I just finished Star Trek: Enterprise : Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures by Christopher L. Bennett over the holiday weekend. It's been a while since I invested any time in a Star Trek novel, but I have to say I was very pleased by the read. The book was quick (very much in part to the way the chapters were broken down by date), had the television episodic feel, and seemed to hold true to the characterizations established by the series.

Like much episodic television, the novel has both an "A" and a "B" plot. The "A" plot focuses on the new Federation's efforts to establish communications with a species first glimpsed the episode "Silent Enemy". We learned next to nothing about the aliens in that episode, which gave Mister Bennett lots of room to imagine why the species communicated as they did.

The "B" plot centers on Malcolm Reed who now commands his own ship, with Mayweather as his first officer. They end up almost losing the U.S.S. Pioneer, but are saved thanks to a fortuitous first contact. Reed has lots of reasons to question his command ability, but ends up discovering that he is becoming the commander he had hoped to be, and gaining a new Starfleet family.

There's a lot more than these two plot points. Easter eggs and a sense that we are playing in the Roddenberry universe with it's moral compass, rather than the Abrams universe. I have an affinity for the Vulcans, and wished there had been more T'Pol and Soval. There's a lot of potential in pairing Captain T'Pol with an Andorian first officer.

My sense is that Bennett can handle these characters well, while moving them forward. They are creating the Star Trek we see in the Original Series, and it feels as if that is what is happening. I'm looking forward to the next novel in this series.

Okay. My name's all about the bean, so you'd think I'd write something about beans, beanies, jelly beans, beano, or some issues associated with beans. But no, it's just a name, and by any other name I am just as caffeinated.

That said I am so grateful to Starbuck's for holding their June, buy two ginormous bags of coffee and get the third one free, promotion. It sucked me, who abhors all things advertising in. I picked up the little card at my favorite Starbuck's (on the University of Akron campus-go Exchange Street), and held it in my pocket until yesterday when I finally splurged on a Pike's Place, a Gold Coast, and a pound of Yukon (orgasmicly organic). One became a gift, but I am now set for coffee buzzing for at least a few weeks.

Isn't caffeine addiction now a mental illness?

Star Trek and Number One

The rumors are swirling about the new Star Trek movie. Today's Cleveland Plain Dealer featured a short article outlining the film's casting. Trek Today reports that Captain Christopher Pike will play a major role in the upcoming film. Although there is no posted information yet, if this film does focus on the Enterprise under Pike I hope they expand on the role Majel Barrett played in the original pilot, Number One. Her role was small, but just seeing the character in action, and from the small amount of interplay between Spock, herself and Pike, I could tell that she held promise and could well have become a fan favorite.

Good Downtown Akron Development?

The Mayor and developer Martin Mehall yesterday announced Plusquellic's apparent return to sweetheart deals for fellow democrats. Mehall will get a deal on the land at Exchange and Main. Kevin Davis will make out by either selling his property or being included in the development. Mehall will build a 450 bed series of townhouse apartments and retail, with the apartments available exclusively to University of Akron students. The deal brings expensive housing downtown, but only for students with limited disposable income. Plus the kids will be closer to bars which under our current law they shouldn't be frequenting.

It's also interesting that the Mayor makes this announcement on the same day the University of Akron announces it's plans for a new, 470 bed dorm east of campus, and a hike from downtown. If I didn't know better I'd say there was a tug-of-war going on for the students' dollars between UA and the city. Wait...I don't know better.

And all of this begs the question of just how many students are available to live either on or close to campus, and whether any of this housing meets their needs. Mehall may think his project is "very, very viable", but so did Tony Troppe of his Hickory Street project. After seeing the developments in Portland and even Cleveland, I think the city needs to think very carefully about where it's pushing new development. Students can live in decent housing near the university, or at reasonable prices in areas like Highland Square or Firestone Park, and still be minutes from downtown. The city hasn't come up with plans for any decent, easy to use public transporation like the light rail of Portland, and doesn't provide bike paths or other alternatives to get around, so if you have to have a car what's the incentive to live in expensive, downtown student housing. And is it even legal to say you will only rent to students?

Max

I haven't felt the desire to write about Max since we had to put him to sleep on Sept. 17th. I know everyone always feels they have the best pet, but he was something special.

My neighbors, Pam and Jim, actually found the little guy wandering down West Exchange street and brought him home. They had three dogs at the time, and said they could not handle a fourth. My loss of my dog since college, Jiggers, was recent enough that I was still using the line that I "would never get another dog", but I could tell Molly, my other Mutt, was feeling lonely without a buddy around. Here was this shaggy dust mop (his hair was the length of a Llaso Apso) running around, tongue out, and my heart gave in. After his first haircut I never let his hair get back to that length again. My vet thought he was about a year old, so his puppy hood was about through, except Max never realized he had stopped being a puppy. He was excited about everything, or extremely bored. No gray middle for him.

I need to stop here before the tears come on. But I'm sure there is more to come about my best bud Max.

Dog days of October

What a weekend! The Browns looked decent against New England, there were no major injuries, and now the Indians move on after beating Lebron's favs to face Boston. Cleveland sports have been looking good!

Sunday we made progess with the bulletin board at the dog park. Jeremy and Mike were both instrumental in getting the plexiglass replaced. They stuggled valiently as dogs large and small came over to check out what the humans were trying to accomplish.

I would still like to know who thinks it's worthwhile to bust the glass and steal the supply box from a dog park. Even if it was just kids, I'd like to give them a piece of my mind. Of course petty crime seems to be up all over Akron, which just reflects the times in this small, rust-belt city.

Another meeting

Well, another day, another meeting. Last night was the HSNA. Lisa did a nice job running through all the topics, and there's a chance of getting some momentum going. There were several new, and potentially active, voices present, including next-door-neighbor Chuck.

As an organization, the membership really needs to decide on whether their focus is advocacy or the neighborhood. Maybe there's no way to separate the two. If the Highland goes down or the street somehow gets widened, there goes the walkable neighborhood.

I was thinking last night about how, in an area with so many elderly and singles mixed, the neighborhood becomes either a second family, or the main family. There are evenings on Jefferson where I half expect to hear "Good night, John-Boy" echoing down the street. Whether we like it or not we come to know what's going on in each other's lives, form opinions about the folks who don't come out on their porches, and judge the people exerting control over the neighborhod from downtown. More than once I've thought it would be cool to be our own little village within the city. Secession anyone?