A dive into the past, time travel possible via Twitter!

Wow! Haven't written here for so long. Haven't written for so long at all. Maybe this will be rectified in the future, but for now, just a little dive into the past. I've remembered about my Twitter account that I've neglected completely and decided to get nostalgic a bit about my beginnings in the social networks posting. Surprisingly, I was pretty good. And funny. Anyway, let's dive together into the past - shall we!

"I got 1 hour of spare time and it's gonna be another one spent for the sake of others. Altruism is my downfall. Modesty is my mask. Enjoy... Aug 17, 2009"
Despite my best efforts, as usual, I missed the train to work. Now it's another hour of desolate waiting. Aug 17, 2009
Forget desolate! Seems like the oddest bunch of people gather at the station this late at night. Aug 17, 2009
Like 2 kids on the verge of teenhood whose swallowing reflexes must be faulty, as they spit constantly and proudly. Aug 17, 2009
Or 3 young ladies who voice their deep dissatisfaction with each other's love life with a very limited lexical complexity. Aug 17, 2009
Looks like it's gonna be another night-shift filled with caffeine induced jitters and emotional sensitivity. Or I could put Dimmu Borgir on. Aug 17, 2009
Wasting time is painful even when you get paid doing it. Aug 19, 2009
It's amazing how much the old resent the young. Especially, in ques to the doctor. Aug 24, 2009
I can't believe there is a Lynda.com video course on twittering and blogging! What's next, a course on downloading porn and online-dating? Oct 09, 2009
"Paranormal Activity" creeped me out, but didn't scare me. I felt sad for the characters, the doom of their relationship seemed so evident. Nov 12, 2009
"Hacking" the "secure" system at work and installing games brought so much joy to the girls. Dec 27, 2009
Old people are not nearly as annoying as their children. Dec 27, 2009
Sorry, wearing scarfs in Israel's so-called winter looks gay to me. Dec 27, 2009
Sometimes I egomaniacaly feel that my superior intelligence is utterly wasted. Jan 05, 2010
Too occupied with domestic life. Feeling both a worker bee and a desperate housewife. Feb 10, 2010
Today I've been THAT client. Shouting and cursing and claiming I know everything better then anyone. Know what? It worked! I got my way. Mar 01, 2010
It's so quite here at work, and I'm surrounded by females. And I'm dying to fart! ;-) Mar 07, 2010
Wearing a tight shirt can draw so much female attention! I forgot what it's like, wearing sweaters all winter. Better stay fit. Mar 08, 2010
I wonder why every time I visit a certain friend, he feels the need to serve me an expensive alcoholic beverage. Mar 13, 2010
I was asked how can me and my wife have dinner while watching "Spartacus". Sex, violence and CGI blood - what's better to open the appetite. Mar 13, 2010
It seems our country is run by clowns. Not the good scary kind. The bad one, that makes us want to punch them in the balls to get a laugh. Mar 14, 2010 
Wow! 5 Russian speaking persons around me, and none knows proper Russian! I asked one little question and 5 people are arguing for an hour! Mar 21, 2010
Another mass slaughter in Africa- nobody cares.But a jew sneezes on an arab in Jerusalem-all over the news with UN & Europe against it. Mar 28, 2010
The right radicals angry me! The left radicals angry me! The ones in between with no opinions infuriate me even more! Apathy is the worst! Apr 15, 2010
"Before I read the newspaper I was uninformed, now after reading it I'm misinformed. Which is better?" - Emerald City Confidential Apr 16, 2010
I don't shout at people. I lecture in high volume. May 06, 2010
Overheard a female co-worker: Now that I'm pregnant-I'm gonna make my husband even more miserable. Hm,wonder why men fear pregnancy so much. May 06, 2010
By Palestinian claims, one could think Gaza's population consists of women and children only.Or that IDF's weapons smartly target only them. Jun 01, 2010
The horror stories those Gaza Flotila so-called eyewitnesses tell are straight out of Hollywood. Or should I say Pallywood. Jun 02, 2010
I think those flotila "survivors" forgot to mention the IDF soldiers had vampire teeth and horns. And that they laughed while shooting. Jun 02, 2010
No one will question why that mother took her child on that flotila, as long as she tells how scared she was for his well-being from IDF. Jun 02, 2010
This whole int. reaction looks like pre-planned well rehearsed stage production. And we are morons for playing along. Jun 02, 2010
No such thing as chaos. Order is everywhere. Sometimes seen and sometimes - not yet. Jun 03, 2010
A girl on the train, with most of her undies showing under an excuse of a skirt, to a friend: "Shame! Your bra is out, you slut!" Summer... Jun 16, 2010
A co-worker: Remember you said they don't take care of us here? Well, they brought us a new toaster! Yeah, but they took away the microwave. Jun 16, 2010
I keep hearing that Twitter is a useless waste of time. Well, so is socializing attempts with most of humanity. Naively, we still doing it. Jun 20, 2010
A strange benefit of using the public transportation - lots of walking. Haven't walked that much in the last 3 years. Aug 02, 2010
One day at the new workplace and I have no idea about its technical configuration, but well versed in its inner politics. Aug 03, 2010
People who look like idiots - usually are. Frustratingly so. Aug 03, 2010
I know that's low and shallow of me, but some people I see on the bus range from beyond ugly to grotesquely disfigured and back. Freaky! Aug 04, 2010
There's some nostalgic warm feeling in coming home in a bus, late evening, when it's dark. An echo of some event from the childhood... Aug 04, 2010
The job of putting the kid to sleep is exclusively mine now. Tried bedtime stories and songs. He didn't care much. All he wanted was a hug. Aug 04, 2010
The sky hatefully watches me, its burning gaze melting my insides into liquid. Unleash your wrath already and finish it! Aug 09, 2010
Nothing beats a smile from a sleeping kid after you discreetly kiss him on a cheek. Aug 09, 2010
Creative stagnation. My mind is empty. Drained of vision. Mundane shell. Passive. Lethargic. Careless. Dead. Cold. Imaginary. Forgotten... Aug 17, 2010

A bright side to a very frustrating problem...

My kid is about to turn 3 years old. He still doesn't talk. It's not like he's not communicating. He does. A lot. It's just that he won't use any verbal language for it. He doesn't even open his mouth. His gesticulations and face are pricelessly expressive. And his intonations relays many meanings, understood mostly by us, his parents. We're troubled, naturally. And we're taking care of it, by going to doctors, psychologists and neurologists. So far, all is to no avail. In the meantime, his development is racing forward, at times accelerated by compensation. His lack of speech development causes great stimulation of his analytic skills. It is very evident, as he is extremely quick to learn new things, like how to operate certain technologies, or where is everything in a new place.
So it got me thinking. This thought stimulation works both ways.As he speaks wordless, providing us with mere guidelines and tonal hints for understanding, he challenges us, stimulates our minds, our perception. We're so used to get clear and specific objectives, points to known referents - we're forget that it is not a given. For my child, there are none, for example. He, probably, sees the world without definitions. Imagine what it is like. Seeing objects around you and not knowing  its name, its definition, giving it your own meaning without outside influence forcing itself on your mind. Imagine, that every expression of this world is a puzzle to solve, a riddle. Everything is given to your own interpretation, from the words of the people surrounding you, to the little events in your life. And no other interpretation is received. Try watching some actionless foreign drama in a language unknown to you, preferably, of a completely alien culture. This is probably what it's like. But it is easy for my child, as he has no other choice, no other perception of the world. We do, however. We have an established view and definition of everything around us. For some of us, in different languages and meanings. But those meanings and referents are concrete and often certain. This is how we operate. And this M.O. is disrupted when someone like my kid brings his own into it. Someone with a completely unset perception, who has no need for concrete referential points, who sees only images with great and unknown potential to explore, instead of pre-defined objects with little mystery. If he sees something new, he can't rely on us, his parents, to explain to him - he can't understand us. So he has to explore by himself, discover everything on his own, and decide his own perception of what he learns. I know, many children, if not all, go through this process, but they have the adult world to help them (force on them) get the "correct" definition and understanding of their surroundings. My kid doesn't. And that's frustrating. And yet somehow, inspirational. At least, for me.

I will never understand on what level of idiocy do you need to be to be one of those sheep!

Check out this link:

http://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/haitis-earthquakes-made-in-israel/

It seems that at least the organ harvesting story is true. These people were harvested of their brains. A non-essential organ for them, sure. I'd rather see their balls harvested... and burnt to prevent further reproduction. Sometimes evolution needs a little push.

Patience...

I know I haven't posted anything here for a long time. I've been really busy and my mind was full of pretty depressing thoughts to write anything interesting. But though the light depression is still there - I will make an effort to put something interesting here soon enough. Also, I've started to work on my English-spoken podcast and about 25% of it is ready. Critical as I am about my work, I think it sucks and hardly understandable due to heavy accent. However, this needs to be done. Also I hope to bring some of my more outspoken friends to a recorded discussion on a few controversial subjects that could make a very interesting podcast which I intend to push forward on the net. It's time to get known!

An example to my points in the previous post. Let's imagine an episode of Star Trek running parrelly on at least 5 of the franchise's versions:

"A space anomaly approuching a derelict space station belonging to a rogue religious who actually worship the anomaly. Enterprise is sent on an evacuation mission.

Star Trek TOS:

Mr. Spock: Captain, we approuching the space anomaly closing on the Federation's station "Dumbldor". I'm reading dangerous amount of space radiation coming from it.

Kirk: Red alert! Raise shields! Mr. Chekov fire torpedoes at the anomaly!

Mr. Spock: I fail to see the logic in such action, Captain.

Kirk: It's ok, Spock. No logic is needed for affirmative action. We'll win, you'll see.

Mr. Spock (raising an eyebrow): Humans are complicated creatures.

Uhura: Captain, I'm picking a strange transmition from the anomaly!

Kirk: On screen!

Pulsating psychodalic colored lights appear on the screen stating in dramatic tone.

Anomaly: Puny creatures! How dare you stand before the great Krol!

Kirk: This is Captain Kirk of the mighty starship Enterprise. We mean you no harm. (Whispering sideways) Chekov, fire torpedoes!

Anomaly: Ha-ha! You can't harm the mighty Krol! Begone or be destroyed!

Kirk: Chekov, launch torpedoes... Eh, mighty Krol, but we are peacefull people. Let us at least evacuate the population of the station and we will be on our way.

Anomaly: Hm. Very well, puny creatures. You have an hour and then I will devour the station with my mighty powers!

Mr. Spock: I fail to see any logic in the anomaly's actions, Captain.

McCoy: Does everything has to be logical, you damn Vulcan!?

Mr. Spock: Yes.

McCoy: Green blooded goblin!

Kirk: It's ok, Bones. He'll learn.

Spock(raising an eyebrow):Hm.

Kirk: Uhura, open-up a channel to the station. (After a signal) This is Captain Kirk in command of the starship Enterprise. We are here to save you from the anomaly and take you safely onboard our vessel.

Old zealot on screen: I thank you, captian, but there is no need for that. We surrender ourselves willfully to our Lord Krol. We wish to be left alone, so please be kind to leave the area.

Kirk: What do you think, Spock?

Mr. Spock: I fail to see the logic in this man's words, captain.

Kirk: You're right, Spock!

Mr. Spock raising an eyebrow.

Kirk: We must save those poor misguided people. Spock, Bones you're coming with me to the station. Mr. Zulu, you have the helm. Scotty ,launch torpedoes, then beam us to the station.

Scotty: Eye, capta'ain. But I don't know if she can hold it. It wasn't made to launch so many torpedoes.

Kirk: I trust you Scotty. Beam us up!"

At the station the team is greeted by the old zealot and lots of young and beautiful zealots barely dressed, especially the females. The old zealot is covered head to toe, however.

Old Zealot: I'm Zortan. Why have you come here!? You are not wanted!

A beautiful barely dressed lady comes closer.

Old Zealot: This is my daughter Zortana. She's single. Now get out of here!

The team pays no attention to the old man, checking the tricoders while Kirk is ogling the lady playfully.

Old Zealot: We pray and worship the mighty Krol!

The young people answer in unison: In Krol we trust and give him our life!

Kirk: What do you make of it, Bones?

McCoy: Godammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a psychologist. They're nuts!

Kirk: Mr. Spock, how do you think we should continue?

Mr. Spock: Obviously these people have no desire to be saved. It is logical to let them be and leave.

Kirk: That's right, Mr. Spock! We'll persuade them to come with us. Starting with Zortan's daughter. I think she is the key.

Approaching Zortana, Kirk: So tell me, pretty thing, why do you wish to stay and be eaten by a giant abnormal deity?

Zortana: Only through Krol will we reach heaven. So says my dad.

Kirk: Well, he's wrong! Krol is not the only way to reach heaven. Here, I'll prove it to you.

Kirk grabs Zortana slightly forcefully and kisses her passionately. She moans.

Zortana: This feels like heaven, alright. But I dare not defy my father.

Kirk grabs and kisses her again. Zortana: Yes, I'll come with you! Save us all!

Kirk: Gather all the station personal and meet us at the docking station. Don't tell your father. (Into his communicator, pleased with himself): Scotty, prepare to beam us all up. And all our guests.

McCoy: Are you sure, Jim? Should we force this on them?

Kirk: What do you mean, Bones? Are you saying we have no right?

McCoy: Goddammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a philosopher. Who cares!

Mr. Spock: Interesting. You didn't provide any reasonable argument to persuade that woman, yet she was convinced so swiftly.

Kirk: The powers of lust and desire. Very human things, Spock.

Mr. Spock raises an eyebrow.

All the young and beautiful people along with the team beam to the Enterprise.

Kirk jumping from the transporter platform: Chekov, launch torpedoes..

Chekov: Yes, sier. Vill be dunn. (Stalling) Kepten, ve dont hev any mor torpidos.

Kirk: Can't be! Then fire phasers!

Scotty: I'm sorry, capta'ain! But we don't have any energy left for phasers! I used it all up on transporting our guests.

Kirk: Scotty, Scotty! You have to do something! I believe in you!

Scotty: Oh, all right, capta'ain! I'll see what I can do! But I don't know how more abuse she can take! I'm working miracles here!

Kirk: I trust you Scotty! Do your magic!

They make it to the bridge.

Kirk: Uhura, open up a channel to the anomaly. I wish to speak to our "mighty" friend.

Mr. Spock: Do you have a plan, captain?

Kirk: I don't plan, Mr. Spock. I improvise!

The screen is filled with pulsating LSD colors.

Krol: You're late! Your hour ended long time ago! Prepare to be devoured!

Kirk: Wait a second, my friend! If you could devour us, why didn't you do it long time ago? Why wait all this time and let us finish our rescue? Unless, you can't devour us! It's all a bluff! You're not a mighty being, but a weak and hungry space anomaly. You have no power left! We're not afraid of you!

Krol: How dare you, puny creatures!

Kirk: We dare and that what makes us human! Scotty? Do I have my phasers?

Scotty: Yes, capta' ain. I'm ready!

Kirk: Mr. Chekov, fire phasers at the station!

Chekov: Vaye, kepten! Firing fazers!

The screen shows the station being evaporated.

Krol: Nooooo!

Kirk: Yes! You didn't want the humans on the station! You feed on steelanium-5 of which the station is made of! And since you didn't attack us, I'm guessing you're so weak of hunger, you're about to die!

Krol: So hungry! Food! Fooooo... (He dies and the colors dissolve on the screen.)

McCoy: Well done, Jim!

Mr. Spock: This is highly illogical! How did you figure it all out?

Kirk: I had a gut feeling, Spock. A hunch!

Mr. Spock: Hunch is not logical, captain!

McCoy: Stupid Vulcan!

Kirk: It's ok, Bones. Humans are complex. He'll learn. In time, he'll learn.

Mr. Spock raises an eyebrow and slowly turning walks away, while Kirk and McCoy smile to each other slyly.

The End."

Of course, I exaggerate for humor-sake, but this is the basic template of a generic Star Trek episode. No science, and no real moral questions or logical issues are ever explored here. And Spock, who keeps claiming how everything around him is illogical, fails to see a slight glimpse of logic, once it is actually used. Because, he's an inferior stupid Vulcan! I'll do the TNG run on my next post.

A look at Star Trek

A few days ago I watched "Star Trek" alone on my laptop and wasn't very impressed with it. Then I watched it at home with my wife, on a giant (can 37" be considered giant any more?) screen and my home theater audio system. I enjoyed it so much more, and my wife simply loved it, expressing a great desire for more. So as I've written both here and on my Twitter account, the direction and execution of this movie was good enough to look swell in cinemas, to be fun and exciting for a general movie goer. But then, my wife said that she liked the movie so much - she's going to give the TV show a try, out of curiosity. I reminded her that she watched it before and didn't like it at all. She answered that she doesn't remember it this way, and that what she remembers wasn't that fun. And then it stroke me that she watched "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine", but not the original Star Trek show of the 60s. And also, that she was absolutely right. The consecutive shows in the Star Trek franchise were fundamentally different from the original, and those were actually the shows we grew on, and by which we judge the film. Hence all the whining about the stupidity of the plot and total lack of real science in it.

Yes, the later shows were not "fun" for a general audience. The trekkies are always presented as geeks and nerds, all obsessed with the original series, but the fact of the matter is, that the later shows were actually much more geek-friendly and "scientific" then any episode of the original. Their target audience was much different. Let me explain what I mean.

The original Star Trek series was made in a time, when most people weren't very versed in scientific facts, especially where the outer space is considered, as it was only the beginning of the space age, so to speak, and most scientific information wasn't yet released and available for public knowledge. As such, most so-called sci-fi shows, were very unscientific, concentrating instead on adventure and action with some moral lessons. That's why most of those shows didn't age very well and today look completely ridiculous. And not for the effects alone. Take a look at the characters and the way they are presented in these shows. We usually get a standard pretty, groomed 60s template masculine heroes, basic supermen whose whole statue and constitution rick of self-confidence and bravery. They are ready to shoot lasers at the alien menace, save the screaming girl in danger and perhaps even save humanity in the process as a bonus. Something to boast about later on, while "romancing the females" 60s style. The world needed perfect heroes back then, and those demands were answered in the sci-fi media.

Check out Star Trek now. We have Captain Kirk, young, pretty in, what then passed for, excellent physical shape, whose heroic bravado somehow always saves the day, inspite of the seemingly logical impossibility of the situation. In fact, that's why Mr. Spock was put there. To be a constant contrast to that heroic, stupidly brave behavior. Spock, in a way, represent a scientist who is rarely the hero, but who always helps the hero to achieve his stance. That's because he lacks "emotion", that is not fitting to the social template for a heroic character of the time. He thinks before he acts, and he "boringly" analyses everything instead of rushing into action. That's why he's not the captain, and Kirk is. The leader is not the smartest of the bunch, but the bravest and the most compulsive one. The conflicts in the show were rarely, if at all, resolved with logic and science, relying more on cunning and intellectual inferiority of the enemy. Or just simple brute force. And always, Spock, the scientist, learned how defective his reliance on logic and science was, compared to the raw human compulsiveness of emotions. Of course, that's total bullshit. But back then, that was the sci-fi romanticism of the era.

And now look at the newer shows. We got Captain Picard, an aged veteran, extremely authoritative with infinite wisdom and morality, never rushing into things alone, rounding a team behind him, consulting his officers and actually acting on their advise. This is not an era of a lone hero. This is a "space democracy" in action. Where Kirk always tried to usurp the laws and regulations of The Federation, being the cocky outlaw heroic figure of his time, Picard respects the chain of command trying to work within the confinements of The Federation's directives. A different kind of heroic figure. Now the show does rely on science and diplomacy, in fact so much, as the show completely alienated the general audience. I remember complaints of general folks who tried to watch it either with me, or by themselves, that it was too talkative and dramatic. That there wasn't enough action in it. Look at the original show - it's mostly action, and it was considered too slow and talkative at its time. And then we have the next show - "Star Trek:Deep Space Nine" that forfeited science and action almost completely in favor of diplomatic and moral discussions, which made it even less successful on TV. Then came "Star Trek:Voyager" which tried to combine both previous shows and failed miserably, basically beating a dying horse. "Enterprise" tried to revive the almost dead interest of the public in the franchise, by introducing some of the elements of the original series, but mostly repeated it to the letter - the pretty cast, the heroic flawless captain, even a female version of Spock. It didn't work. The fans expected a smarter show in vain of the "Next Generation" at least, and the general audience just didn't care anymore. "Enterprise" is considered the last nail in the coffin of the franchise as it was.

The feature films didn't help matter neither. While the films based on the original provided some excitement and tried to expand the adventures and the action element of the TV show, the newer films couldn't achieve it within the modern established universe, with the exception of "First Contact" that was passable at best, mostly because it defied the restrictions of the franchise cannon.

Which is why this film came to be. The owners of the franchise understood that they can no longer milk any money from it, in its current state, especially when new franchises like Stargate, Firefly and Battlestar Galactica continuing to gain audience, basically stealing Star Trek fans from them. The logical conclusion was to go back to the roots and figure what went wrong and what needs to be fixed. That's what the new film does. It takes the original ideas and elements and gives it a modern slick makeover. My guess that the makers simply addressed the complaints and the issues people were having with the franchise throughout its run. Too much discussion and meaningless scientific technobubble? Gone! Moral questions debated ad nausium? Gone! Complicated plots connected and based on the now huge series' cannon and characterizations that relay on previous viewing of the entire franchise? Gone! Let's strip the show it its basics, but not in the old-fashion outdated way the "Enterprise" did. Let's do it modern, fast-food quick taste-like, with supercilious characters and fast paced action a la "Star Wars" and "Starship Troopers". Look how well it worked for them!

And there you have it. The new movie is the closest thing to the original show we ever going to get, without being anachronistic. All the good old elements are in place and they work, just like they worked before. Of course, we ,those born in the 80s and later, who grew on the more somber, filled with serious pathos, pseudo-scientific Star Trek shows, geeks have hard time accepting this movie for what it is. An eye candy for the general folk who have no interest and knowledge in science. Who just want to be entertained by epic space adventures on a grand scale, with heroic action that defies logic and reason. They want Kirk! Yes, we're back to the age of blissful ignorance and primitive barbaric emotionalism (did we ever really left it?). History repeats itself. Prehaps, again, we will grow up and mature to Picard and Sisko. And regress back again. Probably...

"Star Trek" short review. Longer version is coming...

I wanted to write a review on "Star Trek", which I finally watched this week, but couldn't view this movie on its own, outside of the franchise or the way it is perceived by most sci-fi fans. Seems it will turn into a long thesis about the Star Trek universe and why the criticism of it is both right and wrong. So I'll get to it soon. In the meantime, a short opinion:

The plot is stupid and makes no sense what-so-ever. However, the dialogs are well written and the direction is very dynamic, completely covering for the idiocy of the plot. The effects are very well done and the acting is superb on most parts. Except, the musical score was too obvious and repetitive. And those artificial flares annoyed me greatly. What is the deal with them, I couldn't figure. There was no light source to actually cause them, and artistically I can't say they served any purpose. They could have worked in some scenes, but the decision to put them everywhere was an ill-advised one. Generally, it was a fun movie and a good reboot for the franchise. Good in the commercial meaning of the word, as it obviously turns to a wider audience then the previous releases ever were. Star Trek is no longer sci-fi (was it ever?). It is now a fantasy adventure.