What Destiny was and what could have been.

This is for people who want to know what Destiny's purpose was in my Stargate Universe continuation. But don't want to listen to the whole Stargate: Nova Roma audiobook series. I didn't go with what the canon show was planning for the ending. (Or what I think they were planning to do, because of stuff Joe Mallozzi posted on-line over the years.) I figured that not using their ending reduced my chances of getting sued. (I didn't think the chances of that happening were that big, but better safe then sorry.) 

Destiny's Goal

Our starting point is the folks that build the planet of Eden. These people are called the Zovaris by the local species. The name is a contraction of the words Zov - which translates are Mystery - and Aris, which translates are people. So literally Mystery People. 

The Zovaris existed in at least two universes. One version in the main Stargate universe and one live 42 universes away. For reasons lost to time, both versions of the Zovaris needed to construct extra habitable planets. And this is where we learn the difference between the two versions of the species. The main universe Zovaris were wise and patient

They started with a small asteroid and slowly worked their way up to the final product. The final product being Eden and its star. As we saw on the canon show, things worked out. The other guys were idiots. They went straight to trying to built Eden and its star. And it blew up in their faces, big time. 

Think of the multi-verse as a pile of glass panes. The idiot Zovaris created an unstable mass that shot through those plates like a bullet. Now, when you shoot a single bullet through a strong enough window, you get a single hole surrounded by these cracks radiating outward like frozen lightning. 

Fortunately, the Ancients of the universe the idiot Zovaris detected these cracks and built a ship to follow one of the cracks and mend it. That ship was called Destiny. But the only way to do its job, was to travel faster then light, but NOT through hyperspace. Eventually, this Destiny reaches the hole, which is a rift to the universe "underneath" her home universe. Let's call it Universe Two. 

They successfully close the rift and undone the damage. But it's such a violent event, that this Destiny ends up stranded at the start of Universe Two. The crew lowers the ship into a layer of hyperspace like a submarine diving under water. They then modify the FTL drive to freeze the ship in time and activate a transmitter, creating the signal in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. 

But what about the people aboard? They became the first ever to ascend. That done, they headed out into Universe Two. They made sure that the local Ancients not only found the signal, but also built a new version of Destiny. And thus, the cycle was created. 

Our hero ship is not the first Destiny. It is the 42nd incarnation. The story ends with our Destiny reaching the rift and finding the 41st incarnation. Using it as a power source, the crew dial home. The power draw causes a chain reaction that destroys Destiny 41. Our ship is last seen riding through the rift and closing it. Her crew made it back home and the job is done.

What Could Have Been

I figured I was pushing my legal luck as it was, so I didn't include this. But if I thought I could have, I would done so.

But what about our "Bullet"? For lack of a better term. That unstable mass that the idiot Zovaris created is still out there, punching from universe to universe. It is losing energy, but it is also travelling through space. Being exposed to energy fields, particles and dimensions, transmuting as it goes.

The first connect I would have made, starts with the fact that - because it is slowing down - the cracks keep getting shorter. Eventually, it only punches a hole and there are no major cracks at all. And thus was born the Rift at the Heart of the Medusa Cascade. Which the Doctor once closed. Where Davros attempted to detonate the Reality Bomb.

However, our he bullet kept going, until finally it reached a universe where it had just enough energy to punch in. But not enough to punch back out. So it became just another piece of space debris. Well, until it slammed into a place that humans would one day call Wakanda. And yes, I know the Mount impacted millions of years ago. But my explanation is that our bullet doesn't travel in a straight line. It's like a pinball, bouncing around through space and time until it crashes into Wakanda.

And that's it.

Regards,

Ruben Hilbers (aka  Commander Nash) 

Are the Clouds the key to Mass Effect 5?

 

I was thinking about the end of Mass Effect 3 and then I realized something. When we see the effect of the Crucible affect the Mass Relay network, we see it travel the galaxy. But, here's the thing, we see it travel ONLY the galaxy. 

How is this news? After all, Mass Effect Andromeda made it clear that the Reapers were only a Milky Way problem. Because if we zoom out just a bit, we see that the Milky Way has several satellite dwarf galaxies.

There's the Sagittarius Dwarf Spherical Galaxy and two Magellanic Clouds, one big and one small. And the end of the Mass Effect 3 shows crystal clear that they are not affected by the crucible's energy.

Which raises the question: Why? The simplest answers....Because they don't have any Mass Relays. They are outside the network. Which also puts them outside the cycles and the Catalyst's experiment. And in the millions of years and thousands of cycles, nobody has figured it out? I'm having a hard time believing that.

This also raises questions about the Andromeda Initiative and the Benefactor. Why foot the bill for a mission to Andromeda when there are three safe zones on your doorstep in universe terms? What's in those dwarf galaxies that the Benefactor doesn't want the people of the Milky Way to see? Could be our old friends, the Jardaan? Could the Benefactor BE a Jardaan? Let's ponder that for a second...

We know that the Andromeda Initiative's secret goal was to ensure the survival of the Milky Way species. But what if the Benefactor already figured out that the Milky Way species coming out on top was only a matter of time? And because the Benefactor is a Jardaan, they also knew what would happen once they were gone...a Jardaan invasion and enslavement of the Milky Way. 

So funding the Andromeda Initiative isn't about the Milky Way species surviving the Reapers. It's about them surviving what the Benefactor knew was coming after they were gone. And if Jien Garson figured out that was why the Benefactor footed the bill....well, that would give them motive to have Garson killed.

And that's all I have,

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (@Dantes74302) 

A Short Announcement

Hello Reader(s),

So, I have something to confess. I haven't been taking very good care of this blog recently. Instead, I've been putting my time and energy into my YouTube Channels (Links below) and my LinkedIn profile. The thing is, my LinkedIn profile leads people...well, here. And if they do click the link and find a blog that has been gathering dust for months, that doesn't really score points.

It also doesn't help my efforts to recruit people to Star Trek: Forgotten Frontier one bit. So, I needed to do something about it. And then I realized that I posted a lot of my LinkedIn articles only on LinkedIn. (Shocker, I know.) Which left me with a way to kill two birds with one stone. Hence, the new From LinkedIn tag on this blog.

The plan is to (re)post my greatest hits from LinkedIn here, giving the blog a nice big influx of fresh content. Also, I'm going to (re)share those post with my X account in the hope of giving that a needed kick in the rear.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka @Dantes74302)

Distant Stars

SSV Ain Jalut 

Bunnyburrow is doomed, not Zootopia

Hi Alex,

I recently saw a few Zootopia theory videos on YouTube and that got me thinking. At the end of Zootopia 2, a feather falls into Judy Hops apartment. This is seen as a portent of doom by several YouTube reviewers. And I agree with that. But the thing is, I disagree with WHERE that doom will strike first.

Zootopia City has weather walls, it has locations - buildings, cars, etc - that can be locked and secured to repel invaders and not one, but two disciplined, well trained forces that can resist. The Zootopia Police Department and Mister Big's Mafia. It might have a lot of people. But it is, from a tactical perspective, a HARD target.

However, in the first movie, Judy has to move to from Bunnyburrow to Zootopia to become a police officer. And everybody keeps pointing out how she is the first bunny police officer. If there was a Bunnyburrow PD, completely staffed by bunnies, there would have been nothing special about Judy becoming a cop. 

Nor would she have had to move to Zootopia. She could have just joined the Bunnyburrow PD. The first movie wouldn't have happened. Combined with the town's location in the fields and lack of other defenses, Bunnyburrow is a SOFT target. 

It is a lot easier to attack by a bunch of angry, hungry, predatory, bloodthirsty birds. On top of that, based on the town's population counter in the first movie, Bunnyburrow has a lot bigger population then Zootopia. 

There is also a darker long-term potential for danger. If I was a tactician with dark designs on Zootopia, I would first attack all the soft targets outside the city I could find. Not only would this provide my force with a large influx of food - as Napoleon said: An army marches (or in this case flies) on its stomach - it forces the ZPD to spread itself thin as they try to find out what is going on. And once that happens, leaving the defenses weakened, THEN I'd pounced on my final target: The city of Zootopia itself.

So, yes, Zootopia is doomed. Just not right away. And with even the smallest drop of realism, Zootopia 3 will not be a child friendly buddy cop movie....It'll be a dark, horrific, dystopian war flick, with people getting eaten left and right. 

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash) 

My Pitch for Wolfenstein: Youngblood 1.5

Hi Alex,

There's an old saying that says that all good things come in threes. So far, I've pitched two game remakes. One for Mass Effect and one for Star Trek. To complete this trilogy, I thought I should do something different and leave the world of Sci-Fi games behind. 

Why Wolfenstein: Youngblood ?

Back in 2019, Youngblood was not as well received as its predecessors. And here in 2025, Machinegames has finished Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This means they now have the resources to start working on the final game in their Wolfenstein series...Wolfenstein 3.

The problem is that Wolfenstein 3 is probably years away from releasing. And because of Youngblood's reception, there is not that much buzz for it (yet). So my pitch is for a Youngblood DLC/Expansion that will hopefully do something about that game's reputation and give the series an injection of activity. Also, by going the DLC route, players won't have to wait as long as they would for a full game.

The Set-Up

In Youngblood, we learn that the @ssh@ts have just lost a major battle over the Strait of Gibraltar. Whoever they've been fighting in Africa is about to cross over and bring the fight to them. In this DLC, we learn that like in our timeline the Organization of African Unity was formed in 1963.

However, unlike the real OAU, this version has only one goal...to fight and kill the @ssh@ts. And for the past seventeen years, that is exactly what they have been doing. Pushing them out of one country after another. And now they invading Spain and Portugal. In this timeline, the @ssh@ts betrayed Franco and conquered the country. 

There is, however, one major barrier between the OAU and Berlin...the French-Spanish border. The enemy has fortified this border for just this scenario....

Cue the Blazkowicz's Sisters: ...which is where the sisters come in. Due to the Jess and Soph wiping out countless @ssh@ts in Paris, things are looking up for the Resistance in northern France. They've been able to steal supplies, re-establishing/reinforce cells in other cities...etc, etc. 

The plan is to drop the Sisters in the a southern city, so they can revive the Resistance there are well. Then the revived Resistance can start chipping away at the Border from the other side. Killing key officials, sabotaging supply routes, blowing up important factories, etc, etc.

The Setting

The @ssh@ts are kind of expecting this move, so they increase security in all major southern French cities. But the Resistance outsmarts them by sending the Sisters (and their ally Abby) to Monaco. 

In this timeline, Monaco is not a playground for the rich. It was invaded and all it's bank accounts were plundered by the Reich to pay for the fortifications on the border. Then they build a big uber-concrete wall around it and turned into a Ghetto. (The European counterpart to New Orleans from the New Colossus.) 

The Real-life reason is that Monaco is relatively small. You can map out a large chunk of it, maybe all of it (relatively) easy. And it is next to the sea, so you have a build-in perimeter for the map already. The wall on one side and the water on the other. And by making it a separate map, you don't have to mess with the pre-existing ones. Back to in-game...

...The Resistance also picked Monaco because it has a harbor. This allows for a supply line from the OAU. And once the Sisters help free the city, they can hijack the Wall's defenses and turn them against the @ssh@ts. 

The Secondary Plot-line

After liberating Monaco, the Jess and Soph go back to Paris. And here comes a chance to shake up the Status Quo if you've complete the main campaign already. Once you've done that, and completed all the side missions, there's not much reason to keep playing the game. Post-endgame, it just become a lot grinding to level up. 

The idea for a the secondary plot-line is to do a partial reset of the Paris maps to give players who have finished the campaign more Post-endgame content.

The Plot:  

While the Sisters were away, a new Uber-@ssh@t arrived in Paris. He ordered all the codes changed (the codes for the doors in the Brothers, the drone dispenser code, etc.) and had people going around placing new padlocks all over town. He also had all the entrances to underground maps sealed up. This is a major problem for the Resistance. So Abby comes up with a plan..

...which is to frame the Paris' chief @ssh@t locksmith. The current locksmith is loyal to the @ssh@ts, but his aide is a Resistance spy. She sends to Sisters on a couple of missions frame the locksmith and make the enemy think that its the other way around. Once the @ssh@ts execute the locksmith, the spy will be promoted to take his place.

That done, the Sisters must find a way to kill the new Uber-@ssh@t, so he doesn't catch on or cause more trouble. (Which is complicated by the fact that he moved into a heavily guarded apartment in New Berlin.) 

Once the new Uber-@ssh@at is dead and with the spy in place, the player can then proceed to find the new codes, destroy the padlocks and re-unlock all the underground areas. This is also where any potential expansions of the Paris map could be sneaked in. As sites for side-missions unlocked by this new key spy. (*Moans at that pun.*) 

And that's all I have.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka @Dantes74302 on X) 

My Pitch For Mass Effect Andromeda 2.0

 

Hi Alex,

First of all, I know that the tradition is to make an elevator pitch. But this subject is too long. So let's call it a boardroom pitch. And thanks for listening to my ramblings. So, here we go...

Boardroom Pitch for Remaking ME: Andromeda

To begin with, the folks at BioWare have made it clear that Mass Effect 5 will be a sequel to both the original trilogy and Andromeda. I'm not making this up, Mike Gamble - the big cheese himself - has said this. 

The problem is that to do that to properly, you will need to able to import choices from Andromeda into ME5. 

Now, I know that there are probably Andromeda critics thinking that there can't be that many. Or that they aren't that important. Well, let's see what I can think off from the top of my head. Ready ?

1. Tell me about your Ryder. Scott, Sara, somebody custom to your play-through ?
2. How is your Ryder doing in the romance department ?
3. Which loyalty missions did you do ?  
4. How did things work out with the Krogan for you ?
5. Did you cover for the Asari Pathfinder or reveal the truth ? Did you let her stay or replace her ?
6. Who rules Kadara Port these days ? 
7. Did you get all the golden worlds to full viability ? 

And I'm sure there are more waiting in the wings. But this is where we hit a major issue. Because Andromeda is runs on the Frostbite Engine, whereas ME-5 will be a Unreal Engine game. And those two pieces of software are not compatible. As things stand, you cannot import an Andromeda game save into Mass Effect 5.

But dude, Andromeda sucked anyway. They'll just do an interactive recap comic like they did before.  

First of all, I know that Andromeda was not everybody's cup of tea, but that is just rude to people who did like it. Keep it polite, please. Second, that would be a long comic. And if you know nothing about Andromeda, you'd be taking shots in the dark. Not to mention the simple fact that making Andromeda 2.0 - a Unreal Engine redo - might crank up Andromeda's sales numbers.

There is also a long-term argument to be made. Andromeda 1.0 came out in 2017...now, let's say ME-5 comes out in 2029 and is a giant hit. ME-6 gets green-lit and releases in 2035. That's great, but what if you want to do another Legendary Edition ? One that collects Andromeda, 5 and 6 ? 

As the last couple of years have taught us the hard way, the video game industry can be a volatile place. In 2040, are there still going to be people who know Frostbite ? Or it is going to be as obscure and forgotten as both the planet and code of Kobol ? (If you get the reference, good on you. If you don't, see what I mean ?) It's going to be much easier to upgrade Andromeda if it's already in (a version of) the Unreal Engine. 

Finally, anything you bring over from Andromeda to ME-5 is going to have to be redone from scratch anyway. Basically, if you don't redo Andromeda, you'd end up teasing the people who did like it with a game they'll never get. You risk turning off the Andromeda fans from your franchise. 

And for those complaining about Andromeda's writing....Who knows what other changes can be hung off this redo ? Which brings up to the big question....

Who Would Do This Remake ?

BioWare has recently laid off a lot people. And they are going to have their hands full with ME-5 for the next couple of years. If they are supposed to do this after ME-5, it's going to take forever to come out. My suggestion would be to outsource it. But to who or whom ? One word....Obsidian. Why ? 

1. Fallout: New Vegas proved that Obsidian can make games in franchises they didn't start and get the flavor right.
2. Obsidian made The Outer Worlds in Unreal Engine. Not only do they know the engine, they have the chops and knowledge to do a space RPG. Which brings us to reason 3...
3. Availability. Once Outer Worlds 2 is out the door - which will happen this year - Obsidian would be able to start this project. Let's look at some other options...
1. Machinegames....Just finished Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, now knee-deep into making the final Wolfenstein game.
2. Bethesda....Hands full remaking their own old titles. And we don't want a game full of glitches and bugs.
3. EA....simply don't trust them to get it right. 

Also, if anybody could tweak the writing in Andromeda, my money would be on Obsidian. And let's circle back to the long-term roadmap above. Andromeda wouldn't have a hard deadline. You could release ME-5 in 2029 and then drop Andromeda 2.0 anywhere you want in the gap between 5 and 6. Essentially slicing the time between releases.

Not to mention that with a planned release in the gap, you could add story to Andromeda 2.0. You could wrap up the loose ends of the Kett and the Quarian Ark. Yes, I know there was a novel about the Quarian Ark. But that only dealt with the virus. 

The Ryders still need to save their bacon from the Scourge and the Kett. You could even end Andromeda 2.0 with Ryder and company leaving for the Milky Way, with ME-5 showing the other end of the trip. (Not to mention that extending the story would give you even more choices for the game save to import, which would change things in ME-5 and give that game even more replayability.)

That's all I have,

Regards, 

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Shepard) 

P.S.

The Alex this 'letter' is addressed to is not a real person. It's my version of Kitty / Dear Sigmund. 

As for the pic that comes with this letter....I'm writing a Mass Effect Fan-Fic about the SSV Ain Jalut, the original SR-2 / Normandy's sister-ship, and made my own assignment patch for the ship.  

What current Hollywood should watch.

Okay, folks, I won't beat around the bush. In my opinion, 98 percent of modern Hollywood sucks. And it all comes back to bad writing. Characters are unlikable or unrealistic, plots tend to be thin and don't get me started on the messes of CGI and AI. My advice to modern Hollywood, watch these shows/movies from the past and learn what you have forgotten...

1. Twelve Angry Men

An excellent movie. If you want to see how to make a movie with only ONE set, this is the one for you. On top of that, all the twelve men are Caucasian. Yet, they are a wide spectrum of humanity because of their personalities and upbringings. This movie doesn't float on cheap action, or set pieces, it floats on writing, characters and ACTING. As does the next entry...

2. ER: Into That Good Night

...which is one of the best episodes the show ever did. It's so heart-wrenching that I can't even watch it when I do an ER re-watch. This episode proofs that a good story doesn't have be happy one. Nor does it have to have a happy end. Time to move on to...

3. Doctor Who: Listen

I know that people tend to be critical of the later Dr Who episodes. But this 12th Doctor episode is an excellent example of how to build tension using music. Try watching the episode with the sound off, but the subtitles on and you'll find it a lot less tense. 

4. Das Boot

And I don't mean the TV show remake. The original movie is a long watch, but it's worth it. Being about the Germans, this movie had an uphill battle to get its viewers aboard. But get aboard the viewers it did. It's an anti-war movie that shows the horrible costs. And that makes you sympathize with people who are supposed to be 'the bad guys.'

That's all the recommendations I have for today.

 Regards,

 Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash)

The Darkness in Picard S3...

 ....That Nobody Is Talking About

The Borg have been defeated for once and for all ! Yay ! Long live the Federation. But....at what price did this victory come ? Yes, the Borg Collective is evil. Yes, they were planning to wipe out Earth and needed to be stopped. And the queen was an insane (insert whatever curse you think is best here). Picard and crew did what needed to be done. It's not them I'm doubting, but I think the situation is nowhere as black-and-white as it appears at first glance. 

Let's talk about a man called Fred....Fred is just a random guy living on random planet in the Delta Quadrant. Then one day the Borg roll up to ruin everybody's day by assimilating them. Including Fred. He loses his family, he loses his friends, he his loses his mind. And then the neurolytic pathogen ruins the collective. Let us look at the possibilities for Fred.

1. If he's really unlucky, he dies a horrible death and then gets eaten by Queen. Only to be briefly revived as a mindless cyber zombie when Picard and co visit. He is then put out of his misery when the Borg ship explodes.
2. The Pathogen simply kills him.
   
3. He gets stuck in regeneration mode, like the Cube seen in Let Sleeping Borg Lie. And then...
1. Because of people's fear of the Collective, nobody rescues him...ever.
2. Somebody comes across his Cube and he is given the 'Icheb Treatment / aka dissected alive for his implants".
3. Even if he get rescued by somebody who doesn't Icheb him, where's he going to go ? As I said above...friends, family, gone. And what about his homeworld ? Even if the Collective didn't total it, who knows how long Fred has been in the Hive Mind. Is his world still there ? Has it been taken over by somebody else ?....

Which takes us away from Fred and back to the bigger picture. As established by Voyager, Borg Space is big. And like any other nation, the Borg have neighbors. Neighbors who are going to figure out that the Collective is falling apart. And try to conquer their space, either by colonization or warfare. 

A situation that is going to lead to the death of innocents drones like Fred. Bloody wars between these states. Yes, the Federation has won, but the Delta Quadrant is burning. And let's not forget there is also the fact that everybody who was taken over, now probably has PTSD. Not mention the elephant in the room...

Where did this pathogen come from ? Neurolytic Pathogens don't exactly grow on trees. And even if it could be made in the Sickbay of the USS Voyager, I doubt The Doctor would allow it. Yes, he was part of the developing of the nanite weapon they used against Species 8472. But that was with the galaxy at stake. And Voyager's goal was not genocide. In fact, this was a major source of tension between Janeway and the Borg.

The only other option is that Admiral Janeway brought it with her from 2404 to 2378. But it doesn't answer the question of how she got it. Replicators don't make lifeforms. Somebody had to grow it. Somebody rather ruthless. Somebody know for attempting genocide by virus....

Basically, the whole thing screams Section 31. And where they failed when they tried to wipe out the Founders, this time they succeeded.

That's all I....No wait, it was.   But after sleeping on it for a night, it's not anymore. (Short) RANT ALARM !! 

What about the Borg splinter states ? The Borg Cooperative from the Voyager episode Unity and the Unimatrix Zero, whose former members were liberated. Are they gone as well ? Will Section 31 use the pathogen to wipe the Cooperative out to prevent the rise of new Collective !? Will Starfleet just stand for that ?

Moving on.....I know that some people consider Prodigy and Lower Decks non-canon. But based on the upcoming SNW / Lower Deck crossover, the folks running the show(s) think differently. Which brings us to "Let Sleeping Borg Lie". 

The USS Protostar crew managed to get out. But they had the luck of having a Medusan along for the ride. So how many of these dormant Borg ships are out there, waiting to ruin somebody's day ? These ships are basically landmines, ready to restart the Collective if whoever boards them messes up. 

In short, it's a huge frakking, bloody mess. And it's the Federation's fault. They needed to get back to the Delta Quadrant and get to cleaning it up. Or as Commander Adama would put it...

"You cannot play God, then wash you hands of the things you've created. Sooner or later, you can't hide from the things you've done anymore."

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Serious Science, Vol. 1A

 #1A Extra information on the Abba Americanus

Greeting, fellow Scientists. This episode is an addendum Vol. 1 "Why you should never date American Girls/Women." It provides extra information on dangerous sub-species of the Abba Americanus aka "American Dad." Starting with....

Abba Americanus Centurion

Generally known as the American Military Dad, this subspecies is extra dangerous because it has access to larger amounts of firepower. 

Picture One shows an American Military Dad "Communicating." with a potential mate. 

Abba Americanus Farmus

Found outside the major urban centers of the United States, this sub-species uses lives in a small town or on a farm in the middle of nowhere. This species of American dad is extra dangerous because of their location, which is usually sparsely patrolled by law enforcement. This allows them to "Communicate" with potential mates without fear of reprisals. Furthermore, they are able to dispose of former potential mates by burying that little remains after "communication" in some random field.  

And that concludes today's episode.

Regards,

Ruben Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Serious Science Vol. 1

#1 Why you should never date American girls/Women

Well, it is simply a matter of biology. You see, behind every American girl, is an American Dad, the Abba Americanus And as their female off-spring grow, American Dads develop a sixth sense. This sense is known at the Mate Detector. 

This new sense allows the Dad to detect a potential Boy/Girlfriend a mile away. At the same time, the development of this sense affects the subjects' visual cortex. This makes it impossible for the father to see his off-spring as anything other then "Daddy's perfect little princess."

Upon detection of the potential mate, the American dad will immediately proceeded to 'Communicate' with the potential mate. 

Should you survive this stage of the process, you might end up saying the dreaded "I do." In which case, the American Dad and the Mom will immediately mutate into a pair of inhuman, blood thirsty creatures known only as 'In-laws." This raise the question of... 

American Procreation

....how do Americans procreate ? This is the true mystery of the 21st century. One that will likely not be solved for a considerable amount of time. It should be noted that this 'communication' is one of the reasons why Americans as so fond of their guns. Finally, it should be noted that there is one exception to this mystery. Namely, the Americanus Conspiracy Nuttus. 

This subspecies of American had been known to be created by the means of Black Magic. The mamma of the potential ACN burns a pile of old comic books, sacrificing them to the comic book gods Stanicus Lee'us and Jackus Kirbus. This causes the ACN to coalesce fully grown in the middle of their basement. 

And thus ends today's episode.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Trump

Hello World,

So, it's been a while since I've posted....and especially about politics. But recent event in the US....well, I can't just sit back and watch. I am not a fan of Donald Trump. In fact, I loath the man. I cannot watch him and wonder....

Is this the America the Founding Father's fought for ? The America that people lost fathers, husbands and brothers for ? And daughters, wives and sisters ? Rode into the hell of war across the centuries ? Wars of independence ? Civil Wars, World Wars ? Korea ? Vietnam ? And the only answer I can come up with is.....No, no, no !

Did the colonist on the Mayflower come over to trade one tyranny for another ? Is this what the thirteen colonies broke away from Great Britain for ? The history of America is a history of struggle, strife and sacrifice. All done to build a nation that was supposed to be fair, that was supposed to be free. 

Is America perfect.....absolutely not. Does American have clean hands.....no. There are some pretty nasty black pages in the American history books. Especially regarding the treatment of the Native Americans. But it deserves better then to be stabbed in the back.

And in my opinion, to vote for Trump is a betrayal. Against America, against the principles it was founded on and against those who gave their last full measure to defend both.

Ruben Hilbers

Met RDA for real

Hi all,

I met Richard Dean Anderson for real today. Well, met is a big word. I bought a ticket and took a photo with him at Dutch Comic Con (in Utrecht). I also pulled a bit of a stunt and gave him my business card and told him that I had ten page plan for season three of Stargate Universe. Which I do.

Of course, I know that Mister Anderson was simply being polite when he took my card, so my expectation are....zip, zero, zilch. But RDA is a really nice guy. Also....earlier in the day, he did a Q and A. It was fun. 👍

The Comic Con was great as well. Got some great stuff.  Oops....almost forgot, what about the actual photo ? Well, it turned out horrible. Mister Anderson is fine. But yours truly was totally starstruck. I look like a dear in headlights, with a face full of Botox.

Anyway,

That's all

Edmond Dantes

Vacation

Hello world,

After a very nice vacation on Crete, I had to some catching up to do. Between accumulated mails and chores, I need three days to get things back on schedule. But now my house is clear, the fridge is stocked and I have time to write my blog again.

While on Crete, I have actually made an interesting discovery about my blog. I've been mispronouncing the name for ages. Xanthi Rising is named after the Battlestar Xanthi. And said Battlestar is named after the town of Xanthi in Greece. I picked the name because Xanthi is located in an area known as Thrace, which was a nice tie-in back to Kara Thrace (aka Starbuck).

The thing is...in Greek (both the current version and the ancient), the X stands for CH. And that is pronounced as a soft G. So while you write Xanthi, it is pronounced Ganthi (or maybe Chanthi ?) The things you discover on while on vacation. 😉

Books

Another thing I did in my vacation was make some progress in my book case. For...well, way to long, I have had a shelf of books I still have to read. But now I am slowly making progress. And speaking of books....

Martijn

On 14 May 2014, my cousin Martijn passed away. And now, there is a book about him. Alas - sorry for my English readers - this book only comes in Dutch. I picked up my copy today and have already skimmed through it. And I can tell you...it is a true work of art. For those of you who wish further information, there is more behind these links...

• https://www.trouw.nl/cultuur/schetsboeken-bieden-kijkje-in-de-wereld-van-iemand-met-asperger~a5c797ae/
• http://aldomanuzio.nl/boeken/9789082545395/martijn-kroniek-van-een-asperger.html

Scrapbook

Finally, today I got around to updating my scrapbook. When I was in my pre-teens, I would often ask my grandparents about how things were they were young. And some times, they could not remember the answers to the questions I asked them. This inspired me to 'secure' some things for nephews and nieces for when they were older.

So I brought a photo album and started gluing in little things, creating a personal (family) history books of sort. Amongst the things found in this scrap book are a couple of movie stubs, pieces of airlines tickets (including one from my recent vacation to Crete), a article on the moon landing, some old stamps....

And plenty of other things. This left me with one last thing to do. Update my blog. Which is now done as well.  😊

Edmond Dantes