November 2006 Archives

Is it possible that the gateway to other worlds is in your own backyard?

(Technorati tags: geek koan, Stargate)

The spy who loved me? Don’t I wish! Check out my piece on Film.com about how Daniel Craig really is Generation X’s first James Bond, then my review of the film, which focuses on its geekiness.

Here’s the new Bond, DangerMouse, and Rowan Atkinson’s Johnny English.

(Technorati tags: geek, dork, nerd, James Bond, DangerMouse, Johnny English, Rowan Atkinson)

Here's what I'll be up to at Philcon next weekend:

Fri 9:00 PM in Parlor B (1 hour)
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FEAR? (262)

Recently, Showtime refused to air the "Masters of Horror" segment filmed by Takaski Miike, because it was too disturbing. What is the purpose of the horror film, if not to disturb? Why does the American film industry equate action with horror? What happened to psychological horror?

Sat 12:00 PM in Salon 10 (1 hour)
REVENGE OF THE BEST FILMS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF (264)

Our annual look at some of the treasure of genre film and TV that American audiences may be overlooking. Bring your note pad.

Sat 7:00 PM in Parlor B (1 hour)
LOST: JUST SIT RIGHT BACK AND YOU'LL HEAR A TALE... (103)

The Hatch. The Others. Polar bears. Black smoke. Strange visions. Flashbacks. And more coincidences than can be deemed coincidental, all on a small, uncharted island. All of this and more has combined to make LOST one of the most compelling shows on TV today. We’ll examine some of the theories about the show, its plot, and the characters, and see if we can determine what it us that sucks us in every week.

Sun 3:00 PM in Logans 1 (1 hour)
MANSQUITO VS. BOA IN THE ALIEN APOCALYPSE: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SCI-FI CHANNEL? (183)

Are we losing the sci-fi on the Sci-Fi Channel to wrestling and police shows? Discuss with panelists the future trend of the Sci-Fi Channel. Will Friday night programming, shows like Eureka and Sci-Fi Pulse be the answers to save the Channel even after cancelling Stargate SG-1?

I may also be doing a reading from my book The Totally Geeky Guide to The Princess Bride at some point during the weekend, but I haven't heard about a schedule for that yet. But I will be carrying copies of the book around with me all weekend to autograph and sell, so feel free to stop me in the hallways or at a party or wherever if you'd like one.

Would you fly away if only you had a direction in which to travel?

(Technorati tags: geek koan, moon, road sign)

Cinematical is debating the wisdom of recasting Captain James T. Kirk in a Star Trek Babies movie, without naming names. I name names: Heath Ledger, Ryan Phillippe, Jack Black.

(Technorati tags: geek, dork, nerd, James Kirk)

Speaking of stuff I started but never finished -- in this case, my reactions to the new Doctor Who -- here's a fun explanation of why Christopher Eccleston decided to leave after only one season:

(And I will finish up the Ecclestons and get on to the Tennants as soon as possible...)

(Technorati tags: Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston)

Man, I never even finished my WorldCon reporting and now more conventions are upon me. I’ll be at Philcon in Philadelphia next weekend, November 17-19, doing panels about science fiction/fantasy film and TV, hanging out at the bar and parties, and generally making a public nuisance of myself. I won’t be hosting a party, alas -- the party rooms were all booked by the time I was invited to the convention -- but I will be carrying around copies of my book The Totally Geeky Guide to The Princess Bride to sell and autograph.

When we constrain ourselves, are we really just trying to comfort ourselves?

(Technorati tags: geek koan, bear, straitjacket)

It happened very quickly: over the course of a matter of days, Mrs. Kennedy declined from being from a manic cat with the bounciness of a kitten to a depressed animal with no energy, no appetite, and no interest in doing anything but sleeping. I’d seen the same thing with my cat Andie, Cassie’s sister, who died in 1998, so I was pretty much prepared for the worst news. I took Mrs. Kennedy to the vet late Halloween night, and X-rays confirmed what I already knew. Mrs. Kennedy’s belly was riddled with large tumors.

I have never been the kind of pet owner who says, We must do everything possible to save this animal. I see no point in putting an animal through major surgery and chemotherapy in order to -- maybe -- prolong its life for a year, half of which would be endured in pain and misery with no understanding of what was going on. That amounts to torture: you cannot explain to a cat that chemo might -- might -- be worth it for a few extra months of life.

When I came home on Halloween night, Mrs. Kennedy had not, it seemed, moved from the spot on the bed in which she had been lying when I’d left that morning. When I lay down with her and started petting her, she let loose with a rumble of loud purring. She had never purred at all until perhaps within the last year or two, and even then, her purring was something you could only feel, not hear. Strange as it may sound, this loud purring scared me -- I knew she was comforting herself, as cats often do with their own purrs. The vet assured me she was not suffering, and maybe she wasn’t actually in physical pain, but I knew she was no longer enjoying her life. A little after midnight on November 1, she went to sleep for the last time.

This was taken on October 27 -- of course she must have been sick already but was hiding it:

These other photos were taken within the last month or two:

Since I think it’s all likely to change before the show ends, here’s how some of the characters of Heroes stand now: Claire, the cheerleader, who seems remarkably okay with her amazing powers; Isaac, the painter, who obviously is having some trouble dealing with his prognosticatory abilities; and Hiro, who’s such a nerd, but a sweet one.

(Technorati tags: geek, dork, nerd, Heroes)