Tuesday, February 26, 2008
:/
I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this blog up. I think this blog space is going to die a slow death due to my new site. So, check out the site (in the very first birthing stages) and stay tuned for much awesomeness.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Nerdery Week, The End
I was going to post pictures of my LARPing last night for the last day of Nerdery Week, but my camera died, and the few pictures I did take were too dark. (Boo, camera, boo.) So, instead I'll just write about it.
Imagine a group of 20-30 20-somethings standing around outside at a college campus. They seem to be organized into loose groups, and most are talking pretty loud. There might be two or three women in the group, but most of them are men.
A couple guys step forward and start talking about the goals they have for the city. Then, a few visitors are presented, and everyone goes back to arguing and talking amongst themselves. Suddenly, someone pulls out an old sheet of paper that's falling apart at its creases, unfolds it, and gets into a fighter's stance with one hand behind their back. Their foe mirrors them, and anyone else who wants to get in the fray.
"Okay, one, two, three." Someone calls.
At three, everyone throws out a hand, some have it balled into a fist, some have it laid out flat, palm down, and some have it with two fingers sticking out of their fist.
"Okay, Brian's rock beats Gabe's scissors, but Gary's paper beats Brian's rock."
Did I mention that these people are dressed up in costumes? The rock paper scissors determines who's won a particular round of battle. The papers carry the stats for their characters, and they usually stay out for four to five hours then go for pizza and continue talking about the game and strategizing.
This is what I do at least one day a week.
This is OWbN LARP.
Imagine a group of 20-30 20-somethings standing around outside at a college campus. They seem to be organized into loose groups, and most are talking pretty loud. There might be two or three women in the group, but most of them are men.
A couple guys step forward and start talking about the goals they have for the city. Then, a few visitors are presented, and everyone goes back to arguing and talking amongst themselves. Suddenly, someone pulls out an old sheet of paper that's falling apart at its creases, unfolds it, and gets into a fighter's stance with one hand behind their back. Their foe mirrors them, and anyone else who wants to get in the fray.
"Okay, one, two, three." Someone calls.
At three, everyone throws out a hand, some have it balled into a fist, some have it laid out flat, palm down, and some have it with two fingers sticking out of their fist.
"Okay, Brian's rock beats Gabe's scissors, but Gary's paper beats Brian's rock."
Did I mention that these people are dressed up in costumes? The rock paper scissors determines who's won a particular round of battle. The papers carry the stats for their characters, and they usually stay out for four to five hours then go for pizza and continue talking about the game and strategizing.
This is what I do at least one day a week.
This is OWbN LARP.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Nerdery Week, Day 5
I thought today I'd show off my religious nerdery and my new nerd space. Sorry guys, no video today.
My friend, Orianna Kurrus, gave this chest to me when she moved a few years back. The chest sports a host of cave type paintings and a Pope head superimposed over a Shiva body. Buddha and Quan Yin are hanging out together, and I've got my menorah set up. I also am a big fan of incense and candles, so they're all there, too. Jesus decided to join the party, even though he's slowly being buried under an avalanche of stuff, and yes, that is a stuffed sperm off to the side. The painted tray was painted by my mom.
The top of the chest holds an assortment of religious statues and artifacts for ritual. The Shiva/Pope is shown in better detail, as well as the Prehistoric cave painting designs. The blue fairy was a Christmas gift from my mom.
In one special section, I've got a stone with a Star of David, pottery from Israel, a pet rock, and a squirrel carved from some mystery substance.
I just set up my new computer desk/work station. I've got both my laptops side by side and am currently watching the first episode of Red Dwarf on Netflix. I think I'm going to like this setup a lot more than the old one. I can watch movies on my computers from my bed and keep both laptops on a safe, level surface.
I've got my computers set up with a portable keyboard and mouse, so my wrists stop aching.
You also might want to check out Nerdery Week days three and four.
Other showoff nerds can be found at:
Tappity Tappity
This Man's World
Blue Birdland
Caryle's Corner
The Poisoned Apple
Uvulapie and His Amazing Hillbillies
Unhinged
Susan Sandmore
The Bookshelf Muse
My friend, Orianna Kurrus, gave this chest to me when she moved a few years back. The chest sports a host of cave type paintings and a Pope head superimposed over a Shiva body. Buddha and Quan Yin are hanging out together, and I've got my menorah set up. I also am a big fan of incense and candles, so they're all there, too. Jesus decided to join the party, even though he's slowly being buried under an avalanche of stuff, and yes, that is a stuffed sperm off to the side. The painted tray was painted by my mom.
The top of the chest holds an assortment of religious statues and artifacts for ritual. The Shiva/Pope is shown in better detail, as well as the Prehistoric cave painting designs. The blue fairy was a Christmas gift from my mom.
In one special section, I've got a stone with a Star of David, pottery from Israel, a pet rock, and a squirrel carved from some mystery substance.
I just set up my new computer desk/work station. I've got both my laptops side by side and am currently watching the first episode of Red Dwarf on Netflix. I think I'm going to like this setup a lot more than the old one. I can watch movies on my computers from my bed and keep both laptops on a safe, level surface.
I've got my computers set up with a portable keyboard and mouse, so my wrists stop aching.
You also might want to check out Nerdery Week days three and four.
Other showoff nerds can be found at:
Tappity Tappity
This Man's World
Blue Birdland
Caryle's Corner
The Poisoned Apple
Uvulapie and His Amazing Hillbillies
Unhinged
Susan Sandmore
The Bookshelf Muse
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Something's Holding Us Back: The beginning
Jenna Walsh slumped over a dented, rusty office desk in an office piled high with comics wrapped in shiny plastic and invoices dating as far back as 1988. She was the lone female employee at Merlyn's, the only comic book store in a three county radius. She scanned an online order form on an IBM reject from the 90s; she was trying to decide how many issues of the latest Dark Knight comic would fit in the store's budget. For the past two hours, she had been visiting sites of independent comic publishers, trying to find the next top seller for the store. She was still trying to live down ordering 100 copies of The Devil’s Panties. She found out the hard way adolescent boys in Mabel, Florida wanted to feast their eyes on heroes battling villains and big-breasted babes, not a geeky female comic book artist dealing with the realities of bills, biker boots, and cottage cheese thighs. So far, only five copies of Jennie Breeden’s comic had sold. This was a disappointment for Jenna, who was one of thousands of readers who regularly browsed Breeden's site. Chuck, Jenna’s boss, saw the comic as wasted space in the store.
Jenna’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket; she jumped at the sensation. Once, twice. At the third vibration, she pulled it out and flipped it open. She did not recognize the number, so she hesitated before answering. Phone calls were rare.
“I can’t hate you. I’m sorry. I can’t do it any more.”
The voice on the other end of the line made Jenna think back to phone calls made late at night, years before. Conversations that ended in screaming matches, where tears would stream down her face and burn her skin with salt. The slight whispers of the small white desk fan in front of her and the whir of her computer disappeared until the voice on the phone was the only sound she heard.
Jenna’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket; she jumped at the sensation. Once, twice. At the third vibration, she pulled it out and flipped it open. She did not recognize the number, so she hesitated before answering. Phone calls were rare.
“I can’t hate you. I’m sorry. I can’t do it any more.”
The voice on the other end of the line made Jenna think back to phone calls made late at night, years before. Conversations that ended in screaming matches, where tears would stream down her face and burn her skin with salt. The slight whispers of the small white desk fan in front of her and the whir of her computer disappeared until the voice on the phone was the only sound she heard.
Nerdery Week 2008, Day 4
This being Nerdery Week, I've decided to show off my fiction side a bit. Think of this as a look into the nerdery of my mind.
Due to working on a school project, I may have to postpone my religious nerdery until tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll post the beginnings of the first two chapters of the novel I'm working on. I'm also going to post the first two pages of the first chapter of the novel I'm finishing up. I plan to send the first three chapters off to agents in the next few weeks.
So, here they are:
Govi’s eyes shone clear blue as he squinted against the blinding sun. His lips pulled back against two shiny, alabaster rows of teeth. His smile was bright; his shoulders were loose as he sauntered towards a tight cluster of muscular men surrounding a petite, petrified woman. All he could see of her was the top of her head, covered with sleek black hair.
There was no sulfurous odor emanating from him, his eyes didn’t glow red, and he didn’t have black talons crusted with the blood of innocents. He certainly didn’t have bestial, cloven hooves peeking out from under his trouser legs. Instead, he had supple skin with a youthful glow that translated into a warmth which radiated out to any fingertips daring to caress him. Even his scent was honeyed with the lemon juice and cinnamon his attendants added to his bath water.
“Relax, you don’t have to fear me. One day, I would like us to be friends.”
His voice was velvety smooth and barely a whisper.
It was clear- the legends were wrong.
Claire sat still and breathless in an overstuffed, dark crimson chair. The armrests were glistening oak; the cushion sat so high off the ground Claire’s feet hung almost a half foot above the polished marble floor. The dusty air of the room hung in her throat and created silvery, glittering motes in the morning sunlight streaming through the window that faced the garden below. Wrought iron bars separated the room from the glass and created black shadows stretching almost to Claire’s chair.
Claire’s muscles trembled and ached as she forced her body not to move. Not to make a sound. She could feel the sharp point of a quill biting into the bottom of her right thigh, but she still did not move. Even when she swallowed the burning bile rising in her throat, the movement was cautious.
The sound of footsteps could be heard outside the formidable solid metal door. Claire imagined the smooth black leather of Govi’s boots advancing towards her. The air she held in expelled from her lungs as her heart began to thud.
Due to working on a school project, I may have to postpone my religious nerdery until tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll post the beginnings of the first two chapters of the novel I'm working on. I'm also going to post the first two pages of the first chapter of the novel I'm finishing up. I plan to send the first three chapters off to agents in the next few weeks.
So, here they are:
Chapter 1 Preview
Govi’s eyes shone clear blue as he squinted against the blinding sun. His lips pulled back against two shiny, alabaster rows of teeth. His smile was bright; his shoulders were loose as he sauntered towards a tight cluster of muscular men surrounding a petite, petrified woman. All he could see of her was the top of her head, covered with sleek black hair.
There was no sulfurous odor emanating from him, his eyes didn’t glow red, and he didn’t have black talons crusted with the blood of innocents. He certainly didn’t have bestial, cloven hooves peeking out from under his trouser legs. Instead, he had supple skin with a youthful glow that translated into a warmth which radiated out to any fingertips daring to caress him. Even his scent was honeyed with the lemon juice and cinnamon his attendants added to his bath water.
“Relax, you don’t have to fear me. One day, I would like us to be friends.”
His voice was velvety smooth and barely a whisper.
It was clear- the legends were wrong.
Chapter Two Preview
Claire sat still and breathless in an overstuffed, dark crimson chair. The armrests were glistening oak; the cushion sat so high off the ground Claire’s feet hung almost a half foot above the polished marble floor. The dusty air of the room hung in her throat and created silvery, glittering motes in the morning sunlight streaming through the window that faced the garden below. Wrought iron bars separated the room from the glass and created black shadows stretching almost to Claire’s chair.
Claire’s muscles trembled and ached as she forced her body not to move. Not to make a sound. She could feel the sharp point of a quill biting into the bottom of her right thigh, but she still did not move. Even when she swallowed the burning bile rising in her throat, the movement was cautious.
The sound of footsteps could be heard outside the formidable solid metal door. Claire imagined the smooth black leather of Govi’s boots advancing towards her. The air she held in expelled from her lungs as her heart began to thud.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Nerdery 2008, Day 3
Okay, I'm officially a little late on this. But, better late than never.
See, this week is the new, official nerdery week, where nerds show off their nerd lairs. And, I have the perfect nerd lair to be shown off.
So, I don't have the cool poster layout or menagerie of action figures of Thomas Kingsley Troupe or Matt of Blue Birdland's many video games. (I used to have Earthbound and a SNES, but let's not bring up that horrible mess.) The other nerdery showoffs are Susan Sandmore, Catherine J. Gardner, Dan, from This Man's World, Caryle of Caryle's Corner, and Jeff of May The Force Be With Y'all.
Now, for the juicy stuff. Here's a special video intro, complete with celebrity guest stars.
And, now for the pictures of my main lair, which I hope to rearrange before the end of Nerdery Week.
On the wall behind my bed, which (unfortunately for my wrists) has become my home office, are pictures of me and my friends. At the very top is a pic of me and Nathan Fillion. The painting is by Orianna Kurrus, it's "Blood and Milk."
Next to my bed is a purple trunk I also got from Orianna Kurrus. The Hello Kitty doll my mother got me for Christmas live on top of it, as well as my GRE practice book, my Stitch 'n Bitch day calendar, and some other random stuff.
Next to the trunk is some wire shelves that hold some house plants (not pictured), a few videos and DVDs, and knitting projects. Waterworld lives on one of the shelves, as does Ranma and Animation Show.
My mom knitted me an afghan for Christmas. And, I couldn't help but take a picture of my pink and blue Chococat goggles (by Panzer Kitty).
And, my newest obsession is knitting socks. I just finished my first one and am almost finished with my second.
Stay tuned for tomorrow, where I show off my religious nerdery.
See, this week is the new, official nerdery week, where nerds show off their nerd lairs. And, I have the perfect nerd lair to be shown off.
So, I don't have the cool poster layout or menagerie of action figures of Thomas Kingsley Troupe or Matt of Blue Birdland's many video games. (I used to have Earthbound and a SNES, but let's not bring up that horrible mess.) The other nerdery showoffs are Susan Sandmore, Catherine J. Gardner, Dan, from This Man's World, Caryle of Caryle's Corner, and Jeff of May The Force Be With Y'all.
Now, for the juicy stuff. Here's a special video intro, complete with celebrity guest stars.
And, now for the pictures of my main lair, which I hope to rearrange before the end of Nerdery Week.
On the wall behind my bed, which (unfortunately for my wrists) has become my home office, are pictures of me and my friends. At the very top is a pic of me and Nathan Fillion. The painting is by Orianna Kurrus, it's "Blood and Milk."
Next to my bed is a purple trunk I also got from Orianna Kurrus. The Hello Kitty doll my mother got me for Christmas live on top of it, as well as my GRE practice book, my Stitch 'n Bitch day calendar, and some other random stuff.
Next to the trunk is some wire shelves that hold some house plants (not pictured), a few videos and DVDs, and knitting projects. Waterworld lives on one of the shelves, as does Ranma and Animation Show.
My mom knitted me an afghan for Christmas. And, I couldn't help but take a picture of my pink and blue Chococat goggles (by Panzer Kitty).
And, my newest obsession is knitting socks. I just finished my first one and am almost finished with my second.
Stay tuned for tomorrow, where I show off my religious nerdery.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Friday's Fantastic Feminist
If you guys liked the Friday Fat Chicks better, let me know. I'll change back. But, I had to write about one of my favorite artists. Even better yet, she's a feminist who makes cute little boobs and vaginas for people to wear as jewelry.She's Tangerined!
So far, she has an Etsy account and Myspace and Blogspot blogs that pretty much say the same thing, so pick your poison. In addition to her woman parts necklaces, bracelets, and charms, she sells acrylic paintings made with recycled materials and all manners of horns and sculpted wearable art. She's definitely worth checking out.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Stalking Nathan Fillion p. II
I am an amazing writer. So amazing, that I wait weeks to write the second part in a two-part series. So long, that I'm sure no one cares a whit about it any more.
And, it's Valentine's Day! I'm having an undead Valentine's party, but right now I'm focusing on my writing, for online and for my gender class (I'm skipping to write and catch up for the weekend, so Monday and Tuesday I'm not stressed out when the computer lab messes up printing out the paper, again).
Enough babbling! Here's the grand finale of "Stalking Nathan Fillion."
It's fitting that I'm listening to Tales from the 'Verse as I write this. I found the podcast on iTunes a couple weeks ago. For those of you who've never checked it out, it's a podcast of Firefly and Serenity fanfic.
We left off in my previous post with me leaving FXShow on Saturday, thwarted for the day. After a nice dinner and a fitful night's sleep, I woke up late, to an overcast gray sky that tricked me into thinking I woke up much earlier than I did. I checked out of my hotel and drove to the con, plopping down another $10 for parking across the street and a few blocks away. I walked to the convention center lugging my purse, my laptop, and two digital cameras once again past the Wendy's convention and their giant, inflatable version of me.
My first stop, once inside, was to pick up the picture I took with Fillion the day before. I found it amongst a pile of pictures of people with all of the celebrities at the event, from Adam West to Nicholas Brendon.
I sighed as I peered at my own goofy smile and Fillion's slightly unhappy face. I zipped it into my computer case for safe keeping.
I looked for Katie Jarvinen, my contact with the con, and asked her whether I could schedule Fillion in for an interview. Her answer?
He was booked for the rest of the day. No Fillion interview.
Instead of admitting defeat, I interviewed a number of writers and artists. I also got video footage of the Whedonverse Q&A; once I get it edited, I'll throw it up, I hope in the next few days.
Was I a touch tearful that I couldn't interview Fillion? Not really. It would have been nice, but the interview Nicholas Brendon granted me provided a nice highlight to the con.
And, I'll always have the memories from the three seconds I did come in contact with the elusive star.
And, the picture.
And, it's Valentine's Day! I'm having an undead Valentine's party, but right now I'm focusing on my writing, for online and for my gender class (I'm skipping to write and catch up for the weekend, so Monday and Tuesday I'm not stressed out when the computer lab messes up printing out the paper, again).
Enough babbling! Here's the grand finale of "Stalking Nathan Fillion."
It's fitting that I'm listening to Tales from the 'Verse as I write this. I found the podcast on iTunes a couple weeks ago. For those of you who've never checked it out, it's a podcast of Firefly and Serenity fanfic.
We left off in my previous post with me leaving FXShow on Saturday, thwarted for the day. After a nice dinner and a fitful night's sleep, I woke up late, to an overcast gray sky that tricked me into thinking I woke up much earlier than I did. I checked out of my hotel and drove to the con, plopping down another $10 for parking across the street and a few blocks away. I walked to the convention center lugging my purse, my laptop, and two digital cameras once again past the Wendy's convention and their giant, inflatable version of me.
My first stop, once inside, was to pick up the picture I took with Fillion the day before. I found it amongst a pile of pictures of people with all of the celebrities at the event, from Adam West to Nicholas Brendon.
I sighed as I peered at my own goofy smile and Fillion's slightly unhappy face. I zipped it into my computer case for safe keeping.
I looked for Katie Jarvinen, my contact with the con, and asked her whether I could schedule Fillion in for an interview. Her answer?
He was booked for the rest of the day. No Fillion interview.
Instead of admitting defeat, I interviewed a number of writers and artists. I also got video footage of the Whedonverse Q&A; once I get it edited, I'll throw it up, I hope in the next few days.
Was I a touch tearful that I couldn't interview Fillion? Not really. It would have been nice, but the interview Nicholas Brendon granted me provided a nice highlight to the con.
And, I'll always have the memories from the three seconds I did come in contact with the elusive star.
And, the picture.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Stalking Nathan Fillion, P. I
I arrived at FXShow in Orlando and immediately knew something was up. There was a line that stretched from the double doors leading into the main convention room to a small makeshift room made out of red and white curtains.
After asking around, I found out the line was for photo opps with Nathan Fillion, a.k.a. Captain Tightpants from Firefly and Serenity of the Whedonverse and one of the celebrities at the event. On impulse, I decided to shell out 30 hard-earned bucks to get a picture with him and see if he'd tell me who I could talk to to schedule an interview with him.
Adding to my impulsive decision was the fact I'm a Browncoat. A picture with Fillion couldn't hurt.
The line moved fast; the staff members inside the makeshift photo room were fast and efficient. Every shuffle brought me closer to my quarry as I listened to the people around me talk about Fillion and Whedon related news and gossip.
As myself and three other people were herded inside the photo area and handed over the tickets that promised us each a pose with the star, I was struck by how strange the event was. Fillion, ever affable, reminded me of a congenial politician kissing babies and wooing voters. Either that, or it was like a sideshow where two-bits extra could get me in to see the two-headed cow, or in this case a picture with a man who, up to this point, existed in my fantasies of living in a run-down transport ship at the edge of outer space.
"Hey sweetheart, how're you doin'?" He asked as he put his arm around me and smiled for the camera.
"I'm with the press," I blurted as I thrust my press pass towards him. The corners of his lips began to turn down as he glanced at me, so I continued, the words tumbling forth from my mouth. "Do you know who I can talk to to arrange a short interview with you?"
"No, I'm sorry I don't," he replied.
We both smiled and glanced back at the camera right as the flash went off. I could feel sweat build over my body as I began to tense up.
"Okay, I'll ask around." At that moment, I just wanted to get out, but our picture didn't turn out very good, even for speed shot standards. The photographer looked at his digital display and looked back at us.
"One more time, guys," He told us. We smiled wide, and Fillion pulled me back to his side for a second pose. Then, I was out of the stifling photo room and gulping the climate controlled air of the rest of FXShow. The whole fiasco behind the red and white curtains couldn't have taken more than a minute, and it felt more like ten seconds.
Ten seconds of failure. But, I was persistent. I love a good challenge.
After talking to three or four members of the FXShow staff, I was granted an interview with Nicholas Brendon (the resulting article will be posted soon) and told that Saturday was a busy day for Fillion, but it was likely I could talk to him on Sunday, when things slowed down.
Sunday worked well for me; I had a hotel room waiting and wanted to talk to as many artists and authors attending the con as possible. So, I explored the con to get my bearings, set up a couple of interviews, and drove to my hotel to check in and eat dinner, knowing the next day I could pick up my 8x10 of me with Fillion and have another crack at an interview with him.
After asking around, I found out the line was for photo opps with Nathan Fillion, a.k.a. Captain Tightpants from Firefly and Serenity of the Whedonverse and one of the celebrities at the event. On impulse, I decided to shell out 30 hard-earned bucks to get a picture with him and see if he'd tell me who I could talk to to schedule an interview with him.
Adding to my impulsive decision was the fact I'm a Browncoat. A picture with Fillion couldn't hurt.
The line moved fast; the staff members inside the makeshift photo room were fast and efficient. Every shuffle brought me closer to my quarry as I listened to the people around me talk about Fillion and Whedon related news and gossip.
As myself and three other people were herded inside the photo area and handed over the tickets that promised us each a pose with the star, I was struck by how strange the event was. Fillion, ever affable, reminded me of a congenial politician kissing babies and wooing voters. Either that, or it was like a sideshow where two-bits extra could get me in to see the two-headed cow, or in this case a picture with a man who, up to this point, existed in my fantasies of living in a run-down transport ship at the edge of outer space.
"Hey sweetheart, how're you doin'?" He asked as he put his arm around me and smiled for the camera.
"I'm with the press," I blurted as I thrust my press pass towards him. The corners of his lips began to turn down as he glanced at me, so I continued, the words tumbling forth from my mouth. "Do you know who I can talk to to arrange a short interview with you?"
"No, I'm sorry I don't," he replied.
We both smiled and glanced back at the camera right as the flash went off. I could feel sweat build over my body as I began to tense up.
"Okay, I'll ask around." At that moment, I just wanted to get out, but our picture didn't turn out very good, even for speed shot standards. The photographer looked at his digital display and looked back at us.
"One more time, guys," He told us. We smiled wide, and Fillion pulled me back to his side for a second pose. Then, I was out of the stifling photo room and gulping the climate controlled air of the rest of FXShow. The whole fiasco behind the red and white curtains couldn't have taken more than a minute, and it felt more like ten seconds.
Ten seconds of failure. But, I was persistent. I love a good challenge.
After talking to three or four members of the FXShow staff, I was granted an interview with Nicholas Brendon (the resulting article will be posted soon) and told that Saturday was a busy day for Fillion, but it was likely I could talk to him on Sunday, when things slowed down.
Sunday worked well for me; I had a hotel room waiting and wanted to talk to as many artists and authors attending the con as possible. So, I explored the con to get my bearings, set up a couple of interviews, and drove to my hotel to check in and eat dinner, knowing the next day I could pick up my 8x10 of me with Fillion and have another crack at an interview with him.
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