On December 7, the University of Southern California School of Medicine hosted the 2nd Annual Quench the Fire 5K Run & Walk at the El Dorado Regional Park in Long Beach, CA. The proceeds from the event benefited the USC Pain Center at the Keck School of Medicine at USC in its goal to raise awareness of neuropathic and other chronic pain conditions such as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. The funds raised will be directed for clinical research and trials, patient education, and community outreach events. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD), also called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), is a chronic neurological disease affecting an estimated 1.5 to more than 6 million Americans. To learn more about chronic pain conditions or to make a donation, visit the USC Pain Center website.

Richard's doctor has been associated with the USC Pain Center, and last year, in support of the work they are doing there, Richard made an appearance at the 1st Annual Walk/Run as a guest emcee. This year he made a return appearance, and once again he helped to signal the start of the race and to announce the special winners as the race concluded. Richard also mingled with the fans who attended, and he posed for pictures and signed autographs. Click here to see some pictures from the event.

Having just returned from his visit to New York City, "literally in one day and out the next," as he described it, Richard paused to send a note with his thoughts about Gatecon. He also included a photo which he captioned, "Andy. Earlier days, at home with Dad and bone. A puppy pauses to pose."

September 18, 2008

So, GATECON. I hope there has been some innate understanding of how much I enjoyed the experience in Vancouver. I don't think I've written anything to anyone re the joy spot that got hit that weekend. I think, pretty much all aspects were covered and well tended, as well as well AH-ttended. Great group, a gorgeous gaggle of gifted groupies gave gobs of green........ genuinely made things good. Gracias, Gringos.

OK, I need a nap.

Ric

In Manhattan, Richard Dean Anderson joined Tanya Roberts and Steven Seagal at the Best Buy store on 62nd Street and Broadway to promote the national launch of Geek Squad Black Tie Protection, a new service plan offered through Geek Squad and Best Buy to activate, protect, and maximize technology. The three celebrity "Icons of Protection" made their grand entrance on the orange carpet and shared their thoughts on the need for a protection plan for today's technology.

Additional images from the event can be seen here, here, here, and here.
Click to play, or right-click and "Save Target As" to download a video clip of the event here. [WMV File 10 MB]
Photos and video courtesy of PRNewswire.

A second video, courtesy of Switched.com, can be viewed/downloaded here. [WMV File 4 MB]

Richard Dean Anderson appeared as the very special guest at the Gatecon Family Reunion held at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver. Other guests at the convention weekend included Cliff Simon, Corin Nemec, Alex Zahara, Dan Payne, Gary Jones, Dan Shea, Steve Bacic, Garry Chalk, Garwin Sanford, Bruce Woloshyn, Andee Frizzell, David Winning, Dean Aylesworth, and Dean Haglund. In addition, several other Stargate guests dropped by to share the weekend, including Amanda Tapping, Peter Williams, Tom McBeath, Jan Newman, Michael Greenburg, Paul McGillion, Fulvio Cecere, and Kaj-Erik Eriksen. The weekend focused its charity fundraising activities in support of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and Captain Paul Watson of SSCS shared the stage with Richard on Friday during a very special day of activities which included panels and presentations by members of the organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of marine ecosystems and species.

Transcripts and photos from the Gatecon weekend can be found here.

The second direct-to-DVD movie, Stargate Continuum, is finally released on July 29th. Richard joined the cast for this time travel story, filmed in Vancouver and on location in the Arctic. While SG-1 attends the execution of Ba'al, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate Program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities of what's happened, a fleet of Goa'uld motherships arrives in orbit, led by Ba'al, his queen, Qetesh (Vala) and his first prime, Teal'c. SG-1 must find the stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the Goa'uld.

Promotional images and videos can be seen here.
Additional behind-the-scenes images taken at the APLIS facility in the Arctic can be seen here.

If you haven't already ordered a copy, the movie can be purchased from Amazon here.

Comic Con International was held this weekend as hundreds of thousands of fans gathered in San Diego to celebrate popular culture, and both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis were well represented. The weekend also saw the premiere of the latest direct-to-DVD movie, Stargate Continuum, at a star-studded event hosted by the Navy aboard the USS Midway on Thursday evening. On the red carpet, Richard Dean Anderson joined Stargate celebrities including Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, Ben Browder, Beau Bridges, writer and executive producer Brad Wright, and director Martin Wood. On Friday, Richard again joined his colleagues for a Stargate panel, and he participated in an autograph session at the Stargate booth, all to promote the release of Stargate Continuum on July 29th. Word from the panel is that a third Stargate movie is already in the works. Click here for some pictures from the event.

On Saturday afternoon, Richard checked in with a brief message describing how much fun he has been having:

July 26, 2008

I am about to pass out, mid-afternoon, San Diego, ComicCon, sleep disorder in full bloom.....

Just wanted to "connect" from this location to suggest that everybody, before they grow up or die, go and experience ComicCon. It is a bizarre bazaar complete with costumes and joyously mad humanity. There are so many parts to love about CC. Tissues came alive again...

One question from the audience asked about the Arctic and had me launched into a graphic description of what happens to poop in an outhouse @ 58 below zero F. Most people appeared amused, if not downright informed. (Certainly some late comers to the Anderson school of higher observance felt downright EDUCATED!)

Nappy time.

From Sandy, Hey!, GO!

rad

It is with deep sadness that the world learned of the passing on June 29th of Don S. Davis at the age of 65. Don's representative and his wife, Ruby Fleming-Davis, issued the following statement:

Those in the Stargate community know Don S. Davis as General George Hammond. Don was an actor, a teacher, an artist, a mentor, and a good friend. We will miss his extraordinary talent, his gracious charm, his welcoming smile, his booming voice, and most of all his big heart.

Richard Dean Anderson said of his good friend, "I will forever FOREVER have the memory of that wonderful man, within. As I know will All."

Godspeed, dear friend.

Richard phoned again to keep in touch. He was at home with his puppy, Andy, who unfortunately is taking after her owner with a hurt foot. Richard described his six month old Australian shepherd puppy, saying, "She's just a rocket. She jumps, leaps, flies. It's the flying that gets her in trouble. She'll jump off walls, or through trees and bushes. And she hops! Her whole name when I got her was Rabbit Andy because she is such a hopper. She goes through the tall grass I have planted in the back, and literally she looks like a bunny, just bounding. That's the word - bounding!"

With all that bounding, she managed to hurt her foot, and she has been wearing a cast that had to be replaced four times because she wears a hole in it, or gets it wet. He's supposed to keep her quiet, but he knows that's impossible. She's doing much better, but it still bothers her, and she'll need to have the cast replaced again.

"Andy will play with anything that moves, and some things that won't," and she had been having play dates with Daisy, another dog in the family who is a shiba inu/bulldog mix. They get along so well, in fact, he insists that there is not another dog on the face of the planet who could put up with a six month old Australian shepherd puppy. Slowly Daisy has moved in and become a regular member of the family.

When Richard called, a powerful thunderstorm was moving into my area. Every time the lightning flashed, he would hear the thunder on the other end of the line and get so excited. "Is that another one? Cool!! I love love love love electrical storms! We don't get them in California. Minnesota, that's where they were originally from. Thunderstorms were manufactured in Minnesota! Doesn't it excite you? Are you just sitting there watching it?"

He spoke about the charity page on the website, and he is very appreciative of all the donations that are made there, which he referred to as "incredible behavior by the real-life humanoids of fandom." The site is currently set up so that only the charity receives the personal information of the donor, and the charity may pass this information on to Richard. However, it is also possible for the donor to send an eCard-style "gift card" indicating that a donation has been made. Richard liked the suggestion that these eCards be sent to mail@rdanderson.com, where they can be forwarded on to him. The charity page is now set up to allow donors to use the eCard option if they choose.

Richard talked about being caught several times recently by the paparazzi and camera teams from TMZ. In general, he says, the paparazzi around Malibu have been very polite and respectful, and he will usually stop and talk with them for a bit if he has the time, but he's tempted to ask TMZ, "Why the negative approach? No matter how good natured or well intentioned someone might be, why the twist, why the commentary spin?"

He was also disappointed to learn that imposters on sites like MySpace and Facebook have been posing as Richard Dean Anderson. He wanted to make it very clear that he is not on MySpace or Facebook. "I don't like stuff being out there in my name that I am unaware of and that misrepresents me. Even duping one person is wrong. There's no need for it. These sites serve no positive purpose, and I don't want to feed into that. So if it takes a comment from me to out these guys, so be it. Knock it off."

Richard addressed several of the recent rumors on the internet. He had not heard the rumors about a MacGyver movie for the big screen, but he said that if such a project is in the works, he is not involved with it.

The rumor that he might appear at ComicCon in July is true, however. He will be a guest of MGM, and he expects to be at ComicCon for the preview of Continuum, which will be held aboard the USS Midway, and for a party being hosted by the Navy. Further details had not yet been set. He expects his appearance to be brief, although he joked that the person he most wants to meet there is Seth McFarlane of "Family Guy." "He's my new genius. That's a great show."

To the TMZ paparazzi, Richard had earlier referenced an upcoming motorcycle trip to Alaska, but he clarified that those plans have changed. "I've already taken about three trips, just short trips, between 2 and 4 days each, up and around the coast and through the canyons of California. I just disappear for awhile, dontcha know." He and his traveling buddy have been using MAD Maps ("Motor Adventure Destinations") to plan out routes for touring. At the moment, however, his buddy is working, and so they are waiting for him to get some free time so they can partner up and do one of the longer treks.

He also related the story that goes with the motorcycle picture he had shared earlier. The two of them had been heading out on their first day toward Lake Isabella about three months ago. On the way they took a side trip up a mountain. He's not sure which mountain it was, but "my ears popped a couple of times going up," and the mountain road was washed out in spots, the type of road that their bikes are perfect for. But just as they hit the high woods before the tree line, they came around a corner, and the rest of the road was pack ice and snow. He took a run at it, but he had a 550 pound bike with the wrong tires. Even though they were cresting on the mountain, and only about 500 yards away from being able to continue on, there was no getting through it, and they had to turn back. Describing the picture he had sent of himself on the motorcycle, he laughed, "The picture reads really well for me. If you're a cyclist, you look at snow and you realize these two things don't go together. There is no reason in the world why I should have been anywhere on a motorcycle where there was snow!"

Wylie had been out of state visiting cousins, and was going to be coming home that evening. Richard speaks with such pride of Wylie's accomplishments, especially in the performing arts. She has been doing a lot of musicals lately. She was in "Les Miserables," and when she gets home, she will be auditioning for "Oliver." She also did a recital with several vignettes of song and dance. "Her tap dancing is just awesome. I've told her, I will support her tap dancing forever because she is SO great. She's just GOOD! She's got the aptitude, the physicality, and the rhythm. She's wonderful! So she's going to be busy this summer."

With that, he had to end the conversation in order to get Andy back to the vet before closing. "I have to get Andy's arm re-bandaged." Then he paused. "She's looking at me now. She wants to play."

Richard sent a quick update. He is still going through the healing process with his feet, but he was anxious to share his enthusiasm about "Continuum."

April 21, 2008

No news at the moment, unless we include a civilian Purple Heart for blood shed during and since having had yet another surgical procedure performed on my right foot (big toe, ankle). I am convincing myself that this is the one, this is it! I need it to be over. The last cut was a week ago Tuesday and initially I was impressed and hopeful. With time, I have had to grow accustomed to the same-old, same-old.....

At noon I'm into the hyperbaric chamber for 90 minutes. Kinda kinky, but what the heck, I'm leaving no stone....

Of course then there is the obligatory physical therapy filled with tears and laughter all around.

The upshot: I am nearly walking like a people.
It's exciting.
Just an update.

Brad and I exchanged mails. He is very proud of "Continuum" and is fond of saying in interviews that it's the SG of old... "Jack is back!!!"

Well, for the sake of accuracy in journalism I offer this correction:

Brad actually said, "...Rick is back."
Who knew Rick could be so.....so.....so...
So, so-so, is what I'm getting at.

Oh, and by the way, Brad sent me a copy of "Continuum," and I must shout and tout the relative genius of both Mr. Wright and Mr. Wood. The darn thing looks, SOUNDS, and behaves like a feature film. I am soooo frickin' proud of those guys. Talented and genuinely GOOD guys.

ex, eau,

richard

A special Earth Day auction hosted by Charitybuzz was held to benefit the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the world's water resources, and an organization for which Richard serves on the Board of Trustees. Among the items up for auction was an opportunity for a private lunch for two with Richard Dean Anderson in Vancouver during the weekend in August when he would be in the city for Gatecon. Other "Stargate"-related auctions included lunch on the set of "Sanctuary" with Amanda Tapping, lunch on the set of "Stargate Atlantis" with Joe Flanigan, lunch on the set of "Stargate Atlantis" with Jewel Staite, and a kayak paddle autographed by Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, Ben Browder, Beau Bridges, Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, David Hewlett, Paul McGillion, Rachel Luttrell, Mitch Pileggi, Jason Momoa, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

When the auctions concluded on April 29, the winning bids included: $37,000 for lunch with Richard Dean Anderson, $32,000 for lunch with Joe Flanigan, $18,500 for lunch with Amanda Tapping, and $10,000 for lunch with Jewel Staite.

Richard returns to Stargate SG-1 in Continuum, the second direct-to-DVD movie in the Stargate franchise. The movie, filmed in Vancouver and on location in the Arctic, is a time travel story. While SG-1 attends the execution of Ba'al, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate Program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities of what's happened, a fleet of Goa'uld motherships arrives in orbit, led by Ba'al, his queen, Qetesh (Vala) and his first prime, Teal'c. SG-1 must find the stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the Goa'uld.

Behind-the-scenes images taken at the Arctic can be seen here.

Continuum is scheduled for release on July 29th. The DVD is currently available for preorder from Amazon.com and can be ordered through the Store on this site.

Richard sent a brief note with a picture of one of his latest adventures.

April 3, 2008

Here's a pic of me on my bike in the mountains having just been thwarted in an effort to get across a mountain pass that was, quite obviously, closed.

So close...and yet, turned back @ 6000 ft.

Off to the mailbox to send this to you.

Later on.....Richard

Richard moved into his new house at the end of January, and he has been gradually settling in. He has also added four new feet (paws) to his home, with a new puppy in the family. He wrote a brief note, just to say hi, and he said he would try to phone later in the weekend.

March 15, 2008

My daughter is upstairs in her room, singing, and gently dancing. Our new puppy, "Rabbit Andy," an eleven week old Australian Shepherd, tri-color, is curled up by the back door, recharging after the day's first burst of puppy action. And I am left with a moment of downtime to simply say hello.

Richard
Wylie
Andy (girl)

CBS has announced that it will be streaming classic television shows on its website. Although MacGyver originally aired on ABC, it was a Paramount production, which now falls under CBS. In addition to MacGyver, the initial programming lineup will include ad-supported full episodes of Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, Hawaii Five-O and Melrose Place. The first season of MacGyver is currently available on CBS.com, and additional seasons and shows will be added depending on the success of the streaming web model. In addition to streaming on CBS.com, the shows will be available to the CBS Audience Network, a network of websites and partners that include AOL, Microsoft, Comcast, CNET Networks and Sling Media, as well as CBS station websites. Visit CBS.com to view MacGyver episodes online.

Mythbusters, the Discovery Channel's entertaining investigation into urban legends, is celebrating its 100th episode with a reverential show that pays tribute to the man who made something really useful from out of almost anything - MacGyver! Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman test several MacGyverisms from the series to see if they could really work. The episode airs on the Discovery Channel on February 20th at 9:00pm ET and repeats on February 21st, 23rd, and 24th. Check the Mythbusters website for more information and local times.

Tickets for Gatecon: The Family Reunion go on sale at 1:00pm GMT on Saturday, January 5th, 2008.

In a rare convention appearance, Richard Dean Anderson will be attending Gatecon as part of a very special weekend in support of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Gatecon will be held on August 21-24, 2008 at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver, BC.

Tickets can only be purchased at the Gatecon website at gatecon.com.

Details about this special event and its guests will be announced at www.gatecon.com and www.stargateprops.com, and as new information is made available from Gatecon, the details can also be found here on rdanderson.com.

Moments before midnight, Richard sent an email message to all his friends and fans.

January 1, 2008

To every humanoid that has weathered any semblance of a relationship with me (and here I immediately refer to the loyal fanage who frequent the gloriously perfect website set to life by Kate Ritter), I send my most sincere thanks for your every thought, prayer, e-mail, letter, gift, smile, joke, insight, donation, attendance, kiss, handshake, understanding, support, laugh, forgiveness, and hug.

Thank you ALL, for EVERYTHING, is what I mean to say on this, the Eve of a New Year, 2008.

Eau Ate, I say.

Love,

Richard