Today's Nerdom

I love Star Trek; like love Star Trek; to the point of being slightly annoying to my family. Knowing that you'll understand why I geeked earlier this week. 

In January of 1995, there was a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode where several characters go back in time to San Francisco on August 30, 2024. So, being the gigantic Trek nerd that I am, I had to watch that episode on August 30, 2024. I mean, how could I not do that???

I've seen the episodes (it's actually a two-part episode)  many times before, but something about watching it today was pretty cool. Then I found this article from the San Francisco Chronicle. (I copied the article and posted it on my blog because it won't always be available on their website.) So incredibly interesting. It may be a 100% nerdy thing to think, but I really do hope humanity can someday build the future Gene Roddenberry dreamed of...

Rereading

I can't remember when I first read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale,  but over the years I've read it four or five times. If you're not familiar with the story, it revolves around a woman living in a not too distant future. A future in which the US has been replaced by a Christian theocracy  which forces the few remaining fertile women  to bear children for the ruling class. It's challenging for the main character to embrace this new life because she remembers the life she use to have with her husband and daughter before the regime change. Plus, her new life kinds of sucks...

Thursday I stopped at the library so I could read it again  and I found the original checkout record in the front of the book. 

The Island's copy was first checked out in May of 1986 (the year the American edition was first published) and had only been checked out 18 times until I picked it up last week. The last time it was checked out was in May of 1995 - 22 years ago. I suppose I should be thankful the library decided to hold onto it.

I thought it was time to reread The Handmaid's Tale since we started watching the Hulu series based on the book:

I must admit, the series is good, and quite well done. Without giving anything away, I feel it stays true to the voice Margaret Atwood gave her main character (in the book, we never learn her real name.) And while Hulu did make changes, I think they work. If you have access to the show, I highly recommend it. Though, given the nature of the subject matter, you'll want to watch it after the kids have gone to bed...