So you may noticed, I’ve been busy with organizing BarCampLondon7 (and my studying) that I haven’t found as much time to blog here. I’ve written about BarCamps before (see here, here, here, here, here, and here) and attended more than my fair share (I think I’m on #11 or 12 now), but now I’m finely helping with organizing one myself. It is a lot of hard work, but it’s so much fun! I can’t wait to see how this Barcamp turns out.

If you’re interested in coming along, we’re giving out the second wave of tickets for BarCampLondon 7 through a lottery. It is now live, and you’ll be able to enter it between midday on 30th September and midday on 3rd October. Check out the BarCampLondon website for more details.

As regular readers here might know, I love the Terminator movies (well, the first two mainly) and I love the IMAX. Combine those two together… awesome!

This Saturday (3rd October) starting at 23:30 there’s a Terminator All-Nighter, showing all 4 Terminator movies back-to-back. That’s practically 8 hours of Terminator!

If you’re interested, there are still tickets available on the BFI website (£26 for Adults, £16 for Students, £18 for Concessions).

Interesting links for September 28th through September 29th:

• Neil deGrasse Tyson’s worst science movie of all time? Titanic. – Great anecdotal story from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse on how he met James Cameron and talked about his problem with Titanic.
• SpY, street art, urban art – Wonderful art from SpY, a former graffiti artist turned ‘urban remodeler’. Definitely have a look at the urban furniture and interventions.
• William Safire’s Finest Speech – The speech William Safire drafted for Nixon to read in case the Apollo 11 Astronauts became stranded on the moon. Interesting peek into an alternate history scenario…

I’m way behind on my TV watching; I’ve got a huge list of stuff to watch (Flash Forward, Community, Heroes, House, and it goes on and on). Anyway here are my thoughts on the stuff I watched last week:

Dollhouse (2×01)

Wow, I love this series. When it started last year, I wasn’t that convinced by it. It took to at least episodes 6 and 7 for me to really believe that Joss Whedon could pull it off again. And then the unaired Epitaph One… Amazing. This first episode of Dollhouse’s second season is pretty awesome too, although it would have helped to have a short ‘what happened again in the previous eps’ segment. That aside though, this episode kicks all kinds of ass; Echo and Ballard are great together, and I’m eager to find out how their relationship will develop. Especially now that Echo’s becoming more self aware. Next to that story line, you’ve got to love the scenes with Topher and Whiskey; I wish Amy Adams could have gotten more episodes this season.

How I Met Your Mother (5×01)

Robin and Barney! Barney and Robin! Barman and Robin! I love these two as a couple, and this season started out great for them. I knew they were going to pull some twist with the ‘Mother’. Last season ended with older Ted telling us that the Mother was in Ted’s lecture room. Turns out though it wasn’t his lecture room (for Architecture), but for Economics. There have been rumours though that How I Met Your Mother’s 100th episode (5×12) will bring us a step closer to the Mother…

The Big Bang Theory (3×01)

This TV show walks a fine, fine line. On the one hand it is filled with jokes only geeks and nerds will get, on the other side they’re actually making fun of this audience. Once in a while I still cringe at some of jokes (just because I know I do whatever it is they’re making fun of), but I think it’s gotten better. I’m still not sure about Penny and Leonard as a couple; they are cute together, but they’re not the Ross and Rachel type that the series is pushing them to be.

The Forgotten (1×01)

I watch my fair share of procedural dramas, and while occasionally enjoyable I’m not really looking to add yet another one to the huge list of things to watch. I’m not sure what to do yet with The Forgotten; it seems interesting, but I don’t think there’s enough there to hook me completely on to it. It’s about a civilian volunteers group who, after the police have failed, attempt to identify John and Jane Does. Christian Slater is okay as the lead ‘investigator’ who himself lost his daughter in a kidnapping and has never heard anything of her. The rest of the team is adequate, but there’s nothing that makes in want to invest in these characters. There’s no fun interaction between them or any intriguing gripping backstories like on most other shows.

The Good Wife (1×01)

This new show features Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, the wife of a politician who has been jailed after a very public sex and corruption scandal. To provide for her two children, she returns back to her old job as a defense attorney, although she has to rebuild her reputation and position. When I initially heard about this show, I thought it wouldbe much more political and all about how this politician’s wife has to deal with the scandal and betrayal of her husband. Juicy stuff, right? It isn’t at all though; the show is basically just a legal drama with the scandal as an added element to stir it up a bit. I know people who will love to show, but it’s not something for me.

Vampire Diaries (1×02 & 1×03)

So I watched two more episodes of the Vampire Diaries, and I’m still not impressed. All the characters just seem so bland, none of them are interesting at all. Plus, why does every ‘ad’ cliffhanger end with a vampire ‘attack’? The first time was cheesy enough already, why repeat that a couple of times? I’m sorry Vampire Diaries, but even though you’re based on my beloved books, so far you haven’t been delivering at all.

Grey’s Anatomy (6×01)

We’re at the 6th season already? I remember being so hooked on this show that very first season, and while the show has had its ups and downs, I still remain as invested as I was that first season. And now we have our very first departure of the show (yeah, I know Burke left, but he didn’t die, so technically he could come back), George O’Malley. George is dead. I knew it was coming after last season, but the writers are just so mean and still manage to shock us. That moment when Lexie goes “No, it’s not him, George is taller”, I for a moment was actually expecting that to be true. And that only makes the impact that it is him so much more stronger. I still love how Grey’s Anatomy manages to have a theme in each episode and interweave it through all the story lines and patient cases. In this case the 5 stages of grief. Everybody is dealing with their grief differently (if you want to read more about this episode, you should follow Grey Matter, the blog of the writers). Also, did anyone notice that Meredith is pregnant? In real life that is, not in the show. They’ve been pretty smart and creative with covering it up.

Melrose Place (1×02 & 1×03)

I know it’s so cheesy and soapy, but I’m growing to like this show. I like how they’re using the flash backs to show us more about these characters; some of the flashbacks are completely ‘new’, while others actually come from the original series. Even though I never watched the original it’s kind of interesting to see these characters so many years later. I also liked this post from Buzz Sugar linking the current characters to their original series counterpart. So far my favourite characters are Violet (psycho, yet sweet ), Ella (bitchy PR agent), Jonah (the up and coming film director) and Lauren (the med student-turned-prostitute).

I’ve got a major weakness for boots; if I hadn’t such weird difficulties with finding comfortable shoes, I could guarantee my entire house would be overflowing with boots (no, that’s not true. Given the choice between, let’s say, a Nintendo DS and a pair of boots, or even 12 new shiny books and a pair of boots, the boots won’t win.)

I blogged about the online store DUO Boots more than a year ago, but when I saw their latest collection I couldn’t resist writing about them again. Some of these boots are just sooo gorgeous! The great thing about DUO though is that they offer calf-fitted boots. So besides just giving your foot size, you also get to specify your calf width for the perfect fit.

Here are a couple of my favourites:

Olbia – Classic, elegant knee high boots with pointed toe and leather covered heel. Colours: Black leather. Lining material: Fabric. Heel height: 9cm. Zip: Full-length. £145

Madeira – Opulent over the knee boot with an asymmetric toe and a covered platform & heel and button detail. Vary your look with the optional turn down cuff. Colours: Black leather, Teal suede. Lining material: Leather. Heel height: 8.5cm £245

Rochelle – Captivatingly sleek stiletto heeled boots with front panel detail and neatly rounded toe. Colours: Black leather, Cocoa brown leather. Lining material: Fabric. Heel height: 9cm. Zip: Full-length £145

Jesolo – Stunning crinkle patent leather boots with covered platform sole and heel. A beautiful sleek silhouette with minimal detailing and a flattering front seam. Colours: Jet black crinkle patent. Lining material: Leather. Heel height: 9cm. £205

Toscana – Stylish asymmetric toe knee high boots made from soft suede and glossy patent leather with suede covered buckled straps and button detail. Colours: Black suede & patent leather, Amethyst purple suede & patent leather. Lining material: Leather. Heel height: 9cm £215

Mallorca – Kitten heel leather boot with flower corsage detail. Colours: Black leather, Conker leather. Lining material: Fabric. Heel height: 6cm. £145

They’ve got loads more different styles (and flat shoes too) on the DUOboots website. I still can’t decide which pair I should get for myself; I’d love one of the more ‘funkier’ ones, like the turquoise Madeira or the red Mallorca, but I don’t think I have enough clothes that will fit with these. The more practical me is saying to go for the Jesolo: a simple black silhouette plus not a too thin heel. Which pair are your favourites?

If you’re interested in getting some, you can get free shipping when you enter AW09 at the checkout. Offers expires: 30.09.09

Episode 141: “I was polishing the brass in the master bedroom”

Can you manage to figure out what’s going on in this video?

Interesting links for September 2nd through September 27th:

• Clive Thompson on the New Literacy – Article about how the online world actually makes the current generation write more (than previous generations) and that we are on the cusp of a literacy revolution.
• Lego Art by Mike Stimpson – I love some of these photos! My favourites are American Beauty and the V.J. Times Square kiss.
• Snow Leopard Review – Best Snow Leopard review I’ve read so far!

I always like movie/TV themed merchandise, but most of the times they’ll be shiny things you can only put on a shelf and stare at. These coasters though would be awesome to have on your coffee table:

They’re being sold in the US for $44.99 on Showtime.com, but they won’t ship outside of the US.

Via /Film

Fifteen-year-old Boaz is the new Zar, freshly ascended to his throne. In the turmoil following the old Zar’s death, courtiers jostle and conspire to secure their positions – not least his scheming mother, the new Valide. It seems his only genuine friends are his late father’s mad jester; Spur Lazar, head of Percheron’s security; and a golden beauty – a new odalisque purchased in the foothills as a slave for the harem. But can a madman, a soldier and a concubine be trusted to keep him safe from the Byzantine manoeuvres of his father’s ambitious entourage? Pleasure and politics collide in Fiona McIntosh’s exotic new fantasy trilogy, set in the harem of the great Stone Palace of Percheron.

I love the small little discount book shop in Charing Cross; sometimes I come across the best deals. In this case, I found all three books of Fiona McIntosh’s Pecheron trilogy for only £12 (all three together, that is). Bargain!

I had tried one of McIntosh’s other books (Myrren’s Gift, to be exact), but I never finished it. Not sure why, cause I loved her writing and characters. Enough at least, to have no hesitation at all to buy this other trilogy of hers. I’m glad I did, cause it’s a great series. I haven’t finished it yet, but so far all McIntosh’s books has something unique about it. Each world she creates, with its own mythology and rules, feels special and fresh, making me want to find out more about it.

Instead of the familiar repeated fantasy setting of a medieval type kingdom, Odalisque is set in an Eastern realm with a Zar and a harem (apparently inspired by Constantinople). This sets an original backdrop to the rest of story. The way the harem scheming and intrigues work are again different than what you’ll see in your standard medieval “political” novels. Besides that, there’s the addition of gods to the story, but again in a way I hadn’t seen before. I think it reminds me the most of Wheel of Time where characters are reincarnations of past legends/myths; here something similar happens.

In Pecheron the story goes that every thousand years Lyana the goddess is reborn. Before she is revealed the owl god Iridor returns, as messenger and herald to Lyana. At the same time, the demon Maliz also comes into being, sent by the male god Zarab, to destroy Lyana. For the past couple of cycles, Lyana has each time been destroyed, and Pecheron only believes in Zarab, with Lyana remembered only as an bygone remnant of another era. Of course, this series is about the rebirth of Lyana, Iridor and Maliz, but the cool thing is that when the book starts you have no idea who is who and neither do the characters. You slowly get your own ideas, but even at the end of this first book you’re still not sure if someone is a “god” or just a random human. I’ve got my suspicions on how this series will end, and I’m really curious to see if my intuitions are right.

I’ve already dug into the next book of this series, and can’t wait to find out more! Definitely a recommended read to anyone who’s a bit bored by the standard medieval fantasy fare.

Odalisque is the first book in the Pecheron trilogy by Fiona McIntosh – £5.99 on Amazon.co.uk, $7.99 on Amazon.com

Yeah, I know this might be one of the more geekier choices for my ‘Listening To’ series. I fell in love with this song though the first time I heard the opening credits from Civilization IV, and it never feels to somehow cheer me up whenever I’m in a bad mood.