The Occasional Solipsist

I watched and absolutely loved 'Turn Left', the 11th episode of the 4th season of Doctor Who the other night. I love this show a lot. Probably more than might be considered healthy. It speaks to the little kid in me who knew at the time that he was in the middle of a childhood that was going to suck some hard ass when he was old enough to look back at it later.

That's probably why I am such a kid at heart now. Or still. I read comics without shame. I play video games, although who doesn't anymore I guess. And I love watching tv and movies that are remakes of properties that I hold fond memories of watching when I was a kid. I guess I just explained away, in passing, Hollywood's entire reasoning for remaking those properties.

Anyway, Doctor Who is among my favourite, if not my favourite property to get remade. I was nuts for the original series during the late 70s/early 80s (aka: the Tom Baker years). And I have been following the new series with religious fervor. (Although after 4 years, its probably time to stop calling it 'new').

Probably the coolest thing about the Doctor, aside from the gadgets, the whole being near-immortal, and the way-fucking-cool Time Machine he had, was that he got to have adventures with smart, beautiful women who were way more than arm candy, but were equal partners in his experiences. I always fantasized that I would get to be like him, and in one way, I have. My partner is smart, funny, beautiful and challenges me all the time. Hmm, maybe the show has revealed itself to be the root of my sexual awakening? Meh, either way, if I could just get myself a TARDIS and a sonic screwdriver, I'd be all set.

Where I had originally intended this subtle love-in for Superwife to go was to reiterate my obsession with the Best Doctor Who Companion Ever, Rose Tyler, played by the lovely Billie Piper. And to mention that the episode I just watched I have been waiting patiently for since the tear-jerking season 2 finale. The one where Rose Tyler comes back for real. Sortof. And to mention that 'Turn Left' was a stand out episode in a whole season of stand out episodes. It was really a great show, and a fantastic pay-off to anyone who has been following the 'new' series.

And finally, I brought this whole thing up to let anyone who might be interested know that I just found out that Billie Piper is starring as a prostitute on a new Showtime series based on the blogs of a British bad girl called 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl'. And not only is she awesome in it (so I hear), she gets naked in it. A lot.

Personally, I am not sure if I am interested in seeing her without her clothes off, having sex, or talking directly to the camera Ferris Bueller style about taking her clothes off and having sex. Something about how that might sully the whole Best Doctor Who Companion Ever thing offends me a little.

Aw, who the fuck am I kidding? Time to go visit piratebay.

Labels: doctor who, superwife

I am currently enjoying the long time off part of my shift work that comes around every five weeks, and find myself bored. Not in a negative or self-destructive way, nor even in a restless one. Just in an 'I've run out of projects to do, things to read, movies to watch, but I am still just quite content to enjoy not having to carry stress from my job' kind of way.

Its not lost on me that I am so lucky with the job that I have, and among other benefits, the time off that my shift work entails. That I don't mind working a swing shift is a given, as all-nighters and long days aren't a problem for me. But that Superwife equally doesn't mind my weird times of absence, or that I had a good day when being interviewed for the full time version of my job, and was subsequently successful in that competition. These things aren't lost on me.

I am also feeling a little more contemplative than normal. As I usually do this time of year, I have been thinking a lot about my friend Jon Cooley, who died way too young from cancer over the Canada Day weekend, what, almost seven years ago? Man how could that much time have gone by? I have never been able to be close to a lot of people. I usually draw a wall between myself and others that find a reason to make the attempt, and those attempts are few and far between, probably because I have always been a bit of an odd duck. I don't know who to blame for the way that I am. No one but myself I guess. But with Jon it was just different, and not because he died and I can now posthumously elevate our relationship, like some people are wont to do with their own friendships after losing someone. He and I always had a way of communicating to each other on a level that I have only since found with my wife and partner. My life has been a little poorer for Jon's absence and I still miss him greatly, even after all this time.

Hmm, now I have gone from contemplative to morose. But I am not, not really. Just bored. And maybe a little melancholy. I don't find thinking about absent friends morbid, but life affirming. I am not dead, or as far as I know, currently afflicted with anything more serious than inexorably working towards my own end like everyone else on this flying mudball. I am in a healthy, loving relationship with someone who for reasons mostly unknown to me has chosen me to spend her life with. I have a wonderful, vivacious, inquisitive daughter to help me see the world through, and along with a job that affords me the luxury of having so much time off at once that I can claim mild boredom as my only current problem, I guess I am doing all right.

I was going to go off about how Fucking Spectacular the 11th episode of Doctor Who was, what with Billie Piper finally returning to the show (sorry if that was a spoiler), but I think I'll just save anything more about that for later. I think I'll soon crawl into bed with the wife, and with no ulterior motives other than to feel her comfortable presence alongside mine, go rub her back in her sleep or something.

Labels: doctor who, everything else, family, work

A blog that I follow 'religiously' (har, har) recently posted a meme that outlines the hows and whys of an atheist individual's belief system. Sometimes I try to avoid these memes, but it seemed that the focus of this was one I couldn't pass up. That and I am on the long stretch of time off part of my swing shift, and with everybody sleeping, and only so much Unreal Tournament one can play...

Q1. How would you define “atheism”?

An total absence of belief in a supreme being (or beings).

Q2. Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?

Baptized anglican, raised among missionary, catholic, anglican faiths, among others. I had a zealot for a Mother that just couldn't make up her mind about which one fit her best. Probably helped me see that everyone was peddling an only slightly different flavour of bullshit.

Q3. How would you describe “Intelligent Design”, using only one word?

Ludicrous.

Q4. What scientific endeavour really excites you?

Space exploration. We should have been on Mars 20 years ago, and since we're not there yet, I am following the current Mars mission with interest.

Q5. If you could change one thing about the “atheist community”, what would it be and why?

Let's find a way to be less lethargic about things and get more effectively organized.

Q6. If your child came up to you and said “I’m joining the clergy”, what would be your first response?

"Can't we go get you a tattoo and a nipple ring instead?"

Q7. What’s your favourite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?

That the wonder of the universe just can't be explained by science and rationalism alone. I refute it by saying simply that I look at the wonder of the universe and want to understand it without abstractions or supernaturalism. It is enough that it is magnificent to an atheist, and to a theist, it isn't.

Q8. What’s your most “controversial” (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?

When I go off about that '100% Fatal Fundie Virus' that I keep hoping will go around and take care of that pesky religion problem for us. Only problem is there wouldn't be all that many people left in the world afterwards, sadly.

Q9. Of the “Four Horsemen” (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?

Harris. He so eloquently represents the Atheist position. Dawkins is a close second.

Q10. If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?

Just one? Can I pick a country instead? Like maybe the majority of the vocal United States, please.

Props again to Nullifidian for the meme.

Labels: atheism

I finally got around to seeing Cloverfield tonight, and I know I am way late to this party, but I hadn't seen it in theaters, and the guy I review Blu-Ray's for hasn't sent this one my way yet. For all I know it hasn't even been released yet. As I write this I am offline, and can't check on that. And the chances of me remembering to check and edit this post later, they are slim. We're over at the Out-Laws place tonight watching their house and dog while they're out of town, and their high speed connection is a no-show. I love living in the bush, but fuckme do I miss having fast, reliable internet.

So I just finished watching a copy of the flick, and it was so shockingly good that I can't believe I didn't go see it at the theater. Like a 90 minute heart attack, but without all that numbness and dying. Just a really immersive, pulse poundingly good scary flick. Think something like a Godzilla movie, but good, and shot from one perspective just like The Blair Witch Project, without giving you vertigo.

I hate to admit to being a cliche but I really was on the edge of the couch as I leaned over my laptop with this one.

And speaking of monsters: I was to have seen The Incredible Hulk tonight, but one of my movie-going buddies bailed on me and I never heard from another. No worries though, as Superwife and I are going to go see it later this week. She rocks so hard, that she is willing to use one of our very infrequent dates to go see it with me. She does have an affinity for the big green guy though; she used to watch the old 70's show with an afghan over her face to get her through the scary parts. We went to see the Ang Lee Hulk a few years ago and I almost lost out on taking her to comics-inspired flicks entirely, she was that disappointed. Hopefully this time Bruce Banner and his alter-ego will put on a better show.

Labels: family, movies, scifi

So I have been on a bit of a new t-shirt kick lately, partly because I need some new fun clothes to cover myself with when I go to Comic-Con next month, and partly because I am no longer a size small, and its time to face that fact and stop wearing clothes that show off my small but not going anywhere Buddha belly.

I got my new 'I GALACTUS PLANETS' t-shirt in the mail this past Friday, and refuse to take it off except to wash it, it's that cool. If you're any kind of comics geek, and there's any left, go to dieselsweeties and pick one up.

I also snapped up a sweet Silver Surfer shirt that I am waiting expectantly for, and the Batman shirt from Threadless that I have been waiting for months to have reprinted. I can't wait to walk around with that one on either. Yes, I know I am a dork. But I could be a wife-beater, or a serial killer or something. So it could be worse.

Labels: comics, everything else

Ok, so I am sitting here tonight, cranking out a few reviews for a couple of flicks I watched today, for my it-doesn't-pay-but-I-get-free-movies other job and I am realizing a new added benefit of living in the middle of the goddamn woods that I was heretofore unaware of. The moths. Certainly I knew about the black flies, and the mosquitoes, both of which are an ongoing issue around here that doesn't look to be resolving itself soon. But, moths? Really?

The things out here are so gigantic, and there are so many of them that I feel like we moved out to a country version of The Lost World or something. One of them was banging into the screen so hard just now that I thought it was a fucking bird. A big one. Not sure what to do about this other than hang moth balls around the roof line. These things are so big I could get a shotgun and that might actually work.

And by the way, one of the 2 flicks I reviewed tonight was 'Strange Wilderness' which is so shitty and stupid that I would only recommend using it for the purposes of torture, and even then I'm sure it would violate the Geneva Convention somehow.

The other was 'The Golden Compass' which is so good that if you haven't yet seen it, I would recommend putting this blog down immediately and going to whatever means you use to get films and consume it. Its that good.

Labels: movies, our new house, rants, scifi

Dear Trinity,

One more month and you are going to be three years old. I hardly know what to say about that, though when the time comes I'll do my best regardless.



I wanted to talk to you this month about your Mom a bit, because she doesn't use this kind of communication to talk to you, and deserves the same kind of conduit to you that I have. Probably because after keeping up with an almost-3-year-old every day, she's too tired to sit down and type. And your Mom isn't much for technology anyway. Uses it as a tool when she needs it, but that's about it. Her and I couldn't be more different that way.

This month you have managed to be fairly busy while still maintaining some semblance of routine at home, and you have your Mom to thank for that. I work a weird swing shift job and am gone at all different times of day, and I can't keep my own schedule straight so I can't expect you to.

But your Mom is there every morning to wake up with you, and get you breakfast, and read and play and experience the day with you. I am more of a footnote I guess. Sometimes I am there, and sometimes I am either sleeping or at work. But your Mom is a rock.

So whatever happens between now and whenever you read this, I wanted to tall you that your Mom loves you more than you can possibly imagine and that, in my opinion, she is the best Mom ever. I've noticed that people experience parenting very differently, some taking to it as second nature, some doing the bare minimum they think their responsibilities obligate them to, and still others that probably shouldn't have been parents at all. But your Mom is in a class all her own. She is patient, and nurturing, and encouraging, and so loving. But don't go thinking she's a pushover or anything. If you ever need her to be firm (or you do something that requires her to be), your Mom can be as tough as diamond when she needs to be. I know that I've said this before but she is going to be your most stalwart supporter, so lean on that woman whenever you need to.

It goes without saying (yet here I am saying it, and not for the first time) that I am also there for you whenever you need me to be, because there isn't a thing that I wouldn't do for you, your happiness, your safety. The problem is that I have less patience and even lesser resolve. So I end up being less nurturing and a little more demanding of you, yet if you flash those brown eyes and either dive-bomb me with a hug or turn on the waterworks, I pretty much completely cave in t whatever demands you make.



What have you done this month? Well we took you to the Toronto Zoo and aside from the recurring issue of fighting with you about keeping your sun hat on, everyone had a great time. You were amazed by all of the animals, but were particularly fascinated with the elephants, and with any baby animals there. During the trip, you got to meet your new cousin, and you had a lot of fun playing with a real baby, in spite of the fact that he did little more than sleep.



You still delight your Mom and I with some of the things you say. Yesterday you overheard me talking to your Grandma about one of our less popular extended family members, her third husband. The guy's name is Barry but for reasons that I won't get into here, we either refer to him as 'Bunkie', or when we has really annoyed one of us, we refer to him as 'Underpants'. So while I was on the call, you were yelling at the top of your lungs 'Bunkie Underpants'! It was awesome.

You also have been taking to signing quite a bit lately, because either at home or in the car we always have music on. One of your favourites is 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf and that one you can sing the first verse of spectacularly well. The song you love most seems to be The Beatles 'Hey Jude', because that one you sing along with your Grandpa, and seem to have a pretty rocking time of it.



See you next month.

Love Daddy

Labels: family, superwife, trinity

"what the heck? where did this come from..."
Originally uploaded by icedsoul

Found this on flickr. This photographer has come up with the novel idea of taking a picture a day for a year of his stormtroopers in various locales as he goes about his daily life.

Here is pic number one, and because this guy has combined Star Wars with Doctor Who in the same manner as someone great once combined Chocolate and Peanut Butter, consider me subscribed, at least for the rest of the year.

Labels: doctor who, scifi