u/Long-Emu-7870

The Enterprise is invaded by aliens that drive the crew suicidal. Like Sunshine (2007), they are drawn to light (as NitpickingNerd shows). We learn that Una has been genetically augmented (like Bashir in DS9's Dr. Bashir I Presume). She helps resolves the conflict.

What is the point of this episode? Is it to say that genetic augmentation can be good? That Star Trek was bad? Moore's revenge.

The best part of the story was La'an telling Una she hates her because she hid her identity while La'an did not.

La'an: You lied to me every day for years. What kind of friend is that? You're an abomination. An augment. That's what the other kids called me when they heard my name: augment, monster. Like you are.

Not that is makes a lot of sense that a person in the Federation would hate a descendant of Napoleon (if indeed we are to believe La'an is not augmented). But it would still be an interesting episode, I think.

Unfortunately, the writers could not figure out how to put these ideas in the narrative.

Although derivative, I would say it is nonetheless a cool action episode. Pike, like Sisko before him, defends his crew.

For example:

Fireworks and Trump Speech Cap Independence Day Celebrations

Who cares if Trump is giving a speech about independence day? There's lots of things that are actually newsworthy out there.

Sometimes they seem like they are doing Fox News or something.

What is the point of this episode? Is it any good?

A comet will destroy a planet. Pike wants to save the it, but the religious Shepherds don't want him to interfere. Uhura is sent to the planet to lower the shields. She does, and Spock flies a shuttle that saves it.

Unlike many good Star Trek episodes, no one really learns anything. The Shepherds think everything was fine. Pike's plan was not as good as Spock's, but that is just due to incomplete information.

In a DS9 version, it would be the faith of the people that would help solve the problem, illustrating a subtle argument about the problems with orthodox religion but the importance of spirituality in people's lives.

I would say this is a fun, but somewhat pointless, episode where we get to hear Gooding sing and talk about the music of the spheres.

If Pike's future is fixed, then what difference does it make what decision he makes?

If Pike's future is not fixed, then what difference does it make to talk about time crystals and how he feels about his future? Couldn't the same conflict occur if they gave him so disease that will effect him in the future?

Also, why do the Kiley think that their problems can be solved by listening to Pike's 10 minute youtube video about Earth's history?

Shouldn't Star Trek episodes try to be a little more specific? Isn't the idea of an optimistic future in lots of episodes as a kind of premise, and not meant to resolve the main conflict?

I never know if the show I am looking at is going to waste my time, or would I waste more time looking for other shows. I try to use Justwatch and look at new shows, but they tell me so little about the movie that it seems a waste of time to read the synopsis. Instead, I could search the 'catalog'.

While both have 6.7 inch display, the Samsung looks smaller. The homescreen font is small - and I don't think there is a way to increase it (without it going nuts with 'Easy view' or huge fonts everywhere else. The Gboard font is also small).

When you are in Youtube, The Google Pixel Pro 6 wastes a little less space, giving you more viewing of content.

The phone does not lay flat and wobbles because of the camera. Just an annoyance until I get the case, but makes it really difficult in setting up the phone.

The phone inundates you will kinds of widgets, software, AI, Bixby and is constantly nagging at you to please surrender your data to it. It is a war.

I haven't noticed any big difference - except the phone does work as advirtized, unlike the hellish pixel. The screen is sharper, the sound is, in fact, better. It just doesn't feel as substantial as my old phone. It has given me the idea that this is the future - the enshittification of phones. Soon, instead of phones getting better and better, they will start to get worse. You will reach into a dusty old box and hand your old cell to your grandkids saying, 'back in my day, they really knew how to make them'.

Why do people keep asking 'what guitar should I buy' when you can get the Harley Benton FFLX for $219 on Amazon? I mean, maybe there's something wrong with it, I don't know.

EDIT: should be Firefly not harley Benton!!!!

Jim Lill shows how to get the sounds of popular bands. It's really great. He owes it to us after debunking everything from mics, pickups and audio interfaces.

For those looking to buy guitars, it seems he can get all this with his telecaster.

S3E7: What is Starfleet (my favorite)?

Ortegas: Joining Starfleet was something I could control. Mom was dying.
Uhura: Before Starfleet, I was adrift. I'd lost my family. I'd lost myself.
La'An: Without Starfleet, I'd either be dead or undisciplined, consumed by my own anger.
Spock: I was trying to cut away my human path in my skin with a broken blade

Pike: I killed my horse (S2E8)

Una: Everybody hates me because I am a augment (S2E4)

Jikaru: kill me now (S3E8)

Hemmer: I am dead (S1E9)

Picard: I killed my mother (STP, S2)

Kirk: I am bored, does anybody really know what day it is? (S3E6)

Just listening to Simple Twist of Fate, and having basically a religious experience, it’s so incredibly beautiful. 

So I look up live performances of the song and it’s almost like Bob refuses to do the song justice on stage, refuses to let it evoke that level of depth and beauty again. Why would he do that? I think because he understands how sacred it is. It’s distasteful to just churn it out. It will tarnish the song to perform it like a party trick. I feel that for the original recording he brought it to life. And of course we can listen to that on repeat.. but the song is almost extra special because he doesn’t go out and perform it at that level again. On some level I think he gets that.

Of course the same could be said for any of his many many masterpieces that never quite get done justice when he performs them live..

I dunno, just a thought. 

When I was in the market looking for guitars, it was kind of annoying to search Youtube for reviews, and then just getting performances - as great as they are. They often didn't tell you much. What is the action? What is the fret level? Do the tuning pegs work? And so on...

Edit: After finding lots of unlevel frets on the Epiphone Pro SG last week, MusicNGearYTChannel found the Jackson to be in pretty good shape - which surprised me. I have always been biased against Jackson because the first one I got was a JS22 that you could chop would with. Although this one had some sharp frets ends, it didn't appear to be that bad. Of course, it is a Fender, so...

This guitar was built by Fender based on the Series 24 Guild Polara. It doesn't look like any squire ever made, and in fact looks a lot like the Guild it was based on.

I have no idea why this guitar sounds perfect. It has 'duncan designed' pickups - which I take it are ceramic pickups that are like a million others. It has a set neck. It has a mahogany neck and body. The specs are pretty much an SG except the neck pickup is moved half way to the fingerboard.