Star Trek

Just a Few Questions for the Bored and Curious - Survey

Do you watch Shark Week? I can tell this survey already needs a ~song~.
Who is your e-mail provider? (Yahoo, MSN, etc.) You know how you can get on those servers where they host email in @'yourname'.com? I've thought about doing that, but instead of my name I'd make up something bizarre. I also looked into doing the designing your own postage stamp thing, but that gets pretty expensive.
Who is the funniest person you can think of? Scott's a riot, he's like being married to a cartoon, just utterly unique throughout every mood change. I'll tell you something he'd probably not like me sharing. Before he met me, he was looking for a college girl and figured the best way to meet one was to hang out at a laundromat called Duds and Suds. The second he told me that, I busted up laughing and said Yeah, that's where you go to meet duds. He explained to me that 'duds' were your clothing, like a cowboy wears his duds, and then I had to explain to ~him~ via illustrated story that 'duds' were dudes without the e's, and he still just ~did not get it~. Bless his heart, his brain is so cute I had to take him home with me. He actually thinks he looks cool in 3D glasses. He was probably the cutest little boy in the world.
Would you rather date someone too serious or not serious enough? Man are you asking the wrong person. Romance gets nuked when I'm around.
Do you volunteer for charities? If so, which one(s)? Almost continually, it seems. Hey, Scott is doing the Turkey Trot again this year while I stay home and watch the Macy's parade. Last year he brought me home a shirt and a foam headpiece with a turkey on it.
Which animals are the cutest as babies? Baby termites look like they're made of glass.
Would you ever go on a reality TV dating show? I'd be the one who would show up late in my lounge wear holding a cookie. Humans are so weird. Half the beings on the planet sprout wings and feel compulsed to swarm when they reach sexual maturity, while humans get off on weeks long frustration over being rejected on tv.
Do you think people are born gay or it's a choice they make? This is the coolest piece of fan editing I have ever seen on youtube, this person is a genius.
Who is your favourite actor (male or female)? I tried really hard to sift that one out awhile back, but wound up with a list and couldn't bear to cross any off, so I guess they all are. Jeff Goldblum never made that list, which kinda surprised me.
Have you ever been out of the country? If so, where? It's so weird to think that just ten miles up in the sky is the same distance as the little town up the highway, but if I went upward that far I'd be dangerously past breathable atmosphere. I feel so vulnerable when I think like that.
Star Wars or Star Trek or both or neither? I think it would be interesting to see Batman and Mr. Spock team up.
What are your favourite television channels? I can't believe Steve isn't all over Sliders finally making it into reruns after a whole decade of nonexistence. That show has been maddeningly difficult to procure. We got our first satellite dish because of Sliders when it jumped from FOX to Sci-Fi. Sliders BBoard / SLIDERS reruns return to TV on the Hub!
What do you think of men in capris? I was at the farmer's market one summer and was so grossed out by this big guy's feet. I totally get summer comfort, but when you look like you've got leprosy around organic food, I think flip flops should be illegal. I don't think capris even get my attention, yay or nay.
Do you believe people from other countries are sexier? Any time I feel like something I'm doing on the internet is a complete and utter waste of time, I think about the lengthy thesis I found on what is wrong with Bradley James having facial hair (he is outrageously good looking either way, I don't see the problem with it) and continue with what I'm doing.
How tall are you? Not tall enough to change a light bulb above the bathroom vanity, it seems.
What is your favourite movie made before 1980? Wow, how to choose. The 70's were like the spawn years. Honestly, as much as I ~luv~ both Star Trek and Star Wars, I'll go with Logan's Run. I guess I was crushing on British actors like Michael York long before it was cool for Americans to do that. I just have to mention in passing here that the Logan's Run remake is a prime example of why it's stupid to announce too early to rabid fans, what with all the changes they went through, then you have to announce this actor or that director is out. Just surprise us, ok? (Same thing happened to Lexx, stuff like this is so dumb in retrospect- LEXX MOVIE CONFIRMED!!! \| Sci Fi SadGeezers)
Do you keep a journal or blog? It's becoming more clear by the week that dividing my blogging up into over ten separate sites was a really good idea. Unlike some people I could name cough~WilWheaton~cough, I put something different on every blog so people can have brain sex pushing little buttons and running around. Ok, ok, I know, I pick on him too much, I know. I like him. He's awesome. He's the only celeb I follow in every format. I think other celebs could learn a LOT from his fan interaction.
Do you write poetry? If I had a better phone, I'd so have the Shatoetry app already.
Do/Did you go to high school football games? I went to ONE during high school because my dad said they weren't necessary and he thought Christ was coming back.
How many vowels are in your last name? I've met two people who have no vowels at all in their last names. I think it would be cool to go vowelless, like Bnx. But then people would say Binx and Bonx instead of Banx.
If you had to tattoo someone's name on your body, whose would it be? Would I totally be protected through the world economic collapse as we march into a new world order if I had Soros tattooed on me?
Describe your favourite pair of shoes. Kinda like a pricey neon splat, and worth every penny.
Do you get bit by mosquitoes often? I couldn't wait for Thanksgiving and already made a punkin pie. I'm eating a piece right now.
Are you allergic to any foods? Thankfully not punkin pie.
Are you a Creationist? I think God is a game coding specialist. That would explain a lot.
Do you know what the VY Canis Majoris is? I'm waiting for the hypernova. I am so pleasantly surprised by this question, thank you, survey creator. You made my night.
What are some of your favourite things to talk about? If anyone is getting the impression that I'm one of those continual broadcasters who talks nonstop because I yap so much on blogs, I'm the opposite out loud. I rarely talk for any length of time to people outside my family, rarely use my phone, and can go two weeks barely talking to anyone but Scott before and after work. On the other hand, I can hold my own pretty well in a debate, even if I'm wrong and I know it and I know everyone else knows it and that everyone else knows I know they know it.
How fast do you type? Really really fast. And then I go back and correct a lot of typos.
Do you own a digital camera? If so, what kind? Does anyone else get mega frustrated at the time hesitation before the actual click, and then the processing time you have to get through before the next shot? It is dang hard to catch a chicken holding its foot out and peering at the bottom of it after it has stepped on something pokey. That is about the funniest pose I've ever seen, and my goal in life is to get that shot. Bird time just won't wait for digital. I think my only hope is to be constantly filming 24/7.
Would you wear leopard print? I have actually had dreams of chickens in paisley. My head makes the coolest stuff sometimes.
Which language would you like to learn? Everything Gaelic. My accent would be atrocious. I still mangle French after nearly 3 years of it in college, and Dad got after me again the other day for growing up with Plattdeutsch in the house and I can't speak it. I also grew up surrounded by Spanish and Navajo in school, and I've had several friends from India since I was in the first grade, and it's still all I can do to just handle English most of the time. I very much envy people for whom other languages come easily and/or naturally.
Who are you closest to in your family? T'Pol lets me follow her around the most. She got too much weed caught in her throat here.
What are you currently wearing? OMG. The exact same Homestar Runner shirt I was wearing the last two times I was asked this. I've seriously got to update my wardrobe. I can't believe you guys never catch me on a Buckaroo Banzai day.
Are you using a laptop or desktop? Could a laptop be considered a mobile device? I float back and forth from the kitchen to the livingroom, and sometimes I take it with me to see my psychologist.
Do you have a Twitter? I got all cranky at Charlie Sheen for shutting everything down because fans were getting it for free while sites hosting his stuff (twitter, funny or die) were making money and he wasn't, but then I thought, OH, I did the same thing, didn't I? I mean, without the money issue being involved. I guess that means I'm winning!
What is something you're very passionate about? I guess it's pretty obvious I take surveys a little too seriously...
Do you believe in love? Think about something- if we all wait for love, no one will ever find it. Someone has to believe in love even if they never get love back in order to create love to give out. As long as people are sitting around waiting for love, they are not creating it. Love can't exist if we don't create it. I believe in love strongly enough to walk through the dark without comfort or reward, if that is the only way someone else can learn what it is or get it from someone. I have to believe my existence on this planet is worth all the pain I have had to go through.
How about magic in a young girl's heart? I wanna know, after seeing this question across several surveys, whether you survey creators can name the song and the person singing it.
What are some phrases you say too often? I'm hoping those gunshots I heard were Scott getting his deer already, so we can get back to normal. Sorry about that, um, phrases I say too often... I know I'm pretty irritating when I keep saying World Order has been coming since the 70's and there isn't a president in the world who can stop it so it doesn't matter who wins any more, so I'm trying to shut up about that. See, we can't advance to a United Federation of Planets until earth is a cohesive world that has solved its famine and poverty problems, like in Star Trek. I know that rankles a few people who don't think Americans should be restricted in any way (except gay marriage and that kind of stuff), you know, like property rights and what have you, but honestly, wouldn't you rather put up with a few restrictions, oh wait, ok, I know why this is a problem, I'm sitting here on 4 acres of wild woods saying all this while most of you reading this are stuck with apartments and whatnot, but I think the point is that no govt can fix poverty if they can't raze the neighborhoods cleaning them up, wait a second, China and Russia have already done that and it didn't work. Let me get back to you on this one. I'm anti-govt, by the way, but I'm not a crazy Libertarian that wants to secede. I don't think there's any viable way out of our mess, and that the aliens are going to come back and thin out the herds like they did during the Black Plague.
Would you rather be inside or outside? It annoys Scott to no end that the chickens sit backwards on the roost. Sometimes he goes into their house after dark and turns them around so they're not facing the wall. I can only wonder how much that messes with their tiny little minds.
Cold or hot? Scott likes his ice cream melty and slushy. I like mine hard as a rock so I can chew it.
Do you like the current president? I know this is weird and probably hard for some people to believe, but I've never liked any of the presidents for reasons that don't make sense.
Do you believe people are good at heart? I think the potential is there, but some people are just messed up and will always selfishly hurt, maim, and/or kill without remorse, both physically and emotionally. And there will always be people who justify that, even if they themselves could never stomach hurting, maiming, and killing even to do the right thing. I think humans overall are a glob of glands and hormones and don't have a real clue who they are, what they want, and what they're doing on this planet, even though their beliefs in their illusions are strong. That's why I like chickens. All the above is pure instinct and makes sense.
What book(s) are you currently reading? I'm in between library holds. No one ever asks what book(s) I am currently writing.
Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Sorry, that was my cat.
Ok, survey creator, we'll let this one go. My chickens don't hop up on the keyboard and help me type. Do you have a lucky number? I have several, I think, but I'm not sure what some of them are. They are wily and fold themselves through dimensions all around me.
Do you like swimming in the ocean or a pool? I could go for a swim in a cup of coffee about now.
Would you run around naked for two thousand dollars? I knew someone who did that for free and she wound up in jail.
Do you whiten your teeth? I've gotta find another video, this is getting super boring again. Hang on. Ok, here we go, this movie made such a huge impression on me as a little kid that I could sing the theme song for years after just one viewing. There's a scene starting around 1:26 that you'll recognize was used in the Austin Powers movie Goldmember, second video there.
What web browser are you presently using? I toggle between two of them, because 7 windows open in one just isn't enough for me. I once had 12 windows open in one and 4 in another. This is an awesome laptop.
What is/was your favourite subject in school? Not getting caught. I hated everything about school and developed several methods of subterfuge.
Did you ever want to be a teacher? Sort of missed that noble calling. I was told by a staff member in the admin building that I should teach college. Despite taking to college like a duck, I couldn't imagine living through the redundancy of repeating myself every semester. In retrospect, I probably should have gone for it.
Do you get cold easily? I don't know if people who've never gone through thyroid med adjustments can imagine the weird hot/cold swings you can go through. Three weeks ago when it was 80 degrees out I had to wear a sweater and sleep with two blankets. Now it's 60 degrees out and I'm nearly ready to go back to shorts.
What was the worst sickness you ever had? Oh, geez, not this again. Not today.
Do you talk in your sleep? Scott wishes I would sometimes so he would know what the heck is going on.
Did you wet the bed as a kid? If so, for how long? Never have, despite many dreams of peeing that were so real that I could have sworn I should have. I'm often surprised I didn't.
What is your dad's first name? We all want to know Mr. Spock's first name, too, but we're not going to get it.
Find the nearest picture frame. What's the picture of? Scott's gramma at 85 years old. She lived to 102 and has been gone maybe ten years now. Yes, I find it disturbing.
Do you know how to use HTML and/or CSS? I wish more site owners would figure out how to update their broken code since the world has changed again. From HTML Styles- In HTML 4, several tags and attributes were used to style documents. These tags are not supported in newer versions of HTML. Likewise, CSS is constantly being updated, too, and etc. If you have to link me to a pdf, at least offer me a free itunes download or something while I'm waiting. My problem with pdf is that the text isn't 'mobile' for cache the same way html is, and as much as I'm loading and toggling at high speed, I just don't have the patience for that. If I have to read through 5 pages just to get to a single line, you're wasting my time. And if I have to go through that, I'd rather be holding hard copy in my hands so I could flip through pages and feel like I'm actually getting somewhere. I feel like we're in a growing pains phase, I have wanted tech implanted in my brain since I was a kid. Hurry up! Will PDF files become obsolete in 5–10 years? \| Debenu Blog

"Call me Jim"

This new Trek conflict has sent me reeling back into a tizzy of rewatching old Trek. The hunger for reaffirmation is overwhelming, the grip to set things back to right in my brain almost feels urgent. I'm flinging myself around like a pinball through the original series, NG movies, Enterprise marathons. I even cruised by the library to start work on the Vulcan's Heart and Vulcan's Soul trilogies.

Today I watched Generations, drank it in like an aged wine, savoring the sights, sounds, emotions... They made that one nearly 15 years ago. I originally saw it in the theater, actually cried as the saucer section of the Enterprise crash landed on the 3rd planet in the Veridian 3 star system, suddenly realizing what it must feel like ~inside~ the crashing UFO, strangers from far away desperately trying to save their lives in a last ditch effort, and falling right out of the sky in the biggest vehicle crash ever on the big screen, only to see them blow up when Soren's probe took out the sun, and a level 12 shock wave violently burst the planet into messy chunks.

As I watched that again today, I recalled the first time I ever saw the Enterprise blow up. It was even longer back, more than 20 years ago, and even though I was nearly penniless and my cupboards were practically bare, I spent my last dime renting a VHS player to hook up to my junky old tv set, and plugged in the rented movie, and watched with every hair on my arms prickled as Kirk and Kahn played a horrible game of chess over the Genesis planet, trying to save Spock (who had died in the previous movie and left us all hanging in shock), and watching the Enterprise blow up, leaving him stranded on a planet in its death throes. I found myself ~standing up~ shouting NOOOOO....

That was before fancy CGI, before digital filming...

As I watched Generations today, I remembered the jeers that went up all around when the movie came out. Kirk was too fat, 3 old men were wrestling around on an old steel catwalk, of all things, and I heard every imaginable joke about Kirk's death scene, including a lot of mean comments about how it was time he was killed off. As I watched it all again, 15 years older, I realized I'm almost as old now as they were then during filming, and I sat there going wow, they're in pretty good shape for 3 old guys... And then I realized-- all THREE are still working. They are ~really~ old guys now. And I *like* them.

And after I realized all that, I thought about the new generation of young people getting a whole new Trek. I thought about our long-standing (decades long) tradition of jeering and cheering Star Trek, of hundreds of thousands of people around the world putting on costumes, writing fan fiction, collecting merchandise, and all the spoofing and spoofing and even more spoofing by so many other shows and comedians and even serious people. I thought about how ironic it is that no matter how much and how many people have laughed about Captain Kirk, he is the most iconic fictional character on our planet in so many uncountable ways...

It was a sobering thought. We've laughed all these years about Kirk-- the acting, the pompous promotional shows about how everything we have now came from Star Trek, the 'reality' show, the Priceline commercials (I think those are awesome, by the way). And in the end, when it all boils down and new Trek comes along, those are some pretty big boots to fill. That's a pretty tall shadow over most of my life. When I saw Kirk in Generations today and watched his death, I was terribly overcome with how I'm going to feel when William Shatner truly passes on. I cried.

I think what we see missing from new Trek is Legend. We see a CGI cartoon put into its place, the kind of modern storytelling that this next generation has come to expect. We can look back on old Trek and laugh about all the silly crappy sets and acting and *forgive* all that because that's all they had and all they knew back then. Back then that was truly groundbreaking, to have several races represented and tackling taboo issues. And as Trek evolved and grew into more and more Trek, we grew along with it, evolving our thinking, realizing we can hope for a global community, a political oneness, a freedom from tyranny through the galaxy and the grit and determination to forge a new Federation, a new unification of differences. We've spent the last 40 years having our thinking challenged, and forging a new unification of fans from all over the world like no other diplomacy was ever able to conceive or accomplish.

And I ask you-- what will this new Trek do for our next generation of young people? Where do they have left to go? Will they be challenged to think and feel, or will they be easily sold on filming gimmicks and cute bodies? Lose the story, cute things up a bit, throw in some cheap thrills and a little comedy relief-- it's FORMULA. Not one of those new characters will ever become iconic enough to stand for something meaningfully deep, and neither will they earn the loyal jeers that have come to be a tradition with Trekkies. All they can say is, "Wow, what a great movie!" Ask them why.

I don't think this new Trek direction will spawn 40 years of movies, spin-offs, and die-hard fans, much less scores of books, artwork, conventions, soundtracks, and dressing up as a Vulcan. After all, Vulcans are an 'endangered species' now. Who wants to emulate an unknown race of logical pointy-eared green-blooded aliens if they don't exist any more? Can the new Spock become the icon the old Kirk is? Can he take on the burden and keep the flame alive?

Abrams = Nero. That much symbolism was abundantly clear.
- 5:42 pm
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major spoiler alert, new Star Trek movie question

Seriously, if you haven't seen the movie, close this NOW, or I'll completely ruin it for you.

Query: If the planet Vulcan is completely and violently destroyed by a bad guy traveling into Spock's past, never to be recovered in any spacetime shape or form, assuming even if this does become a parallel universe (hinted at in the movie), and further assuming other crucial events still play out certain ways (Khan, whales), what happens??? No T'Pring, no katra recovery, yada yada. No Spock. Um...

I liked the character pre-development just fine. The movie was ok. (Ok, I personally thought it sucked for a long list of reasons, but the characters were still good.) But is anyone else out there outraged that not only is Vulcan eradicated from history now, but that everything throughout all the series and the movies having anything to do with Vulcan are now negated? Simply a different spacetime 'universe'? Does anyone else think it's sinfully and blatantly WRONG to completely wipe out so much established story and history in such a carefully constructed scifi world? Does this set precedence for ~anyone~ to come along and just rearrange the game board any old way they want for every other scifi world out there??? And I haven't even mentioned Kirk's whole past being changed, too. Because it LOOKS like some lucky fart bought the franchise and decided what the heck, let's just rewrite the whole thing and go forward all over again, *ka-ching*. Easy money.

I'll refrain from lengthy discourse on what I truly thought of this movie (especially a couple of crucial physics you-gotta-be-kidding-mes), except to say it makes the Undiscovered Country look about 90% better now. But I do still stand by the character pre-development, it was pretty good. If anyone wants to argue, keep in mind I've seen every single episode and movie since I was a small child (including the cartoon), and I'm not easily swept off my feet with CGI and story gimmicks and soundtracks that rip off other shows right and left. Not wanting to offend anyone, but if my own husband has nicknamed me Sheldon, there's probably not a chance anyone can convince me this movie doesn't just wad up Star Trek as we know it and kick it into a trash can.

The Kevin and Patrick Blog: The New Star Trek Movie Sucks!

Ok, ok, I have a sense of humor, too... When *haven't* they sucked?

Ah, I hear some of you wanting to know what else sucked.

Let's say you've got this laser big enough to reach a planet's core. You DON'T need to lower a 'drill' into the planet's atmosphere... What a waste. Plus, you'd think there'd be a little atmospheric drag. Plus you'd think the G-force from the sudden stop at the rate they were falling woulda ripped those parachutes, or at least their necks and brains. And since when doesn't a falling object (even a human body) heat up falling through the earth's atmosphere that fast? Because that looked just a little too fast. Did I mention they were falling REALLY really fast? Everybody wants a little Iron Man in their movie...

Red stuff. If all it takes is one drop to crush a supernova or whatever into a black hole, why in the world do you need a tank of it? And how in the world do you contain it in drop form inside what looks like a precautionary old-style radiation tube, like Doc Brown used for plutonium in Back to the Future? Oh, and if the supernova woulda destroyed Romulus, wouldn't a black hole have done it, too? Think, Spock, think! That kind of stuff doesn't 'buy time'!!! *writhing on floor, mouth foaming, cursing the writing team...* We're talking EASY physics here, guys...

Speaking of the supernova, how could Spock have been too late? If a supernova is imminent, it's *already* too late, people. Duh. If you even have an inkling your star is reaching supernova stage, and you live in a generation of warp speed and stuff, you'd have the whole Federation out there getting your people out, as they have saved countless other races from imminent destruction. That was all glossed over a little too quickly, and too easily were they conveniently sucked into the past through the hole Spock made after he wasted an incredible amount of time inventing and containing Red Stuff, and you'd think Nero would have more brains than to stew about it with all that technology at his hands. Wow, HE could go back in time and save his planet... He'd be a hero! Hero Nero! Because, and correct me if I'm wrong, if Nero went back in time, wouldn't he have all that time to warn his people, warn the planet, get hold of Spock and say Hey, dude, you're gonna mess it up... Because back in the past, where Nero *went*, Romulus still *existed*... I can't believe that one never came up on the writing team. I mean, if Nero can completely rewrite Spock and Kirk history, why can't he rewrite his own?

The ship Nero had looks like it came off Babylon 5.

The bug he put in Pike's mouth was dangerously close to being ripped right off Stargate SG-1. Given such a brief visual on that, never to be brought up again, I'm surprised it made it into the movie at all, barely being necessary except to save Pike's integrity in some way, since we know he'd have died before giving up any info. Back in the old days that was called a 'plot device'.

Soundtrack. omg. Since when does Star Trek throw in operatic Latinish-Vikingish chorus like every vampire, fantasy, and scifi movie has been doing for the last ten frickin' YEARS???

You know all that lighting flashing around while they were on the Enterprise? i.e., the light just over Sarek's head, the camera moving constantly about in between characters and the white background temporarily flashing through brightly at us-- that used to be called "bad filming". I found it so bothersome that I wore sunglasses through the entire film.

I'm really pissed that Spock's mom got killed.

I'm REALLY pissed that Uhura was all kissy-faced with Spock on the transporter pad, when he's the most strictly guarded and staunchly regulatory officer in the fleet. Since when do we get all kissy kissy on the transporter pad??? Sorta negates the whole hiding the feelings thing if he's going to let some chick feel sorry all over him like that, poor widdo boy...

McCoy was perfect, Scotty was ok, LOSE THE EWOK.

Sulu was ok, since when did Chekov suddenly start taking over the whole ship... wow, things we never knew about the 17 year old genius who was even smarter than Spock... again, wow... Gee, maybe they shoulda had Chekov save Romulus...

Best scene-- McCoy chasing after Kirk and jabbing him over and over with more shots. Awesome.

Poor Scott got two hours of me ranting after the movie. He took it well.

And I guess I'm not the only one screaming...

Why (the new) Star Trek Movie sucks « Vagueland

P.S. Kirk driving his (now) step-dad's vintage car around and somehow crashing it off a really big cliff in IOWA... Isn't this in OUR future? Do they still use gasoline? Um... Yeah, and it's sad that they used THAT scene to sell the original trailer on us. Who wants to see a space movie where some little boy is crashing an old car off a cliff like Indiana Jones? So he hates his step-dad, so big deal.

By the way, boys and girls, Kirk was originally born in Iowa, not out in space, so even the whole Nero thing can't explain that one away.

I'll probably see the movie again, heck, I'll probably even purchase it. But I'll still be mad at it. It's a Star Trek tradition to rant and spit about the movies and still continue to collect them out of loyalty.
- 8:50 am
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bluejacky

I've started transferring my survey posts over to Surveypalooza so people coming in from search engines on mobile devices will be able to see the surveys.

Apologies for the missing vids, another upgrade during the server migration swept through like a scan sweeping through the Enterprise. I'll fix those later, kinda busy...