Message in a Bottle

References: As early as the 4th century, a Greek Philosopher, in an attempt to prove the Atlantic Ocean connected to the Mediterranean Sea threw a message in a bottle in the hopes that it would prove his theory. Since then, doomed sailors throughout history (most notably, Christopher Columbus, though he survived) have thrown messages in a bottle out to sea in the hopes that their loved ones would one day receive the message.

View the episode synopsis here.

This week's episode includes special guest star/comedian Andy Dick who acts as an EMH Mark-5, a step above Voyager's own EMH, a Mark-4. The two are thrown together on a Federation ship taken over by the Romulans. Witty dialogue and hilarity ensues. A good episode to watch, particularly for those non-Trekkies amongst us (which may be 9/10 followers). We've come full circle with this episode in the sense that it reminds me of why this project began in the first place.

With the advent of Faceplace and other social networking sites, self-publishing has reached a pinnacle. Never before have people been able to interact so casually, posting random thoughts, events, and (god forbid) hundreds of pictures of their kids and/or pets that only the truly nosy put the time and effort to sift through. I admit, I used to be a member of these sites, but each day I felt the pressure to say something, anything, meaningful that could be heard above the tumultuous posts, posts like (and these are real by the way): "Tom Jones hates Mondays" or "Jessica F. just had the most romantic date ever" or "Kary Jacobs is trying to pick a cup size for her ladies." Dear Tom, duh. Everyone hates Monday. That's nothing new. Jessica, really, the most romantic date...ever? Really? What does that even mean? Are you saying that of all the dates every single person throughout history has had, yours was the most romantic? If that's the case, then that is quite a feat. And Kary Jacobs, as much as you're interested in your pending boob job, I am considering un-friending you (which is a strange term that has popped up) in real life. But hopefully, my point is evident: most people don't have one.

The message in a bottle (taken as a metaphor or literally) leaves much to consider. Daily, we engage in small talk, whether it be by scrolling through a wall of posts or talking about small things to people we encounter. My job as an English instructor seems futile. I teach students how to eliminate meaningless sentences, phrases and/or words from their writing, but they live in a world where, daily, words are thrown around like errant bits of trash flying off a garbage truck. Ann Carson (a delightful, thoughtful writer and scholar) wrote about how words on a page create tension between the reader and the meaning the writer is trying to convey. So often, she points out, what we write (or what we say) does not come close to the actually meaning we are attempting to articulate. The reader, ever selfish, takes what s/he can from the words and moves on. In this sense then, perhaps we can think of readers taking the meanings (from these words) for themselves, interpreting what they can, throwing away the useless parts, and hopefully recycling the meanings that incite a heart flutter and re-gifting these to others.

Crafting words on a page should be a thoughtful process. Poetry is the essence of meaning. There are no superfluous words or extraneous fluff. Poets spend months, if not years, shaping a single poem. But poetry, unlike tweets, status updates, or posts, is an attempt to share an experience with a reader. Note the word choice: experience. Good writing does not consist of random emotion. It is not about how you feel or what you think. It's about life, about experiences, and about sharing these experiences in a way that is meaningful to readers.

This episode reminded me that writing (wherever it may be) is precious. Words are precious. Each time we open our mouths or our facespace accounts, we are preparing a message in a bottle. Just think: if each message you sent out were as meaningful as a message you would place in a bottle, perhaps we'd all know a little bit more about this thing we call life. This blog serves as my message in a bottle. I wonder if someone, somewhere will get my message.

Episode #8: ST: Voyager's "Someone to Watch Over Me." Check out a preview here.

End transmission.

Timeless

Definition

: the quality of being eternal, ageless, or immortal

: or the state of being unaffected by the passage of time

Would you speak, insipid Moon,

while I tug at your luminescent hair

nightly to believe. For millions return to

ashes as you spin about.

I plunder below. Mortality bends,

I conquer the Earth, amassing armies under the sun,

while you spin about, a firefly,

as Death sits on the horizon, brave from overuse.

The killing fields of Earth are filled;

I turn my sights above.

What would you pray for?

Would you speak as I close in on you?

Pray for immortality.

While you slip phases into shadow—

just as my daggers, cold steel glinting, arch high.

You always knew I might reach up and pluck you

Right out of the night sky.

Episode #7: Message in a Bottle (ST: Voyager). Here's the trailer:

End transmission.

Tsunkatse

"The borg wouldn't know fun if they assimilated an amusement park." -- B'ELanna Torres.

For those of you who've seen this episode, I think it's quite obvious what the writers/producers were trying to do: appeal to the masses. At this point in Trek history, Voyager's ratings were falling, viewers were moving on to shows like MTV's "Cribs" and other assorted less-than-meaningful programming. All I could think when I first saw it: I can't believe they got The Rock to dress up in those tight spandex pants and as an alien no less. Suffice it to say, this episode was Trek at its not so best. Which leads me to believe that Star Trek is best when left un-manipulated and far and away from the masses and their "pop" culture.

I've wracked my brain to come up with something meaningful and intelligent to say about this episode. And perhaps, if I stretch my imagination, I arrive at something almost useful to me. I used to fight competitively as a kid. I studied Tae Kwan Doo and enjoyed competing in tournaments. I enjoyed it--not for the violence, but for the art. With the advent of UFC and the popularization of MMA, critics are quick to drop the moral/ethical gavel on this "blood sport." Me? Not so much. Fighting can be a powerful tool. Especially in real life. Each day, we wake up. Our brain reloads the information from the past. We remember who we are and what we are supposed to do. We go to work. We come home. Details, details in between. It can get tedious. Obstacles pop up. Conflicts and problems assault us daily. What's the big? I suppose I've kept some of my fighting instincts from childhood because problems to me just need to be knocked down, tackled, and conquered. Of course, I don't have a catchy line like: "Do you smell what the Rock is cooking?" But maybe I could do the eyebrow lift when I encounter my problems to intimidate them. Or, maybe not.

The point being that each day I encounter people (students, friends, family) and each day brings a new set of problems for each to deal with. Some complain, avoid, and hope that if they put it off, the problem will go away in the morning. Others fret, worry, procrastinate, but eventually deal. If we can learn anything meaningful from Seven of Nine's ordeal in the ring with the Rock, it's that we choose. We choose to fight or we choose not to. We choose to be a hunter or we choose to be the prey. My dad once told me that life is war. It's a series of skirmishes, large battles, forays and it's how people react to this war that matters. (My dad wasn't much for barbies and sensitivity, by the way.) Character, as good ol' pop says, is forged in battle. You don't really know someone until you've seen them face hardship, trials and tribulations. My best friends are those who I have suffered, bled, and fought with on the soccer field, the basketball court, and in life.

I can't say I understood my dad's metaphor at the time, but I get it now. Just as Seven had to, we each face the decision daily. Fight or flight? Basic instincts here. Personally, and this is just my opinion here, I'd like to see more fighting.

End Transmission.

Episode #6: Voyager's "Timeless"

If Wishes Were Horses...

Reference: The first variation of this appeared in 1605—“If wishes were thrushes, beggars would eat birds.” No doubt this is meaningless unless you know what “thrushes” are (they’re migratory songbirds, by the way). The term is now widely known, so one need only say “If wishes were horses,” and the rest is implied.

This is the modern version:

“If wishes were horses

Beggars would ride:

If turnips were watches

I would wear one by my side.”

Or perhaps you’ve heard: “Wish in one hand and shit in another and see which one fills up quicker.” That’s the Americanized version of the old English proverb. Sweet, no? The point is shit is more tangible than a wish. But wishing, for this blog at least, is where it all began. For those of you just tuning in, I started this project to explore a personal obsession: Star Trek. I’m hoping (not wishing) to find something tangible in the imaginary world of Trek that I can apply to my life. So far, I think we’ve made progress. We’ve got the baseball-as-life analogy, the not-so-logical logic of the Looking Glass, and a fair amount of Babel. I think (and feel free to weigh in here) we’re making progress. 3-0. Good. I like winning.

Out of curiosity, I googled “wishing.” Wikipedia popped up immediately with a definition (thanks for nothing, Merriam-Webster). Second link, Wishing.com—For a Better life – penis enlargement. Third hit, “a wish could be a curse. Is the wish close to the curse. The wish, as far as I know, must not be said outloud.” I have no idea what the latter is about. Me? I’ve always believed that wishing never changed a damn thing. I don't need google to tell me that everyone is just as skeptical. In this week’s episode, wishing changes everything. Aliens (of course!) come to DS9 masquerading as the crew’s wishes. Our good Dr. Bashir, ever fantasizing and fawning over Dax, finds himself with a Dax who cannot keep her hands of him. It’s an entertaining episode really, but I’m not sure of what substance it’s made. Perhaps that’s the point though. Perhaps it’s not the fact that wishing is futile and pointless. Perhaps wishing is an imaginative exercise that provides a way of thinking outside our boxes. For example, I wish…no, wait. Wishes aren’t meant to be shared, so you’ll have to finish that sentence for yourself. And no, I did not wish for Star Trek to be continued in a 6^th series or for Robert Greene to go back in time and stop that US goal (though I am still dwelling on it, to be honest).

Wishing is worth more than a handful of shit. We wish to imagine alternate realities for ourselves. For a few moments, our wish relieves the every day dirge and we are far and away in a reality we can control and isn’t that what we all want? If this week’s episode proved anything, it’s that wishing can alter your present reality in profound and incalculable ways. I read an article (which I’m not going to provide a link to and thereby break blogging/tech-cult etiquette) about how people stop wishing as they grow older. Yeah, we wish the line wasn’t so long at the bank or for a big gob of money, but the big wishes, the I-wish-I-had-cool-super-powers type wishes or the I-wish-I-could-explore-the-stars, these are the stuff of imagination, the stuff of childhood. Maybe this episode is encouraging us to imagine more. Wish like a kid. I do. Or, if you lack imagination and need some suggestions, you can always check out Skee-Lo’s “I Wish” music video (1995) for ideas.

Next up: Star Trek: Voyager’s “Tsunkatse” feat. The Rock (yes, The Rock). Check out this snippet with The Rock vs. Seven of Nine:

Hailing frequencies closed.