the silver bulletin

USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
VOL 11, NO 7
JULY 2005
THE
SILVER
BULLETIN
U.S.S. Pioneer
NCC-5280-D
“Closest to the Final Frontier”
July 2005
1
The Silver Bulletin
USS Pioneer
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Denver Chapter---UFPI, Starfleet and Grand Alliance
Email: info@usspioneer.net
Crew list (post events and info) PioneerCrew@usspioneer.net
Newsletter Exchange
Address:
USS Pioneer
PO Box 350206
Westminster, CO
80035-0206
info@usspioneer.net
The USS Pioneer
Meetings are
sponsored in part by
the Decker Branch
of the Denver Public
Library
THANKS!!!!
Deadline for Next Issue:
August 1, 2005
Monday 10pm
Direct Submissions to
newsletter@usspioneer.net
Table of Contents
Pioneer Staff
Captain’s Log
XO Files
Communications
Glenwood Springs
Medical & OCP
Eng & RR Museum
DVD Releases
Membership
Eng Away Mission
Wind Energy
Pioneer Calendar
Save the Date!
Happy Birthday!!
Awards
June minutes
Snippits
Consumer Tips
page 3
page 4
page 5
page 7
page 7
page 8
page 9
page 10
page 11
page 12
page 14
page 16
page 17
page 18
page 19
page 23
page 24
page 25
IC Report
page 28
Links and Contacts
Classy Ads
page 30
page 31
THE SILVER BULLETIN is the monthly publication of the USS Pioneer. It is solely for the
entertainment of our crew and is not intended to infringe on the copyright or trademarks of
STAR TREK as held by Paramount Pictures. To reproduce material found herein, please contact
the editor for permission.Submissions to THE SILVER BULLETIN are gratefully accepted.
Subscription rate is $12.00 for 12 exciting issues.
The Silver Bulletin
2
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Pioneer Staff
Commanding Officer
Commodore Debby Horst
Co@usspioneer.net
Command Staff
Executive Officer
FtCptn David Horst
XO@usspioneer.net
Departments
Engineering
Medical
Communications
Chief of Engineering Chief of Medical:
Fleet Captain Audi Jack
Lt Gary Hudson
engineering@usspione medical@usspioneer.net
or
er.net
audicj@aol.com
Asst Chief of Security
Asst Chief Of Medical:
Alan Shaklee
Lt Bob McKeal
ashaklee@wcgdrbob@usspioneer.net
corp.com
COC/Librarian, Editor
Lt Karina DeCounter
Communications
@usspioneer.net or
karidrgn@comcast.net
Counselor/OCP
Navigator
Fleet Captain Audi Jack
Lt Doug DeCounter
hackmodeler@comcast audicj@aol.com
.net
Sports Anchor
Lt. jg Darrell Harrod
Propmaster
darrellwharrod@earthlin
Tristan Cloud
k.net
Webmasters
FT Cptn David Horst
dhorst@usspioneer.net
General Eng/Sec
members
Dan Gallegos
Rob Briscoe
Natalie Peck
Diana Dean
Duane Jonland
Eric Boethin
Joe Horak
Kathy Bennett
Chris Hudson
David Reineke
Eddie Cross
July 2005
General Med members
Laura Evans-Mckeal
Carissa Harrod
Charles Harrod
Kay Burch
Dee Horak
Nikki Hudson
Rose Berg
3
Historian
Lt Bob McKeal
drbob@usspioneer.net
Mitch White
Sisko@usspioneer.net
Asst Newsletter Editors
Commodore Debby Horst
Fleet Captain David Horst
Mitch White
Sisko@usspioneer.net
newsletter@usspioneer.net
General Comm members
Brooks Williamson
Kathryn Johnson
The Silver Bulletin
USS Pioneer
Captain’s Log
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
July is here already, and we survived the
Starfleet IC! We had a lot of fun there, and
would still have plenty to do on a return trip!
We ran into people that we knew (and some that
the Pioneer crew have met) and hope to keep in
touch with them. David and I were lucky enough
to make final table in hold ‘em. I also played
with Patricia Herd the first night, and we both
were eliminated in the same hand. Good Company! The guests were
very approachable, and even approched us a lot! We got CDs of all
their performances, and enjoyed many a panel. We‛re working on a
travel log, and hope to get it finished soon. If you‛re interested in
reading it, let us know.
I‛d like to say Congratulations to the Shuttle Moontype, who will
shortly be a full fledged starship. Way to go, Moontype!. Another
award that was a surprise was the one that we, yes the Pioneer got-a recruiting contest award. I‛m still not sure how that happened,
but I ran up and got the certificate before they changed their
minds! Honestly, I think it was a very good time, and the experience
has renewed my interest in Starfleet, and what we as a chapter can
get out of our membership. I‛d like for us to chat about that soon.
In other news, we must begin preparations for our party for our
10th anniversary. We have a site and a date, now lets get the fun
stuff done, like choosing a theme (I have one in mind) and planning
the food and entertainment. Start thinking about this, okay?
Other items include Mile hi con participation and the camping trip.
We enjoyed the Museum, enjoyed a movie outing or two, and kinda
had a quiet month. Lets see what we‛ve got coming up! We really
need your ideas and enthuseism, so please give me a call to chat
about some of the things that you‛d like to see or do.
Until next month;
Commodore Debby Horst
Commanding Officer
USS Pioneer
The Silver Bulletin
4
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
XO Files
We had another good month in June with Renfaire,
Museum and Planetarium outing including the big Lewis
and Clark exhibit. We liked it so much we went back
the following week and took my folks. It’s good to be a
member!
The big event for us this month was the Starfleet
International Conference in San Antonio. Debby, Audi,
Riker Bear and I all made the Trek deep in the heart
of Texas. We got to see the sights around San Antonio, the Alamo, River
Walk-where we ate at Dick’s Last Resort, Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, Davey
Crocket’s Tall Tales and the Guinness Book Of World Records Museum and of
course, The Hard Rock Cafe! We met a lot of really nice people and we both
placed in the Texas Hold’em tourney as Audi mentioned. The Pioneer won a
recruiting award and the Shuttle Moontype won shuttle of the year.
We gave a couple of email updates via the conference and Radio Starfleet was
doing a webcast hope you all were able to watch some of the proceedings.
The three celebrity guests, Vaughn Armstrong, Casey Biggs and Richard Herd
we a lot of fun and very personable! They were even auctioneers at the charity
auction for the American Diabetes society. Casey Biggs also starred in the
IMAX, Alamo Price of Freedom we saw and was in attendance that showing as
well. He signed afterwards and we got the obligatory picture with Riker Bear.
Their Enterprise Blues band is surprisingly good and a lot of fun.
For those that missed the IC RadioStarfleet will soon be selling DVD’s of all the
main events that were webcast at IC2005.
Events include
-Opening Ceremonies with mini concert by the EBB.
- Room Party Highlights
- All of General Session, including briefings, commissioning, and state of the
fleet address.
- More Room Party Highlights
- Guest panel with Vaughn and Richard
- Closing Ceremonies.
- A sideshow of pictures taken by various fleeters!.
Pricing will be roughly $10.00 for the DVD with 50% of profits going to the
STARFLEET Academy Scholarship Fund. (The other 50% of profits will go to the
operating budget of RadioStarfleet). Check out http://www.radiostarfleet.com for
updates and ordering information!
After the meeting last months meeting we went and saw Madagascar. It was
a lot of fun and I think the penguins and lemurs stole the show. What did you
think? Why not write a review for the newsletter? Read a good book lately? Tell
July 2005
5
The Silver Bulletin
XO Files (cont)
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
us about it? I read two really good ones Daedalus and Daedalus’s Children, both
Enterprise novels. I didn’t get my reviews finished so next month I hope to have
them both in.
We really need to get committees formed to work on Mile Hi Con and the big
10th anniversary shindig, see one of the Senior Staff to offer your assistance. We
also need to start some long term event planning. Who wants to go to Roswell
next 4th of July? Is there still interest in a roadside attraction road trip? How
about the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle? How about the IC in Philadelphia
next Aug? There are a lot of great events being planned so make sure you
stay tuned to the USS Pioneer channel. If you aren’t on the email list let me
know and we will get you added. Hope to see you, and a friend or two at some
upcoming events. That’s all for this issue, engines ahead full!
“Life might not go how you want or plan it to be. Don’t look back and wish you
had. Look forward and do.” -- Nico D. Dato
“Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only taste of success some
people have is when they take a bite out of you.” - Zig Ziglar
Fleet Captain David Horst
Executive Officer
USS Pioneer NCC 5280-D
The Silver Bulletin
6
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Communications
I hope those folks who braved the weather
at the ren fair enjoyed themselves. I’m
afraid I’m a bit thin skinned when it comes
to the cold and wet. Doug and I did go
this last weekend and had perfect weather.
Just as soon as the sun started to burn a
little the clouds rolled in, sprinkled a little - threatened a
little but didn’t do anything but cool things down enough
so the whole thing was really enjoyable. I got to see a
couple of shows that I didn’t see last year, but my favorites remain Puke
and Snot and the carillon.
Glenwood Springs
If you remember Doug mentioned that his daughter Micky will be in
town the 1st week of August and expressed a desire to people watch in
Aspen. As a result, there were tentative plans made to go to Glenwood
Springs together. As a result, we’ve booked a room at the Ramada
Suites in Glenwood Springs for Sat & Sun Aug 6 & 7. If you wish to
book your own room you can call them directly at 1-800-332-1472.
However, we got better rates by booking thru Expedia.com. Please
contact me at 303-429-9529 if you wish to hook up together.
Lt. Karina DeCounter
For Fantasy Lovers
I would like to share with you a store that I enjoy going to. In exchange
for me mentioning it here in our newsletter, the owner has agreed to
have our leaflets and perhaps our bookmarks in her store.
It’s a wonderful place for those who collect fantasy things, especially
dragons and unicorns. She has several peices by Enchantica and
Windstone and is willing to special order stuff.
The Gifted Unicorn
7240 Mead, Westminster CO
(303)427-8550
1 blk west of Lowell on W. 72nd Ave.
July 2005
7
The Silver Bulletin
Medical
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Be Prepared For Summer Storms
Chances are you’ve heard -- repeatedly -- the basics of what to do when
severe weather strikes. If you’re outside, find the smallest tree or lowlying area and take cover. If you’re on the water, get to land immediately
and take shelter. Here are some things you can do to ready yourself and
your family before the storm hits:
> Pick a safe place in your home where family members can gather
during a thunderstorm. This should take place where there are no
windows, skylights and glass doors.
> Discuss how you would know if a tornado is part of a thunderstorm.
Does your community have a warning system? Also, pick a place in your
home that is safe for a tornado. (It might not be the same as your safe
place for a thunderstorm. You must be on the lowest floor of your house
during a tornado.)
> Show children how to practice squatting so they’re the smallest target
possible in case they’re caught outside. Show them how to place their
hands and head between their knees.
> Take an American Red Cross course in first aid and CPR so you know
how to treat burns and provide rescue breathing. (Sources: American
Red Cross online and National Weather Service)
OCP Report
This month, the following coupons were turned in by our crew:
food
non-food
total
Dave R.
$ 143.52
$ 383.47
$ 526.99
Daniel M.
0.00
1,845.23
1,845.23
Debby & David
1,500.00
5,000.00
6,500.00
Audi
190.50
379.80
570.30
totals
$1,834.02
$7,608.50
$9,442.52
January through May, we had collected a total of $35,089.76--so our
new year-to-date total is $44,532.28.
Keep clipping!
Audi
Fleet Captain Audi Jack
OCP Coordinator
The Silver Bulletin
8
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Engineering
On July 30th we will be going to the Colorado Railroad Museum .
Address: 17155 West 44th Avenue, 12 miles west of downtown Denver,
easily reached from I-70 exit 265 westbound.
Meeting instructions for Railroad Museum trip:
We’ll meet at Ward RD Park ‘n Ride just off of I-70 at Ward Rd. at
9:30am.
Then we’ll leave at 10:00 and go to the museum itself, which is about 5
minutes away as you can see from the map below.
If we have the energy, afterwards there’s a tentative plan to take the
Coors Brewery tour.
Dan, Karina and Mitch.
Railroad Museum
July 2005
9
The Silver Bulletin
USS Pioneer
Upcoming DVD’s
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
New and Upcoming DVD Releases
These are just a few of the new DVD releases I thought might be of interest and
would consider buying. Remember to buy through our Amazon Affiliates link,
Enjoy – David
Out Now
HG Wells War Of The Worlds
The Twilight Zone - Season 3 (The Definitive Edition)
The Twilight Zone - Seasons 2 & 3 (1986 - 1988)
July 5th
Fantastic Four - The Complete Animated Series
Monk Season 3
July 12th
Million Dollar Baby
Tales From The Crypt Season 1
Sealab 2021 Season 3
July 19th
Constantine
Lost In Space – Season 3 Vol 2
Earth 2 – Complete Series
Andromeda – Season 4
Sliders – Season 3
July 26th
Star Trek Enterprise – Complete 2nd Season
3rd Rock From the Sun Season 1
Aug 2nd
Alexander
A Science Odyssey
Aug 9th
Lost – Complete First Season
Smallville – Complete 4th Season
Sin City
The Simpsons – Complete 6th Season
Roswell – Complete 2nd Season
There are more than 200 new releases each week. There are just a sampling
and there are many more upcoming and current releases check out our affiliate
link to Amazon.com http://www.usspioneer.net/Affiliate_programs.html and help
support the USS Pioneer and its’ charities.
The Silver Bulletin
10
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Membership
Local Expirations:
Expired: Kathy Bennett
Expiring: Jul-Aug: Harrod Family, Kathryn Johnson, Brooks Williamson,
Briscoe Family, Hudson Family, Jack Family
Renewed - Eric Boethin – Thanks for your continued support.
* If you have any Pioneer membership concerns or questions, please
direct them to command@usspioneer.net .
SFI Expirations:
Expired – The Briscoe Family, The McKeal Family
* You can join/renew online @ www.sfi.org
*Note: it could take up to 8 weeks for your membership to be fully
processed. Renew early, renew often, renew online. If you have any
SFI membership concerns, please address them at any time to either:
helpdesk@sfi.org or compopshelp@sfi.org.
UFPI Expirations:
Expired: The DeCounter Family, the Jack
Family (??)
Expiring July/August: The McKeal Family, the Horst Family, the Hudson
Family
*Reminder: You need to turn in your Chapter Assignment Card
to get credit for UFPI renewal. . If you have any UFPI membership
concerns, you may address them at any time to debby@usspioneer.net.
If you need a form see our web site http://www.usspioneer.net or
David Horst dhorst@usspioneer.net our Recruiting Officer. If you
have any membership concerns you can always direct them to
command@usspioneer.net or see Debby or I for assistance.
July 2005
11
The Silver Bulletin
Eng. Away Mission
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
This month’s article is titled How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Gary
Hudson.
Not a lot going on in Engineering this month so I thought some of you
fantasy fans might be interested in where I went on my vacation.
Christopher and I went to the small town of Cross Plains Texas,
population 1,068 for our vacation this year. You may ask, “What
possessed you to travel to this small town in the middle of nowhere”?
I’m glad you asked. The answer is Robert E. Howard, who created
Conan the Barbarian and many other memorable characters for the pulp
fiction magazines of the 1920’s and 1930’s.
I’ve always been a fan of Conan and have read a few biographies on
Robert E. Howard, who lived and wrote in Cross Plains for several
years. I was fascinated with how a man who lived in the middle of
nowhere in an oil-boom town could come up with a character like Conan
and write these amazing stories that are so entertaining and vividly
imaginative.
I then found out that the town had made the Howard home into
a museum, restored as near as possible, to the decorations and
furnishings consistent with the years the Howard’s lived there. The
museum also chronicles Howard’s life and the history of Cross Plains.
The icing on the cake came when I learned that there is a festival
every year on the weekend of June 11th, my birthday, where fans of
Howard’s work, go to Cross Plains to learn, relax and celebrate with the
townspeople.
The trip to Texas went well, with Christopher sharing driving duty and
getting his first experience driving interstate.
Upon arriving in Cross Plains you feel like you are stepping back in time
to another era. The small town hasn’t changed very much since Howard
died in 1936. You immediately feel the slower paced lifestyle and man is
that relaxing. We initially stayed at the local hotel, which has 10 rooms.
After checking in we met with a group of about eight people hanging out
in the picnic area. I could tell they were Howard fans just by looking at
them. No they weren’t wearing barbarian armor or wizard’s robes. They
knew I was a Howard fan just by looking at me as well and I was warmly
invited into the group.
The Silver Bulletin
12
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Away Mission (con)
It was then I met fans, scholars, writers, professors and a lawyer, all of
whom enjoy Howard’s work.
Over the weekend events I attended panels on Howard, took an
educational tour of the town and area on a school bus with a wonderful
tour guide named Alton, hiked with a group to the top of one of the
Caddo peaks (two tall hills in the area where Howard used to camp),
attended a free barbecue thrown by a local rancher just for us, saw
the very nice town library which has an excellent Howard collection,
met the screenwriter for the movie One Who Walked Alone , which
starred Vincent D’Onofrio and Renee Zellweger and was based on part
of Robert E. Howard and Novelyne Price’s lives. Marcello Anciano
came all the way from England to discuss what it took to produce
new publications of Howard’s work which include Conan as well as
characters such as; Kull, Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane and others. I
made some new friends; Leo Grin, Indy (Bill) Cavalier, Rusty Burke, the
Keenan family, Don Herron, Charles Gramlich (who gave me some great
reading copies of some of Howard’s other books) and many other great
people.
Over all just over one hundred people attended the weekend and I wish
I could name them all as everyone was great to be around, learn from
and share our enthusiasm. The fans are just like our group from the
USS Pioneer; people from all walks of life and various backgrounds who
enjoy Howard and Sword and Sorcery fantasy.
I had so much fun that I’ve already made reservations to attend next
year.
If you are interested in learning more about Robert E. Howard
and his writings you can check out; www.rehupa.com or
www.barbariankeep.com.
Next month, Roswell and Bishop’s Castle!
Gary
July 2005
13
The Silver Bulletin
Wind Energy
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
On our (very) long drive back from IC (Starfleet International
Conference) through Texas, and Colorado we noticed along the road
these gigantic 50 or 60 ft tall towers with huge propellers perched atop
them. Like an invading force of aliens spinning towards us. Fortunately
they weren’t moving-we were. (If you have seen War of the Worlds,
picture the tripods.) I had seen pictures of these wind generation
turbines but never this close. One picture I wish I had taken was an oil
rig in the foreground and the towering wind turbines spanning the sky
and going on as far as I could see.
In reality, wind energy is a converted form of solar energy. The sun’s
radiation heats different parts of the earth at different rates—most
notably during the day and night, but also when different surfaces (for
example, water and land) absorb or reflect at different rates. This in turn
causes portions of the atmosphere to warm differently. Hot air rises,
reducing the atmospheric pressure at the earth’s surface, and cooler air
is drawn in to replace it. The result is wind. A group of wind turbines in a
given area is commonly called a wind farm.
Air has mass, and when it is in motion, it contains the energy of
that motion — “kinetic energy.” Some portion of that energy can be
converted into other forms — mechanical force or electricity — that we
can use to perform work. A wind energy system transforms the kinetic
energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be
harnessed for practical uses, like power to our homes and businesses.
An average U.S. household uses about 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh)
of electricity each year. One megawatt of wind energy can generate
between 2.4 million and 3 million kWh annually. Therefore, a megawatt
of wind generates about as much electricity as 240 to 300 households
use. Wind has been assessed as one of the most promising renewable
energy sources for electricity generation. Wind power is both old and
new. From the trireme sailing ships of the ancient Greeks, to the grain
mills of pre-industrial Holland, to the latest high-tech wind turbines rising
over the prairie, humans have used the power of the wind for millennia.
The Silver Bulletin
14
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Energy (cont)
Advantages
• Wind is free, wind farms need no fuel.
• Produces no waste or greenhouse gases.
• The land beneath can usually still be used for farming.
• Wind farms can be tourist attractions.
• A good method of supplying energy to remote areas.
• Renewable
Colorado has a program where you can specify (for an extra charge)
that you want to get part or all of your power from Windsource®. Check
out the xcelenergy.com website or the insert in your monthly bill for more
information and costs.
With Windsource, you can increase our supply of renewable energy
when you buy blocks of wind-generated electricity, equal to the energy
used in your home or business. Supporting renewable energy means
helping to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and preserves our
natural resources for the future.
In 2003, Windsource customers reduced carbon dioxide emissions
in Colorado by more than 300 million pounds.
Windsource creates jobs, generates sales taxes for counties and helps
farmers and other land owners who lease their land for wind turbines,
while continuing to farm or ranch.
Further Reading:
• Michael Brower, Cool Energy: Renewable Solutions to
Environmental Problems, MIT Press, 1992. Available from UCS.
• Union of Concerned Scientists, Powering the Midwest, 1993.
• Robert Righter, Wind Energy in America: A History, University of
Oklahoma Press, 1996.
• Paul Gipe, Wind Energy Comes of Age, John Wiley and Sons,
1995.
Article submitted by David Horst
r
r
July 2005
15
The Silver Bulletin
USS Pioneer
Pioneer Calendar
The Silver Bulletin
16
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
1-3
Save the Date!!
All Day
July
Starfleet International Conference
Contact: Debby, command@usspioneer.net
9
noon
22
Uss Pioneer Meeting Debby Horst,
command@usspioneer.net
8:00pm
23
Fiske Planetarium Outing
Contact: Laura, sneakyminx@aol.com
1:00pm
30
Tentative plan for Lakeside Amusement
Park contact karidrgn@comcast.net
10 am
6
Noon
6-8
Railroad Museum Outing - details on page
9 - Contact: Karina karidrgn@comcast.net
August
Laserquest Gary Hudson,
security@usspioneer.net
all day
13
Glenwood Springs Trip: details on
page 7 - contact: Douglas DeCounter:
hackmodeler@comcast.net
Noon
Uss Pioneer Meeting Debby Horst,
command@usspioneer.net
19-21 All Day
20-21 8am
27
10
Noon
Camping In Rocky Mtn National Park
Laura, sneakyminx@aol.com
UFPI Annual Summit Debby,
command@usspioneer.net
USS Pioneer Annual Picnic Contact:
Debby, command@usspioneer.net
September
Noon
Uss Pioneer Meeting Debby Horst,
command@usspioneer.net
We would welcome any outing suggestions. Please contact David or
Debby Horst at command@usspioneer.net or at the monthly meetings
for help with the scheduling. Some of the outings being worked on
include: possible Air Show, Lakeside Amusement park,
July 2005
17
The Silver Bulletin
Happy Birthday
July
Dominic Keating
Vaughn Armstrong
Jay Chattaway
Linda Park
Patrick Stewart
Bob Justman
Louise Fletcher
Nana Visitor
Wil Wheaton
Michael Okuda
Catherine Hicks
Ciroc Lofton
Keith Caradine
Danielle Gallegos
Jane Wyatt
Walter “Matt” Jefferies
Brannon Braga
Harve Bennett
Johnathan Frakes
Gene Roddenberry
Diana Muldaur
Kim Catrall
Ray Bradbury
David Horst
Jennifer Lien
Gates McFadden
Mitch White
The Silver Bulletin
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
1
7
8
9
13
13
22
26
29
Lt Reed
Adm Forrest - Enterprise
Star Trek Composer
Hoshi - Enterprise
Picard
Star Trek
Kai Winn DS9
Nerys - DS9
Wesley - STNG
August
6
6
7
8
9
12
12
14
17
19
19
19
20
22
23
24
28
30
Technical Consultant
Gillian Taylor [STIV]
Jake: DS9
Star Trek
Uss Pioneer
Spock’s Mother
Designer
Writer
Writer
William T Riker
‘Great Bird of the Galaxy’
Dr. Pulaski
Valeris
Writer
Uss Pioneer
Kess: Voyager
Dr. Crusher
Uss Pioneer
18
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Sy Fy Awards
The following article was reprinted with permission by Michael Hinman at
SyFyPortal.com
‘Stargate SG-1’ Big Winner At Genre Awards
Author: Michael Hinman
SyFyPortal.com
Date: 06-19-2005
Source:
SciFi Channel’s “Stargate SG-1” was the big winner at the
2005 fanvoted SyFy Genre awards this year, taking home four awards, including BEST
SERIES/Television. The winners were announced in a live chat at SyFy Portal’s
Yahoo Group, which was attended by a handful of faithful readers from around
the world, from as close as the United States, to as far as Toronto and even
Croatia. Besides winning for Best Series, “SG-1” also won for Michael Shanks
as BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR/Television, BEST SPECIAL GUEST/Television
(for Claudia Black in “Prometheus Unbound,” and BEST EPISODE/Television for
“Prometheus Unbound.” Black was very popular in the awards this year. Not only
did she win Best Special Guest, but she also won BEST ACTRESS/Television
for her role in “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.” Her co-star in that movie,
who moves over to “Stargate SG-1” this season, is Ben Browder, who won
his third SyFy Genre Award in the BEST ACTOR/Television category. Michael
Hinman, founder of SyFy Portal, said that more than 80,000 votes were counted
for this year’s Genre Awards, a record. The Genre Awards have been a staple
of SyFy Portal since 1999, and is open for all fans to vote once per day for 30
days. The awards were held every year, except 2002, which took place right
after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Other winners included:
* Amy Acker (“Angel”) for BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS/Television
* Will Smith (“I, Robot”) for BEST ACTOR/Movie
* Kate Winslet (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) for BEST ACTRESS/
Movie
* Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”) for BEST
YOUNG ACTOR
* Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 1) by Joss Whedon for BEST COMIC BOOK
* “Star Trek: Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Trill and Bajor, Vol. 2,” Andy Mangels,
Michael A. Martin, J. Noah Kym for BEST NOVEL
* The Incredibles for BEST MOVIE and
* Steven Spielberg as this year’s winner of the Gene Roddenberry Lifetime
Achievement Award
“Battlestar Galactica,” which got more than a dozen nominations, left emptyhanded. A lot of the nominations for the show ended up in the same category,
and there were a lot of split votes.
“Star Trek: Enterprise,” which ended this past May, only had one nomination,
which was Jeffrey Combs in the BEST SPECIAL GUEST/Television category.
July 2005
19
The Silver Bulletin
Awards (cont)
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Because the nomination cycle goes from March 1 of the previous year to
the end of February in the current year, the last handful of episodes from
“Enterprise” will still be eligible for the 2006 awards.
BEST ACTOR/Television
2005 - Ben Browder, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
2004 - David Boreanaz, Angel
2003 - Ben Browder, Farscape
2001 - Ben Browder, Farscape
2000 - Avery Brooks, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1999 - Avery Brooks, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
BEST ACTRESS/Television
2005 - Claudia Black, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
2004 - Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2003 - Claudia Black, Farscape
2001 - Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager
2000 - Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager
1999 - Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR/Television
2005 - Michael Shanks, Stargate SG-1
2004 - James Marsters, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2003 - James Marsters, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2001 - Robert Picardo, Star Trek: Voyager
2000 - Robert Picardo, Star Trek: Voyager
1999 - David Hemblen, Earth Final Conflict
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS/Television
2005 - Amy Acker, Angel
2004 - Amy Acker, Angel
2003 - Gigi Edgley, Farscape
2001 - Jeri Ryan, Star Trek: Voyager
2000 - Jeri Ryan, Star Trek: Voyager
1999 - Jeri Ryan, Star Trek: Voyager
BEST ACTOR/Movie
2005 - Will Smith, I, Robot
2004 - Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
2003 - Viggo Mortensen, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2001 - Patrick Stewart, X-Men
2000 - Tom Hanks, The Green Mile
1999 - Patrick Stewart, Star Trek: Insurrection
The Silver Bulletin
20
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Awards (cont)
BEST ACTRESS/Movie
2005 - Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004 - Liv Tyler, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003 - Liv Tyler, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2001 - Anna Paquin, X-Men
2000 - Sigourney Weaver, Galaxy Quest
1999 - Donna Murphy, Star Trek: Insurrection
BEST YOUNG ACTOR
2005 - Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004 - Elijah Wood, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003 - Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2001 - Manu Intiraymi, Star Trek: Voyager
2000 - Scarlett Pomers, Star Trek: Voyager
1999 - Scarlett Pomers, Star Trek: Voyager
BEST SPECIAL GUEST/Television
2005 - Claudia Black, “Prometheus Unbound,” Stargate SG-1
2004 - Charisma Carpenter, “You’re Welcome,” Angel
2003 - Juliet Landau, “Lies My Parents Told Me,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2001 - Susanna Thompson, “Unimatrix Zero,” Star Trek: Voyager
2000 - Marina Sirtis, “Pathfinder,” Star Trek: Voyager
1999 - Bill Mumy, “The Siege of AR-558,” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
BEST EPISODE/Television
2005 - “Prometheus Unbound,” Stargate SG-1
2004 - “A Hole in the World,” Angel
2003 - “Conversations With Dead People,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2001 - “The Body,” Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2000 - “What You Leave Behind,” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1999 - “Dark Frontier,” Star Trek: Voyager
BEST THEME SONG/Television **
2004 - Angel
2003 - Farscape
2001 - Earth: Final Conflict
2000 - Star Trek: Voyager
1999 - Star Trek: Voyager
BEST COMIC BOOK ***
2005 -- Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 1), Joss Whedon
BEST NOVEL ***
2005 -- “Star Trek: Worlds of Deep Space Nine: Trill and Bajor, Vol. 2,” Andy
Mangels, Michael A. Martin, J. Noah Kym
July 2005
21
The Silver Bulletin
Awards (cont)
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
BEST SERIES/Television
2005 - Stargate SG-1
2004 - Angel
2003 - Farscape
2001 - Star Trek: Voyager
2000 - Star Trek: Voyager
1999 - The X-Files
BEST MOVIE
2005 - The Incredibles
2004 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2001 - X-Men
2000 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999 - The Matrix
GENE RODDENBERRY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
2005 - Steven Spielberg
2004 - Joss Whedon
2003 - J.R.R. Tolkien
2001 - Leonard Nimoy
2000 - George Lucas
1999 - Gene Roddenberry
** This category has been retired for 2005
*** This category has been retired for 2006
2004 Starfleet Awards
Mothership of the Year
USS Myrddin - Region 2
Shuttle of the Year
Shuttle Moontype - Region 17
Chapter of the Year
USS Rubicon - Region 5
Junior Member of the Year
Robert Stronach - USS Britannia, Region 20
Commanding Officer of the Year
Edgar Torres USS Osiris - Region 7
Enlisted Member of the Year
Chris Short - USS Ark Angel - Region 3
Officer of the Year
Kevin Reid - USS Myrddin - Region 2
Flag Officer of the Year
Ed Nowlin - Cascade Station - Region 4
The Silver Bulletin
22
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Debby
•
•
Kari
•
Mitch
•
June Minutes
Starfleet IC is coming up July 1-3. Interested parties should book their
reservations.
There is information about scholarship opportunities in the newsletter.
We’re scheduling a Lakeside amusement park visit for this summer. We
don’t have a final date yet, but please indicate interest
I’ve written a FAQ on motorcycle jumps for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,
for anyone who’s interested.
Doug Decounter
•
We’re going to do a Utopia Planetia event at Mile Hi Con
•
Kari came in second at laser quest (most of our group finished in the
top ten)
Dan
Bob
•
There will be a visit to the Railroad museum July 20th. We’ll meet at
Ward Road Park ‘n Ride
•
•
July 22, we’ll have an outing at Fiske Planetarium.
We’ve collected roughly $45,000 worth of coupons for the OCP
program (there is an update in this newsletter)
David
•
•
Mile-Hi Convention update-- On Saturday we’ll have a panel from 11:00
am to 2, and we’ll host a con suite from 2-4 pm We also plan to have a
fan table at Mile Hi Con for the weekend (getting rules).
An idea for the MH Con being considered is a Texas Hold’em Poker
tournament.
End of Meeting
July 2005
23
The Silver Bulletin
Sci Fi Snippets
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
MOVIES
The 4th Harry Potter movie looks like it will not include a lot of the
little stuff that was in the novel. The book is so long that the filmakers
considered chopping it into two movies, but now are just taking out a lot
of the extra stuff, including scenes with the Dursleys. Of course the new
novel comes out July 16th....
Alan Cumming, who played Nightcrawler in the last X-Men moviem is not
returning. His website says its because his option was not renewed. It
might not be a bad thing, since he had a major feud with X-2 director Bryan
Singer and he wasn't too happy with the extensive make-up process. The
part may be recast, since the character is in the most recent script. Brett
Ratner directs X3 (shooting begins in August); the movie should be out
Memorial Day weekend 2006.
Hugh Jackman looks like he is producing the new film "Wolverine." Shooting
can't start until X3 is over.
For Firefly fans, sounds like at least Simon and Kaylee get together, but
she's still partially dressed when they do!!
LOST
A female character will be killed off and it is not the crazy french chick.
Looks like Sawyer and Jin are coming back next season, and we most likely
see Michael and Walt, but Walt won't show for the first part of the season,
apparently. But I hear that everyone has a clause in their contracts that
they can be written off at any time........ So, you gotta wonder who's coming
back and who isn't. Don't forget, it also looks like there are survivors in
the tail section, and the two groups will connect.
SMALLVILLE
Smallville gets a couple of visitors from Krypton who are looking for KalEl. He's not around (remember the fortress of solitude?) at the moment,
but comes to the hospital to find his folks. He's learned a few new tricks.
Lana sees the visitors, and ends up hurt, as does Lex when he gets coy
with the aliens. Chloe is down for the count, as well, but we don't know
how bad. Other Smallville news... John S is showing up in 17 of the 22 eps
next season, so sounds like the fan's support for him paid off. Unless, as is
possible, season 5 is the last season, and they could kill him off at the end.
Reporting by Kaity Storm
r
The Silver Bulletin
24
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Consumer Tips
The Perils of Membership Marketing Schemes
by Mitch White
If you’re a member of the Pioneer, chances are that you rent videos
and read books more than the average person. As a result, you may
have been exposed to some schemes that I refer to as “membership
marketing”. It’s important to know what these plans do, and whether
they’re worth the risk.
Renting Videos
Blockbuster video has program known as the “Blockbuster Rewards”
program. The terms of the plan are as follows.
• You pay $10 a year to become a rewards member.
• In exchange, you get a coupon each month for one free catalog*
rental per month.
• Rent 5 movies and get the 6th free, although you can only do
this twice a month.
• And rent one catalog title, get one free catalog rental on slow
days, that is, Monday through Wednesday.
*Catalog refers to “non-new releases,” which for Blockbuster, are
titles that have been out on video for at least a year.
Is this a good deal? To answer that, you have to look at your own rental
patterns. The “free” coupon Blockbuster sends each month is sent via
email, meaning that you have to give Blockbuster your email address
and provide them with permission to spam you or if you provide no
email, prints out with the rental receipt, so you just have to watch for it.
If your rental pattern is to watch a lot of catalog titles, and only use the
free catalog coupons, you’ll get your money back after 3 months given
an average rental price of $4. Blockbuster’s accountants and actuaries
figured that enough people wouldn’t want old movies or be diligent
about redeeming the coupons, because doing so takes consistent action
over a 3 month period. The way they discourage participation is by
sending the coupon either through email, or printing it with a purchase,
if you don’t provide them with an email. In the former case, you have to
provide Blockbuster with your email address and permission to spam
you. Plus, they know you’ll look at the spam because you’ll be waiting
for the coupon to come. In the latter case, the coupon prints out with the
receipt, after you have made a purchase or rental for that month. This
July 2005
25
The Silver Bulletin
Tips (cont)
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
means you have to read each receipt, and at the very least conduct a
purchase. If the purchase isn’t a rental, however, you have to ask for the
coupon directly because food transactions and general purchases are
essentially anonymous to their system, and they won’t know to print the
coupon. If you have the discipline and the specific taste for old movies,
this plan will work, but you should consider whether it is worth the effort.
They also have a “Rent one, get one free” policy for catalog movies
on slow days. Rent one, get one free is equivalent to 50% off. Thus, if
you ignore the coupon strategy mentioned in the prior paragraph, you’ll
need to rent $10 worth of movies. Because a catalog video is $4, $12
worth of rentals, or do 3 rentals are necessary to make it worthwhile.
Before you’ve paid that much, Blockbuster is making money off of the
membership. After you’ve broken even, then you can consider each
additional catalog rental to be at 50% off.
Three rentals isn’t that much for a year, so if you do like catalog movies
and can manage to rent on slow days, you can save some money.
Finally, if you want to to watch the entire selection of movies, including
those on the “new” and “hot” wall, then you have to use the Rent 5, get
1 free terms. Only the truly determined can win with this plan, because
the rental count resets each calendar month. So if you rented 5 videos
by March 29th, and rent a 6th video in April, you don’t get a free rental
credit because the next month began. Assuming that you do rent the
massive amounts of videos necessary, the math for is similar to the
math for the Rent 1, get 1 free terms. It essentially says that 1/6 of the
videos you rent are free, or that you’re getting a 16% discount. In order
to get your money’s worth for this, and excluding participation in the
other parts of the plan, you have to rent $50 in videos over the course
of a year, and the rentals have to be 6 in one month at least three
times.Thus, the time investment is a minum of 3 months. Blockbuster is
counting on you to fail at this.
So the reality is that the Blockbuster rewards plan only works for those
who rent old movies. If you rent new ones in quantity, you may want to
consider some of the online subscription plans instead.
Reading Books
After I worked out all of the issues with renting videos, it became
apparent that the book membership plan offered by Barnes & Noble is
The Silver Bulletin
26
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Tips (cont)
far simpler. Perhaps this is because they have to compete with libraries,
or perhaps it’s just a difference in culture. At any rate, Blockbuster
gives a 10% discount on most books if you pay a yearly fee of $25. Is it
worth it? You have to ask if you spend more than $250 on books yearly.
Technical books for computer scientists are typically $50 or more, so
they’re easy to spend that much on. Fiction novels are currently at $8 a
paperback, so you’d have to buy 32 paperbacks to break even. Thus,
if you’re an avid fiction reader, it may be best to go to the library rather
than try to win on new fiction book purchases.
Only you know your reading habits, but make sure you’re taking them
into account when you make decisions about joining this or other
membership marketing programs. Never sign up on the spot, even if
it sounds good. And if you’re not locked into the situation of having to
order enough, consider purchasing with Amazon through the Pioneer
website. The small profit we make helps pay the costs for the Pioneer
website and email lists.
July 2005
27
The Silver Bulletin
IC Report
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
IC ADDENDUM TO MEDICAL DEPARTMENT REPORT
Since I’m on medical leave until July 18th and am not current on events
and other departmental info, I’ll leave that to our intrepid Acting CMO
Bob. (Thanks again,Bob, for taking over.)
I’d like to give you some information about the Starfleet International
Conference which Debby, David, Rikerbear and I attended this past
weekend in San Antonio, Texas. They can give you the details on their
very lengthy roadtrip; I took the easy route (as always) and only had a
two-hour delay on my United flight.
Before the IC opened on Friday afternoon, the three of us did some
“touristing” in downtown San Antonio--Riverwalk, the Alamo, and late
lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. An outstanding event of the afternoon
was seeing “Alamo...The Price of Freedom” showing at the IMAX and
then meeting and talking with Casey Biggs who played Col. William
Barret Travis, the commander of the Alamo. (Casey also was one of
the celebrity stars at the IC--and he as well as Vaughn Armstrong and
Richard Herd sat just behind us during the show.)
That evening, Starfleet’s get-acquainted activity was an ice-cream-andcake social by the pool, followed by a practice Texas Hold’em session
and several other activities. Many of us also stopped in at Nelix’s
Kitchen (the hospitality suite) for nourishment and then gravitated to the
lounge area by way of the bar.
Saturday included a myriad of interesting activities: various panels (I
attended the chaplains and counselors one), movies, guest panels and
autographs and photo sessions, an opportunity fo take SFI Academy
courses, and other options.
Attendees who hadn’t met the guest stars on Friday had several
opportunities to do so on Saturday. Casey Biggs, in addition to playing
Colonel Travis in the IMAX production, also played Gul Damar on DS9
and an Illyrian captain on Enterprise. Vaughn Armstrong has played
almost a dozen different characters on four of the Star Trek series-Klingon, Cardassian, Hirogen, Borg, etc.--but is most recognized by
ST fans for his role as Admiral Maxwell Forrest on Enterprise. Richard
Herd is best known in the Star Trek world as Admiral Owen Paris, Tom’s
father on Voyager, but also played the Klingon L’Kor on TNG.
The Silver Bulletin
28
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
IC (cont)
All three, individually as well as in a group, were extremely personable,
friendly, and entertaining--and very approachable. They also are part
of a band, “The Enterprise Blues Band”, and gave us renditions from
their current CD. (Yes, we all three bought autographed copies of the
CD.) They truly seemed to enjoy being with us, and we all DEFINITELY
enjoyed having them there at the IC.
The fourth “special guest”, although not directly involved with Star
Trek, has her expertise in a science and science-fiction field. Dr. Carol
Luckhardt-Redfield is a professor of computer science at St. Mary’s
University in San Antonio and gave a very interesting lecture on the
past and possible future capabilities and practical uses of artificial
intelligence.
Saturday evening began with a Mexican-menu banquet and
entertainment provided by The Enterprise Blues Band. The evening
continued with a casino night, a dance, and a charity auction. The latestrunning event, I believe, was the Texas Hold’em tournament--which I
think lasted until almost three in the morning. Our illustrious leaders both
managed to walk away with awards: Debby took third place and David
took fourth.
Sunday started with a morning brunch and concluded in the afternoon
with a summary meeting and closing of the IC. Vice Admiral Pat Spillers,
chairperson, announced prelimintary totals from this 2005 IC: with 287
preregistered and 21 walkins, total attendance was 308. The official
charity of the IC was the American Diabetes Association; Pat said that a
total of $4,270 was raised during the weekend through the casino night
games, photos with stars, stockade, ice cream social, and silent and live
auctions. At some point, probably during the State of the Fleet Address,
it also was announced that Starfleet currently has 3,822 members with
232 commissioned chapters and 16 shuttles.
I’m sure I’ve inadvertently omitted lots of interesting details, but hopefully
Debby or David will pick up what I’ve missed. Next year’s IC will be held
in Philadelphia on August 4-6. If you have a chance to attend, please
do. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Audi
Fleet Captain Audi Jack
Your almost-but-not-quite-back-to-duty CMO
July 2005
29
The Silver Bulletin
USS Pioneer
Links & Contacts
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
USS Pioneer
http://www.usspioneer.net
Email: info@usspioneer.net
Mailing List: pioneercrew@usspioneer.net
Newsletter Exchange: PO Box 350206,
Westminster, CO 80035-0206
UFPI Membership Services
2609 Crystal Falls Drive
Mesquite, TX 75181-4015
www.ufpi.org
Starfleet Membership Processing
P O Box 1708
Lima OH 45802-1708
www.sfi.org
www.I-SCI-FI.com
I Sci-Fi, Do You?
Thursdays, 7-9 pm!!
Live! Internet SciFi News and Interviews
Region 17
Website: http://www.Region-17.org
Email List: region-17@yahoogroups.com
Grand Alliance
http://www.grandalliance.org
Email List: members@grandalliance.org
The Silver Bulletin
30
July 2005
USS Pioneer
“Closest To The
Final Frontier”
Classy Ads
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USS Pioneer
PO Box 350206
Westminster, CO 80035-0206