Loch Ness Monster on Google Earth!

I know I mainly do the movie and TV thing on this insignificant blog o' mine, so this falls in the category of "other junk that amuses me".

Apparently, this dude (who, no joking, is The Security Guard of Nottingham) was surfing Google Earth and found a picture of the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Dun Dun Duuuuuhh!! Right off the bat, that sterling example of London News Journalism, The Sun, has proclaimed that after five trillion years Nessie has finally been found and all it took was some dude paying attention while surfing the Internet.

Now, I dont' know about you, but take a look at the picture below and all doubts are instantly erased! I mean, how can you not tell that's ye ol' Nessinator.

Nessie!

Honestly, though, I do have a pretty active imagination. One that would be thrilled if something like this came to light. Nessie, Yeti, Sasquatch (though I'm pretty sure I saw him shopping at the store I work at today), UFOs, Donkey Kong. The idea that these things could exist excites the inner Mulder in me.

But first and foremost, I am a healthy skeptic about all this. That movie fueled love of the unexplained is governed by another part of me; Mr. Logic. This is why I both love and hate the series MonsterQuest on the History channel. It teases you with cool things that may be revealed and only finds just enough maybe sorta signs that there is a slight possibility something neat is going on.

I gotta see proof. Actual scientists need to show me tangible evidence before I can fully drink the Bermuda Triangle kool-aid.

And I hardly think a picture of what could easily be a couple of young lovers enjoying an afternoon in a row boat found by Jeb Smith on his laptop constitutes tangible evidence.

So, until the next photo op with Nessie comes around, I'll just keep believing these things are part of a vivid imagination.

Warehouse 13

For those that don't know, Warehouse 13 is a show on The Sci-Fi Channel (I refuse to call it by its new name SyFy) about a place stocked with all the secret cool stuff the government has stashed away over the years and the agents in charge of finding anything weird and dangerous that needs to go there. Kinda like the place at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

My one sentence review: This is a fun show.

As far as I'm concerned, not every property dealing with a sci-fi or fantasy element has to make us look deep inside ourselves to find a bigger truth. Sometimes, a couple of actors having fun with their roles inside a world where nifty things happen is all I need.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not falling all over myself for this thing. Like a lot of series before it, it's taking a few episodes to find its footing. But I think it's getting there. The actors are growing more and more into their roles and beginning to jive really well with each other.

Not Mulder and Scully ripoffs. Yet.

There was a scene last week with Pete, the male lead, in a room by himself with an ancient Japanese sword and, thinking he's alone, he starts playing with it, doing the exaggerated Japanese Movie film dub voice as he has an imaginary sword fight. It was goofy and silly and something I don't see on other shows, but totally something I would do myself! Some probably find the scene an exercise in stupidity, I find it an exercise in awesome.

The stories are improving and becoming more enjoyable. I really dig the mixture of old tech and new (Steampunk, the younguns call it). I'm no scientist, but you kind of have to look past certain things that might stretch believability. I've seen people complain, wondering why these people would use these old timey looking pocket TV monitor dealies to talk to each other instead of cell phones like most modern advanced human beings do. Other than the fact that it looks neat, what is the point? the logical thinking fellow geek asks.

The monitor thingie is cool, as is Artie.

I say, “Who cares?” I find it a nice change of pace from all these shows that have fast moving characters in high pressured situations with their ears glued to a stupid cell phone. I see enough of that in real life.

All I want from this show is a mental break from the real world for an hour or so and that is what it delivers.

It's a fun show and that's all I ask.