Enough of the sciencebabble. It doesn't make any sense, anyway, so who cares if it's scientifically accurate. The OS had great merit in that it was never the science (and rarely the application thereof) but the human mind/wit/intuition that got them out of scrapes, even if it was usually Kirk's. If there was something strange going on outside the ship, they didn't railroad themselves into giving it an accurate (or seemingly accurate) scientific name, they just had Spock say "Fascinating." That Spock would be amazed is enough to tell us that something ain't right. They need that kind of solid characterization that the OS had. Instead of having some weird "space anomoly" (a seeming act of nature), make it a malevolent being, as the OS is famous for. Instead of getting out of trouble by "ionizing the antimatter containment grid," have the Captain talk their way out of it, have a character make a sacrifice, or have the Captain do something so incredibly risky that it works. That's how you make a good story, not by throwing NASA textbooks at the audience and making them feel stupid for not knowing what a Dilithium Crystal is. Instead of saying "this is trilithium carobonate," or something like that, "say this shit's gonna blow any minute." It's a matter of making the character interaction/plot/story come out as clear as possible.

 Ambiguity bad.

 They need new crew positions for the Enterprise NCC-1701-F, if they follow my advice.

 --How about a Russian Submarine-esque political officer, like Putin from The Hunt for Red October? Someone to be the political and legal anchor for the crew, maybe the "official" representative of the Federation. He could be a Dr. Smith/Gal Dukat-ish figure, constantly causing trouble to gain his own *whatever*.

 --How about a ship's counseller-like crewman (a great move by Roddenberry and his crew. New Positions Good.)? Perhaps a Chaplain, who himself is a recognized religious figure (priest, rabbi, etc.) who answers the religious and moral problems of the crew.

 --How about a HAL-9000-esque intelligent computer core? A smart ship would open all kinds of doors. An obvious evolution of Data-like characters (Spock->Data->the Doctor->HAL 9000).

 --More Enlisted men. So far, OBrien is the only one.

 --StarFleet Marines. You want action, I'll give you action.

 --An emergency crew (like the Doctor, only more advanced). I know, a stretch.

 --The Captain. We've had Errol Flynn (Kirk), William Shakespeare (Picard), Hawk (Sisko), and now we have Eleanor Roosevelt (Janeway). We need a real mover and shaker. Someone who doesn't take any backtalk or bullshit from his crew. Someone who doesn't care if his crew likes him, he just wants them to do their duties. Someone who solves disputes between worlds by getting in a room with the leaders of the respective governments and scaring the shit out of them. Someone who yells a lot. Someone with a temper from hell. Someone who smacks his crew for insubordination, and hangs them on the yardarm for treason. We've had enough of this "i forgive you because you're my friend" crap. We need a captain who is respected not for his kindness but for his character. Someone who demands the best and will not accept anything less. We need a Teddy Roosevelt. We need a Patton. Someone with less depth and more meat on his bones (figuratively). That's how you get more viewers: charisma. Actors to play this character? Anyone with physical size (over 6' with some width (not fat)), a good voice and the ability to act. So far, they've mostly gotten that last part right every time (although the verdict is still out on Shatner's acting ability.)

 More rants:

 --How about an alien that isn't warlike(JemHaddar/Klingon/Nausiccan/etc.), or conniving (Cardassian/Romulan/Ferengi). Why does there have to be this gulf in Star Trek Aliens that prevents realistic differences among races? Look at the Vulcans. They're emotionless and incredibly logical. This alone makes for great characterization possibilities. How about a race that eats its own feces and throws their obviously-fake hairpieces at people they like? As the great Coolio said, "Sumpin' New!"

 --More Lovecraftian overtones. Can't hurt, can it?

 --Stop it with the dang a-plot b-plot. Stick to one plotline and go with it. All this character interaction (seemingly pointless to me) at the beginning of episodes serves nothing. OK, it makes the characters more human, but if you can't do this within the narrative, then you've got to take more writing classes. Who cares if Jake and Nog are having trouble being roommates? This ain't Three's Company!! It's Science Fiction dammit!

 --Give us balls-to-the-wall deciciveness. You could always count on Kirk to get things done. Now it's "oh, I don't know what I should do!" whining from Janeway.

 --I must agree with Roddenberry in that the characters' relationships should be constant and unwavering, with maybe some exceptions. That builds a firm base of characters that we can always come back to if we go to a University that doesn't have Star Trek on the local stations (ahem). It's more than a personal request, it's just better for solid episodic television. One of the great things about Quantum Leap was that fabulous interaction between Sam and Al. You knew where they stood as friends and as partners, always. I was amazed to find out that Dax and Worf were an item when I came back to the series. Their characters just don't seem very focused anymore. I think a lesbian relationship between the dyke-ish Kira and the feminine Dax would have been more appealing, especially with a show with a history of ground-breaking like Star Trek (first interracial kiss on TV, etc.). Hell, no relationships between the characters would have been better. Whatever happened to Sisko's bizatch, anyway?

 These are my opinions, at least. They should let me in that Exec. Producer's chair. I actually care about the fans. WHy? Because I am one. That's their biggest mistake. They get people who don't know what ST is to write and produce for them. Ever notice that some of the best episodes were directed by former (or current) ST actors?

 Just my few cents.