2022 Simulation Cup Winners Announced

The 2022 Simulation Cup (aka Tournament of Simulations / ToS) were finally announced yesterday, and IDF didn’t do so badly. In fact, we took home seven total awards, the most by any club in a single year going all the way back through 2008! Congratulations to the Captains and crews of the USS Sunfire, USS Washington, USS Montana, USS Wayfarer, USS Liberty, USS Chuck Norris, and the USS Eminence. Well done!

Outstanding Star Trek:

Excellent Star Trek:

Great Star Trek:

Star Trek Gameplay:

Again, a performance for the ages from all of you! Look for the 2023 tournament to be announced soon.

Monthly Awards: February 2024

Happy Ides of March, everybody!

Best Post (Single Author)

Lieutenant Steve Ryan
Chief Communications and Operations Officer
USS Montana

For “Reapacification”

Duty calls!


Best Post (Joint Post)

Capt. Malcom Llwyedd & Lt. Cmdr. Cynfor Rees & Lt. Cmdr. Jörgen Leed & Lt. Tor Ezzo & Lt. Owen Woodhouse
CO / XO / CDO / CFCO / COO
USS Firebird

For “This isn’t a Simulator!”

Great action and plot development!


Funniest Post

Lt. Cmdr. Deanna Celes & Lt. Inara Senn & Ens. James Phoenix
ACOO / CSO / TO
USS Washington

For “Following the Evidence”

Great writing!


Genesis

Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Capt. Akeno Misaki & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok & Lt. Rania Bhatti & Lt. JG Patra Rommel
XO / CO / CSTO / CMO / Y / CFCO / CC / CES
USS Wayfarer

For “Revisiting the Past”

A great way to build into the mission.


MVP

Commander Mira Rodale
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

The Chuck Norris’s XO continues to set the pace for the ship, even stepping up as the current CO is due to stand down. She expertly leads the ship both in and out of character and is slated to become the full-time CO next month.


Most Posts

Commander Mira Rodale
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

For writing 49 posts.


Most Improved

Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla’ren
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Sunfire

The Gunfire’s CEO made outstanding contributions during the month during the CD mini-mission that not only developed her own character but set up great opportunities for others to use as well.


Rookie of the Month

Lieutenant Commander Kataxes
Chief Medical Officer
USS Firebird

The Firebird’s new CMO jumped into simming with a radically different and unique character, and is not only pulling it off, but crushing it.


Recruitment

None this month.


The great posting continues!

Monthly Awards: October 2023

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Best Post (Single Author)

Lieutenant Kevin Lance
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Chuck Norris

For “Q’s Last Temptation”

An interesting conversation with an old friend.


Best Post (Joint Post)

Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok & Lt. Vrax tr’Keirianh & Ens. Robert Lee Jr.
CO / XO / CSTO / CMO / Y / CFCO / CSO / TO
USS Wayfarer

For “Jailbreak!”

Great dialog and great action make for a great post, all the while continuing to develop the characters.


Funniest Post

 Commander Michael Murphy & Lieutenant Katja Becker
Executive Officer / Chief Medical Officer
USS Montana

For “Meet and Greet”

Not laugh out loud, but a humorous introduction that creates endless possibilities.


Genesis

Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Commanding Officer
USS Sunfire

For “Halloween”

Short and sweet, but everything you want in a Genesis Post–the crew can literally take it anywhere, but with just enough backstory for consistency.


MVP

Lt. Cmdr. Mira Rodale
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

Described by her Captain as “a simming machine,” and who are we to argue? With her second consecutive month with at least 30 posts, she continues to display superior leadership in the XO role and engages other crewmembers with joint posts.


Most Posts

Lt. Cmdr. Mira Rodale
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

For writing 34 posts.


Most Improved

Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali
Chief Counselor
USS Sunfire

Vali upped her game, finishing second on the sim in total posts with some outstanding collaboration along the way.


Rookie of the Month

Lieutenant Inara Senn
Chief Science Officer
USS Washington

Senn showed a distinct creative flair, adding a new element to the Washington in her first month.


Recruitment

Commander Jonathan Grayson
Executive Officer
USS Washington

Grayson brought in one new recruit, who seamlessly fit in with the crew.


You didn’t realize it was me this time, did you?

Monthly Awards: September 2023

It’s time to announce our latest award winners…

Best Post (Single Author)

Commander Jonathan Grayson
Executive Officer
USS Washington

For “So, We are Decided”

Well written post from the bad guys’ point of view! It really moves the plot forward and gives the rest of the crew ample opportunity to write. Nice work!


Best Post (Joint Post)

Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok
CO / XO / CSTO / CMO / Y / CFCO
USS Wayfarer

For “Wayfarer Down”

Great post! The crew defeated by the enemy with no hope of escape. I love it!


Funniest Post

Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell & Patin & Cmdr. Dean House & Lt. Thriss Kla’ren & Lt. Chester “Duo” Maxwell & Lt. T’Ka O’Drisscol & Lt. JG S’Ers-a Kelek t’LyrZor, Maa t’Lyr’Zor & Lt. JG Montgomery Vala & Lt. JG Zara Ghemora & 1st Lt. Kate Score & Lt. JG Blake Leone & Ens. Syrik & Lt. Thomas Haldeman & Lt. Alison Haldeman & SCPO Ronson Mitchell
CSS / Guest / 2O / CEO / COO / CMO / CRO / CSO / CIO / MCO / DO / FCO / CDO / ACOO / Y
USS Sunfire

For “The Easy Way or…”

Lots of jokes. Well done!


Genesis

Captain Michael Intermeezo
Commanding Officer
USS Chuck Norris

For “Down the Rabbit Hole”

Not your typical mirror universe mission. Great opportunities here!


MVP

Lieutenant Steve Ryan
Chief Communications and Operations Officer
USS Montana

Lt. Ryan continued his Most Improved performance last month into an MVP this month. Great posting and great collaboration. But perhaps most importantly, he is always willing to fill in where needed.


Most Posts

Lt. Cmdr. Mira Rodale
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

For writing 30 posts.


Most Improved

S’Ers-a ch’T’Pel Kelek t’LyrZor, Maa t’Lyr’Zor
Chief Security Officer
USS Sunfire

Sera immediately jumped into the fray and made valuable contributions to both the plot and the characters.


Rookie of the Month

Lieutenant Tedrum Savat
Operations Officer
USS Washington

The new Vulcan came aboard as an immediate team player by jumping right into the mission with excellent technical and canonical contributions.


Recruitment

Lieutenant Katja Becker
Chief Medical Officer
USS Montana

Although new to the sim herself, Lt. Becker wasted no time in recruiting a new Chief Engineer. Recruiting the bedrock of simming, well done!


Great job, fleet!

Monthly Awards: August 2023

Here are your latest monthly award winners:

Best Post (Single Author)

Ensign Kate Kono
Intelligence Officer
USS Washington

For “Potential, Simulated”

Nice work! A carefully crafted and meticulously written post resulting in a great read for anyone interested in flight mechanics.


Best Post (Joint Post)

Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok & Ens. Robert Lee
CO / XO / CSTO / CMO / CFCO / TO
USS Wayfarer

For “Warship Located”

I love a good action scene, and this one is great. It’s a frantic scene with a bridge full of officers who know what they’re doing. Fun!


Funniest Post

Commander Donald “Don” Key
Flight Control Officer
USS Albion

For “The Bolero”

What is funnier than a fat guy in a little coat, I mean, on ice? Try two of them with a bunch of Klingons and Tribbles thrown into the mix!


Genesis

Captain Michael Intermeezo
Commanding Officer
USS Chuck Norris

For “A New Threat”

A classic setup with the Chuck Norris defending DS9, and an action sequence to kick it off. Well crafted!


MVP

Ensign Kate Kono
Intelligence Officer
USS Washington

Following up a stellar rookie performance, Ens. Kono has been writing like crazy this month, showcasing excellent solo and group posting.


Most Posts

Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell
Computer Systems Specialist
USS Sunfire

For writing 10 posts.


Most Improved

Lieutenant Steve Ryan
Chief Communications and Operations Officer
USS Montana

Lt. Ryan has come back with everything he has, not only being one of the most active posters but also defining what this sim is becoming. He went from simply posting here to becoming an outstanding writer.


Rookie of the Month

Ensign Sarik Vaster
Engineering Officer
USS Washington

The new Engineer joined with an immediate impact, working well with the crew and showing superior technical knowledge.


Recruitment

None this month.


As always, well done fleet!

At the movies… with Independence Fleet!

And yet another year of IDF is in the books with our 22nd Anniversary today. To remind you of how old we really are, here’s a quote from last year’s anniversary post:

“On our 22nd Anniversary, we will be further removed from the premiere of the 2009 Star Trek film (May 8, 2009) than IDF’s launch was from the premiere of The Next Generation (September 28, 1987): 14 years, 1 month, 26 days vs. 13 years, 9 months, 6 days.”

Well, here we are! For this year’s celebration, each of our 12 sims created a movie poster to capture their unique essence and feel. We are also very fortunate to have Amanda Rose from RPG Writing, NX-1701-G from Zodiac Fleet, and Beth from Sim Central to judge the entries in three categories: overall image quality, how much does it look like an actual movie poster, and general creativity/originality. Before we get to the posters themselves, we first have an announcement from a special guest:

Now, the 12 movie posters:

And your winners are…
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1st Place:

USS Wayfarer
CO: Captain Akeno Misaki
Poster by: Akeno Misaki
2nd Place:

USS Sunfire
CO: Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Poster by: Bonnie Durnell
3rd Place:

USS Eclipse
CO: Captain Aven LaCroix
Poster by: Aven LaCroix
“I’m impressed by the technical skill and originality that went into this poster.”

“If you’re familiar with Anime movie posters, this is spot on.”

“Having anime Trek characters in the mirror universe with the crack showing the Federation and Terran emblems on different sides was brilliant.”
“Of all the posters shared this was the one that actually made me want to join the game in question.”

“Image expertly merged the dinosaur imagery with clear Trek imagery without making them appear distinct.”

“This poster screamed movie poster. I would expect to see this on the wall in some theater. A starship with dinosaurs and big lettering. Well done!”
“I’m not typically a fan of the starship and character posters, but this one spoke to me.”

“I kept wanting to rate this poster higher in my rankings. There’s a lot to like with the faded facial imagery and ship…

…[including] ‘Coming Never,’ which was mildly amusing.”

Congratulations to all three winners, and a special thanks to our judges! However, to quote Kirk from Star Trek III, we’re not finished yet! Here are superlative awards for our other nine games:

Best poster for Seinfeld/Trek crossover

USS Albion
CO: Captain Dick Sprague
Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Some bold judges not to pick this one!

USS Chuck Norris
CO: Captain Aurther Winters
Poster by: Bonnie Durnell
Best poster for past meeting the future

USS Churchill
CO: Captain James Stewart
Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster if you actually watch Picard

USS Eminence
CO: Captain Alex Shepard
Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster for a random trailing light

USS Ganymede
CO: Captain Dyllon McMahon
Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster for a low Earth orbit view

USS Liberty
CO: Captain Kaylia Strenvale
Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster for the IMAX experience

USS Montana
CO: Captain Jackson Adams
Poster by: Bonnie Durnell
Best poster for “Aft torpedoes, fire!!!”

USS Washington
CO: Captain Shran dh’Klar
Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster that could double for Dune

Starbase 80
CO: Captain Kathleen O’Shea
Poster by: Bonnie Durnell

While we’re on the topic of movies, we are now further removed from our July 4, 2001 founding than it was from the premiere of the first Star Trek film Star Trek: The Motion Picture (December 6, 1979): 22 years vs. 21 years, 6 months, 28 days. Feel old yet?

Continuing last year’s tradition, we again have a second video message:

Happy IDF anniversary, everyone!

My Favorite Trek: Jackson Adams

Character Name: Jackson Adams

Rank: Captain

Sim: USS Montana 

Position: Commanding Officer 

Favorite Star Trek episode? 
This is a toss up between three shows. 
1) TOS: “Mirror, Mirror”
2) ENT: “Broken Bow”
3) DSC: “Such Sweet Sorrow”

Why? 
In my opinion, all three of these episodes embodied the idealism that Gene Rodenberry desired to impart on Star Trek Fans (and really the world).   

Favorite Star Trek series? 
This is also a toss up between The Original Series and Enterprise. 

Why:
The original series was Gene’s original vision, and I grew up watching them repeatedly. Today, I own a particular Blu-ray set that is just great. On the other hand, Enterprise took us to a place we never thought possible at the time: the beginnings of the Federation. Enterprise reminded us that the start of something grand, rather it be a country or an ideal, is not always clean. There are messes and growing pains.

Along this line of thinking, Captain Archer learned that not everything was clear cut and the world was not as he thought. We, as humans, tend to think we are usually correct, and this series reminds us that (at times) we must expand our thinking to grow and accept the changes around us. I am not good with change, but–as crazy as it seems—sometimes I think, “If Captain Archer could change, so can I.” That is the beauty of Star Trek; it challenges OUR outlooks on life and causes us, at times, to question it. This is what, in my opinion, Gene Roddenberry wanted for the fans of this beautiful show. 

Favorite Star Trek film? 
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Why? 
Put simply, I think Star Trek II challenged the world view on growing older and, of course, death. It reminds us, as Spock said in Star Trek VI, that everything changes and ends. While Star Trek found away to save Spock, Kirk had to deal with his own ideals on life, death, and even family. This movie was, in my humble opinion, Star Trek at its best. That is why this film will always live in my heart. 

Favorite Star Trek Captain? 
Again, a toss up between Captain Archer and Kirk. 

What year did you start simming? 
I have been simming off and on since about 1992. 

What sim was it? 
Starships of the Third Fleet. The people which ran that club have since passed on and, if I had it my way, I would purchase it from their son. There is a site for them now, and they even have some of the old missions posted but the club is mostly gone. It is sad because I had a lot of fun there. 

What keeps you simming today? 
I enjoy the vision of Star Trek and the ideal of escaping life in the real world, even for just a few minutes at a time, has an appeal to me. 

Favorite non-simming hobby? 
Running. I do a lot of this today and I seem to be increasing as time goes along. Staying health became a mission of mine about a year ago and I have lost a lot of weight. I plan to keep moving down that path. 

Favorite non-Trek series? 
There are really three of them: (1) Quantum Leap, (2) the Original Law and Order, and (3) Knight Rider. 

Favorite non-Trek film? 
The Beverly Hills Cop Series. I have owned those movies for years, and I even went to the expense of purchasing them in 4K this year. Not many non-science fiction shows are worth purchasing in 4K but these series of movies are beautiful in this new format. 

Favorite book (fiction or non)? 
Fiction: The Rise of the Federation Series (if you have not read them, you are truly missing out). 

Favorite video game? 
I do not have one as gamming is not really my thing. 

Favorite musician or band? 
80’s music. I was born in the 70s and raised in the 80s. To me, the 80’s was a special time that is forever gone. 

Favorite superhero? 
Batman. 

If you could have any super power, what would it be? 
The ability to read minds. I hate it when I walk up on people and they stop talking. I would love to saying something like, “Yeah, I agree with you about….”

Favorite sport? 
Football, although I have not kept up with it the last few years. 

Favorite team? 
GO RAIDERS.

Favorite food? 
Mexican Food. 

Coke or Pepsi? 
Of course, Diet Pepsi….

Lennon or McCartney? 
Hmmm….Lennon

Favorite Bond actor? 
Roger Moore

Star Trek or Star Wars? 
Star Trek 

Rank the Trek TV shows from best to worst.
TOS
ENT
TNG
VOY
DSN
DSC
PIC 

Rank the Trek movies from best to worst.
TWOK
TSFS
TVH
TMP
TUC
TFF
G
FC
I
N
ID
B
ST (2009)

Monthly Awards: October 2022

The results are in. Here are your October award winners:

Best Post (Single Author)

Lieutenant JG Patra Rommel
Structural/Environmental Specialist
USS Wayfarer

For “Scoring a date with Doctor Holliday”

The overly flirty doctor works in a Funniest Post or a Best Post.


Best Post (Joint Post)

Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Rosaleen O’Donnell & Lt. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Mark Johnson & Lt. JG Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok
CO / XO / Y / COO / CSTO / CMO / FCO
USS Wayfarer

For “Day One – Beach Games! (Part 1)”

R&R posts don’t typically win the Best Posts awards, but this one was beautifully written and extremely engaging. Well done!


Funniest Post

Ensign Kitiuas Thenis & Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell
Science Officer / Computer Systems Specialist
USS Sunfire

For “Meeting of a fellow crewmate”

Entertaining and… funny!


Genesis

Captain Shran dh’Klar
Commanding Officer
USS Washington

For “Past Present”

I haven’t read a good time travel post in a while. Nicely executed!


MVP

Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell
Computer Systems Specialist
USS Sunfire

What doesn’t Lt. Durnell do? Always a top poster, driving the plot, and encouraging others. It’s just one of a many recognitions to a month-in and month-out superior performer.


Most Posts

Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell
Computer Systems Specialist
USS Sunfire

For writing 14 posts.


Most Improved

Ensign Kitiuas Thenis
Science Officer
USS Sunfire

The Ensign really stepped up her game in October by starting several posts and creating excellent openings for others. A true pleasure to sim with!


Rookie of the Month

Lieutenant Amelia Jefferson
Chief Science Officer
USS Montana

The new Chief Science Officer joined when the sim had few regular members and really hit the ground running with great plot advancing posts.


Recruitment

Commander Michael Murphy
Executive Officer
USS Montana

Commander Murphy continues to actively recruit for the sim and has brought in more new players than anyone else on the Montana.


A great job by everyone this month. As always, I’m proud to be a part of this fleet and to be associated with so many great writers.

Monthly Awards: July 2022

It’s time to announce the monthly award winners for the first month of our 22nd year:

Best Post (Single Author)

Ensign T’Plana-hath
Intelligence Officer
USS Washington

For “Reminiscences on ‘God-like’ Beings”

A change of pace from the typical Best Post with a stream of consciousness personal log.


Best Post (Joint Post)

Captain Akeno Misaki & Lieutenant Mark Johnson
CO / CMO
USS Wayfarer

For “Thankyou”

Wow, what a fantastic post! It’s not just about the mission, but some good sickbay activity too. A real tear jerker.


Funniest Post

Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell & Lieutenant Anna S. Thesia
CSS / CMO
USS Sunfire

For “BACKPOST – A green duck and a blue gemstone”

Ribbing the prude is always funny. And quite different from the Best Post!


Genesis

 Lt. Mark Johnson & Capt. Akeno Misaki & Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Miller
CMO / CO / XO
USS Wayfarer

For “The Ballad of Johnathan Miller”

What a great post that sets up things well for both the plot and character development.


MVP

Lieutenant Shoniara T’ghann-Travis
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Washington

A heavy volume of deep and detailed posts throughout the month. She collaborated with others to paint vivid portraits to advance the plot and generate enthusiasm with the rest of the crew.


Most Posts

Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell
Computer Systems Specialist
USS Sunfire

For writing 12 posts.


Most Improved

Ensign James Phoenix
Tactical Officer
USS Washington

He played a key role in the current mission that tied very well to his character arc in a very natural way.


Rookie of the Month

Ensign Geneviève Boudreaux
Head Nurse
USS Montana

The new Ensign hit the ground running and is just fun to be around, a great example to rookies and veterans alike.


Recruitment

Commander Michael Murphy
Executive Officer
USS Montana

Every time he is online he tries to get people to join the ship. I have had several people ask to join based, largely, on his efforts.


Great job everyone!

Our 21st Birthday

It’s going to be near impossible to top last year’s Day of Trivia, Webcast, and special edition Message & Almanac. And that’s for good reason: 20th anniversaries are a big deal in role playing! But 21st birthdays are important too. Indeed, if Independence Fleet (IDF) was a humanoid (living in the United States), the 21st would be even more important. I’m quickly getting off track…

What did we decide to do? For our 21 years together, here are 21 facts about IDF, Star Trek and/or other topics that might change your perception of time. Modeled after two articles from Buzzfeed (here and here), we hope you enjoy the list.

But before we do that, here is a special message for this year’s anniversary:

  1. IDF’s launch (July 4, 2001) was closer to the release of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (June 4, 1982) than it is to today: 19 years, 1 month vs. 21 years.
  2. Ditto for the North America release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (October 18, 1985): 15 years, 8 months, 16 days.
  3. And for the release of Windows 1.0 (November 20, 1985): 15 years, 7 months, 14 days.
  4. And also for the release of the world’s very first website (December 20, 1990): 10 years, 6 months, 14 days.
  5. The time from IDF’s launch on Angelfire to the registry of its first URL (July 4, 2001 – February 26, 2005) was longer than the entire run of Star Trek: The Original Series (September 8, 1966 – June 3, 1969): 3 years, 7 months, 22 days vs. 2 years, 8 months, 26 days.
  6. The time from the registry of IDF’s first URL to officially moving to its current URL (February 26, 2005 – February 29, 2020) was longer than the entire run of the TNG/DSN/VOY television series era from the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation to the finale of Star Trek: Voyager (September 8, 1987 – May 23, 2001): 15 years, 3 days vs. 13 years, 7 months, 25 days.
  7. The time from moving to IDF’s current URL to today (2 years, 4 months, 5 days) is shorter than all but three periods between Star Trek movies: The Wrath of Khan to The Search for Spock (1 year, 11 months, 28 days), Generations to First Contact (2 years, 4 days), and First Contact to Insurrection (2 years, 19 days).
  8. However, it’s longer than the time from Utopia Fleet’s founding (April 7, 1999) to IDF’s founding: 2 years, 2 months, 27 days.
  9. Utopia Fleet’s founding was closer to the North America release of the Atari 2600 (September 11, 1977) than it is to today: 21 years, 6 months, 27 days vs. 23 years, 2 months, 27 days.
  10. Ditto for the release of the original Star Wars movie (May 25, 1977): 21 years, 10 months, 13 days.
  11. The time from the launch of the original USS Sunfire NCC-3935 (February 16, 2000) to IDF’s launch was longer than the entire run of Star Trek: The Animated Series (September 8, 1973 – October 12, 1974): 1 year, 4 months, 18 days vs. 1 year, 1 month, 4 days
  12. The launch of the award-winning USS Sunfire NCC-3001-D (October 10, 2010) was closer to IDF’s founding than it is to today: 9 years, 3 months, 6 days vs. 11 years, 8 months, 24 days.
  13. The launch of the USS Chuck Norris NCC-4005 (January 2, 2012) was closer to the first Chuck Norris facts appearing on the Internet (sometime in early 2005) than it is to today: ~7 years vs. 10 years, 6 months, 2 days.
  14. IDF is older than the iPod (October 23, 2001),
  15. Facebook (February 4, 2004),
  16. YouTube (February 14, 2005),
  17. the Microsoft Xbox (November 15, 2001),
  18. commercially available Blu-ray Discs (June 20, 2006),
  19. and NBA All-Star LaMelo Ball (August 22, 2001).
  20. At IDF’s launch, Tom Brady had zero Super Bowl rings. In fact, he had only completed 1 NFL pass.
  21. The time from IDF’s launch to today is longer than the time from The Original Series finale to The Next Generation premiere (June 3, 1969 – September 28, 1987): 21 years vs. 18 years, 3 months, 25 days.

And for a bonus, something to look forward to next year: On our 22nd Anniversary, we will be further removed from the premiere of the 2009 Star Trek film (May 8, 2009) than IDF’s launch was from the premiere of The Next Generation (September 28, 1987): 14 years, 1 month, 26 days vs. 13 years, 9 months, 6 days.

Until then, let’s keep role playing!

Oh, I almost forgot: We have another video message for this year:

And in case you missed it, here’s a recap of our 21st Anniversary Webcast that was held on Saturday.