"Why the U.S.S Enterprise NCC 1701-A was retired?

 

Sorry for not posting, got hit with a lots of Overtime and I worked it..   Real life got in the way.  By the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything on the computer.

Anybody that knows me for any length of time knows that I am a SCI-Fi geek, especially for the older Sci-Fi shows.  I always liked the "older Star Trek" and I always thought that the U.S.S. Enterprise(Refit) was the coolest ship in the Star Trek world. way better than the ships that replaced her in the films and series.   I ran across this article on farcebook and decided to let my geek flag fly.

The story of the USS Enterprise-A is one of those fascinating “end of an era” moments in *Star Trek* history. On the surface, it does seem strange — a starship that felt brand new in *Star Trek V* was already being retired by *Star Trek VI*. But when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture of Starfleet engineering, history, and politics, it actually makes a lot of sense.

To understand this, we have to go all the way back to the original Constitution-class starships.

The Constitution class first entered service around 2245, during a time when the Federation needed ships that could do *everything*. Exploration was the priority, but there was also a need to stand firm against rival powers like the Klingon Empire. Ships like the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) were designed as heavy cruisers that could travel deep into unknown space, operate independently for long periods, and still hold their own in tense situations.

What made the Constitution class special was its adaptability. These ships were designed with long-term upgrades in mind. Over the decades, they received major refits — the most famous being the redesign seen in the 2270s, which dramatically changed their appearance and internal systems.

But by that point, Starfleet technology was evolving rapidly.

A major shift came with the development of the Excelsior-class starships. These ships introduced a completely new warp drive system that used a vertical warp core design. This was very different from the older horizontal systems used in the Constitution class. To bring older ships up to this new standard, engineers had to essentially rebuild them from the inside out.

The refit worked — but it came with compromises.

One of the biggest issues was how tightly packed critical systems became. In order to fit the new vertical warp core into a spaceframe that was never designed for it, engineers had to place major components much closer together than ideal. In particular, the warp core and the photon torpedo systems ended up positioned in close proximity within the ship’s “neck” section. This created a structural and engineering vulnerability that couldn’t easily be resolved without designing an entirely new class of ship.

Now let’s bring in the USS Enterprise-A.

The Enterprise-A wasn’t truly “brand new” in the way people often assume. It was most likely a renamed and reassigned Constitution-class vessel — possibly one that had already been in service. By the time it was handed over to Captain Kirk and his crew, the Constitution design itself was already nearing the end of its lifespan.

So while the ship looked fresh and carried the legendary name, underneath it was still based on aging architecture that had been stretched to its limits through decades of upgrades.

By the time of *Star Trek VI*, several factors came together.

First, Starfleet was transitioning to newer ship classes like the Excelsior class, which were more efficient, more powerful, and designed from the ground up to handle modern systems without compromise.

Second, the political climate was changing. The Federation and the Klingon Empire were moving toward peace, reducing the need for older heavy cruisers that had been built for long-range standoffs and uncertain borders.

And finally, there’s a symbolic layer.

The retirement of the Enterprise-A wasn’t just about the ship — it was about the crew. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest had defined an era of exploration. Decommissioning the ship marked the closing chapter of their journey and the beginning of a new generation within Starfleet.

So in the end, the Enterprise-A wasn’t retired because it failed — it was retired because everything around it had moved forward. Technology, strategy, and storytelling all aligned to bring a legendary ship gracefully to its conclusion.

Monday Music "RhineStone Cowboy" by Glen Cambell

 

 I was driving in to work this morning, no surprise there and was listening to my Sirius/XM and had it on the 70's channel and this song came on, and I decided to continue my 70's run that I have been doing for the past few weeks, perhaps I will throw some Disco out to give "Old NFO" some warm and fuzzies of his yuuth, well anyway,  I tend to surf the channels while I drive, In the afternoon I listen to the Patriot Channel with the "Wilcow Majority", I rate him up there with with Rush, and way better than Hannity, personal preference.  Hannity comes on later.  Hannity to me is white collar whereas Andrew Wilcow to me is "blue collar".  Both are good, but I prefer Wilkow, he is more my speed, but I digress.  Well anyway, the overtime that I have been working for soo long has been shut off.......I ain't gonna know what to do with myself.*Insert horror face*.  so I am gonna try to start posting more on my blog that has been sadly neglected because real life got in the way.  Well again as I chase the shiny that is my thought, I caught this song, and I recall Glen Campell and John Wayne in "True Grit" and they played well off each other.  Still one of my favorite movies.  

     "Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. The song enjoyed immense popularity with both country and pop audiences when it was released in 1975.
   

Background and writing

Weiss wrote and recorded "Rhinestone Cowboy" in 1974, and it appeared on his 20th Century Records album Black and Blue Suite. It did not however, have much of a commercial impact as a single. In late 1974, Campbell heard the song on the radio and, during a tour of Australia decided to learn the song. Soon after his return to the United States, Campbell went to Al Coury's office at Capitol Records, where he was approached about "a great new song" — "Rhinestone Cowboy."
Several music writers noted that Campbell identified with the subject matter of "Rhinestone Cowboy" — survival and making it, particularly when the chips are down — very strongly. As Steven Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic put it, the song is about a veteran artist "who's aware that he's more than paid his dues during his career ... but is still surviving, and someday, he'll shine just like a rhinestone cowboy."

Chart performance

Released in May 1975, "Rhinestone Cowboy" immediately caught on with both country and pop audiences. The song spent that summer climbing both the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts before peaking at No. 1 by season's end - three non-consecutive weeks on the country chart, two weeks on the Hot 100.
During the week of September 13 — that was the week the song returned to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart, after having been nudged out for a week by "Feelins'" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn — "Rhinestone Cowboy" topped both the country and Hot 100 charts simultaneously. This was the first time a song had accomplished the feat since November 1961, when "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean turned the trick.
"Rhinestone Cowboy" was one of six songs released in 1975 that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. The other songs were "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddy Fender; "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" by B.J. Thomas, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and "I'm Sorry"/"Calypso," both by John Denver; and "Convoy" by C.W. McCall.
The song was also the sole Glen Campbell track in a promotional-only compilation album issued by Capitol records entitled "The Greatest Music Ever Sold" (Capitol SPRO-8511/8512), that was distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season as part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign, which promoted 15 "Best Of" albums released by the record label.

"Polish servicing of future Apache fleet.

 

I have blogged about this in the past "Poland" is taking their defenses seriously, they spend more than the 2% of GDP required of their NATO charter, they have the Ukraine on their border and they have a potentially hostile Soviet er Russian power fighting with the Ukrainians and if the Ukrainians fall, then the hostile power will be on their border and the Poles have already been under the boot of the Russians one time before and have no desire to be under the "Cossacks" again.  Yes the animosity between the poles and the Russians goes deeper than the soviet/poles of the cold war era.  They also restrict the islamic migration that brussels has been pushing on the west, the Poles see the writing on the wall and they don't like it, so they prepare.

Poland's National Defense Minister Paweł Bejda, Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Prime Minister Donald Tusk (L-R) are framed by an Apache attack helicopter ahead of a signing ceremony for offset agreements between Military Aviation Works No. 1 and Lockheed Martin.

Credit: Krzysztof Niedziela/Polish National Defense Ministry

Poland’s government has signed offset agreements with Lockheed Martin to enable the servicing of sensors and systems fitted to the country’s new fleet of Boeing AH-64 Apaches.

 

Lockheed Martin supplies the TADS/PNVS sighting system, the associated Day Sensor Assembly as well as the Longbow fire control radar that equips the attack helicopter.

 

Through the agreements, announced March 23, Lodz-based Military Aviation Works (WZL-1) will perform maintenance on these sensors and others produced by Lockheed Martin, a move that defense officials say will increase helicopter availability for the Polish Armed Forces and bolster domestic maintenance capabilities. The deal follows on from similar arrangements between GE Aviation and WZL-1 in Deblin signed in August 2024 to provide MRO support for the T700 engines that power not only the Apaches but also Poland’s S-70i Black Hawks, and Leonardo AW149 and AW101 helicopters.

 

According to Polish government officials, the latest agreements formally launch the process of construction for a specialized Apache helicopter repair base at WZL-1 in Lodz.

 

"This is an extraordinary moment when the Military Aviation Works in Lodz gains the ability to service Apaches, but also other helicopters in service with the Polish Army,” said Poland’s defense minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, speaking at the signing ceremony.

 

Poland is acquiring 96 AH-64E Apaches to support its growing land forces. The $10.8 billion program is the largest of all Poland’s defense programs in terms of value.

 

Once delivered, Poland’s Apache fleet will be the largest outside the U.S. and is part of a wider recapitalization of the Polish military that will remove Soviet-era equipment from the inventory and build a deterrent that would discourage a potential Russian attack.

 

The attack helicopter was selected in September 2022 over Bell’s AH-1Z Viper to meet the requirements of Poland’s Kruk program, closing a near-decade-long search to find a replacement for its Russian-built Mil Mi-24/35 “Hind” gunships.

 

While the aircraft were purchased to support land forces, Poland also sees them performing an air defense role combating uncrewed aerial vehicles such as one-way attack drones.

 

Poland is currently leasing eight AH-64D Apaches from the U.S. Army to shorten the transition process and ease the training burden. Several dozen Polish technicians and pilots have already completed Apache training in the U.S.

 

In January 2026, a new training program for professional non-commissioned officers to become military helicopter pilots was launched at the Air Force Academy in Deblin.

"The Honor Deficit"

  I remember reading way back at the turn of the last century that the people that graduated from our elite schools were imbued with a sense of duty, (besides making money) of a sense of altruism, a sense to do what's is good for the country also, to temper their judgement and decisions as to not hurt the country in their pursuit of fame and fortune, and most did just that, and those that didn't were shunned by high society.  But now how things have changed, our "elites" work at cross purposes to the needs of the country, like they want us to fail, not realizing that if we fail, they will also, somehow believing that they money and power will protect them, but it won't...Where could they go...Europe?   That place is more of a dumsterfire than we are, the middle East?...nope China has a lot of influence there as does the Mullah's.  Short sighted they are, their fortunes are tied in with this country, and they have forgotten it.   The word is "Honor", most of them mock that word now, it used to mean something, but now it is an old word, archaic word of a bygone era, and few of them follow the edicts of it, like the word of "integrity", another word that has lost its meaning.  I don't know how its going to end, but it seems that the seamier the politician, the more popular he/she is.

    I shamelessly clipped this from Michael Smith...

Through nearly 50 years of management and leadership experience, I have come to believe the most important aspects of leadership—and relationships more broadly—come down to four basic things: honor, credibility, competence, and trust. These are the four cornerstones of true leadership. Honor is the supreme core value among equals. It is the foundation upon which everything else rests. My definition of honor consists of three basic elements: honesty, loyalty, and service. First, honesty. No value can exist without honesty as its foundation. Truth is essential to every relationship—political, professional, or personal. Once honesty is compromised, everything built upon it begins to decay. A leader who is not committed to the truth cannot maintain the confidence of those he leads for long. Second, loyalty. Honesty begets loyalty. Loyalty is unwavering commitment to purpose, obligations, and ideals. It does not mean blind allegiance to personalities or factions. True loyalty is loyalty to principles and to the mission at hand. It means standing by commitments even when circumstances become difficult. Third, service. There are times when things must be done simply because they need to be done. Service means recognizing that leadership is not primarily about status or recognition but about responsibility. Necessary things are done without regard for recompense, reward, or applause. The leader serves the mission and the people—not the other way around. Credibility and competence are equally essential. Credibility combines honor with action. A leader must do what he says he will do and live up to his commitments, even when keeping them becomes inconvenient or costly. Words are easy. Promises are easy. Credibility is built only when those promises are honored in difficult circumstances. Credibility cannot exist without competence. A leader who lacks competence cannot sustain credibility no matter how sincere his intentions may be. True leaders make personal commitments to learn as much as possible about the problems they face, the situations they encounter, and the people they lead. Continuous learning, self-discipline, and the desire to improve are the basic elements of competence. Leadership requires the humility to understand that mastery is never complete. Trust is the final product of these qualities working together. Honor establishes the moral foundation. Competence ensures that decisions are grounded in knowledge and ability. Credibility proves that words and actions align. When these elements come together consistently over time, trust naturally follows. It is my belief that honor—or the lack of it—is one of the key factors behind many of the social, political, and economic struggles facing America today, and perhaps much of the Western world. For most of human history, leadership was judged first through the lens of honor. A person’s word was expected to mean something. Reputation mattered. Among peers, the loss of honor could be more devastating than the loss of office or influence. A leader who could not be trusted with the truth was not simply criticized; he was discredited. Modern public life operates very differently. One aspect of the United Kingdom’s parliamentary system that I admire is the tradition of open debate in the House of Commons. Members of Parliament must stand before their political opponents and defend their positions directly. Prime Minister’s Questions forces leaders to answer criticism in real time before the entire chamber. The exchanges can be theatrical and combative, but they also create a moment of accountability where argument, wit, and knowledge are tested publicly. Contrast that with what now passes for debate in much of American political life. Today, most “debate” does not occur between political opponents at all. It occurs through media intermediaries. Politicians repeat rehearsed talking points to cable news hosts, sympathetic podcasts, or carefully curated social-media audiences. Instead of persuasion, the goal is performance, to produce a thirty-second clip that energizes supporters and generates attention. The audience is no longer fellow legislators or serious critics. The audience is the tribe. When that shift occurs, the incentives change dramatically. A politician who embarrasses himself before thoughtful critics may still receive applause from his own supporters. Loyalty to faction becomes more important than loyalty to truth, logic and evidence become secondary to messaging and narrative. The result is a public conversation increasingly detached from reason. Arguments are replaced with slogans. Complex issues are reduced to emotional cues designed to trigger outrage or applause. Truth itself becomes negotiable depending on which side of the political divide happens to be speaking. In such an environment, honor inevitably declines. Honor requires commitment to truth even when that truth is inconvenient. It requires the willingness to admit errors and the discipline to engage opponents honestly rather than caricature them for political advantage. Above all, it requires the understanding that leadership carries obligations that extend beyond the immediate demands of political victory. Those expectations once formed an informal code of conduct among leaders. They did not eliminate disagreement—far from it—but they imposed certain boundaries on behavior. Debate was expected to be fierce, but it was also expected to be grounded in argument, evidence, and reason. Without those boundaries, public life begins to resemble something closer to an MMA fight than governance. The deeper danger is not merely political dysfunction. It is the erosion of trust across society. When leaders abandon honor, credibility collapses. When credibility collapses, trust disappears, then institutions that once held a society together begin to fracture. A healthy republic ultimately depends on more than laws and procedures. It depends on the character of the people who operate within those institutions. Honor, credibility, competence, and trust are not abstract ideals, they are practical requirements for leadership in any human endeavor—from running a company to governing a nation. When those values weaken, the entire system becomes unbalanced and begins to spin apart. Restoring them will not come from better messaging strategies or more sophisticated political marketing. It will come only when citizens demand more—and when leaders once again understand that their reputation, and their honor, must matter more than the next election.

Monday Music "Junk Food Junkie" By Larry Groce

 

I heard this song on my Sirius/XM on the 70's channel and I thought *Eureka!!!*   Well that is blogspeak for *Aw crap here is another weird idea from the blogger*.  Well anyway I decided to play this on my monday music since I am running 70's songs right now.  Can you feel the shag carpet as you walk to the rabbit ears to adjust the tuning or move the aluminum foil to increase the reception?...Yes Pepperidge Farms Remembers. 

 

I still have this one and a bunch of other "Ronco Records",  I haven't played them in years, because I have them in digital.  One day I will traumatize the kid and break out the records:).  I haven't seen any funny songs released anymore, now all music has to have a message, no more humor I guess.  These songs came from the 60's and 70's, back then we had a sense of humor....now people have thin skins, what does this say about our society.  Well back to the music, I remembered playing these songs and many others over and over again on my little plastic record player until I actually got a decent stereo. 

      Even now if I break out in a lyric, people from my age group and older will sing along...Man what the kids nowadays miss out on. 

"Junk Food Junkie" is a 1976 novelty song by Larry Groce. It spent 15 weeks on the U.S. charts, reaching # 9 on the Billboard Top 100. It was Groce's only song to chart.
The song tells the story of a man leading a double life: during the day he boasts of his natural diet lifestyle, however, at night, he indulges in his secret addiction to junk food. The song is currently released on K-tel International.
"Junk Food Junkie" reached # 48 in Canada.