Jericho: Termination for Cause (2.5)

Jericho is the best show on television. It's true, I do go through some phases, and I have previously declared that XYZ show was the best, and before that UVW and so on... So, I have cycled, through 'Heroes' which severely disappointed through its sophomore season, 'Lost', which almost lost me (forgive the pun) during the end of the second season and beginning of the third season, and '24' which after a brilliant first season has almost fizzled. After all, how do you overcome the brilliance of that story? With more torture of course!

Then again there is always Babylon 5, quite simply, a glorious concoction of brilliance in television film-making. But I won't go there.

No, instead, I just want to discuss this brilliant episode of Jericho (Episode 2.5). For those who have not watched Jericho from the beginning, I have to tell you, you have missed the most frightening, the most prophetic, the most well written cautionary tale of television, EVER!

Good television should entertain, but should also instruct and educate. This is the reason I grew up watching cartoons, but I also grew-up watching all the Disney nature shows and all the documentaries. Documentary watching turned into historical and political and social documentaries and other educational shows, and my entertainment got more extreme! Very few shows however have managed to combine the intelligence of both.

Babylon 5, as I mentioned was one. It easily cautioned about the abuses of power and the extreme avarice it brings. Power begets the need for more power, and sometimes the protectors are very few and a line must be drawn. Those who state that they defend freedom might not be the true defenders of freedom, and in truth, they might me usurpers that must be defeated first. It is difficult to tell who is who. 'Wolf in sheep's clothing'. This is why Babylon 5 was such a great show.

Jericho has achieved that excellence in a lot less time that Babylon 5. It had to be, because the poor show was under the gun from the CBS network from the beginning. This great show about an attack on our nation (a Fifth Column if you will), from the inside has supposedly struggled for ratings since day one. Yet, people who have watched this show know, it's not about the ratings, it's about the story-- and the quality of the story. It's the story of some simple people caught in the literal and figurative cross-fire after a terrorist nuclear attack on our nation. Of course we retaliate. But that's not the point. The point is is this: How are the lives of these people affected?

Don't read beyond here if you don't want to be spoiled about this episode.

Episode 2.5 is Stanley's episode for me. At the end of episode 2.4, Bonnie is killed by 'Ravenwood' (aka Blackwater) while defending Mimi over the ledger that purports to show the $10,000 in stolen money by the 'Ravenwood' director Goetz. Goetz is of course responsible for the murder. And by the end of Episode 2.5 events reach a point where Goetz is fired from 'Ravenwood' AND Stanley exacts his revenge on Goetz by pulling the trigger and killing him.

When I watch such intense scenes on TV sometimes, I often ask myself, WHAT WOULD I DO in that person's place? To be honest, if my sister had been murdered like that by someone like Goetz, I am not sure, I would not have lost it like Stanley did--no matter how Christian I promote myself to be. Was that the right thing for Stanley to do? Of course not! That's not the point! But I can definitely understand where he came from. And I never actually promote capital punishment--I think it's an outmoded method of punishment. Yet, there are cases, such as this, where it it imperative, and the only step left.

But the real lesson of this episode was the "Boston Tea Party" moment of the episode as I called it. The moment when the 'Rangers' (so called Jericho protectors made up from the town volunteers) united to confront the 'Ravenwood' police presence threatening both Mimi's life and the town's security.

As I said before, sometimes the danger lurks within and does not come from without. If we're not prepared to defend our homes, our freedoms and our livelihoods against all comers it will be too late. The unfortunate part in all of this is that such a great cautionary tale has not been watched by a greater number of Americans, so that we'd all be prepared. Instead, I am afraid, we will be led, like sheep to slaughter, without protest as they take our country from us.

It might be soon....

1003. Final Impact

"Final Impact"

This book by John Birmingham is the third novel in the "Axis of Time" trilogy. A fascinating alternate history / alternate reality science-fiction story set in the year 2021 (or rather beginning there), but actually taking place during the height of World War II (or '2' if you prefer).

But, first of all, let me set the stage for you: In 2021, an international Task Force headed by the USS Super-Carrier 'Hillary Clinton' is sailing off the Indonesian waters to enforce some sort of U.N. edict. There are various politics involved as to why this task force is in the area. Mention is made of 'The War on Terror' having commenced following the attacks of 9/11, as well as the fight against various terrorist organizations. In some sense, the world of the future, in the few pages allotted to it by John Birmingham, is just as fascinating as the world of the past he's about to build.

One of the premises that I always find 'funny' (in all its connotations) in Science Fiction is the 'mad scientist' invention. Mr. Birmingham doesn't necessarily stoop to the level of using it in this trilogy, but he embraces it.... BUT, I am not here to review the whole series or trilogy. Suffice it to say, that the ships of 2021 end up in 1942, and the history of World War II is changed forever. So, it's time to jump ahead (or rather back, if you'll forgive the pun....) If you have not read the first two books in the series, do yourself a favor, and go get those books: "Weapons of Choice" and "Designated Targets". And stop reading this review right here, before you spoil your enjoyment.

.
.
.
(this is called spoiler space !!!)
.
.
.


Events in the third book begin with the alternate 1944's D-Day landings in Calais. Why Calais and not Normandy? That's what Hitler would like to know. The Allies have brought into the fight a lot of modified weapons. These weapons are not from the future. Rather, they are what 1940s technology can produce with 2020s know-how. This gives them a clear advantage over the Axis powers, even though, the Axis powers also have in their possession some of these 'future secrets'. And of course the 'The Sword of Damocles' in this whole fight is the fate of one of the Task Force's 'lost ships'. Did the 'HMS Vanguard' slip through time and end-up in the hands of the Russians who at this time in history absolutely control the USSR and are in turn ruthlessly controlled by the brutal dictator Stalin and his cronies? And do the Soviets now possess sufficient modern technologies (aka, 21st century technologies) to oppose the emerging victory of the Allies?

If you've read the first two books, you will know that John Birmingham uses a cast of thousands and many historical figures as key players in his books. It's not as if other fiction writers have not attempted this method before. Harry Turtledove is well known for doing the same, and I have read simple short stories that fictionalized the lives of presidents and others. But the scope in which Mr. Birmingham does it, is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. How can you know the man and president, Franklin D. Roosevelt? How can you know the man and General, Dwight D. Eisenhower? Yet, somehow, John Birmingham has done significant enough research to pull of some magnificent characterizations for these people. This is one of the endearing features of this trilogy.

At the same time however, the author has enough 21st century characters who are completely fictional (but could be based on real people -- in the sense that a TV reporter in the book is inspired by a real life TV reporter), who are very prominent. And in this final chapter of the trilogy, the base characters, the ones who came to the past from 2021 with the 'Hillary Clinton' task force return to the foreground. Their adventures are the link in the important pieces that set-up the ending of the book and the ending of the trilogy.

The old girl, the USS 'Hillary Clinton' has been retrofitted to fight with an amalgam of 1940s/1950s technology. It is still the most fearsome weapon on the sea, except the sea it prowls is set in 1944. Finally, the other plot point that I can reveal here (bit of an annoying spoiler, I know, but you kind of knew that it was coming) is the existence of nuclear weapons. Many of the engineers and the technology that came back with the 'Clinton' are utilized by all the Powers in the World in the development of Nuclear Weapons. Who succeeds and who uses them first and with what kind of results is left for you to find out.

"Final Impact" works both as a Science Fiction / Alternate History Fiction novel, as well as a cautionary tell. All good Science Fiction novels must operate in this arena. You take some characters from our world and place them in a situation which is completely outside of our experience. What you hope to achieve with this ploy is the discovery of some new ways of looking at the world. Some new interpretations and analyses of life as we know it today. Why is that important? Well, how else are we going to learn something new? There are three main ways: a) We experience it for ourselves; b) We learn it from the experience of others (another form of learning) and finally, c) We imagine it.

In this book, John Birmingham successfully puts his characters in a highly charged and segregated atmosphere, the Second World War. Our people, 'our avatars' transferred for our sakes to the past, to experience the adventure for us, come face to face with 'the barbarians' (who are also us, our forefathers) who caused and fought the great war in the 1940s, of the greatest generation. The same place where a black man could not fight side to side with a white man. In a place with people that committed the atrocities of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Able to stop the people that caused the HOLOCAUST of the Jewish people. If we were to visit back then, given the opportunity to stop the atrocities, I wonder, like the characters in the book, how we would react... I wonder, if we were given the chance to stop the atrocities what we would do...

Yet, the most engaging feature of the trilogy, and in particular the third book is how John Birmingham turns the tables on us and shows another side. Are we that much more advanced with our high tech weapons and over the horizon rockets? Are we that much more brilliant since we can spy on everyone in the world, with stealth, and attack them 'at night' while they least expect it? Are we that much better for the way we fight our battles, especially in our so called, 'War on Terror' which for purposes of this book has been ongoing for 20 years (5 times longer that World War 2) ? In the end, the people of the 1940s, adapt our technologies and our freedoms with open arms, but also see our barbarism, and our 'advanced human morality' displaying the cynicism which we flaunted on them when we arrived in the past. And that's a great lesson to take from any book. Don't think, from all the strides that the 'Human Animal' has made, that we have advanced that much in 60 or so years.

I easily give this book 3 stars out of four. With a half star more for the whole trilogy.

John Birmingham is a writer to watch.

1002. Three Days To Never

"Three Days To Never"

Years ago, I attended a science fiction convention and actually got to meet Tim Powers, the author of a tidy little book I finished reading just a few weeks ago, called: "Three Days to Never". At the time of the convention, when I talked to Tim, I wanted to learn as much as I could about writing. The things that he described to me about the writing task made it seem very daunting, a really difficult profession and a really difficult art. You might have the talent for it, or you have the desire for it, but you might not necessarily have the zeal or the work ethic to pull it off.

Now, I am not saying that those words of wisdom from Tim, put me off from writing, nor am I saying that his approach to writing is the only correct approach. It is true that I have written one Novel, two novellas and a number of short stories on my own. For the most part though, most of what I have written has come from the imagination, using almost only my creative energy to describe people and places, and as people and editors have become more sophisticated, it has become more and more difficult to pull off what I was able to do with ease in junior high and high school. When I was that young, imagination was enough to allow me to describe something with such adequacy and such force of narrative that most adults (especially teachers) found my writings well above average. In fact, creative writing was my strongest subject at school even though I pursued a different career path.

I describe my own experiences in the creative writing arena, not only because this is my Journal, but in juxtaposition to Tim Powers' writing brilliance. Obviously, he is not the BEST author I have ever read, and OBVIOUSLY, "Three Days To Never" is not the best book I have ever read. Yet, it is a tour-de-force and an excellent example in modern American fantasy with a lot of science fiction sprinkled in.

Before I jump into the meat of my review, I have to add a couple more things about Tim Powers the writer. The first thing that impressed me when I met him and talked to him over drinks, was how much of an unassuming man he was. Nothing overwhelming about his personality, a bit of the "professor" look in him, but yet, very down to earth, a very grounded person. The other thing he described to me (I really should say the group that was sharing the opportunity to listen to him) was the way he prepared for his books. In most important scientific jobs, there is a high amount of research involved. I would dare say that Tim performs this amount of research AND MORE while preparing for each one of the books he writes. And it shows.

Events in "Three Days to Never" take place 20 years ago from present day, in the Los Angeles of 1987. This is where the high degree of preparation and research pays off for Tim Powers. I lived through 1987, but even if Los Angeles was my home in that year, I would doubt that I 'd remember specific topographic details or place names, or where a specific road dead ends. Yet, Tim Powers, the author, keeps meticulous notes and records and knows exactly what kind of structure existed on a particular hill behind the "Hollywood" sign in 1987. This is the type of detail that helps this novel rise above the average read and achieve a level of intimacy with the reader that most reading escapades can not match. It is not simple entertainment, but you get to live the lives of the characters.

The main characters are Daphne Marrity and her father Frank, a professor. They and Frank's sister are somehow related to Einstein--this will become clear later in the book. We all of course know that Einstein was the father of the "Theory of Relativity" and later revised "Special Relativity". Throughout his life, Einstein had to contend with a number of issues that arose from the publication of his theories not least of them being the almost simultaneous rise of a competing theory, that of "Quantum Mechanics". Einstein did not outright reject this theory, but yet he had many issues with it. In many ways, Tim Powers attempts to conquer the unheard of task of overcoming the difficulties that Einstein had with "Quantum Mechanics" and putting forth a theory of what he might have achieved if he had done so.

Is it far fetched for Einstein to have created a machine that could change the world? Not when you consider the intellect involved. Are the means that Tim Powers uses to describe the search for this machine and its control that far fetched? I don't believe so -- yet, I have to qualify my statement. I have always been open to psychic powers, out of body experiences, traveling in other planes of existence through a spiritual plane, etc. All these and many other elements can be found in this book. Tim is able to incorporate them, along with excellent descriptions of the people and their motivations and the places that surround them. All in all, this makes for a very interesting tale with many elements reminiscent of a thriller or spy novel, yet, still grounded in the fantastical world of science and fantasy. If you can call that grounded ;-) !!!


I would give this book three stars out of four, and recommend it to anyone without reservation. Now of course, I have to remedy an oversight. I have to go and read other Tim Powers books. I don't know why, but for some reason, even though I met the fellow, I never actually read anything of his until this book. There is a first time for everything, isn't there? And now there is time for more Tim Powers, I say....

Heroes Spoilers # 1

(Warning! The post below, might contain spoilers!)

So anybody who knows me, knows that I spend way to much time watching and "consuming" everything to do with the show "Heroes". In fact, I spend way to much time over at my favorite forum: Superhiro.org where we discuss all sorts of spoilers and theories about "Heroes".

Of course, "Heroes" was one of the shows that was severely affected by the writer's strike that just ended in February, just prior to the Academy Awards. The strike ended-up shortening the season to just eleven episodes and one volume, Volume 2: "Generations". In order to preserve artistic integrity, the creators of the show decided to not return for 2-3 episodes in late spring of 2008 once the WGA strike was concluded and actually re-tool the show and return "with a bang" in the fall of 2008.

One of the big mysteries that the 11th and final episodes of the second season left us with was "Who Shot Nathan Petrelli?" Especially since he was about to reveal the existence of "mutant powers" to the general public. Nathan is played on "Heroes" by the excellent Adrian Pasdar, an actor that many of us have grown attached to. I would hate to see the "Nathan Petrelli" character depart the show in the way depicted in Episode # 11 of Season Two.

Now comes word that "Nathan Petrelli" might not be dead, and in fact will most likely return for Season 3 of the show which will start "shooting" in Hollywood as early as May of 2008. This information was revealed during a panel of the "MegaCon" Convention which a number of people who attended are now reporting. Here is a quote from a person who attended the convention:

He also referenced Nathan constantly in the present-tense.

He jokingly mentioned a 'theoretical' scenario for how season two really ended. He was like "the clues were all there for what really happened". He posed the scenario that Nathan wore a vest -- and either
a) knew the attack was coming
b) planned it himself
Both were really interesting, and he really seemed to be pushing them, because the guy who was leading the Q & A (can't remember his name) was like "You used the word 'vest' twice" and Adrian started laughing.

Adrian alluded to the fact that he will have a lot of scenes with Claire next season, and him being a 'father' will be really important.

If this information is true, it certainly brings hope to those fans who are fanatic about this show. And here's hoping that Adrian Pasdar not only returns next season, but has a much bigger role.

Thank you Kara (aka, moosewizard) for the info from MegaCon!

Lost 4.6: "The Other Woman"

Do you watch Lost? Are you addicted to it like I am? Have you watched every single episode of "Lost" since the beginning?

Well I have! Now, this post is not to review or discuss the whole history of the show "Lost" -- although, that is a worthwhile subject that I might touch upon in later posts.

What has always aggravated me, or made me question what I am seeing on the screen with "Lost" is the morality of some of the characters. Many of the actions taken by the major "players" of "Lost" seem to be of a dubious nature. And yet, after Season 1, after the twists and turns and tribulations suffered by the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, another character was introduced with even murkier morals, with even murkier actions, with a way of viewing the world and acting on it totally "alien" to my sensibilities. It was at this point that I almost dropped "Lost" from my regular viewing schedule. The character in question? "Benjamin Linus".

Ben's actions and morals are central to the story and the action of the episode we just witnessed on Thursday, March 6th, 2008. How truly evil is Ben? How truly manipulative is Ben? How dark is his heart? What actually lies in his heart? What motivates him? Why does he do what he does?

We've seen Ben affect the actions of others from events that took place years or even months in the past. We've seen Ben's actions affect Juliet and her budding love for the doctor Jack. And we have seen the fear that Ben can cause to people -- both to those from the "rescue boat" and those wanting to get off the island.

So, why, when faced with such Evil (with a capital "E") has no one taken the action to "kill" Ben? Why then, do people still allow Ben to exist? Why then do people allow Ben to talk them into doing things for him? What gives him that kind of power?

I have always questioned the morality espoused by this show. I wouldn't call it twisted, but it is definitely, not in agreement with my beliefs. So why do I keep watching? Ah! But that is the question, and something about which, I am going to keep on posting!

Must Read: The Twenty Science Fiction Novels that Will Change Your Life

Would you call these 20, must read? Or, books that would change your life? That's even a higher level of praise than the first question I asked. Well, this website does:

Must Read: The Twenty Science Fiction Novels that Will Change Your Life

As anyone who knows me well, knows that I read a lot of books. Of the books that I read, a high portion of them is in the "Science Fiction" genre. Of the books the author of this article lists, I have read the following:

"Frankenstein"
"The Time Machine"
"I, Robot" (but just the short story -- not the collection)
"A Fire Upon the Deep"

A couple more of these belong to my bookshelf, or on my wish list, meaning they are books that I would like to read at some point. But the question remains: Are these books, or novels, or short story collections life altering as the site claims?

I have read enough fiction to wonder from time to time about the impact of the books I have read. Personally, I am not so sure about these twenty books. I wish I had read all of them by now. One thing is for certain, I have added some more titles to my list of titles awaiting to be read. And that is not a bad thing now is it?

1001. The Kite Runner

I finally got to read this book. It wasn't in preparation for the movie that came out in December of 2007. I have been looking at this book at the bookstore for a significant amount of time, always wondering if I should pick it up to read or not. When I have enough money, I always have these pangs, these questions about books, especially after I read the back page notes, or especially after I hear from someone else that a particular book was a good one.

Of course, there is the flip side to this argument, and there are times when I DO NOT like books that have received a lot of acclaim, but it always comes down to this question: "How am I ever going to discover anything new, anything exciting to read unless, I take the plunge and purchase something on the spur of the moment?"

Well, as it turned out, my sister-in-law let me borrow this book last September, so I went ahead and added it to my TBR (yeah, that means "To Be Read") pile. So, finally in November, I went ahead and read it. Below, you will find my brief synopsis and review of this book. It's nowhere near as literary or as complete as those done by those expert book reviewers -- however, this book review comes from the heart.

Amir is a young boy living in pre-Soviet invasion Afghanistan. His life is one of relative privilege because of the position of his father and because he has servants. Or rather, his father has servants. One of them is Hassan who with his father Ali live in the servants house in one of Kabul's more respectable neighborhoods (not necessarily the most well to do though). For as long as he can remember, Ali has grown up with Hassan and in many ways, Hassan is his best friend and confidant. At the same time though, Hassan, being a Hazara boy, is considered a second class citizen by Afghan society at large. When the heart thinks, Hassan, is Amir's best and closest friend, but there are times when Amir envies Hassan for the attention he receives from Baba (Amir's father).

Amir loves to read Hassan the adventures of heroic characters from different epics. Hassan, as a servant and having grown a Hazara is illiterate. So, these stories become central to Amir's life in the sense that he lives through them. Baba, his father recognizes that Amir will never be strong or courageous enough in the face of a challenge despite the example of the "Heroes" he reads about in his epics. The other important character in the story, the family friend Rahim Khan, gives Amir a notebook, a journal in which he starts writing stories of his own inspiration.

In a way of course, the story of Amir reminded me so much of that of my own life. I, too, was mainly wrapped up in the stories and the heroes I read about. I, too, was more that impressed with the fictional life rather than the life around me. This has an effect on the way a person develops. Not so much because Baba told Amir that he was not courageous, but rather because Amir felt that he did not measure up in Baba's eyes.

This becomes very clear then in the events that unfold in the winter of 1975. Amir and Hassan participate in the annual Kite tournament which involves fighting the other kites, and the person assisting you go after the kites that fall from the sky. This is called: "Running the kites". Hassan is the best "Kite Runner" in Kabul. These tournaments can take a whole day sometimes. During this particular tournament, Amir decides that he will prove his father (his Baba) wrong. He will show him that he can be good at something, that he is courageous. With the help of Hassan, Amir has a successful kite launch and as the day progresses his kite survives. Hassan successfully runs down those kites that Amir knocks down from the sky.

Until Amir's kite and one other are left in the sky. After some deft maneuvering, Amir succeeds in knocking it down, and asks Hassan if he could "Run it" for him. Hassan responds: "For you a thousand times over!" That's what a best friend is supposed to say isn't it?

And It is at this point that everything changes. We are of course going to find out things about Amir Hassan and about Baba that we did not know up to this point. We will eventually follow Amir and his dad to the USA where Amir will get married. But there will always be something hanging over him. Something that will eventually take him back to his beloved homeland, in search of Hassan and in search of redemption.

In addition, we're also treated to a glimpse of Afghanistan through the pre-war years, the Soviet invasion in 1979, the many year of the occupation and struggle by the rebels (through the eyes of those that immigrated to America), all the way to the pre-9/11 Taliban days of decay, decadence and destruction. Sometimes, this sort of glimpse is worth a thousand pictures on the TV screen, because the TV screen can not evoke the passion of the people. The TV screen can not describe the feeling of being stuck inside a fuel truck while being smuggled across the border to Pakistan to avoid capture by the Soviets. Nor does it evoke the terror of watching "half-time entertainment" at a Taliban sponsored Soccer game in Kabul in 2001. The evil that men do can be shown on TV, but I have always felt that the most powerful weapon is still the written word. This is why, our youth today, who do not read, are missing the greater context of what is occurring in the world around them.

Khaled Hosseini weaves a very good tale in his first novel of a protagonist from a part of the world that is little known and maybe little understood. Yet, as different as the religion, or some of the words, or some of the customs might be, the underlying themes remain the same: Love, Forgiveness, Happiness, Guilt and Redemption. It does not matter the strokes of the painter or the paint used. The message is clear. By the end of the book, we come to love these characters, we come to accept their failings and shortcomings because maybe we see similar things in us and we come to believe in their quests. Because just as we're on a quest, every day of our lives, so are the characters in this book. Some of us, do not know the path we're taking, and we wake late in life to find that the journey is at an end, unfulfilled. For others, the purpose is clear. The drive begins early. The road is easy and open. In a way, Amir's father was such a man, and he was much loved by all those who knew him. This is why Amir was "Baba's son" and everyone knew him and respected him for that alone, for all the good deeds his father did, for all the people he helped.

Amir falls to the group in between. His road is not completely clear, yet he knows he has something unfulfilled in his life, something that still haunts him. This is the reason why he accepts the opportunity to travel the road and not be just a passenger on the journey. Whether he displays the courage that his father Baba said he lacked is for you the reader to find out, but it is important to remember that in the journey of life, when given a second chance, those who accept are most often the most courageous, most triumphant winners of all.

I concluded this review, the same way I use to conclude all my reviews in my old book Journal. By giving this book some stars. I'll have to find some appropriate gif or jpg to add later, but for know, this book draws *** (3) stars from me.

(My ratings scale if from 1 to 4 stars. Books I really, really like, get a HUGE star....! Five Stars?)

I recommend it.

The "Star Wreck" movie

Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning

Of course, that's a play on words. It really means: "Star Trek: In the Beginning", and this movie is a parody.

I belong to what one can describe as an online Science Fiction Fan Club or Association. Years ago, some other members had alerted me to the presence of this 2005 movie from Finland. It is a very well made parody of Star Trek made in the vain of the "Airplane" movies. The movie is just over an hour and a half long. At the time, the folks who had produced the movie were promoting it, and I had just gotten high-speed Internet. So, I took their offer of a free download. But, since that time, I had not had the opportunity to watch it.

But, technology finally caught up with this common man. I am the owner of a TiVo Box and there now exists the technology, via this wonderful program called pyTivo to watch any video stored on your computer via your TiVo on your TV.

Isn't Technology great? Thanks armoo and krkeegan, two of the developers of pyTivo!

Anyway, onto the movie . CAUTION! This contains some spoilers.

The story opens with Captain Pirk (yes, I know -- hilarious!) leading a combined fleet through some sort of "wormhole" (oh, you will like, what they call wormholes in this movie). But before, the movie continues, we're given some background. How Captain Pirk came to be in this situation.

Apparently, he and his crew, are caught in some sort of time warp that takes them to Earth's past (our present) where they try to blend in -- in a rather funny way. But then, they decide, enough with that, we'll speed up progress and conquer the world. So, Captain Pirk, becomes the leader of this new United World and goes on a mission to discover more habitable planets.

I will leave the rest of the movie UNSPOILED, for those who want to watch it. It is imperative to remember that some of the sensibilities of the actors are European from Finland, but a lot of the humor is universal. It's also important to remember what these folks accomplished without a big Hollywood budget. I was thoroughly impressed.

Even though, I got this movie for free, I will definitely be willing to spend money to purchase it, and I intend to do so. I think, the creators intended for word of mouth to spread the fame of this movie. So, if you don't find subtitles daunting, I recommend you go and find this movie, buy it from Amazon, or from whatever other online source, and enjoy it. You'll have a blast. More importantly, you'll question, WHY it takes Hollywood so much money to produce the kind of crap they put out, when a couple of guys from Finland can succeed with an effort like this. But even if you don't care about Hollywood politics, the movie is FUN.

My Book Journal

Years ago, I had this great book journal where I used to record ALL the books that I've read. And believe me, I read a lot. By this point, you're going to say, "Oh, No! Not another book review blog!", and I am afraid, I won't be able to assuage your fears. Yes, this is another "book review blog".

But, I will also sprinkle in it some movie reviews, some Journalistic thoughts (nothing TOO political, I promise!) and maybe a short story or too! Since, I have barely been published -- oh yeah, I have been rejected a lot (I wonder why? ) -- I guess this will be a forum for me to publish my stories.

Another thing, I used to do, when I kept my multitude of book journals when I was younger, was number my books, like keeping track of how many I had read. Now this wasn't very accurate for sure, but it was something to amuse me. It wasn't accurate, because before I started it when I was 15 or 16, I must have read at least that many books.... And since the time, I stopped my written book journal, I must have read at least DOUBLE that amount of books. So, I decided that the first book that I will review here, I will number as number 1001. Why do this? I don't know! Maybe I am insane! Or maybe that's how I keep my sanity.

So, I hope you enjoy this new blog. I will slowly build up the links in it, and I hope you take advantage of the services I link to. Additionally, I hope you enjoy reading AND you teach your kids to read! Books ARE fun! Books are knowledge! Books are great! Long live books!

Take Care!