This morning, one of my friends tweeted "WHERE IS THE LOVE?​". He tagged a few people and asked to retweet for solidarity. I gave it a retweet, but it also got me thinking. Where IS the love? My love? The love I had for this franchise? The love I had for Star Trek?

I remember that about five years ago, I was an ardent Trek fan. An episode of TNG or DS9 would be my comfort food. No matter how bad I felt, I could always count on Star Trek to make me feel better...

​...and then, Star Trek Discovery happened. 

​While season one was terrible, I didn't say much about it online at the time. I was just disappointed at how bad it was. However, when season two premiered, I got heavily spammed with season two ads on both Facebook and Twitter. I knew algorithms try to show you stuff that you'll like, so I figured writing a few negative responses about the first season would give the algorithm the hint that I don't want to see this (turns out I know nothing about algorithms). Nothing too harsh, just stuff like "first season doesn't follow Trek lore" or "The new Klingon design is terrible". What I didn't realize is that I would receive a lot of pushback on these comments. 

​As a person who likes a good debate, I responded. Suddenly I was getting bombarded with hate. I got everything from name calls to accusations from people who really liked the show, and didn't really care about it not following canon or not being well written. I specifically remember a point where someone I was debating on Facebook checked my profile, saw that I had kids and then started using their names to try and upset me. I responded with Avengers Endgame spoilers and he blocked me. It was at that point where I said to myself, "I don't need to take this shit". 

​So I got louder. I got proactive and I became the Jack Beers that people know me as: A stark defender of Classic Star Trek - The Star Trek that I fell in love with. Could I be aggressive? At times, yes. I sometimes tried to match the aggressiveness of who I debated with and eventually learned that it wasn't very helpful in getting my message across and so I learned to try and channel my inner Picard: The diplomat. I also tried to follow a few simple rules: Don't name call, and stick to the message. These people are still human after all. Still, I'd like to think of myself as no push over.

​There were times I would debate someone and they would tell me to "stop listening to Doomcock", and at first I chuckled and would ask, "what's a doomcock?". Eventually I looked him up and listening to him rant about how terrible Star Trek Discovery was felt like a breath of fresh air. He was able to put into words things that I couldn't. He earned my subscription that night. I had already discovered Nerdrotic during season one, back when he had only about 300 subscribers. Soon I discovered Midnights Edge, Mecharandom and others. 

​Suddenly, I wasn't alone. I was one of many people who were dissatisfied with the writing and aesthetics of the show and spoke up about it. People read my articles and followed me on Twitter. Gary and Doomcock began referencing me in their videos and live streams. My goal was simple. Call out what was bad about the show in hopes that the creators would take the criticism and make a better product. 

When Picard came out, I had high hopes for it, but it was just as disappointing. I tweeted about it. I started taking screenshots of moments when the lens flare would completely cover up the screen and post it with a comment like "god damn lens flares" or "check out this fine cinematography here". All you saw was a bright flash. I was trying to have fun with my criticisms. 

​One of the largest offenses was when they used an obvious 3D printer as a replicator. They didn't even try to dress it up. It felt lazy. ​​

Season two wasn't any better. Most of it took place in modern day Los Angeles. They eventually announced that season three would be the last season of Picard. They then announced that the cast of TNG would reprise their roles. Back in February of this year, I saw a tweet from Terry Matalas, who was the show runner for seasons two and the upcoming third season of Picard. It featured a picture of a replicator used for season three and to my pleasant surprise, it actually looked like a traditional replicator. 

​I took it as a minor victory. I retweeted it, and gave what I like to call a "rare complement". I was beginning to believe that maybe - just maybe - they could actually produce something somewhat decent for season three. Maybe these creators WERE finally listening to the fans. 

​About fifteen minutes later, I had checked my notifications again to learn that Terry had blocked me. I was a little confused, since I didn't attack him or talk negatively about the replicator he tweeted. I figured maybe the 3D printer was his idea? I didn't know. I chocked it up to a misunderstanding and a knee-jerk response on his part. Eventually I learned that he had blocked many people who follow me on Twitter as well. 

​Fast forward to October, I began noticing Robert Meyer Burnett tweeting positive reactions to an early viewing of season three. Of course he's free to feel how he wants, but at one point he talked about how Terry seemed to be "listening to fans" and I responded by asking how is he listening to them when he blocks them. It didn't take long for Terry to respond to my tweets. Mind you, he still had me blocked and proceeded to call me a dick behind this block, presumably thinking I wouldn't see it and if I did, I couldn't respond. 

​I thought, now would be the time to manifest my inner Picard and so first I asked a follower of mine to let Terry know that he may have misinterpreted that earlier tweet about the replicators, to which he responded to him by asking, "are you sure that's why I blocked him?" I eventually went on an alternate account, told him who I was and tried to just talk to him. He responded flippantly and pretended he didn't know what I was talking about and told me that I wasn't blocked (on that alternate account). 

​My fiancé also tried to talk to him. He was nice to her at first, congratulating her on the wedding. However in a later thread, when I was debating someone about how much influence Trek has lost, Terry decided to interject. 

​She wasn't even on the thread - he tagged her in - so I found it a bit creepy and totally disrespectful. After she responded to him, saying that I was free to do as I pleased, he blocked her too. I wasn't very shocked that the guy show running Picard would be absolutely inept when it came to issues of diplomacy, just disappointed that my fiancé had been dragged into this mess. 

​Then in November, my fiancé and I got a DM from a YouTuber that we know. In it they told us that they were having trouble getting Trek creators on their channel to interview because of the channel's association with me. I asked if one of those creators was Terry Matalas and they responded affirmatively. It was at this point where I started to feel like Terry was taking this to a personal level. I mean, I've had plenty of trolls before, but never a famous one. 

It actually hurt. It hurt that my friends and my fiancé were being affected by this. It hurt that I couldn't fix it. I didn't know what else to do, so in the interest of protecting my friends, I decided to back off of Trek and try to focus on other things. I was just going to walk away.​

It's now December 2022. Late on the 9th, I got tagged into a thread about Terry. Turns out Terry had decided to call one of my followers "stupid" and an "incel" after she criticized Worf's new look. Just like that, I got dragged back in. It was childish and unprofessional and I said as much. He called this follower of mine stupid three times and I was wondering if he was drunk or something. It angered Doomcock and he tweeted about it. Much discussion was had. 

I remember when I first started talking about Trek, I was accused of being a "toxic fan". So what the heck do we call this? ​​

The rumor is that if season three is successful, Terry could possibly take over for Alex Kurtzman(the term "TerryTrek" comes from this idea). ​Some of my friends want to give Terry a chance because they think this third season will be different and if he takes over, he could improve the quality of NuTrek. That's fine, however some of them hoped that Terry and I would make up and I would end up supporting him. After what he's done, I have too much self-respect to do that. I don't hate the man - he's not my enemy - I just can't support him. I don't even care about whether season three will be good anymore. It could be the blockbuster that reignites the franchise, but after this I just don't care anymore. I just wanted peace.

​The next morning, after Terry's seemingly drunk tweets to my friend, I found myself unblocked by him. No explanation, just quietly unblocked. I asked my fiancé if he had unblocked her too and it turns out he did. Still, I'm doubtful if he's actually learned anything. I could take it as an olive branch, but I simply don't trust him after this. 

When my friend posted that "where is the love" tweet this morning, ​he tagged Terry and I among others. I retweeted it. Terry did not. After retweeting it, I thought about my favorite episodes and about the time I got to see Kevin Smith host a panel with William Shatner, Scott Backula, and Avery Brooks about being Star Trek captains. They used to make me smile when I thought of them. I used to love talking about Trek, whether good or bad. 

​Now, I just don't know anymore. All I feel now is indifference to both NuTrek and even Classic Trek. I hope that love for the classics returns. I just never thought I'd get into some weird internet feud with a creator or how it would change the way I feel I felt about the entirety of Star Trek. 

Because if he gets his way and takes Alex Kurtzman's place, that's what he and his behavior will represent: The entirety of Star Trek. 

P.S. Shout out to Dave Blass, production designer for Picard, who has always been respectful to me. 

Update: As of 01/04/2023, I was looking at a thread between RMB and Doomcock that had Terry tagged in it, when I noticed that Terry blocked me again. I assume it's for this exchange of me telling someone that Doomcock doesn't complain about black women. It wasn't even directed at Terry. He must have seen that as "rude". *eye roll* *shrug* ​

He also re-blocked my fiancé, even though she said nothing to him since he unblocked her. Dude needs to grow a thicker skin. 

Nickelodeon Studios, Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida 1992-2006:

It's April 30, 1992. I'm a 9 year old in my living room, living in San Diego, California, watching Nickelodeon. For weeks they had been advertising the burial of a time capsule in front of their studios in Universal Studios Florida. Today was the day they were burying it. I remember Mike O'Malley and Joey Lawrence hosted the ceremony. In the middle of it all, fake Doc Brown drove up to make sure there was still Gak 50 years into the future. Finally, they put the Kid-Cam - a video camera held by a girl named Vikki Horn - in the capsule, closed it up and lowered it. 

I'm not sure why, but the idea that this time capsule was being buried for 50 years appealed to me. Suddenly I felt like I wanted to be there when they opened it 50 years from now. I then promised myself that I would be there when it happened. Afterwards, I put some toys in a small box and "buried" it under my stairs for about a month until I wanted my toys back. ​

And then seemingly, nothing happened for a long time. The advertisements stopped and nobody spoke of it on the channel. However, if you visited Nickelodeon Studios in Universal Studios, Florida, you could see the burial marker for the time capsule in front of Studio 18, right next to the slime geyser. 

The '90s became the 2000s and I eventually grew up. Then I heard the news that Nickelodeon Studios would be closing after 15 years. My immediate question was whether or not they were going to keep the time capsule there. The studio officially closed on April 30, 2005. The following month, they removed the Slime Geyser, but the time capsule marker remained... until August of 2006.  

Nickelodeon Suites Resort, Orlando, Florida 2006-2016:

Suddenly the question became: Where's the time capsule?

Turns out as they closed Nickelodeon Studios, they were opening Nickelodeon Suites Resort, also in Orlando, Florida. The time capsule was quietly transferred to the hotel and reburied in front of their lobby with an updated marker. The fandom soon found out and it became a tourist attraction. 

Fast forwarding to 2016. I'm now 33 years old and divorced when I hear that the Nickelodeon Suites Resort would close. Once again the same question came up of whether or not the time capsule would stay. Turns out, it didn't. 

Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Burbank California 2016-2022:

It was soon announced that Nickelodeon's Animation Studio, which moved to Burbank in 1998, was being expanded to add new buildings and a courtyard. It was confirmed in this article that the animation studio would be the next resting place for the time capsule.  The following year, after the ribbon cutting ceremony, it was confirmed by this tweet that the capsule was reburied in their courtyard.​

However, there seems to be no picture of the burial marker or the exact spot in the courtyard where the time capsule is buried. I sat through many videos and pictures of the studio's courtyard and well... this is my best guess:

This is the courtyard of Nickelodeon's Animation Studio in Burbank as seen from above. I noticed that there is a white square object in the grassy area.

I started watching video of the studio's construction and realized at that exact spot, they had installed a square concrete hole. Could that be were they buried the Nickelodeon time capsule? And is the white square object we see the burial marker?

The truth is I don't know. *dodges slime bucket*

​I haven't been able to find footage or pictures that shows the square in full detail, so unless someone who works or visits the studio takes a picture of it and posts it online, there's really no way to tell.

It is now April 30, 2022. I'm now 39 years old. When April 30, 2042 comes, I will be 59 years old. I hope to be alive and healthy enough to go to the event where they will inevitably unseal the time capsule. My promise to myself as a 9 year old is still going strong 30 years in. Only 20 more years to go!

But really, if you know the exact spot in the current courtyard where the time capsule is buried, please take a picture of it and post it online and send me a link on my twitter account. 

I've posted a lot about how much I and others like me get attacked for our views about NuTrek. For some, the attacks have gotten to the point where they feel like they must leave social media for their own health and that's very sad. However, I wanted to post something kind of fun and silly. 

See, I've inherited a thick skin when it comes to the attacks because I'm not the first one in my family to receive such attacks. Let's start from the beginning when my Great-Great-Grand- Beer-Father, Joseph Beers, encountered his first Kinetoscope in 1895. 

How do I know about this, you might ask? Well he tweeted about it of course! ;) 

Of course, this was Edison's famous Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze, which came out the year before: 

The response from Edison excited Joseph so much, he decided to watch more of these moving pictures and tweet his thoughts on them. Sometimes the responses he got weren't so positive: 

Until his death in 1909, Joseph would continue to critique motion pictures. Many of them he watched with his son, Jacob Beers. Jacob soon began tweeting his critiques as well. Unfortunately, his style of critiques caused a rift between the Beers Family and Thomas Edison:

Jacob would spend his career in and out of Twitter jail for such harsh reviews.  Sometimes the creators of the film would clap back at him for publishing his most truthful thoughts: 

Though he didn't always get it right. Sometimes his reviews would miss the mark:

Some attacks weren't even about his reviews, but predicated on the political climate at that time: 

The family business was soon passed onto my Grand-Beer-Father, John Beers. John wasn't as harsh as his dad Jacob, but he could still ruffle a few feathers: 

Eventually John would begin critiquing television shows as well as movies. Of course, it was a different time than when his father did the job. While Jacob once got suspended for saying that he liked to drink wine, John could have exchanges like this without consequence: 

John eventually decided to retire and pass the job down to his son/my father, Jason Beers. However, my father had other plans: 

So you see friends, the attacks over my opinions are nothing new to me or my family. I'm pretty sure there is still a feud between the Beers and the Edisons. Maybe someday those attackers will see this silly ass post and realize just how silly they're being themselves. After all, it's just pop-culture.