Welcome to THE LAST LECTURE book club About This Page:

[Sandra Bostwick]

I just finished Chapter 9-the one about Captain Kirk.

I myself am a recovering trekkie who knows WAY too much about all the Star Treks, especially my favorite-Voyager (Seven of Nine rocks). Oops! I'm slipping. Gotta go to another Trekkie anonomous meeting!

Anyway, I LOVED the discussion about when Kirk reprogrammed the simulation because he did not believe in the no win scenario. Hard to tell how he found the time to reprogram, what with making out with all the green alien women, BUT he did it!

I love that attitude of refusing to stick to the rules if the rules give you an unfair outcome. (In Kirk's case, everyone on the ship dies).

It caused me to reflect on how might I change the rules for no-win scenarios in my own life?

What I discover, though, is I create most of my own no-win scenarios by my attitudes, my hesitations, my limiting beliefs. In all honesty, once I build up some steam, I am pretty unstoppable.

I do get slowed down by reactions or people who negatively influence me, misunderstandingly judge me, or slow me down for any number of reasons. Personally, I know that my reprogramming has to be done inside my own mind with what I allow myself to think and who I allow to influence me.

Anyone else have a no-win scenario that they'd like to reprogram?

Good night, book club!

[scottjs]

But captain. She won't do warp five--she'll implode!!!

Scotty I don't care. Just get all those Tribbles out of here

while I go make out with the female guest star of the week.

Actual Dialogue(Or not) from my favorite episode of Star Trek

The Sandy Bostwick On The Edge Of Forever!!!!

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by scottjs

The Sandy Bostwick On The Edge Of Forever!!!!

Hey, if you aren't living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!

[DebiDebiDebi]

Another trekkie here (Oh that Capt Picard is sooo sexy!). This story is actually my second favorite bit from the book (the first is about the salt and pepper shakers...if you haven't got to that yet, just wait, it is fantastic!). I love that Wm Shatner sent him the photo with the exact quote that had inspired Randy all those years.

My no win is definitely self inflicted; I am my own worst enemy, my own worst critic and no one has a harder time believing in me than I do. Do you see? THAT is my NO WIN Scenario... I am it. So, I kick myself in the butt and remind myself that it is much healthier to NOT believe in the No Win Scenario!!!!!

[scottjs]

Then I think I am taking up too much space.

Sometimes I feel like a rat in a maze!! Been there done that.

And can't afford a fun new cage to hang out in.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by DebiDebiDebi

Another trekkie here (Oh that Capt Picard is sooo sexy!). This story is actually my second favorite bit from the book (the first is about the salt and pepper shakers...if you haven't got to that yet, just wait, it is fantastic!). I love that Wm Shatner sent him the photo with the exact quote that had inspired Randy all those years.

My no win is definitely self inflicted; I am my own worst enemy, my own worst critic and no one has a harder time believing in me than I do. Do you see? THAT is my NO WIN Scenario... I am it. So, I kick myself in the butt and remind myself that it is much healthier to NOT believe in the No Win Scenario!!!!!

YAY! Another Trekkie! A little off-topic-trekkie-talk...Some famous physics professor was giving this lecture on theoretical quantum light speed or worm hole travel on CNN. It was a tough topic, even after studying physics as a hobby, and I had trouble keeping up. I'm probably getting this wrong now, but at one point he was using TREKKIE examples. He said something like "To accomplish this certain level of travel that takes a LONG time, you'd need to be a civilization that can recreate parts of themselves with technology and achieve a sort of stasis for a while, and I thought "Oh, The Borg" and he said "LIke the Borg!"Then he said to take advantage of worm holes without getting squished by the spaghetti effect, you'd need to be an entity that can completely restructure at the particle level, then reassemble at will once you are on the other side, so I though "Oh, the Q" and the guy said "Like the Q".It was at that point that realized I was one answer away from wearing thick black glasses with white tape over the bridge of the nose. Yes, folks, I'll be like the Saturday Night Live skit where Shatner yells at the Trekkies that IT'S NOT REAL!

Anyway, so glad to find other Trekkies.

I also loved that Shatner sent that photo. He may have played a sexist, corny, painfully slow talking Captain, but that was his character. His price line guy is so funny! His Denny Crane character is simply BRILLIANT! He is a great actor! From the picture, though, I think he is a great guy.

I loved what you said about the no-win scenario. You are right that we create our own no-win scenario. I just seem to be susceptible to other people's doubts or judgments, but that is still my choice. One last Trekkie reference from Seven of Nine (my hero) anyone who does not believe in me is "irrelevant". I'm sure of myself and I know who I am and "resistance is futile!" if you plan on slowing me down!

OK, I've got to get a call into my Trekkie Rehab sponser. I may be away for quite some time guys! Scottie forgot how to beam me up.

[scottjs]

You have found more then one trekkie!!! As a matter of fact maybe we should start a whole seperate topic about Star Trek!!!

Or we could also do one about Physics. One of my favorite formules!

R8== 2GM over C Squared!!!!

That is a formule that reduces the size of the Earth to a basketball!!!

Not that the Earth could become a Black Hole anyway.

[DebiDebiDebi]

OK, I will get this out of my system and then get back to the BOOK, I promise!


A few Trek Facts about Me:

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard is my all time favorite character.

Guinan, Data, Worf...next to Picard, these Characters are tops with me!

Will Riker...my least favorite Trek Character

Inner Light...my all time favorite episode ( I have the Picard Flute solo entitled "Inner Light Theme" on my iPod HOW GEEKY IS THAT?!?!?!?!?)

As you can tell, I am a NG fan, but the original comes in a close second with Voyager next. Never could get into DS9 and the most recent "Enterprise" was quite lame IMHO.

Sandy---you have that Star Trek Intervention Hot Line on you??????

[scottjs]

With the permission of the trekkies here(And you know who you are--LMAO)

I am gonna start a seperate topic for Star Trek.

And I have a lot to learn.

But I will be like Captain Kirk.

I will just do what needs to be done.

Lets hope others join.

[graygables]

Debbie...ME TOO!!! I was reading your list thinking, check, check, check...

Imagine Picard doing "Priceline negotiaaaaator". : He's elegant and refined (and keeps his shirt on... )

I also believe that my no-win scenario involves changing myself. I wish it were easy! Somewhere deep in my brain there HAS to be a switch that will turn on the non-procrastinating, highly motivated, energetic me that MUST be in there somewhere. If it weren't struggling to get out, would I feel this way? Wouldn't I just be content to be slogging through my days? I've known plenty of people who were perfectly happy (including my oldest child) and felt absolutely no desire for anything different. But I DO! So certainly, it's in there somewhere...I just need to boldly go...

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by DebiDebiDebi

OK, I will get this out of my system and then get back to the BOOK, I promise!


A few Trek Facts about Me:

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard is my all time favorite character.

Guinan, Data, Worf...next to Picard, these Characters are tops with me!

Will Riker...my least favorite Trek Character

Inner Light...my all time favorite episode ( I have the Picard Flute solo entitled "Inner Light Theme" on my iPod HOW GEEKY IS THAT?!?!?!?!?)

As you can tell, I am a NG fan, but the original comes in a close second with Voyager next. Never could get into DS9 and the most recent "Enterprise" was quite lame IMHO.

Sandy---you have that Star Trek Intervention Hot Line on you??????

That post is too great!

Here's my answers:

favorite character: Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix-one (AKA Annika Hansen) GO SEVEN!

next favorite characters: Janeway, Data, The Doctor (Voyager), Neelix (a nice fun nurturing-type), The Borg Queen (She is So intense, she was just brought up on the wrong side of town), Deanna Troy (an awesome mental health tech)

least favorite character: The Q (He is very insensitive) The Borg Hive while assimilating (As a collective, I feel bad for them, but they are BAD news) The Ferenge (You can't trust them!).

favorite episode: WOW! There are so very many of them! For funny, I'd say the episode where Seven dates a guy, cracks a lobster in half, and breaks the guy's arm while dancing. There are so many that are so deeply insightful, that I'd have to think hard to pick.

I agree that NG is a close second to Voyager. I also was completely turned off to DS9 and the most recent "Enterprise".

That was a pretty lively chapter discussion, I'd say! I think Scott mentioned starting a Star Trek thread someplace when we move on to the next chapter.

BEAM ME UP, Scotty!

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by graygables

Debbie...ME TOO!!! I was reading your list thinking, check, check, check...

Imagine Picard doing "Priceline negotiaaaaator". : He's elegant and refined (and keeps his shirt on... )

I also believe that my no-win scenario involves changing myself. I wish it were easy! Somewhere deep in my brain there HAS to be a switch that will turn on the non-procrastinating, highly motivated, energetic me that MUST be in there somewhere. If it weren't struggling to get out, would I feel this way? Wouldn't I just be content to be slogging through my days? I've known plenty of people who were perfectly happy (including my oldest child) and felt absolutely no desire for anything different. But I DO! So certainly, it's in there somewhere...I just need to boldly go...

Some pixie dust that, hoping that by the end of this book club, we will have learned how to overcome our resistance to being our best! Because resistance is futile!

We all seem in agreement that changing hte no-win scenario involves our own personal choices. Who we hang with, where we go, what we think, what we do, and how we feel about it.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Chapter 10-winning big.

It is funny to see such a smart man seeing big stuffed animals as the sign of winning big.

What are your little signs of winning big?
Here's mine. I guess this comes to mind because this is a Disney site, but once I helped a little lost kid (I think he was autistic) outside Animal Kingdom. When Disney security came over, they gave me and my sister pixie dust pins (You can't buy them, you have to earn them) as a reward and took a picture of us with a bunch of Disney security cast members to hang someplace for moral. How funny that a picture was put up in a Disney place for cast member moral! So many people noticed that pin and asked me how I got it! IT was pretty amazing!

Chapter 11 was so very inspiring for me.
I first noticed that, before Randy went for his interview to be a virtual reality imagineer, he did 80 hours of homework. Sometimes I do the hard part, getting the interest for something from someone, and I freeze up a bit on "doing my homework". NOt always, but sometimes. It has to do with that resistance that we've been talking about. Since the resistance is me, though, resistance is futile!

I liked that Randy found a cheap way to create a virtual reality environment, unlike the scientists who said it would cost major $$. His inventive ingenuity was what got him the deal.

[DebiDebiDebi]

Ah, you have hit the nail on the head. 80 hours of homework. Randy is the perfect example of someone who:

A) Knows what his goals/dreams are
B) Knows what he has to do to achieve them
C) Uses no excuses and in fact sees these hurdles as an opportunity to challenge himself

To me "Winning Big" is a relative term. What is "BIG" to me might seem small and insignificant to others. An example:

A couple years back we had a 9 year old come into the hospital for a CT scan. Because of the type of scan we were doing, this boy was required to drink a container of CT Contrast ( an unappealing, slightly thick white chalky substance with an orange flavoring...not in the least appetizing!). Now, most adults have a hard time swallowing this stuff, so you can imagine that asking a 9 year old to drink it was difficult. As he resisted and the conversation between him and his mother got more and more "uptight" I decided on a whim to do something. I went to the CT tech, got my own bottle of contrast and joined the 9 year old in the waiting room. I challenged him to a "Fear Factor" competition (remember Fear Factor? The reality game show wherein each week something dreadful was consumed by the contestants?). Immediately, his face lit up and together, we chugged that contrast to see who could finish it first. (Yeah, I drank slow...he won). The CT tech was really happy that I got him to drink, his mother was thrilled, and everyone was good. When the tech told our boss what I had done, he was completely baffled; why would anyone do what I had done? He thought it was completely stupid. He could not see that because I had made a bit of effort, we had made a kid's hospital experience a bit more fun and tolerable. My boss still doesn't get it, but I am here to say that in my opinion, that day I think I "won big".

[DISNEY03]

Wow, I've missed so much, we've been camping for the last week and I need to read up to catch up on all the talk. I finished the book and really enjoyed it. A little redundant at times but for the most part very positive.
I'll read all your posts and catch up.
Thank you Sandra for the boo, I can't figure it out, I'm still trying!