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Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Baked Mostaccioli
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Have you ever noticed how young male appetites aren't affected by extremes of heat or cold? I must admit that baked mostaccioli is the last thing I'd normally think of serving on a hot summer night. This, however, is a dish that has a couple of things to commend it. It is, of course, delicious and quite filling. It's also easy to prepare and can be made by novice cooks. What I find most interesting about this version of the recipe, however, is its history. This is the recipe that was used to make the mostaccioli served to Mafia dons at, what the IRS came to call, "The Last Supper". The meal was held at the Sicily Restaurant in Chicago to announce the retirement of two mob bosses, only one one of whom was retiring voluntarily. Within five years most of the dons, seen in the picture to the left, would be dead, falling victim to old age rather than internecine warfare and this occasion was their last hurrah. I'm posting the recipe as it was written, but a jarred tomato sauce can certainly replace the one called for in the recipe. That puts the recipe within the realm of possibility even for young cooks. Here's how the mostaccioli served at that last supper is made.
Baked Mostaccioli...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
3 (8-oz.) cans unseasoned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound mostaccioli
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2) Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Remove casing from Italian sausage. Add to skillet and brown.
3) Add tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and black pepper to skillet. Stir to mix well. Bring contents of skillet to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Drain.
5) Place half of cooked pasta in baking pan, making sure bottom of pan is completely covered. Cover with half of tomato sauce and half of cheese. Create another layer using remaining mostaccioli, tomato sauce and cheese.
6) Bake, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top layer of cheese is completely melted. If desired, brown under broiler. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
One Year Ago Today: Lamb Chops with Sizzled Garlic
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53 comments :
- Unknown said...
My grandma used to make us baked mostaccioli all the time! It has been a favorite of mine forever!!
Love the pictures of all the dons.. and the history behind the recipe. We just got done watching "Mob Week" on AMC.. watched a long list of great gangster movies! - August 9, 2011 at 8:56 AM
- sally said...
I love easy baked pasta dishes. This one looks so cheesy and delicious!
- August 9, 2011 at 8:59 AM
- tinyskillet said...
I love baked pasta with all that melted cheese on top. I don't have any young men around, but we tend to still bake dinner here in Florida...not too many cold evenings. I made some sausage lentil soup the other day and thought that would be a nice fall meal.
It is so much better to have the history behind a dish! Love it! - August 9, 2011 at 9:17 AM
- Kim said...
Of course, its not properly a summer dish, but sometimes, in summer, we crave for something more comforting, like this dish. It looks good!
- August 9, 2011 at 9:28 AM
- Mr. Bill said...
Looks WONDERFUL!
- August 9, 2011 at 9:28 AM
- Diane said...
This is the sort of dish that we would love and that my husband would be able to make :-) Diane
- August 9, 2011 at 9:31 AM
- Clint said...
Sounds like an offer I can't refuse!
- August 9, 2011 at 9:41 AM
- RATOLINHA said...
Que aspecto maravilhoso!!!
Mais uma vez um prato delicioso.
Beijos - August 9, 2011 at 9:53 AM
- Heather S-G said...
That looks KILLER! My appetite wouldn't be affected by the heat if that were in front of me.
- August 9, 2011 at 10:02 AM
- Beloved Green said...
I didn't even read the recipe at first, I just looked at the photo and my mouth started watering - so good!
- August 9, 2011 at 10:18 AM
I'm going to make this over the weekend! It looks fantastic!
- August 9, 2011 at 10:26 AM
- Terri @ that's some good cookin' said...
Excellent recipe! That toasty mozzarella on top is perfectly done. My Italian brother in-law taught me that that is the way Italians like their mozzarella! Mmmm...I need to make this very soon.
- August 9, 2011 at 10:44 AM
- June said...
Yum. Love the stuff and my mouth is absolutely weeping at the moment; stomach's growling too. Darn!
- August 9, 2011 at 10:51 AM
- That Girl said...
We're having pasta for dinner tonight, but I'm shooting for an oven free version.
- August 9, 2011 at 11:31 AM
- Jennifer said...
I cannot wait to make this, I cant stand to cook in the heat so it will have to wait till Fall!
- August 9, 2011 at 11:42 AM
- Joanne said...
My appetite is actually also quite heat-resistant. This looks fantastic!
- August 9, 2011 at 11:50 AM
wow this is a new dish to me,, boy it looks great and yes I agree teen boys will eat a hot plate supper in 100 degree heat,, bottomless pits they have for tummies
- August 9, 2011 at 11:57 AM
- Valérie said...
I thought my knowledge of pasta was pretty good, but I didn't even know what mostaccioli are... The baked dish looks delicious, I'd eat it even during a heat wave!
- August 9, 2011 at 12:06 PM
- kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...
I loved reading about the "Last Supper"!! I'm going to be making this recipe soon.
- August 9, 2011 at 12:10 PM
- Martha said...
another perfectly baked dish! looks scrumptious! you are right about them not being affected by heat or cold, I have 3 of them that will just about anything temperature-wise anytime!:)
- August 9, 2011 at 12:10 PM
- Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...
Put me in a nice cold air conditioned room and I could eat this whole pan. Interesting story behind the recipe. Printing now!
- August 9, 2011 at 12:20 PM
- David said...
Mary, That is a pretty and very tempting entree! Simple ingredients and easy to put together...but I'd have to substitute the spicy Italian sausage. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
- August 9, 2011 at 12:35 PM
- PeggyR said...
That looks so good. I don't know if I like Mexican or Italian better!
- August 9, 2011 at 12:38 PM
- Susan said...
What a great post, Mary! Yours looks restaurant-worthy!
- August 9, 2011 at 12:45 PM
- Lynn said...
Looks like a great dinner Mary, I'm sure the boys loved it:@)
- August 9, 2011 at 12:46 PM
- Karen S Booth said...
What a fabulous post and photo too............I know what you mean, I often think of pasta bakes being winter dishes, but in reality they can be just as good with a crispy green salad on a summers day too!
LOVE the history behind this recipe ~ thank you!
Karen - August 9, 2011 at 2:12 PM
- AllThingsYummy said...
Love the story behind the dish. Looks delicious.
- August 9, 2011 at 2:31 PM
- brokeintrovert said...
Isn't if funny that the pasta means "little mustaches" in italian and the early mafia guys were called "mustached petes?"
- August 9, 2011 at 2:33 PM
I would definitely still be able to eat this on a hot, summer night. WOW. The baked cheese on top looks absolutely divine. Sounds delicious, Mary!
- August 9, 2011 at 2:50 PM
- Ginny Hartzler said...
I am going to try this, but perhaps leave out the meat, that might work, and be less standing for me. It looks so good. I used to make it quite a bit when I was much younger. Something else that I used to make a lot was a casserole called Pastitchio, layers of pasta and meat and cream sauce with a touch of cinnamon. It looks a bit like this, but is so tiresome to make!
- August 9, 2011 at 2:58 PM
- Faith said...
What a great history behind this dish! Food with a story always tastes better, doesn't it? ;) This really looks incredible, Mary. Hope you're having a wonderful week!
- August 9, 2011 at 4:23 PM
- Inspired by eRecipeCards said...
Oh so very pretty ... I just love that baked cheese look!
- August 9, 2011 at 5:12 PM
I haven't notices about apetite with man.Just came to my mind how my mother complained when we were teenagers taht we live in the fridge;)
- August 9, 2011 at 5:24 PM
- JG said...
What a delicious looking pasta dish! For any season! :)
~Judy - August 9, 2011 at 5:54 PM
- Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...
We eat this often, no matter what it satisfies every hungry crowd yours looks awesome!
- August 9, 2011 at 6:19 PM
- Gloria Baker said...
Look delicious Mary, really delicious!! gloria
- August 9, 2011 at 7:03 PM
- Maris (in Good Taste) said...
I am bookmarking this to make for my brother because he is going to love this!
- August 9, 2011 at 7:24 PM
- Debbie said...
Exactly my kind of food and I second Jenn when I say that I also watched AMC's Mob Week last week!!!!
- August 9, 2011 at 7:42 PM
- Patricia @ ButterYum said...
Greetings to you, Mary. What an interesting history indeed. Definitely man food! Will have to remember this recipe when the occasion warrants a big, flavorful pasta dish. Can't wait to try it.
- August 9, 2011 at 7:45 PM
- Ben said...
Mary, I love the recipe, and I love its history. When a dish has a story as rich as its flavor, it's a guaranteed winner. Thank you for both!
http://kissthecook-ben.blogspot.com/ - August 9, 2011 at 9:00 PM
- xinex said...
Looking so delish, Mary!...Christine
- August 9, 2011 at 9:48 PM
- polwig said...
This looks amazing, my daughter is a lover of anything pasta and italian so I should make this for her once she is over her vegetarian diet, or maybe I should just show it to her that way she will come back to reality faster. Where was the Sicilian Restaurant? My family would always go to similar restaurant next to O'Hare airport and it was filled with interesting characters. There was also this really cool restaurant called La Borsa downtown (next to train tracks) that you would never know if it was open for business or not. Love places like this,great character.
- August 9, 2011 at 11:49 PM
- Big Dude said...
It looks and sounds delicious Mary - I like the simplicity of the recipe
- August 10, 2011 at 7:08 AM
- Cooking Creation said...
My husband is that way and I am constantly cooking meals like this in 100-degree weather! This looks so comforting and my family would love it, especially with the history involved with it :) Bookmarking!
- August 10, 2011 at 8:03 AM
As weather motivated as I am, I do miss comfort foods like this during the summer months.
- August 10, 2011 at 9:28 AM
- Lauren Hairston said...
This is one of my favorite dishes to order at Italian-American restaurants, but I've never made it at home. Thanks for the recipe!
- August 10, 2011 at 11:36 AM
- Sunday at the Giacometti's said...
Lovely story.. love this pasta.. saw a baked pasta today with ham and cream that reminds me of a final meal.lol So guess what's for dinner tonight? I guess if i were having a final meal, I would have to agree! looks delicious~Smiles, barbara
- August 10, 2011 at 6:45 PM
- Melinda said...
You had me at PASTA, CHEESE and BAKED!!!
Melinda - August 10, 2011 at 10:45 PM
Love the look of this. I had to google mostaccioli - turns out it's penne. Who knew? Well, probably everyone else, ha ha.
That clarified this is on the menu for dinner tomorrow night. Thanks :-) - August 11, 2011 at 2:34 AM
- briarrose said...
Such a beautiful dish. It calls to my pasta loving heart.
- August 11, 2011 at 10:11 AM
- Ciao Chow Linda said...
Oh Mary - I'd eat this delicious looking dish even on the hottest nights.
- August 11, 2011 at 7:22 PM
- Unknown said...
I've got a nice veggie sausage recipe that would go great with this. Really like the look of yours.
- August 12, 2011 at 12:59 AM
- The Harried Cook said...
I have been away from blogging for a while now, and am enjoying catching up on the yummy posts I've missed... This is up there with the yummiest of them! Looks amazing... I am bookmarking it, Mary! Thanks for sharing :)
- August 19, 2011 at 11:34 PM


text:
Windows thumbcache
Windows Vista stores thumbnails in the following directory:
This directory contains following files:
- thumbcache_idx.db
- thumbcache_32.db, thumbcache_96.db, thumbcache_256.db, and thumbcache_1024.db
- thumbcache_sr.db
Thumbnails are stored in thumbcache_NN.db files in different formats. There are several tools that can work with Vista thumbcache database (see below) and individual images can be extracted using file carving. Unfortunately, there is no information in the thumbcache database that can easily link thumbnails with original files in all cases. One of the ways to link the thumbnails with original files is to use the contents of the Windows Search (windows.edb) database.
Thumbcache Format
In general, every thumbnail in cache is associated with two 64-bit variables. First variable (sometimes called Unique ID, Secret, File ID) associates data in file thumbcache_idx.db with thumbnail data in thumbcache_NN.db files; the purpose of this variable is unclear. Another variable is Thumbnail Cache ID (sometimes called Thumbnail filename (in FTK is used to link thumbnails with original files. Actually, Thumbnail Cache ID is represented as Unicode string of HEX encoding.
Thumbnail Creation Process
Windows Vista creates thumbnails for files on different media types, including:
- Removable devices
- Network drives
- Encrypted containers (e.g. PGP Desktop, TrueCrypt, BestCrypt)
Windows Vista doesn't create thumbnails for files encrypted using EFS unless thumbcache directory is encrypted too; Windows Vista doesn't delete thumbnails for files after they were encrypted using EFS.
Some programs may generate thumbnails for some file types which are displayed in Windows Explorer, but not stored in the thumbcache (e.g. Ascon Kompas).
Linking thumbnails with original files
Using Windows Indexer
One way to link thumbnails with original files is to use Windows Indexer database, which stores association between indexed files and ThumbnailCacheIDs with some metadata. The windows.edb database file contents can be extracted using Windows Search Index Extractor
Using Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell provides easy way to access this database using SQL queries. Note that most forensic tools (like FTK display ThumbnailCacheID (where FTK calls it Thumbnail filename) in hexadecimal, but Windows PowerShell returns the result in decimal.
Using HEX editor
You can also search for ThumbnailCacheID value in Windows.edb file using your favorite HEX editor.
Vista Windows Photo Gallery
Windows Vista includes a built-in picture previewing tool called Windows Photo Gallery (the LIVE edition may also be installed by the user). Both of these programs create the files pictures.pd4 and pictures.pd5 respectively containing the ThumbnailCacheID and file path information of previewed pictures and videos. The contents of the pictures.pd4 and pictures.pd5 can be extracted using WPG Viewer
External Links
- Использование централизованных баз данных эскизов для исследования графических файлов на зашифрованных разделах, ITDefence, 2009 (extended version)
- Forensische Analyse des Microsoft Windows Thumbnail Cache, by Stefan Augustin, August 2023

subset: commoncrawl


text: About This Event At Pure Naples you'll get a one-of-a-kind sightseeing cruise where our friendly and knowledgeable staff will provide interesting stories and historical insight about the beautiful Naples Bay and Gordon Pass waterways. Here you can relax, sip on a refreshing beverage, check out the luxurious mansions and take in the amazing sights Naples Bay and Port Royal have to offer. This sightseeing tour is perfect for a romantic date as well as a fun adventure for the entire family.If you're lucky, you'll even be able to enjoy the occasional dolphins frolicking alongside the boat. Please note If dolphins are the main reason you're coming to cruise with us, we recommend our dolphin watch cruise where you'll have an even better chance of seeing them. Enjoy the cruise and then explore the shops and restaurants at TIN CITY.


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10 – 12 chicken wings
3 tbsp of soy sauce
½ tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Wash and clean the chicken wings to make sure there are no stray feathers. Cut wings into portions through the joints, discarding wingtips (I left wingtips on).
2. Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Add wings and coat in mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degree F. Cover a baking dish with aluminum foil. Drizzle it with some olive oil. Spread wings over the base, brush liberally with marinade. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the wings half way through the baking. Serve warm or at room temperature


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The famous Makonde and Tingatinga are in focus as well as artists George Lilanga, Morris Foit and John Kilaka. Though Makonde is a modern art style we still don´t have satisfactory documentation of the sculptors. Tingatinga is mostly disregarded as naive art for children fuelled by tourism. Visit the project by clicking on the left menu. Some projects has their own website also.
African Tales John Kilaka collects traditional African tales. The photo is taken at the 7th International Literature Festival in Berlin, Germany. Click on the menu on left xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | |
George Lilanga In fact, the famous Tanzanian artist George Lilanga made very few sculptures and paintings. As the time goes AFRUM meets more and more artists who created art for George Lilanga. Click on the menu on left. This project has also a website: www.lilanga.org xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | |
Morris Foit The Kenyan scultptor Morris Foit changed his name after his Czech teacher Francis. But teacher left Kenya in 1971 and he and his student lost contact for over 30 years. Click on the menu on left xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | |
Makonde Stories Some Makonde master sculptors who were proclaimed dead many years ago were found again still working. Many of them were never visited by any journalist though showing their art worldwide. Now they have got a chance to present themselves. Click on the menu on left xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | |
Tingatinga Art Peter Martin lived with his wife Beatrice and three children in Tanzania. He knew he would die. Before it happened he painted a tingatinga painting as a testament for future. Is Tingatinga just a tourist art? Click on the menu on left or visit the great Tingatinga website: www.tingatingastudio.com xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | |


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Only the prized tender black curls of the tips. Wild, hand harvested, sun-dried, steamed, and dried again. Rich flavor and delicate texture. Great with grains and in stir-fries and salads. Enjoy concentrated sea vegetable nourishment. It is fat free and very low sodium.
Eden Hiziki Hizikia fusiforme is a dark brown, bushy plant that grows in the pristine coastal Arctic currents off the eastern shore of Ise-Shima, Japan. Hiziki needs plenty of sunshine, clean water and years to mature. Hiziki has long thick branches that stand straight in the water, like hair floating upwards. At the top of the stems or branches are smaller branches, much thinner than the main stem. On these smaller branches near the surface grow small, thick, pointed blades that resemble pine needles. When you purchase Eden Hiziki, this is the only part of the plant you get, the most highly prized tiny, tight curls called 'mei hiziki'. Lesser brands pack a mix of stems, branches and sometimes none of the tender blades that the Japanese cherish.
Eden Hiziki Sea Vegetable grows wild in rocky, environmentally protected coastal waters. Here it receives a great deal of sunlight and grows at a depth of one to two meters (three to seven feet deep). The height of the plant ranges from one and one half to over three feet tall. Eden Hiziki is carefully selected and hand harvested at low tide during spring. It is washed, sun dried, steamed for at least four hours to soften the plant and reduce its astringent flavor, and left overnight to cool and dry. The hiziki is then soaked in the juices of cooked arame (another sea vegetable) to enhance its black color. It is then naturally sun dried again and packed.
There is some confusion as to the proper spelling of the sea vegetable. You may find it spelled 'hiziki' in some recipes and 'hijiki' in others. That is because the Japanese name is spelled 'hijiki', and the botanical Latin name is 'Hizikia fusiforme', hence the name 'hiziki'.
Hiziki has been a traditional part of the Japanese diet for centuries. It is believed to enhance hair quality, strengthening it, and adding luster. Many Japanese credit eating of hiziki for their lustrous black hair. It has become popular in America among the health conscious.
Eden Hiziki is better tasting and more nourishing than commercial hiziki because it's steamed instead of boiled, contains no artificial softening agents or chemicals and contains only the most delicious and nutritious parts of the plant. When cooked it turns a deep, lustrous black and expands to four or five times its size. Hiziki has a stronger taste than many sea vegetables, but is deliciously sweet and extremely nourishing.
Eden Hiziki is especially delicious when cooked with naturally sweet vegetables such as onions, carrots, and sweet corn. It combines well with tofu and tempeh. Eden Hiziki can be cooked with grains, in soups, kneaded into bread dough or used in whole grain or bread stuffing. It's delicious in salads topped with vinaigrette, tofu or sesame tahini dressings. It can be used in baked stuffed potatoes, tofu or noodle stir fries and vegetable sautés. Add a small amount to homemade grain or tofu burgers and deep fried croquettes. It can be finely minced and cooked with sesame seeds, ginger and shoyu for a vegetarian substitute for caviar. To use Eden Hiziki wash under cold water then soak for 15 minutes or longer. Discard the soaking water (or water your plants with it). To use in grain dishes, stuffing, salads, burgers, or croquettes, boil the hiziki for 15 to 20 minutes prior to combining with the other ingredients. For hiziki and vegetable side dishes, cook the hiziki for 25 to 35 minutes with vegetables and season with Eden Shoyu Soy Sauce near the end of cooking.
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Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Now THAT'S What I'm Talkin' 'Bout
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Yep, back in my teen glory days I was that lone female in the convention-going, calculus-loving, and occasionally kilt-wearing* crowd. We spent our spare time calculating the dimensional mass of the various Enterprises, learning useful terms in Klingon, and saying things like "I believe this calls for a colorful metaphor". It was awesome.
Seeing the ol' Enterprise D here in all her crookedly displayed glory brings it allll back. In fact, I think this cake is a metaphor for my formative years: it's awkward looking, slightly imbalanced, has large gaps of inactivity, and is easy to misunderstand ("prooper"?) - but despite all that, it still has a good heart (right over the 'i'- see it?).
Hey, diskgrunt, "tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a'"?
* Don't ask.
115 comments | Post a Comment
- Keemster said...
I think you said it all...
- January 6, 2009 at 9:30 AM
- Mari said...
I like the angle, it looks like it's moving into frame!
- January 6, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Dochvam vIDop net pIH'a' ?
- January 6, 2009 at 9:32 AM
- Doc said...
Conventions? Star Trek? Calculus? Klingon? I knew there was a reason (or reasons) I liked you!
nuqDaq yuch Dapol? - January 6, 2009 at 9:32 AM
You can't stretch this one.
It says "Prosper" not "Prooper" but nice try.
It may not be up to your Sunday cakes, but I don't see it as being a wreck so much.
Uneven? check...Not professional looking enough for you? check...
but the prooper? You can't have that. I saw prosper - sorry the cake decorator lady wasn't in YOUR handwriting class in third grade. - January 6, 2009 at 9:35 AM
- Winona said...
I probably would've gotten that cake, too...
- January 6, 2009 at 9:44 AM
I might speak Klingon if you asked nicely ;)
- January 6, 2009 at 9:45 AM
- Bethany said...
Hurrah for high school awkwardness, and a cake which exemplifies it. This cake just makes me smile, even if that blue icing makes my teeth hurt just looking at it.
- January 6, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- Eternal Lizdom said...
This is a cake my husband would have wanted back in high school and even now! He's a nerd to the core- even does grown up versions of D&D gaming and such. Nerds rule!!
- January 6, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Oh, I'm glad I don't know what you mean by that.
- January 6, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Awwwww it's so [i]cuuute![/i] I find it hard to call it a wreck when it's more trekkie than wrecky.
At least they didn't garnish it with bloodworms, Q'plah! - January 6, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Funny! Not that I know you at all, but I would NOT have pegged you for a Star Trek geek.
- January 6, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- ME! said...
This is great. Great use of space there, wreckorator!
- January 6, 2009 at 10:03 AM
- Alisa @ A stitch in between said...
You are incredibly awesome.. seriously.. I swear, if you weren't married, and I wasnt married, and one of us was a guy and I wasn't socially awkward and we lived in the same country, I would have totally hmm not ever get enough courage to talk to you hehe - January 6, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Live long and prosper!!
We definately need more Star Trek cakes! I keep expecting a replica of the wreck of Troi from Data's dream to show up on here.
I am also a rare female Trekkie, so thanks for being you!
Alex - January 6, 2009 at 10:10 AM
- KPP said...
It looks like a cursive 's.' I don't think cursive was good choice for this cake in the first place.
I was also a geeky Star Trek watching female growing up. I would have loved this cake. Heck, I'd love it now. Its not like I grew out of it.
Do you know how excited I was to see one of my new friends reading a Star Trek book? She was now my new BEST friend. - January 6, 2009 at 10:11 AM
- Unknown said...
DaHjaj 'oH Qaq jaj Daq Hegh.
Don't worry. For my 10th birthday my parents took me to the Star trek Hilton in Las Vegas. I spoke Klingon almost the entire time.
I seriously want this cake now, no matter the spelling.
Caitie - January 6, 2009 at 10:19 AM
- Alice said...
It may not be the wreckiest wreck, but I'm glad you shared it for a couple reasons: number one, your always-enlightening commentary, and number 2, I have a great idea for my husband's birthday cake now!
- January 6, 2009 at 10:21 AM
- Carrie P said...
Oh, this is wonderful. I turn 30 in two days, so this is the perfect birthday present.
My friends and I never went so far as to learn Klingon, but I did host a "How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek: Edition" for my 15th birthday. And my best friend wrapped a bedsheet around a cowboy had and made a pretty awesome Guinan, IMHO.
Oh, and we created an original Star Trek "fan fic" type show with a female captain that wound up being very close to what Voyager eventually wound up being.
Oh, and although the spacing is definitely gangly on the cake, I do need to defend the spelling of "prosper." I am almost certain that it's a cursive "s" there, and not "prooper." - January 6, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Wave your Dork flag high!
- January 6, 2009 at 10:23 AM
I'm gonna ask (mostly just cuz you said not to):
So what is there to tell about the kilt wearing?
he he he :) - January 6, 2009 at 10:23 AM
- HorribleLicensePlates said...
Is that period really necessary?
I am getting this cake for my grandpa on his birthday. Great idea. - January 6, 2009 at 10:24 AM
- carrie said...
Ah, a girl after my own heart. Sci-fi geek sugar lover!
I have boy/girl twins, so I had lots of naming possibilities, but I resisted the temptation to be THAT parent. They did dress up as Luke and Leia for Halloween when they were 5 though. - January 6, 2009 at 10:31 AM
- Unknown said...
As a girl who tried to get 1701-D for her license plate in high school, I too would have ordered this cake; but the Vulcan/Type A person in me would have been made nauseated by the crooked and badly aligned picture and writing.
Give the decorator a ruler and have him/her "make it so!" - January 6, 2009 at 10:32 AM
- non-non said...
Is this a cake!?Fantastic!XD
I can't to eat it too beautiful.
I have never seen such this cake!:) - January 6, 2009 at 10:33 AM
No, no, no...I saw prooper at first too, even though I (too) knew what it was supposed to say. What P'tachk made this cake?
Oh, and I think that the space above the writing is where you are supposed to put your Spock hand prints (Grauman Chinese-style).
\\// Live Long and Prooper! - January 6, 2009 at 10:34 AM
OK Jen, THIS explains everything about you and your literary genius!
- January 6, 2009 at 10:37 AM
ahh, the goofiness of high school nerds (myself included).
Gotta represent!
The fiance would be proud of it.... Mr. Trekkie that he is. lol.
WV: Press: I love the press-on quality of the picture. It look very authentic. - January 6, 2009 at 10:53 AM
- lawgirl said...
Jen, I think we could have been good friends back then (this, plus your love of Ghostbusters? WIN!!!!)
And re: the cake-- I absolutely *love* the period at the end. Resistance is futile! - January 6, 2009 at 10:56 AM
I would so totally order this cake this very minute. I must now retire to my nerdery and fondle my Next Generation DVDs. :-)
- January 6, 2009 at 10:57 AM
- Julie said...
Just when I think you can't get any cooler ...
I'll be first in line to buy tickets to the first Cake Wrecks Con! - January 6, 2009 at 11:02 AM
- D.B. Echo said...
I wonder if the person ordering the cake gave the instruction "Leave room for the action figures"?
- January 6, 2009 at 11:07 AM
- Poetry Sue said...
I would still order this cake!!
- January 6, 2009 at 11:12 AM
- joan said...
Now my husband will want this cake for his birthday!
- January 6, 2009 at 11:17 AM
- Unknown said...
"Captain's Log, Stardate 29.67:
Today Spock helped to make my birthday celebration complete by ordering a birthday cake with my favourite ship on it! Wow. Uhura has more talents than she lets on..
It's my birthday cake, my ship. You can't have it! No. One. Will. Have. My. Ship."
Ooops. Sorry. But that cake is really good!
~Amy B. - January 6, 2009 at 11:19 AM
- Davey said...
Sorry to burst your bubble but the heart over the "i" is not a heart but the shadow from the immense dot of icing.
Also, I watched Trekkies once and, while I'm a nerd myself, you people are a little weird. - January 6, 2009 at 11:26 AM
- BreeAnn said...
My friends and I ordered a cake similar to this one (only it was ice cream) for our friend Rick in high school. We were all in the same boat... a little ackward, and totally digging star trek. We even made our own movie version. LOL
- January 6, 2009 at 11:41 AM
- Tabitha (From Single to Married) said...
- January 6, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Terrible. That's The Next Generation Enterprise above the Original Series catch phrase.
FAIL FAIL FAIL WRECK! - January 6, 2009 at 11:48 AM
- Traycina said...
Nerd alert! ;-)
- January 6, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Whoa, weird that somebody got all up-in-arms about the "prooper" bit.
Because I totally looked at the cake too fast, and I managed to see "Live Long & Pooper". Totally not any better. - January 6, 2009 at 11:59 AM
- becca.elpy said...
heh, i watched that show as a kid...always confused me.
for the record i thought it said 'live long and pr(infinity sign)sper...which might have been klingon for something. *shrug* - January 6, 2009 at 12:11 PM
- E.A.D. said...
Yeah, cursive was not the best choice for this. I completely misread that as "Live Long and prooper" too. Then I realized the decorator meant for that letter to be an S.
you know what else makes this a wreck? It feels unfinished, like they forgot add at least two things that would have made this a kick-a** cake. - January 6, 2009 at 12:15 PM
If I'd recieved this cake when I was about 14, I would have died and gone to heaven. I didn't make with the Klingon so much, but did use my Technical Guide to the Enterprise D to make a scaled drawing overlain on a map of my town, just to see how big that old girl really was.
Ah, the glory days. - January 6, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Why do I suddenly envision a cupcake cake in the shape of hundreds of tribbles...
- January 6, 2009 at 12:20 PM
- Becky said...
Sometimes looking at websites involving food make me hungry & I try to avoid them during peak snacking times. Cakewrecks, however rarely induces me to much. I appreciate that in a blog. Thank you so much for keeping the munchies away and injecting wit and sarcasm! A winning combination!
- January 6, 2009 at 12:24 PM
OT - don't forget to vote for Jen!
http://2008.weblogawards.org/polls/best-food-blog/ - January 6, 2009 at 12:34 PM
- Mad Izatie said...
...as long as the blog doesn't go on past this point in Klingon, I'm ok.
- January 6, 2009 at 12:36 PM
- Latex Lily said...
I used to be a Sci-Fi girl geek (hell I still am) in my High School Days at Bronx Science. There was nothing I loved more than Dr. Who.
-Eloni - January 6, 2009 at 12:55 PM
- Sandi said...
Tribbles! Ha! [wiping tears from my eyes]
- January 6, 2009 at 1:03 PM
This cake brings back WAY to many memories!
- January 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM
I DID have the license plate 1701-B. The only one who recognized it was an autistic kid. I guess my grown children are right, I am weird.
weegranny - January 6, 2009 at 1:33 PM
- Threeundertwo said...
Space: the stuff you leave a lot of between the skewed picture and the lame cursive writing.
- January 6, 2009 at 1:38 PM
- Unknown said...
oooooh...we would have been friends.
- January 6, 2009 at 1:41 PM
- Unknown said...
Oh, PLEASE make it an assignment for someone to track down the Data dream cake. You know that someone has had one made. It's out there somewhere. Pretty, pretty, pretty please!!!
- January 6, 2009 at 1:42 PM
There is nothing wrong with the picture. Enterprise-D is just banking to the starboard in order to engage a Klingon Bird-of-Prey...
- January 6, 2009 at 1:44 PM
- wordwitch said...
AND...did you all hear???They've made a Star Trek 11!!!!! It's of a YOUNG J.T. Kirk and a YOUNG Spock!! It looks horrendous!!!! Betcha it was written by Shatner....
- January 6, 2009 at 2:02 PM
Not so much about the cake, but I only saw Star Trek twice. The second time was while visiting my brother in England--and it was the same episode I'd seen before. Sigh.
- January 6, 2009 at 2:08 PM
- Teri said...
I bet you love to watch the Big Bang Theory, don't you? :) Me too!
- January 6, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Sort of OT, but all these store bought/made cakes are really starting to aggravate me. So little taste and imagination. Square cake, white frosting, one color borders. So generic. Ugh!
- January 6, 2009 at 2:39 PM
- Shadow Rider said...
This is great! I too was a female trekkie, and would have totally ordered this cake back in the day. Actually, I would order it now probably, LOL! Still go to conventions, have all the movies and series on dvd, bookshelves full of the books. My son has all the ships (they make sounds!!)
It's all good fun. - January 6, 2009 at 2:39 PM
- Shadow Rider said...
By the way, did you know you can set your Google page to be in Klingon??
:-D - January 6, 2009 at 2:40 PM
- Reformed Supermom said...
OMG...this all makes sense now...
My daughter (age 16) has been a Trekkie since she was about 9. Has a soft spot for Reading Rainbow because of LeVar Burton. Gave her best (male) buddy a kilt for Christmas this year. Loves Calculus...and has this wacky sense of humor...
Um, Jen? Are you missing a kid? Like, for a long, loooooong time?
(She loves CW just a *little* too much, too!)
Rebecca - January 6, 2009 at 2:45 PM
- Harley Quinn said...
If only this were a "Conan the Barbarian" cake, I would have found the perfect thing for my Hubby's b-day!!
Anyone know where I can find a non-wreck CtB cake? - January 6, 2009 at 2:45 PM
- Kristin said...
I knew there was more to why I liked this blog than the humor and cakes. Another slightly geeky Star Trek fan is a fabulous find.
- January 6, 2009 at 3:07 PM
I see either Prooper or the infinity sign that another poster mentioned. Prosper I do not see...that is a very sloppy S.
I don't think it matters whose third grade class the cake decorating lady was in. I think it matters that if you're going to be a "professional" cake decorator you should at least be able to make coherent letters that are above the quality of third grader.
Is it just me or some of the anonymous posts lately getting very snippish? - January 6, 2009 at 3:08 PM
S or no S... I see prooper too. So funny!
- January 6, 2009 at 4:13 PM
Hehe, unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) no need to explain the kilts. The only thing you left out is the carrying around your own hand crafted sword too. ;o)
I see an "pooper" and upon closer inspection a "prosper." Doesn't matter either way, the fact that you can see a pooper anywhere on the cake is well...wrecktastic! - January 6, 2009 at 4:38 PM
- Neurodivergent K said...
I love this cake, actually.
But I'm the lone girl with a group of (sometimes kilt wearing) sci fi watching D20 tossing guys. So take that with a shaker of salt....er...sugar...
word verification: consia-new title for girls who frequent cons of this nature? - January 6, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Cake-loving geeky girl here too...
I never learned Klingon, but I used to track all of the Ferengi Rules Of Acquisition. In fact, several of them fit with this cake, specifically "Always know what you're buying," and "Satisfaction is not guaranteed."
Anyway - I agree with the anonymous poster who is saddened by all the "generic" looking cakes being churned out. there was plenty of room to turn that blue border around the Enterprise picture into a television set or movie screen. - January 6, 2009 at 5:03 PM
- Kristin aka Trekkie Gal said...
I'd order that cake NOW! Of course, I would hope it would come out looking a little better than that one. :)
PS It does kinda look like prooper, but it does definitely say prosper. ;) - January 6, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Ugh! Impostors, all of you! How can so many supposed Star Trek fans scrutinize this confectionary abomination and not point out that the 1701-D was from ST:TNG while the quote "Live long and prosper" was popularized by a character that (mostly) appeared in ST:TOS!?
To be a truly congruous cake, the picture should either be of the 1701 or 1701-A, or the message should be something like "Make it so."
Trekkies? Wreckporters? None of the above.
...way to go. You've gone and made me all weepy. *sniff* - January 6, 2009 at 6:15 PM
- Donna M. said...
The writing almost looks like "Live Long and Prooper"
- January 6, 2009 at 6:18 PM
I dont think anyone knows a thing about the copyright laws!
I admit, it drives me crazy. I work in a bakery and I will not use an image without a copyright release! Its all straight and narrow for me. :-p
Misty - January 6, 2009 at 6:27 PM
- American Girl in Japan said...
I feel so left out. I don't speak Klingon. DAMN IT. Anyone habla? だれでも日本語を話すか?
- January 6, 2009 at 6:40 PM
Ah! Cake wrecks casual viewer...resistance is futile...you will be assimilated. (At least this is how I feel). I think my husband, the grown geek, would have perfered the green orion slave girl cake. Let me know if you find one of those.
- January 6, 2009 at 7:09 PM
- Sihaya said...
I'm starting to see a whole "Wreck to Order" theme going on lately. Yesterday's sick theme cakes and today's enterprise look exactly like something that certain people would specifically ask their local baker to make. Heck, the Trekkies probably brought their favorite picture to the store and asked for the bright blue icing. But the rest of America will look at these cakes and say, "Wait; what?" Mind you, I LOVE seeing this kind of wreck. I think people are nifty each time I see one of these.
PS - yes, I said "Trekkies," 'cause I kick it old school. - January 6, 2009 at 7:29 PM
- Kimberly said...
Hey! I was that girl too! I knew there were others out there :)
- January 6, 2009 at 8:52 PM
- Bob said...
We spent our spare time calculating the dimensional mass of the various Enterprises...
At the first high school football game I ever attended, all I could think was how many football fields it would take to equal the length of the Enterprise-D.
(Because I know there are fellow nerds watching, a Galaxy-class starship is 642.4 meters, or 702.65--just over seven football fields) - January 6, 2009 at 9:54 PM
- Heather T said...
OK, I've laughed until I've cried over your posts before, but this one tops them all -- you made me laugh because you confessed to being a geek. I love you, now.
btw, I can't help thinking female trekkies aren't that rare since all the true trekkies I know are, indeed, women. - January 6, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Wow, were you me in high school? Even the kilt-wearing.
That said, wow. This cake gives me a little bit of vertigo, a little bit of nostalgia. - January 6, 2009 at 10:19 PM
- Unknown said...
That blue icing took about a week to brush off your teeth and tongue. And apparently took some time to wash out of some folks hair...
- January 6, 2009 at 11:46 PM
- annie said...
so much better than the one i made my my little brother when we were kids, complete with a deformed starfleet badge drawn in white icing on chocolate :)
- January 7, 2009 at 12:49 AM
The only useful term I knew in Klingon was "Your ship is a garbage scow," and I can't remember how to say it anymore. BUT I do own the Klingon dictionary! Does that count?
We had just enough friends in our geek group to be the entire cast of TNG, including Dr. Polanski and Guinan. A black guy even played Geordi. The girl who played Troi had gorgeous, long curly brown hair, and she made communicator badges for all of us. The girl who played Dr. Crusher had bright red hair. I was Ensign Ro because I had dark hair and could be a real bitch. We bought a ST:TNG murder mystery game and we all dressed up in costume and went to a friend's house to play it. We also set up a bridge in another friend's living room, with a couch being the Captain, First Officer, and Counselor's chairs, and Laz-E-Boy recliners with TV trays for the comm stations.
And yes, we were seniors in high school. - January 7, 2009 at 1:04 AM
- Unknown said...
Fyrefrog, I feel your pain. And if you wash your hands before touching the book, you are welcome to page through our first edition Star Fleet Technical Manual, complete with my husband's childhood signature on the front overleaf. (I almost cried when I saw that, but it was done long before we met.)
- January 7, 2009 at 1:38 AM
I'm sorry, but for the commenters complaining about "Live Long and Prosper" being a ST: ToS phrase, I hate to pull the Trekkie nerd card and say that it's not just a ToS phrase, it was used in all of the series at one point or another. It's a common Vulcan phrase and one of the most recognized phrases from that universe.
I am not nerdy enough to actually know Klingon (thought about it, but never followed through), but I know a guy who, at one Halloween party went as Arthur from HGTTG. The host of the party greeted him at the door in full Klingon regalia speaking the language. Without prior planning for this scenario, he pulls a Sweedish fish from his pocket, puts it in his ear, and instantaneously his friend switched to English mid sentence. Much more nerdcore than I am.
I am not - January 7, 2009 at 2:21 AM
The extra space is probably to put the recipient's name in.
- January 7, 2009 at 4:55 AM
- RubyT said...
You aren't the only girl into these things... but I knew that about you when you referred to something as your "personal Kobayashi Maru." Only a true Trek geek would say that and take it as a given that she'd be understood.
--Ruby - January 7, 2009 at 9:13 AM
- MrsFierceShoes said...
Have you seen this website?
It's hilarious! - January 7, 2009 at 11:07 AM
- jengersnap said...
You're far from the only trekkie gal out there, but you've been in my upper echelon of cool nerds since your Kobayashi Maru comment several posts back.
I'm sure I'm not the only person to have named her doberman Spock, right?... (hears crickets chirp)
Ah well, "I feel fine".
WV: segun. Segun, run! - January 7, 2009 at 12:31 PM
How can you say "kilt wearing" and then "not to ask"? O.O
- January 7, 2009 at 3:32 PM
:O Most awesome cake wreck!!!
This blog is amazing! Which reminds me I have to vote again today! XD
wv: resses
"My favrit part of skool is resses" - January 7, 2009 at 4:19 PM
So totally LOVIN' this cake. Except for the fact that it says "prooper" instead of "prosper" bu the awesomeness makes it forgivable.
- January 7, 2009 at 4:32 PM
To Anonymous @ January 7, 2009 2:21 AM
Can I come to your friends' Halloween parties? :-D
Nerds rule! - January 7, 2009 at 4:52 PM
I read it as prosper too. For my fellow ST fans... I found out yesterday that Majel Barrett Roddenberry passed away in December. The only actress to have been in all the versions of Star Trek: Number One in the pilot, Nurse Chapel in the original series, Mrs. Troi in ST: TNG and ST: DS9 and the computer voice in all the various series and movies. Rest in space with Gene, Majel.
- January 7, 2009 at 6:29 PM
- Otter Mom said...
There are lots of female Trekkies. There always have been. I'm an Original fan, my earliest memory is of a ST episode on tv so I think that counts!
But the cake is very Wrecky, for all sorts of reasons which have been mentioned already. But I still like it.
I'm known as the Borg Queen by my family. I prefer not to speak Klingon - Resistance is Futile! - January 7, 2009 at 6:46 PM
I read "prosper," but it is, as noted, easily misunderstood. I'm a female star trek geek, raised on syndicated original trek, and grown on later treks (I idolized Data). I would have had no friends if it weren't for the male trek geeks in my school needing a default date to social events.
I actually married a guy so nerdy he couldn't even get into the fraternities at MIT. - January 7, 2009 at 10:40 PM
- Kookaburra said...
Ha ha! Female Trekkers represent!
I had a Star Trek communicator pin I wore throughout middle school and high school. And my family went to the Las Vegas Hilton's Star Trek Experience for Thanksgiving once. I also have a "Ferengi School of Business" window decal.
I would have fought a Denebian slime devil for this cake when I was in HS. Hell, I might still do it now. ;-) - January 8, 2009 at 8:35 AM
I soooo need this cake for my mother's 50th this year
- January 8, 2009 at 10:14 AM
- Caroline Selby said...
1. That would have soooo been my cake when I was a teenager.
2. Personally, I don't think you've truly lived until you've seen a cosplaying Klingon in a kilt. - January 9, 2009 at 12:37 PM
- spocko said...
If I didn't have a big enough reason to love this blog for the humor, the fact that you were a Star Trek fan makes it even BETTER. If that is possible.
As you can see I too am a Star Trek Fan, and I would have ordered this in a heartbeat. - January 9, 2009 at 3:16 PM
- Ben and Alli said...
And the most ridiculous thing is that if you're making a cake for a true Star Trek fan, this cake would be mocked. Those OCD fans like me would have a major problem that a quote from Spock, who was on the original Enterprise, is placed below a picture of the Enterprise D. Wrong ship, ding-dong mcgee!
- January 9, 2009 at 8:55 PM
- Wolf Woman said...
Don't ask.
See, the best part is? I don't have to. Because that was my high school experience, too. - January 10, 2009 at 6:29 AM
- girl6 said...
Trek babes rule.
I would wear my Romulan Commander costume to the cake store and buy this.
Seriously. - January 10, 2009 at 3:30 PM
- Unknown said...
I would accept an Enterprise cake. Even if it was crooked. I think I need to put in a complaint to my friends and family now...
- January 10, 2009 at 3:49 PM
- L. Shepherd said...
Wow, sounds like my exact high school experience, and my college one for that matter.
I love that you referenced "I believe this calls for a colorful metaphor!" People who don't love the Trek just can't understand. - January 12, 2009 at 11:29 AM
I wish I'd had friends to hang around with during that phase :(
- January 16, 2009 at 5:52 PM
- Jessica Martiele said...
Love the cake, but the placement does indeed call for a colorful metaphor. Maybe the baker did a little too much LDS before decorating?
- January 19, 2009 at 9:26 PM
Hehehe, I knew there was a reason I resonated with this blog so well! I wasn't exactly a typical 16-yo girl, either. My Sweet 16 had a ST: Voyager theme and my parents and I celebrated my 17th at the Star Trek Experience in Vegas.
I also still have a small scale statue of the Enterprise-D (about 6" x 6" x 8") carved out of solid brass sitting on my desk. One of my prized possessions. :) - January 20, 2009 at 12:02 AM
tlhingan Hol vIjatlhbe'
(boy, it's been a while) - January 27, 2009 at 3:04 PM
- MandyQ said...
Thought you'd like to see my STAR TREK cake. I am NOT a professional baker, but I did this for a shoot day for the STAR TREK: PHOENIX series. www.smartestgirlinthewest.com The cake's not perfect, but it's not crooked and I carved it by hand.
- February 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Mira said:
yup, smart, funny, and Trekkie - these things usually line up! Love this cake, love this site, love you! - March 20, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Take heart, you were not the only girl. My mother would drive me to conventions when I was 14 and wait in the parking lot while I went in dressed as Dr. Crusher.
By those creepy old men in Spock ears would love to chat with me ^_^* - March 28, 2009 at 10:57 PM
How in the world did this post go almost 3 months without a "cellular peptide cake with mint frosting" joke?
- March 31, 2009 at 2:30 PM
NCC-1701. No bloody A, B, C, or D!!!!
Hmph. Some people. I'm pretty sure I want this kind of cake now. With the new Scotty on it along with a picture of the original one. Yeah, that'd be sweet.
Go geek girls! - December 18, 2009 at 12:49 AM
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First of all, I never feel like any of the descriptions accurately describe my body. Pear? Yep, got the hips and butt, but not the narrow shoulders. (Yes, I know I wear a larger size on bottom than on top, but I honestly don't think I'm proportionately large on bottom. Feel free to tell me if I'm delusional here.) Hourglass? Close, if someone who wears a B cup can be considered an hourglass. All debating aside, though, isn't it kind of ridiculous and surreal to be trying to classify my body in such a weird, object-focused way? Or do I only feel this way because I don't identify strongly with any of the standard categories?
Okay, mystery solved! I'm average. I think. Woo hoo. (Also amusing: one of the figure types above - athletic - is "also known as the carrot." The carrot! Now there's one I haven't heard.)
But more than just plain confusing me, I've actually started to get quite pissed off by all this classifying of body types and its supposed importance. Seriously, what would I possibly do with this revelation of my physical average-ness? I'm not going to start dressing any differently. And also, the Built by Wendy book compares body types to celebrity figures: J. Lo, Keira Knightly, Scarlett Johansson, and Angelina Jolie. Okay, but what about, say, Queen Latifah? See where I'm going with this?
The other thing that peeves me about the whole thing is the assumption that women need to compare their bodies to a fruit in order to understand how to dress. I mean, I've kind of gotten it figured out just from, you know, WEARING CLOTHES for the past 30 years.


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The Final Frontier
Your View
Title :
The Final Frontier
Rating :
Number :
Stardate :
First Aired :
Year :
Director :
William Shatner
Writers :
Harve Bennet
David Loughery
William Shatner
Main Cast :
James Doohan
Montgomery Scott
DeForest Kelley
Leonard H. McCoy
Walter Koenig
Pavel A. Chekov
Nichelle Nichols
Nyota Uhura
Leonard Nimoy
William Shatner
James T. Kirk
George Takei
Hikaru Sulu
Grace Lee Whitney
Janice Rand
Guest Cast :
Harve Bennett
Admiral Robert Bennett
Cynthia Blaise
Young Amanda Grayson
Todd Bryant
Captain Klaa
Charles Cooper
General Korrd
Cynthia Gouw
Caithlin Dar
Beverly Hart
as High priestess
Rex Holman
Laurence Luckinbill
George Murdock
Bill Quinn
David McCoy
Melanie Shatner
as Yeoman
Jonathan Simpson
Young Sarek
Steve Susskind
as Pitchman
David Warner
St. John Talbot
Spice Williams
Watch the trip up the turbolift shaft on Spock's rocket boots - the shaft is much larger than a lift, and the deck numbering is all wrong.
Great Moment :
I love Kirk and Spock's reunion on the Klingon ship.
Body Count :
Only one - Sybok.
Factoid :
The makers originally wanted Sean Connery to play Sybok, even naming using a form of his name for the planet Sha-ka-ree as a kind of in joke.
We open on Nimbus III, the "Planet of Galactic Peace". Founded twenty years earlier by the Federation, Klingon and Romulan governments, the planet was intended to promote understanding between the three. Instead the colony has largely failed and those still there must scrabble for a living.
Into this place comes Sybok, a Vulcan who acts like few others. Sybok is quite willing to display his emotions, and appears to be using his telepathic powers to brainwash the local by "taking away their pain". He gathers his followers and raids the colony capital, capturing the three washed up diplomats who run the planet.
Back at Earth, Scotty is struggling to get the new Enterprise-A space worthy while most of the crew enjoy their recreation. Kirk, Spock and McCoy are holidaying in Yosemite - Kirk rock climbing while McCoy watches nervously. Kirk has a narrow escape when he falls off a sheer cliff, but is saved when Spock catches him using a pair of rocket boots. That night the three are recalled to the Enterprise urgently - Starfleet orders Kirk to take the half functional Enterprise to Nimbus III and resolve the hostage situation there. When a message from the kidnapper is played, the three diplomats declare that they have willingly surrendered themselves while the Vulcan demands that a Starship be sent to negotiate for their release. Despite Kirks objections, no other experienced commanders are available so he is the one Starfleet are sending.
A Klingon Bird of Prey also intercepts the message from Nimbus III, and its Captain - Klaa - realizes that Kirk is being sent to deal with the situation. He decides that if he can kill Kirk he will gain a reputation as the greatest warrior in the galaxy, so heads off to intercept the Starship.
Kirk arrives at Numbus III first. The transporter is not functioning, so he takes an assault team by shuttle to free the hostages. Forced to land some distance away to avoid the colony defences, Uhura distracts some of the locals with a spot of fan dancing so that Kirk can steal their horses. Thus equipped, our heroes head off to the capital. They manage to sneak through the gates, but a firefight soon breaks out. Kirk forces his way through to the prisoners - only to have them pull weapons on him and demand his surrender. The rest of his team are quickly overwhelmed and captured also.
Sybok recognizes Spock as soon as he sees him, but Spock simply announces that he is under arrest. Undeterred, Sybok announces his plans to "steal something very big". He forces Kirk to take some of his followers up to the Enterprise by shuttlecraft. While they are on the way the Klingon vessel arrives and cloaks itself, planning an attack on the Enterprise. Kirk communicates with the ship, improvising a quick landing plan. With Klaa switching between the two targets, the shuttle manages to race in for a manual landing - and crashes onto the hangar deck. Chekov manages to evade Klaa and departs the area at warp speed.
In the aftermath of the crash, Kirk tries to snatch a gun but Sybok defeats him easily. Spock fares better - he gets hold of one of the terrorists rifles and holds it on Sybok. Sybok calmly tells Spock he will have to kill him to stop him... and despite a direct order to shoot from Kirk, Spock surrenders his weapon. Sybok locks Kirk, McCoy and Spock into the brig and begins to 'convert' the ships officers. He announces to the crew that he is seeking the place from which all life sprang - known to Vulcans as Sha'Ka'Ree, the Human equivalent of Eden. He believes he will find the planet at the centre of the galaxy, a region which is hidden behind 'The Great Barrier' - an energy field which no ship or probe has ever penetrated.
In the brig, Kirk remonstrates with Spock over his refusal to kill Sybok, but the first officer announces that Sybok is his half brother - they share the same father. Kirk reluctantly accepts the explanation, but demands that Spock decide where his loyalties lie. At that moment Scotty blows a hole through the wall and they escape just as Sybok arrives to brainwash them.
With their own crew and the terrorists chasing them, Scotty heads off to fix the transporter while the other three head for an emergency communications unit. Although they are almost captured, Spock uses his rocket boots to escape up one of the ships turbo shafts and they reach the ships lounge and send their message successfully. Unfortunately the only person who hears it is Captain Klaa, still following in his Bird of Prey.
As they finish sending the message Sybok arrives to recapture the three. He attempts to convert them to his cause by using his telepathic powers to replay painful images from their past. For McCoy he projects images which show him allowing his father to die rather than suffer a debilitating illness - only to be ridden with guilt when a cure is found soon afterwards. For Spock he shows his birth, followed by almost immediate rejection by his father.
Kirk refuses to undergo the procedure, arguing that pain is part of what makes us what we are and to give it up is to lose ourselves. The others agree, and Sybok accepts their decision. As they approach the Great Barrier the Vulcan reveals that God is waiting for him on Sha'Ka'Ree, prompting Kirk to declare him mad.
Sybok plunges ahead nevertheless, and the Enterprise successfully penetrates the barrier and finds a planet encased in light. Sybok agrees that the ship needs its Captain if they are to proceed, and agrees to turn command back over to Kirk. Kirk takes a shuttle and he, Spock, McCoy and Sybok travel down to the planet.
On the way a mysterious force takes over the shuttle and guides it to a landing. The group walk out onto a desert like landscape, apparently completely deserted. But as night falls rocks burst out of the ground to form a structure, and a huge shaft of light erupts from it. A voice declares that they have found him at long last, and when asked who is speaking numerous faces of deities appear. When God asks if the Enterprise can carry his word beyond the barrier, a joyous Sybok responds in the affirmative. Kirk is rather more sceptical, but when questioned the being hits him with an energy bolt. It threatens to destroy them all unless they bring the ship closer so that it can merge with it.
Sybok runs into the shaft of light, using his mental powers to try and defeat the creature. While it is distracted Kirk orders the Enterprise to fire a torpedo on the being. The three then make a run for the shuttle. They contact the ship and find that Scotty has the transporter working well enough to beam two of them up - Kirk has Spock and McCoy transported aboard, but before he can be brought up himself Klaa arrives in orbit and cripples the Enterprise with a torpedo hit.
While Kirk runs for his life, Spock insists that the Klingon diplomat - a retired General - attempt to order Klaa to rescue Kirk. On the surface Kirk reaches a cliff, and begins climbing. Just as he reaches the top, the Bird of Prey appears. Kirk assumes that they are there to kill him, but the ship blasts the being chasing him and drives it away. He is beamed on board and taken to the bridge, where Klaa apologizes for attacking his ship. The Klingon General introduces Kirk to their new gunner - none other than Spock.
Later, at a reception on the Enterprise, they wonder if God really is out there somewhere and Kirk suggests that maybe God is in the Human heart. Spock reflects that he has lost a brother. Kirk says that he lost a brother himself once, but that he was lucky - he got him back. When Bones reminds him that he once said men like them do not have families, Kirk simply says that he was wrong. The ships head off home again and the crew return to their shore leave as the film ends.
Many insults are thrown are this film - it almost always comes bottom of any poll of the fans. In truth, much of the criticism is justified. In my review of The Motion Picture, I said that it shared many plot points with the TOS episode "The Changeling". The Final Frontier is also a near copy of an episode, in this case "The Way To Eden". In both a possibly crazy figure leads a band of drop-outs. In both he takes over the Enterprise. In both he is seeking the mythical Eden. In both the Eden he discovers is false, and the discovery leads to his death.
The basic plot of the film was Shatners idea, according to his "Movie Memories" book. The book does not say whether Shatner knowingly copied the episode or not, but I prefer to believe that the similarities are coincidences, because in my opinion "The Way to Eden" even beats "Spocks Brain" as the worst Trek episode ever made - for my own review, click on the "Worst Of" button in the TOS section of the episode guides menu. Suffice to say, I prefer to believe that nobody would deliberately copy this episode!
Final Frontier does avoid many of the episodes failings - it doesn't have that hideous music, for one thing. Sybok and his drop-outs are also a far more convincing group than Sevrin and his space hippies. But the basic silliness of the plot is still there, and the film suffers for it.
The film has a few flaws that are all its own. Many of these are technical; Spocks flying boots seem to be rocket propelled, yet they work when he is upside down or even hanging sideways. Once could be kind and say that there was a hefty dose of antigravity involved, but it still
stupid and an audience should not have to rationalize these things for itself.
The trip up the turbolift shaft is heavily documented elsewhere, but to sum up - the shaft is about three times the size of a lift, the decks are numbered from the bottom up instead of the top down, there seem to be 78 decks when the ship only has around 25 - 30, and they pass at least one deck twice while on the way up. Again there are ways to rationalize some of this - some little robot deck labeller gone awry is my favourite - but like the boots, audiences should not have to work out ways in which a film could maybe be plausible.
I won't go on much more about the flaws, but briefly - in general the special effects are not terribly effective. Uhura is far too old to be dancing naked on screen. No real explanation is offered as to how the Enteprise-A got through the barrier, or how the Klingons were able to follow them. Nor is there any explanation of just what that thing on the planet was. More rationalization is required to explain just how the Enterprise managed to get to the centre of the galaxy, a trip which would normally be expected to take decades but which here takes a matter of hours.
It's common for fans to scream that this film has no redeeming features, but in my view there are a few. The chemistry between the 'big three' of Spock, Kirk and McCoy was one of the great things about TOS, and it is something that is missing from most of the films - but The Final Frontier does it just right. From Spocks talk of 'marsh mellons' to Kirks admission that he regards his comrades as family, the interaction is both moving and humorous by turns.
Laurence Luckinbill also does a good job, striking just the right of a man whose determination is long past fanaticism and lurching rapidly into madness. The scene where he tries to convert McCoy and Spock is excellent, right up to his admission to Kirk that he believes God is waiting for him on the far side of the barrier.
Some good stuff here, then, but the flaws are jarring and spoil the ride.
© Graham & Ian Kennedy
Page views : 117,370
Last updated : 25 Oct 2017


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The Princeton University shield has a widespread presence throughout the campus. With a keen eye, one can catch a glimpse of this icon in campus architecture — from interiors to facades — and it also adorns sport venues, commercial items, publications and more. Whether small or large, sculptural, carved, or printed in ink, the University shield serves as an emblem of Princeton's rich traditions.
The symbol, as seen in this video, is derived from the University's official seal, which was adopted in its current version in 1896 when Princeton changed its name from the College of New Jersey to Princeton University. The seal, which serves as the University trustees' corporate signature on diplomas and other official documents, was described in the trustees' minutes of Feb. 13, 1896, as: "a shield resting upon a circle. In the upper part of the shield an open Bible with Latin characters VET NOV TESTAMENTUM signifying the Old and New Testaments. … In the lower part a chevron, denoting the rafters of a building." It also includes the Latin phrase "DEI SUB NUMINE VIGET" (Under God's Power She Flourishes), which is the University's official motto, and "seal of Princeton University" in Latin.
In the shield's formal application, it appears with the motto in a ribbon below the icon. In 2007, the shield was redesigned to be wider and rounder than the previous shield, and the black outline around the outside was removed to simplify and modernize its look.


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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Some well-known male chefs are getting behind a New Jersey girl's call for Hasbro to make a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven.
Chefs including Manuel Trevino of TV's "Top Chef" and Michael Lomonaco of Porterhouse New York are featured in a YouTube video applauding McKenna Pope's online petition, which had reached about 40,000 signatures as of Tuesday on the website Change.org.
The 13-year-old 8th-grader from Garfield, N.J., started the petition when she went to buy an Easy-Bake Oven for her 4-year-old-brother, Gavyn Boscio, but discovered it comes only in purple and pink. She wants Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro to feature boys on the box of the toy and to make it in gender-neutral colors.
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay said last week he agreed that Hasbro should make an oven in other colors to appeal to boys, and in the nearly 3-minute-long video posted online Tuesday by Flay's publicist, several chefs from around the country joined in on the call.
A spokesman for Hasbro did not comment.
Lomonaco is known for his TV appearances and was executive chef at Windows on the World atop the north tower of the World Trade Center at the time of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In the video, he and other chefs root for McKenna.
"We signed your petition McKenna! You get Hasbro to change that packaging! Little boys and little girls can all be chefs," he says to cheers from the rest of his kitchen.
Laurent Tourondel, who has started restaurants around the world, says cooking is for girls AND boys, while New York chef Spencer Rubin asks: "Hasbro, please make an Easy-Bake for dudes."
Joshua Whigham, of The Bazaar by Jose Andres in Los Angeles, says he supports making an Easy-Bake that's more friendly for boys.
"I can understand not wanting to cook on a pink oven," he says. "Ask Hasbro for a steel, or a black or a something really cool oven."
Brad Spence of Amis Trattoria in Philadelphia says he has young children at home.
"My son, I cook with him every Sunday, so I'd love to see something like that happen," he says.
McKenna's mother, Erica Boscio, told The Associated Press that McKenna is scheduled to meet with Hasbro on Monday.


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Typical national real estate web sites may only cover 20% of what is for sale in a particular location and many display homes already sold.
Only a broker or agent affiliated sites can give you the most up-to-date home listings.
You can see all the listings that real estate agents see by searching locally on a broker or agent site.
Find more homes in and around Philadelphia
Narrow your search for homes in the Phoenix Metro Area
Look for your next home in Charlotte, NC
See more great homes in Seattle


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DiGiulian brings home gold
Alexandria climbing wunderkind Sasha DiGiulian won the gold medal in last month's Sport Climbing Series National Championships in Salt Lake City. DiGiulian bested 14 of the top American pro climbers for the top honors at the SCS finals. Tied for first after the qualifying round, the Alexandrian was the only competitor to successfully finish all of her climbs.
Yet, even with that win under her belt, the national championship barrage is not over yet for the 17-year-old DiGiulian. Over the course of Valentine's Day weekend, she will face America's top climbers in her own backyard in the American Bouldering Series finals at Alexandria's Sportrock Climbing Center.
Ireton hockey notches 11th straight win
Five days before the Washington Capitals won a franchise record 11th straight game, the Bishop Ireton Ice Hockey team closed out the month last Friday night against Woodbridge/Osbourn Park with an identical streak. Playing without leading scorer Reid Yager, the Cardinal offense was still in high gear, notching 44 total shots in a 6-0 victory.
Ireton scored twice in each period, led by two goals and an assist from Tom Cyrnak, and limited the opposition to just six shots on goal as the Cardinals improved their record to 11-0. With just two league games remaining on the schedule, the win kept the Cardinals tied atop the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League standings with Robinson. They close out the regular season Sunday in a hotly anticipated game against undefeated Stonebridge.
Parker-Gray game set back a third time
Due to weather in central and southeastern Virginia, Monday night's Parker-Gray basketball game between T.C. Williams and Kecoughtan, the new home of former Titans coach Ivan Thomas, was postponed for the third time this season. According to the T.C. athletic department, parts of Virginia between Alexandria and Kecoughtan's home base of Hampton received nearly twice as much snow as the Washington region did over the weekend, precluding the team from heading north. On Wednesday, T.C. announced that the two teams, trying to reschedule for a fourth time, will not play this season as it is simply too late in the year.
Ripken League joins National Alliance
The Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League last week announced their inclusion in the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, becoming the Alliance's eighth member for the 2010 season. The admission of the Ripken League home of the Alexandria Aces was unanimously approved by the Alliance's seven other members at its annual meeting early last month in Dallas and opens the Washington-area league to nationwide marketing exposure.
"We are thrilled to join the alliance," said Ripken League Commissioner Robert Douglas. "The alliance's representation of its members' interests is first-rate and we are proud to be listed among such prominent and respected summer collegiate baseball leagues."
The other member leagues of the alliance include the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, the Cape Cod Baseball League, the Florida Collegiate Summer League, the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, the New York Collegiate Baseball League, the Southern Collegiate Baseball League and the Valley Baseball League.


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3 Steps to Building a World-Class Bank
The ongoing European financial crisis and overall economic downturn have driven banks to reprioritize their technology investments and raised a renewed sense of urgency around optimizing operations. For large banks that have staff, customers, vendors and operations spread across the globe, that means moving in unison across multiple markets to operate more efficiently on a global scale while still enabling flexibility that powers innovative, valuable products for local customers.
According to Judd Holroyde, SVP and head of global product management and delivery at San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, the key to becoming a successful global bank depends on evolving your overall operating model, and a big part of that is taking a proactive approach to identifying and implementing technology while exploring the best ways to standardize, outsource and maintain a consistent customer experience. "I don't think any banks are completely there today," he says. "But do I think they are heading there quickly? Yes."
Although one clear path to globalization does not exist, financial industry experts agree on a few areas where banks should focus their attention in order to optimize global opportunities and achieve world-class distinction.
1. Strive for Standardization With (Not too Much) Flexibility
In the new global environment, it's not feasible for financial institutions to support very complex, siloed operations and platforms, according to Likhit Wagle, GBS banking leader at Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM. "That sort of complexity makes it very difficult to manage the business and bring new products to the market, and it's more expensive," he explains. A more streamlined approach across the globe enables banks to take advantage of economies of scale, drive down overall cost-to-income ratios and increase speed to market.
That's where industrialization -- simplifying a bank's operating model through the standardization of products, processes and technology across markets -- comes in, says Fiaz Sindu, an executive with New York-based Accenture's core banking services group. Key to industrialization is "ensuring that the manufacturing, fulfillment and servicing that go with a bank's products are centralized across multiple segments," he explains. "Whether it's retail banking or wholesale banking, there needs to be a common engine underneath that supports those segments."
IBM's Wagle points to Madrid-based BBVA, a financial institution with more than US$785 billion in total assets and about 7,600 branches in more than 30 countries, as one global bank that is benefiting from this standardized approach. "The cost-income ratio for banks like BBVA is in the mid 40s," he indicates. "They're able to respond very quickly to market changes, and it seems like almost weekly they're bringing out a new product."
Adds Jose Olalla, technology and operations director at BBVA, "This strategy has yielded good results, and we are now taking further steps to integrate, taking full advantage of our global scale." He notes that the bank has expanded the scope of its strategies to focus on regions and continents rather than individual countries.
Part of this standardized approach is automation, something Olalla says BBVA has achieved on various levels. "Our processes are automated and we have a paperless global workflow," he reports. "We have real-time posting and validation processes and have implemented a compliance/fraud-prevention proactive and reactive system."
Achieving success on a global scale through standardization, the experts agree, also is dependent on maintaining enough flexibility to deal with inherent inconsistencies across markets in areas such as compliance, payments and deposits, not to mention cultural differences. But Wells Fargo's ($1.3 trillion in assets) Holroyde warns that there's a very fine line between a flexible variable in a tool and too much customization.
"One product that works more places consistently but gives up a little nuance in other global markets is better in the end," he insists. "You need to remain flexible without going down the rabbit hole of mass customization. If you do that, you'll start to lose track of variables, spend too much time reacting and fixing things, and then you'll lose sight of real effort."
Banks can even decide on certain variables that they will fundamentally standardize based on customer and market behavior, according to Holroyde. "When you think about the customer side of globalization, clients need a partner that can be flexible enough to adapt with them as they change," he explains. "You have to be able to take a step back and anticipate a client's needs, but do it in a way that's more simplified, by anticipating and identifying variables that can be turned on or off."
- Strive for Standardization With (Not too Much) Flexibility
- Tackle Customer Experience From the Top Down
- Move Beyond Traditional IT Outsourcing
Banks also need to recognize that customers are facing the same challenges that banks face in terms of market uncertainty, and that they expect visibility and control, Holroyde adds. "We need to be able to identify triggers and react to them before they can even touch clients," he says, noting that this can be achieved with a centrally monitored, highly automated auditing process.
2. Tackle the Customer Experience From the Top Down
Regardless of what is happening in IT and operations on the back end, a successful global bank should strive for consistency in the client interface so that customers know they can depend on the brand and have the same experience everywhere, stresses Accenture's Sindu. "There's a client-facing distribution function that services a specific segment of the market," he says of the ideal global bank operation. "There's a wholesale banking line of business, there's a retail banking line of business, and it's fully integrated in terms of all the products that they're trying to sell to their client base because it's built around the clients and not around the products."
Wells Fargo has an ever-growing number of customers that have interests overseas, as well as clients in other countries that have interests in the U.S., according to the bank's Holroyde. In order to provide consistent products and customer experience in all markets, he says, the bank has taken a top-down approach to product distribution across all customer-facing channels. "The reason we've gone that way is because the consistency for the customer starts and stops at the front end, the interface," he explains. "Whether someone is in Europe, New York or California, they're going into the same front-end tool. It's the same product -- what's different are the pieces of infrastructure and technology."
Holroyde says his team "preserves and protects" the customer-facing front end, as well as the higher-risk back end. Instead of making any major changes in those layers, he relates, the group tries to make as many changes as possible in a shared services layer, what he describes as "a handling layer that acts as a buffer between the complex processing technologies and the customer experience or product channels." This approach ensures smooth integration and hopefully causes little or no disruption to the customer experience.
Analytics also come into play when striving to provide global consistency, says IBM's Wagle. In order to ensure that customers are getting the same products and experiences across channels and markets, banks need access to a single source of information and a single view of their customers, he insists. Adds Accenture's Sindu, "Customer-centric banks should be able to see the full client relationship and use that visibility to drive the customer experience."


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GIL .. BIOSCI/Bionet News .. Biosequences .. Software .. FTP |
We are offering RapiData 2011, the thirteenth offering of our popular course: Rapid Data Collection and Structure Solving at the NSLS: A Practical Course in Macromolecular X-Ray Diffraction Measurement The course will be held 3-8 April 2011. Students could be at any level from advanced undergraduate to full professor. The course should accommodate 48 students total. All students are encouraged to bring their own specimens for data collection, and to bring old data for the data-reduction and structure-solving tutorials. Please read the Course Announcement at http://www.bnl.gov/RapiData/. You'll see that many experts in the field will be available for lectures and tutorials. You'll find the application materials on the Course Application tab at this site. For the ninth time we will hold a short lecture course on the fundamentals of crystallography for roughly five hours on Sunday 3 April. The body of the RapiData course really requires that students have a healthy knowledge of crystallography. For potential students who have some experience but are shaky about fundamentals, this course will help. There will be a small additional fee for the fundamentals course, to pay for Saturday night accomodations and food on Sunday morning and noon. Latin American Scientists: Several scholarships are available, from the International Union of Crystallography, to pay partial travel and subsistence costs for Latin-American students and junior faculty (under 40 yrs). Please apply for the course, and then contact R. Sweet (sweet from bnl.gov) if you are interested in applying for a scholarship. In accordance with the standards of the International Union of Crystallography, we observe the basic policy of non-discrimination, affirming the right and freedom of scientists to associate in international scientific activity without regard to such factors as citizenship, religion, creed, political stance, ethnic origin, race, colour, language, age, or gender, in accordance with the Statutes of the International Council for Science. At this course no barriers will exist beyond the application procedure that would prevent the participation of bona fide scientists. Please apply or send your students to our course, Bob Sweet, Sal Sclafani, and Alex Soares Course Announcement at http://www.bnl.gov/RapiData/ ========================================================================= Robert M. Sweet E-Dress: sweet from bnl.gov Group Leader, PXRR: Macromolecular ^ (that's L Crystallography Research Resource at NSLS not 1) http://px.nsls.bnl.gov/ Biology Dept Brookhaven Nat'l Lab. Phones: Upton, NY 11973 631 344 3401 (Office) U.S.A. 631 344 2741 (Facsimile) =========================================================================