12/9/04 - Surprisingly enough, I'm still watching Enterprise. I had
thought the series was ending last season, which basing it on that
season's episodes would have been a good thing. This season is better
though. The characters are actually heroes again. They are also
getting involved with the back story of the other series, which I
find interesting.

In one of the early seasons of Enterprise there was a blatant
reference to HIV. Mind-melding in Enterprise's era could cause a
disease in the meldee. In that episode it was compared to HIV by the
way people acted to the meldee with prejudice. There also was 'no
cure' like HIV. There were even commercials about HIV and AIDs during
the initial airing.

In last weeks episode we find that a cult of Vulcans know the truth,
the disease is caused by poorly trained melders and it IS CURABLE. So
now I have to wonder, what are they saying? This cure was kept a
secret because the people in power felt those who melded were
subversive. Are the writers of Enterprise trying to say there is a
cure to HIV but the government is suppressing it? That is what it
sounds like to me.

There was also a blatant reference to the war in Iraq. The last
episodes were a three-part story. In the first episode the Earth
embassy on Vulcan was blown up. Evidence was found that linked the
explosion to a group of Vulcans called Syrrannites. The Vulcan
government claimed that Syrrannites were subversive terrorists that
distorted the teaching of Surak (the founder of logic). At the same
time the Syrrannites claim they are a peaceful group. Also, the
Syrrannites live in a hidden community of tunnels within an extremely
dangerous dessert called the forge. The forge has anti-electronic
properties that make most technology unusable within it.

Malcolm finds a bomb inside the embassy that has DNA from the leader
of the Syrrannites. Captain Archer goes into the forge to find the
Syrrannites. The Vulcan government says they will find and prosecute
the Syrrannites themselves.

While the captain is unreachable in the forge the doctor discovers
that the DNA is from when the leader had been a baby. In other words,
the evidence was planted.

The leader of the Vulcan government begins bombing the forge to kill
the Syrrannite terrorists. So I guess that means the forge is
Afghanistan and the Syrrannites are Al Quada! They also saying the
evidence for 911 was faked.

The Vulcan leader then shows (fake) evidence that Andorians have a
version of the Xindi weapon prototype. For this reason they must go
to war. The Xindi weapon is a weapon of mass destruction. They are
now comparing Andorians to Iraqis. In the end Enterprise stops the
war and reveals that the Syrrannites are not terrorists. There is
also a final scene where the Vulcan leader talks to a Romulan about
reuniting their planets. If I remember correctly old school Romulans
were supposed to be Russians or Chinese. So are they saying George W.
Bush started the war because he has some ally he wants to reunite
with?

I think they want a bit overboard with the social commentary. They
were good episodes, but comparing Syrrannites to Al Quada, saying HIV
is curable but the government suppresses the cure, and saying the 911
evidence was faked is just too much.

The Dresden Dolls are an excellent band. I first got interested in
them when I heard their song "Coin-operated Boy." I found their
website yesterday and was impressed with their other songs and
recorded concert performances. To me a great band has to be good live
(disqualifying Green Day and the Smashing Pumpkins) and they have to
have an entire CD's worth of good music. It cannot be just a single,
it has to be almost an entire CD. They also need meaningful lyrics.
Sure, melody goes a long way, but what are the artists trying to say?
If they are not saying anything I am not going to keep listening.
This band fits the bill as a great band perfectly. I wish I had heard
about them before they made it big as they are local to me and I
probably could have gone to several of their shows.