That Which Survives

Happy Halloween Everyone! I’m actually not a big Halloween fan truth be told. As a Kid it was fun and I will forever remember the year our parents sent my sister and I out as a pair of dice. Those costumes were a pain in the butt, though they were cute. I also distinctly remember where I was this very night 20 years ago. The huge blizzard of 1991, I can’t believe that was 20 years ago! I was a mere 8 years old and trudging through the streets of Coon Rapids,  trick or treating. 20 years later the tables have turned in a sense too, I am now the adult handing out candy to the kids. The costumes were adorable but I must say that my favorite one was the kiddo who was dressed up as Neytiri from Avatar, the best part was that I think she was maybe 8 years old. Yeah for little dorks!

That Which Survives

The Enterprise is investigating an odd planet that does not seem to belong or fit the standards of typical planetoid development. Several officers are about to beam down when a mysterious woman appears warning them not to beam down because they would be in danger. Upon materialization on the planet the landing party encounters massive earthquakes and the Enterprise finds itself transported nearly a thousand lightyears away from its previous location. Now the landing party is charged with the task of surviving while the Enterprise is tasked with finding its way back to pick up the landing party. The crew struggles to find a solution but is assisted by the same mysterious alien who helped to move the ship. The landing party is also encountering the same woman who is trying to kill them one by one. We find in the end that this woman is a projection of a person who died thousands of years earlier and that this is not a planet but is truly a space station.

Spock is even more of a Vulcan than usual during this episode and he continually makes snide comments about emotions and inaccurate estimations by the crew. It is like Spock is having his time of the month or something. The alien woman, Lorisa,  is portrayed by Lee Meriwether of Batman fame. An interesting fact about this episode is that after it was filmed series Co-Producer Robert Justman quit. He has stated several times that he could no longer tolerate the decline in the quality of the scripts and the production value of the show in general. After this show the episodes  get worse folks!

The Mark Of Gideon

My Internet is down today and it is entirely the fault of my SHITTY ASS cable/internet company. Ladies and Gentlemen I am here to tell you do not use WINDSTREAM MEDIA for your internet and cable needs. I am stuck with them at the moment because they are pretty much the only service available in scenic Zimmerman Minnesota. I say it is their fault of course only because I have done nothing to my hook ups and the service guy pretty much admitted it to me. On Tuesday I called in to change my cable plan and apparently the bitch on the phone turned off my internet but thank god my cable programming hasn’t been changed yet. UGH I hate this.

Treadmill- 280 calories and 2.15miles

Once again I ran today for about the last ten minutes of the episode. I kind of enjoy it.. What is wrong with me?

The Mark Of Gideon

The Enterprise is engaging in diplomatic relations with the planet Gideon who are very secretive and won’t allow more than one person beam down at a time. They have specifically asked for Captain Kirk. Upon beam down Kirk finds himself back in the Enterprise and it is deserted. He immediately assumes that something has happened to the rest of the crew when in reality we learn that he has been transported to fake Enterprise by the Gideons. Kirk meets a girl who attempts to make him fall in love with her and she suddenly falls very ill. The Gideons reveal that their planet is disease free and has a massive overpopulation problem. They are attempting to limit the size of their planet’s population by introducing a new virus to the public. Meanwhile the crew of the real Enterprise is trying to find Kirk and deal with the Gideons who are for lack of a better word a bunch of Ass Hats! Spock beams down and finds the Captain and they take the girl Odana back to the Enterprise to cure her. She reveals that she will still attempt to spread the disease to help her people.

Shocking material for the late 60’s they mentioned contraception on TV and talked about limiting the number of children born and other controversial topics. The Gideon leader makes a speech about how every life is sacred and that people must procreate… It was as if the entire planet was populated with uber devout catholics.. LOL

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

Conferences are over! Well until the spring that is. I am so very looking forward to tomorrow night because I have no plans other than to work out and watch a movie! It has been a long week of late nights and I’m ready for some couch time. Today I got home and worked out on the treadmill and watched an episode of Star Trek the original series that I have never seen before and I was especially excited for this particular episode. “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” is one of the most iconic of the episodes because of the topics addressed and the visually stunning yet slightly heavy handed make-up on the guest stars. This was a great workout tonight, one of the best I have had in a while. I got to the last 5 minutes of the episode and decided to jog and I kept running for ten minutes even after the show ended. It was fun… WTF is wrong with me for thinking it was fun but it was.

This post is going up a day late I might add because the internet was down this evening at the Olson house.

Treadmill- 322 calories and 2.6miles

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

The Enterprise is en route to help a planet that is in dire medical attention but they encounter a stolen Starfleet shuttlecraft and bring it aboard. The passenger brought onboard is Black and White, split directly down the middle of his body. Shortly after the Enterprise encounters another ship which deposits a second being that is Black and White, but on opposite sides of his body from the other alien. The new alien Commisioner Bele is a representative from the planet Cheron who has been searching for Lokai, the other alien, for over 50,000 years. The two are mortal enemies and have brought their fight with them aboard the Enterprise. The two men both have extreme powers of control over electronics and electrical fields, thus they are able to control the circuits of the Enterprise at their will. In an attempt to regain control of the ship Kirk and crew initiate the auto-destruct sequence and their ploy works as control is restored and the Enterprise completes its mission to decontaminate the planet. Once the mission is completed Bele regains control of the ship and sends it to Cheron. While en route to Cheron Lokai attempts to gain support from the crew for his cause. Meanwhile Bele discusses the history of his planet with Kirk and Spock. We learn that Lokai and Bele are of different races and that Bele is of the “superior” race on his planet and that Lokai is of the lesser which is considered a plague on their people. The only outward difference between the two is that they are black and white on opposite sides of their faces. When the ship arrives at Cheron it is found in ruins with the entire planet’s population dead. Lokai and Bele begin to fight and both beam down to Cheron to continue their pointless fight.

Yes it is a very obvious story line and yes the make-up is a bit heavy handed but it is still a powerful story about racial tensions, inequality and how hatred unchecked can cause mass destruction. The show features good performances by its guest stars particularly an Emmy nominated performance by Frank Gorshin. Gorshin who is most known for playing the Riddler on TV’s Batman.

Whom Gods Destroy

The longest week of the school year is only half way over and I’m tired, but ready for the rest of the week. I must send a huge shout out to my good friend Derek for encouraging me to get on the treadmill today even though I didn’t want to. It is truly a blessing to have friends who support me in my endeavors to get healthy.

Treadmill- 238calories and 1.79miles

Whom Gods Destroy

While visiting one of the only insane asylums left in the galaxy to deliver a new experimental medicine. While there Kirk and Spock are held captive by the inmates who have taken over the facility. Their leader is a former Starfleet captain named Garth, who is currently referring to himself as “Lord Garth”. Garth has also magically developed the power to shape shift for brief periods of time. Basically he is a nut job who is out to take over the galaxy, the only downside to his plan is that Kirk has a security code he must provide before anyone beams up and therefore Garth can’t get up to the ship. Kirk and Spock are tortured and bribed but of course they do not give in to the madman’s desires. Garth throws himself a coronation and then blows up his Orion Slave Girl to prove that he can make a bomb. In the end Spock saves the day when he breaks out from the brig and has to choose between Garth ( in Kirk’s form) and Kirk. Of course everything works out just fine and order is restored to the asylum.

Elaan of Troyius

Parent-Teacher conference day and it was soo long but thankfully went by really fast! The best part of today was not having to go into work until 11 so I got to take some extra time this morning to get stuff done. I worked out, paid my bills and talked to a loan guy about refinancing! It looks like it may be a go as long as the government fixes their loan rules before too long. I’m now in the process of re-thinking my cable/internet situation. I don’t watch a lot of TV that isn’t on regular networks with a few exceptions but those shows are available online or through my blu ray player. Big decisions to be made.. any suggestions readers?

Treadmill: 295 calories, 2.59miles

Elaan of Troyius

The Enterprise has been sent to transport a Elaasian princess named Elaan to marry the Troyan King. The Elaasians and the Troyans are mortal enemies but the hope is that this marriage will bring about peace and stability in their system. The Elaasians however are a brutal, arrogant and vicious race of people who have no interest in the wishes or rules of other people. While en route Elaan, attempts to murder the Troyan ambassador and Kirk is placed in charge of teaching Elaan the customs and regulations of the Troyan people. Kirk accidentally touches Elaan’s tears and becomes entranced by her sexual powers of attractions. The episode does not take the course of approach one would think at this point. It is revealed that one of Elaan’s guards has betrayed the crew and his planet and now the Klingons are pursuing the Enterprise trying to start a fight. The Enterprise outwits the Klingons, Kirk is able to control his desire to be with Elaan and She is able to change her attitude before the wedding.

This episode is a combination of a cold war thriller and My Fair Lady. Kirk desperately tries to influence and change this young woman’s awful behavior and succeeds in the end. Again this episode features a very strong performance by a talented guest star. This time the guest actress was France Nuyen. She is best known for playing Liat in the film version of South Pacific and for a small role in Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Her career never really took off from what I can tell on IMDB but this was a wonderful performance.

The Empath

Sunday… The last day of MEA weekend (SAD FACE). It has been a really great weekend and I needed it so badly because it has been a stressful and busy first part of school. Today I worked at home and then I went to get lunch and do grocery shopping with my sister.

So maybe I am slightly behind the times but I just heard Kelly Clarkson’s new song “Mr. Know It All” this weekend and it has become somewhat of an anthem for me! Not that I have been in an abusive relationship and broke up with someone recently but just the message of being more than what people think I am or pretend to know I am. I sometimes feel that people expect me to be a certain person or have this fantasy that they know who and what I am and I just like how the song expresses this in a kick ass melody for me! The combination of music and word is powerful and I find that I connect with a new song every couple of weeks and maybe this one is a passing fad for me but for now it is my song! (I’ve put the lyrics at the bottom of the page.)

Today’s Workout:

Treadmill- 288 calories and 2.13 miles

The Empath

The plot of this episode is easy to explain in a sense but the impact of the episode is very deep. The true centerpiece of the episode is a beautiful and moving performance by Kathryn Hays. She plays a mute alien who is capably of assuming the pain and emotion of another person and expels it to heal another person. This episode works solely because of how good her performance as Gem was.

The basic gist of the show is this… The Enterprise is sent to check on a group of scientists who are studying a star that is about to go Nova and destroy the entire system of planets surrounding it. Two aliens who wish to perform tests and interrogate them capture Kirk, McCoy and Spock. While in captivity they meet a mute alien female, who McCoy decides to name Gem. She posses immense empathic powers and can feel and transfer pain from another person to herself. Through the process of tests Spock, Kirk, McCoy and Gem attempt to escape but are thwarted each time. In the end McCoy is interrogated and nearly killed but Gem uses her power to save him. The aliens reveal that they have the power to save one planet from total destruction and that this whole process was a test to see if Gem’s planet would be saved. Her world is saved and the Enterprise crew is set loose to go on their way.

Again this was a truly touching episode that would not have worked without a dynamite performance at its core. DeForest Kelly and Leonard Nimoy held their own, but sadly the guest star’s performance overshadowed William Shatner’s performance.

Mr know it all

Well ya think you know it all

But ya don't know a thing at all

Ain't it something y'all

When somebody tells you something bout you

Think that they know you more than you do

So you take it down another pill to swallow

Mr bring me down

Well ya like to bring me down don't ya

But I ain't laying down, baby

I ain't going down

Can't nobody tell me how it's gonna be

Nobody gonna make a fool out of me

Baby you should know that I lead not follow

Oh you think that you know me, know me

That's why I'm leaving you lonely, lonely

Cause baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

You ain't got the right to tell me

When and where to go, no right to tell me

Acting like you own me lately

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

Mr play your games

Only got yourself to blame

When you want me back again

But I ain't falling back again

Cause I'm living my truth without your lies

Let's be clear baby this is goodbye

I ain't coming back tomorrow

Oh you think that you know me, know me

That's why I'm leaving you lonely, lonely

Cause baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

You ain't got the right to tell me

When and where to go, no right to tell me

Acting like you own me lately

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

So what, you've got the world at your feet

And you know everything about everything

But you don't

You still think I'm coming back but baby you'll see

Oh you think that you know me, know me

That's why I'm leaving you lonely, lonely

Cause baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

You ain't got the right to tell me

When and where to go, no right to tell me

Acting like you own me lately

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

Mr know it all

Well ya think you know it all

But ya don't know a thing at all

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

Written by Brian Kennedy, Ester Dean, Brett James, and Dante Jones

Wink Of An Eye

Nothing really to interesting to say today.. Sorry Y’all!

Today’s Workout-

Treadmill- 250 calories 1.5 miles

Wink Of An Eye

The Enterprise is responding to a distress signal that appears to be coming from an uninhabited planet. On the planet while investigating the signal one of the crew members vanishes and the rest of the landing party decides to return to the Enterprise to investigate further. Once upon the Enterprise strange things start to happen and it is discovered that an alien force has taken over the Enterprise and they kidnap Kirk. The aliens only exist in an accelerated time universe so they can’t be seen by the crew. It is assumed that Kirk is dead but the crew continues to investigate his disappearance and try to find him. Meanwhile Kirk has been captured and the female leader of the aliens intends to make Kirk her lover. Kirk resists and figures out a way to communicate. In the end the aliens plan is foiled and the Enterprise is set free.

Now I love me some Star Trek don’t get me wrong but let’s just say not every episode is a charmer! This would be one of those lacking episodes.. big time!

Plato's Stepchildren

Today I went to see La Cage Aux Folles and out to eat at Fogo de Chao with my mom! What a wonderful evening of fun, laughter and great food. La Cage was so good and I was a little saddened to see that the audience was pretty sparse, in the balcony that is. The show is the original musical that the movie the Birdcage is based off of and both are based on an old French play/movie. George Hamilton was the big name draw for the tour but he was truly the weakest link to the cast. The true star was Christopher Sieber as ‘albin’ the star of the La Cage Aux Folles cabaret show. He is over-the-top, flamboyant, and one of the truest characters in the show. Christopher Sieber truly delivered a powerhouse performance and I loved every minute he was on stage. The big song from the show is “I am what I am” and has been a personal anthem of mine (and millions of other gay guys let’s be honest) and it was wonderful to see it performed live with such passion and meaning.  It brought a tear to my eye and of course to be sitting with my mom during the song who applauded like hell meant a lot to me!

In other news I went to help my parents at their house and ended up adopting their new stray barn cat! She is adorable and sweet as hell. Today I got a clean bill of health from the vet and I finally decided on a name. I will post a picture of Twitter with her new “friend” Twyla in a few days when hopefully, they are able to sit a few feet apart without killing each other.

Today’s Workout:

Treadmill- 2.23 miles and 300 calories

Plato’s Stepchildren

This is one of the most culturally significant episodes of the entire original series but also sadly not one of the greatest episodes produced either.

The Enterprise responds to a medical emergency on a planet that has been thought to be deserted for years. Upon beam down Kirk, McCoy and Spock are introduced the Platotians, a group of people with incredible mental skills and telekinetic abilities. They summoned the Enterprise because their leader has a scratch that has become infected and he is on the verge of death. McCoy cures their leader and is regarded as a hero. The trouble is that when the crew wants to return the Platotions wish for McCoy to stay and won’t release the Enterprise unless he agrees to stay. The Platotions put Kirk and Spock through several embarrassing situations in attempt to guilt McCoy into staying. Through all of this the landing crew meets Alexander, the midget assistant/slave to the Platotions. When they are not getting their way the Platotions beam Uhura and Chapel down to the surface to become pawns in their wicked games. Kirk, McCoy and Spock find away to channel the same powers as the platotions and in the end they get their way and leave with the entire crew intact.

The culturally significance of this episode comes from a very brief scene in which Kirk and Uhura are forced to kiss. Despite being forced they still kiss! This was the first ever network television interracial kiss! YEAH STAR TREK!

The Tholian Web

In reality it is Tuesday but in my world today is a combination of Wednesday and Thursday. It is MEA week, the most sacred of holidays to those of us who are employed in a Minnesota school district. Why is it so sacred you ask? Well here is the answer and it is pretty simple. This is the seventh week of school and we are all tired and need a break!

In other news I am a horrible person and I think I finally figured that out today. You see I was a bit gassy today and was in the middle of a yearbook meeting and had a little gas evacuate my body. Instead of owning up to it an apologizing to those around me I looked around made a dirty face and may have kinda implied it was not me and that it was another student. I didn’t mean to but I also didn’t go out of my way to correct the other’s assumptions. WOW.. am I still that pathetic teenager who thought people would harass and tease me forever if I farted in class? Am I still desperately trying to be one of the cool kids? Are the sales girls at Barney’s right… am I a bad person? (LOL,, will and grace moment)

Also I am sitting here at Panera Bread eating a lovely dinner of soup and a half sandwich and again am by the moms who don’t give a shit what their kids are doing!. Slowly but surely the entire section has cleared out around these two mothers and their kids are running around like little bastards!

Oh and by the way… this workout happened yesterday but I’m writing it today.

The Tholian Web

The Enterprise is investigating the loss of communication with the USS Defiant and they find it to be shifting in and out of this universe. The landing party of McCoy, Spock, Chekov, and Kirk find that something has happened on board and all of the crew is dead. Apparently they have all gone crazy and killed each other. They leave the ship but Kirk is apparently lost in the other universe with the Defiant. At this time the Enterprise starts a search and Chekov goes crazy. He apparently has picked up whatever the crew of the Defiant had. Just before the Defiant is supposed to reappear a representative from the Tholian Alliance shows up and informs the Enterprise of their trespassing into Tholian space. They crew has 1 hour to find Kirk and get out. The hour comes and the Defiant doesn’t show up. It is assumed that Kirk is lost forever and a funeral service is planned. Uhura and other crew members begin reporting seeing Kirk’s ghost. In the end the Enterprise is not trapped by the Tholians and Kirk is returned to our universe. 

For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky

I have just entered into a new relationship and I couldn’t be happier. I am now seeing a brand new White iPhone 4. We are less than 24 hours into the relationship but I see it lasting for a long time. So here is the scoop.. I finally got sick enough of my android phone and the iPhone dropped price so I marched into Verizon and picked up my baby. The straw that broke the camel’s back, as it were, was when even after a new software update my Android continued to freeze and shut down independently. I must say a shout out to the cute Verizon sales rep that helped me as well! I asked if the new iPhone 4s was worth the price and the sales rep’s response was this verbatim… “They repackaged it and put an s behind the 4”. I LOVE honest sales representatives soo much! I also got to hang out with the family this weekend which is always great. I also went out to a restaurant in Minneapolis called the Uptown Cafeteria. Food was just ok but the company was good.

Today’s workout-

Treadmill- 250 calories and 1.9 miles

Weekly weigh-in… 229!!!  This puts me at an official loss of 27 pounds. The goal currently stands to loose another 13 by my birthday to put me down an even 40!

For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky

More like this is the longest damn episode title I have ever heard in my entire life! The more apt title for the episode would be Dr. McCoy finally gets a chance to get it on with an alien hottie.  The Enterprise is under attack and the origin of the attack is gigantic asteroid. The asteroid is quite large and appears to have some type of independent propulsion system. The Enterprise investigates the asteroid and finds the asteroid to be hollow and that it houses a world full of people. Lets back up a second, at the beginning of the episode we also learn that McCoy has a rare disease with no cure and has only one year left to live. Upon beam down McCoy, Kirk, and Spock are taken captive by the people of the planet. The people are controlled by an oracle who punishes and rewards at random. The female leader of the people takes a shine to McCoy and asks him to stay with her as her mate. Thinking he only has a year to live he agrees. Kirk and Spock are allowed to leave but still must divert the asteroid because it is on a collision course with an inhabited planet. In an attempt save both parties Kirk and Spock intervene and in the end the oracle is destroyed, the asteroid is diverted, the people are freed and shocker McCoy is healed. Apparently the oracle contained massive amounts of knowledge including how to cure rare diseases.

Nothing great here by any means but good for McCoy getting it on and going through life and death all at the same time.

Day of the Dove

ON Tuesday I had a skin graft done to cover a tooth and the dentist informed me that I needed to take it easy for a while. I took yesterday and Tuesday off to relax and recoup and just chill out. For someone who hates the dentist this invasive procedure wasn’t too bad at all. I’m not super comfortable at the moment with the “bandage” in my mouth but all will be ok. Today is a stellar though because my iPad came at work! I asked and got one to use during therapy with my students. The problem now I fear is that I will want to purchase one of my own.

Day of the Dove

The Enterprise is called to a distress signal on a distant planet and are in the process of investigating the planet when the Klingons show up. We come to find that the Enterprise and the Klingons were tricked into visiting the planet by a mysterious being. The two crews begin fighting and a war breaks out on the ship, but all of the modern weapons are replaced with swords and knives. Also the entity is keeping the numbers even and the crew alive so that everyone can fight for the rest of eternity. We learn that this entity feeds off of negative energy and wants the fight to continue. In the end the Enterprise crew captures the Klingon captain’s wife and convinces the Klingons to stop fighting. Once the entity leaves all is well and life goes on.

The episode has a very weak plotline really but is still a powerful message against war, violence, and racism. This is quite heavy  stuff for the 1960’s.

Spectre Of The Gun

I have not worked out in a long time it seems, well ok a long time was since last Wednesday. Soo much has gone down since then though that I have not been able to get to the treadmill.  So here we go! Thursday I had a work party which actually turned out to be really really fun! I have worked at the clinic for about a year now and I have never met the women who work in the other branch office so it was fun to put names and faces together. Then on Friday I had to work and get ready for the weekend choir retreat! I got out to Hudson WI and had a great time! I am so excited I am went and now feel like I have a better connection to the group. I may have drunk a bit too much on Saturday but had a blast. The hang over on Sunday was actually worth the good time.. LOL. So Sunday was spent recovering and eating hideously bad McDonald’s breakfast burritos. They are my hangover fix and comfort food, especially when paired with a diet coke. Then I got to hang out with my sister and we laughed and laughed while we watched TV and ate pizza! To top it off I finally cooked a good steak at home… PERFECTION, for a homemade steak that is.

Today’s Workout

310 calories and 2.22miles

Spectre Of The Gun

The Enterprise is on a routine mission to make contact with an alien race. They encounter a buoy and decide to ignore it and forge on ahead to the planet. Once they have landed on the planet they are informed that they will be punished for intruding. They are then magically surrounded by and Old Western town,, specifically Tombstone. It is soon after revealed to be the day of the infamous ‘Gunfight at the OK Corral”. Now how do a bunch of Starfleet officers know about a gunfight that happened like 4 hundred years before… just a little Ridiculous. Well as things begin to unravel and the 5PM gunfight looms ever closer. Chekov dies in a freak accident and the mourning is short as the crew tries to save itself. McCoy and Spock devise a plan to tranquilize the Erpps but it doesn’t work. The gunfight is about to happen when Spock figures out that the entire thing has been in their heads. Spock does a mind meld to tell them to ignore the bullets because they are fake. No one dies and the Enterprise is invited to begin negotiations with the aliens.

Who Run The World.. PAUL! (A Glee Wednesday)

So today was awesome until about 3:30. I was tired and just wanted to go home but had to go to my second job. I do not hate my second job by any means let me just say that! I was simply tired and just wanted to go home and not deal with staying in professional mode for another 3 hours. After work though I got to go to my favorite pizza place with my sister! If you live in Minnesota take the time to go to Pompeii Pizza in Elk River! It is AH-MAAAH-ZING! Got home in time to catch my new favorite TV show Happy Endings and then caught my GLEE!

I was told by a friend it was a good episode but the music wouldn’t cause me to want to dance and fall off my treadmill… LAURA YOU WERE SO WRONG! Nearly fell off the damn thing during two songs but so worth it! Overall it was a pretty good episode of Glee though I do worry that the show is becoming a little bit of a Dawson’s Creek meets FAME meets High School Musical show but I still love it! The only part that could have maybe be done differently or just left out was the Dreamgirls sequence where Mercedes played Effie White the legendary character originated by Jennifer Holliday. I know it fits the show to use the characters already there but seeing white kids playing the roles of such great black characters was a little sad to see BUT….

It gives me hope that one day I will be able to play a part in the first ever “All White Production of Dreamgirls”…. LOL  Too bad all of the good parts are for women!

PS- Loving the Kurt/Blaine Story and loving that I get to see more of the other characters who have not been given time before now! I am also starting to wonder if any of my "Ginger" friends are racist against me for having brown hair? Well let me just put it this way to my friends... You know who you are and you know I'm on to you so LOOK OUT!

Today’s Workout:

Treadmill- 319 calories and 2.19 miles

Is There In Truth No Beauty?

So nothing interesting really happened today. The only thing remotely interesting was when a 6 year old client called me stupid and slapped my face.. YEAH what a self-esteem booster that was.. hahaha.

To all of my dorky Star Trek friends check out the site “Memory Alpha” a web based Star Trek fan Wiki. Here is the link

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Portal:Main

Today’s Workout:

Treadmill- 315calories and 2.35miles

Is There In Truth No Beauty?

The Enterprise has been selected to transport a Medusan ambassador to an important starbase or convention or conference or something along those lines. The Medusans are a people who are intelligent, peaceful, kind, and beyond all of that.. UGLY. Apparently they are ugly to the point that it drives humans insane if they look at them. The incredible thing is that the Ambassador’s assistant and guide is a human female with incredible telepathic powers. Her powers are apparently so great that she was allowed to train on Vulcan, one of the first humans allowed to do so. At a dinner Dr. Miranda Jones has a vision of murder but can’t tell who is thinking of the evil deed. Later she finds it to be the Federation engineer who has accompanied her. He is apparently in love with her and jealous of her relationship with the alien ambassador. He goes to murder the ambassador and sees him and goes crazy! In his madness he sets the Enterprise in a course out of the galaxy and they are lost. It is now that we learn that the Medusans are fantastic navigators. The decision has been made to have Spock mind meld with the Medusan to navigate back to the known galaxy. Dr. Jones refuses to let it happen but it is revealed that she is actually blind and wouldn’t be able to navigate the ship. She sees through a system of sensors she wears over her dress. The drama continues though… After he returns the Enterprise to the regular system Spock goes to break the link with the ambassador and forgets to put on his awesome space glasses to prevent madness. Spock goes mad and it is up to Dr. Jones to probe his mind and fix the madness.  Nothing is happening until Kirk decides to give Dr. Jones the “What for” as he believes she allowed Spock to be wounded because of her jealousy. This of course is the truth and all is set well as she departs with the Medusan ambassador and Spock returns to duty.

The episode is interesting and has a lot to say about our prejudices regarding appearances and our jealousies that remain even if we don’t want them to. The episode also marks the second appearance of Diana Muldaur in the original series.

And The Children Shall Lead

What a weekend! I missed my workout yesterday because it was simply too busy to fit it into the schedule. On Saturday I went to an apple orchard with my parents and sister. It was the same one I remember going to every year with my parents as a kid, so it was a bit like walking down memory lane. Now I don’t know about you and maybe I’m too much of a rigid rule bound thinker but to me if you are in an apple orchard it is not ok to pick an apple off a tree and eat it without paying for said apple? Am I right or am I being too uptight??? After the apple orchard we went out to eat and got Thai food.. YUM and then did a few chores at my sisters and hung out. I then got the chance to introduce my sister to all of my crazy theatre friends and I think she had a blast and I know I did! A crazy night and I ended up staying out until four in the morning. Since yesterday was all about having fun today sadly had to be all about work and work I did. Laundry, Cleaning and Lesson Planning!

Today’s Workout:

300 calories and 2.40miles on the treadmill

And The Children Shall Lead

The Enterprise is sent to investigate a distress signal on a distant science outpost. Upon arrival the scientists are all found to be dead with only the five children remaining on the surface. The children do not seem fazed by what has happened to their parents and quite honestly they seem happy and joyful. The children are brought up to the Enterprise and the crew begins to notice unusual things about the children’s behavior but no one can seem to put a their finger on what is happening. We find out that the children are under the influence of a strange alien power that has traveled with them to the Enterprise. The alien wants to take control of a planet where he can rule and have total power and is using the children to do his dirty work. The children slowly start taking control of the minds of the crewmen by using fear and mind control. This is signified by the child doing a Jersey Shore-esque ‘Fist Pound’ four times. The crew are all zombies with the exception of Kirk and Spock who must release the children from the alien’s control. They accomplish this by showing the kids pictures of their parents and making them cry… a lot!

An interesting episode for the most part. The kids are annoying and bratty but they serve their purpose and are a little "Children of the Corn".  The story tells an interesting tale of how the powerful will try to corrupt the innocent to get what it wants.