Star Trek Color and Activity Books - 1978

Once upon a time, there was a girl (me) who dragged her boyfriend along to the other end of the city in the hopes of picking up a couple of coloring books from a random man on a suburban street past all of the homeless people and drunks with knives. I thought it sounded like fun. My boyfriend, not so much.

We did finally get there, however, and I retrieved the books - even getting an extra two for only ten more dollars. By that time (it took five hours because I have no sense of direction), hardly any of the buses were running, so we had to walk for an hour or so to find one. I love walking. He doesn't. I pointed out the illogic of his discontentment, but I don't think that helped him at all.

Anyways, I present to you: Star Trek Color and Activity books from 1978, and a few select pages for your enjoyment.

Warning: Some of the faces look ultra-derpy. Click to enlarge.

This first book was mostly for coloring purposes, and had a story to go along with it as well (I have not scanned those pages as of yet). Feel free to print these of and color to your heart's content.

Moving on the the second book (this book also had a story, which I will get to at a later date), we find some actual activities:

Wow, these sure are difficult activities aren't they? A diorama? And just what does Spock's message say? I won't ruin the fun, even if it is obvious.

It was SO worth the five hour trip, and I am not being sarcastic. I don't actually color inside the book, but I do make copies and color/complete those. Print these out and join the fun!

Play, laugh, grow.

William Shatner - Star Trek V

It has been a very long time since I have undated this blog - something that makes me very sad and fills me with shame - I have so much to post and so much to say. I haven't had access to a scanner, so I am posting the last scan I have off my computer: an article from Cinefantastique, June 1987 - "Shatner Directs Trek V?"

Now this article is obviously from before the movie was even in production - Walter Koenig leaked the possibility of Shatner's directing in a radio interview while The Voyage Home was still in filming.

Now everybody knows that my favorite two Star Trek movies were directed by Leonard Nimoy. The effects were great, the story was great, the drama was great. In conclusion, it was great.

And then we have Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. It was also "great" but the effects at times were so bad that I couldn't help but laugh - intentional? Perhaps, it doesn't matter. Why, you ask? Because of these scenes:

First we have Sybok in the desert - crazy exiled Vulcan Jesus style!

Then we have Kirk, who (after being distracted by hovering Spock watching him climb mountains) falls to what would be his death, had Spock not been wearing rocket boots and saved him in just the nick of time. This is the first scene that really made me laugh, because of the effects - starting when Spock turns upside down, and ending when Kirk is caught only inches from the ground. And then there is McCoy - standing and watching in utter horror with his "I told you so - damn it, Jim -You're a captain, not a circus act!" face (you know the one).

Uhura and Scotty start flirting on the bridge, and Uhura pulls out a bag of chips - the way to a fat man's heart, and she knows it.

Back at the campsite, Spock eats some of McCoy's "special" beans. Could there be anything cooler? I am I the only one fascinated by watching Spock eat beans? But it gets better...

Spock makes a marshmallow to roast, and we get this delightful quote:

SPOCK: I am preparing to toast a 'marsh melon'.
McCOY: Well, I'll be damned. A marsh melon. Where did you learn to do that?
SPOCK: Before leaving the ship I consulted the computer library to familiarise myself with the customs associated with 'camping out.'
McCOY: Tell me, Spock. What do we do after we toast the marsh, ...er, melons?
SPOCK: We consume them.
McCOY: I know we consume them. I mean after that.
SPOCK: I believe we are required to engage in a ritual known as the sing-a-long.

Back to the enterprise early, and Kirk's shirt. He has a cool shirt. That is all.

I could never figure out whether it was Uhura or that cat-lady dancing here until I actually watched it frame by frame. It's Uhura.

Spock is finally reunited with his half-brother, and not under the best of circumstances. Silly illogical Sybok. Later on in the movie, Spock has the chance to kill Sybok, but cannot, and we get this quote:

KIRK: You stay out of this! ...Why, Spock? Why? All you had to do was pull the trigger.
SPOCK: If I had pulled the trigger, Sybok would be dead.
KIRK: I ordered you to defend your ship.
SPOCK: You ordered me to kill my brother.
KIRK: The man may be a fellow Vulcan, but that doesn't...
SPOCK: You do not understand me, Captain. Sybok, also, is a son of Sarek.
KIRK: He's your brother brother? You made that up.
SPOCK: I did not.
KIRK: You did too. Sybok couldn't possibly be your brother because I happen to know for a fact that you don't have a brother.
SPOCK: Technically, you are correct. I do not have a brother.
KIRK: You see?
SPOCK: I have a half-brother.
KIRK: I've got to sit down.
McCOY: Let me get this straight. You and Sybok have the same father but different mothers.
SPOCK: Exactly. That is correct. Sybok's mother was a Vulcan princess. After her death, Sybok and I were raised as brothers.

Kirk gets on Spock's shoulders. Spock is not impressed - he has put on quite a bit of weight. Luckily, Vulcans are stronger than humans. Can you imagine McCoy holding him up? He gets frailer looking every movie.

Spock gets his rocket/levitation boots, and Kirk climbs right onto his right side. McCoy, however (and as usual) needs a bit more coaxing... just look at his face in the second cap. They initially start sinking to the ground:

SPOCK: It would appear we are too heavy.
KIRK: It's all those marsh melons.

Syboks attempts to control their minds the way he did the others: by showing them, and then ridding them of their pain. McCoy relives "killing" his father...

And Spock watched his father hold him for the first time.

SAREK: So human. (AKA Son, I am disappoint.)

Luckily, it doesn't quite work out the way Sybok planned.

Sybok finds what he was after, and they all beam down to:

SYBOK: Sha Ka Ree.
KORRD: Qui'Tu.
CAITHLIN: Vorta Vor.
TALBOT: Eden.

and move on to try and find "God". Sybok looks pregnant for a while because of the wind.

Umm... God? Hello? You might want to stop being so creepy, it looks like we're in the Lion King...

They find "God", and shoot it with phasers. (Please excuse the page-long quote)

GOD: And how did you breach the Barrier?
SYBOK: With a starship!
GOD: This starship. ...Could it carry my wisdom beyond the Barrier?
SYBOK: It could. Yes!
GOD: Then I shall make use of this starship.
SYBOK: It will be your chariot!
KIRK: Excuse me.
GOD: It will carry my power to every corner of creation.
KIRK: Excuse me. ...I'd just like to ask a question. ...What does God need with a starship?
GOD: Bring the ship closer.
KIRK: I said ...'What does God need with a starship?'
McCOY: Jim, what are you doing?
KIRK: I'm asking a question.
GOD: Who is this creature?
KIRK: Who am I? Don't you know? Aren't you God?
SYBOK: He ...has his doubts.
GOD: You doubt me?
KIRK: I seek proof.
McCOY: Jim, you don't ask the Almighty for his I.D.
GOD: Then here is the proof you seek.
(blue light rays shoot from God's eyes knocking Kirk backwards)
KIRK: Why is God angry?
SYBOK: Why? Why have you done this to my friend?
GOD: He doubts me.
SPOCK: You have not answered his question. What does God need with a starship?
(blue light rays shoot from God's eyes again knocking Spock backwards)
GOD: Do you doubt me?
McCOY: I doubt any God who inflicts pain for his own pleasure.
SYBOK: Stop! The God of Sha Ka Ree would not do this!
GOD: Sha Ka Ree? A vision you created. An eternity I've been imprisoned in this place! The ship! I must have the ship! Now ...give me what I want!
SPOCK: Sybok, ...this is not the God of Sha Ka Ree, ...or any other God!
SYBOK: I don't understand... Reveal yourself to me!
(an image of Sybok strides out of one of God's eyes)
SYBOK/GOD: What's wrong? Don't you like this face? I have so many but this one suits you best.
SYBOK: No! No, ...it's not possible.
GOD: Bring me the ship or I will destroy you!
SYBOK: The ship.
GOD: Bring it closer so that I might join with it. Do it or watch these puny beings ...die horribly.
SYBOK: What have I done?
KIRK: Kirk to Enterprise. Listen carefully.
SPOCK: Sybok.
SYBOK: This is my doing! This is my arrogance, ... my vanity...
SPOCK: Sybok, we must find a way...
SYBOK: No! Save yourselves! ...Forgive me, brother. Forgive me.
...I couldn't help but notice your pain.
GOD: My pain?
SYBOK: It runs deep. Share it with me.
(Sybok boldly enters the shaft and embraces his evil twin)

Only two people can beam up at a time because the transporter is low on power. Spock and McCot are beamed up, leaving Kirk to fight for his life. Suddenly a Klingon Ship comes (the one that has been chasing and trying to kill Kirk), and he is beamed onto that one to find...

Spock, the "new gunner" of a Klingon ship, swivels around in his bad-ass chair. Kirk goes up to hugs him:

KIRK: I ...thought I was going to die.
SPOCK: Not possible. You were never alone... Please, Captain. Not in front of the Klingons.

All is well - Kirk, McCoy, and Spock are back around the campfire, and instead of pondering the meaning of "Row Row Row Your Boat" and life being "but a dream" he plays it on his Vulcan Lyre while they all sing it in a round.

Shed a happy tear, roll credits, praise William Shatner.

EPIC CONTEST TIME - WIN SOMETHING COOL

Are you ready for Vibrant Oxymoron's very first contest? Be a part of history and join in the fun! Best of all, if myself as well as several other judges pick your creation, you will receive... (insert suspense here) a copy of one of my favorite books - Vulcan's Forge, and The Wrath of Khan Photostory. (It's not the greatest prize in the world, but you will also get your entry featured. It's mostly for the fun of it.)

It's not even necessarily about skill, it is about creativity.

Guidelines For Entry (Step by Step Instructions)

• Find a picture of a person, thing, or animal. The original subject cannot involve Star Trek or Doctor Who in any way.
• Get a writing/drawing utensil, or any other artistic medium.
• Use this to change the boring subject into one of Star Trek or Doctor Who goodness by changing it into a character or important aircraft.
• Sign your creation so everybody knows it is yours.
• Scan or take a picture of your wonderful creation.
• Must be sent electronically to vibrant.oxymoron@gmail.com  with your name/nickname, and any other information you would like to share.

For those of you who would like some examples, feast your eyes on these (I made these today just for you - click to enlarge):

Richey Edwards was sent to Vulcan in 1995

An orphaned baby Dalek blends into an opossum litter.

Important Notes

• I will only ask for personal information such as a mailing address if you are chosen as a winner, and would like to receive your prize. Without an address I cannot send the book, however you will still be featured as the winner.
• By sending me your photos, you agree to my posting them with the proper credits. I have no claim to your images - they belong to you.

Deadline: September 1, 2011

If you have any questions or concerns, you can also email me HERE

Woochie Space Ear Tips Vs. Rubies Classic Spock Ears

For the last Star Trek convention I went as a Vulcan Priestess (going by the name T'Laina) to meet Robert Picardo and Tim Russ (both very nice people, by the way!). Tim Russ and I had a wonderful conversation about Vulcan costuming and T'Lar, and I posed for pictures with my fellow convention-goers. (Getting to the point) During this time, I was wearing "Woochie Space Ear Tips" to complete my look:

It's like if Sarek had caterpillars for eyebrows.

To give you a quick idea of what they look like when they are on, I took a picture of myself wearing them without any additional makeup or blending (and they need a lot of that). The nice thing about the ear tips is that I can still wear my tunnels and random ear-jewelry:

Since then, I have gotten another pair of ears, these ones being more specific - Rubies Star Trek Classic Spock Ears. These ones cover the entire ear, and have more realistic coloring - they are darker and come with the shading already done. Unfortunately, this pair is fitted for slightly smaller ears than mine (as if only children run around the city with Spock ears!) and my ear lobes practically have to be folded in half to fit.

My camera was broken the other day, so I scanned these.

I actually like the full ears much better than the ear tips, if only they fit better. As you can (obviously) see, I had to hold the bottom down, because not even my spirit gun would keep the bottom in place. (Could my ears really be that big? I'm not a big person!)

In case anyone is wondering, yes - I do have a blond patch of hair near the back. This is what you get when you bleach your hair, and then dye it back dark using box dye when you have long hair and are in a hurry. You end up missing spots, at then when you cut it short again you look like a calico. Not that I mind.

What's Wrong With Star Trek?

Scanned from Cinefantastique June 1987 is a two-page article on "what's wrong with Star Trek". Do I agree with the views expressed in this article? Somewhat - Let us begin:

"Like all cultists, the Trekers prefer their rituals predictable and reverently performed. Paramount must genuflect to the generic expectations."
(Trekers? Why does this man keep spelling it Trekers? And why does this bother me so much?)

But this quote basically sums everything up - As an obsessive Star Trek fan, I want to see what I already knew backed up, with a few new, consistent facts thrown in. This is precisely the reason a lot of trekkies like myself found the new movie (2009) so unnerving - it is not what we knew.

Humpbacks to the Future!

The article goes on to give a short critique of each Trek movie (existing at the time) and the thickly laid Greenpeace/ecological message of the Voyage Home.

So far, I agree with everything I have read. Moving onto the second page...

This is where I start to disagree. Thomas Doherty states that while the reunion of the original cast was necessary for the Motion Picture, to continue with the same actors in the same roles is "bordering on ridiculous". While he may be correct in stating that these roles may/have become a straightjacket for the actors, I do not believe that fans would mind the continuing story, using the same actors in the same roles. I would be delighted - they are the characters, nobody else could reproduce them. I want to piece together every second of their lives. Luckily, that is where the novels come in.

"By Trek V,  Scotty may be taking up more space than the transporter room"

It also mentions Saavik - and I do agree full-heartedly that we should have seen more of her. The need for even more new characters? I don't think so, personally. I have always been comfortable with the same, safe characters with the few temporary characters that we got - but maybe that is just me.

He does make a point about the "hot blood" though - were are all those sexy, scantily clad women/aliens we saw in TOS? The short skirts? The plunging necklines? The bare backs? Come to think of it, where are the flying kicks? The double-fisted punches to the back of the neck? I could go on.

The answer: Age and maturity. The movies grow with the actors - could William Shatner still do leaps and kicks? Would we really be comfortable seeing old men oogling at young girls in skimpy clothing? Would that really go over well, and preserve the respect we have for these characters? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on the audience.

Charles Correll on Leonard Nimoy as a Director

It's no coincidence that my favorite Star Trek movies of all time are The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home - Leonard Nimoy is a great director with superior insight into what Star Trek should be.

Below is an article I scanned from "Cinefantastique" June 1987 - Charles Correll on Leonard Nimoy as the director for Star Trek III, The Search for Spock. In the article he elaborates on Nimoy's casual and confidant approach to directing - so read it! Do it now, and click to enlarge:

This quote really stood out to me, and leads into my next post quite nicely (oh, you will see): "Trek is a victim of it's own history. You can't get too different. The audience doesn't want it. The formula works. It's a legend if not a religion."

Oh, isn't that the truth.

Cybermen Vs. Daleks Poster

I managed to get my hands on the Doctor Who Magazine from December 1991 - Issue 182. Not only does it have amazing artwork on the cover, but it also has a wee Sylvester McCoy in the corner (I do love the Seventh Doctor).

The best part is the free poster inside, featuring the Mondasian Cybermen battling the Daleks. Interestingly enough, we don't actually see the Daleks and Cybermen together until "Doomsday" in 2006 (Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks, never did agree to have them appear together).

I have this poster up on the wall right beside my bed, so whenever my Dalek alarm clock goes off, I open my eyes and see this battle scene. It's a great way to wake up in the morning.

Vulcan and Vulcanoid Reproduction

The following contains mature subject matter and facts from numerous sources - episodes, novels, manuals, and the Vulcan Language Institute Reclamation Project.

After collecting facts on Vulcan reproduction and reproductive organs from (hyperbole time) a million and one sources, I present to you: an overview that took hours to write because i kept getting distracted. Enjoy, and learn.

The Pon Farr

It is a common misconception that Vulcan males only engage in sexual intercourse every seven years during the Pon Farr (first mentioned in Amok Time) - Vulcan males are capable of this at any time after maturation (perhaps without the ability for fertilization at these times). It is only during the Pon Farr that they must mate, or die. The reproductive glands are the only glands that Vulcans cannot totally control.

It has been suggested that this seven year cycle is influenced by the cycle of solar activity in the Vulcan star system - that they evolved to reproduce without fail during the one time when there was the lowest amount of solar activity and radiation levels were at their lowest. While this is an interesting theory, not all male Vulcans go through the Pon Farr at the same time.

The Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual states that when the Vulcans decided to "outlaw all emotion" they realized that they must first lessen the deadly lust that males experienced before mating. Each male was, at first, forced to control their urges by "sublimating and repressing" the physical symptoms. They could only keep this up for seven years at a time.

The Plak Tow (or Blood Fever) becomes stronger during the final stages of the Pon Farr and is initiated by a telepathic mating bond. During the Plak Tow Vulcans lose all emotional control and may become extremely violent. This fever and chemical/hormonal imbalance which will eventually to death if not broken by either succesful mating or through Koon-ut Kal-if-fee (a ritual combat). Some Vulcans, when unable to return to Vulcan, have attempted meditation as a solution.

Vorik, mad in the plak Tow.

Spock, deep in the Plak Tow.

Note: It has also been suggested that in response to harsher than usual environmental conditions, Vulcan males can mate at any time.

Male Reproductive Organs

The Vulcan Penis is covered by no external sheath or foreskin, and therefore circumcision has never been necessary. The reproductive organs are almost entirely retracted into the body as a protective measure. The two testes are formed close to the body, and a prostatic body that produces and stores seminal fluid - Vulcan sperm is viable for up to 30 minutes after ejaculation before losing mobility.

It is believed that Vulcan males remain fertile their entire adult lives.

Female

Possibly unlike males, female Vulcans are always fertile. As in humans, females have a vagina, uterus, and ovaries - unlike human females, Vulcan females lack uterine/fallopian tubes, as the ovaries are connected to the uterine body by short ducts. Menstruation is absent as a result of evolution and the need to retain as much water as possible in the hot Vulcan climate.

Ovulation occurs each month from altering ovaries, and it takes less than 24 hours for the ovum to enter the uterus. After this occurs, one of two things can happen.
     1. The ovum is fertilized - the blastocyst implants itself in the uterine wall, and hormones activate the formation of the placenta. Growth and development occurs in the uterus, and birth is given vaginally. (Caesarian section is rare, but not unheard of in Vulcans.)
     2. No fertilization occurs - if no fertilization occurs within 10-14 days, the ovum deteriorates and is absorbed  into the uterine lining.

Multiple Births

For a Vulcan female to give birth to twins is very rare, and multiples of more than three is unheard of. As far as twins are concerned, fraternal twinning is highly uncommon, whereas identical twins are the norm. The idea of giving birth to multiples is considered repugnant among Vulcans.

It has been said that females rarely give birth to more than two children in their lifetime, however Vulcans on colony worlds have been known to have as many as five children. This as well as the low twinning rate may also be due evolution and harsh environmental conditions.

Romulan male and female (TNG and on)

Romulans

These facts are generally the same for all Vulcanoids, including Romulans (as the descendants of Vulcan emigrants) except:

- Romulans no longer endure the Pon Farr (the consequence of harsher world?)
- Romulan females are encouraged to have as many children as their household can support, due to a low survival rate in children.