Three things today:
1. I’m pretty sure I’m not a prima dona, but I’ve been prima dona-adjacent plenty of times in the course of my acting career. Because of my extensive experience with prima donas, I was able to advise John Scalzi on the matter yesterday, via an IM conversation that he’s reprinted on his blog:
Me: I just want to burnish my credentials as an insufferable prima donna, you know?
Wil: Dude. Come spend some time with me. Learn at the feet of a master.
Me: “Fix me pot pie!”
Wil: Good, but try: “Are you fucking kidding me? Where’s my pot pie?”
“I came all the way here, and you can’t even make a fucking pot pie?”
Then you sort of shake your head, like you’re really disappointed.
Yes, I’ll be at LosCon, but probably for only the one panel with John. If there’s a sudden and unexpected explosion of Awesome next weekend, that’s probably why.
2. While Propelling this morning, I came across one of the single greatest things I’ve ever seen in my life: The Genesis of Doctor Who, from the BBC Archives:
Explore the origins of a TV legend with this collection of documents and images. It’s now the number one family favourite, but ‘Doctor Who’ had a difficult birth, emerging from the imagination of some of BBC Drama’s top minds.
Here, we tell the story of the creation of ‘Doctor Who’ from the very beginning, starting with a report on the possibility of making science fiction for television and leading up to the moment a new drama series is announced in the pages of ‘Radio Times’.
Please prop this story at Propeller. I’d kind of like to keep my corporate overlords over there happy, for the usual reasons.
3. Since I first turned it on, iTunes Genius has been the opposite of the generally accepted definition of genius. Instead of it, I’ve relied on totally random shuffle to amuse myself when I’m not listening to one of my many carefully-designed playlists (all those years making mixtapes paid off, apparently.) I kept checking back, in the hopes that it would get a little closer to awesome, and recently, the Genius playlists have been considerably smarter and more useful (as I figured they would be, as they aggregated more user data). Today, Genius said, “Hey, you have this playlist with New Order, Sonic Youth, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Jam? You’ll totally like the soundtrack to Marie Antoinette.” I took a look, and iTunes Genius was totally right. As I said on Twitter, I’m late to the party, and I have no desire to see the movie, but you can do a lot worse than the soundtrack to Marie Antoinette.
That’s probably it for today. I’m racing against yet another deadline on yet another awesome project that I can’t wait to announce.
Wil, any thoughts on the new star trek trailer? Just wondering
OMG @potpies!
Completely delicious…
ok — new here — don’t know how to give you props on propeller — tell us Neanderthals how ;>.
“Temptation”. Nice.
I recommend Tracy Jordan’s style in “30 Rock”: “Where are the French fries I did not ask for???”
You and John Scalzi. Together. I’m very sad I don’t live anywhere near L.A. That IM is the funniest thing I’ve read all day. 🙂
Awesome! I am totally geeking out right now. Thanks!! I must say, being a history geek I was very disappointed in the movie Marie Antoinette. However, if you take the soundtrack away from the movie and into a different context it rocks.
Heh-I read the Doctor Who thing about half an hour ago, too-I was staring at the colour pic of the first Doctor for a while…
sudo make me a pot pie
What day are you going to be at Loscon?
*hopes for Friday*
@muteboy,
Another “Temptation” fan here; the first song of New Order that I really *loved.*
I’m planning to be at Loscon and a friend pointed me to the IM John ran. The two of you in a panel together, the thought is scary in a fun sort of way. See you there.
Did you read the concept and background notes for Dr? That is the coolest thing I have seen in ages. Pure Brilliant.
LMAO at you and Scalzi. My favorite part, though, takes a serious tone…
Me: You’re your own Expansion Pack, Wil. Live that dream.
Wil: I’m doing it, John. I’m really doing it.
Indeed.
I love this part:
“Me: It’s like you’re rolling natural 20s, because I’m rolling natural 20s.
Wil: I’m an NPC!
Me: Really, is there anything better?
Wil: I’ll finally multiclass, and take some ranks in Insufferable Bastard”
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Is the Insufferable Bastard skill in the 4th Ed.?
Wil. Can it really be that after all these years, you have at last become a real Whovian.
There was much rejoicing.
While we’re on the subject of the history of Dr Who, this is a totally rad video of the making of the Dr Who theme: