nobledragoon423

It was the dawn of a new age of discovery--two years after the Cardassian-Bajoran war ended. The Bajoran Wormhole was a dream given form: a conduit to a wholly unexplored region of space. Traffic through this highway is managed by a space station orbiting Bajor. Its goal: to prevent another war by creating a place where multiple species can work out their differences peacefully.

It's a port of call--home away from home--for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens, wrapped in 45 million tons of spinning metal...all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last best hope for peace. This is the story of the Bajoran space station. The year is 2370. The name of the place is Deep Space Nine.

From TNG's "All Good Things"

Picard: I know that I'm an old man and I'm out of touch. But the Worf that I remember was more concerned with things like honor and loyalty than rules and regulations. But that was a long time ago, and maybe you're not the Worf I once knew.
[Worf curses in Klingon]
Worf: You have always used your knowledge of Klingon honor and tradition to get what you want from me.
Picard: Because it always works, Worf! Your problem is that you really *do* have a sense of honor, and you really *do* care about trust and loyalty. Don't blame me for knowing you so well.

And from DS9's "The Way of the Warrior"

Quark: I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this.
Garak: What is it?
Quark: A human drink. It's called root beer.
Garak: I don't know...
Quark: Come on...aren't you just a little bit curious?
[Garak sighs and sips from the cup.]
Garak: Ugh! It's vile!
Quark: I know. It's so bubbly and cloy and happy.
Garak: Just like the Federation.
Quark: But you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it.
Garak: It's insidious.
Quark: Just like the Federation.

I have been re-watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine recently, and I figured I would keep a list of my favorite episodes.

Season 1
Emissary
The Nagus
Vortex
Progress
The Forsaken
Duet
In The Hands of the Prophets

Season 2
The Circle
The Siege
Melora
Necessary Evil
Armageddon Game
Whispers
Profit and Loss
Blood Oath
The Maquis, Part II
The Wire


Season 3
The House of Quark
Second Skin
Past Tense Part 1 and Part 2
Heart of Stone
Destiny
Improbable Cause
Family Business

Season 4
The Way of the Warrior
The Visitor
Hippocratic Oath
Indiscretion
Rejoined
Little Green Men
Homefront and Paradise Lost
Crossfire
Bar Association
Accession
Hard Time
Shattered Mirror
For The Cause
To The Death

Season 5
Apocalypse Rising
The Ship
Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places

( Now with some notes... )

I re-watched Star Trek: The Next Generation recently, and I figured I would keep a list of my favorite episodes.

Season 1
The Battle
The Big Goodbye
11001001
Home Soil

Season 2
Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Measure of a Man
Contagion

Season 3
The Ensigns of Command
Who Watches the Watchers?
The Bonding
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Dejà Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Sarek

Season 4
The Best of Both Worlds
Family
Brothers
Suddenly Human
Reunion
Data's Day
First Contact
The Drumhead
In Theory

Season 5
Darmok
Disaster
Unification
Hero Worship
Ethics
The Outcast
Cause and Effect
The First Duty
I, Borg
The Next Phase
The Inner Light
Time's Arrow

Season 6
Relics
Schisms
Rascals
The Quality of Life
Chain of Command
Face of the Enemy
Tapestry
Starship Mine
Lessons
The Chase
Timescape

Season 7
Liaisons
Phantasms
Attached
Force of Nature
Parallels
The Pegasus
Homeward
Lower Decks
Masks
Firstborn
Emergence
Pre-emptive Strike
All Good Things...

( Again with some reasoning... )

Former NASA administrator Mike Griffin knows what I'm talking about: "Let's Reach for the Stars Again".

So, I have been busy at work lately, so I have yet to make progress on my little pet projects. In the meantime, allow me to share with you a speech that has resonated with me the last few days:





In particular, 8:24:

But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.

I know, I know. "You just saw that on the Omega watch commercial. Nice try, wise guy." And that's true. I had not seen the complete speech until after I saw that commercial.

Yet, does it not still apply today? In your everyday life, even?

I am unsure at this time how to express the impact those words have on me. So, some initial thoughts, perhaps.

Parents remind their children not to rest on their laurels. Progress is made by challenging oneself, pushing oneself to his limits. "We choose to do these things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." It is so easy to fall into a rut, to stagnate. After all, what is familiar provides a sense of security, security of one's confidence.

So, in daily life, don't settle. Take work assignments that are challenging. Take up new hobbies. Travel to new places.

And do so with all your energies. A challenge is only that when it forces one to recognize one's limits--in skills or perhaps simply in one's understanding of the problem--and to surpass them.

Of course, one must put this in the context of one's life.

I have some additional thoughts on how this speech relates to current affairs...but I shall save those for more personal conversations.

So, I test flew my first home-built flat foamie airplane today. Results were...less than stellar. See below the break.

( explanation and photos! )

So, I took another one of those career tests at livecareer.com. When I was taking it, I totally thought I was going to get messed up results, but I must say that I'm surprised that it seems to represent my interests.

Here's what it had to say about me:

Your highest score was on Science, which means that you enjoy working with abstract ideas, scientific equipment, and mathematical logic and reasoning to solve practical or abstract problems. You also scored highly on Writing, indicating that you enjoy creative or technical writing. You are also likely to be interested in a broad range subjects, so finding occupations that allow you to exercise these interests would lead to higher work satisfaction for you. Your high score on the Teaching / Social Service scale means that you enjoy instructing people in learning new things, helping people solve problems, and assisting others.

You lowest score was on Sales. You wouldn't be satisfied in careers that involve selling merchandise or services. These careers involve understanding products and services, informing customers of their features, demonstrating products, and being persuasive with others. You also showed low interest in Assertive, so you wouldn't be fulfilled working in situations where you were frequently required to assert authority over others, and to direct and monitor their work. Your low score on Persuasive means that you wouldn't be fulfilled with work that involves influencing, advising, counseling, guiding, motivating, or directing the activities of others.

Apparently, my career interests can also be represented on one of those cool radar graphs:



Investigative (Thinkers) - Investigative types enjoy the challenge of problem solving in mathematics, technology, and sciences, and the abstract and practical ideas related to these areas. Applied science, such as engineering, technology or computer science may also be of interest to them. They can be technically creative.

Social (Helpers) - Social types are interested in helping to keep others emotionally or physically healthy, or in teaching others. They enjoy giving advice and working directly with people, either in groups or individually.

Artistic (Creators) - Artistic types are often thought of as original and creative by others. Such people enjoy expressing themselves in artistic ways such as acting, dancing, creating music or visual art, or by expressing their ideas either through discussion or debate.

Realistic (Doers) - Realistic types like physical activity, working with their hands, and are mechanically-inclined. They enjoy working outdoors and do not mind physical risks on the job.

Attentive (Servers) - Attentive types enjoy helping others, serving others' personal needs and looking after the comfort and well-being of others. They are happy in jobs requiring sociability, politeness, patience and a happy disposition.

Conventional (Organizers) - Conventional types enjoy supervising others in jobs where rules and tasks are well defined. They show careful attention to detail, are organized, follow instructions well and prefer jobs where their daily duties are regular and fixed.

Enterprising (Persuaders) - Enterprising types are people-oriented. They like to talk to, influence and persuade others. They are confident, adventurous, assertive and show leadership.

Sounds about right, I think. More musings on this later.