Project Blue Book

So, I watched the first episode of Project Blue Book on the History Channel, a program that claims to be based on real events in the life of J. Allen Hynek. I'm a moderately big fan of UFO stories and theories and love reading about sightings, so a show about Hynek's decades-long journey from total skeptic to someone who felt there is more to investigate sounded just up my alley.

Well.

I know they have to jazz up the story a bit in order to make it more interesting. But this is so far from reality that you could have put anyone's name on the main character and had just the same story. Attaching Hynek's name was just a way to draw in people who actually have some real interest in actual facts.

It wasn't a horrible show. The acting was fine, there's a great bit of set-up for future run-ins with mysterious entities... but claiming it's based on facts is stretching the truth beyond the point of breaking. I have a lot of interest in the real story, but apparently reality isn't interesting enough for a television show. Instead, this one starts from the premise that UFOs are intelligent alien lifeforms and works from there. In real life, Hynek genuinely thought UFOs were mistakes and misperceptions, and took many years working with first-hand reports before he began to believe there was something beyond our current understanding involved.

There was one very familiar face. General James Harding is played by Neal McDonough (who played Damien Darhk in the CW superhero shows and Wyatt Cain in Tin Man). He feels villainous in this show, as well.

Overall, I think I'll give this one a miss, since I don't need another drama - even one based very very loosely on one of my interests.

A Sunday Review

Eric and I finished watching the first seasons of Class and Timeless this past week. Both shows have an uncertain future, but both shows finished on a cliffhanger. Overall, I enjoyed them both and wouldn't mind seeing more.

Class, a Doctor Who spin-off, features a group of students at Coal Hill Academy who have to deal with alien threats and incursions due to rips in the timestream at the school. Yes, it's the same school that Susan went to and Barbara and Ian taught at in the first episode of the original Doctor Who. But the show itself is a bit over-the-top, like the deranged lovechild of Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures, leaning a little heavily on the Torchwood side. While I liked the characters and the actors, the show never really gelled. It wasn't bad - it just wasn't as good as it ought to have been. At the end of the show I realized I would miss the characters if the show isn't renewed, but the lack of the show itself won't bother me. Which is a really strange way to look at it. Regarding the season as a whole: You do not put a rifle on the wall in the first act unless you intend to use it in the last act. I expected that finale, I just wasn't sure what form it would take. Last I heard, the show isn't going to be renewed.

Timeless is another time travel show, featuring a historian who is recruited to help stop a madman who stole a time machine and is trying to alter the past. Each episode peels away assumptions and beliefs, and changes who is considered a "good" guy or a "bad" guy. There is a central mystery to the series in the form of a diary that the villain claims was written by the hero historian. We don't quite find out how it came about by the end of the first series, but we get very close with two major hints and a few minor ones. Each episode tackles a different historical event, with the team trying to stop the villain from altering history. However, every single time they go into the past they alter history themselves - as seen in the first episode when the first trip erases the historian's own sister. I have to wonder at the cumulative weight of the changes they make. How is the timeline even slightly intact? If we get a second season, perhaps that question will be addressed.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Jul 20th
• Aquaman #3 - It's a bit depressing that the relations between the US and Atlantis are so bad that Aquaman doesn't even know the proper channels to go through to contact US leadership for a discussion. Add in the repeated references to the Atlantean attacks on the surface... well, this doesn't make for a good connection. Then you have Black Manta and ... BLACK JACK!?!?? Oh yeah, somebody has looked into Aquaman's past and found a little treasure trove. This could be excellent if it's handled right. Nice cliffhanger as well. Some of the artwork seemed slightly off model to me, but it was still very nice and did the job. Looking forward to catching up on this book more than any other. Obviously.
• Justice League #1 - Massive world-destroying threat, taking out cities across the globe including Atlantis. *yawn* I don't mind "big" stories, but does the world have to end in nearly every story arc nowadays? Can't we have a few stories where people don't die because the heroes did their jobs before the threat became world-shattering? Please?
• Green Lanterns #3 - I can think of at least one other person cured from being a Red Lantern. That said, it still argues that Simon has some abilities that way outshine other Green Lanterns we've seen in the past. The argument could be made that Lanterns are changing after all the events in the last few years. I just wonder where that road is leading?
• Adventures of Supergirl #6 - Everything wraps up as Supergirl takes out the baddie - but not without help from her family and friends. The story of Rampage's sister was enough to make me sad, but it also echoed what happened with the Martian Manhunter in this DC universe. Overall, not a bad book for one based on a TV show.
• Astro City #37 - Wow. This is one to savor. I literally had to read it about three times before I was ready to write anything on it, and even now I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of story in this book - despite there not being a proper story. It's in three parts, starting with a framing sequence setting up our storyteller. Then there's the tale of Silverstring and his connection to Astro City. The third portion is about the legacy of music in the early pre-Astro City days and what came from that legacy. The book covers aspects of racism and ethnicity that I've never seen addressed before, mostly because those aspects are pretty much forgotten. The result is something that is almost hard to understand - a careful balancing act done by Kurt on how racism works in a world with superheroes. I almost want to see what ancient Greece looked like in that universe. In any case, powerful stuff. Definitely one to re-read.
• Scooby Apocalypse #3 - I feel like I should hate this book, but every time I read and issue I like it more. It's certainly not the Scooby-Doo I remember, but it's a fun reimagining - an Elseworlds version if you like. There's room in my fangirl world for both the original and this. I am enjoying the way the relationships are developing, and it's fun to already have voices for all the characters. In short, this isn't going to be a book everyone likes, but I'm really finding it fun. Odd, but fun.
• Usagi Yojimbo #156 - Inspector Ishida and Usagi don't seem to be getting much closer to finding out who killed two of Lord Shima's men, but the action continues as Usagi has a really bad nightmare and stops an act of destruction. What is the secret behind the painting? And will Ishida and Usagi manage to stop the killer before he, or it, strikes again? As usual, great stuff. I'm going to have to reread this story from the top when I get through it.
• Back To The Future: Citizen Brown #3 - Wow, that took a really disturbing turn. Doc Brown is a 1984-type dictator in a utopia? I loved how he "woke up" when Marty showed him the time machine. But the story seems a little hard to escape... that's the best kind. Looking forward to the rest of the story.
• Xena Warrior Princess #4 - Ah, still very hard to understand with mixed quality artwork. I think I followed enough of the story to understand it... but I'm not sure I care.
• Jul 27th
• Titans #1 - Garth wants to name the big bad "Keekblu" so they can stop referring to it as a massive interdimensional threat? That's... darling. Ahem. Lots of character development in this one, with a re-establishment of the Titans as they once were. It's kind of odd to see them working to fit into their roles while still remaining their new selves. I like that Garth thinks through the problem and makes a decent suggestion, but found it odd that none of them knew who Psimon is. As for the final few pages... oooh, I wonder how *that's* going to play out?
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1 - So, Sinestro used Soranik and will now be enforcing his own rule with fear. Who didn't see that one coming? As for the rest... meh, it's not that exciting for me. I like Soranik, so I'm not sure how much this book is going to appeal to me in the future, unless she suddenly learns a way to fight back.
• Future Quest #3 - Two shorter stories in this issue that introduce some of the characters. This was pretty useful for me, since I'm not as familiar with the characters as I'd like to be. I don't know if any of this was new or if it was all made clear on the original shows, but I still enjoyed them.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #17 - Hawkman and Hawkgirl with the gang! I found it incredibly funny that the museum employee called in Scooby and his friends simply because she didn't know how to reach the Hawks. The cute explanations given in the comic nicely filled in the details for any fans of Scooby unfamiliar with the heroes. I enjoyed this one a lot.
• Doctor Who 11th #2.11 - Alice witnesses the War Doctor in action, and provides a little bit of unexpected advice. The Volatix Cabal is frightening, especially when Alice is being examined by them. Very effective, as well. This is powerful issue.

A Sunday Review

Ok, at least I can catch up on some television watching, right?

TV this week:

• Doctor Who: "The Zygon Invasion" - This episode put me off a bit, but I couldn't figure out what I disliked about it. V guvax vg jnf gur greebevfz zveebevat fb pybfryl jung'f unccravat va gur erny jbeyq. Ba gur bgure unaq, gurer jrer fbzr ernyyl tbbq ovgf, yvxr gur erghea bs Bftbbq. It wasn't fantastic, but it had some great moments.
• Doctor Who: "The Zygon Inversion" - Whether or not you were impressed by the Doctor's speech made a big difference in whether or not you liked this episode. V obgu yvxrq vg naq qvfyvxrq vg. Zl snibevgr ovg jbhyq unir gb cebonoyl or Xngr'f ersrerapr gb ure sngure. V nyfb yvxrq ubj Bftbbq er-qhcyvpngrq urefrys. Nf ybat nf bar Bftbbq fheivirf, jub pnerf vs fur'f uhzna be abg?
• Doctor Who: "Sleep No More" - A very frustrating episode. V sbhaq gur onq thlf gb or hapbaivapvat ba znal yriryf, naq gur Qbpgbe xrcg fnlvat, "gurer'f zber gb guvf" jvgubhg rire (nccneragyl) qvfpbirevat jung gung zber jnf. Gur rssrpgf jrer gehyl tebgrfdhr, naq jbexrq cerggl jryy... vs bayl gur rkcynangvba sbe gurz qvqa'g znxr zr whfg fnl "jung?" naq npghnyyl fpnerq zr. Gur jubyr "sbhaq sbbgntr" guvat jnf whfg bqq, naq ntnva, gur rkcynangvba qvqa'g jbex sbe zr sbe fbzr ernfba. Gur bar ovg V ernyyl yvxrq jnf gur ersrerapr gb gur zvfanzvat bs gur Fvyhevnaf. Ohg gur erfg? V whfg qvqa'g svaq vg nyy gung vzcerffvir.


• Arrow: "Beyond Redemption" - Oliver's running for mayor, but other folks are cutting and running. Gur vqrn bs gur pbcf ybfvat fb zhpu ubcr gurl yvgrenyyl ner tenoovat jung gurl pna orsber gurl yrnir vf fnq. Ynhery punvavat Fnen hc va gur onfrzrag qbrfa'g fvg jryy jvgu zr, rvgure. Va snpg, gurer'f n ybg bs qvfgerffvat ovgf va guvf rcvfbqr. Not my favorite.
• Arrow: "Haunted" - A new murderer is loose in the city. Ng yrnfg Fnen vf bayl xvyyvat guhtf. V jnfa'g rkcrpgvat Wbua Pbafgnagvar gb trg pnyyrq va gb uryc, ohg gura, vg xvaq bs jbexf jura Byyvr vf onggyvat n znwbe zntvpny hfre guvf frnfba. Gurer ner n ybg bs yvggyr ovgf va guvf bar, cnegvphyneyl va synfuonpxf, gung ernyyl znxr vg zber guna whfg n fgnaqneq rcvfbqr. Naq Sryvpvgl svanyyl svtherf bhg gung Enl unf orra gelvat gb pbagnpg ure, juvpu V svtherq bhg gur svefg gvzr V fnj ure pbzcynva nobhg ure cubar. Actually a pretty good episode.
• Arrow: "Lost Souls" - This is all about Felicity gelvat gb svaq naq fnir Enl. Bu, gur bguref nccrne naq qb fghss naq unir gurve bja yvggyr cybgyvarf, ohg guvf vf nobhg Sryvpvgl naq Enl. Naq Sryvpvgl'f zbz naq Byvire. Naq Qrgrpgvir Ynapr zrrgvat Sryvpvgl'f zbz. Hz. Lrnu, gung ynfg bar jnf yvxr gur raq fcynfu cntr va n pbzvp, znxvat lbh jbaqre jung qvfnfgre vf yhexvat nebhaq gur pbeare arkg.


• The Flash: "The Fury of Firestorm" - Fb guvf bar vf nyy nobhg abg whqtvat crbcyr ol jurer gurl ner va yvsr. Naq V sbhaq vg n ovg cernpul, gb or ubarfg. Gurer jrer fbzr tbbq svtug zbzragf, naq Xvat Funex jnf qrsvavgryl n uvtuyvtug sbe zr, ohg overall, not my favorite episode.
• The Flash: "The Darkness and The Light" - Hey, we got an Aquaman reference, so this automatically becomes the best episode of this show ever! Va guvf rcvfbqr jr trg vagebqhprq gb Qe. Yvtug naq Pvfpb'f cbjref orpbzr xabja. Jr nyfb trg gur ernpgvbaf bs rirelbar gb Uneevfba Jryyf orvat ba gur fprar ntnva. V sbhaq Pvfpb'f evqr-nybat ba Oneel'f qngr gb or cerggl shaal naq hggreyl pevatr-jbegul. Overall, good stuff.
• The Flash: "Enter Zoom" - Barry decides to confront Zoom. V'z fbeel, ohg vaibyivat Yvaqn znxrf guvf ol sne gur fghcvqrfg cyna rire. V ybir gung Pvfpb znantrf gb "ivor" ba Qe. Jryyf, naq gung gur vasbezngvba vf fbzrjung hfrshy ng n pehpvny zbzrag. Naq Qe. Jryyf qnhtugre vf Wrffr... cbffvoyl Wrffr Dhvpx? Nyfb, qvq nalbar ryfr svther bhg gung Qe. Yvtug jnf tbvat gb hfr vaivfvovyvgl gb rfpncr nf fbba nf Cnggl zragvbarq gb Wbr gung vg jnf bar bs ure cbffvoyr cbjref? Not a bad episode.


• Gotham: "By Fire" - Yvir ol gur synzr, qvr ol gur synzr? V fubhyqa'g unir ynhturq ng Uneirl'f ernpgvba gb bar bs Oevtvg'f oebgure'f fgvyy orvat nyvir. Naq Rqjneq'f gvzr bs orvat abezny vf qrfgeblrq ol fbzr zbzragf bs ubarfgl gung ur fubhyqa'g unir bcgrq sbe. Ohg gur fpnevrfg bs gur cybgyvarf vf jung unccraf gb Ohgpu. Gung cbbe thl unf orra chg guebhtu gur jevatre.
• Gotham: "Mommy's Little Monster" - Ohgpu'f orgenlny frrzrq eryhpgnag. Vg'f nyzbfg nf vs ur npghnyyl unf tebja gb yvxr Crathva n ovg guebhtu nyy gur vafnavgl. Frrvat Crathva'f zbgure qvr... jubn. V jbaqrerq vs gung jbhyq or n xrl zbzrag va gur frevrf nf fbba nf fur jnf vagebqhprq. Vg ghearq bhg gb or irel vagrafr. Gur vagreebtngvba bs Ohgpu jnf nabgure avpr zbzrag. Wvz naq Uneirl trg whfg rabhtu gb jbex jvgu. Crathva'f gevpx gb trg pybfr rabhtu gb xvyy Tnynina jnf nznmvat, ohg V jbaqre n) ubj ur znantrq gb svaq gung znal ybbx-nyvxrf fb dhvpxyl naq o) ubj ur pbaivaprq gurz gb tb gb gurve nyzbfg pregnva qrnguf. Gur fhocybg jvgu Altzn jnf nyfb rkgerzryl tbbq, jvgu uvz svanyyl orpbzvat n jubyr, vs rkgerzryl gjvfgrq, zna. Lvxrf. This is, I think, the best of the series so far.
• Gotham: "Tonight's the Night" - Vg frrzf yvxr nyy bs Tnynina'f cynaf unir pbzr penfuvat qbja va guvf rcvfbqr, ohg ur npgrq sne gbb dhvpxyl va qrfgeblvat gur Jnlar zheqre rivqrapr sbe vg gb unir pbzr nf n pbzcyrgr fhecevfr. V'z n yvggyr pbaprearq nobhg gur snpg gung Oneonen fheivirq, juvpu fhttrfgf fur'yy or onpx. Zrnajuvyr, Altzn'f cybgyvar jnf n pbzrql bs (g)reebef naq fbzrubj znantrq gb or shaal naq fpnel ng gur fnzr gvzr. Gur svany zrrg-hc jnf... cebzvfvat. Jub ryfr guvaxf Yrfyvr vf tbvat gb oernx hc jvgu Wvz bire gur riragf va guvf rcvfbqr? Not as great as the previous episode, but very interesting.


• Supergirl: "Pilot" - What, another show to watch? This was a pretty good start to the series and it certainly inspired me to watch more. V yvxr gung gur QRB rkvfgf va guvf frevrf, nf vg cebonoyl jbhyq va nal havirefr gung pbagnvaf Fhcrezna. V ybir Png Tenag naq gur nqqvgvba bs n fvfgre sbe Xnen. An interesting start.
• Supergirl: "Stronger Together" - I'm not sure about Jimmy Olson in this show, but everyone else seems to be hitting the right notes for me. Bs pbhefr, xabjvat ubj fbzr bs gur punenpgref ghea bhg va gur znva QPH znxrf zr jngpu gurz pybfryl... yvxr Znkjryy Ybeq naq Unax Urafunj. Gur nqqvgvba bs na nhag sbe Fhcretvey vf nyfb n avpr gjvfg va guvf frevrf, naq bssref fbzr frevbhf sbrf. Ohg bar jbaqref jul Fhcrezna unfa'g nyernql orra nyregrq gb gur guerng naq svtugvat vg?
• Supergirl: "Fight or Flight" - Some nice moments in this one, with Clark getting his words in. V unys-yvxr naq unys-ungr ubj gurl'ir znantrq gb xrrc Fhcrezna ng n zvavzhz va gur fubj, ohg guvf rcvfbqr tbrf bar fgrc shegure va univat Xnen fbyir n zlfgrel Fhcrezna qvqa'g. Znkjryy Ybeq vf ernyyl veevgngvat... ohg gura, ur'f nyjnlf orra gung jnl. V jbaqre vs ur unf nal cbjref be vf whfg n fhcre-cbjrerq wrex va guvf fubj? Overall, not a bad episode, but I fear we'll be freak-of-the-week for awhile.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- My Kindle Wishlist -- Hugo 2016 Posts page

A Sunday Review

God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell.

The File 770 folks have been talking about this book non-stop for months, so I decided to take a break from Hugo reading to read it. That may have been a mistake, as I now want to read the other books in the series. But I think I'll allow myself a rest and go back to potential 2016 Hugo works first.

The story concerns a woman/girl who ends up in a very strange town with holes in her memory and some very strange talents. The result is a hodgepodge of story that slowly clicks into place as the book rushes to a painful but powerful conclusion. I was gobsmacked by the whole thing, honestly. It was overwhelming on multiple levels to the point where I'm going to have to reread.

Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Wnzr vf na vagevthvat punenpgre, qvssvphyg gb haqrefgnaq ng gvzrf. Fur'f chfuvat sbejneq jvgu rirelguvat fur'f tbg orpnhfr fur unf fbzr frpergf gung fur pna'g erzrzore. Gung naq gur pynjf. Ohg fur'f pyrneyl pbzcnffvbangr naq pnerf nobhg ure ubabe naq ubarfgl, juvpu znxrf fbzr bs ure pubvprf n yvggyr bqq. Fgvyy, V rawblrq ure dhrfgvat nebhaq, yvxr n Q&Q cynlre rkcybevat gur pvgl.

Gur angher bs qvivavgl frrzf gb or n znva gurzr va gur pbagrkg bs gur fgbel. Fur'f zbabgurvfgvp, juvpu vf nccneragyl ener, ohg fur'f va n pvgl svyyrq jvgu tbqf gung unir npghny rssrpg ba gur jbexvatf nebhaq ure. Vg'f irel vagrerfgvat gb abgr ubj Wnzr naq gur cevrfg jbex bhg jung'f unccravat va qvssrerag jnlf. Gur npghny nafjre vf arire dhvgr frggyrq va gur raq. Gurer'f n zhygvirefr, naq fbzr xvaq bs rirag fcnaavat znal havirefrf, ohg jung ure tbq npghnyyl vf arire trgf rkcynvarq va guvf obbx.

Juvyr cneg bs zr yvxrf gur jnl gur fgbel yrnxf bhg va ohefgf naq fgernzf, urer naq gurer, jvgu gur ernqre xabjvat irel yvggyr zber guna Wnzr ng nal cbvag - cneg bs zr jnf qvfngvfsvrq ng gur wbygvat fprar punatrf naq gur jnl gvzr sybjrq va svgf naq fgnegf. Gur obbx jnf obgu snfpvangvat naq ernyyl veevgngvat. Jura V ernq gung vg jnf gur nhgube'f svefg rssbeg, vg znqr zber frafr, ohg V jvfu vg unq tbar guebhtu n pbhcyr zber rqvgf orsber choyvpngvba. Vg pbhyq unir orra n ybg fzbbgure n ernq jvgubhg ybfvat vgf vzcnpg. V jbaqre ubj zhpu gur nhgube vzcebirf bire gur arkg srj obbxf?

Gur fhccbegvat punenpgref jrer sha. Gur jvqbj va gur xvgpura, gur ovmneer vaaxrrcre, gur eviny npebff gur fgerrg... ybgf bs arng crbcyr gb zrrg va guvf bar. Cneg bs gur wbl bs guvf obbx jnf gheavat nebhaq naq svaqvat n arj punenpgre shyyl syrfurq naq ernql gb tb ba gur arkg cntr. V xvaq bs ubcr gb trg onpx gb gur pvgl riraghnyyl naq purpx va ba rirelobql.

In conclusion, a strange and interesting book. I can't recommend it without reservation, but it has rewards for the careful reader.

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Short story reviews:

• "Going Endo" by Rich Larson is about a tech who kind of falls for a bio weapon in the strangest way. I'm still not sure what to think of this one, except that it's all about sex and yet it's all about other things as well. But mostly sex. Interesting story with a good voice for the main character, but not for the overly chaste, I think.


• "The Ninth Seduction" by Sean McMullen is about goblins and elves and beauty and the loss of beauty. This was actually a really intense read once I figured out what was happening, which was fairly clear when the ship didn't leave. In the end, it seems like the main characters all got what they wanted, which is even stranger. It's a chilling little story, in that way.


• "Time Bomb Time" by C.C. Finlay is a story that (spoilers) ernqf gur fnzr onpxjneqf naq sbejneqf. Gur snpg gung vg'f zbfgyl n tvzzvpx fgbel jbexf ntnvafg gur bqqf bs zr abzvangvat vg sbe nalguvat, ohg ba gur bgure unaq, vg'f n qrprag yvggyr fgbel. V'z abg rira tbvat gb nggrzcg gb jevgr n erivrj va gur fnzr fglyr, nygubhtu gur gubhtug pebffrq zl zvaq.

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Movie review:

• The Martian - I'm sure most of my readers have already seen it, but I'll still rot13 just for the handful who haven't. Nf jvgu nal nqncgngvba bs n abiry gb svyz, gurer jrer fnpevsvprf. Va gur obbx, Znex vf jevgvat uvf ybt ragevrf. Va gur zbivr, gurl ner ivqrb ragevrf. Gurer ner n pbhcyr bs znwbe punatrf va gur zbivr sebz gur obbx, vapyhqvat gur erzbiny bs na ragver frdhrapr bs riragf qhevat Znex'f ybat bireynaq gevc ng gur raq. Rirelguvat ng gur raq bs gur zbivr - nyy gur arng hcqngrf ba rirelbar - nyfb jrer abg va gur obbx. V ybirq gur obbx naq V ybir gur zbivr, ohg gurl ner qvssrerag navznyf. Gung fnvq, V nqberq gur zbivr sbe znxvat areql frrz njrfbzr naq znxvat n gevc gb Znef frrz cbffvoyr. Ng gur zbzrag, jr qba'g unir gur grpu gung jbhyq or erdhverq sbe Znex gb fheivir. Nyzbfg nyy bs vg rkvfgf, ohg gurer ner fbzr pehpvny zvffvat cvrprf naq gur zbivr znqr vg jbex ol whfg abg zragvbavat gur ceboyrz. V'z fnq gur Ndhnzna ersrerapr qvqa'g znxr vg vagb gur svyz, ohg vg jnf va n cebzb, juvpu jnf pbby. V nyfb sryg gur punenpgref bhgfvqr bs Jngarl jrer orggre ernyvmrq va gur zbivr guna va gur obbx, fvzcyl orpnhfr jr frr zber bs gurz qverpgyl. Hfhnyyl vg'f gur bgure jnl nebhaq, ohg vg'f na hahfhny glcr bs obbx. V nyzbfg jvfu guvf unq orra bar bs gubfr pnfrf jurer V fnj gur zbivr svefg, orpnhfr V pna'g uryc ohg pbzcner gur gjb va rirel jnl naq V'z univat n uneq gvzr whfg gnxvat gur zbivr ba vgf bja. V guvax gur zbivr jnf irel jryy qbar naq sha, ohg V'z abg fher vg unf n ybg bs erjngpu inyhr. It'll be on my Hugo nomination form for sure.

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TV this week:

• Doctor Who: "Before the Flood" - I admit I'm annoyed that it appears this season of Doctor Who is going to be all two-parters. I shouldn't be: I generally like well-done cliffhangers. But for some reason, this has annoyed me. I also like well-done stand-alone episodes, and from what I'm hearing, we aren't going to get those this year. Ok, back to the actual story... There were plot holes. Several of them. The biggest and most annoying is gur zrgubq ol juvpu gur Qbpgbe orpnzr n tubfg. Ur fnvq vg jnf n ubybtenz. Avsgl. Ohg, nf n ubybtenz, ubj qvq vg ghea bss gur Snenqnl pntr? Naq B'Qbaaryy'f qrngu jnf jebat jebat jebat! V ubcrq gung gur Qbpgbe jbhyq svther bhg ubj gb erirefr gur "qrnguf" ng gung cbvag... boivbhfyl nf n qrnq zna jnyxvat ur jbhyq unir gb, evtug? Ohg ur qvqa'g, naq gung veevgngrq zr n ybg. Va snpg, gur obbgfgenc cnenqbk pbzovarq jvgu gur zntvpny ubybtenz cerggl zhpu qrfgeblrq gur rcvfbqr sbe zr. Vg jnf jryy-npgrq naq zbfgyl jryy-jevggra, ohg gurer jrer ovgf gung jrer whfg fb jebat gung V'z tbvat gb unir gb whfg fvtu naq fnl, "gvzrl-jvzrl penc ntnva". Bar ynfg gubhtug, gur fprar bs Pnff orvat punfrq naq svthevat bhg gur qnatre ol gbhpuvat gur sybbe jnf irel avpryl qbar. Pnff jnf gur orfg cneg bs jung fubhyq/pbhyq unir orra n irel tbbq fgbel. So, in summary, I'm feeling a bit let down by this one.


• Gotham: "The Last Laugh" - So, they pulled off the big misdirection. Vg jnf nffhzrq gung Wrebzr jbhyq tebj hc gb or gur Wbxre - vafgrnq, vg ybbxf yvxr ur'f tbvat gb or gur vafcvengvba sbe gur Wbxre be Wbxref (yvxr va Ongzna Orlbaq, znlor?). V ernyyl qvqa'g rkcrpg uvf qrngu, ohg url, guvf fubj yvxrf gb mnt jura rirelbar vf rkcrpgvat n mvt. Zl snibevgr cneg ol sne jnf Nyserq'f nggrzcg gb cvpx hc Yrr naq uvf qvfthfg jura ur frrf Yrr naq Wvz xvffvat. Urnq bire urryf, gung jnf Nyserq. Naq fvapr V xabj gung va ng yrnfg bar irefvba bs gur zhygvirefr Nyserq naq Yrfyvr unq fbzr fbeg bs uvfgbel, V jnf gvpxyrq ol rirel fprar jvgu gur gjb. Gur fprarf bs Wrebzr jvgu uvf sngure jrer nyfb jryy-qbar va n ubeevoyr fbeg bs jnl. A decent little episode.


• The Flash: "The Man Who Saved Central City" - This didn't pick up from the cliffhanger at the end of the first season... no, instead we got a "six months later" scenario va juvpu Ebaavr unq fnpevsvprq uvzfrys, Pnvgyva jnf fgnlvat njnl sebz FGNE ynof, Pvfpb vf jbexvat jvgu gur cbyvpr naq Oneel vf n pbzcyrgr ybare. Jr riraghnyyl yrnea jung unccrarq va gur pyvssunatre, naq jub gur gvgyr ernyyl ersref gb... naq ubj Oneel oryvrirf vg vfa'g uvz, vg'f Ebaavr. V yvxrq ubj Oneel jnf ercnvevat nyy gur ybpny ohfvarffrf ng avtug, ohg V jbhyq guvax ur'q or pybfre gb orvat qbar nsgre fvk zbaguf. V nyfb yvxrq ubj gur grnz chyyrq vgfrys gbtrgure qrfcvgr Oneel'f qrfver gb or nybar naq urycrq uvz... ntnva, qrfcvgr uvf qrfverf. Gur snagnfl nqiragher ng gur ortvaavat, jvgu Oneel fheebhaqrq ol sevraqf naq urycrq bhg ol Sverfgbez, jnf nyfb arng. V bayl unq gjb ceboyrzf jvgu guvf rcvfbqr. Gur svefg vf n fgehpgheny ceboyrz qhr gb gur gvzr gjvfg gung unccrarq va ynfg frnfba'f svanyr: vs gur Erirefr Synfu irefvba bs Jryyf arire rkvfgrq, ubj pbhyq ur yrnir FGNE ynof gb Oneel? Va snpg, ubj pbhyq Oneel rkvfg? Gur ragver gvzryvar bs Gur Synfu vf fperjrq hc. Ohg gung svany fprar znl unir gur nafjre gb gung ceboyrz. Gur bgure ceboyrz jnf Oneel'f qnq'f pubvpr gb yrnir. Qhqr, lbhe xvq jbexrq cerggl zhpu uvf ragver nqhyg yvsr gb trg lbh serr, unat nebhaq n ovg naq OR jvgu uvz. Overall? I enjoyed it a lot. There's a lot of possible future stories to explore and things I need to see happen, but it was a good first episode.


• Arrow: "Green Arrow" - So Ollie is a good cook? After the end of last season I wasn't at all sure how this show could continue. But then, this show is consistently twisty. Guvf rcvfbqr erfrg gur fgnghf dhb, naq qvq n tbbq wbo ng vg, V guvax. V yvxr gung Sryvpvgl xrcg ure unaq va, rira gubhtu fur jnf npgvat yvxr n unccl ubhfrjvsr. V'z fnq gung Byyvr'f fbhssyr jnf vagreehcgrq, ohg abg fhecevfrq. V jnf fubpxrq ol gur eriryngvba nobhg Pncgnva Ynapr. Ubjrire, V'z nyernql oberq ol Qnzvra Qneux naq ubcr ur tbrf njnl fbba. Gur svany fprar jnf zrnag gb znxr hf guvax Sryvpvgl qvrf, ohg qhr gb gur angher bs guvf fubj, V unir ab vqrn jub vf ernyyl va gur tenir. Nyy V xabj sbe fher vf gung guvf jnf n fnynq bs na rcvfbqr jvgu n ybg bs bqq zbzragf. I liked it, but it wasn't the best episode.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Aug 26th
• Justice League of America #3 - I find the complete lack of Aquaman disturbing. I also like how the priest explains there are more problems that need to be solved than just feeding people. I can't help but think in a super-hero universe, those problems would be worse in many places... and I don't see Rao as likely to solve them in a single day.
• Aquaman #43 - And we finally get the real reason Mera turned on Aquaman. Frankly, that makes a lot more sense than anything I'd come up with. While I'm not happy to see this turn of events, it is a bit of a relief.
• Sinestro #14 - I was not expecting Nax to have such a ... useful ability. Not one that complements Soranik as deeply as that did. Surprisingly, I like Nax. So, there's two characters in this book I can stand.
• Batman '66 #26 - Poison Ivy in all her flora. Nice origin for the character here, and funny how Batman and Robin figure out where she is (an all-night custard stand? Really?). Very fun issue.
• Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency #3 - It still doesn't make any sense, but it's making less nonsense in this issue than the past two, if that makes sense. Which it doesn't. I just don't think this way.
• Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen #4 - Yeah, the book has been hinting at Dorothy's change since the beginning. It's about time something along those lines happened.
• Doctor Who 2015: Four Doctors #3 - Continuity bomb, huh? Well, that's it for continuity if Marinus is involved. Let's see what happens next.

NOTE: For Hugo reading, I'd like to recommend Batman '66, a series that not only captures the flavor of the old campy Batman television series, but adds to it and strengthens it. There's nothing else in this week's offerings that stands out enough that I'd suggest seeking it out.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- My Kindle Wishlist -- Hugo 2016 Posts page

A Sunday Review

Recent TV:

• Gotham: Season One - Brooding and dark, with hints of humor. My least favorite part of the show in the beginning of the season was Fish Mooney, who couldn't seem to eat enough scenery. She toned it down a little toward the end, but not really enough. I love Selina and Alfred, they are the best things about the show by a mile and a half. Bullock comes in a distant number three. My only complaint about Selina is how stupidly she follows Fish at the end of the series... like she lost all her brains just for that episode. That means Alfred is the number one reason to watch the show, and he doesn't get nearly enough screen time. Overall, I'd give it six out of ten stars. It was sometimes really good, but other times it was really bad.
• Arrow: Season Three - I've been watching this show extremely casually since the beginning. There have been lots of good moments, but like Gotham, it's shaky and uneven at times. Having Barrowman play a villain kept me watching, and Felicity's development has been fun to watch. The biggest problem with the show is that, in the end, there isn't even a single character I identify with or want to cheer for. Not even Felicity, after she turns her back on Ray. So, I'll watch it, but only for Barrowman and because the hubby is already watching it. Five out of ten.
• The Flash: Season One - I fully expected to dislike this show. I've never been a huge Flash fan, although his interactions with Aquaman tend to be some of the best crossovers the A-man gets. But this one drew me in from the start with the mystery of Wells, the nerdiness of Cisco and the friendliness of Caitlin. The plots were varied enough, not focusing entirely on freak-of-the-week, to keep me cheering and curious what steps would be taken next. The romantic plotline started to get old after awhile, but still managed to hold some tension. And the finale was simply excellent. Add in the potential futures for Cisco and Caitlin based on their names, and this show is even more interesting. In the end, this was by far the best of the three DC-related shows we watched last season. Eight out of ten.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• May 6th
• Convergence #5 - Yay! We've changed one baddie for another! I honestly can't think of anything else to say... it's just... not a lot.
• Convergence: Harley Quinn #2 - I think that boyfriend is WAY better off than he will ever realize. As for Harley, lots of fun in this one.
• Convergence: Justice League #2 - I really liked the Vixen/Aquaman battle. And Mera's actions at the end, very nice. In fact, I really enjoyed this two-parter, which I was not expecting at all.
• Flash: Season Zero #8 - Trying to rescue King Shark? Well, such is the life of a superhero.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #10 - Jonny Quest? Ok, that was pretty good. I love how the characters are pretty much self-aware of their cliches and such, but just keep moving forward despite it all.
• Wonder Woman '77: Special #1 - Honestly, I preferred the Wonder Woman stories set in WWII by far to the later ones. But this book, and the nice essay in the back, is giving me a reason to reconsider.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist -- My Camera Wishlist

Grab bag of links

How Sesame Street got its name.

A clever way to guilt religious people into giving more.

Teens sneak meaning past authority figures. This is nothing new, but interesting nonetheless.

The Chemistry of the Murder Mystery. How mystery writers have gotten it right.

A real cloud at Facebook's data center. Or rather, a lot of condensation because of a lack of planning for certain temperature changes.

There's a very distressing, very real description of depression that's followed up by a second part. And Ursula also talks about it. I don't think I could put my own depression into words as well as these folks have.

And as long as I'm ending on a down-note, here's a whole bunch of euphemisms for "death" from early American tombstones.

Thoughts on the Big Game

The only reason I was rooting for the Ravens is the literary reference in the mascot name. So, I didn't really care who won. I just wanted a good game. In the end, that's what we got. I was able to get worked up about the game after the long power outage delay when the Niners had their comeback. I was very surprised by the fake punt at the end and the safety, but I understand the reasoning.

As for the ads, nothing really sticks out for me. I enjoyed the Gangnam style jumps the shark ad, and the horsey ad was good as it often is. I can't really remember much else. Certainly no ads that will be classics.

Best part for me, by far, was the power outage. The response online was magnificent, and the sheer joy of watching people in the stadium deal with something completely unexpected was awesome. I look forward to more conspiracy theories about it. Ought to end up being a Fortean event in some ways.

Overall, I enjoyed watching it, which I wasn't expecting. Now, let's just get the Seahawks back into the big game... one in which the refs haven't been bribed to make calls for the other team.

Links!

Ways to make David Banner angry (so he turns into the Incredible Hulk). Based, of course, on the TV show.

I'd like to find a massive chunk of gold, but I don't have a metal detector and I don't live in Australia.

A simple card trick. The comments even explain why it works.

I was surprised at some of the 14 TV series that usurped their original film versions. I knew a lot of them, but some... nope.

I can just imagine this cat thinking, ok, you got your pictures, ha ha, now get me out!

The story behind Rubber Duckie.

Another website that lists free Kindle books. This one isn't too bad.

School vouchers being used to illegally teach religion. Look, I have no problem with Christianity and belief in the Bible's creation story, but I DO have a problem when you try to replace science with it. Creationism is religion and belongs in church, or in philosophy class if you must put it in school. It isn't science and cannot replace science. And, if you are smart, Christianity doesn't even conflict with science.

Linkdump

The 12 cognitive biases that prevent you from being rational.

The 17 best failed TV shows of the 80s as judged by their openings. Hey, I love Voyagers!

A stomach pump for dieters. Just what we need, machine-assisted bulimia.

A Young activist fights against Creationism in schools.

I love the UFO (and what it's doing) in this LEGO Microscale scene.

Time for a Start of Summer Linkdump!

The kids are alright. It's the adults who need some work.

A tornado path can be clearly seen on this satellite image of Massachusetts.

Lifeboat at World's End.

You think your parents are embarrassing? How about dad waving at the bus each morning in a different costume? First Day. Last Day.

WANT.

Want.

WANT. Seriously. These would be really useful around here.

A DC Cyclist has a run-in with an idiot and lives to write about the whole thing in detail.

The Springfield Shopper (click the top link to go to the image, then check out the comments).

PugsM&M's for the in-laws.

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Being Human (US): "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Me Killing You" - And we finally see the final episode of the US version of the show. And they manage to surprise at several turns. Oh, some of it turned out the way I expected, but that final fight between Herrick and Mitchell, er, Bishop and Aiden, was completely different for obvious reasons. Good stuff, and I'm looking forward to seeing more next season.
• Becoming Human: Adam, the teenage vampire from the UK Being Human, goes back to school and meets a werewolf in denial named Christa then a ghost named Matt who was murdered. I like the relationship between the characters, and I love the way this whole thing played out. A nice mystery, with room for a follow-up if they choose to do it.
• Doctor Who: "The Doctor's Wife" - The TARDIS arrives in a bubble dimension where strange things immediately start happening. After pondering last week's episode, I recognize that it had plot holes you could float a ship through, but I still enjoyed it at the time. This one seemed pretty tight plotwise, and was also very enjoyable. The title makes perfect sense in the context.

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Fortean Times #274 (Special 2011). I don't mind this cover at all. Ambras Syndrome (hypertrichosis) isn't scary or too freaky, just a little unusual. Certainly better than swastikas. The image is from Illustrated Police News, a newspaper started in 1863 (and ran until 1938) that catered to the lowbrow tastes of the working class public. The four page article is actually less than a page and a half of text, but manages to be fairly interesting despite a lack of detail and a focus on sleepwalkers (four of the five images in the article are "somnambulists", the other is the cover image). However, this promises to be the first in a series of articles about the newspaper, so I'll forgive the faults and simply enjoy the oddity for now.

Into the main mag... Strangedays starts with a lake monster. There is a report of another fish kill, this time a million or so sardines. A couple of reports of coincidence are fun to read about. Then we have a man with 12 fingers and 14 toes (with picture to prove it) and a baby born with two lower front teeth (again, with picture) whose mother has decided to bottle-feed. Reports of animals in the wrong place shows off pictures of racoons and kangaroos in Britain. Another article questions the guilt of Dr Crippen, famous in a 1910 murder case. A rather sickening collection of family members being locked up rounds out the strange news.

The Science article tells us of a Victorian list of human vestigial organs, many of which aren't. For instance, the pineal and pituitary glands. Oops. Archaeology shows us a Tudor garden maze that was discovered via WWII Luftwaffe aerial spy photographs. Classical Corner is about faked works by well-known writers, going back to Thucydides and before. Alien Zoo has a follow-up about the giant heads and a mystery about a giant owl. Ghostwatch is about haunted funeral homes, and the lack thereof. Blasts from the Past is about lake monsters of Italy and Germany. The Random Dictionary is about Time Slips, with some interesting examples.

Britain's X-Files covers the latest release of Ministry of Defense UFO files, and what's in them this time. There's a nice long article about Queen Victoria's stalker Edward "The Boy" Jones, and his adventures in the Palace. The sidebar to the article lists many other stalkers from old. The second part of last month's article about Otto Rahn and his search for the Holy Grail with the help of the Nazis fills six pages and would be more worthy of the cover feature than last month's part.

The Forum has three articles, one about the preacher who claims the world will end on May 21st. The second article is about positive results in a psi test, using strict scientific methods, that either argues that science needs to change some of its methods or that psi is real. The implications are a little more far-reaching than it might sound but I wonder if it will result in any real changes? The third article hunts down facts about a couple of old sea yarns, and finds nothing substantial. The reviews were good, as usual, and a couple of books made it onto my wish and watch lists. The letters were solid, and the cartoon amusing, and I find myself already wishing and waiting for the next issue.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Being Human (US): "The End of the World As We Know It" - After getting used to the UK version, it's time to watch the US version (it's Sally, Josh, and Aidan, with Bishop, not Annie, George, and Mitchell with Herrick). This episode follows a couple of the plotlines from the UK version, but adds some new massive twists. Including the identity of one of the vampires. This could be a good one.
• Being Human (US): "It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Wrong" - This one diverges more from the original, and I suspect it'll diverge a lot more as the season goes on. I'm particularly enjoying Sally's plotline and her desire for revenge. The addition of Josh's sister is a nice little twist, though that ending, hrm.


• Sapphire and Steel: "Assignment Five: Dr. McDee Must Die" - That was a surprisingly good story. A rich man decides to recreate 1930 for the 50th anniversary of his company, only he has unexpected guests. Although I understood the ending, I'm not entirely sure I understood how it was supposedly being accomplished by Sapphire's time tricks. Still, it had the feel of an Agatha Christie murder mystery with the added bonus of the paranormal. I liked it.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• February 2nd
• Brightest Day #19 - The Aquawar starts, and the thing happens to Aquaman that had been thoroughly spoiled for me long before the book arrived at my house, much less before I had a chance to read it. I don't know what to think, yet. But I don't like how this is trending.
• JSA All-Stars #15 - A little bit of Cyclone, a little bit of an interesting plot, but I sure want to see what happens next. That's a good thing, I guess.
• Batman Beyond #2 - Aquagirl has the sweets for Terry! I like how Bruce's methods don't really work as well as they could for Terry. This ought to be a fun run.
• Ozma of Oz #4 - Ozma deals with Langwidere. I absolutely LOVE Billina's reaction to the Hungry Tiger.
• Oz/Wonderland Kids #1 - Nice little crossover, but the cutesy hint-dropping got annoying fast.
• Emerald City Comicon Swag - A book from Dark Horse, a book from Image, and three books from DC.
• BPRD Hell on Earth: Seattle - Ah, best opening panel I've seen in ages. Not that I *want* Pike Place Market to be destroyed, just that it managed to give me goosebumps. Great little slice of life tale that somehow is able to give a lot of information in very few pages. Good stuff.
• The Intrepids #1 - A bit of a disjointed style, not the kind I like, but decent enough art and a fun storyline. Some folks will certainly love it.
• Batman Inc #1 - I admit it, I'm almost hooked by this. But not quite. The interplay between Batman and Catwoman almost put me over the edge, as did the body language of the henches in some panels.
• DC Universe Online Legends #1 - Inspired by the game, but not really terribly inspired. I'm glad I didn't bother to order this.
• Batwoman #0 - Nice done-in-one, with Batman attempting to learn the identity of Batwoman. Good stuff, really, from a comic fan's perspective.
• Superboy #1 - Well, that nicely establishes the character in Smallville, adds some ominous possibilities, and ends on a fun cliffhanger. Not a bad issue at all.
• February 9th
• Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #7 - Well, that makes things a little better. I guess I'm not so peeved at Kilowog after all.
• Birds of Prey #9 - Nice cliffhanger. Still not happy with Hawk's involvement. But I expected what happened with Canary.
• Knight & Squire #5 - Oh, this is bad. This is very very bad. I mean what happens in the book, not the quality. Oh my. Something interesting is going to happen in that finale. I want this to be an ongoing.
• DC Universe Legacies #9 - Ah, it's time to revisit the annual crossovers! Not much by way of Aquaman, sadly.
• All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #4 - This issue was so much fun, from start to finish... I loved Aquaman getting pumped when the action started.
• Northlanders #37 - Not how you'd expect a siege commander to act, but it looks like there's some interesting action coming with this one.
• Doctor Who Classics Series 4 #1 - Ah, Frobisher and the Seventh Doctor. I'm never sure when these take place. I've definitely read this story before, though it's been a very very long time.
• Spongebob Comics #1 - Yay! Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy! And a few comics about SpongeBob, too.
• PS238 #48 - As fun as the parallel universe storyline is, and don't get me wrong, it's fun, I'd rather read about the Tyler and Ron on the spaceship. Though Alexandria's storyline has caught me a little, as well.
• February 16th
• Brightest Day #20 - Jackson and Lorena, huh? Not a bad pairing for a bit of a friendship. As for the White Lantern and Aquaman... that's not going to last, is it. And no, I'm not asking.
• Green Lantern #62 - Hal's a bit of an idiot in this one.
• Green Lantern Corps #57 - Ok, I think I understand who the enemy is. Maybe. I'm not sure. And yeah, nobody won, did they?
• Justice League of America #54 - I wonder if I would enjoy this more or less if I had ever read all the Eclipso stuff from before?
• Young Justice #1 - Ghosts? Superboy is still a puzzle. And not enough Aqualad.
• Tiny Titans #37 - The Shazam Family, and not the Marvel Family. I'm mildly amused. I loved the super-pets updates.
• DMZ #62 - And into the final act. I have to wonder what Matty is going to say to that offer. If anything.
• Fables #102 - I love Ozma's costume. Just love it. I don't really understand what's going on, as the last issue was about a non-flying monkey and this issue refers to previous events, but Ozma's costume makes up for it.
• Soldier Zero #5 - That's telepathic paper taken to the extreme.
• February 23rd
• Action Comics #898 - And Larfleeze learns a lesson while we finally see who's pulling the strings. I am enjoying this storyline, but I still don't think Lex could be quite as oblivious as he seems.
• Justice Society of America #48 - Well, this storyline is almost over, and that's probably a good thing.
• Power Girl #21 - Is the Max Lord thing nearly over? I'm more interested in the bits happening while PG is off trying to deal with the JLI and stuff. I think that is, to some extent, the whole point.
• Oz/Wonderland Chronicles Jack & Cat Tales #2 - This book would be so much easier to read if it came out regularly and didn't have so many different titles. As it is, I'm so lost I'm only guessing at the plot based on the contextual clues.
• March 2nd
• Brightest Day #21 - That bit of Aquaman on the first page... literally "bit of Aquaman"... was fairly disturbing. Why didn't that go the way of the rest of him, huh? I like how Mera is just shocked, more than anything.
• Green Lanterns #63 - So, is this a rewrite of the history of the Green Lantern Corps? Nice and colorful, but I'm not sure if I care.
• Batman Beyond #3 - Yay Aquagirl! I like how she faced down Warhawk, and I'm amused by the angle the artist chose for it.
• Powers #7 - Ah, things are pulling together for me with this issue. Not sure why. Maybe I've reached some sort of Powers critical mass.
• Doctor Who Classics Series 4 #2 - The end of the previous story, then two shorts. Including an appearance of Death's Head, which I had always wanted to read in its entirety.
• Doorways #4 - Good ending, if predictable in spots. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this series.
• Oz Primer - Thanks to being married to one of the continent's biggest Oz fans, I already knew a lot of what's in this book, including some of the information revealed in Eric Shanower's interview (I *saw* him play The Shaggy Man in the ballet, for instance). But for anyone who doesn't have as close a relationship to Oz as me, this is definitely worth picking up. And for those who do, there are two great interviews with the creators of the book, so pick it up anyway.
• Usagi Yojimbo #135 - Ah, a character that gives everyone the creeps, including Usagi. As usual, the quality of this book remains sterling, and I pity anyone who doesn't get it and read it regularly.

Ok, I can hardly believe this, but I'm actually caught up on my comic book reading. I'm not sure when my next DCBS shipment is, but I think I have another week or two to read other comic related material in my "to read" piles before I get more of the single issues.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Primeval: "Series 4 Episode 7" - And that's it for this round, as some plot points are tied up and Connor makes a decision. I was left wanting more. I just love this show, and I want a lot more of it. Hope the next series will be out soon and be as good.


• Young Justice: "Schooled" - Superboy feels the absence of Superman's mentoring. Another good story in the development of Superboy. He gets to figure out that invulnerability and anger aren't a substitute for proper fighting skills. Nicely presented.
• Young Justice: "Infiltrator" - Speedy goes off on his own as Red Arrow, and Arrowette joins the team. I like Aqualad's continued leadership in this one. He manages to pull the team together during a difficult mission, even though, in the end, the team actually doesn't completely succeed.
• Young Justice: "Denial" - The team is assigned to find out if Dr Fate's mystical equipment is safe. This is a Wally focused story, as he'd the one who doesn't believe in magic. I found it amusing enough, though Wally himself is pretty annoying in this version. Seeing what happens to him... heh. No one could be more deserving.


• Who Do You Think You Are?: "Vanessa Williams" - Some serious history in her family. I liked the pictures they were able to find of ancestors, particularly ones that were so rare and no one expected to find. The history of legislators in her family was also fascinating, and heart-breaking as well.
• Who Do You Think You Are?: "Tim McGraw" - Very much a story of American history, as this episode focused on an early ancestor who came into the nation as an indentured servant and became a prosperous landowner. The story of Tim's childhood also made for an interesting and painful tale.


• Being Human: "Adam's Family" - A young vampire relies on his non-vampiric parents for blood. I love George's reactions to everything that happens in this one. I am loving Nina even more. Mitchell's situation is getting more and more serious, but at least he's fully aware that he deserves punishment. I wasn't sure about the ending, but Eric tells me there's a spin-off web show, so I may need to go hunt that down.


• Being Human (US): "Wouldn't It Be Nice (If We Were Human)" - Josh wakes up from his werewolf transformation to find a man watching him, who claims to also be a werewolf. Meanwhile Sally learns that her ex-fiance is now dating her former best friend. I think I recognize all the plot threads in this one from the original show, but this show often pulls out onto a tangent, so I'm not sure how the threads will end.


• Supernanny: "Merrill Family" - I haven't been reviewing these lately, because I've said nearly everything I felt I've need to say about the show. But this episode was special to me. The family was a military family living at Camp Pendleton. The father has been deployed to Afghanistan while the mother is left with four adopted children from Guatemala and Ghana. They had some special circumstances, including two children who were afraid of the dark for extremely logical reasons, language frustrations, and some culture differences. Some of the usual techniques had to be slightly adapted for the children's needs, but the mother is clearly both determined and a quick learner, and I loved seeing her grow and go from a good mom to a great mom while we watched. It was an episode with particular resonance for me, and I enjoyed it a lot.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• December 1st
• Brightest Day #15 - J'onn lives an alternate reality. Hey, an "Elseworld" Aquaman, I guess I can stand the lack of continuing the main Aquaman storyline.
• JSA All Stars #13 - I like Maxine, but twelve of her are eleven and a half too many. This book is still disjointed and confusing, but when the main storyline focuses on a single character it isn't too bad.
• Action Comics Annual #13 - Young Lex Luthor and Darkseid. Really, is there anything more that ought to be said? Oh, and Ra's Al Ghul, too. Just for kicks. A fun issue.
• Ozma of Oz #2 - Dorothy meets Tik-Tok. I love this version of Billina, and Tik-Tok isn't bad either. I love how he deals with the Wheelers (always have). The cover is suitably terrifying, making the ending even better. Go get this book.
• December 8th
• DCU Holiday Special 2010 - This is the usual mixed bag of an anthology, a little weaker than most in my opinion. Not bad, but definitely not the greatest.
• Knight & Squire #3 - This is.... hilarious. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Returning Richard III to life? Romance for the heroes? Wow.
• Tiny Titans/Little Archie #3 - Yay Aqualad! Yay Aquaman action figure! Yay Aqua-Ohs! Yay magic!
• Northlanders #35 - An intriguing mystery started up, as a private man living in his own desolate valley finds a girl frozen in the ice. Really curious to see the rest of this.
• Torchwood #5 - One complete story, one conclusion, and one start. Nothing bad, but this suffers from the same problem this book has had from the beginning of disjointedness.
• Doorways #2 - And through the doorway they go. Lots of action, not enough explanation, but still manages to be pretty good. Looking forward to the next issue.

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My Kindle book this week was The Takers (Oz Chronicles, Book 1) by R.W. Ridley. If you think about them, they can find you. A boy wakes up after a bout of mono to find his dog starving, his parents missing, and the world completely changed. I got this book for the Kindle after Eric mentioned that it was on his "Oz books" list, but he didn't know if it was actually about Oz. Because it had a Kindle edition, I ordered the sample, which is usually about 10% of the book. It was good enough I went ahead and ordered the whole book, because priced at $1, it was enough of a bargain to jump on. And I enjoyed it. It has absolutely nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz (and so has vanished from hubby-Eric's page), but it's a fun "quest" tale about a boy who wakes up in a deserted world and has to piece together what's happened, then fix the world with a little help from other survivors he finds along the way. This is the first book in a series, but it ends on a satisfactory note that's also something of a cliffhanger. A pretty good book, written for pre-teens, but fun for ages on up.

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Agatha Christie this week was Third Girl from 1966. Poirot is intrigued by a girl who believes she may have committed murder, but thinks he's too old to help. Mrs Oliver, Agatha Christie's Mary Sue character, appears in this one. This is a slightly convoluted one with a slightly unconvincing ending. Not a disappointment, as it's quite the ride, as usual, but it's a story where you look at the ending and kind of say to yourself "that couldn't have happened in real life". Amusing, particularly the views on the fashions of the day, but not her best.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Being Human: "Series 2, Episode 5" - Ghost babysitter isn't a job I'd think Annie would go for... George seems to be jumping the gun to me and I can't see his relationship working out well. As for Mitch, his situation doesn't look terribly good. Did his decision just put him into a world of hurt? It certainly wasn't good for the policeman. I don't know where the show can go from here, and I like that.
• Battlestar Galactica: "The Son Also Rises" - Nice bombs. And... a cat? Not sure what to make of that. The building tension between Apollo and Adama is interesting to watch, but makes me uncomfortable. I like the new lawyer, he's a riot. Sad that a soldier got killed protecting him. The whole business with Baltar's pen was fascinating.
• Battlestar Galactica: "Crossroads: Part 1" - I've never been a fan of trial drama. Still am not. But this wasn't too bad. The revelations and bits with the music that only a couple of people could hear was very intriguing. Want to see more... good thing we have the final episode of the season on this disc.
• Battlestar Galactica: "Crossroads: Part 2" - More trial drama, including a dramatic speech by Apollo. That lawyer is a scum, but he knows and enjoys it. But while the trial was the focus of the show, that ending was the screaming "WHAT!?!?" of the series. Those four? No, can't be. And is the fifth one in a Viper next to Apollo, or is he having delusions?
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "In Fear of the Phantom" - Daphne can sing. Freddy is becoming slightly less clueless. Scooby is actually jealous? Not sure what to make of this... the characters are actually developing? The artwork on the band reminds me of the best Manga, stylish and nicely done. I kind of like Hex, and their music. Daphne's "Trap of Love" was great.
• History Detectives: "Jackie Robinson Scorecard; Modoc Basket; Special Agent Five" - The first story is about a baseball scorecard for a groundbreaking barnstorming game, one of the first with an integrated team. The second story regards an historical event I'd never heard of, about a woman named Toby Riddle who was a heroine of the Modoc war. I knew nothing of that story, and yet it's fairly local. We've driven through the area many times. The last story, about a radio show with ties to J Edgar Hoover, was just strange. Pity they couldn't find a copy of the broadcast of that particular script.
• Global Frequency: I've never read the comics, because Warren Ellis in general doesn't agree with my tastes. And I took my time downloading this because of the comments about how the leaking of the pilot destroyed the possibility of a series. But we wanted to see it eventually, so we watched it this week for no particular reason. And man, it was good. I mean, really good. Excellent casting, wonderful concept, and a plot that moved along strongly. I can see how the concept would allow for virtually endless tales. I may have to revisit Warren Ellis works to see if my tastes have changed.

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This week's movie was The Secret Garden starring Margaret O'Brien and Dean Stockwell. A very very young Dean Stockwell. This movie is from 1949, after all. It's not 100% faithful to the book, which I love dearly, but it is certainly good enough. I found it to be entertaining, and snappy. The plot moves along quickly enough to keep everything going. The scene with the doctor and the animals was just a lovely bit of comedy. I love what they did with the restored garden and the color. All in all, this is a great one, and I'm glad that TCM showed it in its restored glory so we could watch it.

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This week's comic book related review is Hikaru No Go Volume 18 by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata. As I said, the whole story seemed complete and settled at the end of Volume 17, and judging by the break from the storyline that this volume offers, I think that was recognized at the time as well. This has six stories that give more insights into other characters in Hikaru's universe, and each one has something different to offer. They are excellent little tales, each one solid on its own. The final story features Sai and Hikaru setting right a wrong with a good game of Go, and reminds me just how much I enjoyed the interaction between Hikaru and his ghost.

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My book this week was The Flying Girl by L. Frank Baum, which you can get in Oz-story 3 from Hungry Tiger Press. After hearing about this book at the Winkie Convention, I was slightly interested in reading it. So when hubby-Eric dug out his copy of Oz-story and told me the whole book was in there, I just dove in and read it. And it's a fun little tale. Orissa Kane's brother has invented a new aircraft that can fly better than most of those around in 1910, and circumstances result in Orissa having to take the pilot's seat. It's got adventure, a bit of romance, and lots of airplanes. And it was written in an era when airplanes were very popular and not well-understood. One of my favorite quotes from the book:

The airship of the future will not be a passenger affair," he predicted, "but an individual machine for personal use. They'll be cheaper than automobiles, and more useful, for they can go direct to their destination in a straight 'airline.' Men will use them to go to business, women to visit town on shopping expeditions or to take an airing for pleasure; but I'm sure they will be built for but one person."

Well, he got the business trips correct. Anyway, it's a good little book with many of the flaws of its time but a lot of hope and cheery adventure. Well worth a little read if you have the time to spare. The book has a sequel that I'm going to make Eric dig out for me, but I'm led to understand it's even more adventure and less about flying.

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Fortean Times #264 (August 2010). Love the cover of this one. It's a Viking ship facing off against a sea serpent. Wonderful artwork. The cover story is about serpents and snakes living in Sweden, in particular the lindorms, along with speculation as to whether or not they were real or an artifact of people drinking too much snaps.

Strangedays was as good as usual, starting with sea serpent tales and moving to sinkholes and artificial life. A fun Ghostwatch includes a sighting by Patrick Stewart during a performance of Waiting for Godot. Good UFO files, and Blasts from the Past looks into the history of crop circles. Another article looks into the paranormal beliefs of CG Jung, which he generally avoided talking about with scientists and collegues.

There's another article about the lost children of Hamelin, that presents the ideas of what happened to them without any conclusions. There's part two of the dictionary on Extra-Sensory Perception, which looks into Clairvoyance with some historical cases of knowing what is happening miles away without any modern tools that could facilitate such knowledge. It also covers a couple of cases that didn't work so well, including the CIA's efforts at remote viewing.

The Forum starts out with an investigation into Hieronymus Bosch's Ascent into the Empyrean which appears to illustrate a classic case of Near Death Experience but was painted 500 years before classic cases were defined by Raymond Moody. Again, no real conclusions, but the author clearly believes that Bosch had an NDE.

There was a plethora of highly rated books in the reviews this month, starting with a book about the Hollow Earth beliefs, and including a book that apparently does a thoroughly excellent investigation into one set of "black dog" sightings. There's also a book about the Pig War, an event I'm familiar with living in Washington State all my life, that's apparently Brit-centric enough to annoy the reviewer. I still think I want to read it. Anyway, all told, another great issue of one of the best and strangest magazines available.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Stephen Fry in America: "Mississippi" - Starting at New Orleans, Stephen journeys up the Mississippi river to see what he can see. He experiences Mardi Gras, and the leftover Katrina devastation. A visit to a prison shows him American justice. I liked the visit with Morgan Freeman and his experience with the firefighter training. Then he's in Detroit, and looks at the need for cars in America. Naturally, I'm most interested in when he reaches the West Coast.
• Being Human: "Series 2, Episode 2" - Not as many odd cuts in this one, but still some. Lots of stuff blurred and blanked. Saul makes me nervous as he gets messages from the TV and newspaper. Mitchell's anger and fear is pretty severe, part of that is his friend who managed to stay "dry" for so long, and part is the possibility of being discovered. Good episode, with a lot of set up.
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "Revenge of the Man Crab" - Ah, Fred has a heart at last. And there was actually a tiny bit of good misdirection in it. Still wonderfully self-aware, but there was also some good developments for the future.

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My library book this week was Space Race by Sylvia Waugh. Thomas and his father aren't your normal widower and son, although they live in a small village and appear completely normal to everyone around them. I enjoyed the way this one developed and twisted. Waugh seems to be terribly good at setting up a premise and then tweaking the reader with something that seems to come out of nowhere but makes perfect sense. And she develops characters that are wonderful to read and cool enough that they seem like they would be fun to know. I really enjoyed this book, but I'm a little surprised there are more in the series the way this book successfully wrapped itself up. Still, I may have to put those on inter-library loan and get them... eventually.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

Saturday Linkages that Won't Melt Outside

Comic Book Legends Revealed #268: Seinfeld's Superman Fetish, Steve Skeates Aquaman, and John Ostrander. I'm amused that my blog is mentioned in the Aquaman item (as I had nothing to do with the question or answer) and even more amused that my husband's site is also mentioned. Someone must like our work.

Elayne sums up the battle over women on The Daily Show.

Dealing with bipolar depression.

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. Oh. my.

Slate takes on Anime Eyes and the New York Times.

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE JUST EATEN, ARE ABOUT TO EAT, OR ARE ABOUT TO GET ON A PLANE: Airline Passengers Showered With In-Flight Maggots. TSA can find a nail clipper, but can't find maggots?!??

Wonderful headline: Mailbox, Mini Cooper, Fireworks a bad combo.

What drowning actually looks like.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost taken by ghosts.

When being autistic is a crime.

LOLCat Theology.

And lastly, Pug Puppy for the in-laws.

Linkdump on Wednesday

Comic Book Legends Revealed #266: Thanos, Mesmero, and Roger Stern on Amazing Spider-Man.

Which side do you drive on?

Oldest Working UK TV found. "The few controls include volume and vertical hold, but there is no channel changer, as there was only one channel when it was made: the BBC."

The Wallingford Beast. Awesome. "...described as being insect-like with a chimpanzee head and the ability to climb a brick wall..."

Check out telephone promos for The Empire Strikes Back. COOL!

The Peeps trial happened.

I'd love to try these. But I think they are a bit too expensive for me.

Unattended Children... the battle is escalating.

LOLCat Theology.

Pug for the in-laws and comic book fans.

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Doctor Who: "The Lodger" - Not your normal Doctor Who. This is the second story in the row that hits the right notes, even though it had the potential to be a very embarrassing tale. There are a LOT of questions about the device in this one that are not answered, and Amy's moment at the very end was exactly what I was expecting to eventually happen. Folks should note the number of the Doctor's jersey.
• Doctor Who: "The Pandorica Opens" - Oh dear. That's a cliffhanger if I've ever seen one. Not at all what I was expecting inside the box, although by the description given I had a very good idea what was supposed to be inside. Poor Rory, but I find it very strange that if he was (SPOILER ALERT!)completely erased from history, that Amy still had both memories AND a picture of him. Perhaps because the place/time that River went to was at the center of all of it? And while I get the whole Roman Legion thing, I don't understand why Amy's interest in Pandora's Box would have any bearing on the situation.(END SPOILER) Note that the key date happens to be the day the final episode airs in the UK. No previews for next week on this one, either.
• Battlestar Galactica: "Collaborators" - So, if I understand this correctly, the president is Zarek, because he was Baltar's vice pres. And Zarek recognizes that Roslin will become president again, and must have clean hands, so he calls together "The Circle". Considering how close the group came to making a huge mistake with Gaeta, I can't agree with Zarek's efforts.
• Sapphire and Steel: "Assignment Three: The Creatures' Revenge" - A very freaky story, very atmospheric. It was let down a little in the final episode with the creature itself and the lousy cliff-hanger from episode five, but overall it was good. The appearance of Silver was neat, and I want to know his history with Sapphire. Speaking of, Sapphire's outfit was terrible.
• Dinner Impossible: "Judgment Day" - I really like that divorce court judge (Judge Lynn Toler). Not enough to actually watch the show, but she seems pretty cool and one tough customer. I like how Robert convinced her of the three pairings she was certain wouldn't work. And I liked the couples they got to help out, even though the one guy was an utter twit. In the end, he gave them a lot of good dishes, and one they could argue about.

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This week's movie was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. We didn't see it in the theater, so we watched it on DVD. Not bad. I've long since realized that I'm bound to be terribly unimpressed with the movies because they have to leave so much of the detail and the subplots out, so my expectations tend to be low. I thought the casting was pretty good, still love Luna. She's probably the character that most seems to have stepped out of the books. Ah well, a good way to spend an evening with the hubby.

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Here are reviews of the Free Comic Book Day comics of 2010 that I got and read:

• Del Rey Showcase - This is a good sampler, with zombies and three other features that all give a strong showing of the stories. This definitely made me interested in a couple of the stories.
• Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom/Magnus, Robot Fighter - Two very nice previews that gave all the details a reader might want to know before jumping into a new book. Both of these were strong and compelling enough to gain readers.
• Weathercraft and Other Unusual Tales - Sorry, I don't "get" Jim Woodring's appeal, so this book was a complete turn-off for me. However, if this type of work appeals to you, I think this is a sufficient sampler.
• Worlds of Aspen 2010 - This is enough of a sampler that I feel like I understand more about this publisher than I did before I read it. Not my type of stuff, but good as a freebie.
• Yow! Drawn & Quarterly Presents...2010 - A nice set of classic comics that make you want to go out and get more of the same. Nancy and Tubby have strange dreams, and strange things happen in other comics. This one is fun.
• The Oni Press Free For All #1 - This book introduces you to three odd stories and their characters, and is both fun and incredibly strange. I don't know that I'm going to pick these up, but they are good. Another great sampler!
• Green Hornet #1 - This makes me almost tempted to pick this book up. If I were more of a Green Hornet fan, I'd be likely to be swayed by this. That makes yet another good sampler!

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My library book this week was Spindrift by Allen Steele. A ship is sent to explore the source of an artificial signal outside the solar system. This is set in the same universe as the Coyote novels that I've previously read and enjoyed, but it's set sort of at the same time as those books, thanks to the whole space travel thing, and the end actually ties in with the ending of the third Coyote book. Again, as with the others, if you enjoyed them you will probably enjoy this one. Good characters, a focus on a small group, and a fairly compelling story. There isn't as much jumping around in this one, simply because the narrative is fairly straightforward. All in all an excellent book, and enough to get me to look for the next Allen Steele Coyote universe book.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Battlestar Galactica: "Precipice" - Lots of "eek!" moments in this one. I'm not sure what to make of Baltar, and I'm not happy that Zarek and Roslin are in that group of dissidents that were executed. At least Cally got away. Yikes.
• Battlestar Galactica: "Exodus: Part 1" - Eric said after we watched the last episode that we didn't actually see who fired, and as it happens I'm considerably more happy with the outcome than I thought I would be.
• Battlestar Galactica: "Exodus: Part 2" - Oh Ellen. Oh Starbuck. Oh Pegasus. Wow. While it partly feels like a return to status quo, it's also surprisingly good.
• Dinner Impossible: "Speed Dating Downfall" - That's what I call impossible. If you have utterly no idea whatsoever what the ingredients will be, how can you cook a meal? At least he actually got a kitchen this time.

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This week's movie was This Is Spinal Tap. LENNY!!!! Um. Right, this is serious movie, not spoof of 80s heavy metal bands. Ha. Right. Thankfully this is a nicely short movie, coming in at 82 minutes. I don't think I could have lasted much longer. I think if I'd seen it when it came out I might have found it much funnier. I've heard pretty much all the best jokes from the movie from other sources so it's not as fresh as it should have been.

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Here are some reviews of the Free Comic Book Day comics of 2010 that I got and read:

• War of the Supermen (FCBD) - Ok, so I finally know what the deal is with the Superman books, since I don't follow them. But this didn't make me want to read them any more than usual.
• Fame/Puppy Sister - The Fame side was completely forgettable and not hardly worth getting, unless you are really into celebrities, at which point it might be considered fun. The Puppy Sister side was a promising start, but again not quite enough to get me to buy it.
• Bongo Comics Free-For-All FCBD 2010 - Standard Bongo fare, definitely worth checking out if you are a Simpsons fan. If not... well, your mileage would definitely vary then.
• Toy Story FCBD Edition - Fun. Cliffhanger at the end, but fun.
• Artifacts issue Zero - The Top Cow Universe is pulling out all the stops for a 13 issue crossover that involves 13 Artifacts. I found this surprisingly compelling, although I don't really ahve that much interest in it. I'd say this book did its job.
• Atomic Robo/Neozoic/Box - Another really good sampler. I got a strong impression of each of the books involved, and I'm actually interested in all three to some level. Good stuff in this one.
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #155 1/2 - I've never been a big GI Joe fan, but the opening introduction to this made me almost want to buy this book, just because they got the original Marvel GI Joe writer to come and continue his series at IDW. Fun stuff, even if you aren't a Joe fan.

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My library book this week was The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. The clever handling of time travel is what makes this book worth reading. Seeing how all the pieces fit together, and when everything happens, is what keeps you turning the pages. The characters are flawed, typical humans. Henry isn't a terribly nice guy, but he tries. Clare is a shallow rich girl from a shallow family who has a wonderful secret that makes her mildly more interesting than her fellow rich friends, but otherwise she's not really someone I would care to meet. The truly interesting character is Alba, but the story isn't really about her, it's about the love between Clare and Henry as Henry is constantly ripped from his rightful time and place and flung away where Clare cannot follow. Overall, it's a ripping read, but if you sit back and really reflect on it the book becomes harder to love. But at least it makes you think, and that's a good thing.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

Not More Links? Wow...

Today in History.

Ghostbusters visit New York Public Library. And they brought their own ghosts.

The Facts in the Case of Dr Andrew Wakefield.

I've always liked Velma.

LifeLock CEO's Identity Repeatedly Stolen. I think perhaps this is a problem with our whole identity system as well as LifeLock's crappy and ineffective product.

Basement Cat doesn't want your soul.

PugGnome for the in-laws.