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