Quark -Armin Shimerman-Answered My Question About the SAG-AFTRA Strike and STLV

Last night (July 13, 2023), after the announcement of the SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike, I took to Twitter to ask several Star Trek actors if the strike would affect their ability (per union strike rules) to attend the Star Trek fan convention in Las Vegas (#STLV) in August.  STLV is the biggest Star Trek event for fans each year, and over a hundred Star Trek (and this year, also, The Orville), actors, showrunners, writers, etc. are scheduled to attend. 

 

At STLV, lots of fans pay good money for autographs and photo ops with their favorite Trek actors.  If union strike rules forbid attendance by actors, that would impact a lot of fans who have already doled out money for the show.

 

So, I went to the Elonverse (i.e. Twitter), to ask Star Trek actors if they can attend. I got two responses, and both made my day!

 

First, Chase Masterson (Leeta from DS9) responded:

Chase Masterson's response to the #STLV question 07.13.23
Chase Masterson’s response to the #STLV question 07.13.23

Then, Armin Shimerman (Quark, also from DS9) responded:

 

Armin Shimerman's response to the #STLV question 07.13.23

In both cases, their responses are exactly what I wanted, and needed, to hear.

 

Thank you to Chase Masterson and Armin Shimerman for clarifying their ability to attend STLV. Note that the Star Trek Las Vegas event is put on by Creation Entertainment, and is NOT (thankfully) an officially recognized or sponsored event by ANY of the studios. That, I believe, enables the actors to attend and make their fans hearts happy!

 

Let us hope that our Star Trek actors and the rest of SAG-AFTRA win their battle against the Ferengi-like Studios!

Live Long and Prosper!

PS. Check out my review of Strange New Worlds S2 Episode 5

Thoughts on the Texas School Shooting

Still processing the latest school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. I notice that the comments, arguments, and FB postings ( I don’t look at Twitter too often, but the same process happens there), are very predictable after each of these tragic events.  In looking at various news links, this time there were two teachers killed (both substitutes, it seems), and and one police officer (the SRO) seriously wounded.  The shooter was, according to some reports, mad at a girl for not going out with him.  I have not seen any linkage thematically with the Canadian incident where an “Incel” loser ran over a bunch of people with a vehicle.  Mad at a girl/female/woman, so you go and kill her and a bunch of others?  Wow.

Anyway, an interesting news link I found from PolitiFact-“What’s true, what’s not about Santa Fe, Texas, school shooting

I am old enough to remember Columbine, and how that so shocked the nation and that shock continued for quite a while.  Now, the news will talk about this latest shooting for a few days, maybe a week, at least until something else enters the news cycle and detracts us from the ongoing slaughter of our youth.  And, not to belittle anything, but how many teens and young adults have died of gang-related gun violence lately?  Some social media factions make a big deal about the ongoing gang killings in Chicago and other places, and try to argue that somehow the two types of violence (schools vs. gang shootings), are comparable.  While I do not believe they are in the same zone, in the final count, both types of violence kills young people, and both types are based on the problems (mental health, poverty, social isolation, and yes, access to guns by the wrong people), that plague American society today.

What is the solution?  Damned if I know right now.

Poetry for the Current: Bombast (Trump and Kim)

Bombast

 

The Dictator: Threaten New York, threaten Guam,

Round face, red lapel pin and uniform jacket; hermit kingdom.

Insane? Maybe. Reckless? Yes.

 

The President: Threaten Fire, threaten Fury,

Orange face, red power tie and crossed arms; golf-course kingdom.

Insane? Maybe. Reckless? Yes.

 

The World:  Threatened by nuclear words,

Fear facing, red lines and cross(ed) (s)words; threatened kingdom.

Insanity breeds fear of wReckage and recklessness? Yes.

 

 


This piece came to fruition as the world had the opportunity to hear President Trump and Kim Jong-Un go back and forth in the summer of 2017.