The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Last week was vacation for me. It kicked off with Space City Con in Houston, TX (pics here!) then I went to Galveston for the rest of the week. On Thursday (August 8th) I went to the NASA Space Center in Houston. They have the Galileo shuttle there now, which was restored using as many pieces of the original prop as possible.

Yup. I sneaked a Tribble into the Space Center.

Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Figaro!

They also have a DS9 uniform shirt on display that was actually on the International Space Station (ISS).

I also took one of the two offered TRAM tours. The one I rode on went to Mission Control. Luckily enough, we got to see the brand new control room. It's so new, there were photographers down in the room doing a photo shoot while our group was wildly snapping pics of our own.

Lads and lasses, the sleek and sexy new Mission Control.

Our MC guide (middle picture in the center) told us that this week they were going to acquaint employees with all the new technology and run mission simulations to thoroughly train everyone on the new equipment. There are even small touchscreen pads to the side of each desk monitor that allows for text communication between the workstations. Our guide also filled us in on the impending Orion mission.

If you haven't heard of it, where have you been living???

The Orion mission intends to put human beings on Mars. Talk about science fiction becoming science fact! There is a small window of opportunity in which six months is spent traveling to the red planet, 45 days of exploration/taking samples/etc., then a six month journey back to Earth. However, if there is a delay for any reason during this window, the astronauts will have to spend an entire year on Mars before the widow comes back around for the journey back, resulting in a full two-year mission (six months there, a year on surface, six months back).

On a side note, on August 15th NASA held their first recovery test on the Orion module, and intend to begin test flights in 2014.

The Space Center has the 1:18 model on display with a giant wall explaining the Orion mission.

For updates on further tests and such, I highly recommend following @NASA_Orion on Twitter.

I also took in the little ISS program they have, which explains what life is like for astronauts aboard the ISS: how they sleep, exercise, use the restroom, eat, etc. It also explains the impact of testing on cells in microgravity. Up on the Space Station, cells reproduce faster and larger, making specimens easier to grow and affording scientists many samples to work with in experiments. This kind of research has the chance to revolutionize modern medicine as we know it and possibly grant scientists and doctors the chance to find cures faster for some of the most terrible and debilitating diseases.

Is that not AMAZING?!

I highly recommend going, and if you have the chance (unlike myself, didn't have the time unfortunately), you should definitely visit the Johnson Space Center. Knowledge is power, and this place is at no loss for either.

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BONUS:

Guess who got to sit in the Captain's chair of the 1701-D restored bridge at Space City?

Shiny on the bridge!

Highlights from Space City Con

Fellow Geeks and Geekettes!

Last weekend the Geeky Adventure team was at Space City Con! Boy did we have blast! I think we cram so much into that week that my brain can’t even process all we did!  So here are some highlights I remember.

Watching the Enterprise D bridge get put together was awesome, it took awhile but the final Product is amazing!  

Jewel Staite pretty as always had her panel on Friday, she talk about her crush Channing Tatum and how she loves being a part of this Fan following.  I also got to talk with Manu Intiraymi  and had him record a bumper for Trek Radio!Listen to Trek Radio to here it!

We all took a small hike to Chili’s that was just right by the hotel and ended up eating along with a group of 501^st and aWookie.

Saturday I got my picture taken on the bridge. Who let a Dalek on the bridge?

We went to the Martok and Gorwon Panel, do I think I laugh so hard my mouth still hurts!  Some Green girls taught them how to do the Macarena that was greatness. They also  did the Klingon Wrap and  we did ask them “the question”  CAKE or PIE, and it was a tied!

I spent a lot of my time Saturday just walking around looking all the vendors and people watching getting photos taken of my in my Dalek Dress. We also went to Manu Panel where he talk about farts.

Sunday we went to the Voyager panel  which I loved and  enjoy Robert Picardo and Tim Russ bantering . I also ended up wearing my Holodeck Cosplay and people actually recognize what I was! I was so happy because last time I wore it no one did! Even Denis Cosby and Manu knew what I was!

In all, I think both Captain Shinypants and I had a blast! We cause  trouble like always and created new memories! 

Stay Shiny! ~ DC 

Here are my Photos

Here are my Videos 

Space City Con - Houston, TX

By the time this post goes live, Space City will be in full swing. I cannot tell you all how excited I am to kick off my vacation with a con (afterwards: chilling on the beach all week)! And I won't have my laptop with me, so if you want to ask questions about the con, tweet at me (@teh_cheekster) or Dalek Chick (@TXTrekkie_Gurl).

I have autograph tickets for John DeLancie (that autograph is all for me :D) and one for Jewel Staite (for an adorable little Browncoat I know). I also look forward to finally meeting J.G. Hertzler - he likes to poke at me on Facebook, I throw virtual Tribbles...classic Hooman/Klingon dispute there - and seeing Manu Intiraymi again (first met at Trek Expo in 2011; did an interview with him back in February).

At 6pm CST Friday evening on the bridge of the Enterprise D there will be a wedding and all guests of the convention are invited to attend! SO EXCITING! Big congratulations to Amanda and Daniel as well as a big thank you for sharing your special day with all of us.

One event Dalek Chick and I are most eager to participate in is Tribble Warfare. It sounds like so much fun: you visit either the Klingon Embassy table or the Starfleet Embassy table for a map and clues to finding each of the 13 hidden Tribbles. Once you find one, you take it back to your preferred Embassy Table - the faction with the most Tribbles wins. BUT the person who finds the 14th Tribble wins a special prize from the Starfleet/Klingon fan clubs.

DC and I (mostly DC) will be live tweeting throughout the weekend, so be sure to follow us (Twitter handles mentioned above), and we will have plenty of pictures for you guys to look at. Also, if you'll be attending and you see us PLEASE SAY HI! We don't bite...hard lol

TARDIS Garment Bag

Hello Fellow Geeks and Geekettes!

    Capt Shinypants and I are running around like chickens with their head cut off, trying to get ready for SpaceCity Con!  Yes, that’s right Geeky Adventure will be attending Space City Con down in Houston, TX!  I of course will be live tweeting starting Thursday Aug 1^st as I will be going to NASA Space Center in Houston also!

As for Today post, I decide to show you my process on how I converted my old band garment bag into a TARDIS Garment bag! 

Things you will need

• Blue Garment Bag
• Black felt
• White Felt
• Black Sharpie
• Scissors
• Tacky Glue 
• Straight pins
• Computer
• Paper

First I gather the supplies, I did not use all what I have in this picture, and yes I did add things, this was my first time doing things so it was trial and error.

 Second step was to lay the black felt  at the top and use a white pencil to trace the edge of the bag, after I did that I cut it out and laid it on the bag to see how it looked.

Once I figure out how I wanted it , I printed out Police Public Call Box , cut that up and trace them on them onto the white felt.

This took some time but once I trace and cut, I laid them on to top part of the two black felt pieces I cut earlier. Now I have yet glue the black felt to the bag yet, so I use some straight pins to pin it to the bag so it won't move while I laid on the pieces and one by on glue each to the black felt.  

Next came the windows, Now I need to cover up my old band logo and my name on the bag so I decide to do a black background with the white windows. Now I should I measure the windows but I just a found something  laying around to measure the window and cut all the windows out. Glue them to the black felt then to the garment bag. At this time I also glue the top part to the bag also. 

The next tricky thing was the little white box on the left side that  says For public use.... What I ended up doing was printing out the whole wording, I then use the front of my computer screen  as like light box and carefully trace all the letter on to the white felt. 

Once I  finish I cut it out and glued it to the bag and VOILA! I now have a TARDIS Garment Bag for all of my cosplays for when I travel!

 Of course it always bigger in the inside! 

Please if  you see either Capt Shinypants or I at Space City Con don't be shy come say hi!  I promise we don't bite .... hard. 

Stay geeky - DalekChick

What Comes Next: When science fiction becomes science fact

I will be first to admit I wasn't all that great at science and arithmetic in school. However, I didn't let that stop me from being interested...in science, at least (sorry math, but you suck). More and more lately a question keeps bouncing around in my mind as technology advances more and more toward what Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry envisioned nearly 47 years ago: once the science fiction we know becomes science fact, what comes next?

1769 saw the first automobiles: man could travel across long distances in a shorter amount of time using wheeled machines with engines that ran on steam. In 1806, cars obtained combustible engines that ran on fuel, and in 1885 came the gasoline (petrol)-fueled combustible engines. While we primarily still use gas-fueled combustibles today, we also have electric cars, which initially debuted at the turn of the 20th century and then largely disappeared until the 21st century, and cars powered by refined vegetable oil and fryer grease, even natural gas.

110 years ago, the Wright brothers made history with man's first successful, albeit short-lived, attempted flight, a feat that had likely failed numerous times before by numerous others who dreamed of flying. Back in 1903, that was a pivotal moment where science fiction became science fact: man could fly. Now here we are catching flights to places all across the globe. We’ve even flown into space and visited the moon, a feat Edgar Allen Poe described in 1835 in the short story The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall.
Generally, the elements of flight and steam-powered machines merge together within the science fiction sub-genre known as Steampunk. Authors Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley are often considered to be great influences within the Steampunk universe. Having settings mainly in either the Victorian or Western eras, Steampunk itself is actually a science fiction inverse: fictitious writings of scientific facts generally stemming from the Industrial Revolution. The phrase was coined sometime in the 80’s and has held steadfastly, being applied to other earlier writings of similar content.

While we celebrate each stride forward and remember the leaps and bounds that have been made over the years, sometimes you just can’t help but wonder: what’s next? True, we’ve yet to fully delve into the area of space exploration, but we’re inching ever closer all the time. We currently have NASA’s rover Curiosity traveling across the surface of Mars, and recently Commander Chris Hadfield returned from a five month-long stay aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 35. The Hubble telescope is also always eyeballing some new planet or star system that we will likely one day be able to visit and study in depth.

My question to you is this: what do you envision as the next phase for science fiction? What will be the next thing we imagine that will eventually become a science fact? Please, do comment (You don’t even need a Google account to do it!) and let me know your thoughts. I am interested in seeing what each of you can imagine as the next step for mankind.

Reuse and Save!

Well since its summer time and many of us are crafting, cleaning and organizing.  So I figure it would be neat to show you some geeky thing you can do around your house.

1.   Turn your old computer tower into a mail box.

2.   Use on Lego pieces  at a key holder

3.   Use Old CD Cases to Store and Organize Cables

4.   Turn an Old Mini Fridge Into a TV Stand and Storage Unit

5.   Use An Old Hanging Shoe Rack to organize your action figures.

6.   Use Old Books to create a new Desk

7.   Use toilet paper rolls to organize cord.

8.   Use Paperclips to Organize Your Cables

9.    Turn you own nerd shirts that don’t fit any more into bags.

I hope this helpful with you and are in the I want to clean and organize stuff. As I always if you have any questions just email us at Geekyadventure@siteeng.com

DalakChick

Get to know Shiny!

Okay, my partner in crime has made a post so you can get to know her, but I'm gonna do a throwback post: 25 Things About Me (remember when that was the big thing going around Facebook a few years ago? lol)

1. My name is Hilary, but when I was born I guess that spelling blew the nurse's mind so my birth certificate lists my name as being Hiliary.
2. I was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1987. Gobble gobble!
3. I work in retail. I won't say where, but let's just say Paris Hilton thought they sold walls.
4. I like to bake and decorate cakes for my friends and family on their birthdays. Most fun so far: princess castle cake, complete with ice cream cone towers and graham cracker walls.
5. I've played piano since I was 12 and am almost entirely self-taught (I took a beginner piano class in high school and had an instructor, mainly for all the technical stuff like finger placement, transposing, etc.) That being said, I cannot for the life of me read music and play at the same time, so I generally learn songs by ear.
6. The first movie I ever saw in a theater was Beauty and the Beast; I was 4 and this was the true beginning of fandom for me. It's still my favorite movie of all-time.
7. Fishing! I haven't been in years and I don't have a license so I can't fish right now anyway, but I do love to fish. The first fish I ever caught was a massive bass on a dinky little kiddie pole when I was about 6 or 7. A few years later, I caught my first turtle (stupid thing kept stealing my bait - served him right!).
8. Pretty much since I first learned how to read, I've loved reading. I read a lot of classics (Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, 1984, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby), quite a bit of Stephen King (Misery, Four Past Midnight, The Green Mile, currently working on Under the Dome), and fairytales. Not the sugar-coated Disney versions; I own Grimm's and Through the Looking Glass/Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Peter Pan. I also own The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Where the Sidewalk Ends.
9. In high school, my fandom got a good hard shove into fangirl status with Pirates of the Caribbean. I unfortunately lost a good chunk of my collection (still makes me mad at how, so I won't go there), but I do still have a lot of pirate-themed things.
10. Speaking of pirates, I have to say I love history. In fact, my fandom inspired me to actually research and learn a great deal about pirates and privateers and I even at one point had a list of nautical/sailor terminology. WWII is another part of history that fascinates me; for there to exist a single man who could talk a whole nation into mass genocide is mind-blowing to me.
11. I can cook and I'm always experimenting with various spices and seasonings to see what flavors I can come up with.
12. I don't consider myself to be a hardcore gamer, but I am a gamer nonetheless. My platform of choice is currently the PS3 (which I recently had to take apart and replace the thermal paste), though I've recently gotten into playing Star Trek Online on my PC and intend to one day start playing Minecraft.
13. My favorite board game is Clue - the original, not that stupid remake with the added cards and rules. Second favorite is Monopoly.
14. I own a Flash plushie that I've named Sheldon, a singing Soft Kitty, and a Sack Person from LittleBigPlanet that I've named Sackomatic ( <3 Greenly, Boondock Saints 2).
15. I was raised on Country and Classic Rock, but I'll listen to just about anything. If you were to see my Spotify playlist, you'd think my music choices were suffering an identity crisis.
16. That age-old question Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi FTW!
17. My fandom shift over to Sci-Fi really started with Heroes and Big Bang. Then the 2009 Star Trek movie came out and that was my gateway into TOS, TNG and Voyager. Then I discovered Firefly/Serenity, and Battlestar Galactica. Granted, I watched the original Star Wars trilogy growing up, but I never really latched onto it. Just not really my cup of tea, and that's perfectly fine.
18. Since Trek Expo in Tulsa, OK was cancelled this year, the epic Uno battle between Garrett Wang (Harry Kim, VOY) and I had to be postponed. I was so looking forward to kicking his butt!
19. I believe in learning the things that interest me, not things society thinks I need to know. Because of this, I know a little about Interior Design (local tech. school intro. program) , how to take apart my PS3 and replace the thermal paste, how to crochet, how to fold origami, a little HTML/CSS coding, how to play Magic: the Gathering, how to build a stage set (tech. theater, senior year of high school), how to set up and frame a shot (video production, senior year of high school), a plethora of words...to name a few lol
20. Pets I've had over the years: a Boxer, two Parakeets, a German Shepherd, and a Beta. Oh! And Sea Monkeys, though they're really just tiny prawns.
21. I once tried to teach myself to play guitar, but my fingers don't like to cooperate on the frets.
22. I've always thought it'd be neat to learn to play the drums.
23. I was in the school choir from 7th grade till 10th grade. I was primarily a first soprano, but was able to sing second soprano, first and second alto, and tenor. I've since lost much of my upper register due to lack of practice.
24. I got the worst sunburn of my life when I was about 12. It blistered and got infected, so I had to take antibiotics, then it peeled twice. Worst. Summer. Ever. Moral: never jump into swimming without putting on sunscreen, especially if you have fair skin like me.
25. If there's a comic book series I'd like to read that I know will eventually be released as a compendium, I'll just wait. I prefer having one solid book as opposed to various smaller books.

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As of today, you guys have just 19 days left to help get the restored TNG bridge to Star Trek: Las Vegas in August. If you want to sit in the Captain's chair, you can learn more and help here: Experience the Enterprise.