I love science fiction. Actually, I love Star Trek. Just watched an episode of "Enterprise." I particularly enjoy the grittiness and imperfect state of the space ship, unlike Next Generation where the ship always worked and if it didn't they always could fix it.

Besides it takes me away from the war news. I just can't watch it on TV anymore, it comes too fast and furious. I'd rather get my news through newspapers that I can take in at my own pace rather than have it frantically thrown at me in 30 minutes (24 minutes without commercials). I don't believe we can truly understand this war in sound bites

Anyway, back to Star Trek. I am a proudly declared Star Trek fan, though I'm not as intense about it as the folks on the Trekkies movie, I can appreciate their enthusiasm and applaud their attention to detail. They aren't half ass about this at all.

I've been to 4 Star Trek Conventions. They're tons of fun. I like looking at the stuff, where else can you buy your own Bat'lef and attending the actor question and answer sessions. I do separate the actors from their characters. Many of them had extensive careers well before they landed in uniform.

Standing in line to get autographs for Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi) at one convention in a line that went around Masonic Center in SF, a limosine stopped. Out jumped Leonard Nimoy and cut through the line right in front of me to reach the backstage door. He's not as tall as I had thought he would be. It was cool! Though the ensign uniformed fellow next to me kept muttering about how he had to make sure to include in his report to his commander that he had seen Mr. Nimoy. At least he didn't say Spock.

Further up in the line were teenage boys arguing about what kind of alien was found in some specific episode. I'm a fan, but I'm not a fanatic, more like a fanatic voyeur.

One of the best moments during the convention is the costume contest. A lot of times you get people who aren't even dressed as Star Trek characters. I've seen Ben Kenobi and Dr. Who. I saw a whole family of Klingons: two males, two females, and 2 girls. Now that's a family portrait.

I ran into a classmate at a Star Trek convention. He was a pretty nerdy fellow, not the chick magnet type. Yet he commented to me, "Wow, this is great! Look around! I'm a stud standing next to these guys!" Star Trek conventions...self-esteem boosters.

Oh I know, some of you are secretly thinking, "Yeah!" the other half are thinking "she's kind of crazy." An academic friend of mine asked a friend of hers why they were into sci-fi. Her answer, "it's because we're post-modern. we relate to the future possibilities." I like that. I'm POST-MODERN! so there!

At the opening to the last Star Trek movie, a few Klingons hung out at the theater, even though there weren't any Klingons in the movie. They entertained the audience with a Klingon drinking song before the show. Those Klingons, they love to sing and party. If Filipinos were Star Trek characters, we'd be Klingons: they like to drink, tell and exaggerate stories, eat some intense food, and will kick yo ass if you piss em off.

Starfleet people are kind of boring. Most of the people who dress up in Starfleet uniforms act like they can't get their uniforms dirty. Dang! stick up their ass! I did use to wear Starfleet pips on my jacket, rank captain. Captain has got to be the best rank. Not a whole lot of desk duty and you get your own ship.

I think if I ever got into putting a costume together, I would totally be the Borg Queen. Who wouldn't want to be perfect and assimilate people to your will? Besides she talks in the plural without sounding totally insane! I also wouldn't mine being a Trill, have symbiote with the memory of several lifetimes. ooh, and those spots! Always a fab accessory!

I've gone to the Star Trek Experience in the Las Vegas Hilton...three times now. I never get tired of it. Hanging out at the recreated Quark's for a drink, the Quark character chatted with me and asked me where I was from. I said, "Berkeley." He replied, "oh, so you're used to seeing strange people. you must feel at home." A table of Klingons pounded the table loudly nearby. I think they were arguing about who would pick up the bar tab.