Today is a sad, sad day.

From MSNBC:

Say what? Tennant leaving ‘Doctor Who’

Scottish actor has played time- and space-traveling alien hero since 2005

LONDON - Britain's best-known time traveler is ending his journey. The BBC has announced that Scottish actor David Tennant will leave long-running science fiction series "Doctor Who" in just over a year.

Tennant has played the show's time- and space-traveling alien hero since 2005. He will appear in a Christmas special and four hour-long episodes to be aired in 2009 and early 2010. But he said Wednesday that when the series returns for a full season in 2010, "it won't be with me."
"This show has been so special to me," Tennant said. "I don't want to outstay my welcome."

"Doctor Who" was first broadcast in 1963 and is one of the BBC's longest-running and most popular programs. Tennant is the 10th actor to play the title character, who has the power to regenerate in a new body.

Classically trained Tennant, 37, is currently starring in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Well, this sucks, doesn't it? More editorializing after I compose myself. I do believe I've entered an existential crisis.

I continue to be troubled by new Star Trek.

Yes, it's another emo post from me about the new Star Trek movie issues I have, but as the self-professed resident Trekkie in the Geek Sisterhood, I'm allowed.


I see that Zach Quinto, who I must clarify is still totally badass as Sylar in Heroes (despite the MANY issues I have with Heroes this season - but that's Stacey's Geek Beat), and Chris Pine have 'updated' the iconic Kirk-Spock shot from Classic Trek. Awesome, right? Not so much. It would appear that there is a lot of Botox available at Starfleet. Witness:




I've got problems, folks. I have doubts... so many doubts. You look at the photo and pronounce me a lunatic, right? What does a little airbrushing or smooth-skin have to do with the quality of the movie? Lots, my geeky friends. Lots.



I'm concerned that this movie is about being pretty first and being a good movie second. And by pretty I mean not only the cast but the special effects. If J.J. Abrams throws enough "ooh, pretty shiny" at us, will we notice the lack of a plot? Lack of character development? Let's face it, this movie is aimed at a new generation of fans, not the ones who grew up with TOS like we did. You can catch reruns of original Trek now on G4 or, if you're lucky, a Sci-Fi Channel marathon. I had it nightly on Channel 9, when the cool, space-age medical scanners McCoy used on the Enterprise were actually salt and pepper shakers.



This is an audience that's been steadily raised on a diet of video games - I think many of us agree that the Clone Wars travesty stands as testament to what happens when you bring video game technology onto the big screen (don't get me started on the rage).

J.J. Abrams hasn't disappointed me so far - I'm a big fan of Lost, am cheering for Fringe, and enjoyed Cloverfield. I love scouring teh InterWebs for his hidden clues. I'm just praying that he doesn't look at my beloved Star Trek and see an opportunity to make the big screen his personal video game console, and gloss up everything just for show, as with the picture above. I like wrinkles and grit on my actors and in my script.



Star Trek was created to address themes - it's a character-driven show that happens to take place in outer space. We learned about interracial relations, the power of choice, the importance of taking care of the planet, and even addressed the danger of becoming too reliant on technology through the shows - let's remember that, please?

Heroes!! Telepathy...

Okay people, come on.

I'm okay with the rampant idiocy of some of our Heroes lately, but this week went a step too far for me.

...SPOILER ALERT...

Here's my problem, if Parkman can make the fear guy think that he just killed him and Daphne (I'm almost disappointed that he didn't, but that's another complaint), then how the hell does Parkman not overhear Daphne down the hall with Papa Petrelli telling him that she's got him believing that she's on his side? This deserves a great big, WTF?

I know he's playing the big lovable goof sometimes, but come on. He was a cop at one point. He's not supposed to be a total idiot. Or do I have this wrong?

I was impressed with the hints at carnage last night. Parkman's dad, ouch. I was hoping to see more. Oh well.

Oh, and who's with me. How lame is Claire's biological mother? I'm so sick of the "look how badass I am because I can make fire" bit. It's not that menacing really. Or am I wrong again?

All I can say is, I hope they start really tying some of this stuff together. And kill off some of these extraneous characters. Of course, I don't think a "flashback" episode is going to do it. That's what we're getting next week from the looks of the preview.

You have got to see this...

http://dvice.com/archives/2008/10/amazing_star_wa.php

Check out this link, it's Star Wars and Star Trek origami made out of dollar bills!

Album Covers Redone in Legos.

C'mon. It's Lego. How cool is that? I would have loved to have seen someone take a shot at the Rio cover, though.

http://www.thetoyzone.com/20-album-covers-recreated-in-lego/

Another BSG Reference

The deleted scenes from last night's episode of "The Office" had another "Battlestar Galactica" reference.

If you're squeamish, don't click to enlarge...

Frankly, how could I not post this? It's the arthroscopic photography of my knee surgery, frame by frame.

I'm so amazed and pleased that my doctor let me take this home, and now I get to share. Don't click to enlarge it if this sort of thing grosses you out.

I think it's fun, and to think that this was just five days ago, and this is the inside of my knee. How insane? And how much geekier can you get?

Finally!! Fringe!!

Okay, so I found the end of this past week's episode of Fringe a tad anti-climactic, but something happened that made me happy. Yes folks, finally an episode where Doctor Bishop didn't conveniently have the person in trouble as a former patient in a wacky theoretical science experiment.

Don't get me wrong, it's been really interesting, but I was waiting for there to be an episode where the doc didn't already have an edge. It was totally worth it too, because you really can't beat an exploding papaya. And apparently, the papaya is the friendliest of fruits.

Good episode, it will definitely keep me watching.

Now to catch up on my Terminator viewing. But, Pushing Daisies first methinks.

Let's Talk Heroes!

I've just caught up with this past Monday's episode, so if you haven't watched yet, go 'way. There may be spoilers ahead.

I can't believe I'm about to write this, but I really, REALLY want Sylar to kick Peter Petrelli's ass. The Emo Boy bit was cute in the first season, but by now I'm really tired of Bad Peter. Although what happened at the end of the episode may take a little of the wind out of his sails. We shall see.

I'm also surprised at what a Sylar fan I've become. Granted, even as a villain, he was just so cool that it was hard to dislike him, but I've gone with the good-guy rewrite so fully, and that's something I don't normally get on board with so quickly (unless it's wrestling, and then it's expected, dammit) because it tends to be a copout. But I like the way this is going. And I'm glad that Mama Petrelli appears to be back next episode, because I love her. If my children finally manifest their superpowers one day, I hope I'm as ruthless on their behalf as she is.

Shock and Distress!!

For some reason, Blogger is no longer accepting mobile posts via text message from my current phone carrier! This is no good. I think the deal may officially be sealed. I'm going to have to change carriers.

Wii-tastic!

So, where am I blogging from today? My couch.

Big deal, you say?

Well I'm not on my laptop, I'm using the Wii Internet Channel. It's pretty cool!

Browsing is a little slow, and writing with no keyboard is exhausting, but this is going to be great in a pinch. You know for a late night Facebook fix when husbands are busy with the laptop...and there is no desire to leave the couch.

It's a bummer flash doesn't work because I'd love to use it to catch up on some online video.

Seriously, is this Madame Tussaud's?

The new cover of Entertainment Weekly just hit the Internet today, featuring Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in their roles as Spock and Kirk in the J.J. Abrams take on Star Trek. Piera swears it's just the photographer and that I shouldn't be angry, and perhaps she's right - they did give us an awful cover of the Twilight cast a few weeks ago (Christ, he's a vampire, he hasn't been attacked by a powder puff!). But I'm concerned. Trek has been near and dear to me for years, and the thought of this movie sucking ass is disconcerting, to say the least.

I don't want this movie to stink. I want to believe that J.J. Abrams is a good man and will treat it with respect. I want to believe that Zachary Quinto will rock as Spock and that Simon Pegg will do Scotty comic justice. I try to ignore the detractors, and forget about Enterprise and Voyager (sorry, folks, couldn't stand either of them). But then I see a magazine cover like this and it brings my fears to the surface. Please, just don't be bad. PLEASE.

Anyone else wondering if Majel Barrett Roddenberry's going to show up in this one somehow? I kind of hope she does.

And on a side note, who's been loving the new path we see Sylar taking on Heroes? The softer side of Sylar, making breakfast and wearing an apron is awesome. Oh, and that whole threat of nuclear meltdown if anything happens to his kid speaks to me as a parent, too. And I think everyone can corroborate that one.

True Blood??

Has anyone else started watching "True Blood" on HBO? It's on Sunday nights, at the same time as "Dexter" on Showtime, but it replays at 11:30, so anyone with a DVR can rest easy.

I have to say, this show is no "Buffy" so please don't look for it to be a replacement to that classic. I am really starting to like it though. It's got an interesting take on the Vampire saga, and I feel like there may be a little bit of a Werewolf storyline brewing.

The characters are developing quite a bit by this point, I was a little worried at the outset that they'd be somewhat one-dimensional, but showly it's getting it's hooks into me. I really don't want to say too much for those of you who may watch it, but check it out, and stick through the first few episodes, it is getting better and better.

Movies...

I have not yet watched The Office, so I will do so immediately and get back to you.

I have, however, completed the semi-annual re-alphabetizing of the DVDs. You know, that fun little time of the season when you hunt down all the DVDs that have migrated to your bedroom, your children's room, and under the couch? And then reintegrate them into your master collection? Please tell me it's not just me.

Regardless, I rediscovered some gems I have to queue up. Once I get through my DVR list. Sometime in 2010. Enjoy:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - it's been at least a year since I last watched. Let me grab my umbrella.

Vampire Hunter D - next to Akira, one of the best anime movies of my second childhood.

Evolution - David Duchovny, before his 'rehab' issues. And Stacey... it's got Orlando Jones...

Ninth Gate, Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd - they've got Johnny Depp. And that's reason enough.

Let's talk Sanctuary - has anyone else watched yet? My friend Chuck has been following the show on ITV, but I've only seen the first episode that aired on SciFi Channel. So far, I like it; I want to see how the characters develop, particularly the Big Baddie who I swear I've seen before but, according to IMDB, I haven't. It could be very cool or it could tank - but I'm willing to run with it for a little bit and see where they go with this. I'mpraying that this is one of the few series that Sci Fi decides to get behind, ala Battlestar Galatica, rather than some of the painful crap they put up on the air (although you will never hear me diss Savage Planet - freaking Space Bears, people!) like the atrocious Flash Gordon. Which I will be angry about until my dying day. I won't even link it, it irritates me so much.

Let's recap - Space Bears, yea. New Flash Gordon, nay. Fear me, Sci Fi Channel.

Fraking Hilarious...

Yes, I did just use the term Frak. But it's okay here, because it's a geek related blog, about a hilarious bit on The Office last night. The whole thing is an effort to piss Dwight off about one of his favorite shows (and mine) Battlestar Galactica. I almost fell out of my chair when Jim said the name Dumbledore Calrissian. Even if you don't watch either show, this is hilarious. It's full of fun sci-fi references that are all wrong.



If you missed this week's episode, check it out here: http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/episodes/?vid=741021

Blackberry Storm...

Okay, should I ride it out for another month and get the Blackberry Storm? Or should I just get a Curve, and wait for the next-gen version?

Check out the features: http://www.geeksugar.com/2322604

That's right, I'm obsessed with my phone problem.

Harry Potter vs. Star Wars

I don't know who gets credit for coming up with this, but I love it. Thanks to my sister for sending it to me.

Second Life Help

Okay folks, I have questions. I'm starting a Master's program in January, and I need to create a profile on Second Life as part of my studies. (How freaking cool is that, by the way?)

The problem? I have never used this in my life. I have heard about it, but actually created an account tonight and was lucky I managed to get my poor avatar fully clothed. HELP! I'd like to have some working knowledge of this once I start classes in January!

It's a Paradox!

Just jumping in here to second Stacey - first of all, if you're not watching Sarah Connor Chronicles, what the hell are you waiting for? And yes, Brian Austin Green is badass. That is a sentence I never thought I would witness myself writing, but there it is.

Okay - from all the sci fi geekery I've ingested over my ::cough cough:: years on this Earth, I have learned one thing - you cannot meet yourself in two separate universes! We saw this happen to a ridiculously over the top but enjoyable TimeCop (piss off, you know you liked it, too) and Doctor Who cannot emphasize this point enough. Star Trek has skipped around this for decades. We have long established the rules of engagement when you encounter yourself in another timeline - YOU DON'T.

So Heroes and their flagrant fraternizing is kind of ripping my brain in half. Ouch. It hurts. Stop it. And will someone PLEASE tell Milo Ventimiglia that he doesn't have to pretend to be Sylvester Stallone anymore? Rocky Balboa has long been out of the theatres and is enjoying life on cable and DVD; he can cut the mouth thing now. Jeez.

Time Travel on TV

Okay so last night on TV we had some serious time travel paradox stuff happening. I'm not sure about you guys, but I'm a little concerned about the space-time continuum.

(SEMI SPOILERS AHEAD)

Can anyone tell me what exactly is going on on Heroes? I mean, Peter Petrelli has met himself now. Future-Peter has traveled through time with Present-Day-Peter. What the hell? It's bad enough that this could be tearing a hole in the universe, but don't mind that when everyone in the future that was good, now appears to be evil. Everyone in the past that was evil, or stupid, seems to be well adjusted with babies. Mohinder is still a freak, and alive I might add... aaaaaaah!!!

Okay, and then there's The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which incidentally, if you don't watch, and you like the Terminator movies (except the 3rd, which the show seems to ignore as well), you should watch. How's that for a run-on sentence?

Now, if you can change the future from the past, then I'm totally confused on this one. Why does everyone, and everything still remain the same. Are there multiple futures, and we're just not seeing one? Is the future that newly minted badass Brian Austin Green (yeah, I said it) flashing back to actually the Past-Future?

Really, I'm more and less confused than I'm letting on here, but I wanted to seed this post with these nuggets and hopefully spur some conversation... ha ha ha.

Podcasts!

Who listens to them? Come on, I know I'm not the only freak on iTunes with 600 hours of podcasts loaded.

Yes, my 'other' obsession, knitting is what introduced me to the world of the podcast, but I have grown. Oh, how I have grown. While I do still have a ridiculous amount of fibery podcasts loaded on my iPod, the space has become more and more devoted to other talk shows for my little ears.

Two faves are my buds over at Mail Order Zombie and the HorrorEtc Podcast. If you like horror and are not listening to these, WHY? Derek and Bren over at MOZ give fans of the undead everything they're looking for in 90 minutes a week - the Zombie Beat, where we get the lowdown on zombie sightings all over the Web; movie reviews of movies almost exclusively available on DVD and nowhere else; book talk, and a lot of laughs. There is intelligent conversation about zombie movies; no "Dude, it was SOOOOO GOOOORRRRRY!" here. We've had incredible discussions about the zombie apocalypse and we've debated whether or not Friday the 13th's Jason is a zombie (for the record, I say no).

The HorrorEtc guys are simply amazing. They break down movie genres, auteurs (I myself have been accused of being an M. Night Shyamalan apologist in the past, so I can appreciate and empathize with them) and movie franchises (their Friday the 13th megacast is gold). They sit and deconstruct, drop some humor, and really provide intelligent discussion on their topics.

These two podcasts have introduced me to movies I'd never have known about, and enticed me to revisit movies I'd forgotten about entirely. Check 'em out.

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is another kickass podcast that I wish would come out more regularly. Usually about an hour, Carlin shoots straight from the lip about various periods in history. When he starts off by asking of Alexander the Great was as bad as Hitler, you know you're in for some good stuff. I just finished listening to the first half of the Punic Wars episode, now he's loaded the second half. Whoo hoo! If Mr. Scanlon had been this compelling in high school, I never would have had to start that chorus of "On Top of Spaghetti" to keep myself interested.

Many of you know that I have an unabashed affection for Kevin Smith, who happens to look like a shorter version of my very own Hubs. So no one should be surprised that SModcast, Kevin Smith's podcast with buddy Scott Mosier ("Snowball" in Clerks) is a standard on my iPod. It's laugh out loud wrong and hilarious and features special guest appearance by Kevin Smith mainstays like Jason Mewes (Jay) and Walt Flanagan (his dog is mentioned in several movies).

My buddy Chuck introduced me to iFanboy, a weekly podcast about comics. I used to be a fanatical comic book collector. Until comic prices shot sky-high and Marvel decided that I had to read 612 titles in order to keep up with the freaking X-Men. Every now and then, I miss the joy of hanging out in my local comic book store, but realize that I have NO idea what is going on in any universe, be it Marvel, DC, or my own. Enter iFanboy, which gives me a rundown of what's going on in comics each week, and if I want to know more, I can buy a book on my own. It's even gotten me to invest in a title or two...

Finally, rounding out my cavalcade of aural geekery, we've got Television Zombies, a weekly podcast covering pop culture and the TV shows that love them. They cover Doctor Who, Torchwood, Lost, Supernatural, Heroes, Fringe - are you starting to see why I dig it?

May your daily commute will be a little less rage-filled, my friends. Enjoy.

MicroPoll : Which mobile carrier should I switch to?

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Mobile Phone Woes...

Okay, for a so-called techie, I'm sadly, sadly, sadly behind the times with the upgrade of my cell phone. I need a new device, and there are so many options out there that I'm finding myself stumped.

Do I wait it out, and get the Blackberry answer to the iPhone, the Storm? Or do I wait a slightly shorter time and switch to Verizon pending the launch of the Blackberry Bold? What about this new T-Mobile Google G1 phone? Is it all it's claiming to be? What to do?

I do NOT want an iPhone. I know I'm in the minority, but I'm just not feeling it.

Many of these phones would mean a change in carrier for me. I've been with T-Mobile a long time now, and the thought of switching is also daunting, but I can get a better deal with a number of the carriers. So I thought that I'd put up a poll, it may help me decide.

An Open Letter to Harrison Ford

Harrison? Can we have a moment? Awesome, thanks. No, I don't want to wax your chest, don't worry. I read something today, something that upset me a little more than that questionable chili I ate a few weeks ago, and I need to bring this up with you immediately.

We've been together a long time, you and I. My friends all looked at me funny when they were hanging Scott Baio posters on the wall and I was frustrated with SuperTeen Magazine for their lack of Blade Runner pinups back in the '80s. I was on the end of many a questionable look when I declared my love for the devil-may-care Han Solo over the blonde farmboy from the stars, Luke Skywalker. But I was right in the end, wasn't I? Haven't I held the moniker of RoeSolo for well over a decade now? What I'm trying to get at here is, you know I come to you from a place of love and not snark. Which is huge for me.

So here it is, Harrison. I'm going to be straight with you. Do NOT make Indiana Jones 5. Just... don't. Leave my memory unsullied, can't you? Shia LeBeouf? Really? As the heir to your legacy? I say thee nay. Shia in Transformers? Entertaining. Shia about to pick up your fedora in the last movie? Hell to the no.

Must I appeal to Spielberg on this? Can't you just take what I'm saying at face value? Look at Lucas - he's a laughing stock to my generation. Sure, he's rolling naked in money and wearing a Jar-Jar Binks mask, but he's lost all credibility with the Gen Xers who worshipped him. For crying out loud, he was going to feature NSync in Attack of the Clones - can you trust his judgement any longer? Don't go there, Harrison. Please. Let Steven go down the path that leads to the Dark Side, but please, PLEASE - just don't.

Thank you for your time. Now I'm going to watch the director's cut of Blade Runner and remember the good times.

Gadgets!

I really haven't been doing much geeky reading or watched much TV lately, but I have been playing endlessly with the Flip camcorder I got at my baby shower. I use it even more than my regular camera since I can pull snapshots from the videos. It's been really great to share videos with my family who are too far away to see baby Charlie. The software is incredibly easy to use, I haven't looked at a manual once. The movie Mix feature lets you do fun (though somewhat cheesy) things with the videos you record. It's the perfect thing for anyone with a new baby. It fits in the diaper bag, and is so inexpensive I don't worry about taking it everywhere.

I've also just set up our new web cam, which my parents got so they can talk to Charlie (and me.) I've only used it once so far, but if anyone else has Skype I'm looking forward to trying it again.

The Geek-Down

Okay, so I'm going to sit here and stew in my jealousy for Stacey's Blu-Ray as I give you the Geek-Down - the rundown of all current things geek happening in my little universe.

While I do not have a Blu-Ray, we did get the special edition DVD with Iron Man head case. (As opposed to headcase, which would accurately describe Robert Downey Jr.'s last respite from Hollywood before Iron Man.) I haven't watched it yet - waiting for the weekend to enjoy that with the kiddos and Hubs - but I cannot wait. I loved it in the movies and am thrilled to have it in my hot little hands. The kids will not be keeping this one in their room - they're lucky I let them keep my Star Wars box set, and that's only because it's the remastered ass that Lucas re-released, where Greedo shoots first. I call shenanigans on you, George Lucas!

Okay - Fringe - have not watched yet, because Will and I had to catch up on two episodes of Supernatural and he demanded that we watch Chuck "live" the other night. Oh, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was on. Jeez, there's a lot of good TV these days. But anyway, no Fringe yet, so hang in there.

• I think we need these Star Wars sweatshirts. I love the Boba Fett and Stormtrooper sweats in particular.
• Speaking of Fringe, Fox has ordered more. Whoo hoo!!
• More to come, but thanks to USA Today's blog, Pop Candy, for keeping me up to date on geeky fabulousness.

Iron Man

I'll let someone else cover off on the new Fringe episode last night, which was good. This show is steadilly improving from the Pilot, which was better than average but not mind blowing.

So last night, our happy little Amazon.com package arrived containing the Blu-Ray edition of Iron Man. Most of the time, I don't get all hopped up about the difference between regular and HD movies. I realize that with my background, and obsession with scenery, film, and so on, I should totally get hopped up about it. But, I don't, usually.

People, consider me hopped up.

Iron Man looked amazing. The detail and the effects looked so good, I felt like I was sitting in the rooms with them. I know that's totally cliche, but hey, I don't care. It was... Awesome!

Plus, I really loved the movie, and it holds up on the 3rd viewing. I think I'll be watching this one a lot.

One thing that really amazed me about the effects in this film is that the Iron Man suit actually has Robert Downey Jr.'s personality. It walks like him, it moves like him, it reacts like him. I would think that this is a combination of motion capture and some really talented animators. Kudos to the effects team.

If you haven't seen it, you should. It's a superhero funfest.