Dr Horrible Awards, Castle etc....Another post of last resort *sigh*

I really haven't abandoned blogging

Everyday I think about my lovely little blog here and resolve to blog. But, gosh darn it, I am trying so hard to finish my book (116,500 words and counting) that I don't have the time to sit and blog. Normal service will be resumed very shortly.

In the meantime here's some things you might have missed:

The voting for the Horrible Awards is now open!

With lots of great people to vote for make sure you look through all the entries. If you wanted to vote for Evil WorldofHiglet (and who wouldn't!) scroll down to the 'Best Non-ELE' award. It's the first time I (I mean, my Evil twin) has ever been nominated for an award, so it would be great if I got more than one vote. No pressure. But if you wanted to spread the word then that would be cool, too. And Tabz is up for 'Best Non-Musical Vid' with 'The Destroyer - MyboyfriendCat'.

Felicia Day explains Twitter

Felicia and Tabz are the two people who got me into Twitter in the first place. 2600+ Tweets later and I love using it in conjunction with FriendFeed. Lots of people are confused by it, though, and Felicia has written a very good introduction to get you started.

Nathan Fillion talks Castle

The great Castle fan site http://castletv.net/ have a wonderful interview with Nathan Fillion today. Ahh, Nathan....er, anyway, it's well worth a look!

I'm hoping the first draft of my book will be finished by next week, and then we can get back to some sense of normalcy. Anyone know any literary agents.....?

The Guild Season 2 - Episode 12: Fight! Three times The Guild viewing - FINALE!

Be Prepared.

However you thought Season 2 of The Guild was going to end, you were probably wrong. Very wrong! I know I was. This an achingly good episode and will have you shouting at the screen. I know I did. Seriously, you have to watch it. And watch it now.

Season 2 - Episode 12: Fight!

Don't forget you can Digg this eipsode and then go over to WatchTheGuild.com community site and discuss it with like-minded fans.

Felicia and Crew Live Chat tonight!

As I mentioned yesterday, The Guild now has it's own UStream.tv channel and tonight at 7:30 - 8:30 there will be a live chat with the cast. It's going to be an experience, so don't miss out!

But there's more...

It's the end of Season 2 and that's more than a little sad. But, guess what? Also released today are two other great Guild videos. Firstly there is a Behind The Scenes video from Kenny Mittleider (@geekyfanboy on Twitter) about The Stunts of Season 2. It has interviews with Fernando Chien (@Killa4), who plays Wade, 'The stunt guy', Felicia and Sean Becker (@seanbecker). 

Season 2 - The Stunts 

But there's still more!

As if all that wasn't enough the gag reel for episodes 8-12 is out today, too! Too much...!

Season 2 - Gag Reel: Episodes 8-12

The Guild Ustream Channel: live chat with Felicia 17th Feb!

Felicia Day has set up a new Ustream.tv Channel and she will be hosting her first LIVE CHAT tomorrow (Tuesday 17th Feb 2009) at 7:30 - 8:30 PM Pacific time to celebrate the Season 2 Finale of the hit webseries The Guild. Tune in and there might be other guests from the show - but hopefully if Vork appears he won't be in his Speedos!

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Dollhouse reactions and The Guild Season 2 Finale!

So, did you watch it yet?

Dollhouse, I mean. My DVR didn't record the last 15 mins so I had to watch the first bit on TV then switch to Hulu. For anyone outside the US who wants to use Hulu you can get and IP switcher (see this post for more details). Now there are NO SPOILERs HERE, so you can read on without fear.

Was it any good?

That's the questions everyone is struggling to answer. I waited until I saw it to look at any opinions because I wanted to have my own reaction to it. Given that we know that this first episode is actually the third attempt at a pilot, it was hard to have an open mind. Given the dark cloud of cancellation has been there is people's minds ever since the series was announced, expectations were bound to be high. So....did it deliver? Yes. And no. 

I will be tuning in!

This was not the single most inspiring, exciting, unexpected, breathtaking piece of TV I have ever seen. But how could it be? I knew more than I wanted to about it before it had aired anyway. I knew the premise, the actors, had seen the sets, the clothes, the technology...But it was a good, solid start. The storytelling was sharp, the acting believable and it looked like a polished series that was set to grow. No wobbly sets or crappy camera work. There has been some disappointment, despair and hand-wringing in some quarters but - guess what? That's been going on since day 1 and it's unlikely to change. Give it a chance. Cowboys in space was a hard concept to grasp and, for some, it took a little time to get into. Dollhouse looks like it's a real grower, and I can't wait.

(Picture from Felicia's blog)

The Guild Season 2 Ends Tomorrow!

The waiting and gnashing of teeth has started already. Felicia - get writing Season 3! Felicia - stop swanning around doing other stuff! Felicia - ooh Dollhouse! Yes, Felicia has started blogging a bit more frequently (don't you hate it when your fav bloggers get busy and don't keep you updated? Really ticks me off, that...). In her last blog post she talks about Season 2 and her impending part in Dollhouse. And she also mentions that she might be doing a Live Chat to coincide with the season Finale. Yay! I hope this happens and as soon as I hear I will post details. Exciting, huh?

Are you ready? DOLLHOUSE premiere (and BSG grinds on)

Dollhouse parties - are you going to one?

There is one tonight in Vancouver but I won't be able to make it due to various other child-related commitments (anyone with kids will tell you they have a much more active social life than their parents!). So, this evening I will be off the Internet (shock! Horror!) as I struggle to avoid any spoilers about Dollhouse and Battlestar Galactica.

No Spoilers!

For many months there was a steady trickle of information about the new Joss Whedon/Eliza Dushku series on Fox. Most of it not from Fox itself but from interviews with Joss and Eliza and the other stars. Information from Fox was hard to come by and trailers scare. Little advertising was done on Fox and this heightened fans' fears that the show was about to outdo Firefly by being cancelled before it had even aired. But in the last two weeks - holymoly! There has been reams of interviews, trailers posted, Joss and Eliza have been here, there and everywhere promoting the show. So much information, in fact, that there is far too much for me to process. And, in the midst of this it's hard to stay spoiler-free. Every interview has people asking about the show - of course! But then do you read it or not? I have started a couple and then stopped because I just want to be able to watch. I'll catch up with everything afterwards. For now I'm basking in the anticipation.

But if you want to know more...

Head over the Whedonesque.com. As always it's the go-to place to find out where all those interview, articles and videos are. Mostly they are flagged if they have spoilers so knock yourself out. Yesterday Joss himself posted a message saying he would answer 5 questions of those posted within a half-hour window. His rationale being that he had given time everywhere else so the loyal fans at Whedonesque.com should be rewarded, too:

February 13 2009

For You Guys. I'll check this in 30 minutes and pick five questions to answer.

I'll have to be brief, but since I'm talking to everyone that should include you.

joss | Purple prose | 06:24 CET | 237 comments total

As you can see, as of this morning there were 237 comments in reply to his post - many containing multiple questions. Yes, I think you could say that interest was high.

There's even an article about the science basis behind Dollhouse in 'Dollhouse's Memory Science Mixes Fact with Fiction' article in PopularMechanics.

(Picture from PopularMechanics article)

Could it get any better?

And to top it all Felicia Day confirmed via Twitter yesterday the rumours that had been circulating - she is going to be in Dollhouse later in the season:

For those inquiring minds, I got the ok today to confirm that I'm going to be on an episode Dollhouse later in the season! So exciting

BSG - I'm loving it?

Well you can never say that Battlestar Galactica shied away from violence, mayhem and sheer, bloody-minded refusal to face facts. No, no spoilers but if you haven't already caught up on the happens then do it! Unless you don't like being put through the emotional wringer. Wimp.

The Guild Season 2 - Episode 11: Collision Course

The "Guild" guys crash the girl's night; Zaboo gets a rude awakening.

Okay. Season 2 has been building up, week by week, piling on the layers and ramping up the tension and in this episode we see - eek! - some actual kissage! And it was...sweet and hot (er..you know what I mean by that, right?). We also see a whole lot more of some people (aww yeah!) plus some very welcome extras (@egspoony you were totally cool!). And 'the stunt guy', Wade, is fantastic. Played winnigly by actor Fernando "Fu-Nan" Chien he has been an awesome addition to the cast this season. Fernando is a cool guy, too, and you can follow him on Twitter as @Killa4.

The Bladezz and Tink arc also came to a head, though I'm not sure it's resolved yet. Clara continued to out-party everyone under the table and Vork...? What can you say about a man who brings baggies with him so he can take away the party food in convenient containers? But Codex - what are you going to do? I can't wait for next week. And at the same time it's going to be sad because that'shttp://twitter.com/Killa4going to be the end of the Season...Felicia? You are writing Season 3, aren't you? Please say you are...

Season 2 - Episode 11: Collision Course 

Digg it up!

And don't forget to Digg this episode (and the others if you haven't already). The more support the fans show the easier it will be for Season 3 to happen.

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Podcasting Your Novel: Publishing's Next Wave? Plus more Erotic Zoe...

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Joss Whedon's Plan to Monetize Internet Content

A very interesting interview with Joss from Knowledge@Wharton

Joss talks about Dr Horrible and what if should mean for the web video business

 "..Joss Whedon wants to change the way Hollywood does business. While Whedon works inside the studio system on major projects, he also hopes to blaze a trail on the Internet for creating and monetizing independently produced content. In doing so, he is confronting what he terms the 'homogenized, globalized, monopolized entertainment system' "

It's an in-depth interview and Joss also talks about the deal with the writers, cast and crew:

"Knowledge@Wharton: Several numbers have been quoted regarding the overall cost of "Dr. Horrible" -- "low six-figures"; "around $200,000" -- can you set the record straight?

Whedon: We got so much of this done through people doing us favors -- department heads and people who have access to things. But you've got to pay your day-to-day crew. The actors all did it for nothing. And we all did it for nothing. So, the production costs alone -- the basic costs of filming the thing, and getting the locations, props and everything -- ran a little over $200,000.

We had a secondary budget drawn up in case of a profit, wherein we were trying to find rates for Internet materials. In some cases they didn't exist. We used models that had been created by the guild for repurposed, or reused, material that we used for original [content], because this had never come up before.

We didn't want to leave a sour taste and say, "Well, we made some money off of you guys being kind." It was like: No, everybody has to benefit from what they've done, obviously not enormously -- it's Internet money we're talking about -- but as soon as we got in the black, we paid everybody off.

So that budget was probably about twice what the original budget was.

Knowledge@Wharton: You've now earned more than twice the original cost?

Whedon: Yes.

Knowledge@Wharton: Which members of the production shared in the profits on the backend?

Whedon: The crew that got paid, got paid. [Those] who didn't get paid [included people like] department heads who had jobs and could afford to do this as a lark.

As we go forward into profit, there are also residual schedules and payment schedules for all of the creative people. We're trying to figure out how that works..."

It's well worth reading the rest of the interview.  

Web video. Tell your friends. This is the one.

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The Guild: Season 2 - Episode 10 [Socializing Sucks]

Bladezz takes control of Guy's night; Codex's neighbor shows up at her party. With only two more episodes after this one, who knows how it's going to end?! Favourite quotes: "Vorktanamo Bay", "Wing Women", "...the street smarts of a cartoon princess", "someone's mining my ore" (though all the dialogue is fantastic!).

Season 2 - Episode 10: Socializing Sucks 

There are so many special moments in this episode...but you'll have to watch for yourself. The way the characters play off each other....Yes, I know, I'm Evil... Don't forget to Digg this episode to show your support. 

PS Where did they get all those jellybeans....?
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It's Pink Raygun's 2nd Birthday! Let every Fangirl rejoice!

(Ok, the Fanboys, too....!)

Lisa Fary and John Dallaire set up Pink Raygun for "News, Reviews and Interviews for Fangirls....and Boys" in 2007 and their ambitious plan to create a genre site that caters for the female part of fandom has blossomed beautifully. With lots of new ventures to look forward to let's take a moment to be thankful for Pink Raygun - made of awesome!

If you haven't made it over to Pink Raygun then - why not?! I will guarantee that you will find so many things of interest you will spend far more time there than you planned to - but don't let that put you off.

Congratulations to Lisa and John - I think that 2009 is really going to be a great year for the Raygun coloured Pink :)

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Vork+Speedos= The madness must STOP!

The Superbowl

Apparently there was some sort of sporting event going on in America yesterday. Something that seemed to be little more than an excuse for broadcasting porn and other inappropriate content to swathes of the US and beyond.

First, the pr0n

Comcast outdid themselves by managing to beam highly inappropriate content to their users. If you want to know more about this (you know, in the interest of science) then you can find out more and maybe give a Digg, too, if you feel the need.

Even more inappropriate

Disturbing as that might have been for the viewers, it was almost certainly broadcast in error. However, there was something FAR MORE disturbing broadcast during the Superbowl. Brace yourselves, folks. Someone who has previously kept themselves thankfully buttoned-down in some rather fetching smart/casual combinations has now jumped the shark, dress-sense-wise. It pains me to say this but live-action sequences of VORK IN A SPEEDO were broadcast in full-colour to millions of viewers:

It gets worse...

And if that was not bad enough, there is now a Facebook widget-thingy that lets you send Vork to each other. The madness must STOP! Felicia has inadvertently ensured that every single person who has friended her on Facebook will now send her one (as of about 2 hours ago she had been sent 25) but please - think before you send! Is this what we want cluttering up the information superhighway? Really?? Won't someone think of the children.....?!?

P.S.

Dear Jeff,

It's not you, it's me. Really, you are a fine example of manliness, really you are. It's just...well, you know...well...Gee, did I mention I think you are a fantastic actor and totally outdo Sandeep in every scene?!

P.P.S.

Dear Sandeep,

Hey, as the founder member of the 'Zombie Zaboo' group on The Guild community site you know how much respect I have for you. I even said nice thing about you on the effinfunny website. I really think it's the combination and chemistry between you and Jeff that makes every scene you do together awesomesauce and you are totally great as an actor. I was just trying to make Jeff feel a bit better about everyone hating on his near-nakedness. You understand these  things....

When professional cakes go horribly wrong [PICS]

"A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons".

There are some brilliant examples of how *not* to do a celebration cake. Warning: some of these cakes are so bad, they are downright scary! This is an article from the Telegraph but I've been to Cake Wrecks many times. It's up there with Failblog and More Cowbell as an instant pick-me-up. Hope you enjoy them!

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