News from the Joss-verse

In the mood for some fantastic, hot-off-the-presses news? The Syfy channel has cast Felicia Day to star in a re-telling/re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood called Red. The bad news? We have to wait until 2011 to watch it.

From the internets!

Here are two things from the internets that you must see.

First, a comprehensive list of problems solved by MacGyver. And second, well, let's just let this one speak for itself:

He returns!

July 15th.

Random internet stuff

Random stuff from the internets:

• "Scientists for better PCR" music video
• The next board game I'm going to buy
• PBS is showing all of the movie versions of Jane Austen's books, and we get to vote on which leading man is our favorite! Ah, PBS, educational as always. Now who will I choose...Hot Guy from MI-5? Or Ye Olde Classic, Mr. Darcy? Decisions, decisions.
  
• Shannon Hale interviews Libba Bray
• If you liked the idea of Buffy Season 8 in comic book form, you'll be thrilled to know that the same thing is happening with Angel
• Friend C found this for me, and I have to say, she was dead on that I want to do this to a future room in my future house
  

But can I wait a year?!

This is possibly the best TV news I've heard in ages! I may implode from all of the excitement! Must! Use! More! Exclamation! Points!

Oh, my Pushing Daisies. It's so wonderful, so fantastical, so sweet. It's even better than I had been led to believe! I love the bright color palette, I love the dialog and I love the rhythm (and people, the main character owns and bakes for "The Pie Hole." Pie! PIE!). Lee Pace and Anna Friel are breath-taking, and I can't wait until next week!

Check under the cushions

You may not have noticed, but I have gone missing. Well, I was missing. I'm back now. Maybe. You see, I've been doing my best couch potato impersonation. Rather, I've been thoroughly documenting the most comfortable spots and positions on my new sofa. OK, I've gotten sucked into TV land. It's just that I needed to get caught up on Heroes before season 2 starts. And while I was waiting for Heroes season 1 to come out on DVD, I thought I would re-watch Alias season 3 for the first time since it was actually on (and boy, I hated that season at the time, but it's really, really good). And then I just had to re-watch season 4 because maybe it wasn't as much of a train wreck as I remembered (and if you skip the vampire episode -- don't ask -- it actually isn't. So far).

Insert assembling various meals, sleeping, shuffling off to the supermarket and seeing various friends, as appropriate. Oh, and work.

It's possible you now understand the nature of my fixations. Nothing -- nothing! -- can stop me. Except possibly the need to not get fired, which is why these "episodes" are spread out over multiple weeks, instead of concentrated into a few short days.

But really, it's quite problematic this time as I am very, very behind on my book reading. There's really quite a backlog. Literally, there's a stack 10 books high (4,421 pages worth) on my desk, three of which need to get back to the library, one of which I've been waiting and waiting for for ages, and one of which I'm supposed to be reading with B. Not to mention the one that I was supposed to have read for my book group in August. And I'm not counting the 30 other books I told myself I had to read before I was allowed to buy any new books. So there is actually pressure. I even have magazines and mail piling up as well. I'm trapped by paper!

That being said, I have three disks down and three more to go before I've made my final decision on A3, and I have two more H disks to get through as well.

Why no, my life hasn't suddenly taken a turn for the uninteresting, thank you.

Oh, joy!

I wasn't planning on watching the new show Big Shots this fall, but then I saw that Michael Vartan has a lead role! Who could pass up a chance to watch him every week? Not me. Oh, sweet Alias, why did you have to go away?

Burned

Reasons to love the new USA show Burn Notice:

1. It's MacGyver sans the ookie mullet.
2. The main character's an ex-spy. I love TV shows about spies. And movies about spies. And books about spies.
3. You get to see Miami without having to experience the pesky weather (*shudder*).
4. Jeffrey Donovan's cute little grins really grow on you.
5. Reminders of Gabrielle Anwar's prior career ("Sonora, you have to face reality!").
6. All the main and recurring characters have great comedic timing.
   
7. Fun improvised gadgets.
   
8. It's already been renewed for a second season, so there's no reason not to get attached!
   

I'm sure I'm missing some reasons, but you'll hear about them as the season goes on!

I have some good news and some bad news

First, the good news: the next David Attenborough documentary is called Life in Cold Blood, and will be coming out sometime in 2008.

The bad news: apparently Cold Blood will be his last major documentary. Say it ain't so! I guess I can find it in my heart to forgive him, though, as he will be 82 when the series is done filming. A guy should get a break from work *sometime*! Check out his impressive biography here.

And don't think for a second I've forgotten to write about the current documentary, Planet Earth. That will happen once I finish the series, and I just watched episode 10 of 14.

Stay tuned.

Le Sigh

I just finished watching the "Season Finale" (why must the CW taunt me like that? If the show's been canceled, call these episodes what they are: the Series Finale) of Veronica Mars. It ended like any other episode and certainly didn't seem like Rob Thomas knew the show would be canceled. Completely disorienting.

And in other sad news, Lloyd Alexander died last Thursday. Looks like there will be one more of his books published this summer:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Fran-cis-ca

Apparently they've gone and done it -- Veronica Mars is canceled. ARGH!

And did you see the drivel they're replacing it with? How is it that Pussycat Dolls is coming back? There's really only one thing to do at a time like this: watch last night's Daily Show. And then possibly start in on this:


Oh, and check out my friend's letter to the network here.

Another one bites the dust

As Cebu once said, "boo-hoo moo moo, boo-hoo moo moo." Gilmore Girls has officially been relegated (registration or 30 sec ad required) to my biennial DVD-watching rotation, along with Buffy and Alias. Here's hoping Veronica Mars isn't canceled this season as well....

As for what I thought of the finale? Meh, mixed bag. There were some great scenes (the entire town coming upon L&R in the square while carrying tables, and then running away; Kirk's sash; etc.) and some real eye-rollers (L's dad suddenly feels the need to tell her how exceptional she is? Now? Really? It would be sweet if it didn't feel so contrived and this-is-our-last-chance-for-a-sweet-moment-between-daughter-and-parents-use it!!!!). Without Dan and Amy running things it definitely felt like time to end the show, but I still feel sad. What did you guys think (if there are other GG watchers out there)?

And on to (hopefully) more interesting matters: I finally finished Alias Grace this evening. I've been in a serious reading funk lately. It was what, about 10 days ago that I started reading this book? Since when does it take me 10 days to finish a book? And it's not that the book wasn't good, it was. I think I'm starting to get into historical fiction more. I just get into these funks from time to time: I'll read fiendishly for a few weeks and then not really at all for a couple more.

Now, what will I read next....Any suggestions?