#NerdsUnite: Best Gifts To Get Any Star Trek Fan

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Marcela De Vivo

Giving your friends presents is always fun, but perhaps no one is better to shop for than an obsessive collector. Not only are they likely to truly savor a well-chosen gift, but the advent of the internet has offered possibilities that are only as limited as your imagination. Trekkies are no exception among pop-culture addicts, and with eBay and other online stores, you can track down a galaxy of clever gift ideas.

1) Star Trek wine

Take me to your liter!  You can kill two birds with one stone if your friend is a oenophile as well as a Trekkie with this limited release from online wine merchants Vinport.  Beginning at a suggested retail price of $24.99, this mixture of reds comes in three different labels, each of which features a specially designed print celebrating a stone-classic episode of the show, including the legendary “Trouble With Tribbles.” 

The artwork here is truly dynamite, so if your friend is not so much of a wine person, the company sells suitable-for-framing prints.

Why not throw in a Klingon-themed corkscrew while you’re at it?

2) Leonard Nimoy/William Shatner albums

Over the years, Trekkies and lovers of novelty music have treasured the musical output of stars Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner.  Nimoy’s Spock’s Music from Outer Space is a particular tongue-and-check classic, with a straight-faced Mr. Spock speak-singing goofy tracks like “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Earth.” 

Shatner’s 1968 offering The Transformed Man is another delight, with Shatner blending over-the-top deliveries of Shakespeare monologues with histrionic interpretations of songs like “Mr. Tambourine Man.” 

Shatner’s so-bad-it’s-good legacy of music gained such attention over the years that he even made a more serious album that flirted with alternative rock, self-consciously titled Has Been, and it’s legitimately good. No true Star Trek fan should be without at least one of these albums.

3) Star Trek games

 Appealing to a rabid fan-base for forty years, Star Trek has boldly gone into business with about every possible product tie possible. Over the years, this has meant an avalanche of Trekkie-friendly games, ranging from original board games to spaced-out versions of old classics like Monopoly. 

For a group of proud sci-fi nerds ready to show off their trivia chops, SceneIt’s Star Trek installment of its popular DVD identification game is a great party present.

4) Star Trek cooking ware

The best presents are so often things with a daily, practical use, so if your friend loves to cook, spice up a humdrum utensil by making it Trekkie. There are plenty of novelties out there, so simply cross-search “Star Trek” with anything your friend uses on the regular-- pizza cutters, oven mitts and cookie cutters are all in existence, ready to help you put some great kitsch in the kitchen.  Yes, there is even a Star Trek cookbook.

5) Into Darkness merch

With the current hot release of J.J. Abram’s latest take on the franchise, Star Trek:  Into Darkness, the market is ablaze with a new wave of posters, promotional materials and clothing, giving plenty of options for anyone in love with the current wave of ST films. 

For a more social gift, take a group of fans out to see Into Darkness in IMAX if it’s playing in a theater near you. 

6) Replicas and other fan memorabilia

Another realm of staggering dimensions is that of collectible miniatures and toys commemorating the various incarnations of the show. Of course, a model of the Starship Enterprise is a natural choice, as would be either an action figure or mounted figurine of your friend’s favorite  character or episode. There are so many coffee-table Star Trek books in circulation that there are a number of guides just to navigate ST print material. 

As you may have guessed by now, if you can imagine it, it probably exists somewhere online.  Star Trek tea?  Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. awaits you. Golf club covers, underwear, smartphone covers that look like Enterprise communicators-- there’s something for every Trekkie! The best idea is simply to incorporate another side of your friend’s personality with their love of Star Trek and start browsing. 

Don’t let the fun stop there--think about getting some novelty wrapping or gift boxes to fully customize a theme gift. 

May the force be...er, gift long and prosper!

#nerdsunite

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from Southern California who writes on everything from personal health and fitness, to gaming and technology, to business and marketing. She has many friends that are fans of Star Trek that would love any one of these gift ideas. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter today!

Words of Wisdom with @Jesus_M_Christ

#NerdsUnite: The secret life of a veterinary technician

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Lindsay. She and I met ... well, somewhere in the social space. I think we might have started talking through this site directly, then through facebook - maybe ... I'm not sure. But she's awesome. I talk to her on twitter almost every day, and she's really rad and TOTALLY a big huge animal lover. Like crazy huge!! In these series of posts she will be talking about her life and random adventures with sometimes more than two legged creatures. I guess there's only one more thing left to say ... HIT IT LINDSAY!!</editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @TheCraftafarian

Sometimes life just gets away from you. Suddenly I look up and it's been almost two months since my last post--which means the same time has past since i posted on my blog.

Where have I been?

Mostly work.  Home hospice care for a family pet. Pet sitting a lot. Trying to craft but inspiration of any kind escapes me lately. I need to become more disciplined, more zen. Watch less TV (oh now I love mindless reruns of family guy, Simpsons, American dad, Cleveland show. It's not good for productivity). After weeks of being double and triple booked with pet sitting and kennel duty at my clinic--all I really want to do is sit on the couch, smoke a lil maryjane, and relax and unwind from the mentally, physically, and emotionally draining day-week-month that I have had.

(Oh yeah and after a month of putting all my energy, love, and modern medicine the pancreas and kidneys just couldn't do their job anymore and we had to say goodbye to beloved Milo, David's family pet.)

I put all I have into my work--body, mind, soul/spirit/energy. Sometimes it's not enough. Sometimes the disease isn't progressed and they pull through. Sometimes shit happens when it isnt supposed to. Sometimes we need a break.

I have to write more. I've been better with my depression and anger but learning to let go and just be zen is something that must happen for my health. Writing allows an outlet for me, when I can actually express myself into words that is.

So what has happened in the last two months?

Well went to Denver for 5 days in April and it was amazing. I would love to move there one day but another visit is definitely in our future. We went to several different local places for food, beer, entertainment. Sampled some of Denver's finest herbal medicine :) Exquisite! We were unable to obtain transportation to visit some further outlying areas without spending all day traveling to one place so we have big plans for next time.

I told briefly of Milo--which is enough.

Work has been extremely overwhelming lately--nothing I can't handle but not for extended lengths of time. We may be looking to add another experienced vet tech--we need a good tech to add to our work family.

Oh yeah and PETA is taking issue with some anonymous online commenters...it's getting pretty heated between them and anonymous (the hacker group). I'm on board just because I feel I have been misinformed by PETA on exactly what they do--perhaps it's for the donations. I know they have done good work for some animals but the concern is they are misleading donors. Now the shelter is one of last resort. I just want non profit groups to be honest and transparent with their donors.

That's what going on over here...I've been working on trying to be more inspired by going outside or doing things I enjoy. I've been saying for months (a year?) that I need to improve certain things in my life--and I have slightly but I have not committed fully to making myself happy. As Jen says, you are in control of your own happiness. :)

Peace. Love. Paw prints. Think Zen. <3

Nerds. I WILL be back next week. Dammit. 

<3 Lindsay

Sent from my iPad

#nerdsunite

Click here to follow Lindsay on Twitter!

#RealDeal: The worst thing I've ever said to a woman

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Brandon Bradford

(Parents- Mother in particular.  Please don't read this)

I was recently asked about a failure I had and why I don't write about those. Honestly, it never occurred to me. Here goes modesty, and here goes my ego ... 

::cue scene:: 

I'm not an angry person.  Everyone has their kryptonite, and this girl in particular was mine. We meant well, but we were just terrible for each other.

Let's call her "Pedestal."

Pedestal and I had been broken up for about a year, attempting to be good friends I invite her and her new bf (6'6 guy, played college bball) to come by for a drink sometime at the bar I was running.

9:00pm  Pedestal and OG (OtherGuy) come in. I'm busy running around, grab them drinks, continue working.

9:08pm  I'm talking to a group of girls at a table, serving them bday drinks.  Pedestal walks up, "Are you just going to talk to these sluts all night?"  Understandably confused, I apologize to the table, pull her to the side and ask what's going on. "oh, nothing" she says, then walks back to OG.  I'm busy, I continue working.

9:20pm  OG pulls me to the side, ask me to "stop being that guy, he doesn't want to have to talk to me again".  I kindly informed him that I was the smallest boy in my family and if need be I would show him how exposed his neck and knees were ( I believe the actual quote was "I will F*ck your shit up).  We move past niceties, and get to the point that I have no idea what's going on.  OG is equally confused after we talk.  We form a temporary truce,  I continue working.

9:35pm  Pedestal approaches me "What the fuck Brandon?"  Me- "I don't know what's wrong, but if you didn't want to see me, don't come to my work."  She-"Whatever", and walks off.

 If you don't know, saying "whatever" while in an argument with a significant other is a passive aggressive verbal middle finger.

9:50pm Pedestal approaches me at a table, again.  Insults an entire group of people she doesn't know, again.  I pull her over to where OG is standing and ask what the hell is going on.  Blank stares come back in response.  Perfect.  I go back to work.

10:30pm  I am walking the new cocktail waitress through the new section changes.  Pedestal walks up and pours her entire drink over the poor girl. Ranting and raving, not saying anything that made sense still.

OG is standing behind her, useless.  I lose my temper and start to kick them out.  Pedestal makes a jab at the girl she just poured a drink on, I respond with ... 

 "Just because you are a stadium tunnel,"

Pedestal-"Stadium tunnel?"

I looked at OG, "All you do is get run through by athletes!"

::back to real time::

.......There is no recovery from that.  Though at the time it may seem justified, be careful when ripping out a potential future with people you care about.  Even though there was some obvious emotional attachment at the time, the friend that I lost as of that day wasn't worth having the last word.

#nerdsunite

#NerdsUnite: Pussycat ball turns hairy

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Marie Sumner

I consider myself to be a fairly open minded person despite my upbringing. I had what I would call a “conveyor belt childhood” where I grew up in an average sized town, in an average sized house, with average adolescent experiences. I graduated high school with average grades and attended an average 4 year university afterwards.

I would say that even my experiences in college were average:  a one-night- stand here followed by a cherry-chapstick encounter with a girl there. Scandalous yes, but nothing out of the ordinary. While I definitely had experiences that I will never forget, I still consider them to be average due to the fact that I’m sure most people have had similar experiences.

Before I continue with the story, I should let you in on some of my interests. I’m a complete sci-fi nerd who can’t get enough of dress-up. Never once did it occur to me that my love for dress-up would get me into anything super kinky for lack of a better word. Not that I have anything against kinky… I’m one of those girls that got lost in 50 Shades but it’s different when you find yourself out of your comfort zone.

And…resume story.

I was at one of my favorite restaurant /bars my last year of college and my server handed me a flyer for an event that would be taking place the next weekend called the Pussycat Ball. A $20 dollar cover charge, open bar, and a chance to dress up like a pussycat, how could I not go? Besides, all of proceeds from the event would be going to help animal shelters. Costumes are totally my thing! Besides, all of proceeds from the event would be going to help animal shelters.  It’s charity!

Needless to say, I went straight to work planning my pussycat costume. Thigh high boots, fuzzy cat ear headband and lots of cleavage completed my look. Oh, and a shit ton of glitter. It may seem odd to some but I didn’t have to buy one single item for my costume; I love dress-up that much.

A week later and I found myself walking up a set of stairs with a few of my girlfriends in tow to the Pussycat Ball. Whoever had planned the event had actually done a pretty impressive job. The venue was decked out in fancy lighting and there was a fabulous dance floor. After doing the obligatory strut around the bar my girlfriends and I made our way to get some drinks.

To be honest, I don’t remember much of anything after that and I wish I could say that’s where my story stops. Completely average and nothing too exciting. Except it doesn’t stop; it keeps going.

A couple hours later and I was blasted. As in flirtatious, beer goggled, shit-faced. Oh god I was shit-faced. I’ve never had too much of a problem with beer goggles so I’m going to blame most of what happened next on the fact that everyone was dressed like cats. 

I found myself talking to what seemed like some hunk of a tomcat and I’m pretty sure most of our conversations consisted of cat noises and a bit of frisky pawing if you know what I mean. It was at this point that I did what every stupid girl does when she’s drunk and hasn’t been laid in months—I hopped in a cab with said tomcat.

The tomcat informed me that a few of his friends were having a party, so that’s where we were headed. Walking in, I assumed in my drunken state that they must have been having a costume party of their own. A few dogs, tigers, and even a penguin were all enjoying a beverage or two and conversing. Thinking this was my kind of crowd I set straight to work mingling with my new friends and flirting a bit more with my tomcat.

This must have been the point where I blacked out. I consider not remembering exactly what happened to be a gift from God because the next morning was traumatizing enough. I woke up sandwiched between some sort of fox person and what I can only assume was my tomcat. As my head pounded in my temples, I tried to convince myself that nothing had happened but the fact that my own cat costume was nowhere in sight suggested otherwise.

I was trying to figure out the best plan of escape when my bed companions started to stir. My heart and my temples began pounding in unison as my fox companion began to nuzzle his face in my neck. I turned my head, trying to get away but I accidently found myself locking eyes with the fox instead.

I started to pull away when the fox opened his (her?) mouth and said “yiff’. (I had no idea what that meant at the time but I was all the more traumatized when I looked it up.)This was my breaking point. I’ve woken up in stranger’s beds before but never with more than one other individual in it and never with random scratches down my chest.

I sat up faster than my head would have liked and looked around for my clothes. Sadly I couldn’t locate them in them so I wrapped the sheet around myself and made a dash to the door.

My tomcat sat up looking surprised (and not to mention less attractive than I originally thought) and asked me what was wrong. WHAT WAS WRONG?!?! SERIOUSLY????

I left the apartment with no phone and no clothes, but that didn’t matter at the time. Luckily, I was only a few blocks from my apartment and it was still dark outside so I was able to take my naked walk of shame home without being seen.

I still miss those boots…

#nerdsunite

Marie Sumner is a self-proclaimed nerd who never grew out of the dress-up phase. When she’s not dressing up for “charity” or getting herself into hairy situations, she writes for the costume provider, Wholesale Halloween Costumes.