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NX class
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|Dorsal view of the NX-class vessel Enterprise
|United Earth
Terran Empire
Starfleet (mirror universe)
|Explorer ship
|22nd century
|225 meters
|135.8 meters
|33.3 meters
|80,000 metric tons
|Crew complement:
|Warp 5.2
|12 phase cannons (originally 3);
6 spatial/photonic torpedo launchers;
plasma cannons;
pulsed phase cannons
|Polarized hull plating
|Two NX-class vessels in special maneuvers, Enterprise and Columbia
The NX-class was a type of United Earth starship in Starfleet service during the mid-22nd century. The class is notable for having been the first to be constructed with the warp five engine, allowing Humanity to explore beyond neighboring star systems. The lead ship of the class, Enterprise, was launched in 2151, weeks ahead of schedule, while the second, Columbia, was launched in 2154, after lengthy delays in drydock.
United EarthEdit
The NX-class was conceived of in the early 22nd century as part of the NX Project at the Warp Five Complex: a research and development site on Earth, where Henry Archer, Zefram Cochrane, and Captain W.M. Jefferies, among others, worked on the creation of the warp five engine. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Home"; Enterprise (NX-01) dedication plaque set artwork)
Starships of the NX-class were far more formidable than the freighters that had preceded them. Following the construction of the first starship of the class (the Enterprise NX-01), three more NX-class starships were on the drawing board by August 2151. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Fortunate Son")
NX-01 EnterpriseEdit
Enterprise was launched from the Orbital Drydock Facility on April 12, 2151, under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer. The launch occurred three weeks ahead of schedule because United Earth needed to return the Klingon Klaang to his homeworld. The early launch was strongly protested by the Vulcans, who believed Humanity was not ready to explore space. Ambassador Soval managed to wrangle a concession from Starfleet, forcing the placement of Subcommander T'Pol on Enterprise in exchange for Vulcan star charts. (ENT: "Broken Bow")
The early launch of Enterprise meant that it left spacedock somewhat unprepared: its spatial torpedoes were uncalibrated and its phase cannons weren't even installed. The spatial torpedoes were calibrated in the heat of battle in May of 2151; the ship only survived because of the intervention of the Axanar. (ENT: "Fight or Flight") The phase cannons were not installed until September 2151, while Enterprise battled an unknown enemy. (ENT: "Silent Enemy")
After the Xindi attack on Earth in March of 2153, Enterprise was recalled home. Arriving on April 24th, the ship was refitted and upgraded with new photonic torpedoes, a universal translator update, and a new command center. She was relaunched on a new mission to the Delphic Expanse to search for the Xindi weapon. (ENT: "The Expanse", "The Xindi")
The search for the Xindi was long and perilous, taking almost a year. In February 2154, Enterprise determined the location of the Xindi weapon and arrived in the Azati Prime system. (ENT: "Stratagem", "Azati Prime") There, the ship suffered severe damage due to multiple attacking Xindi ships. The primary warp coil was destroyed, damage that required drastic actions on the part of Captain Archer to repair. (ENT: "Damage")
Enterprise accomplished its mission to destroy the Xindi weapon and was returned to Earth by a Xindi-Aquatic cruiser following the end of the mission, though it made a slight detour to an alternate timeline's 1944 with the help of Daniels, where the vessel's crew managed to stop Vosk and bring an end to the Temporal Cold War. (ENT: "Zero Hour", "Storm Front", "Storm Front, Part II")
After returning to its own timeline, Enterprise continued to serve the United Earth Starfleet for another seven years. The vessel was decommissioned in 2161. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")
NX-02 ColumbiaEdit
At the time of the Xindi attack on Earth in 2153, the second NX-class starship, Columbia, was still under construction. In November 2154, Columbia was launched under the command of Captain Erika Hernandez. (ENT: "The Expanse", "Affliction")
Compared to the class prototype, Enterprise, Columbia's hull polarization was improved by twelve percent. Furthermore, the ship possessed ventral and dorsal photonic torpedo launchers as well as pulsed phase cannons. Another improvement was that the bridge stations were directly tied into the primary EPS junction. (ENT: "Home")
In November of 2154, Columbia was stuck in drydock with engine trouble, delaying the ship's launch, and rendering it unable to assist Enterprise during a large-scale orchestrated hunt for the Romulan drone-ship. (ENT: "United")
In late 2154, the vessel's engine troubles were fixed upon the transfer of Enterprise engineer Charles Tucker to Columbia, allowing the vessel to be launched in November of that year. (ENT: "Affliction")
Mirror universeEdit
In the mirror universe, NX-class battle cruisers were the pride of the Terran Starfleet, with vessels such as the ISS Enterprise and ISS Avenger serving as the flagships of fleets. They were slightly more advanced than the vessels of United Earth, a result of the application of stolen Vulcan technology taken from the T'Plana-Hath in 2063. These vessels primarily used plasma cannons and photonic torpedoes in battle, though they did carry phase cannons as well. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly", "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")
Alternate realityEdit
In 2259 of the alternate reality, a miniature of an NX-class starship was displayed in Admiral Alexander Marcus' office on Earth. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
Technical dataEdit
Physical arrangementEdit
The NX-class consisted of a habitable saucer module that contained seven decks (lettered A through G) and a symmetrical warp field governor located just aft of the saucer section, that regulated the warp field shape that would otherwise break apart at higher warp factors. Two half-decks were inserted between D and E deck, as well as between E and F deck. These contained plasma conduits and access tunnels.
Propulsion systemsEdit
NX-class ships achieved warp flight through two warp nacelles, which housed multiple pairs of warp coils. Maximum speed was warp 5.2, and the NX-class was the first Earth vessel to achieve warp 5.06. (ENT: "Babel One", "Affliction") Standard cruising speed was warp 4.5. (ENT: "Broken Bow") A retrofitted Enterprise from an alternate timeline was theoretically able to reach warp 6.9 for short intervals. (ENT: "E²") There were two fairing impulse engines, mounted on the aft of the pylons leading to the warp nacelles. The navigational deflector was mounted on the front of the saucer module.
Tactical systemsEdit
Initially, in 2151, the NX-class starships were designed to carry three phase cannons as the primary weapons of the ship. (ENT: "Silent Enemy") While these were powerful weapons by Human standards at the time, they were still considered to be "low-yield" particle cannons by the Klingons of the era. (ENT: "Judgment") The ship was also fitted with plasma cannons and spatial torpedoes that also turned out to be mostly less than effective in combat. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Fight or Flight") Later on, the NX-class weapon systems were upgraded to include several more phase cannons. In 2153, photonic torpedoes were installed and improved pulsed phase cannons were developed by 2154. (ENT: "The Expanse", "Home")
The defensive systems of the NX-class were also not as advanced as those of other races at the time. Instead of deflector shields and tractor beams, the NX-class was equipped with polarized hull plating and grapplers.
Shuttlecraft systemsEdit
Located mainly on E Deck was the launch bay. The pressurized sector of the bay – limited to E deck – contained the launch bay control room, while the launch bay itself, on F deck, was where the two shuttlepods were docked. A magnetic docking arm extended from the launch bay's ceiling to lower or raise a shuttlepod upon arrival or departure of the craft. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Fight or Flight")
Interior designEdit
- For deck configuration, see NX class decks.
Command bridgeEdit
The bridge was the nerve center of every starship. The commanding officer of an NX-class starship sat in the center of the circular-shaped room, surrounded by the duty stations of their science and communications officers to the left, the helmsman in front, and the security chief and chief engineer (or another engineering officer) to the right.
All officers faced the main viewscreen, which was mounted against the forward bulkhead of the bridge. To both sides of the viewscreen was access to a corridor that ran behind the consoles walls to port and starboard. These corridors had access to the ship's lower decks. To the aft of the bridge was the situation room, which served as an informal briefing room to the senior staff. There was also a corridor to port behind a door to the situation room which had access to the ship's lower decks. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "In a Mirror, Darkly")
The bridge of the second NX-class starship launched, Columbia, featured additional columns near the helm and behind the captain's chair. (ENT: "Affliction") These were later added to Enterprise and had been installed by 2161. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")
There was also a command center upgrade, a specialized room that was once a storage bay. It was created just before Enterprise went to the Delphic Expanse, for use during the Xindi mission. (ENT: "The Xindi")
NX-class corridors were made of a metallic material. They were characterized by circular section separations, for evident mechanical equilibrium reasons. They all had a pair of holders in cases of shaking or turmoil. The circular panels also had a tactical use as defenders could crouch or lean behind them as they fired upon intruders.
Throughout the corridors, communication panels were mounted on the walls. (ENT: "Broken Bow")
Located on D Deck was the engine room of the NX-class starship. This class was the first type of Human starship to carry a warp reactor capable of speeds up to warp 5.
After exiting the core, and before being injected into the nacelles, warp plasma was accelerated in the two plasma injectors.
Sickbay was located on deck E of the NX-class. In the center of the room was an operating table, while additional beds were located alongside the walls. The sickbay facility also included a medical laboratory. (ENT: "A Night in Sickbay")
A ladder from the sickbay lead to maintenance shafts. (ENT: "Regeneration")
The armory was used to launch spatial or photonic torpedoes and could be used to operate the phase cannons. Although weapons were primarily kept in the armory of the NX-class, the ship possessed a total of fourteen weapons lockers. (ENT: "Acquisition")
Transporter roomEdit
In the time of the NX-class, the transporter was usually used for cargo transportation only, although it was capable of transporting people. Most people, however, were uneasy of the device, limiting its use to emergency situations only. (ENT: "Broken Bow")
Mess hall and theaterEdit
Located on E Deck was the ship's mess hall, which was used once a week on Thursday as a movie theater. The mess could seat approximately forty people at a time at ten circular metallic tables. Beverages and simple dishes were available from protein resequencers on the walls, while elaborate dishes were prepared in the ship's galley. A small captain's dining room was located near the galley. (ENT: "Vox Sola", "Doctor's Orders", "Singularity", "These Are the Voyages...")
NX-class starships had a hydroponics facility where fresh fruits and vegetables were grown to supplement the ship's food supply. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice")
Crew quartersEdit
The 87 crew quarters aboard the NX-class starships were located on decks B through E. Very few quarters had a view of space (usually those of the higher-ranked officers).
On D and G decks, there were special quarters for guests visiting an NX-class starship. (ENT: "Cold Front", "Babel One")
Ships commissionedEdit
- Enterprise NX-01
- Columbia NX-02
- NX-03 (planned)
- NX-04 (planned)
Mirror universeEdit
A list of all appearances of NX-class starships (excluding the regular appearances of Enterprise NX-01):
- "Fortunate Son"
- "First Flight"
- "The Expanse"
- "Home"
- "United"
- "The Aenar"
- "Affliction"
- "In a Mirror, Darkly"
Background informationEdit
The prefix "NX" was formerly used for aircraft registered in the United States as experimental. If the name of this class had followed the protocols of naval tradition, it would have been called "Enterprise-class," as the first ship of a new contract provides the class' name. However, the notion that this class was to be named "NX-class" came from the producers of Star Trek: Enterprise. wbm Their reasons for insisting on that designation were unknown to the series' art department. wbm Also see Registry.
Design originsEdit
While the series of Enterprise was being conceived, the appearance of the NX-class was foremost on the minds of the creative team. Shortly before the series began airing, co-creator and executive producer Rick Berman related, "These are all things we have had to give serious thought to – the look of the ship, the look of the corridors, the transporter room, the ready room, etc." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, p. 14)
Along with Brannon Braga (the series' other co-creator), Rick Berman decided they would like the NX-class to look appealing and convincingly retro. "At the same time," he noted, "we had to marry a little bit of contemporary technology with what we know is going to be coming and take some poetic license and come up with a ship that is certainly a step backwards in technology from the ships we've been used to." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, p. 76) Braga commented on the prospect of making the NX-class seem "like something out of 1950s science fiction," stating, "I just don't think 99 percent of the audience would have bought it. So you need to take some license and say, 'We're going to make it look like a ship that would be a hundred years more advanced than something today [...]' rather than say, 'We're going to make it look like something that's a hundred years before a show that was done in the 1960s.' That's definitely a creative license that we took. But I think those kind of things are necessary." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 139, p. 51)
While admittedly making it seem slightly more advanced than the original Star Trek USS Enterprise from the 1960s, the producers still wanted to have the NX-class be similar to that ship as well as other earlier-depicted vessels. Production illustrator Doug Drexler offered, "Rick and Brannon wished to borrow from the original Enterprise, the motion picture Enterprise and some elements from other ships in the movie series." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 34) Berman himself clarified, "We spent a lot of time studying the Enterprise from the [original] television series and then the Enterprise from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and then the subsequent ships and a variety of other vessels. We wanted something that was reminiscent; we wanted something that people could believe would, 90 years later, evolve into Kirk's Enterprise, but obviously we wanted to make the ship with the same degree of sophistication that computer modeling can do today, as opposed to the way wooden modeling was done in the 1960's." (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 7, p. 13)
Rick Berman's marching orders for production designer Herman Zimmerman to begin considering how the NX-class Enterprise would look included advice that the "new" ship should be "both retro and cool at the same time, gritty and utilitarian with space-efficient interior and hands-on equipment. A ship which shows the audience a lot more nuts and bolts than other Star Trek series while still having an incredibly futuristic look. In a subtle, very recognizable way, the ship must foreshadow the design of Enterprises to come." (Broken Bow, paperback ed., p. 259)
In the script for "Broken Bow", the NX-class is introduced with the description, "More rocketship than starship, Enterprise is lean and masculine – yet its deflector dish and twin warp nacelles suggest the shape of Starfleet vessels to come." (Broken Bow, paperback ed., p. 262) However, this statement was later revised to remove the references to both the deflector dish and the class appearing more akin to a rocket ship than a starship. [1]
Initial designsEdit
Herman Zimmerman once commented that the terms "retro and cool" were "two buzzwords very easy to slip off the tongue, but not so easy to conceive on paper and then in the reality of the scenery onstage." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 59) To assist with the concept work, he brought illustrator John Eaves onto the project. "Herman called me really early on," remembered Eaves, "and said we needed a retro Enterprise, somewhere between the Phoenix and Captain Kirk's ship, and he needed sketches for it." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 32) Despite the numerous influential starting-points already discussed, Zimmerman gave Eaves free reign to experiment with virtually every design concept he could think of. "Orders were to try everything under the sun and don't go for the obvious," Eaves admitted. [2]
An initial conceptual image John Eaves sketched took its direction straight from Herman Zimmerman. Explained Eaves, "He had found a shape he liked in one of Syd Meads' many books and thus had me translate the shape into a starship [...] I was so glad that after he saw it on paper he changed his mind and we started to pursue a more traditional starship look." [3]
Another early concept for the exterior of the class took its cue from Brannon Braga having recently noticed, at a Los Angeles car show, how the then-new 2002 model of Ford Thunderbird modernized a classic design that he was very familiar with. Braga remembered, "We discussed it and we thought, Well, let's take Kirk's ship, the original Enterprise, and let's soup it up and make it more futuristic and bring it into the twenty-first century. And we worked on that for a while, but it ultimately looked just too much like the other ships." (Broken Bow, paperback ed., pp. 262-263) According to Herman Zimmerman, this version of the class especially "looked very similar to the original motion picture Enterprise." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60) Due to this approach making the class appear insufficiently new, the team entirely abandoned it and opted to start from scratch. "That was a really cool ship and the series would have been well served by it," Zimmerman evaluated. "But, I don't think it represented what Rick and Brannon see as the vision of this new Enterprise. So we went to work again." (Broken Bow, paperback ed., p. 263)
Ultimately, John Eaves invested much time and effort in trying to design the exterior of the NX-class. "Many many versions came and went and all were getting the boot with little to no direction on what they wanted to see from the producers end," Eaves observed. "By now, time was getting critical." [4] He said further, "I did lots of sketches, and they'd go too far Phoenix or too far [Kirk's] Enterprise, and it wasn't really what Mr. Berman wanted to see. He shot down almost all of the drawings and in his mind there was something he really wanted to see that was going to be different but he couldn't really put it into words, so Herman would take what he would say and translate it to me and I'd work on it." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 32) Zimmerman himself remarked, "We went to several different styles of combinations of nacelles and saucers and engineering sections and airframes." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60) He also stated, "We had about a month of sketches and computer-generated images roughly showing shapes of different ships that eventually evolved." (Broken Bow, paperback ed., p. 263)
The final concept sketch that John Eaves created for the NX-class while working under Zimmerman's aegis looked far more like a typical Star Trek starship than Eaves' initial sketch had. "It was a fun piece just to [do] for concept sake," explained Eaves. [5]
Change of designerEdit
Eager to collaborate on the new series, Doug Drexler was able to start participating in the design process for the NX-class about a month after it began. [6] "When I was brought onto the Enterprise design project it had literally reverted to square one," Drexler expressed. "Most of John and Herman's time up until that point was spent exploring very different ideas that harkened more toward rocket ships and submarines. Rick and Brannon had dutifully explored the possibilities of an entirely different direction but, and I think most wisely, decided that they were loosing something by abandoning the traditional starship configuration [....] At this point it was time for Herman to move John on to conceptualizing the new starship sets. I think Mike Okuda suggested to Herman that he might give me a call, thinking that a CGI approach to conceptualizing the ship might help break the stalemate." Thus, the fact that Drexler had been learning how to build CGI models while working on Star Trek: Voyager at visual effects house Foundation Imaging was instrumental in his invitation to participate in the design process for the NX-class. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 32)
With the overall look of the NX-class having been somewhat decided upon via a process of elimination, Doug Drexler was tasked with working out the finer points of the class. "Rick [Berman] and Brannon [Braga] had a pretty good idea of what they were looking for," he remembered. "The devil was in the details. Our job was to take familiar geometry and restyle it." (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 7, p. 30)
After receiving advice on how to proceed with the design, Doug Drexler went directly to 3d modeling of the class, preferring to model the ship digitally instead of continuing with concept drawings. He believed that working in CGI was a massive benefit to the development process, easily enabling dramatic alterations to the craft's dimensions and for the art department to show the vessel to the producers from every angle and lighting condition. wbm However, Drexler started designing the prototype CG model of the NX-class while under the erroneous impression that it would just be a quick mock-up, only to discover the truth as he continued to refine the model. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 10, pp. 25-26) Starting with the familiar basic elements of a Starfleet vessel – to wit, a primary hull saucer section, a secondary hull engineering section and two warp nacelles – Drexler started to experiment with the configuration of these elements, much like original Enterprise designer Matt Jefferies had done. Starting with a configuration that very much resembled the classic starship, Drexler even considered a three-engined configuration, knowing full well that this went against Gene Roddenberry's dictum about odd-numbered warp engines on a starship. (Bandai model kit no. 122721, Instruction booklet, p. 8) Roddenberry had, off the record, stipulated that starships had warp engines that operated in tandem, something that other long-time Star Trek production staffers, like Andrew Probert [X]wbm and Michael Okuda [7], were quite familiar with.
Doug Drexler committed to work on developing the NX-class, on the side. "I was working at Foundation during the day and thrashing out various designs at night," Drexler related. "I was doing some late nights. Herman would drop by the house two evenings a week and we would go over our leaders' reactions and make various adjustments: shorten the nacelle, raise the bottom of the saucer, more metallic, etc." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 34) Michael Okuda pointed out, "It should also be noted that Doug worked a LOT of unpaid hours during the design of the NX-01, because he took this job very, very seriously. He started meeting with production designer Herman Zimmerman several weeks before he was officially hired. Doug, who was already working a full-time job during this period, stayed up late every night to work at home on the ship. This went on for weeks, with Doug busting his hump to capture Herman's vision and our producers' wishes, melding them with his own sense of starship heritage. By the time Doug was actually on payroll, he and Herman had already gone through several design cycles, buying precious time to refine the ship during the inevitable last-minute frenzy of deadline." Drexler, in turn, considers Okuda to have had considerable influence on the development of the class. "Mike Okuda and I really did spend a lot of time thrashing things out," Drexler mused. "I think Mike probably had more input into this starship than any other, due to our close friendship." wbm
John Eaves was thrilled to witness Doug Drexler enthusiastically evolve the appearance of the NX-class. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 34) Eaves commented, "His work was very impressive and filling the voids of time and history with great ease [....] Sadly none of his beauties were getting anywhere either." Eaves also called Drexler's initial designs for the NX-class "perfect" and enthused, "His designs were exactly retro enough to not only compliment the [Original Series] version but made a great Starship for its century." [8]
Final exterior designEdit
The producers finally determined that they wanted the NX-class to be of essentially a single hull, incapable of saucer separation. Herman Zimmerman commented, "It took us a good three months of trial and error before we arrived at the shape we now have [....] We decided to eliminate the engineering section as a separate entity and make it part of the hull. Brannon and Rick decided they didn't want a ship that would separate; that would be something that would happen some time in the future." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60)
The eventual twin-boomed shape of the NX-class was partly influenced by the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, an aviation source of inspiration that Doug Drexler pointed the design toward. John Eaves offered, "It was a great idea, I thought, to go with that P-38 look. Doug's first passes on that were just dead on, and exactly the shape it needed to be. He kept working on that for months and he did an awesome job." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 34)
Given the concern that the NX-class not look so different from the typical starship layout as to seem out of place, the final design concept for the class was also heavily influenced by the look of a certain previously established starship class. Herman Zimmerman commented, "We found a ship [of the Akira-class] that was in our archives – a minor vessel that had been used in a battle in one of the features that had been created by ILM. We did not use that ship, but we took ideas from it and from those ideas eventually – and this process took about four months, all week and weekend CGI work by [...] Doug Drexler – we finally came up with [the eventual] shape." (Behind the Scenes of Enterprise) In fact, the producers at first wanted to reuse the Akira-class without any changes. Doug Drexler was horrified to be informed of this decision, which he and other members of the art department chose to oppose. wbm
To differentiate the NX-class from the Akira-class, the art department demanded that it meanwhile resemble the original Constitution-class. Drexler specified, "Our mission was to get it more towards the TOS ship [....] I always saw the task as not designing a new ship, but rather a 'restyling' job. I drew my inspiration from the great industrial designer Raymond Lowey [sic] who took the turn of the century steam locomotive and restyled it into the streamliner." wbm Drexler also characterized his agenda of injecting as many small facets from the original series design into the NX-class as he could to have been his "main mission." wbm He also recalled, "It was thanks to Herman that we got a blessing on going ahead with the restyle. He fought for it." wbm
Once the plan of paying homage to the TOS Enterprise via the NX-class was approved, Doug Drexler was pleased to move the design in that direction. wbm "I made sure that the basic dynamic between the saucer and the nacelles was the same," he declared. Other aspects that echoed the original Star Trek ship included the placement of the join between the warp nacelles and the nacelle pylons, the shape of the saucer impulse cones at either side of the saucer section's aft, and the lower sensor dome on the bottom of the saucer section's midpoint. Drexler also horizontally squeezed the TOS Enterprise's deflector dish, moving it to the front of the saucer, and reused the idea of the ship having an airport-style control tower dome towards the aft, building such a dome into both the underside and upper side of the saucer section, rather than the singular dome that is atop the Constitution-class' secondary hull. He additionally kept spheres at the back of the nacelles, also slightly changing them by dividing both spheres in two. "If the fronts of the nacelles look like penises, I compounded that by making the ends of the NX nacelles look like a girls butt in a thong," he noted. "I thought that was fair." wbm
Doug Drexler wanted to make a couple of elements more clearly influenced by the TOS Enterprise than they ultimately were allowed to be; he was interested in making the nacelle pylons decidedly thin, which ultimately motivated him to highlight a thin portion of both pylons' leading edge, and the Bussard collectors more orange but volatile-looking than they wound up. wbm
At first, the blue glow on the warp nacelles was resisted by the art department. However, they came to think of it as "fulfilling an original dream," as Gene Roddenberry had intended for a similar glow to be featured on the TOS Enterprise, a wish that had been too expensive to realize for that vessel. wbm
The minute detailing done to the NX-class included the paneling on its hull. "Like Andy [Probert]'s 'D', every panel was designed and fitted painstakingly to the function and form of the ship," Doug Drexler explained. "All sections have their own distinct personality and are not simply cloned and repeated." wbm
Doug Drexler's development of the first CG model of the NX-class was during an abundance of disputes between the art department and the producers, concerning how the ship should look. "Nearly every single detail was haggled over," Drexler recounted. "Color, texture, plating... you name it [...] The dome on the bridge was lit up originally. The producers thought the audience would mistake that for windows. I wanted a more porcelain, smooth finish. The producers wanted plating more like the TMP ship. I wanted lighter pylons, the producers wanted heavy pylons." wbm Eventually happy with the extent to which he affected the design, Drexler didn't take long to digitally map the surface details for the NX-class. wbm (The approval model can be viewed on Drexler's blogwbm) While Drexler was proud of his creation, he once admitted, "It was a frustrating experience. I'm a 'canon' kind of guy. I would have liked to have seen the Daedalus style ship. You know...the sphere instead of saucer. The producers wanted it to be a saucer because they wanted it 'recognizable'.". wbm
Despite Doug Drexler's frustration with the design process, Geoffrey Mandel has noted, "Having been around then, I also know that Doug Drexler and John Eaves did EXACTLY what the producers asked them to: Rick and Braga had very strong opinions, and knew exactly what they wanted. There was an earlier version of the NX-01 with a secondary hull and dorsal fin, but the general feeling was that it looked too much like the TOS Enterprise." [9] Nevertheless, Drexler's dogged determination to bring the project to successful fruition also solicited an accolade of high praise from Michael Okuda, who stated, "That's dedication, but that's what Doug brings to every project. And it earned him a place among such luminaries as Jefferies, Probert, Sternbach, Eaves, Taylor, Zimmerman, and James." wbm
In total, the process of designing the NX-class took almost a year. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 7, p. 13)
Production CGI modelEdit
Shortly thereafter, the NX-class model was sent to Foundation Imaging, where it underwent final refinements by modeler Pierre Drolet, under the supervision of visual effects producer Dan Curry and Foundation's Robert Bonchune. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 136, p. 34) Originally, it was Bonchune who was slated to do the final version, as Drolet recalled; "Initially, I was not suppose[d] to build the Enterprise NX-01. Rob Bonchune was the one originally assigned to build it however, because he was the visual effect supervisor for the show Enterprise, it would have been too much to manage. I know it was hard for him to let it go but Rob gave me the privilege to build it." [10] "The art department's 'foam core' proof of concept model acted as understudy for the super-high detail version [...] in Valencia, California," remembered Doug Drexler. "This CG concept model had been through battles to rival any that the fictional ship had been through during its four year television voyage. It had been volleyed back and forth between art department and producers. It had been pulled, stretched, cut, and pounded before it had been given a go for throttle-up, and shipped off to the CG facility where it would be built with extreme attention to detail [...] Once the bloody battles between art department and production were over, the high rez version of the ship could be built in relative peace [...] The high resolution model was built with laser precision." wbm
Rob Bonchune noted, "Pierre Drolet was dedicated wholeheartedly to building [the NX-class]." (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 10, pp. 25-26) Drolet took plenty of time over translating the art department's low-resolution approval model into the version meant for production. The earlier model continued to see service throughout the run of Star Trek: Enterprise, as the main NX-class model's digital stand-in for pre-visualization or animatics work. wbm The fact that the NX-class was built as a CG model rather than a practical studio model meant that it turned out to be more detailed than a physical model would have been. (Star Trek Monthly issue 86, p. 22) In fact, on his IMDb profile, Drolet himself referred to this digital model as "what (at least at the time) was the most detailed computer generated model in television history" and he went on to say, "Taking up 200 megabytes of RAM merely to load, the digital model consists of 500,000 polygons with 156 separate images painted on it." As proud as Drolet was of his build, he did concede that the chore was a daunting one, saying, "I have been asked by a lot of people what was my experience building the Enterprise NX-01, which was a bit stressful. The visual effect schedule was tight and, on top of that, while I was building the NX-01 I found out that there were many Star Trek technical specifications I was not aware of. I also had to deal with a lot of expectations coming from different people [....] After adding a lot of details all around and played as much as I could with the proportions issues, the NX-01 was presented to Rick Berman. Fortunately for me he liked it and his only comment was to add some more windows on the saucer. A lot of pressure lifted off my shoulder after that." [11]
Repeatedly asked to devise the best shots of the NX-class, Foundation Imaging viewed the ship from almost every possible camera angle, early in the series run. They found that the class was highly photogenic. "We were really trying hard to find a bad camera angle," mused Foundation's Aram Granger. (Star Trek Monthly issue 86, p. 22)
Enterprise's hull was originally meant to have only a slight bronze tint, as was favored by both Herman Zimmerman and Doug Drexler, but its appearance was changed to become more clearly bronze-colored, for reasons unknown to Drexler. It was not until the advent of Columbia NX-02 that an NX-class vessel with a hull featuring merely a slight shade of bronze was depicted. wbm Drexler at first was not convinced there was even a color change, remarking, "The color the NX1 ended up as, was something that happened after it left my hands. It was meant to be brighter, with a slight bronziness. Truthfully I am not sure if the NX1, and 2 are different. it may just be the lighting condition." Nevertheless Koji Kuramura set him straight, observing, "The color of the NX-02 is different than from the NX-01. it's slight. But back then Rob, me and Mitch Suskin, thought it would be cool to change the color to give them a different look. Especially since they [were] going to be in the same shots." wbm
The first time the Columbia was featured was in a scene that showed her under construction, designed by John Eaves, who gleefully remarked, "This was a fun drawing...It was great to put Doug's NX into the space dock and have a new ship being built from the same class of Starship." [12] Though Eaves, naturally, closely followed the lines as established by Drexler and Drolet, there was one noticeable exception; Eaves endowed the second class vessel with a larger deflector dish, which was met with sympathy by Drolet. "Later on," he said, "I was glad when John Eaves redesigned the skinny dish attached on the front of the NX-01 and introduced it on the NX-02 Columbia under construction." [13] The CG Columbia construction model, using the NX-01 for a base, was built by Koji Kuramura (who also adapted the model for it to become the ISS Enterprise in "In a Mirror, Darkly"). He commented, "The shot of the Columbia in the Drydock was one that I did. I took some extra time to relight the shot so that the Columbia showed better in that set up. I don't remember who did the one for the Enterprise launch. But I added more lites and changed how [they were] [...] lighting the ship." wbm
Refit NX-class designEdit
Doug Drexler designed an extensive refit-NX-class wbm which had an added secondary hull reminiscent of that of the Constitution-class, with nacelles moving closer in appearance to those on that class. [14] Starting to appear on his blogwbm from January 2010 onward, and presented to the general public in the 2011 Star Trek: Ships of the Line calendar [15], it has given rise to the assumption in certain circles, that had the series been renewed for a fifth season, the refit design would have been featured. Drexler himself has dispelled that notion, pointing out, "Keep in mind that there were no official plans to refit the ship. This is something that I would have liked to have seen. In my world, Engineering as seen in the first four would have remained intact. Certainly an upgrade would happen. If the secondary hull was jettisoned, the ship would still be warp capable. Needless to say, the secondary hull would have contained a much more powerful warp core." wbm
That Doug Drexler, an avid Original Series fan, embarked on his redesign project, was in line with his "I'm a 'canon' kind of guy" remark, and, while not overtly apparent at the time, was indicative of the elevated stress levels during the design stage, due to the raised tension levels between producers and creative (fan) staff on what a "proper" prequel visual style or design lineage should look like. Some production staffers, Robert Bonchune having been one of the most outspoken ones [16], did vent their after-the-fact frustration and criticism, years later, on several Internet blogs. Even the usually diplomatic Drexler could not refrain from making the acerbic riposte, "You'll make a fine producer!" to one fan's criticism of his refit-NX redesign, speaking volumes in that respect. wbm
Doug Drexler's refit NX-class struck a cord with former creative staff colleagues, who helped him out with some of the details, like Mike Okuda, who designed the signage graphics that were reminiscent of what was seen on the Federation ships in the Original Series wbm and which Drexler had always wanted to do in the first place. "I wanted Starfleet style markings from the start," he revealed, "but the idea was nixed." wbm Also involved was Pierre Drolet, reprising his role as builder of the highly detailed CGI model. wbm Drolet too was like-minded, though not from a fan's perspective, but rather from that of a cinematographer, and thereby disagreeing with co-worker Aram Granger's assessment. "Rob [Bonchune] and I realized soon enough that the 'Akira Class' basic shape was not as interesting looking as the elegant horsy neck of the 'Constitution Class' Enterprise NCC-1701 they used in the first Star Trek movie. The camera did not like the full frontal and side view of the NX-01 low profile shape. This is why most of the camera shots in the TV show were almost always at 45 degree view from the bottom or the top. I included the Enterprise NX-01 upgraded with a secondary hull attached, which was redesigned by the NX-01 designer Doug Drexler. I personally think the upgraded NX-01 look[s] better [....] I also used the new dish on the upgraded NX-01." [17]
The refit design is slated for further licensed appearances, the first in the Star Trek: Ships of the Line (2014) calendar, while licensed model kit company Polar Lights is planning to release the design as a model kit in October 2013 [18], following a conversion kit release from unlicensed "garage kit company" Starship Models in December 2010. wbm
Although the NX-class had to make the impression it was a 22nd-century predecessor to ships of the later centuries portrayed on Star Trek, everything had to be redesigned, including the vessel's interior. For instance, there was no question of simply borrowing a wall from a Star Trek: Voyager set or reusing the consoles with merely a subtle redesign. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 7, p. 48)
The cramped living conditions aboard the NX-class were influenced by an experience in which a group of the production staffers personally researched what it was like to spend a day on a nuclear submarine in 2001, about six months before the series started to be broadcast. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, pp. 14 & 76) "Rick and Brannon and I did a tour of a nuclear sub that was in a base in San Diego," explained Herman Zimmerman. "That was quite an interesting trip and we learned a lot about what real space you have to work with." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60) Deciding that they didn't want the NX-class interiors to be quite as claustrophobic as those aboard the submarine (out of concerns that such uncomfortably confined areas might be off-putting for the show's weekly audience), the group used conceptual elements from the seafaring craft in their designs for the starship, so that (for instance) the doors aboard the NX-class were made to seem like the heavy-duty hatches of nuclear submarines. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, p. 76; Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60)
Some of the sets and control panels were additionally influenced by NASA designs. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, p. 14) In fact, Herman Zimmerman researched, especially for this project, then-current designs that were in development for both NASA and the US military. (Broken Bow, paperback ed., p. 261) Rick Berman explained, "We looked at a lot of film on the various space stations – on Mir and on the [...] International Space Station – and on the interior of the various space shuttles." Berman specified, too, that – as well as wanting the interiors to be "fun" and "cool" with "a sense of excitement" – he and his collaborators tried to "find something in between" the insides of a modern-era spacecraft or submarine and the interiors of the 23rd century. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 7, p. 12)
The process of designing the inner environments of the NX-class was a struggle in which Herman Zimmerman played a key role. John Eaves offered, "The internal sets of this ship went through some pretty radical changes as it evolved [....] As much of a fight Doug had with the devilish details of the exterior, my boss had just as many with the interior." [19]
Herman Zimmerman was interested in having the interior sets for the NX-class lightly tinted bronze. "I believe he wanted that for the interiors as well," reckoned Doug Drexler, "although that did not happen." wbm
The materials used in the NX-class sets constituted a more hard-edged approach to Starfleet design than what had been established in the franchise, so far. For the shipboard surfaces, the production team, under the direction of Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, used more real metal – including aluminum, steel, copper and brass – than simulated metal. This, thought Herman Zimmerman, made the painted metal surfaces seem "much more believable," as they were often situated directly next to real metal surfaces, convincing a viewer's eye that both types of surface were actually metal. The interiors didn't involve much plastic nor anything, at all, that looked like wood. The producers were also adamant for the sets not to have designer colors and that the flooring would be without carpets. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60)
The production team differentiated the doors aboard the NX-class by having them be non-automatic and entail more security for access. Another method that was used to relate the NX-class' highly utilitarian nature was giving the corridors an extremely basic shape. Much of the lighting for the sets was likewise made more practical; virtually every set was ninety percent lit by the set decorator and Herman Zimmerman, with the latter and his team having selected positions for the spotlights where they could be clearly viewed on-screen. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, pp. 60, 65 & 61)
Set decorator James Mees found that his recruitment into the project to decorate the NX-class sets was somewhat complicated. He recalled, "When we started we had virtually no prep time [....] But we had so much stuff to forget about. What we [...] had to do is to take a futuristic attitude but step back in time from the other shows." (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 86)
Much of the furniture in the NX-class interiors was bought from Europe and consisted of items that James Mees thought had been "beautifully designed." Furnishings such as sofas aboard the NX-class were from Italy. Mees noted, "We wanted to be functional, and the Europeans are quite efficient at designing furniture for very small spaces." Moments later, he recalled, "When we started I scouted out everything and showed Herman a whole lot of different pictures. When I knew the direction he wanted to go in I went back to the dealers, and when I knew how much things cost I had him come shopping with me. Then we had a show-and-tell with the producers, with a sample of every single thing; it was like a great big furniture warehouse, with all the stuff that I liked and thought we could use in different places. There was not one single item that Rick Berman and Brannon Braga didn't like, so I was very, very happy!" (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 86)
The NX-class sets were meant to complement the class' exterior. The exact whereabouts of the various shipboard areas, for example, were planned. "It's not so difficult to place the interior sets once you've got the exterior design, but it took us quite a while," stated Herman Zimmerman. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 61) However, in their text commentary for "Broken Bow" on the ENT Season 1 DVD, Michael and Denise Okuda unofficially theorized that, based on the fact that the movement of stars viewed from Enterprise's captain's mess changed as the series progressed (seemingly indicating that that room's placement on the ship was altered during the course of the series), the NX-class had movable rooms.
The round windows on the outside of the NX-class saucer section were, upon being designed by Doug Drexler, intended to be portholes. He also hoped the production team would be permitted to include them in a set. Even though this did not happen, Drexler was highly satisfied with the interior sets that were created for the series, describing them as a "spectacular job." wbm
Enterprise's scenic art department at first considered whether video playback would be required at all for the displays aboard the NX-class. Scenic Artist James Van Over noted, "We thought they [the producers] might say, 'Well, they didn't use it on [Kirk's] ship, let's just skip it.'" (Star Trek: Communicator issue 144, p. 28)
Selecting the keypads and screens for the NX-class sets proved to be challenging. "We spent quite a lot of time looking at what was available and what we could buy off the shelf, because we can't invent everything [....] We spent a lot of time looking at aircraft control panels, for instance, both ancient and not-so-ancient," recalled Herman Zimmerman, "but those things are really expensive. We would have liked to use aircraft-style LCD screens, for instance, but an LCD screen just turning it from horizontal to vertical would make a big difference, and they use them that way in modern aircraft. But those things cost about $25,000 a piece. And that's in quantity! Mike Okuda did some research and was quoted at $50,000 a piece on some screens that were 9 inches by 12 inches high. They said if we bought more than 10 they could give it to us at $40,000 a piece! [....] We couldn't afford that. We did buy about 80 LCD and plasma screens and none of them cost more than $4,000, much less $40,000." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, pp. 61-62)
Ultimately, there was a total of 81 active plasma and LCD screens in the NX-class sets built for the start of the series. Even though the screens were still initially very expensive, their inclusion was planned so that, over the run of the series, a lot less optical burn-ins would be required than had needed to be done for older video screens commonly used in the franchise's past. (Star Trek Monthly issue 84, pp. 28 & 29)
At the start of the series, the graphics on all the plasma screens were designed by veteran Star Trek scenic artists Michael and Denise Okuda. (Star Trek Monthly issue 84, p. 28) "Mike Okuda had the idea that the interface would be built out of boxes," said Jim Van Over, "and there would be buttons for the actors to push to give them something to do." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 144, p. 28)
All the standing sets for the NX-class had features which the production crew termed "busy boxes," and which Herman Zimmerman described as "things that can be opened up and worked on [....] Leaving so much more for the actors to do." (Broken Bow, paperback ed., p. 267)
All the standing sets for the NX-class had removable, so-called "wild" walls, to allow for cameras and equipment. (Broken Bow, paperback ed., p. 267) Director James L. Conway was very impressed with the degree of access provided for filming the smaller-than-usual sets (believing that their cramped quality made the areas feel "authentic"). Shortly after completing work on the pilot episode "Broken Bow", Conway attested, "You do have enough room because there's a crane that they use which can poke into the sets, and so in places where you normally couldn't get a Steadicam or a dolly this camera crane can reach out over the consoles and over the floor and move around, so you can actually get fantastic angles." (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 7, p. 47)
Bridge and other roomsEdit
The NX-class bridge often provided a genesis for the design of the class' other interiors. "Herman Zimmerman would always start with the bridge to set the tone for the overall architecture," remembered John Eaves, "and then branch out carrying the details through the corridors and secondary rooms, based on this master blueprint." [20]
Due to Rick Berman and Brannon Braga liking the bridge of the USS Defiant (NX-74205), the long and narrow shape of the NX-class bridge was influenced by that earlier-created room, as opposed to appearing (in the words of Herman Zimmerman) "elliptical as the Enterprise-D bridge was, or wide as the Voyager bridge was." ("The USS Defiant", DS9 Season 3 DVD special features; Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 62) Other design facets of the NX-class bridge that took their cue from the equivalent area aboard the Defiant-class included the presence of a single helm, instead of two stations for helm and navigation functions, and detailing on the ceiling. Concerning the latter, Herman Zimmerman said, "Much of the treatment of the ceiling has overtones of the Defiant." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 62)
Certain parts of the NX-class bridge in common with the TOS Enterprise – for instance, the room's layout featuring a sunken central captain's chair and a scope at the science station – were added at Brannon Braga's request. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 19) Another detail of the NX-class bridge that was in homage to that of the traditional Constitution-class was an astrogator at the helm. [21]
Michael Okuda incorporated 1960s-style touch-tone phone buttons on the bridge consoles which seemed as if they might predate the translucent candy-colored buttons installed aboard Kirk's original Enterprise. Many of the other physical controls on the NX-class bridge were fleshed out by Anthony Fredrickson and set designer Wendy Drapanas. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 144, p. 28)
Contrastingly, one aspect of the bridge that intentionally set it apart from the equivalent areas of other ships was its inclusion of the situation room. The bridge was made to encompass this area not only so that the characters would have somewhere to have meetings close to the center of command but also because it facilitated more staging options. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60) Another way in which the bridge was made different, visually, from those of several past classes of ship was by not hiding the monitors under black plexiglas. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, p. 14; Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 59) Yet another difference was that the controls were decided, by the producers, to be made essentially more hands-on, with buttons, knobs, gauges, dials, and levers, rather than touch-sensitive panels. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 59)
The scripted description of the bridge was as follows: "Far more basic than future starships, this command center lacks the 'airport terminal' feel of Enterprises A through E. A central captain's chair is surrounded by various stations, the floors and walls are mostly steel, with source light coming from myriad glowing panels. No carpets on the floors, no wood paneling on the walls, high-tech gauges, dials." [22]
The interior elements of the NX-class that were sketched in concept artwork by John Eaves included the bridge viewscreen, the helm and the engineering stations on the bridge, the situation room's plotting table, the launch bay, engineering, and sickbay. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, pp. 60-62, 64 & 65; [23]) In fact, Eaves was instrumental to the design of the bridge consoles. He remarked, "In the early stages the consoles were being designed in an angled, tubular fashion; these ideas went a ways before the look changed to a more angular look." [24]
Of all the NX-class sets created for the pilot episode "Broken Bow", James Mees once characterized the bridge and engineering as "the easiest and hardest, all at the same time" and explained this opinion by commenting of the two selections, "They're monumental, and although you do have a little bit of room for growth, you pretty much have to get it right." The basic design of the bridge was mostly decided upon when Mees joined the project to decorate the sets. "Herman had already developed the general idea of the bridge, so a lot of it was there and in working order," Mees explained. Virtually all the chairs on the bridge were from the aforementioned European showroom, except for the command chair. After receiving the sketches of the room's work stations from the art department, Mees put together the intricately detailed consoles. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 3, pp. 86 & 85)
Many of the NX-class sets were built on Paramount Stages 8 and 9. However, the bridge and armory sets were constructed on Paramount Stage 18. (Star Trek Monthly issue 84, p. 25) The bridge and situation room were the most costly sets of the NX-class interiors to build. (Star Trek Monthly issue 84, p. 29)
The NX-class bridge displays were run at a nearby video control room which, like the bridge set, contained many screens, with rack upon rack of monitors that kept quality control over the images on the set, such as previewing displays that were to be switched. Rather than utilizing videotape playback, the displays on the bridge were fed to the set's monitors from Apple G4 Cube computers (of which there were about fifteen to twenty) using CD playback. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 62; Star Trek: Communicator issue 144, p. 29) Rick Berman referred to the array of plasma screens on the NX-class bridge as "beautiful." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, p. 14)
The NX-class was at first reported to be 190 meters (slightly longer than 600 feet). (Star Trek Monthly issue 84, p. 6; Star Trek: Communicator issue 135, p. 60)
Shortly prior to the launch of the series, Rick Berman cited the standard crew complement of the NX-class as being "around 65 crew members." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, p. 76) In Star Trek: Communicator issue 135 (p. 23) and Star Trek Monthly issue 84 (p. 6), the crew complement was said to be 78 and 87 respectively. Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 7 (p. 30) gave a rougher estimate of "between 70 and 80." "Strange New World" established the total of eighty-three crew members, a number repeated in later episodes, such as "Silent Enemy", "Oasis", "Singularity", "The Catwalk", "The Expanse", and "These Are the Voyages...".
Rick Berman was ultimately delighted with the look of the NX-class. Not long before the series began airing, he contemplated the design, saying, "We have designed a ship which is very cool while, at the same time, is not as streamlined as the Enterprise has become [....] The whole layout and feel of the ship is different – I don't know if 'retro' is the right word but it certainly is not the ship Captain Kirk was on. However, in every way, it signals and telegraphs what in 90 years will be Kirk's Enterprise [....] [but] the interior design of the ship is, I think, dramatically different than previous Enterprise bridges specifically [....] There is definitely some of that submarine feel to [the NX-class bridge] compared to the bridges of the D or E or Voyager." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 134, pp. 14 & 76)
Jonathan Archer actor Scott Bakula was also pleased with the realistic feel of the NX-class interiors, believing that it helped ground the actors in their work. "I love that it's small," he enthused. "I love that it's based on a submarine [....] I think it has a great feel to it. Sometimes I do feel like I'm in a submarine, banging around. But it feels right." (Star Trek Monthly issue 84, p. 32)
There were several fan complaints that the NX-class looks more advanced than both the original variant of Constitution-class and even the Intrepid-class, due to the creative license the producers originally took with the design of the NX-class, as they preferred not to reduce the appearance of the ship's technology to being limited more than modernity. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 139, p. 51)
Doug Drexler ultimately wished that the overall exterior of the NX-class had been brighter than it ultimately was, stating, "The NX appeared dark and dingy on actual show. Against space it was often hard to see. Not to my taste." wbm
The tight formation flying performed by the Enterprise and Columbia in "Divergence" had some real world roots as Mike Okuda remembered; "In 'Divergence', we had that really cool action sequence with the Enterprise and the Columbia flying in formation, and an EVA crew transfer between ships at warp. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, who wrote the episode, said it was inspired by NASA's contingency plans to rescue astronauts from a damaged space shuttle orbiter." wbm
A master systems display style cross-section of the NX-class appeared in the Propworx auction catalog. [25]
Several consoles and panels from the NX-class bridge and other sections were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [26] [27] [28] [29]
In the video game Star Trek: Elite Force II, a computer on the Enterprise-E had information on the NX project on display.
The Pocket ENT novels Kobayashi Maru and Beneath the Raptor's Wing have depicted the manufacture of four additional NX-class ships, all named for American space shuttles: Challenger (NX-03), Discovery (NX-04), Atlantis (NX-05), and Endeavour (NX-06). Beneath the Raptor's Wing further depicts development of the NX-class being suspended due to Earth's war with the Romulans, owing to the high costs and time involved in building an NX-class ship. Starfleet's shipbuilding efforts were refocused on the older Daedalus-class ships, which were comparatively faster and cheaper to construct.
The Pocket TNG novel Indistinguishable from Magic establishes that production on NX-class ships resumed after the Earth-Romulan War, and that, according to Jean-Luc Picard, the total number of NX-class vessels rose to "fifteen or sixteen" before the class was finally retired. One such vessel, Intrepid (NX-07), featured prominently in the novel.
A subsequent Pocket ENT novel, A Choice of Futures, which depicts the early years of the Federation Starfleet, establishes that the NX-class is redesigned into a new class of starship, the Columbia class, as of 2162. Chief amongst the class' upgrades is the addition of a TOS-style cylindrical secondary hull section, an intentional homage by author Christopher L. Bennett to Doug Drexler's original design and later redesign of the NX-class vessel. Jonathan Archer, by the time of the novel an admiral, named the class after the Columbia, the first NX class ship to be lost in the line of duty (as seen in the Star Trek: Destiny novel trilogy), and decreed that not only would the only NX-class starship to remain in service, Endeavour, be refitted into a Columbia-class ship, but that all future NX-class vessels would be constructed as Columbia-class ships, effectively phasing out the original design. Also instituted is the addition of the "USS" prefix to Starfleet ship names and the replacement of the "NX" registry number prefix with "NCC."
The PC and Xbox 360 game Star Trek: Legacy depicted further NX-class ships with the Avenger NX-09, a "prime" universe counterpart to the mirror universe ISS Avenger NX-09, and the Currie NX-16.
In the game Star Trek Online, new player captains are able to purchase a replica of the NX-class to fly as their starter ship from the in-game C-Store. The NX-class ship is similar to the Miranda-class starter ship, but is classified as a Light Escort rather than a Light Cruiser, and places an emphasis on tactical systems.
External linkEdit
- NX class at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works


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Junior Member
Last Activity: 10-10-2011 09:22 PM
About Me
- About CrystaloftheDeep33
- Biography
- Just your average, nerdy girl who enjoys listening to her tunes and playing video games.
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subset: commoncrawl


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My little girl was 1 last week and is exclusively breastfed. I feed her about 5 times during the day and usually twice at night. She's never shown any interest in solids. She'll pick at finger food, but has never let me feed her from a spoon. She manages the equivilent of about 1 or 2 teaspoons a meal at most I suppose? Although it'd be nice to make a breakthrough with solids, I've not been stressing out too much as she's still be putting on weight - I've just been putting safe options in front of her for her to pick at and focused on giving as many new tastes as possible.
She's never been a big baby - she was 6lb 11 born and is now 20lb 2. On the advice of my health visitor I've been taking her to be weighted every month to monitor her weight gain until she starts solids. Up until now she's always gainied well.
My worry is this last time I've had her weighted she hasn't put on any weight - just stayed at 20lb 2 which is what she was 4 weeks ago. She's just started crawlng about 2 weeks ago so I was wondering if this might have an effect?
I just feel like I've had the rug pulled from under me - although she wasn't eating anything I had the reasurrance she was putting on. Now this has gone I'm starting to fret!


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Baby teeth (also called deciduous or primary teeth) don't just give your baby an adorable grin, they serve an important purpose: they help your baby learn to chew and speak properly, encourage proper jaw growth, and act as "space savers" for adult, permanent teeth. To ensure your baby develops a healthy smile, it's important to take care of baby teeth.
You can begin good dental care for your baby before he or she is even born by eating a healthy diet and taking care of yourself during your pregnancy. Tooth buds begin forming under your baby's gums between the third and sixth month of gestation so be sure you eat a balanced diet; take your prenatal vitamins; and get enough vitamin A, C, and D; as well as protein, calcium and phosphorous.
A baby's first tooth usually erupts around 6 or 7 months of age (although this range can vary widely), but you can begin good dental care before your baby ever gives you that first toothy grin. "Baby bottle tooth decay" results when residual juice or milk pools around teeth and gums for long periods of time, such as during sleep. To prevent this, never allow your baby to fall asleep with a bottle of milk, juice, or any other sugary liquid and do not allow a toddler to carry a bottle around all day.
Before any teeth erupt, gently wipe your baby's gums twice a day using a clean, wet piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. And as soon as the first tooth breaks through, begin brushing it daily using a soft toothbrush made especially for little mouths. Toothpaste isn't recommended until your child is a little older (2 to 3 years old); and once you begin to use toothpaste, use only a small amount - about the size of a match head - and teach your child not to swallow it. Once two teeth come in next to each other, begin flossing every day.
You should take your child to a pediatric dentist (a dentist that specializes in children's dentistry) around his or her first birthday, or about six months after the first tooth erupts, and twice a year thereafter.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 67.3 percent of the U.S. population on public water supplies has access to fluoridated water. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps strengthen the tooth's enamel (outer coating) and recent studies show that water fluoridation reduces tooth decay in permanent teeth by approximately 18 to 40 percent. If your area does not have fluoridated water, ask your child's pediatrician or dentist about fluoride supplements.
Beginning good dental care early will ensure your child develops a mouth full of healthy teeth and an adorable smile.
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text:
Hi ladies,
I've been trying to figure out if I should be concerned or not. My son has recently taken to skipping a meal when I'm not around. For example, if I'm at work he wont accept a bottle, although he'll eat some solids. I only work 3 hours a day so this isn't too bad but my biggest concern is during the days that I work and have class or need to do laundry (3x's out of a week). On those days I try to make sure we're only apart 6 hours maximum but I'm concerned that he's starving...I know he's missing at least one feeding because when I get off work I'm engorged. Am I starving him -he was doing so good at the begining of this schedule and now suddenly has changed?


text:
"Eddie and her family took great care of our dog Leo, but most important of all they loved him for..."
"Leo is warming up to you he just loves playing hard to get! lol"
"Wonderful care! Thank you."
"Allie is the best!! I always have peace of mind when im away knowing that my fur babies are happy..."
"Lucy was great, she's very quick to respond to messages and sent us updates about how our cats were ..."
"My Westie has allergy problems and is extremely high-maintenance, but Ning and Adrian looked after..."
"Karla and Adi have been amazing with Toby and Olli. It definitely made it a little easier leaving..."
"thank you Chloe"
"Thank you Jen for looking after our dog Barney for the week. We felt very relaxed leaving him with..."
"Perfect as usual ????"
"Toby the greyhound was extremely well looked after by Tania and was calm and happy being there...."
"It was good to know that I could get someone to stay in the house to look after my cat in her own..."
"We could tell Izzy had a great holiday at Jo's (I don't think she missed us at all!). Jo sent..."
"We left our fur-baby, Saffron with Jessie and came home after 3 nights away to a very calm and..."
"Awesome again, thanks Sarina ????????"
"So where to start? Well right from the get go Jay has been exceptionally accommodating to all of..."
"Thanks again - great as usual"
"We picked up Lacie after a long 29 days away. Emma and her husband Pete along with their two dogs..."
"Thanks Hannah for looking after Chloe :) "
"Gene and Adele are absolutely wonderful hosts. I shouldn't tell everyone as I need to keep them..."


text:
March 13, 2013 —
SHOHOLA FALLS, PA — Pennsylvania State Police at Blooming Grove have labeled the death of a New Jersey woman "suspicious," and are seeking information from the public about it.
The body of Gail Dews of Wayne, NJ, 56, was recovered on March 11, after dozens of firefighters and emergency responders worked for more that eight hours to recover her body from the bottom of a ravine beneath a bridge on Route 6 near Shohola Falls.
The recovery was difficult because the sides of the ravine are rock, which was covered with ice and moss, and it would have been difficult to have climbers carry the Stokes basket up the sheer walls using their ropes and climbing gear.
Instead a ladder truck was positioned so that the ladder jutted out over the ravine and a rope was lowered to the bottom and the basket lifted out. Aiding in the operation were members of the Pike County High Angle Rescue team and the National Park Service's High Angle Rescue team, along with the Forest Volunteer Fire Department, the Greely Fire Department and the Blooming Grove Fire Department.
Blooming Grove Fire Chief Jack Long-henry said that a male reported the incident after walking about two miles to a convenience store to use the phone. He told police that he had lost his car keys, and his car was left parked near the ravine. Longhenry said the man had scratches on his head and there were inconsistencies in his story; he was taken into custody.
Police have so far not released the identity of the man, nor his relationship to Dews.
Police ask anyone who was in the area between 2:30 p.m. on March 10 and 8:30 a.m. on March 11 and may have information to contact the Pennsylvania State Police in Blooming Grove at 570/226-5718.


text:
Years before an apparent bombing in Plano made Anson Chi the subject of a federal criminal investigation, the law was already looking for him.
The FBI suspect and 33-year-old political activist has been a fugitive since 2009 in California, where authorities say he violated his probation on a concealed-weapon conviction.
He was arrested in Collin County in April, charged with failing to identify himself to authorities.
Early Monday, a week before he was scheduled to appear in court in that case, an explosion in the 3600 block of West Parker Road damaged an above-ground gas line, shot shrapnel into the air and put Chi in the hospital with critical injuries.
In a complaint filed Wednesday, FBI agents charged Chi, a self-published author who has expressed deep mistrust of the U.S. government, with possessing an explosive device during the incident.
Agents raided his home in the 3200 block of Anchor Drive on Tuesday, removing and destroying a suspicious device. They returned again Thursday evening, pulling out more evidence for unknown reasons.
The FBI continued to decline to comment on the case Thursday, but reiterated earlier statements that there does not appear to be a continuing threat to the public.
Online résumé
In an undated online résumé, Chi lists his work history under the heading "Paid Slavery."
His "Miseducation:" a business degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2000.
Chi wrote that after graduating, he worked in California, Taiwan and various Texas cities as a systems engineer before ending up as a grass-roots "campaign director" for the 2008 presidential campaign of Libertarian Ron Paul, to which federal records show he donated $1,700.
Chi's anti-government passion was evident in a 2007 YouTube video. After introducing himself, he held a 1040 tax form up to the camera, tore it in half and declared, "I will not file, nor will I pay, a single penny in income tax until I see the law" requiring it.
The next year he self-published an online book titled Yellow on the Outside, Shame on the Inside: Asian Culture Revealed, which he described as a work of fiction based partially on his own life.
In the book, Chi wrote that the U.S. government is controlled by banks and described the monetary system as "nothing more than modern day slavery."
"Thank you, Mommy and Daddy," he wrote, "for turning me into an emotionless robot, just for the sake of money, status, and power. … I seriously need counseling."
The main character prepares to commit suicide at the end of the book.
Weapons charge
That same year, 2008, Chi was sentenced to three years' probation in Orange County, Calif., after pleading guilty to carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle.
He violated the probation in late 2009, according to the Orange County Superior Court of California, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
By 2012, Chi was living with his parents in a house on Anchor Drive, which they have owned for more than two decades. Neighbors there described him as a "glum," "weird" and "spooky" recluse.
Amanda Judd said Chi often invited her 17-year-old son over for "ice cream and video games," but she forbade the boy from going.
Dan McFarland said he stopped walking his dog by the house after Chi and his father once chased him down the street.
"If that guy knew anything about bomb-making, he could have created a real catastrophe," McFarland said.
In April, Chi was arrested and charged in Collin County with failure to identify himself as a fugitive. His first court appearance in that case was scheduled for June 25.
The arrest did not stop him from posting prolifically to his Facebook page. Mixing gag photos with anti-war messages and jabs at President Barack Obama, he updated the page almost daily until two days before the explosion.


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Early this month, I was building a decorative fence at the community garden sponsored by the 1st Methodist church on Power Street.
I'd waited way too long to dig the post holes. The earth was rock hard and the power auger I'd hoped to borrow wasn't available.
Monte Wright at Parker's suggested I talk with Rodger Breeden at Hard Core Supply. He had a power auger mounted on a Bobcat that would do the job quickly.
I told Roger we were growing vegetables to help support the Samaritan Center, and I wanted a fence with colorful vines and flowers to attract attention to the garden as folks drove by.
Rodger called "Shorty" with he Bobcat right away and told him to meet us at the church, "you know, the one that looks like a Catholic Church."
Shorty dug nine holes 2 feet deep in about the time it takes to drive down Alamo Street without a stoplight.
When I asked what the charge would be Rodger said, "It's my gift to the church for the good work you do and will do."
Rodger lives in Woodsboro and goes to St. Theresa's Catholic Church.
On that hot afternoon he was doing what good Christians do: helping others needing help.
I certainly appreciated it. So did Pastor Veda White at 1st Methodist and we wanted to share this good work with our community.


text:
Sorry for the tardy response ... I got sick, then Ava got sick, my husband had a root canal - one of those weeks .
Your son sounds just like my brother was: he weighed about that much at 2 and he didn't start talking until 2 - but then in full sentences. Each baby has it's own schedule, I suppose. I do, however, hope that I won't be nursing all night any longer in a year from now. One reason is that I'd like for Ava to have a sibling and I am sure that level of nursing is effective birth control. I am in my mid-30s, so I don't want to wait too long before I (hopefully) get pregnant again. On the other hand, if this is what is required for her to get her nutrition, so be it.
I took Ava for a weighing again today and she had gained 5 ounces in the past month. Her pediatrician was happy with that and said that I should just continue what I have been doing. I was happy with that!


text:
I wanted to update everyone who was so kind to reassure me when I worried about my baby getting enough to eat. She is just over 2 weeks old now, and we went to the doctor yesterday...and in one week she went from 5 pounds 4 oz to 5 pounds 11 oz!! So she gained weight!! I guess I'm doing things right!!! I've gotten her almost completely off of formula. I give her one bottle of formula, usually in the middle of the night when I'm just so completely exhausted and hubby can get up and feed her. But she doesn't need to be supplemented anymore at all!! Yay!!!
So I have a new question...is it ok for her to just eat on one side per feeding? Lately she's been eating 10 minutes on one side and then she is done, I can't get her to eat on the other side. So I just switch sides each time. Is this ok?


text:
Each Cub Scout has a handbook to help them along their trail. Tiger Cubs use the Tiger Cub Handbook with activities in the Den, at home, and in the community. Wolf Cubs have a handbook that will help them along the Wolf Trail where they learn more about themselves and their families. Bear Cubs have a handbook that takes them even further,but they get to choose the achievements they complete. Webelos have a larger handbook with 20 Activity Badges they can work on in the 2 years they are Webelos.
Another good source of information for Cub Scouts is the magazine BSA published 12 times each year. This is the Boys' Life magazine. It is full of stories, games, jokes, and letters that are fun to read. You will be learning new things while reading. This is one magazine your teacher will not mind you reading at school, once your work is done.


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Spectacular political meltdowns
Published On: Oct 24 2011 07:51:46 AM PDT Updated On: Oct 03 2016 07:00:13 AM PDT
Take a look back at the many meltdowns, scandals and foot-in-mouth moments of politicians through history.
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to our Terms of Use.


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Skip to comments.Michelle Obama Announces Private Sector Commitments to Hire 100,000 Veterans & Military Spouses
Posted on 11/12/2011 2:16:15 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
First lady Michelle Obama announced commitments from companies Thursday to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses by 2014, a dramatic step in her Joining Forces initiative.
She said the show of support demonstrates to military families that America has your back.
The first Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned.
In her keynote address to the U.S. Chamber of Commerces Business Steps Up: Hiring our Heroes event, Michelle Obama announced that the International Franchise Association (IFA) which represents 1,100 franchises has committed to hiring 80,000 veterans and military spouses by 2014. Five thousand jobs of this commitment are promised to wounded soldiers.
Mrs. Obama also announced that the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) which Dr. Jill Biden helped launch at the Chamber of Commerce last summer and which includes nearly 100 companies and organization, has committed to employ 20,000 military spouses.
The organizations include companies like Microsoft, Home Depot, UPS, Guidant Financial and Data Doctors.
The commitment by the International Franchise Association and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership represents a commitment to hire 100,000 veterans, wounded soldiers and military spouses by 2014.
In October, Mrs. Obama joined the President at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in announcing that the American Logistics Association (ALA) and their 270 affiliate companies committed to hiring 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2014.
In addition, Mrs. Obama also announced a Veterans Job Bank an open online resource supported by job search companies, including Simply Hired, Monster and others to help veterans and military spouses search job openings from committed employers based on their location and skills.
When we think about what were announcing today, 100,000 new jobs committed and 550,000 searchable jobs online, those arent just numbers. There are millions of Americans all across this country who are working hard every day to find new ways to honor military families service, said First Lady Michelle Obama. All of this is adding up and thanks to the IFA and MSEP, theyre part of the wave of support forming that stretches across this country.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Bidens leadership of Joining Forces has mobilized the franchise industry to step up its longstanding effort to provide opportunities for franchise small business ownership and employment opportunities to veterans and their families, said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has supported Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Bidens Joining Forces initiative by conducting hiring fairs for veterans and military spouses in 100 local communities across the country and will expand that number to several hundred next year.
For more information, visit JoiningForces.gov
What bunk....smart businesses generally hire vets at a higher rate because they USUALLY HAVE a higher work ethic! She's using them .... again...
Exactly what part did the Wookie play in this to make this happen except reading the announcment to the press?
Better she is doing this than hectoring us about our food choices.
Including the occupant of the Oval Office, the senate chambers, and the house right?
100,000 jobs hired by 1,100 companies ???
How many employers in this country can hire 100 people in two years
More government make believe numbers
Agreed. We don't have to pile on when she does something right.
I wonder how much tax payer money they threw at companies to get them to 'promise'. This is NOT the way a free market works. Obviously..
I don't think she gives one rip, but I will applaud any effort to improve the lives of our returning veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much for all of us.
Michelle 0bama? When was she elected?
screw the commies....
If they are going to start counting imaginary future jobs then why not a million?
Dick Morris copycats in the Obama inner circle, I presume:
Invisible COPS
How Clinton's plan to field 100,000 new police turned into a pork barrel as usual.
By Steve Chapman|Posted Monday, Nov. 12, 2001, at 3:38 PM ET
The queen has spoken (the female one)
If there are any jobs, they will be burger flippin' jobs.
Don't allow the leftists to fool you.
How about clearing the almost year backlog of Veterans disability claims?
Obama is such a bag of crap, it is all being done via tax credits and 100,000??? We need at least 250,000 a month to get to 7% in 5 years.
There you go. These companies will be "induced" with Stimulus $, and also they will have to give it right back to Obama's campaign. Our money once again; Obamas' credit.
Exactly right. I represented my company at a Hiring Our Heroes event, and they wanted each employer there to sign a form pledging our support of their gov't initiative. I refused to sign it.
Knowing that Obama needs to push his jobs bill, and knowing he'd use the returning veterans as poster children for it, there was no way I'd submit my company's information pledging support. Guess which companies would be the first ones checked up on?
At any rate, I hire a great number of veterans at our manufacturing facility. By and large, they're among our best employees, and we fully support our reservists who have to take whatever time off they need to serve.
Point is, I do what I already know is right, and has already proven to work. I don't need some ultra-liberal communists telling me who I can and cannot hire.
She did nothing "right". She manipulated the service persons. Don't "pile on"? I bet ghadaffi was nice to a couple kids sometime in his life.
Like she gives a rat's ass about service people. What a equal-opportunity, affirmative-action tool. The "WORST" lady!
Moocher, you didn't initiate that. I am damn certain I'm right about that, too.
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Bluefield State College Student Support Service Alumni: Start Connecting! Use the below resource to link up with the Bluefield State College SSS Facebook page and find out what is going on in the BSC SSS community. Alumni and current students also have an opportunity to share employment information and career advancement ideas.
Keep in touch and tell us your story! If you participated in the SSS program, let us know what you are currently doing. Email Lisa Bennett at email@example.com to be featured in our newsletter Alumni Spotlight!
|Bluefield State College
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|Copyright © 2016 Bluefield State College. All Rights Reserved.
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LA CROSSE, Wis. -- If you live along the busy Losey Boulevard in La Crosse, you expect to hear the chaotic sounds of rolling tires and screeching breaks. But in this nearby basement, the orchestra of traffic rolls and rocks.
Meet Theo Pupillo, Matt Clark, Jake Evers and Nick Maas. Or as they are collectively known - Neon! "We started playing together as a band at the end of the 7th grade as a full group." "When we first got everyone together, we weren't very good."
But my how times have changed. These Central High school students have played Summerfest. They've been featured on international radio stations. And just put out their first music video. But this foursome is not your typical teenage band. This foursome gets their inspiration from some of the classics. "I think the first time I heard magical mystery tour by the Beatles, that's when I really got hooked on music."
They cover the Beatles, the Rolling Stones. But it's their original music that truly sets them apart. "We started writing music and recording songs after awhile."
Today they regularly book gigs around the community. But admit, rock and roll isn't all it's cracked up to be. "Is it true rockers get the chicks? No."
They are still very much high school boys at heart. "MOM!!!" "MOM!" "Mrs. Clark!!!"
"As someone who is not in to sports, it is something to do."
"Getting to meet these cool guys and Jam with these cool dudes."
"We'll take it to where it leads us and either way we've already had a lot of fun doing it. We could stop right now and look back and say, that was pretty sweet."
If you would like to learn more about Neon and their upcoming shows, you can check out their Facebook page. Just do a search for Neon. And if you would like to get your hands on some of their music you can find their CD at Deaf Ear or Dave's Guitar shop. Their music is also available for download on iTunes and Band Camp.


text:
By Michelle Seeber
PORTALES — Tom and Sandy Simenson of Portales have celebrated 15 Valentine's Day anniversaries since their marriage on Nov. 19, 1988, in Denver.
The Valentine's Day they remember most, though, was in 1986, when they lived at Windsor Gardens in Denver before they got married.
"It was a Roarin' '20s party," Tom, 68, said.
"I probably had a cocktail too many. I invited everyone to our place for a burrito breakfast. Judge Eddie Day, a Supreme Court justice who married us, showed up at our condominium at 7 in the morning with 2 gallons of bloody Marys."
"I fed them to the plants," Sandy, 65, said laughing.
Sandy was buying food for the breakfast four hours before the judge arrived and later was asking neighbors if she could borrow chairs for the guests. In all, between 30 to 35 people showed up. Tom did the cooking.
"And that was Valentine's Day," Sandy said
"We had some good times at that retirement village," Tom said.
The couple said they met two or three years before the big party.
Sandy's niece knew Tom and wanted Sandy to meet him, Sandy said.
"The night we were supposed to go over to his house for supper — biggest snow storm we ever had," Sandy said. "I wanted to beg off, but she was my niece, and I just felt like I couldn't do that to her. We arrived at Tom's. I kicked my boots off and curled up on the couch. My feet were cold."
"I knew then that was the girl I was going to marry," Tom said. "Several years later, I did."
"It helps to be friends before you get married — and several years before that," Sandy said of their relationship.
Though Tom planned to retire in Minnesota, because he likes to fish, they moved to Portales — Sandy in 1998 and Tom in 2000.
Sandy's mother, Velma Townsley Chamblee, who lives in Clovis, was in poor health, and Alfred Chamblee, who lived at the rest home in Portales, needed some assistance.
Tom's big boat now is docked at Ute Lake. They're happily married, they said, and they manage property in Portales — an occupation they both held in Denver.
"I tell her every day that I love her," Tom said. "We live together, we work together. We do everything together. We're very happy.
"We've settled in here pretty well," Sandy said.
As for how the two will spend this Valentine's Day, they said they didn't know for sure.
"We'll probably be cleaning a rental," Sandy said.
Said Tom, "My partying days have pretty much come to an end."


text:
ECS | CeRTS | IWAS | Teachers
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For Immediate Release
April 26, 2004
(SPRINGFIELD) Schools statewide will soon be spending
less time filling out paperwork and sending grant applications
off in the mail.
State Superintendent of Schools Robert Schiller Monday formally
unveiled the E-Grant Management System (eGMS) in Springfield
before more than 150 school administrators.
The State Board of Education began training sessions last
week to assist school administrators statewide to utilize
the new E-Grant Management System (eGMS). ISBE worked with
14 pilot districts last summer when it first began to develop
the program.
First and foremost the new program will reduce paperwork
and expedite the approval and release of funds. Currently,
more than 1,200 people have signed up for the training sessions,
which required ISBE to add more training sessions to accommodate
the interest in the new electronic application.
Prepare to save on paper costs, State Superintendent
Robert Schiller said. The E-Grant Management System
is for education what e-file was for the Internal Revenue
Service: its easier, its faster and best of all
its paperless.
Currently, the grant application process can be filled with
redundancies, applications may be repeatedly revised and corrected
in a paper form, which then results in the constant need to
check and recheck data.
The new eGMS will:
We are supposed to support districts, and through this
new program we have found a win-win for both districts and
ISBE, said Schiller. This process makes all of
our lives easier.
ISBE plans to concentrate the initial implementation of the
program this spring on the Fiscal Year 2005 No Child Left
Behind Consolidated Application. Districts will submit the
FY05 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) consolidated application
for the following grants:
The eGMS program will be interfaced with the State Boards
Web Application Security System (IWAS) and the existing Financial
Reimbursement Information System (FRIS). It is the full integration
of these systems that will result in a substantial reduction
of ISBE staff preparing, reviewing and processing grants.
Instead staff can focus on expedient grant approvals.
This system eliminates the paper shuffle, Schiller
said. Instead of moving a piece of paper from person-to-person,
each one of the people involved in the grant application can
call it up on the computer, approve or amend it, electronically
file it with ISBE, and track the status of the grant.
ISBE will eventually phase in more than 60 grant programs
online over the next few years. The program cost was $2.5
million, and will be used by all of Illinois 888 school
districts, as well as Regional Safe Schools, charter schools,
the Department of Human Services, Regional Offices of Education
and other grant recipients.
Information on the additional training sessions can be found
at: http://www.isbe.net/egms/default.htm
A list of attendees can be found at: http://www.isbe.net/news/2004/attendance_e-GMS.pdf
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777


text:
Mr. Kotter from "Welcome Back Kotter," played by Gabe Kaplan
Miss Bliss, played by Hayley Mills, from "Good Morning, Miss Bliss"
Mrs. Edna Krabappel from "The Simpsons," voiced by Marcia Wallace
Mr. Feeny from "Boy Meets World," played by William Daniels
The Professor from "Gilligan's Island," played by Russell Johnson
Mr. Moore, played by Howard Hesseman, from "Head of the Class"
Miss Brooks, played by Eve Arden, in "Our Miss Brooks"
Lydia Grant from "Fame," played by Debbie Allen
Matthew Morrison as Mr. Schuester in "Glee"
Miss Francis from "Ding Dong School," played by Frances Horwich
Miss Beadle from "Little House on the Prairie," as played by Charlotte Stewart
Mr. Garrison (at left) from "South Park," voiced by Trey Parker
Denzel Crocker from "The Fairly Oddparents," voiced by Carlos Alazraqui
Lily Aldrin, played by Alyson Hannigan, from "How I Met Your Mother"
Miss Hoover from "The Simpsons," voiced by Maggie Roswell
Mr. Wizard from "Watch Mr. Wizard" and "Mr. Wizard's World," played by Don Herbert
Professor Charles W. Kingsfield Jr. from "The Paper Chase," played by John Houseman
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text:
"I am a cradle Catholic and my husband of eight years just went through RCIA this Easter. Praise the Lord! His conversion was due, in large part, to your show and the awesome answers of Tim Staples, Jimmy Akin, and the rest of the gang. Your show has helped me, my now husband, grow deeply in love with the Church."
~ Patty
"It must be understood that the bishop is in the Church and the Church in the bishop and he is not in the Church who is not with the bishop."
~ St. Cyprian of Carthage, bishop, martyr; in early writings (Epist., lxvi, 8; circa A.D. 250), noting that a man was rightly considered in schism when he disregarded the authority of his own bishop.


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Pics from inside Camelback Ranch
Clayton Kershaw warming up.
O'Dog at the plate.
I have yet to see a win at Camelback Ranch but there is still another weekend after the WBC games this weekend at Dodger Stadium.
Official Locker Room for the Dodgers!
all pictures are mine except the lockeroom is from one of my cousin that took the tour before ballpark was done.
6 Comments
Emma – you have to let me know from a Dodgers fan point of view…Is Manny being good out there? Is he fitting in? What's the attitude of the fans? Do they like him? We all hear what the media wants us to hear. So what's the truth?! BTW, love the profile picture!
Great pictures! The locker pics are pretty neat! So weird to have nothing in there though!🙂
Manny has been great with us fans! he likes that people are not camping out outside his place. That he can walk to a restaurant without being mobbed. I am afraid that could change this year but I hope it does not. At Camelback Ranch I've seen how eveyone runs to him when he is walking thru the rope area . My friends and I just watch and a few others. Manny can't do no wrong with the fans. Everyone loves him. Sometimes he takes the golf cart as he is going thru the rope area or sometimes he walks.
You see kids, men & women young and older sporting the wig with the bandana. this retired couple were asking me where they could buy the wig. At that time they did not have them at the gift shop so I gave the couple my "fun card" It says "Crzblue" "crazy Dodger Fan" and it gives the location where I sit at the stadium. I told them to email me if they could not find the wig but I noticed they had it the gift shop the second weekend I was there.
Love the pictures Emma! Thanks for sharing.