I have been punked

Last night, I dropped a friend a note about the anthology he's putting together. This morning, in response, I received a legal document from a law firm, stating that all assets pertaining thereto had been seized in a lawsuit brought by another author who claimed my friend had trespassed upon his intellectual property. In a complete fit of alarm and concern, I called said friend. I got his wife, who told me he was out coaching kiddie football practice, and who knew nothing of this lawsuit and began to wonder, in earnest, what was going on and what he hadn't told her. It was at that point that I began to read the fine print of this document, at the bottom of which I found the following in extra-small print:

If further instructions are required, visit http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr01.html for material before contacting PARKER, KLEIN, KLEIN & SHOKOLOV directly.

Notice has been served.

NOTE that the binding legal details of this notice are subject as well to local and federal review, and that the exact particulars are subject to change WITHOUT NOTICE anytime within the next twenty-four hours. Complaints may be registered with the US Department of IDontGiveADamn or by calling 1-800-LEGPULL (1-800-534-7855) during the hours of12:01am and 11:59pm on4/1/06.

Friend's wife and I had a good laugh about it, and she promised, in earnest, that she would kick his creative-yet-sorry ass for me. If only I lived close enough to show up at his door after football practice, I myself would kick his creative-yet-sorry ass pretty damn thoroughly.

I should note for the record that this friend has punked me once before, years ago, in another astonishingly effective prank. Would that I had the creativity to pull so effective an April Fool's joke back on him myself somehow.

TV blogging: Doctor Who: The Aliens of London

Wanted to make sure I posted about last night's episode before too much time went by.

This episode and its partner, "World War Three," are my least favorite episodes of the Eccleston run. Despite my objections to things like the ongoing fart jokes, the unfortunate pig (which just makes this episode look that much more ridiculous), the rubber-suit Slitheen, and the questionable politics of making the only fat people who ever appear in the run aliens (yes, yes, I know there's a reason; it still irks me), however, there are still things about this episode that I do like and that are pretty cool overall.

First, I like that this episode addresses the consequences of a companion's disappearance for herself and those she leaves behind. It's one of the things that lifts this generation of the series head and shoulders above what's come before. But this element of the series is also resonant as it relates to the Doctor's own situation: there's no one left on Gallifrey to care about what's happened to him because Gallifrey is no more. Like the events in "The End of the World," it both draws him closer and isolates him from Rose.

Second, this episode sets up so much of what's yet to come: the Bad Wolf graffiti, Harriett Jones (who's just a wonderful character and so much fun), Margaret Slitheen (who's a terrific villain), Earth's awareness of aliens, U.N.I.T. Despite the cheap jokes, the episode lays all this groundwork that's so key.

Speaking of keys, after having seen the Paul McGann Doctor Who movie this weekend. I'm disappointed that the TARDIS key in this series is so average-looking. The McGann key had a little high-tech magic to its look and feel, and I rather miss that. In fact, I remember that when I first saw this episode I was disappointed the key wasn't more exotic-looking.

I also remember, from my first viewing, my thinking that there's no way the "American" newscaster portrayed in this episode would ever make it on American TV on looks alone. Her hair looks lousy and her skin looks gray. On the other hand, I remember thinking this about Richard Biggs on Babylon 5, and then hearing Nichelle Nichols talk about how hard it is to light African skin appropriately for television. My reaction may have to do with a poor match-up between make-up and lighting. After all, the one and only time I saw Biggs in person, he was absolutely gorgeous—really, he stopped me in my tracks—and his skin was a beautfiul mahogany that I'd never ever seen on the show. But I digress.

In a last note, this episode has another detail hailing back to the McGann movie: it includes another instance of an alien trying to break out of a morgue locker. What is it with Doctor Who and the dead? Gee.