"There is very sad news today in the Star Trek world. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, widow of Gene and known to fans as Nurse Chapel, the original Number One, Lwaxana Troi, and of course the voice of just about every Federation computer in every show and movie, has passed away at age 76. She had been fighting leukemia for some years, evidently, and ( Read more... )

This Oops of the day is brought to you by goddes.

Opera legend Luciano Pavoratti has died. (See him performing Nessun Dorma.) Couldn't CNN find a better picture of the man?

When Genius Fails: The 10 Biggest Wastes of Talent

Apple just dropped the price of their brand new iPhone by $200. Best Week Ever explains. More here on the new iPod models ( Read more... )

CNN is reporting that Anna Nicole Smith has died.


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At Making Light, where John M. "Mike" Ford was a semi-frequent contributor, forum member Jim Macdonald has posted a marvelous sampling of his comments in one large post.

I think this is my favorite:

…but if you’re writing a grocery list, I’d like to read it.When there’s no bread, my dearest ( Read more... )

Author John M. ("Mike") Ford has died.

He was a frequent contributor over at Patrick and Teresa Neilsen Haydn's Making Light blog, and they have a ton of links up to his writing and work. I loved Mike's stuff -- he was a brilliant, talented writer whose work was truly innovative ( Read more... )

"The first rule in life is: cherish your friends and your family as if your life depended on it...because it does. Isn't that right, Jane ( Read more... )

Science Fiction author Octavia Butler has died of a stroke at the age of 58, following a fall at her home on Saturday. :(

Wikipedia has a comprehensive bio and bibliography of her work., which includes a novel released last year, Fledgling.

Her writing was intricate, thought-provoking and a thrill to read. She will be missed.

Edit: A fuller ( Read more... )

Andreas Katsulas has died of lung cancer at the age of 59.

A gifted character actor, he played G’Kar on Babylon 5 and was a regular on a number of scifi shows, such as Star Trek:TNG and Alien Nation.

His official website.

Edit: J. Michael Straczynski has posted a note about Andreas' passing on rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.


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“C is for Cookie”

jinwicked creates the comic “Crap I Drew On My Lunch Break” Very cool. :)

kiji_kat points out “The Crying Game: Despite a celebrated history, Native American Transgenders struggle in the modern world.”

Time: Best of 2005: Television. (BSG made #1: “Most of you probably think this entry has got to be a joke. The rest of you have actually ( Read more... )

RIP: Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III has died of heart failure after battling MS for 19 years. (IMDB profile) The Guardian looks at his life.

NYT Magazine: The 5th Annual Year in Ideas

Could pathological, extreme bias be a mental illness?

Very cool: The Mosquito: People under 20 can hear it, but almost no one under 30 can. Now being ( Read more... )