The Joy of Gaming: Our Last Tween Lock-In

Well... it's not the absolute last. It's just the last of this school year, but I figured the title might have become a bit obnoxious in length if I put in all the additional information.

The best laid plans of teachers and students often go astray. I sent home the letter of intent in January with all the dates we booked the library at our school for. I said I can change any of the dates if I have advanced notice, especially if many of the students could not attend. I put the date on the board in my room under club announcements poster. I remind the kids weekly about the dates.

What happens is... you have 6 kids out of 13 attend. My heart broke, especially since the previous lock-in was canceled since I doubled over in pain. I hemmed and hawed over canceling and rescheduling, but even looking ahead to various weekends, it was very clear to me that there weren't other weekends to make this happen. So I did not cancel it.

I never made a better decision. I also managed my exhaustion with much coffee and Rock Star. We also made sure our drinks were in red Solo cups, because the Solo movie is promoting Solo cups. Then we all labeled them with Star Wars names, except for one, because he apparently wasn't listening.

We always start our evening with our dinner, which gives the kids time to settle in and get comfortable. Then it was time to get serious and get going. Well... after we made some pickle jokes and it lasted all evening.

Jonathan Mariucci donated a copy of Hexplore It to our club, so a group of four boys immediately broke off from the group, which left me with the two eigth graders who showed up. I was totally fine with this and the results was that I played more games that I ever had before and the laughter and jokes were so much fun!

At around 7PM, one of my student's aunts brought us custard from a popular place in Oshkosh and the kids dug in! I stored the rest.

Someone put a pickle in their custard.

We essentially stayed in our groups for the whole night. At 9:30 I got a text from one of our volunteer-approved friends and he popped in with some extra games and stayed until around 1AM.  It was the best way to end the year of lock-ins for me, but I also cried, because... it was the last one and, especially, the last one with my 8th graders. I reflected on how far they'd come as gamers and their growth made me proud.

So here was our line-up for the evening, not including the break-off group that played Hexplore It and one or two silly party games... oh... and Sheriff of Nottingham... so...



Guillotine (I won)

(My review of Guillotine.)

Legends of Andor (We completed the note mission!)

Star Trek: Five-Year Mission (Won by the skin of our teeth)

Marvel Legendary (Lost, but my 8th grade girl student won in points)

(My article on the game.)

Azul (My husband won and the game freaked out my 8th grade boy)

Custom Heroes (I finally avenge my loss from the previous play, which ended up being due to a misunderstanding of the win condition. MWAHAHAHA!)

Article 27 (The kids still love this game, but I, sadly, became the bitter player because no one was doing what I asked and kept rejecting my requests. So I kept being the veto jerk.)

After I went to sleep, the horror of the caffeine overload finally taking me out.

Poison

Super Motherload









When I awoke, the boys had already cleaned up the media center. I was shocked! We finished cleaning up and there was so much time before pick-up that my husband actually broke out one more game! Oh... my... goodness... A morning game! This has never happened!


Why First?









This really was the way to go and it was a good final sendoff for the year.

Star Trek Twerk

My first week of school is over and I have been catching up on some of the moments I might have potentially missed. One of which is the Star Trek/Miley Cyrus Twerking video and I just had to share it. I am an outspoken opponent of the "awesomeness of twerking." I think it is the stupidest thing to ever grace the dance world, or world in general. To have it entered into the Oxford Dictionary Online is even more appalling to me, but it added a bunch of stuff I think it's useless.

The bottom line is that it's lewd, it's crude and it's no Madonna and Britney Spears kissing, which Miley Cyrus hailed as her most memorable and most shocking MTV moment. Madonna and Britney had shock value, but it was shock value for progressive rights of hetero- and homosexuals. Miley made a progressive stance on. . . humping foam objects and letting it all hang out? ::shakeshead::

So have a laugh and enjoy the crew of the Star Trek Enterprise reacting this is visual assault:

WARNING! IF YOU HATED SEEING HER THE FIRST TIME, TURN AWAY AND PROBABLY DON'T WATCH THIS! IF YOU WANT TO RELIVE THE PAIN, PLEASE CONTINUE WATCHING!

Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode 11: The Menagerie, Part 1

Episode 11 - The Menagerie, Part 1

• Shirts look more yellow and less puke. Awesome.
• Something happened to Pike?!?!?! This isn't good!
• Kirk and Pike met when he was promoted to Fleet Captain. (Future reference, Pike is in the J.J. Abrams new Star Trek movies as being a little bit more than just a meeting.)
• Spock has served with Pike for 11 years, 4 months, 5 days.
• Pike Saved kids! He's a hero! (duh.)
• THE WHEEL CHAIR!!! OMG CLASSIC!!! (South Park/Futurama) 

• Christopher Pike would be brilliant at ghost hunting (1 beep for yes, 2 beeps for no).

• It's stuck on No, except for Spock.
• Oh, wait, no, it is still stuck on No. That previous yes was an anomaly.
• It's a five year mission? That's kinda crazy. I guess it's that whole "tour of duty kind of thing."
• Kirk and Commander reviewing if Spock is. . . out of line.
• Oh Spock. . . no . . .betrayal? What are you up to?
• Pike's chair can move based on brainwaves and he can beep yes and no, but that's all... you would have thought a bit more technology would have evolved by then. Such as red and green lights instead of multiple beeps.
• Spock is getting loose with his vulcan neck pinch.
  
• Pike sits, lonely, beeping no, no. Wait... or is that yes, yes.
• Vulcans are incapable of lying. But what about Spock's human side?
• Talos IV: No crew for any reason can go there and no one knows why!
•  Logic and Madness walk a thin line, Spock.
• McCoy cannot be right, because he is not the Logical Spock.
• OH CRAP!!! Mutiny Spock? Oh geez.... 
• "Arrest me." You have baffled McCoy in a moment he could have relished. Was that a slight you designed by making sure he was back on board?
• I'd like to take a moment and say Mr. Scott's haircut is HORRENDOUS!
  
• A COURT MARTIAL! 
• Mendez: "Whatever he's up to, he's planned it well."
• Spock: "This is 13 years ago." So it has been 2 years since Spock served with Pike and, potentially, 2 years since starting to serve with Kirk.
• Those are some incredibly detailed tapes (oh, Kirk agrees!).
• Class M - Oxygen Atmosphere
• (Now we're into The Cage footage.)
• They are sending a transmission of the episode! That... is... awesome!
• To be continued NEXT WEEK!!! (oh thank goodness classic TV is reliable and does what it promises. Additionally, this was NOT a season finale... I don't have to wait all summer to find out what Spock is up to. I think that would have incited the loss of fans back then. They didn't put up with your crazy games.)
• Wait. . . where's Sulu?

I am very intrigued with this episode. It has some great history to it with tons of interesting tidbits. Everything from the history behind the pilot episode, to how Roddenberry came up with the idea for the creation of this episode, to the oft-parodied elements. Even the pieces of information about Vulcan's and Spock's past are notable fodder. Even these formal uniforms are looking really well done and the show is really starting to round out into a consistent groove. I am really quite excited to watch Part II.

As for MST3K connections, there are the same The Cage references, but some new ones with new information.

• John Hoyt (Dr. Phillip Boyce) appears in Episode 208: The Lost Continent as Rostov.
• Peter Duryea (Lieutenant José Tyler) appeared in Episode 204: Catalina Caper. 
• CHANGE: Bob Johnson (voice of Transporter Chief Pitcairon instead of the voice of Talosian #1) was the narrator, among other voices, in Episode 113: The Black Scorpion.
• Adam Roarke (Chief Petty Officer Garrison) was Harris in Episode 104: Women of the Prehistoric Planet.
• Tom Lupo (Security Guard) from Episode K19: Hanger 18 who was a stunt coordinator for the movie.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode 10: The Corbomite Maneuver

Episode 10 - The Corbomite Maneuver 

Just to jog your memory about this episode. . .

• Spinning Rubik's Cube of Color (We've never been out this far before).
• Lt. Bailey tries Spock's Patience
• Oooo... Captain Kirk working out. Really amping up the sex-appeal.
• Spock recommends Lt. Bailey have his adrenaline gland removed, because it is hindering his work performance.
• Woah! First whole-ship rockin'! First Phaser Fire.
• OMG those ear things are bothering me! 
• Constantly questioning Spock gives Kirk emotional security. (A personal connection.)
• So when McCoy is bored, he comes and hangs out on the Bridge? 
• OH! Lt. Bailey was promoted too quickly. Wants to be too much like a young Kirk. 
• Success rate 94%. . . Let's try for 100%.
• Wait... wait... I thought pounds didn't matter.
• Hey, hey, the gang's all here! I think this might be a first for everyone being together in an episode.
• McCoy is just as smug as Kirk about things. Then again, so is Spock... Maybe Smugness is par for the Bridge. . . but not the women on the Bridge.
• FASCINATING!
• Screen can zoom out or in on objects. That is kind of cool.
• United Earth Ship - Enterprise
•  Commander Balok of the Fesarius. A flagship of the "First Federation".
• OH! It was a Marker Bouy.
• Huh. . . what do you do when you encounter others who do not fall under the FFF? If they are beyond the understanding of what their doing.
• Shirts are looking a little more yellow, but still kind of a puke-yellow.
• Chess vs. Poker
• McCoy and Kirk love Poker. ha!
• Women. . . serving coffee when you don't realize you need it.
• Omg. . . watching people try to shake themselves is HILARIOUS!!! Effective, but McCoy wins the prize for Best Shake. (Even though, Spock looked a little masturbatory at one point.)
• THE DUMMY looking Alien REALLY IS A DUMMY!  
• TRANYA!!! 
  
• It was a test? A test for Friendship? huh. I don't think it works like that.
• But at least they found a place for Bailey.

Just a cool fact that learned. The little alien guy is Ron Howard's brother, Clint Howard, who was only 7 at Futurama, in the episode that draws directly on Star Trek, "Where No Fan Has Gone Before." In Venture Bros., episode "Assisted Suicide," Henchman No. 21 pours a drink for himself and Dr. Mrs the Monarch, calling it tranya. She responds with "I hope you relish it as much as I" before mentioning how creeped out she was by Ron Howard's little brother. Awesome!
the time. Kind of a cool bit of info. Also, this episode has ties to both Futurama and Venture Bros. The dummy alien is in an end still for

Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode 4: The Naked Time

Episode 4 - The Naked Time

• Even though he's in a red suit, he is still technically a red shirt!
• Red Shirt - Absolutely no regard for protocol!
• Spock once again reminds us that he's superior in every way!
• What? No subtitles for Scotty's rough Scottish accent? Beware of screening today. We need subtitles for anyone who doesn't speak with a broadcaster's accent. (Uh... Mr. Scott, not Scotty... yet.)
• Spocks eyebrows are back to a normal looking angle.
• Uniforms are much more... uniform.
• Is this the right-handed disease?
• Sulu: Hookie-Player   Sulu: Swashbuckler (AKA Nutjob?)
• The Sick Bay looks a little bit more like the "Salon Bay." 
• Vulcan neck pinch takes down Swashbuckler Sulu.
  
• A description of how women should look? Men still prefer the natural look with loose hair. Good to know for the future.
• Using phaser to get through the ship's hull. That was pretty nifty!
• Spock, once again, gets that loving feeling.... with sniffles and tears? Oh my.....
• Special effects reveal: Spock ears.
• Don't cry Spock.... it's ok.
• Kirk gets slap-happy!
• There may be no right way to hit a woman, but apparently there's no right way to hit a Spock, either. 
• Kirk loves his ship like a woman and wants to walk on the beach with her. (Unresolved: Is he really talking about Janice? Is Janice a human version of the ship? Will Kirk ever get his walk on the beach?!?!?)
• McCoy. . . that shirt is coming out of your pay. Completely unnecessary. (Sidenote: Kirk's wardrobe budget must be huge! Two ripped shirts so far.)
• Scotty and Spock save the day!
• Running backwards in time!!! LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN! Next time, this might be easier than messing around with Dark Matter!

• 3 days of redoes! AWESOME!
• Time travel is now possible. Established in Episode 4. Future plots revealed!

I was reading a little more on this episode and I noticed that there is a remastered version of the episodes as part of the 40th Anniversary re-release. As I was reading through the things that have been changed, it has become very obvious to me that we are watching t he remastered versions and I am slightly bummed. I was kind of impressed with the visual quality of the show, but now that I know so much of the small things were changed, I don't feel as in-awe as I did previously. I mean, I was really impressed. I also just have that hit to my pride for not making the connection, but I guess I'll get over it. I feel cheated.

Only one connection to MST3K this week. . . .

• Stewart Moss (Lt. Joe Tormolen) is Dr. John Beck in Episode 1010: It Lives By Night. HEY! Say hi to Mitchell for me!

Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode 3: Where No Man Has Gone Before

Episode 3 - Where No Man Has Gone Before

•  This is the "Pilot" with the replaced crew.
• Spock is looking strangely yellow when wearing his puke colored shirt. Still no consistency with uniforms. (Yes, I know it's the second pilot with the new cast and was filmed before the previous two episodes.)
• Tractor Beam (first mention).
• Kelso (possible inspiration for That 70's Show? Clearly there are already Star Trek connections between Bob Kelso from Scrubs for other reasons....joke made through Scubs.)
• Scotty!! But..... we've lost McCoy!
• Warp Factor of 1
• Gary Mitchell?!?!? I can't help but laugh at any mention of the name Mitchell (MST3K anyone?!?!).
• Sulu: Physicist
•  Kirk was a teacher? Almost married a woman set up by Gary Mitchell as some sort of "assignment"? 
• HOT LIPS!!! 
• Spock has that loving feeling.

When I was reading up on the background of this episode, I realized it was the second attempt at a pilot. When I was reading into it, I saw that Lucille Ball owned the studio where the pilot was produced and, after a bad showing with the original pilot, convinced NBC to give Star Trek and Roddenberry another chance. She owned Desilu Studios. What an awesome piece of trivia. Kind of like Star Wars saving Fox Studios.... Lucille Ball saved Star Trek! She really was an amazing woman!


And now the MST3K connections:

• Gary Lockwood (Lt. Cmdr. Gary Mitchell) was in Episode 615: Kitten with a Whip in a minor role, and he was Sir George in Episode 411: The Magic Sword. 
• Paul Carr (Kelso) was Dr. Kipling Episode 1010: It Lives By Night.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode 2: Charlie X

Episode 2 - Charlie X

•  What are these beige/nude shirts? With rounded federation symbols? And Kirk's green wrap shirt? A leisure shirt? And what is up with the different blue colors? Why does Dr. McCoy get a shiny blue shirt and Spock a standard and traditional looking shirt? Hmmm. Ray suggests medical smock for McCoy.
• I like how the show doesn't start right away with the intro. It's neat that it has a little story and then the intro. I hadn't realized these did that back then. (NOTE: When did this start in television? Is it something central to certain types of shows?)
• "Captain Kirk is one of a kind, Charlie."
• Ray: "This episode is about YOU and how awkward YOU are." Me: "Oh no...." Ray: "But you don't have evil super powers." Me: frown. What can I conclude from this? I am like an awkward 17 year-old space boy with evil super powers, but without the powers. This does not bode well for my declassification as "boring and unattractive social misfit."
• Recreation Room, Deck 6 (Is this the first mention of multiple decks? How many decks are there?).
• Spock: Logical Musician. Irritated by fabulous black woman's absurdities. Reminder: Star Trek the Musical could never work.

  

  How'd that work out?

• 3D Chess Board and Solitaire is still popular!
• Charlie silences Uhura.... he was just doing what we were all thinking. It wasn't really... evil. He also has a knack for magical card trick photography!
• "There's no right way to hit a woman." Well said, Kirk.
• I'm picking up on subtle pauses... could this be the start of the exaggerated running gag of Shatner's acting ability? (Ray: "He is at his best here. Nothing is up with him yet. Wait.")
• Kirk is on his way to the Bridge in a yellow crew shirt. [cut] Kirk arrives on the bridge a few seconds later in his green shirt! WITCH CRAFT!!!
• Charlie has personal boundary issues.Space Aspbergers? (No offense.)
• Shirtless with tight spandex! I wonder if the chicks wear SPANX! I'm not ready for this!

• SPARRING MUSIC! The most dangerous dance! (Not the classic verse, but intense music for a brief spar-session.)
• And a Red Shirt dies. Only a stern look from Kirk.
• NCC-1701
• Spock randomly quotes broken William Blake. Tyger, Tyger burning bright. . . Then recites The Raven by Poe... or at least a few lines.
• Charlie turns blue shirt girl into an.... iguana? What a random animal for a future person to turn someone into.
• Do you mean the original definition of nice? Foolish, ignorant, and wanton? (Criminal Minds reference... um... my own references, not... ya' know... Star Trek and Criminal Minds.)
• The Thasians! We appear where we want.

Ok, I found the earlier conversation with my husband about this being an episode about me offensive. I am nowhere near as awkward as this guy. Plus he's crazy. I left my crazy phase a long time ago.


Mystery Science Theater 3000 cast connections:

• Charles J. Stewart (Commander [Captain of Antares] Ramart) is Captain Harris in Episode 319: War of the Colossal Beast.
• Don Eitner (Navigator) appears in Episode 517: Beginning of the End as Soldier at Observation Post #2. 
• Bob Herron (Sam - uncredited) is in Episode 108: The Slime People as a Slim Person and stunts. He was also in Episode 803: The Mole People as a Mole Person!

Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode 1: The Man Trap

Episode 1 - The Man Trap

• The velour is gone! Zapp Brannigan has Kirk's smugness, but Pike's velour! Already my geek is in high gear.
• A blue shirt dies...Where are the red shirts?!?! Hanging out on the ship, I guess. Not cool enough to be part of the landing crew? Lots of yellow shirts dying here. Final count is 2 blue and 2 yellow.
• Sulu: Botanist. Sulu: Bridge
• Woah.... Swahili spoken on TV? With no subtitles! That was pretty nifty.
• Truth serum! 
• Vulcans have green blood. . .I did not know that. Spock explains (is that sarcasm?) it is because of different blood cells due to spawning in a another ocean than Kirk's ancestors. 
• Blue phaser = kill. Purple phaser = stun.

A conversation that spun off of this episode involved Stardate. Apparently Stardate was chosen at random, to some extent, by the show writers. Stardate is unreliable, but you can still count earth years, which are more reliable. This was further referenced in an episode of Family Guy that was airing on Adult Swim when we had stopped watching Star Trek for the night. In this episode, Peter is watching Star Trek and, in exaggerated fashion, Kirk is saying the Stardate and it is just a bunch of random numbers that aren't even close to the actual rough numbers on the show. It was a proud geek moment for me that was way funnier because, well. . . I never got that tiny bit before.  (NOTE: A question I still want to pinpoint. The origin of the spastic/pausing Captain Kirk?)


The velour conversation also took a turn for the interesting after this episode. We wanted to know what the shirts in this episode were made of. Well, apparently there are different types of velour. It is a fabric or textile, not a material. It can be made from cotton or polyester. So in the pilot episode, it was a "robe velour." We speculate it was made from cotton to be more plush-looking. Season 1 velour is probably "craft velour" to make it more spandexy and breathable.


Wow! Only two episodes in and I'm feeling imbued with relevant and valuable geek knowledge.