Critical thinking whilst motorbicycling [Archive]

F5 Dave

14th April 2025, 14:38

:mellow:
 So there I am, just plodding down SH2 going the boring way, when my mind turns to asking some preconceived notions that I had accepted since childhood. But really - they don’t stand much ground in the cold hard light of day now I challenge them.

So why was it when the Enterprise comes across a new planet, did they send the Captain of the ship down to the surface every time?
Why risk the captain?

What?!?, are you going to risk your multi gazillion squwarb-dollar spaceship to the east European refugee incapable of making his own decisions? Don't fecking think so.

But not only that, they risked the 1st Officer and the Chief of Medical staff.

I mean it’s not like they didn’t have form of risky behaviour. They would inevitably get captured, held to ransom, get in a fight, sometimes to-the-death type fight, and be made to justify their existence to some higher being with a sulky backstory.

The other thing is; - there are supposedly a few hundred crew on board.

So what do these people do?
I mean it's not like there are sails to repair or rigging to tend to. They aren't levering barnacles off. You can't go outside.
You can probably run the whole ship with 15 people.

You'd think if they were scientists, they would be beaming to every planet to hoover up soil to study microbes check the water for chemical composition, let alone catalogue and collect fauna and wildlife.
No, send the Captain, to fall in love with a generously breasted alien who will inevitably die when she helps them, thus avoiding interplanetary custody lawsuits.

No. The Captain must remain ‘Taylor Swift’ potentially available.

So to my 10 year old mind, Star Trek and The Six Million Dollar Man, seemed to offer a cool glimpse of the future. As it turned out Steve Austin was the more likely of the two.

. . . Actually. Now you mention it. Why was a Nasa project, diverted to catching criminals?
I mean if you just put that unfeasibly large sum of the day into the police force, surely you could virtually eliminate evil doings?

These are important questions and I feel we need answers.

Sad thing is there are probably multiple websites already (don’t post them) I’d like to think my musings were somewhere near original.

R650R

14th April 2025, 16:50

Very enlightened thoughts. It was all a bit Jules Verne esque too, now any visit to a private medical clinic makes one a six million dollar man, well in the invoice at least.
It was all very colonial/American mindset too, were just gonna stop by any planet we like and they will be glad to see us.
Perhaps the extras were to ensure reproduction of the species without too much inbreeding, combat staff turnover (firings/execution). You wouldn’t want to travel all that distance just to become a glorified West Coast hippie community.
Think of it like a racetrack, you don’t really need all those flag Marshall’s but when you do oh yes you do.
And why was the starship never disabled by software updates or recalls.

Kickaha

14th April 2025, 17:11

The other thing is; - there are supposedly a few hundred crew on board.

So what do these people do?

They're the red shirts so they need a good supply

husaberg

14th April 2025, 18:52

:mellow:
 So there I am, just plodding down SH2 going the boring way, when my mind turns to asking some preconceived notions that I had accepted since childhood. But really - they don’t stand much ground in the cold hard light of day now I challenge them.

So why was it when the Enterprise comes across a new planet, did they send the Captain of the ship down to the surface every time?
Why risk the captain?

What?!?, are you going to risk your multi gazillion squwarb-dollar spaceship to the east European refugee incapable of making his own decisions? Don't fecking think so.

But not only that, they risked the 1st Officer and the Chief of Medical staff.

I mean it’s not like they didn’t have form of risky behaviour. They would inevitably get captured, held to ransom, get in a fight, sometimes to-the-death type fight, and be made to justify their existence to some higher being with a sulky backstory.

The other thing is; - there are supposedly a few hundred crew on board.

So what do these people do?
I mean it's not like there are sails to repair or rigging to tend to. They aren't levering barnacles off. You can't go outside.
You can probably run the whole ship with 15 people.

You'd think if they were scientists, they would be beaming to every planet to hoover up soil to study microbes check the water for chemical composition, let alone catalogue and collect fauna and wildlife.
No, send the Captain, to fall in love with a generously breasted alien who will inevitably die when she helps them, thus avoiding interplanetary custody lawsuits.

No. The Captain must remain ‘Taylor Swift’ potentially available.

So to my 10 year old mind, Star Trek and The Six Million Dollar Man, seemed to offer a cool glimpse of the future. As it turned out Steve Austin was the more likely of the two.

. . . Actually. Now you mention it. Why was a Nasa project, diverted to catching criminals?
I mean if you just put that unfeasibly large sum of the day into the police force, surely you could virtually eliminate evil doings?

These are important questions and I feel we need answers.

Sad thing is there are probably multiple websites already (don’t post them) I’d like to think my musings were somewhere near original.

My 2 cents. Essentially, the Yanks need heroes who consistently triumph, win over the love interest, and while doing impossible takes possess flawless hair and flawless smiles.
think Dukes of Hazzard, Chips The A team etc.
This is similar to how the Yanks portrayed the character of David Brent, played by Ricky Gervais in the original version and Mericca'd by Steve Carell, making him more likable.
The highlight of the original "The Office" series was that the character wasn't likeable or charming; he was a pathetic jerk and a sycophant a self centered creep , which made him incredibly relatable in many workplaces.;)
Think Blackadder or The New statesman or Bottom. in fact in Blakadderder they actually parody Yank heros with rik Mayall's flashart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9tmhX5u9rA

Maybe as Yanks are essentially stupid in large groups, They require their characters to lack depth as they cant handle complex characters and plots?

Shatner, with his egotistical personalty, would also influence the direction of the script. Take a look at actors like Tom Cruise, Baldwin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Stallone; they often play the hero or a flawed character, which has become a common theme. The only exceptions I can think of are some works by Burton, Tarantino, Deadpool, and a few others with a antihero like Hancock. Perhaps movies like "Wall Street," "American Beauty," "Californication"and a handful of others fit this bill, but.

That's my rant for now.

pete376403

14th April 2025, 23:02

And why was the starship never disabled by software updates or recalls.

Didn't run Windows, wasn't built by Tesla

BMWST?

15th April 2025, 18:00

all this is well above my level. I am thinking of coffee, sausge rolls, and fuel. I do not procureor consume coffee and sausage rolls at the fuel stops so its quite complex

F5 Dave

15th April 2025, 19:35

I was on my way to get a pie. I would have taken the back roads, absorbing extra mental capacity, but I had a try at flying when my dirtbike front wheel found a 4wd rut I'd avoided the last two loops a couple of weeks back. I flew poorly but landed worse so my thumb wasn't up to anything complex having just negotiated the range they separate the hutt and wairarapa with.

SaferRides

15th April 2025, 20:21

all this is well above my level. I am thinking of coffee, sausge rolls, and fuel. I do not procureor consume coffee and sausage rolls at the fuel stops so its quite complexCareful planning is required to avoid wasting valuable riding time. Z and BP coffee is OK, but both have the ambience of, well, petrol stations.

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk

BMWST?

15th April 2025, 20:34

Careful planning is required to avoid wasting valuable riding time. Z and BP coffee is OK, but both have the ambience of, well, petrol stations.

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk
exactly. Riding is indeed the aim but a nice coffee break adds to the day