In 1966 a new show came on the air called Star trek. A western set in space, the show gave free thinkers food for thought, in fact, after 79 seasons it was cancelled for being "too cerebral"
As a kindergartener watching this show with my older brothers, it didnt occur tome that white people working with other races, let alone Vulcans, should be unusual in any way.
I loved Uhura.It was a dark secret I had to keep to myself, as an upper middle class child, growing up in the 70's there were some things not accepted.In the 70's if there was a black woman on the screen she was a nanny, whore or maid.
Enter Nichelle Nichols.
The bridge of the Enterprise was graced with a woman who was elegant, refined and highly intelligent. every inch a lady, Uhura shattered the stereotype not only for black women but women everywhere. She did not get coffee, no one referred to her as "the little lady" and she held her own without benefit of a husband.
Her skirt got shorter with the part and Nichelle thought about quitting. She tells about being in her dressing room when Martin Luther King popped in to say hello. He told her don't quit, no matter how small the part becomes, she is a role model to black girls on a show optimistic about the future. thankfully, she didnt quit, but Dr. King was only half right.
Lt. Uhura was not just an inspiration to black girls. To the little girl ostracized for facial paralysis, Uhura gave me an example of dignity I tried to emulate as I walked down the halls at school. Lifting my head high. I wouldn't let anyone see me cry. I read and learned to ignore ugly things I heard. (ok I did backslide and get suspended for fighting once. must have been my inner Kirk)
I look forward to the prequel "Trek XI" comes out next month. In the thirty second trailer you have Uhura stripping off her shirt.
Annoyance began creeping up my spine.
There is rumor she is going to have an affair with Kirk.
I gave an exasperated sigh.
As the release date nears, I am ready for battle. I want to love the movie, but more than that, I want Uhura treated with the class and dignity she has personified for 40 years.she is nobody's slut and I don't think she needs to shake her money maker for ratings. (Isn't that what the Andorians were for?)
I will become very angry if they sully this refined character and make her ship's trollop. I will resort to coarse language when I rip into my communications board and blast Paramount out of the water.
I hope I am over reacting to a thirty second trailer and the creators of this movie will respect Rodenberry's vision. it is a vision wrapped snugly in my psyche. Peace, cooperation, and unity made possible through acceptance of others and acceptance of self.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Ancient Weapons
In the beginning there were rocks.
Seriously.
The first weapons were used for hunting. Flint was chiseled into arrow heads (a clovis point), the material was strong as steel and sharper. When used with bows, they were powerful enough to pierce a horse from its hindquarters to its heart. The same points were attached to longer wooden shafts to make spears.
The flint knife had serrations along the edge, as the flint would break in predictable ways. Fragments were useful for making tools along with horns and antlers. They were sharpened for cutting leather, and scraping the skins of animals for clothes.
Stone age tools:
Blade core: stone or obisdian used for making different tools by flaking off peices of the core.
End Scraper: used to scrape fur from animal hides.
Burin: stone tool used to carve bone, antler, or wood. Picture a case cutter, but in the stone age the rounded stone piece was the handle while a triangular blade portruded from it.
Awl: used for shredding plant fibers.Antler Harpoon: used for hunting large marine animals. picture a rose stem, instead of the thorns facing the sky, the barbs bent away from the point on the top.
Clovis point: used for killing large animals and cutting plants.Bone flute: used for playing music.Beads: may have been used for currency.
Needle: used for stitching hides.
Bone Point: projectile hunting tool. A deep groove cuts into the base of the point where a wooden shaft was secured with resin.Most stories occur long after this time period, but the resilience of man, and the use of creativity to aid survival is always interesting.
The Bronze age spans the years between 3300 to 1200 BCE. the time period is divided into three stages: early, middle and late. Bronze is an alloy of copper (90%) and tin (10%). The greatest ore sites are located in Britain and central Europe.
Copper and bronze weapons were superior to stone in strength, sharpnes and durability. Historians credit metal weapons with growth of urban civilizaitons by creating a class of skilled metal workers. There was greater contact with scattered people as traders traveled far abroad in search of copper and tin deposits.
With the rise of urban living came the need for armies to protect the area. Those cultures without metallurgy technology fell prey to those that did. The Bronze age covers the time of ancient Greeks, Troy, Assyrians and Egyptians, what we think of as Biblical times. Plagues and famine made some peoples vulnerable to the powerful armies that rose weilding advanced weapons.
Stone age weapons were still used but improved upon. Bows and arrows were widely used in hunting, but in many cultures, it was considered honorable to look into your enemies' eyes on the field of battle.
The sling was still popular for those who might not be able to afford a sword. This weapon worked very well for David when he went up against Goliath. The staff was popular for multiple uses, a bronze tip applied to make a spear.
Swords and daggers could be made to fit the individuals grasp. Arrow heads were now metal and the concept made a fine axe.
Clubs were made with wood, ivory or jade. Some clubs attached to the wrist by a cord threaded through a hole in the club handle. In Hawaii and the Fiji Islands, clubs were embedded with shark teeth or shaped with saw like teeth along the edge. The clubs may also be adorned with the teeth of slain enemies.
The Plains Indians of North America used a long, thin handled stick called a counting coup.
Any blow struck against the enemy counted as a coup, but the most prestigious acts included touching an enemy warrior, with the hand or with a coup stick, then escaping unharmed. It was considered more honorable to risk confronting an enemy without killing him. The coup stick might have notches along the handle so the warrior can keep count of how many enemy he confronted.
The Bronze Age yielded to the Iron age. As weapons became more brutal, its seems humans became more aggressive.
Seriously.
The first weapons were used for hunting. Flint was chiseled into arrow heads (a clovis point), the material was strong as steel and sharper. When used with bows, they were powerful enough to pierce a horse from its hindquarters to its heart. The same points were attached to longer wooden shafts to make spears.
The flint knife had serrations along the edge, as the flint would break in predictable ways. Fragments were useful for making tools along with horns and antlers. They were sharpened for cutting leather, and scraping the skins of animals for clothes.
Stone age tools:
Blade core: stone or obisdian used for making different tools by flaking off peices of the core.
End Scraper: used to scrape fur from animal hides.
Burin: stone tool used to carve bone, antler, or wood. Picture a case cutter, but in the stone age the rounded stone piece was the handle while a triangular blade portruded from it.
Awl: used for shredding plant fibers.Antler Harpoon: used for hunting large marine animals. picture a rose stem, instead of the thorns facing the sky, the barbs bent away from the point on the top.
Clovis point: used for killing large animals and cutting plants.Bone flute: used for playing music.Beads: may have been used for currency.
Needle: used for stitching hides.
Bone Point: projectile hunting tool. A deep groove cuts into the base of the point where a wooden shaft was secured with resin.Most stories occur long after this time period, but the resilience of man, and the use of creativity to aid survival is always interesting.
The Bronze age spans the years between 3300 to 1200 BCE. the time period is divided into three stages: early, middle and late. Bronze is an alloy of copper (90%) and tin (10%). The greatest ore sites are located in Britain and central Europe.
Copper and bronze weapons were superior to stone in strength, sharpnes and durability. Historians credit metal weapons with growth of urban civilizaitons by creating a class of skilled metal workers. There was greater contact with scattered people as traders traveled far abroad in search of copper and tin deposits.
With the rise of urban living came the need for armies to protect the area. Those cultures without metallurgy technology fell prey to those that did. The Bronze age covers the time of ancient Greeks, Troy, Assyrians and Egyptians, what we think of as Biblical times. Plagues and famine made some peoples vulnerable to the powerful armies that rose weilding advanced weapons.
Stone age weapons were still used but improved upon. Bows and arrows were widely used in hunting, but in many cultures, it was considered honorable to look into your enemies' eyes on the field of battle.
The sling was still popular for those who might not be able to afford a sword. This weapon worked very well for David when he went up against Goliath. The staff was popular for multiple uses, a bronze tip applied to make a spear.
Swords and daggers could be made to fit the individuals grasp. Arrow heads were now metal and the concept made a fine axe.
Clubs were made with wood, ivory or jade. Some clubs attached to the wrist by a cord threaded through a hole in the club handle. In Hawaii and the Fiji Islands, clubs were embedded with shark teeth or shaped with saw like teeth along the edge. The clubs may also be adorned with the teeth of slain enemies.
The Plains Indians of North America used a long, thin handled stick called a counting coup.
Any blow struck against the enemy counted as a coup, but the most prestigious acts included touching an enemy warrior, with the hand or with a coup stick, then escaping unharmed. It was considered more honorable to risk confronting an enemy without killing him. The coup stick might have notches along the handle so the warrior can keep count of how many enemy he confronted.
The Bronze Age yielded to the Iron age. As weapons became more brutal, its seems humans became more aggressive.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Hurrah for the bra
Pre WW1 women wore corsets. Not the pretty, soft things we have in lingerie shops now. They were instruments of torture, binding and grinding. supports of whale bone or steel held a woman's torso so tightly she often swooned in the streets during hot days when she couldn't catch her breath.
The war started, America was in need of metals. 28,000 tons of metal gained when women graciously, perhaps joyfully, ripped off the corsets and sent them to the steel workers. from their generous donations, two battleships were built.
What fun we could have had in their naming. The USS Titsling and and her sister ship Double Trouble.
No longer bound for glory, America's women became vested in the war effort, busting out in the job market, aiding the economy while the men were away.
The birth of the bra came on the heels of the Roaring 20's. More comfort. More dancing. The girls had something to celebrate.
The war started, America was in need of metals. 28,000 tons of metal gained when women graciously, perhaps joyfully, ripped off the corsets and sent them to the steel workers. from their generous donations, two battleships were built.
What fun we could have had in their naming. The USS Titsling and and her sister ship Double Trouble.
No longer bound for glory, America's women became vested in the war effort, busting out in the job market, aiding the economy while the men were away.
The birth of the bra came on the heels of the Roaring 20's. More comfort. More dancing. The girls had something to celebrate.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Pass Christian Mardi Gras Parade
We had such a fabulous day at the Pass Parade today. Whoot. What a way to celebrate Mardi Gras. Each year, each town across the Mississippi Gulf Coast has their own parade, but our family and friends tend to congregate at the Pass Christian parade every year. It all started years ago as a get together because a distant relative of my sister used to live on the parade route so we had access to a bathroom and a kitchen to serve food. But Hurricane Katrina took her relative's house and then he passed away a few years after that, so now we 'tailgate' by enjoying good food, beverage and fun. I was unable to attend last year due to chemotherapy weakening me so much. This year I wanted to go so bad. We always have loads of fun and this year was no exception. My brother-in-law fried wings while his brother fried everything else from corn dogs to chicken tenders. We also feasted on sausage balls, pasta salads, chips/dip, brownies, nestle toll house bars and chicken salad croussants. I said I wasn't going to drink, but Jeaneen, my sister, brought a batch of Mango Tangos so I had to have some. :) Something new we did this time, was rent a Port-a-Potty. You should of seen people looking at us when we were driving along hwy 90, towing this thing. It turned out to be the best decision: our own CLEAN private bathroom. What a blessing. Several people even offered us money to use our toilet. :) This year's Pass Parade-local term for the city of Pass Christian, MS' parade-consisted of 65 floats & one marching band. In a few of the parade picture's you can pick out vacant beach front property that hasn't been rebuilt since Hurricane Katrina. In fact, that's where we set up camp today, in an empty grass lot where a house used to stand.
So, you might be wondering what the heck Mardi Gras is. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. It refers to events of the carnival celebration ending on the day before Ash Wednesday, before the lent season, but it is not observed nationally throughout the US. It arrived in North America as a sedate French Catholic tradition in the late 17th Century with the Le Moyne brothers, who were sent by King Louis XIV to defend France's claim on the Louisiana Territory, which is present day Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. In 1703 Mardi Gras began with French settlers.
Here are a few pictures of today's festivities: 
You can find more picture at my facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1108624493&ref=profile
or on myspace: www.myspace.com/debbiemacklin
Happy Mardi Gras ya'll,
Deb
Monday, February 16, 2009
Surviving as an Author
Everyone thinks if you are an author it's a full time job. We'd love it to be a full time job, but for the vast majority of us it's not. That doesn't mean that we quit thinking about what we are writing when we aren't busy writing.
Unfortunately I had to go to work today. Fortunately there's lots of work which means a better paycheck. Paychecks are important! So there I am at work and my mind is drifting over what my my characters are doing. (I work in a huge cube farm and I'm trying not to giggle.) It's quite simple. I left my characters in bed with a can of whipped cream! They will be stuck there until tomorrow night when I can rescue them from their predicament.
I know that I write in snatches of time that I can steal from busy days. I don't have the luxury to write full time, but the need to write is always with me. Writers write, that's what we do. It keeps us sane! As fast as we can write one novel there's another brewing in our brains.
Some authors plot everything out. I envy them. I know where my stories are going, but that doesn't mean I know every path the characters will take. I allow my characters to drive the story. I try to stay ahead of them so that I can steer them. They need to now what route to take to get where they are supposed to go, but I give them the freedom to sight see along the way. It's amazing what they will do with that freedom!
I do need to wrestle that can of whipped cream from my characters' hands. I had enough trouble convincing her that she didn't need to drag out the chocolate syrup too! It'll take them another thirty years before they will ever settle down, they're having too much fun. But isn't that part of finding true love? Unbridled enthusiasm and the willingness to excite and please the one you love?
I don't write erotic, just contemporary romance. And yes, it's always about finding true love.
E.
Unfortunately I had to go to work today. Fortunately there's lots of work which means a better paycheck. Paychecks are important! So there I am at work and my mind is drifting over what my my characters are doing. (I work in a huge cube farm and I'm trying not to giggle.) It's quite simple. I left my characters in bed with a can of whipped cream! They will be stuck there until tomorrow night when I can rescue them from their predicament.
I know that I write in snatches of time that I can steal from busy days. I don't have the luxury to write full time, but the need to write is always with me. Writers write, that's what we do. It keeps us sane! As fast as we can write one novel there's another brewing in our brains.
Some authors plot everything out. I envy them. I know where my stories are going, but that doesn't mean I know every path the characters will take. I allow my characters to drive the story. I try to stay ahead of them so that I can steer them. They need to now what route to take to get where they are supposed to go, but I give them the freedom to sight see along the way. It's amazing what they will do with that freedom!
I do need to wrestle that can of whipped cream from my characters' hands. I had enough trouble convincing her that she didn't need to drag out the chocolate syrup too! It'll take them another thirty years before they will ever settle down, they're having too much fun. But isn't that part of finding true love? Unbridled enthusiasm and the willingness to excite and please the one you love?
I don't write erotic, just contemporary romance. And yes, it's always about finding true love.
E.
Valentine's Day, or, Romance During a Recession
With the recession and ongoing cutbacks in our personal lives, I thought Valentine's Day would pass with nothing more than a verbal acknowledgement between DH and me. The kids were another concern! Try to ignore any holiday that involves candy, and we'll have an open revolt on our hands. So I was surprised and pleased when Walter (such a bland name for a true hero) gave each kid a toy, a heart box of candy, and bag of chocolate hearts. They squealed with delight - literally. My little boy has a high-pitched scream that can be picked up by satellites. Walter presented me with my favorite (and his!) Lindt truffles and 2 cards! I had neglected to buy him or the kids anything, and I'm so glad he remembered. Gone may be the days of expensive roses and dining out, but the sentiment is the most important part. I remembered later that we became engaged on Valentine's Day, 14 years ago. So much worrying and scrimping here and there almost made me forget the true meaning of these commercial holidays. A love note from my favorite valentine is more precious than diamonds.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Mardi Gras is in full swing to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Next weekend, my family and I will be attending the Pass Christian parade. Party time! Food, fun, beads, and drinks. (except for me :P) I'll be sippin on soda. I don't like beer. I also get a day off due to the holiday. Last tuesday of the month. Whoot.
Happy Mardi Gras, ya'll.
Finished final draft of edits yesterday early am and sent them off. should have a release date soon. Double Whoot.
And finally, I'll be a Coffee House Author at Coffee Time Romance. You can find me on their boards often. Especially their 'diggin' questions of the week on the forums. I love those questions.
Also, look me up on myspace, twitter and plurk.
http://twitter.com/DeborahPanger
http://myspace.com/debbiemacklin
http://www.plurk.com/joviangeldeb
and, if your on facebook, I'm listed as Deborah J Panger. See you there.
Deb
Happy Mardi Gras, ya'll.
Finished final draft of edits yesterday early am and sent them off. should have a release date soon. Double Whoot.
And finally, I'll be a Coffee House Author at Coffee Time Romance. You can find me on their boards often. Especially their 'diggin' questions of the week on the forums. I love those questions.
Also, look me up on myspace, twitter and plurk.
http://twitter.com/DeborahPanger
http://myspace.com/debbiemacklin
http://www.plurk.com/joviangeldeb
and, if your on facebook, I'm listed as Deborah J Panger. See you there.
Deb
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