Kapact's Sci Fi Buzz: Klingon Opera and Real Tractor Beams

Star Trek Online’s second season continues to add content that is making the troubled MMO more acceptable to players. The current feature episode involves the Breen, who were a powerful Dominion ally during the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine television series. The Breen have been attacking a neutral species, The Deferi, in search of ancient technology that is found throughout Deferi settlements. It’s up to you and your crew to determine what the Breen are after and how to protect the Deferi people from this new threat. While this episode is available for Federation and Klingon players, the content imbalance in favor of Federation players is still ongoing.

Damon Lindelof, co-writer of the Star Trek sequel is very tight-lipped, but says that the film will be deeper than the original.


Klingon opera has completed its glorious run in the Netherlands. Entitled – u -, which translates roughly to "universe" or "universal", the opera was the first ever Earth-based Klingon production. The orchestra featured "indigenous Klingon instruments", some making their debut on this planet. The opera's website gives potential attendees a breakdown of what the production will sound like: "Klingon opera uses the principle of musical combat. Beauty in Klingon music comes from the impact of two opposing forces. To quote a well known Klingon proverb qa' wIje 'meH masuv or 'we fight to enrich the spirit.'" The project took three years to complete and will be playing at the Zeebelt Theatre in the Hague from September 9th to the 11th. It was directed by the Klingon Terran Research Ensemble

“By Any Other Name: An Evening of Shakespeare in Klingon” featuring George Takei takes place at 8 p.m. on September 25th, 2010, at the Rosslyn Spectrum in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to scenes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Much Ado About Nothing (with a same sex couple performing as Beatrice and Benedick), the performance includes an introduction by Marc Okrand (creator of the Klingon Language) and a question and answer session with George Takei, Okrand, and Washington Shakespeare Company (WSC)’s artistic director Christopher Henley at the conclusion of the show.

From “TrekToday”, Terra Nova, the Stephen Spielberg prehistoric dinosaur drama, has undergone an executive producer change. David Fury (24, Lost) is leaving the series, due to “creative differences.” According to a source, Fury was “beloved by the producers on the show, but it just didn’t work out.” Fury’s departure leaves Brannon Braga (Star Trek: The Next Enterprise, Voyager, Enterprise) as the sole writing executive producer for the series. Steven Spielberg and Peter Chernin are the show’s other executive producers.

Terra Nova will “follow a family from one hundred years in the future who travel back in time one hundred and fifty million years to prehistoric Earth ruled by dinosaurs.” Jason O’Mara will be playing Jim Shannon, the head of a family who has traveled back in time to these prehistoric times. Stephen Lang (Avatar) is in talks for the role of Frank Taylor, the “charismatic and ruthless leader” of the Terra Nova settlement.

Filming for the Terra Nova pilot will begin in Australia next month. The series is expected to launch in October 2011, with a preview to air in May of the same year. Fox has ordered thirteen episodes of the drama.

Researchers at the Australian National University have created a device that can move small particles multiple feet using only light. The device works by shining a hollow laser beam around tiny glass particles. The air surrounding the particle heats up, while the dark center of the beam stays cool. When the particle starts to drift out of the middle and into the bright laser beam, the force of heated air molecules bouncing around and hitting the particle's surface is enough to nudge it back to the center.

Star Trek Enterprise Retro-Spective "Silent Enemy"



Courtesy of the Drexfiles. No copyright infringement intended.

Silent Enemy is another very simple episode. After launching two subspace comm relays, Enterprise encounters a mysterious that refuses communications. This prompts Archer to turn the ship around and head for Jupiter Station to fully install Enterprise's phase cannons. Trip and Malcolm Reed decide to get the work done themselves quicker, which they manage to. While all of this going on, Hoshi is using the new subspace amplifier to contact Malcolm's friends and families to find out his favorite food for his upcoming birthday. The mysterious alien returns several times, scanning the ship and eventually boarding it to run invasive scans on two crewmen. They eventually get the phase cannons online and fight off the alien, and Hoshi learns that Malcolm likes pineapples. Everyone lives happily ever after, except for the aliens, who remain mysterious.

That is "Silent Enemy". It is cool, kind of creepy, and effectively shows the evolving state of the ship and crew at this still early phase of the show. I like the fact that they care about the crew enough to go to an effort to make him a special birthday meal. I also actually appreciated the fact that they hadn't installed the phase cannons, and that they channeled them through the impulse engines to increase power, in a precursor to TMP channeling phaser power through the warp drive. But there are also notable issues.

In TOS (approximately 100 years later), they didn't have real-time communications with Earth. Now they do. This is one of several instances where a technology is readily available on Enterprise but not on TOS. Sloppy, folks. 'Stealth' technology (cloaking even, later on in the series), Phase pistols before lasers. Romulans with warp drive. Some of that is excusable, most is not. This is not a condemnation of Enterprise, or of this episode. But it has its faults.

I liked the idea of these mysterious baddies, but I would have liked to have known who they were and what their agenda was. Was this episode a seed of sorts for a future episode that never happened? I like to think so. In the end, I can live with the faults of "Silent Enemy" and recommend it as a well done and creepy, if imperfect episode. It gets a definite but conditional thumbs up.
Next Up: "Dear Doctor"



Headlines From the Edge: "Jobs Defends New iPhone Without A Screen"

The new "i-WAS" is not the embarrassing failure that many claim it is, according to Apple chief Steve Jobs. "Anyone can look through a window," stated Jobs to a silent crowd. "Apple users are smarter than that. If you know what you have and know what the iWas can do, why do you need to see it?" And while nobody can say for sure that the latest gadget actually does anything (because the device's allegedly state of the art features have yet to be accessed), it is still the surprising hottest seller in a crowded e-marketplace.

Fantasy Trek Summary of Events Stardate 0910.14

Games in Play:


"DusaQ VeS"




DusaQ VeS is suffering the effects of an extended writer's block. Plain and simple, folks. It'll come back when it chooses to. One of the reasons to be glad there is no monthly fee, and no subscriber, for that matter :)



Head to Head Sector Assault



In the latest run, turns 1 through 11, the Federation Intrepid Fleet, has the advantage over Klingon forces in the form of a -1 random fleet disadvantage. This came about because the Intrepid Fleet started out in System 1 with a black hole accretion disc. While that means is that while they weren't able to build a shipyard, they also weren't required to. A single engagement to establish the system, and they were headed for open space and convoy hunting. There they easily took out a lightly defended Klingon convoy. In the meantime, the Klingon Kolikos Fleet had to slog it out in a nebula. They've built a shipyard and have begun to build a fleet. They're close to having their fleet (the Klingon Etlh Fleet) built, at which point they'll head for open space and try to level the playing field.



So, what is the Federation Intrepid Fleet? As mentioned previously, anyone playing Fantasy Trek now can join or create an RPG Fleet. The fleet will be named after the flagship, and will be a permanent fixture. Any damage sustained stays until its repaired. Ships 'destroyed' in combat will be assumed to be incapacitated and towed to a friendly port. The same ship that goes into combat will take part in stories. I may even adapt the Head to Head Sector Assault rules to allow for the multi-class fleets currently operating in Fifty Points (which we hope will return next week). Here are turns 1 through 11:



Turn 1)

(0810.21)

System 1:black hole accretion disc Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA Contact: 5 KCA's *lost toss: Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6 vs KCA 1-5. KCA 1-5 destroyed. Damage to FIF-FCA: Intrepid FIF-FCA1: damage 22/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage: 5/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage: 6/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage: 6/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage: 7/35. Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA departs for open space.



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA contact 6 FCA's *won toss Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6 vs FCA 1-6. FCA 1-6 destroyed. Klingons undamaged. System Secure.



Turn 2)

(0810.21)

Open Space (System 1-System 2) Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage 22/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage 5/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage 6/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage 6/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage 7/35) arrives, search for convoy turn 1 contact: Kfr1-5, KCA1 *won toss Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage 22/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage 5/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage 6/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage 6/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage 7/35 vs Kfr1-5, KCA1. Kfr1-5, KCA1 destroyed. No damage to Feds. Klingons Random Fleet at -1. Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage 22/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage 5/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage 6/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage 6/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage 7/35) departs for System 2



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) construct KSY1- 1/3 contact: 6 FCA's.*lost toss. Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6 vs FCA 1-6. FCA 1-6 destroyed. Klingons undamaged.



Turn 3)

(0810.24)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage 21/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage 4/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage 5/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage 5/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage 6/35) arrives. Contact: 5 KCA's *lost toss KCA1-5 vs Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage 21/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage 4/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage 5/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage 5/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage 6/35



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) construct KSY1- 2/3 contact: 1 FCA. FCA1 vs Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6. FCA1 destroyed. Klingons undamaged.



Turn 3)

(0810.26)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage 21/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage 4/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage 5/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage 5/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage 6/35) Repair all ships turn 1/2 contact: No contact



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) construct KSY1- 3/3 contact: No contact.



Turn 4)

(0810.26)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage 21/35 Valiant FIF-FCA2 damage 4/35 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 damage 5/35 Monitor FIF-FCA4 No Damage Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage 5/35 Merimac FIF-FCA6 damage 6/35) Repair all ships turn 2/2 contact: No contact.



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. KSY1- Construct etlh' EF-KCA1 1/3. Contact: 6 FCA's.*lost toss. FCA1-6 destroyed. KSY damage 32/35. Other Klingons undamaged.



Turn 5)

(0810.26)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) construct FSY1 Turn 1/3 Contact: 1 KCA. Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6 vs KCA1, KCA1 destroyed. Feds undamaged.



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. KSY1- Construct etlh' EF-KCA1 2/3. Contact: 6 FCA's.*lost toss. FCA1-6 destroyed. KSY damage 32/35. Other Klingons undamaged.



Turn 6)

(0810.26)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) construct FSY1 Turn 2/3 Contact: No contact



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. KSY1- Construct etlh' EF-KCA1 3/3. KLKF-KCA repair KSY1 Turn 1/2 Contact: 2 FCA's. Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6 vs FCA1,2. FCA1-2 destroyed. Klingons undamaged.



Turn 7)

(0810.26)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) construct FSY1 Turn 3/3 Contact: No contact



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. etlh' EF-KCA1 complete KSY1- Construct Km'bell EF-KCA2 1/3. KLKF-KCA repair KSY1 Turn 2/2 Contact: No contact



Turn 8)

(0810.27)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) on station. FSY1 complete Construct Constitution II FCF-FCA1 Turn 1/3 Contact: no contact



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. etlh' EF-KCA1 on station KSY1- Construct Km'bell EF-KCA2 2/3 Contact: no contact



Turn 9)

(0810.28)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) on station. FSY1 complete Construct Constitution II FCF-FCA1 Turn 2/3 Contact: 2 KCA's. KCA 1,2 vs Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6 FSY1. KCA 1,2 destroyed. No damage to Feds.



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. etlh' EF-KCA1 on station KSY1- Construct Km'bell EF-KCA2 3/3 Contact: No contact



Turn 10)

(0810.30)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) on station. FSY1 complete Construct Constitution II FCF-FCA1 Turn 3/3 Contact: 1 KCA's. KCA1 vs Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6 FSY1. KCA 1 destroyed. No damage to Feds.



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. etlh' EF-KCA1 Km'bell EF-KCA2 on station KSY1- Construct Amar EF-KCA3 1/3 Contact: No contact



Turn 11)

(0810.30)

System 2: Nebula Intrepid Fleet FIF FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) on station Constitution II FCF-FCA1 on station. FSY1- Construct Joseph Butler FCF-FCA2 Turn 1/3 Contact: No contact



System 5:nebula Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) on station. etlh' EF-KCA1 Km'bell EF-KCA2 on station KSY1- Construct Amar EF-KCA3 2/3 Contact: No contact



What Are Your Orders, Captain?



"Parallel Effect" (TMP Era) Solution



While enroute to an ion storm near the Sol System, Captain Morgan Bateson of the USS Bozeman encounters a ship, named UFS Challenger, that claims to have launched from Earth in the year 2152. According to Challenger's captain, they were on a mission to colonize a habitable planet in the 40 Eridanii A system when they suffered an attack by unidentified forces and become lost. They only request assistance in being set back on the proper heading, as the population on Earth is desperate for the mission to succeed. Checking all relevant archives, Captain Bateson finds no record of any such ship launching from Earth. However, scans of Challenger and her crew reveal that they are exactly they claim to be. Captain Bateson concludes that they must come from some parallel universe, but can determine no way of returning them. He also knows that the fragile Challenger would never survive the approaching ion storm. While he has no desire to interfere with Challenger's mission, he cannot find a way to return them, nor does he know what to do with them in his universe.



What Are Your Orders, Captain?



Captain Bateson decides that this represents a unique prime directive situation. The Challenger, while capable of faster-than-light travel, comes from a reality that is technologically inferior to the Federation. Whatever forces swept the strange ship into its circumstances could just as easily sweep it right back. So he sets them back on their course and advises them of a way to steer around the ion storm.



TNG Era



During the Dominion War, the Vorcha Class IKS DetaQ is on a mission to destroy a Cardassian troop ship that has been reported crossing into Klingon space. When you finally catch it, it is still in Klingon space, but only hours from crossing back into Cardassian territory. Upon approach, you note that it is in fact full of Klingons. There are no other allied ships in range, and the Cardassian ship's crew complement is more than twice that of the DetaQ, meaning that your chances of capturing the ship to liberate the prisoners are minimal. You could easily destroy it. but at the cost of more than a hundred captive and dishonored Klingons.



What Are Your Orders, Captain?



Post your solution in the YahooGroup or through the blogsite's 'comment' feature.



"Captain's Log"



Write a 100+ word log entry or story using the following phrase: "... more than a question of style..."



"I don't get it," Jim Kirk muttered angrily



Pike smiled wryly and began to step through the door. "You will." Then the door was closed and he was gone.



"I don't," Kirk glowered at the closed door. "I said I don't get it!"



"That makes two of us," Admiral Kirk added with a resigned grin. "That was Chris Pike?"



"Nobody calls him Chris. I don't think his parents even call him 'Chris'. That was Admiral Christopher Horatio Pike. Who the hell are you?"



"Call me Jim. I'm afraid I don't recognize your uniform. Who-?"



"James Tiberius Kirk. USS Enterprise. Starfleet. I suppose they didn't have uniforms this nice when you got your first command."



Admiral Kirk's eyes widened, but he covered it by smiling. "Oh, we had something like that, but the collars were hell, and the fabric didn't breath."



"Look, I don't understand where we are, or why we're here. And I really don't get why my uniform is so important to you."



Admiral Kirk suddenly started to take in his surroundings. "Actually the uniform is the least important-"



"Then wha-" Jim Kirk stopped in mid sentence as he too took in his surroundings. "Where are we?"



"I've been here before, long ago, and strangely enough, on a planet lightyears away. It's a bar, called 'The Captain's Table'."



Jim Kirk picked a glass up off the bar and blew a thick coating of dust off of it. "Must be a pretty popular place." He started to open up cabinets and compartments. "Do they serve Budweiser classic in this place?"



Admiral Kirk moved behind the bar like he owned it, and pulled out a dusty bottle. "This is better. Saurian Brandy." He poured two drinks, handing one to Jim. "Cheers."



Jim Kirk drank it in one shot and grimaced. "How long has that been sitting there?"



Kirk lifted the curve-necked bottle and looked. "2265."



"Good trick," the younger one answered. "Last time I checked, it was 2263."



"This isn't your typical bar," Kirk said. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"



"How personal?"



"Personal. It's important." Kirk poured another shot of brandy. "About your father."



Jim Kirk threw the shot back. "If you have to. I don't know too much about him."



"Let me put it this way. How much are you your father's son?"



Jim looked away, his eyes moving along a wall that had several empty mounts where decorations must have been displayed. "Kind of hard to say, considering that he died about thirty seconds after I was born."



"Sorry. I could have put that better. What I meant to ask was, how has your life been shaped by him? By how he died?"



"It didn't help. I grew up with a stepfather that hated me, and a mother who spent more time off-planet than on."



Admiral Kirk looked at the younger Kirk, taking him in fully. He was different. Very different. And it was so much more than a question of style "Yet you've grown past all that."



"I didn't have much of a choice," Kirk answered. "And if it hadn't been for Pike..." His words trailed off. "Who are you? Where do I know you from?"



"I knew my father. He inspired me to do the things I've done. But where you've had Admiral Pike, I lost that mentor. I also lost a son."



Jim Kirk was suddenly uncomfortable with the older man's obvious pain. "Sorry to hear that."



"I've come to terms with it. It'll always be there, but you learn to live with it. But..."



"But what?"



Admiral Kirk answered by pouring a third drink. "Take this one a bit slower, Jim. Enjoy it." He raised the glass to the young man who was so much him, and so much someone completely different. "To missed opportunities."



For next week. write a 100+ word log entry including the phrase "... I shall do neither...". Post it in the yahoo group or on the blogsite's "comment" feature for a Command College Point.



Dev Notes:



You'd think, if you were just following these summaries, that Fantasy Trek was back in hibernatio. But in fact it isn't. It's been a matter of the work that goes into writing, more than anything else. RL and especially RL work has been tiring and distracting. But I notice that website traffic is healthy. Somebody from "London, City of" is a regular visitor. Columbia, South Carolina has been on more than once. Moscow and Las Vegas have also stopped in. Folks, please feel free to comment. I am eager to hear from you. If you want to play, there is a tutorial up, with more to come. And casual gaming is being introduced. Co-op play will also some day, somehow be a part of Fantasy Trek. If you don't get the point of it all, don't feel bad. Ask me. I want Fantasy Trek to be a game for people to enjoy. Role-Playing, writing, chatting.



As mentioned before, Role Playing Fleets are up and running. Start your own, follow others. Watch for a “Leader’s Board”. I am working on concepts for a card game, half poker, half collectible card game.



Follow Fantasy Trek at http://www.twitter.com/fantasy_trek

Kapact's Rant: "Burning Issue"

Pastor Terry Jones, like so many extremists, just doesn't get it, and he is likely to get a good talking to from God some day. As many people have said, just because you have a right to do something, that doesn't make it right. (Imam Rauf, you listening?) You don't make the world a better place by burning books. You don't do it by encouraging hate and ignorance. Read the book. Read the bible. Talk to the Lord about what you should be teaching your flock. Then apologize. You will be forgiven.

Kapact's Rant: "The Real Racist"

Dr Martin Luther King Jr spoke quite eloquently about the need for us to stop seeing and judging each other, not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character. I think he would be greatly disappointed that the Reverend Al Sharpton has claimed the 28th of August and the Lincoln Memorial, for 'us'. For 'our day'. How is it, Reverend, that your shouted words are not racism? How do you honor the memory of Dr King by closing off the date, the historic place, the celebration of that date and speech and the ideas of Dr King to all but you? The rally wasn't political, as reported even by the leftwing media. It wasn't racially motivated, as evidenced by the presence of Dr King's niece. For that matter, the Tea Party itself, which was a force behind the event, has many many African Americans. I'd say they are doing a better job handling (or tossing out) the race issue than you are. Be honest with yourself. When you are, you'll realize that the problem in this situation is in fact you. You are displaying racism and spreading hate. You are willing to ignore the spirit of a great man and his great work to satisfy your own agenda. At that point, maybe you'll see the light. If you are truly serving the Lord, that should be your only interest.


The dilemma of the Reverend Al Sharpton in fact reminds me of a very sad thing that happened to someone in my apartment complex. This man is an African American who, though he is obviously quite healthy and competent, manages to live his entire life on disability benefits. This has enabled him to life rent-free (the money is given to him), sit around all day long smoking pot, drinking beer, and barbecuing steaks. That is his life. Or rather, that was his life. He apparently could no longer stand the stress and strain of his difficult life, because a few days ago, he grabbed a knife and started running around, spouting the "N -word" more times that Dr Laura ever tried, looking for someone to kill. First off, wrong for me is wrong for you. Stop saying it or stop being offended by it. If you want to be treated with respect, you have to treat others with respect. And maybe, just maybe, despite everything that Big Brother... oh, excuse me, I mean Mr Obama says, you won't feel any sense of satisfaction or self respect without earning your keep. Eventually, 'empty' won't sustain you, and dependency will let you down. And Reverend Sharpton, eventually racism and lies will come home to roost.