Cell Phone Reunion

[Thorin]

Our next challenge is to get Darren to stop surfing late at night finding weird links

Oh, I thought it was to convince him he wants to build, oh I dunno, a heart of glass or a giant hourglass or a fortress of solitude or a skytrain or downtown Manhattan, or something?

Cuz there's this game?  Where you can do all that?  Where he might see his friends on?  And he's on the computer anyway clicking through videos?

Darren: have you watched all of the Doctor Whos in the new series, from 2005 on?  Do you have a favourite Doctor and/or companion?

Tom: I assume your comment was in response to money in Star Trek.  Yes, I know the majority of humans aren't in Starfleet and therefore do use money.  My point was that even in Starfleet, where there was no money being paid, there's still a status ladder to climb.  The "no money" idea is a utopian idea that is undermined by said status ladder.

So yeah! Cellphones! Like communicators, but smaller and with dumber interfaces.

Nice try, by I'm sure this one's got the hazmat team responding, it's so completely derailed

See, told ya.

[Mr. Analog]

We are totally off the rails, which is something I want to play with in Minecraft, like if you spit out a high speed minecart what are the "flight" physics AND can you safely land on another rail?



Think Darren would get into Minecraft, no doubt, I'm a little concerned about his fears. If you know your limits you can control them (or indulge yourself! It's okay to have fun too)...

I raised some $$$ through $5 commissions (god help me), if he wants a subscription to Minecraft I will gift him one.

[Lazybones]

- Communicators failed in many missions, they are essentially SAT phones, you have a SAT (ship) in orbit providing coverage over a large area in synchronous orbit, you get under too much shielding or too deep in the ground, or the ship breaks orbit, you have no service... This was illustrated multiple times across multiple series, on stations or friendly planets there is obviously an additional infrastructure to carry the signal. Communicators and Tricorders make sense... who uses their smart phone to make voice calls these days? It is all about texting and apps.

- Even if there is no money, leadership has perks. Not everyone can become a captain, and the captain has different responsibilities than the crewman who cleans the sanitation system. However even by that measure the difference doesn't appear huge... Most of the captains privilege was tied to his roll and ship. Captain goes on vacation? Hardly ever, and it doesn't tend to appear much different than shore leave illustrated by other crew members. He gets a bigger bedroom, and that seems to be about it... Look back at Wessly he gets to go all over the ship, seems to have resources for any science project he wants, and well almost gets executed on a planet for falling in some plants on a planet with a big death penalty while on vacation...

- TOS had some good thought episodes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Taste_of_Armageddon . Planets go to war, decide it is messy and switch to computer simulation and death chambers.... Hmm why does the future always have a strange seemingly backward solution to war all the time (looking at you Hunger Games).

[Mr. Analog]

- TOS had some good thought episodes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Taste_of_Armageddon . Planets go to war, decide it is messy and switch to computer simulation and death chambers.... Hmm why does the future always have a strange seemingly backward solution to war all the time (looking at you Hunger Games).

Exactly!

Not every episode is going to be City on the Edge of Forever but a majority were quite thought provoking or just speculative

[Tom]

Tom: I assume your comment was in response to money in Star Trek.  Yes, I know the majority of humans aren't in Starfleet and therefore do use money.  My point was that even in Starfleet, where there was no money being paid, there's still a status ladder to climb.  The "no money" idea is a utopian idea that is undermined by said status ladder.

Maybe, but as a military organization, they still have to have some kind of hierarchy.

Also I wasn't aware they used money at all on earth. The backstory I know of, is they stopped using money. You basically just work to keep yourself busy.

[Thorin]

Didn't ST:DS9 clearly establish that there are humans who pursue material gain and use various currencies?  And wasn't there a ST:TNG episode where Riker goes to a bar to get information and they ask for money as a bribe, and he has none to give and explains that in Starfleet they don't use money?

God, it's been forever since I've watched Star Trek.  I wonder if I can find 'em all and then watch 'em while playing Minecraft...

[Lazybones]

Didn't ST:DS9 clearly establish that there are humans who pursue material gain and use various currencies?  And wasn't there a ST:TNG episode where Riker goes to a bar to get information and they ask for money as a bribe, and he has none to give and explains that in Starfleet they don't use money?

God, it's been forever since I've watched Star Trek.  I wonder if I can find 'em all and then watch 'em while playing Minecraft...

DS9 takes place way out in the middle of the wilds of space on the edge of federation control... The station staff are starfleet but not many other characters, thus currency (gold latinum as quark is always going on about) between the other cultures to trade for something that is commonly valuable.

Yep, Riker has no money, can only shop where Star Fleet credit or sexual favors work...

[Thorin]

I knew there'd be a giant Star Trek wiki with the relevant information; thank you fellow nerds!

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Federation_credit

Even Starfleet personnel were paid some type of "credit" that apparently had enough worth to be used in at least some transactions.

[Tom]

I knew there'd be a giant Star Trek wiki with the relevant information; thank you fellow nerds!

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Federation_credit

Even Starfleet personnel were paid some type of "credit" that apparently had enough worth to be used in at least some transactions.

Have to deal with other races somehow.

[Mr. Analog]

Yep, Riker has no money, can only shop where Star Fleet credit or sexual favors work...

I nearly spit my coffee all over my keyboard!

[Lazybones]

Yep, Riker has no money, can only shop where Star Fleet credit or sexual favors work...

I nearly spit my coffee all over my keyboard!

"My work here is done."

[Darren Dirt]

Our next challenge is to get Darren to stop surfing late at night finding weird links

Cuz there's this game?  Where you can do all that?  Where he might see his friends on?  And he's on the computer anyway clicking through videos?
Just cuz I'm on the computer too many hours does not mean I WANT to be on the computer that many hours


Darren: have you watched all of the Doctor Whos in the new series, from 2005 on?  Do you have a favourite Doctor and/or companion?
Amelia Pond AINEC.

DAMMIT! Why oh why did I link to CH...


http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6749695/dr-who-rpg

brilliance*, as usual.

And I was never even "into" 8bit rpgs.




*HUGE spoiler warning, for those who have watched some, but not all, of the last couple of series of Doctor Who.

http://forums.righteouswrath.com/index.php/topic,8611.msg58947.html#msg58947 is my vote for where the OBVIOUSLY NOW VERY NECESSARY thread split should take place.
Call it "Doctor Who/Star Trek/scifi technology/sociology/realism serious discussion" imo.

[Thorin]

http://forums.righteouswrath.com/index.php/topic,8611.msg58947.html#msg58947 is my vote for where the OBVIOUSLY NOW VERY NECESSARY thread split should take place

Meh, it's par for the course here.

Cuz there's this game?  Where you can do all that?  Where he might see his friends on?  And he's on the computer anyway clicking through videos?
Just cuz I'm on the computer too many hours does not mean I WANT to be on the computer that many hours

If you don't want to be on the computer that many hours STAND UP AND WALK AWAY.  You're not tied to the chair, you're just not bothering to go do something else.  While I totally get the "hey, another interesting link" syndrome, you and you alone are responsible for what you do with your time.  So don't complain about something if you're not willing to change it.

And all I was suggesting was that you _change_ what you do with your time on the computer, although it was meant as a joke, a ribbing if you will.  But again, it's up to you to decide what you do with your time.

Darren: have you watched all of the Doctor Whos in the new series, from 2005 on?  Do you have a favourite Doctor and/or companion?
Amelia Pond AINEC.

Err...  AINEC?  Also, I was trying to gauge how well you know the show before I go off on some rant only to find out you haven't watched, say, Eccleston's season.

For me, David Tennant is first, Tom Baker is second, Pertwee might be third (I'd have to pontificate on that some more).  As for companions, Amelia Pond (Karen Gillan) is alright but by the time Rose Tyler (Billlie Piper) left the series, she'd really grown on me.  And Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) was both a classic multicultural Brit beauty and a strong character right from the start.  However, none of them really held a candle to either Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) for her strong presence and strong morals or Perpugilliam (Peri) Brown (Nicola Bryant) for the boobies and kinda harsh tones she'd take with the Doctor.

And yes, I had to look up how to spell Perpugilliam.  And yes, Billie Piper's boobies are on display in the next series she did after Doctor Who - "Secret Diary of a Call Girl".

Oh geez, and I forgot about River Song (Alex Kingston).  Her character was a fresh breeze in the series, I thought - an equal to the Doctor and yet a complete enigma at the same time (until they finally told us how she was connected to the Doctor).

[Darren Dirt]

If you don't want to be on the computer that many hours STAND UP AND WALK AWAY.  You're not tied to the chair, you're just not bothering to go do something else.  While I totally get the "hey, another interesting link" syndrome, you and you alone are responsible for what you do with your time.  So don't complain about something if you're not willing to change it.

clarification: I'm not really saying "I want to stop..." but more like "I can see myself soon wanting to stop..." Hmmm, okay trying again: At the present time I'm okay with my slight extremes in time or depth, but soon "I want to want to stop". Not sure if that makes sense; I think I'm just having a bit of fun while I "can". I'm just lacking in motivation right now to "stop", but some RL stuff in the very near future is going to change that, so it's all good.

So worry not, friends, it's not like I'm fighting/denying serious depression or something, and this flavor of time sink(/prison?) is my escape from emotional pain or whatnot. I'm actually really happy about a whole lot of things in my life (outside and in!), just lately have been enjoying going "off script" and just letting curiosity lead me into discovering a large number of diverse aspects of life, in various forms, not just in electronic media, but other ways too. It's all kinda integrating together for me, it's fun and hard to "call it a day" whether or not I'm in front of a computer screen. Sorry if I'm being too vague/general in my wording.

Actually the closest comparison I give is this: about 2 years ago during therapy I realized something humbling, shameful, but soon after inspiring/empowering: I said "I don't want to be a good, dependable, involved dad ... but I want to want to be a good dad!" and at that point my honesty about my current situation/personality/emotional state led me to question why I wasn't desiring the change that I know I "should" want, and eventually I started finding my desires had indeed changed, over time.

So ummm... hope that's clear as mud now.

Amelia Pond AINEC.

Err...  AINEC?

I presume you mean ? re. AINEC --> And It's Not Even Close. Amy is to me adorable and yet feisty (without being a b-word) and her love for Rory makes her a vey well-rounded character that isn't just lovesick for the Doctor. So how she responds to the various adventures/dangers is very unpredictable. She is capable of surprising me the viewer, as well as the Doctor.

I also like how the whole back story with her as a child, and with her child (as a child, and later) have been depicted, great pacing and depth, very engaging and well put together without being too obvious or boring, just the right amount of mystery and payoff.

re. Eccleston's and Tennant's series, I've watched maybe half of each, and I don't know why but I never really felt either was a "Doctor" as much as Matt Smith is (soon to be was?) ... but I didn't exactly see any of the new seasons "in correct order" so maybe it's not due to the actors at all, maybe it's something else. (I grew up in the Baker / Pertwee Doctor years, I think, so I can't really compare to them.

Disclosure: I only got into it during the last 18 months or so, my daughters borrowed DVDs from a friend for seasons 3 thru 5 and I ended up watching with them (see earlier commment about wanting to be a good, involved dad ) , and I was happily surprised by/impressed with the epic/cinematic feel of most episodes; "Not your father's Doctor Who" indeed! Since then we've visited streaming sites to watch a lot of other eps that were missed.

But re. companions, seeing both their characters' arcs, as well as sundry interviews with the actresses, makes this an easy win for Karen Gillan imo. IDK, to me she feels the most "real" i.e. balance of strength/wit/vulnerability that makes me feel like I'm along for the ride with them. Rose or Donna (haven't really seen any other episodes, tbh) were always a slight bit too unbalanced or something, maybe it was the writing, maybe it was the actress/comedienne, but I could never fully overlook that it was an actress playing a character. Hard to word it exactly, but a distinct contrast I felt with Amy, like instantly convinced I was watching this grown up damaged girl encounter and react to this real imaginary friend, from the very first ep with her. Very subjective thing though, of course

LOL totally unexpected verbosity, sorry. But a lot of "the real Darren" is coming out of me in posts like the above. Tired of being so secretive/safe in sharing of myself, this kind of thing is the result, whether in the area of pop culture, or other more important stuff. 

[Mr. Analog]

Free yourself my friend, we like the Real Slim Shady err I mean Darren! (sorry, song's in my brain now)