FRACK!! (Originally published May 9, 2008)

Normally, I try to keep my inner dork reigned in, but occasionally it comes out and brings along a soapbox. I am a huge Battlestar Galactica fan, dating back to the days of feathered haircuts and cheesy stock footage. I knew what the word 'frack' meant long before Starbuck was a girl and the Cylons looked like swimsuit models.
To say that the 'reimagined' show is as frustrating as it is entertaining would be an understatement. The supposed 'best drama on TV' seems to get its jollies from dangling carrots in the faces of its fans. Currently in the last season, we are seeing ten of the final twenty episodes right now, with the remaining ten not scheduled to release until next year. The current season came over a year after the last, with nothing but a single made-for-TV movie in November to tide us over. Frack, indeed.
I do admit that I am much more enamored of this show than the original, with its stunning visual effects and its deep delving into the human condition. Unlike most science fiction offerings, the human race isn't wheeling through the galaxy in glistening, ultra-efficient starships getting in everyone's face about how superior their spirit and morals are. Beyond bad planning and distribution, there is very little you could find fault with in a series of this nature.
. . . And then I saw the Star Trek tribute.
I almost missed it, and I almost wish I had. Four of the human characters have been revealed to be Cylons. Unable to cope with this individually, they find it necessary to meet occasionally in secret to complain about it. One such secret location was 'locker 1701-D'. A Trek tribute in BSG?! What gives? Did some obscure person from the show work on this particular episode, or are we seeing some twisted foreshadowing? Now that I think of it, it all fits… An entity capable of mimicking humanoid life forms, multiple copies, and a bad sense of humor… I would be sorely disappointed to find out that Data was the final Cylon.
It would be par for the course, though… The human race suffers a crushing blow from an enemy of their own design, sending them on a journey that spans not only thousands of light years, but also the length and breadth of their mortality and morality; of ethical and religious practice and beliefs that are only now, in these bleak times, coming into question. They are on the brink of a religious revolution threatening to tear asunder their very core beliefs and devotions. What would it do to them to reach Earth, only to find an agnostic society who will swear to God, when the humorous interjection of a 'colorful metaphor' is necessary, but who would not believe in Him?
But I digress… My intention was to not come here and go on about religious connotations. When, exactly, did the inhabitants of the science fiction community become incapable of standing on their own? Mainstream shows as far back as Seaquest felt the need to pay homage to those which came before them, usually Star Trek or Star Wars. I remember watching a 'Sci-Fi channel original' in which Wil Wheaton referred to two nuclear warheads by the serial number of an Imperial Stormtrooper and THX-1138. It was totally out of place, absolutely random, and useless inasmuch as the only people who could possibly catch the reference are wonks like myself who have seen Star Wars more times than the average male college student has seen the Monty Python 'Parrot Sketch'.
Let's face it; there are no original ideas anymore. If there were, we wouldn't have had sequels from the Rocky or Rambo series in 2006 and 2008, respectively. Has anyone out there heard of the proposed remake of 'Short Circuit', or the upcoming 'Get Smart' movie? It's like everything old is new again, but not really. This is the reason I like to curl up to a good Heinlein novel now and again. Even though they are decades old, it's nice to read an original story. My hat is off to the Grand Masters, though not because I heard an obscure notion in an unrelated movie. For now, I think I'll head off to bed with a Tolkien novel from my own library. Let's see… Ah! There it is...
…Bookcase 1701, shelf TK-421.

Curriculum Vitae. . .

So, this go-round, I didn’t make it for the end of the year toast. Sorry, I was asleep. 2008 had been a long and tiresome year, filled with frustration and troubles aplenty. Truth to tell, I needed the sleep and, without the assistance of alcoholic substances, I fell into a coma around about 9 p.m. EST and didn’t come out of it until about 8:30 this morning.

Oooo-rah.

There were some good things to come out of the past year, though, from reconnecting with old friends to first connections with new ones. With a little help, I came to a realization that I had been hanging on to some things I should have left behind; things that kept me from truly moving on. I experienced a rediscovery of self and purpose, which will make for a rough but interesting journey in the year to come.

So what does lie ahead? Who knows. I have big plans for the future, for myself and my family, and can only wonder how far this year will carry them. An internet store, leading into a health and fitness business is one of my goals, as is building towards a larger home for my family and moving my parents up from Kentucky. As for the near future, I have set off on teaching my oldest son and daughter wilderness survival skills, which started off with a rather humorous adventure centered around building a snow shelter. I am also thoroughly convinced that this winter will be perfect for another little science project we’ve been talking about for a couple of years. For details on that, stay tuned to this station.

As for my friends, both nearby and beyond the horizon, I hope to share this journey with all of you. As the past year has shown, we’ve been apart too long; we’ve missed too much. But before we embark on new beginnings, we must take care of the endings. . .

· To my entire family: I couldn’t have made it through 2008 without your support. We have to do that whole ‘hurricane’ thing again sometime.
· To my four wonderful children: I don’t know what I would ever do without you… Know, too, that I don’t know what I wouldn’t do for you. You are all truly pieces of my heart.
· To Diane, truly my twin sister: You are an EF-5 tornado in an otherwise calm sky. Your chaos helped me find my calm; my soul finally knows itself.
· To Cindy, dear heart: Life took you away so long ago, yet I sometimes think I can feel you beside me. I know I will see you again in the next life. I’m thankful you were in mine, if only for a short time.
· To Justin, my brother-in-arms: Life has made us unfathomable to those around us. We may not have figured ourselves out completely, but at least we’ll always have the misanthropy.
· To Tammy: You are forever seeking yourself, through the maelstrom that is your life. No matter what may happen, I will miss our walks in the park.
· To Alicia, my newest good friend from Tennessee: You’ve been having trouble seeing the way, too. You are someone I can trust, and that doesn’t happen often. Keep living in the moment, and never second guess yourself.
· To Ben: You may just be a worthy opponent. I look forward to many chess matches. Maybe I’ll even win a few.
· To Absent Friends

And now, we begin. . .