Good, Clean Zombie Fun

I went out last night to the local -- OK, semi-local -- indie theater with some friends to see Fido, which I believe was billed as "the heartwarming tale of a boy and his zombie." Very, very funny movie; I definitely recommend it. It's probably not coming soon to a theater near you, but I believe it's out on DVD very soon.

Apparently horror comedy is a bit of a theme right now, because a couple of weeks ago they were showing Black Sheep, which is both gorier and goofier than Fido, but which has, among other things, zombie were-sheep. I imagine you probably know whether that's the sort of thing that holds an appeal for you or not, but, if it does, this movie definitely delivers. That one's out on DVD this Tuesday, actually. (Hey, the fact that we get weirdo movies in Albuquerque at all is impressive. Nobody expects us to get them quickly.)

I Guess This'll Be The Last Doctor Who Discussion Post For A While.

Now showing in the United States: the Doctor Who season finale, "Last of the Time Lords." You may now talk about it here, if you so wish! I suppose the usual no-spoilers-for-future-episodes warning isn't exactly relevant anymore. I'll figure you can use your own judgment when it comes to discussing anything you may have heard about what's coming up next season.

I will also point you back to my earlier post about deleted scenes for this episode. If you're watching on Sci-Fi, I strongly recommend checking them out.

Me and Sarah Jane

The wrist feels quite a bit better today. Hooray! I can type!

Wish the rest of me felt nearly as much improved, though. My muscles are all sore from yesterday's yardwork activities, my allergies are acting up, my bunions hurt, and my sleep patterns are severely messed up from switching off of night shifts after a couple of months on them. Also, I appear to have become whiny.

In happier news, though, I've obtained the current episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures, the new Doctor Who spinoff for kids, from the UK, and, oh, my, but Sarah Jane rocks. The show is excellent kids' TV, intelligent and fun. Watching it makes me feel like a happy seven-year-old again, which is pretty much exactly what I needed this week.

I Should've Bought A "Wrist Awareness" Bracelet.

Ow. I fell on my butt while doing yardwork today, and landed badly on my wrist. Fortunately, it's not my mousing hand, but it's a little painful to type. Possibly no one should expect any long e-mails from me for a couple of days.

My iPod Answers All Your Questions.

These random musical memes are always good, stupid fun...

1. Put Your itunes, windows media player etc on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS

If someone says "is this okay?" you say,

"Dreamcatcher" (Secret Garden)

And then they look at me really funny.

How would you describe yourself?

"I Know Now" (James Galway)

I know, but I'm not going to tell you!

What do you like in a guy/girl?

"Journey of the Sorcerer," aka The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme song.

Yes, I like someone who can appreciate Hitch-hiker's. In fact, this may actually be my biggest criterion for liking someone.

How do you feel today?

"Forty Lashes" (Winton Marsalis)

It's not that bad!

What is your life's purpose?

"Being Boring" (The Pet Shop Boys)

*snerk* 'Nuff said.

What is your motto?

"Fragile" (Stringmansassy, covering Sting)

Don't hurt me! I'm fragile!

What do your friends think of you?

"The Last Resort" (The Eagles)

Is that bad? That sounds like it might be bad.

What do you think of your parents?

"Two Faces" (Bruce Springsteen)

Well, there's two of them, and they both have a face...

What do you think about very often?

"Cavity Search" (Weird Al Yankovic)

It's about going to the dentist! Honestly.

What is 2 + 2?

"Magic" (Pilot)

Always a difficult-to-refute answer to anything.

What do you think of your best friend?

"A Day in the Life" (The Beatles)

I have no idea what to make of this one.

What do you think of the person you like?

"The Wild Wild Sea" (Sting)

Or this one, to be honest.

What is your life story?

"Movin' Right Along" (Kermit the Frog & Fozzie Bear)

So, my life story is The Muppet Movie? Cool!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

"Crossroads" (Gordon Lightfoot)

Unfortunately, there aren't many job openings in that field.

What do you think of when you see the person you like?

"Civilized Man" (Joe Cocker)

I do prefer civilized men.

What will you dance to at your wedding?

"I Started a Joke" (James Galway)

A few minutes later, I will sue for divorce. Ha-ha!

What will they play at your funeral?

"Stop Talking About Comic Books or I'll Kill You" (Ookla the Mok)

Bwah! If it's attended by my friends, this is entirely likely.

What is your hobby/interest?

"Suzanne" (Peter Gabriel, covering Leonard Cohen)

I don't know any Suzannes, but I supposed listening to Leonard Cohen covers is something of an interest of mine.

What is your biggest fear?

"She's Got a Way" (Billy Joel)

I fear her ways!

What is your biggest secret?

"Southern Rain" (The Cowboy Junkies)

It's so secret even I don't know what the hell it means.

What do you think of your friends?

"Vulture Culture" (The Alan Parsons Project)

But I mean it in love. Really, guys.

What will you post this as?

"Gimme Three Steps" (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Following Lynyrd's example, I will post this and quickly depart.

Deleted Scenes

It seems the Canadians have already had the Doctor Who season finale, so I figured I'd post this now. I'll post a reminder link to it when the episode airs here in the states, too. Just to be clear, US people, this is referencing the episode that airs on Sci-Fi on Oct. 5, not the one that aired on Sept. 28.

Anyway, this is in the way of a public service announcement, to let you know that if you watch, have watched, or will watch the season finale ("Last of the Time Lords") on television outside the UK, what you're getting is a rather heavily edited version, as it ran long on the BBC and was then chopped down a full seven minutes for the international release. Fortunately, you can see at least some of the bits you're missing on YouTube. Thus:

This should come right after the scene with Martha at the beginning. In fact, if you're watching a recording of the episode, I recommend hitting "pause" and watching the clip right then. Because this bit of sheer and utter insanity should not be missed. It, um, certainly sets a mood...

This, on the other hand, is an extended version of, erm, a scene near (or possibly at) the climax. And the bit that was cut out of it is a rather terrible thing to have cut, for a couple of reasons. Note: DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN THE EPISODE. I mean it.

Several other small things were cut, and all of 'em are a damned shame to have lost, especially when I consider that there are other parts of the episode that I honestly think could have benefited from a good trim. But I don't think any of them were nearly as signficant.

If anybody wants a copy of the full version (as an .avi file or on VHS), let me know.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although I'd prefer if Canadians who want to discuss the episode in general hold off and comment on the regular thread for that next week, people may want to talk about the cut scenes here, so I will warn right up-front that the comments to this post are not a spoiler-free zone. Unspoiled Americans, you really want to stay unspoiled, so beware! Wait until you've seen the episode, and then you can come back here. (If you're looking to request a copy of the uncut version, you can contact me by e-mail.)

Drumroll, Please! It's Another Doctor Who Discussion Post.

Today's Doctor Who episode here in the US is "The Sound of Drums." You may now talk about it here! And there's only one episode left now to avoid spoiling.

I Hear Dr. House Is Hiring. Think I Should Apply?

NameThatDisease.com - Test your disease knowledge

Possibly I'll Be Less Grumpy After More Coffee. Much More Coffee.

I have this annoying urge now to ring the doorbells of day people at 4 AM to ask them if they want their lawn mowed, and see how they like it.

I Told You I Was a Tortured Genius.

Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?

I like the fact that this test claims to tell you how dumb you are, not how smart you are. Judging by the questions, I'd say that's the correct way of looking at it.

Thought of the Day

I really ought to get out of the habit of answering my e-mail on a last-in-first-out basis.

Since I Missed "Talk Like A Pirate Day"

My pirate name is:

Black Bess Flint

Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Up The Waterspout

It's nice when work can provide you with a bit of a chuckle on an irritating day. I am thus grateful to find in my inbox today the following amusing work order:

Work Requested: Failure - LA - Rain gauge not recording rain.

Corrected Action: Removed spider and spider webs from rain gauge.

Insert your own joke about bugs in the equipment here. (Fun trivia fact: I think the original "bug" that lent its name to the whole phenomenon was, in fact, a moth.)

Show Me The Money!

Well, I think I've gotten the stupid bank thing straightened out, or at least on its way to being straightened out, but, aargh, was it annoying.

I called the bank's customer service number, navigated their labyrinthine phone menu system, and, after giving my account number (twice), social security number, name, date of birth, street address, blood type and shoe size, I was finally permitted to discuss my problem with a human being. (OK, I made up the last two. But, honestly, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd asked.) Said human being listened to my tale of woe, pulled up my records, went, "Gosh, yes, that's clearly a mistake!" and cheerfully informed me that it was no problem, they could get the double-deduction and the overdraft fees removed for me right away, you betcha! "Hooray!" I thought. "Good bank!" And then she said she'd have to transfer me to the "check department," so they could deal with it.

So, OK, I get the "check department" -- which turns out to be the check fraud department -- and give them my name, rank, serial number, six-thousand-digit account number, etc., etc. all over again, and once again launch into the Tale of Woe. Another person pulls up my records and, while I am in the process of explaining about the overdrafts, interrupts to inform me that I have the wrong department. My mortgage company submits their checks electronically, so I need the department that deals with electronic transactions.

So, I am transferred again, and again give six pages worth of identifying info, all the while thinking, Jesus Christ, how many departments does this bank have, and are none of them capable of communicating?! I recite the Tale a third time, whereupon I am informed that, why, no, the bank cannot and will not help me, as the mistake was made on the mortgage company's end, and is their responsibility, overdrafts and all. Indeed, as far as they are concerned, the overdrafts are perfectly legitimate, because my account was negative, end of story. All of which was explained to me politely enough, but I'm afraid I got pretty snippy at this point, leading the person I was talking to to explain how those first-tier phone-answering people like to tell you things even when they don't know what they're talking about. Which just made me snippier. I feel kind of bad about it now. I imagine the electronic-department person is as annoyed about this kind of thing as I am, and it wasn't her fault person #1 was a lying idiot. But from a customer-service standpoint, that kind of shit is just plain unacceptable. Telling me that the problem is on the other party's end and that they're responsible for refunding my money is reasonable (and, in this case, perfectly true). Promising me it'll all get cleared up right away, making me play phone tag for fifteen minutes and then telling me I'm S.O.L. as far as you're concerned? Bullshit. I'm still annoyed about it, and even more annoyed that I took it out on somebody who was only trying to do her job.

Fortunately, when I called the mortgage company, I immediately got somebody who seemed to both know what he was talking about and to have the authority to do something about it. He instantly agreed that it was all their fault, was friendly and sympathetic, and assured me that they'd credit me for the whole thing ASAP, overdrafts and all, and that if I faxed them a copy of my bank statement (or even the online records, since I hadn't gotten a paper statement for the month yet), they'd have it taken care of in a couple of days, maximum. (This as opposed to my bank who told me that I'd have to sign an affidavit saying the debit was wrongly applied, warned me that if I didn't mail it back promptly it would be ignored, and then told me it would take them ten days to do anything about it once they got it.)

To attempt to balance out my bad-customer karma or something, I gave that guy praise and a high customer-survey rating. I just really hope he doesn't fall down on the follow-through. In the meantime, I've transferred some money over from my savings account to make sure nothing that clears in the next couple of days sends me into the negative again. Man, I'm just really glad this happened now, when I've got an actual financial cushion, and not back in my starving-college-student days. Because, in that case, I actually would have starved. (Erm, not that I had a mortgage then, of course.)

Oh, and the craptacular icing on the craptastic cake? Today I get a whole slew of overdraft notices in the mail. Thanks, bank. It's real helpful to be informed of that after I've been bouncing stuff for over a week. *rolls eyes*

No One Understands My Tortured-Genius Pain.

You Are 65% Tortured Genius

You are smart. Brilliant in fact. And while it's a blessing, it's also a curse. Your head is filled with everything - grand ideas, insufferable worries, and a good deal of angst.

Are You a Tortured Genius?

Home, Sweet Home

Your home is a Time-Lord's Manor Your kitchen consists of dilithium-powered food replicators, manned by obedient robot slaves, who are sure to never, ever rebel. I mean, it's preposterous to even consider it. There's a pantry with emergency backup caffeinated beverages. You also have some breakfast cereals in there, but you haven't had breakfast since last Spring. Your master bedroom is decorated to look like the treetop village of the Galadhrim. Your study has every science fiction title ever written. One of your garages contains a life-sized X-Wing fighter, and KITT. (KITT was a gift from a well-meaning uncle.) Your home also includes a robot repair bay, where your mechanized servants are routinely fitted with new restraining bolts. (It's just a precaution.) Your guests enjoy your working holodeck. Outside is your radio telescope, listening constantly for alien transmissions. Especially invaders. They'll come eventually, even if nobody believes you. (Nobody does.) And, you have a pet -- a neutered tribble named "Worf". Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Find YOUR Dream Home!

Sweet! With a setup like that, I would easily be the most popular person in my social circle! And I already know how to operate a radio telescope, even.

I'm not sure why my Time Lord's Manor is more Trekkish than Whovian, but, hey, that's OK. Although it would be even better if it were bigger on the inside than the outside. And traveled through time and space.

1=1!!!

Well, there's nothing quite like glancing at your ATM receipt only to realize that it shows you as having about a thousand dollars less than you should have. Or, if there is, it involves going online to check your transactions and discovering a crapload of negative numbers glaring at you in bright red text and about nine overdraft fees because the stupid frelling bank deducted your mortgage check TWICE.

Guys! One check number = one check = one deduction! A six-year-old child could figure this out!

Sigh. Wish I'd caught this before, y'know, 2 AM on a Friday night. But come Monday, they will feel my wrath. Oh, yes, they will. And they'd damned well better refund those overdraft fees.

It's Friday! You Know What That Means!

Today's episode of Doctor Who here in the US: "Utopia." Which means you may now talk about it here. Or about anything else you like. Just remember, no spoilers for later episodes, yadda, yadda, you know how this goes by now.

Damn You, Ayn Rand!

I swear, four times in the past month or so I've put my iPod on random shuffle and had it come out at some point with Rush's "Anthem." I'm beginning to worry that it's converting to Objectivism and soon will refuse to play anything for me unless I pay it.

Leap of Logic

Amazon's recommendation engine often comes up with some cool and useful suggestions, but sometimes it makes some incredibly amusing blunders. Like this e-mail I just got:

As someone who has purchased or rated books by Jon Stewart, you might like to know that Kierkegaard and His German Contemporaries: Philosophy (Kierkegaard Research: Sources Reception and Resources) will be released on September 30, 2007. You can pre-order yours by following the link below.

Kierkegaard and His German Contemporaries: Philosophy (Kierkegaard Research: Sources Reception and Resources)
Jon Stewart
Price: $124.95

Somehow, I really doubt that's the same Jon Stewart. But, y'know, if I'm ever looking for a $125 book on Kierkegaard, now I'll know where to go.