First an aside: There are those who distinguish a "Trekker" from a "Trekkie". Count me among the Trekkers. Besides the obvious fact that "Trekkie" connotes fanaticism, "Trekker" just sounds better, wouldn't you agree? For me, there never was an issue of Trekkie vs. Trekker. It's a finer point, but then a true Trekker is a stickler for the details. While I've never actually made such a public display of myself, I do openly declare that I am a Trekker to anyone who cares to ask. And as I'm sure all Trekkers can guess, most of the time ridicule and disbelief accompany the responses of my listeners. To the uninitiated, Star Trek is an old, boring 60s series that is silly and appeals only to the nerds and other social misfits. They find it hard to conceive that a "normal" person could be a fan. I keep a straight face and take it all in stride, but secretly I smile and think of the fun these people will never know. The mind-bending game of trying to separate the science-fact and science-fiction, the joy of seeing my adopted "family" aboard the Enterprise or Deep Space Nine live and grow, the satisfaction of seeing the Federation overcoming all odds to overcome the aggression of powerful invaders, to see that humans are capable of shedding the shackles of monetary gain and greed to help one another and reach for the stars. This is all part of the pure enjoyment that I feel whenever I watch an episode or discuss Star Trek with fellow Trekkers over the Internet. Star Trek to me is the embodiment of Hope for the future. In this day and age, when we are beset by pending environmental disaster on every front, faced with persistent military threats and political maneuvering in all corners of the world, it is a cheering thought that humans will survive past the 21st century. According to Trek's future history, our race not only survives all the crises created by past incompetence, but manages to learn enough from the debacles of a 3rd World War to finally coexist in unifying peace. That would be the greatest accomplishment if it ever were to occur. In this problem-ridden time, dreaming and believing in such a possibility gives a new, more hopeful vision of the future for all of us who dream of the future and embrace the day extrasolar flights will be possible. So what better way to share my love than through a website? From the moment I considered the possibility of building my own website, I knew it would ultimately be about Star Trek.There were a few other ideas, mostly passing fancies of the moment and completely forgotten now, but even while I was deliberating just what to do, my mind was already made up. Not that there weren't enough already. The Internet has a high population of Star Trek sites and there wasn't exactly a pressing need to add to that population. But I wanted to do this for my own benefit. To choose from the immense amount of knowledge that is the Star Trek Universe and pay my personal homage to the television series that has most influenced my life (Why do you think I am majoring in astronomy and computer engineering?). For a medium that is largely about appearances and entertainment, Star Trek as a whole achieves more than just its fifteen minutes of fame - transcending its own cultural context and limitations to become a subculture of its own in America. The best place to be a Star Trek fan is definitely in the States. I can be anywhere within the country and be certain I'll find a group of people nearby who are eager to discuss Trek with me. But returning to the subject of this website -- that it would not only teach me the rudiments of web design and graphic design techniques but also favor me with the attention of so many fellow Trek fans did not enter my mind when I first started out in the July of 98. I've made many friends while working on this site, all of them Trek enthusiasts as myself. Some have been kind enough to point out errors in my site, and all have lavished kind praise on my work. For their support I am grateful. The visitors of this site are the motivating force behind my constant work in improving and developing this site. Without the positive comments and constructive criticism I've received over the years, Medical Log would still be the four page site it was at its inception. Though Deep Space Nine has ended, its legacy will be kept alive in my small corner of the web. I did not know before I set out doing this that it would be focused on a character in Deep Space Nine, which I had not seen until the summer of 98, when I moved to the US for my college education. The first episode that aired the night I arrived in Kansas was "Statistical Probabilities" (Predestination perhaps?). The young, handsome doctor caught my imagination immediately. Anyone must allow that Dr. Bashir is charming and very appealing to female audience, but there was much more than just visual appeal in the form of Julian Bashir. The juxtaposition of the light and dark, somber and humorous, serious and absurd that subtly shades Deep Space Nine thrilled me like no other series. Even in the first episode, I could immediately begin to distinguish it from TNG or TOS, and I immediately became attached to the series. It would soon become my favorite. In the following episodes Bashir became less prominent, but that episode determined for me the subject and theme of my website. So here it is -- Medical Log: Supplemental, a tribute to Julian Bashir and Deep Space Nine. In retrospect, had I seen another episode, this site may never have existed. While Dr. Bashir is a very integral part of the crew aboard Deep Space Nine and a banner-bearer of the right to life, it is very possible I might have done a site on Mr. Garak, enigmatic tailor, or Dukat, sadistic Cardassian. However, I'm glad I can give proper tribute to a fine actor and a great character as well as promote attention to Deep Space Nine. Before I had seen DS9, I had envisioned doing something on The Original Series or The Next Generation, both being old friends. But whatever I intended to do will have to wait until later. As I grow older, the nostalgia of TOS and even TNG overcomes me at times and I see both series through ever rosier glasses. I was born over a decade after TOS aired its last episode, but the relationship of Bones/Spock alone makes it very dear and very close to my heart. TNG seemed a little too politically correct at times to the point of becoming predictable, but its strong actors and generally good stories make it worthy of being the most popular Trek series ever. This website is on the brink of its second anniversary, and in a short amount of time underwent five or so site-wide changes. Its original spirit of emulating the atmosphere of DS9 and paying tribute to a great series and a wonderful actor remains unchanged. I've learned much from running this site. It is always going to be not quite finished, but I hope to patch the gaping holes scattered throughout the site and update some of the content as well. The purpose of this site is to inform and entertain fellow Trekkers, and in particular DS9 fans. If I have done either, all the pains and time I've taken with this labor of love will have been absolutely worthwhile. Enjoy! May you walk with the Prophets.
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