One of the reasons why I have been absent these last few days is that Virginia took me to Las Vegas to witness the last days of the Star Trek experience at the Hilton.

A few thoughts.  You know how it is when you want to do something but think you have plenty of time?  Well, that was the idea behind one day doing the Star Trek experience.  Plenty of time… that was until I found out it was shutting down before the end of the year.  Virginia thought we would go up there for a well earned, at least for her, R&R for Labor Day weekend.  It turned out that was the last weekend.

My impressions on it was interesting.  First I got to see three actors, no four.  Suzie Plakson was there, as well as your favorite Dabo girl, Chase Masterson, and a special wonderful appearance by Beverly Washburn and Voyager's helmsman Garrett Wang.

Plakson is as zesty as she appears on TV.  She is full of life, quick witted and seems very bright.  Chase is as attractive as I remembered her in Deep Space 9 and there was something about the way she would look at you that stopped me in my tracks.  He stare seemed gentle and it had a longing for something I didn't grasp.  Beverly was simply beautiful and aged so well.  Her smile light up the room.

Being amongst other Star Trek fans made me realize that there are fans and trekkies.  I'm a fan.  I don't have a uniform in my closet… or maybe yet   Some of the costumed made by trekkies were incredible and very realistic.  One trekkie even had a Roddenberry company  "tricorder" with blinking lights and as real as the tv series.  It was impressive.

What struck me though was that all of these people seemed somewhat discontent with our society.  They wanted more and found the relief of Star Trek's better collaborative future more appealing than the harsh world of always more, more, more.  All of these people gather together and talk about Star Trek and that upcoming better tomorrow.

Paramount is apparently incapable of making money on a franchise like this.  Surprised?  I'm not.  Paramount is old school.  They need a lot of money, a cash cow and if the franchise doesn't returns millions, it will drop it for more juicy reality shows or whatever they can concoct with little money.  They cannot seem to grasp the importance of Star Trek nor that sometimes you need a flagship to create an image, even if it doesn't make as much money.  Need proof of this new era I'm talking about?  Look at Project Better Place where Shai Agassi dreams of a collaborative society where electric cars recharge smartly here and there.  Even his Better PLace company is a collaborative environment.  Want another example?  Look at the newer start ups in the electric car industry.  They work together.  How abuot Web 2.0?  Check out a blog I am involved with here.

Star Trek is about old versus new, the old way of doing business and today's more collaborative desire to work together.  Until new blood comes at Paramount, we will see Star Trek movies that are closer to Star Wars (right versus wrong) instead of a future knocking on our door where we work for the betterment of ourselves and society.  Maybe that's what you get when you bath in so much money, you are out of touch.