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Dancing Barefoot 205

Posted by timothy from the laugh-or-cry dept.
Christopher Holland writes "If you've followed the recent phenomenon of blogging at all, you've probably run across the weblog (online journal) of Wil Wheaton at wilwheaton.net. Wheaton, best known to film fans as Wesley 'The Boy' Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation, has reinvented his public persona from oft-derided teen idol to a kind of affable head-geek. From his web site, the thirty-something actor and writer dispatches frequent updates about his working and personal life, his memories and thoughts on the Trek experience, and the technology that fascinates him and his geek brethren." Christopher reviews below Dancing Barefoot, the smaller of Wheaton's new books (the other will be out soon).
Dancing Barefoot
author Wil Wheaton
pages 107
publisher Monolith Press
rating 7
reviewer Christopher Holland
ISBN 0974116009
summary Wil Wheaton holds forth on being a geek with a blog.

After nearly two years of blogging, Wheaton compiled and edited an autobiography from his blog entitled Just a Geek, to be released in June 2003. Several of the stories which didn't fit into Geek have been collected in a smaller companion volume, Dancing Barefoot, which is now available from Wheaton's publishing company, Monolith Press (www.monolithpress.com). The legions of Trek fans who have rediscovered Wheaton as a guy much like themselves, as well as those weblog readers who enjoy Wil's humor but don't know the difference between trilithium and tribbles, will find Barefoot irresistable. Those with only a casual interest in Wheaton but familiar with Trek will find the book's showpiece, The Saga of Spongebob Vegas Pants, well worth reading. Wheaton's conversational, intimate writing style may even convince them to read the rest of the book. Cartoon illustrations provided by Ben A. Claassen III are an excellent complement to the casual essays.

Barefoot begins with four short pieces, essentially vignettes of days (or even moments) in the author's life. These range from the amusing (ruminations on teenaged lust and paths untaken) to the melancholy (Houses in Motion, a paean to Wheaton's deceased great aunt), and one needn't be told that they were culled from journal entries, because they very much read that way. The best is Houses -- although it sometimes ranges into maudlin territory, it is also the most courageous writing in the book. Wheaton's generation has been raised on a diet of pop culture and cynicism, and it's invigorating -- if somewhat startling -- to see someone of that generation openly expressing such feelings of devotion and despair.

The man who spent his formative years aboard the starship Enterprise departs from the short form for the final and most engrossing portion of the book, the aforementioned Spongebob Vegas Pants. It's the chronicle of a Star Trek convention held in Las Vegas, during which Wheaton tolerates the alternatingly ugly and kindly faces of fandom, but eventually rediscovers his enthusiasm for the Trek universe. Those who have attended such conventions will immediately recognize the fan archetypes, while those who have never been to such an event may decide that they never, ever want to. Fortunately, the story is less about the horrors of being a convention guest and more about the resolution of Wheaton's conflicted personal feelings about having been a part of the Trek phenomenon -- including his unpleasant run-ins with the original captain of the Enterprise, referred to repeatedly as William F---ing Shatner.

Certain sections of Dancing Barefoot could have used another turn under an editor's pen. Sponge Bob Vegas Pants, in particular, has a few passages that don't serve the story much, but as with the deleted scenes on a special edition DVD, some readers will be grateful for the extra material, regardless of how it affects the overall pace. Frequent atticisms will sustain the rest of the book's audience through the book's slower passages, though, and the author's humility is an effective antidote for the feeling that one might be about to read the memoirs of yet another self-indulgent celebrity blowhard -- which Mr. Wheaton certainly is not.

Given that the engaging Dancing Barefoot comprises the material that didn't make it into Just A Geek, it feels much like an appetizer to the larger work. Let's hope the main course is as tasty.
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Dancing Barefoot

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  • ...just a clever book title.

    • That's on PSG's Wave (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      That's on PSG's *Wave*, "Dancing Barefoot" is. The original tune was featured prominantly in a 1997 episode of Millennium. And covered a few times be lesser artists (U2, Beverly Sister, Kiss).

  • Boy Crusher? (Score:5, Funny)

    by athakur999 ( 44340 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:06PM (#5937424) Journal
    Wheaton, best known to film fans as Wesley The Boy Crusher

    I admit I didn't see all the episodes, but I don't remember seeing one where Wesley went around crushing boys.

  • Bill Shatner, smashing the Canadian Stereotype... (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    his unpleasant run-ins with the original captain of the Enterprise, referred to repeatedly as William F---ing Shatner

    At least youknew his name Wil.

  • Trek, Blogging and Envy (Score:4, Funny)

    by Scot Seese ( 137975 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:09PM (#5937452)
    Quite the number of trolls out today. Considering that Wil has enjoyed a somewhat unique experience in one of the most loved TV franchises in the modern era you think people would be more inclined to post thoughtful replies.

    Then again, I suspect the trolls are simply driven by a wracking, crushing feeling of sexual inadequacy.

    • Considering that Wil has enjoyed a somewhat unique experience in one of the most loved TV franchises in the modern era you think people would be more inclined to post thoughtful replies.

      Here's a thoughtful reply: This fellow is a TV Actor. Usually geeks figure stuff like this out and know to avoid it. Worship of TV actors is one of the uglier aspects of Trekkie-ness, and Slashdot should be better than that.

      I mean, 'Geek Boy' because his agent told him there's a niche market out there? Completely beli

  • Loved it - what else can I say. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by RavenDarkholme ( 27245 ) * on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:10PM (#5937462)
    I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at Dancing Barefoot as well. If you've read Wheaton's blog at all, you may be familiar with his funny, often self-deprecating, and above all, honest writing style. Sometimes, his blog entries are brief one-liners, but other times, they are quite courageous and emotional stories that really draw you in.

    Even if you don't want to be drawn in.

    Of course, I wasn't all that drawn in, you know, 'cause I'm a bad ass.

    No, really.

    And I didn't get choked up at ALL reading any of it, especially the one about his Aunt Val's house.

    I did NOT.

    Shut up.

    Where was I? Oh yeah. Dancing Barefoot takes some stories that were previously on the blog, and adds to them, finishes them -- puts some more polish on the edges, and presents something that is incredibly human, touching, and even grand.

    This book is worth reading just for the Saga of Spongebob VegasPants alone. Even if you're a long-time blog reader, I can almost guarantee there is some stuff you haven't seen yet.

  • Great! Another positive review!

    I want to know more about its general feel! I want to know more about what I might not like! I want to know more than "There are parts that need to be polished, but ignore my last sentance"!

    /RANT

    An online Starcraft RPG? Only at [netnexus.com]
    In Soviet Russia, all your us are belong to base!

    • Re:Positive? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by RavenDarkholme ( 27245 ) * on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:17PM (#5937526)
      I want to know more about its general feel! I want to know more about what I might not like! I want to know more than "There are parts that need to be polished, but ignore my last sentance"!

      The general feel is kind of like the author is a friend or a family member writing you a letter about stuff. Like the review says, "Hey, dude, you gotta check this out" kind of thing. It just sort of makes you feel like you know the guy, even though of course you don't. Like you might have hung out together in high school, then lost touch.

      What might you not like? Well, you might not like that kind of friendliness. The stories are emotional in many ways. Depending on your point of view, you might see them as overly sentimental or even maudlin. I didn't, but I know a few cynical folks to whom any indication of emotion is automatically sneered at. It's not a technical book. It's more of a glimpse into one person's life. If you don't care for personal glimpses, you might not like it.

      Dunno. I've watched some episodes of Star Trek, and even enjoyed them, but I had no idea who Wil Wheaton was until I once read his Slashdot interview. I just enjoy his writing, and this book contains some of the best.

      What else would you want to know?

      The illustrations are cool too.

      Heheh.
    • After checking Amazon [amazon.com] and Barnes & Noble [bn.com] for the ISBN and title, there is no record of this book anywhere according to the my two favorite online book peddlers. Thae makes me sad.

      For the first time ever, inspired by this article, I checked out WIL WHEATON DOT NET (the newest programming language from M$? Aye, sir...), and was very pleased with the experience. Not all blogs suck, apparently. Yes, I'm a geek.

      If anyone can find a dead-tree merchant who's taking pre-orders for (or acknowledges the exist

  • Slashdot Wil again? (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Looks like he'll be on fark again tonight...

  • alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die.die.die.die.die (Score:3, Funny)

    by EnderWiggnz ( 39214 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:11PM (#5937470)
    yeh, he's been a huge presence in usenet for some time now....

    maybe, we could get don lapre to write a book, too.

  • Thoughtful writing (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Metropolitan ( 107536 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:13PM (#5937491) Journal
    I'm glad to see some of Wil's writing make it into print after having read his blog for so long. His style online, while not always what one would consider highly-polished (an asset, actually) is very heart-felt and honest.

    Nice to see someone who had an early acting career not show up as one of those 'and they found him in his car, stoned out of his mind, with 17 sheep and a bottle of vodka' sorts of stories. Wil seems to be a decent guy, and I hope he succeeds enough with his writing to make that his profession, if he chooses.

    Cheers, Uncle Wil.
  • Wesley stole the title of my favourite Patti Smith song. I was gonna use it myself.

    It was in this movie script I've been working on which I'm not allowing anyone to see.

    There's no emoticon for how I feel...

  • So what's new/unique about this book? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by GuyMannDude ( 574364 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:15PM (#5937509) Journal

    What a content-free review. We're told time and time again that we will find this book facinating but never how this book provides something that books written by other Trek actors or other genXers doesn't. Are we supposed to find this 'better' than other books because of Wil's supposedly candor in his writing style? It's not clear to me.

    It sounds like this book is only directed towards Wheaton fans. This review doesn't suggest that this book will view already familiar subject matter from a fresh perspective. Maybe it does. Hell, I certainly don't know. But this review is terrible. The review also states that the book is comprised of four vingettes. Well, are these things actually related? Or is it just a collection of stuff? Again, the review doesn't say.

    Seriously, my time is pretty valuable. I only read stuff that I think will provide me with something fresh and new. This review does not tell me whether this book does such a thing.

    GMD

  • Was he a WWF^HE pro wrestler?

  • What a comeback (Score:5, Interesting)

    by t1nman33 ( 248342 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:19PM (#5937539) Homepage
    I'm surprised that Wil hasn't been on "Where Are They Now?" on VH1. It's absolutely amazing how hardcore-trekkers reviled him in yesteryear, and everybody else essentially ignored him. And here he is, a Slashdot regular. You gotta take your hat off to the guy...not everybody gets a second chance.

  • Wil's on fark too (Score:3, Interesting)

    by British ( 51765 ) <british1500@gmail.com> on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:20PM (#5937540) Homepage Journal
    I never thought many moons ago I would see someone on TV, and then talk to him many years later on this Internet thing.

    I discussed how much I hated some horror movie where his family was getting infected(I can't access IMDB right now). He replied on fark a few posts later how much he hated it as well.

    I felt like I upped my geek status at that point.

    • Re:Wil's on fark too (Score:5, Funny)

      by guacamolefoo ( 577448 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:32PM (#5937631) Homepage Journal
      I never thought many moons ago I would see someone on TV, and then talk to him many years later on this Internet thing.
      .....
      I felt like I upped my geek status at that point.

      I have a saved email from Richard Stallman. The topic it was on is irrelevant to me now, but the fact that I corresponded with an uber geek and got a response other than the typical restraining order I usually receive is something that I wanted to record for posterity, so I have saved the email. Ah, the power of celebrity.

      Accordingly, please mod this, and all my future posts, "-1 -- Fucking Loser."

      • Several years back I sent a short message to Terry Pratchett after finding his email address on alt.fan.pratchett, to which he is a regular poster. I didn't have much to say except to thank him for writing such great stories and I was sure he was so deluged with pointless fan-email that I would never get any acknowledgment from him. I was stunned to receieve a reply within 24 hours, to which I replied in kind, and 24 hours later got a reply to my reply to his reply. I could have tried to keep the correspond
      • I got a reply that was obvously from Paul Allen to a comment posted right here on Slashdot once. (relating to Bill Gates writing the code, in Assembly Language, for the word processor in the TRS-80 Model 100). It didn't affect my Geek Status very much, though, because P. Allen replied as A.C.
      • It's not hard to get a reply from Stallman. Just report a bug on emacs, and you'll soon hear from him.

      • Re:Wil's on fark too (Score:3, Interesting)

        by bourne ( 539955 )

        I have a saved email from Richard Stallman. The topic it was on is irrelevant to me now, but the fact that I corresponded with an uber geek and got a response other than the typical restraining order I usually receive is something that I wanted to record for posterity,...

        I remember the first time I met Stallman, too. While a restraining order might have been appropriate, I wouldn't be the one needing to be restrained.

        I spent a few minutes before his talk wondering why Harvard let random homeless peop

        • I now have a theory that most people who worship the man haven't met him.

          Your theory may or may not be correct, but for the record, I think it helps my geek karma to have corresponded with RMS. Do I worship him? No. Do I defend everything he does? No. Do I think that he has done an awful lot to make free software possible and useful and do I respect his evangelism and contributions to free software? Yes. That's all.

          GF
    • I discussed how much I hated some horror movie where his family was getting infected(I can't access IMDB right now).

      If you can access it, you can also see his filmography here [wikipedia.org].

  • Best Wil Wheaton Interview (Score:5, Informative)

    by sssmashy ( 612587 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:21PM (#5937546)

    Check out Wil's interview with The Onion AV Club [theonionavclub.com]. Lots of good insights on the absurdity of child stardom, and the bizarre love/hate relationship with Star Trek fans.

    I think Wil's done a great job moving away from his strange past... hopefully he will soon find a strong movie role that suits his unique personality.

  • Can anyone really take this review seriously? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Farley Mullet ( 604326 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:22PM (#5937557)
    . . .those weblog readers who enjoy Wil's humor but don't know the difference between trilithium and tribbles, will find Barefoot irresistable.

    Yeah, both of them.

  • All the reviewers will be on grass and all the reviews will be astroturf.

  • Why hasn't he posted yet? (Score:4, Funny)

    by jeblucas ( 560748 ) <jeblucasNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:24PM (#5937569) Homepage Journal
    The guy posts [slashdot.org] all [slashdot.org] over [slashdot.org] slashdot [slashdot.org]--how can he leave this alone? I expect to see a reply to parent from CleverNickName stating unequivocally:

    OMFG DANSIG BARFUT IS TEH FUTAR!!11

    With a link to Amazon [amazon.com].

    ...or at least his site [wilwheaton.net], or someplace to buy it [monolithpress.com].

    • Re:Why hasn't he posted yet? (Score:5, Informative)

      by CleverNickName ( 129189 ) * <wilNO@SPAMwilwheaton.net> on Monday May 12, 2003 @01:34PM (#5938005) Homepage Journal
      The guy posts [slashdot.org] all [slashdot.org] over [slashdot.org] slashdot [slashdot.org]--how can he leave this alone?

      Well, I didn't have anything to add to the conversation . . . but since you asked, I'll see if I can put something worthwhile in here.

      I read at 5, so forgive me if I don't bite on a particular troll.

      Someone asked if this is a "fresh perspective" on anything.

      I don't know. It's my perspective on several things:
      • accepting the loss of somone who is very dear to me
      • enjoying the things in my life that come with being a husband and stepfather
      • recalling some of the joyous days when I was a teenager, and the world was so simple (a fact to which I was oblivious)
      • accepting my place in the Star Trek world, and putting to bed some 17th level daemons (all with 4d12+5 Whips of Self Doubt)


      Should you buy it? I don't know. Only you can make that choice.

      Who is the anticipated audience? Well, people who read my weblog (about 500,000 a month, as of last week) will certainly enjoy it, because all the stories I pulled from the blog are ones that have been very popular with readers. Star Trek fans will probably enjoy the Saga of Spongebob Vegas Pants -- I can say this with certainty, because I've read it at conventions, and the crowd always loves it.

      Is this just a cut-n-paste from my site? A "dead tree" version of WWdN?

      No.

      I took the stories from the weblog, and I rewrote them. I think I've matured as a writer since they were first written, and I've rebuilt them. I had the technology to make them faster, better, stronger.

      They are also illustrated by my pal Ben [bendependent.com], who is an OUTSTANDING artist. The illustrations really lend an extra dimension to the reading experience.

      If you're one of those people who has some sort of primal need to hate me, and everything I ever do, (please note: Wil != Wesley Crusher) I doubt anything in this book is going to change your mind about anything. (As a matter of fact, I doubt that anything I do at all will change your mind. That's why I read at +5.)

      But if you are curious, you can always take a look at my website, and read some of the stuff there. If you like what you see, there's a good chance you'll like this book.

      Of course, here is the ObBuy link [monolithpress.com], and, uh, I guess I'm supposed to scream "OMFG DANSIG BARFUT IS TEH FUTAR!!11" for some reason that currently eludes me.

      . . . but back in my day, we would have said "0/\/\fG! |>@/\/c!nG b@r3f00+ !5 +3h /~0Xx0rX, d00d!!!11"

      • People aren't very nice are they? (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Daetrin ( 576516 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @05:07PM (#5940095)
        *looks at the replies to this and other posts*

        Wow, people suck. I hope these are just a fringe element, and not a representative sample of the current slashdot population.

        So for a different perspective, i thought Wesley Crusher was an annoying git, even though i'm a bit jealous of the name recognition (better to rule in hell than serve in heaven or some such.) I know very little about you, but you seem like an okay guy based off the posts here. Cool! You've got a book out! Wish i could do that :) Hope it does well!

      • Honestly, Wil...

        The only thing the Geeks want you to write about is your makeout session with Ashley Judd in the episode titled "The Game".

        That, my friend, was when your stardom peaked. :)

        ++Om

  • Hmm. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Firehawke ( 50498 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:37PM (#5937660) Journal
    I've never had the particular honor to have been able to speak with him in person or on an online forum, but I've read over some of his comments and blog posts in the past. This book sounds like one I need to add to my list in the near future!

    Mr. Wheaton has always come across to me as being an honest, true techie with a Clue. The fact that he speaks his mind without hesitation only makes me respect him that much more; a guy could easily dig himself into quite a hole with as many ears listening as he has.

    I wonder, though, if this is the beginning of a new wave of publications-- dead-tree compilations of blogs? I'm not sure what I feel about that. For every good blog, there're a few hundred that are a total waste of electrons.
  • Shut up, Wesley!

  • Some of the scripts Wil has done have been bad (Score:5, Insightful)

    by StandardCell ( 589682 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:44PM (#5937697)
    Wil's a great actor. I remember him from way back when in Stand By Me, and even from The Last Starfighter. But the worst piece of writing I've seen in nearly any program was a TNG line where he meets Riker in the hallways of the Enterprise-D and says:

    "Can I walk with you?"

    Gahhh, I still think about it and it makes me cringe...but some folks could mistake the bad writing for bad acting. His revival is much welcomed for me, and that book will probably be an interesting read.
    • I have to admit, I had no recollection of him being in The Last Starfighter... so I went to IMDB. Says he was in the movie, but his scenes were deleted.

      What part of the movie was he still in? I may have to dig out the old video tape and go looking...

  • A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Score:5, Interesting)

    by stanwirth ( 621074 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @12:47PM (#5937713)

    From the review of Dancing Barefoot:

    The best is Houses -- although it sometimes ranges into maudlin territory, it is also the most courageous writing in the book. Wheaton's generation has been raised on a diet of pop culture and cynicism, and it's invigorating -- if somewhat startling -- to see someone of that generation openly expressing such feelings of devotion and despair.

    Startling, but not unique in this generation. David Eggers' memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: Based on a True Story [amazon.com] specialises in this style of self-revealing, self-referential, reflective, intelligent, witty prose. One can't help but notice the similarities in the relationship between Eggers and his brother Toph, and the relationship Wheaton has with his stepson. While reveling in the part of himself that will always be a boy brought out by the younger (the child is father of the man, and all that) he also can reflect on the call to greater responsibility required by the relationship, accepted somewhat reluctantly.

    Eggers started a whole (and very good) imprimatur [mcsweeneys.net] with a group of authors and artists who also transcend the pop culture they were raised on. Good Stuff and worth reading!

  • One of the reasons I think people hated Wesley: (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Maul ( 83993 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @01:04PM (#5937817) Journal
    This is just a thought, but I think that some of the younger Star Trek: TNG viewers might have even been JEALOUS of Wesley Crusher.

    He is smart for his age (as many teenage Star Trek watchers were, or at least tink they were), and I think it might be easy for some younger viewers who were around Wesley's age at the time to relate to him.

    However, the kids watching the show lived in the world of Junior High and High School, possible where they were made fun of for being nerds, trekkies, etc... whereas Wesley lived on the Enterprise and got to have at least a few cool adventures.

    So I think it was easy for a young Trek fan to wonder why they couldn't be in a "cool" situation like Wesley was. So they were jealous of him.
    Some people might have also been jealous of a Wil Wheaton for being able to play Wesley on Star Trek and be on the Enterprise set rather than in school.

    Personally, I'm jealous of Reginald Barclay. Yet another crazy, incompetent mental case with a better job than I have.

  • Head-geek? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by dougmc ( 70836 ) <dougmc+slashdot@frenzied.us> on Monday May 12, 2003 @01:10PM (#5937863) Homepage
    a kind of affable head-geek.
    I've seen the term `head geek' before -- it referred to the leader or alpha geek [houghi.org]. I'm not sure how I'd apply it to Mr Wheaton, though.

    It's neat that Wil has `geek' tendancies, and it's not often that celebrities have blogs (but becoming more common), but he has much to learn before we can dub him `head-geek'.

    Unless he's locked in a closet with my grandma and a tricorder, of course :)

  • I'll admit it... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by sirgoran ( 221190 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @01:30PM (#5937976) Homepage Journal
    I thought he was good in Stand By Me. But the thing that bugged me about Wesley, was they made him into such a whiney, little snot on ST:TNG. I was also bothered by the fact that this "Advanced" and "Modern" version of Trek still treated him as a "dumb kid." Despite calling him a "boy genius" in the opening teasers prior to the shows launch.

    Had they written a better part for him, and treated him like an equal, I'm sure that fans would have liked him more.

    But with that aside, I have to give credit to him for being able to take the good with the bad in stride. He's still able to look back on Trek and Smile, and still able to smile when fans face him and say "I really hated Wesley."

    How many of the rest of us would be able to do the same without giving folks a big "F*** You?"

    I for one can say, while not a "fan" of Wesley, I can give kudos to Mr. Weaton for hanging in there with a bit of class.

    -Goran
    • But the thing that bugged me about Wesley, was they made him into such a whiney, little snot on ST:TNG. I was also bothered by the fact that this "Advanced" and "Modern" version of Trek still treated him as a "dumb kid." Despite calling him a "boy genius" in the opening teasers prior to the shows launch.

      May have been the writers' bias.

      I recently finished watching Season 5 of the DVD collection. I always watch the bonus materials at the end of the last DVD. In nearly all of them, Patric Stewart or som

  • JUST a Geek? Try Ubergeek. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by interociter ( 587446 ) on Monday May 12, 2003 @01:47PM (#5938139) Homepage
    At this point, Mr. Wheaton has become THE Geek. He has some of the strongest geek credentials in the subculture. Let's do the list:
    • Crewmember on the USS Enterprise
    • Codes and maintains his own website
    • Uses Linux instead of Windows on his home machines
    • Worked on the Video Toaster [newtek.com]
    • Obsessive blogger
    • Posts on Slashdot
    • Free Speech activist
    • Frequent [techtv.com] (but not frequent enough) guest and sometimes guest host of The Screen Savers [techtv.com]
    • Host of Arena [salon.com] on G4
    • Gamer [techtv.com], both video and role-playing
    What more can you ask for? Seems to me that Wil Wheaton has become the shining star of Geek Culture, the Ubergeek. He's both articulate and telegenic, and has a deep understanding of technology's role in society. Should Wil Wheaton decide to run for office, I'd vote for him in a minute.

    • Worked on the Video Toaster

      Well, he worked for NewTek promoting the Toaster. I don't think he worked on the Toaster itself.

      Host of Arena on G4

      Not anymore. Read here [slashdot.org] to find out why.

      Arena is now hosted by a smug Brit and a jarhead -- not that I have any strong feelings about it or anything...

      Schwab

    • What more can you ask for? Seems to me that Wil Wheaton has become the shining star of Geek Culture, the Ubergeek. He's both articulate and telegenic, and has a deep understanding of technology's role in society. Should Wil Wheaton decide to run for office, I'd vote for him in a minute.

      I'd turn gay and marry him.

  • Why would he call William Shatner "William F---ing Shatner"? What is that... "William F dash dash dash ing Shatner"? That doesn't make a whole fuckload of sense. Is this fuckup from the book or the reviewer?
  • original captain of the Enterprise, referred to repeatedly as William F---ing Shatner.

    I thought someone would have noted that William F'ing Shatner played Capt. Kirk who was not the first commander of the Enterprise having been preceeded by Capts. Robert April and Christopher Pike. [lapam.mo.it]
  • I don't really see what's so great about blogs. Sure, I like the idea of /. where you can discuss mutual interests, but as far as randomly surfing the net seeing what different people did in their day or what they have to think doesn't appeal to me. Maybe i'm missing something or maybe i'm not, either way I'm not really into blogs.
  • Atticism: Concise and elegant writing.

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