Enjoying my memories of the Previous Weekend's Renaissance Faire

The family had been once before. We attended this faire again, for my dad's birthday and because we all enjoyed it.

Much of the cast was the same. Don Diego, Don Juan, the Town Cryer, Anne Boleyn & Morgan the Herbalist who also plays Morgan Le Fay, and the Scotsman, and the gypsies.

They played Strega Nona again.


My daughter kept finding feathers. Hawk feathers, and long blue feathers fallen from a lady's hat, who when Morgan went to give her it back gave her another. My father bought her a peacock feather.

When we first got there, my son and mother jumped a bit thanks to a loud shot of cannon.

Then the day began with dancing. It was so much fun. I got asked to dance, as well, the last, formal dance, and that was a treat. I did all right for a first-timer.

One of the fun dances involves stepping in a circle and a "lady" getting thrown to the right (or was it left;) by a "lord."

I found that with so many tall men, I often had to do a bit of jumping to reach up to their shoulders and get tossed around.

I tried some archery, for the first time in my life and made a bull's eye on my first attempt, smack in the center of the red heart.

I also tried some weapon throwing. I threw a knife, an axe and a ninja star.

I really want to buy a bow and some arrows.

I love archery, just like I always knew I would. I could do it all day, practically.

It was only a $1 for five shots.

During the Battle Chess I got to be king. It was hot, -- in more ways than one -- and I got to use a gorgeous fan made with feathers. I also liked being escorted to and from the board by beautiful ladies and lords.

It's good to be king!

I didn't get to sword fight the rat catcher as it was all a ruse for King Henry to take on the devious Don Diego.


By the time we got home, we were all very tired, in the best possible way, and everyone slept well.

Renaissance Faires are held through the Untied States, and in fact the world, through out the year, and I suggest getting to one near you as soon as possible.

They are always fun, and all the players really make it come alive.

What a great way to live, if one could, going from Faire to Faire performing, selling wares or yummy foods.

More of the Sexiest Men Scientists to Grace The Screen!

More cute scientists in film and on TV. 



10. James Callis as Dr. Gaius Baltar, Battlestar Galactica. As a friend of mine, Lynn wrote, he"raises the bar for complex, troubled geniuses the world over, but DAMN!!!" One look at the man says: Brood. Brooding, plagued with guilt-ridden visions of God, Cylons and the universe,  the man might be a god.  Yet he has masterminded and schemed and been responsible for horrible crimes. (Not unlike God has been accused of.) He is a tortured soul.

11.James Spader as Dr. Daniel Jackson in Stargate. -- too bad this isn't the Daniel Bat for Lashes wrote their newly famous song about. Dr. Jackson is who Goldblum later channels to great effect for his David Levinson role. Spader, who has played nearly every character role imaginable from the poindextery anal-retentive ass kissing dweeb in Mannequin to creepy sleazeballs supreme here plays Mr. Innocent Genius Scientist Linguist and Egyptian Symbol interpreter extraordinaire,. and seems to have an odd germanic accent sticking in his craw at times when his voice gets really low. The bangs dangle boyishly into the glasses, he is endearing when he falls for a native girl.


12. Christopher Lloyd as Doctor Emmet Brown in Back to the Future -- Say what you will. The crazy white hair, energetic creativity and "Damn, double damn!" and telling it like it is according to Doc Emmet Brown is all a bonus part of the package of the man who made ime travel sexy. Thats' right. It wasn't Michael J. Fox, who kissed his mother, it was Doc Brown, the scientist who promised all us kids "Where we're going we don't need roads!" There are few scientists more beloved and adored than Doc Brown, and I'm pretty sure everyone who saw this movie as a kid still has their heart do a little dance when Doc is alive thanks to the bullet proof vest at the end of the first Back to the Future, and we all root for our favorite mad scientist falling in love with Mary Steenburgen in the third installment. I so wanted to grow up to be a school teacher and marry Doc everytime I watched that movie.

13.Dr. Frank-n-Furter -- A Scientist ;) -- As portrayed by Tim Curry. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have here one of the all time cult favorites, the alien scientist from another planet slinking across the screen in fishnet around those dancer's legs, that leather lace-up vest, ruby-red laquered vamp lips and devil-may care, flirty mile-high mascaraed eyes, seducing everyone in sight because darlin' he is a Sweet Transvestite. People still keep going back for more over 30 years later. Let's do the Time Warp Again!




14. Spock -- As played by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek.This is the actor and the character who set the bar for all the other scientists -- Vulcan or not -- when it comes to intense, understated performances and dear god, dare I say subtle nuance in sci-fi? He made logic desirable and sexy, thoughtfully contemplating a course of action and then implementing it. Or is the perceived subtle nuance just because he was playing next to Shatner so many times? There were a few over the top performances by Nimoy, but by God, I believed it when Spock mind-melded with that poor creature whose eggs were being destroyed by merciless poacher bastards, and I believed his naievety, willingness eventually to surprise and bend the truth and accept his humanity. Aside from Bond and before that ludicrous idiot Dr. Evil who does NOT make the list, no one else has had such an effect on eyebrow expression.

15. Bones/ Dr. Leonard McCoy as played by Karl Urban, New Star Trek film--

Whoa, nelly. I am so glad to see Karl Urban can act. I was a bit concerned over him being cast as one of my all-time favorite characters (I loved Bones the most of everyone on the old show) to say the least. So I was more than pleasantly surprised the man can act! He does a fabulous job of playing the big-hearted, romantic ladies man under the gruff exterior, who has a very active imagination.

16. Simon Pegg as the Engineer Scotty, New Star Trek Film.The enthusiasm, the boundless energy, the humor, the hearty laugh - Simon Pegg does Scotty's character justice and is adorable.


17. Carl Sagan as himself, TV series, Cosmos.
Honestly, Sagan is one of the best, brightest, noblest, creative and most compassionate human beings. That deep voice, that way of speaking as though he really cares about you, the viewer/audience and how he does not talk down to people, which is to say he is not condescending despite his gigantic . . . . intelligence ;), but really believes we all can be practically Dalai Lamas, well, there aren't many better role models around. He really believed, like I do, that there is hope for humanity, that we have great things to accomplish together. I like to think he is a kindred spirit, and wish his spirit well.

The Sexiest Men Scientists in TV and Movies Mad, Sane, and Otherwise

I just want to start this blog with an excerpt from the song stuck in my head right now, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," by Meatloaf. Because the subject is sci-fi hotties and characters, has been observed often, from the dashboard of a car at a drive-in theater, and I always think of my parents watching some of these actors and movies probably one of the times I was in fact conceived. In a Ranchero, NOT an El Camino as I was just informed this morning.

This song still makes me laugh pretty hard, as I remember pulling Bat Out of Hell out of my mom's vinyl record stash -- the awesome, illustrated album in all its kick ass 70s glory and putting it on my stereo one night when my dad was visiting. The record had probably been around since my parent's were the age of the characters in the musical drama. My dad started snorting and laughing, grabbing the lyrics and his face turned a deep, deep red.

My mom rolled her eyes at my dad and smiled.

I grabbed the lyrics from my dad and instantly understood a bit of family history and started laughing too.

To this day, I get a big kick out of singing and going a bit over the top re-enacting this song and many other Meatloaf songs.

GIRL: I gotta know right now Do you love me?
Will you love me forever? Do you need me? Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
I gotta know right now! Before we go any further Do you love me? And will you love me forever? BOY: Let me sleep on it Baby, baby let me sleep on it Let me sleep on it
And I'll give you an answer in the morning Let me sleep on it
GIRL: Will you love me forever?
BOY: Let me sleep on it GIRL: Will you love me forever!!!! III. PRAYING FOR THE END OF TIME I couldn't take it any longer Lord I was crazed And when the feeling came upon me Like a tidal wave I started swearing to my god and on my mother's grave That I would love you to the end of time I swore that I would love you to the end of time! So now I'm praying for the end of time To hurry up and arrive 'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you I don't think that I can really survive I'll never break my promise or forget my vow But God only knows what I can do right now I'm praying for the end of time It's all that I can do Praying for the end of time, So I can end my time with you!! BOY: It was long ago and it was far away And it was so much better that it is today GIRL: It never felt so good It never felt so right And we were glowing like A metal on the edge of a knife

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So now that we've established a proper cheeseball atmosphere of American cinema the way it used to be, and essentially the way it is still in living rooms or dens across the nations when dutiful parents aren't around, on to the sexiest,  Scientist men in TV and film.


What makes a scientist hot isn't always what makes the typical hunk hot. As a friend of mine, once wrote on my Facebook wall "Don't you just love a man with a big . . . . intellect?"

1. Captain Nemo -- James Mason -- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Captain Nemo was also played by Patrick Stewart who I find sexy in other roles, as well as Ben Cross, and Naseeruddin Shah. But the best in my book is still James Mason. He is clearly a great man, passionate about his awe-inspiring visions, which he can bring to life and he inspires incredible loyalty. He has a deep and abiding genuine love and hate for his fellow human beings. One of my favorite characters of all time, one of the most rounded with the most depth, the world would be a drearier place without Nemo in it. I still hate the sinking of the Nautilus and Nemo dying. That is the real tragedy. As a kid, I wanted to save him from the "good" guys. I still do, everytime I watch it.


2. Seth Brundle In the Fly. -- Jeff Goldblum. Before he becomes a monstrous hybrid of man and fly, he is a cute, neurotic nerd, obsessed with teleportation. After the fly gets inside him, he is filled with confidence and unfortunately with the new insect hormones becomes wildly promiscuous. Sadly, he eventually transforms into a monstrous hybrid.





3. Dr. Sam Beckett -- Scott Bakula -- That reassuring voice, the sensitive eyes, the guy next door smile, a package of all that is American liberal wholesomeness and yet he can still kick ass, even dueling with the Devil himself.  He walked in many a woman's shoes. Liked him from the moment he cursed whoever invented high heels. Go Sam, Go!



4. David Levinson: In Independence Day, he strides around in that ridiculously body hugging white tank top showing off his skin and build,with that teasing little necklace bouncing around his neck. and we watch him twitch. He is everything that is adorable geek: cutely neurotic, I can tell he stays up really late all night drinking coffee and contemplating physics and the fate of the universe, looking very intensely concerned. Viewers just know he and his ex will get back together. Awwww!

Speaking of Cute Neurotics -- it seems most scientists and intellectuals are portrayed that way on film and TV -- take the recent franchise The Big Bang Theory, with its entire apartment complex full of nerds as a prime example.

Can you say stereotype boys and girls?

5.Sherlock Holmes -- Robert Downey Jr -- Need I say more? Our man Holmes was one of the very first CSI investigators -- and that's forensic science. Holmes is entirely attractive because of the way he thinks and talks and carries himself and it never seems to have anything to do with his looks, until Downey took over. My favorite Holmes was Robert Stephens in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes which is also my favorite Holmes film, followed by The Young Sherlock Holmes.

6. Dr. Ian Malcolm -- Goldblum struts around the dinosaur filled Jurassic Park spouting Chaos Theory looking like a bad boy beatnik of physics dressed all in black. He does cry and scream like a girl. Oh well! Guess what? Sam Neill doesn't even make the list! He's too bland. (Even in Event Horizon)





7. Victor Frankenstein --- Kenneth Brannagh -- Mary Shelly's Frankenstein -- There is one scene in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein where Brannagh is writhing around wet on the floor in black leather pants, that makes the whole movie worth while, even if the rest of it were pure schlock. But the eye candy of watching Brannagh waltz around the entire movie in those damn 18th century clothes & with that incredible hair and those cheekbones just makes my heart go pitter-patter. Until he says something condescending.

8. Victor Frankenstein -- Sting -- The Bride --Sexy, yet an evil, devious bastard I cannot like. One of the few times I personally found Sting unattractive, but other people still like to look at him, so there you go.





9. Professor Roy Hinkley -- Russell Johnson from Gilligan's Island. One of the first scientists I crushed on, I would watch the show just to see him. He pretty much didn't want to leave the island, don't ya think?






Well, I think this is going to be a very long list! More next blog!