Number of posts : 764 Age : 54 Location : Wessex, Aenglaland Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:04 am
Why is Star Trek so universally derided by goths when so many of us actually enjoy it?
Gomez Witch
Number of posts : 439 Age : 46 Location : Rocky Mountains Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:11 pm
I don't know. There are a lot of those archtypes I don't get. Care Bears and Hello Kitty have caved out a secure niche in the subculture, but some things that I consider more or less plain vanilla have a bad connotation. I don't get it. I wonder if other subcultures have the same issues. Myself, I've been hooked on Star Trek since... well, actually I think it's since before I was born. My dad was a fan and I was raised on it. Followed it dutifully through DS9. Tried to watch Voyager out of party loyalty but eventually gave up somewhere around the beginning of the second season. The new movie was fantastic, and I don't begrudge them using better effects technology and whatnot, but I do wonder what possessed them to change the color palette so much. You could have used the basic same scheme and just made all the former props do cool things.
PorcelainPirate Witch
Number of posts : 265 Age : 35 Location : Southern England Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:59 pm
I'm a bit of a trekkie. Except for Enterprise, but I'm perfectly willing to just deny that one's existence.
Though, to be fair, there ARE other sci-fi shows I enjoy EVEN MORE, if that is at all possible. Stargate is my one true love
EvilHippyEmperor Mod
Number of posts : 764 Age : 54 Location : Wessex, Aenglaland Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:25 pm
Well if we're going to get all geekier-than-thou about it, the first four years of "Babylon 5" were generally better than any of the Star Trek franchises. It is a crying shame that the Networks messed JMS around so much over the fifth year.
I did like DS9, although it suffered from the common Trek problem of really crap endings.
I must agree with Gomez about the new film, though. I enjoyed it far more than I expected to.
PorcelainPirate Witch
Number of posts : 265 Age : 35 Location : Southern England Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:59 pm
Well, it really wouldn't be right to say bad things about Babylon 5, it totally revolutionised sci-fi! I think I agree with your entire post, EHE, except for the movie part. I've not seen it yet, because I intended to watch it with my father, and he's not found the time to yet. Silly unsociable man
Taraiha Witch
Number of posts : 332 Age : 52 Location : UK Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:57 pm
I liked Farscape.
Star Trek had Annika Hansen and Jolene Blalock
Babylon 5 had Claudia Christian
Battlestar Gallactica had Tricia Helfer
Andromeda had Lexa Doig
Firefly had Morena Baccarin
Farscape had Claudia Black
Farscape wins.
PorcelainPirate Witch
Number of posts : 265 Age : 35 Location : Southern England Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:04 pm
For me, it's definitely a tie between Claudia Black and Morena Baccarin.
EvilHippyEmperor Mod
Number of posts : 764 Age : 54 Location : Wessex, Aenglaland Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:00 pm
Claudia Black.
Farscape, tight black leather...
Stargate, pigtails...
...sorry, were we talking about something?
Gomez Witch
Number of posts : 439 Age : 46 Location : Rocky Mountains Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:23 am
Sadly most of the current discussion is after my time. Most of the good sci-fi happened after I'd sworn off TV and especially cable do to schedule and commitments and whatnot (chewing my hard biscuits while I'm young, as they say). I've seen one episode of Farscape, and found it exceptional. My dad watched Babylon 5 at times that I was busy doing other things, so I caught a scene here or there. I do give them huge kudos for staging the only realistic space-battles I've ever scene. Every other show I'd seen before that basically depicted airplane dogfights with a starfield in the background, respecting things like up, down, and even banking, all of which would not even be considerations in space. Babylon 5 showed fighter ships moving whichever direction they damn well pleased, and spinning around, shooting backward, sideways, or whatever, and strangely enough the objects in motion tended to stay in motion unless affected by an outside force. I HAVE seen Firefly because a friend has it on DVD. It's brilliant, and has a friend of mine as one of the characters (this happens to me a lot). I have a friend who looks, acts, and sounds exactly like Kaylee. The rest of the shows under discussion, I'm totally clueless about.
PorcelainPirate Witch
Number of posts : 265 Age : 35 Location : Southern England Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:24 pm
^
Gotta love that firefly skipped the sound effects in the space shots. Not enough sci-fi does that.
Gomez Witch
Number of posts : 439 Age : 46 Location : Rocky Mountains Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Sun Aug 30, 2009 5:44 am
Agreed. That and lasers (and other beams of energy) are visible from the side.
That really bugged me in Star Trek. It was bad enough that it was depicted that way, but I just kind of wrote it off as poetic license, until they actually called attention to the phenomenon in an episode of Next Generation. There was some sort of local temporal muck up where there were these two ships that appeared to be frozen in time in this messed up region of space (I don't remember the details), and one was shooting the other. Picard actually pointed to the beam of whatever and said to Data, "There seems to be some sort of energy beam emanating from this one ship to the other. Any idea what that could be?" And Data said it was impossible to tell from a visual inspection.
Damn straight it would be impossible to tell because the beam isn't directed at you! All you could hope to see is the bright spot where it hits the other ship! If you're going to depict energy beams, just for the sake of helping the audience see what's going on, fine, but don't call attention to it.
endless dark Master
Number of posts : 86 Age : 43 Location : Roc. NY Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:15 pm
That link will shed some light on the subject. This question and answer was just too good to pass up and tons of people uh... well look at this:
And then someone thought it would be fun to make a Dalek wonder where human life came from and there you go.
To complete the video, they would have to have another (maybe organic) critter answer the Dalek as in the second caveman above.
THEN... it would be funny.
Taraiha Witch
Number of posts : 332 Age : 52 Location : UK Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:33 pm
Yeah.
I still don't get it.
Gomez Witch
Number of posts : 439 Age : 46 Location : Rocky Mountains Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:19 am
Fine. Be that way. You can just go watch a cat get pwned by a cactus, then.
Akasha'sMistake Witch
Number of posts : 265 Age : 32 Location : In the Admiral's Arms Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:58 pm
I can't stop watching this and laughing.
I think there is something wrong with me.
Even worse, I think there is something seriously wrong with the person who took the time to make this a remix.
Gomez Witch
Number of posts : 439 Age : 46 Location : Rocky Mountains Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:01 pm
This one always makes me crack up. There's no audio.
It's a beach that kicks a bunch of marines butts.
PorcelainPirate Witch
Number of posts : 265 Age : 35 Location : Southern England Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:37 pm
I wish I knew how to cheer people up. I have all this compassion and no way of utilising it.
Gomez Witch
Number of posts : 439 Age : 46 Location : Rocky Mountains Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:54 am
Really? I find that surprising. Hearing from you always cheers me up... but then I suppose that's not really the same thing. I don't know the "real you" just what I see online. Though I might argue that seeing thoughts rather than appearances gives a clearer picture of a person than having a physical first impression... Philosophy aside, usually it's not that hard to make a bit of an impression. Certainly if someone's got problems, you can't just say "there, there," and make them all go away, but just knowing someone cares goes a long way toward making the burden more bearable. Just make an extra effort to demonstrate - to prove that you care. It may not be immediately visible, but it will have an effect.
EvilHippyEmperor Mod
Number of posts : 764 Age : 54 Location : Wessex, Aenglaland Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:55 pm
PorcelainPirate wrote:
I wish I knew how to cheer people up. I have all this compassion and no way of utilising it.
My dear Pirate, you malign yourself.
It is true you are no clown, nor stand up comedian, but that is seldom what people wish for when they feel low. You have a beautiful and, insofar as I have been able to judge, genuine smile. To be greeted with a friendly smile by someone who seems honestly pleased to see you is a boon in itself.
In my experience, it is very rare for a person to will say something that cuts to the heart of another's troubles and provides the perspective they need to resolve their problems. What friends do provide more regularly is just as invaluable: They can remind us that no matter what besets us, we are not alone. Their conversation may not provide any 'practical' help in our difficulties, but simply knowing that someone still cares, and still likes us no matter how worthless we feel, can make the world of difference.
Don't worry if you can't think of something witty or helpful to say, just talk to your friends and let them know you are there for them.
Kasmira Mod
Number of posts : 324 Age : 44 Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:47 pm
I just tell my friends "at least its not herpes" unless you know it IS herpes. Then i got nuthin.
I'm not big into showing deep emotion myself. So often people think i don't care. This tends to keep my friends (even the ones who know me well) from coming to me to pour out there problems.
But everyone that knows me does know that when they feel like shit i will tease the hell out of them till they can laugh about it. Thats what I'm good for cracking jokes (sometimes very inappropriate) and at least making them smile for a few minutes. Sure it doesn't fix there problems but it does lift there spirits just a bit and that's never a bad thing.
The thing I think is to be genuine.
EvilHippyEmperor Mod
Number of posts : 764 Age : 54 Location : Wessex, Aenglaland Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 29, 2009 5:02 pm
Kasmira wrote:
I just tell my friends "at least its not herpes" unless you know it IS herpes. Then i got nuthin.
I sometimes tell people: "Worse things happen at sea. Then you could have the same problems AND be being attacked by a giant squid."
You have now made me panic with the realisation that should one of my friends call me because they are being attacked by a giant squid I will have nothing to reassure them with.
PorcelainPirate Witch
Number of posts : 265 Age : 35 Location : Southern England Registration date : 2008-07-23
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 29, 2009 6:22 pm
I don't think I could ever truly consider being attacked by a giant squid a problem. Sure, it's life-threatening, but how FASCINATING! A great story to tell if you live through it, too.
Thank you for the nice words too, guys. It's infuriating not being able to fix things for people. It's comforting to know that others can relate to the 'I am of no practical use to you, but I promise I care' situation.
EvilHippyEmperor Mod
Number of posts : 764 Age : 54 Location : Wessex, Aenglaland Registration date : 2008-07-22
Subject: Re: Random Thoughts Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:24 pm
That's a weight off my mind. Should one of my friends call me because they are being attacked by a giant squid, I shall simply pass them across to you, and you can explain to them how being attacked by a 43ft long predatory cephalopod is actually a fascinating experience and not actually a problem. I'm sure that will be a great comfort to them and silence their namby-pamby whining even quicker than the squid does.