Battle Royale

Like me, you may have asked yourself: "Who, amongst the icons of science fiction and fantasy entertainment, would be the ultimate victor in a winner-take-all showdown?" How many countless arguments have you had with your friends about the better warrior - Xena or Luke Skywalker? The better wizard - Gandalf or Emperor Palpatine? Or the tougher robot - The Terminator or Robocop?

Over the course of the next few days all these questions and many more will be answered. I have taken it upon myself to answer this great mystery of life. To begin our competition, a traditional "field of 64" was chosen with 16 entrants in each of 4 brackets. The brackets represent 4 different types of contestants. The first bracket consists of Robots or Cyborgs. The second bracket consists of all manner of Monsters. The third bracket represents the brains of our competition. From the separate genres these are the sorcerers and scientists. Finally, what would a battle royale be without the mighty warriors? Obviously the silver-screen and television have so many tremendous characters to choose from. So you will forgive some blatant omissions. Some of the choices were an attempt to make sure that one particular franchise didn't have too many combatants in any one bracket. What you will find is a respectable list of characters from a wide range of worlds.



Now the battle must begin. For those of you who like to play along at home, an interactive web-space has been created for you to decided who you think should win such a tournament. Simply check out the web link for Music Reviews and click on the title "Icon Invitational."

Now for a few rules. Certain standards must be maintained. Don't you agree? The higher seed in each match-up is assumed to have the home-court advantage, using their universe as a back-drop for the combat. It should be noted that each combatant is assumed to bring certain equipment or weapons into the arena. It basically depends on the context of the character. While vehicles and spacecraft would be ridiculous, all manner of laser-gun, sword, protective armor, magical item, and even scientific gadget is allowed. Rest assured no tournament would be complete without its fair share of upsets so you can guarantee a little bit of random luck will factor into this tournament as well.

Finally all our questions will be answered. Let the battle begin!

Next Installment - Meet the Combatants: Robots and Cyborgs

P.S. A special thanks to The Q and Dagromm for their assistance with the interactive website and some of the combatant profiles.

The Stupid, Crazy, and Selfish

Walter Cannon first described the "acute stress response" in 1929. The theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system. In layman's terms, an animal has two options when faced with danger. They can either face the threat and "fight" or they can avoid the threat through "flight."

In civilized society it is generally considered acceptable to not return someone's phone-calls rather than punch them in the face if you don't like them. Consequently, (like most people) I have spent my life investing time and energy in people who are good-natured, kind-hearted, and generally enjoyable to be around. Meanwhile, I have spent a relative amount of energy in staying away from those that would be a negative force in my life.

But how does one identify these social predators? How often have we made a friend, acquaintance, or business contact that turns out to be a nightmare relationship? Ideally your radar gets better with age as you learn to identify the tell-tale signs. But first let's meet our three ass-holes that we need to look out for because they are such ass-holes.

The Stupid, The Crazy, and The Selfish. All three are equally destructive yet in very different ways. Let's start with the easiest one to identify.

The Stupid: The stupid are probably the least harmful of the three groups. After all, it's not entirely their fault that they are stupid. Some of it is inherited. If you are friends with a stupid person you are either very unlucky or stupid yourself. Stupid people are the ones that drive slow in the fast-lane, park outside the parking lines in a parking-lot, or attempt to buy 100 items and use the express check-out line. However, stupid behavior of complete strangers is really more of a minor annoyance. When you let stupid people into your life, it can become more hazardous. Like that friend who borrows your favorite book or DVD and then loses it. What about that neighbor who agrees to feed your dog while you are on a two-week vacation, but then decides (while you are gone) to take a weekend trip of their own, leaving your precious pet to fend for itself? But the worst is the co-worker who manages to make rocket science out of the simplest tasks - making your job all the more difficult and taxing. The good news is that The Stupid are the easiest to pick out in a crowd. They are usually the ones with the vacant expression or look of helplessness plastered across their faces. So keep your eyes open for stupid behavior and steer clear of these morons.

The Crazy: The crazy are definitely more dangerous than the stupid. They are also more difficult to spot. Often times crazy people can come in the form of your local PTA leader, your pharmacist, or even your wife's brother's girlfriend. If you are friends with a crazy person... It's not your fault. Many have been duped by the glossy front that a "Crazy" is able to manifest during the early stages of a friendship. Don't worry. The friendship will not last long because the crazy person will either turn on you or drive you so crazy that you turn on them. Either way, this spells TROUBLE for you. Crazy people are the ones that usually have a garage (not a closet) full of skeletons. If theft, vandalism, harassment, or assault is involved it usually includes at least one crazy person. So what are the red-flags with the crazy person you ask? It may take some time for them to surface but drama-queen behavior is a big red-flag. If this person always talks about being in crisis, or complains about some nightmarish disaster, it is possible that they are a lightning rod for such travesty and are probably generating this negative energy themselves. Sworn enemies are also a good sign that you are friends with a crazy person. Typically "The Crazy" has left a path of scorched earth so wide that you can always find someone that they despise or despises them. Finally, watch out for crazy behavior masked as stupidity.

The Selfish: These are the worst. They are the most difficult to spot and can cause you the most grief. To make matters worse, a vast majority of "The Stupid" and "The Crazy" could also fall into this category. Selfishness comes in many forms but almost all selfish behavior is rooted in a lack of empathy. When I describe "The Selfish," I'm talking about the chronically self absorbed person. The person with a complete lack of empathy. Someone who is incapable of conceptualizing the needs of others. Everyone exhibits a little bit of selfish behavior from time to time. This is natural. But we all know someone who is so wrapped up in their own wants and needs that they will knock-down, backstab, betray, cheat, and otherwise abuse anyone in their path. What is the most insulting thing about "The Selfish" is that they consider their behavior to be without fault or malice. They believe that God blessed them and Jesus Christ as the only two perfect people in the history of mankind and they are just having to suffer through their lives surrounded by the insignificant masses. There are many signs that will tip you off to the secretly selfish, but you need only one true measure. "The Selfish" NEVER apologize.

So, now you know... And knowing is half the battle.

The Pressure of Picking

One of the things I love to do is go see movies. When my wife and I decided to start having children, we accepted the fact that our long-standing relationship with the cineplex would have to be put on hold for a few years. In the meantime we knew we would have (on occasion) the chance to "scratch that itch" whenever we decided to pay for a baby-sitter.

This weekend was one of those rare occasions where the Mrs. and I were able to capitalize on some fantastic free baby-sitting that is otherwise known as "visit from the grandparents."

We decided to go catch a quick movie. When we arrived at the theater we had three choices (by virtue of start times). There is a great deal more pressure associated with this decision than there was before. It's not every weekend we have an opportunity to go out for a movie. It happens so infrequently that the likelihood of seeing any of the other films in theater is slim. By the time we get back to the movies all the others will be on video. So it's not only picking the movie you want to see but picking the movies you know you will not see.

On top of this, the pressure builds when you realize you'd hate to ruin your outing with a crappy film. Case in point - Must Love Dogs. What a waste of time. The palms begin to sweat as you look down at your watch. One of your choices starts in three minutes. If that's the one you want to see you better decide now. On the other hand, the other choice doesn't start for 45 minutes. Would you have time to go grab dinner or is that pressing your luck? Should the opportunity to have dinner really factor into your choice? Are you settling for a shit movie when the really good one starts now? The heart begins to pound as you realize you've now taken two of your three remaining minutes and the previews have probably already started to roll on movie choice number 1. You really need to make this decision and it shouldn't be this hard. By this time you've wasted another minute thinking about how you need to pick a movie.

So you eventually take the leap and make a decision. The level of excitement builds as you enter the theatre and rush to grab some popcorn and candy. You take your seat and it looks like you may have only missed one or two trailers because you catch another 30-40 trailers before the lights dim into complete darkness.

"Wow, those were some great trailers." you tell your spouse. "I can't wait to see the new X-Men movie. And did you see the advert for Davinci Code?" Awesome. It is then you realize that you can't remember what you came to see. You commiserate for a few seconds before remembering... and your heart sinks... because there is no way that Lucky Number Slevin is going to measure up.

Damn.

The Journey

I'd have to say that it all started when my Uncle Larry gave me 4 metal miniatures for my birthday when I was a kid. At that time I was very interested in fantasy fiction so he bought me a knight on horseback, a goblin, and two trolls. For me, they were the most intricate looking action figures I had ever owned. More importantly, I learned they were a small part of a larger set. I remember examining the back of the box for my next big miniature purchase. I wanted to collect them all. Of course the short attention span of a child, combined with the limited resources of an allowance, never allowed me to complete the set.

However, this didn't deter my interest in collecting. My focus merely shifted as I grew older. Later on I would collect comic books and specialties trading cards. As an adult I am rabid about owning a complete set of any movie or tv show that I deem worthy for my personal video library.

There a few collections that come along that might take decades to finish. I have one such collection that fits into this category and I am beginning to see the end in sight. As I scan down the list of the "Haves" and "Needs" I notice that the "Needs" section has become unexpectedly small. Considering the fact that it has taken me so long to get this far, I had never imagined that I might one day finish the collection. And now that the destination is in sight, I am surprised by the odd sadness that I feel because the journey was so enjoyable.

While I will soon be able to sit back and admire the completeness of my collection, I will always think back with fond memories of the joy I derived from the hunt for the next missing item or the anticipation of the next acquisition.

Whoever said: "Life is a journey, not a destination" must have been a collector.

Mental Health Day

The flu bug finally hit me this year. Luckily it was only the 24 hour kind but I was so dog-tired from suffering through the night, I took the next day off (still running a low-grade fever). Spending some much needed time at home was nice but it also caused me to reflect on that issue many struggle with - taking days off of work.

It is a shame that many people work so hard for so long, all the while telling themselves they should take time off. Meanwhile, the body and mind are so taxed that eventually you are forced to slow down because illness sets in. I suffer from this problem. So instead of that much needed day-off being spent in the form of quality time with the family, you spend quality time with the Tylenol bottle and massive amounts of chicken soup.

What causes someone like me to ignore my own better judgment? In my case, it is a matter of knowing that the job keeps churning while I am away. The emails keep piling up, the to-do list keeps growing, and the work isn't going away. It's a daunting feeling that is frustrating, to say the least. I'll not go into the boring details of the challenges with my work, but (to make a long story short) I think the culture of the organization (for which you work) can have a great deal to do with your feelings about the capacity to take time off.

The next time fatigue sets in, it will still be a challenge for me to take that mental-health-day. However, I'm going to try and do a better job of listening to that little voice in my head that says "slow down."

The New Who

The Sci-Fi channel finally picked up Doctor Who and I have now had the chance to watch the first five episodes of these new adventures. When I first heard about the new series, I was both excited and nervous. Growing up with the original (on my local PBS station), Doctor Who helped define creative and entertaining story-telling during my childhood. For a series that ran for 26 years, it was almost inconceivable that the adventures would come to an end. But television changed and the long-standing format lost its appeal to mainstream audiences.

However, the turn of the millennium has brought with it nostalgia for old serials and Doctor Who is no exception. The new version has an updated look and feel, a more edgy and trendy Doctor, and special effects that can finally measure up the the grandeur of its story-telling ideas. So how does the New Who compare with the old? Could the re-imagined Doctor stand up to the idealized memory of my childhood adventures? Nervously I watched and my verdict is a mixed one. I do like the new look of the series. The casting is great with Eccleston and Piper in the roles of Doctor and companion. And the supporting cast is equally talented playing their parts with as much conviction as any fan could hope to see.

However, there is something missing from the new series. Something that was lost in the new translation. Perhaps it is the shortened hour-long format. The old series could tell an intricate story that often spanned two hours, while the new one only has fifty minutes to weave its tale. But other one hour shows manage to spin an intricate web of storytelling in as little time. In fact, I think the shortened format is probably better for the shows future than the old format.

I do think there is a problem with the pacing. Often times the episodes feel very frenetic . As if the story is impatient to tell itself. It seams like the mythology isn't giving itself enough time to gather any momentum before the problems are resolved. Consequently, the show loses a great deal of the gravity that it should deliver. The jeopardy is often overcome before we have time to understand the very danger itself. This is many times the case because the solution to the problem is a "magic-talisman" quick fix. Take the anti-plastic solution from episode one or the vinegar poison from the shows first two-part adventure.

Additionally, I have yet to see an episode where Rose is taken to another world. I understand that the focus of the series is on strictly earth bound adventures but I do believe you lose a very interesting element when you limit the stories in such a way.

But I'll not condemn the show just yet. It isn't fair to judge an entire series based on its first five episodes. If I did that I would have never given Farscape a chance (one of the best sci-fi productions in the last twenty years). No, I'll continue watching. I am looking forward to the first Dalek story. More to come...

Two Adults - One Child

My son never ceases to amaze me. He turns 19 months old this April and I am startled at how different things are from just one year ago today. A year ago he was 6 months old and could barely sit-up on his own without falling over. A year ago he was just beginning to cut his first teeth (which really sucks for both kid and parent). A year ago he had never eaten solid foods. A year ago he loved his dog. A year later he still loves his dog but that's about the only thing that is the same. As most would expect, my son is walking, talking, shouting, laughing, playing, and having a great time being a toddler. What is most amazing and unexpected to me is the emergence of his own distinct and willful personality.

I'm not used to him having an opinion about what is on the television. I'm not used to him not being ready to leave the park after an hour. I'm not used to him being determined to pull on the dog's tail even though I don't want him to do it. I'm not used to him being an individual.

My household is no longer two adults with a baby. We are two adults and one child. Pretty soon this kid is going to have an opinion on where we go out to eat, what movies we watch, what clothes he wears, and more.

If you are a parent reading this - than you are saying "Duuuuuuhhhhhh! Of course!" But, if you don't have children, I tell you right now - this concept takes some getting used to. Perhaps (for me) more so than the sleepless nights, the constant changing of diapers, and all the life-style changes that occur with being a new parent. I was ready for the big changes when he was born. I don't think I've prepared myself for the changes that come with growing up. God help me when he wants to learn how to drive.

My First Blog - Part II

... and now to continue with more little known facts about me.

26. I remember, after learning how to ride a bike, I still wanted to ride my Big-Wheel down the street when going to play with my friends. Because Big-Wheels were so cool.

27. I ended up riding my bike to school every day when I started middle school.

28. I remember the day I turned 16 and was able to drive to school and go out for lunch on my own.

29. I now commute two hours every day to work and hate it.

30. However, I love to travel.

31. I've been to every one of the 48 contiguous United States.

32. I've traveled to 9 foreign countries.

33. I really dislike talking on the phone.

34. I really dislike checking voice-mail even more. Usually because the result is something being added to your to-do list.

35. I used to be a Resident Dorm Advisor in college.

36. I have 5 close friends all named Matt. (...bizarre)

37. In college my roomate (Lowell) and I bought a Halloween spider that squeeled and vibrated when you clapped your hands. My roomate (Allen) hated the thing. When Halloween was over, Lowell (an aspring doctor) and I surgically removed the motor from the spider and installed it into an indian princess doll for Thanksgiving, a Santa Clause doll for Christmas, and a Baby-New-Year doll for January... just to piss Allen off. The motor burned out after that.

38. My friend Joel is one of the smartest guys I know.

39. My friend Jeffrey is one of the funniest guys I know.

40. My favorite store is Best Buy.

41. I hate it when people are upset with me... although I'm learning to get over it.

42. According to Quentin Tarrintino (in the extended cut of Pulp Fiction) there are two kinds of people in this world. Those that listen and those that wait to talk. I am afraid to say that I am someone who waits to talk.

43. I hate drama-queen behavior and pretty much avoid people that thrive on it.

44. I enjoy being around kind, good-natured people that aren't out to prove how smart, pretty, talented, funny, or accomplished they are.

45. I hate multi-tasking. I suspect (but I don't know for sure) that I get less done.

46. I hate being late.

47. I am extreamly verbose around my friends.

48. I love video games but haven't owned a game system in 15 years.

49. I believe in treating others they way you would want to be treated.

50. I am a Christian.

My First Blog

I've heard about this whole blog thing for some time but I was inspired to create my own after reading my sister's blog. It has been a great way for me to keep up with her even though our schedules don't permit us to talk very often. I also noticed how great a forum it was to share thoughts, feelings, and other ideas.

So why Who Fan? Chances are, if you are reading this blog, you already know me pretty well and why I would choose Who Fan for the name of my blog. For the uninitiated, I am a big fan of science-fiction and fantasy fiction entertainment. In fact - "big fan" might be an understatment. But then again, what boy born in the mid 1970's, growing up in the Star Wars generation isn't a sci-fi fan? So I guess that doesn't set me apart from most. So what vaults someone from the standard "rank and file" sci-fi movie viewer into true Sci-Fi-Geekdom? I'm a Doctor Who Fan. There I said it. Bring on the jokes!

For those of you out there that also enjoy the cosmic wonderings of the galactic hobo, whose british television show catapulted it's way into the anals of cult tv history back in the 1960s, I salute you. For everyone else... welcome to my world.

And while my interests are wide and varied, my outlet to spout meaningless opinion on the significance of the similarities between the cybermen and the borg is very limited. Hence my blog page theme.

Now, having spent the last few paragraphs exposing my soft underbelly that is my love of science fiction, I'll endevour to mainstream your opinion of me through a list of 50 interesting facts that you may not know. Here it goes...

1. I am married to my soul mate.

2. I am a proud father to a great baby boy.

3. I work as a fundraiser for a local non-profit.

4. I have the two most amazing parents in the entire world.

5. Did I mention that my sister is totally bad-ass and is getting married to a really great guy?

6. I have a masters degree in business.

7. I'm 31 years old.

8. I love pizza.

9. I hate mayo.

10. I drive a Honda but my dream car is a BMW.

11. My favorite movie is The Empire Strikes Back. (...big surprise!)

12. I really don't enjoy 80s music although there are a few exceptions.

13. I want to publish a novel someday.

14. I want to visit Scotland someday.

15. I want to finish my first blog post someday.

16. I have a black belt in TaeKwonDo.

17. I can't play a musical instrument although a suffered through 4 years of band as a horrible trumpet player.

18. I can't speak another language altough I suffered through two years of Spanish.

19. I can balance my check-book to the penny.

20. I am a home owner.

21. I still own a Swatch Watch.

22. I can't stand a dirty car but I'll let the dishes go dirty in the sink for a week!

23. My favorite comic strip of all time is Bloom County.

24. My favorite football team is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

25. I get bored quickly... which is why I will finish this list later