blacksundae

A little while back, my girlfriend’s 9-year-old made a really neat lego Dalek. Since then, he’s created a second, alternate one plus the TARDIS and the Doctor himself. Take a look after the jump.

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I would enjoy Maureen Dowd’s columns a lot more if she got Aaron Sorkin to write all of them.

BARTLET I won’t lie to you, being fictional was a big advantage.

OBAMA What do you mean?

BARTLET I’m a fictional president. You’re dreaming right now, Senator.

OBAMA I’m asleep?

BARTLET Yes, and you’re losing a ton of white women.

OBAMA Yes, sir.

BARTLET I mean tons.

OBAMA I understand.

BARTLET I didn’t even think there were that many white women.

Link! Via MetaFilter

“Spaced,” the apparently brilliant comedy show from the creators of Sean of the Dead, is finally crossing the pond. Can’t wait.

A live picture of a spinning globe had been shown before BBC programmes since the Sixties. When colour came to BBC 1, a curved mirror was added behind the globe, and the effect this produced continued to be seen on screen for over fifteen years. But technology had moved on and time was running out for this mechanical symbol.

A solid state device had generated the symbol on BBC 2 since the end of the Seventies. Subsequently, electronic clocks on both networks had replaced the mechanical clocks. And in early 1984, work began on a project to generate a digital symbol for BBC 1 too.

Read on And here’s its last airing. [via Reddit]

First of all, copyright law. The latest twist in the kerfuffle comes from the makers of Phase II arguing amongst themselves. Marc Zicree, who had directed the Nebula-nominated episode, had issued a statement saying Phase II is a professional production. The scriptwriters were paid, and so were some of the cast and crew. And he says the show has tacit approval from Paramount, which owns the copyright to Star Trek.

But now, Phase II producer James Cawley has retorted that the production is definitely not professional, by any means. Apparently Cawley is worried that if Phase II starts claiming “professional” status (which is a vaguely worded requirement for Nebula inclusion) then Paramount will change its mind about approving of the production. He’d rather face the wrath of a few snippy science fiction writers than Paramount’s hordes of blood-thirsty lawyers.

Read on.