BoomTown has finally gotten used to the silly gee-gaws television networks use on election night, like touchscreen maps and drawing all over the screen and jump-up numbers.

But one used by CNN last night–a hologram of various people beamed into the studio to look like they were with Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper–was downright freaky.

Using lots of high-definition cameras, fancy computers and, I guess, magic, CNN reporter Jessica Yellin (see video below) was the first one to get the “Star Trek” treatment, beaming in from Chicago to New York.

Later, hip-hop musician Will.i.am was beamed in and preferred a “Star Wars” analogy. But the encounter was still kind of awkward, although you honestly could not look away either, as you can see from the video below (also coming in from Chicago).

Jessica Yellin:

Will.i.am:

We had this video hidden away in Voices yesterday, but BoomTown had to let it run free some more!

Why?

Can you say Wookie dancing to “Footloose” and Darth Vader to “Thriller”?

Frankly, that’s all I need to achieve nirvana.

And we are not even going to explain why Princess Leia dancing to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is simply divine.

Plus, there are two of these videos, one from earlier this June and one from last year.

Shot by a site called ParkSleuth, the dance contest is part of the Hyperspace Hoopla show at Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The force is definitely with these videos (please, I had to!).

2008

2007

The ubiquitous puppet interviewer (not) Shel Israel–who BoomTown has definitively determined is powered by the hand of the very funny Loren Feldman of 1938 Media–came to ATD HQ (aka, the cottage behind my house) yesterday for a lovely chat.

In our interview, I revealed that I was indeed the actress who played Princess Leia Organa Solo of Alderaan in “Star Wars” and also, given that the California Supreme Court has recently approved gay marriages, my upcoming nuptials with a certain tech blogger I have written about.

In all seriousness, I really like Feldman’s video work, although it is definitely strongly rendered.

Why? Because it is just the kind of innovative original material that is a key part of creating a whole new genre online.

His use of puppets is clever, but he also does more thoughtful, though still humorous, video essays as himself, which I also think are unique and bracing (that is a polite way of saying he does not hold back much).

Here’s my interview, along with another Israel puppet report on the MicroYooHoo deal and then another of Feldman’s on Google Health’s debut below it:

Kara and Shel

Shel on MicroYooHoo

Feldman on Google Health