It was neck and neck between the Star Trek Starfleet uniform and Rafael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but ultimately, Star Trek edged out TMNT. Which is apparently a good thing after reading this article:
I know I said I was thinking about getting the new/old uniform but, well, time is short and I ran out of it. So I went with my classic TOS old school uniform made famous by Lt. Uhura and Yeoman Rand (who I met about 6 years ago and is a crazy psycho bitch).
Here are some pictures (as you can see, I have way too much fun playing dress up):
Hope all you nerds had a fantastically fun and nerdy Halloween. Send me pictures of your costumes!
With Halloween fast approaching and me not able to decide just what super nerdy character I should dress up as this year I thought to myself, “Hey! You have a blog! Let’s crowd source this sucker and get some help!” (And yes, in my head I’m yelling at myself….!!!!!)
Here are a few of the outfits I’ve been toying around with for this year. I’ve only got a week so I’m in serious need of feedback. I also don’t have a ton of cash, so I used my super amazing Photoshop skills to give you a rough idea of what I’d look like in each of the costumes.
Here are my top four choices right now, but if you have a suggestion just leave a comment on the blog of the FB page.
#1: Princess Lea
I know what you’re thinking; why not the gold bikini? Everyone does the gold bikini guys. Plus, how will I ever beat these two chicks when it comes to the gold bikini?
#2: Star Trek
No other Star Trek series has been able to match The Original Series in the sexy uniform department. Hence why I’m debating this tight little number from the new/old Star Trek.
#3: Boba Fett
Seriously. It’s Boba Fett. Who doesn’t want to be Boba Fett?
#4: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
Not sure if it’s the sai or the brasier, but I like this one. Ok, why lie, I love the boots!
I might have a few more tomorrow. If you have any suggestions I’m open to them!
I’m inspired by last week’s news of the “Goldilock Planet” to write about extraterrestrial life and my absolute certainty that we are not alone in this universe. If you haven’t read about it you can find it here: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/29/5202633-alien-planet-looks-just-right-for-life
In another news story out this week, more than 120 ex-Air Force personnel claim to have seen UFO’s around their base in Montana. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/28/national/main6907702.shtml
During these sightings their nuclear weapons would become deactivated. A co-worker of mine who lived in the same area has testified to the existence of these mysterious lights and objects and claims to have seen them on multiple occasions. Now, I don’t know if you know many people in the military. My family happens to be full of them. The ones I know are very by the book and honest to a fault. They would never dream of saying something like this unless they believed it to be true. Shit, they won’t even tell me most of what they did while in the service period. The point being that these are most likely trustworthy fellows. We’ll just ignore that whole Roswell debacle, shall we?
My argument has been echoed by many over the years and is not nearly as original or revolutionary as I would like it to be, but here it is anyways:
With a universe so vast, so filled with countless stars and planets, how is it possible that we would be all alone in it?
What a terrible and lonely idea.
There are many who believe that life on other planets is possible but is most likely microscopic. If a planet can sustain water (even if frozen), it can sustain life, even if that life is smaller than the eye can see.
There are others, like Stephen Hawking, who believe that other sentient beings are out there and will most likely destroy us when we come in contact with them. Much as the settlers of the new world destroyed the indigenous peoples already living there. As he so pointedly puts it, that “didn’t turn out very well” for them. I think HG Wells and President Whitmore would agree.
Professor Hawking soon learned his fears of aliens was unfounded once he met the women from Planet Amazonia…
If we get lucky our first visitors will be like the Vulcans in Star Trek: First Contact. Indifferently interested and willing to hook a brutha up with a tidbit of technology or two. Some cosmic rims, if you will. They will hold their superiority over us but that’s ok, we’ll form the United Federation of Planets and show them who’s boss.
Who photobombed first contact with an alien race? Hot Nerd Girl photobombed first contact with an alien race.
Of course, there’s always the option that we’ll destroy them. Or at least persecute them a la The 9th District. Or to a lesser degree, Alien Nation (hey, we let him become a cop, didn’t we?)
So what are we humans to do when and if alien visitors arrive? Hide, welcome, or destroy?
I’m in the “let’s hope they’re friendly and welcome them but kick their asses if they’re mean” camp. But mostly, I’m in the “of course they’re out there” camp, whether we ever come in contact with them or not. I just can’t bring myself to believe that we’re alone and if you do, that’s your egotistical and close-minded opinion and you have every right to believe it.
Just don’t look at me when Mars Attacks! And you weren’t prepared bee-yatch.
It might shock you to learn this. But I was, at one time, the owner of a complete set of X-Men Series II trading cards.
It’s true.
I also collected baseball cards, because like any self-respecting tomboy I played baseball, not softball. Softball is for chicks.
But Series II was my most favorite set of any kind of cards I ever collected. (I know this sentence isn’t grammatically correct and yet I choose to type it that way anyway. Deal with it). The Fleer Ultra series was OK, but it just didn’t have quite the same magic to it.
The tall, narrow type on top. The dramatic action shot below. The statistical data on the back. They were pure perfection. I even had the cards from the cartoon series with the film strip border. They were great as reference material or for just sitting down and reading.
And then one day my brother stole them.
He also collected baseball and X-Men cards. It was something we did together as loving siblings. We would walk up Country Club Lane to the comic book store and buy them and trade them. We also went through a pog phase but try not to hold that against us. I kept my cards in the same navy blue binder in nice segmented card protector pages on a shelf in my bedroom. They never deviated from that spot and I never took them outside. At some point my brother lost a few. I remember thinking, damn, that sucks for him, at least I still have all of mine.
The next time I pulled my binder out, the ones he happened to be missing were now missing from my binder.
WTF.
I took mine back.
He stole them again.
Little shit.
This went back and forth for years until he finally hid them where I couldn’t find them. My brother, my own flesh and blood, saw fit to steal and hide my own X-Men cards from me and had the gall to claim that I had stolen them from him. As if. This is the kid who opened up his Superman death comic when he was explicitly told not to and the kid next door had a perfectly good opened one he could have read instead. And he accused ME, who won’t even open the Star Trek Christmas ornament box? Psssh.
I never did find my X-Men cards after that.
So I stole his star ships.
Three beautiful Enterprise models, the Enterprise NCC-1701, NC-1701 refit and Enterprise NCC-1701-D. All beautifully hand painted by our Dad.
If I was a gal going in to Starfleet Academy in the year 2267, I would request a job that required a blue or gold uniform. Why were the redshirts always the first to go? I could give you the technical answer about how red uniforms are worn by Engineering and Security personnel and one or more of them would be required to go on away missions to protect the Captain or go in first to investigate. But let’s be honest. It’s the “black dude dies first” rule but since Star Trek is so enlightened they had to find another way of going about it.
You know it’s true.
At my first Star Trek Convention in San Francisco we were treated to some short films produced by fanboys. One of them (and by far the most popular) was one about redshirts. I don’t know if this was the exact one but it is equally as humorous:
The term “redshirt” has embedded itself in pop culture. Anyone expendable is now a redshirt.
Personally, I like to think about how Ensign Ricky would have felt about all this. I’m sure his mama would be proud that her brave young son will always be remembered for taking one for the (away) team.
By 2364 the red and gold uniforms had been swapped. I think this was a good move. Red is more regal and commanding than yellow is. It demands respect. The Next Generation understandably didn’t want to become a joke by continuing the redshirt joke. But they still needed a way to show that the bad guy was bad without killing off the main characters (Tasha Yar being the exception, but hey, she wanted out).
*bitch slap* "Don't you know who I am? I am the borg! Resistance is futile, A**HOLE!"
This is where The Worf Effect comes in to play.
Worf is the biggest and most badass of the good guys so if a bad guy can throw Worf across the room (which they often do) they MUST be really bad! Of course, Worf is a Klingon so he never really gets hurt (they leave that to falling cargo containers – far more deadly than the Borg apparently – but wait! He’s got back up organs!)
So the goldshirt never really took off like the redshirt did. Which is probably for the best.
The blue uniforms have always been for Medical and Science personnel. Let’s face it. They are far less interesting. Sure Dr. Crusher and Councilor Troi were hotties but Crusher covered hers up with a lab coat and Troi ditched hers altogether after the first two episodes in favor of cleavage. If it wasn’t for Spock, the blueshirt wouldn’t even be purchased by fanboys for ComicCon and Halloween. It’s a fact.
And lastly, the no shirt. Made famous by Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Whichever Orion slave girl made his uniforms had an ulterior motive because there is no reason for his uniforms to fall apart at the seams during every episode while everyone else’s stay intact. Even while battling Spock in “Amok Time” Spock’s uniform manages to stay in one piece while Kirk’s is ripped to shreds. I’m not complaining, I’m just saying that shirt shredding should be equal opportunity amongst all of the handsome men…
It was 06 APR 2002 at the Star Trek Convention in San Francisco. I was attending with an ex-sort-of-boyfriend and fellow nerd. Even though I have been an avid Star Trek fan since birth, this was my very first convention and I was uber excited. I found my way downstairs to the celebrity and vendor floor and after buying a celtic ring (I know, way random) ended up at Manu Intiraymi’s table where he was having a spirited conversation with a fan in full uniform. I had a question for him (can’t for the life of me remember what it was) so I sort of listened in on their conversation and looked through the photographs of him and Jeri Ryan spread out on the table. He kept glancing at me. I wasn’t in uniform; however, I was wearing my communicator and several Star Trek pins.
Finally the uniformed fan stepped away and I turned to ask him my question.
Borg Boy beat me to it.
MI: “So, are you here with your boyfriend?”
HNG: “Excuse me?”
MI: “Girls like you only come with their boyfriends who are into this stuff.”
HNG (looking incredulous): “No, I’m not here with a boyfriend. I’m a Trekker.”
MI (looking incredulous): “Are you serious?”
HNG (getting pissed off): “Yes, I’m serious.”
MI (looking stunned): “Huh.”
Don’t let the hat fool you. He’s cute.
I then proceeded to ask him my question and we spent about 5 minutes engaged (heeheehee) in a nerdy conversation regarding some aspect of playing a Borg on TV. I asked if I could get a picture taken with him and he said yes so I ran back up to where my friend was waiting and grabbed my camera and headed back down. I popped in a Listerine Pocket Pak because, well, one always wants fresh breath when confronting the Borg. Uniformed Fan was back so we had him take the picture.
MI: “What’s that great smell? Is that gum?”
HNG: “No, it’s a Listerine Pocket Pak, want one?”
MI: “Sure.”
I then proceeded to explain to Borg Boy and UF the virtues of Pocket Paks for those who can’t chew gum due to TMJ…Paks must have been relatively new to the market or something because they listened with rapt interest and declared that I could be a spokesperson for them.
Whatever.
The conversation turned to Borg Boy’s upbringing by hippie parents and how his parents still live here so he comes to visit a lot. He asked if I wanted to hang out sometime when he was in town. I said, sure, why not? He asked me for my phone number. (UF is watching this with his head moving back and forth like it’s a tennis match). I wrote down my number and gave it to him. He put it in his wallet with a promise to call me and take me out to dinner.
Whatever. I’m not holding my breath, fresh as it may be.
I walked away and UF followed me, rambling on about how cool it is that I got asked out by a Borg. Yeah, it’s cool I guess. I finally ditched UF and headed back to my friend/ESOBF. I tell him the whole story and he can’t even believe it. WTF? Why is it so hard to believe? YOU asked me out. Geez.
Anyways, it’s a good thing I’m somewhat cynical because I never did get a call from Borg Boy…
I’m a Star Trek fan, I know a sexy Captain when I see one. As much as I heart Jean-Luc and his perfect bald head, he’s not exactly a “bad boy” and y’all know we girls love us a bad boy.
Mal is someone you can love and hate simultaneously. Smoldering in one instant and frightening the next. He’s unpredictable, he’s sweet, he’s handsome, he’s loyal, he’s tortured. He’s intelligent but he talks like an idiot. He was rocking the quirky half-smile long before Edward entered the nerd lexicon. He can take care of and protect you. He’ll take a beating for you. He has an amazing sense of humor. He is bilingual (yeah, yeah, I know everyone speaks Mandarin in Firefly, but whatever). He’s the kind of guy you want to fix. But then you don’t because he wouldn’t be so sexy if he wasn’t so complicated. He’s not uppity like Simon, not stupid like Jayne, and not married like Wash (God rest his soul)
In short, he can throw me up against the wall anytime.
I suppose I’m a little biased when it comes to Firefly. I love sci-fi and I love Westerns and Joss Whedon was kind enough to combine the two. But mostly it’s because I had a totally awesome experience in 2004. My Popi is a Foley Artist for a major motion picture company and his sound stage just happens to be next to the largest stage on the lot. When I didn’t feel up to exploring, and got bored of watching them fake walk and jostle clothes, I would peak in to see what they were doing next door.
Do you like’m bald or brunette?… I can’t decide…
The Summer of 2004 was a turning point for me. I had just graduated from college and was trying to figure out what to do with my life and how to go about doing it. It was decided that I would begin apprenticing Foley under Popi (it didn’t stick and I left to explore other avenues). Me, and the granddaughter of Mr. Foley himself, would hang out at different parts of the studio and watch people work. One day we struck up a conversation with the construction foreman in the studio next door and he invited us to come in and see what they were building.
It was Serenity.
Almost fully completed, getting the final paint touch ups.
I walked up and down the main corridor. I hung out on the bridge and talked about the construction with the people working on it. I sat in Wash’s pilot seat. I could have died and gone to nerd heaven right then and there.
I wish I had a picture of it to share with you guys but, alas, it didn’t occur to me to ask and I doubt they would have permitted it even if I had. Movie studios tend to be mighty anal about that sort of thing.
While standing on Serenity, I could totally picture Kaylee shouting from the engine room, Jayne cleaning off his weapons in the mess hall, and Mal walking towards me with that brooding look on his face.
Stop looking at me like that. My "I heart the Dark Side" shirt is dirty.
All girls, nerd or not, love something big, strong and powerful they can hold in their hands.
I’m talking, of course, about weapons.
What did you think I meant?
In the epic battle between Star Trek and Star Wars, there are a few topics that really get nerd blood boiling. One is the Enterprise vs. the Millennium Falcon. The other is lightsabers vs. phasers. Today I want to focus on weapons.
I’ll start with some of my back story. I come from a military family and I have four (count ‘em FOUR) Dad’s. How’d you like to be my boyfriend meeting the parents for the first time? My biological Dad was career Navy. He worked in nuclear subs and can shoot a torpedo like nobody’s business.
Don is a direct descendent of Davy Crockett. He practiced qi gong and kung fu. He relates to Native Americans and walks a fine line between awesome and crazy.
Popi was a Green Beret and Special Forces during and after Vietnam. He is a 5th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, a 4th degree black belt in Hwa Rang Do, a 3rd degree black belt in Hapkido, and a 1st degree black belt in Judo and received some of his training from none other than Chuck Norris himself.
In other words, my Dad’s can kick your Dad’s asses and they didn’t exactly leave me in the dark. Imagine me coming at you with a weapon! I stabbed a guy with a fork once during college (he got fair warning) and have witnesses to prove it. My weapons education started at a young age. My fascination with science fiction started at a young age. It is only natural that I would want to possess both a lightsaber and a phaser. The ultimate sword and the ultimate gun. *le sigh*
So which weapon is superior? Both are comprised of energy technology. Both can be used as tools when not serving as weapons. Both have nifty designs that seem innocuous when not in action.
The lightsaber is essentially a sword. An awesome, retractable sword. It requires years of training to master and when combined with the mental and physical skill of a Jedi, can be a weapon and a shield simultaneously. It is damaging only as far as the Jedi can reach, unless it is being used to ricochet the blast of an E-11 back to its originator. Positives: you build and become one with your lightsaber. I can imagine a Jedi bestowing the name Tenel on his lightsaber much the way a Marine might name his rifle Betty. Negatives: you can’t shoot anything out of it so unless someone is firing at you and you can bounce it back, it’s really only good for close range fighting. Anything it touches is toast so be careful not to activate it while it’s in your pocket.
My my. Is that a phaser in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
The phaser is essentially a gun. An awesome, nadion particle shooting gun. It takes far less time to learn, anyone can seem to pick it up pretty quickly, although it’s always good to practice your aim. It’s not one setting-fits-all like the lightsaber. Phasers can be conveniently adjusted anywhere from “stun” to “kill” to “vaporize on contact.” The frequencies can also be changed when fighting an enemy with adapting personal shields such as the Borg. Positives: you can learn how to operate it quickly and can make multiple types of adjustments to the weapon. Negatives: it’s not really a personalized weapon. When not in use, it gets stuck back in the closet until the next time it’s needed. Make sure you know what setting it’s on before you fire or your buddy who’s possessed by an alien entity won’t be making it back to sick bay.
I may be getting myself in trouble with the Star Wars crowd on this one (I AM called Princesstrek afterall) but I gotta go with the phaser. It’s good for close and distance fighting. It can shoot a steady stream of laser so you can kill and weld with the same tool. It comes in multiple styles or “types” including rifle and shuttlecraft versions. Control-wise it’s not THAT different from a remote control and I can wield one of those like nobody’s business.
Lightsabers are kick ass and I will admit that they are far more attractive than your typical phaser. But when it comes to practicality and functionality, the phaser wins every time.