the secret life of wheatons

Posted on By Wil

And now, via reprinted text messages, a glimpse into the private lives of a geek, his wife, and their son:

Anne: Michelle was late, so I’m going to be at work longer than I thought. See you guys sometime around 9.

Me: Somehow, someway, between Battlestar Galactica, NHL playoffs, and Rock Band, we will find the strength to survive until you make it home.

For the record, it was Battlestar Galactica. BSG pre-dates TiVo in our house, so we’ve been DVD viewers until this season. TiVo is storing season 4 for us while we devour — and thoroughly enjoy — season 3. Also for the record, Nolan and I survived just fine until Anne got home. So say we all.

more excellence in journalism

Posted on By Wil

In a review the Sarah Jane Adventures, Tod Emko at UGO writes:

So, children’s show, yes. Has young teens in it, yes. Yet, a show you
may actually want to watch, despite your probable hatred for Wil
Wheaton-type characters through the years. It’s definitely one of the
most intelligent shows for kids you’ll ever see, and if you can’t get
enough of the Doctor’s universe, this will give you a decent fix.

Well. Glad he liked the show, and is encouraging teenagers to watch intelligent programming; we certainly need more of that to act as a counterbalance on Hanna Montana. But I feel compelled to point something out that is apparently lost on Tod Emko-like writers: I didn’t invent that type of character. I just played one of them for a few seasons. Twenty years ago. Using my name as a pejorative in this case isn’t just profoundly offensive to me, it’s profoundly inaccurate.

Despite my probable hatred of Tod Emko-like writers through the years, though, I’m totally going to do Tod Emko-like writers a solid here: Hey guys! Send your resumes to Entertainment Weekly; they love your style.

sitting on stairways is strictly prohibited

Posted on By Wil

If you don’t follow me on Twitter, you probably don’t know that I was in New York until yesterday.

I’m working on a full-on trip report, with lots of pictures, a review of Spamalot, and a few jokes, but I’m busy getting actual work done so it’ll have to wait a day or so.

Until I have time to properly show you New York the way I saw New York, please enjoy this example of why New York is so awesome:
Img_2323

For the photographically-challenged, that’s a girl sitting on a stairway in Grand Central Station, next to a sign which explains that Sitting on Stairways is Strictly Prohibited. Yes, those are three New York City police officers watching — and laughing — at her audacity. I don’t know if they wrote her up, but I doubt they did. I got the sense that the NYPD had much better things to do with their time than write stupid tickets to college students who were on their cell phones.

Happiest first printing is nearly sold out!

Posted on By Wil

When I went to pack up a bunch of Happiest Days orders this morning, I realized that this totally awesome tower of books, representing much of the first printing, has been reduced to just three boxes, and one of those is only half full. I’m probably going to have to order a second printing for the great Geek Tour of 2008.

Thank you, so much, to everyone who has bought Happiest Days, talked about Happiest Days on your blogs or Live Journals or wherever you make your home online. Thank you to everyone who slipped it into conversation with friends, families and random hobos, and to everyone who has supported me and my work. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me. I don’t have a publicist or a big marketing budget or any traditional mainstream support in print or electronic media . . . but I’ve never felt like I’m doing this all by myself.

the daily facepalm

Posted on By Wil

io9:

Season three of Heroes will introduce two new characters,
because the show isn’t overcrowded enough already: Joy, who’s in her
early twenties and good at getting herself into, and out of, trouble.
And Senator Robert Malden, a "political straight shooter" in his
fifties.

Yeah, because introducing new characters worked so very well last season.

Dammit. I loved Heroes in season one. Let’s have more of that, and less of whatever the hell last season was, pretty please?