Catching Ducks

Question 25: Favorite companion's family member?


Hmmm.... Donna's grandpa? Rose's mother? I'm going to cheat:

Amy's daughter: River Song!

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Endorsed by Joel McHale!

Labels: Community

From her twitter:


"In '96, our Olympic hoop team would walk past the gymnasts on the way to the court. They'd hi-five us. We'd low-five them."

Labels: Olympics

Question 24: A character that you want to know more about?


Good question! Let's see.... I pick Martha. She's my favorite, but I feel like we don't know as much about her as we do Rose, Donna, and Amy.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

This is Angola's first trip to the Olympics -- good for them!

Not so good for them was the score of this game. If anyone on Team USA could hit a three-pointer, they probably would have beaten the record for biggest margin of victory.

But since they couldn't, they just shot lots and lots of jumpers, had a couple nice fast breaks, and cruised to a 90-38 win.

The only truly shocking moment of the game was when Angel McCoughtry PASSED THE BALL TO ANOTHER PLAYER. I could hardly believe it!


The real shocker was at the Australia/France game:


AAS by dm_5016b225ee5bc

Australia still lost (both Lauren Jackson and Elizabeth Cambage had fouled out), but still -- exciting!

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

From "Like a Virgin" (1.08):


Veronica: Can I get you some coffee? A donut? Baked good of some sort?

Cliff: Aren't we pleasant. You're not going to try to sell me a raffle ticket, are you?

Veronica: Close. I want you to get me onto death row to meet with Abel Koontz.

Cliff: You crazy kids! The stuff you're into. Hula hoops, cramming into phone booths, visiting death row inmates...what's it gonna be next month?

Labels: Veronica Mars

Question 23: Favorite episode from Series Six?



I don't even have to think about this one: the premiere, "The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon".

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

A modern mom, as seen on i bleed white & blue:


Want today's wifi password?

1. Make your beds
2. Vacuum downstairs
3. Walk the dog

Labels: random awesomeness

Question 22: Favorite cast pictures?


Hello, sweetie.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Unlike some people (i.e. Ped & Iris), I don't have fancy cable that lets me see other games. I only get the stuff on the regular channels. (WEEP FOR ME!!!)

So, while I have heard that Lauren Jackson went on a tear against Great Britain, I didn't see it. (SERIOUSLY, WEEP FOR ME!!!)

What I did see, though, was Croatia vs. USA. Team USA trounced Croatia in a practice game last week. This time it wasn't so easy. In the second and third quarters, the game was played pretty even. Team USA won because the won the first quarter and trounced them in the fourth.

Much to my annoyance, Angel McCoughtry had a great game. Final score: 81-56.



In more general news, Sue Bird is blogging for the Seattle Times, some dudes who play in some league called "the enn-bee-ay" think Lauren Jackson is awesome, and Diana Taurasi took a British English test.



Also, many people are pointing out that if the men's basketball team had accomplished what the women's has, there would be a lot more hullabaloo....


Yahoo Sports: "But amidst all the discussion about the men's team and how dominant they might be, there is a U.S. team that has already reached the dominating levels of the Dream Team: the female half of the basketball competition in the Olympic Games."


Complex Sports: [The pre-Olympic games televised by ESPN] personified a disturbing microcosm of how the women’s game is treated in the U.S. Why? Because from the opening tip, it was painfully obvious that the commentators for ESPN, most notably Mark Jones, had no idea who played for Team USA. Which, needless to say, is disappointing considering that’s their job. And I’ll go out on a limb and assume they get paid to know those things. Not only did they pronounce the names of players wrong, they confused Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun) with Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky) multiple times, Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx) with Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks), and even criticized Charles for not 'establishing' herself in the game after mistaking her for Fowles throughout the majority of the first half. These are the best women’s basketball players in the world, and in front of a national audience the commentators couldn’t even identify them correctly."


Chicago Tribune: "It might be the best-kept secret in England. The U.S. women's basketball team has won 33 consecutive games in the Olympics, not to mention the last four gold medals, and nobody will talk about it. While their highly popular peers on the U.S. men's team go for, ahem, only a second consecutive gold medal, the women go about their business without attracting attention to it."


ESPN:

If the U.S. women's basketball team really wants the attention it deserves for its Olympic success and world dominance, there is a simple solution. Just lose.

"What?" point guard Sue Bird said. "Bite your tongue right now!"

I understand Bird's reaction, but trust me. A loss or two, a missed gold medal (and perhaps the players trashing their rooms afterward), and the team will receive the media's full-court pressure. As coach Geno Auriemma said, "The only [women's basketball] story that will come out of these Olympics is if we lose. And that will be a big story.

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

From the song "Manhole":


I'm holding here a book
notable, but not the greatest
stolen for me by the latest
in a long line of thieves
and I'm just about to drop it
down that manhole of memories
when I realize it doesn't bother me
like love's mementos usually do
and I look up to see who's different here
the latest me or the latest you

'course, you're the kind of guy who doesn't lie
he just doctors everything
chooses some unassuming finger
and quietly moves his wedding ring
who rewrites his autobiography
for any pretty girl who'll sing
but you can't fool the queen, baby
cuz I married the king

and maybe it was I who betrayed his majesty
with no opposite reality
like a puddle with no reflection
of the sky or the trees
but after my dreaded beheading
I tied that sucker back on with a string
and I guess I'm pretty different now
considering

Labels: ani difranco

Question 21: Favorite quote?


Wow! That's a tough one. So many to choose from! I mean, this is just a sampling of the quotes I've used for my blog!

But let's go with this one, from the series five episode, "Flesh and Stone":


The Doctor: Ah, the security protocols are still live. There's no way to override them; it's impossible!

River: How impossible?

The Doctor: Two minutes.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Let's just ignore the fact that NBC's announcers couldn't even be bothered to say Lauren Jackson's name, much less the fact that she is a four-time Olympian. Let's not bother ourselves with the fact that I had to go frame-by-frame to catch glimpses of the American women's basketball team, while there were loving shots of LeBron and Kobe.

Let's focus on the fact that the NBC announcer did manage to point out that the American women are even bigger favorites to win gold than the men.

Let's also focus on this adorable mid-flight announcement, when the captain of their Qantas flight informed Lauren Jackson's parents that she had been picked as flag bearer.

And a radio interview with Lauren Jackson.

And all these cool articles.

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

Storm player Camille Little posted two photos (of her TV) of Lauren Jackson carrying Australia's flag. She accompanied them with this message.... (Apparently this is the her nickname for LJ?):


"Look at Boog!!!! Love u [Lauren]"

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

Question 20: Favorite location?


The library, from "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" (Series Four).

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

I had no strong inclination to watch the opening ceremonies, but if Lauren Jackson is going to be Australia's flag bearer, then I must!

Video here and here.

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

From 5 Iconic Buildings that Were Barely Saved from Destruction:


But the detractors knew that they wouldn't have to put up with it for too long, because the [Eiffel] tower was only a temporary construction, planned to be demolished after 20 years.

That's right: When Gustave Eiffel designed the tower, he had to abide by the rules of the "build a huge freaking thing" contest for the 1889 World's Fair (the only reason the tower was built), with one of the stipulations being that it could easily be torn down when the city of Paris got the land back from a 20-year lease. So Eiffel ordered up a metric shit-ton of the cheapest iron he could get his hands on, tinker-toyed it up into the tallest structure the world had ever seen and said, "Eh, that looks like it should last at least 20 years."

Labels: random silliness

Question 19: Favorite episode from series five?


"The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang". Yes, they make no sense. But, they are awesome!



"I remember you. I remember! I brought the others back, I can bring you home, too. Raggedy-Man, I remember you, and you are LATE for MY WEDDING!




Also:

"I only came for the dancing."




And, of course:

"I wear a fez now. Fezzes are cool."

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

From "Back to Reality" (5.6):


Kryten: [The] question which occurs: if this ocean is supposed to be teeming with new lifeforms, where are they all?

Lister: What are you implying?

Kryten: No implication intended, sir.

Lister: Yes, there is. You're saying there's some huge damn fish out there, aren't you? Some kind of gigantic, weird, pre-historic leviathan who's porked his way through this entire ocean.

Kryten: That's one option.

Lister: Any alternatives?

Kryten: None that occur.

Labels: Red Dwarf

Question 18: Favorite cast relationship?

Erm. Another one I haven't really ever thought about. Well, these three always look like they're having a good time!

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

From the Storm website, Bird Front and Center for USA Olympic Team: "Sue Bird remembers a moment of brief terror. It was 2004, her first Olympics, and Bird was in her words 'the backup to the backup.' She was prepared to soak in the excitement of the gold-medal game against Australia when starter Dawn Staley picked up two early fouls. With reserve Shannon Johnson feeling ill, Bird confronted the possibility of being forced into action with gold on the line. 'There was this part of me that was like, "Oh, man. I haven't played in like five games and I could have to go in for the gold-medal game,"' Bird recalled recently. 'Otherwise, I just had the luxury of learning and enjoying the experience.'"


From the Hartford Courant, Who Will Do What in London: "[Guard] Sue Bird: Still the best point guard in the game and playing at much the same level she's been at since joining the Seattle Storm as the first overall pick in the 2002 draft. These are her third Olympics — and perhaps her last."


With Ichiro gone from the Mariners, Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird are the longest tenured Seattle athletes.


Team USA was asked what they're looking forward to visiting in London. I love that the second half is all about food!

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

As seen on S#*! my mouth says:


Tumblr 1: my favorite game is called “how many episodes can I watch in one night”

Tumblr 2: I love the bonus round where you try to convince yourself that you can watch a 45 minute episode in like 20 minutes

Tumblr 3: the best part is “who needs sleep you’re only 5 episodes away from the season finale”

Labels: random silliness, TV

Question 17: Favorite series?


Ooooh, a difficult question! Like I mentioned before, I think series four has the highest overall quality. But I think I might have to pick series five. I love the build up from "The Eleventh Hour" all the way to "The Big Bang". And, really series five and series six are the same story, so I could claim that five/six is/are my favorite.

Right?

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

A couple of days ago Team USA played their last exhibition game, against Turkey. They won, but apparently it was closer than one might like. Turkey was playing in front of their fans (the game was playing in Istanbul) and the Americans couldn't hit the broad side of the barn for most of the game. But they won anyway.


A Philadelphia newspaper (website?) has a nice article where the three-time Olympians (Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, and Diana Taurasi) reminisce about their journey from the 2004 Olympics to now: "'Back in 2004, we might as well have been employees on the boat,' Taurasi said. 'We got in a minute here or minute there. We didn't play that much. Now we're counted on to make sure this team is ready every time it steps onto the court. It's a responsibility that we take very seriously.' Perhaps that's because the first time they truly had stewardship, they failed. Team USA entered the 2006 FIBA Women's World Championships confident, maybe a bit too confident. After going undefeated in pool play, the USA whacked Lithuania in the quarterfinals, but in the semifinals, Russia, which had lost to the Americans by 10 in pool play, came away with a 75-68 upset. A 40-point blowout of host Brazil for the bronze medal did not ease the hurt."


And this Jayda Evans article from The Seattle Times focuses on Sue Bird.

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

From "Wi-Fi in the Sky":


Cat: What did the young shrimp say when his mother asked why he wouldn't share any of his toys?

Tori: What?

Cat: "Sorry, I'm a little shellfish!" [laughing] Get it? 'Cause shrimp are very self-centered!

Tori: I think the joke is that "shellfish" rhymes with "selfish".

Cat: Oh my god, that's even funnier! [starts laughing again]

Labels: Victorious

Question 16: Favorite villain?


The Weeping Angels.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

From "The (Very) Big Bird Job" (5.01):


[If you've never seen "Leverage", Sophie is English.]

Sophie: We are going to have a serious talk about moving somewhere with less rain [than Portland, Oregon].

Eliot: London has rain.

Sophie: London has fog. Fog is mysterious. Rain just ruins my hair.

Labels: Leverage

Question 15: Favorite episode from series four?


I think series four is the most uniformly good. There are no bad episodes!

While I love the fun The-Doctor-meets-Agatha-Christie episode "The Unicorn and the Wasp" and the awesome we-meet-River-Song two-parter "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead", I'm going to have to go with "Turn Left". Alternate universe! Apocalypse! Wheeeee!!!!!

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

During the televised pre-Olympic games, the announcers mentioned that seven of the twelve players had been #1 draft picks.

Being me, I immediately tried to figure out who they were. I came up with six easily: Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2004), Candace Parker (2008), Angel McCoughtry (2009), Tina Charles (2010), and Maya Moore (2011).

I knew the seventh had to be either Sylvia Fowles or Seimone Augustus, but I wasn't sure which. It turns out it was Seimone Augustus (2006).


The other five players are:

- two #2's: Swin Cash (2002) and Sylvia Fowles (2008)
- one #3: Tamika Catchings (2001)
- two #4's: Asjha Jones (2002) and Lindsay Whalen (2004)

(For the record, the only reason Tamika Catchings dropped all the way to #3 is because she was injured. So injured, in fact, that her rookie season was in 2002.)

What struck me is that there are NO players on the team from 2003, 2005, or 2007. Those were BAD draft years. 2007 hasn't even produced a single All-Star player! 2003 had Kara Lawson at #5, and she was on the Olympic team in 2008, but that's it. (2005 had Sancho Lyttle at #5, who plays for the Spanish Nation Team.)


By the way...

Sue Bird has returned to the team. They played Croatia (who is also their first opponent in the Olympics) and crushed them.

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm, WNBA

"Test Pilot" is a regular feature on the website TV Surveillance where they re-watch old pilot episodes and analyze them. Recently they've been doing a series of "good show/bad pilot" episodes. This is from their analysis of the pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation.


"Honestly though, most of the characters introduced don’t work. Picard is much more brusque than in later episodes, and is downright rude to crewmembers and civilians alike. Data is smarmy and smug, which is odd for an android who’s supposed to be devoid of emotion. Troi is certainly not devoid of emotion, but instead only has one: wailing anguish over almost everything that happens. At one point she appears at the verge of tears due to a door opening, for no discernible reason. But it’s really hard to figure out how most of these characters graduated high school, much less how they advanced through a faux-military space exploration organization to the point of being in the crew of the flagship of the fleet."

Labels: Star Trek

Questions 14: Favorite series soundtrack?


Wow..... that's not something I ever thought about. Maybe series three? Just because I think the music that plays when Martha teleports away, leaving The Doctor behind (in "The Sound of Drums") is very dramatic.

As seen on Life is good & bad:


advantages of being a boy:

* your boobs don’t get in the way
* no period
* your hormones don’t make you feel like a different person every week
* no childbirth
* shirts always fit over your chest
* you can walk around topless in summer without being arrested for it
* you store less fat


advantages of being a girl:

* can use your bra as an extra pocket

Labels: random silliness

Question 13: Favorite finale episode?


The finales are always two- or three-parters, so I'm going to pretend the question means the full set of finale episodes, not just the last episode of each series.

I love love love the series three finale: "Utopia", "The Sound of Drums", & "The Last of the Time Lords". Martha meets Captain Jack! Captain Jack meets Ten! An apocalypse! Wheee!!!!

A close second is the two-parter from the end of series five: "The Pandorica Opens" & "The Big Bang". That finale had this.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

As quoted here:


USA women’s Olympic basketball team coach Geno Auriemma sat at a table after his team had defeated Brazil 99-67 Monday night in the nation’s capital. Two of his players, guards Lindsey Whalen and Diana Taurasi, had just gotten up and were walking out of the interview room at the Verizon Center.

Auriemma explained how he hadn’t heard “all Lindsey and Sue had to say,” having walked in late to the news conference.

“Stop calling me Sue!!!” Taurasi yelled, clearly within earshot but out of sight of everyone in the room. Needless to say, laughter was everywhere.

“I knew she was listening,” Auriemma said, smiling.

Labels: Olympics

Question 12: Favorite episode from series three?


There are a lot of great episodes in series three. (And some dreadful ones.... I'm looking at you, "Daleks in Manhattan"!) But I'm going to pick "The Sound of Drums" (part two in the three-part finale).

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Still no Sue Bird, but word is she'll rejoin the team in Turkey.

Great Britain played really hard in the first quarter, and jumped out to an eleven point lead! But Team USA came battling back, and by the end of the first quarter they had regained the lead.

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

From "Terrorform" (5.3):


Cat: Okay. I say, let's get into the jet-powered rocket pants and junior bird-man the hell out of here!

Kryten: An excellent and inventive suggestion, sir, with just two tiny drawbacks: 1) We don't have any jet-powered rocket pants; and 2) there's no such thing as jet-powered rocket pants outside the fictional serial "Robbie Rocket Pants."

Cat: Well, that's put an annoying crimp on an otherwise damn fine plan.

Labels: Red Dwarf

Question 11: Favorite member of the cast?

I saw Karen Gillan (Amy) on Craig Ferguson and she was adorable. I pick her.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

From this article:


Sue Bird has no idea how many times it has happened, how many times she's been stopped by a basketball fan, handed a piece of paper and asked to sign her name. Thousands? Certainly. Tens of thousands? Probably.

When you are one of only seven basketball players to win an Olympic gold medal, a WNBA championship and an NCAA title, it's impossible to keep track of how many times you've signed an autograph. But what Bird does remember vividly is the first time she was asked for one.

She was living in Syosset [New York] and the star player on her CYO team. Bird was 11 at the time.

"I was playing at St. John's [University]. I think my team was the halftime show," she said. "After we played, this security guard came up and asked for my autograph. He said he knew it was going to be worth something someday."

Labels: Seattle Storm

Question 10: An episode that makes you cry?


The series two finale, "Doomsday". Always.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Sue Bird didn't play; her step-father died. Very sad.

In her absence, Lindsay Whalen started and played very well.

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

In the practice game against Brazil today, there were two attempted dunks. One was by Sylvia Fowles (who is 6'6" and has dunked in the past). The other was by Angel McCoughtry (who is .... NOT 6'6").


"Angel's knee is fine. Angel's knee is fine. Her hands are fine. Her ankles are good. Her arms and shoulders are good. As you move up that ladder, things don't become so good. That was the lamest attempt at a dunk I've ever seen in my life, and I embellish things a little bit, but I'm not embellishing things.

What Sylvia did was honorable. I've seen guys miss dunks, and Sylvia has been dunking her brains out in practice. What Sylvia did was an honorable attempt at trying to wake up the crowd.

What Angel did is bring comic relief to the crowd. So I guess they both have their place in the game."

Labels: Olympics

Question 9: Favorite friendship?


Amy and River.

Of course, we now know that they're not just friends, they're family. But when they first met, I loved how quickly they bonded.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Team USA is in DC, getting some practice in before they head to London. Tomorrow they have a practice game against Brazil that will be televised!


Of the twelve players on the team, six of them went to UConn, and three of those players were from the class of 2002: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, and Asjha Jones. Here's a picture and an article and another article.


Before Friday's Seattle @ Phoenix game, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi answered questions:



[h/t S#*! my mouth says]

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

From "A Spectre Calls" (5.4):


[Hal and Tom look at the schedule Annie has made.]

Tom: 7am, I feed the baby. 8am, you walk the baby. There's a task for every hour and it's colour-coded.

Hal: Little pictures of nappies and bottles. And glitter. She's planned every moment of every minute of every day of our lives.

Tom: We must destroy this.

Labels: Being Human

Question 8: Favorite episode from series two?


The third episode, "School Reunion". Sarah Jane!

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

From the WNBAlien post that covered yesterday's Seattle @ Phoenix game:


"It was interesting to see Storm coach Brian Agler go super-small this time around without being remotely forced into it by foul trouble. Camille Little and Ewelina Kobryn were both replaced midway through the first quarter, leaving Seattle once again with Shekinna Stricklen, Alysha Clark and [Katie] Smith as their frontcourt. Stricklen’s probably the tallest, but none of them are true posts at WNBA level. It showed what Seattle thought of Phoenix’s interior game, or the Mercury’s ability to consciously force the ball down low and attack the Storm in the paint. Agler didn’t feel the need to run Little and Kobryn into the ground, because the Mercury weren’t going to take advantage. He was absolutely right."

Labels: Seattle Storm

Question 7: A character that you feel the need to defend?


I think that depends on who I'm talking to! But I guess Martha, just because I love her and I think that the general Whovian fanbase doesn't.

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

You can tell the Storm have a short bench when Sue Bird's still on the floor with less than five minutes left in the game and the Storm are up by 20.

Katie Smith went on a tear in the first quarter. It was almost as if last game -- where the rookies were the only bright spot -- finally woke her up. One of her first baskets ended with her belly-flopping onto the court.

Alysha Clark and Shekinna Stricklen both played really well.

I'm still watching the last few minutes, actually, but it's obvious the Storm are going to win.

With 3:18 left there was a nice moment between Stricklen and Alexis Hornbuckle (who plays for the Mercury). I don't know what they were talking about, but they both had big smiles on their faces. The broadcasters mentioned earlier that Hornbuckle went to Tennessee, so they probably know each from there. (Hornbuckle's older, but I know Tennessee players go back, just like UConn players do.)

My big question from the game: Why did Tina Thompson (who had no chance of playing) travel with the team, but Ann Wauters (who did practice with the team this week) not travel? It's possible Wauters knew she wasn't going to play and stayed behind for medical treatment, but why did Thompson get on the plane? Weird...

Labels: Seattle Storm

From their website:


Sue Bird doesn't have a lot left to prove.

Winner of two state high school championships, two national college championships, two WNBA titles and a pair of Olympic gold medals, the Storm's 31-year-old guard is approaching the 2012 Summer Games the same way she's approached her basketball career -- unselfishly.

"The cool thing about the Olympic team is nobody cares about minutes or points," Bird said Wednesday after the Storm lost 70-59 to the Atlanta Dream in its final home game before the month-long break. "It's not about that. You just go out there and you do everything you can to help the team win."

Labels: Olympics, Seattle Storm

Question 6: First Doctor Who episode you ever watched?


The first episode of the first (new) series: "Rose".

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

From the song "Not a Pretty Girl":


I am not a pretty girl
That is not what I do
I ain't no damsel in distress
and I don't need to be rescued
So put me down, punk
Wouldn't you'd prefer a maiden fair?
Isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere?

Labels: ani difranco

Question 5: Favorite ship?


Since Doctor Who isn't much of a spaceship show, I think they mean this kind of ship.

I'm going to have to go with Amelia/Rory.

(If we expand to the wider Whovian universe, then Jack/Ianto.)

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Blech. Flat, lethargic, blah.... Not a good game for the Storm.

The only bright spots were the two rookies: Shekinna Stricklen and Alysha Clark.

Ever since we beat Atlanta in the 2010 Finals, they have been crushing us.

Labels: Seattle Storm

Comic strip by Norm Feuti:


Josh: What would you like my first official task as your assistant manager to be?

Marla: Let's see... It looks like we're short-staffed, so I'll need you to run a register in the men's department today.

Josh: That doesn't sound very managerial.

Marla: No, but its sounds very assistant-managerial.

Labels: comics

Question 4: Favorite episode from series 1?


That's a toughie, but I'm going to go with "The Doctor Dances". (It's part two of the WWII/creepy-boy-in-a-gas-mask/introduction-of-Captain-Jack story.)

"Just this once, everybody lives!"

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

From "Backwards" (3.1):


Lister: Cat.

Cat: Hmm?

Lister: Did you ever see "The Flintstones"?

Cat: Of course.

Lister: Do you think Wilma's sexy?

Cat: Wilma Flintstone?

Lister: Maybe we've been alone in deep space for too long, but every time I see that show, her body drives me crazy. Is it just me?

Cat: I think in all probability, Wilma Flintstone is the most desirable woman who ever lived.

Lister: That's good, I thought I was going strange.

Cat: She's incredible!

Lister: What do you think of Betty?

Cat: Betty Rubble? Well, I would go with Betty... but I'd be thinking of Wilma.

Lister: This is stupid. Why are we talking about going to bed with Wilma Flintstone?

Cat: You're right. We're nuts. This is an insane conversation.

Lister: She'll never leave Fred and we know it.

Labels: Red Dwarf

Question 3: Favorite male companion?


Captain Jack, of course!

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

Alysha Clark and Svetlana Abrosimova both celebrated birthdays this week. Clark tweeted a picture of their birthday dinner.

Svetlana Abrosimova appeared on Northwest Sports Tonight last week:


WNBA Action did a little thing about the "player with highest basketball IQ". Skip to the one minute mark:

On twitter, someone told Svetlana Abrosimova, "you actually got a louder cheer than Sue [Bird]!" Abrosimova responded, "that's impossible:)) Sue was amazing last night!!!" It made me smile; I don't know why!

Regarding Saturday's loss in L.A., Richard "WNBAlien" Cohen said, "There wasn’t much basketball worth talking about in the fourth quarter. With another game today against Phoenix, if Brian Agler could’ve cleared his bench he would have – there just weren’t enough healthy bodies to send in."

Discussing yesterday's win against Phoenix, he said, "The only worry Seattle had in the second half was foul trouble. With only eight players available, and only two of them actual posts, Brian Agler didn’t have many options when players like [Ewelina] Kobryn, [Katie] Smith, [Shekinna] Stricklen and [Camille] Little started amassing fouls. It left some of us checking the rule book to see what happens if a team drops below 5 healthy, non-fouled out players. For the record, no, they don’t play with four – the final fouled-out player stays on the court, and any personal foul from that point on also becomes a technical."

Labels: Seattle Storm

From "Car, Rain, and Fire":


Cat: So you'll drive?

Tori: No.

Cat: Why not?

Tori: I didn't pass my driver's test.

Cat: Why not?

Tori Because I didn't see the old lady in the wheelchair. [Cat gasps.] I signaled before I hit her!

Labels: Victorious

Question 2: Favorite female companion?

Martha!

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

So many fouls. SO MANY FOULS. Really slooowwweddd the game down.

But we won! Sue Bird went crazy in the first half, and basically had as many points as Phoenix.

Camille Little had another great game, and Ewelina Kobryn had a solid game in her first career start.

Looking at the box score, I just noticed that Svetlana Abrosimova was the only Storm player with more than one offensive rebound (she had two). Clark and Stricklen each had one, and that was it for O-boards.

Labels: Seattle Storm

Sue Bird was 10-11 from the field in tonight's game, eventually scoring 31 points. Sometime in the first half, Richard Cohen tweeted this to Phoenix's defense:


"She has 21 points in 17 minutes! Stop running away from her when she goes round a pick! For the love of..."

Labels: Seattle Storm

Remember the 30 Day Basketball Challenge? Well, today I found something similar for Doctor Who.

I'm quite perturbed that they're delaying season 7 of Doctor Who, so maybe this will cheer me up! Just like before, please feel free to play along in the comments!

OK....


Question 1: Favorite regeneration of The Doctor?

This sounds like they're asking about my favorite actual regeneration scene, but based on the rest of the questions, I think they're asking for my favorite version of The Doctor.

I fear that this is just because he's the most recent, but I choose Eleven (Matt Smith). Ten (David Tennant) is a close second, though!

Labels: 30 Days of Doctor Who, Doctor Who

In the fourth quarter of the Seattle @ L.A. game, the Rasputina song "Oh, Injury" started to float through my head.

Ann Wauters was injured two games ago, in New York. She missed the Connecticut game and was out again tonight. Ewelina Kobryn was injured somewhere along the line (Connecticut? practice?) and she was questionable for today. Right before the game started, it was announced that Sue Bird was out with a hip flexor injury. If that wasn't enough, Tina Thompson went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. She was helped to the locker room by the trainer and Sue Bird. At that point, the Storm was down to seven players, and bench looked ridiculously empty.

Needless to say, the Storm lost badly. They actually held it together pretty well in the first half -- just down by 8 at the half -- but it all fell apart in the second half.

The only bright spot is that Svetlana Abrosimova got some good playing time. (29 minutes, 9 points, 6 rebounds.) Considering she's only been back with the team for a week, that's a pretty solid appearance. Hopefully this will help her feel more comfortable with the team.

Labels: Seattle Storm

I saw this on sorrow found me when I was young:


"I always think of Canada as the lovechild of England and France after they had a drunken one night stand and England just left it to grow up with its big brother America who was like the rebel of the family."

Labels: random silliness

How have I not posted this yet???



"I don't come 9,000 miles from Russia to set screen. I come to shoot!"

Labels: Seattle Storm, UConn basketball

Wauters probably won't play tomorrow; Kobryn probably will.


I have no idea how I'm going to get to the game on Sunday.


Oh well, at least there's this nice article about Svetlana Abrosimova and Sue Bird.

Labels: driving, Seattle Storm

I'm feeling the urge to re-watch Veronica Mars...

From "Kanes and Abel's" (1.17):


Veronica: Caz, I'm kind of busy so let's play this at fast forward. I ask you to stop harassing Sabrina Fuller. You deny it. I eventually catch you. You're suspended, dropped from basketball and made the subject of a news blurb that everyone chuckles at in the papers. So stop harassing Sabrina, okay?

Caz: Look, I'm not harassing Sabrina.

Veronica: Caz, did you listen?

Labels: Veronica Mars

Lafayette is definitely the best character on True Blood.

Labels: True Blood

Tully Bevilaqua has been playing in the WNBA for a loooong time. I think she started out in Cleveland? (Yes, Cleveland used to have a team.) She spent 2003 and 2004 with the Storm, then went to play for the Indiana Fever. She stayed with Indiana until last year, when she signed with the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Recently she announced that this would be her last season in the WNBA. Today she played in Indiana for the last time (barring a Indiana/San Antonio finals, of course).

Indiana honored her before the game. San Antonio's coach put her in for the last minute of the game.

I bet the Storm will do something nice for her on September 21st. (It's the last time, outside of any potential playoff games, that San Antonio will play in Seattle.) She was on the 2004 championship team, and she always gets a warm welcome from the fans.

Labels: Seattle Storm, WNBA

From Wil Wheaton's blog, his son's plea:


Today on my way back from Whole Foods I walked passed [sic] a young woman who begged for 30 seconds of my time. She said to me, "What are the two things children need most to survive?"

I thought for a second and declared, "Atmosphere and gravity!" She looked at me confused and I asked, "Do you want me to donate money to give children atmosphere and gravity? Because I think they've got that handled... unless." She looked at me even more confused, "Unless, is this a campaign to bring our children back from space? HAVE WE BEEN KEEPING THEM IN SPACE?!" I stormed away, yelling to the sky, "Don't worry youth of the world, I have heard your cries and I WILL take action."

So, today, I come to you with my own plea.

There could be millions of children orbiting earth that are in need of your help. Without atmosphere and gravity, they won't have a fighting chance. Living in poverty in space has its drawbacks: their crops and livestock have all died and they can't find a single clean source of drinking water. By September, the U.N. estimates that there will be several million children without atmosphere and gravity, just floating in space. Starchild is a non-profit organization that aims to send astronauts up to bring our children home. If you, a loved one, or anyone you know has ever had a child in space, you know the hardship and difficulties they face. For a nominal monthly donation of $18.724 billion, you could help NASA bring them home. Please... help us reach the stars so they might have a chance to live just like you.

Labels: random silliness

I just want to go to bed. I want to sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow and all I want to do right now is go to bed and sleep.

But I can't. Why? Because it sounds like a FUCKING WAR ZONE out there. I know I've said it before, but:

I HATE THE FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

Labels: holidays

From "Is It College Yet?":


[Jane just told her brother, Trent, that she's going to college.]

Trent: What about focusing on your art?

Jane: See, I can do that at Boston Fine Arts College. That's why they put in the word "arts." Come on, let's go.

Trent: I don't know. I have to get used to this whole selling out thing first.

Jane: Trent, I'm not selling out. I'm attempting to acquire the skills and knowledge that will allow me to sell out.

Labels: Daria

Tanisha Wright played her 250th game on Sunday. She is only the 21st player in the league to play 250 games with one team. (Ticha Penicheiro -- currently playing for Chicago -- holds the record with 369 games for the now defunct Sacramento Monarchs. Sue Bird is the 3rd player on the list and the top player that is still playing for her team. She has 339, so it's likely she'll pass Penicheiro early next season.)


Jayda Evans is reporting that Ann Wauters has a small tear in her Achilles and the Ewelina Kobryn has a strained right hamstring. I'm not as worried about Wauters, but Kobryn has been great off the bench this season. I hope she heals quickly!

Labels: Seattle Storm

I saw it on Life is good & bad:


"Because I never use Fahrenheit I always get confused and think that the motherfucking Apocalypse is upon us and that America is burning."

Labels: random silliness

The Olympic schedule has been finalized.

The U.S. is in Group A, along with Angola, China, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Turkey.

Group B, according to the article linked above, is being called "the group of death" because it contains almost all the traditional powerhouses that aren't America: Russia, Australia, Brazil, and France. Stuck with them are Great Britain and Canada.

It looks like the first game for Team U.S.A will be vs. Croatia on Saturday, July 18th at 11:45 EDT.

I have no idea how many of their games will be televised. Hopefully they'll at least be online, and hopefully they'll be archived online.

Labels: Olympics

Two Sue Bird videos popped up on Tumblr. (I first saw both on S#*! my mouth says.)


The first is just a slow-mo video of Sue Bird being Sue Bird. Really cool cinematography, I thought:




The second is the interview that was played at halftime of the Seattle @ Connecticut game. I saw it online, but I'm glad I can share it with everybody. It's an interview of Sue Bird by Jen Rizzotti. Jen Rizzotti was the original awesome UConn point guard (she now coaches college and does the color commentary for the Suns games), so it's cool to see of the two of them together:




A couple of days ago the Seattle Times had a nice article about Ann Wauters and her adorable babies.


WNBAlien on the horrible Storm loss Saturday: "Just one game in the WNBA on Saturday, and this report would’ve been up much sooner if I could’ve faced writing about the game before now. It wasn’t pretty. If you haven’t watched it yet – unless you’re a fan of the team that won, and really only if you’re a truly devoted fan – don’t bother catching it via the archive. This was one to skip."


WNBAlien on the awesome Storm win Sunday:

"This was an impressive win for Seattle, and it came out of nowhere after how poorly they’d played – against a weaker opponent – the day before. [Camille] Little (10-13 for 27 points and 9 boards), [Tina] Thompson (7-12 for 20 and 7) and [Ewelina] Kobryn (5-8 for 13 and 4) were absolutely outstanding against [Asjha] Jones and [Tina] Charles. They fought tooth and nail defensively, and they attacked and converted when they had the chance to score. It’s an interior attack we really haven’t seen from Seattle this year, even in their run of solid performances back home at Key Arena. It makes you wonder whether [Ann] Wauters might find her minutes being cut back when she returns."

"The Storm starters are still being played to absolute death, however. And remember, this is the oldest team in the league, by some distance. [Sue] Bird played nearly 42 minutes, [Tanisha] Wright close to 40, [Camille] Little and [Tina] Thompson nearly 38 each and [Katie] Smith over 36. [Ann] Wauters and eventually Lauren Jackson will help out the posts, but the perimeter players must be hoping Svetlana Abrosimova gets up to speed quickly. They need some rest."

"Connecticut aren’t supposed to lose games like this. A weary opponent, who’s typically poor on the road, came in and stole a game in their house. And they did it by dominating inside, against the Sun’s strength. 10-38 for 28 points combined from [Asjha] Jones and [Tina] Charles just won’t cut it, even with the 15 offensive boards the pair came up with. As is often the case when they have weak games, too many jumpers led to several miscues, but a lot of Charles’s attempts were from inside 10 feet. For this particular evening, she just got taught a lesson by the old hands of the Storm."

Labels: Seattle Storm

Another one from one of the owners of the Storm:


[After Sue Bird missed two free throws late in the game, sending them into overtime.]

The Storm is never just one person; they are a professional team in every sense of the word and they showed that tonight. Just after the overtime started Katie Smith hit a "Don’t worry about it, Sue ... we got this game" three-point shot. Sue followed quickly by hitting a "my bad on those free throws" three.

Labels: Seattle Storm

I wasn't planning on watching today's game. It wasn't on TV, and I couldn't watch online because Ped and I spend the afternoon hooking up my new computer. (Thanks again, Ped!)

After yesterday's dreadful loss to the not-very-good New York Liberty, I figured this game was a sure loss. They were playing the Connecticut Sun, who lead the Eastern Conference and play especially well at home.

Right before Ped and I left my house to meet the rest of the family for a birthday-birthday dinner, I asked him to check the Storm score on my brand-new computer. Lo and behold, the Storm won!

So, of course, after dinner I had to watch the whole game!

It was a good game, close all the way through. Camille Little had an outstanding game with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Along the way she picked up 5 fouls, but she just kept playing aggressive.

The weirdest moment, however, was when Sue Bird -- again! -- missed TWO FREE THROWS late in the game. What is the world coming to??

Good win, though! Next up is @ L.A. on July 7th, in a game that will be on ESPN2. We got our butts kicked by L.A. three times early in the season when we were playing poorly and they were playing well. Now the situations are reversed... let's hope we can reverse the game result, too!

Labels: Seattle Storm

From "Tori and Jade's Playdate":


Tori: I admire how you're never afraid to say what you think.

Jade: That's stupid.

Tori: See?

Labels: Victorious