Star Trek XI Review -- CAUTION: Spoilers Contained Within

J.J. Abrams foray into the Star Trek Universe was a success. It was a quality story with some very good action sequences.

There are few issues with the character development that are questionable to story lines attached to Star Trek's already-established character story lines.

1) A romantic relationship between Spock and Uhura is not believable. Spock was betrothed to a Vulcan, T'Pring, on his native world, as depicted in The Original Series episode "Amok Time." It is illogical to have Spock, a commander in Starfleet, engaged in an affair with a Starfleet Academy cadet.

2) Uhura's roommate at Starfleet Academy is an Orion. While it is not out of the realm of possibilities that Orions could be in Starfleet, they were not part of the Federation and Orion women were slaves outside of the Federation. It is doubtfull at this stage of Federation history, an Orion would be a cadet.

3) In the scene where the computer did not recognize Checkov's pronunciation of the phonetic V when he was required to say "Victor" as part of an access code and his accent forced him to say "Wicktor" does not seem to jive with 21st century technology, let alone where technology will be in the 23rd century. Vulcans and other species in the Star Trek universe seem to have no trouble speaking English and it is indistinguishable from that of either American English or British English. But, in Star Trek, it is understood that there is a device called a Universal Translator. Checkov should be able to speak Russian to access what he needs to accomplish on the computer. It was cute seeing Checkov struggle but whether it is technologically accurate for the 23rd century, it is difficult to believe.

4) When the USS Kelvin encountered Nero's ship, it appears that there is no shock on the part of the crew that they are seeing what appears to be a Vulcan. No one from the Federation had ever seen a Romulan until The Original Series episode "Balance of Terror" so the Federation had no idea that the Romulans are a Vulcanoid species.

5) There is an obvious absence of two main members of the United Federation of Planets: the Tellerites and Andorians.

6) Another conspicuous absence is that of William Shatner. It is disappointing that Abrams could not find a role in this movie for Shatner as he did for Leonard Nimoy. The original seven actors are the key to Star Trek: Shatner, Nimoy, DeForrest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koenig. Unfortunately Kelley and Doohan have since passed away. At the very least, Shatner should have been included as this movie is essentially the story of the rise of James T. Kirk. At the very least Shatner could have read the "Space... The final frontier. These are the voysages of the Starship 'Enterprise...' " monologue at the conclusion of the film. Instead, it was read by Nimoy. It was vaguely inappropriate for Nimoy to do this. If not Shatner reading it, Chris Pine as Captain Kirk should have read it.

Many Trekkies may have a problem with the characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu and Checkov knowing each other at the academy but it seems Abrams pulled it off quite well. It was never established in Star Trek how these individuals met before the events depicted in The Original Series. The only pre-Kirk Starfleet history for any of the characters is that of Spock. We know he served under Capt. Christopher Pike on the Enterprise before Kirk took command. If anyone has problems with it: Let it go. Or as Shatner famously said years ago on "Saturday Night Live": "GET A LIFE!"

Now, the above listed plot irregularities may be taken as "problems" but that's not so. These are just being pointed out as odd in this writer's mind.

Take it for what you will. It is an entertaining move and, on an overall basis, quite true to the "Star Trek" universe. Go see the movie and enjoy it!

Live Long and Prosper!

Specter the Defector

Arlen Specter is a traitor.

Leaving the Republican Party is not necessarily wrong for him, but what is wrong is for him to join the Democrats. Specter says that the GOP has moved sharply to the right over the past few years. This is not true. The GOP has remained pretty steady and true to its principles.

It is better argued that the Democrats have lurched strongly to the left. This surge to the left by the Democrats merely gives the appearance that the Republicans have moved to the right.

Just look at the Republican nominee for President in 2008. They do not come more moderate than Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. McCain consistantly works with even the most liberal Democrats in the U.S. Senate such as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., as well as even more moderates in the senate like Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn. Can the same be said of President Obama when he was Illinois junior senator? No.

And speaking of Lieberman, Specter should have followed the tack as Lieberman. If Specter was not renominated by the Pennsylvania Republican Party, he should then do what Lieberman did when he was not nominated by the Connecticut Democratic Party: run as an independent.

If you did get elected as an independent, perhaps then moderate Sen. Specter could join with moderate Sen. Lieberman. Perhaps these two moderate, middle-of-the-road, long-term senators could form the backbone of a new and viable third party in American politics.

This third party may then be able to address the vast moderate majority of Americans. The majority of Americans, those who may lean left but cringe at ridiculous and hateful statements from places like MoveOn.org, thedailykos.com, and The Huffington Post; and those who lean right but have similar cringes after distasteful statements from clubforgrowth.org.

Sen. Specter, one of your colleagues said it best: "This was simply noting more, nothing less than political self-preservation," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Specter could have been a statesman, instead, he's nothing more than another politician.

Here we go

OK... So I'm creating a blog... Woo Hoo. I'm sure this is going to be the talk of the Internet.

Lemme know what you think!