Weekly Update

Not much going on right now. The University is on Fall Break this weekend, so most students were gone by Thursday afternoon. It's been quiet, which is a good thing, though I haven't taken advantage of the time to catch up the way I needed to. I've still got a bit of time, though...

I decided to get a haircut this week. It's one of those things that once the idea pops in to you head, it's hard to get rid of. My hair had gotten a little long with only minor trims since about last March, and as I thought about it I couldn't really remember what I was going for with letting it grow out. It was at the point that all it really did was hang without and shape or style, so it was time to go.

The other bit of self-improvement this week is that I finally set aside the funds necessary to get my gym membership. The University workout facilities consist of a laughable collection of outdated treadmills and other weight machines sitting in the middle of one of the racquetball courts at the athletics building. That, coupled with the fact that the hours this facility is open are ever changing without any sort of predictable schedule means that this facility is totally useless. Of course the athletes all have their own weight rooms and fitness equipment, but students and staff aren't allowed near those.

The other option is a nice gym across the street from campus, but this option required a membership fee as well as the first month's membership up front. I asked the benefits manager if there was any way I could use money from my health care coverage to pay for such a membership, and she informed me that this was not an option. Heaven forbid health care money be used to promote activities that may keep one healthy. No, I'm sorry, health care only covers the cost of prescription drugs used in an attempt to counter poor lifestyle choices. If you want to try to live a healthy lifestyle, you're going to have to pay for it out of your own pocket.

So I did. Hopefully the fact that I am paying for it will hold me to going on a regular basis.

The New Vision of Star Trek

So it's no secret that I'm a huge dork. Also no secret is my love for Star Trek. As a big Star Trek fan I have been very cautious since the announcement that J.J. Abrams would be helming the attempt to revitalize the Star Trek franchise. At first I was fundamentally opposed to the idea of other actors taking on the iconic roles of the original cast, but as casting announcements were slowly made and initial teaser images have been released, I have grown more and more comfortable with the idea and even begun to be excited by it.

I know there are a lot of Star Trek purists who consider any minor infraction into the established franchise to be heresy, and while I too hope that things do not stray too far from what has come before, I can also appreciate the notion of a new interpretation and creative license. I look to Batman Begins and Casino Royale as evidence of taking things that are long established and breathing new life in to them with what initially seemed to be a radical departure from expectation but in the end held truer to the fundamental nature of the characters and the stories than many other recent attempts. Long time fans appreciated them and the broad appeal of the movies brought in a whole new group of fans. Both are things Star Trek needs right now.

Make no mistake, I loved Enterprise. But, I can concede to many of the critics that most of Voyager, and the movies Insurrection and Nemesis were just kind of phoned in instead of capturing the same qualities that made Star Trek so cutting edge in terms of its story telling and overall presence in comparison to other science fiction.

All that being said, Abrams has kept the production of the new Star Trek movie under extremely tight security. After all the months of secrecy, Paramount has finally released publicity images of the cast in costume and on the set. The first real trailer is supposed to be in front of the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace on November 14.


Here's most of the crew - from left to right Chekov, Kirk, Scotty, Bones, Sulu, and Uhura. The uniforms look good to me - pretty faithful to the originals but with an updated look. The remind me a lot of Spider-Man and Superman's costumes in their movies with the slight texture to them. I like them.


And here's the first look at the bridge of the Enterprise. As much as I love the original design from the 60's, it does represent a 1960's vision of what the future might look like that no longer seems futuristic to us today. This new bridge design keeps the iconic and stylistic elements, but is futuristic by the standards of technology in 2008. It's not perfect, but I do kind of like it. It holds true to the essence of what it should be.

Really, that's what it all comes down to. A lot of Star Trek fans are denouncing everything simply because it is new and different. As much as I'd love to see a 100% faithful recreation of what's come before, I'm also excited about seeing new things and a more promising future for the franchise. All the interviews I've read seem to get it - the actors, writers, production team and everything else is doing something new but paying tribute to what was done.

It's new Star Trek, and that's what matters.

Weekly Update

I haven't kept up on the old bloggy blog because I feel like I never have anything insightful or deeply important to convey. So, instead of stirring up controversy or inspiring thoughtful reflection, I'll just regale you with the minutiae of my weekly happenings.

My staff has to write a weekly report to me, I write a weekly report to my boss, so I figured I might as well give you all one too.

This past weekend I went back to GVSU for Homecoming. A good time was had by all. I didn't get to see some of the RAs that wanted to see me, but I saw everyone else who I wanted to. One of the best parts of the weekend was the trip out to Yesterdog at 1:30 AM, a tradition that is always fun.

If you've ever seen American Pie, you may remember that it takes place in "East Great Falls" Michigan, otherwise known as East Grand Rapids. That's where the writer was from. The characters always go to a hot dog restaurant called Dog Ears, which is actually Yesterdog. Of course they filmed the scenes at some nicer restaurant probably in Los Angeles, whereas the real Yesterdog is old and kind of shady in the best possible way.

So, getting back to work this week I have felt like I'm still catching up. That's always the danger of being gone for a weekend in Residence Life. Most of the week is spent dealing with things that happened over the weekend even when you're here, so being gone for a weekend means a lot more catching up on Monday. I think I'm about caught up for the week now, so it all works out.

Really, the most exciting thing going on this week is that today in the cafeteria is the Pretzel Bar. It only happens about once every 3 weeks, so for me it's kind of a big deal. I know getting excited about pretzels sounds kind of lame, but you forget how much I love pretzels. Last time they had a marinara stuffed pretzel with Parmesan cheese baked on to it and regular cheese stuffed pretzels. I've cleared my calendar for the lunch hour today to make sure nothing stands between me and pretzels.

Otherwise, I've decided to stay out of political discussions this election season. In 2004 this blog was a constant rant against the crazy liberals and Captain Flip Flop himself John Kerry. This year I know that I'm one of the only Republicans around who will admit to it, and I'm tired of trying to argue against those who have already deified Obama. When they ask why I don't support him, which to the Obama cult is blasphemy, I simply tell them that I'm not a socialist.

And because he's a Care Bear.


Think about it. He believes that sunshine, rainbows, and happy thoughts will solve all of our problems. He's got the Care Bear Stare. He lives up in the clouds, far away from reality. It makes a lot of sense. I'm not voting for a Care Bear.

That's about all from me. Hopefully this weekend is quiet and without incidents in the building. I've got episodes of Heroes and The Unit to catch up on this weekend, but after that no big plans.