Most Attractive Female 2011 Nominees

Since I posted up the gentleman, it is only fair that I post up the ladies. Hello Magazine (A Brit magazine) is having a most attractive woman contest for 2011. There are 12 choices of most attractive and I didn't agree with any of them. So here are my suggestions instead:

In case you don't recognize her, she played "The Woman" in Season 2 of BBC's Sherlock

If you don't recognize her, she's the Tardis in Doctor Who.

(Yes, American, but still....)

I hope this satisfies all my readers with both posts. I realize it is only three, but I'm picky. I have to think you are awesome as a whole and not just a pinup. These ladies rock their roles plus of course, they all have serious geek cred just like the boys.

Most Attractive Male 2011 Nominees

Hello Magazine (A Brit magazine) is had a contest for Most Attractive Male back in 2008 which I blogged once before. Of the nominees for 2011, I agree with 3 of the 12. The ones I agree with:

I feel they should have also included the below since all of these choices are from somewhere under the reign of her majesty not to mention in the same league as the above:

(bit of a cheat here since he is only half Irish and born in Germany, but lives in London)

Now clearly this isn't of all time, but just in 2011, but I think my picks to choose from are better and the old standards. I thought I would share.

And yes, I clearly have a type.

Resolution Follow Up - Week #3

Some of the resolutions were weekly so here is how I am doing so far after three weeks.

**Valid Excuse: Seattle got hit with a massive snow storm. I've been stuck in the house from Wednesday to Saturday. **

Health Category:

• Take a yoga class - once a week
  

I wasn't able to make it to yoga or the gym at all this week. I did use my flash cards and tried to stretch a little.

• Eat a prepared meal - once a week - that I have not eaten before (counts if it is at a sit down restaurant)
  

When I stocked up on food, I found some pre-cooked chicken tenders in the freezer section. I made a honey mustard sauce and severed it over spinach with some fresh mushrooms. It will be added to the regular rotation. I also went to a sushi place I have been wanting to try in Northgate.

Reading Category:

• 25 Books (50 for the year) and 25% of books on the BBC list of Must Read Books
• Running total: 4/25 Books (1/6 of the BBC books)
  

I actually read two books this week. I finished "The Nerdist Way" by Chris Hardwick. It is kind of a self help book for geeks/nerds. I started it a while ago, but finished the last half of the book while imprisoned in my snugly warm apartment. The second was a collection of David Sedaris essays called "Barrel Fever and other stories." It was relatively short, but solid writing as is always the case the his writing.

I have a few books reserved at the library for next week. It all depends on which one gets transferred first.

Photography Category:

• Make/Customize a photo bag for my camera

I actually found the pattern for the bag from a place here in Seattle that makes sporting gear. I'll be able to get all the material there as well. Time got cut short on Monday due to the threat of snow so I haven't gone to the store yet, but it is all scouted out. It is actually an inflight diaper bag that has all the compartments and is the right size I am looking for.

Misc. Category:

• Have a mani/pedi once a month

When to a place here in Green Lake. I got the mani/pedi, but only got nail polish for my fingers. A nice clear so when they chip it won't be as noticeable. They did a good job, but they only took cash so I had to leave my Kindle Fire while I ran off to get cash two blocks away.

Thus concludes my third week's update on my Resolutions for 2012. See you again next week!

Doctor Who Recap

As a fan, I decided to log my personal favorite episodes of Doctor Who since it relaunched. This is upon reviewing each episode multiple times. I'll mark the season and episode number so you know where to find it.

Episodes:

1. The Doctor's Wife (S6, E4)
   
2. Blink (S3, E11)
   
3. The Girl in the Fireplace (S2, E5)
4. Midnight (S4, E11)
5. Vincent and the Doctor (S5, E10)
   
6. The Fires of Pompeii (S4, E3)
   
7. Family of Blood (S3, E10)
8. Dalek (S1, E6)
9. Journey's End (S4,E14)
   
10. The Stolen Earth (S4, E13)
    
11. Turn Left (S4, E12)
12. Doomsday (S2, E14)
13. Army of Ghosts (S2, E13)
14. The Eleventh Hour (S5, E1)
    
15. Tooth & Claw (S2, E3)
16. School Reunion (S2, E4)
17. Closing Time (S6, E12)
    
18. Silence in the Library (S4, E9)
    
19. Forest of the Dead (S4, E10)
20. A Good Man Goes to War (S6, E7)
    
21. Let's Kill Hitler (S6, E8)
    
22. Planet of the Ood (S4, E4)
    
23. Voyage of the Damned (S4, E1)
    
24. Utopia (S3, E12)
    
25. Bad Wolf (S1, E12)
26. Parting of the Ways (S1, E13)
27. Human Nature (S3, E9)
28. The End of Time (Special 4)
    
29. Time of the Angels (S5, E4)
30. Flesh and Stone (S5, E5)
    
31. The Shakespeare Code (S3, E3)
32. The Sound of Drums (S3, E13)
    
33. The Unquiet Dead (S1, E3)
34. The Impossible Astronaut (S6, E1)
35. Day of the Moon (S6, E2)
    
36. The Wedding of River Song (S6, E13)
    
37. The Unicorn and the Wasp (S4, E8)
38. The Vampires of Venice (S5, E6)
    
39. The Doctor's Daughter (S4,E7)
    
40. Smith and Jones (S3, E2)
    
41. The Pandorica Opens (S5, E12)
    
42. The Big Bang (S5, E13)
    
43. A Christmas Carol (Special 5)
44. The Lodger (S5, E11)
    
45. The Sontaran Stratagem (S4,E5)
    
46. The Poison Sky (S4, E6)
    
47. The Christmas Invasion (s2, E1)
48. The Runaway Bride (S3, E1)
    
49. The Beast Below (S5, E2)
    
50. The End of the World (S1, E2)
51. The Doctor Dances (S1, E10)
52. The Curse of the Black Spot (S5, E3)
    
53. Victory of the Daleks (S5, E3)
    
54. New Earth (S2, E2)
55. The Long Game (S1, E7)
56. Last of the Time Lords (S3, E14)
    
57. The Empty Child (S1, E9)
58. Waters of Mars (Special 3)
    
59. The God Complex (S6, E11)
    
60. Rise of the Cybermen (S2, E6)
61. Age of Steel (S2, E7)
62. Love and Monsters (S2, E11)
63. The Girl Who Waited (S6, E10)
    
64. Rose (S1, E1)
65. Gridlock (S3, E4)
66. Amy's Choice (S5, E7)
    
67. The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe (Special 6)
    
68. Father's Day (S1, E8)
69. Fear Her (S2, E12)
70. Night Terrors (S6, E9)
71. The Idiot's Lantern (S2, E8)
72. Boom Town (S1, E11)
73. Aliens of London (S1, E4)
74. World War Three (S1, E5)
75. The Rebel Flesh (S6, E5)
76. The Almost People (S6, E6)
    
77. 42 (S3, E8)
78. Lazarus Experiment (S3, E7)
    
79. The Impossible Planet (S2, E9)
80. The Satan Pit (S2, E10)
81. Daleks in Manhattan (S3, E5)
82. Evolution of the Daleks (S3, E6)
83. The Next Doctor (Special 1)
84. Planet of the Dead (Special 2)
85. The Hungry Earth (S5, E8)
86. Cold Blood (S5, E9)

And further preferences...Doctors:
1. 10th Doctor (David Tennant)
2. 11th Doctor (Matt Smith)
3. 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston)

Companions:
1. Donna Noble (S4)
2. Rose Tyler (S1, S2)
3. Amy Pond & Rory Williams (S5-S6)
4. Martha Jones (S3)

Re-Occurring Characters:

1. TARDIS aka "Sexy" (S1-6)
2. River Song (S4-S6)
3. Captain Jack Hartness (S1-S4)
4. Sarah Jane Smith (S2-S4)
5. Harriet Jones (S1-S4)
6. Wilfred Noble (S4)
7. K-9 (S2 & S4)
8. Mickey Smith (S1-4)
9. Jackie Tyler (S1-S2)
10. Pete Tyler (S1-S2)
11. Martha Jones' Family (S3)
12. Donna's Mother (S4)

Resolution Follow Up - Week #2

Some of the resolutions were weekly so here is how I am doing so far after two weeks.

Health Category:

• Take a yoga class - once a week
  

Second class went much better. I hid in the back of the class this time. I also talked with the teacher afterward. I asked for some exercises to help unclench my back. I also told her that I have a hard time putting too much weight on my wrists. She said that over time they will get stronger and I will get lighter so just do as best I can. Additionally, while cleaning, I found some yoga flash cards that I bought sometime during 2004.

• Eat a prepared meal - once a week - that I have not eaten before (counts if it is at a sit down restaurant)
  

I took the leftover onions, green & red peppers and mushrooms and stir-fried them with some chicken marinated in Italian dressing. It was quite tasty.

Reading Category:

• 25 Books (50 for the year) and 25% of books on the BBC list of Must Read Books

My second book of the year (and first off the BBC list) was "Little Women" by Louisa M Alcott. Extremely girly, but good. Not enough to make me read the sequels, though. It made me look up the episode of "Friends" where Joey reads it. "Beth's sick. Jo's there, but I don't think she can do anything."

Thus concludes my second week's update on my Resolutions for 2012. See you again next week!

Beginner's Guide to Doctor Who

So you have heard the hype and want to begin watching Doctor Who. Great!

Things that you need to know before going in:

• The series has been on for nearly 50 years. You DO NOT NEED to start at the very beginning.
• You can start at what they call Season 1 which began airing in 2005.
• As of right at this moment, there are 6 seasons.
• A season is 13 episodes.
• Season 1-5 are streaming on Netflix Instant.
• Season 6 is on DVD.
• You need to watch them in order. Skipping around will confuse the hell out of you.
• There are some episodes that are not that great. Suffering through them will be worth it in the long run.
• The series is meant to be watched by the whole family so some stuff may seem a bit dumb and goofy.
• The Doctor is NOT Sherlock Holmes. He is more like a mixture of Batman and Captain Picard.
  
• Torchwood is a spin-off of Doctor Who and it is meant just for adults. There are two seasons of that and two mini-series movies. They don't interlock well with Doctor Who like Angel and Buffy did.
• The Sarah Jane Adventures is also a spin-off of Doctor Who and it is meant for tweens. Sarah Jane traveled with the Doctor back in the 60s and has appeared in Season 2 & 4 since.
• The Doctor doesn't die. He regenerates. There have been 11 actors who have played him. 3 since 2005. You will be upset when the Doctor goes and you will be leery of the new one. This is normal. It takes a few episodes, but you will come to realize that he is still the Doctor.
• The show will make you cry. Some episodes more than others. If you can make it through "Vincent and the Doctor" without being a weepy mess, you have no soul.
• The show will make you laugh. Some episodes more than others.
  

The show was aptly summed up by Craig Ferguson in this cold open sketch:

(In case the embedding doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P4SxtphJ4)

These are all the things you really need to know to get going. Enjoy!

BBC List of Top 100 Must-Read Books

I made mention in my wanting to read all of the books on the BBC List. I thought I would put which books I have already read and then I'll also have a list of the ones I need to read yet.

The ones in RED have been read. The ones in BLUE have not been read, but I have seen the movie so that should count for something.

1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series – J. K. Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6 The Bible (I went to Catholic school so it counts)
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchel
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

So the count is 17 down and 83 to go.