W_L

Happy Birthday Chase! :2thumbs: Go party and have fun!

You just reminded me: Care Bears- My most embarrassing Cartoon

The book that changed my life: Of Arms and Men: A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression This is the book that got me interested in reading at age 9. I've always been interested in military tactics and technology. I found it in the Boston public library and started reading. I still remember the developmental history of Heat seeking missiles to this day and the advent of mechanized infantry. This book began my lifelong love of history. What got me into imagination and thinking came a year later at age 10 with this book: The Physics of Star Trek The book inspired me to learn more about mathematics and science. I wanted to be the one to prove you can go to Warp or make transporters possible, it was kind of childhood wish. Some of what I write today that involves complex scientific and engineering knowledge can be attributed to this book. When I became a Teenager, I started internalizing and began my exploration of religious and philosophical studies. Consider it soul searching. I've read the Bible before, but I realized there was so much more out there. I wanted to understand why people believe the way they do and I learned more about my own background along the way. I've grown to love proto-Daoism as an extension of my interest in natural sciences; the idea of universal relativity and continuous order and chaos working in a system interest me the most. I also understood the differences between how Buddhist belief and Confucian beliefs truly came about rather than accept a twisted dogma. There are many people in the West that would turn their back on these two philosophies if they knew the totality of what the philosophies mean rather than what some want them to mean. Let's just say there's less freedom and equality in Buddhist and Confucianism than people get from siding with either the "Free Tibet" crowd for Buddhism or the "Pro China" crowd for Confucianism. The entire philosophical debate has become a political farce rather than a true questioning of human nature. Both operate on certain principles that I cannot agree to, but it is a tragedy most people do not understand these two religious/philosophical standpoints other than purely surface interpretation. I also enjoy Judaism and Islam as counterparts to Christianity with so many areas that can be bridge if not for the doctrinal ideology.

I think we all agree to give SGU a chance for a couple more episodes. I liked the Voyager concept and premise, but hated the episodes. I'm one of those geeky trekkies that actually counted how many shuttlecraft they lost and how many people they reported were killed each episode. Dr. Rush is shaping up to be interesting, but I still don't understand what motivates him. For the new BSG's Dr. Baltar, you understand it was his vanity, lust, and pride that motivate him from the very beginning. Everything he did had a twisted logic that people can relate with, which made BSG such a powerful story. Dr. Rush is missing a motivation to be so cold and calculating. Now to Star trek: I think the Trek franchise began to die after DS9, not after TNG. Both the main producers of DS9 have crafted marvelous series after DS9, Ira Behr, the 4400, and Ronald D. Moore, Battlestar Galactica. DS9 was the high point of Star Trek on a conceptual basis, but what happened is that concept was far too high and nothing can seriously be done for a proper ending to Star Trek. It was the last series to be thought out by Gene Roddenberry before his death. I would dare any Sci-Fi viewer to name an episode of Star Trek that was better executed in TNG or the original series than DS9 "Taking into the Wind", TNG's "Best of Both worlds" does not count as it was a two season arc, "Taking into the Wind" was a decade long story arc. It took them 7 years to craft that episodes elements (The Klingon civil War and Worf's storyline of TNG, the Bajoran occupation and Cardassian storyline TNG/DS9, and the Dominion storylines into what I would call the final hurrah of Star Trek) from the later seasons of TNG to DS9's final episodes.

Sorry for double posting, but I did say I would give an in-depth review of the series premise and SGU: Stargate has become a well known franchise, equivalent to Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, and other. Stargate universe is the third series in the franchise. Stargate SG1 set the stage with adventure, over-arching plots, and the usualy "Save the world scenarios", which we can found in Sci-Fi today. It was good entertainment and enjoyable, because it had the right mix of bravado and humor. Who can say no to Jack O'Neill making snide remarks about his opponents and then gunning down twenty guys? The peculiar Dr. Jackson who is obsessed with the mysteries of existence and seeking something beyond him? Samantha Carter's romances and trait of killing off every boyfriend she ever had including Jack O'Neil in the Continuum Movie ? Finally, Tealc with a warrior scowl and silent treatment that would make most Klingons blush, most likely based off Worf from TNG? Those were the golden years of Stargate before the 9th season. Stargate Atlantis was to be a second series branching off the original. The series started out very well, but fell apart around the 3rd and 4th season. The premise had many promises: understanding a whole new host of civilizations in a distant galaxy alien to our own, new villains that could rival the perrenial technologist (The Ancients) that were the Wraith and Asurans, and you had interesting characters with a complex backstory that coalesced. I liked the M.A.S.H -esque motif they ran during the 1st season, which was incredibly delicate blend of humor/action/humanity. "Poisoning the Well" may perhaps be my favorite episode of the Franchise for the line, "Victory at any costs, Churchill, Didn't think I'd disagree"- Carson Beckett. It was a good series before the dynamic shifted more to emulate SG1 in the action category ending in the Biggest battle of Stargate "Be all my Sins Remembered", which made Atlantis become similar to DS9 if you wish to compare Star Trek series to Stargate. Both series had merits, but they started fading due to many writing shifts. Now we go into Stargate Universe or SGU- A meshwork of Star Trek Voyager, Battlestar Galactica, and many other nods to series. So far, the musical score reminds me of Battlestar Galactica and the opening action sequences with the Al'Kesh bombers and Death Gliders were more akin to the Cylon raiders of BSG than Stargate. As to the 9th Cheveron SFX sequence, I'll leave that for viewers to decide upon. I like the premise, but I have big reservations on execution. Now for the meat of the story, it is a character based series rather than a Arc story. Most people viewing sci-fi don't think about the differences in the Genre of Sci-Fi, but there are two main group of shows: "Adventure of the Week"- This is similar to an anthology format like Star Trek and its sequel TNG along with Voyager. Additionally, Lost in space, Andromeda, and the original Battlestar Galactica were based off this story technique. The adventure of week usually involves a large ensemble cast, which makes or break this kind of TV series. Execution of the stories must be consistent with the characters, which sometimes mean that the characters become robots only set to one emotional or character dynamic. Stargate SG1 succeeded with this format and Stargate Atlantis in season 2 and 3 failed here. "The Big Story"- This one was utilized by Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica. Arc or "Big story" shows are driven by plot points. The characters are still involved, but the plots carry the show to the next challenge for our characters. Stargate SG1 used this approach on their main storyline for the Gould in Season 1-6 and Stargate Atlantis 1st season and 4th seasons were thrilling due to it. I won't lie about my bias toward the "Big Story" and plot driven series. SGU for me is still young and could become either, but the pilot shows us a more "Adventure of the week" style with possibly better execution than Voyager was for Star Trek, hopefully. As to the characters: Eli Wallace- The Geeky guy inside all Sci-Fi fans. Syfy network knows their audience and he looks like someone that would fit into any comic-con. I think the character needs fleshing out; he'll become comic relief if they do not. Dr. Rush- An Anti-Villain or an Anti-Hero, it all depends on your view of the character. He reminds of Dr. Baltar from BSG along with a few others. I like the concept and the cold deceitful nature of his character, which seems to me more human than many Stargate main cast members. He's as close as you can get to a BSG personality without calling it Stargate BSG. The military guys have not gotten enough screen time for me to love or hate them. Now there's an interesting thing in this series, Stargate has introduced the first openly lesbian main character, which is a interesting though forgettable. The first bisexual main characters, both females, appeared in Ds9 and Babylon 5 concurrently (I can debate this with sci-fi fans later in private; it used to be a more touchy subject as B5 fans thought they were more progressive than Trekkies.) I'm still waiting for a openly bisexual/gay male character in American sci-fi (DR. Who doesn't count) that isn't or turns evil, (Why did Felix Gaeta have to turn evil?) Thus, let's get down down to the story: It was odd and disjointed, so I'll leave any true judgments until part 3 "airs", pun intended for people that know episode titles like me by heart (very geeky). As it is currently, SGU has many flaws and potential. Let's hope that they can make it and not crash the franchise like Enterprise.

I'll give you my in-depth review after I finish watching it. FYI, I hated Voyager and Enterprise. I loved BSG though and I do believe that the BSG model of sci-fi takes the human darkness further than previous shows in the genre. The first 2 seasons were a tour de force about power, humanity, and our Stargate has always been an interesting sci-fi franchise.

Darn, the only thing you can remember about Boston is our Gay Strippers? We only have four gay strip joints in Boston, there's more on the outskirts of town. The gay district has become such a yuppie haven, it makes the Village in NYC seem like middle class suburb. However, it would be fun to visit Vegas again. I just need to pad my wallet for it. (I do not know how people can spend under a thousand dollars in Vegas after a week there. The shows, rides, and gift shops on every corner let alone the other things like a bottle of pepsi were outrageous. ) Benji do you know any gay places in Vegas?

I was at the Treasure Island Hotel/Casino, my 22st birthday a few months ago. I can honestly say that I love Vegas, but I wouldn't want to spend too much time there. After shows, hotel, food, and airfare, I spent $2,000 on the trip with my family (My dad, sister, and me) before adding in gambling losses . Las Vegas is very pricey. Although, I can say now that I have gambled in every Casino of the Las Vegas, even if you count the Airport slot machine , I had luck in the Sahara, Bellagio, and Luxor. I lost most money at Caesars, MGM, Stratosphere, and the Carnival Casinos. By the way, if you want to enjoy the oppulence, I'd take a stroll in the Venetian. It is such an interesting place to visit with its own indoor canal. I hear the rooms are expensive, but extrordinary. Trebs/Dan, I might head to DC sometime later. If you're doing lobbying there or something send me a PM, we may be able to do lunch.

I'm game. Why no Boston? We're better than NYC

Yup, I do it when I feel like I need something to keep me company on long walks at night. It's very creepy walking empty streets at night.

The new storyline involving Damien Grimaldi is making me twitchy, what is that SOB up to? If he tries to send Luke to a Conversion Camp again, I'm going to kill the writers and replace them with manatees.

I've decided not to publish it, it's too raw for publication. I want my editor to read first and offer me criticisms. I can't publish something that I feel needs more time and rewrites. Since, it's not for premium publication, I'll just post it on E-Fiction or my Author's page in Fort's affiliated site. Don't worry, I'll offer people sneak peaks.

I might not make the deadline, this novella needs serious editing and I've been trying hard at rewriting a major part of it. At 60 pages, this thing is a monster to edit and rewrite. I could write like Mark Twain, but I doubt readers like a million grammatical errors in a story in the present day I'll see if I can finish rewrites tonight. Wish me luck

Let's see, my past indiscretions with Live action TV: Drake and Josh Kenan and Kel Charmed (Don't kill me, but I just love seeing a group of girls kick ass) Xena (I might not be a lesbian, but I really love the wacky storylines) The OC Summerland The original 90210 (I saw re-reruns) Queer as folk (Saw re-runs) Cartoons: Spngebob (He's a yellow sponge who works at the underwater equivalent of McDonalds and has a pink colored friend, who I think is really just code for boyfriend . It's almost a surrealistic example of reality.) Fairly odd parents (It's funny and embarrassing) Catdog (Still don't understand why I like it) Rugrats My current indiscretions: One tree hill (I was hooked by the high melodrama) Gossip girl (Guys are somewhat hot) Supernatural (More eye candy and plot might be decent if they just let slash writers in) Don't like any cartoons made presently, not enough satire and rely on too many gags. My number 1 embarrassing TV fix: As the World Turns I'm a sucker for gay couples.

Editing is incredibly difficult for this.

Happy Birthday Trebs! :2thumbs: Hope Dan is treating you good

Thanks guys, Jack, I respect your opinions and I understand whee you are coming from. It is so hard to find a stable, understanding, and caring partner around my age. At 22, most of the guys are still in college and they are more interested in a quickie than a long term relationship. In this economy, there are even guys, who simply want a job and think sex is the best way to get it from me. Yeah, that had almost happened to me, when you have a job in a downturn economy with a moderately high profile firm; people do flock like vultures. I didn't even know the guy was gay in college or interested. Older guys have a little more stability in my mind, because they are more experienced and less likely to go at you for something. I also have a thing for a academics and he's a doctoral student, which is pretty cool.

Thanks, it is my most in depth story to date.

Well, it is difficult to write, but I enjoy it immensely. Today marks the 6 month anniversary of me holding production of this story in order to finish my other story ideas, which have had rather anemic showing of support; except for Love and Again, which I want to thank the 5000 views for from you guys. I'll most likely go back to Love and Again in the next few months to conclude the Alexander arc, after I do more work on Exodus. This story is getting really big in my mind and I had to change a couple future plots during the interim to incorporate new ideas. Hopefully Exodus will be done, then I can move onto my next project in peace, which is the sequel book to Exodus.

Happy Birthday Drew!:2thumbs:

Yeah, that's another reason why I am afraid. He's an awesome guy and we both want the same things. A long term relationship with some one we like. I don't know; it is such an odd thing. I never thought I'd be dating an older guy either. I guess it's my fear of the unknown that prompted me to get your opinions.

Thanks guys and Krista, I do have misgivings, because I am inexperience and he's much more experienced. By the way, he's a former Israeli soldier, too (I really enjoy our conversations about the middle-east); it is such an odd combination for the two of us. I am Asian and he's Jewish; I'm conservative and he's a liberal. Yet, we both love spending time with each other and it does seem odd. I won't lie, I was a bit scared of him due to his age. We met through a mutual friend and my friend "outed" me to him, but he told me he was gay, too. It turns out that our mutual friend did not know he is gay, so it was such an odd first meeting. I'm different from most 22 years olds, I have a career, finished off my master's degree, and I am seeking stability in my life. One reason, my on again/off again boyfriend and I could not work out our differences was mindset issues. He was still in college finishing his senior year and I was out, so I guess Krista, you were right about transition issues. Perhaps, I am more suited to date an older guy than I am to dating someone my own age, because most guys in their 20's are living life large and are seeking their direction, but I have gone through that early. I've tried going through a slut phase, but I really don't like stringing tons of guys like it doesn't matter. I care for people that I date or f**k, so it makes slut phases impossible for me. There are tons of gay guys in Boston, but most are looking for a hook up, but I don't.

Dating a guy 15 years older than me. What am I getting myself into now? I had a falling out with my boyfriend and I kind of opened up the relationship to other guys. Now, I find myself attracted to this older man. We're both gay, he's back in college studying engineering and I just graduated with my master's a couple months ago. I know many of you guys have said it earlier that this kind of relationship is screwy, but there's a connection here. I don't know if I should pursue it or not?

I'm confrontational, but I prefer debating people. I don't think we had any arguments yet.

Aww, now with Sylvia set, I need to make enough to feed an army.