Mollie Hunt's Blog, page 66

STAR TREK 50

 

      

      

50 years later and Bill Shatner is still Captain Kirk.

 

FOR RED 2

On Friday, I lost my dear cat Big Red to cancer. This poem is morbid, maudlin, and incomplete but I needed to write it, needed to share it, and hope it resonates with others who have lost beloved pets.

Because of your medical condition, your things are everywhere:

the $15 pouch of special diet treats, partially gone;

the half-pack of fortaflora for your IBD;

the pills and fluid bag I got you only a few days ago, when we hoped they would help;

16 cans of very expensive Purina EN, because nothing was too extravagant to keep your little system running for as long as we could.

The red Star Trek food bowl you like best is still full; Littlecat eats in solitary rumination. She knows you are gone and misses you.

 

FOR RED 1

On Friday, I lost my dear cat Big Red to cancer. This poem is morbid, maudlin, and incomplete but I needed to write it, needed to share it, and hope it resonates with others who have lost beloved pets.

Today is easier:

no diarrhea or urine-soaked pads;

no medications to give;

no special foods or the corralling of cats so they do not eat each other’s;

no worry or fear that you are in pain, that you will die soon.

You have crossed that Bridge to the pain-free world.

And I, left to my easier day, would take it all back in a second to be with you again.

 

WHEN SOMEONE DIES

When someone dies, after the shock, the denial, the tearful goodbyes; after the guilt of what more could I have done; after following their ghost-flickers  in places they once were, I stop and remind myself that others have gone before them, blazed the trail across the Bridge, and somehow that makes this new loss easier to bear.

My mother and father, my grandmother and grandfather, my ancestors that I’ve traced in name back through the years have all passed that way and are now a memorial on a hill and a spirit flying free.

Friends I remember, Scotty, James, Jon and Steve, Janice and Stewart, Dave, Karl, all gone before their time, no longer troubled by sickness and strife.

Those names and faces we come to love through their gifts: Nimoy, Yelchin, Bowie, Rickman, Prince, Lennon, Harrison, Joplin, Hendrix, Monroe, Kennedy, Kennedy, King, Armstrong. Their star-fall has blazed the trail.

And the cats: Mufasa, Tinkerbelle, Dirty Harry, Wrangler, Graywood, Attilla, Two, Purr Fur, and now, Big Red. There are so many, so many! I see them gathered at the Rainbow Bridge and know it is the way of nature.

SUMMER ZUCCHETTA BLOSSOMS

       

       

Zucchetta is an heirloom climbing summer squash popular throughout Italy. Firmer than zucchini, its flavor is mild and delicious. The zucchetta plant is extremely prolific, requiring a lot of room for its 15’ runners. My first introduction to Zucchetta was at work, when a drug rep gave out seed packets instead of the usual pens and note pads.

Cat Watch, by Elan Mudrow (reblogged)

 

My cat does not pass judgement

Nor does he profile.

If he were to guess wrong

About my sneaky movements in the kitchen,

He has not made an assumption. He’s acting upon detailed information.

For I h…

Source: Cat Watch

 

FOR THE LOVE OF STAR TREK, PART 2

 

The Las Vegas Star Trek Convention: It’s a love-hate relationship between the exorbitant cost and unrivaled shameless innocent heartening joy I receive each time I go. I have friends there, good friends. I love immersing myself in the Star Trek culture where I don’t need to explain myself when I mention tribbles, transporters, redshirts, Roddenberry, or the Prime Directive.

The stars are human!

Whatever you believe a Star Trek convention is like, you are probably wrong. It is not all glitz and trivia. Galaxy Quest gave a gentle parody of the fan adoration, but there is much more to the 5-day extravaganza than adulating your favorite stars.

They think about stuff.

Kate Mulgrew, who in spite of inspiring generations of women through her portrayal of Captain Janeway, doesn’t consider herself a feminist. She was brought up to appreciate herself for herself. No matter the gender, what one does with their life is a reflection of how hard they work and how deeply they love. Although she did have this to say about current affairs: “It’s a new day, and the women are riding the ponies.”

William Shatner, the hardest working man in show business, is always doing something new. At 81, he is now interviewing scientists, including Dr. Stephen Hawking, on the nature of time-space. Wow, Bill! You never cease to amaze.

Whoopie Goldberg, at her first con, put aside her cynicism and potty mouth to praise Star Trek and the vision of a future whose credo was and is Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.

Nichelle Nichols, lovely Uhura from the original series. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. personally praised her work on the show and asked her to remain when she considered leaving the series. She went on to spearhead a special project to recruit minority and female personnel into NASA’s space program.

George Takei spent 4 years of his childhood in a Japanese internment camp because his parents were Japanese. He has won awards and accolades for his work on human rights and Japanese-American relations and the Japanese American National Museum. He is quoted saying: “I can still remember the barbed wire.” He is also an open advocate for LGBT rights.

They give to charity.

Bob Picardo: Habitat for Humanity

Marina Sirtis: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Bill Shatner: Ahead With Horses; Camp Max Straus and many more.

Chris Pine: Children’s Defense Fund; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Sir Patrick Stewart: BeatBullying; Children of Peace; Dignity in Dying; Precious Paws and more.

Well, you get the idea. At the convention, we are often treated to an impromptu charity auction by one of the cast. Signed scripts and alien prosthetics are only a few of the items I’ve seen offered.

It’s a show: Some of the actors are just plain funny, and as a person who doesn’t often laugh, I find myself in tears throughout the show. Tim Russ, who played stalwart Vulcan Tuvoc on Voyager, cracks jokes with his cast-mates. When Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating of the prematurely-canceled Enterprise get together, the result is hilarious. Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn (TNG) go at each other like Laurel & Hardy.

Not just actors.

I have also met scientists and astronauts, fashion designers, computer nerds, and a Gorn or two.

The Trekkies.

Trekkies are a phenomena that cannot be paralleled. Trekkies are very polite. They say excuse me when they bump into you in the crowd; they always allow people with special needs – of whom there are many here – to go ahead of them in the lines. They smile and say good morning. They pay for each other’s meals. They watch each other’s stuff and never steal it. They turn lost items in to the lost and found, intact. Trekkies are a mass-movement toward a better world, and if all their positive energy were harnessed, great things could happen.

*The Prime Directive.

So I come to the Star Trek to learn, to laugh, but most of all, to believe in a future where we as a species have done away with hatred, prejudice, ignorance, and want. Through compassion, tolerance, logic, and science, we too can boldly going where no one has gone before.

*A note about Star Trek’s Prime Directive: It is said that the Prime Directive was a Vietnam era metaphor regarding the perils of trying to be “helpful” to a society struggling with an intractable problem.

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY! CAT’S CRADLE: A CRAZY CAT LADY COZY MYSTERY SHORT STORY, KINDLE EDITION

 

Cat’s Cradle

 

Beginning today, August 13, 2016, and continuing through Wednesday, August 17, I’m giving away e-copies of my short story, Cat’s Cradle. Get to know Lynley Cannon, the 60-year-old cat shelter volunteer who keeps finding trouble wherever she goes. Meet the kitten who…

From the back cover: “Lynley Cannon knows the sound of a cat in trouble, so when she hears plaintive mews coming from a gym bag on the floor of a vacant warehouse, she has no choice but to respond. Lynley isn’t the only one who is after that gym bag, however. As shots fly, Lynley and Kitten run for their lives…”

The bag was squirming with a life of its own. I rushed forward. Kneeling, I saw a little spotted nose poke out from a nearly closed zipper. Then the nose disappeared, replaced by a sharp, reflective eye as the kit stared up at me, yowling like a baby wildcat.

“Oh, sweetie,” I whispered, petting the tiny black and white head through the hole. “What have you got yourself into?”

Rather have a real booklet? Cat’s Cradle: A Crazy Cat Lady short story is only 3.99 at CreateSpace.

My other Crazy Cat Lady cozy mysteries include Cat’s Eyes (#1), Copy Cats (#2), and coming November 10, Cat’s Paw (#3). A heartfelt thanks to everyone who loves cats and cozy cat mysteries.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF STAR TREK, PART 1

 

“Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.” —Vulcan Philosophy

 

September 8, 2016 will be a special day for me. It’s the 50th anniversary of the air date of Star Trek, the original series. 1966 – I was there.

One of the only television shows in “living” color, the weekly adventure of Captain Kirk and the exotic Mr. Spock was my favorite show. Flying through the stars, encountering wondrous civilizations spurred my imagination. That its storyline often took on the tough and controversial subjects of the times, such as prejudice, overpopulation, and what happens if you spoil an omnipotent brat, was lost on my 14-year-old mind but those parables have lived on long after Star Trek was canceled in 1969.

In 2001, I went to my first Star Trek convention. The idea of seeing the actors, the costumes, and the Trekkies fascinated me. I wanted to meet Leonard Nimoy. I thought the trip to Pasadena would be a one-time deal. Oh, how wrong I was!

20 years and 22 conventions later, I’m still going. Yes, I dress up. Yes, I get my picture taken with the stars (over 100 come each year from the various Star Trek franchises). Yes, I collect memorabilia, but I quickly found my passion for autographed photos. I have one rule: they must be signed for me. Over the years, I have accumulated hundreds of signed pictures: 8×10’s of single actors; artwork posters of the casts; even photos I’ve taken myself. Many are matted and framed, limited only by the floor-to-ceiling space in my office workroom.

I have all the captains, of course: Bill Shatner, Sir Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, and Scott Bakula. I also have many well-known actors who can claim Star Trek in their body of work such as Peter Weller, Christopher Lloyd, Malcom McDowell, and Dame Joan Collins. Last week, I added Kirstie Alley, Whoopi Goldberg, and Neal McDonough. From the new movies, there is Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, John Cho, Simon Pegg, and others. A sadly growing number of actors are gone now: Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, Grace Lee Whitney, Mark Lenard (Sarek: TOS), Majel Barrett and too many more. I treasure their signatures.

I regret that I did not see Gene Roddenberry, DeForest Kelley, or Anton Yelchin in person or have the occasion to get their autographs. I could buy them on line, but it’s not the same. That brief chance to talk to the signer, to ask a question, to thank them for their appearance and the impact they have made on my life, is unique. Yes, I stand in long lines for the privilege, but to me, it’s worth it. We spend so much time watching TV and movies, yet how often do we get to see those people in real life? And they are people, more or less like you and me.

Star Trek’s philosophy of acceptance and its vision of a better world are the reasons the show has endured, but the personal contact that the conventions provide are, in my opinion, why Star Trek continues.

 

WHAT I’M WATCHING: CONTINUUM

CONTINUUM

Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | TV Series (2012–2015)

A detective from the year 2077 finds herself trapped in present day Vancouver B.C. searching for ruthless criminals from the future in this Canadian crime drama. The show premiered on Showcase in 2012 and concluded after 4 seasons and 42 episodes in 2015.

In its 4 seasons, I watched Continuum swing from imaginative to confusing to excellent to overly complex. It’s a drawback of any saga, especially when renewal of the program is not assured. Each season, the writers must come up with a storyline that is both finite and ongoing, which can leave the show in knots. There were a lot of twists, turns, sideswipes, conundrums, and paradoxes that sometimes left me wondering, but Continuum held my attention throughout.

Bewildered Protector Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) is accidently brought back to 2012 during a time travel prison break and spends the next 4 years trying quell battles and get home to her little boy. With the help of her partner, Detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster) and computer genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen) as well as some tek she brought with her from the future, she manages to avoid a hundred grisly deaths. The terrorists play brilliantly at being badass. There are a lot of characters and not all of them make it to the end of the series. On the other hand, a few times there are duplicates as a result of alternative timelines. Somehow they interact with themselves without imploding the universe. I suppose since time travel a fictitious phenomenon, the writers could speculate in any direction they chose.

Set in Vancouver, the sets were well selected and often beautiful. In contrast, the futuristic scenes were reminiscent of Blade Runner, giving the impression that the future might not be the best place to go. The action escalates well. The haunting score and use of the hand-held camera gives an immediacy that we feel throughout. I found there to be an unfortunate overuse of assault weapons resulting in a ridiculous amount of fatalities – like Star Trek’s Red Shirts, if you were a cop in a fight scene, chances are you wouldn’t make it out alive. But I admit I am oversensitive about people being gunned down by machine guns since that action has become a reality in our culture. I don’t hold it against the show. It’s sci-fi. It’s epic war. Bigger, better, more weapons are just part of the genre.