When the cell phones take over, there will be no more...

Time's Champion

Time's Champion is an un-authorized novel based upon a story by the late author Craig Hinton and completed by his friend Chris McKeon.

Chris McKeon happens to be a fellow whose parents are in my ward. In fact, his dad was my Bishop once upon a time and his grandparents are good friends of mine. His mom was bragging on him the other day, and that was the first I'd heard about his writing. I knew he was into science fiction before his mission - we'd gotten into a real deep conversation regarding Star Wars once in the hallway at church and at the time ended up missing Sunday School completely - but I didn't know he was into Dr. Who, or that he was a writer.

The story is a thematic sequel to Hinton's earlier Millennial Rites and The Quantum Archangel, and to The Trial of a Time Lord. Published as an unauthorised publication with all profits going to the British Heart Foundation (a charity chosen by Hinton's family).
In 2000 an American writer and fan of Doctor Who Chris McKeon submitted a story to Big Finish Productions, known as 'The Seventh Door' exploring elements of Remembrance of the Daleks and featured revelations concerning the Valeyard and the Seventh Doctor, this story was rejected by Big Finish. Undeterred McKeon continued to work on another story featuring the Valeyard and began to investigate other authors who had successfully written stories featuring the Valeyard.

While investigating previous authors' efforts to feature the Valeyard, McKeon discovered Hinton's novels and the two met online in Doctor Who forums to discuss the Valeyard. This correspondence led to McKeon learning of Hinton's intent to write a novel Time's Champion for the BBC Past Doctor Adventures, which was to feature both the Sixth Doctor's regeneration and the origins of the Valeyard.

However in 2004 the novel was rejected by the BBC. After this decision McKeon returned to his earlier (rejected) Valeyard story concepts in the hope of eventual publication, but when he told Hinton of this, Hinton instead gave McKeon permission to complete Time's Champion itself, with the goal of working together to finish the draft for an unofficial online presentation. Before, during and after this period, Hinton and McKeon developed a strong friendship over discussing their ideas (and met personally at the 2005 GallifreyOne convention in Los Angeles), and when Hinton died on 3rd December 2006, McKeon progressed by himself, determined to complete the novel in his friend's memory.

Upon Craig Hinton's death, McKeon announced his position as the co-author of Time's Champion (Hinton had previously mentioned online that he was working with another, anonymous author). Within days, McKeon was contacted by Simon Guerrier, editor of the Bernice Summerfield audio adventures at Big Finish, who expressed his interest in attempting to publish the book through the company's Short Trips anthologies. Guerrier, however, informed McKeon that the chances of clearing the book's publication with the BBC were slim, and indeed this did not materialise. However, almost immediately after, McKeon was also contacted by David Howe, owner of Telos Publishing, a publishing company which had, until 2004, produced Doctor Who novellas and later the spin-off series Time Hunter. Howe offered McKeon the chance to publish Time's Champion as an unofficial work, using Telos' printing facilities to produce the novel (though not as a Telos Publishing book), whose profits would go to the British Heart Foundation (a charity chosen by Hinton's family, as the author had died of a heart attack). Howe himself offered to serve as the book's editor.

McKeon accepted the opportunity and continued to complete the novel. In February 2007, Howe and McKeon met at the GallifreyOne convention to discuss preliminary publication details. On August 27, 2007, McKeon completed the text's first draft, which came out at 170,477 words. This, when examined by Howe, proved to be too large and very shortly thereafter McKeon went to work on the second draft with the goal to cut the word count to 90,000 words. This second attempt he completed on December 27, 2007, albeit with approximately 115,000 words. Howe began to edit this draft over in early 2008, and on February 10, 2008, McKeon received the edited third draft of Time's Champion, coming in at about 103,000 words. This text he subsequently re-read (at Howe's suggestion during their meeting at the 2008 GallifreyOne convention), to which he made some final revisions. This fourth draft was returned to Howe for final editing. Howe then submitted this draft gto an independent reader for further alterations. By late March, this draft had been completed and turned over to another reader for a final read-through and opinion. On July 6th, 2008, the completed text and a cover drawn by renowned Doctor Who artist Alister Pearson were turned in for final publication, and the novel was released on July 21, 2008.

Anyway, I just had to post this as I'm pea-green with envy that he's gotten this great opportunity. Exterminate! Exterminate! (Just kidding. I think!)

I knew this...

My Chinese Name

This is my Chinese Name: Marianne 玛丽安 (Mǎ lì ān)

A Little Known Olympic Event

I will admit I stayed up way too late on Saturday night just to see Phelps win his eighth gold medal. It's been a lot of fun watching Dara Torres, too. I don't like the coverage, though. In my area it starts so darn late and then you never can get to bed on time!

Happy Graduation!

Congratulations are in order for my nephew, Daniel, who graduates today from BYU! Way to go, Daniel!

I Hate Car Problems

This is what I'm driving today - a Dodge Avenger. My little 2000 Nissan Sentra SE is in the shop and I've got a rental. I really really hate having car problems. It's going to cost me an arm and a leg and I dislike driving other cars. I've been totally paranoid that I'll ding or scrape or otherwise ruin the rental. Plus I have had to miss work, which is frustrating as well. Hopefully I'll get my little car back today and can mush on with my life. Sigh.

Olympics, Chinese Style

"Beijing officials have distributed 4.3 million copies of an etiquette book, outlining rules on good manners and foreign customs, including rules about what not to wear,” according to The Wall Street Journal (8/1/08) “Among the no-nos: more than three color shades in an outfit, white socks with black shoes, and pajamas and slippers in public."

It should be interesting for the Chinese citizens who obey these rules to see the foreigners in sweat pants, jeans and flip-flops.

Another issue for the Chinese government is the crackdown on any protesting during the Olympics. China just doesn’t want to look bad to the almost half-million tourists who are there for the festivities. According to the Associated Press, probably several thousand Chinese protestors have already been locked up for the duration so they don’t behave “inappropriately.” Also, protestors had to apply for permission to demonstrate some five days in advance and had to acknowledge that they would not harm national interests. They were supposed to be relegated to one of three parks which are several miles from the main Olympic stadium, but in a report on Saturday, August 8 in the Los Angeles Times, the three parks where demonstrators were to be allowed were totally quiet. There were no signs of protest areas or of protesters, and, according to the Times, there were more security personnel than visitors at the parks.

Foreigners who protested over the past week were deported, and the heavy security measures have forced most of the demonstrations to be held in other countries, including Tibet, India, Hong Kong, England, France, and Germany. (from Dr. Laura's Blog)

One World Is Enough for All of US

I love watching the Olympics. It is so cool to see the world coming together and showing the best we humans can be. (With a few exceptions through the years, this has been the case. )
I must confess to loving the winter games more than the summer - but even having said that, I've been totally caught up in these games since the breathtaking opening ceremonies on Friday night. It was just exciting to see the women cyclists as they breezed through ancient byways and passed the Great Wall on their bikes. I shared in the sorrow of the little Chinese gymnast who didn't do as well as she had hoped in her first Olympic trial. I cheered for Michael Phelps as he won his gold. I watched in awe as the synchronized divers did their phenomenal job of pulling off the impossible.

I marvel at the imagination, skill and excellence that human beings can attain. Go World!

Letter from an Irishman

'We, in Ireland, can't figure out why people are even bothering to hold an election in the United States this year.

On one side, you have a pants-wearing woman lawyer, married to a lawyer who can't keep his pants on, who just lost a long and heated primary they still haven't paid for, against a lawyer who states he is "black" when it is documented he is only 12% "black", who goes to the wrong church, who has stated that he wants his countrymen to learn to speak Spanish rather than English, who refuses to put his hand over his heart and say the pledge of allegiance or wear the flag of the country he wants to run, who can't remember if there are 50 or 57 states in his own country, who is married to yet another lawyer who doesn't even like the country her husband wants to run.

Now... On the other side, you have a nice old war hero whose name starts with the appropriate 'Mc' terminology married to a good-looking younger woman who owns a beer distributorship.

Where's the contest? What in the Lord's name are ye lads thinking over there in the colonies?

Choose Something Like a Star

O Star (the fairest one in sight),

We grant your loftiness the right

To some obscurity of cloud --

It will not do to say of night,

Since dark is what brings out your light.

Some mystery becomes the proud.

But to be wholly taciturn

In your reserve is not allowed.
Say something to us we can learn

By heart and when alone repeat.

Say something! And it says "I burn."

But say with what degree of heat.

Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade.

Use language we can comprehend.

Tell us what elements you blend.
It gives us strangely little aid,

But does tell something in the end.

And steadfast as Keats' Eremite,

Not even stooping from its sphere,

It asks a little of us here.

It asks of us a certain height,

So when at times the mob is swayed

To carry praise or blame too far,

We may choose something like a star

To stay our minds on and be staid.

by Robert Frost - 1947

Geriatric Rock

Okay, I liked this movie. It was fun and beautiful to look at and the music was great. I'll admit I even liked ABBA back in the day. What I don't understand is what time period the film was supposedly set in. It comes across as present day - but if Mamma was a hippy in the 60s, then our film is either set in the 80s or our young bride is a LOT older than she looks. I actually didn't mind the casting, but it's obvious the actual age of the performers and the whole plot time-line can't stand much scrutiny... And having said all that, I think I'd someday like to see a version of this done with singers who can act, as opposed to actors who can 'sorta' sing.

'Nuff Said...

Carolyn Marie Seaver Jacobsen

I was shocked this past weekend to discover my good friend Carol had passed away in May. It doesn't seem possible that she is gone.

1950 - 2008 Lehi, Utah
Carolyn Marie Seaver Jacobsen passed away suddenly Friday, May 30, 2008, in the American Fork Hospital. Known lovingly by members of her family as Carol, Sue, George, Mom, and Nana, Carolyn was born June 29, 1950, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, to Eleanor Margarette Spencer and Harold Ralph Seaver. She has a brother, Jerry Richard Seaver (and wife Christine). She attended local Phoenix schools and graduated from Central High School in 1968. She attended Brigham Young University and graduated from the College of Southern Utah with a B.A. in Elementary Education.

Carolyn married Irvin Kent Jacobsen in the Mesa Arizona Temple in 1974. They have five children: Adrienne (David) Worthy, Woodstock, Georgia; Tatiana (Jonathan) Biesinger, Lehi, Utah; Christian Richard (Kelli) Jacobsen; Pleasant Grove, Utah; Meagan Elizabeth Jacobsen, Austin, Texas; and Dmitri Alexander Jacobsen, Lehi, Utah. Carolyn and Kent have seven grandchildren: Kaia Monet Worthy, Kiersten Maren Worthy, Makayla Marie Biesinger, Hannah Elizabeth Biesinger, Ellie Caroline Biesinger, Elijah Christian Jacobsen, and Noah Zion Godwin.
Carolyn loved homemaking and children. She and Kent have two exchange student sons: Kjartan Haugen, Oslo Norway; and, Nurbek Darvishev, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Cultures, languages, and travel were her hobbies. She lived in Mexico, Spain, Norway, Arizona, Utah, and New York. She traveled in Morocco, Portugal, Italy, France, Sweden, England, Guam, and Korea. Carolyn and Kent housed and befriended folk dancers during the Springville Folk Fest from Norway, Korea, India, Russia, and Macedonia.

Carolyn taught school in Salina, Utah and Springville, Utah. She served continuously in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, church leader, friend and confidant, Carolyn was respected, loved and cherished around the world. Carolyn leaves in mortality her immediate family and her fervent testimony of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ.