Season 4 of Dexter is finished; I have not accepted the ending!! I assume that the real ending will appear soon, PLEASE!! Same with Season 3 of Californication, another cliffhanger!

Just looking forward to 24 and Big Love in January...

As for Smallville, up to Season 7 now and it's been a rollercoaster ride over the past couple of months. I guess I expected to see Superboy in his traditional suit, able to fly and do all the things that we've come to expect from the previous Superman outings (Lois & Clark, the Movies, the 1960's cartoons and the 1950's black & white Superman).

Here is an interesting website for my transatlantic friends http://www.strangebritain.co.uk/index.html

OK, I've just watched the latest Dexter, I did not see that one coming! We new that Trinity had a daughter however...... Californication just gets better, Duchovny is so believable.

I finished the last episode of The Invaders last night, I've watched both seasons over the past month, what an excellent series. Architect David Vincent, the only man on Earth to realise that aliens are infiltrating the human population in preparation for a full-fledged invasion. It's probably one of the best pure science fiction shows that was ever produced for television, yet it seems to be constantly overlooked, probably because it only ran for two seasons. The guest cast boasted some big names; Michael Rennie, Gene Hackman, Suzanne Pleshette (mmm...) to name but a few. Yes there were a few episodes that could be described as formulaic - Vincent uncovers an alien plot, tries to warn the authorities, is ignored, and then foils the plot himself before moving on, but these added to the complete story arch. In each episode we learn more about the Invaders, how they think, operate, infiltrate; the command structure, their ultimate intentions. I'd give 9/10 for storylines, sets, acting and the way it always gave you the feeling of anxiety at the end of each episode.

I'll update you on Smallville next time...

Sorry, but I just had to post these that a friend sent me earlier today.........

IDIOT SIGHTING :
We had to have the garage door repaired.'The Qualified' repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Garrador made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, 'NO, it's not. Four is larger than two..'
We haven't used a 'Qualified' repair man since.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the girl a £5 note. Our total was £4.50, so I also handed her a 50p piece.
She said, 'you gave me too much money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a £1 back.' She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the 50p, and said 'We're sorry but they could not do that kind of thing.' The clerk then proceeded to give me back £1 and 50p in change..
Do not confuse the waitresses at McD's.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I live in a semi rural area near Rackenford. We recently had a new neighbour call the local council office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'

IDIOT SIGHTING IN FOOD SERVICE:
My daughter went to a local Restaurant and ordered a tomato salad. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?'
He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'

IDIOT SIGHTING:
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged colleague of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?!'
She was a trainee community police officer

IDIOT SIGHTING:
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear colleague. She was leaving the company due to 'downsizing.' Our manager commented cheerfully, 'This is fun. We should do this more often.' Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it w as unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'its open!' His reply, 'I know. I already got that side.'
This was at the Ford dealership.

STAY ALERT!

They walk among us... And they VOTE and they REPRODUCE

Much TV has been watched over the past month. Finished watching Harpers Island, very thrilling, I assume from the ending that there won't be another season. Just finished watching Now and Again, only one season made and I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW IT ENDED! I'd never seen this before and was intrigued, with a pre-24 Dennis Haysbert, the lovely Margaret Colin, and a post-Dark Skies Eric Close although some of the supporting cast left a bit to be desired. Also watched Life, both seasons; yet again another excellent series ended prematurely. Also been watching The Inbetweeners, season 1, a very funny british comedy, although it revolves around teenagers, we see it from an adult perspective. Good to see Eureka is back and I've picked up another couple of series which could be interesting; Warehouse 13 a top-secret storage facility in North America that houses every strange artefact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government, and Hung (which has just been renewed for a second season) about a coach who desperately needs money and becomes a male escort!

I also caught the German F1 Grand Prix where Aussie Mark Webber took his maiden win then two weeks later, the Hungarian Grand Pix where Lewis Hamilton, the current World Champion took his first win of the season. Looks like being a good title fight between Webber and Jenson Button.

Sorry, this is just a quick update, I'll add some more in the next week. Have a good one

Yet again, I've tried to watch Lost, from the beginning, I really have! It just doesn't 'grab me' like some other series have. It has too many unbelievable elements, I know too much about aircraft to accept some of the situation so it just broke too many rules for me. Also, some of the characters are not likeable, I mean in a story way, I can like "baddies and goodies" but maybe some of the actors aren't likeable. The abysmal Jorge Garcia just annoys me every time I see him, the first time I saw him in Becker, I knew that was the end for that series. In fact out of all the people marooned on the island there isn't one that I'm desperate to find out any more about. Sorry to all the "Losties" but it just doesn't do it for me.

Now, I've just found Harper's Island and it has me hooked from the start. The first 3 episodes were great and I was surprised to see so many familiar faces from Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Flash Gordon, Eureka etc. The Big Bang Theory is still excellent and I am catching up on Grand Designs http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/grand-designs/index.html and some early episodes of Come Dine With Me.

My daughter and I have just completed Blake's 7, season 1 and although some of the old BBC sets are a bit shaky, the stories are outstanding. We also watched a trilogy of Star Trek movies over the weekend; Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home, some great scenes, especially in the last one. She's also admitted that the original Star Trek wasn't that bad.

I've also, in the last month, had a marathon viewing of all 45 episodes of the 1970's Royal Navy drama, Warship, which I was transferring from VHS on to DVD, sad isn't it!

I need to add blogs more often however, my keyboard is still playing up and every time I type something I have to go back over it and correct it - it drives me nuts!

Happy viewing everyone.

Yes, I've seen the new movie, previews started in the UK last Thursday and my wife and I (and my daughter and her boyfriend who didn't really want to go) went along to see how the series would be re-imagined. I realise that they had to show how the main characters first met each other in a short space of time, and I realise that the relationships had to develop fairly quickly, all due to the limitations in time however, with McCoy as a Doctor and Kirk going through a Command programme, it is very unlikley that they would be part of the same training course.

Near the end of the movie, and indeed in various parts in between, Kirk assumes a command role on the ship. What happened to the command structure on board the ship? Do they expect us to believe that in the future, a Cadet, regardless of how impressive he may be during training, would be allowed to take command of a Starship once the Captain and the First Officer are no longer able to! Also, once a Cadet has proven himself in one command situation, that he would be promoted to full Captain, given a Starship and sent on his way with 430 souls to look after, without having gone through an apprenticeship as a junior officer and learning the ropes from a much more experienced commander.

Aside from the non canon elements of Uhura and Spock making out, Spocks mother dying, Vulcan being destroyed, which I accept can all be explained by the parallel timeline, there were some clever nods to the original series and movies; "I am, and always shall be, your friend", "I'm a Doctor, not a .......", the Vulcan mind meld, the Vulcan nerve pinch, the Kobiyashi Maru, Spocks parents, the guy in the red uniform not making it back, and Leonard Nimoy, were all there to try to bring in 'The Original Fans'.

The special effects were very impressive as should be expected, the fight scenes and action scenes were well done, in fact, Kirk was reminiscent of Jack Bauer in many scenes.

As a movie without 43 years worth of baggage I would give it 9.5 out of 10, as a movie with one of it's hands tied and trying to satisfy the original fans and bring the new 'on board' I would give it 8.5 out of 10.

By the way, the engine room was a complete mess, couldn't they have at least taken that element from Enterprise?

Has anyone see this? This is so cool!

"Tonight Paramount pulled off one of the coolest stunts in fan history. Promoted as just a 10 minute preview of the new Star Trek to show along with The Wrath of Khan, tonight fans in Austin, TX were actually shown the entire new Star Trek movie. The event included surprise guests, including the original Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy."

http://trekmovie.com/2009/04/06/austin-tx-fans-given-surprise-showing-of-entire-star-trek-movie/

NOT an April Fool!

Excellent start to the new Formula One GP season from Australia, over the weekend. I had to get up to watch it live, of course, but 2 days getting up at 5am and late nights out at dinner and the theatre, have taken their toll.

It was a great race however, even though reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton could only scrape to fourth, the race winner was the only other Brit driver, Jenson Button, in a brand new team, Virgin Brawn GP, formed from the old Honda team. My wife is very pleased as she has a soft spot for him. Of course, Richard Branson, their major sponsor, had a permanent smile all weekend!

We've been watching United States of Tara and Being Erica as well as our usual 24, Cold Case, NCIS. USOT is very well done, Toni Collette is great!

Excellent start to the new Formula One GP season from Australia, over the weekend. I had to get up to watch it live, of course, but 2 days getting up at 5am and late nights out at dinner and the theatre, have taken their toll.

It was a great race however, even though reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton could only scrape to fourth, the race winner was the only other Brit driver, Jenson Button, in a brand new team, Virgin Brawn GP, formed from the old Honda team. My wife is very pleased as she has a soft spot for him. Of course, Richard Branson, their major sponsor, had a permanent smile all weekend!

We've been watching United States of Tara and Being Erica as well as our usual 24, Cold Case, NCIS. USOT is very well done, Toni Collette is great!

The lovely Natasha Richardson has finally succumbed to the head injury sustained after a fall whilst skiing. Although she starred in a number of movies, she was more well known for her stage work.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1163006/Actress-Natasha-Richardson-dies-head-injury-ski-accident.html

She will be sadly missed by all.

I heard on the radio this morning that another 2 brave soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. They weren't even inantrymen however, they were from the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers). The thing that I noticed about the BBC news bulletin was that less airspace was given to their killings than was given to the fact that the Highways Agency had misnamed a village somewhere in the Midlands!

Sad times!

Last week I managed to have a new show added as it is now on release on DVD in the UK. It was a show from 1988 which I followed and I recently came across a few old TV Times with the details for the show including when each part was shown and who starred in it. I don't have the DVD however, I stated in my submission that the information was from my personal data from the actual schedules. ALL OF IT has been rejected and I cannot find this level of detail elsewhere on the 'net. What happens now? I spend time entering this data, I can't submit scans from old TV Times, I'll never get the submission time back again! I would have thought that with over 1000 submissions there would be some level of trust, that we are committed to making the site better. Anyone can create a new template for a database, the data that it holds however, is more important than a flashy search engine. I keep threatening to leave but I just can't when I know I still have contributions to make.

Are there any Moderators willing to provde some encouragement to long standing members?

Robert Burns, Scottish Poet would have been 250 years old today, and many of us still celebrate his birth to this day. Burns Night is a tradition celebrated throughout the world by Scots and Sassenachs alike. It's always best though to ensure that a Scotsman delivers the ode 'to the haggis' where the haggis is cut open before being served.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the pudding-race! Aboon them a' yet tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o'a grace As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin was help to mend a mill In time o'need, While thro' your pores the dews distil Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight, An' cut you up wi' ready sleight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like ony ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin', rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive: Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive, Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve Are bent like drums; Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive, Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad make her spew Wi' perfect sconner, Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash, As feckles as wither'd rash, His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash; His nieve a nit; Thro' blody flood or field to dash, O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread. Clap in his walie nieve a blade, He'll mak it whissle; An' legs an' arms, an' hands will sned, Like taps o' trissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o' fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer Gie her a haggis!

And here is a drawing of the bard himself;

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RABBIE.

I came across the show Big Love by accident, it was however, serendipity (a happy accident). The writing has been very good with only a few weak areas however, the acting has been excellent, overall a very believable story of polygamy in normal society.

I guess you could say that this is Desperate Housewives with Polygamy just like Weeds is DH with drugs.

However, since I'm just watching the Obama inauguration, maybe he'll change all of that :-) kidding!

Anyway, here is Bill and his three wives; and I thought that one was bad enough!

24 has started well, although they pre-empted a female President and Hilary lost the nomination. I just need Dexter back now and life would be complete.........

At last we can view our PM and Mod Queue without having to try to pull down the temperamental menu system. We also have our episode lists back to normal first episode at the top FANTASTIC!

Despite my past whinges, I'm still making contributions, I do however, object to those editors who interpret the guidelines in their own way and insist on their own specific formatting and links, especially for lists of music used in episodes...... Please can we have some consistency in this area?

Thanks to the staff who are listening however, there is still some way to go.

I had the great honour, last week, of being invited to a 40th Birthday party on board HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelsons' Flagship, still commissioned in the Royal Navy although permanently in drydock. Absolutely amazing experience to access areas that the general public cannot.

A Very Happy New Year to one and all!

AWRAVERRIBEST FOR 2009

Happy Christmas to one and all, I'm not PC because I don't believe in it.

People have to take me as they find me, after all I am Scottish!

I hope everyone is able to celebrate Christmas the way that they had originally planned, no trees blocking roads, no power cuts, floods, plagues of locusts, or awkward family members.

And, yes, it was my birthday yesterday, Christmas Eve, every year for the past ... Ive forgotten, it must be an age thing. Now where did I put my ear trumpet and magnifying glass?

Have a wonderful time but be mindful of others.

I used to enjoy using this site because it was easy to use and WYSIWYG. I can't pull down menus properly, I don't get the episodes listed in the way that I would like, lots of links are still missing and we still have editors who reject perfectly relevant & formatted submissions because they have their own acceptance criteria!!!!!!!!

SO WHY BOTHER ANYMORE?