gift for boss
July 26, 2010 2:10 PM Subscribe
Help me find a gift for my boss and teacher! She is a HUGE Star Trek fan, conducts research on weather patterns, has an advanced math degree, and was previously a sports coach.
What would she want? She saw the Star Trek movie like 8 times when it came out and loves to show episodes to classes, so that'd probably be a good starting point. I'd like to give her something nice/memorable because she's been such a mentor and force in my life (I never would have gotten a degree in a math-related field if not for her)!
What would she want? She saw the Star Trek movie like 8 times when it came out and loves to show episodes to classes, so that'd probably be a good starting point. I'd like to give her something nice/memorable because she's been such a mentor and force in my life (I never would have gotten a degree in a math-related field if not for her)!
Response by poster: She knows pretty much everything about Star Trek and has seen every episode. She strikes me as more of a kind of Vulcan person, but I think that she mostly just loves all of it. I guess that probably doesn't help too much.
posted by 200burritos at 2:35 PM on July 26, 2010
posted by 200burritos at 2:35 PM on July 26, 2010
Think Geek has a great selection of Trek stuff. Give them a whirl. I like the Trek movie tunic tee-shirts especially.
posted by inturnaround at 2:42 PM on July 26, 2010
posted by inturnaround at 2:42 PM on July 26, 2010
How about the Sciences Insignia Pin from the recent Star Trek reboot. It's totally geeky for those who know, but also subtle enough to pass in "normal society". Ten bucks, and shows you really know her tastes.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:42 PM on July 26, 2010
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:42 PM on July 26, 2010
Best answer: Honestly, if she's an unabashed Star Trek fan, she likely has a huge collection of memorabilia already. She has the stuff she buys herself, plus the stuff that everyone in her life buys her for every occasion and holiday because her fandom is the thing they think of when they think about her. Likely, you'd be adding to an enormous pile of stuff if you gave her a Trek-themed gift.
I'd go with a gift certificate to a great restaurant, or a copy of a book you really love about a topic the two of you have in common, or a great bottle of wine/liquor/whatever she drinks. That will be much nicer and more memorable than a plastic tsotchke.
posted by decathecting at 2:46 PM on July 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
I'd go with a gift certificate to a great restaurant, or a copy of a book you really love about a topic the two of you have in common, or a great bottle of wine/liquor/whatever she drinks. That will be much nicer and more memorable than a plastic tsotchke.
posted by decathecting at 2:46 PM on July 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
Does she have the most recent movie on Blu Ray? That was one of my best Bday gifts this year.
Signed
A Trekkie from Way Back
posted by bearwife at 2:49 PM on July 26, 2010
Signed
A Trekkie from Way Back
posted by bearwife at 2:49 PM on July 26, 2010
Somebody gave me a reproduction tricorder prop, and at first I was secretly thinking "aaagh, he spent $40 on a silly hunk of plastic, it is so easy to separate large quantities of money from Star Trek people" — but it's actually kind of fun to have a tricorder draped over a chair along with a couple of purses that I use. It's also a science-themed gift, the kind of thing that Spock would probably use if he wanted to check out weather patterns.
But yeah, I second the idea that a non-fan gift would probably be more meaningful and memorable — a book or a classy desk toy or a gift certificate for tickets to a sports game. You can put dorky Star Trek quotes on the card that goes with it!
posted by dreamyshade at 3:01 PM on July 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
But yeah, I second the idea that a non-fan gift would probably be more meaningful and memorable — a book or a classy desk toy or a gift certificate for tickets to a sports game. You can put dorky Star Trek quotes on the card that goes with it!
posted by dreamyshade at 3:01 PM on July 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
The plot of Star Trek IV involves dramatically changing weather patterns- do you know if she has a particular affinity for that movie?
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 3:37 PM on July 26, 2010
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 3:37 PM on July 26, 2010
Best answer: I've seen others recommend this sculptor's products for math geeks. She also sells direct from bathsheba.com
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:47 PM on July 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:47 PM on July 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have a sneaky suspicion that some of the trekinalia comes from the role that science plays in that universe, so why not give her something along the "wonders of discovery" line?
Thank her for helping you learn Strange New Things, explore New Mental Worlds, yadda yadda yadda. The emotions behind the gift are as important as the gift.
So, why not figure out one of the military honors from the Star Trek universe and give her a little ceremony, awarding it to her for "Great Service to Science and Teaching"? It could be a plaque mounted federation logo with an inscription, and when she sees it, she'll think "I got this because a student wanted to thank me SO MUCH that they combined my life's love with one of my favourite things. Wow."
posted by Quadlex at 3:54 PM on July 26, 2010
Thank her for helping you learn Strange New Things, explore New Mental Worlds, yadda yadda yadda. The emotions behind the gift are as important as the gift.
So, why not figure out one of the military honors from the Star Trek universe and give her a little ceremony, awarding it to her for "Great Service to Science and Teaching"? It could be a plaque mounted federation logo with an inscription, and when she sees it, she'll think "I got this because a student wanted to thank me SO MUCH that they combined my life's love with one of my favourite things. Wow."
posted by Quadlex at 3:54 PM on July 26, 2010
Nthing the stuff from ThinkGeek. I got my mother-in-law one of their tribbles for Christmas. It was a huge hit!
posted by cleverevans at 4:38 PM on July 26, 2010
posted by cleverevans at 4:38 PM on July 26, 2010
Best answer: Other possibilities:
Klein bottle (from kleinbottle.com )
Penrose tiles (dunno)
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 5:47 PM on July 26, 2010
Klein bottle (from kleinbottle.com )
Penrose tiles (dunno)
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 5:47 PM on July 26, 2010
If she has an iPad/iPhone there's an LCARS Weather Station app on the Store. (You can gift people apps now.) Kinda silly, but it marries two of her chief interests.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:48 AM on July 27, 2010
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:48 AM on July 27, 2010
If she's into Vulcans...
Perhaps a meditation lamp, or something that resembles one?
*Backs away before another Vulcan vs. Romulan argument erupts.*
posted by functionequalsform at 10:00 AM on July 27, 2010
Perhaps a meditation lamp, or something that resembles one?
*Backs away before another Vulcan vs. Romulan argument erupts.*
posted by functionequalsform at 10:00 AM on July 27, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:33 PM on July 26, 2010