Trekkie Tuesday

Datalore- Season 1, Episode 12
The Enterprise visits the planet that Data is from. The planet is found to be dead, a wasteland with no life around. They discover a hidden building which turns out to be the lab where Data was brought to life. They also find another android in disassembled form.

Data wants the other android to be assembled and activated if possible. He says that it is important for him to find out if this other android can be activated or not. He hopes that in doing so he may learn more about himself. Data is also intrigued by the idea of having another android walking around.
Data has always been my favorite character on Next Gen. so I tend to be drawn to the episodes that are centered around him.

 In this episode, we find Lore, the other android, who appears to be like Data in most ways except that he is more adapt at certain human faculties, such as humor. Lore also seems to be more human in his mannerisms and speech patterns. It's off the basis of this that Lore projects he is the superior android. While Lore may be more human it is these very human qualities that corrupt him.

He feels he is superior to all humans and especially to Data. This seems to be the motivation for Lore to put the people on board the Enterprise in danger. Lore can communicate with a being known simply as the Crystal Entity.

This entity feeds off all forms of life and was led to the colonists on Data's home planet by Lore, who then destroyed them. It was Lore's intent that the Crystal Entity also feed off the Enterprise.
I found it interesting that they chose to use the qualities that Data wishes to cultivate more in himself as a springboard for ill intent in a "brother" android. Data's loyalty to the captain and crew members seems to be what tempers this revolt in Lore, though he ultimately gets destroyed. So superiority of self is pitted against loyalty to others and I would agree that the latter would be a good mark of a well adjusted human.
What are your thoughts about Lore?
Until we meet again, live long and prosper!

Writing: the First Time

This will be my first post about writing so I feel I should explain a little bit about why it will be a regular part of this blog. I have always been drawn to writing, both out of personal interest and artistically. My favorite character in Little Women is Jo March, the writer.

I have kept a personal journal for over 20 years and I even bought a few books on writing. Since I am such an avid reader it seems only natural that an interest in writing would follow. I've never fancied myself as a great writer but I do have my moments of true insight and have even shown a flare for satire. In these posts, I want to share not only samples of my writing but also my musings on the act of writing as well as quotes from beloved writers. The subject matter will include everything under the sun and will be non-fiction; I've never been very good at making up stories. I hope to open up a dialogue with your comments and criticisms and who knows what will happen from there.
The sample I'm going to share today is admittedly a little depressing but it's recent. Please don't think that I wallow in self pity because I don't. This is an excerpt from my journal and journals are meant to be places where you can dump your emotions, get a load off your chest and vent and rant to your heart's content. With that in mind, lets take a look at the workings of my brain pan.

At the very heart of my loneliness is my lack of purpose. I have never known what I am to do with my life. I have always felt like a directionless wanderer, picking up little bits here and there, being totally fascinated by everything but never being able to commit to one thing. The knowledge of the world holds great adventure for me. Unfortunately, one cannot live off the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.    

This is only the smallest of scratches on the surface of what will be presented here. I know that I sound terribly formal but I want to make sure that I am understood and then we can all relax with a nice cup of tea. And here is a quote from one of my most beloved modern authors:

Ache, the toppling over, the feeling that something vital is distinguishing,
 the stuck in muck feeling seeping at the edges. 
- Sabrina Ward Harrison
The True and the Questions

If you have not heard of this woman you need to check her out. Her work is beautiful, amazing and insightful. She is a true inspiration! Don't forget to share your thoughts below. Bye for now.

Trekkie Tuesday

"Loud as a Whisper"- Season 2, Episode 5
This is one of the more intellectually intriguing episodes. The Enterprise is acting as transport for a mediator for a civil war between two tribes. They are not to be engaged or involved in the social transactions in any way. Of course, this is exactly what happens, to an extent. The mediator, Riva, is def and uses a psychic link with 3 other individuals to communicate with the world.

 I find the idea of communication through others and psychic links really intriguing. I wonder how different our world would be if this was our main form of communication.
Each individual represents an emotional aspect of the mediator: there is intellect, passion and harmony. They are referred to as his Chorus. The 3 do not always accompany Riva wherever he goes. When Troi takes him to his quarters, the translator of passion is the only one who follows them. Sometimes, I think it would be nice to be able to segregate un-needed or unwanted parts of my emotions in a similar way. But I suppose that it's better that we humans are meant to deal with our emotions rather than run away from them.

 Riva's chorus end up getting killed during negotiations and he is forced to think of a different way to talk with the warring peoples.  Their deaths affect Riva more than he expected and he feels hopeless and no longer wants to mediate. Troi is able to convince him to use this disadvantage as an advantage.

Without his interpreters, both of the tribes are on level ground. Riva decides he will teach them sign language. While they are learning to communicate with Riva they will also be learning to communicate with each other. This will be the basis for peace to be made.
I found Riva's character to be especially interesting in this episode. His way of communication is as Troi put it, "elegant and beautiful." Such skill would take years to accomplish and would require great patience and perseverance. If we learned to communicate in this way would we have greater understanding of each other? Would there be less fighting and warring in the world? What do you think?
Thanks for hanging. Live long and prosper.

Colorful Abstract

This is a collection of all of my abstract marker and pen drawings that I have done over the years. For some of them I had definite creatures in mind while others were just free hand, mind wonderings of nothing in particular. This is usually the sort of work I do when I'm feeling creative and I really want to make something but I'm just not sure what I want to make. This is sort of how I get the jitters out and usually some really great ideas will follow after I've done one of these drawings.

If you've been to my other blog, www.itsallinthereflexs.blogspot.com, you may have seen these photos already. Sorry for any repeats. I hope to do some more of these in the future and maybe even have them in a gallery show. I'll keep you updated. If you have any questions about my artwork please feel free to ask. Bye for now.

Trekkie Tuesday

*I know this isn't being posted on a Tuesday but I'm a little behind on stuff so please bear with me.
"Ensign Ro"- Season 5, Episode 3 
Ensign Ro is assigned to the Enterprise following terrorist threats towards the Cardasians made by her people, the Bjoran. She is there as a means of creating peace and understanding which is ironic because most people don't seem to trust her at all. Ro has a criminal record and a bad reputation and she has been taken out of prison to serve on this mission, which greatly displeases Picard. I don't blame people for being suspicious of her; that's how I would feel.

 Ro senses the hostility that others have towards her and makes a point of being defensive in return. Of course Ginan, being the awesome person that she is, sees this as an opportunity for learning. Ginan has always been a lover of puzzles, especially when those puzzles are people. She makes a good point that if Ro really wanted to be alone she would be in her quarters. 10 Forward is a place to be around people. I agree that Ro doesn't really want to be alone but she doesn't want people to think that they are getting to her either so she puts up this defensive front for all to see. This is a technique I have used when I am upset but don't want to take responsibility for my actions. That's right Ro, I'm calling you out!

Anyways, it turns out that the Cardasians got Starfleet involved in this terrorist threat so they wouldn't have to deal with the Bjorans themselves. Hmmm, sound familiar Ensign Ro, not dealing with your issues and just being a surly poopy pants? Picard and Ro staged a scenario where they were sure that Bjoran lives would be at stake only they wouldn't actually place anyone in danger. The plan works and Picard learns for certain that there is conspiracy going on.
Through this daring act to uncover the truth, Ro earns a bit of trust and dignity. In the end, Picard wishes for Ro to remain in Starfleet as he sees great potential in her to be a good officer. Ro isn't so sure of this and they leave the matter unfinished in the episode. Not sure why they did that. I guess they had too much herp in their derp.

This is a story of redemption for Ensign Ro and the Bjorans as a whole. This act of conspiracy and plotting puts the treaty between the Federation and the Cardasians at risk. I'm sure this will come to bite everyone in the ass in a later episode. I look forward to it.
Unsurprisingly, the only person who never had a problem with Ro was Ginan. Sometimes all you need is one person to believe in you, to not give up on you. Then it can be easier to overcome your mistakes and shortcomings. I have often felt like a hopeless case but when that one person tells you that you can be whatever you want to be it helps you feel a little bit better. Another thing that always helps you feel better is Goldfish crackers in rainbow colors because EVERYTHING is better with a rainbow.
See ya next time! I don't know what episode I'm watching next, I'll figure it out. Live long and prosper!

Explorer Activity #2

Make a list of things you notice on your travels throughout the day. These can be simple, brief notes including location, date, time, etc. I have a couple of examples for you here but first, an inspirational quote:

Nov. 19/2013
Driving on Victoria Avenue East
- a young gentleman was trying to speed up to pass me before I came to pass a semi truck. alas, the poor fellow did not make it in time and had to wait a whole minute before he could race ahead.
- white sports car, two door.
- semi carrying heavy machinery, tarped and tied down, was driving in the left hand lane.
Time: early afternoon

Nov. 20/2013
Going for a little walk around town
- with frost on the windows I knew it would be chilly outside.
- sweater and jacket not quite enough to keep me warm.
- wind from the north was REALLY cold.
- the "open" sign to the grocery store had not been turned on yet.
Time: late morning, shortly before noon

This is almost like a form of jot note journal writing, just getting the bare bones of certain events. I could see using this tool as a starting point for short story writing. Paying attention to details can really help to flesh out a story. I'm not sure what I will do with this information, if anything. Right now, I'm just enjoying the exercise. What ideas does this conjure up for you?

Thor 2

Woot! My first blog movie review. In the past, I have tended to stay away from movie reviews particularly because many people feel REALLY passionate about the movies they love and are therefore quite protective of them. I totally understand this as it is something I also do. I wanted to avoid interweb riffs and so didn't bother voicing my opinion. Well, having a blog and NOT voicing your opinion would be very lame indeed so I'm throwing caution into the wind.
Please note that I enjoy lively conversation just as much as the next chap, so long as one can keep an open mind and does not resort to name calling. 
First things first, this is me wearing my winged head band that I made especially to wear to the movie. Since I did go to see it during premiere weekend it only seemed appropriate to let a little of my geek shine through. I got the idea from Anna at Glitzy Geek Girl. Check her blog out, she is so adorable.

 On with the movie! I was really excited to see this movie, to see the return of some of my favorite characters and the appearance of some new ones. I thought there was a good balance between action, drama and comedy. This second installment of the Thor story delves deeper into the characters and we learn more about their motivations. I like it when this happens because there is nothing more lame than when characters are kept flat and two dimensional for the sake of blow 'em up action.

 The love story between Thor and Jane continues and ends up in a place that I am not sure I like. I am being purposefully vague for those of you who have not seen it yet. I don't want to be accused of spoilers, everyone knows that's what River Song does. Anyways, the love story is intriguing but, like I said, not sure how I feel about where they left it. I question whether the decision that Thor makes is in keeping with his character. Perhaps more discussion is needed.

 So maybe I should just move on to the REAL reason I was so excited about seeing this movie, Loki. My love for this character, as well as Tom Hiddleston, is beyond measure and I know that I am not alone in this. Loki is the bad guy that everybody loves to love. I have yet to come across ANYONE who has something negative to say about Loki or that they don't like him. Tom Hiddleston has been asked why he thinks people are so drawn to Loki and he said something along the lines of Loki is a really lonely guy. His sorrow and anger comes from a place of deep loneliness, which is something we all feel from time to time. This in Loki is what we see in ourselves which is why we have a certain compassion and understanding for the things that he does and the choices he makes.

 I have always found the villains to be more interesting than the heroes and Loki is a character that I greatly identify with. Tom Hiddleston does such an amazing job with Loki, he is always a joy to watch precisely because he still manages to surprise us. His unpredictability makes him infinitely intriguing and he does not disappoint in this movie.
Speaking of awesome bad guys: Malikith! First off, I adore Christopher Eccelston. Most people didn't like his version of the Doctor but I thought he was brilliant. Anyway, he plays the dark elf Malikith and holy fuck! I said to my friend that I went to the movie with that it is so brilliant that you can tell that it is Christopher Eccelston, but it definitely is not him. His transformation is quite stunning; another bad guy that I wish I could get to know better. Like Loki, you have a way of identifying with Malikith, feeling sympathy for his situation. Listen to me, rooting for the bad guys. This is not to say that I don't want the heroes to win, I merely understand where the villains are coming from.

 I have this one last note about Loki that I have to include. In this scene, we get to see Loki at his most vulnerable. He is totally distraught and demoralized, I just wanted to give him a big hug and tell him that everything was going to be alright. This scene is so brilliant because it lays the foundation for what follows and keeps you wondering what Loki's true motivations are. Ah, this character is just too much awesome to be captured in one small paragraph. Hiddles, you are a genius and you need to come to Calgary Comic Con.

 All in all, the film was pretty awesome. My only real point of contention is the Thor/Jane love story but I think that all comes down to personal preference and how much of a traditionalist you are. I give this film 4/5 hammers because while it was great and thoroughly enjoyable, it didn't quite blow my mind.
What are your thoughts?  

Trekkie Tuesday

Data's Day- Season 4, Episode 11
Greetings and salutations! It's that time again, to put on your Starfleet uniforms and boldly go where no one has gone before. In this episode, we get to see a detailed account of Data studying human emotions. Each crew member presents a unique emotion that Data is still in the process of understanding. Things like friendly jibes and sarcasm are confusing for him and his attempts to demonstrate that he understands often results in humorous incidents. Data's lack of experience with emotion is often dismissed as easily as a child's lack of experience yet Data is a highly sophisticated piece of technology.  This presents an interesting dichotomy with which we can examine ourselves.  

 His lack of emotions makes him closest to the Vulcans and their highly developed sense of logic and repression of emotions. However, Data finds that even with this way of living that the Vulcans cherish, they are still limited in their understanding of other beings. This example is here to show that it is more than a simple matter of suppressed emotion that makes humans confusing. Ain't it the truth?!
Data sees a kindred spirit in Worf since they were both rescued and taken in by the Federation. He seeks out Worf's perspective for some understanding on why we humans do what we do but Worf is often just as puzzled by humans as Data despite the fact that he is an emotional being.

 Data becomes more relatable when he talks about negative and positive emotions. He finds typically negative emotions such as anger, hatred and revenge continuously perplexing while the need for love and friendship make total sense to him. I often wonder myself at why people feel the need to be hateful towards others while the need to be kind and compassionate seem only logical.

I find Data to be the great equalizer on the show. He is the philosopher who will always ask why to every little thing that he does not understand. In his asking, we are forced to step back and take a closer look at our own lives. He's almost like a zen koan in that he brings up interesting questions that don't really have an answer. It's what we learn on the path to answering these questions that matters and not the answer itself.
What are your feelings on the matter?
Join me next week for "Ensign Ro." Until we meet again. Live long and prosper.

Explore the World

I'm starting a new feature on this here blog called How to be an Explorer of the World. It's taken after the book of the same name by Keri Smith and will be sort of an online account of my journey through that book.

This neat little tome is full of fun exercises and activities to get you interacting differently with the world around you. I will be sharing my explorations with you and you are free to try these out yourself. I am going to be going through the book at a rate of one activity per week; this may vary a bit as we come up on the holiday season.
I see these kinds of books as a great way to get the creative juices flowing and it also gives you something to do when you're bored. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of the book if you wish to follow along. Join in and have fun! This weeks activity is to write down ten things about where are sitting RIGHT NOW that you hadn't noticed before. Here are my ten observations:
1. The edge of the counter top is rough in some spots.
2. There is a $9.90 sticker on the clear film dispenser.
3. I'm not actually sitting down.
4. The matting on the top shelf is different from the bottom shelf.
5. The coffee pot has an elephant on it.
6. The small film box is a lot dirtier than the big one.
7. There is a tennis ball beneath the counter.
8. The pyramid salt lamp does not sit flat.
9. There is a piece of plastic stuck to the chili jar.
10. There are plastic spoons in the glass recycle bin.
Not the most exciting, I know but this sort of exercise gets your brain looking at the little details and you start to notice things you would ordinarily miss. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

Star Trek: TNG

"Hollow Pursuits" Season 3, Episode 21
Reg Barclay is seen as a slacker, always late, never committing fully or giving his best. He takes the frustrations he feels about this out in scenarios on the Holodeck. There, he gets to be everything he wants to be; confident, attractive and self determined. The problem with this is that he is using images of crew members to enact these scenarios without their knowledge or consent. Now, I know that we all fantasize about our favorite movie stars which in essence is no different than what Barclay is doing on the Holodeck. But the fact that these are people he works with and sees on a daily basis changes the way we see things. Suddenly his fantasies become intrusive and make people uncomfortable. Why do you think this is?

 Moving on, I tend to identify with Barclay, particularly in regards to his social awkwardness and lack of communication skills. This makes him an easy target for ridicule, most notably from Wesley who gives him the nickname, Broccoli. While I can laugh at this sort of thing now I can still remember a time when it would not have been very funny at all.
In his Holodeck adventures, we see that Barclay is rather imaginative. He has a particular fondness for swashbuckling sword fights and dames in distress. (I just want to add a little aside here on how much I love the episodes where the characters are dressed as other people so we see the actors as characters within characters. It's quite brilliant.)

 Gordi ends up catching Reg on the Holodeck and confronts him about it. Gordi tells him he's "just shy" and Reg's response, which I think is so poignant, is, "Doesn't sound serious. You don't even know." Barclay completely nails how marginalized social awkward people are. Having constantly been called shy and quiet my whole life and made to feel shame for it, I understand what Barclay is going through. I have become much more socially confident I still have some crippling fears in certain situations.

I think the point of this episode is how we get to a point in our lives where we need to spend less time escaping into our fantasies and face our fears in the real world. When this happens is different for everybody and will ONLY occur when the individual is ready. This happens for Barclay when he decides to erase his Holodeck programs. This occurs after he has effectively saved the day by coming up with an unconventional solution to a difficult problem. For a few crucial seconds people actually listened to what he had to say and that gave him the confidence he needed to want to face his fears. Of course, he isn't going to change over night but he is on his way to making his fantasy a reality. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for hanging. Tune in next week for "Data's Day." Live long and prosper.

Trekkie Tuesday

Season 3, Episode 13- Deja Q
The crew of the Enterprise is trying to save a planet from destruction from collision with it's moon when Q shows up suddenly. He is striped of his powers and status amongst the Continuum.

 Q seeks refuge aboard the Enterprise and understandably, everyone is suspicious of Q's true intentions. No one really believes that he has become human.

 I find it interesting that Q says that he chose to be human and to be exiled aboard the Enterprise. He could have been anything anywhere but this is what he chooses. Q says that the reason for this is simply that Picard is the closest thing he has to a friend. What's really going on is that he wants protection from wronged life forms that Q has tormented in the past.
Q recognizes that Picard is capable of most anything and he knows that Picard will take pity on him and his predicament. What I love most about this episode is how beautifully it illustrates why I like Q so much. We get to see a different side of Q, a vulnerable, less cocky side. It's brilliant that even despite his unfortunate situation Q still manages to keep his sense of humor.  

 Q is very mischievous and even though he often puts people in life or death situations, they often come out of the experience better and stronger. Without it being his intention he forces people to push beyond their comfort zones, forces them to confront their fears. Q may not care about the outcome of the situations but he does love to watch people work. The human drive to move on and survive is the ultimate draw for Q. I think it's the reason he does what he does.
And in this episode, we see that Q has a particular fondness for humans, or more accurately Data. Through the selfless act of drawing the hostile alien force away from the Enterprise by stealing a shuttle, the Continuum sees fit to restore Q's powers. With this, Q departs the Enterprise by giving Data a very personal gift. He lets Data know what it's like to laugh.

I love how complex Q is and how he is almost a mirror personality to Picard. Q is the chaos and Picard is the order and when they dance, big changes occur for the characters, usually resulting in them growing as people. With every encounter with Q, the crew learns more about themselves. I think this is why Picard can never fully abandon Q because they both need each other. What are your thoughts?
Until we meet again. Live long and prosper.

Drawing Faces

These are the portraits I have been working on lately. I am a HUGE fan of Sherlock and can't wait for season 3 to start! The airing date of January 19th was just announced today, SQUEEEEEE!! Anyways, I love to draw celebrities and the characters they play, especially ones that I really like. So, I give you Sherlock and Moriarty. Please bear in mind that these are not quite finished yet but this is my progress so far.

I like to keep my reference material close at hand while I work to make sure that I'm staying consistent. It also helps with accuracy as well.
I had already done another Sherlock picture but I gave that one away as a gift. I have to say that I am much happier with this one. It just seems to be going a lot better than the first one, even though it's the same photo. Moriarty is proving to be more of a challenge. I have always found straight-on views to be more difficult to draw than 3/4 shots. I think it's because finding symmetry is usually more difficult. My friend is just the opposite of me so I guess we all have something we are working on.
I keep going back and forth between being really happy with the way these look and seeing nothing but flaws. But I suppose that is to be expected. Anyway, I will repost these pictures when they are finished. Please, let me know what you think and, by the way, I do commissions.
Bye for now.