Exile in Geeksville

So the Geek has been gone - read the blog for the story - I don’t want to get into that now - Lets talk about the Arrival of Spring and what it brings with it, warm weather, baseball, women in central park wearing sun dresses and the new seasons of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica!

First up- DOCTOR WHO - SERIES 4 He’s back again, the Last of the Time Lords, and his new season begins with a rip roaring extended adventure. once again on Christmas Day, though this time most of the story takes place above Earth, and not on it, on the Max Capricon Cruise Lines, Space Luxury Liner Titanic visiting Earth to observe primitive culture. What comes about tho - is more Posiden Adventure than Titanic, as the ship is damaged in a meteor shower and is hurtling towards London. The Doctor must lead a motley group of survivors through the ship and restart the ships Nuclear Storm drive before it hits the planet below and the resulting wiping out all life on Earth. What I love most about Doctor Who is its a show that never takes its self too seriously. It knows its fun, and David Tennant as the Doctor is the epitome of fun. Never have I seen an actor just happy to be part of something.

Doctor Who is a show that has had to continually re-invent itself over its 45 years. Sometimes its a action adventure, sometimes its science fiction, sometimes its camp fantasy, but it is always true to its internal nature. It is the story every little boy wants to be - Peter Pan and his adventures in Neverland, with his Wendy in tow. This time the role of companion is filled by cruise ship waitress Astrid Pith, played by the vivacious Kylie Minogue. Her performance will not replace the memory of Rose for those Whoshippers out there, but she does give some great moments. Those of you who are fans of the Britcoms you see on PBS, you will see some familiar faces as well. Douglas Adams’ fans will also see nods to various works by the late brillant writer.

This episode airs tonight on SCIFI, as the Doctor Who Season Premeire, but it actually was a holiday special airring on Christmas Day last year, while the 4th season proper just began on April 5th on the BBC, and will begin next week on SCIFI. When the Doctor says “Allons-y!” you will gladly follow where he leads. One thing we did not get to see in America is DOCTOR WHO:TIME CRASH - A 8 minute special that appeared on the “Children in Need” a full day telethon on the BBC that helps raise money for, well, children in need, sick kids in hopsital. This short is shoehorned in between last years final moments and before the Titanic actually hits the TARDIS - and it does something I never thought I would see in this new series, but something I was very excited to see - I found it on youtube, and put here below for you.

On the other end of the SCIFI universe we finally rejoin the rag tag fugitive fleet of Battlestar Galactica as they begin their 4th and final season and continue their search for Earth. Its been a while since BSG has had a new episode, not quite sure what was going on at the end of season 3 - then take the next 8 minutes to remind yourself “What the frak is going on?”

All caught up? Good. Season 4 began on April 4, and after 2 epsiodes I realized I love this show for the exact opposite reason I love Doctor Who. This is a show that takes itself very seriously, but does so with out being preachy, It just tells a good story, and does it very well on every level, writing, directing, acting, this show has been consistantly one of the most challenging dramas on TV. Morally ambiguous, real people inhabit the Galactica. Even the artifical lifeform Cylons are more real than 85% of the characters on network drama. The talented actors who play the 7 models of Cylon often find themselves having to play multiple versions of themselves - In particular, the number 8’s Sharons and the especially the number 6’s make you believe they are really different people. And we now have met 4 of the final 5 (have we? have we really?) What do they have to do with the Temple of the 5 of ancient Colonial religion? What is going on with Baltar? Has he found his calling, becoming the prophet of the Cylon God? Given healing abilities? I don’t know. But I can’t wait to find out!

Some of you have begun to ask me -  what happened?  Where have you been David, I have missed my weekly Geek love and midlife crisis updates

Well the last few weeks have been quite a handful for me.  My tour life was taking a bit of a toll on my body, as I fought off a cold, so late feb and early march I began to slack off a bit

Then I was hit with a bit of a personal bomb,  My mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, a non operable 3cm tumor had developd at the tip of her pancreas and had begun to matasize into her liver.

If you happen to see the recent news about Patrick Swayze, then you may know how serious this cancer is.

My attention of late has been, understandbly on my mother, and my family.

I will return to this blog - I want to -  I need to have something regular to focus back on.

Thanks to my friends who have offered their emotional support

This blog was written  on 2/16  it was the last blog I had written for a while.  I have had a lot going on, and you will be able to read about a lot of it soon

but here it -

OK so I missed last week’s blog - I know.

The truth is just I had not a lot to say – which is funny since so much was going on - Super Bowl – Super Tuesday – my Tour – Roger Clemens’ Steroids scandal – my pitiful excuse for a personal life.

Where do I begin?

I heard a story about a man who ran over a child, and is not suing the parents of the kid, for the damage to his car - Can you believe people?

I had an idea I began to outline to start a video blog project with my brother. (I haven’t begun to approach him about it, to discuss politics. I don’t seem to discuss politics with many of my friends or family. I mean I know where they stand on most issues, with my father and brother on the far right end of the political stick and my mother is more right than center, my sister, who now owns property and has kids is probably just right of center, but socially she still leans left (I think of her as Eisenhower style republican) My other sister is more liberal, but to be honest I am not sure just how liberal. You figure a lesbian living in Florida is probably pretty leftist - but I think she may be more Liberatarian.

Then there is me, way out on the far left end of thought. Sometimes I forget how alien I am to the enviroment that spawned me.

I heard it said once, If your a Republican under 30 you don’t have a heart, but if your a Democrat over 30 you don’t have a brain.