2020 Recap

 

So... 2020....

Okay, okay, I'm going to try and be a bit more punctual. But we can all agree this was a dumpster fire of a year, right?

I know this is cliched to say but was hoping this year would be "my year." I felt that this would be me going above and beyond what I called my "get confident, stupid" plan.

This year I felt like I was going to step up my game, accomplish items on my bucket list, and just morph myself into a better person. But while I have accomplished a few things, this year was full of anxiety, depression, rage, and so many other negative feelings that I felt dead. I felt like a zombie. Just trudging along with little to no motivation to do anything of the things I love.

This was the first time I never paid attention to the films being released and such, I don't even have predictions for the Oscars this year.

I've watched a few films but whenever I wanted to possibly write something I was like "meh."

There's a bunch of other things that made this year tough but this already getting a bit more personal than what this blog was made for so I'll stop here.

But recently I started feeling a bit more confident. Confident enough that I'm looking forward to future endeavors for 2021.

But first, let's talk about the positives of the year. We know about the negatives. But there are some things that happened this year that I take great pride in.

First I did get to take part in theatrical productions. The first one was in The Importance of Being Earnest by the legendary Oscar Wilde. I got to be in my first musical role where I played Lurch in The Addams Family Musical. The latter was pretty significant because I actually auditioned for this show and got in for my singing abilities! I've never been confident about my singing so this was something special. Especially when you look at the original Broadway Lurch who was a freaking opera singer!

But probably the best thing creatively to happen to me was I got my first screenplay writing credit! It was a virtual variety show called The Gender Bender Revue where I got to adapt the Mad Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland and I got to play Alice!

One of the rare moments where I'll post a pic with me in it.

Also, this year, I started a TikTok account (docdave90) and I've made friends with folks on there. I even had a video get over 500 likes which um... I was not expecting. Especially since it was over something Strong Bad-related!

I started a podcast and we've only had one episode so far. Hopefully, the coming year will see more episodes of it. 

There were a bunch of other things too but they're a bit too personal for this blog. But the next year, hell, the next DECADE has to be better!

Here's hoping I get more projects done, more writing on here done, and just more things done in general. 

I hope you all have a Happy and Safe New Year!

2021...

My 10 Favorite Big Finish Doctor Who audio plays

Visit their website at https://www.bigfinish.com/

I freaking LOVE Big Finish! These are the Doctor Who stories they've done that I love the most.

Yeah, boring intro but, screw it. Let's get to it.

The only rule is I'm not going to list spin-offs and boxsets. My main rule for this is to only list one single adventure for each entry. I'm not going to list entire boxsets. Also * = available to listen to on Spotify.

With that said I do want to give a shout out to two sets where I enjoyed every story:

The Tenth Doctor Adventures Vol. 3 - a damn good place to start if you're unfamiliar with Classic Who right now. Every single story is brilliant: the chilling haunted house story No Place; the politically charged One Mile Down; and an awesome, award-winning pseudo-historical The Creeping Death. Also, Wilf is in one of them! And who doesn't love Wilf?

The First Doctor Adventures Vol. 1 - if you're only familiar with David Bradley's portrayal of the First Doctor this is a great one to check out. While the voice acting did throw me off a little bit, the writers do a great job at capturing the feel of the early days of Doctor Who: The science fiction-centered fascist defeating The Destination War (which also includes the Master); and the purely historical The Great White Hurricane.

Now onto the top ten!

10. Special: The Light at the End (Doctors 1-8, various companions) by Nicholas Briggs.

Publisher summary:

November 23rd, 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors... It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart... It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart... From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology. From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness.

This one holds a special place in my heart because it was the first BF audio I listened to. Also, it's a great tie-in to DW's 50th anniversary.

Without spoiling too much, the evil scheme set up by the Master (played by Geoffrey Beevers who is AMAZING) is brilliant. It relies on a person to express, "it's impossible!" Which is kind of how the show started, it was an impossible idea. Or at least it was impossible to think that this show could have an impact 50 years later.

My only real critique would be I wish the companions had more interactions with each other. But that's a really minor complaint.

9. Main Rang: The Lovecraft Invasion (6, Constance, and Flip) by Robert Valentine.

The Doctor, Constance and Flip join forces with 51st-century bounty hunter, Calypso Jonze, to hunt down the Somnifax: a weaponised mind-parasite capable of turning its host's nightmares into physical reality. Chasing it through the time vortex to Providence, Rhode Island in 1937, they arrive too late to stop it from latching onto a local author of weird fiction... Howard Phillips Lovecraft. With time running out before Lovecraft's monstrous pantheon breaks free and destroys the world, the Doctor must enter Lovecraft's mind to fight the psychic invader from within. Can he and Flip overcome the eldritch horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos? And will Constance and Calypso survive babysitting the infamously xenophobic Old Gentleman of Providence himself?

The most recent entry on this list. Pairing Doctor Who and Lovecraftian horror is absolutely brilliant! It's just a really, really, REALLY awesome adventure which plenty of great references to H.P. Lovecraft's work.

Now, as indicated in the summary, they do address Lovecraft's bigotry. Matter of fact when they first meet Lovecraft, the Doctor blatantly says "yes he was an awesome writer.... and a bigot so I don't like him." And just wait until you get to the final rant towards the end.

The main thing keeping this from being higher is that it's too recent. So, who knows how this will hold up down the line when compared to others.

But, as of now, it's still a fun and awesome adventure. Perfect for the Halloween season. Or any season really.

8. Main Range: LIVE 34 (7, Ace, and Hex) by James Parson.

Publisher summary:

"You're listening to LIVE 34." "LIVE 34 — news on the hour, every hour — LIVE 34 — broadcasting to Colony 34 all day, every day — LIVE 34 — constantly updated every minute of every hour — LIVE 34 — sport, weather, business, local news, interplanetary affairs — LIVE 34 — live, independent, accurate, comprehensive — LIVE 34 — all news, all day, every day — LIVE 34." "Reports are coming in of an explosion..." "On the line now is the leader of the FDP..." "The President is about to begin his address..." "We can see bodies in the wreckage..."

One of the more experimental stories. In this story, the events are told through the framing device of a news network with The Doctor and his companions only appear when they're interviewed.

This is one of those audio dramas where even though it was released 15 years ago, it still holds a lot of relevance. Mainly with how news outlets can be abused and what it can mean to stifle the truth through them.

And by stifling the truth I don't mean "person got taken off the air for saying something bigoted." I mean, "the government took us off the air because we did something that made them look bad - i.e. the truth."

I don't want to spoil the ending but the way the Doctor takes down the villain - Premier Jaeger (William Hoyland) - is brilliant.

7. Main Range: Spare Parts* (5 and Nyssa) by Marc Platt

Publisher summary:

On a dark frozen planet where no planet should be, in a doomed city with a sky of stone, the last denizens of Earth's long-lost twin will pay any price to survive, even if the laser scalpels cost them their love and hate and humanity. And in the Mat-infested streets, roundabout tea-time, the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa unearth a black market in secondhand body parts and run the gauntlet of augmented police and their augmented horses. And just between the tram stop and the picture house, the Doctor's worst suspicions are finally confirmed: the Cybermen have only just begun, and the Doctor will be, just as he always has been, their saviour...

This one would be adapted into the Tenth Doctor two-parter Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel. But this is better in my opinion.

Basically, think of this as Genesis of the Cybermen. It’s creepy and chilling.

There's a real sense of dread and foreboding. The chilling atmosphere and vibe conveyed in this story fits perfectly given that this society is slowly turning into the equally cold and heartless Cybermen.

6. Main Range: Jubilee* (6, Evelyn) by Robert Shearman

Publisher Summary:

Hurrah! The deadly Daleks are back! Yes, those lovable tinpot tyrants have another plan to invade our world. Maybe this time because they want to drill to the Earth's core. Or maybe because they just feel like it. And when those pesky pepperpots are in town, there is one thing you can be sure of. There will be non-stop high octane mayhem in store. And plenty of exterminations! But never fear. The Doctor is on hand to sort them out. Defender of the Earth, saviour of us all. With his beautiful assistant, Evelyn Smythe, by his side, he will fight once again to uphold the beliefs of the English Empire. All hail the glorious English Empire! Now that sounds like a jubilee worth celebrating, does it not?

This would be adapted into the Ninth Doctor episode Dalek. While I love the TV episode in its own right, I do believe this is superior, if not for going into a bit more political commentary that still feels very timely. Also, it being a multi-parter helps develop things a bit more.

I feel like Shearman saw parallels to how society was treating the Daleks like a joke and how the same thing kind of happened to the main inspiration to the pepperpots - the Nazis. There's nothing wrong with making jokes about them, but they sort of reached a point where people kind of forgot how terrifying and monsterous they could be.

With the Daleks in particular, it was kind of like what happened with Godzilla. They went from being scary to almost a kid-friendly mascot. This story shows that while yes, you can be empathetic towards how the Dalek is treated but they can still acknowledge the terrible things they've done.

You should also check this out because it features the Sixth Doctor's amazing companion - Dr. Evelyn Smith, portrayed by the late Maggie Stables. She's probably one of the best companions introduced in the audios.

5. Main Range: Master* (7) by Joseph Lidster

Publisher summary:

Many years ago, on a dark and stormy night, the disfigured and enigmatic Doctor John Smith invited his closest friends, Inspector Victor Schaeffer and his wife, to a dinner to celebrate his birthday. A mere few hours later all the occupants in that house had been changed — some were dead, others mentally scarred forever by the events of that night. So, what happened to the distinguished dinner guests on that evening? Perhaps we'll never know. But two clues have led to much speculation — found outside the study window, a charred umbrella with a curved red handle and found inside the house, a blood-stained copy of Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. For one person, this night represented an ending: an ending to one thousand years of darkness and an ending to ten years of light. But for everyone else, is there no ending of this one night of Hell?

This is part of a trilogy where each story highlights a classic villain. The first one was Omega which was... not that great in my opinion. Then there was Davros which was much better. But then there's this one which is creepy and amazing.

The Jekyll & Hyde reference comes into play with the theme of man's duality. Everyone has their own Hyde, even the Doctor. I really recommend listening to this to truly get the vibe and feel of this.

4. Fifth Doctor Boxset: Iterations of I (5, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan) by John Dorney

Publisher Summary:

The house on Fleming's Island had been left to rot. Ever since a strange and unexplained death soon after it was built, and plagued with troubling rumours about what lurked there, it remained empty and ignored for decades until the Cult moved in. As twenty people filled its many rooms, the eerie building seemed to be getting a new lease of life. But now it is empty again. The cult found something in its corridors... and then vanished. Trapped on the island one dark night, the Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric look into the building's mysteries, its stories of madness and death. Their only chance is to understand what terrible thing has been disturbed here... before it consumes them utterly.

If you told me that one of my favorite stories to come from Big Finish was a haunted house story centered around math problems, I would've called you crazy.

But, yeah, this is amazing. Give it a listen!

3. Companion Chronicles: The Rocket Men (1, Barbara, Ian, Vicki) by John Dorney

Publisher Summary:

The TARDIS has landed on Platform Five, a floating city in the sky of the planet Jobis, and for a time the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki get the chance to enjoy this idyllic place. Then the Rocket Men arrive, led by the sadistic Ashman. When the only other option to certain death is suicide, Ian Chesterton takes the gamble of his life...

I am simply amazed at how great this is. I love every element of this.

It's a great character piece for Ian (William Russell is superb in this) and this will give you all "da feels" in regards to Ian and Barbara's relationship. You can tell writer John Dorney love these two characters

Also, THE ROCKET MEN! They are so simple - they're basically space gangsters - but they work so damn well! Every story I've listened to them in has been great! They're probably the best original villains Big Finish has ever created!

Please give this a listen!

2. Main Range: The Fearmonger* (7 and Ace) by Jonathan Blum

Publisher Summary:

One would-be assassin is in a mental ward. Another's on the run. Their intended victim is stirring up the mobs. Terrorists are planning a strike of their own. A talk-radio host is loving every minute of it. A Whitehall insider whispers about a mysterious UN operative, with a hidden agenda. Everyone's got someone they want to be afraid of. It'll only take a little push for the situation to erupt — and something is doing the pushing. But you can trust the Doctor to put things right. Can't you?

This is yet another story that (despite it being released 20 years ago) still feels incredibly relevant.

While it does take swings at the ugliness that is nationalism and political violence, it points out that the thing that warps our minds and makes us think this thing is fear.

It also points out that the fear that makes us behave or demonstrate that abhorrent behavior doesn't just come from politicians and certain media personalities. Those people certainly exacerbate things, but the truth is, that fear was inside ourselves. And the scary thing is, that fear may have been in us all along and we denied having it.

This is story is amazing. Please give this a listen.

SPECIAL CAST NOTE: This is the first Big Finish Doctor Who audio to feature the late Jacqueline Pearce (as Sherilyn Harper). She would go on to start in several other BF productions including her(arguably) most iconic role as Cardinal Ollistra in the Time War-related audios. She also appeared in the Classic Who episode Revelation of the Daleks.

1. Main Range: The Chimes of Midnight* (8 and Charley) by Robert Shearman

Publisher Summary:

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring... But something must be stirring. Something hidden in the shadows. Something which kills the servants of an old Edwardian mansion in the most brutal and macabre manner possible. Exactly on the chiming of the hour, every hour, as the grandfather clock ticks on towards midnight. Trapped and afraid, the Doctor and Charley are forced to play detective to murders with no motive, where the victims don't stay dead. Time is running out. And time itself might well be the killer...

This story is PURE PERFECTION! My words can not do it justice! This is a case of you need to listen to this to truly understand how great it is.

The one heads up I'll give is that part of the plot involves an ongoing arc with the companion Charley. But you'll be able to follow regardless.

Please, please, PLEASE, give this a listen! Or else they'll be no plum pudding for you, my poppet.

35 Before 35 Bucket List

This is a bucket (list).

So, now that I've passed the big 3-0, it's time to look to the future. So, as I indicated in my previous post, I would be making an updated one with items I want to complete before 35. And here it is.

1. Finish a writing project

As indicated before, it doesn't need to be published. But I want to at least say I have a version that can be presented to a potential published.

2. Do some volunteer work.

3. Be more active with my blog writing

4. Watch, at least half, Oscar-winning films (Picture, Directing, Acting, Writing).

5. Watch, at least half, Razzie winning films (same categories).

6. Read my books I haven't read yet. 

Audiobooks have been a big help with this one.

7. Watch my movies, I haven't watched yet. 

8. Watch/listen to all Doctor Who episodes.

9. Take a fitness class. 

10. Practice video editing.

I've started this in a small way.

11. Make at least five dishes from the Kent Rollins cookbook and Babish's second cookbook.

An edited down version from the last one. I'm also going to try and cook a lot from Babish's "Basics with Babish" series. I'm doing to expand my cooking knowledge and skills.

12. Get under 200 pounds. 

13. Make a voice acting demo.

14. Walk three different hiking trails.

15. Read great-uncle's service letters. 

Out of all the items I didn't complete last time around, this is the one I feel guilty about not finishing.

16. Visit the statues dedicated to Jim Henson, Mr. Rogers, and Dr. Seuss (a new addition).

17. Frame my pictures and posters.

18. Learn a song on the ukulele (and mandolin as a bonus). 

19. Organize my books and movies.

20. Paint a Bob Ross-style painting

21. Learn to make at least three different cocktails. 

22. Bake the GBBO technical challenges.

I've decided to tackle this one category of bakes because this challenge was to test the baker's knowledge. So, I feel like this will help me with certain aspects I need to work on.

23. Visit California.

On the previous list, I indicated I wanted to visit Los Angeles. I honestly want to visit almost any part of it.

24. Travel abroad.

I hope to travel to the UK in particular. I'd love to see all of the UK but I'd be satisfied with visiting London.

25. Learn to tap dance. 

I don't know why, but I've always wanted to tap dance.

26. Walk 10k steps and/or 5 miles a day.

27. Go vegetarian or vegan a least once a week. 

I don't plan on going full vegetarian or vegan, but I think going meat/dairy-free at least once a week will help me lose weight.

28. Watch 20 films from the Criterion Collection.

29. Bake 14 recipes from Hoosier Mama pie cookbook.

I picked 14 because pi (3.14), duh!

30. Cook at least one recipe from the other cookbooks I have. 

31. Practice meditation. 

32. Spend less time on the internet. 

I've noticed I spent a lot of time just loitering around on Facebook and such. So, I'm going to try and reduce my time significantly. I haven't set a specific time limit for myself yet, but regardless, less time is better.

33. Start a podcast.

I started working on notes for the premise of it. I just need to fine-tune the details and make sure I have the equipment/set up.

34. Learn one of the following instruments:
- harmonica (blues harmonica in particular)
I've always wanted to learn because it always seemed like a cool instrument and style.

- drums 
I started to take lessons a long time ago but for some reason, I stopped. Let's fix that.

- piano
I live in a house with a piano in it, I have relatives and friends who play, there's a lot of piano songs I love, so why not?

35. Listen to all (if not a majority) of the musical soundtracks on this tierlist.com challenge. 

Since taking part in community theater I've realized my knowledge of musicals is severely minimal.  Recently, a friend shared her version of the "Ultimate list of musicals Tier List" on tierlist.com. Realizing I hadn't listened to a lot of these (or heard of them) I decided to listen to the complete soundtrack. Obviously, it's not the same as seeing the shows, but I at least want to know about the songs from it.

30 Before 30 Bucketlist STATUS

Well, the big day has finally arrived. I turn the big 3-0! Let's revisit the bucket list!

1. Finish a screenplay/book/story idea of some kind.
STATUS: Nope! Yeah, not even close. I get ideas and I maybe write down some notes. I hope in the coming years I actually sit my butt down and write! I will one day! ONE DAY!

2. Visit The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.
STATUS: DONE! Btw, San Antonio and Austin are amazing places to visit

Could I look any more like a tourist?

3. Travel to New York City and/or Los Angeles.
STATUS: Done! Well, at least, NYC. I'm glad I gave myself a week to check it out and not just a weekend. I saw "The Band's Visit" on Broadway, I geeked out when I saw the Jim Henson Exhibit at the Moving Image Museum, I dined at some amazing places (including some amazing pizzerias), and so many other wonderful places!

A cool piece of graffiti I saw on my trip.

4. Do some volunteer work. Because I feel like I need to give back to people in some form.
STATUS: Sadly no.

5. Raise money for charities. I want to channel my frustration into something positive.
STATUS: Done!

6. Do something that involves public speaking. Auditioning for a play, speaking somewhere, anything like that.
STATUS: Oh no doubt I did this! Matter of fact, a good chunk of my time the last year or so has been occupied with this. I auditioned for a community theater production and I got hooked. I haven't stopped! I don't want to stop! I love it!

How it all got started

7. Start a Patreon page for this blog.
STATUS: Done.

8. Be more active in my blog writing.
STATUS: Eehhhhhhh. Yeah.... I wish I could say otherwise. Here's hoping that, much like with number 1, I actually sit my butt down and write stuff!

9. Watch all movies that won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Director, Acting, and Writing.
STATUS: Nope.

10. Watch at least half of the movies nominated for similar categories at the Razzies.
STATUS: Nope... not even close,

11. Read the books I own but haven’t read yet.
STATUS: Nope but I have been making progress. Audiobooks help out a great deal.

12. Watch the movies I own but haven’t watched yet. See number eleven.
STATUS: Nope

13. Watch (in some cases listen to) all Doctor Who episode.
STATUS: Nope. Right now I'm still in the William Hartnell era. I have been listening to a ton of Big Finish audio dramas.

14. Take up a fitness class.
STATUS: Haven't done. I joined a gym but haven't taken advantage of the classes they have.

15. Organize my home office.
STATUS: I'm considering this a victory. It's not quite how I want it but it's fine. 

16. Practice video editing.
STATUS: Nope.

17. Bake at least five dishes featured in the Great British Bake Off.
STATUS: Completed. Among the things I've baked included Paul Jagger's soda bread (S6), Candice's chocolate cake (S7), Paul Jagger's poached pear frangipane tart (S6), Richard's Swedish tea ring (S5), and Mary Berry's reduced-sugar carrot cake (Masterclass)

The tea ring

18. Make half of the recipes featured in Eat What You Watch by Andrew Rea (Binging With Babish) and A Taste of Cowboy by Kent Rollins.
STATUS: Sadly no. Babish recently came our with his second cookbook which is basically the first 100 recipes of his show which I think I'll reference in the future. Though I did bake a nice bundt cake from Rollins' book.

19. Get under 200 pounds.
STATUS: I was so freaking close!

20. Make a voice acting demo.
STATUS: No.

21. Walk three different hiking trails.
STATUS: No.

22. Read my Great-Uncle’s service letters.
STATUS: Sadly, no.

23. Visit the statues dedicated to Mr. Rogers and Jim Henson and get a photo with them
STATUS: Nope. I almost went to the Henson one but I had to cancel the trip.

24. Go see three live shows.
STATUS: Complete! I saw "The Band's Visit" on Broadway, a couple local shows that I've covered (including an awesome Irish band called The Drowsy Lads), community theater productions of "Gypsy" and "Sweeney Todd" that some friends of mine were in, and I saw Patton F**KING Oswalt perform!

25. Frame my pictures and posters.
STATUS: Not done.

26. Learns songs to play on guitar, mandolin and ukulele.
STATUS: Complete. I'm counting because I learned Dolly Parton's Jolene on the guitar to perform for a show I was in. This was the first time I played guitar for a crowd, I sang solo for an audience, and the first time I did my impressions for a crowd.

27. Organize and catalog my books and movies.
STATUS: No.

28. Paint a Bob Ross-style painting.
STATUS: No.

29. Learn and make different cocktails.
STATUS: No.

30. Try ten new restaurants.
STATUS: Done! I went to NYC, how on Earth could I NOT complete this!?

IN TOTAL: 10/30

I wish I could've gotten at least half but it's more than I thought. But I can say that a lot of my time has been spent accomplishing a couple of them and one them formed into a hobby. That lead me to make more friends and growing in confidence! I did things I never thought I'd get the guts to do.

So, yeah, despite me not accomplishing all the things, I'm satisfied with the things I did accomplish.  

I'll be making a 35 Before 35 list. It'll carry-over the things I didn't accomplish here along with some new ones. 

Thank you all for reading and I'm looking forward to my 30s!