[VIDEO] The last time I took the train out west I found that Albuquerque has a commuter rail service. YouTuber Russel Sharp is on a train waiting for the RailRunner to pass the Southwest Chief on its way to the state capital of New Mexico in Santa Fe. Well if I wanted to visit the state capitol now I know I can get off in Albuqurque and take the railrunner that way.
Another thing to share on YouTube when I'm able to do so!
[VIDEO] Well it's hard to believe the first franchise opened in Salt Lake City, Utah instead of in Kentucky which is where the business began. What an interesting look at this store also referred to as Harman's cafe. Pete Harman struck a deal with Colonel Sanders to open this franchise. Now I have a reason to visit Salt Lake City perhaps I need to visit this place during the NBA season because that's the only other reason to go there. Go see how Utah Jazz fans watch basketball...
I think it was a strong episode. It was a retelling of the original Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror" except we see Capt. Pike officiate a wedding between two crewmembers - just as Capt. Kirk had. He's in command of the Enterprise seven years from Season 1. In this retelling he had to deal with the Romulan incursion and of course he does it with tragic consequences.
Oh and while I don't consistently follow any rumors about the series I do already know that Kirk is expected to make an appearance in season 2. He makes an appearance in this episode, but remember in "Balance of Terror" Kirk is supposed to be in command matching wits with the Romulans.
So Pike is going forward in time still gripping with the knowledge of his future. The future we already know from the original Star Trek he's disabled due to his heroic actions saving as many Starfleet cadets as he could severely scarred and unable to communicate.
So anyway Kirk is on board an assisting vessel the USS Farragut which gets knocked out in a Romulan attack. We get a few other "easter eggs" and of course we see why Pike shouldn't be in command of the Enterprise in "Balance of Terror". Kirk was the one telling Pike as a fellow captain to go in and fight, and even after everything falls apart still tells Pike to go in and fight. We find out that Spock is an essential factor in the future of Federation/Romulan relations.
Of course in knowing this Pike realizes he has to accept his fate. He can't escape or even warn those future cadets of their fate. He meets one in this episode just a child who aspires to join Starfleet - as one may aspire to join today's US military - and sadly he knows this child's future fate.
In the reviews of this episode some like it one guy says it was a weak episode. Personally I like it, it made a bit of an impact on me. It was nicely shot especially the scene in the sickbay near the end of the episode. The camera focused on Pike as he rolls through the scene almost like the scene where Malcolm X is rolling ever so slowly to his fate. I almost wondered if Spike Lee directed this episode.
I look forward to more James T. Kirk in season 2 whenever that drops...
As you may know I like trains and one of my favorite trains is Amtrak's Southwest Chief and earlier this week it suffered a derailment in Mendon, Missouri - which is not that far out of Kansas City, Missouri. It hit a dump truck at a crossing which is said to suffer some issues such as a lack of visibility of any oncoming trains, it's at an angle, and there are no gates to discourage cars from crossing the tracks. Unfortunately there were three four fatalities and of course in a situation like this a number of injuries.
The pictures I've seen of this accident the locomotive that hit the truck looks bad, and of course all the superliner cars behind were on the ground on the side. And it looks like the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad has some work to do to repair the tracks.
I've been following the Amtrak Alerts twitter since this derailment and seen that the Southwest Chief had been terminating out of Kansas City until the derailment scene is cleared. Though the twitter account is now showing trains are now departing Chicago.
This below video shows the scene cleared of that Amtrak consist. I see the railroad is already getting ready to get some work done on the tracks to put them back into service. [VIDEO]
Perhaps it won't be too long before the Southwest Chief will again makes stops in LaPlata, Ft. Madison, and Galesburg....
