Vulcan salute

[blazemore]

I'm having trouble doing the Vulcan Salute on my right hand. I can do it fine on my left.

Have any of you "trained" yourself to do the Salute?
If so, how did you do it?

[Dixon Bainbridge]

Why does this post remind me of comic store guy from the simpsons?

[bobbob1016]

Twist ties on my fingers, but rubber bands should work too, but they'd cut off circulation. That's how I trained myself to do the backwards one too, two in the middle, and the pointer and pinkey pointing out.

The normal vulcan one is a jewish thing though, Shatner and Nemoy are both jewish, and peeked when they were supposed to have their eyes closed and saw their rabbis doing the split down the middle one.

[jespdj]

I can do it without difficulty. My fingers are probably trained because I'm a guitar player. Live long and prosper!

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan_salute):

The gesture is famously difficult for most people to do without practice, and actors on the original show reportedly often had to position their fingers off-screen with the other hand, before raising their hand into frame. This stems from the fact that the ring finger lacks a separate muscle apart from the pinkie finger. It is also said that this gesture is easier to perform with the non-dominant hand (i.e. if one is right-handed, it is easier to do left-handed).

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/thumb/a/a3/Spock2.jpg/150px-Spock2.jpg

[sydbat]

Peace and long life!

I've been doing it since I was a kid (original run of Star Trek on TV) and found it difficult at first...but practice does make perfect.

A funny side note - anyone remember Mork and Mindy? Robin Williams used the Vulcan salute in an outstretched hand to interlock with others doing the same as their form of handshake...God I'm old...

[poetstorm]

Haha! Yes it does remind me of the comic book guy as well. For some reason I always could do it easily and used to when I was a kid.

Dang can't figure out how to multi-quote but anyway yes I loved Mork and Mindy. Nanu Nanu! :)

[speedwell68]

Shatner famously couldn't do it. If you watch the scene in Star Trek III, where Kirk and Sulu break McCoy out of the secure hospital, You can see that Shatner has his fingers taped together, with a lolly stick holding them rigid.

[schauerlich]

It's not very hard...

[Yownanymous]

I can do it with both, just through practice.

[jimi_hendrix]

Peace and long life!

live long and prosper... (sorry geek need to correct)

but anyway...when i was 6 or 8 my gradpa was the first person i ever saw do it (i doubt he even knew about the show)...i couldnt do it

so a while later i had a tenis ball and i was bored...i stuck it in between my middle and ring finger...it felt like a good stretch...afer watching some tv i repeated with the other hand...

i had no problem doing it afterwards

[jdong]

It's not very hard...


I can do it with both, just through practice.



That's what she said!

[schauerlich]

that's what she said!

:D


a

[will1911a1]

I don't remember "training" myself to do it. I just can. Might have something to do with playing piano though.

[blazemore]

I play guitar, which might explain how I can do it perfectly with my left hand, but not at all on my right.

[eternalnewbee]

The normal vulcan one is a jewish thing though
Please, no religion.

[uberdonkey5]

ah go on! Its not really a religious discussion,just information. This site talks about the link...

http://www.pinenet.com/~rooster/v-salute.html

extract
"The actual blessing is done with both arms held horizontally in front, at shoulder level, with hands touching, to form the Hebrew letter "shin." This stands for the Hebrew word for "Shaddai", meaning "Almighty [God]." Nimoy modified this gesture into one hand held upright, making it more like a salute. So, technically, the Vulcan greeting is not the same thing as the ceremonial Jewish blessing. Still, the resemblance is close enough to evoke instant recognition among knowledgeable Jews"

"In addition to the salute itself, the ceremonial use of "Live long and prosper" and it's lesser-known reply, "Peace and long life," also show a strong Jewish influence. The format is similar to a traditional greeting in Hebrew: "Shalom aleichem" (peace be upon you) and the answer, "Aleichem shalom" (upon you be peace.) Muslims have a similar greeting in Arabic. Once again, we can see a strong parallel between Vulcan and Middle Eastern cultures. In the next chapter, we will further explore how Orthodox Judaism was used by Nimoy as the template for developing his vision of Vulcan society..."

PS I think this thread has a geek factor of 10 :D

[eternalnewbee]

ah go on! Its not really a religious discussion,just information. This site talks about the link...
Sliga

[lukjad]

I never really had much trouble with it. :D

[eternalnewbee]

ah go on! Its not really a religious discussion
OK.
So don't make a reference.

[schauerlich]

OK.
So don't make a reference.

Well, it was relevant to the discussion... is it that big of a deal?

[pp.]

OK.
So don't make a reference.

Just using the word "jewish" does not imply any religious meaning at all. That word has been heavily overloaded.

How about avoiding the word "cross" in the forum? Would make some motorists quite cross.

[spupy]

Try holding you fingers in that position by holding them with your other hand. That is how I trained myself.

Now I can make the vulcan sign with one hand, with the other hand a W ( \ || / ), and switch between the signs simultaneously. :) Can't remember who else did it.