|
|
TALON'S EDGE |
|---|
December 1999 |
E-mail: uss.aquila@juno.com |
IN THIS ISSUE:
|
EDITOR/SUBMISSIONS: Captain Glenna M. Juilfs DISTRIBUTION: Commander Rob Langenderfer DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: December 28, 1999 SUBSCRIPTIONS: one (1) 33c stamp = 1 issue |
|---|
 |
UN-CLASSIFIED ADS |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
|---|---|
BULLETIN BOARD | |
| Click on the blinking star for information
about Area Meetings |
 |
| |
| For more information on Activities & Events click on the little boy |
 |
 
| |
|---|---|
December
| |
| BRIEFING ROOM |
|---|
SHIP'S LOG9911.13 |
The 104th meeting of the USS Aquila was held on Saturday November 13, 1999 at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore on Mall Road in Florence, KY. The following members were present: Diane Baker, Erin Pence, Cynthia Pence, Rob Langenderfer, Glenna Juilfs, Rebecca Poff, Alan Wright, Chris Langsdale, Linda Widener, Tamara Borchardt, Mary Parker, Leonard Robinson, & Aimee Weber.
MEETING HIGHLIGHTS:
|
 VIDEO VIEWPOINTS
|
|---|
| A Review of Season Six of Deep Space Nine, Part Two
By Rob Langenderfer |
|
"One Little Ship" is a mostly forgettable story in which some of the crew and the U.S.S. Defiant get shrunk. It was not an episode that stuck in the mind.
"Honor Among Thieves" was an episode with some real grit to it. Chief O'Brien is given an assignment to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate, a group that in some ways is patterned after today's Mafia. It is a really interesting and compelling story as O'Brien must wrestle with the friendship he has formed for one of the members of the Syndicate for it is a friendship that cannot last. Starfleet has ordered him to disrupt the Syndicate. The ramifications of this story will be dealt with in a fine 7th season episode of the show, "Prodigal Daughter."
"Change of Heart" is, sadly, another story with little to recommend it. Worf must decide whether or not to complete his mission or let Dax (his wife) die. This is another story that did not make much of an impression.
"Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night" is a pretty strong story in which Kira discovers that her mother was a concubine for Gul Dukat. It has emotional power, although for some reason I did not find it as compelling as "Honor Among Thieves." Nana Visitor does a good job in this story, and the viewer sees Kira learn how things were often far from black-and-white during the time of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor.
"Inquisition" is a fascinating, totally different kind of story in which Bashir is investigated for being a possible Dominion spy by a secret agency working inside the Federation, sort of like the CIA (which wasn't supposed to keep files on citizens of the United States living in this country but did anyway). This story does a good job of integrating many different stories that Dr. Bashir has been in over the course of the series. Bill Sadler does an excellent job as Sloan, the agent from Section 31 (the secret agency) investigating Bashir. There are several sequels to this story in the 7th season. This is definitely a story not to be missed. It has many twists and turns and will really keep you captivated.
"In the Pale Moonlight" is another very different but fascinating story in which Sisko resorts to treachery to get the Romulans into the war against the Dominion. Garak has perhaps his most important role in a story in this episode, and the ending of this story will catch you off-guard, but once you see it, you realize that it makes perfect sense. This is another story not to be missed. Sisko's first-person narration of this story is just one element that raises it above the ordinary. Many consider this one of the best episodes the series has ever done. I'm not sure if I can rate it that highly, but it is one of the best stories of the season.
"His Way" is a story in which Odo and Kira finally get together as a couple, with some help from Vic Fontaine. If you like romances, you'll love this story. This is perhaps Vic's most important role in any of his stories from the series (at least from what I've seen, halfway through season seven). Although some parts of this story border on camp, it's still worth watching.
"The Reckoning" is a very good story that is a fine vehicle for Louise Fletcher to work more intrigue as Kai Winn. Sisko must act out his role as Emissary for Bajor. In the battle between the Prophets and the Pah-wraiths that occur in this story, Jake's existence is threatened. This story is not one to be missed as it will hold your interest in a big way. It makes a nice change of pace from the very light-hearted episode that preceded it.
"Valiant" is another wonderful episode in which Jake and Nog end up on a ship run by an elite squad of cadets from Starflleet Academy. This episode features shocks aplenty, and it always holds your interest. This is one of the pleasant surprises of the season as it is always hard to tell how an episode in which the main cast is not central will pan out. This time it works great.
"Profit and Lace" is an extremely irritating Ferengi episode. There are moments in this tale which are genuinely funny. However, the story as a whole does not hold up. (This seems to be the case with most Ferengi stories, and I moan whenever I hear that one is next on the schedule.) If you'd like to see Quark in drag, this could be the episode for you. Otherwise, stay away from it at all costs.
"Time's Orphan" is a medioccre episode in which O'Brien' daughter is turned into a savage jungle-child. This isn't a bad episode, but there really isn't anything great or lasting about it. It did not make much of an impression on me.
"The Sound of Her Voice" gets my vote as the worst episode of the season. I was so glad when it was over! Ironically, considering the title, I found the sound of guest star Debra Wilson's voice irritating in the extreme! The subplot in this story in which Jake and Quark try to pull one over on Odo was irritating. I did not find Wilson's character very likable or interesting to hear about. I was so glad after I watched this episode to be able to tape over it with a very interesting show on John Glenn and the American space program! In concept, this story might have seemed interesting but the actual writing of the story and the guest actress let the story down big-time.
"Tears of the Prophets" was the pretty strong season finale that features the death of Jadzia Dax. Its plotline continues into an exciting 2 parter that begins season 7. There are some great one-liners in this episode between Damar and the Vorta. You really feel with Sisko at the end of this story. Jadzia's death is handled very sensitively, and it's hard to keep a dry eye during this story. It has some good tension as the results of events from "The Reckoning" play themselves out. Don't miss this story. It, along with the 2 that follow it, will probably stand as 3 of the most underrated episodes of the show, classics, forgotten by many, but not by you if this review is heeded and you watch these stories. That might sound a little pretentious, but after you've finished watching the three stories, I think you'll see what I mean.
|
CADET CORNERCmdr, Erin Pence, CCC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEEP IT CLEAN SECRET WORD: Word of 13 letters meaning: Process of giving off bubbles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
ABRASIVE AIR FRESHENER ANTISEPTIC BAKING SODA BROOM CLEANSER COMB DEODORANT DETERGENT |
DISINFECTANT DOORMAT GARGLE HOSE LINT REMOVER MOP UP NAPKIN POLISH PURIFIER |
RAKE SCOURING PAD SIEVE SPRINKLER TOOTHPICKS TRASH CAN VACUUM CLEANER VENTILATE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
CHAPLAIN'S CORNER  |
 | |
|---|---|---|---|
The Messiah is Born 
In the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth. He appeared to a virgin, named Mary, who was espoused to Joseph, of the House of David. Gabriel spoke to her saying, "Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women."
When Mary saw the angel Gabriel and heard his greeting, she was afraid and wondered why he greeted her in this manner.
Gabriel spoke again to her saying, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. You shall conceive and give birth to a son, who you shall name Jesus. This child shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David. He shall reign over the House of Jacob forever, and his kingdom shall never end."
Mary asked, "But how shall this occur, as I am a virgin?"
Gabriel answered, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore, the holy child which you shall conceive shall be called the Son of God."
Now when Joseph found out that Mary was with child, he was troubled. He was a just man and did not wish to disgrace her publicly, therefore, he thought to send her away in secret. However, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel told Joseph that the child Mary carried was conceived of the Holy Spirit. This child, who would be named Jesus, was destined to save the people from their sins.
"Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
When Joseph awoke from the dream, he went to Mary and took her as his wife. However, he did not consummate the marriage until after the child was born.
Caesar Augustus decreed that everyone be taxed, therefore all must return to their home city to be counted. Therefore, Joseph took Mary and left Nazareth to travel to Bethlehem, which was the home city for the House of David. While they were in Bethlehem, the child was born. He was delivered in a stable, as there was no room for them in the Inn. Mary wrapped the child in swaddling clothes, using a manger for a crib.
Shepherds were in the nearby fields watching their sheep, when an angel appeared to them. The shepherds were frightened as the glory of the Lord surrounded them, but the angel spoke and told them, "Fear not. I bring you good news of great joy for all people. For today, in the City of David, a Saviour is born, who is Christ the Lord. As a sign, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger."
Suddenly a great host of angels appeared who were praising God, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men."
After the angels left, the shepherds hurried into Bethlehem to see this child. They found Mary and Joseph with the babe lying in a manger. They told Mary and Joseph of the angels and of their words. Then the shepherds returned to their flocks praising God.
On the eighth day, the babe was circumcised and given the name Jesus.
Three wise men came in search of the "King of the Jews", because they had seen "his" star in the East and had followed it to Jerusalem. Herod was upset by this and sent for the chief priests. When questioned on where the Christ would be born according to the prophecies, the priests read the prophecy, "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel."
Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem in search of this child, telling them to return to him and report the whereabouts of the child so Herod could "worship him also."
The wise men followed the star to Bethlehem where it came to rest over the house where the young child was. After they entered the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, they fell to their knees and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
However, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they left Bethlehem for their own country travelling a different way. Mary and Joseph kept all these things to themselves and pondered them in their hearts.
| |||
| Click Here to read more Chaplain's Corner | |||
 HELPING HANDS
Cmdr. Linda Widener, CMO |
|---|
| Celtic Surgeon Excerpts from "Breakthrough", Discover, March 1998 |
|
When archeologists excavated a nearly 2,000 year old tomb near Colchester, England, in 1996, the burial goods they found - an amphora, various vessels, and the remnants of a wooden board game - were typical of elite Iron Age tombs. But resting on top of the board game was something really surprising: a remarkably sophisticated set of surgical instruments. The medical kit suggests that an ancient British healer practiced a wide variety of surgical techniques, including perhaps operations on tonsils, hemorrhoids, and even cataracts.
The kit dates from the early years of the Roman occupation of Britain and resembles some Roman medical instruments. However, Ralph Jackson, a curator and an expert on such Roman instruments at the British Museum, examined the kit and says the surgeon was probably a native Briton. Besides being buried in a Celtic tomb, most of the instruments are made of iron, as were most of native tools of that time. Roman medical implements were usually bronze.
But the design of the 13 instruments themselves - an assortment of scalpels, blunt and sharp hooks, forceps, needles, probes, and a small saw - shows Roman influences. This suggests, says Jackson, that the healer had some contact with Roman doctors. And Roman medical texts give clues as to the instruments' uses. "With a scalpel and a sharp hook, you could operate for tonsillectomy as Celsus, a first-century writer, describes," says Jackson. Hemorrhoids and varicose veins could also be removed with similar equipment.
Even cataracts could be treated with the kit. "The Romans thought that cataracts formed when some bad humor came down from the skull into a space that was usually empty. So they took a needle and passed it from the side of the eye, straight through into the eyeball, and wiggled it around until they smashed up what was in reality the cataractous lens," explains Jackson. "Although you've taken away the lens, you at least allow light to come through, and this brings back some degree of vision." The healer's skills probably weren't limited to operating on the orifices, either. A small saw was probably used for home surgery, perhaps to trim away bone surrounding embedded arrowheads.
The healer's burial among the retinue of a chief suggests that he was probably the chief's personal physician. Whatever his role, he left a most important legacy. "These instruments are unique," says Jackson, "because they are one of the earliest sets of surgical instruments found anywhere in the Roman world."
|
PROJECT GENESISCmdr. Tamara Borchardt, Chairperson |
|---|
| "For Our Children's Future, Buy Recycled Today" |
|
The theme "For Our Children's Future, Buy Recycled Today," marks today's third annual "America Recycles Day." The event is made possible through a unique partnership between government agencies, environmental organizations and manufacturing industries. Observed throughout the nation, "America Recycles Day" is designed to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling. The theme of this year's event serves as a reminder that recycling is a two-step process - - recycling materials and then repurchasing them. VA facilities are encouraged to participate by pledging to purchase more recycled products, showcasing their recycling programs, and sponsoring special activities with local organizations. Individuals can also help by pledging to increase recycling efforts and filling out a personal pledge card. Those who submit pledge cards become eligible to win the "American Green Dream House," a new home built primarily with recycled materials. Pledge cards can be completed at
http://www.va.gov/oa&mm/recycle.
|
| FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT GENESIS, CLICK HERE |
