Friday, December 24, 2004

Yuletide Lads a.k.a. "Creepy Santas"

My friend L. forwarded me an email from the Icelandic Tourist Board and in it was this little gem of a media quote:

ABC - Good Morning America
December 19, 2004
“… In Iceland, there are 13 Santas. Instead of bringing gifts, they take turns sneaking into town and creeping out the locals. The 13 Santas live in the mountains with their troll-like mother and her giant cat, which eats all the children who don't receive new clothes for Christmas. They party for 13 nights, and then things really get interesting. "That's when people come out of their graves," said Iceland native Hoffy Steingrimdottir. "Seals take on human form. And cows develop human speech." The moral of the story? It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe. The other moral of the story? They've got some good hooch in Iceland.

***
Those "creepy Santas," by the way, are actually called Yuletide Lads and have fascinating names (translated) like Gully Imp and Pot Licker. To learn about Iceland, go here: http://www.goiceland.org/

A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it and best wishes for a happy & healthy new year to everyone!

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Random song lyrics meme

I so love this meme that I've done it two times now.

First one is here.
Second one? Right below. Put your guesses in the comments. Same with the above two.

Step 1: Get your playlist together, put it on random, and play
Step 2: Pick your favorite lines from the first 25 songs that play
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song the lines come from
Step 4: Cross out the songs when someone guesses correctly

1. "The devil came and I swear he made me do it."

2. "I can say that I don't know what I'm doin' but I can't say I have the time, yeah."

3. "Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky"

4. "She's the one they're going to miss, In lots of ways"
"Our House" by Madness (guessed by James)

5. "And we still haven’t walked in the glow of each other’s majestic presence"
"Ana Ng" by They Might Be Giants (guessed by James)

6. "All that I have is nothing when it compares to you"

7. "Woo, woo, to relieve my bellyache, I say"
"Coconut" by Harry Nilsson (guessed by James)

8. "Here she comes like a brand new day"

9. "this guilt trip that you put me on won't mess me up, I've done no wrong"

10. .."All their voices can be heard, Long past their woodland days"

11. "He's jammin' down the pedal like he's never comin' back"

12. "Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday"

13. "Playing dead and sweet submission, Cracks the whip deadpan on cue"

14. "I love the way you laugh when I try to be funny."

15. "It's not such a beautiful day, but I'll stumble through all the same"

16. "But my heart got heavy and my hair grew long"

17. "If you wear this sweater, all the kids will love you better."

18. "A cavern gasps, a dragon screams"

19. "I wish we could dress in only happy cloaks"

20. "Colored lights can hypnotize, Sparkle someone else's eyes"

21. "I pray my wish will come true, For my child and your child too"

22. "Like the leaf clings to the tree, Oh, my darling, cling to me"

23. "Rhinestone fools and silver dollars, Curdle into bitter tears"

24. "Here she comes like a brand new day, Belly dancing across the room"

25. "On a long lost ocean wave of light, Submerged and unafraid"

Saturday, December 11, 2004

“Humpty Dumpty saw it too,” the White Queen went on in a low voice, more as if she were talking to herself. “He came to the door with a corkscrew in his hand --”

“What did he want?” said the Red Queen.

“He said he would come in,” the White Queen went on, “because he was looking for a hippopotamus. Now, as it happened, there was’t such a thing in the house that morning.”

“Is there generally?” Alice asked in an astonished tone.

“Well, only on Thursdays,” said the Queen.

-- Through the Looking Glass

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Fun with Food and Color

The most popular color in the world is .. blue. That's very cool. My favorite color happens to be green (notice the color of my blog? *g*), but I definitely like blue a lot as well. In fact, I like most colors except for some varities of yellow for whatever reason, but that mostly applies to clothing. ;-)

The other fun color facts are great, too. I'll have to remember to get a silver car.

Anyway, I received the following as a forwarded email. I thought it was funny. Hope you do, too.

Holiday Eating Tips!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? 
It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's  a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's
later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes.  Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother?   It's like buying a sports carwith an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is  to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between  now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need  after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted  Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near  them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of  attention.  They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind,  you're  never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each.  Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:  "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid  in  sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
Festive

This week's mood on Moody Monday is Festive. There are a few pics I could use for this one, but I decided on one that I'd used for a Baker's Dozen awhile back because I really like how it came out. Anyway, I posted it over here instead of using an old link. The funny thing is, it posted twice, which is supposedly impossible with the account type I have on fotolog.
Reflections

For my contribution to this week's Photo Friday challenge, Reflections, I thought I'd use one of the photos I already have online and debated between two very similar entries. Although I really like the color in this one better, I opted to go with the photo I'd posted in my fotolog instead. The reflections in the little pond are easier to spot in that photo.

On a side note, although I have the free account on fotolog which only allows one photo per day to be uploaded on my account, I still somehow managed to load two of the exact same pictures today. I've got ten minutes after the initial upload to delete or edit the pics, and I didn't notice the error until much later because I was at work at the time. I just find it very interesting that I was able to upload twice without receiving any sort of error message.


Saturday, December 04, 2004

Madness Meme

http://mmadness.blogspot.com/

1. How did you choose a name for your blog? I took it from my favorite poem, "Jabberwocky."
My first post, explaining my name choice, is here.
2. How many times have you changed the name of your blog? Never
3. How many blogs to you update regularly? Three: this blog, my photo blog and my Live Journal.
4. How many times have you moved in your life? Never
5. On a scale of 1-10, how stressful is moving (in your opinion)? I've only helped other people on their moving days, but the stress rate leading up to the actual move day seems to be pretty high.
6. When moving, do you/would you rent a moving van/truck? Yes, I would rent a moving van/truck.
7. Do you wear glasses? If so, how old were you when you needed them? Yes, and I was in the third grade when I got my first pair. So I guess I was around nine years old at the time.
8. What one question would you hope someone running a meme, would ask? That is a great question, but I don't have an answer at the moment. That's what I get for doing this meme while watching The Perfect Storm. I'm very distracted. :P I'll have to tackle this last question at a later date.
Ninjai

I'm deleting old emails, and I came across the links for Ninjai: The Little Ninja. The home page gives you information on how Ninjai was developed. If you want to skip the main page and go straight to the chapters in the story, click here. Also, check out the game page. It's been awhile since I've visited this site. In fact, I don't think all the chapters were up the last time I'd stopped by, so I think that's as good an excuse as any to rewatch them all. Don't you?

**

Have you seen the snowflake website?

Friday, December 03, 2004

Baker's Dozen, Take Two

Well, I couldn't resist. The other night, I did a second Baker's Dozen entry. This time I stuck it on my photoblog. The original one is in the previous post. I also stuck a so called "posed" photo from the breakfast here. Most of the photos I took last weekend were fuzzy or too far away. If I'd used my digital camera, the photos would still look decent when I resized and cropped them. As it stands now, with my film camera, the photos, when zoomed in & cropped under Photoshop, look okay. Oh well. The weekend was fun regardless.

Also for fun, check out this really cool optical illusion.

Lastly, I'm wondering if I should put up a site (or have my sister do it) to replace the missing Boston Scapers one? No one uses it, but it was a way for new members to find the yahoo list. *sigh* And I thought that I could become less active in the group and pay attention to the things I'd neglected this past year (oh, like "Shades of Grey", classes, work, non-Scaper friends, writing projects & submissions, film & video projects, my finances, my health, just to name a few things) to help with Scaper-related things & to keep up with Escapade (also a missing site now). It'd be a shame if it all fell by the wayside now. *hm*

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Winona Forever!


Ben Browder at the Creation Entertainment Thanksgiving Convention, NJ, 28 Nov. 2004

Baker's Dozen:

1. Scooby Doo and Hong Kong Phooey distracted us, but we didn't get lost! (yet)
2. Poor Jo desperately trying to finish the con books in time for the breakfast .. Then bringing them to breakfast and having to say, "These are for you, but you can't have them yet." (btw, the books came out great!)
3. Meeting Twich, shaking her hand and then being told that she'd just shook Ben's hand. Per Twich, it's "six degrees of Ben"! *snicker*
4. Pool in the bar Saturday night. Meeting up with other Scapers there. Having Anth recognize me from my silly little photo and message. :D
5. Hey, it's Tucker Smallwood on the elevator. "I'm so tired .. need sleep." He nods in agreement.
6. Talking to Gerry, Steve and the lovely woman who was with them.
7. Riding the elevator with Gigi and friend then trying not to invade their space while waiting to check out of the hotel. Getting a big smile from Anth at breakfast, at the photo op & in the autograph line. Being mesmerized by Ben's blue eyes at breakfast.
8. Sunday night dinner in the bar & Monday morning breakfast in the restaurant .. little white roses, pictures, laughter, food, fun!
9. Signal Room (acoustic performance) Sunday afternoon & listening the CD on replay during most of the drive home
10. Ben recites a few lines from Jabberwocky! :D Can I get a HELL YEAH?!
11.Jo & I decide to stay an extra night. Trish decides to do the same. Best decision ever!
12. "Wow, we're in Rhode Island already?"
"Did we miss the exit?"
"Are we going the wrong way?
"I can't believe we're stuck on the Braintree rotary." (as we circle for the fifth time) *g*
"Hm, south .. or north?"
"I don't know how to get home from here."
"All roads lead to Norwoodopia."
"We can't blame Scooby Doo this time."
much giggling ...

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

26 Things: Christmas Hunt 2004 is up! I must remember to do this. :)

I got my pics back from the Meadowlands con. Most didn't come out except the ones of other Scapers. Oh well. C'est la vie. I'll crop what I can and will post the best of the bunch later. ;-)
After Thought

Well, not really an after thought. I was saving a portion of this next part for my con report, but it was cool (for me) & currently on my mind, so I'll mention it now. Ben sat next to me at the charity breakfast. :) No, I didn't pass out or anything, nor did I totally cease to function. (yay!) Though really I didn't ask what I wanted nor say what I wanted. I was listening to the other T. talk to him mostly. Same at the photo op. "Hi, how are you?" is about all I could manage, not because my brain went fan jirl, but what I'd wanted to say had disappeared when the photographer asked if I'd wanted to remove my glasses. I had kept them on for an earlier photo op, so I decided to take them off this time. Big mistake. I couldn't see anything; the world was a blur - not that I didn't know it would be, but I hadn't expected Ben's face, literally inches from mine, would be a blur as well. "Am I that blind?" I thought, and then turned to look at the camera (which was really, really blurry) and the pic was taken. Who knows what kinda face I'd made at that point? I certainly wasn't thinking happy thoughts. :( Hm, guess the photo op wasn't so cool, but Ben definitely was. He even offered to wear them, but then we both would've been blind. :P

Anth mentioned a pool game (I was an observer - never played before, but T. was explaining the rules as I watched) from Saturday night, which was cool, too, when he sat at our table Sunday morning. That was kinda nice as I found out he likes pool, and that's something I hadn't known before. It also made it feel more like a "normal" conversation, which is what it should be. I was disappointed though that I couldn't hear most of what he'd said because T. was arguing next to me with a person behind me. :( Then during Anth's talk, which started late, I had to leave to for my photo op with Ben. Sure, I could've skipped it, especially since it's probably not going to come out anyway & since my brain shut down when I realized I couldn't actually see his face right next to me, but hindsight is 20/20 as the saying goes. Plus, I'd only seen Ben at the NY 2001 con before, and I really wanted to talk to him and let him know how nice I thought it was that he'd come out this way again. Not that I managed to accomplish that goal. :( But again, Anth was very friendly and cool.

Gigi was her sweet self as well and told us about her NYC excursion when she first arrived. She seemed very excited to have had the chance to visit NYC again, and that honestly, made me smile. The guests at these cons should have the opportunity to explore their surroundings and have fun on their off hours. No one can be "on" all the time. People need a break sometimes, and hey! when I'm in a new city, I want to explore it. Why should they not want to do the same thing?

One last random blathering before I head off to bed. There's a strange but rather cool bond among Farscape fans. We have varied backgrounds, opinions, etc., but we're tied together by our love of this show and our admiration for the people who put it all together. We're also tied together by a common "community" thread which is very hard for me to describe to people who aren't involved with other Scapers either online or off. I'm not really familiar with other fan experiences in science fiction. I don't know what it's like at most non-Farscape cons. I don't know whether non-Farscape cast or crew enjoy talking to *their* fans or if they find the whole thing bothersome. All I know is what I've experienced for myself in my little Farscape circle. Every moment of the guests' time given to us was given with a bit of love. I know people who aren't in the "fandom" have a hard time understanding that, but it's evident, to the rest of us, in all they do and in the extra effort to interact with the fans and to get to know us. It's appreciated by most of us us, though we may be too surprised to express it at the time. Yes, I said "surprised" .. Although it can't be said of all Scapers, many of us are a bit .. shy. It takes awhile to open up or warm up to a person we don't know well, and despite our seemingly vast knowledge of what a particular guest has said in a magazine or a talk or a chat, etc., we don't actually know that guest, only what they allow us to see. So, the casual nod of the head, the smile, the polite "how are you?" are all comforts to a shy person though some of us (and apparently, I'm in this category) have an inability to reply when the occasion arises.

Sure, others might argue that TPTB know that to respect the audience means the audience will keep coming back, but that only goes so far. There's a certain level of "intimacy" here, a certain level of trust on both ends, cast and fan. I honestly don't think they were truly aware of how much the show and how much their time and how much their work meant to all of us until they actually got the word that PKW was a go. I believe that now they understand that we weren't just paying lip service, and they're trying to give even more back to us (which is not necessary but welcomed by virtually everyone as the gift that it is). I'm happy that many more viewers have been introduced to the wonderful world that is Farscape, but I'm still hoping that the recognition (not for fan efforts but for Farscape's team efforts) that they deserve is coming. Good people, talented people, hardworking people should all be rewarded for their contributions on projects and in the world in general. I have yet to see the viewing public honor Farscape (and the people who tirelessly made the series come alive) the way I think it should be honored. Maybe that's just over the horizon. For now, the rest of us will love and cherish it for the unique, original production it was (and still is).

And well that's enough babbling on my part since it's now 1 in the morning, and I must be up in 5 hours to get myself together for work.

p.s. I already miss some of the people I'd hung out with this weekend. Wish the con had been longer so I could've talked to as many Scapers as much as I would've liked.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Back from the Meadowlands

Jo and I have just returned from Creation's Thanksgiving Convention! We arrived in Norwoodopia at 5:15pm. We'd left NJ around 11:30am. Yes, we did get lost. ;-) This time we can't blame it on Scooby Doo or Hong Kong Phooey. :P I'll have to post a full report later, once my pictures are developed. On the ride home, we listened to Signal Room's new CD (several times *bg*), The Day You Ran Away. It's fantastic!!!! It so rocks. :D I also had the pleasure of meeting and talking to two of the band members, Steve and Gerry, whom I hadn't met before (note: I have met band members Anth and Wayne before - awesome guys!) and the lovely woman who was with them. They were fun to talk to and so nice. All three of them worked on set for Farscape. I really wanted to ask them questions about their jobs in the tv/film industry, too. I love behind the scenes and day to day job info., but they were there as the band so I restrained myself though I suppose they wouldn't have minded telling me what their work was like. Ooh! and they did an accoustical set (sans drummer Wayne Pygram - that's why it was accoustical) and sounded very cool. Buy their CD! :D

We also listened to Haunted by Poe. I've never heard Poe before, and I loved it; I need that CD. *bg* Oh, and on the last stretch we stuck in Saturday Morning Cartoon's Greatest Hits again, but that was *after* we'd gotten lost. ;-)

Lastly, Ben Browder is an Alice fan! (or I suspect that he is) Woohoo! :D How cool is that? :) I meant to mention that I loved the lines he'd recited from "Jabberwocky" (my favorite poem if you couldn't tell by the name of this blog or the posts I've made on the subject! *vbg*) when I'd gone up in the autograph line, but I'd forgotten to by the time I got up there. :( In fact, I don't recall saying much at all. :( I also wanted to talk a bit to Anthony Simcoe re: D'Argo and the ending of PKW and actually had an opportunity to do so when he brought up my con book message/photo in line, but I forgot, of course. :( What is it about conventions that cause me to have a temporary case of memory loss? *sigh*

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Giving Thanks

What am I thankful for this year?

- my family
- my friends
- the relative good health of those I care about
- that I got to say goodbye to my Grandmother
- the roof over my head
- Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars
- meeting & making new friends
- that my cat & my niece are getting along so far

That's it off the top of my head. Sure, there are more things, especially little things I'm thankful for, but these are the things that are foremost in my mind at the moment.

Tomorrow is Turkey Day, and I'll be celebrating at my sister's, having Ham and Lasagna. :D Oh! and mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies ... *bg*

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday is a fun little meme. :)

Ten Great Video Games: (in no particular order)

1. Oddworld
2. The Sims
3. Pirate's Gold
4. Tekken (1-3)
5. Mad Caps
6. Baldur's Gate
7. Shanghai
8. Sled Storm
9. The Legend of Zelda
10. Tetris

Friday, November 12, 2004

The World Today

Like everyone else, I often wonder what is wrong with people in the world today? Of course, it isn't just "today" that is the problem. There has always been fighting, hatred, kiling, wars in the world throughout its history. It just seems that the violence is escalating. I'm getting older so maybe it's perception on my part as I age. Maybe the violence isn't getting worse at all, but it sure feels like it.

S. should be back in Iraq right now as part of the CPT, but I haven't heard any updates from her by email so I have to wonder what she is going through and what in the world must the family she's staying with and their neighbors be going through right now? I hope she's okay and that the other CPTers and the families they're staying with are all okay as well.

The Muslim community in the Netherlands is fearful as well after the brutal murder of Van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker whose controversial film "Submission" criticized Islam. Certain groups on both sides seem to be using the film and his murder as excuses for more violence. "The arrest of Muslim militant Mohammed Bouyeri, 26, as the main suspect in the killing has been followed by what seems to be a cycle of retaliation between Christian and Muslim extremists. A half-dozen arson attacks on Muslim buildings were answered by fire bombings that caused minor damage at churches in Rotterdam, Utrecht and Amersfoort." I guess, according to a CNN article ethnic tensions in the Netherlands have been increasing over the years anyway. Maybe Van Gogh's murder has set things over the top.

A man opens fire at the Eiffel Tower. In other parts of the world, war is encouraged. And the police have to use a stun gun on a 6-year-old boy?

I worry, too, about the children who are raised in these times to hate and to curse and to be violent themselves. My mother told me about a woman who proudly declared that her little daughter came home from school & announced that Kerry is a nincampoop. Where did the little girl hear this? Why, she heard it from her teacher! And this woman was so pleased that a teacher was sharing her bias with the class (of first graders, I think) and that her teacher was calling someone names. Vote for whomever you want. Express your opinion on each person. That's your right. Please don't use inflammatory language or name-calling in front of a child! If you do, don't be surprised when the child calls other children or adults all sorts of names. Don't be surprised when that child grows up thinking it's okay to make fun of other people, to put them down, to ridiculte them. If adults that the child looks up to exhibit that sort of behavior, then it must be okay, right?

I have no answers just a whole lotta questions right now. *shakes head*

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Con Book Updates and Deadlines

Want to send a message to one of the Farscape cast? Well, you're in luck! The tradition of convention books continues. *g* Most of the books will be presented at Burbank, but some will be sent at a later date. Listed first is the deadline for submissions, followed by the cast member, who the person is on the show (since not everyone knows the cast by name), and the email address you'll want to send your message to. Many of the con book organizers will accept photos as well via email (.jpg or .bmp). When in question, email the organizer first.

What to say? Anything you want! Just keep it clean. ;-)
Need help with what to say? Read cybergal's helpful post Con Books Messages Made Simple! for a simple way to do con book messages. =)

11/12/2004   Claudia Black   (Aeryn Sun) blueaeryn@hotmail.com
      
11/13/2004   Wayne Pygram   (Scorpius & Harvey) Burbank_Conbook@hotmail.com
11/13/2004   Brian Henson   (Director & owner of Farscape) Lmd1888@aol.com
11/13/2004   Rockne O'Bannon   (Creator of Farscape) Lmd1888@aol.com
11/13/2004   David Kemper   (Writer/Executive Producer) Lmd1888@aol.com
11/13/2004   Melissa Jaffer   (Noranti) Burbank_Conbook@hotmail.com
11/13/2004   Ricky & Cheryl Manning   (Writer/Producer & his wife) Natira722@yahoo.com
      
11/15/2004   Ben Browder   (John Crichton) BensFanBook@aol.com
11/15/2004   Francesca Bueller   (M'Lee, RoNA, Raxil & Akna) fransconbook@comcast.net
11/15/2004   Anthony Simcoe   (Ka D'Argo) BookScaping@comcast.net
11/15/2004   Raelee Hill   (Sikozu) sunkrux@farscapeworld.com
11/15/2004   Lani Tupu    (Bialar Crais & voice of Pilot) BookScaping@comcast.net
      
11/16/2004   GiGi Edgley   (Chiana) gigisconbook@yahoo.com
11/16/2004   Bianca Chiaminello   (Jenavian Chatto: Peacekeeper Disruptor from "Look at the Princess") biancasconbook@yahoo.com
11/16/2004   Felicity Price   (the Princess from "Look at the Princess") felicitysconbook@yahoo.com
      
11/17/2004   David Franklin   (Capt. Braca) cyberlinda@att.net
11/17/2004   Virginia Hey   (Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan) cyberlinda@att.net
 
12/11/2004 Paul Goddard (Stark) mysideyourside@hotmail.com

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Happy Halloween

No sign of any Trick-or-Treaters yet. I think all the kids in the neighborhood are having parties at others' houses. On tap for tonight are spooky movies .. Well, we actually started with "Ella Enchanted" (very cute movie!) and will continue with "The Day After Tomorrow" and "The Excorcist."
'Tis the Season for Con Books

Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars rocked!!! I want to discuss it, but I know that there may be other Scapers lurking who haven't seen it yet, and I don't want to spoil you. :P
I will say it gaves us an inkling of what we would've had in store for us over the fifth season, and I agree with Matt Roush that PKW was a love note to the fans. I was disappointed that we only had four more hours but thrilled that we had more Farscape at all! :D

I'm anxious to hear if there's talk of more this soon after the mini series. Most likely Henson will wait for sales of the mini on DVD to start coming in before making such decisions, but still .. it'd be great if they were able to give us a snippet at the Burbank Convention!

and now to the Con Books

** A message from Elnea:

Would you like to send a message to Ben Browder? Or maybe share some artwork, or a photo? Here is your chance.

I will be compiling the messages into a book for him and it will be hand-delivered at the Creation Convention in Burbank November 21.

Here are the rules:

Please keep your entire message to under one half of a page (yes, that is in 12 point font!).

Please keep the message G, or PG-rated. ;-)

If you want to send images in addition to your message, please send them as a .jpg, .gif or .bmp attachment to your message. PLEASE name your attachment after yourself so I can keep your picture with your message. Also say you are sending an attachment in your e-mail. Otherwise I won't open it for fear of viruses.

e-mail me at the special AOL account: BensFanBook@aol.com

(note there is no apostrophe)

Please do not e-mail me to see if I got the message. I will update at the Farscape bulletin board every day the messages I've received. To find the thread, go to http://www.scifi.com/farscape and click "message center". If the "Send a Personal Message to Ben" thread isn't evident, do a user search for me, (Elnea) and you should go right there. If you need to contact me, write me at Elnea@aol.com

This is the fifth year we are doing a book for Ben. I know he really looks forward to the book. All messages will be confidential, to be read only by me (to spell check etc. and of course by Ben himself). I really need these messages by November 15. Historically I get 90% of the messages on the last two days before the deadline. Let's change history. Don't wait, send your message now! ;-)

Let's make this year's book the best ever!!!

Thanks!
Linnea
a.k.a. Elnea
Proud member of the S.A.C.C. at www.scaper.com
Scapers Unite!!!


** Also, atomicpagan would like to do con books from the Boston Scapers for Ben, Gigi Edgley and Anthony Simcoe for the Creation Convention in New Jersey. Deadline is November 19

Friday, October 15, 2004

Sunday, October 03, 2004

Live Journal Trick or Treat Haul

My LiveJournal Trick-or-Treat Haul
ctegan goes trick-or-treating, dressed up as Wicked Witch.
atomicpagan gives you 18 light orange cinnamon-flavoured pieces of taffy.
dealane tricks you! You get a block of wood.
elishavah tricks you! You lose 6 pieces of candy!
kerlin tricks you! You lose 1 pieces of candy!
kernezelda gives you 3 light orange passionfruit-flavoured wafers.
ludens99 tricks you! You lose 5 pieces of candy!
maramcc tricks you! You get a dead frog.
mesascaper tricks you! You get a broken balloon.
mortalcoil02 gives you 2 red-orange blueberry-flavoured gummy bears.
veritykindle gives you 6 dark green blueberry-flavoured hard candies.
ctegan ends up with 17 pieces of candy, a block of wood, a dead frog, and a broken balloon.
Go trick-or-treating! Username:
Another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern.
Angel_Youth
Youth


?? Which Angel Or Demon Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

snurched from the Live Journal of Revolos55

I don't think this is truly me necessarily, but I like the result just the same. =)

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Just Another Tuesday

“Sarah Michelle Gellar will have to do a Madonna & wear T-shirts with my name on them.” Claudia Black, SFX #76

I just like that quote. *g* Some day maybe that quote'll come true.

Ella-bean visited Sunday (with her parents in tow - Happy Birthday, Tracy!) and demonstrated her unique crawl style. We also decided we need to buy her more cat toys. :P

November is approaching rather quickly. Have you decided yet who you're going to vote for in the presidential election?
Where do you stand? Bush vs. Kerry See a breakdown of where the candidates are on the issues. Click on the candidate who shares your views on each issue and find out in the end which candidate's views more closely resembles your own.

Got an idea? If these people like it, they just might give you $25,000 to make your idea a reality. Visit Ideas Happen for more information. I wonder if I should suggest this to S. for the web series or for SG? Hm ..

Saturday, September 25, 2004

taken from the Live Journal of Revolos55 ..


You Are Sam From "Benny & Joon."

You are very talented at physical comedy. People are in awe of your abilities. However, you have many quirks which can either win people over or completely annoy them. But you're a sweetheart through and through, and it's hard not to love you.

Take The Johnny Depp Quiz!


Yes, I have a gift for physical comedy ... tripping over myself, dropping things. Yep, that's me. lol

I liked this movie when it came out, too. I remember hearing the critics review it (maybe it was Siskel and Ebert?) and say that the character of Sam was too quirky. No one was like that in real life. When I heard that, I laughed out loud since the character reminded me of many people I knew. :)

Thursday, September 23, 2004

wench
You are a wench! Saucy and sharp tounged, you know
how to have a good time! Serving in alehouses
and taverns, wenches are notorious for their
healthy sexual appitite. Although very
flirtatious, you wont let any man take
advantage of you. With a fiery temper, you know
how to defend yourself and your ale!

What Renaissance Type Woman are you? (with pics)

brought to you by Quizilla


I snurched that little quiz from Rev's journal.

Also, I want to see "Shall We Dance." No, I'm not talking about the Astaire-Rogers classic (which I love!), but the newer Richard Gere/ Susan Sarandon film. Dancing and romance .. I know I'll like the film if only for the dancing. :D

Answer to the riddle from my previous post.

Sunday, September 19, 2004

Riddle Me This

All this "talk" of mazes and labyrinths and puzzles and riddles have set me on a single train of thought. So, while I waste my hours indulging (when I should be doing other things), here are some puzzle & maze-related sites for all to enjoy:

The Secret Garden of Mutabor
The Enchanted Maze Garden
Jo Edkin's Maze Page
Davis Farmland Mega Maze
Puzzle World
Riddle Nut
The Tree Riddle
The Riddle of the Sphinx

A riddle for you: How many letters are in the alphabet?
Dreams of Mazes and Other Projects

Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
-- Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)


I was on Instant Messenger the other night with a friend & we had a conversation about medieval rebellions, mazes, and Tardis-like cottages, and yes, it all tied into Farscape Viewing Parties. I couldn't tell how much of what he said was real or just for fun, but I know that the home of my dreams was discussed at great length. If I had the funds to make this dream into a reality, I would. My dream home is full of rooms upon rooms, each one with a theme, each with a specific use in mind .. the video room, the computer room, the Alice room, the medieval room, the library, etc., with winding staircases throughout the house. The walls are thick with secret passages and hidden rooms, and the yard is full of gardens (flowers, fruits, and vegetables), and mazes and labyrinth-like structures, and I realized that even my dreams are obsessed with the idea. Nesting dolls, intricate, infinite structures .. they fascinate me, intrigue me, captivate my imagination. I have no idea why. They just do. The site I’m working on, that I’m constantly revising, rewriting, redesigning (over the past several years) both on paper and in my head, is a maze itself. Mazes within mazes and riddles and secrets and hidden paths .. interactive problem solving .. It’s complicated and simple and takes up more than three notebooks of paper. I must shrink it somehow, make it like the call box in appearance .. even though there’s a Tardis inside. Someday I’ll finish it. Someday soon I hope. (If you wish, you may visit my mini maze in the meantime.)

That and my next fan music video. I have to finish the video this month. The deadline is approaching for the contest, and I really want to send it in on time to see whether or not it holds muster. I just hope I’m able to make my idea translate in a way that others will enjoy and in a way that’ll be true to what I see in my head .. or at least close to it.

One project for the weekend is complete. My answer to Photo Friday's challenge, Domestic, is now up over at my photoblog if anyone is interested.
The Magic of Red Leaves and Apples

Sometimes I like to wear shirts that have words and sayings written on them. Some have purpose, a certain message I want to share. Others are not supposed to mean anything to anyone else. They're supposed to be just for me, because I like them. I like the way they look, the way they feel; and sometimes the words are faded against the tank or the tee. And then it's almost as if they're secret words written on there just for me. It so happens that one shirt in particular seems to draw people to it whenever I wear it. They'll ask me what it says then read aloud I woke up wanting to go to Italy, and I find myself standing there, smiling awkwardly, while they squint at the faded words on my chest. Sometimes they'll pull away, look at me expectantly for an explanation of some sort. Sometimes they ask, "So you want to go to Italy?"

I've decided that I should memorize the words on that one particular shirt that seems to fascinate those I meet. When they ask me what it says, I can recite it to them so they won't have to strain their eyes and stretch their necks to read the words. Today was just one of those days. I woke up wanting to go to Italy by car. How appropriate.

Today was just one of those days.
I woke up wanting
to go to Italy by car.
Perhaps if I really drove fast enough I might
catch air to Florence.
Sometimes I forget about the magic.
like the moon and red leaves and how
the apples grow again and again
outside my windows.
And dream my funny possibilities
and brave endings.

Friday, September 17, 2004

Reading Minds

While clicking away at the "Next Blog" link in the banner on top of many Blogger sites, I came upon a great blog, Go Ahead: Read My Mind, an intelligent, thoughtful, often entertaining look into one woman’s life. Well written and sprinkled with humor, this blogger makes what, in less skilled hands, could be the most mundane of events (from her daughter peeing on daddy’s shoe to the pitfalls of being a preacher’s wife), both fascinating and insightful. Go Ahead. Read her mind.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Bumped Offline

It's extremely frustrating to be chatting on mIRC and then bumped off repeatedly because my trial period is up. lol

I read an interesting article on how opposites attract except in friends and how it might be genetically programmed in us.

Also, I ran into Silvie's brother M. She had a baby boy in July! (Andy) Today he was being baptised. :)

Saturday, September 11, 2004

The Village and Other Thoughts

I finally saw "The Village" tonight. I was really looking forward to this movie since I loved "Signs" and "The Sixth Sense," and I enjoyed it. "The Village" was entertaining and suspenseful and well acted, but I do understand now why some people were disappointed. Without giving anything away, it's not as deeply layered as his previous films had been. The other films left me pondering the ideas that were presented, long after the film was over. "The Village" did not, though I did manage to have an interesting discussion with my friend about it afterward.

Today's date, of course, had me at times thinking back three years as I'm sure it did with everyone else. So I guess I'll add my own little where I was for that weekend. On the 8th I'd traveled to NY alone to attend my first Farscape convention (my second con ever) at the Pennsylvania Hotel. I didn't really know the names of all the characters let alone the actors, and I hadn't seen that many episodes, but I'd read and heard so many good things about the one in Burbank that I just had to check this one out. When I'd arrived, I'd called home and immediately knew something was wrong despite the fact that no one at home wanted to tell me anything, (I found out when I returned home that my great aunt had died suddenly while I was on my way to NY). The con itself was on the 9th, and I had a wonderful time. Ben had come into the audience to shake people's hands before signing autographs, and I'd been quite impressed that he took the time to do that. I'd purchased the cheap seat tickets, so I wasn't getting an autograph, and some people I just met invited me to join a group of people for dinner. I said I'd meet them at the restaurant, dropped off some things in my hotel room and headed down to the lobby where I ran into the person who'd convinced me to come in the first place. While chatting with him, executive producer David Kemper passed by, kindly stopping to allow a photo (which didn't come out), and then Ben passed by, stopped to do a little six-million dollar man running thing for me (that pic *did* come out). All higher brain functioning ceased, and thoroughly discombobulated, I ended up traveling in cirlces looking for the restaurant I was to meet everyone at. After a time, I returned to my hotel room, quite content with my day. On the 10th, before my train home, I took a walk over to the OLTL studios, snapped a few pics. When I arrived home, I heard the news about my great aunt, unpacked and got some rest. The next morning, I went online to the Dom and posted a thanks to the people I met, along with an apology (and explanation) for missing dinner. I then hurried off to work. My older sister called me soon after, telling me a plane had flown into the World Trade Center in New York and that it might be terrorists. I didn't understand. I'd thought she'd meant one of those small little planes, maybe a student pilot, had nicked the WTC. Nothing had been announced on the radio station we were listening to at work. The rest of the morning was spent fielding phone calls from my family and greeting patients and answering the phone and walking around in basically a haze. By this time the radio station was reporting the news over and over, and we might've closed early at work, but I can't remember. I do remember, however, going online once I got home, and literally two posts after mine was someone mentioning a plane flying into the WTC. All the posts from that point on over the next few days, maybe even over the following week or more, involved the confusion, shock and sorrow surrounding the events of September 11, 2001. There were also posts of concern and encouragement and virtual hugs and tears expressed by people from all over the world, and somehow it seemed to solidify my connection to this online community I'd only just discovered, as odd as that may sound.

I also spent time contacting friends in NY to make sure they were okay. My older sister was having trouble reaching one friend by phone but finally heard from her by email. The interent made it easier for people to check in as the phone lines and satellite/cell phone connections were over loaded. It was a strange time, but it was comforting the way people came together to support each other and those who were injured or had died as a result of the terrorists hijacking the three planes.

Everyone I've ever spoken to remembers exactly where he or she was when the news first broke. We all have our stories, no matter how insignificant they might seem in comparison to the family and friends of those who were in the planes and in the buildings. Anyway ...

On a much lighter note, DragonConTV has posted a "commercial" they made for DragonCon: The Aurora Chair. Please check it out and leave some comments for the filmmakers! :D

Neil Gaiman, Worldcon, Boston, 5 September 2004
Lastly, K. has just informed me that my innocent little email has appeared on Neil Gaiman's journal. (hee!) And I will say it again .. Neil Gaiman made an excellent MC for the Hugo Awards. I really, really enjoyed my first Worldcon. This convention was spectacular and had so much going on at every moment to appeal to all the varying interests of attendees .. too bad at was at the table most of the time. lol To see the list of Hugo winners, please go here. He also posted links to an article (that he suspects might've been an attempt at humor - I think Mr. Gaiman was being generous) expressing stereotypical ignorance in regards to fans of science fiction! Articles like these annoy me, as I'm sure they annoy all fans of science fiction or fantasy, though maybe not as much in years past .. before I started going to the occasional con. I don't see journalists writing such pieces when the Super Bowl comes to town. By the way, to my non-science fiction loving friends, if you enjoyed any of the following, you *are* a fan of science fiction or fantasy, whether or not you want to admit it: Jurassic Park, E.T., Sliding Doors, Vanilla Sky, Frankenstein, The Wizard Of Oz, The Princess Bride, Star Wars, StarGate (movie and/or series), Lord of the Rings trilogy (movies and/or books), ... see a pattern here? ;-) Oh! and the Worldcon 2005 organizers have a wonderful explanation of what Worldcon is here.

My Baker's Dozen for that weekend are up, too.

.. The annual Boston Film Festival is back in town. I hope to leave work early enough at least one day this week to see at least one film playing at the festival.

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

World Con 2004

I'll be away at World Con starting Friday, but since the Hynes Convention Center claims to have wireless internet, I should be able to check email, etc., if anyone needs to reach me. I'll try to post a con report as it progresses.

The World Con/ Noreascon site has a programming page up now that gives you a little overview of what's going on. And check out the actual schedule! From showings of LOTR to marathon Firefly viewings, there's a little something for everyone: karate, medieval weaponry, costumes, gaming, filking, astronomy, panels on writing, opportunities to have coffee (or beer) with your favorite writer, and the presentation of the Hugo Awards on Saturday! (There's even a panel on deconstructing Mary Sue, which, of course, immediately makes me think of LJ).

Besides guests of honor Terry Pratchett and William Tenn, there are many, many more participants coming to this convention! Authors, editors, artists, publishers, .. some of the best in the genre form will be in attendance! Glen Cook, Neil Gaiman, Lois McMaster Bujold, Larry Niven, Robert Silverberg, Brian Aldiss to name a few!

Big thanks to those who are helping out at the Farscape table this weekend! and For anyone else who might be attending or who is thinking of attending, please feel free to stop by the table, say hello, rest your weary legs, and take some fabulous freebies (generously provided by Farops and many others)! :D

Saturday, August 21, 2004

FS: Peacekeeper Wars Trailer on Apple.com!!!

Fox News made an announcement (which I missed - thank goodness for the internet to keep me informed) that the trailer shown at Comic Con for Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars will have its premiere on apple.com/trailers next Wednesday the 25th!!!! Woohoo!!!!

Read more here.

.. Now if I could just see a few commercials for the mini on prime time, I will be in absolute anticipation heaven! :D

Friday, August 20, 2004

As Requested .. Updating the Blog

(hee!)

I want some new jeans .. http://www.jc-online.com/thestore

Oh! Check it out! Trailer for Farscape: Peackeeper Wars and a coolio interview with the evil genius himself (David Kemper) are over at scifi.com/farscape

To get my fixx in the meantime, I've been rewatching videos over at Farscape Fantasy. Dallascaper has soooo many videos hosted over there now! lol Though I love them all, I do have some current favorites. Without further ado, here are my Farscape fan music video recommendations:
Adiemus
Smile
Superman
El Tango de Roxane
Scorpy Went Down to Georgia
Bring Me to Life
Hong Kong Crichton
(hey, I can pimp my own video if I want to ..)

****
I plan on getting this. Even if there wasn't the interview with Ben Browder there, I'd be searching this one out for the cover alone. (hehehe) Verbatim magazine preview at Ben Browder Online .. Order the magazine! :)

****
Tonight I saw Passionada. I really liked that movie. (sexy lobsters! hee!) I am also very pleased that the alternate ending was *not* used. It wouldn't have become a very different movie and not one that I would've enjoyed at all. ;-)

****
VP (viewing party) tomorrow night with a superhero break for robot anime .. or something. I think I shall wear pig-tailed braids in honor of Dyna Girl (since I don't have the tights or little cape). Next month, L. will be hosting at her place. I'm the co-host. *g* It should be a lot of fun.

Hm, I wonder if we can get any of the FS cast or crew on the new talk show The Tony Danza Show. I'd *still* like to see Ben and crew on Ellen DeGeneres. That would rock! (yes, I said "rock")

****
In preparation for Sunday's Chick Day, I watched Spiderman with Tobey Maguire. Cool movie. Spidey 2 should be good. =)

****
... If you don't already know, some of the Boston Scapers will be at World Con 2004 helping to promote the Farscape miniseries. If you'd like to help us Scape the World Con attendees, you can do so by volunteering, donating swag, sharing ideas, or sending a few dollars our way to help alleviate costs. We have a table reserved for World Con; the table's free, but raffle items, candy, electricity, and memberships (tickets), etc., are not.

Help sponsor a table volunteer! :) Tickets are $50-$80 per day or $200 for the weekend! The con is a five day event, from Thursday, Sep. 2 to Monday, Sep. 6, and the more volunteers we have, the easier it will be to man the table. So, if you have a few dollars to spend, please consider making a small donation. Some of the volunteers are coming to World Con for the sole purpose of promoting the mini at our table for only a portion of the day, and it'd be great if, as a thank you for their time, we could reimburse them for some of their ticket costs.

Have an item you wish to donate for the raffle we're having (to benefit the charity Penny Lane)? We will be much obliged. :D

Please send donations via paypal to bostonscapers@hotmail.com (or click the paypal link on our site).

And while you're at it .. Check out the site for info. on the program participants - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Lois McMaster Bujold, Gordon van Gelder, etc. - and the activities/programs/events scheduled for World Con. It looks like it'll be a *fantastic* convention! There is *so* much to see and do! :D If you're planning on stopping by the con, feel free to hang out at the table with us for an hour or so (rest your weary legs)! and pick up some beautiful freebies donated by Farops and SFS.com! :D

Thank you!

****
Happy Birthday, NoraLaura! :D

Friday, August 06, 2004

Friday Reflections

Last night there was a helicopter literally hovering over my street, low, in front of my house. It was bizarre to see. The neighbors came out, and we all stared up into the sky at this behemoth, nearly invisible to the eye (but not the ears!) except for a single flashing light and some color on the copter. I attempted to take a picture, lighting up the whole neighborhood with my flash, but the likelihood of it registering on film is slim since it was so dark out. I had thought they were looking for someone .. or something, though the single light was not a search light in the traditional sense (ie, it wasn't very bright). My sister surmised that they were waiting for clearance to land at the airport (but the location chosen to hover doesn't make sense). Then we joked that it was searching for an E.T. life form somewhere on the ground. In any case, it brought some excitement into my night. ;-)

While conversing on Friendster with J., I started thinking again about old friends whom I've lost track of. As a result, I ended up registering at Ryze and joining some film "networks" (message boards/groups with indie filmmaking interests) with the hope that I can glean some information on fundraising and research methods for S.G. I also extended the invite to S., though there wasn't really much info. in the message boards that I didn't already know. Still, it's always good to network.

I was very excited the other night when I discovered that two people had tagged my photoblog as a favorite on Photoblogs.org. I checked again this morning, and now there's only one person who considers mine a favorite. It's a bit disappointing but okay at the same time. I'd figured that it must've been a mistake anyway since there are several photoblogs with the same name as mine.

There's an interesting article online regarding Ulf Erlingsson's theory that Ireland was actually Atlantis explained in his book "Atlantis From a Geographer's Perspective: Mapping the Fairy Land" due out in September. He mentions Dogger Bank as a location, and although I couldn't find much on the bank itself (beyond diving info.), I did find this post referring to an article that no longer exists online.

This article led me to search out other articles on msn, of course. I was pleased to find out that, although we are destroying the marine life, there are new species out there that are just being discovered. To learn more about that particular expedition and to see photos, visit http://www.mar-eco.no/.

And while you're at it, check out the list of program participants scheduled for World Con. Want to help out at the Boston Scapers table? or Have an idea for that table? *Please* contact me. Pretty please? Thanks!

Monday, August 02, 2004

Another Good Weekend



I took this at a relative's house in New Hampshire. I was up there for my cousin's graduation party and went exploring with my sis. They have a photography studio at their home, and the yard is landscaped for outdoor phots. The studio is called The Loft if you're interested in checking it out and sending more business their way. *g*

More photos can be found at my photoblog if you're interested.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Somewhere Over the Weekend

Well, my weekend went well for the most part. Much of it failed to happen as planned, but some plans still came together, and things were good.

Saturday I worked as usual, and although it was a tightly booked morning, things went smoothly. Rain was on tap for the morning, so I opted out of berry picking with K. in the afternoon. Yes, I could've still gone, but I didn't want to pick berries in the mud or on wet soil. So instead I went downtown with the family and ended up buying a new shirt and two new pairs of pants which fit me better than most of my pants .. though I think I'll still need a belt. lol

L. picked me up later in the afternoon, and we headed over to Digger's for a Farscape Viewing Party. :) Most of the usual gang was there, along with a table full of treats. Jo brought me a little gift from her adventure in Canada, and we watched most of 4.5, including video from the wrap "party" in 2002 where David Kemper read the TV Guide article by Matt Roush and the Save Farscape (I Am Farscape) TV commercials. In fact, there were interviews with some of the SFS people and interviews with the cast regarding how they found out about the cancellation & their thoughts on the fan campaign. It was a beautiful gesture on their part, to let us in on their thoughts and memories like that. It was nice to hear also that they understood how much we appreciated all their hard work, dedication, and generosity through the years, and that they realized we understood how the show meant family to them and that it wasn't just like any other set to them, that their energy made it special not just for the fans but for those who were there behind the scenes and in front of the cameras every day.

Have I mentioned how happy I am that the miniseries airs in October? *vbg*

That night, L. stayed over. I made popcorn, and we watched episodes of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir until I fell asleep. :P

On Sunday I had a late start. I vegged for longer than usual and watched the DVD we rented - What Dreams May Come. Beautiful movie! As my sister said, each scene was like a painting, and the story worked on several levels. (well done & highly recommended) Then after getting dressed, I caught a late train into Cambridge & headed over to the Central Square World's Fair. I had a great time walking up and down Mass. Ave. and along the side streets, listening to the different styles of music and stopping now and then at the Dance Stage. Local area shops and restaurants sold their wares - jewelry, dresses, etc. There was a variety of food available, too - barbecue, Brazilian, Indian, ice cream, fruit salad, fried dough, chicken, etc.

Vendor in front of The Phoenix Landing (restaurant), 25 July 2004


I got to see the band Rubyhorse perform. I'd never heard of them before, but I liked their sound. They were really good and mentioned an upcoming performance on August 12 at the Hatch Shell which I think I'll make every effort to get to. ;-)

They even played a song for us that they'd recorded for the new Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie. Unfortunately, I forget the name of the song. *g* It was about growing up, and the lead singer invited a woman (and her bubble gun) from the audience to join them onstage. There's a picture of her below .. sort of fit the song's theme, I guess. *bg*




Bubble girl on stage, 25 July 2004

A cropped shot of one of the guitar players is here .. a submission for the Wednesday Snap challenge.

I never made it to see Glen perform (in The Slackers) Sunday night either as originally planned. They wouldn't be going on until 10:30pm, and I just wasn't up to hanging around. At about 8:15pm, I decided to catch the next train home, especially since I had limited cash funds on me at the time and couldn't be certain I'd catch the last train out of town Sunday night if I'd stayed to see the show. *sigh* Some day I'll see a live performance. Hopefully I can make it the next time they play at the Middle East.


Middle East Restaurant and Club, 25 July 2004

If you're interested, my Baker's Dozen for the weekend (also a cropped photo) is here.

For more photos from the Fair, please visit my photoblog, "A Thousand Words" (as in .. a picture is worth .. *g* .. yes, I know, not very original). :P

Monday, July 26, 2004

This Land is Your Land ..

You've seen it on the net. You've seen it on the news. So now I'm posting the link, so you can watch the movie over and over and over .. *g*

http://www.plur.net/thisland.html

.....

p.s. Please go here to watch Brian Henson's thank you to the fans from Comic Con San Diego over the weekend.

Friday, July 23, 2004

The Wonderful World of Blogs

I so enjoy surfing the net and finding beautifully designed sites, insightful blogs, inspiring prose, bits of wisdom, breath taking photography, creative titles, amusing anecdotes and just laugh out loud fun.

So, I'd love to share some of the treasures I've stumbled upon with a click of my mouse. I hope you find them as interesting as I did.

- Weirdsmobile!
- A Girl Named Bob
- They Might Be Giants
- Tulgey Wood
- ever so humble
- Cup and Saucer
- The Fiction Bitch
- Arts & Letters Daily
- My Pet Skeleton
- Flying Shark
- t.h.e.|p.a.r.a.l.l.a.x.
- Billy's Captures
- Burnham Down the House
- BiblioBlog
- Irvin Stafford
- 50word Fiction
- Book Crossing
- Industorious Clock
- Fly Guy
- imagiNation
- Phoons from Around the World
- Pushing Daisies

22! .. hm, well, I guess that about does it for now. lol

-----

And just because .. Captain Gregg's poem to Mrs. Muir from the episode "The Music Maker" (performed by Harry Nilsson):

    If only I could touch your hand,
    The shore bird's call, the sea breeze,
    The sprucewood mast that rises tall --
    I'd happily forget them all,
    If only I could touch your hand.

    If I could link your arm in mine,
    The tropic sun, the emerald surf,
    The fleecy clouds like sugar spun --
    I'd happily forget each one,
    If I could link your arm in mine.

    Of all the things that cannot be,
    There's one alone means most to me --
    It's not the lure of distant shores.
    It's that my lips cannot touch yours.
    My lips cannot touch yours.


... for more on Harry Nilsson, click here. Want to hear a sample of that song (titled "Without Her")? If so, click the link below.


Without Her

Thursday, July 22, 2004

Fwd: The Positive Side of Life

I received this little gem in my email the other day, and instead of doing a mass forwarding to those on my email list, I thought I'd post it here. =)

The Positive Side of Life:

1. Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.

2. How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

3. Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.

4. Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.

5. Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?

6. Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us.

7. If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet?

8. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

9. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

10. Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

11. We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box.


12. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

13. Working for God on earth does not pay much, but His Retirement plan is out of this world.

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Mind Hump

I thought I'd participate in today's Mind Hump and post it here. Well, I like the questions posted for July 14, so I've decided to answer those. =)

1. An artist paints your portrait while you are engaging in one of your favorite activities...what would you be doing? What would the title of the portrait be?

If the portrait was painted recently, it would be of me at my laptop, tip-tap typing away. *g* As to the portrait's title .. Modern Woman or A Scaper and Her Mac .. (hee!)

2. You come in a bottle and you have magical properties, what are you? Examples: genie, pancake syrup, etc... What would be on your instruction label?

I am a genie .. in a little pink bikini. (I couldn't resist.)
My label would read: Twirl and dip. For best results, do not shake nor rub the wrong way. Keep away from excessive heat; temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit might melt the genie. If below 50 degrees, please wrap the bottle in a warm, fuzzy blanket to prevent freezing. Keep out of reach of whiners, complainers, heavy drinkers, smokers and dentists. Keep bottle in a safe area surrounded by flowers, books, music, and sweet smelling objects .. like chocolate or strawberries. Do not tip upside down. And whatever you do, please refrain from yelling at or nagging at the genie in the bottle or asking her to micro manage your life, especially your finances, or her magical properties will cease to work for you and you'll run the risk of being turned into something disgustingly lumpy. In the case of accidental misuse, promptly insert assorted blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and one plump, juicy, red strawberry, then place bottle gently on a nice, comfy chair and let sit for awhile.

3. You've just been selected as a poster child for a make-believe organization. What is the organization and why have they specifically chosen you?

Overworked and Underappreciated Women in America
.. you have to ask why? :P

4. "You can fly, you can fly, you can fly"! ...and you are NOT Peter Pan! Who or what are you?

I'm a little fairy. *g*

5. If you had a vanity horn on your vehicle (one which plays a song) what song would your horn blow to announce your arrival?

Tra La La (One Banana, Two Banana) aka The Banana Splits Song
.. or
Sesame Street theme song
.. or
The Monkees theme song
.. or
Daydream Believer

(dramatic pause).. That was fun. :P

Friday, July 16, 2004

Some Interesting Photoblogs

Found on photoblogs.org:

1. Ojorojo (Peru)
2. 35togo - the sites and sounds of Taiwan
3. Misc.Photography (Russian Federation)
4. 35mm.org (Portugal)
5. Charlotte Franklin (New Zealand)
6. Yam.ro (Republic of Moldavia)
7. Still Burning (Ireland)
8. 334pixels.org (Australia)
9. Daily Copenhagen (Denmark)
10. Sensitive Light (United Kingdom)

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Lookie what I just did!

If you peek over at my Links on the right-hand side, I have added a little iTunes link, so you can hear what I'm listening to right now. :D If you scroll to the bottom of all my Links, you'll also notice a "Download iTunes" button which will let you download the iTunes application for Mac or Windows. Very cool.

On another topic, I have seen so far two Sci Fi Channel ads on NBC: Secrets of M. Night Shamalyan (or something like that) and Stargate: Atlantis. Now, if I just saw an ad for Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars, I will be in heaven.

I've added a new photo to my photo blog.

p.s. Do you think I can hold a fundraiser to pay for needed dental work?

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Saturday Blog Maze

So, I decided to participate in another meme this morning. Yes, I should be working. I know that already. I'm here at the office .. isn't that enough?

Yesterday's memes are on my LJ. My answers to Friday's Feast are here and to the Friday Q, here.

Today, I'm tackling the Saturday Blog Maze meme.

Results are as follows:
1. A Typical Female: I love the design of this site and the fact that she is a science fiction fan, or at least a SG-1 fan .. which means she saw the Farscape teaser during the premiere! Also, she has beautiful pictures posted throughout.
2. Woulda Coulda Shoulda: This blog background is crumpled paper which almost gives you the sense that you found a wadded up piece, unraveled it and found all the entries to the blog jotted down right there. 'Tis cool. There are also fun links, and the blogger has a good sense of humor.
3. Paper Napkin: I love the name of this blog (reminds me of the crumbled paper idea above). The photo album is very cool.
4. Blue Poppy: A simple design and a very pretty poppy illustration are the eye pleasing features of this site. I clicked on it because of the name.
5. Super Hero Designs .. which led me to Superhero Journal: Colorful and positive feeling, this journal has *great* Photo Friday pictures!
6. Everyday Matters: The illustrations in the entries and an ink spattered title made me smile. :)

so, that's my Blog Maze!


And urelated to memes, this warm, fuzzy feeling has been brought to you by Revolos55. :D

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Happy Fourth of July!

Another year, another parade ...

I love the town parade each year ... planes flying over head, doing cool maneuvers ... cookout on the Common ... Firecracker 5K road race ... practically every resident in town lining the streets to see the parade which starts at around 5:45pm and lasts until almost 8pm. Rex Trailer made a return visit. (See a picture of him here.) We also had fire trucks and police cars from other towns, army tanks, old & classic automobiles from 1917 to the 1960s, Harleys, horses, marching bands, folclorico dancers, the Ancient Mariners of CT, the Sons of the American Revolution. The Cycling Murrays returned to town as well. I think almost every group that marched in the parade last year, marched again this year.


Norwood's Portuguese Folclorico Dancers

If you'd like to see a few more photos from the parade, please visit my photo blog.

Saturday, July 03, 2004

Assorted July 3 Musings + Photo Friday Answer

Blogging in Klingon? bologh.blogspot.com

hm, I wonder if I can find one in Sebacean .. or Elvish. *g*

***

Photo Friday .. Well, I've decided to accept the Photo Friday challenge, Father. Click here to see my photo. Comments are welcome.

***

Also, I spent the afternoon visiting at my sister's new home. We weren't charged on the way there (but we were on the way back). Their house is cute, a great little starter home, and the baby seems to love it there. :)

One of the best things .. They have raspberries! and blackberries! and (soon) strawberries!

The raspberries haven't been cared for properly. They're just small berries right now but will hopefully get bigger & juicier with sunlight and water and a little love.








There's also a tiny little shed in their yard .. a blue shed .. near the raspberry vines.

'Tis very blue. :P

***

Finally, I ran into L. on our way back. Poor thing was stressing over the usual, but this time it involved a movie with R. & phone calls from Ms.C. Somehow it carried over into phone calls made to both my home and to my uncle's home. I appreciated neither. In fact, it annoyed me to no end, but c'est la vie. L. has to deal with it.

***

M. is mountain climbing. She would say hiking, but really it's mountain climbing. Tomorrow is the parade and the cookout on the common. Monday I have off! :D

Friday, July 02, 2004

Memes

Found some fascinating memes (some banners/badges have been added to my sidebar) .. many of which I'd like to particpate in. Writing excercises are always sought out.

One Word presents you with a quickie challenge. You have 60 seconds to write (whatever you want) on the one word presented to you. The results are sometimes very interesting; it's harder than it sounds.

Weekly DV assigns themes which you use to record a DV short, then submit. This is a very cool idea.

The Writer's Digest offers daily writing "prompts" .. little assignments to get your creative juices flowing.

Daydreaming on Paper provides "random inspirations" for writing.

The Memes List offers a collection of the memes out there on the web.

Q&A: The Photographic Interview is a fascinating concept, and one I'd like to try soon.

The Thursday Threesome is another meme.

Theater Thursday is a new meme of three to four questions related to the movies.

Then there's 3 for Thursday

A one time meme, copy the list of the Top 100 Movies and paste into your blog or journal, highlighting the ones that you have seen.

Lost (and Found) Memes: Birthmonth ..

.. and fairly new (I think) .. Bout Rames ...

And finally, Baker's Dozen .. 12 thoughts and one pic to describe your weekend .. sounds like a cool idea.

Oh, I could go on (lol!), but I won't. Instead I'll end with a little quiz result ..

And the results of one of the blogging personality test thingies: My Bloginality is ISTJ!!!

Thursday, July 01, 2004

Wireless World

I'm completely wireless now. Finally got myself a cell phone with a coolio little ring tone. The wireless router is working, and the airport card is operational. :D

*savors the wireless wonders*

I've discovered, after my little intro. class, that I would need much instruction if I ever chose to pursue Voice Over. I swear the class was fun. Really .. it was. Of course, you'd never have known I felt that way if you'd seen or heard me do my little reading. Laura swears she thought I was going to pass out in the sound booth. lol

Anyway ...

Escapade was successful! The feedback has been extremely positive and everyone has stated repeatedly that they had a blast and are now in Scaper withdrawal. Despite the debt looming over my head (first year is always in the red), I am pleased. More than pleased .. I am considering stepping up to the challenge next year as well. Any of my cohorts wish to join me? *g*

(reminder to self: upload some of the photos I took! :P)

Now, the focus must be on FAROPS and WorldCon. (I promise both a con report and a WorldCon plan of attack are forthcoming!) Well, that and Shades of Gray. I survived con organizing duties. Somehow this gives me confidence that I will be useful on S.G. (no, not StarGate! *g*) and not as a P.A. either. Nope, once I recover some more from Escapade, I will be deep in preproduction research, etc. Hmm .. anyone out there have suggestions for me? I'm especially interested in fundraising ideas .. and fundraising experience(s). Any and all help, no matter how minor, is appreciated. Yes, I may have thought of it already, but there's no harm in reinforcing in my weary mind the avenues available for us. So, yeah, shout out. I'm listening. ;-)

Lastly, I *wish* I had the money right now to go to Comic Con. Sounds like a good time. *sniff* Same for Burbank in the fall. Though, actually, even if I *did* have the cash flow, I probably wouldn't be going anyway .. since both trips require flying. *sigh* Suggestions for traveling quickly, safely, and cheaply across country? lol