Someone Call a Doctor!

Welcome back, all six of you! I realize it’s been awhile, but it’s back. Season two of NMFM starts with our newest installment of
THINGS YOU SHOULD BE INTO:
                                         5 Reasons Doctor Who is the Best Show Ever.

I realize I’m being a total fanboy, but I love this show. It’s one of the few things that get me genuinely excited. I’m big into character development, and this show tops that department. Which is really surprising given how often the cast changes. Let me give you a quick rundown of the show.
In 1963, BBC debuted a show called Doctor Who. The show follows the adventures of a man known only as The Doctor. The Doctor is a time traveling humanoid alien called a Time Lord, from the planet Gallifrey. The Time Lords are the most powerful, technically advanced race in the universe, existing for literally billions of years. They are the most technologically advanced civilization, having mastered time travel, and have set themselves up as guardians of Time. As a result of generational exposure to time travel, Time Lords have become immortal, never aging. They can also revive themselves from death, though they can only do  that 13 times.  A dry, sometimes pompous race, they are feared and revered by species who are aware of their existence. The Doctor was a rebellious youth (about 700 years) who stole a time machine and went adventuring. His first adventures landed him on Earth, and while initially frosty about people, The Doctor has come view himself as Earth’s campion, even more so after the destruction of Gallifrey. Without concern for self, The Doctor and various human companions travel through space and time and help people, fight monsters, and save the universe.   So, without further ado, here’s five reasons you should geek out about this show

1.    The Show Is 50 Years Old.
This year Doctor Who celebrates 50 years since the creation of the show.  The show has had dozens of actors, story lines, monsters and thrills. And it’s never been better. In 2005, Doctor Who was revamped and brought back to TV, after several years off the air. The show has gone on to become the most watched show in the world. It’s critically acclaimed, popular, and has spawned two spinoffs, multiple books and comics, soundtracks, and even a concert series Music of the Spheres, performed every year at Royal Albert Hall.

2.        The Music
I’m totally biased, but DW has some of the best music of any tv show. This is especially evident in the new series, composer Murray Gold has created catchy, mood sensitive and enduring music. Not to mention, the theme song is one of the best ever.
3. The Monsters

Even if you are not familiar with the show, you probably think of the shows effects and props as cheesy. While it is true that during the 1970’s the show’s producers had to cut costs and sometimes it shows. But all in all, Doctor Who is known for some spectacular effects, but most notably, the monsters. The Daleks, Cybermen, the Master, The Silence, and of course, the Weeping Angels, remain some of the scariest monsters on TV. In England, many people have gotten so scared watching Doctor Who that the phrase “watching from behind the couch” was coined for the show.

4. The Spinoffs
Doctor Who has two spin off shows, if you don’t count the ill fated K9, in the late 70’s. While Doctor Who has often straddled the line between serious adult show, and something the whole family can enjoy, the spinoffs took the extreme of both directions. The Sarah Jane Adventures starred Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, a popular Companion from the 1970’s, in her own adventures tracking down aliens and defending the planet. The show was very successful, lasting until Elisabeth Sladen’s death last year. The show was made for children, and featured a light, whimsical tone, and multiple guest appearances from the Doctor. The other spin off show was called Torchwood. It followed the adventures of former Companion Captain Jack Harkness, a bisexual time travelling reformed con artist as he builds a covert team to protect the planet by any means necessary. Unlike Sarah Jane Torchwood was very adult, featuring blood, violence, homosexuality, foul language and questionable morals. Although the first few seasons link directly with Doctor Who, the series eventually establishes its own mini series style storylines, making its link to Whoniverse questionable. Recently, a 10 episode miniseries called Torchwood:Miracle Day aired on the Starz network. Both shows have received good critical reviews and rabid fan bases, and  are much more enjoyable with previous Who knowledge.

5. The Doctor

The Doctor’s alien physiology allows him to heal his body, or regenerate, up to 13 times. However, while doing this, his appearance and personality changes. This allows new actors to step into the role, bringing their own unique styles and mannerisms to the role, while still retaining the overall character and mythos. This is where the series really shines, Many of the actors brought on to play the Doctor have been or become accomplished actors. Hell, it’s almost impossible to watch a british television series made in the past 20 years without seeing an actor who was in Doctor Who. The two most celebrated Doctors would be Tom Baker, who played the 4th Doctor, and David Tennant, who played the 10th. Personally, I loved the Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, and am really growing into the 11th, and current, Doctor played by Matt Smith.This show is worth watching if for no other reason than the great acting, and the emotional connections and moments they bring to life.

So, there you go. No big secret that this show is one of my favorite things ever. I highly recommend watching it, and if you have Netflix, the last six season of Doctor Who are available for streaming, and are a great place to pick up the show, as they make a conscious effort to welcome in newcomers. Torchwood is also streaming.

One Million Idiots

The List

Heya. So, I work at a big box office supply store. You’ve probably been to one. I’ve noticed certain behavior that customers, or general consumers, make or display when shopping. What’s remarkable about this, to me, is that in other situations, much of this behavior would be completely unacceptable in society. So, I thought I would complain, which I’m good at, in a new series I’m calling:

THE BIG LIST OF SMALL GRIEVANCES 

Let’s begin.

Opening shit

Let’s say you walk into a grocery store, and you happen upon a packaged foodstuff you’ve never had before. There’s a picture of the food on the package, and a description of what it tastes like. But still, you’re curious, so what the hell, you open it up and take a bite. Yuck! You don’t like that at all. Tastes like anchovies and hair, very weird. “Oh well,” you think, “ well, now I know” and you place the opened foodstuff back on the shelf.  Of course, no one really does this, or at least not without being asked to leave, because it would be rude, and weird. However, people do not feel the need to observe the same level of decorum in electronics/office supply stores. Oh hey, it’s a phone charger, with a picture on the front, and a list of compatible devices. Well, I don’t really feel like reading, I’m going to pull it out and see if it fits my device. Hmm, nope, I’ll just place it back on the shelf.

You’ve now cost the store 79.99, or whatever.  I know, I know, big heartless corporation, what do you care, they’re rolling in money! Well, chances are, they aren’t. Stores are usually responsible for their own inventory and a certain budget. People’s jobs depend on how well their stores do, bonuses, incentives, and achievements do as well. I’ve seen opened chargers, routers, phones, pens, and even a plastic wrapped selection of cardboard containers because, quote, “I wanted to see if they were actually cardboard, which I don’t want.” Every opened item is a lost item, and the cost of it, at some level, if not completely, is eaten by the store.

I’m number one

So, I do tech work, I usually do this at a station behind the cashier, you know, the one without a register, or any identifying marks as such. Now, we do get busy, but the following situation happens, at least once a month. There is a decently long line for check out, and I’m nearby working on computers, All registers are open, but there’s just a lot of people, and we’re working through them as quickly as possible. Inevitably, someone will walk up with their purchases, look at the line, walk past come up to me and announce, “I would like to check out.” Let’s examine the psychology of this person. They are, I assume, at least partially educated, decently ration, and functional. They have taken a look at a long line, come to an understandable conclusion that they would not like to wait in it, then arrived at the unreasonable conclusion that they don’t have to, and are now trying their best to bypass it, and get out first. When informed that I am not a register, and have no means of checking them out, a look of disdain and disgust spreads across their face.  “That’s ridiculous” is something I have heard quite often. I fight the urge to tell them that the word “ridiculous” probably does not mean what they think it means. If they got to the front of the line, and there was an elephant manning the register, that would be ridiculous.

                This attitude and ignorance extends to my field as well. I am often asked why the tech work the customer wants done cannot be done while they wait. Discounting the fact that they are probably not the first person to lug their 2003 Compaq Presario to my desk that day, I calmly explain that pulling their hard drive out, copying their data, reinserting their HD, wiping it, reinstalling windows, setting that up, reinstalling their programs and cleaning the Balrog sized dust bunnies out of their computer will take slightly longer than a half hour. The usual response to that: “Why?”

I would also like to announce, formally, that neither I, nor any employee at the store, have any control over the price of ink, toner, phone, MP3 player, pen, pencil, calendar, or any fucking thing in the store. Bitching to us about the price, condition, or “They just don’t make them the way I liked them anymore” style situation will not result in an outcome you want. Chances are, they made that printer the way it is for maximum convenience for the most amounts of people. I am sorry you do not fit into that group; perhaps you should examine your comfort habits and preferences again. We also, collectively, have no control over the company customer loyalty program. We cannot look up your savings, print your coupons, explain why your email isn’t receiving them, or correct any perceived/real error in your account. We are hourly employees, and have very limited power (read:none). Also, a fourteen day return policy is a fourteen day return policy, learn to read.

The final grievance:

Closing Time

Not just a nifty song by Semisonic, it’s an actual rule. I was taught that if an establishment closes at 8, you do not decide to go shopping at 7:55. It’s one thing if you really need something, and you know exactly where it is, that’s somewhat forgivable. There are people, who will walk past the sign announcing the closing time, with less than five minutes to spare, and proceed to browse. There’s nothing illegal about this, it’s called common courtesy. Most big stores have a closing time, but will rarely evict someone after closing time, as per corporate policy. So, you can proceed to browse 30 or 40 minutes after the store has closed, just now that when you walk in at 7:55 and grab a shopping cart, the employees have begun mentally planning your death.

I realize this was petty, but it’s my goddam blog, and it irks me. Furthermore, watching people and how they behave in a consumer situation is fascinating, and people’s personalities, and intelligence level, change.  Don’t believe me? Go to a restaurant and watch how people treat waiters for a while.

 Done.

Mumble Mumble Mumble.

Heya. So, can we talk? I mean, nerd to nerd. Because we need to have a talk. About Batman. Duh. Specifically,  I think we all need to come to the realization that The Dark Knight Rises won't be as good as The Dark Knight.

Ok, so before you break me like Bane broke the Bat, hear me out. Let me start simply. The Dark Knight Rises is the third and final installment in the new Batman trilogy, directed by the amazing Christopher Nolan, that began with Batman Begins. If you haven't seen the trailer, see it here. 

Now, the second movie, The Dark Knight, is easily one of the best movies of my generation. That's not me nerdgasming, it's one of the highest rated, critically acclaimed, most watched box office hits of all time. It also was nominated for several Academy Awards, and Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of The Joker.  If you haven't seen these movies, stop reading and go watch them, right the hell now.

I'm excited for the new movie, the last movie, a lot. The trailer made me squeal like a little girl. However, I think there is an issue the nerd/fandom community hasn't really addressed. 

Look, I'm not saying the movie won't be good, I think it'll be awesome. I just want to talk about expectations. The Dark Knight was such a good movie, for a number of great and sad reasons, including a combination of great writing, great acting, the right time to be made, the right viral marketing campaign, and the publicity from Heath Ledger's untimely death before the release of the film. Movies like this come as the result of a perfect storm of great things. 

It's really, really, hard to catch lightning in a bottle again. Will the next film be awesome? I think so. I hope so. But we all have to come to terms with the fact it's probably going to fall short of The Dark Knight. Is it impossible? No, The Godfather Part II was at least as good as the first part, many people say they enjoy it more. 

So, why is it important we recognize this fact before the movie comes? Because I'm sick of nerd bitching. And I know it's coming. People will going into this movie expecting the next part to top the one that came before, and I doubt that's going to happen. So they'll leave the theater unfulfilled. It's not that they saw a shitty movie, they probably saw a great movie, a movie that, if it wasn't a sequel, they would have raved about. Instead, when people ask them how the movie was, they'll shrug and say "it was ok." Some people (read: nerds) will have this nagging sense of doubt and unhappiness. And I don't want to hear it. Chris Nolan has given us nothing but quality pictures filled with character development, story, pathos, action and drama. All of them. Every.Single.Movie. 

Of course, I could be wrong, the movie could suck balls. It won't, but it could. I could also be wrong, in the sense that this could be better than The Dark Knight. If anyone could do it, it'd be Nolan. 

Also, Bane sounds fine, shut the hell up. 

So, I have the best family in the world. The best friends. They keep me sober, happy, and alive. Simply, thank  you.

Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold

Hey guys.
If you haven't seen the trailer for The Hobbit, do it now. Seriously, it's here. I'll wait.
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Holy shit, right? If you know me, you know that I'm a movie buff. I think some might call it escapism, but for me, a good movie is magic. That  being said, The Lord of the Rings movies are absolutely, hands down, my favorites movies. The acting, the locations, the costumes, the themes, the fricking music, is magic. I remember seeing the Fellowship of The Ring with skeptical eyes, and leaving the theater entranced. For my money, those movies are as close to perfection as I think I'm likely to see in my life.
So, of course I was excited to hear about The Hobbit. But it wasn't till I saw the trailer that I fell in love again. It's only two minuets long, but it conveys the look, the feel, the world, that I love so much. Movies can be a dismal place sometimes, what with endless romantic comedies, remakes, and trash. But today, I'm back in Middle Earth, and it is beautiful.

The road goes ever on...

Hitch

"We have the same job we always had: to say that there are no final solutions; there is no absolute truth; there is no supreme leader; there is no totalitarian solution that says if you would just give up your freedom of inquiry, if you would just give up, if you would simply abandon your critical faculties, the world of idiotic bliss can be yours."

Chris Hitchens passed away today. I'm very sad at this. I realize not all of you agree with him. That's ok. You're wrong, but it's ok. Chris Hitchens received hate for challenging perceived ideas about religion, and where bullshit, calling bullshit. 
If you read his essays on religion, do you get angry? If so, do you get angry because it offends your religion, or because he makes a logical point that is hard to argue against? It's hard to have someone attack what you believe, your every instinct wants to lash out and fight back. That, however, doesn't make you right. 
Scientist,essayist,atheist, Hitch, you will be missed.