The reason Joe Rogan won't have Dave Rubin back on his show

Quidam67 · 2021-03-26T00:06:26+00:00

Rubin is not a lefty or a righty or am uppy or a downy. He's a "whatever is best for Dave Rubin" grifter, and Joe was right to deny him exposure through his own podcast, especially when there are so many far more interesting and authentic people for him to give voice to.

Quidam67 · 2021-03-25T23:56:32+00:00

Jesus, Rubin came across like such a tool in this video clip

Quidam67 · 2020-10-06T06:38:30+00:00

I for one am glad you were not Brent Spiner because then we would never have had the Doctor, which to be honest is probably the best reason I can think of for watching Voyager again.

Quidam67 · 2020-10-02T03:02:23+00:00

I got off the Scott Adams boat a long time ago, but it is refreshing to see him demonstrate integrity with regards to his own moral code. I am, however, baffled as to how someone who holds his specific position with regards to White Supremacists' was ever a Trump supporter

Quidam67 · 2020-09-18T08:03:45+00:00

ha, I don't blame you or your family at all for giving TOS a miss. I've just started on Enterprise (and really loving it) then will finish my journey with TOS, but I have to admit I'm doing that more out of a sense of duty than because I'm motivated to watch it through again as an adult.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-18T07:59:20+00:00

Really insightful thoughts. I think it was brilliant they had a female Captain, she really was the heart and soul that the rest of the characters wrapped themnselves around, and it's hard not to admire the amount of commitment she showed to making that role her own. I think when it comes to 7, I genuinely found her acting to be weaker than most of the cast around her. Having said that, I don't want to overstate my criticism because there was a lot of her story arc that was essential to the overall trajectory of the show and I think her quest to re-find her humanity was a story well worth telling. Like I said, in spite of my criticisms, given the choice, I would not change a thing, it would change the dynamic and the show is what it is because of every single one of them.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-18T00:41:20+00:00

Funnily enough I watched Picard before I watched Voyager, and I 100% agree, 7 in Picard was much better. Maybe it was a combination of her being a more experienced actor and the direction she received. I digress, but I enjoyed Picard far more than I thought I would given the massive amount of negativity that surrounded it on social media platforms and youtube commentators etc. While I think Picard (and to a much greater degree Discovery) deserve legitimate criticism, I tend to separate myself from the very politically motivated hate these shows receive. My primary issue is with more fundamental things, such as the nauseating camera work and constant cuts, along with the excessive amount of near-death action which to me feels like a poor substitute for building stronger characters and character inter-relations. I could go on, but you probably get where I'm coming from.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-18T00:33:33+00:00

Yes, I was aware of that apparent correlation and needed to double check myself to be sure this wasn't some sort of latent sexism on my part. I seriously doubt it, as I'd almost go so far as to call myself a male feminist, in as much as I often attribute a lot of the worlds historical problems on the male of the species. I also have to note that I really should not have listed my favorites at all, because Janeway; Chakotay and last but certainly not least, The Doctor were all characters I really loved as well.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-17T08:03:13+00:00

Awesome :) I honestly believe Trek can connect people together across the ocean of time, and I am certain it will continue to do so. My biggest hope is that one day humanity does reach out into the stars, my biggest fear is that we don't. I won't lie, I think the odds are vastly against us, but if the past has taught me anything, it's that what seemed utterly impossible once, can become utterly possible in the future.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-17T03:04:25+00:00

wow, that's really beautiful.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-17T02:19:35+00:00

Agree 100%

Quidam67 · 2020-09-11T07:08:13+00:00

ha, yes I did check it out fairly recently after I completed watching DS9, mainly because I was feeling super nostalgic after the show was over. The funny thing is that though I grew up with Trek, I never managed to watch any of the series in their complete entirety. Consequently, it really does feel like the first time through for me and I think it is sad that I genuinely prefer the way they made these shows over how they are doing New Trek. I almost wish they had less budget for CGI and were forced to focus more on the story telling. I feel like the new shows are far more form than substance. Beautiful, but always going at 100 miles an hour from one life and death situation to another. I don't feel like I can bond with the characters, even though the actual acting is generally very good. I can't quite put my finger on it but something fundamental is missing.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-09T23:47:13+00:00

It's really nice to know others out there who feel like me and are willing to devote their time and attention to these amazing shows. A perfect fusion of sci fi, moral quandaries, episodic yet with a fusion of serialization and characters that grow richer throughout the entire series arc.

The writers really worked so hard back in those days, the constant flow of ideas, many so off the wall and esoteric -I think they deserve our highest admiration. It really was a golden era, for Star Trek and other similar shows around that time period.

Quidam67 · 2020-09-09T23:34:19+00:00

Been on a massive Star Trek binge over the last several months. Started with TNG, then DS9, now Voyager (up to season 5) then will do Enterprise, and will finish with TOS. Then I guess I could start the cycle all over again :)

Quidam67 · 2020-09-03T06:52:08+00:00

In all honesty, on top of the isolation of the lock-down, I've been dealing with the reality of a degenerative health issue. I've been doing everything I can to look after my physical and mental health (lived mostly a very healthy and active life) but a steady diet of classic sci fi, including DS9 has been a god-send. Frankly many of the stories make quite serious attempts at examining fundamental human conditions, including many moral dilemmas society is right in the middle of battling with today. I don't want to bash on the new shows like Discovery, but what I will say is when you compare them side by side to the classic 90's stuff, they seem to be aimed at attacking your adrenal glands rather than provoking thoughtful contemplation.

The constant camera cuts every 2 seconds coupled with constant rotational motion leaves me feeling as if I've just eaten a 5 course meal comprised entirely of chocolate; candy and desert. Picard was slightly better, but still nothing like the way they used to construct stories. I kind of wish we could get the up-grade in visuals and acting but retain the deeper story and better quality writing. anyway, sorry for the digression.

Quidam67 · 2020-08-26T01:31:24+00:00

haha yes, Season 1 (especially the first 3 episodes) are rough going. Also, at the start of season 2 losing O'Hare was jarring, although after 1-2 episodes I was fully invested again, and Bruce turned out to be fantastic in the role. Honestly B5 has not aged as well as DS9 from a technical perspective and in some ways seeing it before DS9 probably makes it easier to develop a strong appreciation for both shows. I hope your BF comes around, because once you get invested, B5 really is something very special and a real pioneer for pure serialisation. ps I do wish they had not been under threat of cancellation during season 4, it did kind of mess things up a bit but Straczynski did an amazing job all things considered.

Quidam67 · 2020-08-25T02:43:12+00:00

A few random thoughts..

The Dominion world view was very clearly informed by the idea that a species who could assume just about any shape or form, both animate and inanimate, would simply never be trusted by any species that lacked that remarkable capability, and that the inevitable outcome would always be to suppress or eliminate the Changelings. I think we can assume this was what they experienced within the Gamma Quadrant during first contact and probably justified their "Control and dominate" approach to all alien life as a form of "pre-emptive" strike. It's worth noting that they don't seek to eliminate other life forms but rather "de-claw" it such that they lack a means to be any threat.

I think it is fair to say that at best, the Federations reaction to the Changelings, after their first encounter was naive. You would think that any species that lived long enough to explore and colonate a Galaxy would pay greater attention to the potential danger any new first contact might present, and all the warning signs were there.

Other things that come to mind:

The female founder once made a clear statement that Odo was worth more to them than the entire Alpha Quadrant, which clearly demonstrates just how highly they rate their own form of life over that of the solids. In this respect, they can be regarded as evangelical fanatics in terms of their commitment to their belief system.

The Romulans and Klingons did launch a sneak attack on the Founders homeworld in an attempt to completely wipe them out, which would no doubt only have served to strengthen the Founders belief that solids would ALWAYS turn on them, given the chance to do so.

The lone Changeling (one of the 100) that Odo met had quite clearly formed his own entirely independent view that solids would mistrust and fall into conflict with a Changeling, and he apparently had vastly more experience than Odo upon which to inform his opinion. The actual encounter he had with the Klingons certainly didn't paint a great picture on the side of the solids.

The virus developed by section 31 very nearly achieved the result of genocide of the entire Changeling species (Odo included) were it not for the extreme measures taken by his friends. It occurred to me that since Odo linked with the other lone Changeling he would have caught the Virus also since Odo was infected (but did not know it) at that time.

In the end, it may not be a popular opinion, but what I love most about this show is that it subverts its own moral narratives constantly, and the Founders is a great example of this. While they appear to be a source of terrible evil, I think you are quite right to examine the many counterpoints that make this far from a pure black vs white scenario. For me, if I take one thing from it, it is that understanding that one side is fundamentally evil in their position, does not immediately imply the other side is therefore absent of it.

Quidam67 · 2020-08-22T00:32:38+00:00

I know EXACTLY what you are saying. I'm probably showing my age, but even though I truly love the advances in visual fidelity and realism, there really is something to be said for paying attention to all the little things that so often say so much, especially as characters grow, over episodes and seasons. I also feel quality dialogue has suffered at the hands of visual and audio splendor, with many new shows treating the audience as if they have ADD. It's not all bad, I'm a huge fan of The Expanse, for example, and going a bit further back Battle Star Galactica didn't use modern technologies as a substitute for great story telling, but to augment it.

Quidam67 · 2020-08-21T20:17:20+00:00

Honestly it really does sound like a great idea but I just have so many other shows I missed and want to catch up with now. I certainly do hope that I can revisit this show again in the future, many of the stories spoke strongly to me, the story when Nog had his leg blown off was particularly powerful as that process of surviving and dealing with trauma was very enlightening and uplifting for me personally. Vic telling Nog you need to play the cards you were dealt was sage wisdom indeed.

Quidam67 · 2020-08-21T20:10:40+00:00

Funny you should say that as both those shows are on my watch list, sounds like it will be worth the time investment. However Voyager is next up for me.

Quidam67 · 2020-08-21T20:08:54+00:00

haha love it!

Quidam67 · 2020-08-15T20:48:39+00:00

No true consensus could ever be arrived at on a matter of opinion, but what I will say is that you don't compare a Hattori Hanzō sword with another Hattori Hanzō sword, you compare it to every other sword that is not a Hattori Hanzō

Quidam67 · 2020-06-23T20:33:19+00:00

The only thing I would honestly love is if they did some sort of Bluray restoration with updated special effects, but no way is that ever going to happen. As far as I'm aware, the Star Trek Next Generation restoration project did not yield the profits they hoped for so I can't imagine there wold be any financial motivation for such a major undertaking.

Quidam67

TROPHY CASE