Tag: Star Trek

Mark Hamill and James Gunn Band Together to ‘Sue’ Space Force

Article by Rebekah Barton                                        December 26, 2020                                    (insidethemagic.net)

• On December 18th at a White house event, Vice President Mike Pence announced that Space Force personnel would be called ‘Guardians’. The military branch already uses a symbol that looks a lot like the Star Trek logo. This caused an immediate backlash from Hollywood heavyweights such as James Gunn, the director of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Gunn posted on Twitter: “Can we sue this dork?”

• Another Hollywood hero, Mark Hamill (Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker… pictured above) replied to Gunn’s tweet: “So they grab the “Guardians” from your movies, they use the “Force” from our movies… then they have the gall to just steal their logo from “Star Trek”? Let’s file a 3-way joint lawsuit & really nail these larcenous bastards! #MayTheDorksBeWithYou”

• Hamill’s response was clearly tongue-in-cheek, but the ironic nature of the situation is apparent: the logo really does look like Star Trek’s, the moniker obviously aligns with the Marvel movies Gunn directs, and the entire operation is being referred to as a “Force” — not ‘the Force’, but the point stands. The US Space Force responded with another tweet: “The opportunity to name a force is a momentous responsibility. Guardians is a name with a long history in space operations, tracing back to the original command motto of Air Force Space Command in 1983, ‘Guardians of the High Frontier’.”

• Hamill and Gunn are both very active on social media and their followers were quick to respond to their tweets about the US Space Force’s new name. Ian McAdam tweeted: “Would love to see a Disney versus American government lawyer battle.” MightyMary007 posted: “Disney is highly litigious from what I understand, so you’re already well-positioned to do so.” But most fans are still dumbstruck by Hamill’s incredible cameo in The Mandalorian Season 2 finale in which Hamill reprised his role as Luke Skywalker to rescue Grogu (ie: ‘baby Yoda’) with the help of de-aging CGI technology.

• No matter what your thoughts are about the United States Space Force ‘Guardians’ title, the social media exchange between two of fandom’s most famous names is hilarious. As of yet, Spock has not weighed in on the situation — we’ll keep you posted. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently in the works for 2023.

 

   Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars

If you’ve ever wanted to see a Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe crossover, look no further than…

                    director, James Gunn

Twitter?

You read that right. Two of the respective Walt Disney Company franchises’ big guns — Mark Hamill and James Gunn — have taken to social media for an unlikely (and hilarious) reason.

When current United States Vice President Mike Pence announced that the uniformed members of the U.S. Space Force will be referred to as Guardians — with a symbol that looks very much like the Star Trek logo — Gunn almost immediately posted, “Can we sue this dork?,” obviously referring to the fact that the name “Guardians” clearly resembles Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

   Space Force’s logo, and Star Trek’s logo

Hamill wasted no time replying to Gunn’s Tweet, writing back: “So they grab the “Guardians” from your

               Mark Hamill

movies, they use the “Force” from our movies… then they have the gall to just steal their logo from “Star Trek”? Let’s file a 3-way joint lawsuit & really nail these larcenous bastards! #MayTheDorksBeWithYou”

Hamill’s response was clearly tongue-in-cheek, but the ironic nature of the situation is certainly apparent: the logo really does look like Star Trek’s, the name obviously aligns with the Marvel movies Gunn directs — Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently in the works, likely for 2023 — and the entire operation is being referred to as a “force” — not the Force, but the point stands.

The U.S. Space Force’s official Tweet about their unintentionally amusing moniker reads:

The opportunity to name a force is a momentous responsibility. Guardians is a name with a long history in space operations, tracing back to the original command motto of Air Force Space Command in 1983, “Guardians of the High Frontier.”

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Space Force’s Second-in-Command Explains What the Hell It Does

 

Article by Leigh Giangreco                        February 25, 2020                          (gen.medium.com)

• Last year, President Trump created the new branch of the Air Force: the Space Force. Trump declared, “American superiority in space is absolutely vital and we’re leading, but we’re not leading by enough.” So we asked second-in-command Lt. General David Thompson (pictured above) what the hell will Space Force do?

What is the Space Force actually going to do? Three examples of what Space Force does and has been doing as part of the Air Force for years are: 1) keeping track of the more than 26,000 orbiting objects in space including operational satellites, expired satellites, and space debris; 2) tracking missile launches and providing warning to Americans and our allies, as we did several weeks ago when the Iranians launched a missile attack at the al-Asad base which resulted in no casualties; and 3) supporting GPS navigation for everything from smart phones to ships at sea.

What do you do as Space Force’s second-in-command? I assist General Raymond, our commander and chief of space operations, in making sure that all forces are trained and equipped to conduct satellite tracking operations and ground sensors across 134 locations worldwide. We operate with a $12 billion annual budget and 26,000 personnel.

Are you coordinating with NASA as well? Cape Canaveral is an Air Force/Space Force station that launches military, commercial, and NASA rockets. NASA has its own space center next door that launches the moon missions. But every interplanetary probe that NASA has launched, except one, flew on an Air Force or Space Force rocket.

Will you be working with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos on the commercial side? We already work pretty closely with Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Jeff Bezos [Blue Origin aerospace], as well as a lot of the large [satellite] constellations that are in development to see their capability and technologies.

What would a typical deployment look like? What are the major threats? Why is Space Force relevant when it seems like the U.S. military is constantly being pulled into counterinsurgency operations in the Middle East? Any of our joint forces needs navigation, position, and timing services provided by GPS. Our satellites support that need. But one of the biggest reasons for the creation of the Space Force is to protect us from potential adversaries like Russia and China who are flexing their muscles, and have made it clear they intend to remove our ability to utilize space if it comes to conflict.

It seems a lot of people think Space Force was created to go up against Russia and China in some sort of intergalactic battle. How much truth is there in that? Half of that is correct. Space Force will monitor threats from Russia or China in space. But if it doesn’t matter to soldiers on the ground, sailors at sea, and airmen in the air, then it doesn’t matter to us. We will remain focused on our commanders in the field (on earth). We’re not battling for control of the moon or Mars.

When did the idea of Space Force first come into being? Does this trace back to the Gulf War? The space age dawned in the 1950s and has grown up over the decades. In the early years it was used for strategic intelligence gathering and some other things. But by the time of the first Gulf War in 1990 and then Desert Storm in 1991, our space systems began to be able to provide tactical capabilities to troops on the ground. After 9/11, this need continued to increase, related to Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places.

Is it fair to say that Space Force is a Trump initiative? It was actually an initiative of all national leadership. The conversations about the need to address threats in space began in 2014 in the previous administration. The discussion increased in 2017 and 2018. But it was [Trump’s] announcement in June 2018 that really started to form the vision. So yes, President Trump had that vision, and he had a lot of participation from Congress in both political parties.

Is this ‘on-the-ground’ satellite coordination? Or will Space Force involve astronauts in space? That opportunity to be an astronaut inside the Space Force today is almost zero. The best thing to do if you want to be an astronaut is to talk to NASA. But the rest of the world is going in the direction of the Space Force, with remotely piloted aircraft, drones, artificial intelligence, and vehicles that operate by remote control or autonomous control.

Several other reporters have asked about the uniforms and the official song. Do you have any ideas about what the culture of Space Force will look like? Space Force needs its own culture and identity. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are all different. I’m in my 35th year in space-related activities. We already have a little bit of a culture and an identity, which will be refreshed with things like uniforms, mottos, and songs. We want to take a little bit of time to do them carefully. We want to ask the young, career enlisted members what they want the uniform to look like. The uniforms that are under design now look like military uniforms.

Can you give us some clues? No clues, sorry! It will be cool.

In ‘The Incredibles’ they say “no capes.” Are there any absolute nos for Space Force uniforms? We’re not talking spandex and capes. It needs to be the classic, sharp-looking uniform that reflects who we are as members of the American military.

Okay, so the Marines have Chesty the bulldog, the Air Force has a falcon — what are you thinking for a mascot? The Marines didn’t have Chesty when they were formed. We’re going to let that develop naturally, so it has some meaning and tradition behind it.

Do you have a favorite sci-fi movie that inspired you? I’ve always loved Star Trek and I really loved the most recent reboot. I think they’ve captured the essence of those old characters in a new and fresh way. I was always a Star Trek fan, but I didn’t join the Air Force to go into space.

 

Unless you’ve been living in a galaxy far, far away, you’ve probably heard of the newest branch of the U.S. military: the Space Force. President Trump created the new branch of the Air Force last year, declaring, “American superiority in space is absolutely vital and we’re leading, but we’re not leading by enough.”

The Space Force will be the smallest branch of the U.S. military — the Marine Corps is still more than 10 times its projected size — and will draw its personnel from current Air Force staff. The new branch will also absorb many of the Air Force’s existing responsibilities, including satellite operations and support for missile warning systems. Its first chief, General John Raymond, was sworn in last month.

So does signing up for the Space Force mean preparing to wage intergalactic battle? Not exactly. Instead, the Space Force is keeping its eyes on the stars but its feet on the ground, getting GPS information from satellites that helps the U.S. military operate in the field. We talked to Lt. Gen. David Thompson, the Space Force’s second-in-command, about the satellites his people will coordinate, avoiding space junk, and whether those new uniforms will include capes.

GEN: What is the Space Force actually going to do?

David Thompson: It’s clear that a lot of the American public doesn’t understand what we already created.

Three quick examples of what Space Force has been doing as part of the Air Force for years. A couple weeks back you heard about the satellite colliding over Pittsburgh, PA. U.S. Space Force is the force that keeps track of all of those objects — 26,000-plus objects, some of them pieces of debris, old satellites — where they are, where they’re going, whether they pose a danger to anybody. That’s one of the things that we do today in the Space Force, and have been doing for years.

Second, in the missile attacks at [Ain] al-Asad base several weeks back, you’ll recall the Iranians fired several missiles, but our crew at Buckley Air Force Base outside of Denver, Colorado, detected missiles that launched and provided warning to those Americans and our friends and allies at al-Asad, which put them all in protective shelters. Had that not happened, we might be talking about folks that died in that attack as opposed to injury. That’s Space Force.

And then we don’t just do it for the military, but we do it for the civilian population as well. How many times have you followed the blue dot on your smartphone? Have you paid for gas at the pump or in a convenience store? Have you checked the internet via your cellphone? All of those positioning things, timing synchronization activities, occur through GPS which is a U.S. Space Force [satellite] constellation. We do that not just for the general public but for ships in the ocean, airplanes, forces in the desert. All navigate by GPS. And those are just a couple things that we do today and will continue as part of the Space Force.

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Will the real Star Fleet Academy please stand up

The Real Starfleet Academy?

Habitable exoplanets continue to be discovered, and NASA scientists most recently announced they were able to detect thermal infrared images from a distant super-Earth. The possibility of detecting alien metropolises on distant solar systems was fast becoming a tantalizing possibility. The day is quickly approaching when the societal impact of extraterrestrial life moves from the realm of speculation, into a political imperative. How does one prepare? Up until recently, a real life educational program for those interested in any career concerning extraterrestrial life has been strictly the realm of science fiction.  Would the world have to wait several centuries for the first Starfleet Academy to train future Captain Kirks and Commander Spocks? Wait no more! The future has arrived! An educational program exists for those seeking to “explore strange new worlds” and “seek out new life and new civilizations.” Rather than being physically based in San Francisco (home of Star Trek’s fictional Academy), the real life version of Starfleet Academy is the Hawaii based Exopolitics Institute. The Institute has been offering an online series of courses since 2007. In January 2007, the Exopolitics Institute pioneered a set of courses concerning extraterrestrial life, and a number of graduates have emerged from its innovative Exopolitics Certification Program . If interested in what kinds of courses the real life Starfleet Academy teaches and the experiences of graduates about their readiness to conduct galactic diplomacy, read on!

Each semester a series of courses are presented which fall under the rubric of ‘exopolitics’. Exopolitics is defined as the political study of the actors, processes and institutions concerning extraterrestrial life. The courses are designed for those interested in developing professional qualifications in exopolitics; and/or acquiring analytical tools, research methods and investigative techniques for evidence concerning extraterrestrial life.

Two courses start next week as part of the 2012 Summer semester. This first is offered by Manuel Lamiroy, Lic Juris., who is a former lawyer and university instructor in Belgium. He has spent more than a decade studying extraterrestrial contact cases. He will teach “Citizen Diplomacy with Extraterrestrial Life” which presents the key concepts for those wishing to interact or communicate with extraterrestrial life. Paola Harris, M.Ed., worked with legendary UFO researcher J.Allen Hynek on the best available UFO evidence. Since the late 1970’s she has accumulated a vast amount of insights interviewing whistleblowers and contactees. Next week she begins teaching “Best Evidence: Expert Witness Testimony and Views on the ET presence.”

Neil Gould from Exopolitics Hong Kong became in 2009, the first graduate of the Exopolitics Certificate, the core course program for those wishing to develop conceptual and analytical concerning extraterrestrial life. In addition to the above courses, he also completed Introduction to Exopolitics; Quantum Cosmology; Hollywood and UFO Disclosure, and the Science, Spirituality and Politics of Extraterrestrial Civilizations. In 2010, Neil went on to complete the Exopolitics Diploma which  equipped Neil with more conceptual and practical skills in the study of extraterrestrial life, and for, believe it or not, conducting galactic diplomacy! After creating Exopolitics Hong Kong in 2008, Neil went on to become a Director to the Exopolitics Institute in 2011. Soon after graduating with his Exopolitics Certificate, Neil gave some answers to questions for those interested in what the Exopolitics Certification program offers. This is worth reposting for any needing advise about preparing for extraterrestrial contact.

Q: How does the certification program help you prepare for contact with extraterrestrial life?

The syllabus covers the key Contactees, Military whistleblowers and Psychiatrist such as Harvard trained Professor, Dr John Mack; not to forget Tesla, Einstein and Oppenheimer. The course instructor has interviewed these people and students are encouraged to interact with them, to ask questions. The first hand information is shared amongst the students, a chance to share insights and reactions. Ones World View is changed forever; the paradigm shift enhances ones own spiritual growth. One is immersed into experiences that are out of this world. The shift in mindset enables one to understand the complexity of the universe. It is then goodbye universe and hello multiverse as linear time goes out the window.  The introduction to the reality of ETs living amongst us and on US military bases creates a tremendous chance to examine the protocols of contact. The hidden knowledge and history of our paleo-contact brings insights into avoiding past mistakes with ET contact. We are finally put as ease when we begin to understand just who we are and why formal ET contact is inevitable and necessary for our evolution. One becomes fully qualified to be part of a field of study that will lead humankind towards this process as the mainstream hold onto our coat tails in utter bewilderment.

Q. Do you feel that the certification program has given you the skills to conduct citizen diplomacy with ETs?

This course covers terrestrial citizen’s diplomacy, an anchor to the disciplinary foundations so critical in negotiations amongst parties in conflict. How does one ensure that everyone leaves the negotiating table satisfied? Galactic Diplomacy takes this field to new levels, into unchartered waters. The Galactic models predict a requirement for mediation not only between citizens and ETs but between the ETs and our Governments. Resolving terms of agreements between ETs and the Military made without congressional oversight; how do we explain this to the citizens? We study our Galactic history, find many out of place artifacts; flying machines on ancient temple walls….. That just could not be!  Reading how every museum has two doors, we gleam the truth about how mankind was manipulated by non terrestrial beings throughout our past. How we worshipped them and how the ancient bloodlines continue influencing society today. These revelations can be digested after the correct training. This course drives one to the cutting edge of interfacing with off world beings. Understanding their history, origins and motivations; the begging question persists; are they good or bad?  This course enables one to understand not only the answer; but the question itself.

Q. In what way has the certification program provided you an understanding of extraterrestrial life that you didn’t have before?

The Galactic Diplomacy module, takes one on an extremely intense journey, assisted by competent instructors who ensure that the students are well prepared for this information. It is a journey that replaces everything you ever thought or knew about the realities surrounding you, including the great religions, financial institutions, right down to the activities which occur under our oceans, deep underground and within the highly convoluted multiverse. The interconnectivity between ETs and us, the conscious envelopes which surround planets, expands ones perceptions way beyond those of any counterparts one might have within the mainstream. Upon completion of this module one is left drained of energy but filled with wonderment, excitement and the psychological tools to challenge conventional wisdom.

Q. As the first recipient of an Exopolitics Certificate, what do you plan to do next in terms of the skills you’ve acquired?

I will continue studying and obtain my Diploma [completed in 2010]. After the first three modules I began to lecture in Hong Kong, appear on TV and do radio interviews. I have over a thousand subscribers to my weekly Newsletter or my You Tube videos. Without this course I would never have been able to bring the material that I now have, into the public domain. The skills earned will be used to further these activities and I intend to teach parts of this course to others. A wonderful consequence of having received the Exopolitics Certificate, is that I am continuously surrounded by Professors, Doctors and other professionals, many of whom secretly engage me in conversation to answer their nagging questions about Exopolitics, ET life and the disclosure process. I sense that even the skeptics are believers. A redefined meaning of a skeptic is someone who is afraid to believe due to lack of education in the field of Exopolitics or out of fear of losing their job.

Thanks to Neil Gould, Manuel Lamiroy, Paola Harris and others, there’s no need to wait for governments to create real life versions of Starfleet Academy. If documentary records and evidence serves as a reliable guide, you may be waiting a long time. Instead, jump on your cyberspace shuttle and visit the command HQ of the real life Starfleet Command at the Exopolitics Institute Certification Program. You may do much more than just equip yourself for a hypothetical future of open contact with extraterrestrial life. You may indeed help usher in a new galactic society.

 

By Michael E. Salla, Ph.D.
Exopolitics.org

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