Exploring Aperture

About a year ago I finally splurged and got myself a DSLR camera. I love it! In December my partner got me an online class from The Great Courses on "Fundamentals of Photography" with the National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. I've completed 4 of the 24 segments and I already feel a lot more comfortable with my camera and understand how to use the manual settings better. Today I worked on aperture and used nerdy things around our apartment:

Aperture F5.0

Aperture F20

There are plenty of nerdy things around our apartment to use as material so more of these may be posted in the future. :)

Gaiman, Pratchett, and Adams - Oh My!

My to-read pile of books has been growing rapidly over the past few months.  Everywhere I turn there is a new book that I need to read - it's heaven.  Add a huge bathtub to read in and I'd be golden. :)

How I've managed to get this far in life without reading any works by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, or Douglas Adams is beyond me.  Where were Gaiman's books when I was a teen?  They existed, but I never heard of them...I needed a science fiction guide like I have now. :) I believe I will be able to make and break my reading goal of 50 books this year.

New Eyes

My eyes have needed new contacts for a long time - longer than I've lived in this town, longer than I've held these jobs, much longer than I should have let them go.  One plus to this need is the wonder of seeing the crisp edges of the world again.  The trees have so many branches (no leaves or greenery in this neck of the woods yet), people have facial expressions and I can recognize individuals from a fair distance, street signs are readable.  Just walking to my car after work can make me grin - I probably look like a tourist gawking at my surroundings, but the details of the historic buildings on my walk are beautiful, the lines of distinct cars down the street are beautiful, the construction of a new apartment building a few streets away is beautiful, that bird flying by that I can identify is beautiful, all because I can see it.

In addition to these benefits I can spend more time geeking out in the Whoniverse because the vision/computer induced headaches have vanished.

A fellow Whovian and I have been digging up all sorts of Doctor Who related material and been lobbing it back and forth across the internet to our mutual delight.  This Whovian was a former coworker from years back that I kept stumbling over on facebook because of their writings and nerdy nature.  Eventually we decided we needed to hang out because not doing so just seemed silly.

Now I have a fellow Whovian to pester in person, one I can actually share this nerdiness with.  In getting to know them my world has expanded, my outlook shifted, and it seems to happen every time we're together.

So not only did my vision physically change and the world sharpen, but now I have more to see. :)

Potter Convert

I started "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on January 9th and finished the series January 27th.  Admittedly I now wish I hadn't waited to read them, but to all you Potter fans that waited so long between books - you're amazing.  After finishing "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" I wallowed in the ending for about half a day - then the next morning I snatched up "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" because I didn't want to wait.  I had to know.

This was my reward for waiting so long - the ability to consume all of the Harry Potter world in less than a month.  The drawback is that I missed out on an opportunity of community geekery where everyone is sharing mutual character love or hatred, excited for plot lines to come, discussing Patronus charms, together.  A friend told me that the day the last book came out he bought a copy and settled into read it at his coffee shop - he wasn't alone.  I love the mental picture of an entire coffee shop of people with their noses in books, all going on the same journey together.  The day that book came out I was working in a University lab - there were fewer people at work that day, and no one could find one of the Chemistry professors because he'd hidden himself (and a copy of the last Harry Potter book) in the bowels of the science buildings.  No one saw him until he'd finished it.

My life is, without a doubt, better for the Harry Potter books - I've already started rereading the first book throughout the day - and I'm glad to have finally let go of whatever had been holding me back.

Harry Potter - Always.

Let's Go, Harry Potter.

Okay, I'm going to do it.  I've put it off this long mostly out of sheer stubbornness.  Yes, that's right.  I'm going to read the Harry Potter books.

 I have a feeling I may lose the next few weeks...

The Doctor's Wife

I often go on a hunt for Doctor Who inspired art on Etsy and this past week from Gimmeswords I got a treasure:

Inspired by Season 6, Episode 4 called "The Doctor's Wife", this print of an original artwork by Dottie Torres makes me happy and sad all at once.  This scene, with the Doctor and his Tardis face to face for the last few moments, is swirl of emotions - tragically sad because it has to end yet wonderfully happy because it actually happened - and I love how it is captured here.  The Doctor and his box, the one who has seen it all and who is always with him.

 "I'll always be here.  But this is when we talked."

Bloggess Book + Coffee = Scrat

Awesome Book.

+

Copious amounts of coffee.

=

Scrat-esque, over caffeinated, twitchy demeanor. 

For my birthday I bought Jenny Lawson's "Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)" and it came in the mail yesterday.  I started reading it and found it hilarious... so hilarious that I didn't want to stop reading about her crazy life.  Needless to say I stayed up way to late and got way too much coffee the next day.  By end of the work day I felt like I was having an anxiety attack - all I wanted to do was get back to my apartment where there were no other people, squirrel-up in bed and finish her book. 

And I did finish it: 5/5 stars from me!  I laughed so hard I cried in some parts - the craziness never stops: flying bobcats, exploding blue gel in diapers, squirrel puppets, snakes, taxidermy animals, awkward social situations.  Thanks Jenny for sharing so much of your life with us - it reassures me that being me is okay and that I'm not alone in my weirdness. :)

Adipose

If the Adiposian first family asked, I'm pretty sure I'd help them make a few kids so long as they agreed not to kill me. :-D

Birthday present from my sister.

Seriously, how cute!

BSG Bug

I've been a geek for as long as I can remember.  My parents tell me that when I was 5 I stayed up watching Doctor Who on channel 2 well past my bed time.  Despite this extreme nerdiness I put off watching shows like Battlestar Galactica.  With the advent of Netflix I have so many geeky shows at my fingertips and I've fallen victim to the Battlestar Galactica bug.

I'm trying to pace myself.  All four seasons are available to me and I've plowed my way through two of them already.  So say we all.

Run Away with the Doctor

My favorite secret of this week:

On the back it says "I really want to run with him and see the universe."

Because who wouldn't want to run away with the Doctor - especially a David Tennant Doctor - and see the universe?

Sara Pezzini

I'm in serious need of strong female characters so I'm going to do a short series on some of my favorites.

     The first one is Detective Sara Pezzini from the live action 'Witchblade'.  I distinguish between live action and animated because this was originally a graphic novel series and then an animated series.  Of the three I much prefer the live action.  The main reason being that Sara isn't portrayed as a blatant sex object here.  In the comic (I found a cache of free online versions to read through) she is scantily clad and bursting out of what little she has on at the time.

In the live action version Sara Pezzini is portrayed more realistically.  She's a hard-ass cop, excellent boxer, good shot, motorcycle driver, and good looking.  Her mother died when she was young and her father was murdered when she was in her teens or early twenties.  When the series begins her best friend was just found murdered in a high end hotel room.  Sara is sure she knows who did it, a mobster who has it out for her, but has of yet been unable to find evidence to that end.  In pursuit of one of his associates Sara comes into contact with the Witchblade.

When introduced to the Witchblade she stays outwardly strong even though she is having to deal with visions, changes in her perception of time, and vivid dreams.  When going after the mobster, Gallo, a second time she and her partner are ambushed.  Gallo shoots her partner.  With the Witchblade she takes out several of his men.

A lot of people want to control her throughout the series.  Irons, a billionaire who owns a large portion of New York City, wants control of the Witchblade.  The Witchblade can only be wielded by a woman, so he knows he has to control her.  In the first few comics Sara seems a bit damsel in distress around Irons but in the live action show she figures him out pretty quickly.  Gallo wants Pezzini dead and a few of her fellow cops want her off the force.

Though she has lost so much she remains strong.  One aspect of her character that I particularly like is that she doesn't let other people control her and she catches on quickly when they try.  Any advice or ideas she gets she works through, tests its applicability, before integrating it.

Sarah Jane Smith

     The old series of Doctor Who, what episodes I have access to here in the U.S., are classic entertainment.  Yes, the special affects were, well, "special" and the plot lines were sometimes a bit slower than we're used to today, but they're still entertaining.  Part of their charm is in how horrible some of the monster/alien costumes are (the aliens in the 'Ark in Space' are green cloth covered bubble wrapped people who inched along the floor like worms - it was hysterical!).  I started with the fourth doctor, Tom Baker, because he was the face I associated with Doctor Who from age 5.  I've backed up now, to the third doctor, Jon Pertwee.  Last night I watched 'Carnival of Monsters', and the evening before "The Time Warrior".  I watched them in the wrong order, but it gave me a greater appreciation for Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen).

Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) with the third Doctor (Jon Pertwee)

     The companion prior to Sarah Jane Smith, Jo, was rescued constantly.  She often gave up when a situation seemed dire and with near constance acted like a dumb blonde.  There were a few moments of bravery in 'Carnival of Monsters', but mostly she was a bit of a drag.  The writer, Robert Holmes, would have continued to write in characters like Jo who screamed bloody murder and waited for the Doctor to swoop in and save them, but the prevalence of Feminism wouldn't let him get away with it any longer.  This was the birth of the character Sarah Jane Smith.  Sarah was an investigative reporter who constantly asked questions and got herself into trouble.  In 'The Time Warrior' she takes her aunt's place in a secret government facility where scientists have been disappearing.  The Doctor figures out where the scientists are being taken and uses the Tardis to follow their trail.  Sarah stows away on the Tardis.  When they land in the middle ages Sarah is taken hostage by Irongron and his band of ruffians/thieves (all the troops are at battle leaving much of the land up for grabs for groups like this).  Unlike other companions Sarah isn't cowed by her attackers.  Even when confronted with Irongron she talks back, asks questions, and refuses to be taken advantage of.  She manages to get away, taking another prisoner with her who takes her to the neighboring castle.  There she concocts a plan to kidnap the Doctor who she believes is behind the missing scientists.  Her plan is successful and after she figures out that the Doctor isn't the enemy they join forces.  She is instrumental in the success of the following plans.

Scene from 'The Time Warrior'

     In essence Sarah Jane Smith handles whatever situation she is put into with courage.  Her character actually has a hand in moving the plot line along rather than holding it back.  Elisabeth Sladen worked well with both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.  

Elisabeth Sladen with the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker 

     She is also the only classic companion so far to have her own spin off television show (The Sarah Jane Adventures) and return in classic episodes and in the new Doctor Who series.  

K9, Elisabeth Sladen, and the tenth Doctor, David Tennant

     The writers must have decided that after Sarah Jane Smith there would be a compromise on the next companion.  Leela (Louise Jameson) was a warrior.  Her character was a brave, strong fighter, but her outfit was barely there.  So the women got a strong female character and the men got gaping cleavage and long legs to stare at.

Leela (Louise Jameson)

     The new Doctor Who series writers have worked hard at making any traveling companions strong characters in their own right.  Sarah Jane Smith was the first companion in this trend.  Through her time on Doctor Who there were still traces of the frail female (she was hypnotized by the Doctor and baddies left and right), but essentially she was a fresh take on the assistant character.   

Glasses

A Postsecret from today:

I wish that I had 20/20 vision so that I could wear fake glasses.  The black framed pair that I wear before and after I use my contacts make me look smart and bookish.  My eyesight is bad enough that I don't like to wear them during the day - the world blurs unless I'm looking straight at something.  And my glasses with the microscope? Headache waiting to happen.

A reinforcement of this wish is that the David Tennant (and Peter Davison) rendition of the Doctor has brainy specs - he doesn't need the glasses, they just help him think.

Gotta love brainy specs. :-D

Donna Noble

Sunday evening, after I had burnt out on grading papers, I watched 'Splice' and then a few episodes of Criminal Minds.  Both did nothing to help me sleep that night.  Splice wasn't scary, [*mini-spoiler*] it was the sexual violence in the last bit that stuck in my subconscious.  Then watching Criminal Minds there was more sexual violence.  Usually this doesn't get to me, but that night I had a hard time with bad dreams.

Last night, after I worked until 10:30 pm (and finished the grading! Woo!), I wanted to watch something wholesome yet mature - something fun.  This is where Donna Noble enters the picture.

 Of the three Eccleston-Tennant companions I think Donna is my favorite because she's a companion without the complication of falling in love with the Doctor.  They're best friends running throughout time and space.  How awesome is that?

She seemed a bit annoying the first time she appeared in the Christmas Special 'Runaway Bride'.  She was obsessed with pop culture and finding the right man - she was actually getting married the first time we meet her.  After meeting the Doctor she becomes more open-minded and a lot of fun.

I love the first episode where they're reunited, "Partners in Crime".  This scene just cracks me up:

Between them is a room where the current episode's alien is revealing secrets.  Donna and the Doctor have both been looking into the suspicious activities of Adipose Industries and have just run into each other.

They start mouthing things to each other across the room.

I wonder if they had to practice mouthing the words at all because you can understand everything they say.

It really is brilliant - especially when Ms. Foster catches them. "Am I interrupting something?"

I watched this episode and then I watched "The Unicorn and the Wasp".  It's one of the more light hearted episodes of season 4.   In this one they meet Agatha Christie.

In one scene the Doctor is poisoned and is trying to convey the things he needs to reverse the process.

 Her interpretations make me laugh and all the stress of the day just melts away.

I didn't think I'd like Donna at first, but I have to say - she's become my go to when I need to feel better.  And there were no bad dreams last night. :)

Torchwood

And after Doctor Who of course comes Torchwood.

This show gets special love from me because it doesn't shy away from LGBT relationships.  It seems that in America those relationships seem more taboo than in Britain.  There are shows in the US that have address such love (just discovered 'The L Word'), but everyday shows have less of it than there should be.  There are more of us than I think Hollywood and the US would admit to.  In Torchwood I particularly love Captain Jack Harkness' relationship with Iano.  They are so gorgeous together:

A pity that they decided to end Ianto. There was great potential to expand that relationship.  I am looking forward to the Brit/American collaboration on Torchwood: Miracle Day.  I heard rumors that they were thinking of having the character of Jack Harkness be completely straight - if they do that I will be very mad and disappointed.  I have hope that this will not occur since the contract is with Stars instead of the originally planned Fox.  I will have trouble watching the new seasons of Torchwood and Doctor Who since I jumped into the game for both shows after multiple seasons had been made.  I love being able to watch long runs of both without having to wait.  Now that I've caught up I'm going to have to be like everyone else. :)  I will have to watch and re-watch both shows until there are new episodes for me to consume. 

Doctor Who

I must profess a deep love of all things Doctor Who. :)

I've been watching this show since I was 5 years old. My mom tells me that I would beg to stay up to finish watching episodes. Now that the new series are on (and I have easy access via Netflix) I've become slightly addicted. Its my lifeline while I attempt to finish my thesis.
I was actually set out to dislike the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor portrayed by Matt Smith- he's the youngest actor so far and he was replacing David Tennant. I admit that the first episodes of season 5 made me love his rendition.  I recently came across this by Pu-sama and it made me laugh:

I just love it! It portrays the character of each Doctor so well - as far as I know.  The only version of the Doctor that I haven't seen yet are the first and the eighth.

I look up at the stars and sometimes wish that we could meet other forms of life.  I think it would unite human kind - would the differences between us be so vast then?