Art Trap Productions

Last month on Saturday, February 6, 2010, I was invited to an AMHH (Auntie M's Helping Hands, Inc.) event. Nothing unusual about this, as AMHH holds events throughout the year in which I am regularly invited to, but they seemed a little more eager for me to attend this particular fundraiser event than perhaps others of late. They had a mysterious "surprise" for me. I hadn't been to one in a while and I figured why not since I hadn't seen so many of my friends there in some time now.

AMHH, Inc is a not-for-profit charity made up entirely by volunteers which helps to raise funds for programs and organizations in the Long Island LGBT community. Since they are all volunteers, there are no real administrative overhead. The core of the organization is mostly made up of former owners, workers, and patrons of the warm and friendly community pub, Auntie M's which was around in the 1990s, hence the name, Auntie M's Helping Hands. The pub which is unfortunately is no longer around today, was once described as one similar to that of the famous 'Cheers' - a place where everyone knew your name. It was very much the case. Everyone there was family (take note that I am not using enclosing "family" in quotes here).

Last month we stated we would give a brand new unopened copy of Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead in HD on Blu-ray to randomly selected Podshock Supporting Subscriber (Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead Blu-Ray Going to a Podshock Supporting Subscriber). We promised we would announce the winner at our seasonal meet up on Second Life on the 20th of February (Pre-Gallifrey 21 Meet Up on Second Life). We did. The subscriber we randomly selected was Ken Okel. (Ken was not present at the meet up, but we stated that you need not be present for it).

After contacting Ken, we learned that he had just bought a copy of Planet of the Dead on BD, and offered us to give the disc to another subscriber that may need it. Fortunately, we had selected a runner up just in case something like this occurred. That person is Helen Lesser!

You may have heard that Doctor Who: Podshock will be returning to the annual New York science fiction, fact, and fantasy convention, I-CON this year. We will be doing a live show there once again on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 2pm. For details, see the article, Doctor Who: Podshock Returns to Stony Brook, NY for I-CON 29.

In addition to the live recording of Doctor Who: Podshock, I will be speaking about Doctor Who at the convention on a panel along with my fellow co-host of the aforementioned podcast, Ken Deep the day before, on Saturday, March 27 at 11am EDT located in the Harriman 112 (at SUNY Stony Brook, NY where I-CON 29 is taking place this year).

Join Doctor Who: Podshock live at I-CON 29 on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 2pm (EDT) in Stony Brook, NY.

Doctor Who: Podshock returns to the annual New York science fiction, fact, and fantasy convention this spring for another live show. I-CON is back at the SUNY Stony Brook University again this year with invited Sarah Douglas, Ronald D. Moore, Charisma Carpenter, Tony Todd and more.

"Look over there! On the other side of your galaxy, that's home."

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 187
Running Time: 1:34:32

Live on Stage at Gallifrey 21 with special guests: Georgia Moffett, Andrew Hayden-Smith, John Fay, Louise Page, Daphne Ashbrook, Yee Jee Tso, and walk-on by Gary Russell. Recorded live at Gallifrey Blackjack 21 on the 28th of February 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.

For those that follow me on Twitter, may know that I sometimes use AudioBoo to record short audio reports while on the road. It is usually while attending a conference or convention or some other event, though not limited to such. (If you want to know more about AudioBoo, back in 2008, I posted this blog about AudioBoo: Boo! AudioBoo! Mini Mobile Podcasting!)

This year's Gallifrey One convention (Gallifrey Blackjack 21) was no exception.

"Ooh, it's a flyin' beastie!"

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 186
Running Time: 0:58:42

Our Gallifrey 21 Wrap-Up show reporting on Gallifrey Blackjack 21 in Los Angeles, CA. We wrap up our thoughts on the convention with special surprise walk-on guest, Frazer Hines.

"Give a monkey control of its environment, and it will fill the world with bananas!"

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 185
Running Time: 0:39:38

Our Half-Time Gallifrey 21 show reporting from Gallifrey Blackjack 21 in Los Angeles, CA. We bring you up to date on what the convention is like half way through it. Ken had interviewed Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling on stage, all the podcasters came together for a summit and more. Joining us on this show is also 'That Chip Guy' @2MinuteTimeLord from the Two Minute Time Lord and DWO The Whocast, and Dan Roth of DWNY.

"You can't rule the world in hiding. You've got to come out on the balcony sometimes and wave a tentacle."

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 184
Running Time: 0:39:46

A special episode recorded at our Doctor Who: Podshock Meet and Greet at Gallifrey 21 on Thursday, 25 February 2010 in Los Angeles, CA with Meet and Greet attendees including: Eric Escamilla, Joshua Lou Friedman, Lewis Bailey, Tara Wheeler, Kevin Roche, David Wheeler, Keefe and Cathy O'Neill, Pam Richardson, Lanaia DuBose, Ed Comstock, Samantha Rosz, James Naughton, and others.

The Sonic Newsdriver 20100223
Selected Doctor Who related news delivered sonically.
For Earth-date: Tuesday, the 23rd of Feb. 2010

New publicity image and new promo trailer for Doctor Who series 31 released, Torchwood the Digital Comic, James Corden to Guest Star?, Neil Gaiman Confirms, Going Once - Going Twice, Gallifrey 21, and more.

Last week, Apple finally release the long awaited update to the their image post-processing workflow application, Aperture.

As I expected and hoped for, the latest upgrade to Aperture incorporates many of the great features introduced in iPhoto '09 (which is part of Apple's iLife suite of software). Chiefly, it now brings "Faces" and "Places" from iPhoto '09 to Aperture. I had been waiting for this upgrade before making the switch from iPhoto to Aperture for my photo post processing workflow. I would had moved over to Aperture long ago, but after iPhoto '09 came out, I became addicted to its (then) new aforementioned features, especially the geo-tagging of photographs. With "Places" in iPhoto '09, it allowed for geo-tagging of photographs, so location data stored in the metadata of image files will be used to place that photo on a worldwide map within iPhoto (via Google Maps). Photos taken with the iPhone will automatically contain the location information (via GPS and/or Skyhook technology). For photographs taken without a camera that will embeds location data in the metadata, you can assign them yourself. I had done just this with the several decades of photos already managed by iPhoto. In addition, iPhoto '09 introduced "Faces" which used face recognition technology to identify faces in your photo library and it would learn faces and make suggestions. I was already tagging certain people in all my photos using keywords, so this made the process easier and also allow me tag more people than I had been doing perviously with earlier versions of iPhoto.

"I'm not suprised. They gave up teaching that some two thousand years ago, even on Gallifrey."

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 183
Running Time: 1:44:12

Our annual Gallifrey One preview show previewing Gallifrey 21, plus Who Party Toronto update, the Germany Report with Graeme Sheridan, and more.

A new unopened copy of Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead on Blu-Ray disc (US) starring David Tennant and Michelle Ryan will be given to a randomly chosen Podshock Supporting Subscriber.

We will announce who the disc will be going to at our upcoming Gallifreyan Embassy / Doctor Who: Podshock Meet Up on Second Life on the 20th of February (you need not be present to receive the disc).

This 10th Doctor special, originally transmitted in April 2009 is the first Doctor Who television episode offered in high definition (1080i). It also contains the 60 minute behind-the-scenes Doctor Who: Confidential episode. Note: This is a US version of the Blu-ray disc.

"Before I go, I just want to tell you: You were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what?… So was I!"

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 182
Running Time: 1:59:23

The Parting of the Ways reviewed (again), Gallifrey 21 Update, news, and more.