Buffy comic book keeps the series going

By ETHAN SACKS
McClatchy Tribune

Those fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer who didn't know the character is still kicking pointy teeth four years after the series finale shouldn't feel bad.

Creator Joss Whedon hasn't even told Sarah Michelle Gellar or the rest of the cast about the new comic series, which picks up where Season 7 of the hit television show ended.

"I have not told them," says the 43-year-old Whedon. "I can tell you right now what everyone's reaction would be: 'My nose doesn't look like that!' "

What the actors have been missing in Dark Horse Comics' Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 is the first four issues of a planned 40-issue run. The story, drawn by artist Georges Jeanty, pits the titular heroine against an army of zombies and a military of a more traditional kind. Issue No. 5 goes on sale Aug. 1.

After a series of frustrations in Hollywood — including the cancellation of a television series, Firefly; his abrupt divorce from Warner Bros.' Wonder Woman movie, which he was slated to write and direct; and the slow development of Goners, a supernatural thriller — Whedon said he needed an escape to the four-panel world of comic books.

Whedon has been working in the medium for the past few years. Scoring a gig writing Marvel Comics' Astonishing X-Men was a particular "nerdgasm," he explains.

"It's like a weekend at a spa," says Whedon, comparing the comic-book industry to Hollywood.

"You have a creative concept, and instead of going through an endless array of suits to realize it," he says, "instead of spending millions of dollars of someone else's money to realize it — which is why the suits come along — you give it to an artist."

There are other perks.

Whedon turned Buffy's sister Dawn Summers into a 50-foot giant, which would have blown an entire season's worth of special-effects budget in real, and reel, life.

"It gives us enormous freedom, particularly because our show was never terribly expensive," said Whedon. "There was just a limit on where our imaginations could go.

"I realized that there were lots of fun things I could do," says Whedon, "and with the exhaustion of seven seasons now passed, I see there was no reason we didn't have an eighth other than the physical grind of it."

Mmm Morena

Lovitz reportedly roughs up Andy Dick

Fight stems from long-running feud over the death of fellow comedian Phil Hartman

From wire and Internet reports

Two funny guys are having a feud that isn't even close to being humorous.

According to the New York Post, the animus between Jon Lovitz and Andy Dick, which has its roots in the slaying of Phil Hartman a decade ago, exploded in a fight last week at an L.A. comedy club when Lovitz roughed up Dick.

Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada said, "Jon picked Andy up by the head and smashed him into the bar four or five times, and blood started pouring out of his nose."

Lovitz and Dick reportedly have been feuding since a 1997 Christmas party at Hartman's house, five months before his wife, Brynn, fatally shot Hartman, then killed herself.

"Andy was doing cocaine, and he gave Brynn some after she had been sober for 10 years. Phil was furious about it — and then five months later he's dead," said Lovitz.

Last year, Lovitz related, a drunken Dick strolled up to his table at an establishment in West Hollywood, downed his guests' peach liqueur drinks, and "looked at me and said, 'I put the "Phil Hartman hex" on you — you're the next one to die.' I said, 'What did you say?' and he repeated it."

When the two ran into each other at the Laugh Factory last Wednesday, "I wanted him to say he was sorry for the 'Phil Hartman hex,' " Lovitz said. "First he says, 'I don't remember saying that.' Then he leans in and says, 'You know why I said it? Because you said I killed Phil Hartman.' Which I never said."

Of the fight, Lovitz said:

"I'm not proud of it ... but he's a disgusting human being."

Dick's rep said he had no comment on the feud.

Whew.

I can't stand Andy Dick, he is disgusting. - Marc

Torchwood Secrets To Be Revealed

John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack on the BBC Two's Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming second season will reveal more about his character's complicated backstory.

"Every day I come in, or every new script I get, I learn something new about my character, which keeps it fresh," Barrowman said in an interview at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., on July 13. "And it means that when I play things, I play them differently, because I know different things about him now."

The character of Captain Jack was introduced in a two-part episode of Doctor Who and went on to appear in the final five episodes of the first season. Later, he become the leader of a secret organization at the center of the spinoff show, Torchwood. How he got from one place and time to the other is a mystery that will gradually unfold over the course of Torchwood's second season.

"You don't know the exact date when Jack returned yet," Barrowman said. "We do know he was left on Satellite Five [at the end of season one of Doctor Who]. He was brought back to life. He then came back to Earth and arrived back in another time and had to live through it to get to the point where the Doctor came back. In [season] two of Torchwood, there's some of that revealed."

In his performance, Barrowman is also now bearing in mind an intriguing new piece of information about the character, which was slipped into the end of the recent third season of Doctor Who (currently airing on the SCI FI Channel). He couldn't talk about the twist in specifics, but he did say that it came as a shock, not only to him, but also to co-star David Tennant, who plays the Doctor.

"It's always something that takes you by surprise, otherwise it wouldn't be fiction," Barrowman said. "And I love that. And that script, when it came out, David read it. We were filming at the time, and he came running to my trailer and he went, 'F--k me. Have you read this?' And I went, 'No.' And he went, 'Oh, my God. Hurry up.' I went, 'Shut up and get out of my trailer. I'm not reading it yet.' ... So then I read it, and on a lunch break I ran to his trailer and knocked on the door, and he went, 'Well?' And I went, 'F--k me!' But it's absolutely brilliant."

Season two of Torchwood will also further develop the character of Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman, who will be making a guest appearance in three episodes.

"It's a perfect progression for her character," Barrowman said. "Because she develops such a strong character by the end of [season] three. So if Jack needs help, who else is he going to call? Jack trusted her to save the world. So did the Doctor. So who are you going to call? Martha Jones."

The third season of Doctor Who is currently running on SCI FI Channel Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Torchwood's first season will begin airing on BBC America on Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. —Cindy White

Who Writer Addresses Rumors

Steven Moffat, who has written some of the most memorable episodes of the BBC's new Doctor Who, told SCI FI Wire that fans have no cause to worry that the rumored departure of executive producer Russell T. Davies at the end of the fourth season will mean the end of the franchise, but he did not deny the rumor.

"I know that there's tremendous anxiety among Doctor Who fans about the future of Doctor Who," Moffat said in an interview at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting his upcoming BBC America series, Jekyll. "Here's an answer that people should listen to. No broadcaster lets go of a show like Doctor Who. They'd have to be out of their f--king minds."

The new iteration of Doctor Who premiered in 2005 and just completed its third season in the United Kingdom. Each season has seen a major casting change, and the fourth one will be no exception. Catherine Tate has been announced as the Doctor's new companion, reprising the role of Donna Noble from last year's Christmas special, The Runaway Bride.

Moffat pointed out that Doctor Who has managed to remain popular despite these changes and that the show is bigger than any one person.

"If Doctor Who demonstrates anything—any simple truth about television—it's that everyone is dispensable," he said. "Doctor Who is probably there forever. It will probably outlive everyone on [fan Web site] Outpost Gallifrey. That's probably the truth. I'm not saying that it will run continuously for 20 years. They might give it a rest for a while, but I wouldn't imagine Doctor Who would rest for very long now. But Doctor Who is completely safe. It's not in great danger. It's been the center of British culture since Kennedy was shot. I mean, it's not going away. Look, they turned it to s--t and took it off for 15 years, and that didn't kill it. I mean, what's going to kill it now? Success?"

When asked if he might be the one to take over should Davies leave the show, Moffat appeared slightly uncomfortable. "Next question," he answered after a long pause. "There's a lot of things to think about there." The third season of Doctor Who is currently running on SCI FI Channel Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT. —Cindy White

Marsters Gets Racy On Torchwood

John Barrowman, who plays Capt. Jack Harkness on the BBC's Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, told SCI FI Wire that a salacious comment made by guest star James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) at a recent convention about his character was a completely accurate description.

"That's right," Barrowman said in an interview at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., on July 13. "'You're going to have to go finish yourself off at the end of it.' And he's absolutely right. And we filmed that three days ago, and it took 12 hours. I can't tell you what that was like."

Marsters is best known for playing Spike, the platinum-blond, British-born vampire with a weakness for a certain chosen one on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series, Angel.

Julie Gardner, executive-producer of Torchwood, said that Marsters will play an "omnisexual" character who has a past connection to Barrowman's Capt. Jack.

"We're kind of really embracing the omnisexual word, aren't we?" Gardner said in a separate interview. "They should all fancy each other. I mean, when they're as sexy as they are, you just want to believe anything's possible. There's a very big story for him in episode one. He and Jack have a very big shared history."

Marsters is now filming his episode in Cardiff, Wales, and has been enjoying the experience, by all accounts. "I heard from [Who executive producer] Russell T. Davies today, and James is having a blast," Gardner said. "He's loving it. He's really, really happy."

Torchwood will return for a second season in the United Kingdom on BBC Two in early 2008. The first season premieres in the United States on BBC America on Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. —Cindy White

Duchovny: X-Files 2 Script Is Done

David Duchovny, who played special agent Fox Mulder on the television series The X-Files and in the 1998 feature film, told reporters that he will be getting a finished script of a proposed second movie this week. Speaking in a news conference at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. on July 14, Duchovny said that The X-Files creator Chris Carter drafted the new script with longtime producing partner Frank Spotnitz. (Duchovny was promoting his new Showtime series Californication.)

"Chris has written it with Frank Spotnitz, and Chris will direct it," Duchovny said. "And [co-star Gillian Anderson is] on board, and I'm on board, and that's all I can tell you. I mean, I'm looking forward to seeing what he did."

Rumors of a second film have been circulating since the previous one came out. This time, Duchovny said that the long-anticipated sequel project is finally moving forward.

"Before, I would just say that because they told me," Duchovny said. "But now I've been talking to Chris and he's been giving me progress reports. He actually called yesterday and said next week we should have something."

Duchovny added that he's looking forward to bringing back Mulder because "he's cool." Filming for the proposed stand-alone film would begin in November, with an eye toward release in the summer of 2008, he said. —Cindy White

Farscape Revived On SCIFI.COM

SCI FI Channel will revive its popular original show Farscape as a Web-based series of short films on SCIFI.COM's SCI FI Pulse broadband network, part of a slate of new original online programming.

SCI FI has ordered 10 webisodes of Farscape, to be produced by Brian Henson and Robert Halmi Jr. and produced by The Jim Henson Co., in association with RHI Entertainment.

The series will expand the Farscape universe, but the network had no announcements on casting or premiere dates.

Other new online series include SCI FI Tech, a companion to SCIFI.COM's SCI FI Tech blog, and Invent This!, which sets out to find the world's quirkiest inventions and get into the minds of the inventors behind each creation.

Ashes Flashes Back To '80s

Julie Gardner, executive producer of the upcoming BBC spinoff of the hit time-travel series Life on Mars, told SCI FI Wire that Ashes to Ashes will display the fashions of the 1980s in all their Day-Glo glory. "It's kind of Miami Vice in London," Gardner said in an interview at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. "It's all those things you remember, all those terrible fashion faux pas from the '80s. So it's big puff-ball skirts and bright colors and lipstick and big hair. ... We're gong to do all of that. And, hopefully, the occasional speedboat on the Thames or something."

Ashes to Ashes stars Keeley Hawes (MI-5) as deputy inspector Alex Drake, a modern-day police officer who finds herself in a predicament similar to that of Sam Tyler (John Simm) in Life on Mars. But instead of traveling back to the year 1973, Alex arrives in 1981. There she'll encounter unreconstructed detective chief inspector Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) and the rest of his team of officers.

Gardner said that there are hints in the final episode of Life on Mars that will explain how Alex happens to encounter the same characters. "There is a clue there about how you can sustain a format," she said. "Because there are some back-references to Life on Mars, but essentially Ashes to Ashes stands alone. And what's great for us is the central continuation. It's Gene Hunt, the character, and he's brought some of his team with him."

Although the central premises of the two shows are similar, the writers have been careful to differentiate Ashes to Ashes from its predecessor.

"Matthew Graham and the team, they've just come up with a fantastic way of how that central character, played by Keeley, a character called Alex, gets back into this world," Gardner said. "Looking at a different period, a different decade, looking at the '80s, immediately gives them a lot of new story, and there are huge twists and turns for what happens to Alex. And I'm really not going to reveal them. There's going to be lots of layers. In the same way that Sam had his own journey, lots of kind of layered backstories. Lots of questions about the world and quite what is happening."

The actors will gather next week in London for the first time to read through the first script in the series, which was written by creator and executive producer Matthew Graham. Ashes to Ashes will air in the United Kingdom next year. —Cindy White

R.I.P. Harry

Harry Chapin passed away on this date 26 years ago. I'll never forget that day.

HBO's Conchords takes flight

TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION FALL TOUR

By MIKE MCDANIEL
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — In the hilarious, self-spoofing, surreal HBO comedy Flight of the Conchords, New Zealanders Jemaine Clement and Bret Mc- Kenzie are living in New York City, trying to find places where they can perform their funny songs and awkwardly approaching women on the street and at parties. It's not unusual for them to break into song at any moment.

Refreshingly new and offbeat, Flight of the Conchords has made Clement and McKenzie two of the coolest cats on TV. Their fragile chemistry is in constant danger of being wrecked by one's devotion to a fan or another's connections to a girl or their inability to agree on a venue, but they are a team united by song and country, and inevitably stay friends.

In person, they are as deadpan and unassuming as they are in the show (9:30 p.m. Sundays), either unaware or not bothered by their sudden celebrity. Just seeing the two of them — Clement's the one with the goofy grin and black-rimmed glasses; McKenzie's the bearded one with the skinny ties — evokes a knowing grin from those who have seen their work.

Their onstage and on-screen personages are not far removed from what they are like in real life.

"I'm not sure that we're aware of the differences in our characters," said McKenzie. "We have exaggerated the stupidity, and Jemaine's much more of an (expletive). But there's a little bit of truth in them which makes them believable on-screen as well."

"That's why they work," says James Bobin, who with the boys created the series. "Jemaine and Bret are friends in real life, and that's why they have a natural rapport on-screen as well. And so even though they don't get along that well all the time, they can depend on each other, which is quite nice."

Their songs are a reflection of that familiarity and their humor.

How do they rate themselves as musicians?

"Bret's better than I am, and I'm worse than Bret is," says Clement.

"And I think we're both just above mediocre," says McKenzie.

They met as housemates, living with eight other people in New Zealand. There, they tried to learn guitar and tried playing other people's songs.

"That was too hard, so we started making up our own," says Clement.

"We started off playing small clubs, weddings and a local cricket club Christmas function," says McKenzie. "Eight years later, we're on TV. There was never a plan. We've just been incredibly lucky."

They scored an HBO special in 2005, then hooked up with Bobin for the series.

"Live we're looser and more improvised," says McKenzie. "A lot of comedy duos are competitive onstage, and I've always wanted to avoid that. But in order for the stories to last 30 minutes (for the series) we had to create more antagonism between the characters."

In the U.S., they gained a following through club appearances and on YouTube. With Conchords, obviously, their following is growing. In New Zealand?

"Well, we're on the news a lot, for having a show in America," says Clement. "We've been on TV more in New Zealand from being on the news than anything we've done there (on New Zealand TV)."

"It's a news story," says Bobin.

"Not the lead news story," says Clement. "There's also great irony in that New Zealand doesn't make very many or very many good comedy shows, and we were turned down for a show there."

Flight of the Conchords will premiere in New Zealand this fall.

So what's the coolest thing about living in America?

Clement: "People are friendly."

McKenzie: "Paying taxes to George Bush is a real treat."

Clement: "What Bret means to say is the people are friendly."

August Meteor Shower Will Be 'A Great Show'

Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
SPACE.com Thu Jul 12, 1:00 PM ET

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a great show this year, peaking in mid-August with a display of dozens of shooting stars each hour.

The Moon will be out of the way, leaving dark skies for good viewing as Earth plunges through an ancient stream of comet debris. Little bits, most no larger than sand grains, will vaporize in Earth's atmosphere, creating sometimes-dramatic "shooting stars."

"It's going to be a great show," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. "The Moon is new on August 12, which means no moonlight, dark skies and plenty of meteors."

How many?

This year the Perseid meteor shower could deliver one or two visible streaks every minute during peak times, Cooke said in a statement yesterday. Urban skywatchers will see fewer due to local light pollution.

The meteors in this shower all appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus. The best times to watch will be late night Aug. 12 through dawn Aug. 13.

"The August Perseids are among the strongest of the readily observed annual meteor showers, and at maximum activity nominally yield 90 or 100 meteors per hour," said Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching columnist. "However, observers with exceptional skies often record even larger numbers."

Observing tips

To see the show, one need only find a comfortable spot with a clear view of the northeast horizon, away from local lights. A dark rural location is best. Lay back on a blanket or lounge chair and scan the entire sky. In the late evening, starting around 9 p.m. local time, sharp-eyed observers might see "earthgrazing" meteors that skim the northeast horizon.

"Earthgrazers are long, slow and colorful," Cooke said. "They are among the most beautiful of meteors." But don't expect more than a handful in an hour, he said.

Later and during the overnight hours, the shooting stars will be higher in the sky as Perseus rises. Some skywatchers enjoy counting the number of meteors they see per minute, per hour or during a 15-minute interval and comparing notes.

Telescopes and binoculars are no help, as the meteors move too swiftly and are best observed with the naked eye.

Just Like an Angry Woman

Through miles of sand and bleached white dirt
They shambled on til their ankles hurt
The buzzards sailed high overhead
Riding on currents of thick hot dread
And the sun burned their hearts like an angry woman
It scorched their souls like an angry woman
Oh, like an angry woman

And then out of the west blew a breeze of luck
Eighteen wheels on a big black truck
An angel of mercy that was wrapped in steel
With an unwashed man stinkin' up behind the wheel
And the road stretched on like an angry woman
And the cab smelled like french fries like an angry woman
Phee-yew... An angry woman (What's that smell?)

Sun dropped low down in the sky
Like a pair of pants on an urban guy
Their stomachs cried out with a rumbling roar
Til they just 'bout near couldn't walk no more
They tried to eat a cactus like an angry woman
And scorpions chased them down like an angry woman
An angry woman...

He drove fast, he drove far,
He busted them dunes in his big ole car
The buzzards fled at the sight of him
The sight of the one that they call Grim
They went over the speed limit like an angry woman
They caused property damage like an angry woman
Oh man, just like an angry woman

Sung like Johnny Cash. From The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.

30,000 Pounds of Bananas

Friday the 13th Birthdays

1957 - Cameron Crowe
1946 - Cheech Marin
1942 - Harrison Ford
1940 - Patrick Stewart

Tate Joins Doctor Who

British comic actress Catherine Tate will play the Doctor's newest companion in the BBC's upcoming fourth season of Doctor Who, the BBC announced. Tate will reprise the role of Donna, the runaway bride from the 2006 Christmas special.

Tate will join star David Tennant for the complete 13-week run of the new season, which is due to begin filming in Cardiff, Wales, later this month.

Freema Agyeman, who played the Doctor's companion, Martha Jones, in the third season, will return in the middle of the coming season. The third season of Doctor Who recently ended in the United Kingdom; it begins running on SCI FI Channel in the United States on July 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Agyeman, meanwhile, will play Martha Jones in three episodes of spinoff show Torchwood, which producers have said will expand her character.

The fourth season of Doctor Who is due to debut on BBC One in spring 2008. A Christmas special starring Tennant and Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue will air in December in the United Kingdom.

New Trek movie news

TrekMovie.com reported a rumor that Industrial Light & Magic will provide the visual effects for J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek movie and that the starship Enterprise will appear in the film in some form.

Doctor Who Season 3 (US) premiere tonight on SciFi

Rhinocerous cops, villains made entirely of leather, and a London hospital relocated to the surface of the moon all feature in this charming, hilarious third-season opener of the British sci-fi series. The episode also provides David Tennant's time-traveling alien title character with a new assistant: med student Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). By the look of things, they may soon be playing doctor. Well, technically, it would be alien doctor. But that sounds a lot less sexy. Or does it?

Astros Win!

We went to tonight's game, it was another good one with a homerun to end it in the 9th inning.

Everytime Biggio came up to bat, he got a standing ovation, it was nice.

Former teammate Jeff Bagwell was there to congratulate Craig Biggio after reaching the 3,000-hit milestone.

Congrats Craig!!

Biggio has hit 2998 and 2999 tonight...

And the game is still going on.

We have tickets to tomorrow night's game.

Sonic DS Title Developing

Sega announced the development of Sonic Rush Adventure for the Nintendo DS hand-held gaming system. Sonic Rush Adventure will make use of both screens to navigate the high seas in search of pirate treasure and deliver Sonic's classic high-speed 2-D gameplay, the company said.

Developed by Sega Studios, Sonic Rush Adventure for the DS will be available in fall 2007.

Sonic Rush Adventure is the sequel to Sonic Rush and invites players to blast through seven action-packed levels that continue the gameplay experience of the original title.

Rockies may be ideal opponent for Biggio

Batting average vs. Colorado best against any NL club

By BRIAN McTAGGART
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

MILWAUKEE — There's a whirlwind of emotions inside Craig Biggio. He's increasingly excited the closer he gets to reaching 3,000 hits, but the Astros' awful play tempers the enthusiasm.

"It's a lot better when we are winning," Biggio said Wednesday after the Astros were swept by first-place Milwaukee with a 6-3 loss in 11 innings.

Biggio wasn't in the starting lineup in the final game of the road trip, but he pinch-hit in the 11th against Brewers reliever Dave Bush and popped out trying to put down a sacrifice bunt.

Biggio remains at 2,997 hits as the Astros open an 11-game homestand tonight at Minute Maid Park against Colorado. The Astros expect standing-room-only crowds for all four games of the Rockies series.

"I'm excited about it," Biggio, 41, said. "I don't know what the number (of career hits) was before we left (on the road trip), but we had a nice little homestand and swung the bats well, and the fans started getting energized.

"I went home one night and felt a little giddy because they were getting me excited and pumped about it. I think it's going to be a pretty nice little atmosphere going on."

Biggio's career .347 batting average against Colorado is his highest against any National League team. He's 3-for-9 in his career against Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook (4-5, 4.93 ERA), who will start tonight.

"He has been a great player, and it is a great milestone that says so much about not only his ability but his durability and determination," Cook told the Rocky Mountain News. "I would just as soon have him wait a few days (to reach 3,000), but it will be a special moment when the hit does come."

Biggio's immediate family was with him during the road trip, and he's expecting more family and friends in Houston tonight. But Biggio is letting wife Patty handle all those details, and he wants to know as little as possible about the Astros' plans for a ceremony.

"The wife is doing it all," he said. "She's doing a pretty good job. I think everybody understands the situation, and she's got it all worked out. We'll go home and see what happens."

Rockies outfielder Willy Taveras, who was traded from the Astros to Colorado along with pitchers Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz last offseason, admires Biggio.

"You think of his career — an All-Star catcher and second baseman, and he also started in center field," Taveras said. "That shows you how good he was and how much he meant for the team. He worked hard, learned new positions, and played them well. When you were a young player, Biggio and (Jeff) Bagwell were the guys who made sure you understood the game."

Biggio has six three-hit games this year, including three in June. If he doesn't reach the 3,000-hit milestone tonight, he'll try Friday against Rockies pitcher Josh Fogg, against whom Biggio is 8-for-33 (.242).

"What's amazing is how hard he has played for 20 years and how durable he has been," Fogg said. "When I was a kid, I was watching him, and he was a great player. Now I'm getting older, and he's still going."

Hopefully we are going to the game tomorrow night!! - Marc

Whedon Auctions Dinner For Charity

Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is auctioning off himself—that is to say, dinner with him—to benefit Equality Now, a charity that promotes equal rights for and fights violence and discrimination against women around the world.

Fans can bid for one of five seats at a private dinner with Whedon, who also created Firefly/Serenity and Angel, at Comic-Con International. "For three hours, Joss gets to be your biggest fan," Whedon writes on his official auction page on eBay.

The dinner is being sponsored by Dark Horse Comics, which is currently publishing Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer season-eight comic series, and MySpace.com. Auction Cause is handling the auction.

The auction will also feature other items, including a watch and autographed comics. The auction kicks off July 2.

100 Blogs We Love

By the Editors of PC World

Here are our favorite stops in the blogosphere, covering everything from high tech to low comedy and all manner of pursuits in between.

How big is the blogosphere? In April the blog search engine Technorati reported that it was tracking 70 million blogs, with 120,000 new ones arriving every day. In such a huge universe, the signal-to-noise ratio is bound to be daunting, but we'll share with you the ones we've found worthy.

In compiling our list, we realized that reasonable men and women may disagree on the definition of a blog. For example, we quickly discarded the notion that a blog must be the work of an individual: Some of the best, including, and we hope you'll agree, our own Today @ PC World, are the work of many people. But we all agreed that a good blog has at least some element of voice: The people who write it express an opinion in the words they write and the images they include.

Of course, lots of the blogs we read deal with technology. But hey, we have personal lives, too. We like the recipes at Slashfood, the animation at Cartoon Brew, even the adorably over-the-top photos at Cute Overload.

Burn Notice

from Bruce's website...

USA Network has a fancy new spy-turned-one-man-A-team premiering this month called Burn Notice, starring that dude from Touching Evil, that chick from Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead, and that guy from Sundown: A Vampire in Retreat.

Bruce plays Sam Axe, a Jimmy-Buffet-shirt-wearing former special ops warrior who has devoted his post-conflct years to drinking as many and having as much sex on the beach as possible.

Burn Notice starts June 28th at 10PM on USA and is so far scheduled for 13 episodes. We're all very excited and trust that both of the people who routinely visit Bruce Campbell Online will watch, TiVo, iTune, or Joost every episode (people who own Zunes are not allowed to watch).

USA Network's Page
Click Here to See a Video Interview with Bruce

Bruce Campbell Online

Dry cleaner wins missing pants case

A judge ruled Monday in favor of a dry cleaner that was sued for $54 million over a missing pair of pants.

I am so glad the dry cleaner won this case. I cannot tell you here what I think should happen to the judge that filed suit against these poor people. - Marc

Vacation!

We went on vacation the past several days. I'll try to post details later. We had a really good time.

Trek Script Done, Shoots In Fall

Roberto Orci, who with writing partner Alex Kurtzman is scripting the new Star Trek movie, told SCI FI Wire that they have finished the script are in preproduction on the movie, which will go into production in November under director J.J. Abrams. "We're still casting," Orci said while promoting his next film, Michael Bay's Transformers. "We're in preproduction, actually, this month."

While revealing little about the 11th Trek film's top-secret plot, Orci offered a few tidbits. "Kirk is in the movie," he said. "Some kind of Kirk. ... We literally haven't cast them yet. It's actually one of the challenges, and so we're hoping to have something by Comic-Con [in San Diego in July], but we'll see."

Orci added that producers are wrestling with whom to cast. "That's one of the debates, you know?" he said. "Like, how much does a familiar face hurt or not?" As for rumors that Matt Damon is in line for Kirk or Adrien Brody for Spock, Orci would only smile. "I've read all those rumors, too."

Is the Trek movie being eyed as the kickoff of a possible TV series? "I'm sure CBS is thinking about that," he said. "That's not [something] we're thinking about. We're just thinking about the movie. Certainly, I don't know how they could not think about that."

Larroquette Tapped for 'Boston Legal'

John Larroquette will join ABC's David E. Kelley drama Boston Legal next season as a senior partner from the New York offices of Crane Poole & Schmidt who transfers to the Boston office. No other details were released about his storyline.

The show also announced that Christian Clemenson (who plays Jerry ''Hands'' Espenson, a lawyer and friend of James Spader's character, Alan Shore) has been made a series regular for next season, and that Tara Summers (Dirt) has been added to the cast as a younger associate at the Boston offices.

Meanwhile, a rep for Twentieth Century Fox Television, which produces Boston Legal with Kelley, says that cast members Julie Bowen (Julie MUST be a regular! OMG! Mmmmm), Mark Valley, Rene Auberjonois, and Constance Zimmer will not be series regulars next season.

This will be Larroquette's second stint as a lawyer. He is perhaps still best known for his previous role as the libido-ravaged Dan Fielding on Night Court, a role which earned him four Emmys in the 1980s. Clemenson previously starred in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. He won an Oustanding Guest Actor Emmy in 2006 for his role on Boston Legal, which is scheduled to start production on its fourth season on June 27.

Father's Day was good, I'll try to post details later...

Irregular 'Flight' Patterns

Conchords ''is a difficult thing to describe. It's a musical comedy. Something like Curb Your Enthusiasm crossed with The Monkees''

Are these guys joking? Usually. But Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, long billed as ''New Zealand's fourth-most-popular folk-parody duo,'' are serious about conquering America. Though each of the Kiwi natives has film credits of his own — Clement, 33, stars in the quirky love story Eagle vs Shark (opening this weekend; see EW review) while 31-year-old Mackenzie's role as an eye-catching elf in 2003's Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had online admirers calling him ''Figwit'' (''Frodo Is Great — Who Is That?'') — the two-man band is ready for TV stardom.

The onetime college roommates portray New York newcomers who are clueless about cracking the music scene in the new HBO comedy series they co-created, Flight of the Conchords (debuts Sunday, June 17, at 9:30 p.m.). Building on an international following of fans who love their droll lyrics and deadpan delivery, they'll play Bonnaroo June 16-17 and record a new CD in July. Clement and McKenzie spoke to EW about dayjobs, girlfriends, and Daryl Hall.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Describe your new HBO series.
JEMAINE CLEMENT: There are a lot of difficult situations that lead to awkwardness. We usually have one big awkward scene every show. I wouldn't say it's exactly like The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm, where it's all awkward, all the way. But there's always some element of that.
BRET MCKENZIE: It's a difficult thing to describe. It's a musical comedy. Something like Curb Your Enthusiasm crossed with The Monkees.
CLEMENT: Trying to describe it, we always fail to do it in a very appetizing way.

Would it be accurate to call it semi-improvised?
MCKENZIE: We write full scripts, so we have a structure, and we improvise off that. Looking at the edits, I'd say there are large portions of improvised stuff. You can see the life in the takes when it's improvised. It's quite clear — there are moments that seem too unexpected to be scripted.

In one episode, Bret calls home to New Zealand from New York and mentions he's not carrying a gun. Was that based on a myth New Zealanders have about us?
MCKENZIE: I guess so.... But doesn't everyone have a gun here?
CLEMENT: I had a guy from New Zealand stay on my couch who was almost terrified to go outside, based on movies that he saw in the '80s. He's realizing now that it's fine. It's America's own fault, though. That's the way it portrays itself.
MCKENZIE: Star Wars really made it confusing.
CLEMENT: That's not set in America.
MCKENZIE: Oh, right. Well I, actually, I expected the Ewoks to be here. I was really disappointed.

Your characters room together — how much did your days as roommates inform those scenes?
CLEMENT: We didn't literally live in the same room, like on the series.
MCKENZIE: The show is mainly influenced by our experiences touring and performing as a band.
CLEMENT: Actually, when we'd first come to the States and do shows, we'd share a hotel room. We wouldn't now. We wouldn't be able to take it, because we spend so much time together filming and writing.
MCKENZIE: We've traveled to Europe, we've played Edinburgh a lot, [but for the series] we've drawn a lot on the days when we were drawing crowds of five people. Our desperate years.
CLEMENT: We both had pretty bad jobs when we were roommates. You saw the episode where Bret has to hold a sign? Well, he once had a job where he had to dress up as a boat. Like a tugboat, and give out fliers for rides on the boat. I haven't done anything as embarrassing as that.

What made you decide to form a musical duo?
MCKENZIE: We started the band in 1998. I was a musician. Jemaine wasn't. We were students, and we wanted to learn how to play guitar, so we started writing songs, 'cause we weren't capable of playing other people's songs.
CLEMENT: We were both sick of doing auditions for crappy American TV movies and for TV shows in New Zealand, and we'd never get them, or the parts would never suit us. And I remember, we had a big discussion: ''Oh, let's do a band, then.'' We made up a few songs. And we just kept doing it.
MCKENZIE: Most of our early songs are based on one chord. As the years have gone on, now we're up to seven chords.

And why did you name yourselves ''Flight of the Conchords''?
MCKENZIE: There isn't really a good story. Other than...we shared...a dream. A vision. [Laughs] Jemaine's explanation will be completely different.
CLEMENT: It was just, like, a last-minute thing. We had a gig and we didn't have a name. We had to come up with something quickly. We were considering ''Tanfastic.'' Which is the name of a suntan lotion.

Do you miss New Zealand?
JEMAINE CLEMENT: I miss the city Bret and I live in, Wellington. It's a good place to be creative, in the same way New York is.
BRET MCKENZIE: I definitely miss New Zealand. Mainly friends and family. [Wellington] is a very small town. It's strange, though — that small town quality is actually kind of similar to the East Village. New York has small towns within it, I think.
CLEMENT: We're sort of in a group of people back home — Taika Waititi, who directed and wrote Eagle vs Shark, is one, and me and Bret and a couple other guys.... There are [artistic cliques] like that here.

Jemaine, didn't you film most of Eagle vs Shark in Wellington?
CLEMENT: Yeah, I loved doing that.

Why?
CLEMENT: I enjoyed not having that responsibility of having written [Eagle vs Shark]. I just didn't have to worry about that part of it. And my character Jarrod — I like the guy. It was like playing someone playing a character. He's acting all the time. I like to think of him as a really nice guy who just got beaten up so much that he learned not to act nice. Even though he was. Some people who've seen it are like, ''That guy is such a jerk! Why does Lily like him?'' But I like to imagine that underneath, he's not a jerk.

What's the key to your partnership? Are you two opposites?
CLEMENT: I don't know if we're opposites. We like the same music: Parliament. Stevie Wonder. Wings.
MCKENZIE: Leonard Cohen. Cat Stevens. Beck. Neil and Tim Finn. Crowded House, right, has Neil Finn and Tim Finn in it? Neil Finn's kind of the Paul McCartney of New Zealand. Part of being a New Zealander is liking [his] music.
CLEMENT: Like part of being an American is liking Bruce Springsteen.
MCKENZIE: We have different tastes in comedy. But they generally align. And I think we have different skills...Jemaine's grumpy, and I'm moody.

Really. How else might we be able to tell you apart?
MCKENZIE: I'm easy to get along with, and intolerant.
CLEMENT: Unlike me, you mean.
MCKENZIE: Jemaine's very tolerant but difficult to get along with.
CLEMENT: Yeah, they don't get along with me, but I get along with other people.

Looking back at the FotC shoot, are there scenes you particularly enjoyed?
MCKENZIE: One of my favorites is when I get to throw a peanut butter sandwich in Jemaine's face.
CLEMENT: He did enjoy that! Definitely. He put a lot into that. [I liked] a scene where our characters were peer-pressured into taking acid. Two new fans think we're really rock-and-roll, so we try to act more rock-and-roll in front of them. We go into a psychedelic song, running around the forest in Beatles clothes.... Bret was so excited the other day [when] we had a cameo by Daryl Hall. And he was really good. A natural actor.
MCKENZIE: That was a seminal moment of my life. I never thought I'd actually get to meet Hall from Hall and Oates. He was very personable. He was really into the comedy of the scene and played it really well.
CLEMENT: We're Hall and Oates fans. We always wanted our apartment on the show decorated with their posters, but weren't allowed to [due to] copyright stuff.

Your supporting cast is strong. Do any of them really crack you up?
JEMAINE CLEMENT: Kristin Schaal, who plays the fan...Our friend Arj Barker, who plays Dave. He's one of my favorite standups...I really love working with Rhys Darby — he plays our manager. I always laugh doing scenes with him.

He had a line, ''Girlfriends and bands don't mix.'' Meanwhile, your characters are all about the ladies. Is that art imitating life? Have you been doing the whole dating-in-New York thing?
CLEMENT: We've imported our New Zealand girlfriends here. They love it. They're not allowed to work. They don't have work permits. I think that would be great, if I could be in a city and wasn't even allowed to work. It's a good city to do that. And we're lucky — we've got jobs so we can look after them here.

Ever sense, after being so well-received abroad, anything is lost in translation when you perform for American audiences?
CLEMENT: I think there's something gained. Because, you know, we're quite low energy. And that's unusual here. I mean, some American comedians, like Stephen Wright, are deadpan. But usually people are running on stage with their hands up in the air. And we just...sit there. I think people find that funny, that we're not shouting. There's something funny about being on a big stage and not making a big effort to fill it up. We try to entertain people with our little songs and small gestures.

Do you sometimes feel like ambassadors for your country?
BRET MCKENZIE: I think once the show's on TV, yeah, we could become — what do you call them? — mascots for New Zealand. Which is quite concerning, because we portray New Zealanders as total idiots. At the moment, they're proud of our success — we're on the news every few weeks — but they don't know how stupid we're gonna make them look. When you think of famous New Zealanders, there aren't many. There's Crowded House. The guy who sang ''How Bizarre.'' Edmund Hillary. He climbed Mount Everest. Some people have heard of him. Peter Jackson. And if our show's a success, Bret and Jemaine.

Speaking of Peter Jackson and his trilogy, Bret, you flirted with worldwide fame after one tiny role made you a Middle-Earth heartthrob. Did you love or hate that?
MCKENZIE: I was very concerned that I would be forever known as the guy who was the elf. But now it looks like I'll be known as the musical comedy guy. Which is good news for me. Or I'll be known as the New Zealand idiot.

How to download DS demos

Download DS demos from the Net for free with your PC Wi-Fi card

All DS How To Guides on PocketGamer.co.uk.

Father's Day is coming up *wink* *wink*

Target has this guitar on sale -

Gibson Epoch Electric Guitar Pack for $89.00.





But I'd rather have this one -

Lyon by Washburn Electric Guitar for $149.99








OK, how about Ghost Rider on DVD then? :-)


OK, how about just spending time with my kids and doing some things I'd like to do (like putting in some 'new to me' computer parts)?

Flight of the Conchords series starts June 17th!!

Watch the entire first episode of Flight of the Conchords now!

Flight of the Conchords follows the trials and tribulations of a two-man, New Zealand digi-folk band as they make their way in New York City. The band is made up of Bret McKenzie on guitar and vocals, and Jemaine Clement on guitar and vocals.

Connery Not Doing Indy 4

Laying to rest months of rumors, Sean Connery said that he will not reprise the role of Henry Jones in the upcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie in a statement posted on the official Indiana Jones Web site.

"I get asked the question so often, I thought it best to make an announcement," the 76-year-old actor said. "I thought long and hard about it, and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement, it would have been an Indiana Jones film. I love working with [director] Steven [Spielberg] and [producer] George [Lucas], and it goes without saying that it is an honor to have Harrison [Ford] as my son. But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun."

Connery, who played Indy's dad in 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, retired from acting in 2005. He had this advice for Ford, who turns 65 in July and whom he referred to as "junior": "Demand that the critters be digital, the cliffs be low and for goodness sake keep that whip by your side at all times in case you need to escape from the stunt coordinator! This is a remarkable cast, and I can only say, 'Break a leg, everyone.' I'll see you on May 22, 2008, at the theater!"

Indiana Jones 4 will co-star Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone and John Hurt. It's in preproduction.

Fans Invited To Write Trek Story

Star Trek actors George Takei and Wil Wheaton and writer Andre Bormanis have teamed up with FanLib.com and CBS Interactive for Kirk vs. Picard, an event in which fans will be invited to write pieces of a new online Trek narrative.

The event, which kicks off June 13, marks the first time that CBS has ever allowed the use of Star Trek characters for an official online fan-writing event, organizers said.

The storyline will require that Capt. James T. Kirk be pitted somehow against Capt. Jean-Luc Picard.

Takei (Sulu) and Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) will act as online "hosts" for the endeavor. Bormanis will moderate and help fans navigate the site.

Writers of winning scenes and several other winners will be featured prominently online during the event and will win prizes, including a trip to Las Vegas with a VIP tour of Star Trek: The Experience, Apple MacBook computers, an Apple iPhone and Star Trek merchandise and memorabilia.

Paris Hilton heads back to jail, screaming

LOS ANGELES — Screaming and crying, Paris Hilton was escorted out of a courtroom and back to jail today after a judge ruled that she must serve out her entire 45-day sentence behind bars rather than in her Hollywood Hills home.

"It's not right!" shouted the weeping Hilton, who violated her parole in a reckless driving case. "Mom!" she called out to her mother in the audience.

Hilton, who was brought to court in handcuffs in a sheriff's car, came into the courtroom disheveled and weeping, hair askew, sans makeup, wearing a gray fuzzy sweatshirt over slacks.

She cried throughout the hearing, her body shook constantly and she dabbed at her eyes. Several times she turned to her parents, seated behind her in the courtroom, and mouthed, "I love you."

Ha Ha!! - Marc

James Gunn's blog

R-rated but hilarious.

This is Jenna Fischer's husband.

James Gunn

Can't Stop the Serenity

No Houston dates. :-(

Fans of the science fiction movie 'Serenity' will be holding screenings in 51 cities in nine countries to raise money and awareness for Equality Now, an international women's rights advocacy group. In its second year, Can't Stop The Serenity looks to raise over $100,000 in donations for the charity.

Bush presses lawmakers to pass immigration bill

Write your congressmen, tell them not pass this crap, tell them you will not vote for them if they do. - Marc

WASHINGTON — President Bush challenged lawmakers today to have the political courage to pass an immigration bill amid intense pressure from critics who call it amnesty and advocates who believe the current system is broken.

Bush stressed that while voting for the bill might be politically risky, he does not think the measure itself is risky.

"This is a difficult issue for a lot of folks," the president said. "I understand that. But because it's difficult probably means we need to work doubly hard to get it done. And now's the time to get it done.

"No matter how difficult it may seem for some politically, I strongly believe it's in this nation's interest for people here in Washington to show courage and resolve and pass a comprehensive immigration reform."

Bush was working to bolster support for a bipartisan measure — one of his top domestic priorities — that lawmakers will address when they return from recess early next week. A bill being discussed would legalize millions of illegal immigrants, tighten border security and mandate that employers verify they are hiring legal workers.

The bill includes conservative-backed initiatives such as the worker verification program to prevent illegal immigrants from getting jobs, and a new point system to prioritize skills and education over family in deciding who can immigrate in the future.

Liberals decry the point scheme as unfair to families and are vehemently opposed to a guest worker program that would allow laborers to come to the U.S. for temporary stints without a guarantee they would be able to stay and eventually gain citizenship.

But it also includes a long-sought liberal priority: granting legal status to the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Conservatives view that as an unacceptable amnesty program.

"This bill isn't amnesty," Bush said. "For those who call it amnesty, they're just trying to, in my judgment, frighten people about the bill. This bill is one that says we recognize that you're here illegally and there's a consequence for it. We can argue about the consequences, but you can't argue about the fact that there are consequences in this bill for people who have broken our law."

And if you don't understand why you should oppose this, Kennedy wants it passed. 'Nuff said. - Marc

Prepare for weather disasters

From CNet...

Keep an eye on the weather and your important digital data with a collection of downloads designed for hurricane season.

1. Tracking the Eye - This top-rated weather tool provides real-time satellite images, extensive data, and public advisories about hurricanes.

2. Backup-2006 Studio - Save your important information to a network location or burn your critical data to CD or DVD with this flexible backup software with encryption.

3. Everything I Own - Take inventory of all your home valuables with this cataloging software.

4. The Weather Channel Desktop - This free weather program's Storm Tracker feature lets you view radar images of prominent storms and provides relevant news items.

5. TechRepublic's Disaster Planning and Recovery Pack - The articles in TechRepublic's PDF sampler offer helpful advice for coping with a disaster.

2007 VH1 Rock Honors Award Show - Tonight!

Featuring Heart! May 24th. 8 pm Central

This year's honorees are some of rock's biggest superheroes - ZZ Top, Ozzy Osbourne, Genesis and Heart.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow up - I watched the ZZ Top and Heart parts, I enjoyed this alot.

I love this one - Heart's Mistral Wind (OK, I love them all) - live from Largo Maryland in 1978

Heart’s live performance of ‘Dreamboat Annie’ to air on DirecTV

Iconic rock group Heart took the stage at The Orpheum Theatre in front of a live audience to perform their spectacular debut album ‘Dreamboat Annie’ in its entirety for the first time, for a DirecTV special. The performance will air Mother’s Day weekend, starting May 11th, and will be released as a live DVD and CD on Shout! Factory in October.

‘Dreamboat Annie’ is the first release in Shout! Factory’s new DVD/CD series ‘Legendary Albums Live,’ which will feature unforgettable bands performing their quintessential albums live, in sequence, and in their entirety. The artists will also perform songs by the musicians they were listening to at the time for inspiration, and give exclusive interviews.

‘Legendary Albums Live’ is a partnership between Shout! Factory and DirecTV, and the recordings are produced by Shout! Factory-owned Blaze TV. DirecTV will air these memorable performances, and they will subsequently be made available for purchase on DVD and CD through Shout! Factory.

‘Dreamboat Annie,’ released in 1976, was the foundation of Heart’s legacy and went on to sell over 3 million copies. Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, the creative spark behind Heart, wrote all of the songs on the album, including the hits “Crazy on You” and “Magic Man.”

As part of the ‘Legendary Albums Live’ program, fans of the band will also be treated to rousing renditions of songs by The Who and Led Zeppelin, and an interview with the band in which they will put the album in historical context.

Anyone have DirecTV? Did you catch this? Was it great? - Marc

Here's a video from that performance on YouTube - Magic Man

U2 3D movie preview/trailer

Backstage with Heart at VH1 Rock Honors

STARCRAFT2 ingame vid

The Bionic Woman Sneak Preview

Conan - William Shatner Woo!

Starcraft II announced!

Q&A session details Starcraft II

SEOUL--After announcing that a Starcraft sequel is in the works, Blizzard Entertainment held a follow-up press conference for reporters from Asia Pacific, American, and European territories. The conference included a panel of the studio's heaviest hitters, including president Mike Morhaime, chief operating officer Paul Sams, vice president of creative development Chris Metzen, vice president of game design Rob Pardo, Blizzard Korea managing director Jungwon Han, lead game producer Chris Sigaty, and lead game designer Dustin Browder.

The panel answered questions on numerous topics, including Starcraft II's development history, which Pardo expained "started shortly after Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne" back in 2003. According to Pardo, the game is "very far along," and that the game is already playable in multiplayer with all three factions. When asked about the release date, Pardo gave the answer you may have come to expect from Blizzard: "The game will be released when it's ready."

More to read at the link above...

Of Gods and Men

Interesting.

An independent Star Trek movie - Of Gods and Men.

The Jazz Suck

I hated them for beating the Houston Rockets in the first round. Now I hate them more for beating Golden State in the second round.

Andrei Kirilenko, you suck. The flop you gave near the end of the game giving Matt Barnes his sixth foul was effing ridiculous.

Derek Fisher, you have sucked for a long time.

Mehmet Okur, you suck.

Please Spurs or Suns, sweep these asswipes in the Western Conference Finals.

I used to really like Stockton and Malone while alot of folks hated them. I hate this current Jazz team. Please go away.

5-20-07 OK, I don't really hate them. I just dislike them a whole lot and don't want them to win. I think the Spurs will be able to take them. Oh, and for completely different reasons, Bill Maher and Alec Baldwin suck.

Serenity Collector's Edition

Universal has announced a new two-disc collector's edition of Serenity which stars Nathan Fillion. This Joss Whedon directed sci-fi will be available to own from the 21st August, and should retail at around $26.98. The film itself will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, along with English Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1 Surround tracks. Extras will include a audio commentary with Whedon, a second commentary with Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau and Ron Glass, a Joss Whedon intro, deleted scenes with director commentary, extended scenes, outtakes, and a Take A Walk On Serenity featurette. Completing the package will be a Green Clan featurette, a We'll Have A Fruity Oaty Good Time! feature, A Filmmaker's Journey featurette, a Future History: The Story Of Earth That Was featurette, a Re-lighting The Firefly featurette, a What's In A Firefly? featurette, a Session 416 feature, and a Sci-Fi Inside: Serenity feature.

Your Mother renewed.

"How I Met Your Mother," which has been picked up for a third season. CBS' most buzzworthy laffer might seem to be a no-brainer for renewal, but CBS execs make producers sweat it out until the last minute.

Good I like this show. I guess we won't see Robin any more though. :-(

Clemens agrees to re-sign with Yankees

ST. LOUIS — The New York Yankees never stopped calling Roger "I'm an effing jerk for going back to the Yankees too" Clemens, offering him George Steinbrenner's riches for four months of services. Astros owner Drayton McLane and general manager Tim Purpura had preliminary talks, but they were hesitant to discuss anything beyond a three-month tour for the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

The Yankees lured Clemens back with a pro-rated $28 million one-year deal, which will pay him about $4.5 million a month as soon as he is activated on the major-league roster. Just like the $22 million pro-rated deal that paid him about $12.6 million over three months with the Astros last season, Clemens signed a minor-league contract so he can work his way into shape before competing against major leaguers.

"Make no mistake about it, the Yankees were in both my ears the whole time," Clemens, 44, said at his New York press conference.

Clemens' signing re-unites him with his good friend Andy "I'm an effing jerk for going back to the Yankees" Pettitte, who left the Astros via free agency on Dec. 22 to return to the Yankees.

McLane had courted the 11-time All-Star incessantly in the previous three years, luring him out of his first retirement promise after his 2003 season with the Yankees and then again for another season in 2005 and again for a three-month tour in 2006.

Yao: Blame me for 1st-round flameout

Before the playoffs started, Tracy McGrady made a simple proclamation: "It's on me."

By saying that, McGrady was shouldering the burden of finally getting the Rockets past the first round of the playoffs, something they had failed to do since 1997.

But after the Rockets' 103-99 loss to Utah on Saturday in Game 7 of the Western Conference opening-round series, Yao Ming was more than willing to shoulder the burden for the team's latest failure.

Not quite enough

Yao scored 29 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter that almost — almost — saved the day for the Rockets, but he again was stung by defeat ... even though the Rockets had built a 2-0 series lead and had Game 7 at Toyota Center.

"I feel like I want to cry," Yao said. "I know everyone says that tomorrow is a new day and that I'll have a long career, but in the last two weeks we've gone from up 2-0 all the way to 3-4, and it's all over for our season. That's very frustrating."

Most frustrating of all was one particular part of the box score — rebounding. Yao, all 7-6, 315 pounds of him, finished with only six rebounds. And when the game was on the line, Yao — or any other Rocket for that matter — couldn't manage to get his hands on a rebound. Instead it was Utah's Carlos Boozer getting the job done, tracking down a long rebound of a Mehmet Okur 3-pointer and converting two subsequent free throws to give the Jazz a four-point lead with 19.9 seconds to play.

'Didn't do my job'

"I didn't do my job," Yao said. "I didn't do a very good job of rebounding. Rebound, rebound, rebound. Whatever, long rebound, short rebound — it's my job to rebound. You can't say because it's a long rebound that I couldn't get it. I have to get it. I didn't do my job."

Yao knows that he and Tracy McGrady, who also scored 29 points (but only two in the final 4:28) are going to be in the line of fire this summer.

Neither superstar has ever advanced past the first round, and Yao said both he and McGrady will just have to weather the storm of criticism.

"There's no way to get past this. We have to go through it," Yao said. "Whatever people say, we have to take it. If we hurt, we hurt. You know what? There are no shortcuts. You have to put your passion into the summer workouts and prepare for next season. The only way to get through is to just if you get your next chance, don't let it pass."

By MICHAEL MURPHY
Chronicle News Services

Olajuwon makes presence felt for Game 7

The Rockets got a little extra mojo for Saturday's Game 7 against the Utah Jazz.

They could have used the player who brought it, too.

Indeed, while the Rockets were thinking about the Jazz, Hakeem Olajuwon, the cornerstone of past greatness, decided it was time to stop by Toyota Center for a visit.

The Rockets were attempting to advance past the first round for the first time since 1997 — when a certain 7-foot center led the team to the Western Conference finals — and that's all the lure Olajuwon needed to hop on a jet and fly from his home in Jordan, even if he did see them lose 103-99 to Utah.

"This is wonderful," Olajuwon said. "The old memories of Game 7s at home ... you can't be in a better position."

Olajuwon's position Saturday was courtside with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander. Not too long before, he was at home in Jordan, but the more he thought about the Rockets playing a Game 7 at home, the more restless he got to again experience the sights and sounds of such a pressure-packed situation like those he enjoyed as a player.

"Yes, I had to come here for Game 7," Olajuwon said. "Yeah. Of course. I missed this whole season, but this is a unique position. I think the Rockets are in a unique position this year, so I needed to be here.

From Jordan to Houston — the longest road trip in NBA history.

"No problem," said Olajuwon, laughing.

When Olajuwon's picture was flashed on the scoreboard with 3:31 to play in the second period, it gave Rockets fans a rare moment to cheer. Utah was on its way to a 10-point halftime lead.

Soon it will be time for the game to reciprocate. Olajuwon is eligible for the Hall of Fame, and he's a lock to be inducted.

Olajuwon was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (1993, '94), NBA MVP (1994), a two-time Finals MVP (1994 and '95), one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players (1997) and an Olympic gold medalist (1996).

What the... Son of a... Mother... Rockets lose game 7.

T-Mac after the game.











Hakeem Olajuwon attends the game.

Houston Rockets Widget

GO ROCKETS!

Game 7 against the Jazz tomorrow night!

I haven't talked about my Rockets at all. I watched more regular season games this year than in recent years past. I'm nervous about tomorrow night's game.

How about those Mavericks? Heat?

Interview with Nathan Fillion

Handsome, charming, intelligent, and talented, are just a few of Nathan Fillion’s attributes that solidify this Canadian’s dream man status. Having appeared in a handful of films such as SLITHER and SERENITY, he is predominantly recognized for his noteworthy TV roles. In the upcoming Indie film WAITRESS, Fillion exhibits his comedic skills and delivers a captivating, stimulating, and commanding performance while portraying a gynecologist who falls for his patient.

WAITRESS is a compelling, romantic-comedy, cleverly written/directed by the late Adrienne Shelley. Through her talented ensemble cast, she conveys the importance of recognizing the existence of choices and pursuing happiness. Fillion is cast opposite Kerri Russell with whom he shares an irresistible onscreen chemistry, whilst in pursuit of gratification. If gynecologists looked like that in the real world, ‘paps’ would become the new pastime fad. It was a pleasure meeting Fillion and uncovering his perceptions of the film and experience in working with Shelley on the set of WAITRESS. Check out what he had to say.

Angel Season-Six Comics Due?

Ain't It Cool News reported that Joss Whedon, whose Buffy the Vampire Slayer season-eight comic series has proven a best-seller, is now contemplating a "sixth-season" comic series based on Buffy spinoff Angel.

The site added that Whedon will not devote the same level of commitment that he's given the new Buffy series to the Angel one. He has designated comic-book veteran Brian Lynch to serve as the Angel "season-six show runner."

The third issue of the Buffy comic is hitting stores now.

Eating to Manage Diabetes

We all eat to live (and, indeed, live to eat), but for someone with diabetes, that adage isn't just academic. It's a matter of staying well and living longer. Because diabetes is a disorder in how your body processes foods, every choice you make to eat or drink is important. The benefits of eating well are powerful, helping to keep your blood glucose, blood fats and blood-pressure levels under control and helping prevent complications of diabetes. Most of all, eating right helps you feel in control.