Welcome Dr.! You've been missed!

Next Saturday, the 5th April, Dr. Who is back on BBC1, for its 2008 season. I just wanted to say, thank you, thank you, thank you sooooo much! I arrived late to Dr. Who, in fact, my knowledge of him was next to non-existent prior to the Christopher Eccleston revamp of 2004. I can explain: in Portugal we have a cable channel called BBC Prime,a type of best of the BBC. And, of course, Dr. Who featured highly in it. However, it was those 5 or 6 episode story arcs. So I would catch 'episode 3 of 6', see these quite cheesy special effects, a bloke that changed every time that I saw it (the different doctors) and some weird story called Revenge of the Bgrughans, or thereabouts. I did, however, realise that I was in the presence of something great. Years later, I then watched the Eccleston doctor and liked it, watched the Tennant doctor, and loved it and am now discovering the previous ones - Tom Baker is my favourite so far. So welcome back doctor. Here's to another spin through the Time Vortex on your blue box. EX-TER-MI-NATE! Delete!

Will you ever read about Maxwell T. Walters?

About 15 years ago - in 'the before time' - I wrote this short story about a private detective that could jump between dimensions. About 40 pages long, it was the first story I took to completion, instead of just exploding in the launch pad - I have about 10 of those.... Anyway, it's not a bad story, but in rectrospect - hindsight is a beautiful thing.... - it sounds really predictable and childish. Forward a decade. Just before I moved to the UK, I decided to have another go at the story. Max was at the back of my head, scratching to get out. So I kept the carachters, 'cos I thought there was potential there, changed the action from NY to London - even in the year 2105, might as well write about a city that I actually know.... - and adapted the whole interdimensional thing into something more (?) palatable. I then ran out of free time during my PhD. So Max, Jack and Ooze are still there, half emerged from my mind, running around the dirty back streets of the mega-metropolis that is Magna London. I hope you get to read them at some point. As the Brothers for Solar Unity would say: 'Stay in peace, all is One'.

I like cats, penguins, bats and wolfs.

The title says it all, really. I love animals, but these four are my favourites. Just wanted to mention them.

My time travel appeal.

Right, this should be easy. Time travel. Oh, yeah,it sounds dynamite on paper doesn't it? Going back in time, correcting things in your life. Or going to the future, and getting some technology that you can pass along as your invention. And then it all goes terribly, terribly wrong. You try and kill someone's mother before they were born, or you prevent your parents from meeting. It is a minefield, folks! I kid you not! Just go to see the pyramids being buit, or go for tea with Genghis Khan. That's fine. But be on guard at all times. You kill a bug, and millions of years later we all have gills. Hang on.... Ok, bad example, that would be a plus. But those are the exceptions. Just be very, very carefull, ok. Thank you.

My brother from another mother.

I met C - Gods, a lot of my friends and relations are named C - what, 15, 16 years ago? Maybe more. And it was a click from the word go. Same tastes, same vibe, finishing each other's sentences. That type of stuff. He's the One I call when I want to discuss interdimensional faster-than-light tranference of matter/spaceships and its use on planetary invasion/bombardments. And seriously, I don't know how all of you out there can maintain a shred of stability when you don't discuss interdimensional faster-than-light transference of matter/spaceships and its use on planetary invasion/bombardments on a weekly basis. He's just the best, and the best physiotherapist this side of Coruscant. You're the best, C!

Why do I like Sci-Fi so much?

I really don't know. Seriously. Don't have the slightest. I just....do. It started early, to be honest. My first toy wasn't a toy car, it was a toy space shuttle. It was the late 70's early 80's, the shuttle was the hottest thing ever. And the prototipe was the Enterprise. I mean, how perfect is that! Then came the novels, dozens of them. Then, I think, came Star Trek - The next generation. And it all went downhill from there. I just LOVED IT. Star Wars came in at some point before that, obviously. I know half the dialogue from Return of th Jedi by heart, how sad is that? And I became a consumer of the genre. Babylon 5 was a good one. The new Battlestar Galactica is also very very good. And I've recently found Dr. Who. It's quite the British institution, isn't it? But - and I don't know if this means that I'm turning native.... - it's just amazing. The quality of the stories on a shoestring budget.... I love it all....

R.I.P. Arthur C. Clark

We lost a great author today. A man, that, hand in hand with Carl Sagan made me want to be a scientist. The theme to 'Arthur C. Clark's Misterious World' brings shivers down my spine to this very day. And the program itself created my curiosity for borderline science - Atlantis, superhuman powers, etc. I have most of his books, and I love every single one of them. Resquiat In Pace, Mr. Clark, enjoy the heavens that you described so well to a wide-eyed pre-teen.

What would be my superpower....?

Right, this one is a tricky one, and something that has concerned me, in a way, over the last 20 years: what superpower would I pick? The problem is, we are spoiled for choice. To pick just one publisher, Marvel Comics has been pumping out super-powered creatures like there's no tomorrow, for the last 60 years. So, what to pick? Underwater breathing? Flight? Teleportation? Telepathy? Telekinesys? Invisibility? Shape-shifting? All of the above?

I guess that, if hard pressed, I would have to say pyrokinesys - ability to create/manipulate fire. Silly, I know, but there you go. Or telekinesys - moving stuff around with your mind. Another good one. Problem is, I KNOW that being bitten by a radioctive spider doesn't give you the proportional powers of a spider, it would give you a nasty poisoning and some creative decontamination at your local hospital....*sigh....*

Friends will be friends

Friends are a wonderful invention. Trully, they must be up there with fire, the weel and StarTrek, when it comes to the greatest inventions of Man. I've been blessed with a number of them - someone said that he that has a close friend is trully blessed - more than I deserve, I feel, at times. The are trully there for me, my personal Peter, the Rock upon whick I build my emotions and my well being. Amongst them, I need to mention T. We met going on 14 years now, and she has been the best and closest friend anyone could ask for. She has always been there, even at times when - by personal choice or not - no one else was. We have sometimes not seen eye-to-eye, but that just made it better in the long run, I think. I love you with all my heart, Doutora, and here's to another bunch of decades.

(Check out her blog, very good indeed, http://tsalm.blogspot.com/)