Sunday, August 30, 2009

SHE'S COMIN BACK!

Alright friends, I know a few of you have been emailing me all summer about resuming my blog! So JUST FOR YOU, I am going to do it! but you'll have to give me a little catch up time. You know...to dust off the old DVDs...put away the Klingon bat'leth and grab my phaser & communicator instead!

Don't worry friends...I'll be back...and ready for action soon enough!

::insert evil laugh here::

**three inhaler puffs**

::insert more evil laughing::

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Haven (Season 1 - Episode 11) Star Trek TNG

Commander's logs supplemental - Earth Date May 19...Year 2009.

As always I like to include the super campy trailers from STNG for you so that you can refresh your memory about the episode I'm blogging about!



I like this episode well enough. It's the first time we meet Deanna's crazy and outrageous mother Lwaxana Troi, and this episode challenges the practice arranged marriage.

I do like that there's a split between the crew's view of this marriage union. Some of the crew think it's barbaric and strange - others accept it because they want to be understanding and tolerant of other cultures and races. Strange dichotomy, because to me both seem correct or acceptable. On the one hand, who are we to say what's acceptable for another culture - on the other hand it does seem like a practice that doesn't allow people to come together naturally. All that being said...living in America (home of 'free love' and 'love-based-unions') we have the highest divorce rate in the world! - Food for thought?

Furthermore I think it's interesting that it's a Human/Betazoid arranged marriage. Because that makes me wonder if in the Star Trek universe there are still groups of Humans that do practice this. Maybe the human's agreed because they were joyful about the union with the Betazoid family! Who knows.


Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

For those not reading off of blogger - check out the original blog entry at http://mospacecamp.blogspot.com and please comment on the blogs my friends. I get random emails from people..but I'd much rather you comment on blogger!

Hide & Q (Season 1 - Episode 10) Star Trek TNG

Commander's logs - supplemental...Earth Date...May 19...Year 2009.

Feel free to watch the trailer for this episode if you need a little jolt my friends!!!! The trailers are hilarious...very campy - honestly they kind of make Star Trek seem far more ridiculous than it actually was!!! Mostly because of the voice over guy! Enjoy!!!



I have a love-hate relationship with this episode, and I'll tell you why! I heart Q, lets not even challenge that fact! But I feel as if this particular episode...was maybe near the 'camp-level' that the trailer makes it out to be. The aliens that Q creates that are in 17th century war cloths, etc. A little ridiculous.

I think this hilarous you tube review of the episode is quite honest and fun!!! Now I don't fully agree with everything this guy says - however the first season has it's ups and downs...




Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

For those not reading off of blogger - check out the original blog entry at http://mospacecamp.blogspot.com

Saturday, May 2, 2009

The Battle (Season 1 - Episode 9) Star Trek TNG

Commander's Logs - Earth Date...May 19th...year 2009.

Feel free to watch the trailer for this episode if you want a little refresher!



In this episode we also find out that the USS Stargazer was the first ship that Picard was ever captain. It comes up many times later in the series and it's nice to know the reference!

It's also the second time we see the Ferengi in this series. And this time their not such bumbling idiots. When we saw them in "The Last Outpost" they were monkey-like - frolicking around crouched/hunched and constantly breathing heavily. This time they seemed "normal" or at least as normal as Ferengi can be!

I'll be honest. I don't particularly like the Ferengi - but I think that's the point! I think Gene Roddenberry meant for some of these alien races to be difficult to like. It's always the races that have intolerance for for other species, are bigoted, aren't willing to grow, or races that undermine the equality of men and women! Ferengi for instance...don't cloth "their" women! Women have no power in the Ferengi world. Ferengi are also very very greedy! So between those two traits it's hard to like them much.

[funny - random note: "Farangi" or "Firang" are terms for foreigners (sometimes derogatory) in Farsi/Persian Language...this humors me because I am half Persian myself - but I was not raised in Iran which means that if ever I went there I may very well be telling people that I am Farangi, "Man Farangi Hastam" - Luckily for me, in Irani woman MUST wear cloths - beyond comfort infact!! Nevertheless, I still feel a little dirty being associated with the Ferengi in any way!]

All that being said, this episode is actually quite interesting because even though I still don't particularly like the Ferengi, Gene finds a way to bring out some of the 'humanity' in these creatures. Because Daimon Bok (the captain of the Ferengi vessel they encounter) is heartbroken about the loss of his son in a battle that Picard lead against a Ferengi ship when he was captain of the Stargazer. This may be one of only a few times that we actually see some 'humanity' from the Ferengi until DS9.

Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

For those not reading off of blogger - check out the original blog entry at http://mospacecamp.blogspot.com

Friday, May 1, 2009

Justice (Season 1 - Episode 8) Star Trek TNG

Okay due to popular demand from this blog on I will always include a trailer of the episdoe for those who aren't actually watching in order - but still want to participate. That way y'all can just get a little refresher so that you can comment on my review/commentary! So here it is...trailer love!!!



Okay, so I watched this episode while I was proposal writing last night...but it's a first season episode...I'm sure I kept up just fine. Here I'll summarize the episode: ship in orbit 'round planet, investigative team beams back to ship to tell cap'n 'all is well', away team beams down (it seems Tasha's clearly looking forward to getting some!), they send Wesley to play with other (hairy) children, Wes breaks a law (oh wes!), the 'sensual people' want to kill him - but Picard decides to break prime directive to save him - all the while there's some energy being playing god over the planet! YAY...told you I could multi-task! - that was ALL without looking at the wiki page!

Before I get into it, I just want to say, my favorite quote of the whole episode is when the girl Wesley's playing with asks him to teach her a game she knows HE can teach her and he responds, "There are some games that I don't know how to play yet..." (someday, Wesley...someday!)

While this episode is a little bit...how shall I say..."on the nose" (straight forward) about it...I think the underlying message that laws cannot be absolute is absolutely correct. And I find it interesting that this is tied into an episode where they challenge this energy entity's status as "God". Because that makes me think about religion (clearly) - as much as people start wars and shed blood over the "laws of faith" I feel as if it's too obvious that most rules are meant to be applied as they fit situations. And I don't meant to say that rules should be changed for situations - however sometimes there is gray area...nothing is black and white!

I mean think about it this way If a woman is being raped...should she not fight back? And if the only way to save herself is harm or even kill the person trying to rape her - should she be condemned to hell or shunned from god in the after life!? I think not!


Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

For those not reading off of blogger - check out the original blog entry at http://mospacecamp.blogspot.com

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Lonley Among Us (Season 1-Episode 7) Star Trek TNG

Check out the trailer for this episode in case you haven't seen it in a while!



This episode ALMOST measured a "SHMEH" on the Moj-O-Meter! But the last twenty minutes redeemed themselves gainfully! Admittedly I have to say that I was worried when I saw Welsey wearing the SAME ORGANGE SWEATER as the last episode (did they not give him enough cloths? can he not REPLICATE THEM?!)
By the looks of Wil Wheaton's face in this photo, at least later on in life he finally understood that he got the short end of the stick in the wardrobe department!

ANYHOW, I this episode had two running story-lines one that involved an energy being getting caught in the ships energy fields & taking over the bodies of the crew, the other of intolerance and ignorance. Personally, with the exception of when Picard was taken over by the energy being, I was very un-entertained. I was much more interested in the potential for the the story between the two feuding alien races! There was way more hope of getting more out of that story line! But I suppose in the end the moral of that story was that the Federation (which means all civilized races in the future...I mean really) will not stand for accepting races that feud with each other based on prejudices! - so...we got something useful...despite that message being hidden...WAY in the background!

So on the LOVE IT ---- RE-WATCH IT ---- SHMEH....CammanderMoj-O-Meter scale...

Awe hell...I think I'm going to fall back on SHMEH...now that I've seen this episode at least three times I think I've gotten everything out of it!...now I need to make up for this disappointment some how...

HMMM...watch another episode?...dont mind if I do!

Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

WhereNoOneHasGoneBefore (Season 1-Episode 5) Star Trek TNG

Oh my sweet baby Jesus...man...I took a little break from this blog and watching the episodes and I just started cracking up when I watched the trailer for this episode. My question is who hired these trailer editors & the voice over guy...?....sigh!!! But here it is if you'd like to giggle too!!!



I think that this is the first episode that Deana's mentioned that she can't read the emotions of a being at all! She is suspicious of this guy that comes onto the ship because of his arrogance but most of all of his assistant because she has no idea what he's feeling he's "empty" as she describes!

On the bright side though...this episode is no stranger to showcasing Wesley in some SUPER UGLY SWEATER again!!!


So despite the fact that I am quite interested in the story of the "Traveler" and how that effects Wesley's character for the rest of the series. I really think this episode is unfortunately one of the most forced. We already saw the crew become "drunk" in Naked Now so I'm just not that excited to see the crew have all these hallucinations.

I'm also begining to notice some inconsistencies with the quality of film capture in this episode this episode is SUPER dark. In some scenes it's almost as if you can't make out the details of Geordie's face (tisk tisk camera man...he might be black but he's not THAT black!).

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about this episode except for the fact that this episode is meaningful in the progression of the extended story line for a few characters.

On the LOVE IT ---- RE-WATCH IT ---- SHMEH....scale...

this was a "SHMEH!"

Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

Friday, April 3, 2009

11001001 (Season 1 - Episode 15) Star Trek TNG and NASA/CHICAGO FUN!

See trailer below
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So basically...blah blah blah...little aliens try to steal the Enterprise...
blah blah blah...Riker is distracted and duped by said little aliens, when they program the holodek to create an invented woman that is SO adaptable and "real" that Riker actually falls in love with her! (OH RIKER!).

blah blah blah, they retrieve the Enterprise, and all is well! YAY!!!!!!


NOW IN MORE EXCITING NEWS!!! Today NASA posted this story that made me happy! As a Chicagoan and as a NASA/Space Geek!!!! (and as a former basketball enthusiast)

[If you look closely, you'll see that Chicago won that game 18 to 12, yeah baby!]

Playing Forward

Edwin P. Hubble--famed astronomer--and basketball star? In fact, Dr. Hubble was both. The University of Chicago alumnus was a member the UC Maroons team that in 1909 won the college championship over Indiana University. It's only fitting that the man, the astronomer, the basketball star be honored for all of his accomplishments as the college championships are being played again in Indianapolis in 2010.

In this image from May 2009 during the Hubble servicing mission, NASA astronaut and fellow University of Chicago alumnus John Grunsfeld paid homage to Dr. Hubble, after whom the telescope was named, by photographing the team’s vintage basketball aboard space shuttle Atlantis. The Hubble Space Telescope is visible through the portholes.

click here to read this article in it's original context.

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CAN I GET A "WHAT-WHAT" FOR CHICAGO NATIVE?! YEAH BABY! Now who's going to start a "Sending Mojie-Moj To Space Camp Fund" aready! Seriously!!! I promise it's for a good cause! The "Getting more Chicagoans to NASA" cause, and also the "MOJ REAAAAAAALLY WANTS TO GO TO NASA" cause!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Angel One (Season 1 - Episode 14) Star Trek TNG

So it is absolutely clear that the universe Start Trek TNG takes place within is not perfect. However amongst the humans several social ills have already been cured. This is precisely what makes some of these episodes when the Enterprise comes into contact with races that very specific social dynamics interesting, because that direct contrast makes those conflicts or cultural practices obviously problematic. All that being said, enjoy the trailer for a moment so that you can refresh your memory, about what "Angel One" was about!
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Now, I'm not gonna lie, I love a good story about Women prevailing...because I'm biased! My ovaries are warriors, as they should be ;-) But inherently I was raised to believe that men and women are equal and realistically this makes far more sense than either men or women having a higher place in society, regardless of being raised a Baha'i!

In other stories that utilize the manifestation of a male power I often notice that the female characters are either forced to be "beautiful," "meek," "servants," or whatever and those female characters are either non-the-wiser, resentful, or just complacent. However in this episode where all of the men are the second class citizens, the men seem beyond complacent - they seem joyful! Especially excited to be used as sex-objects. --->surprised? hmmm....an interesting observation if nothing less.

Meanwhile, I love how that does not go un-noted by Deanna & Tasha, in fact I am mighty entertained by the hard time that these ladies give Riker when he puts on that sexy number to impress/appease the local "Elected One" (aka: woman in power).

I also think that this is the first episode that Geordi gets to hold a real position of power, as "Acting Captain" while the captain is ill, and the Riker is on Angel One. This episode is a double whammy for the two most oppressed minorities in Western culture. Yay!


I also love that even within the secondary story, ultimately it is a leading Woman who saves the day! If it weren't for our favorite Dr Beverly Crusher - the crew of the Enterprise would be SCREWED! She found the cure for the mysterious virus that was floating around the ship!



Finest quote of the episode!
"It, kinda...just...happened!" Wesley Crusher
Context: it's more fun to make you wonder!


LINKS
this blog in it's original context
my business
my band
my solo project

Now all that being said....WOMEN RULE AND BOYS DRULE!!! Just kidding! Equal! We're all equal :)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

THE LAST OUTPOST (Season 1-Episode 4) Star Trek TNG

Feel free to check out the awesome trailer that was aired before the episode aired! Oh man these trailers are terrible!! ha ha - but fun!



This is the first time we meet the Ferengi in TNG! They seem like bumbling idiots - however the crew still treats them with some level of kindness and dignity despite their lack of tact as a people! This may be the first time that Ferengi appear in the entire franchise of Star Trek.

I do enjoy the fact that Picard mumbles to himself much more in the first season! And Geordie sure is touchy-feely with his engineering crew when he's excited about making evasive maneuvers! ha ha! Though this is also the begining of Picard's displays of pensiveness.Link

I do enjoy that Deanna is so level headed at the begining of the series! I wonder how Picard would have survived his years in command of the enterprise without her! I do wish at times that they hadn't played on her femininity so much during the series and just stuck to her being such a strong and reasonable/logical woman! At the very least however, it is sometimes nice to see a female character that has balance of being collected/pragmatic and emotional.

But every episode has to have a DATA moment!! And here it is!!!


I am interested in the fact that the few races in the Star Trek universe that are openly viewed negatively are the races that can't deal with equality between men & women and/or cannot stand equality or at least diplomacy between different races (i.e. ferengi, etc).

I love that this whole episode is built on the philosophy Sun Tzu (Chinese war philosopher). Early on in the episode when Sun Tzu is first quoted, Picard is glad that Riker is familiar - because it is implied that he learned these teachings at Starfleet Academy. It makes a lot of sense to me that the federation would be interested in these kinds of philosophies - as Starfleet is built on diplomatic relations first - war battle only if there is no other option!

But the best part of the whole episode is when Riker suggests that they send a box of Chinese finger traps to the Ferengi as a gift! Oh Riker!! LOL!!

LINKS
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
Baha'i Trekkies Group (new)
My Band
My Business

CODE OF HONOR (Season 1-Episode 3) Star Trek TNG

This episode's hilarious from the begining!!! Still channeling the original series (TOS) I feel, but next gen will get it's own voice soon enough! I love the fact that from the begining the blonde with blue eyes is kickin' burley men around!!! Just skip to 2minutes in this video! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!



It is funny that Data is actually aware of his unnecessary over-explanation of things early on in the show! He's far to apologetic about his educating the crew! - [But worse than that...Wesley's sweatshirt in this episode...AWEFUL!!!! ]

Back to Data...this is the begining of his attempts to understand human humor! Poor Geordie...always there for Data...always suffering!


Link

On another note has anyone else noticed that the turbo lifts, and the captains ready room all shift from door to door! Maybe I'm just silly. But let it be known that in this episode (if facing the captains chair. The door to the upper left goes to the observation lounge...the one to the upper right is the turbo lift, and the one that's closest to ops on the right is the captains ready room. only three doorways on this bridge - during this episode!
Link
For those of you reading my blog on facebook, trekspace, or eslewhere, see the original blog posts here.

Links
Wikipedia summary of the episode!
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog
My TrekSpace Page
My Band
My Business

Monday, March 9, 2009

Sunday, March 8, 2009

THE NAKED NOW (Season 1-Episode 2) Star Trek TNG


This is one of my favorite episodes. Probably because I had started to watch the original series in order (only made it through one season - got distracted) before my friends and I watched Next Gen in order. For some reason the episode "The Naked Time" just really made me laugh! "The Trouble With Tribbles" is my other favorite TOS episode!

"THE NAKED NOW" is clearly a rehash of that original series 'sode and I feel it is equally as endearing.

Until now I never noticed just how much of the show is dedicated to the character development of Data. It's feels like every episode is an opportunity to learn something new about him, or to explore something unexpected! Though I do love the fact that this episode is how we learn that Data is "fully functional". Additionally, in this episode we learn that data has pores...incase that's important for you to know!

This is also the first episode that the romantic tension between Picard & Beverly begins!!! (Oh come on, I am a woman...of course I'm going to pick up on all the mushy stuff!).

This episode played out a lot like the original series. People just start acting foolish and sweating like maniacs - eventually they figure out what's going on.

Despite the fact that I personally don't advocate for drinking or knowingly becoming intoxicated; I do enjoy that the first episode we see Wesley exhibit his genius is when he's intoxicated. I love the little device he created to sample the Captain's voice - it seems very innocent, a way to "play" Starfleet officer - certainly a clever feat for a kid! Now if only we could have gotten the poor boy out of those ugly sweaters!! They were ugly in the 80s they'll be ugly in the future too...I PROMISE!



The serious curiosity is where they found that greasy looking guy to work in engineering! You know the one who was playing with the isolinear chips as if they were dominoes! He wasn't even in uniform COME ON! ;-)


"If you prick me do I not leak?" - Lt. Commander Data (Season 1, Episode 2, "The Naked Now")


LINKS
Lt. Commander Crombs Blog!!!
My Trek Space Page
My Band
My Company

ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT (Season 1, Episode 1) Star Trek TNG

I am so excited about starting the series over again that I couldn't wait to actually start watching the episode! So I'm here...still in my pajamas on daylight savings Sunday - totally pumped up! I spent part of this morning building the blog page! Now here we go!!!!........

It is funny watching the first and second seasons. Though my dear friend Crombs (blogging companion & best friend) almost completely hates the first two seasons, I still find that I enjoy them! The production value is very limited and several episodes of the first season are rehashed ideas from the original series but there's still something magical about them.
The entire cast is thin & fit - all in their prime!

These early episodes immediately remind you that Roddenberry's dream was to create a show that challenges the human tendencies towards different cultures and races. Furthermore, though I am not a huge Tasha Yar fan I do enjoy the fact that the Chief of Security is a slender blond woman with lots of spunk!!!

"ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT" opens with Picard's very first Captain's log, Star Date: 41153.7

I love the fact that there are both men and women in those short uniform skants! I'm a sucker for a man in a kilt...this is the closest that STNG comes to giving me all that!

This episode's saucer separation is by far my favorite! It's slow, dramatic, and beautifully shot! There are few shows that have taken filming on film so seriously in the 80's. I also enjoy the manual reconnection!

I am noticing loop holes already! Troy has incorrect ranking pips. In this episode she's ranked Lieutenant Commander - but she doesn't take the test to be a commander until much much later in the series!!

It's interesting - the first episode feels much like the original series in many ways. I mean obviously, new ship, new crew, new technology, etc - but all of the camera work feels exactly the same! Riker most of all seems to be channeling the demeanor of Kirk! I will be curious to see how much of the original series lives in the writing/camera work/etc of this series when I revisit TOS.

FAVORITE MOMENT IN THE ENTIRE EPISODE!!!!
When Data is escorting 137 year old Admiral McCoy to meet with Picard, McCoy expresses joy about being on the enterprise, and explains, "A new ship but she's got the right name...you treat her like a lady and she'll always bring you home!!!" LOVE IT!

It is this episode where we meet Q for the first time! Prejudicely challenging the 'savage nature' of humans! This is an interesting commentary on the idea of ethnic cleansing because Q's approach and argument is clearly misguided and clearly absurd!
"If we're going to be damned then we should be damned for who we are!" - Captain Jean Luc Picard (Season 1, Episode 1, "Encounter At Farpoint")


LINKS
Lt. Commander Combs Blog!!!
Episode Summary on Wiki
Trek Space
Lethal Poetry Productions
The Mojdeh Project

TREK-BLOG MANIFESTO

Between Star Trek & the Baha'i Faith I have learned how to be kind, to cognitively appreciate all races, to pay attention to the subtle details of different cultures, to seek knowledge endlessly, and how to be a diplomat. The Baha'i writings dictated a necessity for the equality of all races, equality of men and encouraged the 'independent investigation of the truth'. Star Trek the Next Generation offered a prime example of these things for me while I was young enough to need an active example!

So it is with this series of Star Trek that we shall boldly blog like no one has ever blogged before! I won't lie, this WILL be my THIRD time watching all seven seasons of STNG in order!!!!

My best friend and I will simultaneously be blogging about the episodes IN ORDER, without reading each other's posts until they are done!

In my blog - I seek to bring light to the themes and conditions of the episodes that offer valuable social, humanitarian, ecological, and political commentary. Likewise - I wouldn't be an honest person if I didn't poke fun where it is deserved.

Truth be told; I am a trekkie, an eco geek, fruit addict, artist, a small business diplomat, a public servant, and a post-modern sifi re-appropriator before all else!

Let the blogging begin!!

If you're reading this from facebook or another page then go to http://mospacecamp.blogspot.com/ to see the original post and www.lethalpoetry.com or http://www.myspace.com/themojdehproject to see what I do with the rest of my life!

For those with limited experience or who want a basic overview of the series click here.