"The stuff of Star Trek — uniforms, communicators and other props, including pointy rubber ears — has boldly gone to a place where the intrepid crew never took the Enterprise: the Bronx," begins a feature article in The New York Times about the huge Christie's auction taking place October 5-7 (related story). "In a windowless warehouse in Crotona Park East, boxes of Star Trek memorabilia that were shipped from the part of the galaxy known as Hollywood are being cataloged and photographed."

The article by James Barron describes many of the items going up for auction and what they're expected to sell for, and the unusual nature of this particular Christie's auction.

"Star Trek fans are passionate," the article continues. "They attend conventions. They know 'Star Trek V: The Final Frontier' and 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.' They correct dumb mistakes, no matter how obscure, in any articles having anything to do with 'Star Trek.' They take the idea of being a fan to extremes, and proudly so. And they are not Christie's usual crowd."

The auction house official overseeing the sale, Cathy Elkies, went so far as to educate herself on the intended audience by attending FedCon in Germany in May. "The funny part was, I couldn't always tell if it was German or Klingon that they were speaking," she commented.

The article can be found at this NYTimes.com link, but access requires a free subscription. (An abridged reprint can be seen without a subscription at this link.) A slideshow video illustrating the article, narrated by Elkies, can be viewed at this link.

Tahoe College Takes Trek Course Online

After successfully conducting a live class in "The Anthropology of Star Trek" last spring, Lake Tahoe Community College now plans to offer the course on a wider basis in the fall quarter by taking it online. Anthropology 131 promises to take students on "an ethnographic tour of the world of Star Trek," utilizing core concepts in cultural anthropology to explore such topics as philosophy, ethics, politics, religion, art, music, gender roles, communication, fandom and more, through the vehicle of Star Trek and its characters.

"This online course will critically examine all facets of Star Trek and how it mirrors contemporary society," states a course flyer. "No prior knowledge of Star Trek, science fiction or anthropology is required — just a sense of humor and an interest in exploring the human condition across space and time!"

The course will be conducted by Daryl Frazetti, who initiated the spring program, which included speakers such as Richard Arnold, one-time assistant to the late Gene Roddenberry; Eugene W. Roddenberry Jr., son of the Great Bird; and Roger Nygard, director of the two "Trekkies" documentaries.

Registration for the fall online course begins August 28 and ends September 18. Call (530) 541-4660, ext. 847, to request a Fall Schedule of Classes with registration information and course description. You may also visit www.ltcc.edu (however, the fall program is not yet posted).

ABC News Reports on Fan Films

Like other news outlets in recent weeks, ABC has done its own report on the phenomenon of fan-produced Star Trek films that are distributed for free on the Web (related story).

A video piece titled "Trekkies Create Shows and Prosper" features "Star Trek: Hidden Frontier," "Starship Exeter," "Star Trek: Intrepid" and "Star Trek: New Voyages."

ABC also spoke with Walter Koenig, who has shot an episode of "New Voyages" which will premiere in September. "This gave me an opportunity to flesh out the Chekov character in a way that I had not had before," Koenig says in the video.

You can view the 1:44 video at this ABCNews.com link.

"Trek Passions" Offers Online Dating

Another way Trek fans are utilizing the miracle of the Internet is for making romantic connections with like-minded singles. They are doing it through "Trek Passions," which carries the motto "Love Long and Prosper."

According to a Christian Science Monitor article, TrekPassions.com is one of several sites catering to specific interests and lifestyles that allows users to avoid wading through huge and generic singles pools such as those on eHarmony. It seems to resonate with people who have an interest in science fiction, and who understand profiles that say things like, "A TOS-TNG-DS9 Fan Looking For par'Machi."

The article can be found at this CBSNews.com link.

Shatner Refutes Damon Casting Rumor

The recent rumors suggesting that Matt Damon is to play a young James T. Kirk may be true, but sources close to William Shatner say that this is news to him. Shatner, the man responsible for the iconic character, has yet to speak to the producers of the announced "Star Trek XI," nor has his opinion been solicited as to who should play the young future captain of the Enterprise.

To recap: Since the announcement of "Star Trek XI" back in April of this year, rumors have been flying, most of which have been refuted. The original story in Variety suggested that the movie would be a sort of prequel to the Original Series, with Kirk, Spock and others in their Starfleet Academy days. This idea was quickly shot down by producer and long-time Star Trek fan J.J. Abrams. And now, according to Shatner, he has yet to be contacted about the possible choices of actor to play his younger screen character or even give his blessing to the project.

One thing we do know about "Star Trek XI" is that no major details — movie title, stars, setting, release date — have been confirmed. And, until you read it here, please treat it as a rumor!

Judd Refutes Eating Disorder Rumor

And in case you've heard rumors that Ashley Judd ("Ensign Robin Lefler") is anorexic or bulimic, she would like to set the record straight. According to IMDB.com News, Judd has hit back at reports she was treated for an eating disorder during a recent stay at a rehabilitation facility in Texas. Apparently the 38-year-old movie star initially went to the clinic to visit her sister Wynonna, who was dealing with her food addictions, and decided to stay and seek treatment for herself, to manage issues from her past including isolation and depression. She says of the false speculation, "I think it was an easy thing (for them) to say, my sister was an overeater and I'm little, so I must be anorexic or bulimic. I'm not, but I did take a look at my eating — why wouldn't I? I looked at everything else in my life under a microscope."