Missing staff meetings: "Destiny" Book 3 [SPOILERS]

[Therin of Andor]

Darlin', I'd just be glad you're on the other side of the planet if I were you.

Huh?

Or what, you plan to do me physical harm?

I should introduce you to the Physical Education students at my old teachers' college. When I was elected editor of the college newspaper for our final year of studies, they sent a woman to slam a custard tart into my face in the crowded common room in December 1978. Their purpose, as stated, was to make sure I didn't get a swollen head because their own candidate for election had misrepresented himself, and his position was rescinded in favour of me.

Yeah, I so deserved that custard tart in the face. What a pity there're no pics I could email you.

I survived, and became a Star Trek fan exactly a year later, stupidly thinking my days of being told I had no right to share my fun with others were over. No right to even sit quietly in a common room with people I assumed were my friends. Unfortunately I have continued to get a swelled head about minor things from time to time. It's a character flaw. I guess I need people like you to remind me I must strive to be more humble. I'll abandon my plans to attend Shore Leave, since my presence will be so awful for the other attendees. Or should I turn up anyway, and bring you a custard tart, or will you supply your own? The authors can hold me down and you can really let fly.

Let this be a lesson, never, ever, ever let yourself get a swelled head over a silly little thing like a character/place name again, 'kay?

Pardon me? This was really meant to be a lesson? You're not joking? One ST fan is telling another fan that he has no right to get an ego boost over Heather Jarman's surprise Tuckerism in her work of fiction? Or that if I get big-headed again then I must be prepared for more retribution?

To you it's a "silly little thing". To me it was a little more. Small things do amuse small minds. Therin Park is a miniscule thing to most ST readers, but a fun, if small, thing for me. Pardon me if Heather and Marco's little gift delighted my tiny mind so much that I felt a need to be excited about it in public. Several times. I'm a geeky Star Trek fan. You're surprised I got excited by such a "silly little thing"?

Because the more it gets talked about, the more it tempts people to nuke the holy hell out of it to make it stop being talked about.

So you repeated the mention of the park yourself in your eBook, and now David Mack has mentioned it again in his trilogy? Isn't this the reverse of what you intended, because now Therin Park's reputation is even more notorious, and I'm being even more insufferable by telling people I am more excited that it got mentioned two more times?

At last, my job here is done.

Pardon my naivete. I'm probably really dumb even responding to your post. Sometimes I get things wrong; I've always taken our correspondence as jovial interaction between two fans. My sincere apologies.

And now people will PM me that I'm still being big-headed, haven't learned my "lesson" after all, that I'm over-reacting. That I'm attention-seeking. That I should never poke the bear, nor tug on Superman's cape.

So be it. If you weren't done with writing ST you could have killed off Shantherin th'Clane in a sequel to "Ex Machina".

 

[Therin of Andor]

Therin's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, blue icing flowing down...
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

OOOH NOOOOOOOO

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! *trail off into the distance*

Thanks! I actually toyed with this as a filksong the other night, but I didn't persist. I hadn't considered that hardly any words needed changing from the original. I'd love to add it to my blog, if that's not being too big-headed.

 

[Thrawn]

And since it was cursed by a very determined witch, it'll continue.

Gosh, I'm glad we are friends.

Darlin', I'd just be glad you're on the other side of the planet if I were you.

Let this be a lesson, never, ever, ever let yourself get a swelled head over a silly little thing like a character/place name again, 'kay?

Because the more it gets talked about, the more it tempts people to nuke the holy hell out of it to make it stop being talked about.

At last, my job here is done.

What an incredibly mean-spirited thing to say.

 

[Thrawn]

To you it's a "silly little thing". To me it was a little more. Small things do amuse small minds. Therin Park is a miniscule thing to most ST readers, but a fun, if small, thing for me. Pardon me if Heather and Marco's little gift delighted my tiny mind so much that I felt a need to be excited about it in public. Several times. I'm a geeky Star Trek fan. You're surprised I got excited by such a "silly little thing"?

By all means, make threads and threads about your excitement. It's a small thing, but I'm enough of a total nerd to get some transient joy-by-proxy from reading the thread. Even if I disliked you I'd be happy for you that you got the homage.

And Mack's post, at least, would indicate he meant it in that regard as well, so keep geeking out. It's fun to read, and fun to see.

 

[Therin of Andor]

It's a small thing, but I'm enough of a total nerd to get some transient joy-by-proxy from reading the thread. Even if I disliked you I'd be happy for you that you got the homage.

Thanks. As a fledgling writer, now 50, who's yet to make his first professional fiction sale, my chances to get anything ST related of my own published are extremely slim. So an acknowledgement of a character I created, way back in 1980, getting brief mentions in four pro ST novels, not to mention my cameo in "Starship Exeter: The Savage Empire" fanfilm, has been... fun.

Sadly, I'm told, I shouldn't discuss it, at least not ad nauseum.

 

[Marie1]

It's a small thing, but I'm enough of a total nerd to get some transient joy-by-proxy from reading the thread. Even if I disliked you I'd be happy for you that you got the homage.

Thanks. As a fledgling writer, now 50, who's yet to make his first professional fiction sale, my chances to get anything ST related of my own published are extremely slim. So an acknowledgement of a character I created, way back in 1980, getting brief mentions in four pro ST novels, not to mention my cameo in "Starship Exeter: The Savage Empire" fanfilm, has been... fun.

Sadly, I'm told, I shouldn't discuss it, at least not ad nauseum.

Do it anyway.

 

[Turtletrekker]

It's a small thing, but I'm enough of a total nerd to get some transient joy-by-proxy from reading the thread. Even if I disliked you I'd be happy for you that you got the homage.

Thanks. As a fledgling writer, now 50, who's yet to make his first professional fiction sale, my chances to get anything ST related of my own published are extremely slim. So an acknowledgement of a character I created, way back in 1980, getting brief mentions in four pro ST novels, not to mention my cameo in "Starship Exeter: The Savage Empire" fanfilm, has been... fun.

Sadly, I'm told, I shouldn't discuss it, at least not ad nauseum.

Do it anyway.

Agreed.

 

[Sci]

And since it was cursed by a very determined witch, it'll continue.

Gosh, I'm glad we are friends.

Darlin', I'd just be glad you're on the other side of the planet if I were you.

Let this be a lesson, never, ever, ever let yourself get a swelled head over a silly little thing like a character/place name again, 'kay?

Because the more it gets talked about, the more it tempts people to nuke the holy hell out of it to make it stop being talked about.

At last, my job here is done.

That comes across as a really mean-spirited reply. Therin was getting excited over a nice thing that you and other authors did and trying to express appreciation, and you seemed to be having a jovial little interaction until here. This reply just comes across as being mean -- "Don't get too happy over this or we'll treat you like crap." WTF?

 

[Defcon]

Another mention of this truly significant place in the Star Trek universe certainly warrants it's own thread and couldn't be included in one of the already existing Destiny threads.

So really Terri, it's extremly mean-spirited of you to put Therin in his place for a perceived swelled head, when he just wanted to make sure everyone is informed about the fate of the most important place in this galaxy.









P.S.: I hope I have put enough sarcasm into this post to make sure it isn't interpreteded as a jovial comment.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Slow day, huh? What, not enough pissing and moaning in the Janeway threads, that we have to dump on Therin for a thread obviously intended to be a bit of harmless fun? Really?


Wow.

 

[Thrawn]

Another mention of this truly significant place in the Star Trek universe certainly warrants it's own thread and couldn't be included in one of the already existing Destiny threads.

So really Terri, it's extremly mean-spirited of you to put Therin in his place for a perceived swelled head, when he just wanted to make sure everyone is informed about the fate of the most important place in this galaxy.

P.S.: I hope I have put enough sarcasm into this post to make sure it isn't interpreteded as a jovial comment.

If you're not interested, don't read the thread.

Do it anyway.

Agreed.

Agreed.

 

[Stephen!]

I smiled when I saw the reference too. I'm still waiting to see "Elemental Planet"; the galaxy's new pleasure planet now that Risa is gone.

The New Essentialists (Let he who is without sin) would probably be like, "yeah we told you so, we knew this sort of thing would happen sooner or later"

 

[Therin of Andor]

I hope I have put enough sarcasm into this post to make sure it isn't interpreteded as a jovial comment.

Truly too kind...

 

[Jaron]

Slow day, huh? What, not enough pissing and moaning in the Janeway threads, that we have to dump on Therin for a thread obviously intended to be a bit of harmless fun? Really?


Wow.

Even threads about Therin Park end in disaster.

 

[Dayton Ward]

^ Okay, that was damn funny.

 

[Defcon]

If you're not interested, don't read the thread.

Guess what, that's what I did, kind of. After clicking on the thread two days ago, I read the OP, rolled my eyes and left the thread.

Problem is, when I log in I usually go through all threads with unread comments in the TrekLit subforum. And when I saw this gang up on Terri for telling the truth I felt compelled to add another voice to the other side of the "discussion".

 

[Sci]

If you're not interested, don't read the thread.

Guess what, that's what I did, kind of. After clicking on the thread two days ago, I read the OP, rolled my eyes and left the thread.

Problem is, when I log in I usually go through all threads with unread comments in the TrekLit subforum. And when I saw this gang up on Terri for telling the truth I felt compelled to add another voice to the other side of the "discussion".

Dude, all Therin was doing was having a bit of fun. Treating him like crap for it is more akin to kicking a puppy than "telling the truth."

And, hey, if they ever have a Def'Con Park on Qo'noS or whatever named after you, I'd say you have the same right to get giddy about it in your own little thread, too. And I'd get just as pissed at someone treating you like crap for it.

Slow day, huh? What, not enough pissing and moaning in the Janeway threads, that we have to dump on Therin for a thread obviously intended to be a bit of harmless fun? Really?

Wow.

Quoted For Truth.

Even threads about Therin Park end in disaster.

 

[MichaelS]

The thing is, though, that this isn't the first time Therin Park has come up. If you've been here long enough, you've seen the picture, heard the tale before (and not just a few times, to be honest). Usually, when people here are "having fun", they get told off when others find it boring, unfunny, or worse (cf. Eav'oq jokes). Something similar happens when they ask questions already covered in the FAQ. Terri's reaction may have been a bit too hostile for the occasion (opinions may vary), but she shouldn't be forbidden from voicing her displeasure at repeated mentions of something she finds irritating.

Now, if only the same thing could happen the next time somebody mentions something about guards or saved brains, I'd be happy.

 

[Dayton Ward]

^ Hang on, I'm deciphering your subtle yet clever wordplay....

 

[Sci]

The thing is, though, that this isn't the first time Therin Park has come up. If you've been here long enough, you've seen the picture, heard the tale before (and not just a few times, to be honest). Usually, when people here are "having fun", they get told off when others find it boring, unfunny, or worse (cf. Eav'oq jokes). Something similar happens when they ask questions already covered in the FAQ. Terri's reaction may have been a bit too hostile for the occasion (opinions may vary), but she shouldn't be forbidden from voicing her displeasure at repeated mentions of something she finds irritating.

Now, if only the same thing could happen the next time somebody mentions something about guards or saved brains, I'd be happy.

She's not forbidden from voicing anything. But just like she has the right to say that she finds something irritating, others have the right to say it if they find her reaction mean-spirited.

And I've been posting here for six or seven years. I've seen the sign and heard Therin talk about it. And it certainly never registered to me as something to feel the least bit hostile or irritated about.

As for guards and saved brains, I love those gags. Same with bad alien puns.