Captain Kirk


I couldn't sleep last night (muscle aches, it would seem), so I turned on the TV and watched the 2009 version of Star Trek on channel FX (I really do have some trouble with "naming" TV channels--I'd much rather just have numbers)--It was originally billed something like "Not your father's Star Trek" as I recall, and I have seen it before.  Good movie, good story.  I understand that the actors have all been contracted for two sequels, and that one is planned for release next year.  Good news abounds.  Star Trek lives.

Star Trek originally aired in 1966, when I was a Junior in high school.  I didn't watch it then--I can't remember watching any TV at all in those years.  I was just too busy--A typical day went like this--Up at 6 or 6:30 AM, drove myself to school in my own car, attended my classes, went to football practice, band practice, or track practice, then immediately went to work until midnight at the Shell gas station where I was nearly full time employed--I had a girlfriend too, and I worked in other stuff like the County Fair, drinking beer, playing bass guitar in a garage band,  belonging to a car club.....I was a busy boy, and had lots of fun.  But there was no time for TV.  No desire, for that matter.  Within a year of graduating from high school, I was in the Army (a volunteer, not drafted), and was there until December of 1971--Still not a TV watcher, though--too much other stuff to do--

When I got out of the Army and became a home-owner, I was a member of the local Sheriff's Office, and worked nights.  At that point, I had some free time.  I bought a B&W TV set and discovered, in syndication, Star Trek.  Within a short period of time, I bought a color TV--specifically for Star Trek.  I've watched all the Star Trek versions on TV and at the movies.  I like all of it, but for my money, there's only been one true Captain of the Enterprise, and that's James T. Kirk.

Star Trek caused my entry into higher priced electronics.  'Course, this caused me to think about electronics in general.  In the 60's, the highest technology that I was a user of was the AM radio in my car. I was looking around at all the devices and electronic appliances in the house, and it's amazing.  Telephones that show live baseball games.  That alone might say it all.  Wireless Internet on the televisions.  Facebook.

A few years ago I saw a History Channel presentation titled "How William Shatner Changed The World"--two hours of the original Captain Kirk narrating technological breakthroughs based on Star Trek technology.  Good stuff.  All true, too.

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