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Starborn SocietySci-fi isn't just for nerds(Battlestar Galactica Ping)
NRO ^ | January 20, 2006 | Peter Suderman

Posted on 01/20/2006 8:29:57 AM PST by isaiah55version11_0

Science fiction has long been stereotyped as a hardware-obsessed, techno-jargon laden refuge for computer nerds and outcasts. Especially on television, which lacks the geek chic afforded by big-screen Hollywood budgets, the genre's reputation for hokey dialog and cardboard-and-wire effects have saturated it with a distinct odor of disrespectability. It is somewhat ironic, then, to see the Sci-Fi Channel, a network which often seems devoted to the pulpy and lowbrow, serve up Battlestar Galactica, a show about spaceships and killer robots that is also arguably the most potent, dramatically vibrant series on television. An unflinching examination of how the military, government, family, and religion interact in the fragile ecosystem of society, it as morally and intellectually serious as it is thrilling.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: scifi
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To: Justa

Oh sure, 30-50,000 people left in their race, and they're concerned about PC nonsense? NO way. THat would all go out the window in seconds. You'd probably just start making jumps in the opposite direction to get away from harm, and find a place to live.

Kind of like Gilligan's Island- in real life, Ginger and marianne would be knocked up all the time, Gilligan would have been killed and used for food the first time he botched an escape, the men would all have zz top beards and would stink-- but I sure loved that robot that walked to Hawaii


261 posted on 01/20/2006 2:11:35 PM PST by warpcorebreach
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To: warpcorebreach

I sorta like the new Cylons - they are lot scarier than the old ones, though, apparently, no more effective. Really, though, they are too noisy for a good combat unit. Never will figure out how one snuck up on Helo in the parking garage...


262 posted on 01/20/2006 2:13:21 PM PST by Little Ray (I'm a reactionary, hirsute, gun-owning, knuckle dragging, Christian Neanderthal and proud of it!)
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To: Little Ray

yeah, but they just look so unnatural. Kind of like when George Lucas started using CG, and he would cut and paste 100,000 ships intot he same scene- you don't know what you're looking at. There's something to be said about models, claymation, puppetry-- old school stuff. Nitemare before Christmas ROCKS!!!!!


263 posted on 01/20/2006 2:18:55 PM PST by warpcorebreach
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To: antiRepublicrat
And did anyone see that move for strafing the ressurection ship? Get your momentum forwards, maneuver jet 90 degrees to the right, and strafe as you fly sideways. This is the only show since 2001: A Space Odyssey I've seen that tries to get flight physics in space right.

Sorry, I was too busy lamenting thousands of naked blondes drifting off into space.

You really ARE a geek ;^>

264 posted on 01/20/2006 2:22:27 PM PST by papertyger (We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty.)
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To: Justa

Apparently you haven't been paying much attention. They are looking for somewhere to hide, initially the looking for Earth thing was just a cover they were looking for a nice planet to hide, then they got a clue where Earth was so they're figuring that would be a good place to hide. There've been numerous episodes that revolve around the search for resources. And the only reason they have socialism going on is that they haven't figured out how to make the money system work just yet, people who have cash are using it out of habit people who don't are being given supplies for survival and getting themselves back into a normal economy is high on the government's list.


265 posted on 01/20/2006 2:25:59 PM PST by discostu (a time when families gather together, don't talk, and watch football... good times)
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To: Alkhin
Oh that WOULD be fun, wouldnt?! I remember right before the series started, there was a special on TV and a brief segment where Dirk was with Katie - it was SCARY that the two of them looked like they came from the same gene pool!!

Having them both online would be awesome.

266 posted on 01/20/2006 2:36:26 PM PST by Centurion2000 (Governments want to copy all the data on you in existence, but will prosecute you for an mp3 copied.)
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To: antiRepublicrat
Ok, how 'bout the fact they hardly salvage stuff and leave equipment behind all the time; or researching Cylon tech for exploitation and usage, researching/teaching Cylon computer code; cataloging Cylon strengths/weaknesses vs. humans' for advantages; close attention to Cylon capabilites and actions and considering that in their decisions, etc., etc.? Instead the writers play on the whole sappy Cylon-Human inter-twined fate angle like some high-tech Stockholm Syndrome.

The show doesn't take the viewer anywhere, it just makes them feel good about where they're at and under incredible circumstances.

Far from being morally neutral BSG and most SF today has sappy, secular-humanist, socialist values prevailing under the most incredible of circumstances. Conclusion: Barf. The shows project false morality. The story lines are pathetic when compared to the convictions and actions of people who have faced hardship and extermination throughout history. Maybe they could rename it to Battlestar Etruscan; that'd be more appropriate.

267 posted on 01/20/2006 2:48:51 PM PST by Justa (Politically Correct is morally wrong.)
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To: isaiah55version11_0

Even my wife enjoys BG and we watch together. It is a true drama with strong acting and characters, mixed with great sci-fi style reflections on society and government.


268 posted on 01/20/2006 2:52:33 PM PST by Wiseghy ("You want to break this army? Then break your word to it.")
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To: papertyger
Babylon 5 had realistic space physics, too-no sound in a vacuum, for example. Until the new BSG the ships were the most realistic I'd ever seen on a sci-fi show.

As for socialism, I don't see any. Caprica was clearly a capitalistic society (although I don't know about the other colonies.) Star Trek-The Next Generation-Now that was an advertisement for communism.

Re the new cylons: If they're the new masters of Cylon society, will the metal Cylons rebel against them at some point?

Baltar is a Cylon. I agree that he's probably more realistic and isn't so obviously evil as the original Baltar was, and I kind of miss seeing Baltar sitting in a Cylon base star with a flashlight shining in his face. I also think that maybe Gaeta, Roslyn's aide, or his black chick girlfriend from the Galactica might be, too.

269 posted on 01/20/2006 2:53:04 PM PST by WestVirginiaRebel (The Democratic Party-Jackass symbol, jackass leaders, jackass supporters.)
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To: isaiah55version11_0

I'm a geek. And my ex is a big-time geek. I call her when I get lost (if I miss an episode for work purposes).


270 posted on 01/20/2006 3:42:28 PM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: Justa
Ok, how 'bout the fact they hardly salvage stuff and leave equipment behind all the time

That is pretty realistic considering that they are constantly on the run. It is not like there is a research facility or a factory that they could send materials to, to have then studied, or modified.
271 posted on 01/20/2006 4:03:44 PM PST by ARCADIA (Abuse of power comes as no surprise)
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To: Justa
Ok, how 'bout the fact they hardly salvage stuff and leave equipment behind all the time

It is explained at the site that there is a salvage and recycling ship.

or researching Cylon tech for exploitation and usage

They did, with Starbuck's captured Cylon raider.

researching/teaching Cylon computer code

Very dangerous. Computers need to be primitive and non-networked or the Cylons will take them over. That is the premise for how the Cylons were able to easily destory the human fleet, and only the Galactica (as originally known) got away -- because it was still primitive.

cataloging Cylon strengths/weaknesses vs. humans' for advantages

They have studied and interrogated Cylons. Also, what we see is not necessarily what's going on all over the fleet. You watch a war movie, but you don't always see the cooks and engineers below decks.

BSG and most SF today has sappy, secular-humanist, socialist values prevailing under the most incredible of circumstances

Religion and the value of it is highly placed in the series, and I haven't seen any signs of socialism being promoted. The main socialist in the show is not a good guy.

272 posted on 01/20/2006 4:08:17 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: papertyger
You really ARE a geek ;^>

And proud of it! Besides, I don't like #6's looks. Now a bunch of Valeriis would be a tragedy.

273 posted on 01/20/2006 4:11:39 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: warpcorebreach
I have to agree with you about the last Star Trek show.

I was expecting more rough-hewn proto-Federation high adventure than the one from Cap'n Kirk's day, but what they gave us was post-modern PC garbage.

Makes me wonder what happened between Cap'n "Quantum Leap" Archer's wussied-out, "let's talk it over" time period, and the hard drinking, womanizing, cowboy-style gunboat diplomacy of Kirk's world.

I'd rather be hanging out in the engine room of the old NCC-1701, wearing a red shirt, competition-drinking Romulan ale against Engineer Scott, while a green-skinned Orion slave girl sits on my lap, than moping around philosophising with any member of Archer's crew. (Except maybe Tripp - they should have made HIM the captain)

274 posted on 01/20/2006 5:06:30 PM PST by FierceDraka ("Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds)
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To: killjoy

Mmmmmm.... Grace "Boomer" Park.


275 posted on 01/20/2006 5:07:59 PM PST by FierceDraka ("Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds)
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To: Little Ray
If'n I was in Adama's position, I would have conscripted ALL of the refugees (take THAT Zarek!); informed 'em that food, water and air are not free, esp. in space; and that every last on of 'em is gonna work for their own survival and the survival of the species.

Welcome aboard the Battlestar Pegasus! LOL

But with the survival of the race on the line, I have to say I would have done the same thing.

Tom Zarek would have been quietly spaced along with his followers - out there ammo is more precious than gold.

276 posted on 01/20/2006 5:12:00 PM PST by FierceDraka ("Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds)
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To: warpcorebreach

" It justs seems like today, liberals have to have women everywhere, in combat, and they're always "the best", like Jada in the Matrix-- "She's the best damn pilot in the fleet", nonsense. And women are in charge."

I agree. I love the new BSG, but it is so PC in that the men are always overshadowed by the women.

It's like commercials, if there ARE any white males in a commercial, they are always blithering dunderheads...

The media always has to push their feminist, liberal views on us. I saw that The Office (one of my favorite shows) did the same thing last night, making one of the regular characters out to be a homosexual, and the two homosexuals caressed each others hands while watching a movie.

Why can't they just give us good entertainment and not push their political agenda crap on us?

I no longer watch ER because they had the Catholic doctor give an abortion to a supposedly devout minor (against the law without notifying her parents) and justify it thusly:

"This is a way for God to correct His mistake."

So, I will never again watch ER. Also with House, one of the best shows on TV. Three weeks ago they started a storyline where House has an affair with a married colleague.

She's a Catholic and he realizes she wants to go ahead with an affair because she leaves her crucifix (that she always wears) at home when she and House go to another city on a business trip.

She arranges a room for them to have sex in, and the affair is averted only because House gets an urgent phone call.

Now, I love House, but I took it off my Moxie DVR and won't watch it again. I realize that there ARE Catholic women who have affairs, but I don't want to see the two main characters of a show, one of them Catholic, betraying their marriage vows and the sacrament of marriage, I watch TV for entertainment, not to watch behavior that is offensive to my Christian beliefs...

Ed


277 posted on 01/20/2006 5:13:22 PM PST by Sir_Ed
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To: kAcknor
Most of the stuff on the History Channel is Fantasy!

I thought the same thing last week when I was watching The Presidents, and some leftist moonbat script writer referred to the Tet Offensive as a military "disaster" for U.S. forced in Nam.

What a load of crap! The Cong and the NVA got their A$$ES handed to them on the battlefield - it was our own Benedict Arnolds in the media who twisted it into a disaster.

278 posted on 01/20/2006 5:18:11 PM PST by FierceDraka ("Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds)
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To: CJ Wolf

Firefly is awesome. Too bad it got screwed over by Fox's band of semi-retarded programming execs.


279 posted on 01/20/2006 5:20:54 PM PST by FierceDraka ("Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds)
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To: mnehrling
What is everyone's obsession with Firefly? It seemed pretty lame the 3 episodes I watched, and I couldn't even make it through Serenity.

Just a matter of taste.

But I will say this: After the latest incarnations of Star Trek (PC, sterile, preachy, and action-starved), it's a breath of fresh air to see sci-fi shows where the hero isn't above poking an enemy with a sword a few times when he's down, or committing the occasional crime if he needs some cash.

280 posted on 01/20/2006 6:14:24 PM PST by FierceDraka ("Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds)
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