WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN

Pratchett Knighted; Forges Sword

This year, he took his new station of Knight Bachelor seriously: Pratchett took it upon himself to forge a sword using more than 175 pounds of iron ore found in a deposit near his home in Wiltshire. For good measure, he added several chunks of meteorite — “thunderbolt iron” for their “highly magical” properties: “you’ve got to chuck that stuff in whether you believe in it or not.”

Never Work With Children Or Animals

Watch at YouTube.

This is apparently Take 74.

Thanks to Cute Overload.

The Wit & Wisdom of Stephen Fry

My favorite bit is where the bailiff faints.

2012: The Doctor Who Movie

And guess who's confirmed to play the good Doctor?

Johnny Fucking Depp.

This is like a fanboy's dream combined with a nightmare, because this is what Mr. Depp had to say about the part:

"The Doctor will absolutely have a serious romance. I can not reveal who my co-star is yet but I'm told she is a strong, lovely actress that everyone knows and is perfect for the part ... The Doc is always portrayed as this mysterious Demi-God. Russell has penned this wonderful, exciting script that humanizes this all-powerful alien. The Doctor is actually given a name in the film, I'm told he never really has one. He also acts like a Physician in more than just his title. He's called The Doctor for a reason. His mission is to journey through time and space with a crew of volunteers treating humanity's illnesses brought on by invading aliens. He cures the bubonic plague and then goes to Africa to fight Ebola. The film will be very human and relevant and have a great message."

The mystery of who the Doctor was before he started wandering the galaxy is a great source of stories and was especially played up during the last few years of the classic series.

Giving the Doctor a name nails him down. I don't suppose this prevents him from being Rassilon and/or Merlin, or the Creator of the Universe, but it just feels too concrete to me.

Perhaps someone will give him a name, rather than him revealing his own. That would actually fit in better with the whole Mystery Man angle, of a guy who's had so many identities he gets confused sometimes, himself.

Anyway, Depp is a wonderful actor and I'm looking forward to seeing the film, but there is a mantra playing in the back of my head which tempers my enthusiasm:

Tie-in movies usually suck.

Very, Very Patient Chows + Fur Dye =

Stolen shamelessly from CuteOverload.

OK Go -- End Love

Watch at YouTube.

Oh. My. God.

Colin Baker sings!



Watch at YouTube.

You might want to disable your embarrassment circuits before you click play.

The YouTube page says this is from the Doctor who Audio Book "Doctor Who and the Pirates." Lyrics at the Youtube page, if you expand the description below the movie.

Oh. My. God.

This is hilariously awesome.

The influence of Gary Larson knows no bounds.

"Baby-Face" Skywalker

Mark Hamill in an episode of The Partridge Family.

Another one from Retrospace, in this case a post detailing all the little cameos in Partridge Family -- including Richard Pryor (!).

Redefining The Action Figure

Preeeeeesenting!!



The Inaction Figure!

(Picture yoinked from Shakesville.)

Absolutely Awesome

John Williams never sounded so good.

Via comments on Making Light.

It Cutened The World

It... it got Dr. Myers. He didn't even slow it down.

Maybe it won't see us here. Maybe it'll pass right by.

Oh god ... what are we going to do?

Wait, wait! Do you hear something?

Oh no it's here!



SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

OMG Re-Dead Of Cute!!

The important thing to remember here, peeps, I say the important thing to remember, is...

Can he teach you the ways of the Jedi?!

*Excited Gasp*

Via Nodwick:

Dr Who: Gillian Anderson Is The Rani?

*deep breath*

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

*Runs around, lifts arms in air, trips over cat, knocks china cabinet down, lies amidst shards with one hand lifted in a triumphant thumbs-up*

NOM NOM NOM

The National Organization of Marriage will now protest with deep flustration:



This goes out to ma homey Lia.

We Meet Again, My Old Nemesis

But this time, the advantage is mine! ... just as soon as the room stops spinning....

Start Making Next Christmas' Gifts Now

You'll need the time.

Via Nodwick, I have found the Doctor Who Scarf Site, a fan site with resources to support anyone who actually wants to knit one of Tom Baker's monster scarves. The author also has photos from his trip to Long Island, New York to view the original scarf that Baker wore in the first couple seasons of his seven-year tenure (Season 12, or L in some reference materials).



That's the pattern, there. In some of the photos he took in New York it's been patched in several places, so obviously its time as a piece of costumery was hard on it.

And the most amazing thing, I think, is that these have all been apparently kludged up from merely watching the shows in question and making notes. These are some serious cosplayers, here, folks, exercise caution.

Two Things Orlando Has

The bad news first:

Orlando has the Holy Land Experience, which is a theme park run by The Bible Network that sounds like it was ripped off of a classic rock'n'roll album (are you ... experienced?). It features such things as wandering Roman centurion tour guides, reenactments of stories from the Bible, awful musical groups (including the Holy Land Experience Singers and Last Adam), and cheezy things like the Crystal Waters (a lit-up fountain performance; presumably a holy and blessed lit-up fountain performance), an amazingly plastic-looking Ark of the Covenant which isn't killing anybody or anything (boooo-ring!) in a Wilderness Tabernacle that also includes a menorah (which I thought came later), and an animatronic John Wycliffe. When you have hundreds of employees reenacting the Biblical patriarchs and White Jesus, why spend money on a robot philosopher that needs maintenance, says the same thing over and over, and can't answer questions?

The good news next:



Baby ant-eater!

Holy Land Experience via Morgan.
Baby ant-eater via Cute Overload.
(Which is not to say Morgan's never sent me anything good, just that this was egregious enough to post and barf over.)

Buh

This cute little fawn was apparently rescued by C-section after its mother was fatally struck by a car.

Via Cute Overload, who got it via the Daily ... you gotta be kidding me ... The Daily Mail.

I guess even right-wing isolationists have hearts.