rob's blog

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DeskMBP

What's the most extreme weather you've been in? A memorable storm? Heat wave? Or something else?

Well, I was (un)lucky enough to live thorugh the Ice Storm of '03 in Albany, New York.  A giant storm of hail assaulting upstate NY in the middle of April... forcing the State Competition of the New York Forensics League to be delayed.  Not that I was upset, mind you, as I had a nasty cold at the time.

What's your favorite drink or cocktail? What's in it?
Question submitted by charm.vox.com

Jack & Coke - and for what's in it... Jack and...Coke.

What's one thing that you hope to do or accomplish before the end of this year?

Ummmm...would saying I want to strangle members of my family implicate me?  Really?  Well then, in that case...I guess I'd like to actually finish one of the novels I'm working on.

Who is your favorite Muppet? Why?
QotD submitted by knitwitology.vox.com.

Gonzo, he had all the characteristics of a tragic character - from not knowing his origin to being excluded by Miss Piggy, he was always someone you could feel sorry for.

Until they made that stupid movie...

What did you do this weekend?

The same thing I do every other weekend - prepare lessons for the next week until 6am on Friday night - sleep until 2pm on Saturday afternoon, work Saturday night and Sunday day, then finish writing the lessons I didn't get to on Friday night, Sunday night.

All the whole, working on a number of projects that if I wasn't involved in, would probably see me getting everything done much earlier on Friday night.  But then life would be so dull, wouldn't it?  I mean...I'd actually get to sleep, once or twice...

It was far too long ago, even for my own taste, that Deep Space 9 was last seen on television in a form other than syndicated repeats on Spike TV.  I didn't watch it when it was new, I was about 9 years old when it ended and barely could understand what it was truly about.  It lacked the bright colors of The Next Generation and the idealism of Voyager.  Dark didn't appeal to me then, but so much has happened in the world that the message that it echoes is now, more than ever, extremely appropriate.

I am a Star Trek Fan - I read novels on the train on my way into school and home (not just Star Trek, mind you - but it is among my top choices so long as Shatner is not the author) and I watch the television shows.  I am guilty of having spent time that could have been put to use elsewhere remixing the Star Trek them in Garage Band when I first purchased a Mac.  I am the type of person who will never be upset if gifted with Trek memorabilia (such as a charcoal sketch of Kirk and Spock that dresses the wall behind my bed) but I am not so bad as to attempt to learn Klingon, Vulcan, or any number of other languages.  I do not dress up and go to conventions (though I admit, I do want to go to a convention one day if for no other reason than to snag a few autographs) and I don't walk around, raise my right hand with fingers joined and say, "Live long and prosper."

Yes, I know people who do.

No, not by choice.

I participate, actively, in a Play-By-Email Role-playing Game known as Tango Fleet which is - by far - one of the finest of its class on the Internet.  It's been in existence for over ten years, of which I have known of its existence for four and been active in it for two.  If anyone has seen realistic looking images of rank insignia from Star Trek on the Internet, chances are it originated from Tango Fleet and the amazing talent of Steve Marriott.  For those unaware, Play-By-Email is a fascinating genre of gaming - it is limited to the more literate and creative of individuals as it focuses around narrative writing in a cooperative setting.  In effect, a ground of anywhere from ten to forty people are involved in the generation of something that could, were it not for the many lawsuits that would result, be considered a novel.

I run one such game, operating within Tango Fleet, known as Intelligence Team IV - Starbase 98.  My goal in doing my job there is to create a memorable and enjoyable environment, one that takes in the best qualities of the authors involved and produces a situation piece so entertaining that it would clearly decimate Enterprise in ratings, were it produced.  It sounds harder than it really is - I've done it before, but lately I just don't have the "jive" that I used to.  I have been putting a great amount of thought into how to make it memorable, and after having now experienced Deep Space 9, I simply cannot hope to match it.

Many people had issue with The Next Generation because it was at times extremely idealistic.  Yes, many Star Trek fans (Trekkies, Trekkers, whatever you want to call them is fine) enjoyed the idealism - it gave them a hope that things would get better.  And to be honest, with the daily bloodshed that seems to be doing nothing but increase, a light at the end of the tunnel would be welcome right now.  But Deep Space 9 had some idealism to.  The Dominion War, the Bajoran strife, and the constant socio-political intrigue that embroiled every action that ever took place - it made the show magic.  So much so that I actually purchased all seven seasons on DVD (I simply refused to pay $99.99 for any of the other ones).

The Next Generation, Voyager, and The Original Series - none of them had characters as deep as in Deep Space 9.  There was no individual who struggled as much as Garak - a Cardassian intelligence agent banished from his home for failing to perform his duties adequately and who was wanted dead by many who he'd angered.  A man left with no choice but to take refuge in the sanctuary of those who hated him the most and who had to suffer daily there, persecuted as the only one of his kind on a station controlled by the people his race had once oppressed.  And then there was Quark, a lovable thief who used his ability to lie, cheat, and extort to turn a profit wherever he could.  Yet beneath the cold, cash loving Ferengi exterior, there existed a man with a heart who would never have come to be understood as having one if not for the unique environment that the show provided. 

But there was nothing quite so compelling about the show as the Dominion War.  I cannot say I ever expected it to be as significant as it was, when first introduced to the Dominion as a race.  I knew they'd be an aggressor, but so too had been the Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, and every other race, practically, aside from the Vulcans.  The Dominion War did more than enable Star Trek to express even fancier special effects than they had ever used before - fleets of starships going to battle with each other with each actively opening fire and behaving differently.  Planets being assaulted by waves of enemy troops and ships.  It was breathtaking to watch and, at the same time, quite tragic.  Ever novel since the show ended has recounted how battered the war left all involved - not unlike World War II, which it clearly tried to simulate in many respects.  But there was something more to the Dominion War, something deeper than the story itself.  In the wake of experiencing the Dominion War, I understand how a story - even Star Trek - could truly take you in.

The Dominion War convinced me to begin writing and aside from a few short breaks here and there, I've been doing it since.  Blogs, Play-By-Email, the Great American Novel that I shall never finish, a textbook that I hope to see published, several research papers.  I never would have experienced any of it if not for Deep Space 9.  And now, whilst in command of a Starbase, I look to it again for inspiration.  Tango Fleet demands excellence.  I can only hope not to disappoint.