h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, apparition - I have got to agree about Stargate SG-1! It has turned to custard before our very eyes! It used to be roolly excellent!

I am sorry, but I misinterpreted what you meant, when you said it made you cry... I took it that you meant, as I did, that it made you kind of barf.. but I see you meant the actual sentiments, the actual words as they were meant and orignally written! I am sorry I am so cynical, as I see your point.'tis a pity They don't live up to them
or even take them seriously any more!

TOS, is the Original Series, TNG = the Next Generation etc. Sadly, I *am* among the obsessed...

You don't need to be opsessed to know startrek. I was brought up on tos (the old series) both parents and even my grandfather watched it. Many many re-runs

The best SF creators realise capitolism is the fastest way toward hell on earth, eg movies like blade runner and the runnung man. The best societies in SF are are all socialist, eg startrek. Money (economy) like everything else is subject to entropy.

To answer the (romulan(?)) in a previous post. The ferengi are the the capatolist of the main races. They are not "bad guys", just a weaker state due to a lack of unity bacause their main goal is the individual aquisition of wealth. Personaly I see it as the writers showing us by this time along a capatolist path.

What's wrong with socalism anyway? Technology seems to progress toward it anyway as production becomes more efficent. What monetary value does an object that can be "replicated" have?

Some of the worlds most powerful and economicaly successful nations have very socalistic leanings, practiced even by their largest companies. Northen Europe eg Germany and scandanavia.

apparition, have you seen the Deep Space Nine episode "Who Mourns for Morn"? Quark finally gets his hands on the 500 bars of gold-pressed latinum, only to discover that each bar has been broken into and the latinum removed? He sits crying on a heap of "worthless" gold. It's soooo funny! (Gold, like diamonds are worthless because they can be replicated.)

I am right with you on socialism. It's the logical way to go...

Actually I was just reading about that episode last night

apparition, I was just reading about "Little Green Men" in the Fact Files... the Ferengi are a very interesting race. The socialist aspects of Star Trek are being over-shadowed now, by such novel series as Diane Carey's Belle Terre books, have you read them? IMHO, not very good .. pure libertarianism. Well, that's my view.

So Trek - or TOS as we in the know like to call it - was home of the first broadcast interracial kiss. What episode was that in - and what was the context?

Hi, autist - the episode was "Plato's Step-children", made in about 1969, I think. It is said that William Shatner sabotaged other alternate takes, so that the Kiss would have to be used - they wanted several alternate versions in case the suits objected. Another interesting episode regarding racial issues, is "Let that Be Your Last Battlefield", about men feuding for centuries over whose race was superior, because one had his face left side white, right side black, and the other was left side black, right side white. I don't know when that was made. TOS is very interesting sociologically.

Oops, I just noticed that you wanted the context... Well, the Bridge crew of the Enterprise are visiting a planet inhabited by an effete race of beings who claim to have been the ancient Gk gods. They claim to live by the ideals of Plato, hence the title. They have telekinetic powers, given them by a substance in their food. They force the bridge crew to perform for them, dance in 18th century fashion, perform a play in which Kirk and Spock are partnered by Nurse Christine Chapel and Uhura, the black Comm officer. As part of the play, the two 'couples' are forced to kiss. It is emotional for other reasons as well: Nurse Chapel has been incubating a hopeless crush on Spock, and as a Vulcan, he is (supposedly ) emotionless.

Eventually, the crew discover the source of the powers of the Platonians, when they observe that the one without, a pituitary dwarf called Alexander, lacks both telekinesis and the ability to metabolise the substance.. I think it's called 'kironide'. The crew eat kironide and fight back!

You're condused with the episode "who mourns for adonis?"

In the episode you're thinking of they were aliens who visited earth during the greek period (and were very impressed) just before crashing on the planet where the episode takes place and have been there ever since, their live having been extended by that chemical in the food.

TOS was also the first american show with an asian and russian main character (on the side of good no less)

I think the spirit of SF is an egelatarian mind set.

**Uhura was born in the USA (united states of Africa) Sulu in san Fransisco and checkov is a real ruski

:-? oh no it's happened!! I've quoted episode names

Duh! (Department of Unexplained Happenings). Now I am really confused! I'll check out my many reference books (Star Trek Encyclopedia, Captains' Logs etc.,) but you're right, sf is (or shld be) egalitarian, and good on it!

This is how great the beeb site is

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/

Startrek stuff - free access from the public liabury