Dammit man, I'm an illustrator, not a draftsman!!!
CIVILIAN LIFE:
Q1. Name: Hillary
I have a bad case of TLDR in my posts, so many pardons to all who prefer short answers!!
Q2. How did you find out about Elite of the Fleet? Through rotae and sparkly_stuff and ladylucius posting about it. :)
Q3. When did you first become interested in Star Trek? Years and years ago- I suppose I was about eleven or so, and when Next Generation would come on, I would sit and watch it for hours. It usually would be marathons, so I'd get a good dosing of the show. I never watched new episodes, just reruns. Some of the premises were ridiculous, some rather sad, some rather rad- I enjoyed how it could be anything from funny to tragic and anything from a sci-fi to a western thanks to the hologram deck.
Q4. Why have you decided to join Elite of the Fleet? I have never pursued Star Trek in a 'fan' way- EVER. I don't own anything related to Star Trek I have never read fanfiction of it, and rarely look at fanart of it- I just have watched it in many different forms and not talked to anyone about it. Not anyone. I can hold my silence no longer!!! It would be such a pleasant change to get to discuss the characters, get more familiar with the original series (which I have seen very little of, but the new movie made me feel like I was definitely missing out) and be involved in a community after the closing of hogwarts_elite. I'm Hillary, and I've been a closet Trekkie for 13 years. D8
Q5. Who is your favourite Star Trek character?
Not an easy question by any means! There are so many series and movies, that it makes it very hard for me to chose just one. Jean Luc Picard of The Next Generation (TNG) rates quite high. Besides being a truly good person, great leader, and intelligent, he will sometimes sing in his wonderful baritone, and the fact that he doesn't take himself seriously all the time is charming. I am a huge fan of McCoy from the new film: he really is great with his mix of heart, humor, practicality, and smarts.
In the end, though, my very favorite is Worf (TNG). He is a character with so many aspects to his personality that I always am fascinated when he is onscreen. Will we be dealing with Worf the Warrior? The Lover? The Friend? You never know, because he is so multi-faceted. He seems the type to hate anything remotely sentimental being a stalwart warrior who doesn't like the idea of giving affection to a cat, but then gets reved up talking about how much he enjoys romantic poems with his mates. These are the kind of divergences that make him so interesting to me. He seems one-dimentional at first glance, but he SO isn't.
Perhaps my love of Disney's Beauty and the Beast propagated my initial admiration for him, as he was very much like Beast for me. He is gruff, a bit prideful, and has a rage and torment deep within him- but along with this he is also warm, accessible, and has very real feelings that are almost primal, but also more human than he'd ever like to admit. I like the duality there is with Worf. He has the ability to make me laugh, tear up, and get really angry at him for being so stubborn- sometimes just in one episode. I get a kick out of the episodes centering around him (the exceptions being the episodes dealing with his son, Alexander- especially as a young child. He was like Cousin Oliver from the The Brady Bunch- blech.)
Honor is deeply important to Worf culturally, as it is very ingrained in the Klingon way of life, but he has the veracity to have his very own brand of honor to adhere to. He almost always ends up doing what is right and honorable by his own standards, and is pretty good at not giving in to the pressure to conform. I mean, he is the only Klingon in Star Fleet (at one point in time), and he is able to balance his cultural heritage with his own beliefs in a way I really admire. The rift between his people and himself is a hard one to bare, but he still remains true to Star Fleet, despite the pressures he repeatedly faces to leave them for his people. He is also capable, funny in his dry very serious way (his reactions make me laugh out loud more than any other character in Star Trek). He is admirable and adorable all at once. All this, and he comes with a fairly epic story arc as well. I just have a real admiration for a character who is so complex, but grounded in decency, intelligence, honor and a gruff exterior, and who can inspire such different reactions from me.
Q6. And the least?
Neelix from Voyager. I think I am supposed to find him endearing in his chipper moods, and sympathize with his darker moods. I don't. He has the habit of letting his darker moods infect everything he does, and effect everyone around him. He has had a number of episodes where he has some sort of self-exploritory quandary about his beliefs, or his jealousy etc. and lets his fears and uncertainties turn him into a real monster at these times. He was very selfish whenever in his darker moods.
In some episodes he is moody to the point of seeming schizophrenic, is selfish in that he doesn't think beyond his own feelings on a matter until convinced by many others that his actions and the way he is displaying his emotional roller-coaster could have negative effects, and generally seems to be a character that doesn't contribute much to the well being of the ship (though, for some reason, the show keeps having people say he does, when in real life, I don't think he'd have any friends willing to put up with his extreme mood swings and believe he would be fired from his job long ago due to inconsistency.) He needs more attentions paid to him than a moody six year old who was denied candy at the grocery store. If he were a character who, despite his emotional neediness, accomplished anything beyond cooking meals no one likes very much, perhaps I would have a different opinion on him. As it is, I find that he is a character who is too selfish and useless to have much interest in, and dislike episodes centering around him where I feel like he is being foisted upon me in a constant barrage. I would not want to have to deal with him. I know, he is supposed to be an endearing character, what with him trying to get Vulcans to cheer up and dance, and that horribly busy suit he wears is rather comical, but I can not respect him beyond human decency. He is deeply flawed, without the benefit of other traits that make him well respected by me. When he is supposed to be amusing, I'm not laughing, and when he is supposed to be tormented, I want to change the channel. He never felt like a naturally developed character, and his 'different sides' seemed like they were written on postits and randomly put together with a bit of tape before being applied to the character. I also find him unintelligent, untalented, and generally useless. Wow, I was harsh. D8
Q7. Which television (or film) series is your favourite? I have two.
My favorite series, mostly due to it being the one I grew up with, was The Next Generation. I really like the main cast, love the exploits they get up to, and the weird moments where they will break out into song or have Picard playing a pipe. It's such a wacky show, really, with funny and interesting characters.
I also really love the new JJ Abrahms movie. It had a lot of the wackiness I love in Star Trek, had great fight sequences, made Star Trek really kick ass- because, in my opinion, I always like Star Trek, but the fights were always a bit lame and 'un-epic' for me. This upped the ante and brought together all the aspects I liked of Star Trek, but while adding awesome effects and believable fights and battles. I love how they were able to bring such heart to the stories, as well. Very well-rounded film.
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STARFLEET LIFE:
Q8. What do you hope to gain from your service in Starfleet?
I hope to have fun times with some old friends, and some new, and get more familiar with the worlds of Star Trek I haven't explored yet (namely the original series, and perhaps Enterprise as I am unfamiliar with the second, and have only seen a few episodes of the original series.)
Q9. Is there any occupation in Starfleet you feel you would be particularly unsuited for?
Ship Engineer. I am not a numbers kind of person, and though I can program a VCR ok, I find no pleasure in it. Putting electronics together, having to be the numbers person making things function like that... Ick. I have friends that are inclined to that, and they love to get into the science of how things work and then start spouting off geeky math facts. It just isn't my thing. I have never been a math person.
Q10. The four current Academic Tracks at the Academy are Tactics, Operations, Exploratory Sciences and Medical Sciences. Describe how you could be an asset to each of these departments.
Tactical:
I have the ability to easily lead and organize, an example happening last year: The electricity went out at the restaurant I worked at. It was our new Manager's first day, and he was clueless as to what to do. I ended up becoming the de facto manager, organizing everyone, coming up with our new strategy to take orders, have customers make payments etc. and was successful, while keeping the morale high and not making the manager feel thwarted. I am able to be decisive, while taking all opinions into account and consider myself a fair person. I also like teaching others, and typically would be the one to train people how to do their job when they were newbies. I tend to be able to take a group of different minded individuals and help them come to decisions and do something. It's fun getting people organized! But I have no sense of direction- I get lost in my home town all the time.
Operations:
I can be highly organized at times (have a deep love of spreadsheets and love labeling and organizing things) and love meeting new people and finding out all about them. I am naturally curious, and have varied interests, which makes me find people fascinating creatures I really want to get to know better. I am fairly apt at getting along with different groups of people, and have friends from all over. I also love entertaining others and making sure they are fed and contended (I turn into freaking Martha Stewart when company is over- food food food.) Attending to others' needs is some that comes naturally to me (I am now a nanny for the 3rd time in five years.) I have a family that has a lot of tears in it, through divorce and plain arguments, but I get along with every single member very well, and even manage to bring them all together for events.
Exploratory Sciences:
Though not very gifted with science classes (mostly the ones involving scary math!!), I enjoy exploring and learning about all the flora and fauna and cultures wherever I go. I like to poke and prod critters, and find out the weird little things they get up to, and study their reactions. When at the beach the other day I spent hours in the tidepools, finding shells to collect, poking at the little anemones (who, btw, cover themselves in shells and tiny rocks when the tide goes out so they won't be eaten! Very neat!) I spend hours researching all sorts of things for fun. I watch History, Discovery and Animal Planet with relish, and love getting to draw and interact with critters. I am more about experiencing, than sitting down and putting it down into numbers- but I really do love learning about all there is out there.
Medical:
I like to google birth defects, diseases, and cranial deformities in my spare time. I'm not sure why, but I really love that sort of stuff. When someone has a fever, or a pain, I am usually the first to give them some remedies, tell them what vitamins they should consider taking, how to rest their knee or whatever etc. I'm a mothering sort of person, and feel it would help me in this when combined with my organization, interest in people's needs, and my huge interest in the human body. I am very good at 'reading' other people, and enjoy helping them get things figured out. I can relate to people easily due to questions I would ask, and my hands-on approach. If not for the arts, I would consider psychology for my major, as the motivations and actions of others interests me quite a lot, and I love helping people. I love analyzing people too.
Q11. What are your top five strengths?
01. I am curious
I have varied interests, and have a love of learning that has never ebbed. How does that work? Why did that happen? Where do you come from? What are you planning on doing with that ax? I want to know about every little detail of different eras, know about the mating habits of squirrells, and know each orchestral part of Mozart's Dies Irae from his Requiem. Why? I don't know.
I am a self-proclaimed font of useless information, and it is something I quite like, and it helps me never be bored.
02. I am caring
I love people, and want to make sure that everyone is happy, well-fed, and entertained. I also like to make sure they are doing well in everything else, and go out of my way to help them feel more secure- like if I notice that some stranger looks unhappy, I'll look at them, try to find something positive to give them a compliment on. I did this the other day with a lady at the mail office. She was frowning and unpleasant looking, so I noted how pretty her engagement ring was- and what do you know, she started smiling and talking with me. It changed my mood and hers considerably. Good day!
03. I am creative
I paint, sing, play the piano, write, love to decorate, cook etc. I like creating things, and have always been known for my active (see overactive) imagination. I also use my creativity to help tackle problems as well. I am artsy fartsy and love to find new ways to look at things. :) For someone creative, I should have a better answer for this strength...
04. I am practical
I am a very down-to-earth individual. I seem dramatic (and am) in my expression of things (thank you years of musical theatre), but what I say is all based in something highly logical for me. I don't frivolously spend money, I am able to clearly see the pros and cons in a situation, and this practicality helps me keep things in order, and keep life quite chill. It also makes me a good for counseling others, as I can clearly asses a situation and then sum it up for others, which helps them reach a decision with more confidence than before.
05. I am fun
After all that 'organized and practical' stuff, and the massive amount of words I use, I might come off as a boring pencil-pusher, but I'm actually quite fun, I think! I get all spazzamy (totally a word) and hyper about things I'm excited about, love to tell funny stories, sing songs and get other people laughing and entertained. I love to be engaged with others (perhaps its just that built in 'entertainer' in me.)
Q12. What are your top five weaknesses?
01. Too honest
I am too honest. I say things very bluntly at times. If people knew everything in my mind they'd see how delicate I actually am being, but I still can't conceal my 'biggest' thoughts well. I am an open book- which is weird and offputting to many. I'm not the 'talk about the weather' sort of person- and for some people, that's odd how willing I am to share my thoughts and opinions and life with others. I'm like one of those people from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (everyone in my giant family is.) We're all way too frank for our own good and need muzzles so we don't offend people. I'm not plain rude and telling people horrible things about themselves- I'm more just open about everything in me, and can't lie to save my life.
02. Too aggressive
Not online, really, as I am much more cool, collected and distant- but in real life, I am far too gregarious for my own good. It can be a problem when I'm interacting with shy folk, as I'll be so friendly and outgoing that I frighten the poor dears. So sometimes I accidentally overrun people. I really don't mean to, but I will overwhelm people with how direct I am. It's something I work on constantly, but fear I need to work on even harder.
03. Too perfectionistic
I would rather not do something at all than do it poorly. This is the worst attitude in the world to have! It can be good, but in the end it has caused me so many problems. I can see all the faults in everything, so it takes much more work and time for me to accomplish something I'm truly proud of. I will spend hours wasted on minutiae, trying to get them just 'so' and will make myself quite upset over the little things. This also can make me far too critical of others- but mostly myself. And because I can already see all the cracks in my armor, I don't like them being pointed out and can't take criticism as well as I would like.
04. Too inconsistent
I can be unreliable when it comes to arriving on time and getting things done in a timely manner. This is something I am really ashamed of, as those are things that mean the most to me, but I am not good at them. It is bad for others, and for my own state of mind.
05. Too loud
I am loud. Terribly loud. I don't even realize it until someone will say something to me, or complain about my volume. I have very bad hearing, come from a giant loud family, and was trained in musical theatre to project- bad combination which annoys others, and embarrasses me, as I always aim to be polite, but this is a big no-no when it comes to decorum.
Q13. What is your biggest fear?
That I won't be liked by others and thus will eventually be abandoned by them. I don't think that requires more explanation, really. I feel at home having a few good people to depend upon. When those precious few leave me for whatever reason, it feels like my home has been shattered and it really hits me hard, thus I fear it happening, as it is the one thing that can most rattle me and leave me ineffectual.
Q14. Do you consider yourself to be a leader, or a follower?
I think of myself as NOT a follower- but don't know that I'm a true leader, either. I am rather bold in making sure things go how I think they should. I go my own path, and have never been easily influenced by others, or prone to just following others' leads. I suppose I am a bit of a leader, reflecting on my past. As a child I typically would be the one to decide the game we are playing or come up with some new imagination game for us- but then after I would set the premise, I would let others be in charge of the game itself, as I more wanted to structure the play than lead the entire thing. As I grow older, I'm still very much like that. I prefer there to be a balance of power, where I exercise my strength in perfecting what they started with and carrying it out, or being the one to come up with the actions we'll all be doing, asking for input, taking everyone's opinions into account, then leading them to come to a quick conclusion. I get along best with others who are either decisive but invite input, are co-leaders, or followers. I don't do well with people who want me to blindly follow them and won't listen to my opinion or advice.
Q15. What do you admire the most in your peers?
I admire a sense of self, cleverness, and good-heartedness. I admire those who are thoughtful, who are intelligent, and who are brave enough to go their own way.
I also am a huge admirer of hard-working people. I sometimes wish I was as hard-working as my friends, and can see that instead of resting on their potential, they work hard to achieve what they want to. I also admire talent- especially talent that is actively being used.
Q16. You are stranded on a Class M planet that has not been mapped by The Federation. You are only allowed to choose two of the following items to keep with you: a phaser, a tricorder or a communicator. Which two would you choose to have?
A communicator and a tricorder. I was tempted to leave the tricorder and take the phaser, but then I realized that the tricorder would be much more important to survival than a phaser. I wasn't sure what kind of tricorder you meant, but realize that in this scenario it could be whatever kind I want. Let's pretend it all at once is a medical one, is able to tell me what plants I can eat, and able to tell me about my surroundings and the creatures around me. That would be a source of important knowledge- like having Bear from Man Vs. Wild at your side! Very necessary!
Next, a communicator would be needed for sure. Why? Well, if I ever want to get off said Class M planet, or communicate with others on the planet, it sure would be handy to have, yes? I wouldn't have the tools to build one, most likely.
Phaser not AS necessary, because the planet most likely would have something I could turn into a weapon, and I would have the tricorder to help me with that as well, as far as helping me find the resource I need.
Q17. Please describe your understanding of the Federation’s Prime Directive.
It is that they not interfere with planets, people, pre-warp eras and cultures by giving them any knowledge of technology, other planets or timelines. This is much like any person sent into a foreign place to understand it- whether a foreign culture, or animals- it is important as a person of study not to unduly influence it and leave it as you discovered it so that it may develop naturally, and so that you won't influence it in one way or the other. This is a hands-off approach that is an important one to uphold, in order for there to be balance, and not force a place to unnaturally shift.
I can see why people might have a problem with it, but in general its quite practical and quite an ingenious invention. At the same time, one has to wonder if it is natural for things to interact planet to planet, era to era without being completely honest of origins and keeping information from eachother- which makes the Borg make sense, in that they don't want to keep technology and knowledge from spreading- but with the problem that they want all individuality and different levels of technology to be relinquished and replaced by only their vision of how all worlds should be. They don't stand for balance, which is what the Prime Directive upholds rather well, in my opinion, though I can see it being annoying not to be able to be honest about your identity and technology that could help others, but don't use due to not wanting to upset the balance of things.
Q18. The United Federation of Planets includes more than 150 member planets, and the galaxy has many more besides. Which planet do you most want to visit?
I find that this is the hardest question out of all of them. Seriously, which of you thought this evil question up?
Basically, I would want to visit every planet that sentient beings who don't want to kill me live on. I love learning about other cultures, getting to experience them as fully as possible, and look at all their art and architecture. I suppose Vulcan would be the first one to come to mind- they are so advanced with math and enlightenment, I'm certain that their architecture would all be quite intricate. As practical and logical as they see themselves, they are also quite up their own arses when it comes to how awesome they are, so I imagine every building having all this annoying symbolism that I would just eat up. They're like the Flemish to me, in how they would go about art. :P
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KOBAYASHI MARU:
Q19. Service in the Fleet can be draining at the best of times, and on one particular day everything seems to have gone wrong. You’re exhausted, but your shift is finally over and it’s time to unwind. Your roommate is already on their bed when you get back to your quarters. Do you:
a. Settle in for a lengthy chat with them - you’d really like to vent about your day and you’d quite like to hear about theirs too. It’s a bit of a ritual by this point anyway. Maybe you’ll even head out to the Rec Hall together to unwind over a card game with the others.
This, of course, depends on my relationship with the roommate, but I usually would settle for a long chat with them, even if we're not close, as a way to become closer. I'm very persistent in trying to get to know and get along with people I'm going to be seeing a lot of, and don't give up until they have made it clear they want nothing to do with me and won't be polite.
Q20. You’ve intercepted what sounds like a pretty important transmission - you feel like the Captain needs to know. When you report, do you:
a. Give them all the facts: what it said, what the voice sounded like, where the inflection was, the language it was in, and so on. Details and facts are the important part, everything else is subjective.
b. Give them the facts, but your interpretation and the way it fits into context is more important. The Captain wasn’t there, after all - the way you explain it could make all the difference.
I would do both, and don't really see how it is an either or type of situation for me. I tend to relay information in a fairly dramatic way, I suppose, where I tell it like a grande tale, do the voices, give details and such- paint the whole picture. I find that between both the straight facts and my interpretation can it come to a clear conclusion, and I can get it across better. I'm not good at sticking with just one option and not having it come across as incomplete to me, and perhaps others. I tend to tell things quote for quote when it's important- details and interpretation! :)
Q21. There are many decisions to be made in Starfleet, and some are harder than others. Faced with a decision where things could go wrong in any number of ways, do you:
a. Stay impersonal and objective. Weigh up the pros and cons, think out all the possibilities, and focus on the basic truths. A careful analysis of the situation will reveal the best possible choice, even though some may not approve of it.
When it comes to important decisions where there are many cons, I like to keep it impersonal, and just do whatever I find is logically the most sound, will have the best outcome for all, with the least amount of unnecessary time or effort spent. I have had this become a problem when others didn't agree that my method was the best and wanted it done their way, despite my methods being perfectly sound, and more efficient and having no negative effect on anything but their egos. Sometimes people put a lot of emotion into decisions and choices, and though I understand it, I find it annoying when its about 'serious matters.' Your personal feelings I will respect, but you should respectfully put them aside and think of what is the best course of action due to logic, and not thrust your emotions onto others or let them cloud your judgement.
Q22. The day-to-day life of Starfleet can be quite arduous at times, and quite exciting at others. Everyone has their own way of approaching everyday work, but would others see your approach as:
a. Planned and orderly. You seem to prefer to have decisions made and matters settled, rather than hanging over your head. You appear comfortable when in control over such matters. You seem to be task-oriented, and plan ahead.
I sometimes come across as willynilly, flying by the seat of my pants etc. as I am good at losing track of time, but I am decidedly not organized like that in my mind. I hate uncertainty. There is nothing exciting about it, really- I get excited about results, or the knowledge that results will come about- not knowing drives me insane. It's not that I hate adventure- I quite like the unexpected- but I find that to be very different from uncertainty.
I think people know I like things settled, as I am always the one saying 'ok, see you in approximately nine minutes', or saying 'Alright, but what time would you like to meet?' I have friends who like saying they will arrive between 3 and 5- I prefer it when they settle on an actual number, so I can have my house properly ready for them and time it all out so that I have all the candles lit and food prepared.
Q23. You can earn 5 points for your future Track by promoting the community in your Journal. Please link the post here if you wish to do so:
[link]
Q1. Name: Hillary
I have a bad case of TLDR in my posts, so many pardons to all who prefer short answers!!
Q2. How did you find out about Elite of the Fleet? Through rotae and sparkly_stuff and ladylucius posting about it. :)
Q3. When did you first become interested in Star Trek? Years and years ago- I suppose I was about eleven or so, and when Next Generation would come on, I would sit and watch it for hours. It usually would be marathons, so I'd get a good dosing of the show. I never watched new episodes, just reruns. Some of the premises were ridiculous, some rather sad, some rather rad- I enjoyed how it could be anything from funny to tragic and anything from a sci-fi to a western thanks to the hologram deck.
Q4. Why have you decided to join Elite of the Fleet? I have never pursued Star Trek in a 'fan' way- EVER. I don't own anything related to Star Trek I have never read fanfiction of it, and rarely look at fanart of it- I just have watched it in many different forms and not talked to anyone about it. Not anyone. I can hold my silence no longer!!! It would be such a pleasant change to get to discuss the characters, get more familiar with the original series (which I have seen very little of, but the new movie made me feel like I was definitely missing out) and be involved in a community after the closing of hogwarts_elite. I'm Hillary, and I've been a closet Trekkie for 13 years. D8
Q5. Who is your favourite Star Trek character?
Not an easy question by any means! There are so many series and movies, that it makes it very hard for me to chose just one. Jean Luc Picard of The Next Generation (TNG) rates quite high. Besides being a truly good person, great leader, and intelligent, he will sometimes sing in his wonderful baritone, and the fact that he doesn't take himself seriously all the time is charming. I am a huge fan of McCoy from the new film: he really is great with his mix of heart, humor, practicality, and smarts.
In the end, though, my very favorite is Worf (TNG). He is a character with so many aspects to his personality that I always am fascinated when he is onscreen. Will we be dealing with Worf the Warrior? The Lover? The Friend? You never know, because he is so multi-faceted. He seems the type to hate anything remotely sentimental being a stalwart warrior who doesn't like the idea of giving affection to a cat, but then gets reved up talking about how much he enjoys romantic poems with his mates. These are the kind of divergences that make him so interesting to me. He seems one-dimentional at first glance, but he SO isn't.
Perhaps my love of Disney's Beauty and the Beast propagated my initial admiration for him, as he was very much like Beast for me. He is gruff, a bit prideful, and has a rage and torment deep within him- but along with this he is also warm, accessible, and has very real feelings that are almost primal, but also more human than he'd ever like to admit. I like the duality there is with Worf. He has the ability to make me laugh, tear up, and get really angry at him for being so stubborn- sometimes just in one episode. I get a kick out of the episodes centering around him (the exceptions being the episodes dealing with his son, Alexander- especially as a young child. He was like Cousin Oliver from the The Brady Bunch- blech.)
Honor is deeply important to Worf culturally, as it is very ingrained in the Klingon way of life, but he has the veracity to have his very own brand of honor to adhere to. He almost always ends up doing what is right and honorable by his own standards, and is pretty good at not giving in to the pressure to conform. I mean, he is the only Klingon in Star Fleet (at one point in time), and he is able to balance his cultural heritage with his own beliefs in a way I really admire. The rift between his people and himself is a hard one to bare, but he still remains true to Star Fleet, despite the pressures he repeatedly faces to leave them for his people. He is also capable, funny in his dry very serious way (his reactions make me laugh out loud more than any other character in Star Trek). He is admirable and adorable all at once. All this, and he comes with a fairly epic story arc as well. I just have a real admiration for a character who is so complex, but grounded in decency, intelligence, honor and a gruff exterior, and who can inspire such different reactions from me.
Q6. And the least?
Neelix from Voyager. I think I am supposed to find him endearing in his chipper moods, and sympathize with his darker moods. I don't. He has the habit of letting his darker moods infect everything he does, and effect everyone around him. He has had a number of episodes where he has some sort of self-exploritory quandary about his beliefs, or his jealousy etc. and lets his fears and uncertainties turn him into a real monster at these times. He was very selfish whenever in his darker moods.
In some episodes he is moody to the point of seeming schizophrenic, is selfish in that he doesn't think beyond his own feelings on a matter until convinced by many others that his actions and the way he is displaying his emotional roller-coaster could have negative effects, and generally seems to be a character that doesn't contribute much to the well being of the ship (though, for some reason, the show keeps having people say he does, when in real life, I don't think he'd have any friends willing to put up with his extreme mood swings and believe he would be fired from his job long ago due to inconsistency.) He needs more attentions paid to him than a moody six year old who was denied candy at the grocery store. If he were a character who, despite his emotional neediness, accomplished anything beyond cooking meals no one likes very much, perhaps I would have a different opinion on him. As it is, I find that he is a character who is too selfish and useless to have much interest in, and dislike episodes centering around him where I feel like he is being foisted upon me in a constant barrage. I would not want to have to deal with him. I know, he is supposed to be an endearing character, what with him trying to get Vulcans to cheer up and dance, and that horribly busy suit he wears is rather comical, but I can not respect him beyond human decency. He is deeply flawed, without the benefit of other traits that make him well respected by me. When he is supposed to be amusing, I'm not laughing, and when he is supposed to be tormented, I want to change the channel. He never felt like a naturally developed character, and his 'different sides' seemed like they were written on postits and randomly put together with a bit of tape before being applied to the character. I also find him unintelligent, untalented, and generally useless. Wow, I was harsh. D8
Q7. Which television (or film) series is your favourite? I have two.
My favorite series, mostly due to it being the one I grew up with, was The Next Generation. I really like the main cast, love the exploits they get up to, and the weird moments where they will break out into song or have Picard playing a pipe. It's such a wacky show, really, with funny and interesting characters.
I also really love the new JJ Abrahms movie. It had a lot of the wackiness I love in Star Trek, had great fight sequences, made Star Trek really kick ass- because, in my opinion, I always like Star Trek, but the fights were always a bit lame and 'un-epic' for me. This upped the ante and brought together all the aspects I liked of Star Trek, but while adding awesome effects and believable fights and battles. I love how they were able to bring such heart to the stories, as well. Very well-rounded film.
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STARFLEET LIFE:
Q8. What do you hope to gain from your service in Starfleet?
I hope to have fun times with some old friends, and some new, and get more familiar with the worlds of Star Trek I haven't explored yet (namely the original series, and perhaps Enterprise as I am unfamiliar with the second, and have only seen a few episodes of the original series.)
Q9. Is there any occupation in Starfleet you feel you would be particularly unsuited for?
Ship Engineer. I am not a numbers kind of person, and though I can program a VCR ok, I find no pleasure in it. Putting electronics together, having to be the numbers person making things function like that... Ick. I have friends that are inclined to that, and they love to get into the science of how things work and then start spouting off geeky math facts. It just isn't my thing. I have never been a math person.
Q10. The four current Academic Tracks at the Academy are Tactics, Operations, Exploratory Sciences and Medical Sciences. Describe how you could be an asset to each of these departments.
Tactical:
I have the ability to easily lead and organize, an example happening last year: The electricity went out at the restaurant I worked at. It was our new Manager's first day, and he was clueless as to what to do. I ended up becoming the de facto manager, organizing everyone, coming up with our new strategy to take orders, have customers make payments etc. and was successful, while keeping the morale high and not making the manager feel thwarted. I am able to be decisive, while taking all opinions into account and consider myself a fair person. I also like teaching others, and typically would be the one to train people how to do their job when they were newbies. I tend to be able to take a group of different minded individuals and help them come to decisions and do something. It's fun getting people organized! But I have no sense of direction- I get lost in my home town all the time.
Operations:
I can be highly organized at times (have a deep love of spreadsheets and love labeling and organizing things) and love meeting new people and finding out all about them. I am naturally curious, and have varied interests, which makes me find people fascinating creatures I really want to get to know better. I am fairly apt at getting along with different groups of people, and have friends from all over. I also love entertaining others and making sure they are fed and contended (I turn into freaking Martha Stewart when company is over- food food food.) Attending to others' needs is some that comes naturally to me (I am now a nanny for the 3rd time in five years.) I have a family that has a lot of tears in it, through divorce and plain arguments, but I get along with every single member very well, and even manage to bring them all together for events.
Exploratory Sciences:
Though not very gifted with science classes (mostly the ones involving scary math!!), I enjoy exploring and learning about all the flora and fauna and cultures wherever I go. I like to poke and prod critters, and find out the weird little things they get up to, and study their reactions. When at the beach the other day I spent hours in the tidepools, finding shells to collect, poking at the little anemones (who, btw, cover themselves in shells and tiny rocks when the tide goes out so they won't be eaten! Very neat!) I spend hours researching all sorts of things for fun. I watch History, Discovery and Animal Planet with relish, and love getting to draw and interact with critters. I am more about experiencing, than sitting down and putting it down into numbers- but I really do love learning about all there is out there.
Medical:
I like to google birth defects, diseases, and cranial deformities in my spare time. I'm not sure why, but I really love that sort of stuff. When someone has a fever, or a pain, I am usually the first to give them some remedies, tell them what vitamins they should consider taking, how to rest their knee or whatever etc. I'm a mothering sort of person, and feel it would help me in this when combined with my organization, interest in people's needs, and my huge interest in the human body. I am very good at 'reading' other people, and enjoy helping them get things figured out. I can relate to people easily due to questions I would ask, and my hands-on approach. If not for the arts, I would consider psychology for my major, as the motivations and actions of others interests me quite a lot, and I love helping people. I love analyzing people too.
Q11. What are your top five strengths?
01. I am curious
I have varied interests, and have a love of learning that has never ebbed. How does that work? Why did that happen? Where do you come from? What are you planning on doing with that ax? I want to know about every little detail of different eras, know about the mating habits of squirrells, and know each orchestral part of Mozart's Dies Irae from his Requiem. Why? I don't know.
I am a self-proclaimed font of useless information, and it is something I quite like, and it helps me never be bored.
02. I am caring
I love people, and want to make sure that everyone is happy, well-fed, and entertained. I also like to make sure they are doing well in everything else, and go out of my way to help them feel more secure- like if I notice that some stranger looks unhappy, I'll look at them, try to find something positive to give them a compliment on. I did this the other day with a lady at the mail office. She was frowning and unpleasant looking, so I noted how pretty her engagement ring was- and what do you know, she started smiling and talking with me. It changed my mood and hers considerably. Good day!
03. I am creative
I paint, sing, play the piano, write, love to decorate, cook etc. I like creating things, and have always been known for my active (see overactive) imagination. I also use my creativity to help tackle problems as well. I am artsy fartsy and love to find new ways to look at things. :) For someone creative, I should have a better answer for this strength...
04. I am practical
I am a very down-to-earth individual. I seem dramatic (and am) in my expression of things (thank you years of musical theatre), but what I say is all based in something highly logical for me. I don't frivolously spend money, I am able to clearly see the pros and cons in a situation, and this practicality helps me keep things in order, and keep life quite chill. It also makes me a good for counseling others, as I can clearly asses a situation and then sum it up for others, which helps them reach a decision with more confidence than before.
05. I am fun
After all that 'organized and practical' stuff, and the massive amount of words I use, I might come off as a boring pencil-pusher, but I'm actually quite fun, I think! I get all spazzamy (totally a word) and hyper about things I'm excited about, love to tell funny stories, sing songs and get other people laughing and entertained. I love to be engaged with others (perhaps its just that built in 'entertainer' in me.)
Q12. What are your top five weaknesses?
01. Too honest
I am too honest. I say things very bluntly at times. If people knew everything in my mind they'd see how delicate I actually am being, but I still can't conceal my 'biggest' thoughts well. I am an open book- which is weird and offputting to many. I'm not the 'talk about the weather' sort of person- and for some people, that's odd how willing I am to share my thoughts and opinions and life with others. I'm like one of those people from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (everyone in my giant family is.) We're all way too frank for our own good and need muzzles so we don't offend people. I'm not plain rude and telling people horrible things about themselves- I'm more just open about everything in me, and can't lie to save my life.
02. Too aggressive
Not online, really, as I am much more cool, collected and distant- but in real life, I am far too gregarious for my own good. It can be a problem when I'm interacting with shy folk, as I'll be so friendly and outgoing that I frighten the poor dears. So sometimes I accidentally overrun people. I really don't mean to, but I will overwhelm people with how direct I am. It's something I work on constantly, but fear I need to work on even harder.
03. Too perfectionistic
I would rather not do something at all than do it poorly. This is the worst attitude in the world to have! It can be good, but in the end it has caused me so many problems. I can see all the faults in everything, so it takes much more work and time for me to accomplish something I'm truly proud of. I will spend hours wasted on minutiae, trying to get them just 'so' and will make myself quite upset over the little things. This also can make me far too critical of others- but mostly myself. And because I can already see all the cracks in my armor, I don't like them being pointed out and can't take criticism as well as I would like.
04. Too inconsistent
I can be unreliable when it comes to arriving on time and getting things done in a timely manner. This is something I am really ashamed of, as those are things that mean the most to me, but I am not good at them. It is bad for others, and for my own state of mind.
05. Too loud
I am loud. Terribly loud. I don't even realize it until someone will say something to me, or complain about my volume. I have very bad hearing, come from a giant loud family, and was trained in musical theatre to project- bad combination which annoys others, and embarrasses me, as I always aim to be polite, but this is a big no-no when it comes to decorum.
Q13. What is your biggest fear?
That I won't be liked by others and thus will eventually be abandoned by them. I don't think that requires more explanation, really. I feel at home having a few good people to depend upon. When those precious few leave me for whatever reason, it feels like my home has been shattered and it really hits me hard, thus I fear it happening, as it is the one thing that can most rattle me and leave me ineffectual.
Q14. Do you consider yourself to be a leader, or a follower?
I think of myself as NOT a follower- but don't know that I'm a true leader, either. I am rather bold in making sure things go how I think they should. I go my own path, and have never been easily influenced by others, or prone to just following others' leads. I suppose I am a bit of a leader, reflecting on my past. As a child I typically would be the one to decide the game we are playing or come up with some new imagination game for us- but then after I would set the premise, I would let others be in charge of the game itself, as I more wanted to structure the play than lead the entire thing. As I grow older, I'm still very much like that. I prefer there to be a balance of power, where I exercise my strength in perfecting what they started with and carrying it out, or being the one to come up with the actions we'll all be doing, asking for input, taking everyone's opinions into account, then leading them to come to a quick conclusion. I get along best with others who are either decisive but invite input, are co-leaders, or followers. I don't do well with people who want me to blindly follow them and won't listen to my opinion or advice.
Q15. What do you admire the most in your peers?
I admire a sense of self, cleverness, and good-heartedness. I admire those who are thoughtful, who are intelligent, and who are brave enough to go their own way.
I also am a huge admirer of hard-working people. I sometimes wish I was as hard-working as my friends, and can see that instead of resting on their potential, they work hard to achieve what they want to. I also admire talent- especially talent that is actively being used.
Q16. You are stranded on a Class M planet that has not been mapped by The Federation. You are only allowed to choose two of the following items to keep with you: a phaser, a tricorder or a communicator. Which two would you choose to have?
A communicator and a tricorder. I was tempted to leave the tricorder and take the phaser, but then I realized that the tricorder would be much more important to survival than a phaser. I wasn't sure what kind of tricorder you meant, but realize that in this scenario it could be whatever kind I want. Let's pretend it all at once is a medical one, is able to tell me what plants I can eat, and able to tell me about my surroundings and the creatures around me. That would be a source of important knowledge- like having Bear from Man Vs. Wild at your side! Very necessary!
Next, a communicator would be needed for sure. Why? Well, if I ever want to get off said Class M planet, or communicate with others on the planet, it sure would be handy to have, yes? I wouldn't have the tools to build one, most likely.
Phaser not AS necessary, because the planet most likely would have something I could turn into a weapon, and I would have the tricorder to help me with that as well, as far as helping me find the resource I need.
Q17. Please describe your understanding of the Federation’s Prime Directive.
It is that they not interfere with planets, people, pre-warp eras and cultures by giving them any knowledge of technology, other planets or timelines. This is much like any person sent into a foreign place to understand it- whether a foreign culture, or animals- it is important as a person of study not to unduly influence it and leave it as you discovered it so that it may develop naturally, and so that you won't influence it in one way or the other. This is a hands-off approach that is an important one to uphold, in order for there to be balance, and not force a place to unnaturally shift.
I can see why people might have a problem with it, but in general its quite practical and quite an ingenious invention. At the same time, one has to wonder if it is natural for things to interact planet to planet, era to era without being completely honest of origins and keeping information from eachother- which makes the Borg make sense, in that they don't want to keep technology and knowledge from spreading- but with the problem that they want all individuality and different levels of technology to be relinquished and replaced by only their vision of how all worlds should be. They don't stand for balance, which is what the Prime Directive upholds rather well, in my opinion, though I can see it being annoying not to be able to be honest about your identity and technology that could help others, but don't use due to not wanting to upset the balance of things.
Q18. The United Federation of Planets includes more than 150 member planets, and the galaxy has many more besides. Which planet do you most want to visit?
I find that this is the hardest question out of all of them. Seriously, which of you thought this evil question up?
Basically, I would want to visit every planet that sentient beings who don't want to kill me live on. I love learning about other cultures, getting to experience them as fully as possible, and look at all their art and architecture. I suppose Vulcan would be the first one to come to mind- they are so advanced with math and enlightenment, I'm certain that their architecture would all be quite intricate. As practical and logical as they see themselves, they are also quite up their own arses when it comes to how awesome they are, so I imagine every building having all this annoying symbolism that I would just eat up. They're like the Flemish to me, in how they would go about art. :P
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KOBAYASHI MARU:
Q19. Service in the Fleet can be draining at the best of times, and on one particular day everything seems to have gone wrong. You’re exhausted, but your shift is finally over and it’s time to unwind. Your roommate is already on their bed when you get back to your quarters. Do you:
a. Settle in for a lengthy chat with them - you’d really like to vent about your day and you’d quite like to hear about theirs too. It’s a bit of a ritual by this point anyway. Maybe you’ll even head out to the Rec Hall together to unwind over a card game with the others.
This, of course, depends on my relationship with the roommate, but I usually would settle for a long chat with them, even if we're not close, as a way to become closer. I'm very persistent in trying to get to know and get along with people I'm going to be seeing a lot of, and don't give up until they have made it clear they want nothing to do with me and won't be polite.
Q20. You’ve intercepted what sounds like a pretty important transmission - you feel like the Captain needs to know. When you report, do you:
a. Give them all the facts: what it said, what the voice sounded like, where the inflection was, the language it was in, and so on. Details and facts are the important part, everything else is subjective.
b. Give them the facts, but your interpretation and the way it fits into context is more important. The Captain wasn’t there, after all - the way you explain it could make all the difference.
I would do both, and don't really see how it is an either or type of situation for me. I tend to relay information in a fairly dramatic way, I suppose, where I tell it like a grande tale, do the voices, give details and such- paint the whole picture. I find that between both the straight facts and my interpretation can it come to a clear conclusion, and I can get it across better. I'm not good at sticking with just one option and not having it come across as incomplete to me, and perhaps others. I tend to tell things quote for quote when it's important- details and interpretation! :)
Q21. There are many decisions to be made in Starfleet, and some are harder than others. Faced with a decision where things could go wrong in any number of ways, do you:
a. Stay impersonal and objective. Weigh up the pros and cons, think out all the possibilities, and focus on the basic truths. A careful analysis of the situation will reveal the best possible choice, even though some may not approve of it.
When it comes to important decisions where there are many cons, I like to keep it impersonal, and just do whatever I find is logically the most sound, will have the best outcome for all, with the least amount of unnecessary time or effort spent. I have had this become a problem when others didn't agree that my method was the best and wanted it done their way, despite my methods being perfectly sound, and more efficient and having no negative effect on anything but their egos. Sometimes people put a lot of emotion into decisions and choices, and though I understand it, I find it annoying when its about 'serious matters.' Your personal feelings I will respect, but you should respectfully put them aside and think of what is the best course of action due to logic, and not thrust your emotions onto others or let them cloud your judgement.
Q22. The day-to-day life of Starfleet can be quite arduous at times, and quite exciting at others. Everyone has their own way of approaching everyday work, but would others see your approach as:
a. Planned and orderly. You seem to prefer to have decisions made and matters settled, rather than hanging over your head. You appear comfortable when in control over such matters. You seem to be task-oriented, and plan ahead.
I sometimes come across as willynilly, flying by the seat of my pants etc. as I am good at losing track of time, but I am decidedly not organized like that in my mind. I hate uncertainty. There is nothing exciting about it, really- I get excited about results, or the knowledge that results will come about- not knowing drives me insane. It's not that I hate adventure- I quite like the unexpected- but I find that to be very different from uncertainty.
I think people know I like things settled, as I am always the one saying 'ok, see you in approximately nine minutes', or saying 'Alright, but what time would you like to meet?' I have friends who like saying they will arrive between 3 and 5- I prefer it when they settle on an actual number, so I can have my house properly ready for them and time it all out so that I have all the candles lit and food prepared.
Q23. You can earn 5 points for your future Track by promoting the community in your Journal. Please link the post here if you wish to do so:
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