moving away from the pulsebeat

april is a cruel month for many, and i'm among that number ... which is my excuse for not posting anything this month. after having dreaded the day and then actually forked over much of my fortune to uncle sam, i've just been hanging around the loveshack depressed, working when possible, and wandering the internet obsessively following doctor who set reports and watching sci-fi/fantasy movie trailers (omg, harry potter and the half-blood prince ftw!).

the easter who special, "planet of the dead," was an entertaining diversion that managed to be ultra-modern and action-y yet still flaunt the spirit of the old school ... but it wasn't my fave ep ever. (i'd give it a B.) the next special won't air until "novemberish" (according to still-in-charge showrunner russell t. davies). so we won't get any new tales from the whoniverse until this summer's torchwood: children of earth, the five-part miniseries airing all in one week (which amounts to TW S3). it looks pretty cool -- as does the BBC promo posted above, no? ianto and gwen wear older-and-wiser well, imo.

during my internet meanderings, i've learned some surprising things:

* the multiverse of slash fic includes transformers. ok, i saw the movie, but i was already grown up when the toys appeared, so i don't know much about the transformers. they always seemed kind of asexual to me, but obviously i'm missing something, b/c clearly there are people who get off on seeing optimus prime turned on -- IN THAT WAY.

* someone expanded the game of rock paper scissors to rock paper scissors spock lizard. the things i learn browsing geek t-shirt sites! what an awes improvement on the original. it almost makes me wish i worked in an office again, so i could play it with coworkers.

* you can spend hours picking out the perfect habitat for your alien race from the planetary society's catalog of exoplanets.

* twittervision is horrifyingly hypnotic ... (and, no doubt, so last week).

if you add all this to the large quantity of broadcast and recorded TV i've been watching lately, it's a lot of evidence pointing to the possibility that i need to get out more. but i've actually been out more than usual, including a recent tequila-soaked night at el chavito ... a nice afternoon spent hanging with an old friend ... dinner out with 00soul ... a trip to my friends' fetching echo park bookstore, stories ... and a hang w/a new friend and her creative, lively pals at the brewery artwalk just yesterday.

see? i'm not COMPLETELY webheaded. i haven't even watched the susan boyle clip yet. (she's from west lothian, just like david tennant!) but speaking of middle-aged sensations, you'd BETTER click the title link above so you can check out the buzzcocks in 2008, totally bringing it for one of my fave classics.