HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Distribution: world
From: Ira_J._Seskin@fourd.com
Organization: 4th Dimension BBS
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 12:34:21 EST
Subject: Re: Stewart Role

>>In the dramatizations of LeCarre's "Smiley's People", shown on
PBS probably 10 years ago by now, I believe it was Patrick
Stewart who played the mysterious figure of 'Karla', head of 
Soviet Intelligence.  Although he didn't have any lines, the
imposing presence which we know so well is very much in evidence.<<
 
You sure? I remember the character as much more physically imposing when he
crossed the bridge in the final episode....when he dropped the cigarette
lighter. Then again....that WAS a long time ago.
 
-Ira-


 
-Ira-

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System: fourd.com                                Phone: 617-494-0565
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Xref: sparky rec.arts.startrek.current:19070 rec.arts.startrek.tech:6457
From: rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu (Michael Rawdon)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current,rec.arts.startrek.tech
Subject: Re: Saturday Night Review "The Quality of Life" SPOILERS!
Date: 22 Nov 92 20:21:14 GMT
Reply-To: rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin Computer Sciences Dept., Madison, WI

Crossposted to rec.arts.startrek.tech

In <1992Nov22.184147.22336@cs.wayne.edu> atems@igor.physics.wayne.edu (Dale Atems) writes:
>Since several people have flamed about the acting ability of the
>actress who played Dr. Farallon, I just thought I'd mention that her
>name is Ellen Bry and she's no newcomer to television. Remember
>vengeance-driven nurse/rape victim Shirley Daniels on St. Elsewhere?
>IMHO she did quite well with that character. Maybe Bry was miscast as
>a scientist, or maybe she just couldn't get used to all that technobabble...

I have a very high tolerance for technoblither (let me put it this way:  I
successfully swallowed a lot of Space: 1999 :-) but when they started going on
about how Data's brain now has theoretically unlimited speed, my reaction was,
"Yeah, right".

Of course, the whole concept of the exocomps seemed pretty clearly to be based
in neural nets (except that neural net terminology tends to talk more about
"nodes" and "arcs" than "pathways" - especially physical pathways, but
whatever).  It started sounding pretty silly to this computer scientist after
a little while.

-- 
Michael Rawdon				 rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu
University of Wisconsin Computer Sciences Department, Madison, WI

"My favorite Star Trek With Jean-Luc episode is the one where some alien
 kills another in the first five minutes and then the crew debates for the
 next 55 minutes about what to do.  My favorite Star Trek With Captain Kirk
 is the same as anyone else's, the one where Kirk, overacting, falls in
 love with a beautiful alien babe, which Spock calls illogical, and where a
 bunch of security guys die.  You know the one?"
							- A friend
From: finifter@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Tracy E. Finifter)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Quality of Life - Typical TNG Problem
Date: 23 Nov 92 14:35:28 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

No real spoilers in this one I think, but just to be safe:






















"The Quality of Life", IMHO, is typical of what has become a major problem in
TNG:  overreliance on technobabble.  It was easy to see in the episode that
the major dilemma being faced by the characters was whether or not those little
droid thingies were 'alive' or not (I forget what they were called, but that
goes along with my point).  However, most of the episode dealt with explaining
everything from how they could be 'alive' to how the mining process worked, to
how they could beam Picard and Geordi out, to how their coffee machine worked.
I was quite confused by it all!  TNG has tried too hard to make everything
they do sound technically feasable (except when the problem is caused by a
'transporter malfunction') and so the real plots and ideas get lost in the
shuffle of jargon.



-- 
* Tracy E. Finifter                     *                                    *
*  finifter@gandalf.rutgers.edu         *        "Sanity is overrated."      *
*  Douglass College, Rutgers University *                -- Kimberly Weston  *
*  New Brunswick, New Jersey            *                                    *
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
From: maki@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Justin N Maki)
Subject: the sixth season....
Summary: has anyone noticed?
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 04:50:20 GMT


	I just finished watching "The Quality of Life" tonight, and was
thinking that season six just hasn't been the same as the other five.  Granted,
shows evolve, etc... but I was wondering if this has anything to do with Gene
R. not being at the helm anymore.  
	The shows seemed to have gotten "less STTNG".  Data's insubordination
was corny this time, and a little 'un-data-like'.  And then, Picard's comments
about how Data disregarded the lives of his crewmembers for a "hunch"?
"Data, that was really a nifty thing you did, it was sooo human of you. good
job!! (hug)"  (paraphrased:)  
	Also, why in the heck did Data have to go talk to Crusher about the 
definition of life?  You think that he would have been reading up on it, 
considering that the subject has played a major part in about 6 episodes!!
Not to mention that one of those episodes required him to fit the definition in
order to exist!!! (which was back when the shows were STTNG)
That question of his was stupid!! Why was that in there?  Did he forget?
It just seemed like, "Ok, here is Crusher's scene, (Worf's also)"  It was
almost like they have some contract agreement that says that everyone needs
at least three lines per show.  Deanna:  "Farallon, you really seem 
angered" (thanks for the insight, Troi!)  (but she has always been like that)
	Anyway, what is going on?  Did all of the writer's run out of ideas,
or were they replaced, or what?  I guess after 100+ episodes, things get 
rehashed.
	Also, Picard would not have tryed to command the ship if he was turned
into a little kid.  He would have given it to Riker right away.  Someone 
earlier mentioned that Riker sure lost control quick... no kidding...
	So, STTNG is evolving.. I just have this picture of everyone in
hollywood jumping on the STTNG bandwagon, and without Gene there to control
it, it is sort of wandering off its true course... 
	But it sure has made it's mark, eh?

	Justin


Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
From: jsbell@acs.ucalgary.ca (Joshua Bell)
Subject: Re: Quality of Life *SPOILERS*
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 03:04:03 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta

Minor spoilers, and some comments.



Two words: Banana 3000. :)

One thing which puzzled me about this episode was the lack of
reference to the Nanites ("Evolution"). They were also designed
to be tools, but proved to be intelligent. While "The Quality of
Life" was a much better handling of this topic, and I don't think
the idea was re-used, any more than the concept of machine-life
was from "Measure of a Man", they _should_ have made some
comment. There was precendent. In this case, however, the new
creatures were a lot cuter, but also far less intelligent.

Question: Now what? They learn by doing, but apart from self
preservation, the exocomps seem to display little motivation.
This reminds me of my cat, actually, who's similar in shape,
size, and color. And watching the episode again with me.
Intelligent, to a point, able to learn and take care of itself,
but... ? To further the analogy, my cat just finished what he was
doing, and flopped over to sleep. Are the exocomps going to be
the Next Generation of Pets?

Joshua
|         A shimmering net undulating like an infinite borealis.             |
|                                                  - Chapterhouse: Dune      |
|                                                                            |
| jsbell@acs.ucalgary.ca  Academic Computing Services, University of Calgary |
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
From: schamber@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Sylvain Chamberland)
Subject: Re: Picard's accent
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 21:57:45 GMT

In article <168A3DE89.97994779@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu> 97994779@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu writes:
>csi056@cch.coventry.ac.uk (WEG) writes:
> 
>accent.  So then to answer the question as to why Picard is a Frenchman
>with an English accent.  (I believe someone already mentioned this, so this
>is mearly in agreement with that person).  Simple he learned English either
>in Britian, or from a British tutor.  And with some effort he managed to
>get rid of any French accent he may have had.  Of course you'll notice so
>had his brother and nephew, in Family.  So with all this one-worldness of

It's possible. God knows I'm trying - and not succeeding :-( - but it's
possible to lose one's accent. Or never to have one: you just got to have
foreign language courses when you are young, and spend a lot of time on them.
I don't have any problem with Jean-Luc speaking with a British accent.

(After all, in Canada, English-speaking citizens who learned French speak
with a French accent, not the French-Canadian one... it depends on who
teach them... and how...)

>Why is it so impossible to
>imagine that Jean-Luc's parents or grand-parents or great-great-grandparents
>moved to England and that Jean-Luc never lived in France? The idea that the
>French of modern earth gave up francais is totally rediculous! I think the expl
>anation is just that simple. Jean-Luc is an englishman of french descent, no
>more, no less!

No. What about "Family"???  His family still lives in France. And he was
living there too...

>Patrick at WSU

-- 
Sylvain Chamberland           INTERNET: schamber@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca   
Dept. of Biology          -----------------------------------------------------
University of Waterloo    |  "Biochimiste un jour, biochimiste toujours!"
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |                               - anonyme
From: sager@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Brian)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: I wanna Fistful of Troy!!!
Date: 16 Nov 92 17:51:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: mentor.BxtLLw.FDD
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <1992Nov16.084230.3993@wkuvx1.bitnet> pattecd@wkuvx1.bitnet writes:
>
>     All analytical observations aside, I thought Troy looked rather
>sexy in her leather pants!  8)
>
>
     Dude,  What the hell????  We aren't the sexist pig, are we?

Learn to spell!!  It's Troi, not Troy.

			Love, Dorm-Rec
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
From: glocke@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (Gordon Locke  )
Subject: Re: Nannites Vs Borg
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 00:25:45 GMT

ohdav@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com (David OH) writes:

>I saw the episode 'Evolution' yesterday (we are way behind on TNG seasons)
>and thought that the nannites (right spelling??) could be an effective
>weapon against the Borg. Imagine if these mechanical viruses got onboard 
>the Borg ship! Hmm....any comments?

	I believe this was mentioned as a way a possible way of fighting
the Borg in one of the "Best of Both Worlds" episodes.  However, it was
ruled out as a possibility because it would take too long to make 'em or
something.  So we may indeed see this weapon used against our favorite
collective consciousness in a future show (continuity in TNG?! ...
wierder things have happened!) 
-- 
   Gord Locke, a.k.a.    |    "I'm not an       | "The Universe is so big
glocke@morgan.ucs.mun.ca | Internet address ... | I get dizzy when I think
  Newfoundland, Canada   |   I'm a free man!"   |  about it" -Sugarcubes
From: chrisa@fc.hp.com
 (Chris Anderson)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Why 30 minute show?
Date: 16 Nov 92 18:34:35 GMT
Article-I.D.: fc.BxtnLn.9Gx
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Site
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.1 PL6]

For those of you who have not seen ``Fistful of Datas'', !!SPOILERS AHOY!!


















I have  looked  through  several  postings  in this group  about the recent TNG
episode  ``Fistful of Datas'' and not ONE person  mentioned  that the show only
lasted 30 minutes  this week!  At least on Denver's  KWGN and  Cheyenne's  KGWN
they both aired a 30 minute  version of the show.  I mean, what's going on?  At
6:00 pm Saturday night I flip on the show and I catch the opening  credits.  At
6:30 the  closing  credits  are rolling  up!  The show had what  seemed  like a
fairly normal plot:  beginning,  middle, and end (with Worf's smile at the very
end!), but it also  seemed  like a lot of the  detail in the show was  missing.
For example, why are Worf and his son and Counselor Troi on the holodeck?  This
is not  explained.  Later, the barmaid comes into the  sheriff's  office with a
bunch of stuff.  Again, no  explanation  as to why she did this,  although Worf
had  probably  asked  her to  earlier.  And  was  there  something  else to the
relationship  between the sheriff and the barmaid?  At the end of the  holodeck
story, she's hanging all over him as if they had developed  something  earlier.
Also, what is the reason for the ship Biko?  I mean, it is  mentioned  once and
shown  once, but no  explanation  for why it is there.  And what's the  special
interface they are working on that supposedly caused the holodeck problem?

Anyway, I thought the episode was good and funny, but wholly confusing  because
I think this was meant to be a 60 minute show that for some reason had been cut
to 30 minutes.  Anybody else see the 30 minute version?

Chris Anderson
From: tjw@vms.cis.pitt.edu (TJ Wood)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Fistful of Datas: GREAT FUN!
Date: 16 Nov 92 04:09:18 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <8709@dirac.physics.purdue.edu>, ns@bohr.physics.purdue.edu (Nancy M. Schnepp) writes:
> Fistful of Datas was great fun!  It is destined to be
> one of my favorite episodes of either series! 

> Spoilers lurking below.


Yea.  Spoilers.  If you read this and it ruins it for you, you got nobody
but yersef to blame, pard'ner.


> If you found yourself NOT laughing at Fistful of Datas,
> then you must have no sense of humor whatsoever! 


That WOULD describe most of the readers of *this* newsgroup. :-P


Seriously, it was a "fun" episode if you can suspend belief that parents
would actually allow their children to use a device that is as dangerous and
unpredicatable as the holodeck.  It "fails" and puts people in danger often
enough that I really doubt that it is "UL listed"!  (I'm sure the 24th
century equivalent of Consumer's Reports has nothing nice to say about it
either: "Frequently fails and kills it's users.  We can not recommend the
Starfleet brand model NCC-1701D Holodeck").

But all that aside, this episode had some good lines:  "Mr Barkley helped
me" and "I can see the appeal of this program!" are among my favorites.


> And then when the Enterprise took off into
> the sunset....  a classic western ending!  
> I'll be watching it again this weekend!  Great stuff!

Oh yea!  If you're going to be "campy" you might as well go all the way.
This episode was (of course) much better than TOS "gun fight at the OK
corral" which was boring even back when it was first shown.  Then ending
was true to the story.

It was fun to see the character development in Worf.  Even though he thinks
he has to be a "hard *ss" and never enjoy being with his son, we find out
that he can enjoy a fantasy now and again.  As we saw in the two-parter
Klingon Civil War and again in this episode, Worf is beginning to realize
that although he is Klingon his adoptive parent's values have rubbed off on
him.

Terry
-- 
        INTERNET: tjw+@pitt.edu         BITNET: TJW@PITTVMS
"Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy!"                        - Lord "John" Warfin
"There can be only one!"                                  - The Highlander
"There should have been only one. I want my money back!"  - Terry
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
From: kgdykes@thinkage.on.ca (Ken Dykes)
Subject: poetic continuity
Organization: Thinkage Ltd.
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 01:55:19 GMT

In article <1992Nov15.034852.7992@Princeton.EDU> drostker@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Jay Rostker) writes:
>    Also, kudos for all of those continuity checks. I was extremely glad
>    to see Picard's flute. I was less enthused to hear more of Data's
>    poetry.

yes. Vogon poetry would be preferred...

-- 
   - Ken Dykes, Thinkage Ltd., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada    [43.47N 80.52W]
         kgdykes@thinkage.on.ca   postmaster@thinkage.com   thinkage!kgdykes
         harley-request@thinkage.on.ca             kgdykes@math.uwaterloo.ca
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current,soc.men,soc.women
From: cgates@mitre.org (Curt Gates)
Subject: Re: Beards vs. Make-up
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 14:33:16 GMT

In article <By5zs1.H4s@iai.kfk.de> seldner@hdi3sun.kfk.de (David Seldner) 
writes:

> Psychologically, men who have beards want to
> hide something, they don't want to "show their face".

Ohhh, no! Another cross-posting from pop.psychology.  I dont know if I can 
stand all this profound insight into human behavior.  The real reason men 
shave is because they are afraid of losing their face in a flame war.

> What I'd like to know: why is it that so many women like ...
> men with beards?

Because they think a man with a beard is furry and and cuddly like a wild 
animal maybe?

> Maybe I should let one grow ... :-)

Naww, let that be the one regret in your life -- that you lived your whole 
life clean shaven and never knew what it was like to ... live on the wild 
side.

************************************
I worked as a technical writer ... editing manuals ... on how to dispose 
of sewage in permafrost; we all had to wear white shirts -- that was 
mandatory -- and I was fired at the end of two weeks for spending too much 
time staring out the window.  
(Edward Abbey)
************************************
From: uejiowh@dssv01.crd.ge.com (W. H. Uejio)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Quality of "Quality of Life"
Date: 17 Nov 92 22:56:35 GMT
Reply-To: uejiowh@crd.ge.com
Organization: GE R&D, DICE Program

In article <BxuHxF.LKB@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, kpm44977@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
(Kevin P. McDonald) writes:
|> few comments on the latest TNG episode "The Quality of Life", but first...
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|>O.K., now for some unsolicited opinions.
|>
|>	Is it just me or was this an exceptionally BAD episode.  Once again, 
|>the writers have come up with a cute "cut and pat" storyline with a
moral thrown
|>right in our faces.  I thought we'd seen the last of this in the first
season. I
|>guess I was mistaken.  The alien doctor of the week's ending comment
"next time
|>I won't use them as tools" line (or something along those lines) was
just taking
|>it over the top in my view.  It was akin to a 
|>scooby-Doo dialog.  Yes, Data IS sentient.  Dr. Soong's purpose in
creating him
|>was to create a sentient being.  The Exocomps were created as TOOLS. 
Therefore
|>they don't qualify as a life form!!!  Taking this a little further,
lets suppose
|>the Enterprise's computer somehow gains the attributes the Exocomps did.  Now
|>wh at if, after this happens, a Starfleet work-order to refit the
computer and
|>other systems on the ship is put through.  If the Big-E's computer,
with its new
|>found "intelligence" refuses the refit, do we tolerate it?  The answer
of course
|>is absolutely NOT!!!  The Enterprise was designed by beings to perform tasks,
|>not to disrupt the attempts of those beings to execute the tasks it
was designed
|>to perform.  The Exocomps are no different.
|>
|>Besides, wasn't the core idea of this story already seen in the 1st season
|>episode "Home Soil"?
|>
|>Just a few comments...
|>.
|>
|>-- 
|>----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
|>kpm44977@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu           | "Jean-Luc!  How about a big hug?
|>Kevin P. McDonald                   |          -- John DeLancie as Q
|>President, Starfleet Academy at UIUC|         
_STAR_TREK:_THE_NEXT_GENERATION
                                                                        
The same comments should apply to the episode in which Wesley
played with the miniature robots which as a group became sentient and
Picard found them sentient and negotiated with them.  Given that 
episode and the fact that they were accepted as a sentient life 
form, the above argument is moot.
           
Wayne Uejio             General Electric CRD   Disclaimer: opinions 
uejiowh@crd.ge.com      KWC-275                expressed are my own 
Office: 518-387-6441    P.O. Box 8             and not the company's
Fax:    518-387-7080    Schenectady NY 12301   opinion
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Distribution: world
From: Ira_J._Seskin@fourd.com
Organization: 4th Dimension BBS
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 20:59:10 EST
Subject: Re: Sherrif Worf

test.
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System: fourd.com                                Phone: 617-494-0565
Cute quote:  Being a computer means never having to say you're sorry
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From: smintz@sedona.intel.com (Stephen Mintz exp 11/92~)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Quality of Life; No spoiler
Date: 17 Nov 1992 16:08:32 GMT
Organization: Intel Corporation
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: alamo.intel.com
Originator: smintz@alamo


It wasn't bad and I didn't see anything that wasn't too implausible....you almost
couldn't see the strings..:)
Best episode this season (which isn't saying much...)
Stephen
From: runyan@cup.hp.com (Mark Runyan)
Subject: Re: The Riker Manuver
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 19:28:41 GMT
Organization: HP, Cupertino, CA, USA
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.8 PL6]

CHERYL ANN DOUGHERTY (cad3@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu) wrote:
>>, f0975893@jaguar.csc.wsu.edu
>writes:
>>I thought the Riker Manuver was a quick (warp speed) way to get a member of
>>the opposite sex horizontal!!!
>
>Which always seems to work best on nonhuman females.  Has Riker ever mated
>within his species?

In "Up the Long Ladder", the female with the `Irish' accent was human.

Mark Runyan {r.a.s. random rationalizer}
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
From: tiverson@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu (Thor Iverson)
Subject: Re: Amusing Season 6 errors (None posted previously)
Organization: Northeastern University, Boston, MA. 02115, USA
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:13:59 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.135052@cozy.Prime.COM> dwolff@cozy.Prime.COM (David Wolff) writes:

>BTW, I thought Troi looked pretty good in leather pants and a blouse...
>her "Ancient West" accent was awful, but then it's just a holodeck game,
>so who cares.

Actually, I really liked it--I thought she managed to successfully sound
like Counselor Troi putting on a western accent.  I would have found a
perfect accent, or a Sirtis-like western accent unrealistic, but the
_Troi_-influenced accent was perfect.

>David Wolff

Thor Iverson

Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current