Happy Holidays!

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Solstice, Festivus, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and/or Boxing Day, we hope you have, or have had, a wonderful holiday season. We'll see you guys in the new year!

Gift Exchange

Howdy Nerds!

Today is my Sci-fi Annual Christmas Party, and we do some similar to the chinese Gift Exchange but we called it " Ferengi Gift Exchange" 

Here are some the of the rules of the event. 

1.     “What if I don’t want to participate, for whatever reason and you can’t make me ‘cause you aren’t the boss of me!”  If you do not wish to participate, there is no pressure there.  You are free to talk amongst yourselves or heckle those as they wrestle one another for gifts.

2.     The value of the gift you bring should be between $15 to $20, and should be something someone would actually enjoy receiving.  This is NOT a White Elephant event.  Please make sure it is something everyone would appreciate.

3.     That being said, please remember we have young ones so nothing that would cause them to seek therapy for years to come.( This an be removed if you want to be adult only) 

4.     Bring your gift wrapped or in a gift bag. Got to person in charged and he/she will give you a number to participate.

5.     As Amy Pond once said “Here’s where it gets complicated…”

Once the gift exchange starts, we will draw numbers from a hat.  The person with the first number drawn goes up and may choose any gift on the table that they want.  You must open it at that time for all to see.  If you really like it, you may elect to pay $1 to INSURE the gift against theft by the others.  If you are hoping for a possible trade later on, please be seated.

The next person whose number is drawn has the option to either select from the unopened gifts or if they really like your gift, and it has not been insured, they may steal it from you.

The person who has their gift stolen may then either choose from the unopened gifts or steal someone else’s gift.  *A gift may only be stolen *TWICE**.

This process will continue until all the gifts have been opened and finally claimed

Now the money we earn from "insurance" goes to out Adopted Family. But you can choose what to do the money,give it to a Charity, make a prize for a gift, keep it.. 

Let's us know your Christmas Party games and present swamping.

Stay Geeky

~ TXTrekkieGurl 

Community and Giving

CWHL Twitch stream schedule (times are CST)

 
As I've mentioned in various other posts before, I'm a pretty big fan of Rooster Teeth (I'm 03K64Firefly on the RT site - big shock there, right?). They put out a lot of great content, from the Halo Machinima Red vs. Blue to the RWBY anime to the motion picture Lazer Team. However, one of the truly great things they do each year is the Extra Life 24 hour stream to benefit Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, and this has caused a ripple effect throughout the RT community.

Many of the RT community members hold their own 24-hour charity streams to raise money, and there's currently one happening today. As of 9am CST this morning, my lovely friend Audrey and a few others began their stream benefiting Children With Hair Loss, Inc. and it goes until 9am CST tomorrow morning. Their main goal is $500, but I'd like to see them surpass that; head over to the Twitch stream to see what shenanigans they're up to, plus they have really neat things to give away, and it's all for the kids!

CWHL is a non-profit organization that provides human hair replacement and hair care packages to children with varying conditions, including cancer and Alopecia among others, with the goal of being able to provide their services to families that are financially challenged.

Geeky Gifts 2015

With Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, and various other holidays coming up next month, it's time to delve into the fanatical, frenzied, and chaotic world of gifts. I work in retail; trust me, I understand why you just let out that guttural, and possibly feral, groan (or scream). Shopping during December for anything can be a major headache - and working it isn't exactly a picnic, either.

So here are some ideas to get you jump-started:

1. ThinkGeek - ThinkGeek has a little bit of something for everyone, from kids to tactical gear aficionados to gamers to science buffs (in fact, my order just arrived this past Wednesday of a few gifts I've already purchased from TG - I'm a huge fan of getting gift shopping done and out of the way).
2. Quantum Mechanix - Quantum Mechanix, or QMx, hosts various amazing items. From Firefly/Serenity to Star Trek to Star Wars to Battlestar Galactica (and quite a few other themes in between), they're likely to have something the geek in your life will adore.
3. Entertainment Earth - Entertainment Earth is easily one of the largest online retailers for all things geek, nerd, and pop culture.
4. Rooster Teeth - Rooster Teeth, the Austin, TX-based company behind the Halo-themed Machinima Red vs. Blue, the RWBY anime, and the feature film Lazer Team (in US theaters January 27, 2016), has a US/International store, a UK store, and an Australia/New Zealand store full of awesome things.
5. T-shirts - all of the above have t-shirts, but if you're looking for something a little more original, any of these various sites could be what you're looking for: TeeFury, teeVillain, Cosmic City, Once Upon a Tee, TeeTurtle, Devotees, Big Damn Browncoats, TeeMinus24, Qwertee, The Yetee, Shirtoid - NOTE: some of these are 24 hour sites, meaning the designs are only available to purchase for 24 hours. It is a good idea to always make note of the artist and see if they have their own site with the design available for purchase, just in case.
6. Trinkets and Baubles - If you're still not quite finding that perfect thing, or if you're looking for something with a more personal touch, Etsy might just be the way to go. Etsy is full of treasures, and when you really start digging to find what you're looking for, chances are you're likely to find it.

Test your knowledge

Howdy,

Have you always told your friends you know more about a certain series or movies then them? Well, I have the website for you.

Sporcle.com is a website with quizzes. Some are easy and some are super hard. Just type in anything from Sci-Fi to History and there will different quizzes and games to play. Its a great time killer, too, and makes you really think. I've done most of the Star Trek ones, but I always have a brain fart. You should try it out!

Let us know how you did - Tweet us, Facebook us, Heck! even Email us!

Stay Geeky!
~ TTG

Nous sommes Paris - We are Paris

Pour commencer, je voudrais présenter mes excuses. Je ne suis pas couramment le français, donc je suis en utilisant l'aide d'un traducteur; si cela ne fait pas de sens à certains points - qui est pourquoi.

Les pensées et les prières de TXTrekkieGurl sincères et moi-même vont vers le peuple de Paris en ce moment. Nous ne cherchons pas à faire une prise de position politique ou une déclaration avec ce post, mais voulons simplement exprimer notre solidarité avec nos frères et sœurs à travers l'étang pendant ce temps de la tragédie et de la perte.

_______________

 To begin, I would like to apologize. I am not fluent in French, so I am using the aid of a translator; if this doesn't quite make sense at some points - that is why.

The heartfelt thoughts and prayers of TXTrekkieGurl and myself go out to the people of Paris at this time. We do not seek to make a political stance or statement with this post, but merely wish to express solidarity with our brothers and sisters across the pond during this time of tragedy and loss.

  

If you'd like and are able to assist further, visit the IFRC page to donate and/or gather more information on how you can help.

Extra Life

Today I am doing a charity event call Extra Life, where you game for 24hrs to raise money for Cook's Children's Hospital.

I will most likely be playing board games and maybe a few video games via Laptop.


To donated 

Watch us live 

Enjoy your saturday,

~Stay Geeky
TTG

Happy Halloween!

When you see it...

Ice, Ice Cake-y

First, let me begin with an apology for two weeks ago. I COMPLETELY forgot to post anything and by the time I realized it, it was better to just let it go and apologize the next time (this time). At the time I was beginning a new position at work and I got all wrapped up in learning all this new stuff - I literally had one day of training, and everything else so far has been jumping in head first.

Oh, by the way, my new job is what I'm writing about this week: I'm now a cake decorator.

Now before you get excited and think, "Way cool! You get to make whatever you want, right?", the answer to that is no, not exactly. I don't work in an independent bakery, I work in a bakery within a retail store. We have certain things we have to make or keep on standby to keep the case filled, but we are encouraged to practice and experiment if we happen to have a little time.

But then there's customer orders, and that's really what can make or break you. I'm sure a good majority of you have ordered a cake a one time or another, so you understand what I mean when I talk about the designs in a book. We have some things that are generic designs which can be tweaked and changed however the customer would like it to look, and we have licensed designs - these color schemes are 100% not interchangeable; we can deviate slightly on the placement of any kits (the little toys that come on these cakes) to account for any writing, but that's it.

And sometimes customers will have you write awesome things on their cakes, such as:

Luke, this cake is from your father.

Most of the time though they just want Happy Birthday [person they're buying the cake for] or Congratulations.

One thing I've learned quickly: whipped icing is great for icing a cake and getting it smooth, but it's horrible for details and writing. It's too soft and once it warms up enough it gets even softer and starts to run a little. On the other hand, buttercream can be a pain to get smooth, but it's stiff enough to create whatever you want to put on a cake (I'm still learning roses, but I'll get there - eventually).


Today (Friday, by the time you guys read this it'll be Saturday) I got to make a Sesame Street cake for a little girl turning one, and with one-year cakes they get a free smash cake - a smash cake, for those who may not know, is a separate small cake decorated to match the main cake just for the child to rip into all by themselves so everyone else can still enjoy a slobber-less cake.

I'm two weeks in, but so far this job has been really fun, and I work with some of the coolest and most helpful people. It's a lot different from making and decorating cakes at home, which I do on occasion, but until starting in the bakery I only ever really worked with fondant to get a smooth finish on a cake. I can definitely take the skills I'm picking up at work and apply them to my free time.

Pumpkin Spice cake cookies

Hello Geeks!

Its fall! So you know what that means! Pumpkin Spice time!

I decide to share a special recipe for Pumpkin Spice cake cookies. Don't worried it is an easy recipe!


Here is what you will need

• Spice cake mix 
• Can of Pumpkin 
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon for siring
• Ice Cream scoop/Table spoon
• Cookie  Sheey
• Nonstick Spray

 1. Preheat oven to 350

 2. Mix the can of pumpkin an spice mix together.

3. Once mixed, (you will still have some spice cake mix left over its okay) Scoop the mixture on to a greased cookie sheet

 4. Put in oven baked for 10-15 mins.

5.  Baked until the center isn't googy anymore.  remove an let cool on some paper towels.

 VOILA! You go  really yummy Pumpkin Spice Cake cookies.

Enjoy! Please tweet us if you decide to make these.

Stay  Shiny
~TTG

Tribbles in the Telescope

In early August, it was announced that actress Nichelle Nichols would be joining NASA's SOFIA crew, and earlier this week she did - and brought some friends along for the ride.

During the 10-hour overnight observation flight the crew were able to view Beta Umi, which aided in system calibrations, star forming regions W31, W49A, and W51, and they also got a nice visual treat through the windows.

 

Nichelle and the rest of the SOFIA crew also live-tweeted the event using the hashtag #askNASA747  to answer questions from curious fans and friends. Qapla'!

STLV part 2

Greetings all,

In part one of my Vegas coverage I explained what STLV is and why people come to it every year. This week I'd like to share a few stories from the convention. I have so many stories from this year so will only tell a few high lights.

This year was the 20th anniversary of Voyager and the biggest panel of the weekend was the Voyager cast panel. Every main cast member was there except for Jennifer Lien (Kes). The cast reflected on their time on the set during the 7 season run and shared a bunch of personal stories. They talked about what their favorite episodes were and every time someone would bring one up, Ethan Phillips would take credit for either writing or directing that episode including other series. Robert McNeil would tell him "Ethan you didn't direct (or write) that episode" and everyone would get a laugh. That was one of the funniest things about that panel as to how they kept encouraging Ethan Phillips to do that with someone telling him he didn't. Kate Mulgrew stood up and thanked every single cast member for being on the show and said it would not have been a success without them. The panel was only supposed to last for about an hour, but Creation let them go an additional 20 minutes or so. It was a once and a lifetime deal to see everyone together like that.

Then there was the TNG panel with Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spinner and Levar Burton. I didn't catch the entire panel due to a Photo Op, so came in to it about half way through. Sir Patrick Stewart had been on stage earlier in the day and was signing autographs while this panel was going on. They picked on him due to the high cost of the autograph saying you could get married by one of them, get an autograph and photo op cheaper than the cost of a Sir Patrick Stewart autograph. They proceeded to tell details on how this would work in the theatre as well lol.

Every night after the convention I'd go get a drink and hangout with everyone at the Masquerade bar. There were so many people down there at times you could barely walk through. On Friday night I ran into Elijah and Cookie Cupcakes from Priority One podcast. I was wearing a t-shirt that Elijah had given me the day before and was helping to advertise for them a bit, as that was part of the deal for getting the shirt. Elijah goes "I love this guy" as he had on the same shirt with a STO uniform top on top of it. Next thing I know, I was surrounded by a few of the STO developers as well as a former community manager Brandon Feltzcer and a bunch of fleet admirals. It was very cool to hear everyone talking about the game and what they thought of the big announcement earlier that day. Everyone talked for about an hour and a half or so before starting to turn in for what they had going the next day.

One of my favorite things about this convention is seeing friends that you only get to see once a year and getting caught up. I have a friend from the UK that tries to make it every year and we always swap Trek jokes. I got to meet two online friends in real life and met them for drinks one night. They live locally in Vegas and were volunteering at Robert Picardo's table helping him with an auction he was running. I also met up with the Trek radio staff that were covering the convention and volunteered to help them get pictures from the panels to Facebook Photo shoots. 

Before I beam out, I'd like to thank DalekChick and CaptShinypants for letting me be a special guest and hope to be back in the future with other blogs and / or coverage from other conventions.

Live Long and Prosper,

-Admrl Suval

Book Pile - Update 2.0

This has been a not-so-great week for me, guys. I've been home from work all week with a pulled muscle in the right side of my chest, and being that I work in retail in the stock room constantly lifting boxes, my body chose not to cooperate with my job, so I opted to take a few days off and rest and not do much of anything. However, by the time this posts I will be an hour away from getting off work for the day, so hopefully my first day back after an unwanted "staycation" won't be horribly painful.

In the meantime, I discovered it's been nearly a year since I last made an update on Book Mountain, and upon finishing one book and subsequently starting another, I figured it's a good time to do so.

I just finished with The Inferno by Dante Alighieri and began Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Books before those:

Wicked, Son of a Witch,  A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz - Gregory Maguire
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (five novels and one story) - Douglas Adams
The Servants of Twilight, Darkfall, and Phantoms (three-in-one) - Dean Koontz

Still in the pile:

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
 The Time Machine/The Island of Dr. Moreau/The Invisible Man/The War of the Worlds/The First Men in the Moon/The Food of the Gods/In the Days of the Comet - H.G. Wells
Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne
Aesop's Fables
The Winter's Tale - William Shakespeare
Classic Fairy Tales - Hans Christian Anderson
Great Tales of Horror - H.P. Lovecraft
Complete Tales and Poems - Edgar Allen Poe
Joss Whedon: The Biography - Amy Pascale
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride - Cary Elwes


So I've slowed a bit in adding books to the pile, but that's how life goes when you have to be a responsible adult and pay bills and buy food instead of feeding your indulgences. However, my birthday and Christmas are coming up in a few months, so when asked for gift ideas I can always rattle off a few book titles - and while I do enjoy a crisp new book, there's absolutely nothing wrong with buying second-hand as long as no pages are missing and it's readable.

You folks keep your E-readers, I'll stick with my tangible books and novels.

Guest Blogger

Hello my Fellow Geeks! Today blog, Is a special guest blogger. My friend Admrl Suval  has written about Star Trek Las Vegas. Enjoy! 

STLV 2015

I recently attended the largest gathering of trekkies at a convention held in Las Vegas, NV the beginning of August. This con is always a lot of fun and is a four day long party that never stops while the convention runs. This blog will explain what STLV is and why people attend every year. I’ll share some stories and experiences from this year’s con in a future blog.

What is STLV?

Star Trek Last Vegas (STLV) is the largest Trek convention in the world spread across at least 4 days with over 100 guests. The guest list contains not only actors from the shows / movies, but makeup artists, writers, and sometimes those that worked in the background such as Dr. Trek himself Larry Nemecek. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Nemecek in the vendor's hall and speak with him for a few minutes. He was kind enough to sign a TNG companion I brought along for reference (in case of trivia nights.

There are not only official events that go on during the day (such as Panels, Official photo shoots, autographs, etc.) but many Facebook groups get together to do Photo Ops in various locations throughout the convention hall. Many groups setup events outside of convention hours. One such event was celebrating an anniversary for two con goers that got married during the 2014 convention.

Creation Entertainment (the company that runs STLV) sets up so many great places to get Photos taken such as the ones below:

The convention hall is laid out in 4 major parts, the main theater, secondary theater, Photo Ops room, and a huge Vendors hall.

·         The main and secondary theaters are where you will see many of the guests and panels that are being presented.

·         The Photo Ops room is where Photo Ops are taken with the guest and also where you will pick up those Photos once ready.

·         The Vendors hall is where all the vendors are located and there are a wide variety of booths ranging from actual vendors to guests that get a table for the weekend to meet fans and sign autographs for a nominal fee.

·         Photo Ops locations throughout the convention hall

Over 5000 regulars attend this convention every year and it keeps growing. There are as many as 20- 30,000 attendees throughout the weekend. Many regulars return each year not only to see the many panels but to catch up with each other. Some only see each other once a year at STLV. The STLV crowd is like one big family and is one of the safest places you can ever be. A good example is I left a bag at my spot in the main theater to go get a drink of water in the back of the massive room. I was gone for a little bit as I ran into a con friend I hadn't seen yet and we talked for a little bit (no panel or actor was on stage at this point). I was probably gone about 20 minutes or so. When I got back to my seat my bag had not been touched, and I thanked my seat mate for watching my bag. There are many stories like this. You may even run into some of the guest walking about in the hallways. Most are willing to stop and talk with you for a few minutes. It’s rare that a guest won’t speak to you or at least say Hello in passing by.

Why do people come from all around the world?

STLV is an experience in itself and every trekkie should go at least once. For me personally I go every year to see friends and those that have become family over the years. This year was my 13th trip and I plan to go as long as STLV is held. To further explain why people go to the convention (and honestly explain it better than I can) see this video

Michael Nguyen put that together during the 2014convention.

In my next blog, I’ll talk about my experiences this year and share a few stories from STLV. Until then Live Long and Prosper.

Thanks ,

Admrl Suval 

Song Dedication

via Ernie Halter fan page on Facebook

 
Have you ever wanted to write a song for the love of your life, or for your arch nemesis, or even for your best friend in the whole wide world, but find it hard to put into words just how much you love/despise/enjoy that person? Never fear! Ernie Halter is helping people make it happen.

Thursday evening I logged into my Twitter account and noticed I had some new followers. While I do not insta-follow every single person who follows me, I do return-follow the people I find interesting - lucky person of the evening was Mr. Ernie Halter. I must admit I'd never heard of him before the other night, but I noticed he had a little blue verified check on his profile, so I did my usual checking to see what that was about and discovered he had a website and that his biography said he was a musician.

Now, for every musical artist or group that has followed me, I do really go listen to some of your stuff. If it just doesn't catch my interest, then I don't return the follow. I don't believe in following any account "just because"; all of the people I follow interest me in one way or another, whether I admire their talents or I like what they have to say or if we're really good friends. Asking/begging me to follow you definitely results in not being followed also. Same for people who decide to unfollow after I follow - that's just greedy and shady. Just being straightforward there, but I digress.

So, I visited his website and gave him a listen, and I liked what I heard. Then I began clicking around and reading various little tidbits and facts as I listened and discovered the coolest thing: he will collaborate with you [for a fee] to write a custom song for someone, anyone of your choosing. He will work with you to get everything just right, from the genre and the lyrics to the feeling and the sound. You can even choose an option that offers your own private performance of the song, though the fee listed is for a certain distance from his home, and anything further than that will obviously cost more for travel expenses.

He also has a 52 Songs Club - 52 songs in 52 weeks.

I highly suggest you go check out his site: erniehalter.com 
Like his page: Ernie Halter on Facebook
Follow his profile: Ernie Halter on Twitter 

Level 9 Tour

Howdy Folks,


I went to NASA Space Center Houston. We did a level  9 VIP  tour, That was  the most amazing thing ever!  Its about $90 but it worth ever penny. You get a cool looking badge that says VIP all access pass.  We got on a nice cool van and went to the see the  Saturn V rocket. It was blasting out so we did a quick tour of that and went to go get lunch. We ate lunch where the astronauts and staff eat in NASA, it was whatever you want to get you can! After lunch we took the van off campus to the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory , It a giant pool that they practice being weightless. After that we went to see the new and old Mission controls, that was amazing. We went to get really old Mission control where most the Gemini and Apollo Missions where.  After that we went  and got to climb up into an  cockpit  where they do simulations. We finished up at the training center, where the space station is set up. Usually if you do the tram tour you you just walk the cat walk, but since did the VIP tour we went down to the ground and got to see things up close, like the robotics area  and the Orion.

In all it was the most amazing 4-5 hours tour you could do! I learn so much stuff, that  I need to go back again so I can process more! You guys really should go ! Here are a few photos from the tour.

Stay Geeky 

TTG 

Uhura's New Away Mission

Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls (2010)

On September 17, 2015 actress Nichelle Nichols, best known for her role as Lt. Uhura on "Star Trek: The Original Series", will be joining the crew of the SOFIA aircraft. SOFIA, or Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a modified Boeing 747 outfitted with a 100-inch telescope used to look at the universe during the flight and is meant to complement the Hubble Space Telescope and other orbital telescopes.

SOFIA

Nichols, 82, suffered a mild stroke in June and has made a resilient recovery over the past couple of months and is looking forward to the coming mission. She has been an active advocate for NASA, serving as an astronaut recruit in the 1970s and 1980s to encourage women and minorities to join the space program, and participated in a similar flight in 1977 on the first airborne observatory, the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) - a modified Lockheed C-141 Starlifter - which began operation in 1974.

KAO

Nichols intends to use StarPower, a site that enables celebrities to raise money for charities, to live share the event.

Opps

Hello Geeks!


So I did it again, I forgot to write something. I really should get back into the groove. I went a con last weekend, and in the process of writing about it but well  I ran out time. I will have ready to go when my turn comes around again!

Here are some of the photos that happen that weekend,

Wasting Time

John Lennon once said, "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Simply put, as long as you're doing something you enjoy, no matter how small and minuscule it may seem, it's worth it.

We've all been there: you don't have a lot of time to work with to start something ambitious, but you don't want to squander it either. Here are some of my favorite little time-wasters:

• Agar.io - in Agari.io you play as a tiny little cell. The object is to eat the little spots to grow bigger and, eventually, eat other cells smaller than you without getting yourself eaten instead. However, beware the spiky green viruses! If you're bigger that one and you drift across it, you'll be split into multiple smaller cells. Other cells can also shoot part of their mass through them to "infect" you and cause the same effect.
• QWOP - in QWOP you play as a marathon runner. Using the Q, W, O, and P buttons you must attempt to advance your runner as far as you can without tripping and falling.
• Finger Sketch Paint - this works with a mouse/track-pad or a touchscreen. You can doodle to your heart's content. Colors and styles are interchangeable; select the Eraser option or refresh the page for a clean slate.
• Software Library: MS-DOS Games - The Oregon Trail, Pac-Man, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and various other titles appeal to the gamers of decades past.
• Silk - Silk is a click-and-drag art generator. Colors are interchangeable and can be blended, and symmetry and mirroring can be adjusted.
• Find the Invisible Cow - This one is exactly what it sounds like. Audio needs to be on to hear the clues, and the longer you play, the more animals you unlock.

And my all-time favorite time-waster: StumbleUpon. StumbleUpon is a site that lets you "stumble" through various web pages based on your interest settings. You give thumbs-up to the ones you like and want to visit again later and thumbs-down to the ones you're not too keen on. Caution: stumbling can be a MAJOR time-waster and is recommended for when you have quite a bit of spare time, or if you're looking for interesting ideas (e.g. crafts, technology, writing, etc.).

SPACE CITY COMIC CON

Hello Geeks!


Just one week away until Space City Comic Con! 

I have already started packing my bag, so I thought I share you my process for this con.

I have my "everyday clothes"  packed, this week I will be  getting all my pieces for my cosplay set. I have a new Voyager uniform  getting made. I will also be  bring my Dalek. And  I will bring both my Holodeck and my stuck in the Transporter cosplay.  Next I will make sure I have my Repair kit all set . I need to make sure I have my Photo protectors and all my tickets set.


At this I am so stoke as I will be getting to see  and meet just about all the Voyager cast. Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Manu Intiyrami, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo,
I have a cast photo op ( that the most I ever spent for anything Con related!) I also bought my Ticket for the Q and A session for Voyager. I am so stoked!!  If you can tell!


This after the con, I will doing a Behind the scene tour of NASA!  I've had friend who done this tour and they told it is amazing! So looked out for photos. I will be live tweeting the whole weekend and Snapchat hopefully!

'Con Man' trailer arrives - and it's even better than any of us dared to hope!

PAST:

All through the month of March Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion, and PJ Haarsma campaigned all across social media for a new project: 'Con Man'. The goal: to make a webseries depicting a comedic version of what life is like on the other side of the table for actors at conventions for a mere $425,000.

The reality: with the aid of 46,000 generous fans (myself included), 'Con Man' raised a whopping $3,156,179 through their Indiegogo campaign. They've spent the entire month of June filming the series, with anyone donating $15 or more gaining exclusive access to the behind-the-scenes Hang w/ sessions.

PRESENT:

San Diego Comic-Con, renown for its large crowds and even larger media announcements, kicked off on Thursday, July 9th. The 'Con Man' crew were there in Hall H with a huge little gift: the official trailer for the series.

Con Man - Trailer from Con Man Web Series on Vimeo.

FUTURE:

'Con Man' is set to premier on Vimeo in September 2015 with a slew of cameos, including some of Alan and Nathan's former 'Firefly' cast mates as well as PJ's daughter Skylar. This is definitely one show you won't want to miss.

Happy Independence day

Happy Fourth July ! For my Fellow Americans! 

Where's Dayton?

I've been SO busy getting ready for this weekend that I almost forgot to write! Almost.

Earlier this month my friend Dayton Ward issued a challenge: take one of his books with you this summer, take a fun/silly/interesting picture of it, then tag him on social media or email your picture directly to him.

So I decided I'm going to try to do this all weekend. First #WheresDayton of the weekend from yesterday:

Equinox #1 and Paths of Disharmony - crossover maybe? Maybe? No? Ok.

Mr. Trekland himself, Larry Nemecek, is here as well as the fine folks from Starbase Studios. I may even see if I get author Selina Rosen in on the shenanigans.

Shenanigans, I say!

So if you own or are planning to read one of Dayton's creations, be sure to document it and let him know. There will ultimately be a poll and the winner is said to get a prize.

Another busy week

Howdy my geeks! 

It's been another crazy week for me, no cons just work been busy.  I don't have any idea on what I want to post to you guys this week.  

I saw Disney Pixar  new movie Inside Out, that is a very cute and funny movie. As adult now I catch on to the adult humor in these movies met for adults but still good for kids. 

My next con and final one until October will be the Space City Comic Con! I can not wait 7 of the 9 main Star Trek :Voyager cast will be there. This is my favorite series ! I finally get to me Kate Mulgrew and Robet Beltran! If you can't tell u am super excited! Please hit me up on Twitter if you are going to space city! I would love to met you! 

Stay Geeky 

TTG 

The other side of the table

I've only been attending various conventions since 2010 - even then, almost all local - but in a couple of weeks I'll be at my first convention on the other side of the table.

June 26-28 I'll be at SoonerCon in Midwest City, OK with Equinox Comics. I help with updating the various social media sites as well as the main website for EC, and plan to eventually learn more about public relations and helping with that as we grow. Baby steps, baby steps.

While I've been told I don't have to necessarily stay at the table the entire time, I do feel it's important to gain an understanding of what it's like to be on the other side of the table, to meet and talk to readers and fans so I can do more of what I've been doing, only better. This is a fun and exciting opportunity, and if nine years ago when I graduated from high school someone had told me I'd be doing this, I might've laughed.

The reality of me is that I'm a fairly introverted person. It's really only been within the past three years that I've really started to come out of my shell more, and talking to new people has become relatively easy, given my day job in retail/customer service; being able to relay information to customers really has been helpful with this, even if at times it can be exhausting or trying on the nerves. However, I still spend a good chunk of my time home playing video games or reading or some other creative something. I'm much more of a homebody.

So if you happen to be in the area, or need something to do that weekend, come on out and swing by the Equinox Comics table. Even if I don't happen to be at the table if you do stop by, you'll still be greeted with friendly smiles and handshakes from the guys.

An other busy weekend

Hey  guys,

 I am at yet another Con this weekend is Akon, it’s an anime convention but I just go for the costumes. 

 Sadly, this hotel  doesn’t have free wifi  so, I can’t type much  sorry I was going to tell you all about Dallas Comic Con but I am using Hotspot  to post this real fast. Check out my Twitter  for updates! @TxTrekkie_gurl

Stay Geeky

TTG

Dallas Comic Con 2015

By the time you all read this, day two of DCC will be just a few hours away from ending, but it is presently 11pm on Wednesday night and I've done a little test-run of my two main cosplays (there will be a third cosplay for the after-con Shindig Saturday night ♦), so keep in mind the ultimate end result will likely look better than these:

Female Wash from Firefly

Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's

BUT WAIT: THERE'S MORE!

Sunday, while it is the last day of DCC, I will be heading out to the Gexa Energy Pavillion to catch Rob Zombie, Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, Breaking Benjamin, In This Moment, and We Are Harlot.

So, for those keeping score at home, that's one super fun convention and one bad-ass concert, all in one weekend.

Preo time

Hello Geekester!


Next weekend with  DCC or the "Proper" Term  Fan Expo present by Dallas Comic Con. Captshinypants and I will both attending! As I prepare for this con I figured I'll let you see my process a little bit with some bullet points of things I do the week before a con.

• Transportation -  Shiny and her husband will be driving, my friends and I will be taking what call the Dart ( Dallas area rapid Transport) basically a Lightrail. 
• What Cosplays to do- this depends on who going to be there . For me Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk  , Billi Piper, Karen Gillian, and just announce Matt Smith! are a few I am excited about, So It a toss up between my  K-9 or Dalek, Kaylee, my new Dr Horrible (  if the  person making it finishes it on time) , and my Voyager uniform. Still  trying to figure out the 3 I want to wear. 
• Prepare for my con bag.
• Decide on how much money you are will to spend. Always use cash, every vendor takes cash and you can control your money then a card. 
• If its a Con that's requires a hotel room,  start packing your bag now. 
• Once the schedule out, start planning out the panels and Q and A's you want to go see. Figure out which Q and A is more important to you. Like right now Jeri Ryan  Panel is the same time as  Nathan Fillion and Aln Tudyk's is. ( still figuring this one out)

These are just many of the thoughts and things I do before Con, Theses next 2 weeks will be crazy, as the next con will be Akon and that is the weekend right after DCC.

Stay Geeky! 

TTG 

Should have slept in

With Mother's Day last weekend and craziness at work all week, I haven't had a chance to sit down and actually plan out what I want to write about, so I'm falling back on the old reliable writing prompts, and I've chosen the very appropriate #255 - considering it's currently 6am on a Saturday before I go in to work: Come up with 12 good reasons to sleep in (I only have time to do 9 though).

1. I stabbed my finger with the spindle of a spinning wheel. It hurts and I'm bleeding, but sleep sounds really good right now.
2. I ate an apple that tasted funny from some lady I don't even know. I should've listened to my little friends about "stranger danger".
3. Earth is being demolished. I really miss the dolphins, but I may as well enjoy some sleep.
4. I'm frozen in a block of carbonite, may as well catch up on some missed z's.
5. I woke up a random person I found while exploring and now he wants to kill me. I should have slept in and let him Khantinue sleeping, too.
6. I passed out in the 40's and woke up in the 2010's. Definitely should have slept in.
7. She burned all of the food, the shade, and the rum. Worst. Day. Ever. I want to go back to bed.
8. Exterminate! Exterminate! You can sleep forever once we exterminate!
9. If I had just slept in, my sister wouldn't have frozen the entire city and my "boyfriend" wouldn't have tried to kill us.

What to do

Hello ,

So I forgot to write a post last Saturday, and I am sitting here trying to think about what yo write about and I have drawn a blank.  A lot of things have come up all sudden like always lol.
So what 1 want to ask ya'll Dallas Comic Con is coming up fast end of May, What should CaptShinypants and I do?  Tweet us! Email us! Come find us at the Con if you wanted!


~TTG

Auditioning for the role of

In case you all weren't aware, I'm on Tumblr. I don't use it every day, but I do log in fairly regularly. A lot of things come across my dash - gif sets, funny Vines, little notes of encouragement, funny stories, etc. But every now and again I see these 'Auditioning for the role of' posts, and I thought I might do a few of my own here for you guys. You could also do this on Facebook as a comment game, or even as a message board game (for anyone who may not have or want a Tumblr account).

• Today I will be auditioning for the role of Peggy Carter and I will be singing "You Don't Own Me".
• Today I will be auditioning for the role of R2D2 and I will be singing "No One Understands".
• Today I will be auditioning for the role of Jayne Cobb and I will be singing "We Bring An Arsenal".
• Today I will be auditioning for the role of Rose Tyler and I will be singing "Distance".
• Today I will be auditioning for the role of the Joker and I will be singing "Mayhem".
• Today I will be auditioning for the role of Ariel (The Little Mermaid) and I will be singing "Parents Just Don't Understand".

Do you have any you'd like to add? Comment below! You can audition for the role of anyone, fictional or non-fictional. I look forward to seeing your choices!

Shanngians for P.I.C

Howdy all!

 Capt Shinypants  surprise me this weekend and came to visit me! It was a very nice surprise and of course we did cause some trouble!

I took her  and her Husband ( Tron) to their first every In and Out Burger.

Then I was asked to show them around my town, well it was a Sunday and most things were closing by the time we finish up dinner.I took them to a stone dam that once was  use for the steam trains.  We took some silly photos,

Note  we both are were  Firefly shirts lol

Look we can look "normal"

I also showed them my giant High school and stadium, and our old stadium,
We someone ended up at Target. We wonder around Target picking up things. Then she picks up this toy animals and ask me  " Do you want to pet my cock?"

In all it was a great day, I was having the best day I could have on a Sunday, sadly we had to cut it short so I could get ready for work. I can't wait she will be back down in May for Dallas Comic Con! Then I need  to go up there  and visit her one weekend. 

Stay Geeky! 

TTG 

I love weddings! Drinks all around!

Apologies for the brief post, but I've been super busy getting ready to travel out of town for a family member's wedding. The Captain cleans up nicely when the occasion calls for it:

Captain Shinypants forgoes pants in favor of a dress. Ooh-la-la!

Geek Subscription boxes

Howdy my Geeks!


I know we all need more Geek/Nerd swag right?  Well you are in luck I found some awesome Subscription boxes you should try out!


First on my  list is Lootcrate, I been getting this  awesome box of goodies for  over a  year and half. Now some boxes are hit or miss , but I know other geeks  want something you don't want so I've sold a few things in past. Its about $20 a box.(including shipping)

Next is Nerd Block, I do not get this box its a big pricey for me what I know others who love it.
This was is $30 ( shipping including if you are in the USA)

Power up has 2 different  boxes the premium and deluxe. The Premium  you 6-9 items as the Deluxe you get 4-6 items.  Premium is $40 with shipping Deluxe is $27 with Tax

Last one  is Geek Fuel  this one is more reasonably price like Loot crate, it cost $23 with shipping.

Now keep in mind these are month prices, I use lootcrate and they usually take it out around 6th of each month.  Do you get a subscription  I mention or one I didn't mention? Let us know what you like about!

Summer Blockbusters 2015

It's that time of year again: the days get hotter and the big films start releasing. Here are some of the movies high on my must-see list:


April 10th

Ex Machina - Rated: R

May 1st

 Avengers: Age of Ultron - Rated: currently unrated (PG-13 likely)

May 15th

Pitch Perfect 2 - Rated: PG-13

Mad Max: Fury Road - Rated: R

May 29th

San Andreas - Rated: PG-13

June 12th

 Jurassic World - Rated: PG-13

 July 1st

 Terminator Genisys - Rated:  not yet rated

July 17th

Ant-Man - Rated: PG

Mr. Holmes - Rated: not yet rated

August 7th

Fantastic Four - Rated: not yet rated

Honorable Mention

Lazer Team

 Are there any not mentioned that you're looking forward to? Share your must-see titles in the comments below!

Howdy Ya'll.

I am sorry  I didn't post last weekend, I was so caught up in my trip that I totally forgot it was my turn to post.

My brains been fried and I can't think to write about of course. So I just want to touch bases on things.

• Their is talks about CBS bring back Star Trek for a TV series
• xfiles is coming back but not Firefly 
• Idris Elba  is in talks to play Star Trek 3 villian
• Con men is almost at 2.5 Million  with 2 weeks to go! 
• Convention season is full swing
• Texas summer is coming

Sorry it not much, I've been busy and need to actually  find a good thing to write about. 

TTG 

Apologies and Music

Sorry for the delay! TTG was unable to post today, so she'll be trying for next weekend. In the meantime, she's asked me to write something in her stead. So here, with zero preparation and a little Google search, the Soundtrack to My Life:

Name of the movie (name of first song):	Take On Me - A-ha
Opening credits :	Howl - Florence + The Machine
Childhood
Your parents finding out that your mom is pregnant:	The Fire - Reel Big Fish
Slideshow of her pregnancy :	I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
Being born:	Meet Virginia - Train
Early days / playing with your toys:	Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
Making friends in kindergarten:	This Side - Nickel Creek
First day of school:	Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies
Finding your best friend:	Tubthumping - Chumbawumba
Funny birthday party:	Drunken Sailor - Blaggards
Middle School
Talking to your best friend about boys/girls:	Break My Stride - Matthew Wilder
Kissing your first crush:	Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Saying goodbye because he/she has to move away:	Rumour Has It - Adele
High School
Sneaking out:	Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
First party:	Eastbound and Down (cover) - Brazen Angel
Making out with a boy/girl at the party:	Love Bites [So Do I] - Halestorm
Getting together:	I Want It All - Queen
Fighting with your friends bc you only spend time with your bf/gf:	Monster - Paramore
Getting caught while stealing booze:	Rock the Casbah - The Clash
Fighting with your parents bc you don't care about school any more:	Roar - Katy Perry
Having sex with your bf/gf:	Raspberry Beret - Prince & The Revolution
Catching him/her with another girl/boy:	Dude (Looks Like A Lady) - Aerosmith
Breaking up:	Destination - Nickel Creek
Crying the whole night :	I Want You Back - Jackson 5
Your best friend comforting you the next day:	Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor
Shopping with your best friend: outfit for prom :	Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Graduation cermony:	Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
First vacation without parents:	Float On - Modest Mouse
College
Moving out:	Come Sail Away - Styx
Meeting true love:	In Your Room - Halestorm
Slideshow of your college years:	You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive
Being An Adult
Pursuit of your dream job:	Some Nights - Fun.
Buying a small house :	Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Wedding:	Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon
Finding out you/your spouse is pregnant:	Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses
Having first child:	Fireflies - Owl City
Death of parent:	Goodbye Love - Rent
Funeral / flashback:	Take A Picture - Filter
Birth of second child:	Tiny Dancer - Elton John
Graduation of first child:	Sister Christian - Night Ranger
Second child moving out :	Goodbye-Goodbye - Oingo Boingo
Midlife crisis / flashbacks:	Get Lucky - Daft Punk feat. Pharrel
Meeting your best friend for first time in 15 years:	Hey, Soul Sister - Train
Getting Old
Retiring from work:	Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz
Having first grandchild :	Shake, Shake, Shake - Bronze Radio Return
Finding out your spouse is sick:	Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Death / funeral of spouse:	Nos da Cariad - David Gray
You ending up at the hospital:	You're an Angel, and I'm Gonna Cry - Chris Thile
Your death:	Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Ending credits:	Fiction - Avenged Sevenfold
_______
People's Themes
You:	Bulletproof - La Roux
Your mom:	She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd
Your dad:	Not Ready To Make Nice - Dixie Chicks
Your sibling:	Hip To Be Square - Huey Lewis & The News
Your best friend:	We Are Young - Fun. feat. Janelle Monae
Your first crush:	Fair Game - The Like
Your first boyfriend:	Love Runs Out - OneRepublic
Your true love / spouse:	It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
First child:	My Wish - Rascal Flatts
Second child:	With Arms Wide Open - Creed
First grandchild:	Baby Mine (cover) - Alison Krauss
____________
All-time favorite song:	Innocence - Halestorm