Tie-Dyed Brain Rays

Where No Me Has Gone Before

Captain's log: Stardate 0608.11 we are in orbit around the planet Fedcon, our mission-- to make contact with the inhabitants and observe their strange social rituals. This away mission promises to be unlike anything I've encountered before.

This weekend Victoria Rose and I will be beaming  into Fedcon USA 2008, my first trip (believe it or not) to a Sc-Fi convention. Needless to say, I'm stoked. The best part is that as a member of the media I get the Federation ambassador treatment complete with face time with all my favorite science fiction stars. I'm especially looking forward to chatting with James Cawley of Star Trek Phase II, formerly Star Trek New Voyages. I want to ask him what it feels like to make Chris Pine the third actor to play Captain Kirk, and to hear first hand how he once out-Kirked Shatner at a Star Trek convention.

I'm also looking forward to schmoozing with Conner Trinneer, Trip from Star Trek Enterprise. He is in part the inspiration for Van Dyke Brown, one of the characters in my as yet unwritten fantasy opus. I haven't decided whether I'll mention that or not-- perhaps it is best to leave the fan-boy gushing back in the hotel room and maintain my high journalist standards and professional demeanor. (Hard to do when you are wearing a pair of ill-fitting Spock ears and a plastic phaser.)

I'll be sure to capture as much video as I can, snap lots of pictures and interview as many Klingons, Cylons and Super Heroes as I can corner on the way to the buffet. I may even do a bit of live blogging. I'll keep you posted-- Hah! I just made a funny.

To get in the proper head-space for my impending close encounters, I've been listening to audio books of "Up Till Now," Bill Shatner's autobiography and his earlier "Star Trek Memories," Both read by the Shat-man himself. I guess you could think of them as William Shatner's Guide to William Shatner. Victoria Rose just obtained "Star Trek Movie Memories," also read by Shatner. I don't know if you can overdose on Star Trek lore, but I'm willing to take the chance.

Victoria Rose is being a great sport about the whole thing. She enjoys science fiction, although she doesn't have quiet the same enthusiasm as I do (Pretty much that of a twelve-year-old.) I'm not sure if she finds my eagerness endearing or just a sign of immaturity. I've resolved at the very least not to jump up and down at the vendor's room begging her to buy me action figures.

See The Light

Tie-dyed Tehuti trips the light fantastic in Mitch Altman's Brain Machine. "It's full of stars!"

I'm still editing the video from our recent foray to the Austin Maker's Faire. We had a great time and met lots of interesting makers. I caught interviews with folks such as Mark Frauenfelder, Bre Pettis, Mitch Altman and John P. Funk. I'll have the highlights posted soon. In the meantime enjoy my recent radio interview with Mitch Altman.

Download My Interview with Brain Machine inventor Mitch Altman

I blogged Mitch's brain machine along with other mind-altering technology on Vox.

Brain Hacking Part 1

Brain Hacking Part 2

And in case you missed it, here's my interview with Make Magazine editor in chief Mark Frauenfelder.

Stupidity Neutral

So, does the stupid thing Ann Coulter said about John Edwards offset the stupid thing Bill Maher said about Dick Cheney? I like the idea of trading Stupidity Offsets like Al Gore trades Carbon Offsets. Maybe together we can all reduce our stupidity footprint.