Sunday, March 26, 2006

I want my sci-fi TV!

Where's the sci-fi on TV these days? It seems that there's bugger all good (or even bad!) sci-fi on free-to-air TV here in Australia. Trek is prety much history now, Stargate is MIA, Doctor Who won't be on until later in the year and there just doesn't seem to be anything worthy of note on at the moment (except Futurama - already got all of those on DVD!). Worst of all, I recently heard that Battlestar Galactica won't be returning to Australian TV as it didn't rate high enough last year. D'oh!

Oh well, at least I can always re-watch my Firefly & Serenity DVDs... you can't take the sky from me!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Reality - What the bleep is it?

Here's a big one - what's the nature of reality? Is it physical? Is it mental? Is it just the collection of experiences or something else entirely? I don't have a clue. I've been doing a lot of reading & research on this topic over the past 12 months or so & everything I read, watch or listen to just creates more questions.

If we believe the scenario from The Matrix, we're all just batteries for the machines. If "What the Bleep Do We Know?" is correct, then our thought manifest our reality through the power of quantum physics. If that's the case, is there a way we can harness this power directly to improve our lives? If there is, I'd love to know how. Not just for my personal benefit (though an XBOX 360 would be nice!), but to improve things for everyone.

Some say prayer is the way to do it, others subscribe to affermations or positive thinking. As an athiest, I don't think that there's some supernatural being who looks down on all of us - I just don't buy it. I think it's much more likely that prayer is an indirect way of focusing the mind towards achieving the desired goal but attributing the results to an external power. Maybe just focusing the mind is all we need to do to achieve want we want. Now if only I could decide what it is I really want... there' s the biggest challenge of all.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Podcasting rocks!

Really getting into podcasting of late, only recently discovered this fantastic new medium of communication & entertainment. I'm particularly fond of the podcasts listed under the "Top Dogs" links - check 'em out if you haven't already, you won't regret it! All I need now is an MP3 player to listen to them all on the go (I have to use my PC for now - d'oh!) I've got my eye on this little beauty - looks like it's got all the goodies I want & nothing I don't. Now, just have to save my pennies to get one...

I'm thinking of starting my own podcast about sci-fi & the Australian perspective, things like Farscape, the Matrix series, etc. Or maybe a podcast about Futurama - I just love that show! If anyone down under (or anywhere else!) is interested in getting involved or has any comments, advice or feedback, feel free to drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Chasing the stick

Fun day today - been chasing the Queens' Baton Relay around Melbourne with the kids. For those readers outside the former British Empire, next week is the Commonwealth Games and the Queens' Baton is similar to the Olympic Torch. Had a big day, scored some cool freebies (the kids love their noisemakers!) & got to be part of something bigger than ourselves. It's amazing the way a weird shaped piece of metal can bring people together. It was great to see so many people getting together to celebrate a peaceful competition instead of... well... waging war & generally treating others badly.

On a lighter note, looking forward to some good TV tonight - Supernatural. Fun show about two brothers whose chase ghosts, demons & other supernatural phenomenon. Great special effects, cool stories & it keeps the better half happy too (something to do with the lead actors - I don't get it!) Whatever - it's still a cool show. Two severed thumbs up!

Sunday, March 12, 2006

The underdog barks!

Hi & welcome to the Barking Mad Dog blog! The aim of this blog is to discuss a wide range of topics from Sci-Fi to Philosophy to Gaming & anything else I feel like ranting about. I really don't know where this is going to go but I hope you enjoy listening to my rants as much as I will have making them!

So, who am I? I'm a young family man in Melbourne, Australia with a wide range of interests & a need to share them with anyone that will listen. I'm also interested in listening to others & comparing points of view - so if you have something to say about anything on this site, feel free to post a comment or drop me a line!

Well, that's it for now but stay tuned for more! Woof!