| History weaves its influence into pop
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| | more sinister than that. So, they went
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| culture via many avenues ...
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| | farther into space to find two other
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| One of the strangest is the Viking
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| | Viking caricatures.One was the Ferengi.
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| influence on Star Trek, especially The
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| | The casual Trekkie might think them to be
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| Next Generation.Ever since that series
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| | inspired by Shakespeare's stereotypical
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| found the airwaves, I've often wondered
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| | 'Shylock' in the Merchant of Venice, but
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| if one or more of its writers were
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| | the studied Viking historian notes a
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| descended from peoples who endured raids
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| | deeper connection of names. Vikings were
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| from the North and then used this show to
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| | known to be traders as much as fighters,
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| exact their version of revenge.I've
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| | and were very hard bargainers in every
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| always been interested in the influence
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| | sense of the word. Ultimately, the King
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| that the Viking era had on western
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| | of Byzantium (which became Constantiople
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| civilization, which is considerable. Here
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| | and is now known as Istanbul) capitalized
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| are but a few examples:1. Vikings created
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| | on both of these traits and created a
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| the first governing legislature of
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| | regiment of Viking mercenaries to become
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| 'common' citizens in history, calling
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| | his own elite storm troopers, known as
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| their parliament a thing, which is also
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| | his Varangian Guard. The origin of this
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| where the English language derived that
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| | title was a Viking term that referred to
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| word.
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| | a 'sharer of spoils,' and Varangians
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| 2. Viking law was the first in Europe,
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| | indeed became the best-paid troops of
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| at least, to conduct trials with a jury
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| | their time. Their ultimate goal was great
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| of the accused's peers.
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| | wealth, and most of them got it in one
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| 3. It was virtually 500 years before any
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| | way or another.The last of the great
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| other culture would design a ship that
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| | Vikings, Harald Hardraada --- who also
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| could travel as swiftly as a Viking
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| | reigned as a great Norwegian king ---
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| dragonship (and let's not forget that
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| | spent time as a Varangian. Legend said he
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| those ships sailed to North America 500
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| | stood seven feet tall, probably because
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| years before Columbus did).
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| | his physical stature was such that he
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| 4. Four of the seven days of the week
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| | actually did tower over his adversaries.
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| --- in the English language --- are named
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| | This claim was, no doubt, 'stretching'
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| after Viking gods:
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| | reality a bit, but he was much more
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| a. Tuesday, for Tyr - the god of truth,
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| | typical in appearance for a Varangian
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| b. Wednesday, for Odin - the 'Allfather'
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| | than are the Trek race they inspired!
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| of Viking gods,
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| | Comparisons between Varangians and
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| c. Thursday, for Thor - the 'thunder'
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| | Ferengi may be subtle, but there is no
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| god, and
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| | mistaking the connection. Nothing was
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| d. Friday, for Frigg - Odin's first
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| | subtle, though, about the Trek writers'
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| wife.
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| | next and most ominous incarnation of
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| (Some scholars argue the latter is named
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| | Viking stereotypes --- the Borg.Even the
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| for Frey, the god of fertility, but I'll
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| | name is Nordic. 'Borg' (actually
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| stick with the Oxford Dictionary version,
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| | pronounced 'bor-ee' in Old Norse) is the
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| which gives the honor to Frigg.)
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| | Viking word for 'fortress,' which
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| 5. William the Conqueror was a Viking
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| | conjures an accurate vision of their
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| descendant; enough said.
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| | spacecraft.Vikings fought as a
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| Vikings dominated England for 300 years,
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| | collective. In one famous instance,
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| so much of their language influenced
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| | during one of those annual sieges of
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| English. The suffix '-by' is the Viking
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| | Paris, the French king du jour wanted to
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| word for 'village,' hence city names such
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| | negotiate a settlement. He was quoted as
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| as Rugby and Grimsby, to name only two.
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| | asking, "Who is your leader?" The
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| The suffixes '-bury' and '-berry' are
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| | response is one of the most famous in
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| Anglicized spellings of the word 'berg'
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| | Viking lore: "We're all equals!"
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| (pr: 'berry'), the Viking word for
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| | Sound familiar, Trekkies?Vikings were
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| 'mountain,' hence names such as
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| | known for assimilation, too. However,
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| Shrewsbury, Queensbury and Shaftsbury
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| | theirs was the opposite of the Borg.
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| refer to nearby landmarks.Elsewhere, the
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| | Vikings who settled in foreign lands
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| Slavic peoples' name for Vikings was
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| | adapted to the local customs. William,
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| 'Rus,' meaning 'rowing men.' Viking
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| | for example, spoke French. Kiev was a
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| dominance of the Slavic river systems was
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| | Viking outpost and the first 'royal'
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| so prevalent that the region became known
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| | family there was of Viking blood. Their
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| as 'Russia.' In France, King Charles the
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| | offspring took Slavic names and spoke the
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| Simple was so fed up with Viking attacks
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| | local language. Yet, as I stated earlier,
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| on Paris that he ceded them land in
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| | the Viking influence did remain. There
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| exchange for a cessation of raids. The
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| | was only one Viking empire --- King
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| French word for Viking was 'Norman,' and
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| | Knut's realm of Scandinavia and the
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| the ceded region became known as
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| | British Isles lasted for 30 years --- but
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| Normandy. The Viking chieftain who
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| | traces of Viking life and culture spanned
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| accepted these terms was the famous Rolf
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| | all of Europe.During the Viking era,
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| the Walker (so named due to his height,
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| | almost every mass prayer in a European
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| as no horse was big enough to carry him);
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| | church was prefaced by 'Deliver us, O
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| Rolf, incidentally, was the forebear of
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| | Lord, from the wrath of the Northmen.'
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| William the Conqueror.
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| | While I do wonder if that's how Guinan
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| Anyway, you get the idea. The Vikings
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| | (played by Whoopi Goldberg) and her
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| may be gone, but their mark on our lives,
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| | planet prayed (they were among the Borg's
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| even today, is indelible.Still, it's
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| | conquests), it's clear that's how the
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| mildly surprising to see the Viking stamp
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| | Federation felt. Until the Enterprise
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| on one of the most popular science
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| | found a way late in the series,
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| fiction series of the modern era. Not
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| | resistance was futile.That's clearly more
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| surprisingly, their 'presence' seems to
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| | than the Trek's writers could say. They
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| be personnified by the villains.Take the
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| | couldn't and didn't resist taking their
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| Klingons. Until they became uneasy allies
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| | liberties with Viking lore. In spite of
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| of the Federation, they were the scourge
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| | their efforts, though, the most noble of
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| of that galactic quadrant which bordered
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| | all Viking deeds remains entrenched in
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| 'ours.' Their interstellar warriors'
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| | the Star Trek universe, given homage
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| ultimate honor was to die bravely and
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| | before every episode. Perhaps that's the
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| loudly in battle. Well, back in the day,
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| | ultimate irony, because in an era when
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| that was every Viking's ultimate honor,
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| | other cultures feared to venture beyond
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| too. Such bravery was seen as the only
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| | view of their coastlines, the Vikings ---
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| way to earn an eternity in Valhalla,
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| | as evidenced by their voyages to the New
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| Odin's castle of the 'chosen' slain,
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| | World in 1000 AD --- boldly went where no
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| where only the most valiant would reside
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| | man had gone before.And they did it
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| forevermore in Viking nirvana, which
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| | without a script.J Square Humboldt is the
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| consists of fighting all day and partying
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| | featured columnist at the Longer Life
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| all night. I cannot recall the episode,
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| | website, which is dedicated to providing
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| but it seems the Klingons thought that
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| | information, strategies, analysis and
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| was a great way to while away the
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| | commentary devoted to improving the
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| afterlife, themselves.Those guys were
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| | quality of living. His page can be found
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| holdovers from the original Star Trek
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| | at and his observations are published
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| series and the Next Generation writers
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| | three times per week.
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| didn't have the license to make them much
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