Propaganda

Posted by ADAM

I’m a Trekkie. But not one of those Trekkies who can speak Klingon. Up until today I’ve thought those people are totally lame. Then I saw this — a propaganda video for the Klingon Empire that a totally awesome fan posted online last week.

And, yes, the narration can actually be translated into more or less what the subtitles say (independant experts have confirmed it at Trekmovie.com). Whoever made this video has studied their Klingon vocabulary and grammar — and, for the first time in history, the fact that it is actually Klingon has made everything more awesome.

Not to be outdone, the Federation released this simple, to-the-point propaganda video in response.

Can I just say how nice it is to see Trekkies doing awesome, funny fan videos that poke fun at their show like the fans of other shows often do. You know, instead of being scary obsessed with every single detail and taking it all way too seriously. Way to go, guys.

Dispatch From The Commune #7: Up and Down and Up Again

First of all, two of our Itinerant Artists have experienced losses in their families recently.  They’re both fine, and The Commune has been giving them hugs this week, but we also ask that anyone reading this keep them in your prayers and thoughts and send your good vibes their way.  Thanks.  Much love and many hugs from The Commune to their respective families.  We wish you all the strength you need to get through this difficult time. 

————————————————–

No. None of us drew this.

This has been a strangely up and down week for the Itinerant Artists.  Both TERESA and ADAM had Disappointments in Dateville this past week.  But, while Adam’s disappointment was merely a matter of scheduling and the lady (whom he’s already been out with before) is clearly still interested, Teresa’s first foray into online dating didn’t go nearly as well.  While she had a good time on her date, she doesn’t think any more will come of it.  The silver lining?  Her first online date is over, thereby making subsequent dates easier and less nerve-wracking.  Apparently.

There was some short-lived drama in the house as LINDSAY and Adam got into a big blow-up over their mutually purchased box fan of all things, but that situation has since been smoothed over as both parties realized that the fight was ridiculous to begin with!

Teresa tried going to Lindsay’s cupcake-baking trainer, but after getting lost in Brooklyn trying to meet up with Lindsay there for her first session, she realized that she’d rather excersise closer to her home.  For free. 

It hasn’t been all down and out though.  Example: EMILY’S been coming over to satisfy her new Star Trek addiction.  She’s been watching Next Generation episodes and loving it!  She just may be becoming a Trekkie…

And speaking of Emily.  We’ll have another lawyer in our midst in a couple of years!  Emily just got accepted to Brooklyn Law, meaning that she WON’T BE LEAVING US IN THE FALL!  There has been much Huzzah-ing in the land tonight.  Just this evening there was a celebratory dinner at Igloo, one of The Commune’s favorite local spots, attended by Emily, LIZ, LORI, Adam, and Teresa.  It was there that Emily infected all of their brains with an addictive game where you pretty much just insert the word “vagina” into movie titles for humor value.  Examples:

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Vagina

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Vagina

Y Tu Mama Vagina

The Land Before Vagina

The Manchurian Vagina.

Go ahead.  TRY not to come up with any of your own.  You can’t HELP yourself, can you?!

- Head Commune-ist

Pink Raygun Post: Nurturing a Trek Newbie

Posted by TERESA

My latest article is up at Pink Raygun!  In it, you’ll learn how best to use the new Star Trek movie to convert Trek newbies into Trekkies!

EXCERPT:

Trekkies should rejoice! Because not only do we now have a worthy addition to the Star Trek franchise, but we have a golden opportunity for vindication!  We now have the chance to convert people into Star Trek fans!  If we’re lucky, those mere fans will evolve into Trekkies and spread the Gospel of the Federation far and wide!

But first things first.

My Trekkie friends and I have been thinking about how best to convert Trekkies for a while now.  With so much canon, it’s difficult to know where to start!  However, the new film provides a framework around which one can create the perfect Intro to The Original Series curriculum.  My friend Adam, author of the What’s Wrong With Being a Trekkie? article, hand-selected Original Series episodes that would both represent a good cross-section of series episodes as well as provide a newbie with all the information they’d need to get the most out of the new film…

Click here for the full article:  NURTURING A TREK NEWBIE

Dispatch From The Commune #2 (or, Rebooting The Commune Franchise)

A'dam and Teresa aboard the USS Commune

Not much seemed to be happening at The Commune this week that didn’t have to do with Star Trek.  After the Star Trek viewing party on Sunday, there were pretty much three days of anticipation followed by two days of viewing the new film, followed by the least enthusiastic Commune-ist, LINDSAY,  leaving The Commune for MI (for the graduation from college of her brother and Commune Cohort, ZACH, of “Forever in Green” fame – see Blogroll), followed by an entire Saturday where ADAM and TERESA talked about the new film at the expense of keeping up with their television viewing (save the AMAZING season finale of “Dollhouse).

In fact, the mere viewing of the new Star Trek film caused a temporal anomaly, thrusting The Commune into an alternate reality where things will be different for our favorite Itinerant Artists from now on.  The Cast of Characters, for example, is the same at core, but with some noticeable differences.  Meet the new cast:

Captain T. Kirk

CAPTAIN TERESA KIRK -

The Commune’s fearless leader.  More intelligent than her often over-the-top manner makes her seem, she is currently learning to balance her fun-loving braggadocio with the serious-mindedness necessary to  not only be a functioning adult in her own right, but to be the leader The Commune needs and deserves.

A'dam Spock

FIRST OFFICER A’DAM SPOCK –

The Commune’s second in command.  He strives for emotional reticence, but often lets slip a simmering, passionate nature.  His outlook on most Commune issues tends to be extremely logical, making him a worthy first officer, advisor, and friend to Kirk.  He can tolerate Tribbles, but he hates small dogs.

Liz McCoy

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER LIZ “BONES” McCOY -

The Commune’s keeper of the pills, cough drops, ear infection medication, and bandages.  Whereas Spock provides Kirk with a logical approach to everything, Liz McCoy allows Kirk to stay in touch with her emotional side, making volcanic, cantankerous observations while somehow retaining her sweetness.  She’s nicknamed “Bones” because…well…she likes to bone, a LOT.

Lindt Uhura

LIEUTENANT LINDT UHURA –

The Commune’s Communications Officer, she is in charge of all incoming cable signals as well as The Commune’s outgoing communications systems (ie: the land line).  She excels in linguistics and speaks four languages.  She has a very talented tongue in other aspects as well, but those don’t need to be discussed in an official bio.

Diana Scott

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DIANA SCOTT -

Chief Engineer Diana Scott can usually be found on the lower decks  of The Commune engineering a good time.

- Head Commune-ist

Stop Harassing Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto!

Posted by TERESA

As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, The Commune is a very Trek-friendly household.  Imagine my delight having seen this on SNL’s Weekend Update from last night.

 This video, though, seems to be from a dress rehearsal of the show. In the actual live episode, Chris Pine says “They’re either speaking Klingon…or Hebrew”, which is clearly the joke as intended. Because…you know….Klingon is really gutteral and sounds like it could be a fake version of Hebrew, unlike Vulcan, which is a much cleaner-sounding language…

I’m a nerd.

Special thanks to LORI for sharing this video link.

Where No Geeky Sex Has Gone Before

Posted by PENDARD

Star Trek is upon us. In honor of the new movie — and damn is it good! — I’ve posted a few posts about Trek sex at Geeky Sex!

The first post is about the undeniable (according to some) sexual tension between Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. I even have Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s opinion on the subject.

The second post is the top 5 Star Trek episodes about sex. Stop by the blog and check them out.

Onion Homerun

Posted by ADAM

Two minutes after posting my not-quite-a-review of Star Trek, I watched this and was promptly ashamed of myself.

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As ‘Fun, Watchable’

Star Trek – Not Quite a Review

Posted by ADAM

Last night Teresa, Alex, Liz, Lori and I went to see Star Trek. We went at 7 PM on Thursday night — the first screening. The fact that the screenings began five hours before midnight was a pretty well kept secret ’cause the theater was only half full.

Teresa will undoubtedly review this for Pink Raygun and we pretty much agreed about the film so I’m just going to comment briefly. I’m a huge Trekkie. A HUGETrekkie. And I really enjoyed that this movie could be enjoyed both by huge nerds like me and also Muggles. It was exciting. It was funny. It was fun. It captured the lighthearted original series atmosphere better than The Next Generation ever did (despite being about a cataclysmic genocide) and it was nice to have the fun back in Star Trek. I have no doubt this will reenergize this franchise in a way we haven’t scene since The Wrath of Khan or “The Best of Both Worlds.”

BUT… I do have one complaint.

There was too much ACTION!. Seriously, this movie was like Star Trek on speed. It never ever let up. There were so many jaw dropping ACTION! sequences but I didn’t feel like I got to enjoy them fully. The key to enjoying ACTION! is that moment when the sequence is over and the entire audience, eyes wide and mouths agape, collectively exhale and think to themselves, “Jesus fucking Christ that was the most fucking awesome thing I’ve ever seen!” Star Trek didn’t have that moment. Ever. (Maybe once.) You can’t really talk about the pacing of this movie’s plot since there’s only one speed — full throttle! Even Star Wars, which created action movie pacing the way it is today, takes a moment to let everyone catch their breath once in a while. I felt like J. J. Abrams was so worried about boring the audience with the traditional Star Trek talking heads that he overcompensated.

It isn’t deadly to the film. It’s still pretty freakin’ awesome and you’re going to love it so don’t let this little complaint scare you out of seeing it. I’m going again this weekend. It’s just that I felt a little bit bad for the new cast trying to stake a claim to these beloved roles in the middle of all the ACTION!. Chris Pine never got to take Kirk much beyond a sneering frat boy and Zachery Quinto… man, I just feel sorry for the guy! He was trying to make an iconic character his own and play it in a new, original way. Not only did his character-defining scenes keep getting preempted by ACTION! — they brought in Leonard Nimoy for a Spock cameo that stole the show. Quinto does all the action scenes, Nimoy gets all the good stuff. How’s Quinto supposed to compete with that?

Anyway, complaint over. I loved it. I just wish Abrams knew that the material was strong enough that he could take his time a little more. It would have made all the ACTION! even better.

Two Days Till Trek

Posted by ADAM

Liz pointed this out to me on Slog today. It may be the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.