And I'm not just saying that because I'm currently sitting beside a nice, cool fan on a warm and humid day.
Nice, cool fan....
Today, I made an attempt at personal socialization. Nobody died, at least not in a manner that can be legally connected to me or my actions, so I suppose it counts as a success. I just don't seem to do well when I can't cower behind a keyboard, unfortunately... nothing personal, you understand. I'm just a cowardly loser.
But I'm a cowardly loser with a nice, cool fan.
Speaking of nice, cool fans (in a different sense, but, hey, I needed a segue), today's excursion was to the local Sci-Fi Museum. Despite being a second-generaton fan whose existence can be directly tied to fandom (my parents met over fanac, or rather the printing of fanac, oddly enough), I hadn't managed to get down there before.
As promised before my departure, here are the photos I almost managed to salvage.
The Shiny Object That Ate Seattle Center
The EMP may be a photographer's paradise, but I still see it as the thing that spelled the beginning of the end for Fun Forest. (And if the rest of the site really does become another monument to Chihuly's oversized ego... one the general public can't even see without paying through the nose, despite the fact that the Center was supposed to be for everyone... Eh, never mind.)
Aliens! Aliens are attacking!
No, no, no - not them! That's just the Sci-Fi Museum's window washing crew.
These are them! Run! Run for your lives!
They look like normal tourists, don't they? Just a little too normal, if you ask me...
Retired robot, or security issue? You decide.
Typecasting's hard enough on human actors. This poor guy only had one hit, and hasn't been heard from since. Even Robby the Robot landed more gigs than him. He says he's not bitter, but try asking him for an autograph some time. Acts like he doesn't even hear you...
"Just because they're aliens doesn't mean they don't have to go to the little boys' room."
(Arnold Rimmer, from Red Dwarf) And you doubted my alien invader theory... see how welcome they are on this planet?
"And now, if you dare, look into the Hypnotic Eye!"
(from The Hypnotic Eye) A really, really cool spherical projection screen, covered in ever-changing, moving displays. Isn't this what TV was supposed to be like by now? I mean it's, what, 2010? Get with the program, you lazy tech guys!
Fanac gets its due
A nice display honoring the evolution and importance of sci-fi fandom, which helped launch more than one author from letterhack to bestseller. (No SAPSzines made the cut, though... and by now, the Spectator Amateur Press Society has to be one of the oldest running printed 'zine groups left. Most everyone else has folded or gone online by now.)
When I am an old alien, I shall wear purple
Just a cool con costume... shiny and glittery, ain't it?
Robby and Co.
Couldn't get a good angle on the original Robby the Robot (sorry Dad, I tried!), but I got the one from Lost in Space. I see the original Battlestar Galactica's Muffit made the cut for the museum, too, as did R2D2, Twiki from Buck Rogers... but no sign of Dr. Theopolis. Maybe he retired and started a new career as a lunchbox...
A familiar face
A Scarran from Farscape. Dang, I miss that show...
When rayguns are outlawed, only outlaws will have rayguns
A portion of the sci-fi armory, which has seen many a cheaply-costumed hero through many an impossible battle.
Where's OSHA when you need them?
I mean, come on - not even a railing? There are kids down here, for cryin' out loud!
Destination Moon
Maybe this is why we never got ourselves a proper moon base going. We didn't have funky retro rockets to fly us there and back.
Yoda, Y-O-D-A Yoda...
It's hard to look him in the eye without think of Weird Al Yankovic's classic song...
"Great! Even in the future, nothing works!"
(President Skroob, from Spaceballs) Remember where Paul Allen used to work, folks... used to... Fortunately, the planet rebooted successfully. Probably time to defrag the thing.
Relics of yesterday's future
Can you believe anyone thought you could perform advanced calculations on that little weird sliding thing? Me, neither, but they were everywhere in the old days. Laughable now, isn't it? (Honestly, it boggles the mind, how anyone came up with a slide rule, let alone was able to use one to solve the kinds of scientific and mathematical conundrums that led us to the digital age on them. Maybe the experts are right; we are dumber than we were a couple generations ago...)
The ultra-groovy HypnoScreen (TM)
And me without my 3D glasses... I think the EMP is trying to run the Pacific Science Center's laser show out of business with this thing.
Look to the skies!
Ah, now I get it. While everyone is hypnotized by the HypnoScreen (TM), the Space Jellyfish descend and devour their prey.
The gift shop - OF DOOM!
One heck of an entrance for a fairly tepid-looking gift shop, if you ask me.
A sonic tornado!
Actually, this explains it. Yes, there were instruments rigged to play themselves; you could listen to them on the headphones by the base. Pretty cool, really...
That's about all I got. Afterwards, I headed off to a family function. In hindsight, I should've stayed behind... I really, really should've stayed...
But if I had, I wouldn't be here, writing up this blog post.
And sitting in front of my nice, cool fan.
