THINKS For February 23, 2007

Real Life has been Trumping Blogging lately. I've still found the time to surf the internet - but no real time to write about anything useful. I'm in the middle of three different books - One I'm reading for a review, one I'm reading that I got from the library because it sounded interesting, and one I'm reading because I want to (and I own it, so there's no deadline to have it finished by). Eventually, I'll post reviews. Actually, I did finish another book recently, I just haven't gotten around to writing about it. But I have been remembering to email myself interesting links and other things that I want to post.

Here they are:

Here's a video on preventing Identity Theft.

Old news now - but House and Bones have been renewed. Rubi and I get to watch more TV together!

Here's a funny story about a kid dropping his mp3 player in the toilet and his moms reaction.

From Stacy at Active Christian Media:

If you're interested in having the opportunity to win a free book every
week, I want to encourage you to sign up for my weekly newsletter. I only
send it out once a week and would love for you to join and tell your readers
about it.

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will send you.

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weekly!

Interested in learning about quantum physics, or psychology, or biology, or leadership and management? MIT offers hundreds of courses for free on-line. You just can't take college credit or certificates or anything for them - they are strictly for self-improvement.

I'm sure I've read this before somewhere, but someone else has posted the beatitudes as written by the devil.

Sign up with PaperbackSwap, guess when the One Millionth book is posted, and win prizes!

And finally, Warner Bros. is considering a JLA movie!

Back to Real Life now.

THINKS For February 23, 2007

Firefly/Serenity Meme

Number of times you’ve seen the whole series (to your best estimate):
I'd guestimate at least 5. Not much more than that.

Number of times you’ve seen the movie:
At least 4 times.

Favorite character (and why, if you want):
From the main cast, I can't narrow it down. They are all great.

Least favorite character (and why, if you want):
Niska. You are a crazy old man. Go lie down and take a nap!

Favorite episode (and why, if you want):
Maybe "Jaynestown," maybe "Serenity" (the pilot) - almost all of them are just as good.

Least favorite episode (and why, if you want):
"The Train Job". This was my first introduction to Firefly when it premiered on Fox. I didn't think the show was worth trying to figure out when Fox was airing to keep up with it. I only came back to FF just before the movie came out because the fans were raving about it. Maybe "Heart of Gold", as the laser gun/horse riding thing was a little too out-there for me. Although that is surely a good definition for FF: horseback riding and laser guns.

Favorite quote:
Too many to name. Whedon is an awesome writer and can really turn the language on it's head to express feelings.

Favorite scene:
The dining room scene in "Out of Gas." The Firefly Talk podcast uses the audio from this as an intro and it's just so much fun. Definitely shows how the crew has become a family.

Your opinion of the movie: love it, shove it, or mixed feelings:
Mixed feelings. It wasn't long enough to showcase every character and introduced some new ones that we didn't really need. I loved going back into the `verse and continuing the story. But I want more!!

Favorite canon pairing:
Zoe and Wash.

Favorite non-canon pairing:
To quote KRAD, "This is a stupid question."

In brief, what got you hooked?:
The fans. The movie was about to come out and I kept hearing rumblings on the internet from general SF-fans (not the browncoat community specifically as I hadn't gotten into that yet). So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see the series before the movie.

Your favorite theory on Book’s background:
I don't know what all the different theories are, so I can't say.

Your favorite theory on Inara’s reasons for leaving Sihnon:
Again: I haven't heard all the theories, so I can't say.

Will Mal and Inara ever get together?
If I know Whedon: yes, then no, then yes, then no, then maybe... then they'll be best friends.

Will Simon and Kaylee stay together?
Again: If I know Whedon: probably not, but I sure hope so.

Will River stay (or get) on the road to mental health?
Isn't that what happened at the end of the movie? I think she'll always be messed up because of the always feeling everyone's emotions - but much of her dementia came from the locked up and repressed knowledge of the Reavers. Now that that's out of the way, she can at least try to adapt to the psychic abilities.

Favorite Firefly fanfic:
Never read any. I've heard a few (on podcasts). I have to say "Old Wounds" was an excellent story.

Is Firefly your main fandom now?
Probably. I was never really "into" a fandom. But I'd say FF and Star Wars are my main fandoms that I'd get involved with. I like all kinds of things (the 'Gates, BSG, Heroes, etc), but as for the fan community - it's FF and SW for me.

What are your top 2 other fandoms?
Oh... I think I just answered that.

Firefly/Serenity Meme

Supersomething

Apparently, there is some kind of ball-game on TV later today.

I'm not a sports fan. The few sporting events I attended in college I did so just to hang with my friends, not out of any real interest in the sport. I don't think I attended more than a couple of sporting events in high-school, again for the same reason.

I attend my kids sports games not because I enjoy those sports, but because I enjoy watching my kids no matter what they are doing.

However, if I am watching a game, whether it's my kids playing, or the basketball teams playing while Elizabeth cheers for them, or it's something on TV wherever I happen to be, I do enjoy seeing the game played well. A fast, almost dance-like spur-of-moment pass in basketball resulting in a great shot showing the sportsmanship of the players does make the game more enjoyable.

There are "sports" I do enjoy watching, even though I have no idea who I'm watching and don't care who wins or what the point of the game is. I really enjoy watching Winter X-Games-type sports like snowboarding, and snowmobile racing. Alexander and I sat down one Saturday afternoon on the spur-of-the moment and watched motocross. That was fun (more for Alexander's reactions than anything to do with the sport itself). And I enjoy watching ice-hockey on the rare occasion I come across a game on TV and stop for a few minutes. And I enjoy watching cheerleaders.

Now that the Indianapolis Colts are in the Superbowl against da Bears (see: I do know a little), even my family is getting into the spirit of things. Rubi and Elizabeth are going to a Superbowl party later today with the rest of our small group. I'll be at work - but we are all bringing in food and snacks and the game will be on the TV with the sound off or turned low.

I'm sure "business" for me at work will slack off during the game, and will quickly pick up at the end as people drive home from parties, or get in fights over the outcome of the game, or choke on tortilla chips.

Rubi is even making custom Colts shirt for her and Elizabeth to wear to the party.

I really have no interest beyond a basic, "The Colts won? I'm glad for them."

Supersomething

New Years Meme

This New Year:

1) Big Party or stay at home alone? Work 12 hours overnight, from 7pm-7am, and back to work 8 hours later.

2) Stay up to watch the ball drop? It might be on the TV at work, but I'm sure I'll be taking calls of drunk drivers and gunshots rather than watching the ball drop.

3) Will you make any resolutions? Nope. Never have, never will.

4) Is Dick Clark a good host for New Year's Eve? Sure, why not. He's like a tradition. And definitely better than Regis and Plastic Ripa or Ryan Seacrest .

5) Do you know the words to Auld Lang Syne? Does anyone? (without Googling it)

How about you?

New Years Meme

Trek Moving Forward?

Star Trek next incarnation (beyond the next movie) not a prequel?
And animated?

Hmm... that'd make the special effects much less expensive to do.

It's a better idea than the prequel movie...

Trek Moving Forward?

SG-3?

Now this is interesting news.

The producers have been saying they new the franchise still had life above and beyond SG1 and SGA... so we'll see what comes of this and the two SG1 movies.

SG-3?