Geek Mountain State

The ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington will be getting some dinosaurs! Here’s their press release:

Looks pretty awesome. Details here.

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on the fandom surrounding the band Daft Punk, and it includes one of our Vermont friends, Hayes Johnson!

Hayes Johnson, 23, an assistant graphic designer at Johnson State College in Johnson, Vt., said his first attempt to make a replica out of a baseball helmet, red Christmas lights and soda cans while in high school was “really primitive.”

Several years later, he fashioned a more respectable pair that fetched $1,000 on eBay. Now, Mr. Johnson is in the process of updating a chart he published in 2010 entitled “A Visual History of Daft Punk Helmets,” which diagrams the subtle evolution of helmets worn by the band.

Read the full article here.

Candlemark and Gleam has a new Kickstarter project up and running for a new book that they’re publishing by Susan Bigelow: The Daughter Star!

Two new worlds, one strange alien race…and a woman trapped in a war she despises. Can the Daughter Star see her through?

Help us get ready for the print run by pre-ordering the novel, and possibly getting yourself some fabulous bonuses in the process.

What a rotten way for everything to turn out. Marta Grayline’s stable, fulfilling life as a freighter pilot has been yanked out from under her, she’s stuck on her miserable home planet with her obnoxious family, her beautiful girlfriend’s now on the opposite side of an interstellar war, and she’s bored to tears. What else could go wrong?

Never ask that question.

Marta’s enigmatic sister Beth offers her a way out by enlisting in the Novan Emergency Fleet, and Marta jumps at it. But it only gets worse from there; her ship is attacked and destroyed, and she finds herself stranded on a mysterious space station with a crew that won’t answer her questions.

And, of course, then there’s the aliens – the planet-destroying Abrax that somehow seem to have a hold on Beth. They’re coming for Marta, too.

Marta’s quest for answers will take her to the frozen dark side of a faraway planet, into the tense politics of a rebel base, through vast subterranean caves and into the heart of the enemy’s defenses. She’ll have to face ancient forces, her own doubts, and the inside of an alien mind if she wants to get some answers, complete her mission and unlock her own latent potential. The Daughter Star, the red beacon in the night sky, may yet be the key to the freedom and understanding Marta so desperately wants.

This kickstarter will help get the print run up and running, and will essentially act as a pre-order for the physical copy. The project’s already funded, so go ahead and pledge here.

• Basic Computer Skills, 12:30–2:30PM, Tracy Hall, Norwich. Free. (Tech)
• John Isaacs – “Les Misérables: The Nuclear Bombs Remaining in the Back Yard.” 4:30PM, Pierson Library, Shelburne. Free. (Nukes)
• John Isaacs: South Burlington: “Les Misérables: The Nuclear Bombs Remaining in the Back Yard.” 2–3PM, Faith United Methodist Church, South Burlington. $5. (Nukes)
• Casual Card Games, 5:30pm – 11:00pm, Quarterstaff Games, Burlington. (Gaming)
• Nature Buddies Playgroup, 9am – 11am, Balch Nature School, The Fairbanks Museum, St. Johnsbury. (Kids)
• Monday Night Magic, 6pm – 9pm, Village Pizza, Montpelier, VT. (Gaming)

• Burlington Go Club, 7–9PM, Uncommon Grounds, Burlington. Free; bring a set if you have one. (Gaming)
• Downloadable E-books & Audiobooks Drop-in Day, 9AM–5PM, Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury. Free. (eBooks)
• Tech Help, 10:30–11:30AM, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. Free. (Tech)
• ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Auditions, 6:30–9PM, Holley Hall, Bristol. Free. (Theater)
• Burlington Writers Workshop Meeting. Participants must join the group to have their work reviewed. 6:30–7:30PM, Halflounge, Burlington. Free; preregister at meetup.com. (Writing)
• ‘Dan Brown: An Evening of Codes, Symbols & Secrets’ Webcast, 7PM, Phoenix Books Burlington, Burlington. Free. (Authors)
• Magic: The Gathering – Draft – $12 Entry Fee, 6:30pm – 11:00pm, Quarterstaff Games, Burlington. (Gaming)
• Pathfinder Society, 6:30pm – 11:00pm, Game Lounge, Quarterstaff Games, Burlington. (Gaming)
• NOOK Kids APPtivity Time, 11:30 AM, Barnes and Noble, South Burlington. (Tech)
• Dan Brown Webcast, 7:30 pm, Village Square Books, Bellows Falls. (Authors)
• Wednesday Night Board gaming at Triple Play, 6:00pm – 10:30pm, Triple Play, Lebanon, New Hampshire. (Gaming)
• L5R Night at Triple Play, 6:30pm – 10:00pm, Triple Play, Lebanon, NH. (Gaming)
• Rutland Free Library Board Meeting, 5:15PM-6:30PM, Fox Room, Rutland Free Library, Rutland. (Libraries)

• Green Drinks, 6–8PM, Lobby, City Center, Montpelier. Free. (Environmentalism)
• Science & Stories: Rocks Rock, 11AM, ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington. Free with admission, $9.50-12.50. (Rocks)
• Basic Introduction to Camera Use, 10–11:30AM, Channel 17 Studios, Burlington. Free. (Cameras)
• ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Auditions, 6:30–9PM, Holley Hall, Bristol. Free. (Theater)
• Cady/Potter Writers Circle, 10AM–12PM, Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury. Free. (Writing)
• Board Game Night, 5pm – 11pm, Quarterstaff Games, Burlington. (Gaming)
• NOOK Apptivity (for Adults): Survival Night, 6:00 PM, Barnes and Noble, South Burlington. (Tech) 
• Used Book Sale, 9:00 AM, Barnes and Noble, South Burlington. (Books)
• Naruto CCG, 4:30pm – 8:00pm, The Gamers Grotto, Bennington. (Gaming)
• Basic Internet Search, 9:30AM-11:00AM, Computer Commons, Rutland Free Library, Rutland. (Tech)
• Invasive Species Workshop. 6pm, North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier. Info: 229-6206. (Environment)