Thursday, April 30, 2015

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, Bloggies and Trekkies who beamed by to say hi!

Thank you to Blogman's Ambassador Hosts, Alex, Jeremy, Jenny, Jeffrey, J. Lenni, Tim and Rob.
seekers of friendly ubernerds,
juggling the blogfest reading our earthly words,
Until next time, lets dine and shine,
comrades be proud during this stellar blogtime!



 





BLOG LOVE AND PROSPER!


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Xenopolycythemia

X is for Xenopolycythemia but what is it? Star Trek's classic "For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky" stars the cranky Chief Medical Officer (played by Deforest Kelley) who ventures aboard a spaceship world in this funny love story. I remember Dr McCoy getting sick but really did any of us have a clue what Xenopolycythemia was? I had to look this one up online.

To begin with is Xenopolycythemia a real disease?

Online Medical Databases say no, Memory Alpha and Wikipedia say yes. Further investigation reveals "Polycythaemia" is a type of blood disorder characterised by too many red blood cells. So now we know. The plot thickens when we find out "Bones" is suffering from this rare incurable disease but lucky for him Natira (high Priestess to the Oracle) eases the pain. Rick Vollaerts wrote the script giving the good doctor about a year to live. Murderer!!! LOL.

It was a neat trick Vollaerts slapping "xeno" on the front of "Polycythaemia" but what purpose did it serve? It sure confused the heck out of me!

Xeno Long and Prosper,  Trekkers!



Monday, April 27, 2015

Wonderful "Super-Trekkie" Tina

W is for Wonderful Tina. I want to pay tribute to fellow super-Trekkie, Tina Downey by remembering her at Star Trek Sci Fi Blog. Tina lived life to the full and co-hosted last years A to Z blogfest stopping by and saying hi to everyone throughout the challenge.

She recently parted company with us last year having battled Pulmonary Hypertension like a true warrior. I say that from the bottom of my heart. She extended a hand to so many people, friends, family, sci-fi fans, bloggers, struggling writers, authors and trekkies stretching right across the blogosphere.


Watching someone you love die from illness is heart breaking so I believe its important to remember Tina for the person she was in life. Tina was a mother, wife, inspiration, a mountain climber, a writer, blogger, lover of sunflowers and proud super-Trekkie.

Can you see what Tina's holding high in her right hand?




So in closing, I just wanted to share with all of you "super-trekkies" and bloggie buddies out there, Tina's wonderful words of support. She really loved Star Trek, stubborn Klingons and Mr Data from ST TNG.


Thank you Tina for being our friend.


       "They like me, they really like me."







                                                                                           

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Terminator Poster


T IS FOR TERMINATOR!





Who said "It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, remorse or FEAR! And IT ABSOLUTELY will not STOP...EVER...
UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD!"


Was it...

1. Arnold Swhwarzenegger aka HK Terminator
2. Linda Hamilton aka Sarah Conor
3. Michael Bienn aka Kyle Reese
4. Lance Henriksen aka Dectective Hal Vukovich
5. Paul Winfield aka Lieutenant Ed Traxler.

Guess right or self terminate, trekkers!

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Pegg's Priority One

P is for Pegg's Priority One.

In official news, Simon Pegg's giving "Star Trek 3" all she's got with  Justin Lin as director and writer Doug Jung.

"It's true! Simon is currently working on the screenplay for the third Star Trek film with Dark Blue writer, Doug Jung." tweeted his twitter team earlier in the year.

Denofgeek.com has an interesting interview up with "Chief Engineer, Scotty" talking about Star Trek's 13th movie incarnation. Star Trek's writers really are on a final countdown to June. Do we have a movie title yet? Not yet... No pressure, lol.

"the timeframe we're working in is extremely tight. It means we're having to come up with the goods. We can't be lazy about it".

Are you all fired up for Star Treks July 8th 2016 release?

Whats a great movie title for Star Trek 3? 

Any ideas on the new movie? 


Thursday, April 16, 2015

2015 Nebula Awards

N is for Nebula. In 1965 the Science Fiction Writers of America was founded by Sci-Fi author Damon Knight. The organisation originally began with a membership of only 78 writers and has grown since.

This years 50th Nebula Awards are being held in Chicago, Illinois beginning on  June 4th right through to the 7th  2015. The cost to attend is $70. If you're interested why not register? Writer's will likely geek out at their website which is a non profit enterprise full of helpful writer resources.

Each year the Nebula Awards are voted on and presented by "active members" of the science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.



Today SFWA is home to over 1,800 members, authors, artists and allied professionals. Many of them are leading writers of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Unlike the Hugos, the Nebulas take place every year for the best Sci Fi or Fantasy fiction published the previous year. Categories include Novel, Novella, Novelette and Short Story.

Who would you like to nominate for a Nebula?

Are you Star Trekking across to the nebulas this year? 
Will you be booking a room this year? 
Live Long and Prosper, trekkers.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Lenara Kahn Deep Space Nine

L is for Lenara's Logical Love but who is she? Lenara Kahn became totally acquainted with Jadzia Dax when she "Rejoined" with her former host aboard Star Trek's Deep Space Nine. These two beauties made out! Believe it, LOL.

The reunion made a very distinct impression. While controversial theres a perfectly logical reason why this happened. Want to know more? Of course you do. Star Trek Fans love Terry Farrell at Star Conventions whose "Trill" beauty spots are a great topic for conversation. How many do you think there are?
Lenara and Dax Kiss!
The real real dark horse is Susanna Thompson who plays the trill Dr Lenara Kahn. Born on the 27th January 1958, Susanna is a women for all seasons playing four characters in the Star Trek's universe. Most Notably the Borg Queen in Star Trek Voyager’s “Unimatrix Zero," Part I and II starring also in Voyagers “Dark Frontier."

Thompson plays “Lenara Kahn” in DS9: “Rejoined”, the inmate “Jaya” in The Next Generation’s episode “Frame of Mind” and the Romulan “Varel” in “The Next Phase” (TNG).


"....it was nice that Avery (Brooks directed) brought us in to meet each other. And I feel like I'm a pretty comfortable person and she certainly was, and Avery wanted us to have that contact. She was great to work with. I just loved it."
Avery Brooks Directing


All erotic Trill gossiping aside, Lenara was a dedicated scientist and her communications experiments on the wormhole would eventually become a great asset to the Federation's defenses during the Dominion War. This is one DS9 episode, trekkers you won't want to miss.

Susanna Thompson and Terry Farrell went all out on making "Rejoined" exciting and wild.

How many spots does Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax have? Are you a fan of Deep Space Nine? 

Trill Long and Prosper, trekkers.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Klingons Do Not Laugh

K is for Klingons do not laugh.  Do Klingons and humor mix? A lot has been said about Star Trek TNG being a little off key in its first season. In this second episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation of "The Naked Now,"

I think you'll agree Commander Data, Captain Picard and Klingon Worf's dry wit is a real winner! You decide.....skip ahead to 0.56sec....





Lt. Cmdr. Data: There was a rather peculiar limerick, being delivered by someone in the shuttlecraft bay. I am not sure I understand it... "There was a young lady from Venus, whose body was shaped like a... "
Capt. Picard: Captain to Security, come in!
Lt. Cmdr. Data: Did I say something wrong?
Lieutenant Worf: I don't understand their humor either.

Do Klingons laugh?

Laugh Long and prosper, Trekkers

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Robert Justman's "Klingon on the Bridge"

J is for Justman. On the 18 October 1986, Robert Justman sent a memo to Star Trek's Creator, Gene Roddenberry. The memo concerned the use of the show's writers guide/bible in the Star Trek universe. Justman's memo begins with the sentence,

"Despite your aversion to using Klingons in the new series, I think I've thought of something which might just change your mind."


 In case you were wondering, Robert Justman put forward the idea of a resident Klingon serving aboard the Enterprise played by Michael Dorn. Obviously, Justman had a few hurdles to bypass. Some say Roddenberry's optimistic view of the future was preachy and slow. To neutralize this problem, Justman suggested that the military skills and prowess of the Klingon species might cause such a person (like Worf) to be well-suited for a role in the ship's crew.

"These are Klingons! They'll attack!"

When Roddenberry dug his heels in about excluding the Klingons, he said, "Bob, we've passed all that. We don't need Klingons." However, Justman persevered, challenging the Creator's opinion, pointing out that the acceptance of a Klingon in Starfleet would mean that Human attitudes had grown, which happily played ball with Roddenberry's optimistic view of the future.



Do you remember K'Ehleyr? Didn't Susie Plakson make a great Klingon?

Qapla! Long live the Klingon Empire.





Friday, April 10, 2015

I Am Spock

I Am Spock is the title of Leonard Nimoy's second autobiography, published in 1995 which is a fascinating read.

Leonard Nimoy's second book exploits the logic of the Vulcan Science Officer from Star Trek's universe, revealing a series of private conversations between Mr Spock and Mr Nimoy. This unique book contains a saga of Leonard's experiences as an actor, director, and producer of Star Trek Stories.
A letter in the Foreword section of "I Am Spock" addressed to Mr Leonard Nimoy at Earth's Sol Star System poses the question - Would you consider writing the foreward to my new book? - followed by Mr Nimoy and Spock dialog from Leonard's first autobiography published in 1975.

Can you guess its title?

Live Long and Prosper.

Thursday, April 09, 2015

Hugo Gernsback

H is for Hugo. This award is the premier award in science Fiction named after Hugo Gernsback, founder of the first ever sci-fi pulp magazine, Amazing Stories. In 1953 "World SF Convention" gave the first Hugo Award at the 11th World Science Fiction Convention. Since 1955 the Hugo Award for best Science Fiction and Fantasy has been handed over to winners annually for pure excellence.

Theres more than a dozen types including best written and dramatic work. The Hugo Awards are among the highest honors bestowed in science fiction and fantasy, art, publishing and writing. The distinctive design of the Hugo Award Rocket is a service mark of the World Science Fiction Society. The awards themselves are voted on and administered by the World Science Fiction Convention, also known as Worldcon.


Star Trek: The Original Series was nominated eight times for Best Dramatic Presentation, and swept the nominees in 1968. It won the award twice.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was nominated three times, and also won twice.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Enterprise were each nominated twice (Enterprise for Short Form, after the category was split in 2002), but never won.

Nine of the first eleven Star Trek films except for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek Nemesis were nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation. None won the award.

Gene Roddenberry won a special award for Star Trek in 1968.

Hugo Gernsback is known for writing a non fiction in 1952 titled "Evolution of Modern Science Fiction." The novel for which he is best remembered is "Ralph 124C 41+"

Have you read Amazing Stories? Do you like watching the Hugos? Who do you want to see win?

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Gene Roddenberry's Message

Gene Roddenberry's "Wagon Train to the Stars" became a cult tv show and refused to die. Star Trek's defenders of the galaxy gave us many hopeful voyages into the future.

Its fair to say, they have been our friends, our guides and our defenders thrilling us with 726 epic adventures, boldly exploring where none have gone before. Its now 50 years later. Heres what Gene Roddenberry said in 1986.




I have thought that having reached this point, it would be fun to go back to the years which Kirk first got the Enterprise and met these people. I know it would please me more than have Star Trek come back years from the future and bright young people and new stars and so on, really make it something.....and have them say thats better than Roddenberry's.... I'd like that.

(True or False) It was Gene Roddenberry's idea to have a Klingon on the bridge of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D.

Monday, April 06, 2015

Entertaining Emmys


E is for Entertaining Emmys. Each year the Emmys are celebrated on TV with awards held in the USA since 1949 to honor the best in Prime-Time TV viewing. Believe it or not Star Trek The Animated Series won an Emmy for the most entertaining children's series in 1975! So did TNG, DS9, VOYAGER and ENT. Sadly Star Trek's classic TOS show is the only show to truly bite the dust at the Emmys! I mean how in great space does Enterprise beat TOS classic show? Someone please explain that to me.


In any case, The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards will hit the airwaves on Sunday september 20th 2015. You've probably wondered at some stage whats the recipe for choosing the Prime-time Emmy Awards host, right? The scoop is Andy Samberg aka Brooklyn Nine-Nine's will be in command. So tune in for the fun. "Buckle your seat belts, Emmy lovers!"

Tell us why you love watching the Emmys!

Star Trek Into Darkness has been nominated for Best Science fiction Film of 2015.
 Is STID in with a chance to win?


Saturday, April 04, 2015

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

D is for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....so what gives? The original author, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his first edition novella "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde" in 1886. Since that time there have been dozens of stage and film adaptions of the novella, over 123 film versions alone not including radio and stage versions.  There doesn't seem to any stopping Dr Jekyl or his doppelganger hiding within, hehe! Looking back Rouben Mamoulian's 1931 B/W version made quite an impact.


1931 didn't have 3D CGI techo special effects we take for granted today. Jekyll and Hyde fans should get a kick out of Mamoulian's movie. I reckon lots of remakes failed to capture the spirit of Stevenson's original book, lacking Mamoulian's movie style and technical innovation.  It really was the golden age of science and inventions.






The arrival of new age special effects has changed Hollywood forever. Theres a brand new "true to text" 2015 Jekyll and Hyde movie due out on April 17th. The official website is here. Theres something about the earlier classics that gives us an appreciation and stretches the imagination.

What's your favorite Jekyll and Hyde film?

Hyde long and Prosper, trekkers.

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