"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds"

[VIDEO] Having subscribed to CBS All Access I need to do some catching up on Star Trek Discovery. I've already enjoyed the first season of Star Trek Picard. During the second season of Star Trek Discovery the titular starship was commanded by legendary Capt. Christopher Pike. For those of you who aren't familiar with Star Trek canon, Pike preceded Kirk as Captain of the USS Enterprise.

This has been speculated and certainly more accurate people have been calling for this new Star Trek spinoff which has been announced on Friday. You see John Campea further discuss this news in the video above.

We never really had much material involved Capt. Pike on Star Trek. There was a pilot that was unaired known as "The Cage" which featured Pike, his first officer a woman known as Number One, and a curious but well known alien named Spock. That Pike was portrayed by movie star Jeffrey Hunter.

In Star Trek's first season Capt Kirk's Enterprise was essentially hijacked to a forbidden planet under the penalty of death (I'm glad Starfleet didn't go through this) in the two-parter "The Menagerie". Anyway the mission was to deliver a now disfigured and essentially paralyzed legendary Capt. Pike to this forbidden planet to live out the rest of his days under the illusion of full autonomy. Jeffrey Hunter was replaced by another actor Sean Kenney however this episode although footage with Hunter as Pike from "The Cage" was reused as evidence for a court martial scene, remember, the Enterprise was going against starfleet orders to travel to this forbidden planet.

In 2009 Star Trek and in 2013 Star Trek into Darkness Christopher Pike is played by Bruce Greenwood. He recruits the delinquent James T. Kirk to attend Starfleet Academy is the first Captain of a newly launched USS Enterprise and was taken prisoner by a time traveling Romulan. He eventually is promoted to admiral and made a brief appearance in into Darkness however his character was killed off during the movie.

And then we see Pike and Spock and Number One during the second season of Discovery. Pike is portrayed by Anson Mount and per Starfleet orders Capt. Pike is ordered to assume command of USS Discovery by the end of the season he continues his adventures abord the USS Enterprise during the final episode of the second season.

I haven't been able to see when this series will be ordered - and I'm sure it's noted that it probably won't start shooting until we're out of current circumstances. Still it would be cool to see adventures only hinted at not only during the 1960s Star Trek run, also during the course of Discovery's 2nd season. We get to see more of an Enterprise captain whom Trekkies have never really had the chance to get to know.

#NWAPowerrr 2nd edition

[VIDEO] The National Wrestling Alliance under the ownership of musican Billy Corgan streams their latest edition of their hour-long program Powerrr on YouTube. The program itself is out of Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta, Georgia which began streaming at 5:05 PM (I'm using central time).

Atlanta had been the home of the former World Championship Wrestling which had formerly been associated with the NWA at least during the early 1990s. What this means is that the WCW world heavyweight title was actually the NWA world heavy weight title at least before WCW broke away from their association with the NWA.

The start time is a nice touch as on TBS programs usually start five minutes after the hour or half-hour as the case could be. I don't know what was up with that quirk on the former Superstation. It's a nice touch that Corgan's NWA is picked up.

Even if you don't get to watch this live I hope you enjoy. The first edition was pretty good! 

Virtual Railfan Santa Fe junction

[VIDEO] This new "railcam" began streaming on September 18, 2019 so basically just yesterday. Thankfully this is sponsored and thus for the forseeable future this site will continue to be streamed onto YouTube hopefully.

What's exciting for me about this site is that you will see Amtrak trains here. Of course on most railcams operated by Virtual Railfan you will see a number of trains passing along which will include commuter, passenger, and freight trains.

So going through the Santa Fe Junction located in an area of Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) known as West Bottom. If you click the link in the brackets to view the video you will see the number of rail lines that pass through at any given time. Kansas City Union Station which is a stop for Amtrak's Southwest Chief (with a decent layover according to the schedule) is said to be directly east of this junction. It's expected to see the Chief coming to and from Chicago and the Missouri River Runner between KCMO & St. Louis, Missouri passing through.

If this railcam has staying power it's probably very likely to be included on my Railcam page although what's shown in the vid itself isn't a regular station stop. We're just seeing all trains pass through.

#WWENXT #NXTTakeOverChicago

[VIDEO] Since subscribing to the WWE Network I've been following the NXT brand for the most part. In some respects what you see on their weekly show is somewhat more interesting than what they seem to do on either Raw on SmackDown Live from week to week. While some NXT superstars gets some major play in what's known as WWE's developmental brand that doesn't always translate to success on either of WWE's main programs.

All the same this weekend NXT TakeOver is coming back to Chicago. Their TakeOver events are akin to WWE's PPVs and will usually take place the Saturday nite before a WWE PPV. For example, NXT TakeOver New Orleans took place in another stadium while WrestleMania New Orleans took place at the Superdome. The TakeOver will take place the Saturday before WWE Money in the Bank PPV at the Allstate Arena or if you prefer the Rosemont Horizon.

Man one of my goals has been to be in attendance for WWE events in Chicago or perhaps find one to go to in a city I've never been. Perhaps follow WrestleMania - I could've gone to New Orleans and next year I could go to East Rutherford, New Jersey for the next one. Just things that I have wanted to do and never have until fairly recently. And I do want to feel the passion of the NXT universe.

Either way at least with NXT and WWE PPVs I have the WWE Network and will eagerly anticipate both TakeOver and Money in the Bank on Sunday. Meanwhile at NXT TakeOver you see this vignette that aired Wednesday nite where Johnny Gargano promos with his former #DIY tag team partner Tomaso Ciampa. Since last year's NXT TakeOver Chicago they really had a bitter feud that almost costs Gargano - aka Johnny Wrestling - his NXT career. Also this caused a very bitter fight which I though should've ended at TakeOver New Orleans which was a brutal non-sanctioned match. And finally we will have a streetfight in Chicago on Saturday.

Should be a good show as always?

New ship for "Star Trek: Discovery"

[VIDEO] The new ship for a new Star Trek TV series coming in the new year. If you can't wait for that new series to premiere in 2017 then Star Trek Beyond is out in theaters now. Hopefully I'll see it during the course of the next week or so. Can't wait!

BTW, Discovery will air the series premiere on the CBS TV network and then further episodes will air on CBS's online streaming service. Which I hope they'll change if this return proves to be very successful.

The use of online streaming for TV programs have expanded as of late with such shows as Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and Fuller House have taken advantage of this medium. For a Star Trek series this is not unfamiliar territory since a new Star Trek series in the 1970s would've premeired on a new network. Also two Star Trek series aired in syndication and two others aired on a new TV network as well.