Dear President Obama, Welcome to the BBC.

Obama would fit right in, as you can see from this clip of Obama interviewing David Simon about the Wire.  (Yes, Obama is interviewing Simon, not the other way around.)

Also too, on the topic of adolescent wish fulfillment...

Ready Player One, the movie.

Wars of the Star

A timely interview with Alan Dean Foster for those of you at game night last night.

And for the statisticians among us, a Bayesian analysis of Han Solo's flight through the asteroid field in The Empire Strikes Back!.

Prep for Movie Night

As you consider viewing "Battlefield Earth" in the next few weeks (read: staring into the abyss) you may be interested in the new Scientology documentary on HBO.  Here is a review that breaks it down for you.

June 3: what's so fine about art?

The Old 97's are coming back. Go. You'll not have a better time at a show.

Mentioned at book club

AS THE TOKEN FEMALE MEMBER OF THIS ACTION-ADVENTURE TEAM, MY JOB IS TO KICK.

Forget Scientology, lets debate the Crossguard Lightsaber!

450 pages of the history of Scientology too much for you?  At least watch this prior to the meeting, so we can really sink our teeth into the issues of the day.  Also, I apparently don't post anything that doesn't have a lightsaber in it...



If my father calls, please remind him I am a mature adult with a job.

There, there, Mike. It's all OK.

Apparently, our esteemed Mr. Boydston was not the only person who was deeply aggrieved by the outcome of Batman Vs. Darth Vader.  The ending has now been reshot.  It is much more satisfying.  All is now right with the world.  (Watch about the last 2 minutes if you want to see the new ending.)

Gaiman on Douglas Adams

There's a nice piece in the Guardian about a speech Neil Gaiman gave about Douglas Adams. He talks about Adams' love of books and there's a nice anecdote about PG Wodehouse and mattresses. So there. 

Also, here's a video of some ferrets . . . and Dar.

80's Fantasy Rankings

Get ready to re-live a little slice of adolescence, gents.  Feel free to disagree, too.  I take umbrage at Highlander at 16, and Excalibur at 12.