tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4906515839781970322011-05-15T01:36:41.351-04:00Writing. Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Movies. Tv. Books. Geekery. Its whats in my brain.Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comBlogger1261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-65957320689235912492009-02-16T23:28:00.002-05:002009-02-16T23:29:52.578-05:00

I've decided to setup a site of my own, and have moved my blog (and its contents) over there.Please update your links to go here now for the main page, and here for the blog.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-26759523587926055222008-12-22T13:11:00.002-05:002008-12-22T13:15:41.324-05:00

2008 is drawing to a close, and with the new year around the corner and so many things in my life in flux, I find my thoughts turning to the year ahead.I've never been one for making resolutions. Despite our best intentions Real Life has a way of coming in and scattering the best laid plans to the four winds.I started to think about how I could make next year better than this one and had

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-77727042170530253392008-12-17T14:14:00.005-05:002008-12-17T14:17:48.846-05:00

Ran across this somewhere this afternoon...AWESOME!! (click the pic to embiggen)Only trouble is I don't recall where I found it. I had a bazillion tabs open in Firefox and closed too many too quick. If anyone knows who is responsible for this ironically truthful ad, please leave a comment below.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-47580610059946599872008-12-08T12:38:00.004-05:002008-12-08T12:56:19.366-05:00

In 2009, NBC has a new Sci-Fi (ish) show called Kings hitting the streets [via].I went and checked the full trailer out over here, and realized that the guy playing King Silas Benjamin is none other than Ian McShane himself.Must. See. This.McShane of course brought Al Swearengen to life on HBO's Deadwood, probably my favorite character from any series ever. (Side note: if you haven't watched

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-49138297409518187522008-11-26T09:07:00.004-05:002008-11-26T09:17:58.033-05:00

Khan Noonien Singh, the Eugenics Superman who tried to overthrow the Enterprise in Space Seed, and then again in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, turns 88 today.Best Khan quote (to Kirk):I've done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her: marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet, buried

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-36616563579202036252008-11-21T09:24:00.009-05:002008-11-21T09:41:11.644-05:00

(Warning: links embedded in this post might contain spoilers.)I've listened to the audio book recording of A Game of Thrones literally over a dozen times. Martin is such a brilliant and subtle writer, I always find something new layered within his writing with each listen through.It wasn't until this morning as I listened to this touching scene between Father and daughter that I realized that one

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-80328560662649743882008-11-19T12:40:00.004-05:002008-11-19T13:03:00.372-05:00

This is the problem with government bailouts.You've got CEO's from Detroit's "Big Three" automakers begging for 25 billion dollars of public money (ie, OUR money) to help bail them out.Of course these chuckleheads don't see the hypocrisy in having flown to do their begging using private corporate jets.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-77442785761781035992008-11-12T11:55:00.004-05:002008-11-12T13:44:02.973-05:00

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of my professional life, someone somewhere is doing something right.HBO has given the thumbs up for the pilot of "A Game of Thrones" to be filmed. This is huge news.Read about it on Martin's blog and everywhere else genre news is reported!

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-84444446718772799002008-11-07T08:11:00.002-05:002008-11-07T08:19:04.655-05:00

Title: Small Favor (Book 10 in the Dresden Files series)Author: Jim ButcherPublisher: RocISBN-10: 0451461894ISBN-13: 978-0451461896Genre: Urban FantasyPage Count: 432 pagesRelease Date: April, 2008First Line:Winter came early that year: it should have been a tip-off. Jim Butcher has reached the halfway point in what he has stated is a 20 novel run for Chicago's resident Wizard/Supernatural

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-36113642067210218282008-11-06T07:12:00.002-05:002008-11-06T07:14:14.189-05:00

This video via a story on Scalzi's blog. People would ask me who I was voting for prior to the election. I generally avoid getting into political conversations in depth, so I usually would say something like:I used to like McCain before he started campaigning. Then when he picked that numbskull chucklehead Palin for his VP, that was the nail in the coffin for me.I can't tell you how many odd

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-59879106313252703332008-11-05T07:20:00.002-05:002008-11-05T07:21:04.783-05:00

'Nuff said.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-34468894808393736392008-11-04T10:38:00.002-05:002008-11-04T10:43:17.182-05:00

Today's the day. Go out and vote. Unless you're stupid, in which case please stay home. Actually if you're stupid you probably are staying home anyway, but you get my point.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-29956136851796056872008-10-23T11:48:00.004-04:002008-10-23T12:05:41.875-04:00

Felix pointed me at Bruce Schneier's Security blog in one of his posts this morning. I can't believe I'd never read this guy before. After a few minutes reading some of Schneier's posts, its obvious this blog is pure gold to anyone employed in technology and information security - thanks Felix.Today's post over there deals with some airport security penetration testing Schneier was part of that

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-68385119939465041802008-10-21T07:50:00.003-04:002008-10-21T07:55:41.684-04:00

OK I'm soliciting advice here.I'm going to buy a gaming console, but don't know which one I should get: The Wii, The XBox 360 or the PS3.I should point out that I had a Wii earlier this year but sold it along with some other luxuries when I thought I was going to get laid off. The family loved this thing, and I'm tempted to just go buy it all again since we had such a good time playing Mario

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-34770294876923684432008-10-12T21:14:00.009-04:002008-10-13T10:51:55.591-04:00

Title: The Graveyard BookAuthor: Neil GaimanPublisher: HarperCollinsISBN-10: 0060530928ISBN-13: 978-0060530921Genre: Horror/FantasyPage Count: 320 pagesReading level: Ages 9-12Release Date: September 2008First line:"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."Publisher's Summary:Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.He would be completely normal if he didn't live

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-55540306738292836602008-10-10T11:13:00.002-04:002008-10-10T11:13:47.853-04:00

Best. YouTube. Video. EVER.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-38998835599575342622008-10-07T12:52:00.003-04:002008-10-07T12:57:22.206-04:00

This is so awesome I'm not even going to explain it to the non-geeks. I'll just shake my head and feel sorry for you that you don't get it.More of the Geek ABCs over here.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-55851852863984875802008-10-07T12:37:00.000-04:002008-10-07T12:38:22.525-04:00

I love Robot Chicken....div#main{overflow:visible;}

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-19695554022545521532008-10-06T13:15:00.004-04:002008-10-06T13:21:21.383-04:00

Title: Any Given Doomsday (Phoenix Chronicles #1)Author: Lori HandelandPublisher: St. Martin’s PaperbacksISBN-10: 0312949197ISBN-13: 978-0312949198Genre: Urban fantasyPage Count: 352Release Date: November 4, 2008Excerpt available at the author's website.First line:"On the day my old life died, the air smelled of springtime–budding trees and just born flowers, fresh grass and hope. I should have

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-14483111697697291112008-10-06T07:26:00.005-04:002008-10-06T07:33:09.580-04:00

Today's George R.R. Martin quote of the day comes from Storm of Swords, book 3 in the Song of Ice & Fire series. (Warning: the links embedded in this post might be spoilery).The source of the quote is Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer. He is reading through the White Book, which chronicles the deeds of each member of the Kingsguard, past and present.The earlier part of Ser Barristan’s storied

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-37087818762290571742008-10-01T20:22:00.005-04:002008-10-01T20:44:31.105-04:00

-There is a great 3 part interview with Joe Abercrombie over at Writer Unboxed. He talks about the writing process mostly, which is fascinating for those of us who dabble in the craft. Joe's gritty fantasy First Law Trilogy is well worth the read. I've read the first two books and have the last one on order. The trilogy consists of: The Blade Itself, Before they are Hanged and Last Argument

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-86311657872263312682008-09-30T07:34:00.008-04:002008-09-30T11:32:11.583-04:00

Today's George R.R. Martin quote of the day comes from Storm of Swords, book 3 in the Song of Ice & Fire series. (Warning: the links embedded in this post might be spoilery).The source of the quote is Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight and faithful servant of Stannis Baratheon. Davos used to be a smuggler who was raised to Knighthood for smuggling food (including onions) to Stannis during the

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-992812535450727202008-09-26T09:56:00.006-04:002008-09-26T10:09:36.558-04:00

-Washington Mutual collapses. The FDIC seized it Thursday and sold its banking assets to JPMorgan Chase & Co. for 1.9 BILLION.-I think I'm giving up on Fringe - at least as a 'must see' each week show. I thought I could get past the lack of plausibility in the science behind the show, but now I think that this is its major fault. The show reminds me a lot of the X-Files, which was one of my

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-21790020539099774072008-09-24T08:54:00.008-04:002008-09-24T09:11:06.018-04:00

PETA writes to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and suggests they stop using cow's milk in their ice cream and instead substitute breast milk. See here.I can just see the new flavors now: Boobie Batter and Mom's Best Bodily Fluids. While I am a true believer in the benefits of breastfeeding, and I understand the negative effects of consuming cow's milk, this is just plain ridiculous. PETA continues to

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-68880641961821044512008-09-23T07:53:00.004-04:002008-09-23T08:09:19.945-04:00

This really annoys me.I'm no high finance expert. I generally ignore economic news, but with recent events, who can do that?I won't waste time arguing whether the government should spend our money to bail out $700 billion dollars worth of bad debt (they shoudn't).The gist of the bill gives Henry Paulson, the Secretary of the Treasury the power to buy whatever mortgages he sees fit from banks.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-61185926059841150832008-09-19T20:30:00.005-04:002008-09-19T20:46:21.408-04:00

The Large Hadron Collider has been shut down.The BBC is reporting that due to a fault in one of the tunnels, a ton of liquid helium was released into the tunnels. This caused 100 supercooled magnets to fail and effectively put the plans to begin smashing particles on hold.Anyone following tech news recently has undoubtedly noted the media yapping on and on about the LHC and the potential for

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-63016117855225769542008-09-18T15:32:00.006-04:002008-09-18T15:39:02.660-04:00

Don't forget!! September 19th (every year) is Talk Like a Pirate Day."Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."- Henry Louis Mencken (1880 - 1956)I'm just saying.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-60162976004349634592008-09-17T09:26:00.004-04:002008-09-17T09:44:52.916-04:00

Tonight my wife and I are going to see Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at Harper's Ferry in Boston. I can't wait. Not only is RCPM my favorite band (check them out, trust me), but this marks the first time since having kids nearly 7 years ago that my wife and I are actually going out together without the ankle biters. I'm going to try real hard to get her drunk and see if I can't get the both

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-68085005327568778072008-09-16T11:12:00.003-04:002008-09-16T11:16:54.790-04:00

Really enjoying HBO's "True Blood". Haven't read the books and don't plan to. Grab Walter Jon Williams' Nebula Award winning story "Daddy's World" free. [via]The Force Unleashed was released today, and damn this game looks slick. Too bad I sold my Wii. SIGH.Ran across this cool post at Dark Roasted blend of Ugly Faces. Good for a chuckle (or a shudder).HP announces a 24,000+ employee layoff.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-37509533424884242042008-09-15T07:48:00.007-04:002008-09-15T08:25:31.333-04:00

-Mr. Giles (aka, Anthony Head) plays Uther Pendragon in "Merlin", a 13 part series on BBC One airing this September. Head's website gives more details, but be warned, it contains some character descriptions which some might consider spoilery.-Wall Street takes a beating. Going to listen to this later today while working to see if I can get caught up on the backstory of what the hell is going on.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-48534134290278854902008-09-12T09:16:00.004-04:002008-09-12T09:39:28.180-04:00

Spent nearly an hour last night troubleshooting a video driver problem on my Winblows machine. God I wish I never sold my iMac.David Tennant may do a fifth season of Dr. Who if they give him a Who feature film. See here.Yet more evidence from Chad Sakac's "VirtualGeek" blog that virtualization is going to take over the world. See here. I for one welcome the virtualization revolution. Its made

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-81141301960955080802008-09-10T20:57:00.008-04:002008-09-10T21:16:53.276-04:00

If you call yourself a geek and aren't watching The Middleman, you should turn in your pocket protector and go watch Football or something.The Middleman (played by Matt Keesler) is a straight arrow super secret agent who recruits Wendy Watson (played by Natalie Morales) to be his partner and Middleman-in-training. Together they fight comic book like supernatural and extraterrestrial threats to

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-27374049430875076322008-09-03T08:41:00.004-04:002008-09-03T09:07:24.656-04:00

I'm seriously considering evacuating my family to Canada. I ran across this very scary post over at Sans Serif. I followed the link in the post and read the article at The Huffington Post. When you read something in print, especially about politics, you have to take into account context and the political bias of whomever is publishing. That's why its so great that there's video of Sarah Palin

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-14557876620123003662008-08-28T10:19:00.002-04:002008-08-28T10:19:51.936-04:00

'nuff said.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-11504417737039362842008-08-15T10:12:00.003-04:002008-08-15T10:26:45.026-04:00

The NY Times has an absolutely fantastic article about six time gold medalist Michael Phelps. See it here.I'm not a sports guy. What I liked about the article was that it profiles his mother, Deborah Phelps, and the challenges she faced when Michael was young. And it talks about how Michael himself knew what he needed and overcame the low expectations his teachers and doctors set for him.In

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-39924767000951528852008-08-13T11:32:00.004-04:002008-08-13T11:47:06.222-04:00

According to Variety, Universal has acquired film rights to the Wheel of Time series.The first book in Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series, "The Eye of the World" will be the first to make the transition from novel to film. Obvious, you say? Not always - especially when a series spans multiple volumes and they realize there's no way they can realistically expect to do a 1:1 transition of novel

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-57441106497213677402008-08-12T11:13:00.006-04:002008-08-12T14:53:09.820-04:00

By far the funniest photo I've seen from the 2008 Hugo Awards is this one of John Scalzi:Sorry ladies, he's taken. Read John's comments about this over here.I was also glad to see Steven Moffat take another Hugo for the brilliant Dr. Who episode, "Blink". I've read some articles recently where old school Who fans are bitching about Moffat and his writing.I've never seen 'classic' Doctor Who. I

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-14514855056607406422008-08-04T08:34:00.007-04:002008-08-04T08:51:18.844-04:00

Nathan Fillion talks about Dr. Horrible's impact on using the Internet to distribute content. See here.I blogged about this very thing, and I'm happy that Captain Hammer agrees with me.Money quote:I think it can be said that Dr Horrible was a tremendous success. More than just an incredible project to enjoy, but a more than important view of entertainment to come. This is the future, everybody.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-72369712975804912452008-07-30T23:19:00.004-04:002008-07-30T23:26:47.153-04:00

What's that? You haven't watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog yet and you spent your last $3.99 on a Super-Mocha-Double-Sweet-Extra-Light-Latte?Seriously: what is WRONG with you??Fear not, Whedonites.As this blog post by Joss Whedon explains, Hulu.com is now hosting Dr. Horrible. You can watch it for free in all its streaming goodness from this link which will bring you directly to Hulu's site

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-83557340653177963152008-07-27T20:51:00.004-04:002008-07-27T21:05:24.412-04:00

Neil Gaiman has been tapped to write a two issue arc for Batman and Detective Comics in January 2009. The project is to be called, "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?", an obvious homage to Alan Moore's "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?".Moore's Superman story was intended to close the book on the original character's history in preparation for Crisis on Infinite Earths and DC's

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-42894484489576388442008-07-27T18:44:00.006-04:002008-07-27T19:05:17.912-04:00

I found this tidbit over at SciFi Scanner. James Cameron apparently gave credit to Harlan Ellison and two of his Outer Limits episodes for inspiring the original Terminator film. Studios have paid Ellison to avoid a lawsuit. The episodes were "Soldier" and "Demon With a Glass Hand." Though I've always liked Ellison's fiction, I never knew he worked on the Outer Limits. Now I have to go hunt

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-48568756325199823892008-07-25T15:30:00.007-04:002008-07-26T15:32:11.892-04:00

Innocence is the best containment. The ultimate in reform for those who committed the First True Sin: Rebellion. But is an innocent mortal soul enough to contain the dark essence of a Fallen Angel?This is another story of mine that Variant Frequencies picked up.WARNING: Not safe for work, children, teenagers or nearly anyone else that might be remotely offended by four letter words and lots of

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-36576272703046646742008-07-22T07:42:00.007-04:002008-07-26T15:32:24.254-04:00

I'm trying something new. For the next couple days I'll be posting the short fiction that I've had published (or links to it if its been produced in audio form).The first story is called The Rut. The Rut appeared as an audio podcast on Variant Frequencies in October of 2007. If you haven't checked out Variant Frequencies, you should. They do quality work (and not just because I've had two

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-32087482103611108952008-07-20T22:35:00.007-04:002008-07-20T23:17:18.721-04:00

The only thing filling up my RSS feeds these days faster than iPhone news is, of course, buzz about Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.Of course, I could mention that in Act 1 we see Dr. Horrible using the Horrible Van Remote which is obviously running on an iPhone.Clearly Dr. Horrible is running the 2.0 Firmware. Or maybe he jail broke it and coded the Horrible Van Remote himself,

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-91257872456631291462008-07-16T22:54:00.002-04:002008-07-16T23:19:01.636-04:00

I've watched Act 1 of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog now about four times. Its brilliant in its simplicity; born out of Whedon's brain during the Writer's Strike. He bankrolls the entire thing himself, and gets a couple actor friends to star in it. If what Whedon says can be accepted at face value - and I think it can - monetizing the episodes is the only way he'll be able to offer any pay for

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-65592350239553742162008-07-15T05:19:00.004-04:002008-07-15T05:34:53.915-04:00

Joss Whedon's internet project, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is finally live!Get it while its hot. Act 1 is playing free of charge starting NOW, Act 2 goes up Thursday 7/17/08, and Act 3 goes up Saturday 7/19/08.When you're done watching Act 1, you can read about Joss' Master Plan and how this gem came about.Neil Patrick Harris is hysterical and the perfect choice for the 'villain'. This guy

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-38910858747047680302008-07-08T21:53:00.004-04:002008-07-08T22:15:07.435-04:00

Warning: Here thar be spoilers, arrggh.In my previous post about The Stolen Earth, I said I liked the episode, but had reservations about making that statement stick until after the conclusion to that episode - and Season 4 - aired. Unfortunately, after watching the final installment of Doctor Who under the guidance of Russell T. Davies, I ended up looking a bit like this shot of David Tennant

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-78784562388732490622008-07-01T13:57:00.003-04:002008-07-01T14:16:55.498-04:00

I really like Cory Doctorow. Besides being a prolific and intelligent author, he's seemingly everywhere with an informed opinion on every subject under the sun. Normally, I'd classify someone like this as a Big Fat Know It All. Thing is, I find myself in agreement with him about 98% of the time. Especially when it comes to social or technological issues.Like his latest Guardian article

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-4674611730821626192008-06-28T18:05:00.011-04:002008-06-28T18:52:56.673-04:00

Spoiler alert: there are screen caps from the episode below. I don't spoil anything in the text providing you have seen the trailer.Given how much I've blogged before about how much I hate Russell T. Davies' writing, I have to admit that I thought "The Stolen Earth" was pretty good. (*I have a caveat to that considering the final episode of this season, "The Final Journey", is scheduled to

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-37230023778283600922008-06-28T17:42:00.003-04:002008-06-28T17:53:00.272-04:00

Joss Whedon has announced the air dates for his internet only project, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.Whedonesque has Joss' announcement here. Here's a quote:Once upon a time, all the writers in the forest got very mad with the Forest Kings and declared a work-stoppage. The forest creatures were all sad; the mushrooms did not dance, the elderberries gave no juice for the festival wines, and the

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-27389895431671981332008-06-26T22:01:00.006-04:002008-06-26T22:23:01.157-04:00

If you aren't a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which if you're not, you should be) you may not get some of the quotes listed over here from one of the most underrated characters: Oz.Seth Green's deadpan, sarcastic portrayal of Oz combined with Joss Whedon's always-perfect dialogue was pure magic. I was sorry to see him bow out in the 4th season.The list doesn't really do these lines justice

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-37311570920488545412008-06-25T05:16:00.003-04:002008-06-25T05:20:34.959-04:00

A first look at Joss Whedon's internet project "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog". This is going to be awesome. Can't wait. Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-30369761932542326982008-06-24T20:58:00.005-04:002008-06-24T21:04:35.524-04:00

My wife and I are in the midst of curbing our spending and retooling our budget to get a better handle on our finances.The second that nonsense is over with, I'm ordering this.One of the creepiest scenes in any horror movie EVER is finally an action figure. Dear GOD please, please, please let it spit blood...Must..have...for...office...[via]

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-14926180299256973802008-06-19T21:47:00.005-04:002008-06-19T21:54:24.453-04:00

One of the most rewarding things about being a Dad is imparting your hard earned wisdom to your children; to teach them your values and beliefs and guide them into becoming productive, contributing members of society.Of course there are times when you teach them wrong stuff just to mess with them.Calvin's Dad is the Master of this, of course.See here for a great list of the "wisdom" of Calvin's

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-86044704914327086402008-06-18T10:17:00.004-04:002008-06-18T10:22:58.793-04:00

M. Night Shamalamadingdong has a new movie out called The Happening.After seeing The Village and getting so physically angry afterward that I threw up a little in my mouth, I vowed never again to give him any of my hard earned money. So I was basically ignoring the fact that someone out there is stupid enough to give this guy more money to make another stupid movie.Check out this fantastic

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-88183266172457154612008-06-15T23:00:00.003-04:002008-06-15T23:05:54.625-04:00

My wife is the best wife. EVER. She completely surprised me this year on Father's Day and got me a game for the family's Wii. Guitar Hero III with a wireless guitar controller. That is not why my wife is the most hawesome wife ever. Its because after the kids went to sleep, we spent a couple hours geeking out on Guitar Hero, trading the controller back and forth. I mean honestly. What other

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-77330782131713673952008-06-14T17:42:00.008-04:002008-06-16T08:36:21.323-04:00

Warning: probably contains spoilers about the Hulk movie.I saw the Hulk movie this weekend. In short, it was excellent. Before I go into what I liked about it, I have to say a few things about the direction Marvel Studios is going with bringing Marvel's comic properties to the big screen.I'm really impressed with what Marvel Studios is doing since they wrestled creative control back from the

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-11762314921554380292008-06-09T15:00:00.002-04:002008-06-09T15:00:25.060-04:00

Check out this new scene from Disney/Pixar's Wall-E.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-69103275791449775022008-06-08T20:33:00.003-04:002008-06-08T20:37:20.020-04:00

Its no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with Battlestar Galactica.The love part is the first two seasons. The hate part is everything after that. Still, like any good train wreck, I can't look away.On various blogs and message boards that I frequent, I feel obligated to comment anytime someone blogs about how "brilliant" and "intricate" BSG's fourth and final season is.Call it a flat

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-63890094205204688582008-06-05T13:23:00.004-04:002008-06-05T13:46:29.255-04:00

There is a company called "You've Been Left Behind" out there whose business model is to securely store your documents and letters and forward them to your heathen loved ones when you get sucked up to Heaven during the Rapture.Even though some of your family members will be doomed to live through Hell on Earth, they'll be able to do it with the benefit of your money and valuables. Sinful +

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-25578450783903539532008-06-05T13:17:00.002-04:002008-06-05T13:18:25.481-04:00

These guys are funny as hell. If Tropic Thunder is as funny as this promo video, I might just go have to see it.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-57083583978668020172008-05-27T13:50:00.003-04:002008-05-27T13:54:21.698-04:00

People have been whining about the special effects in the new Hulk film, complaining he doesn't look real.To all those whiners, I say this: witness this craptacular montage of special effects from the 70's morning TV show "Land of the Lost". When I was a kid, this show was the BOMB and the coolest looking show on TV.Be thankful CGI came along and saved your whining butts or a Hulk movie wouldn't

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-5300524240294646742008-05-27T13:32:00.002-04:002008-05-27T13:33:04.974-04:00

I haven't been impressed with Season 4 so far. This trailer looks pretty good though...with Moffat's episode coming up next (a 2 parter, I believe) this has got me looking forward to Saturday again.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-13790028891979623732008-05-27T09:23:00.005-04:002008-05-27T09:38:06.186-04:00

Found a great post over at The Next 45 Years blog.As I get older I realize how much I still don't know - about life, about myself, about who I am and who I may become as more time goes by. Mostly one of the main things I am clueless about is dealing with Change.Its something we all wrestle with, whether its something you want to see happen or something you want to stop happening, dealing with

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-5771021676623246782008-05-26T20:30:00.002-04:002008-05-26T20:38:24.106-04:00

It doesn't matter which side of the political fence you hang your hat on. Today is Memorial Day: a day to remember and commemorate absent friends and family members who gave the ultimate sacrifice while in military service to the USA.If you are fortunate enough to not have been touched by this type of loss, thank someone who is currently serving, or has served in the past. They deserve our

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-78291112514288748222008-05-22T08:24:00.002-04:002008-05-22T08:29:16.318-04:00

Yeah I know the video is too big for my stupid Blogger layout, but I'm too lazy to figure out how to fix it. Plus the other option they had was way too small.People have been yapping on about this movie how the Hulk looks too fake. He's supposed to be an 8' tall green behemoth. Even the best CG - and this looks pretty darn good - is going to look a bit goofy simply because he's green.I think

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-11286281300378109532008-05-21T08:12:00.006-04:002008-05-21T08:21:30.657-04:00

Over at Slice-of-SciFi, I just read the best news since hearing that Joss Whedon is returning to making TV shows.Steven Moffat has been officially tapped as the new showrunner/writer for Doctor Who when Davies finally leaves after this season!I've mentioned before that I can't stand Davies' writing, and that Moffat would be the logical choice to succeed him.Moffat had this to say:“My entire

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-26085446086499297112008-05-17T18:19:00.008-04:002008-05-18T20:12:44.006-04:00

I'm starting to despair that Dr. Who might actually be starting to become unwatchable. "The Unicorn and the Wasp" was probably the worst Dr. Who episode aired to date since they revived the series in 2005. The crisp, intelligent writing that made this show great for three seasons is nowhere to be found season 4. Somehow the writing in this episode lowers the bar beyond bad and into the realm

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-17002581551463197832008-05-16T11:14:00.002-04:002008-05-16T11:23:50.625-04:00

I cant WAIT for this series. Joss Whedon is coming back to creating TV - can anything be better?Eliza Dushku (Faith from Buffy) is the lead, and they've also got Tahmoh Penikett (Helo on Galactica). Joss mentions in an interview that he'd love to get Buffy alum Jane Espenson on board once her writing gig on Galactica wraps. See here.Promo pictures from the official site can be found here. I

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-90048111688748308062008-05-12T11:56:00.005-04:002008-05-12T12:34:21.277-04:00

"But...how do you get your protein?"This is by far the most common question we get since our family adopted a vegetarian lifestyle a few years ago. Most well meaning people say this with the same look that we'd get if we just told them we were coming back from a relaxing vacation on the moon.It wasn't too long ago that our family was one of those well meaning, but misinformed people. After all,

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-70479217476834542092008-05-12T09:43:00.004-04:002008-05-12T09:47:08.192-04:00

i09 has the full Star Wars: Clone Wars trailer up.See here.The animation style is a bit odd, but I can live with it. It is very slick looking, and as for the characters not really matching up with their live-action counterparts, well...that is only a good thing in my book.Maybe this will be what the first three prequel movies should have been. I'm probably just channeling my inner (bitter) Star

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-16377835153795014672008-04-29T08:31:00.003-04:002008-04-29T08:33:34.909-04:00

I'm on day 2 of kicking the coffee habit. Dammit I'm cranky.They say it takes 5 days for your body to get through the withdrawal symptoms. For me, these are blinding headaches, toxic hunger and a generally surly attitude.3 more days to go. Hopefully I won't head butt anyone into oblivion before then.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-40377320171236697672008-04-13T20:22:00.007-04:002008-04-13T22:26:39.678-04:00

The 2nd episode in the 4th Season of Doctor Who is called "The Fires of Pompeii".This episode was awesome. Just goes to prove how good this show is when they take the pen away from Russell T. Davies.One of the things I like about Doctor Who is that even though time travel is one of the plot pillars the show stands on, the show never does what's easy. It would be easy for the Doctor and his

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-56210965456852844202008-04-06T21:24:00.009-04:002008-04-06T22:03:21.874-04:00

This weekend I caught 3 hours of television. No spoilers below, just some quick thoughts.BATTLESTAR GALACTICAThe first was "He That Believeth in Me," the first episode of the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica. I should say that I haaaaaaaaaated the third season of BSG, especially the way they ended it: revealing that four well established characters were, in fact, Cylons. After

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-85208663157174877902008-04-01T07:40:00.006-04:002008-04-01T08:05:56.610-04:00

I just listened to the premiere episode of Podcastle, the new Fantasy fiction podcast on the way to work. Podcastle is a sister podcast to Escape Pod, a science fiction podcast and Pseudopod, a horror fiction podcast. Both Escape Pod and Pseudopod offer free fiction in their respective genres, and get top marks for quality - both in terms of production value and more importantly, content.I

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-59415322362415592922008-03-29T21:15:00.004-04:002008-03-29T21:35:02.929-04:00

I stumbled across this link via the GeekDad blog.As the title of my post suggests, this is a list of 25 things you can do as a parent to simplify - and improve - your and your children's lives. I've been a parent now for nearly 13 years, so naturally I high-fived myself because my wife and I do some of these things already. Fortunately there were just as many I hadn't thought of yet. Like this

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-21127308799889100342008-03-27T02:26:00.002-04:002008-03-27T09:21:33.928-04:00

This is AWESOME. Nerds rule.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-28471516434086297302008-03-21T08:06:00.009-04:002008-03-26T23:10:42.546-04:00

Click on the pics to embiggen them.Over at Entertainment weekly they've got an interview with Rick Baker, the award winning make-up artist charged with turning Benicio Del Toro into the Wolfman. See here for the interview.I'm looking forward to this - as well as Del Toro, they've got Hugo Weaving and Anthony Hopkins on board for the remake of the 1941 classic .Let's hope they do it right and the

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-2290125784225906722008-03-14T22:42:00.003-04:002008-03-26T23:10:16.869-04:00

A little over a week ago, I put up a post outlining rumors that James Nesbitt was being considered to replace David Tennant as Doctor Who.Alas, its not to be. See here.Curse the internet rumor mill to HELL.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-76830359160922058032008-03-05T12:40:00.007-05:002008-03-26T23:08:07.160-04:00

The rumor mill surrounding Dr. Who and whether Tennant will stay on past a 5th season is alive and well on the internets. See here for a story over at Slice of SciFi's website speculating that Robert Carlyle has been tapped to takeover when Tennant leaves.Then see here for the contradicting follow up not half a day later.As far as I know nothing is confirmed by the BBC, including whether Tennant

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-19523695863644588312008-03-04T14:03:00.010-05:002008-03-26T23:11:14.705-04:00

Gary Gygax has passed away - see here. For those who may read my mumblings here and have no idea who Gary was, he pretty much invented Dungeons & Dragons. See here for more about him from some random people who may or may not have credibility.Anyway, I had to take 4d6 minutes to sit and write this.I first played D&D back in 1982. A casual acquaintance at High School offered to show me how to

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-39452847421322076512008-03-02T20:11:00.002-05:002008-03-02T20:12:30.415-05:00

Another great pug video....

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-37595892560021922802008-03-01T11:09:00.003-05:002008-03-26T23:11:42.478-04:00

I am *SO* checking this movie out.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-30033542823294731862008-02-27T21:31:00.002-05:002008-02-27T21:32:14.978-05:00

This is awesome. I SO want one of these furry little freaks...

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-58139514401998332302008-02-27T21:29:00.002-05:002008-02-27T21:31:51.106-05:00

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-27929162268223517742008-02-25T20:32:00.003-05:002008-03-26T23:12:07.898-04:00

A cute little geekling in training explaining the plot of Star Wars. Pretty much sums it up.I wonder what she'd make of the Blight Against Humanity that was the first three prequel movies?

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-68517964799349806862008-02-20T12:35:00.003-05:002008-03-26T23:12:32.766-04:00

I've read the blog over at Twenty Sided for some time now, and somehow managed to miss the DM of the Rings Webcomic section. How could that BE?I blame RSS and Google Reader. They've conspired to transform me into a web-snippet-attention-span-of-a-gnat-browsing-machine, capable of scanning and marking-as-read a couple hundred feeds in a few minutes.ANYWAY...DM of the Rings is the funniest thing

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-10358522467717427192008-02-04T12:41:00.001-05:002008-03-26T23:12:52.260-04:00

Robert Mohns gives first impressions of his brand spankin' new MacBook Air here, and posts up some unboxing photos over here.Mmmm...MacBook goodness in a tiny little package.(via MacInTouch)

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-80998999327499735122008-01-15T20:58:00.001-05:002008-03-26T23:13:18.592-04:00

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - or RCPM as they are known to fans - are the best band most of you have never heard. All of their albums have been in the Top 10 in Billboard's Charts. They are, according to their website, the only independent band to have had five consecutive albums debut in the top 10 of Billboard's Internet Sales chart. Their live shows are always sold out.Never heard of

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-6912742289358918112008-01-12T20:52:00.002-05:002008-03-26T23:13:39.092-04:00

After spending Friday and Saturday with my kids (Happy 4th Birthday Megan!!) this is the perfect song before heading back to work.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-27071642299184867322008-01-05T08:40:00.002-05:002008-03-26T23:14:16.817-04:00

Here is part 1 of a Wild Cards panel from the 1988 WorldCon.Contributing authors on the panel include Bud Simons, George R.R. Martin, Melinda Snodgrass, John J. Miller, Ed Bryant, Gail Gerstner Miller, Vic Milan, Lewis Shiner, Walter John Williams, and Steve Leigh.Part 2 of the video (with more to come) can be found at the Tor Books Wild Card Site. Check it out.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-44660229928793253652008-01-03T21:23:00.002-05:002008-03-26T23:16:57.602-04:00

Last Monday I put up a post gushing with praise for Jim Butcher's series of novels, The Dresden Files. See here.In it, I pointed out that I watched a few episodes of the TV series, but didn't like it. So, in the interests of being fair, I've got my hands on the Dresden Files TV Series. I've watched seven episodes, and if you watch it while pretending there are no Dresden Files novels, its not

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-60661973710436506402007-12-31T14:05:00.002-05:002008-03-26T23:16:35.861-04:00

Harry Dresden is a Wizard operating in Chicago. This is from his Yellow Pages ad:Lost items found. Paranormal investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No love potions, endless purses, or other entertainments.I never thought much of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series of novels. When I first heard about them, it was in an article about Nicholas Cage and how he liked these odd books

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-8692811962228340802007-12-26T22:41:00.001-05:002008-03-26T23:18:44.488-04:00

Russell T. Davies must be stopped.I just watched the Dr. Who 2007 Christmas Special, Voyage of the Damned, written by Davies. For the love of GOD someone please stop this man from writing any more episodes. I have children. They enjoy seeing me from time to time and I'd hate to have to spend the rest of my life in a jail cell for what I might do otherwise.There are so many horrendous and

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-80914870939829786952007-12-16T22:15:00.002-05:002008-03-26T23:19:28.725-04:00

From his album Thing a Week Three,this is Jonathan Coulton's awesome song, Code Monkey. Check him out. All of his stuff is GREAT.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-80948917031151209732007-12-16T11:19:00.001-05:002007-12-16T11:23:52.975-05:00

Here is a tongue-in-cheek look at life as a homeschooling family set to the theme of the Addams Family (with modified lyrics of course). I don't know about the origins of the video or what the intentions are of the people who made it - to laugh at or laugh with.Either way its pretty funny (and accurate).As the Father of three homeschooled kids, you have to be able to laugh at yourself.Check it

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-15781158181592102552007-12-15T08:19:00.002-05:002008-03-26T23:20:02.840-04:00

Hype aside - this looks like a pretty cool movie. When they first put out the teaser trailer that didn't show hardly anything, it really did nothing for me. Now they've released a few minutes of actual footage and I think I might have to see this.

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-37083529596394005892007-12-14T21:35:00.001-05:002008-03-26T23:21:14.861-04:00

As if.Still, see this article at MacNN which poses the question. The article also goes on to explain that Microsoft's strategy is to port some mutant version of Internet Explorer over to Windows Mobile 6.1. Since IE is actually the worst browser ever both in terms of functionality and security, I'm sure this will be a huge success and destroy the iPhone forever. Just like the way Vista is

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-21900145751981104992007-12-10T15:44:00.002-05:002008-03-26T23:21:54.794-04:00

Brandon Sanderson, author of The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1),has been chosen to finish Memory of Light, the final book in the Wheel of Time Series.See his blog post about it here.When Robert Jordan passed away in September, the net was abuzz with speculation about what would happen to the final installment in one of the most successful Epic Fantasy series' of all time. Fortunately, Jordan

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-490651583978197032.post-60191063387357552012007-12-09T21:15:00.001-05:002008-03-26T23:22:20.964-04:00

Another in my "late to the party" books that made it to the top of my reading pile. Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Vol. 1)was published in 2004, but I'm just getting to it now. I did try and read it back in 2005, but found it too complex and his writing style too daunting at the time, so it got shelved.Erikson's writing style reminds me of Glen Cook. There is a steep

Michael Natalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778692009062276989noreply@blogger.com0