The USS Sirius Has Commissioned!!!

We are so proud and excited here on the bridge this morning!!!

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TO: All Stations, All Commands -- Attention to Orders.

FROM: STARFLEET Headquarters, Office of ADM Robert Westfall - STARFLEET Chief of Operations

RE: Commissioning of USS Sirius NCC-1744

VADM Wayne Augustin, Seventh Fleet Commander:

You are hereby directed and required to deliver USS Sirius, a Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser, STARFLEET Registry NCC-1744, into commission as of this date as a STARFLEET Ship of the Line.

This starship is based in Horseheads, NY (USA).

To CMDR Marci Jansen, Herein appointed Commanding Officer of USS Sirius:

You are hereby promoted to the Fleet service grade of Captain and are directed and required to report forthwith on board said ship and take upon you the charge and command of Captain of her accordingly; and all the officers and company of said ship subordinate to you are further charged and commanded to behave themselves jointly and severally in their respective employments with all due respect and obedience to you, their Captain.

To LCDR John Jansen, Herein appointed Executive Officer of USS Sirius:

You are promoted to the Fleet service grade of Commander and directed and required to report forthwith on board said ship and take upon you the charge and command of Executive Officer of her accordingly; and all the officers and company of said ship subordinate to you are further charged and commanded to behave themselves jointly and severally in their respective employments with all due respect and obedience to you, their Executive Officer.

The Commissioning of a new Starship is the proudest duty that I have as Chief of STARFLEET Operations. Your official orders for the Ship's records will be forthcoming via regular STARFLEET dispatch.

On behalf of STARFLEET Operations, Good Luck and God Speed in your STARFLEET journey.

Given under my hand and the seal of STARFLEET Command on stardate 11507.03.

==================================================

Robert

- - - - -

Admiral Robert Westfall

Chief of Operations, STARFLEET (www.sfi.org)

Commanding, ISS Katana  BB-77003

Nichelle Nichols

Sending our love, healing thoughts, and prayers to Nichelle and her family, and wishing her a speedy recovery!!!

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/star-trek-star-nichols-hospitalized-stroke-report-article-1.2246877

Bring Us Your Beans

Friends, Crewmates, Countrymen - Bring Us Your Beans!

Lima Beans, to be specific. 

It all started one day when someone Tweeted Misha Collins, and asked if he’d rather have 2 million followers or 2 million Lima beans. His response?

Now, if you know anything about the Supernatural fandom, you know they don’t take this kind of thing lying down. They’ve organized a movement to send Misha 2 million lima beans. While your Acting Captain thought that was great and fun (because he’ll probably donate them to a food bank), she had another idea for us.

Instead of sending Misha beans, we’re collecting beans to give to our local food bank, the Horseheads Food Pantry. And that’s where you come in!

Bring us your Lima beans!

Canned Lima beans or dry Lima beans – it doesn’t matter. We’ll collect them all and present them, take a photo, and tweet it to Misha!

You can drop them off at the Acting Captain’s house, or bring them to our next meeting on June 27th. That gives us roughly a month to collect a whole heap o’ beans!!

File under "Things We Need"

http://nerdapproved.com/approved-products/star-trek-garden-gnomes/

Region 7 Awards Winners!

Hey, ya'll! The Region 7 votes are all counted and the winners have been announced! Your Captain is pleased as punch to see our name on this list! We were up against Chapters who have been at this for far longer than us, so to take Newsletter of the Year is something we're very, very proud of!!

And just look at our Mothership go! We're thrilled!!!

Chapter of the Year- U.S.S. Serling
CO of the Year- Lisa Stuckey (U.S.S. Serling)
Officer of the Year- Maryse Quinn (U.S.S. Serling)
Enlisted Member of the Year- David Bennett (U.S.S. Challenger)
Flag Officer of the Year- Wayne Augustson (U.S.S. Britannic)
Shakedown Chapter of the Year- U.S.S. Alaster
Staff Member of the Year- Karen Carothers (U.S.S. Richthofen)
Newsletter of the Year- U.S.S. Sirius
Website of the Year- U.S.S. Serling
Chapter Charity Award- U.S.S. Serling
Helping Hands Award- Carl Deitrich (U.S.S. Susquehannock)

Congratulations to all the winners!

Congratulations!

We want to wish a big CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa Stuckey, Captain of the USS Serling (our Mothership), on her promotion to the rank of Fleet Captain!

Dual Fandom Citizenship

By  Commander Marci Jansen

I have a confession to make: While Star Trek was my first fandom, it’s not my only fandom. I’m not just a Trekker, I’m also a Super Freak. More specifically, I’m a Misha Minion. Yep, I’m a Supernatural fan.

I started watching Supernatural when it first came on, back in 2005. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, here’s the gist: Basically it’s two brothers, Sam and Dean, traveling around the country, killing “monsters” and saving people. They face off against things like ghosts, vampires, shape shifters, werewolves, and demons. The show instantly captivated me, but it wasn’t until Season 4 that I became a hardcore fan. What was so different about Season 4? One word: Castiel.

Castiel is an Angel of the Lord, and he rescued Dean from Hell in the beginning of Season 4. He quickly became a fan favorite, and went from an occasional character to a main character over the span of a few seasons.

When Castiel first debuted, we were supposed to see him as cold and unemotional. He’s entirely clueless about Humanity, typically not understanding colloquial terms, popular references, or jokes. He’s socially inept, and prone to simply blurting out the truth in inopportune moments. At first, he’s a good little Heavenly soldier – simply going about God’s work, following orders, and not giving mind to the consequences. It’s not until he starts really interacting with Dean that he begins having an internal struggle over blindly following orders, right versus wrong, and the whole “the ends justify the means” debate. He frequently tries to help, only to end up making things worse. Watching him learn and grow has turned out to be a fantastic ride, at times hilarious, joyful, and heartbreaking.

But my love of Castiel stems from something deeper than simply a well-written character.

I’ve talked about how dark my childhood was, but there’s an aspect I rarely discuss. My mother truly believed that I was an actual angel. It’s a long story, but basically she believed such because she had lost children before me, and before getting pregnant with me, she prayed for several hours every day. It sounds like a really nice thought, in theory, until the first time I did something wrong or wasn’t perfect at something, and ultimately disappointed her. My parents were emotionally crippled individuals, so I grew up in an emotional desert. For that reason, I often found myself at odds with the world – not understanding references or how to act around people. Like Castiel, I went through a process of learning by doing, and figuring out how to navigate the world all on my own. And just like him, sometimes I was woefully bad at it.

Over the years, I’ve gained a respect for Misha Collins, the man behind the role, as well. He has spoken several times about his difficult childhood, and I applaud him for sharing his experiences. He takes time with his fans, and it’s a true joy to watch him raising his children, and the ways he’s teaching them about being good people. These days, just like Castiel, he’s on a mission to change the world for the better with his charity Random Acts. I urge you to check out the website.

Z is for Zefram Cochrane

Doctor Zefram Cochrane was a Human scientist in the21st century. An eccentric genius, he was the inventor ofwarp drive on Earth and became the first recorded Human to travel faster than light, prompting official first contactwith the Vulcans.

Read more HERE. 

Congratulations Ensign Ann!

A big CONGRATULATIONS to our crew member Ann who participated in the Journey Fitness “Fly with the Eagles 5K” and took 1st place in her age bracket! We’re very proud of you!!!!

Captain’s Log, Stardate 92921.14

Commander Marci Jansen reporting.

Greetings all!

April brought us River Road Expo at Tioga Downs. We had a fabulous time hanging out with our friends from the USS Serling! We gave away comics and rubber ducks, expanded our newsletter e-mail list, and raised $14 for Pennies for Pets for the Horseheads Animal Shelter!!

By my calculations, we should officially commission as a fully-fledged ship in May. To that end, we’ve decided to hold our First Annual Sirius Pizza Party on June 27th at my house! Everyone is welcome to come and help us celebrate our first big milestone. We hope to make this a yearly event that grows and grows!

And last but certainly not least, please help us welcome our new crewmember Troy Naida. Some of you might recognize Troy – he’s the owner of Rainy Toad Gaming. We’re thrilled to have him on board!

As always, if you have something you’d like to contribute to a future newsletter issue, send me an e-mail at usssirius@stny.rr.com. We’re also still looking for used folding chairs to purchase.

Until next time!

Y is for Yarnek

Yarnek was an Excalbian who, in 2269, diverted the USS Enterprise to Excalbia in order to study Human concepts of good and evil. He arranged for a conflict with Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, and recreations of Abraham Lincoln and Surak on the side of "good," and Colonel Green, Dr. Zora ofTiburon, Genghis Khan and Kahless on the side of "evil."

Yarnek was somehow capable of causing the matter-antimatter shielding to deteriorate remotely. Spock conjectured that his species had the ability to rearrange matter.

X is for Charlie X

Evans was born in 2249. Three years later, in 2252, he was the sole survivor of a transport ship crash on the desolate planet Thasus. The Thasians granted Evans his wide array of powers so that he could survive on their inhospitable world. Although they were able to restrain him temporarily, they were unable or unwilling to remove the powers.

Evans' powers included:

Telepathy

Telekinesis

The ability to make matter vanish, to create matter, and to rearrange the structure of matter

The ability to influence the operation of mechanical devices

The ability to alter the physiology of living beings and to influence their mental processes

Read more HERE. 

We're on Tumblr

Hey ya'll

Just a quick note to let you know we're also now on Tumblr! We're usssirius - follow us!

W is for Warp Drive

Warp drive was a technology that allowed space travel at faster-than-lightspeeds. It worked by generating warp fields to form a subspace bubble that enveloped the starship, distorting the local spacetime continuum and moving the starship at velocities that could greatly exceed the speed of light. These velocities were referred to as warp factors. Warp drive was the most common form of interstellar propulsion used in the Milky Way Galaxy, making interstellar exploration, commerce, and warfare possible.

Read more HERE. 

V is for Vulcan

The Vulcans were a warp capable humanoid species from the planet Vulcan. They were widely known for their logical minds and stoic culture. In 2161, their homeworld became a founding member of the United Federation of Planets.
Read more HERE.

U is for Uhura

"And Uhura, whose name means freedom. She walks in beauty, like the night."

– Ambassador Kollos

Nyota Uhura was a female Human Starfleet officer in the 23rd century. She served as a communications officer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. 

Uhura was an important part of the original series' multicultural crew and one of the first characters of African descent to be featured in a non-menial role on an American television series.

Read more HERE.

T is for Tribble

Spock: [while holding a tribble] Most curious creature, Captain. 

Its trilling seems to have a tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.

[beginning to pet it gently] Fortunately, of course, I am... immune to it's effect...

[realizing what he is doing, he quickly puts the tribble down and excuses himself]

Tribbles (Polygeminus grex) are small, non-intelligent lifeforms originating from Iota Geminorum IV. Known for their prodigious reproductive rate, these round, furry creatures emit cooing sounds while touched, which have a tranquilizing effect on the Human nervous system. Born pregnant, a single tribble with sufficient food can quickly increase its number exponentially through presumably asexual reproduction, bearing an average litter of ten every twelve hours. On their homeworld, tribble populations are kept in check by a large number of reptilian predators. 

Read more HERE. 

River Road Expo April 2015

We interrupt your A-Z Challenge fun to bring you these images from last Sunday's River Road Expo!

S is for Spock

“Has it occurred to you that there is a certain inefficiency in constantly questioning
me on things you’ve already made up your mind about?” - Spock

Spock – full name generally considered unpronounceable to Humans – was a male Human/Vulcan hybrid who became one of the most distinguished and respected figures in the United Federation of Planets in his lifetime.

As a Starfleet officer in the 23rd century, he served aboard the starship USS Enterprise as science officer under Captain Christopher Pike, as first officer and science officer under Captain James T. Kirk, and as the Enterprise's commanding officer during her tenure as atraining vessel. In the 24th century, Spock became a celebrated ambassador and adviser to the Federation's leadership. He disappeared in 2387 after saving the Federation from a supernova that destroyed Romulus, causing the creation of the alternate reality. 

Read more HERE. 

R is for Romulans

The Romulans were a humanoid race from the plane tRomulus in the Alpha Quadrant. The Romulans were biological cousins of Vulcans, as they were descended from those who rejected Surak's reforms during the Time of Awakening. The Romulan Star Empire was the Romulan state and one of the major powers known in the galaxy.

Read more HERE. 

Q is for Quadrotriticale

"Wheat. So what?" - Captain Kirk

Quadrotriticale (pronounced "quádro-trítĭ-kay-lee") was a high-yield, perennial grain. Specifically, it was a genetically engineered hybrid of wheat and rye with four distinct lobes per kernel, hence the "quadro-" prefix of its name, and was bluish in color. As of 2269 it was the only Earth grain able to grow on Sherman's Planet.

Read more HERE.

P is for Pavel Chekov

"I'm not that green!" – Pavel Chekov

Pavel Andreievich Chekov was a Human who served as a Starfleet officer during the latter half of the 23rd century. Although he mainly served as the navigator and security chief aboard the USS Enterprise and the USS Enterprise-A, he played a more variable role than other senior crew members under Captain James T. Kirk. 

Read more HERE. 

O is for Orion

Orions were known for their distinctive green skin. Orion males were typically bald and, on average, taller and more muscular than the average Human male. Orion females were very animalistic in nature, known for their extreme carnal appetites and their innate skill of seduction. A Human male could rarely resist the alluring dance of theOrion slave girl. 

Read more HERE.

N is for Number One

"Number One" was a female Human Starfleet officer in the 23rd century. She was a lieutenant who served in the command division aboard the USS Enterprise in 2254 under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. As well as being one of the ship's helmsmen, she was its First Officer. She was one of the most experienced officers on the ship. Her name was not Number One; this was the naval slang term given by Pike to his first officer on the USS Enterprise.

According to the Talosian magistrate, known as The Keeper, she had exceptional intelligence and rationality, and that her seeming lack of emotion was largely a pretense.

Read more HERE.

M is for Mugato

Mugatos were large, intimidating animals that could reach a height of two meters (not including their horns). Covered by a thick pelt of white fur all over their bodies with the exception of their faces and hands, they were similar to the great apes of Earth in their physical proportions and prehensile hands and feet. All of their teeth were sharp and serrated and their fangs contained a strong venom that was fatal to Humans and inhabitants of Neural alike within a matter of hours. Mugatos had large, thick horns projecting from the top of their craniums as well as smaller spikes running down the spine.

Read more HERE. 

L is for Leonard H. McCoy

"I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!" - Bones

Leonard Horatio "Bones" McCoy, MD was a male Human citizen of Earth in the 23rd and 24th centuries. He spent most of his life in service of the Federation and its people, as a Starfleet officer. He was an accomplished surgeon, physician, psychologist, and exobiologist, and was also considered an expert in space psychology. As chief medical officer, he served aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A for a combined twenty-seven years.

Read more HERE. 

K is for Klingon

"A Klingon's honor means more to him than his life!" – Kurn

The Klingons were a humanoid warrior species that originated from the planet Qo'noS (pronounced Kronos), an M-class planet. One of the major powers of the galaxy, the Klingons were a proud, tradition-bound people who valued honor and combat. The aggressive Klingon culture had made them an interstellar military power to be respected and feared.

Read more HERE. 

J is for James T. Kirk

"Leave bigotry in your quarters; there's no room for it on the bridge." - James T. Kirk

Captain James Tiberius Kirk was a Starfleet officer in the 23rd century. He was arguably one of the most famous and highly-decorated starship captains in the history of Starfleet. As the commander of the Constitution-class starships USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A, Kirk served Federation interests as an explorer, soldier, time-traveler, and diplomat.

His exploits were required reading for cadets studying Early Starfleet History in the 24th century. His exploits included the saving of the Pelosians from extinction, despite it being a violation of the Prime Directive, along with his saving of the Baezians and Chenari years earlier, and a record-setting number of first contacts.

Read more HERE. 

I is for IDIC

The Vulcan IDIC is an acronym for Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, the basis of Vulcan philosophy, celebrating the vast array of variables in the universe. In the Vulcan language, the term for IDIC is Kol-Ut-Shan. 

Read more HERE. 

H is for Horta

The Horta was a silicon-based lifeform from Janus VI. It was composed of a material similar to fibrous asbestos.

Horta physiology was very different from the carbon-based norm more commonly found in the galaxy. Horta were difficult to detect with tricorders, and were invulnerable to type 1 phasers, though they could be injured with an adjusted type 2 phaser. They fed on rock, and thus they were nourished just by tunneling. Horta tunneled through rock like most humanoids walked through air, moving with the aid of an extremely corrosive acid. They left perfectly round tunnels in their wake. This acid was so corrosive that it only left fragments of bone and teeth if used on a Human. Although Hortas did not evolve in an oxygen environment, they seemed able to exist in it for extended periods of time.

Read more HERE.

G is for Gorn

The Gorn's first contact with the Federation took place in 2267, when the Gorn attacked a Federation colony on Cestus III. The Gorn saw the strike as a preemptive move, since they regarded the Cestus system as part of their territory. The USS Enterprise pursued a Gorn starship from Cestus III into a previously unexplored region of the galaxy, near 2466 PM. There, both starships were immobilized by the Metrons, who transported James T. Kirk and the Gorn captain to a planet's surface, where the two captains were instructed to settle their differences in a "contest... of ingenuity against ingenuity, brute strength against brute strength."

Read more HERE. 

F is for Federation

"A dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars." – James T. Kirk, 2269

The United Federation of Planets (abbreviated as UFP and commonly referred to as the Federation) was an interstellar federal republic, composed of planetary governments that agreed to exist semi-autonomously under a single central government based on the principles of universal liberty, rights, and equality, and to share their knowledge and resources in peaceful cooperation andspace exploration.

One of the most powerful interstellar states in known space, it encompassed 8,000 light years. The total number of formal member worlds was over one hundred and fifty. 

Read more HERE. 

E is for Enterprise

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was a 23rd century Federation Constitution-class starship operated by Starfleet. In the course of her career, the Enterprise became the most celebrated starship of her time.

In her forty years of service and discovery, through upgrades and at least two refits, she took part in numerous first contacts, military engagements, and time-travels. She achieved her most lasting fame from the five-year mission (2265-2270) under the command of James T. Kirk.

Read more HERE. 

D is for Dilithium Crystals

Dilithium, also known as radan, is an element, a member of the hypersonic series, mostly occurring as crystalline mineral. It was used to control the power of the warp drive systems of many starships by regulating the matter/antimatter reaction in a ship's warp core because of its ability to be rendered porous to light-element antimatter when exposed to high temperatures and electromagnetic pressures. It controlled the amount of power generated in the reaction chamber, channeling the energy released by mutual annihilation into a stream of electro-plasma.
Read more HERE.

C is for Cookie

It's not the kind of cookie you're thinking of, though. See those dark, shadowy lines on the wall behind Scotty? Those are made by using a cuculoris, or, as it's called in movie-making slang, a cookie. 

In lighting for film, theatre and still photography, a cuculoris (occasionally also spelled cucoloris, kookaloris, cookaloris or cucalorus) is a device for casting shadows or silhouettes to produce patterned illumination. The word is sometimes shortened to cookie or coo-koo. The cookie is used to create a more natural look by breaking up the light from a man made source. It can be used to simulate movement by passing shadows or light coming through a leafy canopy.

Here's another shot - see the shadowy lines in the doorway in the back? 

Star Trek was famous for its use of wagon wheel shaped cookies. Pay attention the next time you catch an episode!