I have returned (sorta)

As you may have guessed from the restoration of the Freakazoid favicon, my computer is up and running again. Well, one of them anyway. Depending on how things go with the other one on Monday, you may expect to see a long screed against a certain local computer service business that I might hope shows up high in the list of hits on popular search engines.

But, while my hard drive is running on all cylinders, my cranium is not. I used all of my mental prowess in the arduous task of figuring out the whole favicon thing again, so now I'm vegging out in front of "Veronica Mars" Season 3, which isn't nearly as bad as I was led to believe (although bits of that casino robbery episode did feel kind of phoned-in). Supermonth blogging will resume tomorrow evening, with a review of one of my old favorite stories, and possibly another quasi-liveblogging.

Until then, well, it's still Friday somewhere, right?

Jinkies!

There was awhile as a kid when I was really into the Hardy Boys books. The first one I remember buying (at a school Book Sale) and reading was "Hardy Boys Casefiles #42: The Last Laugh," naturally based around a comic book convention. I read most of the Casefiles books (before they switched to the TV tie-in photo covers) and generally preferred them to the regular series.

Eventually I began branching out into other similar and related series. I liked the new Tom Swift books, which put a more sci-fi spin on the standard plots; I even read a few of the more contemporary Bobbsey Twins novels. The one series, though, that I could never get into was Nancy Drew.

This wasn't for lack of trying; I own several Nancy Drew books (from various clearances), I liked the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys crossover books I read, but I couldn't manage to get more than a few chapters into any of her solo titles.

Having gotten way, way into the adventures of a different young female detective recently, and with Nancy's new film conveniently available through Netflix, I'm thinking now might be a good time to satisfy my curiosity and give "Carolyn Keene" another shot. I'd at least like to read through a complete book before I check out the movie, after all.

So, I did a teensy bit of Wikiresearch, and discovered that the Hardy Boys: Casefiles series was aimed at an older audience, which I imagine was why I preferred it. Given the often mature subject matter of my new favorite blond detective, I wondered if there was a parallel version of the Nancy Drew series, or something similar. Failing that, are there some classics in the Nancy Drew library, ones I should look to for an interesting introduction to the character?

I know there's got to be at least one closet paperback reader among my visitors, so speak up loud and proud.

On a related note, is it just me or does the concept behind "The Boxcar Children" get creepier as time goes by? "See, it's like 'Party of Five,' except they live like hobos." Weeeird.

Life on Mars

So, in-between Netflix shipments of Doctor Who, I've taken to watching the first season of "Veronica Mars," which I bought on reliable advice a few weeks back. Let me tell you, it's been a good couple of months for me discovering new shows and music I like.

What Veronica Mars ends up being, if I may be so glib, is a little like "Chloe Sullivan: The Series," except that all the Weird is mundane Hollyweird as opposed to Krypton-weird. Oh, and Veronica's rarely a damsel in distress pining away for the boy who doesn't notice her. She's what Chloe Sullivan should have been, and that's pretty much exactly what I want from TV.

Incidentally, though, I keep getting this "Dexter" vibe from the series. I think it's the music, coupled with the first-person narration and the story arc style. Which reminds me, I still have to watch the rest of last season of "Dexter."