Space, the Wealthy Frontier? Yeah, For Now

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – October 15, 2021

 

Dean Martin reportedly once said in reference to his buddy Frank Sinatra, “It’s Frank’s world, we just get to live in it.” When I periodically see what 90-year-old William Shatner is up to, I sometimes think that it’s Captain Kirk’s world, and we just get to live in it. That sentiment was reinforced, once more, seeing Shatner blast off with Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin on October 13 to become the oldest person to journey into space.

Courtesy of Blue Origin

Cheers to Shatner. Good for him. 

 

(Now, if only Paramount would come to its senses, and follow Bezos’ lead by putting Shatner as Captain Kirk back into space one more time. Don’t get me started on how egregiously bad Kirk’s death was in Star Trek: Generations. Okay, let’s not go down the Star Trek rabbit hole…)

 

Indeed, much of the reaction to Shatner’s trip seems to have been positive (except for petty remarks by Shatner’s Star Trek co-star George Takei – these guys don’t like each other). However, envy and economic ignorance did pop up, building on recent misguided attacks on Bezos, Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson, and Elon Musk’s Space X for passenger flights to space. 

 

Before such anti-space rants become more commonplace, it should be noted that such complaints generally come from envy or zero-sum thinking, or both.

 

One has to wonder why critics either don’t care or even get all goo-goo when government ventures into space, but are downright hostile when space travel is undertaken by wealthy individuals in the private sector? 

 

After all, these space-faring individuals are using their own money – whether as entrepreneurs, investors or passengers – to take the journey, rather than undertaking ventures completely funded by others who have no real say, that is, the taxpayers. Wealthy individuals become wealthy by earning it in the marketplace. How? By providing goods and services that others need or want. But critics usually don’t understand such basic economic realities. Based on envy, they assume that wealth merely exists, so that government can tax it and then ramp up spending on their own political preferences – by the way, also turning a blind eye to government’s unwavering ability for failure and waste. Indeed, ignoring the basic right that people who earn their money can spend it as they see fit, some critics have even asserted that journeys into space make clear the need to tax the wealthy even more. There’s that envy thing again.

 

The critics of billionaires and Star Trek actors heading to space disregard other economic fundamentals. New products introduced to the market tend to be very expensive, and it’s the wealthy who are able to dive in first. Further innovation, efficiency and competition then drive down the costs, while also enhancing the quality, incidentally. For space travel, that will not only mean that it becomes more affordable, but also safer, to the point of being the equivalent of taking an airplane trip.

 

For good measure, by blazing affordable trails to space, other entrepreneurs will create new spaced-based industries, that is, goods and services largely unimagined today. This is how opportunity is expanded and economic growth occur, in turn, creating new wealth, higher incomes, expanded consumer choices, and new jobs. Just like on Earth, space is not a place for zero-sum thinking.

 

Finally, arguing that private space travel means ignoring Earth-bound problems and opportunities pushes aside that basic notion that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Great ideas and opportunities on Earth will not be grounded because some entrepreneurs and investors also see opportunities in space. It’s not really and either/or. Instead, those complaining loudest tend to favor undertakings informed by their politics, and once more long for more taxes to fund their escapades.

 

So, is space the wealthy frontier? Well, for now, yes. But thanks to the likes of Bezos, Branson, Musk and other space entrepreneurs taking on the initial uncertainties, risks and investments, it will become far more commonplace as innovations and efficiencies make it safer and more affordable for the rest of us to journey to, and create businesses and work in or related to space.

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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur.  Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15^th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

One of the best ways to enjoy Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries is to join the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship! For the BEST VALUE, consider the Book of the Month Club.  Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/pastorstephengrantfellowship

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Character-Rich Sci-Fi: Take the Netflix Journey with “Away”

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – September 25, 2020

 

Science fiction at its worst tends to be too “sciency,” that is, it’s all about the imaginary future of science and technology. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m as much of a sci-fi nerd as the next person standing in line at a comic con waiting to meet William Shatner. But there has to be more than futuristic techno-jargon.

 

At its best, science fiction serves up compelling storytelling and interesting characters within settings like space faring, time travel, or life across the galaxy. Sure the Enterprise, warp speed, time travel, the transporter and boldly going where no one has gone before are awesome, but what made Star Trek: The Original Series great were Kirk, Spock and McCoy, who they were, their relationship, and their interesting, fun and sometimes insightful adventures.

In terms of character-rooted science fiction, Netflix has nailed it with Away, starring Academy-Award-winner Hillary Swank, along with Josh Charles, Talitha Eliana Bateman, Ray Panthaki, Vivian Wu, Mark Ivanir, Ato Essandoh, and others.

 

This is the story of the first manned mission to Mars. Led by Emma Green (Swank), the American commander, the rest of the international crew is Misha Popov (Ivanir) from Russia, Dr. Lu Wang (Wu) from China, Ram Arya (Pathaki) from India, and Dr. Kwesi Weisberg-Abban (Essandoh) from the United Kingdom.

 

Back on Earth, we are treated to an assortment of characters supporting the mission and/or affecting or influencing (sometimes through flashbacks) the astronauts. That includes Green’s husband – fellow astronaut Matt Logan (Charles) – and their daughter, Alexis (Bateman).

 

Away makes for a fascinating drama – perhaps more accurately, a series of interesting character studies – that happens to be set on board a spacecraft headed for Mars. We see how the astronauts meet assorted challenges and interact with each other. Perhaps as expected, sacrifice (in terms of who was left behind and what occurs during the mission), courage, conflict, honor, and trust all come into play. 

 

But there’s much more. Away dives into what makes each character tick. So, for example, we see Emma being torn by the deep love for her family – who are facing trials at home – in the midst of the significant risks and problems she faces during a journey that is the pinnacle of her life’ work. Misha’s broken relationship with his daughter is explored, as are Lu’s with her family and beyond. The roots of Ram’s isolation are probed as well. And the personal costs of space travel are made clear.

 

Most interesting, though, is the fact that the show’s creators, writers and directors don’t shy away from presenting characters in full. It’s not just a sliver or moment here or there. As best they can during a ten-episode season, the creators try to go deep on each character.

 

That even includes matters of faith. In an interview with TheWrap.com, showrunner Jessica Goldberg was asked about the issue of religion in Away. It was reported:

 

“When you talk about the universe, it’s hard to eclipse those questions of faith,” Goldberg told TheWrap. “We did a lot of research, we talked to a lot of astronauts, and one thing we kept hearing was when you’re up there, if you’re atheist, you’re even more of an atheist, or if you believe, you become a deeper believer. I think because we were having those conversations in the [writers] room, they just worked into the larger fabric of the show.” …

 

“In our [writers] room, we’d be talking about these things, and then it would definitely evolve back to, ‘Is there a God? Do you need faith to get through these kinds of missions? What happens if you believe in nothing? What if there is other life out there?'” she continued. “If we get to go on and have a Season 2, that question will play even more deeply because the question of life on Mars is the scientific basis, you know, it’s the holy grail of what Mars could possibly hold.”

 

In Away, Kwesi is a devout Jew, who prays and often speaks of faith. And it’s apparent that his faith has an effect on other crewmembers. Back on Earth, Alexis sneaks out of the house on Christmas Eve night with her new boyfriend, Isaac (Adam Irigoyen), and unbeknownst to her, they wind up meeting his family at Midnight Mass. And at another point, Isaac and Alexis pray the Lord’s Prayer in church together.

 

Viewers were fortunate that principal production work reportedly started in August 2019 and was completed in early February 2020, just before the pandemic hit the U.S. As a result, Away was able to be released on September 4 on Netflix.

 

Season 1 of Away stands tall on its own, and warrants watching. But I’m certainly rooting for more character-rich sci-fi in a second season. Let’s hope that Netflix gives it a thumbs up.

 

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Recent Columns by Ray Keating…

 

“A Few Reflections on the U.S. Open at Winged Foot”

 

“Applaud, Don’t Attack, Robinhood”

 

“Sports Are Back But Americans Aren’t Happy”

 

“Should We Take Our Ball and Go Home When Pro Athletes Disagree with Us?”

 

“‘Greyhound’ Ranks as Strong Storytelling – Even on a Smaller Screen”

 

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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur.  You can order his new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating’s latest novel is  The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, which is the 12thbook in the series. There is a big sale on signed books and sets at https://raykeatingonline.com/t/book-of-the-month. Also, the best way to fully enjoy Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries is to join the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship! For the BEST VALUE, consider the Book of the Month Club.  Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/pastorstephengrantfellowship

 

Also, tune in to Ray Keating’s podcasts – the PRESS CLUB C Podcast  and the Free Enterprise in Three Minutes Podcast  

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

I’ve Been Granted 7 Pop Culture Wishes

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – June 16, 2020

Everybody seems to have a list of things they’d like to see happen on the entertainment front. A pop culture wish list, if you will. And if you don’t, well, you should if you’re any fun at all.

And my wish list isn’t about things that I wish never happened – well, not really. These are things that I wish for, and if people would just listen, each could happen. So, let’s go, pay attention entertainment executives.

First, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson need to get together and cut an album. Think about having one of the musical geniuses behind the Beatles and the creative force of the Beach Boys – the two greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time (yes, I wrote it!) – get together to make an album during their later years. Make it happen!

Second, and this verges on wishing-it-never-happened, but in reality is a fix-it wish: Bring William Shatner back for one more turn as Captain James T. Kirk. Shatner, Kirk and Star Trek fans deserved a heck of a lot more than that ridiculous death in Star Trek: Generations. If you can bring Patrick Stewart back as Captain Picard for a full season (and apparently two more) of Picard, then get Shatner back in the captain’s chair for something ... anything! And so what if he can’t get into a good fistfight or land the sexy alien woman any more (Is that PC? Will someone get upset?) – after all, the dude is 89 (and looks great) – he can still speak in commanding Shatner-esque fashion on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Third, the Nerd Herder in me wishes – no, he demands – that Chuck return. For those who don’t know what Chuck was or is, my response is: What the hell is wrong with you? Chuck ran on NBC from 2007 to 2012. It was an hour-long comedy about an underachieving tech guy, played by Zachary Levi, who works at the Buy More (think Best Buy), but suddenly gets government secrets implanted in his head. What follows is a delightful five seasons of nerds, spies, silly bad guys, nerd humor, romance, and action, along with wonderful and weird characters who are irresistible. Along the way, the show was kept alive by fan campaigns. To many of those fans, though, the two-hour finale came up short. There’s been lots of talk about a Chuck movie, with Levi making clear he’s in favor of it. 

Now, follow this: HBO Max now ranks among streaming options seeking content, and it’s owned by AT&T. In turn, AT&T also owns Warner Brothers Studio, which controls Chuck (I think). Therefore, it’s time for the return of Chuck courtesy of HBO Max streaming, and I say it should be either a series of movies or, preferably, a few eight-episode seasons.

Incidentally, I wrote a book titled“Chuck” vs. the Business World: Business Tips on TV, which offers all kinds of career and business tips based on the show.

Fourth, I might regret this wish: But even with Steven Spielberg dropping out, the movie getting pushed back time and again due to assorted delays, and Harrison Ford getting up there in years, I still wish to see another Indiana Jones movie. Let’s hope that director James Mangold and Harrison Ford can pull off some Indy magic one more time.

Fifth, after this next James Bond movie is released, it is presumed to be the last one for Daniel Craig. He has been the best Bond thus far, so who could succeed him in the role? It obviously should be Henry Cavill. Don’t argue.

Sixth, in the next season of Magnum P.I., the original Magnum, Tom Selleck, needs to guest star in a two-part episode playing a detective from the mainland – preferably, Detroit – who was an old friend of the new Magnum’s (Jay Hernandez) father. Give me a call, CBS, I can pen a fun script.

Seventh, I wish that Warner Brothers would give the green light for Zack Snyder to finish his version of the Justice League movie, so we can... What? Oh, that’s happening? It’s supposed to be coming to HBO Max in 2021. Well, great. Mission accomplished. Wish fulfilled. I guess I’ll stop there then.

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See related...

PRESS CLUB C Podcast with Ray Keating – Episode #10: Streaming Fueling the Nerd

“Picard Comes Up Short”

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“PRESS CLUB C Podcast with Ray Keating – Episode #13: A Conversation About the History Channel’s “Grant” Documentary”

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“History Channel’s “Grant” Documentary: A Long Overdue Masterpiece”

“The Tyranny of Disagreement”

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Ray Keating is a columnist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur.  You can order his new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. Keating also is a novelist. His latest novels are  The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, which is the 12^th book in the series, and the second edition of Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel with a new Author Introduction. The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

Also, tune in to Ray Keating’s podcasts – the PRESS CLUB C Podcastand the Free Enterprise in Three Minutes Podcast 

PRESS CLUB C Podcast with Ray Keating – Episode #10: Streaming Fueling the Nerd

Ray Keating goes full nerd in this episode, mainly focusing on how online streaming services are fulfilling many of his nerd dreams pertaining to DC comics and movies – the Snyder Justice League cut! – Marvel comics, movies and shows, Star Wars, Star Trek, film stuff, and yes, Chuck. Join Ray, and embrace your inner nerd.

“Picard” Comes Up Short

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – April 10, 2020

Warning: Spoilers

The CBS All Access series Picard wanted to boldly take Captain Picard, and by associationThe Next Generation portion of the Star Trek universe, into new, uncharted space. And Picard’s creative crew almost pulled it off, but in the end, fell short by succumbing to some key Next Generation weaknesses.

Star Trek: The Next Generation ran on television from 1987 to 1994, followed by four movies – Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). Of course, throughout, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, sat in the captain’s chair of the Enterprise.

As a Star Trek nerd who came on board with the original Star Trek series in reruns in the 1970s, I forgave a great deal in retrospect. For example, 16-year-old Ray actually defended Star Trek: The Motion Picture against criticisms, even though that film is indefensible. And then there was 24-year-old Ray, who was so pleased about the return of Star Trek to the television screen that he forgave just how bad many of the Next Generation episodes were, especially during its first two seasons. 

And while some episodes were excellent – such as “Yesterday’s Enterprise” in season 3 – Next Generation suffered from a future in which humans were bland and largely subscribed to an insufferable, leftist utopianism; lived in boring, sterile surroundings; and quite frankly, flew through space in a ship – the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D – that looked awkward compared to the Enterprises that came before and after. And as for the movies, well, First Contact flew at light speed, but the other three Next Generation films never got out of drydock (don’t get me started about Captain Kirk’s ridiculous death in Generations).

Picard, in effect, amounts to an extra season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, taking place some twenty years after the last Next Generation movie. And throughout the first nine episodes, we are, in fact, treated to something far better than most of what was served up in the Next Generation television show and movies. 

In Picard, humans are far less than perfect. The annoying utopianism that plagued the television show seemed to have been jettisoned – at least until the final episode. Picard wrestles with his past. Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager steps into a far richer and darker role than typical for a main character in any Trek.  The United Federation of Planets is flawed, and even infiltrated by enemies. 

And to complete his mission, Jean-Luc Picard assembles a crew that ranks as, at best, ragtag. At one point when visiting Riker and Troi, Riker asks Picard about the new crew. Picard replies, “Well, I would have to say they are decidedly motley. There’s been nothing but drama since we left Earth’s orbit and, I’m told, it’s been continuing since I saw them last. They seem to be carrying more baggage than all of you ever did. But then, I’m not the one to talk.”

It's all very engrossing – well, until we hit that tenth and final episode of this first season. Not only is too much shoved into the episode, but it all reverts to what we became accustomed to, and largely disappointed by, in the Next Generation. 

The flawed humans all wind up doing what’s expected of them in a Next Generation kind of way, as does a planet full of synthetic beings that are kinds of offspring or siblings of Data. Without getting bogged down in the details of the climactic decisions, they turned out to be painfully predictable. Choosing the unexpected decision, but actually more in line with what had come before in the series (i.e., allowing the Romulan prophecy to come fully true), would have taken the upcoming seasons of Picard in a far more interesting and exciting direction, with enormous consequences for the characters, the Federation, the Romulans and beyond. (The show has been renewed for seasons 2 and 3.) That would have been a big “Wow” factor. But alas, that was not the case.

And the other items in the rushed wrap-up to Picard’s season 1 also ranked as typical Next Generation stuff.

For example, while Data died in the last Star Trek: Nemesis, he popped up in Picard’s dreams and is talked about a great deal during the series, given that Picard is trying to save Soji, who more or less is Data’s daughter. The Data focus in the final episode could have had a Harry Lime in The Third Man feel to it, but it never gets close to being that interesting. It turned out that Data’s consciousness, program or memories had been hanging around in a kind of android simulation/purgatory, and he’s still trying to figure out how to be human. 

Oh, yes, and Picard dies, but his consciousness conveniently is transferred into an android body that happens to replicate his own in all ways but for the fatal disease that killed him in the first place. Picard in an android body? Really? Perhaps he can pick up on the android angst now that Data is gone ... really gone.

And Seven of Nine turns on a dime from a character willing to dole out some severe, vigilante justice to seeing what was wrong in doing so. That, of course, would be fine, but we don’t see how her actions troubled her to any real extent – it’s just one view at this point, Picard dies, and then another view afterward. 

It’s all very Next Generation, and not in a positive way.

For good measure, we’re treated to a couple of things tossed in at the very end that either make no sense or come out of nowhere, including one of the characters never having to deal with the consequences of murdering someone earlier in the show. These subtracted from the overall story and the characters.

It’s a shame thatPicard ended so poorly. We’ll see what comes in seasons 2 and 3 – more of what we appreciated in the first nine episodes of season 1, or more of the same old, same old Next Generation that was dropped into that final episode?

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Ray Keating is a columnist, an economist, a novelist (his latest novels are The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, which is the 12^thbook in the series, and the second edition of Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel with a new Author Introduction), a nonfiction author (among his recent works is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know), a podcaster, and an entrepreneur. You can also order his forthcoming book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York – signed books or for the Kindle. The views expressed here are his own.