Author: Scott Duvall
-
He’s Dead, Jim.
In the original run of the Star Trek television show (1966-69), the writers had a nasty habit of introducing a new character in the episode, usually all part of the security or engineering teams who wore red uniforms. Our heroes would gallivant off to some dangerous planet or situation with these new friends, who subsequently…
-
There’s a Rule for Every Conceivable Situation.
“Every Ferengi business transaction is governed by 285 Rules of Acquisition to ensure a fair and honest deal for all parties concerned… well most of them anyway.” It’ll take far too long to explain the Ferengi, The Grand Nagus, and The Rules. Go watch more Star Trek. But nothing says a fictional race of capitalist…
-
…I busted him up.
The further I go into my leadership quest, the more I understand this quote from Jean-Luc Picard. Perhaps this is wisdom? “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life.” Jean-Luc Picard, “Peak Performance” (Star Trek: The Next Generation S2E21) In the episode’s B-plot, the android…
-
What I Read in 2024
Ranked in the most visually appealing fashion: Overall Best Read: The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. This was by far my most enjoyable read of the year. Suggested by multiple freinds, it is now in my “instant recommendation” list. It’s got vampires, history, Eastern Europe, and a story spread over 3 generations. Don’t be scared by…
-
Bullseye.
This quote is swiped from a cornerstone moment in the first season of Ted Lasso. Ted builds an entire soliloquy around this quote he attributes to Walt Whitman, using it to teach a life lesson to a series antagonist and to the viewer. It’s so in character for Ted that the quote itself is not…
-
It’s a Limited-Slip Differential
Everyone who has worked as an Expert Witness dreams of their own Mona Lisa Vito moment. *raises hand* My Cousin Vinny (1992)
-
Hit the Pace Car?
No, no, he didn’t slam you, he didn’t bump you, he didn’t nudge you… he *rubbed* you. And rubbin, son, is racin’. Harry Hogge Days of Thunder (1990)
-
Literally.
Sometimes the messages are literal. For a few days, I had one of my other projects sitting in my office for a few days. It was a literal broken clock. Built in 1966 by Solari of Udine, Italy, this is a Dator 10 transit clock. We picked it up at a mid-century modern show in…