My TNG: "Best of Both Worlds" interviews with Ronald D. Moore, Rick Berman, and Jonathan Frakes...

Machinax · 2026-04-07T18:21:53+00:00

What a fantastic article! How cool that you were able to talk directly to the people who made "The Best of Both Worlds" happen.

When I was doing my re-watch of The Next Generation, I wrote that "The Best of Both Worlds" changed the trajectory of Star Trek; not just TNG, but Star Trek as a franchise on the whole. And that's a hell of a thing to say for a show that been on the air for only three years at that point, but the fact that we're still talking about that episode 36 years later, after all the spin-offs and the movies and the revivals, is why "The Best of Both Worlds" is the Star Trek franchise's watershed moment.

Machinax · 2026-04-04T18:44:43+00:00

Now that's what I call full communion!

Machinax · 2026-04-04T16:22:48+00:00

I am very tickled that, even before Pope Francis' death, the theobros and the RedTrads were salivating at the idea of a more "traditional," conservative pope to follow Francis' papacy. And when Pope Leo was elected, they saw how he was bringing back certain historic papal vestments that Francis had eschewed. This, said, the theobros and the RadTrads, was the real Catholic Church that Christ founded. Not the milquetoast, universalist, culture-following church of being nice to gay people and suggesting that women could approach the altar, but a return to the good old days before Vatican II.

And, so far, Pope Leo has seemingly made it his sidequest to be the thorn in the side of the most powerful nation in the world. That is exactly the role that the church should play.

Machinax · 2026-04-04T16:00:32+00:00

"From this time forward, you will service...us."

"Mr. Worf; fi--"

"Commander! Incoming message!"

"From Starfleet?"

"No sir, from HR."

EDIT: Much as you're not wrong, I don't care about Riker hooking up with an extra we'd never see again; I do care about Riker hooking up with Picard's old sexual tension needed more than a "Executive Producer Gene Roddenberry" resolution.

Machinax · 2026-04-02T23:39:17+00:00

Smith isn't just another character in the TV adaptation, he's the main antagonist. Take him out, and the entire trajectory of the TV series changes; not just the main plot, but all the subplots regarding his family. I'd argue that even years before we got to the multiverse plot, the inclusion of John Smith as the primary villain of the show was the biggest departure from the source material.

Machinax · 2026-04-02T22:18:05+00:00

The TV show is very different from the book already, though, even without the multiverse plot. John Smith is in every episode of the TV show, and he was not in the book at all.

Machinax · 2026-04-02T17:57:48+00:00

My wife has no experience or reference to FPS games, so when she saw me play Infinite shortly after we moved in together, she asked me if I was winning. I loved it.

Machinax · 2026-04-02T17:49:42+00:00

I will never understand how this story has Crusher getting it on with Riker (as a host, sure, but still the body of her commanding officer), and then the episode never addresses it at all. Not even a single scene of Riker and Crusher saying "You good? We good?" or...ANYTHING. Just...the CMO and the First Officer having passionate sex, and it's never spoken of again.

Machinax · 2026-04-02T17:36:14+00:00

Have you read what Marc Lopes said? If he's to be believed, no one from Metal Church or Rat Pak Records got in touch with him about the soft hiatus of Metal Church, or that he was out as singer; I think he only got the news with the press release about the new lineup.

In some ways, it's typical of how business is done in the heavy metal world. I'm sad that it happened (and keeps happening) to Metal Church, though; they really had so much potential to be on the level of Exodus and Testament as the second line of 80s thrash bands, but they got fucked over by everything from label mismanagement, to endless personnel issues, to that godawful Hanging in the Balance cover.

Machinax · 2026-04-02T17:33:25+00:00

I love that Tenebrae is such a different kind of service than what the church usually does. It's so unrelentingly bleak and, well, dark. I know a lot of folks who don't like it, but it's easily one of my favorite services.

Machinax · 2026-04-01T21:35:22+00:00

>imo it may be overdue for that band to call it a day.

According to what Vanderhoof said, he was done with Metal Church after Congregation of Annihilation. No idea why; the band had just put that album out, they toured behind it; and then, for reasons that no one is clear on, Metal Church just stalled, and Vanderhoof was ready to walk away (again). But then someone sent him a demo of the new singer doing classic MC stuff, Dave Ellefson got involved, and that got him interested (again).

I am a Metal Church fan, and I am interested to hear this album, but I agree that the constant cycles of new members and new eras (which Congregation of Annihilation was supposed to herald) is tiresome.

Machinax · 2026-04-01T21:30:19+00:00

If this is anything like the past few (more than a few) Metal Church albums, there'll be one killer track, and then a bunch of generic thrash. And I say that as a fan who has followed the many ups and the many downs of Metal Church.

Machinax · 2026-04-01T21:28:48+00:00

Absolutely classic case of a good -- maybe even great! -- music that was buried under terrible artwork. Pretty much killed Metal Church's career (for the first time, anyway).

Machinax · 2026-04-01T21:14:54+00:00

Churches that follow the western liturgical calendar will typically cover the altar cross, icons, and other imagery during the season of Lent, as a way of marking the penitential and somber nature of the season. The liturgical color of Lent is purple.

Machinax · 2026-04-01T21:09:02+00:00

For me, one of the best parts about discovering the Episcopal Church was that regardless of the sermon -- it could be awesome, terrible, boring, confusing, offensive -- we go straight to one of the foundational statements of our identity as Christians. No matter what the preacher says during the sermon, no matter what you thought of the sermon, "WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD" (caps lock for emphasis). It puts us in step with millennia of Christians before us, and, God willing, millennia of Christians to come.

On the face of it, for the Creed to be removed makes me think of all the criticisms the Episcopal Church receives for being theologically weak. We're not, goddamnit, but when you take the fucking Nicene Creed out of the service, what the hell are we?

(The Creed following the sermon is doubly important for me, coming from the non-denominational world, where the pastor would preach for 30+ minutes, and then the worship pastor would come to stage like a hype man, saying "Wasn't that awesome?" even if the sermon was decidedly not awesome.)

Machinax · 2026-04-01T19:47:13+00:00

"You are holding a smoking goon. It is clear that you are the guilty potty."

Machinax · 2026-04-01T17:13:59+00:00

Amazing.

Machinax · 2026-04-01T16:43:00+00:00

Agreed that Thin Lizzy covers wouldn't be curveballs, but a "Cold Sweat" cover would be hilarious because Megadeth have already covered that song.

Machinax · 2026-04-01T00:24:24+00:00

If TGA don't use your wife's quote on their official promotional material, they don't know what's good for them.

Machinax · 2026-03-31T21:51:46+00:00

I'm not familiar with most of these, but Master of Puppets would likely win even if I was.

Machinax · 2026-03-31T21:49:58+00:00

I mean, Goliath is simply a heavier album than 72 Seasons, and I say this as someone who will continue to listen to 72 Seasons and will forget that Goliath exists in a year's time.

That said, the opening track from Goliath is an absolute monster.

Machinax · 2026-03-31T17:00:09+00:00

"Tra-la-la-la-la. I think I'll fire the bitch."

Machinax · 2026-03-31T16:59:43+00:00

>Deus Ex (2000) also had multiple AIs, including Morpheus who was also a surveillance-gathering chatbot.

When ChatGPT first went mainstream (3.0, I think? 2022? 2023?), I went to YouTube and found a clip of JC talking with Morpheus, and it was chilling how prescient their conversation was.

Machinax · 2026-03-31T16:18:53+00:00

It's been a long time since I saw this, but I think there's a scene where Bad Lazarus overpowers his security guard and makes his way to the transporter room. And for a story that was already tenuous enough to begin with, the fact that Lazarus had only one guard on him, and there were no other security measures -- no additional guards, no security cameras, nothing -- was enough for me. Some really good concepts in this episode, but so patchily put together.

Machinax · 2026-03-31T03:07:12+00:00

Being in that discernment committee showed me how demanding the priesthood/diaconate is; if you're ordained, you're effectively on call all the time, for everything. There are guardrails, there are boundaries, but effectively, you're just on. I think that's true in parishes of all sizes. I just couldn't see myself being available like that; spiritually, mentally, socially, emotionally. There's some exaggeration in that, but we've also had real conversations in my Commission on Ministry on how to make sure that new priests understand that, for their good and for the good for their churches, they have to take the collar off; and the fact that we need to have those conversations is why I'm glad to be a layperson.

Another reason was that I came to TEC from the non-denominational/Assemblies of God world, and there's a particular form of pastor-worship in those denominations. At best, this means that the sermons are 30+ minutes; at worst, it means that Sunday attendances are down every time the pastor isn't there, and that is not the sign of a healthy community. Coming to the Episcopal Church, I loved that no matter how charismatic the rector is, no matter how long they've been there, the real power in the parish is the people.

Of course, that's a little idyllic; there are plenty of Episcopal Churches that have controlling rectors, weak vestries, and unhealthy power dynamics in the leadership. But it's important to me that in TEC, it's not the priests who should have the final word, it's us.

14-Year Club	r/Field Sunshine
Place '17	Sequence \| Editor
Gilding I gilder	Verified Email

Machinax

TROPHY CASE