I’ve even got a couple of ideas that I think would work, too. Nothing too concrete, but something that would at least get the creativity flowing and allow me to stretch those muscles, so to speak.

I used to write. I used to write quite a bit, any time I had free time to kill and a black sheet of paper. Most of the time it was really, horribly bad fantasy crap. Occasionally I’d try my hand at other genres, like horror (crap), satire (crap) and sci-fi (crap in space), but I almost always came back to fantasy.

Which is weird, really. I’ve not read a lot of fantasy. Most of the time I read science fiction, from the pulpy 30′s to the atomic 50′s, from the hard-science 80′s to the cyberpunk 90′s. Rarely any fantasy, though.

Maybe that’s why I wrote in that genre – because, to me, it was more open. I didn’t know what had already been done – and been done better than I could hope to achieve. I hadn’t already limited myself with expectations of what other writers would do, so I was a bit more free to try my hand at things. That would explain why ever horror story I tried came out like a really shitty carbon copy of a really shitty Steven King short story. It could be worse, I suppose. At least I’m still better than Peter David.

What I’m trying to say, is: I want to write again, and Peter David is a talentless hack.

Full disclosure:
I created a list of words to ignore in order to generate this list; the ignored words were:

am, comments, don, dunny, dunny0, entry, moar, modified, pm, posted, tags, views

These words are those that, because of the template, are artificially included in every post.

So, what can we learn from this exercise?
Well – I enjoy the word “awesome”, and “fucking”; I use the word “bring” an awful lot, although I couldn’t begin to explain why; “work” get’s mentioned far more than it should.

While we’re on the topic of words, I’m going to attempt to post at least one (1) blog entry every day this month. We’ll see how that goes.

Yeah… Turns out I was wrong. The comic, such as it was (and such as it is) is back, “stylistic” artwork and all.

Head over to The Manor to check it out – but mind the layout, it’s a bit crap. I hope to rectify that within the coming days, as time (and energy) permits.

I figure I should be able to stick to a weekly update schedule, sometime on Fridays… But we all know how well that worked in the past.

Anyway, it’s there, go read it. Or don’t, whatever.

But, really, please do.

First, I’ve changed the theme – again – and think I’ll settle on the current one for a while. Traditionally, as soon as I post something mentioning a new theme and how it’ll stick around for a bit, I move instantly to a new theme. Not so much this time – I’m digging the layout and the colors, and only plan on doing a few minor tweaks to it in the coming weeks. Definitely going to change the header – can’t stand that font – and will take any suggestions from you, the readers.

Second is the Lifestream page that I recently added. Basically, it’s a page that collects the various updates to social networks in one handy location for people… Also makes it easier for me to log what I’ve been saying where. Right now it’s got Twitter, Facebook and XBox Live, and I’m considering adding a few other things – like Google Reader shared thing. Again, suggestions welcome.

And, on a related note, I tied my Twitter to my Facebook, so that tweets change my status. Basically, it now allows me to annoy more people with less effort, which is always a win in my book.

For me, at least.

Crazy, crazy shit. As much as I loved the apartments (and I really, really did like them), I don’t want to deal with crazy rent prices that make no sense… and, honestly? The lady kind of pissed me off. She had this attitude the whole time, like she was better than us.

Still, we’ve got plenty of time – and Rosenberg has given me a couple of ideas, namely houses being cheaper than apartments, so no worries.

It gives me a lot of science – and science related – blogs. That’s fine, I like science and geeky stuff. Sure, I don’t even come close to understanding some of the more high end stuff (the numbers and terms make my brain go all wonky), but it’s still a nice read once in a while.

There’s the odd assortment of random webcomics – although the majority of them are somewhat crap. I’m sorry, but it’s true: 97% of webcomics are crap, including my own aborted monster. of the remaining 3%, a full nine-tenths is Penny-Arcade, leaving a very small market for actual good, non-PA comics. I’ve found a couple, and have enjoyed them.

The remaining stuff Google throws at me? Personal blogs of small Mormon families in Las Vegas.

No, really – I’ve had four of them tossed my way recently. They are all pretty much the same, too: Pictures of small children, pictures of family events, and general family stuff that is not at all interesting to anyone who isn’t them. Many posts talking about the kids, or the husband, or how boring it is being a housewife, or what it’s like to be a Mormon in Vegas, or that potato salad recipe your mother in law loves… That kind of thing.

I’ve got no idea what part of my normal reading habits would lead Google Reader to the conclusion that I would enjoy such a glimpse into the nuclear family, but I don’t. Oh, sure, I flip through a few posts to make sure that this is, indeed, what it is- but then I click the “No Thanks” button and move on down the list.

Has Google decided that I should live my life vicariously through these seemingly happy families? Has it decided that I’m a voyeur of of some sort, who craves a peek at others inner lives? Or maybe it’s just some weird fluke?

All I know for sure is that those kids are kind of ugly, your husband is a bit of a fatty, and your self-dyed hair looks trashy. You should be ashamed of yourself and your friends, and you should stay off my damn reader!

It was a fun little movie with a pretty decent cast… Although, it should be noted that Perice Brosnan cannot sign. At all.

In fact, the very act of singing appears to cause him much pain… But, it’s not all for naught, as it is just bloody hilarious!

The plot is very much what one would expect for a musical based on the works of ABBA – Goofy, silly fun. Oh, and shirtless gay men… That was slightly disturbing, but not totally unexpected.

Okay, on to Nadia.

You know, I’m not entirely sure what I should write here about her… Particularly since I know she’ll be reading this… We met thanks to Coldiron, via the magics of the internets. We’ve spent a good chunk of the past two weeks together, and she’s met my friends and joined us at PT’s for the weekly Gathering of Geeks (Not the actual name, but I wanted something that sounded epic), and has been embraced quite warmly by both Coldiron and Rosenberg…

As for me? Well, I keep wondering what the catch is: She’s smart, funny, beautiful, enjoys the same things I do, wants to be included in the geekier things that I do, and has a very genuine interest inme and my life. At no point do I feel like I’m being judged, or being made fun of – she really likes me for who I am, warts and all.

Being with her makes me very happy, and I donno… I feel more at ease around her and with her than I have before. It’s very freeing…

The Guys say that she’s also a damn good influence on me, that I’ve been far more pleasant to be around since we’ve been going out, so I suppose that’s a plus too.

So, one could say that I’m smitten, might even say that I’m infatuated. One might also be considering using words stronger than like, but one would also probably be rather guarded for a little while longer… You know, in case she comes to her senses realizes that I’m not that great.

There are more and more people that I don’t talk to. There are also more and more people that I think about, and I wonder about, but that I just can’t bring myself to call, or text, or email. There are still sections of town that I won’t go to, sections of the internet that I stay away from, things in my own apartment that I hide, that I avoid, that I pretend aren’t there because it’s the only way to cope.

No one is dead, they are just living a happier life without me. I think, in the long run, that’s what’s hurt the most: how disposable I really am, how little impact I make and how much I grossly misjudged the situations. If I care too much or not enough… Either way, people are driven away eventually.

I’m starting to wonder if I should even publish this thing… It’s far more self indulgent than else I’ve written in a long while. Months and months, really… I could pinpoint exactly how long, but I don’t want to know that bad. Knowing a definite time would just make things worse.

Lately I just feel so god damn alone, unwanted and redundant. But, I’ve always been that I suppose.
Someday, maybe, that’ll be different. But not today, not tonight, not right now.

Thoughts after the jump…

This episode was one big fanwank – technobabble up the ass, every companion known to man standing around the TARDIS helping the Doctor Fly (Except you Jackie… You just stand over there…) and one improbable event after another.

This can be excused though, since it’s an RTD episode. He’s known for his Improbable Events, his Reset Button Endings and There Are No Consequences scripts. But, since this is his last episode, maybe we can let it go?

I’m pretty sure this will be the last we see of the majority of the companions at this point: Jack will go back to Torchwood, with Martha and Mickey in tow. Sarah Jane Smith will go back to her improbable son and her tin-dog (A last minute inclusion I was happy to have!) and do her own thing… And Rose? Yeah, her and her mum are safely tucked back in their parallel world, which is really, really sealed off for reals this time, honest.

Oh, and she has her own beau now too, a war vet that’s filled with rage and genocidal hatred, but that she can love and tame. Because, well, she did it for the Doctor, right? [eye_roll]

Which brings us to Donna: She ends the season right where we found her: Loud, arrogant and oblivious to everything around her. This whole season has had a theme of growth and change, of being more than yo start out, of her being the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT WOMAN IN THE UNIVERSE… And it ends with The Doctor wiping her god damn memory so that she doesn’t die!

What. The. Fuck?!

I’m sorry – I loved Donna. She was bold and brassy, and a lot quicker than she gave herself credit for. She finally comes into her own in this episode, and what happens? It nearly kills her.

Maybe that was the reset button: Donna has every memory of the TARDIS, of the Doctor, of her past year removed from her. She has to live her life like she used to, doing nothing, being loud and arrogant and self absorbed – not the woman we saw her become by season end.

How frustrating, eh?

Can I think of a better ending? Maybe: The Doctor find a way to remove the Time Lord knowledge that is killing her without wiping everything else, and the pain of constantly being reminded of what she had been – had known – is enough to ask to go home. She stays the fully grown person we know, the more active, stronger Donna – but on Earth, doing what she can to make a difference here.

Sure, it’s shades of Flowers for Algernon, but I think it’d work quite well in this context. It sure as hell would be less ham-fisted, and I doubt the audience would feel quite as cheated as I do right now.

That said, I’m glad now for the year long break. I think the show needs it, the writers need some time to evaluate where it’s going, and where it should go.

So, so long Donna Nobel – You were enjoyed, and you will be missed.

Tonight the second episode aired, and it was just as much fun as the first one. But I don’t want to talk about the episode – naw, I’m here to bitch about a commercial that kept airing during the show.

ABCFamily kept airing commercials for some new show called “The Secret life of an American Teenager”… from the makers of 7th Heaven. So, you already know it’s going to be ham-fisted, schlocky and super-conservative. The basics that have been showed so far: A teenage girl makes a “mistake” by having sex, gets knocked up, then has to deal with it…

They make it look like sex is a bad thing, that her being pregnant is something she must survive and endure only with the help of her friends and family… How much you want to bet that the words “abortion” or “morning after pill” are never brought up? That no one even begins to question her lack of using any sort of contraception?

I swear, that kind of television is totally unacceptable and irresponsible! Making sex seem like something that should never be done, that should be feared and kept away from is a horrible, horrible thing. To make it seem like there is nothing that can be done to prevent a pregnancy, or to end one if it’s unwanted and destructive is just false. Hell, the very act of presenting it as a horrible thing to have happen to someone is just mean…

I’m not being coherent right now, and I apologize. I’m a bit tired and out of sorts.
But this much I know: People need to wake the fuck up and start being more reasonable and responsible. Sex is normal, it’s going to happen, and for fucks sake it should do – contraception should be a hell of a lot easier to get at than it currently is, and it should be taught at every fucking chance.

And anyone who portrays pregnancy as a punishment should have their right to reproduce revoked – retroactively if need be.