Simon does the Buzzfeed "What colour uniform would you wear aboard the Enterprise?" quiz!

 

Hi #Treksters

I know it's been awhile since me (or Jamie) has released a blog post. As you might expect we've been busy preparing for FCD "Out of the Ashes" (on the 2nd April)!

 

So we haven't had enough time to write any new blog posts...well that's what we like to think (as it's not 'quite' true)!

As we've got a couple of blog posts in the works, which I'm sure we'll be releasing sometime soon (I hope!).

 

To make up for that loss, I thought (as I usually do) I'd do a little fun blog post. In this case 'writing up' my Buzzfeed Star Trek quiz answers and results, and then explaining why I've made that choice!

 

I've also interspersed some conventional this or that quiz questions, with my answers displayed in a bold font!!! 

 

As you can tell from the exceptionally long title the quiz I have done is the:

 

What colour uniform would you wear aboard the Enterprise? Quiz*

*which can be found here

 

 Question 1:

Which piece of technology would you get the most use out of?

• Padd
• Replicator
• Tricorder
• Phaser
• Transporter
• Holodeck

A tricorder



I chose the tricorder because I think that out of all the choices it would be the most useful on an away mission to a strange new world. I think this because the information collected from it could help 'better' humanity through the discoveries made over many years of analysis.

 

Shower or bath

Question 2:

What one word would your fellow crewmembers use to describe you?



• Clever
• Dependable
• Crafty
• Outgoing
• Sharp
• Funny



 

I simply chose outgoing, as I think (and hope) that out of the choices given outgoing is how my 'fellow crewmembers' (Phil & Jamie) would choose to describe me as!

 

Question 3:

Which captain is your captain?

• Captain Jonathan Archer
• Captain Christopher Pike
• Captain James T. Kirk
• Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Captain Benjamin Sisko
• Captain Katherine Janeway

 

Captain Picard



I simply chose Captain Jean-Luc Picard as he's obviously my favourite captain. Because he's such a great role model. Who's so multifaceted...that means he's got so many different 'edges' and 'quirks' to him. That just makes him the most interesting captain of the lot!

 

House phone or mobile phone

Question 4:

Which of these would you least like to encounter?

• The Gorn Hegemony
• The Klingons
• The Romulans
• The Borg
• The Q
• The Kobayashi Maru

A Borg drone

I think with this question its the 'toss of a coin' between choosing the Borg and the Q. But on this occasion I chose the Borg...as they strike fear into all those who oppose them with the threat of assimilation. Something I assure you I wouldn't want to happen to me if I was a Federation citizen!

 

Dominos pizza or Pizza Hut

 

Question 5:

What's your favourite Star Trek catchphrase?

• "Live long and prosper"
• "Beam me up, Scotty" (although it was never said!)
• "Highly illogical"
• "I'm a doctor, not a mechanic/engineer/escalator"
• "I'm giving it all she's got, Captain!"
• "Make it so"

 

This was a very difficult choice, as there are many great (and iconic) catchphrases on there...but I obviously had to choose "Make it so" seeing as it's the only Star Trek: The Next Generation catchphrase up there. Although I would have laughed if "Engage" was up there also! 

 

Question 6:

Which Holodeck programme would you most like to experience?

• Sherlock Holmes
• The Orient Express
• The New Orleans Jazz Club
• The Forest of Forever
• Aboard the original U.S.S. Enterprise sailing ship
• 1940's Film Noir San Francisco

The New Orleans Jazz Club

I chose The New Orleans Jazz Club as I think it'd be the most fun (and enjoyable) programmes to play out of that list! Partly as I'd also love spending a bit of time with Minuet. Because I think she'd be an incredibly interesting NPC (Non-Player Character) to interact with.

 

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate



Question 7:

What's your least favourite odd numbered Star Trek film?

• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Star Trek Generations (1994)
• Star Trek Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture poster

After a bit of time considering which one to choose, I finally decided upon Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) as it's one of those films which never fulfilled its potential. Mainly because of the films difficult 'birth'...due to the fact that it came "out of the ashes" from the aborted Star Trek: Phase II series.

 

Original Willy Wonka film or the Willy Wonka Remake film



Question 8:

What's your favourite even numbered Star Trek film?

• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)



Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country poster

Another difficult choice here...but out of the options available there are a certain set of films up there, which I'm always 'drawn' too. It's just Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) 'draws' me in a bit more than the other fantastic films!

 

My Results:

 

 

Command Red

 

You are decisive and commenting.

Because you're always in control of every situation and always know exactly what to do, when you talk, people listen. Because of this sense of responsibility, you rarely do anything for your own benefit or gain. Instead, your actions are usually in service of others.

Notable examples: Captain Picard, Captain Janeway, Commander Riker

 

I think that my results are quite accurate considering my outlook on life, and my attitude towards friends & family (and the podcast).

That being said....I'm going to take this with a 'small pinch of salt', as I know that quiz results are always written in such away that they can be conceived by everyone to reflect a certain part of their personality. Making it a bit redundant, but something fun to do none the less!

 

Well that's what I got (and what I think about it)...but I'd be really interested to hear what results you all get!

So please go and do the test yourself over at http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/set-phasers-to-stunning#.ijZkrDzKq and post your results in the comments below!!! 

 

As ever, this is Simon from The Engage Podcast signing out!

 

Imagination!

Hi everyone! I wanted to apologise for such a long gap between this and my last blog, which seems like eons ago! Due to a combination of work, the convention and mainly technical issues with my laptop, this has sidetracked me in contributing to the blog for a while. But I'm back now!





So let's throw myself straight back into the mix with my latest topic about imagination! One definition I found  via Google is "the ability of the mind to be creative and resourceful." We all at some point have used our minds to imagine other possibilities, to indulge ourselves in entertainment by reading books and watching movies. And come up with ideas and solutions to solve problems we face.


Throughout history the use of imagination has been formed to create wonderful new technological inventions such as the telephone and medical breakthroughs with the ability to treat cancer. Imagination has and will continue to help us enrich and develop us as a species, so we can keep understanding ourselves and our role in life better!

We imagine and develop these ideas through sounds, words and pictures. As a child I had an active mind and always felt we discover insights about ourselves as individuals or a society through reading someone else's story or our own. For example it has been suggested that Roddenberry's experiences as a bomber pilot in WWII may have influenced him envisioning a utopia future for humanity in space with Star Trek.
 

Within the franchise itself humans can expand their own imaginations through a wonderous invention called the Holodeck, which "is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases." (Wikipedia) This is an environment where anything and everything can be formed and recreated, an endless supply!

If you had a Holodeck, what would you use it for? Me personally, create a nice sunny beach with lovely cool drinks and a good book to read! Star Trek characters like Geordie in The Next Generation have used the Holodeck to relax and unwind on the beach to try and impress a certain lady called Christy in Booby Trap! (S3, EP6)


 

It has also helped and taught other Trek characters to strive to understand themselves and reach their full potential.

For example Nog retreated into the Holosuite in Deep Space Nine in It's Only A Paper Moon (S7, EP9). It became a 'rehabilitation clinic' in a sense as he tries to deal with the trauma from losing his leg during the war in a battle with the Dominion in The Siege of AR-558 (S7, EP8). And Data used the Holodeck as a comedy act setting to try and understand humor, as he strives to become more human in The Outrageous Okona (S2, EP4)

These are just a few examples in how imagination has been used to enthrall and entertain us, but more importantly how we have formed concepts and ideas from it to discover solutions and invent. This has made us develop and understand ourselves more as a species and even if humanity hasn't yet reached the full potential of Roddenberry's vision, we can still imagine it will as (see picture below)