Eenie, Meany, Miney, Pop: Jack the Ripper, Doctor Who, Archer + More, January 20th, 2012

* I just about hate myself for being so interested in this, but it’s true: I am morbidly attracted to what is claimed to be Jack the Ripper’s autobiography. Do I think it’s the real thing? No, but that’s just as much out of safety as out of common sense. If it is real that would be horrifying on top of being highly unlikely. This first-person account of Ripper’s exploits was rediscovered in 2008 and was apparently written in 1920. Children’s author Sydney George Hulme Beaman is said to have been left the autobiography by an acquaintance named James Carnac, and Beaman claims to have omitted the most disturbing portions prior to submitting it for publishing. No, honestly, I don’t think any of writings will have come from Jack himself. Sereal killers are generally proud of their work, but this strikes me as too similar to those who claimed to be Billy the Kid after his death. All public knowledge, attention whoring, and no direct blood lines. I do, however, believe “The Autobiography of James Carnac” is going to be a very interesting and dark read. [History.com]

Original handmade manuscript of supposed Jack the Ripper autobiography, made to look like bloodied cobblestones.

Photo credit History.com via Montacute Museum

*Apparently even Doctor Who can have heart attacks. I just didn’t know his current incarnation was Italian. A man in Verona, Italy suffered a heart attack recently. Having recently been the receiver of a heterotopic transplant, the 71-year-old Italian suffering from low blood pressure and shortness of breath had two hearts. Medical Science is both amazing and horrifying. [MSNBC]

*Speaking of Doctor Who, Steven Moffat is out fueling the rumor mills yet again! It’s no secret that Steven Moffat is one of my favorite story writers every, especially in the realm of television. In a recent interview with the Radio Times, Moffat casually mentioned that season 7 would feature “…at least” 14 episodes! Be still my beating heart! [Radio Times]

*UGO.com has compiled a list of the best Archer jokes. To me, this is simply an impossibility. Archer is so sick, so wonderful, so perfectly my kind of humor, that a list of the best jokes comes off as trivial and pointless. Be that as it may, a new season of Archer is thankfully here, debuting last night at 10pm on FX. The first three episodes of the season teased fans way back in September as a three parter titled The Arch of Darkness. This series is planned to be the longest yet, at a total of 16 episodes. As I don’t have cable, ’cause I’m no bitch to Time Warner, I merely purchase the shows the day after they air for $2 on iTunes. If you haven’t tuned in to Archer, one of the two fantastic animated shows H. Jon Benjamin currently stars in, you can catch the first two seasons on Netflix Streaming. Get on that.[UGO]

* When I was a mere 16 years old, I worked for Priceline Corporate. It was ridiculous. And awesome. And when there were company parties held in rented out airplane hangars, William Shatner would be there surrounded by a billion bodyguards. But, alas, his time with Priceline is no more. But rather than merely ending his contract, Priceline plans on killing off his character. Smooth. [AdRants]

* It’s that time of year again. You know, when you’re just trying to get your body back into shape after the holidays and all of a sudden – BAM! The Girl Scouts of America come along with their awesome cookies and screw everything up. And because we live in the land of Insto-Gratifiction there is now an app for that. What I’m saying is iPhone owners (that’s like, I dunno, roughly 6 billion of us, right?) can download a free GS Cookie locator app. It’s just too bad you can’t order cookies from your phone. But then, it’d probably be fastest if I could just download all those calories straight to my ass. Because that’s exactly where they’re going to go. [GeekSugar]

* DC Comics has revealed a new logo. Personally, I’m not sure if it was a necessary change, but I might just be a cermudgeon. And I get what they’re doing with the new logo. It’s simple and obvious, and, really, not that bad. Or that different. So kudos to them. The “explanation”, however, of such an obvious meaning seems a bit unnecessary. [MTVGeek]

* Jeff Goldblum’s appearance on Glee might be the only reason I have to watch it. Seriously, I’ve tried. I’m just not into it. I am, however, totally in love with Goldblum and him playing a gay dad? My God, it’s like the role he was born to play. Seriously. [TVGuide.com]

* I could see Judy Garland in Inception. She could put all those strung out high disillusions to good use. Too soon? Nah. Peter Stults, an artist inspired by John Hartter, reimagined recent movies to feature classic stars, putting a very vintage spin on their promo posters. [BuzzFeed]

 

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Hunger Games, Star Trek, Adult Swim & More Popping @ Ya, January 17th, 2012

It’s Tuesday, which is…just awful. I’m still reeling from the over use of “nude” at the Golden Globes. Half the actresses decided to wear that tragic (not to be confused with tragically hip) color on the run way, and the vast majority of them looked washed out and bland. Way to go. You’re the thinnest, richest people on the planet and you dressed in a color that made you blend in with yourself. Ugh. And this week has barely begun.

Perhaps some Pop Bytes to brighten your day?

A screenwriter for the Hunger Games sequel has been chosen. Catching Fire will be adapted for the silver screen by Simon Beaufoy, who is best known for his Oscar winning work Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours. Yes, Hunger Games may be over two months away still, but it’s never too early to start planning for more money the future. [NYMag]

Photo Credit GuysLitWire

A new US study has shown that wearing headphones is dangerous to your health. Let me summarize: If you’re walking around, you need to pay attention. You are eight times more likely to die walking one mile home than driving it, so if you’ve been drinking always call a cab. Walking around city streets with headphones on is almost as dangerous as drinking. In fact, 55% of those hurt while walking with headphones on were hit by trains. So turn it down, pay attention, and bare in mind that while we all “multitask” our brains can truly only handle one thing at a time. [Guardian]

walking drunk

Cumberbatch needs to get physically fit for JJ Abrams, stating in an interview with MTV he’s been “…working out nonstop…” for his role in the Star Trek sequel. He’s a rather lanky Brit, and Kahn wasn’t known for being super buff so the mystery continues as to who Cunberbatch will be portraying. There are so many movies I’m over the moon for in 2013. It’s going to be a fantastic film year…if the studios live up to the hype. [MTV]

Finally, modern art everyone can enjoy. Gallery1988Melrose in California is hosting an AdultSwim exhibit. The show runs January 13th through February 4th, so get there quick to see your beloved characters featured in a whole new medium. It’s like when George posed on velvet and it became a frat wall must have, only much, much cooler. [DangerousMinds]

Kiersten Essenpreis “Brock Samson & The Neighborhood Stray Cats”, DangerousMinds via Nerdcore.

A woman in LA was arrested on Monday for attempting to sell sexual favors for McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Times are really, truly very hard. No pun intended. [LATimes]

Lana Del Rey is some kind of YouTube singing sensation or something, I don’t know. The fact of the matter is, however, that her terrible performance of not one, but two songs on Saturday Night Live this past weekend managed to distract people from Daniel Radcliffe’s own lackluster acting on the famous skit show. [HuffingtonPost]

Karen Gillian, Amy Pond of Doctor Who fame, is leaving the timey wimey franchise, and she’s about as thrilled about it as we, her fans, are. While asked about her characters future, during an interview for her current film We’ll Take Manhatten, Gillan expressed the sad, but mutual decision for the end of her character. And “end” is open to debate, as some rumors hint this may truly be her end. [Blastr]

BuzzFeed asks: Is Bane of the Dark Knight Rises merely a reincarnation of a snazzier Dr. Zoidberg? If you don’t know Zoidberg, then I’m not sure much on ChicGeekDaily is going to interest you. I’m talkin’ ’bout that space bug/monster in sandals that serves as the “physician” for the Planet Express Crew, though he alludes to losing more patients than actually helping them. Though he did save Fry’s life that one time, by sewing his head onto Amy’s shoulder…

Photo Credit BuzzFeed

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TGI Pop Day: Beetlejuice Sequel, Wes Anderson Trailer, + More! January 13, 2012
* Friends With Kids: Two friends decide they each want to have a kid. They’re good buds, so why not have kid together? Aaaaaaand hilarity ensues. How could it not with when the leading roles go to Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph, and that bobble headed guy from Party Down and Parks and Rec? Yeah, this is going to be adorable. I’m used to see Kristen Wiig as ridiculously hysterical, even at the risk of her own dignity. Am I ready to see her as romantically cute? Hmm, YES. Check out the trailer below.

* OhMyGod, I DON’T CARE: Pirates of the Caribbean part FIVE is coming out and no one can stop it. It’s like Rocky all over again. [Blastr]

* I am a Geek, but, more importantly, I am a Lady Geek (Go ahead, say “Lady” like that skit from Little Britain, you know you want to). So, I’m not a huge fan of Big Bang Theory. It’s hard for me to get into many sitcoms because, for starters, the laugh track is a slap in the face. Is that supposed to make me feel like I’m watching a show with friends? Is it telling me when I’m supposed to be finding something funny? Whatever, it’s crap. But on top of that, the nerd references are repetitive even for me and women have no value on that show. I’m no feminist, but I can stand on my own. I contribute more than just being a mere set of tits, but in Big Bang women do not. And I’m not the only one that feels this show is just not as cool as it could be, as noted in the list from Digg. According to Patrick D., a friend and fan of Big Bang, missing from this list is the fact that everyone is dressed identically from episode to episode, such as Leonard’s ever present green jacket and the constant long sleeve-shirt-under-teeshirt style of Sheldon and, frankly, that’s just stale. Sorry, Patrick. [Digg]

* Wes Anderson is at it again. Another visual feast is apon us in Moonrise Kingdom. Even present Bill Murray has a role, as usual, but the stars are two relatively unknown kids trying to find a place where they belong. Bruce Willis and Edward Norton also join the cast along with Frances McDormand of Fargo fame. I love Wes Anderson’s works and even had a Wes Anderson birthday bash this past May. It was quite possibly the whitest thing I’d ever done, but the costumes were incredible. See them at the end of this post. Right now, watch the trailer for Moonrise Kingdom.

* My heart is splintered into shards of love for many different stories, one of which is Beetlejuice. It’s greatness is such that I never really considered a sequel for it. It just seems unnecessary. Tim Burton, however, feels differently. And, let’s face it, if he came out with a Beetlejuice Part 2, I would be in line with millions of fans on opening day. There is no doubt in my mind if completed within the next couple of years, Michael Keaton could star again, no problem. [Blastr]

* Never have I been so excited about finance as right now: FILMDetail has a photo of the original Star Wars budget break down! Here’s what I see: This was probable the first and LAST time Fox agreed to take a mere 60% of profits. It super pays to be a producer, as their cut was 40% of the profits made from Star Wars. Alec Guinness was considered a producer as well actor on the film, by the way. Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill made 1/4% (yes, .25%) of the profits, where as sweet as Han Solo made 2/3%. Actors don’t make money off films like they used to unless they can really command it. Even still, the three main stars of the eight Harry Potter films got to experience the magic of profit sharing on top of their incredible salaries. Though an exact percentage wasn’t stated, on January 5th of this year Radcliffe told Parade “I got paid so well for doing the Harry Potter films, it’s ridiculous. If somebody asked me, ‘Did you think you deserve that money?’ No, of course I didn’t…I happened to have found this industry where people get paid stupid amounts of money. That’s the reality.” Speaks true even for the original Star Wars films. [FILMDetail]

Photo Credit FILMDetail

* Can they do that? The Velvet Underground is suing the Andy Warhol Foundation for using the Banana Andy Warhol painted that the Underground used for an album cover. Huh? [NYPost]

* Tim and Eric, of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, have created their second Old Spice commercial. As Old Spice’s campaign features relatively attractive men, neither Tim nor Eric star in their ad. [BuzzFeed]

* Spoiler Alert! Blastr has a pic of the rumored bad aliens from Prometheus. Don’t want to see it? Then you better not look directly beneath this sentence. [Blastr]

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Christopher in Zissou Pajamas holding a Crayon Pony Fish specimen

Sarah (wooden finger not shown, but was part of her costume) and Brandy as Margo & Richie.

Pop It Up: Sherlock, Bizarro Hobbit, & More! January 10, 2012

* Remember that time that William Shatner said that Star Trek was way more popular that Star Wars. And then Carrie Fisher told him he was out of his ego maniacal mind and stated that Star Wars was, in fact, better? And then George Takei tried to make peace by awesomely stating that they should join forces and both fight against those craptacular Twilight films? Well, Shatner has now created a response to dear, sweet Takei. Let’s watch!

* DrFaustusAU of Deviant art created works depicting Seuss inspired Batman comics. A beautiful, perfect mashup. Each shows an easily recognizable Batman character in an undeniable Seuss style. [BuzzFeed]

* Robot Chicken will be airing its 100th episode this week. To celebrate they’ve set up a live webcam where fans can watch the actions of a robot and a chicken in a wee little hotel room. It’s a real robot and real chicken. And it’s adorable. [RobotChicken]

*Want to see a super bizarre animated Czech version of the Hobbit? Okay! [Blastr]

* Eight new stills from the upcoming Hunger Games movie have hit the internet to feed the over excited spoiler beast that dwells within all of us.  [DenOfGeek]

* It’s no secret that I’m a huge Sherlock fan. And not just ’cause I’m chubby, I mean I really love Sherlock. So, I’m over the moon that the spectacular, gripping, and beautifully shot drama has been signed to a third series! I just wish it aired sooner in the States. BBC1 is currentlyairing Sherlock series 2 over in the UK, but it won’t air here until May. It will be on PBS, though, so even I, a fan without cable, will be able to catch it. [Zap2It]

* Parks and Rec just got even cooler: Paul Rudd will be playing Leslie Knope’s city council opponent on upcoming episodes! Rudd has perfect timeing, an excellent knack for improv, and I’m really looking forward to seeing him bounce off Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. Actually, I’m pretty sure that if SNL wanted to throw together a skit of just Rudd and “Ron Swanson” Offerman it would be a viral hit in no time. Just when I thought I couldn’t get more addicted to this show… [NYMag]

* Love Downton Abbey? Perhaps it’s because there’s something familiar about it. And it seems even Hollywood isn’t immune to the harsh economic times. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, it was stated that roughly 60% of Downton‘s costumes are recycled from other shows and movies. Even still, many of the dresses and costumes have been adapted and are barely recognizable from their previous turns on screen. If I were an actress I’d find it extra thrilling, having a bit of vintage and historical movie magic in the dresses I got to wear each day. Of course, I’d probably be so light headed from starving myself to fit into said dress that I wouldn’t even be able to remember my own name let alone be excited about who might have worn my outfit previously…  [DailyMail]

* They’ve finally made it: An Alien vs. Predator chess set. In sharp detail and color, and even some almost clear pieces for the Predator’s side, the board was created by Deviant Artist Joker Laugh. Don’t act like you don’t want it. [iO9]

* The new season of East Bound and Down hits Sunday, February 19th. Here’s a trailer to tease us until then.

* Star Wars: Underworld. I’m not crazy about the name. Underworld is just to reminiscent of those terrible Kate Beckinsale movies that are forever needlessly in theaters. But this is the titled rumored for the Star Wars live-action series. In an interview with IGN George Lucas stated that this series would take place between Episode Puke – I mean, Episode Three and what we purists know as Star Wars, i.e. Episode four. [Blastr]

* Jeff Tweedy’s kids are growing up and to prove it, his eldest son made a music video…for his dad’s band. Spencer Tweedy created the video for  Wilco’s song “Whole Love”. [StereoGum]

*David Cross is coming to Austin tomorrow. If you’re just finding this out now, I should tell you: you’ve got no chance to see him. On Monday the Alamo Drafthouse announced David Cross would be hosting a marathon of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Tickets went on sale on Wednesday and sold out in 8 minutes.

I highly recommend catching Poor Decisions when you can. It airs on IFC and, like Portlandia, it’s not your usual comedy. It’s quite refreshing in a How-I-Met-Your-Mother-2-And-A-Half-Crappy world.

*Andy Warhol, a hero to the Hipster Movement everywhere, just got extra hipstery. You can now carry your MacBookAir or iPad around in his face. No, nothing is sacred, thanks for asking. [Incase]

* Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar! I’m not the only one who thinks so; Fox has launched a campaign with quite the emotionally moving ad in an attempt to get the man some well deserved gold. [Blastr]

* Jack White is collaborating with Tom Jones. That makes sense. No, really, I bet it will be an incredible work. Jack White is an amazing guitarist and song writer and Tom Jones is classic and has stood the test of time…it’s just every time I see Jack White all I can think is “You slept with Renee Zellweger,” and that grosses me out. [24Bit]

* “And in other news, I love Lamp,” actually happened live on the news.

Pop To It: Star Trek, Star Wars, Dark Knight Meets Lion King, & More! January 5, 2012

* I’m not going to delay this. Everyone everywhere needs to watch this Lion King/Dark Knight Rises right now. It’s genius and brought to us by Moviemaestroten at YouTube.

* Worst. Food Promotion. Ever. Burger King has had the fabulous idea to offer a Dark Side Burger and a Jedi Knight burger in honor of Star Wars 3D. I really, really hope they decide against the black bun. [BuzzFeed]

* Just in case you haven’t heard, Ab Fab is back in a big, beautiful way. Jennifer Saunders discusses it’s rebirth, smoking, and aging with Vulture Magazine. [NYMag]

Photo credit BestMoviesEverNews

* Wheel of Fish never had anything this awesome. A blue fin tuna recently sold at Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market for $736,000. At weighing in at 593 pounds, that fish wound up costing about $1,238 a pound. And I’m sure every bit of it is delicious. Mmm… [Inquistr]

* The New York Times had to issue a correction recently due to an error in a story from last week. And it was spectacular, hysterical. I’m honestly glad they took the time to correct something that was important to those they feature in a front page story. See the clipping below. [BestWeekEver]

Photo credit Kerri Hicks

* Welcome to something I like to call “The Grossest Thing Ever.”  Apparently the new teen fad is Vodka tampons. No, they’re not soaking up vodka with tampons to drink later. Teens are soaking up vodka with tampons and inserting them into their vaginas for a quick, mild buzz. According to the article, boys can also do this, too, through something called Butt Chugging. I’m not kidding. My favorite part of this little expose, however, was when Dr. Lisa Masterson said that the practice of vodka tampon use would “…literally destroy the vagina.” I like to imagine Jim Gaffigan dressed as a woman doing his Hot Pocket skit, but replacing “It will literally destroy your mouth.” with the above quote from Doc Masterson. Awesome. [HuffPostCA]

* A new Doctor Who rumor has hit the interwebs. As we all know, Amy Pond and Rory Williams out – heart breakingly – out. Word on the street is that the new sidekick might be none other than, Miranda Hart, an actress I know best as Diplomatic Officer Chloe Alice Teal of Hyperdrive. She’s funny, punky. She may not be my first pick for a replacement, but I’m not too sure I have one…’cept for maybe Gwen Cooper. [Blastr]

* Benedict Cumberbatch is going to be the new villain in the Star Trek sequel! I am over the moon about this! I can’t wait to see his Smaug and now I get him in Star Trek. Just fantastic, very exciting! I think 2011 is really going to be his year. [MTVNews]

* Speaking of Star Trek AND Doctor Who, ex-Who sidekick Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) is also rumored to have signed on to the sequel. I loved him…until he got all up in Martha Jones, who I couldn’t stand. There’s going to be a number of cocky, villainous gazing come that movie. [Variety]

* And, finally, Portlandia performs Salt n Pepa’s Push It

Happy Pop Year: Portlandia, Harry Potter, Snoop Dogg, & More! January 3, 2012

Philosoraptor [Inquistr]

It’s on.

* An Alien fan on YouTube has remixed the original Alien trailer from 1979 to look more like the Prometheus trailer of 2011. It is badass.

* Darth Vader is (kinda) dead (sorta). Bob Anderson, the master fencer who performed Vader’s battle scenes, has passed away at 89. [NPR]

* David Tennant is officially married!…to a girl who played his daughter in Doctor Who…who also happens to be the real daughter of the fifth Doctor Who from the 1980’s…You heard me. [NME]

* Snoop Dogg rocked The Price is Right recently. Just amazing. [Idolator]

* The opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Arc is iconic. Mesmerizing and perfectly shot, few movies have been able to grasp a viewer’s attention as efficiently and completely as Raiders. Due to the impact it has had on fans, many have attempted to recreate the opening sequence in different mediums. The newest incarnation comes in the form of classic movie clips from 30 movies shot between 1919-1973, edited together, and played side by side with the original. Pretty slick and very entertaining. [iO9]

* 85,000,000,004 rumor about Dark Knight Rises: Christopher Nolan has given in to the executives over at Warner Bros. and will be editing Bane’s voice so that viewers can actually understand him. It was originally noted in mid December by The Hollywood Reporter that Banes voice was a problem, but Nolan had little to no plans on altering it. It seems in an effort to please the studio and not alienate fans, Nolan may be changing his tune. [Blastr]

* It’s no secret that the science fiction genre is constantly overlooked during the Awards season. Then Lord of the Rings came along and – hopefully – changed this for good, winning all they deserved, including winning every nomination they had for Return of the King. Unfortunately, the Harry Potter franchise has experienced quite the Oscar nomination drought, which Warner Bros. plans on changing this year. The final two HP movies encompass the final book; I was not a huge fan of the previous movies, but I was floored by the greatness of the final two. Friends who were never Harry Potter fans even saw the final two films a couple of times in the theater. Just fantastic, and well deserving of the Oscar campaign Warner Bros plans on launching.  [TheGuardian]

* I’m sorry, you’re claiming to have found what in your can of Mountain Dew?! Well, you must be mistaken, because according to Pepsi, Mountain Dew can dissolve an entire mouse carcass. [AtlanticWire]

* Watch an entire episode of Portlandia Season 2 online before it airs on IFC! Thank you, Internet Gods!

See the ep in its entirety here. [BuzzFeed]

Image courtesy of IFC

On the Twelfth Day of Geekmas, ChicGeekDaily Gave to thee… December 24, 2011

On the twelfth day of Geekmas, Chic Geek Daily Gave to Thee…

Twelve Korean Kids Singing David Bowie’s Space Oddity.

Check out the Previous Geekmas Post for days 1 through 11!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter, @ChicGeekDaily !

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Wait is Over: Prometheus is Here! December 22, 2011

The wait is over: The new trailer for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is online today.

Written to be the prequel to Alien, Prometheus takes the viewer on a voyager with a team of researchers traveling the universe in search of Earth’s origins.

Very excited.

Hobbit Afterglow: 21 Jump Street, SNL, Batman, & More! December 21, 2011

I am slightly sad we didn’t see a glimmer of Smaug even though I knew full well he wouldn’t be in the first part of the Hobbit. That being said, I don’t want to admit to the amount of times I’ve watched that trailer…and have subsequently gotten my coworkers to do the same.

On to Pop Bytes!

* Daniel Radcliffe, also known as Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainer of the Year, will be hosting SNL in January. The musical guest will be Lana Del Rey. I have no idea who that is. Radcliffe is the first of the Holy Harry Potter trifecta to host the legendary skit show. Emma Watson of now modeling and acting fame has a fairly good chance for a future spot given her blossoming career. Not sure the same could be said for the rough looking ginger one at this point… [NYDailyNews]

* 1 million Avengers = No time for Diddlin’! Okay, there aren’t 1 million Avengers, but there are quite a few and when you write a script that pays specific attention to each that leaves little time for love makin’ on the side, according to writer Joss Whedon. So if you were planning on seeing the Black Widow and Hawk Eye get it on, keep dreaming. [Blastr]

* The trailer for 21 Jump Street is now online, though unlike the Hobbit trailer, I’m not sure too many people will be chomping at the bit to view it. Or watching it more than once. I too enjoyed the television show. When I was eleven.

* While we’re still working off that Hobbit mountain high, let me point out that Google Maps has a Middle Earth easter egg. If you haven’t already typed “Let it snow” into a google search bar, you should hop on that bandwagon, too. [BuzzFeed]

* Can’t get enough Batman buzz? Well, a new trailer has been released to help ease – or worsen – your addiction. [Apple Trailers]

*  His belly shakes like a bowl of jelly. His beard is as white as the snow. He’s got a twinkle in his eye and a button red nose. And, apparently, Santa also has a boner for suuuuuuuuper slutty teenage girls. I guess it also burns when he pees now, huh? [BuzzFeed]

* A replicator would be great, but just working on the Enterprise for the United Federation of Planets would be tops!…But, then, I’d still probably be an admin, and I bet even in space that post ain’t a glamorous one. With the iPad 2 we’re all ready ahead of the tablets that the Starfleet crew used and Apple is bringing us closer to holographic messages day by day. Still, there are other awesome gadgets we thought we’d have by now that just aren’t a reality. [Tecca]

* Speaking of Star Trek, the 398,000th rumor to hit the news is that the sequel will have a little Capt. Pike action in it. There have been so many even “confirmed” rumors that have been squashed at this point. Though I’d be thrilled for his inclusion, I will take this with a grain of salt. [Blastr]

* And, finally, Spoke Art has released Star Wars ninja prints. And I want them all! [MTV Geek]

Friday Pop Bytes: Doctor Who, SNL, Batman & More! December 16, 2011

* I see your Gingerbread AT-AT and I raise you one gingerbread Tardis and a bunch of cookie Daleks! These are all amazingly delicious sci-fi cookies, but what it comes down to is that Geekmas is going to go straight to my ass and thighs this year. [Blastr]

Card art by Matt Mawson, available at RedBubble.com

* A six minute prologue of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (a title I hate) has leaked online. I recommend watching it ASAP before the studio does damage control and pulls every last one of them. It took me a while to find anyone on the interwebs that still has access to it. [Perez Hilton]

* Saturday Night Live has released their yearly Christmas card. It’s the hottest card right now. It’s got everything: a turkey, Grandma, some emo kids, sunburned drifters with soap sud beards….you know, it’s that thing where a hobo becomes a rich man so they take a big bubble bath… [BuzzFeed]

* The Onion is selling fake techie gift boxes for the gadget hound in your life. Disguise a hopefully awesome gift as an incredible piece of crap. I for one am thrilled these are fake products; if that visor organizer was real I would have had to get one for my father by now.
[TheOnion]

* Speaking of fake gifts, Prank Pack is offering iDrive: a steering wheel mount system for your tablet. And, yes, of course it’s fake, but I’m sure it’d sell like a Snuggie if it were real (in other words, it would sell shittily well). [CNN]

* I always wanted to see Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy do the weather. Let’s watch, shall we?

* The Cheerio’s website recently came under fire for a new ad campaign. A new feature on their site allows kids to create their own honey bee inspired comic strip. But because Americans are sexually repressed monsters, the fan-made featured Hot Comic of the Day was completely inappropriate for children. And it gave entirely new meaning to the birds and the bees talk. [CinemaBlend]

* Three new Doctor Who clips have been posted online. I just can’t get enough. The sixth season has just been absolutely incredible, the story lines above and beyond any television writing I’ve ever seen. Steven Moffat out does himself episode after episode, year after year, I hate having to pick a favorite Doctor Who, but this sixth series is really topping it all for me. If you’ve been riding the line of whether or not to dive into the Doctor Who obsession, there’s no better moment than right now. The current series maintains the whimsy of the Doctor while mixing in all the darkness and sorrow of classic X-Files. They really are truly compelling to watch. See all of the new clips on Blastr. [Blastr]

* The wonderful, fantastic, legendary creator of the Mario Brothers is kind of, sort of retiring. Miyamoto, head of such notable projects as Zelda and Donkey Kong, will be stepping down as Head of Development at Nintendo for a position creating smaller games, citing multi-year long projects as his reason. Hey, at least he’s still making video games. In other news, a memorial service for a lost part of our childhood will be held in my mind, following six bottles of Shiner Holiday Cheer lager on Saturday evening. [The Nerdist]

* An Estate Sale is being held for the remaining items owned by Rue McClanahan. I’m not going to lie: I would love to get my hands on some of that stuff. I’m sure there are incredible pieces of jewelry, amazing home accents, and awesome furniture with hidden drawers just filled with classy vintage porn. One question remains, however: How will the lucky buyers get all that wicker safely back to Florida? [Out]

* Buzz Feed has compiled a list of the top 50 celebrity tweets of 2011. If you’re on twitter, I highly recommend following Jenny Johnson. No one can make fun of a Kardashian the way that woman can. And, of course, you should follow me @ChicGeekDaily! Thought Patton Oswalt didn’t make this list, he certainly made my own top tweets sheet. [BuzzFeed]

* I love artist Christian Petersen’s reimagined movie posters of classic sci-fi films. Done in a minimalist style, the color and simplicity of each is just gorgeous. And my personal favorites, if of Dark City, easily one of my Top 5 movies of all time (this excludes the Star Wars episodes 4, 5, & 6, and all three LOTR films, because, let’s face it, they are on a whole other plane of fantasticness).  [Blastr]

* If you’re lucky enough to have a blanket of snow in your yard, do you do anything with it other than the occasional shoveling. A snow Jabba the Hut may inspire you to get more creative with your winter powder. And if snowy Star Wars doesn’t move you, perhaps an icy Batman will. [MSNBC]

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If you like this, please consider following me on twitter, @ChicGeekDaily!

Here’s What’s Popping in Your Next of the Woods, December 12, 2011

It’s Monday. Yippee.

* Two episodes of Doctor Who have been found, having been assumed lost for the last few decades. Ironically it was Sam that came back to give us the episodes and not the Doctor himself. (That was a Quantum Leap reference in case you’re confused.) [io9]

* I’m not the only one that sees Twilight as poorly written, poorly acted dribble – George Takei does, too! Watch Takei fearless vent his true feelings on the franchise, all while brokering peace between Star Trek & Star Wars. Oh, my!

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* Struggling to get in to the holiday spirit? Perhaps this list of 30 Science Fiction/Santa mashups will help. Listen, if Greivous can become one with Christmas, love, and the joy of giving, than so can you. [Blastr]

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* Someone has decorated the escalator in the Tel Aviv City Hall to run the entire Star Wars intro story while the stairs incline up. Now we just have to get John Williams pumped through the Muzak service.

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* In a recent interview, Steven Spielberg revealed a more sinister side of E.T. Originally based on the Kelly -Hopkinsville Encounter, what became a loveable, Reese’s Peices alien was at first planned to be a mean, green goblin extraterrestrial and was based on a small town’s real life experience in 1955. So, riddle me this, Speilberg: Why, oh why, did you insist upon changing the policemen’s guns to walkie-talkies if the account of the living, breathing aliens were, in fact, actually shot? [Huffington Post]

If you haven’t heard of the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter, I highly suggest you at least Wikipedia it. It’s a brief, interesting read, great for a break from work.

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* Fashion is finally headed my way with Mordor inspired nail art. One nail to rule them all and with the middle, flip them. [BuzzFeed]

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* The trailer to Battleship the Movie. Yes, based on the board game. And, yes, starring the classically paired stylings of Rihanna and Liam Neeson.  [MTV Entertainment]

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* Lionsgate has decided to do yet another remake of American Psycho. Apparently because Christian Bale’s brilliant performance in the 2000 remake wasn’t good enough. Lionsgate is looking to make a “…modern day adaptation…”, to which I, again, refer to the 2000 remake. Also, this would be a re-remake, which is as sloppy as it is unnecessary. [ShockTilYouDrop]

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* Want to make sure no one steals your iPad? Disguise it as an original Macintosh computer, something so outdated that people will believe ironic fashion has now become ironic technology. I recently got a similar disguise for my iPhone. Now people just assume I’m always carrying around a toaster. [MTV Geek]

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* Louis C.K. is easily one of the top performers/writers/directors/comics in the U.S. right now. His self loathing seems to never get tiresome. And his newest special can be obtained from his website for a mere $5, leaving absolutely no reason to not indulge in a little C.K. [YouAintNoPicasso]

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* I love Tommy Lee Jones. I really do, which is why I supported him when he decided to take part in Men In Black and its sequel. Now a trailer for Men in Black III has been released. There’s only so much of Will Smith playing himself that I can take. He played himself in Independence Day, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Wild Wild West, and now 3 – count ’em, THREE – Men in Black movies. I….I just don’t know that I can support Tommy Lee Jones any more.

This is Your Brain on Pop Bytes, December 9, 2011

And here we go.

* The Evil Dead is not only definitely being remade, but it even has a 2013 release date. Seriously, Hollywood, enough with the needless remakes. Come up with something original, Lord knows there are enough screenplays out there floating around. Bruce Campbell is my one and only Ash. Evil Ded Redone  = This I don’t need. [MovieWeb]

* The viral marketing for the next installment of the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises, has begun. Bane has leaked, as well as pictures of Cat Woman stealing the Bat Bike, Joseph Gordan Levitt as a cop in the Gotham snow…There’s so much spilled about the internet regarding this movie that I may very well be bored with the film long before it comes out. [Wired]

* I sense….I sense you ache for the magically morbid for your day…I sense… Bizarro Magician Deaths – with pictures! [HuffingtonPost]

*A New York based artist claims to have found animal images in the background of DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. You don’t want to know what he saw in Georgia O’Keeffe’s Black Iris. [ABC News]

* Gifts for that Star Trek fan of yours. Be warned: that Romulan Ale tastes like it came out of a faulty replicator. [Blastr]

* Star Trek gifts not your style? How about a pregnant virgin Mary ornament? It’s an oxymoron in blown glass! I mean, a miracle. [HufingtonPost]

*A Hermes crocodile handbag sold for over $200,000 at a Heritage Auction this week. The hearing impaired buyer was immensely disappointed to find the item was, in fact, just a crocodile purse and not the Chocodile Hearse he thought he was purchasing.

* The newest enticing chat coming from the rumor mills is that the iPad 3 will hit us in February of 2011. That’s good, because I’m so over the iPad 2. It’s not like I spend my days comparing every tablet to it, using my coworkers’ every chance I get, drooling over it…imaging the two of us on vacation in Tahiti: “Oh, iPad2, you’re so funny!…Put some lotion on my back?” [NewYorkPost]

* Kermit the Frog was recently interviewed regarding the future of the Muppets. Noticeably absent from the article was any news on the current whereabouts of Uncle Traveling Matt. [MTV Geek]

* Rick Perry is now aware of all of his many, many shortcomings as a presidential hopefully. In light of this epiphany, he’s now clawing desperately at the Christian Rite in an attempt to maintain votes. His recent “Strong” video is not only incredibly offensive, but also mocktastic!

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* I think everyone every where should totally feel bad for the below storm trooper. You may be out of work, but at least when you lost your job, you were just laid off.

And a final note in awesome news:

* An extended 8 minute trailer has been released for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Willing to read subtitles? You can see an amazing film adaptation of the book on Netflix streaming right now.

Shut the Pop Up: Some Pop Bytes for Your Day, December 7, 2011  

* A glitch in the Facebook security system caused all user photos to become momentarily public. Even owner/creator Mark Zuckerberg was not immune to this mishap. His private photos shockingly revealed he is a young, rich, nerd with a relatively new puppy. [MSNBC]

*The FDA has approved a new medication to deal with hangovers. While this is quite a step in the name of science, it won’t truly be a breakthrough until it also contains the baby fighting power of the Morning After pill. [Newser]

* Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy cover is now online. In an unrelated story, eyes are susceptible to the Herpes virus. [Gawker]

* Blastr has compiled a gorgeous collection of Marvel and DC Comic holiday cards. I would love to receive the Batmobile for Christmas. And my boyfriend could have the speeding ticket I’d get immediately after being handed the keys as a stocking stuffer. [Blastr]

*And while visiting Blastr, be sure to check out their new devised gift list: What to get the violent geek in your life. All items are SciFy weaponry. In other news, a D&D argument recently ended with 1 slain by Batarang to the neck.

So, you can get Jack Sparrow’s little pistol, but you can’t get a replica of Rick Deckard’s gun from Blade Runner?! The closest I’ve found costs a mere $90… but you have to assemble the thing yourself. Adam Savage of Myth Buster fame wrote up a great article on the obsession of this particular gun, which you can read in its entirety here.

*A new Doctor Who holiday special mini-prequel has popped up online. Hopefully, this year’s offering will be less in touch with its feelings and along the of the current season’s action and adventure attitude. I felt the 2010 Christmas episode was too hokey, and was too much miss over all, not enough hit.

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*Below are some of my own holiday ornaments and my Playmobile nativity scene. I’m not religious, but I grew up with the nativity in my house during the holidays, so mine might as well be as close to Lego as I can get. Also, be sure to check out Find The Bad Kitty regularly for holiday edition pics!

Pop Pick-Me-Up, December 6, 2011

*People are just the worst: In an attempt to help a fellow traveler in distress, Gary Koelling allowed a man from Switzerland to check into a hotel using Koelling’s credit card. The free check-in wound up costing Koelling $41,000 or six nights at a ritzy New York City hotel, plus incidentals at just over $6,833 dollars a night. What does this teach us about helping our fellow man? Stick to reviewed and established charities, and when in trouble as a tourist, contact the local police department or embassy. Especially in New York.[Gawker]

*Speaking of horrible people, if you’re wondering what to get those hated ones on you list, look no further: Gifts for People You Hate is bound to have the perfect present for the people in your life you just can’t stand.

*Facebook bought Gowalla. What does this mean exactly? It means that if you enjoy using Gowalla you have less than a month to continue doing so before Facebook completely shuts it down. Someone might want to let Mark Zuckerburg that a little competition is healthy. [CNN Tech]

*In other news, delightful science has attributed smoking cigarettes to loss of nipples. You read that correctly. Apparently there has been a correlation between smoking and nipples falling off on women who have had their breasts lifted (though I assume it could happen to breast lifted men as well). Smoking is bad for you, people! When will we finally get that through our thick skulls?!  Though, maybe this is giving hope to those individuals with superfluous nips, such as Lily Allen, Chandler Bing, and Krusty the Clown. [The Chart]

*It amazes me how so many nations can remain so incredibly sheltered in today’s day and age. I take my technological outlets and freedom of press for granted far too often. I say this because Saudi Arabi has announced it believes giving women the right to drive will cause them to have promiscuous sex. I can’t even begin to crack jokes on this. Cultural differences are one thing, but oppression is merely oppression. Besides, it’s the back of parked station wagon’s that cause promiscuous sex, not the act of driving itself. [HuffingtonPost]

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Doctor Wholidays and so much more! December 2, 2011

*To start: 15 Unseen Characters on TV that we all know and love.

*What does an AT-AT taste like? Gingerbread, apparently. The best quote I’ve read regarding this amazing wintery treat: “That AT-AT is going to make me fat fat.”

*Where’s Waldo: The Feature Film, or The Worst Idea Ever, has gotten a screen writer. Shouldn’t have been too hard to find, since the entire movie will consist of two lines – “Where’s is he?” and “There he is!”

*If you’re reading this then you’re not really doing anything at all. Science deems it so!

*Video of Doctor Who cast members reading bedtime stories. Kind of ironic when you think of the episodes that definitely don’t help you sleep at night – DON’T BLINK! Ugh, but Martha Jones reads one, too. She was my absolute LEAST liked sidekick.

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PopTastic Friday: November 18, 2011

The holidays are upon us and, man, Capitalism really wants to drive that home.

* For the 1% geeks in your life, or those rich enough to shop for them, Blastr has released a list of psychotically expensive Holiday gifts. Yes, I am jealous. Thanks for asking.

* Target isn’t showing any signs of backing down from their 11pm Thanksgiving Day shift start time for employees. Evil? Yes. But their commercials star one of my favorite comedians: Maria Bamford.

* There will be a RIDICULOUS amount of TV marathons on the Boob Tube this coming week. Here’s an entire list!

* What the WHAT?! Liam Neeson narrates the War of the World on Broadway in London…and does so as a hologram!

* Doctor Who (Matt Smith before I’m bombarded with comments) is gettin’ naked for charity. A nude do-gooder? Sign me up!…to stare. ‘Cause staring is free, right? I have no money.

* Finally: someone has caught Leonardo DiCaprio dressed as the Great Gatsby! Classsssssy! And he’s slimmed down. Like a young Alec Baldwin, Leo tends to get a little doughy in his down time.

*Want to see 1000 hours of work smooshed down into 3 minutes? Gosh, I do! Timeplapsed Thundercat Painting is truly the very best way to start off your Friday.

* MTV Geek has released their Top of 2011 Animated TV Shows List and I actually agree with most of it. If you’re not watching Archer you have to start doing so. Much of it is on Netflix Watch It Instantly. H. Jon Benjamin is just fantastic and the mom from Arrested Development plays both a mom and head of a Secret Agency. The character she voices on Archer is pretty much the same character as she played in AD, which is a beautiful thing. I’m starting to think that may be just how she is in real life. And I love her.

*Almost exactly 30 years after her mysterious death, the L.A. Sheriff’s Office has decided to reopen the Natalie Wood investigation. This is based on new information the office has recently received regarding her disappearance on Thanksgiving of ’81.

*Anonymous is still determined to Occupy Wallstreet and they’ve got pretty creative ways to achieve this!

* Meet the King of the Geeks: A super nerd cracked the Jeopardy code. That lucky genius bastard.

* 17 Minutes of the newest Indiana Jones filumentary?! After this I’m going to have to go lie down from Excitement Overload.

* And, finally, those skinny bitches over at Victoria Secret are biting into my Geek Chicness, only they’re doing it with far perkier breasts. Hate them.

PS: I know Twilight whatever the hell came out today. And I don’t care. I don’t care about prancing, sequinsy vampires and their wolf frenemy that falls in love with a monstrous new born infant.

I don’t. Freaking. Care.

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November 16, 2011

*MTV Geek has created a short catalog for the Star Wars geek on your holiday shopping list. I personally feel it’s missing a number of items, including the Death Star “Too Big to Fail” Keychain. Everyone needs that in their stocking! It’s been around for a while, but not enough people own the Interactive R2. I know, because I nor any of my friends have one of these darling, battery operated family additions, and my pals are so nerdy that one had a dream last night that we were all stuck in the world of Empire Strikes Back.

There’s Darth Vader in an Ugly Christmas Sweater and even a motorized AT-AT Walker for the purchaser who’s purse string know no bounds. I’m holder out on getting an AT-AT Walker until there’s one large enough for me to ride. This only just scratches the surface of Star Wars gifts, because, let’s face it, Star Wars is just as big as ever. Perhaps even more popular than it’s ever been. I’m sure you’ll see many more posts on star wars gifts as I find things that move me. Hey, have I ever shown you my Star Wars tattoo?

This is right after I got it, close to two years ago now. It is actually borderless, the dark outer edges were from the stencil put on my leg.

* In Uber Creepy News, someone over at MTV has compiled a list of “Famous Last Tweets”. It is exactly as it sounds: The last thing celebrities tweeted before their deaths. Ugh.

*Do you know Marcel? Marcel the Shell with Shoes on? I love him. I first saw him when Jenny Slate created him after getting kicked off of Saturday Night Live for saying “fuck” during a skit. She was horrified, everyone laughed, she finished the skit, and was shortly thereafter fired. I’m talking about Jenny, of course. Marcel wasn’t fired; that would be ridiculous. This is Marcel:

This makes my day every time I watch it. Anyway, he’s come out with a new video: Marcel 2. Enjoy.

* The next Star Trek will arrive in 2013. What are you more excited about: The second part of the Hobbit or Star Trek?

*I really don’t know who hires the writers at Blastr, but they need to be fired. The posts are riddled with grammatical errors and the pieces are simply not thought out well enough. In fact, I think most aren’t even written by real fans. This post is 11 Actors who should play Doctor Who in a Movie, written by someone who apparently has never gotten into Doctor Who – not just “watched”, I mean really gotten into. What are you, kidding?! This is awful. Jude Law?! He can suck it seven ways ’til Sunday. Natalie Portman?! Has the author even ever seen  anything she’s been in?! And, just as a point of fact: An American Doctor would never be truly accepted. Not ever. Oh, this burns me up.

* This is the closest I’ll come to seeing the Twilight movies: staring at muppet parody posters.

*In more Star Wars news, iO9 has picked up on Lucas Films purchasing 3 rather curious domain names. Everything is speculation and no one is talking so we’ll just have to wait to see about this. If Skywalker Ranch wants to keep something private, they’re well versed in doing so. Blue Harvest.

* I don’t know how they’d do a Lego Movie per say, but I LOVE the video games, so I guess anything is possible. Seems like Hollywood is SERIOUSLY out of ideas, though (and has been for years).

* I’m all for the $99 Kindle Touch with Special Offers over the Nook $99 ereader. Yes, it’s annoying and complete bullshit that there are ads, but they only pop up at the bottom of the screen when you’re not reading and I just really prefer it’s look and interface. Above all, though, is Amazon’s far more extensive book selection. And they keep your junk on the Cloud. Boom.

* And finally I was forced by someone to watch The Menagerie episode of Star Trek TOS four times recently. When I wanted to find that person a Christmas gift (because in light of the repeated viewings I still love them), I had to look no further than Hallmark. Some weirdo there thought the horrible disfigured Capt. Pike would make an EXCELLENT ornament – his ‘lil red light even blinks!

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*Wasn’t I JUST talking about this? It seems a Doctor Who movie may actually be in the works, Capt. Jack Harkness’ preferences be damned. David Yates, of Harry Potter film fame, is said to be directing. It is rumored, however, that neither Matt Smith nor David Tennant would be the Doctor on the Silver Screen. Interesting…

*Because people are capable of being both Geektastic and Politically Aware, someone decided to make an Occupy Legoland model. It’s awesome, of course.

* It’s finally happened: Mario has come to life. Over the weekend in Times Square Mario 3D Land was erected and, man, do I wish I could go play. I have to admit, though, that this doesn’t seem like it’s the right season to have this setup. Snow is coming soon, and who wants to jump over turtle shells and ride Yoshi in a heavy winter coat?

* The International Space Station just blew my mind. I’ve watched this a number of times already, but it simply doesn’t get old to me. The video is time-lapsed photography taken by the ISS and shows our home in a whole new light. I hope to one day see Aurora Borealis or Australis in person, but until that time this video does them incredible justice in conveying their beauty.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/32001208″>Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/michaelkoenig”>Michael König</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

* Another Twilight is coming out soon. I don’t care, but Hallmark does. The last thing I want fouling up my tree is Kristen Stewart’s sourpuss face.

* And the full Hunger Games trailer is finally here.

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*War of the Tablet Begun It Has.I love me some iPad 2, but HATE the price tag. Both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble hope to cater to individuals like me with the Kindle Fire, and newest version of the B&N Nook,respectively.  Here’s the break down: If you’re willing to spend $50 extra go with the Nook because it’s twice as fast as the Kindle Fire and if it’s needs service you can bring it straight into any Barnes & Noble. The screens are the same size, but the body of the Kindle Fire is slightly smaller and heavier than the Nook. Amazon’s new browser, Silk, is enticing, but not yet tested and the Nook’s browser works, but leaves much to be desired. Both come with a one-year protection plan, but you have to mail a Kindle to Amazon if it suffers any issues. If reading is your primary concern and not streaming video, then go with the Kindle Fire. Amazon has far more ebooks on file. The ebooks B&N and Amazon have in common are most commonly identical in price. If an eReader is your only concern and you don’t need a tablet for surfing the web, checking email, or watching Netflix, then I highly recommend B&N’s $99 tablet. Though Amazon also has a $99 Kindle, the Kindle comes with “special offers”, i.e. you have to deal with Visa pop-up ads while you’re reading. Not cool, Amazon. Not cool at all. Ultimately, if you’re torn between getting your loved one either a Kindle Fire or a Nook and they can’t decide either, a person would be lucky to have either because they’re both very good, mini alternatives to the $500 starting price of the iPad. Pre-order them now, however.*Dr. Who Film? Maybe…but probably not.John Barrowman would do a Doctor Who movie if he could work with David Tennant again. To be fair, he never actually says he wouldn’t work with Matt Smith. Not to SUPER nerd out here, but any Doctor Who fan knows a film maker wouldn’t have to choose about using Tennant or Smith as the Doctor in a feature Doctor Who movie because they could use both: Tennant’s Doctor is alive, just not in Doctor form, after being regenerated with Donna Noble cells and then left with Rose at Bad Wolf Bay in “Journey’s End”. He’s mortal, but there is a version of Tenant’s Doctor, so BOTH could be used.