The Daily Show: Watch a Preview of the Leonard Nimoy-Narrated "Romney - A Human Being Who Built That"

"If you've got a business -- you didn't build that!" Those words, spoken by President Barack Obama, have become one of the pillars of the Republican party's campaign. In fact, "We Built That" is the theme of this year's Republican National Convention, even becoming a chant.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has continually mocked the right's pouncing on this out-of-context quote, even showing that many major news networks who put the quote "in context" actually edited it so that the context still wasn't evident. In this week's coverage of the RNC, Stewart has continued to mock the twisting of the president's grammatically faulty quote, even listing off things the Republican party has done wrong so that the crowds at the RNC can chant, "We built that!"

Stewart is taking that joke one step further on tonight's episode of The Daily Show. Part of tonight's episode will be dedicated to a mock propaganda film titled "Romney - A Human Being Who Built That." If that's just not enough to have you double-checking your DVR, how about this: the film is narrated by Leonard Nimoy.

If that's not the most exciting thing, I don't know what is.

A teaser for the 'film' has been released, featuring Nimoy lauding Romney while introducing clearly out-of-context quotes from the president (one of which is pieced together from different speeches to form one hilarious confession). It looks like the typical brand of Daily Show humor, with the added gravitas of Spock.

Source: TV Rage

'The Daily Show' To Air Short Film, 'Romney: A Human Being Who Built That,' Narrated By Leonard Nimoy

This just in: "The Daily Show," currently broadcasting from Tampa, Florida for the Republican National Convention, has put together a short biopic on the GOP presidential nominee, narrated by Leonard Nimoy.

The short film entitled, "Romney: A Human Being Who Built That," will be presented on tonight's episode of "The Daily Show." But just like anything that's narrated by Mr. Spock, they simply couldn't wait to share it with the world.

Source: Huffington Post

The man who would be Spock
Lawrence Montaigne has been a part of many memorable projects, but considers himself ‘lucky’ to be remembered for ‘Star Trek’

(...) Here, Montaigne explains why he loves Star Trek conventions and shares perhaps the best Leonard Nimoy prank ever.

Is it true you were almost the new Mr. Spock?

Since we did that contract for me to replace [original Spock] Leonard Nimoy [if he left the show], 10 people have come out of the woodwork, swearing to God they were hired to do the same job. So I was a little, you know, miffed, because I thought I was the guy who was going to do it. But Robert Justman, he was the associate producer on the show, and he verified the fact that I was, indeed, hired to play the role and replace Nimoy. There was also a clause in my contract that said if Leonard decides to come back, Montaigne is out. So Nimoy went to do Mission: Impossible, and decided to come back. And I got a very short phone call saying, “We’re sorry.” And then a few weeks after, they called me to do [Vulcan character] Stonn (laughs). And you know damn well I wasn’t gonna do it. But my agent just ripped me a new butt: “You’re gonna do it!”

What was your reaction when you got that phone call?

My first reaction was to kill Leonard (laughs). And that was the nice part. Really, I was kind of wound up, thinking I was going to do it. And I don’t think I would have replaced Spock. I really think I would have been Stonn. And because of my Eastern European resemblance to Leonard Nimoy, because we both come from Polish/Russian/Hungarian backgrounds, I think I would have created my own persona.

(...)

Did you establish relationships with anyone in the cast?

I always got along with Bill Shatner, but I was not very close with Leonard Nimoy. Leonard’s wife, Sandy, and I were in the theater together. I knew her long before Leonard did. They got married and she had kids and Sandy and I remained friends. Her sister and I went together for a while. I think Leonard took umbrage with that.

I’ve got to tell you a story. I come on the set, and Leonard [Nimoy] is off by himself sitting in his chair with his name on the back, reading the script, non-communicative. I tried to be friendly: “Hi Leonard,” and I wanted to talk about Sandy, and that I knew his wife—nothing. Okay, we break for lunch. Picture this: I go to the commissary. I get there—and I’m playing Stonn—and there’s a bus filled with tourists, maybe 50. I go in, get my lunch, sit down, the doors open and here comes this mob straight for my table. “Mr. Nimoy, Mr. Nimoy, can we have your autograph?” So I’m sitting there, signing autographs “Leonard Nimoy.”

You really did that?

(Laughs) I go back to the set. Leonard’s sitting by himself. So I walk over and I said, “Leonard, I’ve got to tell you, the funniest thing happened at lunch today.” Well, he couldn’t have cared less. I said, “I’m sitting in the commissary and a busload of tourists come in and they all rushed over to my table and said, ‘Mr. Nimoy, Mr. Nimoy, can we have your autograph?’ And I told them all to go f*ck themselves.” His reaction was, “You die and go to hell!” That went around the set, everyone was doubled over. And I never straightened him out. I never told him the truth.

Source: Las Vegas Weekly

“A Bear… Over There!”

This was half of our excitement last night here at Lake Tahoe. I’ve seen bears on sheets, towels, mugs, rugs, paintings and every gimmicky trinket you can buy at souvenir shops in Tahoe…. but never in the YARD! Eleven of us were gathered around the dinner table when one of the children pointed out the back door and yelled, “There’s a bear!” Sure enough. Walking along the top of the six-foot fence that separates this yard from Leonard Nimoy’s yard was a black bear… although not the bear in the blurry photo above. The bear on the fence looked to be a bit bigger than a cub…. maybe 200 pounds of black fluff. All cuddly and huggable! We all ran for cameras and headed for windows facing the back fence. Sadly, for the photo-op, the bear jumped into Nimoy’s yard and we couldn’t see it any more.

Source: My Sister's Jar, June 15, 2010

Famous Tahoe Residents

Celebs from TV sitcom stars to big-time movie makers get their mail delivered to a Tahoe address – like Leonard Nimoy and Robin Williams, and Kevin Nealon from Saturday Night Live fame.

You might wonder why you’ve heard so little about this, being an avid reader of the news. Well, it’s the locals. They don’t really like to talk about it. Sure, they might mention to the hubby that they saw so and so at the hardware store buying Christmas lights, but the Tahoe local, evolved creature that he is, will pride himself on NOT intruding on said celebrity’s life, and maybe tell that part of the story first. A few residents, like Leonard Nimoy and Mike Love, are active in the communities they live in, but that’s highly irregular for the Tahoe celeb who is living incognito.

Source: Tahoe.com

Explore the rich history of the Tahoe area in a wonderful visual adventure. The Story of Tahoe Part One begins in 1844, when a lost, starving expedition discovers the native Washoe people's most precious jewel: Lake Tahoe. From there, logging industry booms at Tahoe, tourism flourishes with the railroad industry, and historic estates are built all around the lake. Part II picks up again at the turn of the century. The 1900s find Tahoe ravaged by logging. But torists continue to flock to the area, lured by the promise of fishing, hiking, and camping. With the introduction of the automobile, Tahoe continues to grow.

Comprised of old photographs, early motion picture footage, and reenactments, these movies bring to life the Tahoe of yesteryear.

Narrated by Leonard Nimoy

Source: Keep Tahoe Blue

State warns North Tahoe neighborhood's water users
Lake Forest returns to lake water
By Joanna Hartman
Monday, August 6, 2007
Sierra Sun

Unhappy homeowners
Several Lake Forest residents are both concerned and enraged over the state of their private water company. About 20 home and business owners met privately Saturday to discuss their worries and wishes. Ultimately, they agreed they want clean water and adequate flow for fire suppression.

Seventy-two percent of the homeowners previously signed and submitted a petition to the Tahoe City Public Utility District board of directors requesting the district take over the private water company.

The board accepted the petition July 26 and voted to spend up to $25,000 to have the water system appraised.

But Lake Forest residents are concerned that the process won’t move quickly enough.

“We’ve got water-quality problems, we’ve got inadequate fire resources and we’ve got property value loss, so what are we waiting for?” Lake Forest homeowner Leonard Nimoy said at Saturday’s meeting.

Dewante also attended the private meeting to answer residents’ questions. Many of the ratepayers were curious about his interest in keeping control of the private water company — “What’s in it for you?” they asked him.

“[I want] to operate and improve business plans, to supply potable water to everyone at a fair cost,” Dewante responded.

But homeowners remained suspicious. The problems have gone on far too long, they said, and they wanted answers.

“All of us have property values negatively impacted by your system,” said Lake Forest resident Darlene Pearson Bray.

August 13 (Saturday)
Lake Tahoe Music Festival
Festival orchestra featuring Leonard Nimoy narrating Garrison Keller’s Young Lutheran’s Guide to the Orchestra and Julliard Jacek Mysinski performing Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2. www.tahoemusic.org

Mr. Spock beams down in Carson City

Monday, April 12, 1999 | 9:29 a.m.

Leonard Nimoy and his wife, Susan Bay-Nimoy, spent Sunday afternoon at the library reading four stories depicting moments of the human experience.

The Nimoys are residents of the Tahoe City, Calif., area. They were the first top-rank celebrities to ever perform at the Carson City Library and spent more than an hour reading to an audience of nearly 140 to launch National Library Week.

Nimoy said his five grandchildren and Bay-Nimoy's son all spend much time at libraries. Bay-Nimoy was especially emphatic about reading out loud to children.

They chose four short stories: "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain, "The Catbird Seat" by James Thurber and "The Loudest Voice" by Grace Paley.

Source: Las Vegas Sun

ANOVOS' Star Trek: The Original Series - Spock Replica Tunic is a highly accurate recreation of the uniform top worn by Leonard Nimoy during the third season of the original Star Trek series. Using the exact double-knit fabric, elusive diamond-weave neck material, and patterns drawn from a screen-used hero Spock uniform, this tunic will meet every fan expectation even to the most critical eye. ANOVOS offers this exacting replica in Mr. Spock's style with Commander braid formation, containing two full braids for each sleeve. Each tunic features the Science Division Delta Shield Enterprise patch. Taking a page from Spock's "I endeavour to be accurate", ANOVOS recreates only the best of costume replicas. To pass on this would be, simply put, highly illogical!

Los Angeles Times
By Gina Piccalo and Louise Roug
November 06, 2001

Vulcan With a Cause

Spock spent a career in space. And, as it turns out, the ultimate frontier is also where he puts his money.

On a recent Sunday, Spock, a.k.a. Leonard Nimoy, and his wife, Susan, hosted a barbecue for 150 at the Griffith Observatory. The afternoon event raised money for Friends of the Observatory and the planned expansion of the 66-year-old landmark.

Nimoy has been fascinated with the Mt. Hollywood observatory for more than half a century, since he first visited as a teenager in 1950.

"There's something really warm and welcoming about it," said Nimoy by landline last week. "Visiting feels like slipping into a comfortable shoe."

Technology tycoon Henri Samueli is among the high-profile donors who have decided to endow the project. Samueli picked the sun telescope, which will bear his name. The Nimoy family has donated $1 million for a lecture hall and theater, which will be named the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater.

"Space technology is a perfect fit for Leonard," said Susan Nimoy before being interrupted by her enthusiastic husband, a card-carrying member of SETI, the institute that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Despite his long career on the Starship Enterprise, however, space is just a hobby. "I'm not a scientist--I'm in the arts," Nimoy said. But gazing at the stars, "I get this extraordinary rush--an experience of our place in space," Nimoy said. "It's magical."

The observatory renovation begins early next year.

In Search of... - Release Date, Cost, Extras for a DVD Set of the 1976 Show with Leonard Nimoy
No USA details yet, but Canadian details of this VEI release are available at Amazon.ca's entry

Six months ago we had the exclusive news that VEI is preparing a long-awaited DVD release for In Search of..., the 1976 series hosted by Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek, Mission: Impossible). Now a pre-order listing at Amazon.ca, the Canadian branch of the e-tailer, informs us that this item will be available starting on October 23rd

Source: TV Shows on DVD

Leonard Nimoy (Actor)
b. 26 Mar 1931 - d.
US Army Reserves, 1953-1955

During the time of his enlistment, Nimoy appeared uncredited in, Them, Gordon Douglas' 1954 thriller about giant mutant ants birthed from radiation resulting from atomic testing. He played the role of a Air Force Sergeant, which was his real-life ranking at the time (albeit in the army)... perhaps as an extra in this film - he got the gig because he owned his own passable wardrobe?

Source: Celebrity Vererans

Star power a big factor for elections
Voters more likely to embrace candidates with celebrity endorsement, study shows

(...) The celebrity talk may have more impact than we think: A University of Tennessee study shows voters are more likely to think favorably of a candidate if a celebrity they like is linked to the candidate.

In a survey of more than 500 people, Anthony Nownes, a Tennessee political science professor, showed people tended to think more positively about a party when they learned of a celebrity who had supported the party.

(...) Celebrities have long waded into political waters. Famed aviator Charles Lindbergh pushed for isolationism before World War II. Actor-comedian W.C. Fields stumped for Wendell Willkie against President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

Pro basketball star Wilt Chamberlain endorsed Richard Nixon in 1968 while actors Paul Newman, Tony Randall and Leonard Nimoy worked on behalf of Eugene McCarthy.

Source: DesMoinesRegister.com

Journey to Babel
written by D.C. Fontana
SECOND REVISED FINAL DRAFT, Dated 9/19/67
with revised pages dated 9/20, 9/21, and 9/26
Review, Analysis, and Report by Dave Tilotta

Dorothy Fontana’s script is wonderfully detailed, and, as you read it, you can’t help but wonder if she hadn’t visualized the entire episode in her head before committing anything to paper. Everything in it is richly and completely described -- the characters, important gestures (e.g., the Vulcan "kiss")

(...) And Sarek’s "heart attack" in his quarters is written as:

Suddenly, Sarek gasps, starts to crumple. He goes to his knees before Kirk and Spock can catch him, he is clutching his right side, at the bottom of the rib cage (NOT as far down as the human appendix area, please)…

Dorothy even described the photographic details for Sarek’s operation:

INT. EXMANINATION ROOM – CLOSE – SPOCK

He lies on an examination table, bare chested. With his look, CAMERA PANS to the device on his arm. From the device CAMERA FOLLOWS transparent tube carrying his green blood to a wall computer.

CAMERA PANS to a second computer, follows the tube from it to the Jefferies Separater [sic]. HOLD on the green Spock blood entering the separater, and orange portion dropping FOLLOWS another tube which carries blood of a brighter green hue to a device on Sarek’s arm. Sarek is anesthetized.

Relocated Scenes

The scenes in Sarek and Amanda’s quarters – where Sarek chastises Amanda for embarrassing Spock – were moved from their original location when the episode was edited. As scripted, these scenes occur immediately before the scenes in the recreation room lounge – where Gav forces Sarek to divulge his vote on Coridan’s admission. Likewise in the script, the bridge scenes of Spock and Kirk trying to identify the as-yet-unknown Orion ship are continuous with the later ones showing the Orion ship accelerating towards the Enterprise at Warp 10. When edited for the broadcast version, though, these bridge scenes were broken in half and the scenes of Sarek and Amanda in their quarters inserted into their middle. The production team may have done this to ease the transition of Sarek seated in his quarters and then suddenly appearing in the recreation room.

Touching the Door

The aired version of the sickbay scene showing Amanda imploring Spock to go help his father contains more pathos than the scripted version. Here is a portion of the scene as written:

AMANDA

When you were five years old and came home stiff-lipped,
anguished, because the other boys tormented you, saying
you weren’t really Vulcan! I kept praying
you’d cry...that you’d be human!

SPOCK

I did not cry.

AMANDA

You should have. There must be some part
of me in you – some part I can reach.

Source: Orion Press

Out of this world! Kim Cattrall is barely recognisable in film stills from Star Trek

Stills from 1991 movie Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country show the actress in costume as Vulcan Lieutenant Valeris, with upswept eyebrows and pointed ears - barely recognisable from the star we know today.

(...) As filming completed, scandal is said to have erupted after Cattrall reportedly had a photographer shoot her nude - wearing only her Vulcan ears - on the set of the Enterprise bridge.

Nimoy is said to have had the film destroyed after finding out about the portrait session.

With several successful films behind her, including Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little CHina, and of course, Star Trek, it was not until seven years later that Cattrall's role as Samantha on HBO series Sex and the City in 1998 would finally turn her into an international star.

Source: Mail Online

A reminder of bitter tears
Ernst Toch's `Cantata of the Bitter Herbs' was revived by the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony recently. Toch's grandson, Lawrence Weschler, tells the story of its creation
By Lawrence Weschler Mar.28, 2002 | 12:00 AM

(...) Several years later, when Sara was eight, we happened to be traipsing through an abandoned and overgrown Jewish cemetery in a lush forest in rural Poland, contemplating the tossed and tumbled ancient headstones, evidence of a once vibrant presence, now achingly absent. The tombstones featured all sorts of weathered carvings - vases, candles, menorahs and, most mysteriously, pairs of outstretched hands, their fingers peculiarly spread in a V-formation, the thumb and two adjacent fingers to one side, the pinky and its neighbor to the other.

"Why," Sara asked, quite sensibly, "are they all saying, `Live long and prosper'?"

A few months later, while preparing a Talk of the Town piece for The New Yorker around the theme of KCRW's recent Jewish Short Stories radio series, I got a chance to interview that series's host and moderator, the actor Leonard Nimoy, author of a recent memoir of his Star Trek experiences, "I Am Spock." I mentioned my daughter's query to him, and he burst out laughing, for as it turned out, he now told me, she had gotten it "exactly right."

As he had been preparing the Spock character in the early days of the series, Nimoy, who had been raised in Orthodox Jewish surroundings in Boston's West End, had thought of the eternally exiled Vulcan as a sort of cosmically Wandering Jew cast among that otherwise homogenous crew. Called upon to invent a ritualized greeting gesture for his Vulcan alter-ego, Nimoy related how he suddenly recalled one of the most charged moments of the services at his local synagogue when he was a child: how the Kohanim, the representatives of the priestly tribe, approached the raised stage and formed a semi-circle, their shawls draped over their extended arms, and their fingers outspread in that four-fingered V-configuration.

"It was a very loaded moment," Nimoy explained. "You weren't supposed to look as they began chanting, for it was said that at that moment the Shekhinah, the holy presence of God, entered the sanctuary, and that this spirit was so powerful, so beautiful, that if you saw it, you'd die. Being an eight-year-old, of course, I peeked, and the sheer theatricality of the occasion made a lasting impression, one that I subsequently summoned forth in creating that `live long and prosper' gesture."

I recorded this in The New Yorker a few weeks later, titled "Oy, Spock," and as the years passed, allowed the revelation to recede from my memory. Until recently.

(...) Recently things have begun to change. All sorts of Toch CDs have begun pouring forth - especially from Germany, where they are being very well received - ventures I had absolutely nothing to do with. To cap it off, a few months ago I received word that Noreen Green and the L.A. Jewish Symphony were going to be reviving the cantata at one of their concerts. They asked me if I had any ideas for a possible narrator. Remembering my conversation with Nimoy, I asked whether he'd be willing. He agreed.

Source: Haaretz

A Resonant Voice

After 80 years, Theodore Bikel remains one of the most unique and versatile of Jewish performers.

(...) On June 6, his destination will be the Wadsworth Theater in Brentwood, where celebrities will fete him in a tribute, "Theo!!! The First 80 Years," to benefit Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Performers such as Leonard Nimoy, Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary and comedian Larry Miller will laud Bikel's distinctive Jewish voice and his status as perhaps the last of a unique breed of Jewish entertainer.

They point out that Bikel performs in Yiddish and Hebrew as well as English; that he is as comfortable in the Jewish theater as on the non-Jewish stage; and that he declined to change his name or downplay his heritage to land movie roles, although many others of his generation did so. (...)

(...) Actor-director Nimoy, a Yiddishist whose parents were raised in the shtetl, has been a fan since discovering Bikel's recordings in the 1950s.

"I listened to them over and over again, because his music just struck a chord," he says. "His voice captured a flavor that meant something to me; it made me feel like I knew who he was, because he presents himself in a way that evokes such credibility and authenticity. He's always been that kind of performer; he's filled that niche for us, connecting us to tradition, to roots."

Source: Jewish Journal

Stakeout

Leonard Nimoy was considered for the job of director but he had already signed on to direct 3 Men and a Baby and was unable to accept the job.

Source: IMDB

Getting Star Trek on the air was impossible

In November of 1966, two months after the first Star Trek series premièred in the U.S., science fiction author Isaac Asimov wrote an article for TV Guide in which he complained about the numerous scientific inaccuracies found in science fiction TV shows of the day — Star Trek included. That show's creator, Gene Roddenberry, didn't take kindly to the jab, and immediately wrote to Asimov with a polite but stern response that also went some way to explaining the difficulties of bringing such a show to the screen. His letter can be read below.

29 November, 1966

Dear Isaac:

(...) In the specific comment you made about Star Trek, the mysterious cloud being "one-half light-year outside the Galaxy," I agree certainly that this was stated badly, but on the other hand, it got past a Rand Corporation physicist who is hired by us to review all of our stories and scripts, and further, got past Kellum deForest Research who is also hired to do the same job.

And, needless to say, it got past me.

We do spend several hundred dollars a week to guarantee scientific accuracy. And several hundred more dollars a week to guarantee other forms of accuracy, logical progressions, etc. Before going into production we made up a "Writer's Guide" covering many of these things and we send out new pages, amendments, lists of terminology, excerpts of science articles, etc., to our writers continually. And to our directors. And specific science information to our actors depending on the job they portray. For example, we are presently accumulating a file on space medicine for De Forest Kelly who plays the ship's surgeon aboard the USS Enterprise. William Shatner, playing Captain James Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy, playing Mr. Spock, spend much of their free time reading articles, clippings, SF stories, and other material we send them.

The Lieutenant - 'The Complete Series, Part 1' and 'Part 2' of Roddenberry's Show

Next Tuesday, August 14th the long-awaited classic TV series The Lieutenant, from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, makes its DVD debut exclusively on the WarnerArchive.com. This was Roddenberry's first TV series (as both creator and producer). What has become a huge fan base clamoring to get the 29 episodes filmed in 1963-64 will now get its wish. The new DVD has been restored, and includes an unseen theatrical iteration.

Gary Lockwood (2001: A Space Odyssey) plays young and easy-going Marine Corps Lieutenant William Rice, who commands a colorful crew of raw recruits. Rice soon finds his missions consist of dodging political grenades, searching to destroy dissent within the ranks, and mounting reconnaissance missions to obtain young ladies' phone numbers. The series features guest star appearances from Star Trek legends Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, and Majel Barrett, and Six Million Dollar Man star Richard Anderson.

Source: TV Shows on DVD

Photo Flash: Jonathan Groff and Alfred Molina-Led RED Opens in LA- Betty White, Zachary Quinto and More!

Broadway veteran and GLEE star Jonathan Groff stars opposite original cast member Alfred Molina in the Los Angeles premiere of RED at the Mark Taper Forum. Groff plays Ken (orignally played by Tony winner Eddie Redmayne) in the play, alongside Molina who reprises his Tony-nominated role as Mark Rothko. Michael Grandage directs.

The production is currently running through September 9, and the stars came out to celebrate opening night yesterday. View photos below!

In Red, behold the fury of Mark Rothko, celebrated bad boy of the art world, as powerful pigments and opinions splatter the canvases of his newly commissioned works for the highly anticipated Four Seasons restaurant in New York. Paint collides with canvas live on stage as masterpieces are born and torn down in a visceral experience that spills off the stage and forever changes the way audiences see red.

Source: Broadway World.com

Following Sunday’s opening night performance of “Red” at the Mark Taper Forum, theatergoers merely had to stroll down Grand Avenue to see eight Mark Rothko paintings at the Museum of Contemporary Art, where the after-party took place.

The play is about the artist; the paintings are part of MOCA's permanent collection.

The L.A. opening of the Tony Award-winning play, starring Alfred Molina and Jonathan Groff, was packed with celebrities, among them Leonard Nimoy, the artist, art collector and original Mr. Spock of TV’s “Star Trek,” and Zachary Quinto, Mr. Spock of the 2009 and 2013 film versions. Quinto, there to support Groff, his boyfriend, brought along fellow cast members from another project in which he appears, Showtime's “American Horror Story.” With him were Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange and Lily Rabe.

(...)

After having seen the play, most came for an up-close look at the paintings.

In MOCA’s courtyard, where a buffet also awaited guests, playwright John Logan said he began working on the play seven years ago. Back then, Rothko paintings were already selling in multimillion-dollar range. In May, however, Rothko’s "Orange, Red, Yellow" broke records for contemporary art sales at auction by fetching nearly $87 million at a Christie’s.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Book Review
I Am Spock
Leonard Nimoy
Reviewed by Albert Kim | Sep 29, 1995

Trivia time: Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek's late creator, first offered the role of the enigmatic Vulcan Spock not to Leonard Nimoy, but to DeForest Kelley, the man who would go on to play the series' lovably crotchety Dr. McCoy. Imagine: At this very moment, we could be associating the character of the pointy-eared first officer with Kelley's craggy-faced Southern-gentleman look, rather than with Nimoy's familiar angular features and coolly detached demeanor. Fascinating.

Of course, in reality the role of the emotionally challenged alien went to Nimoy, and now, as with all such iconic figures in pop culture, it is nearly impossible to envision anyone else as Spock. This merging of identities can often be a curse for an actor, a theme that has haunted Nimoy for much of his professional life and one that dominates his new memoir, I Am Spock . Notably, this isn't even Nimoy's first attempt to deal with this conflict. In 1975, he wrote an autobiography entitled, cleverly enough, I Am Not Spock. Clearly, this man has some issues.

Although Nimoy explicitly sets out to redress the damage done 20 years ago by I Am Not Spock — and Trekkies being Trekkies, the damage was considerable — in many ways he has yet to come to grips with his famous alter ego. He tries mightily to cast a healthy light on his current relationship with Spock, but his claims sound thin and forced, like Dr. Frankenstein trying to say he's now on good terms with his monster. In fact, the most compelling parts of I Am Spock are when Nimoy walks us through the vagaries of his own internalized angst. ''The Vulcan was always with me,'' he writes plaintively about his post-Trekacting experiences.

During these moments of obsessive reflection, I Am Spock is genuinely absorbing, as are the times Nimoy delves into his prickly relationship with the show itself. To his credit, Nimoy never denies that he owes his success to his role in Star Trek, and he delights in recounting how jealously he has guarded Spock's image and integrity over the years. He characterizes most of his infamous backstage squabbles — including spats with Roddenberry, costar William Shatner, and Paramount — as merely disagreements over the portrayal of the Vulcan. Often, Nimoy expressed his concerns via memorandums, many of which are sampled in the book. ''My primary interest in contacting you gentlemen,'' goes one memorable memo addressed to Roddenberry and a studio head, ''is my concern over my lack of experience in playing dummies. Perhaps you could arrange to get me educated in this area.''

Unfortunately, the biting clarity of those dashed-off notes is not in evidence for much of I Am Spock. Anecdotes are arranged haphazardly, narrative threads begin and then trail off, and tantalizing tidbits are frustratingly glossed over. (Nimoy drops the startling revelation that he and Shatner had actually worked together before Star Trek, on an episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and then breezily dismisses the incident, claiming he can't remember the details.) Worst of all, to hammer home his points about his internal conflict, Nimoy peppers the book with fictional dialogues between himself and Spock, an annoyingly precious conceit that started -- and should have ended -- in his first book.

Nimoy also has little new to add to Trek lore, as most of his behind-the-scenes stories are familiar and well-worn.

In the end, I Am Spock, which was meant to strike a note of triumphant resolution, actually sounds more like resignation. ''I can only hope that, once in a while,'' Nimoy writes wanly near the end of the book, ''when people look at Spock's visage, they might sometimes think of me.'' Perhaps in another 20 years or so we'll hear a more convincing voice in No, Really, I Am NOT Spock. C+

Source: EW.com

Griffith Observatory's curatorial staff will present NASA's live coverage of the event, provide additional commentary on the mission, and answer questions in a free program starting at 9:00 p.m. PDT. The Observatory will be open for this event until 12:00 midnight. - on Livestream.com

Submitted by Grace. Good find. Thanks

Interview with Leonard Nimoy - UFOS - Does Prayer Work?

If all goes well and Mr Nimoy can do the live show then the return of The AZ UFO Show will be a memorable one. So far I was told that he will do the interview but for only 20 min. WOW!

Source: The Az UFO Show