Monday, September 14, 2009

Catch up post

RIP Larry Gelbart. The comedy writer who brought us M*A*S*H, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Tootsie (among many other things) died last week at 81. Sources: LA Times c/o What's Alan Watching

The new fall season of TV has begun. There are several shows that have potential, but I don't know which will be worth DVR space. To decide for yourself, check out the following links:
* Futon Critic grid for what shows are playing when.
* Futon Critic review index.
* EW schedule for when each show starts.
* Zap2It Must See new show list.
* NJ.com mini reviews.

There have been a bunch of casting and renewal notices recently:
* Campbell Scott will be a regular on Damages next season (no word what this will mean for his Royal Pains character). Source: Ausiello Files
* TNT has renewed Leverage for a 15-episode 3rd season. Sources: Ausiello Files, Futon Critic
* Dollhouse casting: Summer Glau, Alexis Denisof, Keith Carradine, Jamie Bamber & Michael Hogan. Sources: Zap2It, Futon Critic, Ausiello Files
* Steven Spielberg will produce (and possibly direct) Michael Chricton's posthumous novel, Pirate Latitudes. Source: Zap2It
* Brandon Routh will have a recurring role on Chuck next season. Sources: Zap2It, Ausiello Files
* Garret Dillahunt will guest star on Burn Notice when it returns later this season.

There are some robotics experts who want to revise Asimov's 3 laws. Sources: Space.com, Wired

Sony officially unveiled their new ebook readers and are adopting the open EPUB format. Sources: Macworld, CNet Crave, Wired, Slashdot

Disney bought Marvel and all the characters they've created for $4 billion. Sources: SF Gate, NY Times, SciFi Wire (which has response from Stan Lee)

SF Signal pointed me to the Venn Diagram of Mythical Creatures. Very clever (although it includes a few I've never heard of and leaves off a couple).

Health & Science news:
* The blue dye in M&Ms & gatorade might help people recover from spine injuries. Rats were able to walk with a limp after 6 weeks if treated with dye. The only side effect: it turns the skin and eyes blue for a while. Unfortunately, the solution is so cheap they're having trouble getting drug companies to sponsor further testing. Sources: Wired, CNN, i09
* Shrinky Dinks find new use for microfluid diagnostic testing.
* Stem cell treatment is being used instead of hip replacements.

9-23 will be the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz, and it will be playing one day only around the country. If you want to see it, look here to see where it is playing.

September also marks the 107th anniversary of the first sci-fi film: A Trip to the Moon. Wired commemorated the event with an article and a photo gallery of their favorite sci-fi films (which were a very weird group).

Picture messaging will be enabled on iPhones 9/25. Apparently the last software update made it possible on 3G and 3GS phones, but AT&T didn't enable it right away.

Star Trek: The Experience is coming to the Tech Museum in San Jose.