Convention Mania!

Me with friend at Dr Who Museum in Blackpool

I went to my first science fiction convention this weekend. It was in Blackpool and was called Starfury Decalogy (as in the ten year anniversary of Starfury conventions run by Sean Harry). There were plenty of guests there (Sean's favourite guests from the ten years, apparently) from lots of shows like Angel, Buffy, Firefly, X files, Battlestar Galactica, Andromeda, etc. Most of the fans were Angel fans and everyone wore their show affiliation proudly on their chests (i.e t-shirts).

Here I am with Christian Kane (Lindsey from Angel)

All the guests were really nice. My stand outs for guest talks was Armin Shimerman. He is a very intelligent, witty, well educated, entertaining performer and gave brilliant answers to all the audience questions. I didn't get to meet him in person, but I gather he was as nice in person as on stage.

My personal favourites were Christian Kane (Lindsey from Angel, pictured above) and Juliet Landau (Drusilla from Angel and Buffy). Christian wasn't great on stage, but was really genuinely nice when I met him for my photo and at the autograph session. Plus he asked how to pronounce my name and said he loved it! (what a charmer). Juliet was equally friendly. That is not to say that the other guests I met weren't nice, it is just that Christian and Juliet stood out in my experience. Honourable mention also goes to Mark Sheppard (Badger from Firefly and Cecil L'Ively from The X Files) who loved my Nathan Fillion t-shirt and was very chatty.

My new best friend - Kaylee from Firefly (AKA Jewel Staite)

All the other people at the convention were really friendly and united in their love of the tv shows. There was a great feeling of camaraderie and even though there were a lot of delays and a lot of queuing, there were no unpleasant moments.

As for Blackpool. Well, it has 11 miles of sea front (mostly lined with hotels, amusements arcades, tattoo parlours and pound shops), lots of dogs, a huge roller coaster, a conspiracy museum, a Doctor Who exhibition, a sea life aquarium and lots and lot of slot machines. It also has a nice little Italian. The people in the shops and the hotel were very friendly.

If there was a down point to the convention, it was that the dealer room was poor. I expected lots of interesting stalls and a huge room full of merchandise, but it was a small room with a couple of tables and enthusiasts. I managed to pick up a few nice things all the same, but I was hoping to get some cool t-shirts (and this lovely serenity, firefly, browncoat lanyard I saw) but there were none to be found.

Now that my inner fangirl has finally been allowed to have her head, the only question is - when is the next convention?

Daisy and the Doctor

Did you see it? Were you watching? Dr Who last night on BBC1. Just when I had almost given up hope, they come along with this smashing episode - certainly the best episode of series 3 and possibly one of the best in the whole new series!

The dashing Doc

The story goes - The Doctor and Martha are being chased by this dangerous family of aliens who want (or need) a Time Lord to survive. In order to prevent being hunted down to the ends of space and time (they have his scent) he uses his chameleon machine to become human (if only Rose had known about that!) storing his Time Lord consciousness in a watch (a time piece - get it!). Then he jets off to 1913 England and becomes a school teacher in a boys school, with Martha as his maid, where he quickly falls in love with the school nurse, lonely widow Matron Joan.

Matron Joan - AKA Daisy Steiner

The episode is the first part of a two parter, so unfortunately I will have to wait til next Saturday to see the exciting conclusion. However, I have a few exciting things of note about the episode. The love interest for the Doc in the episode is none other than our own beloved wanna be writer - Daisy Steiner - passing herself off as a nurse, Matron Joan!

Daisy Steiner

But what of Tim Bisley, I hear you say? Indeed, what of Tim? For those of you who don't remember, Tim and Daisy pretended to be a couple to rent an apartment together (Daisy struggling writer, Tim aspiring comic book artist) and struck up a strong friendship which hinted at something more.

Tim can't believe the news

Despite two seasons of Spaced, Tim and Daisy never got together (romantically) but I lived in hope. Now I know there is a new man in Daisy's life, I am sad that I will never see her with Tim, but if she wasn't to end up with him, I couldn't be happier to see her in the arms of the Doctor.

Daisy and her new man - the Doctor

In other news, I really love the 1913 fashions they have in this episode. They are so flattering - to male and female alike - and are very dignified. I love the dress Daisy wears to the dance and Martha, the Doctor's companion, looks so much better in the old fashioned clothes and make up than she does in the modern slap.

1913 Martha

2007 Martha

Shantastic News!

I was in Waterstones in Scotch Hall in Drogheda yesterday and I heard some SHANTASTIC NEWS! Darren Shan, teenage horror author, will be in Waterstones signing copies of his new book 'Blood Demon' on Thursday 7th June from 4pm - 5pm. I am going to go and get black t-shirts made up with Shan-tastic on the front in glittering letters and I want to get a photo of me and Darren together. Would anyone like to come with me, we could get a group together (all wearing t-shirts) and make a day of it! Email me if you are interested, it'll be fun!

On a less happy note, the third part of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein titled Dead and Alive, isn't out yet (the reason why I was in Waterstones yesterday) and looking up Amazon today I found out that the release date has been bumped til next year. Shame.

Welcome Toffee!

The newest canine companion to the Murphy family arrived yesterday. Her name is Toffee and she is a baby black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is a very friendly, adventurous, out going little pup who has already bonded with her master, Madeline, and who almost knows her name (after only 24 hours!) She has yet to meet the Blackrock hounds, so all that fun is in front of her!
Welcome Toffee, and wishing the best of luck to Madeline in her dog ownership.

The lesson I have learned

Is that you should always bring your book with you. I went for lunch with a friend the other day and I brought my book with me, but left it in the car once I arrived at the meeting point, because I thought I would hardly need it while eating lunch. How wrong I was. Half way through eating, my friend popped out for a few seconds and didn't return for fifteen minutes. That was precious reading time lost because of not being prepared. And then, this morning, I was waiting for my mum while she went into the shop and AGAIN, I didn't bring my book with me and lost out on minutes of reading. In future I am going to keep a book on me at all times. I might have to strap it to my body to achieve this, but if it must be done, it will be done. Maybe I could invent the first book holster.

Book Pledge: 33/150

Writing Competition

the RTE Guide in association with Mills & Boon are running a writing competition. These are the guidelines for entry: -

'We are looking for a romantic story or between 900 and 1000 words with a beginning, middle and happy ending, an innovative plot and a strong focus on the central characters.'

They aren't looking for much, are they?

Writing Update

This is meant to be a writing blog and recently my writing posts have been few and far between. So here is an update:-

The Moonwolf Chronicles:- Til the Moon Fails is still being written. I wasn't happy with the first draft so I have started it again from scratch. It is coming along well, but there is a lot still to be written.
- The Mark of the Wolf. I have notes on the rewrite and on what I want to change and improve and highlight, but as yet no work has been done on it.
- In Search of the Moon is in editing limbo.

Iserie Valult books:- Valerie and I have had some very productive meetings about our joint trilogy of science fiction books, which have taken Biff and co into interesting and new territory. However, it has not progressed any further than that.

The WB: - No further work done.

7 Days in Hell:- Has been submitted for a second time.

Short stories, flash fiction, other work:- Nothing to report.

Books: - 28/48

Submissions:- 7 Days in Hell - 2 Other - 0

The World's First Clone?

These two actors have always intrigued me by their similarities. The man in picture one is Mandy Patinkin, perhaps best known for playing Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride (now say it with me... 'Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die'). He was born on 30th November 1952 in Chicago Illinois. He is 6ft 3/4 ins tall. His full name is Mandel Bruce Patinkin. He is Jewish. He has been married to the same woman for 27 years. He has a couple of kids. Apart from being a talented actor he is also a successful singer.

The man in picture two is Kevin Kliner, perhaps best known for playing William Boone in the first season of Earth Final Conflict. He was born on 3rd May 1958 in Baltimore Maryland. He is 6ft 3ins tall. He has been married to the same woman for 9 years. He has a reputation for being difficult to work with.

Now look at the two pictures. These men have a a striking similarity, don't you think? In fact, they could almost be the same person. Maybe they are - maybe they were the world's first clones! I have no proof - yet - apart from the fact that they look and sound alike. They must be related somehow, they are so alike. Has anyone else noticed this?

Arlene Philips Shocker

Anyone who has watched the BBC show, Strictly Come Dancing, will know Arlene Philips. Now, think of this woman. Imagine her. Visualise what she looks like. Got a mental picture of her? Good.

What age would you say she was? In her fifties maybe?



63!


I can't believe it. I am in shock. Dance really is the secret of youth.

Happy Birthday Nathon Fillion

Happy Birthday Nathon, 36 today. And because one picture is never enough...

You will always be the Captain. Stay shiny.

Happy First Birthday Mango & Tottie

Happy Birthday Mango and Tottie. 1 today. Hope you have a good one.

Book pledge: 23/150

Happy Birthday Angel

Today would have been dear Angel's 18th birthday, were she still with us. I hope she is running joyfully through the fields of heaven, with Muffin, Cino, Sheba and dozens of cats in tow.

Superscan Trek

Shopping, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the trolley, Murphy, and its weekly mission to shop where no one has shopped before (cue music)

Superquinn in Dundalk has introduced Superscan, the new way to shop. You scan your reward card as you enter and you receive a scanner (similar to that pictured above) to scan your items as you do you shop. You pack your goods as you go around the aisles and then hand in the scanner at a special till, pay and go. It is quick, simple and FUN!

Yes, I said FUN. Shopping is finally fun. The scanner reminds me of the tricorder from Star trek, and it is so cool scanning all the bar codes as you go around, looking at the price of each item and how much your total is as you shop. I know that the novelty will wear off eventually, but for the moment I am Mr Spock (a short, chubby, female human Mr Spock, I admit) to my mother's Captain Kirk. :D

The 50 Greatest TV Dramas - according to C4

I caught a bit of this on Saturday night, but I was too tired to watch more than a few minutes. However, my interest was piqued by the fact that I had seen a clip from The Prisoner on the ads for the programme and I wanted to know where it placed. I was sure that Channel Four would put the list on their website, as they have with other similar minded shows, but they haven't as of yet. However, I have found the list (posted by some kind mortal on their blog, and from there to a forum) and I discovered that

a) The Prisoner ranked #38

b) Doctor Who ranked #26

c) The Sopranos ranked #1

The thing about the list is, I wonder what they define as a drama. It had things like Hill Street Blues, and The Sopranos, yet was predominately British. It had Pride and Prejudice, Z Cars, Roots, Band of Brothers, Bleak House, Shameless - rather an eclectic mix for dramas, don't you think? And where are The X Files? Also, I think both The Prisoner and Doctor Who should have ranked MUCH HIGHER than they did.

Book Pledge: 20/150

Sunday night movies

I was watching Channel 4's Sunday night movie double bill last night. First there was I, Robot with Will Smith, based on a short story by Isaac Asimov.

I saw this movie in 2004 when it came out and I enjoyed it, but I never really thought about watching it again and I only took the time to catch it on the telly because the robot, Sonny, is voiced by Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly and Serenity). In 2004 I didn't even know who Wash was! Imagine. I watched the movie again primarily to listen to Sonny's voice (and all I had to do was close my eyes and I saw Wash) but I got engrossed in the movie and really really enjoyed it. I would watch it again without hesitation. It has a good (although simple) story, good special effects and likable characters portrayed by competent actors. Definitely better than other Asimov adaptations (Bicentennial Man anyone? Shudder). Why is it that Philip K Dick (whose books I find difficult to read) makes such great movies (Bladerunner, Screamers) and Asimov (whose books and stories I love) makes such so-so movies?

Anyway, the second movie was 1995's Johnny Mnemonic with Keanu Reeves.

I remember watching this movie at the time and hating it, but I thought I would give it a go as a nostalgia trip. I couldn't believe how BAD it was! It was only made 11 years ago, but it is so creaky and dated, the quality of the film looks like it is twice as old. Keanu Reeves - a good looking guy with VERY limited acting skills - is SO BAD as the title character that I don't know how he got away with it. His delivery of hackneyed, corny lines is so inappropriate and devoid of modulation that it is hilarious. For anyone who doesn't know the plot, he is a data courier who uses his brain to smuggle downloaded secrets. His normal capacity is 80GB (which doesn't seem all that great) but he doubles his capacity to 160GB. I chuckled my way through the cardboard rubbish of the first ten minutes or so, but then I turned it off because it totally lost my interest.

In conclusion, two very different science fiction movies, with almost ten years between them:- one movie is good, engaging, entertaining and captivating, the other so bad it deserves to be sent into the dark dungeon where stinkers are left to disappear into oblivion.

Happy Birthday Adam Baldwin

45 today.

America Ferrera - AKA Ugly Betty

I am a big fan of Ugly Betty. America Ferrera is very likable in the title role and I like its blend of humour and drama. I thought I would post this picture of America in her real life persona to show that she is not at all ugly (although, anyone who watches the programme can easily see that).

Happy Birthday Muffin

Muffin would have been 10 today, had she lived.

Hot Fuzz

I went to see Hot Fuzz today. It is REALLY good and REALLY funny. I love Spaced and I love Shaun of the Dead, so Hot Fuzz ticked all the boxes for me. A lot of reviewers said that there are two types of comedy in this movie - a slow, Miss Marple kind at the beginning and an explosion laden Bad Boys take off at the end. They are correct in this, but critics have criticised the movie for this, saying it doesn't gel. I didn't find this at all. I thought it was hilarious from beginning to end and that the parody of block busters like Bad Boys was excellent. There aren't enough movies featuring sweet middle aged English women riding a bicycle while firing two hand guns! Simon Pegg has also got flack for playing his character Nick Angel so seriously. I thought he was excellent in this part and made Nick very likable. Thoroughly enjoyable all round.

Happy Chinese New Year

2007 is the year of the pig. Pigs are honest, reliable and extremely loyal. They are quick-tempered, but they don't like to argue. They are kind to those they love and make a good companion. They like to set themselves goals and carry them out, but they can be too impulsive sometimes. Pigs will get along with Rabbits and Goats.