N3rdtastic weekend!

After weekends of packing, driving and unpacking, I had a weekend to do whatever I want, whenever I want. And I took full advantage of it.

Welcome back, Boxee

I reinstalled Boxee on my Apple TV. For those of you out of the loop, Boxee is a third-party software app that acts as a streaming media center for your PC, but it also aggregates online video feeds from multiple sources, including Hulu. Hook up Boxee to an Apple TV, and you can watch streaming video on a TV from the comforts of your couch instead of being hunched over at your desk in front of a computer monitor.

The latest Apple TV software update erased Boxee, so I reinstalled the software with the latest version, which adds Hulu feeds back into the Boxee suite of features. (It was removed last month at Hulu's request.)

I also downloaded the new Boxee iPhone application, and it works like a dream. Have a look:

'Battlestar Galactica' finale

I watched the BSG series finale (all three hours of it) a second time. I thought I would appreciate the episode more this time around, but instead I got the opposite: I found more reasons to feel a little bit disapointed.

In fact, this final season as a whole was lackluster. And I'll go back even a little further (customary spoiler alert here): When the final four Cylons were revealed at the end of season three, the show fundamentally changed. It went from a show that could cultivate legions of fans to a show that pleased only the hardcore loyalists. As a result, the fourth season became more "inside baseball" than the first two seasons, which were outstanding.

The fourth season seemed to be plagued by plot lines that were written into a corner and inelegantly resolved. If Tyrol is a Cylon, isn't his child a human-Cylon hybrid? Nope, turns out it wasn't Tyrol's kid after all. What about Caprica Six's baby? Her father is one of the final five. Oh, it conveniently died.

But the biggest plot line -- Starbuck returning from the dead -- also turned out to be the one written into the worst corner. And the resolution of Starbuck's character in the series finale left many fans angry, asserting that Ron Moore copped out by having her vanish out of thin air. No explanation of who or what she is exactly, how she returned to the fleet in a brand-new viper, no answer to how her father (not to mention "All Along the Watchtower) fits into the grand scheme of things.

I do believe Moore took the easy way out, but providing a tangible answer to Starbuck's mysteries might have come off as contrived or unbelievable in a bad way. Letting her disappear was the lesser of two evils, in my opinion.

This reimagined BSG had a reputation of introducing plot turns that are highly unexpected and intriguing. I was expecting the finale to wow and amaze me, something like, "Oh wow, that's ingenious. I never would have thought of that in a million years. That knocked my socks off." There was none of that in the finale. Instead, Moore and the writers decided to focus on the characters, not the story lines. And even though what they gave us looked a lot like an episode of "Lost," they did a fine job of wrapping up each character's story arc by looking to the past. It's just not original thinking.

'Doctor Who' Easter special

The seond of four DW specials, "Planet of the Dead" was a treat to watch. The Doctor hops a ride on a London bus that goes through a wormhole to a barren, desolate desert planet. The Doctor teams up with an international jewel thief (played by Michelle Ryan of "Bionic Woman" temporary fame) to get everyone back to Earth. But as you can guess, danger is not too far away.

Thanks to someone in cyberspace who posted the episode on YouTube. If you're new to the series, it's not a bad place to start:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Ryan plays Lady Christina, a bold, confident and fearless woman who is the Doctor's pseudo-companion in this episode. That's a change from the Doctor's first two companions (Rose Tyler and Martha Jones), who sported some degree of helplessness and were romantically lost or hung up in the Doctor's time lordish charisma. The writers tried to switch gears with Donna Noble (the Doctor's most recently departed companion), giving her a more platonic relationship. But it came off as more indifferent than platonic. And she was annoying throughout most of the series.

Christina, however, walks toe-to-toe with the Doc, and she thrives on adventure the danger that goes with it. She might as well be Lara Croft, minus the, uh, assets. There's no word on whether Ryan will become the new companion when the series resumes in full force in 2010, but I sure hope that's the case. It would be nice to see the Doctor with a companion who can hold her own in the face of danger.

But then again, I can see why the writers wouldn't want to go that route. The viewers are supposed to experience the world of Who through the companion's eyes. Make her some kind of superhero, and you ruin the show's foundation. And you also take some limelight away from the Doctor.

Re-Kindled

TV shows aside, I spent more time with my Kindle 2. The more time I spend with it, the more I love this thing.

I started reading a book about personal finance for people in their 20s and 30s. I consider it part of my "training" for my new job. But I'm generally bad when it comes to managing my money, so it helps me as well as my employer.

The only bad part: Buying books is just too damn easy. Amazon is the father of one-click shopping, and it's no different with the Kindle. But reading on the Kindle is more enjoyable to me than leafing through pages. It's hard to explain ... call it "gadget allure." Heck, I just bought a book that I already own in print!

Don't underestimate the power of the Kindle.

N3rd run

I went for my first jog since November. Well, I wouldn't call it a jog; it was 40 percent jogging, 60 percent walking. But the Florida weather was spectacular, so I didn't care so much.

I bought a pair of Nike+ shoes last summer, and it's cool how it can track your stats. Here is Saturday's run. (You can also look at my previous four).

 And the rest ...

In between all that, I caught up on podcasts, watched an episode of Top Gear (I strongly recommend you watch it, even if you're not a gear head) and started playing "Star Ocean: The Last Hope."

Can't wait for next weekend already!