First time with Enterprise

I watched my first Enterprise episode last night, at 8pm on UPN.

To quote In Living Color’s “Men on Film”: Hated it.

Campy “America in Space” intro and theme song aside, I was struck by how slowly the plot was developing. Twenty minutes — and at least two commercial breaks — into the episode, it was still showing shots of the Ferengi intruders salvaging items from the ship, with no progression at all. Okay, Ferengi marauders and their socks are all very amusing, but why was it taking so long for the story to go anywhere? Scene dragged into scene, and there was practically no action at all. Captain Archer’s handling of the situation was weak and unrealistic, and the resolution was an anticlimactic end to a long, dragging, pointless plot.

Why have Ferengi in the plot at all? While I noted that the screenplay was careful to protect the timeline by not mentioning the identity of these profiteering aliens, I think the whole idea of introducing Next Generation characters produces needless complications into what should be an exclusive pre-Original Series Star Trek show.

Well, I was pretty disappointed, but then, I’ve always been an Original 60’s Series fanboy. Still, I’ll keep watching. Through the generations, Star Trek has been notorious for having relatively unappealing first seasons, then getting better later on in the series.

Four More Years

Today is March 28: exactly four years since the day I graduated from Ateneo. Which means that starting tomorrow, I will have lived in the “real” world longer than I was studying in college. Wow. I’m going to celebrate this momentous anniversary with a bar of Violet Crumble.

Telemarketing sucks. The Revenge.

RING!

“Hello?”

“Is Mrs. Ordoveza in?” (My aunt, this time.)

“No, she’s out of the country. Who’s calling?”

“Fox Publisher’s House. I have some very good news for her.”

“No, really? Don’t tell me; is it a million dollars?”

“Yes it is! How’d you guess?”

“You telemarketers called yesterday and hung up on me.”

CLICK. (That was me, hanging up on him.)

By the way, check out the TeleZapper.

Static Charges

Weather in DC has gone through a wide range of variations in the past two weeks: warm and sunny, cold but still sunny, cold and rainy, or cold and windy. (There was even a chance of snow flurries last Friday.) I’m getting used to this climate, and I’m sure I could grow to love these cold, foggy days.

What I don’t love is the static charge my body keeps building up, what with the woolen sweaters and dry air. This whole day, door handles and other such metal implements have been sources of fear to me.

BZZZT!

Telemarketing sucks.

Ring!

“Hello?”

“Good evening! Is Mr. Ordoveza in?” (My uncle, not me.)

“Not right now, sorry. Who’s calling?”

“This is (unintelligible) Publisher’s House. Could you get a pen and paper and take this Very Important Message?”

“Pen and paper… pen and paper… (Sincere rummaging) Can’t seem to find any… just a moment… ”

“Fine, be that way. You just threw away his million dollars.” CLICK.

My yelled response censored for your protection.

Well, I just got my first taste of American phone spam. No, it was not good for me.

Any Moved Pages?

By the way, I haven’t really been able to keep track of anyone who may have moved his/her weblog to a new URL. Can you folks who’ve moved leave a note so I can update your blog listing? (Especially the Geocities bloggers.)