Crazy weekend: See me live, hear me live--twice!

Wow. Between the big public Trekkie upswing after JJTrek and my recent lack of exposing myself in public, I seem to be a fresh (??) voice of Trek old and new popping up on Internet radio and podcasts this fall. There's TWO live spots coming up this weekend over Internet airwaves.

On Saturday/TODAY at 8:00 Eastern/5:00 Pacific I'll be online live at science fringe/fiction's "The Edge" with host Daniel Ott for over an hour. During this live and lively offbeat little show, you can toss out questions or comments via chat or email through their site at www.theedgeam.com. (Check the home page's left-hand button links).

Then tomorrow, the very next day on Sunday, Nov. 29, this seeming Turkey Weekend Marathon seems to continue when Ian M. Cullen's dulcid British tones have me on for an hour-plus on SciFi Pulse on BlogTalk Radio, along with the guys from Star Trek: Continuing Mission. Call in! Tune to it at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/scifipulse.

We already did Trekcast, DVD Geeks and Roger Noriega's NDB Radio recently--with the Dec. 5 podcast posting of my guesting on Slice of SciFi still to come. See, talkin' Trekland is usually a lot easier than writing it.

And from the in-the-flesh department: If you're in SoCal, drop by the city's long-running mainstream litcon, LosCon 36, at the LAX Marriott. As a last-minute add, I'll be crashing panels there today with Daryl Frazetti and Curtis Webster, both notables in ther own right, and hobnobbing in general. Come by and we'll compare and contrast. Discuss.

What hath Marc wrought? (Okrund, that is)

I hope you didn't miss this one going by.

These Klingon-related language stories pop up almost monthly, it seems—remember the false report of an Oregon county requiring Klingonese among the alien languages on its social service forms?—but I just couldn't let this one from the UK get away.

Thoughts?

Linguist reveals: I spoke only in Klingon to my son for three years

A linguist has revealed he talked only in Klingon to his son for the first three years of his life to find out if he could learn to speak the "language."

Dr d'Armond Speers spent days translating phrases to communicate to his son Alec speaking like the creatures featured in space-based fantasy programme Star Trek. ...

HEY, reporter! Space opera, maybe, but not space fantasy....

More stereotypes shredded—and on a Trek cruise, no less!

Bit by bit, we turn the tide. Trek is already mainstream, as if JJ's blockbuster didn't mean anything. Geez, we already have our first Trekkie president. But has fandom finally gone there as well?

Congrats to Charlie Datin at Cruise Trek and all his clientele on this excellent—and surprisingly thoughtful— new five-part online series just posted by travel writer Rolf Potts—and congrats to the good light it shines on buddy Vaughn Armstrong, Lolita Fatjo, Dominic Keating, Richard Arnold, Robin Curtis, and the whole Hee Haw gang. Potts, a non-fan, spent the recent CruiseTrek to Bermuda recording observations and confronting his preconceptions with both the Trekkies and the non-Trek contingent—and the Bermudans' reaction to both.

This year, between meeting "Trek anthropology" professor Daryl Frazetti and promoting and then co-hosting the "Spirit of Star Trek" series, to me it seems the lull in real Trek production has yielded yet another new twist to fandom: true mainstream acceptance. Or the realization that it was really there all along, and someone just f0rgot to alert the media.

(Or, at least, those crappy little local weekend news crews who still seek out the gooniest costumees at the local cons as typical.)

Stunning development, but it's still no go against cloud vampires

OK, so what if this only works on worms...for now. Didn't you ever see Tremors?
(Or... what was that other big worm movie? "Sand"?)

Star Trek-like phaser developed

Scientists have developed a Star Trek-like phaser, capable of causing paralysis with a beam of light. However, anyone hoping that the machine will become a powerful new weapon could be disappointed: scientists have only proven the effect on worms. ...

In any case, this is a small but tremendous jump—and once again, the writer couches it in Trek terms because that's how the mass public can best digest the concept. Even in England:

Meanwhile, maybe this R&D would move along a lot faster if we all took notes from here ....


Blu-Ray Laser Phaser! -

Who WAS that new Big Guy in command?

You have to go over here and vote...

CGI maestro Mojo has a funny running on his blog right now: after coming across this guy modeling Prime Timeline (ie, REAL) Starfleet captains' tunics, he unleashed a contest among friends to come up with familiar sights-n-pics in a universe where this guy, and not Shatner, had been cast when Jeff Hunter turned down the big chair.

Go cast your ballot here! There's nearly THREE DOZEN... with shoutouts to TJ Hooker, Priceline, et al. They are all high-larious, but I admit I have a fondness for the MEGO action doll ...

LA ALERT: "Nevermore" not quite: Jeff Combs' Poe play extended!

Halloween season was a spooky-cool time to catch Jeff Combs in his critics-ravin' one-man Edgar Allen Poe play, but if you missed it or didn't make it into L.A. by then--never fear!

"Nevermore" has been extended through Dec. 19 at the intimate Steve Allen Theatre in east Hollywood.

And you can check out my past "Switching to Visual" moment with Jeff to learn more about the show and how it came together.

Here's still hoping things work out to move it eastward, as well...!

Paws a moment, celeb auction fans, for Majel's favorite cause

If you're looking for a memorabilia or even celeb lunch-date auction to jump on for a good cause, hit up this event online, opening today and running through 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.

My good friend Georgyne and her longtime non-profit charity, the Precious Paws rescue in L.A., were one of two charities Majel Roddenberry requested for memorial contributions in her name after her death, so you know they are on the up and up. The lots include dozens of donated collectibles and 13 "celebrity experiences" or set visits up for bid—everybody from Mark Hamill, Bobby Sherman and Stephen Collins to Nicole de Boer, Anthony Michael Hall, and Mackenzie Westmore...and many more.

The site above includes their online catalog. Precious Paws is partnered with Auction Cause, a veteran charity auction handler who work with Ebay for their events.

STV: LA ALERT! Phlox's ethical headaches: LIVE with John Billingsley Nov. 8

"I'm an explicator, not a fist-fighter!" (7:15)

Well, that's certainly a new twist on Bones' old chestnut. But that's what we got on this little video preview here with our returning good Trekland buddy, John "Phlox" Billingsley.

This time, John is the next great guest for Curtis Webster and Mike "Mr. Makeup" Westmore at "Spirit of Star Trek." If you're in SoCal this is the chance for a free evening: "Dear Doctor" on the big screen and an hour of Q&A and interacting on ethics, morals, and behind-the-scenes hijinks.

The "Spirit" series looks at how Star Trek raises issues of the philosophy and morals of humanity via the lens of its aliens, especially, so this month it's Denobula's turn. And if you've never been—this ain't no glib, shallow convention stint: Curtis has already welcomed Armin, Max, Ethan, O'Reilly, Rod, and Bob Picardo—and this is the last session of the year til after the holidays. It's held in a church but decidedly not "churchy"—as a glance at the backgrounds and attitudes of past guests will tell you.

Last month was a record high turnout... spread the word.