MARINA BAY SANDS SKYPARK OPENS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Once in a while, we're blown away architecture that's so fantastic and future-forward that it's like something out of a comic book -- like Dubai's Burj Khalifa,  a rival for even Metropolis' elegant super skyscrapers. Marina Bay Sands, however, is more like something we'd expect to find on Risa, Star Trek The Next Generation's pleasure planet. Built by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation to be the launchpad for Singapore's budding tourism industry, Marina Bay opened the doors to its three towers Strip-style hotel in early April -- but it's main attraction saw guests for the first time just last week.

Resting 200 meters in the air and size-equivalent to three football fields laid end to end, the Sands' Skypark is a 380 meter-long roof top playground that spans across the length of the complex's three skyscraper structures. With an observation deck capable of holding 900 people alone, the Skypark itself hits it max capacity near 4 thousand;  a 150 meter-long infinity swimming pool, bar, restaurant and spa, and a botanical garden with 250 species of trees and 650 plants keep visitors entertained if the view fails to impress.

Spending even one night at the Sands would come with a price tag well near $1,000;  thankfully, $20 gets you into Skypark. No reservations are required, but we hear the para-gliding insurance is sky-high. More info on Marina Bay Sands on the hotel's new website - here.

SPOCK'S BUICK

Leonard Nimoy on the back lot

STAR TREK Slash-Up: Bill Shatner's COMMON / PEOPLE

When we checked in with Bill Shatner one week ago this very Hump Day, a contingent of his Northern fan base was hard at work beaming the original Kirk into Canada's Governor General's office.  Today, a well-timed yet decidedly less-conservative Shatner fan succeeded at doing what few have ever done before: giving us all $@%-eating grins hours before we'd ever consider mixing our first martini. 

That fan in question is You Tuber kirkslashspock,  who skillfully edited episodes of the mid-70's Star Trek animated series to the beats of Shatner's spoken-rock cover of Pulp's Common People - and the result is pure mash-up awesome. Bill's rendition, featuring vocals by Joe Jackson,  topped the popular cuts from his 2004 album Has Been, produced by Ben Folds.  

Kirkslashspock, like his (her?) name implies, took the tune  and video edits somewhere even Shatner's mind's never ventured: into the realm of slash.  If you're not hip to slash, or "Kirk/Spock", here's Wikipedia on the subject: Almost from the beginning, fans noticed the loving nature of the relationship. A few fan writers started speculating about the possibility of a sexual relationship between Kirk and Spock. The Kirk/Spock phenomenon eventually took on a life of its own, and became one of the driving forces in Star Trek fanzines during their heyday.

Yeah, we don't get it, either. But the video - or should we say, slash-up - is  a hoot, and despite the way it sounds, no worries of work safety need enter your head. Just kick back and groove to Shatner sound, crappy Seventies animation, and a great - if not slightly twisted - imagination.

Need more slash? Visit kirkslashspock on You Tube [here].

Star Trek Triology: NIMOY Retires, SHATNER Aspires, and CHRIS PINE Inspires A New 'Jack Ryan'

Unlike his longtime friend and fellow Final Frontier explorer William Shatner, a man who craves and indeed thrives on the bridge of popular attention***, Leonard Nimoy's long-preferred a less direct light. Where Star Trek's Mister Spock was concerned, the spotlight became a brilliance Nimoy once chose to avoid completely.  Even before publishing his 1975 autobiography I Am Not Spock, Nimoy had well-separated himself from the role that made him famous.  


You can read about Nimoy's reconciliation with his Vulcan alter-ego in his 1995 follow-up autobiography, I Am Spock, but despite the amelioration, the actor's preference for the fringe has remained intact since.  In that light, it's poetic irony that Nimoy, who just finished taping his final appearance as William Bell, the chairman of Massive Dynamic on J..J Abrams' Fox television series Fringe, has announced that he is officially retiring from his acting career - for good. 

Fox will be renewing Fringe for a third season, and the second film of Abrams' reimagined Star Trek franchise is currently in the works and set for a summer 2012 release. For the fans who've been wondering if Nimoy, who appeared as Spock in the new Trek last year, would do the same in the sequel, the speculation is over. Nimoy prefers to fully pass his Star Trek heritage on to the 'Science Officer' of the next generation (actor Zachary Quinto) and instead turn his attention to final convention visits and then his hobby, photography.  "I’ve been doing this professionally for 60 years," Nimoy told the Toronto Sun  on Sunday. "I love the idea of going out on a positive note. I’ve had a great, great time."

Much like the man who created the role that's now become his, Chris Pine is today's Captain of the Enterprise and a charismatic actor who adores the bright lights every bit as much as William Shatner.  Last year, Pine took Shatner's iconic Kirk and made it his own when Paramount Pictures rebooted Star Trek; this year, now that Paramount's confirmed plans to reboot another of its franchises, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Pine has been signed to do so again. 

Clancy's character, CIA Analyst Jack Ryan, made his first fictional - and later, cinematic - appearance in The Hunt for Red October, published in 1984. The movie adaptation came six years later, with Alec Baldwin playing Ryan.  Harrison Ford took over for the next two films, succeeded by Ben Affleck in the 2002 movie, The Sum of All Fears.  Four actors and eight years later, Pine is set to assume control in Moscow, the first film in the franchise not directly based on any previous Clancy novel.

Moscow explores the untold chapter of Ryan's life following Red October to before he became an analyst for the CIA. According to Clancy's back story for the character, Ryan was a stockbroker working for Merill Lynch.  Moscow will find Pine's Ryan embroiled in a global financial meltdown.

Since we've been following a very subtle Star Trek theme with today's comicsblog, we figured there couldn't be any better time than the present to give y'all an anatomy lesson. Nope, we're not posting naked pics of Channing Tatum - we'd get ourselves into all kinds of trouble. The only kind of trouble we don't have a problem with is of the Tribble kind.

Tribbles, of course, made their first television appearance on 'The Trouble with Tribbles' episode of the original Star Trek, back in 1968.  Unquestionably real yet barely seen, these little balls of joy are more than simply balls of fur.  Aside from being able to annoy Klingons with their high-pitched twitters, Tribbles have other internal organs that human scientists are just beginning to chart, study, and understand. 

Buzzfeed just made public the first scientifically valid and anatomically correct chart of a Tribble -- at least, it's the first we've ever seen. Crude, but explaining so much, it's good to see modern medicine and today's technology catch up to Star Trek yet again.  First the iPad and now this...2010 is turning out to be quite a year.

[Source]

*** Shatner's love of the limelight was recently validated in an unofficial poll  conducted by the Canadian news site TheMarkNews.com. The site, building on momentum generated by a 10,000 strong Facebook  fan page that has identified Shatner as their candidate in Canada's  Governor General election this year, ran the former 'Captain' against the current twelve hopefuls for the office. In the final results announced earlier today, Shatner received 43% of the vote, while Rick Hansen, the country's leading political candidate, came in a distant second with just 11%.

Boy, It's Vintage! Black & White TREKKIN' Trio

 Dialoging The Final Frontier

Leonard Nimoy, De Forrest Kelly, and Bill Shatner tape Star Trek 

Photo courtesy:[The LA Times]

USS Enterprise WebCam Will Get You Noticed!!

When our ComicTech-nicians discovered abbracadabbling's plans for our next Saturday Matinee, they couldn't hide their excitement.  Trekkers all, we think that at least some of their ecstatic jubilation must come from owning their brand-new, fresh out of dry-dock Star Trek USS Enterprise Webcam.  

We've got to admit, the ship looks pretty sweet - and that it actually works is a major plus, too. So we bought one ourselves, and dabblers, we're glad we did.  As you'd expect for any Star Trek gadget, Enterprise is fully PC /Windows and Mac OS/X compatible, and setting it up was as easy as plug (via USB) and play. 

The light-up engine nacelles and the focusable camera found in the deflector dish  (kinda just like in the TV show!) are what makes the Enterprise Webcam the most fun, though.   You can warp it around the room when the USB's unattached, or cruise it down to impulse and put it on the desk where it belongs. Of course, the webcam's so lightweight that it can also be mounted on the side of any computer monitor, thanks to an adhesive Star Fleet insignia.  Doing that not only gives you the best view of Enterprise, but allows for you to angle the ship's deflector so it can get the best view of you, too.  (At least, it made us look good.)

Measuring 50 x 15 x 20.5 cm, this cool Trek cam's plug-and-play functionality means that no drivers are required.  It’s compatible with virtually all video chat applications including Skype, Google Chat, MSN and Yahoo...and did we mention it does video conferencing? 

We just wish it had its own force field - to keep all our Ferengi-like friends from walking out with our new purchase. Then again, for around $45, even a Ferengi would know a good deal when he sees one.  If you'd like to see all the Enterprise's specs, you can do that. Just leave ours alone and buy one of your very own - HERE.

Figures In Action! Looking for 'Playmates' On The Final Frontier

U.S.S. Enterprise Captain James T. Kirk never saw the universe - or love, for that matter - as black-and-white. Sometimes, he knew, the universe was more of a sepia tone.

Captain James Kirk Star Trek action figure by Playmates Toys  [via]

STAR TREK MMORPG Open Beta Is Now Available!

We're gonna get our geek on this afternoon, dabblers. Then again, we've made no secret about how much we love Star Trek; Trek even trumps our general disinterest in playing video games. Thanks to Star Trek, we're about to go where the Springfield Home Office has never been before -- into the universe of online gaming. 

Though the Star Trek MMORPG doesn't go live until next month, the game's developer Crytpic Studios made its open beta version available last night. Interested Trekkers from across the globe now have a chance to be among the first to explore the new online universe and confront the dangers therein through actual gameplay. Here's what Cryptic has to say about their game:

 In Star Trek Online, the Star Trek universe will appear for the first time on a truly massive scale.  In this massively multiplayer online game from Cryptic Studios, players can pioneer their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship. Or, they can become a Klingon Warlord and expand the Empire to the far reaches of the galaxy. Players will have the opportunity to visit iconic locations from the popular Star Trek fiction, reach out to unexplored star systems, and make contact with new alien species. With Episode Missions, every moment spent playing Star Trek Online will feel like a new Star Trek episode in which you are the star. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.

For those curious about system requirements:

Star Trek's beta is already proving to be pretty popular -- over 14,000 downloads in less than a day! If you want to add to that count, you'll find the software HERE.   But before warping away on your first adventure, you'll have to set course for the game's homepage HERE to be briefed on mission plans (instructions) and to register for an Account Key. 

To make the game more playable, Star Trek Online does take one sizable departure from Trek canon by  once again making the Klingon Empire a terrible enemy of the Federation. That doesn't upset us in the least; we're just slightly disappointed we can't get our player-character to look like Chris Pine.   On that note, we're leaving drydock to do a little exploring somewhere in the Orion Nebula. For now, hailing frequencies are closed.

Soon A Desktop Jedi Will You Become

To us, what's cool is unique. Every so often, a few geeky gizmos grab our attention because they're exactly that, and then they usually wind up on the comicsblog.  As luck would have it, both our latest finds come courtesy of the Think Geek guys, who you might remember introduced us to one of the best Halloween props we've seen yet --  Alien facehugger plush.  They're back today, and as true to form as ever. 

If you've already paid a visit to Tom Scott's blog for your Star Wars weather update, then the USB Lightsaber desk lamp is your latest must-have. The Lightsaber Lamp stands about 13.75 inches tall, and it's powered via USB (duh!).  The Lightsaber has a built-in rechargeable battery, too -- which means you can remove it from the lamp base and defend your cubicle against Senior Management or the next Sith Lord that comes too close.  We think this baby would look hella sweet on any desk, and it can be just like candy on your's for $25.99 HERE.

If you're more Trek than Wars, nothing says 'I Grock Spock' the way these Star Trek Cufflinks do.   Even better, the 'Links are available in two different styles: Delta Shield, and Star Ship Enterprise NCC-1701.  We like 'em both, and we'd like them even more if they were made of diamonds. "Who's the Geek now?" Are we right?? Yeah, you know we are.  Sadly for us but not our pocketbook, the Star Trek Cufflinks are made from enamel and rhodium-plated silver, and they're looking mighty stylish, we must say. Perfect for the next time you climb into your monkey suit, or Bridge Command uniform.  A pair will set you back $49.99 right HERE. 

Patrick Stewart: From Captain and Professor to Sir

Patrick Stewart, the noblest of all to ever command the USS Enterprise, and the mentor of wayward teenagers hated and feared by a world they're sworn to protect, received a new title earlier today that, in all good ways, surpasses his previous prefixes, Captain and Professor. 

As of this morning, Stewart is officially "Sir Patrick." At 68, Stewart, a native of Yorkshire, England, was knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony today at London's Buckingham Palace.  A Knighthood is the highest honor Britain bestows on its citizens, although non-citizens are also eligible to receive this award. And while 'Knighthood' sounds exclusively male, both men and women can receive the honor. Following their award, the men are often referred to as 'Knights', and the women as 'Dames.' 

Prior to today's ceremony, our two favorite honorees have been Stewart's former X-Men co-star, Sir Ian McKellan, and James Bond's boss, M, Dame Judi Dench.  Actor Christopher Lee, who, among his many other parts, portrayed both the dark Jedi Count Dooku in Star Wars and  The Lord of The Rings' Saruman the White, has also been knighted by the good Queen.  Hmmm. You know, now that Patrick Stewart has joined their proud ranks, he not only tops our short list, he confirms one of our oldest suspicions. Her Majesty's Secret Service isn't the cadre of licensed super-spies they'd like us to believe; it's Netflix. Daniel Radcliffe, your time will come.                                                      Patrick Stewart's photograph courtesy of Seth Kushner. 

New Wave: STAR TREK Wetsuits

We haven't had clear skies above the Springfield Home Office since Thanksgiving; the rain's been non-stop, and the forecast calls for an even wetter New Year. Oregon's practically floating away on us, and we couldn't be happier. Especially when our morning web-surfing brought word that JMJ has launched their exclusive line of Star Trek: The Original Series wetsuits! 

While the wetsuits (above) - available in Command Yellow, Science Blue, or Engineering Red - look better than the costumes we saw around Halloween, they're the real deal; according to JMJ, their Trek-suits are made of the highest quality neoprene material by expert craftsman, and offer the ultimate in warmth and exposure protection for surfers, divers and water sport enthusiasts..

These suits are individually tailored; that means, dabblers, these babies are custom made, and made-to-order. JMJ advises that anyone interested in their one-piece full Trek-suits be professionally measured before placing an order, since once the suit's made, it's your's. They're also not cheap, but we figure that the $470 price tag is more than enough incentive for anyone to make sure their measurements are exact. 

Surfers, divers, and interested dabblers -- and any Oregonian worried about the State washing away -- should find the nearest transporter room and get out to JMJ's home base in Torrance, CA,  to inspect these Star Trek wetsuits up-close. But if transporters aren't an option, you'll also be able to find them - and place your order - through Roddenberry.com HERE.

STAR TREK: The Motion Picture Turns 30

Tuesday's looking like it's going to be a quiet day on ye old comicsblog - and the fact that most of the Springfield Home Office is catching a Sherlock Holmes matinée has nothing to do with it. Okay, maybe it does. But before those lucky bastards left for the day, my neighbor Raley passed me this great photo from our friends over at the Hero Complex. Recognize this guy? We had to look twice before we did. Yes, Robert Downey, Jr may become the Holmes of  the next generation, but Leonard Nimoy's approach will always be classic in our book. 

Star Trek's Mr. Spock has left his mark in almost every field of entertainment, including several years post-Trek as a stage actor. At the same time Nimoy lent his trademark tones to the 1970's X-Files predecessor, In Search Of..., he also won acclaim for his roles in several different stage performances, including Oliver!, Caligula, and Sherlock Holmes. Shortly before this photo was taken, Nimoy refused to reprise his role as the Enterprise's Vulcan Science Officer when Gene Roddenberry approached him for a new Star Trek Phase II television series. Not long after this photo was taken,  Nimoy accepted Roddenberry's offer to once again become Spock when Paramount Pictures scrapped their TV plans and instead set their sights on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

That movie, by the way, debuted December 6th, 1979, and paved the way for the three decades of new Star Trek that have since followed.  Photo via [link] 

Be Bilingual, Tweet In Klingon

Our little blue bird of magic, abbracatwitter, must be a bit of a night owl, don't ya think? But just because it's late doesn't mean that folks aren't tweeting. If you are, or going to be soon, we highly advocate you do something completely unexpected (or true to form, as the case may be) and tweet your latest in Klingon. 

Thanks to AbbracaTwitter, we've found a great way for you to annoy most people you know while those who really know you will get the message and appreciate your Warrior's skill. Tweet in Klingon's a sweet little web app that'll translate the next 140-character message you send out of the tired and pathetic language of humans and into the growling gibberish you admired Worf so much for in The Next Generation. Simply type your text into the application and tweet away. And if you're new to the Empire's tongue, there's no need to panic just yet -- you'll find a robust list of pre-packaged Klingon phrases that should suit any occasion. Not that you'd forget a common expression like "Your mother has a smooth forehead," but after a few pints of Blood Wine, anything's possible. Boldly go Tweet in Klingon at the link. [Link]

Limited Seating: Captain's Chair is Ultimate Collectible

Here's a Holiday gift idea for the Star Trek fan who has everything: the James T. Kirk Captain's Chair Replica.

Built from Matt Jefferies' original designs for the infamous bridge chair of TV's original Trek, the Captain's Chair features 360-degree rotation, various working buttons, knobs, and toggle switches complete with sound effects that play from the chair's built-in speaker system. Throw in its sturdy construction from a wood and steel platform to its full leather seat and oak arm-rests, and it's clear that this baby's the perfect addition for your living room, playroom, or even your bedroom.

What's more, the Chair's limited to just 1,701 pieces. More than worth the $3,000 it'll set you back, dabblers with bank can find their next home furnishing here. [Link]

Video: Metaphorically Speaking with 'Klingon Propaganda'

Need more convincing that the ways of Star Trek's Klingons may indeed be the ways of the peaceful warrior? Bad Monkey Studios' Mark Farinas has taken a very creative detour to do just that with his online Klingon Propaganda short. Just as it says, it's got all the hallmarks of a classic WWII-esque propaganda film, but it's aimed at any Earth-dwellers who may have doubts about what life would be like under Klingon rule.

Farinas' Klingon Propaganda asserts that as part of the Klingon Empire, mankind -- or 'Terrans' -- will 'work only to serve the Empire, and in return we will see an end to hunger, illness, and war.' His website's Mission states that the Klingons will 'conquer us eventually' and asks a question that likely weighs as heavily on your mind as it does ours: 'So why not reap the benefits [of Klingon rule] now?'

He makes a point, Farinas does. And he's made an even better, very entertaining video that's as much fun to watch as the site is to explore. Spend some time at 'tlhingan ra'ghomquv' -- which might be Klingon for 'We Succeed Together In A Greater Whole'. We're not sure, but one thing is certain: the video's about Klingons, but its message is about us. [Link]

Got Faith? If Not, Try 'Klingons For Christ'

There's no question that legions of Star Trek fans world-wide go to great lengths to 'be themselves.' Attend any Star Trek convention or a midnight showing of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and you'll see plenty of folks dressed like Romulans, Andorians, or as the ever-popular ridged-brow brawlers, the Klingons.

Some fans take things even farther than their garb. Learning the Klingon alphabet [which we've got below for you if you'd like to give it your best shot] is commonplace; speaking Klingon a little less so.

But how about meshing Klingon beliefs with your own Earthly faith?

That's exactly what the true believers of the Klingons for Christ movement are doing. You might think that reconciling the warlike Klingon ways is rather contradictory to the more pacifist teachings of Jesus Christ. Klingons for Christ [Link] are happy to explain exactly how Christianity and the Klingon ways actually fit together, and they'll use plenty of New Testament scripture to support their views. They'll even translate passages from the Book of Psalms or Revelation into Klingon to save you the time and trouble.

In the end, they say, Christ did not run from his pain; he welcomed it. His sacrifice was an act of will, and with his crucifixion, he defeated his enemies. This, concludes Klingons for Christ, is what makes Jesus Christ not just a suitable savior for Humanity, but for Klingons and indeed any and all races, wherever in the Universe they might reside.

Klingon Alpha-Numeric System