What a jam-packed weekend of good news in Trekland!

Well. THIS has been some weekend. Look what ALL just happened:

—"Fairest of Them All," the third episode of Star Trek Continues, just debuted online Sunday (and before a cast-fronted live con crowd in Sydney, Australia) to thunderous fan approval, from all I've read initially, as of tonight. I'm proud to not only remain in the think-tank for STC but to promote and cover its talented family and the "making of" each show as well. That includes both new and catch-up STC videos out now on "Trekland STV", and those still to come—you ain't seen nothing yet! Not to mention future episodes of STC itself.

So stay tuned and subscribe to Trekland as well as my YouTube Channel to know when they go up even ahead of their posting on the STC Facebook (and have you Liked there yet?)

—The second Kickstarter for the Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum, whose non-profit board I sit on that grew from the "Save the Bridge" New Starship project, raised over 50% of its goal just these last two weeks and finally BUSTED right through to success Sunday with 12 hours to go—and ended up with over $11,000 extra in the pot by the time its midnight deadline arrived. Yes, I was nervous a couple weeks ago, and even knew that a lapse here was not fatal—with so many industry and corporate donors and supporters lining up. 

But this was a solid sign of the basic support for such a new Hollywood tourist landmark and museum, much less its planned educational mission. This drive helps fund some of the major bridging pieces of the puzzle to make this thing really work—the budget is on the KS site. It was also a nice affirmation of the hours of professional yet volunteer planning that's going in, and faith that this is not a gaudy pipe dream. Don't forget our Facebook, too! And get the latest at Comic-Con San Diego too—the Bridge is back for free photo ops, of course, at Booth 3631!

—And THEN, on a bit less lofty but every bit as fun level, we were madly making fans aware that this was the last weekend to register for the 2014 edition of the "LA2Vegas" Trek Film Site Tour that I lead for Geek Nation Tours and Terrace Cassidy. Quick! Jump aboard now if you'd like! 

—Plus, I was honored to talk about De Kelley Saturday for the 15th anniversary of his passing June 11 in another new online media "thing," a recorded Google+ Hangout sponsored by In Memory and Honor of Deforest Kelley Facebook group. 

—And THEN…there's the other nonprofit I'm honored to sit on the board for, Enterprise in Space—and its amazing, public-oriented mission that we will SOON be telling the world about, even as there's details and deadlines to chase down now. IT just became "official" and is jumping into gear—much more later!

—Oh, and also... hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day—both those of the fatherly persuasion, and those who enjoy their love!

(Oh, yeah—and thanks for that whole "stand by me while the overblown misquoting monster made-up story" thing blew over. Whether on Facebook, Twitter or comment threads, the Trekland Army was awesome the way you all knocked down the bizarre report every time other unaware—or lazy—news websites picked up the story to run it, without editing it first.

Whew. I'll just pack for BayouCon, now…!

15 years without De—and a G+ Hangout to recall him

De in a shoot for TV Guide: June 1968, post-S2

It's no secret that I am as big a DeForest Kelley fan as I am of his character, the ever-iconic Leonard Horatio McCoy, M.D.,* himself.

De passed away 15 years ago today, on June 11, 1999, at age 79, of stomach cancer—an affliction known only to a few (and certainly not me). Caring for his beloved and ailing wife Carolyn, it was De instead who passed away first—and, likewise, preceded all his Trek colleagues from their TV crew. After Gene's death in 1991, it was Jimmy who followed next in 2005 and then Majel in late 2008.

As for De... well, I can't believe it's already been five years now, but I've been blogging long enough that it was actually the tenth anniversary of his passing when I shared the story of how I learned the news of his death—in a typically Star Trek way: at a convention.

De's subsequent memorial at Paramount, and our DFK tribute issue of Communicator—the favorite of my eight years as managing editor—are bittersweet memories, too. The recent passing of his friend and Paramount icon A.C. Lyles, who prompted De's last public appearance eight months before his death and talked of him in our DFK issue, revived many of those memories and feelings as well. Of course, playing McCoy twice for Star Trek Continues in a serious vein, after years of "party impersonations" in fun, felt like it brought me even closer to what made De tick—if you didn't have a clue from Terry Rioux's long-awaited 2005 biography, From Sawdust to Stardust.

So... it's 15 years since we lost De. If you're as big a fan as I am, you should know that his longtime assistant and author, Kris Smith, is taking part in a typically open online tribute to De that you too can attend this Saturday at 5:30 pm PT/ 8:30 ET on Google+ . I'm going to "attend" as well during the hour, and potentially other Trek notables.

You can even submit questions for the virtual panel at the Q&A app at the Google+ group created for the event by fan Brandon Cowles: the "In Memory and Honor of DeForest Kelley" Facebook page.

As with a trial run last week, the whole thing will also be streamed live on YouTube here and then recorded for download later.

Come over Saturday and bask in some memories and reflected glow of the great and humble De himself... or catch it when you can.