great things about my weekend

There was nothing extraordinary about my weekend, yet everything was great. To wit:

• Got a phone message from Sister Amy Sunshine announcing the birth of her and Jazret’s long-awaited son Zayne. Woo hoo! Can’t wait to see pictures! I’m heading to the post office at lunchtime today to mail him a gift.
  
• Enjoyed good martial arts classes, both teaching and learning.
  
• Received an invitation to lunch with friends. I couldn’t join them, but it’s always nice to be asked.
  
• Caught another Star Trek episode on TV. It’s a regular thing, apparently: Saturdays at 6:00 on channel 45.
  
• Completed a 5-star sudoku with no mistakes. I’m a genius!
  
• Stopped at a neighbor’s garage sale, met the neighbor — after living across the street for 6 years, I figured it was about time I introduced myself — scored 8 CDs for $8. Handel, Glenn Miller, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.
  
• Made the first chili of the season and did some other cooking.
  
• Mowed the lawn after 3 weeks of watching the grass grow taller and taller in the rain.
  
• Cleaned house. I don’t really enjoy the cleaning, but I like the results.
  
• Caught up on podcasts and videos.
  
• Read good books.
  
• Held happy cats.
  
• Dreamed about Rockapella in drag. Details available if you really want them.

By and large, it’s the simple things that put a smile on my face. Judging from the list above, I’m rich.

the adventure continues

Move over, sliced bread. Star Trek: New Voyages has arrived.

ST:NV is fanfic on steroids. It’s nothing less than a TV series written, directed, produced, constructed, costumed, acted, edited, special-effected, and financed by fans — and broadcast via the internet rather than the airwaves. You want to see the future? This is it.

ST:NV continues the Starship Enterprise’s five-year mission, of which we saw the first three years as a groundbreaking television series begun 40 years ago. Nonprofessional actors portray the characters we know and love, from Kirk and Spock down through the ranks to Rand and DeSalle. Actors from the original series are making guest appearances, and writers long associated with official Trek are contributing scripts. Because the fan-producers are making no profit from the show, Trek license owner Paramount Pictures has taken an attitude of tolerance.

I’ve only downloaded and watched one episode (“In Harm’s Way”) once through, but let me tell you, ST:NV is outstanding. Every aspect of the production is top-quality, equaling or surpassing the original. The script is action-packed but still true to the series, down to a last-minute deflector dish modification and a couple clichéd lines of dialogue you can see coming light-years away. Actor James Cawley, as Kirk, throws in just enough Shatneresque delivery to stay on the right side of the line between character and caricature.

The special effects are particularly impressive, taking full advantage of digital technology — and a little help from longtime Trek effects pro Ron B. Moore. And the sets? Amazingly detailed labors of love. “In Harm’s Way” features starships from several eras of Trek history (time travel, doncha know), each distinct and period-perfect. The soundtrack and score are smooth and professional-sounding.

This is real Star Trek.

And that’s not even the coolest part.

The coolest part is that when I was scrolling through the news archives at www.newvoyages.com, I saw a familiar face: actor Christian Malmin has been cast as Sarek, Spock’s father. (And it’s worth noting that his IMDB page actually lists his ST:NV credit, just as if it’s a legit production. Because it is.)

I’ve made out with this guy!

Chris Malmin was a classmate of mine at the University of South Dakota back in the late 80s. We were in a small theater production together, Act Three, Scene Five, which was about students mounting a production of Romeo and Juliet. Chris and I were playing the title roles, my character trying to seduce his for real, and we had a kissing scene in which I smeared my lipstick all over his face.

So, I’ve locked lips with Sarek. Geek spaz! I’m already working on the fan mail I’m going to send.

Anyway. Personal connection aside, I’m hugely impressed with Star Trek: New Voyages so far. Current fans should watch it and fall in love with Trek all over again. Newcomers should watch it to find out what the 40-year fuss is been about. Fanboys and -girls of all stripes should watch it for inspiration in making their own new-episode dreams come true. Everyone should watch it to see what the future looks like. It looks like fun.

Trek check

Yesterday, for the first time in about 25 years, channel surfing brought me face to face with Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. A classic Star Trek episode airing on local TV? It was a miracle. I watched the remaining minutes of the show raptly.

Seeing Captain Kirk on the small screen — Season 1 Kirk, fit, dashing, arrogant — was like traveling back in time. (Slingshot method? Wormhole? Guardian of Forever? Take your pick.) I fell in love with Star Trek when I was 10 years old, and although the ferocity of my passion has waned over time, I've remained a fan all this time. It's a simple explanation for why I am the way I am.

I'm a sci-fi fan because of Star Trek. I'd always thought planets and stars were fascinating, so when I came across people who traveled among them, my imagination took off and never came back. From Trek I branched out into the boundless possibilities of science fiction and fantasy books, TV shows and movies in an agape fandom covering everything from H.G. Wells to J.K. Rowling, from Twin Peaks to The X-Files to Men in Black. And I just got back from bonding with fellow fans at Dragon*Con.

I'm liberal-minded because of Star Trek. Though I grew up in a conservative area, my mind was full of images of the multiracial crew of the Enterprise working together to make sure beings of all kinds got a fair shake. Some of the alien civilizations Kirk encountered were led by strong, powerful women, and some of them had strange customs and beliefs, and I thought that was all terrific. Accepting the alienness of others always made more sense to me than condemning it.

Maybe I'm even sane because of Star Trek. My hometown, my college town and my grad school town did not offer a whole lot of entertainment options that didn't involve alcohol. It would have been easy to move from boredom to despair or risky behavior. Luckily, I always had somewhere to go, in my mind at least, and responsible friends to hang out with when I got there.

True, Star Trek turned me into a big geek as well. On Star Trek, it was cool to be smart, so I embraced my inner science officer and kissed traditional teenage popularity good-bye. I may not have been hip to the latest fashions or the hottest bands, but I knew that arms races were destructive, that too much of a good thing isn't necessarily a good thing, and that you can't outrun your problems even at warp speed. It seemed like a fair trade.

After nearly three decades of being a Trekker (not a Trekkie; there's a difference), I'm still boldly going. I visit new places, meet new people, try new things. I'm captain of my ship, responsible for the trail it blazes and the trail it leaves. I know there's much more to life than just what we see here. And I'm curious: What's out there?

Dragon*Con photos!

Here are links to my Dragon*Con photos. NERDVANA!

Click on any of the photos to enlarge it —
and if you can identify any of the costumes on which I drew a blank, please let me know.

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

EDIT: DAY 3 LINK NOW FIXED.

Jedi Academy Class of 2006

Geek classique

Green Lantern, Superman, Phantom

Random superhero

Babylon 5

Hulk pose!

Stargate, I think

Some costumed groups stage scenes for the Geek Prom photo orgy before the formal masquerade.

Assorted creatures

Some like it Hutt

Every con needs a landmark. Meet you at Jabba at4:30!

Bonus: When the stormtrooper gets bored, he breaks into song and dance.

Leather Viking Knights of the Pointy Table

Booty hunter vs. Bounty hunter

Captain Jack Sparrow squares off with Boba Fett. Why? Because he can.

BattleStarWarped

Stormtrooper with Jedi cloak and light saber hanging out with a Cylon. Why? Because they can.

Logo a-go-go

Star sighting #1

George Takei -- Sulu!

Ah, that golden voice.

Sorry about the blurriness. George is on the move.

My steenkin' badge

Ahoy! Con badges must be worn at all times! Arrr!

Wait. Pirates are sci-fi . . . How? Oh, who cares?

Not everyone gets her own self-portrait on her badge, but obviously I did.

Great school nickname?

My friend Kelly is an assistant principal at Chattahoochee High. The real team name is the Cougars, but Hooch gets a lot of play, too.