Klingon opera – would you go?

Warlike, fantastical, the stuff of Beowulf, the fictional Klingon aliens made popular by the Star Trek franchise – a modern day epic if ever there were – lives on. These broad and burly alpha male (and female) characters with mountain-range foreheads extol battle scars, dream of dying in glorious battle and seek lasting honor for family and self … the norm on fictional Kronos (the Klingon's home world).

Their language, a guttural manufacture first begun by actor James Doohan who played the Scottie in the original television series, is one of the fastest-growing across the globe. Online language haven Duolingo offers courses that promise to teach participants how to speak Klingon in just five minutes a day. Wow.

Geekdom is here to stay, folks. And with the opera world waning – the fan base is not only aging but shrinking, despite attempts to increase exposure – why not give the traditional art a much-needed injection? Klingon opera comes with ready-made fans. Loyal fans. Folks like d'Armand Speers who, as HuffPo tells it, "will go so far as to attempt rearing their children to speak Klingon as a first language":

Speers reports he "still gets nostalgic when he recalls singing the Klingon lullaby 'May the Empire Endure' with his son. Although he insists he is not a Star Trek geek or a fanatic, just a linguist who wanted to study how children learn language.

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Enter "U," "composed by Eef van Breen to a libretto by Kees Ligtelijn and Marc Okrand under the artistic direction of Floris Schönfeld," according to Wiki. The masterpiece billed as the "first authentic Klingon opera on earth" wowed audiences in the Hague, Netherlands in 2010. But despite being the perfect union considering overblown drama set to music is part and parcel of opera, "U" hasn't quite taken off.

But in 2012, "wa' SaD ram wa' ram je, the first Klingon Opera-Ballet, and the first Klingon Opera (was) performed in the US," says Klingon Music. John Silpayamanant and Robert Bruce Scott take credit. Is the movement growing?

Check out a snippet of the epic construct of the exploits of Kahliss, mythical hero of Kronos and idol of every right thinking Klingon who hasn't given way to Romulan bribes:

And if opera isn't your think, no worries. Klingon musical expressions are to be had in assorted other venues … even a Klingon "Christmas Carol."

A Klingon invasion of classic music forms may well be underway – like it or not.

Dreaming of that perfect nap?

The perfect job is out there. That's what folks tell themselves anyway, when contemplating a career switch. But often that dreamed-of perfection is exactly that – a dream. But not for borderline insomniac and New York Post reporter Elizabeth Rozner, who got tagged to try out the Dreamery mattress showroom's latest offering – a nap lounge.

And, no, we're not talking about test-driving an overpriced new mattress. Paying full price for one of those babies is foolish, considering there's a deep, deep discount at every mattress store in town. What you won't find, though, is the offer to swap $25 bucks for a 45-minute snooze. (Steep, for sure.) But that's what this upscale shop offers its Soho clientele.

The kitschy gimmick began as part of a promo from Casper's Bed-in-a-Box, but is here to stay (for now).

"The firm says it wants the city that never sleeps to get better shut-eye and is allowing people to book a nook for up to four hours to snooze," according to the New York Post.

Sleeping "nooks" are created via privacy curtains set on either side of rounded wood panel niches shaped like so much sliced pipeline but that doesn't keep one from hearing the titters and chatter of fellow sleepers. But, hey, this is a restful experience – more than just lying back and closing one's eyes. Staffers offer herbal tea, water and imported soft drinks. Apples and cashews are also part of the setup, providing clients the bedtime snack that often tips them off into sleepy land.

Sleep Jones brand jammies – washed just like sheets between every usage, or so it's said – are also offered where clients are given the opportunity to get cozy at a "refresh station." Accommodations are made for teeth and face washing. Can't get comfy without the rituals, people.

Rozner "was then led through a tunnel-like hallway, which was dotted with blue specks of light and seemed plucked from a spaceship to my circular wooden napping pod. It came complete with 'meditative' music, a sleeping mask and a customized lighting system. There were even snooze-inducing books, such as 'The Truth about Corporate Accounting' and 'The Art of Choral Speaking.'"

Check out the sweet digs in the video below:

Tossing and turning was Pozner's experience until, on the verge of success (falling asleep), she was alerted via bright lights that it was time to get up and out. Sounds like home – minus the anxiety induced by having to rely on other's assurances that all and sundry was properly laundered and that lice weren't lurking to get their own opportunity to relax in someone's hair.

So, would you bed down in a place "full of other New Yorkers who came to 'rest' between business meetings, along with tourists killing time before flights back home?" Think about it.

"Casper hopes to extend this nap-based service to college campuses, airports and corporate buildings across the country," according to Benzinga.

So, you may not have to go to the Empire State to get your chance to indulge in what Casper dubs "a physical sleep experience."

Something you can't tuck in a backpack or suitcase.

Stomp, stomp, stomp – now we eat

No, this isn't Riverdance and not your father's secretary. Check out the quirky Secretary Bird that tromps its prey to death before dining:

That's some interesting dinner theater!