Lassen Volcanic National Park's Star Tree

reaching for the stars
Originally uploaded by ehoyer.

Here is a tree hundreds of years old in California's Lassen Park. Its reaching up into the stars to the celestial heavens above where only humans can gaze and wonder, what if..

On the left is the light from someones campsite and on the right is the glow from a candle on another trekkers table.

Conifers such as these protect the watertable, mountainside and provide recreation spots for humans and shelter for wildlife. The glow from the nightsky can be seen eeking through the rooftops of the trees, which is kind of exciting, imagine being there at night.

Lassen National Park

Thats if you're not afraid of being in the woods in the dark. This photo really gives you a pretty good idea of what that might be like! Look closely at it. The Lassen National Park has over 106,000 acres of land in north California.

This is a great place to explore and become one with the trees. Many of the mammals make Lasson Park their home and why not? its a beautiful place. The glacial lakes help sustain these critters and the plants.

In my next post, i'll show you what this tree looks like in daylight.

Live Long and Prosper!

Worf's Bumpyhead Secret

During my research, I have discovered why Klingons of an earlier era, stardate 3198.4 had the exact same facial features as Humans and why they displayed Human tendancies. I hope Worf is'nt growling, if he ever gets to read this. I'll have to start at the beginning.

In "Trial and Tribble-ations" (DS9) the crew of the Defiant, Sisco, Worf, O'Brien, Odo, Dr Bashir, and Dax head back in time to apprehend Arim Darvin and prevent him from altering time. A device called an Orbe enabled them to timetravel.


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Trials and Tribble-ations
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With a mix of Star Trek TOS and DS9 actors in this episode, the crew of the Enterprise and the cloaked Defiant crew, clearly enjoyed themselves in the filming with our cooing, furry, fuzzball, fluffy friends aboard the old deep space station K7 with neighbourly Klingons stopping by for Eractagino.

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Aboard the K7 spacestation in the lounge section of the bar a conversation starts off between Dr Bashir, Worf, Chief O' Brien and Odo. Everyone is seated and the bar waitress heads over.

"What'll it be boys and don't ask for Eractagino, if I..."
Suddenly Odo's interest is sparked.
Who ordered the Eractagino? the Security Chief waits in anticipation.
" The Klingons " answers the waitress.
Odo is confused. " Klingons?"
" Over there and over there" the smile vanishes from her face.
" Those are Klingons?" enquires Dr Bashir, equally dumbfounded.
The waitress figures that either shes being toyed with or these guys are drunk. She gathers up the glasses and says
" All right boys, you've had enough" and leaves.
" Mr Worf?" prompts Odo, hoping Worf will shed light on the Klingon situation.
" They are Klingons and it is a long story" explains Worf.
"What happened, some kind of genetic engineering?" suggests O' Brien.
" A viral mutation" hints Dr Bashir.
Worfs anxiety takes over and he has no intension of explaining.
" We do not discuss it with outsiders"

In 2154 Klingon scientists accidently created a Klingon Augment Virus. A test subject had the Levodian flu and was combined with enhanced augment DNA. Eventually the mutant virus escaped causing a global epidemic on the Klingon Homeworld that threatened to obliterate the klingons during the 22nd century. The ultimate goal was of course to engineer enhanced warriors using genetically altered DNA obtained from Earth's Eugenic Wars.

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During this time Klingons were fearful, humans would create augments and overthrow their empire which is why Klingons decided to create some of their own. Scientists recovered DNA and began experimenting with test subject augments. The experiments were a disaster. Augmented Klingon demonstrated enhanced strength and intelligence but they were also afflicted with human characteristics.

Their suffering included the dissolving of their cranial forehead ridges and human personality traits. Numerous Klingons d--d agonizing d--ths from incompatible DNA resulting in neural breakdown. What started as a controlled experiment with promising results was actually a complete failure. A cure for the neural breakdown was desperately needed. Further tests were conducted on a new Klingon subject who unwittingly had the Levodian flu. This experiment created an awful epidemic (Augment Virus) that spread fast on the Klingon Homeworld.

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Dr Phlox from the first "Enterprise" found a cure but it meant human looking de-evolved Klingons would'nt be fully restored to their proper appearance, while cured of the virus they still looked like humans! How humiliating for them. Klingons for generations bore this discrace for over a century before scientists discovered a method of full restoration.

In Trial and Tribble-ations stardate 4523.3 Worf is forced to admit that the human looking Klingons without cranial ridges are in fact Klingons. Their human characteristics are painfully evident. Even the Klingon villian insulting Scotty's Enterprise NCC 1701 and captain Kirk was behaving in a fashion very unbecoming to klingons, whom we know to be highly honourable and tradition bound.

Klingon Virus

Poor Worf. He must have been cringing from within his own skin. To have to explain all of this and the failed genetic engineering experiments, the global epidemic on the Klingon Homeworld, Generations of human looking klingons, the tragic d--ths and dissolving cranial ridges, this would have been too embarrassing to explain to outsiders.

It also portrayed the Klingons in a " human weakling" fashion which is a description reserved for true humans (read my post on Commander Kruge is a Dynamic, Powerthirsty, Merciless, Klingon Warrior)

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Soon after the conversation with Worf, a Klingon renegade fires insults at Scotty, laughing at him in his face and slagging off Kirk and the Enterprise. Chief Engineer Scott restrained himself quite well considering, which is why he asked him nicely to rephrase.

Meanwhile the crew of the Defiant are seated accross the Lounge watching all of this unravel. Odo is horrified. Bar fighting scenes run amok with flying chairs and people landing all over the place. Not hard to guess who threw the first punch? I have in essence discovered and revealed Worfs hidden Homeworld past. Your big bumpy head secret is out. Sorry, Worf but it had to happen someday!

Live Long and Prosper!

Spocks " Live Long and Prosper " Greeting.

Leonard Nimoy, our favourite alien in the Universe, Mr Spock, asked his director one fine day,

" What can I introduce into the show (Star Trek T.O.S.) about my my character? -What are we going to discover about vulcans?- What will we learn about them? We need to do something special when vulcans meet each other"
"Well, what do you suggest?" asked the director
"Well we have this greeting scene, T'Pau meets Spock on Vulcan. (Shes the Matriarch) Military people salute, people shake hands, what do vulcans do?" stated Leonard.

Have you ever wondered where the "live long and prosper" Vulcan Greeting, Earths equivalent of the handshake originated from? Leonard Nemoy described how when, he was a kid between 7-8 years old, he used to go to the synagogue with his parents during the high holidays and sit with his father, grandfather and brother downstairs in the in the orthodox hall.

(He was at an assembly of people where he was the honoured guest speaker.)

"There was a point in the ceremony when the Kohen (Priest) got up to bless the ceremony. Then 6 to 7 men, the Kohanim (Priests) got up on the Bimah (location from which worship is led) to bless the congregation. But they did'nt just bless the congregation, they blessed the congregation!"

"The chanting began and the Kohanim with their special cloaks over their heads blessed the congregation. This was a very special occasion."
Leonard demonstrated this for everyone at the gathering. It was very unexpected.



He had a special cloak on standby which he put over his head and held up his hands with the cloak resting over them. He made special sounds and gave the blessing. (I felt genuinely awed to have witnessed this. I watched something of such special, deep significance to Leonard Nemoy and he chose to share it with the fans, so openly. Wow. This was a rare occasion. The video had drawn me in and I actually felt part of something special.

"It was quite an event." Nimoy's dad said "don't look " and of course Leonard being a curious kid naturally did and survived.

"The belief is when the Kohanim do the incantation of prayer the Shekinah (Divine Presence) enters the hall. Everybody in the hall had their heads bowed over so they could'nt see. The image is so powerful, Shekinah, you don't look, dare look to save your life. This is a very important ceremony. I peeked and survived".

-What Leonard saw was these guys standing, cloaked, holding out their arms and hands with splayed fingers ( he demonstrated the Live Long and Prosper greeting with both hands) moving around incanting. -

-So from that day forward Leonard Nemoy our Mr Spock practised these hand gestures until he got it perfect- So how long did it take? The host used the words

"Diligent practise and self denial" and smiled with a pleased look on his face. They say seeing is believing well, I'm guessing that our Science Officer practised the Vulcan " Live Long and Prosper" splayed fingers until he had it down pat.

Even though i could'nt see the gathering of people on the computer screen from where i was smiling, i could tell they were doing it too and i could hear laughing. Leonard Nemoy was so genuine, only he could have enlightened people, entertaining and expanding their minds in such an enjoyable way.

By the time Star Trek came around the famous " Live Long and Prosper " Vulcan greeting was perfected for Mr Spock. So Leonards talking to his director and says

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" Suppose we do this" ( Leonard demonstrates the splayed finger gesture to his director, presumably) and his director said

"Okay" was the green light. The big go-ahead.

Leonard Nemoy recalled what happened next, rather emotively.


" So we had to get it into the show, this felt right, we just had to get it in there. So we went to Celia Lovsky ( actress playing T'Pau, the ruling matriarch of Vulcan. At the time she met Spock in " Amok Time " she was a high priestess carried in on a chair. This was the episode Leonard spoke of. The first ever greeting between vulcans was premiered here. ) and we told her what the plan was, Leonard will do this and you'll do this. She could'nt do it!"

"Not everyone could, she did'nt have the years of diligent practise and self denial like I had" jested Leonard.

"We showed Celia how to do it, (The Vulcan Live Long and Prosper Greeting with splayed fingers), with the help of her other hand, out of sight of the camera. When i raised my hand she raised hers. Thats how we got her onto the show."




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Thanks for reading this far. Live Long and Prosper!

Orion Slave Woman

Here is a shapely, seductive green skinned Orion Woman wearing a skimpy seductive costume. She's also wearing a golden sapphire necklace and bracelets, worn for the purpose of enhancing her appeal to a prospective suitor.

Orion Women were said to have the power and seductive charms to delight any male under their influence.

Image owner/creator: Paramount Pictures or CBS Paramount Television.

In 23rd century humanoid females of this kind were a precious commodity and were marketed in disreputable parts of the galaxy. This trading suggests ownership and as a result of this some Orions were not treated with the respect they deserved.

In the episode "The Cage" (Star Trek) Vina appeared to Captain Christopher Pike as an illusionary youthful Orion Slave Woman in order to break his resolve.

Actress Majel Barret was painted green for the initial makeup trials of the Orion woman.

After the shoot took place and the film came back from the photolab there was no green skin. So, it was concluded, we'll just put on a darker green. The film came back and there still was no green skin. The make-up artists made her an even darker shade of green. When it came back, no green skin.

Image owner/creator: Paramount Pictures or CBS Paramount Television.

Finally someone had the bright idea to ring up the photolab and say "You do know we want her Green and yet the film keeps coming back with pink skin!" It turned out the lab technicians were completely unaware of this and had been changing the skin from green to pink the whole time!




Live Long and Prosper, Trekkies!

Teleportation Discovery

Scientists have made a new discovery in Denmark involving Teleportation, using light as a carrier of entanglement. We're getting closer to seeing , Star Trek Technology becoming Star Trek Reality with every passing year. You can read the article " Teleportation is coming" at the Observer2020 Blog.

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It turns out that teleportation is'nt so far fetched after all. Its a work in progress.

Observer2020 It even mentions Star Trek and its association with Teleportation in the CNN link.

In the episode "Sarek" Ambassador Sarek and his wife Perrin joined hands when they beamed off the Enterprise. Luckily the transporter pad still worked properly and transported them over with their hands intact to the cargo transport ship.

Live Long and Prosper!

Teleportation Records dating to 1593

Teleportation events date back in time to the year 1593, October 24th. The phenomenon itself fascinated earthers of the time. It was Charles Fort who coined the phrase "teleportation." which described the transportation of a person or object from one place to another.

So what actually happened on that October day in 1593?

One particular noteworthy case occurred involving witnesses and a uniformed imperial guard appearing in Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. It was all very mysterious indeed.

The person was recognised as a palace guard for the Governor in the Philippines capital, Manila, whom people recall looked dazed and confused. He materialized out of no-where in the bright light of day like something in Star Trek. When the villagers asked him who he was, he identified himself as Gil Perez. However he explained, he didn't understand how he ended up where he was. All was not what it seemed. Well well, rumours spread fast, "have we got a deserter, here?"

Gil Perez recounted his teleportation experience which began when the Governor, Gomez Perez Demarinas gave the order to have his head taken off! Why? cried the villagers in disbelief. "I spoke ill words of the Governor, I'm was so sorry. There can be no forgiveness, he said!" it was game over!. The villagers gasped.

MEXICO CITY PLAZA MAYOR

The blood from previous executions stained the wooden deck upon which numerous headless bodies and split craniums fell, gushed before cheering spectators visiting the castle by invitation of the Governor. Perez felt weak at his knees and rubbed his neck before being forced to place his head on the block.

 "No, way never, how can this be happening to be?" cried Perez. The block smelt awful. As a final insult to the condemned, the governor ordered the hooded executioner (who was drunk) to use a blunt blade on Perez which added to the immense pain and suffering inflicted on victims. Perez screwed his eyes shut and hoped the axeman wouldn't botch the job as the blade cut through the air....

Later the Governor himself suffered an ill fate. Suffice to say no-one believed Gil Perez's story when he re-energized like Captain Kirk beaming down from the starship USS Enterprise NCC 1701 several days later in Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. No instead Perez was arrested and chucked in jail as a deserter abandoning his duty.

However upon close scrutiny his story actually held up. Records dating back to 1698 documenting this highly unlikely case were written by a religious historian. More witnesses testified that yes, Gil Perez was seen on duty as a palace guard the day before his mysterious appearance in Mexico. Why Governor Demarinas took a dislike to his guard, who knows? Gil Perez was sent back to Manila to retake his position as a palace guard and lived a seemingly uneventful life ever after. Believe it or not actually. These are actual real life events!

Maybe somebody is having a laugh but one thing is clear. The records while contentious are indisputable. I have tried to give an accurate account of teleportation in 1593 which transpired in Mexico City.

Would you have believed Gil Perez "Beam me down,Scotty story?"

Live Long and Prosper Trekkies, Niners and Trekkers! Enjoy Your Star Trekking.

Amazing Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda is the largest galaxy neighbouring our Milky Way System. The Milky Way which encompasses our solar system made up of stars, space dust, gases and all that other wonderful stuff, is where our harmless little world is. The width of the Milky Way disk is 100,000 light years accross.

When I started out reading about the universe, the word disk, sort of stuck out. Disk includes everything in a galaxies system, right down to the space dust. Some Stars also have disks with floating debris and space dust orbiting around them, which were once planets.

The Andromeda disk is 260,000 lightyears accross, which means that not only would it take 260,000 earth years for a light beam to travel from one end to another, but it is about three times bigger than our own milky way galaxy. Theres very definitely intelligent life out there! Imagine what they could be getting up to. For the full article click on the link below.


"Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech"

Amazing Andromeda Galaxy


Live Long and Prosper!

Starship Navigation In Space

Ensign bring us about Bearing 330 mark 15 engage. We've heard Captain Picard giving these orders on the bridge of the Enterprise, but what does it mean? The term "Bearing" is a mathematical expression which Picard gives as part of an instruction to the helm. This alerts the ensign or navigational officer of his intent to change the direction of the Enterprise from its previous heading and redirect the flightpath of the Enterprise towards the direction of the other spaceship, which is most likely visible on the viewscreen.




A bearing measures the angular difference between the current forward direction of the spacecraft (Enterprise in diagram) and the direction being described. (Khan's Botany Bay ship) The first number in a bearing of 000 mark 0 describes the direction, directly ahead of the vessel. The second number in a bearing of 330 mark 15 describes the direction to the port side ( look right) of the larger ship (Enterprise) which is the elevation value of the Enterprise towards Khans Botany Bay vessel, right above the centerline of the ship.



When the mathematical expression "Heading" is given this describes the direction of the Enterprise not in relation to any other ship or object, but to a region of space. A Heading is composed of two numbers representing an azimuth value and an elevation value in degrees. The numbers 000, mark 0 describe the ships direction towards the Geometric Center of the Galaxy. The ships degrees are from 0 to 360 in a clockwise motion and encircle the vessel.


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Stars and planets are also used as a reference guide by starships to identify a location in space or set a new ships flightpath. Federation starship computers can immediately set a ship's course direction in space, based on previously explored and mapped positions of interstellar "space bodies" otherwise known as planets, stars and even asteroid belts.



Verbal navigational mathematical instructions given by Captain Picard to the conn, have advantageously altered the U.S.S. Enterprises NCC 1701-D bearing and elevation in times crisis with enemy ships, thus averting disaster for the entire Enterprise crew.

Starship Navigation In Space

The center of the Galaxy 000, mark 0 is also used as a reference point when calculating the direction of the ships Direction of Flight towards another region of space. In the diagram with the U.S.S Enterprise NCC 1701-D and the U.S.S Yamato NCC 71807 both have an azimuth heading of 030.


Live Long and Prosper!

Gorn Lizard and his Friend

nerd
Originally uploaded by gingervitis.

In this photograph the Gorn Lizzard almost looks alive. Look at all those sharp smiling teeth. Gorn seems amused by whats going on or maybe hes just waiting. One false move by the human and we might just see Mr lizzard licking his lips. Our green friend definately has something in store for this trusting, unsuspecting, Sci-Fi Fan. In this photo the Earthling seems to be having fun with the Reptilian Creature. Where do you think it was taken?
Image originally uploaded by gingervitis

Horta Creature

The creature seen here was the main star attraction in the episode " Devil in the Dark" in Star Trek The Original Series. The "Horta" was a creature of deep passion from the depths of converging caverns on Janus VI She was a protector, capable of striking in a flash with lightening stealth, melting all and everything that was in her path.

She was also a highly intelligent lifeform, suffering from great pain and tormented with memories of sorrow and loss. The Horta is a remarkable, durable creature of the caves and readied herself to exact punishment on those who were ruining her childrens future. One by one, the miners of Janus VI started to die.

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"Devil In The Dark"
Alpha Memory


This episode is filled with interesting characters, ranging from a panic stricken guard whose left abandoned in the caves on watch to a blunt, tense, almost angry Administrative Head /Chief Engineer fed up of watching his men dieing. This is a great episode. Tensions and emotions are running high because people are fearing for their lives.

Emotional outbursts are commonplace with even the logical Mr Spock having a few for himself, over Kirks safety. This is a charged exciting storyline that just sweeps you up and takes the viewer on a trip of discovery along with Kirk, Spock and the rest of the baffled miners. There is a mystery here to be solved and no one has any answers, which is why the USS Enterprise 1701 is called to the rescue!


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"Devil In The Dark"
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Spock is fascinated by the object on the Chief Installations Managers desk and picks it up. Theres a curious expression on his face. He asks the chief

"Mr Vandeburg, What is this?"
"Its a silicone nodule, theres a million of them down there of no commercial value." comes the reply, rather bluntly.

"But a geological oddity to say the least. " says Spock examining the nodule closely in his hands. "Pure silicone?" enquires Spock calmly
"A few trace elements, look we didn't call you here so you could collect rocks"




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Vandeburgs appalled by Spocks carry on and is now looking at Kirk. Clearly, his nerves are on edge and Spock so far, hasn't done anything to inspire the chief. Theres an almost amused look on the captains face. If the Janus VI crisis wasn't so serious, these two, Spock and Vandeburg would be funny.- Kirk sees the need to lower Chief Vandeburg's blood pressure.

"Thankyou Mr Vandeburg, we'll need your complete cooperation"
"You'll have it, Just find that creature or whatever it is, I've got a quota to meet!" Vandeburg leaves the room.

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"Devil In The Dark"
Memory Alpha



Kirk is determined to end the bloodshed and find the creature. He reminds the security detachment that they are:

" dealing with a silicone creature from the deep rocks"
So much is unknown about the "Horta" at this stage.
Kirk is harsh. He has to be. The security guards are standing to attention.

"You will proceed from level to level" - searching for the creature " and remember 50 people have died, I want no more deaths"
"Except the bloody thing" blurts out Chief Engineer unhappily.
Captain James T. Kirk continues,

"So it is wounded and twice as dangerous, stay in pairs, if you see it, concentrate your phaser fire at what appears to be its head. Concentrate it, maintain it. It is definitely resistant, if it can be hurt, it can be killed.

Administrative Head and Chief Engineer of the mining facility. Mr Vanderburg.
"When that creature appears men die"
" I don't know what this butchering monster is, but I know what its doing"
"Except that bloody thing"
"I'm concerned with my people here Kirk, they're being murdered, now you find that monster and kill it!"
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Human activity mattered little to the Horta until that faithful day of heartbreaking discovery. There was a lasting peace on the Horta Homeworld for thousands of years. So why did the Horta resort to murder? She was the mother of her race, left behind to care for her unhatched little ones on Janus VI.

The Horta came from a time when thousands of her kind lived. Every 50000 years, all but one Horta passes on, who cared for the next generation hatchlings. This natural environment underground was their nursery "chamber of the ages" which until recently had been undisturbed for millenniums.

One day as the silicone caretaker went about her business, disaster struck. The sound of equipment could be heard, which her finely tuned senses picked up on. Panic stricken and engulfed with feelings of Hortadread for the welfare of her little ones safety, the Mother Horta rushed to the Chamber of the Ages.

Smashed eggs could be seen in the cave. The murderers had left. The Peace on Janus VI was over.

I hope you enjoyed reading. Live Long and Prosper!


Spock and Kirk discover a newly cut tunnel in the last two minutes after the Horta fled after their first encounter.
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