posted
So I was in Las Vegas and visited the Star Trek Experience. One of the items on display was Picard's photo album from Generations, open to a page with a printout from the Solar News Network, dated 10-11-2161. It is an article about the Federation being founded. Incidentally, it makes five founding members canonical--at least, as canonical as things like the "Ju'day class." I haven't tried to read it all yet, but here's the best crop-and-enhance digital photo I can provide.
No, there's nothing earth-shattering, but some of you might find it interesting.
posted
it's hard to make out the small print but I think I can see a reference to UESPA, the Romulan War and a George(?) Picard, which explaines why it's in Picards family album.
San Francisco, Earth - Declaring it a landmark day in the history of each of their worlds, five (envoys?) today breathed life into the fledgling United Federation of Planets, with the signing of the new organisation's Constitution amidst much pomp and circumstance.
"We are truly entering a brave new world of peace, exploration and security with the establishment of this Federation," declared Earth ambassador Thomas (Vanderbilt?), whose remarks were echoed by representatives from Vulcan, Andor, (Talar?) and Alpha Centauri.
"Following the end of your world's war with the unknown Romulan enemy, such a union as we create here today is the most logical course of action any of our peoples can take," said Ambassador (T'Jar?) of Vulcan.
UESPA Maj. Gen. (Georges?) ?. Picard, an aide to (Vanderbilt?), noted afterward the ???? of the conference - which met in exactly the same (fashion?) of the founders of Earth's old United Nations, who came together only (215?) years earlier in this same city in the aftermath of the (horrors?) of another costly war.
"What is occuring here today is one sign that some good can come of such a ??????," Picard noted.
"We defy anyone, even the Romulans, to test our resolve now for (collective?) security," declared Ambassador ???? (Kel?) of (Talar?), while (Sarshd?) of Andor spoke of future greatness for the infant union and predicted rapid expansion. Ambassador ???? ???? signed for the newly independent Centauri system.
Today's events were but the ceremonial endgame for the often (emotive?) negotiations, which began in earnest after the defeat of hostile forces at ????? effectively ended the Romulan war only a little more than a year ago. Even today, some sources reported a ???? ???? involving the (Talarite?) (Kel?) and (Sarshd?).
Although those taking part today (waived?) off revealing many specific details, the five after signing immediately (conducted?) the first ever meeting of the UFP Council long enough to elect (Vanderbilt?) as president, with (Sarshd?) as vice president.
Also, the council unanimously voted to continue meeting in San Francisco, with an all new building in the design stages near the historic old (P????) (fort?) and Golden Gate Bridge. Council sources predicted at least three months would be needed before the fledgling UFP bureaucracy would be ready for business.
Sorry the names are completely off...
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posted
I must be truly insane to try reading this... Uncertain words are in parentheses, and I left a set of question marks for each word I couldn't read at all.
quote:SAN FRANCISCO, Earth (SNN) -- Declaring it a landmark day in the history of each of their worlds, five (envoys) today breathed life into the fledgling United Federation of Planets with the signing of the new organization's Constitution amid much pomp and circumstance.
"We are truly entering a brage new world of peace, exploration and security with the establishment of this Federation, declared Earth ambassador Thomas Vanderbilt, whose remarks were echoed by representatives from Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, and Alpha Centauri. "Following the end of your world's war with the unseen Romulan enemy, such a union as we create here today is the most logical course of action any of our peoples can take," added Ambassador T'Jen of Vulcan.
UESPA Maj. Gen. Georges E. Picard, an aide to Vanderbilt, noted afterward the (???) of the conference -- which met in exactly the same fashion as the founders of Earth's old United Nations, who came together (only) 215 years earlier in this same city in the aftermath of the (horrors) of another costly war.
"What is occurring here today is one sign that some good can come of such a (???)," Picard noted.
"We defy anyone, even the Romulans, to test our resolve now for collective security," declared Ambassador (Natha Kell) of Tellar, while (Saraht) of Andor spoke of future greatness for the infant union and predicted rapid expansion. Ambasador (Titus Cleet) signed for the newly independent Centauri system.
Today's events were but the ceremonial endgame for the often-(elusive) negotiations, which began in earnest after the defeat of histile forces at Cheron effectively ended the Romulan War only a little more than a year ago. Even today, some (???) reported a later (???) involving the Tellarite (Kell) and (???).
Although those taking part today waived off revealing many specific details, the five after signing immediately convened the first-ever meeting of the UFP Council long enough to elect Vanderbilt as president, with (Saraht) as vice president.
Alsol, the Council unanimously voted to continue meeting in San Francisco, with an all-new building in the design stages near the historic old Presidio fort and Golden Gate Bridge. Council sources predicted at least three months would be needed before the fledgling UFP bureaucracy would be ready for business.
Well, this definitely suggests why Jean-Luc Picard would want to keep a clipping of this article...
Cool find!
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posted
"Presidio Fort"? There's the old Presidio miliary reserve (now a National Park) and there's the historic old Fort Point (now under the south arch of Golden Gate Bridge), and other forts in the area, but I don't think there's ever been any such thing as a "Presidio Fort".
Then again, what do I expect? They tend to get the Golden Gate Bridge backwards half the time...
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posted
Just for random trivia, the album also features a hand-written letter in French, either to or from Picard's relative/girlfriend/who knows?.
If anyone hasn't visited the Experience in some time, I assume it has been retrofitted, because there is Enterprise stuff all over the place, including really cool replicas of Suliban and Andorian heads. It is amazing how much more realistic and well-built the Enterprise props are even compared to Voyager's... must be in anticipation of HDTV resolution. There is also Enterprise info added to the timeline, which may be a reasonably authoritative source for Archer's birthdate: 2112. I think this was the subject of some confusion given conflicting info in the "Broken Bow" script, the novelization, Writer's Guide, and so on. My girlfriend even got a stuffed Porthos for my dragging her along.
I didn't see anything particularly noteworthy, other than the above. Some desk models, but I assume they were there before.
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Why? Alpha Centauri is a trinary system, but a prime candidate for some form of colonization in the Trek universe, because at least one of them is a G-type star. In fact, Alpha Centauri A is a G2V star, very similar to Sol itself. And although binaries in general are supposed to be less hospitable towards life (as we know it) because of the probability of more erratic orbits of any planets in the system, Alpha Centauri A and B are far enough apart for any planets closer than 3 AUs to be in perfectly stable orbits.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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posted
The July 2002 issue of The Magazine featured a behind the scenes on 'Picard's Family Album' featured in the Experience. It included a lot of the various photos and the like.
Just for shits and giggles, some of the more interesting customized items included a number of awards he/his family received. I wish I had a scanner but here is the text version of 'em.
The first one:
quote:
Grankite Order of Tactics
Class of Excellence
Is Awarded To
Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
In recognition of his development of the Picard maneuver during the Battle of Maxia
U.S.S. Stargazer - Stardate 38946.2
The second one:
quote:
The Terran Winemakes Association Bestows Its
Certificate of Excellence
In Winemaking To
Maurice Picard
Ch�teau Picard Bordeaux 2305 Apellation Bordeaus Control�e Mis en Bouteille par M. Picard
And finally:
quote:
The Forty-First
Starfleet Academy Marathon
Danula II - April 2323
Be it known to all beings, life forms, and citizens of the galaxy, that
Jean-Luc Picard, Corps of Cadets
has been judged the winner of the 40-kilometer competition, and is
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In recognition of his development of the Picard maneuver during the Battle of Maxia
U.S.S. Stargazer - Stardate 38946.2
Interesting. Picard had no idea to what the "Battle of Maxia" referred to in "The Battle," suggesting that Starfleet used an entirely different name for the incident.
posted
1.) It is likely that in the not too distant future we will be able to tell with some reasonable degree of accuracy whether or not there are any planets in the Alpha Centauri system. If there are not, it will bother me on some very nerdy level if Star Trek insists that there are.
2.) Alpha Centauri gets planets in only one reference that I'm aware of, in a context that is later almost completely altered, if not abandoned outright.
3.) Personally, I'd prefer to have a better known world on the list.
All that aside, the only two worlds which we know for sure to be founding members are Earth and Vulcan, and of those, I think only Vulcan has actually been explicitly described as such in dialogue, though there are mountains of implicit evidence for Earth. The way Enterprise is going suggests that Andor(ia) is a shoe-in, but beyond that, almost anyone could be including without violating a strict sense of canon. So, I guess, you know, whatever. I hardly have any firm reason to keep Alpha Centauri out. Just a general feeling.
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posted
Alliance between UDF and RPR? Didn't that happen last year? Maybe those pages were created just for the Exhibiton or Nemesis?
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posted
BTW: When I visited the Exhibition two years ago, there was another page opened with a letter from the Daystrom Institute
quote:DAYSTROM INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES Committe for quadcentenial Apollo Eleven moon landing
Dear Jean-Luc,
This is letter is to confirm that you will be attending cememoration activities for the lunar landing activities. In this day and age of starships, transwarp conduits, wormholes, and the transporter, it is astonishing to think that only 400 years ago, three humans ventured forth in a metal and plastic space capsule to land on the Earth's moon over 350.000 kilometers away.
You are scheduled to arrive on July 16th and stay through the fourth day for the final ceremony. Hope you can stand up to the endless receptions and parties. On July 20th, the moon will be just a silver. I've always liked the moon when it is in that phase ...it does have the best viewing ...and it always fortells of a new beginning.
Remember Hypollita's line from "A Midsummer's Night Dream"?
Four days will quickly steep themselves in night. Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night Of our solemnities.
Don't let it be too solemn.
Daystrom Institute * Reply to SOL-10102910291029.89191029 * AKK * UFP 01921
quote:The Starfleet Academy Gilbert-Sullivan Society
Cordially invite you to a special presentation of the spring term production of
The Mikado
Host Playhouse Number Two (???) April 14th, 2325 Curtain rises at 1430 hours Cast party to follow at the Kobayashi Maru Pub
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posted
Well, at least there's finally something vaguely semi-canon regarding the nature of Alpha Centauri ("newly independent"). Of course, we don't know for sure what it's independent from, but it probably was an early Earth colony.
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but here is the text version of 'em. 
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