16 April, 2007 | No comments

Science Fiction Conventions in Japan and China!

This press release prepared by David Brin goes out to anyone interested in science fiction and fantasy in Asia. For anyone interested in attending the upcoming conventions in Japan and China this fall, take a look. I’ve set up a mirror site for the Chinese convention at www.chengdu2007.com — with a blog and a forum. Please join, comment, and ask questions!

Press release follows in English and Japanese. Chinese coming soon:

The “Science Fiction Year in Asia” is expanding, with another meeting in China, prior to prior to the World Science Fiction Convention in Yokohama.

Prof. Yan Wu has announced a one-day academic conference on “the recent development of science fiction in China and the world” to be held August 21 at Beijing Normal University. U.S. attendees will include Worldcon guest of honor David Brin, Prof. Janice Bogstad and others, along with Chinese writers, scholars and representatives of the burgeoning Chinese film industry.

The event will offer an opportunity for foreign guests to visit the Forbidden City and Great Wall along with other sites, while learning more about the world’s largest market for SF. Those interested should write to yan_wu98@yahoo.com in order to be put on a mailing list as travel and hotel arrangements are set up.

Following that one-day meeting in Beijing, there will be the much larger three-day gathering — the “2007 International SF/Fantasy Conference” in China’s great inland city of Chengdu, August 24-27. Sponsored by SF World, the top Chinese science fiction magazine and the SF publication with by far the planet’s largest circulation. Chengdu is noted for history, pandas and renowned Sichuan cuisine.

A web site: www.chengdu2007.com is partly completed. Anyone tentatively interested can log into the website’s FORUM in order to ask questions and be put on a notification list.

Under discussion: a journey by train, from Beijing to Chengdu, stopping for a day at the historic city of Xian - home of the famed “terracotta soldiers” and the tomb of the First Emperor.

After the SF World conference, there appears to be a convenient flight from Chengdu to Tokyo (via Shanghai), for those heading on to the Yokohama Worldcon (www.nippon2007.org).

(People with experience helping to organize trips like this one are invited to help! Either by joining the forum discussion at www.chengdu2007.com or by writing to kenbrady@gmail.com or davidbrin@sbcglobal.net.)

This may be a great opportunity to spread contact between occidental SF communities and the largest, fastest growing market of science fiction literature and media, as well as participating in a unique and historic milestone in our field.

Here’s the announcement in Japanese. Thanks to Yuki Saeki for the translation!

横浜ワールドSFコンベンションの事前に行われる中国のイベントにより「アジアのSF」が拡大する。

ウー・ヤン教授は8月21日、北京師範大学で「現代の中国と世界におけるSFの発展」と題した学究的コンフェレンスを開催する。アメリカからの参加者はワールドコンのゲスト・オブ・オーナーであるDavid Brin、Janice Bogstad教授などが含まれる。中国からは著名な作家、学者、映画業界の代表者などが参加する。

世界最大のSF市場について学習するついでに、紫禁城や万里の長城など様々な北京の名所を観光してみてはいかがだろう。ホテル、交通を予約するにはyan_wu98@yahoo.comに連絡し、メーリングリストから情報が得られる。

北京のコンフェレンスに続き、さらに大規模なイベント「2007 国際SF/ファンタジーコンフェレンス」が8月24〜27日の３日間、成都で開催される。このイベントは、中国産SF雑誌の最大手であり、世界最大の発行部数を誇るSF Worldがスポンサーする。成都は歴史のある街であり、日本でも人気な三国志の名所、パンダリサーチセンター、四川料理などで有名だ。

ウェブサイト：www.chengdu2007.comはまだ部分的にしか作られていないが、興味のある方はFORUMから質問が書き込めるようになっている。

検討中事項：北京から成都へ電車の旅。途中「兵馬俑」と始皇帝の古墳で有名な西安に一泊。

SF Worldコンフェレンスの後、成都から上海経由で東京へ行く便利なフライトが出ている。横浜ワールドコンの詳細はwww.nippon2007.orgまで。

（このような旅行を計画した経験のある方で手伝ってくれる方大歓迎です！www.chengdu2007.comからフォーラムに参加するか、kenbrady@gmail.comまたはdavidbrin@sbcglobal.netに連絡してください。）

これらのイベントにより、西洋のSFコミュニティと急速に成長しつつあるSF市場の間に繋がりができるだけでなく、中国独特の歴史を知る良い機会になるはず。

13 April, 2007 | No comments

Weird Al

Went to see Bill Plimpton’s animated film Hair High and “Weird Al” Yankovic was there talking about Plimpton and the video for “Don’t Download this song.” Very cool. Hey…at least we both look like long-haired dorks. Not that we are. Either of us…er…yeah.

Check out this pic of Ken and Weird Al at Laemmle Sunset 5

13 April, 2007 | No comments

Wineass Live

Wineass is going well. I think we’ve shot episode #115 now. Time to do a live event! The owners of Weeneez and the Red Dot Gallery and Bistro liked Wineass enough to invite us to do a live taping at their place. Come join us. Here’s the press release:

“The Grapedonk,” Comedic Video Wine Reviewer, to Entertain at Weeneez and Red Dot Bistro in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA. Wineass.com has slated the evening of April 21st for the first public appearance of “The Grapedonk,” the most popular independent video wine reviewer on the internet. Wine reviews will be taped live in front of an audience for later podcasting on Wineass.com, iTunes, Revver, YouTube, and TasteTV.

The Grapedonk, known for his raunchy, wine-related humor, has been described as “Woody Allen’s hick cousin,” and “long-haired, foul-mouthed dude reviewing cheap wine,” and has built a following of tens of thousands of fans on MySpace and beyond. His no-holds-barred reviews on sub-$20 wines have been lauded by wine industry insiders as a “breath of fresh air,” and “valuable insight into what the general public thinks about wine.”

Grapedonk cheerfully admits he’s no sommelier. “But I know when something tastes like crap,” he said. “And if you ain’t having fun with your wine, people ain’t having fun with you.”

Event Information

Weeneez/Red Dot Bistro
500 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Saturday, April 21, 8:00 AM

Representatives of the media are welcome to attend.

Wineass.com is the most popular independent wine video podcast on the internet, with over 100 episodes produced since September 2006. Wineass looks for wines from an outsider’s perspective, choosing inexpensive wines and rating them on a simple 5-point scale, then delivering the reviews in comedic form.

Weeneez and Red Dot Bistro are innovative venues in downtown Los Angeles, featuring a hot dog restaurant, gourmet food, a wine and beer bar, and an art gallery—under a single roof.

For more information, contact:
Ken Brady
ken@wineass.com

13 April, 2007 | No comments

Virtual Hollywood

Our Virtual Hollywood MeetUp for April was very cool. About 20 people, and good synergy all around. Hung out with Bill Phelps, Dennis Widmyer, a bunch of people in voice-over and animation, and other folks from Centric at Lucky Devils. Next month’s MeetUp will be at Weeneez/Red Dot Gallery and Bistro in downtown L.A., and it promises to be bigger and better. Since it has wifi, Yuki and I will join the MeetUp from Singapore through Second Life.

13 April, 2007 | No comments

One-Line Movie Review: Hair High

Read it here.

3 April, 2007 | No comments

OK…Recovered from New York

Haven’t posted in a while, because I was at the Virtual Worlds 2007 conference in Manahattan for a few days, and it was a non-stop geekfest for all of us involved. With 600 people from 19 countries talking about working in emerging virtual spaces, you can imagine.

Some great things happening from our new friends at Metaversatility in Texas and Metabirds in Tokyo.

So now I’m back, working on a huge number of projects and proposals, and trying to organize things for my upcoming trips to Portland and to Asia.

Speaking of Asia:

そろそろ日本が恋しくなってきたので、はやくまた行きたいです！僕は東京には五月の８−９日と、五月２４−３０日まで居る予定です（大阪、京都、神戸も行くかもしれません）。もし同じ時期に近くに居る方がいたらE-mailを送ってください。一緒にビールでも飲みに行きましょう！

More soon.