( Torchwood! Now 20% kinkier than most fanfic! )

• Torchwood: Children of the Earth pt 1 = HOLY LIVING FUCK!  Rusty, you're going to kill me.
• In five days I will be within inches of Jason Momoa.  Commence hating me now.
• If you have not read "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons, get thee to the library.
• James Nesbitt has stated that he may move to America because there's not enough work in the UK.
• This just in: James Nesbitt will be living at my house any day now.
• Tom Lenk is doing a show in New York on Wednesday but there's no way I can get there.
• I bought one of those Swiffer wet floor cleaners.  I'm not really sold.
• Scrubbing Bubbles does fuck all for mildew in my shower, but those bastard cute bubbles keep sucking me in.
• With all the microfilement work being done in labs, one day soon we'll have variable-swords like in Larry Niven's "Ringworld".  Those'll be awesome against zombies.

So....

After evenings spent on errands and general mayhem, I finally had a chance to get my weekend photos off my camera.  My BESTEST BIRTHDAY EVER photos!

beeej  and I drove to Philadelphia to see Cinematic Titanic live.  *sparkly hearts!*

The drive to Philly from Northern VA should take about 3 hours.  Due to rain of biblical proportions, it took about 487 hours.  Things heard during the drive:

"Son of a BITCH!"
"I gotta go potty."
"Where's the damn gas station?  That sign lied."
"Fucking trucks!"
"I'm so sorry."
"This will never end."
"Garmin lied to us"

We eventually got to the hotel, got checked in and discovered that the Hampton Inn in Philly has serious trouble with their WiFi service.  beeej  was very put out.  My brain was full of finally seeing Joel Hodgson in person after 20 years so my brain was elsewhere.

We got to the theater where we stood in line waiting for the doors to open and chatted up the other nice people standing in line.  One couple had attended the show the previous evening and using their intel, we were able to find good seats in the general admission rush.  The show started late, but I didn't care.  When the movie started it was non-stop funny.  I haven't laughed like that in a very long time.

Joel Hodgson answers audience questions

At the conclusion of the movie, there was the signing.  I won't say anything about the organization of the autograph line, because there wasn't any!  *ba-dum-dum*

Turning my camera over to beeej , I could focus on getting my episode guide signed and trying very hard not to say something stupid.

 

On the left: J. Elvis "Josh"  Wienstein , Mary Jo Pehl and Frank Conniff.
I appear to be showing Josh how to do the Hula.

 

Day started at 4:45 am.  I got home at 8pm.  Spent the day in DC due to meetings.  I didn't go to the meetings, I organized the stuff for the meeting.  I'm the one that organizes all the supplies and information and such.  That means my day is either crazy busy for 30 minutes or dead with no one to talk to for an hour.  I had a laptop, but no internet connection.  Willard Hotel is made of fail.  I had a book but every time I tried to read it someone needed something.  People suck.

I'm glad this is only once a year.

I'm just wondering because all manner of fandom is a mess.

Outpost Gallifrey is shutting down completely and the reason seems to be "because".    That's just ducky.

John Barrowman had to cancel from the Torchsong event in Chicago because he messed up his ankle very badly. Evidently, his ankle just couldn't face performing without jhava  in the audience and it rebelled against John who now has to keep it elevated.  The silver lining?  According to John's site:   UPDATE: Torchsong organisers inform us that Peter Wingfield (star of Highlander, Stargate SG1 and Holby City) has kindly agreed to attend the convention.

Peter Wingfield: he's just that awesome!  Maybe he'll sing!

In sad Highlander news, there's a new incarnation of the original movie in the works and it's probably gonna suck.  No, more than probably.  It's "suck, understood".  Also in the works: Me, pulling my hair out.

So, to summarize:  we have new Star Trek (win), new Terminator (fail), proposed new Buffy (impending fail), new Highlander (donkey punch fail).  What else can Hollywood mess with?  How about a shot-for-shot remake of Casablanca staring Kirsten Dunst and Tony Danza?

Is it any wonder I read fan fiction when the entertainment industry hates me?

ETA: Just when I think that I'd seen the most craziest faction of SPN fans, this happens.

New Kirk and Spock dolls.   

The description is as follows.  The important bits are bold:

Diamond Select stands ready to usher in a new era in Star Trek collectibles with their all-new Ultimate Quarter Scale action figures! Featuring voice and sound effects from the Star Trek television show and films, each figure features multi-layered cloth costumes, hyper-realistic sculpts, and over 25 points of articulation! Captain James T. Kirk's incredibly detailed outfit is removable, (just the way he'd want it) and figure includes a display stand.

The Spock doll, his clothes come off as well.

Doll porn on YouTube in 5...4...3...2.........

 

In the family of blog sites dealing with everything from geek-tastic wonders (IO9.com) to NY fashion disasters (gawker.com) there is a new flavor of happy called Bloodcopy.com.

I love the Gawker suite of blogs (even though Defamer has been pretty much gutted).  It's one stop linkspam shopping!
 

In super amazing news I'm going with beeej  to see Cinematic Titanic live in Philly on my birthday!!!!! (infinity)

Joel Hodgson approves

ETA: Jimmy Kimmel losing his shit is almost as good as space porn.

The world is in peril! 

You are tasked with saving all humankind and you can choose any five characters to help you avert certain disaster.

 

My picks:

 

Buffy Summers

Albus Dumbledore

Spock (TOS version)

Optimus Prime

Ninth Doctor

 

 

Do you like comics? Do you like web comics? Do you need new and fun ways to avoid work? There is an author named Warren Ellis. He rocks like a motherfucker. He has a website and a discussion board. He asked if any web comic folks would like to pimp their work. I haven’t read through all the links, some of these look amazing!

 

 

>>Note: the links below will be spoilery if you haven't seen the new Star Trek<<

The new Star Trek movie is very good.  Perfect, probaby not, but I still loved it.   It's fast and propels the audience with a sense of urgency  which I love.  I love that I care about characters barely a minute after they are introduced.  I love that this movie is set in the future but it's a future that I recognize; the technology is new but the people feel like real people and not archetypes.  There are a few plot points I'd change, but since J.J. neglected to call me he'll just have to wing it in the second film.

Now, as is tradition,  the Star Trek "experience" is complete because the nit pickers are making their opinions known.  To which I say: Please to be hushing up now.   Nothing is perfect but since the film makers 1.) didn't make Spock a blue-eyed blond, 2.) didn't add random characters to the bridge crew, 3.) didn't create a new and never before heard of race to menace our heros, and 4.) didn't recycle an old plot to wring more life out of it, I'm happy as a clam.  This movie did what comics have been doing for years in rebooting a series or starting an alternate universe.  So whatever flavor of X-Men, or Spiderman or Star Trek you enjoy, there's something for you.

Right now all my outrage is saved for the True Blood producers for cutting Eric's hair.   That's just so. Very. Wrong.

PWFC Roadtrip?  Check.

In other news, I'm on Dreamwidth under the same name.  I still haven't figured out all the bits and knobs and tweaks, but I am there.

You know how I know I'm a very fortunate person?  My most important thought today was whether or not to get bangs the next time I get my hair cut.

 

 

 

I still have no idea what I'm doing.

I also must go see Green Day this tour.  I neglected to do so last time and I regret it.   Rancid is going to be in Baltimore - that's a maybe.  And I still haven't been to the 9:30 to hear Bob Mould DJ.  Must do that.

I've got a full summer planned, now come Lottery!  Mama needs gas money, and a vacation in Europe!

I'm on the Twitter.  Same name as here.  Come follow me!

Speaking of following, is it usual that random people just start following you?  A guy who records ambient music started following me.  I'm not sure why. 

Also, can someone explain the Follow Me Friday business?

This is what it looks like today, April 20th, at my folk's house in the upper peninsula of Michigan.  This is the backyard.



Note to self: must win lottery and buy elderly parents new house in warm climate.

I would, however, keep this house ready and stocked with food and weapons in case of a Zombie Apocalypse.  All that cold makes the zombies slow and easy to dispatch.


You know what you get after watching eight episodes of B5 in a row?  Dreams about Vorlons.

There's a new coffee machine system we're trying at the office and because I'm so very tired, I tried the espresso.  Not bad.  But even though I rarely drink coffee it's not really perking me up.  My system processes coffee at a million miles an hour but still hangs on to carbohydrates I ate four years ago.  Stupid metabolism.

I downloaded the new Green Day single and I can't stop playing it.  I'm very much looking forward to the album, but I'm not very happy with the marketing being done by Warner Brothers.  I pre-ordered the album some weeks ago.  After that pre-order there was an offer for a super-mega version with cool booklets and other stuff.  I don't really care about the packaging, but many people had already ordered a copy when they would've preferred the expanded version.  What cheeses me is that if pre-ordred on I-Tunes, there are bonus tracks.  Will the original cd pressing have any bonus tracks?  I don't know, but I'm rather pissed that WB is milking this and fucking with a very loyal fanbase.

How I wish Lookout Records had kept their shit together and not defaulted on their roylaties to Green Day.  I'd happily buy the vinyl version from them and be done with it, but the label burned their bridges with the band and I'm stuck with Warner Bros. shennaigans.