Take a Moment

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

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!!!

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

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

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"

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

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.

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

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:

"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

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

Interview with Kurzrweil

Impulse Engines?

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

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

Notes on a Staycation

"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?"

"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

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

Looks cool.

Just an AWESOME image

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?

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

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

"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

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?

Excellent Article by Wilson da Silva in Cosmos

#IranElection

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.

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!

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

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!!!

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Cybersecurity vs. Human Extinction

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

Pulsars for Interstellar Navigation.

Argh! I said this like three years ago.

GREEN LANTERN TRAILER!!!!

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:

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

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

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

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

From Facebook

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!!!

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!

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

The Singularity of Ray Kurzweil

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

Fun with Trek.

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

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

h+ Article on Transcendent Man

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Strange but kind of fun.

Gina's new Comp. Card

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

Transcendent Man

Singularity Hub review

Brigid Fitch Strikes Back!

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

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

Falling into a Blackhole

Computer simulation of what it might be like.

. . . and speaking of the Singularity,

h+ Singularity Article  with Vernor Vinge. 

Sneak Peek

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

Photo by Chrispics Photography 

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

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???

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

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

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)

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

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.

Star Trek - Clip "Answer me"

I gotta say, this is growing on me more and more.
Also there is something familiar about this scene, what could it be?

Researchers build 'flying' micro-robot

This is really, really  . . . you know what? I'm running out of terms for this stuff . . .
This is really pretty wild though.

Flying Micro-Robots 

And then from Singularity Hub there's this. 

Reprap

A $500.00 dollar self replicating 3D fabrication printer.
Available in the distant  . . . um Right NOW!

From "Aida"

"To sail away to half discovered places,
To see the secrets so few eyes have seen 
To see moments of enchantment on our faces,
The moments when we smile, and those between."

“There'll be no ties of time and space to bind us,
And no horizon we shall not pursue, 
We'll leave the world's misfortunes far behind us, 
And I will put my faith and trust  . . . in you”

Not quite a quote but strung together it sums up this morning's moment of Zen. 

Kepler Update from Centauri Dreams

http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=7148

Very exciting stuff. There will of course be a period of calibration first, but soon, it looks like we'll be up and running. 

In my backyard . . . Right now.

Gina and I are home, safe and sound. 
I picked up some gourmet food at a local shop. 
I have the stereo, fire-pit and grill all going. 

"and everyone, who had a talent for it, lived happily ever after."
- Baron Munchausen

Big News!!

We are getting on the road again headed from Sarasota, FL to Jacksonville, NC. to see the grandkids. Also have just found out that we are expecting. Our first together!!! Turns out we'll be picking up as many baby things as we drop off.
April Fools!
Come on guys, I won't even let her get another DOG. Any more kids are right out. 

"Network" - 1976

http://tinyurl.com/29p34

Sixth Sense TECH

Thanks to Pete for bringing this to my attention.

Battlestar Galactica: Over

No spoilers I promise. The end of Battlestar Galactica was dramatic, action packed and full of beautiful, emotional, brilliantly acted scenes. For that, and for many of the splendid individual moments it has brought us over the years I am truly grateful.
Having said that, the big problem is that, for all of the advertising promises that claimed “You will know the truth” and leading us through a mysterious, prim rose labyrinth for the past five years, the explanation for everything we’ve seen is . . . um . . .god or demons, or magic, or something.
QUICK! LOOK OVER THERE COOL CG!!!
In other words they don’t tell you. Ever.
There are also glaring, unrecyclable inconsistencies with what has gone before. I promised no spoilers here, but if anyone is looking to have a rambling three hour conversation about it, feel free to bring it up, at your own risk.
The first time I ever learned Ron Moore’s name was after watching the ST:TNG episode “The Defector” which impressed me so much, that I looked up who had written it. My friends told me this would happen, but I insisted that my man ‘Ron’ would not let me down. I was a big fan. I had a lot of faith in this guy but, sorry, I feel let down.

Battlestar Cast to Visit UN

Presented without comment.

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/17/battlestar-galactica-at-the-un/

"TRANSCENDENT MAN"

A documentary on Ray Kurzweil. Looks interesting but sounds a little one sided. Still let us not prejudge it. I'm looking forward to this and, of course, "The Singularity is Near" later this year.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/transcendent-man-premieres-at-2009-tribeca-film-festival,743193.shtml

Future Watch

Excelent Article on Advancing Technology here. I was talking about this stuff with the boys and they were pretty skeptical, which is healthy, but I felt like I wasn't getting my point across. This article sites much of what I was trying to explain.

Watching the Watchmen

Yes, I have seen it! It was glorious and disturbing. I highly recommend it but please keep in mind this is not a movie for kids. That "R" rating, they're not kidding about that. I don't want to put any spoilers here but, in general, I really liked it.

"I've walked across the sun. I've seen events so tiny and so fast they hardly can be said have occurred at all, but you... you are a man. And this world's smartest man means no more to me than does its smartest termite."

- Dr. Manhattan

Looks like Ragnarök!!!

Here is a quick shot of the backyard. Needless to say I am working from home today. In fact, my company has decided to stay closed and have everyone work from home today. Hopefully all the work I've done over the past year making sure people can work from anywhere will pay off today. Meanwhile we are all set here at the house, except, that the milk, that I have plenty of here in the house, has gone off.
Oh well, black coffee and rice cakes for me. I went shopping for food yesterday so we are all set on everything else. The snow shovel and salt are by the door and we have a lit candle right next to a bunch of utility candles ready to go in the event that we lose power. We're just going to hunker down wait it out.

Meet the 'New' old Enterprise

Check out the whole original article and more pictures here.
Also thanks to Patrick for sending this over.
Now then, my problem with this is the nacelles which look almost steam punk. Why not just put a pair of giant wagon wheels back there. They are out of proportion and they do not fit with the original look or the look we saw in "First Contact" on the Phoenix or on "Enterprise". Also the Bussard collectors on the front of the nacelles need to be red.
At first glance the deflector array (the part on the front bottom of the secondary hull) looks like it is straight off of the NCC-1701-A. It's looks anachronistic. However on closer inspection it really is very nice. The neck mounted torpedo launchers are also anachronistic but we'll let that go. The rest of it is not too bad. There is nice smoothing of the back of the neck of the ship. The neck overall looks bulkier and reinforced, but that's the kind of change I can live with. The lines on the ventral view are very nice and true to the original. Also the saucer section seems to have an NCC-1701-D style observation lounge behind the bridge, but here again, overall the saucer section looks pretty good and of course the detail is splendid.
Those are my impressions after just a quick glance but this is the problem with taking the whole Star Trek universe backward instead of forward. Oh well, we will see how it all comes together.
To those of you who are reading this and going "OMG what a geek?!!"
Shut up!
I know more about this stuff than you know about real life.
Just shut the hell up!

Star Trek: Conquest

I have defeated this game. I don't usually play video games but when Nick bought me this for the Wii I made an exception. It took a little while to work out the mechanics of how it worked and I could play it all the way up to the hard level as the Dominion, Klingons and Cardassians - but not as the Federation. I just could not work out how to win on the hardest level as the Federation.
Until tonight.
If anyone wants to know what the tactics I used are drop me a line and I'll be happy to share. Fun stuff.
Thanks again Nick!
This is for EARTH!!!

Gina on the set

Here is a quick shot of Gina and some friends, Sharon and Andi, on the set "Jack Goes Boating" which is being directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Gina and the girls were playing nurses and generally having a grand time. Gina says the set they were on is also used for "Fringe" and maybe "Law & Order".

Update

I was really sick yesterday. I am still sick today, but nowhere near as bad. I spent most of the last 36 hours unconscious. Today I am back in the office but I’m running primarily on good intentions and will power. I don’t know why but, although I rarely get sick, it’s never just a mild head cold where I can just take a palliative and keep on going. It’s always got to knock me off of my feet completely. Gina was sick also but not as bad and today she is working again too. She has a 4:00PM call for something. I can’t remember what. She has been working pretty regularly so we’re scraping by. We’re both hoping that things really pick up for her this spring.

Farpoint 09

Just a quick note here on some of the details. We saw "Trenches", which was really good and I felt left the audience wanting more. We caught up on all the latest Science Fiction and Fantasy movie news and upcoming projects. We bought some stuff that's easy to find at conventions. Gina met Alan Tudyk and got an autographed "3:10 to Yuma" tee shirt as a gift from him. We spent some nice time with a lot of friends and very much enjoyed the new hotel.
All in all another successful mission.

Haircut.

I just got a new Haircut.
It's a bit extreme.
Let's just say I am now really "Aerodynamic".
Start with "Bald" and work up from there.

I am ready for my Role in "A Few Good Men."

You want to see my haircut - YOU CAN"T HANDLE MY HAIRCUT!!!

Heh. The Captain is IN!

Gina Update

Gina is working today as a Stand In for Gina Gershon on the set of "Life on Mars". It's tough being a Stand In because no one will ever see your work, on the other hand it pays pretty well, and it can become pretty solid work, if they like you and you get a contract. In any case, Gina is starting to work pretty regularly and she loves it.

About Joe

from Brigid:

GOP Congressional staffers have invited Joe the Plumber to this morning's weekly strategy meeting. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Wow--it's like the Republican Party has become a parody of itself at this point.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/02/joe-the-plumber.html

I'm trying to get away from political post, but Dammmmn!
This is just calling out for a SNL Weekend Update "Really?" segment.

Also this from Patrick:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Velvet-Painting-of-Joe-The-Plumber-On-Black-Velvet_W0QQitemZ350122422672QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0
Do not be drinking or eating anything while clicking.

Singularity University

This could be very important.
http://tinyurl.com/asevls
The idea of training people to take advantage of new, existing tools and to help develop the next generation of tools, whatever they might be, is powerful in it's own right. Add to that the natural networking that could grow out of this and it has the potential to lead to staggering changes in very short time frames.

Is it just me . . .

or was that, like, the best episode of BSG EVER?!?!
That was up there with some the best television I have ever seen!
I don't want to put down any spoilers right now, right after it aired - but DAMN!

Feeling poetic

The air is cold, crisp and clean
The sky is clear and bright
I embrace this winter scene
And in my eyes all is calm, warm and right

- Original

Today . . .

"Chasing the horizon, Racing with the sky, Dreaming like a madman, As the scenery flies by . . ."
- Original

Also . . . looking forward to Pizza night.
Gina is working again, on "Cupid".
That's a TV show I'm given to understand.

So much strange stuff going on it's hard to focus but remember;
George Bush is no longer President!!

That was for Patrick, who has taken to getting the attention of people in other cars, gesticulating to get them to roll down their windows and shouting it at them!
Patrick: "Hey! HEY! George Bush is not President ANYMORE!" and he speeds away.

. . .

Wife: "Honey, who was that man?"
Husband: "How the hell should I know? All I know is; I've got to scrape that damn McCain/Palin sticker off of the bumper."


Seriously though, a couple of points:

To the FOX News moron who said that because there was some missed cues over the actual oath, that Barack Obama might not actually be president, and that this could go to court, #*$% you, you #$!@$$# CENSORED CENSORED (Seriously, no one should read this!) CENSORED &*%% if you ever bothered to READ THE CONSTITUTION, IDIOT! Jesus Wept!
Plus, they did it again anyway, just for you.

Also, how many days do you think it will it take for Obama to do more good than the last guy did in eight years? Anyone?