Archive for May 30, 2009

MarianconspiracyMy review of Big Finish Doctor Who adventure #6 The Marian Conspiracy staring Colin Baker as The 6th Doctor and Maggie Stables as Dr. Evelyn Smythe is available at Amazon.com here.

For some reason I kept managing to lose this episode on eBay till I finally broke down and bought a new copy mail order from Mike Comics out of Worcester (they managed next day delivery without my asking, definitely worth your time). After listening to the story it’s a real shame I waited so long.

In my opinion it is one of the most important adventures of the run. First of all it was the first Big Finish to introduce an original companion to the series. It established an independence to the series that was necessary, after all we all know the fates of the doctor and each of the companions of the series (except for Ace) very limiting. She proved so popular that Baker didn’t have a different companion for over 18 months.

The second was what it did for Colin Baker. He was not a popular Doctor and his departure from the series was not a happy one. His initial story was of a poor quality. A second bad story would have really damaged the whole series. Remember at this point 8th doctor adventures were not part of the series. If he had been given another clunker that’s every third episode that doesn’t sell.

marianalt Anyways this one is very worth your money and time.

Update: Forgot to put in the cover.

Update 2: Colin Brockhurst has done some first rate alternate covers for Big finish products, with his permission I’m including his alternative cover on this post, and will include them in future reviews. As you can see they are pretty good.

First President in US History to Have Voted to Filibuster a Supreme Court Nominee Now Hopes for Clean Process

If Jake Tapper didn’t exist what would ABC do for an honest media voice?

I am very pleased to read this:

Moderate followers of Islam said the protest played into the hands of extreme right-wing groups and made their day-to-day lives on the streets of Luton more difficult.

Yesterday, after weeks of rising tensions sparked by the protest, members of the two groups of Muslims clashed.

Qadeer Baksh, chairman of the Islamic Centre in Luton, said a group of around 200 moderate followers descended on Bury Park in the town – where the extremists regularly preach from a stall – to drive the protesters away.

This is exactly the thing that will prevent the catastrophe that I’ve been worrying about. It is vital that we support such people without marginalizing them within Islam.

More please

The attempt to silence critics of president Obama pick of Judge Sotomayor have run into into two large snags. One of them is Rush Limbaugh who the administration foolishly elevated, cowardly ducks, and has actually driven listeners to. His listing of democratic reactions to Janice Rodgers Brown and Alito are devastating to the above the fray arguments.

The second is the Thomas Nast like quality of Judge Sotomayor’s own statements. Boss Tweed knew that even the illiterate in New York understood “Those damn pictures”.
bosstweed

It helped lead to his downfall.

Like the Nast Cartoon pictured Sotomayor’s statement is devastating to her and the White Houses cause because it is easily understood by any person of any education. Some democratic analysts understood this right away. Attempts to spin it or “contextualize” it are doomed because the average person who doesn’t follow politics knows exactly what it means.

This is why the White house and media are slowly showing signs of concern.

I predict that within a few days the media will all decide it was a minor case of “mispeaking” and try to move on. We will see if it works.

They are just lucky there is not a youtube video of her saying it. That would be the stake through the heart.