James L Wells Digital Creator

Star Trek: The Primal Directive

S1E1: The House of Shinybeak

Space is vast, mysterious, and full of noble speeches about peace, unity, duty, and the better nature of civilized beings.

Quarkwing of the House of Shinybeak has heard all those speeches.

He has also searched the pockets of the creatures giving them.

On Manor Station Seven, tucked along a profitable little trade route just outside the respectable edges of Federation space, there lives a creature who understands one of the oldest truths in the galaxy:

Every species has instincts.

Some hide them behind uniforms.
Some bury them under law.
Some polish them until they sound like philosophy.

But Quarkwing knows better.

A wolf may speak of loyalty, but still watches the weakest animal in the herd.
A lion may speak of honor, but still wants the pride.
A peacock may speak of dignity, but still fans his feathers when the lights are good.
And a crow?

A crow remembers.

A crow watches.

A crow waits until the room looks the other way.

Then he improves the location of whatever shiny thing was being neglected.

Quarkwing is not a villain. Villains are wasteful. They burn bridges, destroy markets, and frighten customers away before the second invoice can be delivered. Quarkwing considers himself a professional creature of opportunity. A merchant. A finder. A negotiator. A collector of underappreciated assets.

Others call him a thief.

He considers that rude.

Also legally imprecise.

With glossy black feathers, watchful eyes, oversized Ferengi ears, and robes rich enough to make a banker feel underdressed, Quarkwing moves through the corridors of Manor Station Seven like a shadow with a receipt book. He notices everything: a loose jewel on a diplomat’s cuff, an unattended dessert tray, a nervous ambassador hiding a secret, a guard who blinks too slowly, a rival merchant pretending not to know where the real valuables are kept.

He remembers faces the way other beings remember birthdays.

Feed him once, and he may remember you fondly.
Cheat him once, and your grandchildren may receive a bill.

Like all great merchants, Quarkwing believes the universe is not divided between good and evil, rich and poor, predator and prey. No. Those are childish categories invented by creatures who have never properly negotiated docking fees.

To Quarkwing, the universe is divided into only three things:

What he owns.
What he intends to own.
And what someone else has foolishly failed to protect.

Among the noble officers of Starfleet, Quarkwing is considered troublesome, suspicious, ethically flexible, and almost certainly responsible for several missing ceremonial objects. Yet, when negotiations collapse, when an enemy must be understood, when a secret must be purchased, or when someone needs to know what a room full of civilized animals is really thinking, they come to him.

Because Quarkwing understands the Primal Directive better than anyone.

The Prime Directive tells Starfleet not to interfere with developing worlds.

The Primal Directive is older.

It says every living creature wants something.

Food.
Safety.
Status.
Territory.
A mate.
A nest.
A secret advantage.
A shiny object no one else is allowed to touch.

Civilization does not erase instinct. It dresses it up.

And Quarkwing has made a very comfortable living noticing where the costume does not quite fit.

He can flatter a peacock into lowering his guard, outbid a raccoon before the raccoon knows there was an auction, sell a wolf his own loyalty at a premium, and convince a room full of herbivores that security costs extra when carnivores are nearby.

He is charming when charm is profitable.

He is loyal when loyalty pays dividends.

He is generous when witnesses are present.

And he is brave when the reward has been clearly stated in writing.

But beneath the jokes, the ledgers, the polished trinkets, and the endless fees, Quarkwing is more than a greedy bird in expensive clothes. He is a survivor. He comes from a species that learned long ago that intelligence is sharper than claws, memory is stronger than muscle, and a creature small enough to be overlooked can become powerful simply by watching everyone else make mistakes.

He does not command armies.

He does not rule planets.

He does not wear a Starfleet badge.

But he knows where the bodies are buried, where the snacks are hidden, which diplomat is lying, which captain is bluffing, and which supposedly priceless artifact is actually a clever reproduction with sentimental value and a terrible resale market.

And if a female of his species enters the room with especially fine tail feathers, Quarkwing would insist that he is not staring.

He is conducting cultural appreciation.

Possibly market research.

Certainly nothing that should appear in an official report.

So when the crew of the Federation starship encounters Quarkwing of the House of Shinybeak, they do not merely meet a merchant.

They meet a mirror.

A feathered, sharp-beaked, jewel-eyed reminder that every noble civilization still carries the wilderness inside it.

And somewhere in the shadows of Manor Station Seven, surrounded by candles, ledgers, stolen spoons, precious stones, unpaid invoices, and snacks of uncertain origin, Quarkwing smiles to himself and whispers the wisdom by which he has lived his entire life:

Never ignore a shiny opportunity.

President Trump shares striking new photos of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, calling the project “ahead of schedule” as crews work to restore one of America’s most iconic landmarks ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Iran attacked a nuclear power plant during a ceasefire.

Iran launched three drones at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates. UAE air defenses destroyed two of them, but one drone got through, struck an external electrical generator, and started a fire at the nuclear facility.

That happened Sunday, May 17, 2026, while diplomats were still pretending this ceasefire meant something. The plant’s safety systems held. Officials reported no injuries and no radiation leak. But that does not change the headline:

Iran attacked nuclear infrastructure with drones during a ceasefire.

That is not a misunderstanding.
That is not diplomacy.
That is not “regional tension.”
That is not something the world can shrug off because disaster was avoided by luck, engineering, and air defense.

Who: Iran.
What: Launched three attack drones.
Where: Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, United Arab Emirates.
When: Sunday, May 17, 2026, during a fragile ceasefire.
How: Drone attack; UAE air defenses intercepted two, one hit an external generator.
How much damage: Fire at an external electrical generator; no reported injuries, no radiation leak, reactor safety systems remained intact.
Why it matters: Iran targeted nuclear infrastructure during a ceasefire, proving the ceasefire restrained everyone except the regime willing to break it.

This is exactly the kind of attack the entire world community must reject immediately and without hesitation. Nuclear power plants are not ordinary military targets. They are civilian infrastructure with consequences that can reach far beyond the battlefield, far beyond the border, and far beyond the country being attacked. When a regime fires drones at a nuclear power plant, it is not merely attacking a building. It is gambling with civilian lives, regional stability, environmental safety, and international order.

No serious nation should tolerate this. No international body should minimize it. No media outlet should bury the actor behind passive language. Iran attacked a nuclear power plant during a ceasefire, and that fact should bring condemnation from every government that claims to care about peace, civilian safety, and nuclear security.

The world does not have to wait for a radiation leak before calling this what it is. The world does not have to wait for dead civilians before drawing the line. The world does not have to wait for a second attack before responding with seriousness.

Iran crossed a line.

And if the world community allows that line to be crossed without consequence, then the next ceasefire will mean even less, the next warning will carry even less weight, and the next drone may not be stopped in time.

Democrats love the word “democracy” until democracy gives them an outcome they hate. Then suddenly the Supreme Court must be packed, the Electoral College must be abolished, political opponents must be jailed, voter ID must be treated like oppression, and speech they dislike must be censored. That is not saving democracy. That is trying to rig the system so they never have to lose fairly again.

The United States is not governed by mob emotion, media pressure, activist outrage, or whichever party screams “democracy” the loudest. We are a constitutional republic that operates through representative democracy. That means the people vote. The people elect representatives. But those representatives, and even the voters themselves, are still bound by the Constitution.

That is the part the left keeps trying to erase.

Democracy does not mean “whatever the majority wants this week.” Democracy does not mean “whatever Democrats want after losing in court.” Democracy does not mean “ignore the Constitution because a ruling made you angry.”

The Supreme Court is not some optional decoration in our system. It exists because the Constitution is higher than Congress, higher than the president, higher than state governments, and higher than public opinion. The Court’s job is not to make Democrats happy. It is not to rubber-stamp progressive policy goals. Its job is to decide whether laws and government actions fit within the Constitution.

That is not anti-democracy.

That is constitutional government.

The Electoral College is not a threat to democracy. It is part of the constitutional structure that prevents a handful of massive population centers from completely dominating the rest of the country.

Voter ID is not voter suppression. It is basic election security. If identification is required to drive, fly, buy certain products, open accounts, pick up prescriptions, and enter many government buildings, then requiring ID to vote is not some radical assault on freedom. It is common sense.

Free speech is not dangerous just because Democrats dislike what people are saying. The First Amendment was not written to protect safe, approved, government-friendly speech. It was written to protect speech that powerful people want silenced.

And no, jailing political opponents is not “defending democracy.” That is exactly the kind of thing people usually recognize as dangerous when it happens in other countries. But when it is aimed at Trump, suddenly millions of people pretend it is noble.

This is the real issue:

Democrats do not want “democracy.”

They want control.

They want the rules changed when they lose.

They want the Court changed when it blocks them.

They want the Electoral College gone when it benefits Republicans.

They want voter ID attacked because secure elections make cheating harder.

They want speech censored because open debate exposes their failures.

They want political opposition criminalized because they cannot beat the movement honestly.

So the next time someone says they are trying to “save democracy,” ask them what they actually mean.

Do they mean protecting the Constitution?

Protecting free speech?

Protecting fair elections?

Protecting limits on government power?

Protecting the right of the people to choose leaders without intimidation, censorship, or political prosecutions?

Or do they mean tearing down every constitutional safeguard that stands between them and permanent power?

Because those are two very different things.

You do not save democracy by attacking the Constitution.

You do not save democracy by censoring citizens.

You do not save democracy by packing the Court.

You do not save democracy by eliminating election safeguards.

You do not save democracy by trying to jail your political enemies.

That is not saving democracy.

That is tyranny wearing a campaign button.

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
Captured by my Ring Camera in New Albany, Indiana, this image illustrates the Common Grackle in mid-flight. This species is a large, lanky member of the blackbird family, frequently observed in suburban environments throughout the Midwest.
• Plumage: While appearing black in flat light, the feathers possess a high degree of iridescence. In this frame, the wings display a distinct bronze-to-golden sheen as they catch the morning sun.
• Tail Morphology: A defining characteristic of the grackle is its long, keel-shaped tail. In flight, the tail is often fanned into a wedge shape or folded into a deep "V," a silhouette clearly visible as the bird navigates over the wooden deck.
• Physical Structure: The specimen exhibits a heavy, slightly curved bill and a slender, elongated body significantly larger than a Starling but more streamlined than a Crow.
• Behavioral Context: During the month of May in Indiana, these birds are in their peak nesting and foraging season. They are highly social and opportunistic, often seen patrolling residential areas for insects, seeds, and grain.

David B. Pfaff, 68, of Greenfield, passed away surrounded by the love of his family. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, educator, coach, and friend, David served Eastern Hancock Schools for 42 years and touched generations of students, families, and community members with his kindness, wisdom, humor, and steady encouragement.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Jane; his children Aaron, Amanda, Andrew, and Samuel; his cherished grandchildren; and his brothers Doug and Paul. He was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Imogene Pfaff; his in-laws, Ben and Vanessa Thompson; and his beloved grandson, River.

Visitation will be held Friday, May 15, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Brandywine Church in Greenfield. A service honoring David’s life will be held Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Brandywine Church.

Memorial donations may be made to the Eastern Hancock Education Foundation or the Eastern Hancock Athletic Boosters.

Listen to "The Bell Rings Softly Now Tribute song for David B. Pfaff" by James L Wells

The Bell Rings Softly Now Tribute song for David B. Pfaff - James L Wells Listen to "The Bell Rings Softly Now Tribute song for David B. Pfaff" by James L Wells. Genre: Folk

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S WARNING TO IRAN
بچرخ تا بچرخونمت!
اگه دنبال دردسری، نتیجه‌ش رو می‌بینی!
غلط زیادی بکن، تا نتیجه‌ش رو ببینی!

— Donald J Trump

Luke Skywalker Finally Joined the Dark Side

For decades, Mark Hamill made a living playing one of the great fictional heroes of modern pop culture — Luke Skywalker, the farm boy who was supposed to represent courage, hope, restraint, mercy, and the moral strength to resist hatred.

Luke was the character who was warned that fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering.

Apparently Mark Hamill forgot the script.

Because this post is not political disagreement. This is not clever satire. This is not righteous outrage. This is a man publicly fantasizing about the death and humiliation of a political opponent — and then dressing it up like moral superiority.

He did not simply criticize Trump. He posted an image of Trump lying in a grave-like setting with a tombstone behind him and the words “If Only” slapped across the bottom.

“If Only.”

That is not policy disagreement. That is not patriotism. That is not defending democracy. That is hate.

And the irony is almost too perfect.

The man who became famous playing Luke Skywalker now sounds more like Palpatine’s speechwriter.

Luke Skywalker conquered Vader. Mark Hamill let fear and hatred drag him straight to the Dark Side.

These are the same people who lecture America endlessly about “dangerous rhetoric.” They scream about tone. They clutch their pearls over mean tweets. They call everyone else hateful, extreme, violent, and dangerous.

Then they turn around and post images celebrating the imagined death of the man they hate.

That tells you everything.

They do not object to hatred. They object to hatred aimed in the wrong direction.

They do not object to cruelty. They object to cruelty when it is not theirs.

They do not object to dehumanizing political opponents. They object when their side loses control of the narrative.

This is what Trump Derangement Syndrome looks like when the mask slips.

A beloved actor, famous for portraying a hero, publicly reveals that he has allowed politics to rot his spirit so badly that he can look at a picture of a former and current American president portrayed as dead and think, “Yes, that is something I should share.”

And then he wants to pretend he is on the side of decency.

No.

Decency does not look like this.

Hope does not look like this.

Compassion does not look like this.

The Light Side does not look like this.

This is bitterness. This is resentment. This is political hatred so deep that it has swallowed the man whole.

Mark Hamill may have played Luke Skywalker.

But this post was pure Dark Side.

“Did Leroy Gibbs Avenge the Murder of Director Vance in NCIS?”

That question exploded across fan forums within minutes of the season finale ending.

Nobody in the episode ever said the words aloud. No one looked directly into the camera and confirmed it. There was no official NCIS statement. No arrest report. No congratulatory speech. Just a dead man lying on the ground… and the eerie realization that only one person in the world might have been capable of making that shot.

Wayne Rogers never heard it.

At over 4,500 feet away, the crack of the rifle would have arrived after the bullet already did its work. One second Rogers believed he had escaped justice. The next, he collapsed before he even understood what had happened.

The kill shot was clean.
Precise.
Merciless.

Classic Gibbs.

And then came the salmon.

Not frozen.
Not store bought.
Fresh Alaskan salmon.

A strange detail to leave in the middle of a tense NCIS finale unless the writers intended viewers to notice it. Parker noticed. McGee noticed. Torres noticed. Fans certainly noticed.

Because there is only one man in the NCIS universe associated so strongly with living quietly in Alaska, fishing remote rivers, and vanishing from society:

Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

The implication hit longtime viewers immediately.

Gibbs had come home.

Maybe only briefly.
Maybe only for one final mission.
Maybe only because someone crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.

Director Leon Vance wasn’t simply a coworker. He was family. Over the years the two men fought, disagreed, challenged each other, protected each other, and ultimately trusted one another completely. Vance had stood by Gibbs during some of the darkest moments of his life. If someone murdered Vance, Gibbs would never view it as merely “agency business.”

To Gibbs, that would be personal.

And Gibbs had always been at his most dangerous when things became personal.

The finale carefully avoided showing the shooter directly. That was intentional. The mystery makes the moment larger than life. It transforms Gibbs from retired agent into legend — the ghost of NCIS watching from the shadows.

Fans immediately began dissecting the details:

* The impossible distance of the shot.
* The military precision.
* The timing.
* The salmon.
* The silence afterward.

No bragging.
No explanation.
No dramatic return speech.

Because that was never Gibbs’ style.

He was never the man who wanted credit.
He was the man who handled the problem and disappeared before the paperwork started.

In many ways, the finale felt less like a standard television ending and more like a passing of the torch. Vance is gone. The agency is wounded. Parker and McGee now stand in a leadership vacuum while somewhere far away in Alaska, the old lion may still be watching.

And that leaves the haunting question hanging over NCIS moving forward:

If Leroy Gibbs really did return long enough to avenge Director Vance… what happens if the agency needs him again?
Would he step in as Temp Director while a permanent replacement was found?

HAPPY STAR WARS DAY! Listen to "May the 4th Be With You (MOOG)" by James L Wells on “https://api.aimusicradio.io/functions/v1/song-og?song_id=b088bc3b-ccbf-4627-8bbe-da98eb11d175”
Click the link in the comments to hear