Hard-wired for Geek? I'd rather be Softwired....
Sometime ago I read and reviewed 'Virus on Orbis 1', the first in the 'Softwire' books by P J Haarsma. Since then book 2, 'Betrayal on Orbis 2' has been waiting for me to pick it up. I knew that once I had started reading everything else would have to wait so I've been biding my time. Last Friday, though, there was no BSG and I decided that enough waiting was enough, so I dived straight in. The story starts not long after the end of the first book and we are picked up and propelled straight into the next challenge(s) for JT and his friends. As predicted, it proved to be an exciting and all-encompassing read! So much so, that the '100th Post...' almost didn't get posted...
What makes you care?
I've read a lot of books, some brilliant, some good, some bad, some indifferent. The brilliant ones make an impression that stays with you after you finish. Such are the Softwire books. They are very well-written and complete stories but there are so many things that you want to know more about. What happened with the SpaceJumpers? Why are the Nagools the way they are and how is this going to be of importance in the future? Is the whole of Orbis society on the verge of collapse? Of course, there are the obvious questions about what the future holds for JT, Max, Katheria and the other children, whose side is Charlie on and what will Orbis 3 be like? But the thrill for me is the detail of the time and space the Orbis books are set in. The way the society is set up is completely alien yet so believable. The interaction between the characters and their setting. Yes, PJ, I am hooked, so I hope you are well on your way to publishing Book 3 (see what PJ had to say about what is going to happen to JT in Book 3...! )
See, Hear
If you are still wondering whether these award-winning books are for you then how about listening to Chapter 1 of 'Virus on Orbis 1' read by Nathan Fillion? Yes, really! If you go to the Kids Need To Read MySpace page you can hear Nathan read the first chapter and I have to say it is an excellent reading. And you can also see an impressive promo video on P J Haarsma's website. I could watch a whole lot more of that video!
Did you say Cylons?
Well, BSG is back tonight. I'm interested, but not building my hopes up. I know what if I get too excited someone I really like will get the chop. I'm acting cool in the hope that it will save someone's neck. It could work....But on a happier note - do you live near Vancouver? If so, then you are in for a treat this weekend. The 13th Colony (Vancouver's Battlestar Galactica Fan Club) are undertaking a location scouting in the parks on the North Shore to find shooting locations for Caprica, New Caprica and Kobol tomorrow! I meet Val at the Firefly Meetup and she is a great advocate for BSG - and you will probably find that she looks familiar, too. They are meeting at 1.00 so go to their MeetUp page for more information and to sign up.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Altered States and Heartaches
A confluence of events
Recently things have not been the same. That's funny - when is anything the same? But really, Life has a way of conspiring to kick you in the backside when you least expect it, forcing you to really be aware of what's going on. This particular chain of events started about 4 weeks ago now, but it's only today that it really started to make me feel it. And it was the simple act of deliberately listening to music that kicked me into consciousness today. That is a good thing.
Years ago....
I was in band with Hubby, my brother and a very dear friend we meet through my brother. He was the drummer. We rehearsed long and right, played hard and tight and toured the UK on a mini-tour. It was dirty, tough and some of the best times of our lives. Crammed into a Transit van we played some dives, some great venues and even a ship on the Thames. Those memories linger and I sometimes take out the CDs we released and play them, still in awe of how great we were (no point in being modest - we rocked). We never 'made it' but we released two CDs and nothing can compare to standing on stage, transported by the music, the lights, the sounds, the heat, the audience - altered consciousness that needs nothing more than being in that moment.
Time passes
Since the band finished we have kept in touch - Hubby I see everyday and my brother I speak to and email pretty regularly. But our drummer? Well, he was always on our minds. We shared so much that even though we didn't see each other from year to year he was there, a presence still. Life goes on and now he and his family are facing a big challenge. There are things going on, things that are not within anyone's power to control. So this is for you. You were always in our hearts and still are. Thousands of miles away, but you are with us. Peace and love.
Recently things have not been the same. That's funny - when is anything the same? But really, Life has a way of conspiring to kick you in the backside when you least expect it, forcing you to really be aware of what's going on. This particular chain of events started about 4 weeks ago now, but it's only today that it really started to make me feel it. And it was the simple act of deliberately listening to music that kicked me into consciousness today. That is a good thing.
Years ago....
I was in band with Hubby, my brother and a very dear friend we meet through my brother. He was the drummer. We rehearsed long and right, played hard and tight and toured the UK on a mini-tour. It was dirty, tough and some of the best times of our lives. Crammed into a Transit van we played some dives, some great venues and even a ship on the Thames. Those memories linger and I sometimes take out the CDs we released and play them, still in awe of how great we were (no point in being modest - we rocked). We never 'made it' but we released two CDs and nothing can compare to standing on stage, transported by the music, the lights, the sounds, the heat, the audience - altered consciousness that needs nothing more than being in that moment.
Time passes
Since the band finished we have kept in touch - Hubby I see everyday and my brother I speak to and email pretty regularly. But our drummer? Well, he was always on our minds. We shared so much that even though we didn't see each other from year to year he was there, a presence still. Life goes on and now he and his family are facing a big challenge. There are things going on, things that are not within anyone's power to control. So this is for you. You were always in our hearts and still are. Thousands of miles away, but you are with us. Peace and love.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Win a Signed Photo of Jewel Staite!
The ever-cheerful Kaylee is up for auction.
Kids Need To Read have another wonderful Firefly/Serenity auction at the moment that gives you the chance to bid for a fantastic 8x10 signed photo of Jewel Staite as Kaylee, the genius mechanic from Firefly and Serenity. Jewel is currently starring in 'Stargate: Atlantis' and has a very loyal fanbase - check out her MySpace page! The auction is on eBay so finish off your snowglobes and head over there before 30th May.
Why support Kids Need To Read?
Sometimes it seems like everyone is after your hard-earned cash. Well, that's because they are! If you support a foundation like Kids Need To Read, though, your money is doing more than allowing you to expand your collection. Your money goes towards funding literacy projects that put books into the hands of children who would otherwise not have them. Reading is such a fundamental part of society. Without a grasp of reading, children are doomed to never fully participate and will always be on the outside. Key to developing a lifelong reading habit is access to a wide range of books, and this is where Kids Need To Read are making a real difference. If you want to know more about the impact they are having, please go to their website and read the wonderful letters they have received from grateful schools and projects.
KNTR: Supernaturally Good!
And in more news this week, KNTR have announced that Team Winchester http://teamwinchester.com/wp/ (a fan effort to promote the CW series Supernatural) has adopted Kids Need to Read as one of their official charities. Team Winchester have already donated an item for auction, so look out for that in the near future.
Kids Need To Read have another wonderful Firefly/Serenity auction at the moment that gives you the chance to bid for a fantastic 8x10 signed photo of Jewel Staite as Kaylee, the genius mechanic from Firefly and Serenity. Jewel is currently starring in 'Stargate: Atlantis' and has a very loyal fanbase - check out her MySpace page! The auction is on eBay so finish off your snowglobes and head over there before 30th May.
Why support Kids Need To Read?
Sometimes it seems like everyone is after your hard-earned cash. Well, that's because they are! If you support a foundation like Kids Need To Read, though, your money is doing more than allowing you to expand your collection. Your money goes towards funding literacy projects that put books into the hands of children who would otherwise not have them. Reading is such a fundamental part of society. Without a grasp of reading, children are doomed to never fully participate and will always be on the outside. Key to developing a lifelong reading habit is access to a wide range of books, and this is where Kids Need To Read are making a real difference. If you want to know more about the impact they are having, please go to their website and read the wonderful letters they have received from grateful schools and projects.
KNTR: Supernaturally Good!
And in more news this week, KNTR have announced that Team Winchester http://teamwinchester.com/wp/ (a fan effort to promote the CW series Supernatural) has adopted Kids Need to Read as one of their official charities. Team Winchester have already donated an item for auction, so look out for that in the near future.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Nathan Fillion and Dollhouse updates
Some development news about 'Castle'
TheFutonCritic.com have published some updated development news about 'Castle', a new ABC show that will star Nathan Fillion. It gives some plot outlines for the show which certainly sound very promising and, best of all, is news that a pilot has been ordered. It would be really fantastic to see Mr Fillion in a lead role on a show like this. I tuned into 'Desperate Housewives' just to see him in the season finale and it was a real shame he didn't have more screentime. Can't wait to hear more.
Dollhouse: Eliza is a real Producer
In quite an in-depth interview on scifi.com, Joss Whedon talks about how the reduced ad-breaks will affect the timings for the shows and then he moves on to Eliza's roles:
"I said, 'Oh, wow, I've come up with a show, and I’ll do it with you, but you have to know, though, this thing about you having a producer credit: I'm going to make you earn it. I'm going to want your input. I'm going to want ideas. I'm going to want you to help me work out certain problems. This is our show.' She and I came at it from a very similar aesthetic view, a very similar political view and a great mutual trust. So, to me, it's an essential part of what the show says about people and about her, that she should be a producer."
This is the real deal for Ms Dushku and it speaks volumes about the respect Joss has for her as an artist and co-worker. It makes Dollhouse even harder to wait for!
Fox gets Foxy with the marketing
In a bold attempt to stir up blogosphere (yep, that's a real word) Fox launched their marketing for Dollhouse, Fringe and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I have mixed feelings about this, but I admire the idea behind it. And they have also headed off the Dollhouse cancellation rumours while simultaneously almost apologising for Firefly's ignominious treatment. Well, I'm choosing to interpret it that way. You might have other ideas...
TheFutonCritic.com have published some updated development news about 'Castle', a new ABC show that will star Nathan Fillion. It gives some plot outlines for the show which certainly sound very promising and, best of all, is news that a pilot has been ordered. It would be really fantastic to see Mr Fillion in a lead role on a show like this. I tuned into 'Desperate Housewives' just to see him in the season finale and it was a real shame he didn't have more screentime. Can't wait to hear more.
Dollhouse: Eliza is a real Producer
In quite an in-depth interview on scifi.com, Joss Whedon talks about how the reduced ad-breaks will affect the timings for the shows and then he moves on to Eliza's roles:
"I said, 'Oh, wow, I've come up with a show, and I’ll do it with you, but you have to know, though, this thing about you having a producer credit: I'm going to make you earn it. I'm going to want your input. I'm going to want ideas. I'm going to want you to help me work out certain problems. This is our show.' She and I came at it from a very similar aesthetic view, a very similar political view and a great mutual trust. So, to me, it's an essential part of what the show says about people and about her, that she should be a producer."
This is the real deal for Ms Dushku and it speaks volumes about the respect Joss has for her as an artist and co-worker. It makes Dollhouse even harder to wait for!
Fox gets Foxy with the marketing
In a bold attempt to stir up blogosphere (yep, that's a real word) Fox launched their marketing for Dollhouse, Fringe and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I have mixed feelings about this, but I admire the idea behind it. And they have also headed off the Dollhouse cancellation rumours while simultaneously almost apologising for Firefly's ignominious treatment. Well, I'm choosing to interpret it that way. You might have other ideas...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday Shindig - win a Serenity Comic!
Join in the fun and maybe win a prize!
Universal are showing 'Out Of Gas', a Firefly fans favourite in glorious HD today. To celebrate the Mods on the Uni-HD boards have stumped up a great door prize for today's Firefly Shindig - a copy of 'Serenity - Better days #3'. This is all you need to do:
"To enter for the door prize you will have to post in the door prize thread that will open at or around 8 PM (EDT) and close between 8:15 PM and 8:30 PM.It's best to post between 8 PM and 8:15 if you want to win! The thread can be found HERE in the main Firefly Forums come Shindig time!"
This is a great prize and all you have to do is register on the Board and follow the above instructions for a chance to win that shiny comic. Couldn't be easier, plus by registering and participating it gets us that bit nearer to another Serenity movie. Everyone's a winner (well, there is only one door prize, but you know what I mean!). Don't forget to register in plenty of time and to check out timezones (for me it starts at 5.00 PM because I'm on Pacific Time).
Universal are showing 'Out Of Gas', a Firefly fans favourite in glorious HD today. To celebrate the Mods on the Uni-HD boards have stumped up a great door prize for today's Firefly Shindig - a copy of 'Serenity - Better days #3'. This is all you need to do:
"To enter for the door prize you will have to post in the door prize thread that will open at or around 8 PM (EDT) and close between 8:15 PM and 8:30 PM.It's best to post between 8 PM and 8:15 if you want to win! The thread can be found HERE in the main Firefly Forums come Shindig time!"
This is a great prize and all you have to do is register on the Board and follow the above instructions for a chance to win that shiny comic. Couldn't be easier, plus by registering and participating it gets us that bit nearer to another Serenity movie. Everyone's a winner (well, there is only one door prize, but you know what I mean!). Don't forget to register in plenty of time and to check out timezones (for me it starts at 5.00 PM because I'm on Pacific Time).
100th Post plus other stuff
Didn't think we'd make it this far.
Back in February when I started this little Blog I didn't have any idea. Did it show? Possibly. Why did I do it at all? Well, there were many reasons. I realised that there was a whole world of interest for me that was simply passing me by. After being a very early adopter of the Internet I had fallen by the wayside. I only used it as a tool for work and not for what it was meant to be - a big ole sandpit. This was prompted by watching 'Firefly' for the first time and realising there had been whole fan campaigns that I barely knew about. It was a call to action, and I jumped right in.
Still in the closet?
Back then I would have classified myself as a firm closet geek with no intention or desire to change that. But now? Well, in my online life I'm firmly out there, geeking it up with the rest of them, and enjoying it wholeheartedly. This is spilling out into my 'real' life and you know what, it's not that scary. Small steps, but I think it's progress. And after the Serenity Screening in Vancouver on 22nd June who knows what might happen? I might even tell my mum that I Blog :)
Things I like
I've made so many discoveries on the way, I'm not going to list them here (that would be what all those other posts are about....!). But here are some highlights:
Is that it, then?
Looking at the above, it's almost as if I'm getting ready to bow out of the Blogging business. Well I'm not about to do that just yet - in fact, it feels like I've only just started! There is so much still left to do - my first Fan Screening is booked but what about my first Fan Convention? Setting up my own domain so I can host both Blogs there and getting my freelance writing website sorted, getting another Serenity movie made, winning on Halo....there is much to do.
Back in February when I started this little Blog I didn't have any idea. Did it show? Possibly. Why did I do it at all? Well, there were many reasons. I realised that there was a whole world of interest for me that was simply passing me by. After being a very early adopter of the Internet I had fallen by the wayside. I only used it as a tool for work and not for what it was meant to be - a big ole sandpit. This was prompted by watching 'Firefly' for the first time and realising there had been whole fan campaigns that I barely knew about. It was a call to action, and I jumped right in.
Still in the closet?
Back then I would have classified myself as a firm closet geek with no intention or desire to change that. But now? Well, in my online life I'm firmly out there, geeking it up with the rest of them, and enjoying it wholeheartedly. This is spilling out into my 'real' life and you know what, it's not that scary. Small steps, but I think it's progress. And after the Serenity Screening in Vancouver on 22nd June who knows what might happen? I might even tell my mum that I Blog :)
Things I like
I've made so many discoveries on the way, I'm not going to list them here (that would be what all those other posts are about....!). But here are some highlights:
- Discovering Fireflyfans.net message board and then joining Tranquility, a Virtual Firefly
- Joining the Universal HD Firefly message board and the Saturday Shindigs
- Contacting Vancouver Firefly/Serenity MeetUp and actually participating (wonderful people - hi Serena and Gayle!)
- Finding Kids Need To Read and The Softwire books - a fantastic literacy foundation and brilliant books
- Buffy: Between the Lines - podcast extraordinaire and the reason I know about Tabz and Scott Sigler
- Pink Raygun - because there always more to discover
- Realising that 'The Guild' was the start of something very big (and what a star Felicia Day really is)
- Starting WorldofHiglet's Weblog and Garim posting a link on Whedonesque
Is that it, then?
Looking at the above, it's almost as if I'm getting ready to bow out of the Blogging business. Well I'm not about to do that just yet - in fact, it feels like I've only just started! There is so much still left to do - my first Fan Screening is booked but what about my first Fan Convention? Setting up my own domain so I can host both Blogs there and getting my freelance writing website sorted, getting another Serenity movie made, winning on Halo....there is much to do.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Jewel Staite Q & A, Plus - No BSG!
A week to reflect
Battlestar Galactica is not on tonight but will return next week. So, has this final season lived up to the enormously high expectations I had for it so far? Well mostly, yes. Without going into any details there has been some stunning set-pieces and some absolute jaw-dropping moments, and we were left with a cliff-hanger last week that really took me by surprise. There has been less explosions and more inferences and dark looks, but I don't mind that, especially if it is all building up to some spectacular fireworks.
What would YOU ask Jewel Staite?
It's getting closer to the Serenity Screenings and in Vancouver we are lucky enough to have Jewel Staite attending a Q & A before the screening. This is a real honour and makes the event even more special. I'm not sure how the Q & A works and I've never been to a panel (or any other type of event like this) so I don't know what to expect. So if I got the chance, what would I ask? What would you ask Jewel?
Waiting for the Post
I've been spending time on the Universal HD Message Boards. I have mentioned them before because of the Saturday Shindigs over there. Quite simply, these message boards have been set up by UNIVERSAL - the studio that funded Serenity, the studio that has the rights to Serenity, the studio that could produce a sequel, or three. Being active on these boards is important because the more activity, the more unique people over there, the more Universal can see there is support for a sequel (see this thread for more information). So Cordrone, one of the Moderators, suggested that I ask if Jewel knew about the Universal HD message boards. Because if any of the Actors (or Joss himself, he'd be welcome too...) posted on the Board it would really help to persuade Browncoats to rally to that one point (as well as all the other places we hang out at the moment). And it would send a message to Universal, too. So, if I get the chance I will ask Jewel if she knows about all the message board like the Universal one, and whether she would ever post on one. Worth a try, don't you think?
Battlestar Galactica is not on tonight but will return next week. So, has this final season lived up to the enormously high expectations I had for it so far? Well mostly, yes. Without going into any details there has been some stunning set-pieces and some absolute jaw-dropping moments, and we were left with a cliff-hanger last week that really took me by surprise. There has been less explosions and more inferences and dark looks, but I don't mind that, especially if it is all building up to some spectacular fireworks.
What would YOU ask Jewel Staite?
It's getting closer to the Serenity Screenings and in Vancouver we are lucky enough to have Jewel Staite attending a Q & A before the screening. This is a real honour and makes the event even more special. I'm not sure how the Q & A works and I've never been to a panel (or any other type of event like this) so I don't know what to expect. So if I got the chance, what would I ask? What would you ask Jewel?
Waiting for the Post
I've been spending time on the Universal HD Message Boards. I have mentioned them before because of the Saturday Shindigs over there. Quite simply, these message boards have been set up by UNIVERSAL - the studio that funded Serenity, the studio that has the rights to Serenity, the studio that could produce a sequel, or three. Being active on these boards is important because the more activity, the more unique people over there, the more Universal can see there is support for a sequel (see this thread for more information). So Cordrone, one of the Moderators, suggested that I ask if Jewel knew about the Universal HD message boards. Because if any of the Actors (or Joss himself, he'd be welcome too...) posted on the Board it would really help to persuade Browncoats to rally to that one point (as well as all the other places we hang out at the moment). And it would send a message to Universal, too. So, if I get the chance I will ask Jewel if she knows about all the message board like the Universal one, and whether she would ever post on one. Worth a try, don't you think?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Cap'n Mal's monkey and other happenings..
Terrifyn' Space Monkey - Nathan-style
Here's your chance to bid for a Terrify’n Space Monkey signed by Nathan Fillion - Captain Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly/Serenity. Nathan Fillion is also the co-founder, with 'The Softwire' author PJ Haarsma, of Kids Need To Read, a Literacy foundation that is helping to send exciting new books to under-funded schools and libraries across North America. This latest auction from Kids Need To Read runs until May 25th so swing over to eBay - the bidding has started already!
Wil Wheaton and Star Trek: The Manga
And there is another on-going auction by KNTR at the moment, too. I've not forgotten about Wil, I still lurk on his blog and follow him on Twitter, I just haven't got around to posting about it with everything else that's going on. But this auction by KNTR gives me a great excuse to do just that. In case you didn't know there is a now a Comic Manga series of Star Trek and this auction is of a copy of the second volume to be published by TOKYOPOP entitled Kakan ni Shinkou or "To Boldly Go." Ten assorted artists and writers present brand new adventures featuring the classic Star Trek (TOS) line up of characters. Wil Wheaton (a huge comic book fan) was one of the contributing authors and he has signed this copy. When he was first asked to write for it he blogged about how much of an honour it was for him. This is another great auction and it closes on May 23rd so beam over to eBay and get those bids in.
Jewel Staite to be full-time on Stargate: Atlantis
Over at Whedonesque there is the news that Jewel Staite will be staying on for season 5 as a regular. In a quote from sliceofscifi.com:
Also this season, Jewel Staite will become a full-time cast member as Dr. Jennifer Keller. Staite described Keller as growing more comfortable with her place in Atlantis this season. “She steps up to the plate a little bit more,” Staite said. “She’s becoming more courageous.”
Update on Other Blog
I've posted 'Future Entertainment Part 2: Anticipating Doctor Horrible...' on my other 'Worldofhiglet's Weblog' so feel free to pop over there and take a look.
Here's your chance to bid for a Terrify’n Space Monkey signed by Nathan Fillion - Captain Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly/Serenity. Nathan Fillion is also the co-founder, with 'The Softwire' author PJ Haarsma, of Kids Need To Read, a Literacy foundation that is helping to send exciting new books to under-funded schools and libraries across North America. This latest auction from Kids Need To Read runs until May 25th so swing over to eBay - the bidding has started already!
Wil Wheaton and Star Trek: The Manga
And there is another on-going auction by KNTR at the moment, too. I've not forgotten about Wil, I still lurk on his blog and follow him on Twitter, I just haven't got around to posting about it with everything else that's going on. But this auction by KNTR gives me a great excuse to do just that. In case you didn't know there is a now a Comic Manga series of Star Trek and this auction is of a copy of the second volume to be published by TOKYOPOP entitled Kakan ni Shinkou or "To Boldly Go." Ten assorted artists and writers present brand new adventures featuring the classic Star Trek (TOS) line up of characters. Wil Wheaton (a huge comic book fan) was one of the contributing authors and he has signed this copy. When he was first asked to write for it he blogged about how much of an honour it was for him. This is another great auction and it closes on May 23rd so beam over to eBay and get those bids in.
Jewel Staite to be full-time on Stargate: Atlantis
Over at Whedonesque there is the news that Jewel Staite will be staying on for season 5 as a regular. In a quote from sliceofscifi.com:
Also this season, Jewel Staite will become a full-time cast member as Dr. Jennifer Keller. Staite described Keller as growing more comfortable with her place in Atlantis this season. “She steps up to the plate a little bit more,” Staite said. “She’s becoming more courageous.”
Update on Other Blog
I've posted 'Future Entertainment Part 2: Anticipating Doctor Horrible...' on my other 'Worldofhiglet's Weblog' so feel free to pop over there and take a look.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Why Firefly's Nathan Fillion Should Play Indiana Jones
Because of the whip-cracking credentials he established as Mal Reynolds on Firefly, I submit that Nathan Fillion should take over as Indiana Jones....This is a interesting and well-argued idea. Well, I'd go and see Nathan as Indy - wouldn't you?!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, May 19, 2008
Bombay Sapphire: Spirit of Exploration
Exciting news for your blogger!
A little while ago Ms Tabitha Grace Smith (you will know her from Buffy: Between the Lines / Joss'd/ Strangely Literal, but she also has a day job!) Tweeted about a new competition for bloggers. I went to the Bombay Sapphire website to find out more and was instantly attracted by two things. Firstly, the website is set in luscious blue tones that immediately say 'cool, classy and elegant' and secondly Bombay Sapphire is a premium Gin.
Spirit of Exploration - what's that?!
To enter I had to describe what the Spirit of Exploration meant me. Easy? Well, no. Once you start to think about it, it can mean so many things, could be approached from many angles. In the end the deadline approached which focused me enough to put some thoughts down about reading, writing, the Internet, Sci-fi and TV. And, of course David Attenborough. Perhaps those topics are not such a surprise...
Good News, Everyone!
The great news is that my entry was accepted and 'the last geek bus home' is now on the 'Bombay Sapphire: Spirit of Exploration Blog' Blogroll for May. And if you wish, you can vote for me over there - either follow the link above or the neat button you can see on the top right. My entry hasn't been published yet but as soon as it is, I'll let you know.
A little while ago Ms Tabitha Grace Smith (you will know her from Buffy: Between the Lines / Joss'd/ Strangely Literal, but she also has a day job!) Tweeted about a new competition for bloggers. I went to the Bombay Sapphire website to find out more and was instantly attracted by two things. Firstly, the website is set in luscious blue tones that immediately say 'cool, classy and elegant' and secondly Bombay Sapphire is a premium Gin.
Spirit of Exploration - what's that?!
To enter I had to describe what the Spirit of Exploration meant me. Easy? Well, no. Once you start to think about it, it can mean so many things, could be approached from many angles. In the end the deadline approached which focused me enough to put some thoughts down about reading, writing, the Internet, Sci-fi and TV. And, of course David Attenborough. Perhaps those topics are not such a surprise...
Good News, Everyone!
The great news is that my entry was accepted and 'the last geek bus home' is now on the 'Bombay Sapphire: Spirit of Exploration Blog' Blogroll for May. And if you wish, you can vote for me over there - either follow the link above or the neat button you can see on the top right. My entry hasn't been published yet but as soon as it is, I'll let you know.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Browncoat Cruise and Battlestar Friday
Did you know about the Browncoat Cruise?
I heard tales of it from people who were there - t'was the summer of '07 and a gallant ship set out from San Diego, California to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and back on a journey of discovery and delights. Packed with Browncoats and celebrity guests, everyone enjoyed days of entertainment and relaxation, all without any Alliance interference. And now Kids Need To Read are auctioning two fantastic souvenirs from this unique event:
"A Browncoat Cruise Souvenir Program signed by Brian Wiser, producer of Done the Impossible and one of the cruise directors. Brian also designed, printed and made all the programs himself! This 30+ page, full color booklet includes bios of the guests, ads from your favorite Firefly/Serenity sources, and cover art by artist Adam Levermore-Rich (Lexigeek). Second, a limited edition (only 500 were made for the attendees) Browncoat Cruise Travel Poster measuring 17 x 22 inches. The poster bears the signatures of Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Michael Fairman (Niska), Jonathan Woodward (Tracy), Nectar Rose (Lovebot), “Firefly Theme” vocalist Sonny Rhodes, The Bedlam Bards (Cedric & Hawke) and poster artist Adam Levermore-Rich. "
The auction is on eBay so cruise over and place a bid before the end of line on May 18th.
Battlestar Galactica
Ok, so I've not posted about BSG for a couple of weeks. Two reasons: lack of time and the fact it's so hard to post without spoilers! This last season is winding up to the huge and outstanding finale, and with lots happening to the crews, it's difficult to know what to say. Except - it rocks! So instead, I direct you to Pink Raygun. They have spoilers galore but if you want reasoned debate, incisive comments and hilarious explanations about BSG then this is the place to go. Just don't go if you need to be going out soon, and say I didn't warn you about the spoilers!
I heard tales of it from people who were there - t'was the summer of '07 and a gallant ship set out from San Diego, California to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and back on a journey of discovery and delights. Packed with Browncoats and celebrity guests, everyone enjoyed days of entertainment and relaxation, all without any Alliance interference. And now Kids Need To Read are auctioning two fantastic souvenirs from this unique event:
"A Browncoat Cruise Souvenir Program signed by Brian Wiser, producer of Done the Impossible and one of the cruise directors. Brian also designed, printed and made all the programs himself! This 30+ page, full color booklet includes bios of the guests, ads from your favorite Firefly/Serenity sources, and cover art by artist Adam Levermore-Rich (Lexigeek). Second, a limited edition (only 500 were made for the attendees) Browncoat Cruise Travel Poster measuring 17 x 22 inches. The poster bears the signatures of Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Michael Fairman (Niska), Jonathan Woodward (Tracy), Nectar Rose (Lovebot), “Firefly Theme” vocalist Sonny Rhodes, The Bedlam Bards (Cedric & Hawke) and poster artist Adam Levermore-Rich. "
The auction is on eBay so cruise over and place a bid before the end of line on May 18th.
Battlestar Galactica
Ok, so I've not posted about BSG for a couple of weeks. Two reasons: lack of time and the fact it's so hard to post without spoilers! This last season is winding up to the huge and outstanding finale, and with lots happening to the crews, it's difficult to know what to say. Except - it rocks! So instead, I direct you to Pink Raygun. They have spoilers galore but if you want reasoned debate, incisive comments and hilarious explanations about BSG then this is the place to go. Just don't go if you need to be going out soon, and say I didn't warn you about the spoilers!
The Guild Improv and Firefly Marathon
The Last 'Being Humans' Improv Tonight
Your last chance, for a while at least, to catch Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh (Codex, Vork and Zaboo) performing as 'Being Humans' is TONIGHT (16th May) at 10.30 pm at the Westside Eclectic Theatre in Santa Monica. Go to WatchTheGuild.com for full details (don't be put off by the fact that the address mentions an Alley. Apparently that's just where you get in - they don't actually perform in an alley...!). One fan who went last week posted on The Guild message board about how much they enjoyed it:
"...All I can say is it was good fun last Friday. Both troupes that I saw perform (and the last like 5min of the show that was on previously) were great. I don't know what else to say about it. Oh, Felicia and Jeff were kind enough to chat with myself and the other 2 Guild fans, after the show. I was stoked to meet them so I was a little starstruck the entire time, but they were super appreciative of us guildies that came..."
If you're in the LA area, give it a go!
Firefly on RIGHT NOW!
The SciFi channel is showing a Firefly Marathon today so tune in if you can receive it. Earlier in the week I got confused and thought I'd be able to watch but, of course, I get Space, not SciFi, so no Firefly for me...which is a real pity because I've lent my DVDs out. Still, that's another person converted, so can't really complain!
Your last chance, for a while at least, to catch Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh (Codex, Vork and Zaboo) performing as 'Being Humans' is TONIGHT (16th May) at 10.30 pm at the Westside Eclectic Theatre in Santa Monica. Go to WatchTheGuild.com for full details (don't be put off by the fact that the address mentions an Alley. Apparently that's just where you get in - they don't actually perform in an alley...!). One fan who went last week posted on The Guild message board about how much they enjoyed it:
"...All I can say is it was good fun last Friday. Both troupes that I saw perform (and the last like 5min of the show that was on previously) were great. I don't know what else to say about it. Oh, Felicia and Jeff were kind enough to chat with myself and the other 2 Guild fans, after the show. I was stoked to meet them so I was a little starstruck the entire time, but they were super appreciative of us guildies that came..."
If you're in the LA area, give it a go!
Firefly on RIGHT NOW!
The SciFi channel is showing a Firefly Marathon today so tune in if you can receive it. Earlier in the week I got confused and thought I'd be able to watch but, of course, I get Space, not SciFi, so no Firefly for me...which is a real pity because I've lent my DVDs out. Still, that's another person converted, so can't really complain!
Dollhouse Trailer and Doctor Horrible news
A Mid-Season Release for Dollhouse is confirmed.
It could be January 08 before the first episode is aired but the PR machine is working pretty much flat-out at the moment. There have been interviews with Joss at LATimes.com, 'Watch with Kristen' on EOnline.com and seat42f.com have an exclusive clip from the show. At TVWorthWatching.com there is a review (plus great cast photo) and the news that Dollhouse and Fringe are going to be "the recipients of a new Fox experiment they're calling "Remote-Free TV." In those two shows, for their entire season runs, commercial ad and promo time will be cut by half, with no more than five minutes of interruptions per hour for network commercial minutes." Now that does sound promising! Over at Dollverse.com they have news that the first episode 'Echo' had completed filming and a great photo taken from inside the Dollhouse. We can be reassured that there certainly appears to be no expense spared...
Doctor Horrible - Joss Speaks!
In the same LATimes.com interview about Dollhouse, Joss talks about Doctor Horrible. It sounds like things got a little hectic for Joss at the end of the Strike:
"...And when we came back, Fox said instead of 3 1/2 months to write a script and a few months of prep time, we're shooting ["Dollhouse"] in two months. And we hadn't even fully broken an episode. And I had "Dr. Horrible" to shoot two weeks from then and no line producer for that. It was a time of work. The thing is, I wasn't going to abandon or short-shrift either project. You just can't. You can't put something out there with your name on it that isn't the most wonderful you can make it...We're dropping in the last effects and color-timing it right after upfronts, and then I'll be talking to people about how we can put it out. I would like to monetize it so I can not only say, 'Look, I can tell stories,' but people can be paid."
So we know it's going to be wonderful, and that the last effects are being done right now. And Kristen also mentions in her article that Joss might be looking for help promoting Doctor Horrible when the time comes. Well, I think that that will not be a problem! As for monetizing it so that people get paid? I'm very interested to see how that will pan out, and I sincerely hope it works out well.
It could be January 08 before the first episode is aired but the PR machine is working pretty much flat-out at the moment. There have been interviews with Joss at LATimes.com, 'Watch with Kristen' on EOnline.com and seat42f.com have an exclusive clip from the show. At TVWorthWatching.com there is a review (plus great cast photo) and the news that Dollhouse and Fringe are going to be "the recipients of a new Fox experiment they're calling "Remote-Free TV." In those two shows, for their entire season runs, commercial ad and promo time will be cut by half, with no more than five minutes of interruptions per hour for network commercial minutes." Now that does sound promising! Over at Dollverse.com they have news that the first episode 'Echo' had completed filming and a great photo taken from inside the Dollhouse. We can be reassured that there certainly appears to be no expense spared...
Doctor Horrible - Joss Speaks!
In the same LATimes.com interview about Dollhouse, Joss talks about Doctor Horrible. It sounds like things got a little hectic for Joss at the end of the Strike:
"...And when we came back, Fox said instead of 3 1/2 months to write a script and a few months of prep time, we're shooting ["Dollhouse"] in two months. And we hadn't even fully broken an episode. And I had "Dr. Horrible" to shoot two weeks from then and no line producer for that. It was a time of work. The thing is, I wasn't going to abandon or short-shrift either project. You just can't. You can't put something out there with your name on it that isn't the most wonderful you can make it...We're dropping in the last effects and color-timing it right after upfronts, and then I'll be talking to people about how we can put it out. I would like to monetize it so I can not only say, 'Look, I can tell stories,' but people can be paid."
So we know it's going to be wonderful, and that the last effects are being done right now. And Kristen also mentions in her article that Joss might be looking for help promoting Doctor Horrible when the time comes. Well, I think that that will not be a problem! As for monetizing it so that people get paid? I'm very interested to see how that will pan out, and I sincerely hope it works out well.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
'The Guild' Season Finale - Posted!
Episode 10 of The Guild is live as of now!
Felicia Day has tweeted that Episode 10: Boss Fight is posted so head over to YouTube, take a look and then comment and rate. It's a brilliant end to the Season and with Felicia is already hard at work on Season 2, let's make sure they know how much people want more! You can Digg, StumbleUpon, add to MySpace, reddit - there are lots of options on the YouTube page so if you have accounts with any Social Media-type sites you can register your approval there. Enjoy!
Felicia Day has tweeted that Episode 10: Boss Fight is posted so head over to YouTube, take a look and then comment and rate. It's a brilliant end to the Season and with Felicia is already hard at work on Season 2, let's make sure they know how much people want more! You can Digg, StumbleUpon, add to MySpace, reddit - there are lots of options on the YouTube page so if you have accounts with any Social Media-type sites you can register your approval there. Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Power of Whedon-esque!
So how's that new Blog doing, then?
You have to laugh, and I was laughing this morning. Last night I posted the new article "Future Entertainment Part 1: Reviewing 'The Guild'" on my Wordpress Blog (the new one I told you about yesterday) thinking, well I might get a few kind souls from this Blog clicking on to check it out. So imagine my surprise when I checked the Wordpress Stats this morning and found that in the 10 hours since I'd posted I'd had over 100 hits....well over 100. Obviously my first thought was that WordPress had confused the stats with another site but then a quick look at the traffic source showed the reason - there's a link on Whedonesque front page and people were clicking through. And they still are! So thank you, 'Garim' (the poster), you've made my day.
You have to laugh, and I was laughing this morning. Last night I posted the new article "Future Entertainment Part 1: Reviewing 'The Guild'" on my Wordpress Blog (the new one I told you about yesterday) thinking, well I might get a few kind souls from this Blog clicking on to check it out. So imagine my surprise when I checked the Wordpress Stats this morning and found that in the 10 hours since I'd posted I'd had over 100 hits....well over 100. Obviously my first thought was that WordPress had confused the stats with another site but then a quick look at the traffic source showed the reason - there's a link on Whedonesque front page and people were clicking through. And they still are! So thank you, 'Garim' (the poster), you've made my day.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Firefly/Serenity News and Blog Happenings
Firefly-fest on SciFi channel - plus more!
This Friday, May 16th, SciFi are showing the first eight episodes of Firefly, from 'Serenity, Part 1' to 'Jaynestown'. And then, if that wasn't enough, SciFi are later showing 'The Sarah Jane Adventures', 'Doctor Who Season 4' and 'Battlestar Galactica'. The DVD cannae take it Cap'n! Well, actually, it better had, or they'll be trouble....
New blog experiment
I've been blogging here now since 1oth February and hopefully posting my 100th blog later this week. It's been an exciting time for me, and I hope not too dismal for you. But you know how we geeks get. Blogger is great but...maybe WordPress is better. Felicia Day uses WordPress, and so do lots of other cool people...So a while ago I submitted to my completely imagined peer-pressure and started a WordPress account. I've posted my first 'real' article there today called 'Future Entertainment: Reviewing 'The Guild' and I would view it as a kindness if you stumbled over there and had a looky. If you told me what you think of it, that'd be even better. For now, though, I'm going to have a nice cup of tea.
This Friday, May 16th, SciFi are showing the first eight episodes of Firefly, from 'Serenity, Part 1' to 'Jaynestown'. And then, if that wasn't enough, SciFi are later showing 'The Sarah Jane Adventures', 'Doctor Who Season 4' and 'Battlestar Galactica'. The DVD cannae take it Cap'n! Well, actually, it better had, or they'll be trouble....
New blog experiment
I've been blogging here now since 1oth February and hopefully posting my 100th blog later this week. It's been an exciting time for me, and I hope not too dismal for you. But you know how we geeks get. Blogger is great but...maybe WordPress is better. Felicia Day uses WordPress, and so do lots of other cool people...So a while ago I submitted to my completely imagined peer-pressure and started a WordPress account. I've posted my first 'real' article there today called 'Future Entertainment: Reviewing 'The Guild' and I would view it as a kindness if you stumbled over there and had a looky. If you told me what you think of it, that'd be even better. For now, though, I'm going to have a nice cup of tea.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Nathan Fillion talks about Trucker and Doctor Horrible
Nathan Fillion was in Australia this weekend.
He was there with Ron Glass (veteran actor who starred as Book in Firefly/Serenity) and Jason Palmer (artist for Serenity) taking part in Hub Productions Serenity conventions in Sydney and Melbourne. He latest film, 'Trucker' was released recently and the 'TruckerMovie.net' website caught up with him to ask him some questions. As usual, Nathan was his honest and cheery self and you can read the whole interview here.
What does he think of Doctor Horrible?
At the end of the interview Nathan was asked about what he could say about Doctor Horrible. It appears that Nathan thinks it's going to be good: "It’s gonna rock....this incredible music that we were singing, these incredible lyrics, these wonderful songs.. I saw a rough cut of this thing and it’s frickin’ great. It’s changed my opinion as to how things are going to work in the future as far as taking the producers out of the equation and the internet is now your distribution. I think everything’s going to change and I think this is certainly my first experience in the direction things are going." Nathan singing. Now that's certainly something to look forward to!
Nathan Fillion: star of the future?
Mr Fillion has starred and worked on some fantastic TV shows and movies but he hasn't, apparently, made it 'big' yet. Of course, that is all relative and most people would agree that whatever they have seen him in, he has always stood out as a great actor. His IMDb entry is packed, and he has written a new show for ABC, Repo Brothers, so we should be seeing more of him in the future. Now he has a taste of how an Internet show can be done and it just makes me wonder. My bet is that it won't be long before we see Mr Fillion taking on Felicia Day for title of 'Most Internet-Savvy Whedon Alum'. He just needs to learn how to turn his computer on....!
He was there with Ron Glass (veteran actor who starred as Book in Firefly/Serenity) and Jason Palmer (artist for Serenity) taking part in Hub Productions Serenity conventions in Sydney and Melbourne. He latest film, 'Trucker' was released recently and the 'TruckerMovie.net' website caught up with him to ask him some questions. As usual, Nathan was his honest and cheery self and you can read the whole interview here.
What does he think of Doctor Horrible?
At the end of the interview Nathan was asked about what he could say about Doctor Horrible. It appears that Nathan thinks it's going to be good: "It’s gonna rock....this incredible music that we were singing, these incredible lyrics, these wonderful songs.. I saw a rough cut of this thing and it’s frickin’ great. It’s changed my opinion as to how things are going to work in the future as far as taking the producers out of the equation and the internet is now your distribution. I think everything’s going to change and I think this is certainly my first experience in the direction things are going." Nathan singing. Now that's certainly something to look forward to!
Nathan Fillion: star of the future?
Mr Fillion has starred and worked on some fantastic TV shows and movies but he hasn't, apparently, made it 'big' yet. Of course, that is all relative and most people would agree that whatever they have seen him in, he has always stood out as a great actor. His IMDb entry is packed, and he has written a new show for ABC, Repo Brothers, so we should be seeing more of him in the future. Now he has a taste of how an Internet show can be done and it just makes me wonder. My bet is that it won't be long before we see Mr Fillion taking on Felicia Day for title of 'Most Internet-Savvy Whedon Alum'. He just needs to learn how to turn his computer on....!
Friday, May 9, 2008
HERO: TRUE STRENGTH (Project featuring Nathan Fillion)
This newest installment of "Heroes: the future of gods, icons, and heroes" by artist Martin Firrell and featuring Nathan Fillion, talks about the nature of true strength -what it means to be strong. HERO's messages of thoughtfulness and non violence has reached hundreds of thousands of people in more than 80 different countries around the world.
read more digg story
The way these presentations are framed and shot is incredibly intimate and moving. Nathan Fillion speaks from the heart and you can see that he knows, he feels, what he says is true. "I am not afraid to trust someone. I'm not afraid to open my heart..." A powerful message, a powerful series, 'read more' to link to the HERO site and view the latest video.
read more digg story
The way these presentations are framed and shot is incredibly intimate and moving. Nathan Fillion speaks from the heart and you can see that he knows, he feels, what he says is true. "I am not afraid to trust someone. I'm not afraid to open my heart..." A powerful message, a powerful series, 'read more' to link to the HERO site and view the latest video.
Jewel Staite To Do Q&A before Vancouver CSTS on June 22nd!
Hot news just in!
The Vancouver Charity Screening of Serenity just got even more exciting! Here's an extract from the Firefly MeetUp Board:
"We are excited to announce that Jewel Staite (Kaylee, of course!) has accepted our invitation to do a half-hour Q & A before the movie. She will also be autographing some items for the silent auction.
The doors will open at 11 am and an array of activities will continue until 6 pm, including sing-along filking with local filker & Browncoat Cindy Turner; our own Brandon Klassen performing his Serenity songs, including "Sail the Sky"; a costume contest; door prizes and more. And, of course, the screening of Serenity! Keep checking our blog site for a list of prizes and up-to-date information.
We will be holding a silent auction, with some great items, which will be listed on our blog. Cash or cheque only for the auction, please.
In addition to raising money for Equality Now (Joss's favourite charity), this year 10% of the net proceeds will be going to support the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, so let's show them how generous Browncoats are!"
Screening details
When: Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 11:00 AM 2008
Where: The Norm Theatre, Student Union Building, 6138 Student Union Boulevard. Vancouver , BC V6T 1Z1
It promises to be a brilliant day out so order your tickets today via the official blog (the link for PayPal is right at the bottom of the page).
The Vancouver Charity Screening of Serenity just got even more exciting! Here's an extract from the Firefly MeetUp Board:
"We are excited to announce that Jewel Staite (Kaylee, of course!) has accepted our invitation to do a half-hour Q & A before the movie. She will also be autographing some items for the silent auction.
The doors will open at 11 am and an array of activities will continue until 6 pm, including sing-along filking with local filker & Browncoat Cindy Turner; our own Brandon Klassen performing his Serenity songs, including "Sail the Sky"; a costume contest; door prizes and more. And, of course, the screening of Serenity! Keep checking our blog site for a list of prizes and up-to-date information.
We will be holding a silent auction, with some great items, which will be listed on our blog. Cash or cheque only for the auction, please.
In addition to raising money for Equality Now (Joss's favourite charity), this year 10% of the net proceeds will be going to support the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, so let's show them how generous Browncoats are!"
Screening details
When: Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 11:00 AM 2008
Where: The Norm Theatre, Student Union Building, 6138 Student Union Boulevard. Vancouver , BC V6T 1Z1
It promises to be a brilliant day out so order your tickets today via the official blog (the link for PayPal is right at the bottom of the page).
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Harrison Ford Waxes “Acre” of his Chest Hair for Rainforest
Huh? Harrison Ford’s man-carpet unceremoniously torn off by a well-meaning esthetician ANALOGOUS to the logging, mining, cattle-ranching and hydro-electric-damming of the “lungs of the planet?” Wait, now I get it, Indiana Jones (IV!) star Ford wasn’t fearless enough to have a lung ripped out as an analogy, so right, chest hair — close enough. (Read More to see VIDEO).
read more digg story
This is a great story found via Digg. And so relevant after the debate that's been raging on Pink Raygun about Jack Sheppard's chest hair! Normally, I think that men should keep whatever rug they have, but in Harrison's case I'll make an exception because it's for a good cause. Well worth checking out the video...
read more digg story
This is a great story found via Digg. And so relevant after the debate that's been raging on Pink Raygun about Jack Sheppard's chest hair! Normally, I think that men should keep whatever rug they have, but in Harrison's case I'll make an exception because it's for a good cause. Well worth checking out the video...
Podcasts and MyBlogLog
Hypersensitive - hypergood!
I started listening to Lisa T's Hypersensitive podcast last week before going to Vancouver, and I really enjoyed it. I couldn't finish before I left so I caught up with it yesterday. That's one of the great things about Podcasts - you can listen anytime and if you don't finish, you can go back again. The podcast covers a wide range of topics from TV, movies to other podcasts and what Lisa has been up to. And congratulations are in order because she is going to be the voice of Cordelia in Buffy: Between the Lines for Season 2! This is a great, chatty podcast and if you love TV, movies, music the Internet and Podcasts then give it a go. Lisa also has a website and something that caught my eye from it this week was A Geek's Guide to Summer Movies. If you weren't sure what to watch this season, you now have a handy list to refer to - invaluable!
MyBlogLog
Some of you might have noticed the MyBlogLog thingy (widget) at the side of my blog. It shows the last few readers of my 'MyBlogLog' community home page. What's that, then? Well MyBlogLog is another example of Social Software that I've been experimenting with. At first it was a bit 'well, what does it do?' but now I've added some settings and I can see how it might be very useful. It's free to join and if you have a blog or website you can add links to it and invite people to join your community. You can also join other communities that share interests with you. On my home page you can see what I've been doing - updates to my blog, pages I've Dugg with Digg, Twitter Updates, Stumble Upon...it puts all these together in one place.
Join in!
Why not join MyBlogLog and see for yourself! Add your blog or website (if you have one), add all your other social software IDs and then join in. It's easy to do and a good way to extend your online presence. Stop by my community page and join. If you do I'll be sure to pop over and say hello - it would be great to meet some more readers. If you want any help with it send me an email or contact me via MyBlogLog.
I started listening to Lisa T's Hypersensitive podcast last week before going to Vancouver, and I really enjoyed it. I couldn't finish before I left so I caught up with it yesterday. That's one of the great things about Podcasts - you can listen anytime and if you don't finish, you can go back again. The podcast covers a wide range of topics from TV, movies to other podcasts and what Lisa has been up to. And congratulations are in order because she is going to be the voice of Cordelia in Buffy: Between the Lines for Season 2! This is a great, chatty podcast and if you love TV, movies, music the Internet and Podcasts then give it a go. Lisa also has a website and something that caught my eye from it this week was A Geek's Guide to Summer Movies. If you weren't sure what to watch this season, you now have a handy list to refer to - invaluable!
MyBlogLog
Some of you might have noticed the MyBlogLog thingy (widget) at the side of my blog. It shows the last few readers of my 'MyBlogLog' community home page. What's that, then? Well MyBlogLog is another example of Social Software that I've been experimenting with. At first it was a bit 'well, what does it do?' but now I've added some settings and I can see how it might be very useful. It's free to join and if you have a blog or website you can add links to it and invite people to join your community. You can also join other communities that share interests with you. On my home page you can see what I've been doing - updates to my blog, pages I've Dugg with Digg, Twitter Updates, Stumble Upon...it puts all these together in one place.
Join in!
Why not join MyBlogLog and see for yourself! Add your blog or website (if you have one), add all your other social software IDs and then join in. It's easy to do and a good way to extend your online presence. Stop by my community page and join. If you do I'll be sure to pop over and say hello - it would be great to meet some more readers. If you want any help with it send me an email or contact me via MyBlogLog.
Practical Parenting: Geek-Style plus Morena Baccarin new role
Following in your footsteps.
The joys of parenthood: the sleepless nights, the tantrums, the chance to dress your offspring up in 'cute but geek' clothes....Rachel, from Pink Raygun gives us 'Help me Obi Mom: Five Ways to Grow a Fan Girl/Boy'. This is a practical guide to help ensure your kids inherit your geek-like tendencies and covers essentials such as dressing for (geek) success and encouraging suitable first words. Words such as 'Redrum' and 'Frak'. They all point to a solid foundation for future geekery. And, of course, it also covers the very important issue of when and what to expose children to, culture-wise.
Set the foundations
This is a tricky area and one that needs some thought. As a young kid I hid from Doctor Who but loved it just the same. Thunderbirds, Star Trek (TOS) , UFO, Time Tunnel, The Invisible Man and The Invaders to name a few, were essential viewing when I was growing up (thankfully my mum loved the right TV programs!). Being weaned on such offerings all but guaranteed that I would grow up to be the fully-rounded person I am now. Rachel advises caution and I agree - Darth Vader and The Master can be scary to youngsters. But sometimes unexpected things cause problems, too. My kids love Futurama and laughed like drains at Robot Santa, but when Ziodberg eats a guinea-pig in 'Anthology of Interest' there were tears aplenty! Kids, eh?!
Cast your vote
Io9.com also has a poll open at the moment: What's The Best Scifi Show To Get Your Kid Hooked On?. It has all the usual suspects such as Doctor Who and Star Trek. But guess which program is now winning? Firefly! Yay! I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that the link was posted on Whedonesque yesterday...But why stop at TV? Somewhere there must be a 'Geek ABC', 'Math for the geek baby' and 'First steps in Quantum Physics - hardboard edition'. If not, there should be. I can see it now - Galactica ABCs - 'A' is for 'Adama', 'B' is for 'Battlestar', 'C' is for 'Centurion', 'D' is for 'Destruction of the human race'...
Morena Baccarin news
Whedonesque has also posted the news that Morena Baccarin (who played the beautiful and intelligent Inara in Firefly) has a new role in an ABC law drama. She is going to play the female lead in a new, as yet untitled, David Hemingson pilot about a LA boutique law firm.
The joys of parenthood: the sleepless nights, the tantrums, the chance to dress your offspring up in 'cute but geek' clothes....Rachel, from Pink Raygun gives us 'Help me Obi Mom: Five Ways to Grow a Fan Girl/Boy'. This is a practical guide to help ensure your kids inherit your geek-like tendencies and covers essentials such as dressing for (geek) success and encouraging suitable first words. Words such as 'Redrum' and 'Frak'. They all point to a solid foundation for future geekery. And, of course, it also covers the very important issue of when and what to expose children to, culture-wise.
Set the foundations
This is a tricky area and one that needs some thought. As a young kid I hid from Doctor Who but loved it just the same. Thunderbirds, Star Trek (TOS) , UFO, Time Tunnel, The Invisible Man and The Invaders to name a few, were essential viewing when I was growing up (thankfully my mum loved the right TV programs!). Being weaned on such offerings all but guaranteed that I would grow up to be the fully-rounded person I am now. Rachel advises caution and I agree - Darth Vader and The Master can be scary to youngsters. But sometimes unexpected things cause problems, too. My kids love Futurama and laughed like drains at Robot Santa, but when Ziodberg eats a guinea-pig in 'Anthology of Interest' there were tears aplenty! Kids, eh?!
Cast your vote
Io9.com also has a poll open at the moment: What's The Best Scifi Show To Get Your Kid Hooked On?. It has all the usual suspects such as Doctor Who and Star Trek. But guess which program is now winning? Firefly! Yay! I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that the link was posted on Whedonesque yesterday...But why stop at TV? Somewhere there must be a 'Geek ABC', 'Math for the geek baby' and 'First steps in Quantum Physics - hardboard edition'. If not, there should be. I can see it now - Galactica ABCs - 'A' is for 'Adama', 'B' is for 'Battlestar', 'C' is for 'Centurion', 'D' is for 'Destruction of the human race'...
Morena Baccarin news
Whedonesque has also posted the news that Morena Baccarin (who played the beautiful and intelligent Inara in Firefly) has a new role in an ABC law drama. She is going to play the female lead in a new, as yet untitled, David Hemingson pilot about a LA boutique law firm.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
'The Guild' End-of-Season 1: Blizzards of Fun!
The excitement is mounting...
We are nearing the end of Season 1 for 'The Guild', with the final episode scheduled for release next week. As usual the cast and crew have been working hard to keep everything rolling with interviews, visits, forums and site updates. They've won awards, self-funded the whole first season and there's so much Guildy goodness for you to check out:
The Da!ly Quest (on Curse.com) interview with Kim Evey and Felicia Day. Some really indepth questions about The Guild, how it came to be made and what's behind the characters. Essential reading for any Guilder (Guildee?).
Patrick Rothfuss, Author of “Name of the Wind” interviewed by Felicia for her blog, this is a the first in a 'mutual interview' series, and is very illuminating on the issue of writing and fantasy in general.
Felicia interviewed by Patrick Rothfuss for his blog is another great interview that covers Felicia the violinist, the writer, the actor and also Doctor Horrible and Joss. What more could you ask!
“The Guild” Visits Blizzard! The whole team went visit Blizzard (who created World of Warcraft) and had a brilliant time. Jeff Lewis (Vork) has written up a very entertaining account of the trip and then there is follow-up on The Guild forums. Felicia has also said that after the visit half the cast have started to play WoW...
HowIWoW - great podcast interview with Felicia (which I have already reviewed, here and here!)
Being Humans, an Improv group featuring Felicia, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo) have a series of three performances. The second one is this Friday (the 9th May), so if you are in the LA area check out the details and go have some fun.
Heineken Ad with Viji Nathan (Avinashi - Zaboo's mum)
WatchTheGuild.com March round-up of links
Canyon-news interview with Greg Benson (director) - just because it's interesting to see all other things he's done...
So, lots to get your teeth into there until the last episode....how will the season end?!
We are nearing the end of Season 1 for 'The Guild', with the final episode scheduled for release next week. As usual the cast and crew have been working hard to keep everything rolling with interviews, visits, forums and site updates. They've won awards, self-funded the whole first season and there's so much Guildy goodness for you to check out:
The Da!ly Quest (on Curse.com) interview with Kim Evey and Felicia Day. Some really indepth questions about The Guild, how it came to be made and what's behind the characters. Essential reading for any Guilder (Guildee?).
Patrick Rothfuss, Author of “Name of the Wind” interviewed by Felicia for her blog, this is a the first in a 'mutual interview' series, and is very illuminating on the issue of writing and fantasy in general.
Felicia interviewed by Patrick Rothfuss for his blog is another great interview that covers Felicia the violinist, the writer, the actor and also Doctor Horrible and Joss. What more could you ask!
“The Guild” Visits Blizzard! The whole team went visit Blizzard (who created World of Warcraft) and had a brilliant time. Jeff Lewis (Vork) has written up a very entertaining account of the trip and then there is follow-up on The Guild forums. Felicia has also said that after the visit half the cast have started to play WoW...
HowIWoW - great podcast interview with Felicia (which I have already reviewed, here and here!)
Being Humans, an Improv group featuring Felicia, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo) have a series of three performances. The second one is this Friday (the 9th May), so if you are in the LA area check out the details and go have some fun.
Heineken Ad with Viji Nathan (Avinashi - Zaboo's mum)
Movie Mob - Robin Thorsen (Clara) and her best friend Michael review movies (you can vote each week to keep them as reviewers)
WatchTheGuild.com March round-up of links
Canyon-news interview with Greg Benson (director) - just because it's interesting to see all other things he's done...
So, lots to get your teeth into there until the last episode....how will the season end?!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Cylon Says - BSG: The Road Less Traveled
With mild spoilers for Season 4, 'Cylon Says' (aka Lisa Fary) brings us a unique interpretation of the current plotlines in Battlestar Galatica: The Muppets! With suggestions on how to enrich Starbuck's environment, a run-down of Muppet/BSG character-a-likes and neat use of song, this is a fun article for anyone who likes novel interpretation. Another excellent piece of BSG-goodness from Pink Raygun - and don't forget to check out Intergalactic Law while you're over there!
read more digg story
read more digg story
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Captain Reynold's Dogtag: You Could Own It! Plus FireFly MeetUp
It's true - Cap'n Malcolm Reynold's Dogtag up for Auction!
Kids Need To Read have announced their new auction and it promises to be a hotly-contested one. A new '57th Overlanders, SERGEANT REYNOLDS, MALCOLM' dogtag (plus chain), signed by Nathan Fillion is now on offer on eBay. Bidding has already started and the auction is open until May 9, 2008. It looks fantastic so get over to eBay quick-smart and get your bid in!
I've taken my first step into a larger world....
So then, yesterday. Quite a packed day with one thing another. Took a trip into the big city (Vancouver) to finally meet up with my FireFly MeetUp group. I'd not managed to attend any of the other meetings and I was determined to get there yesterday. After quite a bit of travelling and our first trip on the SkyTrain me and eldest daughter* arrived in Vancouver. A bit unsure of directions we asked the first person (who was English - of course!) and we headed off to Soho Billiards. We arrived a trifle late (about an hour) but the group was still there. Serena and Gayle gave us a wonderfully warm welcome, introduced us to the group and then we settled down to eat and chat. As well as the Browncoats there was also Stargate Atlantis and BSG/13th Colony representatives. I've never been to anything like that before and I really had no idea what to expect.
So, how was it?
Great! A chance to talk about the show, speculate about what was going to happen at the end of BSG (conclusions: who knows how it will end? The only certain thing is that we won't be expecting it!). And plans for the big Vancouver charity Serenity screening on June 22nd for Can't Stop The Serenity are coming on apace. It promises to be a great event and I'm buying my tickets this week to make sure - I don't want to miss out on it! We also saw Serena knitting the most gorgeous tiny Jayne hats. Made me want to start knitting again. Except you can't type and knit at the same time...Thanks to everyone who made me and #1 daughter so welcome!
Free Comic Book Day
After we had talked and laughed and speculated a bunch of us headed off to Elfsar Comics to look in on what was going down. The place was buzzing and The Joker and friends were there to help with out selections. Now I know you want to know - were there free comics? Yes, there were! A table at the back was laid out with a variety of special comics that you could pick from. Elfsar were doing a special deal whereby you got 5 from the selection just for showing up. If you made a donation to the Food Bank you got to pick another 5 comics, something from the table AND enter your name into a prize drawer. And so I came home leaden with comics and a 'Resident Evil' tee-shirt. Elfsar is packed with goodies and very welcoming. I had my 9-year-old daughter with me and she was right at home, looking at the action figures and asking for money (they're so cute at that age!). She was quite mortified on the way home, though, as we had to stand on the SkyTrain and I dropped all my comics on the floor. Ah well, the teens who helped pick them up pretended not to be looking at the titles with amusement, and I pretended that I wasn't embarrassed, so the rest of the journey was uneventful in comparison. A great day out.
FireFly release on Blu-ray is confirmed
Whedonesque have posted that you can pre-order from Amazon.
*Yes, yes, grammar-nerds! I know this is the incorrect form! It should be 'my eldest daughter and I ' but that sounds just plain wrong in an informal blog. No points for spotting all the other incorrect uses, either...
Friday, May 2, 2008
Last call for 'The Guild' Improv plus your weekend reminders...
See Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh live - tonight!
Yep. Indeedy. You lucky people in the LA area have the opportunity tonight and the next 2 Fridays to see actors from the leading web series 'The Guild' performing live Improv under the name of 'Being Humans' (think about it). It's in a back alley, apparently:
Westside Eclectic Theatre
1323-A 3rd Street Promenade (In the Alley)
Santa Monica, CA
90401310-451-0850
Well, we've all got to start somewhere :).
It will be seriously funny, so dust down your smilies and get yourself over there. Who knows who might be in the audience? Action starts at 10.30 PM, so go, enjoy, and then return and make us jealous by reporting back.
Battlestar Galactica
Next episode is on tonight and we can all relax - I've already set the DVD recorder!
Free Comics
Don't forget it's Free Comic Book Day tomorrow, so check on the official website and then support your local participating store. Free Comics!
Universal HD Firefly
Next episode is showing on Universal HD tomorrow and the shindig will be on, as usual.
Yep. Indeedy. You lucky people in the LA area have the opportunity tonight and the next 2 Fridays to see actors from the leading web series 'The Guild' performing live Improv under the name of 'Being Humans' (think about it). It's in a back alley, apparently:
Westside Eclectic Theatre
1323-A 3rd Street Promenade (In the Alley)
Santa Monica, CA
90401310-451-0850
Well, we've all got to start somewhere :).
It will be seriously funny, so dust down your smilies and get yourself over there. Who knows who might be in the audience? Action starts at 10.30 PM, so go, enjoy, and then return and make us jealous by reporting back.
Battlestar Galactica
Next episode is on tonight and we can all relax - I've already set the DVD recorder!
Free Comics
Don't forget it's Free Comic Book Day tomorrow, so check on the official website and then support your local participating store. Free Comics!
Universal HD Firefly
Next episode is showing on Universal HD tomorrow and the shindig will be on, as usual.
Calling all BC Browncoats...
Tickets now on sale for this year's Serenity screening!
Sunday, June 22nd is the date for this years' Can't Stop The Serenity Vancouver Charity Screening of Serenity. It is confirmed that the screening will take place at the The Norm Theatre, in the Student Union Building,6138 Student Union Blvd, UBC (University of British Columbia).Check out the official Vancouver blog for information, links to buy tickets and details about all the events on the day. You can order your tickets online using PayPal, or buy them up from Happy Bats Cinema, 198 East 15th Avenue (just west of Main Street) who will also be selling tickets after Saturday, May 3rd.
It promises to be a great event, and the proceeds go to charity:
"The charity screening is a global fundraising event for Equality Now, Joss Whedon's favourite charity. This year, Vancouver is also raising money for BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre. Ten percent of our net proceeds will be donated to BC Women's to help women and children throughout the province."
I'll be there, wearing my Jayne hat, so hope you can make it too!
Sunday, June 22nd is the date for this years' Can't Stop The Serenity Vancouver Charity Screening of Serenity. It is confirmed that the screening will take place at the The Norm Theatre, in the Student Union Building,6138 Student Union Blvd, UBC (University of British Columbia).Check out the official Vancouver blog for information, links to buy tickets and details about all the events on the day. You can order your tickets online using PayPal, or buy them up from Happy Bats Cinema, 198 East 15th Avenue (just west of Main Street) who will also be selling tickets after Saturday, May 3rd.
It promises to be a great event, and the proceeds go to charity:
"The charity screening is a global fundraising event for Equality Now, Joss Whedon's favourite charity. This year, Vancouver is also raising money for BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre. Ten percent of our net proceeds will be donated to BC Women's to help women and children throughout the province."
I'll be there, wearing my Jayne hat, so hope you can make it too!
Secrets and Lies and Virtual Fireflys
Funny how things work out, isn't it?
A bit ago I blogged about FanFic and how I was coming round to appreciate the really excellent work that is out there. Of course, Buffy: Between the Lines is a shining example of that, an award-winning collaborative work under the direction of Tabitha Smith. Some time ago I also joined a Virtual Firefly on the Fireflyfans.com site. A what? Well, good question. ShadowCaptain came up with a brilliant idea. Set up some Virtual Fireflys, advertise for crews and then send them out into the 'Verse for adventures and high jinxs. Crew members post on threads on the Virtual Firefly message boards, adding to the story and reacting to each other.
How does that work, then?
So I signed up, originally as worldofhiglet (of course), but as my character progressed I changed my nick to DocKat (the Doc makes me sound sophisticated, obviously) to fit into the storylines. Oh yes, and there isn't a storyline. Shadow (Kat calls him Cap'n) has jobs that need doing, but the crew get into all sorts of scrapes by themselves. It has been a great ride so far -our original pilot, O2, is still under medical care after a job went bad, I've raided my own ship (Tranquility) dressed as an Alliance office (Kat is ex-Alliance), and now it appears that my past is catching up with me. And Elbarto has revealed is true feelings. Oh dear. The only thing I can say for sure is that I don't know how it's going to end. It all depends on who posts next...
Improv?
There are now 5 Virtual Fireflys, and new crew members are always welcome (just take a look at the boards first and see where you want to fit in then apply to join). Each boat has a different set of characters who get up to all sorts of adventures and misadventures. It was only after doing the post yesterday and then Greg P making his comments that it occurred to me that the Virtual Fireflys are a type of Improv, but with strangers. And no body language for queues. And time differences...Still, it's all good, (mostly) clean fun, and you don't need to travel to LA!
A bit ago I blogged about FanFic and how I was coming round to appreciate the really excellent work that is out there. Of course, Buffy: Between the Lines is a shining example of that, an award-winning collaborative work under the direction of Tabitha Smith. Some time ago I also joined a Virtual Firefly on the Fireflyfans.com site. A what? Well, good question. ShadowCaptain came up with a brilliant idea. Set up some Virtual Fireflys, advertise for crews and then send them out into the 'Verse for adventures and high jinxs. Crew members post on threads on the Virtual Firefly message boards, adding to the story and reacting to each other.
How does that work, then?
So I signed up, originally as worldofhiglet (of course), but as my character progressed I changed my nick to DocKat (the Doc makes me sound sophisticated, obviously) to fit into the storylines. Oh yes, and there isn't a storyline. Shadow (Kat calls him Cap'n) has jobs that need doing, but the crew get into all sorts of scrapes by themselves. It has been a great ride so far -our original pilot, O2, is still under medical care after a job went bad, I've raided my own ship (Tranquility) dressed as an Alliance office (Kat is ex-Alliance), and now it appears that my past is catching up with me. And Elbarto has revealed is true feelings. Oh dear. The only thing I can say for sure is that I don't know how it's going to end. It all depends on who posts next...
Improv?
There are now 5 Virtual Fireflys, and new crew members are always welcome (just take a look at the boards first and see where you want to fit in then apply to join). Each boat has a different set of characters who get up to all sorts of adventures and misadventures. It was only after doing the post yesterday and then Greg P making his comments that it occurred to me that the Virtual Fireflys are a type of Improv, but with strangers. And no body language for queues. And time differences...Still, it's all good, (mostly) clean fun, and you don't need to travel to LA!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Guild Improv really happening! Plus: Twitter-ye-not
It's true! - First one Tomorrow Night!
Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh (who play Codex, Vork and Zaboo in 'The Guild') will be appearing as the Improvision Group 'Being Humans' (name nice) for three dates: Friday May 2nd, 9th, and 16th at 10.30 PM. Felicia has already said that her stage work this year is going to be very limited so now is your chance to see her live - being funny! Anyone who has seen 'The Guild' outtakes will know that Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh are seriously funny people. So the prospect of some live on-stage action between the three of them is exciting indeed. Yes.
Where is it, then?
The shows are all at the Westside Eclectic Theatre in Santa Monica (which apparently is near LA, or California, or somewhere like that), and you can find out all the address details etc on WatchTheGuild.com. Honestly, if I could think of a way I could be there I would be there, but I hope they'll be videoing them, at least. And hopefully the next episode 'The Guild' will be out soon, since, by my calculations it's Thursday today, and the new one was scheduled for Wednesday (according to Felicia on HowIWow). Though it could be next Wednesday. Actually probably Wednesday 14th May.
Twitter go boom
Well I've been waiting to use the 'Twitter ye not' strap for a while but today's the day. According to Twitter Status they've gone and lost a database server which has meant patchy Twitter access. A bit careless to lose it, don't you think? Have they tried the back of the sofa? It's a mixed blessing, really. In theory I should get more work done because there's less updates to look at, but then I end up checking to see if it's working yet! Still, I am doing my best to use it the way it was supposed to be used. Whatever that was again.
Being Human
Couldn't resist a quick Google of 'Being Humans' (The Guild's improv group) just in case there was something there and I came across this in New Scientist. Draw your own conclusions, but it's an interesting article! (And I certainly did not say that the photo reminded me of anyone, perhaps having a bad hair day...)
Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh (who play Codex, Vork and Zaboo in 'The Guild') will be appearing as the Improvision Group 'Being Humans' (name nice) for three dates: Friday May 2nd, 9th, and 16th at 10.30 PM. Felicia has already said that her stage work this year is going to be very limited so now is your chance to see her live - being funny! Anyone who has seen 'The Guild' outtakes will know that Jeff Lewis and Sandeep Parikh are seriously funny people. So the prospect of some live on-stage action between the three of them is exciting indeed. Yes.
Where is it, then?
The shows are all at the Westside Eclectic Theatre in Santa Monica (which apparently is near LA, or California, or somewhere like that), and you can find out all the address details etc on WatchTheGuild.com. Honestly, if I could think of a way I could be there I would be there, but I hope they'll be videoing them, at least. And hopefully the next episode 'The Guild' will be out soon, since, by my calculations it's Thursday today, and the new one was scheduled for Wednesday (according to Felicia on HowIWow). Though it could be next Wednesday. Actually probably Wednesday 14th May.
Twitter go boom
Well I've been waiting to use the 'Twitter ye not' strap for a while but today's the day. According to Twitter Status they've gone and lost a database server which has meant patchy Twitter access. A bit careless to lose it, don't you think? Have they tried the back of the sofa? It's a mixed blessing, really. In theory I should get more work done because there's less updates to look at, but then I end up checking to see if it's working yet! Still, I am doing my best to use it the way it was supposed to be used. Whatever that was again.
Being Human
Couldn't resist a quick Google of 'Being Humans' (The Guild's improv group) just in case there was something there and I came across this in New Scientist. Draw your own conclusions, but it's an interesting article! (And I certainly did not say that the photo reminded me of anyone, perhaps having a bad hair day...)
Web Birthday, Monster Jobs and Indiana delights
15 years ago yesterday, the Interweb was born.
Well, in a way it was, because 15 years ago yesterday a document was signed that allowed the free use of the technology on which the WWW is built. The BBC had a particularly interesting article about this which features interviews and future predictions from some of the most influential web luminaries including Sir Tim Berners Lee, Professor Wendy Hall and Robert Cailliau. Most are upbeat about the future of the Internet (which is good), and Robert Scoble's contribution resonated very strongly with me:
"The web means everything to me: I use the web to talk to my friends, to keep in touch with people around the world, to buy things, to look things up, to do research.
I can't think of a part of my life that isn't touched by the web in some way."
Too true!
Monster Haiku and other delightfulness
The new auction from Kids Need To Read is a collection of wonderful books for children and adults., alike. 'Caught Creatures' (a book of monster haiku), 'After Halloween' (a rhyming/alphabet book about the jobs monsters have) and 'Klawberry' (about a cute, little monster girl in a not-so-lovely world) are all autographed by illustrator and graphic designer Daniel M. Davis. The auction is hosted on eBay so head over there and make your bid.
Harrison Ford, eh?
Yes, I have to admit to having the hugest crush on Harrison Ford for most of my younger years. Nerd or not, the only reason I watched Star Wars the first time was to see him. Ah. Yeah. Of course, being the mature adult I am, I am way past that stage now. Of course. And the reason I'll be heading off to see the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is because the kids want to. So imagine my horror when I saw this "George Lucas admits that he’s stopped trying to please his fans and that, if you previously liked the Indiana Jones adventures, they will be ruined for you if you see Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. " pop up in my 'Pink Raygun' update. Lisa Fary's latest article does quote Lucas as saying that the Crystal Skull will disappoint, but she also tells us why we needn't be too worried. Still, fingers crossed...
PS: R2-D2 Projector
You know you want one...check it out.
Well, in a way it was, because 15 years ago yesterday a document was signed that allowed the free use of the technology on which the WWW is built. The BBC had a particularly interesting article about this which features interviews and future predictions from some of the most influential web luminaries including Sir Tim Berners Lee, Professor Wendy Hall and Robert Cailliau. Most are upbeat about the future of the Internet (which is good), and Robert Scoble's contribution resonated very strongly with me:
"The web means everything to me: I use the web to talk to my friends, to keep in touch with people around the world, to buy things, to look things up, to do research.
I can't think of a part of my life that isn't touched by the web in some way."
Too true!
Monster Haiku and other delightfulness
The new auction from Kids Need To Read is a collection of wonderful books for children and adults., alike. 'Caught Creatures' (a book of monster haiku), 'After Halloween' (a rhyming/alphabet book about the jobs monsters have) and 'Klawberry' (about a cute, little monster girl in a not-so-lovely world) are all autographed by illustrator and graphic designer Daniel M. Davis. The auction is hosted on eBay so head over there and make your bid.
Harrison Ford, eh?
Yes, I have to admit to having the hugest crush on Harrison Ford for most of my younger years. Nerd or not, the only reason I watched Star Wars the first time was to see him. Ah. Yeah. Of course, being the mature adult I am, I am way past that stage now. Of course. And the reason I'll be heading off to see the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is because the kids want to. So imagine my horror when I saw this "George Lucas admits that he’s stopped trying to please his fans and that, if you previously liked the Indiana Jones adventures, they will be ruined for you if you see Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. " pop up in my 'Pink Raygun' update. Lisa Fary's latest article does quote Lucas as saying that the Crystal Skull will disappoint, but she also tells us why we needn't be too worried. Still, fingers crossed...
PS: R2-D2 Projector
You know you want one...check it out.
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