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Carol H Tucker
Passionate about knowledge management and organizational development, expert in loan servicing, virtual world denizen and community facilitator, and a DISNEY fan
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Be warned:in this very rich environment where you can immerse yourself so completely, your emotions will become engaged -- and not everyone is cognizant of that. Among the many excellent features of SL, there is no auto-return on hearts, so be wary of where your's wanders...
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to boldly go....
Today is the 5th day of the 36th week, the 8th day of the 9th month, the 252nd day of 2016 [there are only 107 days left to do that Christmas shopping], and:
- Feast of 'Izzat – First day of the tenth month of the Bahá'í calendar
- Independence Day: Macedonia from Yugoslavia in 1991
- International Literacy Day
- National Ampersand Day
- National Date Nut Bread Day
- National Pledge of Allegiance Day
- Pardon Day
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day
- Virgin Mary Day
- World Physical Therapy Day
On this dayin 617 Li Yuan defeated a Sui dynasty army at the Battle of Huoyi, opening the path to his capture of the imperial capital Chang'an and the eventual establishment of the Tang dynasty. In 1504 Michelangelo's David was unveiled in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. In 1551 Vitória, Brazil was founded. In 1565 St. Augustine [Florida, US] was founded by Spanish admiral and Florida's first governor, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. In 1612 São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil was founded. In 1883 the Northern Pacific Railway was completed in a ceremony at Gold Creek, Montana US -- former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike". In 1888 the first trial of Isaac Peral's submarine [the first practical submarine ever made] was completed in Spain. In 1930 3M began marketing Scotch transparent tape. In 1966 the American science fiction television series Star Trek premiered with its first-aired episode, "The Man Trap".
When I was in high school, I got into a bit of role play with a classmate who always ended every argument or discussion with the statement that he was a Duke and therefore he got the final word. After a couple of weeks, I turned and informed him that I was a Martian and the petty ranks of Earth’s royalty had no meaning for me – and we were off. When we got back for our junior year, we quickly picked up where we left off…. And then one Thursday night, we both watched the show that has become affectionately known as the Great Salt Monster.
To even come close to gauging the impact of the original Star Trek, you have to look at what was available on TV for science fiction: My Favorite Martian, Lost in Space, and altho I remember Space 1999, that was actually later – one situation comedy, one comedy and one adventure series known for an improbable collection of bug-eyed monsters. Science fiction was the exclusive domain of the nerds, and to have a TV show air in prime time that actually was “serious” was simply astounding. We were immediately swept up in it – Jim announced he was from Alpha Centauri and we both proclaimed ourselves part of the Federation. We didn’t have the benefit back then of VCRs, DVRs, TV on demand -- we couldn’t tape our favorite shows and watch it when it was convenient. We had to be there, in front of the TV, and we had to convince the other family members around us to watch as well and we did whatever we could to make sure that we were there. Every single episode was avidly anticipated and eagerly discussed afterwards as we compared what we recalled and hammered out exhaustive details of life in the Federation. We were Trekkies [whoever coined that phrase Trekkers did so years later]. And yes, when it was cancelled after the second season, I wrote letters, several letters. And yes, I agree that third season was lame and moving the show to 10PM on Friday night was the kiss of death.
And the show was gone.
But the fanzines kept arriving – bulky, smelling of mimeographed paper, ink smeared – full of stories as we continued the five year mission. You could write to the studio and get old film cells, the scraps left on the editing room floor [I would be rich if I had taken better care of these – that film deteriorated to the point they had to be trashed]. You could write and request autographed pictures. There were actual conventions and informal gatherings run by fans -- and the stars would show up and chat with us. Channel 4 added the show to its rerun schedule and we could see our shows again – THAT was pretty awesome even though it was sometimes hard to get the antenna to focus when you lived in Baltimore because that was a DC channel and there was a lot of static to deal with, plus 4PM in the afternoon was hard to manage, but it was on every single day. And ten years later, there was finally a big convention that came to DC . And then, FINALLY, three years later, we sat in a movie theater, crying, cheering, clapping, as the Enterprise filled the movie screen.
It has been fifty years and Star Trek still lives.
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