I’ve always wanted to publish a book, but I never thought I would ever get a book published about Star Trek. My first Treknobabble didn’t contain any personal references, but it was Sean and Jay who said that Film Junk was a blog, and that I should inject more of myself into it. Now I think what makes Treknobabble distinctive is that I’ve sort of made it autobiographical. Maybe if Film Junk starts its own publishing company, then there’s a chance to see Treknobabble in book form.

Henrik, English is my first language and I still screw it up every once in a while. The reason I pick on Next Gen so much is that it’s probably the most famous Star Trek series that people know about. I’m probably jealous that it got more popular than the Original Series, which people tend to pick on all the time.

As for Ricardo Montalban, all I can say is “KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!” (I know. That was too easy, and perhaps disrespectful. I hear he did some Star Trek conventions and promotional gigs for the Wrath of Khan when he was wheelchair bound. Like DeForest Kelley, I don’t think I’ve read an unkind word about him.)

I have a brewing conspiracy theory about Clint Eastwood and his crafty racism. I’m starting to believe he knew all along he could make a racist movie in Grand Tarino which could be hidden under a anti-racism banner. Part of my conspiracy developed while watching the pathetic Million Dollar Baby and how Clint’s “black friend” is portrayed. Clint reads literature, Morgan reads comics. Clint gives Morgan leftover food like a dog. Morgan lives under the stairs like a dog.

People forget the time Clint was mayor of Carmel, CA and tried to make it a pristine village with no homeless or other undesirables.

“Henrik, I respect your love for Next Gen. But when you say “childish manners and protocol,” don’t you see that as being judgmental? You’re projecting your own attitudes that you think everyone should share.”

What do you know, an actual opinion from Reed for once! I don’t know man, I think Picard definitely feels that the protocol is childish, and that he would never expect the same kind of thing from another species. As for myself, I kind of agree it’s out of line to demand some sort of specific “local” greeting, in order to open up talks. I guess I am judging, who isn’t though?

This is treknobabble 49. I speak out now. Is it overly sensitive? I think 48 posts are a good amount of tolerance. It just bugs me that whenever Next Gen is brought up, you consistently treat it sarcastically, pointing out minor idiocies, and never do it with TOS. I don’t have a clue either, why you don’t like Next Gen, and have pretty much concluded (or JUDGED) that it’s because you weren’t a kid when watching it, whereas you were a kid when you watched TOS.

And a book would be pretty cool.

And Henrik, when you say “bias towards Next Gen,” do you mean “bias against Next Gen”? Ha ha.

Henrik, I respect your love for Next Gen. But when you say “childish manners and protocol,” don’t you see that as being judgmental? You’re projecting your own attitudes that you think everyone should share. This is what causes strife between cultures. Note that I didn’t say that the Next Gen crew were racist or prejudiced in the “hate towards a race” sense of the word.

I’ll admit to being biased against Next Gen. But note that I did mention Kirk’s prejudice against the Klingons. Henrik, I think you’re being too sensitive about something you love. I always accuse Jay of this. His girlfriend would probably not agree with this.

I’m still waiting for a Star Trek series with an Asian captain as the lead. Don’t tell me they can’t find a suitable actor among the billions of Asians in the world. Ha ha.

Picard was bothered, because he is beyond childish manners and protocol. Not because he didn’t like the other race per se, but of course it bothers everybody to be forced to do something you’re bad at, in order to get to the part that matters and that you’re good at. I hate your bias towards Next Gen.

Yeah, I do have a habit of jumping around a lot. I don’t connect my threads of thought very well. As a way of explanation and by no means a valid excuse, here’s a quote from “The Geography of Thought”:

“Westerners – and perhaps especially Americans – are apt to find Asians hard to read because Asians are likely to assume that their point has been made indirectly and with finesse. Meanwhile, the Westerner is in fact very much in the dark. Asians, in turn, are apt to find Westerners – perhaps especially Americans – direct to the point of condescension or even rudeness.”

That quote probably explains why Jay is always asking me what I’m trying to say. (Oh, and I don’t mean to imply that Jay is condescending or rude. )

BTW, I’m much more Western than Eastern in my thinking because of the physical environment I grew up in, but my parents were a major factor as well. Perhaps I got the best of both worlds?