An afternoon at Star Fleet Academy (aka Cal State Northridge)

http://webdesign.timches.com/2009/05/13/639/star-trek-reset/

Last May my wife and I went and saw the new JJ Abram's Star Trek movie. I realize I'm probably in the minority here, but as fan of the original series, I was generally disappointed with the film. Can a movie have too many special effects? Too many explosions? Fight scenes that are so unrealistic that they border on the absurd? Can a movie have so much "action" that it actually detracts from the story?

Wow, Lenord Nemoy is really getting old. And where was Bill Shatner? They couldn't find a cameo for him?

Of course, the movie had some enjoyable scenes, including the ones featuring the "Star Fleet Academy" in a futuristic San Francisco. I thought to myself, "Star Fleet Academy really looks like the library at Cal State Northridge." A few more minutes into the film, I realized it was the library at Cal State Northridge.

Living in Los Angeles, it's fun seeing how familiar (and not so familar) places are changed to fit in a film - especially if it's set in the past or the future.


This past week I was meeting with some professors over at Cal State Northridge and took some pictures to see if I could match the photo from the film. Pretty amazing what some special effects can produce.


http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEzjYEDCoV1nDB

I found this photo from http://www.movieweb.com/. Someone from CSUN took a few photos through an office window during the filming on campus in March of 2008. You can clearly see the "blue screen" which allowed the special effects crew to matte a 23rd Century San Francisco.

www.starfleetbase.com

Here's another shot from the film that really took advantage of blue screen and mattes. The only part that's Cal State Northridge is the grass, the steps, and the palm trees. Maybe that's how CSUN will look in the year 2309. But this being Los Angeles, I imagine there will be some zoning issues with the homeowners associations around campus.

So, what's the appeal of Star Trek? Perhaps that deep down most of us are hoping for a better future for our great-great grandkids and for planet earth - even if it's 300+ years in the future.

Of course, some of the "futuristic" technology in the films already exists. And while other things like "transporter beams" may never happen, they look very cool on film.

Over the years, Star Trek (the shows and the movies) have surfaced some great questions: What is humanity's purpose in the universe? What does it mean to be human? Are there moral absolutes? Is there life beyond planet earth? Is there an afterlife? Who - or what - is God?

While I don't necessarily agree with all the answers the show proposes, they're still great questions.

http://homepage.mac.com/m5comp/trekbits/

Wasn't it Socrates who said "the unexamined life is not worth living?"

Here's to finding the answers to those great questions.

Have a treky day.

.

Keepin' L.A. Moving --- but don't let this happen to you

These "anti-gridlock" signs are not unique to Los Angeles - you'll find them in most major cities. They're designed to open up another traffic lane during rush hour. Without them, traffic - especially in cities like L.A. - would even be worse.

A few weeks back I was at Cal State Northridge in the San Fernando Valley, meeting with some university professors - great time. Had a chance to connect with a fraternity brother from UCLA who is now a professor at CSUN. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention to the parking signs on the street.


Walking back to your car and seeing it already on a tow truck = never good. The driver would have already taken off, except that there was another car in front of mine that also was also blocking the traffic lane. Fortunately, the driver of the other car showed up just in time. She wasn't happy with her $200 ticket ...

Either was I, but at least it meant that the tow truck operator could give me back my car (instead of having to tow away my car and hers). It's coming down off the rack in the photo above. I still had to pay an additional $200 to get it back - but I consider myself very fortunate. At least I didn't have to walk to some impound location in another part of the Valley (esp as it was almost dark).


$200 ticket + an additional $200 to get it off the rack = $400. Ouch.

As a Christian I'm reminded that the commands in Scripture are for our protection and our provision. When God says "don't" - it's to keep us from harm: physically, emotionally, socially, or relationally. "I did it my way" might be a memorable line from an old Sinatra song, but it really screws things up.

That little "don't" sign (as in "don't park here - tow away") reminds me of the "don't's" - and the "do's" - God gives us in life.

Ignoring them = never good.