bit.
This is like the "Mr Sparkle" thing on "The Simpsons".
For those who may not know Patrick, um . . . he looks just like this guy.

Toy Matinee - VIDEO???

2009-04-21T09:39:00.014-04:00

Warning Video Flashback

Here they are from way back in the early 1990’s, one of the best bands you never even came close to hearing of.
I used to love these guys.
If you don't know who they are - you don't deserve to know.
Nah, just kidding, I'll share, Wikipedia entry here.
Still, I never knew there were videos.
How cool is that?

Everybody sing;
"There was one repressed do good-er
and a few who still believe
Yes, I think there were five good men here yesterday
But they were asked to leave.

So we've kept the good old vices
and labored to invent a few
With cake in vulgar surplus
we can have it
and eat it too!”

Navy Sniper

2009-04-21T08:07:00.003-04:00

I'd tell you where I got this - but then a sniper would kill us both. You know, I have no problem with the proper application of American military might and expertise. For instance, using it to protect American lives from criminals. What I object to is any improper or wasteful use of it.

Quote of the Day

2009-04-19T13:34:00.000-04:00

Today's 'Quote of the day' is from the chronically misunderstood and misrepresented work of Ayn Rand. This is the character Dagny Taggart talking about sex.

"And to such among you who hate the thought of human joy, who wish to see men's life as chronic suffering and failure, who wish men to apologize for happiness -- or for success, or ability, or achievement, or wealth -- to such among you, I am now saying: I wanted him, I had him, I was happy, I had known joy, a pure, full, guiltless joy.."

- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

I don't post a quote everyday, only when I feel like it. This is today's.

Enjoy!

Teabagging Idiot Republicans (Take 2)

2009-04-17T19:45:00.004-04:00

Last time. I promise. Probably.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I just want to say I totally agree with Janeane Garofalo here.
Thanks to Patrick for sending this over.

Conservative Tea Bagging

2009-04-15T09:40:00.004-04:00

Sit down. Put aside any food or drinks.
Place your tray in the upright position.
Take a deep breath.

NOW, check this out.

This guy deserves an award for getting through this with a straight face.

I'm not talking to or about my right leaning friends (Yes, I still have some) who favor smaller Government, lower taxes, a strong military and Capitalism.
I talking to the ignorant racist morons who think this is a good idea.
WE'RE LAUGHING AT YOU!!!
The entire universe is LAUGHING AT YOU!!

That is all.

Frank J. Hernandez - Elysian Visions Blog

My top 10 Star Trek (TOS) Episodes

Steve Martin - Atheists Don't Have No Songs (Live on Letterman 03-16-201...

Use the FORCE!

"A Merry New York City Christmas" by Rob Thomas & Sidewalk Angels Link

“The Emerson”

The Battle

Catching up

My Run

My Vegan Banana Brownie Recipe

Apogee - Jethro Tull

Patrick tells it like it is on Teabaggers

Tractor Beam Version 1.0

Star Trek: Phase II

Gina and I have been asked to join the cast of Star Trek: Phase II and we are very excited to be involved.We are shooting in early June but we are going to try and keep the summer Pool Party on June 18th.

Our Best Pictures From Meeting Buzz Aldrin

What do Yuri Gagarin, Buzz Aldrin and I have in common?

Sensor Report

Meeting Michio

And We Have a Winner!

"Peaceable Kingdom"

"Synthohol" Version 1

More than a mere status update

Remember My Name - Toy Matinee

News and 10 things I want you to know

Captain Logan’s Star Trek: Online Review

To Gina

Robotic Breakthrough May Change The Game

Missions to MARS

That's What Love Can Do

LA Times has article on "Trenches"

"Someday" - Rob Thomas

Criticisms of the Singularity - Singularity 101 - GOOD

Take a Moment

Ring Out Solstice Bells

Happy Holiday's to all!!!

"Mad Season" - Rob Thomas

"Polaris"

Singularity 101 part 4

The Mind Machine Project aims to reinvent AI for a new era.

Algae and Light Help Injured Mice Walk Again By Michael Chorost

Stellar Cartography Report:

Science Station Report

Interview with Kurzrweil

Impulse Engines?

Defining Posthuman and Transhuman

Everything is OK Montage

Notes on a Staycation

"Electronic Thinking, Feeling Artificial Lifeform 10 Years Away?"

"Where The Wild Things Are" Trailer

Alice in Wonderland Trailer

Just an AWESOME image

Could helical clusters formed from interstellar dust be somehow alive?

Patrick's Letter to the White House Re: Health Care

Tweeting the Dialectic of Technological Determinism

Patrick Vent's over President Obama

Tipping Point?

#IranElection

I am REALLY sorry about last night.

IRAN - WE ARE WATCHING!

"Revelations" in the news again

FUTURAMA RETURNS!!!

60 Marvelous Superhero Wallpapers

The Bunker Hill Bogs Wildlife Recreation Area

Starship design in the NEW timeline.

Trailer for "The Answer Man" with Gina

Brooke Elizabeth Collins

New h+ issue is online

Cybersecurity vs. Human Extinction

Pulsars

GREEN LANTERN TRAILER!!!!

Thursday Night Quotes:

Possible Battery breakthrough

U.S.S. Integrity NCC-2112 - Reboot

Food for Thought

SNL Star Trek bit

From Facebook

'I drink your dilithium! I drink it up!' STAR TREK SPOILER ALERT!!!

Gina on the set!

The Singularity of Ray Kurzweil

Gina and I have been asked to join the cast of Star Trek: Phase II and we are very excited to be involved.
We are shooting in early June but we are going to try and keep the summer Pool Party on June 18th.