The COMM LINK

Tea, Earl Grey... hot!

2010-08-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

"Tea, Earl Grey... hot."

The traditional fast food business model just never had a chance, now did it? Marcelo Coelho and Amit Zoran, a pair of whiz kids doing their thang over at MIT, have developed what very well may be the next major revolution in food preparation. It may also be the only machine that keeps you alive when the Robot Apocalypse goes down, but we'll try to stuff that to the rear of our minds for now.
Essentially, the Cornucopia concept is a 3D printer that precisely mixes foods and flavors from a number of canisters in order to produce something that's edible (and supposedly close to what you ordered). Able to deliver "elaborate combinations of food," the machine also has a rapid heating and cooling chamber that purportedly allows for "the creation of flavors and textures that would be completely unimaginable through other cooking techniques." Color us skeptical, but we're guessing these government-issued MREs probably taste just as good -- guess we'll find out for sure if the project ever gets its date with reality.

Via: Inhabitat
Source: MIT

Oh the Camptown Ladies Sing This Song...

2010-07-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

Check out the doo-dah about 42 seconds in...

STAR TREK LIVE Coming to Tacoma!

2010-05-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today CBS has announced dates for the touring version of the show which kicks off June 11th in San Diego and then goes to over 20 cities around North America during the summer and fall. See below for full list.

Fore more information about the show click HERE. (opens a PDF)

STAR TREK LIVE 2010 PERFORMANCES

STAR TREK: LIVE is a thrilling adventure for audiences of all ages! Awesome special effects, unrivaled interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology takes everyone on an unforgettable journey through the Star Trek universe. See STAR TREK: LIVE at a theater near you and boldly go where no one has gone before!

Star Trek Live premieres at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on June 11th, with five stage shows planned each day over the Summer. The show is included in the price of admission to KSC ($38, adults; $28, children 3-11, plus tax. Younger children enter free).

May 31 – September 6, 2010

Kennedy Space Center

Cape Canaveral, FL

www.kennedyspacecenter.com

June 11 – July 5, 2010

San Diego County Fair

San Diego, CA

www.sdfair.com

August 20 – 29, 2010

Western Idaho State Fair

Boise, ID

www.idahofair.com

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Harper College

Palatine, Illinois

www.harpercollege.edu

July 19-25, 2010

Dollywood Theme Park

Pigeon Forge, TN

www.dollywood.com

August 4-8, 2010

Queen City Ex

Regina, Saskatchewan

www.thequeencityex.com

August 10-15, 2010

Prairieland Park

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

www.saskatoonex.com

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Clay Center for the Arts

Charleston, WV

www.theclaycenter.org

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Paramount Theatre

Charlottesville, VA

www.theparamount.net

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Wilkes Community College

Wilksboro, NC

www.wilkescc.edu

Friday, October 15, 2010

Hardin County Performing Arts Center

Elizabethtown, KY

www.thepac.net

October 16-17, 2010

Victoria Theatre

Dayton, OH

www.victoriatheatre.com

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

RiverPark Center

Owensboro, KY

www.riverparkcenter.org

October 21-22, 2010

Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center

Huntingdon, TN

www.dixiepac.net

October 24-25, 2010

University of Alabama – Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center

Birmingham, AL

www.alysstephens.uab.edu

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Bowlus Fine Arts & Cultural Center

Lola, KS

www.bowluscenter.org

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Missouri Theatre

St.

Joseph, MO

www.saintjosephperformingarts.org

Monday, November 01, 2010

Vilar Center Arts Foundation

Beaver Creek, CO

www.vilarpac.org

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Alberta Bair Theatre

Billings, MT

www.albertabairtheater.org

Thursday, November 04, 2010

WYO Theatre

Sheridan, WY

www.wyotheater.com

Monday, November 08, 2010

Ross Ragland Theatre

Klamath Falls, OR

www.rrtheater.org

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Laxson Theatre

Chico, CA

www.chicoperformances.com

Friday, November 12, 2010

Wells Fargo Center for the Arts

Santa Rosa, CA

www.wellsfargocenterarts.org

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Broadway Center

Tacoma, WA

www.broadwaycenter.org

More cities to come

The tour will continue into Winter 2010 and into 2011, with more cities added.

Sign Up For the 2010 SFI Election List!

2010-05-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

Fellow members of STARFLEET:

As mandated by our Constitution, we will be starting the process to elect our next Commander, STARFLEET in just a couple more weeks. Over the years, one of the key vehicles for communications with the candidates and general discussion of the election has been, and continues to be, the Official Election List. This list will be, as always, for questions and answers among the candidates and members of STARFLEET. Discussion of the election on there is also permitted.

I am pleased to announce that the 2010 Election list will open up for subscriptions starting on May 17th. The list will be in sign up mode ONLY from May 17th to June 1st. The list will open for full use on June 1st. No posts of any kind will be allowed on the list until that date.

To sign up for the election list, please visit the website below:
http://lists.sfi.org/listinfo.cgi/election2010-sfi.org

I have been assigned the task of being the Moderator and one of the three list administrators. The other two administrators are Chief of Communications Jonathan Lane and STARFLEET Inspector General Wade Hoover.

The list will be operated in a family friendly format. Here are a few basic things to keep in mind.

(1) As the list will be family friendly, please keep the language clean with that in mind.

(2) The list is restricted to election business only. Any other topics will be requested to move elsewhere.

(3) In the case of behavior which requires action by the moderator the following will be followed:

(a) In the first instance, a warning will be sent privately to the offender and cc'ed to the other two list administrators
(b) In the second instance, the offender will be placed in
moderated mode for two weeks, allowing them to observe the list, but all posts from the person during that time will require approval to be released to the membership.
(c) In the event of a third instance, the offender will be placed on moderated mode and will remain in that mode till it can be proven that he or she will follow the list rules.

(4) Any moderator decision can be appealed to all the administrators. The decision of the administrators will be final.

(5) Only members of STARFLEET in good standing will be allowed to be subscribed to and post to the list. Non STARFLEET members will be removed.

(6) There will be no discussion of list operations on the list proper. All communications of that type must be sent to the list administrators privately.

A complete list of rules will be posted on June 1st and e-mailed out on the first of every month for the length of the operation of the list.

Thanks!

MGN Dennis Rayburn
Vice-Chief of Communications, STARFLEET
Election2010 List Moderator and Administrator 1 of 3
SFIElection2010@gmail.com

To Sleep, Per Chance to Dream... or retire?

2010-05-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Nimoy to boldly go into retirement after ‘Fringe’ season finale
By Bill Burke Thursday, May 20, 2010
(originally posted on the Boston Herald website)

The way Leonard Nimoy sees it, he’s going out on top. Nimoy, 79, is retiring from acting following his onscreen appearance as Dr. William Bell on the second-season finale of Fox’s “Fringe” (tonight at 9 on WFXT, Ch. 25). “I had a wonderful time working on the new ‘Star Trek’ movie with J.J. Abrams, who directed it,” Nimoy said during a recent conference call with reporters. “When it was done, he asked me to look into the possibility of playing William Bell on ‘Fringe.’ I felt that I owed J.J. a favor. He did a great job on the ‘Star Trek’ movie and treated me extremely well.”

Thus began Nimoy’s brief but pivotal run as the enigmatic Bell. It wraps up tonight in what is essentially the famous final scene of a career that began when Nimoy left his hometown of Boston six decades ago.

“I set out to be an actor when I was 17 or 18 years old,” Nimoy said. “I left Boston and traveled to California to try to build a career.” For the man who would embody the iconic Mr. Spock from classic “Star Trek” and its series of big-screen sequels, that career began rather humbly on a Saturday afternoon serial called “Zombies of the Stratosphere.”

“It was very primitive and very crude, but I was eager to do the work and happy to get it,” he said. “It’s been exciting to me to work on soundstages and on locations all around the world.” Nimoy’s final scene was shot one night recently in Vancouver with “Fringe” star Anna Torv. It was something he didn’t want to end. When they wrapped, the entire company gathered around, he said.

“There was a lot of love exchanged. I said to them, ‘I’ve been at this for 60 years. I have never worked with a better company.’ I meant it. It just feels really good to know that I’m saying goodbye to the work on a very positive, good note.” Regrets? “No, it’s not hard to say goodbye,” Nimoy said. “I’ve had 60 years of working in films and television. I’m very grateful for all the great opportunities that I’ve had and all the people that I’ve met, the people I’ve worked with.” So what lies ahead for the newly retired actor?

First, a reaffirmation of his plans: “I will not be doing any more television or movie acting or directing.” But he will focus on preparing for an exhibition of his photography opening July 31 at MassMoCA in North Adams.

Putting a definitive expiration date on his acting career has given him an opportunity to reflect. “When I first started out, I was in awe of the people who had great stories to tell about different locations they’d been to and different directors they’d worked with, different actors they’ve worked with and so forth,” he said. “Now, I discovered I was the guy doing that, telling the stories about directors I worked with 40 years ago. It’s time to get off the stage. I think we’ve had our run.

Check out the Promo below, and be sure to head over to the Fox website to watch the episode!

There but for the grace of a winning lottery ticket go I

2010-05-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

There but for the grace of a winning lottery ticket go I …

On April 10, an auction was held in Las Vegas featuring many items from the now closed Star Trek: The Experience. Items available at this sale ranged from tables and chairs from “Quark’s Bar” to various Paramount made costumes. For those on hand with the necessary cash, other items calculated to make even a jaded Trek fan grin like the proverbial kid in a candy store also went under the hammer.

How about your very own “Borg alcove”, valued before the sale at about $850? For those with less space available, there were “Cardassian Exit signs” or sections of glass featuring the Experience logo. Or even “translights” (large lighted display panels). For those with more room to spare, pretty much all the pieces you needed to build a complete TNG bridge set were available, as well as seats from the Klingon Attack ride. For those a bit less ambitious, there were Trek themed display cases and sales counters.

The costumes came from both TNG and First Contact, all made by Paramount, and available in a wide range of sizes. Alec Peters, who put on the sale, said in his blog “we should even have your size (assuming you are not of retired Klingon proportions!).” (Sigh … I guess that lets ME out on that one.)

Perhaps the piece de resistance was not one, but THREE large starship models: The USS Voyager, Enterprise-A, and a Klingon Bird of Prey. All of them needed a dose of tender loving care, but the possibilities in them were endless. (Imagine what our own Scott Nakada could do with the Voyager model and some careful repainting and new lettering on the hull as he lovingly restored it to its glory days?)

If you’d like to see more of what you missed, you can go over to Alec Peters’ blog at:

www.startrekauction.blogspot.com

But, for those who think me cruel for talking about a missed opportunity, you should be aware that the April auction was merely the first of TWO, and that another auction will be held in Las Vegas this August, featuring, among other things, a second complete TNG bridge set.

In a brief telephone conversation, Alec told me that nothing is firm about the August auction at this time, but there are hints it might be held at the same time as the big convention in August (which is also in Las Vegas).

Excuse me; I think I need to go see about buying a lottery ticket …

Gunny

Executive Officer's Report - April 2010

2010-05-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

On this fine day the 3rd of April, 2010. I wish to congratulate the U.S.S. Chinook on a successful launching. My best wishes, to her officers and crew. May your ship have a safe journey on her many voyages.

This month is Star Trek: Online! This crazy game is an immersive and impressive MMO. I know why many people call 'WOW' an addiction. On a couple occasions I have found myself gearing up to play this game, for hours on end. Usually at night when there is far less web traffic. Why? The servers run more smoothly not bogged down by all the traffic, and the internet connection is more reliable then, for the same reason. Also: the cadets are mostly asleep.

In the game there are comm. channels available. The one set up for Starfleet Region 5 members is ' sfir5 ' through this anyone who is an sfi member (not required) can communicate, and set up meeting places in game to meet, such as on the bridge of their ship, much like a built in chat room. (I'm with Commodore Christian when I say, Lets set up a fleet!)

Here's me on the bridge of my latest ship, You can roam the bridge, select different bridge types, and even colors. The ships can be designed to have many different paint schemes, and can be outfitted with different systems, tailored to the player's individual taste.

For instance; A trophy vessel for me is the Intrepid Class Starship, U.S.S.
Thermopylae, Hull registry number NCC-747033.

Why is it a trophy vessel and how can you get it? Play, play, play, and get the long range science vessel. You can pick your name and change your hull registry numbers. Wouldn't it be interesting to have a fleet of ships named Thermopylae lumbering into a combat zone? I know it's possible because I had another ship named Yamato in the same space map as my constitution class refit, Yamato.

As you may notice though, some of the hull detailing is a little bit different. Most notably the Starfleet delta is gone. Replaced by the seal of the United Federation of Planets

>

This game in part has forced me to go into a black hole of computer problems, resulting in an OS upgrade, Video driver updates, and hardware upgrades (in part, because I just TOUCHED the inside of the computer, causing me to call our Chief Engineer in a panic!) Needless to say, after repairing the system, with MCAPT. Caverly's assistance with performance issues, it's working just fine again.

The lesson I have learned this month, let other more qualified engineers mess with the inside of computers. Especially when doing any kind of maintenance. Now my next goal, upgrade the graphics card. It's actually running below system requirements.

In other business, I have several reminders for the crew:

1) All Departments, please remember to get your reports into our Chief Engineer, monthly by the deadline he sets per issue. He may also have some special ideas or themes for the issue, remember to be attentive to special requests.

2) To everyone else, please feel free to submit anything on your mind to the Commlink. Submissions are welcome, let's hear about stuff going on through the ship & crew.

I am hoping soon to see more of the crew doing ship activities together. Last month's excursion to Fort Warden was very positive. There we uncovered several artifacts dating back to the early 1900's/ late 1890's. Turn of the 20th century stuff. WE also peeled back 40 years of plant growth on the bunkers, and helped to restore a bunker that was almost 1000 feet long.

This is important to save our national heritage, history, and is a way for us to give back to the community as a group. It is so important that we do this, because increasingly the need to help our communities, is increasing during this time of economic crisis and recovery. This and other ways we can support non-profit programs and other charities/ charity programs is worth donating at least some of our time to as a whole. I personally would like to see more members at events. Not a requirement, but a request, to the crew. I would like to see about a quarter of our ship's roster turn out for these and other ship events. Even if you can't contribute in a working fashion, support functions are also important for activities, and charity work such as the Fort Warden clean up. (Plus work at Ft. Warden goes toward free overnight camping for the ship.)

Another reminder, get your OCC in! (That's if you want to be promoted in
rank! J )

XO, Scott Nakada

Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire!!!

2010-05-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

At the March monthly meeting of the USS Thermopylae the very first cooking competition in history (well, at least the history of the USS Thermopylae) was held. The format was similar to that of the holodeck program “Chopped” where there are three rounds (appetizer, main course, dessert) each with its own set of secret ingredients. In every round the dish must include the usage of every ingredient.

We started with four chefs… LT Harmony Nakada, renowned region-wide for her wonderful salads, breads and hearty side dishes; COMM Peter Christian, an acknowledged expert at feeding 4-11 year olds and never getting a complaint; MCPO Tod “Boats” Sturgeon, the purveyor of fine pastries that have been used to bribe fleet admirals; and CPO Jenna Weibe, most widely recognized for her healthy meals, snacks and desserts. These four gathered in the galley, no replicators, limited pantries and above all … limited time to prepare. The battle was ready to be waged!

The judges were the famous Italian chef CMDR Rosa (Rose) Mattison, the master caterer LT VickyJeanne Shepard and the epicurean hero FCPT Joe Fuller (the skipper loves to eat!). They sat in quiet (well, not really… “Boats” was providing the vino for the judges…) anticipation of the delights that they were about to sample.

The secret ingredients, maintained under strictest code purple security, were chosen by the emcee of the event, FCPT Cathey Fuller. She ruled the kitchen and the timer with an iron thumb!

The first course was the appetizer round. The secret ingredients were parsnips, coucous and turkey bacon. The chefs raced around the kitchen gathering ingredients and preparing their dishes. As time ran down they plated their offerings and presented them to the judges for their opinions and scores. The round went to MCPO Tod Sturgeon for his awesome presentation in the form of a Greek Lambda. The scoring was very close, however LT Harmony was transported out of the galley and into the audience.

At this point I would like to thank MAJ Dennis Jones for his superb help in the galley. MAJ Jones insured that all plates, cookware, etc. were clean and ready for the next round, that the grill was scrubbed and prepared as well. Well done sir, and thank you from a grateful crew!

The next course was the entrée. FCPT Fuller showed her devious side by providing beef steaks, pineapple, sweet potato and Roma tomatoes. The chefs scrambled around the galley once again! Spices flew into the air, Boats thrashed through his pantry seeking spices from Riza that he knew would give him victory, Jenna and Peter confidently sautéed, fried and stewed their way to the plating and presentation. When the dust, excess spices, aromas and alcohol fumes (thanks again Boats) settled COMM Christian was found to be the winner and Boats found himself transported to the Goat Locker. (He found his secret spices AFTER the competition was over!)

That left CPO Weibe and COMM Christian facing off in the dessert round. The ever devious and creative emcee FCPT Fuller revealed the secret ingredients for this round… coconut milk, raspberries and tortillas! Neither chef showed any panic as they viewed their ingredients for the round. (They may have been shell shocked, it was hard to tell at this point!) They immediately dug into their secret reserves (that they shared with each other by the way) and commenced their final creations. Peter made an empanada like dessert with various chocolates and mousse like creations using the raspberries and coconut milk AND the coconut oils. Jenna made a chocolate custard with raspberry foundation, containing the hidden delight of a liquor soaked tortilla.

The judges had their work cut out for them in this final round. After deliberation and scoring COMM Peter Christian was judged the winner and CPO Jenna Weibe was transported to the Goat Locker with MCPO Sturgeon.

This ended the quarter elimination round for Q1. There will be additional competitions in June and September. Then, at the December meeting we will hold the first ever, anytime, anywhere “Latinum Chef” competition where the winners of the quarterly qualifiers will compete for this prestigious title.

I would like to thank the competitors, the judges, our delightful emcee and our cleanup crew headed up by MAJ Jones. Without everyone’s participation and cooperation this event would not have happened. I am very much looking forward to reporting on our subsequent events!

FCPT Joe

Captain's Log Star Date 1004.05

2010-05-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Captain’s Log Star Date 1004.05

Greetings shipmates and friends,

Well, another fledgling has left the nest! Congratulations to the officers and crew of the USS Chinook who commissioned Saturday at Norwescon. They are off to a great start and I am very proud of their efforts. Cathey, Boomer and I drove up to the con and were joined by Rich, Kathy, David (our newest member, welcome!) and Lisa. I would like to thank you all for helping make the commissioning a memorable event for our newly fledged starship.

Last meeting was a lot of fun for some folks, unfortunately a bit boring for others. The fun part, we had our first ever “Thermopylae Chopped” (or Beam-Out)! Look for details in another article. Needless to say the judges were impressed as were the members of the crew that had the opportunity to try the various concoctions created by our wonderful competitors!

Coming up is the 4th Annual Thermopylae Anniversary Dinner on April 18th. More info in yet another article is forthcoming. I will also be posting information via the yahoo group (Therm and R5).

We have another huge event coming up the weekend of the 23rd through the 25th of April. The Region 5 Summit will be held at the Pasco Best Western. I encourage as many folks as possible to attend. I have received a few award nominations (as RC) and the committee and I will be making some decisions in the upcoming weeks ahead.

On a totally unrelated topic, our dear friend Ken Hill will be initiated into Westgate Lodge #180 as an Entered Apprentice Mason the 17th of April. Boomer and I will be attending and participating in his degree and thus not available that evening. If you get a chance, drop Ken a note!

The cleanup of the gun battery at Fort Worden went really well. Boats, Scott, Duncan, Connor, Boomer and I (later joined by the Purkey Squadron) worked on removing about 30 years of accumulated growth over the concrete gun encasements. It was pretty hard work, especially for this desk jockey, but it is always great to see such positive results. We found several antique bottles which will be cleaned up and displayed in the museum at Fort Worden. I anticipate one or two more cleanup activities at the fort and we will then be able to camp there for free in the autumn, just in time for the 503rd Muster! I hope we can get even more of our fine crew out there, many hands make light work!

That’s about it for now. I look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting/dinner on the 18th and as many as can make it to the regional summit.

Live long and prosper,

FCPT Joe

CO USS Thermopylae (et al)

COMM LINK 2.0

2010-05-16T11:42:00.001-07:00

Greetings Fellow Thermopylites!

Welcome to the new and improved (I had a REALLY hard time deciding if that was even possible)COMM LINK!

Why the change? It was two fold. First of all, the program that was being used to publish the newsletter was a pain in the tuckuss and I had a huge learning curve (yeah, I know.) I thought that when I came back I could just jump right back into the things I had been doing before I reenlisted. I forgot how time consuming Army life was.

Secondly, This format of media releases all of us (and my beleaguered staff) from the stressfull constraints of a publishing date. Instead allowing us to publish articles as they arrive. (Side note: Command staff are still required to submit thier article/report no later than the 25th of each month. We are after all accountable to the crew each month.)

That being said, if you wish to submit articles, art work, videos (yes videos!)send them or a link to them to junkiefx@gmail.com. PLEASE TITLE THE MESSAGE "COMM LINK SUBMISSION OR IT WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. Sorry, not meant to yell, just grab your attention.

Anyway, I will be in the next few days adding articles that have been submitted up to this point to get this going. This is a very exciting idea and I am looking forward to it.

I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE STAFF REPORTS IN THE FORM OF A VIDEO IF YOU CAN DO IT! That will add more to the interactivity of this news blog.

That's all for now. Second star to the right, and sraight into the shade... it's getting hot out here!

Commodore Peter G Christian
Editor
COMM LINK