Michael Lee's Train of Thought

I think the interesting thing has been following this story through the media sphere -- spreading from website to website, radio show to radio show.

It is now on NPR:


What we now need is a mathematical model for the spread of a news story like this -- How does something like this go from math paper, to Boing Boing, to the BBC and NPR. How long does it take to "spread"?

Labels: geek, math, zombies

I'm happy to see that the LASFS Clubhouse interview we asked the LASFS for has shown up on our League of Wonders site. One of the reasons why is it is nice to see how it has been done in other areas!

And video is always nice to add to a site...

Labels: community center, fandom, geek, minnesota

Really, this changes nothing. But at the same time, it changes everything.

Not the official word (that went out to the voting members earlier this week) -- but my official word. At our last board meeting of the Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy we decided 12-0 (and the incoming 2 directors agreed as well) to spin off CONvergence from MISFITS, with the details to be worked out by January 1, 2010. Revenue donation will continue at current levels at least through the 2011 convention cycle. And we expect an active partnership between CONvergence and MISFITS for many years in the future.

I was in favor of this for a variety of reasons -- I've been actively involved with both CONvergence and MISFITS from very early on. (I don't quite get to be called a founder, but I was an early adopter.) I care passionately about both organizations, and am very proud of what we have done together. I've seen both organizations grow, mature, struggle, develop, and work together for many years. And I want them both to continue to do so as partners for many years in as successful a manner as possible.

I expect and will work to see that to continue -- and I am personally committed to an ambitious direction for the future as part of this process. The idea here is to build on our successes, support each other -- but then also get out of each other's way and not micromanage either. And let us all be the fantastic, imaginative, exciting community that I know that we are and will be.

There are a lot of details to work out. Lots of details. We'll have FAQs, meetings, discussions, arguments, decisions and paperwork to do.

But it is going to be exciting.

Labels: convergence, fandom, geek, minnesota, misfits, scifi

One of my fellow CONvergence directors, Jon Olsen made the following post today:

=-=-=-=-

Please consider joining our conversation about the next possibilities for our diverse community. This touches the participants in CONvergence, Anime Detour, MISFITS, Marscon, Minicon, Gaylaxicon, Mn-Stf, Omegacon, and more and more. . .

http://leagueofwonders.wordpress.com

We began talking about big inter-community projects this year. There have been conversations at MN Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy open meetings. There have been conversations at closed meetings too. There was a wonderfully interesting panel at CONvergence last week on the subject of a "geek community center." That panel will likely make an appearance at other conventions.

Well we also want to have a public conversation with the members of the communities in which we are active. About joint efforts, about structure, about autonomy and interdependence, and about where we go from here. About what we could do if we start dreaming out loud.

That conversation lives here for now: http://leagueofwonders.wordpress.com and I invite you to take part. Share this info with others and get in on the action. Today!

=-=-=-=-

This is a conversation that I'm actively engaged in as well, and I encourage everyone interested in what we can do as a community in the future to participate.

Labels: fandom, geek, minnesota

One of our panels at CONvergence this year is Is our President a Geek?. Of course, one of the challenges of putting together a schedule months ahead of time is that events can pass it up.

And while Wil Wheaton may have won Paul and Storm's bracket, we now clearly have the *real* Secretary of Geek Affairs, John Hodgman:

Labels: cvg2009, geek, hodgman, politics

I find this video of a speech by Seth Godin about Tribes
fascinating.

The phrase "gathering of the Tribes" has been used to describe CONvergence -- arguably, that's one thing it was set up to be, and it is in the convention name in a way. It is the bringing together of "sci-fi and fantasy aficionados of every stripe".

And one thing that hit me when rewatching another interview I saw a couple of months ago is that one other word for being committed is to be a fan.

Labels: geek

Labels: geek

One of the more difficult things in fandom, in my experience, is balancing a year around organization (or club) and a single central convention. They are serving somewhat different social needs; they attract different volunteer groups. This isn't something that I discovered in the last five months I've served as a Director on the Minnesota for Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy -- it is something that I've seen in just about every convention and club combination I've seen over the years.

One of the things that has been a challenge for the Society is how to organize things properly. This has been a work in progress that I don't think people really understand how things are today, especially since earlier models hadn't quite worked properly.

There are really two different parallel organizations when it comes to CONvergence and MISFITS -- one isn't really the "parent organization" of the other. In so much as there is a parent organization, it is represented by the combined group of both the CONvergence and MISFITS directors. We've been generally referring to that as "The Society" because the whole name can quickly be unwieldy.

The MISFITS brand isn't really ideal because that's not quite how thing were originally put together. It serves as a club name, but it can get in the way when one is trying to present yourself in the 'real world' and trying to help in the broader community. It is also confusing because while MISFITS and CONvergence build their long-term vision together, they are two different subcommittees of the entire board of directors of the Society, and one is not the "parent" of the other, but parts of the whole.

There are times where people look at our community as something unique -- but the comparison isn't just the other fan organizations around the world; we don't just look at organizations like LASFS or Arisia, Inc. We share some things in common with fraternal, religious, and artistic organizations; after all.

I look at three different parts when I think of what CONvergence, MISFITS, and The Society are about:

1. The Social Center


2. The Inspirational Center


3. The Education Center

The Social Center is just that -- we're providing a place for people to meet other like minded people. Relationships form. Because of the second two are a part of it, we can provide a networking opportunity for people to do new things.

The Inspirational Center motivates all of us. Our guests of honor are a key part of that. But also as part of our in the schools programs. And coming out of the relationships that are built above, we can inspire new creative pieces; both professional and amateur.

The Education Center certainly looks like it starts with the in the schools program, but it is not limited there. We provide venues for people to get better with public speaking; our convention guests are sometimes people that can share their knowledge and experience to others. We teach each other, because we know the more you know, the more jokes you get.

For me those three pillars all interact -- we inspire each other through our social connections; because you are inspired; you desire to learn new things. Sometimes people think that one part is secondary to another -- that the convention is the fun, and MISFITS is all of the non-profit stuff. But the missions are all there for everything -- the MISFITS social agenda is important, and CONvergence is meant to better the community as a whole as well. All parts of the whole.

---

Oh, I suppose I should disclaim this post a little -- this is purely my own thoughts on these subjects, and aren't the official words of CONvergence or the Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy. I've had elements bouncing in my head for a while, and wanted to get them out somewhere...

Labels: convergence, fandom, geek

Labels: geek, music, youtube

It has even crossed my mind.... because this would have been, well, awesome.

Labels: geek, music, youtube

Just when you think something has completely played itself out.... you get something like this.

Labels: comedy, geek, politics

I'm excited to read -- or listen to The Things that Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away by Cory Doctorow -- one of my favorite Jonathan Coulton songs is The Future Soon, and Cory Doctorow is one of my favorite writers.

Really, all you'd have to do is mix Randall Munroe and Wil Wheaton into the project and the internet would implode.

Labels: geek, scifi

For Christmas 1983, I got a copy of George Orwell's 1984. Part of me was terrified that I'd wake up the next week and discover that I existed in that horrible totalitarian world. It was, after all, when the Cold War was at a very high point, and I was just waking up to the realization of the all the horrors of the world of that time.

You get elements of that when reading Little Brother -- set, presumably, in 2010. If I had gotten this at that age, it'd even be more clear than 1984, which was, after all, not a horror story of 1984, but of 1948, just still relevant.

In Little Brother, you've got something that's a clear political tale. It's not a book that you'd describe as subtle -- the political message is clear -- but the world is described exactly as you'd imagine it.

It is the San Francisco that I recognize from my trips there gone horribly wrong -- not an idealized city by any means, where the city changes radically just by moving one block from tourist land to a more unsavory world.

And just like that two block trip -- the world that Doctorow describes is one that's just a little bit farther away from the one that we are today, where the terrors of Abu Ghraib get set up shop in San Francisco.

It's impressive because it also teaches you a lot about technological history -- and how technology mixes with politics.

There are some books that if I was growing up today, and read them now, they'd have a huge impact -- the saddest thing, for example, about reading Harry Potter as an adult is, well, you're reading it as an adult. Reading Little Brother is a bit like that.

And one of the things that I like the book is that it is very tempting for people to get so worried about the application of technology that they become techno-phobic -- where this is absolutely not. It's a tool -- and the tools can be used for as much good to make it a better place than it is to make it a worse one. At the end of the day, this is still a work by someone that believes that tech can make the world *better* -- and not just worse.

It's a book to read, think about, and discuss. You might disagree with it in places -- but that's the best part, really, that you can disagree. And in whatever way you can, try to figure out ways so we don't fall into a world where things really do get that bad.

Labels: books, geek, politics

After seeing him perform twice in Minneapolis -- and seeing the audience at his event, recognizing that there was a large crossover with CONvergence's membership, we're trying to make it clear to JoCo (in a friendly fashion) that we think he'd be a great match for CONvergence in 2009 or the future.

Just to be clear -- we're talking 2009 or beyond, and not in two months. But it is worth putting out there...

Labels: convergence, geek, music

I'm astonished that CONvergence was chosen by City Pages as Best of the Twin Cities. Not because we were picked -- but that the category was even created this year.

It is a great compliment to the hundreds of people that have been involved in putting the event on, especially since the publicity was not searched for.

True, they had a typo and changed Marv Wolfman's gender (to Mary) -- but otherwise it was a very nice description and something I'm happy to point to.

Labels: convergence, geek, minnesota, scifi

I'm very pleased with how Sen. Obama handles the issue that is really just underneath his whole campaign -- and it hits me as a direct, sophisticated, and honest approach to the issues of race in this country. I'm as hopeful as ever that he can make it through this campaign as we look towards making our country better.



(full text here)

Of course, in the less serious fashion, it is fun to know that the Obamas have been watching Heroes on the campaign trail as well. One of the things that I enjoy about Science Fiction fandom -- and why it is important to me that MISFITS takes its non profit status seriously is that while at times it's not *the most* diverse population around, it is also more diverse than many communities of choice that I've experienced -- we don't all share the same racial background, or religious background, or political background, or economic background -- but we can all work for common cause by choice. It may be "just for fun" -- but really, the pursuit of happiness is a good goal.

Labels: geek, heroes, politics

If you're waiting for Jonathan Coulton to return to the Twin Cities on May 1st, you can keep an eye for him here...

Labels: geek, jjabrams, movies, music

I recommend the New York Times tribute to Gary Gygax -- as many of these things are, it says what I wish I had said myself.

Very good stuff.

Labels: games, geek

Every now and then one will get into one of those late night convention or web forum discussion about the people that everyone on the slightly geeky side look up to.

In every one of those discussions, Gary Gygax would end up as one of those names on the list, no matter how much or how little role playing games you actually did. If you're in this sort of subculture -- Gary Gygax had an influence that reached beyond just the hard core gaming community.

So his legacy is there -- even if you, like me, haven't role played in a very long time.

Labels: games, geek

Jonathan Coulton performs "Still Alive" in Rock Band from Joy Stiq on Vimeo.

Labels: games, geek, music

I'm very psyched to see that Jonathan Coulton is planning a return trip to Minneapolis on May 1st.

And since he's got a song called First of May -- which doesn't have work safe lyrics -- it's a particularly good day for the show.

Labels: geek, music

Gawker media -- which brings you some of my favorite blogs like Lifehacker, Valleywag, and Wonkette -- has launched a new blog about science fiction. So obviously I've subscribed...

Labels: geek, links, scifi

Found at For Tax Reasons as well as half the internets.



The response is just as funny:

Labels: christmas, geek, youtube

My favorite new song of 2006 has a collection of remixes that have just been posted as part of a remix contest done by Quick Stop.

For more information, check out Jonathan Coulton's page out as well..

Labels: geek, music

It's great to read interviews like this one with Masi Oka from Heroes. It's great because just like the character he plays, he is One Of Us. Even though his character originates from Japan, he's not a foreign character -- he's much more someone I would know that just about any other character in the series.

And what makes Masi so interesting is that he's not just an actor -- his original "day job" is as a CG special effects day job. And so I imagine that his character comes by his geekiness honestly -- and that's refreshing, because it's much better when it is genuine, and not just a simplistic outsider parody. And as such, I think Hiro Nakamura is one of the best "geeks" to appear on television.

Labels: geek, heroes

About a year ago I referenced a call for submissions for a book called She's Such A Geek. I got an e-mail pointing out that there is now a new She's Such A Geek website as well as ">the book now being out.

Digging through, I saw reference to this list of ten women geeks. It's obvious to me that Paris Hilton isn't on the list because she's really a geek, but as link bait and wishful thinking. I'm also not sure it's a good idea to mix real people and fictional ones on the same list.

In my list of top fictional girl geeks, I'd certainly include Kitty Pryde of the X-Men, and probably the three geek women from Joss Whedon shows -- Willow Rosenberg, Winifred Burkle, and Kaylee Frye. But I suppose since Joss is writing Kitty in Astonishing X-Men, it's really obvious that they're all pretty much from the same mold.

Very quickly as you look at a list like that you are looking at what the definition of geek is in general -- it is not the same as just being smart. And at least for me, it's not quite the same thing as just being a techie -- it certainly includes a lot of the entertainment interests that seem to coincide with that as well. (We're such a stereotype.)

Labels: geek