And yes, of course I am biased in saying that Spock is the greatest character in all of Science Fiction! (Feel free to submit your suggestions below) But one must admit, the character of Spock really was ground-breaking in the world of 1966, and I doubt that Trek would .have become the legend it is today without this amazing, cool, yet sympathetic character that so many people have identified with other the years. The struggle between his half-human/ half Vulcan selves serves as a metaphor for our own divisive experiences in our lives. Yet the calmness in which he solves his problems — never with violence, but with reason, logic, and compassion, is a lesson to us all.
Over and over in Trek canon, we hear of how the Vulcans nearly destroyed themselves with their own passions. These days, the Vulcan essence of IDIC; Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, seems to be as far away in our current culture as is the earth to the sun. It’s hard to imagine a future where we can all live in peace regardless of race, sex, and indigenous culture in a world where we seem more divided than ever, and living in fear of “The Other” Sadly, I’ve seen the United States and other parts of the world becoming more divisive than ever in my lifetime (I’m 62) . Can mankind ever achieve the Utopian attitudes of the Star Trek world? The answer is in ourselves. Star Trek taught me not to be afraid of ‘the other’, but to embrace and learn from it in common courtesy. The more we learn from each other, the stronger we will be.
What aspects of Star Trek have made you a better person?
Here’s hoping for the brighter world that Star Trek promises. May we never give up hope.
I just finished watching the penultimate episode of season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and it was one of the most delightful hours of Star Trek I’ve ever known in its existence. (a few spoilers ahead)
I’ve enjoyed Strange New Worlds since it’s beginning, and this episode Subspace Rhapsody will surely be in my top 25 Treks of all time forever. (I’ll have to write up that list!) I always thought Star Trek would make a great musical, and this was the perfect spin-off series to do it in! The beautiful primary color uniforms have always made for a colorful setting and having this musical episode seemed a natural fit!
I love how ST:SNW had never been afraid to poke fun at itself. And this episode is no exception. When the crew discovers that an experiment with an anomaly is causing the crew to burst out in song, they are all uncomfortably aware that one does not just sing on the Enterprise! (at least not on duty!)
Suffice to say, the results are magical, and each character gets a song of their own. A lot of the cast has had musical theater training and it shows! The Voices!! Kudos to the whole cast, who not only sing but dance too! Just a splendid episode, and even if you don’t do musicals, you can’t help but fall in love with this one! You might even get a couple of good ear worms!
If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the preview:
Of course the only thing that I don’t like about Strange New Worlds is that each season is ONLY ten episodes each. Which has me singing the blues! But at least after next week’s finale, I’ll have twenty to watch any time!
I made a donation to the Boston Museum of Science supporting the Leonard Nimoy monument that is being fund raised for! They are getting close to their goal, and I truly hope they achieve it! It will be a big crystalized hand in the form of Vulcan Greeting in front of the museum. I received this lovely thank you today from Tim Ritchie, the President of the Museum of Science:
Currently the total donations are $301,789 and it is 60% to reaching its mark (of $500,000) Please consider contributing any amount to can to complete this wonderful project! You can donate here. I am proud to be a part of this undertaking, and I’m sure Leonard is smiling from above!
UPDATE: I found the book I referenced in the paragraph A Fashionable Choice, and added the picture too!
This past weekend, on July 1, the late Princess of Wales, the former Diana Spencer would have turned 62.
I was also born in 1961, and felt a natural affinity toward Diana, perhaps because we were the same age. When she became engaged, I was so excited! After all, there hadn’t been a Princess of Wales in decades. I had not been following the British Royal Family much at all until Diana came on the scene. But she represented all the youthful energy and ambition of my generation, which was probably why she was and still is so loved by so many of her peers, even now. She’d surely bring color to the gray world of royalty.
Influenced by my older siblings, I had always been an Anglophile. I had cut my teeth on The Beatles, Monty Python, and catching the latest BBC historical melodrama via Masterpiece Theater. The music, movies and assorted Brit celebrities made a romantic impression on me at the time, and I imagined how wonderful a place it was and how I would love to see the real thing. Having this striking young princess enter into that world was the cherry on top of my Anglo-fantasies.
Unlike the other royals, Diana had a natural likeability and a genuine kindness to her that we in the real world could relate to. She hugged children and laughed with ease with her fans. I eagerly followed every word and latest fashion, becoming a mimic fashionista of sorts (ruffled collars and white tights anyone?). I would have loved to have been her friend; a sentiment I’m sure thousands of other young women had as well. Every new fashion was a power statement, since she rarely spoke in public. (I still have scrapbooks)
Yet there was always an undercurrent of friction between Diana and her new husband. I was thrilled to see any pictures of them stealing a kiss at a polo match, or occasional loving glance. How wonderful to see their love evolve into a beautiful family of two little boys. But after the birth of Harry, a clear chill was seeping into their castle windows. Charles was becoming more distant, spending more time with his older country friends, Diana on the town with her her own set, shopping and lunches, yet happiest with her beloved boys.
By the time their separation became public, I found myself agreeing with the commentator who pointed out that “a lot of dreams will die here” (for those who believed the illusion). I was always on Team Diana, of course, although I know she wasn’t perfect. In real life she may not have been the brightest or deepest of them all. But with her initial naivete, anxiety, depressions and occasional paranoia that were all but ignored by The Firm, I identified with that, and I felt for her. In my mind the British Royal family really took advantage of a very impressionable young woman barely out of teens. She fell as hard for the fantasy as we all did, and she tragically paid for it.
When she was free of the family, yet cruelly, unceremoniously stripped of her title, I had hoped that she would find solace in a relatively peaceful post-royal life. Rumor had it that she was going to move to America, and possibly becoming an ambassador the the United Nations, which would have been perfect for her. Yet we all know how her story ended much too soon, just as her life was starting to become more emotionally and psychologically satisfying. Alas.
People still speculate about her tragic death. Conspiracies still pop our from time to time. To me it was just a terribly awful accident. My only questions was this: Was her safety belt in working condition? Diana was known to always use her safety belt, and her death could have been prevented it only she wore hers that night. Too much water under the bridge to consider it now. If only, though.
It has been said that one of the last things Diana confided to a friend was a promise never to be fulfilled. “You won’t believe what’s coming next!” she cheekily hinted. Over a quarter of century since her passing we still haven’t a clue what she had in mind. My three speculations:
1) A Choice for Love: Would she have announced that she was to re-marry? Not Dodi-Al-Fayed, her fateful fling, but Dr. Haznat Khan, the heart surgeon who was the true love of her life? This has been a theory visited since her death. Some have claimed that she wanted to marry a Muslim, which would have surely made The Firm very uncomfortable. I honestly don’t think this would have happened so soon after her divorce.
2) A Fashionable Choice: Many Charity related books about Diana’s style came out after her death. One was Diana: The Secrets of her Styleby Diane Clehane. It featured a sketch of a very daring gown for her next evening event, an AIDS Benefit, designed by Giorgio Armani. Diana was to have her final fitting for it the week she passed. The gown appears to be an icy blue halter gown with V-neck down to the waist and a twisted back. As you can see, it was very daring, and would have been stunning on her. Was this the coming surprise she hinted at? Since Diana let a lot of her clothes do the talking, this might have been likely, and probably quite startling. This would have been the biggest ‘Get Lost’ dress to the Royal Family she would have worn to date. And she would have been not only breath-taking, but ahead of her time, as usual.
3) A Choice to Leave: Or was she indeed going to dump the Royal Family and move to the States? We may never know. I’d like to think she’d have moved. Perfectly understandable after the hell that all the tabloids put her through. And that now she’d be a happy grandma and best friends to her daughters-in-law.
It’s funny, I’ve always had some sort of fandom through my life. In the 60’s it was The Beatles, the 70’s Star Trek, the 80’s, Princess Diana. Yet since the 1990 on, my life has revolved around my own reality in my creative and family life. How I wish Diana could have been as happy with her family as I have been blessed with my own husband and two sons these past 30 years.
I watched the Coronation the other month. It was grand and colorful, everything one has come to expect from the British Royal Family. My feelings toward “The Firm” has changed drastically over the years. I think that if the Family wants to continue to carry on for the future, they should run themselves like many other Royal families, that is, stay figureheads, but SUPPORT THEMSELVES. (and for heaven’s sake, pay back the British taxpayers the millions of pounds they paid for the Coronation). Yet the current adventures of the family of Charles III will never enthrall me the way Diana did. I wish Diana’s sons well. Diana’s long gone, but never forgotten. As Captain Kirk said in That Which Survives:
You have probably heard that the current increase in Artificial Intelligence (AI) may cause may cause great dangers in not just the world of art, but in reality as well, in regards to national security and war. And I agree this is great threat to our perceptions of what we see and hear, and that it should be regulated as soon as possible.
We have all seen manipulated images made for fun for memes and such. But it is unnerving to see something that you know isn’t quite right, yet wondering about it’s legitimacy.
I just came across this image on eBay. Any child of the TOS generation can recognize this instantly as a “deep fake”, that is , a clearly AI-manipulated image. I’m guessing the seller used an original image of Spock then used an AI program to manipulate the face into a smile. The background looks manipulated as well.
Technically it’s not a bad manipulation. The simulated smile and the squinted eyelids almost look like they could be Nimoy’s. But the teeth are a BIG giveaway. Sharp-eyed ‘Nimoyans’ know that Leonard’s teeth were never that white or that uniform. And the final effect is kind of funny if not somewhat terrifying.
Another example from the same dealer on eBay: Miri with Yeoman Rand. Not sure if the creator is making Miri ‘pound’ or just ‘play’ with Rand’s hair. This one is a clear fake. Miri is a reversed image of the original, (see below) and Janice’s eyes are altered to look like she’s rolling them.
To be fair, AI can bee a boon to artists. I have made some fun creations through some family genealogy sites, although it’s not perfect; I’ve had some images come out with three arms or only half a face! I am sure you’ve probably seen some pretty good art created with this process. However, I do not wish to see AI to take over original hand made art, writings or worst of all, fake videos of say, world leaders making totally false statements. (This has happened already)
Now granted, AI technology could help me create a dream episode of TOS with just audio and video clips from the original. And for all we know someone is already doing that. But I bet that would make for copyright infringement and estate problems so I wouldn’t risk it.
Longtime readers of this blog have seen my own collages and posters of Trek images. My creations were and are mostly done with Adobe Photoshop, which in this current atmosphere may become just obsolete. I truly hope not . I use my art for fun, and to make people smile, but never to influence people much beyond a “hey, isn’t this silly?”
But the main concern about AI and Deep Fakes is how technology has advanced to the point where it’s harder and harder to tell what’s real and what isn’t. Truly scary local and world consequences could come from this, and I pray that all who use it will be aware of the influences they create. Fake fan art is mostly harmless, although I prefer the real deal, but I only ask that you BE AWARE.
I think Mad Magazine had the right idea… Mad #115, Dec 1967
Hi Everyone,
I got back from a wonderful visit with a dear friend last week. It had been ages since I had taken an airplane anywhere. But as I was enjoying the sensation of being lifted into the sky in this silver bird, it got me thinking of traveling in the age of Star Trek; most importantly, The Transporter.
How often have I wished for a transporter in real life to visit out of state and country friends in the “wink of an eye” 😉 To see all the places in my life without having to book a flight. Oh, and to never need planes again, or cars, buses, taxi’s or trains! To always be on time for any event, any where, and to get back home the same way.
Yet once I put my mind to it, the logistics of real transporter travel became a bit less enticing. Indeed, if it existed in real life, I don’t think humanity would survive! I wondered, how, in the Trek Universe, were Transporters perceived by governments and public alike? Were there funding problems? Protests? And no doubt there must have been horrific accidents in the development stages.
Now obviously I am not an expert on the fictional historical facts of Trek Transportation. So I will borrow these bits from Wikipedia:
According to dialogue in the Star Trek: Enterprise (ENT) episode “Daedalus“, the transporter was invented in the early 22nd century by Dr. Emory Erickson, who also became the first human to be successfully transported. Although the Enterprise (NX-01) has a transporter, the crew does not routinely use it for moving biological organisms. Instead, they generally prefer using shuttlepods or other means of transportation unless no other means of transportation are possible or feasible.
Well that was a good start. and I can understand why transporters at this early stage were not the standard of transportation. What a miracle to transport items large or small within moments! Yet I wonder how this affected commerce and general capitalism? With instant delivery of most purchases and goods, would there be no more equivalent of Mail Delivery Services, let alone the trucking industry, or any in-person shopping? (watch out Amazon!) I imagine it would have needed a ton of regulation to avoid damaged or altered goods. Man, wouldn’t that open awhole can of worms for thievery and illegal trafficking? Let alone mishaps of people transporting into the wrong places situations. No doubt wars could easily erupt over say, top secret documents ending up in the wrong hands or worse, weapons of mass destruction.
Then there’s the physical effect of a human being being transported; again Wikipedia:
Whenever a person or object is transported, the machine creates a memory file of the pattern.
And this makes me completely sympathize with Dr. McCoy, who said:
“I signed aboard this ship to practice medicine, not to have my atoms scattered back and forth across space by this gadget!“
Indeed, if transporters really existed, then technically, the first time you enter one is the last time you will be your actual self. If you are nothing but “a memory file” in the transporter banks, and now just a copy of your original self, how does one ever know if they are truly the same? How is every complex memory still there? And what about all of your life’s knowledge and experience. Yes, transporting is sounding ever more dangerous. Not to mention accidents! Like this truly horrific one referred to on Wikipedia:
(In) Star Trek: The Motion Picture when a malfunction in the transporter sensor circuits resulted in insufficient signal being present at the Enterprise end to successfully rematerialize the two subjects, and Starfleet was unable to pull them back to where they had dematerialized from. The transporter system attempted to rematerialize what little signal was available, and despite the efforts of Kirk and Scotty, the system failed and both subjects vanished from the transporter pad and back to Starfleet, where both subjects died from radiation and disfiguration. Kirk, visibly shaken by what he had witnessed asked, “Starfleet, do you have them?”, to which the response was made “Enterprise, what we got back didn’t live long, fortunately”.
No, I DEFINITELY would not want to come back as a pile of radiated, disfigured oatmeal – AAAHHHHHH!
Yep, traditional transportation will do nicely for now. I wish you all happy travels!
It’s coming up on my annual renewal for trekkerscrapbook.com. ( June 10th)
I plan to renew it for another year and hope to bring you all the Trek ideas that have been stewing in my mind.
However, I have decided that that this next year will be my last as publisher of this blog. It’s expensive and as you may have noticed I hardly post as much as I did when I started this little party 12 years ago! I admit, talking only about Star Trek can be limiting, and I realize that as it is my blog, I can discuss plenty of other topics, and sometimes I want to, but I decline, thinking that it would be ignored or misinterpreted.
But it’s not just that. I am by no means old (heck, I just turned 62!), but the longer one lives, the more one realizes that time is a finite thing, and every day is precious. I have many obligations and dreams in my life, and although this one is a pleasure, it is not on my list of high priorities.
Please note: When I end this blog next year, there will still be the Facebook Group for this page, where we can all get together for fun, so be sure to join it! I’ll occasionally post there too! I’ll give you plenty warning. For now I’m archiving all my posts for my own posterity!
I still love my little site of course and I am so grateful for your patronage! I look forward to sharing one more year of my Trek memories and my art work with you. Here’s to the last new year!
I know we’re Star Trek people here, but in honor of May the 4th, I’m sharing this funny video my son Matthew (a budding filmmaker) made for his Film-Making class last year! Graphic by my son, Audio is a recording of his friends that he made 🙂 Enjoy!
5/3/2023 UPDATE! Because an artist is never happy, I made just a few slight changes to the collage today — So be sure to check it again! I’ve added my friend and wonderful actor David Frankham as Larry Marvick on here ( I had him all set up yesterday and forgot to save it!!) as well as a spilled coffee cup and a rename on the drum; changing it to BAND instead of BRAND, which confused people. (It was meant as franchise humor)
It’s really done now! Thanks for your comments and likes! 🙂
HI Everyone!
Sorry I’ve been away for a while, (busy with life) but I’m back and I wanted to share this updated collage with you!
I originally created this collage in 2018 with the use of my ancient computer program (don’t laugh) Print Master Platnium 18.1. Although I liked the original, (and you can see it here) it clearly lacked the precision and sharpness I could make with my Adobe Printshop program, with which I’ve been making all my latest colleges with ever since. On the old program one had to crop images by painstakingly outlining them dot by dot and them eliminating the background. With Adobe, this process became much less time consuming and tedious! You can also see how even the writing on the bass drum looks much more realistic, especially since my son taught me how to add fonts to my system!
So here’s my updated Beatle/Trek homage of of “Captain Jim Kirk’s Starfleet Brand” I’ve added a few characters and props, and I find it highly more satisfying! Note: I didn’t add a key this time, since I figure many of my readers will recognize just about everyone here! Have fun with it and let me what you think!
I hope to have an public exhibit of many of my collages up sometime. I’ll let you know if it ever happens 🙂
Happy Heavenly Birthday to Leonard Nimoy who would have been 92 today. He was such a wonderful human being; kind, compassionate, caring, and grateful for the life that fame brought him. He never forgot where he came from or took anything for granted. Glad we were along for the ride of the man who brought out the humanity of Spock, and thankful he lived long and prospered.
I finally finished my annual tribute to the stars we lost in 2022. It took a bit longer than I expected, as I started this in December, and here it is March! But I wanted to be sure it was as complete as possible, and I believe it is.
After a while working on this, I felt I almost got to know all of these wonderful people personally. Some I had never heard of, and some died tragically (murder, car accidents, Covid, suicide) and way too young. Sadly there were also an unusually high number of passings in the Star Trek Family, some iconic and all beloved. But I hope the joy they brought the world will live on. Bless them on their journeys from life to life.
Unfortunately, there have been several notable passings already this year that I am aware of, but I am already beginning the 2023 farewells as I write this, and you will see them next January. (I’m only two months late with this!)
Let me know what you think, and feel free to include any of your favorite memories of these remarkable people. You can see all their names and accomplishments in the keys below.
Love and Blessings, Therese
ATHLETICS
1. Maury Wills, 89, Base-Stealing Shortstop for the Dodgers
2. Lusia Harris, 66, First Woman Drafted by NBA
3. Pelé, 82,Charismatic Master of the “Beautiful Game”
4. Jeremy Giambi, 47, Former MLB Player, portrayed in Moneyball.
5. Bill Russell, 88, Boston Celtics Legend and the NBA’s Ultimate Winner
6. Brad William Henke, 56, Super Bowl Winner, Orange Is the New Black, Lost
7. Scott Hall, 63, Notorious Bad Guy of Pro Wrestling
8. Bobby East, 37,Former NASCAR Driver (stabbed)
9. Jeff Gladney, 25, Arizona Cardinals Cornerback, (Car Accident)
10. Dwayne Haskins, 24, Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback, (Struck by Car)
11. Franco Harris, 72, Steelers Hall of Fame Running Back ‘Immaculate Reception’
12. Len Dawson, 87,Hall of Fame Chiefs Quarterback ‘Inside the NFL,’
13. Tony “Goose” Siragusa 55,“Super Bowl Champion and Actor in The Sopranos
14. Vin Scully, 94, Treasured Voice of the Dodgers
ENTERTAINERS AND NEWSMAKERS
15. Robert Clary, 96, Corporal LeBeau on Hogan’s Heroes
16. Gail Halvorsen, 101, Cold War ‘Candy Bomber’
17. Sonya Eddy, 55,General Hospital. Come Away Home
18. Georgia Holt, 96, Actress, Singer and Cher’s Mother,
19. Robbie Coltrane, 72 Comic Performer, Hagrid in ‘Harry Potter’
20. Angela Lansbury, 96 Manchurian Candidate, Sweeney Todd, Murder She Wrote
21. Pat Carroll, 95, Cinderella, With Six you get Eggroll, The Little Mermaid,
22. Jules Bass, 87,Producer, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman
23. Ivan Reitman, 75, ‘Animal House’ Producer and ‘Ghostbusters’ Director
24. Kevin Conroy 66, Longtime Voice of Batman,
25. Steve Schapiro, 87, Acclaimed Photojournalist,
26. Douglas Kirkland, 88, Famed Photographer of Hollywood Luminaries
27. Patrick Demarchelier, 78, Fashion Photographer who took Princess Diana’s last portraits.
28. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 95, Retired Leader of the Roman Catholic Church
29. Brenda Deiss, 60, Breakout star of Red Rocket
30. Queen Elizabeth II, 96. Britain’s Longest Reigning Monarch, Mother of King Charles III
31. Dale Chritchlow 92, Napoleon Dynamite
32. Gallagher, 76, Comic Known for Smashing Watermelons
33. Busi Lurayi, (Mid 30s) ‘How to Ruin Christmas’
34. Adam Wade, 87, Singer, Actor Musical Chairs, Kiss Me Goodbye, Claudine
35. Larry Storch, 99, Corporal Randolph Agarn on F Troop,
36. Robyn Griggs, 49 ‘Another World’
37. Irene Papas, 93, The Guns of Navarone, Zorba the Greek, The Moonspinners, Z.
38. Ann Turner Cook, 95, The Original Gerber Baby
39. James R. Olson, 91Andromeda Strain, Rachel, Rachel
40. Lindsey Pearlman, 43, ‘General Hospital’
41. P.J. O’Rourke, 74, Irreverent Author and Commentator
42. Michael Callan, 86, Actor in Broadway’s West Side Story and ‘Cat Ballou
43. Mary Alice, 85,Fences, Sparkle, The Matrix Revolutions,
44. Kenneth Tsang, 86,‘Rush Hour 2,’
45. Denise Dowse, 64. ‘Beverly Hills, 90210, Insecure
46. Paul Herman, 76, ‘The Sopranos,Entourage’ and ‘The Irishman,
47. Frank Vallelonga Jr.,60, Green Book, All In
48 Ray Liotta, 67,GoodFellas, ’Field of Dreams, Cocaine Bear
49. Leslie Phillips,98, Debonair British Actor of ‘Carry On,’ Potter’ Films
50. Clu Gulager, 93, ‘The Virginian,The Last Picture Show’
51. Robert Cormier 33,Heartland, Slasher
52. Michael Kopsa, 66, X-Files, Stargate SG-1
53. Tony Sirico, 79‘ The Sopranos’
54. Joan Hotchkis, 95, ‘The Odd Couple’, ‘Ode to Billie Joe,’
55. Stuart Margolin, 82, ‘The Rockford Files, M*A*S*H
56. Joe E. Tata, 85, Beverly Hills, 90210,A Clockwork Blue
For the past two months I’ve been working on my traditional, annual Memorial Collage for celebrities and newsmakers. I usually post this in January, but sadly, there were so many passing’s of notables that it’s taken a lot longer than usual. (The Musician page alone has way too many!)
Anyway, I worked all day yesterday on the final portion of the collage and I THOUGHT I saved it. Well, this morning it’s nowhere to be found and I have to start all over again on that part! (Waaaah!!)
Here’s hoping I’ll have the whole thing up within a week. You’ll see it here as soon as it’s finished, with name keys and all.
For now, here’s only a small portion.
Take care today and make every day count! Love you all – Therese
I hope you are all enjoying this Holiday Season, and that you’ll have a very Happy Christmas and New Year!!
Looks like Harry Mudd has his own version!
I would also like to take a moment to thank all of you, my readers and especially those who subscribe! That means a lot to me! I’m always delighted to see any new subscribers and I’m glad you enjoy it. I created this blog 11 years ago!! And although I hardly ‘trend’ and have never become ‘viral’ I always like hearing from you in comments and hope to hear may more in the future.
I’d be delighted for any donations (see button above or here) to help run this site! I have yet to receive any donations but hope springs eternal!
Recently I wanted to write a post leading up to today, Star Trek Day (September 8th) but the other week, my husband, I, and both of our young adult sons all got Covid within four days of each other. Thankfully, we are all well and recovered now. Please get your vaccines and boosters, it will make the ailment SO MUCH easier to deal with and I have no doubt it saved us from much worse.
So today (September 8th) I was all set to write a post to celebrate Star Trek Day when I heard the sad news that Queen Elizabeth has passed at 96. She had a long, amazing and truly dedicated life to the people of Great Britain, and will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to Her family and the nation that loved her.
I will be posting articles on both of these events soon, and I thank you for your patience. In the meantime, you can check the post for Star Trek Day that I posted 2 years ago here, and you can see the collage I made for Queen Elizabeth’s 70th Anniversary Jubilee earlier this year here.
See you here soon, for now, sending hugs, Therese xo
The other night I had a moment to watch a little TV, and thought I’d find a movie. Paramount+ had a list of movies leaving at the end of August, and among them was Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I hadn’t seen it in so long I figured it was a good time.
After years of easily dismissing it I was surprised and delighted to realize that I not only did I like this movie, but LOVED it! Quite a difference from my initial viewing 43(!) years ago.
In December of 1979, I was among the hundreds locally who came out to see it on its first night. Comparing what I saw that premiere night, and what I just watched the other night were of two different people in two realities. How the first Star Trek movie would be reacted to was somehow very personal to me. When I came out of the theater that night, I was happily saying to people in line “It’s great!”. But inside I was not too pleased, an opinion that regrettably stayed with me all these years, to the point of never wanting to see it again.
You see, through my then 18-year old’s eyes, this movie was going to be my redemption, my “I told you so!” to all the people who mocked me for my Trek devotion the whole past decade. But my concern about how non-Trekkies would take it was almost central to my enjoyment of the film. Seeing that attitude now, I admit with slight embarrassment that I was WAY too concerned with physical elements of the movie, than the actual plot. Kind of like not seeing the forest for the trees. My ‘trees’ here were things like:
The Klingons are bumpy!!
Oh, God, is everyone going to like it?
That’s a bad wig, Spock!
Oh, God, the actors look so old!
Why are those uniforms so bland and awful? Where has all the color gone?
Why is the dialogue so soft while the music and sound effects are SO LOUD?
Why is the intro to the Enterprise taking s-o-o-o-o lo-o-o-o-o-ng?
Why is Spock so wooden?
Why did Ilia have to be bald?
Are Ilia and Decker going to take over the Enterprise?
What’s up with Scotty’s mustache?
My 61 year old brain can answer all that now …
The Klingons are what Gene wanted them to be.
Maybe not at the moment, but in time it will age better.
Yes, he needed a better long hair wig, but that’s a minor point.
Wow, they all look so YOUNG here!!
Well, the uniforms were what they were. very 70’s. Fortunately they were all recycled into a better look in the sequels.
This was mostly the fault of the poor audio equipment at the theater I watched it at. I remember many people calling out “Turn it up!!”
The Enterprise intro is a big ‘Welcome back you beautiful ship’ presentation. Still a tad longer than it needed to be, but I get it. That’s what fast forward is for; the same for the long slide into V’Ger’s realm.
He did seem unnaturally stiff before his space walk, but I understand now that Spock’s search for total logic was turning him inward.
After years of seeing new aliens, Ilia’s lack of hair really was no big deal, (and dear Persis was so gorgeous).
Of Course Not!!
It’s the 70’s, man!
I was too ‘stressed’ with these ‘pressing’ concerns to appreciate the beauty of a story I had been waiting for10 years to culminate into reality! Seeing it now, although I still think it needed better editing to move it along more quickly, I appreciate it so much more. My impressions follow.
First of all, this was a beautifully remastered director’s cut of the piece. As your eyes delve into a field of stars, it begins with the graceful and sad, yet soaring overture of Ilia’s Theme by Jerry Goldsmith. Ilia’s theme grew a whole new meaning for me since I had last watched this movie, It really stresses a deep longing, the almost unbearable yearning to find something more that must be out there.
I felt compassion for Ilia this time too instead of seeing her as an ‘other’ or just sexy window dressing. Ilia is tragic because she is swept into the vortex of V’ger before she barely serves on the Enterprise. The small blinks of her real self that flicker from the shell of her V’ger persona are almost heartbreaking. “Deck-Er!” she voices in familiarity as she touches his face. So close yet so far.
Spock too is torn. Feeling a call from V-Ger, he is drawn back to the Enterprise. He cannot focus solely on his devotion to total logic. As he has failed the Ko-li-nahr to rid himself of emotion, so he is now determined to figure out the mystery of V-Ger, even at the risk of his own life to save his fellow crew members. This is a theme that carries through to the sad conclusion of The Wrath of Kahn. After his harrowing space walk into V’Ger, Spock rediscovers and embraces his humanity. The small chuckle he gives recovering in sickbay brings us back to the Spock we knew was still there.
At it’s core, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is very much true to the formula of the original series; set in outer space, but finding ourselves through personal conflict. It is not heavy on action, but it has suspense, which is always favorable, to me at least.
Technically, it was a marvel at the time, and a joy to see the Enterprise stream into warp drive with it’s strobe-rainbow effect. The new Enterprise was beautiful sleek upgrade to the original. Remember this was still a model-driven special effect department, and CGI was still in its infancy. The Klingon ship was ruggedly detailed and far more 3-D than ever before. Spock’s voyage into V’Ger and the steep stair set surrounding V’ger were remarkable, although I was concerned that these ‘ancient’ actors at the time would trip and fall!
Costume-wise were hits and misses. The variety of duty uniforms still didn’t make much sense to me. The beige/gold, pale blue/gray palate was probably considered quite futuristic at the time, al though they still had more of a 70’sSpace 1999 vibe at the time. But their blandness made the actors blend in more with the cooler tones of the New Enterprise. Thankfully, Khan brought back more color and a less leisure suit look back to the series* and Star Trek: TNG brought back the classic gold/blue/red department shades. Also, the laughable, sporty, short sleeved uniforms here were so terribly preppy before preppy became a thing in the early 80’s. What, were these the Sunday leisure uniforms? They still make me laugh, and for heaven’s sake, grown men should never wear Penguin Suits and Onesies! (TMI! TMI!)
Thank heaven we had two glorious and elegant costume moments — Spock’s first entry on the bridge in a luxurious black cape and stove-pipe trousers, and Ilia’s white mini-robe with salmon pink stand up collar.
Spock’s dashing Vulcan cape and Ilia’s mini bathrobe. Note: why did Spock have a high-necked shirt under his uniform that no one else did? It was the same shirt he wore under his cape, no doubt worn to remind him of his Kohlinar goal.
All I can say now , is that if you haven’t seen it in a long time, you might just enjoy it as much as i did. It is still a LOT better than Shatner’s ego-fest of Star Trek V!
*The reason for the red and black uniforms of STII was budgetary — the ST:TMP uniforms had to be recycled and the only colors they could be dyed were deep red and black!
So my friend Bill, an avid Trekker since the 70’s with me, took this beautiful picture of Burdock Thistle in his yard. Now, I’ve seen lots of Milk Thistles in my area, but not this variety. Anyway, Bill took a great shot and graciously let me use it here:
Bill’s picture.
And me, being me, couldn’t resist turning into something silly! After all, it did have a somewhat alien appearance! So here’s my abomination — I think McCoy would say: “That’s not a thistle, Jim!” 😉
With sadness I report that the magnificent Nichelle Nichols has passed away, she was 89.
I probably cannot add to the hundreds of tributes pouring in around the world as I write this, but I can say, that Nichelle was a singular entertainer, dancer, and trail-blazing inspiration to millions of women of all colors around the world. She was Magic.
I saw Nichelle briefly in 1976 at the Star Trek Bicentennial 10 Convention in NYC. I was 15, and totally entranced by her. She gamely and graciously answered Star Trek question from the hungry fans, even if she had answered them dozens of times already. She loved the fans, and her time on Trek, and she knew that her experience as Lt. Uhura became the key to her amazing post-Trek life. At the end of her talk, she even sung a few bars of “Beyond Antares” in her silky, embracing voice. What a love. I can hear her voice now:
“The skies are green and glowing Where my heart is, where my heart is….”
Today my heart is with Nichelle. Rest in peace and love, dear incredible woman. Your star will shine forever.
To see a great documentary about Nichelle’s remarkable life, be sure to catch “Woman in Motion” now streaming on Paramount Plus. Beautiful and Touching!
And now, some of my favorite pictures of Nichelle <3
Hope you’re all keeping cool through this awfully hot summer. I’ve been busy with family matters, but I managed to have a little time to make a new collage.
This one is called “Carried Away” and I’ve been meaning to create it for a long time. It’s based on one of the oldest tropes in sci-fi/monster movie history – the damsel being carried away by the monster! In my research I wasn’t too surprised to see how often this trope was used in advertising — sometimes even when it doesn’t happen in the movie! But when you consider the audience of mostly young men, it’s not too surprising!
I had fun finding variations of the theme too – men carrying women, monsters carrying women, robots carrying women, women carrying women and sometimes women carrying men! I included many classics (King King, of course) as well as horror, sci-fi, some obscure movies, and even romantic comedies!
See how many you can find on the list below the picture! Enjoy and stay cool! – Therese
I’ve been very busy with family matters so I haven’t been able to post much here lately. But I wanted to throw in a few good words about the latest Trek venture Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. (SNW)
Of course I LOVE IT! In our upside down real world, it is so nice to have this little respite of a new, yet familiar Star Trek world to still give us a little hope for the future. And how beautiful is The Enterprise!
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
If you don’t know, this exclusive Paramount + series, focuses on the early adventures of The USS Enterprise. With the crew of Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, and Lt.Spock, and it takes place a few years after the events of The Cage and 10 years before the command of Captain Kirk.
I am delighted to see how Strange New Worlds carefully crochets together elements of TOS classic with tweaked, more insightful backstories of characters new and familiar. Surprisingly, a few times so far the story would start in a very familiar place, for example:
Two characters stranded on a planet during an Ion storm, but if they’re beamed up, we know they might end up in a mirror universe?
The Enterprise Crew encounter Gorn ships!
Spock appears to be on Vulcan about to fight Ka-li-fee?
But none of these initial premises go where we ‘mature’ Trekkies think they might:
The two characters end up stranded on the planet throughout the storm.
We never actually see the Gorn.
Spock’s battle on Vulcan is merely a dream about his dual identity.
This is very clever and fun on the writer’s part. I really appreciate it!
I am also enjoying more back stories about TOS favorites that we knew little about in their first appearances 55+ years ago, as well as new characters.
For example, First Officer Number One‘s actual name is Una Chin-Riley, with a surprising backstory.
Uhura is a very promising Cadet, and the series is leaning wisely into her language and musical abilities.
Nurse Chapel is a no-nonsense medical pro with sharp humor, yet a subtle vulnerability.
Lieutenant Spock not only is involved with T’Pring*, but is perfectly capable of romantic canoodling without the benefit of Pon Farr. Indeed, in the most recent episode, (The Serene Squall), SNW gave Spock lovers the greatest ‘fan service’ I have ever seen! THANK YOU!!!
It’s a joy to have lesser-seen characters, Like Dr. M’Benga and Mr. Kyle resurface. We even find out that Jim Kirk’s brother, Sam, is serving on the Enterprise in the Sciences, although we haven’t seen much of him. We’ve even briefly seen the legendary Captain April! Ifind M’Benga’s story especially poignant.
However, the drama in SNW doesn’t mean that it takes itself too seriously (like TNG often did in its first season). One episode even hilariously mimicked the body transference we saw in the classic Turnabout Intruder, to a hilarious effect. Indeed, this series is full of humor: At one point Pike says ” I love my job!”
Speaking of Pike, It’s important to note that if you have followed Discovery, it’s known in this series that Pike knows his fate will involve becoming disabled sometime in the next decade, yet this doesn’t keep him from being the best Captain he can be. And who can argue with that killer quiff!** I look forward to Pike and Spock’s budding friendship, and watching Spock grow throughout this part of his life which leads him to be the First Officer we know in TOS.
Among new intriguing characters are:
Chief Engineer Hemmer, who is an Aenar, which is an albino subspecies of Andorian. He is legally blind, but this is not a deterrent to his abilities. He can be curt and a bit harsh in his mannerisms sometimes, but we’re only just discovering him.
Lt. Erica Ortegas is chief Helmsman. She is fiercely loyal to her duties, the crew, and Captain Pike. We are still learning about her.
And finally there is La’an Noonian-Singh, who’s last name will be very familiar most of us here. Yes, she is a descendant of THE Khan Noonian Singh, and she is friends with Number One, who rescued her when her home was being destroyed by The Gorn.
In a contrary nod to the original plot The Cage, I have to say it is a pleasure to see Captain Pike surrounded on the bridge by a mostly female crew. He’s come a long way from the Pike who said “I can’t get used to having a woman on the bridge.” (Thank God!!)
Also, this new series is ‘episodic’, like the Original Series, which means that like it’s predecessor, it ties up every adventure with a neat little bow. It does not have a season long story arc that has dragged down some of the other recent Trek series. This leaves the writers freedom to truly enjoy the adventures of exploring strange new worlds! I like this aspect so much, I don’t even watch previews of the next episode! Let it surprise me!
To me this latest iteration of the Star Trek Universe is as comfortable and as warm as a fuzzy tribble and tasty as plomeek soup! The next new episode airs today, Thursday, June 23 on Paramount Plus, May it Live Long and Prosper!
* The Original Series gave the impression that Spock had not seen T’Pring since they were seven. ** Man, everyone on this show has great hair!
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Starting today, Great Britain and the United Kingdom began celebrating the remarkable and historic 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the House of Windsor. The Queen is a strong and caring monarch, and has done her job with honor for the most part in her seven decade reign. She is truly amazing and greatly loved.
In honor of Her Majesty’s personal milestone, I started creating this collage about 2 months ago. I was going to originally call this piece “She Never Lost a Hat”, but the above title was a good pun on the fairy tale aspect of her life.
And this is just a fraction of the magnificent millinery she’s worn over the years!
I have a cute story about The Queen. Wa-a-a-a-ay back in the before-time of 1986, I was living in London on a 6 month student work permit. (I also went because I had a beau there at the time). Anyway, one night after work I was in Victoria Station when I noticed crowds gathering near one of the terminals.
“What’s going on?”
“The Queen will be coming through at any time to catch the train north!” (to Balmoral in Scotland)
Oh my gosh, I couldn’t miss this. So I scooted down the stretch where her special car would be passing. I intentionally went al-l-l-l the way to the very end of the line facing the route so I’d be sure to see her. Of course, this was years before cell phones became a reality, so I couldn’t get a picture. Yet I like to think my experience as delightfully my own, and my memory of the next moment is ingrained in my memory stronger than any photo!
Soon there came her special black limousine with its tall windows which allowed easy viewing (if lack of privacy) to its Royal cargo, the miniature Queen’s Standard flapping from its roof. And just as she was about to pass me at the end, I didn’t just wave; I jumped into the air, my arms thrown out wide in greeting. Thankfully she was facing my side of the route. She was dressed in bright yellow, and in the millisecond of my enthusiastic greeting, I saw her just a touch taken aback, nodded with a small smile and gave me her famous queenly wave!
And that wave was all mine, because I was the only one left in line to wave at, so I’ll always treasure that!
Congratulations Ma’am! Long Live the Queen! *
*Of course, Prince Charles is next in line. But I wish some way the family could just give the Monarchy to Princess Anne, the Princess Royal. She would make a great queen.
Any Marvel or DC fans here too? I am selling a batch of cover-less DC and Marvel Comics on eBay. Included are the Fantastic Four #52 from 1961 which features the introduction of Black Panther, and Spiderman #101 v. 1 #101 from 1971, introduction of Morbius.
These were from my dear brother John’s estate, and although cover-less they are all still a good read!
They all start at .99 cents. You can see all 30 of them here. Have fun! (U.S. only please)
Again, here’s all 30 that I am selling, the first ones end on Monday May 30th 🙂
I realize I’m a day late for Passover, but I wish all my readers here a beautiful Easter, Passover and Spring! With greetings from Spock and my cat Buddy! Remember to stay safe this weekend and always <3 love, Therese
— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) April 1, 2022
Here’s some stills from the promo (pardon the quality) — I notice a couple of interesting things.
Familiar Font with clever insertion of the delta star.I think the hair is a bit short on the sides, but it works! Interesting variations on the sideburns (see below)Captain Pike has a killer quiff!Uhura’s back! Yay!! And a new style badge!Of course all the new uniforms will be more sophisticated. Looks like an old style medical scanner there. The crew quarters look a bit more luxuriousOh Look, it’s T’Pring! This looks familiar…Uh Oh! Deja-vu Part IIIt appears in this version, Spock and T’Pring were snuggly as young adults. In TOS it gave the impression that Spock hadn’t seen T’Pring since she was a child.
I am not too concerned about this tweaking of canon. It looks exciting and fun. But I don’t like that delta pillow! I hope this series won’t over-brand itself (seeing the delta everywhere) . I can imagine there will be comparisons galore to TOS, but I will not be aiming to spout a burst of nit-picky whining. Hey, it’s Star Trek! I’m happy. A great escape from the the real world when you need it.
By the way, as to Star Trek sequels, I may be in the the minority here but I loveDiscovery regardless of its criticism from die-hard fans. In fact, I enjoy pretty much all the variations. (some more than others) A lot of love has gone into them, and I appreciate it!
May Trek LLAP! As long as Paramount doesn’t overdo it! And I dig Spock’s squiggly sideburns.
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Note: I write this without any knowledge of Star Trek fan-fiction or any of the official published fiction or comics of the franchise. The following is purely my fertile imaginings.
In the Star Trek:TNG episode Sarek, Captain Picard mentions that he met Sarek at “his son’s wedding”. But we never know when that wedding was or to whom Spock was married. This opens up a host of possibilities.
I thought, well, who would Spock have married in Picard’s time? Could it be possible that Picard wasn’t referring Spock at all but Sarek’s other son Sybok? Nope. Sybok was already dead in the time of TNG. It couldn’t have been anyone he had known during his time in Starfleet; they would all be deceased by the time Picard was around (save for McCoy) Yet this fact does not rule out that Spock may have married once or more in his many decades before Picard.
So how many weddings did Spock have? Let’s just say that if Kirk was the Casanova of Starfleet Romances, Spock was the Henry the Eighth of Starfleet Weddings! On to the ceremonies, and may you never mistake the following for canon!
Wedding #1 T’Pring — Again!
Wedding #1, but not for long.
In the fourth year of the Enterprise’s voyage, Spock received word that his unconquered rival for T’Pring, Stonn, had died unexpectedly while rock climbing on Capella IV. According to Vulcan tradition, because Spock had survived the Kalifee, he was expected to marry T’Pring as originally planned. Spock agreed, to bring honor to T’Pring and her family and they were married by T’Pau. Jim Kirk was best man, happy that this time it didn’t mean a battle to the death! He didn’t dare kiss the bride, although he did squeeze in an incredibly intense hug! Yet seventy-seven days later, it was revealed that Stonn had not died while rock climbing on Capella IV, but had instead been in clandestine meetings with lawyer Samuel Cogley to arrange a divorce from T’Pring. You see, Stonn had realized not long after his marriage that Spock was right; how “having (was) not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting.” T’Pau had their marriage annulled immediately. Spock went back to the Enterprise, much to the delight of the crew. (Especially several potential prospects…) T’Pring later had a brief fling with Captain Kirk, just to see how her chosen rival would have been, but she never spoke of it again.
Wedding #2 Christine in the Sistine
Christine’s dream finally came true, at least for a while…
So, when Spock came back to the Enterprise, no one was more thrilled than Nurse Christine Chapel, who had pined for him for ages. With T’Pring out of the way, she managed to convince Spock that their forced kiss on Platonious wasn’t so bad and that it was surely “illogical to protest against our natures”. With the five-year mission ending, Spock succumbed to the logic of the situation, not to mention Christine’s excellent spicy plomeek soup. They took their vows within days after the Enterprise‘s last mission. Logically, Christine Chapel married Spock in the Sistine Chapel, and the good nurse chose green as an accent color, to compliment her husband’s T-Negative blood. Jim Kirk was best man again, feeling some relief that Spock was off the market, if a bit green with envy. (How did Spock land the most beautiful blond on the ship?) Kirk kissed the bride, and almost the groom too, but quickly backed off.
Alas, this union too did not last. The good nurse loved her Vulcan, she really did. But his incessant Vulcan-splaining on every. aspect. of her illogical humanity even wore her down in time. Two years was enough, the divorce was uncontested, and they remained friends. “You can never stop loving someone like Spock” she said, “Our time together will always warm my heart.” She went back Starfleet and became a full-time doctor. She had a fling with Captain Kirk, but later married Dr. McCoy. She’d still send Spock Plomeek Soup every Christmas.
Wedding #3Back to Paradise?
Maybe Leila should have saved some Spore seeds…
Although Spock’s divorce from Christine was a disappointment, he was thankful for Jim Kirk and his other friends through Starfleet who kept in touch. Spock took a five year leave from Starfleet, delighting his father by becoming a professor at the Vulcan Science Academy. Surprisingly, three years into his tenure, his former lover, Leila Kalomi became an fellow professor there, specializing in Botany. After a failed tryst with Elias Sandoval, Leila took the job on Vulcan knowing through Starfleet gossip of Spock’s two marriages. With love for Spock still in her heart for over a decade and their brief, requited romance on Omicron Ceti III still burning in her memory, she convinced him that the third time would be the charm.
They married two months later on that same planet, in a sentimental wedding ceremony where Spock swung from a tree years earlier. The bride wore creamy lace, with a deactivated bouquet of spore buds. Jim Kirk was again the best man, and he couldn’t wait to kiss the bride. Hmm.
But then, nearly a year into the marriage, Leila also found out that having was a somewhat less pleasing thing than wanting, for Spock without spores was far less cuddly than Spock with spores. He could spend hours, even days away with his intensive work projects, often working into the weekends. Leila’s loneliness was becoming unbearable, and Pon Farr was still two years away.
At a Starfleet Conference, she found herself entertained by Captain Kirk, who sang an intense, staccato karaoke version of “Layla” to her at an after party. Maybe it was the Saurian Brandy, maybe it was her increasing isolation from Spock, but rock n’ roll history repeated itself, and she found herself taken in by Starfleet’s hammy Lothario. Wracked with guilt, she told Spock all about the affair as soon as she got back, asking forgiveness but also tearfully suggesting that they divorce. Spock responded:
“Considering the Captain’s proclivity for love addiction, I am not surprised that he seduced you. Your actions were logical, as I am aware that I have been physically neglectful to you. Leila, I need not forgive you.” His eyes lowered. “I hope you can forgive me. I understand your need to be free.” He touched her cheek. “There are times I regret that I am what I am. But in your own way, you have made me…happy”
They agreed to a friendly divorce, and remained friends. Spock cut his five year stint on Vulcan short and returned to his commission in Starfleet. He attended Leila’s wedding to Lt. Kevin O’Reily only two years later, and wished them well.
Wedding #4With a Song in His Heart
Spock and Uhura enjoyed sweet harmony. At least for a few bars.
Uhura had seen her friend Spock go through three marriages with little success. But she knew a secret to his heart. Had it really been nearly a decade or so since her first flirtation with him on the Enterprise bridge? She had enjoyed their mutual love of music all these years and their musical bond grew ever closer as he taught her to play his treasured Vulcan Lyrette. “Music soothes the Vulcan brain,” she smiled, “and we communicate the language of love! They wed at the foot of the great Kagera Falls in Burundi. Yet romantic as it was, it proved a hindrance to their vows. The gushing falls were so loud they could barely hear themselves.
A week later they received notice from Starfleet that their marriage was annulled as a recording of their vows revealed what they actually said:
“I, Spock, bake you, Nyota, for my waffle shredded fife, to calve and twofold from this lay forward, for wetter, for verse, for snitcher, for borer, in thickness and stealth, until Beth does us tart.”
“I, Nyota, shake you Spock, for my awful bedded custard, to halve and toe-hold from this play forward, for, petter, for purse, for twitcher, for horror, in chicness and in felt, until Seth does Jean Smart.”
And so yet another marriage down the drain for Spock. The honeymoon did produce a wonderful result though. Their son… Tuvok.* Kirk swooped in to ‘comfort’ Uhura but she told him to get lost.
Wedding #5 Yes They Did!
By now it was becoming clear to Spock that maybe he was just not cut out for marriage.
Jim Kirk had been watching Spock’s nuptial entanglements for nearly 10 years now, and found himself longing to make his friend happy. Well, at least as happy as a Vulcan can be. Kirk took it upon himself to take Spock on a vacation. They settled on the beach-side planet of Aquara. Spock insisted he needed quiet time, and spent hours meditating by the ocean. Kirk rode horses on the beach and chased the bikinis.
Of course this sent tongues wagging. For years the crew wondered if the ‘Space Husbands’ of the Enterprise had any basis in fact. Well… Kirk couldn’t stay distracted from Spock for long. He trekked up the sea cliff where Spock sat, cross-legged and shirtless as the waves dashed below him.
“Spock.” Kirk sighed, “I feel so awful about your marriages. “I’m here for you. Spock. How can I. Help you?”
“I assure you, Captain, I am working my way through this. Indeed, I am contemplating a complete severance from my human side, to embrace my logic–“
“–No Spock, you mustn’t! Look, Marriage may not have agreed with you, but you can’t throw it –all away — because they — didn’t work!”
Spock’s eyebrow raised. “Sir. You are an excellent captain, but from what I’ve seen of your own relationships, I respectively doubt your expertise as a marriage counselor.”
Kirk’s eyes pleaded. “We all need someone, Spock. Relationships are our life’s blood”
“You slept with three of my wives.”
“Well…we humans can be illogical and sometimes irrational. Forgive me, but I … had my reasons!”
“I presumed it was your insatiable need for intimacy and to support comfort to them.”
“Spock! Can’t you SEE?? You’re… the Bert to my Ernie, the Cher to my Sonny – Dammit, Spock, I had them all because they.Had. YOU! I……LOVE YOU! Please! Give me a chance before you throw it. All. Away! And please call me Jim.”
Spock’s eyebrows almost crawled right off the top of his forehead. Not wanting to disappoint his captain and friend, Spock agreed to a ‘trial marriage’ and them were wed in a Starbase lounge.
A week later, Kirk was promoted to Admiral, and if there was one thing Kirk wanted more than Spock, it was a promotion. Besides, he didn’t want to be a stepfather to Tuvok. The marriage was annulled, and Spock went back to Vulcan yet again, this time to achieve Kolinahr.
Wedding # 6 THIS was the Picard one!
Years passed. Of course, Kirk and Spock came together on the new Enterprise to solve the mystery of V’Ger. Spock was devoted to his Enterprise family for the rest of their lives, and remained a devoted father to Tuvok and friend to all his exes.
Spock decided after all his adventures with his Enterprise family had come to end that he would devote the rest of his life to a cause he had longed hoped for; the reunification of Vulcans and Romulans. He started by holding lectures on Vulcan, and as word got out, it attracted many young Vulcans, and one night, afterwards, an unexpected guest.
When the hall was nearly empty, a figure in a deep grey cloak approached him.
“May I speak with you?”
The voice was somewhat familiar, like something out of the past.
“Of course.”
The figure looked around to see if all the others were gone, and slowly pulled back the cowl. A familiar half-smile greeted him. A good thing he hadn’t been drinking his water, for he would have surely had a spit-take.
“Liviana!” he almost gasped.
The former Romulan Commander from whom he had helped his captain pilfer the cloaking device years earlier, now stood before him, her eyes crinkling as her smile fully bloomed.
“Hello, Spock.”
Spock cleared his throat. “It is pleasing to see you.”
“The pleasure is mine.” Her eyes shone. “I believe in your endeavor to achieve Unification. May we discuss the logistics of bringing our worlds together?”
“I would be honored.”
Within months, not only had they worked out a long-term plan to bring Romulans and Vulcans together, but had rediscovered their own personal connection, which truly had become more permanent as Spock had implied with hope those many years ago.
They married in a holodeck of Roman style gardens, where they were congratulated by Jean-Luc Picard.
I came across the site MyCast yesterday where one can create fantasy story-lines that they’d like to see become a real movie, TV Show or video game.
I couldn’t resist – so I created a story-line, cast and even poster for an imagined biography of Leonard Nimoy called Spock Amok! I would love to see this become a reality, but do you think anyone would be interested in it?
I’ve had this idea for years and actually mentioned this idea to the delightful Terry Farrell (Dax of Deep Space Nine and wife of Adam Nimoy) about a year ago on a live chat, and she said that no one had considered making a Nimoy bio, but I think she liked the idea!
When I made the poster, I thought up the by-line “How does one live in their own Shadow” and the idea of Nimoy’s Spock shading Adam Driver seemed a good option! I was delighted to find a pic of Mr. Driver looking down, a bit sad. It helped that he was dressed a but like Leonard used to also. And by the way, if Spock here looks a little odd, it’s because I photo-shopped Mr. Driver’s eyes, nose, and mouth into the image of Nimoy’s Spock!
I created my fantasy cast too, although I’m sure I can add more. Adam Driver as Leonard Nimoy, Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman as Max and Dora (Spinner) Nimoy, Jessica Chastain as Sandra Zober Nimoy, Michael Douglas as Gene Roddenberry, Kellan Lutz as William Shatner, Sandra Bullock as Susan Bay Nimoy, Karl Urban (of course) as DeForest Kelley and Lauren London as Nichelle Nichols. It would be written by Julie Nimoy and directed by Adam Nimoy! I’ll add more cast as I think of them.
So I have to ask, would you pay to see a Nimoy biopic? Maybe if I get enough people to vote their choices here, we can make it a reality! Please vote here! And enjoy.
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Friends, forgive me for not posting in a while. I am working on a couple of fun articles that I will put up soon.
But at the moment, what an awful, hellish time for the world.
As we continue to struggle through the pandemic and hope for its swift decrease, we are now at the crossroads of war because, and I must be blunt, of Vladimir Putin’s greed. I do not blame the people of Russia; I know that the majority of them also do not approve of this war, but I do blame him, and the sickeningly servitude our former American president gave him in the last administration. I am sick with what is happening in Ukraine and I pray that somehow this will not escalate and cause more hell.
As a child I had hoped that by the 21st Century mankind would have outgrown the need for war. But as long as there are greedy people who only care about what will benefit them, we may never reach the utopia that so much of our fiction had hoped for and promised us. The utopian world of Star Trek seems farther away now than ever. But we must not give up hope, for if we do, all is lost. I still believe in hope, and the possibility that someday we will see the light of love and compassion. I still believe that good can overcome evil, and I always will.
I came across this video today of this beautiful song,The Prayer, and its lyrics seem more poignant today. No matter your beliefs please pray for Ukrane, for its victims, its children, for the whole world.
Whatever the future brings, I still believe in hope. Keep praying.
Celine Dion and Josh Groban sing The Prayer. The song starts at 1:45
As I did last year and as I hope to do every year, here is my collage tribute to all the wonderful actors, entertainers, writers, musicians, and newsmakers who have passed on. So many wonderful lives here; some long, some painfully too short. But all memorable. Sadly we lost several notable Star Trek guest actors too, but I’m thankful I can include them as often they are overlooked. I’ve included as many as I can find, and forgive me if I left some out. But I hope you will find some beloved familiar faces, and discover some new ones! Lots of inspiration here. Gone but not forgotten, Rest in Peace.
I’ve included a Key to all the faces below. Let me know who you remember and enjoyed! <3
1. Senator Harry Reid, 82, Senate Majority Leader under POTUS Obama 2. Colin Powell, 84, Former Secretary of State, General under POTUS G.W.Bush 3.Walter Mondale, 93, Senator of Minnesota, Presidential Candidate 1984. 4.Mort Sahl, 94, Political Comedian, In Love and War, Don’t Make Waves5. Captain Sir Tom Moore, 100, Beloved British WWII Army Captain who walked 100 laps around his garden leading up to his 100th birthday, to raise money for Covid. He raised millions of pounds. Sadly later passed from Covid,but not before he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. 6. Bell Hooks, 69, Writer, Professor, Activist, Ain’t I A Woman?7. Jackie Mason, 93, Borscht Belt Comedy Legend 8. Janet Malcolm, 86, Writer and journalist The Silent Woman, Nobody’s Looking at You 9. Desmond Mpilo Tutu, 90, Archbishop of South Africa, Anti-Apartheid Activist and Peacemaker.10.Joan Didion, 87, Writer, Slouching Toward Bethlehem, The Year of Magical Thinking11. Ned Beatty, 83, Actor, Deliverance, Superman, Network, The Big Easy.12. Michael Constantine, 94, Actor, Room 222, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 13. Cicely Tyson, 96, Beloved Actress Sounder, Roots, The Biography of Miss Jane Pittman 14. Norm MacDonald, 61, comedian and actor, Saturday Night Live15. Jean Paul Belmondo, 88, Actor and Director, Breathless,L’Homme de Rio,Le Professionnel16. Michael K. Williams, 54, Actor, Django Unchained, 12 Years a Slave, Assassin’s Creed17. Tanya Roberts, 65, Actress A View to a Kill, Sheena, The Beastmaster18. Granville Adams, 58, Actor, Oz, Homicide: Life on the Street, Empire 19. Dustin Diamond, 44, Actor Saved by the Bell, Pee Wee’s Big Top 20. Dean Stockwell, 85, Actor, The Boy with the Green Hair, Quantum Leap21. Dilip Kumar, 98, Beloved Bollywood Actor Devdas, Madhumati, Ram, Aur, Shyam 22. Arlene Golonka, 85, Actress, Mayberry RFD, Hang ‘Em High, Penelope23. Willard Scott, 87, original Ronald McDonald, beloved weatherman of The Today Show24.Charles Grodin 86, Actor, Heaven Can Wait,Seems Like Old Times 25. Claus Evans, 85, Beloved local repertory actor of The Cider Mill Playhouse and more, Fiddler on the Roof, A Christmas Carol, 1776. 26. John Arndt, 93, Actor, as various crew-members in 5 Star Trek TOS episodes. 27. Fran Bennett, 84, Actress, Star Trek TNG: Redemption I, The Manor.28. Henry Darrow, 88, Actor, Manito Montoya on High Chaparral, Kolopak on Star Trek Voyager29.Mimi Cozzens, 86, Actress, The Master, Question of Honor, and ST:TNG- Reunification Part I (Romulan Soup Woman) 30. Gregory Sierra, 83, Actor, Sanford & Son, Barney Miller, Star Trek DS931. Beverly Cleary, 104, Magical Children’s Author, Ramona series 32. Eric Carle, 91, Children’s Author The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar 33. Sarah Weddington, 76, Attorney, Law Professor, won Roe V. Wade 34. Cloris Leachman, 94, Beloved Actress The Last Picture Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Raising Hope 35. Peter Scolari, 66, Actor, Bosom Buddies, Newhart, That Thing You Do!36. Brayden Smith 24, Young 5-time Champion of Jeopardy!37. Sally Ann Howes, 91, Actress, Singer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mission Impossible38 .Don Everly, 84, Musician, writer, with brother Phil, half of The Everly Brothers, All I have to Do is Dream, Wake Up Little Susie39.Walter Olkewicz, 72, Actor, Twin Peaks, Seinfeld, Cheers40. Lionel Blair, 92, British Dancer Give Us a Clue, The Real Marigold Hotel 41. Haya Harareet, 89, Beautiful Actress, Last surviving cast member of Ben-Hur (1959) where she played Esther. 42.Jane Withers 95, actress, Affairs of Geraldine, Giant, and in Comet commercials Josephine the plumber 43. Jane Powell, 92 Actress, Singer, Dancer, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Royal Wedding 44. Betty Lynn, 95 Actress, Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show45. George Gerdes, 72, Singer, Composer, Character Actor Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, NCIS46. Sophie 34, musician and activist, It’s Okay to Cry47.James Hormel, 88, American philanthropist, LGBT activist, diplomat, and heir to the Hormel meatpacking fortune 48. Tom LeGarde, 90, Musician and actor, along with brother Ted, one of The LeGarde Twins, a pioneering Australian Country Duo. Also with his brother, one of the Herman Series in I, Mudd, Star Trek TOS 49. Gavin O’Herlihy, 70, Actor, Happy Days, Willow, and as Maje Jabin in Star Trek Voyager (Caretaker) 50. Nathan Jung, 74 Actor, Genghis Khan on Star Trek TOS, Big Trouble in Little China, Darkman .51. Jan Shutan 88, Actress, lovely and determined Lt. Mira Romaine TOS The Lights of Zetar52. Eddie Paskey, 81 Actor and stuntman, beloved Mister Leslie, and several other crew members on Star Trek TOS53. Alex Cord, 88, Actor, Dylan Hunt in (Gene Roddenberry’s) Genesis II, Archangel in Airwolf 54. Sharon Begley 64, Science Journalist, The Plastic Brain, Can’t Just Stop 55. Willie Garson,57, Actor, 57 Sex and the City 56. Ed Asner, 91, Actor, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, Up57.Betty White, 99, beloved pioneering Television actress and Comedienne, Password, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls58.Prince Philip 99, Husband and Consort of Queen Elizabeth II 59. Deshayla Harris 29, Singer/rapper Bad Girls Club60. Chick Corea 79, Jazz Legend & composer, keyboardist, bandleader, Light as a Feather61. Marion Ramsey 73, Actress, Officer Laverne Hooks in Police Academy movies. 62. Arlene Dahl, 96, Hollywood Actress, Journey to the Center of the Earth, My Wild Irish Rose63. AnneBuydens Douglas, 102, Producer, Deep River, Widow of Kirk Douglas.64. Mary Wilson 76, Beloved Singer, Co-Founding Member of The Supremes 65. Joanne Rogers 92, Puppeteer, writer, and wife of Mister Rogers, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. 66. Neville ‘Bunny’ Wailer, 73, Founding Member of The Wailers 67.Nick Kamen,59, Model and Singer, I Promised Myself, Each Time 68. Joseph Siravo 64, Actor, Carlito’s Way, The Sopranos 69. Robert Herron 97, Actor Stuntman, “Sam” in Charlie X Star Trek TOS70. Christopher Plummer 91, Shakespearian Actor, Oedipus Rex,The Sound of Music, and General Chang in Star Trek VI71. Joanne Linville, 93. Actress, Twilight Zone, Star Trek TOS as the Romulan Commander. Author, Seven Steps to an Acting Craft. 72. Mary-Linda Rapelye, 76, Actress, In Cold Blood, As the World Turns, and Irina in Star Trek’s The Way to Eden73. Camille Saviola, 71, Broadway Actress, Nine, The Heights, Chicago, and KaiOpaka in DS974. Michael McKenzie, 74, My dear oldest Brother, Scuptor, Writer, Author, loving Dad, Major Toad. 75. John McKenzie, 70, My dear second oldest Brother, hard working, loving artist, helper, and every-man .76. Joe Lara 58, Actor, Tarzan, Hologram Man. 77. George Segal 87, Actor, The Goldbergs, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?78.Gavin MacLeod 90, Actor, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat 79. Markie Post, 70, Actress, The Fall Guy, Night Court, and Hearts Afire80. Deezer D (Dearon) Thompson 55, Actor, ER, Rapper It’s Goin’ Down Tonight, Stop-I love Hip Hop. 81. DMX,(Earl Simmons),50, Rapper Party Up, Where the Hood At?82. Jay Pickett 60, Actor, General Hospital, Port Charles. 83. Olympia, Dukakis 89,Oscar Award winning Actress Moonstruck. Steel Magnolias,Mr. Holland’s Opus. 84. Dusty Hill 78, Musician, member of ZZ Top, Legs 85.Melvin Van Peebles 89, Actor, filmmaker, playwright, novelist, and composer. Father of actor Mario. 86. Gerry Marsden 78, Gerry and the Pacemakers Ferry Cross the Mersey 87. Charlie Watts 80, Beloved drummer of The Rolling Stones 88.Carlos Marin, 53, Beloved baritone singer of Il Divo 89.Trisha Noble 76, Singer Actress, Carry On Series, Columbo, Star Wars Episodes II and III as Jobal Naberrie 90. Inge Ginsberg, 99, Holocaust Survivor and Heavy Metal singer. Inge & the Tritone Kings91. Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, 70, Saxophonist, Kool & the Gang, 92. Harry Brandt, 24, Model, Socialite 93. Art Lafleur, 78, Actor The Sandlot, Field of Dreams 94. Peter Mark Richman 93, Actor, Santa Barbara, Dynasty, Ralph Offenhouse in Star Trek TNG93. 95. Lisa Banes 65, Actress, Gone Girl, Cocktail, Star Trek DS9, (Dr. Renhol) 96. Patrick Horgan, 92, Actor, Zelig, The Doctors, Ryans Hope, and Eneg in Patterns of Force (TOS) 97. JoAnna Cameron 70, Actress, The Secrets of Isis, Shazaam!. B.S. I Love You. 98. Reuben B. Klamer, 99, Engineer and creator of the Phaser Rifle used in the first pilot episodes of Star Trek99. Tom. O‘Conner, 80, British Television host 100. Mira Furlan, 65, beloved Actress of Babylon 5 and Lost101. Stuart Damon, 84, Actor, Prince Charming in Cinderella and Dr. Alan Quartermaine on General Hospital.102.Larry King 87, Talk Show Host, Larry King Live103. Jahmil French, 29, Actor Degrassi: The Next Generation 104.Hal Holbrook 95, Beloved Actor, All the Presidents Men, Mark Twain Tonight105. ClarenceWilliams III, 81, Actor, The Mod Squad, Tales from the Hood106. Al Harrington, 85 Actor, Hawaii Five-0 107. Leon Spinks 67, Heavyweight Boxing Champion. 108. Paddy Moloney 83, Lead singer with tin whistle with The Cheiftans109. Michael Nesmith,78, Musician and Composer, Beloved Member of The Monkees, instrumental in creating MTV. 110. Hilton Valentine, 77, Musician, guitarist for The Animals 111. Quindon Traver 38, Singer, Everybody’s Free, When Doves Cry (cover) 112. Astro, (Terence) Wilson,64, Founding Member of UB40 Red Red Wine, Kingston Town113. Brian Travers,80, Founding Member UB40 114.Sylvain (Mizrahi) Sylvain 69, Musician, New York Dolls. 117. Tawny Kitaen 59, Actress, Model in Whitesnake video, Here I Go Again, Bachelor Party, 115. Mark Eden, 92, Actor, Coronation Street116. Johnny Briggs, 85, Actor Coronation Street117. Tawny Kitaen 59, Actress, Model in Whitesnake video, Here I Go Again, Bachelor Party118.Ron Popiel ,86 Creator of the Pocket Fisherman, the Veg-O-Matic and Master of all the other gadgets you thought you couldn’t live without. 119. Peter Ackroyd 65, Actor and writer, Saturday Night Live, brother of actor/comedian Dan Ackroyd. 120. Helen McCrory 52, ActressHarry Potter Movies, Skyfall, Peaky Blinders, wife of actor Damian Lewis. 121.Jackie Lane 79, Actress, Singer, Dr Who, Compact 122. Una Stubbs, 84, Actor, Dancer, Til Death Us Do Part, Worzel Gummidge, Sherlock123. John Paragon, 66 Comedian and Actor, Jambi on Pee Wee’s Playhouse.124.Felix Silla 84, Beloved character actor, Buck Rogers (Twikki) , Cousin Itt, and even a background Talosian!125. Barbara Shelly 86, Queen of Horror Movies Dracula Prince of Darkness, Village of the Damned, Five Million Years to Earth126. Elbaz Alber, 59, fashion designer, Creative Director of Lanvin, Paris 127. Anne Rice 80, Gothic Novelist, Interview with the Vampire 128. Paul Ritter 54, Character Actor, Harry Potter, Chernobyl. 129. Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, 82, Actor, Kill Bill I & II, The Street Fighter. 130. Siegfried Fischbacher, 81, Tiger Trainer, partner of the late Roy Horn. 131.Yaphet Kotto 85 Actor, Live and Let Die, Alien132. Jessica Walter 80, Actress, Play Misty for Me, Arrested Development, Archer133. (Henry) ‘Hank’ Aaron 86, Baseball Legend, #44, Milwaukee Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, who broke Babe Ruth’s hitting record in 1974. (715 hits) 134. Biz Markie, 57 rapper, actor, producer, Just a Friend, Let Go My Eggo135. Graeme Edge 80, Drummer for the Moody Blues Nights in White Satin136. Tommy Lasorda 93, Manager of the LA Dodgers 1976-1996. 137. Vincent Jackson, 38, Football Player, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.138. Michael Apted, 75, British Film Director, SEVEN Up! 63 Up, The World is not Enough139. Sondheim Stephen, 91, Genius Lyricist, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music 140. John Madden, 85, Beloved American Football Coach and Broadcaster, 141. James Michael Tyler, 59, Actor, Friends142. Halna Hutchens, 42, Ukrainian Cinematographer, Archenemy, Rust 143. Robert Downey Sr, 85 Actor, Director Father of Robert Downey Jr. 144. Mike Mitchell,77, Musician with The Kingsmen Louie, Louie145. Virgil Abloh, 41, American Fashion designer and Entrepreneur. Artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear 146.Richard Gilliland,76, Actor,Designing Women, The Waltons (husband of actress Jean Smart) 147. John Reilly, 86, Actor, General Hospital, Sunset Beach, and Passions148. Jean-Marc Vallee,58, Canadian filmmaker, film editor, and screenwriter. Dallas Buyers Club, Young Victoria149. Richard Donner, 91, Director, Superman (1978) The Goonies. 150. James Hampton, 84, Actor, F Troop, (Dobbs) Teen Wolf, Sling Blade 151. Tommy Kirk, 79, beloved Disney Actor, Old Yeller, The Swiss Family Robinson, The Shaggy Dog. Fired from Disney for being openly gay.
I’m so excited to say that after 10 years posting this blog, I figured it was time to give this ol’ girl a little renovation! So with the help of my Excellent WordPress Tech Person, Trish, I upgraded the look of my little page to something a little more modern and eye-friendly! A THOUSAND thanks, Trish! To be fair, the old web design I was using, “Coraline” had been retired. So a new year, a new look!
I’ve also added a “Buy me a Coffee Cup of Tea” Button above right so if you like what you see here, you can donate to me above (and here) with one click! This will really help to support the financial end of this blog. Sadly, since Covid began, I haven’t been able to to do much Substitute Teacher aide work so any contribution is welcome <3 (but no obligation!)
I hope you’ll enjoy the new look, and I’ll probably make a few tweaks here and there as time goes on. (Wondering if I can add my own custom font to the header above). Let me know how you like it! It certainly inspires me to write more posts! (and a little more variety too!) With luck it will go on for another 10 years!
Thank you all my readers for helping to make this site a reality! Be sure to check the archives (here on the right by the month and year) to catch up on anything you missed! (Over a 1000 posts!)
I’ll be posting my annual Farewells Collage very soon, so stay tuned!
Scott Mantz is an award winning Film Critic and host of moviemantz.com. Steve Morris is a Film maker and film historian as well as the host of The Cine-Files. Between these two movie-loving wizards, one gets insights into TOS that they may have never considered before!
And best of all, they are reviewing each episode in production order; that is the way they were originally produced, not aired. (Like the way I created all my Star Trek posters!) This gives the listener a chance to grow along with Trek as it buds into the first real adult-themed science fiction drama. This was no Captain Video or Lost in Space, it was truly first drama series set in space, often mirroring the turbulent times in which it was created, with with modern commentaries wrapped in the wings of sci-fi. We see how the characters develop week to week, and how (thankfully) some ideas were rejected (so glad Spock was not painted red!).
Scott and Steve are several years younger than I am, and like them, I am part of what they have cleverly dubbed “The Syndication Generation”. These were the middle-schoolers and teens that caught up with Star Trek when it first hit syndication in the early 70s. And as you may know, it was the syndication of Trek that launched it into the TV legend it is today!
I totally identify with these guys. When I hear their excited and almost brotherly banter, I’m thinking – “Yes! Yes! That’s what I thought too!” They each have a backlog of Trek minutiae, but their clear love and devotion to TOS will make any fan feel right at home. But the most astonishing thing about these dives is how much even die-hard fans will find new and enlightening about Trek.
Consider this — You learn not only what went on during productions of TOS, but what real-life events were happening the week of that production and sometimes how it affected the stories. I have also learned some of the production lingo – like a musical “sting” which is when you hear a blast of music at a tense time in the drama (often just before a commercial break).*
They also consider points like the following:
How different the series was in The Cage and what a different series it would have been had the the first pilot had become the series. (Honestly, although The Cage was brilliant, Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike would have given it a totally different vibe).
What would have happened to Yeoman Rand if Grace Lee Whitney wasn’t (shamefully) fired? Consider all the stories that involved Yeoman’s in season 1 after she left; a LOT of these stories were originally written for Yeoman Rand, which surely would have given her a much stronger presence, not to mention a closer relationship with Captain Kirk.
What single direction did Leonard Nimoy receive early on gave him great insight into the Spock character?
Was Lieutenant Charlene Masters supposed to fall in love with Lazarus?
Was Lt. Kevin Riley supposed to be a regular character?
Why didn’t they just use a shuttlecraft in The Enemy Within? (that’s easy!)
One thing I really love about the podcast is how these two dive into the often incredible dialogue and mindsets of the characters that one may have never noticed before or forgot. You’ll be delighted to hear their insights into how and why episodes were written and produced, and these guys pull no punches either. If there is an episode they love, you’ll know, and if it’s one that that they consider the worst, they tastefully and succinctly describe how and where it went wrong and how it could have been so much better under different circumstances. But regardless of quality, they clearly LOVE The Original Series.
I do wish we could also have a female point of view here — but they have occasional guests, and I haven’t heard all the episodes yet** so they might have a woman on in the future. — Heck, I’d LOVE to have a deep dive into TOS with these guys! Gentleman, I congratulate you on this fine euphoric podcast!
So hop on board with Scott and Steve – you’ll be in Trekkie heaven!
Drinking game – You’ll have to swig a Tranya whenever you hear “You’re so right!” and “I agree 100%!” 😉
* My Son is taking film-making and it helps me to understand his courses!
Hi Everyone! Hoping you had a fun New Year’s Eve and are enjoying a restful first day of 2022! I bet a lot of you watch football. I don’t, but for some reason, well…
Last week for Christmas I received this marvelous 1:6 Spock Head from a dealer on eBay. I knew I couldn’t afford the entire doll, but I could buy a separate body for him on-line and the whole thing would be a fraction of the price of the original.
So first, here’s the marvelous head, that looks so much like Nimoy as Spock it’s astonishing; right down to the tiny extra nub of flesh below his right ear!
Almost creepy, isn’t it? (dealer picture)
Knowing I was going to receive this for Christmas (okay, I bought it and my husband paid for it!) I started looking into little civillian clothes for my new wee Spock. I hadn’t bought a body for him yet, but I figured I could just buy Ken doll body for him and stick it on. Little did I know…
I found an adorable vintage football outfit for a Ken Doll from the early 60’s. Even though I don’t do football, I thought this would be fun for Spock to wear, as I looked forward to dressing and displaying him in un-Spockly fashion. This was a bargain for all the pieces as it wasn’t in the original packaging:
There was a little spot on the 7,but I could fix that. The rubber shoulder pads and helmet cracked me up.
Oh dear, then it was like a can of Pringles… I had to find a few more outfits. Then I had to find a body to add the head to. I found a cheap GI Joe that looked suitable, and a cool vintage Ken Navy blue velvet blazer, a Ken red shawl neck sweater, a Ken collegiate Letterman cardigan and even Ken pajamas! My Spock would be the best dressed ever!
Not so fast.
First, I couldn’t get the head off of the GI Joe, and I didn’t want to ruin it, so he’s back in the box until I sell him. So I delved into the world of 1:6th scale action doll figures, and I found a model that was compatible with the Spock head. So when it arrived, the body had several sets of hands and that could be attached, but the feet weren’t attached either. I got the hands on okay, but the feet were tricky. My husband got them on, but the first time he got them on backward!
So just in time for today, I thought I’d gear up Spock in the ol’ Ken Football uniform. Well, the rubber shoulder pads worked, and I got the red jersey over it, but alas, these 1:6 models are much more muscular in the arms and legs than any early Ken doll would ever be – and the pants were too small for these legs! And not just that — the socks and cleats (shoes) were too small too!! So all the tops for the figure could fit, but not the pants! I’m already searching for appropriate 1:6 jeans and such. I promised myself this won’t be a new obsession. Well not much.
I guess I’ll be selling back the football outfit on eBay, but at least I got a couple cute pics of Spock ready for the gridiron — at least from the waist up!
HA -ha ha ha ha!
I gotta say, the little rubber helmet is just adorable on him. Reminds me of the small role Nimoy had in “Francis Goes to West Point“!
Happy New Year Everyone! Stay safe and well! -Therese xo
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day! As it ends (only 20 minutes left!) I finally finished this Collage I worked on when I could! But since Christmas is technically 12 days, I hope you will all continue to enjoy this beautiful season! Looks like Kirk left the Holiday storage compartment open!
I’ve always liked vintage Christmas cards from around the mid-century, and I had noticed that a lot of them have a pink theme to them, making them extra cheery and even soothing. I wondered, was this a creative ploy to attract women to Christmas cards to go along with their pink stoves and refrigerators? How did pink sneak into the palette of overwhelming Red and Green of the season? According to Kate Smith, a color expert,consultant and designer :
“Pink has been definitively linked to toning down aggression, and its use in holding cells for violent criminals has been quite effective…Pink symbolizes youth, good health, and playfulness. It’s the flush of first love and stands for nurturing femininity. It’s used as the symbolic color of the movement to support breast cancer research, and we think of pink as an innocent, cheerful color.”
“As a color of advent, pink or rose is used during Gaudete Sunday, or the third Sunday of Advent in the Catholic Church. The color pink doesn’t just represent love and joy, but also reveal the shift of the season from repentance towards celebration. The candle of joy or the Shepherd candle, which happens to be the third Advent wreath candle is pink in color.”
Of course Red and Green represent the sacrifice and birth of Jesus, but pink reminds us innocence and love, and that Christmas is coming (sometimes too soon!) It’s a time to celebrate. The pink-infused Christmas greetings of the past mid-century surely instill a sense of calm. It is a soft color of tenderness and affection. Yet pink creeped into our Christmas pallet long before then. In some Victorian images, Father Christmas was portrayed in pink. Maybe pink recalls sunrise or sunset on the sparkling snow. But I think over all that the idea of a ‘Pink Christmas” just came about because it’s so darn pretty! It’s a happy candy-colored fantasy, and truly makes for a joyful statement.
All these pink images peppered my imagination with ideas of a Pink Christmas Wonderland Collage, and here was the result. I gotta get my tree up! Have a safe and beautiful Christmastime everyone and may all your Christmases have some Pink!
If this page looks a bit goofy to you, I understand. I’ve been trying to upgrade it with a “Buy Me A Coffee” button so I can accept little donations to help me pay for this site. I upgraded my membership with WordPress (a whopping $300+ for two years) so I could install the ‘coffee’ widget button However at present I haven’t figured out how to have the button actually appear on the page!
As you can see, all the ‘widgits’ that usually appear on either sides of the central column of text here have now all been shoved to the side, and I haven’t figured out yet how to put them back. It also changed the background color to the new articles to yellow instead of deep purple. (Huh?) All I wanted to do was to add the button at the top of the page, but when I added it, it only gives me a link (that I can only see here in my editing section) to a separate page which seems to to be starting a whole new blog page! –Not what I had in mind.
I am now wondering if I should just transfer this 10 years of posting to the new page or what? I don’t really want to change what I had here originally.
My two computer-whiz sons will be helping me with this. But if any of you have blogs here on WordPress could you send me any suggestions? Help!
In the meantime, I am writing bits that I will post them here soon, and I appreciate your patience!
Hope you’re staying well and having a lovely holiday season! I will have more posts up before Christmas! -Therese <3
Pardon me for not writing in a while, but we have been busy getting ready for our new family member: Buddy!
As you may recall, I tragically lost my brother John to Covid at the end of August. As I slowly manage my grief for my poor brother, my heart is soothed by his beloved cat, Buddy, whom we have now adopted.
Yes, last Saturday was our Caturday, and honestly, Buddy is the most affectionate cat I have ever known in my life. He loves to snuggle, and I suspect part of that is because he misses John, but I know that John trained him well to be a sweet, caring cat. He is very fastidious, and doesn’t claw the furniture. He knows the meaning of ‘No, Buddy!’ but rarely needs to be scolded.
He is just a love bug, and I feel John’s spirit in him. If there is any silver lining from losing my brother, it is this little fluffy gift of love! Buddy may not know it, but he’s my therapy cat, and I think we’re all his therapy humans!
May you all find the joy of a good furry friend <3 . Thanks for your support.
My dear brother John with Buddy in 2020. Since Buddy is an indoor cat, this was a rare outing, and boy was he excited! John kept him in tow.
He hid straight under the desk when he first came to us last Saturday, but before long…
I’ve never known a cat that willingly likes to be held like a baby!
Happy Halloween everyone! I’ve been saving up screencaps off of my TV whenever a Trek guest star appears in a different movie or TV Show, and what could be better for this season than the classic Blacula which featured four Trek guests!
Blacula was one in a series of ‘Blaxploitation’ films in the early seventies. Movies like Shaft and Foxy Brown may have seemed a bit over the top, but that was the point! These thrillers also helped to open more film opportunities for writers, actors, producers, and directors of color in the United States. 🙂
Blacula is a slightly goofy take on the original, although it alternates between low seriousness and high camp. It’s quite good, and sometimes touching.
It begins with the most used lightning flash special effect in all of Hollywood, then informs us that this is Transylvania in 1780.
Which is a bit surprising since the fine Prince Mamuwalde (William Marshall, whom we know as Dr Daystrom inThe Ultimate Computer) and his beautiful wife Luva, (Vonetta McGee) look like they just stepped out of 70s fashion magazine.
They are greeted and wined by Count Dracula played by Charles Macaulay, who was Landru in Return of Archonsand Jaris in Wolf in the Fold! You man have noticed that Dracula is wearing Trelane’s fancy coat! (I think Trelane wore it better!)
Prince Mamuwalde is hoping that Count Dracula will help him end the slave trade in Africa, but Dracula won’t bite — at least not that! He summons his vampire wives, kills Luva, and bites the poor prince Mamualde, making him into a vampire forever.
Jump ahead to the 1970s, where a painfully stereotypical gay couple buy an ancient coffin for their interior design business. Little do they know what cargo they have unearthed…
Drac is back, baby! But in a much cooler flavor-Blacula!! He makes quick work of the couple, and discovers Lisa, who is the spitting image of his beloved wife, Luva.
Now everyday Blacula by day is quite a suave charmer, but when he transforms he gets extra fuzzy. Paging Lieutenant Gordon Thomas (Thalmus Rasulala), who would later play Capt. Donald Varley in theST:TNGepisode Contagion. (He kept the funky mustache)
From here, all hell breaks lose, as Blacula feeds his cravings while denying how much he wants Lisa; creating more vampires along the way. At one point we end up in a mental asylum where Sam works. Sam is no other than veteran character actor Elisha Cook Jr., whom Trek fans will remember as Samuel Cogley, Defense Lawyer, in Court Martial. What could possible go wrong? Oh…right.
So… Will Blacula find true love and survive the LA police? Well, there were a few sequels…For now, here’s a great interview with William Marshall. How I love his voice! Enjoy!
I am so happy for William Shatner and the crew of the Blue Origin Rocket Blue Shepardwho touched the edge of space yesterday! Bill is now the oldest human at age 90 to go into space. I just wanted to hug him. Enjoy this marvelous footage from the PBS News Hour (with blessedly little commentary from the hosts) as “Captain Kirk” meets reality and this life-changing moment. I have tears of joy watching this, you might too!
In his post flight interview he is clearly overwhelmed by the technical magic he just went through and his most poignant comments involve how thin our blue ‘sheet’ of atmosphere is all there is between us and blackness. He equates it to life and death. Beautiful. Congratulations Bill! SO happy for you.
Well Well, Well. Bill Theiss had predicted the future again!! It appears this Instagram starlet, Dixie d’Amelio, wore this sister dress to Sylvia’s gown at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. I have never seen her site, nor ever watch these shows (wait, they still make music videos?) but when I came across this picture online, I had to honor William Ware Theiss’ predictive fashion yet again! Sylvia wins, of course.
Dixie d’Amelio at the 2021 MTV Music Video Awards. Sylvia (Antoinette Bpwer) shows Kirk a different look in Catspaw.
Recently I asked for your prayers for my brother John, who had been diagnosed with Covid on August 10th. I thank you for all of your care, prayers, and support.
Sadly, my dear brother John passed away from complications of Covid on August 31, just a few days after his 70th Birthday. We are devastated, especially since we just lost our only other brother, Mike,74, on July 27, only a couple weeks after a devastating fall. As I mentioned in a post recently, earlier this year I also lost my brother-in-law Jack (from M.S.) and a wonderful friend, Mary (from recurrent cancer). This has been a hellish year.
I’m sure you’ll understand why I haven’t posted for a while, but I truly appreciate your continued patronage and friendship through this site. I have been working on a fun Trek article about props, but I probably won’t get back to it for a little while, as you can imagine.
At the moment I’m still processing John’s passing, and it is hell. Michael’s passing was bad enough but somehow easier to take since he had been in the ICU for nearly two weeks. But John. The hell of it was that we couldn’t visit him in the Covid ward, and because every day he was fighting so hard just to breathe, that it was even difficult for him to talk on the phone for long, and was so weak to even text. We were able to relay to him our love not long before he passed, and he related to my remaining 4 sisters and I that he loved us too. I cannot imagine life without him, he was such a loving and helpful man; always there for us. We are broken.
My brother John was so funny and loving. At 10 years older than I, he used to torment me as a kid, like most big brothers, but he loved me and all of us dearly. (For years I’d cringe when he’d enter a room in case he’d give me a Vulcan Nerve pinch – complete with whistled sound effect!) He was a magnificent artist with pen and ink, loved car racing, motorcycles and Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. Of course he liked Trek too, it was his poster of Mr. Spock on his bedroom wall that first fascinated me with the character. He never owned a car that didn’t need body work, and he loved his cats.
The worst part of this whole event was that it was avoidable. Sadly, John wouldn’t get the vaccination, even though the rest of us had all had our shots, and had urged him to get it. Tragically, he had been taken in by misinformation and baseless conspiracy theories. In the end, he realized he realized he was wrong to have not gotten it, and regretted that he was a denier. He relayed a heartfelt apology to us. I can only take comfort that he is with our brother Mike and sister Maggie, and our Mom and Dad and all his beloved friends and family who went before him.
I can only urge anyone out there who feels that they are impervious to any current or future strain of Covid that they must take this seriously. Covid does not care about your race, nationality, sex, politics or age, it only knows it can kill you. Our only defense is masking, social distancing and most of all getting vaccinated. The more of us who are vaccinated, the better the chance we can stop the next, worse, variant in its tracks. Otherwise the variants will get worse, and we cannot afford that, not in America, not in the whole world.
If I lose a few readers here for my stance here, that’s your choice. But because I love you all, I urge you to please take care and get vaccinated. I don’t want this to happen to you. Too many families have suffered losses from this preventable, frightening virus. I never thought that my family would become another statistic, but here it is.
Thank you, I’ll be back soon <3
Here is a photo of my two brothers taken in 2009. John (left) and Michael. My heart will ache forever.
As you may recall from a recent post, I’m kind of having a rough year. In addition to losing a friend, my brother-in-law, and most recently, my oldest brother,(Mike) my family is now in the midst of another sad crisis. My only other brother, John, (I have 4 sisters) has been sickened with Covid, and he has been in the hospital for nearly two weeks now.
My friends, please say a little prayer for my brother. He recently turned 70, but we couldn’t visit him in the Covid ward, so we sent cards. He is now in ICU, and we are still hopeful, and we pray for his survival. Thank you.
I made this little meme, because I think we all have days like this. My best wishes to you, and please get vaccinated <3
This year has been tough for me, I have lost three people who were very close to me.
The first was my brother-in-law, Jack. (January) He was a wonderful poet, writer, photographer and such a funny, kind man. I’m so thankful he was part of our family.
The second was my friend Mary,(June) who was one of the busiest people I ever knew. Always active in school events and supporting animal shelters. She sang in two choirs, and well as an excellent chef. Her sense of humor would leave us laughing for hours.
And most recently, my oldest brother Michael, (this past week) who would have been 75 this coming Sunday. He was a sculptor, artist, and writer, with a wicked dry sense of humor. He was a loving brother all of us and devoted single father of five daughters, 11 grand-kids, and 2 great grand-kids, the loves of his life. He even wrote a funny fan fiction, Major Toad which was his own take on Mr. Toad’s adventures after “The Wind and The Willows”.
I will miss these three beautiful people so much, but I am so thankful they were in my life. I take joy in all the love and happiness love they brought to my life and the lives of all their friends and family. They will never be forgotten, and always a part of my heart.
I couldn’t resist doing another batch of these. Funny how the Voila! app makes all the women on the show look even more doll-faced; Stella too! Of course the lighting and common soft focus on TOS added to it! By the way, for those wondering, a reader asked why I made all the characters look like children in my last post. Well, that’s all part of the app algorithm! Also, the original app gives you three versions of the original, and in the last post I cropped them all down to the ones I though looked best – mostly in ‘royal’ mode, whatever that is! For this post, I’m posting all the versions per character, (I love how Khan, looks like a perfect Mort Drucker caricature. You’ll see that not all of them quite work! Sometimes in profile, a nose gets nipped! And with with aliens; Balok’s puppet looks like something out of Salvador Dali! However, since so many of them look pretty cool, (We have some gorgeous Diana Muldaur here in both of her Trek roles) that’s a testament to the beautiful photography of TOS! Enjoy, and hope you’re doing well on these blessed summer days. -Therese <3
