Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Zats all Folks!

Zats all Folks! Its Zee end of April's A to Z Blog challenge. Its been fun which is why we do it again and again. Heres to the Galaxy's Greatest Ninjas who beamed over, so lets rejoice. Thank you Alex and Arlee and Jeremy. He the coolest cat in zombie land.

We are the Ninja Trekinators Forever.....

 

Monday, April 29, 2013

Star Trek's USS Yorktown





Six Starfleet spaceships have borne the name Enterprise. Each has been more advanced than the last but what happened to the first iconic starship? Did you know that the USS Enterprise NCC 1701 was originally known by another name? The USS Yorktown was that name given to Star Trek's first spaceship before the ship was re-christened, USS Enterprise 1701. Thank Galactic Space! In 1964, Star Treks first ever, test pilot was presented to NBC TV Network bosses who wanted an exciting action packed "space western."

Its fun watching Star Trek's classic episode of "the Cage" today with the camera sweeping across the "Enterprise" bridge officers on duty. Unfortunately their commander, Captain Christopher Pike looks a little lost with the robotic reactions of the bridge crew so not helping. The crew fall short on action and excitement led by their self doubting commander who's a rather humble soul for the big wheel on the Federation's Flagship USS Enterprise. Tellingly, the vulcan Spock smiles on Talos IV however NBC executives were not "Fascinated" at all.


Question: Who was the first captain of the starship USS Enterprise NCC 1701 and the USS Yorktown?

In the original "script" before filming began, Gene Roddenberry named the USS Yorktown after a World War II aircraft carrier. The commander in charge was starship Captain Robert April who never made it onto TV. Next up for the big chair was Christopher Pike before Roddenberry makes James T. Kirk Star Treks big gun.

I reckon Pike made space history in 2261 in what becomes known as the "Talos Incident." The seductive charms of Vina as the bewitching green orion girl, fail to brainwash Captain Pike who had bigger fish to fry. He resists Talosians mind control and bungles his chances to mate with Vina played by Susan Oliver. Oh well, the burdens of command.

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkies and Trekkers!





Saturday, April 27, 2013

Star Trek Xbox



Star Treks Xbox 360 game is available now. The game is fast paced with a movie-like experience, however gamers will notice bugs requiring further updates. Do the pro's outweigh the con's? Its time to decide: Is your game chosen for its fun storyline, action adventure, characters, and placement in the Star Trek universe or are sci-fi technological thrills what turn you on?

Heres a rundown of Star Trek Xbox 360 Criteria to consider.

 Con's:
* Gameplay is designed for 16 year olds and over.
* The facial expressions are a little flat.
* Gamer reaction is mixed.

* The companion AI can be rather "dumb" at times.


 Pro's:
* Star Trek Xbox game got a GORN, explosions, third person shooter experience and sweet spaceships!
* You get to be Kirk and give orders from the bridge of the Enterprise.
* Varied gameplay experiences with skydives and spacedives.
* Gamers can use a Tricorder to investigate, Phasers in shoot-outs with the Gorn and Spock's vulcan neck pinch technique.
* Splitscreen gameplay experience for singleplayer play-throughs.
* Gameplay is fast-paced and movie-like, heavily influenced Star Trek.
* Voice-acting and music is superb using real actors and actresses from previous Star Trek film.
* The graphics/design of the environments looks futuristic.
* The storyline is a fun and a light-hearted action adventure.

The spirit of Star Trek adventure is also very much alive in the gameplay of Star Trek The Video Game. Whether you're gliding through chasms or jumping precariously through zero G.


Which trekkie ingredient makes a truly uber gaming experience for you?

What fun part of the game do you like most?


                                                    (Click to Enlarge)

Who says: You know, if we weren't trying to save the whole universe, this might actually be fun! Game long and Prosper, trekkies and trekkers.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Star Treks Weeper Plant



W is for Weeper plant. In the Star Treks classic episode of the Man Trap, the salt vampire disturbs "Gertrude" in the Enterprise botany lab.

All seemed fine on the surface until our bright pink carnivorous plant started to quiver and the little fella shrieked its lungs out. The plant whom Janice Rand calls "Beauregard" instinctively sounded the alarm because it was agitated and detected a threat to the ship. The Salt Vampire might have murdered both Sulu and Rand except that Beauregard scared it off.

Its funny watching "Beauregard" surveying the Enterprise Botany lab and ducking for cover. In Janices company the plant purrs softly because it likes her. Its obviously only a hand puppet, whose mysterious owner gave it true personality that makes you want to laugh!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Valeris

V is for valeris but who is she? In Star Trek the Undiscovered Country VI, Kim Cattrall plays the sneaky vulcan, Lieutenant Valeris who sabotages peace talks for her own ends.

Its fun watching the hungover USS Enterprise NCC 1701-A crew trying to piece together the clues in this wonderfully dark Star Trek murder/mystery.  Romulan Ale anyone?

Time is running out for Kirk and Dr McCoy as dark, secretive forces land our heroes in the clink. Kirk's personal log crucifies the duo at the Klingon trial.

Jim! They're setting us up! Your honors, I protest-!

 Uhura is horrified...Rura Pentha. Scotty reckons its better ro kill them now and get it over with. Who were the assassins in the white pairs of gravity boots? What motivated Valeris (a top Starfleet Academy graduate) to conspire with the Chancellor Gorkon's Chief of Security, General Chang? Who murdered Gorkon and why? We know from Mr Spock's speech that the Klingon's planet is dying. On the bridge Valeris refuses to give the much needed information to save the Federations presidents life. So Spock mind rapes her.

Did the sly vulcan get what she deserved?

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Starfleet Uniforms

U is for Star Trek uniform. Is yours ready for trekking into darkness?

In Star Trek's classic series, uniforms consisted of black pants, boots, and tunics in gold, red, and blue. In our new age of technology Starfleet uniforms can now be complete, all the way down to your feet! Gold is for command personnel, blue for science, red for security and engineering.

Trek fans have the option of wearing pants or dresses similar to those seen in any of Star Trek's series, so get kitted out to your socks!

What Starfleet colors will you be sporting at the movies premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness on May 17th?

 All uniform's have the Enterprises arrowhead insignia sewn above the left breast. Gold braid on the sleeve denotes rank depending on how many rows or broken rows there are. Just don't forget your communicator.

Two to beam in, Scotty!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Trekkie Trexels

When I discovered this poster on Alex J.Cavanaugh blog and my eyes nearly melted onto my computer screen.

The trekkie characters in John Martz "Trexels" creation nearly caused a sensory overload in my positronic matrix. Martz's poster has 235 Star Trek characters crying out to be identified. So why not feed your inner trekkie and take a stab at naming the characters, its fun!



Trexel long and Prosper, Trekkies and Trekkers

Monday, April 22, 2013

Forbidden Planet

Whats the name of the Robot voiced by Marvin Miller in the 1956 movie Forbidden Planet?
Which science fiction movie franchise is heavily influenced by FP?








Saturday, April 20, 2013

Star Trek Phaser Rifle


A unique piece of Star Trek memorabilia went under the hammer at auction recently for a cool $231,000. Top Toy designer Reuben Klamer, created trek's iconic Phaser-Rifle with only a two week deadline. Klamer built the wood-aluminium gun for free which apparently gave Star Trek a fighting chance to survive. The move got him licensing rights for toys of the weapon too. Its fascinating to think a "toy" used only once, saved the entire show by relaunching Captain Kirk as the shows heroic action character.


Kirk uses the phaser rifle to kill his friend Gary Mitchel, causing a rocky landslide to fall on top of him. The story goes NBC wanted this action packed "wagon train to the stars" to get high TV ratings. No-one could have predicted how popular Trek was to become especially after the network rejected Star Trek's first pilot.

The shows creator, Gene Roddenberry seized the moment when NBC gave him the nod for "Where No Man Has Gone Before." It also helped having William Shatner to replace Jeffrey Hunter in the second pilot. The studio sets were redressed for the newer Enterprise crew, keeping the "guy with the ears" and reinventing "frosty No1" as Dr McCoy's blonde assistant in sickbay.

Auction House Juliens Hollywood Legends stated recently that Roddenberry wanted "a really big Gun" which took everyone by storm all over again, 47 years later! The prop was sold to a rich private American collector who has one of the biggest collections of original Star Trek costumes in the world. This prop will join the collection and will not end up being displayed at museums. Star Trek fans really owe a huge debt of thanks to Reuben Klamer, the shows creative mastermind behind the gun, whose invention along with the Big Bird of the Galaxy and Walter Matt Jeffries saved Star Trek from the scrap heap. Thank you Reuben for designing a really wicked phaser rifle with totally amazing wow factor. Reuben's Phaser Rifle has a sweet sound to it.






Fire long and Prosper, trekkies and trekkers.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Questor Tapes


Questor is an incomplete android played by Robert Foxworth. The actor also played Admiral Leyton in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost."

Curiously, Questor searches for his creator and purpose on planet Earth by learning and trusting his robotic instincts,  LOL. "Tinman" surprises everyone by waking up. For a dude "lacking memory tapes" he does a pretty neat job giving himself human features. Edited by gleeful fingers I think Questor the "Superhuman android" could be quite good pitched as a dark comedy. Instead viewers get a freaky, calm version of Mr Data from Star Trek TNG.

Five years after Gene Roddenberry's classic STAR TREK show withered in 1969, trekkies witnessed the spark of something new in the entertainment industry. So what happened?  Questor Tapes was one of a series of television movies in which Roddenberry was involved, which (included Genesis II, Planet Earth, and Spectre) but sadly none of the pilots generated enough TV ratings to be green lit as a series.



Quest long and Prosper, trekkies and trekkers.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness Posters


Sci-Fi Bad Robot director J.J. Abrams tweeted epic news recently with, Almost done!!! The exciting news is Star Treks Post Production finished for the movie sequel today, according to the latest on Trekmovie. The first public showing of Star Trek Into Darkness will be in Sydney Australia with a gala premiere on April 23rd.

 It didn't seem that long ago four years ago when Star Trek's classic vulcan, Leonard Nimoy, Stunned Trekkies by beaming Star Trek's 2009 Premiere into the Alamo Draft House in Austin, Texas. REMEMBER?



iTunes has some pretty awesome Star Trek Into Darkness Posters which you can download here.

Heres the new STID International ‘Cinemosaic’ animated poster, isn't it cool?

Tweet Long and Prosper, trekkies and trekkers.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Hailing all Nerdy New STID Fans!

N is for Nerdy New Fans!




My mind to your mind, like a sponge needing thoughts, prepare yourself for the fifth and final Star Trek......Into Darkness trailer if you dare!

You can watch all the latest STID trailers right here at apple.

Hailing all you begging, empty, and hungry nerdy minds...

DARKNESS IS COMING!!!!
THIS COULD BE JUST THE BEGINNING!
YOU ARE A PAWN KIRK!
I BELIEVE IN YOU JIM!

See, that’s the trouble with new “fans” today who don’t appreciate the significance and history of the original Star Trek and its values.

We're all just too easily impressed by something being absolutely awesome.

Don't you just love these totally epic "Into Darkness" movie vibes?

Whose side are you rooting for? Will Kirk go after the baddie?


Monday, April 15, 2013

Mindblowing Star Trek




M is for mind-blowing Star Trek.

Star Trek Into Darkness is boldly going where no movie has gone before. Last Tuesday, STID online tickets sales soared in the United Kingdom. Paramount Pictures UK and Odeon both tweeted concerns about the British Film Institute experiencing online difficulty due to overwhelming demand. Trekmovie reported "demand for Into Darkness" crashing the UK ticketing website. Apparently hardcore trek fans were all trying to book at exactly the same time. Now the initial excitement has passed it time to grab your seat for an early screening in the UK. Tickets are now available in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D.

Do you like the STID UK banner?

Wheres Scotty, Chekov, Sulu  "Bones" and Keenser?

P.S. Keenser was spotted recently hanging out with J.J. Abrams. What do you make of our furry friend in his brand new Starfleet grey?



Saturday, April 13, 2013

L is for Lazy Day


L is for Lazy Day. Heres a classic Nimoy for you to enjoy. If you love Star Trek then feast your eyes on this fun parody, It made perfect sense today as I crawled out of bed to write the twelfth letter for the A to z challenge. I actually found myself smiling and humming the tune, LOL. 'Today, I don't feel like doing anything.' sung by Bruno Mars.


How are you coping with the A to Z blogfest?

Are you still speeding ahead, phasers blazing or have the engines stalled to sublight speed?

Friday, April 12, 2013

K'Ehleyr's Klingons

K is for K'Ehleyr's Klingons! Picard's USS Enterprise-D gets a cryptic message telling them to divert and intercept, top priority. Its a top secret interstellar matter for special envoy K'Ehleyr to fill our Enterprise buddies in on, Great, isn't this exciting? It gets better when she arrives in a class eight probe travelling at warp 9! K'Ehleyr, the special envoy from the Klingon Empire is blunt and straight to the point. A Klingon ship, the T’Ong, is about to awaken from a deep cryosleep after 75 years.

When the T'Ong's diehard crew wake up from hibernation, these Klingons will not surrender believing the Empire and the Federation are still at war... Forget about "sleeping on the job" for a whopping 75 years!



                       K'EHLEYR
The point is that this is beside
the point. These are Klingons...
at war with us. Whatever their
mission was -- once they see a
Federation target, they'll attack.

PICARD
Could the T'Ong be disabled rather
than destroyed?

     
GEORDI
We could probably knock out their
warp engines without damaging the
rest of their ship...

K'EHLEYR
(shaking her head)
That would gain you nothing.
Disable the ship, and K'Temoc will
destroy it himself.


WORF
Klingons do not surrender.

K'EHLEYR
Face it -- if we don't reach the
T'Ong before its crew wakes up,
you have no alternatives.


The question I've got is this: How is it possible for a Klingon ship from a much earlier era with defective cloaking coils etc to cross the borders of the United Federation of Planets for 75 YEARS and only be discovered now? At least this plot hole gives the Enterprise the perfect excuse to warp to the rescue, hehe. The performance given by Suzie Plakson playing K'Ehleyr in this Star Trek TNG episode of "The Emissary" is a thrill because she doesn't pull any punches. Definitely one to watch if you love Klingons!




Whats the name of the Captain of the T'Ong?

How does K'Ehleyr relieve her Klingon frustrations?

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkies

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Star Trek TNG Justice

"Justice" is the eighth episode of Star Trek The Next Generation series. Picard's away team find a nice M Class planet called Rubicun III populated with friendly, free and easy humanoids called the Edo. Two scantily clad Edo leaders Rivan (female) and Liator welcome Riker, Deanna, Worf, Tasha Yar and Wesley to their home planet with the traditional Ego greeting.

"Health happiness, pleasant day to you." 

Rivan says "And I welcome this huge one, " (She gives the Klingon a long, sensual hug. I had a good chuckle here, wait for it.) Rivan melts into Worfs arms. The dumb Klingon looks over to Commander Riker and says, "Nice Planet!"


Nice Planet!??!!! What Worf? You've got to be kidding me! The Klingons got a babe swooning all over him and all the daft beggar says, is: "nice planet?" Riker was unimpressed. Next it's Wesley's turn and the wiseguys brick'in it, big style. Being a nerd can be a major disadvantage sometimes.






WORF: Nice planet.

And

EDO GIRL
I want to do something too . . . with you. (Great line, lol)

WESLEY
Uh . . . what?

EDO GIRL
It's something you can teach me. Will you?

WESLEY
Uh . . . well, actually, there are some . . . games . . . I don't quite know yet.



Rubicun III is perfect for shore leave... until Wesley Crusher, son of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher, "drops the ball" (hehe) totally by breaking the absolute law of the Edo world. So what was the Enterprise kid's crime? Unknown to the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D away team, Rubicun had "punishment zones" scattered throughout their little world which the Klingon, Worf was fast finding out from Tasha Yar. When someone breaks a rule in a randomly-assigned "punishment zone," they're put to death. Law enforcement "Mediators") ask Wesley if he freely admits to the heinous crime of falling on new plants. Wesley stands up straight, deepens his voice, and declares,

"I'm with Starfleet. We don't lie."

The plot thickens with Captain Picard in quite a bind. How will he try to outwit the Edo world's most powerful and mysterious protector? Data calls it the Edo "God" thing.




 Live Long and Prosper, Trekkies.

Bloglovin

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Star Trek Insurrection

In Star Trek Insurrection: The United Federation of Planets is ravaged after the Dominion war. A fountain of youth nestled in the green hills of an alien planet seems too good to be true. What must it be like to never grow old? So the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-E leaps to the rescue. Captain Picard steps in and refuses to let a peaceful, ancient civilization get hi-jacked by the Son'a led by the really freaky guy, Ru'fau. The Son'a wrinkly faces took a lot of trouble creating a flying holodeck ship, just to spare the Ba'Ku's feelings. All the Ba'Ku had to do was get with the program but no. Picard sticks his beak in and discovers Anij's special abilities slow time. Could the environmental anomalies be stimulating Data's instincts to act rebelliously?

Filming began on March 31, 1998 and concluded on July 2. According to Johnathan Frakes, (who playsCommander Riker) half of the time shooting was spent on location. The scenes where the crew of the Enterprise and the Ba'Ku take refuge in the mountains were shot on location in the Sierra Nevada in locations which could only be reached by helicopters. Wheres Scotty when you need him? Why didn't the Enterprise just lock on everyone's co-ordinates and beam them there? Duh!!!

 'Jean-Luc, we're only moving 600 people'

 Who were you rooting for? Picard's crew? Dougherty? Ru'afu? or did your heartbeat slow in time for the Ba'Ku?) Why is Worf feeling aggressive tendencies?

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkers and Trekkies.


Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Half-breed Origins

H is for Half-breed! Although absent from common conversation today, dictionary.com defines "half breed" as the "offspring of parents of different racial origin, especially American Indian and Caucasians. The term "half breed" which Mr Spock finds insulting, was I believe, in fairly common usage during the 1960's.


Early movie fans heard the term "halfbreed" expressed quite often in big screen westerns and occasionally with classic Star Trek. Although the term is almost never heard of today, its effect once spoken is powerful.

The reason Captain Kirk used "Half breed" in Star Trek's classic episode of "this side of paradise" was to deliberately infuriate his pointy eared First Officer, Spock who had mutinied aboard the USS Enterprise NCC 1701 over a beautiful woman. Spores from Omicron Ceti III infected the vulcan's pure logical reasoning which actually made the unlikely happen. Spock and botanist Leila Kalomi fell totally in LOVE.

Its weird seeing Nimoy smiling in this episode but Kirk has to snap him out of it, somehow, and how poor Spock hated him for it.

In the universe of Star Trek, Spock is biologically, emotionally and even intellectually a son torn between two worlds! Much more diplomatic don't you think!



Mind your own business, Mister Spock. I'm sick of your half breed interference, do you hear?


Live Long and Prosper, Trekkies, and Trekkers.

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