Confessions of a grown-up Geek

Spring Break is Over

2011-04-04T09:46:00.001-05:00

Watched WM 27 with Johnny last night. Nothing special. Best match for me is a toss up between Orton/Punk and Rhodes/Mysterio. Worst match, 8 man tag which took longer to introduce than the in ring content, but no, even that wasnt the worst match. As i suspected, the Lawler/Cole match was shit. Okay, it was the way they used Stone Cold at the event, but WTF, really?!? Though in his credit, Jerry 'the King' Lawler could STILL step in and play himself in a movie about his feud with Kaufman ala Man on the Moon. The main event was good enough, the best promo for the Miz Ive seen; even Johnny had to admit that the Miz is legit. Cena/Rock could be great, though we'll see if Dwayne is actually interested in taking bumps every week/month/quarter, or what?

Good news on the finance front today, though still no job offer. I have one place to goto after school today for a Sous position, and i have one place to follow up that would be the most convenient option in some time.

Here's something super awesome and interesting National Debt Clock check out the FAQ among other articles. It pisses me off and really makes me want to be a self sustaining presence. Go green doesnt even begin to encapsulate my feelings. I want to be a non presence, live off my labors, and not be bothered by this society shit. Reality being what it is though, i need to make the best of the world. Regardless of how my employment situation pans out, this time (my longest ever unemployed) is teaching me and reteaching me some important lessons on priorities and personal management.

Personal management has been weighing heavily on me, collecting a govt check by being in school is rough on me, not just because it not enough to live on. Anyone who knows me knows that i dont like to ask for help, or handouts, but realities are what they are.

Here i sit blogging about the last week rather than attending Developmental Psych class, is that equivelent though? I'm working on my writing for English and teaching, I'm collecting my thoughts that are typical for my age, which is all about what that Psych class will be in two weeks. I'll still make it to math class and hear Dr. J lecture. Boy, am i ever glad that this is the last day of Wuthering Heights in English. I forsee that the next book will divide us as well as this one did, along similar lines.

Wow, as i watch the local news break in the national 'news' program, they are pimping the shit out of McDonalds national day of hiring, 55,000 jobs in one day, BIG DEAL, these will be part time jobs that take hours away from the other part time and the full time employees that they have. Its just a shift away from what most companies have been doing, which is to lay people off and then when a little work comes back their way, they hesitate to rehire or hire fresh and instead add a few hours on to the already full time employees. Extra hours, with little extra compensation for those left behind, after all, what leverage do they have with their former colleagues eager to return to work. It's pretty fucked up.

That being said, if they just paid a livable wage, I'd be there. I can do that job.

Job hunt will go well today! Thanks dad for the happily received text. I have DOZENS of auctions going up soon, i came into a great batch of comics.

Please leave comments, they are appreciated. Tell your friends!!!

First outdoor plantings

2011-03-24T07:23:00.000-05:00

PLanted a few things in the garden yesterday. First off i transplanted two snow pea plants to see if they could make it without hardening off. I planted another 15 seeds of this type, i can hardly wait for the stir fry.

Also got my spicy leaf lettuce mix sprinkled, and also dropped in some carrots, and head lettuces, and spinach. All of these should be able to germinate in the 40s, and with no freeze in sight for 10 days, i decided to take my chances. Two kinds of spinach, regular leafy green, and a vining summer/heat resistant variety called Malabar spinach. Once in harvesting malabar, its time to plant another crop of green for fall harvest.

Its going to be a bountiful autumn. I cant tell you how great the people at sampleseeds are. They have exotics without having to pay out the nose for hundreds, who needs hundreds?, of varietal seeds.

Now with my 'bringing sexy back' contest with Jerms, and seeing Gareth and Free's garden, i am proposing another challenge, the bountiful harvest challenge.

Gareth, Free, PICS MUST BE POSTED. Once harvest season has begun, daily pics? weight? who is the judge? I need competition, join in? Not you Wills, youve got too much area, just us 'suburban' farmers.

There has GOT to be a job waiting out there, spring hires are starting...

Wuther What

2011-03-21T17:12:00.000-05:00

Wuthering Heights, dont read it unless your either a) some kind of romantic, or b) you really enjoy violent portrayals of every emotion. On the other hand, it provides a nice jumping off point for our classroom discussions.

Plants are sprouting al over the kitchen. The flowers in the living room have sprouted. I have lots more popping up soon. Now if this damn rain would pass i could go do some lettuce and radish seeding in the garden.

I think this garden is just ambitious enough without being overwhelming. My boxes are set in the ground, my dirt is filled in, its time to plant!!! My compost pile is in action, and we've made some minor changes in the kitchen to keep it growing.

Its gonna be a great summer, just wish it would get here.

Day Off, or not

2011-03-17T10:18:00.000-05:00

Im NOT letting Jerms win this sexy man contest. Situps, yard work, fresh greens, F-U Jerms...! lol

Got my seeds in the mail yesterday, I'm gonna spend the afternoon planting and tilling today, whichever i feel like. Ive got some really fun exotic stuff to plant. I'm very excited for Ground Cherries. Hopefully enough to make some jelly.

Off to follow up on a couple job leads this morning, then down to yard clothes. Steph has plans tonight, so im thinking Gore for St.Paddys. Im coming for you Gore.....

THINK GREEN!

To FahwNekz or Read?

2011-03-14T18:45:00.000-05:00

Complete language as a method to teach reading and spelling, ill take my old fashioned phonics please. Let me put it this way, competition or self esteem movement?

How did we go down this ridiculous road for so long? Who the hell is to blame? where are the fucking policymakers heads?

On to the garden, germination is underway, i can see peas sprouting shoots!!!

Followed up on a promising job lead, in Gareth's kitchen

Ordered up my last issue of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep last week. 24 issues and i can finally read it all. This is Phillip K Dicks novel (you may know as Blade Runner) put to graphic novel format for the first time. It is visually stunning, and the story is fantastic. What makes us Human???

First Day of Gardening

2011-03-13T20:50:00.000-05:00

Actually Day 2 today, but here's the rundown:

Sent away for seeds today from SampleSeedCompany. Why doesnt every place sell seeds this way? Why would i ever need 100-500 of every damn seed pack? im just fine with 20-30 quality seeds in a pack, the rest are just going to waste anyway. I got over 40 exotic seed varieties today for under $50, try that with even mass production crap like Burpee, no go.

Last night i started some Bok Choy, Tomatos in various type, Bell Peppers, PoleBeans, Sugar Snap Peas, and a few herbs i had from last year. A start, hopefully next weekend ill be starting another 100 plants or so. C'mon nice weather.

Chicken Coop Looks like a coop now thanks to Chicken Coops for Dummies YAY!!!

Thanks for the great present Will. Im looking now for a nice selection of layers, 3-6 in number, I do stil have to finish the run, but with a coop finished, and materials at hand, i can get chicks anytime.

Repotted houseplants today too, bamboo, started 4 spiders in stephs cute daisy pot, planted some flowers in a pot, set up a kitchen herb selection in the window as well.

Moved the freezer into the Kitchen, damn i hate my carpet.

Irredeemable and Incorruptible are two of the best titles on the market right now, and i have the Graphic Novel Collections, CHEAP!!! check out my ebay site, or send me an email. BRAND NEW BOOKS for LESS than retail, SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR.

I also have a COMPLETE COLLECTION BRAND NEW of Grimm Fairy Tales Vol 1-8
I will put the amazon links here as placeholders:

Tsunami

2011-03-11T10:16:00.002-06:00

Spending the morning looking at non existant waves hitting the Oregon coast. Largest Tsunami in Japan's recorded history, that's pretty big.

There is some great fan generated movie trailers on youtube, and some really bad ones.

Thinking about camping every day it seems.

No new posting on craigslist today for jobs...

This weekend, layout garden, do taxes, read Wuthering Heights...ugh

Math Test this morning, note cards allowed, ugh...why is this a test?

Spent an hour yesterday reading about the History of the Vatican and how it is one of the least legitimate 'countries' in the world. Imagine the mayor of Queens being an international dignitary, sigh... /rant off

I have missed the Boat!

2010-04-17T20:23:00.005-05:00

Point one, as far as general gamers go, I'm, well, Old. Not in my forties, but old enough to remember AD&D 2nd Edition as a MAJOR Milestone of my childhood. Today, my age was not a factor to acceptance, but still impeded my progress as a gamer.

Today i attended Soup-Con at the UWS Yellowjacket Union. First off, let me say that the facilities there are Excellent. The conference and other private rooms upstairs were well suited for this endeavor, and the lower level is plenty vast to have had many more attendees than i saw. Food and drinks were readily available all day from a variety of sources.

The lower level had several console gaming systems set up for general play. Highlights include the constantly on, well played Rock Band for Xbox, another Xbox with a collection of games, and a Wii also with a variety of options. Most of these systems were in play all afternoon, and were a nice escape for those upstairs to kick back at.

The big event, and the one that left me the most outcast was the Magic: The Gathering Magic The Gathering Limited Edition Premium Deck Series SLIVERS draft. From what i understand, this was an opportunity to obtain some older, out of print cards. This is where i stood dumbfounded, apparently Magic is where its at now a days. While i was weening off of D&D with 3rd edition, and casual gaming, the young gamers of today were being swept up in the table top games that I've eschewed for years. I let my better judgement rule, and did not buy a starter deck. Magic the Gathering Portal Starter Deck (2 Player Theme Decks)I had never witnessed an actual game of Magic being played, and still havent. I felt awkward, my hopes of a RPG intensive atmosphere were dashed in minutes of seeing the event summary, but i soldiered on.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that RPGs are not dead, they have just changed form to accommodate the Magic intensive gaming community of now. The Burning Wheel was a featured demo, and it is a nice change of pace from the statistic driven core of Magic. Role Playing is a must, and campaigns are driven by it. Other table top games were featured, ie Spellcraft, and a few others. Over all, i felt a sense of relief, the escapism and Role playing of my youth IS alive and well in todays gaming community, i just had to look. Gamer retention was high, as the total number of people involved in the Magic draft never seemed to dwindle, just to fan out into adjacent rooms.

Speaking of looking, in my travels i did manage to encounter MANY of the archetypes of the Gaming universe. Several people who had to say nothing, but i KNOW they DM/GM something, they have that look, you just know. There were Video game geeks (the guys on expert rock band), Magic geeks (enmasse), RPG Geeks, Music geeks, and at least a couple Comic Book geeks that i had the pleasure to meet, though i did not have the opportunity to meet Alan, the advisor for SAGA, and from what i understand, a serious comic geek in his own right. I even observed the rare species of Female Geeks, in a broad range. There was a room devoted to Anime, including Cowboy Be-Bop Cowboy Bebop Remix Complete Collection (Anime Legends), which had viewers enthralled.

All in all, it was a great day to socialize in a comfortable setting, where none of my world is taboo. I could speak freely about Comics, gaming, dating, social awkwardness, how i spent my weekend as a youth, and much more that immediately sets me apart as a Geek. Social awkwardness abounded, names are not as important as commonality, and are only an afterthoguht to many conversations i heard. Certainly i felt in the median, not as an outlier on the geek scale, and for that, even for the day, i thank Soup-Con and SAGA for putting on this fine event. Here's to a bigger and more well attended event next year!

I did not stay late enough to attend the D&D 4th edition room, but having purchased and read the new 4th edition, i already knew it wasnt for me. Though on a side note, i DID accomplish my ONE primary goal for the day, to find an adult group to play weekly D&D with. I don't know anything about the group yet, but I'll be there on Monday at 530 pm. Here's to hoping that there's a v3 or 3.5 campaign i can join!!! Looking forward to meeting some like minded gamers that i can develop some good relations with.

I am sure that next year, not only will i attend a few of the events, (whatever they may be) but i will be trying to run an event of my own. Im thinking a few hours of RPG in the vein of Mechwarrior Mechwarrior, Third Edition: The Battletech Roleplaying Game, or maybe Marvel Super Heros, or a similar d20 game.

Once again, thanks to SAGA, UWS, and Soup-Con for a fine event, a great escape, and a wonderful venue to share interests.

btw, i was that guy in the yellow Sinestro shirt who hung around Rock band, and popped into the upstairs rooms. See you all around.

Comics ive never read

2010-04-12T16:08:00.000-05:00

Having been a comic collector since about age 11, i can honestly say that i have never, ever purchased an Archie comic. Now thats not to say that I've never read one. These things have been around for 60 years, comics, digests, graphic novels, merchandise and lots more. I'd be willing to wager that ANY casual comic fan can name not only the triangle of love, but at least a FEW supporting characters. The gang from Riverdale is as old as my father, and have shaped the industry in many ways. Their influence has transcended just the comic medium to so much more.

Well, it was time. Several months back while perusing 'Previews' (the comic shop catalog) I noticed much hype for a bold new storyline, "Archie gets Married". I thought, huh, the girl next door, or the girl with all the money. Your heart or your head? I must admit that it piqued my interest. Money was tight, and Archie #600 just didnt make the cut on my preorder that month, but i was resolved to do what i could to eventually see what the hubbub was all about, bub. Archie Comics " Archies Wedding" Issues # 600-#606 When i saw that it was collected in a nice size graphic novel, and for a good price, i jumped, much to the chagrin of my then roommate, with his rolled eyes, and an, "oh, bud, really?" He felt much the same about Archie that most supes reading fanboys do.

This week in my monthly shipment (yes monthly, the wait is hard some months) i finally got it, The Archie Wedding: Archie In Will You Marry Me?. I shouldn't have waited!

Comics as a serialized story are at their best when they leave you wanting, no needing more. Archie didnt disappoint. Yes, its G-Rated. Yes, its formulaic (Archie walks UP Memory Lane instead of Down), but it is also a wonderfully plotted story that encompasses the whole of Riverdale. This book answers the question completely, showing us both sides of Archie's dilemma. Should Arch marry his girl or his gal-pal? The money or the girl next door? Problems we wish we all had, right?

With a starting point of graduation day, we see two complete stories diverge. Well scripted, with the simple style of any Archie comic, we learn the fate of ole red. Without *spoilers* its hard to say much, but we get a nice glimpse of about a 2-3 year span of what could happen just after the gang all graduate from State University. Marraige, In-Laws, Moving, and of course 'Whoopee' which inevitably leads to children. Archie is a man with a decision most of us would love to have, and ultimately learns a truth that is as profound as it is true: It's what we do RIGHT NOW that will determine our future.

Now i wont say that this book is for every comic fan; you zombie lovers, and hard core 'tights' fanboys just might not be able to handle a book this long with no death rays, or superpowers, but as a read, this book is EXCELLENT. I have to say that it was a bit moving, and the attention to detail is phenomenal. If a story sticks with you, it must have been good, and I'm sure I'll not soon forget how Archie's future could unfold.

Interested? follow the embedded links, or check the links below to find it at Amazon.

Time to get this going

2010-04-11T15:24:00.002-05:00

Ive been putting off doing this for far too long. Here it is, my first blog, Confessions of a grown-up geek. Here I'll be discussing and commenting on all the geekdoms of my adult life. Geek through and through, it's only now that I've put a few years behind me that i can accept, and fulfill my role as a Geek.

Probable topics here will include: Pop Culture, Pro Wrestling, Star Wars/Star Trek, Comic Books, Toys, Hobbies, Sports, Business Ideas for Geeks, and sometimes just a place I'll vent my concerns about the world, and let you know what I'm up to.

Here's to fulfilling your geek reading needs, and maybe, just maybe, sharing something that YOU can add to your own geek repertoire.

-Creegs