Why I love Star Trek

In the made up world of Star Trek the human race has evolved beyond prejudice. Money is abolished, it's normal to have women in high positions and everyone works in their preferred work of expertise. An artist can fully devote his or her time to art, an engineer can be an engineer, writers write and all basic needs are met. Those who want more than just their basic needs are free to work to acquire more. Basically it's an utopia, a 'perfect' world. All major problems in the series basically only occur on other planets. 

As a teenager I failed to notice the problems that face(d) the crews of the different ships with the names 'Enterprise', 'Voyager', 'Discovery' and on the space station 'Deep Space Nine' are of course direct hints at problems we have been facing the last couple of decades: Aids ('Pa'nar Syndrom'), racism ('They are black on the right side of their face and we are black on the left side. That makes them inferior!'), inequality and so on.

'Should holograms that can think have the same rights as humans?' may sound as a strange question. But just think that a few decades ago women in 'our' world were considered beings who couldn't think for themselves and were therefore withheld the right to vote. Or to buy a house without written permission from her husband.

Star Trek is a philosophical exercise in what it would be like to live on a planet Earth where it doesn't matter what race or sex you are or identify as and handicapped people are simply considered people. For example: one of the most famous engineers (Geordie la Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation) was born blind and an entire episode revolves around a women in a wheelchair. 

In the Star Trek:Discovery series there are several lhgbti+-characters, mostly being portrayed by lhgbti+ actors. Who simply play crew members. Remember the first woman on tv in a high command position? That was in Star Trek. Remember the first televised kiss between a caucasian male and a woman of colour? That was in Star Trek.

Watching Star Trek is one of my favourite ways of escapism: a trip out of this current world of ours in which equal opportunities for everyone are not as common as we sometimes like to believe. 

Does everyone have the right to vote? In Belgium for instance voting right for women only exists since 1948. Can everyone marry the person they want? Homosexual people in The Netherlands only since 2001. Can everyone study what they want and where? The average yearly income of parents who have a son or daughter at Harvard is $450,000.

Can every child grow up without the fear of dying from starvation or being bombed or receive basic education and medical care? Absolutely not.

We have a long way to go. Until the day arrives we are a truly enlightned people, I simply live my life. And watch Star Trek.

Only thing is: there are so many Star Trek series (and more on their way!) that it's really hard to watch them all. If only we would live in a world in which all basic needs are met and I could spend all my time on my favourite passtimes: my family and friends, writing and watching Star Trek. 

Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Certain (a short story)

From the corner of his eye he saw her taking pictures of him and the people he had just met. 

She saw him looking and zoomed in.

He flirted with the camera but really with her. 

She lowered the device to show him she was smiling at him.

The dimple in her cheek deepened.

The little hat looked cute on her and it didn't look like she had dressed up. 

She didn't speak his native tongue and he didn't speak hers.

That didn't stop them from making advances.

A little later he had her number. But she didn't have his. 

A few weeks later he saw her again. 

In a dressing room she gave him a little kiss and then went to work.

With the taste of her lips on his he did what he had to do. 

Most lost the game that he played but he felt a winner even if he did lose sight of her.

One day he would see her again, of that he was certain.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

Sorting and labeling memes

Often when I come across a picture - and especially when it's posted without context - I can't help to come up with a caption. And often I think of a soundbite and search for a picture to go with it. Often that's a picture of a cat. I publish these 'memes' and 'lolcats' on social media and more than once someone send me a picture of their cat: 'Could you come up with a text to go with this picture?'

Here are a few examples:

I found this picture on a site that collects remarkable pictures, found on Google Maps and immediately thought of a famous movie.

I often wonder about economics, religion and politics and turn my thoughts into memes.

Also, I like to help people think for themselves to give them something to ponder.

Above is an example of a cat picture send to me with the challenge to come up with a caption.

I really enjoy doing this and collected quite a few of my lolcats on a Pinterest board. 

Then I discovered Imgflip: an easy online way to create memes. And lolcats. My collection is forever growing and via Imgflip my creations are easy to share on social media. 

However: there are so much now that I find it difficult to use them to respond to a message. Whether that is on Facebook, Twitter or in an app-conversation.

So I'm looking for a way to organise and label them. Thusfar without much luck. 

Is there an easy way to label and organise memes to easily use them when appropriate?

Your help is much appreciated!

And if you don't know of a way yourself, it would be very helpful if you could spread my question. Thank you!

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon