MON 30 - Sneak preview of Sanctuary

Well today is Monday and today we get the new 5 minute sneak preview of Sanctuary. I can't wait!!! And now it's only two short weeks until Sanctuary premieres!!

Damian has updated his blog again with lots of info for us, so head on over there for the big update. Of particular note is making the website SanctuaryFans.com the official fan site.

"Sanctuaryforall.com is all about the experience and immersing yourself in the world of Sanctuary. With that in mind, the consensus was nobody can service the fandom like a bunch of fans. And so, in order to make sure our fans get everything they want and deserve, we’ve brought www.sanctuaryfans.com on board to act as a direct conduit to you. Sanctuaryfans.com will provide you all with the latest news, interviews, episode guides, images, videos, chats, blogs, quotes and so on and so forth. They are our voice in the online community and we’re proud to be working with them."

Also in the update was the news that the first four webisodes that are free will be released via You Tube and Google Video (among others) while the HD versions will be available for purchase from the official website. No word of price yet but you can buy Sanctuary by the webisode, or in blocks of webisodes, or the whole eight webisodes of the pilot.

Oh and on the trivia side of things Stargate: SG-1 isn't the longest running scifi series in history. Doctor Who has that record and it even has the longest consecutive record too, though it appears the GBWR got that wrong and won't supply the criteria it used either. Doesn't matter which way you cut it Doctor Who ran for 26 years straight before the small break in production.

Here's a mini rant on the subject provided by RealmOfX :

So how do they explain away that Doctor Who showed every year from 1963 to 1989 for 26 years? That is a continuous run is it not? 159 stories with 695 parts averaging 25 minutes each. A total of 17,375 minutes.

Whereas SG-1 showed every year from 1997 to 2007 for 10 years with 214 episodes averaging 42 minutes. A total of 8,988 minutes.

Doctor Who runs every year for 26 years with 17,375 minutes.
Stargate: SG-1 runs every year for 10 years with 8,988 minutes. NOT EVEN CLOSE!!

LOL RoX can get a bit hot under the collar :-)





The geek in me came across a few interesting things recently :

1. An interesting concept of computers in the future, adds a whole new dimension to the old dilema of "Where'd I leave my pen?". Check it out at Slice of SciFi
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Not in my pool, nuh uh, no way. Check it out at The Green Head
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. A flexible plastic battery? Yes Japanese scientists have made a polymer based rechargeable battery! Check it out at Gizmag

Catch ya later,
Trace

SAT 28 - In Countdown Mode

The Sanctuary premiere is getting closer all the time, next Monday it will be two short weeks away!! Also do not forget that next Monday the 5 minute preview is released and will be available to view or download from the Sanctuary website.

I am really looking forward to this, I can't wait to see Amanda Tapping in a new role. I'm dying to see in more detail how good the visual effects are. I can't wait to see what kind of story Damian Kindler has started to weave in his new playground. Gee, I feel like a little kid with Christmas fast approaching!!


I picked up my copy of Happy Feet Thursday night and spent all day on Friday sacked out on the couch watching movies. I'm a sucker for animated movies and Happy Feet is one of the few that I actually have bought on DVD. Those baby penguins were just so damn cute! I loved the music and I thought that the movie was wasted on kids, definitely a lot of adult jokes in there.

Being an Aussie I loved having familiar voices turn up, not only Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman who I knew were in it but the delightful Miss Viola was performed by Magda Szubanski who I immediately recognised! And then there were the ocker Elephant Seals (Trev, Nev, Kev & Barry ) with Trev being performed by the late Steve Irwin.

One of my favourite parts is Mumbles being chased by the hungry seal. Lots of tense moments and then right at the end with the jump back onto the ice we go from super serious to super wise cracking with The Amigos lead by Ramon and the wonderful talent of Robin Williams. Hmmm it's another rainy day and I'm still not feeling well so I might just put Happy Feet on again!!



The geek in me came across a few interesting things recently :

1. Here's a waterproof digital wrist camera for the adventurers amongst us. Check it out at ThinkGeek
2. Bionic arms should be available by 2009 with the early delivery of a ground breaking prototype from the Johns Hopkins international team. Check it out at MedGadget
3. 
   
   
   Here's a cool photo of Saturn from the Hubble Telescope. Check it out at NASA

Catch ya later,
Trace

WED 25 - Babylon 5: The Lost Tales Release Announced

31st July, 2007 is the day people. YAY! Now all I want to know is the release dates for Region 4! Check out the release information here. I've been really wanting to see this for a long time, I hope I haven't got my expectations raised too high.


Some more news on the Sanctuary front. There will be a 5 minute sneak preview released on 30th April and will contain exclusive scenes from webisode 1 and 2. So everyone head on over to the Sanctuary website next Monday for the preview. Then it will be a short two weeks to the premiere! Oh yeah, they've tweaked their website a bit and you no longer need to login to view the site, it is only required for the forum now.

Also Damian Kindler posted on his blog with the above news that the webisodes will be released every few weeks and after each release then a new area of the website will be opened up for fans to play in. They are using actual 3-D rendered environments from the show itself. That sounds so cool!




The geek in me came across a few interesting things recently :

1. An hour glass watch? This is something different, I wonder if they'll ever get it into production? Check it out at Coolest Gadgets
2. NASA Glenn Research Center is to Test Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Check it out at NASA and Orion Crew Vehicle
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   I WANT ONE!! Hey look, it's a mini R2D2 with a lightsabre remote! Check it out at ThinkGeek

Catch ya later,
Trace

TUE 24 - X-Files Movie in Development

YAY after more rumours several weeks ago, it's been confirmed by Frank Spotnitz on his blog that a script is in development. Let's hope that the project gets a go ahead, I miss Mulder & Scully.

Before I got shipped off to hospital I actually got around to going to the cinema to see 300. All I can say is WOW and turn the bloody sound down!!!! What is it these days with movies and sound levels? In certain patches of the movie the speech was quiet and so the kids that run the theatres these days seemed to have the sound level set high so people could hear these quiet passages. Unfortunately that left the majority of the movie way too loud and I came out with my ears ringing (though I must admit I was under the weather at the time).

OK whinge over, so apart from the sound, the movie was just great visually. Though I will admit there were one or two gory bits that I closed my eyes for (yeah, yeah I know I'm a wimp. I just can't stand graphic violence as I have a very vivid imagination and the nightmares aren't worth it. Horror movies are just sooooo NOT on my viewing list). I really loved how the movie was shot, the whole thing had a very graphic novel kind of look to it (I love my comic books). Actually my nephew has the comic they made and said it is very close to the movie so I think I'll have to borrow it off him and have a squiz at it.




The geek in me came across a few interesting things recently :

1. Holodecks here we come! OK, so not anywhere in the near future but they are developing some extremely good free floating 3D images. Check it out at Slice of SciFi
2. A graphic equalizer on your t-shirt? What will they think of next? Check it out at PopGadget
3. Another way cool hybrid concept car but this one might actually make it into production. Check it out at Gizmodo

Catch ya later,
Trace

MON 23 - Sanctuary Premiere

G'day, I'm back in the land of the living - well sort of. What I thought was just a bad chest cold just kept getting worse until I finally went to the doctor and he put me in hospital. It was pneumonia! I escaped today but my breathing is still shot and I'm confined to home for at least a week.

Now on with the Sanctuary news.

1. W00T !! Sanctuary starts on 14th MAY! I can't wait!
2. Sanctuary is on the convention trail. Amanda Tapping, Damian Kindler and Paul McGillion will be appearing at the London Expo May 26-27.
3. Damian Kindler continues with his introduction of the stars of Sanctuary on his blog. This time we get to learn more about Chris Heyerdahl
4. The Sliceof SciFi podcast #105 had a great interview with Martin Wood about Sanctuary. RealmOfX did a transcript for the interview and you can find it on GateWorld or at Sanctuaryfans.com, but if you have the time then go and listen to the entire podcast because I have become a fan of theirs and listen every week, it's well worth the time.
5. Sanctuaryfans.com also had an exclusive chat with Marc Aubanel, director of Stage 3 Media, about Sanctuary
6. Leah Cairns was interviewed recently by The SciFi World and they cover a little bit about her role in the Sanctuary pilot and future episodes.

Catch ya later,
Trace

FRI 06 - Easter is here again

Long time, no write :-) I had a lot of work to catch up on from my time off with my back and simply didn't have time to even look at my computer!!

Well Easter is here again and this year we decided to forgo the bought chocolate easter egg route and make our own sweets. So today was spent in the kitchen with Mum, my sisters and a couple of my nieces while we went through a tonne of sugar and chocolate. We made little chocolate easter eggs filled with marshmallow, chocolates (some filled, some not), chocolate crackles, peanut brittle, nougat and honeycomb. NO! We aren't gutses! There will be about 25 of us at the Sunday Easter family gathering!

My absolute favourite is a chocolate made with dark chocolate (72%) and filled with a craisin (dried cranberry) surrounded by a lush apricot brandy fondant. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm. Closely followed by a milk chocolate filled with a hazelnut surrounded by coffee fondant. We had an absolute ball in the kitchen, we haven't gotten together like this to cook in absolutely ages. It's a lot more fun (and cheaper) than buying eggs for the family.

On the TV front, whilst I was out of action with my back I watched a lot of DVD's (I'm a member of QuickFlix) and I got around to watching the first season of Bones and found that I really liked it. I guess I'll have to keep my eye out for when it's on TV now.

I also started rewatching my Stargate SG-1 DVD's and I'm near the end of S4. I'll see if I can fit some more eps in this weekend as I love the early stuff. My DVD collection ends at S8 though as I don't consider S9 & S10 worth forking money out for - pfffft!!

No word yet on how filming went in the Arctic for the Stargate crew for the second movie but I'm sure we'll get some tidbits sooner or later.

On the space front, the International Space Station (ISS) is due for a crew change with some members of Expedition 15 launching on April 7. It will be a Russian launch this time and if I can make myself wake up in the early AM then I'll watch the launch on NASA TV. Yes, I still watch launches when I have the chance. I've never gotten over the kid like excitement and hope I never will.



The geek in me came across a few interesting things recently :

Today we have three images from the NASA Image of the day.

1. Light Echoes From a Red Supergiant
2. The Egg Nebula
3. White Dwarf Star Spiral

Catch ya later,
Trace