TV. battlestar galactica

it happened. i promised myself it wouldn't, but it did. i became a fan of 'battlestar galactica'. after all the critical praise it has gotten over the years, i gave it a try a year or so ago, but wasn't impressed. the dense storylines and hard to understand mythology were too much for me. i watched about three episodes and gave up.
now with the new season starting my curiosity was peeked once again. seeing all the ads for it during 'stargate atlantis' and 'sanctuary', and constantly hearing of its praises in different magazines and online, i decided to give it another go. this season opener they were going to reveal who the final cylon is. big deal, right? i agree, but it was enough to entice me to give it another go. and wouldn't you know it, the sci fi chanel just so happened to be having a twelve hour marathon leading up to the new episode. i fired up the tivo and recorded them all. i started with the two part finale last season, and then it got me- i was hooked! the intricate stories of the last humans trying to get back to the mythical planet 'earth' sucked me in until i needed to know who the last cylon was! they got me, those sneaky weasels! i blew through the next ten episodes in a matter of days until i finally got to the season premiere where they finally revealed who it was. i was shocked- actually i wasnt, it was more like 'so, who's that?' like i said, the story is dense. but now with only nine episodes to go in this final season, i have to see how their journey ends. i wont be going back and watching all three seasons i missed, it actually adds to the fun confusion by not always knowing what they are talking about...

TV. stargate atlantis

the final episode of the last season has now come to a close. i'm a big 'stargate' fan, but i have to say, that was disappointing. i don't just mean the last episode, i mean the whole show. i came to the whole 'stargate' thing a bit late, but i became a fast fan. 'stargate sg-1' was amazing. each week they would travel to a new world and learn about their society. each place allowed them to examine and comment on an aspect of our society in the form of fantasy, like the best sci-fi short stories. most of the episodes dealt with a part of ourselves exaggerated so it could be explored and commented on through the guise of science fiction. the typical trappings of a science fiction show were usually avoided, no impossible spacey kinds of things, just people exploring and interacting with a new culture and trying to understand it. usually they didn't get bogged down by space ships or transporter type nonsense (well, at least until the last couple seasons, which were admittedly past their prime...).
but this show? 'stargate atlantis'? about the exact opposite. there was always space ships, transporters, ridiculous technology, and lame aliens. in fact, the show would go for stretches of five or six episodes sometimes without even using the stargate itself! come on, thats where the show gets its name! that would be like 'ER' if they never went to the hospital- lame! there were some good parts, mostly the casting of jewel staite, but the bad far outweighed the good. unlike 'stargate sg-1', i am not at all sad to see 'stargate atlantis' go. maybe they will do better next season when the third show, 'stargate: universe', starts up. i'll be first in line hoping that they learned from their atlantis mistakes.

BOOKS. don't panic

a couple years ago, when the movie was going to come out, i decided to read 'hitchhikers guide to the galaxy'. i didn't know anything about it, but i had heard it was pretty funny. i read it quickly and totally enjoyed it. i've since gone back and read most of the other books from the series. the first one was definitely the best, but all of them have their humorous charms.
recently i came across this book, a biography about douglas adams, the author of the 'hitchhikers' books. its written by neil gaiman, which is a name you can always trust. it was quite interesting. i didn't know anything about mr. adams, but was quite enthralled by this account of his life. gaiman writes it in the same sort of dry british wit that characterizes adams writings. it was interesting to learn about how the story started, as a radio show for the BBC. it morphed over time to include a television series, a set of books, and a computer game, each of which tells the story differently. adams was by all accounts a major procrastinator, often waiting until two weeks before a book was due to even begin writing (which explains why the books are so uneven). it seems he was also a man who loved technology. he was involved in creating a 'hitchhikers guide' on the internet which anyone could contribute to, basically creating wikipedia before wikipedia! this book shares his works, which were unfortunately cut short when he passed away eight years ago. a very funny and interesting look at a funny and interesting man.

AUDIO BOOKS. love is a mixtape

a writer for 'rolling stone', rob sheffield shares his life through the music he loved. in each chapter he gives the name of a mixtape he made, lists the songs on it, then shares stories about it or about what was going on in his life at the time he listened to it. many of the stories are about having fun and hanging out, but most of them revolve around a girl named renee, his wife. he shares how they met, their relationship, marriage, and life with her. they were married five years when she had a heart problem that took her life. rob goes on to share how he tried to understand it and deal with life after renee. for a long time he hid behind his music, not wanting to participate in the real world any longer. he explains how things never get any easier after a loss, they just keep going. at the end he shares that he has been able to reenter the real world and lives his life as a memorial to renee, living as she would have wanted him to. he moves to a new city, finds new jobs, and eventually even finds a new wife. its a heartfelt tale of how to grow and love, all through the form of music.

AUDIO BOOKS. never have your dog stuffed

i've often seen alan alda on different talk shows and have always enjoyed his anecdotes about his life. when i saw this on the shelf i figured it would be worth a listen. the book is a memoir of his life, most of it consisting of his early life, growing up with parents who were traveling vaudeville performers, going to school, and starting out in theater. i had heard many of the stories before, so much of it was repeats of things he had shared on different shows. over all though, it was a nice story sharing his struggles and victories over the years. he talks of dealing with a mother who was mentally ill, falling in love with his wife, and little bits of advice for actors ('always tell them you can do everything! can i ride a horse? sure!'). he includes a few stories from his days on 'mash', but i wast that interested because i never cared for that show. even still, a fun listen with some nice insight.

AUDIO BOOKS. the year of magical thinking

this is a moving memoir of loss. didion retells the story of her husbands unexpected death and reflects on its impact in her life. after his heart attack she explains her attempt to deal with his passing and the year that followed as she tried to piece her life back together again. she shares her struggles with accepting his death and the challenges of understanding it. she talks of the days and weeks following it when she would constantly expect him to return, feeling like it wasn't real, or that she could do something to reverse what had happened. how do you mourn? what is the right way to grieve? the author researches the writings on the topic and finds that there is very little written on the subject and tries to explain her own thinking during her time of loss. the realization that it doesn't get easier, it just gets further and further away was an interesting observation. the book is filled with sadness, struggling, and ultimately embarrassing the difficulties of loss.