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Meeting Neil Gaiman [Dec. 17th, 2009|03:24 am]
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Would have written this sooner, but the experience took a couple of days to settle in. It was amazing.

Have to start by setting the ambiance. Going to Atlanta, a fog set in, the kind that we never see around here. Middle of the afternoon, the clouds seemed to touch the ground, a gray blanket that wrapped goosebumps around your arms. A picturesque fog that belonged across the pond, not in Georgia. It never rained until much later, but the fog stuck around. Waiting out in it for the couple of hours before the doors opened just heightened the anticipation. We waited behind a girl who was knitting a Doctor Who scarf, and another girl who I swear I lived in the same dorm as in college.

The doors finally opened and the crowd filed in and filled a large auditorium in no time at all. They even opened up an overflow room with a live feed of Gaiman talking. The place was packed and the anticipation heavy.

Then finally, the introduction was made, with the amazement at the audience for a 'children's author's audience' and Gaiman came out. He made jokes about the weather, then took a book from a kid in the audience, and did a reading from "Odd and the Frost Giants." First off, wow. I'd seen films of him reading, but it doesn't prepare you. He reads so wonderfully well. Made me want to go out and buy audiobooks just becuase he reads most of his own. Hypnotic, colourful, and had this 30 year old hanging on the edge of his seat like he was 3. Secondly, he takes Norse mythology and turns it into children's books. If that isn't beautiful, I don't know what is.

After reading a couple of chapters, he answered audience questions. Mostly regarding "Coraline," "The Graveyard Book," and "Odd". Though the meaning of life did come up, and he answered in a way that was possibly better than the standard 42. The question that stands out though was about "Coraline." He was asked where he got the idea for the button eyes. His honest answer was that he couldn't remember, but that whenever he finally got his rectangular, box shaped time machine, before flitting off through time and space having all sorts of adventures, he would go back to around 1991 and ask himself if he had thought of the button eyes yet. Then would tell himself to remember when he did because that would be the most popular question in the future. Yeah, it's much funnier listening to him tell it. The other question that stands out was also about "Coraline" and the answer involved asking at his local bookstore about "gothic horror for 5 year olds," the looks that brought about, and the decision to write his own.

Following the Q&A session, he read a chapter from "The Graveyard Book." It was the chapter where Bod goes and asks the poet for advice. If you've got a copy, go look it up and imagine the enthusiasm that Gaiman read it with. It was wonderful to listen to. The fact that it was one of my favorite scenes in the book was just icing on the cake.

After the second reading, the signing began. They let the families with children go first, and then did the rest by rows. It went smoothly, or at least the first part did. We were sitting in the second and third rows, respectively and were in the first group of rows called. The line was moving quite quickly, but there were enough people there that he was probably signing all night. Talking to him was amazing, even though I almost stumbled over my tongue and sounded like an even bigger fool than normal. My brother gave him an engraving he had done for a project of Morpheus and Daniel, which got sincere praise and left him still walking on clouds. Hell, when we left, all three of us were giddy as schoolgirls.

It was a wonderful experience. Neil Gaiman has no right to be as amazing a person as he is. That much talent wrapped up in a nice guy. If you're not reading his stuff, go find some now. If you are, then yes, he is as awesome as he seems.
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It was 20 years ago today... [Nov. 10th, 2009|12:36 am]
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Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. It's one of those events that I can remember watching unfold and being amazed at. Even more than Tienanmen square. The wall was such a symbol of oppression, of the opposition of what America stood for. It had a feeling like the pyramids, of permanence and menace that was unmatched. A place where taking one step over a line would get you shot.

Now it is barely a memory for those who live in Berlin. A nightmare for the older generations, most of whom have already passed. What lessons have we learned? Not many it seems. Just a reminder of how old some of us are.
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Thoughts on off year elections and Fort Hood [Nov. 7th, 2009|05:07 am]
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Trying to get back into the habit of writing while a topic is relevant. Might take some time and some getting used to, but here it goes. This past Tuesday, in a "shocking" reversal from last year, several important elections went to Republican candidates. The media and the Left seemed to be surprised at this turn out, and the Right has seen it as furthering their agenda. Both sides are going to the wrong conclusions. The situation would be humorous if it wasn't such serious business. Heads must remain level, and the conclusions must be drawn in small steps.

Let's start with the Left's reaction. They have tried to play it off as nothing, but the way they say things reveals their true feelings. They are scared that after finally regaining control of congress and the white house that they will lose it even quicker. They will move to abandon principles that seem to raise the public ire, and what little spine they had left will vanish. The Left suffers from a major disbelief that the center of the country is more to the right than it actually is. They were elected on a platform of ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and on health care reform. And they have fallen through, seen as dragging their feet, and as a complete failure. Instead of focusing on their principles, standing for something, they sell out the principles that they were elected on. Democrats in congress fight among themselves like rats over the last scrap of cheese in amaze. And then they try to compromise in the best traditions of republican government, but compromise is impossible when one side is unwilling to move. The Right simply opposes anything the Left puts forth and the Left refuses to take the initiative and push something through in line with what the people actually want. The half assed health care reform that is being put forth is worse than not doing anything. Make radical changes, that is what you were elected for. Don't be scared of it because someone like Glen Beck is against it. Contrary to what he wants to believe, he is not representative of the majority of America. There is not a "silent majority" that opposes everything you are doing. You just have to have the backbone to do something.

The Right on the other hand is claiming a victory for their principles. There is no evidence of that what so ever. But there has been a backlash against the Democrats which they have been able to capitalize on in a very very small way. The petty infighting and ineffectiveness of the Left in congress and across the country has done more to harm the Left than anything the Right has ever done. Just they understand enough of how to capitalize on their opponents mistakes. The Right is much better at seeming effective, which is what swayed votes their way this time. If the Left could make something happen, something that is felt on the streets, something that is for the good of the country and the world, then that would squelch the backlash.

Now for the much touchier subject, the shootings at Fort Hood. It is a tragedy of grave proportions. But it should not be used as a lynch pin for more racism. The fact is the man who did the shooting was an doctor and a major, educated and a career army officer. An American citizen who had served his country for years. No evidence that I have heard is anywhere near proof that he was a Muslim extremist, sleeper agent, or anything of the like. He was an army man who lost it. That is what the focus should be on. The lives that were lost are heartbreaking. But the backlash that will follow in public perception and extremist media is a disgrace to everything that those in the military supposedly fight for.
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Epistemophobia [Oct. 29th, 2009|04:57 am]
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The title means fear of knowledge. I actually had to look it up, though the roots should have made it obvious. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with the study of knowledge, what can be known, what can be learned, and the extent of knowledge. It was never my favorite branch of philosophy, but the root words are the same. The reason I didn't enjoy epistemology was because I could not stand the idea that there were limits on what people can know. There are limits to what science can reveal, but like metaphysics, epistemology seems to belong more in the realm of science. When knowledge is seen to be limited, then limits are placed on humanity's ability to better itself. Knowledge of something does not mean action.

But after that slight devolution, I return to the main topic of this blog, the fear of knowledge. This is the third or fourth time I've tried to write about this subject, hopefully this one won't get ruined, lost or interrupted. The fear of knowledge is the root of every other problem that faces this country. Both the left and the right face a stark fear of learning that paralyzes both. The fear of learning and knowledge comes from different angles, and about completely different subjects, the root of the problem is still ignorance and fear. The changes in the education system contribute to this problem by not encouraging expansion of learning, but rather a narrow set of standards that must be adhered to. Teaching in preparation for multiple choice tests does not lead to students learning, it may lead to higher test scores, but not to students actually learning. When schools don't teach, the colleges are forced to either dumb down their curriculum, or start by teaching things that students should already have learned. This leads to a retardation and the dumbing down of college degrees.

The right wing fears science. They hide behind religion and foolish notions that denying science makes it untrue. Right wingers and their followers use blind faith to mask a fear that they have of their world view being wrong. They grow in power and their fear dominates their thought. They use ignorance as a basis for power. Occasionally one will try to doctor belief up in the mask of science, but they are completely lacking in any credibility when it comes to this. Evolution is their biggest fear, followed by physics, astronomy, and anything that challenges their extremely narrow world view.

The other area where right wing thought fails is economics. Libertarians who aren't afraid of science, like most right wingers, hide behind free market economics as the fix all for problems of all sorts. Their problem comes when they seek to deny the knowledge that Smith's free market was based on a false assumption. The founding principle of the free market is that people will act in their own best interest. As society has advanced, this has become less and less true. They may act in what they think is their own best interest, but in modern society that has developed into actions based on greed. The bank collapses of the past year, the stock market crashes, everything points not to acting from thought out, long term self interest, but from short term greed. There is a major denial in this from so many directions that I can't even begin to name them all. But that is what facts show, to deny this knowledge is equivalent to denying that the sun rises every morning.

From the left the most obvious fear is the fear that Democrats are seen as having of firearms. So much fear is spread by left wingers who see them as the root of evil and their proliferation as a sign of nothing good. A lot of these people have never handled a gun, I would bet even that many have never seen one up close. Yet they are struck by an irrational fear of something they know very very little about. And instead of promoting a course of knowledge, they prefer to fear monger and try to ban a constitutionally protected right. This fear is pure foolishness, at least as much as the right wing denying evolution. The right doesn't do much to correct this problem though, they hide behind racism and the idea of privileged knowledge which is just as bad as ignorance. The much more educated approach would be admitting that first people are going to own guns. It's a part of the fabric of America. That people need to be educated on the proper handling of firearms and that that should be as ingrained as the right to bear arms. And that education should be extended to all, so that none may claim naiveté.

Societies live and fall by the limits they put on things. Rome fell because they failed to acknowledge their dealings with the "barbarians" made the barbarians stronger and more educated. The Dark Ages gave light to the Renaissance when people dared challenge orthodoxy. The Enlightenment was an extension of this denial of belief with reason. The world stands at a crossroads now. Education and knowledge could propel humanity to great heights, or fear of knowledge and the unknown can haul the world back into a distopia of ignorance and inequality unequaled in history.

There are those that would say that I'm a foolish optimist for hoping that humanity could embrace knowledge when ignorance is easier. It could be true, but I would rather be optimistic about this than right and cynical. Hope in the greatness of humanity is the anchor I tie myself to. It's to much nicer than the alternative. I might be guilty of the same thing I accuse others of, denying knowledge that is evident, but the jury is still out on this one.
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Because... [Oct. 27th, 2009|03:10 pm]
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Smart, beautiful, nerdy women are a joy to the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjRJeaNtxN4
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Book Review: An Echo in the Bone [Oct. 10th, 2009|07:13 pm]
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Alright, trying to figure out where to start on this one really. Just wow. How to review without spoiling and giving away anything...and still not sound like a blathering idiot. Maybe the simplest thing to do would be to say that this is my favorite book in the series since Dragonfly in Amber? It is amazing and kept me on my toes the whole time. There were some parts that were foreseeable, but that's to be expected when dealing with historical events. But the parts of the personal interactiong of characters, could see the conflict coming, but most of the time she took it in a different direction that was expected.

There were some parts, especially near the end that did seem a bit forced. Characters seemed a bit pushed into holes they didn't quite fit in, and some of the relationship stuff seemed a bit soap operaish. But this is a very very minor complaint. The rest of the book was amazing. The research that Gabaldon puts in is beyond words fantastic. So much historical accuracy, but told in ways that make it nailbiting and fun beyond words to read.

It was a bit hard to follow at first as well. Alot of skiping around, people in different places, at different times, and the same time, working in the same direction. And alot of perviously minor characters from several books ago coming back with new importance. But I will admit, this could just be because it has been a while since I've read the series, and that could just be a personal thing. But the way that Gabaldon does the jumping around in this book is much more fluid than when she was doing it in Voyager. It just seemed less random, and not as cliched as some parts of Voyager.

Alright, not sure I can go on much more without sounding completely idiotic. Go read this book. I loved it. After a bit of a slump in the last book, Gabaldon is back on form in this one.
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Thoughts from after the rains [Sep. 28th, 2009|08:25 am]
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With the weather here lately, my thoughts have lingered on the power of water, floods, and the terror they hold. Until now, floods of this magnitude were something that happened elsewhere. I mean, yeah, occasionally a river would overflow, back up, spill over, whatever you want to call it. But serious flooding had never crossed most people's minds. The weather of the past two weeks has shown just how damaging they can be in a modern society. Major cities struggling with containment, houses destroyed, lives lost and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

New Orleans after Katrina was even worse. A major US city, one of the busiest port cities in the nation nearly wiped from the map. The aftermath was a fools errand, but the destructive capacity of water was shown in full force. Arguments have been made about global warming, how much of an impact mankind has on the weather, and what not. But those are topics for a later blog. This one has a slightly more positive slant.

In the aftermath of such flooding, it makes me wonder how mankind ever survived to begin with. And it fills me with pride in being human. Imagine the first settlements that later developed into cities that humans began to make. All around rivers with fertile flood plains. Those first real signs of mankind's potential in a zone that the dangers were known. The people who settled there knew that their lives depended on the river and its cycles. They lived every day knowing that the rivers should flow by normally, except at the times of year when it was supposed to flood. They charted, the observed, and they used logic to draw wonderfully skilled and accurate conclusions about their world that amaze even us.

That's one of the things that really pisses me off about people that try to say the pyramids and all the other great monuments of ancient history were built by aliens. The people that lived then were no dumber than we are today. They didn't have the technology that modern man has, but they had all the brain power to accomplish great feats. How does Stonehenge align so perfectly with the sky? Because the people who built it lives depended on knowledge of the world around them. They charted everything they could to make their lives easier, and those beautiful observations drove them to record it. And their religions gave rise to ceremonies around the symbols, trying to exercise some control over a world that they could observe and think about and draw conclusions over, but that their control was limited.

But that is another topic for another time. The fact that they understood the cycles came not from any mystic connection with Nature, but from the realization that their lives hung on a very thin balance. They could see the cycles, follow them, but at any point freak storms could send the river swelling, and those civilizations could have been wiped away. Mankind could have vanished in a torrent. It is no wonder that flood myths are so wide spread. They come from the knowledge that everything that made us who we are could be taken away for no reason at all, completely randomly.

It is a wonder that we have survived as long as we have. The fact that we did learn to control our envirornment so is a testimate to what people can do when we put our minds to things. When we dare to dream and take the risk to reach our full potential. That belief in mankind, in humanity, in a drive to do great things is what is lacking so often in the modern consciousness.

You know, I'm sure the ideas were much clearer in my head than my fingers have decided to put them out on here. If you think I'm a rambling fool, then leave a comment, if you think something else, also, feel free to comment.
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A revelation on Revelations [Sep. 23rd, 2009|09:09 am]
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After much thought about a subject that should be an easy answer, a realization dawned on me about a subject that has absolutely no relevance to anything to do with the first subject. The first subject is more than slightly personal and quite boring, so won't be talked about here. But the second subject is much more interesting and earth shattering. I have finally figured out the popularity of both Biblical and non religious doomsday prophecy.

It's a subject that has always fascinated me mainly because I couldn't understand why anyone would want the world to end. Given where I am from, it's a popular subject and people are all about the saving before the end times. As much as people try to wrap it up in a message of hope, it has always come off like the largest load of bullshit in the world. The popularity of the "Left Behind" series, pseudo-documentaries on Armageddon, 2012, televangelists preaching the end is near...it all rang as completely meaningless drivel of the highest class, to be laughed at but never taken seriously. The fact that so many people do made me shake my head and gave me a ton of laughter. But now that things have clicked, I am more disgusted about the subject than I have been about anything in a long time.

Yesterday, I realized that the appeal is in complete apathy. A total lack of caring about the future. It hit me like a kick in the balls and I wondered why I had never seen it before. It's the perfect justification for greed, slovenly practices, and a complete lack of caring about tomorrow, about the future of the planet, and about the next ten generations. People convince themselves that the end is just around the corner, so there is no need to do anything to help the world, to contribute, to think ahead in a positive manner. It is such a radical idea for me because it is so far away from the way I think about things, from the way anyone who is sane and has half a brain should think about things.

Yes, I'm well aware of the history, that every generation for at least the past 2000 years has thought that they were in the last generation to survive. These were normally very local, very confined systems of belief that died out with the death of those preaching it. They have always been wrong, but yet the belief persisted. But with today's wide spread ease of communication, more and more people are roped in, and the message is pounded in from angles that have never been available before. Even those who aren't religious have their own pseudo scientific classification of belief about a coming apocalypse and are pumping those fake facts for all that they are worth. And due to the growing popularity of these beliefs, very few people are standing up and calling it the bullshit that it is. And this disgusts me. How the hell can people be so lazy, so greedy, so narrow minded that they can't see the future for all the bright possibilities it holds? For all my cynicism, I do have the highest belief in mankind. Not because of any divine providence, or mistaken belief that we are the highest possible rung on the evolutionary ladder. But because we do have sentience, the ability to think and effect the world around us.

The world needs long term thinkers. It needs people to speak up, to press the idea that today's actions will have effects 100 years from now, hell, 500 or 1,000 years from now, just like events from our past shape who we are today. That we are responsible for our time on this planet even more so than in the past. We have a duty to ourselves, to our posterity, to do what is best based on given data, on facts, on reason. Not to act on the short term lunacy which we are so easily taken by. We hold more power to change the world, for better or for worse, than at any time in the past. Actions must be thought through for the future, for possible impacts, for the things that we can see and those we can't. We must be willing to alter our ways of doing things, our thought processes, our lives and our actions for what could be. People need not be afraid of change, of ideas being turned on their heads, of abandoning beliefs that have no logic behind them at all.

Am I arguing for a total abandonment of religious thought? No way. It is a fundamental part of humanity to make up stories, to believe odd things, to try and make sense of our place in the world. Ethics, religion, morality, creativity all need a place any future that I would want to live in. That is what so many "skeptics" and "rationalists" refuse to see. They get stuck in their own narrow view of things and cling to certain principles that have no more basis in fact than most religions.

And that is why I take refuge in science fiction. Good scifi can highlight the wonderful dreams of humanity as well as it's darkest nightmares. It serves to inspire and to warn in a way that no other form of literature or other media can. Star Trek is probably the most well known example of bright and shiny sci-fi. It shows mankind as what it could be, in its highest form, reaching for the starts, reaching for beyond. And that is the message that is lost from every other facet of life today. There are few Jeffersons, Paines, or Rousseaus any more, whose ideas of hope and prosperity swept through the world three centuries ago. Politicians thing small, leaders think small, and that makes citizens think small. Religious leaders that once served to provide hope, preach despair and offer solace only in the coming end. Philosophers find the most dismal views of humanity to be the most proper, wrapping themselves in relativism and 'science based' metaphysics. Only in sci-fi do we get the sweeping, hopeful, bright vision of humanity that religion and philosophy has provided in the past.

Yes, I am probably a romantic and a fool for ever believing this. But I would rather be such than be a naysayer. To wrap myself in simple human greed is to sell out imagination and hope and is for fools who can't see further than their next desire. To believe that the world will end without any reason and to base all action on getting prepared for that is the behavior of an idiot. To plan for, to change, to adapt, to dream and to hope in the highest is the proper action for a well meaning human being.
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Hey sis... [Sep. 16th, 2009|06:31 pm]
You've got a package on the way. :)
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Book Review: Sandman: Book of Dreams [Sep. 14th, 2009|02:45 am]
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Alright, it's been a while since I've written anything like this, but here we go, book review combined with soul searching. Fun stuff no? Book of Dreams is a companion volume to Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic series. It's a collection of short stories by various authors about Morpheus and the other Endless. It's an amazing read that really fucked with my dreams. Both those sleeping and awake.

Certain stories stand out in both style and disturbance. The first story is a well written little dream of love. Light and playful, with just a hint of the depth that is to follow. Dreams of lost loves and those unrequited haunt me this time of year. The story made me face some of those feelings and although it wasn't my favorite or the best written of the collection, it did bring a smile to my face, bittersweet as it may be.

The best two stories were also a couple of the most disturbing and most uplifting. "Seven Nights in Slumberland" is about a boy's quest to fulfill desire, both his and others. The path the child follows is amazingly moving and quite detailed, the hero's quest in microchasm. In his journey through his own dreams, the child meets all of the Endless minus the missing one. Each shows him something different, each testing the resolve that one may have. Death being of course the most beautiful, light hearted opinion availible. And in this journy the author captures the essence of Gaiman's characters in a way that no other author I have ever read has. The quest is full of challenges, of despair, of choice, and of a child discovering what it is they really want. The universality of the story is moving and it's extremly well told.

The other story that stands out for its creepily wonderful value is called "The Writer's Child." It center's around a young girl and her teddy bear and her family. I really dont' know how to describe it without coming off as a total sicko, but it's extremly touching and moving and just jaw dropping story. But the part I really enjoyed was a reference back to one issue of Sandman where it mentions that poets often mistake Morpheus for Apollo, and the price that is paid for certain strokes of genius. The line of responsibility is drawn and care is given and when must boons be asked. It's just a really beautiful story and I dare anyone to not be disturbed or have at least one messed up dream after reading.

Yeah, not really sure if any of this makes sense at all, but I can hope that it does. Go out and get this book if you have read and enjoyed Sandman. And if you haven't read Sandman, then go out and find a copy of it now. It will change the way you see comic books forever.

But the main thing I wanted to say in this blog is the amazing skill that these authors have in exploring the dark corners of the mind and the messed up dreams and Sandman inspires. I mean, it really messed with my dreams in ways that nothing ever has before. But I was never able to draw anything useful, anything more from the dreams. I bow to those who can. The artists, the writers, those who are so much braver than I am.
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DragonCon 2009 [Sep. 8th, 2009|02:50 am]
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Having survived a rough 4 days of con, I am back home and awake tonight. It was a rough and wonderful weekend that had its high points higher than any highs, and the low points were lower than I've ever been before. Lessons were learned and things probably could have gone better, but they could have been worse as well.

Highlights first...got to meet someone I have been chatting with online for many many years now. It was great to finally get to see them face to face. Just hope they'll still want to talk to me now.

I got most of the autographs that I wanted. Most of whom were authors. Diana Gabaldon was an amazing person. Wonderful speaker, gracious, friendly, and happy to sign and talk and pose for pictures. Really enjoyed the reading that she gave from her new book. Also had artwork for the upcoming Outlander graphic novel. There were some amazingly beautiful works in there. Some of the style I didn't like, but it was a definate femine appeal to it, as opposed to most comic art. And no, I wasn't the only guy in the panel, there were a couple of more. Not many though. Charline Harris was nice, if a little frazzeled by the end of the line, which is where I was. She was supposed to cut off at 100 people, but ended up stopping somewhere above 200. Long wait in line, but worth it. Also got Malcolm McDowell's autograph, and he just seemed really cool. Was happy to talk and take pictures. Very cool guy. Probably still going to have the nightmares about him though.

Hanging out and the costumes were great this year. Still get amazed sometimes at the work, detail, and effort that people put into things. It just makes me wish that I had the talent for it. My own meager attempt at making a costume this year turned out not working well. But there were some amazing ones to look at. Took a ton of pics that I will get uploaded as soon as possible.

Made it into Adam Savage's panel on Sunday. That was great. Very interesting topic to begin with, highlighted by his appearance. He was just as funny and crazy as he seems on Mythbusters. Wish that he had been there for more than just a couple of hours. He would have been interesting to see more of.

Even I worked on my people skills some. Talking to people, generally being nice, forcing myself out of my shell some...yeah it was interesting. Most of the times the attempts at being quick and witty came off as lamer than a one legged goose. But occasionally got some wonderful conversations in with some amazingly interesting people. Large range of backgrounds and identies at the Con. Would love to see an actual study done on it scientifically.

Now lowlights...mostly focusing on bits of stupidity preformed by me. Before I even left on Friday, I kicked a box and broke my little toe. It ended up swelling in the boots that I was wearing, which weren't that comfortable to begin with. So definatly going to walk with a limp with that on top of the standard Con feet abuse. Learned a lesson about trying to rehydrate with burbon....I wouldn't recomend it. Missed Arc Attack again this year. I want to see the damn singing Tesla Coils!!! Maybe next year I won't try rehydrating on burbon before their show. lol

That pretty much covers everything. Was a stressed, painful, most relaxing fun weekend of the year. My only regret is that I didn't start going earlier in my life. Wish I had learned the value of fun when I was suposed to be having fun. Hope it's not too late to start some things. Looking forward to next year already.
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Sis... [Sep. 6th, 2009|02:14 am]
Do you love me? *W*S*
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Movie Review: Inglorious Basterds [Aug. 23rd, 2009|10:30 pm]
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Let me preface this review by saying that I hate Quentin Tarantino. I truly dispise 99% of the the movies that he has done in the past. The same kind of fury that some people feel towards Michael Bay that makes them wonder why people keep giving him money to make movies I feel towards Tarantino.

All that being said, this was one of the most enjoyable, well made movies that I have seen in a very long time. It was humorous, heart pounding, blood pumping, full of action but not overly gory or unnecessary violence. Yes, the violence level was more than most even war movies, but it was very pointed and never over the top. Human bodies behaved like bodies, not like sacks of pressurized blood and nothing else. There weren't papercuts that gushed blood and splattered it all over the screen. The writing was fantastic as well, which is not something I ever thought I would say about a Tarantino. There was thought put into 95% of the dialogue, as opposed to some of his past movies which were 95% cursing.

The one downside to the movie was the actual acting. Yes, there were outstanding performances. Brad Pitt was amazing. And the guy who played the SS general in charge of France was great as well. The two female leads were also great. But the other Basterds...it's a good thing they didn't have too many lines. If I had had to listen to Eli Roth more than the 5 or 6 lines he actually had, I might have strangled someone.

The ending was a surprise. The twist it took was one I didn't see coming, especially when it was a Tarantino film. It was a plesant surprise and it was good to not see it coming. I won't spoil it but I will say it was good.

Overall the move was extremly enjoyable. If you're in the mood to see a well made, well written action flick, then I would definately recomend this one. The only worry I have is the people who would take this as an accurate representation of history. But that's just the history freak in me speaking up. lol Go watch this movie and enjoy. If you get the Avatar trailer, then count yourself lucky caues it does look amazing on the big screen.
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Hey sis... [Aug. 15th, 2009|02:26 am]
Could I ask a favor from you? Pretty please? It's for DragonCon. lol
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Just because....Yeah [Jul. 26th, 2009|10:08 pm]
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfq5UAk1Bxc
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Torchwood: Children of Earth [Jul. 26th, 2009|04:31 am]
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Alright, where to start with this. Torchwood's second season was amazing, and the show finally lived up to potential. The last episode killed 2 characters in a wonderful way and made them a much better show for it. Right amount of emotional involvement to be shocked and hurt, allowed the show to move along, and it was just great. However this past week of Torchwood has been emotionally draining, exciting, holding my breath and screaming at the TV at times. It's been amazing storytelling, dramatic, funny, and everything else on the spectrum. Got all sorts of questions answered, many more raised, and I was left in complete shock and horror and awe. Try to do it without spoilers, but you really need to watch this if you're a fan of good scifi.

First off, the main storyline was just amazing. Alien species comes to Earth, controls the children, has them in their pocket and then asks for more. Faced with the blackmail, governments give into the pressure and the unthinkable is made real. Aligned against the govermental forces is our intrepid band of heros. The government tries to take them out before they know it's coming, but they keep fighting. And somedays, it's great to be Jack Harkness, and somedays it really really sucks to be Jack Harkness. Just wow.

The intrigue was worthy of a Bourne movie. Lots of sneaking, lots of behind the scenes negotiating, political manuvering that was paced so that it added to the story rather than dragging it down. The last 3 nights I would not have guessed that those were full episodes becaues they went by in the blink of an eye. Frobishire was a wonderful character that was fantastic to hate. The rest of the government people just made me hate them that much more. Left me feeling dirty to watch at times. It was just wonderful to watch.

Alright, can't not talk about it any more but gotta ask...Where is the fucking time reversal RTD??!!?? You use the plot device like hell over and over in Doctor Who. Ianto was the one likeable character from the begining. When Gwen was stupid and Jack was emo and brooding, when Tosh was unnoticable, and Owen was a complete asshole as opposed to the partial one he was when he died; Ianto was quiet and likeable and funny. What the hell is with killing him? You didn't need it to spur Jack into action. If you wanted to be shocking, killing pregnant Gwen would have been much more in line with that. Why the hell kill Ianto?!? Sorry that just pissed me off, shocked me, caught me totally off guard because...just...wow.

And speaking of Jack...what can be said besides you glorious fucking asshole bastard? Cold. Hard. Wonderful. Heroic scumbag. Coward. Still totally love Jack, but damn. I'm stillt rying to figure out the words for him in the last episode.

Overall, it was amazing, wonderful, and terrible all at the same time for different reasons. My brother and I figured it out. RTD has Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. His good personality wrote these episodes of Torchwood. Well paced, foreshadowed blows coming from nowhere, truly outstanding television. But his bad personality, instead of being evil, is a retarded monkey that writes stuff like the Runaway Bride, the finale episodes of 3 and 4 for Doctor Who, and who ok-ed Daleks in Manhattan. Much more evil stuff than just plain murder. Go watch this over and over again. Definate two thumbs up, but hate the bastards. lol
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Jumps up and down screaming [Jul. 25th, 2009|05:01 pm]
JENNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.dragoncon.org/dc_guest_detail.php?id=2139
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Moonshots and humanity [Jul. 21st, 2009|12:30 am]
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Much has been written about the 40th anniversary of the moon landing today. But so little is actually said about what it means. The technical achievements were amazing, the bravery to actually step out onto the surface of the moon unimaginable. But it is the intangibles that truly set it apart. And show our weaknesses.

We did it. Humans, first and foremost, stepped out onto an alien world. Admittedly, the closest alien world that we could step on, but still. It is a start. It was a wonderful start that had to be taken. The motivations were impure, but we did it. The dream that sparked a million imaginations since humans became human finally came true. That's an amazing feat in and of itself. We are jaded today by that achievement, and that is our loss. The fact remains that we can still look up in the sky at night and feel the fascination, the pull of the moon. And we have been there.

There are those, who voice their opinions loudly and strongly, that since we have that chapter of human history is over. And they find ready ears. People look to the problems of the world and think small term They dont' even think about how to fix those problems. So many of us just struggle day to day, and there is a nobility in that as well. But humanity is worth more than the individual parts. If the human race stops dreaming, then it becomes nothing more than animals. And while we are animals, we have the potential to rise above that. Our dreams lift us from the mud and make us truly human.

While it was competition that drove us to the moon, it will be cooperation that drives our next steps. The first moon landing was fueled by the desire to beat the Russians. While the motives were tainted, unpure, the goal was. More and more the connections of all humanity grow stronger, easier to see on a daily basis, yet we still insist on dividing ourselves by race and national lines. Soon we must face the realization that all humanity is human and deserves all the same rights, the same dreams. the same goals. Yeah, it's a fools optimistic dream, but better that than the alternative. It's the dream that was stated so beautifully even before man landed on the moon in Star Trek.

After we won that competition, we forgot about things. We became complacent in our place at the head of the world. Instead of leading, we sat back and lorded over the other people of the planet. We should have been uniting the world behind our next goal. Setting a colony, more trips, more education, more knowledge to be gained. Humanity needs the large goals, the dreams to give us something to look forward to. To realize how much the suffering, the injustices of the world matter, and how much more we can be. Humanity needs to get over the small thinking that has lead to the wars that plague the world now, the economic problems that fuel global crises, all the little things that keep us all from solving the big problems.

But these are probably the mad ravings of a hopeless romanitic fool. It's that hope and that optimism that fuels me every day. So here's your grain of salt, take it as you will. Torchwood has started and I'm squealing like a little girl.
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A moment of silence and a book review [Jul. 18th, 2009|04:08 am]
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First off, a moment of silence for Walter Cronkite who passed away earlier. The quitessential news man who told it like it was. There needs to be more who understand and think and convey the news the way that he did. Instead of seeing themselves as the headlines. Rest in peace Uncle Walter.

Secondly, it's been a while since I've had a book review worth blogging about, but here is one. If you're going to judge a book by it's cover, then judge this one because it delivers the promise the cover teases. Stephen Lawhead's Hood is a retelling of the classic Robin Hood stories we all know and love. And it is by far one of the best books I've read this year. Like his Pendragon Cycle a familiar story is taken and given a historical and fantastic twist. He relocates Robin Hood to Wales and pushes the date to the last 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England. It is a brilliant move and one that he justifies very well in his post script. It works wonderfully well.

In telling the story, he shows a historian's knowledge of British myth, legend, landscape, and understanding. His descriptions of the dark forests that once covered most of the British isles transport one there with the blink of an eye. And the way he relates through the mouth of a bard is beautiful. The details, the twists, the exciment translates wonderfully. The only problem with this, and I use the word extremly lightly, is the Welsh itself. The language was never ment to be understood or spoken by anyone who speaks english as their first language. The names, words, groupings of letters are completely foreign and it's hard to believe that the two languages developed on the same island. They are wonderfully frustrating and it adds another layer to the story itself.

The story is familiar, easily recognizable as Robin Hood, but taken in a way that I hadn't experienced before. Even moreso than White's or Scott's Hood/Wood characters in their novels, it expresses the very esscense of the story, distilled to something that could be historically accurate. All the characters are there and are recognizeable. Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian...all wonderfully painted characters that easily ensnared me. And Robin himself was written beautifully. Developed more fully, changing more dramatically, in a way that few authors can do now.

I have fallen in love with Lawhead again. I want to fast forward my slow reading brother so that I may hurry up and get the next book. Definatly worth a read if you like historical fantasy, English history, or the Robin Hood legend. Go find this book now. *points* Yes, that means you.
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Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince [Jul. 15th, 2009|05:01 am]
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Alright, made a nother midnight showing, though this time by the skin of my teeth. The showings were saying sold out, but thanks to a mess up during the first showing of Star Trek, got in on a free ticket voucher. Packed theater, and the fans were pretty well behaved. Now, onto the movie. Will be as spoiler free as possible.

I'm still a bit confused about my actual feelings on the movie. It was a very very good movie. But it wasn't that good an adaptation of the book. But as far as movies go, this one was much better than Order. Alot of the side plots were dropped, in order to focus on the main plot. However, some of the things that were changed will be hard to reconcile in the last two movies. They did however stick pretty cloes to the main storyline and make it followable for fans and non alike.

The side plot that they did focus on was of course the budding romances for the main characters. Hooray for teenagers in love. Yeah, take the sarcasm you're imagining and double it and you're close to the feeling behind that statement. It was humorous for a while, but there were parts where a sledgehammer would have been more subtle. But that was a complaint that I had about the book as well. Yeah, they're 16 and their hormones are raging, but that doesn't mean you have to do stupid shit and act on those hormones. Especially those characters that are suposed to have a brain.

Now, that most of the complaints are out of the way, on to the good stuff. The acting was by far head and shoulders above the other movies, even if the direction was not. The three main characters flexed their skills, and showed how much they have grown since the series started. Alright, two of the three have learned to act, the other one is making an effort and trying, which I must give him credit for.

But it was the supporting performances that were riveting. Tom Felton gave Draco some of the personality that he had been missing in the other movies. And he truly stood out as his own character, a point that was lost in the book. He was fantastic and his degridation throughout the movie was great to watch. And I'm far from a Felton/Malfoy fan. Slughorn was fantastic casting as well. Though not quite as obese as described in the book, the attitude and mannerisms were perfect for the character. I felt sleezy watching him and it was wonderful. Bellatrix was batshit insane, and Fenir Greyback looked like a werewolf. However the crowning performance was Alan Rickman as Snape. Yes, he has been great in all the other movies as well, but in this one he finally shown out. Snape was riveting and hard to take my eyes off of whenever he was on screen. The only complaint I had was the same I had in the book, not enough. I wanted to beg for more just to see that dark star shine.

Overall, the movie was quite enjoyable and seemed to fly right by. Didn't not feel nearly as long as it was, and could have been made longer and better. I had issues with some of the things that were cut out, hell, alot of the things that were cut out. But I can understand having to edit some parts. Did think though, that someone would have read the last book and see how they all fit together before making some of the choices. Potter fans, when you go see this, judge it as a movie first and as an adaptation of a book second. It adds to the enjoyment. But I do say go out and see this movie, you'll probably enjoy it if you don't spend the entire time nitpicking.

And did feel very lucky. Got the "Where the Wild Things Are" trailer and it looks wonderful. Probably just building up to have a childhood memory raped, but it looks beautiful if nothing else.
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