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.

Vulcan Cardiac Arrest

A Vulcan cardiac arrest is caused by a malfunction in one of the heart valves (for diagram of heart, go HERE). It is similar to heart attacks in a human, however it is almost impossible to tell for sure without an operation.

If you recall (and I hope you do!), Sarek suffered from a cardiac arrest (as he had been for quite some time already) during the Coridan debate in "Journey to Babel". Without a transfusion, the operation would not have been carried out because of the unique structure of the Vulcan heart (ordinary heart surgery is impossible as well, it must be specialized and use specific equipment). Luckily both Sarek and Spock had T-negative blood, and were compatible despite the fact that Spock does have some human elements in his blood.

Going back to the handy Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual I had mentioned in an earlier post, we find a handy little chart for diagnosing cardiac arrest in Vulcans, complete with warning signs and a spiffy diagram.

Interestingly enough (or not) the Vulcan in the diagram kind of resembles Sarek.

Basically, heart failure in Vulcans is caused by pulmonary and systemic congestion, in turn caused by inadequate systolic flow and the delayed venous return of copper-based blood.

The drug Benjisidrine, originally synthesized from the Vulcan benjisi plant, is often prescribed (as it was to Sarek)to prevent congestive heart failure in Vulcans. It increases the strength of myocardial contractions.

The More You Know.

Dressing Room Secrets of Star Trek - Spock's Make-up

We all know Spock - that green tinted, matte skinned pointy eared Vulcan. What many don't know is that it took plenty of trial and error to get Leonard Nimoy to look that way, and even when a professional knew what he was doing it took an hour and a half to apply the prosthetics and makeup.

I scanned these from the Files Magazine Spotlight on Spock (and they scanned it from something else in 1967) - a series of photographs showing the hour-and-a-half long procedure.

According to good Mr. Nimoy, the ears were very painful wear and to take off because of the glue. I recently read a cute story in "The World of Star Trek" by David Gerrold about his Girl Friday, Teresa Victor.

After working for Leonard for a while, she wanted to do something special to show her appreciation. She decided that on the last day of her trial period she would wear Vulcan ears. Now, it was difficult enough for Leonard to get the right ears - for Teresa it was almost impossible. 

One of the casting directors eventually got a pair for her, but they were molded to Leonard's ears and she had to use a strong adhesive. She spent an hour putting them on and wore them all morning, trying to cover her ears with her hair so nobody would notice (although the tips kept poking out). They were immenslely painful, but finally at the end of the day she met with Leonard and pulled back her hair to show him the ears. "I am dying from the pain!" He cracked up laughing, but realized how important is was to her that she show him how she felt.

More problems arose when she had to go to a party that night and she couldn't get the ears off - and none of them knew who Mr. Spock was.

Here's another interesting fact: Spock's skin was originally going to be red, but Leonard pointed out that most people still had black and white TVs, and on those sets Spock would look pitch black. (It would also make him look even more "demonic".)

I will leave you with this wonderful clip of the great Leonard Nimoy speaking on that exact subject:

Trek or Treat - 1977 (Part 2)

Continuing on from Part 1, here are some more semi-amusing scans from the book: Trek or Treat, by Terry Flanagan and Eleanor Ehrhardt.

First we have a strained looking Spock, made out to seem like he is finally taking offense to McCoy's taunting... (but actually from "Is There in Truth no Beauty, where he starts going crazy)

I'll thank you to keep my ears out of this!

And then we come to McCoy, Kirk, and Spock, standing on the bridge while Kirk "imitates the Fonz". (I have always loved Happy Days, so this one appealed to me. There was also a page in this book where Spock wasn't doing his work because he was too busy watching the Fonz, but it wouldn't scan right.)

Aaaaa-yyy! 'Cause I'm the Captain!

Next we have Spock, wearing the IDIC (from "Is There in Truth no Beauty?"). I happen to love this picture, and despite Nimoy's opposition towards the use of the IDIC, I love what it stands for. I do not, however, love the fact that they keep making Spock out to seem like a disrespectful fool (once again, I feel illogically protective about his character).

Anyways, this is also the picture they used for the front cover of the book:

Same to you, fella.

From "The Changeling", we have here that internet-famous picture that has been dubbed the "Vulcan nipple pinch" and continues to fuel disturbing fan-fiction everywhere. I am afraid. None the less, here is a less disturbing take on things:

A little more to the left... that's good. Now scratch.

The next picture/caption duo is actually classic Kirk... I can actually see him making this face and saying this exact thing.

I have a friend that I met in an art class, and every art class I would talk non-stop about Star trek to her. I thought that eventually she had learned to tune me out, but later I found that even though she had never seen an episode, she knew the back-story of every character and the plot of most of the episodes from merely listening to me... she knows more about Star Trek now than a lot of the fans I know who have seen every episode.

Anyways, the whole point to this anecdote is that I am always posting creepy/flirty pictures of Kirk on her facebook wall, because... well, because I can. And because she freaked out in disbelief when she found out William Shatner was 80, and had never really seen how good-looking he used to be. And because I (still) think he is massively sexy (and I don't think she does). I'm a good friend.

But I digress. Again. To my friend - if you are reading this, this is for you:

Anyone for skinny-dipping?

Moving on, we have Spock, 1950's high school-girl musical style.

This is the pits! Got into my dress blues and now the party is called off.

Last one! (Of the half that I scanned.) A large portion of the photos in this book are from "The Enterprise Incident", which is quite alright because as I mentioned before, it is one of my favorites. One of the reasons why I love the episode so much is that Kirk disguises himself as a Romulan:

It goes well with your high heels.

So there you have it! Some very strange captions to go with epically amazing pictures. Not bad for a dollar, not bad at all.

The City on the Edge of Forever

After passing it around to a few friends, I finally got back my "The Best of Star Trek the Original Series" DVD - just in time for summer viewing. Prepare yourselves for an overview with screencaps. (Or better yet, go watch it.)

TL,DR - right? Right.

The City on the Edge of Forever
(Mine and Leonard Nimoy's favorites)

We start with the Enterprise passing through ripples of time. Sulu's console explodes and he is unconscious. Fortunately, we have doctor McCoy, who revives him with a shot of Cordrazine. We then get a wide shot of a face men will swoon over for centuries:

Why is he wearing so much eyeshadow?

"Captain's log, supplemental entry. Two drops of cordrazine can save a man's life. A hundred times that amount has just accidentally been pumped into Doctor McCoy's body. In a strange, wild frenzy, he has fled the ship's Bridge. All connecting decks have been placed on alert. We have no way of knowing if the madness is permanent or temporary, or in what direction it will drive McCoy."

And somehow he is still good looking.

A maddened McCoy makes his way down to the planet below. Kirk, Spock, Scott, Uhura and two security guards beam down to find him. Instead, they find the source of the time disturbances: The Guardian of Forever.

I keep expecting Zar to come through here in a fury...

GUARDIAN: A question. Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question.
KIRK: What are you?
GUARDIAN: I am the Guardian of Forever.
KIRK: Are you machine or being?
GUARDIAN: I am both and neither. I am my own beginning, my own ending.
SPOCK: I see no reason for answers to be couched in riddles.
GUARDIAN: I answer as simply as your level of understanding makes possible.
SPOCK: A time portal, Captain. A gateway to other times and dimensions, if I'm correct.
GUARDIAN: As correct as possible for you. Your science knowledge is obviously primitive.
SPOCK: Really.
KIRK: Annoyed, Spock? 

Kirk and Spock consider going back in time to stop the accident involving McCoy, but before they can contemplate further, McCoy runs in a panic through the Guardian. They realise that he must have done something in the past to change the present, because the Enterprise no longer exists.

"Captain's log, no stardate. For us, time does not exist. McCoy, back somewhere in the past, has effected a change in the course of time. All Earth history has been changed. There is no starship Enterprise. We have only one chance. We have asked the Guardian to show us Earth's history again. Spock and I will go back into time ourselves and attempt to set right what ever it was that McCoy changed."

Spock attempts to hide his ears as people  (1930) stare.

KIRK: Well, we'll steal from the rich and give back to the poor later. I think I'm going to like this century. Simple, easier to manage. We're not going to have any difficulty explaining
(Then he sees the policeman.)
POLICEMAN: Well?
KIRK: You're a police officer. I recognize the traditional accoutrements.
SPOCK: You were saying you'll have no trouble explaining it.
KIRK: My friend is obviously Chinese. I see you've noticed the ears. They're actually easy to explain.
(A crowd is gathering.)
SPOCK: Perhaps the unfortunate accident I had as a child.
KIRK: The unfortunate accident he had as a child. He caught his head in a mechanical rice picker. But fortunately, there was an American missionary living close by who was actually a skilled plastic surgeon in civilian life...
POLICEMAN: All right, all right. Drop those bundles and put your hands on that wall there! Come on!
KIRK: Oh, how careless of your wife to let you go out that way.
POLICEMAN: What? Where?
SPOCK: Oh, yes, it's quite untidy. Here, let me help you.
(And a quick neck pinch in front of witnesses, then they grab the clothes and run off. With whistles blowing, they duck down the alley beside the 21st Street Mission and down the stairs to the cellar.)

I wore my ears and Vulcan make-up to work on my last day a few months ago, and replied in this fashion when an old man asked what was "up with my ears". He interrupted me and said "wait... but you're not Chinese."

They change into the civilian clothing that they had stolen.

KIRK: You were actually enjoying my predicament back there. At times, you seem quite human.
SPOCK: Captain, I hardly believe that insults are within your prerogative as my commanding officer.
KIRK: Sorry.
They run into Edith Keeler, and she brings them to the 21st Street Mission.

She is so pretty. The dreamy-effect may have something to do with that, though.

I love seeing Spock in casual wear and a tuque.

Edith gets up and starts talking like she is (in that time) a crazy, delusional space-head who has done to much LDS. (Voyage home joke. Did LSD even exist in the 30s?)

MAN: You'll be sorry.
KIRK: Why?
MAN: You expect to eat for free or something? You got to listen to Goody Two-shoes.
EDITH: Now, as I'm sure somebody out there has said, it's time to pay for the soup.
MAN: Not that she's a bad-looking broad, but if she really wanted to help out a fella in need
KIRK: Shut up. Shut up. I want to hear what she has to say.
SPOCK: Yes, of course, Captain.
EDITH: Now, let's start by getting one thing straight. I'm not a do-gooder. If you're a bum, if you can't break off of the booze or whatever it is that makes you a bad risk, then get out. Now I don't pretend to tell you how to find happiness and love when every day is just a struggle to survive, but I do insist that you do survive because the days and the years ahead are worth living for. One day soon man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, maybe even the atom. Energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in some sort of spaceship. And the men that reach out into space will be able to find ways to feed the hungry millions of the world and to cure their diseases. They will be able to find a way to give each man hope and a common future, and those are the days worth living for. Our deserts will bloom. (She continues under the dialogue.)
KIRK: Development of atomic power is years away, and space flight years after that.
SPOCK: Speculation. Gifted insight.
KIRK: I find her most uncommon, Mister Spock.

Edith then lets them know where to find a "flop".
KIRK: We have a flop.
SPOCK: We have a what, Captain?
KIRK: A place to sleep.
SPOCK: One might have said so in the first place.

A day or two later, we see that Spock has built an interesting contraption:

I wish I could build something like this in my room.

KIRK: Mister Spock, I've brought you some assorted vegetables, baloney in a hard rolls for myself, and I've spent the other nine tenths of our combined salaries for the last three days on filling this order for you. Mister Spock, this bag doesn't contain platinum, silver or gold, nor is it likely to in the near future.
SPOCK: Captain, you're asking me to work with equipment which hardly very far ahead of stone knives and bearskins.

Edith enters...
EDITH: If you can leave immediately, I can get you five hours work at twenty two cents an hour. What? What on Earth is that?
SPOCK: I am endeavoring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins.

Spock takes some tools that can be used for finely detailed work. Edith finds out, and wonders how he could have possible got to them, through the lock. Kirk guarantees that she will find them returned in the morning.

EDITH: On one condition. Walk me home? I still have a few questions I'd like to ask about you two. Oh, and don't give me that questions about little old us? look. You know as well as I do how out of place you two are around here.
SPOCK: Interesting. Where would you estimate we belong, Miss Keeler?
EDITH: You? At his side, as if you've always been there and always will. And you? You belong in another place. I don't know where or how. I'll figure it out eventually.
SPOCK: I'll finish with the furnace.
EDITH: Captain. Even when he doesn't say it, he does.

Edith and Kirk go on to have a romantic evening of sorts, as he tells her about writers that come from the sky.

Back in the room, Spock gets an image on his tricorder:

The weird thing is, she looks like a friend of mine.

They know that she has to do with how the future was changed, but they don't know if the change was made by her dying, or her living. She may be supposed to die that year, or meet with the president and become internationally famous in six years.

McCoy appears, mad. He meets a man on the street:
MCCOY: Assassins! Murderers! Murderers! Assassins! You! What planet is this? (he drops the bottle) No! Don't run! I won't kill you! It's they who do the killing! Don't run! I won't kill you!
Later, Kirk and Edith are walking together again, up the stairs. They talk about man going to the moon, and peace. They kiss.


Back on the street:
MAN: Look, fella, you take a sip too much of that old wood alky, and, and almost anything seems like it
MCCOY: Where? Where are we? Earth? The constellations seem right, but. Explain! Explain this trick.
MAN: I, I,
MCCOY: Biped. Small. Good cranial development. No doubt considerable human ancestry. Is that how you're able to fake all of this? Very good. Modern museum perfection. Right down to the cement beams. Very, very good. Oh, I'd give a lot to see the hospital. Probably needles and sutures. All the pain. They used to hand-cut and sew people like garments. Needles and sutures. Oh, the terrible pain!

McCoy passes out, and the man picks up his phaser - and accidentally disintegrates himself. I guess he wasn't very important to earth's history, because no big deal is made about it.

Killing myself because I'm not important to history!

I just realized, that was the same man they met at the mission who was complaining about Edith's speeches.

The next day, Edith finds McCoy and takes care of him, while Kirk and Spock find out the awful truth:

SPOCK: This is how history went after McCoy changed it. Here, in the late 1930s. A growing pacifist movement whose influence delayed the United States' entry into the Second World War. While peace negotiations dragged on, Germany had time to complete its heavy-water experiments.
KIRK: Germany. Fascism. Hitler. They won the Second World War.
SPOCK: Because all this lets them develop the A-bomb first. There's no mistake, Captain. Let me run it again. Edith Keeler. Founder of the peace movement.
KIRK: But she was right. Peace was the way.
SPOCK: She was right, but at the wrong time. With the A-bomb, and with their V2 rockets to carry them, Germany captured the world.
KIRK: No.
SPOCK: And all this because McCoy came back and somehow kept her from dying in a street accident as she was meant to. We must stop him, Jim.
KIRK: How did she die? What day?
SPOCK: We can estimate general happenings from these images, but I can't trace down precise actions at exact moments, Captain. I'm sorry.
KIRK: Spock, I believe I'm in love with Edith Keeler.
SPOCK: Jim, Edith Keeler must die.

McCoy regains hold of reality, and tells Edith that he is the surgeon about the USS Enterprise.

That afternoon, Edith almost falls down the stairs and breaks her neck, but Kirk saves her. Spock points out that he may have just altered the future. Kirk states that it is not yet time - it can't be, McCoy isn't there.
SPOCK: We're not that sure of our facts. Who's to say when the exact time will come? Save her, do as your heart tells you to do, and millions will die who did not die before.
Later that night, Kirk and Edith are off to see a movie across the street. Spock heads off alone...
EDITH: If we hurry, maybe we can catch the Clark Gable movie at the Orpheum.
KIRK: What?
EDITH: You know, Doctor McCoy said the same thing.
KIRK: McCoy! Leonard McCoy?
EDITH: Yes. He's in the Mission. He's
KIRK: Stay right here. Spock! Stay right there!
SPOCK: What is it?
KIRK: McCoy! He's in...

McCoy exits the mission, and Spock and Kirk run up to greet him.

Reunited at last... tacking him and bowling him over.

Edith, wondering what is going on, begins to cross the street towards them. McCoy sees the car coming and tries to run out to save her. Kirk grabs on to him, not looking.

Intense action shot.

What the hell, Jim!

MCCOY: You deliberately stopped me, Jim. I could have saved her. Do you know what you just did?
SPOCK: He knows, Doctor. He knows. 

Back on the planet, we see Kirk, Spock, and McCoy leap back through the Guardian.

UHURA: Captain, the Enterprise is up there. They're asking if we want to beam up.
KIRK: Let's get the hell out of here. 

And at this point I am crying. I will leave you here.

Crew Files Magazine Spotlight on Spock 1987

I love my Files Magazines... I got a whole bunch of them a month or so ago when I was going through boxes of old books in a privately run antique shop. The lady who owns the shop is very nice, and knows me well - I am there scrounging around the disorganized shelves quite often.

Another one of my favorites is the Spotlight on Spock, by John Peel.

Captain Spock

I have always loved Spock, and I loved watching him grow - his humanity, his understanding... finding some kind of peace with who he is. I feel there is a huge difference between the confidence in Lt. Commander Spock and Captain Spock; The older, wiser Spock is just so composed and powerful, without trying as hard as he did. I love that they chose this picture for the cover of the magazine.

A younger Spock - a Spock still trying to find his place and himself - graces the inside cover in black and white.

Science Officer Extraordinaire...

The dedication in this book is "to Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination".

There are tons of great photos in all of the Files Magazines - from shows and movies that Nimoy has been in, and from Star Trek itself. It also goes on to analyze Spock and his character/personality.

Back cover - a beautiful family.

I had been checking around the internet for this specific spotlight in case anybody wanted a copy, but I cannot find another anywhere - only the Search for Spock spotlight (which I am also the proud owner of).

Dif-tor heh smusma.

The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before

I just came back from out of the city tonight, and on my way back I stopped at a Value Village I'd never been to. I had exhausted the thrift stores around here's Star Trek and Doctor Who supplies a long time ago, so I figured it would be a good idea to at least take a look. I spent about ten minutes running around and scanning the shelves, and ended up going up to the counter with a heaping arm full of books and VHS tapes.

If you recall, a couple of days ago I wrote bout wanting to order a VHS copy of The Cage. Well, this morning I just so happened to find a copy of The cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before, for only $1.99. I made some scans...

I absolutely love watching the pilot episodes, especially The Cage, because of Spock and how his character is played. Not that I like how he was played as much as in the later episodes, but because it really shows how far the character was developed later on. It never ceases to amuse me when Spock keeps yelling across the bridge when speaking normally would suffice, and when he looks at Captain Pike and smiles when they are touching the blue plants.

It is also interesting watching Spock fight with Gary Mitchell, as the Vulcan nerve pinch had not yet been developed.

For any fans who have not seen the pilot episodes, I would strongly suggest that you find them on the internet - or, better yet, buy a copy for your collection!

Robin Curtis and Leonard Nimoy Interviews - 1986

It's time to focus on my two favorite half Vulcans - Robin Curtis as Saavik and Leonard Nimoy as Spock and the director of Star Trek IV.

Now I know that Kirstie Alley played Saavik originally in The Wrath of Khan, but I feel that Robin Curtis is more suited to the character. She has a harsher face that I feel expresses her Romulan half with more accuracy.

Kirstie Alley vs. Robin Curtis

As a matter of fact, Robin Curtis also played a Vulcan (T'Paal) undercover as a Romulan Mercenary named Tallera in The Next Generation (Gambit, parts one and two).

Looking for the Stone of Gol...

But I digress. Going back to the Star Trek The Official Fan Club Special Vulcan Issue, there is an amazing interview with Robin Curtis regarding her experience playing Saavik, followed by an interview with Leonard Nimoy about Star Trek IV (Which he was directing at the time).

And along with the end of Robin Curtis's interview is a *GASP!* News Flash Extra! What's the big news? Star Trek: the Next Generation will be produced in 1987! The suspense is killing me.

Interview with Mark Lenard - 1986

I have been going through my magazines and books lately, and came across an official Star Trek fan club magazine from 1986 - Number 52, Special Vulcan Issue. It has got some great photos and interviews inside.

(As always, click scans to enlarge to epic proportions.)

Now of course we all know that Mark Lenard first appeared as a Romulan, but the world fell in love with him as a Vulcan. Sarek and Amanda are, beyond a doubt, my favorite couple in the universe. It makes me wish I could marry a Vulcan, I certainly understand them more than I do most humans.

Sadly the first contact is not until April 5, 2063 and I will be 71. So... I don't think I will find a Vulcan husband. But surely a trekkie is the next best thing, right?

On to the full interview:

Refreshing! The only thing left to do after reading that interview is to go make a peanut butter and banana sandwich, pour a cup of chocolate milk, sit down, and watch him in action. And if you don't have a copy of the episodes/movies, find them online or go down to a video store and buy yourself some DVDs!

(They also sell most of the movies on VHS at thrift stores everywhere. There are no excuses.)

Captain Spock.

A while ago when I told a friend that I got a Captain Spock figure I got this response:
"Since when was Spock ever a Captain?"
I had never been more ashamed. He called himself a trekkie, and didn't believe me when I said that Spock was a Captain from the Wrath of Khan until he became an ambassedor. He told me he didn't know Spock was ever an ambassador, either. I have since forgiven him.

In my last post I was writing about the time I went to the Comic and Toy expo, and I mentioned this figure: Diamond Select: Star Trek II Wrath of Khan collection, Series 2: Captain Spock.

He looks so mighty, with his novel and communicator.

This particular figure is my favorite, because he looks so sharp and in control. Also, I loved these uniforms! They made everybody look amazing, unlike those in the Motion Picture. Those were just terrible, and they knew it.

There's just something about those ears.

Surak: the father of Vulcan philosophy. Ozhika: logic.

The book was plain when I got it, but I wrote on it with a toothpick and whiteout to make it more meaningful. No longer is it a mere book, but it contains the words of Surak. The symbol underneath "Surak" is the Vulcan Script for "ozhika" or "logic".

Captain Spock also came with interchangeable hands, a communicator, and a phaser.

I wish I had interchangeable hands. I have plaster copies of my hands, but it's not the same.

I would love to get the rest of the WOK collection, but they are just so bloody expensive - I would need hundreds of dollars just to get those remaining, and I would rather spend that money on items that I can learn from, such as novels and DVDs.

Knowledge is power.
The more you know.