The Geekly with a Twist: April 27th-May 3rd
When trying to come up with something nifty for this week, I’m coming up pretty short. It’s been a long one here at HQ and it’s still a month to Memorial Day. But! Never fear, for the Geekly is here! So, onward with the history!
April 28th, 2001: Dennis Tito becomes the first “space tourist” when he joins the crew of the Soyuz TM-32 mission. It is estimated that Tito dropped $20 million on his controversial flight. (I could think of a better way to spend that kind of money….)
April 29th, 1955: The woman to play first female captain (who was also a lead character in the shows) of the Star Trek universe, Kate Mulgrew is born in Dubuque, Iowa. (She is also a cast member in Season 3 of Warehouse 13, but I won’t spoil it with her character name.)
April 29th, 1958: The beautiful woman who portrayed Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns, Michelle Pfeiffer is born in Santa Ana, California.
April 29th, 1970: Yet another Batman alum (she played Poison Ivy in Batman and Robin), Uma Thurman is born in Boston.
April 30th, 1975: Dr. Leonard Hofstadter himself, Johnny Galecki is born in Bree, Belgium where his mother was stationed for the United States Air Force.
April 30th, 1982: Kiersten Dunst, the young woman who would go on to have roles in Spiderman, Interview with a Vampire, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, is born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
May 1st, 1925: One of NASA’s Original Seven, Scott Carpenter is born in Boulder, Colorado.
May 1st, 1972: Julie Benz, the actress probably best known to scifi geeks as Darla from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Angel, is born in Pittsburgh.
May 2nd, 1519: Renaissance man and genius Leonardo da Vinci dies in France.
May 2nd, 1972: A future D&D player, wrestler, actor, and the man playing Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Dwayne Johnson is born in Hayward, California (yup, The Rock plays D&D). (Bonus fact: Johnson had an appearance in Star Trek: Voyager in 2000.)
So, in honor of all of the people who have starred or guest starred on Star Trek, let’s get a bit Trekkie with the Twist. It’s time to try an Orion’s Belt (this drink is served at Quark’s at the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas).
- 1 part melon liqueur
- 1 part Malibu rum
- 1 1/2 parts pineapple juice
- 1 1/2 parts half and half
Prepare a glass with ice, pour all ingredients in, mix, and enjoy!
And, of course, you’ve got to Garnish your Geekly!
Personally, I’m addicted to knowledge. I’d like to consider people who read my column are the same way. In that breath, then, you need to check out Now I Know and its sister site Fact and a Photo (both by Dan Lewis). Now I Know delivers a fresh factoid article during the week to help beat the blues. Fact and a Photo is just kind of a bonus. Dan Lewis is eloquent, interesting, and well-rounded in his article choices. I’ve never been bored by an article and I often spend spare time getting to know the “Random” button. You need to know!
Until next week, geek on!
