Ah, thread resurrection…
SDA would be the religion. The prohibition against fiction is in Ellen White’s writings, but most of the schools conveniently ignore it in order to give the kids a reasonable education.
Wish they’d do the same with her “visions” of the earth’s creation.
SDA = Seventh-Day Adventist
see:
http://www.ellenwhite.org
I used to watch Star Trek religiously every day in college. [I’d already seen every episode a zillion times in syndication; it was on from 4-5 pm before my parents came home. (Not that they would’ve banned me from watching it.)]
My friends and I would watch it in the Student Center, reciting the lines almost always perfectly. We pissed off other who wanted to watch something else, because we’d obviously already seen the episodes. And I had an on-campus job that started at 5pm, so I’d ususally take off hurriedly after the last line.
I thought I’d enjoy seeing them again when they were being shown on Sci-Fi Channel. It was all I could do to keep from rolling my eyes endlessly. I think I’ve been spoiled by the better production, acting, etc, of TNG, DS9, and Voyager. I can’t even bring myself to watch episodes from the first 2 years of TNG; it was rather campy in itself.
Hmmm… Someone who recognizes the name “Bjo Trimble”, yet does not realize that the RUSSIAN did not join the series until the second season. Most illogical…
more info at http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/chekov.htm
I’ve been watching a few of my TOS tapes (yes I recorded them all, except for a few ridiculous third season episodes). I still find it quite enjoyable for the visual
effect of the colors (every frame evokes a time when just having color TV was a big deal, and something to be exploited to the max), and for the story concepts, which were very intriguing even if they were usually poorly worked up. Then again, until recently I hadn’t seen it for awhile so it’s not as stale as it otherwise would be.
I thought TNG was great although I had to overcome some TOS
/loyalist resistance to it. People kept telling me how great it was and I finally caved and watched it.
But after TNG I think something was lost. Especially the ‘Doctor’ on Voyager. For me, this character raises some serious issues, simply because if you can have a holographic
doctor (or is he an android?), then why not holographic everyone else? It seems like the ultimate triumph of Dr. Daystrom.
Yeah, the whole holodoctor thing kind of ticks me off, too.
I know that it spawns from the Moriarity splashes from TNG, but somehow, it just doesn’t seem “legal.” Hell, the hologram even spawnned some kids in one epsode.
When you go that far you endanger the ST universe, which began as a vehicle to view social situations in an abject way. Now, you can just reprogram the transporter to make someone into Superman.
I suppose it is just one more example of how all life eventually devolves to professional wrestling… Then again, Kirk started it.
As for “The Doctor” from Voyager, he was born out of necessity more than out of desire: When Voyager was transported half-way across the galaxy by the Caretaker(series premiere) when chasing a Maquis(group of rebels defying the Federation’s principles) ship into the Badlands(zone of continuous plasma(or ion?) storms), A lot of the crew wound up wounded and alot died. So was the fate of the Chief Medical Officier on board. On that day, the EMH(Emergency Medical Hologram) was activated for the first time on a real mission. Since the living doctor had died, “The Doctor” (that’s his name) took his role. At first, he was considered a mere tool, but as time passed, he became part of the crew as a full fledged officier, and was given more and more freedom. At the beginning, he was confined to Sick Bay because his Holo-Projectors weren’t strong enough to allow him to go farther. But the crew built other projectors around the ship to allow him to go to key places, such as the Bridge, Engineering, the Mess Hall, etc. At some point in the story line, he even gets access to technology from the 29th century that allows him to go anywhere, in the form of a portable device.
As to why isn’t everyone a hologram(especially security teams), it is because creating a hologram requires insane amounts of computing power and energy.(ever noticed that the Holodeck always gets shut down when the ship is under attack?) Holograms also need Holo-Projectors.
(now as to why there isn’t holo-projectors(projecting bullets, gun turrets, explosives, whatever) that act as defensive systems in case of a boarding, I suppose is to keep the power balance, to not make Voyager an un-boardable vessel…)
On an unrelated note, have you noticed that Star Trek:Voyager series is a lot like Ulysses’s Travels, in the sense that they are trying to get home, and have lots of adventures on the way…
Here’s a serious hijack:
Note to San Francisco Dopers: The Tadich Grill has a bartender who looks EXACTLY like the holographic doctor. Every time I go there, I can’t keep from staring at him. I wonder if the real holographic doctor makes as good an Irish coffee as the Tadich bartender does . . .
Sorry, back to TOS discussion.
One of the silliest, IMO, is “The Cloud Minders”. Besides the air-headed daughter of the Cloud City mayor, some of the dialog was just hilarious. Although, one of my favorite lines came when Kirk had Plasus and Vanna trapped with him in a mine. Plasus asks Kirk if he’s as brave armed with whatever they called the digging tools as with a phaser. “Both can kill!” Kirk claims as he throws away his phaser.
I used this line in college whenever someone asked me to make a choice. with the same maniacaly tone Kirk had. “A, you having a hot dog or hamburger for lunch?” “Both can kill!” :D:D
ROFL. That is hilarious.
Sam Stone-
It’s not often I openly laugh out loud reading this board. I smile and chuckle, sure, but I glady admidt that was one line I openly cracked up at. Got my good belly laugh for the day. Thanks.
Yes it is ! I was of the age to attend some of the great early Star Trek Conventions, in Philly. 1974-1975 era. In addition to fueling our imaginations, my friend Nate and I were also enamored of the visual style of that show. We used to play "Star Trek", using toy models, and making up stories. We were determined to grow up and make movies and t.v. shows just like it.
Funny what happens when you are so strongly influenced in those formative years. Nate is a camera operator in L.A. on movies, and I do the same in New York. Not only wish fulfillment, that show sparked a lot of imaginations and created a lot of drive. Yes, some of it was pap. But-Jerry Finnerman’s lighting and camera style is STILL emulated today.
CartooniverseAh yes, The Cloud Minders. I actually kinda like this one
but more for the laffs than for its serious content. In a way it’s too bad. I think the concept of a split society
(trogs and cloud dwellers, the men and women in “Spock’s Brain”) is an endlessly fascinating one, perhaps because it
seems to be the way we are heading in many respects. As noted, TOS dealt with this on several occasions, usually with less than stellar results.
I mentioned above that I loved the visual aspect of the show
even if the special effects are cheesy by today’s standards.
According my SO mid-sixties fashions are enjoying a revival.
I’ll see a picture in one of her magazines and it seems like
the bold colors are coming back. I think TOS made great use of that effect. Remember on ‘Journey to Babel’ how the
two gold-dust-faced midget aliens had these colored balls in their drinks?
It may be over now, but for a while I was seeing a lot of women wearing these tight, black, highwater pants with a slight flare in the leg that looked for all the world like Star Trek uniforms, especially if you complete the look with black boots and maybe a red sweater or something. It always made me laugh to see some fashion-conscious career woman on her way to lunch looking like a doomed ensign.