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EGL Feedback
Aug. 1st, 2020 09:42 amThis journal has long since been friends only.
This post serves as a link to my EGL Feedback Page. Thank you!
This post serves as a link to my EGL Feedback Page. Thank you!
Flavor of blogging
Sep. 10th, 2010 10:48 am I just did my regular test on flickr > dreamwidth blogging, and it still doesn't work.
Until it does, I'll just stick with LJ. Flickr posting is simply my preferred way to blog (when I even do that), so this service isn't quite what I need. Yet. I'll keep an eye on it for the time when it does!
Until it does, I'll just stick with LJ. Flickr posting is simply my preferred way to blog (when I even do that), so this service isn't quite what I need. Yet. I'll keep an eye on it for the time when it does!
Below are some quick additions & news you can use!
Feel free to forward this to the friends you think might be interested; cons are always more fun in groups. To unsubscribe from this e-newsletter, go to www.a-kon.com and you can unsubscribe from the homepage (near the upper right page margin) (PLEASE don’t report us as spam-it can shut down our server for everybody who DOES want it-just delete it or unsubscribe).
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PRE-REGISTRATION CUTOFF DATE…
Has been set as APRIL 30, 2010. After that date, you can only get memberships at the convention itself, at our On-Site Registration desk (only exception to this is May 1, at two Dallas-area comic stores on Free Comic Book Day – see below).
ALL requests for refund must be made by MAY 1, 2010. After this date, NO REFUND REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY REASON. (Requests made before May 1 may still be processed after May 1, but no NEW requests will be accepted. We must shut down the databases for badge processing and it takes several weeks.
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AT-DOOR PRICES
Have been set as follows:
Weekend: $60 (includes all concerts)
Friday 1-day $40 (includes concerts)
Saturday 1-day $40 (includes concert)
Sunday 1-day $25
Child (6-12): $15
Child (5 and under): Free
Commemorative T-Shirt: $20
And an on-site-only bundle special: $75 (includes weekend membership and t-shirt)
All 3-day weekend registrants receive program book, program schedule & printed lanyard. PRE-Registered members receive (in addition to the above), special pre-printed, permanent, limited edition art badge and goodie bag of info, freebies, comics & little gifts.
On-site 3-day registrants get a different permanent badge. Goodie bags may be given to on-site registrants if there are leftovers from the pre-registered group (while supplies last).
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FROM OUR REGISTRATION STAFF- GROUP PICKUP OPTION
Just a reminder to our attendees: don't forget the group pick-up option (the option to pick up group badges by a single person from the group, instead of individually). To take advantage of this option, use the handy form that has been placed in the Registration section of the forums on our website, www.a-kon.com. Follow the directions there and you should be set for your group badge pick-up. Beat the long lines and step up to the Exceptions Desk to grab your group and go. Don't be caught wishing you had already reserved your group pick-up. Once the deadline (April 30, 2010) has passed, it will be too late - do it today!
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COMIC STORES
The following
Keith’s Comics – Dallas,
More Fun Comics – Lancaster
Dragon’s Lair Comics – Austin,
Madness! Games –
GO THERE and get your memberships!
MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE ON FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
In conjunction with Free Comic Book Day (Saturday May 1), there will be manned tables atMadness! Games on
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POSTER HANGERS NEEDED
We are about to finish our poster this year and are looking for volunteers to hang them around their areas. We will send 10 posters to whoever wants them. Email chairman’at’a-kon.com, give us a name and address to send them to, and we will ship them to you. Be part of the A-Kon® Street Team!
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A partner with A-Kon® this year, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents the acclaimed concertVideo Games Live™ featuring music from the biggest and most recognizable video games of all time with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience. For more details on the concert go to www.dallassymphony.com
FOR DISCOUNT TICKETS PLEASE CONTACT JASON LOFT at 214-871-4054 or j.loft@dalsym.com and Mention A-Kon®. Also, look for them in the Exhibit Hall at A-Kon® and ask any questions you may have.
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DISCOUNT TICKETS TO AVENUE Q FROM THE AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
For the first time, A-Kon® is proud to partner with the AT&T Performing Arts Center to provide discounts on tickets. Avenue Q is Broadway's smash-hit 2004 Tony Award® winner for BEST MUSICAL, BEST SCORE and BEST BOOK. Called "one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see" byEntertainment Weekly, Avenue Q features a cast of people and puppets who tell the story in a smart, risqué and downright entertaining way. The New Yorker calls it "SUBVERSIVE and UPROARIOUS!" Avenue Q tells the story of bright-eyed college grad Princeton, who comes to
The show runs from May 25-June 6, 2010 and A-Kon® attendees may receive discount tickets on performances June 3-6 by entering the promo code AVEQAKON in the promo code box (located in the top right) and clicking the submit button before proceeding with your purchase on the AT & TPerforming Arts Center website, http://tickets.attpac.org/ The new performing arts venue, theWinspear Opera House, is located at
To get more information, come and check out the
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HOTEL CREDIT CARD/DEBIT CHARGE POLICY - CHANGED
Last year, one of the things that created difficulty for a number of our attendees was the dollar amount that was put “On Hold” by the hotel front desk when you checked into a room. Due to industry standard, an amount has always been placed on hold upon checking in. 2009 was the first year it was such a large amount ($50 per day). This amount is not actually charged, but merely ‘held’ until needed, and released after checkout, but it did tie up funds for that length of time, making the money unavailable for purchases. Because of the issues that came out of this practice, we met with the hotel and together we came up with a solution:
For our weekend at the Sheraton, the standard practice will be that there will be NO “On Hold” charges when checking into a room. This means that Room Service, phones and in-room movies will be turned off. If you want these services, you must inform the front desk staff. A hold will be put on the card you give them, but only IF you want the services. The choice will be yours to make, and not automatically applied.
Both A-Kon® and the Sheraton Hotel hope that this will remove some of the issues that were encountered last year.
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GUEST & EVENT CANCELLATIONS
Try as we might, sometimes things come up for our guests & event organizers that we cannot plan for. The following guests will be unable to make it to A-Kon® due to other commitments, work, etc. that have caused schedule conflicts:
CHRIS PATTON (voice actor)
STEVE KYTE (artist)
We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to host them back next year if schedules permit. Thank you for your understanding.
AND
Due to company purchase & restructure, the NBC MUSIC MANIA contest has been cancelled. The fine folks at NBC are extremely sorry for this cancellation and hope to work with us in the future after restructuring has been finished.
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EVENT ADDITIONS
h.NAOTO and Hangry&Angry
Representatives of fashion design lines h.NAOTO and HANGRY&ANGRY will also be in attendance at A-Kon®. They will be speaking during the weekend, and you can meet them in the Exhibit Hall. h.NAOTO is known worldwide for their high fashion Gothic/Lolita clothing as well as designs worn by celebrities and rock stars. HANGRY&ANGRY are masters of animal-shaped purses and shoulder bags; they’re a perfect mix of shredded punk and kawaii.
KOENCHU Japanese game unveiled for first time at A-Kon®!
This year A-Kon® is proud to announce that Japanese gaming circle Zero Zigen will be in attendance to discuss the world of game creation and dating sims. Ever wonder what the difference is between a professional gaming company and a ‘circle’? Wonder what goes into the creation of a game? Japanese creator Masashiro and his crew will unveil their new game Koenchofor the first time in
SLEEPING SAMURAI
Sleeping Samurai travels across the land with its supply of weapons, seeking out brave souls to test themselves in battle. They offer instruction, history and fight choreography in addition to the thrill of combat. Whether you prefer the forms of the Crusader or the Samurai, only one can win the grand prize.
They will be active Friday, 6-10pm in the Special Events Area near Registration (ground floor, convention center)
UDON ENTERTAINMENT
UDON is an award-winning Canadian-based art collective formed in 2000. They act as both a publisher of comics, manga and art books, as well as, providing high-quality creative services to the publishing and entertainment industry. Probably best known for their longstanding relationship with Japanese video game developer Capcom, and their close tie to the Street Fighter franchise, including full color original comic series and several translated manga series. They will be located in the Exhibit Hall and will likely have panel(s) on themselves and/or their projects.
MINI-KOMIX
A publisher of indie mini-comics, sketchbooks & graphic novels, they do most of their own printing and some distribution. They work directly with comic creators and cover every genre from manga, comedy, horror, action, sci-fi and more. They are always on the lookout for new talent and welcome future submissions. Look for them in the Artists’ Alley.
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Use the Handy Order Form below for A-Kon® 21 memberships.
----------------------
A-KON® 21 MEMBERSHIP ORDER FORM:
Make Checks or Money Orders to "
(How Many)
____ regular membership(s) for A-Kon® 21 ($48 for the whole show, until APR 30. No pre-registrations after that date, on-site membership is available after Apr. 30)
____ child membership(s)(ages 6-12) for A-Kon® ($15) (5 & under is FREE)
_____T-shirt(s) ($20 each) __S __M __L __XL __2X __3X __4X
(if getting multiple shirts, tell us WHO gets what size, please)If getting more than multiple memberships, but only 1 or 2 shirts, tell us WHO gets what shirt please)
_____Sunday 2 ½ hr Meet N’Greet Reception with the Stars ($30 ea.)
YOUR NAME:__________________________________________________________
(if ordering more than one membership, give us full names of ALL attendees. Use extra paper if necessary (or print separate forms) and please PRINT or TYPE CLEARLY). Multiple membership requests WITHOUT names for everyone cannot be processed. (We would actually prefer if each member had their own sheet filled out, OR the info all typed into one nice easily readable sheet)
NICKNAME FOR BADGE (max. 18 letters & spaces) ______________________________
Use Standard Letters or Numbers Only (no symbols or characters)
NO profanity, suggestive, hateful or rude badge names please. A-Kon reserves the right to require change of badge name at our sole discretion)
ADDRESS:_____________________________________________ APT: ________
CITY:_____________________________________STATE ______ZIP ________
EMAIL:______________________________________________AGE (by 6-4-10) ________
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: “
SEND TO:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Updates mailing list
Updates@a-kon.com
http://mailman.a-kon.com/mailman/listinfo/updates
This morning's domestic achievements
Mar. 17th, 2010 11:48 am
Things accomplished since I woke up 3 hours ago:
- St. Paddy's Meal assembled and put into the crockpot. A five pound chunk o' corned beef with a large sweet onion and a few cut up potatoes went into the slow cooker. This was topped with the pickling/seasoning packet, a liter of beef stock, and copious amounts of brown mustard and garlic. Later tonite I'll boil up some cabbage for the side, and I may bake extra potatoes since the Anime Nite crowd tends to be a hungry one. Rumor has it that someone else will bring the Guinness and Smithwicks.
- Yesterday's dishes were put up. Last night/today's dishes were hand washed; we don't have a dishwasher. Sink was then scrubbed, followed by cleaning all the kitchen counters.
- The dryer's load was brought in and folded or hung as appropriate. A second load went into the washer and is now in the dryer.
- Dog toys were picked up and piled together and all the removed stuffing was thrown away. Floors were swept in every room.
- The carpeted rooms were then vacuumed. It's making a funny noise - mental note to disassemble the dyson and clean it out.
- The dining room table was partially cleared. The coffee table in the living room is now clean as well.
- I remembered that hadn't found this week's episode of Durarara!! for tonite's Anime Nite. This involved me first jump starting the computer with a screwdriver as the power button is toast. The episode was duely located online and torrented surprisingly fast.
- I had breakfast. Nom.
- The computer case came in the mail! It's sitting in the hall currently, as we're still waiting for the harddrive to arrive.
- I recalled that I wanted to test out the DeVeDe program, and see how it compares to ConvertXtoDVD. That'll take a while, so...
- I made a pot of french press coffee. Then...
- I ironed two skirts that I've been procrastinating about. They look much better now. Then...
- I drank my coffee. Delicious.
- And finally.. burning the dvd. Let's see how this one worked!
A-Kon 21 March Update
Mar. 12th, 2010 10:38 amThis here b yr updatez.
A-Kon 21 -- http://a-kon.com/ -- Officially on June 4 - 6, 2010
We're going to Kon!
Our plan is to leave early Thursday morning and leave around lunch time on Sunday. Some people request Monday off work too because we'll make it back to Jackson around 10pm or so usually. I'm more hardcore than that though.
PEOPLE WHO ARE PRE-REGGED SO FAR
Team Jackson - Kristin, Jack, Ben, Billy, Heather, Mark, Jason.
Out of Towners (that are regged with us) - Kyle, Jay, Lisa, Keith, Chris, Marley, Vinnie, Colby, Melissa P
Maybe - Abby, Melissa W, Bob
Separate Group - Team USMAC. Jason, Zack, Danny, etc. They have their own travel plans.
HOTEL ROOMS
I have TWO rooms in my name currently for three nights. If I can not fill both though, I will cancel the second. 6 is a nice number of people per room. People can be moved around as requested, just putting names down to fill space.
Rooms will have 2 queens sized beds, which comfortably fit 2 adults. There's room on the floor for inflatable mattresses.
Price per room is roughly $185 per night, with tax included. Estimated total is $1,104 for the weekend. You can see why I'd like the rooms filled! If (IF!) we have 6 people per room, it'd be about $100 each for the weekend - not so bad at that point. Price will be divided per room, so it may not be worth it to keep the second room unless I get people in it. Money will be required by the week *before* we go to kon.
(another cost to consider would be parking fees at the hotel, but that comes later. Usually paid by splitting cost among riders per car, just like gas.)
ROOM ONE: Kristin, Jack, Ben, Billy, Heather, Kyle, Melissa W?
ROOM TWO: Mark, Jason. Bob? Jay?
TRAVEL PLANS
Generally, people caravan from whatever city they're departing from.
Team Jackson has 7 people now, could increase to 8 or 9 people though. At least two cars will be required and it's doable but crowded to have more than 4 people per vehicle.
Does anyone have a car that they'd be willing to drive? Otherwise we'll have to look into rental vehicles and the cost therein. Best to know sooner than later on rentals.
Car One - Mark is driving, with Jason riding. Room for 2 more.
Car Two - NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED!
COSPLAY PLANS
I haven't seen any plans on this. Only half mentioned so far was Ghostbusters. Could be done under $100 each I think but you're running out of time if you want to do anything with a group...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
REPLY if you have ideas on A-Kon Travel Arrangements, have your own room, etc and I'll mark it all down.
This can include room preferences, hotel changes, if you don't want to go, if you DO want to go (prereg info at the bottom), if you have a car or need a ride, etc.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IMPORTANT INFO:
A-Kon prereg goes up on April 1st. Currently $45, will go up to $48. May 1st is the cut off date for preregistration.
There's a t-shirt contest going on. Winner gets free badges and hotel accomodations. Deadline is April 1st.
Also, I need to know who's in our group so that I can make group pick-up arrangements. This is due by May 1st.
A-Kon 21 -- http://a-kon.com/ -- Officially on June 4 - 6, 2010
We're going to Kon!
Our plan is to leave early Thursday morning and leave around lunch time on Sunday. Some people request Monday off work too because we'll make it back to Jackson around 10pm or so usually. I'm more hardcore than that though.
PEOPLE WHO ARE PRE-REGGED SO FAR
Team Jackson - Kristin, Jack, Ben, Billy, Heather, Mark, Jason.
Out of Towners (that are regged with us) - Kyle, Jay, Lisa, Keith, Chris, Marley, Vinnie, Colby, Melissa P
Maybe - Abby, Melissa W, Bob
Separate Group - Team USMAC. Jason, Zack, Danny, etc. They have their own travel plans.
HOTEL ROOMS
I have TWO rooms in my name currently for three nights. If I can not fill both though, I will cancel the second. 6 is a nice number of people per room. People can be moved around as requested, just putting names down to fill space.
Rooms will have 2 queens sized beds, which comfortably fit 2 adults. There's room on the floor for inflatable mattresses.
Price per room is roughly $185 per night, with tax included. Estimated total is $1,104 for the weekend. You can see why I'd like the rooms filled! If (IF!) we have 6 people per room, it'd be about $100 each for the weekend - not so bad at that point. Price will be divided per room, so it may not be worth it to keep the second room unless I get people in it. Money will be required by the week *before* we go to kon.
(another cost to consider would be parking fees at the hotel, but that comes later. Usually paid by splitting cost among riders per car, just like gas.)
ROOM ONE: Kristin, Jack, Ben, Billy, Heather, Kyle, Melissa W?
ROOM TWO: Mark, Jason. Bob? Jay?
TRAVEL PLANS
Generally, people caravan from whatever city they're departing from.
Team Jackson has 7 people now, could increase to 8 or 9 people though. At least two cars will be required and it's doable but crowded to have more than 4 people per vehicle.
Does anyone have a car that they'd be willing to drive? Otherwise we'll have to look into rental vehicles and the cost therein. Best to know sooner than later on rentals.
Car One - Mark is driving, with Jason riding. Room for 2 more.
Car Two - NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED!
COSPLAY PLANS
I haven't seen any plans on this. Only half mentioned so far was Ghostbusters. Could be done under $100 each I think but you're running out of time if you want to do anything with a group...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
REPLY if you have ideas on A-Kon Travel Arrangements, have your own room, etc and I'll mark it all down.
This can include room preferences, hotel changes, if you don't want to go, if you DO want to go (prereg info at the bottom), if you have a car or need a ride, etc.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IMPORTANT INFO:
A-Kon prereg goes up on April 1st. Currently $45, will go up to $48. May 1st is the cut off date for preregistration.
There's a t-shirt contest going on. Winner gets free badges and hotel accomodations. Deadline is April 1st.
Also, I need to know who's in our group so that I can make group pick-up arrangements. This is due by May 1st.
My poor night of sleep (filled with all the terrors of a poorly-operating installation of Photoshop, sigh) is slipping into my work.
One of the interns was nice enough to get me coffee from Cups, the local coffee shop a few buildings down. A large soy latte, for those of you keeping score at home.
Later, I heard "Here's your big one," before I turned around to see what he was talking about.
Hee. Big one. LOL.
I need sleep.
(PS: Eammon made this one. I can tell because it has his tell-tale signature latte art, the leaf. He makes the best lattes.)
I know, I know. I've been a bad journaler these last couple of years or so.
First, there was the end of my college career. I was busy trying to graduate while still working enough to pay my rent. Time was tight, but at least I was still doing some interesting things that I felt were worth sharing with friends and internet strangers. The closer I got to senior project though, the slower my updates got.
Around that time, twitter popped up and I started to slowly incorporate it into my posting routine. It's perfect for all the tiny thoughts I had that really didn't deserve any elaboration or followup. It was also great to text questions and such to friends w/o text plans.
Senior project consumed my free time that was left, and it became just twitter posts. Often little cries for help/sanity/companionship. Journal entries started to only be occasional updates on school projects and the like.
THEN!
I graduated. I moved back to Jackson. I started to live with my husband again (finally!) and got into a comfortable rhythm of domestic bliss. There was less intarwubbery going on and more face to face activities. Besides, I could only post so often about how nicely vacuumed the living room had become, right?
And now, I'm working more or less full time and still having an active social life. I'm doing THINGS, but most of it feels like a comfortable rut that doesn't need to be repeated online. This is not an excuse, but a fact. I know that if it'd bore me to read about it again, it'd certainly get skipped by all of you.
Or does it?
Here comes my weekend recap for the first weekend of March.
Friday evening had most of us rushing from work to reach the MS Museum of Art in time for the 6:30 pm interactive showing of the Labyrinth. We didn't know really what all this would feature, or what sort of crowd it would pull, or even if we'd enjoy it. But we knew we liked the movie, and we knew we'd have fun if we all went together. And I'm very glad we did! As it turns out, the showing room was completely packed with some folks standing around since the chairs were filled. There were some children, but it was mostly thirty-somethings squealing and singing along with childish delight as David Bowie entranced us with his songs and very inappropriate pants.
I was greeted by a somewhat put-off goblin as I walked in the door with my cell phone stuck to the side of my head. Whoops. I liked the in-characterness, but I was still trying to rally the troops! Ah well. Once inside, participants were given a bag of goodies to interact with and the instruction booklet, a glow necklace, choice of foam bits to use as rocks, and poppers to use at the end of the movie. Inside the bag were items like a mask, headband horns (goblin horns!), a baby rattle, a candy bracelet, a gummy fruit, and foam darts to shoot with. If you wanted fancier costume bits you could purchase them from the gift shop for reasonable prices, and if you wanted adult beverages then that could be purchased at the cafe.
We ended up having a nice group together. Heather was first, followed soon by Ryar & Courtney, then Shawn and Andy. Later we saw the addition of Melissa, then finally Team Saks - Jack, Billy, and Abby. Sitting near us were the Magnolia Roller Vixens too, so that was fun :)
There were people dressed as all the main characters of the movie, and a baby doll that was amusing tossed about during appropriate scenes. Goblins interacted with the crowd all throughout the movie. I personally liked getting to shoot darts at the glowing faeries that dangled over us, and later the dangling baby. We sang along loudly and even recited favorite lines throughout. I realized after the showing that the booklet included the lyrics. Funny, but I never saw anyone reach for that during the movie. :)
After the movie ended (with much applause!) our groups split up. Some stayed to see the Henson exhibit for free, while the rest of us went to grab a bite to eat and catch the new Alice in Wonderland movie.
About dinner, all I have to say is this: Karaoke is horrifying, and we would have gone somewhere else to eat if we had known Alumni House would distress us with drunken country howling.
About the movie... I am more conflicted and I don't know how to summarize it. I think this will be done in a bullet style listing.
• I'm very glad that the movie was an original story, and not just a spooky rehash of the original.
• Burton did not, in fact, take something that was not black and have it painted black. I was surprised.
• The actress who had the part of Alice did a nice job, but I wish her role wasn't over-shined by all the supporting cast of 'Underland'
• I love Johnny Depp, but I still feel that (1) his makeup was ridiculous and (2) the character didn't need a role as important as it became. That said, I liked the Scottish twist on his character and wish that had been more prominent than the Jack Sparrow-esque bits that shone through.
• While the CGI was relatively balanced between foreground and background, I sort of felt that it was pretty unnecessary. Harken back to Henson-esque devices and it would have made me happier.
• The White Queen? Amazing.
• The Red Queen? Not as amazing as she could have been, though well done all the same.
• Crispin Glover played his normal Creepy Crispin Glover part. Great as always.
• The Jabberwocky/Bandersnatch/JubJub Bird parts were fun, BUT
• The plot wandered a bit. Again, I think the problem is trying to make other characters as important as Alice.
All in all, I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad I didn't watch it in 3-D since my eyes can't focus properly for it, but I hear it was a wash for effects anyway. Jack and I are both Wonderland aficionados (I love Oz a bit more, but they both hold places in my little fantasy-glomed heart) and we both enjoyed the movie a great deal despite it's flaws. I'd give it 3 out of 4 stars, and it will certainly earn a place on our DVD shelves when it comes out for purchase.
TL;DR version of this post:
* Yes, I don't post much. So what.
* Interactive Labyrinth was amazing. Bowie's inappropriate pants didn't bother me as a child. Humm.
* Alice in Wonderland (2-D) is worth a matinee viewing at the very least. I liked it.
BONUS!Content:
~ SciFi's Tin Man miniseries was excellent and I highly recommend it.
~ Mom's week-long visit is over, and I am sad to see her go.
First, there was the end of my college career. I was busy trying to graduate while still working enough to pay my rent. Time was tight, but at least I was still doing some interesting things that I felt were worth sharing with friends and internet strangers. The closer I got to senior project though, the slower my updates got.
Around that time, twitter popped up and I started to slowly incorporate it into my posting routine. It's perfect for all the tiny thoughts I had that really didn't deserve any elaboration or followup. It was also great to text questions and such to friends w/o text plans.
Senior project consumed my free time that was left, and it became just twitter posts. Often little cries for help/sanity/companionship. Journal entries started to only be occasional updates on school projects and the like.
THEN!
I graduated. I moved back to Jackson. I started to live with my husband again (finally!) and got into a comfortable rhythm of domestic bliss. There was less intarwubbery going on and more face to face activities. Besides, I could only post so often about how nicely vacuumed the living room had become, right?
And now, I'm working more or less full time and still having an active social life. I'm doing THINGS, but most of it feels like a comfortable rut that doesn't need to be repeated online. This is not an excuse, but a fact. I know that if it'd bore me to read about it again, it'd certainly get skipped by all of you.
Or does it?Here comes my weekend recap for the first weekend of March.
Friday evening had most of us rushing from work to reach the MS Museum of Art in time for the 6:30 pm interactive showing of the Labyrinth. We didn't know really what all this would feature, or what sort of crowd it would pull, or even if we'd enjoy it. But we knew we liked the movie, and we knew we'd have fun if we all went together. And I'm very glad we did! As it turns out, the showing room was completely packed with some folks standing around since the chairs were filled. There were some children, but it was mostly thirty-somethings squealing and singing along with childish delight as David Bowie entranced us with his songs and very inappropriate pants.
I was greeted by a somewhat put-off goblin as I walked in the door with my cell phone stuck to the side of my head. Whoops. I liked the in-characterness, but I was still trying to rally the troops! Ah well. Once inside, participants were given a bag of goodies to interact with and the instruction booklet, a glow necklace, choice of foam bits to use as rocks, and poppers to use at the end of the movie. Inside the bag were items like a mask, headband horns (goblin horns!), a baby rattle, a candy bracelet, a gummy fruit, and foam darts to shoot with. If you wanted fancier costume bits you could purchase them from the gift shop for reasonable prices, and if you wanted adult beverages then that could be purchased at the cafe.
We ended up having a nice group together. Heather was first, followed soon by Ryar & Courtney, then Shawn and Andy. Later we saw the addition of Melissa, then finally Team Saks - Jack, Billy, and Abby. Sitting near us were the Magnolia Roller Vixens too, so that was fun :)
There were people dressed as all the main characters of the movie, and a baby doll that was amusing tossed about during appropriate scenes. Goblins interacted with the crowd all throughout the movie. I personally liked getting to shoot darts at the glowing faeries that dangled over us, and later the dangling baby. We sang along loudly and even recited favorite lines throughout. I realized after the showing that the booklet included the lyrics. Funny, but I never saw anyone reach for that during the movie. :)
After the movie ended (with much applause!) our groups split up. Some stayed to see the Henson exhibit for free, while the rest of us went to grab a bite to eat and catch the new Alice in Wonderland movie.
About dinner, all I have to say is this: Karaoke is horrifying, and we would have gone somewhere else to eat if we had known Alumni House would distress us with drunken country howling.
About the movie... I am more conflicted and I don't know how to summarize it. I think this will be done in a bullet style listing.
• I'm very glad that the movie was an original story, and not just a spooky rehash of the original.
• Burton did not, in fact, take something that was not black and have it painted black. I was surprised.
• The actress who had the part of Alice did a nice job, but I wish her role wasn't over-shined by all the supporting cast of 'Underland'
• I love Johnny Depp, but I still feel that (1) his makeup was ridiculous and (2) the character didn't need a role as important as it became. That said, I liked the Scottish twist on his character and wish that had been more prominent than the Jack Sparrow-esque bits that shone through.
• While the CGI was relatively balanced between foreground and background, I sort of felt that it was pretty unnecessary. Harken back to Henson-esque devices and it would have made me happier.
• The White Queen? Amazing.
• The Red Queen? Not as amazing as she could have been, though well done all the same.
• Crispin Glover played his normal Creepy Crispin Glover part. Great as always.
• The Jabberwocky/Bandersnatch/JubJub Bird parts were fun, BUT
• The plot wandered a bit. Again, I think the problem is trying to make other characters as important as Alice.
All in all, I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad I didn't watch it in 3-D since my eyes can't focus properly for it, but I hear it was a wash for effects anyway. Jack and I are both Wonderland aficionados (I love Oz a bit more, but they both hold places in my little fantasy-glomed heart) and we both enjoyed the movie a great deal despite it's flaws. I'd give it 3 out of 4 stars, and it will certainly earn a place on our DVD shelves when it comes out for purchase.
TL;DR version of this post:
* Yes, I don't post much. So what.
* Interactive Labyrinth was amazing. Bowie's inappropriate pants didn't bother me as a child. Humm.
* Alice in Wonderland (2-D) is worth a matinee viewing at the very least. I liked it.
BONUS!Content:
~ SciFi's Tin Man miniseries was excellent and I highly recommend it.
~ Mom's week-long visit is over, and I am sad to see her go.
Evangelion 1.0 Trailer
Jul. 3rd, 2009 02:17 pmI hope we get a fantom limited theater release so we can watch it before the DVD comes out. They really upped the quality of the artwork so I'd love to see it on a big screen somewhere.
¡A-Kon 2010!
Jun. 29th, 2009 02:30 pm♪ ♫ A-Kon 21 prereg is already open and waiting. ♫ ♪
♪ ♫ REPLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED! ♫ ♪ I'm cutting of group registration one month from today - that is MONDAY, JULY 27, 2009. This is the cheapest price available for the con.
► Cash is best for you locals, but I'll also take a check mailed to my house, or paypal.
► I'm going to do a group pre-reg like I do every year. Current Pre-Reg rate is $30.00.
► If we get 10 or more people registered, badges will be just $27 each (this is the same price as last year).
♪ ♫ REPLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED! ♫ ♪ I'm cutting of group registration one month from today - that is MONDAY, JULY 27, 2009. This is the cheapest price available for the con.
IF YOU DO NOT PAY FOR A BADGE, YOU WILL NOT GET A BADGE VIA THIS GROUP ORDER.
There's been confusion in the past, but I can't afford to cover people. Sorry :(
► Cash is best for you locals, but I'll also take a check mailed to my house, or paypal.
I've moved, so message me for my new address.
►You can paypal it directly to me. I ask you add $2 per transfer to cover paypal fees. I think if you paypal via bank transfer, the fees are less? Let me know if you know about that. Message me for my email address.
► I'll take charge with group pick-up as well on site, and you know how awesome avoiding those long lines can be!
Information needed per badge (all info required): INCLUDE THIS WITH YOUR PAYMENT!!
Last Name
First Name
Badge Name (Please limit to 18 characters and use US-standard numbers or letters only, no symbols, stressmarks, accent marks, umlauts, or other non-standard characters. Keep it clean.)
Address
City
State
Zip Code
Phone
Email
Age
Information needed per badge (all info required): INCLUDE THIS WITH YOUR PAYMENT!!
Last Name
First Name
Badge Name (Please limit to 18 characters and use US-standard numbers or letters only, no symbols, stressmarks, accent marks, umlauts, or other non-standard characters. Keep it clean.)
Address
City
State
Zip Code
Phone
Age
If I missed someone, or if you know people that are also interested, pass this along.
(no subject)
Jun. 4th, 2009 04:17 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989
I went to last night's tweetup (read: Twitter Meetup for Jackson, MS locals) at Buffalo Wild Wings. It's geeky, but it's the first time I've gone to a social site meetup of any sort. Meeting people in the local Target or converging upon a group of familiar faces at Dragon*Con can easily be argued as not counting in the slightest.
Ellie took pictures and such, like this video where we all introduce ourselves:
And here is the list of known attendees:
@erisofdiscordia, @wyldkyss, @jhavard, @countyconnect
@heroesanddreams, @bigjim, @thile, @cuevman81
@jarek91, @phocus, @berial, @berly, @badger4life
@courtneyleigh25, @princess_mo, @gjmall, @dfmall, @kurliedoc
I had more fun than I thought I might, and three hours went by before I noticed the time.
Let's do it again - but I vote for a less noisy venue than a sports bar. Clinton Cups or one of the downtown coffeeshops sound great to me, hint hint.
Ellie took pictures and such, like this video where we all introduce ourselves:
And here is the list of known attendees:
@erisofdiscordia, @wyldkyss, @jhavard, @countyconnect
@heroesanddreams, @bigjim, @thile, @cuevman81
@jarek91, @phocus, @berial, @berly, @badger4life
@courtneyleigh25, @princess_mo, @gjmall, @dfmall, @kurliedoc
I had more fun than I thought I might, and three hours went by before I noticed the time.
Let's do it again - but I vote for a less noisy venue than a sports bar. Clinton Cups or one of the downtown coffeeshops sound great to me, hint hint.
I am bored.
I could be doing a proper account of how things are going in the state of Kristin, but instead I'm doing mindless memes and catching up on my massive rss feed overload.
I could be doing a proper account of how things are going in the state of Kristin, but instead I'm doing mindless memes and catching up on my massive rss feed overload.
Your result for The Social Persona Test (What kind of man/woman are you?) ...
The Renaissance Faire Wench (QLAF)
Quirky Liberal Alpha Female
( more meme )Because this amuses me so, I'll slap an embed in here to share.
From AN:
Comix Wave Films has launched a webpage and trailer for the Japanese TV broadcast of “Watashi no Coffee Samurai ~Jihanki Teki na Kareshi~” (My Coffee Samurai ~My Boyfriend is a Vending Machine~). The Korean animated short romance/action/fantasy by artist Chang Hyung Yun will air on the Animax network on the 31st, evidently in Korean with Japanese subtitles.
From AN:
Comix Wave Films has launched a webpage and trailer for the Japanese TV broadcast of “Watashi no Coffee Samurai ~Jihanki Teki na Kareshi~” (My Coffee Samurai ~My Boyfriend is a Vending Machine~). The Korean animated short romance/action/fantasy by artist Chang Hyung Yun will air on the Animax network on the 31st, evidently in Korean with Japanese subtitles.
Loudtwitter assistance?
May. 6th, 2009 09:36 amI am trying to ship my tweets DW here instead of LJ, but I can't get it going properly. I'm using the RSS/ATOM: http://wyldkyss.dreamwidth.org/data/rss http://wyldkyss.dreamwidth.org/data/ato m But when I test it via loudtwitter I get: Error on POST http://wyldkyss.dreamwidth.org/data/atom: 200 OK Does anyone else have any experience with LT on DW?
Dreamwidth and you
May. 1st, 2009 09:49 amI am testing the Dreamwidth site, and the LJ Crossposting feature.
If it works nicely and plays well with others (a very important aspect) I may settle over here more permanently.
Playing with this is really just my way to avoid digging the sewer pipe in the oncoming rain.
I'll get back to that now
http://wyldkyss.dreamwidth.org/.
If it works nicely and plays well with others (a very important aspect) I may settle over here more permanently.
Playing with this is really just my way to avoid digging the sewer pipe in the oncoming rain.
I'll get back to that now
http://wyldkyss.dreamwidth.org/.
