Excellent Star Trek Parody

(YouTube Link)

This parody of the recent Star Trek abomination makes more sense than the original. But it does need more lens flare.

Kirk: Scotty, we need more explosions!
Scott: You bet your hairy ass, Captain!

via Awesomesauce

Leonard Nimoy Gets Career Advice from John F. Kennedy

(YouTube Link)

In this video, Nimoy talks about his early years as an actor. In 1956, he was working as a cab driver and Senator John F. Kennedy hired his services. At the 2:50 mark in the video, Nimoy spoke of this encounter. Here's a selection:

It was only about a 10-minute ride. He said, "What are you doing out here?"

I said, "I'm an actor."

So he said, "A lot of competition in your business."

I said, "Yeah."

He said, "Just like mine."

And we kicked it around a little bit, and then he said, "Just keep in mind, there's always room for one more good one."

That was very helpful.

via Sci Fi Wire

Radio Controlled Plane that Looks Like the Enterprise

(YouTube Link)

Or at least as much as one could hope for and still be a functioning airplane.

I'd like to point out (in fact, I have an obligation to do so) that this was modeled after the 1701-A, and so the use of the opening from The Next Generation was inappropriate.

via Fanboy

Spock + Sunset + Pie

NimoySunsetPie is a photoblog that combines three wonderful things: Spock, sunsets, and pie.

Hmm. Mabye I should create a Xena + Reuben Sandwich + Recliner blog.

What three things would you combine to create a beautiful photoblog?

via Sci Fi Wire

Arty Variations of the Enterprise

Artist Rafael Burgos created a series of Enterprise sculptures. The 70s zebra print velour model is particularly groovy.

Sausage Enterprise

I salute this Trekkie's ingenuity. Now we know why Scotty wouldn't let himself get promoted out of engineering.

via Sci Fi Wire

Leonard Nimoy Retires, George Takei Turns 73, Sir William Shatner

Leonard Nimoy, 79, announced that after an upcoming episode of Fringe, he will retire from acting. Nimoy is an accomplished photographer, and the article about his retirement shared this touching story:

He acknowledges he was met with skepticism initially about this latest creative venture, “but I’ve built credibility now in the art world.”

And among the general population, too. He recalls an incident in which he and Tom Hanks were approached by a young man who wanted his picture taken with Hanks. When Hanks asked who would take the photo, the man turned to the now former Mr. Spock.

“He said, ‘Mr. Nimoy, you’re a wonderful photographer. Would you take our picture?’”

(via io9)



In other news, George Takei turned 73 years old. Sci Fi Wire has a list of 25 interesting facts about him, such as that he was named after King George VI.



A Star Trek actor named after a Windsor monarch? Sure, why not. After all, William Shatner might become the Governor-General of Canada, representing Queen Elizabeth there.

Anatomy of a Tribble

This image has been attributed to an unknown Starfleet reference book, so I can't verify its accuracy.

via Neatorama

9 Science Fiction/Trolololo Mashups

(YouTube Link)

A video of 1960s-era Russian singer Eduard Khil made its way through the Intertubes a few weeks ago. It inspired many science fiction parodies and mashups, including the above replacing the whalesong of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with Khil's voice.

You can view more at Sci Fi Wire.

Some people find the song annoying, but I think that it's fascinating and I hope that Khil releases a new album.

Star Trek Parenting

My daughter is eighteen months old. Her favorite word is "dog". She loves dogs. Whenever she sees one, she gets excited, points, and calls out "Dog! Dog! Dog!"

Sometimes she does this whenever she sees a cat, or a rabbit, or even a squirrel. This is quite understandable: she's generalizing furry, four-legged animals as dogs. Sometimes, however, she does this to people, which was a bit worrisome.

And sometimes she does this when there's nothing to point at. She'll point in the general direction of trees and brush and say "Dog," when there is no dog, or any other animal, present. This vexed me until last night, when I suddenly realized what was going on.

In the pilot episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Benjamin Sisko encounters the beings that the Bajorans call "the Prophets" and worship as gods. They have difficulty communicating with each other until Sisko realizes that he experiences time differently than they do. He lives in linear time -- that is, he experiences one moment of time, and cannot move to the past or the future, except in succession. The Prophets, however, experience all points in time simultaneously; they can be in the past, present, and future, all at once.

So, why does my little girl point at nothing and say "Dog"? It's because she, as a very bright and talented child, is not limited to linear time. She experiences the past, present, and future simultaneously. When she points at what I see as nothing and says "Dog", there was in the past, or will be in the future, a dog there.

Worf's Advice on How to Pick Up Women

(YouTube Link)

I'll try this on my wife tonight.

via Nerdesque

I Got 99 Problems....

Geordi rippin on Jay-Z.

via GearFuse

Kahless Crossing the Delaware and Other Works of Klingon Art

io9 has a gallery of Klingon-inspired art, including the above painting entitled "Klingons Crossing the Delaware" by deviantART user JudgeFang. Content warning: Worf in a speedo.

KHHAAANNNN! in LEGO

flickr user Silent Master OO5 makes some excellent LEGO minifigs, including the above scene from Wrath of Khan.

via Great White Snark

Nanoscale Model of the Enterprise-D

This amazing one-billionth scale model of the Enterprise-D was made with a 30 kV Ga+ focused-ion- beam CVD using phenanthrene gas by Takayuki Hoshino and Shinji Matsui of the Himeji Institute of Technology. It measures 8.8 micrometers long.

via TYWKIWDBI

How Star Trek Should Have Ended

(YouTube Link)

My preference would have been for the movie to end with the ship bursting into flames, taking the production studio with it, but this is good enough.

via Nerd Bastards | How It Should Have Ended

Fan Recites List of all 79 Original Star Trek Episodes in 1 Minute, 38.9 Seconds

Which is, I've heard, a new record -- and certainly an impressive achievement.

via Great White Snark

20 Action Figures in Weird Alternative Professions

io9 has a gallery of unusual action figures starring heroes in strange, alternative professions and universes.

Borg Cupcakes

Link via Geekologie

Miss Klingon Empire Winners

If you're in the mood for a bit of cheesecake, Wolf Gnards has a gallery of past winners of the Miss Klingon Empire beauty pageant at DragonCon, including the lovely Nej Vestai Le'nIvnav, title holder for 2008. Hubba hubba!