BASFA

BASFA club minutes for August 31

2026-09-01T03:51:35Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1876
Monday, August 31, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
4live/6online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1875 were accepted as 'the bar is in the room'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $166.84 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP was reporting from WorldCon in Anaheim that he saw the treasurer, who is now zooming home & in transit. He pressed on though, even with lost signals & had nothing otherwise fannish to report & things will be back to normal for next week's BASFA meeting

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Lisa announced that Brisbane will be the site of WorldCon 2028
also see = https://www.brisbane28.org/

Yochanan announced that there is an Egyptian exhibit at the DeYoung museum in SF now, through January 2027
see = https://secretsanfrancisco.com/treasures-of-the-pharaohs-opens-de-young-museum/

Rick announced that there will be a full solar eclipse in Australia 1 week before the 2028 Brisbane Worldcon, so make travel plans accordingly
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_July_22,_2028
also see = https://www.brisbane28.org/

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'The Magic Far Away Tree', a fantasy movie based on the series by Enid Blyton. He found the humor very British and silly at times. He found it enjoyable, but not great, worth matinee
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Faraway_Tree_(film)
Yochanan also reviewed the de Young Museum 'Treasure of the Pharohs' as a very nice display - not splashy - & it had a nice audio track. He really enjoyed his visit and recommends it
see = https://secretsanfrancisco.com/treasures-of-the-pharaohs-opens-de-young-museum/
Yochanan also reviewed a media-con, GalaxyCon 2026 in SanJose, this last weekend that he attended for about 2 hours. He found it sparsely attended and that there was not much to do or see there. He found it disappointing, but hears that next GalaxyCon will not be scheduled opposite another major scifi con.
see = https://galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-san-jose

Lisa reviewed WorldCon as over 1700 panels, most of which she missed. She enjoyed all the ones she attended & that - if you were a member - many of the pales were recorded for online viewing. She found the Masquerade to be fantastic & the Hugo Awards presentation was long - at 3 hours. The animal facts given during it were fun. She wishes she could attend next year's WorldCon in Montreal. Lisa found the parties to be fun and she had a good time.
Valerie commented that she also attended and agrees with everything Lisa reported. She was on 7 panels, which limited her chance to attend a lot of panels. Sales were okay at her Dealer's table & she plans to watch panels that she missed online. She attended a party that was Peeps themed with The "Minneapolis in 2076" Worldcon bid (a long-running hoax bid) & was offered SO many Peeps & had fun.
Yochanan also attended and he says he had 'SO MUCH FUN!' & he's so glad he went. He found it amazing and enjoyed meeting authors in person & thought the Art Show was magnificent. He agrees that all the parties were awesome & definitely needs to go to another WorldCon. He found the belly-dancing Klingons to be amazing!
Ken thought the 'Party Deck' was really well set up & excellent for its ability to socialize while not feeling over-crowded & really nice. He found the numbers at-con to be lower than usual which was ascribed to current political tensions, but he noticed that there were a lot of 1-day attendees. He also enjoyed the panels he attended - many of which has BASFA members on them. He enjoyed the chance to see a lot of familiar faces who have since moved away.
Rick was too tired to give a review other than that he was too tired.
It was commented that panels & events all started ON TIME. Shock! Amaze amaze amaze!
see = https://www.lacon.org/

Ken reviewed this week's 'Star Trek, Strange New Worlds' episode as '24 meets the Poseidon Adventure', maybe a little less gimmicky, but still a pastiche. He recommends the show, but opined that this episode might not be for the squeamish. There were follow-ons that discussed the episode, generally, but without spoilers - and with very positive reactions
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Strange_New_Worlds_season_4

we adjourned at = 8:43 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'BASFA folk are always zooming around'

there were no auctions

comments

August 24 BASFA club minutes

2026-08-25T03:39:39Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1875
Monday, August 24, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
5live/6online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1874 were accepted as 'documenting the War of the Words'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $166.84 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP proxy report was that he is in transit & next week he will try to set up a Zoom session from WorldCon in Anaheim. As most of us who show up in person will be down there, I have notified the staff here (at Parktown) that we will not be here on the 31st.'

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Yochanan announced that GalaxyCon 2026 & WorldCon 2026 are both this up-coming weekend & Kennita announced that Burning Man will also start this weekend

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'The End of Oak Street' is a scifi survival time travel movie as an enjoyable popcorn movie that is set in 1982 for reasons he could not determine. The feathery dinosaurs were disconcerting & frequently took him out of immersion in the film. He found it a 'meh' movie, worth matinee
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_Oak_Street
Yochanan also reviewed 'The Last House' a scifi film badly rated [22%] on Rotten Tomatoes with a poor ending & worth 'maybe matinee'. 'It was a movie' he commented.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_House
Yochanan also reviewed the Santa Clara County Fair, just ended, as only 5-days long. He found it very different from other fairs, with not many animals & little 'fair food' but he had a very good time. He found it very poorly advertised, worth full price & recommends going there next year. Rick recommends checking out all county fairs & finds them to be wonderful. Gayle finds county fairs to be educational - in this case the displays on table settings were fascinating.
see = https://www.thefairgrounds.org/events/santa-clara-county-fair-2026/

Lisa reviewed catching up on 'Star Trek, Strange New Worlds' episodes & did not like the ending of the 'puppet' episode just aired. She found it a 'dumb, stupid, light episode'. Yochanan found the episode to be funny & the puppets were very 'Muppet-like'. He commented that he finds the last 5 episodes to be 'gimmick' episodes & not impressive. Rick stated that 'the writers are bored'. Lisa opined that the last few episodes will not be considered among her favorites.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Strange_New_Worlds

Rick reviewed the SyFy series, 'The Ark' as 'if one set one's expectations lower, one can be pleasantly surprised' & while watching the 3 seasons of the show he was reminded of an earlier Syfy series called 'The Outpost'. He found what he watched to be pretty unoriginal, worth matinee & not really worth a second viewing. Yochanan really loves the series & recommends it as it keeps him entertained.
see = https://www.syfy.com/the-ark
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outpost_(TV_series)

we adjourned at = 8:33 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'Am I a Man, or am I a Muppet?'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA Meeting minutes for August 17

2026-08-18T04:00:36Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1874
Monday, August 17, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8:02 pm
5live/6online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1873 were accepted as 'having ICE in all the appropriate places, like Antarctica instead of Minnesota'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $166.84 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP reported that 'Next week, and the following week, he will not be here. Next week I may not even be able to attend by Zoom. The following week, I will set up a Zoom session from WorldCon in Anaheim. As most of us who show up in person will be down there, I have notified the staff here (at Parktown) that we will not be here on the 31st.'

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Yochanan announced that the actress Hayden Panettiere had died

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 2 seasons of 'Sense8', seen on Netflix as he enjoyed it. The characters represent a new form of humanity & how they cope with sharing senses. The series was filmed in many different locations around the world & was about compassion & understanding. He highly recommends it as worth full price. Lisa followed that, as reported on a Babylon5 group, Joe Straczynski said he was pleased with being able to get onto film what he wanted to get across. Rick also gives the series top marks and was giddy with his enjoyment of the series.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense8
Yochanan also reviewed 'One Night Only' as 'the Purge, but for sex' and was treated as a light-hearted Rom-Com. He found it to be rather tame but still enjoyed it & rates it as worth matinee
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Night_Only_(2026_film)
Yochanan also reviewed the AMC Plus series 'Interview with the Vampire', season 2 as it takes many liberties with the source material. He considers it worth full price.
see = https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0R3NX402CNSE2P1M0L100OMP0D/
Yochanan also reviewed 'Our Time' as seen on Netflix as a time travel movie that he enjoyed a lot & it has a bit of a telenovela ending. He rates it as worth matinee
see = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35630700

Ken reviewed the latest episode of 'Star Trek Strange New Worlds' - 'A Case of Chiaroscuro' as a film noir episode set on a frontier world where everything is shown in monochrome. He enjoyed that there were lots of 'Casablanca' tropes. Yochanan followed, saying he liked the episode. Rick also commented that the ensemble effort was carried off very well & was a lot of fun. Lisa has also been following the series & has been having a good time & looks forward to new episodes.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Strange_New_Worlds
Ken also reviewed the 1982 'Slapstick' as a movie he saw so you don't have to. He found the film to be in the 'D' list or lower category but it has 'A' list actors in it & the cast was great. He rates it as a mild curiousity. Duncan has read the book it's based on and very much recommends reading the book, remembering that Vonnegut was writing it with an audience of college students in mind.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick_of_Another_Kind
https://watch.plex.tv/movie/slapstick-of-another-kind

Rick reviewed 'Lanterns' from the DC universe as an 8 episode mini-series handled as a small-town Western that he very much enjoyed and says it completely defies expectations
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterns_(TV_series)
Rick also reviewed the season closer for 'House of the Dragon' as several plot threads were followed, lots of bloody fight scenes & the episode ended up as a bit of a mess. He thinks it was done well, not really worth re-watching, but is worth seeing once
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon

we adjourned at = 8:55 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'Play it again Sam ... Kirk'

there were auctions

comments

Minutes for August 19, 2026

2026-08-11T03:54:58Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1873
Monday, August 10, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8:03 pm
7live/5online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1871 were accepted as 'the same in all parallel universes'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $166.84 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP reported that he will not be present at BASFA for the meeting for the last 2 weeks of August - on the 24th & the 31st - where he will be at WorldCon. He needs someone to present the Zoom for the in-person portion of the meeting on those two dates.
& he reported that there is a new list server for BASFA email communication. Michael Wallis changed our email list over to a new service called Gaggle (the old Mailman service was discontinued by our hosting service). If you didn’t get the email, and want to be on the list, pop over to basfa.org and click “Join List” or, click here gaggle.email/join/basfa-list@gaggle.email
Also, also, he reported while he had Michael Wallis’ attention, he asked Michael to spin up a WordPress installation. There is a parallel site running at basfa.org/basfa. Comments are appreciated & functionality requests will be entertained. The hope is to make that our primary site.

Also, also, also - there is a strong chance that the BASFA meeting on August 31 will be conducted from LA

the President had nothing fannish to report except that his lifting restrictions have been ... lifted

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Yochanan announced that he thinks it is Sept 4 thru the 8 that AMC will be issuing a Star Trek popcorn bucket, check Fathom events
see = https://trekmovie.com/2026/08/08/star-trek-movie-rereleases-beaming-into-theaters-with-souvenir-popcorn-bucket/
& he announced that Aug 21, 7-9:20 is SciFi night at the Chabot Space Center
see = https://chabotspace.org/programs/sci-fi-nights/
& he announced that Sept 12 will be the SJ Book Festival at the Eastridge Mall
see = https://allevents.in/san-jose/san-jose-book-festival/200029924212628

Rick announced that the TV series 'Silo' & 'House of the Dragon' have had their season finales
see =https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(TV_series)
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon_season_3

Geri announced that she has had 900 days on Klingon Duo-Lingo & that there will be 3 Klingon panels at this year's WorldCon

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'Spiderman, Brand New Day' as amazing entertainment & worth full price. He loved it & thinks it is one of the best Spiderman movies he has ever seen
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Brand_New_Day
Yochanan also reviewed 'That This Nation Might Live: Butterflies of Gettysburg Book 1' by Sandra Saidak & Thomas Saidak as a time travel novel set in the 1860s that he enjoyed & rates as worth full price. Gerry followed saying that the author is in his writer's group and he commends their historical research
see = https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41183171-that-this-nation-might-live
Yochanan also reviewed the Rosicrucian Historical Museum in SJ - as much larger than he recalled and that it took almost 3 hours to explore the place & he found the Thoth animatronic AI robot there a little creepy. He loves the crypt in the basement & considers it a world-class museum. He had a great time & highly recommend it. There was some discussion to the topic
see = https://egyptianmuseum.org/

Trey reviewed his hernia surgery as his procedure went very well, healing has been good and that the only problem was that Kaiser did not do a follow-up reminder until he reminded them, so he grades it as a 'B'

Ken reviewed 'Star Trek Strange New Worlds' as the subtitle could have been 'Dude, where's my shuttlecraft?' and quite light-hearted. He enjoyed it. Yochanan followed, saying he enjoyed it but that some people might not. There was some discussion of the Klingon language.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Strange_New_Worlds

we adjourned at = 8:49 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'If you don't like this reality, make one of your own'

comments

BASFA meeting minutes for August 3, 2026

2026-08-04T06:49:03Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1872
Monday, August 3, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 20:00
7live/4online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1871 were accepted as 'Highly likely that they are there waiting for me to read'.

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP reported that 'the last two Mondays of August I will not be in town. There is a chance that on the 24th I will not be in a position to join remotely (that’s our travel day) but should be able to Zoom in on the 31st from WorldCon. We’ll need someone to present the Zoom for the in-person portion of the meeting on those two dates.
& he reported that Michael Wallis changed our email list over to a new service called Gaggle (the old Mailman service was discontinued by our hosting service). If you didn’t get the email, and want to be on the list, pop over to basfa.org and click “Join List” or, click here gaggle.email/join/basfa-list@gaggle.email
Also, also, he reported that while he had Michael Wallis’ attention, he asked Michael to spin up a WordPress installation. There is a parallel site running at basfa.org/basfa. Comments are appreciated & functionality requests will be entertained. The hope is to make that our primary site.

the President was not present

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Rick announced that this Saturday there will be a party at his place. Homemade pizza will be had. Look out for an the email with the details.

Lisa announced that she will not be at Ricks event, as she will be attending the BAERS Jane Austin dance at her Odd Fellow’s hall. It’s from 6:30-10:30 p.m. and costuming is encouraged. Tickets are sold out online, but may be available at the door.

Reviews
Yochanan reviewed 'Pinnochio Unstrung' (Rated R, in theatres) as a horror reimagining of the classic tale told as a slasher movie. Practical effects are a plus, but definitely not for the kiddos. Loved the shadow puppet opening, with some behind the scenes clips in the end credits. Worth matinee – maybe full-price for horror aficionados.

Yochanan also reviewed 'Ready or Not' (2019) and 'Ready or Not 2: Hear I Come' (2026) (both Rated R, on streaming) as the first one was better and more original. The second features more well-known actors. Both worth matinee.

Yochanan also reviewed '13 going on 30' (Netflix, 2004) as the plot is Jennifer Garner as a 13 year old who wishes to be “thirty and flirty and thriving”. The wish comes true in a cute and charming fashion. Features a very young Mark Ruffalo. Worth matinee.

Gerald reviewed 'The Odyssey' (Rated R, in theatres) He and Gayle had mixed reactions. It's a spectacle that is surprisingly true to the original text. It moved right along and didn’t feel like a three-hour run time. However, when there was a choice between what to show or tell, he felt that they didn’t choose what he would have done. Some of the fight sequences went on too long. He rates it as worth seeing – especially the gates opening to Agamemnon. Definitely matinee. Samantha Morton (Circe) deserves an Oscar nod.
Yochanan followed that he reviewed it last week, and liked it a lot (full price). Thought it was brilliant that they sometimes didn’t show some things.
Gayle: Was looking forward to when they put wax in their ears as they sailed past the sirens.
Rick: Another example of going to extraordinary lengths to get Matt Damon home.

Rick reviewed the final installment of The Laundry Files, 'The Regicide Report' by Charles Stross, as he stuck the landing. Sad that it’s over. Well done!
Rick also reviewed 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Griffin Incident' as a horror bottle episode. He was a bit underwhelmed. Predictable ghost story. Well acted and directed.
Yochanan: Liked it more than Rick did. The atmospheric music was really cool. There were some unexpected bits for him. Some things were and weren’t explained. They tried something different for the series. Liked some parts, and some where too “magic wandy.”
Lisa: Found this one a little weak. Seemed to throw out all the usual horror tropes just to do so. Kind of weird and annoying.
Rick commented that the previous episode was also very predictable.

Rick also reviewed 'Star City' (appleTV) Season one as a triumph and worthy of a Hugo. A lot of verisimilitude about what was going on at the time in the USSR. Shot in Lithuania which lived through this period. The atmosphere, architecture, and lighting were of the time. Very well written, and thoroughly unpredictable, with a perfect resonance. A little over the top – especially in the last episode. Hoping for a second season.
Yochanan: Thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Echoes that it’s amazing. Vastly different from its parent series (though he wished there would be some crossover information). Prays for a season two. More of an espionage show than a space show.
Gerald: It would have been unlike the real Soviet Union if they had a woman as a big KGB bureaucrat.

Kennita reviewed 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' (PG-13) as she really liked it, and the stars. Fight choreographers really need recognition! The plot was more complex than you normally think of for a superhero film – and it was a good thing. Saw in 3D – which she thinks MCU films really lean into. Had a good time. Worth full price.

we adjourned at = 21:00

Rumor of the Week: 'Horror in space: The Frightful Frontier.'

there was an auction

comments

BASFA club minutes for July 27

2026-07-28T03:51:51Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1871
Monday, July 27, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8:03 pm
6live/5online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1870 were accepted as 'listing but still floating'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP reported that he will not be present at BASFA for the meeting for the last 2 weeks of August - on the 24th & the 31st - where he will be at WorldCon. He needs someone to present the Zoom for the in-person portion of the meeting on those two dates.
& he reported that there is a new list server for BASFA email communication. Michael Wallis changed our email list over to a new service called Gaggle (the old Mailman service was discontinued by our hosting service). If you didn’t get the email, and want to be on the list, pop over to basfa.org and click “Join List” or, click here gaggle.email/join/basfa-list@gaggle.email
Also, also, he reported while he had Michael Wallis’ attention, he asked Michael to spin up a WordPress installation. There is a parallel site running at basfa.org/basfa. Comments are appreciated & functionality requests will be entertained. The hope is to make that our primary site.

And we all did give a 'hurrah' that it is the VP's birthday this day

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ken announced that folk of fannish interest passed away - RIP British actor Tom Chadbon (Duggan in the Doctor Who story City of Death) & RIP British legend Bill Oddie (one-third of of the Goonies) & RIP British puppeteer Ronnie le Drew (Zippy of the children’s show Rainbow, plus a couple of Muppet films)
Ken also announced that - not dead yet, but… The UK's iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory, home to the country's largest telescope for nearly 70 years, is in danger of closing by 1 April, 2028 unless alternative funding can be found.

Yochanan announced that The Doctor's voice [from 'Voyager' & Star Trek] is going away from WAZE see = https://www.waze.com
Yochanan also announced that 'Dark Matter' will have a 2nd season & the trailer has dropped
see = https://gizmodo.com/dark-matter-season-2-is-bigger-badder-and-more-emotional-2000790975

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'The Odyssey' as extremely cinematic with incredibly thunderous audio & used a great deal of practical effects. He found it engrossing and really well done & worth full price. He really liked it. Rick commented that quite a lot of money has been spent through the years getting Matt Damon home
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_(2026_film)
Yochanan also reviewed 'Click', a movie from 2006, as a dark comedy and somewhat of a cautionary tale with some actual emotional moments & is worth watching because of the later half of the movie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_(2006_film)
Yochanan also reviewed a book, 'Uncertain Trajectories: Speculative Fiction from Silicon Valley (Uncertain Stars Book 1)', edited by Valerie Frankel & containing a fair number of stories written by BASFA members. He found the stories to be really well-written & thought it worth full price
see = https://www.amazon.com/Uncertain-Trajectories-Speculative-Fiction-Silicon-ebook/dp/B0H5FVY5RQ

Rick reviewed another episode of 'House of the Dragon' and very well done with some shocking developments & worth watching
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon_season_3
Rick also reviewed the most recent episode of 'Silo' and themes of being trapped and paranoia continues to be developed
see = https://tv.apple.com/us/show/silo/umc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jice

Ken reviewed the new season of Star Trek 'Strange New Worlds' as slow to release on Paramount Plus - but the first episode was really exciting & full of spoilers & is a time travel episode. Yochanan followed, saying there is something wrong with Paramount's streaming but considered this a fun episode once he was finally able to view the episode & liked it
see = https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-4/

we adjourned at = 8:47 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'So how much does a Hemingway?'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes for July 20, 2026

2026-07-23T17:18:23Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1870
Monday, July 20, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 20:00
7live/1online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1869 were accepted as 'Viva España'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP reported that the last two Mondays of August I will not be in town. There is a chance that on the 24th I will not be in a position to join remotely (that’s our travel day) but should be able to Zoom in on the 31st from WorldCon. We’ll need someone to present the Zoom for the in-person portion of the meeting on those two dates.

the President was not present

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Lisa announced that today is the wedding anniversary of Dave and Spring (Our treasurer and a fellow BASFAns)
Lisa also announced that GallifreyOne’s first guest has been announced: Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman of Doctor Who). gallifreyone.com

Yochanan announced that the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, or KIPAC, will present a lecture on Wednesday, 22 July at 7 p.m. called Exploring Strange New Worlds: Rocky Exoplanet Atmospheres with JWST by Prof. Laura Schaefer, at Stanford University(Sapp Center for Science Teaching and Learning, Room 111) and on YouTube. kipac.stanford.edu/events/public-lectures/exploring-strange-new-worlds-rocky-exoplanet-atmospheres-jwst
We were reminded that the penultimate season of Star Trek Strange New Worlds premieres this Thursday at Midnight. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Strange_New_Worlds

Ken announced that this Friday is the fourth Friday (not the last) of the month and time, once again, for the monthly meeting of the Legion of Rassilon – your Doctor Who fan club. This month we will be watching the Second Doctor story The Dominators. Meeting starts at 7:30, at the Denny’s on Abbot Ave in Milpitas – just off Calaveras Boulevard near 880. lor.club
Lisa said she won’t be there as she will be at MythCon (in Ooooooklahoma). mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-54.htm

Rick announced that Antoinette Bower, Sylvia from the Star Trek episode Catspaw, passed away at 93. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoinette_Bower

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'Minions & Monsters' (PG in theatres) Third (and earliest) minions prequel, set in 1920s Hollywood. Love letter to Hollywood, Keaton & Chaplin homages, the advent of sound. Funnier than it has any right to be. The best of the three prequels. Full price. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minions_%26_Monsters
Yochanan also reviewed 'The Golden Grove' by Nancy Kress. Not a fan of fantasy, but a big fan of Kress – she is his second-favorite author (after Connie Willis). 1984. Characters spring to life. Bit dense at first, but picks up steam. Worth full price, and glad he read it. nancykress.com/the-golden-grove
Yochanan also reviewed 'Defiance' (Prime) older sci-fi from 2013-15. 3x 13 seasons. Set in 2046, in the town of Defiance, where humans and aliens coexist. Has a wild-west feel. Great performances, especially Tony Curran as an alien crime boss. Amazing world building, but there was a lack of explanations. The conclusion was acceptable. Worth matinee. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defiance_(TV_series)
Yochanan also reviewed 'Moana' (live, in theatres, PG) Follows the original story closely. OK. Way too much CGI (so much, that it’s barely live action!) and full of seams (as opposed to seamless)! Dwayne Johnson just acted and looked like The Rock in a wig! Some pretty scenes. Matinee at best. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana_(2026_film)

Rick reviewed 'Silo' & 'House of the Dragon' (HBO). Both were moving pieces into place for future episodes, and were only mildly interesting. Rhys Ifans made a tour de force appearance in House…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(TV_series)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon

Gayle reviewed 'Beggars in Spain' by Nancy Kress (part of a trilogy) Parents gen-mod their kids so they don’t need to sleep, and the non-mods are considered inferior.
Yochanan: Highly recommends.

we adjourned at = 20:36

Rumor of the Week: 'The Rumor of the Week has been cancelled.'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes for July 13

2026-07-15T10:44:59Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1869
Monday, July 13, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
7live/5online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1868 were accepted as 'May the good guys win in the World Cup – whoever they may be…'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President was not present

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Lisa, Yochanan & Rick announced that actor Sam Neill has passed away. He starred in Jurassic Park and other films… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Neill

It was announced that both GalaxyCon San Jose August 28-30 galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-san-jose - and WorldCon (LACon) August 27-31 lacon.org/ are on the same weekend. Lisa and others are upset about this.

Gerald announced that 1868 marked the election of Ulysses S. Grant to the President, a vastly under-appreciated president. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant
Rick commented that Gore Vidal says Grant's memoirs are the best personal histories written, and recommends them. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Memoirs_of_U._S._Grant

Rick announced that 'Star Trek Strange New Worlds' season 4 starts on July 23. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Strange_New_Worlds_season_4

Reviews:

Rick reviewed 'Star City' as having extraordinary run. The last three episodes were blow outs! Utterly brilliant, but might not be overly rewatchable. Dark, with surprises. Effective use of atmosphere. Not happy shining like the sister series. Waiting to see if it is renewed… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_City_(TV_series)
Yochanan commented that The Okuda’s are involved, as they were in For All Mankind en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Okuda
Gerald commented as part of Rick's review that Lithuania is the birthplace of the father of author Algis Budrys (Falling Torch) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algis_Budrys
Rick also reviewed 'House of the Dragon' on (HBO) as the third episode is the Best yet! Things don’t go well for the episode's title character. Very best of the series to date. Very impressed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon
Rick also reviewed that Silo (?TV) has been bubbling along well, with two story tracks. Quite compelling, with occasional things that take you out of the action, but they are rare. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(TV_series)

Yochanan reviewed 'Toy Story 5' (in theatres) as the first PG version! Very cute, some nostalgia. It went off in unexpected directions. Yochanan liked it, but it’s not memorable. Worth little more than matinee - or full price for Toy Story fans. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story_5
Yochanan also reviewed the Alameda County Fair, which just ended. He had so much fun. Even better than the SCCF. All the silly and serious stuff you expect, plus a drone show!
Gayle commented that it was the highlight of the year when she grew up over there. alamedacountyfair.com
Yochanan also reviewed 15 episodes, 2 seasons of 'Avatar The Last Airbender' - seen on Netflix & coproduced with Nickelodeon as it is all outstanding. It's a live action adaptation with themes of coming of age, found family, redemption… His nephew loved it. A third season is coming. Don’t confuse it with the live-action film. The CGI in this did not bother him. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:The_Last_Airbender(2024_TV_series)
Valerie commented that she enjoyed the whole cartoon series (and wrote the books). Enjoyed the first season of this one, and felt like a worthy version.

Lisa reviewed the Obon Festival in Japantown, SJ, as fun as always. Enjoyable day out, and she will go again next year. A lot of fun free things! japantownculturaldistrict.org/community-events/san-jose-obon-festival

Valerie reviewed that she spoke virtually at Slayage 11: The Association for the Study of Buffy+, held at Illinois State U in Normal, IL. She reports there were many lovely academic papers on things like candy in Buffy or fangirls in Buffy and The Marvels. It had a small attendance but they're sweet and supportive with fun traditions, rather like Mythcon. https://buffystudies.org/sc11-2026/ here's their free journal https://buffystudies.org/slayage-the-international-journal-of-buffy/
Valerie also reviewed 'A Farm Girl's Guide to Ruling as a Bloodthirsty Tyrant' by Katy Nyquist as funny and fun! goodreads.com/book/show/223673610-a-farm-girl-s-guide-to-ruling-as-a-bloodthirsty-tyrant
Valerie also reviewed Mark Okrund giving a nice talk at the Jewish Museum of Maryland about linguistic connections and a little Jewish humor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy87xpsakDE

Jerry went to the online qep'a' wejmaH wejDIch (Klingon Language Institute conference). He couldn’t see a reason to go to Indianapolis again. He commented that when you are online you don’t get as much as being there in person. Online registrations was just $10… kli.org There’ll be some Klingon language at WorldCon.
Jerry also reviewed Quetzalcoatlus - a prehistoric animal that was big and flew. It was a contemporary of t-rex. Maybe dragons aren’t as unusual as you thought. nps.gov/bibe/learn/nature/pterosaur.htm
Yochanan commented that it was discovered in Texas, in Big Bend National Park. He's seen remains of a younger one & thinks it looks like a small airplane.

we adjourned at = 9:04 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'So long Doctor Alan Grant, we’ll miss you.'

there were no auctions

comments

July 6 BASFA minutes

2026-07-07T03:23:40Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1868
Monday, July 6, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
6live/6online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1867 were accepted as 'Belgium man, Belgium!'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Dierdre announced that WesterCon is dead & its bylaws have been dissolved

Reviews:

Lisa reviewed BayCon 42 as fun & she enjoyed herself & has memberships for next year. Next year Westercon will be part of BayCon & the year after that it will be part of LOScon. Rick said that he also had fun there. Yochanan commented that he went to many more writing panels than he had been to before. He enjoyed the charity auction, the BASFA party and other parties. He really really enjoyed the con & felt it was worth full price.
see = https://baycon.org/

Rick reviewed the latest episode of 'Star City' as 'boy the other shoe dropped' & felt it was all done really well & can only say the last few episodes have been a beaut, unable to say more. Many others agreed that the series is 'so good!'
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_City_(TV_series)
Rick also reviewed the premiere of the 3rd season of 'House of the Dragon' as unpredictable and held his interest. He feels it was pretty good.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon_season_3

Yochanan reviewed 'Supergirl' as he did enjoy it overall, but found the movie to be uneven. He feels it was worth matinee.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergirl_(2026_film)
Yochanan also reviewed a book, 'The Long and Short of It', short stories by Jodi Taylor and rates it as worth matinee, having gotten a little tired of the series
see = https://www.amazon.com/Long-Short-Chronicles-St-Marys/dp/1472264312

we adjourned at = 8:20 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'The Onion is suing the Trump Administration for rendering reality too silly to parody'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes for June 29

2026-06-30T04:06:52Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1867
Monday, June 29, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
6live/8online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1866 were accepted as 'a worthy GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President reported that he is out of hernia surgery & now has some dermal plating. He feels he received excellent care at Kaiser Santa Clara & recovery is underway.

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Lynn announced that Mike Stern passed away today

Rick announced an advisory that norovirus is going around the Bay Area. Wash your hands frequently.

Yochanan announced that Mel Brooks is now 100 years old
and he announced the Harry Potter Drone Show July 2-3 at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds for 60 minutes
see = https://www.thefairgrounds.org/events/drone-art-show-harry-potter/
and he announced the Alameda County Fair is on-going now & runs through July 12
see = https://alamedacountyfair.com/

Valerie announced that a special issue of 'Journey Planet' has been issued to celebrate Mel Brooks - including many cool local contributors like myself. (free fanzine) https://www.journeyplanet.org/journey-planet/issuev-95-mel-brooks

Ken announced that there's a convention this weekend, BayCon - June 3-6 - at the SC Marriot
see = https://baycon.org/

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'Back Rooms', a sci-fi horror movie that is an expansion of a series of YouTube shorts & is this year's highest grossing movie thus far. His nephew loved it & Yochanan liked it a lot, finding the acting to be excellent - appreciating that most effects in the movie were practical fx. He rates it as worth full price.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backrooms_(film)
Yochanan also reviewed 'Astro Boy' on DVD, as in black and white and was filled with nostalgia, but he found that it did not hold up to the passage of time. He found it boring after the first disc. He rates it as worth matinee.
https://store.crunchyroll.com/products/astro-boy-1963-ultra-dvd-box-set-1-limited-edition-742617201325.html
Yochanan also reviewed 'FoodieLand', that was held June 26-28 at the Santa Clara fairgrounds.
He found the lines to be very long, the food tasted good, but everything was very expensive.
see = https://www.thefairgrounds.org/events/foodieland/

Rick reviewed the start of the 3rd season of 'House of the Dragon' & rates it as 'bubbling along nicely'. It's working well and he's enjoying it quite a lot.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon_season_3
Rick also reviewed a spy thriller series called 'Citadel', as season one is 'serviceable' & 'competent'. He finds seasons 2 & 3 to be much better & believes that the entire series will hold your interest. He rates it as worth much more than matinee.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel_(TV_series)

Valerie reviewed 'The Book Witch' by Meg Shaffer as she found it delightful & fun & sweet.
see = https://www.megshaffer.com/
Valerie also reviewed 'The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale' by CM Waggoner is also quite sweet. It's a novella about a witch and her son who both want to break stereotypes
see = https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/236772881-the-somewhat-wicked-witch-of-brigandale

Ken reviewed 'Supergirl' as he really liked it, although Geri did not. The basic plot is 'True Grit in space'. He thought it was fun & Geri found it a long time before anything 'super' happened, with the world-building stolen from Star Wars.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergirl_(2026_film)

Trey reviewed a YouTube short AI-read book, 'She Sat in the Back Row, Silent.' This was his first exposure to the 'HFY' genre [Humanity F--- Yeah!] and felt that it was worth his time. He is amused to learn that this is entire new genre to him & that it also has a Reddit group.
see = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8hyWymMMxk

we adjourned at = 8:42 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'Enough' is a very tricky question

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes for June 22

2026-06-23T03:58:04Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1866
Monday, June 22, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
7live/7online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1865 were accepted as 'Larry the cat will have a 7th Prime Minister'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ken announced that this Friday is the 4th Friday of the month, so there will be a meeting of the Legion of Rassilon – 'your Doctor Who fan club'. This month, we start the summer with a pair of cool Ice Warrior stories. First off, the TARDIS leaves the Doctor and Clara stranded on a Soviet submarine where the crew has picked up an unusual frozen passenger. Then we head back in time, and out to Mars, with the Doctor, Bill and Nardole as they deal with some Victorian soldiers and a crafty Ice Warrior whose goal is to revive his Queen. The meeting is live in person at the Dennie's on Bascom in Milpitas on Abbott Rd, near the 880 freeway, at 7:30pm - wear a mask - for more info check their Facebook page
see = lor.club

Yochanan announced that season 3 of 'The Ark' premiers July 29th
see = https://www.syfy.com/the-ark

Reviews:

Rick reviewed James Cory's novel 'The Faith of Beasts', book 2 of the Captive's War & gives it a rave review, saying you definitely want to read this.
see = https://www.jamessacorey.com/books/the-faith-of-beasts/
Rick also reviewed episode 5 of 'Star City' on Apple TV Plus as very well done. He recommends it, enjoying how the espionage elements were handled. He gives it high praise. Duncan commented that the best spy thrillers are multi-layered, containing within them the feeling of sci-fi and this episode was excellent at showing this edge of the seat tension.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_City_(TV_series)

Ken reviewed seeing Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. They played at Davies Symphony Hall and there were definitely a bunch of bangers played. He rated it as worth full price for box seats.
see =https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/06/17/review-herb-alpert-tijuana-brass-delight-with-nostalgia-great-tunes-in-davies-hall/

Yochanan reviewed 'Disclosure Day', Spielberg's latest movie as an enjoyable and competent film, but not as good as the promotional material he saw implied it would be. He thought the film was a bit too long and worth matinee.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disclosure_Day
Yochanan also reviewed 'Bugonia', seen streaming on Netflix - as a conspiracy theory, sci-fi, horror movie & almost worth full price. He thought it was a very good movie and adds it has some very unsettling parts. He recommends it as not for everyone, but he enjoyed it. Duncan was glad for the review as this was a movie he wanted to see but kept putting off.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugonia_(film)
Yochanan also reviewed 'My Old Ass', that he saw streaming on Prime. He found the movie to be much better than the premise and thought that it captured small town dynamics well.
see = https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0I1NQNGUFGJHUETGXCD3TC2S6Q/

Trey reviewed 'He Man & the Masters of the Universe' as not deathless cinema and was - as Rick put it 'expensive fan fic'. Trey rates it as worth matinee, or wait for cable. He felt most of the actors did a good job, but thought the script let the actors down. He warned that there were 3 cookies at the end of the movie.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_the_Universe_(2026_film)

Duncan reviewed a book coming out tomorrow, 'Regime Change' by Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan about the Trump administration - as the interview with the authors was mind-blowingly good and he can't wait to actually read the book
see = https://www.amazon.com/Regime-Change-Inside-Imperial-Presidency/dp/1668067242

we adjourned at = 8:44 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'BASFA's club President will have a meeting about internal affairs this week'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes from June 15

2026-06-18T16:59:49Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1865
Monday, June 15, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 20:04
Total of 6/5 in attendance

Secretary = The minutes of meeting 1864 were accepted as 'tied!'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report except Happy Towel Day and Orthodox Star Wars Day.

the President was not present

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

Announcements:

Valerie: Uncertain Trajectories: Speculative Fiction from Silicon Valley (an anthology of speculative fiction short stories by Gerald, Candy, Valerie, and many local fans) has arrived. We'll be selling copies at BayCon. amazon.com/dp/B0H5FVY5RQ

Lisa: Tomorrow is Captain Picard Day. Make it so.

Ken: Last week it was announced that the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas special has been cancelled, along with the BBC’s partnership with Bad Wolf Studios. What this means is that the BBC will be putting the series out for competitive tender (as per their charter) for a new production partner. This probably means that it would probably not be until late next year or 2028 for a new live-action series. There is an animated children’s series currently in production, which is due late next year.

Reviews

Yochanan: The Madalorian and Grogu (in cinemas) Not as bad as Rick’s review. Felt like an extended episode, but, since he loved the series, he didn’t mind. Enjoyable, worth matinee+. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian_and_Grogu
and = Amazing Stories (?TV+) only five episodes. Reboot, cancelled after poor reception. Anthology, just like the original. Stylistically different from each other, but felt bland. Not bad, but not great… Worth matinee. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Stories_(2020_TV_series)
Lisa: Watched it, and was not impressed.
and = Legion of Honor (museum) The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy. First major showcase of Etruscan artifacts in the US in more than two decades. Beautiful exhibit. Worthwhile. Worth full price. famsf.org/exhibitions/etruscans-heart-ancient-italy
and = Project Hail Mary. Amaze, amaze, amaze… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hail_Mary_(film)

Valerie: The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula. Fun for those who like Lady Trent, Encyclopedia of Faerie and other Victorian researchers. This one has magical paleontology. amazon.com/Geomagician-Novel-Jennifer-Mandula/dp/0593983300
and = My Big Goblin Space Program: An Astronaut Reincarnation. LitRPG by Scott Warren. The genre is bursting in the wake of Dungeon Crawler Carl, 8 novels I also enjoyed. It's all rather light and goofy. amazon.com/Big-Goblin-Space-Program-Reincarnation/dp/B0DVDMXM49

Rick: Star City (?TV+) Excellent. Gaining in strength from week to week. Compelling blend of espionage, political paranoia, and alt history. Continues to surprise and delight. Well acted. They know how to end an episode! The feel is high Soviet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_City_(TV_series)
Yochanan: Also enjoying it. Vastly different from season one of For All Man Kind.
and = Sacramento. A steamed summer vegetable. Would recommend avoiding at all costs. The venue was nice (Doubletree).

Duncan: Seven Eves by Neil Stevenson. Enjoyed the book listened to the audio book, which he enjoyed even more. Book is becoming a television series. amazon.com/Seveneves-Neal-Stephenson-audiobook/dp/B00WNBHNWW/

Ken: The Cottage (Palo Alto Players) A crazy farce set in early 20th-century England. Think Noel Coward, but racier. Lots of visual gags. Worth full price. paplayers.org/event/the-cottage

Rumor of the Week: Rocks...rockets, what's the difference?

Adjourned at: 20:44
There was no auction

comments

BASFA minutes for June 8

2026-06-09T03:45:51Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1864
Monday, June 8, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
4live/7online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1863 were accepted as 'THE Kitty!'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Yochanan announced that actor Anthony Stewart Head died

Lisa announced that Casa Doom is having a meeting 2pm June 14, Sunday for a reading
see = https://mythsoc.org/groups.htm

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance', season 1 on Netflix, that was then cancelled - as he enjoyed it. He had some trouble getting into it initially because he kept seeing the muppets as puppets, but enjoyed the depth of the world lore. He felt it dragged a little & thinks the movie was better. He also recommends seeing the 'making of' special even more than the series.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Crystal:_Age_of_Resistance
Yochanan also reviewed 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' by Ransom Riggs as he found it to be an amazing story. He then went and watched the movie based on it, finding the movie to be loud and bombastic. The book was exceptionally good and photos in the book are integral to the plot. He really, really likes the book & recommends it.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Peregrine%27s_Home_for_Peculiar_Children
Yochanan also reviewed a Fathom event movie - 'The Amazing Digital Circus: the Last Act' & found it to be unusual & guardedly worth full price at $18. He thinks the series is fairly interesting & 'quite, quite unusual' with animation that is sometimes cartoonish.
see = https://www.fathomentertainment.com/releases/the-amazing-digital-circus/

Ken reviewed having seen last Thursday 'Toxic Avenger, the Musical' as a lot of silly fun. He rates it as definitely worth full price & the cast of 5 was excellent.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toxic_Avenger_(musical)
and see = https://losaltosstage.org/the-toxic-avenger/

Rick reviewed another episode of 'Star City' on Apple TV Plus as very well done. He recommends it and plans to watch future episodes. Yochanan also enjoyed it, but finds that everything is very dark - dark clothes and dark-haired and all look very British.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_City_(TV_series)

Duncan reviewed 'Spiderman Noir' as seeing it in color does not help the show & maybe it's better in black & white. He can't recommend it after seeing the first 3 episodes.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_Noir

we adjourned at = 8:37 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'The cat's heat is already here'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes for June 1

2026-06-02T03:45:37Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1863
Monday, June 1, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
7live/6online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1862 were accepted as 'a very bloody year'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report except that it is hot

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Rick announced that there is an election tomorrow. Please remember to vote.

Lynn announced that Warren Maack is in Kaiser after having suffered a stroke

Yochanan announced that SETI will have a Zoom talk on June 3 at 9:30am called 'Planets, Planets Everywhere'. You need to register & only 100 spaces are available
see = https://www.seti.org/events/planets-planets-everywhere/

Gerry announced that he is now officially a cyborg. He now has a pacemaker installed & feels much better. There was MUCH approval & happiness of this state having been attained.

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed 'The Boys' on Amazon Prime's 5th & final season. The series finished well, with many deaths and lots of blood. Recommended, worth full price. Rick agrees & says there are YouTube vids to explain all the in-jokes, including a hilarious one about Elon Musk.
Yochanan also reviewed a Disney Plus movie streaming called 'Rental Family' as he wished he had seen it in the theatres & it really is a great movie. He thinks it is worth full price for a theatre showing. Ken agrees 100%
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rental_Family
Yochanan also reviewed a book series by Jodi Taylor called 'the Chronicles of Saint Mary's', up to book 8 as it is very British & about time travel. He finds the series interesting & worth matinee
see = https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/chronicles-of-st-marys/
see = https://www.joditaylorbooks.com/p/the-chronicles-of-st-marys-series

Rick reviewed TV+ 'For All Mankind'’s finale for this season as they did very well & he looks forward to the next & last season. Yochanan also enjoyed the finale & he highly, highly recommends it.
see = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series)
Rick also reviewed 'Star City' is the same story as a spin-off from the Soviet perspective of 'For All Mankind' and was wild and very well done. He recommends it and is onboard for future episodes. Yochanan enjoyed it and thinks it has a lot of potential, but feels that it has a much darker tone.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_City_(TV_series)

we adjourned at = 8:38 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'Our very own Gerry will “stick” with us for a long time because he’s been “paced”

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes for May 25

2026-06-02T03:45:05Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1862
Monday, May 25, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************
Called to order at 8 pm
7live/2online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1860 were accepted as 'love in the 60s'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report except Happy Towel Day and Orthodox Star Wars Day.

the President was not present

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Yochanan: Harry Potter Drone Show 7/3 & 4 at the SCC Fairgrounds. thedroneartshow.com/san-jose/harry-potter/
and = AMC+ Has the rights to pre-Disney modern Doctor Who (#9-13) Amazon is having/had a special $39.99/year (may be over). amcplus.com

Rick: This Friday is the debut of Star City (TV+) spin off from For All Mankind (from the Russians POV). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_City_(TV_series)

Lisa: Fairy Tale Masquerade Ball (PEERS) Avalon Rising doing the music. Tickets are $35, up to 6/5 (not available at the door). June 6, doors at 6:30, lessons 7, open dance 8 peersdance.org/faerie.html

Ken: KFJC Sunday, Mayhem 31, 7-10pm
Women Cover the Rolling Stones and More
Announcer’s Name makes her KFJC debut with a Mayhem special spotlighting women covering songs originally performed by men. This mix pulls from punk, post-punk, indie rock, soul, country, folk, reggae, blues, and classic rock in the KFJC library. Featuring Unwoman live in the studio! kfjc.org

Reviews

Rick = TV+ For All Mankind’s current season’s penultimate episode on Friday (the finale is the same day as the follow-on series). Looks they have a plan, and likes the set-up. Looking forward to the season finale and debut of Star City. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series)
Yochanan: Saw the antepenultimate episode, and was pleased – and got a rush when they landed on Titan!

Rick = Late Show Final Episode Ever. A scene with a worm hole, narration by deGrasse-Tyson had him laughing very hard. youtube.com/@ColbertLateShow
Duncan: Strategic and terrible loss
Gayle: The Paul McCartney ending is something she could watch over and over…

Rick = The Mandalorian and Grogu. Has not seen the movie, but is arrogant enough to review it based on other reviews. It appears to be a bunch of filler episodes turned into a film. If you can’t get enough of this pair, this is thinly stitched together series of episodes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian_and_Grogu
Ken: It’s not that bad. It’s not Citizen Kane either. Just a fun summer popcorn movie. Twists aren’t terribly surprising. You don’t need to be up-to-date on the series to enjoy (maybe it was a benefit that we weren’t!)

Yochanan = Pluribus (TV+) 9 episodes (99% RT score!) Black comedy, thriller, post-apocalyptic premise. Not an alien invasion – the humans become a hive-mind – bar our protagonist. Unique show, needs more seasons. Worth full price! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluribus_(TV_series)
Rick: Vince Gilligan knows how to set up a season cliff-hanger!

Yochanan = The Sheep Detectives (theatres) comedy mystery (94% RT) a flock of sheep investigate the death of their shepherd (Hugh Jackman). Simple, and lots of fun. Full price – even if you’re not a mystery fan. Lots of great voice (and live) actors. There is a cookie… wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sheep_Detectives
Lisa: They understand the British Cozy Mystery…

Yochanan = Fanime 2026: 5 days of lots of fun. Volunteered again (despite it being a major Jewish Holiday!) Huge costume contest, artist alley, dealers room. They took over hotels and the conventions centre, as well as a more adult orientated section at the Doubletree! Lota-lota stuff, and lota-lota fun! May become staff next year. Highly recommend. Glad he didn’t miss it… fanime.com
Lisa = Having an ancient pipe develop a pin-hole leak is not worth full price! There was much commiseration…

Rumor of the Week: Adjourned in honor of those we have lost.

Adjourned at: 20:55
There was no auction

comments

May 18 BASFA minutes

2026-05-19T04:08:14Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1861
Monday, May 18, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
4live/6online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1860 were accepted as 'not barbarious'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ken announced that this Friday is the 4th Friday of the month, so there will be a meeting of the Legion of Rassilon – 'your Doctor Who fan club' - live in person at the Dennie's on Bascom in Milpitas on Abbott Rd, near the 880 freeway, at 7:30pm - wear a mask - for more info check their Facebook page
see = lor.club

Valerie announced that there are conventions coming up:
WisCon 48 is fully online this memorial day weekend - as 'ONLINE May 21-25, 2026' & she will be in several online panels there
see = https://wiscon.net/ and at https://program.wiscon.net
BaltiCon is partly online, May 21-25 & she will also be in several online panels there
see = https://www.balticon.org/ and at https://schedule.balticon.org/
Fanime is online and in person, May 21-25 - held in San Jose
see = https://www.fanime.com/
Lisa added there is a gaming con this weekend too - KublaCon, at the Hyatt Regency near SF airport, May 21-25
see = https://kublacon.com/

Reviews:

Rick reviewed the Amazon Prime 'Good Omens' abbreviated 90 minute 3rd season as condensing the 6 planned episodes does show and this is frustrating in some ways, but it 'is ultimately pleasing and quirky' and 'very much the most fanfic thing he has ever seen on the screen'.
see = https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2026/05/13/good-omens-season-3-release-neil-gaiman-explained/89959481007/
Rick also reviewed 'DareDevil, Born Again', as 'really firing on all cylinders' and there were a lot of great bits and cameos. The ensemble cast did very well, even though the finale was a little odd and took him out of the series a little, but overall it was quite good
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daredevil:_Born_Again_season_3
Rick also reviewed 'The Punisher, One Last Kill' as the most violent thing you will ever see on Disney Plus. He feels it was very well done, with Bernthal treating the character as someone deeply damaged and who acts the part well. He recommends it.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Punisher:_One_Last_Kill

Valerie reviewed 'The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains' by Reena McCarty as it was cute and had some new twists on the faerie bargain trope. She enjoyed it.
see = https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239719392-the-tricky-business-of-faerie-bargains
Valerie also reviewed 'Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8: A Parade of Horribles' as fun. 'It is rather like 1-7. All massive novels of LitRPG. There's more coming and other series by Matt Dinniman too.'
see = https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/228928465-a-parade-of-horribles
Valerie also reviewed Orson Scott Card's Book 7 in the Alvin Maker series as 'Orson Scott Card FINISHED Alvin Maker (there being a 23 year gap between books 6 and 7)'. Valerie likes books 1-6 but found 7 a little forced, less fun. She found the Mormon allegory so obvious that it felt like Narnia. She says, 'I guess read it to find out his final fate. Or not.'
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tales_of_Alvin_Maker

Lisa reviewed 'The Sheep Detectives' as it has Hugh Jackman in it - and Patrick Stewart as one of the voices of an animated ram. It's very cute, well done and the story is interesting. She rates it as worth seeing & says it is a fun movie
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sheep_Detectives

we adjourned at = 8:37 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'Seldom late but hopefully worth the wait'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA club minutes for May 11, 2026

2026-05-12T07:26:17Z

Posted by: melchar

Meeting #1860 - Monday, 11 May, 2026
Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
In-person at Parktown Pizza 3031 Meridian Ave, San Jose, CA 95124

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810...
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************
Called to order at 20:00
Total of 7/2 in attendance

Secretary = The minutes of meetings 1857 were accepted as happy Mothers Day!

Treasurer
Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we did accrue $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

Vice President = Nothing fannish to report.

President = Not present

Committees: None.

New Business: None.

Announcements:

Yochanan: Lego has changed their toys’ age limit has been change from 4-99 to 4-100+, to honor Sr. Richard Attenborough, who just turned 100.

Ken: British Invasion! Saturday, May 23 4-8pm South Bay Yacht Club, 1491 Hope Street, Alviso southbayyachtclub.org/events Authentic British food, The 5150 Band - A Rock And Roll Emergency - playing British Invasion tunes, a Pub Quiz, photo booths, a TARDIS, Martin Gooch's films, and loads of fun! Only $30 per adult, under-18s go free!
SNL-UK Has been renewed for a second season, with four more episodes. This week is the season one finale, with host Ncuti Gatwa.
3-Below is having another public sale this Saturday from 11 - 4. And another in June. 3belowtheaters.com

Reviews

Yochanan: New adaption of Lord of the Flies (Netflix) 4 1-hour episodes. Each one focusses on the four different characters. Visually gorgeous. Mior quibbles. Very British, and kept in the same era as the novel. Excellent, worth full price. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies_(TV_series)
Peacemaker (Max) 2 seasons or eight 1-hour episodes. James Gunn’s DC Comics action comedy, John Cena’s Peacemaker character post Suicide Squad. First DCEU series. Stand alone seasons. Opening dancing sequences are a sight to see (season ones were better). Episode titles are pun-tastic. Not sure final episode of season two stuck the landing. Show is better than it has any right to be. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacemaker_(TV_series)
Recursion by Blake Crouch (novel) Author of Dark matter (as seen on TV+) Powerful road not travelled. It’s not time travel – or is it? Uses False Memory Syndrome as a plot point. Chapters are non-sequential dates. Had dreams about the novel – he was troubled (in a good way). An amazing novel. Worth full price. goodreads.com/book/show/42046112-recursion

Ken: Chess, CMTSJ – Bishop Cast
I have been listening to the music from Chess for over 40 years now, when a friend in high school made me a cassette of the album (I have since bought both the album and CD). As I really only knew that original release, I had some surprises in seeing an actual staging.
From what I can gather, this is the version that ran on Broadway in the '80s – which has many changes from the original album and West End versions (and even more for the 2025 revival!) So, I was a little confused with why some things were missing and why some of the songs were out of order. None of that, however, impacted my enjoyment of the show.
Besides this being my first time seeing Chess staged, this was also my first time seeing a show put on by the Children's Musical Theatre - San Jose (CMTSJ). They have two separate casts that alternate shows. I saw that Bishop Cast (the other is Rook). Despite my trepidation of a youth ensemble tackling an adult story, they managed to do so admirably.
While there are a couple members of the cast that I don't think were up to the task (who I will not name, because they did put in the effort) there were definitely a couple of stand-outs for this group: Their Anatoly (Jai Kaushik) the Russian grand master, and Florence (Klara Klotzbach) the American's second.
Kaushik's performance as the Russian player was incredible from his first song (Where I Want to Be) and especially the act one finale (Anthem). He even manages to carry his (I assume learned) Eastern European accent into the singing – which is not something one usually hears (unless you're a Proclaimer...)
Klotzbach has a commanding presence as the Hungarian-American refugee (it's an important distinction) who is the second to the erratic American player. Both her, and her character, carry the story through a roller-coaster of emotions, and many amazing solos (Someone Else's Story, Nobody's Side, and Heaven Help My Heart). The two really work well together, as their characters' romance blossoms.
They pair play all the emotions with an amazing level of maturity that some adults would find hard to pull off. They are obviously the elder members of the cast (Klotzbach listing herself as a senior at her high school, where she was also a director of a play at the end of last year) so they bring all the experience of their deceptively young years.
Something that you just can't get from the albums is the staging. Modern technology has made it easier to have the original multi-media aspect of the staging realized on a modest budget. Here they use projection to illustrate the chess board squares on the set. There are moving parts to that just slide in and out effortlessly – and even one moving section that gives a surprising punctuation to the emotional ending of the first act.
I should also give a shout out to the choreographer Whitney Janssen – and especially her balletic chess pieces, which were wonderful to watch. This is something, I gather from the CMTSJ's Artistic Director's message, that is relatively unique to their productions of Chess (this is the second time they have staged the show, the last was 20 years ago – which is just about as far back now as the original stagings were to that!)
There is one aspect of the show that the production can't do anything about, and that is the audience. Sometimes the people around you can negatively impact your experience. This has been a running problem for me (which is why I don't do many concerts any more). I ended up relocating to the balcony for act two.
All these pieces moving on stage produce an amazing game of Chess.
see = https://www.cmtsj.org/chess/

Rumor of the Week: A belated happy Mothers Day to all BASFAN mother (of humans or pets) and to the Mothers of all BASFANs.

Adjourned at: 20:41
There was no auction

comments

BASFA minutes for May 4, 2026

2026-05-05T04:08:27Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1859
Monday, May 4, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
7live/7online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1858 were accepted as 'random letters'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Rick announced that 'Good Omens' will have a concluding 90-minute movie on Prime & other media, set for May 13
see = https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/good-omens-finale-set-for-may-as-prime-video-ends-series/gm-GM978520A7
and he announced the second season of '3 Body Problem' [that he feels is not as good as the original Chinese version] is now streaming on Netflix
see = https://whenetflix.com/3-body-problem

Yochanan announced that Disney has released 3 animated songs in sign language on Disney Plus
see = https://press.disneyplus.com/news/songs-in-sign-language-to-debut
and he announced that SETI will have their Drake Awards on May 14 and tickets are still available
see = https://drakeawards.seti.org/

Lisa announced that it's May 4th and 'may the 4th be with you'

Gerry announced that Space X will have their next launches on May 5, May 10 and May 17
see = https://www.spacex.com/launches
and he announced that on May 9 he & Gayle will celebrate their 50th wedded anniversary
and he announced that Scotty might be saying 'may the Fifth be with you'

Reviews:

Ken reviewed 'Jackpot' a movie from 2024, seen on Prime - as a rather amusing film & a fun ride. There was some discussion to the topic
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackpot!_(film)
Ken also reviewed 'Saturday Night UK', seen on Sky One & Peacock as consistently pretty high quality 'for SNL'. He finds it funny & worth seeking out & recommends it.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_UK

Rick reviewed more of the Apple TV Plus 'For All Mankind' series, especially the episodes set on Mars. He has been enjoying the series & it continues to hold his attention. Yochanan followed that he is very pleased with the acting and the stories & it does keep his attention. Kennita had an objection to the series that the parts set on Mars still exhibited Earth gravity. There was some discussion about gravity then.
see = https://tv.apple.com/us/show/for-all-mankind/umc.cmc.6wsi780sz5tdbqcf11k76mkp7

Yochanan reviewed 'The Mummy' by Lee Cronin as a somewhat interesting horror movie with some body horror and worth slightly more than matinee
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Cronin%27s_The_Mummy
Yochanan also reviewed seasons 1 & 2 of 'Monarch, Legacy of Monsters', seen on Apple Plus, as a series meant for streaming, since it encourages one to move from one episode to the next. The story is serviceable and there is 'a little bit too much CGI'. He thinks it is worth at least matinee. He really likes the performances by both Kurt Russell and his son, Wyatt Russell, each playing the same character at different times in the character's life.
see = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17220216
Yochanan also reviewed a young adult story, 'A Tale of Despereaux' by Kate DiCamillo - both book and movie. He enjoyed the book and liked the animated movie adaptation. He thought the movie hit some points well, but not all, especially the 'soup genie'. He gives the book 5 stars and the movie 3 1/2 stars. THERE WAS S
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Despereaux
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Despereaux_(film)

Gayle reviewed a comment made by Jane Austen, see
https://emilierichards.com/2017/02/01/northanger-abbey-jane-austens-defense-of-novels/ for Jane Austen’s defense of novels, which were considered female literature and therefore of lesser literary value.

Duncan reviewed enjoying public libraries and inter-library loans, especially the Kanopy system of loaning films that are good or hard to find as there are more films available than he could see in his lifetime.
see = https://www.kanopy.com/en

we adjourned at = 9:02 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'May Tom Baker be with you'

there were no auctions

comments

Club minutes for the April 27 BASFA meeting

2026-04-29T11:33:39Z

Posted by: melchar

Meeting #1858 - Monday, 27 April, 2026
Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
In-person at Parktown Pizza 3031 Meridian Ave, San Jose, CA 95124

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810...
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************
Called to order at 20:00
Total of 7/2 in attendance

Secretary = The minutes of meetings 1857 was accepted as we should baste them.

Treasurer
Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we did accrue $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

Vice President = Nothing fannish to report.

President = Not present

Committees: None.

New Business: None.

Announcements:

Yochanan: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on July 23. paramountplus.com
The Mandalorian and Grogu will be released in cinemas May 22. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian_and_Grogu
The Amazing Digital Circus will be having a theatrical event of the final two episodes June 4 - 18. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Digital_Circus

Rick: Third season of House of the Dragon will start June 21. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon_season_3

Gerald: The SpaceX Starship may be launching tomorrow, weather permitting. spacex.com/launches

Lisa: Odd Fellows True Fellowship #52, san Jose. First Friday Gaming Night this Friday. true52.org/mc-events/monthly-board-game-night/

Ken: KFJC’s month of Mayhem begins on Friday. I’ll be participating in Doing it to Death, 24 hours of James Brown, this Sunday, Mayhem 3. The following week, Mayhem 10, I’ll be doing songs from stage musicals. And on Sunday, Mayhem 17, I’ll be playing songs featuring the Organ. Full schedule is available at kfjc.org/listen/mayhem
As announced previously, the 3 Below ceased operations yesterday, with the final show of The Bardy Bunch. Now they will be selling off their assets – including props and scenery from productions going back to (and maybe earlier) their Retro Dome days. 3belowtheaters.com for more information.

Reviews

Yochanan: Super Mario Galaxy Movie (in theatres) PG family GC animated film. Didn’t like part one (streamed in preparation). Pleasantly surprised. Visually richer, and more complex. Meant for kids, but worth matinee. Stay for the post credit cookie. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Super_Mario_Galaxy_Movie
The Bardy Bunch (3 Below) Loved it. Amazing Dacing - especially Keith Partridge. Convoluted Shakespeare plots. Worth full price. He’s going to miss 3 Below sooooooo much! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bardy_Bunch
A Rubin Series lecture (De Anza College Planetarium) sponsored by KIPAC. Small crowd, and very wonderful presentation with photos from the Rubin Observatory. Highly recommend. KIPAC.stanford.edu

Ken: Frozen: The Broadway Musical (Palo Alto Players). Amazing stage production of the more recent Disney retelling of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen. Watching this, you might forget that this is a community theatre production. Large cast, live orchestra, and amazing stagecraft. Lauren Berling (Anna) is amazing – her face is so captivating, I couldn’t keep my eyes off it. She definitely carries the whole show. And her child counterpart, Lily Sazdanoff, is hilarious! Astraea Brown’s Elsa is fierce – and a technically challenging part. And the sauna number is hilarious. Shows are Fridays through Sunday, through May 10. paplayers.org/event/frozen/

Rumor of the Week: Space… The finally frontier!

Adjourned at: 20:40
There was no auction

comments

BASFA minutes for April 20

2026-04-21T03:44:02Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1857
Monday, April 20, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
6live/6online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1856 were accepted as 'a Trey of goodies'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report except that the Warriors have been eliminated from competition

There were no committee reports

There was no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ken announced that this Friday is the 4th Friday of the month, so there will be a meeting of the Legion of Rassilon – 'your Doctor Who fan club' - live in person at the Dennie's on Bascom in Milpitas on Abbott Rd, near the 880 freeway, at 7:30pm - wear a mask - for more info check their Facebook page
see = lor.club

Reviews:

Rick reviewed 2 books in James S.A. Corey's 'Captives War Trilogy' - 'The Mercy of God' & 'The Faith of Beasts' - and recommends both books as highly recommended. He says that he 'inhaled them'.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Captive%27s_War

Lisa reviewed a dance, 'Mary Anning's Plesiosaur Ball' at the Arlington Community Church in Kensington as there were so many excellent dinosaur costumes. Her feet are still sore. She enjoyed herself very much & looks forward to the next Regency Dance which will be held in August. There were several comments to the topic, including Gerry's about the inadvisability of styracosaurus costumes, which are like a triceratops but spikier.

Ken reviewed 'Pizza Movie', seen on Hulu - an absurdist stoner comedy film set on a college campus - as he was amused and recommends it.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza_Movie

we adjourned at = 8:21 pm

Rumor of the Week: '4/20 is a hazy shade of Spring'

there were no auctions

comments

BASFA minutes for April 13

2026-04-15T05:59:46Z

Posted by: melchar

Meeting #1856 - Monday, 13 April, 2026
Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
In-person at Parktown Pizza 3031 Meridian Ave, San Jose, CA 95124

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810...
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 20:00
Total of 3/5 in attendance

Secretary = The minutes of meetings 1855 was accepted as Too the moon and back.

Treasurer
Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we did accrue $165.59 since the resumption of live meetings.

Vice President = Nothing fannish to report.

President = Not present

Committees: None.
New Business: None.

Announcements:
Lisa: This Saturday night at 8 p.m., Mary Anning's Plesiosaur Ball Arlington Community Church, in Kensington. Celebrate the Bicentennial (nearly) of Mary Anning's discovery of the first complete fossil Plesiosaur in the rocks at Lyme. Regency attire encouraged. baers.org

Reviews
Rick: For All Mankind (TV) continues to be engrossing and worth your time. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series)

Rumor of the Week: BASFA has splashed down after a successful mission.

Adjourned at: 20:10
There was no auction

comments

BASFA meeting minutes for April 6

2026-04-07T03:41:17Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1855
Monday, April 6, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
7live/7online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1854 were accepted as 'up, up and away'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.34 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Lisa announced that Crispy Creme has a donut out now in honor of the Artemis 2 launch - & Gayle commented that those donuts are quite pretty & they had some yesterday
see = https://www.krispykreme.com/promos/artemis-doughnut

Yochanan announced that the Artemis mission is doing well

Reviews:

Rick reviewed 'For All Mankind', season 4, that Apple Plus TV is showing now, as he considers the credits fantastic and that the entire series is worth time to watch. Yochanan commented that he has really enjoyed all the previous seasons.
see = https://tv.apple.com/us/show/for-all-mankind/umc.cmc.6wsi780sz5tdbqcf11k76mkp7

Yochanan reviewed 'Hoppers' - a Pixar animated scifi comedy as - not earth-shaking, but it's overall a cute movie & there is no attempt at realism. He considers it worth matinee.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoppers_(film)
Yochanan also reviewed an Amazon Prime streaming horror film, 'Cold Storage' - as a 'fun action packed thriller' that is 'not a bad movie' with an uneven script. He says it jumps between body horror & slacker comedy, feeling it worth matinee or cheaper streaming costs
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Storage_(film)
Yochanan also reviewed the BBC's 'War Between the Land and the Sea' - a Dr Who spin-off series - as he really liked the first 4 episodes but felt the ending was a bit weak. He considers it definitely worth full price. Lisa is also watching & enjoying it, having seen up through episode 4.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Between_the_Land_and_the_Sea

Lisa reviewed 'The Bardy Bunch' at 3Below as great fun & they stole a lot from Shakespeare. Ken says there is a link on 3Below's website where they are selling their stuff, since 3Below will be shutting down soon.
see = https://3belowtheaters.com/goodbye-san-jose/

Ken reviewed the 2 recovered William Hartnell era Dr Who 'Master Plan' BBC episodes as they are so, so good! They are available for viewing on YouTube and he highly recommends them as very much worth watching.
see = https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/apr/03/two-lost-1965-doctor-who-episodes-released-after-being-found-in-private-collection

we adjourned at = 8:32 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'Excited about Artemis ... II'

there were no auctions

comments

March 30 BASFA minutes

2026-03-31T03:48:57Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1854
Monday, March 30, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8:01 pm
7live/7online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1852 were accepted as 'we still don't have a king, barely'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.34 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Yochanan announced that there is a new season for 'For All Mankind' - possibly a penultimate season
see = https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2026/03/apple-tv-renews-award-winning-and-globally-acclaimed-space-drama-for-all-mankind-for-sixth-and-final-season/
& he announced that an actor, James Tolkan died
see = https://apnews.com/article/james-tolkan-death-bec34293fc7bfae3a330a5c6b2ca111d
& he announced that there will be a 'free' Disney event 'The Amazing Art Expo' on April 24 thru 26 will be at the downtown SJ Hyatt Place & will be selling art
see = https://amazingartexpo.com/products/san-jose-ca-april-24-26th-2026

Ken announced that there are some Change.Org petitions going around to save 'Star Trek Academy'
see = https://www.change.org/p/renew-star-trek-starfleet-academy-for-a-third-season?source_location=search

Reviews:

Rick reviewed 'Project Hail Mary', currently in the cinemas as a very joyous film with sad parts. The plot concerned solving a terrible problem for 2 civilizations by science-ing it. He found the adaptation was done well, well-written & with very few gaps in the science & worth full price. Yochanan found it charming, heartfelt & visually stunning - that 'it had smarts and heart' & he loved that it used practical fx. I really enjoyed the adaptation & think it was worth full price. Trey found some of the basic premise dubious but found the movie to be very engaging & visually stunning - pulling you in & carrying you along
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hail_Mary_(film)

Ken reviewed 'The Bardy Bunch' at 3Below as the 'Brady Bunch versus the Partridge Family, set to Shakespeare', running through April 26 - which will also be the last day 3Below will be in operation
see = https://www.sanjoseinside.com/culture/3below-theaters-announce-closing-later-this-month/
and see = 3belowtheaters.com/get-tickets/?eid=183240

Yochanan reviewed 'K-Pop Demon Hunters', an animated musical film about a girl group of singers who fight demons & found it a bit more flash than substance & aimed at a younger audience. It was better than he expected, but still worth only matinee to him
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KPop_Demon_Hunters
Yochanan also reviewed 'Mercy', seen on Amazon Prime, as a movie wherein Chris Pratt needs to prove his innocence in a 90-minute time-frame & he thought it a bit one-note. He saw it streamed but thought it worth matinee
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy_(2026_film)

Lisa reviewed Consonance, a filking & science fiction convention she attended this last weekend. She had a good time. It was full of music, all day, all weekend until late Sunday evening. She had fun and will be there next year.
see = https://consonance.org/

Kennita reviewed 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die' as a time-travel light movie. It was a pretty silly movie to her mind, but still fun to watch and worth matinee. Yochanan followed-on that he found it to be a fun movie & he loved it. Rick commented that it played out well & that Sam Rockwell was brilliant in the role.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Luck,_Have_Fun,_Don%27t_Die

we adjourned at = 8:38 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'With our soon journey to the moon we might catch up to 'For All Mankind' in a century'

there were no auctions

comments

March 23 BASFA club minutes

2026-03-24T04:29:36Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1853
Monday, March 23, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm
6live/7online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting 1851 were accepted as 'posted'

Proxy Treasurer's report = Regular: $15,805.32
Party: $230.58
Money can be sent to salve guilt via PayPal - sent to: dwgallaher@gmail.com
Though we have accrued $165.34 since the resumption of live meetings.

the VP had nothing fannish to report

the President had nothing fannish to report

There were no committee reports

no old or new business

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ken announced that this Friday is the 4th Friday of the month, so there will be a meeting of the Legion of Rassilon – 'your Doctor Who fan club' - live in person at the Dennie's on Bascom in Milpitas on Abbott Rd, near the 880 freeway, at 7:30pm - wear a mask - for more info check their Facebook page. This month, we present the final episode of The War Between the Land and the Sea: The End of the War. Plus, we go back to 1965 and the first two episodes of the six-part William Hartnell story The Web Planet.
see = lor.club
and he announced that: "Speaking of Doctor Who, two episodes of the epic Dalek’s Masterplan were returned over a week ago, bringing the total to five of the 12 episodes now in the archive. The recovery was facilitated by Film Is Fabulous, which reaches out to film collectors to catalogue their collections, and to rescue them from being binned by working with estates of film collectors – with the byproduct of reuniting content with the original copyright holders so that they may get a new lease of life. The newly recovered Doctor Who episodes are scheduled to be released on BBC iPlayer on April 4th."
and he announced that ST Star Fleet Academy has been cancelled after the 2nd season which will - allegedly - still be run
and he announced that the Cinequest online line-up should be available online tomorrow

Rick announced that Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', died at age 53 - entirely too young
see = https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2026/03/20/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-star-nicholas-brendon-die/89255783007/

Lisa announced that Consonance will be held this weekend, March 27-29 in Newark at the ALOFT Silicon Valley, Calif & hotel reservations are still open thanks to the hotel's kindness - registration is possible at the door. Lynn followed with information about some of the filk guests - refer to the website
and the program book has been posted to the website
see = https://consonance.org/

Yochanan announced that the 'Buffy' reboot that had been proposed has been cancelled & the pilot will probably not be aired
and he announced that if you want the voice of the Doctor to guide you in WAZE, it is available
see = https://www.waze.com/apps

Lynn announced that Diana Koivunen is out of El Camino hospital & is now at Camino Ridge Post-Acute Care on Grant Rd at Cuesta Ave in Mountain View, room 39a. Visiting hours are from 8am-8pm, although the doors lock at 7:30pm.
and she announced that CBS radio news is shutting down on May 22, 2026. A follow on = There are former personalities from KGO that have podcasts who are keeping abreast of the CBS news - see Mark Thomspon & Nikki Medoro
see = https://www.youtube.com/@themarkthompsonshow
and see = https://www.youtube.com/@thenikkimedoroshow

Reviews:

Yochanan reviewed the WAZE ST Doctor as a verbal guide that is really fun and acerbic and worth matinee
see = https://www.waze.com/apps
Yochanan also reviewed 'The Bride!' as 2 hours & 7 minutes - a gothic romance horror film as overall very striking but occasionally clunky & that there is a call-back to 'Young Frankenstein's 'Putting on the Ritz' number & he liked it, thinking it is worth high matinee
see = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30851137/
Yochanan also reviewed 'Dark Matter' on Apple TV as he really enjoyed it, finding it engrossing - with a slow start & a complete story. The writer of the 2016 book made the TV adaptation & it has great writing about different universes. He 'loved it, loved it, loved it! Highly recommended
see = https://tv.apple.com/us/show/dark-matter/umc.cmc.4luj45vtqpmjsvb6sc2675oeg

Rick reviewed going down the rabbit hole on the making of 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' & the wild details of the production, massive budget costs, the writing and re-writing of the script, how many of the songs are earworms & many bits of trivia - and that at -over 100- Dick van Dyke is still dancing
follow-ons = for another take on weird cars - see the 1965 movie 'The Great Race' & Duncan says that the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car reminds him of a car called the Minera & that his personal experiences with Dick can Dyke are 'memorable' but if you live that long you're doing something right. Duncan urges everyone to do your medical panels & reminds that doctors are not there to help the quality of life. Duncan recommends seeing what the mini coopers from "The Italian Job" could do (the real ones, not modern BMW copies) doing tricks you'd only expect of your cat or dog. Hacking the traffic control system in 1969 makes it all possible
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang
and see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_(automobile)
and see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Italian_Job 1969 original movie

Lisa reviewed the final episode of 'Star Fleet Academy' as 'they did a good job of tying up ALL of the loose ends that the season started with' and the kids showed so much character advancement from the beginning & she can't wait to see the 2nd season. There were affirming follow-ons & Yochanan says you need to watch the final credits which are handled 'year-book style'. Steven Colbert was the 'voice who made the announcements' in the show.
see = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Starfleet_Academy_(TV_series)

Ken reviewed some of the 28 things he saw at Cinequest =
see = https://www.cinequest.org/
• Adult Children – siblings come together to supervise recovering addict brother & work through their own problems.
• American Muscle – Tense Tarantino-esque story of looser who owes money to bad people.
• Bif Naked – documentary about the Canadian punk singer.
Brenda – I call this Cheech and Chandra, comedy about drug dealing husband and wife.
• Calorie – drama about a Canadian family with baggage visiting relatives in India
• Comedy Family Style – documentary about local tech CEO/stand up comic and her 10 year old son (also a stand up comic) visiting mother’s home in China.
• Dancing On the Elephant – shenanigans at a Canadian retirement home
• Dead or Dying – look at the lives of a string of people’s lives in a near future where people just suddenly die.
• Foreigner – Iranian teen girl moves to Canada, becomes friends with creepy clique of white girls.
• Give It Up – Mockumentary about a comedian making a comeback (IT’S NOT A COMEBACK) after ten years.
• Heavens: The Boy and His Robot – Earth is at war with Mars colony over water, son of battle robot drivers signs up to fight.
• Holy Meat: Priest moves to endangered parish, runs afoul of next-of-kin
• Hungarian Wedding – early ‘80s, rocker needs a new guitar and gets involved in smuggling.
• In Spite of Ourselves – LA standup comic and Portland baker fall for each other.
• Mermaid – young trans girl fights for her identity, befriends a local drag queen.
• Mockbuster – Documentary about the production of a film by infamous b-movie house The Asylum.
• No Room for Love – Crazy Poor Asians – Filipino family in LA working in Hollywood.
• No Thanks, I Quit Smoking – Mexican woman spends the day trying to scrape money for rent.
• Normal – Hot Fuzz set in Fargo, with a touch of Kill Bill.
• Her Song – Woman trying to piece together her grandmother’s life in French village just as 2020 hits.
• Plan C – Sister steals organ for her brother, can’t get to Canada, so forces plastic surgeon into operating.
• Poetic License – wife of university lecturer audits poetry class, befriends a couple of young men – chaos ensues
• Reunion – man ends up a wrong school reunion, is mistaken for reclusive billionaire classmate.
• She Dances – single father reconnects with daughter while chaperoning regional dance competition.
• Ben Hur – 1926 silent film, accompanied (for three hours non-stop) by live music
• Suffocation – Girl’s swim team is haunted by curse.
• War Driver – hacker who makes money by exploiting weak wifi security gets dragged into a million-dollar cyber-heist
• Young Female Playwright – 26 year old woman is youngest playwright for Canadian National Theatre, and life goes sideways.
....and there were follow-ons about some of the above movies

we adjourned at = 9:13 pm

Rumor of the Week: 'Come to Consonance - it's fun & you might end up married'

there were no auctions

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BASFA club minutes for March 16

2026-03-19T08:21:30Z

Posted by: melchar

Minutes of Meeting #1852
Monday, March 16, 2026

Trey Haddad, President
Ken Patterson, Vice President
Dave Gallaher, Treasurer
Galen Tripp & Laser Pistol Packin’ Mama, Sergeants at Arms
Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Secretary
meeting held online AND meeting live at Parktown Pizza [at Meridian & Hillsdale in SJ]
https://www.parktownpizza.com

***************************
NEW ZOOM FOR 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82190960810?pwd=k8qAIDt9sntTTLOI6FoerafmYvU2AR.1

Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: B4SF41D
---
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82190960810#,,,,*5724576#
---
By Telephone
669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 821 9096 0810
Passcode: 5724576
Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcSpSAHaD
***************************

Called to order at 8 pm by Rick
4live/2online beings attended the meeting

The minutes of meeting #1850 (March 2nd) were accepted as "What if they gave a war, and everybody came?"

We're not yet aware of minutes from immediately preceding meeting #1851 (March 9th).

There was no Treasurer's report, lacking a Treasurer attending.

There was no VP report, lacking a VP attending.

There was no President report, lacking a President attending.

There were no committee reports.

There was no old or new business.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Lisa announced that Consonance, the Bay Area's annual filk convention, will be held March 27-29 in Newark, Calif at ALOFT Silicon Valley. People are encouraged to buy memberships - at this point, still available
online, and then later, even during con, at the door.
see = https://consonance.org/

Rick announced that an outbreak of norovirus, the scourge of cruise ships, is currently circulating in the Bay Area. It is highly transmissible, but _only_ by an infected person's hand, to object, to hand to mouth. Therefore, wash hands with soap and warm water, a lot. Norovirus is the primary cause of 'stomach flu'. You do not want it, nor to transmit it to others.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/norovirus-northern-california-22079580.php

Reviews:

Rick reviewed 'War Machine', a 2026 Australian-American SF action movie currently on Netflix, starring Alan Ritchson, Dennis Quaid, and others. You think you're watching a soldier/war drama, about Ritchson as a US Army soldier severely traumatized in Afghanistan, who is attempting to recover by qualifying as an Army Ranger, when the plot takes an SFnal left turn. It is well acted, scripted, and directed, ultimately quite satisfying, and may give rise to sequels. Shooting locations were in Victoria, Australia, and Queenstown,
South Island, New Zealand, making good use of outdoor shots.
Rick scored on a curve, as he has low expectations of Netflix films, but, on that basis, found it a roaring success, and notes its 70% on the Tomatometer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Machine_(2026_film)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/war_machine

We adjourned at 8:11 pm.

Rumor of the Week: 'There will be more people attending next week's meeting.'

There were no auctions.

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