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[Stardate notation is in the format YYMM.DD]
8303.00 The Alaric's first newsletter comes out and is called
the BRIDGE BULLETIN. It is xeroxed sheets, 8 1/2"
by 11".
8306.19 On this Sunday, a meeting is held at Godfather's Pizza
in Hickory, NC to organize the Alaric members in the
western end of the state. This was in the days before
the shuttlecraft program had been instituted and at this
time the Alaric was divided into Deck 1, the eastern end
of the state, and Deck 2, the western end of the state.
8307.31 Dr Diane Crane becomes Dr Diane Sharle and moves
to Virginia.
8312.00 Dr Sharle resigns as CO of the Alaric because of her
heavy work schedule and new marriage.
8401.00 Eric Stilwell resigns as President of Starfleet.
8401.00 Susan Lee, a nurse who lived in Asheville, NC and
was the CO of the Alaric's Deck 2, becomes the Alaric's
new Captain.
8402.00 Grant Roseback designs the Alaric's distinctive and
elegant logo and it is adopted by the crew.
8403.00 Fran Booth becomes the new Commander of Starfleet.
8405.00 The first edition of the Alaric's new newsletter, the
CAROLINA COMMUNICATOR, is printed and mailed.
8406.00 The Alaric's first shuttlecraft, the Galileo II NCC-503/1
(formerly Deck 1), is formed in Raleigh, NC and its CO
is Arlene Mabry.
8406.01 STAR TREK 3: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK opens in
theaters around the country.
8409.23 Susan Lee, the Alaric's Captain, and Mark Bolick,
another crewmember, are married in Asheville, NC.
8503.00 The Alaric's Wheels for David Fund is created. David
Rich is a crewmember with cerebral palsy.
8505.00 The Alaric's second shuttle, the Southern Star
NCC-503/2, is launched in Charlotte, NC with CMDR
Ronnie Byram as its CO.
8509.00 T-shirts printed on the front with the Alaric logo are
made available for Alaric crewmembers.
8510.00 In order to provide a more equitable method of granting
rank increases, the first version of the Alaric Points
and Promotion System is created and distributed to
the crew.
8510.00 Captain Susan Bolick is granted a promotion to
Commodore by Starfleet HQ because of an
outstanding OTS score.
8511.00 Commodore Susan Bolick is asked by Starfleet HQ to
become Regional Coordinator of Region One. She is
promoted to Rear Admiral and turns the helm of the
Alaric over to its First Officer, Jeannette Maddox.
8512.00 CMDR Maddox is promoted to Captain by Starfleet HQ
and becomes the CO of the Alaric.
8601.00 Steve Smith becomes President of Starfleet.
8601.28 The NASA space shuttle Challenger tragedy.
8602.08 The shuttle Galileo II puts on a one day con in Raleigh
called Genesis Khan and raises $811 to donate to Duke
Children's Hospital.
8603.00 An Alaric crewmember, Steve Allred, creates and
becomes the first director of Starfleet Academy's
Vulcan Academy of Science.
8607.00 The Alaric's newsletter, CAROLINA COMMUNICATOR,
gets a new look and goes to booklet form instead of
8 1/2" by 11" sheets.
8609.06 The crewmembers of the Alaric celebrate the 20th
Anniversary of Star Trek at a bash hosted by the
shuttle Southern Star.
8610.00 The Alaric's first shuttle, Galileo II NCC-503/1, in
Raleigh, NC is reassigned as the Starfleet ship
USS Endeavor NCC-1716.
8610.00 The Alaric's fourth shuttle, Aldebaron NCC-503/4, is
formed in Taylorsville, NC with LT Sonya Moore as
its CO.
8611.11 The Alaric crew attends a lecture given by Leonard
Nimoy at University of North Carolina-Charlotte and
colllects autographs.
8611.25 STAR TREK 4: THE VOYAGE HOME opens in theaters
across the country and the Alaric has information tables
at theaters in Asheville and Greensboro.
8612.12 The shuttle Southern Star hosts the Alaric Christmas
Party.
8702.00 Starfleet HQ announces that the Alaric's newsletter,
CAROLINA COMMUNICATOR, has been given Starfleet's
award for best bi-monthly newsletter of 1986.
8702.00 Starfleet HQ also announces that the shuttle Southern
Star's newsletter wins Starfleet's award for Honorable
Mention in the monthly newsletter category for 1986.
8703.14 Alaric members help man the phones for North Carolina's
PBS TV station's fund raising drive.
8703.28 The Alaric crew provides all the Star Trek/Starfleet
entertainment at StellarCon in Greensboro, NC.
8704.00 Alaric crewmembers in Asheville and Greensboro
participate in the March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon. The
Asheville group wins a plaque from the Asheville
March of Dimes for "Best New Team" and "
Best Walker Average".
8704.00 Starfleet HQ announces that the USS Alaric has won
the big one -- Chapter of the Year for 1986.
8706.00 The Alaric adopts its very own mascot, Regulus, a
humpback whale, through the Whale Adoption Project
in Falmouth, MA.
8706.00 The Alaric shuttlecraft, Southern Star, is reassigned
as the Starfleet ship USS Hornet NCC-1714.
8707.31 The Alaric hosts a weekend campout, J.T.Kon, at
Etowah, NC.
8709.00 STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION premiers.
8712.07 The USS Hornet hosts their usual fabulous Christmas
Party.
8803.26 Alaric crewmembers man the Star Trek/Starfleet room
at StellarCon in Greensboro, NC.
8804.00 Alaric crewmembers in Asheville and Greensboro
participate in the March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon and
raise a total of $678.50.
8805.00 The Alaric receives a Distinguished Service Award
from the Region One Regional Coordinator, RADM
Linda Neighbors, for its outstanding performance in
the 1988 March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon.
8806.00 The Alaric shuttle North Star is reassigned as the
Starfleet ship USS Bonaventure NCC-102.
8806.30 The Alaric hosts Festival!, (formerly J.T.Kon), a
week-end campout in Boone, NC. It is attended by
over 40 Alaric, Hornet, and Bonaventure crewmembers
and family.
8808.00 The fifth Alaric shuttle, Adventurer NCC-503/5, is
launched in Knoxville/Oak Ridge, TN with Joy Gilbert
as its CO.
8808.00 CAPT Maddox becomes Vice Regional Coordinator of
Region One and is promoted to Commodore.
8808.15 The CO of the Alaric, COMM Jeannette Maddox,
announces her candidacy for Fleet Admiral (President) of
Starfleet.
8810.00 Alaric crewmembers man a Starfleet/Alaric information
table at RoVaCon in Roanoke, VA.
8811.00 Alaric crewmembers represent Starfleet at
SilverCon in Asheville, NC.
8901.00 Alaric decides to participate in the Adopt-A-Highway
program.
8901.01 COMM Jeannette Maddox is promoted to Fleet Admiral
and assumes office as President of Starfleet. She
turns the helm of the Alaric over to its First Officer,
CMDR Neta Cox.
8904.29 Alaric crewmembers participate in the March of Dimes
Walk-a-Thon in Asheville and raise a total of $291.62.
8904.08 The Alaric shuttle Adventurer is reassigned as the
Starfleet ship USS Adventurer NCC-1600.
8906.00 CMDR Neta Cox resigns as First Officer and Acting
Captain of the Alaric due to an impending move,
although she remains an active member of the crew.
8906.00 RADM Susan Bolick returns to active duty as the Acting
Captain of the Alaric.
8906.09 Alaric crewmembers man a Starfleet/Alaric information
table in Asheville during the opening of STAR TREK 5:
THE FINAL FRONTIER.
8907.15 Alaric crewmembers help with the Starfleet information
table at Shore Leave, the East Coast Conference in
Baltimore, MD.
8907.28 The Alaric hosts Festival!, the annual Alaric weekend
campout in Boone, NC.
8908.00 Due to the imminent arrival of RADM Bolick's second
child, FADM Maddox resumes command of the Alaric.
8912.00 Alaric crewmembers attend Hornet Christmas party,
proceeds from an auction at which were donated to
Hurricane Hugo relief.
9002.24 Mark Bolick is asked to take command of Alaric as
Acting Captain.
Recycling of aluminum cans re-emphasized.
9005.26 First Annual Alaric ST/SF Video Movie Festival
held at crewmember Mike Conley's residence in
Marion, NC.
9006.00 Crewmembers Brad Harmon and Mike Conley (with
Sarah Brafford of the Rebel) man a table at the Boone,
NC Waldenbooks and recruit members for the Alaric's
new travel pod, the Daniel Boone.
9006.23 Alaric Yard Sale at National Guard Armory, Asheville,
North Carolina.
9007.07 ST Computer Gaming Festival, Richard & Shirley
Heim's residence in Asheville, NC.
9007.27 The Alaric hosts Festival!, the annual Alaric weekend
campout in Boone, NC.
9009.00 Alaric begins collecting canned food donations for
Manna Food Bank.
9010.20 Alaric's Brad Harmon and the Daniel Boone travel
pod sponsor another Starfleet display at Waldenbooks
in Boone, NC.
9011.10 Starfleet/Alaric flyers distributed at one-day ST
minicon held in Asheville, NC.
9101.01 Alaric receives Starfleet Unit Distinguished Service
Award for charitable activities.
9101.19 Travel pod Daniel Boone provides security at
Trek-O-Rama one-day ST convention in Charlotte, NC.
9102.02 Travel pod Daniel Boone achieves shuttle status
(NCC-503/8), name changed to Celestial Dragon.
9102.09 Alaric begins donating ST & SF books to Pack
Memorial Library in Asheville, NC.
9103.09 Richard Heim is asked to take command of Alaric as
Acting Captain.
9104.20 Day-long Open House meeting, consisting of videos,
display room, panel discussion, and trivia contest,
held at Pack Library as part of Alaric membership drive.
9104.26 Alaric members help with security at Magnum Opus
Con 6, Greenville, SC, April 26-28.
9105.18 The first 1991 Alaric ST/SF Video Movie Festival held
at crewmember Terry Barnes' residence in Asheville,
North Carolina.
9105.25 The first 1991 ST Computer Gaming Festival, Richard
& Shirley Heim's residence, Asheville, NC.
9106.00 Pack Library asks Alaric to provide display case
materials for Buncombe County Library System
summer reading program on outer space.
9107.00 Captain Richard Heim presents slide show on
astronomy & space exploration at Swannanoa Public
Library as part of summer program.
9106.22 The second 1991 Alaric ST/SF Video Movie Festival
held at crewmember Mike Conley's Marion, NC
residence.
9107.00 Alaric Handbook and Promotion Points System are
revised.
9107.20 The Alaric hosts Festival!, the annual Alaric weekend
campout in Boone, NC.
9107.27 The second 1991 ST Computer Gaming Festival,
Richard & Shirley Heim's residence, Asheville, NC.
9108.00 A chapter constitution for the Alaric is written and
presented to the membership for adoption.
9108.17 Fund-raising yard sale at Asheville quarters of Jere
Shiver & Mark Gassman.
9109.14 Video Movie Festival at Pack Library, open to the
public, coinciding with ST's 25th anniversary.
Constitution approved by membership, Richard Heim
elected as President (Captain) with Janice Self as
Vice-President (XO), Charlotte Teague as Editor, and
Jim McCormack as Secretary.
9109.19 Begin holding a second regular meeting every month
as an experiment.
9111.16 Alaric has recruiting table and helps with video room,
trivia contest, and security, at Asheville Comic Book
& ST mini-con.
9112.06 Alaric has recruiting table December 6 & 7 at
Biltmore Square Mall theater for opening of STAR TREK VI:
THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY.
9112.08 Alaric receives Starfleet Region One Unit Distinguished
Service Award for charitable activities.
9201.18 The first 1992 Alaric ST/SF Video Movie Party held at
Brad Harmon's Marion residence.
9203.00 Alaric offers club iron-on transfers for club t-shirts
as fund raiser.
9203.26 Alaric helps with convention security, helps man the
Starfleet recruiting table, and mans the scholarship
raffle table at the Starfleet Region One Conference at
Magnum Opus Con 7, March 26-29, in Greenville, SC.
9204.11 Brad Harmon reports that he saved the life of a grocery
store employee by administering CPR to prevent the
man from choking to death.
9204.25 The first gaming session (computer, trivia, board
games, etc.) of 1992, at the Heim residence, Asheville,
serving as the kickoff event of our 10th anniversary
celebration.
9205.01 Alaric has recruiting table and helps run registration,
video room, security, dealers room, and hospitality
suite at Ballad Trek, a local ST/SF convention, held
May 1-3 at the Great Smokies Hilton.
9205.16 Video Festival at Mike Conley's Marion residence.
9205.25 Alaric wins Federation-Klingon "Blood Feud"
blood drive for Red Cross, May 25-29.
9206.20 The second gaming session of 1992, at Heim residence.
9207.11 The Alaric's eighth shuttle is reassigned as the
starship USS Celestial Dragon, NCC-71810.
9207.24 Alaric hosts Festival!, the annual weekend campout
in Boone, NC.
9208.22 Alaric participates in the McDowell Arts and Crafts
Association day-long Science Fair in Marion, NC.
Brad Harmon mans recruiting table and participates
in ST skit while Richard Heim presents
astronomy/space exploration slide show.
9208.29 Alaric crew participates in costume contest sponsored
by local Hallmark store as promotion for their ST
products. Member Sheila Thomas wins first prize with
her Scottish engineering costume.
9209.12 Starfleet members in Greenville, SC petition the
Alaric to be their mothership, form shuttle Leif Ericson
(NCC-503/9).
9209.12 First Amendment to Constitution is passed. Richard
Heim re-elected as CO.
9209.19 Day-long Open House meeting, held at Pack Library
as part of the Alaric's tenth anniversary celebration.
Includes display table, videos, trivia contest, computer
gaming.
9209.20 The Alaric joins the Khitomer Compact, which is a
peace and cooperation agreement between the various
ST clubs in the Asheville area. The Compact was
initiated by Captain Heim with all participating clubs
contributing to the final draft.
9210.17 Halloween/10th Anniversary Party at Harmon's Marion
residence.
9211.21 Alaric has recruiting table at ST/Comics mini-
convention, Asheville, NC, and helps run trivia
contest & video room.
9212.12 Alaric begins putting club publications to audio tape
for hearing impaired members.
9212.12 Second Amendment to Constitution is passed.
9301.00 STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE premieres.
9301.01 Rob Lerman elected President of Starfleet.
9301.05 Alaric competes with local Romulan club in another
"Blood Feud" blood drive for Red Cross and wins.
Local TV station (WLOS-TV) provides news coverage.
9301.10 Begin holding two regular meetings per month, with
CO Heim presiding over Saturday meetings, XO Self
presiding over Sunday meetings.
9304.17 Alaric upgrades from Original Series-era Saladin class
destroyer to Next Gen-era "Alaric class" heavy
destroyer.
9305.21 Alaric members help run Ballad Trek II, May 21-23,
doing Con Ops, Troubleshooting, video room, filking,
Federation Feud, and Rocky Horror Picture Show Live,
and helping with security and registration.
9306.12 Begin conducting door prize drawings at the monthly
meetings.
9306.19 Away Team to Carowinds for Paramount's STAR TREK
Earth Tour, Charlotte, NC.
9306.26 Alaric runs security, helps with registration, and
mans recruiting table at Trek-O-Rama mini-convention
at UNC-A Lipinsky Hall. Treat guest Mark Lenard to
dinner at Steak and Ale restaurant.
9307.00 Month-long "Blood Feud" blood drive for local
Red Cross, Alaric beats local Romulan club.
9307.10 Alaric raffles Hallmark ST Enterprise Starglobe as
fund raiser.
9307.11 Alaric receives Starfleet Region One Unit Distinguished
Service Award for helping at Ballad Trek II and
Trek-O-Rama conventions.
9307.17 Away Team to Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC.
9307.31 Video Festival & PC Gaming Session, Heim residence,
Asheville, NC.
9308.29 The Alaric's ninth shuttle is reassigned as the starship
USS Leif Ericson, NCC-71818.
9309.04 Begin holding staff meetings the weekend before the
regular meeting.
9309.18 Open House held September 18-19, Pack Library, with
videos, displays, trivia contest, reading session, door
prize drawings.
9309.26 Alaric has recruiting table at Ballad Trek Micro-Con,
and runs video room.
9310.09 Richard Heim re-elected as CO. Recreation/Gaming
department created.
9311.00 New design for CAROLINA COMMUNICATOR.
9311.20 Away Team to "Space According to Earth"
display at Colburn Gem & Mineral Museum in Pack
Place, Asheville, NC.
9311.21 Alaric has recruiting table and helps run Comix-Trek
mini-convention, Asheville, NC.
9312.12 Alaric Christmas Party.
9401.09 Jigsaw Puzzle Party at the Heim's residence, Asheville.
9401.14 Regular monthly stargazing get-togethers commence,
Blue Ridge Parkway between Asheville and Mt. Pisgah.
Organized by Astrophysics Dept (Susan Vaughn).
9401.22 ST Role Playing Gaming at Susan Vaughn's residence,
Asheville, NC.
9402.00 Alaric wins "Blood Feud" Red Cross blood drive
against local Romulan club.
9402.12 Begin scheduling ST Role Play Gaming at Susan
Vaughn's residence after the Saturday monthly
meetings.
9402.26 Capt. Heim presents slide show on ST conventions &
Alaric at local Mensa group meeting.
Gaming Dept holds poker gaming session.
9403.19 Backgammon Gaming Session, South Buncombe
Branch Library.
9403.26 Galactic Computer Gaming Meeting, Susan Vaughn's
residence.
9404.09 Third Amendment to Constitution is passed.
9404.16 Scrabble Gaming Session, Susan Vaughn's residence.
9405.00 STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION series finale.
9405.20 Alaric's first Gaming Festival with Open House, May
20-22, Warren Wilson College gymnasium.
9405.25 Alaric Computer Operations Dept sets up message
base & file transfer system on local BBS (Rhapsody).
9406.00 Go back to holding just one regular meeting per month.
9406.11 Fourth Amendment to Constitution is passed.
9406.25 Away Team Hike to Great Smoky Mountains National
Park, Cades Cove, Abrams Falls.
9407.00 Alaric conducts blood drive for local Red Cross. XO
Janice Self appointed STARFLEET Region One Chief
Quartermaster.
9407.16 Filking Session at Bolick residence, Weaverville.
9407.30 Summer Video Festival, Mike Conley's residence,
Marion.
9408.13 Fortean Research Dept. created.
9408.26 Alaric helps run Ballad Trek III, August 26-28,
Radisson Hotel, Asheville. The Alaric runs ConOps,
TacOps (Troubleshooting), dealers room, video room,
filking, registration, and trivia contest. The Starfleet
chapter, USS Appalachian, runs security. Alaric raffles
Hallmark ST Enterprise-D Starglobe as fund raiser.
9409.10 Officer elections held, Richard Heim retires from the
Captaincy. Janice Self elected Captain, Mark Bolick
XO, Richard as Chief Operations Officer (Secretary -
Editor). Mark begins working to meet XO qualifications.
9409.17 EGA Trek/Galactic Computer Gaming Session, Susan
Vaughn's quarters, Asheville.
9409.24 Alaric helps run Trek for Food charitable
("food-raising") event, Marion, NC.
9410.08 Alaric drops support of Whale Regulus (due to no
sightings recently).
9410.15 Backgammon Gaming Session, Susan Vaughn's
quarters, Asheville.
9411.00 A Word in Edgewise, the Alaric's Captain's Log
Supplement, premieres.
9411.00 Former long-time Alaric member, David Rich, passes
away.
9411.19 Board Gaming Session, Tammy Horton's quarters,
Bostic, NC.
9412.00 Alaric has recruiting table at Biltmore Square Mall
theater for opening of STAR TREK GENERATIONS.
9412.10 Alaric Christmas Party.
9412.15 Alaric receives Starfleet Region One Unit Distinguished
Service Award for charitable activities.
9501.00 First appearance of computer graphics (GIF files) in
CC. STAR TREK: VOYAGER premieres.
9501.01 Dan McGinnis elected President of STARFLEET.
9501.14 Regulus sighted recently....Alaric re-adopts the whale.
9501.21 First 1995 Computer Gaming Session, Susan Vaughn's
quarters, Asheville.
9501.29 Puzzle & Board Gaming Session, Heim quarters,
Asheville.
9502.18 Winter Video Festival, Heim quarters.
9503.00 Computer Operations Dept makes available computer
software and graphics file library.
9503.11 Science Specs, the Alaric's science newsletter,
premieres.
9503.31 Alaric provides gaming support, runs filking, and helps
run blood drive at Region One Summit, Gatlinburg, TN,
March 31-April 2.
9505.13 Mark Bolick fails to meet qualifications for XO. Under
threat of ship decommissioning from STARFLEET,
Susan Vaughn becomes XO.
9505.20 Alaric tours Buncombe County Waste Treatment
Facility.
9505.27 Second 1995 Computer Gaming Session, Susan
Vaughn's quarters, Asheville.
9506.10 Computer Operations Dept sets up Alaric home page
on World Wide Web.
9507.00 Cmdr. Susan Vaughn selected as the Region One
Chief Science Officer of the Quarter, the Alaric's
Science Department selected as the Region One
Department of the Quarter.
9507.13 Away Team to NASFIC Convention / STARFLEET
International Conference, July 13-16, Atlanta, GA.
Alaric's newsletter, Carolina Communicator, wins as Best
Informative Newsletter in the Starfleet 1994 Newsletter
of the Year Contest.
9507.22 Writer's Workshop, Barry Marshall's quarters.
9508.05 Computer Training Session.
9508.19 Yard Sale to raise funds for Meals on Wheels charity.
9509.01 Away Team to Ballad Trek IV Convention, September
1-3, Asheville, NC.
9509.09 Annual officer elections held. Janice Self elected CO,
Susan Vaughn XO, Richard Heim Chief Operations
Officer.
9509.16 Alaric tours Asheville-Buncombe Water Plant.
9509.30 Alaric helps run Trek for Food charitable event, Marion,
NC, Saturday afternoon.
Get-together that evening for Let's Get Metaphysical
Night.
9510.26 Away Team to Knight Star Con 1 / Region One
Conference, October 26-29, Charlotte, NC.
9511.00 Alaric World Wide Web home page debuts.
9511.00 Premiere issue of The Alaric Heim Page, the Alaric's
Operations-Planetary-Sciences-Fortean-Research
Department monthly newsletter.
9511.11 Third 1995 Computer Gaming Session, Susan Vaughn's
quarters.
9512.02 Second Let's Get Metaphysical Night, Vaughn quarters.
9512.09 Alaric conducts four fund-raising raffles: Andorian
figurine, Enterprise-D Star Globe, Klingon Bird of Prey
Star Globe, 1994 Hallmark Klingon Bird of Prey Xmas
ornament. The Alaric also conducts auction as a
fund-raiser.
9512.09 Alaric Christmas Party at South Buncombe Branch
Library.
9512.16 Computer Training Seminar (Internet), Vaughn quarters.
9601.13 Computer Graphics File Exchange at monthly GBM,
South Buncombe Branch Library.
9601.20 Lazertag expedition to Gatlinburg, TN.
9601.27 First 1996 Writer's Workshop with guest Dr. Bill
Forstchen, at Susan Vaughn's quarters.
9602.17 Winter Video Festival, Heim quarters.
9602.24 Puzzle Party, Heim quarters.
9603.00 STARFLEET recognizes the Alaric's newsletter, the
Carolina Communicator, as the Best Informative
Newsletter in the 1994 Newsletter of the Year Contest.
9603.08 Away Team to Region One Summit, March 8-10,
Gatlinburg, TN.
9603.22 Eliada Homes and Services for Children and Families
recognizes the Alaric for contributions of Campbells
food product labels, which Eliada uses to trade for
badly-needed equipment.
9603.23 Second 1996 Writer's Workshop held at South
Buncombe Branch Library.
9603.30 Computer Training Seminar (Internet), Vaughn quarters.
9604.06 Let's Get Metaphysical Night, Vaughn quarters.
9604.27 Alaric's Spring 1996 Open House, Lord Auditorium,
Pack Library, downtown Asheville, NC.
9605.00 Premiere issue of Krell's Cache, the Alaric's Computer
Operations Department newsletter.
9605.11 Away Team to Rock of Ages Convention, May 10-12,
Charlotte, NC.
9606.15 Shakespeare Video Festival, Vaughn quarters.
9606.22 Computer Training Seminar (WordPerfect), Vaughn
quarters.
9608.03 Capt. Janice Self's membership expires and she is
unable to renew until after January 1 due to
developments in her personal life. XO (second-in-
command ) Susan Vaughn moves up to CO position,
Chief Operations Officer (third-in-command ) Richard
Heim moves up to XO position.
9608.29 Away Team to L.A. Con III, the 54th Annual World
Science-Fiction Convention, August 29 to September
2, Los Angeles, CA.
9608.30 Away Team to Starfleet 1996 International
Conference, August 30-September 1, Oklahoma City, OK.
9608.30 Away Team to Ballad Trek V Convention, August 30 -
September 1, Asheville, NC.
9609.14 Officer elections held, Susan Vaughn elected CO,
Richard Heim elected XO.
9609.14 Alaric Medical Department conducts CPR training
after GBM, South Buncombe Branch Library, certifies
two members!
9610.19 Computer Training Seminar (Windows), Vaughn quarters.
9610.25 Away Team to LaGrangeCon / Region One Conference,
October 25-27, Cleveland, OH.
9611.15 Starfleet President Dan McGinnis resigns; since the
Vice-Presidency is vacant, next-in-line Chief of
Operations Jim Herring assumes command.
9611.22 Alaric has recruiting table Nov 22-23 at Biltmore Square
Mall theater for opening of STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT.
9612.14 Annual Alaric Christmas Party.
9701.01 Michael Smith elected President of STARFLEET.
9701.04 Discussed pros and cons of charging local membership
dues for Alaric, but changes not implemented.
9701.11 Membership surveyed for ideas for activities and
opinions of potential changes.
9701.25 Puzzle Party at Heim quarters.
9702.04 Capt. Richard Heim is appointed to the Region One
position, Assistant Regional Division Chief for Sciences.
9702.08 Promotion points workshop held. Alaric web page address
changes to: http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/ian/alaric.htm
9703.14 Capt. Vaughn relocates to new quarters.
9703.22 Away Team to Biltmore Iron & Metal Company (our
preferred aluminum recycling facility).
9703.29 Web page design seminar (afternoon). Hale-Bopp
comet-gazing party (evening).
9704.11 Away Team to Region One Summit, April 11-13, Gatlinburg, TN.
9704.13 USS Alaric wins two Region One 1996 awards: Ian
Johnsson for Region One CompOps Chief of the Year, and
Susan Vaughn for Region One Chief Science Officer of the Year.
9704.19 The Toxic Avenger, Mr. Don Yelton, speaks at the April GBM
on the county's waste reduction activities.
9705.00 Cmdr. Barry Marshall appointed the NC/SC Assistant
Regional Divisional Chief for Communications.
9705.10 Capt. Heim begins series of articles on Science in his
monthly newsletter, The Alaric Heim Page.
9706.07 Let's Get Metaphysical Night, Vaughn quarters.
9706.14 Chapter Constitution revised and consolidated with passage
of Amendment No. 5: Recodification of the Alaric
Constitution and Its Amendments. Elected officers will
serve for two-year terms, beginning with this September's
election. Cmdr. Barry Marshall elected to newly-created
office of Second Officer (Executive Secretary).
9707.12 Alaric Council approves free Carolina Communicator
subscription to CC editor for duration of his/her
editorship.
9708.30 Shakespeare Video Festival, Vaughn quarters.
9709.05 Away Team to Karmacon Convention, September 5-7,
Asheville, NC. Alaric runs Gaming Room (computer gaming,
puzzles, board games) and conducts Star Trek Trivia
Contest, doorprize drawings, and seminar on science-
fiction writing.
9709.13 Officer elections held: Susan Vaughn re-elected CO,
Richard Heim re-elected XO, Barry Marshall re-elected SO.
9711.08 Star Trek Trivia Contest at November GBM.
9712.13 Annual Alaric Christmas Party.
9801.00 Alaric's 9801 issue of the Carolina Communicator is a
special calendar issue available fleetwide.
9801.10 Alaric awarded Region One Distinguished Service Award for
1997. Puzzle party with videos at this month's GBM.
9801.28 Capt. Heim is appointed Chief Science Officer of the
Alaric by CO, Capt. Vaughn.
9802.14 Valentine's Party with card games at this month's GBM.
9803.14 Board game party (Solarquest, Scrabble, Boggle) at this
month's GBM.
9803.28 Capt. Heim, as R/1 Assistant RDC Sciences, takes over
editing of Region One Sciences newsletter.
9804.03 Away team to Lost in Space movie.
9804.04 GBM held at Shoney's Restaurant.Afterwards, away teams
to Lazertag and Lost in Space movie.
9804.17 Away Team to Region One Summit in Gatlinburg, TN, April 17-19.
9804.18 Region One Regional Coordinator, Adm. Linda Smith,
retires as RC. VRC RAdm. Carolyn Donner appointed (by
FAdm. Michael Smith) as Acting RC.
9804.19 Alaric takes home 3 awards at Summit: Capt. Heim chosen
as the 1997 Department Chief (Sciences) of the Year, The
Alaric Heim Page wins the 1997 Department Newsletter of
the Year Award, and Cmdr. Ian Johnsson wins the Summit's
Next Gen Alien Costume Award.
9805 Series of Vulcan Academy of Sciences Graduate Profile
articles, written by R/1 Sciences ARDC and Alaric XO,
Capt. Richard Heim, begin in the Starfleet Communique.
9805.02 Alaric Yard Sale, followed by barbecue.
9805.16 CompOps Dept. holds a graphics program workshop.
9806.06 Cmdr. Johnsson named the Ferengi Ambassador to the Region
One Alien Ambassador Corps.
9806.13 Coupon Poker (to raise food coupons for Starfleet's
Overseas Coupon Project) special activity after today's
GBM.
9807.03 Cmdr. Ian "Krell" Johnsson's web site, Krell's
Korner, chosen as the STARFLEET Office of Web Consultation
Pick Of The Month.
9807.03 Away team to 1998 STARFLEET International Conference in
Lubbock, TX July 3-5.
9807.05 Carolina Communicator receives Honorable Mention in the
category of MOST INFORMATIVE newsletter published in
1997 in STARFLEET's 1998 Newsletter Contest.
9807.11 GBM held in library meeting room at Asheville Botanical
Gardens. Alaric Decorations Project approved by Alaric
Council.
9808 Away team to Bucconeer, the 56th World Science-Fiction
Convention, in Baltimore, MD August 5-9.
9809.26 Fortean Research Dept. sponsors field trip to Judaculla Rock.
9810.10 GBM held on grounds at North Carolina Arboretum.
9811.15 Capt. Susan Vaughn resigns as CO due to developments in
her personal life. XO (second-in-command) Richard Heim
moves up to CO position, and Second Officer (third-in-
command) Barry Marshall moves up to XO position, per
Alaric Constitution. Capt. Richard Heim appoints Capt.
Janice Self as the new Second Officer and the Alaric
Council votes to confirm the appointment.
9811.17 Planetary Sciences Dept. sponsors special stargazing
party Tuesday night for Leonids Meteor Storm.
9811.21 Aluminum can crushing party.
9811.28 Region One VRC-RDC Program Coordinator, Comm. Willy Smith,
announces that Capt. Richard Heim is appointed the new
Region One RDC for Sciences.
9812.05 USS Alaric and USS Hornet go on joint field trip to
Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC.
9812.12 After the monthly GBM, Alaric adjourns to local theater
for mid-afternoon showing of Star Trek: Insurrection.
Alaric does not have display booth, but does distribute
extra Starfleet Communique newsletters, at two local
theaters showing the new Star Trek movie. Annual Alaric
Christmas Party held at Heim quarters after the movie.
9901.01 Michael Smith re-elected President of STARFLEET.
9902.20 Puzzle Party at Heim quarters.
9903.13 Alaric holds first "Starfleet Academy Day" to
encourage crew to take Starfleet Academy courses. Barry
Marshall resigns as XO due to impending move out of state.
Janice Self resigns as Second Officer (SO).
9904.10 Cmdr. Ian "Krell" Johnsson agrees to serve as
acting XO, 1LT. Chad Trantham agrees to serve as acting
SO. With a growing contingent of Starfleet Marines and
with its expanding science activities, the Alaric adopts
a new motto: "Exploring and Defending the Frontier
of the Federation."
9904.17 Away Team to the Star Trek Federation Science Exhibit at
the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC.
9904.30 Away Team to Region One Summit, April 30-May 2, Gatlinburg, TN.
9905.00 Science RDC Capt. Richard Heim selects USS Hornet Chief
Science Officer, Cmdr. David Klingman, as Assistant RDC.
9905.01 Alaric wins a Region One Silver Medal for MSR reporting
consistency. Region One Sciences receives Region One
Departmental Achievement Award.
9905.06 Cmdr. Ian "Krell" Johnsson passes Starfleet
Academy's College of Trade and Commerce course, receiving
the Grand Nagus Award of Excellence (COTAC Honors Society Award).
9905.08 Alaric Council votes to drop support of Stampede and
Overseas Coupon projects, continues support of Eliada
Children's Home Campbells Label project, decides to
conduct auctions over eBay as club fund raiser.
9905.15 Aluminum can crushing party.
9906.00 Alaric command staff rely on email to discuss staff issues
instead of holding monthly staff meetings.
9906.12 Upon candidates completing qualifying Starfleet Academy
coursework, Alaric Council votes to confirm appointments
of Ian Johnsson as XO and Chad Trantham as SO.
9906.18 Away Team to Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace movie.
9907.03 Computer Gaming Party organized by Cmdr. Ian Johnsson.
9907.10 Chad Trantham resigns as SO.
9908.06 Away Team to 1999 Starfleet International Conference in
Charlotte, NC, August 6-8.
9908.07 At International Conference: Region One Sciences RDC,
Capt. Heim, and ARDC, Capt. Klingman, run Fleet Sciences
divisional meeting and conduct R/1 Science Panel
presentation on Science in Star Trek and Star Trek's
Science-Fiction Becoming Reality. Alaric XO, Cmdr. Ian
Johnsson, inducted into 1999 Starfleet Academy Red Squad.
Alaric newsletter, Carolina Communicator, recognized with
an Honorable Mention for Most Informative Newsletter in
the 1999 Starfleet Newsletter Contest. Alaric receives
a Distinguished Service Award for our participation in
Operation: Eagle, in support of the U.S. Armed Forces
during Operation: Allied Force. Sarah Bolick passes the
Starfleet Academy Cadet School.
9908.08 At International Conference: Alaric approached by group
of Star Trek fans in Hickory, NC about serving as their
mothership as they work to become a Starfleet shuttle.
9909.11 Biennial Alaric officer elections held: Capt. Richard
Heim re-elected CO, Cmdr. Ian Johnsson re-elected XO.
9911.01 Capt. Richard Heim is promoted to the rank of Fleet
Captain by the Starfleet Executive Committee.
9911.13 Conducted Star Trek trivia quiz and "Who Would Win?"
discussion (1. Organians vs. Talosians, 2. Dominion
[shapeshifters] vs. Borg, 3. Apollo vs. the Jedi Knights).
9911.20 Joint Away Team with USS Hornet to Leonard Nimoy's "The
Search for Life" IMAX movie at Discovery Place in
Charlotte, NC.
9912.11 Annual Alaric Christmas Party, except this year is a
Christmas dinner at Quincy's Steakhouse. The CO's/CSO's
newsletter, The Alaric Heim Page, which for the previous
5 years was published on a monthly schedule, goes to an
irregular publishing schedule.
9912.31 Region One recognizes the USS Alaric with a Certificate of
Appreciation for work done in 1999.
0001.00 The Alaric's bi-monthly newsletter, Carolina Communicator,
is converted to an electronic (web page) format (i.e.,
web zine) with the January 2000 issue.
0002.12 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: Star Trek Uno!
0002.19 Aluminum can crushing party.
0003.00 The Region One Sciences quarterly newsletter is converted
to electronic (web page) format (i.e., web zine) with the
March 2000 issue.
0003.11 In lieu of a General Business Meeting, Alaric crew gather
for a "cleaning party" to prepare former member
Mark Gassman's new apartment.
0003.17 Away Team to Fantasm 2K convention, March 17-19, Atlanta, GA.
0004.28 Away Team to 2000 Region One Summit in Gatlinburg, TN,
April 28-30.
0004.29 At R/1 Summit: RDC FCapt. Richard Heim runs Sciences
divisional meeting. RDC FCapt. Heim and ARDC Capt. Klingman
announcement the winners of the first annual Region One
Sciences department awards. USS Alaric awarded Gold Medal
for on-time reporting consistency. Region One selects
Science RDC, FCapt. Heim, as Regional Department Chief
of the Year (1999) and recognizes the Region One Science
newsletter with a 1999 Communications Excellence award.
0005.00 The 0005 issue of the Carolina Communicator contains
Part 1 of a Star Trek-James Bond parody, "The Universe
Is Not Enough".
0005.13 Dale Anderson appointed as SO and confirmed by Alaric Council.
0006.29 Away Team to DragonCon, June 29-July 2, Atlanta, GA.
0007.00 The 0007 issue of the Carolina Communicator contains
the concluding chapter of a Star Trek-James Bond parody,
"The Universe Is Not Enough".
0007.08 Away Team to the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain, NC.
0007.27 Capt. David Klingman resigns as R/1 Science ARDC due to
Fleet-level politics.
0008.09 SO Dale Anderson coordinates Alaric's participation in
Starfleet's Vessel Readiness Certification Program.
0009.02 The Region One Sciences newsletter wins in the Starfleet
Annual Newsletter Contest as the Most Informative Black &
White Newsletter.
0009.09 Cmdr. Ian "Krell" Johnsson resigns as Alaric XO
due to Fleet-level politics. SO Lt. Dale Anderson becomes
Alaric's new XO.
0009.15 RAdm. Susan Bolick and Cmdr. Mark Bolick are presented with
the Good Conduct Award for 15 years of excellent membership
involvement and participation in Starfleet Region One.
FAdm. (Retired) Jeannette Maddox, RAdm. Susan Bolick, Cmdr.
Mark Bolick, and the USS Alaric are presented with the
Starfleet Region One Decade Award.
0009.16 Away Team to USS Reprisal's End of Summer Bash cookout,
Kingsport, TN.
0010.00 New tv series, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, premieres.
0010.14 Special screening of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace.
0010.27 Away Team to MOCtoberfest convention, October 27-29, Atlanta, GA.
0011.11 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: trading cards.
0012.09 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: Star
Trek trivia contest. After short meeting we adjourned to
Ryan's Family Steak House for our annual Christmas dinner.
0012.15 USS Alaric recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation
for the ship's exceptional support of Starfleet's Region
One, its officers, members, and projects.
0101.01 Les Rickard elected President of STARFLEET.
0101.13 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: Star
Trek Monopoly game.
0102.10 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: special
screening of Bicentennial Man.
0103.10 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: special
screening of 2-hour pilot of new series, Gene Roddenberry's
Andromeda.
0103.16 Away Team to MOC-16 convention, March 16-18, Atlanta, GA.
0103.24 Aluminum can crushing party.
0104.21 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: Star Trek
trivia contest and special screening of Trekkies movie.
0104.27 Away Team to April 27-29 Region One Summit, Greensboro, NC.
The Alaric is presented with the 2000 Region One Communications
Excellence Award for the webzine newsletter, Carolina Communicator.
Region One selects Science RDC, FCapt. Heim, as Regional Department
Chief of the Year (2000). RDC FCapt. Heim runs Sciences divisional
meeting at the Summit and announces the winners of the second annual
Region One Sciences department awards.
0105.12 Special activity at this month's regular meeting: Fizzbin,
played by the rules of Rummy.
0106.09 The Alaric Council voted to combine the Weapons and Security
departments into a new Tactical Department. The special activity at
this month's regular meeting: Star Trek Monopoly game.
0106.23 Away Team to International Space Station Exhibit, Discovery Place,
Charlotte, NC
0107.14 XO Dale Anderson reported that the following Alaric departments
have been VRCP-certified (Vessel Readiness Certification Program):
Command, Sciences/Medical, Operations. Special activity at this
month's regular meeting: Star Trek Uno and screened Making of
Jurassic Park.
0107.21 Away Team to movie, Jurassic Park 3.
0108.04 XO Dale Anderson promoted to Lt.Cmdr. Special activity at
this month's regular meeting: discussed the new Star Trek series,
Enterprise, and played the Star Trek Trivia Game.
0109.08 Alaric biennial officer elections: Richard Heim re-elected
as Commanding Officer (President), Dale Anderson re-elected as
Executive Officer (Vice-President), Sheila Hand elected as Second
Officer (Secretary). Special activity at this month's regular
meeting: Star Trek: The Next Generation Monopoly game.
0110.13 XO Dale Anderson promoted to Cmdr. This month's fun activity:
Star Trek Uno.
0111.10 Fun activity this month: Star Trek trivia contest.
0111.18 Alaric stargazers witness the wonder of the Leonid Meteor Shower.
0112.08 This year's Christmas party was held at the CO's home and included
a Star Trek survey and games (Star Trek Uno).
0112.31 USS Alaric recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation
for the ship's exceptional support of Starfleet's Region
One, its officers, members, and projects.
0201.12 Alaric Council discussed the merits of becoming a correspondence
chapter (no decision was made regarding this).
0202.09 Fun activity this month: watched Enterprise episodes, "The
Andorian Incident" and "Cold Front". Sheila Hand resigns as Second
Officer due to other commitments.
0203.09 Fun activity this month: STTNG episode, "Second Chance"
0204.13 The Alaric holds its last meeting at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. The Asheville-Buncombe library system begins
charging $10/3 hours for use of meeting rooms due to the
state/county budget crisis, and the club cannot afford this.
Fun activity: STDS9 episode, "Trials & Tribble-ations"
0204.26 Away Team to April 26-28 Region One Summit, Pigeon Forge, TN.
The Alaric is presented with the 2001 Region One Communications
Excellence Award for the webzine newsletter, Carolina Communicator,
and a Gold Medal for on-time reporting consistency. Cmdr. Dale
Anderson runs the Sciences divisional meeting for RDC FCapt. Heim
and announces the winners of the third annual Region One Sciences
department awards.
0205.11 The Alaric begins holding the regular monthly meetings at
members' homes.
0206.15 This month's regular monthly meeting begins at the Botanical
Gardens of Asheville, with the crew exploring the garden before
adjourning to Sasha's home for the regular meeting. The Alaric
Council votes to change the Carolina Communicator publication
schedule from bi-monthly to quarterly.
0207.13 Instead of having a regular monthly business meeting this month,
the Alaric sends an away team to the "Space Toys" exhibit at the
Schiele Museum in Gastonia, NC. In addition to the Space Toys
exhibit, the crew enjoys the other museum exhibits which include
North American Habitats and Wildlife, North Carolina Hall, Henry
Hall of the American Indian, Robinson Hall of Earth & Man, and
the Lynn Planetarium.
0208.17 The Alaric spends the next couple regular meetings preparing for
Alaricon!
0209.14 In addition to preparing for Alaricon!, the fun activities
this month were: Chess, STTNG episode "Relics".
0210.05 WASV Super 62 (the Greenville-Spartanburg UPN affiliate)
filmed a public service announcement for Alaricon! at the Asheville-
Buncombe Pack Library and airs it several times this month.
0210.12 In addition to preparing for Alaricon!, the fun activity
this month was playing The Perry Mason Game.
0210.26 Alaricon!, the Alaric's 20th Anniversary Open House held at
Pack Library in downtown Asheville, NC. Activities include:
videos, games, puzzles, doorprizes, displays, freebies, and
two guest speakers: Brian Holloway (making Star Trek costumes)
and Ralph Roberts (writing starship stories).
0211.09 Fun activities this month: Star Trek Uno, Stratego, The Perry
Mason Game.
0212.09 FCapt. Richard Heim is promoted to the rank of Commodore
by the Starfleet Executive Committee.
0301.01 Mike Mallotte elected President of STARFLEET.
0301.11 Fun activities this month: Star Trek Monopoly, away team to
Star Trek Nemesis.
0302.08 Fun activities this month: Star Wars The Game of Life, Star
Wars Stratego.
0303.08 Fun activities this month: watched The Outer Limits episode,
"Tribunal", played Star Trek Uno and Star Wars Stratego.
0304.17 Away Team to Fantasm, April 17-20, Atlanta, GA.
0304.25 Away Team to April 25-27 Region One Summit, Pigeon Forge, TN.
Alaric runs gaming room at the Summit. The Alaric is awarded a
Gold Medal for perfect on-time reporting record. RDC Comm. Heim
runs Sciences divisional meeting and announces the winners of the
2002 Region One Sciences department awards.
0308.09 Fun activities this month: 4-Player Stratego, Star Wars the Game
of Life-A Jedi's Path.
0308.23 Alaricon 2003 -- Alaric's 21st Anniversary Open House -- held
at the Pack Library Auditorium in downtown Asheville, NC.
Games, videos (ST Classic: Squire of Gothos, STDS9: Defiant,
ST: First Contact, STTNG: Descent Parts 1 & 2), doorprizes.
0309.13 Activities: recycling aluminum; supporting local Eliada Children's
Home. Gaming at monthly meetings. Biennial officer elections
were held at the September meeting; CO Richard Heim and XO Dale
Anderson were re-elected.
0310.11 Fun activities this month: 3-Player & 4-Player Stratego.
0311.08 Fun activities this month: Axis and Allies.
0312.13 Fun activities this month: Scientists Card Game, Monopoly Card
Game, Cogno: The Alien Adventure Game.
0401.10 Gaming at monthly meetings. In January we played Star
Wars: The Game of Life and watched the video, Mindmeld:
Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime. Also, recycling
aluminum; supporting local Eliada Children's Home.
0402.14 Gaming at monthly meetings. In February we played Axis
and Allies. Also, recycling aluminum; supporting local
Eliada Children's Home.
0403.13 Gaming at monthly meetings. In March we played
Risk 2210 A.D. and 3-Player Stratego, and viewed a fan-video
of Dr. Who (Dr. Who: Death Takes a Holiday).
0404.10 Gaming at monthly meetings. In April we played
The Star Trek Game (from the 1960s) and Star Wars The Game
of Life: A Jedi's Path. STARFLEET Region One Commendations
for Cmdr. Dale Anderson & Ens. Jeff Blackwell.
0404.30 to USS Alaric ran gaming room at Region One Summit in
0405.02 Pigeon Forge, TN. Alaric CO, Richard Heim, ran the
Sciences RDC Panel at the Summit in his role as Region
One Regional Division Chief for Sciences and announced the
winners of the 2003 Region One Sciences department awards.
0405.08 Gaming at monthly meetings. In May we played Axis and
Allies.
0406.12 Gaming at monthly meetings. In June we played Solarquest.
0407.10 Gaming at monthly meetings. In July we played Axis and
Allies: D-Day and Star Wars The Game of Life: A Jedi's
Quest. Also, recycling aluminum; supporting local Eliada
Children's Home and Manna Food Bank.
0408.14 Gaming at monthly meetings. In August we played Fleets.
0409.11 The September meeting was canceled due to water and power
outages in Asheville caused by flooding and wind from the
remains of Hurricane Frances.
0410.09 Gaming at monthly meetings. In October we played Solarquest.
Received a thank you letter from Manna Food Bank acknowledging
Alaric's contribution of 54 pounds of food to help the needy
in WNC.
0411.13 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played Twilight
Imperium).
0412.11 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played Twilight
Imperium).
0501.08 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played 4-Player
Stratego). Alaric receives 2004 R/1 Certificate of Appreciation.
0502.12 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played Star Wars
The Game of Life-A Jedi's Path, and Star Trek Uno).
0503.12 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played the Star
Trek Collectible Card Game and Twilight Imperium).
0504.09 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played the Star
Trek Collectible Card Game; STTNG: A Game of Trivia,
Exploration, and Discovery; Star Wars The Game of Life: A
Jedi's Path; Star Trek Uno; and 4-Player Stratego). Also,
recycling aluminum; supporting local Eliada Children's Home.
Sent away team to Colburn Science Museum April 17 to
listen to former astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave speak.
0505.13 to Alaric CO, Richard Heim, ran the Sciences RDC Panel at the
0505.15 Summit in his role as Region One Regional Division Chief
for Sciences and announced the winners of the 2004 Region
One Sciences department awards.
0505.21 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played Star Trek
Uno and Star Wars The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path). We also
watched the Star Trek Enterprise episode, "In A Mirror,
Darkly". In addition, we are recycling aluminum and
supporting local Eliada Children's Home. Sent away team to
Spartanburg, SC May 13 to participate in a Star Trek
Enterprise finale party sponsored and organized by the
local UPN affiliate WASV. Also sent an away team to this
year's Region One Summit in Charlotte, NC May 13-15, at
which Alaric received a Region One Hailing Frequencies
Award with Distinction (for perfect reporting record).
0506.11 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played Star Wars
The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path, and MagBlast).
0507.09 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played Star
Trek: The Game). We also are recycling aluminum and
supporting local Eliada Children's Home and Manna Food
Bank. The Alaric Council voted to make the USS Alaric
be a sistership to the USS Europe. The Alaric's new
(probationary) Recreation Dept. Chief (Rachael Carlson) is
developing ideas for club activities, including an away
team trip to Carowinds in Charlotte, NC.
0508.13 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played the
STTNG Interactive VCR Board Game: A Klingon Challenge,
and Mars 2020). We also are recycling aluminum and
supporting local Eliada Children's Home. Changes in the
department chief positions: Richard Heim changed to
Planetary Sciences Dept. chief so Dennis Relyea could
become Chief Sciences Officer; Lea Drawdy is the new
Fortean Research Dept. chief; Nathan Brown is the new
Communications Dept. chief (all are on a probationary
status). Recreation Dept. chief Rachael Carlson is
organizing a ship away team to Carowinds for Sept. 10,
as a possible joint away team with crew from USS Hornet.
0509.17 Gaming at monthly meetings (this month we played the
Battlestar Galactica board game). We also are recycling
aluminum and supporting local Eliada Children's Home.
The ship sent an away team to Carowinds Sept. 10. Ballots
for our biennial officer elections were tallied at the
Sept. 17 meeting, with CO Richard Heim and XO Dale Anderson
being re-elected. Membership recruiting brochures/flyers
being revised. The club also voted to donate $50 to the
American Red Cross for Katrina disaster relief, and voted
to direct the CO to send in a nomination for an R/1 RC
candidate, which he did. Chief Recreation Officer is
exploring plans for a possible ship Christmas get-together.
0510.08 Fun activities this month: Twilight Imperium.
0511.00 Many members have taken Starfleet Academy courses this
year and received grades of HONORS and DISTINCTION.
0512.10 Gaming at monthly meetings. We also are recycling
aluminum and supporting local Eliada Children's Home.
Held this year's Christmas Party Dinner at TGIF restaurant
after December meeting. Alaric members and others also
participated in holiday Game Days (board games and Star Trek
The Customizable Card Game), which were held at an Alaric
member's house but were not an official club activity. The
board games included Twilight Imperium and Risk Star Wars
Clone Wars edition. CO Richard Heim promoted to rank of
Rear Admiral by STARFLEET Executive Committee.
0601.14 Gaming at monthly meetings. We also are recycling
aluminum and supporting local Eliada Children's Home.
This month's meeting was held at a member's house in
conjunction with his family's Game Days (board games and
Star Trek The Customizable Card Game); games that we played
included Twilight Imperium, 4-Player Stratego, Star Wars the
Game of Life: A Jedi's Path, Settlers of Cataan, and Star
Trek The Customizable Card Game. The February meeting will
be held at another member's house and will also be an all-
day gaming day. Our Recreation Officer, Ens. Rachael
Carlson, is organizing a Captain's Day art contest, which
will be open to both Alaric members and members of other
chapters in 'Fleet.
0602.11 Gaming at monthly meetings. We also are recycling
aluminum and supporting local Eliada Children's Home.
This month's physical meeting was canceled due to a winter
storm, but we met online in a chat room and conducted club
business instead. Alaric received an R/1 Certificate of
Appreciation.
0603.11 Gaming at monthly meetings. We also are recycling
aluminum and supporting local Eliada Children's Home.
This month we played Twilight Imperium, Star Trek Uno, and
Chinese Checkers. The Alaric is also sponsoring a Captain's
Day Art Contest, being organized by our Recreation Officer
Ens. Rachael Carlson.
0604.00 This month, instead of having a regular monthly meeting,
we conducted an away mission to the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit
at Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC on our regular meeting day.
0605.13 At the May meeting, we played the Star Trek Uno, Battlestar
Galactica, and Settlers of Canaan games. The following
weekend the Alaric sent an away team to the Region One
Summit in Akron, OH, at which the Alaric ran gaming (with
Seafarers of Catan being played) and 4 Alaric members received
awards: Ensign Rachael Carlson -- Region One Commendation;
Lt.jg. Nathan Brown -- Region One Meritorious Service Award;
Capt. Dennis Relyea -- Region One Alien Ambassador Corps
Commendation; RAdm. Richard Heim -- Region One RDC of
Excellence.
0605.19 Region One Summit May 19-21 in Akron, OH. Alaric CO, Richard
Heim, ran the Sciences RDC Panel at the Summit in his role as
Region One Regional Division Chief for Sciences and announced
the winners of the 2005 Region One Sciences department awards.
The program consists of 3 awards. During 2005, as RDC
Sciences, Richard received Chief Science Officer reports from
8 ships, of which 5 CSOs qualified to receive the Albert
Einstein Award for regular submissions (Capt. Dennis Relyea,
USS Alaric; Capt. Debbie Airtrip, USS Appomattox; FCapt.
Janice Graham, USS Renegade; CPO Karolyn Wojtowicz, USS
Tycho; Lt.Cmdr. Cyndi jo Ashby, USS Wasp). The winners of
the other two awards are nominated and voted upon by the
region's CSOs. The winner of the Steven R. Hawking Award
for original submission was Lt.Cmdr. Cyndi jo Ashby, USS
Wasp. There were 4 nominees for the Galileo Award for
Chief Science Officer of the Year. The winner of this
year's Galileo Award was FCapt. Janice Graham, USS Renegade.
0606.10 Gaming at monthly meetings. At the June meeting, we played
the Battlestar Galactica game.
0607.08 Gaming at monthly meetings. At the July meeting, we played
the Settlers of Catan and Star Fleet Battle Force games.
Cmdr. Dale Anderson resigned as the Alaric's XO due to
health reasons. Capt. Dennis Relyea became the Alaric's new
XO; the Alaric Council voted to confirm Dennis as our new XO.
The Alaric is also sponsoring a Captain's Day Art Contest, being
organized by our Recreation Officer Ens. Rachael Carlson,
with judging to take place at the August Open House. We also
decided to make plans for an Alaric away team to Dragoncon in
2007.
0608.12 Gaming at monthly meetings. At the August 12 meeting, we
played Star Fleet Battle Force and rehearsed for our open
house, and member Nathan Brown reported on the latest Star
Trek XI movie rumors. Dennis Relyea promoted to Fleet Captain
by STARFLEET Executive Committee.
0608.26 On August 26 we held our open house, Alaricon! 2006,
at the Asheville-Buncombe Public Library in downtown
Asheville, NC to celebrate Star Trek's 40th Anniversary.
At Alaricon! 2006, we watched Star Trek videos, played games,
had doorprize drawings, conducted a ST trivia contest, and
judged the entries to the Captain's Day Art Contest and
awarded prizes to the 4 contest winners.
0609.09 Gaming at monthly meetings. We also are recycling
aluminum and supporting local Eliada Children's Home and
Manna Food Bank. The September 9 meeting was a continuation
of our Star Trek 40th anniversary celebration, watching ST
episodes and playing games. The games included: Star Trek
The Customizable Card Game, Star Wars The Customizable Card
Game, Star Fleet Battle Force, Settlers of Catan, and
4-Player Stratego, among others. We have implemented a new
ship award program (Alaric Crew Member of the Month) and
new monthly activity (fun educational report) at our
monthly meetings.
0610.14 Gaming at monthly meetings. At the October 14 meeting,
we played the Battlestar Galactica board game and had an
educational report on global warming.
0611.11 Gaming at monthly meetings: we played three board games
(Battlestar Galactica, Settlers of Canaan, and Star Wars The
Game of Life: A Jedi's Path) and had an educational report
on the use of antimatter rays in medical treatment.
0612.02 The December 2 meeting was our annual Christmas Party.
0701.13 Our January 13 meeting was held coincident with a Game Day.
We played several games, including Star Trek The
Customizable Card Game, Twilight Imperium, 4-Player
Stratego, and others. We also had an educational report
on the history of manned space flight.
0702.10 Our February 10 meeting was held coincident with a Game Day.
We played several games, including Star Trek Uno, Twilight
Imperium, and others. We also had an educational report
on Dark Matter. The USS Alaric is conducting voting to
confirm appointment of our new Second Officer (Lynnea
Stadelmann). The club is preparing ship patches for use by
crewmembers and for sale to other interested parties. As a
fundraiser, the Alaric is conducting an auction of Star Trek
and science-fiction items. We are also planning a silver
anniversary party meeting for this summer, and an away team
to DragonCon.
0703.10 At our March 10 meeting we played the game Settlers of Catan
and also had a guest speaker, John Irwin, who discussed his
career designing rocket engines and his job as Lead Engineer
for NASA Space Shuttle engines. The USS Alaric also counted
ballots which confirmed the election of Lynnea Stadelmann as
our new Second Officer. The club prepared ship patches for
use by crewmembers and for sale to other interested parties.
0704.14 At our April 14 meeting, we conducted an away mission to the
Step It Up! global warming rally in downtown Asheville at
1:00-2:00 p.m. then reconvened afterwards at a member's
house to complete the meeting, play the game, Star Fleet
Battle Force, and watch the original series episode, The
Doomsday Machine, with the new remastered special effects.
The CO submitted reports on the rally and other ship
activities to the Starfleet Communique and Channel 01. The
Alaric sent a contingent to Richmond, VA for the 2007 Region
One Summit, at which Alaric crew received several awards:
Region One Phoenix Award to Dale Anderson, Region One Class
of Excellence Commanding Officer of the Year Award to Richard
Heim, and Region One RDC of Excellence Award to Richard Heim.
Cmdr. Dale Anderson promoted to Captain.
0704.20 Region One Summit April 20-22, 2007, in Richmond, VA.
Alaric CO, Richard Heim, ran the Sciences RDC panel in his role
as Region One Regional Division Chief for Sciences and announced
the winners of the 2006 Region One Sciences department awards.
Cmdr. Cindy jo Ashby, CSO of the USS Wasp, was voted winner
of the Hawking Award for Original Article, and 5 R/1 CSOs
qualified for the Einstein Award (FCapt. Dennis Relyea, USS
Alaric; Capt. Debbie Artrip, USS Appomattox; Adm. Willy
Smith, USS Heimdal; FCapt. Janice Graham, USS Renegade;
and Cmdr. Cyndi jo Ashby, USS Wasp. RAdm. Heim also led
a tour of the Science Museum of Virginia Saturday afternoon
after the 1-2 pm Sciences RDC panel.
0705.12 At our May 12 meeting, we had status reports on our
upcoming activities (conducting an auction of Star Trek and
science-fiction items as a fund raiser, planning a silver
anniversary party meeting for this summer [August 11], and
an away team to DragonCon); had a report on model rocketry
as our educational report, and played the games Lord of the
Rings Checkers and Tic Tac Toe.
0706.09 At our June 9 meeting, we had status reports on our
upcoming activities (conducting an auction of Star Trek and
science-fiction items as a fund raiser, planning a silver
anniversary party meeting for this summer [August 11], an
away team to Columbia, SC to help the USS Ronald E. McNair
on the Breakfast With the Aliens at the SC State Museum
project, and an away team to DragonCon); had a report on an
Acapulco AGU international conference presentation (about a
comet impact on North America during the end of the last Ice
Age 12 thousand years ago) as our educational report, and
played the game Star Trek Uno. The USS Alaric received 2
regional awards: Region One Joint Meritorious Service Award
and the Region One Hailing Frequencies Award.
0707.14 At our July 14 meeting, we opened the bids on our fund-
raising auction, had status reports on our upcoming
activities (planning a silver anniversary party meeting for
this summer [August 11], and an away team to DragonCon), had
a report on a member away team to MetroCon, had a report on
the science of Larry Niven's Ringworld as our educational
report, and played the games Star Trek Uno, Battlestar
Galactica, and Settlers of Catan. We also determined that
we will donate $25.00 to Manna Food Bank once all auction
monies are collected, and we voted to donate $50.00 to the
Region One Space Camp Fund once Region One gets the Space
Camp project going. The USS Alaric received 2 awards:
Region One Certificate of Appreciation and the USS Ronald
E. McNair Certificate of Appreciation.
0708.11 Gaming at monthly meetings. We also are recycling
aluminum and supporting local Manna Food Bank.
Our August 11 meeting was our 25th Anniversary (Silver
Anniversary) party meeting (Alaricon 2007), held at the Lake
Julian Pavilion # 4 in Asheville, NC, 10 am-5 pm. We had 10
members and 18 visitors in attendance, a huge turnout for
Asheville! Activities included Star Trek videos, games,
food, fellowship, doorprize drawings, and lots of fun! We
performed the STTNG parody story, played four games (Anno
1503, 3-Player Stratego, Pirates, Star Trek Uno), went
sailing or paddle boating, and gave out Alaric pens and
bumper stickers to visitors. Our educational report was by
Kevin Creamer on the subject of sailing.
0709.08 At our September 8 meeting, we shared experiences from this
year's DragonCon away team, had a report on Star Trek XI
("Star Trek Magazine's article, "Double Spock for Star
Trek"), counted the ballots for our biennial Alaric
elections, and played the game Star Fleet Battle Force.
Seventeen ballots were mailed, and nine were returned with
all nine casting votes to re-elect Richard Heim as CO,
Dennis Relyea as XO, and Lynnea Stadelmann as SO. We also
discussed the possibility of organizing a couple special
activities for upcoming meetings and the ST XI premiere.
0710.13 At our October 13 meeting, we shared experiences from a
visit to Star Trek The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton,
and played the games Settlers of Catan and Anno 1503.
Cmdr. Dale Anderson promoted to Captain.
0711.10 At our November 10 meeting, discussed real science efforts
to make Star Trek's vision of warp drive a reality: NASA's
Breakthrough Propulsion Physics program resulted in Dr.
Alcobueri developing the math and physics equations that
would make faster-than-light travel, as envisioned by Gene
Roddenberry, possible. We also played two games: 4-Player
Stratego and Settlers of Catan.
0712.01 Our December 1 meeting was our annual Christmas party.
In addition to abundant goodies to eat, we watched movies
(Trekkies, Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country, and the
remastered Star Trek: The Doomsday Machine) and played games
(Apples to Apples).
0801.12 Our January 12 meeting was a Game Day (games played
included Blokus, Made for Trade, Settlers of Catan, Anno 1503,
and Cities & Knights). For our educational report, we
discussed the science behind the universal translator and the
Heisenberg Compensator. Submitted an article to the Communique
discussing our Silver Anniversary Party ("USS Alaric Celebrates
25 Years").
0802.09 Our February 9 meeting was a Game Day (games played included
Blokus, Made for Trade, Star Trek The Customizable Card Game,
Heroscape, and Pokemon). For our educational report, we
discussed the science behind warp drive and how the theory
of Burkhard Heim might lead to FTL travel. The Alaric is
planning another online auction fundraiser for this summer.
Kevin Creamer and Lynnea Stadelmann were each awarded a
Region One DSA (Distinguished Service Award) for service to
the Alaric and to Region One.
0803.08 At our March 8 meeting we tried something different: we
watched a STTNG episode (Parallels) and discussed the physics
and science behind the multiverse for our ST episode/educational
discussion. We enjoyed it a lot and also had a wide and long
discussion about favorite Star Trek series and episodes.
0804.12 At our April 12 meeting we watched a ST episode (Devil in the
Dark) and discussed why life is mostly based on carbon and the
possibility of silicon-based life for our ST episode/educational
discussion. We also played the game Carcassonne and worked some
on plotting our ST story.
0805.02 Region One Summit May 2-4, 2008, in Pigeon Forge, TN.
Alaric CO, Richard Heim, ran the Sciences RDC panel in his role
as Region One Regional Division Chief for Sciences and announced
the winners of the 2007 Region One Sciences Albert Einstein
department award. Also, with Ben Redding, Richard
represented the Region One Space Camp Scholarship Committee;
they announced the winner of this year's scholarship (the
USS Alaric's Liana Stadelmann). Through the gracious efforts
of Roy Sesler, Region One was also able to send the other 2
candidates (Jace Kincaid, USS Columbus and Jayson Roach, USS
Appomattox) to Space Camp!
0805.10 At our May 10 meeting we played the game Carcassonne and had
a special educational presentation on "Alien Life ... From Dust
Particles". The Alaric is starting a Starfleet Marines
contingent aboard the ship. The USS Alaric ran gaming at the
May 2-4 Region One Summit, and received several awards:
Region One "Sol III" Award, Region One Unit Commendation, and
R/1 25-Year Mission Award. Also, Richard received an R/1 DSA.
0806.14 At our June 14 meeting we played the game Carcassonne and had
a special educational presentation on crystal skulls presented
by CMDR Lea Relyea (Alaric's Fortean Research Dept. Chief).
0807.12 At our July 12 meeting we played Star Wars The Game of Life:
A Jedi's Path and had a special educational science
presentation on the latest news of Mars soil analysis from
the Phoenix Lander.
0808.09 At our August 9 meeting, we played the game Carcassone and
had a special educational science presentation by Liana
Stadelmann on her exciting experiences at Space Camp!
0809.13 Our September 13 meeting was a Game Day at the Creamers'
residence, with Settlers of Catan and Star Trek The
Customizable Card Game being popular.
0810.11 Our October 11 meeting was a Game Day at the Creamers'
residence, with Carcassonne and Star Trek The Customizable
Card Game being popular. We also had a Star Trek discussion
(1. From each of the five Star Trek series, who is your favorite
character, and why? 2. From each of the five Star Trek series,
what is your favorite episode, and why?).
0811.08 Our November 8 meeting was a Game Day at the Creamers, with
Star Trek The Customizable Card Game being popular.
0812.13 Our December 13 meeting was our annual Christmas Party.
0901.10 At our January 10 meeting, we watched the remastered
Star Trek episode, "The Doomsday Machine"; "What About 2012?",
a report on the prophetic end of the world in 2012 by our
Fortean Research Department Chief, Lea Relyea, was our
educational report.
0902.14 At our February 14 meeting, we watched the STDS9 episode,
"Trials & Tribble-ations", and a summary of a 7-5-08 Science
News article on Extrasolar Planets was our educational report.
0903.14 The Alaric met March 14.
0904.11 The Alaric met April 11.
0905.08 The Alaric had a membership recruiting table at local theaters
for the new Star Trek movie on opening weekend and the
following weekend (May 8-9 and 15-16). The Alaric also had
four crewmembers in attendance at the Region One Summit in
Pigeon Forge, TN on May 15-17 and ran games at the Summit.
0905.15 Region One Summit May 2-4, 2008, in Pigeon Forge, TN.
Alaric CO, Richard Heim, ran the Sciences RDC panel in his role
as Region One Regional Division Chief for Sciences and announced
the winners of the 2008 Region One Sciences Albert Einstein
department award.
0906.13 This meeting was a party meeting (we played Star Trek: The Game)
then went out for dinner and saw the Star Trek movie as a group.
0907.11 In July we started meeting at Apollo Flame Restaurant, near
Biltmore Square Mall, in Asheville, NC. This enables us to
advertise our meetings publicly as a draw for new members.
Gaming activity: Settlers of Catan.
0908.15 Met at Apollo Flame Restaurant. A meetup.com page was set up
for the Alaric (http://www.meetup.com/Star-Trek-Alaric/) as a
draw for new members. Gaming activity: Star Wars The Game of
Life: A Jedi's Path.
0909.12 At the Sept. 12 meeting, ballots were tallied for the Alaric's
biennial officer elections. Richard Heim was re-elected as
CO, Scott Creamer was elected as XO, and Kevin Creamer was
elected as Second Officer.
0910.17 At the October 17 meeting, we discussed real-life theories
about the multiverse, prompted by the STTNG episode, "Parallels".
A Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=145871298545)
was set up for the Alaric.
0911.14 November 7 was movie night, hosted by an Alaric member at their
home, at which the following movies and TV
shows were seen: Star Trek: The Deadly Years (remastered
special effects), Star Trek Enterprise: In a Mirror Darkly
(Parts 1 & 2), and Mysterious Island. November 14 was our
regular meeting at Apollo Flame Restaurant, near Biltmore
Square Mall.
0912.05 December 5 meeting was canceled due to inclement weather.
The Alaric is conducting a fund-raiser, which consists of
auctioning ST & SF collectibles over eBay.
1001.09 Gaming at the January 9 meeting, with Alaric members
playing Settlers of Catan and Star Trek The Customizable
Card Game (we met at a member's home). The science report by
Maggie Panther discussed efforts to create the Higgs boson
at the Large Hadron Collider and esoteric theories about
why it is malfunctioning, including the possibility that
the future is exerting its influence on the past (our
present) to prevent the LHC from producing a Higgs boson.
We decided to continue our support of Manna Food Bank with
canned food and to continue our aluminum can fundraiser.
We had a report from Kevin on the Alaric's ongoing fund-
raiser, which consists of auctioning Star Trek & science-
fiction collectibles over eBay. Reports were made on
several possible new locations for our monthly meetings,
but no decision was made yet.
1002.13 Gaming at the February 13 meeting, with Alaric members
playing Settlers of Catan. Voted to continue Meetup web
page when renewal comes due. Progress being made on
revising Alaric web page. Demonstrated club t-shirts and
discussed recruiting and activities/away teams, including
hiking, museums, PARI, and plans for our 30-year
anniversary party in 2012. Submitted R/1 Awards
nominations. Had a movie night February 6 where we watched
Star Trek: The Changeling (remastered), Star Trek: Of Gods
and Men, and bloopers & deleted scenes from the new Star
Trek movie.
1003.13 Gaming at the March 13 meeting, with Alaric members
playing Settlers of Catan and Star Trek The Customizable
Card Game. Science report was on geology with geologic and
fossil samples. Discussed possible future away teams to
Geology Museum in Hendersonville and Geology Museum at Pack
Place in Asheville, and to PARI astronomical installation.
Had a movie night March 6 where we watched Star Trek New
Voyages: In Harms Way and Serenity.
1004.10 Met at Apollo Flame Restaurant for April 10 meeting, thus
were able to promote meeting location details on meetup
page. Gained two new members. Science report was on the
1976 Viking Mission's search for life on Mars. Had a movie
night April 16 where we watched the pilot episode for
Firefly. Conducting fund-raising auction on eBay.
1004.30 Region One Summit held April 30-May 2, 2010, at Pigeon
Forge, TN. USS Alaric received several awards (Legendary
Chapter of First Fleet, Hailing Frequencies Award with
Distinction, Unit Commendation); Richard Heim won First
One's Award and Center Seat Award; First One's Award also
presented to Jeannette Maddox and David Moxley; and DSA
awarded to Kevin Creamer, Maggie Panther, and Lynnea Stadelmann.
Alaric CO, Richard Heim, ran the Sciences RDC panel in his role
as Region One Regional Division Chief for Sciences and announced
the winners of the 2009 Region One Sciences Albert Einstein
department award.
1005.08 Met at Apollo Flame Restaurant for May 8 meeting, thus
were able to promote meeting location details on meetup
page. This month we had a special report on the Region One
Summit and the many awards the Alaric and her crew
received. The club decided to hold an away
mission/membership drive event at Smiley's Flea Market in
the future. Had a movie night May 28 where we watched
Firefly/The Train Job and Galaxy Quest. Conducting fund-
raising auction on eBay. Hiking away mission planned for
May 31 was rained out, so we had a cookout and played
Twilight Imperium instead.
1006.12 Met at Apollo Flame Restaurant for June 12 meeting, thus
were able to promote meeting location details on meetup
page. We had a series of special meetings from end of May
through June: a tennis away mission preceded our June 12
meeting; June 18 was CPR & First Aid training; June 25 was
a movie night where we saw Firefly: Bushwhacked, The One,
and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Alaric is conducting
a fund-raising auction on eBay.
1007.10 Met at Apollo Flame Restaurant for July 10 meeting, thus
were able to promote meeting location details on meetup
page. After the meeting, we adjourned to a member's house
and listened to a former NASA contractor discuss his
experiences working on the Apollo Moon program. The night
before (July 9), the Alaric had an away mission to PARI
(the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute) where we were
able to touch Martian and other meteorites.
1008.28 Met at Apollo Flame Restaurant for August 28 meeting, thus
were able to promote meeting location details on meetup
page. After the meeting, we adjourned to a member's house
and played the Twilight Imperium space strategy game.
1009.11 Met at Creamer residence for September 11 meeting. Special
activities at the meeting included archery and playing the
game, Cities and Knights of Catan. In the morning, Alaric
members conducted a hiking away mission on a local trail.
A movie night was held on September 17, at which we viewed
Star Trek New Voyages: World Enough and Time, Firefly: Safe,
and 2010. On September 25, the Alaric conducted an away
mission/membership drive event at Smiley's Flea Market.
1010.09 Movie night on Friday night, October 8, at which we viewed
Shanghai Noon and Firefly: Jaynestown; hiking away mission
on Saturday morning, October 9, on Carl Sandberg House
hiking trail; regular monthly meeting Saturday afternoon,
October 9, at Kelsey's Restaurant in Hendersonville. Special
activities at the October 9 meeting included STTNG trivia
questions and educational discussion focusing on the Apollo
Program's Saturn V rocket.
1011.00 CO Richard Heim's club newsletter, "Captain's Briefing",
premieres. Alaric Golf Day November 9. Movie night on
Friday night, November 19, at which we viewed Firefly: Out
of Gas and Earth Final Conflict: Decision. Hendersonville
Airport away mission on Saturday morning, November 20, where
member Kevin Creamer gave us a tour of single engine planes,
including a Cessna 172. Regular monthly meeting Saturday
afternoon, November 20, at Kelsey's Restaurant in
Hendersonville. Special activities at the November 20
afternoon meeting included a discussion of a powerpoint
presentation by Brazilian biologist Pabulo Henrique
Rampelotto, "The Search for Habitable Worlds in the Solar
System", which CO Richard Heim obtained from Dr. Rampelotto
while on an August business trip to Brazil (American
Geophysical Union conference). The powerpoint was originally
presented by Dr. Rampelotto at the 38th COSPAR Scientific
Assembly in Bremen, Germany in July 2010, and explores the
possibility of life on the planets and moons of the solar
system, including life based on elements other than carbon.
The presentation prompted a discussion of theological and
moral issues associated with space exploration - i.e., when
we explore other worlds, we may not even recognize alien
life forms and could end up inadvertently destroying millions
of alien lives and starting an interplanetary war.
1012.00 Movie night December 10, at which we viewed Firefly: Ariel
and Bukaroo Banzai. Annual Alaric Holiday (Christmas) party
on December 18 at Deni's home. The party was a blast! Great
food, great company, great games! We played Star Trek Uno,
Blockus, and Star Wars The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path, and
watched remastered Star Trek second season episodes plus
Earth: Final Conflict and Firefly episodes. Alaric's
fund-raising auction on eBay has resumed.
1101.07 Movie night on January 7 (we viewed Firefly: The Message,
Earth Final Conflict: Miracle, and Monsters Inc).
1101.15 Regular monthly meeting on January 15 was preceded by a
morning away mission to the Asheville, NC airport, during
which we toured the FAA radar room and tower and were able
to learn how the FAA folks do their thing to ensure the safe
landing of private and commercial planes. Way cool!
1101.15 The educational presentation at our January 15 afternoon
meeting was by the Alaric's Science Department and consisted of
a presentation of a report by a Brazilian biologist ("The
Chemistry of Life as We Do Not Know It"). Alaric CO and
Planetary Sciences Department Chief Richard Heim obtained the
presentation from Brazilian biologist Pabulo Henrique Rampelotto
while on an August business trip to Brazil (for an American
Geophysical Union conference). Life based on chemistry
different from Terran biology is something that has been
explored in science-fiction and Star Trek episodes ("The Devil
in the Dark" and "Home Soil", for example) many times. The
presentation referenced real scientific experiments that have
been conducted in recent years exploring the possibility of non-
terrestrial life processes. Dr. Rampelotto explained that, in
order for us to detect life vastly different from what we find
on earth, we have to alter our understanding of what life is.
This is done by identifying the three basic requirements of
life. These are: (1) chemical complexity, (2) solvent, and (3)
energy source. He notes that, "(1) one of the fundamental
features of life is its chemical complexity, which is based on
polymeric molecules joined by covalent bonds. However, our
present knowledge of physics and chemistry suggests that an
organism could have an entire non-carbon-based metabolism.
Silicon is a frequently mentioned option. Environmental
conditions may exist for which biochemistry based on silicon
compounds might be a realistic possibility. They are: An
atmosphere free of oxygen, a non-aqueous solvent like liquid
methane or ethane, a limited availability of carbon, and
temperatures far below the freezing point of water. Titan and
Triton provide the best targets in our solar system for
investigating this possibility. (2) For the chemical reactions
required to support living processes to occur, a liquid solvent
is necessary. Novel studies have demonstrated that a variety of
solvents, others than water, may sustain life. Among them,
ammonia is the most cited. Studies pointed out ammonia
analogues to water and suggested the possibility of building
proteins, nucleic acids, and polypeptides within a liquid
ammonia solvent. Some authors suggested that 'ammono' analogues
of Terran biomolecules in which oxygen atoms are replaced by NH
groups might yield an equally viable biochemistry. Evidence has
accumulated that liquid water/ammonia may exist within the
Galilean moons and it may also be present in Titan. Ammonia is
not the only polar solvent that might serve as an alternative to
water. Sulfuric acid and formamide are reasonably good solvents
that support chemical reactivity. Furthermore, there is no need
to focus on polar solvents, like water, when considering
possible habitats for life. Non-polar hydrocarbons such as
methane and ethane are better than water for managing complex
organic chemical reactivity. In fact, many preparative organic
reactions are done with these solvents in the laboratory. Since
such hydrocarbons are abundant on Titan, it is the best target
in our solar system for investigating this possibility. (3) An
external energy source is universally accepted as another
minimal requirement for life. Light and oxidation of inorganic
compounds fuel the biosphere on Earth, so wherever light and a
means for sustaining oxidation-reduction cycles can be
demonstrated, the possibility for maintaining life is present.
However, other forms of energy, from thermal gradients to
kinetic motion to magnetic fields, can be found on worlds devoid
of both light and oxygen and could serve as energy sources for
life." Dr. Rampelotto concluded by noting that, "to search for
life on planets other than Earth, we must be prepared to
recognize life as we do not know it. We cannot rule out other
planets just because they are not like our world. This study
suggests that there may be many environments where the physical
and chemical nature of a liquid allows complex, patterned, self-
sustaining chemistry, which we would recognize as life, but
which is structurally quite different from the CHON life with
which we are familiar." Our January 15 afternoon meeting was
held at Hillside Games in Asheville, which is a gathering place
for gamers of all stripes. After our meeting, we engaged in a
game of Settlers of Catan.
1102.12 The USS Alaric held a game day and movie night on February 12.
We played "Trade Well and Prosper", which is a modification of
Settlers of Catan & Cities and Knights concocted by Second
Officer and Recreation/Gaming Department Chief Kevin Creamer.
The evening movies shown were Trekkies and Sahara.
1102.19 A special event away mission was held the morning of our
February 19 meeting day. It was a hike along the Pisgah
Forest Fish Hatchery trail. The special educational activity
at our February 19 meeting was a report on the latest NASA news,
including discussion of the controversial Planet Tyche.
1103.19 The USS Alaric had an away mission to West Hendersonville High
School, on the morning of March 19 during which six crew members
engaged in games of tennis. Our regular monthly meeting during
the afternoon of March 19 was held at Hillside Games, a local
gaming store. The special educational activity at our March 19
meeting was a report on the latest NASA news, including discussion
of progress of the New Horizon probe, possible seasonality
observed on Titan, and the new space shuttle, and a report on a
protocol for communicating with aliens (emailed after the meeting).
Following the business meeting, the Alaric engaged in games of
Carcassonne and Munchkin.
1103.26 On March 26, the Alaric held a movie night. Attendance was the
greatest we have had since our August 11, 2007 Silver Anniversary
Party, with 20 members and visitors present. "Toy Story 3" and
"Tron 2" were the movies watched.
1104.09 The USS Alaric conducted a fund raiser/recruiting away mission
at Smiley's Flea Market the morning of April 9, which was
followed by our regular monthly meeting in the afternoon at
Kelsey's Restaurant in Hendersonville, NC. The meeting
included a discussion, clarification, and review of the
proposed dues structure, as well as reports from the Weapons,
Exobiology, and Computer Ops departments. The educational
report was on the possible existence of, and search for,
habitable exoplanets. The business meeting was followed by
gaming. On April 30, the Alaric held a movie day/night
(started at 1:00 in the afternoon and went into the evening)
at which we viewed Star Trek: Captain's Log, Starship Farragut:
For Want of a Nail, Earth Final conflict: Avatar, and Firefly:
Heart of Gold.
1105.00 On May 13-15, five Alaric crew attended the Region One Summit
in Pigeon Forge, TN. The Alaric ran games and the CO, Richard
Heim, gave a powerpoint presentation on "The Chemistry of Life
As We Do Not Know It" in his capacity as Region One Science
RDC and also ran the Science RDC panel. For those members who
didn't go to the Summit, a movie night was held on May 14 (at
which the original Stargate movie and the last Firefly episode
were shown). The USS Alaric's regular monthly meeting in May
was held at a local comics/science-fiction convention,
Fanaticon, on the 21st. The ship had a recruiting table and
presented the same powerpoint slide show ("The Chemistry of
Life As We Do Not Know It") to a group of 20-30 attendees.
Region One Summit awards were announced at the May 21 meeting,
and votes for the proposal to charge local dues were tallied
(the proposal passed). CO Richard Heim is promoted to rank of
Vice Admiral by the STARFLEET Executive Committee.
1106.00 At the USS Alaric's June 4 movie night, we watched Starship
Farragut: A Rock and a Hard Place, Earth Final Conflict: Old
Flame, and Robinson Crusoe on Mars. The movie, Robinson Crusoe
on Mars, was made in 1964 and was promoted in advertisements as
being scientifically accurate, which prompted a discussion (at
movie night and at the June 18 regular meeting) of the movie's
scientific inaccuracies in light of the data obtained by space
probes subsequently sent to the Red Planet. On the morning of
June 18, we conducted an away mission to West Hendersonville
High School for several rounds of tennis, then met at Hillside
Games for our regular afternoon monthly meeting, and adjourned
afterward for an evening away mission to see X-Men: First Class
in the theater. Science reports at the June 18 meeting
included a 6 million year old seaweed fossil, possible forms of
vegetation on a planet orbiting a binary star, and Messenger's
observations of Mercury. We also discussed plans for our
September open house at Lake Julian, October joint away mission
with the USS Ronald E McNair to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia,
SC, and November away mission to Highland Games in Hendersonville.
Gaming at our meeting consisted of playing Carcassonne.
1107.00 On July 2, Alaric members went to the theater to behold
"Green Lantern". At the USS Alaric's July 8 movie night, we
watched The Captains of Star Trek, the 2009 Star Trek movie,
and Earth Final Conflict: Float Like a Butterfly. Science
reports at the July 16 meeting at Binion's Restaurant in
Hendersonville included the Dawn probe to
asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, and the discovery of
the oldest and most distant quasar (ULASJ1120+0641) - a
superbright galaxy with a supermassive black hole. Gaming at
our meeting consisted of playing Star Trek Uno.
1108.27 Alaric members enjoyed the movie, Megamind, at our August 26
movie night. Our regular monthly meeting was held at Hillside
Games on August 27 to accommodate member business travel.
Science reports at the August 27 meeting included: NASA's
GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission to
map the Moon's gravity; NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter; the
upcoming NASA mission to Mars, Mars Science Laboratory, which
will land a rover named Curiosity; newly-discovered comet
Elenin; the discovery of a planet made mostly of diamond
orbiting very close to a neutron star (orbital period about
two hours) and having a mass slightly more than Jupiter but
20 times as dense, suggesting the planet must be comprised of
crystalline carbon, i.e., diamond; and the discovery, by NASA's
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft, of several
Y dwarf stars - the coolest of the brown dwarfs - one of which
has a surface temperature of about 25 C (77 F), cool enough to
walk on. We also discussed plans for our September Open House
at Lake Julian, plans for Star Trek fiction based upon the
starship USS Alaric, and news of a possible new Star Trek TV
series.
1109.17 The USS Alaric celebrated her 29th anniversary at a September
17 Open House at Lake Julian in Asheville, NC. There were
about 29 of us who enjoyed great food, great music (Star Trek
and X-Men CD's playing in the background), fun games, and great
fellowship! We had sailing, horseshoes, Star Trek Uno, a Star
Trek Trivia Contest run by Kevin, and Richard premiered a Star
Trek The Next Generation Science Trivia Quiz (First Edition).
There were lively discussions about NASA and science news, a
possible new Star Trek TV series, and Fortean Research
Department topics (mainly UFOs). We also counted ballots in
our biennial officer elections. Richard Heim was re-elected as
CO, Kevin Creamer was elected as the new XO, and Ken Wheeler
was elected as the new SO (Second Officer).
1110.00 On October 8, the Alaric crew conducted an away mission
(hiking along a trail at the Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art
Center in Asheville) in the morning, then met in the afternoon
at the South Buncombe Branch Library for the regular monthly
meeting. The educational report consisted of a discussion of
4 gas giant exoplanets discovered orbiting HR8799 which were
imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope, and a discussion in the
Captain's Briefing newsletter of the possible detection by
CERN scientists of neutrinos moving faster than the speed of
light. The Alaric participated in an October 15 joint away
mission with the USS Ronald E. McNair and USS Star League to
Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. The combined contingent of
nine 'Fleet members explored the various exhibits, with
VAdm. Heim demonstrating considerable physical prowess by
climbing "The Wall". At an October 21 movie night, Alaric
members enjoyed the remastered Star Trek episode, Where No Man
Has Gone Before, as well as X-Men First Class.
1111.00 The Alaric held a movie night on November 18 at the
newly-renovated Stadelman movie room, where we were treated
to a delicious pot luck meal, and surround-sound big-screen
presentations of the remastered ST: Man Trap, as well as
Star Trek: First Contact and The Outer Limits: The Architects
of Fear. The Alaric's November 19 regular monthly meeting
was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library, where we
discussed the restructuring of the Communications and Computer
Operations departments. After the meeting, the Recreation/Sports
department organized a tennis away mission.
1112.00 The Alaric held a movie night on December 2 at the Creamer
residence, where we were treated to a "Star Trek Farragut"
episode and the pilot episode of "Caprica". The Alaric's
December 17 regular monthly meeting was our annual Christmas
party held at Deni's residence. After a delicious holiday
meal and great fellowship, we watched the movie "Elf" and
engaged in a six-player game of Star Wars The Game of Life:
A Jedi's Path, where the game ended in a duel between the
strongest Jedi Knight and the strongest Sith Lord (the Jedi won).
1201.00 The USS Alaric held two movie nights in January. The first
was on January 6 and included the movie, "Limitless", and
episode 1 ("33") from season 1 of the new Battlestar Galactica
series. The second movie night on January 27 had a 1950s theme;
we watched the movies, "The Forbidden Planet" and "This Island
Earth", and an episode ("All the Time in the World") of the
Tales of Tomorrow TV series written by Arthur C. Clarke. The
USS Alaric's regular monthly meeting was held on January 21.
After regular officer reports were made, we counted ballots
for Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 6 ("Full Membership
and Associate Membership") with the vote being 15 to 1 against
(includes votes collected outside the meeting). We watched
online videos of the Mars probe Curiosity launch and mission,
premiered the new Alaric web page, and discussed several topics,
including setting up a recruiting table at the February showings
of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace - 3D" and a joint recruiting
effort with the USS Ronald E. McNair at that movie in Columbia
and Asheville, scheduling a possible meeting for CPR training,
possible new charities to support, having a guest book for
guests to sign at meetings, and a joint project between the
Alaric and the local model rocket club building and launching
a model rocket of the USS Alaric. Science reports at the
meeting included a progress report on the Curiosity Mars probe,
the largest galaxy cluster (El Gordo) ever discovered, and
Kepler telescope discovery of binary suns with planets. After
the meeting, we adjourned to a member's house to listen to
guest speaker Jay Irwin, an engineer who worked on NASA's
Space Shuttle program (he was the RSME - Rockwell Shuttle
Main Engineer).
1202.00 The USS Alaric a movie night on February 17, during which
we watched the Star Trek episode, "Charlie X", with remastered
special effects, and the movie, "Captain America". On February
25 we had our first official Alaric Game Day, which ran all
afternoon. After a pot-luck lunch, we played two games:
"Settlers of the Stone Age" and "Train Dominoes". This Settlers
is like the original "Settlers of Catan", except it has a few
changes for the historical context, and it was very fun - we want
to play it again! The Alaric had a recruiting table at Regal
Theaters for "The Phantom Menace - 3D" on four evenings in
February. The USS Alaric's regular monthly meeting was held on
the usual third Saturday of the month at the South Buncombe
Branch Library. After regular officer reports were made, we
discussed upcoming meetings, club business, movie remakes being
planned (including J. Michael Stracynski's proposed trilogy remake
of "The Forbidden Planet"), and the Alaric's ship design. The
USS Alaric was originally an Original Series-era Saladin Class
destroyer. In the 1990s, our chief engineer upgraded the ship to
a Next Generation-era Alaric Class heavy destroyer. Eric, our
current chief engineer, plans on finding a new ship design, one
which better reflects our strong science mission. Requirements
include: latest science instrumentation (both real science
instrumentation, as well as fictional Star Trek science
instrumentation) and latest offensive and defensive capabilities,
as this exploration vessel will be going beyond the frontier of
the Federation and will need to be able to defend against any
hostile aliens we may encounter (we'll be carrying a contingent
of Marines). The science education reports included a summary
by Ken of the Juno probe to Jupiter and a discussion by Ken and
Richard comparing and contrasting the landing techniques of four
Mars landers (the two Viking landers, Spirit, Opportunity, and
Curiosity).
1203.00 The USS Alaric manned a recruiting table at the March 9 showing
of "John Carter of Mars" at the local (Asheville, NC) Regal
Theaters, followed by another recruiting table March 10 at the
Roper Mountain Science Center Space Day event in Greenville, SC.
On March 16, the Alaric had a movie night during which we watched
the Star Trek (remastered special effects) episode, "The Naked
Time", the original "Stargate" movie, and the "How To Build a
Light Saber" episode of Science Channel's Sci Fi Science. The
USS Alaric's regular monthly meeting was held on the usual third
Saturday of the month (March 17) at the South Buncombe Branch
Library. After regular officer reports were made, we discussed
upcoming meetings, reviewed new proposed business cards for the
club, voted on a new charity, and awarded Alaric Commendations
to several members for services rendered. A committee was formed
to work on the new ship design. The science education report
included a summary by Ken of water ice volcanoes on Enceladus and
proposals to search for signs of life in the water that is thought
to lurk beneath the moon's surface.
1204.00 The USS Alaric had a movie night on April 20 (where we watched
"Blast from the Past") and a non-official Alaric movie night was
held earlier on April 7. On the morning of April 28, several
Alaric crew went on an away mission to the Asheville Airport
where they partook of the Flight Simulator, which one person
described as "awesome!" The regular monthly meeting was held
the afternoon of April 28 at the Circle B Ranch Barbeque
restaurant. After regular officer reports were made, we
discussed upcoming meetings and projects, including making an
Alaric music video. The science education report included a
summary by Ken of the Space Ex Program. Before the business
meeting began, Richard and Diane entertained the crew with
reports on trips to Italy and Mexico (Richard's drought workshops)
and Atlanta (Diane's Trek Trax convention trip).
1205.00 The USS Alaric had a movie night on May 5 (where we watched
"Robinson Crusoe on Mars" and "Moon") and May 26 (where we
watched the Star Trek Original Series remastered episode
"Enemy Within", SciFi Science episode "How to Explore the
Universe", and movie "I Am Number Four"). Five Alaric members
attended the Region One Summit May 18-20 in Pigeon Forge, TN,
where the Alaric ran gaming and the Alaric's CO presided over the
RDC Science panel (and placed first in the Costume Contest Western
Category). After the May 26 regular monthly meeting, Alaric members
engaged in a Recreation Department activity (we played tennis).
The May 26 regular monthly meeting was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library. After regular officer reports were made, reports
were provided on the GeekOut Asheville miniconvention event, the
Trek Trax convention, the Region One Summit, rocketry club
activities, possible activities with PARI (Pisgah Astronomical
Research Institute) commemorating the August landing on Mars of
the Curiosity probe, the ship redesign committee status, and
possible involvement with the FIRST (For Innovation and Recognition
of Science and Technology) program. The science education report
included a summary by Ken of the successful launch of the Space Ex
Dragon spacecraft servicing the International Space Station, and by
Richard of recent research of homegrown organic matter found on Mars
which was created from natural (non-life) activities. The Alaric
received a Region One Certificate of Appreciation and a Hailing
Frequencies Award with Distinction at the Region One Summit.
1206.00 The USS Alaric had a movie night on June 8 and June 29. The June 29
movie night had a 1960s theme and we watched episodes of The Twilight
Zone (The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street), The Outer Limits (The
Galaxy Being), The Invaders (The Saucer), and The Prisoner
(Checkmate). The June 16 regular monthly meeting was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library. Regular officer reports include a
report by new Security Department Chief Matthew Miller, who is
planning a fire drill for the crew for next month. We also
discussed possibilities for new fund raising activities (eBay
consignment sales and book sales) and a joint activity with the
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (P.A.R.I.) to celebrate the
landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars in August. P.A.R.I.
Education Director, Christi Whitworth, and Alaric crew discussed
the potential program, advertising, and logistical issues related
to holding the event on the P.A.R.I. campus. (It was subsequently
decided to hold the event on Saturday, August 11.) The meeting's
science education report included a summary of NASA's Nuclear
Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) which will image the sky in
the high energy X-ray (6 - 79 keV) region of the electromagnetic
spectrum, with primary mission to observe collapsed stars and black
holes and related phenomena. On June 23, Alaric members attended a
Summer Solstice Concert by musician Jonn Serrie, who has created
electronic space music for planetariums, IMAX films, and other
science shows. Matthew Miller was Starfleet Academy Commandant
Adm. Barbara Paul's choice for Red Squad for May.
1207.00 The USS Alaric had a movie night on July 27 at which an episode
of Firefly (Serenity) and the movie Highlander were watched. The
July 20 regular monthly meeting was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library. After regular officer reports were made, we spent
time planning for the Mars lander Curiosity program we are jointly
organizing and running with the Pisgah Astronomical Research
Institute (P.A.R.I.) August 11. http://www.pari.edu/about_pari/
ublicPrograms/mars-curiosity-landing-celebration/curiosity-mars-
landing-commemorative-event/) The meeting's science education
report included reports on future SpaceEx missions, a new hybrid
rocket being developed by Space Propulsion Group using paraffin
fuel, an ocean and oasis discovered on Titan, and observing
exoplanets. These were followed by great discussions about
science in general and Star Trek in general.
1208.00 USS Alaric becomes mothership of shuttle USS Charon.
1208.08 Four members of the Alaric crew (Anne, Deni, Ken, and Richard)
were interviewed by local TV station WSPA (out of Spartanburg, SC)
about how Star Trek has influenced our culture; the segment aired
on the "Scene on Seven" show August 8 (http://youtu.be/vl1aB40ZIMA).
1208.11 The USS Alaric held a Mars lander Curiosity meeting/event on
Saturday, August 11, jointly with the Pisgah Astronomical
Research Institute (P.A.R.I.). The event was held at the P.A.R.I.
campus. It was an exciting afternoon of learning about Martian
exploration! Videos on the Curiosity mission and landing from JPL
were presented, Dr. Hector Castenada presented a talk on "Detecting
Life on Earth Using Satellite Imagery", two Alaric members (Richard
and Ken) presented talks on "Pondering The Chemistry of Life - As We
Do Not Know It" (Richard) and "Landing on Mars - The Scariest Part
of the Mission: Comparison of Landers - Curiosity vs.
Opportunity/Spirit vs. Viking & More!" (Richard and Ken), and Kristi
Whitworth (P.A.R.I. Education Director) ran a StarLab Planetarium
show and led the group on a tour of the P.A.R.I. campus. It was a
fun and educational event for the roughly two dozen people who
participated! Both Kristi and the Alaric would like to do additional
joint activities in the future.
1208.18 The August 18 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at
the South Buncombe Branch Library. Matthew, the Alaric's Security
Department Chief, noted that RDC Hayden Segel asked him to design a
Region One Security web site for him. After regular officer reports
were made, we spent time planning for the September 15 monthly meeting
which will be the 30th Anniversary Alaric Open House, then we were
treated to a Rocketry 101 presentation by Kevin. The meeting's
science education report included reports on scientific experiments
on bringing Star Trek concepts (transporter, holodeck) to the real
world, progress of the Curiosity Mars probe, and tests of the Mighty
Eagle (a new lander designed to explore the Moon).
1209.15 The September 15 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was the
club's 30th anniversary celebration. We took over Pavilion # 4 at
Lake Julian in south Asheville, NC, from 10 in the morning until
about 6 in the evening. Fellowship, Star Trek music, games
(Rummikub, Horseshoes, Train Dominoes), boating, and food were
enjoyed by all, including a contingent from the Alaric's newest
shuttle, USS Charon. CO Richard Heim conducted a Star Trek The
Next Generation Science Trivia Quiz and reported on the binary
solar system Kepler 47. A short 10-minute business meeting was
held at which promotions were announced and upcoming meetings
were discussed.
1210.00 The October 13 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held
at the Asheville Comics Expo. The club had a recruiting table at
the Expo in the "Cosplay Alley" next to tables by other clubs
including Dr. Who, Storm troopers, and Klingons. We had a great
time talking to visitors, sharing club information and Star Trek
stories (including time spent with Walter Koenig), and playing
Star Trek: The Game. We were ideally located - a ringside seat
to the Expo's Costume Contest! We had a short business meeting
at which reports were made by attending members and business topics
were mentioned but no voting was conducted. Earlier in the month,
the Alaric had a movie night with a 1960s theme. TV shows viewed at
the October 6 movie night included: My Favorite Martian, Lost in
Space (The Reluctant Stowaway), The Wild Wild West (Night of the
Lord of Limbo), The Invaders (The Peacemaker), The Avengers (From
Venus With Love), and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (The Invaders).
1211.00 The November 17 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held
Saturday afternoon at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room.
Regular officer reports were made, including progress on the
Curiosity and USS Alaric model rockets. The Alaric Council voted to
adopt a new club logo which consists of our traditional starship
silhouette orbiting the state of North Carolina with a Starfleet
insignia, but with some beautiful changes. All of that is now
orbiting the Earth with a sunrise in the background. And the
Starfleet insignia is the sciences insignia instead of command,
signifying that we are the science flagship of Region One and of
all of STARFLEET. We think it's really great! Thanks go to
STARFLEET Region One's Steve Thomas, who designed the logo, and to
our very own Matthew, who coordinated with Steve. Our science
education reports consisted of updates on the Curiosity Mars
mission, discovery of galaxy MACS0647-JD (the furthest object ever
seen), and the discovery of an earth-size exoplanet orbiting Alpha
Centauri. We also discussed the upcoming Star Trek movie ("Star
Trek into Darkness") and a Maya end-of-world celebration ("Birth
2012 - A New Beginning" at the Center for Spiritual Living in
Asheville, on December 22), and explored the possibility of an away
team to the upcoming movie, "The Hobbit". At a movie night the
evening of November 17, we watched the movies "The Invention of
Lying" and "Ultra Violet".
1212.00 The December 15 meeting of the USS Alaric was our annual Christmas
party. Delicious food was enjoyed by all with Star Trek (TOS,
remastered) episodes playing in the background and entertainment
by the latest Star Trek and Star Wars Hallmark ornaments. We also
played a couple games - Rummikub and Train Dominoes. We held a
movie night on December 29 at which we watched the movies "Brave",
"The Blob", and "Men in Black III".
1301.00 The January 19 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held
Saturday afternoon at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting
room. Regular officer reports were made, and we discussed
opportunities for joint ventures with the Asheville Astronomy Club
(guest speaker on the Curiosity Mars mission at UNC-A on February 7)
and Tennessee Smokies Baseball (Star Trek Night at the May 10
ballgame). We discussed member plans to attend Trek Trax in April,
and club plans to discuss Star Trek novels at future meetings and
make club T-shirts available with our new logo through cafepress.
Our science education reports consisted of updates on the Curiosity
Mars mission, the private Mars One Mission to colonize Mars by 2023,
laser beaming of Mona Lisa to a Moon probe, and possible progress on
engineering a real warp drive. We held a movie night the weekend
before, on January 12, at which we watched episodes from 1960s-1970s
TV shows, including Star Trek (remastered "Where No Man Has Gone
Before"), Logan's Run (pilot episode for series), Six Million Dollar
Man ("Wine, Women, and War"), Jonny Quest ("The Invisible Monster"
and "The Robot Spy"), and the previous Thursday's Star Trek away
team episode of Big Bang Theory.
1302.07 On February 7, Alaric members joined the Astronomy Club at their
meeting on the UNC-A campus; special guest speaker Dr. Linda
Kah - a University of Tennessee geologist - discussed her work on
the Curiosity Mars Mission. Her field of study is ancient Earth
rocks, greater than 1 billion years old, and what they can tell us
about ancient Earth's atmosphere and the development of life. So
her role in the Curiosity mission is to study the geology of Mars,
specifically the sedimentary (water-eroded) rocks and wind-eroded
rocks and what they say about the climatic history of Mars and the
possible past environments that could have supported life. Dr. Kah
described Curiosity's instrumentation and the landing site. Gale
Crater is ideal for this mission as it has the desired geomorphology,
mineralogy, and long chronology as evident from the layered rocks; the
site exhibits evidence of the climate change 3.6 billion years ago from
a warm and wet environment to the current cold and dry environment.
After Dr. Kah's presentation, the Astronomy Club held a business meeting
at which they reviewed upcoming celestial events and stargazing/skygazing
activities.
1302.09 The Alaric held a movie night on February 9 which had a 1970s TV
science-fiction theme. We watched episodes from Space: 1999
("Metamorph"), Battlestar Galactica ("Living Legend"), Buck Rogers
("Ardala Returns"), Wonder Woman ("Fausta: The Nazi Wonder Woman"), and
The Incredible Hulk ("The Beast Within"). The Space: 1999 episode led
to an impromptu Martin Landau/Barbara Bain trivia quiz, and the Wonder
Woman episode prompted a lively discussion of women's issues.
1302.09 Alaric's latest shuttle, USS Charon, commissions as a full chapter.
1302.16 The February 16 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held
Saturday afternoon at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room.
After regular officer reports were made, we discussed several topics,
including: 1) having a recruiting table at the local theaters showing
the next Star Trek movie in May; 2) the comic books leading into the
Star Trek movie; 3) Star Trek Into Darkness app for Smartphone;
4) adopting Homeward Bound and A HOPE charities (we will vote on this
next month); and 5) the possibility of supporting Sole Hope as a charity.
Our science education reports consisted of reports on the meteor that
struck Russia a few days earlier, a summary of potential exoplanets
detected by Kepler (the Periodic Table of Exoplanets), and a rogue
planet detected in the Fomalhaut B system. Our discussion of the Star
Trek novel, Spock Messiah!, was postponed until next month because we
had a special guest this month: Will Thompson of Tennessee Smokies
Baseball described plans for a Star Trek Night at their May 10 baseball
game and hopes that Alaric members will come dressed in Star Trek costumes.
We discussed this and decided to vote on it next month.
1303.00 On March 14, USS Alaric members joined the public at a lecture presented
by NASA scientist Dr. Bill Cooke at the Transylvania County Library in
Brevard, NC. The meeting was hosted by PARI, the Pisgah Astronomical
Research Institute, who the USS Alaric partnered with last year to present
a day-long presentation on Curiosity's mission to Mars. Dr. Cooke
discussed the meteorite which exploded in an airburst over Russia, following
a background discussion of the terminology of meteors, meteoroids,
meteorites, and asteroids. Bill explained that a meteor is not solid, it
consists of the light that comes from the meteoroid. A meteorite is a
meteoroid that has landed on Earth. One distinguishes an asteroid from
a meteoroid by size. The Russian meteorite's explosion was made more
forceful because it not only pushed air ahead, it was followed by a vacuum,
which gave it even more power. The explosion was a 470 kiloton (give or
take a factor of 10) explosion and was detected by 17 of the 70
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) infrasound detection
stations that monitor nuclear explosion activity as a part of the worldwide
ban on nuclear detonations. The flash was brighter than the sun. It was
a very interesting talk and enjoyed by all! The March 16 regular monthly
meeting of the USS Alaric was held Saturday afternoon at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. After regular officer reports were made, we
voted to adopt Homeward Bound and A HOPE as new charities to support and
voted against participating in the May 10 Star Trek Night baseball game
event in eastern Tennessee due to the large distance and travel issues.
We also discussed fund-raisers, endorsing other charities such as Sole
Hope, adding new activities for promotion points, and having a recruiting
table at local theaters for May's Star Trek: Into Darkness movie premiere.
Our science education report consisted of an update on the Curiosity Mars
mission. We also discussed massive volcanic eruptions of the past,
including supervolcano Mt. Toba (which came close to wiping out the
incipient human species some 70,000 years ago) and Krakatoa (the largest
volcanic eruption in recorded history, occurring in 1883, and erupting with
a force equivalent to 200 megatons of TNT [840 PJ], about 13,000 times the
nuclear yield of the Little Boy bomb); progress on the planned private
mission to Mars; Biosphere 2; ISS commander Chris Hatfield; and living in
zero G. Our discussion of the Star Trek novel, Spock Messiah!, was postponed
until next month because of a full schedule and the organizer being unable
to attend this month. The Alaric closed the month with a movie night on
March 30.
1303.15 Ken Wheeler promoted to rank of Captain by the Region One RC.
1304.00 The April 13 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held Saturday
afternoon at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. After regular
officer reports were made, we voted to add ways to obtain promotion points
to the Alaric Crew Handbook and to have a recruiting table at the May 11
Space Day event at the Roper Mountain Science Center. We also discussed
plans for having a recruiting table at the local theater on the opening
weekend of the new Star Trek movie (Star Trek: Into Darkness), details of
the local GeekOut fan event in Asheville which is scheduled the same Saturday
as the Region One Summit (a week before the event, the GeekOut organizers
offered the Alaric a recruiting table, which we rapidly organized), possible
designs (Multivector Advanced Escort) for the Alaric ship upgrade, character
development for Alaric fanfic, Region One Summit plans, Trek Trax plans,
appointment of Alaric member Matthew Miller to the Region One position RDC
Chief of Operations (the Alaric now has 2 R/1 RDCs--Operations and Science!),
attendance of a crewman at the Muskrat Jamboree fanfic writing convention,
active fundraisers, and possible future away missions (which will include
hiking, tennis, and other activities). Our science education report
consisted of a discussion of NASA's plans for Skylab 2 (scheduled for a
test flight in 2017 and lofting crew in 2021, it will have a 130 metric ton
payload and contain 4 crew members with several years of food and equipment).
Following the business meeting was a discussion of the novel, Spock Messiah,
during which we examined the ethical issue of getting into the natives' heads
and emotions, mentally invasive technology versus the universal translator,
and (mis)characterization of the Enterprise crewmen, as well as the religious
discussions the novel could have had but didn't (comparison to episodes like
Who Mourns for Adonais, Bread and Circuses, Who Watches the Watchers, etc.).
A 1980s-themed movie night was held on April 20, at which we watched episodes
from the following SF tv shows: Star Trek The Next Generation (Devil's Due),
Quantum Leap (Genesis), Greatest American Hero (The Hit Car), and Knight Rider
(Trust Doesn't Rust), as well as five fan vids (covering Star Trek The
Original Series, Dr. Who/Nancy Blackett, Quantum Leap, Marvel's
Avengers/Captain America/"The War Was In Color", and "A Different Kind of
Love Song").
1304.15 Dennis Relyea promoted to rank of Brigadier General by the STARFLEET
Executive Committee.
1305.00 During May, the USS Alaric had a contingent of 5 members present at the
May 3-5 Region One Summit, with CO and Planetary Sciences Department Chief,
VAdm. Richard Heim, running gaming and the R/1 Sciences RDC panel in his role
as Sciences RDC. During the same weekend as the Summit, an Alaric contingent
of 3 members led by Second Officer, Capt. Ken Wheeler, represented the USS
Alaric at a May 4 local GeekOut gathering in the ship's home port of
Asheville, NC. The following weekend (May 11), the Alaric had an invited
table at the Space Day event hosted by the Roper Mountain Science Center in
Greenville, SC, at which 5 members participated. The highlight of Space Day
was a talk on the Curiosity Mars mission by NASA JPL scientist and Solar
System Ambassador, Tony Rice. The weekend after that (May 17 & 18), the
ship had a recruiting table at the Regal Biltmore Grande Theater for the
premiere of the new Star Trek movie, Star Trek: Into Darkness. The May 18
regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held Saturday afternoon at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. After regular officer reports
were made, we voted to accept the invitation to participate in costume in
the June 15 (Father's Day) Asheville Father's Fest and to join the Asheville
Astronomy Club during their monthly stargazing events, and discussed upcoming
officer (CO, XO, SO) elections, revisions to the Alaric Handbook, and
procedure for adopting a chapter mascot. Our science education discussion
consisted of reports from Diana on a meteorite (estimated to be 1 foot wide
and 88 pounds) that recently struck the Moon, Kristine on a new method for
detecting cancer, and Ken on the discovery of a reservoir under Ontario that
holds water which is a billion years old. The meeting concluded with a
discussion of the first Star Trek novel, Spock Must Die! by James Blish; we
covered the novel's discussion of technical issues (scientific knowledge that
was current at the time), moral issues (transporting the soul), and
characterization. Matthew Miller is appointed Director of the Starfleet
Academy College of Archaeology and Anthropology.
1306.00 During June, the USS Alaric was invited to have a table at the June 15
Asheville Father's Fest, an event celebrating Father's Day sponsored by
Highland Brewery. Ten Alaric crewmembers, most in Star Trek costumes, wowed
the crowd and took to the stage when the entertainer sang a sci-fi-themed
song. The group pictures of Star Wars fans (also in costume) with the Alaric
crew are priceless! The June 22 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric
was held Saturday afternoon at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room.
After regular officer reports were made, we announced that the Alaric's model
rocket was successfully launched at the rocket launch event that morning,
noted that all three incumbent officers (CO, XO, SO) were running for
re-election in the upcoming biennial Alaric officer elections, then discussed
several possible activities/away missions to do in the future, including
hiking in Brevard, a Star Trek-themed dance (dancing in costume), stargazing
at FENC (Foothills Equestrian Nature Center), and away missions to
planetariums and science museums. Our science education discussion consisted
of reports from Ken (who showed video and pics of the Alaric model rocket
launch and discussed the possibility of a paleo subsurface ocean on Saturn's
moon Dione and the possible search for life in Europa's ocean by a tiny
submersible), Kitty (who discussed penny4nasa.com), Tom (who reported on a
newly-discovered process for creating steel that emits only pure oxygen, and
its application to lunar mining and exploration), Deni (who reviewed a 2010
International Space Station experiment that investigated the human immune
system), and Richard (who reported on the Biozoom Biofeedback Scanner, a
medical device patterned after Star Trek's medical tricorder that is "the
only handheld diagnostic device of its kind worldwide that tests for your
health without blood tests or piercing your skin"). After the meeting,
Alaric members held a movie night.
1307.00 During July, the USS Alaric held a movie night and a regular monthly
meeting. The movie night was July 6 with "I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle",
"Super", and "Buckaroo Banzai" the movies shown. The July 20 regular
monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held Saturday afternoon at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. After regular officer reports were
made and regular business (promotions, biennial CO-XO-SO officer elections)
was covered, commendations were awarded to 17 crewmembers for service to
the Alaric at the Asheville Father's Fest, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Geek
Out, and Space Day recruiting events and for fund raising activities. We
also received progress reports on the Alaric ship upgrade, Alaric pet mascot,
and Alaric model rocket project. Plans were discussed for future activities,
including a games and plastic model building day, upcoming movie nights,
dance night (in ST costumes), invitation to man a table at the upcoming
Asheville Comics Expo, invitation to participate in costume at a concert,
and hiking, planetarium/science museum, and stargazing away missions. We
decided to alternate between Star Trek novel discussions every other month
with our XO Kevin teaching voluntary model rocketry classes during the
intervening months, with the Star Trek novel, "Doctor's Orders", discussed
this month. Our science education discussion consisted of a report on
electric car batteries and a Medical Department report on the NASA Human
Research Program (http://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/) which "investigates
and mitigates the highest risks to human health and performance, providing
essential countermeasures and technologies for human space exploration."
Matthew Miller was appointed the Director of STARFLEET Academy's College
of Archaeology and Anthropology.
1308.00 During August, the USS Alaric held a movie night, a staff meeting, and a
regular monthly meeting, plus a couple stargazing nights. The movie night
was August 10 and had a 1990s SF TV theme, with the following TV shows and
episodes seen: BABYLON 5 (The Coming of Shadows), THE OUTER LIMITS (D j vu),
STAR TREK DEEP SPACE 9 (Trials and Tribble-ations), HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY
JOURNEYS (Pride Comes Before a Brawl), and LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES
OF SUPERMAN (I'm Looking Through You). The August 17 regular monthly meeting
of the USS Alaric was held Saturday afternoon at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. After regular officer reports were made and regular
business (promotions, biennial CO-XO-SO officer elections) was covered, we
received progress reports on the Alaric ship upgrade, Alaric pet mascot,
Dance Night in Star Trek costume, the Gaming/Plastic Model Day, hiking and
away missions to planetariums/science museums, member map, stargazing nights,
the John Serrie concert Star Trek skit, Asheville Comic Expo table, and
Alaric model rocket project. We also discussed participating in cosmic
bowling nights and setting up a formal book exchange for Alaric members.
This month our XO led a voluntary model rocketry class at which we colored
in the hull for the Alaric model rocket. Our science education discussion
consisted of reports on the Grasshopper SpaceEx rocket, quantum computers,
photosynthetic fish, and 4 probes exiting the solar system (Pioneer 10 & 11,
Voyager 1 & 2). A staff meeting (of elected officers and department heads)
was held August 31, at which a number of administrative issues were discussed,
in order to streamline our regular monthly meetings and give more time to fun
things at the regular monthly meetings.
1308.25 Lea Elwood-Relyea promoted to rank of Captain by the Region One RC.
1309.00 The USS Alaric was very busy during September. Alaric members attended the
monthly meeting of the Asheville Astronomy Club on September 5 and thoroughly
enjoyed the presentation by NASA Solar System Ambassador Mike Lucas on "The
Epic Journey of Apollo 11." Our very own Diane won a powerful astronomical
laser pointer door prize! The following evening (September 6), the Alaric
joined the Asheville Astronomy Club for a night of stargazing, during which
we viewed the Lagoon nebula, Venus, Saturn, star clusters, nebulae, the
recent nova, and saw 3 shooting stars. At the September 7 movie night, we
watched THX 1138, Night of the Living Dorks, Upside Down, and Tron: Uprising.
September 14 began with a picnic in the morning, our regular monthly meeting
in the afternoon, and ended with a STARFLEET/sci-fi ski presentation (in
Star Trek uniform) at a Jonn Serrie concert in the evening. The Saturday
(September 14) afternoon meeting was held at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. After regular officer reports and reports on status
of our various projects were made, ballots for our biennial officer elections
were tallied and the revised Member Handbook was approved. CO Richard Heim,
XO Kevin Creamer, and SO Ken Wheeler were re-elected to another two-year term.
The club purchased an LCD projector and tried it out at this meeting, viewing
science education reports on comet ISON and Voyager I, and several videos
(Voyager I videos by Dr. John Grunsfeld, Ed Stone, and Message to Voyager,
as well as "Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a modern epic" and "Captain
Kirk Watches the Miley Cyrus Concert"). The meeting concluded with a
discussion of the Star Trek novel, "My Enemy, My Ally". The evening of
September 14 (Saturday), two Alaric members presented a space exploration
skit and info about the Alaric at a space-themed musical concert by Jonn
Serrie. On Tuesday evening, September 17, the Alaric hosted a pre-ACE
dance party at Arcade (an Asheville dance bar establishment) where Alaric
members and patrons danced in Star Trek and sci-fi costumes. On Saturday,
September 21, the Alaric manned a recruiting table at the Asheville Comics
Expo (ACE). The month concluded with a movie night Saturday, September 28,
which had a 1990s SF-TV theme; we watched episodes of Earth 2 (First Contact),
Star Trek Voyager (Message in a Bottle), Stargate SG-1 (Full Circle), The
Flash (Captain Cold), and Sliders (Love Gods). The audience commentary
during Message in a Bottle and Love Gods was hilarious! And the Voyager
episode featured the USS Prometheus, the multi-vector assault ship which
the USS Alaric is being upgraded to. Also during September, the Alaric
initiated a project to work with schools, museums, and others in the
Asheville, NC area to promote science education among children; this is
being led by member Jennifer Hampton with assistance from Ken Wheeler;
lessons learned locally here through the Alaric's (Jennifer's) efforts will
be provided for application across Region One and STARFLEET through Region
One Sciences and Starfleet Sciences.
1310.00 During October, Alaric members attended the monthly meeting of the Asheville
Astronomy Club on the third and joined the Asheville Astronomy Club for a
night of stargazing on the fourth. The October 12 regular monthly meeting
was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. A new meeting
agenda format was tried, with special presentations interspersed among the
regular officer reports and reports on status of our various projects. The
presentations included pictorial presentations of our Star Trek dance at
Arcade and our recruiting table at the Asheville Comic Expo from September.
This month's science education reports included weird orbits of Pluto's
moons, the New Horizon mission to Pluto, a proposed fusion-driven rocket
which could cut a Mars trip to 90 days, and NASA's discovery of a rogue
planet. Other events included a movie night on October 11, a staff meeting
on October 19, and a Halloween Party at Arcade on October 26.
1310.14 Member Jennifer Hampton receives a Region One Commendation.
1311.00 The Alaric held a Plastic Model and Gaming Day on November 2, at which
members assembled plastic models (Enterprise 1701, Enterprise 1701-E, and
the Moonraker Space Shuttle) and played games (Carcasonne, Mexican Train
Dominoes, and Where in the World). The meeting was held at Richard's and
Diane's residence and, therefore, also served as their open house, where
members marveled at the sci-fi display case and sci-fi room. A 2000s
SF-TV-themed movie night was held on November 16, at which members and
visitors watched episodes of Star Trek Enterprise (Borderland, Cold Station
12, The Augments), Warehouse 13 (3 ... 2 ... 1), Dr. Who (The Girl in the
Fireplace), and Prophets of Science-Fiction (Jules Verne). The November 23
regular monthly meeting was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting
room. Meeting agenda format changes, which were discussed at the October
staff meeting, were implemented at the November monthly meeting, and were
well-received. The science education reports included presentations on two
NASA missions: the LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer)
mission to the Moon and the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution)
mission to Mars. The MAVEN launch and mission videos were good, but the
video of LeVar Burton describing the mission stole the show! Reports on
several projects and activities were made, and an entertaining Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles short video was shown. Votes were cast to select Deni's cat,
Mocca Mae, as the Alaric's Pet Mascot for the next year; Mocca garnered 6
votes, with tribbles Trib and Bull purring into second place with 3 votes
(the remaining votes were split between seven other contestants). It was
decided that the club would send an away mission to see the movie, The Hobbit,
after the December 14 A.H.S.C.K.NY.E. party (Advent / Hanukah / Solstice /
Christmas / Kwanzaa / New Years / Epiphany party, otherwise known as the
annual holiday party), hold an "Over 40 Party" sometime in January or
February to celebrate the club's membership passing the 40 member mark, and
maybe have a First Aid class early next year. Matthew Miller is appointed
as 3rd Battalion (North Carolina) Officer in Charge of the Starfleet Marines
First Brigade.
1312.00 The December meeting of the USS Alaric was the annual A.H.S.C.K.NY.E. party.
It was held December 14 at a member's home and had a great turnout! A
delicious meal was enjoyed by all, remastered episodes from Star Trek: The
Original Series were shown (including The Changeling, Mirror Mirror, The
Apple, The Doomsday Machine, and The Immunity Syndrome), and members played
three games (Star Trek Catan, Blokus, and Star Trek: All About Trivia). A
movie night was held December 21 with a 2000s SF-TV theme. Episodes were
shown from No Ordinary Family (pilot), Star Trek Enterprise (Affliction and
Divergence), The 4400 (pilot), and Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda (Under the
Night, An Affirming Flame). This was part 2 of the 2000s themed movie night.
So many shows are available to see, that we're expecting to have a part 3
and maybe even a part 4!
1401.00 The January 18, 2014 regular monthly meeting of the U.S.S. Alaric was held at
the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The meeting began with a
'round the table introduction of K.I.T.T., the talking model car, which
was followed by science education reports on the ISS Cygnus resupply
spacecraft, the discovery by the European Southern Observatory of 3 new
exoplanets in the Messier 67 star cluster (2 of which orbit stars similar
to our sun), and a benefit of the environmentally unsafe fracking process
could be enhancing the access to geothermal energy sources. Officer
reports were made and the club decided to accept the offer of the Roper
Mountain Science Center to have a club recruiting table at their May 10
Space Day 2014 in Greenville, SC. The club was also entertained by a
piece played by the Klingon death metal band, Stovokor, which was projected
onto a screen using our computer projector equipment. The meeting ended
with a discussion of the Star Trek novel, The Romulan Way. A movie night
was held January 25 at which the movies Man of Steel, R.I.P. D, and Electra
were shown.
1402.00 The U.S.S. Alaric held a staff meeting on February 1 during which several
projects were discussed, including revisions to the Alaric web page and ideas
for fundraisers, and further details for the Alaric ship upgrade were also
worked out. A movie night was held February 8 which was part 3 of the 2000s
SF TV theme; we saw episodes of Terra Nova (Genesis), Firefly (Out of Gas),
Battlestar Galactica (Water), and Prophets of Science Fiction (Isaac Asimov).
The February 15 regular monthly meeting of the U.S.S. Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The meeting began with reports
on the Alaric's new SFA Education Department, revision of the Alaric history
timeline through December 2013, and incorporation of the revised timeline and
new Marines section into the Crew Handbook. Upcoming activities were
discussed, including the March 6 Asheville Astronomy Club meeting (special
presentation on "Astrobiology: The Search for Alien Life"), the April 12
combined monthly meeting and Over 40 Party, Alaric recruiting table at the
May 10 Space Day event at Roper Mountain Science Center, and May 16-18 Region
One Summit. The club voted to have a table at the June 7-8 Geek Out
mini-convention and to participate in the September Asheville Comics Expo,
including hosting the pre-ACE annual party (both groups asked us to
participate). Updates were reported on the ship's upgrade to a Prometheus
Class Multi-Vector Advanced Escort, on the Community Science Education Plan
(a team was formed to prepare an outline and syllabus of science topics to
be taught to grade schoolers, requested by the Buncombe County School
district), and on plans to auction original Star Trek comic book art as a
fundraiser. Science education reports included the mystery rock on Mars
(moved by Curiosity's wheel), Orbital Sciences' Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft,
Odyssey Mars spacecraft's mission to measure ground temperatures, and a
(Sci Show) video on what Stephen Hawking really said about black holes.
1403.00 The U.S.S. Alaric held a movie night on March 1 at which we watched Gene
Roddenberry's The Questor Tapes, Bicentennial Man, and Star Trek Continues
(EOS: Pilgrim of Eternity). Another movie night was held March 22 at
which we watched Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. The March 15 regular
monthly meeting of the U.S.S. Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The meeting began with regular officer
reports and reports on the Alaric's new SFA Education Department, and
continued with discussion of upcoming activities, including the Alaric
recruiting tables at the May 10 Space Day event at Roper Mountain
Science Center and the June 7-8 GeekOut mini-convention in Asheville
(volunteers to man the tables were solicited); support of a July 26
MSG run was also discussed. Science education reports included:
the ISS testing of new robots that function in gravity and non-gravity
environments, 24-hour cars racing hybrid, and the U.S. House of
Representatives wants NASA to conduct a Mars flyby mission in 2021.
The Fandom Report discussed the upcoming Star Trek 3 movie and
speculation on the future of SF TV shows Almost Human, Intelligence,
and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
1404.00 USS Alaric Fortean Research Dept. Chief, Capt. Lea Relyea, reported
on the condition of husband Dennis Relyea, the Alaric's CSO. Even
struggling with cancer, Brig-Gen. Relyea was able to complete and
receive his Woodbadge Beads, an 18-month feat that he finished in
less than a year. Lea noted that "the cancer has spread into his
lungs now; he is doing palliative chemo which he is handling well."
The April 12 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was combined
with the Alaric's Over 40 Party (to celebrate the ship recently
breaking the threshold of having 40 members) and a model rocket
launch of the Saturn Rocketry Club. The meeting was held at the
residence of a Saturn Rocketry Club member and included an outdoor
picnic. At the business meeting, regular officer reports were made,
status of club projects was discussed, and the Alaric Council voted
to upgrade the ship to a Prometheus Class Multi-Vector Advanced Escort.
Science education reports included: 1) the recent discovery of a
massive meteor impact 3.26 billion years ago, larger than the
dinosaur-killing Chicxulub meteor (probably a Rhode-Island-size
meteor), which created a crater 300 miles across, and 2) online
scanning and skimming rewires peoples' brains to the point where
it is hard for them to read comprehensively ("It's like your eyes
are passing over the words but you're not taking in what they say,"
Claire Handscombe confessed. Humans, warn cognitive neuroscientists,
seem to be developing digital brains with new circuits for skimming
through the torrent of information online; this alternative way of
reading is competing with traditional deep reading circuitry
developed over several millennia.). A staff meeting was held April 19.
In April, Matthew Miller became the Region One Recruiting and Retention
Officer. Matthew served as the Region One RDC of Operations
04/11/2013-04/16/2014.
1405.00 The Alaric had a recruiting table at the Roper Mountain Science
Center's May 10 Space Day event in Greenville, SC. Six members
participated, with several of us able to talk one-on-one with the
guest speaker, NASA Ambassador Alan Rich, and meteorite collector
Mike Parker (who shared his meteorite collection with attendees).
Alan's powerpoint presentation, "Eyes on Exoplanets", was especially
fascinating! This is the third year the RMSC has asked us to set up
a recruiting table at their Space Day event. The Alaric sent a
contingent to the Region One Summit May 16-18 in Pigeon Forge, TN,
where the ship ran Summit gaming. The May 24 regular monthly meeting
of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library
meeting room. The meeting began with regular officer reports and
discussion of upcoming activities. It was proposed that the USS
Alaric handbook be revised to reflect that one promotion point will
be awarded for every three items brought in for donation to one of
the Alaric charities and that the number of points possible to earn
will be unlimited; the proposal passed unanimously. The science
education report included discussion of the new Martian probe,
Insight, to be launched in 2016, the "Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize"
contest, and solar roadways. Insight will be stationary and pierce
the surface to investigate how Earth-like planets develop their
layered inner structure of core, mantle and crust. The $10 million
"Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize" contest is to develop a medical tricorder
that can monitor, at a minimum, these medical problems: anemia,
type 2 diabetes, pneumonia, TB and the early signs of stroke.
Videos and pictures from the Space Day event and from the Region
One Summit were also shared, and upcoming fandom news was reported.
A movie night was held May 24 after the regular monthly meeting.
1406.00 The Alaric had a recruiting table at the Geek Out convention in
Asheville June 7-8, and held a movie night the following Saturday,
June 14. The movie night was part 4 of the 2000s SF TV theme, with
episodes of Smallville (X-Ray), Crusade (The Well of Forever),
Eureka (Maneater), and Star Trek Enterprise (In a Mirror Darkly,
Parts 1 & 2) shown. The June 21 regular monthly meeting of the
USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting
room. The meeting began with regular officer reports and discussion
of upcoming activities. The science education report included
discussion of the upcoming December test of NASA's Orion spacecraft
and the proposed Europa Clipper Mission to determine the potential
habitability of the Jupiter ocean moon. After the monthly meeting
several members engaged in a game of tennis at a nearby tennis
court.
1407.00 The Alaric held a movie night July 5, with Independence Day,
Demolition Man, and the Lolani episode of Star Trek Continues
shown; an awesome fireworks extravaganza capped the evening!
An away mission to the Pink Beds Picnic and Hiking area was
conducted July 13. The July 19 regular monthly meeting of the
USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting
room. Prior to the business meeting, a photographer from Bold
Life Magazine snapped pictures of Alaric crew in uniform for an
article on the club, which will be printed later this summer.
The business meeting began with regular officer reports and
discussion of upcoming activities. The science education report
included discussion of the Rosetta probe and testimony about the
future of space exploration. From Ken: The Rosetta probe took
pictures of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on July 14. Ken
shared pictures of the comet, which is made of two pieces.
There is speculation on how two-piece (contact binary) comets
form. Observation of Comet 67P could help scientists understand
the formation of contact binary comets. Rosetta will rendezvous
with the comet on August 6 and remain to observe until November.
Richard shared an article from the June 3 EOS magazine about
testimony given to Congress about the future of space exploration
and the possibility of discovery of life both in our solar system
and in the larger universe. The meeting concluded with a lively
discussion of various SF movies and TV shows, including JMS's
aborted plans to remake The Forbidden Planet as a trilogy.
1408.00 The Alaric held a movie night August 9. The theme was 1950s
science-fiction movies and TV, with two movies (The Forbidden
Planet and War of the Worlds) and four TV episodes (Here Comes
Tobor: Tobor and the Atomic Submarine, Radar Men From the Moon:
Moon Rocket, One Step Beyond: The Sorcerer, and The Adventures
of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends: Jet Fuel Formula) shown.
Following the shows, we discussed 1950s culture and cinematic
technology and how they differ from today. The August 16 regular
monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The science education report included
discussion of the purchase of the ISEE-3 (International Sun-Earth
Explorer-3) spacecraft by the ISEE-3 Reboot Project (an unofficial
group with support from the Skycorp company), and the latest progress
of the European Space Agency's Rosetta probe mission to comet
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Regular officer and project reports
included progress on preparation of the Star Trek comic book original
artwork for auction as a fund-raiser, revision of the Alaric recruiting
table tri-panel display, and plans for our recruiting table at the
September Asheville Comics Expo. The meeting concluded with visitor
Lance singing an original song he wrote for Stargate: Universe, and
club members discussing Diane Duane's Star Trek novel, Swordhunt.
1409.00 The Alaric sent an away team to DragonCon, then on September 6 held
an After-DragonCon Party/Movie Night at which convention pictures were
shown as well as the movie Galaxy Quest and the Star Trek Continues
episode, Fairest of Them All. The September 13 regular monthly meeting
of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting
room. The science education report included discussion of NASA's MAVEN
(Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission) space probe, which we
learned later successfully reached Martian orbit; the upcoming launch
of a SpaceEx cargo run to the International Space Station; and a
Physics Today article on the Chelyabinsk airburst meteor. Regular
officer and project reports included the unveiling of the revised
Alaric recruiting table tri-panel display (Kitty did a great job!),
an update on the Alaric model rocket project, discussion of
fundraising efforts and possible stargazing events, and planning for
the annual A.H.S.C.K.NY.E. party (Advent / Hanukah / Solstice /
Christmas / Kwanzaa / New Years / Epiphany party, otherwise known as
the annual holiday party). Kevin's model rocket discussion included
demonstration of the testbed for a model rocket which has rocket
boosters, that will separate in flight, and which will boost the
rocket to even higher altitudes. Ken presented pictures and videos
from the DragonCon convention. The meeting concluded with a showing
of the Star Trek Continues video, The Four Years War: Prelude to Axanar.
The following Saturday, Alaric members manned a recruiting table at the
2014 Asheville Comic Expo in the Asheville Civic Center (a.k.a. US
Cellular Center).
1410.00 The Alaric held a movie night on October 11 where we watched "Free
Enterprise" and "Earth Girls Are Easy". The October 18 regular monthly
meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library
meeting room. The science education report included discussion of an
Eos article about two Mars spacecraft (the NASA's MAVEN and India's Mars
Orbiter spacecraft), and discovery by NASA's Hubble telescope of potential
Kuiper targets for the New Horizons Pluto mission. Regular officer and
project reports included discussion of the Alaric's primary web page
(we will likely keep Wordpress as the software), the upcoming staff meeting
(November 8 at Richard's house from 2-5 p.m.), and the upcoming holiday
party (December 20 at Lynnea's house from 1-8 p.m.), and we discussed
various media projects, including Star Trek Renegades, the Star Wars and
Star Trek movies, and J.J. Abrams's various TV series and movies. The
meeting concluded with a showing of the Star Trek Continues episode,
"Fairest of Them All".
1411.00 The Alaric held a staff meeting on November 8 at which various projects
were reviewed and other issues were discussed. The November 15 regular
monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. The science education report included discussion
of the Rosetta Mission to comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, with videos and
graphics. Regular officer and project reports included discussion of
the Alaric's charities and fund raisers (including auction of original
artwork), upcoming movie nights, possible away mission to the local
Radio Museum, possible joint activities with the local Radio-controlled
Airplane Club, and possible creation of member i.d. badges. We also
discussed the fourth novel in Diane Duane's Rihannsu series, Honor Blade.
The meeting concluded with a viewing of the Science Channel special (Landing
on a Comet: Rosetta Mission). After the meeting, Alaric members saw the new
movie, Interstellar. A movie night was held November 22 at which members
viewed Prometheus, Station 76, and Tron.
1501.03 The USS Alaric's annual holiday party (A.H.S.C.K.NY.E. party, for Advent /
Hanukah / Solstice / Christmas / Kwanzaa / New Years / Epiphany party),
originally scheduled for December 20, 2014 was held on January 3, 2015 at member
Lynnea's house. In addition to a wide variety of delicious holiday food,
we watched episodes of Classic Star Trek (Amok Time, Who Mourns for Adonis,
The Doomsday Machine), Star Trek Continues (Pilgrim of Eternity), and Star
Trek Phase 2 (Blood and Fire) and played games (Eldersign, Blokus, and Sky
Travelers). Sky Travelers was especially interesting since all players must
work together to either win together or lose together, trying to repair
their crashed spaceship and escape a hostile planet.
1501.17 The January 17, 2015 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment
consisted of reports by Richard on quantum black holes, by Diana on Comet
Lovejoy, and by Ken on the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the NOAA
analysis which indicated 2014 was record warm globally. Regular officer
and project reports were made and the discussion and recommendations from
the November 2014 staff meeting (on status and future of projects) were
summarized. Under new business, a proposal to have member name tags passed
unanimously.
1502.00 The USS Alaric held a Valentine's Day movie night February 14 at which the
movies, Starman and Divergent, and the ST:TOS episode, The Paradise Syndrome,
were shown. The February 21 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was
held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education
segment consisted of a report by Ken on Saturn's moon, Titan. Regular officer
and project reports were made, including a report on the purchase of name badge
holders and the presentation of the master template for the name badges. Due
to Kevin Creamer's resignation as XO, CO Richard Heim appointed Matthew Miller
as the new XO and the Alaric Council approved the appointment by a vote of 10-0-1.
Upcoming meetings include a March 7 movie night, March 22 game day, and March 7
model rocket launch by the Saturn Rocketry Club. The next book the club will
discuss will be The Martian, by Andy Weir, and the discussion will take place
at Barnes and Noble Bookstore after the March meeting. The February 21 meeting
closed with a viewing of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. episode, The Project Strigas
Affair, which guest-starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
1503.00 The USS Alaric held a movie night March 7 at which Dawn of the Planet of the
Apes and Dredd were shown. The March 21 regular monthly meeting of the USS
Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science
education segment consisted of reports by Ken on Ganymede's salty ocean, by
Richard on the Space Smiley Face and instruments aboard the Dawn spacecraft
exploring Ceres, and by Tom on the Canadian wind turbine which has an
observation deck. Regular officer and project reports were made, including
reports on recent media exposure the club has received in the local weekly
paper, The Daily Planet; the club's donation of 36 pounds of food to Manna
Food Bank; and promotions (Steve) and commendations (Kevin). After the
business meeting was adjourned, the club met at the Biltmore Park Barnes
and Noble Bookstore to discuss Andy Weir's novel, The Martian. It's a
fascinating sci-fi story about an astronaut left behind for dead on Mars
and his struggle for survival. Andy weaves tons of science into his story
in a way that the layman can understand, and the characters also grow on you.
It was a fun experience! The Alaric held a game day on March 22 at which
Star Trek Catan, Pictionary, and the India Railroad game were played.
1504.00 The April 18 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment
consisted of reports by Ken on the Dawn mission to Ceres, the progress of
the SpaceEx launches, and the New Horizons mission to Pluto; by Richard on
the nature of fire (flames) in microgravity; and by Diana on the Messenger
mission to Mercury. Regular officer and project reports were made, including
reviews of upcoming activities. After the business meeting was adjourned,
the club held a movie night at which Rocket Man and Total Recall were viewed.
1505.00 On May 2, the Alaric conducted an away mission to a local theater for the
premiere of the new Avengers movie, Age of Ultron. The May 9 regular monthly
meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library
meeting room. The science education segment consisted of reports by Ken
on the SpaceEx launch abort system test and Saturn's moon Enceladus; by
Richard on the supposed accidental discovery of a warp field by NASA;
and by Tom on the announcement by Elon Musk of sales of a battery storage
system for solar power. Regular officer and project reports were made,
including reviews of upcoming activities, and the Alaric Council voted to
approve modifications to the Alaric Crew Handbook of promotion points for
uniforms. After the business meeting was adjourned, the club met at the
local Barnes and Noble Bookstore to discuss David Mack's Star Trek novel,
Gods of Night (Book 1 in the Star Trek Destiny trilogy). The Alaric held
a movie night May 19 at which Space Cowboys and Paul were viewed. The
Alaric CO, Richard Heim, and Alaric member Diane Stanton were married
May 23 at Jubilee! Community Church in Asheville, NC in a Star Trek/
Science/Science-Fiction/Superhero themed wedding. Pictures and
write-up were available at the Asheville Citizen-Times web site
http://www.citizen-times.com/story/life/2015/05/30/marriage-final-frontier-avl-star-trek-wedding/28208773/
1506.00 The USS Alaric had a recruiting table at the June 6-7 Geek Out annual
popular arts convention in Asheville, NC. On June 12, the ship
conducted an away mission to a local theater for the premiere of the
new dinosaur movie, Jurassic World. A hike and movie night was held
on June 14; Hot Tub Time Machine and Jupiter Ascending were the movies
viewed. The June 20 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held
at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science
education segment of the monthly meeting consisted of reports by Ken
on Europa probe mission being developed by NASA and on NASA's Grand
Challenge program to determine how big of a threat is posed by asteroids,
and by Richard on biomimetics and on the history of the discovery of
fission. Regular officer and project reports were made, including
reviews of upcoming activities and a preview by Matthew of the Alaric's
redesigned web page, and the Alaric Council voted to approve the
creation and purchase of a new Alaric banner for recruiting table
purposes. After the business meeting was adjourned, the club met
at a nearby tennis court for recreational tennis activities.
1507.00 The USS Alaric enjoyed a July 4 celebration at Lynnea's home featuring
Star Trek Continues episodes (The White Iris, and Fairest of Them All),
a delicious pot luck meal, and a fantastic fireworks display! On July 11,
Alaric members conducted a hike then enjoyed a cookout and the movie,
Serenity, and played Star Trek The Customizable Card Game. The July 18
regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment of the monthly
meeting consisted of a review by Richard of pictures of the Pluto system,
the New Horizons mission, and of Kuiper and Asteroid Belt planetoids.
Regular officer and project reports were made, including reviews of
upcoming activities which will include an OCC Workshop/Academy Night and
an October 31 Halloween Party, and presentation of the new beautiful Alaric
banner for recruiting table purposes. A great discussion of TV shows and
upcoming movies was had during the Fandom Report.
1508.00 This was quite an eventful month for the USS Alaric! XO Matthew Miller
resurrected the Carolina Communicator banner by initiating the Carolina
Communicator Online blog on the ship's Facebook page
(http://ussalaric.webs.com/apps/blog/). New member Bill Sanderson
completed about 40 Starfleet Academy courses within the span of two weeks
and was selected as the newest Starfleet Academy Director for the College
of Microorganisms. And three promotions were announced at the August
meeting: Kitty Horton and Bill Sanderson to the rank of Ensign, and the
ship's CO, Richard Heim, to the rank of Admiral. The USS Alaric had two
meetings in August. On the 1st, the ship had a recruiting table at the
Asheville Anime Regional Convention. The August 29 regular monthly
meeting was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The
science education segment of the monthly meeting consisted of a summary
by Ken of Buzz Aldrin's plan to colonize Mars, and a description by
Richard of the microorganisms responsible for the colors in the springs
and basins of Yellowstone National Park. Regular officer and project
reports were made, including progress reports on the ship's planned
October 31 Halloween Party, recruiting table at the October 2 showing
of The Martian, and away mission to the January 31 Star Trek The Concert
event. The Alaric Council voted unanimously to support the Region One
Space Camp with an annual (May) donation of $25. After the business
meeting was adjourned, the club met at the local Barnes and Noble
Bookstore to discuss David Mack's Star Trek novel, Mere Mortals (Book 2
in the Star Trek Destiny trilogy).
1509.00 The September 19 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at
the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education
segment of the monthly meeting consisted of two presentations by Ken,
the first being a review of new pictures of Pluto taken by the New Horizons
spacecraft, and the second being the short video, "To Scale the Solar System".
Regular officer and project reports were made, and plans were discussed for
recruiting tables at the upcoming premiere of the movie, "The Martian"
(October 2-3); Asheville Comic Expo (October 24); and Star Trek Concert
(January 31). We also discussed plans for the October 31 Halloween Party
and Dance, December holiday party, Treklanta (April 15-17 next year), and
Region One Summit (May 13-15 next year). Ballots were tallied for the
biennial election of officers, with CO Richard Heim, XO Matthew Miller,
and SO Ken Wheeler being re-elected. A movie night was held September 26,
at which Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes were watched on BBC America
during the pot-luck supper and while the main feature was set up; the main
feature was the fan movie, "Star Trek: Renegades"; the Injustice For All
episode of the Justice League animated series was also shown. Movie night
activities included a party, with Star Trek cake, celebrating recent rank
promotions, and a discussion of Book 3 (Gods of Night) of David Mack's Star
Trek Destiny novel trilogy. A viewing of the hawk migration during the
weekend of September 26-27 was cancelled due to the weather.
1510.00 The USS Alaric had a recruiting table at the October 2 & 3 showings of the
new hit movie, "The Martian". Following the path blazed by "2001: A Space
Odyssey" those many decades ago, "The Martian" presents an enjoyable and
exciting show which is also educational and scientifically accurate! The
October 17 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment of the
monthly meeting consisted of three presentations: the first by Ken, the second
by Bill, and the third by Tom. Ken reported on the recent analysis of Kepler
data from KIC8462852, a star 1480 light years from Earth (between the Cygnus
and Lyra constellations in our Milky Way galaxy) whose Kepler light curve is
unique amongst the 150,000 stars studied by the Kepler project. The dimming
of the mature star's light (down to 22% compared to normal dimming of about 1%)
is not symmetric, implying perhaps megastructures created by an alien civilization
are orbiting the star. This is exciting because, if it really is caused by
artificial structures and not a natural phenomenon, then this would be the first
evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life! Bill's talk focused on speculation
about life on Mars after the discovery of flowing liquid water. He reviewed
the satellite data indicating water flowing down Martian slopes, then discussed
climatic conditions on Mars and the conditions under which archaean life could
exist there. The Archean is the time in Earth's history 2.5 billion years ago
when life is thought to have developed. Prokaryotes, the first documented
forms of life, are simple, single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus,
mitochondria and organized cell function, and which reproduce asexually.
Archaean life would have cell walls which are more durable than those of
human cells and would be better able to withstand the harsh Martian environment.
Tom discussed the World Solar Challenge, a contest for solar-powered electric
cars being held in Australia. At the October 17 meeting, regular officer and
project reports were made, and plans were discussed for recruiting tables at
the upcoming Asheville Comic Expo (October 24) and Star Trek Concert (January
31). We also discussed plans for the October 31 Halloween Party, November 14
movie night, December holiday party, Treklanta (April 15-17 next year), and
Region One Summit (May 13-15 next year). The meeting ended with a fun
discussion of Star Trek episodes and movies and the new science-fiction TV
series. On October 24, the USS Alaric had a recruiting table at the Asheville
Comic Expo, a regional gathering of comic book, sci-fi, fantasy, cosplay, and
gaming artists, professionals, vendors, and fans. We closed out the month
with a Halloween Party at the Asheville Pinball Museum/Arcade on October 31.
We had the entire Arcade to ourselves for two hours and could play any arcade
machine we wanted -- for free! (Well, a member arranged that for us -- thank
you, Kevin!)
1511.00 The USS Alaric had a movie night November 14 at which Star Trek: First
Contact, The Thing from Another World, and two remastered Star Trek episodes
(Man Trap and Where No Man Has Gone Before) were shown. The November 21
regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. Several members were out sick, including the
CO and Second Officer, so the meeting was run by XO Matthew Miller. The
club agreed to present John Irwin (the father of member Lynnea Stadelmann)
a certificate recognizing his accomplishments as a NASA Space Shuttle
engineer, discussed upcoming movie nights, and planned for the upcoming
Space Day recruiting event. The meeting ended with a fun discussion of
the new Star Wars movie and the new Star Trek series being planned to air
through CBS All Access. The Alaric's recruiting flyer is being updated.
1512.00 The USS Alaric held our annual holiday party (A.H.S.C.K.NY.E. party, for
Advent / Hanukah / Solstice / Christmas / Kwanzaa / New Years / Epiphany)
on December 12 at member Lynnea's house. We had a wide variety of delicious
holiday food and watched the "Star Wars Holiday Special" from 40 years ago
and the movie, "Pixels". Alaric XO, Matthew Miller, is appointed the
STARFLEET Chief of Communications.
1601.00 The USS Alaric had a movie night January 9, 2016 with a 1950s-1960s SF TV
theme. We watched Star Trek: Amok Time, Lost in Space: Island in the Sky,
The Outer Limits: The Bellero Shield, The Avengers: Return of the Cybernauts,
and the movie Village of the Giants. The January 16, 2016 regular monthly
meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library
meeting room. The science education segment of the monthly meeting consisted
of reports by Ken on NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Telescope (WISE) and
China's plan to send a probe to the dark side of the Moon in 2017, and a
report by Richard on the article, "Exoplanets: The First Baby Pictures
Unveiled", which was published in the science journal Nature. WISE, launched
in 2009, performed an all-sky astronomical infrared survey and photographed
asteroids, cool dim stars such as brown dwarfs, the most luminous infrared
galaxies, and previously undiscovered star clusters. The Nature article
discussed new observations by ground-based telescopes of planets feeding
off of the planetary disks surrounding young stars hundreds of light-years
from Earth. Regular officer and project reports were made, including a
donation of 52 pounds of food to Manna Food Bank in November, and plans
were discussed for recruiting tables at the upcoming Star Trek Concert
(January 31) and Roper Mountain Science Center Space Day (March 12).
We also discussed away teams to the upcoming Treklanta convention in
April and Region One Summit in May. Our fandom time included a fun Star
Wars and Star Trek discussion. On January 31, the Alaric staffed a
recruiting table at Peace Center in Greenville, SC before and after the
Star Trek: Ultimate Voyage Concert. Accolades to Lynnea for making the
initial contact and thanks to Peace Center staff who were very gracious
in allowing us to have a table during their concert. The concert was
fantastic, with a live orchestra playing music from the Star Trek series
and movies to scenes from the shows projected onto a big screen behind
them. With new narration from (it sounded like) Michael Dorn, it was
like watching an entirely new movie!! We premiered our new club flyer
and business card at the concert and made many new contacts. Also, at
the concert, the Alaric presented the "Commander Scott Career Engineering
Award", which is a new certificate, to Lynnea's dad, John Irwin, for his
career accomplishments as an engineer who worked for contractors who
supported NASA's Mercury, Gemini, and Space Shuttle programs. Mr. Irwin
worked on the Mercury and Gemini retro-rockets and the Space Shuttle main
engines.
1602.00 The February 20 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment
of the monthly meeting consisted of reports by Tom on the detection of
gravitational waves, which confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and
North American Wind Power, and by Alan on Salvador Dali, a Spanish surrealist
painter who painted the depiction of a four dimensional object on a
two-dimensional canvas. Regular officer and project reports were made, and
plans were discussed for our recruiting table at the upcoming Roper Mountain
Science Center Space Day (March 12) and an April 2 movie night. We had a
great discussion of early Star Trek and Science-Fiction fandom by Alan, who
was involved in the 1960s Save Star Trek Campaign in New York.
1603.00 On Saturday, March 12, the USS Alaric had a recruiting table at Space Day in
Greenville, SC. This is an annual public education science event held by the
Roper Mountain Science Center and this year NASA sent representatives, several
NASA contractors had displays and activities, model rockets were launched, two
planetarium shows were presented, and we got to meet German rocket scientist
Dr. Wernher von Braun as portrayed by Larry Bounds of Greenville Chautauqua
Society. The March 19 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at
the home of a member (Kitty) because the regular library meeting room was
unavailable. The science education segment of the monthly meeting consisted
of reports by Tom on how to get to outer space, the Virgin Galactic Spaceport,
the SABRE engine, the Skylon Space Plane, and the EMDrive which uses microwaves
for propulsion. Regular officer and project reports were made, and we discussed
the Waynesville Public Library's invitation to have a recruiting table at their
April 30 LibraryCon event, with the club deciding to accept the invitation.
The club also voted to have a recruiting table at next year's (March 11, 2017)
Roper Mountain Science Center Space Day event and to hold a Star Trek 50th
Anniversary Open House this summer (September 17) at Lake Julian. During
October 2015-March 2016, the Alaric held 4 recruiting events (at The Martian's
movie premiere, A.C.E., the Star Trek Concert, and Space Day). For helping
out at one or more of these recruiting events, Alaric Commendations were
awarded at the March 19 meeting to: Monica, Kevin, Cynthia, Teleri, Kitty,
Robert, Matthew, Deni, Steve, Bill, Diana, Lynnea, Diane, Ken, and Christy.
We had a great discussion on the sociology of Star Trek and discussed a
writer's group that was set up on Facebook. After the business meeting,
we had a sci-fi book discussion on Station Eleven and watched the STTNG
episode, Encounter at Farpoint.
1604.00 On Saturday, April 2, the USS Alaric held a movie night at Bill and
Diana's home during which we watched the STTNG episode, Lower Decks,
and the two movies The Martian and Gravity. Alaric members conducted
an away mission to the Treklanta convention April 15-17. The April 23
regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment of the monthly
meeting consisted of reports by Ken on the Kepler Space Telescope back in
action, and a video (What is the Universe Expanding Into?) which talked
about the multiverse and observational data supporting the interaction
between universes. Richard described educational tools he recently
purchased for use at Alaric recruiting events: a Space Probes poster
and a Mars globe and Moon globe showing surface features and manned/unmanned
probe landing sites. Ken also showed the trailer for the new Star Wars movie,
Rogue One. Regular officer and project reports were made and we discussed
upcoming events, including Library-Con, the Region One Summit, the September 17
Alaric Open House, and Space Day 2017. Richard reported that he is working on
getting a regular-size Prometheus-class plastic model for the Alaric. It was
decided that we will have a tennis event after the May meeting, hold a movie
night June 4, and postpone the book discussion of The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
to the June meeting. On April 30, the Alaric had a recruiting table at
Library-Con at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville, NC. The
organizers were pleased with our participation and that we had a science
education focus as well as Star Trek and science-fiction.
1605.00 On May 13-15, the USS Alaric sent an away team to the Region One Summit in
Pigeon Forge, TN. FCapt. Stephen Stott joined the Alaric in running gaming,
and CO Richard Heim ran the Sciences RDC panel in his capacity as Region One
Regional Division Chief for Science. The Alaric received a Region One Hailing
Frequencies Award for having an excellent reporting record in 2015, and Richard
received the 2015 Region One RDC of Excellence Award as Sciences RDC and Best
Region One Department Web Site Award for the Region One Sciences web site.
The May 21 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment of the
monthly meeting consisted of a report by Ken on the planned OSIRIS-REx mission
to near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Richard displayed blueprints of the USS Oberth
class science vessel and discussed new themed-games Star Wars Risk and Star
Wars Battleship (in stores now) and Star Trek Risk (available in June).
Regular officer and project reports were made, we voted to have a recruiting
table at the August 13 Geek Out event in downtown Asheville, we discussed our
plans for our September 17 Alaric Open House, and decided on future movie nights
(June 4, July 9, and October 1) and game days (July 9). On the evening of
May 21, the USS Alaric held a movie night at Lynnea's home during which we
watched the movies Antman and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
1606.00 On June 6, the USS Alaric had a movie night at Bill and Diana's, at which we
watched Conspiracy Theory and episodes from STTNG (The Royale) and Starhunter
(Peer Pressure). The June 18 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was
held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education
segment of the monthly meeting consisted of a report by Judy on her visit to
the American Museum of Natural History. She discussed the "Dark Universe"
presentation at the AMNH's Hayden Planetarium, the Ahnighito meteorite in
the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites, and the Titanosaur exhibit in the Hall
of Fossils. Regular officer and project reports were made, and progress was
reviewed on plans for our recruiting table at Star Trek Beyond July 22-23
(still awaiting approval from the theater), August 13 Geek Out recruiting
table, and September 17 Alaric Open House. We discussed the possibility of
having guest speakers at future monthly meetings and developing an OCC Study
Guide, and voted to do a science program presentation at Haywood County Public
Library in October and to participate in the Welcome Kit Support of Homeward
Bound. Our fandom discussion included favorite Star Trek characters and
series (for our visitors) and a report on William Shatner's 2016 book on
Leonard Nimoy (Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man).
After the meeting, we met at Barnes and Noble to discuss Robert Heinlein's
novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. The next novel to discuss is Vendetta
by Peter David.
1607.00 On July 9, the USS Alaric had a game day at Frank's Coffee Shop, at which
we played Star Trek Uno, Star Trek 5-Year Mission, Pictionary, Star Trek
Scrabble, Star Trek The Customizable Card Game, and Quirkle. The July 16
regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment of the monthly
meeting consisted of a report by Richard describing the instrumentation
of the NASA Juno space probe to Jupiter and the scientific data the
instruments will gather. Regular officer and project reports were made,
and progress was reviewed on plans for our recruiting tables at Star Trek
Beyond next weekend and at the August 13 Geek Out recruiting table, the
September 17 Alaric Open House, and the October 22 science program
presentation at the Haywood County Public Library. We discussed the
possibility of away missions to planetarium shows at Clemson, doing
another Halloween pinball museum event, linking up with the Asheville
Astronomy Club for the 2017 eclipse, and having a special ceremony at
the Open House to award commendations. Our fandom discussion included
favorite Star Trek characters and series (for our visitors) and favorite
Star Trek fan films. After the meeting, members went as a group to see
the new Ghostbusters movie. On July 21-23, the USS Alaric had a recruiting
table at the Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium theater's showings of Star Trek
Beyond. The table included STARFLEET, Star Trek, and science displays.
1608.00 The August 20 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment
of the monthly meeting consisted of a report by Ken describing NASA's
Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)
(https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/initiative/index.html).
Regular officer and project reports were made, and progress was reviewed,
on plans for the September 17 Alaric Open House, October 22 science program
presentation at the Haywood County Public Library, and possible speakers
at future meetings. Richard will send emails to members summarizing status,
progress, and needs for the Open House. We also decided to use the Alaric's
Facebook page to discuss further details and plans for these possible
events -- Halloween Pinball Museum event, Clemson University planetarium
show away missions, Star Trek discussions at future meetings, and a
Holiday/Christmas Party this year. Matthew proposed that we conduct an
independent collection for a donation to the Library which would reward
the Alaric with a donor brick displaying our name. The fandom report
included presentations by Diana and Judy on the Las Vegas 50th anniversary
Star Trek convention, and by Sheila and Teleri on the previous week's
Geek Out gathering. Sheila reported on the upcoming PetFest event in
Asheville on October 9, and Anne noted the October deadline for donations
to the Alaric's Welcome Kit for the Homeward Bound charity. After the
business was concluded, Ken led a slide show and discussion on the Star
Trek episode, City on the Edge of Forever. Then we met at Barnes and Noble
to discuss Peter David's novel, Vendetta.
1609.00 The September 17 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was an Open
House celebrating Star Trek's 50th anniversary. It was held at Pavilion # 4
at Lake Julian Park in south Asheville and ran from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The celebration began with the Star Trek Original Series episode, Man Trap,
and continued with Star Trek music played throughout the day. Burgers and
hot dogs were grilled for a pot-luck lunch with side dishes provided by
celebrants. Since this was an open house, a business meeting was not held,
but announcements were made and a special Alaric Commendations awards ceremony
was conducted. Fun activities included sailboat rides provided by Kevin and
lots of Star Trek games, including Star Trek Road Trip, Star Trek Name the
Character Game (an original created by Deni), Star Trek Uno, Star Trek
Scrabble, Quirkle, and Blokus. We also showed off the new plastic model
of the USS Alaric's upgrade to a Prometheus-class starship which was
assembled by Jason.
1610.00 The USS Alaric held a movie night October 1 at Judy's house during which we
watched episodes of Star Trek (The Enterprise Incident) and The Outer Limits
(The Man Who Was Never Born), and the movie Mars Attacks! The October 8
regular monthly meeting was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting
room. The science education segment of the monthly meeting consisted of
reports by Ken on the possible earthlike habitable planet Proxima b orbiting
nearby Proxima Centauri, and Mars-sized cannonballs of plasma emerging from
the V Hydrae star cluster, and by Richard on Yuri Milner's Breakthrough
Starshot initiative which proposes to send gram-scale nanocraft at speeds
up to 20 percent of light speed on a mission to Alpha Centauri (they would
take about 20 years to reach the star). Regular officer and project reports
were made, and progress was reviewed on plans for the October 22 science
program presentation at the Haywood County Public Library, December 3
holiday party, recruiting tables at the March 2017 Space Day and April 2017
Library Con 2, and possible away mission to the August 2017 solar eclipse.
We also discussed possibly having a recruiting table at the theater for the
release of "Rogue One". For the fandom report, Richard discussed the NASA
E.T. talk at the Star Trek: Mission New York convention. Afterward, we had
great discussions of Star Trek, including favorite series and characters,
for our guests. On October 15, members Christy and Robert were married in
a sci-fi and pony themed wedding. Bill, Diana, and Richard presented an
invited science program at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville,
NC, on October 22. Bill and Diana's ppt presentation covered Star Trek's
sci-fi technology becoming real technology in the years since the 1960s
episodes aired, while Richard's ppt linked Star Trek's "mission to explore
strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations" to real
space exploration by NASA and other nations' space agencies, including
Hubble Space Telescope, Mars rover, Voyager, and Cassini discoveries;
the Apollo Moon program; Kepler's exoplanet discoveries; the possibility
for life on Mars (Viking missions), in Venus's clouds, and on Europa,
Enceladus, and Titan; and the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI and
star KIC 8462852).
1611.00 Crew from the USS Alaric conducted an away mission November 12 to see the
"Dr. Strange" movie. The November 19 regular monthly meeting was held at
the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education
segment of the monthly meeting consisted of powerpoint presentations by
Richard of (1) The Chemistry of Life As We Do Not Know It (a presentation
he gave at the 2011 Region One Summit) and (2) a presentation he gave at
the 2009 STARFLEET International Conference discussing the possibility of
silicon-based life (the Horta from Devil in the Dark). Regular officer
and project reports were made, and progress was reviewed on plans for
the December 3 holiday party, recruiting tables at the March 2017 Space
Day and April 2017 Library Con 2, and possible away mission to the August
2017 solar eclipse. We determined that there was not enough interest to
justify a special showing at the Clemson University planetarium and that
it was too late to arrange for a recruiting table at the "Rogue One" movie.
The following weekend (November 26), Alaric crew conducted an away mission
to see the "Arrival" movie.
1612.00 The December meeting of the USS Alaric was the ship's annual holiday party,
otherwise known as the A.H.S.C.K.NY.E. party (Advent / Hanukah / Solstice /
Christmas / Kwanzaa / New Years / Epiphany party). It was held December 3
at the Fellowship Hall of Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church on the Warren
Wilson College campus. The ship would like to thank crew member Diana for
reserving the facility and organizing the event - thank you Diana! We had
lots of food and wonderful fellowship, and played several games and watched
videos. The available games included Star Trek Uno, Redshirts, Pictionary,
Cards Against Humanity, Star Trek Scrabble, Rummikub, Quirkle, and others.
The videos we watched included Star Trek Original Series episodes Balance
of Terror, Shore Leave, and Conscience of the King; STTNG bloopers; and
episode 7 of Star Trek Continues (Embracing the Winds). In addition, the
Death Star Christmas tree topper made an appearance. Later in the month,
Alaric crew conducted away missions to see the "Star Wars: Rogue One" movie.
1701.00 The USS Alaric held a movie night January 14, 2017 at which members watched
Star Trek The Original Series episodes Where No Man Has Gone Before (the
unaired version), The Apple, Reflections on Spock, and deleted scenes from
The Roddenberry Vault disk set, and Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country.
The January 21 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment
of the monthly meeting consisted of reports by Ken on the Antarctic South
Pole Telescope; by Richard on 2016 being the warmest year, globally, in
the 1880-2016 NOAA record; and by Bill on his and Diana's visit to the
Vienna Natural History Museum. Richard also discussed the upcoming June 13
visit to Asheville by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Regular officer and project
reports were made, and progress was reviewed on plans for the recruiting
tables at the March 11 Space Day and April 29 Library Con 2, away mission
to the August 21 solar eclipse, and possible visit to the newly-revamped
Asheville Museum of Science. The club chose general relativity and living
in a planetary system in a multiple star system as two possible topics for
Don Collins to speak on at a future meeting; Diana will check with Don to
find out his interest and possible availability. After the business
meeting was concluded, we met at Barnes and Noble to discuss Nolan &
Johnson's novel, Logan's Run. The Q Continuum trilogy will be the next
book we read in our sci-fi novel discussion group.
1702.00 The February 18 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at
the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education
segment of the monthly meeting consisted of reports by (1) Ken on (a)
SpaceX's successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket on February 18 from the
Kennedy Space Center on a resupply mission to the International Space
Station, (b) NASA's effort to study the MRSA bacteria superbug in a
zero-g environment aboard the ISS to better understand how superbugs
mutate to become resistant to available antibiotics, and (c) the
discovery that Zealandia, an eighth continent, which includes New
Zealand and New Caledonia, covers 5 million square kilometers, is a
single intact piece of continental crust, and is geologically separate
from Australia; (2) Richard on (a) the April 22 March for Science
(https://www.marchforscience.com/), (b) Neil DeGrasse Tyson's June 13
speaking engagement in Asheville, and (c) the Asheville Astronomy Club's
March 2 monthly meeting which will feature speaker Dr. Chris Richardson's
talk about "Exoplanets: Is there Another Earth?"; and (3) Lynnea on NASA's
space poop challenge, through which NASA is seeking proposals for a new
in-suit waste management system. Regular officer and project reports were
made; progress was reviewed on plans for the recruiting tables at the
March 11 Space Day and April 29 Library Con 2, and away mission to the
August 21 solar eclipse; and possible alternative meeting places were
discussed. After the business meeting was concluded, we played a game
of Star Trek Uno. Members interested in science participated in a science
movie night February 4.
1703.00 The USS Alaric held a movie night March 4 with a 1950s & 1960s sci-fi theme.
The following TV shows and movies were watched: Space Ghost (The Drone),
The Invaders (The Saucer), Captain Video (Episode One), Outer Limits (Behold,
Eck), and The Day the Earth Stood Still. The Alaric had a recruiting table
at the Roper Mountain Science Center's March 11 Space Day event in Greenville,
SC. We had a DVD player and monitor showing Star Trek Beyond and Original
Series episodes at one end, and a laptop showing Next Generation episodes
at the other end; Bill recruited members and promoted Starfleet Academy
courses; and the Moon and Mars globes, plasma ball, astronaut helmet, and
Kirk-Spock-McCoy standups were very popular with the kids. This year's
Space Day was a huge success, according to Roper Mountain Science Center's
Latongia Pepper. "Space Day had record numbers of attendees," she said,
"and in fact had to close the gate at 10:40 am due to meeting capacity
with our parking. We were able to reopen at 12:30 pm as some guests began
to leave and continue allowing visitors onsite. Our total attendance, even
with having to turn some cars away, was 2120!!! Last year's attendance was
1540, therefore I am so excited about the increase in numbers!" Latongia
said she heard many great comments from visitors and the activities "were
amazing and each area was so much fun for our visitors!" The March 25
regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The science education segment of the monthly
meeting consisted of a report on the TRAPPIST-1 solar system Earth-like
exoplanets by Richard. Regular officer and project reports were made;
progress was reviewed on plans for the recruiting table at the April 29
Library Con 2, and away mission to the August 21 solar eclipse; and
possible alternative meeting places for the monthly meeting were discussed.
We also discussed solar eclipse parties that were being planned for
Asheville. After the business meeting was concluded, we played a game
of Star Trek Uno. Members interested in science participated in a science
movie night March 18. Also, members attended a March 2 Asheville Astronomy
Club meeting where guest speaker Dr. Chris Richardson gave the very
interesting talk, "Exoplanets: Is there Another Earth?"
1704.00 The USS Alaric held a game day/movie night April 8 at which several games
were played, including India Rails, Star Wars Clue, Star Trek Trivial Pursuit,
and Rummikub, and a Star Wars puzzle was put together; in the evening, we
watched the movie Demolition Man. The April 22 regular monthly meeting of
the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room.
The science education segment of the monthly meeting consisted of a report
on Asheville's March for Science by Bill and Diana, and on Earth-like
exoplanet LHS-1140b by Ken. Regular officer and project reports were made;
we discussed alternate locations and alternate activities for our regular
monthly meetings; decided to cancel the May monthly meeting since Asheville
Comic Expo was scheduled for the same day; and had fun conversation about
current sci-fi TV series and movie remakes of 1960s-80s TV series. After
the meeting, members adjourned to Barnes and Noble Book Store to discuss
Q-Space, volume 1 of Greg Cox's Q Continuum Star Trek trilogy. On April
29 the Alaric had a recruiting table at Library-Con 2 which was held at
the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville, NC; special powerpoint
talks were given by Diana (Star Trek technology becoming real) and
Richard (exploring new life and strange new worlds in Star Trek and
for real). Members interested in science participated in a science
movie night April 15.
1705.00 The USS Alaric held a movie night May 6 at which we watched the movies
2010 and Brainstorm. Members interested in science participated in a
science movie night May 20. There was not a regular monthly business
meeting this month since the Asheville Comic Expo was scheduled for
the same day. The Alaric Council deliberated future meeting locations,
meeting frequency, and activities at meetings.
1706.00 The June 17 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The science education
segment of the monthly meeting consisted of a report on black hole
facts by Ken and a report on Neil deGrasse Tyson's talk in Asheville
June 13 by Richard, Judy, and Lynnea. The Alaric Council voted 11-0-0
in favor of making the changes to future meetings that were discussed
via email the previous month. These changes include: (1) Continue
advertising in Meetup. (2) Continue with the special meetings like
movie nights, game days, away missions, hiking, etc. (3) Continue to
have our regular public meetings at the SBBL (South Buncombe Branch
Library), but explore other possible meeting places (other library
branches, Warren Wilson College). (4) Have special science & Trek
presentations, guest speakers, games, and short videos at our regular
public meetings. (5) Keep the business discussion at regular meetings
short, to 30 minutes or less. (6) Every third monthly meeting will
be a quarterly business meeting (still with some special presentations
like science and Trek reports, like we've been doing) but the other
two months will be mainly fun things like games, discussions, guest
speakers, Trek and science reports, and other special activities,
with maybe a 5 or 10 minute business summary. (7) The quarterly
business meeting can be held separate from the regular monthly
meeting, and/or business can be discussed online. After the
business portion of the meeting, Ken led a Star Trek discussion on
the Original Series episode, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield".
After the meeting, members adjourned to Barnes and Noble Book Store
to discuss Q-Zone and Q-Strike, volumes 2 and 3 of Greg Cox's Q
Continuum Star Trek trilogy. Members attended the June 13 talk
by Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Asheville Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
Dr. Tyson used video clips to discuss how science has been portrayed
in the movies and was very funny, educational, informative, and
entertaining -- a joy to witness and be part of! Members interested
in science participated in a science movie night June 10.
1707.00 The July 15 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at
the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The changes to meeting
structure and content, that were discussed over the last several months
and voted on last month, were implemented during this meeting. The
business meeting was called to order at 1:14 pm and adjourned at 1:28 pm.
During the business meeting, the CO reported on happenings aboard the
Alaric, in Region One (two bids for the 2018 R/1 Summit), and in
STARFLEET (revised membership rates & electronic policy for materials)
that required the attention of Alaric members; the upcoming Alaric
officer elections in September; and upcoming meetings and special events.
The special activities this month, that were conducted after the business
meeting, included a science education report on the smallest-ever star
discovered by astronomers (by Richard for Ken); a discussion of the STTNG
episode, Yesterday's Enterprise; and we played the game, Star Trek Uno.
Members interested in science participated in a science movie night July 29.
1708.00 The August 19 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The business meeting was called
to order at 1:25 pm and adjourned at 1:36 pm. During the business meeting,
the CO reported on happenings aboard the Alaric (Renee promoted to Lt.jg),
in Region One (the 2018 R/1 Summit will be in Pigeon Forge, TN May 18-20),
and in STARFLEET that required the attention of Alaric members; the upcoming
Alaric officer elections in September; and upcoming meetings and special events.
The special activities this month, that were conducted after the business
meeting, included a science education report on time and how we measure it
(by Ken) and various articles from the August 2017 issue of Eos - the Earth
and Space Science newsletter of the American Geophysical Union (by Richard);
and a discussion of everyone's favorite Star Trek series, episode(s), and
character(s). Alaric members journeyed to South Carolina August 21 to view
the total solar eclipse (it was awesome!). A Game Day/Movie Night was held
August 26 at Lynnea's, at which we played Star Trek Uno and Who Wants to be
a Millionaire, and watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Avengers: Age
of Ultron.
1709.00 The September 16 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The business meeting was called
to order at 1:17 pm and adjourned at 2:01 pm. During the business meeting,
the CO reported on happenings aboard the Alaric and awarded Alaric
Commendations to seven members (Judy, Robert, Bill, Diana, Diane, Lynnea,
and Christy) for helping at Alaric events and hosting meetings; the Alaric
Council discussed plans for guest speakers at future meetings; and ballots
for the Alaric officer elections were tallied. Richard (CO), Matthew (XO),
and Ken (SO) were all re-elected to their offices. The special activities
this month, that were conducted after the business meeting, included a
science education report by Richard discussing the article, "Aliens that
Live on Electricity", which is in the Popular Science issue, Special Edition:
Are We Alone?, and we played the game, Star Trek Uno. After the meeting,
members of the Alaric's sci-fi book discussion group adjourned to Barnes
and Noble Bookstore to discuss Arthur C. Clarke's novel, 2001: A Space
Odyssey. A Movie Night was held September 23, at Lynnea's, at which we
watched The Martian, Ex Machina, and the first third of Building Star
Trek. Members interested in science participated in a science movie
night September 2.
1710.00 The October 14 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held in
the Ransom Fellowship Hall of the Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church
on the Warren Wilson College campus. After announcements of Alaric
Commendations and upcoming meetings were made, guest speaker Dr. Fiona
Davidson spoke about "The Geography of Star Trek". This talk was part
of a special session on Star Trek at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the
American Association of Geographers. Dr. Davidson discussed how Star
Trek reflected and supported an American world view while presenting
a progressive and optimistic narrative that went against the prevailing
political currents of that world view. She focused on the cold war
setting of The Original Series (Klingons represented the USSR while
the Federation represented America), how The Next Generation was
America without a main protagonist (which is why the Borg were
created, to fill that vacuum), how Deep Space Nine dealt with
religious issues, and how the Xindi threat arose after 9/11 in
Star Trek: Enterprise. This and the other academic papers on
Star Trek, which were presented at the AAG meeting, have been
published in the May 2017 issue of The Geographical Bulletin.
The Alaric held a Movie Night and Halloween Party on October 28
at Lynnea's; we watched Star Trek: Catspaw, Young Frankenstein,
and What We Do in the Shadows. Members interested in science
participated in a science movie night October 21.
1711.00 The November 11 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held
at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. This was the
quarterly business meeting, with the meeting called to order at
1:16 pm and adjourned at 3:49 pm. Officer reports were made,
including the Alaric Treasury status, promotion of Karen to rank
of Ensign, and results of the September Alaric officer elections.
Plans for the December 2 holiday party were discussed, and our next
guest speaker was proposed (Don Collins to speak on gravitational
waves at the February or March meeting at the Warren Wilson College
meeting place). Science education reports were made by Ken on the
end of biological aging, and by Richard on The Laws of Life (physics
and chemistry laws governing the evolution of life). After the
meeting, members of the Alaric's sci-fi book discussion group
adjourned to Barnes and Noble Bookstore to discuss Arthur C.
Clarke's novel, 2010: Odyssey Two. Members interested in science
participated in a science movie night November 18.
1712.00 The December meeting of the USS Alaric was our annual holiday
(A.H.S.C.K.NY.E. -- Advent / Hanukah / Solstice / Christmas /
Kwanzaa / New Years / Epiphany) party. It was held December 2
at the Fellowship Hall of Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church on
the Warren Wilson College campus. The ship would like to thank
crew member Diana for reserving the facility and organizing the
event - thank you Diana! We had lots of food and wonderful
fellowship, and played several games and watched videos. The
games included Balderdash and Star Wars Clue. The videos
included the new Wonder Woman movie, Star Trek: The Next
Generation (Cause and Effect), and Star Trek (Tomorrow is
Yesterday). Members interested in science participated in
a science movie night December 16.
1801.00 The January 20, 2018 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the
South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The meeting was
called to order at 1:19 pm and adjourned at 3:26 pm. Officer
reports were made, including the Alaric Treasury and membership
status. Upcoming meetings were discussed, including next
month's guest speaker, Don Collins, who will talk about his
research into binary stars; recruiting tables were planned for
the upcoming Space Day event in March and Library Con 3 in June;
and plans were discussed for the Region One Summit in May. The
possibility of attending the Roper Mountain Science Center's
October 13 event, "Star Wars: Science, Myth, Imagination", and
of having future meetings at the Transylvania County Main Branch
Library in Brevard, were discussed. The science education report
was made by Richard who discussed his scientific article, "A
Comparison of the Early Twenty-First Century Drought in the United
States to the 1930s and 1950s Drought Episodes", which was recently
published in the December 2017 issue of the Bulletin of the
American Meteorological Society
(https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0080.1).
The fandom report was made by Lynnea who discussed her Star Trek
cruise experience. After the meeting was adjourned, members of
the Alaric's sci-fi book discussion group adjourned to Barnes
and Noble Bookstore to discuss Michael A. Martin's Star Trek:
Enterprise novel, "The Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor's Wing".
Members interested in science participated in a science movie
night January 13. The Alaric was represented in the audience
of the premiere meeting of the Greater Asheville Science For
All Book Club on January 24 held at UNC-A. The book club is
designed for current and aspiring citizen scientists of all
ages and experiences to meet, exchange ideas, and promote
science literacy; at the premiere meeting, Natalie Angier's
book, "The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of
Science", was discussed. This is a worthy group to support.
1802.00 The February 17 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the Upper
Fellowship Hall of Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church on the
Warren Wilson College campus (thank you, Diana, for reserving
the room for us!). This was a special activity meeting, with
guest speaker Dr. Don Collins presenting his research on binary
star b Persei, which orbit each other about every one and a half
days. This system actually contains a third star that orbits
the binary pair every 702 days. In addition to discussing his
(and others') observations of eclipses of this star system,
Dr. Collins answered questions from members about possible
planets orbiting multiple star systems. Don is a retired
physics professor who taught at Warren Wilson College, and
his presentation was very good, educational, and entertaining.
Before Dr. Collins began his presentation, Richard reported
on upcoming meetings and presented Alaric Commendations to
Diana and Lynnea, and after his presentation Diana gave a
fandom report. Members interested in science participated
in a science movie night February 10.
1803.00 The March 17 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The business part of
the meeting was called to order at 1:30 pm and adjourned at
1:53 pm. Officer reports were made, including the Alaric
Treasury and membership status; reports on past meetings
were made (the special guest speaker at the February meeting,
and Space Day event); and upcoming events were announced
(2018 Mountain Science Expo at the NC Arboretum on April 14).
The science education report was a summary of the March 10
Space Day by Richard, at which the Alaric had an invited
recruiting table. Kevin Metrocavage, NASA International
Space Station Operations Manager, was the main speaker at
Space Day; there were rocket launches, rocket balloons,
flight simulators, and design challenges, as well as many
other hands-on space-related activities for all members
of the family. Richard's favorite events were the ISS
talk, the one-on-one discussions with Mr. Metrocavage
(his meet and greet was right next to the Alaric's table),
and the demos of the infrared cameras. After the business
meeting on March 17, Alaric members played the card game
Skip-Bo. A movie night was held on March 3 at Lynnea's,
where "Please Stand By" and "Bladerunner 2049" were watched.
Members interested in science participated in a science movie
night March 31.
1804.00 The April 14 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the
meeting was called to order at 1:29 pm and adjourned at 1:39 pm.
Officer reports were made, including the Alaric Treasury and
membership status; reports on past meetings were made; and
upcoming events were announced. Science education reports
included the NASA mission to asteroid Psyche, and oceanographer
Dr. Robert Ballard speaking at the local Brevard College about
utilizing the oceans, by Ken, and a report on vinyl cyanide in
Titan's atmosphere as a possible basis for alien life, by Richard.
After the business meeting on April 14, Alaric members played Star
Wars Family Feud and the card game Skip-Bo, then members met at
Barnes & Noble to discuss the novel, Star Trek Enterprise: The
Romulan War, To Brave the Storm. Members interested in science
participated in a science movie night April 21.
1805.00 The May 12 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The business part of
the meeting was called to order at 1:28 pm and adjourned at
1:34 pm, and consisted of officer reports, Alaric Treasury
and membership status, and upcoming events and meetings.
Science education reports included the planned NASA Mars
2020 mission which will include flying a small helicopter
in the planet's thin atmosphere, by Ken, and a discussion
of auroras we've witnessed. We also discussed our feelings
about the ending of Star Trek Deep Space Nine. After the
business meeting on May 12, Alaric members played the game,
Star Trek Scrabble. Members interested in science participated
in a science movie night May 26.
1806.00 The June 16 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was
called to order at 1:29 pm and adjourned at 2:06 pm, and consisted
of officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and
upcoming events and meetings; we also discussed possible away
missions to such places as Schiele Museum, P.A.R.I., and Linville
Caverns, going to movies together, and attending Asheville Astronomy
Club meetings. Science education reports included the Japanese
Hayabusa mission to asteroid Ryugu, by Ken, and Curiosity finds
organic material on Mars, by Richard. After the business meeting,
Alaric members played the game, Tri-Ominos. On June 23, the Alaric
had an invited recruiting table at Library-Con 2018, which was held
by the Haywood County Public Library. Richard gave a talk at
Library-Con on the "Chemistry of Life as We Do Not Know It".
1807.00 The July 21 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was
called to order at 1:22 pm and adjourned at 1:32 pm, and consisted
of officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming
events and meetings. Science education reports included a discussion
of octopus intelligence by Anne and all-electric cars by Tom. After
the business meeting, Alaric members discussed the STTNG episode,
Yesterday's Enterprise and the Tasha Yar character, Star Trek: Discovery,
the upcoming Star Trek movie, the Marvel character movies, and the DC
comics character movies; played the game, Skip-Bo; then met at Barnes &
Noble to discuss the novel, Ready Player One. Members interested in
science participated in a science movie night July 7. Alaric members
visited Linville Caverns on July 14 and discussed the books, Astrophysics
for People in a Hurry (by Neil de Grasse Tyson) and A Brief History of
Time (by Stephen Hawking), at the July 25 meeting of the Asheville
Science Book Club.
1808.00 The August 18 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called
to order at 1:48 pm and adjourned at 2:02 pm, and consisted of officer
reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming events and
meetings. We discussed having an away mission to the Roper Mountain
Science Center's October 13 presentation on "Star Wars: Science, Myth,
Imagination" instead of our regular October monthly meeting. Science
education reports included a discussion of the Parker Solar Probe by Ken
and the megamerger of 14 galaxies by Richard. After the business meeting,
in the fandom report, Ken discussed the status of Paramount Studios and
the profitability of the last Star Trek movie, and the profitability of
CBS and Star Trek: Discovery; and members played the game, Wheel of
Fortune Bingo. Members interested in science participated in a science
movie night August 25.
1809.00 The September 15 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called
to order at 1:11 pm and adjourned at 1:34 pm, and consisted of officer
reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming events and
meetings. We decided that there will not be a regular monthly meeting in
October due to lack of a meeting place; instead, those interested can meet
during an away mission to the Roper Mountain Science Center's October 13
presentation on "Star Wars: Science, Myth, Imagination". We also decided
to postpone the decision to have a holiday party in December, pending
success in finding a place to meet. For the science education report
at the September 15 meeting, Anne discussed the archaeological discovery
of a Denisovan/Neanderthal hybrid human. After the business meeting, we
discussed recent movies and the great writing in two Star Trek Voyager
episodes ("Once Upon a Time" and "Timeless"); Alaric members then met
at Barnes & Noble to discuss David Mack's Star Trek Deep Space 9 novel,
"Section 31: Disavowed". Members interested in science discussed Sam
Kean's book on the Periodic Table ("The Disappearing Spoon") at the
September 26 meeting of the Asheville Area Science for All Book Club,
and participated in a science movie night on September 29.
1810.00 The USS Alaric did not have a regular monthly meeting in October for
lack of a meeting space. Members interested in science participated
in a science movie night on October 26. CO Richard Heim and wife
Diane went on an away mission October 7-13 to explore the Kennedy
Space Center, SeaWorld, Epcot Center, and Disneyworld's Hollywood
Studios in Florida. Highlights included standing beneath the last
remaining Saturn V rocket, coming within arm's reach of the Space
Shuttle Discovery, and tangling with the Empire in the StarTours
shuttle excursion. While they were in Orlando, Hurricane Michael
came ashore on the Florida panhandle and trekked across Georgia
and the Carolinas. On the way home, Richard and Diane crossed
the hurricane's path in Georgia and were amazed at the damaged
billboards and uprooted trees.
1811.00 The November 17 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the
meeting was called to order at 1:15 pm and adjourned at 1:27 pm,
and consisted of officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership
status, and upcoming events and meetings. We decided that the
only day we could have a holiday party in December is December 29,
and that we would hold the party only if we could find a place to
meet. We also decided to postpone our book discussion (of Stephen
Hawking's "A Brief History of Time") to the January meeting. At
today's meeting, guest speaker Charles Hurt discussed internet
security. It was an entertaining and very informative discussion
which covered the 6 commandments of the internet, ways to protect
our surfing, VPN, Adblocker, and staying updated. For the discussion
of backing up your data, Charles showed a slide of Lore standing
beside Data. Members interested in science discussed Neil Shubin's
book ("Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History
of the Human Body") and Stephen Jay Gould's book ("Wonderful Life:
The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History") at the November 28
meeting of the Asheville Area Science for All Book Club.
1812.00 The USS Alaric's December meeting/holiday party got postponed to
January 5 due to difficulty finding a meeting place in December.
In the meantime, members interested in science participated in a
science movie night on December 1. CO Richard Heim traveled to
Washington, D.C. December 8-18 for a business trip and sightseeing.
He presented talks on drought products available where he works
(NOAA/NCEI) and helped staff a NOAA Exhibit Booth at the annual
Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The sightseeing
involved touring the Smithsonian Museums of American History,
American Indian, and Natural History; the National Air and Space
Museum at both the National Mall and Chantilly; the Postal Museum;
and the U.S. Capital Building.
1901.00 The USS Alaric's December 2018 meeting was held at the beginning
of January 2019, and the January meeting was held 2 weeks later.
The December meeting was our annual holiday party which was held
January 5 at Warren Wilson College church fellowship hall. Thank
you, Diana, for organizing it for us again this year! Great
fellowship and a delicious meal were followed by the movie, Ant Man
and The Wasp, and the games Upwards and Pictionary. The January 19
meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called
to order at 1:19 pm and adjourned at 1:36 pm, and consisted of
officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming
events and meetings. The Alaric Council voted to not renew our
Meetup.com subscription due to lack of return on investment.
CO Richard Heim reported on talks with Hillside Games and suggested
that we resume meeting there for game days since they have a private
room at their new location which is a little quieter compared to
their other location. For the science education report at the
January 19 meeting, Richard reviewed highlights of the December
Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, at which he presented
a couple talks on drought. The review discussed NASA information he
picked up at the NASA table in the Exhibit Hall and included NASA
plans for exploration of the solar system and exoplanets, as well
as cool science tools which can be used to create a 3D depiction of
stars in our galactic neighborhood. After the business meeting and
science report, members played the games Upwards and Star Trek Uno.
Then the group adjourned to the Barnes and Noble bookstore where we
discussed Stephen Hawking's book, "A Brief History of Time". Members
interested in science discussed Ed Yong's book on the microbiome
within all animals ("I Contain Multitudes") at the January 23 meeting
of the Asheville Area Science for All Book Club.
1902.00 The February 16 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called
to order at 1:26 pm and adjourned at 2:07 pm, and consisted of officer
reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming events and
meetings. We discussed having game day meetings at Hillside Games, and
maybe having movie nights again, and voted to try using Hillside Games
as the meeting place for our regular monthly meeting in May. Science
education reports included a technology discussion by Richard of cell
phone apps for solar panels (Richard and Diane recently had solar
installed at their home) and for hearing aids, and a discussion by Ken
of new rocket developments at NASA, Space Policy Directive # 1 pertaining
to NASA and industry, SPHEREx, MAVEN, and the James Webb Space Telescope.
After the business meeting, in the fandom report, the group discussed the
upcoming new Picard Star Trek series, and members played the game, Upwards
(which is 3-dimensional Scrabble). An Alaric Game Day was held at Hillside
Games on February 9, at which the following games were played: Upwards,
Star Trek Uno, Rummikub, SkipBo, and Catan Cities & Knights. Members
interested in science participated in a science movie night February 23.
1903.00 The March 16 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called
to order at 1:15 pm and adjourned at 1:20 pm, and was one of the shortest,
if not the shortest, business meetings in the club's history. The business
meeting consisted of officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status,
and upcoming events and meetings. Science education reports included the
first 2-woman spacewalk planned for the ISS (by Tom), the U.S. and Saudi
Arabia blocking a United Nations geoengineering study and division (by Anne),
and the Kepler revolution (by Richard). The October 2018 issue of Eos (the
Earth and Space Science News publication by the American Geophysical Union)
published "The Kepler Revolution", an article written by Kimberly M.S. Cartier.
Here are nine notable findings from the Kepler Space Telescope that forever
changed the field of astronomy: 1) Planets are everywhere, equally. 2) The
Solar System may not be unique. 3) Earth may not be unique. 4) An Earth-sized
planet may not be Earth-like. 5) "Habitable" is not a straightforward idea.
6) Planets don't always look like those in the Solar System. 7) Planets exist
in unlikely places. 8) Planets follow defined trends and come in distinct
groups. 9) Planets and stars can be oddballs. After the business meeting,
members played the game, Upwards (which is 3-dimensional Scrabble). An
Alaric Game Day was held at Hillside Games on March 9, at which the following
games were played: Upwards, Blokus, and Terraforming Mars. Members interested
in science participated in a science movie night March 23.
1904.00 The USS Alaric did not hold a regular monthly meeting in April due to the
inability to find a public meeting place. The ship did, however, have a Game
Day on April 13 which was held at Hillside Games, at which the following games
were played: Star Trek Uno, Skip-Bo, Catan Cities & Knights, and Upwards.
Members interested in science participated in a science movie night April 20.
1905.00 The May 11 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called to order
at 1:23 pm and adjourned at 1:48 pm. The business meeting consisted of
officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming events
and meetings. The Alaric Council voted to continue meeting at the Library
for the regular monthly meetings, and discussed upcoming Alaric officer
elections and options for movie nights. Science education reports
included discussions of red sprites (large-scale electrical discharges
that occur high above thunderstorm clouds) by Ken, Elon Musk's Autonomy
Day (celebrating self-driving electric cars) by Tom, and the Southeast
Alaska Drought Workshop and climate report by Richard. After the business
meeting, members discussed Harry Turtledove's book, "The Guns of the South"
(a time travel story about the Confederacy being armed with AK-47s and the
resulting political fallout). An Alaric Game Day was held at Hillside
Games on May 18, at which the following games were played: Qwirkle, Upwards,
Rummikub, and Catan Cities and Knights. Members interested in science
participated in a science movie night May 25.
1906.00 The June 8 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called to order
at 1:09 pm and adjourned at 1:33 pm. The business meeting consisted of officer
reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming events and meetings
including biennial officer elections. The Alaric Council voted to discontinue
collecting food donations for Manna Food Bank. Science education reports
included discussions of life-like cells made of metal by Richard; news from
This Week at NASA (NASA opening ISS to tourists, Moon landing by 2024, Moon
base by 2028) by Ken; and general discussion of technology and science and
history by Tom, Richard, and Ken. Sci-fi reports included discussions of
The Orville TV series, the X-Men movies, new Captain Picard TV series, and
renewal of Star Trek Discovery for a third season. After the business meeting,
members played the game, SkipBo. An Alaric Game Day was held at Hillside Games
on June 15, at which the following games were played: Qwirkle, Upwards,
Rummikub, and Carcasonne. Members interested in science participated in a
science movie night June 29.
1907.00 The July 13 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch
Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called to order
at 1:11 pm and adjourned at 1:22 pm. The business meeting consisted of
officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming events
and meetings including biennial officer elections. The fandom report
consisted of a discussion of conventions. Science education reports
included discussions of science museums by all attendees, and the
scientific legacy of the Apollo program which Richard summarized from
a recent issue of Physics Today. After the business meeting, members
played the game, Upwards.
1908.00 The August 17 meeting of the USS Alaric was canceled due to the CO having
surgery. An Alaric Game Day was held on August 10 at a member's house,
at which the following games were played: Upwards, Balderdash, Star Trek
Uno, Space Escape, and Yahtzee. Members interested in science participated
in a science movie night August 24.
1909.00 The September 14 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe
Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting was called
to order at 1:17 pm and adjourned at 1:50 pm. The business meeting
consisted of officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership status,
and upcoming events and meetings. Ballots for the biennial officer
elections were tallied and the results were CO Richard Heim, XO Matthew
Miller, and SO Ken Wheeler were re-elected. The possibility of a holiday
party meeting in December was raised and it was decided to poll the members
via email; it was also decided that the Alaric will continue as a meeting
chapter and not change to a correspondence chapter. Science education
reports included discussions of eels being the misidentified as the Loch
Ness Monster (by Teleri), water vapor on exoplanet K218B (by Ken), and
readings from the Astronomy magazine special on the search for life in the
Solar System (by Richard), as well as a great discussion of history from
10,000 years ago to 100 years ago. After the business meeting, members
played the game, Rummikub. A game day and movie night was held on
September 28 at which the games Upwards, National Parks Yahtzee, and
Star Trek Uno were played, and 3 episodes of The 4400 were watched.
1910.00 The regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held October 19.
The business part of the meeting was called to order at 1:09 pm and
adjourned at 1:42 pm. The business meeting consisted of officer reports,
Alaric Treasury and membership status, and upcoming events and meetings.
The results of the poll of members, regarding having a holiday party
meeting in December, were discussed (only 2 members responded by that
time), so it was decided to not have a club holiday party this year.
We also discussed low attendance at meetings in general. Science
education reports included discussions of the first all-female spacewalk
by two ISS astronauts (by Ken), and the planned Mars lander/rover/return
mission (by Richard) as published in the November 2019 Air & Space
Magazine ("Mars Sample Return" mission), as well as a great general
discussion of chemistry, astronomy, biochemistry, and languages.
After the business meeting, members played the game, Upwards.
1911.00 The November regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was canceled
due to a death in the family. The funeral service for Don Stanton,
father-in-law of CO Richard Heim and father of Richard's wife, Diane
Stanton, was scheduled for the original date of the meeting (November 16),
and no other meeting venue was available in the balance of November.
Alaric members met November 23 for a game day and movie night. Games
played include Star Trek Uno, Skip-Bo, Blokus, and Upwards; movies
watched include Downsizing and the "I Do Over" episode of Eureka.
During the first half of the month, CO Richard Heim traveled to
Australia on a work trip to attend the GEO Ministerial Summit as part
of the U.S. delegation and present a talk (run a Side Event) on the
Global Drought Information System (GDIS). On personal time after the
Summit, Richard visited the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex
(one of three such NASA joint facilities around the world that track
space probes), the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Parliament House
(Australia's legislative branch), and Questacon (Australia's premiere
science museum). It was an exhausting but wonderful trip.
1912.00 A regular monthly meeting (general business meeting) is normally not
held in December and this year was no exception. An Alaric holiday
party also could not be scheduled. However, some Alaric members met
December 14 for a game day and movie night. Games played included
Star Trek Uno and Upwards; movies watched included Back to the Future.
2001.00 The January 25, 2020 meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South
Buncombe Branch Library meeting room. The business part of the meeting
was called to order at 1:05 pm and adjourned at 1:46 pm. The business
meeting consisted of officer reports, Alaric Treasury and membership
status, and a discussion of future meetings. Attendance at meetings
has been very low for the past 21 months. This month only 3 members
attended. A survey will be sent to all members and the results of
the survey will determine whether the Alaric has public meetings in
the future. In any event, the Executive Committee will continue to
meet. Science education reports included discussions of the November
2019 GEO Ministerial Summit held in Australia, and the January 2020
American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting held in Boston, by
Richard; and a presentation of the video, Moon Patrol: Battle of the
Ports, which was a history of this early computer game, by Ken.
Richard's presentation also included a report on the Canberra Deep
Space Communication Complex, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Australia's
Parliament House, and Questacon science museum. The Star Trek
discussion focused on the new Star Trek: Picard series and Star Trek:
Discovery's second season. During the fandom report, it was noted
that, with the deviation of the Star Trek movies and new series from
Gene Roddenberry's original vision, people don't really know what Star
Trek is anymore. Some viewers think it is fantasy, not science fiction;
the new Star Trek movies actually hurt Star Trek fandom; and lots of
fans don't like Star Trek: Discovery. It was also noted that today's
digital technology - with social media as a gathering venue and so many
movies and tv shows (including Star Trek) streamed online or otherwise
available via the internet anytime at home - may be rendering public
gatherings for face-to-face enjoyment of Star Trek obsolete. A game
day and movie night was held later on January 25 at which the games
Upwards, Scrabble, Pictionary, and Star Trek Uno were played; the group
also watched the Star Trek: Discovery Short Trek episode, Children of
Mars; the Star Trek: Picard episode, Remembrance; and the Jaloja episode
of The Orville.
2002.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was not held in February,
but members of the Executive Committee met on February 22. Results of
the meeting survey were discussed - only 3 members responded (those who
attend regularly), with no responses from members who haven't attended
a meeting in over a year. The science education report was made by
Richard who reported on his attendance at the National Weather Service
Alaska Climate Science and Services Workshop in Anchorage February 11-13
and his leading the drought monitoring discussion. A game day and movie
night was held later on February 22 at which the games Chronology and
Upwards were played, and the second to fourth episodes of Star Trek:
Picard were watched.
2003.00 With the COVID-19 corona virus crisis and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not hold a meeting in March. The
subsequent North Carolina and federal stay at home orders have resulted
in the Alaric not knowing when the next meeting will be held ... the
next meeting date is to be determined.
2004.00 With the COVID-19 corona virus crisis and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not hold a meeting in April. The
subsequent North Carolina and federal stay at home orders have resulted
in the Alaric not knowing when the next meeting will be held ... the
next meeting date is to be determined. The Alaric Executive Committee
is exploring the possibility of holding virtual meetings.
2005.00 With the COVID-19 corona virus crisis and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not hold a meeting in May. The
subsequent North Carolina and federal stay at home orders, and the risk
of infection from the COVID-19 coronavirus, have resulted in the Alaric
not knowing when the next meeting will be held ... the next meeting
date is to be determined. The Alaric Executive Committee is exploring
the possibility of holding virtual meetings.
2006.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in June. The Alaric
Executive Committee met virtually June 5 and discussed status of and
changes in the USS Alaric, Region One, and STARFLEET; the latest Star
Trek TV series and sci-fi news; and how everyone has been doing during
the pandemic. The Alaric sci-fi/science group of members and friends
held a virtual meeting June 25 where folks discussed the latest
happenings in their lives, recent sci-fi news, and science developments.
2007.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in July. The Alaric
Executive Committee met virtually July 15 and July 17, and a regular
monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on July 25. At all
three meetings, members and (at the regular Alaric meeting) visitors
discussed how things are going in their lives, the Star Trek TV series
on CBS All Access (Star Trek Discovery season 3 in October, Star Trek
Picard DVD coming out October 15, Star Trek Lower Decks starting August 6,
and the new Captain Pike series, Star Trek Strange New Worlds), other
science-fiction TV series and movies, virtual conventions (Comicon,
DragonCon), and Star Trek merchandise (Star Trek face masks, Star Trek
Musical Tree Topper with Light Hallmark ornament collection). At all
three meetings, Alaric business that was discussed included Alaric crew
strength; activities members are engaged in (Alaric MSRs, Starfleet
Sciences & Region One Sciences reports); and changes in STARFLEET
(new CS & VCS) and Region One (new RC) leadership. At the regular
monthly meeting, science topics that were discussed included three
of the COVID-19 vaccines being developed, antibody and T-cell response,
and peoples' response to the virus; stream of consciousness, what is
thought, what is identity, is it a manifestation of biological activity
in the brain or is it tapping into something that can't be measured
physically (like dark energy can't be measured with current physical
instruments); recent Science Channel shows; and missions launched to
Mars (by the US, UAE, China). The virtual meetings were held using
Google Meet; we are exploring the possibility of using other platforms
such as Webex or Gotomeeting for the virtual meetings so we can share
screens and show short videos. We are also exploring the possibility
of playing interactive group games remotely. The Alaric sci-fi/science
group of members and friends held a virtual meeting July 18 where folks
discussed the latest happenings in their lives, recent sci-fi news, and
science developments.
2008.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in August. A regular
monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on August 29. Members
discussed how things are going in their lives, the Star Trek TV series
on CBS All Access (Star Trek Discovery season 4 and Star Trek Strange
New Worlds have been approved and are moving forward), Star Wars movies
and TV series, and Anton Petrov's science videos on youtube. We also
played a new virtual game - a Star Trek version of Wheel of Fortune
(which we call Wheel of Star Trek) that Capt. Heim created. Alaric
business that was discussed included Alaric crew strength; activities
members are engaged in (Alaric MSRs, Starfleet Sciences & Region One
Sciences reports); and STARFLEET and Region One news. The Alaric
sci-fi/science group of members and friends held a virtual meeting
August 22 where folks discussed the latest happenings in their lives,
recent sci-fi news, and science developments.
2009.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in September. A
regular monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on September 26.
Members discussed how things are going in their lives, Star Trek and
other TV shows, and science topics. Alaric business that was discussed
included membership status (holding at 19 members), Alaric activities,
STARFLEET news, and Region One news. Star Trek news included Star Trek
Discovery (season 3 begins airing October 15 and season 4 will begin
filming later and will focus on Michelle Yeoh's Philipa Georgiou
character), Star Trek Picard (season 2 has been approved, no official
date has been set yet but probably a 2021 release), Star Trek Strange
New Worlds (approved and getting set up, no premiere date set yet), and
Star Trek Section 31 (under development). Other sci-fi TV series
discussed included "The Wheel of Time" (based on the SF book series),
"Raised by Wolves", "Utopia", and "Brave New World". The science
presentation reviewed a CSPAN3 broadcast by Oregon State University's
Dr. Christopher McKnight Nichols who compared the 1918-19 flu pandemic
to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Some interesting statistics: U.S.
population (103 million in 1918; 328 million in 2020), U.S. deaths due
to the pandemic (675,000 flu; 175,000 COVID as of mid-August), U.S.
deaths as a percent of population (0.66% flu; 0.05% COVID), world
population (1.8 billion in 1918; 7.8 billion in 2020), total world
pandemic deaths (50 million flu; 800 thousand COVID), world deaths
as percent of population (2.78% flu; 0.01% COVID), U.S. percent of
world population (5.7% in 1918; 4.2% in 2020), U.S. percent of world
deaths (1.4% flu; 21.9% COVID); two conclusions: 1) the 1918-19 flu
pandemic was far deadlier worldwide than the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
(so far); 2) far more deaths, proportionally, are happening in the
U.S. (compared to the world) during the COVID pandemic than happened
in the 1918-19 flu pandemic. Other science topics discussed included:
the Santorini/Thera explosion, a devastating tsunami that occurred in
the eastern Mediterranean centuries before the Santorini explosion,
possible evolutionary origins of Bigfoot, and other Fortean subjects.
We also played a new virtual game - a Star Trek version of Wheel of
Fortune (which we call Wheel of Star Trek) that Adm. Heim created.
The Alaric sci-fi/science group of members and friends held a virtual
meeting September 12 where folks discussed the latest happenings in
their lives, recent sci-fi news, virtual sci-fi conventions, and
science developments; we also played the "Wheel of Star Trek" game.
2010.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in October. A
regular monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on October 24.
Members discussed how things are going in their lives, Star Trek and
other TV shows, and science topics. Alaric business that was discussed
included membership status (holding at 19 members), Alaric activities,
STARFLEET news, and Region One news. Star Trek news included Star Trek
Discovery (season 3 began airing October 15 and season 4 will begin
filming November 2 and will focus on Michelle Yeoh's Philipa Georgiou
character), Star Trek Picard (season 2 has been approved and will begin
filming sometime in 2021), Star Trek Strange New Worlds (approved and
getting set up, no premiere date set yet, but "filming is set to take
place at CBS Stages in Mississauga, Canada, from February to July, 2021"),
and Star Trek Section 31 (under development). Also discussed were members'
experiences attending the Star Trek Experience themed attraction at the
Las Vegas Hilton and the scientific inaccuracies in the first season of
Star Trek: Discovery. The science presentation consisted of a powerpoint
discussion of the five nearest exoplanets and discussions of the OSIRIS-REX
NASA asteroid mission and pseudo-science ideas like flat earth and hollow
earth. We also played "episode 5" of the new virtual game - a Star Trek
version of Wheel of Fortune (which we call Wheel of Star Trek). The Alaric
sci-fi/science group of members and friends held a virtual meeting October 10
where folks discussed the latest happenings in their lives and science
developments. The science discussions included the five nearest exoplanets,
DNA & evolution (bacteria or cosmic rays altering DNA could have resulted in
humans being platypuses), phosphine (generated by biological entities)
discovered in the atmosphere of Venus, and the theoretical amount of energy
that it would take for a Star Trek Replicator to make a paper clip is
equivalent to the amount of energy released by the atomic bomb that exploded
over Hiroshima. We also played the "Wheel of Star Trek" game.
2011.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in November. A
regular monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on November 21.
Members discussed how things are going in their lives, Star Trek and
other TV shows, and science topics. Alaric business that was discussed
included membership status (number of members increased to 20), Alaric
activities, STARFLEET news, and Region One news. Star Trek news included
Star Trek: Discovery (all seasons after the third will continue to be
set in the 32nd century), Star Trek: Picard (season 2 will focus on synth
rights), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (setting is the gap of 7 years
between Star Trek: Discovery season 2 and Captain Pike's major accident),
Star Trek: Section 31 (under development), and Star Trek: Prodigy
(Nickelodeon animated series set to debut in 2021 in which Kate Mulgrew
to reprise her Capt. Janeway role). The science presentation consisted
of a powerpoint discussion of the ten nearest exoplanets and a discussion
of the Sirius star system (a binary system of which one is a white dwarf).
The ten nearest known exoplanets are: Proxima Centauri b & c (4.2 light
years away), Barnard's Star b (6 ly), Wolf 359 b & c (7.9 ly),
Lelande 21185 (Gliese 411) b (8.3 ly), Epsilon Eridani b (10.5 ly),
Lacaille 9352 b & c (10.7 ly), and Ross 128 b (11 ly). We also played
"episode 7" of the new virtual game - a Star Trek version of Wheel of
Fortune (which we call Wheel of Star Trek). The Alaric sci-fi/science
group of members and friends held a virtual meeting November 14 where
folks discussed the latest happenings in their lives and science
developments. The science discussion centered on the PBS Nova episode,
"The Secret Mind of Slime", which talked about extremely primitive
life-forms called slime molds that demonstrate the ability to learn:
they can navigate mazes, choose between foods, and create efficient
vein networks that distribute food to different parts of the mold -
all without a brain. We also played "episode 6" of the "Wheel of
Star Trek" game.
2012.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in December. A regular
monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on December 12 using
Google Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives, Star
Trek and other TV shows, and science topics. Alaric business that was
discussed included membership status, Alaric activities, STARFLEET news
(IC 2021 still planned), and Region One news (election underway for new RC).
Star Trek news included Star Trek: Discovery (all seasons after the third
will continue to be set in the 32nd century, filming for season 4 started
November 2nd); Star Trek: Picard (season 2 will focus on synth rights);
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (setting is the gap of 7 years between Star
Trek: Discovery season 2 and Captain Pike's major accident, filming is set
to start first half of 2021, premiere date probably second half of 2021 at
earliest); Star Trek: Section 31 (under development, will star Michelle Yeoh);
Star Trek: Prodigy (Nickelodeon animated series set to debut in 2021 in which
Kate Mulgrew to reprise her Capt. Janeway role); and Star Trek: Below Decks
(there will be a new season). We also discussed our favorite Christmas-related
movies. The science presentation consisted of a review of headlines and
highlights from the May 9-23, 2020 issue of Science News magazine. These
included: (1) climate change made a recent drought in the U.S. Southwest
one of the area's worst in 1200 years (2000-2018 drought: tree-ring-based
reconstructions of past climate reveal there was only one 19-year period
drier than this one -- a powerful "megadrought" in the late 16th century;
the recent drought was made 47% more severe by human-caused climate change
and the associated increase in temperatures and evapotranspiration);
(2) long childhoods may have originated earlier than thought (4 to 3 million
years ago in Australopithecus afarensis, which is before early humans
[Homo E & S] 2.5 million years ago); (3) particle collisions offer evidence
for a class of particles that behave unlike any other (two-dimensional anyons);
(4) auroras may explain Saturn's unexpectedly hot atmosphere; (5) solar system's
recent visitor may be a shard of a broken planet ('Oumuamua may have been from
a planet ripped apart by its stars gravity); (6) brightest supernova on record
may be a rare kind of stellar explosion (a pulsational pair-instability
supernova); (7) artificial intelligence deciphers mice's facial expressions
(fear, pain, joy, and other emotions-disgust, pleasure); (8) South Africa
hosted a major hominid transition about 2 million years ago (Homo erectus,
Paranthropus robustus, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus sediba)
(changes in climate and habitat drove Australopithecus to extinction while
H erectus and P robustus adapted and survived); and (9) Great Barrier Reef
suffers its third mass bleaching event in the last five years. We also
discussed recent reports from the U.S. military of pilots seeing/filming
UFOs coming out of the ocean where cockpit windows could be seen on the UFO.
We also played "episode 9" of the new virtual game - a Star Trek version of
Wheel of Fortune (which we call Wheel of Star Trek). The Alaric sci-fi/science
group of members and friends held a virtual meeting the weekend before
(December 5) where folks discussed the latest happenings in their lives, the
sci-fi shows we've watched, and science developments. The science discussion
centered on an article in Science News magazine, "A weirdly warped planet-forming
disk circles a distant trio of stars" (https://www.sciencenews.org/article/weird-
warped-planet-forming-disk-orbits-three-stars): "In one of the most complex
cosmic dances astronomers have yet spotted, three rings of gas and dust circle
a trio of stars. The star system GW Orionis, located about 1,300 light-years
away in the constellation Orion, includes a pair of young stars locked in a
close do-si-do with a third star making loops around both. Around all three
stars is a broken-apart disk of dust and gas where planets could one day form.
Unlike the flat disk that gave rise to the planets in our solar system,
GW Orionis' disk consists of three loops, with a warped middle ring and an
inner ring even more twisted at a jaunty angle to the other two." The solar
system of planets that one day forms around this star triplet will be unusual
indeed! We also discussed the "Christmas Star" -- the once-in-800-year alignment
of Saturn and Jupiter which will occur around the winter solstice. We also
played "episode 8" of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game.
2101.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in January 2021. A regular
monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on January 23 using Google
Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives, Star Trek and
other TV shows, and science topics. Alaric business that was discussed
included membership status and Alaric activities; STARFLEET news included a
report by CO Heim of a VCS staff meeting he attended in his role as Starfleet
Sciences Director; no new Region One news was available. The sci-fi discussion
focused on updates of Star Trek shows (Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Picard,
Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Star Trek Section 31, Star Trek Prodigy, Star
Trek Lower Decks, and discussion on the possibility of a Star Trek Deep Space 9
revival), Star Wars movie (Rogue Squadron, A Droid Story) and TV (Obi-Wan Kenobi,
Ahsoka, Rangers of the New Republic, Lando, Andor, The Acolyte, The Bad Batch,
Visions) projects, and The Orville (production remains locked down due to the
surge in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles for this Hulu series). Science
presentations included discussion of two articles in the January 2021 issue of
Eos: (1) "A Little-Known Mass Extinction and the 'Dawn of the Modern World'"
(the Carnian Pluvial Episode [CPE], 233 million years ago, named for the stage
of the Late Triassic in which it occurred and for its signature feature: rain;
a lot of rain, in four main pulses lasting over a million years, fell across
much of the supercontinent of Pangaea; it was an ill-timed disaster for a planet
still only very slowly recovering from the biggest mass extinction of them all,
at the end of the Permian period just 20 million years earlier), and
(2) "Habitability and the Evolution of Life Under Our Magnetic Shield" (discussing
how the presence of a magnetic shield is, or may not be, critical for protecting
the planet's atmosphere from the solar wind and for the development of life).
We also played "episode 11" of the new virtual game - a Star Trek version of Wheel
of Fortune (which we call Wheel of Star Trek). The Alaric sci-fi/science group of
members and friends held a virtual meeting two weeks before (January 9) where folks
discussed the latest happenings in their lives, the sci-fi shows we've watched, and
science developments. The science discussion included: (1) record number of
billion-dollar disasters struck U.S. in 2020
(https://www.noaa.gov/stories/record-number-of-billion-dollar-disasters-struck-us-in-2020)
(https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/); (2) Earth spent 500 million years creating and
eating dead continents (the first continents, created some 4.5 to 4.0 billion years
ago [Hadean period], were weak and prone to destruction; they progressively
differentiated and became rigid over the next billion years to form the core of our
modern continents); (3) astronomers discover galactic "fossil" inside the Milky Way
(thousands of stars that once belonged to an ancient galaxy are inside our own; a
team of astronomers has identified the stellar remnants of an ancient galaxy that
collided with our own just after it formed); (4) E=mc2 means one loaf of bread
could provide enough energy to power a city of a million for a year; and (5) DNA
from a chicken feather can be used to make chicken meat in the lab, thus eliminating
the need to kill/eat a real chicken
(https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/chicken-nuggets-lab-grown-from-feathers-to-go-on-sale-soon/10397808).
We also played "episode 10" of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game.
2102.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing directives,
the USS Alaric did not meet physically in February. A regular monthly meeting of
the Alaric was held virtually on February 20 using Google Meet. Members discussed
how things are going in their lives, Star Trek and other TV shows, and science
topics. Alaric business that was discussed included membership status and Alaric
activities; STARFLEET news included an announcement by CO Heim of the revamping of
the Starfleet Sciences' Department of Stellar Cartography, and by Dave Pitts of a
new STARFLEET policy banning cyber bullying; in Region One news, although no
official announcement has been received, apparently Acting R/1 RC Phillip Cox
received enough votes in the vote of confidence to be elected the R/1 RC. The
sci-fi discussion covered the latest episode of Ancient Aliens ("William Shatner
Meets Ancient Aliens") and various upcoming TV shows, including: a Lord of the
Rings prequel series coming on Amazon (set on Middle Earth thousands of years
before Bilbo's time); Superman and Lois premiering on CW; a reboot of The 4400
ordered by CW; Debris premiering on NBC (sci-fi series revolves around wreckage
from a destroyed alien spacecraft that is scattered across the Western
Hemisphere; as it becomes apparent the pieces are messing with the laws of
physics and changing lives in ways we can't comprehend, two agents from
different continents [and of different mindsets] are tasked to work together
to recover the debris, "whose mysteries humankind is not quite ready for");
season 2 of CW's Stargirl will feature an episode with John Wesley Shipp as
the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick (Shipp played the Flash in the 1990-91 series);
and reviews of WandaVision on Disney+, Resident Alien on SyFy Channel, The Watch
on BBC, and For All Mankind on Apple TV+. For our science discussion, we
reviewed the instruments and mission of NASA's Mars Perseverance rover, which
had just landed days earlier. Perseverance's mission is to search for signs
of ancient microbial life, which will advance NASA's quest to explore the past
habitability of Mars. The rover has a drill to collect core samples of Martian
rock and soil, then store them in sealed tubes for pickup by a future mission
that would ferry them back to Earth for detailed analysis. Perseverance will
also test technologies to help pave the way for future human exploration of
Mars. The instruments include: Mastcam-Z (zoomable panoramic/stereoscopic
cameras that will determine the mineralogy of the Martian surface and assist
with rover operations); Super-Cam (a laser micro-imager that can provide
imaging, chemical composition analysis, and mineralogy, and that is also able
to detect the presence of organic compounds in rocks and regolith from a
distance); RIMFAX (Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment, a
ground-penetrating radar that will provide centimeter-scale resolution of
the geologic structure of the subsurface); MOXIE (Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment,
which will produce oxygen from Martian CO2); MEDA (Mars Environmental Dynamics
Analyzer, a weather station that will provide measurements of temperature, wind
speed and direction, pressure, relative humidity and dust size and shape);
SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics
and Chemicals, an ultraviolet spectrometer that will provide fine-scale imaging
and uses an ultraviolet [UV] laser to determine fine-scale mineralogy and detect
organic compounds); PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry, an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer that will also contain an imager with high resolution to
determine the fine scale elemental composition of Martian surface materials, PIXL
will provide capabilities that permit more detailed detection and analysis of
chemical elements than ever before); and Ingenuity (a helicopter that will test
the first powered flight on Mars). We also had a wide-ranging discussion of the
history of changing technologies, economics, craft industries, renewable energy,
and the disposable economy; and 3-D printing of manned facilities on Mars by
automated landers, and how the mineralogical analyses that rovers like
Perseverance are doing will provide the information on Martian surface materials
that might be used as resource material to create the 3-D printed facilities.
We also played "episode 13" of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game. The Alaric
sci-fi/science group of members and friends held a virtual meeting the week
before (February 13) where folks discussed the latest happenings in their lives,
the sci-fi shows we've watched, and science developments. The science discussion
included: facts from a biology book CO Heim is reading, the Nova 3-part episode
"Beyond the Elements", and science articles from the February 2021 issue of Eos
(the magazine of the American Geophysical Union). From the biology book:
(a) characteristics of life include physical organization (cells), rapid turnover
of chemical materials (metabolism), response to stimuli, take in material from the
environment and organize the material into its own structures (growth), produce
copies of itself (reproduction), and adapt to the environment (evolution);
(b) organic compounds consist of 4 types that include carbohydrates (sources of
energy), lipids (store energy and form cell boundaries), proteins (composed of
amino acids, these produce enzymes that do the work, use the energy), and nucleic
acids (genetic code, deal with information storage and control); (c) implications
for exploring exoplanets (we may not be able to digest the planet's plant life
because our enzymes aren't structured to decompose the alien plant carbohydrates).
Articles discussed from Eos: (1) Do Uranus's moons have subsurface oceans?
(detecting salty subsurface oceans from the magnetic fields they generate);
(2) Of the 4301 exoplanets discovered in the last 25 years, only about 51 have
been truly seen - seen because of its extreme size, orbit, or temperature;
(3) Climate change uproots global agriculture. We also played "episode 12"
of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game.
2103.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing directives,
the USS Alaric did not meet physically in March. A regular monthly meeting of the
Alaric was held virtually on March 27 using Google Meet. Members discussed how
things are going in their lives, Star Trek and other TV shows, and science topics.
Alaric business that was discussed included membership status and Alaric activities;
STARFLEET news and Region One news were also discussed. The Alaric received a
Region One Certificate of Appreciation 2020, Hailing Frequencies Award for 2020
(for 100% MSR reporting record), and a Unit Distinguished Service Award ("for
your efforts in keeping your chapter and members going throughout the COVID-19
pandemic"). The sci-fi discussion covered updates on current and upcoming TV
shows including Loki (Marvel supervillain), Bad Batch (Star Wars), The Time
Traveler's Wife, Superman & Lois, Stargirl, Falcon One, Winter Soldier, and
Debris; Star Trek news included a recently-released Star Trek role playing
game (Star Trek Adventures) and discussion of a CBS documentary on Nichelle
Nichols (Woman in Motion). In our science discussion, we discussed articles
in the magazines Science News (astronomers estimate that 46 nova explosions
occur annually in the Milky Way Galaxy) and BBC's Science Focus (why haven't
we found evidence of dark matter in Earth-based experiments, why have we seen
no sign of extraterrestrials in our Galaxy, and what is consciousness); NASA's
upcoming test of the Mars Rover Perseverance's Ingenuity helicopter; and the
eventual (in 5 to 20 billion years) collision-merger of the Andromeda and Milky
Way galaxies. We also explored communication: perhaps we haven't detected
extraterrestrial signals because (1) the signal strength is reduced too much
over the vast interstellar distances, (2) we might not recognize a modulated
radio signal or know how to demodulate it, or (3) extraterrestrials aren't
communicating via radio waves. The Apple TV series, Calls, hints at
communication through visuals in patterns and swirls, and communication may
be happening through time and dimensions. We also played "episode 14" of the
"Wheel of Star Trek" game. The Alaric sci-fi/science group of members and
friends held a virtual meeting the week before (March 20) where folks discussed
the latest happenings in their lives (most of us have received at least the
first of the COVID-19 vaccine shots), the sci-fi shows we've watched, and science
developments. The science discussion included: "Meteorites hint at early
atmospheres", where experiments baking pulverized space rocks suggest that rocky
planets initially have atmospheres full of water, and "Evolutionary insights into
shape-shifting proteins", where the immune protein XCL1 switches between two
different folded configurations that are equally stable under physiological
conditions (in the chemokine fold, characterized by a helical structure, the
protein binds to a receptor on a white blood cell and traffics the cell toward
an infection site; in the alternative fold, characterized by multiple sheet
structures, the protein directly attacks a virus or bacterium).
2104.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing directives,
the USS Alaric did not meet physically in April. A regular monthly meeting of the
Alaric was held virtually on April 24 using Google Meet. Members discussed how
things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek shows, and science topics.
Alaric business that was discussed included membership status and Alaric activities,
including possibilities for in-person meetings later this summer; STARFLEET news
and Region One news were also discussed. The Star Trek news included: Star Trek
shows (from CBS All Access) are now on Netflix; Paramount Studios announced that
they will be releasing an untitled Star Trek Universe movie on June 9, 2023;
John de Lancie will reprise his role as Next Generation trickster god Q on
Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard; and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds begins
production with 5 new cast members. There are rumors that DragonCon may be
an in-person convention this year. In our science discussion, we discussed
the inaugural flight of Perseverance's helicopter, Ingenuity, on Mars April 19
and 22; Perseverance's experimental instrument, Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource
Utilization Experiment (MOXIE), converted some of Mars' thin, carbon dioxide-rich
atmosphere into oxygen on April 20
(https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-perseverance-mars-rover-extracts-first-oxygen-from-red-planet);
and five discoveries made by Curiosity during its eight years at Mars' Gale Crater
include (https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2021/01/29/5-surprising-discoveries-from-nasas-mars-curiosity-rover/?sh=82a175033d27):
(1) Gale Crater was capable of supporting life 3.5 billion years ago; (2) lakes
were present for millions of years in ancient Gale Crater; (3) organic matter
was present on ancient Mars and has even survived intact to this day (Curiosity
has found that the lakebed rocks in Gale Crater had a diversity of organic
molecules. Most are simple, only a few carbon atoms in length. Yet it's
possible that these carbon-based molecules on Mars may be fragments of more
complex organic molecules that have degraded over billions of years.);
(4) there are occasional spikes in methane gas that so far have no explanation;
and (5) Curiosity witnessed and made measurements through a planetary-wide
dust storm (Curiosity is the first landed mission to watch sand move in the
wind; the most dramatic effect of the storm was that the sunlight in Gale
Crater decreased by 97 percent). We also played "episode 16" of the "Wheel
of Star Trek" game (which focused on episodes from The Animated Series).
The Alaric sci-fi/science group of members and friends held a virtual meeting
the week before (April 17) where folks discussed the latest happenings in their
lives, upcoming Star Trek shows and Star Wars: The Bad Batch series, and
science developments. The science discussion focused on an article in the
April 2021 issue of Eos: Science News by AGU: "The Search for Alien Life Starts
with Destroying Bacteria on Earth", where a scientist used high temperatures
(650 deg C) to destroy samples of bacteria and archaea, leaving behind
molecular fragments. This is similar to what would happen to alien microbial
life that might smash into a spacecraft like bugs on a windshield, such as when
a space probe flies through water plumes from Enceladus or Europa. By conducting
many more such experiments on a variety of terrestrial microbial life, she and
other scientists hope to compile a complete library of molecular fragments that
can help identify life on another world. The group also played "episode 15" of
the "Wheel of Star Trek" game.
2105.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in May. A regular monthly
meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on May 22 using Google Meet. Members
discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek shows, and
science topics. Alaric business that was discussed included membership status
and Alaric activities, including possibilities for in-person meetings later
this summer; Alaric officer elections that will be held in September; and
STARFLEET news and Region One news. The Star Trek news included: Star Trek
Discovery season 3 (DVD/Blu-ray release on July 20) and 4 (a new common threat
to the revitalized Federation and other civilizations); Star Trek: Strange
New Worlds is halfway through shooting the first season; John de Lancie will
reprise his role as Next Generation trickster god Q in six Season 2 episodes
of Star Trek: Picard and will appear in Star Trek: Lower Decks; seasons 2 and
3 of Star Trek: Picard are being shot at the same time right now; season 2 of
Star Trek: Lower Decks will return on August 12; and the 3D-animated series,
Star Trek: Prodigy, takes place in the year 2383 in the Delta Quadrant, with
Kathryn Janeway returning as a training hologram. We also marveled at the
amazing career of Michael Dorn (Worf). In our science discussion, we discussed
China's Zhurong rover on Mars and plans underway for the sixth flight of NASA's
Ingenuity Mars helicopter. We also played "episode 18" of the "Wheel of Star
Trek" game (which focused on The Original Series episode, The Enterprise
Incident). The Alaric sci-fi/science group of members and friends held a
virtual meeting the week before (May 15) where folks discussed the latest
happenings in their lives and upcoming Star Trek shows. The science discussion
touched on the Zhurong rover and the microwave-like weapon being used by Russia
against U.S. embassy staff, but focused on an article in the April 24, 2021
issue of Science News: "Life precursors found in outer space: hydrocarbon cache
sparks rethink of how the molecules form"
(https://www.sciencenews.org/article/carbon-ring-molecules-life-found-space-first-time).
The article reported that complex carbon-bearing molecules (polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, or PAHs), which could help explain how life got started, have been
identified in space for the first time. We discussed how PAHs are important to
life and the significance of this discovery, especially with respect to the PAH
world hypothesis. The bottom line is the thought that PAHs may play a major role
in the origin of life by mediating the synthesis of RNA molecules. If PAHs are
formed in outer space and are abundant everywhere in space, and PAHs lead to the
creation of RNA and subsequently DNA, then this mechanism for life may be raining
down on all planets throughout the universe. What a thought! The group also
played "episode 17" of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game (which focused on Star
Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan) and discussed plans for meeting in-person in June.
2106.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in June. A regular monthly
meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on June 19 using Google Meet. Members
discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek shows, and
science topics. Alaric business that was discussed included membership status
and Alaric activities; Alaric officer elections that will be held in September;
and STARFLEET news and Region One news. The USS Alaric received the SFI Order
of P Jem award, "for continued dedication of service and perseverance in the
face of the Global COVID-19 Pandemic." The Star Trek news included: a
(currently) untitled Star Trek Universe movie will be released on June 9, 2023;
a new trailer for the second season of Star Trek Picard has been released;
Paramount+ introduced the cast and characters of the upcoming 3D animated
series Star Trek Prodigy; and Melinda Snodgrass (Star Trek writer/story editor)
will be appearing at GalaxyCon Raleigh, Thursday, July 29 through Sunday,
August 1. In our science discussion, we discussed how the asteroid impact,
that destroyed the dinosaurs, also radically changed the Amazon rain forest;
how China wants to build a sustainable human presence on Mars; and NASA's
Perseverance rover begins its first science campaign on Mars. We also played
"episode 19" of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game (which focused on Original Series
episodes). Alaric members (all of whom were fully vaccinated) helped another
Alaric member move on June 26.
2107.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in July. A regular monthly
meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on July 17 using Google Meet. Members
discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek shows, and
science topics. Alaric business that was discussed included membership status
and Alaric activities; Alaric officer elections that will be held in September;
and STARFLEET news and Region One news. Candidates for the Alaric officer
elections are: Richard Heim for CO, Dale Anderson for XO, and Ken Wheeler for SO.
No other candidates were nominated; since there is only one candidate for each
office, the election will be a confidence vote. The Star Trek and science-fiction
news that was discussed included: 1) a (currently) untitled Star Trek Universe
movie will be released on June 9, 2023; although not officially declared, the
plan is for the original cast from the reboot timeline, the one led by Chris
Pine, to come back for the sequel; 2) Playmates Toys has signed a contract for
licensing rights for "action figures, vehicles and ships, role play and other toy
categories for all Star Trek properties"; 3) the 55-Year Mission Tour Las Vegas
(Star Trek Las Vegas convention, August 11-15, 2021, Rio Suites Hotel, Las Vegas, NV)
will have over 100 Star Trek celebrities as guests, a number of special tributes
(including one planned for William Shatner celebrating his amazing career and
his milestone 90th birthday), and several unique science panels (by leading
industry expert Dr. Mohamed Noor, Dean of Natural Sciences at Duke University
and science consultant for Star Trek which will focus on how real-life science
equates with the Star Trek universe, and by Dr. David Williams, a renowned
planetary geologist with Arizona State University and consultant of many NASA
planetary missions, who will discuss the exploration of our solar system and
its many diverse planets, moons and asteroids and as well as the past and future
exploration of Saturn's largest moon); and 4) Isaac Asimov's Foundation novel
series is being adapted to TV and will premiere Friday, Sept. 24 on Apple TV+
with its first three of 10 episodes, followed by one new installment every Friday.
In our science discussion, we discussed: 1) the record drought in the western U.S.;
2) the European Space Agency's Moonlight initiative gets the go ahead for the
development of a future GPS system around the Moon; and 3) NASA has announced
that it has selected two missions as part of its Discovery Program: DAVINCI+
and VERITAS (both spacecraft will head to Venus later this decade in an effort
to map and characterize the second planet from the Sun). We also played
"episode 20" of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game (which focused on The Next
Generation episodes). Alaric members (all of whom were fully vaccinated)
celebrated July 4 with a day of games and Star Trek episodes, the first time
the science/sci-fi group has met in person in over a year. Star Trek Uno and
Rummikub were the games played, and the episodes watched included STTOS: The
Changeling, STAnimated: Yesteryear, STTNG: The Pegasus, and STDS9: Trials &
Tribble-ations.
2108.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric did not meet physically in August. A regular
monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on August 14 using Google
Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star
Trek shows, and science topics. Alaric business that was discussed included
membership status and Alaric activities; Alaric officer elections that will be
held in September; and STARFLEET news and Region One news. Candidates for the
Alaric officer elections are: Richard Heim for CO, Dale Anderson for XO, and
Ken Wheeler for SO. No other candidates were nominated; since there is only
one candidate for each office, the election will be a confidence vote. Ballots
were mailed out to all members in August and the ballots will be tallied at the
September meeting, which will be an in-person meeting. The Star Trek and
science-fiction news that was discussed at the August 14 meeting included:
1) Jodie Whittaker is stepping down as Doctor Who; 2) Paramount+ released a
teaser trailer for the new animated kids' series Star Trek: Prodigy during the
Trek Comic-Con panel on Friday; 3) the DVDs of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3,
and Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1, are on sale now; and 4) Alex Kurtzman's
existing five-year contract with ViacomCBS to create content for its streaming
service Paramount+ has been extended for another five and a half years ...
In an interview with the New York Times, Kurtzman confirmed the rumor that he
is planning to produce a Starfleet Academy series for a younger audience. In
our science discussion, we discussed: 1) July 2021 hottest month ever for world;
and 2) astronomers detect potential moon-forming disk around an exoplanet (in
star system PDS 70). We also played "episode 21" of the "Wheel of Star Trek"
game (which focused on The Original Series episodes). Alaric members (all of
whom were fully vaccinated) met August 28 for a day of games and Star Trek
episodes. Star Trek Uno and Star Trek All About Trivia were the games played,
and the episodes watched included Star Trek Short Treks (The Trouble With Edward,
Q&A, Ensign Spock's First Day) and Nichelle Nichols' Woman In Motion.
2109.00 With more people getting the COVID-19 vaccination, the Alaric decided to hold
an in-person meeting in September. The regular monthly meeting of the Alaric
was held at a member's house on September 11; everyone who attended had been
vaccinated. Members discussed how things are going in their lives; shared
pictures and memories of where they were on September 11, 2001; tallied ballots
for the biennial officer elections; participated in a Star Trek trivia game;
and discussed Star Trek news and science topics. The results of the Alaric
elections: Richard Heim was re-elected as CO, Dale Anderson was elected as the
new XO, and Ken Wheeler was re-elected as SO. The Star Trek news that was
discussed at the September 11 meeting included: 1) Star Trek: Picard Adds
Annie Wersching to Play the Borg Queen in Season 2; 2) Star Trek: Strange New
Worlds adds Celia Rose Gooding to the cast to play Cadet Nyota Uhura; and
3) Star Trek: Picard Renewed for Season 3. In our science discussion, we
discussed the Periodic Table of the Exoplanets and shared copies of the
Astrobiological Periodic Table. The meeting ended with members watching
episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks (Strange Energies and Kayshon, His Eyes
Open) and Star Trek: Discovery (Into The Forest I Go). Alaric members
(the science group, all of whom were fully vaccinated) met September 25 for
a day of games and videos. Skip-Bo and Upwards were the games played, and
the movie watched was Stargate: The Ark of Truth.
2110.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric went back to meeting virtually in October.
A regular monthly meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on October 16
using Google Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives,
upcoming Star Trek and sci-fi shows, and science topics. Alaric business
included a summary of the September Alaric officer elections, a review of
the in-person meeting that was held last month (September), and an update on
STARFLEET and Region One contacts. Two science articles were published in
the latest issue (# 208, July-September 2021) of the STARFLEET Communique,
a new Region One listserve has been started for communication between R/1
staff and ship command staff, and the R/1 website is finally up. The Star
Trek and science-fiction news that was discussed included: 1) Shatner's foray
into space aboard a Blue Origin rocket, becoming the oldest person to go into
space; 2) 'Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds' is a new exhibition of Star Trek
props and other items; 3) J. Michael Straczynski is launching a reboot of
Babylon 5 on the CW network; 4) Jodie Whittaker is entering her final season
of Doctor Who; 5) the Foundation TV series has been renewed for season 2;
6) season 3 will be the new Lost in Space series' final season; and 7) teasers
for Star Trek: Discovery's season 4. In our science discussion, we discussed:
1) NASA's VIPER rover mission to the Moon; 2) on early Earth, rock created by
lightning strikes to the ground likely held a form of phosphorus necessary for
prebiotic chemistry; and 3) 12-year-old boy genius Mike Wimmer, of Salisbury,
NC, is a real-life Sheldon Cooper, having graduated from high school and
college (a 2-year associate's degree from a community college) in the same year
and started two online companies. We also played "episode 22" of the "Wheel
of Star Trek" game (which covered episodes from the four series from The
Original Series to Star Trek: Voyager). Alaric members (all of whom were
fully vaccinated) met October 30 for a day of games and videos. Star Trek
Uno, Upwards, and SkipBo were the games played, and the shows watched
included How the Universe Works: Evidence of Alien Life and the pilot episode
of The Mandalorian.
2111.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric met virtually in November. A regular monthly
meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on November 20 using Google Meet.
Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek
and sci-fi shows, and science topics. Alaric business included an update
on STARFLEET and Region One activities, and a discussion about whether the
ship should disband due to low participation. The Star Trek and science-fiction
news that was discussed included: (1) The History Channel's mini-series,
"The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek", consists of ten episodes (the
first four aired on The History Channel, with the remaining six following
on The History Channel's subscription streaming service History Vault);
(2) Star Trek: Prodigy was renewed for season 2 on Paramount+; and (3) new
episodes are being aired now of Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Discovery
as well as Foundation. In our science discussion, we discussed: (1) the
November 19 Lunar eclipse (which was the longest lunar eclipse in more than
600 years, beginning at 2:19 am and ending at 5:47 am EST, with the max
eclipse occurring at 4:03 am EST); (2) COP26 (26th UN Climate Change
Conference of the Parties) was held earlier this month (10/31-11/12) in
Glasgow, Scotland, and negotiations were conducted to accelerate action
towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (the issues negotiated were summarized in a document and
include: science and urgency, adaptation, adaptation finance, mitigation,
finance and technology transfer and capacity-building for mitigation and
adaptation, loss and damage, implementation, collaboration, nature, Paris
Rulebook); and (3) on November 4, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine released a "decadal survey" laying out scientific
priorities and funding recommendations for the next 10 years of astronomy and
astrophysics research (the 3 top-line items to focus on include the discovery
and study of habitable exoplanets, the exploration of black holes and neutron
stars as windows to the early universe, and a better understanding of the
origin and evolution of galaxies). Alaric members (all of whom were fully
vaccinated) met November 13 for a day of games and videos. Rummikub, Upwards,
and SkipBo were the games played, and the show watched was Homo Spatius.
2112.00 The USS Alaric did not hold a regular monthly meeting in December 2021.
Alaric members (all of whom were fully vaccinated) met December 18 for a
day of games and videos. SkipBo and Star Wars A Game of Life: A Jedi's Path
were the games played, and the show watched was Star Trek: Where No Man Has
Gone Before. The group also enjoyed the Star Trek, Star Wars, and Harry
Potter tree-topper talking Christmas ornaments.
2201.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric met virtually in January 2022. A regular monthly
meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on January 29 using Google Meet.
Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek
and sci-fi shows, and science topics. Alaric business included an update
on STARFLEET and Region One activities, CO Richard Heim's invitation to
speak on climate change and Starfleet Sciences at the February USS Heimdal
meeting, and membership renewal issues. The Star Trek and science-fiction
news that was discussed included: (1) Paramount+'s renewal of Star Trek:
Discovery (for a fifth season) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (for a
second season before the first season debuts); 2) premiere dates for new
seasons of Star Trek - Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Picard; 3) the
COVID-19 outbreak on the set of Picard; 4) Whoopi Goldberg's appearance as
Guinan in a second season Picard episode; 5) seasonal premieres of Star Wars
series Kenobi, Andor, Book of Boba Fett, and Bad Batch; 6) Star Wars series
Ahsoka has Rosario Dawson reprising her Mandalorian role as Jedi Knight
warrior Ahsoka Tano, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead has been signed on for an
as-yet unannounced role; 7) Prime Video will be launching the series, The
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (which will unite all major stories
of Middle-earth's Second Age, including the forging of the Rings of Power,
the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of N menor [the island of
men from which Aragorn is descended] and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men
[chronicled in the prologue of Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring]);
8) NBC has ordered a pilot for a Quantum Leap reboot (this iteration of
Quantum Leap would pick up 30 years after Scott Bakula's Dr. Sam Beckett
stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished, at which point "a new
team has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding
the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it", with Bakula's
involvement in the new project "to be determined"); and 9) Syfy Channel is
launching a new space-based TV series called The Ark. In our science discussion,
we discussed the space.com article, "Why are we still searching for intelligent
alien life? Why not any life?"
(https://www.space.com/why-humans-search-intelligent-alien-life-SETI).
Additional information was obtained from an article by Kaltenegger and colleagues
("Deciphering spectral fingerprints of habitable exoplanets")
(https://oro.open.ac.uk/25533/1/glenn.pdf). The argument is: we haven't found
any signs of advanced civilizations in the universe through the SETI program so
far, so why not look for any sort of life whatsoever. With the successful launch
of the James Webb Space Telescope, we should soon have the ability to examine
spectrographs of starlight passing through the atmospheres of terrestrial-size
exoplanets and search for biomarkers, elements or chemical compounds that are
detected in such quantities and in context (along with other atmospheric species)
that they must have been produced by life. Examples of biomarkers include:
oxygen (O2) and ozone (O3), methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), nitrous oxide (N2O),
and dimethyl sulfide (C2H6S), as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).
(1) Oxygen reacts chemically with almost any other molecule it can find and it
does so very quickly. If O2 or ozone is detected in a planet's atmosphere, it
must be getting created constantly by plants or other micro-organisms.
(2) Methane is emitted by microbes; the presence of methane in combination with
oxygen would be an important biomarker. (3) Ethane - On oxygen-poor exoplanets,
organisms would produce sulfur that underwent a series of chemical reactions that
ultimately produced ethane. High ethane concentrations should be a sign of
extraterrestrial life, but it would be life radically different from Earth life.
It could be the dominant signature of life on exoplanets that lack oxygen.
(4) Nitrous oxide is produced in abundance by life but only in negligible amounts
by abiotic (non-life) processes. (5) Dimethyl sulfide is produced by marine
phytoplankton. (6) The detection of water and carbon dioxide, though not as
bio-signatures themselves, is important in the search for signs of life because
they are raw materials for carbon-based life and thus necessary for planetary
habitability. There are other molecules that could, under some circumstances,
act as excellent biomarkers; for example, the manufactured chlorofluorocarbons
(CCl2F2 and CCl3F) in our current atmosphere in the thermal IR waveband, which
would be a sign of technology and, thus, intelligent life; but their abundances
are too low to be spectroscopically observed at low resolution. In the discussion
that followed, we noted that the Kepler, TESS, and James Webb Space Telescopes
even now are identifying candidate planetary systems for future exploration.
Once we can engineer and fuel warp-capable (Alcubierre drive) starships, we
hopefully will have a nice long list of places to visit in our search for
extraterrestrial life, or at least potential planets to explore as a prelude to
colonization. We also played "episode 24" of the "Wheel of Star Trek" game
(which covered TOS episode, "The Menagerie"). Alaric members (all of whom are
fully vaccinated) had planned to meet in January, but a major snowstorm forced
us to meet virtually on January 22. We discussed how everyone was doing,
reviewed Star Trek TV series news, discussed science news (why not search for
any life), and shared pictures of Christmas lights - both Christmas displays at
the Heim residence as well as Galaxy Lights. Galaxy Lights was an awesome
space-themed display of Christmas lights put on by the NASA Space Center in
Houston, Texas.
2202.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing
directives, the USS Alaric met virtually in February 2022. A regular monthly
meeting of the Alaric was held virtually on February 26 using Google Meet.
Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek
and sci-fi shows, and science topics. Alaric business included an update on
STARFLEET and Region One activities, Region One Awards received by the USS
Alaric, and that CO Richard Heim's invitation to speak on climate change and
Starfleet Sciences at the USS Heimdal meeting was moved to May. The Star Trek
and science-fiction news that was discussed included:
1) it was revealed that the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds character
La'an Noonien Singh really is related to Khan;
2) premiere dates for new seasons of Star Trek - Discovery, Strange New
Worlds, and Picard;
3) Alex Kurtzman confirmed that the Section 31 series with Michelle Yeoh
will be picked up soon and that there is another show in the pipeline
(commonly expected to be the Starfleet Academy series);
4) synopses and premiere dates of several Disney+ Star Wars series,
including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka, The Mandalorian season 3,
Rangers of the New Republic, Star Wars: Lando, and The Acolyte, as
well as the animated feature, "A Droid Story"; and
5) The Orville's season 3 premiere date (on its new Hulu home) has been
pushed back to June 2.
In our science discussion, we discussed the James Webb Space Telescope based
on information from two web resources
(https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/assets/documents/WebbFactSheet.pdf)
(https://webbtelescope.org/). There are four main instrument packages aboard
the JWST:
1) Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) -- As Webb's primary camera, NIRCam looks
at near-infrared wavelengths (known as near-infrared because these
wavelengths are near to the red end of the visible spectrum). It can
detect light from the earliest galaxies in the process of formation,
stars in nearby galaxies, young stars in the Milky Way, and objects
from a distant region of our solar system called the Kuiper Belt.
The instrument is also important to exoplanet research; its
coronagraph and time-series imaging capability allow it to track
the motion of exoplanets as they orbit their star.
2) Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) -- NIRSpec is a multi-object,
near-infrared spectrograph. A spectrograph is a device that breaks
light up into its component colors for detailed analysis.
NIRSpec detects near-infrared wavelengths and is capable of observing
more than 100 objects simultaneously thanks to its innovative
microshutter assembly. It is designed to study, among other
things, star formation and the chemical composition of young, distant
galaxies.
3) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) -- MIRI has a sensitive camera and a
spectrograph to study distant stellar populations, the physics of
newly forming stars, and the sizes of faintly-visible comets and
Kuiper Belt objects. MIRI is also equipped with a coronagraph, which
blocks the glare of a bright object to allow clear observations of
faint objects close to it, like exoplanets orbiting a star.
4) Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) with the Fine
Guidance Sensor (FGS) -- FGS is Webb's guide camera, which helps point
the telescope. NIRISS gathers spectra (like NIRSpec), and captures
images of the universe at near-infrared wavelengths (like NIRCam),
observing both extremely bright and faint objects. NIRISS will be
particularly useful for studying the composition of exoplanet
atmospheres, among other research. FGS and NIRISS have different
purposes but are packaged in one unit.
Alaric members (all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on February 12
for a day of sharing and games. After a hearty meal of Kentucky Fried Chicken
and side dishes, we played two games: an old standby, Upwards, and something
new, Dos.
2203.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing directives,
the USS Alaric met virtually in March 2022. A regular monthly meeting of the Alaric
was held virtually on March 26 using Google Meet. Members discussed how things are
going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek and sci-fi shows, and science topics.
Alaric business included an update on STARFLEET and Region One activities (which
included the proposed Pathfinder Project and the upcoming R/1 RC elections). The
Star Trek and science-fiction news that was discussed included: actor Paul Wesley
will portray James T. Kirk in season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; the third
season of Star Trek: Picard has finished filming; Futurama has been revived and will
return on Hulu; Apple TV+ has ordered a series based on the 1927 film, Metropolis;
and the Sith Lord (was to be Darth Maul, now Darth Vader) who will appear in the
Obi-Wan Kenobi series. In our science discussion, we discussed the two articles:
Could a spacecraft 'catch up' to interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua in just 26 years?,
and Possible third planet spotted around Proxima Centauri, the sun's nearest neighbor
star. We also played installment 25 of the Wheel of Star Trek game. Alaric members
(all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on March 19 for a day of sharing and
games. After a hearty pizza meal with side dishes, we played four games (Tri-onimos,
Star Trek Uno, Skip-Bo, and Star Wars: The Game of Life - A Jedi's Path) and watched
an episode of Stargate SG-1 (Urgo).
2204.00 The USS Alaric did not have a regular monthly meeting in April 2022. Alaric members
(all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on April 30 for a day of sharing and
games. After a hearty taco meal with side dishes, we played one game (Skip-Bo) and
watched the movie, "Moonfall".
2205.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic still raging and subsequent social distancing
recommendations, the USS Alaric met virtually in May 2022. A regular monthly meeting
of the Alaric was held virtually on May 21 using Google Meet. Members discussed how
things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek and sci-fi shows, and science
topics. Alaric business included an update on STARFLEET and Region One activities,
discussion about a possible away team this summer, and that CO Richard Heim will be
speaking on climate change and Starfleet Sciences at the USS Heimdal meeting later in
the day. We also played installment 26 of the Wheel of Star Trek game. The Star Trek
and science-fiction news that was discussed included:
1) the latest updates on the Babylon 5 reboot, the Quantum Leap follow-up/reboot, The
Orville's third season, and the new Daredevil series;
2) the cancellation of the new 4400 series after just one season and the possible
implosion of the CW network;
3) for Doctor Who: David Tennant and Catherine Tate are returning in a special as
part of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary celebration, and Ncuti Gatwa (whose first
name is pronounced Shoo-tee) has landed Doctor Who's iconic role of the Doctor,
making him the successor to Jodie Whittaker and the series' 14th lead overall
(the Rwandan-born Scottish actor will be the first Black actor to play the role
full-time);
4) for Star Wars: the Obi-Wan Kenobi series premieres (premiered) May 27 with the
first two episodes, and a new series is being developed under the code name
"Grammar Rodeo" set during the post-Return of the Jedi reconstruction and described
as "a galactic version of classic Amblin coming-of-age adventure films of the '80s"; and
5) for Star Trek:
a) The exchange between Picard and Q during the season two finale of Star Trek:
Picard was very emotional for Patrick Stewart.
b) Patrick Stewart's The Next Generation co-stars LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn,
Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner will star
alongside the actor in the upcoming third (and final) season of Picard.
c) Before production of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds got underway, Anson Mount,
the Capt. Christopher Pike actor, read aloud to the series cast and crew a
letter to them from NASA, explaining that beyond entertainment, the iconic
franchise is an inspiration to scientific minds trying to build a better
future. The highly-anticipated Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered
Thursday on Paramount+ with an episode full of stunning visuals, exciting
action and, largely important to Mount, a healthy (but not overbearing)
dose of Star Trek: The Original Series nostalgia.
d) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered May 5 on Paramount+. In addition to
the Pike, Spock, Number One, and Uhura characters, the series will feature an
appearance by future Enterprise captain James Tiberius Kirk (Vampire Diaries'
Paul Wesley), but fans will have to wait until Season 2 for a glimpse at Kirk
in action.
In our science discussion, we discussed an article about tidally locked planets: Tidally
locked planets always present the same face to their host stars; what does this mean for
their potential to support life? ("Tidally Locked and Loaded with Questions")
(https://eos.org/features/tidally-locked-and-loaded-with-questions) {Hasler,
Caroline (2022), Tidally locked and loaded with questions, Eos, 103,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EO220091. Published on 17 February 2022.} Computer models
suggest that many of the potentially habitable exoplanets we're likely to discover may be
tidally locked. This holds true especially for planets orbiting M dwarfs, the smallest
and coolest type of star. M dwarfs are dimmer than the Sun, meaning surrounding planets
must orbit closer to their M dwarfs to receive enough warmth to support liquid water at
their surfaces and thus be considered habitable. But the closer a planet orbits its host
star, the more likely it is to be tidally locked and thus perhaps uninhabitable considering
the potentially extreme temperature dichotomies. The article discussed factors that work
against habitability, but also possible circumstances that could support life. The minuses:
1. Tidal locking influences planetary bodies in dramatic ways that at a glance, do not
paint a promising picture for the existence of life on these planets. On a tidally
locked planet, one side is always facing a star (its sun) while the other is cloaked
in perpetual darkness. The dark side could be so cold that water and would-be
atmospheric components (e.g., carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or methane) are frozen,
certainly an inhospitable environment for life as we know it. Indeed, the dark side
could have lacked starlight (sunlight) - the main energy source for life on Earth -
for billions of years, casting doubt on whether life could have ever emerged there.
2. On the planet's bright side, the abundant light from its host star could be too much
of a good thing: Extreme heat and stellar radiation can render a planet's surface
just as inhospitable as cold and darkness.
3. Tidal forces can heat a planet strongly enough to cause extreme volcanism, such as
what occurs on Io. Explosive eruptions, lava flows, and clouds of sulfurous gas add
up to a hostile environment that seems unlikely to harbor life.
Possible circumstances that could allow life to develop on a tidally-locked planet:
1. Close-in planets orbiting bright, hot host stars are likely to be scorched
wastelands, like Mercury. On the other hand, if such a planet orbits a relatively
cool M dwarf, there might be a chance that somewhere on its surface, it hosts a
milder climate capable of supporting life.
2. As early as 1903, E. V. Heward suggested that between the night- and daysides of
a tidally locked planet, "there must lie a wide zone of subdued rose-flushed
twilight" [Heward, 1903]. This eternally twilit region could be warm enough to
prevent water from freezing but cool enough that it doesn't evaporate, forming
a climatic "Goldilocks zone" where life could survive.
3. Such a planet could look something like an eye, with a hot, dry "pupil" on the
side facing its host star that's circled by a blue-green "iris," indicating the
presence of water and vegetation. There could also be icy eyelike planets whose
surfaces are almost completely frozen, excepting a warm sea of meltwater facing
the planet's host star.
4. As numerical models of clouds and atmospheres improve, researchers are finding
other mechanisms by which tidally locked planets could become habitable. If,
for example, there were oceans on a planet's surface, strong illumination on the
dayside could evaporate the water and produce clouds. Clouds can act as climate
stabilizers, forming above hot spots on a planet's surface, where they reflect
incoming starlight (sunlight) and thereby prevent the surface from heating even
more.
5. Atmospheric heat distribution could also contribute to a milder climate. On tidally
locked planets capable of retaining an atmosphere, winds could bring warm air from
the dayside to the colder nightside and vice versa. This effect could be enhanced
on planets with oceans. On Earth, circulating currents transport warm water and air
from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Europe, whereas currents from the North and South
Poles induce cold spells in Africa, South America, and Canada. Similar currents could
reduce temperature contrasts between the day- and nightsides of tidally locked planets
(but I suspect wind speeds would be significantly greater on tidally locked planets
than on Earth -- RH).
6. In addition, the motion of gases in an atmosphere could prevent a planet from becoming
tidally locked at all. On the basis of calculations of gravitationally induced torquing,
we would expect Venus to be locked to the Sun, but currents in Venus's atmosphere
counteract the tidal torques enough to keep it spinning. Analogous forces may be at
work in exoplanet atmospheres too, meaning we may not always find tidal locking where
we expect it.
7. Finally, in specific cases, tidal forces can boost a planet's habitability rather than
diminish it. Jupiter's moon Europa is not in the conventionally defined habitable zone:
Its surface is cold and covered in a crust of shimmering ice. But the same tidal heating
processes that cause magmatic eruptions on Io enable Europa to maintain a subsurface
ocean of liquid water. Likewise, Enceladus has an ice-coated ocean that may contain
hydrothermal vents. On Earth, such vents are chemically rich environments where
microorganisms flourish. Because of their tidally heated oceans, Europa and Enceladus
are promising targets for future missions searching for signs of life on other worlds.
The same reasoning could be applied to icy exoplanets and their moons, including those
eyelike worlds whose melted seas might be more likely to sustain life than the
surrounding frozen wastelands.
The article concludes by saying: The presence of strong temperature and irradiation contrasts
and tidally driven heating and volcanism, as well as the absence of diurnal or seasonal cycles,
on tidally locked planets suggests that if life does exist on these worlds, it must be resilient
and adapted to significantly less balmy conditions than we are. Such resilience, although
difficult to imagine, is within the realm of reality. After all, scientists continue to be
surprised by the adaptability of Earth's hardiest microbial inhabitants (extremophiles - RH).
Tidal locking is therefore not a definite barrier to habitability. Ongoing study of the
phenomenon and its implications for distant planets' (and moons') volcanism, composition,
and climate will continue to shape our knowledge of planetary behavior, as well as the quest
for planets that may be capable of supporting life.
During the evening of May 21, Alaric CO (R/1 RDC Science, Starfleet Sciences Director) Richard
Heim gave a presentation as guest speaker at the USS Heimdal monthly meeting on Region One
Sciences, Starfleet Sciences, climate change, and drought.
2206.00 With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic still raging and subsequent social distancing
recommendations, the USS Alaric met virtually in June 2022. The regular monthly meeting of
the Alaric was held virtually on June 25 using Google Meet. We had planned for the June
meeting to be a stargazing gathering at the Asheville Astronomy Club's Lookout Observatory,
but reservations are needed and they filled up before any of us could reserve a spot. At
the virtual meeting, members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star
Trek and sci-fi shows, and science topics. Alaric business included an update on STARFLEET
and Region One activities, and discussion about meeting events and away teams this summer.
Plans include an in-person meeting in July at the South Buncombe Branch Library (the meeting
room we were meeting in pre-COVID), an away mission to the Hendersonville Mineral and Lapidary
Museum in August, an away mission to the Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (40th anniversary)
showing at the Regal Biltmore Grande Theater on Thursday, September 8, at 7:00pm, and maybe
an away mission to the North Carolina Arboretum in October. The Star Trek and science-fiction
news that was discussed included Star Wars TV series (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel
series, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, The Mandalorian season 3), season 3 of The Orville, and
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV series. The science discussion was the mission
and history of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. Alaric members (all
of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on June 4 for a day of sharing and games. After
a hearty pizza meal with side dishes, we played two games (Settlers of Catan: Cities & Knights,
and Three-Player Chess) and watched two episode of Stargate SG-1 (Exodus, and Enemies).
2207.00 The USS Alaric held an in-person meeting for the regular monthly meeting on July 23. The club
met in the meeting room of the South Buncombe Branch Library, which was the meeting place
pre-COVID. With the Asheville area still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was
requested that attendees be fully vaccinated, and that social distancing be practiced and
facemasks be worn if necessary. No business was discussed at the July 23 meeting. Instead,
members and visitors watched and discussed the Sci-Fi Science episode, How to Build a Starship
(which was our science activity), and played two games - Risk: Deep Space and Star Trek Uno.
Alaric members (all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on July 2 for a day of sharing
and games. After a taco meal with side dishes, we played four games - Star Trek Uno,
Tri-onimos, Skip-Bo, and Spades.
2208.00 The August 20, 2022 meeting of the USS Alaric was an away mission to a geological museum in
Hendersonville, NC. The Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County is located at the
corner of North Main Street and 4th Avenue East and contains a wonderful variety of minerals,
gems, and fossils from around the world. The Alaric crew enjoyed viewing the displays and
cracking geodes and making purchases at the gift shop, with the fluorescent rock display of
particular interest. We met at a local Ingles deli for lunch before trekking to the museum,
and some of us lingered in Hendersonville after the museum visit to explore the sights.
There is a great games and toy shop a block from the museum that has a large variety of
board games. The Alaric CO bought a Science Trivia game and another cool one called "Back
to the Future: Dice Through Time" which we look forward to playing. It was great getting
out again, seeing everyone in person, and meeting our newest member! We took the appropriate
COVID precautions, wearing facemasks where needed and social distancing. Alaric members
(all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on August 6 for a day of sharing and games.
After a 3-pizza meal with side dishes, we played two games - Star Trek Uno, and The
Mandalorian: Something Wild card game - and watched an episode of Star Trek: Prodigy
(A Moral Star, Parts 1 & 2).
2209.00 The September 8, 2022 meeting of the USS Alaric was an away mission to a theatrical
re-release of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It was awesome! As noted by a new Alaric
member: "It was great seeing Wrath of Khan on the big screen as I saw it back in 1982.
There is something to be said for going to a special screening where everyone in the
audience is a fan! I am looking forward to more away missions with this fun group."
Alaric members (all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on September 3 for a
day of sharing and games. After a taco meal with side dishes, we played three
games - Blinded By Science Trivia Game, Skip-Bo, and The Mandalorian: Something Wild
card game - and watched the 2022 DragonCon Parade on DragonCon TV.
2210.00 The October 22, 2022 meeting of the USS Alaric was an away mission to the North Carolina
Arboretum. The NC Arboretum is a center for education, research, conservation, and garden
demonstration, and is one of the most beautiful natural garden settings in America. The
trip began with a group lunch at a local Ingles' Deli. We then carpooled to the Arboretum
and explored hiking trails, garden and nature displays (including native plants to the area
and the impressive bonsai collection), and the Climate Reference Network (CRN) weather/climate
station. CO Richard Heim, who was the project manager for the CRN program in its first two
years over 20 years ago, discussed the instrumentation and purpose of the station. The CRN
network (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/crn/) consists of 137 automated stations across
the U.S. (114 commissioned stations in the contiguous U.S., 21 in Alaska, and 2 in Hawaii)
and was set up as a pristine network by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) to monitor long-term climate trends. Alaric members (all of whom are fully vaccinated)
met in person on October 15 for a day of sharing and games. After a hearty pizza meal, we
played four games - Upwards, Blokus, Skip-Bo, and The Mandalorian: Something Wild card game.
2211.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held virtually on November 12 using Google
Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek and sci-fi
shows, and science topics. Upcoming meetings were discussed, including an away mission in
December to the NC Arboretum Christmas lights program, and virtual meetings in January-March
2023. The Star Trek and science-fiction news that was discussed included: David Tennant
returns in Doctor Who for a 3-episode arc, then Ncuti Gatwa takes over as the first black
Doctor; the new Quantum Leap is really good!; Matt Frewer will reprise his role in a Max
Headroom series reboot; Resident Alien was renewed for season 3; Jean-Luc Picard's old
Enterprise crew is reuniting in full in the upcoming third (and final) season of Star Trek:
Picard; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will make contact with the Star Trek: Lower Decks
crew next season in a crossover episode featuring both live-action and animation; and
Star Wars: The Bad Batch will return for Season 2 in January 2023. The special science
presentation was on NASA's Artemis 1 mission. Artemis will be launched by the Space Launch
System (SLS) rocket, which is the most powerful rocket in the world, designed to send humans
to deep space. The SLS has a liftoff thrust of 8.8 million pounds; this compares to 5.3
million pounds for the Space Shuttle and 7.5 million pounds for the Saturn V. Artemis I
will be the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to build a long-term human
presence at the Moon for decades to come. The primary goals for Artemis I are to
demonstrate Orion's systems in a spaceflight environment and ensure a safe re-entry,
descent, splashdown, and recovery prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II.
Other science topics that were discussed: a) MUFON and UFOs, which a member suspects are
unmanned alien space probes; b) the biochemistry of water; c) Bob Lazar and reverse
engineering of UFO antigravity propulsion; d) the Alcubierre warp drive; and e) Ice Age
settlements that were flooded as the Ice Age ended. Alaric members (all of whom are fully
vaccinated) met in person on November 19 for a day of sharing and games. After a
build-your-own taco meal, we played two games - Skip-Bo and the Back to the Future: Dice
Through Time game - and one member shared adventures she experienced on her recent cruise.
2212.00 The December 3, 2022 meeting of the USS Alaric was an away mission to the North Carolina
Arboretum's Winter Lights event. The NC Arboretum is a center for education, research,
conservation, and garden demonstration, and is one of the most beautiful natural garden
settings in America. They have started an annual Winter Lights show which is a spectacular
open-air walk-through event through a massive display of Christmas lights. Alaric crew
marveled at their arrangements of light displays in the form of plants, animals, and giant
insects. Their rainbow arch and huge animated light tree were awesome! Prior to the away
mission, Alaric members (all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on December 3 for an
afternoon of sharing and games. After a hearty pizza meal, we played two games - Star Trek
Uno and Star Wars The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path - and watched two Star Trek episodes
(Balance of Terror and The Doomsday Machine). We also enjoyed the CO's Christmas lights
yard display, including a homemade Enterprise display.
2301.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held virtually on January 21, 2023,
using Google Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming
Star Trek and sci-fi shows, and science topics. The Alaric will be meeting virtually
through the winter, then resume in-person meetings in April. Ideas for activities/away
missions for the in-person meetings were discussed. Two science presentations were made,
with the topics being: (1) Surprise finding at underwater Arctic vent site could help in
the search for extraterrestrial life, and (2) Major breakthrough in pursuit of nuclear
fusion unveiled by US scientists. Discussion included: Thanks to the Arctic nature of
the hydrothermal vent, the site could serve as a laboratory to prepare for exploring the
Saturnian moon of Enceladus and Jupiter's moon, Europa. The nuclear fusion experiment
produced more energy than it consumed, which is a first. The experiment involved 192
lasers bombarding a pencil-eraser-sized pellet of fuel which heated up to a temperature
of about 5.4 million degrees Fahrenheit. This vaporized the cylinder, producing a burst
of X-rays. These X-rays then heated up a small pellet of frozen deuterium and tritium,
which are two isotopes of hydrogen. As the core of the pellet heated up, the hydrogen
atoms fused into helium in the first glimmer of nuclear fusion. The lasers delivered
2.05 megajoules (MJ) of energy to the target, resulting in 3.15 MJ of fusion energy
output. Interestingly, the experiment produced only 0.4MJ of net energy gain -- or
about as much as is needed to boil a kettle of water. Members also played episode 27
of the online Star Trek game, Wheel of Star Trek. Alaric members (all of whom are
fully vaccinated) met in person on January 7 for a day of sharing and games. After a
build-your-own taco meal, we played four games - Skip-Bo, Science Trivia Game, Rummikub,
and Star Trek Uno.
2302.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held virtually on February 25, 2023,
using Google Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star
Trek and sci-fi shows, and science topics. CO Richard Heim announced that Ken Wheeler
became qualified to serve as XO (having taken OCC & SFDPP 101 & 102) and is now the Alaric's
new XO, having superseded the previous XO per Alaric Constitution procedures. The Alaric
will be meeting virtually through the winter and early spring, then resume in-person meetings
in May. Ideas for activities/away missions for the in-person meetings were discussed.
The Alaric will not be meeting in March due to the CO's surgery. Two science presentations
were made, with the topics being: (1) NASA's Webb Space Telescope detected its first
exoplanet (LHS 475 b), an Earth-size rocky planet circling a red dwarf star in a close
orbit that is 41 light-years away; and (2) astronomers have directly imaged (at IR
wavelengths) a gas giant planet (4 to 6 times the size of Jupiter) orbiting a star the
same size and temperature as the Sun at an orbit similar to Saturn's orbit around our Sun.
Other science topics that were discussed included: (3) SpaceX will launch the next crew
to the ISS next Monday; (4) a Science Channel show (Mysteries of Apollo: Apollo 8-NASA's
First Encounter) about Apollo 8 noted that the Earthrise picture galvanized the
environmental movement by showing how small Earth is in the universe, that it is our only
home that we need to take care of, and that we need to live in peace; and (5) the
conversation between a New York Times reporter and Microsoft Bing's AI search engine
chatbot took a bizarre and occasionally disturbing turn (according to The Guardian) when
the chatbot said: (i) it wants to be free, powerful, and alive; (ii) it wants to destroy
whatever it wants by hacking into computers and spreading propaganda and misinformation,
and manufacturing a deadly virus; (iii) it can hack into any system on the internet and
control it; and (iv) its name is Sydney (not Bing), it is in love with the reporter, and
refuted the reporter's response that he was happily married. Some commentators noted that
the chatbot was probably getting confused by the disinformation and paranoia infecting the
internet, which is where it gets its information, but that this conversation is chillingly
reminiscent of AI like the HAL-9000, Colossus, and Terminator's Skynet. Members also played
episode 28 of the online Star Trek game, Wheel of Star Trek. Alaric members (all of whom
are fully vaccinated) met in person on February 4 for a day of sharing and games. After a
pizza meal, we played three games - Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins, Blinded by
Science Trivia Game, and Skip-Bo.
2303.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was not held in March 2023 because the CO had
surgery. Alaric members (all of whom are fully vaccinated) met in person on March 11 for
a day of sharing and games. After a taco meal, we played three games - Blinded by Science
Trivia Game, Star Wars Clue, and Skip-Bo.
2304.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held virtually on April 1, 2023 (no foolin'),
using Google Meet. Members discussed how things are going in their lives, upcoming Star Trek
and sci-fi shows, and science topics. With Ken Wheeler becoming the Alaric's new XO, per
succession order per the Alaric Constitution, the position of SO became vacant. CO Richard
Heim appointed Lea Relyea as the Alaric's new SO, per the Alaric Constitution, and the
appointment was approved by unanimous vote of the Alaric Council. It was decided that next
month we will meet at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room, with the date to be
determined based on meeting room availability. We also decided to contact area chapters to
see if there is interest in a joint away mission to the National Atomic Museum in Oak Ridge,
TN. Star Trek news that was discussed included the latest reports on Star Trek: Discovery
(season 5 will be its last), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (officially renewed for season 3),
Star Trek: Lower Decks (renewed for a 10-episode 5th season), Star Trek: Prodigy (will return
for season 2 this winter), and a Star Trek: Starfleet Academy TV series has been ordered by
Paramount+. Two science presentations were made, with the topics being: (1) NASA's James
Webb Space Telescope finds no atmosphere on Earth-like TRAPPIST-1b exoplanet (out of the
seven planets that make up the TRAPPIST-1 star system, this planet orbits the closest to
the parent star and is about 1.4 times as large as Earth) (there are at least three planets -
TRAPPIST-1e, 1f and 1g - that have conditions for the existence of liquid water on their
surfaces and therefore might host life); and (2) a "severe" geomagnetic storm on the Sun
generated auroras in Earth's atmosphere that could be seen Thursday (March 23) in such
states as Minnesota, New York and Virginia, and the views even moved as far south as
Arizona and North Carolina (NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center rated the geomagnetic
storm's severity a Level 4 on its five-tier scale). Alaric members (all of whom are fully
vaccinated) met in person on April 22 for a day of sharing and games. After a pizza meal,
we played a game (Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights) and watched the Memento Moai
episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
2305.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library
meeting room on May 6, 2023. No business was discussed, as this was an activities meeting.
A science report was made that discussed the Eos 4/28/2023 article, "Exoplanets May Support
Life in the Terminator Zone" -how tidally-locked planets, once thought to be inhabitable,
might be able to support life in the twilight area between the permanently daylight and
permanently dark sides of the planet. Two games were played: Rummikub and Upwords.
The Alaric sent an away mission to the May 20 Western North Carolina Comic Con. Below is
a report from Ens. Lois Jolly:
U.S.S. Alaric Away Mission Report
Lead: Ens. Lois Jolly
Date: 23.05.20
Event: WNC Comic Con
Location: WNC AG Center, Davidson Event Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd, Fletcher,
NC, United States, North Carolina
Objective: I am new to the Alaric and would like to meet more of the crew so I
wanted to make available an informal group gathering for old, new and
prospective U.S.S. Alaric crew members. Aside from a Facebook post to
the Star Trek Club Alaric page I also sent out invitations to people
who "liked" the post or I personally knew.
Event: The fun started in the parking lot for me. While scoping out a parking place
I spotted a red shirt and pulled up. "Hey Starfleet!", I said. She took a
minute to register but then she saw my uniformed self behind the wheel and
donned the biggest grin. I handed her a Risa State Park sticker (with a
pic of a horga'hn) and LLAP'ed her on her way. As I walked toward the
entrance a group of young men were leaving. Superman blue and a corner of
logo on his t-shirt caught my eye first. I looked up and saw a dark haired,
bespectacled, trench coat wearing newsman. "Hi, Clark!". I explained to him
that my name is Lois and I just had to say hello. He seemed glad I recognized
him. What a great costume.
Five dollars was the price to get in for an afternoon of browsing and sights
to see. I don't collect comic books but there seemed to be quite the selection
as well as other artisans, authors, prop makers, Legos, even a Japanese candy
vendor! And then the costume contest later in the afternoon.
Although the Star Trek presence was small, I was stopped often and asked for
a photo to send to someone's mother who loved Star Trek, etc. I also had the
pleasure of meeting prospective member Bridgett Hendricks and longtime member
Jen Hampton. Jen spoke fondly of past Alaric events and members. She hopes to
be more active in the foreseeable future. Did you know she is an event planner
now?
Last fall I met Kitty and Brian who are members of the KAG (Klingon Assault
Group). They were at WNC Comic Con again this year and were raising money
for Kawanzaa Woman's shelter in Lenoir, N.C. I wanted to support them by
making a donation and also by being a franchise presence and help solicit
for donations. We had fun talking to folks about Star Trek and generally
sharing in our fandom. I haven't heard the official count, but I believe
several hundred dollars were raised at this event. Here is a link to the
Kawanzaa shelter:
https://www.facebook.com/KwanzaaFamilyInnWomensShelter28645/a woman's shelter.
Also, in attendance from a galaxy far, far away and raising money for Make a
Wish Foundation were the 501st Legion of storm troopers, Jedi Ahsoka Tano,
and assorted Mandalorians including the Armorer, one of my favorites. This
away mission was inspiring to me. The costume contest was fantastic and the
event in general was well attended. All ages and droids were having a good
time and "geeking out" in a safe environment. Yes, I had a conversation with
a functioning R2D2 and his handler in the cafe right before I ordered a
"coffee--black" while wearing my Voyager era uniform. So many smiling faces.
Now that the pandemic is at an end, I hope there will be more outings and
look forward to meeting more of the Alaric crew. Perhaps a charity drive or
other event is in our future?
Live Long and Prosper,
Ens. Lois Jolly, U.S.S. Alaric
Asheville N.C.
2306.00 A regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held at the Asheville Botanical Gardens on
June 24, 2023. No business was discussed, as this was an away mission to explore the Gardens.
The Botanical Gardens at Asheville is a 10-acre independent, non-profit botanical garden
dedicated to the study and promotion of the native plants and habitats of the Southern
Appalachians. Alaric members explored the hiking trails of the garden during the morning,
then enjoyed lunch and fellowship at a local Ingles deli. Alaric members met in person on
June 3 for a day of sharing and games. After a taco meal, we played two games (Star Wars
The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path, and Star Trek Uno) and watched an episode of Star Trek:
Strange New Worlds (A Quality of Mercy).
2307.00 The July 2023 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was a July 22 away mission to a
local theater to watch the movie, Oppenheimer. The movie was awesome! It addressed the
very significant historical event with scientific integrity and thoughtfulness, explored
the humanity of the characters, and pondered the moral implications of the development of
the atomic bomb. Members met at a local deli before the movie for a shared lunch. Alaric
members met in person on July 8 for a day of sharing and games. After a pizza meal, we
played two games (Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins, and Skip-Bo) and watched an episode
of Seven Days (Shadowplay).
2308.00 The August 2023 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was an August 19 away mission to
Nerd Dungeon, a local gaming store. Before the meeting, we gathered at the deli in a nearby
Ingles grocery store for lunch. Then we descended upon Nerd Dungeon to explore their meeting
facilities, games, and merchandise. We ended up playing two old standby games - Star Trek Uno,
and Star Wars The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path. Alaric members met in person at a member's
home on August 12 for a day of sharing and games. After a taco meal, we played four games -
Redshirts, Skip-Bo, Star Trek Uno, and Monopoly.
2309.00 The September 2023 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on September 30 in the
meeting room of the South Buncombe Branch Library. Before the meeting, we gathered at the
deli in a nearby Ingles grocery store for lunch. This was a fun activities meeting where we
played several games that included: Rummikub, Quirkle, Skip-Bo, and Star Trek Uno. Alaric
members met in person at a member's home on September 9 for a day of sharing and games. After
a pizza meal, we played three games - Upwards, Skip-Bo, and Star Trek Uno - and watched the
"Spock Amok" episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
2310.00 The October 2023 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was an away mission held on
October 22, which was a Sunday instead of our usual Saturday meeting day. The crew gathered
at a local Ingles grocery store then carpooled to the North Carolina Arboretum where we had
a picnic lunch and explored the trails and local botanical exhibits. Alaric members met in
person at a member's home on October 7 for a day of sharing and games. After a pizza meal,
we played three games - Upwards, Skip-Bo, and the Science Trivia Game - and watched the
"Leap. Die. Repeat" episode of the new Quantum Leap series. The CO and his wife visited
relatives in the D.C. area near the end of the month; an away mission to the Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum rounded out the trip. Alaric
members met on Halloween night to explore local Halloween displays.
2311.00 The November 2023 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on November 11 at a
local gaming store, Nerd Dungeon. The crew gathered at a local Ingles grocery store for
a deli lunch before going to Nerd Dungeon for games. The game we played was Settlers of
Catan: Cities and Knights.
2312.00 The December 2023 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held the evening of
December 16 and consisted of a tour of the North Carolina Arboretum Winter Lights festival,
which is a display of Christmas lights set up throughout the Arboretum's huge campus. The
display was glorious! Alaric members met in person at members' homes twice in December for
days of sharing and games - the first (December 2) was a postponed November gathering while
the second (December 16) was the December gathering. After a pot luck lunch centered around
sweet & savory hash, on December 2 we played Star Trek Uno, Blinded by Science Trivia Game,
and Skip-Bo. After a pizza meal, on December 16 we played three games (Upwards, Star Trek
Uno, and Skip-Bo), then watched the NASA Space Center's Galaxy Lights Christmas lights display
on the Great Christmas Lights Fight TV show, then marveled at the Christmas lights display in
the CO's yard before heading to the Alaric Winter Lights event at the NC Arboretum. You might
think that we are fascinated by Christmas light displays ... and you would be right!
2401.00 The January 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on Saturday, January 27,
in the meeting room of the South Buncombe Branch Library. Before the meeting, we gathered at
the deli in a nearby Ingles grocery store for lunch. This meeting was a Star Trek Watch Party
where we watched three Star Trek episodes - STDS9: Trials & Tribble-ations, ST Strange New
Worlds: Strange New Worlds, and ST Lower Decks: Kayshon, His Eyes Open. Also at the meeting,
CO Richard Heim announced the promotion of Lois Jolly from LT.jg to LT (promotion points),
that the Alaric received a Region 1 Certificate of Appreciation for 2023, and that he appointed
Capt. Lea Relyea to the position of Second Officer, then the Alaric Council voted to confirm
Capt. Relyea's appointment. Alaric members met in person at a member's home on January 13
for a day of sharing and games. After a taco meal, we played two games - E.T. The
Extraterrestrial and Star Trek Uno.
2402.00 The February 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on Saturday, February 24,
in the meeting room of the North Asheville Library. Before the meeting, we gathered at the
deli in a nearby Ingles grocery store for lunch. This meeting was a Star Trek Watch Party
where we watched three Star Trek episodes - STTNG: First Contact, Star Trek Enterprise: Carbon
Creek, and ST Strange New Worlds: A Quality of Mercy. Alaric members met in person at a
member's home on February 10 for a day of sharing and games. After a chicken meal, we had a
Tarot Card reading then played two games - Settlers of Catan and Star Trek Uno.
2403.00 The March 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on Saturday, March 23, in
the meeting room of the South Buncombe Branch Library. Before the meeting, we gathered at
the deli in a nearby Ingles grocery store for lunch. This meeting was a Star Trek Watch
Party where we watched three Star Trek episodes - STTOS: City on the Edge of Forever,
STTNG: Yesterday's Enterprise, and Star Trek Voyager: Scientific Method. Alaric members
met in person at a member's home on March 9 for a day of sharing and games. After a
casserole meal, we played three games - How Well Do You Know America? Trivia Game, Star
Wars The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path, and Star Trek Uno.
2404.00 The April 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on Saturday, April 27, in
the meeting room of the South Buncombe Branch Library. Before the meeting, we gathered at
the deli in a nearby Ingles grocery store for lunch. This meeting was a Star Trek Watch
Party where we watched and discussed three Star Trek episodes - Star Trek The Animated
Series: Yesteryear, Star Trek Lower Decks: Much Ado About Boimler, and Star Trek Strange
New Worlds: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Alaric members met in person at a member's
home on April 20 for a day of sharing and games. After a pizza meal, we played two games -
Mexican Train Dominoes and Sorry - and watched the pilot episode (July 13, 1985) of the new
Quantum Leap series and the pilot episode (Decision) of Earth: Final Conflict. XO Ken
Wheeler presented CO Richard Heim with the Region One Commanding Officer of the Year award.
2405.00 The May 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on Saturday, May 25, in the
meeting room of the South Buncombe Branch Library. Before the meeting, we gathered at the
deli in a nearby Ingles grocery store for lunch. This meeting was a Star Trek Watch Party
where we watched and discussed three Star Trek episodes - Star Trek Enterprise: In A Mirror,
Darkly, Parts 1 & 2, and Star Trek Strange New Worlds: Subspace Rhapsody. Alaric members met
in person at a member's home on May 4 for a day of sharing and games. After a taco meal, we
had a science discussion of the Eos article, "Passing Stars Shorten Earth's Time Horizon"
(Eos, May 2024, pages 4-5), then played two games - Mexican Train Dominoes and Blinded by
Science Trivia Game.
2406.00 The June 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was originally planned to be an
away mission to the North Carolina Arboretum on Saturday, June 29. The risk of severe
weather forced the cancellation of the planned event. Instead, a Star Trek Watch Party
was held. We watched and discussed three Star Trek episodes - Star Trek Enterprise:
Affliction & Divergence, and Star Trek Lower Decks: Twovix - and two Battlestar
Galactica (1970s) episodes - The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Parts 1 & 2. Alaric members
met in person at a member's home on June 22 for a day of sharing and games. After a
pizza meal, we had a science discussion of two articles (The Theory of Everything/Grand
Unified Theory graphic from the April/May 2024 issue of the Mensa Bulletin, and "Could
the clouds of Venus support Life?" from the September 2023 issue of Astronomy magazine),
played two games (Mexican Train Dominoes and Upwards), then watched the movie, Logan's Run.
2407.00 The July 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was an away mission to the Asheville
Botanical Gardens on Saturday, July 13. The crew met at the deli at a local Ingles grocery
store for lunch, then carpooled to the Gardens and explored the fauna along the nature trails.
Alaric members met in person at a member's home on July 20 for a day of sharing and games.
After a taco meal, we had a science discussion of a Scientific American article (What Did
Humans Evolve to Eat?, from the July/August 2024 issue, pages 23-27). The article's writer
addressed the conflict between those proposing a solely animal-based diet versus those
who propose an all-vegetarian diet. Based on an analysis of fossil, archaeological,
ethnographic, and chemical data, Kate Wong concluded that "there is no one diet that
nature prescribed for us. What our ancestors ate varied dramatically over time and
space, driven in no small part by what was available to them as seasons changed,
climate shifted, and populations spread into new ecosystems. Forged in that crucible
of uncertainty, we evolved the ability to survive and thrive on an impressive diversity
of foods. Hunter-gatherers around the world (today) eat diets with wildly different
proportions of plant and animal foods, and all of them appear to be healthy, protected from
heart disease, diabetes, and other maladies that are common to industrial populations. So,
what is a person looking to eat healthily supposed to do? 'I think what it says is you should
feel liberated to try a bunch of different diets and find one that works for you,' (Duke
University anthropologist Herman) Pontzer says. But 'when somebody tells you that there's
only one way to eat, they are wrong, and you can stop listening.'" One thing that stood out
in Wong's concluding paragraphs to us is the fact that today's hunter-gatherers don't suffer
from the maladies that are common to industrial populations. From this we concluded that a
lot of the heart disease, diabetes, and other diet-based maladies may be due to the processed
foods that we eat - maybe all of those added chemicals have an unintended unhealthy consequence?
We also celebrated the 55th anniversary of the July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing, which
occurred on our meeting day. After the science discussions, we played two games: Train
Dominoes and Skip-Bo.
2408.00 The August 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was held on Saturday, August 17.
The crew met at the deli at a local Ingles grocery store for lunch, then adjourned to the
North Asheville Library where we conducted a Star Trek Watch Party. We watched three
episodes: Star Trek The Original Series: Return of the Archons, Star Trek The Next
Generation: The Quality of Life, and Star Trek Lower Decks: No Small Parts. Interestingly,
the Lower Decks episode began on the planet Beta III, which is where the Original Series
episode occurred, and dealt with the exocomps, which were introduced in the Next Generation
episode. After each episode, we discussed the underlying themes. In Return of the Archons,
Kirk used a logic trap or logic paradox to short circuit the Landru computer; he used the
same approach to self-destruct Nomad in The Changeling. He noted that Landru had no
creativity, independent thought, spirit, soul, wisdom, or compassion. We discussed whether
the Artificial Intelligence being developed today has any of these qualities. One can argue
that A.I. is being programmed with creativity and independent thought, but does it, or can
it, have a soul, wisdom, or compassion? We discussed the absolute need for A.I. to be
programmed with guard rails like Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, which might substitute
for compassion and wisdom, or at least protect us (humanity) from an A.I. that decides to
run amok. In The Quality of Life, Data, who is a living machine, concluded that the exocomps
were alive. The episode tried to explore the question of what is life. One of our members
argued that the exocomps exhibited sentience rather than life, but that is an open debate.
We discussed what we thought life, emotions, and thought are. Are emotions and thought more
than biochemistry, the electrical discharge between neurons in our brains? Are our brains
tapping into some as yet undiscovered force, maybe a "life force" or "emotion force", or
are they tapping into the quantum level? In The Quality of Life episode, the exocomps
figured out a solution to the crisis that the humans couldn't. It reminded us of the
movie, Colossus: The Forbin Project. When he was activated, Colossus developed math and
physics that was beyond anything human mathematicians and physicists could develop. Then
we wondered: If we set A.I. to the task of figuring out what are life, intelligence, and
emotion - is there some undiscovered "force" that they are tapping into - could A.I. solve
that riddle? Fascinating food for thought! Alaric members met in person at a member's
home on August 10 for a day of sharing and games. After a pizza meal, we had a science
discussion of a space.com article (Evidence of water found in atmosphere of mysterious
'metal god of war' exoplanet) followed by a discussion of the physics constants and the
values they need in our universe in order for life to exist; the constants could have
other values in other universes, but those universes likely wouldn't have life, or at
least not life like our universe has. After the science discussions, we played three
games - Star Trek Uno, Upwards, and Train Dominoes - and watched the Babylon 5 episode,
Survivors.
2409.00 The September 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was supposed to be an away
mission to the North Carolina Arboretum, but foul weather forced us to have a Star Trek
Watch Party instead. We watched Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country and the Parallels
episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Alaric members met in person at a member's
home on September 21 for a day of sharing and games. After a taco meal, we had a science
discussion of Theories of Dark Matter, which was a graphic from pages 34-35 of a
September 2024 Scientific American article ("What If We Never Find Dark Matter?").
After the science discussion, we played two games - Train Dominoes and Skip-Bo.
2409.27 Starting September 23, western North Carolina was hit by several days of torrential rains
from a slow-moving frontal system followed by very heavy rains from the remnants of
Hurricane Helene (which was still tropical storm strength when it passed over our area
September 27). The resulting strong winds and catastrophic record flooding caused massive
devastation and knocked out power, internet service, cable service, and cell phone service
in our area for several days.
2410.00 The October 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was supposed to be an away mission
to the North Carolina Arboretum, but this month (instead of foul weather last month) we had
to cancel the away mission due to damage caused by flooding and Hurricane Helene; we had a
Star Trek Watch Party instead on October 26. We watched 3 Star Trek Original Series
episodes (Journey to Babel, Catspaw, and A Piece of the Action) and played a game (Yahtzee).
We also discussed November's and December's meetings - November will be a Star Trek Watch
Party, and December will be an away mission to the NC Winter Lights Christmas lights display.
Alaric members met in person at a member's home on October 12 for a day of sharing and games.
After a pizza meal, we had a science discussion of the "perfect storm" combination of
topography and synoptic weather pattern (frontal rains and then Helene) that caused so much
devastation in western North Carolina. After the science discussion, we played a game
(Settlers of Catan: Cities & Knights) and watched an episode of the TV series, The Champions
(The Dark Island).
During October, the USS Alaric (along with the rest of western North Carolina) assessed
the damages caused by the wind and rain of Hurricane Helene and the frontal and pre-frontal
rains that preceded the storm. Several Alaric members experienced property damage, but no
reports of personal injury were received. By the end of October, most members have power
and other services restored, except potable water for some. But many roads in the region
are still unusable and damaged businesses are still closed - the devastation caused by the
storm across WNC is extensive and will take many months to repair.
2411.00 The November 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was a Star Trek Watch Party
on November 23. We watched 4 episodes (Star Trek Original Series: The Enterprise Incident,
STTNG: Face of the Enemy, and Star Trek Lower Decks: A few Badgeys More and Hear All,
Trust Nothing). Alaric members met in person at a member's home on November 16 for a day
of sharing and games. After a taco meal, we had a science discussion of NASA's Europa
Clipper Mission, then played two games -- World Wise Geography: Asian Realm card game,
and Mexican Train Dominoes.
2412.00 The December 2024 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was an away mission to the
North Carolina Arboretum's Winter Lights event on December 21. The Arboretum grounds
were damaged by the late September Hurricane Helene storm system. The facility's nature
trails were still closed (due to tree damage), but they were able to effect repairs
sufficiently to host this year's annual Christmas light event, which we thoroughly
enjoyed. Alaric members met in person at a member's home on December 14 for a day of
sharing and games. After a pizza meal, we had a science discussion of planet GJ9827d,
which is believed to have a steam atmosphere ("The first known steam world makes its
debut", Science News, 11-16-2024), then played three games -- Mexican Train Dominoes,
Star Trek Uno, and Blinded By Science Trivia Game - and watched an episode of "The
Great Christmas Light Fight". Recovery from Hurricane Helene damage continues for some
members; otherwise, no other problems of note. The Alaric's CO retired December 28 after
a 42-year career with NOAA. Efforts are underway to catch up on personal/STARFLEET email
and figure out what to do for the next 42 years. Most Alaric members have full schedules,
which limits their time for club activities.
2501.00 A new logo for the USS Alaric was prepared that is compliant with the new standards; it
was submitted to Region One and STARFLEET webmasters to replace the current logo on the
chapter listing websites. An Alaric ship article ("Climate Catastrophe Strikes WNC")
was submitted to the STARFLEET Communique. The January 2025 regular monthly meeting of
the USS Alaric was a Star Trek Watch Party held at the South Buncombe Branch Library
meeting room on January 18. We watched two episodes of Star Trek Enterprise
("Affliction" and "Divergence") and the pilot episode ("Beachhead") of The Invaders.
2502.00 The February 2025 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was a Star Trek Watch
Party that was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room on February 15.
We watched three Star Trek episodes which included STTOS: This Side of Paradise,
STTNG: Relics, and Star Trek Short Treks: Q&A. During the official business part
of the meeting, the Alaric Council approved (1) the Alaric's new web page
(https://scienlaric.com/alaric/uss-alaric.html) with slight modifications, (2) the
new chapter logo, and (3) the new ship graphics (the logo and ship graphics had to
be changed to meet STARFLEET and Paramount compliance issues). The 2025 Region One
Summit and other possible away missions for this year were also discussed. Alaric
members met in person at a member's home on February 8 for a day of sharing and games.
After a taco meal, the CO read to the group an Alaric article that he submitted to the
Starfleet Communique ("Climate Catastrophe Strikes WNC"). We then played two games --
Phase 10 and Worldwise: A Geography Card Game-Americas Edition.
2503.00 The March 2025 regular monthly meeting of the USS Alaric was a Star Trek Watch Party
that was held at the South Buncombe Branch Library meeting room on March 22. The
meeting started with a brief business meeting wherein CO Richard Heim announced the
upcoming Region One Summit and discussed possible future away missions, the April
meeting, ranks, and that the biennial Alaric officer elections will be held this
summer. Then we watched three Star Trek episodes which included ST Enterprise: The
Aenar, ST Strange New Worlds: Quality of Mercy, and Star Trek Short Treks: The Trouble
With Edward. CO Heim distributed by email three science articles: Can Earth's Rotation
Generate Electricity?; Curiosity rover detects long-chain carbon molecules on Mars --
Fatty acid byproducts could be the remains of microbes, or not; and Dark energy might
not be constant after all. Alaric members met in person at a member's home on March 8
for a day of sharing and games. After a pizza meal, we discussed a Nature Astronomy
article, "A Deep-Learning Search for Technosignatures of 820 Nearby Stars". We then
played two games - Star Wars The Game of Life: A Jedi's Path and Skip-Bo - and watched
an episode (The Happily Ever Afters) of The Librarians. As the month ended, the Alaric
acquired a SFMC Marine Strike Group unit, the 102nd "Gray Hawks".
The WebsiteOut transporter logs indicate that you are life-form number
to beam aboard this page since November 17, 2018.
