February 26, 2015
Playing with my new camera
I recently upgraded my camera equipment. I haven't been out to take photos yet since it has been so cold, so of course the mood strikes me at night, when it's freezing, to go out and take pics of the Moon. There I was, in the snow, fingers freezing off...but the Moon sure is pretty.
February 7, 2015
Doctor Who: The Myth Makers
This is another story for which all the episodes are missing from the BBC archives. This story is weak. It was a struggle to get through it. That's unfortunate because it had such potential. None of the Greeks or Trojans are likeable. Cassandra especially is awful. And it feels like nothing happens in any of the four episodes.
The TARDIS lands in ancient Greece, and the crew immediately gets involved in the Greek siege of Troy. The Doctor and Steven are captured by the Greeks. Vicki is left in the TARDIS. Of course, the Trojans bring the TARDIS back to Troy and Vicki ends up having to leave before the Trojans burn it. (I doubt that would've worked, but Vicki didn't know that.)
King Priam of Troy renames Vicki "Cressida," and inevitably Vicki and his son Troilus fall for each other. The Doctor gives the Greeks the idea for the Trojan horse, and the Trojans are defeated. The end.
This is Vicki's last episode. I like Vicki a lot, and I think this was a terrible way for her to go. She stays with Troilus. I guess this is one story in which Troilus and Cressida get a happy ending. I'm sorry to see her go at all. I didn't want her to leave so soon after her arrival. Now we're stuck with Steven and Katarina as companions.
This is Katarina's first episode. What's the deal with Katarina? She is always listed as a companion, but she doesn't show up until the end of this story. And she doesn't last long. I wouldn't count her as a companion myself. Katarina is lame. She is too naive and unintelligent to work effectively as a companion on the show. She is Cassandra's handmaiden, and she sort of accidentally goes along with them in the TARDIS at the end. She thinks they're dead. Spoilers- you will be soon, Katarina!
Doctor: First
Companions: Vicki, Steven, Katarina
Episode: #20, "The Myth Makers," four parts- 'Temple of Secrets,' 'Small Prophet, Quick Return,' 'Death of a Spy,' 'Horse of Destruction'
Adversary: the Greeks, the Trojans
Classic Lines: Cassandra: "Woe to Troy!" Paris: "It's too late to say 'woah' to the horse."
Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: The Doctor first says that Homer made up the wooden "Trojan" horse, but then the Doctor gives the idea of the Trojan horse to the Greeks.
Next Up: "The Daleks' Master Plan"
The TARDIS lands in ancient Greece, and the crew immediately gets involved in the Greek siege of Troy. The Doctor and Steven are captured by the Greeks. Vicki is left in the TARDIS. Of course, the Trojans bring the TARDIS back to Troy and Vicki ends up having to leave before the Trojans burn it. (I doubt that would've worked, but Vicki didn't know that.)
King Priam of Troy renames Vicki "Cressida," and inevitably Vicki and his son Troilus fall for each other. The Doctor gives the Greeks the idea for the Trojan horse, and the Trojans are defeated. The end.
 |
| Goodbye, Vicki! |
This is Vicki's last episode. I like Vicki a lot, and I think this was a terrible way for her to go. She stays with Troilus. I guess this is one story in which Troilus and Cressida get a happy ending. I'm sorry to see her go at all. I didn't want her to leave so soon after her arrival. Now we're stuck with Steven and Katarina as companions.
 |
| Katarina |
This is Katarina's first episode. What's the deal with Katarina? She is always listed as a companion, but she doesn't show up until the end of this story. And she doesn't last long. I wouldn't count her as a companion myself. Katarina is lame. She is too naive and unintelligent to work effectively as a companion on the show. She is Cassandra's handmaiden, and she sort of accidentally goes along with them in the TARDIS at the end. She thinks they're dead. Spoilers- you will be soon, Katarina!
THE RUNDOWN
Doctor: First
Companions: Vicki, Steven, Katarina
Episode: #20, "The Myth Makers," four parts- 'Temple of Secrets,' 'Small Prophet, Quick Return,' 'Death of a Spy,' 'Horse of Destruction'
Adversary: the Greeks, the Trojans
Classic Lines: Cassandra: "Woe to Troy!" Paris: "It's too late to say 'woah' to the horse."
Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: The Doctor first says that Homer made up the wooden "Trojan" horse, but then the Doctor gives the idea of the Trojan horse to the Greeks.
Next Up: "The Daleks' Master Plan"
February 2, 2015
Homemade pizza
I used to make pizza a lot, but I haven't made a whole pizza for a couple of years now. I'm not counting English muffin pizzas- those are easy and I make them often enough. Anyway, I made two pizzas for dinner the other night.
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One was regular crust; one was garlic and herb crust. This is where I admit that I used Trader Joe's pizza dough instead of making my own. I know I should make my own. But I haven't tried that yet. I will. When I make pizza, I improvise. I don't use a recipe. There really isn't much to basic pizza.
I get the dough as close to a circle as possible. It usually looks circular, then when I transfer it to a cookie sheet, it loses its nice shape. Yep, I know I should get a pizza stone. I will. Then I put down the marinara sauce. This time I used Trader Joe's pizza sauce, which was very good. I slice up fresh mozzarella, and that goes on next. I used too much cheese this time. It was good, but next time I'll use less cheese. To finish it off, I season it with oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. It goes into a 450 degree oven until it looks done. Ta da! Pizza.
The garlic and herb crust was good, too. The garlic taste definitely came through.
I forgot to mention, it's best to let the pizza sit for a minute before you slice it. That lets the cheese firm up a bit. Of course, I used so much cheese that it was still oozing all over. But it was tasty!
One was regular crust; one was garlic and herb crust. This is where I admit that I used Trader Joe's pizza dough instead of making my own. I know I should make my own. But I haven't tried that yet. I will. When I make pizza, I improvise. I don't use a recipe. There really isn't much to basic pizza.
I get the dough as close to a circle as possible. It usually looks circular, then when I transfer it to a cookie sheet, it loses its nice shape. Yep, I know I should get a pizza stone. I will. Then I put down the marinara sauce. This time I used Trader Joe's pizza sauce, which was very good. I slice up fresh mozzarella, and that goes on next. I used too much cheese this time. It was good, but next time I'll use less cheese. To finish it off, I season it with oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. It goes into a 450 degree oven until it looks done. Ta da! Pizza.
 |
| garlic and herb crust |
The garlic and herb crust was good, too. The garlic taste definitely came through.
I forgot to mention, it's best to let the pizza sit for a minute before you slice it. That lets the cheese firm up a bit. Of course, I used so much cheese that it was still oozing all over. But it was tasty!
January 26, 2015
Doctor Who: Mission to the Unknown
This story is unique among Classic Who episodes. The story is one part, and it doesn't have the Doctor or any of his companions. It was meant as a teaser for the upcoming story "The Daleks' Master Plan." It is sometimes referred to as the "Dalek Cutaway."
Space Security Agent Marc Cory crash lands on the planet Kembel. He's looking for the Daleks. Well, he found them. The Daleks have formed an alliance with some other baddies, and they're going to invade Earth. Cory manages to send a warning signal to Earth before the Daleks get him. That's it! What confuses me is why there is an unrelated story between this one and "The Daleks' Master Plan." Shouldn't they have aired it immediately after this one? Why not just make this the first episode of that serial? See you in a month, Daleks. We have to stop in Troy first...
Doctor: First (does not appear)
Companions: Vicki, Steven (do not appear)
Episode: #19, "Mission to the Unknown," one part
Adversary: the Daleks
Classic Lines: Daleks: "Exterminate!" (Yep, they always say this. Classic!)
Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: This is the only episode that doesn't have the Doctor or any of his companions.
Next Up: "The Myth Makers"
Space Security Agent Marc Cory crash lands on the planet Kembel. He's looking for the Daleks. Well, he found them. The Daleks have formed an alliance with some other baddies, and they're going to invade Earth. Cory manages to send a warning signal to Earth before the Daleks get him. That's it! What confuses me is why there is an unrelated story between this one and "The Daleks' Master Plan." Shouldn't they have aired it immediately after this one? Why not just make this the first episode of that serial? See you in a month, Daleks. We have to stop in Troy first...
THE RUNDOWN
Doctor: First (does not appear)
Companions: Vicki, Steven (do not appear)
Episode: #19, "Mission to the Unknown," one part
Adversary: the Daleks
Classic Lines: Daleks: "Exterminate!" (Yep, they always say this. Classic!)
Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: This is the only episode that doesn't have the Doctor or any of his companions.
Next Up: "The Myth Makers"
January 20, 2015
Shameless self-promotion
I entered a photo contest on Fine Art America, the site that hosts my portfolio. The winners will be featured in a national tv commercial. The catch- photos need 250 votes from the public to get to the juried second round of the competition. Please vote! You're allowed to vote for all three images. Round one voting ends on February 28. Thanks in advance.
The above links are links to the contest voting pages. Below I'm including thumbnails of the photos.
January 19, 2015
Doctor Who: Galaxy 4
The Whoathon returns! "Galaxy 4" is the first story of season 3. We're coming to an era of Doctor Who in which a lot of the episodes are missing. As has been mentioned before, the BBC used to wipe old tapes. Many episodes of Doctor Who are lost, although audio recordings exist. For this story, three out of the four parts are missing. I watched reconstructions- audio paired with photo stills.
There really isn't much to this story. The Doctor, Vicki, and Steven land on a planet that seems quiet. They encounter little machines that Vicki dubs "chumblies."
The Drahvins rescue the TARDIS crew from the Chumblies, but it's soon obvious that the Drahvins are the real baddies. The Drahvins and the Rills are both trying to get off the planet, which is due to explode in a couple of days. The Drahvins attacked the Rills while they were both in space, and they all crash landed. The Chumblies are the Rills' machines.
The Drahvins are kind of over-the-top evil, especially their leader, Maaga. The Rills won't come out from their little enclosure. They say it's because they don't want to upset everyone with how they look. I think it's because if the Rills are only seen through a window, Doctor Who gets to save money on making a creature prop. The Doctor helps the Rills get enough power to launch their ship, the good guys leave, and the baddies are stuck on the exploding planet.
Steven was a lot less irritating in this episode. A nice surprise! I liked this story, even though I think it doesn't come across from what I've written. It's just a very simplistic story. I wish we could've seen more of the Rills.
Doctor: First
Companions: Vicki, Steven
Episode: #18, "Galaxy 4," four parts- 'Four Hundred Dawns,' 'Trap of Steel,' 'Air Lock,' 'The Exploding Planet'
Adversary: the Drahvins
Classic Lines: the Doctor, to Maaga about the Drahvin ship: "My ship's not made of tin like this old trash."
Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: When a Chumbly is trying to blast its way into the TARDIS, the Doctor says the TARDIS is protected by a force barrier so it won't be damaged.
Next Up: "Mission to the Unknown"
There really isn't much to this story. The Doctor, Vicki, and Steven land on a planet that seems quiet. They encounter little machines that Vicki dubs "chumblies."
 |
| Chumbly! |
The Drahvins rescue the TARDIS crew from the Chumblies, but it's soon obvious that the Drahvins are the real baddies. The Drahvins and the Rills are both trying to get off the planet, which is due to explode in a couple of days. The Drahvins attacked the Rills while they were both in space, and they all crash landed. The Chumblies are the Rills' machines.
 |
| Vicki talks to one of the Rills. |
The Drahvins are kind of over-the-top evil, especially their leader, Maaga. The Rills won't come out from their little enclosure. They say it's because they don't want to upset everyone with how they look. I think it's because if the Rills are only seen through a window, Doctor Who gets to save money on making a creature prop. The Doctor helps the Rills get enough power to launch their ship, the good guys leave, and the baddies are stuck on the exploding planet.
Steven was a lot less irritating in this episode. A nice surprise! I liked this story, even though I think it doesn't come across from what I've written. It's just a very simplistic story. I wish we could've seen more of the Rills.
THE RUNDOWN
Doctor: First
Companions: Vicki, Steven
Episode: #18, "Galaxy 4," four parts- 'Four Hundred Dawns,' 'Trap of Steel,' 'Air Lock,' 'The Exploding Planet'
Adversary: the Drahvins
Classic Lines: the Doctor, to Maaga about the Drahvin ship: "My ship's not made of tin like this old trash."
Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: When a Chumbly is trying to blast its way into the TARDIS, the Doctor says the TARDIS is protected by a force barrier so it won't be damaged.
Next Up: "Mission to the Unknown"
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