Clever, no? (No? Oh well.)
Ordered my autograph ticket for Saturday. It cost more than admission to the convention, but I think it is worth every penny. Plus, it must be pretty expensive to book the big-name people like Eliza Dushku.
Submitted for your approval, the following videos in anticipation of this weekend.
A montage of some of Faith's best scenes from BtVS (and its spinoff, Angel).
No less than three of the main actors from this show at the con!
A clip from Leverage. Sterling (the guy getting the snot kicked out of him by Christian Kane) will be there.
As to why he is getting the snot kicked out of him...well, you will just have to watch the show.
And...this guy will be there too.
Rick Bayless is a world-renowned chef. Still have no idea what he has to do with comics.
One more for the road. Just because it is extremely nerdy and fun.
Ear worm! You're welcome.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Convention Countdown!
First of all, happy pi day! Yes, pi=3.14 (approximately), so March 14=Pi Day. Thank your math teacher, and go to Baker's Square. Or something.
Side note: Baker's Square raspberry pie? With a scoop of ice cream? Heaven on earth.
In other news, the countdown on the C2E2 website reminds me that there are only 3 days, 18 hours (57 minutes, 3 seconds...) left until the convention! I still need to order my autograph ticket for Eliza Dushku. I think I will have her sign my DVD set for Buffy season 3.
My costume is complete, but I still need to figure out how I will be carrying stuff around. I think what I may do is get a carabiner or something that I can clip onto my Nerf bandolier. This is the one I got:
I need a small bag or something to keep my wallet and camera. That is one problem with my costume: no pockets. In the past I have worn a backpack; that would probably be the safest choice. And I have one with thin straps that will not be too noticeable in the photos. In fact, I will do just that.
That was very helpful. Glad we had this little chat.
Question for the comments: What is your favorite pie?
Side note: Baker's Square raspberry pie? With a scoop of ice cream? Heaven on earth.
In other news, the countdown on the C2E2 website reminds me that there are only 3 days, 18 hours (57 minutes, 3 seconds...) left until the convention! I still need to order my autograph ticket for Eliza Dushku. I think I will have her sign my DVD set for Buffy season 3.
My costume is complete, but I still need to figure out how I will be carrying stuff around. I think what I may do is get a carabiner or something that I can clip onto my Nerf bandolier. This is the one I got:
I need a small bag or something to keep my wallet and camera. That is one problem with my costume: no pockets. In the past I have worn a backpack; that would probably be the safest choice. And I have one with thin straps that will not be too noticeable in the photos. In fact, I will do just that.
That was very helpful. Glad we had this little chat.
Question for the comments: What is your favorite pie?
Friday, March 11, 2011
Book Recap: BSC #32 (part two)
Continuing from Part One. On with the show!
Chapter 4: Kristy goes to the Felders' for their first meeting. Kristy has done her research, such as it was. She looked up "autism" and found a reference to "schizophrenia," which led her to an explanation of schizophrenia as "withdrawal from reality." Then, I guess, she was too confused to look up anything else. Good grief, how did people do research before Google? Anyway, at first glance Susan is a collection of autistic stereotypes. She wrings her hands, clicks her tongue, and does not respond immediately to her mother.
Mrs. Felder gives Kristy a Cliffs Notes explanation of autism. Most of it is still thought to be true today (symptoms vary from person to person; it is more common among boys; symptoms show up by age three), but then Mrs. Felder tells her that the syndrome is rare. The much-touted statistic today is 1 in 150. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that more people have autism, just that more people are diagnosed with autism. And the definition has broadened. People with Asperger's Syndrome (on the mild end of the spectrum) are included in that "1 in 150" statistic, which was actually unheard of in the US until several years after this book was written. There is also no mention of the "caused by vaccines" theory, which was not suggested until 1998. By the way, there is no proven link between autism and vaccinations.
Mrs. Felder goes on to explain that, while Susan may improve if she learns some meaningful language, she will never be "normal." Kristy thinks, "I understood what Mrs. Felder wasn't saying: Susan's future looked bleak." Congratulations, you have established this as one of the most depressing books in the series. We are on page 38. I will not say this is the most depressing book, because I have read Mary Anne and the Memory Garden, AKA "let's retcon a new character as everyone's best friend, only to have her killed by a drunk driver."
Anyway, Mrs. Felder goes on to say that Susan may be autistic, but at least she is a savant. In this case, this means she is a piano prodigy who can play any piece of music after hearing it once. She can also name the day of the week for any date in the past hundred years, a talent which she demonstrates to an astonished Kristy.
Mrs. Felder laments that Susan never initiates conversations and does not communicate. Sigh. There is a difference between "does not speak" and "does not communicate." She may not communicate with her parents as often as they would like, or in the way they prefer, but "communication" is a broad range of actions. And anyway, Susan does speak. We just heard her speak.
Kristy agrees to take the job, secretly resolving to prove to the Felders that Susan does not need to be shipped off to her new boarding school at the end of the month. Mrs. Felder comments, "Don't worry. Susan won't be upset when I leave. She never is. She has no connection to me or to anyone."
I find myself feeling very sorry for Mrs. Felder. Although she is from after the time when autism was thought to be the mother's fault for not showing enough affection (seriously!), in the book it is still considered nearly a death sentence. Today, there are many special education teachers and other professionals who love and even prefer working with autistic children. They would help her see that Susan is not a lost cause, even as different from the "neuro-typicals" as she is.
Kristy is surprised by the "babyish" toys in the backyard, which include a sandbox, swing set, and tricycle. First, how did they find a tricycle sized for an eight-year-old? Second, since when are eight-year-olds too sophisticated for swing sets? But Susan ignores her toys and decides to gallop around the yard instead. Kristy takes the opportunity to spy on the new neighbors, the Hobarts From Australia. The boys are being teased because they like "fairy floss" and do not know that here in America, we call it "cotton candy." They are also taunted about "Crocodile Dundee stuff." All right, I realize that kids will tease people for just about any reason. But the "prejudice=bad" Aesop gets an awful lot of coverage throughout the series. I always used to wonder if Stoneybrook was particularly bass-ackwards, or if I just grew up in a town where people were more accepting than normal. Not to say that my school was free of bullying, just that the kids chose different reasons to pick on people.
Chapter 5 is a babysitting chapter. Jessi and Mallory, the two club members in 6th grade instead of 8th, are babysitting Mallory's seven younger siblings. After the kids declare there is nothing to do, Mallory suggests going to play with the Hobarts. We find out that their cute new nickname is "Crocs," as in "Crocodile Dundee." Of course, now I immediately think of those trendy rubber shoes. Mallory points out that this name-calling is not very nice, and reminds her siblings about how they used to hate being called the "Spider" kids (because there are eight of them). Jessi, the Token Black Chick, points out that she has been called a lot worse.
Jessi's status as Token Black Chick is brought up in every single book she appears in, just to point out that it does not matter that she is black. Oddly, Claudia's status as Token Asian Chick is not mentioned nearly as often. I guess only the really prejudiced in Stoneybrook have problems with people from Japan...
Anyway, the kids all head over to the Hobarts' as Mal and Jessi point out that people from Australia are not that different after all. They even wear "jeans and stuff." So the kids all start making friends with each other. This includes Mallory, who has a crush on the oldest Hobart boy (also in 6th grade). The Hobart boys are taunted by more neighbors and chased of by Ben, "who is tall." Thank you so much for that helpful bit of information.
Chapter 6: Kristy tells the other club members about Susan. Jessi and Mal compare her to the Hobarts, because they are outcasts too. The other girls tease Mallory for having a crush on Ben. Not much else happens.
Coming soon: Part three (In Which Everyone Babysits And Both Plots Are Advanced).
Chapter 4: Kristy goes to the Felders' for their first meeting. Kristy has done her research, such as it was. She looked up "autism" and found a reference to "schizophrenia," which led her to an explanation of schizophrenia as "withdrawal from reality." Then, I guess, she was too confused to look up anything else. Good grief, how did people do research before Google? Anyway, at first glance Susan is a collection of autistic stereotypes. She wrings her hands, clicks her tongue, and does not respond immediately to her mother.
Mrs. Felder gives Kristy a Cliffs Notes explanation of autism. Most of it is still thought to be true today (symptoms vary from person to person; it is more common among boys; symptoms show up by age three), but then Mrs. Felder tells her that the syndrome is rare. The much-touted statistic today is 1 in 150. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that more people have autism, just that more people are diagnosed with autism. And the definition has broadened. People with Asperger's Syndrome (on the mild end of the spectrum) are included in that "1 in 150" statistic, which was actually unheard of in the US until several years after this book was written. There is also no mention of the "caused by vaccines" theory, which was not suggested until 1998. By the way, there is no proven link between autism and vaccinations.
Mrs. Felder goes on to explain that, while Susan may improve if she learns some meaningful language, she will never be "normal." Kristy thinks, "I understood what Mrs. Felder wasn't saying: Susan's future looked bleak." Congratulations, you have established this as one of the most depressing books in the series. We are on page 38. I will not say this is the most depressing book, because I have read Mary Anne and the Memory Garden, AKA "let's retcon a new character as everyone's best friend, only to have her killed by a drunk driver."
Anyway, Mrs. Felder goes on to say that Susan may be autistic, but at least she is a savant. In this case, this means she is a piano prodigy who can play any piece of music after hearing it once. She can also name the day of the week for any date in the past hundred years, a talent which she demonstrates to an astonished Kristy.
Mrs. Felder laments that Susan never initiates conversations and does not communicate. Sigh. There is a difference between "does not speak" and "does not communicate." She may not communicate with her parents as often as they would like, or in the way they prefer, but "communication" is a broad range of actions. And anyway, Susan does speak. We just heard her speak.
Kristy agrees to take the job, secretly resolving to prove to the Felders that Susan does not need to be shipped off to her new boarding school at the end of the month. Mrs. Felder comments, "Don't worry. Susan won't be upset when I leave. She never is. She has no connection to me or to anyone."
I find myself feeling very sorry for Mrs. Felder. Although she is from after the time when autism was thought to be the mother's fault for not showing enough affection (seriously!), in the book it is still considered nearly a death sentence. Today, there are many special education teachers and other professionals who love and even prefer working with autistic children. They would help her see that Susan is not a lost cause, even as different from the "neuro-typicals" as she is.
Kristy is surprised by the "babyish" toys in the backyard, which include a sandbox, swing set, and tricycle. First, how did they find a tricycle sized for an eight-year-old? Second, since when are eight-year-olds too sophisticated for swing sets? But Susan ignores her toys and decides to gallop around the yard instead. Kristy takes the opportunity to spy on the new neighbors, the Hobarts From Australia. The boys are being teased because they like "fairy floss" and do not know that here in America, we call it "cotton candy." They are also taunted about "Crocodile Dundee stuff." All right, I realize that kids will tease people for just about any reason. But the "prejudice=bad" Aesop gets an awful lot of coverage throughout the series. I always used to wonder if Stoneybrook was particularly bass-ackwards, or if I just grew up in a town where people were more accepting than normal. Not to say that my school was free of bullying, just that the kids chose different reasons to pick on people.
Chapter 5 is a babysitting chapter. Jessi and Mallory, the two club members in 6th grade instead of 8th, are babysitting Mallory's seven younger siblings. After the kids declare there is nothing to do, Mallory suggests going to play with the Hobarts. We find out that their cute new nickname is "Crocs," as in "Crocodile Dundee." Of course, now I immediately think of those trendy rubber shoes. Mallory points out that this name-calling is not very nice, and reminds her siblings about how they used to hate being called the "Spider" kids (because there are eight of them). Jessi, the Token Black Chick, points out that she has been called a lot worse.
Jessi's status as Token Black Chick is brought up in every single book she appears in, just to point out that it does not matter that she is black. Oddly, Claudia's status as Token Asian Chick is not mentioned nearly as often. I guess only the really prejudiced in Stoneybrook have problems with people from Japan...
Anyway, the kids all head over to the Hobarts' as Mal and Jessi point out that people from Australia are not that different after all. They even wear "jeans and stuff." So the kids all start making friends with each other. This includes Mallory, who has a crush on the oldest Hobart boy (also in 6th grade). The Hobart boys are taunted by more neighbors and chased of by Ben, "who is tall." Thank you so much for that helpful bit of information.
Chapter 6: Kristy tells the other club members about Susan. Jessi and Mal compare her to the Hobarts, because they are outcasts too. The other girls tease Mallory for having a crush on Ben. Not much else happens.
Coming soon: Part three (In Which Everyone Babysits And Both Plots Are Advanced).
Book Recap: BSC #32 (part one)
In the interests of keeping the title of this post a reasonable length, I decided to go with the abbreviated version of the book's title. The full title is "Baby-Sitters Club #32: Kristy and the Secret of Susan."
The Baby-Sitters Club is a long-running series of books first published in the 80s, written by Ann M. Martin (and later ghostwritten by one or more people who sometimes had trouble with continuity). The series follows a group of middle-school babysitters who...well...form a club. I was obsessed with the books growing up; by the time I discovered them they were readily available at discount bookstores, where my parents would let me buy a whole stack of them for a dollar or two each. I had half of a bookshelf crammed full of BSC books by the time I finally donated my collection to the library's book sale. The books were different from what I usually enjoyed reading, even back then, because there are no supernatural elements. I was thinking about why they captured me so much, and realized that the thing I remember best about the books was the way the girls always had each other's backs. No matter what happened, they were there for each other. I was painfully shy in grade school, and the idea of a large group of good friends seemed as improbable to me as the interstellar adventures of A Wrinkle in Time or the Community in The Giver.
These days, the BSC books are mostly forgotten, except by bloggers who write snarky reviews. I do not plan on getting started with that. I wanted to track down this particular book because it is more relevant to me than it was when I first read it...good grief, could it possibly be 15 years ago?? Okay, I feel old. Anyway, Susan's secret is that she has autism (SPOILER!!). I took some classes on teaching special education in college, and I have also known several people with autism. I wanted to see how much this book got right. Of course, a lot more is known about autism now than when it was written in 1990, so I do not know how much of the misinformation was lack of research and how much was Science Marches On. I also remembered how much I disliked the ending...but more on that later.
And now, on with the recap!
Chapter 1 begins with the introduction of one of the title characters. Kristy is the president and founder of the BSC; here she is looking after her brother and sister before heading off to a meeting. One of the other things I enjoyed about the books was the little pieces of babysitting advice, such as this gem from page 3: "it's much more helpful to tell [children] what to do instead of what not to do." It seems obvious, but seriously try it sometime. There are times when it is very hard to state the rules in a positive way.
We get more character introduction as Kristy heads to the meeting. In addition to the usual suspects, there is a new family in town: the Hobarts, who will be the subject of this book's subplot and continue to feature as minor characters. Their main attraction, in addition to having four kids, is that they are from Australia. Kristy also sees Susan Felder and her mother, who are not new, but have never been mentioned before and will never be seen again after this book (SPOILER!!). Claudia mentions that Susan has been away at a special school, which at least explains her absence up until this point.
Chapters 2 and 3 are the standard info-dump section, where Kristy explains who all of the club members are and gives a brief summary of the series up to this point. Every book in the series follows this format. It is a good way for new readers to jump in without having to read books 1-31. On the other hand, those who have read the other books can skim this part or skip it entirely. To be honest, none of the girls' backstories have much to contribute to this book plot-wise, so I will spare you the introductions. The one thing I noted is that all of the girls are described as "beautiful" or "pretty." On the one hand, it seems unlikely that all of the girls could be underwear models. On the other hand, would you call your best friends ugly? Even if other people think they are? Me neither.
The plot starts cooking when Mrs. Felder calls the girls looking for a sitter for Susan. She explains that Susan is autistic, but none of the girls know what this means. Claudia suggests that it means "retarded," a term that is used several times throughout the book. I realize that this is the correct use of the term, but today it has been misused so much that I can not keep from cringing a little when I read it. This shows how things have changed in 20 years; I guess "retard" was not a common insult in the '80s. Side note: I find it interesting that Claudia is the one making this suggestion, because it is heavily implied throughout the series that she has some sort of learning disability. Was this a conscious decision on Martin's part, or is this a throw-away line that could have gone to any of the girls? The world may never know.
The girls look at their schedules. It turns out that Kristy is the only one available for the job, which is supposed to be three days every week for a month. They call Mrs. Felder back to let her know, and she tells Kristy that she wants her to meet Susan before committing to the job. Kristy is, understandably, curious and a bit worried about this.
Well. I think I will leave it there for today. Coming soon: Chapter Four (In Which We Meet Susan And Learn About Autism In One Hundred Words Or Less).
The Baby-Sitters Club is a long-running series of books first published in the 80s, written by Ann M. Martin (and later ghostwritten by one or more people who sometimes had trouble with continuity). The series follows a group of middle-school babysitters who...well...form a club. I was obsessed with the books growing up; by the time I discovered them they were readily available at discount bookstores, where my parents would let me buy a whole stack of them for a dollar or two each. I had half of a bookshelf crammed full of BSC books by the time I finally donated my collection to the library's book sale. The books were different from what I usually enjoyed reading, even back then, because there are no supernatural elements. I was thinking about why they captured me so much, and realized that the thing I remember best about the books was the way the girls always had each other's backs. No matter what happened, they were there for each other. I was painfully shy in grade school, and the idea of a large group of good friends seemed as improbable to me as the interstellar adventures of A Wrinkle in Time or the Community in The Giver.
These days, the BSC books are mostly forgotten, except by bloggers who write snarky reviews. I do not plan on getting started with that. I wanted to track down this particular book because it is more relevant to me than it was when I first read it...good grief, could it possibly be 15 years ago?? Okay, I feel old. Anyway, Susan's secret is that she has autism (SPOILER!!). I took some classes on teaching special education in college, and I have also known several people with autism. I wanted to see how much this book got right. Of course, a lot more is known about autism now than when it was written in 1990, so I do not know how much of the misinformation was lack of research and how much was Science Marches On. I also remembered how much I disliked the ending...but more on that later.
And now, on with the recap!
Chapter 1 begins with the introduction of one of the title characters. Kristy is the president and founder of the BSC; here she is looking after her brother and sister before heading off to a meeting. One of the other things I enjoyed about the books was the little pieces of babysitting advice, such as this gem from page 3: "it's much more helpful to tell [children] what to do instead of what not to do." It seems obvious, but seriously try it sometime. There are times when it is very hard to state the rules in a positive way.
We get more character introduction as Kristy heads to the meeting. In addition to the usual suspects, there is a new family in town: the Hobarts, who will be the subject of this book's subplot and continue to feature as minor characters. Their main attraction, in addition to having four kids, is that they are from Australia. Kristy also sees Susan Felder and her mother, who are not new, but have never been mentioned before and will never be seen again after this book (SPOILER!!). Claudia mentions that Susan has been away at a special school, which at least explains her absence up until this point.
Chapters 2 and 3 are the standard info-dump section, where Kristy explains who all of the club members are and gives a brief summary of the series up to this point. Every book in the series follows this format. It is a good way for new readers to jump in without having to read books 1-31. On the other hand, those who have read the other books can skim this part or skip it entirely. To be honest, none of the girls' backstories have much to contribute to this book plot-wise, so I will spare you the introductions. The one thing I noted is that all of the girls are described as "beautiful" or "pretty." On the one hand, it seems unlikely that all of the girls could be underwear models. On the other hand, would you call your best friends ugly? Even if other people think they are? Me neither.
The plot starts cooking when Mrs. Felder calls the girls looking for a sitter for Susan. She explains that Susan is autistic, but none of the girls know what this means. Claudia suggests that it means "retarded," a term that is used several times throughout the book. I realize that this is the correct use of the term, but today it has been misused so much that I can not keep from cringing a little when I read it. This shows how things have changed in 20 years; I guess "retard" was not a common insult in the '80s. Side note: I find it interesting that Claudia is the one making this suggestion, because it is heavily implied throughout the series that she has some sort of learning disability. Was this a conscious decision on Martin's part, or is this a throw-away line that could have gone to any of the girls? The world may never know.
The girls look at their schedules. It turns out that Kristy is the only one available for the job, which is supposed to be three days every week for a month. They call Mrs. Felder back to let her know, and she tells Kristy that she wants her to meet Susan before committing to the job. Kristy is, understandably, curious and a bit worried about this.
Well. I think I will leave it there for today. Coming soon: Chapter Four (In Which We Meet Susan And Learn About Autism In One Hundred Words Or Less).
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
C2E2 Update!
I found myself with some extra time on my hands this morning, so I have been doing some poking around online. I now have an expanded list of celebs to meet at C2E2.
-Eliza Dushku: Faith from Buffy; Echo from Dollhouse. NEED a photo with her.
-Mark Sheppard: Sterling on Leverage, one of the best shows currently on TV. For more on Leverage, see the end of this post.
-Natalie Morales: Wendy Watson from The Middleman, which is exactly the kind of show I love and networks hate. Lasted one season on ABC Family before they decided what the world needs is more dramas about teens having sex.
-Matt Keeslar: Starred in The Middleman and Dollhouse, appeared in an episode of Leverage.
-Rick Bayless: Chicago chef who hosts a cooking show on PBS. No, I have no idea what he is doing at the nerd convention. I will probably get his autograph for my mom.
-ItsJustSomeRandomGuy: probably my favorite YouTuber ever. He may not actually be at the convention, but he was there last year and yesterday he posted a promo for the convention. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
My costume is complete! Went to Toys 'R' Us on Tuesday and got an oversized Nerf gun and matching bandolier. It looks ridiculous, but in a good way. Johnny was impressed. I just hope that Nerf weapons are allowed...their FAQ's had a "Weapons Policy" that did not mention anything about Nerf one way or the other. I hope Nerf guns are not counted as "functional firearms" (cap guns and pellet guns are not allowed). Jason said that people walk around with Airsoft guns, so I should be fine. I will probably leave the clip home just to be on the safe side.
Now, as to why Leverage is one of my favorite shows of all time. The premise is that the members of the Leverage team cheat and steal from the bad guys to bring them down as punishment for crimes they got away with. Robin Hood meets Ocean's Eleven, with a heavy dose of Mission: Impossible? Sold! When watching the previews on TNT I recognized Christian Kane (Lindsey from Angel) as one of the main characters. That, paired with the premise of the show, was enough to make me tune in to the first episode. I was immediately hooked. The writing and acting are simply fantastic. All of the team members have a great dynamic, and the writers do a great job of exploring the various relationships, while still focusing on a tight, exciting story every week. I was certain that this show was too good to last for more than one season, but TNT really surprised me. Coming this year is Season Four. Happy dance!
For more on Leverage, visit their TV Tropes page or their website, where you can watch the a few of the latest full episodes.
-Eliza Dushku: Faith from Buffy; Echo from Dollhouse. NEED a photo with her.
-Mark Sheppard: Sterling on Leverage, one of the best shows currently on TV. For more on Leverage, see the end of this post.
-Natalie Morales: Wendy Watson from The Middleman, which is exactly the kind of show I love and networks hate. Lasted one season on ABC Family before they decided what the world needs is more dramas about teens having sex.
-Matt Keeslar: Starred in The Middleman and Dollhouse, appeared in an episode of Leverage.
-Rick Bayless: Chicago chef who hosts a cooking show on PBS. No, I have no idea what he is doing at the nerd convention. I will probably get his autograph for my mom.
-ItsJustSomeRandomGuy: probably my favorite YouTuber ever. He may not actually be at the convention, but he was there last year and yesterday he posted a promo for the convention. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
My costume is complete! Went to Toys 'R' Us on Tuesday and got an oversized Nerf gun and matching bandolier. It looks ridiculous, but in a good way. Johnny was impressed. I just hope that Nerf weapons are allowed...their FAQ's had a "Weapons Policy" that did not mention anything about Nerf one way or the other. I hope Nerf guns are not counted as "functional firearms" (cap guns and pellet guns are not allowed). Jason said that people walk around with Airsoft guns, so I should be fine. I will probably leave the clip home just to be on the safe side.
Now, as to why Leverage is one of my favorite shows of all time. The premise is that the members of the Leverage team cheat and steal from the bad guys to bring them down as punishment for crimes they got away with. Robin Hood meets Ocean's Eleven, with a heavy dose of Mission: Impossible? Sold! When watching the previews on TNT I recognized Christian Kane (Lindsey from Angel) as one of the main characters. That, paired with the premise of the show, was enough to make me tune in to the first episode. I was immediately hooked. The writing and acting are simply fantastic. All of the team members have a great dynamic, and the writers do a great job of exploring the various relationships, while still focusing on a tight, exciting story every week. I was certain that this show was too good to last for more than one season, but TNT really surprised me. Coming this year is Season Four. Happy dance!
For more on Leverage, visit their TV Tropes page or their website, where you can watch the a few of the latest full episodes.
Monday, February 28, 2011
C2E2: Coming Soon!
Wow, almost March. I can hardly believe two months of the new year have passed already. Which means that sci-fi convention season is just around the corner! Yes folks, we are less than three weeks away from the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (also known as C2E2). I am quite excited about this; last year's C2E2 was the first convention I ever wanted to go to. I was not able to go, partly because I was in the middle of my student teaching and partly because I had nobody to go with. This year Johnny and I are going with Jason and his friends. It should be a crazy fun time, because almost all of us are going in costume. The sole exception is my brother, who will probably spend most of his time pretending he has no idea who we are.
Jason and his buddies are dressing up as wrestlers from the nWo. I know next to nothing about wrestling, so my costume is completely different from theirs: Warrior Princess Peach. I got the idea from this t-shirt:
I could have just gotten the shirt and left it at that. But I decided it would be much better to go as Peach with some sort of badass weapon. I bought this costume about a month ago...
It took a bit of searching to find a costume with a skirt that came down past my knees. I will never understand the tendency to create revealing costumes for EVERYTHING.
Anyway, my mom washed and ironed the costume for me today, which must have taken quite a bit of work. It came shipped in this tiny package and was VERY wrinkled. Now, however, it looks great. Tomorrow Jason and I are going to Toys 'R' Us to buy some sort of weapon; I will probably end up with one of those semi-automatic Nerf guns. A sword would be pretty cool too. Once the costume is all assembled: pictures! And of course, I plan on taking a TON of pictures at the con. Eliza Dushku will be there, which is awesome. I definitely want a photo with her. Plus, Patrick Stewart will be at Wizard World in August! Hopefully he will ACTUALLY be there this time...last year he was scheduled and had to cancel.
Jason and his buddies are dressing up as wrestlers from the nWo. I know next to nothing about wrestling, so my costume is completely different from theirs: Warrior Princess Peach. I got the idea from this t-shirt:
I could have just gotten the shirt and left it at that. But I decided it would be much better to go as Peach with some sort of badass weapon. I bought this costume about a month ago...
It took a bit of searching to find a costume with a skirt that came down past my knees. I will never understand the tendency to create revealing costumes for EVERYTHING.
Anyway, my mom washed and ironed the costume for me today, which must have taken quite a bit of work. It came shipped in this tiny package and was VERY wrinkled. Now, however, it looks great. Tomorrow Jason and I are going to Toys 'R' Us to buy some sort of weapon; I will probably end up with one of those semi-automatic Nerf guns. A sword would be pretty cool too. Once the costume is all assembled: pictures! And of course, I plan on taking a TON of pictures at the con. Eliza Dushku will be there, which is awesome. I definitely want a photo with her. Plus, Patrick Stewart will be at Wizard World in August! Hopefully he will ACTUALLY be there this time...last year he was scheduled and had to cancel.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Photos!
This post comes to you in two parts.
Part 1: My review of the Lego collectible minifigs. Lego sells them in series of 16, one figure per bag. These are all unique figures that are not available in any sets. They are sold as "mystery" items; there is no way to see which figure is in the bag until you open it. I decided to start collecting them, and picked up one from each series at Borders today.
This is the baseball player, from Series 3. I love all of the details here, particularly the little design on his baseball cap. I was hoping for the Lego elf, but this little guy is pretty cool too.
I wish the same could be said for my Series 2 figure.
With her long blond hair, red swimsuit, and pouty lips (which are too small to show up in the photo) I swear Lego was trying to create a Pamela Anderson minifigure. Is there really that great of a demand for Lego Baywatch? I will chalk this one up to Rule 34 and back away slowly.
I realized later that there is a way to at least guess which figure is inside the package. If Lego really wanted to be devious, they would pack the figures in bubble envelopes, but they have not done that. By carefully feeling through the plastic, it is possible to determine which of the 16 figures is inside. I decided to try it out, and was quite pleased when I correctly identified the 2 figures from Series 2 I wanted most. Here we have the Wicked Witch; with her skirt and pointy hat, she was pretty easy to pick out.
Finally, I was quite pleased to find the Lego vampire. I was able to identify the bat here.
"Children of the night...what a mess they make."
It took me a bit to figure out how to put his cape on, but he is definitely my favorite from the lot. Was my method of identification cheating? Possibly, but Borders was charging $3.99 each for the figures. If I am spending four bucks on a Lego person, it darn well better be the one I want.
Part 2 of this post is what I have been doing this evening. Jason found a Tenth Doctor action figure for me online, and so I have been posing Ten and Eleven to take some pictures. Here they are working on my laptop.
And again, trying to break into a safe.
I like this shot, particularly the way Ten is looking over his shoulder to make sure they are not about to be caught.
Part 1: My review of the Lego collectible minifigs. Lego sells them in series of 16, one figure per bag. These are all unique figures that are not available in any sets. They are sold as "mystery" items; there is no way to see which figure is in the bag until you open it. I decided to start collecting them, and picked up one from each series at Borders today.
This is the baseball player, from Series 3. I love all of the details here, particularly the little design on his baseball cap. I was hoping for the Lego elf, but this little guy is pretty cool too.
I wish the same could be said for my Series 2 figure.
With her long blond hair, red swimsuit, and pouty lips (which are too small to show up in the photo) I swear Lego was trying to create a Pamela Anderson minifigure. Is there really that great of a demand for Lego Baywatch? I will chalk this one up to Rule 34 and back away slowly.
I realized later that there is a way to at least guess which figure is inside the package. If Lego really wanted to be devious, they would pack the figures in bubble envelopes, but they have not done that. By carefully feeling through the plastic, it is possible to determine which of the 16 figures is inside. I decided to try it out, and was quite pleased when I correctly identified the 2 figures from Series 2 I wanted most. Here we have the Wicked Witch; with her skirt and pointy hat, she was pretty easy to pick out.
Finally, I was quite pleased to find the Lego vampire. I was able to identify the bat here.
"Children of the night...what a mess they make."
It took me a bit to figure out how to put his cape on, but he is definitely my favorite from the lot. Was my method of identification cheating? Possibly, but Borders was charging $3.99 each for the figures. If I am spending four bucks on a Lego person, it darn well better be the one I want.
Part 2 of this post is what I have been doing this evening. Jason found a Tenth Doctor action figure for me online, and so I have been posing Ten and Eleven to take some pictures. Here they are working on my laptop.
And again, trying to break into a safe.
I like this shot, particularly the way Ten is looking over his shoulder to make sure they are not about to be caught.
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