Editing Newsletter/Summer 2008 (section)

== Get to Know '''Al Muir''' ==
''Al Muir is a busy guy here on Star Trek Freedom. He runs a tight ship on the [[USS Hades|Hades]] as Captain [[Devan Sash]] among his other duties.''

'''What is your favorite color, book, food, drink and movie?'''[[Image:Al and his daughter Mackenzie sm.JPG|right|thumb|350px|Al with his daughter Mackenzie]]

Blue, The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas, Anything that won't eat me back, Dr. Pepper (which I have to continuously deny myself in order to loose weight)

Movie?  So many movies, so little time. I'd probably have to say.....  Best of the Best with James Earl Jones, Chris Penn and Eric Roberts.

'''What do you do for a living?'''

I am a second grade teacher. I also teach karate as a secondary living.

'''You don't regard the Karate teaching as a hobby?'''

No, not really.  Since I make money doing it, I consider it an occupation and myself a professional. Just for the curious, the style of karate is called Kyokushin, which is a full contact style.

'''What got you involved in teaching Karate?'''

Now that's a bit of a story. My oldest son has a memory processing disorder.  He had no short term memory.  We got him involved in karate since we thought that the repetition of the movements to learn katas and forms would help his memory. Katas are a series of moves that simulate attacks from multiple opponents.  They kind of look like a violent dance routine.
 
I participated in classes so that I could help him at home.  Pretty soon the instructor said, "Hey, why don't you just join the class."  So I did.  After a while she realized that I was a teacher and she would ask me to help teach the class. Then she decided to retire. She actually told me that she was leaving the class to me.

I was getting ready to test for my black belt so I said sure.  My son, who also holds a black belt, now helps me teach the class. And yes, it did help with his memory and focus.

'''Where do you live and teach?'''

California, USA

'''Other than writing posts in Star Trek Freedom and karate, do you have any other hobbies that you do in your spare time?'''

Spare time?  What's that? I play soccer and help coach my son's team. But raising 3 kids takes up most of my time.

'''What do you feel is the best most rewarding thing you have ever done in your life?'''
[[Image:Al Muir sm.JPG|left|300px|thumb|The Almeister himself]]
Having my kids. I'm all about my family. Yes, I do love being a dad.  My kids are so different from each other, and each one shows a different part of me.

'''What got you involved with Star Trek Freedom and writing for characters in a Play by EMail game?'''

That was so long ago. I actually had never played a PBeM before I joined STF.  I really have no idea what had been the thing that made me look it up.  But I did a search and found the Federation Gaming Network.  That was when I created Gr'iann.  He was actually my first character on Deep Space Gamma.  Then I joined Freedom Squadron, and the rest, as they say, is history.

'''When did you join Star Trek Freedom Squadron?''' 

I've been trying to figure that out.  I was here when the actual split occurred.  But I've been with Freedom since, I believe, 2002.

'''Have you anything in your background that may have helped you with running adventures on a PBEM game?'''

I had played RPG's a little, and I had been an actor.  I also had been a fan of Star Trek since the Original Series.

'''What is the hardest part about Star Trek Freedom?'''[[Image:Al with his family at Disneyland sm.JPG|thumb|right|350px|Al with family at Disneyland]]

In fact, the hardest part of STF is the time that it takes me away from the kids.

'''If there was any one thing in the world you could change, what would it be?'''

Acceptance.  I would want the people of the world to be more accepting of things that are different, or that they do not understand.

'''In your opinion, would that include tolerance?'''

I'm not a big fan of that word.  The work tolerance implies the idea that you grudgingly put up with something.  You don't like it, but you tolerate it.  Acceptance is more of knowing that the differences are there, and yet you like them, not only despite the differences, but perhaps even because of them.

'''So what are all the things you currently do on Star Trek: Freedom?'''

I am currently the CO of the USS Hades, playing Captain Devan Sash.  I am also a member of the council, where I seem to have been put in charge of Engineering.

I also am currently playing a Vulcan Counselor, Lt. Alosar, on the USS Mithrandir.
[[Image:Al and Kids At Disneyland sm.JPG|left|thumb|350px|Al and his children with Minnie Mouse at Disneyland]]
I am also the Academy FO, where I oversee the entrance of new cadets and the assignments to their instructors as Admiral Dar Mace.
And then I have an instructor character, Lt. Thrall, a surly, one armed Andorian, who has seen more cadets than he can remember.

I have, or have had, characters on every ship, but most are inactive at the moment.

'''Which Star Trek character in any of the series or movies did you like the most and why?'''

Another tough question, just because the choices are so great.  I like Picard, as I feel he presents the best of what I aspire to be, and yet remains, in my opinion, a real person.

But the triad of TOS, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, are a true picture of friendship.  You may not always agree with your friends, and there are times that you may want to kick the living……..well you get the idea.  But in the end you are still family, still friends. I can't separate out which I like the best, as they are best when they are together.

'''When and how did you first hear about Star Trek in general?'''

Now I'm dating myself.  I used to watch TOS when it was first aired.

'''Have you gotten to meet any of the actors from Star Trek?'''

No. I've never been to a convention, and so I would have to have run into them in life.

''Thank you Al and maybe one day you will get to meet one of your favorite ST stars out there in California.''