NEWFOD (Northeastern Wisconsin Friends of the Doctor) A DOCTOR WHO Sci-Fi-Fantasy Club
SOME NEWS ITEMS found in our newsletter, The Tales of Rassilon. Published since Nov. 1983 Issues are printed the 15th of each odd numbered month (6 issues / year). Member ship is $8.00/individual of $10.00/family. Send check or money order to NEWFOD, P.O.Box 112, Rothschild, WI 54474-0112
MISC. NEWS ITEMS
BIG NEWS! <><> TWO EPISODES from the First Doctor serial were found in film cans wrapped in plastic bags among the possessions of a deceased collector. Doctor Who fans are in for a treat this Easter, as two ‘missing’ episodes of Doctor Who from the 1960’s will be made available for viewers on BBC iPlayer. The episodes, were found by Film is Fabulous! – a charitable trust run by film collectors, cinema lovers and vintage television enthusiasts. They approached BBC Archives after finding them in a private collection. BBC Archives has worked to restore the original 16mm telerecordings – meaning viewers will be able to watch them in the best possible condition on BBC iPlayer. 'The Nightmare Begins' (episode 1) and 'Devil’s Planet' (episode 3) are from ''The Daleks’ Master Plan''part of a 12-part storyline..Staring William Hartnell as the Doctor and Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon, Adrienne Hill as Katarina, and Kevin Stoney as Mavic Chen. “Twenty-seven of mine still are missing.
Suggested Reading: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. The series follows Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, two of the few survivors of the mining, transporting, processing, and consumption of Earth's resources by an alien corporation as they are forced to compete in a dungeon crawl recreated from those resources for an inter-galactic reality show program. With no pants or shoes, Carl tries to complete each level of the dungeon to win back the Earth. Written with humor, sarcasm and a fun flair you might find from a video game aficionado, this is a book you can’t put down. Currently seven books are published, with another two planned to finish up the series.
Suggested Viewing: Scrubs (ABC & Hulu): Most of the cast have returned to Sacred Heart Hospital. This time JD and Turk are doctors. The new series explores similar themes from the first series, but from the perspective of JD, who as returned from being a concierge doctor, Turk who is married to Carla and Elliot, who is divorced from JD, as they rekindle their friendships, mature and yet still take time for the quirky humor that made the first season a hit.
SCIENCE NEWS <> American science has taken a beating this year with funding cuts. Despite this, here of some advances made in 2025. 1) A new drug slowed the progression of Huntington’s Disease by 75%. Injected directly into the brain, there are no others treatments available for the progressive neurological disorder. 2) Data conducted in Wales offers evidence that people vaccinated for shingles may reduce the risk of dementia by 20%. Similar results were seen in Australia. Researchers reported in December that the vaccine may even slow the progression of dementia in patients who already have it. 3) 2025 marks the first successful bladder transplant. 4) Studies have shown the people taking low dose aspirin as a blood thinner have lower chances of metastasis in breast, bowel and prostate cancer. Further analysis is underway at the University of Cambridge. <> Since 1890, the oceans have risen nine inches. <> A team in San Diego, CA has developed a coating inspired by pink algae that can be applied to underwater surfaces that gives off a 'cue' that encourages coral larvae to settle and grow. <> Feb. 3rd Japan successfully generated electricity in space and transmitting it wirelessly back to Earth. This marks a major milestone in the long-imagined concept of space-based solar power, a technology that could one day provide clean, uninterrupted energy to the entire planet. The experiment involved solar panels placed in orbit, where sunlight is constant and far more intense than on Earth. Space-based panels can capture energy 24/7. The power is converted into microwave signals and transmitted wirelessly to a receiving station on Earth, where it was safely converted back into usable electricity.
ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS <> An ancient charred scroll from Herculaneum, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD has been unsealed—and it reads like a 2,000-year-old Self-Help Advice Scroll. Preserved through intense heat, the text contains reflections on ethics, well-being, and the art of living, with many of the same personal and philosophical questions we ask today. The scroll is part of the famed Herculaneum library, now being read using advanced imaging technology. Its survival offers a direct line to an ancient voice, proving the human quest for self-improvement is truly timeless. <> Deep inside a limestone cave on the island of Sulawesi, archaeologists uncovered what is now considered the oldest cave art ever found, a painted scene that may date back as far as 67,800 years
ASTRONOMY NEWS <> On February 28, 2026, before sunrise, six planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus - appeared together in the dawn sky, forming a graceful arc just above the horizon from east to southeast. <> February 17, 2026; on this rare day, the Moon will slide into perfect alignment with the Sun, trimming the light just enough to ignite a blazing Ring of Fire across the sky forming a flawless halo of raw, untouched light. <>
MISC. ITEMS <> Judy Collins May 1, 1939 86 years Judy Collins is currently touring across 2 countries and has 20 upcoming concerts. <>Regular dancing is the hobby that reduces dementia risk by 76 percent, according to the New England Journal of Medicine study. <> It's been almost 50 years since 'Blake's 7' first hit screens, but fans could be in for quite the comeback acording to radiotimes.com. <> New Zealand has only two remaining species of mammel and they are both bat species. <> The Whiteleg shrimp is the most popular seafood product in the U.S. Making up 38% of all seafood consumption in the country. Most of this shrimp is farm raised. <> Retail giant Walmart has installed more than 500 solar arrays across its U.S. stores, making it one of the largest corporate adopters of solar energy in the world. The initiative cuts emissions, lowers electricity costs, and turns massive retail rooftops into clean-energy assets—reshaping how big businesses power themselves. <> Quebec supplies 3/4 of the worlds Maple Syrup. <> The cocoanut is the largest known seed in the world. <> Vanilla and cinnamon are the main ingredients used to make the taste in cola. <>
NEWS OF THE WEIRD <> In Russia, a man was recently rushed to the hospital after imbibing a cocktail at a corporate holiday party. The drink contained a small nugget of liquid nitrogen, which expands rapidly into gas at room temperature. The force of the evaporation caused his stomach to rupture. He remains in serious condition. <> A young boy got lost in the Arizona desert canyons, wondering seven miles. Search partys didn't find him, but a local dog, Buford, somehow found him and led him home. <>
OBITUARIES
* Peter Lupus, best known for playing strong man Willy Armitage on Mission Impossible. He set a world weightlifting endurance record by lifting 77,560 pounds for 24 minutes and 50 seconds on July 19, 2007 at age 75. This surpassed the previous record he set earlier on his 70th birthday.
* Gregory de Polnay Oct.17, 1943 – Jan. 1, 2026 He played D84 in the Doctor Who Serial “The Robots of Death” He appeared in more than 100 television productions and hundreds of radio broadcasts. He was noted for his role as Det. Sgt. Mike Brewer in Dixon of Dock Green and for his work in Doctor Who, Poldark, Enemy at the Door, and the Australian sitcom The Group. He also directed theatre productions - including work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and was known for his expertise as a voice teacher.
CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS
May 8-10, 2026 AniMinneapolis, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, 1300 Nicollet
Mall, Minneapolis, MN. A three-day celebration of anime, video games and
music. CosPlay, Concerts, Dances, Contests, play video games and buy anime
stuff. Guests include several top voice actors, etc. https://animinneapolis.com/
May 8-10, 2026 PopCon Premier Pop Culture and Comic Convention. Guests:
Patrick Warburton, Sean Austin, etc. Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis,
IN https://popcon.us/popcon-indy/
May 29-31, 2026 Fanexpo Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Three days of Fun-filled Fan Culture. Guests: Lord of the Rings 25 Anniversary
Tour, Jonathon Frakes, Brent Spiner, Bonnie Wright, etc.
https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpophiladelphia/