It blows my mind to think that Star Trek: The Next Generation's pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint" debuted nearly 25 years ago. I can vividly remember watching it Saturday night on a console TV in our game room. Everyone else in my family wanted to watch 227 or some other 80's sitcom abomination, so I was relegated to our old TV next to the ping pong table. I was fascinated by "Farpoint" and was quickly hooked on the new series. Sure, it was a little rough the first few seasons, but there were still gem episodes that captured my young imagination.

It's a very special day... not Captain Picard day, but a special day none-the-less. It's actually the birthday of the man that gave Jean Luc Picard life. That's right kids, it's Patrick Stewart's birthday. "Old Baldy", as his TNG co-stars would lovingly call him, is turning 72 years-young today. We'd like to wish him a very happy birthday by sharing a few of the internet's finest videos. So, here's to Sir Captain Jean Patrick Luc Stewart Picard... may you live another 72 years.

...and that's exactly what he's doing. Michael is playing Duke Frederick and Duke Senior in The Shakespeare Center's production of As You Like It in the Japanese Garden of the Veterans Administration West Los Angeles Healthcare Center through July 29. The cool part about the production is that it's in support of the local VA and involves many vets in the production. Active duty military and Veterans will also receive free admission to the play through its entire run.

Back in October of last year I posted an article about a set of removed YouTube shorts called "Stage 9 Interlopers" that I desperately wanted to get my hands on. The videos featured a pair of buffoons breaking into and traipsing through Paramount's  Stage 9 TNG set around the end of season 1. Thanks to a Subspace Communique fan, the videos are back online and compiled into one full length video featuring Captain "does my hair look okay?" Stone and his ever-so-patient camera man.

So, let me start this off by saying how much I enjoy the L.A Times. Hero Complex. Its extremely well written & and one of my go to blogs for all things geek. I have to admit a small secret though, I get both jealous and giddy every time I read an article.... Anyway, if you're not reading it, you should be. With that out of the way, Geoff Boucher of Hero Complex recently wrote a fantastic article about Jonathan Frakes and his experience from "Encounter at Farpoint" through the full TNG run, ending with Nemesis. I don't want to give too much away, but I'll drop a few excepts here to peak your interest.

Our favorite engineer & child literacy advocate, LeVar Burton, will be on a brand new episode of "On The Verge" this Monday (June 25th). Recorded live yesterday in New York City, in this episode LeVar discusses his brand new Reading Rainbow app for the iPad as well as his Trek fame and of all things, Gary Busey. From the clip we've seen, LeVar is stellar as always. Oh, and he's freaking hilarious. You can catch the episode on TheVerge.com this Monday.

Star Trek scribe & producer, Brannon Braga, returns to the Trek universe to write a new chapter in the Borg saga. IDW Publishing is set to release a new series of comics featuring Picard and company as they face down the dreaded all consuming enemy. Brannon joins forces with fellow Trek scribe Terry Matalas and artist Joe Corroney to create STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: HIVE for IDW. The new series focuses on the galaxie's fight against a full out Borg invasion. Taking the crew of the Enterprise on what IDW is calling a "dynamic new journey" that's "packed with mind-bending twists, time-jumping action, and revered, genre-defining characters", the new comic series will debut in September.

For all of the Warehouse 13 fans out there, our favorite android, Brent Spiner, will be joining Saul Rubinek & cast in a multi-episode arc. We're just stoked to see Data & Kivas Fajo interact once again on the small screen... Kinda sorta. Brent will playing Brother Adrian, leader of an intensely secretive sect The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Diamond. Apparently the sect descended from the Knights Templar and has loose ties to the Vatican.

The first U.S. Star Trek: The Next Generation 25th anniversary reunion is happening right in our own backyard, Austin Texas. This October, Wizard World is bringing together 7 stars from the Next Gen cast for this bridge crew reunion. So far on board are Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lieutenant Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data) and Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher). Dang! With a line up like this my head might explode.