ommadawn.dk - Star Trek

Enterprise, Season 4

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Science fiction, Star Trek

Number / Name	Why I liked it
077 / 4:1 Storm front I	If our crew had been in WW2. USA invaded. Touching to see Earth is still there.
078 / 4:2 Storm Front II	The fake news reel: well done! Enterprise over New York among tiny planes.
079 / 4:3 Home	The victory speech. Vacation. Romance. Visiting her parents! Having a very polite family fight. And the ex shows up. Arranged marriage. Xenophobia. War changes people. Sacrifice. Fascinating.
080 / 4:4 Borderland	A family / an actor, we've seen before. Genetic engineering. Super humans. A father and his children. Slavery.
081 / 4:5 Cold station 12	Instinct and intellect out of sync. A pacifist father and his violent children. Megalomania.
082 / 4:6 The augments	Leadership issues.
083 / 4:7 The Forge	Vitality can be viewed as dangerous. Deaths. Terrorism. Or a frame up? Hm. Iraq? How do you interpret correctly a text, that's thousands of years old? Hm. The Bible? Pilgrimage. In a baseball cap ;-) Telepathy.
084 / 4:8 Awakening	Rejuvenating a society, returning to the intended path. Pacifism. Preemptive strike. WMD. Wow! Imagine being able to talk to Jesus about modern day Christianity. Possession. Wire taps. A mother dies.
085 / 4:9 Kir Shara	A new commanding officer. Interrogations, torture. Divorce. An original version of ancient texts.
086 / 4:10 Daedalus	Meeting an idol. And the possibility of a scientific breakthrough. Grief? Isolation. Guilt. Over the lost, but not yet dead. Taking a chance. A new identity. And a broken relationship.
087 / 4:11 Observer effect	Observing without interfering. Experimenting (versus exploring). Testing intelligence. Preparing for a first contact between species. Is it okay not to interfere/help? Possession. Energy beings. Old "friends". Compassion. Empathy.
088 / 4:12 Babel one	Total honesty. Trying to trust a former enemy. Stirring up trouble, by impersonating other species. The ultimate in remote control.
089 / 4:13 United	Cooperation. A twisted kind of diplomacy.
090 / 4:14 The Aenar	Telepathy. Unlimited expansion. We are all soldiers. A sub-species. Courage. A transfer, for personal reasons.
091 / 4:15 Affliction	Coercion. Means and ends. A new job. Telepathy? Spying? Lying. Conflicting duties. A new approach to an old problem. One crew member abducted, another transferred, a third imprisoned! A new ship. A new beginning. Interesting.
092 / 4:16 Divergence	Speed. Guinea pigs.
093 / 4:17 Bound	Dancing. Physical attraction. Slavery. A Spock-like final comment.
094 / 4:18 In a mirror, darkly, part 1	Twists on terribly familiar scenes. And on the credits. If our crew were more aggressive. Racist. Parallel universe. Time travel. Telepathy. And the kitchen sink. Good fun.
095 / 4:19 In a mirror, darkly, part 2	A fight for equality.
096 / 4:20 Demons	Suddenly parents. A human/alien hybrid. Xenophobia. Reminiscents of terrorists. Communists. Purists. Ex girlfriend.
097 / 4:21 Terra Prime	Life is change. Mourning parents. Refreshing to see the father in tears. And touching. Diplomacy.
098 / 4:22 These are the voyages	A cross between 2 series. An alliance. A dead crewman. A sacrifice. Mourning. The final speech, in 3 parts - had me in tears.

Enterprise, Season 3

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Science fiction, Star Trek

Number / Name	Why I liked it
053 / 3:1 The Xindi	A new mission. New personnel. Soldiers... 2 teams trying to work together. Fun with gravity. Nightmare. Massage / an excuse to get 2 crew members together. Slavery. A very good beginning.
054 / 3:2 Anomaly	Pirates stealing irreplaceable goods. Circumstances turning good people into bad. Torture?
055 / 3:3 Extinction	An alternative method to reproduce. Total transformation. But the leader is still the leader. Instinct, racial memory. Extermination.
056 / 3:4 Rajiin	Gossip - we don't care. Runaway slave. Seduction? Rape? Espionage? An uneasy alliance.
057 / 3:5 Impulse	Losing emotional control. Paranoia.
058 / 3:6 Exile	Paranoia? Hallucination? Ah - telepathy. And exile. All your secrets revealed - unsettling. Imprisonment?
059 / 3:7 The shipment	He supplies materials for weapons, no questions asked. He is also a nice old man. Is he responsible? Sabotage.
060 / 3:8 Twilight	What's going on? Amnesia? Alternate reality? Framed? What if you lost the ability to form new memories? How would you, and people around you react? What if the last mission you remember, is long over? A non-human in uniform. Grief. Volunteering to share in the tragedy. A possible future. Love. Fun with time and reality. Fascinating.
061 / 3:9 North Star	Racism. Slavery. But change is possible. If our crew were cowboys. Freedom can't be for all.
062 / 3:10 Similitude	Death of a crew member. Is it okay to breed one person, solely to be an organ donor? And to let the harvesting of that organ kill the donor? Genetic memory. A glimpse of the past. Romance. A kiss. Identity. A difficult mission turning a leader more cynical. Accepting destiny. Very good.
063 / 3:11 Carpenter Street	Time travel. To our time. Pollution. A peak at one of the toys in action.
064 / 3:12 Chosen realm	Religion. Pilgrimage. Means and ends. Kamikaze. Cooperation with an enemy. Tricks. Peace through superior firepower - hm... Armageddon.
065 / 3:13 Proving ground	A human with blue horns. Heh. An ally? New friends? Peace through superior firepower - hm...
066 / 3:14 Stratagem	A possible future? Amnesia? Enemies become friends? The mission long over? How to gain trust, super quick. Through manipulation. Simulation.
067 / 3:15 Harbinger	Romance. Jealousy? A kiss. And more. Competition. Until the powers that be stops it. Heh. Help - or rather making things worse? Able to walk through walls - neat.
068 / 3:16 Doctor's orders	Turning responsibility over to someone unskilled. Solitude. Hallucinations? Paranoia? Loss of control.
069 / 3:17 Hatchery	A sudden attack of motherhood. Should the babies always be protected? When is it time for mutiny? And who do you include?
070 / 3:18 Azati Prime	Diaspora. A deciding moment coming up. A farewell. The enemy is just like us. The emotionless sheds a tear. The good leader. The danger of believing unproven information. Torture.
071 / 3:19 Damage	Negotiations will work, where force won't. Onslaught of emotions. Addiction. Withdrawal. Means and ends.
072 / 3:20 The forgotten	Dang emotions! What do you say in an hour of grief? An uneasy alliance. It's hard to build trust. It involves hard choices.
073 / 3:21 E^2	Fun with time. A generational ship. Our crew, and their possible children. And other details of the possible future. A family conflict.
074 / 3:22 The council	How do you choose who to trust? Diplomacy. Hope. A beginning. A risk. A traitor, or a peace maker? An organization dying to make room for war. You never get used to losing a soldier under your command.
075 / 3:23 Countdown
076 / 3:24 Zero hour	Means and ends... Double climax. Cool - suddenly the enemy is right in front of you. The network explodes, gloriously. Time for romance! A significant death. Time travel.

Enterprise, Season 2

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Science fiction, Star Trek

Number / Name	Why I liked it
028 / 2:1 Shockwave, part II	Torture. Breaking out of prison.
027 / 2:2 Carbon creek	First first contact. A relative in the 1950s. A Vulcan playing pool! Humor. Prime directive. Making a home in a strange place.
029 / 2:3 Minefield	Nervous. A serious attack. Detonating a bomb. Wounded - but keeps on fighting. Ready to die? A daring plan. What relationship should a captain and his crew have?
031 / 2:4 Dead stop	Powerless, asking for help. Adapting. Perfect service. Perfect repair. For a bargain. Or - not so perfect. A dead crewmember. A kidnapping. "Tommyknockers"-like computer. "2001"-like station.
030 / 2:5 A night in sickbay	Taboo. Diplomacy. A sick crew-pet. Sexual tension. Apology.
032 / 2:6 Marauders	Helping people, who don't want help. A female, Vulcan Rambo. Giving people the spirit again.
033 / 2:7 The seventh	Repressed memory. Trust.
034 / 2:8 The communicator	Possible contamination of a culture. Die to prevent it. Crude torture. Aliens! Invisibility.
035 / 2:9 Singularity	Irritation. Obsession. Violence. Epidemic.
036 / 2:10 Vanishing point	Fear. And nobody takes it seriously. I am changed. I lose abilities. I am invisible, and not quite here. I am dead?
037 / 2:11 Precious cargo	A mystery. A prisoner? kidnapping. Royalty. Good cop, bad cop. Romance.
038 / 2:12 The catwalk	Taking cover while a storm is passing. Cramped quarters. People "on the surface". Pirates. Refugees. Followed. Sabotage.
039 / 2:13 Dawn	Enemy mine? Enemies having to work together to survive.
040 / 2:14 Stigma	A lethal disease. Connected with telepathy. Contracted suspiciously, "taboo" like AIDS. Actually contracted through rape, but still stigmatized. Career threat. How to fight the prejudice. Sexually casual.
041 / 2:15 Cease fire	War. Contended area. Resettlement. Israel? An outside negotiator.
042 / 2:16 Future tense	A magical, mysterious ship. From the future? Fun with time.
043 / 2:17 Canamar	A prison break. If our crew were smugglers. Innocents imprisoned.
044 / 2:18 The crossing	An awesome, powerful stranger. Hallucination. Out of body experience. Possession. Beings of pure energy. The freedom to choose.
045 / 2:19 Judgment	Trial, mystery. Move towards general justice. "Not all Klingons are warriors." Happy to hear it.
046 / 2:20 Horizon	Fun with zero gravity. Visiting the family. Living rough. Meeting resistance. Brothers fighting, but eventually agreeing. Family or career? A father dies. A new leader.
047 / 2:21 The breach	A poor tribble! A patient's right to say no to treatment. Prejudice. Hatred. And an attempt to fight it. What kind of example are we setting for the children?
048 / 2:22 Cogenitor	A peaceful meeting with a new species. A different way to reproduce. Slavery? Is it interference to change it?
049 / 2:23 Regeneration	Aliens visited Earth a long time ago. And we know who they were... Friends transforming into enemies.
050 / 2:24 First flight	Test-pilots. Boldness or caution required? Preparations for captainhood. The close past. Foundation of a friendship. Friendship.
051 / 2:25 Bounty	Catching people for a reward, not caring whether they are actually criminals. - The prisoner helping the guard. A "no inhibitions" virus.
052 / 2:26 The Expanse	Terrorism against Earth / a preemptive strike. A sister in danger. The result: anger and hatred. 9/11 overtones. And a search for a giant weapon. Fun with time. A shrink. A difficult career choice.

Star Trek

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Events, Imagicon2, Science fiction, Star Trek

I know a lot of good gossip. But as we have a tape recorder on, let me just say: George Takei is an honorable man: he comes on time, knows his lines, and welcomes guest actors. He is obliging, so the episode finishes on time and within budget. Yes, he is a joy, a God!

David Lally

I imagine you can't go to big SF-con like Imagicon 2, wihtout Stat Trek being mentioned here and there and everythere. That's what happened this time anyway. So let me give you a few quotes.

Classically a story needs a conflict. As the federation is perfect, Enterprise has to travel to some other, non-perfect place, and find some fools to have a conflict with.

Hard SF is to have a certain relationship to science. Technobabble isn't enough, therefore ST isn't hard SF.

What if you've never seen SF on TV before? Where to begin? Star Trek! In part because this series inspired so many others, in part because it's not so complicated.

(Karolina Bj�llerstedt Mickos brought some toys along.)

Bald heroes

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Science fiction, Star Trek

I am risking repeating myself, but: There's just not enough stories with Kirk and Spock! And the same can be said for other characters from Star Trek, like Picard. But this is being remedied, in the short story "Den skaldede fris�r" ("The bald hairdresser"), in Novum no. 95.

Climate heroes

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Science fiction, Star Trek

There's just not enough stories with Kirk and Spock! And the same could be said for other heroes, like Frodo. But this situation is now remedies, in the short story Alle helte forener Eder (All heroes join together).

When Spock met Uhura

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Me, Movies, Star Trek

GoAnimate.com: When Spock met Uhura

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

The animated Mary Sue story

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Me, Movies, Star Trek

GoAnimate.com: Mary Sue

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Voyager, Season 7

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Science fiction, Star Trek

Number / Name	Why I liked it
247 / 7:1 Unimatrix zero, part II	A daring plan. Romance.
248 / 7:2 Imperfection	Extreme methods to help a sick friend. Very sick. Dying. A donor. Independence, interdependence. Compassion, willingness to sacrifice.
249 / 7:3 Drive	A race. A friendly fight replacing a long war. Sabotage of the race, and the peace. Romance. Miscommunication. Proposal. Wedding.
251 / 7:4 Repression	Paranoia. The policeman is also the criminal. Split personality? A sleeping agent, triggered by a message. Brainwashed - but if course it won't stick. Unwilling to end the war.
250 / 7:5 Critical care	Can a doctor choose not to heal? How to prioritize healing. Ethics. Is it okay to hurt someone in order to help others?
252 / 7:6 Inside man	A fast way home? No. A trick. "Business" espionage.
255 / 7:7 Body and soul	Paranoia. Racism. Fighting against oppression. One soul possessing another body. Male/female. Numb/feeling. Sexual urge. The rights of artificial persons.
256 / 7:8 Nightingale	Breaking PD and interfering. The ensign as acting captain. Making errors, learning. Romance?
253 / 7:9 Flesh and blood, part I	Fighting for the rights of artificial life. Same race, same cause? Yes... Interesting.
254 / 7:10 Flesh and blood, part II	Personal development is hard, but necessary. Religious icons. Wanting to free a whole race, in any way possible. Can everybody be freed? Revenge doesn't work. Willing to lose freedom because of abused freedom.
257 / 7:11 Shattered	One ship, but different areas exist in different times. Only few persons can cross over. Primarily the captain of then gets to her future. Will she change the past? Having to win the confidence of a lot of "strangers". Or in some cases, getting surprising loyalty from "strangers". Seeing a friend die.
258 / 7:12 Lineage	Pregnancy. Surprise. Worrying. "Will my problems in childhood carry over?" Obsessing. How to fight racism. Flashback. A lot of different moods shown with a walk down the same corridor - nice. "Will I have the same problems in marriage as my mother?" Good one.
259/ 7:13 Repentance	Death penalty, death row. An innocent prisoner? Prejudice? Letting the victims decide the punishment. If a person repents, and truly changes - does responsibility and punishment still apply? Courage. Forgiveness. Grief.
260 / 7:14 Prophecy	People who believe the war is still being fought. Wise men seeking out the unborn Messiah? Do the parents believe? Do the believers? It is hard to interpret prophecy. A duel. Sex. Humor. A deadly disease.
261 / 7:15 The void	A trap. A lot of trapped. Turn thief? Or share, and cooperate? First give, then receive? A first contact. A new language. Prejudice/tolerance. Music.
262 / 7:16 Workforce, part I	If our crew were workers in an industrial world. In a society lacking workers. Amnesia / false memories. Can love be erased? A captain with less responsibility. Room for romance, relationship... Everybody gets to show other sides of their personality. Multiracial. Abandon ship! A few persons trying to repair a whole ship. Single mother.
263 / 7:17 Workforce, part II	A wounded man comes to your door. What do you do? It's dangerous to ask questions. They will be happier without their memories. A painful goodbye.
264 / 7:18 Human error	Dating. Emotions. Fantasy-life. Imperfections. Mistakes.
265 / 7:19 Q2	Education. A child omnipotent being, slated to be savior. And a worried father. Captain = mother. Consequences. Friendship.
266 / 7:20 Author, author	Real time communication after years without. Author, about to be published. Is it okay to write fiction close to reality? And then lie at crucial points? Bigotry, perceived and real. The rights of other lifeforms. Everybody, slightly different. Turning the tables. Really good!
267 / 7:21 Friendship one	The intention was friendship, the result... Prime directive. Prejudice. Mistaking stupidity for hostility, and help for attack.
268 / 7:22 Natural law	Prime directive. Beauty. Communication.
269 / 7:23 Homestead	Suddenly finding "family", far away from home. Stay with these people - or with the old, adopted family? A weird kind of friendship (Neelix and Tuvok). Fight? Run away? Risk death? A goodbye. Touching.
270 / 7:24 Renaissance man	Music. A mystery. The captain behaves oddly. Impersonations. Very neat hologram-tricks. Following orders or not? A dramatic goodbye. He he. Socialising.
271 / 7:25 Endgame, part I	A look at a possible future. Bitterness, over illness and death. "33 years to come up with Joe?" Saying goodbye. A birth. A responsible father. A date. Between people, who actually know each other. A shortcut home?
272 / 7:26 Endgame, part II	Trying to change the past, into something better. A future self. More cynical. And not as trusting - even towards a past self! Less idealistic, more of a survivor. A growing romance. In a world where partners might suddenly die. Very impressive armor! Looks so good when it builds up. Choosing life and cowardice - or possible death, and a bold strike in an old war? A chance to take an old choice, and choose again... An intelligent plan. Finally home!

Cory Doctorow and Star Trek, again

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Cory Doctorow, Star Trek

A Star Trek example more from Cory Doctorow.

The Progressive Apocalypse and Other Futurismic Delights
SF films and TV are great fonts of futurismic imagery: R2D2 is a fully conscious AI, can hack the firewall of the Death Star, and is equipped with a range of holographic projectors and antipersonnel devices � but no one has installed a $15 sound card and some text-to-speech software on him, so he has to whistle like Harpo Marx. Or take the Starship Enterprise, with a transporter capable of constituting matter from digitally stored plans, and radios that can breach the speed of light.
The non-futurismic version of NCC-1701 would be the size of a softball (or whatever the minimum size for a warp drive, transporter, and subspace radio would be). It would zip around the galaxy at FTL speeds under remote control. When it reached an interesting planet, it would beam a stored copy of a landing party onto the surface, and when their mission was over, it would beam them back into storage, annihilating their physical selves until they reached the next stopping point. If a member of the landing party were eaten by a green-skinned interspatial hippie or giant toga-wearing galactic tyrant, that member would be recovered from backup by the transporter beam. Hell, the entire landing party could consist of multiple copies of the most effective crewmember onboard: no redshirts, just a half-dozen instances of Kirk operating in clonal harmony.
...
The future is gnarlier than futurism. NCC-1701 probably wouldn�t send out transporter-equipped drones � instead, it would likely find itself on missions whose ethos, mores, and rationale are largely incomprehensible to us, and so obvious to its crew that they couldn�t hope to explain them.

Cory Doctorow uses Star Trek as example

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Cory Doctorow, Star Trek

Turns out Seth Godin is not the only one using excellent Star Trek examples.

How To Keep Hostile Jerks From Taking Over Your Online Community - Cory Doctorow
If you're part of a nice little community of hamster-fanciers, Trekkers, or Volkswagen enthusiasts, it's easy to slip into a kind of camaraderie, a social setting in which everyone talks about life, aspirations, family problems, personal triumphs. In some ways, it doesn't matter what brought you together -- the fact that you're together is what matters.
Then, almost without warning, your community goes toxic. Someone in your group undergoes a radical personality shift and begins picking fights, or someone new comes to the party with an agenda. Or, worst of all: Your little clubhouse achieves some small measure of fame and is overrun by newcomers who don't know that Liza is a little bit touchy on the subject of hamster balls, or that old Fred gets into a froth anytime someone asks about retrofitting a bud vase into a vintage Beetle, or that everyone here actually kind of knows Wil Wheaton from reading his blog and he's a total mensch, so jokes about shoving Wesley out the airlock are frowned upon.

Seth Godin uses Star Trek as example

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Seth Godin, Star Trek

For a while now, I've been reading Seth Godins blog, and I've actually read the backlog (back-blog?) as well. Good stuff. And some of what I liked were the Star Trek examples:

Seamless
Wear clothes without seams and you look like you're on Star Trek.
Seams make it possible to get a grip.
The goal, it seems to me, is not to create things that are seamless. It's to put the seams in places where they are actually useful.

Q. How do I license this great idea?
Second, there's the problem of what it's worth. What is the basic idea behind Star Trek or Mission: Impossible worth? Would a different two-paragraph treatment really have made the difference between success or failure? The producers of those shows would tell you it was the 10,000 little things that happened after the original idea that made the difference between success and failure.

"I don't feel like playing tonight"
Reading an auction catalog tonight, I just discovered that Gene Roddenberry designed the phaser to be a profitable children's toy first, a Star Trek prop second. And the only reason the Klingons had a ship is that the Enterprise model kit sold so well... They even let the model company, AMT, build the prop so that they could be sure the model sold in stores would be the same. Does that make you think anything less of Roddenberry's universe?

...in the middle, Starting
Blog writing is different than almost any other sort of exposition. Some people have been with you for years. They understand your conventions, your shorthands and your biases. They know you've written a few books, appeared as a child actor in Star Trek or have a deep and abiding hatred for cats. You can drop a few hints and they get it.
The rest of your readers are left clueless.

Las Vegas / Los Angeles 2007

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Arizona, Events, Grand Canyon, Greyhound, Jay Leno, Jet lag, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Me, Medieval Times, Pacific Ocean, Paramount, Pictures, Science fiction, Star Trek, Vacation

This trip (late April 2007) fell in 2 parts. First I went to Las Vegas - where everything is big! Unfortunately my suitcase went AWOL. But other than that, I spent some time just settling in - like successfully fighting jet lag. When I was ready - I had the best day on this trip, at Star Trek The Experience. And then I finally took a Greyhound out of town.

To Los Angeles. Where I did all sorts of fun stuff: a tour of Paramount Studios, being audience at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, dipping my toes in The Pacific Ocean, and going back to Medieval Times.

Oh yeah. And I saw Grand Canyon.

Big

Man - everything here is humongous! The line to the caps at Las Vegas Airpost (see below) is 300 m long. My room at the hotel is larger than my apartment at home! The standard breakfast takes up most up the table, and the 2 pancakes are a meal in themselves. Oh yeah - and the casinos and neon signs take up some space as well...

Suitcase

I went from Copenhagen, to Amsterdam, to Minneapolis, to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, in Minneapolis, my suitcase was not there. When I finally arrived in Las Vegas, and could file a claim, apparently the suitcase was still in Copenhagen! Much later I heard, it had been to London in those 24 hours. What fun! I was finally reunited with my suitcase - 3 weeks later, when I was back home. At that point, my suitcase had failed to turn up in Washington on time, and went through Amsterdam when it was found again.

It was weird not having my suitcase. I learned a lot about how airlines work. I also experienced an odd sense of freedom. And yes, some of the time I was worried and angry, and dreaded having to buy everything again.

And now I've tried it, here's some advice - if it should ever happen to you.

Read the fine print about what you're not supposed to put in your suitcase. I put the recharger for my camera in there, a $100 item, but couldn't get any refund for that, because the fine print said I shouldn't have done that.
Is it essential, irreplaceable stuff? Don't put it in your suitcase. My reason for this whole trip was to go to a conference, and it took some of the joy out of it, not to have the material, I packed for that conference.
Put a travel itenerary in your suitcase, your name and stuff like that. If your bag is lost, it "knows" where it should've been, right away.
Ask! Ask when and where you should make your claim. Ask if you should make more than one claim. Ask for written down instructions. At one point, I had 2 different informations about the size of the refund I could get. At another point I discovered, that I should make an extra claim 5 days after the original claim, and include copies of documents (like the original plane ticket), I maybe didn't have anymore!
Look at the bright side of life! You get to buy new clothes. You don't have a huge suitcase to haul around. I also got a kick out of the idea, that my suitcase was grown up, and should see a little of the world on its own.

Jet lag

This time I tried using the Jet Lag advisor. Basically it tells you when you should seek out / avoid light. If you follow this advice, the jet lag will be less severe, and over faster. I followed the advice, both going out and back, and even though I didn't follow it to the letter, it worked. Highly recommended.

Star Trek The Experience

Once I knew, I was going to Los Angeles, and figured out the distances etc., I just knew I had to go to Las Vegas, Hilton, Star Trek The Experience. It ended up being one of the best days of my life. Being a trekkie, and sourrounded by things trek, is the ultimate experience. No, I can't participate in the show. (Do I want that? Or do I want to live in the world of the show, for real? I'm not sure.) But this is very, very close.

Before I went, I couldn't figure out how it worked. So here's a small review / howto / whatever, for the next virgin.

What are the choices?

There are 2 basic rides, one about Klingons and one about Borg. You can buy one, both, or even unlimited access to both for a whole day. This is the core of the exhibition. This is where you're invited into the universe, via actors, sets, and simulators using as many senses as possible.
There's also a museum. My impression is, that if you buy anything at all, you can wander the museum at will. The museum has costumes and props from the different series and movies. Also, when you go to stand in line for a ride, you go through the museum. But there's stuff almost anywhere.
There's a tour behind the scenes of ST:EXP. I recommend you do this tour after you try the rides. I didn't, and I was a little sad, that some of the surprises had been spoiled.
You can have your picture taken, on the Enterprise bridge, and in a Borg regeneration chamber. You also get to walk around in these sets, but you can't take your own pictures in there. Default you get this picture on paper. If you want a special version of the picture (like, not on paper, but on CD), inquire as early as possible, whether this is possible. Otherwise, you can always get the special version after you get home.
And then you can buy merchandise, and food, and merchandise, and drinks, and merchandise, and...
If you spend any time at all at the exhibition, you will run into one or more "characters". When I was there, there was a Klingon, a Ferengi and a Vulcan. They are very willing to talk to you. In fact, I recommend, that you work out in advance, what you would say if you met e.g. a Klingon.

Learn what you can about opening hours and prices, before you leave home. It's a bit confusing, once you're there. I bought a package, but didn't really know, whether I saved any money. Also, I guessed at the opening hours, and wasn't even really sure, it was open that particular day!
Plan on walking a lot. You walk when you see the museum, do the rides, and go behind the scenes. I had to leave when I did (after 6 hours), because my legs hurt too much. And I even cheated a little, by sitting down when I was standing in line for a ride.
Go on a day, when there won't be a lot of people, and go there early. I went on a random Monday in April, and arrived half an hour after they opened at 11 AM. I didn't have to stand in line very long anywhere. I ended up leaving when the evening rush started.

Me and a dead Gorn

Me and a live Ferengi

Greyhound

Maybe it sounds odd. But I am a bit fascinated by everything American. Especially the stuff we don't have in Denmark. Are McDonalds burgers really the same over there? And exactly what is a Twinkie? I now know the answer to both questions.

This time I got to try a Greyhound bus. Not very glamoruos, it turned out. And apparently, the schedule was only a guide, not something you could rely on. But now I can say I've tried it.

And we drove...

... from Las Vegas...

... to Los Angeles...

... with everything looking like this...

... when suddenly - color!

Paramount

My stay in the Los Angeles area wasn't as planned as my stay in the Las Vegas area. But there was one thing, I knew: I wanted to see Paramount, home of the Star Trek franchise, if it was possible. And as they have daily tours, it was indeed possible. And even on short notice: I ended up going on a tour 20 minutes after I arrived at the gate (a combination of being late for a earlier tour, and dumb luck).

So what did I see? Apart from some cool stuff (sets going up and going down, props, backlots, and part of the taping of a show), I saw a few Star Trek related items - yes, they know what people want to see. So there were some pictures, prominently displayed, and by chance the water tank (The Voyage Home) was open, because of some other movie. We also saw some of the original Desilu Studios.

Jay Leno

Almost on a whim, I got a ticket for the show. I know of Jay Leno, even though I don't watch him that often - in fact, I'm not sure you can watch him in Denmark at the moment. But other than that, it was just fun to see the show being taped, and participating a little.

I've been audience to a show before, but this was different. They really want the audience boiling, so they do everything to get us hyped, and then do everything to keep us there. I was surprised by the fact, that the show started, almost without me noticing. I was also surprised by the level of activity during the commercial breaks. In fact, they only stopped once, and that was because an animal had gotten away, and had to be tracked down, and they needed silence to do that. It was a very satisfying evening, and I might do it again, if it fits with my other plans.

The Pacific

Some nice people suggested we go all the way out to the Ocean. And once there, I insisted that I dip my toes - otherwise it wouldn't count. So now I can say I've seen (and felt) the Pacific.

Medieval times

No plans, and one more day to kill before going home. And the one thing I wanted to do was: go to a fake castle, and watch a fake tournament! Not the thing to do, when you've already seen real castles in England and Ireland, and had the chance to visit slightly more authentic tournaments there. But the thing is, I didn't go. And this time, I had the time and the inclination. It sounded like fun. So why not?

And then it just ended up being a very good evening. It was an odd mix of food, drink, music, horse show, bird show, acting, a fake tournament, souvenirs, get-your-picture-taken-with-the-king etc. And maybe it wasn't as authentic and respectful as it could've been. But it was fun!

Why I love Star Trek

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Science fiction, Star Trek

With most episodes of ST, there is at least one reason why I like that episode. Some plot point I like. Something just plainly exciting. Some moral - that I may or may not agree with. Some untraditional meeting or setting. Or in short: I can answer the question: why am I happy I saw that particular episode? For me, this is part of the reason I can say, I am happy I have seen so many episodes.

Following this post will be lists of episodes. First the PCode, then a combination of season:episode, according to air date. You can find them under Star Trek.

Quotes

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Mike Oldfield, Movies, Music, Olivia Newton-John, Quotes, Science fiction, Star Trek

I include a quote in my signature, changing once every week. And I try to choose quotes, that tells you something about me: my hobbies, my beliefs and so on. If you don't want to wait and send me a letter every week, just to see a new quote, you can cheat and look here. Quotes in italics are now retired.

Music

Olivia Newton-John

And if I close my eyes to the wild silent ruin, then I'm just like everyone else.: -- Olivia Newton-John, Gaia
I can sing one song - you can sing another, doesn't mean I'm wrong, don't let anything get in the way of love.: -- Olivia Newton-John, Gaia

Mike Oldfield

So if you feel a little glum, to Hergest Ridge you should come. In summer winter rain or sun, it's good to be on horseback.: -- Mike Oldfield, "On Horseback"

Others

Angels we have heard on High Tell us to go out and Buy.: -- Tom Lehrer
All you need is love: -- Beatles

Books

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.: -- D.Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
The large yellow ships hung in the sky in exactly the same way that bricks don't.: -- D.Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
Duleek: Sudden realisation, as you lie in bed waiting for the alarm to go off, that it should have gone off an hour ago.: -- Douglas Adams, "The Meaning of Liff"

Terry Pratchett

The light was misty and actinic, the sort of light to make Steven Spielberg reach for his copyright lawyer.: -- Terry Pratchett, "Equal Rites"
Time passed, which, basically, is its job.: -- Terry Pratchett, "Equal Rites"
What time�s sunset around here? We normally manage to fit it in between night and day: -- Terry Pratchett, "Mort"

Isaac Asimov

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent: -- Isaac Asimov, "Foundation"
I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them.: -- Isaac Asimov
The most exciting phrase in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka" (I found it!) but "That's funny...": -- Isaac Asimov

Stephen King

It's a long walk back to Eden, dear, so don't sweat the small stuff.: -- Stephen King, Insomnia
When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "one word at a time.": -- Stephen King

Other science fiction writers

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.: -- Arthur C. Clarke
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy ?: -- Ursula K. LeGuin

Movies

Star Trek

Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.: -- Kirk, "Star Trek"
Live long ... and prosper.: -- Spock, "Star Trek"
In any case, were I to invoke logic, logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.: -- Spock, "Star Trek"
(When asked why he saved Spocks life) Because the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.: -- Kirk, "Star Trek"

Star Wars

Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.: -- Yoda, Star Wars V

Red dwarf

No Silicon Heaven? Preposterous! Where would all the calculators go?: -- Kryten, "Red Dwarf"
Given that God is infinite, and that the Universe is also infinite, would you like a toasted tea cake?: -- Talkie Toaster, "Red Dwarf"

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Always look on the bright side of life: -- Monty Python, Life of Brian
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space, Because there's bugger all down here on Earth.: -- Monty Python

When Harry met Sally

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.: -- Harry Burns, "When Harry met Sally"

Shadowlands

We can't have the happiness of yesterday without the pain of today. That's the deal.: -- Joy Gresham, "Shadowlands"

Simpsons

The truth is not out there: -- Bart Simpson writing on the black board
I will not use abbrev.: -- Bart Simpson writing on the black board
I will finish what I sta: -- Bart Simpson writing on the black board
When you love somebody, you have to have faith that in the end, they will do the right thing.: -- Marge Simpson to Lisa

Other movies

Well, Miss Vale; ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? I always ask that of all my prey. I just kinda like the sound of it!: -- The Joker
If you want something very badly, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with.: -- Diana, "Indecent Proposal"
That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.: -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Other stuff

Greenpeace

Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realise that we cannot eat money.: -- 19th Century Cree Indian

The holy bible

... thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ...: -- Leviticus 19:18
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is plantd;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace: -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Other sources

On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.: -- George Orwell
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.: -- Anonymous
Happiness: The full use of your powers along lines of excellence.: -- John F. Kennedy
Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it.: -- Donald Knuth
Shift to the left, shift to the right, pop up, push down, byte, byte, byte!
If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.: -- Isaac Newton
In the sciences, we are now uniquely privileged to sit side by side with the giants on whose shoulders we stand.: -- Gerald Holton
If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders.: -- Hal Abelson
In computer science, we stand on each other's feet.: -- Brian K. Reid
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.: -- Indian proverb
Trust in Allah, but tie your camel.: --Old Muslim Proverb
Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.: -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing were a miracle, The other is as though everything is.: -- Albert Einstein
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.: -- Albert Einstein
Imagination is more important than knowledge.: -- Albert Einstein
To work is good as long as we remember to live!: -- Anonymous
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.: -- Galileo
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.: -- Malcolm S. Forbes
It has been said "it is not by amusing oneself that one learns," and, in reply: "it is *only* by amusing oneself that one can learn.": -- Edward Kasner and James R. Newman
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.: -- Teilhard de Chardin
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.: -- Attributed to Benjamin Franklin
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ... --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...: -- Declaration of independence, Thomas Jefferson