From Somewhere, Volume Two

You think that hurt? Try watching it.

One of the many the awful truths of Doctor Who is that regeneration will suck. And not just because you’ll miss whoever happens to be the Doctor- no, really Leigh- its because the story it takes place in is usually quite bad.

Off the top of my head, there are only two regeneration stories in the history of series that I’d consider really good.

The War Games was Patrick Troughton’s finale.  And it’s a loonnnng goodbye-10 parts, no less- and when the Time Lords do show up at the end- having heard of them only through reputation up to that point in the series-you know it won’t end well.

The Caves of Androzani was so good, it actually served to redeem much of Peter Davison’s lackluster run as The Doctor.  Also, the best cliffhanger ever, just saying.

The previous nu-Who regeneration story, 2005’s The Parting of the Ways, adequately dealt with the Doctor’s guilt over both ending and surviving the Time War- a plot device which had set the events surrounding the return of the show into motion . Unfortunately, this story was also saddled with an unnecessary pseudo commentary on the popularity of reality television and game shows.  That story signaled the arrival of David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and series head writer Russell T. Davies’ preoccupation of not knowing quite when to stop.

And if you feared RTD  just was not going to reign it in for his last Who hurrah,  you get a gold star. Unfortunately, that also means you get “The End of Time- Parts One & Two“.  I’m sorry- I’m so, so sorry.

Thoughts and possible mild spoilers after the jump…. (continue reading…)

I will be in on the recording of this week’s episode of Need Coffee’s Weekend Justice podcast. If you happen to have any questions for the assembled panel- send it to us via Twitter using the tag #askwej

The episode in question should pop up sometime Friday.

The News Wheel. It never sleeps. However- its  typist tends to nod off a bit, though.

On today’s hit list: iTunes-now only slightly less annoying, New Product for your approval, Santa as you’ve never seen him before (and as you still might not), Bob Dylan’s holiday joy, the Waters of Mars US air date, and news on Top Gear Series 14 .

Updated and expanded upon as things become interesting / author has time … and it begins after the jump! (continue reading…)

Yep, its the News Wheel- watch it spin.

On today’s hit list: Apple sort of wins over the clones, Did DJ Hero tank, why you can’t always get what you want on your Wii (and maybe why you shouldn’t), and  Infinity Ward suddenly hates PC owners.

Updated and expanded upon as things become interesting / author has time … and it begins after the jump!

(continue reading…)

As we all do, I usually juggle a lot of information on a daily basis.  Most of which gets used and digested in one format or another. This will be a somewhat scattered digest of that information- which may not or may not be expanded upon here or elsewhere at a later point when I’ve had a chance to properly have a chance to process it.  I’ll add to on as I come across things in the day. Ta-da! Content you have to check back for! Fun, yes?

It might be an idea clearing house, it might even be entertaining. All I can tell you now is that its a thing called the News Wheel. And it begins after the jump.  Enjoy!

(continue reading…)

A quick note to recognize the officialness of Year Ten.

…And there it was.

No, that was it.

Don’t look back. You can never look back. You’ll turn to stone. Or Don Henley. Not sure which is worse, really- but you’ll excuse me if I’d rather not take my chances.

But you should continue moving ahead. Experimenting. Living. Breathing. Watching the wheels.

A few slight changes to the web site to make note of Year Ten, and a massive purge of irrelevant blog posts have been made.

And Now we will move forward.  Into the future.  Where you are now. What I’m catching up to.

It all continues…..more to come.

Pitchfork is a curiously annoying website. Their news section has become increasingly narrow in scope. And their jokey editorial stance of late makes Wizard look like Pulitzer Prize material.

As Indie Rock in general is having a bit of an identity crisis, so too is Pitchfork. And nowhere is this more evident that its album review section.  (continue reading…)

Before I went into illness, I posted about Atlanta’s 99x skipping off the FM dial to the internet. Since that switch went down Friday, I thought I’d update.

At 5:30 on Friday morning, modern rock / ‘alternative’ minded 99x vacated its 99.7 frequency to top 40 sister station Q100.

The last song played by 99x was inexplicably Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”, while far better final song choices (Elvis Costello’s “Radio, Radio”, REM’s “Radio Song”, and The Smiths’ “Panic”) were aired by the remaining DJs to end their shifts.

Following the Green Day song, however, a technical gaffe caused both 99.7 and 100.5 frequencies to air a looped recording advising people looking for Q100 to tune the new 99.7 frequency-which, in what would seemed like 99x’s final misguided dose of irony, knocked Q100 off the air altogether for about eight minutes. But, it was simply not to be- as 99x’s new Windows Media-based ‘visual radio’ internet existence bowed in just after 11 AM, over an hour later than its advertised debut.

Welcome to the internet, 99x. You won’t survive the experience, of course, and no one really expects that. But it’s been a fascinating train wreck to watch.

Good riddance, indeed.

Interesting news for readers in the Atlanta area. 99x, the big Alternative station in town-is being quietly taken out back and shot, possibly for playing far too much Fall Out Boy and still trying call itself “alternative”.

99x is set to leave the airwaves over the next two weeks in a slow phase out as its Top 40 sister station Q100 settles into the 99.7 frequency. Meanwhile, the influential alternative format station will remain on life support via internet streaming and for the estimated three people in the market who have HD radio.
The planned phase out of 99x into the eventual Q99 (?) is eerily reminiscent of 99x’s original October 1992 roll out, replacing then Top 40 Station “Power 99″.

Before I moved here, picking up 99x was always a sign that I was close to Atlanta- but not close enough to pick up the infinitely superior Album 88. But for what it was- 99x showcased the ‘mainstream alternative’ acts and had a pretty good relationship with many of the local scenes.

Certain members of 99x’s talent are currently rumored to be moving over to Q100’s soon-to-be-vacant 100.5 frequency in a new “rock leaning” format said to be headed up by the return of the Regular Guys Morning Show.

Hey, remember WAYYY back when I said I was about unleash the details on the Dragon Con doings?  And kept saying it? Funny how issues get in the way…. (continue reading…)