Good christmas this year… I didn’t get the Archos 101 tablet that I’d been wanting, but I got the Viewsonic 10″ Android G tablet instead. It’s awesome… the initial reviews for the device weren’t the best, and after my initial unboxing I was inclined to agree. The TapNTap interface they stuck on it was crap, the advertised flash was not installed, and the performance for running the Nvidia Tegra 2 processor was slow and choppy.

Then in steps the great people at XDA Developers. They have pulled the OS apart in every way possible and put it back together… I rooted the device and installed the “Vegan-tab” ROM, based off of the firmware from the Advent Vega tablet. Now… it rocks! There has been a huge performance increase, this thing really zips along. The battery lasts forever, and when I’m not near a wifi access point I can tether to my Droid phone and use it’s 3G connection.

I also got some Firefly/Serenity stuff from my wife (see the enclosed photo), including a large book of maps from the Firefly univere, a stack of currency from the Serenity movie, a Serenity keychain, and even a small model of Inara’s shuttle that I can put next to my Serenity model on the shelf at work (not pictured). Yes, I am fully aware that the sonic screwdriver in the picture is not from Firefly, but it’s cool anyway!

Also got plenty of new Blu-ray movies for my collection, including the expendables, Hitman, The Crazies, The A-Team, Kick-Ass, Knight & Day, Iron Man 2, Clash of the Titans, Hot Tub Time Machine and more… Still My favorite is the Tablet, which I have been using constantly.

Alright, maybe I’m dating myself by saying it was great seeing all these actors together, especially in an action flick like this one. But I’m always up for a Bruce Willis movie, and you can’t go wrong with Morgan Freeman. Also, was it just me or was Helen Mirren still kinda hot as the retired ex-assassin? And still kicking butt…

If you haven’t already seen it (you should), it’s a movie starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren as retired spies classified as RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous) who because of a mission they were previously involved in have been targeted for termination. Not ones to take thing sitting down, they turn the tables on the CIA, going after those who want them dead. A lot of bullets fly, and they kick some major CIA butt. I can’t tell you how incredibly awesome it is to watch the dignified, elegant Helen Mirren tear it up with a .50 cal machine gun? There are no words… two thumbs up!

Finally! After what seems like months (because it was), Castle is finally back. I even gave up watching the Hawaii Five-0 premier to watch it, something I was really eager to see. I can’t believe they put them up against each other. Who are the ad wizards who decide these things?

It opens as Beckett and her team burst into an apartment on a murderer’s trail, and are surprised when they see Castle, who they haven’t heard from in months, standing over a dead woman’s body holding a gun. Beckett and the guys have no choice but to arrest Castle until he proves his innocence.

All in all I thought it was a strong season opener, even if my wife disagrees… she hates the “everybody hates so-and-so” kind of episodes, and this was very much, at least at the beginning, “Everybody hates Castle.” Usually I concur, but for the most part it worked here – though in certain scenes it did seem a little contrived.

I can’t wait for next week, a psychic predicts her own death. I’m eager to see how Castle makes fun of psychics and/or freaks out about it. I loved last season’s “mummy’s curse” episode Wrapped in Death.

Overall, very Double Rainbow!

Alright, it’s a little embarassing to admit, but I’m a fan of the series Vampire Diaries. While not my favorite current show, it’s pretty close …Castle definitely takes the top spot there… but despite it’s teen soapiness (I’m hardly a teen) it’s pretty awesome. The best character by far is the dark, semi-evil but very witty/smartass vampire brother Damon, though I’m pretty sure he’s the favorite of anyone who and really watches the show, as his broody do-gooder brother (also vampire) Stefan is just kinda boring.

Another thing that helps make the show watchable is main character Elena, played by the lovely Nina Dobrev. Her character is a little too good for my tastes, but there are hints that something slightly darker might emerge for her (or maybe it’s just my imagination).

The season 2 premier was certainly eventful, lots of vampire shenangans as Elena’s doppleganger Catherine (also Dobrev) shows up pretending to be her and causes problems for everyone she runs into. I can’t want to see what they’re going to do next!

…and for those who care, Castle is starting soon. w00t!

Found this on the web, and had to share. If you ain’t a Firefly/Serenity fan, might not make much sense to you.

“Now I did a job. I ain’t got nothing but trouble since I did it, not to mention more than a few unkind words as regards to my character, so let me make this abundantly clear: I do the job. And then I get paid.” – Capt Malcom Reynolds