A Star Trek Movie Review.

GO! Go Now! Go tomorrow and go the next day. Go see Star Trek as fast and a frequently as you can. It is the single greatest movie I have seen in my entire life. In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention I'm a lifelong "Trekkie", former Starfleet costume contest winner, and perhaps a little biased. But if you love action, comedy, drama, romance, green women, or life then you will enjoy this movie.

Mr. Abrams has given hardcore fans everything they could ask for in a Star Trek movie, yet done so in such an accessible manner that even someone who's never heard of Klingons can enjoy this movie. If I were a polygamist, this movie would be my second wife. An example of perfect pacing, the action is non-stop, the laughs are non-stop, and the sense of adventure and joy is so concentrated that it explodes from the screen to fill the audience with wonder. You will fall in love with Captain Kirk and his unfailing belief that all problems can be solved by man. Spock will help remind you how lucky we are to feel life's kaleidoscope of emotions, and Scotty will make you laugh till the movie ends. I walked away from the theater with the sincere knowledge that our future is just as bright and exciting as the universe of Star Trek. And I must do my part to make that reality happen, lest I disappoint the great James Tiberius Kirk. This movie will inspire you to approach life more Boldly, please go see it.

Stuff.

I'll admit it, I used to LOVE stuff. Well not all stuff, I loved a very specific set of stuff. Comic Books, superhero action figures, and anything stamped with the words "Star Trek". Owning cool things was an ego boosting reassurance I counted on from time to time. This was a great consternation to my wife who greatly dislikes stuff. She especially dislikes the spending of money which is closely associated with getting stuff.Lately, however, I've become less materialistic. It began as a necessity, the American east coast is a much more expensive place to live than the middle of an Arizonan desert. But on a recent trip to Target I passed a sweet new Star Trek toy and walked away empty handed. I was sad at first, because I want to own cool stuff, who doesn't? But as I returned home, about the time buyers remorse would have set in, I realized that "owner of cool things" is an attribute no longer consistent with the kind of lifestyle I want to live. The life of international adventurer or photographic nomad does not allow one to carry many permanent possessions. When we leave the country, we won't be taking much more than a suitcase or two. I haven't yet decided if giving up most of my possessions is a positive or negative side effect of the lifestyle I want to live. On the plus side, giving up my attachment to cool things has forced me to venture outside of my apartment more often and find beauty and fulfillment in the outside world. But on the negative side, I have LESS cool stuff! And some of that stuff is definitely great for creating lasting friendships and social interactions, like games and movies. I guess I'll have to wait and see what life is really like without a room full of cool stuff. On thing is certain, it will be an adventure.

And Packing is Half the Battle

Packing a suitcase is a unique experience. A true ritual of adventure, it's like a rain dance that summons trips to far away places. I love the feeling of excitement and untapped potential that rushes through my veins as I hear the familiar rip of a suitcase zipper. Sometimes I think about packing a suitcase just to see where it will take me.Packing is also an art form. The ability to masterfully pack every square inch of a suitcase with perfect precision seems to be mostly genetic. My wife is certainly a master packer. Sometimes I think she could even out pack Mary Poppins and that magical bag of hers. As you can probably guess, I'll be taking a trip soon and I am filled with anticipation. It's one of my favorite emotions, and a huge part of why i love adventures and travel. Anticipation is almost as much fun as the actual adventure, and nothing builds anticipation like packing a suitcase. I can feel adventure on the horizon and as I pack I must precisely anticipate what I'll need for my journey. Will I need my ninja headband? Which games should I bring? Is there room to bring my Japanese flash cards? These questions cannot be taken lightly as they will most certainly have a huge impact on the quest I am about to take. Packing is an exercise that requires excellent skills of anticipation and analyzation, superhuman spacial planning, and a little bit of luck. There's no better way to begin an adventure than with a good bit of packing.

Learning Japanese

Japanese is a ridiculously difficult language to learn. According to a survey of its diplomats, the British government reports Japanese as the second hardest language to learn, behind Hungarian. Although I read this on Wikipedia and didn't fact check it, so take it with a grain of salt. One thing is sure, learning Japanese is no cake walk.Why do I love learning Japanese so much? Is it because I love a challenge? Maybe. Perhaps I like encountering something foreign and exotic. It's certainly not because I've seen any immediate usefulness from being able to speak Japanese. I'll probably never fully understand why I love Japanese. So much of what we love is fundamentally unexplainable. Why is a sunset beautiful?
Beauty, love, and fascination are ultimately beyond logic and understanding. That doesn't mean we shouldn't examine our loves and fascinations. But more important than examining your loves, is pursuing your loves. Despite causing me many headaches and being virtually useless, I have pursued Japanese for several years and I'm now sharing that passion with my wife. That is why most of our house is now labeled in Japanese. There is nothing greater than pursuing your love, and it will pay off. In my case, I'll be living in Japan in a few years and speaking the language will make many things much easier. But even if I were never to go to Japan, the pursuit alone has brought me enough joy.

Random Ideas

Today I did nothing. Mostly nothing anyway. I did get one brilliant money making idea and start the process for obtaining a patent. Get ready, 'cause I'm gonna lay it on ya: Fortune cookies stuffed with Britney Spears' Twitter updates. I'll give you a second to process and recover. I guess it doesn't have to be Britney Spears, any lame celebrity will do.
I'm no twitter user, but if I ever become one I think I'll have all my twitter updates delivered via fortune cookie. Fortune cookies are gonna be the new text messages. Everybody gets a decent crazy idea on occasion and I think most of us should act on them more often. It would make the world a more interesting and less frightening place. The more people that put their wacky ideas out there, the less silly our own ideas seem. It's good to be silly. I've got a tax return coming and I'm considering becoming a venture capitalist. So if you've got a good silly idea that needs funding, leave me a comment and let me know.

The Whole World Smiles With You

Today was a great day. Everywhere I went, I was surrounded by the things I love. Not only did I get FREE comic books, but at Burger King they've decorated for Star Trek Day! It's like Christmas in May.For a few glorious weeks, Star Trek is mainstream. There are Phasers for sale in Target, Captain Kirk is in the grocery isles plastered to Cheeze-its, and at Burger King they're selling Star Trek glasses and Star Trek kid's meals.It feels like the world is celebrating with me. This must be what football fans experience on Superbowl Sunday or the Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I think we should all take turns celebrating the interests and cultures of all kinds of different minorities. It feels great to see the things you love in unexpected places. Like the whole world has suddenly become a Star Trek convention. What a glorious day.

Absence makes the heart grow...

Spring is here and that means all kinds of change. Not everybody likes change, it often gets a lot of bad press. That's because with all change there is loss. Now matter how great the newness which change brings may be, the loss of the old can be bitter.I'm going to miss sledding and hot chocolate on a cold winter's night and especially the smell of Christmas. But constant winter, or even constant spring, summer, or fall, wears on the soul. We all need loss, it makes way for new fruit.It's not always easy to put in the effort and energy needed to bring about change. Especially when the loss is certain and the gain is unknown. I try to periodically examine the constants in my life, to make sure comfort and familiarity aren't holding me back. I once wore only corduroy pants for an entire decade. As comfortable as they were, refusing to change limited me in ways I didn't even imagine. If you don't absolutely love your job or your town or your life, you may need to consider change. Don't be seduced by the comfort summer brings, we all need a little winter and spring.